Cousins!

We got a lovely surprise visit from Renee and Violet last week! I had been hoping they could come out sometime this spring but it didn't seem like it was going to happen, until last Wednesday when Renee called and asked if she could come for a long weekend. YES!!! They got here late on Thursday night and stayed until Tuesday morning. We had SUCH a wonderful time with them! The boys loved having Violet around, they weren't very gentle with her but she's a tough little girl and only went home with minor bruises ;-) They loved to put her pacifier in her mouth and show her all the cool 'big boy' things they can do. I think it must have inspired her because she stood up for the first time by herself during their visit!

We had a really low-key weekend, lots of walks around the neighborhood, trips to the playground and hanging out at home. We did go to the city for one day to see the cherry blossoms and eat at Good Stuff (probably the best burgers in the country). I am always a happy lady when I have an excuse to eat there! We loved every second that Renee and Violet were here! Renee even helped me with all the cooking and housework and of course with keeping my crazy boys under control. Thanks for all the help Renee! It's so lonely around here during the day without you and Vi!!

Violet's first time on the swings, she was laughing and squealing the entire time!

Brandon put the boys on top of the monkey bars and the LOVED it!












We're so sad they're gone! The boys keep walking by the office and pointing to the pack n' play and asking where Violet is. It breaks my heart, I really hope we can live near each other in the future. One of my biggest wishes is for my kids to grow up with their cousins. It's such a special relationship, I really hope they are super close with all their cousins (present and future)! Thanks for making the long trek out here Renee! It made my whole month!

Washington Trip

We've been back for over a week and a half now but it's taken me that long to get caught up on housework, errands, etc. So I'm just now getting around to posting pictures from our trip.

We had such a great time! I really, really miss the Northwest! Even the rain, I don't mind it at all anymore. And, amazingly, it hardly rained at all the first week we were there! I fully expected it to rain non-stop for two weeks straight, it is March after all. But no, we even got a few gorgeous spring days! Lucky us!

The boys loved being around their family too! They have so much fun with their grandparents, aunts and uncles. For some reason, they are always much better behaved too. Maybe it's because they have so many opportunities for attention, they don't need to whine or fight over it? Whatever, the reason, I'm always grateful that they're enjoying themselves so much and that I get so much help taking care of them!

Just a funny picture of Gary and Sari trying to wrangle the boys for a picture together.

One of the highlights for me was getting the chance to see all my friends who still live in Seattle, some of whom I haven't seen in several years. This is my good friend Emily from high school and her son, Jason. It was so great to catch up with her.

And this is one of my best friends and roommate from college, Katey. She and her husband live in Oregon and she drove up for a couple days while I was in town. My awesome in-laws graciously watched the boys and let me spend the whole day and night with Katey and my other roommates, Taja and Lauralee. I never get to go out with friends anymore so it was a dream come true for me. I haven't had that much fun in a looong time!

The boys playing catch with Uncle Scott and Aunt Rachel

Jack looking really ticked off at the playground

The wedding was beautiful and perfect! As you already saw in the video, Jack and Cullen were the cutest ring bearers I've ever seen. Ashlee was a gorgeous bride. And now she and Scott are married! We were so excited that we got celebrate with them!

Family photo at the wedding

The boys were so sick the day of the wedding that they actually missed most of it :-( Rachel played with them in a different room so they didn't disturb the ceremony and immediately afterward, Cullen started falling asleep on my shoulder so Rachel was nice enough to take them back to the rental house so they could nap. They came back at the end of the reception and almost immediately found these sticks with mustaches attached (props for the photo booth). They snatched all of them up and spent the rest of the reception wandering around swatting at innocent people, Grandma Sari in particular.

Brandon left the morning after the wedding and the boys and I went down to Federal Way to spend a week with Rachel. Every time I go back, it's fun because no matter where I drive, I'll pass by places that hold so many good memories for me. I really enjoyed showing the boys the parks that I played at growing up, the houses where Brandon and I used to live, our old church where Brandon and I first met, etc. We also got to visit a few more old friends, including the Badens, my old youth group leaders whose son Colby is only a few months younger than Jack and Cullen. The boys have met before but were only babies so this time they finally got to play together. Colby is a really cool kid, I think our boys would all be the best of friends if we ever live near each other again.

