Thursday, December 13, 2012

18 mo. & 5 years

Yesterday I took the kids in for their well checks.  The pedi went through his assessment and both kids are doing great.  When he got to Eliza's, he read from his list, "Is she a good conversationalist?" and then laughed and said, "Nevermind, of course she is."  At this point she'd been talking pretty much the entire appointment non stop. :)  Then he asked if she was coordinated.  I said quietly, "Um, not really.  Pretty clumsy actually."  He looked at her legs and said they turned in slightly, which probably made her more clumsy and that it would resolve itself by the time she's 8 or so.  Ezra passed the standard autism screening with flying colors.  I was a little concerned that he only has 10 words or so but he said that's totally normal for boys, especially boys with talkative big sisters. :)  Of course when we tried to get Ezra to quack or bark or say go, he just looked at us like we were crazy and didn't say a word.  Hard to believe our baby girl who used to be 95th% for weight is now only 50% and 60th percentile for height (41 lbs and 42.5 inches).  She looks so tall and skinny now.  Ezra is also 50th% for weight and 70th for height (25 lbs 13 oz and 32.5 inches).  People always tell me he's chubby, but he's actually a little on the skinny side and definitely a lot skinnier than big sis was at this age!  Both kids needed shots and Eliza had to lie down for her tetnus shot in her leg while the nurse made me hold her arms down. :(  Of course Ezra was also crying because he was worried about Sister.  At least she didn't have to have blood work this time.  Once again I had to carry 2 crying half naked children out of the office.  There was a line at the receptionist to pay and I said, "Can you just trust me that we don't pay co-pays for well checks?"  and she said, "Yes, just go!"  We went straight to People's Pharmacy where I bribed both children with Power Princess smoothies, Eliza's favorite.  I don't think she realizes it's just a strawberry smoothie with flax oil, but it seemed to do the trick.  Now both kids just need well checks once a year, whew!

Monday, December 10, 2012

Go!

I find it very appropriate that Ezra's new favorite word is go.  I didn't realize how often I said it, but the other day waiting at a stop light I said, "On your mark, get set!" and Ezra unexpectedly yelled "Go!" from the backseat.  In his adorable little voice.  So cute. 

Eliza has really been enjoying our Advent calendar.  We've been doing a variety of different activities, including buying toys for the less fortunate, making hot chocolate, movie night, etc. Yesterday the activity was ice skating.  I took Eliza during Ezra's nap.  We probably made it around the rink 5 times in an hour.  But, by the end, she insisted on letting go of my hand and the wall and could proudly go about 20 yards without falling.  The look on her face was priceless. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Strengths

I probably say this a lot, but I can't get over just how different our two kids are.  They look very similar but that's where the similarities end.  Ezra is already riding Eliza's scooter, just shy of 18 months.  We got it for Eliza when she was three and it took her a while to be able to balance on it.  He's also putting legos together, something that Eliza did around age 3.  On the other hand, at his age, Eliza was already talking a LOT and Ezra still speaks mainly in onomatopoeia.  I have a feeling Eliza will be a liberal arts major and Ezra will be an engineer. 

Monday, November 26, 2012

Words

Ezra's language has started to explode this past week.  He's said goat, hello, close, down and more.  Just now he wanted me to get the blocks down for him and I said, "Not now, it's too messy."  He looked straight at Eliza and said, "Liza!  Get it down!"  Already learning how to work the system. :)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

5



Our sweet girl turned five today.  In some ways it feels like it happened so very quickly and yet in other ways it feels like she's been part of us forever and I can't remember life without her. 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Election Night

This is one of those stories that will probably be funny later.  So, Election Night we're watching the results roll in state by state as the kids sleep.  Waiting anxiously for them to call Florida and Ohio.  Then, we hear Ezra making a weird noise.  Yup, he was throwing up again.  So, S grabs him, takes him in the shower and cleans him up.  Poor baby fell back asleep in the shower.  I wrap him in a towel and get him ready for bed again, while he sleeps through the whole thing.  S starts to wearily clean up the kitchen as we realize we probably have a long night ahead.  The tv is on the whole time.  At one point I pop into the living room to grab something and see Obama's picture on the screen- Projected Winner.  "Honey, come here!"  We had a nice few moments of celebration.  Then Eliza woke up with a high fever.  Turns out she has strep.  We got her some Tylenol, warmed her up and as she's drifting off she says, "Mama, do we know if Obama is the winner yet?"  So cute.  And a very nice silver lining this week.  By the way, turns out if a toddler vomits on your head on Monday, you will most definitely have the stomach bug by Wednesday night.  Sigh.  Good news is I took one of Ezra's anti nausea pills today so I could go to work (since today is application deadline day- a day I could not miss!!) and I haven't barfed on a single student yet and it's almost quitting time.  Unfortunately school did call about 1pm today and Eliza's fever is back and 103.3.  I snuck her into my office temporarily until S good get here to pick her up.  Did I mention I hate cold and flu season??? Reminding myself that by the time they get to elementary school they should have rock solid immune systems.  Poor sweet little babies. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day

I can't believe it's already been 4 years since the last election.  I remember very clearly holding a sleeping, almost one year old Eliza in my lap in bed as we watched the results roll in.  S had lost his job the week prior.  The clients for the house he was working on worked in the financial industry and when the industry imploded, the clients lost millions and stopped the plans for the house overnight.  Everyone in his office working on that project was immediately laid off.  Without getting too political, we definitely needed hope at the time and I was shocked and ecstatic that Obama was elected. 

