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Mon, Aug 11, 2008 10:55 AM
Hey everyone - I am planning to do a big picture update in about 2 weeks after we get back from Jamaica. In the meantime, I tend to update pictures on our Facebook page more often, so please come be a friend there.

As I speak they are sitting near me playing with trucks. These are actually metal Tonka trucks that Rick had as a boy. Matthew is counting his ducks and putting them in the dumptruck. Isaac is a little peeved that he has to share the dump truck. He has a convoy of vehicles with Tony (favorite stuffed dog) and Shamu (his new favorite whale) sitting on them. He is trying to pull them all together. It's a little challenging and a little frustrating to him but he is hanging in there and having fun. Isaac has now negotiated away the metal dump truck from Matthew by giving him a plastic one and all is well in the world.

Matthew has a few cute new words. every morning he comes downstairs and heads to the pantry and asks for "crappers".
CRAPPERS PEEEEZE". Of course he means crackers. He adds the most pleading of pleases to everything. He says please like his life depends on it. Makes it very hard to deny him anything. When he says milk is sounds like "MOOOOOK". He has the sweetest of lisps too so so many "s" words sound awfully cute.

Matthew is on my lap begging to see pictures. "PEEEZE MAMA" :-) gotta go!

Comments:
A. Karen: Have a wonderful trip! Look forward to your wedding and vacation updates. Love you all.

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Sun, Jul 20, 2008 5:12 PM
Bye-bye! Seeyalater! I LOOOOO. (I love you in Matthewspeak)-awww music to my ears). My sweet two year old has finally found his voice. He has blossomed from this quiet toddler you might overlook, to this excited, exuberant child with a booming voice and a lot of presence. He's been doing speech therapy for a couple months now and it's made an amazing difference in how he expresses himself. Now he will ask for "oorge-joos" (orange juice) and when the car hits a bump in the road he says "woaaah- whassat?". It took him a while to finally figure out I was Mama and not Nae Nae but now he wakes up and goes and sits in his chair and yells "MAAAAMAAA!!!" I love it!

Matthew loves his Isaac probably most of all. He calls him "I-Gack" and is so delighted when he's around. Isaac is the first person he looks for when he gets up. They love to wrestle, play in the sand box, play music and lately play crash cars with their hot wheels game.

Matthew loves to go for rides. He just needs to hear someone barely mention it he races for the door yelling "RIIIIIIIIIIIDE" or he will grab his shoes and brings them to you so he will be all ready. He really is a "let me help you help me" kinda kid. If he wants cereal before he comes to ask he will get a bowl and spoon. If he wants the channel changed he will make sure to find the remote first and bring it to us.

His favorite TV show is the little Einsteins. That is really the only thing he wants to watch. he will yell (and yes he does yell everything) "ROCKET" when he wants to watch TV. He also has a Little Einsteins book and all he wants to read at night is "ROCKET!!). Prior to Rocket, he used to like Dora, and Diego.

So my little baby is growing and blossoming and already wearing size 3's. It won't be long before he wants to borrow the car... sigh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BOY.

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Thu, Apr 24, 2008 8:59 AM
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have...self control! Something clicked in Matthew's head this week. It must have gone soemthing like this.
"Maybe, just maybe there is a link between Mama putting me in the naughty chair and this thing that I'm doing that makes her twitch.

It's not that the naughty chair is such a bad place - I get to lick the bottom of my shoes and sing songs there, but it's just not as fun as sitting on my brother or pulling all the videos out of the drawer.

So maybe, just maybe I'll remember the naughty chair when I am about to do these things...and just maybe I'll stop.

Wow...did you see the look on Mama's face? I think she's about to cry. Oh no - she's racing over to hug me. RUN!!

Yes, indeed this week I saw Matthew mature before my eyes. When we bring Isaac to karate, I usually spend my time trying to keep him out of the office (They have a very tempting computer there). This week he ran in as soon as we got there and I reminded him that he wasnt allowed to go, and if he did he'd go to time out. Do you know he never went back in ONCE? He'd walk by and look longingly but he never went in. Then at his Kindermusik class, Miss Jeanie was holding a hula hoop - which he loves. The week before he had tried to get it from her (before it was time to get his own), and this week, he took a step towards her (his eyes gleaming) and then ...stopped. Miss Jeanie noticed it too and gave him all kinds of accolades for taking the big leap to self control.

My Mama heart is bustin' with pride and love for my little monkey!!

