"Hey Lucas, can you help Mommy take care of Char while I cook?" 90% of the time, Lucas complies and helps me out. When Char seems to be having a hissy fit (and she has TONS of those!), Lucas does the best he can to stop it. He'll give her a book, a toy, or say "Charlotte, let's go upstairs". And the other 10% of the time, he just ignores me. And her.
Inseparable
Tagging along with big bro
Loves cars like big bro, too
Enjoying a JJ in front of the Apple store
"Hey Char, lie down"
Char's learning new tricks left and right nowadays
Our Saturdays have become very "family" like. What exactly does that mean? We have a semi lazy/slow breakfast together, kill some time at home, Lucas has soccer practice (so we alternate staying with him) while Char plays at the park, we have lunch somewhere close by and BAM! it's nap time! I can foresee many more years of this - with one kid having one activity while the other has a different one. Yup, guess this is our life now.
Paper and crayons - best way to keep kids busy at a restaurant
I LOL-ed watching this video for a while...
I asked Lucas numerous times, before paying for his soccer lessons, "are you SURE you want to play soccer?". He replied yes every single time. However, when the time came, he looks anything but enthused to play. The kid enjoys running... but running with a ball that slows you down? No thank you. Plus he never sees us watch soccer on TV or play soccer at home... so I don't blame the fellow. I can see him playing basketball more since we currently own 3 hoops and WAS watching the playoffs (till now). Oh well. Our way of thinking is we'll let him try out different activities and he can decide what he like and not like. As for now, it looks like soccer will be over for us in mid-June.
Just not that into soccer...
Most active he's been playing soccer
His happy soccer face = sitting on the ball
More into watching Daddy build him an X-wing
What his happy face looks like
Char's happy face
And speaking of the little lady, someone decided it was time to start walking for good this Saturday!
Father/son twinsie pic (both had SW shirt underneath, too!)
Me with my walking crazies
We went to get ice cream after lunch on Saturday and the worker was saying how we had "a perfect little family (a boy and a girl)". That was a nice thing to say. And that was our weekend.
Troublemakers. That's what these two are. While I was upstairs cleaning out old baby stuff (bibs, receiving blankets, etc.), I was wondering why the two rugrats were so quiet downstairs. After bathing them and putting them down for their nap, I figured out why. The two rascals were quietly watching videos on my iPad when I clearly told them "no iPad!". These slicksters weren't that slick though since they left Barney running the entire time we were upstairs.
Little homegirl has become so much more fun. Her sassy personality is starting to show more and more, but she makes up for it by being fun! And it looks like her crawling days are close to over, so I feel more comfortable taking her wherever now.
At the playground while big bro has soccer practice
Future SOA?
Swinging her non-existent troubles away
Loves cars like big bro
Loves Target like big bro (and Mommy)
Sometimes I wonder if Char is gonna become a total tomboy. If you look at the toys she plays with, they're mostly all boy stuff. She also plays rough like a boy.
Ms. No Fear
Copying big bro at CDM
Beating the early summer heat
Lucas requested to eat outside for dinner
My nanny: iPad 2nd gen (need upgrade, hint hint)
I don't use my nanny all the time... only when I'm cooking or need someone to stop bugging me. Usually these troublemakers find ways to entertain each other. Lately, one of them would be holding on to the string of a yo-yo and the other would chase after it while both screaming with glee. Other times, they like to sit together on the SAME chair (usually Charlotte's) and do something weird together.
I officially have two toddlers, no question 'bout it! Char can walk, even though she still prefers to crawl if she needs to quickly get from point A to point B. Nowadays, I often let the kids do whatever they please while I either cook or browse through the internet. As long as I don't hear hurt-crying, I'm just going to assume that things are okay. It's amazing how great they are getting along now! In hindsight, I wouldn't mind having them even closer in age! Although I vaguely remember kicking myself in the rear exactly a year ago when I always wondered why I wanted these kids so close in age. Lesson learned from 2013 - 2014: the first year with two young kids is hard, the second year is much more manageable and fun.
