Home, at last!

After three busy week-ends of holiday traveling, we are finally back home and loving it. Don't get me wrong, it was fantastic being able to see family and celebrate with loved ones, but traveling takes far more out of us now that we have children. It makes me truly appreciate all the family vacations we took as children... Mom and Dad must have had the endurance of champions! Anyway, these are a few pics from our first week-end away. The boys loved seeing Great Granny and Granddaddy and it was so good for D.R. and me to have time with them, as well. The visit went much too quickly and, of course, we're hoping our next one won't be too far in the future.

Jax joins Granddaddy at left and Dex at right.

Getting the boys to sit still for photos take a lot of work!! :) Jax is with Granddaddy and Dex is with Granny.Our first family photo in ages!! Jax with Dad, Dex with Mom.

When left to their own devices...

I love how the boys just HAVE to be doing what the other is. Sure, they tend to squabble over favorite playthings more frequently than I'd like to admit... but, there are these fabulous moments when I find them sharing so nicely. As I was washing the dishes the other day, I heard the sounds of the little Casio, and peeked around the corner to find them both seated with it resting on their laps. Dex is on the left, Jax is on the right.

In other news, we watched our first Holidazzle Parade as a family last night. What fun! The boys loved all the lights and excitement of seeing what float was going to come next. Somehow, we lucked out and found ourselves outside on the warmest night of the week. Iwas holding Jax and D.R. was holding Dex. In between floats, Jax kept pointing to the skyscrapers above us saying, "There are people up there!" Sure enough, as I peered high above, there were people still working in the offices above us. Why don't we all take the time to look around us?

Outtakes and Updates

Dex- left, Jax- right.

Jax- left, Dex- right. Apparently, these are their new "cheese" faces. Hmm....



The above photos are outtakes from our little Christmas card photo shoot. As challenging as it is to get two two-year old boys to stay in one spot long enough for a photo, we found it can be much easier if you reward them with M&Ms. Hee hee.

We took the boys to the shark aquarium at the Mall of America last week-end and they LOVED it. Interestingly enough, standing in the shark cage seemed to be equally fascinating for the boys!

Also, speaking of field trips, we had a blast at the Macy's Nutcracker display last week with T. The boys would have gone through three times, if we had let them. How fun to be able to share these sorts of holiday activities with them! I think I'm going to love this transition into the preschool years!

Why I love toddlers

Pure goofiness. Love it.
The boys can't get enough of counting, these days. I was actually trying to tape Jaxon counting the Christmas tree lights, but by the time I had pushed the record button, Dex had, quite typically, taken over! I need to post on this later, but it's becoming quite obvious how the boys' personalities change based on whether they're together or apart. Very interesting... ANYWAY, I love how silly Dex gets in this video.

Boys will be boys?!

It's official. Anything that Mom is doing, the boys want to do, as well. If it's cleaning, I have two little helpers. If I'm playing music, it's instantly a trio. If I'm eating, they're eating. If I'm fixing my hair.... well, let's just say, barrettes have become the latest rage here in our little house! Maybe it's time for another haircut?

Jaxon-left, Dexter- right. This is Jaxon's new photo smile, by the way. He gives me this huge smile, but squints so much that he closes his eyes!! Too funny!

Update, cont.

And, as if on cue, the boys wake up sick. Ear infection number four for Jax... that's four ear infections in an 8-week period... and, of course, it wouldn't be an ear infection without a good respiratory infection to go along with it. Dex, not wanting his brother to get a sick day all to himself, seems to have some sort of tummy bug. Aagh!

Updates

Most of the time, I like to post about things I WANT to remember about the boys being toddlers. I don't want to rewrite the past, I just want to dwell on all the lovely aspects of having two little munchkins. There are, however, certain challenges that we've faced with them and, since there are people who check the blog for updates on these topics, I will give one grand update before the end of this year, 2007.

In March, Jaxon received a diagnosis of PDD-NOS. At the time, the pediatric neuropsychologist was a bit hesitant to give the diagnosis, as she felt a child this young could really go either way and she almost preferred to take a "wait and see" approach. Knowing that treatment and therapy could only help (and would only be covered by insurance with a diagnosis), she gave us the diagnosis and we started our journey into the world of autism spectrum disorders.

