kidbits: dumb **cks & star babies

Like any other two year old, my kids have developed their own language that they expect Husband and me to understand.  There are plenty of times when we have NO IDEA what they are saying and ask them to point to it or show us what it is they are talking about.  Holt, especially, becomes very frustrated because he is the child that MUST be understood.  He will repeat a word over and over and over and over (and over) until you've responded with the correct interpretation.  It's helpful to learn what he means, but there are times when I really wish he would just let it go and move on to something else.  Win is fantastic at that.

In life, Holt will get what he wants due to mere persistence and insistence patience.

Win will probably be a happier person, but satisfied with whatever is in front of him.

A while ago my mom told me a story about me when I was a toddler.  She's a good mom.  She wanted her kids to be independent and was always ready for a teaching/learning moment.  So she wasn't really one to baby or encourage baby talk.  The story she told me was that when I was little I said "lellow" instead of "yellow".  She loved it.  She didn't want that to change.  One day I went to swimming lessons and came back saying "yellow, yellow, yellow".  She told me she was heart broken.  I completely didn't get it at the time.

But now...I so get it.  There are so many times I don't understand them but then there are a few interpretations of words that I am adopting in hopes that they won't lose them.

MeeeMoh = Oatmeal

Shaeh (said a little nasaly and a whinier, longer version of 'meh') = giraffe
    There's big shaeh and little shaeh and giant shaeh...all stuffed animals of Holt's.  They don't call giraffes that anymore, but luckily those stuffed animals have adopted that name.

Eeesepeee = Led Zepplin (right now, this is their musical demand request of choice)

They also demand request to TURN UP eeesepeee when we're in the car. Win sings the words to Whole Lotta Love. "Waaaay don isside. Womo. You neee. Loooooooooooooo". I can tell you one thing, internet, I will NOT be explaining to them what a 'back door man' is. Will NOT.

efffen = elephant  (Win always follows this with a raspberry and raising his arm by his head.  Always.)

poosh = spoon

eee toes = eggs & toast

bee bee = baked beans

TAP = Captain America

nope = no (they seem to know this one well)

roc racoo be fen GOO = Rocket Raccoon and his best friend Groot

HI = throw the ball high

halaaa = throw the ball high enough to hit the ceiling

Anything that starts with a "p", Holt sticks his tongue out and starts it with a raspberry.  Pluto.  Please.  Sound like "Phphphpluto" and "phphphphphplease".  I realize that writing that phonetically doesn't really capture the entirety of my world at the moment, but you get the gist.

Then...there's truck.  At first it was cute.  They would drop them f-bomb, in lieu of truck, ALL THE TIME and we all thought it was hilarious.  But, I'm beginning to get a little self-conscious about it when we're in public.  We see A LOT of trucks and when they start yelling **CK **CK **CK **CK !!  while there are people around, I get a little red in the face.

**ck = truck

big **ck = big truck

fire **ck = fire truck

dumb **ck = dump truck

Can I tell you how great it is when they're yelling DUMB **CK DUMB **CK DUMB **CK DUMB **CK every time they see a garbage truck?

This last one is my absolute favorite.

It's my 'yellow'.

It's the one that I have adopted to ensure that they say it the rest of their lives.

Because it is fantastic.

staaa baabies = strawberries

Every time they play in their kitchen I make sure the strawberry is around so they can play and continue saying STAR BABIES STAR BABIES STAR BABIES.

8:52

One picture per kid per week for a year. 

Win at his first gymnastics class. 'The Pit' was a big hit. 

Holt with sidewalk chalk in our back'yard'. 

7::52

One picture per kid per week for a year.

 Holt

Win

Valentines Day

For Valentines Day, we get sunshine...and love it.

6::52

One picture per kid per week for a year.

Holt

Win

kidbits: birthday edition

When I was talking to Holt about their upcoming birthday.

Me: Hey Holt.  Do you know that you have a birthday coming up?

Holt: K.

Me: You do?  Well, how old are you going to be on your birthday?

Holt: Santa!?

Win walking toward me carrying a toy that has been taken apart.

Win: Oh no!  Oh no!

Me: What's wrong buddy?  Did your toy come apart?

Win: Holt did it.

Me: You're already selling your brother out?

Win: K.

 

Win

Holt

Twos

We are in that stage now...the twos.

I should probably be more scared of them.  We've already had some funny (if you want to call them that) "twos" moments with the boys.

But the number 2 now has some special meaning in my life.

I have 2 boys (goes without saying).

They were born on 2.2.12 at 12:12 am, 20 seconds apart. That day is also my maternal grandmother's birthday, the woman from whom I get my middle name, who also had twins, one of whom is my mother.

So, even though the birth of my twins wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, we feel pretty certain that everything happened exactly as it should have.

As the 2s are now here for our 2, we are amazed at what a fantastic and flabbergasting age this is. Their memories are incredible. Their vocabularies are growing everyday. They ask us what "dis" is so they can learn the word for it.  They are funny. They can answer questions and understand everything (more than we would like sometimes).  Win said, "bless you, mommy" after I sneezed the other day ?! They will go from crying because they lost a toy to the sweetest bunch of cuddly goodness to saying a word over and over until we understand it to dancing and spinning in circles at the drop of a hat.

To us, they are the best parts of still needing us and wanting to be picked up all the time and saying "I do it" to most everything.

Most recently the number 2 has meant something much more.

Because in the 2nd week of his 22nd month*, my boy, who was born on 2.2.12 and is 20 seconds older than his brother, came back to me.

Our boy came back to us.

Holt had spent the last few months frustrated for not only not being able to communicate effectively (he has a real NEED to be not just heard, but understood), but also for not being able to be as free with his movement as he once had been.  He was frustrated and would cry and whine a lot.  He had not always been like that, but we thought it was due to early onset
terribleterrific twos (as my mom calls them).  We thought it was going to be a phase.  But as soon as he had that last treatment in November, the laughing, joking, smart, running boy came back.  He was funny again.  He was sweet again.  His fuse was much longer.  He was happy.

Even though the GBS wasn't finished with him and he had a relapse in January, I can see Holt coming back faster this time.

I think this year is going to be his year (not the best of his life...I'd like him to remember that year).  I think this is going to be the year the I remember the most.  The year that I saw Holt struggle.  The year I saw us grow as a family.  The year I saw Win become a brother by looking out for Holt, almost care-taking for him - being upset when Holt was upset - giving Holt a toy when he was upset - stopping and waiting for Holt to catch up while we're on a walk - really showing love in ways that we didn't know he was capable of.

Two.  Who knew that 2 could bring such change?**

Who knew that 2 could bring such good?

*The only reason I know that is because I get those weekly babycenter emails.  I, seriously, wasn't keeping an eye on the exact week and month.  Who has time for that?

**Anyone who is already a parent of more than one child is laughing at that statement right now.

5::52

One picture per kid per week for a year.

Win: his first experience with snow.  Doesn't it look like Narnia?

Holt: going for a walk on the beach, with his hands in his POC-KETS, on his birthday