Where Have We Been?

That's a great question. Best answer: chasing around two very active toddlers! Whew, life is so busy here in the Morris household, I don't even know where to begin.

     First of all, a praise. We're sleeping much better! No more long wake-ups in the middle of the night, thank goodness. I feel so much more physically rested. However, I am experiencing a new kind of tiredness at the end of the days--emotional exhaustion from discliping! Oh man. Staying on top of Seth and Sam's behavior, teaching them to share, not throw fits, keep their hands to themselves, have manners, speak kindly, have respect, etc. etc. etc. I'm thankful for 5:00 pm daily, because that means reinforcements!

   I've been astounded in how quickly the boys have developed language-wise. It's so fun! Here's a couple fun stories:

*Everything is now "big"...big car, big tractor, big shovel, etc. Yesterday as I was using a windex bottle, Seth made sure to tell me that it was, "BIG soap." Very cute, and yes, it does look like a big soap bottle.

*Who would have known that I would already have to deal with bossyness? Now whenever I tell one boy to do something, the brother mimecs my words, with exact same influction. Yikes. Imagine me yelling, "Seth, come here," and then Sam repeating...and visa versa.

*We're still struggling with the word "fork" sounding quite naughty. Unfortunately, a fork lift (aka "f-off" in our household) was driving through Costco the other day. Imagine my embarrassment to have not one, but two little boys yelling that through the store. Ugh.

Brothers gotta hug! Sam, Seth

"For 3!"

Here's a picture of my Seth-boy. He's sporting Daddy's ankle brace. What a funny kid he is! Seth's voice is absolutely adorable: it kind of has a raspy tone to it, he sounds like an alley cat when he meows. He's got the cadence of language down really well, and will "copy" whole sentences, at least in a mumbling sort of way. He hates going to sleep, and loves keeping Sam up with him. When they're in bed, I often here "Shammy," and giggling ensues. Yesterday I checked on him at naptime, and he was sitting up, with a tubby naked tummy, and shirt in hand, saying, "Clothes off." I just laughed. He's been struggling with fits a lot lately, and I think it's because he's SOOOO close to being able to tell me what he wants or needs, but can't quite yet, and he's frusterated. We're frusterated, too, buddy, but just with your fits! A favorite recent memory of Seth: him walking through the grass, trying to put his shovel and rake over his shoulder just like Ben. Sweet boy.

Oh my Sammy-D, what am I going to do with him? He continues to be a daddy's boy. In fact, in this picture he's wearing a hat of Ben's that he seems to find daily and wear all the time. He LOVES basketball and has been quite put out lately when we visit friends' houses and they have balls, but no hoops. He looks at me with a ball in hand, and says, "Basketball Hoop?" like "Hello, mom, how can there be a ball and no hoop?" Sam is quite particular, but I never know when it's going to show up. All of a sudden, he'll only want orange cups, or a certain blanket. This drives me crazy, and we seem to butt heads more often than Seth and I do. Sam has a great sense of humor, and likes to tease.

This is a picture of the boys first thing in the morning. When I first get them up, we'll read together, and then I'll leave them in the chair to get breakfast for us. It's really quite sweet to see them reading together. Seth and Sam really do play well together...it's very wonderful. Recently they've mastered climbing in and out of the pack-n'play we keep set-up in the guest room. They'll play in there for hours and I'll hear, "Sheth's turn, Sham's turn." They also "switch" toys or books on their own. Very sweet.                                                    Oh, a funny final story for you: about three weeks ago at dinner time, Ben very ungratiously lifted a cheek and farted. (Great, right.) Sam looked at him and stated, "Daddy pooped." What a laugh we got! We explained to them that it was a toot, not a fart. Now, we have a whole line of tooting and pooping jokes/teasing. "Daddy pooped." "No, no, Daddy tooted." Or, I'll ask them if they have poop, and get the response, "No, mommy pooped." Oh, what a boy's household I live in.

