Joseph
Spoon-Fed
Even though Jake and Joey are already 17 months old, they don’t have much experience feeding themselves with utensils. It’s not their fault. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to face that kind of mess. You can imagine the range that two babies, who already show talent for throwing, could get with projectile objects like spoons.
But I was feeling brave and decided to give them a shot at developing a new skill.
They. loved. it. I mean LOVED using a spoon.
Not a whole lot actually made it into their mouths, but it was enough to make them happy.
They were not happy, however, when the meal ended and we took their spoons away. Two angry babies! We promised them there would be more opportunities.
It’s exciting to see them start to get the hang of something new.
Jake and Joey’s First Words
Jake’s first word: tree (after seeing our Christmas trees)
Joey’s first word: ball
These are the words they first genuinely articulated, besides the gimme “Mama” and “Dada” that they’ve been saying for awhile.
I love to hear their little voices starting to express what’s around them.
The Flurry of Christmas Day
Christmas was a bit hectic this year since it fell on a Sunday. And though we had plenty of time to get ready for church since it didn’t start until 1PM, it meant we actually had to get out of our jammies and stick to a schedule. Then we had to come home and prepare Christmas dinner. But it was nice to celebrate the Savior’s birth on the Sabbath and partake of the Sacrament on this special day.
The day whizzed by but we did enjoy the excitement the kids felt seeing their “Santa” gifts and digging in to all the sweets, goodies, and food that make this holiday so joyous.
Stockings are always stuffed with one small toy, sugar cereal, goldfish crackers, “cuties” oranges, chocolate of some sort, and candy canes. Maddie had consumed most of the candies before breakfast even started. The rest of us paced ourselves, especially since we needed to save room for our healthful lunch of cinnamon and orange rolls.
Even though Maddie asked for “pink” as her sole Christmas present, we went outside the box and got her something we knew she’d love: Darth Vader. It’s really a gumball machine (don’t tell!) but she just enjoys pushing the button to hear his infamous breathing sound.
Of the many things Warren wished for this year, we decided on the art kit and “how to draw” books. He set to work right away and created some awesome drawings. He even got his requested emergency candles in his stocking.
All of that sugar consumption must have gone to her stomach because after awhile we found Maddie hiding behind the couch. She said her belly hurt. She just needed a breather. She came out some time later ready for more.
Getting ready for church is always stressful. It’s even worse when there is the distraction of new toys and candy. Somehow we made it out the door, and on time even.
We had so much food. Truly, we are blessed and have all that we need and then some. We ended the day with a roast beef dinner, complete with potatoes gratin, salad, and coconut cake.
Our Christmas was indeed Merry and Bright.
Viewing the Christmas Lights
We decided to take the kids for a drive around Santa Barbara to see some Christmas lights. There is even a website that gives you a whole route to take, complete with directions of where and when to turn. (Thanks for the tip, MK!) It’s the same path that the touring trolley cars take. It sounded like a great activity for the Christmas season.
There is only one word that can be used to describe our evening of Christmas light viewing: BUST!
And it wasn’t because there was anything wrong with the route or that the traffic was out of hand. No. It was because our children either a) fell asleep or b) complained the entire trip. Specifically, the three youngest nodded off before we even made it off the freeway exit and the oldest whined about every single thing.
Maybe we set the stage wrong, I don’t know. All I know is that from the moment we turned on to State Street and the start of the route, Warren began complaining.
“What is this we’re listening to?” he grumbled from the back, even as the brightly lit store displays and decorative stars over the street lamps gleamed outside the car window. The Christmas c.d. had just switched to a comedic story we enjoy hearing once a year, “Polly Anderson’s Christmas Party.” Perhaps he was expecting “Frosty the Snowman” and was greatly disappointed to hear a Canadian accent instead.
After the fourth time whining to know when it would be over, I turned around in irritation.
“Warren, we’re here to see the lights. Your sister and brothers are asleep. That means this is all for you now. If you’re not enjoying the drive and happy to see the lights then we’re going to go home,” I told him sternly. His half-hearted okay led me to believe that his bad attitude would reappear shortly.
Unfortunately, I was right. We continued on the path and made it to the second neighborhood of many participating houses when he piped in once again.
“I’m bored!” he announced in a surly, Grinchy tone.
I took one last terrible picture of a lighted house (photographing in low lighting from a moving vehicle has too many limitations, even with a good camera) and told Colin to turn that car around. We were going home.
As soon as we stated that we were done and heading back, he let out a wail. And then he kept wailing all the way home.
