Snow Day, Etc

Right after Phil promised us Spring was around the corner, we traded our 65 degree weather for something more wintry. (How do you like those mangy-looking groundhogs we made at the Childrens Museum?)

All last week was really cold for Houston, with lows in the teens and highs barely above freezing. Snow was expected Friday, and the mayor of Houston shut the whole city down. Scott tried to go to work anyway, but couldn't enter the freeway because so many accidents had already occurred on the ice-coated roads.

He came right back home and thus began our first Larson Family Snow Day! There were impressive icicles on the toy cars, and everything outside was shiny with ice all day long. 

The foam football, which has been slowly eaten by backyard creatures, was frozen solid. 

Ian dressed himself in three long-sleeve shirts, a jacket and boots before the day even began. He was heartbroken that the snow never arrived. 

By 10:00 am he assumed his typical uniform: basketball shorts, a polo shirt and cowboy boots.

Joseph was more optimistic though, and kept his jacket on all day. When the snow didn't come, we did what anyone ought to -- we BBQ'd outside and ate Rootbeer floats. And Scott replaced our garbage disposal. Our Snow Day was a huge success!

But today temperatures are back at 70 degrees (never mind the hail that fell briefly). After being stuck inside for a week, we are eager to get back outside and do some more of this:

bouncing on frisbees on a balance beam

And it might get so warm we even have to shed some layers. (or if you're Joseph, maybe just the sleeves)

A rare moment when the boys smile in unison. (Notice another variation of Ian's 'uniform')

In other news, the boys took their paddle balls fishing on the stairs. 

And Joseph can often be found styling his own hair or getting himself a drink (while soaking his outfit).

The first week of January marked Ian's entry to Primary at church. He is in a Sunbeam class for three-year-olds, and he feels incredibly grown up. He has been visiting Primary for singing time for the last month, and was very eager to meet his new teacher and stay for the full Primary program.

Ian anticipated last months' Primary Party more than any other event in his young life. It was a pancake-meet-the-teacher affair. He asked daily for two weeks if it was time to leave yet. And on the appointed morning I found him dressed (including black socks) and waiting to leave before 7 am. And he wasn't disappointed: they even had a short buffet table so the kids could serve their own pancakes. His teacher Sister Torgeson is perfect, and he had a blast. He was a little ashamed that his mom stayed for the party though... I promise I stayed out of the way!

Joseph will be in nursery for another year. I love that when certain Children's Songbook songs play in the car he declares that he sings them in "my nursery class" (nurs-e-wee kwass). He loves to talk about nursery, but still thinks he needs to cry for the first 10 minutes before he can have fun. 

Evidence that it's near impossible to get a smiling picture of them both.

I suppose we did have snow this month after all... As a matter of fact, it happened right in Ian's bedroom, during quiet time. 

I ought to know by now that silence always equals some sort of enormous mess. (like thousands of static-y balls from inside the beanbag chairs) I distinctly remember Ian fussing in his room about something and then abruptly becoming very quiet. Over the next two hours I wondered if he was sleeping... but periodically heard noises to the contrary.... and why would I ruin a good quiet time and disturb him?

Ian had a good ol' time driving trucks through the snow and making it snow some more. I am sure he knew it wasn't a "good choice", a fact that I made sure he understood as I scrubbed the balls from his hair in the bathtub, and de-balled the insides of the vacuum cleaner later on.

But it's hard to stay upset with this adorable boy and his beloved partners in crime (the bunnies).

Today's quiet time was much less messy. Ian built "Daddy's office". Notice the tall buildings, the parking garage with cars inside and some spill-over parking on the street, and even a tall green tree out front. The cutest part was how excited he was to show it off!

Cute Boys

I have been storing these up since October, so I figure it's time for another installment of my Cute Boys.

During a recent car ride, Joseph said "No, Lesley!" in a very stern voice, when I told him he couldn't have something. Ian said, "I am sorry he said that to you, Mommy."

Also, whenever one son says something unkind to me, the other desperately shouts "I love you Mom! I love you!"

I told the boys we would stop at Chipotle on the way home, and Ian said, "If Chipotle is closed, then we can go to Taco Bell. If Taco Bell is closed then we can go to Jack in the Box. If Jack in the Box is closed, and if Taco Bell is open again, then we can just go to Taco Bell. So what are you going to get to eat at Taco Bell, Mom?" The more fast food restaurants Ian named, the more horrified I became that he knew so many of them!

The boys love listening to The Music and the Spoken Word during long afternoons. During the rare organ solo numbers, Ian positions his "organ" like this, and keeps those pedals moving through the whole song.

When Scott asks Joseph what he did that day, Joseph always first responds, "I pushed." It sounds like "I puthhhhed." It is usually an accurate accounting of his day. He is also starting to say "I'm sorry" though.

Ian has always enjoyed inventing nicknames for things, especially shortening the name. Like "bathy" for bathroom. He also shortens "brother" to "broth-y".

Ian also has always found it funny to purposefully pronounce words incorrectly. Unfortunately Joseph now does it too. So instead of saying "I'm sorry", Joseph with usually say some variation of "I'm sorr-eeek!" Now when apologizing to each other, they both insist on a "good I'm sorry", which means pronouncing it correctly.

Ian still uses his bunny's ear to comfort him. He likes to poke the corner of his eye with them, or tickle his fingers and face with them. Recently he told me that he needed a new bunny because that one was "running out of tickles". When he comes in to snuggle in the morning he asks if I would like a tickle on my eye too.