We're certainly better off than we were four years ago.  And of course we now have another little 1 year old to love on.  Eliza knows all about the election and keeps asking if we know who won yet.  She also wants to know why we need to vote again and why can't we just let Obama be the President forever?  I'm trying to explain democracy and term limits to her. 

Probably what I'll remember from this Election Day is that Papa and Grammy had just moved into a new house, in the Austin area.  Eliza couldn't be more excited about having them closer and of course we are too.  Grandma and Grandpa are about to leave for a cruise in Europe.  S is crazy busy at work but that's much better than the opposite!  I've been very busy at work too because application deadlines were extended by a week thanks to the LSAT results being delayed due to Sandy.  Hardly something I can complain about, considering what the East coast is going through, but such an unprecedented thing (application deadlines are never extended in my industry!) that I'm sure I'll remember it when the next election rolls around.  And I'll also remember Election Day 2012 as the day our little Danger Ranger fell off the bed.  :(  I feel awful about it, but I'm also surprised it took this long, with all his shenanigans!  The week started off with Ezra coughing so hard he threw up in his crib.  So, in a sleepy haze, I brought him into our bed (where he later threw up directly on me, ah, Motherhood).  Then I woke up to the horrible thud of him crawling off the bed.  So, he'll spend this Election Day with a big lump on his forehead.  Poor baby. 

I have a feeling four years from now Eliza will still be just as spunky and Ezra will still be just as much of a daredevil. 

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween

Halloween was a lot of fun.  Eliza totally has trick or treating down and she was excited to show her brother this year.  (Last year Ezra slept through the fun)  This year they both had their plastic pumpkins and were ready to roll.  Ezra kept trying to walk into people's houses, which makes total sense.  And he loves dumping out containers lately so he was excited about dumping out his candy over and over, sometimes on the sidewalk.  Eliza was bouncing off the walls she was so excited about trick or treating.  They both had fun at their parties at school too and we also went to a carnival at a nearby elementary school with friends and a Halloween event (boo zoo) at the Austin Zoo.  This has nothing to do with Halloween but my favorite part of the day was actually watching Eliza do the monkey bars successfully!  She kept trying until she could go all the way across!  I thought my heart would burst with pride.  :)  Wish I had gotten a video, but I was busy spotting her!!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Wowza

You know it's fall when it's been almost a month since a blog update!  My busy season at work, coupled with some work deadlines for S plus cold and flu season equals "Just keep swimming!" time for us!  Eliza caught a cold last week, which of course Ezra caught (possibly because they were kissing each other and sharing drinks, despite my protests!).  Ezra's cold turned into croup, which led to several nights falling asleep on the bathroom rug with the steamy shower helping him breathe, as well as a steroid shot.  He's still waking up 10+ times a night, but at least he isn't barking like a seal anymore.  Once Ezra was sick, Eliza felt it necessary to keep reiterating that she was sicker than Ezra.  It was like a weird competition.  After a week's worth of snuggling and much more PBS than normal, we're all back at work and school today.  Whew. 

In happier news, Ezra has developed his first party trick.  I noticed him standing on his tip toes the other day and he'll now do it very proudly on command.  He's also saying his first sentence, "What's that?" very often.  The other day in Target, he unscrewed the lid off the top of the coconut milk.  Thankfully it was still sealed underneath.  He does seem to be a man of few words, but he's very mechanical and very physical.  He's learned how to open some doors, and Eliza's latest obsession is making sure her door is closed at all times so he can't get into her stuff.  The battle will be on when he learns how to open her door. 

I was right about the quality of their sibling portraits.  Even after retakes, we ended up without a single picture of the two of them smiling at the same time.  At least their individual school pictures will be cute! 

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Update

This morning Ezra walked into Eliza's room, pointed at her and said very clearly, "Sister!"  It was so cute.  He's making lots of animal noises now and lots of "vroom vroom" car noises.  He says and does the sign for light, but he also signs light when he looks up in the sky and sees an airplane.  Not sure what the connection is there, but he's very consistent with it. 

