Lately

Lately...

We've been building.

We've been molding. Xavie LOVES playing with play doh and aside from the clean up process, I love it too! Play doh is on a two day timeout right now because someone would not clean up after play time. 

We sit in time out. Xander actually went to join his brother in time out, even though Xav was in time out for hurting Xan. He loves his big brother! 

We are learning new words. Xan has started saying 2-3 new words a day. It is amazing how fast he is learning and growing. Yesterday they were bacon, crying, and tacos. This morning, he said diaper and while reading Winnie the Pooh, he said honey. ;) It is like the words are just sitting on the tip of his to tongue waiting to fall out. He has been saying his animal sounds too.

We've been swimming a lot! The boys have started swimming lessons and they are doing amazing. 

We've been dancing, dancing, dancing.

We've been coloring...and snacking. Right now, it looks like Xav is a lefty and Xan is a righty. 

We've been waking up WAY too early. We have adjusted bedtime forward and backward. I have shooshed and rocked and walked and let Xan cry it out...nothing is really working. So, we took a break from sleep training yesterday and watched the sunrise at the beach.

 It reminded me of how amazing this life is and that each phase of my boys' lives is just a phase that will be over too soon. So, if I have to wake up at 5am for a while, I guess I can handle it. Soon, I will be dragging them out of bed for school, wondering where the time went. Not ready for that...

So darn cute

Lately, my boys have been doing some really cute things. Xavier has been doing some big boy things...

Like when he helped Xander take his shoes off and then he set them by the door...unprompted by me!! 

Or...when he sits next to Xander and they "read" side by side. Xan points to ball or duck or shoes in his ABC book and says the words he knows. Then, Xavie says,"Good job, Xander. Now, what is this?" (pointing to another pic on the page)  

He has developed a teachery voice since school has started.This morning, he told us all to line up behind the black piece of tape. :) 

After Xavie gets in trouble, he says, "But Mommy, I just love you." (Hoping to get out of a timeout or consequence...which NEVER works ;) )

Xan is becoming a very strong, brave boy. Brave is really a nice word for INSANE. The poor kid has scratches and bruises everywhere. He does everything his big brother does...even things he is way too little for.

Imitating his daddy, Xan does push ups and we all count to 10 as he does them, smiling the whole way through. He will just randomly drop to the ground and go for it. 

When I am working out...doing plank crunches or something, Xan comes over and sits right on my back. He figures he is adding 25 lbs, helping me up my workout.

How about when they dump all three toy and train bins onto the living room floor. Then, they stand on top of the bins and take turns jumping. Mommy heart attack.

Both boys dance whenever a catchy beat is on...in the car, at the dinner table, in front of the tv, in the stroller...if Xan is not dancing, Xavie reminds him. "Xander, dance!!"

They have been playing hide and seek lately with Daddy. He hides, Xavie counts, and I take both by hand and we search the rooms. When we find him, they jump and squeal. Xan is always on the verge of being scared when Trav jumps out...he moves his hands up and down and side to side really fast...filled with excitement. 

Whenever Xavie wants a snack...fruit bar, pouch, fruit snacks...he gets two, one for him and one for his little bro. Warms my heart.

After dinner tonight, Xan walked in the kitchen, grabbed a cookie from the counter and came back chomping away. Then, he stopped short, walked back in and got one more and brought it to his big brother. So cute!! 

Xavie says the best things lately. Cracks me up.

"Daddy, I woke up on the right side of the bed today!"

In response to Trav jokingly asking him to make some coffee, Xav said, "Daddy, I am a big boy and all, but I can't make coffee! I'm not a cooker." 

X -"Mommmmmmyyy, I went poopy!!" 

Mom -"Great job!"

X -"No...Mom...I went on your bedroom floor."

Mom - "WHAT!?"

X pretending to be me, "What am I going to do with you boys!?" 

There are so many hilarious, sweet, unforgettable moments that sometimes get buried by dishes and laundry and lack of sleep. My boys crack me up, drive me crazy, and warm my heart. I have got to keep writing them down so I will remember these sweet fun days. 

Big Dreams,Preschool,and a Wild Man

Do you have a dream house in your mind?

I've been thinking about mine a lot lately. My heart's home is in the mountains. 

This is the view from my parents' cabin in North Carolina. Laying in the hammock on their deck is HEAVEN.

