Happy Three~ Disney Adventures

HAPPY THREE!

After much back and forth about how we wanted to celebrate the boys' birthday, Chris and I decided (5 days before, that is) that it would be fun to go to Disneyland for the weekend.  Once our plan was in action, we were all very excited to see what our adventure had in store for us!  Disney, per se, does not have an overwhelming draw for us (we don't really watch Disney movies or the Disney channel) but we were excited to celebrate in a place that was so kid centric (or eccentric depending on your view).  Since we wanted to celebrate our fun and energetic boys, we chose a fun and energetic place!

Top Highlights of the trip (in no particular order)

1.  On Saturday morning (our first day) we were let into the park an hour earlier than the regular crowd.  Being able to run around unencumbered by the throngs of people typically found inside the park was amazing in and of itself.  As we were lined up outside the park waiting to be let in, they counted down the last 10 seconds before the gates opened- kind of like it was New Year's Eve.  In those 10 seconds I could feel our anticipation growing. When the clock struck 8 they yelled "Let the magic begin" and I could not help but tear up because no better statement could summarize how we wanted this weekend to feel for the boys.

2.  We had breakfast with the characters all three mornings we were there.  The boys had fun with Chip and Dale particularly because they the lady in charge of the characters told Brady and Brody that Chip and Dale were twins too.  Whenever the caught sight of one of the animals they would yell "Chip and Dalllle, come heeeeerrrrrreeee" in a voice not suited for indoors.  It was funny and kind of rude all at the same time.

After one particular high-five and hug session with Dale, Brody started to pout as Dale walked away.  I asked him what was wrong and he said in the saddest sweetest voice possible "I did not get to show Chip and Dale my pimple".  (He had a little red dot on his knee that was bothering him and I called it a pimple).  This statement cracked us up and for the rest of the weekend. I kept randomly looking at Chris while sadly saying "I did not get to show *insert Disney character here* my pimple".  It made for a fun game while walking around.

3.  We bought the boys Mickey ears the first day we were there.  Brody and Brady happily wanted to wear them around the park but were extra excited to wear them on the rocket ship ride (which we rode no less than 12 times).  Whenever we were about to board the ride Brody would say "I need my space helmet" and ask for his ears.  Leave it to toddlers to have so many uses for one item of clothing.  He would also look behind the rocket ship every time we got off the ride and ask "Where da fire?".  He really wanted to see those turbo busters!

4.  There were so many times that I would look over at the boys and they would be smiling from ear to ear.  Lots of times it was when we were riding on the rides but it also happened when they saw Mickey Mouse.  These smiles were the reason we decided to give Disney a try.  The boys do not have any particular affection for these characters, in fact we had to download a couple of episodes of Mickey's Clubhouse just before the trip so they would know who Mickey was, but the whole setting is so fun and whimsical, it is impossible not to find childlike joy in lots of little moments.

5.  On our short flight we were able to see lots of California terrain and for once, most of it was green!  We have had a nice bit of rain the last few weeks and it was so refreshing and relieving to look out and see grass growing on the hillsides!  Bring it on!

6.  There is a ride called Autotopia where the boys can drive a real race car.  This was surely a highlight for them.  They were thrilled to be driving a "real" live car and it was awesome to see them so excited about doing such a grown-up task.  It was extra cool that Brady was so excited because usually when the boys talk about driving Brody says that he wants to drive while Brady says he doesn't want to drive, he just wants to sit in the passenger seat next to Brody.  I was glad that given the opportunity, Brady was just as excited to try driving and Brody was!

                                   This is my shadow taking a picture of Brody driving while Brady is driving me!

7.  On the boys' actual birthday we ordered individual cakes and candles for them to blow out.  The restaurant was taking a long time to bring us a knife to cut the cakes so Brody took matters into his own hands.  He leaned forward and with both hands, pulled the entire cake to his face and took a bite.  Upon seeing this, Brady followed suite (more gently of course).  It was totally awesome.

8.  I was having a tough time coming to terms with the fact that my "little" boys turned three.  On their actual birthday, we returned to the hotel room midday for a nap (we did this everyday actually because Disney is exhausting and it wiped everyone out!).  They were so overtired that only wanted to fall asleep laying on me in sort of a pig pile.  Chris came out of the bathroom and asked if I was ok and I told him I was great and don't even think of moving the kids.  For me, the whole trip was worth it if for nothing else than they were so exhausted that they needed to sleep piled up on top of me for several hours on their birthday.  I'll go back to Disney yearly if you could guarantee that would happen again and again!

9.  The boys had their first ice cream cone.  Up until now they have had ice cream in cups but for whatever reason we decided to get them a cone.  After a few licks, Brady thought it would be a good idea to take a bite from the center of his cone instead of the upper edge.  I loved trying to explain that this was not a good idea and seeing him figure out some important physics lessons after having disrupted the structural integrity of his cone!

10.  As a present, the boys got bubble shooters and they used them with reckless abandon.  They plastered all of Disney with millions of bubbles.  Not only did this bring them immense join, but it also brought joy to 100's of other children and adults who would yell "BUBBLES" as they passed through or into the sea of foam.  It was truly magical!  At one point we walked into a restaurant and Brody said hi to a little girl. She did not respond and Brody looked up at Chris and said "Daddy, I need my bubble shooter".  I like that he was thinking of ways to win her over and that he knew the power that the bubble shooter brought!

11.  The boys understood that they were turing three, but getting them to consistently put up three fingers was a different story.  I loved seeing them struggle keeping three little fingers in the air each time we asked how old they were.