Eliza is such a teenager.  She's picking up funny little phrases like, "Okay, fine!" and "Why would you ever say that?"  All the boys at school seem to have a crush on her.  I'm not just biased; 4 of the 5 parents of boys in pre-k (plus one in the 3s class) have gone out of their way to tell me their son talks about Eliza constantly.  She told S last night that the boys all wanted her to chase them yesterday on the playground but "I just ignored them."  One of the dads (who is normally very quiet) even told me after co-oping in the pre-k class the other day that now he understands why his son talks about Eliza so much; that she really is that charming and charismatic. :)

They both took school pictures last week, as well as sibling portraits.  I'm not holding my breath on the sibling portraits.  Eliza has decided she doesn't want to show her teeth anymore when she smiles. :( 

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Friday

Friday was a weird day.  Appropriately enough, this is what Ezra was wearing, Mommy's Super Hero.  I'd been at work less than an hour when Monica, our front desk manager came to the back hall of our office and simply said, "We're evacuating the building immediately."  I grabbed my bag.  "Is this a drill?"  "No." And she kept walking to alert the others.  I went to our emergency exit.  When I opened the door I could hear sirens outside.  "Get out now!  I hear sirens.  Not a drill!"  I was out of the building probably 5 seconds later.  I followed the mass of people evacuating a 5 story building, actually going away from the kids' school.  I didn't think of the kids first because I thought our building was on fire and if so, in a building a block away, they were safer than I was. 

I looked up and saw the manager from Taco Bell from the Union (Sadly I visit Taco Bell often enough to know the manager :)).  "Wait, you guys too?"  If multiple buildings were being evacuated, then this was not a fire.  I started running in the opposite direction, toward school.  I passed my coworker best friend Robert.  Our eyes met and we both yelled, "the kids!" and I kept going, calling the school on my way.  Another mom answered the phone.  She knew something was wrong already and I told her I was on my way.  As I ran through the parking lot, I saw Mr.  Craig, our once a week music teacher, getting musical instruments out of his car. "Mr. Craig, UT is being evacuated."  He could have immediately gotten right back into his car and left.  Instead he said, "Do you think school will need help?!"  "Yes!"  We both ran inside.  It was pretty surreal to run into Ezra's classroom and see a bunch of toddlers very calmly having snack.  Jamey's mom, who works in the building next to mine, was standing in the hallway crying.  We were all trying to figure out what to do, still not knowing what the threat was exactly.  One of the parents who happened to be co-oping that day was a fire fighter.  He was in Ezra's class, calming cutting up apples for snack.  "Aren't you a fire fighter?"  "Yes."  "Well, what should we do??"  "Well, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath and stay calm."  He stayed calm the whole time, even later when he was blocking traffic while holding his baby daughter in his arms.  

By this point I had Ezra on my hip and I was in the hallway talking to some other parents and the director.  I remembered that the kids do tornado drills frequently and there's basement hallway where they normally go.  "Does anyone know what the threat is?  Should we take cover in the basement rather than putting the kids at risk outside?  The building is very solidly made."  Just then we all got a text from UT.  It said only, "All UT buildings being evacuated immediately.  Get as far away from campus as you can, as fast as you can."  Well, that settled it.  We were going to have to take 60 kids on a very busy street.  I went to Eliza's classroom, which I had been avoiding since I arrived because you don't have to have your story straight for the toddler class, but you certainly do for pre-k.  Ms. Allison was saying, "Put your shoes back on!"  Some of the girls had been playing dress up and had their shoes off.  Eliza said, "Mom!!  You're here!  Why?"  I immediately started lying about a fire drill.  "But we have fire drills a lot and you don't come.  Why are you here today?"  "Oh, this is a very special big fire drill.  Even the college students are practicing!" Ms. Allison was saying, "Line up, grab a buddy and do not let go of their hand!"  The hallway filled with kids.  4 of the assistant teachers (UT college students) rushed into the door.  Instead of just leaving campus immediately, they had come straight to pre-school to help evacuate.  We made eye contact.  "Just grab a couple of kids hands and make sure they have their buddy." 

The school is required to have an evacuation site approved by the state.  Turns out it was Eliza's old school, right next to a huge dorm next to campus.  It was probably also being evacuated.  We couldn't go there.  So, we didn't know where we were going instead but needed to get out immediately.  Ms. Allison stood in the street to block traffic as we crossed, and the next thing I know I realize I am leading the whole pack down the street, Ezra on my hip, holding Eliza's hand and she's holding on to Caroline and Genevieve.  As we walked, I could hear the UT students saying, "Bombs.  One in every building supposedly."  A lot of people stared at our big group of little kids.  A student reporter was taking pictures of Eliza and Caroline running across the Drag, stepping in every puddle they could on the way.  "Hey guys, have you guys heard anything about this maybe not being credible?"  "Nope, just the opposite in fact."  Chills.  We kept walking as far as we could as fast as we could.  After about 3 blocks I stopped to yell back to a teacher, "Where are we taking them?"  "They said the other approved site is Hyde Park Methodist."  "Wait, what?"  That's over a mile from here!"  "Then just keep walking."  A couple of blocks later a sorority girl was rushing into her sorority house when she saw us and said, "You guys!  Bring the kids in here!!"  We stopped to yell back to the teachers and director.  "Is this far enough?  What do you think?"  The building was made of solid brick, but I was looking at all the huge windows, thinking how all that shattered glass would be horrible in a bomb.  But so would being unprotected in the street.  It was terrible to realize none of us really knew what we should do; it was just about instincts.  So we went inside to take cover. 