Collaborating on building an "I see you" tower
Giving sissy poo a free ride
Helping sissy poo walk upstairs
Checking sissy poo's pants to see if she pooped (she did!)
Helping sissy poo walk at Target
Lucas = Jesus. Char = Mary.
They always make lunch time so entertaining
The kids usually play a bit after lunch while I wash dishes. I went upstairs first today to tidy up their room and noticed that they were downstairs and quiet for a while. I've been yelling (yes, I'm too lazy to go downstairs when I know they understand what I'm saying to them) for them to come upstairs but they chose to ignore me. After playing on my phone for a while, I decide to walk down to see what all the giggling is about this time. And this is what I caught on video...
Dancing Shinns pt 1
Dancing Shinns pt 2
Best 20 cents spent! (After Easter sale window clings)
These kids sure are something. And a handful. I'm exhausted!
... where both kids are walking (sorta)! I purposely avoided going to CDM since Char became mobile and I knew I had to deal with two separate kids with two separate agendas. However, my worst fears didn't come true. Today was actually pretty manageable, and both kids looked like they had tons of fun! I think it's time we start going back on a regular basis again.
Started with bubbles
After realizing how wet Lucas was
getting, I suggested we go upstairs to the Wonder Cabinet and they can
do whatever they want up there.
How cute is this?!
Having "lunch" together
Spent some time in the baby room
Now, the real fun begins! In the past, Char was always ergo-ed and practically asleep by the time we went to the water area. This time around, things were different. Char is steady on a feet now and I've already deprived her from the water area for far too long.
Nice and dry (for now)
Nice and dry (for now, too)
Gross, Char!
Captured a moment of pure bliss (in full wetness)!
Making pizza before we call it a day
So, it was a good CDM trip. Both kids went down pretty quickly (Char has practically dropped her morning nap) and I was able to give them a bath before nap time too. Time to go back next week!
"Oh darling[s] don't you ever grow up. Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little."
Toddlerhood. A time where your biggest troubles are 1) thinking of ways to delay bedtime and 2) separation anxiety. As I watch my munchkins giggle their way through life without a worry in the world, a part of me wishes they could stay this young and innocent forever. BUT also be potty trained and dress themselves (am I asking for too much?).
Being 1 and 2 (but turning 3 in a couple months) means...
Water fun in the backyard after nap time
By the way, it's amazing what mothers will do to make their children happy. Our backyard has been collecting pine leaves and all sorts of other nasties since last summer. I never bothered to clean anything up till I realized how much both kids enjoy playing outside. Now, during their nap, I spend around 30-60 minutes cleaning up the backyard little by little. It looks a lot more presentable than it did before I started this project, but I still have a long way to go. My goal is to finish before the weather gets really hot so I can lounge in the backyard peacefully while the rascals enjoy the heat.
Jamba Juice treat after dinner
Story time at the library
Peek-a-boo with sissy poo
These munchkins are so easily entertained. It's great that Lucas is FINALLY giving Char the time of day and "playing" with her. Even though he's really just bossing her around, "Char, come here!", "Char, play with this", "Char, come upstairs!".
Snacking with your fellow toddler buddies
... then having lunch with your toddler buddies
Crazy kids having lunch at home
These two rub off each other like no other. Lucas loves to copy Char and Char loves to copy Lucas. Sometimes I really don't know who's setting the bad example...
Coming out of the closet (oh Char!)
Taking selfies with Daddy on Mommy's phone
I hope these munchkins remember bits and pieces of their toddlerhood through all the pictures I take of them. And I hope they remember that their mother did the best she could to make their toddlerhood as fun as possible! And that their father paid for everything to make mother's dreams for them possible.
It was a good Easter. It was also a crazy Easter (thanks to Easter falling on Daddy's birthday this year). I had this grand plan to have an advent-like Easter egg week with Lucas... until I realized he was too young to get it this year. Hopefully I'll be more prepared next year so Lucas will realize that Easter's not just a bunny and egg hunts. Speaking of egg hunts...
Egg hunt #1 (play date gang)
Natural segregation between boys and girls
Egg hunt #2 (cousins)
Listening to the Easter story (yes Lucas is surrounded by girls)
