fun communication

S - talks with her left hand. She loves to wave it around and hold it out like a waiter holding a tray for emphasis when she talks. When she explains to me what happened or how the world works. Which is all the time.  I love it. 

R - talks to himself. He is so imaginative and tells his imaginary stories to himself as he's playing. Yesterday, it was making up a story using his dinosaur vitamins as the main characters. Complete with sound effects.  The whole world around him could disappear and he wouldn't know it. I love being able to watch and he doesn't notice or care. 

O - he doesn't really need words to get his point across. We generally hear him loud and clear. But, he's starting to try to form words here and there. He has also taken a sudden liking to books and reading and we're loving sitting with him and exploring the world books open up. 

clever rafa

Yesterday, we enjoyed the glorious weather outside. I was hanging out on the porch with the kids. Just before going inside to change clothes, D told Rafa not to slam the gate shut because it could break. Sylvia and I were chatting or who knows what. This conversation ensued.  R: Mommy, can you please go sit on the stairs? 

Me: why do you want me to sit on the stairs?

R: Mommy, can you please go sit on the stairs? 

Me: I would like to keep playing with Sylvia. 

R: Can you please sit way over there? (Pointing far away on the porch banister) 

[Clearly, something is up.]

Me: Why do you want me to sit over there?

R: (with simple logic and no sense of doing anything wrong, just giving the explanation that was requested) I want you to sit so you can't see what I'm doing. 

Me: Rafa!  (surpressing a chuckle)  The rule doesn't change just because I can't see you. You still can't do what Mommy or Papi ask you not to do. 

R: Can you please go inside?

Oscar update

Oscar had his 15-month checkup a few months late...  So, it's really a 17-month checkup.  He did great, didn't even flinch for the first shot.  Second one made him cry a little, but a little milk put a quick end to it.  Another tough kid.

His height is 33" (79%), weight is 24 lbs. (54%) and head is 18.5" (44%).

Growing normally, healthy, all good.

He has had lots of ear fluid that doesn't seem to want to clear, so we were instructed to be more diligent about saline spraying and we're trying to always have a humidifier in his room when he sleeps.  Hopefully those two things will help.  He hasn't had the requisite number of ear infections to require tubes, but since he's also not totally on top of his game as far as words are concerned, the doc is keeping a closer eye on things.  I wasn't worried since the twins were a little slow on language development, too, and that CLEARLY hasn't been a problem.  But, the doc wants us to work on it.  It feels like in response he's having more interest in trying out new words.  I might just be imagining it, though, to be able to defend why he shouldn't get tubes...

The kid loves life.  Giggles and laughs and seeks adventures and fun.  He's also super active.  Even moreso than Sylvia.  He has a little more attitude (3rd child syndrome, I believe) and definitely knows what he wants.  Fortunately, he's pretty good about napping and nighttime, though, so at least we don't have to battle one.  Yet. 

weather

It's been cold. And rainy. At least for us (I know my northern friends want to hear nothing about it).  Bundling up 3 kiddos is not a walk in the park. But, the kids love hats and gloves and umbrellas and we're making the most of it. 

They were so happy to have their own umbrella. 

Ok, so this is just dress up in our pjs at home, but she's so stinking adorable!

technical difficulties

So...  I had written all those posts in days past and thought they were posted, but when I went to the blog today to check something out, noticed that none had actually published. Ugh. Thank goodness they were still in my app and I could just republish. 

Thank you for yor patience!  I will double check from now on that my posts actually post when it says they have! (And this is my test...)

we did it!!

With the help of Tía and Tío, the playset is up!  The kids tested out the slide and we tested out the rest.  I'm proud of us!  And I know the kids will love it. Now the adults have a porch to play on and the kids a playset. Everyone's happy. 

Here's D putting in some extra time. The rest of the action pics are on my computer and will be posted another time. Maybe. If I ever log onto that computer again. 

a little bit of sylvia

Sweet Sylvia put her doll to sleep in our bed. Before sleeping, though, she read her a story. What was amazing to me is that she held the book so that the baby doll could see the pages as she turned. I continue to be amazed every time I learn that they know something. And I'm excited to know that this little child already can see the world from someone else's perspective. Kids are amazing. 

happy new year!

On the way home from a New Year's lunch of black eyed peas, cabbage, and ham, these two decided to start the year off right.  I think they must have resolved to be nicer siblings. We'll see how long they keep their resolution up. 

big boy!

Little O definitely likes to try to do everything his bigs do. Which, for once at least, is paying off!

Dare we dream that messy meals are nearing their end?...

vacay

We took the kids for a lovely holiday getaway to San Antonio. The twins are now old enough that I don't dread car rides and Sylvia enjoys entertaining Oscar, so being strapped into a chair for hours on end is almost pleasant, even.  

Other than D getting quite sick, we had a marvelous weekend. The kids rode rides, saw Shamu, enjoyed a play, swam in a heated indoor pool, and mostly had a great time playing together and with their cousins. 

I loved watching how well SylRafa play together and use their imaginations. They come up with the craziest things and have a blast doing so.  They are really into role playing, although it seems to be more of just changing names than any behavior. We are often they twins and they are they parents. Oscar does his best to get in on the fun, too. Although he mostly just wants to run and climb and explore. And get mad when he doesn't get his way. You know, typical 1.5 yr old stuff. 

So grown up!  We can now leave them for the most part at a kids' table!  

That smile of his just kills me. He is delighted by life. And a good example to us!  Except for the throwing things. But, that's for another post. 

Seriously adorable. It's just beautiful to see the cousins together!

It doesn't get any better than chocolate chip cookies and Christmas trees. 

SylRafa enjoyed cousin Alex reading to them. And we enjoyed watching them all hang out together!

Where to, next???

preparing for jesus and santa

The twins are now old enough to start understanding some of the stories of baby Jesus and Santa. Which made us start to think about what we want them to believe about this mega-holiday. So kids, see, God gave us a baby as a gift so that we would have hope. Hmmm.  What's hope and why do we need it?  If God is Jesus' father, who's Joseph?  Ok, maybe next year. And why does Santa give out gifts on Jesus' birthday?  We started telling some of the stories of the real St. Nicholas from whence came the modern Santa Claus, but even those were a little challenging. See, there were these poor girls who had no money for a dowry...  Yeah...  

In the end, all attempts at having any sort of coherent description of all the traditions we have pretty much failed. But, probably age appropriately, they don't need to piece it all together yet. They just, like a child, come with awe and wonder to the baby's birth, they have hope and joy of receiving blessings and gifts, and they know this time of waiting for Christmas and the day itself is set apart and something of a big deal. So, maybe they understand more about this mega holiday than I give them credit for. 

Christmas chapel from their Mother's Day Out:

Zoo lights: 

Christmas carols at the house: