Birthday Lunch

We celebrated my mom's birthday this weekend over lunch at a restaurant. Naturally, I have pictures, so I thought I'd share.


It was way past our usual lunchtime of 11:45 a.m., so the boys and I were starving. As you can see, Jacob was very ready to eat, and declared, "My food is takin' a long, long time." The full body napkin coverage looks like he was about to dive into a plate of messy ribs, but no- he ordered the cheeseburgers with "no salad" (i.e. no lettuce or tomato).


The food seemed to take such a long time to arrive, that my poor child had to eat imaginary food.


After perusing the menu, Alex decided he would like chicken tenders & fries. Although once the food arrived, it only took him two bites of chicken to determine that the fries were more delicious. However, it was loads of fun to take a bite of chicken and spit it out. He knows Mommy LOVES it when he does that.
Sure, he looks innocent...


"Oh dear, I seem to have spilled many packets of sugar. Accidentally, of course."


Alex and his Aunt Kerri.


Time to sit on Uncle Matt's lap. Nan was behind me, performing who knows what kind of antics in order to coax a smile out of Alex. His expression screams "Um, what are you doing, Nan? I'm 19 months old...not a baby. Let's get some age appropriate humor up in here."


"OK, now that was pretty funny."



There was no birthday cake, but the boys were able to enjoy their very own personal cup of ice cream for dessert. It was chocolate with chunks of brownie in it. It looked delicious, and must have been, because both boys devoured almost all of it. And Jacob was on a chocolate high the whole way home...which is fun. Especially in a car.

Alex signing "More". I guess Pop Pop wasn't spooning it out fast enough.


I like that Alex is "sharing" a bite of ice cream with Pop Pop, but there is absolutely nothing on the fork.
"Here, Pop Pop, I'll eat this delectable ice cream you're kindly spoon feeding me, while you enjoy this invisible food."


Eating ice cream is a serious business. You have to eat slowly to avoid brain freeze, and...


...keep an eye out for dessert thieves. They target small children.


Jacob & Pop Pop. I love this picture.


Sitting with the birthday girl.




Happy Birthday, Nan!

A Big Heart

Over the weekend, we had dinner at Nan's & Pop Pop's house. After eating a big meal, Pop Pop suggested that we go for a walk. As you will see, our outing turned out to be not so much of a walk as it was an after dinner jog.
As soon as Alex set foot out of the house, and in typical Alex fashion, he broke into a run. Pop Pop hurried to keep up with him (the kid is FAST), and Jacob decided to join them.


At one point, even Nan was running.


Then, Jacob decided it would be a good idea to take things up a notch and race with Pop Pop. Enough of this jogging stuff. Let's get serious, guys.

On the mark...get set...


Go! (I like that Jacob is running while pulling up his pants.)


And in spite of the wardrobe malfunction, Jacob crossed the finish line first, raising his arms in victory!


Even though Pop Pop was a very good sport after his "loss", Jacob whispered to Nan, "I gonna let Pop Pop win dis time."

And so, after asking Pop Pop to race again, they took their marks, and were off running a second time. Only this time, it was obvious that Jacob was deliberately slowing his pace, carefully watching Pop Pop's feet to make sure his own stride didn't pull ahead. Because he loves his Pop Pop and it wouldn't be fair if Jacob won every race. Essentially, Jacob was returning the favor he was unaware Pop Pop had just done for him.


And when they crossed the finish line at the same time, Jacob excitedly declared, "It's a tie, Pop Pop! We both win!" And he erupted into cheers, clearly proud of them both.

I find it amazing that an almost 4 year old can be so kind and sensitive to other people's feelings. And I hope as he grows, this trait stays with him. I think it's a precious and valuable one to have.

It's hard to believe sometimes that such a little boy can have a heart as big as he does.

Plant one on me, baby

Alex is big into kissing these days. And when he's in the mood to kiss, you can bet you'll receive them in mass quantities. He likes to dole out his kisses in multiples of ten.
I'll just preface this post by saying it is a kiss that is too sweet and cute for words. But I'm going to try, anyway.

Since I knew words alone would not adequately capture the cuteness of his kissy face, I was determined to get a picture of what can only be described as the most adorable fish face ever.

You know Alex is going to kiss you when you look up and see him making his fishy kissy face.



And if his eyes are closed, you know he means business.


With his kissy face in place, you'll have ample time to prepare as he slowly leans in and approaches the target.


