The boys and I got a surprise visit from a cute visitor yesterday morning. We sat and watched him (or her) for a long time before I had the sense to go get the camera. I was hoping to capture Sam saying (repeatedly), "The bunny's eating yummies!" Maybe next time. For now, you will just have to settle for a shot of the bunny.
I know this has nothing to do with the theme of our blog, but I couldn't help but share.
Ever since our trip to Branson, when Sam and Nate got to see the Chinese Acrobats, they have been obsessed with being acrobats (or, as they say, bebebats). In general, any activity that requires running, jumping, climbing or tumbling is an acrobat move. Nate is giving an example below:
Today they took their skills to another level by performing somersaults. Personally, I was quite impressed. Then again, I think everything they do is amazing and worthy of sharing with the entire world. One thing that worries me about this however, is how many trips to the ER we will take if this acrobat phase persists. Right now it's pretty harmless, but pretty soon they will want to impress girls and there is no telling what they will do. Anyway, watch and be dazzled.
This is just a preview for a longer, more detailed post coming up later this week.
In case Sam and Nate decide to complain about anything, I will always have this blog post to refer to.
Baby Bike Seats Then
(I just found this on the Web, by the way. I don't know these people)
Baby Bike Seats Now
Video Games Then
Video Games Now
Jungle Gyms Then
Jungle Gyms Now
Of course, some things will never change.
As the weather turns warmer, the days grow longer and the world turns greener, here's to the timeless tradition of having fun.
This video shows only Sam singing, but it won't belong before both boys are singing a duet. Then it will be me accompanying them on the guitar. Then we'll recruit Mommy and we'll sing doo-wop to back her up. Then this blog will just become a big advertisement for our smash hit album. Hey, there's nothing wrong with dreaming ... But for now, you get Sam singing an a cappella solo.
Don't let the picture fool you. We're not even close, but assuming the position on the potty while Daddy reads a story is a step in the right direction. And the reward? One mini marshmallow each. Well worth the effort in a two-year old's economy.
Well, as of this week, Sam and Nate can both tell you where they were born. This all started because one of their favorite books has a picture of the Virginia monument from the Gettysburg battlefield, and I would always say, "That's where you were born," when we got to that page. Eventually, they would say, "Virginia," (or some variation thereof) when we got to that page. You can hear for yourself in the video below.
I guess this sums up our last couple of months. Thanks, Tagxedo, for the cool word cloud.
This Easter we got to celebrate the risen Lord together at church, which was actually our third Easter together as a family. Our first Easter together was also the boys' first time to attend church, so it was extra special. This Easter was special, as well, because the boys got to wear their outfits that GiGi made for them.
We invited our friends, the Pease's, to church and lunch at our house. Ken and I also hid eggs all over the backyard for the kids to hunt for (even though many of the eggs weren't actually hidden). The boys are still trying to figure out how the whole Easter egg hunt works, so Jordan (the oldest child) got most of the eggs. One thing Nate has figured out is that each egg has candy in it, so he wanted to open each egg the second he found it and eat the candy. This isn't exactly how it's supposed to work, but it worked for Nate because he ate a ton of candy before we even sat down for lunch.
We feel so blessed to be able to celebrate Easter with each other and with good friends. More than the candy or hunting for Easter eggs or playing with friends or wearing cute outfits, we love Easter because it's a time to stop and reflect on our true source of life, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life among imperfect people, willingly suffered and died a brutal death to pay the price for our sins, and he rose from the grave to prove that he can not only conquer death but forgive our sins. The life and hope that Jesus showed us on that morning is available to each of us today. I have no idea where Gina and I would be without Jesus, and our deepest desire for Sam and Nate is that they will come to love and trust him for everything. May God's love, mercy and grace, that was perfectly demonstrated through Jesus, be made real to you on this Easter.
Today I returned home after spending four days in San Diego for the SITE conference. I have attended this conference each year since 2006, and I think I enjoy it a little more every year. The sessions were really good, and I got to visit with a lot of people I've gotten to know from previous conferences. The most exciting parts of the conference for me were the possible collaborations with other educational researchers and winning an award for my poster presentation (totally not expected).
I also got to connect with some other folks from bygone eras of my life. I had dinner my first night with a couple of fraternity brothers from Utah State, Russell and Randy. We had a great time catching up and recalling old times. Randy and his wife actually welcomed their youngest child into the world just last week, so I was quite surprised he was there. Needless to say, there were no dinners with friends the week after the twins were born. Although, I did travel to SITE for one day when they were one month old. Anyway, I also got to stay with a friend from Colorado, Evelyn Reasoner, and her family. They were gracious enough to let me stay in their guest room, which was a nice diversion from the conference. They also have a little boy the same age as Sam and Nate, and it was amazing to see how similar they all are. On several different occasions, I thought how fun it would have been to see all three of them together.