In August, both boys were diagnosed with selective IgA immune deficiency, which is the most common of the primary immunodeficiencies. For some people, they never show any symptoms and for others, they can become significantly ill. The boys have had chronic infections and GI problems, which is why it was a pediatric gastroenterologist who diagnosed them. Jaxon seems to be having the toughest time, as was the case last winter and is starting to be the case this winter. In the past seven weeks, he's had three ear infections, respiratory infections, pneumonia and high fever (unrelated to the ear infections).

So, where are we now? Nine months after the PDD-NOS diagnosis, things are looking really good. The boys have been removed from the "autism" track through the school district and it's been recommended that they attend regular preschool next year (if we choose to send them to preschool next year). They still attend school two mornings a week in a program for children with communication disorders, though their language has twice been tested to be in the normal range for their age-group, which is truly something to celebrate! Several doctors in the past month have told us they think the boys are completely normal, which again, is very reassuring.

All that being said, we're still being cautious in our celebrating. After all that I've learned about ASD, I find myself analyzing every little thing the boys (specifically, Jaxon) do and am hypervigilant about trying to "fix" odd behavior. It's hard to find a balance between accepting the quirkyness of toddlers and trying to notice "red flags" for autism. I think our biggest concern, right now, is Jaxon's obsessive behavior, at times. I know this can be normal for many toddlers, but given our history, it's something we're watching closely. Otherwise, language and social skills are fine, pretend play is developing normally and we have no real sensory concerns for the boys. These are all wonderful things. We still occasionally have issues with transitions, but not daily transitions, they're more of the major transitions... ie. traveling to see family, etc. Of course, it doesn't help that the boys are almost always sick when we're traveling. And, we're well-aware that the boys are strong-willed little guys... not necessarily a bad trait, though. :)

Anyway, we're feeling really good about the progress we've seen and every day our fears subside a bit more.

As for the immune deficiencies, we had a follow-up visit with our GI two weeks ago, as both boys had enlarged spleens in August and we wanted to make sure they were doing okay. Spleens are fine (yay!), but clearly chronic infection still seems to be an issue. Jaxon is being tested to see if he'd be a good candidate for intravenous immune globulin replacement therapy and if he is (though we suspect he won't be), we'll look into having Dexter tested, as well.

Our GI is highly optimistic, though (all this optimism!), as he's had many patients outgrown chronic infection by early adolescence. He feels like as the boys mature, we'll see fewer and fewer infections and GI prolems will disappear. Boy, do I hope he's right! In the meantime, we're trying to keep the boys as healthy as possible... and I'm so anxious for all the holiday traveling to be over, as they almost always seem to get sick when traveling. Aagh!

So, there's the update. Business complete. Tomorrow, I'll have something much more entertaining to write about! :)

Piano Dancing

Here are the boys, acting amazingly silly at the piano. I couldn't help but keep taping through their silliness. I especially like hearing Dexter sing, "I'm dancer" and Jaxon call Dexter "Dot." I think the best part of the clip, however, is when they look at each other like they're sharing a great inside joke.

Jingle, jingle, jingle and other Christmas wonders

Dex- blue; Jax- brown

I am loving December. Everyday is a new opportunity to show the boys something new and magical (at least for them) and I love how exciting this is for all of us. We've started a family movie night (yes, we're allowing TV, now... one night a week) and have been watching some really fun holiday movies. The boys get so excited about snow and Rudolph and Santa Claus. I love that the morning after we watch one of these movies, the first thing they mention when they wake up is their favorite character from the night before.

I've been checking out holiday-themed books from the library, which has also been really fun. I tried the Polar Express this week, thinking MAYBE it was a little too old for them, but they're totally into it. They love the big train, the love that it travels to Santa and his elves and they always want to talk about that silver bell off of Santa's sleigh. Last night, while running errands, I found a small bag of giant jingle bells and picked it up for the boys. I wasn't quite sure if they would think it was fun, but thought it was worth a try. I tied ribbons on the bells and then handed them over to the boys. They went crazy!! :) They were shaking their bells, singing "Jingle Bells," and dancing all over the place. I couldn't help but wonder why we EVER buy toys when something as simple as a storybook and a couple of bells easily turns into the highlight of the day.

