That thing you do...

Often times as a stay at home mom, the days can feel a little...well, monotonous.  A friend of mine once said that most of a mother's duties consist of "make work."  Basically, we are just doing the same jobs over and over again...attempting to do them at the same or greater speed that they are getting "undone."  And as I wipe crumbs from the kitchen table for the fourth time before lunch, or as I stuff the washing machine full of the same dark load that I am positive I just folded and put away the day before, I can't help but become both a little underwhelmed at the monotony and frustrated that there is never ever a real feeling of completion.  Because let's face it, I could walk around my house constantly (and most days I feel like I do) doing nothing but relocation missions to put stuff back to were it "belongs," and my house will still never be clean.
So why?  Why is this the most amazing "job" I could ever ask for?  Why wouldn't I trade this in for anything?  Why do I go bed praying for more patience  grateful every night, that I get to live this stay-at-home mommy life...because of the little things my boys do...the little things I don't have to miss.

You know, those cute quirky things children do?  Unique little things that make you smile and think, "Oh, that is so them!" The habits or mannerisms that can seem almost common place because they do them all the time.    However, within a few months or even weeks they will have faded away...out grown them for some new milestone.  And before you know it, that thing you could never forget is forgotten.

So here it is...another list of the little things my boys are doing these days... all the little treasures that I never want to lose.

1) James is silly...the older he gets the more his silliness shines through.  Just ask him to show you his "sleepy eyes" and you will get a huge grin and lots of fluttering eye lashes.  It makes us all giggle every time...which of course makes him do it more.

2) For Christmas Jake received Silly Songs, a 3 disk compilation of every preschoolers favorite songs.  It is hours of fun...really.  Well, over the last 3 months, Jake has memorized everyone.  And now, at least 5 times a week, he heads to the home school room, turns the music up to the point I am surprised his ear drums don't bleed, and belts out each song with great concentration and precision.

3) Much like his older brother, James loves to be read to.  I think it is so precious the way he will go retrieve a book and then turn around and back up (you can almost hear the "BEEP! Beep!" as he takes each step backward) until his heals makes contact and then he plops his little tush right down in my lap and snuggles in, never turning around once.

4) Jake is hitting a new stage in his childhood.  Up until this point things have come really early and naturally for him.  So now that we are introducing things that take a little bit of work and practice our little perfectionist can get quite frustrated.  And while it is not cute or adorable when he throws his pen down and storms out of the room or when he yells "I quit!" when he isn't holding Mrs. D for the full whole note on his Violin,

I am so proud of him when he calms himself down (sometimes with a little help) and comes back and tries again.  So many big life lessons in these moments, and the look of pride when he gets it is priceless. 

5) One the bright side, James is no longer an eater of furniture.  This is one phase that I am not upset was short lived (although, the teeth marks in my furniture will make it a hard one to forget).  However, he has definitely not outgrown putting just about everything else in his mouth.

Markers, crayons, blocks, books, shoe Velcro...none of them are safe from James little razor blades.  But his socks are his favorite!  It is pretty common place to see James running around with a soggy little sock hanging from his mouth.  It is weird, I know.  The only thing he likes better is his towel after bath time.  He is almost frantic about getting the towel between his teeth, and usually he has it in his mouth before you have even gotten it around his slippery little body.

6) Jake has given up on my imagination...or should I say lack there of.  But rather than engage my pathetic and obvious half hearted attempts, or give in to the horrible fate of "independent play," he has come up with a very creative way to handle the problem.  Jake becomes the character(s), generally with a rhyming name like Tiger Wiger or Butterfly Whutterfly, and I am just "Miss Jillian."  And so whether I am washing dishes or fixing dinner, we can play.  It is prefect, I just get to be myself and ask questions while he uses that amazing imagination and quite a few animal facts to come up with the most creative and entertaining answers.  I learn a lot about how Jacob sees the world through the conversations with all his "friends."

Oh I love these little boys, and am grateful for their unconditional love and how they continually overlook all my imperfections.  They teach my so much and I am so grateful to be their mommy.  Being here for all the little things they do makes laundry and dishes (and a few 100 other chores) seem like a pretty fair trade.

Our Double Dot

Arthur was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 2 this past weekend (and if you are not familiar with the army, you should not feel bad for not knowing what that is).  In true Hispanic family fashion, we have been celebrating all week.  I even made a chocolate cake with homemade chocolate frosting.

But this morning was the official pinning ceremony for his promotion. While the ceremony was quick and informal (aside from Arthur all dressed up in his Class As), it kind of made up for the boys sleeping through the pinning ceremony at the flight school graduation.  This time we were all able to be up there together.

With James on one hip, I was able to clumsily remove the W-1 shoulder board and replace it with the W-
2 board passed down from a seasoned pilot, CW3 Steve Campbell, a fellow soldier

(by the way, I will definitely be doing a dress rehearsal if I ever have to do that again).  And, while being hoisted up by Arthur's Company commander, Jake was able to replace the other side.

I am so proud of Arthur.  While he will just shrug it off as an automatic timed army promotion, I have seen all the dedication, sacrifice, and hard work he has put into this "time" and know how well deserved this promotion is.  Endurance is a virtue that should never be minimized, because sometimes it is the hardest thing to do.

But Arthur wasn't the only soldier I was proud of this morning, Jake is turning into quite the little soldier himself. 

While he was elated at the opportunity to go to work with Daddy, he never let his excitement get the better of him.  I couldn't have ask for better behavior (although we did have to remind him once to be respectful when he attempted to protect his Dad's honor against several of the other soldiers who were giving him a hard time).

I watched in awe as Jacob stood up straight and shook hands (while looking them directly in the eye) with the soldiers who came up to introduce themselves to him.  He already has such confidence and sense of self.  Just weeks shy of his fourth birthday and already I am starting to see the beginnings of the man he is growing up to be. 

He watches his Daddy so closely, and I am so grateful for the example that Arthur is setting for him and his little brother.

Speaking of that little brother...Jake may not have been intimidated by a room full of soldiers, but James was not so sure. 

And as he generally does when he is unsure about a situation, he craved the safety he finds in his father's arms.  You could see his little body relax as Arthur hugged him close.

As we were pulling out of the parking lot, Jake began to ask questions about the ceremony that had taken place.  He wanted to understand the oath (promise) that Arthur has taken, and why Daddy had "copied" the commander. 

But after his questions were satisfied, he was quiet for a minute and then he said with all the pride in the world, "Daddy, you did a really really really really good job!"

Security and love...confidence and respect...these are the lessons my boys are learning from their father.  He may still be the low man on the totem pole at work, but to us, he really is a super hero.

We are so grateful for all that you do for this family and we love you uddles and uddles of LOVE!

For the Birds

This past weekend we made bird feeders for our back yard.  And while I am not sure if any birds have actually eaten any of the seeds, Arthur said the squirls really enjoyed the sunflower seeds.  But regardless of how the birds may feel about them, the boys had a great time (and it made for a great photo op :-)).

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.