Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was a bit like Christmas this year, with the anticipation and then the daylong supply of sweets and surprises. Isaac was thrilled with the holiday, starting with the night before, as we kept him up past bedtime making valentines for his class.


Though we missed our sleeping Jonah, the three of us had a great time. Isaac was very particular about the valentines - each one got the same number of stickers, and he was naming which friend each one would go to, even though we weren't supposed to personalize them.

Adam came up with the design, I cut out all the hearts, and Isaac put them together. Pretty cute!


On Valentine's Day, Isaac's class hung their decorated, brown-bag mailboxes, and we helped the kids put one valentine in each bag. Then there was a party. Teacher Sarah handed out their bags at the end of class, and Isaac sat on the daybed at home and lovingly pulled out each card. I told him who each was from and let him eat one more piece of candy from among the treats some kids had given. Most of the cards were homemade, like ours.

All day, and for weeks, Isaac carried that bag around the house, pulling out all his valentines, then carefully putting them back. If Jonah tried to pull out the valentines, he had a fit because those are "special."
The treats were gone quickly, except for a pack of Chips Ahoy cookies that were probably pulverized by the time anyone opened them. I'm not actually sure what happened to them.

That night before bed, we let the boys open their cards that had come in the mail, and I gave them each a little gift from us. Celebrating this holiday is fun!

Jane and Greg had sent cards with sheets of fun stickers, which Isaac especially loved. My parents had sent them each a card with dollars. Jonah was delighted to have dollars of his very own to hold, as he badly wants a wallet with dollars like Isaac has, and Isaac doesn't like to let Jonah play with his (it's "special" - and well, Jonah can tear up a dollar pretty fast when he gets annoyed).


I'd picked out a Russell Stover heart box of chocolates for Isaac - the kind my parents always gave us, which I loved and still love. I didn't want to get candy for Jonah, but I found this crazy lightstick (with red hearts along the side) instead.

Feb 5 & 6: Sledding!

Sometimes I forget how fun winter can be.

I gave Adam a sled for Christmas 2009 because he'd always loved sledding as a kid, but also as a way for us to get outside in the cold and have fun and exercise together as a family. So on a February Saturday, with a few inches of snow on the ground, we took the sled to a nearby park. It takes so long to get coats, hats, mittens, boots and snow pants on two kids, but it's always worth it once we get out there.

Isaac and Adam took the first run down the park's bigger hill. Isaac seemed a little afraid but he liked it.

Jonah had never been sledding before. After Adam took him down, our constantly-moving toddler sat perfectly still, not making a sound. I bent down to look at him, and his eyes were glazed over. Was he okay? Maybe he was too young for this, at 16 months...



We moved to the little hill, where Isaac was more comfortable. Jonah recovered after a while, and he walked around and looked at the snow while Adam took Isaac up and down on the sled. Our little guy insisted that he didn't want to try again ("Do you want to go sledding again?" "No!"), but I was sure he'd like the little hill. So finally, I put him on the sled in front of me without asking, and we zoomed down together. It was fast but short. At the bottom, he was totally still again.

I asked, "Did you have fun? Do you want to do it again?"




Suddenly, Jonah started clapping his hands together (want sign) and saying "More! More!"

We did it again and again, taking turns with Isaac. Each time, Jonah clapped his hands and yelled for more, and Isaac said "Do it aGAIN!"





Eventually, Jonah got mad when it was Isaac's turn. He started yelling "No no no!" and then, as Isaac hopped on the sled with Adam, "Turn, turn!"



The next day was Sunday, and we woke up to several inches of fresh snow on the ground. While the snow had been patchy in spots the day before, we knew it would be perfect that morning. It was gorgeous outside - the snow was wet and sticky, and it had turned all the trees to glittering white. So we went back to the park for more sledding.





We had turned Jonah's carseat around the night before, realizing that his legs were just getting too cramped. Look how far his feet hang over the edge - he must have been getting pretty uncomfortable!


Adam and Isaac took a run on the big hill, and then we switched to the toddler hill.


Poor Jonah could hardly move in all his winter clothes - but he was warm.










