"My Stomach Is Talking To Me"

What better way to ring in the new year than two toddlers throwing up every half-an-hour? I was thinking attending our stake party tonight, or even having rootbeer floats and a movie marathon, but the boys were in charge of the plans tonight and decided to surprise us by throwing-up during dinner with the sister missionaries over tonight...

Poor guys. This is the first time Bram has ever been sick and hearing him wretch it just painful. Thankfully, David and I currently seem to be fine. So, we are bringing in the New Year with awful kids movies and lots of cuddling and wet wipes.

It has been interesting having the kiddos suddenly explode while just finishing helping the other one get cleaned up. Anders had just finished getting cleaned up and dressed in new clothes for the fourth time, when we hear little footsteps in the hall and then a loud splash as Bram started throwing up the water he secretly guzzled. Note for the future: Don't let kids with the stomach bug take long showers because more than likely they will be back in the shower before the water heater has finished refilling the tank. We had to boil water on the stove to fill up a shallow bath for Bram. It was quite the adventure. Thankfully I have my very best friend to help and laugh through it all with me. 

Not Quite

David decided it would be a fun family activity to decorate some cards tonight. The boys killed me with their different commentary during the coloring. Bram was trying to pick out a color and Anders started to get grabby, so Bram said, "Back off! Back off!" Then I asked Anders if he was done, and he replied, "Not quite." What 3-year-old says that?! And the other day he was talking about how something was dangerous and I thought to myself, "I can't believe he even knows that word, let alone uses it correctly!" He has also started to say, "I can't know how," when we tell him to do something he doesn't think he can do. Bram's vocabulary and pronunciation have really blossomed in the past few weeks. He is talking in much more complex and complete sentences. They grow too dang fast, but I am really loving the opportunity to be part of all of it!

Polka Dot

Bram found his new best friend yesterday. We went to a store for the boys to look for the gifts they are going to bring their baby sister in the hospital. While looking around we found a section of safari stuffed animals, with six or seven different versions of stuffed giraffes. I started handing the different ones to Bram, and he wouldn't let go of this one. Even after he fell asleep, he still had a tight grip on him. Bram wants to call him Giraffe, and Anders suggested, "Polka Dot!" I thought that was such a cute name suggestion, so we are calling him both.

When we got home on Christmas Eve, David carried the boys inside wrapped in their new blankets. I walked in afterwards and this is what I found:

Well, almost what I found. Bram was laying face down and they said, "Hiding!" in unison. I was laughing so hard. 

Then as I was writing this post, the boys decided to do this:

Photo Bombing

Check out Bram in the background.

Sweet Tooth and Sweetness

Last night we had a little birthday dinner/cake celebration for a dear woman I visit teach, who also happens to babysit the boys for us. We made the cake on Thursday night and the boys kept peeking in the fridge all day Friday to look at the cake. We finally had it Friday night and Bram was in absolute heaven. Anders just wanted ice cream. 

Later that night we were at another friend's house. Bram came up to me with an upside-down sippy cup lid and a magnetic pig toy from off the fridge placed neatly at the center. In a really sweet and soft voice he said, "Happy Birthday Mom!" That kid knows how to melt my heart! 

Braving Costco

I didn't have the stamina to make it to Costco yesterday, while I was out shopping with one kid. I don't know what made me think I would have the stamina to go to Costco with both kids today. Don't get me wrong, I have really great and mostly obedient children. Usually it is a breeze to go shopping, even while I am seven months pregnant with a ginormous baby. In all seriousness though, it usually is a breeze. But combine several factors and it turns into an absolute nightmare. Factor one: the snow storm from the weekend has left a thick layer of dirty slush everywhere because today is warmer than the last three days have been. This led to factor two: the Costco parking lot was a sloshy mess of slush and dirty puddles. Which is so fun for Bram, since he loves to jump in puddles. I did not anticipate this leading to factor three: Bram eating the filthy slush off the bottom of his boots while I was trying to buckle Anders. I thought I was going to die, it was so disgusting. And for those of you who are not familiar with Montreal, over 25% of the population smoke cigarettes, so when I say the slush is gross, it is full of the grime left over from a lot of smokers! 

