Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Fatherly worries

So Makenna is in a couple of back-to-back weddings this year, and while that's no surprise (being as cute as she is and all), it raises a "dad" question in my head. I mean, she's going to be all decked out, dressed to the nines, and I'm sure she's going to be such an angelic figure, regardless. I guess what I'm "struggling" through is the fact that she'll have makeup on! Yeah big deal, right? What's the problem? There's no problem per se , but its just the thought of knowing that my little baby girl is growing up. Sure it's only for a few hours for each wedding, but maybe that's just the beginning? She's already playing with mommy's makeup brushes, imitating how mommy puts on blush or whatever. She's also found my chap stick and will sneak off into our bedroom to put it on. Afterwards, she'll come out of the room and say, "look daddy, I have lipstick!" She's only two, but I'm already looking ahead to the days where she's going to want to put on makeup, wear fake nails, and shop for nothing but "name brands!" I understand that I still have a few years before the worry sets in, but the way time is moving, it may as well be next week! I'm sure all fathers who have baby girls can relate. It doesn't seem like such a big deal, that is, not until it actually happens. I just want my baby girl to stay a baby as long as possible. Is that too much to ask? Is that selfish of me? Don't get me wrong, having a boy presents itself with the same types of "future worry," but I think it isn't as nerve-racking as the worries when you have a little girl.

Look Daddy, I have lipstick!

Monday, June 22, 2009

The two reasons I celebrate Father's Day...

It's hard to believe that I haven't been able to update for two full weeks! Things have been crazy busy these past couple of weeks, and quite a lot has happened, so I'll do my best to bring everyone up to speed...

The kids have been great, and they're both becoming so much more independent. Isaiah's really starting to come out of his shell, though he still has his little "clingy" episodes where he needs the comfort of one of us to calm him down. It normally happens when he's going to be in direct contact with a large group of people, but he's gotten better in that if he's seen you recently, he won't freak out as much as he used to before. Auntie Gina can attest to that! Right now, Isaiah is into cars. It doesn't matter what kind of car, as long as he sees one around, he'll shout out "car!" He loves playing with his cars, he loves riding in cars, he just loves cars and he'll let you know! Another thing he can't seem to live without is his stuffed kitten. It's his favorite stuffed animal at the moment, and when he pulls it out of his crib and parades it around, he's letting us know that he's ready for bed! Don't know how that came about, but it's his new thing and we just rolled with it. Whenever "kitty" comes out, we know he's telling us that he's ready to go down, so it starts off his evening routine. Aside from that, Isaiah's becoming quite the chatterbox. His vocabulary has grown this past month, and he's getting better at calling out things that he knows and recognizes. At the moment, his favorite movie is Wall-E, and both he and Makenna can sit through a good chunk of the movie before getting antsy and looking for other things to get into!

Makenna has been a growing reminder of how we need to watch exactly what we say, and that's the truth! She has recently picked up this new habit of repeating what she's heard, and more than one occasion, she's been called an echo! She seems to do it more when nobody's paying attention to her, or when she wants to be funny. It hasn't gotten her into trouble just yet, but that'll come in time =) She's still fascinated with calling both Enz & myself by our first names, and she knows just when to use our names too. One time when I was home with the kids, I had a sharp pain in my side that took my breath away for a minute. Makenna saw me double over, so she came up to me, tapped me on the arm and said "what's wrong Jer?" in the same tone that Enz would say it to me. And it's not like she was just saying it to say it, she seemed like she knew exactly what she was asking! Of course I started laughing which made the pain go away, but at the same time I thought to myself, "what a little stinker this one is!" She continues to amaze us with her level of understanding when we talk with her. The only time she acts like she doesn't understand is when she's being put in her naughty spot! Then again, what kid truly understands that? Guess it's just all a part of growing up!


Isaiah sporting his fresh new Cars tattoo...

Makenna, our little ham...

Monday, June 08, 2009

Another fun weekend

Though we've been having a bit of strange weather lately, this past weekend it changed for the better as the sun finally broke through the gloom. Satuday, I spent most of the day with the kids at home. In the late afternoon, Enz took Makenna with her to a bridal shower (for which she'll be one of the flower girls). While the girls were out, I took Isaiah for some play time at the park. There was so much going on at the park, lots of kids, lots of birthday parties, but what fascinated the little man the most was the creek and all the running water! He had fun playing in the sand and the playground, as I used this time to tire him out. When we finally got home, he was so ready for bed, which meant some time to relax for me!

