Kiss

So in Quebec it is custom to greet and part by touching cheek to cheek and making a kissing sound. There is a wonderful woman in my ward who I have become really close to. She wished me a happy new year and proceeded with the customary cheek to cheek. She then tried to do it with David. She reaches his elbow in height. David is more of the high-five kind of guy. So he didn't know what she was doing. So she was on her tip-toes pulling his shoulder down trying to perform the customary parting. She was finally able to give him an actual kiss on the cheek very awkwardly. It was so painful and hilarious to watch.

Quiet

Our nightly routine begins with baths. Then we change into pajamas and brush teeth. This is followed by family scripture study and family prayer in the boys' bedroom. I stay with Anders and settle him down for bed by reading a few stories to him and then cuddling with him for a few minutes while we sing church songs together. At the same time I am doing this with Anders, David watches America's Funniest Home videos while feeding Bram his bottle. (David claims that Bram insists on watching AFV because it is the only thing David can watch that keeps Bram still and calm). When I come out of the boy's bedroom I kiss Bram goodnight and then David lays him in the crib in the boy's room. Tonight I changed it up a little bit by cuddling and singing with Bram on my bed in the dark for a few minutes before putting him in his crib. He is mostly sleep trained so he rarely cries anymore. When I laid him down tonight he started crying the minute I wasn't touching him anymore. After I left the room and settled on the couch I heard Anders go, "Quiet Bram! You're otay." Bram immediately stopped crying. A couple of seconds later Bram started talking to himself and every minute or so Anders shushed him. Just now Anders started singing Happy Birthday. I am loving this stage with the boys!

Too Smaller

Tonight we were working on sounds with Anders. He has a sound book that has lots of pictures to make it more fun. We got to the letter h. There is a traced picture of a child's hand but it is still bigger than Anders'. Anders put his hand down on the picture and sounded disappointed as he said, "too smaller." He then had me do it and sounded equally disappointed as he said, "too bigger." So cute!

He is also having a hard time with correctly using pronouns. When he wants mom in the morning if Dad goes in to help him instead, he always asks, "where is mommy? I want momma! I need him!" Lol. It drives David crazy. We are working on it...

I asked him if he knew my name tonight. He says, "mom!" I asked if he knew my other name. He looks thoughtful and then says, "girl". Lol. I love that kid!

You say someping?

I told Anders that when his movie finished it was nap time. He jumped off the couch and ran to turn off his movie and then proceeded to run down to his room. I noticed he left his little penguin that he snuggles with under the desk so I called for him to come back before he got to his room. He comes running back down the hall and peeks around the corner with a questioning look, "you say someping mom?" I told him to grab his little penguin, and as he did he cuddled it under his chin and whispered, "I love my buddy" as he headed back to his room.

He also told me today: "I love you so much!" It is the first time he has added the 'so much' part. I loved hearing it.

No Jacket, No Happy

We were getting loaded into the car for our Ward Christmas party tonight. As I was buckling Anders into his car seat I realized I was freezing because I totally spaced putting on my winter jacket. I shouted for David to grab it as I was finishing buckling Anders. Then Anders says to me very matter-of-fact, "mom, need coat to be happy". Perhaps I am a grouch without one? I guess I will watch and see.

Bram played baby Jesus in a skit for our ward party tonight and he did a fantastic job. Don't worry, I won't let it go to his head...don't want him to have a Christ complex when he grows up. Luckily, he will never be young enough to play baby Jesus again.

Facelift and Boys Update

So it has taken way too long for me to do a facelift on our blog. It isn't that I don't love our new addition to our family. It is that I have an hour or two a day to take care of everything while the boys are sleeping, and so it has not been a priority for the last nine months! Can you believe it? I sure can't.

Bram is already 9 months. He has six teeth. He is crawling everywhere like a champ but would rather be walking. Of course he is fascinated by everything that can hurt him. He is always pulling plugs out of outlets, trying to pull over the floor lamps, and leaving huge messes in his wake. He has the cutest variety of grunts to talk to me. He is also a skreetcher. If Anders takes something from him or a toy isn't behaving how he wants it to, boy do I get an ear-full. He also has a great sense of humor! Him and Anders are always laughing together. Probably my favorite sound.

Anders. Where do I start with this guy? He is talking like nobody's business now. He loves reading with me. We read for almost thirty minutes every night before bed and he is ALWAYS asking for more. Then I tell him no more, time for bed and he immediately requests to "cuddle for a second". So we cuddle and sing "I am a Child of God". Anders can sing the first verse all by himself. Another sound I love! He loves to sing and dance.

Anders, Bram and I do daily dance parties, where we turn on a playlist of songs from Anders favorite animated movies. His most favorite song is "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows (it was part of the soundtrack for Shrek 2). I am grateful I like that song too. He now knows most of the words. He also has his alphabet down, even though he says one instead of y. And sometimes he skips n. Back to the dance parties. So I turn up the volume and we dance around the living room. Bram has started to dance with us and does a little bouncing booty shake while Anders and I dance circles around him. Cracks me up! Anders has started spinning in circles, almost. He TRIES really hard and can ALMOST do a full spin. Sometimes we are able to do dance parties with his cousin Nathan and Aunt Tracy over video chat. Anders and Nathan are always asking to do that with each other.

Pretty much, we have a blast together all day long. Unless Bram is ornery, or Anders is feeling cooped up, or I am sick. But mostly I have a blast being a mom.