We took the boys to see Santa this week-end, too. Again, I wasn't too sure how the boys would react to the big man dressed in red, but we really thought it would be a good thing to do with them. We explained how they had to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and that they would get to sit on his lap. When the moment arrived, Dexter was all about sitting on Santa's lap, but Jaxon was a little timid, so I just held him nearby. And, as it happened, Jaxon was totally obsessed with the Pirates of the Caribbean movie case that I had let him hold the night before (he loves carrying movie/CD cases around with him), so the ENTIRE time we were with Santa, Jaxon emphatically kept looking at Santa, saying, "Pirate! Pirate! Pirate! Pirate!". Tragically, when he realized that Santa wasn't going to give him the pirate movie RIGHT NOW, he just fell apart. Of course, at the time, there was nothing funny about it... I was so sad for Jaxon and mad at myself for not better explaining how this whole Santa/Christmas thing worked... but, looking back, I think it's adorable and just another example of how sweet and innocent toddlers are. Besides, it will make a great story to tell Jax when he's older.

Today, the boys and I are going to attempt the Macy's Christmas display with T. It's the Nutcracker, which the boys know nothing about... so it could really go either way. Regardless, it's another "something new" and they can't seem to get enough of all the "new-ness" these days. Besides, I'll most likely let them bring a jingle bell, or two, along and how can you beat that? :)

Some days...

are like this:

...and other days, are like this:

On any other day, the boys might have switched roles. :) Oh, toddlers!

'Night, 'Night, Christmas Tree Lights

We put up our Christmas tree this week-end, which went far more smoothly than I had imagined. The boys are fascinated with the Christmas lights and, of course, love trying to rearrange our ornaments. They have a lovely zeal for Santa Claus, Rudolph and anything with an angel and pointing to these items usually involves much laughter, silliness or singing (since angels all go, "Ahh- ahh- ahh"). We told the boys they were allowed to touch the lights on the tree if they used only one finger and they have been demonstrating amazing restraint (for toddlers), tiptoeing up to the tree with their little index fingers ready to poke the nearest light. It's really too cute.

My favorite thing, however, is their new bedtime ritual. We'll have them all ready for bed, teeth brushed, stories read, prayers said, lights out... even that last drink of water is carefully swallowed... and then, from the quiet of their room, we'll hear, "Go boom boom downstairs? 'Night 'Night Christmas tree lights?" I have to admit, the first time we heard this, I thought it was a ploy to prolong bedtime (since they're pros in this area), but given the fact that it was such an earnest request, we decided to give in. We scooped the boys out of their cribs and brought them downstairs, where they sweetly and quickly, said good-night to the Christmas tree lights. It's now become a nightly ritual. And, yes, it is one more box to check in our bedtime routine, but it's such a good reminder of how magical Christmas time is for children. Besides, the tree will be gone in a few weeks, anyway... right? :)

Stump Jaxon

I've posted before about the boys' love of music. Again, I know this isn't unique to them... it seems to be a common trait in most toddlers I run into. I can't help but be fascinated by it, though! I've also posted about how they'll pick a new favorite song and want to listen to it OVER AND OVER again! Luckily, this lasts only a few days and then they're on to a new tune and we start the whole process over again.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to music with the boys when Jaxon announced he wanted to listen to a particular song. I couldn't remember which number it was on the CD, so I just started going through the album, one song at a time. After hearing only 2-3 seconds of a tune, Jaxon would shout, "No! No _______ (name of the song)!" Seriously! I was stunned. He recognized songs that I couldn't even name from such small sound samples.

After going through one CD, I thought I'd make things more interesting, so I put three CDs in the stereo and I set the machine to random. Amazingly, he did it again. After only 2-3 seconds of a song (sometimes, all it would be is a drum beat), he'd shout out the name of the song and whether or not he wanted to listen to it (usually, it was a big fat "NO!"). Of course, Dexter soon picked up on how much fun we were having, so our game of "Stump Jaxon" quickly turned into a game of "Name that tune... toddler style."

I should really give the boys minus points for occasions when a Fiona Apple CD is in the stereo. Everyone of her songs is automatically called, "The Apple Song." To their credit, however, they almost always label it correctly before she even starts singing, which means they're listening to far more than just the vocals. And, in their defense, a lot of her songs have VERY similar beats. What fun!! Now, if I could just get them to listen to what I want to listen to, when I want to listen to it, I think we'd have the perfect situation!! :)

Rub-a-dub-dub, two boys in a tub

"Check THIS out!!!"

Jaxon, nice and giggly

Dexter, quite proud of his new do.