It's literally impossible to get a picture with three toddler boys all looking at the camera, this is the best shot we could get.

It did rain a few days that we were staying in FW, but whenever it wasn't, we took the boys outdoors. One of their favorite places was Redondo, every time we left they'd shout "more water! more water!" Any place that has a beach, boardwalk and playground automatically gets ranked as a favorite place for them!

Chasing pigeons on the pier.

I don't even want to know how much bird poop and fish guts are on that railing

With my cousin Alex and her new baby Max

I was lucky enough to see Shauna twice while I was in town! The first time we met at a restaurant and enjoyed happy hour pina coladas and talked for 3+ hours. My kind of night. The second time, I took the boys over to Shauna's so they could play with Lilly. The picture below is of me with my future daughter-in-law. She and Cullen really hit it off, I think we'll most definitely be planning their wedding 20 years from now ;-)

Lilly kept giving them hugs and kisses. Unfortunately, the boys weren't too excited about it.

All three kiddos together

I just love this picture, it's a keeper. It'll be perfect for the wedding slideshow ;-)

Jack playing with Auntie Anna's phone. Anna has a Justin Bieber ring tone which the boys wanted to play on repeat. By the end of the week, Anna had them shouting "more Bieber!" Thankfully, they now seem to have forgotten all about the Biebs.

At the Brown's Point lighthouse during a rainstorm

The boys inherited their mother's weakness for Emerald City smoothies. Too bad they're crazy expensive now... $6 for a smoothie? Bummer.

One morning Rachel and I were getting ready in the bathroom. Cullen kept saying "Eye, eye, Mommy. Eye!" I looked down and saw this. He must have been going for a dramatic look by piling on the mascara.

Funny face at Redondo. The morning we flew out was so gorgeous! We just had to stop for a quick walk.

And that's it, we're home now. We enjoyed every second of our visit, it was really hard to get on that airplane home :-( Maybe someday, we can call the Northwest home again, I really hope so at least! Except... I was a little weirded out by all those bikini espresso stands that are popping up everywhere now! Do I really want to raise my children in a place where the baristas aren't wearing any clothes?!? I kept trying to peer inside when we drove by, but I never actually saw anybody. So I guess they're easy enough to avoid. Still really creepy though!

World's Cutest Ringbearers

Did they make it down the aisle? Yes and no. Watch the video and see for yourself ;-)

We Made It!

Well, despite the fact that the boys didn't nap on Monday and acted like such hooligans at the library that morning that we could only stay a few minutes, God was extra kind to me and we somehow all made it to Seattle in one piece! Even my sanity was still intact!

I was really worried about this flight because, not only was I flying alone with the boys, but it had a layover too. Jack and Cullen certainly weren't little angels on the first flight but they behaved decently, all things considered. We had twenty-somethings seated in the row in front of us (the WORST kind of people to sit near) and although they weren't exactly friendly or sympathetic, at least they didn't glare at me and the boys the entire time. We also didn't bring a carseat on the plane this time so the boys feet weren't able to reach and kick the seat in front of them the entire time either. I'm sure that would have earned us lots of glares and loud sighs from the twenty-somethings.

And then, miraculously, the boys slept the entire 2nd flight - all four hours of it!!! I bribed them with actual bottles and the flight attendant gave me some milk immediately after we boarded. Cullen was asleep before we even took off and Jack watched his fire truck movie for about 10 minutes before he said "night night," laid his head in my lap and closed his eyes. YES!!!! The only downside was that I was leaning to the side in a really uncomfortable position and really needed to pee the entire flight. My leg fell asleep about 2 hours in and eventually sharp pains started shooting up it. I was counting down the minutes the entire time and my back and shoulders are still sore a few days later, but I didn't care - nothing on earth could have made me budge one inch!  A little pain and discomfort are well worth two quiet, sleeping children. I am so thankful the slept the whole time!

We've been having a wonderful time with the O'Malleys, the boys love being around family! I don't have any pictures yet but once Brandon gets here with my camera cord I will post some.

Recently...