I would have a horse ranch in the valley. There would be lots of green rolling hills, lined with hay bails. We'd have a creek running through our property where the boys would fish each day after school. We'd have a ranch house in the valley, and we'd have a log cabin in the mountains only a small hike away. I can hear the trickle of the creek outside my window now. Hey, throw in a waterfall on our hike up to the log cabin. Why not? It's good to dream, right? :) 

What the dream doesn't show is the LOADS of work this ranch would entail. Do you know how much upkeep there is on a ranch? So...the dream must include ranch hands. ;) Poof! Done.

 Right now, I'm overwhelmed by my little old house and yard...the laundry, the dishes, the watering of the lawn and flowerbeds, the dusting, the vacuuming...the multitasking of so many things while I play with my boys. How the heck do I think I could keep up with acres and acres of nature filled awesomeness? 

One day, maybe I'll figure out how to make my low maintenance Mountain Ranch Dream come true. Right now, I'll keep my awesome little house filled with boys' toys where the only mountains I see are mountains of laundry. :)  Well - that is until October when our family will venture off to my parents' cabin for some fall fun. I can't wait for the boys to see the changing leaves and pick some pumpkins from a "real" pumpkin patch. We may even take a train ride through the mountains - the Xmen will flip!

For now, let's focus on the comings and goings of both X's. There is so much happening in their little lives.

Xavie started preschool this week. I really can't believe that three years have passed since our first Xman arrived. I was so proud of Xavier on his first day of school. He was excited. He made dropoff the easiest thing since sliced bread. I don't even know if he noticed I had left. Xanman and I took a long walk a deux and proceeded to look at each other all morning with the same bewildered look on our faces. I think we both felt like we had a limb removed or something. BUT - we had fun together, and I look forward to our mornings alone.

When we picked Xavie up, he looked like a zombie...SO tired and slightly overwhelmed. It took a while to get some good tidbits out of him. But...eventually, he told me about his favorite song they sang (Clean up, Clean up, everybody, everywhere, Clean up, Clean up, everybody do their share). He has sung it three times since Tuesday. So cute. He also told me about a cool kid named Merrick who has his same monster shoes. He told me that he is wearing them on his next school day so he can show Merrick. He said he was SO HOT on the playground and that he cried for me. SIGH... :( He mentioned the dinosaur bin, the train and car bin, and the Pooh book he was reading until a kid took it from him. LOL. I think he had a good day, even though I think he was coming down with a stomach bug...and the mini heat stroke from the playground may have sped its arrival up a bit. So...today (his second day of school), poor Xav is absent, home with a stomach ache and several trips to the bathroom. We are resting up over the weekend, ready to show Merrick our monster shoes next Tuesday. :o)

Above mentioned Monster Shoes :)

Wild Man (I mean Xander) is powering through each day on not enough sleep (believe me, I know...I am up with him bright and early...and I mean EARLY). Today, it was 4:30, and I DID try to get him back to sleep...for 1.5 hours I tried...but, just as he was drifting off, his head came shooting back up, saying"BOOK". Xanman loves to read. Lately, I find him sneaking off to his room to read a book in his rocking chair. It is so cool to watch. He points to the pictures and says the words he knows. Doggie. Moon. Monkey. Elephant (just raises his arm and makes the trunk sound). Shoes...and on and on. This morning, he was reading the "Where's Elmo?" book and I heard him flipping the pages, saying, "There he is" and "Peekaboo". CUTE!

Be still my teacher's heart

Xan has recently gone to one nap during the day, but he has still failed to make that nap as long as it should be (according to what the experts say about kids' sleep needs) and he is waking up so early. I think part of it could be that he is learning SO much every day. His brain must be firing on all cylinders. He has learned to say sooo many new words...lately, it's one more each day. Just recently jotted down all of his new words here. He watches his older brother so intently, and then proceeds to copy everything he does. Today, he walked to the bathroom, saying, "Pee...peeeeee". Trav took his diaper off and Xan stood on the stool in front of the toilet trying to go for 5 minutes. I don't think he actually had to go, but he sure WANTED to. :) He jumps and climbs and has more bruises,scrapes, and scratches than Xavier ever had. Someone the other day told me that I shouldn't take him out of the house in shorts or someone might call DCF on me. Please, please, don't call. I promise I am taking care of him. But, he is a MANIAC. :) All ladders must be lying flat. All stools need to be put away. Anything climbable, rockable, slippable...keep away from Xanman.