So there's one more thing that Daddy is WAY better at than Mommy.... bathtime. The boys already love to play in the tub, but when Daddy's in charge of the bath, they never want to get out! This is one of those grand situations where everyone benefits. D.R. and the boys get great Daddy/son time and I get the freedom to put away laundry or clean up the kitchen without any distractions! Yipee!!!

Daddy Do! Yipee!!

I love watching the transformation that happens to the boys when D.R. gets home. They change. Sometimes it's subtle and sometimes it's downright Jekyll and Hyde. This seems to be another one of those strange toddler phenomena, but it's really something to experience these little personality changes firsthand. Sometimes this change involves the wonderful disappearance of whining, which is replaced by instant giggles and attempts to get Daddy to tackle someone. Daddy is the giant toy that the boys get to play with every night before bed and is talked about much during the day, particularly by Dex (most recently)... but also by his brother. He will frequently run up to me and ask, "Daddy's at work?" And then, even after the answer is yes, he'll run to the window in the hopes he'll see D.R. walking in from the car. As soon as Daddy walks in the door, all of Dexter's "Mommy do's" are replaced by the lovely "Daddy do's." How wonderful is that? It's not that I don't enjoy being desired by the boys, but it feels so good not to feel torn between them. When both children are screaming, "Mommy do!!" I'm filled with panic and anxiety as I quickly try to juggle requests and keep my little two-year-olds happy. And, though I know it's just a phase, I'm loving our balanced our family feels when we're all together and Dex is clamoring for Daddy and Jax is cozying up to me.

Anyway, since both boys have long-believed Daddy is the best playmate EVER and I caught a little bit of Dexter's 'when-I-get-excited-I-speak-jibberish' on tape, I thought I'd post this clip of the boys playing around. I especially get a kick out of them showing off how strong they are, which only happens about twenty times a day! :) Of course, as usual, I started taping at the tail-end of a very long and very silly game of Hide Behind Daddy.

Still sick... and boy, is that getting old!

Third ear infection in six weeks for our Jaxon, who is now the miserable one of my little pair. As luck would have it, Dex seemed good as new by Thanksgiving day... and that was the day Jax seemed to grab the baton. He's had a rougher go of things. Yesterday, my busy little boy spent four hours laying on the the living room floor. Then, another four hours on the couch.... no wiggling, no giggling... nothing. It was actually pretty frightening for me since I have NEVER seen him so still and so unmotivated to be moving. Finally, about an hour before bedtime, he got up and started playing with a few toys... so I'm hoping that when he wakes up today he'll be a new boy.

I'm contemplating a temporary move to a warmer climate. Would that keep my little boys healthy?

Since I haven't been snapping photos of my little sickies... here are a few from the week before last that I never posted... just a reminder of how much fun we can have when we're all feeling fine. Jax and his pal, Libby, hanging out in the ball closet... 'cuz, well, that's where all the cool kids like to hang.

Another makeshift toy for the boys... since coloring and climbing into/onto boxes is so five minutes ago, we decided making a ramp for the cars would be the way to go.

Is this how it's going to be?

We have another fever today (Dex)... much coughing and kleenex (both boys)... and more neb treatments (Dex). This is our third go-round with illness in under five weeks for these boys. I'm dreading the possibility of another ear infection, as Dex just finished taking antibiotics for his last one a little over a week ago. Jaxon has already had two in the past month, as well. Aagh!!!

I'm not sure if I've posted on it in the past, but we found out over the summer that both boys have immune deficiency disease. Their particular deficiency is rather common, as far as immune deficiencies go, but it's becoming apparent that it's going to make cold/flu season pretty tough for these boys. I'm already recalling how many times they got sick last year... and now, this year, with school and playgroups, I can't help but feel like I should just quarantine them for the next five months.

I hate that they feel so miserable so often and I hate that there seems to be so little I can do to prevent it. Well, we're taking them in tonight to check for ear infections and will hopefully have them well enough to enjoy a Thanksgiving visit with D.R.'s family.

...and, as if on cue, I hear them waking from their nap...

How could I resist?

Dex, working on assembling one of his multi-colored "railroad tracks."
Doesn't Jaxon look pleased with himself?
Dex again... "Look, Mommy! No hands!"