Of course, the best part of the conference was coming home and getting picked up at the airport by my beautiful family. Sam and Nate were quite happy to see me, and I think Gina was glad to have some help with the dinner, bath and bedtime routine. We got to play outside a little before dinner, and it was the perfect end to a really good week. I am already looking forward to SITE next year in Nashville, although I don't think I will try to present 4 papers next time.
When I was asked a few months ago what I wanted for Christmas, only one thing really came to mind: Converse All Stars. It was kind of a no-brainer, and something I had been wanting for a long time. Well, my sister and her family came through and got me some for Christmas, and I have been wearing them ever since. As if this wasn't cool enough, Katie took it to the next level and got matching All Stars for Sam and Nate for their birthday! Now we are truly an All Star family, except for Gina and I'm sure she will be converted pretty soon. Here are some pictures I took this morning, before we strutted out of the house for Fun Shop.
Thanks Aunt Katie, Uncle Joe and Ella! We love our All Stars!
One of the benefits of the profession I am in is that I still get spring break. It's not unusual that I have a lot of work to do over the break, but I at least have a couple of days to relax and stay home from work. Well, this year, we spent spring break in Branson, MO, with my parents. I had never been to Branson before, and I had no idea what to expect. A few years ago (pre-children), Gina and I went to Gatlinburg, TN, and I suspected the two destinations would be quite similar. Well, my hunch was correct, but in a good way. The overall tone of Branson is very family friendly and wholesome, and there are literally hundreds of activities to choose from. If anyone says they are bored in this town, they obviously have a very particular taste in entertainment. There were way more shows and other attractions to choose from than we had time to see. Our first adventure was to the Acrobats of China show, performed by the New Shanghai Circus. I really had no idea how the boys would do in this type of venue, and when my mom told me the show was 2 hours a wave of panic swept through my entire body. I had visions of a twin meltdown at exactly the moment the entire theater was silent, probably because we ran out of animal crackers or one of the boys wanted to run around. Well, about 1 min after the show started, my fears were put to rest. To everyone's amazement, Sam and Nate both sat through the ENTIRE show! I only had to get up and leave once, and that's because Nate decided to take his "intermission" about 20 minutes after everyone else did, so we made a quick run to the bathroom. The show was really entertaining, and for the rest of the week Sam would say "Bee-bee-bats" (acrobats) every time we drove past the theater.
Here is a quick analogy for you: Gatlinburg is to pancake houses as Branson is to ____? Do you know the answer? Give up? All-you-can-eat buffets! After the Chinese Acrobat show, we went to a buffet and ate what would be the first of several very large meals throughout the week.
On Wednesday (which also happened to be St. Patrick's Day), we went to see Amazing Animals, but when we got there it was sold out. The theater happened to have an area with games and other activities for kids, so we stayed and let the boys play. This event, however, did not go as smoothly as the acrobat show. The boys were both tired from a late bedtime, hungry and generally cranky from a cold they were both fighting. We tried every trick in the book to get them to play and have fun, but every attempt ended in one, and sometimes two, crying, screaming and kicking mounds rolling around on the floor. So, we went to the condo, had lunch, took a nap and tried again in the afternoon. Our original plan was to ride one of the Ducks (half bus, half boat kind of thing), but they were already closed by the time we got there. We coaxed Sam out the door by telling him he would get to ride a bus, so as a consolation we rode the free trolley a few times and he seemed to be pretty happy. Our day ended at the Fish House restaurant, where we ate some really good food and the boys gorged themselves on cornbread and mac and cheese.
On Thursday, we decided to relax in the morning and not try to see any shows. We hung around the condo, then we took the boys to the playground before lunch. Playgrounds are always a big hit, and this one didn't disappoint. There were a lot of kids (including a set of twin girls), and there were many things to climb on and slide down. There was also a miniature golf course next to the playground, and Sam and Nate didn't hesitate to barge in on other people's games. I don't think anyone really minded.