I am so happy that I can be home with my boys each day to witness their amazing transformations as they grow up. This is the MOST tiring, exhausting, draining time of my life...but it is also the most funfilled, exciting, fulfilling time too. Our days are filled with park trips and backyard fun, stroller walks and wagon rides, visits to Nani's pool and Mema's garden. We just got an annual pass to the zoo. So much fun! Somewhere in there, I'm trying to keep the house and clothes clean, meals planned and cooked, groceries stocked, toys picked up, beds changed, shelves dusted, etc. But - really, who cares about most of that, right? (Remind me of that the next time I stress over my   destroyed house.)

 See - my heart's home is really right here...wherever my boys are (that includes you, Trav). 

I still can't wait for our mountain trip in October though...I can already smell the fresh mountain air. 

What we are saying, singing, listening to, and watching...

Summer 2013 
I just recently started thinking about the words I say all day long. Over and over, I say the same things to my kiddos. That got me thinking about how I want to remember all the things we say and do right now. It is really fun to write all of these things down...so one day, I can look back and remember.

Mommy's most used lines:

"Be careful."

"Get down from there."

"Stop hitting your brother."

"Give that back to him."

"Do you know how much I love you?"

"You're kidding me right?"

"How did you get SO cute?"

"Do you want a timeout?"

"I will be right there."

"I'm coming..."

"Are you insane!?"
"Are you nuts!?"     ---- mostly said to Xanman
"Are you crazy!?"

"Just let me get this in the oven."

"I don't understand you when you speak to me that way."

Xav's sayings:
"Are you kidding me?"
"Whatta ya gonna do?"
"Whatever you saaaayy."
"Xander's crazy."
"Let's have a popcorn and movie night."
"Shhh...I'm talking to Thomas (or Pooh or Teddy)"
"Daddy, you're crazy."

Xander's new words:
douch (pouch - for his yummy fruit/veggie pouches)
da-ouch (garage)
more (pronounced maww)
bamboo
trees
doggie
Woof Woof
Uh-Oh
ball
moon
shoes (pronouced Ooosh)
eat (pronounced eeeeeat!)
eyes
nose
five (for Give me five)
swee (Swing)
Mama
Weez (yes...he calls me Weez. He knows I'm Mommy, but says Weez. Hmmm...)
Nana (banana and Nani)
MawMaw (Mema)
PopPops
Daddy (pronounced Dadaaay)
Is? (when he is looking for someone or something, he puts both hands up and says, "Is?")
flower
dise (outside)
down (pronounce slow and drawn out...Daaoown) - also used for Up.
duck
toot (pronounced Doot and said whenever anyone passes gas. LOL)
Thank you (pronounced taank oo)

The songs we sing...

Old Macdolnald

Twinkle Twinkle

Row Row Row Your Boat

Bon Nuit

Freres Jacques 

You Are My Sunshine

Wheels on the Bus

Three bears

Bushel and a Peck

Cds in the CD player:

Jack Johnson

Dave Matthews

Genesis (Xman loves Genesis)

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Any kid song cd - Xavie loves the song, "A Bushel and a Peck"

Favorite TV shows:
Fireman Sam
Dino Dan
Sesame Street
Lazy Town
Thomas and Friends (of course!)

Dancing through the chaos

I am reading a book by Brooke Burke called the Naked Mom. Don't get all excited...she is not really naked. It is more about stripping away this perfect mom image we are given so often and getting down to the real true mom you are.

No more comparing yourself to other moms and beating yourself up. Be inspired by moms doing great things but know they have crazy chaos in their lives too. The one pic they posted to pinterest of the  heart waffles they made for breakfast or the American Flag cake they made doesn't equal their whole momhood.

We have all had those awesome mom moments, and we have all that those crazy, chaotic moments where we did not handle ourselves the best way. We may have yelled and screamed and overreacted. It is ok. Apologize and move on. Do better next time.

It is pretty much chaos at all times over here. There are varying degrees of the chaos...from that daily overwhelming feeling (dishes and laundry to do, cars and trains everywhere) to the complete and total craziness that almost always occurs around 5pm each day. I am trying to cook dinner, there is a Disney movie on, cars and trains everywhere, building blocks dumped, playdough being broken out, one child saying Mom, Mom,Mom, and the baby screaming or crying or both. Ahhh...serenity now.