* They're continuing to combine two words in new ways. They like to repeat short phrases they hear on their videos. And they often use possessives (daddy's chair, mommy's shoe, Emma's bowl) and colors to describe objects (green truck, purple ball, black shoes). Their pronunciation is getting better too. For example, they used to call butterflies "lie-lies" but now they call them "bubberlies."

*Their progress in talking is great and all but neither one of them has ever said the word "Yes" in any way, shape or form. Not even a head nod. I have no idea why but I think it's very strange.

*Jack said his first 3 word phrase this week: "big fire truck" (except he can't pronounce f's so it sounded like 'big tire twuck"). A few weeks ago they were still calling fire trucks just "fire" so this is definitely an improvement. They both also say "I don't know" but it sounds nothing like it, I'm probably the only person in the world who understands what they're saying ;-)

*I just LOVE living within walking distance to the library! We could walk to the library at our last apartment too and I don't think I ever want to live more than a couple miles from a public library. It's so wonderful to just put the boys in the stroller, get outside for some fresh air, pop into the library to pick out some books and then walk home and read them together. Bonus: the boys were actually (amazingly) well-behaved yesterday and not shouting "fire truck," "choo choo" and "tractor book" at the top of their lungs (like last time). I had about 5 minutes to quickly pick out a few books for myself too, lucky Mommy!

*Less than 2 weeks until we're on a plane to Seattle! We are so excited for Scott and Ashlee's wedding! And I'm so anxious to see Jack and Cullen as the most adorable little ring bearers ever! I spend a lot of time thinking about the odds that one or both of them will actually make it down the aisle. Anyone care to make a wager?

*Cullen is still very much into his "I'm a baby" phase. Every time he gets upset about something (and sometimes when he's in a great mood and just wants to cuddle) he says "I baby, I baby, I baby" and snuggles up to his Mommy. You won't hear any complaints from me!

*They've been trying to "help" dress themselves lately and it's highly amusing. They usually end up putting both legs into one pant leg or putting their shoe onto just the tip of their foot. When I ask them if they want help they frown and shout "NO!" So independent!

*They discovered they can climb into and out of the bathtub. So now instead of asking to be taken out, they just swing their leg over and climb right out.

* If we ever forget to give thanks before our meal, Jack reminds us by shouting "PAY!" over and over until we do. Both boys always say Amen at the end too. They love to pray. Except at bedtime that is, because they know it's time to turn the lights off and go to sleep. At the first mention of prayer, Jack bursts into the most pitiful wailing and sobs all the way through it. Cullen usually joins in at the end when we tell him to go lie down in his bed. I don't blame them, their life is so fun, why would they ever want to go to sleep?

*Cullen's recently been insisting on having a certain color plate, cup, toy, shirt, etc. If I haven't already given whatever it is out, I'll usually let him choose (since Jack doesn't care at all yet) but if I've already placed a cup/plate/whatever in front of him, I don't let him choose the other one. I figure that's a good balance of letting him have a preference but not catering to his every whim. I also don't want to ever get in the habit of letting either of the boys think they can take something from their brother just because they want it.

* They know the names of everybody in our family and they also apparently know who belongs to which family. When we talk about Violet, they ask where Auntie Ne Ne and Uncle Jon (or Non as they call him) are. When we talk about Uncle Scott (Hot or Bot) they immediately start saying Ashlee (Ash-shee). They can also finally make some sort of pronunciation of everybody's names, even Rachel (sometimes they'll call her Way-Way or other times they say Way-tell). And they get so excited to skype that as soon as we mention talking to somebody on the computer they ask about it every minute or so until it finally happens. It's definitely the highlight of their day and they turn into the biggest little show-offs every time. They want all their grandparents and aunts/uncles to know just exactly how smart and accomplished they are. (I always feel like the biggest dork when I try to phonetically spell out the way Jack and Cullen pronounce words, so I really hope you all get a feel for the way they speak).

*They're getting quite bossy with the cats. They love to tell them to come by leaning over and waving their hands directly in front of the cats' faces. They also shout "move Huck!" or "Eat!" and like show them where their water bowl is "right there, Huck, right there." I guess they just like having someone to boss around, even if it is only a cat who ignores them most of the time anyway.