Comments:
Uncle Ro:
Sorry to disappoint you but usually when they make these apparent steps to maturity it means he has devised a new war strategy. You know the adage " Never trust Greeks (kids) bearing gifts" I suggest you retreat and re-evaluate.

Anne: You did a great job working with that and its great when you see the results gefore your own eyes!! Good Job!!

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Mon, Mar 24, 2008 4:30 PM
Just a couple things I wanted to record...

Matthew has such a hearty appetite. He's been holding his spoon and feeding himself since he's been about 8 months old. He's gotten so good at eating that now when he is finished with his first bowl, he will pull over the big bowl and serve himself another helping. I cannot imagine how he will eat as a teenager if he is eating like this already.

Isaac asked today if he could go "sploring". I didnt understand what he meant so I asked him to describe and say again. He said, "You know exploring, when you go walking somewhere where there is no sidewalk". That's now my new official definition of the word...

We've been making more of an effort to talk with Matthew. We noticed that since he plays so independently, he wasn't getting spoken to that much and his vocabulary really leveled off. In just a week and a half, I have noticed him making an effort to repeat more words so I am very encouraged by that

Isaac and I made some lemonade (his favorite drink) and when I gave him his sippy cup he told me he would be back as soon as he finished it so I could "lefty loosey" it for him and add some more, then he would like me to "righty tighty" it again. He's also been watching too many commercials. He recommended a cream he saw on TV that he thought would work well to make my skin soft. Hmm - I have got to work on his compliment delivery.

Comments:
U. Don & A. Karen: You will have to come to Tucson and go

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Sun, Mar 9, 2008 10:04 AM
My apologies for not bragging about my boys often enough like a good Mama. And since this is the only "scrapbook" I have I really need to update much more often -so that is my goal.

It's Sunday morning and we are playing hookey from church. Isaac has a cough, I have a bad sinus headache and Rick just doesnt feel well. We have all been sick on and off for about 6 weeks. Isaac has missed 5 karate classes and 2 days of school (and considering he only goes 2 days a week, that's a lot!) Matthew is just recovering from a bad cold and cough that lasted a month. Anyway... we are on the mend.

Matthew is starting to talk more, though in general he seems to be the strong, silent type. He will repeat a word if you prompt him, but doesnt have a ton of words he says on his own. One notable exception is his love of the song, "This is the day the Lord has made". He LOVES this song, and will sing the line This is the day!! at the top of his lungs. At bedtime, it is the only song he wants sung to him. WHen we try to sing another song, he yells, "Dis is de daaaaaaay!" at the top of his lungs until we switch and sing that song. Then he goes back to being quiet Matthew.

He still insists on having his book and puzzle time in the mornings and after naps. He will hapily sit in his crib for half hour or more (well, we insist he gets out after half hour, who knows how long he would stay) and he reads his books and does puzzles and listens to music.

He is also a button pusher extraordinaire. His button pushing to find out how things work goes beyond regular curiousity. He is obsessed with it and goes after the TV, VCR, CD player, dishwasher, computer every chance he gets. We've had to buy guards for the TV and VCR or we would never be able to sit and watch a show in peace. Before we got them, Isaac would get so frustrated as Matthew constantly changed channels, and turned the TV on and off. We would hear him yell, "ALERT! ALERT! Baby on the loose!!! (Of course in his 4 year old voice it sounds like "Awert, awert! Baby on de woose"

Isaac is doing great. He loves school and begged to go 4 days next year, so we have decided to go ahead with that as he really is ready for school. One thing that amazes us about Isaac is his vocabulary. He picks up the most interesting words (and knows what they mean). This morning he asked me if I had an entourage! After I picked up my eyes and put them back in my head I asked him if he knew what it meant and he said it was a group of people that travels with you and hangs around you. He made the observation the other day that he didnt think numbers ever ended. I wish I could remember them all, because he constantly comes up with this stuff. Oh another I just remembered is when he thinks something tastes bad, he says it tastes like skunk!

Isaac is reading simple words but I have been very laid back about teaching him to read much because he expects that he should suddenly be able to read all kinds of words and gets very frustrated and cries when he can't. He is very much a perfectionist in some areas and can't understand why his body won't do the things he wants it to do. A few months ago he wanted to learn to draw an airplane and he couldnt get it just how he pictured it should be. He spent hours frustrated and crying (but still trying) until he made a plane he could live with. It's so hard for him sometimes when he learns new things because he wants it to be perfect immediately. My mother said I did some of the same things so he gets it honestly, but bcause of this we really try to not put pressure on achievment. He does it to himself enough.