Thursday night marked the crowning event of the week, when we went to the Dixie Stampede. This is one of Dolly Parton's famous shows (although she wasn't actually there). Again, I was a little nervous because this started at 4:15 and lasted until nearly 8. I kept thinking, if there is any waiting involved the boys will not make it. Well, let me tell you, Mrs. Parton has this show running like a well-oiled machine. The show literally starts the second you get out of the car. You walk past the horse stables into the building, then they whisk you away to a group photo shoot. From there, you watch a warm-up show in the Carriage Room: a half-Japanese, half-Portuguese comedian (David Lucas) who tells really corny jokes but juggles and balances stuff like nobody's business. We then went immediately into the main arena, where we watched an unbelievable show and were fed a meal. I opted to have the boys sit on our laps rather than pay for two children's meals, which I started to second guess. But there was no mind-changing at this point in the game. The show had horses, cattle, pigs, dancers, singers and lots of music. Suffice it to say, Sam and Nate completely exceeded my expectations ... again! They sat and watched every stage of the show, completely captivated by everything. They also ate a huge meal, which was delicious. I could hardly believe how well they did, and it has me thinking we might take them to a movie sometime ... like in 5 years or so. Ha ha. The day ended with the boys hearing a story from their PaPa, which is a pretty good way to end the day.
Alas, the week had to end. We drove back to Springfield on Friday, and despite the fun experience and the quality time with GiGi and PaPa, the boys were glad to sleep in their own beds again. I have to admit, Gina and I slept a lot better at home, too. We are looking forward to the next trip (which I will elaborate on in a future post) ... stay tuned!
Gigi and PaPa arrived Thursday for a visit to Springfield, and we have had a great time the past few days. Friday I took the day off, and we were able to see some of the sites in the area. We started off by going to Fun Shop, which is what we do every Friday. On the way home, we stopped by Lincoln's Tomb, a very impressive site. Gina and I didn't even know it was there. After a lazy day indoors (because of the rain), we ended the day talking to Ella on Skype.
On Saturday, Mom, Dad and I went to see the UIS campus. It was pretty bare since we are on Spring Break, but they were very impressed with what they saw. After the tour, we picked up Gina and the boys and went to a St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Springfield. The weather was a little on the cold side and drizzly, but the boys loved getting to hear the bands, see fire trucks and tractors, and most all, get candy. PaPa was the head candy snatcher, and he would relay it back to the sidewalk for us. After the parade, Gina and the boys went home for a nap while I took Mom and Dad to the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Once again, we were completely blown away by just about every aspect of the museum. From the holograms to the artifacts to the other exhibits, it was all very inspiring. We ended this day reading books at the dining table with PaPa.
Today we went to church, followed by lunch at Golden Corral. After naptime, PaPa and I took the boys to the mall to ride the Easter Choo-Choo and carousel and play in the playground. It was a lot of fun watching the boys enjoy themselves on the rides and at the playground. We came back to rest and watch some Veggie Tales. Nate took advantage of the downtime to snuggle with GiGi, while Sam tried to stay awake in his rocker.
Tomorrow we head to Branson, Missouri, for a week. Stay tuned for more updates and photos.
When the boys wake up in the morning, they will be surprised by two shiny new red tricycles (did I get all of the adjectives in there?) in the family room. These were a birthday present from Aunt Betsy, and they arrived today. I waited until the boys were in bed to put them together because ... well, you what it's like to do anything with toddlers in the room. I will add more pictures as soon as they see them and go for a ride. Thank you, Aunt Betsy, for the wonderful tricycles!
We have always thought of Sam as a handsome young man, but lately he has noticed this little fact about himself as well. On more than one occasion, we have caught him gazing at himself in the mirror, the fireplace shield or the oven door. In this photo, I had just styled his hair for church and I caught him admiring his GQ look. For those of you who knew me as a teenager, none of this should come as a surprise. I was quite obsessed with my personal appearance, and it looks like Sam may take after good old dad. I'm pretty sure this is just a phase, but it sure is cute to observe.
The weather has been teasing us the past few days, and we are starting to think spring might just be around the corner. The boys were able to play outside almost every day this week, and the temperature reached into the mid-50's a couple of times.
It has been really fun watching Sam and Nate rediscover the playground toys. They have been much less interested in the swings (their former favorite) and are starting to climb on EVERYTHING. Consequently, I have noticed my anxiety level at the park going up. I don't think I am ready to see my babies climbing around on the tall equipment and speeding down the slides. But I guess I will just have to get used to that. Hopefully the temps will get up there enough so they can climb around without being encumbered by their bulky coats.
On days we haven't gone to the park, we take long walks in our neighborhood. On Saturday as we were walking down the sidewalk, a police car pulled up and the officer got out. He started walking straight toward us, and I have to admit I was a little curious about what he might want. I mean, I know I didn't exactly rake all of my leaves, but cut me some slack. Well it turns out, he saw the boys and wondered if they might want to see the inside of his cruiser. Sam, who is usually outgoing and up for an adventure, was quite skeptical and kept his distance. Nate, on the other hand, climbed right in and sat down behind the steering wheel. Of course I didn't have my camera, so you will just have to create a mental image of this one. I think the boys were a little overwhelmed by the police car, and to be honest I would like to keep it that way. :)
Here are some more pictures of our park adventures.
