They Say the Cutest Things!

When you've waited so long and worked so hard for a child to learn to talk/converse, those cute little things that kids say/come up with are just that much more priceless. Today is Sunday, and my mission today is record all those funny outbursts to share. We'll see how long my resolve for documentation lasts. You will likely note that most of these tidbits will come from Tanner, who is more chatty than Alex. What Alex lacks in conversation, he makes up for in personality and sweetness for sure, so I'll do a picture documentation of his day later this month.

6am
Mom: It's too early. I'm going to crawl back in my warm bed for a few minutes.
Tanner: I need my best adult to stay up with me, please?
(Yes - mom has been replaced by calling me his best 'dult'). Not sure where that came from.

7am
Tanner: The potty seat is broken. Mommy, we need to go to the potty store so Daddy can fix it.
(Home Depot will have to do...not familiar at all with the potty store)

7:20am
Tanner: Oh no! I got my foot cramp! Daddy needs his tools so he can fix it. I think he needs a hammer and screwdriver, and then he can fix my foot cramp.

7:30am
Tanner: Look at me Mommy! I'm snug as a bug in a rug! (A literal exclamation, cried out as he lay entirely under the rug in our family room)

7:50am

Tanner: That's the size shoe we can wear on both feet. Wow, look at me! I look so silly! (Announced with both feet stuffed into and stretching out my black high heels...hopping across the carpet.)

9:45am

Alex: (While getting a hug from Mommy and with a big sweet smile) Snug is a bug in a hug.

10:00am

Tanner: (Whining) Not again Mommy! Daddy is being a bosser! (Meaning Jim caught him being naughty and told him to stop. They've been a bit at odds this weekend and 'bosser' is a new word thats been thrown out in vain fairly frequently:)

12pm

Tanner (exiting the bathroom announces excitedly): I love sugar! Sugar is my best dessert. But I don't like flour. (Obviously recalling a taste test we did a few weekends ago while making a pie...I guess the throne does give us time to reflect on the important things in life!)

5pm

Alex (listening to a Disney Heroes CD): Oh, it's Percules!

Tanner: No, no, no Alex! It doesn't start with the letter P - it starts with the letter H! (Yes...Percules should be Hercules...thank you Tanner the speech pathologist...talk about the pot calling the kettle black!)

Christmas at the Gardens

We kicked off the holiday last week by attending a Christmas Party at Frederick Meijer Gardens. If you haven't been there at Christmas, you should. Toy trains running around, Christmas trees decorated in themes by country, tropical greenhouses with lit palm trees, reindeer, Tram rides....it is really cool. Add to the list above 3 new discoveries -

1. Carolers all dressed up
2. SANTA!



My little music lovers were absolutely wide-eyed and still (yes - still - as in without movement!) when we ran across the Christmas Carolers. The boys stopped in their tracks and just watched in awe. It was too cute! Then, the two men each took the top hats off their heads and gave them to the boys to wear! Alex had the Stevie Wonder head sway going to the carols, Tanner a little shoulder twist, and I was able to just sit back and enjoy it all!


Santa was a real trooper. He tolerated 80 lbs of little boys on his lap and posed sensible options for their wish list from which Tanner chose puzzles and Alex chose games. It's the first Christmas they've been able to engage in such a conversation, and again were shockingly motionless so Jim could grab several pics!

So - thank you Frederick Meijer Gardens for another visit of new discoveries, and most certainly putting us all in the Christmas spirit!

"Who is he?"

"Who is he?". Imagine the sweetest little voice...very curious...very happy...yet very serious...asking the most innocent question - "Who is he?".

The inquisitive voice is my Tan-man. Mommy's little guy who loves pictures, loves scrapbooks, and loves looking at my pictures archived meticulously on the computer (by year and by month).

His question is simple. Every stinkin' picture he wants to know if the little guy he's looking at in the photo is he or his brother. Confession time - after 5 years, I still struggle tell the little fellas apart in a photo, unless there are hidden clues (i.e. scars, outfits that were assigned to one vs. the other, etc). Despite my very organized picture archiving on the computer... despite my love of scrapbooking and recording thoughts and memories...I'm finding myself more and more often unable to answer Tanner's very basic question.