Isaac was ready to go!


And Jonah needed a minute, but he rediscovered the fun of snow when Adam started swinging him.


And he loved sledding just as much as the day before.






As did Isaac.








The park turned into a Sunday morning party, as more and more families showed up.


There was laughter and squealing and shouts of encouragement, and we even saw two families from our playgroup and traded sleds for a few runs. Isaac even went down alone a few times in Mylan's bucket sled.








I was struck by how comfortable we all seemed, out playing in the snow. It was a scene from someone else's childhood, certainly not mine - but I guess winter will be much more normal for my boys than it was for me. We had fun in the snow in Charlotte, but it didn't come very often, and the cold didn't last too long - mostly, you just stay inside more until it warms up. It was fun, watching all these families out together, to discover that snow makes the whole world a playground. And if you're dressed for it, it's not that cold!

Life With Two Sweet Boys

Jan. 13, Jonah at Music Class * Thanks to Brian Campbell for this awesome photo!

I try to keep a list of some of the funny things the boys say and do, intending to record them on the blog. And I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, since the blog is a public forum, but it's also a good place to take note of their accomplishments.

Both boys are growing and developing so fast, and they each amaze us every day. But lately, we've been especially impressed with Jonah's developing verbal abilities.

At 15 months, he could speak more than 100 words.

I started keeping a list for fun, and after 100 I lost count. But for most of February, I seemed to be hearing about 2 new words each day from him. He is definitely very verbal, and by now, he can communicate almost anything he needs and is even developing some small talk skills!

(Example - My dad said: "It's a nice day." Jonah, looking at the trees moving - "Win-wy." (windy))

Below is a list, for those of you far away and missing these guys, of funny things I wrote down in the first part of the year.

JAN 6: I was looking at pictures of Isaac and GG reading in Damascus. Jonah saw and heard me say GG. He stopped what he was doing, leaned forward and smiled a wonderful happy smile and said "GG...GG...GG." He stared at each picture, and when we'd seen all three, he gave me the more sign.
Jonah hadn't seen GG in about 6 weeks, and he was only 15 months old by now, but he remembered.
GG, we all wish we could see you more.

Early JAN: Jonah loves pushing the buttons on the microwave in Isaac's new play kitchen. He says "BEEP BEEP BEEP!" in a very deep voice, then a melodic high-pitched "Rea-ry!" (ready) as he opens the door. Cutest thing ever.

JAN 12: Last week the toilet in our bathroom clogged. Adam cleaned it out with a snake tool THREE TIMES before he finally removed the whole toilet to take a look. Stuck in the toilet pipe, he found a little train car with the paint worn off (friction)...Thanks Jonah!
I had no idea Jonah was putting things in the toilet...but a day or so later, Adam caught him lifting up the lid while holding another train.

JAN 14 - An afternoon walk on a mild winter day:




JAN 20: 2nd time this has happened. Tonight while nursing, Jonah stopped and looked at me and said so clearly: "Ow." I asked what hurt, and he put his finger in his mouth and pointed to a molar.
Me: "Oh, your teeth hurt?"
Jonah: "Teeth."

Apparently Jonah signed me up for a new cell phone service for $9.99/month. It's called Babes Unlimited! The description says something about unlimited downloads of photos of hot girls. He is a mess. And I don't know how to cancel it.

Yesterday, Jonah had a poopy diaper, and I was being lazy. So he got the changing pad out of the basket, spread it on the floor, pulled the diapers out from under the sofa, handed me one, and did his "want" sign - clap clap. Wow...

Also yesterday, Jonah pointed to Todd's roof next door as we passed the window on the stairs.
Jonah: "Am-mal! Am-mal!"
I looked for animals, and he was right - 2 pigeons.
Then we passed the Chinese painting, and he pointed and said "Hor! Hor!" While this version of horse could be taken the wrong way...he was exactly right - 2 horses, and we'd never shown them to him before.

