Our Resident Hens

Yes, we do have hens. In fact, two of them and they live in the house!

I was having a conversation with Grandma Jane about Camlyn and his cups. Caeden was playing on the floor beside me with his trains and overheard. I was telling her that Camlyn would stockpile them in a chair and sit on them like a chicken. Immediately Caeden grabbed as many trains as he could and ran into the next room yelling, "I'm going to be a chicken too!" And yes, he was. He squatted in the chair on top of his trains and flapped his arms. This was quite the precarious operation as he picked a rocking chair to be a chicken in. Might help his balance a bit.

At least the whooo, whooos changed into cluck, clucks. For your information, cluck clucks are easier on a headache.

An Update on the Cups

Today Alison was running all over the house with her cup of milk. Camlyn was in hot pursuit of her and a cup in his hand. I stopped him and told him that if he took her cup, I would take his. He looked at me, smiled, gave me his cup and took off after Alison. Stinker! He might not speak much but he does understand! Any ideas on ending the cup war would be appreciated.

Keeper of the Cups

It started out as a harmless addiction to carrying around two cups. Camlyn needs to drink more milk so I have been letting him carry around a sippy cup with milk. He really, really likes his water so I would give him a water cup as well. Well, I think we need to have an intervention for this little guy. He has been carrying around as many cups as he can find and hold. He will even go so far to scavenge in the sink for dirty cups and will also take a cup out of others hands. What happens when you take them away? Big fat pouty lips happen, and he will chase down anyone else who happens to be holding a cup.

Cooking Day

Yesterday Grandma Jane and Aunt Kathy came to spend some time in the kitchen. We each choose a recipe and bought the groceries for three. The goodies we all have tucked away in our freezers now are, Thai vegetable and noodle soup, sun-dried tomato turkey meatloaf, and spinach lasagna. With a chef and a foodie in the kitchen, you are not going to get anything normal!

A few tips for doing this with kids. Have a babysitter or some activities planned. Caeden doesn't get it that sometimes Grandma does something else when she comes to our house than play with boys. He was finally occupied with a carrot, some spoons, and a loaf pan.

Sweet Alarm Clock

This morning this song was coming from Camlyn's room...

daddy, dada, papai (Portuguese), papa.......

bask-et-ball, bask-et-ball, bask-et-ball.....

What a nice way to wake up.

I Said What!!?

We all have those little phrases that we swore we would never use on our kids. "Just wait until your father gets home!" There are also some phrases that I never thought I would ever utter to my kids. Here are a few that have come out of my mouth lately. I will keep adding to this list in the future, keep checking. Let me know some of yours as well!

1. Don't climb the bookcase.
2. Don't lick the crisper drawer.
3. Don't jump on the stairs.
4. Your brother is not a sink.
5. Mommy is not hurt, she is exercising.
6. My foot is not a step stool.

Little Minds

We have not had Allison all week. Caeden really does like her and I think he is starting to miss her. This morning he asked me if she was coming. I had not heard from her mother yet so I told him I didn't know. He then told me to turn on the news and see. With the recent cold and bad weather, we have been listening to the news in the mornings before school to make sure that school has not been cancelled. "Oh," he said, "the news just tells you about school and not about Allison?"

Funny how their minds work.

PJ Parties

Camlyn woke up this morning at 5:30. I took him into bed with me and was rewarded with a leaky diaper! Good morning to you too! Amazingly Caeden slept in this morning until 6:30. I think they are working a tag team.

Camlyn had his hearing checked this morning. He is hearing all the normal speech sounds. We just got a little quiet guy.

More Docter Thoughts

My search last night also turned up a case where, our doctor who shall remain nameless, took a child away from a family because the child was accidentally burned while the mother was cooking. Maybe it was needful, maybe it wasn't. All I can think about is our first visit with him. I took Caeden in because he had burnt himself while I was cooking. What he told me was, "You know he won't learn from this."

Second visit was with Camlyn. Camlyn was having episodes where his lips, fingernails, and toenails were turning blue. Scary, right? Anyway, he asked if I thought to look at his tongue as maybe it was something that I fed him. Really, I am not in the habit of giving one year olds anything with that much food coloring in it, except maybe for their birthday.

Two visits with this doctor and I left crying both times. We refuse to see him now. Watch out for this guy!

Doctors

Just for fun tonight I thought I would research our doctors online. Turns out I am not too off base about our favorite doctor that we hate to visit. A quick Google search turned up this...

He is a good doctor, but you do things his way or you are a bad Mom. Can be condesending.

Just what I thought, except I am not so sure about the first part. Didn't turn up too much on Dr. Smith, I guess that is a good thing.

Big Fat Pouty Lips

Today Camlyn is trying a new trick. Instead of letting out a howl, he is sticking his lower lip out. I don't think that he got the exact response that he was looking for though. I just couldn't help but laugh at him, he was just too stinking cute! That is one face that I need to have a picture of. That and his stinking cute smile with the wrinkled up nose. Yes, I do love my boys ;)

Little Boy Giggles

It's amazing what a stress buster little boy giggles are. Caeden has really been trying our limits lately, shouldn't he be passed that at this age? Today, it was so good to hear giggles again. I live with some goofy boys too! What makes Caeden laugh, opera roosters. He covered the whole screen on his Leapster with symphonically crowing roosters.

