Writer's Block

I haven't blogged in almost a month and I blame it on writers block, busy boys, and a tired Mama. So, let's catch up a bit.

For Jeff's birthday I lugged both boys into the Hallmark store to pick out birthday cards for him. Feeling a bit frustrated with Miles, aka Mr. Grabbyhands, I quickly gave Adam carte blanche. His card of choice? Darth Vader on the front with "NEPHEW" emblazoned across the top. We scooped that up and hightailed it out of there before Miles could pull the little fishbowls with live frogs in them off of the shelves (the hell?). Because you know, "Daddy loves Star Wars."

Later that night when Adam was signing his name to the card he asked what the "NEPHEW" word said. I lied and said "Well, that says 'Daddy!'" To my surprise, he said: "Does the letter 'N' make the 'd-d-d' sound?" Ooops. No worries, I came clean. And Adam was right: Jeff loved his card.

Adam suggested that I wear a skirt sometime, because skirts make girls look like girls. Interesting.

Yesterday we were in the grocery store and Adam surprised the employee stocking the cereal with a loud, confident "Hellooo, young man!" That cracked us both of us up - both for the fact that the man was far from young, and that Adam was so boisterous with his greeting. Speaking of greetings, sooner or later I suppose I should tell him that "Helloooo, girlie" might not be the best way to greet a young lass. But for now, it's innocent. And hilarious.

For the most part, the boys get along. On an average day they can be found playing with cars/trucks/trains. The average day also includes fights over aforementioned wheeled vehicles. Today, for example Miles hit Adam in the head so hard with a CARS car that I thought serious damage was done. Thankfully, just a heckofa bruise on his forehead.

The other night in the bath tub Miles was annoying Adam (can't remember why). Adam, out of frustration got very close to Miles face, said "I'LL SUCK UP YOUR AIR!" and breathed in deeply. That'll teach him, Adam. I'll bet Miles won't try that again! ;)

So there, that wasn't so bad. I will try to update more regularly, because even in the mundane everyday, there are crazy, hilarious things happening around here that ought to be archived for the ages.

Besides, I know you love a little crazy, too.

Terrific at Two

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Today, my baby turns 2. Two! Unbelievable. It seems that in a blink of an eye my lovie has gone from this:



To this:


Miles continues to be a blessing and a joy to our family. His language is growing by the week as he adds new words to his vocabulary (latest: apple, or "wah wah"). He has a friendly personality - quick to greet others (even strangers!) with a "hiiiii" or even better, a wave of whatever wheeled vehicle is in his hand at the time, as if to say "See this? This is what makes me tick these days. Isn't it great?"

His personality is a sweet combination of "Mild Miles" plus incredible energy and spunk. He's not one to be pushed into doing anything he doesn't want to. Just try to get him dressed in the morning. Jeff and I joke that he is going to be our Linebacker. He's built like a tank and is fearless, unlike his much more timid big brother.

Somehow he's growing like a weed, despite his refusal to eat virtually all vegetables and most meats. Amazingly his diet of various fruits, cheeses and breads sustains him in a way that everyone seems surprised at how solid he is when they pick him up. He's definitely built like his Daddy, that I know for sure.

He's a Mama's boy. If he's feeling scared, insecure, or just plain left out, he's quick to put his arms up in the air with a "hug! huuuuug!" By asking for a "hug" he really means to say "pick me up - I need you, Mama!" And when I pick him up, he'll immediately lay his head on my shoulder, just like he did as a wee baby, as that was his favorite way to be held.

So maybe he's not so big after all.

Happy Birthday to my Dear Miles...Here's to a fantastic third year of life, in which you continue to explore and learn about God's wonderful world. It's going to be great!

Overheard...

This morning at Kristin's and Adam and Carter were eating lunch and saying "silly" words and otherwise trying to make each other giggle.

Adam said: "shits!"
Carter said: "shits!"
Kristin and I looked at each other and tried not to laugh.

Further questioning resulted in the following:

Kristin: What does "shits" mean?
Adam: Well, it means when you forget something and have to go back in and get it.

Ooops.

DIY Project: Burp Cloths

I love a project.

