California Adventures

We've had quite the trip all over Southern California for the past week.  The main reason we came out here was for Adam's work conference in San Diego.  Our intent was to combine it with our anniversary trip and spend a bit more time out here, relaxing.  That kind of happened.  Unfortunately, our dear friends, Gary & Jess, who were watching the boys, had to go to the emergency room in the middle of the first night we had left the boys with them.  After spending way too long in a hospital, they figured out that Jess had a tubal pregnancy and had to have emergency surgery.  We are still praying for her complete and quick healing.  Thankfully, until we could go get the boys, a friend of theirs stayed the whole day and watched them.  On the way back from Apple Valley to Anaheim (where we were staying), we were asking the boys how their day was and what they did...

Micah:  We played with Alyssa.  We were hoping Uncle Gary & Auntie Jess would come back, but they didn't.
Me:  Yeah, Bud.  That's because Auntie Jess is very sick.  We need to pray that she gets better soon.
Micah:  I think we should pray for her right now, Mom.
Me:  Okay.  Do you want to pray for her?
Micah:  Yes.  Dear Jesus, please help Auntie Jess feel better...and just touch her body.  Amen.

(EDIT:  Mr. Gary Malkus would like me to mention that when they did get to watch the boys on Saturday afternoon, a friend of theirs brought over a full-blown bounce house for the boys to play in and they set it up in their living room.  The boys had a blast and we all regret that they couldn't spend more time together with them.  We have promised a redo, though...maybe next year?)

The next day, the boys got to spend the day with Aunt Alli, who kindly took the day off work to watch them so Adam and I could continue on with our evil plan of going to Disneyland sans kids.
She took them to Petco, where Micah helped her pick out a new beta fish and named him "Raymond" and Seth "sniffed the wall" in the restroom.  I actually found out today that he didn't say he was "sniffing the wall," but rather, "facing the wall."  There's a reason for this...poor kid.  There was one time that I had to take him to a public restroom with me...and the stall was very small.  So, to avoid scarring my child, I told him to turn around and face the wall.  Haha.  Now, he must think that every time he goes into a public restroom with someone, that's what he's supposed to do.  I found this out today because we took Micah to the bathroom, and as soon as we entered the handicap stall (stroller and all), he went into the corner and stuck his nose in the wall.  I asked him what he was doing and finally figured it out.  Glad my kid isn't a wall sniffer after all.  He has been known to be a trashcan licker, though.

We stopped in Murrieta for a night and saw Z and some other fabulous CCBC kids.  We took Holly, Charley, and Z to dinner (Mike & Rachael couldn't join us).  They went back to the school after that and we went to Old Navy with the boys.  Then the flip flop incident happened.
While I was perusing the clearance racks, Micah came up to me with a pair of bright orangey-pink flip flops.  He proclaimed, "Mom, I want to get these for Holly."  I thought it was funny and cute, so I told him, "Go tell your Dad."  He went and told Adam, who assumed that I had told Micah that we were getting those for Holly, so he told Micah to put them in the stroller.  Later, I told Adam that Micah had picked them for Holly, and since he was so intent on getting them, we were going to let him...but I wasn't so sure about the color.  So, I took him back over to the wall of flip flops and said, "Micah, are you sure there's not another pair you'd rather get for Holly?  Look at how many kinds there are."  He went back and forth a few times, but finally decided on a purple pair with little flowers.  While Adam was in the changing room, we put the new selection in the stroller.  Adam came out and while I was elsewhere in the store with Seth, thought that Micah had picked out the new pair on his own and didn't think they were any better than the first.  So, he made Micah put them back, which resulted in a meltdown.  I came over and told Adam he had picked the purple ones out and had his heart set on them.  Now that they were back on the wall, I said, "Ok, Micah...look at them again.  Are you sure you want the purple ones?"  He looked at them, then narrowed it down to four, including the original orangey-pink and purple.  "What do you think is Holly's favorite color?" I asked.  "Let's call her," was his quick reply.  So, I dialed her number and put him on the phone.  "Hi, Holly.  What's your favorite color?"  When she told him purple, you'd have thought he had won a lifetime supply of cookies.  "YES!" he shouted as he threw the phone back to me.  "I knew it!  That's so awesome!  I told you!"
Holly stayed with the boys later that night while they fell asleep so we could go to the Roman Spa.  He gave them to her with great pride at that time.  Silly boy.

