Oh, The Nap

Do you remember what it was like to take a nap in the middle of the day? Back before I had kids, I napped every weekend. Sometimes I would even take a nap when I got home from work. If I had only known what luxury that was, I wouldn't have taken them for granted like I did.

Now, my whole day revolves around naps. Max is supposed to take one and I plan our days to make sure that happens. Luke's not supposed to take one and I also have to plan the day to make sure he doesn't sneak off and fall asleep.

Luke can asleep anywhere. If he gets tired, he just lays down. If we're eating dinner, he'll lie down in his chair and he's gone. We can't ride in the car in the late afternoon or he will definitely fall asleep. It's not bad if Luke takes a nap, it's just that he gets a second wind that keeps him up until 11:00. Quite honestly, that's way too late for him to go to bed. It also makes it impossible for Merk and I to spend any time together with Luke bouncing around.

So here it is, 10:00 in the morning and Max has already decided he needs a nap. He won't take two in one day, so that means I'll have a very cranky toddler this afternoon. Right about that time, I guarantee you Luke will doze off, and this will turn into a very long day. Who knows, maybe Merk will let me have a nap after dinner so I can keep up with everyone. Here's hoping..........

Two Years Old!!!

Well, it's official. Max is two years old. Looking through these old pictures of him, it's hard to believe two years have gone by.

I'm actually glad he is two. He's a lot more fun now than when he was a baby. For starters, he's not sick very much anymore. Praise God!!!! I didn't think we would ever get through that.

Also, his personality is really coming out now. He is such a cutie. When he smiles, his face just lights up. And he has the best laugh. He laughs with his whole body and you can't help but smile when he does it. There's a magnetism to Max that makes him special. I hope he never loses that.

Luke likes him more and they play together often. They also fight a lot. When they're together, they both like to play with superheroes or cars. When Max is by himself, he likes to play with puzzles or blocks.

Max is very methodical and analytical. He actually builds towers to build the tower, not for the purpose of knocking it down. And he likes to be clean. He uses a fork and spoon because he hates having food on his hands. Yesterday I caught him cleaning my closet mirror with a baby wipe. It's actually quite smeary now, but I was amazed that he was trying to clean it.

Max still won't watch any television. I guess that's good. Thank goodness for playdoh or I would never get dinner on the table. He adores Luke and watches him constantly. He has an amazing vocabulary and even his pediatrician said he talks much better than other kids his age. Sometimes I think that's good and sometimes there are drawbacks to that. For example, if he wants a cookie, he'll ask for a cookie. If I won't give him one, he will literally keep asking me all day. He also has a strong preference for Merk and let's me know all the time. He'll say, "No, I want Daddy" or "Go away Mommy, I want Daddy change my diaper." I know he loves me and that this is just a phase. The positive side is that I don't have to change as many diapers when Merk is around.

I'm sad to leave the baby years behind, but I am excited about what's ahead. I can't wait to see how he changes and grows, but he will always be my little Baby Max.

Oops...I Forgot

Today was the day to sign our kids up for Summer Pre-School Camp. The camp is just 3 hours a day for four days. Not very long, but in the middle of the summer, we are going to need those 12 hours apart from each other. Well, of course I forgot and I also didn’t have my checkbook with me. The end result was a mad dash back home for the checkbook and then race back in time to snag the very last spot (no kidding).

Okay, so that worked out, but I’m frustrated with myself for being forgetful all the time. I use to be so organized. I would never leave the house without my checkbook, much less without a plan for the day.

Now, it seems like I forget everything. Yesterday I forgot to pack snacks for the mall. Thank goodness for Chick-fil-a. This morning I forgot to remind Luke to go to the bathroom and ended up cleaning pee from all over the bathroom floor. I know he can go to the bathroom by himself, but he’s four and anything is more interesting to him than taking the time to go to the bathroom.

I know I create more work for myself by not being organized, but I just can’t seem to pull it together. Maybe that’s how it’s supposed to be in a house with little guys. I look at them and I try not to beat myself up too much. I know as they grow, my organizational skills will come back. One day they will be able to pack their own snacks and not need to be reminded to go to the bathroom.

As for now, I can only console myself with the important things. I never forget to feed them. For the most part, they are clean, healthy and happy. I never forget to give hugs or pretend to be a dinosaur or polar bear. I never forget to make them feel loved and special. All in all, I guess I’m doing okay.

I’ll just have to think about that the next time I forget something…which will probably be in just a few short hours.

Luke

Luke is a sensitive kid.

When I pick him up from school, I always ask about his day. Yesterday, I knew another kid sent cupcakes to school, so when I asked him about the favorite part of his day, I was sure he would say cupcakes. Wrong. The favorite part of Luke's day was that his friend Owen didn't push him down. I've seen Luke and Owen play. I don't think Owen was trying to push him down as much as he was trying catch Luke and give him a hug.

Luke is fun and outgoing and friends with everyone in his pre-school class. I can't tell you how many mothers have come up to me and told me their daughter plans on marrying Luke someday. Most of the boys think Luke is their best friend.

Despite that, I forget how sensitive he is and how easily he gets his feelings hurt. If someone calls him a name or pushes him, Luke will dwell on it for weeks. It's also not uncommon for him to come home and tell me that he's not friends with someone anymore because they hurt his feelings.

He also needs lots and lots of hugs. Every morning, we spend at least 15 minutes snuggling. I have to admit, I don't mind snuggling. I know those days are limited and I'm trying to soak them up while they last. He also likes to give compliments, like telling me I'm beautiful or that Merk is a good daddy.

I often think about what kind of man he will become. Will his sensitive nature help him or hurt him? Will it make him a good father and husband? I hope so. I can't wait to see. Watching him grow up so far has been a privilege for me. I'm really enjoying this journey.


-Saying of the week-
Yesterday, Max and Luke were playing with play-doh, and I noticed Max had some play-doh in his mouth. I told him not to eat play-doh, only weird kids eat play-doh. Luke heard me and said, "Mom, Max is a little weird." I'm in so much trouble.

The Big Birthday

This is my first post on my new blog. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but it always seemed so intimidating.

This week I was looking at pictures from the boys' birthday party, and it is so hard for me to believe that four years has gone by since Luke was born. He was my baby, and now he's four and on the verge of so many big milestones in his life. So I'm going to start documenting them here, for me and for you, the people I love who live so very far away. I plan to update this page often, so check me out from time to time and see how we're doing.

As you can see, we had a great birthday party last weekend. We went to a gym and the kids went wild. Since Max's birthday is in a couple of weeks (March 31), we shared a party. I thought that was a great idea, until I had leftovers from TWO birthday cakes to bring home. We are just now coming off of the sugar high.

Luke and Max are both in pre-school two days a week. It gives me a break and I like to think they're learning something. Luke is really into superheroes now. He dresses up all the time and always asks me to call him by his superhero name. He also keeps asking me to get a Wonder Woman costume. Poor thing. He thinks that's actually a possibility. It's great to be four.

Max has already learned how to lie. If he falls down and I ask him what happened, he will say, "Luke pushed me," even if Luke is not at home. Poor Luke, he gets the blame for everything. Sometimes he deserves it, but often, Max just throws him under the bus.

Well that's it for my first post. Thanks for reading. Love you all.
Lea