So - my question to all is this - do I just tell him I don't know, or do I fake it so he can smile and move on to the next picture and the same question? It's never a problem with recent photos...it's the older ones. I thought I'd always be able to tell them apart and didn't note 'who was who'. I'm a terrible mom! Do I make it worse by lying...I guess I have a 50% chance of being right?!

Halloween Pictures!

The boys LOVED Halloween this year. A party and parade at school were a hit, as well as trick-or-treating. Blowing out Jack-O-Lanterns was an unexpected fascination, and one I will spend plenty of time prompting restraint in advance for next year (I'll also bring a lighter with us in the event my advance prompting fails!). I'll let you guess who is dressed up as the pirate vs. the wizard!

Milestones

It is with great pride that I announce we removed the last of the child locks in our house yesterday! Well, there are actually tw0 that remain - but those will be indefinitely.

The first is for the knives. I think I'll leave that one on until their about 18 and upgrade their lock as the monsters get older and are able to bypass my security attempts. The other is for the oven. The boys have always been fascinated with it. First, it has buttons that beep. Press, beep, press, beep...cause and effect...very calming for the little dudes. Secondly, it has a clock (numbers are too cool for Alex). Finally, and most frightening, is that they like to climb into it...small space...very confining.

Anyhow, back to the good news - we're nearly baby lock free! Funny how trained you become with side-stepping the little security gadgets. It's going to take me a while to get used to just opening drawers, doors, and cupboards barrier free. There are fewer lingering remnants of the babies I adored...and more and more reminders that I'm being outnumbered by da boyz. The golf, the football, the chasing, the swordfights, the cars, the farts...the toilet seat up world has overtaken me!

The Leaves Are Falling Down...

(To the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)

The leaves are falling down,

The leaves are falling down,

Red, orange, yellow brown,

The leaves are falling down.

This was a speech exercise at school this fall, and Alex

loved it! We heard the song over, and over again.

Duh weaves are fahing noun

Duh weaves are fahing uwn

Weh, owange, yehyo bwown

Duh weaves are fahing ow-n

As soon as the leaves starting falling, the little men were ready for the annual fun of raking and jumping! Talk about sensory experiences...laying in a pile of leaves, jumping in a pile of leaves, throwing piles of leaves, kicking leaves...heavy work of raking leaves...just perfect for the little sensory seekers! After being cooped up inside for days with fevers, I think the cool fall air felt good to the little guys (and their sick parents).

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've posted! Shame on me...and a big apology to anyone still checking the site! Since I posted last:

1. Jim's mom came to visit us for a week.

2. We traded in the mom-mobile (minivan) for a car. We are a two car family...no more gas guzzlers! No more double strollers...so no need for big vehicles!

3. My first nephew was born and I made a trip to A2 to see him!

4. The boys and I made a trip to the beach on an October Saturday - with temps in the mid to high 80s! Unheard of in Michigan! It was time for apple orchards and pumpkin patches, and we were still building sand castles!

5. The boys caught a nasty croup virus that resulted in high fevers for 8 days each (that's 13 days straight of caring for a child with a fever!)

6. I caught the nasty bug.

7. Jim caught the nasty bug.

8. We all stumbled outside, sick, to play in leaves and pacify Mom's need for pictures of fall fun.

9. Grandma and Grandpa Herron came to Michigan for a visit and we (Alex and I) met them at one of Jenny's volleyball tournaments. Alex loved watching volleyball (before he fell asleep on me), and especially loved heckling the servers...my little guy.

10. All were healthy by Halloween, which was such a blast for the boys (more on that later).

11. Busy season hit at work. Yes...and this is the main reason I'm absent from the blogging world. In fact, I'd be working now (boys are in bed), except that I can't seem to log on. A forced break from the chaos of renewal season in the employee benefits world.

So...no pictures on this post...just a quick "Hi" to let you know what we've been up to. The boys are talking up a storm and cracking us up daily. Their conversations between each other are hysterical! I'll try to get Halloween and fall pictures up this weekend. Happy November to all!