Sometimes, I feel like the blog should capture all the picturesque moments of family life... something for us to look back on and cherish when the boys are all grown up. Then, there are days like today, when the boys are acting like such little goof-balls and my cheeks are hurting from all my giggling. These might not be the most frame-worthy photos I've taken, but they represent a few of my recent smiles. Of course, as silly as I find the boys' eating habits (I can't help but think of the movie, A Christmas Story, when the mom is asking her toddler son to show her how a little piggy eats)... I have to admit, I'm equally anxious for the day I won't have to wipe down their entire faces when they're finished with their soup. :)

As for Dexter's pigtails... this was pre-haircut... and I just couldn't resist. The boys love swapping headbands with me throughout the day and have also enjoyed watching me put my own hair in ponytails. When I realized their hair had gotten a bit longer than I intended, I just had to take advantage of it and let them really play with my ponytail holders. Hee hee.

It's a box, it's a piano... it's a piano slide!

What started as the perfect box/fort/car/easel, quickly became a cardboard keyboard. When the boys wouldn't stop banging on it and singing, "Doo doo doo! Pano!!" I decided to make it official. They seemed to really like the change, as you can tell from the video below. Jaxon ended the games by attempting to climb Mount Piano and use it as his own little sliding board... too funny!

The Pop Seat

Jaxon initiated this little project, which we've taken to calling the boys' Pop Seat. It has suddenly become the cool place to hang out... a place filled with much silliness, and as you'll see... snapping. In the video below, Jaxon is on the left and Dexter is on the right. And, since I couldn't get a photo of both boys smiling at the camera, I've posted one of each. In the photos, Jax is the still in his jammie top.

My little busy bodies

There's a page in the book, "Love you forever," that shows a 2-year old boy in his mother's bathroom, covered in toilet paper, toothpaste and his mother's jewelry, if I remember correctly. I used to think that was maybe a slight exaggeration... until... Dex and Jax. Somedays, I feel like a creative genius (those days usually involve a lot of coffee), giving the boys exciting ways of using their energy and curiosity. But, on other days, it's all I can do to trail them, trying desperately to keep up with the tornado that is Dex and Jax. On one such morning (when I missed my beloved coffee), this was the sequence of events I had to contend with.

- Breakfast. As I'm placing Dexter's food in front of him, I hear Jaxon (my little pouring fiend) exclaim, "Mommy, clean!" Once again, having decided to pour his cup of milk into his already milk-filled cereal, Jaxon discovers that bowls can only hold so much milk. Mess #1.

- Since Jaxon's jammies are now completely soaked in milk, I quickly whisk him from his chair to strip him, dry him and remind him that there's plenty more milk where that came from. Of course, this gives Dexter plenty of time to discover that if he stands up in his booster seat he can just barely reach the pencil resting on the edge of the buffet. Why eat when he could be coloring the wall? Mess #2.

- Mess #3-4: After cleaning up from breakfast and dressing the munchkins, I set about cleaning the wall. Of course, in the five minutes it takes me to clean the pencil off the wall, the boys discover my stash of mini cassette tapes I keep in the piano bench from previous writing sessions. Of course, all I see is the pile of piano music surrounding the piano and leading up the stairs (apparrently, the stairs are an ideal place for "reading" piano music). As I'm cleaning up the trail of music, I hear a soft squeaking that, quite frankly, doesn't sound good. I turn around to discover the boys completely destroying my mini cassette tapes. They are encircled in tape, with serious little expressions on their faces, as though they're trying to figure out how on earth all that tape fit inside such a tiny little rectangle. I have to decide, do I drop the music, which will be an immediate inviation for re-strewing it, or do I go ahead and put the music away and then proceed to clean up the tape disaster? Honestly, I don't remember what I did, all I know is, while I was winding the tapes back into the cassettes, I heard giggling from upstairs and I knew I would soon be cleaning up mess #5.

- Mess #5: As I fearfully (and quickly) head up the stairs, I'm met with two little boys covered in soap and, once again, soaked to the bone. They gleefully inform me that they are washing their hands. Great. How can I scold them for that one? I try explaining to them that they need to have Mommy or Daddy in the bathroom with them... that we don't play in the bathroom... but they just look at me with these faces that say, "But, we were washing our hands!" Aagh. Restrip the boys, grab towels, clean bathroom. Of course, by this time, they've managed to dump several bins of toys and empty two drawers of miscellaneous household stuff, like tape and stick-its, and they are sitting in a sea of matchbox cars. Desperate to buy myself some time and to keep the boys occupied with something that wouldn't require elbow grease from Mom, I start taping the floor. This froze them in their tracks. After a moment or two, I grabbed a few of their matchbox cars and placed them on the tape. Problem solved. For the next 5-10 minutes, the boys were captivated with their new street set-up and I could FINALLY go make my coffee... at which point, I looked at the clock and realized it was only 8:30 and we still had a whole day to go!