JAN 22: Yesterday I started reading a book with Isaac. We'd just pulled it out of a newly-arrived box and hadn't seen it since Charlotte. The duck was looking for her brother.
From the first page, Jonah started leaning over and yelling "Wa-wa! Wa-wa!" (water)
He'd just had a drink of water and knew where his water bottle was. He continued to yell water throughout the book (not exactly relaxing reading), as the duck searched everywhere for her brother.
Finally, on the last page, she found him - in the water. I showed Jonah, and he looked satisfied and stopped yelling water.
How did he know??

We all love the enormous sheep from Jane and Greg, Jonah's baby present.




JAN 23: Images from today - the boys lying on the sheep together, both quietly reading books...and the boys rolling around on the sheep together, squealing and giggling like best buddies.

-------------
Today Jonah pointed at Todd's house through the window and said "Am-mal." So we looked for animals (birds) on the roof. There was just one up there, so I said: "There's one bird. Just one."
Jonah said: "Two."
Wow, pretty good, I thought. Intentional though?
Then he said: "Three." WOW.

Later I was holding Jonah and telling my mom on the phone about what he'd said. Jonah heard and said "ONE!"
Then he said: "Two...three...four...FIVE!" I couldn't believe it. Not quite 16 months. Obviously he's not counting, but what a great memory.

JAN 25: I was sick in bed all day. The boys had picked up some personal items at Safeway for my supply, and Isaac was on the bed with me, explaining why they'd bought them for me.
Isaac: "These are things that help you when you're sick. They have things in them that fight off bacteria...These are organic...And if you run out of these [holds up the box of pads], you can use those [box of Tampons]. These are organic. They have some that are organic, and some that are not organic."
Isaac described a few other things and then came back to his original subject. He told me the three different uses for the tampon box:
1- You get it wet, put poison water in, and put it in your mouth.
2- There's a light inside, and you turn it on if you can't see.
3- This has soft paper in it. Soft paper grows in bac-TER-ia.

JAN 30
Adam to Isaac: "Your little brother loves you so much."
Isaac: "I love him so much too."

JAN 31
Isaac to Blanket Dog: "It's just a stink [extinct] volcano. That means it's not going to do it anymore."

After dinner, Isaac was having a long crying fit because I wouldn't let him carry around the snowflake ornament we got in NM. Jonah was walking through the house carrying a broomstick that was twice as tall as he was. I was cooking the rest of the pumpkin pancakes when I heard Jonah in the dining room with Isaac, saying "Sah-ry. Sah-ry. Sah-ry."
I looked in, and Jonah was standing next to him, vigorously doing his sorry sign (rubbing his tummy) and saying the word over and over.
Then he squatted next to Isaac, put his arms around him and laid his head on his back for a big hug. He just sat there and held Isaac while he cried. He got up after a bit, but every now and then afterward, he'd stop his playing to give Isaac another big hug.
I think Isaac really appreciated it too. Once he was happy again, he wrapped his arms around his brother and gave him a big hug and then a kiss on the head.

New Year's Day

Jonah is quite the performer. I've realized that attitude is something you're born with.

We were flying home on the 3rd, and we'd sort of planned to be back in Charlotte on the 1st, to give us time to pack and relax a little. But when we woke up on a foggy beautiful New Year's Day, we knew we didn't want to go anywhere. So we postponed closing up the house and saved the 3 hour drive for the next day, and instead we walked in the damp and thawing woods and played with these funny hats.












The boys watched their crazy dad outside in a T-shirt walking through the snow.


He was bringing in wood to replenish the dry pile on the side porch.


It was the kind of mountain day when you want to snuggle up under a blanket and stay there all day.


But it's also fun to walk through the misty drizzle.






For some reason, Jonah was really upset about riding in the carrier. So we made it to the Bedsoles and back, but we didn't linger.


Winter is often characterized as a dull season, but it's never just brown in the woods.






Look what my new camera can do! If you look closely at the water droplet, you can see the forest reflected in it, a minuscule upside-down scene.






We came in from the cold, and Isaac and I warmed up with a mug of green tea and honey. We were damp all over, but a cold wet day is always better when you get out in it.

The light faded early, and we ate one last dinner in our favorite house in the woods.