*They weren't having any luck opening doors while they had a childproof cover on the doorknob so they got creative instead. Cullen just took the doorknob cover apart, threw it to the ground and walked out after he woke up from his nap yesterday. It was kind of funny at first. Not so much today...

*They've been doing really well drinking out of real cups lately. I only do it at mealtimes when they're actually seated at the table but they love it and are pretty careful with them (although I still find myself cleaning spilled milk off the floor at least once a day). Here's a picture of them eating their lunch today, such big boys!

And a few more recent pictures:

Too cool for the breakfast table

We babysat their friend Nona Lee on Friday, the boys loved having her here!

At the airplane park on Saturday night!

Like Mother, Like Son

They've been rocking out with these maracas all morning. I think the sunglasses are a nice touch, don't you?

The Return of Thomas the Train

We recently got a new DVD player to replace the one the boys broke last month. And after a few weeks without Thomas, the boys were super excited to watch their favorite movie again! Actually, this is a pretty typical reaction, I just decided to record it after nearly a month without seeing it. They just crack me up!

Random Thoughts

There's no rhyme or reason to this post, just a jumble of random thoughts and other stuff that has been going on lately:

*It hit 70 degrees last Friday so we spent the day in the backyard. It felt like heaven to feel the warm sunshine on my arms! Then we got an inch of snow on Monday. What?!? The weather here is out of control!

*I've been slowly plugging away on my long list of spring cleaning projects. It feels so good to be getting my home in order!

*Jack and Cullen have been saying more and more two-word phrases including "daddy bye-bye" (in response to my asking them where Daddy was), "I baby" (as Cullen snuggled onto my lap this morning), "go bye-bye" (demanding that I take them outside), and "right here/there".

*Jack also drew a sort-of-rounded shape this afternoon and proudly pointed at it saying "circle!"

*The boys have taken it upon themselves to make sure the cats are behaving. They use their hands to gesture that the cats should come and they also love to shake their finger and shout "No No Huck!" when they catch Huck scratching the furniture.

*Jack is currently pants-less because he stubbornly refused to let me put his pants on after his diaper change. He insisted on doing it by himself and whenever I offered to help him he furrowed his brow in concentration and shouted "NO!"

*Brandon had the day off from work yesterday and admission was free to Mount Vernon because it waS President's Day so we went for a few hours in the morning. Besides being very crowded and cold, we had a great time visiting all the farm animals. We forgot our camera though so no cute pictures of the boys next to the giant bull :-(

*Last night, Brandon got home from class and found me on the couch with a plateful of my favorite cookies watching the Bachelor.
Brandon: "Geez, how many cookies are you going to eat?"
Me: "Probably 6, like I usually do"
Brandon: "You're just lucky you have a good metabolism because otherwise you'd blow up like a balloon with all the cookies you're eating lately"
I just burst out laughing and then went right ahead eating my cookies. Although, now that I've just typed it and put it out there for the world to read, 6 cookies does seem a little excessive. Especially considering I make these cookies about twice a week....

*Cullen has been head-butting me lately. When I tell him not to because he's hurting me, he gets a sad face and kisses my "owie" Sweet... until he head butts me again!

*I needed something to fill my Tuesday nights while Brandon's at class until 10:30 so I started watching Glee a couple weeks ago. A little late, I know. So I ordered the first season on Netflix and convinced Brandon to watch it with me and it turns out, he loves it! Who'd have thought? Our favorite character is the cheerleading coach Sue. And now he's going to kill me for telling you all that he likes Glee. I don't see what the big deal is, though. I'm not ashamed to admit I watch the Bachelor, he shouldn't be ashamed to admit he watches Glee.

Colors

One of Jack and Cullen's favorite activities lately is to be "quizzed" on animals, body parts, colors, etc. As soon as we finish, they frantically start shouting and signing "more, more!" They're very proud of their new found ability to show off how much they know!

Jump Jump!

Some recent pictures for the grandparents

It's been pretty cold lately but I've discovered that you can't keep active 2 year old boys inside for too long or they get even crazier than usual. So every few days we've been bundling up and going outside for a bit. It has warmed up slightly this week and the snow's melted now so they even got to go to the playground last weekend.