We had a great snow storm last week (March 7th). It was the first real snow storm since we have been in Texas. We had a great time. Our entire street came out for a snowball fight (includng the adults!) and there was a snowman in every yard. Both boys really loved the snow, especially Isaac who built the snowman, made a snow angel, and pelted the neigbours with snowballs. (See our album for pictures)

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Sat, Aug 11, 2007 8:13 AM
My baby is walking!! Woohoo! He took his first steps on July 22nd - a day before he turned 13 months. He's been taking more and more steps every day since then. Now he walks about 50% of the time. He still crawls when he needs to get somewhere fast. It is so cute to see him lumbering along, one arm above his head like Frankenstein.

He still enjoys whistling and is getting so he makes a whistling sound about every time he tries. He says, "thank you". I even hear him say it to himself when he picks up something. His favorite toy right now is probably his little sports center where he likes to play basketball. Like Isaac, he also loves the sandbox. I can't wait when it gets a little cooler so I can put them both in the backyard, sit under the umbrella and let them play to their hearts content. Of course, that will probably be the day Matthew wants to learn to climb up the jungle gym. He can now climb up on the couch and will try to climb up over the top. (Did I mention how these tiled floors scare me). He's already hit his lip and bloodied it on the tile and gotten a couple nasty bumps on the head from it. He's a tough kid though. About the only thing that makes him cry is not getting his milk soon enough.

In the past, Matthew has not enjoyed being read to, but he suddenly did a turnaround. When he wakes up from a nap, he won't let anyone take him from the crib. He runs away and then points to a book. When he gets it, he'll sit down and "read" it for a while. If I have the time, he will sit for like 15 minutes reading before he's ready to get out of bed.

Isaac is doing great. This Friday he does his first karate belt test for his yellow belt. We're so excited for him, though it doesnt phase him at all. Last weekend, he went to his first play, "The Velveteen Rabbit". He loves having the book read to him, so the play was a nice way of bringing it to life. His favorite book now is any of the Magic School Bus series. They are chapter books so we read a chapter at nap time and a couple chapters at bed time. He loves science (see Mama dancing?) and already asks lots of questions about gravity and larvae and pupae and rainbows and everything in between. he can predict fair and bad weather clouds and knows how to predict if a dinosaur is a plant or meat eater. His favorites are T-rex and Diplodocus!

The other day while driving, we asked Isaac what he wanted to do when he grows up. He thought for a minute and then in the sweetest, tiniest little 3 year old voice asked if he could be a washer so he could wash things. My heart just pooled on the ground. It was so sweet. He loves to wash anything we let him. He cleans his cars (and helps wash ours) and does such a good job.

Isaac's also decided that the contents of his piggy bank will be to help Papa buy his "rental car". When Rick travels and rents a car, his favorite car is a Chrysler 300. He loves how it looks, drives and some day wants to own one. When Isaac found out he decided he was going to help Papa save for it. Last week when we went to Toys and Us (as he calls it), he declined to buy a toy because his piggy bank money was to help Papa buy a rental car. (Yes, of course I had to buy him something after he said that).

So the summer is rapidly drawing to a close. School begins in September. Isaac will still go twice a week and is really looking forward to it, but for now there's lots of swimming, bubble blowing and racing around playing police car and bulldozer to be done!

Comments:
Mom: I can hardly wait to see them again and hug them - and maybe they'll let me read to them!
Loads of hugs and kisses all around - I love you.

marie: hey sherry they sound like they are getting so big momma

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Sat, Jun 30, 2007 10:12 PM
Can I just do a Mama brag for a second? In the last 24 hours here are 2 statements I have heard from Isaac:
Papa, why are we here on planet Earth?

Mama, did you know that our home is our habitat?

Now, if that's not smart for a 3 year old I dont know what is.

Matthew turned one last weekend. We had a wonderful "You are my sunshine" party for him. (Pics will be posted in a week or so). He had such a great time splashing in the kiddie pool with the big kids - didnt phase him one bit when he got splashed in the face. He is just so pleasant - though these days he will slap anything he doesnt want to eat clear across the room. He is still taking the scenic route through babyhood and isnt interested in walking yet. He cruises a bit and lets go occasionally but does a mean crawl when he needs to get somewhere. He looks just like a little bulldog when he crawls - his hands turned in and nearly 25 lbs of chub!

