Sunny Sunday Morning

What's the biggest allure of going to church, these days? Apart from the music, which has always been an all-time fave of both boys, it's got to be strolling along the wall outside of our church. What I like most about this is that I distinctly remember finding a similar joy in climbing outside our church when I was little. I seem to recall a sign that we would climb up on... Anyway, it's fun for me to see the boys get such pleasure out of little things, like this.

Of course, when I go to snap a photo, I rarely get both boys showing me their big blues at the same time!! In the top photo, Jaxon had just spotted a puppy on the sidewalk... and we all know who wins in that competition! I seem to recall Dexter shouting something about NO MORE PICTURES!!! :)

Fire! Fire!

A few weeks ago, D.R. and I took the boys to the Fire Fighters Museum. I would have to say this was a summer highlight for the boys... up until one of the retired firefighters working at the museum gave Jaxon a sucker but told him he couldn't open it until he got home. THAT didn't go over so well! They had a blast climbing into actual fire engines, turning on the lights and windshield wipers, trying on helmets and even pulling a real fire alarm. The boys have always loved trucks, but fire trucks are definitely at the top of the list. One of their all-time favorite inside games is to pretend various objects and people are on fire and play fire fighters. Too funny. Dexter is in the dark blue shirt and Jaxon is in the light blue shirt.

Best buds?

Sometimes, when watching the boys, I can't help but hear a Dickens-like voice within me narrating, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." As an earlier post mentioned, when the boys are playing well, they are playing SO well. But, then, there are moments like my trip to the store yesterday that have me torn between giggles (for the melodrama of it all), tears and frustration!!

We were trying to find a birthday gift for a friend of theirs and both boys were quite opinionated about what we should buy for her. It started out okay, with two requests that were completely acceptable and would be make perfectly fine birthday gifts. It ended, of course, with the boys spotting something THEY would like... and the rest is history. This is the "conversation" that ensued.

Me: "Well, guys, I think we picked out some great gifts! Why don't we find one more small item to use as a gift topper?"

Boy 1: "I want to buy a batman DVD!!!"

Me: "I don't think Lily would like that quite as much as you would."

Boy 2: "No, I want a batman DVD!!"

Boy 1: "No, it's mine!!"

Boy 2: "No, it's my batman DVD!"

Boy1: (louder) "No, I want the batman DVD!"

Boy 2: (almost screaming) "No, it's MINE!! I want it!"

Me: "No one is getting the batman DVD, we are shopping for Lily."

Suddenly, the boys join forces against Mommy. The act is completed with loud, body-shaking sobs and large, crocodile tears from both boys. Together, they implore me to buy them a batman DVD.

Alone, I resist.

How do you like MY poker face?

D.R. hosted what I can only imagine will be the last poker night, for awhile, a few weeks ago. With growing families and added work responsibilities for him and most of his friends, the late nights of Texas Hold 'Em are happening less and less frequently. Anyway, the boys had a blast trying to join the game (it had't actually started yet, or I don't think they would have made it to the table!). Luckily, Daddy was nice enough to indulge them for a few minutes before bedtime. So, Dexter (left) and Jaxon (right), got to be just like Daddy and, boy, were they thrilled! They even requested to each sleep with a poker chip that night (which they called their "treasures"). Hmm... luckily, it only lasted that one night!

Splish splash

Jax and J make good swim buddies.
Dex, taking a break from the pool.


On a recent trip to visit D.R.'s brother and his family, the boys were lucky enough to get some pool time. It was SO hard for me to just sit on the side of the pool, without jumping in and sharing in their fun and excitement... but, with no suit big enough to cover this growing tummy, I didn't really have a choice! :) As hard as it was to just observe all the water games, I loved being able to watch the boys go absolutely nuts in the pool. No fear! Luckily, our friend, J, was also there, so each boy was able to have their own personal a swim pal (Jax with J and Dex with Daddy) and there was definitely a lot of male bonding going on! Of course, as soon as I finished taping, Jaxon figured out how to adjust his swim top!!

Can you tell radiologists don't get a lot of sunlight? :)

Can't stop smiling!