Now, do I find the book illustration an exaggeration? Absolutely not! In fact, multiply it by two and you've got a perfect little image of our adventurous life, these days! Thank goodness for coffee... and elbow grease!

wet n' wild

I wanted to do a post about just how busy the boys are and how much it takes for me to keep up (or just barely tag behind) them. They've been sick all week, so there's been no playing outside, no school, no playgroups... and it's been quite an adventure, let me say! I'll save the details of that post for another day (since they're waking up... a bit earlier than expected), but here are a few pics of one fun inside activity. Jaxon is obsessed with pouring. He will frequently pour his cereal from his bowl to his cup and back again. Or, he'll "borrow" Dexter's cup at mealtime so he can pour his drink back and forth between the two cups. Anyway, both boys love a good splash... and, so, after another round of fingerpainting the other day, I gave them some freetime in the kitchen sink. A good time was definitely had by all.

A few of our favorites... right now

One of the things I love about the boys is their passion for life. At times, their interests border on obsessive, but just as I'm about to wish we NEVER see another garage (Dexter's summer obsession), I find myself drawing the 50th police car on a magna-doodle and I realize the obsession has changed. The boys are like this with everything. When they love something, they LOVE IT. We repeat it over and over again, whether it's a song, a book or a game. So... knowing all-too-well that today's obsessions will be so last-season, before I know it, I thought I'd make a few of the boys' current "favorites"... more things I want to remember.

Favorite times of day:

- Car rides are HUGE. The boys still ask to go for a car ride at least once a day. Earlier this week, since both boys were feeling so yucky, I conceded and took them on a beloved car ride. I tried three times to come home, but each time I would park the car in the parking lot, they'd simultaneously shout, "More drive car!!" Since I knew they weren't feeling well and nothing inside the house had been helping that much, I continued our drive. We listened to music, I enjoyed a cup of coffee and was even able to return a few phone calls while we drove around. Not bad!

- Active playtime. Don't get me wrong, the boys do enjoy playdough and fingerpaint... but they ADORE a good wrestling match, a jump on the couch, or even better.... a wrestling match involving all the pillows on the couch. They LOVE climbing in and out of boxes, being pulled around on rides, building forts with Daddy and hiding in the entertainment center.

- Playing outside. Honestly, I think the boys would live outside, if they could. Frequently, the first thing they say to me upon waking is, "Shoes on? Outside?"... if it's not, "Shoes on? Drive car?" :) I'm hoping they don't object to bundling up, as I finally broke down and got them the warmest coats and snowpants I could find. I am determined to NOT go stir crazy this winter!! :)

- Snacktime is a huge hit with the boys. I try to vary the snacks I offer, but it's clear they have a few favorites.

Favorite snacks and foods:

- FRUIT. They are such fruit-a-holics! I find myself having to hide the fruit or it's all they would eat! Crazy, but true. Of course, it does make thinking of healthy snacks fairly easy.

- Cereal bars and juice boxes. We save these for special occasions, when we need a quick snack with minimal mess. As a result, the boys think they are about the coolest thing EVER.

- Hot dogs. Yes, I have become the mom that will serve my children hot dogs. Ick! I can't help it, they love them and I've managed to find a few really good gluten-free brands, which also happen to be all natural... so I don't mind, as much. Whenever the boys are pretending to cook or pretending to eat, the first thing on their pretend menu is almost always hot dogs. Too funny.

- Daddy's cereal and chocolate milk. Their idea of what "Daddy's cereal" is changes on a weekly basis, but rest assured, if it's "Daddy's," it's going to be good. They've never had true chocolate milk, but our version seems to keep them pretty happy. Sometimes, I can even convince them that rice milk is chocolate milk. Hee hee. :)

Favorite songs:

This is a list that continues to grow and change. I've never seen them stop liking a song, but their favorites change weekly. A few that have remained at the top of the list for a good month, now:

