The Lonely Blog

So I guess 2012 is not the year for my blog.  I think, if it weren't for Jake's love of PBS.org, my computer would be growing cobwebs.  I just can't find a quiet few minutes these days.  The several times I have given it the old college try have resulted in one of two very predictable outcomes:

1. Both boys (even if previously engaged in other activities) will appear at my side before I have even typed my first sentence.

And between Jake's demands for attention and James' demands to pound on the keyboard, I give up, promising myself and this little blog that we'll met again once the kids are in bed.  But of course by then I am too tired to form a sentence, leaving my dreams of productivity to evaporate into an evening of vegging in front of the TV for an hour or two.

2. Something happens to James.

This could mean many things.  Jake could have "helped" his brother cry or James could have made a less than perfect landings on one of his nearly constant climbing attempts.

Then I must figure out if the yells of "I didn't do anything!" from Jake are genuine or if a time out is deserved.  And despite my claim that mommies are magical, there are times when I REALLY can't tell!

So I am sure that Jake has spent some time in the corner as an innocent man, but then again, I am sure that he has gotten way with a lot too.

And while there are days when I feel like I could replace talking with a tape recorder saying phrases like "Jake, don't drive the car on your brother's head," "James, sit on your bottom," or some good stern "Jake, please just leave your brother alone!" I go to bed grateful that they are mine.

Nothing like a big tight squeezes from James with his chubby little body and warm cheeks all pressed up against me or an "I love you Mommy...and I like that you are pretty," from Jake (yeah, do you think he has me figured out? :-)) to make even the longest of days good ones.

Hello February!

Oh Hello February!  Where did you come from?
While January felt like a long month, I still can't believe it is already over and we are now solidly into the new year.
And this new year means lots of new things for our family.  We have really started to settle into out new home.  We have even painted an accent wall and hung window treatments!  I believe that having some color on the wall (even if it is only one) means we are officially no longer HGTV posers.

Arthur and I are having a great time as we "dream" of what we can do this house.  Lucky for me, Arthur is great at figuring out how to make these dreams reality.  So get ready for some home improvement segments in this little blog!  And I can already see the boys getting into it too.  I love the idea of them learning to work with their hands as we make this house our home. 

But even though there are lots of style and decor changes I would like to make (No, leaf print linoleum would not have been my first choice for a kitchen floor...or my second), it is amazing to me how quickly this house and this place feel like home.  While I know that much of this comes from the cute boys (both big and small) that our in it, I also must give credit to our new friends.
Our families have just clicked and I feel so blessed to have them in our lives. Friends become like family in this military life, and I am so grateful to have found such this special family, especially with our first deployment approaching. 

A new year also means another year older for me.  But it is hard to begrudge getting older when I feel like life is only getting sweeter with time.  I am so content with where I am...and where we are as a family, that I can't help but be excited for the future. I mean really, how can you be mad about one more candle on your birthday cake (or extra lines around your eyes) when "Happy Birthday" is sung by four of the world's cutest little voices (thank you Dakota, Aslynn, Jake and James)?

And you get to eat ice cream cake brought to a play date by a beautiful (and very pregnant) new friend.  Not to mention that the snow begins to lightly fall practically on cue when the kids started to sing.  All I could think was, "It is going to be a great year!"

As for the boys, the new year means lots more growing, learning, and craziness!

James' has recently turned into a beaver and loves to gnaw on wood.  Let's just say that the drawers on the brand new craft table has looked better...and today he went after a newly restored WWII footlocker (Arthur is not thrilled).  Since he does the same thing with velcro, I am going with teething troubles rather than a really awkward case of pica.  Let's hope he can outgrow it before his first date. :-)

But when he isn't chewing on the furniture, he is quite amazing.  You can just see is little mind working as he maneuvers wooden shapes into the correct spot, or carefully places a block on top of another.

He has started to really enjoy puzzles and books...I think his favorite it probably Brown Bear Brown Bear, but he can get a little over zealous with his page turning.

He also gets pretty into picking up toys.  I am not complaining, but it does look a little silly when a baby starts carefully putting his toys away (often when his older brother is still playing with them).

He loves music, especially if it has a banjo or a fiddle in it.  He just starts rockin' out.  My favorite is when he starts perfectly keeping time to the music...it already seems so effortless.

Jake is doing great too.  He is already looking forward to his 4th B-day (it breaks my heart a little just to type it :)).  He is just as particular as ever.  When asked how old he is, he will say, "I use to be 3 1/2 but now I am 3 3/4."

You could read to him for hours and he wouldn't complain...we have moved onto chapter books or as we like to call them "close your eyes" books.  He loves fairytale and thought Ramona the Pest was pretty wonderful, but was completely horrified when I directed the word "pest" at him one day.

He is every artistic and creative.  When he builds or paints I realize how inhibited and imaginative his thinking is.  It almost makes me nervous because I don't want to restrict where it will go, so I am learning to back off and let him explore. 

When imagination and real life come a little too close

Jake had a two week obsession with Mazes 

A child's mind is a magical place full of unlimited potential...I am humbled by the weight of the responsibility, but feel even more strongly that homeschooling is the best for us. 