Once inside I could see the full production behind us.  Ezra's old infant teacher, Ms. Lorena, had her 6 baby stroller full of babies.  I have no idea how she got it up the steps and out of the building.  On top of the stoller she had a tub full of bottles ready for the babies in case we were trapped for a long time.  The director, Ms. Madelynn, was required to be the last one out of the building.  She had grabbed the emergency files so she had contact info for all the parents. 

The sorority girls were very sweet and excited to introduce themselves to the kids.  Eliza and Caroline showed the girls they could do "Hook em horns" and Eliza had to show off her light up shoes.  I looked down and saw a million texts from friends.  I had only been able to say "y" to a text from Mom asking if I was with the kids and to send one to Caroline's mom saying "C is safe with me, headed north on foot" while we were walking and then no other texts would go through. 

Eventually all the kids were picked up by parents and S came to pick us up.  He had no idea what had been going on.  Eliza said it was "the best day ever!"  She and her friends all thought we had just done a big drill and as a bonus had gotten to get really wet in the rain, get some exercise and meet some nice college girls and see their house. 

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Powers of Persuasion

This morning as I left the school parking lot, one of Eliza's friend's moms asked for the name of our Mandarin tutor.  Allie came home with a couple of "Mandarin" words that Eliza had "taught" her.  Obviously Eliza doesn't really know any Mandarin, other than how to say hello.  She's pretty convincing though. 

Last weekend at the farmer's market, she saw a baby pig and was adamant that no one eat it.  She's recently sworn off pork, after figuring out what it's made of.  The funny thing is after years of loving ham, she's now taken it upon herself to convince her friend Caroline to stop eating pork.  I'm sure Caroline's mom is thrilled. :)

These instances reminded me of the time Eliza got to go to free yoga classes at school for 2 or 3 sessions, until the director called and asked me to pay for the course.  I explained I had never enrolled Eliza in the yoga class and had told Eliza as much, but she was able to convice the yoga instructor as well as her teacher and director that I had registered; I just hadn't remembered to pay for it yet! 

Is politics in her future? :)

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

MT

S and Eliza have been making their way through a series of Roald Dahl books.  Eliza in particular loved The Twits.  Last night after a long reading session, Eliza asked S if he knew how to spell empty.  She then very proudly said, "You just sound it out!  M-T!"  Neither of us have the heart to correct her yet.  :)  The wheels in her head are always turning...

p.s.  She loved Beauty and the Beast.  She brought home the program.  The program included pictures of the cast when they were little and notes from their parents to break a leg, etc.  In 10 years we could be writing those notes to Eliza!  Weird!

Ezra is starting to talk a bit more.  We're constantly telling him to sit down in his high chair (he is always trying to jump out of it!).  Yesterday morning he said loudly back to us, "DOWN!" and sat. 

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Weekend

Wish I could take a picture of the boys right now without waking them up.  Ezra has been having a terrible time sleeping lately; he's getting 4 molars simultaneously.  Scott got him back to sleep around 5am and they're snoozing all snuggled up together.  Adorable.  Last night Eliza told me she's giving Ezra her board book version of Big Red Barn.  She said he'd like it because of the animals (sweet and perceptive of her) and she doesn't want it anymore anyway because it's "babyish."  :(  I read this book to her hundreds of times.  Such a big girl.  Today the big girl and I join some friends to go see Beauty and the Beast at a local high school.  She is so excited.  Hope the beast doesn't scare her!  And I'm eating breakfast on our patio where the weather has finally cooled off!  I think waking up before you have to on a weekend is a sign of a true adult, haha. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Daddy's Boy



Ezra gets SO excited when S comes home from work.  He says, "Dad!" and runs across the house when the door opens.  He wants to eat all of his meals on Daddy's lap and everything on Daddy's plate tastes better.  Here are a few shots of our boys together and one of Ez in S's childhood hat.

Big Kids

Tonight at bedtime Eliza was singing "Who Let the Dogs Out?" and reciting most of Eanie Meanie Minie Moe to make a decision between two items.  That's big kid stuff, not preschooler stuff.  She floors me.  We went to a playdate over at one of my oldest friend's houses today and afterward Eliza says, "Want to know a secret, Mom? Natalie has a secret hideout!  It's a closet under her staircase!  I got to go in it!  Don't tell her mom, okay?!" 