Spring Fever

Realizing that it was March 11, and I hadn't taken any pictures of the kids all of March (gasp), I brought out the camera on a sunny Friday and snapped away. Sammy in camo, Seth in brown.

The boys are growing up so fast, and language is wonderful. We were out doing errands this evening, and as we drove home, Seth said, "Bye, bye shopping." Ha ha. So funny. One afternoon I watched as the boys chattered away to one another (not understanding what they were saying). Sure enough, they ran out of the room together, then both came back out with pillow in their hands, saying, "Pillow pile." People ask if they have their own language...well, maybe they do?

Check out that furrowed brow on Sammy

Mommy's Favorite Thing of February

My favorite thing of last month? Definately Seth and Sam choosing to sleep with a stuffed animal. Seth sleeps with "kitty" and Sammy with "puppy dog" (always puppy dog, not puppy, not dog). It is adorable. I have a memory of Sam standing in the living room with his blanket slung over his shoulder and puppy dog under his arm--I hope it is frozen in my mind forever!

Favorite Things of February

Using Daddy as horsey

Seth, Sam



Learning how to use the mixer with Mommy

Pillow Pile! Ben taught them how to "fly like an airplane" and crash into the pile.

Seth, Sam

Seth, Sam

Building tall towers with blocks



Post on 21 months to come...we're finally almost healthy!

Swimming

Last Saturday, Ben helped my brother-in-law Nick tear down a wall in their house. The kids would have just been in the way in the house (although the boys think they are so helpful with the tools!), so Katie and I took Miriam, Aidah, Seth and Sam swimming at a very cool complex in Salem. It's perfect for little kids because there is a huge, shallow section with a slide. Seth and especially Sammy began the morning by clinging to me, which is quite odd, because they LOVE the bathtub. I was thinking, "Great, glad I spent that 5 bucks." On the first time down the slide, Sam bonked his head and clung to me even harder. However, he decided to try it again...and this time, he landed it, and just kept on walking. It was like he had never been afraid of the water. From then on, Seth and Sam just had a blast. They played alligators and motorboats with Miriam and Aidah. And they went on that wonderful slide over and over and over again. They had a wonderful nap that afternoon and I look forward to going swimming with then again soon!

Playing alligators and Aidah enjoying the pool water.

Aidah and Seth



Sam




Miriam playing motorboat with Sam




Sam on the slide




Katie's girls



Sweet, Sweet Sleep

After two months of horrible sleep in the Morris household, we had 5 GREAT nights in a row. We're almost positive that it was the antibiotics that they were taking for ear infections that were causing all the wakings. I actually got a stretch of sleep from 11:30-5:00 one night! I seriously feel like a new woman. My mind has reawakened, and I'm thinking once again: "Spring garage sale? Should I move that frame? What books do I want to read next?" I'm planning my garden, reorganizing, rearranging. Oh, and did I mention how much more free time I have on my hands? Not only are Seth and Sam sleeping better at night, they are finally napping for 2.5 hours in the afternoon (I was lucky to get an hour stretch during their sickness!) And, because I'm sleeping for a full 8 hours at night, that means I don't have to nap when they do! I can have long devotions, read, blog, clean...have fun...yes, maybe start scrapbooking again. Thank you, Lord, for sustaining us during a exhausting couple of months. And thank you for sleep!

Here's a little project I was able to do yesterday during the boys' naps: treats for friends and neighbors. Yum!  (Notice the little fingers faded out in the background. Evidently because the treats were on the boys' table, they thought they were fair game. I had to fight them off to take the picture!)

Look How Much We've Grown!

I snapped this picture yesterday of Ben and the boys. It reminded me a lot of a picture taken when Seth and Sam were just 2 months old. I can't believe how much they have grown and quickly time has gone. Ben still loves to hold the boys together (although I don't know how much longer they'll fit!) Seth and Sam adore their daddy and wait by the door for him to come home every day.