At 1 year old his words are: Mama (like a million times a day), Papa, Isaac (pronounced Didah), Naenae, uh-ohh (also said very frequently), bubble, bye, and water. He also does the sign language for milk, but it also means more,food and Hi!! Matthew biggest accomplishment speechwise is that he sings a line of a Backyardigans song, "I betcha, I betcha, I betcha I can.... It's hilarious to hear him sing it. Sometimes he adds Mama to the end of it. He definitely has an ear for singing and whistling.

We're looking forward to a fun couple days in Fort Worth visiting the wildlife center and the stockyards. Matthew is just getting over a fever but is feeling better so hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll have a few fun dry days. (Texas is 1/2 inch away from the wettest June on record - over 11 inches).

Comments:
Anne: Thanks for the update, wow have they grown!! Ane Isaac you sure are a smart little boy, what joy you bring to this world.

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Sun, Jun 10, 2007 12:07 PM
I didnt have time to do an Isaac update in the last blog, so I hope I can remember all I wanted to say. I think I could write something new and interesting about him every day - he's just that kind of child.

Well, we're on summer vacation from pre-school and I'm trying to keep Isaac busy. He's a bit young for camps (truth is Mama isn't ready to send him anywhere either), so we've designed our own camp at home. We have a schedule which includes outside time with Matthew, project time, reading time, alphabet time and go out time. It's pretty flexible but we try to get it all in. We just finished building a huge paper mache house and lake for his crocodile. Isaac is also making a pretend cake (its been baking for 3 days now, with things added every day) and on Tuesday will be the crocodiles birthday. (I'm in charge of decorations :-)

He just started martial arts classes. We thought it would be a good way to help him channel his abundant energy and learn respect, focus and discipline. (His sensei emphasizes these skills there). He LOVES it. He loves the obstacle courses and kicking, but his punches... (well as Rick says, "he's a lover not a fighter".

We recently went on a short vacation to Port Aransas TX, on the Gulf Coast. Both boys really enjoyed the ocean. Isaac especially liked playing with his toy boat in the surf, getting buried in the sand and building sand castles. On Mother's Day, we went to a restaurant and ate outside. There was a cat who belonged to all the owners of the shops there, and it hung around begging for food as we ate. Isaac was completely intruiged with him and declared that the cat was from "wild tarnations!" (Now where did that come from?)

Back at home, Isaac likes playing with his pirate ship, with Captain Scurvy Pirate and Captain Bucko. He is a typical boy in that all their adventures are quite violent, and none of the sea creatures are friendly. It's always destroy, destroy! (Is this a Y chromosome thing?)

Isaac and Nae nae are busy tending their yearly garden. This year Isaac wanted to plant sunflowers and they have also planted tomatoes, peppers and a huge huge cantaloupe (or maybe it's a pumpkin). We're not sure, it grew on its own. Every day Isaac prays for each of the plants in his garden and he checks on them first thing every morning.

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Wed, May 30, 2007 9:37 AM
Forgive the cliche - but how time flies! My baby is about to turn one year old and I dont know where the year went. As I type, I am listening to him on the monitor as he plays in his crib waiting for someone to get him... :Mamamamamamama...Mama? Papa? Mama! Mama! and then off into a litany of what I'm sure are complaints about our slowness... He is so patient and up until a month ago quite laid back, but toddler independence and opinionatedness (is that a word, should be) has crept in. Now he throws quite the tantrum when he doesnt get what he wants.

A couple weeks ago I put him in the swing at the playground. Prior to this he didnt really like it, but that day discovered the joy of swaying through the air. When it was time to go, I tried to take him out and he clung to it screaming for dear life. When I finally wrestled him out he twisted and kicked and tried to go back in. I was amused and a little alarmed that my angel had found some spunk and in quite a large way!

Matthew is standing up and cruising around a bit but crawling still remains his favored mode of transportation. He loves to play! Just let him loose on the floor with a few toys and he'll entertain himself for hours. He must be watching Isaac play, because he already knows how to push a little car along while he is crawling! He knows how to whistle! It's so cute! If you whistle at him, he will whistle back. He also sings along with Brahms lullabye on his mobile, or will try to imitate if you sing a simple tune.

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Thu, Feb 8, 2007 4:38 PM
Isaac and I were reading a poem from, "Devotions for the sandbox set" and it mentioned that God hears our prayers. He asked me if God hears his prayers and I said,"Yes!" Ithen heard a little voice say, "God...I like bowl trucks". Then he looked at me with a little smile, and said, "You think he heard me?"

Yes, he did my sweet child... and how it warms my heart that you care...

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