Ian's bunny has many names. Mr Krolick (Russian for rabbit) has been around for a long time. Several months ago he also starting referring to it as "my tears."

Joseph came up to me today with his mouth open and tongue sticking way out. He said "I have a yucky hair in my mouth! It's really way back there!"

Joseph has a special high-pitched voice for babies and animals. He also has a very needy stuffed dog who he always declares is "kuh-why-ing" (crying) and then he rushes off to hold him close and comfort him.

After a weeks' worth of Ian waking up at 6 am to crawl in bed with me, I told him to look out the window and see if it was light outside before he got up for the morning. Then I asked him how he would know if it was time to get up yet. Ian answered "I will know in my heart. Jesus will help me to sleep." (He slept til 7:40 am the next day!)

While eating noodles for lunch Ian requested an addition of "par-ma-juhm" cheese and then went to fetch it himself. Then, in his most professional voice, he asked Joseph if he would also like a big shake of it. Then he said "And now I will go and put it back by myself too! I am like the giver-away-food man at the restaurant!" (waiter)

Joseph driving his "truck" around the kitchen.

Ian calls the fridge the "refreeziator".

Joseph currently loves the "Snowman" song on the Children's songbook CD. Ian loves "The wise man song", and always requests listening to it 3 times consecutively, "because I am three". 

Ian learned to climb the fence when neighbor children climbed a tree and were peering over the back fence into our yard a few months ago. The kids didn't talk, but just giggled and waved. I was so proud of Ian when he climbed right up there and said "Hello friends! What's your name? Do you want to be my friend?" He can get all the way to the top of the fence without any help, and can usually get back down.

Joseph uses the word "either" all the time. "I don't want to eat the yucky beans ee-dur, Mama." or in place of "as well", "I like this song ee-dur!"

While listening to Hakuna Matata from the Lion King CD, I was singing along and Joseph was 'repeating' after me. It went like this:

Me: Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase! 

Joseph: Kuh-tuna Po-tat-o! Kuh-tuna Po-ta-to!

Me: Hakuna Matata, ain't no passin' craze!

Joseph: You're kuh-way-z! You're kuh-way-z! 

The boys feeding themselves breakfast early one morning. It was chocolate cookies and heaping spoons of Cool Whip.

The boys think it is hilarious to shout "Good born-ting!" to passerby at the grocery store. Both boys are perfectly capable of enunciating "Good morning" like a civilized person, but for some reason this variation is preferred. I could handle it if they didn't have to shout it.

I came upon a scene recently that included Halloween candy strewn about the kitchen floor, and two little boys hiding behind the kitchen table, eating it by the handful. Ian told me the following : "I said to Joseph 'Such treasures we did find!' when I spied the candy up on the shelf and got it down." I have no idea where that little phrase is from.

When Joseph is sad, he says "Nope-y" and "No-y" to every question.

The boys still drag robe belts around the house and play their own invented game "seeky".

Joseph does not get himself out of bed unless Ian comes into his room to "help" him. He has been able to climb out of his crib since last summer though.

Joseph always wants to turn off his white noise machine himself after I get him out of bed.

Ian frequently corrects Joseph's pronunciation. Joseph used to say "Cah" for car, until Ian reminded him, "It's not "cah" brother, it's "cah-rrrrrrrr". Now Joseph always calls them "cah-ruh", with emphasis on the second syllable.

Joseph calls his stuffed bear "his animal". The rest are just "my fuh-wends"

The boys were playing on the teeter-totter and I was rocking it and saying we were flying through a bad storm. Ian lept off, planted his feet firmly and extended his arm out in a "stop" gesture. He said "I am Jesus. Now I will calm the storm!" Once he was done he climbed back on the teeter-totter and said "I got all of the storms. There won't be any more today."

When my friend Heather flew into town and I told Ian I would pick her up myself after he was asleep, he was disappointed. As bedtime approached it turned to anger and he said "When I see Heather, I am going to turn her into pudding!" In fact, he instantly loved Heather, and spoke no more of the pudding plan.

Adding a trailer to their cars was a big hit.

I asked Ian what he thought we should name our baby. He suggested Abby, and a few others. Then they got silly, like roof and fence. Then he declared "I guess I am all out of good ideas" and changed the subject.

When my grandparents were visiting in January, Ian watch Grandpa Searles closely as he laid out half a dozen medications to take with breakfast. Ian asked him what each color pill was for and then watched him take them. Then Ian leaned in close and looking at grandpa intently, he asked "Well, do you feel better yet?"

Joseph is obsessed with alligators (aga-dators) and is always talking about watching out for imaginary "alligator rivers". Visiting the alligators in Brazos Bend last month seem to increase his awe for them.

The boys love to talk to their baby sister. They rub my belly several times a day and whisper things like "Hi baby! I'm Joseph!" or "I'm your big brother, baby sist-y!"

When the Linfords were in town in December we all enjoyed a rare treat -- the donkeys behind our house made a rare appearance! (Un)fortuantely Ian knows how to climb the fence, so he spotted them and called everyone over to see.

The boys were wild at lunch today. They made up words and shouted them, and pretended to have conversations with objects on the table, and even as I drug Joseph from his chair to the sink he was laughing so hysterically he couldn't sit up straight. Ian was at the table poking his fork in the air while chanting something strange, and was laughing just as hard. As I washed Joseph's hands I told Ian to say goodnight because I was putting Joseph down for a nap.
Ian: Good night friend!
Joseph: I love you! Bye bye Broth-y! See you next time!
That makes all the insanity of raising those boys worth it.