Fearfully and Wonderfully: January 2017

It has again been longer than I had intended since I've posted anything about the boys. December was busy. Some medical things and traveling for Christmas made the month a bit of a blur. Here are some random things about the boys that come to mind.

Traveling is exhausting

Gabriel has started to be really good at making conversation. Most mornings he asks "how did you sleep last night," or when one of us gets home from work he asks "how was work today" or "what did you do at work today." The other day someone came over for dinner and he asked over dinner "how long did it take you to get here?" He asks lots of other questions too. Some I know he got from listening to us talk and ask each other things, but others he comes up with on his own. A while back at youth group he was sitting with some of the high school students for dinner and he asked each one of them what their favorite color was. And he remembered their answers the next day :)

Gabriel has also has been asking about extended family frequently. I have family that lives in California and he asks me lots of things about them. He wants to know what I used to do when I went to my grandparents house when I was little and what kinds of food I ate there. Sometimes if we're playing something or watching a movie he will stop and ask "Did you do this when you were a little girl?" Did your mom/grandma read this book to you when you were a little girl?" His curiosity is cute.

He still loves his preschool. A couple of new students started in his class after Christmas and he mentioned them to me in passing after he went back. We were out to eat last week and a woman I didn't know came up to me because she recognized Gabriel. She said that her son had just started in Gabriel's class. Apparently when she came to pick him up after his first day she found him playing with Gabriel and her son told her that Gabriel had asked him if he wanted to play. That sure makes a mommy's heart happy. For all of the tantrums and whining that happen around here that was really nice to hear. Because man can Gabriel throw a tantrum.

Other random Gabriel things: he suddenly really likes Playmobile toys (I wish we would have leaned more towards those for Christmas and his birthday). He gave his hair a little trim the other day while hiding from the babysitter. When they take prayer requests at preschool he almost always wants to pray for Corban. He says often that Corban is his best friend. He can't wait for him to wake up in the morning. And we're working on learning to read again. He said over Christmas that he wanted to learn and for the past 2 weeks we have worked on it a little each day. So far he gets really excited about his lesson every day and even wants to trace letters (quite a feat for the boy who doesn't want to hold a writing instrument or crayon for more than 5 seconds).

And Corban. Corban loves "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "Old McDonald Had a Farm". He loves being chased around the house and is actually running (both feet off the ground). He enjoys anything with Baby Einstein stuff on it, most recently some puppets that he got for Christmas. He wears them around the house frequently making cow and goat sounds. He also is a fan of impersonating an elephant, sheep, and chicken. Anytime he sees a cow we need to stop and "moo" at it (like in the grocery store when there is a picture of a cow on some milk)

No slide is too large or too small for Corban. He will slide any chance he gets.

Corban signs for "milk", "more", "all done", and "help." He doesn't have too many actual words but he certainly says "bye bye" and "mama". He's also is a big fan of "ut oh!!" when something falls and of saying "Nuh Uh" and shaking his head when he doesn't want to do something. Let's be honest. That was cute for a day but usually it's irritating.

Would you like this toy?

Nuh Uh

Would you like this book?

Nuh Uh

Would you like a snack

Nuh Uh

And so it continues on. He gets really mad when he needs his diaper changed and often runs and away and tries to hide when I tell him that it's coming. Why can't toddlers just stay cute and happy and obedient all the time? It had to end sometime as his little sin nature rears its ugly head.

Corban enjoys story time at the library, dancing, and clapping. When we are listening to Pandora and the song ends he frequently starts signing for "more." He is also a big fan of Phil Collins (not that we listen to his music with any frequency, but if you listen to Disney Pandora you get a lot of "Tarzan" and "Brother Bear" music. Both mainly Phil Collins). I think that he is currently getting 6 teeth. Two pushed through in the last couple days and there are certainly two more bulging into his gums (maybe 4). He likes to play in his crib after he wakes up and sometimes does not even want to be taken out. I'm afraid that this will lead to him learning to climb out way before I'd prefer. He loves anything that he can eat with a fork. He gets excited about leaving the house (he grabs his sleep sack and runs for the door). Lastly Corban has a super intense laugh when something really strikes him as funny. I need to try and record it sometime but it's hard to know when it's coming. He has a crazy laugh and crazy hair. There is no controlling his head poof. And now some more random pictures:

Making soup and stirring with a carrot. And throwing all of the measuring spoons in.
Thought I found them all but one remained in for several hours.

Look my sleep sack is here with me! If we're ever at home and he can't find his sleep sack the first place he goes is the dryer. I guess he figures if he can't find where he put it it must be because someone swiped it and washed it.