“I want to go back! Let’s go back! We didn’t see enough lights! Please! Please! Let’s see more lights! We have to see more lights!” he cried in outrage.
In our 20 minute drive home I went from supreme irritation to disappointment to sympathy. In the end, I just felt bad for him. Sometimes it’s hard to be a kid. You just don’t know what you want or how to express it and when you do get what you want sometimes it’s overwhelming to handle.
Too much excitement? Too much stimulation? Too much sugar throughout the day? I don’t know what happened with Warren, but I do know that he deeply regretted his choice of attitude. Maybe next time he’ll think before he complains. At least when it comes to Christmas lights.
And maybe next year, more of our children will actually be awake for this outing.
Playing School
It’s Christmas Break, but that doesn’t stop Warren from attending school. He engaged us all in the time-honored game of “playing school,” with curriculum developed on the fly that morning. They were the students, I was the teacher, with heavy collaboration by Warren.
Here is how our day went:
Art– watercolor painting
Snack & Recess– Goldfish crackers and playground time
Botany– Discussion of evergreen trees (parts labeled with inventive spelling)
Writing– Practicing letters, as Jake and Joey look on
Religious Studies– Understanding the Nativity
{Really, it was just a great excuse to use my new camera.}
Visiting Old St. Nick
The big kids were excited to see Santa this year. We didn’t wait in line to chat with him at the Christmas Walk, so we made a date to visit him at the outdoor shopping mall, Paseo Nuevo. The setup is nice there because you don’t have to pay to see him and it’s generally not crowded.
Normally, we would stay for the Christmas Parade, but Colin and I wimped out thinking about how much effort it would take to contain Maddie and keep the babies from getting too cold. Instead we took them shopping for their Christmas outfits at Old Navy. Aren’t we fun parents?
But we did also treat them to dinner at Chipotle. We dined outside and watched all the people getting ready for the parade. It was almost as exciting.
Back to the Santa visit… When we arrived there was only one other family attempting to meet Santa. But the little girl, probably no older than two, that was sitting on Santa’s lap was not having it. At all. She was screaming and screaming. Maddie, who previously was bouncing off the walls to see him, shrank back with reservation.
Warren, seasoned Santa visitor and a boy with an agenda, stepped right up to Jolly Old Saint Nick. Really, this Santa was so very nice. He listened to Warren and gave him a candy cane for his efforts. Maddie hung back, still trying to determine if it was safe.
Meanwhile, we took Jake and Joey out of the stroller to have them take a picture with Santa, their first one ever. “Twins!” Santa exclaimed, in a tone that expressed both amusement and fright at the realization that they were coming his way.
“Do you mind if I put them both on you?” Colin asked with a smile. “Oh no, that’s ok, just fine,” he responded as he pleasantly motioned for them to come forward. What a Santa!
Colin placed Jake down on Santa’s right knee. I had the camera ready. As soon as he tried to release Joey so I could take the shot, he began screaming. He did not want to see Santa. Not one bit.
I wish with all my heart that you could see the look on this poor kid’s face. It is absolutely classic. You can kind of tell by his arched back and outstretched hands. But you’ll just have to take my word for it, he was not happy with our plan.
Despite Joey’s reaction, Maddie finally got the nerve to walk up to Santa. Warren stayed close by to make sure she was okay. She never did sit on his lap, or tell him what she wanted for Christmas, but she walked away with a candy cane and a smile. I’d call that a success.
Maybe Joey will think better of Santa next year when he’s able to eat candy canes.
Halloween Festivities
The Costumes:
A dress-up piece that I purchased in the after Halloween sale last year. The outfit was completed by the rain boots I bought him in anticipation of a heavy rain season this winter. And because I love kids in rain boots.
On loan from Ani via her mom, Christy. The absolute CUTEST sheep costume in the entire world! Thanks again, Christy and Ani, for letting Maddie borrow it. She definitely made it work in her favor.
This year’s Pièce de résistance. If only you could see their adorable little faces! This costume was Colin’s answer to the question: “What’s a good twin costume?” Since this would be the only year we could utilize the stroller prop, it had to be this Halloween. Colin’s amazing mother took the design and sewed this winner together, complete with knitted hats. IT IS TOO MUCH! Definitely the highlight of this Halloween. Thanks again, Grandma Tuki for the fantastic work!
The Activities:
As it’s been in the last couple of years, Halloween turned out to be a three-day weekend event.
