Funnies and Fears

Lately I feel so bad that I haven't written down all the fun things the boys do. So, here are a few I'd like to remember and maybe even tease them about later.

Beckett is still very much a ground dweller, crawling his way through the world. He loves to stand for 10-15 seconds at a time on his own, but has no desire to move his feet which, really is fine by me. In his travels, he usually likes to have a toy in one hand, usually in the form of a car, a plastic doughnut, or his glasses. Of course he doesn't actually wear glasses, but he does wear Mr. Potato Head's glasses. You know, the tiny plastic yellow ones that only fit onto Mr. Potato Head. Beck loves them. He loves for you to put them on him. It is so funny, and it makes him so happy. It'll be a sad day indeed when we can't stretch them out and squeeze them on. We'll just have to find him a larger pair.

Asher is, as always, hilarious. One of his favorite movies is Babe (the pig). In this movie, Babe has a particular duck friend named Ferdinand. Now, for some odd reason ever since he started watching this movie last spring, he's had a fear of ducks. Not the real ones, but the other kind. He is petrified of the "ducks that come through the window." What? Seriously though, once nighttime comes, he won't go near a window with open blinds or curtains, particularly in his bedroom or in the bathroom. He tells us that the ducks will come in the windows, and get him. He is genuinely afraid of those ducks. Poor kid.
Then there's the butterflies. At night (always at night, right?) he tells me and Corey that the butterflies will get him. We can't totally trace the roots of this one, but we think it might be moths. Last summer, for some reason moths would sometimes come in through his heating vent. He'd run to us making crazy claims of butterflies in his room after we'd put him to sleep. We just figured he was trying to stay up longer, until we realized (more than once) that he was telling the truth, and that there were actually moths hiding up on the ledge in his bedroom sometimes. Creepy! I can hardly blame him, but to hear him talk about those scary butterflies is kind of funny.
Maybe there's something to all things that fly. Who knows?
I sure do love these boys.

I had to post a couple of pics of cute Beckett in this adorable hat. It's Asher's size, but I can't resist sticking it on lil' Beck. I'm just gonna have to get another one I guess. A friend of mine, Adrienne makes and sells them on Etsy. Her hats are SO cute. She is one amazing crocheter! Check out her shop.

A few things I've learned as a Mom...at least so far.

1. Hot glue guns and/or packing tape can fix anything.
2. If it looks like poop, it probably is.
3. A clean floor is really just a dirty floor waiting to happen.
4. A clean house is really just a messy house waiting to happen.
5. Dry clean only = sits in your closet, never to be worn.
6. I was an amazing, perfect mom...before I had kids.
7. I remember thinking, "I'll never do that..." I've surely done it.
8. My kids look positively angelic when they're asleep.
9. I was never so acutely aware of my own faults and weaknesses as I am now that I have children.
10. Your baby is always sitting on half of the food you thought he ate.
11. Every toy in the world takes batteries. I should have bought stock in Duracell.
12. The grocery store can bring out the worst in your kids.
13. Garbage Day is the most exciting day of the week, hands down.
14. It is instinctual for children to yell, "YOU'RE HURTING ME!!" loudly as you try to quietly discipline them in public.
15. Wipies rock. Not sure I can ever live without them.
16. Being a mom really is the BEST job in the world. And the hardest.
17. Just when you think your kid is potty trained for good, they start having ridiculous mishaps.
18. My husband is a super fun, interactive, involved and loving daddy. Who knew he'd be so great?
19. Most 'owies' can be fixed with a kiss and a hug from mom. Pure magic:)
20. I will never know it all as hard as I try;)   

You Can Say That Again

 

My boy Asher has the most amazing memory, and I can't help but be baffled by some of the things he comes up with.  Here are a few of the things he's wowed us with lately....


1. Cell phone numbers.  He somehow remembers Corey's, and mine, as well as our home number.  Good boy!

2.  Our address.  Yes, a necessary bit of information for a kiddo to recite, but I'm not sure how many 4 year olds know it so well.

3.  Songs from toys.  Okay, so this is not such pertinent info, but he knows them none the less. 

4.  Entire books.  We read a lot, and so you'd expect some memory to kick in, but we are talking about some long books like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and at 2 years old, I could stop anywhere in The Polar Express and he'd finish the page.  He knew the whole thing.  He'll memorize books from the library after a week of occasional reading.  I'll stop anywhere in the book, and he can fill in the rest.  What a fun little game.

5.  Commercials.  This often comes up while I'm grocery shopping.  While walking down a grocery isle, Asher will see a product and start telling me the 3 benefits of toddler milk, or why Neutrogena is beneficial for my skin, or how chlorox wipes will clean and disinfect my kitchen, or that Dannon yogurt is creamy and delicious.  I could go on and on.  I have my very own walking advertisement.  It's absolutely hilarious:)

Oh, how I love this boy, and his amazing little mind. 