Here you go! The belly shot...and then some! These have to be my ALL TIME FAVORITE photos of the boys. Krysten was kind enough to let me copy and paste these from her photography blog (see link at left) and I can't wait to get my hands on the actual prints so I can frame them and stare at them all day long! So, if anyone needs a fantastic photographer, you should definitely check out Krysten Halek (http://www.krystenhalek.com/). Once again, I appreciate her ability to capture a child's personality in fun ways. And, as busy as the boys are... she was able to catch them together and they had a blast in the process. Anyway, I hope you enjoy a few of the photos she took... I know I will!


This is Jaxon is the last photo and Dex right above it, as well as with Daddy. Aren't these great?

Pregnancy Update

There are less than five weeks to go and this baby will be here! My c-section is scheduled for August 11th, 10 days after the boys' birthday and 5 days after D.R.'s. August is going to be a big birthday month for our family!

I have officially entered the difficult phase of pregnancy and, oddly, am having a much more difficult time than I did carrying two babies! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I have my busy boys to keep up with? :) I am several weeks into a daily bout of what my OB is referring to as false labor. The braxton hicks contractions which were kind enough to kick in about half-way through my pregnancy have turned into a painful, labor-like version lasting a good 1 1/2-2 hours at least once a day and coming so regularly (every 2-5 minutes) that I'd swear I was going into labor. Oh, the joys of pregnancy! Luckily, the boys have been unbelievably understanding and have seemed to adjust to my needing to sit and rest a bit more. I, of course, feel horrible about not showering them with constant attention these last few weeks, but perhaps, this will make the pending transition a bit easier for them?

I'm also learning to be a bit more accepting of the fact that our home is a bit more cluttered than usual and meals are becoming far-more simple! As one of my friends reminded me of recently, this is a temporary condition... and everything that goes along with it is also temporary. I'm gong to blink, and there will be a new baby in our home. I'll blink again and there will be no more babies in this home. Despite the expected chaos that will most definitely become the norm for us this year, I'm hoping I'm able to savor and appreciate the fleeting beauty of adding to a family. I hope!

As per all the requests for belly shots... we'll see! I've actually only been in front of a camera a handful of times since I've been pregnant, this time. On Saturday, we were lucky enough to have photos of the boys taken by a great photographer and I was even added to a few of them. Maybe I'll be able to add a link to a good belly shot...

Best Buds

One of my biggest joys of the summer has been watching the boys' friendship with each other flourish. They've always been pals and playmates, but I love watching them learn the basics of sharing, caring and forgiving... as well as, of course, coming up with the silliest games ever! Sure, I still break up plenty of arguments and there is, of course, the issue of volume when these boys play together (they are so incredibly enthusiastic that I fear anyone within a block radius knows they are having fun).. but it's so worth it.

Who needs words?

A little over a week ago, my friend Cesilie and her two gorgeous kids visited the boys and me for a morning. Her daughter, Luella, is a few months older than the boys and speaks no English (her momma speaks Norwegian and her daddy speaks Spanish). Despite the language difference, I was amazed at how the boys and Luella were able to play with each other. I suppose building with legos and playing cars surpasses the language barrier, but the best was seeing them make silly faces and giggle at each other. We even got all three busy bodies to sit on the sofa for an episode of the Little Einsteins. Amazing!

Now, if only they didn't live so far away! At least the next time we get to enjoy our long-distance playdate from Norway there will be another little tyke to play with little Lukas. :)

No more caterpillars!

After a good two weeks of solid and perpetual caterpillar collecting, hoarding, chauffering (yes, they were given many a ride in the wagon) and, ultimately, burying (poor things), the boys have slowly begun accepting that caterpillars do, in fact, ultimately go away and become butterflies. Secretly, I am so very very happy that we're no longer finding them by the dozens. Yes, it started out as rather cute and adorable. But, after several days of finding caterpillars EVERYWHERE, I was ready for the metamorphasis to begin!!

For what it's worth, the boys became amazingly adept at carrying up to six or seven little caterpillars in each hand without squishing them. They would just loosely fold their little fingers around them and you could watch the caterpillars wiggling around in the boys' small hands. Once you got past the gross-factor, it as actually pretty cute.