"This is how cowboys ride their bikes!" - Jake

So bring it on 2012, we are ready!  We are excited for walls we will paint (both on accident and on purpose), the music that will fill our home (Jake starts violin this month), the games that will be played, lessons we will learn and the memories we will make.  We know that their will be some bumps in our road and some difficult times ahead, but we'll do our best to love and laugh through it all.

Remember December (D-E-)

D-ecorating

Something about Christmas makes me crave being surrounded by lots of sparkle and twinkle.  I can't wait for our home to be filled with the magic of the season both outside and in.   So we have become one of those 1st of December decorating families.  So what if you are vacuuming up pine needles 3 times a day by the 15th and you want to light your tree (ornaments and all) on fire by the 26 ?  It is more than worth it, especially when you let yourself see it through the eyes of your children.

E-lves and Santa too!

We have never gone to see Santa before.  Mostly because waiting in a long line somewhere, in order to traumatize our toddler by handing him over to a stranger in a red suit, never seemed like a good idea.  But this year, they were doing a tree lighting on post and Santa was just one of several things included in the event.  Since we are new here, I thought it could be a great way to maybe meet people.  So I dressed my boys in their Christmas sweaters and put some gel in their hair, and off we went (with plenty of time to spare).

Well, as so often happen (at least to me) nothing about the evening went as planned.  Arthur ended up having to study.  Then my phone died within minutes after arriving on post taking the address and details of the event with it, leaving me to drive back and forth across post in search of a giant Christmas tree.  In my defense, I was on the correct street.  And I probably would have seen it if I hadn't had to go around a very pesky road block.  In retrospect, I have no idea how I missed that the road block was blocking the very place I was looking for?  So back and forth I drove, as the minutes ticked by.  My frustration and silent self loathing (for always finding a way to get lost) has almost desolved me to tears and defeat, when Jake's sweet voice came from the back seat, "At least you'll know where it is for next time, Mommy."   So after a quick stop for directions, we finally made it.

Of course, we didn't make in time.  The tree had already been lit, the carols had all been sung, and all that was really left was snacks and Santa.  But Jake was completely unfazed.  Maybe it was because he had no expectations of what the night "should" have looked like, so he was able to completely commit to the event just as it was.  He happily ate his cookie and as he patiently waited in the line for the hot chocolate.  As the minutes ticked by and James squirmed in my arms, I tried to convince Jake that I could make him hot chocolate when we got home.  But, no, calmly and patiently he waited for his special paper cup of luke warm chocolate.

Of course our wait was really just beginning.  We still had a line that could compete with any ride at Disneyland in order to get our moment with Santa.  But again Jake was steadfast.  He was not leaving until he had seen Santa.  In the hour that we waited, inching slowly forward, I wanted to leave a million times, I even tried to convince Jake.  But then I would look down at the quiet determination on his sweet little face, and I knew we were going to see this through.

And when the time FINALLY came, it was worth it.  His wait was over. Jake's turn had finally come.  This was his moment with Santa Clause.  He climbed right on to Santa's lap and snuggled in close.

There is no doubt in this little boy's mind that he sat with the real Santa that night.

And while James wasn't quite as enthused,

Jake is also sure that Santa put those plastic bugs (from the dollar store) on the prize table just for him...because new bugs were exactly what he had asked for when he whispered into Santa's ear.

When you turned 1

You don't sleep often, but I could stare at your sweet face for hours when you do.

The night before you turned one

You are a dare devil (favorite places to play in our new house?  The stairs and brick fireplace...of course!).

Your big brother loves you like crazy...even if sometimes he has an  not very nice  interesting way of showing it (we're working on it).

He was so excited to help with your cupcakes!

You and Jake have really started to play together.  I love listening to you growl at him as you play dinosaurs and "vroom" and "rooooom" as you play with the cars (it never ceases to amaze me how early you boys perfect your sound effects).

Yep, that is Daddy.  He is just one of the boys whenever possible

You have really started walking.  Although you spent your birthday walking around like a mummy, within a few days you looked like a pro.  

Note: Your first steps were months ago, so we are pretty sure that the only reason you finally committed to walking was that you realized you couldn't run with a football or kick a soccer ball doing your skateboard crawl.

You are silly about your feet.  Shoes and socks?  No thank you, that would be so restrictive.  When we are crazy enough (or we just don't want people to think we are neglectful parents who let our baby run around in the middle of winter barefoot ) to try put them on, you will have the first one off before we have started on the second.  So My Love, before your first birthday, you had already triumphed over us once.  You spend most of the time barefoot and we let people stare at us in horror.

It's okay, Mommy is pretty obsessed with those toes too!

You love chocolate!  I will say though, that I find it very interesting that you can gag on tiny pieces of carrot, egg, or even rice, but hand you an entire chocolate cup cake (with homemade chocolate butter cream frosting) and you are good to go.  

Well, Bubba we feel pretty much the same way about you as you felt about that cupcake...  

We just can't get enough of you!

Here is to another year of grins, giggles, and lots and lots of kisses! I love you my birthday boy, more than I could ever express.