I co-oped in Ezra's classroom today.  While out on the playground he headed over to the playscape.  I've never seen anyone in his class on the playscape before (he's been walking much longer than they have, although they're the same age, genius, I know ;)) so I asked if it was okay.  His teacher said they had to wait until they were 18 months old, but it was okay since I was there to supervise him.  He marched right up to the curved ladder and easily scaled it while I spotted him.  He didn't need me at all.  He was so excited to discover a steering wheel at the top and very proud of himself.  It's so much fun to watch them grow, but I wouldn't mind if they slowed down a bit, ya know?  Ezra had his 15 month well check today and he's in the 65th % for both height and weight.  He handled his shots like a champ and Eliza came along because his pedi always gives her a token for the toy machine. 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Danger Ranger & Spider Girl

Eliza came up with the name Danger Ranger for Ezra, and it's pretty fitting.  She's calling herself Spider Girl and going around the house doing a gymnastics salute and a tuck jump.  Today I tried to kiss an ouchie for Eliza and she told me she knows my kisses aren't really magic.  It kind of broke my heart.  Ezra has learned to dance to The Middle, a song from school that Eliza sang back when she started there.  Ezra does the little wiggle at the end of the song and it is precious.  Plus he thinks he's jumping when it's his turn and is there anything cuter than a toddler who tries as hard as he can to jump and can't get off the ground? Adorable. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Plum Island




We spent last week in a beach house on Plum Island, MA with Scott's brother's family.  It was a perfect vacation set up!  We rode bikes around the island, walked to the beach (we could see the sunrise over the beach from our window!), tried every restaurant on the island, including our fave, Mad Martha's, which was next door, grilled, played with the kiddos and relaxed!  It was great for the cousins to get to play together.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of T with Ezra, because he spent most of his time chasing her and she spent most of her time squealing and running away!  The big kids and the boys went to a Red Sox game too.  This might become a biannual tradition; next up I think we'll all go skiing together!

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Flying L





The view from our patio, Mr. Buck found a skunk on our wagon ride, Nanny goat wanted Ezra's s'more, Eliza with Daddy's new sunglasses and her new pony Jellybean, Ezra finds a tractor that reminds me of his namesake and the four of us before we head to the water park.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Dishwasher Bandit

That's what we call Ezra when he makes a run for the dishwasher.  For some reason he's obsessed with it.  He grabs random silverware and takes off with it.  When the dishwasher is open, he tries to sit on the door.  He cries when we close the dishwasher.  He also cries every time we open the door (he wants to go outside), every time we make him get out of the bathtub and every time we change his clothes or diaper.  He laughs every morning he sees his sister and every time we pick her up on the playground at school. 

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Things I miss/Things I love

Eliza has started to enunciate her R sounds.  Sometimes she'll catch herself saying a word the "old" way and correct it.  It's not like I wanted her to have a life long speech impediment or anything, but I'm a little sad to see her old way of pronunciation go!  It reminds me of other things she used to say that are now distant memories, like "cock corn" for popcorn, or "rispy crispy treats", or how she made us call her Rosa for over a year!  Or even when she was a baby and used to say "goya goya goya" or "pock pock" instead of "pat pat" when someone coughed and she'd pat them on the back.  She's such a big girl now!  In fact, the other day at Home Depot, S said, "Darn it.  They don't have the part I need" and Eliza said, "Dad, I'm glad you didn't say damn it."  LOL!  We've been talking a lot about our upcoming vacation and the other day at school Eliza told one of her teachers, "Sorry I won't be able to make it for your birthday party. We'll be at our cabin."  The teacher got a kick out of it.  I assured her we don't actually have our own cabin.  :)

I need to remember to document the little things Ezra is doing, especially since now I know how quickly they grow up.  He has a different smile now, more of a grin, with all of his teeth showing and a wrinkled nose.  Even though he looks just like Daddy, I'm pretty sure the wrinkled nose look is all mine.  He still says, "whoa!" all of the time and the other day he said, "ki cat" for kitty cat.  Saturday morning I took him on a kitty cat neighborhood tour and he loved it.  One cat even came up and let Ezra pet him.  Sometimes he imitates Eliza and last night he imitated her squeal. 

Friday, August 10, 2012

I Have an Incident Report

From the top we have: Ezra coming home from school with a sticker that reads, "I have an incident report."  i.e. My friends and I are taking turns biting each other again. Next up is Ezra sitting on the shelf in the hallway proudly, that is until he got stuck and I had to get him out.  Then a picture of him standing proudly on Eliza's dollhouse. 
his torso stuck on a shelf.
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Monday, August 6, 2012

Quintessential Summer Picture

These two ask to go play with the water table constantly.  Well, Eliza asks and Ezra stands in the window, looks at the table and bangs until I let him out.  :) I usually just let them go for it, even though they always end up soaking wet.  So here they are sopping wet, having talked Daddy into hauling them around in the wagon.  For once Ezra didn't try to stand up and jump out while the wagon was in motion!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

