Evil Genius

That's what Greg called Luke this morning when he woke me up from my sleep-in day. I may not go so far as to say "evil", but that boy is definitely crafty.

They are both deeply in love with this toy cell phone, so much so that we keep it hidden most of the time to avoid WWIII. Well, Joseph somehow unearthed it and was happily playing with it in the kitchen when Luke caught sight of it, and all hell broke loose. All I heard was lots of screaming from the shelter of my cozy bed. I'm pretty sure that's when I grabbed Greg's pillow, threw it over my head and fell back to sleep.

Meanwhile Greg tried to diffuse the situation, but all that did was lead to more screaming. Finally he picked up Luke, brought him to the living room and handed him the remote control, another hot item that causes much strife in our house. Luke grabbed it, didn't even play with it, and walked it straight into the kitchen. He had a plan. Sitting himself on the ground next to Joseph, he laid the remote on the floor between them and just waited. Sure enough, Joseph abandoned the cell phone to grab the remote. And that's when Luke got up, took his prize and all was right in the world again.

That was his intention the whole time. He's already hatching plans & strategies to get exactly what he wants. We're scared.

Clever, clever boy. :)



My guys are 14.5 months old.

Get A Haircut, Hippie!

As you can see, we've been putting off Joseph's first "official" haircut for far too long. The problem is I love his hair. It's so fine and soft and yummy, but it's been getting in the poor boy's eyes. And recently he's started pulling on it sooooo it's time...


I'm especially going to miss these wispy bits in the back. ::sigh::


It's only hair, right. (By the way, I recently gave my own a big chop too as you can see from the pics above. Seven inches! It feels fantastic and is so much easier, which means fewer ponytail days. Yay!)

For Joseph's big chop we took him to a cute, little place that caters specifically to children, Pigtails & Crewcuts. The place was p-a-c-k-e-d with last minute back-to-school kids. We had a 45-minute wait and were in dangerous naptime territory. Luckily the place is specifically designed for over-stimulation, from the retina-burning wall colors to the TVs playing movies to the walled off playroom in the back. Thankfully the boys had no trouble entertaining themselves while we waited.

When it was finally our turn, we got the taxi chair! (There was also an airplane and a fire truck, both admittedly WAY cooler than a taxicab, but we figured he wouldn't mind. At least we have a few years before we have to fight THAT battle.)

Joseph wasn't quite sure what to do with himself. He was draped and dropped into the driver's seat but now what?

Daddy convincing Joseph how cool it was to drive

I missed what Joseph's stylist's name was. It sounded suspiciously close to "curry". She had many tattoos and piercing and was totally sweet and FAST. I guess you have to be for this job. She's laughing here because I was sitting with Luke in my lap. When I lifted the camera, the straps were dangling in front of his face so he stuck his head through them as if he were the photographer, instead of me.

It was cute. You had to be there.

Whatever Greg told Joseph, it worked because he was completely engrossed in driving that taxi. He didn't make a peep when she sprayed his head repeatedly with water.


In fact, most of the time when she was messing with his hair, he sat perfectly still. He probably loved every minute of it - definitely gets that from his daddy.


When the car eventually got stale, we busted out the pinwheels, buying "Curry" 5 more minutes of happy boy.

Dude, your mom's going to be pissed when she sees that marker all over your arms.

Meanwhile Luke may not have ridden in the taxi but not to worry. He was having a great time too. And it's a good thing because at this rate, it'll be YEARS before he finally needs a cut.


I'm so happy they're content just to live vicariously through each other at this stage. Makes life much more peaceful.

Joseph's cut lasted for a total of about 10 minutes. As she added the final touches (gel!), monsieur enjoyed a refreshing snack before he & his brother were chauffeured home to enjoy a 2-hour reprieve from their busy, busy day.


So first haircut experience = SUCCESS!

I wish I had thought to take a good 'after' photo, but I didn't. Needless to say, hair will no longer be encroaching on the poor boy's eyes and ears. For a little while at least.




My handsome little men are 14.5 months old.

Wedding Week-end Away

Since they were born, I've never spent a day away from the boys. I haven't been ready to spend a day away from them. But the time finally came.

My good friend Terra, who I've known since we were about 13, got married this week-end in Dallas!


I couldn't be happier for her. Jason is a great guy and obviously head-over-heels for Terra. It was a sweet wedding and so nice to catch up with her entire family, many of whom I hadn't seen in, oh, 15 years!

