First Visit With Santa
Photo Friday – 12.17.2010
Cookie Making Time
This morning the boys and I made sugar cookies. Dough was eaten, icing was tested, and sprinkles were slightly over used. ð
(just click on a picture if you want to see it bigger)
Two Years!
Yes I realize it has been almost a month since their birthday and I am just getting around to doing a post. Â We finally did their two year check-up this week and they are normal, curious, healthy two year olds according to our doctor. Â What can I say they keep me busy! Â ð Â They are so much fun, I really enjoy them a lot. Â Yes they have their moments, they are two year olds after all, but I have my moments too.
They talk all the time now and try to copy almost everything you say. Â It is a lot of fun watching their language develop. Â Some favorite phrases and words: Â help you (which means help me), help with that (either they want to help you or they want help with something), no barking, side (inside and outside), more milk (pretty much more of anything), moof please (move please), slippery, knock knock who’s there, beep beep, up you (Ezra’s version of hold you), and many, many more.
When they wake up they just starting shouting words they know and listing out all their favorite people. Â They usually wake up happy and chat with each other for a bit before I go in and get them.
They are starting to wrestle more and they tickle each other. Â They love to run around the house and shout “boo” at each other or anyone else who is present. Â Playing outside is still our favorite activity, swinging, riding our trikes, the sandbox, and mowing are all awesome. Â They love books and are now starting to say words at appropriate times. Â Noah will read books to you and even say some of the words in the book he is reading.
Ezra is currently scared of real trains, but loves choo choos. Â They like Thomas items and like to watch the show with Papa.
Ezra has all his teeth except for his two year molars, Noah still has a couple more he is working on, but we are almost all done with teething!
Noah started jumping months ago and Ezra recently figured it out. They are both working on somersaults right now, Ezra can do them more consistently then Noah. They run everywhere now, and are becoming expert climbers. They are finally figuring out the steering on their trikes, they just scoot around on them though still a little too short for the peddles.
Noah loves to help, if we are ever working on something he wants to do it too. He even cleans up if he makes a mess. He is a cuddler and loves to be tickled. He loves to take care of Ezra, but will also boss Ezra around. Once he sets his mind to something it must be done.
Ezra is more of an independent, free spirit and loves to try new things (read: dare devil). He is shy in new situations and meeting new people, but if he knows the majority of the people in the room he is fine. He can sit for long periods of time and play legos quietly.
They eat okay right now, they are a little picky at times, but overall do pretty good. Â There isn’t a lot of vegetables they like to eat, but they are really good fruit, carb, and dairy eaters. Â They occasionally eat meat. Â I try to just fix what we want for dinner and hope they will eat some. Â I make sure there is some bread, fruit, or other side that I know they will eat.
Morning out with Nama and Papa
This morning Nama and Papa took the boys, Abby, and me out on a little adventure. We went to see Santa at Bass Pro shop (but he wasn’t there, apparently he isn’t there all the time), but we did see lots of animals and fish. All three little ones had a lot of fun and all three adults were thoroughly worn out. We then went to Chik-fil-a for lunch, where all three refused to eat (who refuses to eat chik-fil-a?), and then Ezra fell off the play structure giving himself a bloody nose and fat lip. Here are some pics, the boys even got in a little volunteer time (someone even put money in the bucket while they were ringing the bell, then someone else put the candy that was in his mouth in the bucket, but I won’t name names).
400 boxes in 45 days
Chances for Children is trying to gather 400 boxes of food for Haiti in 45 days. Â I am sure you are aware that Haiti needs some love and hope right now and maybe you were wondering what you could do. Â The box drive is something that is easy and tangible! Â Even toddlers can join in and help out.
The boys were very helpful and I just had to rearrange a little to get everything to fit. ð
The last day to ship is December 15, 2010 so you have plenty of time!
First Hike
We took the boys on their first hike today, okay really a walk through the desert. They had a lot of fun and really enjoyed all the sand. Ezra saw his first jack rabbit, then chased after it. Don’t worry the rabbit was much faster than him. We packed a picnic lunch and the boys scarfed it down! For the most we were able to keep them on the trail, and they walked almost the whole way. We had to carry them for a bit when we were almost back to the car. Here are some pictures of our little adventure, just click on a picture to see it bigger.
Photo Friday – 11.19.2010
Certificate of Citizenship
Thanks to the government for a deadline! Without it I would have put off applying for the COC forever. For those of you not in the know the filing fee for the COC is going up next week by $120 and since we had to file two that would have been an extra $240. I am so happy that our agency sent out an email notifying us because I would have had no clue. By all the discussions of FB this week I was happy to know that we were not the only procrastinating parents out there! I am pretty sure USCIS will be getting a flood of applications. ð
I spent the better part of nap-time Monday filling out the applications and looking for the supportive documents, calling USCIS because they have Noah’s birthdate wrong on his green card (hooray another form to fill out!), and chatting with other mommies on FB doing the same. (I love our little community and that we all got to do this together.) The most fun those was taking the boys to get passport photos done for the certificate. I am fairly certain the lady taking them thought toddler boys should just stand still and get into the perfect position and that she didn’t have to do anything but push the button (very slowly I might add). It was a lot of fun, really.
I tried to get a few cute photos of the boys with their applications to properly document this part of the process, they were not super cooperative. Apparently it isn’t a big deal to them.
Happy 2nd Birthday!
Happy 2nd Birthday to the two most adorable, fun, smart, amazing little boys! We love you very much and look forward to watching you grow more and more each year.
Click here to see more photos from their 2nd birthday photo shoot by Third Book Photography.
2nd Birthday Party
We had the boys’ birthday party yesterday and it was a beautiful day. We had a lot of fun and the boys were WILD. I think they were super excited to have so many of their favorite people all together.
The boys received trikes from Nama and Papa (my parents) and it is one of those moments I wished we had the video camera rolling. They were beyond excited when they saw them.
Ez blew out all the candles this year, Noah just stared and occasionally tried to touch them.
We were all exhausted by time nap-time! You can see more photos here.
Photo Friday – 11.12.2010
Wordless wednesday 11.10.10
When mom is under the weather
I honestly never wanted my toddlers to watch much tv and had succeeded fairly well in this area. Most of the success was due to the fact that the boys could have cared less! I have tried in the past when I was a little tired or not feeling the best to get them to watch something, anything, but they wouldn’t.
How fast things change! They are suddenly addicted to the Wiggles (or Giggles as Noah calls them). Nana and Papa had purchased the video for our trip to Colorado and the boys watched it a few times there and never asked for it once we got home, so we put it away. Then one time they didn’t nap well and were cranky well before dinner time, so we put it in and it worked like a charm. They would ask for it every now and then after that, but not all the time. Well this past month I have caught three different bugs and have been sick more often than not and just plain tired. I have started to use the Wiggles to get little breaks throughout the day.
I feel slightly guilty because they have watched so much of it lately. Yes it is in short spurts 10-15 minutes, occasionally longer, and I truly love getting to rest a little bit, but I feel guilty.
I know this is just a temporary thing and soon I will be feeling better (I have to believe I am building up one heck of an immunity for the rest of the cold & flu season) and we will be back to reading lots of books, playing legos together, and spending most of our time outside. They beg for it several times a day now. ð I don’t give in that often, but they do eventually wear me down. I think once I have my energy back will have to go through a Wiggles detox program.
The boys are ridiculously cute when the beg for it (see above pictures) and really participate in the video.
Rock-a-bye your bear from Stephanie Adams on Vimeo.
wiggles from Stephanie Adams on Vimeo.