Camlyn is pretty stoic; he is more likely to try to make you laugh. He is not to ticklish either. One thing that is sure to get the giggles flowing with him is love bites. I have written before that he is the true Brazilian out of the boys. Brazilians love to "morde." So now you know, if Camlyn holds his arm to your face, he wants you to bite him. You will be rewarded with a big ole belly chuckle.

That Kind of Day

So, I have been searching for something positive to write today. I do not want to turn this into a place for me just to vent. It has been good for me so far to find the happy little parts of each day. Today it is not working, I'm still searching even after the kids have gone to bed. So maybe I need to make a list of things to be thankful for.

1. I am thankful for rocking chairs to cuddle in.
2. I am thankful for good books that calm kids down, Goodnight Moon, The Big Red Barn.
3. I am thankful that God made women able to multi-task.
4. I am thankful for pizza delivery men that are willing to walk through the snow.
5. I am thankful for little boys that enjoy putting toys away as long as you help.
6. I am thankful for boys that want to help.
7. I am thankful for quiet times even if it is only 15 min.
8. I am thankful for boys that like to give hugs.
9. I am thankful for daddies that understand.

Curious George

Curious George was a good little monkey and always very curious. So, begin the books about my boy's favorite monkey. There is another little monkey always found around our house. Camlyn at the age of 18 months could be found standing in the window sills, and on the back of folding chairs. Recently he has been found turning somersaults off the couch or bed. Just like his namesake he is very curious. Bending down to inspect those funny socks mommy wears, the flowers on mommy's shoes or picking at the bows on mommy's clothes. These kinds of things require major inspection.

So if Camlyn is Curious George, is Caeden the Man With the Yellow Hat?

Happy Birthday Kathy!

Today is Aunt Kathy's birthday. Kathy is a manger at a coffee shop. I have wanted to visit her for a long time and just have not been able to make it. Christmas break seemed like the perfect time, Caeden would be home from school, and I would not be watching Alison. Wouldn't you know it the days that we would be able to go, Moises got a flat tire on the car that he drives to work. So instead of visiting Kathy, we got the car with a flat tire to take care of. I have been planning all month to go yesterday. Guess what, snow! Guess it doesn't pay to plan surprises. Curse flat tires and snow. We love you Aunt Kathy. Promise we will come sometime!

Warm Wishes

This January morning was cold, dark, and dreary. In the mail, in between all the bills and junk mail, we received a card. "Smile," it said "It's a new year." Above was a picture of a smiling couple that was obviously taken in summer. I did smile, it was just the thing I needed to brighten my morning. Thank you Steven and Susanna.

Peek-a-boo I See You

Let's give a shout out to Bondurant, Poplar Grove, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Brooklyn, and Elkhart. Let me know who my fans are! I made it easier to leave comments, let's hear em. Thank you Des Moines and Champaign.

Snow Day

Frozen noses, and cold toeses. That is what we all had this morning after scooping the snow. Just for the record 4 and 2 year-olds are not good helpers. Camlyn hates the snow and cold, a true Brazilian. He will not walk through the snow, I have to carry him to a place that I have scooped out and he will follow me. Caeden likes to help and loves to play in the snow, although his helping usually involves scooping the snow from the yard back onto the sidewalk! Today Caeden had fun sliding down the huge piles of snow on either side of the driveway. Poor kid I think we need to take him sledding.

Dentist appointment this afternoon, yikes!

Jello Boats

My boys love oranges. This started in Brazil where the oranges are sweeter and juicer and just off the tree. They will eat as many as you let them. Yesterday after they munched their way through several, I decided to make a recipe that I have been thinking about for awhile and just haven't done. Jello boats I thought would be a lot of fun. Cut the oranges in half, fill them with jello and cut into wedges when ready to serve.

The look on Camlyn's face when he realized I had not given him an orange slice was priceless. Shock, horror and dismay. What is this thing?

Growing Up

This morning I had the boys all situated for breakfast. Caeden was at the table eating a pb&j sandwich. Camlyn was in the high chair with scrambled eggs. All were happily and quietly munching away, so I stole downstairs to throw some laundry in. When I came back up the scene had changed, Caeden had gotten a cup for him and Camlyn and poured juice with out spilling and gotten himself some eggs as well and was helping Camlyn to eat. No spills or eggs dropped anywhere! Amazing how fast they grow up, right under our noses and we do not see how mature they are getting. I guess I should let him be a bit more independent. Times like these shows me he can do it.

Now about that glass, yeah a dirty one from the counter. Oops

He's Touching Me!

I do not know what ever possessed us to do this, but on the way to Grandma Jane's tonight we put Caeden on the same seat as Camlyn. They are usually on the opposite sides of the van on different seats. I do not think we made it 10 miles before it started, "He's touching me!" Camlyn can barely reach out of his seat. All I can think is, "this young, huh?" We got a long road ahead of us!