Cullen and Jack want to say thank you to Cody for knitting them these awesome hats! They love them and want to wear them all the time, even indoors! I think it's because they saw Brandon wearing hats recently and suddenly decided that hats are really cool so they wear them everywhere now!

Recently

*It's been really cold this month so the boys and I have spent a lot of time just hanging out at home. We're definitely ready for the spring weather so we can go outside again! The boys grow more stir crazy each day!

*Brandon started his 2nd new job yesterday. (This job will be a permanent part-time job for the rest of law school while his other one at the FCC is an internship that will be over in April). His new job is working in the Air Force General Counsel's Office at the Pentagon! He showed me his badges last night, one of them has a barcode that apparently stores all his identification information, including his fingerprint. I find that just a bit creepy! I told him that if he ever commits a crime, he's in the system now and he can't get away with it! ;-) This new job is quite a change for him, he can't work from home or wear jeans and a t-shirt to the office anymore. But he's very excited about it and I'm excited that he'll have more regular hours, get Metro benefits and, of course, government healthcare again! Yesss!!!!

*The boys have been continuing to learn new words and combine two words together more often. Slowly and steadily, they're making progress!

*Jack broke the DVD player last week when he pulled the television off the shelf. Thankfully the TV is really small and didn't hurt either of them. Also that they didn't actually break the TV because we can't afford to replace that. The cords that were connecting the TV and DVD player broke off and somehow the DVD player was damaged during all this. So you know what that means... no Thomas the Train videos for over a week now! There's always a silver lining!

*Brandon and I babysat our friends' 4 month old baby on Saturday night. It was a lot of fun to have a little baby around again but, over the course of the evening, we must have looked at each other and said "I'm so glad we don't have another baby right now" over a dozen times. Haha, no baby fever for us!

Krispy Kreme!

We took the boys to Krispy Kreme to celebrate their 2nd birthday. Truthfully, Brandon and I desperately needed a sweet treat after our stressful flight home the day before and I was craving a Krispy Kreme donut. But it was the boys' first time eating a donut and as you can see from the video, they liked them... a lot! We generally don't give them any sweets at all (except when we're visiting family) so we chose the sweetest thing we could think of to treat them with! Parents of the year right here!

Two Years Old!

Well technically they're 25 months old today, but I've never been known for my punctuality. Anyways, I know I say it all the time but I cannot believe how much they're growing and changing. I have a hard time believing they're actually 2 years old now. I don't feel old enough to have two two-year-olds, haha. But I do, and for all the troubles that come along with having kids young, we're so glad we did! Jackson and Cullen get cuter and funnier and sweeter with each passing day (although this doesn't always feel true, especially since they're quickly becoming excellent tantrum-throwers).

This toddler-stage is proving to be easier in some respects but much more challenging in others. People are always coming up to me and saying "I don't know how you do it!" I thought that would stop once they outgrew the newborn stage but it has continued to this day and I'm beginning to see why. Toddlers are crazy! And two toddlers are even crazier! Some days I'm ready to literally pull my hair out and lock myself in my bedroom and other days I think they're just angelic. Some days I swear they're speaking in a secret twin language and conspiring against me, other days they surprise me with their helpfulness and obedience and sweetness. I can't figure them out! Anyways, here are some updates on these crazy boys of mine:

*Jackson is 34 inches tall (30th percentile) but only 24.4 (10th percentile). Cullen is 34 1/2 inches tall (also 30th percentile) and 25.6 pounds (30th percentile). The doctor was a little concerned about Jackson's weight but just encouraged me to offer more snacks to him throughout the day. He's loving that!

*They’re not afraid to get in touch with their feminine sides. One of their favorite activities is pretending to put on blush with mommy’s make up brushes. They also love to moisturize their hands with lotion and apply chapstick and they literally beg for each several times a day. Brandon just rolls his eyes… And, no, he doesn't have a bloody lip in this picture. He just finished applying some of Mommy's lip stain. He beams when I tell him he's "so pretty!"

*They love to play chasing games with each other and have just begun to play catch together. They both throw really well for a two-year-old but haven’t quite perfected catching yet. Sometimes they catch the ball… other times they just watch it drop at their feet. But I just love watching them throw their baseball back and forth, it’s to die for!