On Saturday night, we attended the church Trunk-or-Treat. The next day proved once and for all that kids are indeed highly affected by large amounts of sugar consumption. Just ask Maddie who over dosed and spent much of the day in a state of tantrum. Fun for all.
On Monday, the actual Halloween day, we picked Colin up from work and headed over to the local shopping strip mall where we let the kids get just a few pieces of candy. Warren bounced in the jumpy house and rode with me on the kiddie train, but Maddie didn’t care for either. All she wanted was to rifle through her loot and dig in.
We came home, ate spiderweb pizza, and took the kids to the street where our good friends from church live. Since the candy haul from the Trunk-or-Treat was so ridiculous we decided to only go up one side of their street and then back down the other. Period. That was about all Jake and Joey could take anyway. They were good sports, cruising around in their stroller, but when they were done, they were done.
I love Halloween. From the moment the calendar turns to October 1st, we start playing “The Nightmare Before Christmas” soundtrack, I put up our many decorations, and we eat our fair share of Halloween-themed treats. It’s a magical time full of golden sunsets with long shadows, harvest moons, and pumpkin patches scattered with orange.
This year was particularly special because it was the first time our kids went trick or treating door to door. I hope I never forget the joy I felt watching Maddie and Warren run up the sidewalk, giddy with excitement. Or how sweet and polite they were saying, “Trick-or-treat,” and “Happy Halloween!” to all who answered the door, though Maddie did try to go inside every single house. (How confusing that we shouldn’t considering every time we knock on anyone else’s door it’s someone we know who gladly lets us in!) I love how proud she was as she would drop the candy in her bag all by herself and chase off after Warren who was practically at the next doorstep. And how Warren took care of his little sister to make sure she got her share.
True, there’s not much to the holiday. It’s pretty straightforward: dress up and get candy. A silly tradition that came alive for them this year. And I loved watching every minute of it.
I hope your Halloween was as happy as ours.
High Chair Differences
One baby is an eater. The other not as much. You can tell by the differences between their high chairs after a meal.
On the left is where Joey sits. Often he leaves uneaten food items on the tray, as pictured above. But mostly he likes to chuck it over the side and onto the floor to demonstrate he’s done. Lovely. He is better at the pincer grasp so the things he does pick up go neatly into his mouth. The problem is he tends to put less in his mouth than on the ground.
Jake sits on the right. He’s not as savvy with the fine motor skills. Instead he scoops his food and shovels as much as he can into his mouth. Much of it ends up on the floor, too, but not for lack of trying to consume it.
I cleaned the floor before I took this picture, so you don’t get the full effect of the mess potential. But you can imagine. I’m back to my Cinderella status again. And they haven’t even tried using their own utensils to feed themselves yet. I can hardly wait.
12 Shots
The babies got 6 vaccinations each today for a total of 12 shots. They were not pleased.
That’s three pokes on each leg. Though their thighs are definitely meatier than Maddie’s, they don’t rival the chunky monkey legs that Warren had as a baby and therefore didn’t mask the sting as well. Their screams definitely let the world know that they were dissatisfied with the events.
Poor things. At least they slept well during the car ride home.
Jake and Joey Turn One!
Our sweet baby boys were turning one so we had to throw a birthday bash in their honor. The theme: Double Scoop. Get it? Double? Twins? Yeah, we’re clever like that.
We served ice cream with a fine assortment of toppings in cones, bowls, and for the particularly messy, both.
Plus I made simple chocolate cupcakes because everyone wants to see little babies digging in to that kind of mess.
Both boys were skeptical at first but managed to find it in them to consume at least some of the chocolatey goodness.
Jake preferred to squish the cake more than devour it.
Joey carefully picked his cupcake apart and actually got some in his mouth.
With our newly completed (like 2 days before) playground set, we had instant party entertainment. The kids all had a blast climbing on the structure making it worth that intensive labor.
Good friends. Good treats. The party was a perfect way to celebrate our little boys.
Jake, you are a go-get-’em-mover who’s determined to figure out and explore the world. When you race down the hallway in a speed crawl, laughing and shrieking in delight, it melts our hearts. You are sweet to your siblings and a real charmer. We adore your toothy grin and the way you often rock back and forth as if dancing to whatever song is playing.
Joey, you are the biggest goofball! We love how silly you are and how you flash your flirty smile. You are a sweet boy that loves to cuddle. Your little squawks and babbling sounds of funny conversation make us laugh. And when you chase around a ball with determination or smack it with your wicked fast reflexes we can’t get enough.
We love you our happy, funny, good-natured boys. Happy Birthday, Jake and Joe!
RSS Feed