Then, we get home. I think, "The boys are dying to play in the snow. I will let them play in the huge piles of snow by the back porch while I unload groceries. Man, I am such an awesome mom!" They played happily for less than a minute when Anders fell into a snow mound and found out that snow on bare hands is COLD. Like, really really cold AND painful. So he screamed/cried uncontrollably for about five minutes. I couldn't take him inside to help warm them up because the car wasn't done being unloaded and Bram WOULDN'T come inside yet. Did I mention factor four: I am not supposed to pick up either of my children. With Bram, I sometimes have no choice. Whoever heard of a perfectly obedient almost two-year-old. Pretty sure I never will. 

So that was exhausting. But we did it. Hopefully Bram doesn't get some nasty virus from that slush...And Anders really isn't worse the wear for discovering how cold snow can be, and Bram somehow inherently understood this and didn't have a problem. 

Ah, the simple desires of a child!

Momma: Bram, what do you want for your birthday?

Bram: cake

Momma: is that it?

Bram: balloons?

Daddy: that is the best answer!

Home Teacher In Training

Anders was dying to go home teaching with his Dad on Friday night. He begged and begged. Finally, I told him he would have to wear church clothes if he wanted to go. The missionaries were still getting ready to leave our house. When they left, we found Anders in his room trying to get into church clothes by himself.

Last night, Anders was watching me take my many pills before bed. He queried, "Mom, you take your pills for your privacy?" My response, "My what?" He goes, "Your privacy." I reply, "You mean my pregnancy?" Anders, "Ya. That."

Bram grabbed a Christmas ornament off the tree, climbed onto the coffee table, and threw the ornament like a grenade. It shattered all over the floor. He had a little too much fun with that one.

T.M.I. But too cute not to write down. David is always asking me how I am doing and where I am hurting. I didn't realize Anders also paid attention to my answers. So the other night we were getting ready to cuddle and I was grunting away as I tried to relax with all the pains in my body from being pregnant. Anders looked so concerned and asked, "Mom, your scrotch hurt? Or your body?" I thought I was going to die of laughter. 

Mischief

I was baking sugar cookies with the boys and a friend today. My friend Brittany and I always get into really engaged conversations with eachother, which is also the time Bram seems to get into a new level of mischief that doesn't happen when I am more engaged with the boys. Today, we were busy with getting cookies in and out of the oven while chatting, and I turned to find Bram carefully unwrapping my gum. It could have been worse and he could have been eating the pieces he unwrapped. He would have gotten five successfully in his mouth by the time we noticed. So I was able to laugh and grab the camera for a picture and video.

Kid Magnet

We were at our ward Christmas dinner last night and they were having the primary present a live nativity. Some of our friends have two girls the same age as our two boys. The wife was leading the older primary in singing and their oldest daughter (3 1/2) decided to sit up on the stage even though she is still in nursery. The dad was trying to film his wife and daughter, but their youngest is a wiggle worm. So other friends of ours in the ward were trying to hold her for the dad. The husband was laughing so hard because the little girl was twisting and squirming in every direction to get out of his arms. I started laughing too, and so I pointed them out to David. He immediately jumped up and offered for the little girl to come to him. She did happily. Then, when her dad came to get her a few minutes later, she threw herself back into David's arms. He is such a good dad! On our way home he was telling me that he just ignored her in his arms, which is why she was okay. I said, "Hey! I taught you that when we first got married!" He said, "I know! I listen."

Here is a picture of Bram coming to say goodbye to me, as Daddy is taking them out for a walk to look for "little coons" (raccoons). Anders is convinced he will see some with the squirrels. I have no idea where that came from.

Green

I was wearing a pair of green sweat pants the other day. When I walked into the living room after getting dressed, Anders immediately notices the green pants, "Mom! You have GREEN pants!" He then thinks a moment before exclaiming, "I need green pants like you!"

Luckily, I already needed to go to Old Navy for maternity pants that same day. It was so amazing that we found his green pants on sale! And of course Bram needed some blue pants if Anders was getting green pants.