"What are you doing?"

Tonight I went out to a movie, "Sherlock Holmes," which was good by the way! Before when I have left to go out without the boys, and left them with Daddy, I have slipped out without saying goodbye. The cowards way out. I didn't want to upset the boys by saying goodbye to them. Tonight I decided that I need to face going out without them to have "Mommy Time" head on.

Two minutes before I left I told them that I was going. Jac understood and immediately climbed into my arms and asked to carried so that he could come with me. He was panicked that I was going to go without him. It felt awful. I told him that Mommy was going to go watch a movie and have some "Mommy Time" so I could come back a happier Mommy. For some reason this did not persuade him that my going was a good thing ;)

I told him that he could watch a movie while I was gone and turned on "Bolt" from Netflix on the TiVo. He has never seen a movie like this and I thought it might engage him after I left. As I told him again that I was going and that I would be back he clung to me, wrapped his arms around my neck, and his legs around my waist and cried, "What are you doing?" I asked him to stay with Daddy and watch his movie and took him off me and handed him to Daddy and grabbed my stuff and rushed out the door and out of earshot. It felt so awful but I felt that once I told him I was going I needed to do it.

"What are you doing?" rang through my head throughout the entire movie. Augh! When I got home all three of my boys were in bed, but not asleep. Jac was very happy to see me. He didn't seem upset at that point but Daddy told me he cried hard for 25 minutes after I left and periodically the entire time I was gone.

I don't know how long it is going to take me to build up the wherewithal to go out again!

Boon "flo" faucet protector

The Boon flo faucet protector is a great product. We had one in Colorado
and used it from when Jac was a few months old. We tried a Munchkin
faucet protector that we bought at Target but it was lousy. The Boon
one allows you to turn the shower bypass on and off while it is on,
the Munchkin one does not. The Munchkin one is also much larger and
less "fashion-forward."

Jac and Nic's blog.Written by Mom and Dad: Nic chasing Jac around Grandma's bedroom

Jac and Nic's blog.<br>Written by Mom and Dad: Nic chasing Jac around Grandma's bedroom - posted July 23, 2009 - so just a little bit after Jac turned two.

As I was sorting through email at 5:44 am this morning (sick with a cold, can't sleep!) I found an email Charmy had sent me about this post. So cute! The funny thing is this looks very familiar - they do the exact same things now, almost every night, but now they are both running! I call the last part of the evening before they go to sleep "WWF" time because they wrestle - all over us on the bed. They go under the covers and wrestle, run around the couch and back into the bedroom, climb on top of us and each other. The only real problem with WWF is that they tend to "bump head" as Jac calls it, all the time. Their heads are so heavy and they use them to run into things so they are constantly bumping head, accidentally and on purpose. When Nic bumps head he taps his head with his hand, and he has just started tapping the actual part of his head or body he has bumped rather than always tapping on his head. Funny!

Boys in boxes

The boys decided they wanted to get in the Container Store boxes, while on the chairs! It was Nic's idea first but Jac quickly followed suit! Nicie did a little reading while in his box and Jac drove a train around his! Cute!

"This is Nicie's"

When Jac wants something that Nic has he will tell you that what he has is Nicie's. By this he means that what Nic has is his and Nic should take what he has. He tells us this when it is not true, when Nic has what he was given, but what Jac wants! Lying! He is thinking!

Perfect toy for Jac!

Today I bought Jac this toy:

at Tom's Toys in Montrose.

He loves it! He had so much fun taking it apart with the drill and then putting it back together again. It says it is for 3+ and I would have to agree that to really understand the toy and play with it without some adult intervention you need a 3+ but Jac still had a great time with it, with a little bit of help!

Evernote

Evernote, originally uploaded by CallingAllGeeks.