Anyway, here are a few photos from last week, when the caterpillars were still quite numerous. Jaxon is in blue and Dexter is in red.

To play or not to play

Jaxon, crawling out of the boys' dinosaur cave.
Dexter, trying to make one of his ride-on toys fit inside the cave.

Some days, I act as activities coordinator, suggesting and overseeing almost everything the boys do. In some ways, this is a good thing. We can incorporate letters and numbers into our games, I can teach them songs and nursery ryhmes, we can read stories... and I get some great playtime with the boys. Recently, however, as I find that my energy is waning a bit... I have found great pleasure in sitting back and watching the boys come up with their own play scenarios. Usually, they are far more inventive than anything I could come up with and so very entertaining from my vantage point from behind the stove or sitting on the couch.

We've had dinosaur caves (above), a volcano under the kitchen table, the carpet frequently turns into an ocean of hot lava and the sofa cushions have recently become waterfalls on several occasions. Of course, there are still times when the play is more of a battle than cooperative interractions... this morning, I had to separate the boys more than once after they couldn't agree on whether or not they were building towers or knocking them down (Jaxon is our dear little demoliton man). So, I find myself resting precariously between intervening and letting them create their own play. I guess, as with all things, there's a balance and, as my friend Allison likes to point out, by the time I've figured this one out, we'll have moved on to other issues in parenting... :)

I hear something!

A few days ago, while fiddling at the piano, Jaxon proclaimed, "I hear something!" He would put his ear right next to the keys and repeat the phrase with wonder. I kept telling him that he was hearing notes/music/the sound of the piano and he would look at me like I was crazy and say, "No! I hear something else!" I just thought he was being silly and so I would giggle and tell him he was a goofball.

Sadly, it took me several days to figure out what on earth he was talking about. Today, while playing the piano, myself, I suddenly became aware of a very faint clicking noise when I'd play a certain key. After a closer examination, I discovered a guitar pick stuck between two of the keys... the culprit in this mysterious clicking noise. So THAT'S what Jaxon was referring to!

A few hours later, he was back at the piano, slowly working his way up the keyboard, proclaiming, every once in a while, that he could hear something. I told him that we'd already found the guitar pick and that the "game" was over. But he was determined that he was hearing something. I sat down and played a few keys. I could hear no clicking. But, STILL, he insisted that he was hearing something. By this point, Dexter was beside him, also insisting that he could hear something. After a failed attempt at trying to convince them that we were truly all down with the pick game, I decided to humor the boys and pretend to search for more guitar picks in the piano. I grabbed a flash light and started examining the keyboard quite closely. What did I find? 27 guitar picks hidden between the keys of the piano. Yes, 27 picks!! I can only imagine that the boys made a game of hiding them in there at some point... probably last summer, when I distinctly remember wondering where all my picks were disappearing to!

What did I learn from this? 1- Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to disregard bizarre statements and requests as silly child behavior. 2- Children really DO have remarkable hearing! 3- I really need to keep better track of my guitar picks!!

The Lovefest

About a week ago, I was convinced that the boys had completely outgrown naptime. What used to be a great time of rest for them had turned into a giant hour of free play, complete with pulling down shades, bouncing on the beds, "reading" almost every storybook on their shelves, etc. This week, however, we have turned a new leaf and I am loving it!

I realize that they may soon outgrow this afternoon nap, or quiet time, and that's to be expected. But, we recently discovered that simply staying in their room with them for a few more minutes is doing an amazing job of settling them down to sleep. Whereas before, our bedtime routine involved a few stories, prayers and lights out... now, we're incorporating cuddling. Fastastic cuddling. And with these two little boys, it is the best thing EVER!

Since I'm only getting more pregnant every day, I'm also getting more easily fatigued! D.R. suggested I try laying down with them while we read stories, say prayers, etc. and it's been so fun! They snuggled up to me, trying to get as close as they possibly can, surrounded by soft blankets, pillows, woobies and the snuggliest boys EVER, I'd have to say, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world. We go through our routine, and then, for a good five minutes (I still won't stay until they're asleep... I don't want to get stuck in a habit that can't be kept up), we just lay there in a squishy pile, loving each other. I get smothered in kisses, cuddles, hugs, sweet whispers, and of course, the little fingers trying to restyle my hair, pry open my eyes (if they're closed) or tickle me. All in all, it's a great combo that leaves the boys nice and mellow when I leave their room. AND, it has meant a great afternoon nap for almost a week straight. I only wish D.R. was home more to be able to enjoy the pile of cuddles as much as I do! (He does get to put them to bed whenever he's home... and he loves it, too!)