This idea came from another blog that I read (http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/). I was thrilled that I was able to follow her tutorial and have an impressive end result (unlike last week's "let's spray paint the bathroom light fixtures" tutorial that ended in disaster).

Adam's BSF teacher is awesome and Adam loves her. She has a real heart for serving children, volunteering to teach Adam's class every week. She's expecting her third child in a few weeks, and I thought this would be a great "little something" to make for her. So, I went to Joann's Fabric I went to pick up a few coordinating, gender-neutral cotton flannel prints (on sale for $2.49 a yard, and I got 2 yards total). Additionally, I needed quilt batting and matching thread, so when all was said and done, I was able to make 7 burp cloths from materials costing less than $14. Impressive, no?

I thought they turned out adorable. This is something that I will definitely be making again, as who doesn't love a good homemade gift?

Word of the day? "Nooooo!"

Just a few thoughts before I close the day:

Miles has learned how to speak and exercise the use of the word "No." What's hilarious about it, is that he makes this really dramatic face and and tosses in a bit of a whine for extra flair.

Examples:
"Miles, let's get your PJ's on."
"Noooooooo!"

"Miles, do you want to eat breakfast?"
"Nooooooo!"

"Miles do do you want a cookie?"
"Num nums! Num nums!"

Ok, so it's not all "no" around here...

He's also learned how to say "Mumma." Boy has he ever. Perhaps it's because he feels lost in the shuffle at times, but when he wants my attention, it's: "Mumma. Mumma. Mummamummamumma!" So cute....sort of.

And finally...thanks to his big brother, he hears the word "toot" a lot. "I tooted, Mom!" "Adam, did you toot again?" are just a few phrases that get tossed around her on a near-daily basis. What can I say? My kid is gassy. That being said, it's not surprising that Miles is familiar with this word. Last night at dinner, my darling baby actually leaned over in his booster seat, farted, smiled, and said "toooot." Of course, Adam thought this was hilarious, so it only spurred him on. To do it again. Lordamercy. What am I in for with these two? Do girls do this, too?

Your funny for the day, courtesy of Miles.

Miles knows he's not supposed to touch the tv. Despite numerous measures taken to prevent this action, he still does it (usually turning it off). We've tried yelling "NO Miles, NO!" spanking his hand, his bottom..everything. The kid is determined to touch the tv, no matter the consequence.

Jeff told me that tonight he went up to the TV, turned it off, then proceeded to "spank" himself on his bottom.

Nice.

You gotta hand it to him for his insight into the future: "If I touch the tv, I will get in trouble. Might as well spank myself then!"

Wooboy, he's going to give me gray hairs, I just know it.

Early-morning snuggles.

Unless I have to be up and dressed before the boys wake, my day usually starts with the morning-breath whispers of my 4 year old, saying: "Can I come snuggle with you?" And, if it's not too early (i.e. before 6:30am), I scootch over and welcome him into the warm bed. Or, if he's feeling particularly limber, he'll make a big production out of getting into the bed, crawling over me so he can secure his spot in the middle of the bed. For these few minutes, he's my sweet Adam, happy to be snug in bed with his Mama (and sometimes Daddy, too). Sometimes we chat about the day ahead, but usually it's just a silent, "starting to wake up" vibe. Just a few minutes of quality time together; time where he doesn't have to share the limelight (or his toys!) with his little brother.

What a great way to wake up, because to be honest, Adam has been a challenge this past couple of weeks. Not a day goes by where he doesn't try to throw his weight around here with his grunts, groans, flailing arms, eye-rolling, and/or other over-the-top reactions to things - either verbal or otherwise. It doesn't take much to set him off, either, so while I try to ignore it (for the most part, anyways), more often than not it's hard not to be embarrassed and at times, angered by his behavior. But the morning is where I can be with him and remember that he's just a little boy who still likes to snuggle with his Mama. The morning is when we both receive a fresh start. The morning is when we're realizing we've been energized and given a new day - one which we should be thankful for, and tackle with grace and love.

So tonight, I go to bed prayerful that tomorrow, Adam will come into our bedroom and announce that morning is here with the energy of a 4 year old. Tomorrow will be a day that the Lord has made, so let us all rejoice and be glad in it.

How will you start your morning?