Isaiah fascinated by the creek at the park...

Makenna poses with Mommy's hot shoes!


Yesterday we had another great time with the kids, this time at the Sunnyvale Art and Wine Festival. It seemed to be a much smaller event than previous years, but still fun, especially with the kids doing their share of people watching! Rather than taking them out in the stroller and having them suffer in the heat, we opted to bring them out in their newly covered wagon, and they had a blast! After cruising around for a while, we let the kids stretch out and play over by the main stage where they had their share of dancing. As the afternoon wore on, we noticed that the kids started to get a little on the "touchy" side, and were getting on each other's nerves! It was funny watching them act in true "brother and sister" fashion by kicking each other's feet! I guess after a while, being in close quarters like that will make otherwise calm kids a bit antsy. Plus it was right around their naptime, so we decided to call it a day and bring the little ones home. Once we got home, they both had no problems crashing out for a couple of hours, and we took advantage of the quiet and did the same! Such a pleasant end to another terrific weekend!
Rockin' the Radio Flyer canopy on their wagon!
Mommy gives the kids a little snack...

The kids enjoy some Jamba Juice and music at the S'vale Art & Wine Festival...




Friday, June 05, 2009

Working from home

Yes, another day of working from home with the kids. I do this once a month, and I honestly don't see how people can do it all the time. Its not so much about doing your work while the kids play amongst themselves, especially since our kids are still at the age where they need supervision. Its all about being able to maintain focus on working, while developing that second set of eyes in the back of your head, all without losing your mind! Sure the kids can drive me loco every two minutes, asking "what are you doing Daddy?" or repeatedly asking for milk, but I enjoy these Fridays, and any day at home with them for that matter!

Recently, Enz went out and bought them a little kitchen set, complete with plastic pots and pans, food, and a microwave. This is possibly the best toy she's gotten them, as they play with it for hours on end, never getting tired of it! This actually works out for me today, as I am home trying to get some work done. Happy Friday everyone, have a great weekend!


The kids having a blast with their toy kitchen... You can see it in their smiles =)

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Growth spurt

So it's been about a week since I've given an update on the kids. Lack of free time is what's keeping me from being consistent with posts, but I'm sure things will mellow out shortly, at least enough to give me a spare moment or two to get everyone up to speed with our "not so little" ones.

After last week's mysterious fever that came and went in a jiffy, the kids are back to their normal, happy-go-lucky selves. The smiles and laughter are always welcome over the crying and whining! When Isaiah's miserable, all he does is cry; and when Makenna's miserable, all she does is whine (about everything)! So to see the both of them in really great spirits was a blessing. They're really starting to play well together, and it's entertaining to listen to them talk to each other. It usually starts off with Makenna dictating what needs to be done like "No Zae Zae, use this one," and then Isaiah showing his disapproval with a loud, shrieking scream. UGH! Isaiah's got a set of lungs on him, and anyone that hears him scream automatically assumes it's Makenna! Of course she can get going with her pipes too, but she only does it when Isaiah won't stop and she wants to be heard!

We thought it was only Makenna, but it seems that both kids are having fun calling us by our first names. Makenna knows exactly how to use it, and has no problems calling our "Jerry" or "Enza". Isaiah, on the other hand, will only call out "Enz" after he hears me say it. The other day when I was changing him, I called for Enz to get something for me. He immediately picked up on that and started shouting "Enz!" HAHAHA! Now he'll do it when he's asked. I'm just waiting for him to call out "Jer" one of these days!

Yesterday, Enz had the day off and had a few errands to run. Rather than loading up the truck and carting both kids around all day, she dropped Makenna off at her parent's house, and had a little one-on-one time with Isaiah. That was probably one of the best things she's done with him because it gave her some alone time with him, something that he hasn't had a lot of lately. Back when Makenna was his age (and I say it like it was SOOO long ago), we were both able to take her out and do things with her alone since she was the only child. And we're thinking that Isaiah has missed out on a lot of that. We've actually been making more of a conscious effort to have him tag along with either one of us alone, just so that he gets to experience things on his own. I've even been taking him on errands with me, whether it be to the store, the mall, or grandma's house. Kenna's had that opportunity, so it's only fair that Isaiah gets the same, and he loves the undivided attention! Who wouldn't?! Happy Wednesday everyone!


Isaiah's shirt says it all!

Makenna's half-smile (she's growing into quite the little girl!)

The kids have fun on jungle-gym Daddy!