My Little Picasso's

My Little Picasso's

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy Christmas from my family to your's!

Some pictures ...


Grandad with his two grandsons at the local Starbucks cafe!
Jingle, the barking storybook dog ... sweetest thing ever!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Max's favorite, from Mimi.  Grammy and Grandad got him the stuffed animal!

Uncle Duty

As Charlie rolled over one morning, he somehow got to his gift in a bag, got it out of the bag, and played ... three days before Christmas!

Christmas Pajamas

My beautiful family on Christmas Eve Night

Christmas Pajamas
My holidays and year were amazing.  Now it is time to start another one.  What will it bring for us?

December 31st, 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Give them a piece of paper ...

I know I have only been at this whole mothering thing for just over two years, but one piece of wisdom I must share with you all is they do not need much at this age!  I have been listening to friends discuss their strategies of holiday shopping, hiding the holiday shopping, finding the time to take out said hidden holiday shopping, wrapping, and then hiding away again so children believe Santa brought it all.

Guess what - when Charlie's new wooden rattle arrived today I took it straight out of the box in front of him, shook it about, he giggled, and then we put it away.  I know - I am terrible.  But I can still do this at this age.  I do not have to be stealth ninja Santa shopper.  However, I know I must hone my skills for next year with Max - he'll be three then.

What "they" say is true - give them a box.  It works!  Please parents save your money and do not go crazy buying gifts for your children!  Guaranteed ... someone or more than one someone in your family will do so.  BUY YOUR DIAPERS!

My little Max loves the smallest thing.  The smallest things make him happy.  Case in point:
We are Costco members(uh, duh!) and after checking out you must show the receipt to the man at the door.  Max likes to carry my receipts.  However, at Costco, they will normally draw a face or little man on the back of the receipt for toddlers.  DO NOT ASK ME HOW HE KNOWS THIS, yet after taking my receipt at the check out from me a few days ago, he immediately turned it over looking for his little friend.  Really, kid, you remember that.  A few short yards away as we exited, he got his little friend and was more than delighted!  That is what he needed.  Not a new toy or a new book - a little wrinkled piece of paper with a smiley face!  How sweet.  



Folks, enjoy these years of not having to do much!  Soon enough I can see the argument of having a gaming system in my living room being the hot conversation topic at dinner!

December 14th, 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Phase "Terrible Twos"

Phases end, right?

WHEN?

And don't tell me, when he's three.

Some of my friends told me, it is not the two's, it's the three's.  My a#@!  I am going to have to differ with your opinion there.  Yet, these friends did have girls.  I have a boy.  A very sweet, absolute copycat, melt your heart with his laugh, stubborn, boisterous, break the sound barrier with his cry boy.  I swear, my hearing is affected by all these tantrums and "phases."  My husband came up behind me yesterday and I had no clue, he said something and I jumped out of my skin.  My poor sensitive ears.  All I want is quiet.  Screw that new episode of NCIS tonight, just leave me in a quiet room.

My little Max's newest trick is putting him to sleep, or as he likes to think, not putting him to sleep.  Whether it be nap or bedtime, he is not having it.

We have the most magical routine with him which I must insist you all begin as soon as possible.  My little Charlie is in the routine and gets it.  (Are you in a routine or on a routine?)  About 6:15ish pm the boys eat and then it is upstairs for bathtime.  Max tries to use the potty.  This is going up and down ... Boys get bathed together.  Aquafor and pajamas, try to tame the wildness of the hair, and downstairs for snack!  If the aforementioned events do not go well, snack becomes milk only.  Brush teeth.  Kisses for all and bed.  Turn on the night light sea turtle, grab the blankies and stuffed animals, climb into bed on your own, all tucked in with everyone and everything, 2 stories, turn on the heartbeat bear and he is telling us to turn off the light.  We barely get into the room now before the whimpering begins, the little dance of stomping his feet, the arm waving, the tears, the hitting ... yikes, the hitting.

One night we made the mistake of letting him sleep in our bed - to our defense, Michael had just had his vasectomy two days before and was feeling quite ill, I was about to fall over, and Max would not sleep.  I could only handle one up, not two so before we knew it he is playing in our bed and then I wake up next to him and Michael all snuggled together and I am hanging off the bed.  I SAID I WOULD NEVER DO THAT.  I AM WEAK.  I SUCCUMBED TO EXHAUSTION.  PLEASE DO NOT HANG ME ON THE MOTHER WALL OF SHAME.

We have not had him in our bed since, yet listened to many tantrums.  He has finally now stopped after coming through the door almost three times for his afternoon nap.

What gives?  Something suddenly clicked in him - let's make mummy more exhausted than ever.  Hey kid, it's the holidays, give me a break!  And it had to come now when Daddy can barely lift a book.

I know it is a phase, but when everything works so well, you just never see these hitches coming.  I got hit by a mack truck ... a very stubborn two year old.  I understand things could be much worse.  Sometimes all I can do is laugh at the foot stamping cutie pie.  I secretly enjoy the clinginess he has with me because I will miss that when this "phase" is over.  However at the same time I question myself as a parent, what have I done wrong?  Did I over stimulate him that day?  Did we play too much?  Did we not play enough?  Then I slap myself for taking it too far.

It is a "phase."  Just a very difficult one.

December 13th, 2011

Friday, December 9, 2011

"V" Day

Vasectomy that is ... not victory.

After going through labor twice, my dear husband declared he would take one for the team and go through the vasectomy instead of me having to have a tubal ligation or other procedure to ensure just our two boys.

Well, it took longer than expected and was MUCH MORE PAINFUL for Michael than any of us expected, but all is done now and he lays with a bag of frozen peas, percoset on the dresser, and a stack of movies in our bedroom.  Poor Max does not understand why Daddy can't come out or pick him up, but it will soon be better and all will be normal ... Max trying to climb the dishwasher and Charlie screaming to holy heaven as a new tooth is about to burst through.

Oh, wait, that was just an hour ago!

I told myself not to cry over this decision, and I haven't, but I cannot help feeling a little bit of a loss.  What if we could have had a girl?  What about three boys just like Michael had as he grew up?  I always said I would like three.  I always said I would have another for Michael, no matter what.  However, it was him who made the final decision.  He knew two was right for him.  He knew two was a good number, and he couldn't be happier with two boys.  I couldn't pressure him to do something that he knew was not right for him.  That's not what it is about.

Needless to say, Charlie screamed through naptime, Max hit me numerous times this morning, and I still have hickies on my face(new ones I must say).  I am beginning to believe that two is just fine with me right now as well.

December 9th, 2011