Nate has recently decided to ditch the baby look and go for a more erudite persona, like his cousin Ella. It may not be evident just from looking at this picture, but Nate did not exactly get excited about wearing glasses. He is sitting pretty calmly in my lap in this picture, but this was the first time in MANY attempts that he tolerated the glasses for more than a few seconds. Of course, now that he can actually see his environment, he is wearing them almost all the time. We will probably have to get one of those nifty head straps for him because he still will take them off and just leave them wherever. We have a fairly big house, which makes finding the glasses quite challenging. Anyway, there is a pretty good chance you will notice the new look Nate in most of the pictures from now on. He will be getting new frames pretty soon (these are just loaner frames), so keep an eye out for that.
Well, the last 48 hours or so have definitely been interesting. For the first time since the boys were born, Gina is out of town and I am with them all by myself. Gina has become a pro at holding down the fort while I am away, but I had never taken on the "around the clock" duties by myself until now. So, how am I doing? I would say I am doing pretty well so far. I mean, I am writing this blog post, so I must have things fairly under control. I had to teach this morning, and I had a faculty meeting yesterday, so we had a baby sitter come in and watch the boys while I was at work. Getting to spend so much time with the boys has been great, and we have managed to have a lot of fun. On Tuesday, we took a long walk outside and had a great time naming all the things we saw ... puppy, car, light, truck, bus, ball ... the list goes on and on. The walk took a little of a negative turn when Nate stumbled and fell on the sidewalk. His feelings were hurt more than anything, but there was a fair amount of crying on the way home. Yesterday we ran errands around town, which included a stop at Hobby Lobby, the post office and the grocery store. We liked the grocery store the most because they have those cool buggies for kids with a steering wheel. Our mode of transportation on this particular visit was a space shuttle, but Sam still called it a bus. For Sam, calling a four-wheeled motorized vehicle a bus is the highest honor. If you are an automobile of any kind and Sam calls you a bus, then you have his ultimate affection. And if you happen to actually BE a bus, well, you will be his obsession. And if you are a car or bus and you can actually read this, then I definitely am watching too much Disney and probably need medication.
Anyway, the major events of the day have gone off without a hitch. They are both taking good naps, sleeping well at night and eating great at mealtime. I have managed to have them fed and dressed by the time the babysitter gets to the house (which was 7:00 this morning ... ouch!), and neither of them are walking around with boogers in their noses or food all over their faces. This is a win in my book. More than anything, I have a renewed appreciation for Gina and how much of a rockstar she really is. I mean, last year when I was traveling all over the country for conferences and job interviews, she gladly took on the parenting responsibilities by herself. And this was while she was finishing her dissertation. Parenting is hard work, parenting twins is even trickier and parenting twins alone is exhausting. There is nothing like a glimpse of the "big picture" to see how blessed I really am.
Yesterday we had a birthday party for Sam and Nate, and it was a pretty big hit for everyone that came. The boys have made some good friends since we moved here, and they were all able to make it to the party. As you can see from our invitation, the theme was a Cowboy party. The boys have cowboy hats they got from Uncle Clay and Aunt Gail, and we bought them some cowboy boots on our trip to Texas over Thanksgiving. So, all the conditions seemed right for a Cowboy Birthday Roundup.
We were able to find some great Western decorations for the party, including a saloon-style swinging door decoration, which the kids loved running through. I also brought the boys' rocking horse in from the garage and let everyone take turns riding the bucking bronco. On more than occasion a child snuck off to get a solo ride on the horse without any other kids around (Sam did this 2-3 times).
Once again, Gina hit a homerun with the cakes. You may remember, she made two football players for their Super Bowl birthday party last year, and this year she continued with the Cowboy theme. And trust me, the cakes were every bit as delicious as they look.
Other activities included decorating a personalized cowboy hat, making a horse puppet with a yarn mane, eating snacks and participating in a good ole' country sing-along (led by me, of course). Every one had a great time, though I can say I would love to do it again, I don't even want to think about the boys' 3rd birthday. I am still letting this moment sink in.
There are a lot more pictures of the party, which you can find here. Toward the end of the party, I did feel a little sadness as I thought about the party last year and how excited Big Mama was to get all the details. I even made her a DVD of the party, which I think she watched over and over. I will really miss not being able to tell her about the boys and all the milestones in their lives. Being a native Texan, she would have really gotten a kick out of this one.
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