We're moving here?

Happy Birthday Thomas!

 

 Our sweet baby Thomas is one now.

The transition is marked with baby steps into life as a toddler.

Thomas can do so much these days.  He knows what a hug is, and sometimes he will give you one if you ask.   He can pant when you say puppy.  He drives cars around on the floor, making a better vroooooooom sound than I'll ever be able to.  He can throw a ball, clap, wave, kiss, and say uh-oh. 

With William, it was amazing to him do all the things we taught him.  This time around, it's even more amazing to see the things he can do that we haven't taught him; the credit goes to William.  And so, William also marked the day with birthday candles, in preparation for his big day next month when he leaves the toddler years and enters into "kid."   

The kid years last for a while, and I'm thankful for that.  We'll savor these last weeks with just a one and a two year old.  But I'm not worried... I know Thomas can step up to the plate and fill us with just as much toddler happiness as we can handle.  Happy Birthday, Thomas!  We love you.

quack quack

I hit a new low today.  I'm both impressed and a little bit disturbed by my creativity, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 

We came in from the park on the later side this afternoon, and I had neglected to give the boys a snack while we were outside.  Once we got in, they were begging for food and I still had raw chicken and unbaked sweet potatoes to deal with.  I'm also trying to clear out our cupboards before our move (more on that later), so our snack options are getting more and more limited.  All that was appropriate was a box of Cheerios, but even dry cereal required too much time - I had to get dinner in the oven for everyone.  This is where the desperation came in. 

"Boys," I said, "you are the ducks, and I am going to feed the ducks." 

Then I flung handfuls of cheerios on the ground.  William thought this idea was great, and folding his arms into wings he began pecking away at the ground.  Thomas was also thrilled with easy access food, and helped himself to a snack.  By the time they had eaten up all the duck food, dinner was cooking and the dishes were done.  The floor seemed even cleaner than before I threw the Cheerios down... I'm not exactly sure what else got eaten, but I guess ducks don't have discriminating tastes. 

I'll try not to resort to this tactic on a regular basis because it just seems wrong for food to start out on the floor, even though that's where it ultimately ends up.  In a pinch, though, feeding the animals is a wonderful new trick to add to my repertoire.

For this Lenten Friday

sorry if this video makes you carsick... the boys go crazy around the camera.

In case you haven't heard...

We're moving!  Michael is just wrapping up his dissertation, and in a couple months we'll pack up and shove off to the Portland area.  It's a bittersweet move, as we're excited for our future but so so sad for everyone we're leaving behind. 

Since we do have a couple of months left, I'm compiling a San Diego/Southern California bucket list.  Here's what I have so far:

Watch a La Jolla Sunset
Eat at In-N-Out and the Burger Lounge
Let the boys swim in the ocean
Watch all the shows at Seaworld
At least one more zoo and WAP trip
Visit the tide pools with the boys
One more camping trip
Visit Pasadena
Rent and ride bikes in Coronado
Eat Gelato


...and that's pretty much all I have.  Pretty lame bucket list, huh?  What else would you add?

Special Delivery

A very special package arrived in the mail today from DooDah and Amma Beth.  I knew something was on its way, but I had kind of forgotten about it, and I had no idea what was inside.  Probably one of the best packages we have ever gotten :) 

Thank you!!!  We are so lucky to have traveling grandparents who send us their best finds :)

The 11 Month Update

Thomas is eleven months, and quite the charmer.  With a personality almost completely opposite of his big brother, he shows his affection with headbutting and grunts.  His sweet, crusty curls are simply adorable. Yep, crusty.  This boy likes to eat, likes to do it on his own, and likes to make sure every part of his body gets to enjoy his meals.  He routinely out-eats William, and sometimes even me.  I worry what our grocery bill will be in his teenage years, because it's already rising now, with Thomas weighing something close-to but less-than 25 pounds.  This little boy is giddy with love, and is such a joy to be around.  It's hard to believe he'll be a year in just under a month!!