Baby B Turns One!

Ah, seriously? Has it been a whole year already? I cannot believe my baby is one. I have had mixed emotions about his birthday for a little while now. I'm excited because there are so many fun things coming up...walking, talking, all of it! But I'm a little sad, because he's not my little baby anymore.

My attempt at a banana shaped cake.

Our little family party(just the four of us...and my parents on webcam) was fun. We snagged some Curious George stuff at the party store and it didn't disappoint. Beckett loved all the monkey decor, and seemed to know the night was his. I am convinced however, that with a one year old it is ALL about cake and balloons. In fact, I think until they are around three, you could probably focus on that and be good to go...cake and balloons. Ta-da. Done.

Asher's cake approach at one was a semi-face plant in the side of the cake and to stay put until he'd had his fill. So funny. Beckett's approach was also very interesting. He ate straight through the center of the cake, literally. The edges of the cake were untouched until that was all that was left. And he wanted to eat it all, and would have no problem if we hadn't taken it away. The balloons were a hit too. He couldn't stop playing with them, and that huge George mylar one is still drifting around our house bringing smiles. I love one-year old birthdays! They are just the best.

Some fun facts about our Beck:

• Although he is now squirming out of my arms, demanding and asserting his independence, he has been such a snuggle bug! It's been so nice to have a cuddly baby.
• Baby Bucket, Booda-Booda, Beck, B-man, Beckett....all nicknames over the past year.
  
• He is very passionate about his food. He knows what he wants and will scream at you until you get it right. And don't even think about trying to ignore him...the screaming is VERY persistent.
  
• Again, a very passionate eater. Say for example I start putting some Cheerios on his tray...Beckett descends upon the food and starts putting into his mouth double fisted. It's madness. If he's really excited he does this sound that almost sounds like he's purring. Still need to get that on video!
• He's always been pretty vocal. From the beginning. He's saying Mama, Da, and Do (dog). He is fascinated by Dion.
  
• Until recently he was still waking up once a night, taking full advantage of my laziness. I finally put my foot down a few weeks before he turned one. It took 3 nights of some extremely persistent and furious screaming, but now we are all sleeping through the night. Hallelujah!(Except I'm still feeling a little guilty,... but only a little)
• He love, love, loves his brother. Those two start laughing at each other and it's over...they seem to totally get one another. Do kids have inside jokes already? Oh boy.
• He adores his glow worm. He sucks on his face, smiles and loves the music. So cute.
• He said mama first:)
• He has pretty much caught up! After being nearly 2 months premature, I am happy, and relieved to say he's doing great. Bringing him home on Oxygen was a real bummer, and we had so many worries in the beginning. What a trooper. What a brave little boy. We feel so blessed that everything has gone well. Our Beckett is sure a sweetie, and is adding even more of that happy-go-lucky, fun-loving, roudy energy we are used too. He was definitely sent to the right place, and we love him so, so much.

Happy Birthday Beckett! We sure love you B!!

Asher turns 4!

How can another year have gone by so fast? Asher turned four years old, and he is thrilled about it. He's been talking about turning four for a couple of months at least, and his request that night was to have a '4' on his hat. He was just so proud. We celebrated with the family while we were visiting up there for the holiday. With a birthday that's three days after Christmas, its nice to have some family around to help make it extra special. I know he loves it. The cake process was a little last minute since we'd only been in town day or two. He picked a Blue's Clues cake, which surprised me since he's been so into trains, animals, etc. But, Blue it was and it was perfect! It was the first year he's really anticipated his birthday, which made it more exciting. Happy 4th Birthday Ash! We love you SO much.

A few fun things about Asher:

We are so proud of him. He's an amazing older brother to Beckett, and has lately even started building towers for him to knock down. It's so great to see them interact well together, and I know that Asher is the key to making that happen. They already seem to have 'inside' jokes!

He is a sentimental kid. When people give him things, he often remembers, and those things mean something to him. He sleeps with a slew of "buddies" now, and they have all been given to him by someone special. The buddies currently include a flashlight, 6 or 7 stuffed animals, a little Santa in an airplane with a fan for a propeller and sometimes a book or two...and he takes inventory every night, if one is missing, he knows it.

He is a friend to all. He loves people. And he calls everyone a friend. There was a period when he literally called any kid he saw a "friend" (ie....we were at the mall, and another kid walks by...Asher says, "look mom, there's a friend!"). He'll still fight for a coveted toy, just like any other kid his age, but he really does seem to be accepting of others.

He can be very sweet. Other moms (my own included) have told me how little boys love their moms and will say the sweetest things. Until recently, I hadn't experienced it for myself. He will compliment me on everything from my glasses to my shirt. "Mommy", he says, "your eyes are beautiful." Wow, keep em' coming, I think to myself!