Evernote is my new second brain! Check it out! http://www.evernote.com

Here are some comments I posted on the Evernote blog - http://blog.evernote.com/

I love Evernote! I already have 817 notes and I only have been using it for three months. I use it to keep track of all of my bills, recipes for my kids, medical bills, receipts (scanned from JotNot on the iPhone). I scan everything with my Fujitsu ScanSnap S300m on my MacBook Pro. I am super excited about the iPad and I was imagining how I was going to use it I imagined a beautiful implementation of Evernote!

A few requests:

1. Like the previous comment - some sort of inking for the iPad would be awesome!

2. Make it easier to use/scroll/specify with auto completion tags on the iPhone/iPad.

3. I would love to have the ability to read a PDF in evernote on the iPad and at the same time takes notess, two panes UI. I can’t wait to order my iPad (copied from a previous poster! - He already said it!)

4. On the Mac app, please make it possible to scan directly from the ScanSnap - perhaps folder monitoring like on the Windows version. Right now I scan into Adobe Reader and then drag onto the dock icon of Evernote - but I forget to close the Adobe Reader version of the scan sometimes which leaves me not sure if I have processed something into Evernote yet.

5. Allow a way to tag a note when it is emailed in. I use the email feature all of the time (from my Mac and mostly from my iPhone) but then I have to go back and find those notes and tag them after the fact.

6. I love reading books on Kindle for iPhone. Currently to take notes on what I am reading I take screen shots of the page and then import them into Evernote. This is slow and cumberson. Any improvement in this sort of screen shot to Evernote process would be great!

7. Voice recognition for audio notes would be great!

Nic and the trash

Nic now takes things to the trash - even without being asked! He takes wipes and tissues to the trash in the bathroom - which is behind a door - which he opens and closes all on his own - he will also take dirty diapers to the trash! When he comes back from doing it he has a huge smile and he claps for himself!

"Train tracks"

Before Jac went to sleep tonight he was playing with his train tracks. This is a set that Joseph purchased in downtown LA that has a train and a car that can run on the tracks on their own. Jac does not like vehicles to move on their own, so neither the car or the train have batteries in them. He does love to put the track together, and have us put the track together. The set comes with an extensive set of directions, which Jac has been asking us to read all of the time for the last two days. He calls them instructions, and he asks us to read them! and sits quietly while we do it. He goes and gets them and asks us to read them! Am I the only one that thinks that is hilarious!

Jac woke up a little but a few minutes ago and said, "train tracks," and then went back to sleep! Ha!

Fun at the park

Nic in take off position! He gets in this position before he starts running! I think he looks like a ski jumper! I finally got a picture of it!

Getting the boys out of the house has gotten harder! A lot harder! They don't want to put on diapers, or suits, or shoes, or socks or eat or anything! Once they are out though they always have a good time!

On Sunday we went to the park close to our house with Katie (Daddy was working all day). It took us a long time to get out but once we got there we had a really good time. The boys brought their fire engines and Jac rode his around. Nic preferred to play on the playground equipment and run around!

I took the DSLR with me and tried to get some good pics. I am hoping to learn a little bit more about the camera so I can take even better pictures in the future!

Fun in the bath, again

About a month and a half ago, Jac turned the shower on while he and Nic were in the bath tub. He REALLY did not like this. It scared him a lot. Ever since then he has not wanted to go in the bath. I have found this a bit sad because I loved watching Jac and Nic play in the bath. They both loved it, and Joseph or I would sit by the tub while they played (and manage the inevitable toy squabble). It has been hard to see Jac refuse to get in the bath, and get very upset when we would make him get in, even for thirty seconds, to get clean.

Today, after playing in the puddles, I told the boys they needed to take a bath to warm up and get clean. Jac refused but Nic went in. After a little bit, Nic asked to get out, came out and got dry, and then asked to go back in. When he asked to go back in Jac decided that it looked like fun, and went in! Yeah! I was so excited I went and got the video camera!

Hopefully this will continue!

(Update 1/27/10: Jac went in the bath with Daddy and Nicie tonight. He did not want to get in at first but once he was in he had a pretty good time. He complained a few times that he wanted to get out but overall he had a pretty good time. Yeah!)