- Upside down- Jack Johnson
- Broken- Jack Johnson
- Suddenly I See- KT Tunstall
- Big Black Horse- KT Tunstall
- Over My Head- The Fray
- How to Save a Life- The Fray
- Mama She Bore Me- from Spring Awakening
- Read My Mind- The Killers
- Sam's Town- The Killers
- Teddy Bear's Picnic
- I'm a Little Teapot
- The Wheels on the Bus
- The Ants go Marching
- Do, Do, L'enfant do
- Moon, Moon, Moon- Laura Berkner
- ABCs... forwards and backwards
- Hickory, Dickory Dock
- Humpty Dumpty
- Go, go, go for G- They Might Be Giants
- Q-U- They Might Be Giants
- Flying V- They Might Be Giants
- Splish, Splash
- Sometimes, Especially- Latona's Thirst (hee hee)
- You Wonder- Latona's Thirst
- Yummy, yummy- The Wiggles
- Cars- Fear Factory
- Open your hands- Snowpatrol
- Anything Fiona Apple (they are amazingly good at identifying a Fiona Apple song... love it!)

I should just stop... the list could go on and on. I guess these are just the CDs that they've been requesting the most, lately.

Books:

Again, this is another area in which it's not hard to please the boys. They do have a few absolute favorites, though. The books that I often thing I cannot possibly read for the 200th time... but, then I do, and we're all just swimming in the loveliness of it all... :)

- My Car- Byron Barton
- Gone Fishing
- I Love You Through and Through
- Where's Spot- Eric Hill
- Down in the Woods at Sleepytime
- I Love You, Goodnight
- Trucks- Byron Barton
- Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Shoe Baby- Joyce Dunbar
- Freight Train- Donald Crews
- Shapes, Shapes, Shapes- Tana Hoban
- Bob's Bedtime

I think we've checked out My Car, Gone Fishing and Freight Train about a half-dozen times already. Maybe it's time I just bought these books!! :) I know I'm probably forgetting some... but that's what happens when you speed type a blog entry. Of course, if these are the things I could list off the top of my head, they must be the absolute favorites, right? I'll just go with that.

Other random obsessions:

- Garages (Dexter.. though, this was more a few months ago)
- Movies & CDx (Jaxon... who has begun memorizing the studio symbols on DVD cases and occasionally insists on holding one case in each hand. Very opinionated about which cases he should be holding, too. Hmm...)
- ABCs (Both boys.. though, I think they've moved on a bit, from this one)
- Cars (Dexter is a huge fan of cars- and is so particular about which car he has to be carrying around with him on any given day. Another hmmmm..... Jaxon thinks they're pretty cool, but is much less obsessive about them. I think cars are to Dexter what CDs/DVDs are to Jaxon. Oh, boys...)
- Songs (Jaxon wants a song about everything. Adorable? Yes. Challenging, especially when Mom is too tired to think up a fun, creative song about notebooks? Most definitely.)

Alright, the boys are waking up... time to start another day... definitely time for a cup of coffee!

Tidbits

On days like today, I feel like there are a million things I want to remember... so many adorable moments that are too quickly forgotten in the hustle and bustle of a day with two busy little toddlers. With language and vocabulary has come much laughter and happiness. As irrational and obsessive as the boys' frequent comments, requests and dialogue may be, I find myself thankful for this little doorway into their 2-year old minds.

Jaxon has become Mommy's little boy... and, well, Mommy is loving it. Whereas Dexter has always been a little more into the hugs and kisses, Jaxon is just realizing how much fun it is to cuddle, I think. He will frequently bring books and cherished items over to my lap to share with me. A few days ago, as I was driving them on some errand or another, he asked to hold my hand from the backseat. As I reached my hand back to him, I thought surely this would last no more than 5 seconds, but it lasted the entire 10-minute car ride... a lovely 10 minutes, if I do say so, myself.

Both boys are so very into storytime, which again, I ADORE. It used to be that the only way I could get them to stop wiggling long enough to sit through a story was to plop them into their booster seats and read while they ate. Then, we incorporated it into our bedtime/naptime routine (and of course, there is ALWAYS a request for 1, 2, 3+ more stories). Now, to my great delight, they will both plop down into my lap, all snuggly and lovable, where I can read through a storybook in its entirety, all the while enjoying the lovely smell of these little boys' hair and the feel of their warm little bodies cozied up against my own. THESE are the moments I've been waiting for!

