Matthias

Is my crazy boy! He is so silly and energetic and happy. He pops right out of bed at 5am and doesn't stop until 7 pm (except for the small nap time respite). He's always going full speed ahead and keeping us all on our toes.

This morning he said the morning prayer...

"Bless us safe from the crocodile in the river. Biting our heads off. Dinosaur."

Riiight.

We've been on our jungle/rain forest kick lately. Reading the jungle book with Matthias is tons of fun because he never believes what I tell him. Such as this is a toucan:


No, parrot. No, it's a toucan. No.

Or look a black-and-white colobus. No, monkey. Well yes, but its name is black-and-white colobus. No, monkey.

Cool, it's an Indian pangolin. No, dragon.

Why don't you just read the book to me?

He is our big ham and always into mischief. Although he will follow James anywhere and believe everything he says. My favorite is when he says something and James tells him "No, it's..." and Matthias says, "Oh."


Lately he has decided to change his own diaper when he is poopy if we aren't quick enough. One morning he came in to tell me he was poopy. I said I would be right down. A few minutes later he told me again. "I'm getting up. I'll be right there." Next time I open my eyes he's standing next to my bed holding his poopy diaper in his hands. A nice wet, gooey one. Carried all the way from down stairs up to my room. Yuck!

Matthias loves being a big brother and mostly thinks it is quite hilarious. He is constantly 'showering' Hannah with toys or covering her with blankets. And then laughing hysterically. So I always know when he's being naughty. But he is a great helper always fetching diapers and sometimes helping to feed if we get desperate!



Matthias could color for hours, and sometimes does. It's basically the only way to get him to hold still. He loves coloring and frequently comes home from nursery with several handouts. They make extra copies just for him! His fine motor skills have always been phenomenal. (see!)

He also is very good at puzzles and I Spy books. Something in his brain just connects so well with these activities and he really enjoys them. We have several 24 piece puzzles that he loves to do.


He takes so much energy and patience, but man is he cute! We love this little man to pieces! Everyday he is so sweet and fun and happy. He makes me laugh and shows me how to love life!

Preschool was about Rain Forests today...

Attempting to convince Taylor to take me here.

Monteverde Cloud Forest

James Speak & Matthias Chatter

James: Drive fast. As fast as you can so the polices don't get you. Drive medium. (meaning drive as fast as it's legal, not as fast as possible to get away...)


Me: Next week is the last week of your dinosaur class. Then you start swim lessons and then we go to Utah. A few weeks after we get home you'll start preschool.
James: And then Kindergarten.
(whoa, let's not get too ahead of ourselves)


Me: I can't do it with one hand (I was feeding Hannah)
Matthias: Three hands.
Wouldn't that be nice sometimes?

Henry's Courage

Our friends have a pretty hilarious 3 year old. Here is his new version of "Nephi's Courage". Keep in mind Ellis is his baby brother. For more by Henry go to the home page of their blog. Enjoy your weekend!

Argh!

Guess what will be really frustrating? In 12 years when I have to drag Matt out of bed for early morning seminary.

Hannah Banana

disclaimer: This post expresses my personal thoughts, I am not judging any decision you have made. It has no effect on my opinion of you. Please don't be offended or think I am having a 'better than thou' moment.

So I've alway maintained the opinion that my daughter(s) will never wear sleeveless clothing. At all. Obviously as long as I am making the choice...ie when I am dressing her and even when I am still buying her clothes. Hopefully after that point she will decide on her own to be modest. Do I think there is anything wrong with a 2 year old wearing a tank top? No. A 16 year old. Yes. So when does that change take place? 4? 8? The vague onset of puberty?

Now I finally have my girl. And I was looking at summer outfits. And a lot of them don't have sleeves. I always buy the ones with sleeves. Until a couple weeks ago I bought one without. And figured I would just sew sleeves on. Until I realized, Hello. Hannah doesn't wear pants. Which is more cause for concern...bare shoulders or completely, 100% bare thighs?

So my new conclusion: Hannah can wear sleeveless (meaning no sleeves, but not spagetti straps) until it is no longer kosher for her to go sans pants. Which for me is about when my kids start walking. And then they just look weird with no pants on. So 9 or 10 months if trends hold.

Logical conclusion or poor justification?

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

While searching for a picture of my Texas bathroom I came across this post. And realized number one why I love blogging. I NEVER would have remembered that moment without typing it down. And number two Matthias has had this 5:30 problem for quite some time.

We've tried many things (later bed time, seperate rooms, confinement to bedroom in moring, etc). But I think we have finally given up. Honestly 5:30am I can handle. It's 4am that is really not okay with me. Because that's what was happening since Hannah would wake up about 4:15 to eat and by the time she was fed and back to bed it was nearly 5. Meaning I had about 20 minutes to fall back asleep before I heard the stomp, stomp of boots across the wood floor. Have I mentioned I very much dislike cowboy boots at 5 in the morning? Very much.

Side note: One really disturbing fact about Colorado is at 4:40 am, yes AM people, while I am awake feeding Hannah, the sunlight begins streaming through our bedroom window. I am not kidding. I am not exaggerating. It is a true fact. And it is scary.

Fortunately for us Hannah has started sleeping until about 5 or 5:30. Yeah!! So we have been too, dispite the audacious sun. And since we now go to bed at 9 pm (9:30 if we're really crazy) we are actually slowing adjusting to the early wake up time. Slowly. However when you have exercised, breakfasted, read scriptures, thrown dinner in the crock pot, and showered by 7:30 am you're really feeling good. And the wondering what on earth to do for the next 12 hours until bed time...

I will admit we bought blackout shades for $12 at Wal-mart. I didn't really expect that to help, but I did hold out a small hope they might buy me until 6 am. Or at least 5:45. No such luck. It's pitch black in the boys' room right now. Mid day, pitch black. No help for the early riser. So enjoy your children who sleep until 6:30. Rejoice in their sleepiness. And be glad your sun doesn't rise until after 5.