Puddles

It has been raining in LA! A lot! All week! We have pretty much been trapped inside and we are all going a little stir crazy. I have not taken the boys to one of the indoor playgrounds because I figure that is what everyone else is doing - snotty nosed or not - and we don't really need another round of sickness right now - so we are toughing it out at home.

We have a new helper, Katie. Our last helper quit, which I was very sad about, but we are adjusting. It is so nice to have help, so that when Joseph gets home late I am not cranky and ready to throw up my hands - and so that the house is not a mess, and the kids a mess and Mommy a mess! Everyone is happier for it!

Today the boys went out into the hallway to do some running - they like to run up and down the hallway and go to the trash chute! This was during a break in the rain (which has been pretty much constant) and they found puddles to play in, lots of them! After they played with all of the puddles they could find on our floor, we headed downstairs to play with even more puddles! They sat in them, tried to drink them, stamped on them, ran through them, whacked them with his hands and generally had a lot of fun!

Second photo shoot!

We did an indoor photo shoot this time! It was a little rough! Nic has been teething and he was not! in a good mood. Ironically we got more good pictures of Nic (perhaps because he was moving more slowly!).

Tangerines

I bought a bag of tangerines (Grandma's favorites) last night at Costco and the boys "ate" them last night! By eat, I mean, eat/spread/peel (in Jac's case)/drink/put on head/play/throw!

This was only ten months ago!

Tonight we were watching YouTube videos on the TiVo with Jac and we came upon this video of Jac walking at the Denver museum. This is when he was just learning to walk well - this was only ten months ago! It blows my mind! He was so bald!

"Very dangerous"

Today, Jac and Nic took apart one of their trucks. Screws and all. When Joseph came home he helped Jac to put it back together. When I told Jac that Daddy would help him Jac said, "Jacie fix it." Then when Nic tried to take the screwdriver from him he cried out, "very dangerous," to Nicie and to us to say that Nicie shouldn't have the screwdriver because it was too dangerous for him! As Joseph said, "This is going to be a very expensive development!"

Babywearing/carrying/no stroller

We own three strollers. And we don't use any of them! I sometimes think I must be a nutter but I just can't bring myself to put the boys in them. When Jac was really young we didn't own a stroller. He was really small and light and carrying him was not a problem at all - and I wanted to. I wanted him close all of the time. It was very hard to find a baby carrier that was small and adjustable enough for him - since he came home from the hospital at 4 pounds. As he got older and bigger I just kept on carrying him.

A few months before Nic was born I got it in my head that we needed to get a stroller. That I was going to let my little boy be a little further from me and that I needed to be reasonable - how was I going to carry two little boys. We bought a Stokke Xplory. We used it a bit before Nic was born and some after - but not enough to justify its price tag.

When Nic was about six months old I got it in my head again that I was going to put the kids in a stroller, but this time it was going to a double one, so we got a Maclaren Double. I used it a bit, but again not enough.

When we moved to Pasadena I decided that I needed a jogging stroller, so we got a BOB Dualie. I have used it a few times, but mostly it sits in the car. I just can't bring myself to force the kids into it.

I have very strong feelings that both boys have benefitted greatly from being carried. That they have learned to interact socially in a very positive way through being up at our level. I am struck so strongly when I see kids in strollers that it frequently feels like they and their parents are on different planets, in different planes. When I am carrying the boys, we are together. All three of us are right there, talking, interacting, being together, learning from one another, experiencing the world from the same level, seeing similar things - together! I just can't wrap my head around putting them in a stroller where they will experience a knee-level world, completely different from mine.

But they are getting heavier. When I am carrying them both now I have an extra forty one pounds of kid plus the thirty extra pounds I am carrying on my own still expanded body. Mostly I carry Nic in the carrier and Jac in my arms - and then a bag, or two. It is hard. I can do it, but it is hard. My arms get tired after a while.

I think it is time to figure out a second carrier solution, for my back or hip, so I don't have to carry all of the weight of the second boy just in my arms - although I do have great biceps from it!