We

Eliza and Ezra are becoming more and more of a team.  They're starting to actually play together, which makes it a lot easier to do things like start dinner.  And Eliza is very good at warning me when Ez is doing something dangerous.  Yesterday the two of them pushed their white table all the way across the house, into Eliza's room.  Ezra was proud to help and Eliza said, "We decided the table should go in my room."  When they fight over a toy, Ezra has started doing this whining noise and definitely playing the role of baby of the family.  Many times Eliza just hands the toy over to him.  We went swimming at a fun pool with a pirate ship last weekend and Ezra and Eliza both loved the water slides.  Ezra spent most of his time trying to belly flop into the water.  Sunday we went to a bouncy castle with our good friends and Eliza hung upside down on the ladder like a little gymnast.  Ezra really loved bouncing too.  Yesterday Eliza and I squeezed in a girl date to Shipe Pool and she's getting the hang of using her kick board to get around the big pool.  I was excited to be able to focus on her in the water, but she was more focused on getting ice-cream after. :)  Ezra is definitely running now.  I have a feeling we're going to end up being those people who have their kid on a leash at the amusement park!  Last night when we were cleaning up after the kids went to bed, I found corn on the cob hiding behind the curtain.  The curtain is currently one of Ezra's favorite hiding spots.  He loves to play peek a boo.  Yesterday Eliza brought a blanket with her so they could make a fort behind the curtain, which might have something to do with the corn on the cob. 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Happy Sounds

Eliza has gotten very into the song We Are Young.  She sings it in this sweet, dramatic voice in the car.  "Tonight... we are young."  So cute.  And Ezra has started saying, "Wow!  Whoa!"  I don't think he knows what he's saying but he sounds like quite the little surfer boy. 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Wild Man

I'm starting to think Ezra's middle name should have been "Danger."  And I'm starting to realize why websites like this: http://www.onestepahead.com/osa/safety.html exist.  With Eliza, we put safety locks on the cabinets and covered the outlets.  And that was pretty much it.  A lot of the baby proofing gear seemed to me to be an industry trying to profit off the paranoia of new parents.  Now I realize we just had a calmer, more easily distractible child the first time around. Sure, Eliza tried to grab harmful stuff at times, but basically we just distracted her with something else or moved her to a new room and she forgot about whatever mischief she'd been pursuing.  Ezra is focused.  He wants to figure out how things work and even if you remove him from the area 10 times, he'll just quickly run back to where he was.  He gets out of child safety restraints, including his stroller straps, his high chair straps and his baby swim straps.  Thank goodness he hasn't figured out the car seat yet.  He'll stand on anything.  Like his toy barn the other day.  Or his sister's doll bed.  He almost got the child safety lock off of the cabinet last night.  He's working on opening door knobs.  The after hours staff at our pediatrician's office now recognize him.  He's been to urgent care once, the ER once and I've already had to call poison control.  He's curious about everything around him and he needs to get to the bottom of it immediately.  Not in a mean spirited way.  He's still a great cuddler, adorable smile, very loving.  He's just mechanical and driven and curious... like his dad. 

Monday, July 9, 2012

4th

Last year (Ezra's 1st July 4th) the drought was so bad that fireworks were banned.  We ended up going to a neighborhood block party in Mueller and watched a fireworks video on a screen.  So, lame.   Two years ago we had a great July 4th with Phin and Troy down at Auditorium Shores but getting home with the crowds was a nightmare.  I'm happy to report this year went much better!  We had a picnic with Marshall, Janet and Lola and watched the fireworks from a great viewing spot that meant no crowds and easy parking.  We could see the fireworks very well but we couldn't hear much, which was was fine, as no kids were traumatized!  Ezra sat so still in my lap and watched in awe, occasionally signing "light."  Eliza gave us a play by play, "Did you see that purple one?  That one looked like a rainbow!  That one was my favorite!" 

During the day I was at home and S was at work.  I took the kids to Lake Park, where we fed ducks, Eliza rode her bike, and we watched a little parade.  Later we had Dipping Dots at the mall and played at the indoor playground. 

Friday I was at work and S was home (School was closed Wed-Fri).  S took the kids to a farm where they saw all sorts of animals and got to see a cow being milked. 

Saturday we went to visit the grandparents, and Eliza was excited to help make homemade ice-cream, pick a watermelon from the garden and watch Daddy shoot fireworks from the driveway.  Shooting fireworks turns S into a 12 year old boy.  I think he may have been even more excited than Eliza!  Both kids loved swimming at the rec center.  Ezra is completely fearless in the water (and tries to drink it) and Eliza has started going all the way under and opening her eyes.  They were amused to watch Papa and both of their parents conquer the Wibit obstacle course and to see Grandpa give it a royal effort. 

Sunday we headed home and spent the afternoon swimming with Eliza's best friend and her family.  It's cute to watch Ezra play with two 4 year olds and a 7 year old.  He clearly thinks he's just as big as they are.  All in all, a great long weekend!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Fist Pump!

Yesterday I had two proud parent moments... Last night Eliza and I went swimming at Northwest Pool.  She repeatedly went all the way under water to retrieve her pink goggles.  I'm not sure who was prouder- her or me!  Last night at dinner Ezra signed "all done" and said "Done!"  He did it again this morning.  I have a feeling he understands a lot more than we give him credit for.  The kids have gotten into the phase where they are starting to fight over toys.  Specifically Ezra has grown attached to Eliza's pink baby stroller.  Yesterday they temporarily settled things when Ezra started pushing Eliza around in the stroller.  Wish I hadn't gotten a pic!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Happy Chaos



Never a dull moment over here!  Ezra had a fun-filled first birthday, we celebrated Father's Day, Eliza's been having a blast at VBS all week, both kids are loving their new classes at school.  We've been spending a lot of time playing in the backyard and enjoying summer, splash pads, swimming pools, snow cones and all.  Ezra is quite the little monkey, climbing everything in sight and crazy about dogs, cats and ducks.  Eliza gets smarter and funnier every day and I love seeing how her brain works. 

