Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Here's Owen singing Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Mason can be heard chiming in but he was too interested in watching the screen on the camera to actually be IN the movie. Such sweet little voices...not too sure of all the words in spots so they just make up stuff. So cute.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Kids say...

I picked the boys up from school today and the teacher gave me this recount of her conversation with Owen.

Owen: I have poo-poo
Teacher: Poo-poo again?! *begins changing diaper* Where'd you get all that poo-poo from?
Owen: From the poop store!
Teacher: Ohhh! Well, where'd you get this hiney? At the hiney store?
Owen: *with all certainty* No. At the bottom store.

After nap the other day I forgot to change Owen's diaper. He was playing in just his t-shirt and he finally came to me and said, in a very concerned yet sweet voice, "my diaper is swinging, Mommy." He then spread his legs and showed me how it moved. I was cracking up!

Mason has become quite the little conversationalist lately. When he is trying to tell you something that he's not quite sure about he kind of stutters while he's trying to form his thoughts. But when he is absolutely sure about something, he will tell you all about it like it's fact, while giving these little "yes" nods with his head and really gesturing with his little hand. It is the cutest darn thing when he does it because he is so sure of himself. Writing about how cute it is doesn't do it justice. I really must capture this on video!!

When either of them see something funny, out of place, or just plain confusing, they'll say (for examples sake, take the kid-sized bench we saw), "look at that bench! what'd that happen?!" Obviously they mean, "how'd that happen" but it's just funny that they come up with these ways of expressing themselves.

They still play with "Mine" (their talking hand) but now it has morphed into many, many Mines. They are constantly trying to configure their hand or tangle their fingers in funny ways and then show us what they did. They even ask us what kind of Mine it is because they want us to name it. Like I posted earlier in January, we have Mine, Mommy Mine, and Baby Mine...we now also have Bug Mine (thanks to Aunt Lindsay), and Bunny Mine (pointer and middle fingers up, ring and pinky making a mouth with thumb). All the other crazy "Mines" don't have names yet. I was reading that having an elaborate imaginary friend can be a sign of a GT kid, so Owen and Mason...keep that imagination going!!

Unofficially, they are about 36" tall, Owen weighs 31.6 lbs with clothes on, and Mason weighs 31 lbs with clothes on.

Fun in January!

We've had a fun and busy January so far. Several trips to the zoo (if you ever want to see active Cheetahs, go on a really cold day), belated Christmas with Paige and Blake, a visit from Granna, play-dates with friends, and lots of playing with Christmas toys!

Owen and Mason also had their very first teeth cleaning. I was nervous because Aaron was out of town for work which left only one parent for two possibly screaming toddlers. I have to say, my kids go with the flow because they climbed right up in the chairs (which weren't even side by side) and did everything the hygienist asked. Not a single tear was shed and they were super proud of their goodie bag full of toothpaste, floss, and new tooth brushes!
Here's Mason checking out all of his loot!
From Drop Box

And Owen showing it off. They both did PERFECT!
From Drop Box


Here's an album of all of our cutest pics from the last several weeks...
January Fun


Here is a hilarious video of Aaron playing with Owen and Mason. It all started when they tried to sit on his lap and he'd move his leg and they'd fall on the floor. They thought it was hysterical...and then all the other silliness followed. If you're in need of some true toddler belly laughs and a brighter day, watch this video. The video itself seems stretched vertically so everyone looks kind of narrow...but I think you'll get the gist. And yes, he is doing it all in his work clothes. What a great Daddy!!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Big Boy Beds!

Just before Christmas company arrived for the holidays, Aaron and I completed Owen and Mason's big-boy-bed project that we started in November. We found some (ugly) beds at Ikea and bought them with an "idea" in mind. Their room isn't totally transformed yet (mainly, a fresh coat of paint in a new color) but they do have new big boy beds. These will likely tie them over for a few years, until they are old enough to sleep in bunk beds...and then Mommy will finally get to pick out the Pottery Barn ones she's been drooling over for months! It just didn't seem practical right now to go all out since they can't fully use bunks yet. In the mean time, we "Ikea-hacked" some beds for them as a labor of love...and boy do they LOVE them!