Now we are in San Diego, where we have been for the past four days during Adam's work conference.  The boys and I spent our days hanging out in the hotel room, at Balboa Park, and the Fashion Valley Mall (mostly the Disney store and food court).  The Brewer's (minus Cameron) came down yesterday and we played in the Balboa Park playground (lots of stick fights happened there), ate at the Amigo Spot where a Mariachi band serenaded us with "The Chicken Dance," and then came back to the hotel where a lot of epic battles went down.  Today, after Adam finished his work (as the boys called it), we went to the Mission Valley mall. They had a bull ride there, which both boys thought they were old enough for, and also something we hadn't seen before.  They called it "Wobble Bobble."  It was basically a large, shallow Doughboy pool with human-size, clear, inflatable balls floating on top...with humans in them.  It looked like a lot of fun, but they wanted $7 for 3 minutes, or (DEAL OF THE DAY!) $10 for 5 minutes.  Wow.  We might have let Micah do it just because he was so excited about it, but they only took cash and of course, we didn't have any on us.  So, we had to break his little heart and tell him that he couldn't do it.  As I was carrying him away, he tells me, "I was really excited to do it, but as it turns out, I cant."  Oh.  My.  Gosh.  He had us laughing pretty hard, but we had to hide it since he was obviously so sensitive about the whole thing.  We made up for it later, though, when Adam turned in to Belmont and we paid a ridiculous amount of money to take them on a carousel, tilt n' whirl, and vertical plunge carnival rides.  Plus, we even got them frozen yogurt!  AND, it was after their bed time!  See, we're not such bad parents after all.

Tomorrow...is home (after lunch with Z).

Excellent "Rememberies"

I have always been amazed at the ability a child possesses to recall memories (for example, you tell them they will get a treat the next day after lunch, and they remember it) or to recite things they hear (songs, rhymes, Bible verses, etc.).  Their minds are like little sponges and they just soak everything around them up.

We were in line in the grocery store the other day, waiting to check out.  Micah had just been put into the cart because he was driving me nuts; touching everything, trying to hide behind the area where the checker next to us was working, and anything else a four year old boy in a confined area can think of to do.  He started singing something while sitting in his shopping cart prison, but at first I couldn't make it out.  Then, I realized that he was singing the entire first verse, word for word, to this youtube video:
600 Pillows Backwards Video
Rhett & Link are one of our favorite youtube artists, and this video is one that is often requested by the boys.

The first youtube music video that Micah learned word for word was this one (complete with dance):
Coffee Coffee
Seth also joins in on the chorus.

Seth is also displaying how well his memory works lately.  Usually, Micah goes to Taekwondo practice twice a week.  Seth either watches or gets into trouble during that time.  We really didn't think we was paying that much attention until the other night when he started saying, "Ma'am!  I will practice in the spirit of Taekwondo..."  He was reciting their opening pledge!  (You can see the whole thing here:  Songham Spirit of Taekwondo)  A lot of it was mumble-jumble, but he knew what he was saying.  He then started doing his version of sit-ups, push-ups and kicks, while counting them out.  It was so funny to see a two year old lay down in the sit-up position, and try to crunch up, "1!  2!  3!..."

These are just a couple of examples within the past couple of days.  It seems they do this kind of thing quite frequently, but no matter how many times it happens, it always amazes me.