Bad News

I am shocked and do not know what to write today. We got a phone call today from my parents saying that my mom had fallen yesterday and hit her head. After a checkup at the hospital, every thing was fine from the fall except that they found a tumor. The tumor is benign and mom says, "I am fine." That may be true, but you are my mommy and I am a mommy now and I will do what mommies do best, worry. We love you Grandma!

Valeria

Every time we go to visit Great-Grandma in Colfax, we pass a sign pointing the way to Valeria. Moises points this out every time because of a relative in Brazil with the same name. We have never gone though and thought today would be the perfect day. Not much more than two streets it was not so exciting or beautiful in the dead of winter, but now we can say we have been there.

We had a good visit with Grandma while the boys made a train track, station, truck, and train with wooden blocks. Another reason to make me want to throw out all the toys!

Playing Hooky

I have been wanting to play hooky for awhile and have not been able to. I do not watch Alison on Thursdays, so I thought yesterday would be a great day to take off. As soon as Caeden was done with school we were off to Pella to see Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Jack. They called when we were not to far out of town and said it was really snowing there. We kept going because nothing was happening here. By the time we got to Prairie City we could not even see the road. I decided to keep going, figuring if I turned around it would be the same all the way back. We made it safe and decided to stay there, even though Moises said it hardly even snowed here. Go figure! Sorry for the tornado that tore through your house yesterday evening, Grandpa and Grandma. Thank you for all the goodies!

Another July Wedding!

Why July 19? My friend Arian is getting married! Here is a picture of the dress that I am going to wear in her wedding. "Que chique" as the Brazilians would say. Congratulations Arian, I am so excited to be a part of your wedding.

New Plan

This is what will be keeping me busy the first half of this year. I did the ultimate fit plan last year as well and it helped me to lose 30 pounds. After some time off, too much time off really and a few pounds gained back, it is time to start again. 30 more pounds to go before July 19.

The results are in:
lower body: solid
core: solid
upper body: aspiring- anything to do with boys bouncing on the opposite side of the
stability ball?
balance/flexibility: strong
cardio: aspiring- icy sidewalks, and a few more things that I thought better of putting in a
public space

Grounds for a retake or just making excuses?

Caeden's Dino Hatched!

"Guess what we're doing? We're finding dinosaurs!"

Caeden received a dinosaur egg on Camlyn's birthday. As he put it, "I'm working very hard to find the dinosaur." It did keep him very busy, the good kind of busy were he was quiet and nothing was getting broken or too messy.

Thank you Uncle Justin and Aunt Kathy, it was the perfect present. We had just finished reading Curious George and the Dinosaur, so Caeden knew just what to do with all the tools and brushes.

"It's a real dinosaur, but it won't bite." He even had fun afterward putting the dino back in the loose sand and sweeping it away.

Growing Vocabulary

So the doctor says that Camlyn is not speaking as much as he should, but to give it until he is 2 1/2 years. If at that point he is still not talking then they will run hearing tests and have a speech therapist work with him. So basically, he was telling me not to worry for the present; which is right. Camlyn is just working on learning other things at the moment, how many other two year-olds are playing soccer like he is? It does make a mommy worry though when all Camlyn's friends younger and older are talking up a storm.

At this point anything that comes out of my little man's mouth is very precious. Lately it has been "Hi." Whenever I walk into the room he is playing, "Hi." Or if I am busy he will walk up to me and say it.

Caeden's word of choice at the moment is delicious. "Mommy, your coffee smells delicious.

Dinner Bell Idea?

Lately I have been noticing a phenomena at our house. While I am cooking dinner, everyone is starving and can not wait until I finish supper. When the time comes to eat and I call them to dinner, no one comes.

I have also been noticing that the sound of the broom seems to be a siren song for the boys.

If they do not hear my calls for supper, but they always hear the broom?........

Happy Birthday

Last night on the way to meeting Caeden sang the birthday song to everyone in the family. Evidently he ran out of names because next came...

happy birthday dear bush, happy birthday dear bush
followed by...
happy birthday dear barn, happy birthday dear barn.



A lot of the time it is hard to know if anything that I am trying to teach the boys is sinking in. I try to help them make good choices and eat healthy but it seems they still gobble up the candy and sweets whenever they get the chance. We have had a few successes lately, they both passed up pie for their snack in favor of strawberries today. Heard not long ago after having salmon for supper, "Thank you Mommy, that was really good."

Score two for me?

Fruits of Our Labor

Last night Grandma and Grandpa Goodlaxson came over for a "dose of the da Silvas," as Grandma so eloquently put it. We enjoyed the fruits of Moises labor for supper. Recently Moises has helped our friend Jacob butcher some pigs. They just finished this past weekend. We now have half a pig in our freezer. It's so easy to make supper when your freezer is well stocked.

This morning the boys and I enjoyed a real farm breakfast of fresh eggs and bacon. Yumm!

Happy New Year

A new year and a new way to communicate with friends and family, although it is quite daunting to sit before a blank screen.



This afternoon the boys are taking a much needed rest after ringing in the new year last night. That was by far the latest they have stayed up. I must say they did quite well, no major spats or meltdowns!



Not even camera flashes or a mommy crashing into furniture could wake these boys.