Both boys have become quite aware of the other's emotions, quietly alerting me when the other is sad with a serious, "Jaxon's (or Dexter's) crying, Mommy." This is followed by the all-too-precious requests for many kisses (which Jaxon calls, "bisses") and sometimes even a round or two of pretend crying, which Dexter will take a step further by telling me he's a baby and starting to crawl everywhere. Usually, the "baby" winds up falling down a few times and needing a good hug from Mom to feel better. I love these games of pretend.

Jaxon is so into rhymes and songs. If we see something new outside or in a book, he will frequently ask me to sing about it... even if I have to make up a silly little tune that rhymes. He loves Dr. Seuss and will giggle away when I get to the yink that likes to wink and drink pink ink, asking me to repeat that page "PAST, Mommy!" which is his version of "Fast." Dex will quickly join in, usually requesting that I read it SLOW... and thus, an ideal opportunity to work on turn-taking will ensue.

Dexter is well on his way to potty training. I am FAR from ready, as I wanted to wait until they were at least 2 1/2 to begin this seemingly daunting task. He, however, appears to have different plans. With no encouragement on my part, he has begun asking to sit on the potty several times a day... and seems to be quite pleased with this new ability he has. Now I have to decide, do I start both of them, try to stall Dexter or just go ahead and potty train Dex now and Jax later? Regardless, I have to admit, I'm kind of relieved that he's showing such an interest on his own, as it's one less thing I have to worry about introducing!

Anyway, these are a few of the things that are keeping me smiling, these days. Don't get me wrong, we still have our challenging moments. Jaxon is sick with his second ear infection in a month and a pretty nasty cough. It's heartbreaking for me to see him feeling so icky, but he has truly been a trooper. Both boys are very head strong and I'm constantly battling the "No, no, no's!" When push comes to shove, however, I like that they assert their independance. I hope that I'm able to shape this so that they can be strong and sure individuals as they grow into young people. It might make for a bit of frustration, at times, now... but I'm hopeful it will prove to be a strength later on!

Let's pretend

Jaxon, busy cooking hot dogs. Yummy!
Dexter, trying to carry as many cars, as possible!

It has been so much fun for me to see the boys play so creatively. Earlier this week, I found them both hovered over one of my saucepans with a couple of spoons. I asked them what they were doing and they told me they were cooking their cars. I looked in the pot, and sure enough, there were a bunch of matchbox cars. I went to "taste" one of them and they quickly cautioned me that they were hot. So funny!

They've also started giving their cars time-outs, which is absolutely hilarious. It's even better when the cars have to apologize to each other. Usually, the infraction involves hitting and a nice scolding from Dexter. "No hitting, car! Time out! Say sorry!"

Another funny story, I walked in on Jaxon talking to his Mater car, yesterday. He was saying, "Hello Mater! How are you? What's up?" Hee hee!!!

These are the things that keep me floating through my days...

Love me twice as tender

My little Elvis impersonators... or, as they quickly became called last night, Elvi (apparently, the plural form of Elvis). Well... I pulled off the costumes, with the great help of my mom, who sewed the white pants for me! I got a little nervous when I put them on the boys for the first time a few days before Halloween and they were less-than-thrilled with the idea of having to wear these strange get-ups. Luckily, after the introduction of trick-or-treating (which we practiced for three fun days leading up to Halloween), they were much more excited about their bejeweled garbs. They cracked us up, marching from door to door in their little outfits. Dex was THRILLED about knocking on doors and giggling "Trick-or-treat." Jax, though an equal participator, was far-more interested in trying to carry as much candy in his hands as possible. The thought of having to part with it, even if only to drop it into his little bag, was just too much for him! It was pretty adorable, seeing him try to carry 4+ pieces of candy while knocking on a door and trying to grab a new addition for his little candy collection.


I had no idea what to expect, as this was our first time taking the boys trick-or-treating, but I have to say, I was more than pleased with our experience. The boys, of course, couldn't get enough candy! They quickly gobbled up 4 or 5 suckers when we got home and were quite disappointed to find that their candy had mysteriously gone missing this morning. :) Hopefully, the disappointment will be short-lived! :)


As luck would have it, Dex is on the left and Jax is on the right in every photo. We were even lucky enough to be able to grab one decent photo of the boys and some of their neighbor friends... not an easy task with a bunch of little tykes!! Good thing we have a few silly daddys to keep them all entertained. And, yes, the boys are standing in our empty entertainment center in the first several photos. It has proved to be their favorite plaything... and a good way to get both of them in the same photo!