Sometimes, his depth perception is a little off, and you hear the kissing sound just before he reaches your mouth. But almost every time, the kiss lands squarely on your lips.

See what I mean? Words alone cannot aptly describe such a kissing experience.

My First Flower

On Saturday, the four of us went to the 3rd birthday party of Jacob's friend, Victor. After a couple of hours, most of the guests were gone, and we were the only ones there not related to the birthday boy. But, since Victor is the son of Jeff's longtime best friend, Brian, we didn't feel out of place at all. Jacob, Victor, Alex, and Victor's cousins were still having a blast playing together outside, and Jeff & Brian were tossing a Sponge Bob Square Pants squishy football back & forth.

I was playing tag with Jacob and Victor's 6 1/2 year old cousin (who can run like the wind). If I were to forget about the multiple times I raced in laps through the front and back yards, my quads would be able to remind me today.
As I was taking a breather in the front yard, Jacob was running through the back. A few moments later, he came running up to me, holding out a yellow dandelion.

Jacob: "Here you doh, Mommy. I dot dis for you. Is it a bootiful flower?"

Yes, it was. He was grinning ear to ear as I hugged him and planted kisses on his cheeks. And I thanked him profusely for being such a sweet boy to pick it for me.

Technically, he has given me a flower before. Kind of. Almost a year ago, he picked these:


He said they were for me, but I think I held them for a total of three minutes before they were taken away from me. Then they became his new toy.



So I count my dandelion as my first flower. I wish I had taken a picture of it in all its glory before it became so wilted.


Jacob has asked me several times, "Mommy, do you still dot your flower?" And I assure him that I do.

Is it silly that the little dandelion means so much to me? Probably. But I don't care. :)

Birthdays

From February through the month of June, there is a continuous stream of family birthdays. This is wonderful for the kids, as it provides them with many family get-togethers, as well as multiple opportunities to blow out candles, sing "Happy Birthday to You", and smear their fingers in icing.
I thought I'd share pictures (in chronological order) from the four birthdays we've already celebrated.

Happy Birthday to (the 1 year older & wiser than me) Aunt Tricia!


Since our birthdays are just 5 days apart, we have a joint celebration each year. So I jumped in and was also serenaded by a beautiful rendition of the Happy Birthday song. The cake was provided by Grandmom, and was perfect for a group of people with different tastes. Naturally, Alex & I decided on chocolate, and as usual, Jacob was happy with only ice cream.

Our birthdays were cause for Jacob & Alex to try their first alcoholic beverages. Well, not really, but judging from this picture, it looks to be true.


I think Jacob could blow out a house fire with the same force he's exerting on those candles.


Time for the traditional licking of the icing, which of course can't wait until they have their own pieces. Check out Alex's finger making its way around to the cake. "Hey, save some for the little guy in the back!"



Next, it was time for my birthday celebration with my side of the family. Nan, Pop Pop, Aunt Kerri, and Uncle Matt celebrated with us. Nan made the yellow cake with chocolate icing (the birthday girl's request). This first picture is me pretending to blow out candles. I had to take care not to exhale air, so as not to accidentally blow one out. That takes all the fun out of it for Jacob & Alex. Especially Jacob. He takes this job very seriously.

Me & my sweethearts.


Up next, Grandmom's birthday (all of these take place in the month of February). Jacob started running a fever about an hour before her celebration was to take place, so he & I were not able to attend. When he was feeling better a few days after her birthday, he looked at me and said, "I didn't sing Happy Birthday to Grandmom." That statement, combined with Grandmom's desire for a picture with all four of her grandkids, sparked the idea for a birthday celebration Take Two.

I love the way Daniel and Alex are looking at each other in this picture.


On to the month of March, which means it's Uncle Scott's birthday. We celebrated at Grandmom's & Granddad's house at the lake. Whenever you see an action shot, you know it was impossible to get all four kids to look at the camera at the same time. But I still think these are cute.



Next up...Nan's birthday!

Compliments of a Preschooler

I don't think there's any denying I have two incredibly sweet kids. That's just a fact, and not at all attributable to Mommy Bias.
Alex is limited in what sweet sentiments he can express verbally, but he makes up for it with all of the affection he doles out. But from Jacob, in addition to his hugs, kisses, and good manners, I often get lucky enough to hear, "I love you, Mommy" or "You my best friend." I'm quite certain those will always rank up top on my "Favorite Things to Hear My Sons Say" list. But recently, I've heard two brand new compliments from Jacob.


