Opus 245 - 20 Months

I can't believe my "little" kids are 20 months! That's so close to 2! They are growing up before my eyes. They're full-blown toddlers now and it's crazy to me.

Here's an update on how they're doing:

Both kids' vocabulary is slowly increasing. Joshua's very favorite word is "car;" Lissa's is "nana" (banana). They also say walk, clock, truck, hi, mama, dada, Josh, Lissa, more, grandpa, grandma, ball, and bye. Joshua is a real chatter bug. The kid talks and talk and talks. Too bad we don't know what he's saying :) Lissa chatters as well, but she tends to do it quietly and a little less than her chatty brother. I'm still not completely sure that they understand each other's chatter, but sometimes it seems like it.

Joshua reminds me of my younger brother John. We used to say that John was a Duracell battery that kept going and would recharge at night (this must have been before the Energizer bunny commercials, because he definitely was like the Energizer bunny!). Joshua is exactly the same. He seems to have endless energy and is always running around (it's like he's forgotten how to walk).

Lissa is much more calm, energy-wise, than her brother. She can sit and play quietly for a much longer time... unless Joshua decides to interrupt her (a common occurrence - Joshua seems to think anything Lissa plays with is better than what he has). She's definitely all girl. Don't cross her or you will hear about it! Her latest dislike is sharing certain things with Joshua. If Joshua sits on the same couch, Lissa gets upset. Well, maybe that's because he tends to smash her and so she gets upset that he's even nearby - afraid she'll get smashed again :)

Joshua loves to smile for the camera:


Lissa, not so much:



Both kids have become particularly attached to blankies (not any particular blankies, just blankies in general).

I love that Lissa is holding her teddy:


...while Joshua holds his beloved truck (Joshua's VERY favorite toy):


The kids also really enjoy sorting shapes of every kind:


Joshua has really started to enjoy wearing his hat:


Both kids LOVE going outside:



They still love to use their walkers, even though they are too short for them. They've found other ways to use them:




The kids have really enjoyed seeing all of the pumpkins out for Halloween:




Going in for a kiss:

A classic example of Joshua not sitting still:


They have this strange habit of hitting their head on just about everything (on purpose), then coming to get sympathy. I don't know where this came from since we don't make a big deal about their little falls and bumps.


We went to the zoo with the entire Smith family a couple of weeks ago. The kids seemed to notice some of the animals (they thought the lion was a kitty and started meowing). They particularly loved climbing the boulders during lunch. Unfortunately Joshua had a little fight with one of the boulders. He lost.

Opus 244 - Babysitting Whoas

Let me start this post by saying that I'm incredibly grateful for my job. It's a good job; the kids are good; the school is good; the colleagues are good. This job has made it so that we can afford to pay for things like food, housing, heat... you know, the minor things in life. I am grateful for that.

I just wish there weren't so many darn evening events. It makes it really hard to find people to watch the kids. Although we're making ends meet - that's all we're making and we just can't afford to hire a babysitter or have the nanny stay later when I have school things at night. Let me tell you, one of the worst feelings you can have is knowing that you absolutely have to be someplace, but you have no idea who is going to watch your kids and you keep trying and trying to find someone, but you just can't and time is running out. If you've never had that feeling, be grateful, because it's miserable. I know there are people who would happily let me drop the kids off at their house, but when I don't get home until 10:00 p.m., that just won't work. My kids would never make it until 10:00 and that'd make EVERYONE miserable. I can't do that do my kids. But I can't take them to a football game either. It's not professional, it'd be a nightmare trying to keep track of them while trying to deal with the band, and there'd be so many germs! I've already had students with the swine flu, I'm not giving it to my kids.

Seriously, the not-so-smart person who planned a high school football game on a Thursday night should be fired. Really. What was he thinking??? (You know it was a man who did that!)

Opus 243 - Reality

Sometimes things happen in life that remind you of what is really important. On Saturday night a friend and colleague of mine was killed as she saved the lives of her students. She was an amazing person, not only because of her final act on this earth, but because that is who she was. She cared so much for her students and always gave everything to them. She will always be remembered as a hero.