Daddy's Day

Here are the boys looking for tigers in the "forest".... a game that is enhanced with Daddy's participation! Jax- top, Dex- bottom.

I wish I had the time and energy to post every day. The boys are in this great place of saying and doing funny things hourly. Each day, when D.R. gets home from work, he is greeted with stories of silly antics, funny expressions and mini adventures that took place while he was gone. These are the things I SHOULD be recording on this blog... things I forget far-too quickly. Instead, I find myself collapsing around 9:15, most evenings, and awaking to the fast-paced routine of keeping up with the boys! :)

They're napping has basically been widdled down to 2-3 times a week, at best... and so we're quickly learning the basics of filling up the afternoon hours with projects and games. Something that I actually enjoy... I just wish I wasn't so darn tired, these days!! :) What do I have, now? About 1 1/2 years before I start getting my energy back?

Today, we were lucky enough to have a bit of time to celebrate Father's Day with D.R. He had to head into work for a bit this morning, but managed to get back in time to make church an outing for the whole family (yay!) and he got to share in the joy of watching the boys collect caterpillars this afternoon. Honestly, I can't WAIT for the population of caterpillars to dwindle, a bit, at our place! Right now, the boys' #1 priority involves tracking down, collecting and holding as many caterpillars, as possible... and I seem to find them EVERYPLACE! :)

Anyway, the boys are falling asleep, D.R. is working an overnight shift and I am finally catching up on a blog post (now, if I could just catch up on email!). Next year at this time, we'll be celebrating D.R.'s wonderful fathering of three little munchkins, but today, the boys and I got him all to ourselves. Despite the fact that he had to head into work twice today and sleep a bit in the afternoon, D.R. managed, as usual, to make the boys the center of his attention... something I'm extremely grateful for. And, who knows? Maybe next year at this time, his schedule will be a little less demanding and spending time with the boys (and baby) will be more of a daily happening and less of a luxury... but, for now, we'll just keep savoring all the great family moments we get to share when he is home!

Picnic Time

Last summer, if we tried to have a picnic with the boys, it lasted about 45 seconds and ended with us eating while the boys scampered around us. This summer, the boys and I have been enjoying weekly picnics and LOVING it. Of course, it's always a hit when Daddy is with us... and it's easy, as we tend to stick to our own backyard. A few week-ends ago, however, we met up with some friends of mine and several other young munchkins and enjoyed picnic and play at Minnehaha falls. The boys adore the waterfall and, of course, all the fun playground equipment. So, the picnic was a huge success. I had to laugh, as I was taking the photos, at how fun it was to see five young children all so happy to be sitting still! :)

In other news, I have two months until my scheduled C-section (August 11th). Crazy! I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing... part of me wants ot keep this baby in here as long as possible.. I'm suddenly more aware of the fact that I only have two more months to savor the boys as my only two children. It's making every cuddle, story, giggle and project shared that more meaningful. That being said, being pregnant is no walk in the park... especially with these two busy little boys! :) I guess that's nature's way of preparing us for the inevitable. We just get so darn big that we're relieved, happy and completely ready for that baby when it arrives. And, as with the boys, I can't wait to meet this little one...

What did you do today?

When T informed me that one of our favorite movie/TV actors was in town shooting a new film, the boys and I decided the best way to spend a morning would be to get as close to the shoot as possible with Auntie T. :) All in all, sneaking up to a movie shoot isn't QUITE as exciting as one might expect, but it was a fun outing and I got a kick out of the boys' conversation with D.R. before bedtime that night. When he asked them what they did that day, they replied in unison, "We were stalkers!" Nice.

Yay for Granddad and Mimi!