My sister tells me I thrive amidst chaos. That is good, although it doesn't always feel that way. Sometimes I feel like screaming or crying or laying down in the middle of the kitchen floor with my pillow and taking a nap. Usually I just take a few deep breaths and manage my way through it.

Some moments are sweet and calm...like our morning outside today. Pandora toddler radio, you are awesome. We played with matchbox cars and sang Freres Jacques. I was able to plan my FAU class while Xman played happily in the yard and Xanman napped. Now the boys are playing in the crabby pool (previously a sandbox). Soon, we will have to go to the grocery store and the lunch and nap routine will begin yet again. Our life is chaotic but fun and crazy but simple. And like the Naked Mom says, I am trying to dance through the chaos. 

Here are some pics of the Xmen doing their thing. Look there is even one of some heart eggs I made one morning. :) See, we can all be pinterest moms. 

**Thank you, Brooke Burke,  for the inspiration.  

Potty Training and A Day Out With Thomas

Xavier is potty training. He has been "practicing" for a few months now, but now we are hitting it full force.We have a potty chart where he puts stickers when he goes. When the whole chart is full, Xavie gets a new train! This is huge incentive. He went pee pee on the potty 10 times the first morning just so he could get stickers. ;) We've gone through two charts, and now he doesn't even remember the stickers. He is a professional pee-er. Ha! Still patiently waiting for him to master #2.

Showing me his goal for his new train.

I found so many awesome Potty Training charts online for free. We had the stickers, so that was easy. I can't believe I only needed two.  Maybe, we will need more for the poop adventure ahead.

Xander is watching his big brother very closely. If he keeps going at his normal rate, Xan will be potty trained before we know it...or he will just keep sticking his hand directly in Xavier's pee stream. He runs to the bathroom as soon as Xavie says he has to go. I almost always catch him before he reaches into the toilet, but every now and then, he is too fast. It is pretty hilarious around here right now. 

Xavier's favorite part of potty training? Washing his hands. I feel a little guilty because of the water Xavie has wasted. I have tried to have him sing the ABCs and be done, but he just loves that water. At least, he'll be germ free.

Here is Xavie with his new train. (A prize for filling up his potty chart).


Here he is reading his second potty chart prize. :)




Xavie is super cute in his undies all day now, except for nap and bedtime. I am so proud of him and how independent he is becoming. 

A special thank you to Elmo's Potty Time which we have watched MANY times. I totally have late fees at the library because Xavie loves it so much. I must return it tomorrow before I start singing, "No more dirty diaper blues" in my sleep.

Last weekend, we went to take a ride on Thomas the train. YES - we rode ON THOMAS! I was really excited...like more excited than Xavie...and more excited than I should be. I kind of built it up in my head to be something crazy awesome. The video advertisement for Day Out With Thomas is amazing...it makes it seem like a dream Thomas world with happy children everywhere and fun activities around every corner. In reality, it was a barren field with some tents set up for bubble play, "throw the ball in the cup", fake tattoos, and face painting. There was a bounce house too, but Xavie wasn't interested. You could take pics with Sir Topham Hat, but he was sort of creepy...he had a huge head. The gift shop, however, was pretty cool. It has some awesome stuff! I am usually very glass half full, but I left feeling a little disappointed. However, it is not about me. I am not the Thomas fan...right? :)

The one redeeming quality -- the Thomas ride. We got to ride on Thomas. Xavie took his first train ride. Was it a short, SLOW up and back...up and back with the beautiful scenery of a prison in the distance? YES...but, that doesn't matter. We rode on Thomas! :)

That boy is yelling in Spanish, "He took my train!"

The "throw the ball in the cup" game. Xavie carefully placed each one.

After looking at these pics, I thought, "It wasn't that bad. Why am I such a brat?" I guess when your expectations are way too high, nothing can reach them. Probably why I never want to meet David Beckham or Brad Pitt...I may be disappointed. ;)

So, our newly potty trained little BIG boy loved the "Thomas Factory", as he called it. We will probably spend another $18 a ticket next year to ride the train past the prison again. ;) His happiness was so worth it.

Pure joy. :)

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