If by "love them" you think I mean they stay in their beds at night and go right to sleep, you're wrong! What I mean by "love them" is they can get up whenever they please. It's probably a good thing I'm blogging about this a month and a half late because, had you asked me before Christmas, in the 3 nights they used their beds before company took them over, I would have told you things were going swimmingly. However....I'm not sure if it was the crazy holiday schedule (I'm beginning to rule this out because we are still dealing with these issues), or the insecurity of a big bed instead of a crib-sized toddler bed, but our perfect night time routine was turned on it's head! Used to, we'd lay them down and they'd fall asleep. This was even true after the transition from crib to toddler bed crib. Not anymore. Now it's up and down because of imaginary boo-boos, books in their room (yes, books...they've ALWAYS been in their rooms but now they have a problem with it...go figure), wanting a different blanket, etc, etc, etc, etc.....do you get the gist? They have learned the art of stalling! Bedtime was now taking an hour and a half to get to sleep and it was wearing on our patience. We tried this and that, trial and error solutions that led no where. However...yes, another however...for the past two nights I think we've made some headway! I don't want to speak too soon, but last night it took 30 minutes to fall asleep with minimal escapes from bed. Tonight was a record 15 minutes with a one-time, one-offender escapee. I sure hope this lasts!

Of course, there are some other things they love about their beds too. Our new bedtime routine consists of Owen climbing into Mason's bed for hugs and kisses. They both stand in the middle and give each other a big hug and then tip over (with the assistance of Mommy or Daddy to prevent a crash landing) while saying "weeeeee!" This was something they couldn't easily do in their smaller beds. Then they trade 20 or 30 kisses each to whichever part of the other's body they land on, all the while giggling because it tickles. After a short while of that, they're off to do their coveted "jobs." Owen dims the light and then turns it off on the way to his bed, while Mason pushes the button to the aquarium. Mason's trend lately has been by the time Mommy and Daddy want a hug and kiss, he's all "kissed" out from Owen. A kiss on the forehead will usually do for him and then he requests his sheet to be pulled "all the way to the top" (meaning all the way over his head). Owen, on the other hand, HAS to climb in his bed all by himself, then stand up on his bed and "squeeze really tight" for his hug and kiss from Mommy and Daddy. Do NOT try to help him into bed and do NOT pick him up for his hug and kiss. If you do, he will get out of bed and start over. So silly. Owen is particular about his sheet too...he doesn't want one at all!

You're probably thinking that all of this prep for bed takes 20 minutes! Thankfully, it only takes about a minute or two before they're both in bed - for the first time at least. We treasure these moments because before we know it they won't need us or want us to tuck them into bed. Two-year-olds are most definitely opinionated on just about everything, and ours are no exception! We will gladly continue tucking them into bed in whichever way, silly or not, makes them feel comfy, cozy, and loved.

Here's some pictures of their new beds before, during, and after the redo. Of course, there are pictures of Owen and Mason's first night in their big boy beds. And, I must say, watching my dad and Aaron carry their cribs to the garage brought tears to my eyes. Where does the time go!? Please enjoy!

Big Boy Beds!!!!!

New Year's with Granna and Granddaddy

Well, 2010 has started off pretty busy which means I'm finally getting around to our New Year's pictures! We celebrated in Austin with Granna and Granddaddy by eating a fabulous meal at Maria Maria and heading downtown for the annual NYE celebration on Town Lake. There were artists displaying their unusual projects: everything from a fire tornado, to crazy swings that lit up and changed colors. There were probably 15 swings hanging from several giant oak trees, all changing colors while the riders listened to funky music. The boys, of course, thought it was the coolest thing they'd ever seen! Owen and Mason were so excited to watch the fireworks show over the lake that they had no problem staying awake for all the fun. Of course, while we were waiting, we had to try the kettle corn and giant brownies.

Here's Daddy "helping" Owen and Mason with the popcorn...notice he keeps faking them out. They thought it was hilarious!



The next day we went to San Marcos to spend the day with Numna and Bee. We had a relaxing day playing with scented play-doh and enjoying each other's company. Owen and Mason also gave Numna her belated Christmas gift (that did not arrive in the mail in time). I took a video (which is fairly long) of her and the boys looking through it. Feel free to watch it, but I mainly wanted to capture the moment of just her with Owen and Mason, having their little conversation together. I know videos like this will be ones I truly cherish.



Here are the pictures from our fun weekend! We even had a picnic on Granna and Granddaddy's newly-poured slab for their new home!
New Year's Eve (and day)


Here's a little video similar to the one in the last blog post of the boys singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." I couldn't resist posting this one of Owen because the way he sings it all by himself and holds his note out just cracks me up...and he's SO proud of himself too. I love it!