*Recently, they’ve enjoyed pretending to be babies again. At least once a day, one of them will come and curl up in my lap, say “baby” and snuggle with me. Cullen also thinks it’s hilarious to pop one of their old pacifiers in his mouth and walk around with it. Jack points and calls him a baby and then they both laugh about their little joke. And they also think crawling is suddenly cool again.

*Everything revolves around trains right now. They want to watch choo choos on tv, read about choo choos in their books, and play with their new train sets all day. But really anything with an engine will do. They also still love fire trucks, airplanes, toy trucks, tractors and their toy car garage. They have absolutely no interest in stuffed animals or baby dolls, if you hand them one they’ll just throw it down immediately and run off to get a train or truck. 100% boys!



*They continue to learn new words every day and are expanding their vocabulary. They’ve just begun to put two words together. So far they’ve said “Hello/bye bye Dad” or whoever/whatever has just gone by and “big truck” “big bite” “let’s go”. The other day one of them said “juice Dad!” They’re obviously still pretty far behind the average two-year-old but not enough that the doctor is worried again. Strangely enough, they still have never said the words “yes” or “yeah.” I have no idea why but it will be nice when they start answering questions with “yes” insead of “NO!” every single time, even when they mean yes ;-)

*Their love for reading is really increasing too. They got lots of new books for Christmas and they love to look at them and point out all the objects they know the words for, which is a lot these days! Anything they don’t know the words for, they will say “dat! dat!” until you tell them the word for it.

*They love animals! They love playing with their kitties, sometimes they’ll get up and walk across the room just to give Huck or Emma a hug and kiss and then come back and continue whatever they were doing in the first place. They also know lots of animal sounds and love to make them whenever they see a familiar animal anywhere.

*Recently they’ve been really into colors. At first, absolutely everything was “lellow” (or “wewwo” as Cullen says) but now they’ve expanded and can name yellow, green, blue, black, and white. They can’t say orange or red so they either just smile or say some other color when they see one of those. I’m not sure they totally understand which color is which but they certainly get them right the vast majority of the time so I’m pretty impressed with them!

*They LOVE the little potty I got for them a few months ago. They literally fight over who gets to sit on it. Let me clarify though, by no means are they even close to potty-training (unfortunately), they just think of the potty as a really cool chair in which to sit and watch train movies. But they do know what it’s for and often when I walk by one of them sitting on it they’ll say “poo poo Mommy” and smile at me. I just smile back and think “I wish!” But I guess that’s a good first step, at least they know what it’s for. Since I can tell they’re definitely not ready to potty-train just yet, I think (hope) we’ll start concentrating on it in the summer.

*They love to brush their teeth and ask to do it all the time. I think they really just like the taste of toothpaste, but at least they’re brushing.

*They hate wearing jackets outside and cry when we put them on… too bad for them that it’s 30 degrees here lately. I have to admit, I also hate strapping them into their car seats with snow jackets on, I can’t wait for spring!

*They really like helping out around the house. They are getting pretty good about cleaning up their toys or room when asked. And they love to watch/help me cook and clean. This is probably a good thing considering all the messes they make!

*They want to do everything themselves, push the stroller, carry my purse, put things away, throw trash in the garbage can, feed the kitties, etc. Here's Jack helping push our luggage in Boise.

*They’re constantly covered in scrapes, cuts and bruises. I swear, they wake up after each nap with a new injury. I’d love to know what they do in there before falling asleep. I never wished I had one of those video baby monitors until recently, just because I’m so curious what goes on in that room when they’re alone!

*They’re completely obsessed with fires too. We spend most of our day in the living room with a fire burning and they break into applause every time I put a new log on the fire. “Fire” is right up there with “choo choo” and “no” as their most-used words.

*Whenever they don’t want to do something, like get dressed or have their diaper changed, they start shouting “OW! OW! Mommy, OW!” The first few times, they fooled me but now I know better. Tricky little boys! I guess it’s time to start talking about why lying is bad.

*They really like to blow their noses and ask for tissues all day long, even when they don't need one.