Monday, June 4, 2012

Missing Our 11:00 Date

Dear Ezra, every weekday at 11am for the past 9 months you and I have had a milk date in the rocking chair of the Infant Room at school.  Today is your first day in the Toddler Room with Ms. Sarah.  I wasn't sure if our dates would continue.  I peeked in at you promptly at 11:00 and you were having a blast with all the toys in your new room.  As much as I look forward to seeing you, with your recent separation anxiety, I knew it would be disruptive for you to see me and then have me leave again.  So I left and made sure Ms. Sarah knew where to find your sippy cup.  Going 8 hours straight without seeing you will be hard, little man.  XOXO, Mama

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Happy birthday, Baby Boy!

Tomorrow we break out the cupcakes and sing happy birthday to our little man.  Ezra, we love you so much.  Love your gap-toothed grin, your sparkly blue eyes and the way you rub your eyes just like your Daddy when you're tired.  I can't believe how quickly this year has passed.  And I can't believe how much of a boy you already are... When Eliza turned one, a couple of people gave her dolls.  I thought she was too young for them but she almost immediately started feeding them with pretend baby bottles and acting like a "girl," much to my surprise.  Now I watch you stand on top of chairs, try to jump into the water at Sea World, bite, knock things down and giggle each time you do.  And you seem like such a boy already!  You say duck, dog, ball and "boon" (balloon) now.  You follow your sister around and want to do everything she does.  You practically run everywhere you go.  Today you ran through a splash pad at a 4 year old's birthday party.  You fall down constantly and get right back up.  You spent your first birthday with a bruise on your forehead.  You throw balls and kick.  It's incredible to see how much you've changed in only a year.  I hope you won't be too busy exploring to snuggle with your mama once in a while!  XOXO. 

Friday, June 1, 2012

Camping

Papa & Grammy took us camping this week.  Both kids enjoyed swimming and Ezra loved chasing the ducks.  I think the s'mores might have been Eliza's favorite part.  My favorite part was someone else doing all the cooking!  The sunset was pretty spectacular too. 

Friday, May 18, 2012

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

April

How did it get to be May already?  April flew by.  Ezra now has 8 teeth...the better to bite us with!  The other day he bit my shoulder and I yelped and he cracked up.  I have to try not to react when he does it, so as to not encourage him, but his grin is just so cute and mischievous!  In bigger news, on Wednesday, April 25th Ezra really started walking!  He took 5 steps in a row a few times a day.  The first time we walked across the living room to his activity table.  The 2nd time he was walking to me. :)  His sister is adamant that he isn't walking; "he's just taking steps!"  But, his progress this week has been tremendous to watch.  Now he's taking up to 10 steps at a time, all day long.  I told S this morning, how amazing would it be if last Wednesday I learned a couple of French words, and less than a week later I had become a proficient French speaker?  It's so amazing to see how quickly he perfects new skills!  Speaking of new skills, I think this summer we (and by "we" I mean her father ;)) need to take the training wheels off of her bike; she's speeding around like crazy.  A little jealousy aside, she's also SUCH a good big sister.  Last night I overheard a "conversation" between the two of them.  Eliza was saying very calmly and quietly, "Ezra, you need to listen to my words.  You need to stay on the sidewalk when you walk; stop trying to go in the parking lot and on the road.  That's being dangerous."  So cute.  Everytime he sees her, his face lights up.  And she tries so hard to take care of him; although that occasionally means she accidentally knocks him down while trying to "help" him. 

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter!


It's impossible to get a picture of all four of us smiling, but that doesn't stop us from trying! Here we are in front of Ezra's new tree.

Bluebonnets




Monday, March 26, 2012

Toothy

Ezra got his 3rd and 4th teeth over Spring Break. That's 3 on the bottom and one on the top for those of you keeping track! And, his 2nd top tooth is coming in any day now; you can see it. For weeks now he's been grabbing our fingers so that he can walk around while holding one hand and he's been army crawling too. Since he's already walking a little bit and is almost always standing up, we'd all sort of decided that he would never crawl in a traditional sense. Saturday he proved us wrong. He woke up from nap and was playing on the floor while I blow dried Eliza's hair. My mouth dropped open when I glanced over at him and he's crawling on all fours with no problem. It was like something clicked in his brain while he was sleeping. So of course we all yelled, "Ezra, you're crawling!" and then he stopped and gave us a big smile like, "Of course I am, guys!" I was pretty happy to see it, not only because he looks so cute but also because he can do it by himself! Our backs are sore from holding his hand while he walks around all the time! His other favorite activity lately is to grab a hand so that he can walk to the guest bathroom and stair at the masks on our wall. We've had the masks forever and got them from South America. We jokingly call them "the gods of dentistry" because they're so toothy. They're a weird mixture of creepy and goofy. But, Ezra loves them. All day long he makes the trek to see them and do his little low pitched chuckle. Heh heh.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Best Week Ever

We had an awesome Spring Break! It was jam packed full of fun. Here are a few highlights...