The boys cuddle with Granddad while watching "Lifted," their new favorite short-movie. (Jaxon-red, Dexter-blue)Dexter and Granddad playing trains.Jaxon (yes, again in one of his "dresses") and Mimi working on a project.Jaxon, doing the dandelion dance.Dexter and Mimi. How much fun is it trying to get these two to cooperate for a group photo? Hee hee.
Mimi and Granddad treated us all to coffee (the boys got a soy snowdrift) before a morning at the park. Of course, everytime we return to the park, the boys have to ask me where their coffee is! Jaxon and Mommy. One of the rare photos of me with one of the boys... seems like I'm always the one behind the camera!! Too bad Jaxon is hiding that big tummy!

We had a wonderful visit from my parents a few week-ends ago. The boys LOVED the extra attention and I loved having two extra sets of hands, especially now that I seem to be moving slower and slower! Of course, the visit was far too short and it left us all wishing we lived closer together, but it was so good and just makes me look forward to our next visit even more. Hopefully, we'll get one or two more visits before this new baby arrives!

In other news, we're all loving this time of year. Never did I imagine that the combination of warmer weather and little boys would mean spot treating caterpillar guts (truly a tragedy, as the boys adore caterpillars... they're just working on being gentle!) or combing the sand out of two little heads... but it's so worth it.

The boys have been becoming the most amazing playmates, as well, which is a dream come true for me! I guess it's been developing over the course of the past few years, but they're finally to the point where they can truly, TRULY, entertain each other and they come up with the most creative scenarios. Earlier this week, our kitchen table became a volcano, complete with fire and lava (which, of course, meant one of the boys had to quickly become a firefighter). There's been a bakery in our kitchen, a gas station in our living room and, yesterday, the boys "lived" inside a dinosaur cave for much of the morning. As luck would have it, there happened to be a TV and a remote control inside their little cave. Of course, although they could imagine both of these items, they couldn't imagine that there were TWO remote controls, so yes, they were fighting over the one imaginary remote control. BOYS!

Then, the other day, as I was trying to herd them upstairs for a little quiet nap, they decided to put on a little concert with several of their cars. I have no idea what they were singing about, but it was quite passionate and quite loud. Suddenly, in the middle of their lovely music, I hear a loud smack (I'm assuming two of their cars collided) and Dexter broke into tears. As I approached them, Jaxon looked at me with two frightened little eyes and, leaning into Dexter, whispered, "All done crying, Dexter. Stop crying. Please." It was as if he was saying, "There's nothing to see here, Mom. See? Everything is just fine." Clearly, he was the instigator of the little collision... too funny.

Occasionally, when I'm working upstairs and they're downstairs, or vice versa, one of them will race to my side and say, "No time out, Mommy!" Clearly, they think I'm aware of all that is occuring, even when I'm not there! I'll smile and ask what happened, and usually will be given no more information until I can assure my little one that there will be no time out. It's pretty cute. They're naive enough to tell me that SOMETHING happened (why not just keep it a secret from Mom?), but wise enough to know that giving too many details will most likely result in an unhappy ending for one, or both, boys.

One more story... Last night, Dexter approached me with two little toy alligators in his hands. Holding them out to me, he said, "Pick one, Mommy!" So, I pointed to one of the alligators, smiling that he would care to share with me. "No, Mommy! That's mine!" he shouted, and then handed me the alligator in the other hand. Too funny.

These are the things that keep me smiling, these days!

I look pretty, oh so pretty

Here are a few photos of Jaxon in his dresses. I have to admit, I find it incredibly adorable how he smiles so sweetly when he puts them on... as though he just can't believe how great he looks. This week-end, while visiting D.R.'s brother and his family, Jaxon found a little girl's purse that belongs to his cousin and completely fell in love with it. Now, he's borrowing it for the time being and getting such a kick out of carrying it around with him.

For those of you who are wondering... no, he doesn't only enjoy dressing up in little girl things (though, there is a certain appeal, since they're all so new to him!). He's been insisting on wearing some new outfit to bed every night... everything from a monkey tail to a bunny outfit. Again, I think it's great! He's even good at convincing Dexter to join him in his little costume parties. A few nights ago, I had two little monkeys to tuck in!