Two! Videos

Thank you to everyone who made this birthday so special!



Aiden loves the Tigger card from Uncle Sean

TWO years old!

Aiden turned two yesterday! We didn’t do much of a party this year, but we had my parents and brother over for dinner and cake. We included some of Aiden’s favorite things…

This lion card from his aunt Mandy stood in for her.

Now that he is TWO, Aiden:
-tries to say "bless you" when someone sneezes.
-sometimes wants kisses when he gets a "boo boo." the other day he kissed his own pinched fingers and then was fine, lol.
-is wild. and opinionated. and SO silly.

-LOVES sitting faced forward in the car. Isaac may be even more excited than Aiden.
-babbles even more than before, but only makes marginally more sense.
-is a picky eater. Bread, crackers, pretzels... all good. Apples, good. Other foods... not so much. Unless they are sweet. (sigh)

-likes to spin in circles until he is so dizzy he falls over.
-is getting better at saying "hi" and "bye" to people. sometimes.
-likes the word "Mine!" even if something is not his. uh-oh.

-does not understand how to blow out candles…

-usually gives me hugs when I get home from work and apparently sometimes goes looking for me when he wakes up
-calls Sophie "sishy" now (previously she was E, and before that DOG)

-super duper loves animals. he practically comes out of his skin when he can see the neighbor cat sitting in the window.

He definitely seems to be embracing the idea of “terrible twos,” but most of the time, he’s a lot of fun to be around. We are so happy to have him in our family and look forward to learning more with him over the next year.

Happy Birthday, Aiden!

A Sprout

Okay, so you know those lessons in church where they talk about faith like a mustard seed? Then they give you a seed and tell you to take it home and plant it in a nice place and make sure it has plenty of water and sun so it will grow big and strong like a testimony?

Those never worked for me. I would take them home and find the loveliest spot I could. I’d ask my parents where the best sun in the yard was. I would water them for days and days. They never even sprouted.

In ninth grade biology, I was supposed to grow a bean plant, but I already had a black thumb track record, so I asked my grandma to also grow a bean plant in case mine didn’t go splendidly. Thank goodness for Grandma Chase.

A week and half ago, my Nursery lesson was about how Jesus Made The World For Us because He loves us. It was suggested to give out seeds for the kids and talk about how Jesus made seeds because He loves us.

I balked a little at first. Then I thought, hey, why not? I didn’t figure some of the kids in Nursery would really have any idea what was going on, but I bought a packet of sugar snap pea seeds and found little containers with lids for them to take home their dirt and seeds in, and I made stickers that said “Jesus Loves Us so He Made Seeds That Can Grow” or something like that. I laughed out loud when one of the girls was very anxious not to leave her “dirt” behind.

I came home with Aiden’s and figured I’d kill it, as I have always done historically. About five days later, a miraculous thing happened.

It sprouted. TWO sprouts, even.

I immediately moved the dirt and seeds to a regular pot and put them out in the sun instead of on my kitchen counter. Then I worried they’d freeze because it’s been cold here lately, so I moved them back to the counter.

I have been trying very hard to keep the soil damp like the package recommended without overwatering the poor little seeds. It’s hard; I have no idea what I am doing since I am (sadly) 27 years old and have never successfully grown anything.

VOILA! FIVE sprouts. and look at that one big one! It’s almost an inch tall!

Hopefully I am not killing them and this is not my only chance to see some green. Any suggestions about how to not kill this (more exciting than it probably should be) venture are WELCOME.

Presidents’ Day Weekend

I got a four-day weekend, so Isaac took a day off, and we made the most of having more family time.

Friday we walked around Don Edwards Wildlife Preserve and hung out at a playground.

Aiden was impressed by the wildlife… even though we only saw birds and squirrels…

Saturday we hiked around Mount Tamalpais State Park and enjoyed some time at Stinson Beach. We did not go in the water but loved being on the sand.

After we put Aiden to bed, my brother came over while Isaac and I went to see a movie. I still can’t believe we had a date night on a Saturday night; I don’t remember the last time that happened. Today we both have lots of homework to do, and Isaac goes back to work, but I am relishing in the chance to be home another day. Happy Presidents’ Day to all!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We celebrated the holiday low-key. We both went to work, where neither my students nor Isaac’s customers got the memo that we were aiming for an easy-going day, ha. We left each other notes…

 

Isaac made dinner… pink all-fruit smoothie, BBQ steaks, veggie soup, and rice.

We enjoyed a family night with all three of us home, and Isaac and I watched a movie after we put Aiden to bed. It was a great day, and I think we all felt LOVED.

23 Months Old!

I can’t believe this kid is almost two. He’s working on lots of new words… dancing, run, sky, Aiden, and various animal names. Today he very nicely and clearly said “Thank you,” which he usually just signs.

He has been doing lots of fast-feet dancing lately, which looks hilarious.

He loves to parrot what we say, especially when we think he isn’t listening. Yesterday I was singing “His Hands” in Sacrament Meeting, and when I looked at him, he was waving his hands in Isaac’s face and saying, “hands! hands!” It was so funny, I started laughing. Oops.

He is getting better at social cues, saying hi and bye where expected, although he still sometimes says “bye” to people he doesn’t know very well once they are already gone. He is shy around people he doesn’t  know and sometimes hides his face with his hands, peering out between his fingers.

He sings along with me a little bit at home (Popcorn Popping, Jesus Made the Giraffe, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes), but he won’t sing anywhere else. I was given an additional calling as Nursery leader last week, so I see first-hand how he runs in circles during Singing Time while all the little girls are singing. (sigh)

He gets jealous if he feels we’re giving more attention to each other or the dog than to him, and pushes people out of the way and says “Mine!” Isn’t that a two-year-old word? Yikes.

He LOVES his little animal toys and rotates which one he wants to carry around all day.. the goat, ocelot, penguins, puppy, etc. He likes to growl like a tiger. I think it’s awesome since he was born in the year of the tiger.

He is getting much better at sitting nicely for story time, which I love. Reading books with him is tons of fun, especially when he points to and talks about what he sees.

Aiden and Xochitl, who is five weeks younger. They are the young ones in Nursery now.

Isaac’s Quote of the Day

(Patron asks to have strawberry mixed into his pina colada)

P: “Excuse me, I can’t drink this.”

I: “I’m sorry. What seems to be the problem?”

P: “It’s pink!”

 

…strange what happens when you mix strawberry into a basically white drink…