He is an excellent negotiator. He can be convincingly clever with his words when he wants something. He won't come right out and ask if he can have something, but if YOU would like something, and that he'd like to share. For example, if he wants some M&M's he'll ask if you want some first, then if you want to share some. He smooths over his demands with words that make you think he's doing you a favor. Are they supposed to be so clever at 4?

He loves to learn. He's always building things, killing me with questions on how things work and loves to learn words (to read). He masters puzzles, and loves to play games. Don't get me started on his obsession with replacing batteries in toys, and finding out where all the dead lightbulbs in the universe are (because he sees them all). He pays attention to little things, which I find fascinating since I don't always do that myself! Everything is a chance to learn something, and I am constantly impressed with how little minds work in such a big way.

We are so proud of our big boy, and love him so much. Happy Birthday A-Man!

Christmas Catch-Up

Now that the New Year has come and gone, and before that Christmas and Asher's birthday, I am finally catching up on blogging all the festivities. It was definitely a busy season, visiting with both sides of the family, and filled with lots of fun, and TOO MUCH food.

Corey's parents were in town for Christmas, and we spent Christmas Eve and Day with them. We had dinner at our place, then braved the night and the insane traffic to see the 'Luminarias.' It is a unique tradition in a downtown neighborhood, and nearly every single home lines the streets, and everything in luminarias. It was beautiful to see all those lights, minus the bumper to bumper traffic. You see, it's not exactly a secret.

Happy Christmas Baby!

Asher gave his Daddy a signed original titled, "Elephant with Boot."

Christmas morning was wonderful. It is an absolute joy to watch my boys experience it all. Asher was very much into the whole thing this year, and Beckett actually enjoyed it more than I thought he would (his hands-down favorite was playing with the wrapping paper). Santa brought Asher a bike this year, and he's now tasting real live freedom as he rides up and down the street with his trusty training wheels. He loves it, and keeps telling us how fast he is. Speed demon!
We had a nice Christmas Day with Corey's family, it was a treat to have some visitors in town.

New wheels!

The day after Christmas, we flew to Utah for some more holiday festivities. My brother Ryan, his wife Danna and their cutie pie Adalee were visiting too, which made it extra fun. We hadn't even met their daughter until this trip! We spent lots of time hanging out, playing games, talking and eating with everyone...every single member of my family was around, and it was great getting together like that. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen too often with some of us living in different places. It's so amazing to see all of us, grown up with families of our own, and I LOVE to see all the cousins running around. Since I'm combining so much, I will hit the highlights:

• It was great hanging out with both of my parents the whole time...my dad even had the entire time off!
• Beckett learned to crawl up the stairs. At home I keep him away from them, but at Grandma's house he saw his cousins doing it (particularly Adalee who is 3 weeks older) and thought he'd better do it too. Good job little buddy!

• Asher built his first snowman! Not a big deal to many, but here in NM, our snow is nowhere near snowman quality, so we took advantage of the chance to build the real deal with some real snow. Thankfully, Laurie happened to have enough snow gear to outfit a whole family in her car!

My boys in the snow...

Beckett wanted in on the action and watched from the glass door.

The snowman crew with the finished product.

• Cousins. Cousins. Cousins. Love watching them all play, cry, laugh, and fight.
  

• New Year's Eve. Lots of food. Ryan took it upon himself to sautee shrimp and scallops for everyone, and I thought I hated scallops! MMMMmmmm, thanks Ry. The guys spent the night playing a Wii tourney, the girls crafted. Yes, you read right...crafted. Unconventional, I know, but Danna showed us all how to make these really cute bead-y watches...and it was fun! We laughed a lot, and were near delerium by around 1:30 when we all started to crash. Wish I had pictures of our watches!

• Learning how to crochet cute little flowers. Again, Danna passed on some of her expertise to us. I was a nightmare to teach (Me, crochet? Scary!), and somehow she stuck it out. Thanks again! They really are so cute! Again, no pictures, but here's Kayla making one!
  

• New Year's Day my parents took us all to Tucano's for lunch. Yum. Who knew they had tables that big?
• Kangaroo Zoo. Asher had a blast running and jumping around that place, and best of all we were practically the only people there!

• Taking pictures of all the kiddos in their matching pajamas. Pure madness. Imagine 8 kids ages 4 and under, 3 of which are crawlers, trying to stay still for one perfect shot. Impossible! My mom had a great idea, but the reality was scary. I so wish we'd had a video camera going to capture it. It would be funny now, even though it wasn't then. The two stalwart children were Asher and Allyssum who sat there waiting patiently and fairly content watching the mayhem around them. Funny.

So, that is our Christmas holiday in a rather large "nutshell." It was so fun to see everyone this holiday (except for Shawntel, Jared and family....we miss you guys!). We love you all and thanks for all the fun and memories!

Did I mention this poor guy had an ice cream cone for a nose and walnuts for eyes and mouth? We couldn't find carrots, etc. anywhere in my mom's house! We had to get creative.