I love carrying my kids, and it is only for a few years. Soon they are not going to want to be carried and I am going to miss it.

"What are you doing?"

Tonight, we were in Little Tokyo. Jac had a pooper diaper and Daddy picked him up to take him to the restroom to change him. Jac was none to happy about this development and as Daddy was carrying him away he yelled, "What are you doing?" to make it clear that he wasn't happy about this turn of events.

"Bye brother, see ya later"

I just told the boys I was going down the hall to throw away the trash. Jac followed me and said to Nic, "Bye brother, see ya later!"

Oh man! Jac is growing up too fast!

No covers

Nic will not sleep with covers on - if you try to put them on him, no matter how asleep he is, he will escape them! Jac loves covers and burrows under them - sometimes you can't see him at all!

"Wes"

Jac has learned to use the word "yes" - and he uses it all the time to tell us which train video he wants to watch on YouTube! It sounds like "Wes" though - no Y sound. Apparently I said the same thing when I was little! (Ooops - My Mom says I said "Es", not "Wes" - Also - Jac also says "Wyeah!")

Diaper please!

In Colorado we had a changing table in the boys' room that we used all of the time. It had a nice wipes warmer and it was up high (easier on Momma's back!). When we moved back to California we decided to forgo the changing table. We now do our changes wherever is convenient - the floor, the bed, the couch - whatever!

Diaper changes have traditionally been a great source of conflict - particularly when the diaper is filled with something other than just pee! In the last week or so both boys have been submitting to diaper changes more easily - and actually lying down for them!

When we do our diaper changes now we generally put a disposable liner down on whatever surface we are using and then ask the boys to lie down there - or lay them down there. They have gotten really used to this in the last few months.

The day before yesterday Jac told me, "Nic diaper." This meant that Jac thought Nic had a pooper diaper. Jac tells me Nic has a pooper diaper when he has one - at least usually! So I gave Jac a sniff test and he had a pooper diaper. So I asked him to come have his diaper changed in the bedroom. He came with me and Nic followed us. I asked Jac if he wanted a diaper change and he said "Wes" (Yes!) Amazing! Before Jac could lay down to have his diaper changed Nic got up on the bed and laid down on the mat to have his diaper changed! (He had a pooper also - Jac was right!) More amazing! My boys jumping each other in line to get their diapers changed! I love it!

Even better - today while Jac was napping, Nic went over to the shelf where we keep the diaper wipes, grabbed a pack of them, and brought them to me and pointed at his diaper - to ask me to change it! He then laid down on the bed and rolled onto his back so I could do it! Amazing! I have been telling that story all day to anyone that would listen! 15 months! It is amazing what having an older sibling will do! There is no way in heck Jac would have done anything like that! Even 3 months ago - even now! Love it!

Jac narrates the world

Jac now narrates what is going on in the world to me! Wherever we go or do, Jac tells me what is going on! He understands so much now and has so much language to express it!

Yesterday he told me the following things:

"Daddy glasses blow" - We were talking about cleaning something - and he demonstrated blowing and then told me "Daddy glasses blow" to remind me about how Daddy blows on his glasses to dry them after he cleans them.

"Grandfather" - My Dad has been trying to get Jac to say Grandfather but pretty much the first moment he laid eyes on him! Last week Grandfather went out to dinner with Jac, Nic and me and Jac said, "Grandfather carry," as a request for Grandfather to carry him. This is the first time I think he ever said Grandfather. Last night, we were eating dinner and I was talking about having dinner the next night. When I mentioned that we might eat dinner with Katie (our new Mother's Helper) Jac said, "Grandfather," as a request that Grandfather also join us for dinner! Precious!

"Grandma car" - Later during dinner, Jac saw a white Prius and pointed at it and said, "Grandma car," to explain that Grandma has the same kind of car (Grandma's is green!)