It was such a shock to learn of her death. Band directors aren't supposed to die on the job. Shock is the only word I can think of to describe how I currently feel.

I have an over-night trip planned with my students in a few weeks and I won't deny that there is a part of me that is a little freaked out. The logical side of my brain knows that this was a freak accident, so I really shouldn't worry. But the emotional side of my brain is freaked out. I just need to work this out so I can have an enjoyable trip and not be freaked out everytime we ride the bus.

Please pray for her family, the students at the high school, all her knew her, the Utah band community, and for the director of the band. The students are looking to him for support and guidance, please pray for him to have the strength he needs to help these kids.

If you're reading this soon enough, please wear red and black (school colors) Tuesday in her honor. Even if you live far away. Then you can tell people that you're wearing red and black in honor of a true American hero.

If you live in Utah, the band is performing in a competition at 9:40 p.m. at BYU's LaVell Edward's stadium. Tickets for the competition (which runs from 3:55 p.m. to about 10:00 p.m.) are $5/individual and $20/family (immediate family only). If you can, please come support them as they special tribute to their hero.

Opus 242 - Funny Kids

My kids crack me up. They are just hilarious. They were a bit grumpy this evening so I decided to pull out their winter coats and see if they still fit since they were so huge last winter (no dice, time for new coats). After trying them on, the kids refused to take them off. So they wore them for the next hour and a half.

This kid is getting so good at pictures! Such a cutie!

During this time they were sitting on the kitchen floor playing with their water sippies and a Rubbermaid container. They were turning their sippies upside down and pushing them on the lid so a little water would come out. Then they'd rub their fingers on the lid in order to make a squeak and they'd laugh and do it over again. They were playing happily so I started working on other "very important" things (like checking the weather forecast for the next ten days in order to find out how freezing cold it's going to be during 6:00 a.m. marching band rehearsals). The kids were laughing and laughing and I was working away ("It's going to be 30-what degrees??? I'm gonna die!") when I decided to take a look at the kids. Upon my glance in their direction I discovered that they were wet. Not just a little wet, but quite wet. Apparently Joshua had banged his sippy enough to cause the valve to fall out, thus creating a gush of water that was now on the kitchen floor. The kids were splashing away and having a grand time. Lissa was also putting her hands in the water and wiping it on her face and feet (I guess she thinks she needs a bath?). When I walked over to survey the damage I could only laugh; oh, and take a picture of course! Seriously, they crack me up... winter coats and all.

The offending sippy:

But wait, this story isn't over yet. Since it was about time for bed I took the kids upstairs to dry them off and put on their PJ's. After I took Lissa's clothes off and dried her off, she began slapping her chest like Tarzan. That got Joshua going again. He was laughing so hard he could barely stand up. So, of course, once I got Joshua undressed and dried off, what did he do? That's right, he slapped his chest like Tarzan. Monkey see, monkey do. So there they were, running around their room in diapers, slapping their chests, and laughing like crazy.

Goofballs :)

Opus 241 - Lissa watching Conference

Conducting the choir

Relaxing with Daddy

(notice the eyes being silly in the first picture - goofball)

PS
I tried and tried to get pictures of Joshua conducting (he also loves to conduct the choir), but I had no luck. He was WAY too busy playing with his toys - LOL!

Opus 240 - Legos

Lissa and Joshua have become BIG fans of legos. They love to stack them and knock them down. They love them so much that we have to go buy more because they keep fighting over the few we have. Thank goodness the kind they like are really cheap :)

Playing nicely

"Look what I have Mommy!"

Joshua going for Lissa's Lego

"He stole my Lego!!!"

Opus 239 - Cuties

I had much more success getting pictures of Joshua smiling. He loves to smile for the camera. I also managed to get one of Lissa :)

Opus 238 - Lissa's Silly Faces

Lissa has always been our little face maker. Lately, she's started making faces every time I pull out the camera and say, "Smile!" Here are a few of my favorites: