more dancing

I finally got Rafa's moves on video.

playing in sand

It's a little sad that more people don't know about or don't enjoy the arboretum, but on the positive side, we had a blast exploring and enjoying the grounds without the bustle of lots of people.

The kids had the run of a sand pit playground. We also took a little walk to a pond where there were turtles and fish and a little boy who fell in the mud. A small patch of flowers and piles of rocks were probably the twoddlers faves. I'm certain I haven't found all the rocks hidden in the stroller, diaper bag, pockets, etc.

that's my son...

Eating Cheerios on a fork.

pics from the park

These are old news for anyone on Facebook, but for those that aren't or missed it...

que cute!

The struggle to get Rafa to eat continues.  The one thing that has been fairly successful in getting more good stuff into his little body is smoothies.  I can put silken tofu, spinach, and greek yogurt together with frozen fruit and he downs the stuff.  Particularly after a lot of playing outside. That doesn't mean that he's learning to eat food that otherwise seems scary or whatever it is that turns him off (texture?), but at least I don't worry about him having negative health impacts from living on mac n cheese.


Here he even fed his nose a little smoothie.  I'm sure I'll find some mashed into and staining the carpet, but maybe the crazy pattern will hide it forever.  If you come over, don't point it out.  Thanks.

We did have a huge breakthrough, though!  We bought some freeze dried or dehydrated, I have no idea, okra.  Sort of on a whim.  It was one of those display things at the end of the aisle where I was waiting with one child while D got the rest of the shopping list with the other child.  And, I thought, why not?  For those that know me, I'm not an impulse shopper, nor a big fan of okra, so maybe some higher power or mama instinct put the thing in my cart.  Last night while the kids were eating, you guessed it, mac n cheese (with a little tuna hidden inside), D and I opened the okra and each had one.  Naturally, Sylvia wanted one.  But she wants to eat everything.  Much to our surprise, Rafa did, too!!  And then another.  And another...  I think he ate 6.  I don't much about the health benefits of okra, but it's green and not a carb, so if he keeps eating them, I'll buy them every day!


Sylvia is our little chatterbox.  She spends a good 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, babbling in her crib each night before finally drifting off to sleep.  You've seen her read books, but in general her day is one long monologue.  Well, it's starting to be a little more of a conversation, which I adore.  Let's see, her words are: up, MAS! (more), otro (another), baby, ball (although we're really trying for balón), luz (light), and our favorites: Rafa, mami, and papi.  We've been speaking mostly Spanish at home and have asked the nanny to try to also, but it seems there are a few English words that are slipping in.  While we were excited she learned another word, I was a little disappointed to come home and hear her say: cookie!  Partly because it's English and partly because we haven't been feeding them many sweets.  They're lucky they have the nanny to spoil them! 

I've been trying to teach her "Oma" (grandmother in German and the name our family uses for my mom) and "Gong-Gong" (maternal grandfather in Cantonese, which is what we hope they'll call my dad).  So, yesterday, as she was babbling words, I said "Oma" to encourage her to repeat it back and she responded with "Gong-Gong"!  Took me by total surprise.  This stage is going to be really fun for me!  I can't wait to hear what they start saying next!

sweetness

I'll keep my trap shut and let this picture and video speak for themselves.

preferences

So, the twoddlers have preferences. For those with kids, I know this is no news flash. But somehow it hasn't quite sunk in. You would think that all of the food battles would have made it apparent, but that's not making choices and having preferences, that's just doing everything to make mami and papi crazy.

Well, today Rafa made it clear he knew what he wanted. We were getting dressed to go run errands and got to the shoes. As I was putting on Sylvia's shoes, Rafa ran off to get a pair. Now, mind you, I had already picked out a pair of light blue crocs that matched his outfit that he had been carrying around while I changed clothes.

When he came back, he had a pair of Sylvia's sandals in his hands. 'Patos'! (Short for zapatos, shoes in Spanish.). He was doing his 18-month best to put them on (which means pulling his foot towards himself and putting the shoe next to the foot). I humored him and put them on. He got down and looked at the shoes and got on his tip toes for his first few steps, clearly excited and ran away, dancing. I kid you not, he was delighted. When he came back to play, I tried to take those off and put on the crocs, which I did successfully, but he cried throughout. And kept reaching for the sandals. D and I decided to just let the kid wear the sandals. We have bigger battles to win...

Here he is in complete delight showing off the sandals. This is the face he also had when he got to put the sandals back on.