I have been busy lately with the transitions of moving, chasing toddlers, and traveling. Evan has been traveling for work, a friend's wedding, and work, work, work. Porter and Eli have been busy keeping us on our toes. I am so behind on blogging and as much as it's the only thing I want to do and keep up with, it's the item that gets the back-burner everyday. But I don't want to forget the everyday things the boys do that make me smile, make me curl my toes, or make my heart melt.
*Eli can spot a slide/playground from a mile away. As soon as we pull on base, he says "slide" or when we're out and about if he sees a playground, "slide".
*Eli has a squeal that he has developed in the last couple weeks. It is high-pitched and will make you want to answer him back with a scream. He is good at testing me but I'm just trying to curb the squeal with telling him that if needs me, which is usually the case, he can say, "Momma". It works half the time. The other half, I find myself taking deep breaths and really focusing on making my voice calm or at least not raised. He knows the button.
*Eli has these looks he gives when he's eating. He loves food and loves to snack and take forever and a day to finish. If I give 2 pieces of graham cracker to each of them, Porter has them gone in minutes and Eli will take 15 minutes.
*Since the week of the movers, Eli's pacifier has become much more of a hot issue. As in he wants it all the time. Since he's had his pacifier, he gets it in car on long trips, at naptime, and at bedtime. Now he wants it when we're running errands on base, while we're in the car anytime, or whenever he feels the need. I think he's going to be the one that takes all these changes the hardest.
*Porter still knows the my food button. He's become such a better eater in general and with vegetables specifically. It is amazing what bargaining does: "Eat a bite of this, and you can have a cracker with cheese."
*Porter is so organized and he knows where everything is in the house. If I say "shoes" out loud, he goes to his shoes or my shoes and if I am not right there, he will bring them to me. I have even said (just talking to myself) that I need my eyedrops. Porter knows where they are and he went to the bathroom door and wait for me to come open so he can go to the right cabinet and get them with me. 9 times out of 10 if I am looking for my phone, Porter remembers where I last had it and he will go to that room and help me look--it is so cute to see him "at work".
*When we are out and about and the boys are not in the stroller, there are 2 options usually: hold hands and walk or get carried. At times one of them wants to be carried, but usually they are good at holding hands. Sometimes I have something in one hand and they have to hold each other's hands. It takes a long time to get where we're going, but we do it. If anyone lets go of hands, the train stops until we're all holding hands again.
*When we play in the yard, they spend a lot of time putting the rocks on slanted piece of the staircase and sliding them down, they tear leaves into 100 pieces and stuff them in the drain (better than the rocks Lino pays for), and looking out the gate at the bikes, buses, strollers, cars, and dogs that pass by.
*Lino is very entertaining. He has been working on his back roof lately and we spend a few minutes on the way to and from the car talking to Lino and laughing and playing. This 75 year old gets on his hands and knees and bucks like a bronco to get laughs from the boys. They love it. I wish I knew more Italian to communicate and express my gratitude for being such a fun Nonno Lino.
*I don't know when it started but the boys have a way of greeting Evan. He taught them a long time ago to squish their face, purse their lips, and make a 'mmmm-hah' noise: mouth closed to mouth open. He started with Porter because Porter was making the face one day. It is now the noise/face they make if I call Evan during the day, if I say "we're at Daddy's work", if "Daddy's home". With him gone these past couple of days, they are good at doing it throught the phone. It's also my go-to when it's the rough time of day--call Evan and have the boys "talk" to Daddy.
*While the movers were here, the boys went to the care on base at the CDC. When we got home, they both walked in the door and put their hands up like, "what is going on?". When we came home after all the boxes were gone, they took off in a sprint through the house--they had so much room.
*The first of three days of care, Porter was in one room and Eli was in another room. They have been to the care before but only for 3 hours and always in the same room. Not for a full day and not separated. I was more nervous than them! Porter did just fine--walked in and got busy with some toys. Eli was okay but then he realized Porter was not with him. The caregiver said he was sad for a while but there is a window separating the two rooms, so they brought Porter to the window and Eli immediately cheered up. They were also able to play together on the playground but he liked to check up on him via the window.
*Downside to moving: no toys (a few cars, books, and blocks), nothing to curb their curiosity so they flip on the transformers, turn on/off the lights all day, and go to the windows to open and close.
*At times the boys just like to whine (Porter) or be dramatic (Eli) for one simple reason: to get my attention. This happens a lot while I'm fixing dinner or washing dishes. The other day I could hear Porter doing his, "uughhs" and after a couple whines I checked on him because I knew he was already on the floor of the kitchen. I was at the sink and turned around to see Porter on his belly, looking at me and whining, while Eli was sitting next to him and patting his back. I quickly turned back around and had to laugh. Porter was soaking it up! Now when times get tough, Eli does the same thing and Porter pats his back. I just smile to myself and try not to show them that I notice how cute they are at those moments.
*Porter has started saying, "it's cold" when he gets in the bath and it's chilly or when he first drinks his milk. It's supercute to hear him.
*Both Eli and Porter know our routine really well: everyday is pretty much the same with small change-ups. (1. Come upstairs, shoes off and put away, wash hands. 2. Clean-up after meals and put away milk in the fridge after breakfast and dinner. 3. Toys away, bath, pjs, book, prayers, bed. 4. a.m. Diapers, cereal on the window-sill then to chairs for breakfast.)
*Eli started fastening all the clips together in the past month or so. It started with their car-seats, then moved the high chairs, and now it's anything with a clip--diaper bag, a suitcase. Porter now joins in but I hear a lot of whining, then "Momma help please" after repeated attempts to undo all the clips so they can start over again.
*I kept a couple cars and books after all their toys were packed away. Just this morning while I was walking around getting things ready and getting dressed, they both grabbed their toys from the hallway and started hoarding them towards the window in the kitchen. This has happened a lot since the movers left, but the one difference this morning was each one was running back and forth from the bookshelf to the window wearing a hat. Not just any hat. Eli had on my smaller beach floppy hat and Porter had the huge pink sunhat on--leftover in the entryway from our beach weekend. It was hysterical and I just stood behind a wall and watched the fun and shenanigans and babbling. I don't have a picture but I hope I don't forget what they looked like.