Monday we went to the Nature Center with Janet and Lola. Ezra and Lola really hit it off. They've met plenty of times before, but they're getting much more interactive now and even hugged each other a few times. Eliza enjoyed the Dino Pit as always and showed the babies how to dig in the sand.

Tuesday we headed to DFW to visit Zac and Juju. They were heading back from Austin too, so they followed us there and helped out with the kiddos. Getting out of our driveway was a bit of a challenge (our road was closed for construction) but the rest of the road trip went pretty well. At one point Ez got fussy, and Eliza cheered him up by continuously squirting him with water. For some reason this made him laugh and laugh. We visited the playground, where Eliza crossed the monkey bars like a pro and Ezra tried the slide. That night we went to a cute Italian place that let Eliza make her own pizza and watch it cook in a wood fired oven.

Wednesday the 5 (I mean 6, SweetPea shout out! ;)) of us went to Dallas World Aquarium. I love that place. We went with Zac and Jules once before when Eliza was 1. This time it was crazy crowded! Like, line around the block crowded. But, it was worth it. Ezra liked it almost as much as Eliza! Before the aquarium, we also hit the McDonald's right next to the zoo. It's sort of like a cheap version of Rain Forest Cafe, with an indoor animal themed playground. Eliza is still talking about it. The kids had such a great day and I was so grateful Zac and Jules were there. The adventure was much easier with their help! That night Zac and Jules took Eliza to feed some fish and ducks at a nearby lake. Due to an accidental sisterly knee to his forehead right before the outing, Ezra and I opted to stay in.

Thursday the kids and I headed back toward Austin, but first we stopped at the Waco Zoo. Eliza's favorite part was the transparent slide that goes right through the Sea Otter habitat. The zoo was pretty crowded too, and at one point we were waiting behind a huge crowd to see a lion that was roaring. I was trying to hold both kids up at the same time so they could see over the crowd. As I held Eliza up, I said, "Did you see the lion?" and she says loudly, "I did, Mom! And I could see his penis too!" Oops, we got quite a few looks from the crowd. Luckily, after 4+ years of parenting a very vocal preschooler, it's pretty hard to embarrass me at this point. After 3 hours at the zoo we were getting pretty tired and cranky. Ezra took a very short nap, and he didn't want to miss any of the zoo fun. He was chuckling at the big animals again. We ended up stopping at Denny's on the way back. I don't recommend getting the tilapia at Denny's. S said that should be a given. :) We got home 5 minutes before Daddy and we were all very happy to see each other.

Friday we went to Ikea and then stopped by Ethan's house for an impromptu playdate.

Saturday we had a little reunion with my college roommates and their families. We now have 6 kids between the 4 of us, including a 4 month old, 5 month old, 8 month old and 9 month old! Ezra was the oldest baby and the only baby boy, and in all the pictures he looks like he wants to eat them! Eliza had fun playing with Jen's 2 year old. It was great to see everyone!

Sunday we went to the Austin Rodeo. We didn't do the actual rodeo part, but we did go to a petting zoo (which Ezra loved!), visit some longhorns and lots of horses and go to the carnival. Eliza is as much of a daredevil as always, and she and S rode the ferris wheel and a roller coaster. This morning she told me parts of the roller coaster were too slow! Right afterward she kept saying, "I can't stop laughing!"

After a whirlwind of a week, we are back to our usual routine. Luckily this morning both kids were very happy to see their teachers and their friends. I miss my little buddies already though!

p.s. Over the break Ezra's 3rd tooth popped through. Luckily he took it all in a stride.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Hook 'em



Our little longhorns on the swings...

Monday, March 12, 2012

Bedtime musings of a 4yo

E: Ezra you are the light of my life"
-That's so sweet to say about your brother.
Eliza: Know what?
-What?
E: There are 59 people in the world!....and 59 cars!
-Are you sure that's all?
E: 59 is ALOT
-How do you have so much energy?
E: You are an adult. You have to go to work. I am a kid and get to do fun things all day!
-Thanks for reminding me.
E: You know what that is?
-No.
E: That's me pretending my hand is a spider on your face.
-Oh.
E: Let's pretend the ceiling is a TV?
-Okay. What channel are we watching?
E: Moon channel.
-G'night moon

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Special Delivery



The kids got a big red ball in the mail last week from their Grammy's best friend, Melinda. Eliza was excited but confused. "Did Mrs. Melinda roll it all the way here?" Ezra has taken to blowing raspberries on it. He cracks himself up. Thanks, Melinda!