Jacob was watching me towel dry my hair the other day after a shower. He was staring so intently, I asked if he was alright.
Jacob: "Your hair is amazin'." (I think he really likes that adjective.)

Me: (laughing) "Thanks, buddy."

Jacob: "I love it. You look like a rock star."

I don't think I could look any less like a rock star, but hey- at least my 3 1/2 year old thinks I could be one.




For the past couple of weeks, we've had a Code Yellow alert in our house. Meaning, the Yellow Power Ranger has been missing. Jacob and his other Power Ranger action figures have been distraught over their missing comrade.

Yesterday, Jacob & I were playing, as he refers to it, "Spiderman and his Amazin' Friends", which basically means we play with every action figure he owns. Sighing, he told me he wished he had his yellow Power Ranger. Determined to find it, I started searching, and lo & behold, I found it under the couch cushions.

This toy granted me instant hero status:


Today, one day after my remarkable find, I received one of my favorite compliments along with a unique, new one.

Jacob: "Mommy, I so happy I have my yellow Power Ranger."

Me: "I know. Me too."

Jacob: "You my best friend."

Me: "Thanks, buddy. You're my best friend too."

Jacob: Then, in a solemn tone, he said, "And you are the best finder of Power Rangers I ever seen."

I bet I'm the only one in the world who has ever received this compliment. And I love it. It's amazin'.

One Big Boy, coming up!

At 18 months, Alex is at that age where he is walking (or in his case, running on or climbing up) the line between my baby and my little boy. I'm taking breaks from typing to look over at him, sitting very much like a big boy on the couch, watching one of his favorite TV shows with his legs reclined, and his arms crossed behind his head. But even while looking quite grown up in this particular moment, I notice he still has those adorable chubby baby cheeks & diaper butt.
He's growing up FAST. It hasn't happened yet, but I know it's only a matter of time before I'll look at him and no longer see baby at all.
Alex had his 18 month check up last week. In addition to hearing from the pediatrician that Alex looked "perfect", I also learned that he weighs over 25 1/2 lbs and is a whopping 36 inches tall (which may be a bit taller than he actually is...I wonder if she included the tips of his hair in her measurement. I can't seem to tame the spiky hair these days.).

Not only is he quickly turning into a big boy, Alex is also a budding conversationalist. In a short amount of time, he has added many words to his vocabulary. Sure, some of them are only a syllable of the actual word, but it still counts since he uses them consistently for the same object or person. He still relies on pointing, gestures, and grunts, but it is helpful that about 40 words have been added to his repertoire.
Here he is saying AND signing "More". You can see how pleased he was with me when I understood he wanted more bananas.


It's always a nice treat when someone breaks out into applause on your behalf.

When Jacob was 18 months old, I got pregnant with Alex. Hard to believe. And no, Jeff & I are not thinking of trying to get pregnant right now, but it sure will feel weird (and sad) to no longer have a baby in the house soon. The upside to this whole growing up thing is that we're catching glimpses of his sweet, funny, loving, smart, and attention seeking personality traits ("Aren't fish sticks delicious?"),
and he is able to interact and play more with his brother, cousins, and other children.



So far, I must say, he has one heck of a winning personality. And I think he knows it. :) For example, he has this grin where he crinkles his nose:

It seems to draw a big reaction from most people. He's become conditioned to show off the famous crinkle smile, then immediately initiate a round of applause. For himself. Certainly a habit that would be obnoxious, at best, in an adult, but in a toddler, it can only be described as adorable and endearing.

He does his best to keep up with the big kids. Sometimes, things look like more fun when others are doing them. Case in point:


And sometimes, stunts don't always work out the way he planned. Live and learn:

Thankfully, his sweet big brother was nearby to offer a helping hand while his mean old mommy giggled and took pictures. Don't worry- I could only take the look of betrayal on that face for so long.


But most of the time, things work out for the best, and Alex has a blast being an 18 month old.

Reading his favorite book, "Are You My Mother?"



Playing with cars is a favorite pastime these days.

Playing outside is always a big hit, unless snow or swings are involved.



When we aren't outside, it's more than acceptable to chase or wrestle with Jacob.


Or, just do whatever Jacob is doing, even if it's lying on the couch feeling sick.


Alex adores his big brother. Luckily, the feeling is mutual (almost all of the time).


And being darn cute is something Alex is always doing.


I know my baby boy will grow into a wonderful big boy. But if I could just enjoy this not-quite-a-big-boy-yet stage a little bit longer, please...