"Too much" - Tonight we went to pick Daddy up from work. When we got there Daddy's cell phone had died and I went around the block to look for him. Jac knew we were there to pick up Daddy and was talking about it. I explained that we were going around the block to look for Daddy but Jac didn't understand. He got very upset saying, "No Daddy", "Too much". The too much was his way of saying I had gone too far and I needed to go back to get Daddy!

Someone's learning to talk!

Nicie is learning to talk! And fast!

He has added at least a word a day to his vocabulary this week.

"Up" - I want to get up in my seat, on the couch, in your arms

"Ball" - His favorite toy! Nic loves to throw balls and palm them!

"Cap" - I am amazed he learned this one! I was writing with a pen this afternoon and he wanted it. I offered him his own pen to play with and all he really wanted to do with it was take the cap on and off and write on himself and say, "cap."

"Boobie" - when Nic wants to nurse I ask him if he wants "boobie!" I am sure I will greatly regret calling it that later but Nic has now learned to say it!

He also now understands the word bottle, as in "Would you like a bottle to drink?"

It just feels like his receptive language has gone through the roof and his expressive language is increasing quickly also!

Jac sleeping like Daddy!

"Not ball"

Jac seems to have a bit of his Mommy in him!

The other day as Ticia was cleaning up some toys she put some balls in with some other toys. We have all of the toys organized (by we I mean me!) by type (for the most part) so balls are with balls.

When Jac saw the balls in with the other toys he took them out and said, "Not balls!" by way of explaining that they did not belong in the box. He then took them to the ball box and put them in!

The World of No

We have entered the "World of No" this week!

Nic has discovered the phrase "No, No, No," while shaking his head no. Jac has known "No" for a while but he is really discovering its power this past week! And man can the to two of them put up a fight! It is getting hard to go anywhere!

You ask Jac if he wants to go to the park, "No!" In the car, "No car." In the train, usually his favorite, "No train!" Oh man!

Ask Nic if he will put on a fresh diaper, "No, no, no."

Nic is learning this "No" thing a lot faster with a big brother to watch! It feels like Nic is growing up so much faster than Jac with a "mentor" to teach him how to jump, and run, and say No and play! When Jac was Nic's age he played with all kinds of "baby" toys, and Nic just wants to play with all of the big boys toys like cars and trains, that Jac plays with. It makes a big difference that Jac did not walk until he was 18 months old and Nic has been walking since 12 months! But oh man and my boys growing up quickly!

"In Carrier"

Normally I put Nic in the carrier and I carry Jac. Since Nic is heavier and holds on to me less well it is much easier for me to have him in the carrier and then put Jac up and down as needed. Now that Nic is such a good walker this is not as much of an issue except that he is so much heaver than Jac.

This past week Jac has taken to asking to ride "in carrier", meaning he wants to get in the carrier. This started with him asking to go "in jacket", meaning he wanted to get inside my jacket with me to get warm. It is so cute and I really love carrying him in the carrier, which I have really not done much since Nic was born.

I am trying to figure out how to carry them both in carriers at the same time since they are both getting too heavy to just strong arm - at least not for very long. Last week I carried them both and pushed the stroller (which they did not want to go in). We made it to Paseo (about .5 miles away) and back! Not bad Momma!

"Not working"

Jac likes to say that something is "not working." In this video he is saying that his fire engine is not working. You have to listen carefully as he is fairly far from my iPhone when he says it but I love the way he says "not working"!

Jac is 2 1/2

Oh my gosh! My little boy is 2.5! And he knows what no means! For real now! At least it took until two and a half!

Phrase - What it means
"No car" - I don't want to go in the car because you like to take me in the car when I am sleepy and I don't want to sleep in the car
"Buy it train" - I want to buy the train at the store so can we go to the store
"Store not open" - Response to me telling him that the store is not open to buy the train right now and we will have to go tomorrow.

Talking to Jac! He understands so much of what you say now and says so much of it back it just amazes me. In the last three weeks or so his language has just absolutely taken off!

