francesca's little men

Noah

1. He's amazing in the water these days. We went to a pool today and he was so fearless. He was dunking himself under the water and in the toddler wading pool he was trying to swim - kicking his feet and doing "arm circles" (all of which he learned in swim lessons - yeah for swim lessons!). He looked s comfortable in the water and so happy!

2. I told Noah we should get some flowers to put in a jar in the kitchen and he said, "ok! Let's go look at the Growing Boy!" (he named a plant in our front yard "the Growing Boy", it's a vibernum) .... we walked out front and he said, "There's the Growing Boy! Let's take a look!" As I write this out, I am realizing it is not that amazing of a moment, but Noah makes everything seem so exciting and amazing and funny ... I think it's te animated way in which he talks. Or maybe it's how his tone or inflection. It just makes everything more awesome.

3. Liam woke up from  his nap and Noah said, "I have a great idea (he says this for pretty much any idea he comes up with) - let's go on a bike ride to the slurpee store and get a slurpee! Then we can go to the bike store and not buy anything and then go to the park!"

Liam

1. I made a stuffed monkey for Liam for Christmas this past year. He hasn't touched it in 6 months. Today I washed it and he saw it sitting on top of the dryer and he grabbed hold of it and has been carting it around off and on today. This morning he was holding it and turning its face away then saying, "whuh ah ee monkey?" (where are you monkey?) then turning the face around and saying, "oh! ah see oo!" (oh! I see you!). Then later when Daniel came home Liam ran into the office to show Daddy his monkey and he rushed in and hid te monkey behind his back and said, "whuh ah ee?" (I had to prompt Daniel and tell him what Liam said). It was so cute.

2. Liam is a champ in the pool. We checked out a community pool this afternoon, as a family because Daniel came home early from work! Liam loved it. We told him what we were going to do and the whole way in the car ride there Liam would ask, "ee shwimming?" Once we got there and in the toddler wading pool he was a little water baby. He was jumping off the side of the pool and blowing bubbles with his mouth and he even got dunked a few times and was fine - came up sputtering and smiling.

3. He cries the saddest cry ever. I can see it coming on. Daniel usually offends him. Liam will be disobedient or knock over cups of water or do something bad and when he does, whether he meant to do it or not, when he gets a dismayed reaction from either Daniel or me, he loses it. At first his little face looks straight ahead and he tries to be strong for about 2 seconds, then his mouth shows the first signs of "losing it". He begins to pucker his bottom lip out, then the eyes well up with tears and within a few seconds you will get a full on wail, mouth wide open, and alligator tears streaming down his fat cheeks. Also, when he cries, he holds his hand in his mouth, over his bottom teeth, like he's holdng his mouth open or something. It's unique to Liam and so sad. The whole picture is just so sad. He lost it a fw times today - I think it was because he woke up after only 2 hours. He really requires a 3 to 4 hour nap each day - poor guy.