play

Hiding under the table at music class with friends. 

Playmates

We have the joy of taking care of one of the Vassariños' cousins two half days a week. Age-wise, she's smack in between our brood. Size-wise, she's O sized (or he's her size). Maturity-wise, she loves to mother little O. It's hilarious. He's got S, so he's probably accustomed to it by now. In any case, I've been spending mornings wth the kiddos and got to see the two playmates together. It was ADORABLE. O can't talk a lot, but they still chatted with each other, shared with each other, worried when they didn't see each other--so stinking heart-meltingly awesome.

MAMI!!!

O learned how to say 'Mami'!!  Which is so fun since he had names for pretty much everyone else in the world except me. Well, at least it was fun the first dozen times he said it.  Now, when he's in bed an hour and a half after bedtime screaming 'MAMI!!!' at the top of his lungs, not so fun. 

conquering fears

The school carnival happened this weekend. And the twins are now choosing to ride the ponies. Pretty sure there were tears last year.

Oma time

Oma sent these pics from the 'green park' one of their favorites. The Vassariños love spending one morning a week with Oma and it's a treat when they get to visit the park nearby. 

At Oma's house after a long morning at the park. Oma has awesome toys. Most circa 1980. 

somos equipo, somos familia

We have a little chant in our family that says, "We're a team, we're family!"  I like to say it when the kids help each other and me out. Today, Rafa wanted to help fix dinner, and he said "We can do it together, we're a team!" [heart melting]

Here are a few pics of my team:

Team flowers entertained us and made a few attempts at getting all the faces to peek through and a somewhat amused look on all of them. No complaints, at least two are now old enough that there is some possibility of them abiding and smiling on their own rather than us making fools of ourselves behind the camera to get their attention and an amused look. 

Everyone's playing doctor. S may or may not be enjoying using the reflex hammer to pound on her brother. Who may or may not be encouraging her and laughing hysterically. 

Homemade popsicles on the porch. No lie, this is the kind of memory I hope they have forever. They love sitting on the stoop having a snack. 

food fun

[leaving carnival with the final stop being a rice crispie treat with icing and sprinkles, so we can get home and get ready for a gala]

C: If y'all are really good and ask nicely, maybe Papi can stop by a restaurant that has chicken nuggets and French fries and buy you dinner.  [maybe that will make feeding them and getting ready at a decent hour a possibility]

R: Noooooooo!  [in uber whiney voice...parents, you know what I mean]. I don't want to. 

C: you don't want French fries?

R: hrmph 

S: I LOVE French fries. [excitedly]

[now in car half way home after much gnashing of teeth over leaving the carnival without a snow cone--which to my knowledge they've never had but somehow my picky child who won't try anything new I give him thinks he wants one]

R: Papi, can we please go to a restaurant ...

C: [aw, sweet boy is asking nicely!]

R: that has lots of desserts?

C & D: [laughing hysterically]

jokes!

We're really punny and corny around our kids. I think it's part of the parent job description. Or just a parental survival instinct. So far, the kids really only get the totally goofball jokes that are truly off the wall. When we say things that they know are not reality. This morning: did you spill your syrup on the floor because it was hungry? Or counting: one, two, FIVE! They love that stuff. They don't make it up themselves yet, although they mimic our silliness.

Last night, I snuck into their room after getting home late to say goodnight. I went to Rafa's bed and planted a big one. Then I turned to Sylvia's bed (she had escaped, coming over to Rafa's side of the room) and went to her bed in the same way and buried my head in her pillow as if I would have kissed her had she been there. The kids cracked up. And kid giggles make my heart dance.

Then both kids wanted to do the same thing, so they would go over to the other bed and bury their heads in the pillows and just laugh. In their world, jokes are still funny the second and third and fourth and fiftieth time around. Ah, joy.

As I was leaving, I stood by the door and blew kisses and told them I loved them and that it was time to sleep. Then this:

S: I want to play!
C: I want my kids to sleep (part of my futile attempt to get my kids to not say 'I want' ALL DAY LONG.)
S: I don't
C: I do
S: I don't
C: I do
S: I don't because I don't have kids
C: [laughing]

I don't know if I was more amused, more proud, or more excited about this new chapter of interaction. I think this *might* be her first intentional joke. Milestone moment.

yellow pajamas

We earned our second set of yellow pajamas today.




Oscar's ear continues to get worse, so we were convinced tubes would make it all better. So, we finally acquiesced and did it. From all reports, he did really well. And we know his surgeon, so I don't think he would say that if it weren't true. By the time we got home and he had a bowl of oatmeal, he was back to his fun-loving, demanding self.

Hopefully, Mami can sleep better tonight than last night!

holy week recap

So, I tried to tell the stories of holy week to the kids to help them get excited about our celebrations or have some context or because it made me feel a little better about stuffing them with chocolate and candy and sending them running on egg hunts.  I didn't try to explain those rituals, however.

In any case, here's the recap I got from them when I wanted to see what they might have learned:

Maundy Thursday
C: what are we celebrating tomorrow?
S: the day Jesus entered Jerusalem!
C: how do we celebrate and remember that day?
R: we waive palm branches
C: what did Jesus do in Jerusalem?
S: he rode on a donkey
R: with Mary, she held him in his arms
C: then what happened?
S: Jesus died on the cross
C: then what?
R: they put him in the cave with the lions
C: then what?
R: then he went into the sky
C: to be with whom?
S: with God
C: who else gets to go to heaven?
R: I do!  And Sylvia!  and Mami!  And Papi!  And Tia Candy!

happy easter!

I'm behind on posting (again), but rather than go back, I'm going to share some Easter pics. We weren't sure how Oscar would do, but he might be our best egg hunter. And then he would get so excited that the basket would bounce along as he ran and the eggs would bounce out again. It was an endless egg hunt. And he loved every minute of it