**And since I'm doing a sneaky post-dated publish on this one, I can spill the beans (since she already has to all her friends and family). She's also PREGNANT! I'm sure she & Jason will be great parents to their lucky little one. I could not be happier for them!**




Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

My absence meant that Greg was home alone with the boys for 28 hours. He was understandably a little nervous at this thought. He'd never spent a whole day alone with them, much less got them up, fed, clothed, entertained, napped, bathed and back to bed all solo. It is no easy task.

But I'm happy to report everything went fantastically! Not that I had any doubts or anything, but I know how tough it can be. I called a few times to make sure everyone was surviving. They were not only alive but having a great time!


Greg put the phone up to each of their ears during my calls so I got to talk to the boys, reminding them to behave and take it easy on their old man. :) And to tell them how much I love and missed them.


Apparently, they'd sit there, perfectly still with the phone up to their ears. Greg was sure they knew it was me. They'd have big smiles on their faces when they heard my voice and kept wanting to hear more after the other one was done. Made for some very long one-sided conversations, but it was too cute to resist.


When I finally got home (traffic on I35 is a beast!), I was greeted with huge smiles and hugs and lots & lots of kisses. Love it!


My sweet boys are almost 14.5 months old.

Mmmm, Plums

So this morning I was working in the kitchen, and the boys were puttering around in there with me. Next thing I know, Luke has pulled a big Costco-sized container of plums off the kitchen counters and onto the floor. (HOW they got tall enough to do that, I have no idea...) Of course, plums scatter everywhere, and the boys laugh & dive for them. They each have one in their hands, and I was about to take them but the look of pure joy at having scored their new loot was enough for me to say, Ack, whatever. I left them to play with the plums because what are they going to do with them, right?

When we give them fruit, I always peel the skin, cut them into small, bite-sized pieces and dole them out as needed. Well, apparently that has all been a huge waste of time.

I look down & Luke has already bitten into his plum, and it's partially eaten. 5 seconds later, he's devoured the fruit and tossed the pit on the ground! Joseph is in the process of doing the same thing.

Okaaaaay.

Like I said, HUGE WASTE OF TIME! :)


My big boys are 14 months old.

Luke Lovin'

Luke has a bit of an ornery streak in him. Just like his Mama.

You never know if he's coming in for a big hug or a good, hard hair yank.

(which is why Greg is bracing himself just in case)


But when it's hugs...

...they're pretty awesome.

Luke is 14 months old.

Just Your Typical Saturday Morning

All of my boys playing with their balls (<---oh, don't act so scandalized, Mom)

Also, Luke is a little obsessed with his bellybutton these days.

If we ask him, "Where's your bellybutton, Luke?" he looks up at us with his big serious eyes and then starts feeling around his tummy. If we help by pulling up his shirt, he will shortly find the body part in question and try to get a good look...

...which is kinda hard when there's a big ol' Buddha belly in the way.

When we ask Joseph the same thing, he smiles back at us and starts pointing to his chest, sometimes his nipple, and sometimes his tummy. It's a work in progress.



My cuties are 14 months old.

Joseph, In a Nutshell

My sweet guys are 14 months old today!

I've been wanting to record a few things about each of the boys - little things that are quintessentially Luke and Joseph. Things I love and don't want to forget about their little personalities. But I didn't really know how to do it. Well, I'm stealing an idea from my friend Joyce's blog to just get it all out there in one big swoop. So without further ado, here are the things that make Joseph Joseph, recorded "Playboy style". (Thanks, Joyce!)

Joseph


Joseph likes:

Eating - just about anything and everything. The boy has an appetite that can go for miles.

Turning the power to the cable box on and off, on and off, repeat ad nauseum

Having his mama blow his hair out of his face

Shredding and eating all paper products he can get his hands on, especially his books.

Crawling into the ball pit and throwing the balls out at us. He has quite an arm.

Shaking his milk or water out onto his dinner tray and smearing it all over.

Sucking on wash rags and dipping his face into the bathtub. He's a total water baby & is so comfortable in the pool too.

Handing us blocks so we can build towers so he can then knock them down to great satisfaction

Jumping in the jumperoo (still!)

Sleeping (finally! He was SUCH a fussy sleeper. Now, he is the easiest baby in the world to put down for bedtime. He wants no snuggling [which is a little sad], no talk, no nothin'. He just wants to get straight to business - laid down in his crib and left alone. Such a change!)

Having his picture taken. He usually smiles when he sees me catching a shot.

Music and dancing, which is what I call his bopping up and down to the tunes.

Being chased by me, Luke, his daddy, whoever. He will look at you a certain way, and you can almost see him thinking Chase me! Chase me! It's soooo cute to see him giggle as he crawls quickly away (he's much too clumsy to try to get away while walking). He'll stop, sit on his bottom as he turns to check behind him. Then when he sees you're still after him, he'll giggle again and quickly turn back around to frantically crawl away. He laughs and laughs when he's caught and "tortured".

Climbing into his camp chair. He still has issues getting out, but we're working on that.


Climbing stairs. If we sometimes forget to put up the gate, we will often find him about a third of the way up. Fortunately, we've never had an accident. I really need to teach him how to come DOWN the stairs.

Clapping!

Being held. He's always been a snuggle bug and would be perfectly happy if I were to wear him all day long.

Helping Mommy do laundry. Or rather pulling clean clothes out of the basket and spreading them all over the floor.

His daddy. He is in a big time daddy phase right now. Greg loves it.


Joseph dislikes:

Diarrhea - his major propensity to get it + very sensitive skin = pretty godawful diaper rashes. We've invested more money in prescription diaper creams than all other drugs combined.

Shoes - we're working on it. He's got that Frankenstein walk going on. Shoes just add another tricky element to getting around. He's getting better and doesn't fuss too much when I first put on his sandals now.

Waking up in his crib. He is still not a happy camper when he first wakes up. Our alarm clock is usually Joseph's shouts, but even that has been getting better lately.

Hats. They just serve to piss him off.



There's much, much more, but these are things that jump out right now. Overall, he's a pretty sensitive kiddo, which means he can be somewhat "delicate" at times but also means that he loves his cuddles with us. Love it! Oh, and his giggle fits are to.die.for.




Happy 14 months, sweet boy! We love you more than you will ever know!

Luke, In a Nutshell

Now it's little Lukey's turn! Happy 14 months, my little adventurer!

Luke


Luke likes:

Peas, black beans, pretty much any kind of bean or bean-shaped food

Grabbing hold of the cats' tails (believe me, they love this)



Laughing. He has a crazy little almost-naughty chuckle that he busts out often. His teachers at school absolutely love it too. :)

Wheels. Anything with wheels. He likes inspecting them up close to see how they work, how they're attached, and how efficiently they spin.

Soccer balls. He especially loves raising them above his head and throwing them onto the ground to see where they bounce.

Throwing himself on a stack of pillows on the ground. I'll pile them up and watch the boys go to town. Luke will fall in and then wallow all over them with a huge smile on his face the whole time.


Books. Every night before he goes to bed, he insists on going through his books first, which of course, we oblige.

Mama's keys, gym card, pretty much anything I'm holding that doesn't look like a toy

Making a great escape, or trying to anyway. He's always reaching for door knobs. I'm scared.

His bottle. This has proven to be a huge challenge now that we're weaning away from bottles.


Talking. He is constantly chattering on and on about something that seems awfully important.

Grabbing a fistful of his brother's hair to help steady himself. Luckily Joseph doesn't seem to mind most of the time.

His Mama. He's going through a major mommy phase right now. And, yes, I do love it. :)


Luke dislikes:

Going to sleep. After months of being the "easy" baby to put to sleep, he has suddenly decided - no thanks, Mom - it is not for him. He'll go down on his own pretty quickly if we leave the room, but he's not too happy about it.

Sippy cups. He is pissed at sippy cups now that we're trying to wean from bottles. I'm hoping he'll come around and they can be friends once again. (Actually this applies to both boys lately.)

Water running over his face. I think he panics. He's not all that comfortable in water (although our trip to the pool this past week-end was a major success!).

Letting me brush his teeth. He would much rather suck or bite on it without my interference thankyouverymuch.

Sharing. Joseph will hand us stuff - balls, blocks, food, whatever. Luke offers it out to us but never actually lets us have it. :) He also has a habit of giving his brother a not-too-subtle shove from time to time but especially when they're both clinging to my legs to be picked up.

Being still. He is always, always busy.



Watching him, I can almost see how his little brain is working and growing and figuring things out. He is very independent but still likes to check in frequently with Mom & Dad for cuddles. It is so gratifying when we get him into a rare, honest-to-goodness giggle fit. Oh, and he has intensely squishable cheeks. I love pressing them right up against my cheeks. Love it! :)


Happy 14 months, my little man! Mommy and Daddy love you to bits!

Chase Me! Chase Me!

Just a quickie because it's too cute not to share.

I was sitting in the rocking chair this morning with both boys giggling and walking in circles around and around me. I'm pretty sure each of them thought they were being chased by the other.

It was pretty stinking adorable.

They looooove being chased, especially since this is what happens once they're caught:



The boys will be 14 months old tomorrow!