It feels like Jac has really become a little boy and not a toddler at all anymore.

It seems like he has been eating more in general, but there are good days and bad days in terms of that. It is still amazing to me the variety of things he will eat - Nic is really more picky than he is, but not by much!

It is hard sometimes to see Jac as the little boy that he is since he is still so small - but I don't think it affects me all that much - but I am sure it is more than I think.


Life with the boys is getting more and more challenging as Nic comes into his own in toddlerhood and Jac comes into his own as a little boy. Every day is spent cleaning and cleaning up after them and trying to keep this small place usable - so that they can play some more.

I now have morning and afternoon help in an effort to stay sane. I am also working on cooking more and getting better at it. Now that I am going to have afternoon help I should be able to cook dinner without stopping every two seconds to help/mediate/comfort someone.

Life in a house with two little boys is tiring and wonderful. I love my little boys!

Huntington Gardens with Grandma and Aunt Jennifer

Last weekend we went to Huntington Gardens with Aunt Jennifer and Grandma. We had a nice time. We went to the Japanese Gardens. The boys were very interested in the fish in the ponds. Keeping them on the paths and not in the water was a bit of a challenge!

Nic is 15 months old! (Written one week late)

My little boy is growing up! Time is flying! It seems like just yesterday he was learning to walk!

So I am writing this one week late - and a lot has happened in that week!

Nic is learning to talk! More and more words!

This week he has consistently learned to use the following words:

"Pop pop" - as in the balls in the toy go pop, pop, pop
"Bye, bye" - as in bye, bye!
"No, no, no" - as in NO NO NO - this is his favorite!

He has also learned a very cute way to express himself! Nic and Jac like to bump heads! A lot! Especially when we are all trying to get to sleep! We have tried to teach them to do this less and we call it "bump head." So if one of them bumps their head we will ask them, "Did you bump head?" After a bit of doing this Nic started tapping his head when he would bump it and we would acknowledge that he had bumped it. Very cute! Now he taps his head with his hand whenever he bumps any part of his body - which is at least 10 times an hour when he is awake!

Nic is not hitting as much anymore - he still does it quite a bit but it has lessened somewhat. He has been proving to us what a good arm he has on him. He can peg you with a ball from several feet away. He likes to wind up before he throws and he stands there with something in his hand held behind his head for quite a while before he throws it.

He has not been eating as well. He has mostly been playing with his food and mushing it in his mouth and then spitting it out. I think he may be teething but I am not sure. Last week he woke up four straight nights at 4 am and stayed up for at least 2 hours! So hard! He has gone back to sleeping through the night (with nursing!)

Two nights ago we decided to try giving him a bottle before he goes to bed rather than just nursing. After his 15 month visit at the doctor's in which he suggested that he might be nursing all night because he wasn't satiated I thought that perhaps the doctor was right. I know that I am not making as much milk as I used to since he doesn't nurse as frequently. We only had yogurt drink in the house so we gave that to him - he gobbled it down - and slept for the first part of the night rather than nursing. Tonight he fell asleep with the bottle and didn't nurse at all! Weird for me! I am sure he is not going to wean yet - or at least I hope he isn't. I love nursing him and when it is gone I am never going to nurse again - so I am enjoying it while it lasts! I just want to sleep a tad bit more at the beginning of the night and let him sleep a little more also!

Nis is very quickly transitioning from being an infant to being a toddler - in this last week all of sudden he is able to express himself more and seems to be understanding a lot more language - so expressive and receptive language improvements - very quickly! (It is of course a build-up but when you hit that asymptote it just seems to take off!)

Nic is now 85% head, 50% height, and 28% weight (15 month measurements). I think the charts must be at least a little bogus - there is no way Nic is 28% percentile weight - he is solid - with a nice little belly! The head I believe!

"Jac"

When I put Nic is his seat today to have some breakfast Jac was over playing. Nic then pointed at the other seat and said "Jac" because he wanted Jac to come and join him for breakfast. Oh my gosh! So many words!