Scaredy Cat Micah

Micah asked me to walk him to the bathroom. This kid has such an imagination that he can't stand it when the lights are off in the hall and the bedroom doors are open. I told him he's being silly and even Seth will go to the bathroom by himself. So, he had Seth hold his hand and walk him to the bathroom!  They then proceeded to go together:  Seth on the little potty, Micah on the big toilet.  I thought only girls went to the bathroom together?

Coming Home

It seems that from the moment I got home from retreat last Sunday, the boys have made it their mission to crack me up.  Maybe I just really missed them, but not only did it seem that they grew while I was gone, it also seemed that they got funnier!

I know I'm not going to remember everything they've done and said the past week right now, so I'll have to add to this post as it comes to me.

• At dinner, we were going through our usual battle with Micah to eat his dinner.  It came to the point where he got a small swat on the bottom from Adam.  Nothing life changing, more like a warning.  After he was back in his seat, Micah explains to Adam, "Dad, you know what I do when you spank me so it doesn't hurt so bad?  I just squeeze my butt real tight together."  At four years old, he's already figured out a strategy!

• After dinner, Micah came over to my side of the table and burped VERY loud and long.  I'm not sure if that ability is just built into the male anatomy or what, but for whatever reason he can do it and do it well.  I raised my eyebrows at him and instead of  "Excuse me," he said, very slowly, "I love it...when I belch...like a man."
  
• We started potty training Seth on February 26...almost two weeks now.  So far, he has been MUCH easier than Micah was to train.  Perhaps it's because we are more experienced, but I also think it's because we didn't push the issue until we knew he was absolutely ready and waited longer.  Before this date, he had been a casual toilet user.  You know, just using it when it was fun or to impress us or get our hopes up.  The first time he pooped in the toilet at home, he looked behind him and exclaimed, "EW!  It's so gross!"  Apparently, he didn't think it gross enough to change his pooping-in-pants ways at that point.
  While I was gone last weekend, I was glad to hear that he had done pretty well and not had many accidents.  Not bad for only one week!  Even better, this week he has started telling us when he needs to go rather than us asking him every half hour.  He tells me now that he needs to do it by himself, without my help.  While I am very much looking forward to that day, I don't think he's that accomplished in his toilet capabilities yet.  So, much to his disappointment, he still gets accompanied.  This often results in some great conversations.  Today, for example, he told Nanny (my mother-in-law) after depositing one into the toilet, "Watch, Nanny, and I'll poop some more!"  I can't blame him for thinking that we all enjoy this gross display, considering how excited we get and the rewards he receives every time he goes.

• Sometimes when I am getting Micah dressed, he goes off into his own little world and talks to himself.  I guess I'm used to it, because half the time, I don't even pay attention.  Well, the other night, for whatever reason, he was saying, in a silly,  high voice, "Yellow, green.  Yellow green."  I realized what he was doing and laughed and he looked me in the eye and said, "Yellow, green, RED."  On "RED," his voice got low and sinister and he cocked his head to the side.  I don't know why, but it got my funny bone and had me laughing so hard I was crying.  We even busted out the camera and took a good 5 minute video of him.  He's such a ham that he really stepped it up then.  Maybe I'll have to put it up on youtube so you can all fully appreciate what I'm talking about.

Starting Out

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

Raising kids is not always easy, but it's always exciting.

My boys are a constant source of entertainment.  Sometimes they make me laugh so hard I cry and other times they frustrate me to tears, but it's always entertaining.  Much too long ago, I tried to write down all the hilarious, rambunctious, witty, brilliant, or silly things they do and say.  Unfortunately, my head contains more words than my hand can handle to write down in one sitting, and I gave up altogether.  While I regret all those months of wonderful memories that were not properly preserved, I am looking forward to trying to keep up on it now.  In addition to keeping on top of the daily material they are throwing my way, I am going to go back and try to remember things that happened long ago and post those memories here.  I pray that I can keep up with them and that this will be a wonderful gift for all of us to look back on one day.  Here goes nothin'!