12.  In one exhibit, they had a video of Thriller playing with a stage where you could mimic the moves.  Without hesitation, Brody got right up on stage and started copying the moves.  That boy loves to dance!

Happy Birthday, Brady and Brody.  I cannot wait to see what year three brings!!

Almost three

As we creep closer to Brady and Brody's birthday, I have to reflect on the past year and how amazingly fun these guys really are.  Their personalities, though apparent from such a young age, have really solidified.  They are different in so many ways and yet they make a great team and wonderful playmates.

Brady-

Brady is analytical, sharp, sensitive, sweat as pie, and when he wants to be- mischievous.  Brady can sit for long periods of time and work on puzzles, sort items, play memory, or build buildings.  He likes to point out his favorite things about a scenario and laugh about them ("I like the blue one" is a common statement made by Brad and he will proceed to tell us this 100 times over the next hour).  He has an incredible sense of humor and loves so many things that I find funny.  For example, he loves miniature things like little cups, little spoon, little toys. I have always found these objects comical and he gets a similar kick out of them.  He also likes puns and thinks puns are punny! If I say one or if we read one in a book, he will file it away in his little brain and break it out in the appropriate situation!  Brady is particular.  Pretty much every night for the last 3 months he has told us, "Hug, no kiss" at bedtime.  Just today at nap time he said  "Mom, my hug ran out, I need another one", but as soon and I got close to his bed he demanded "NO kiss!".  If I do end up giving him a kiss, (because often I cannot resist those checks) he will make me wipe it off and start the hug again.  Typically when Chris has one foot out the door he will yell "Daddy, I need a hug", drawing Chris back into the living room to fulfill this request.  He also remembers where he puts things; 99% of the time I can ask him where something is and he can retrieve it for me.

Brady is mischievous when he wants to be.  Some mornings when he is the first to wake up I can hear  that his first words (from his bed in a dark room) are "D-bones, wake up!  D- get uuuuuupppppp".  He knows if his brother is awake they can both get up and he has no problem waking Brody in order to get out of bed.  Brady also likes to say, in an incredibly taunting voice, "Yes I can" when we tell him to stop doing something.  It is so damn adorable and so frustrating all at the same time.  What is so apparent about his mischievousness is that he is thinking about everything that he is doing.  He is so cerebral and always calculating his next move.  As mischievous as he is, he is also a great bother.  When Brody is complaining that Brady has something that he wants, I have heard the phrase "D- you can have this" more times than I can count (especially if it means that he can upgrade to something that he wants more).  That boy is always thinking!

Brady has some firm favorites that have remained for quite some time.  He loves the color blue and likes anything blue.  However, he has pretty much replaced blue with 'azul" so he commonly yells "I want the azul one" whenever I am getting him a cup or plate.  He still loves Geo from Umizoomi and his Dougie bear.  Last, Brady has this amazing habit of saying to me (almost on a daily basis) "Mom, I lub you.  Mom, you my best friend".  It is heart melting and wonderful and I pray he continues to say this to me for a long long time!

Brody-

Oh my Brody bear, he is equal parts sugar and spice and parenting him is making me one tough lady! Strong is a great way to describe Brody;  he is strong is every way I can think of.  Physically he is tough as nails.  He is athletic and is always trying new (and dangerous) maneuvers on the playground and on the couch.  He can jump and climb and hit baseballs and throw frisbees ...you name it, he can do it.  I have been know to shriek in a high pitched girly voice "Don't throw that at me yet" when he is standing too close because I am afraid of getting pelted by his rocket pitches.  He has very good coordination and this is apparent in everything from how agile he is to how well he can hold his pee if I ask him to hold it for 5 minutes until we get home.  Impulse control, well, that is another story.

Brody also has a strong personality.  He is sweet and kind and strong-willed all at the same time.  He loves to be the center of attention and action.  He has a robust laugh and likes what I will call "opposite humor" (e.g. when someone says that says that something is green but it is really blue).  Brody likes to crinkle up his nose and say "Nooooo" and "dat's silly".  He also loves to dance!  In our Spanish class the teacher always starts the class by playing the guitar and singing a song.  For the past 6 weeks, Brody has gotten up to dance when he hears the music.  I can't really explain it, he is not trying to be funny or silly, he just dances with a complete serious expression, all the while looking around the room at everyone sitting.  Once the song is over, he sits down.  It's like someone has hit a play button inside him when he hears music.  He also likes to play guitar when he sees someone else playing an instrument.  Typically he will ask for his guitar and immediately mimic strumming the strings and tapping his foot to the beat.  It is so cute.

Brody is also stubborn in the "toddler" way.  He will yell "No" to me and "Don't do dat" with a very angry face (copying his mother I am sure).  The thing about Brody though is that he is really just testing the waters to see where those statements get him.  If I explain that that behavior is not ok, his sensitive side immediately kicks in and he feels badly and he will usually say something like "I won't do dat again.".  He is also very compassionate and sensitive.  If someone is sad or crying at the park, he is the first to try and help them.  He is also scared easily which often surprises me given his tough attitude.   He is incredibly sweet when he is relaxed.  If I am holding him, he will reach up and cup my check inside his little paw and put his head on my shoulder.  He still loves Spiderman and has worn his Spiderman costume out of house on more than one occasion since Halloween (to the farmers' market and IKEA to be precise, much to Chris's chagrin).  He has lots of stuffed animals that he loves and still likes to carry an armful of them out of his bed to the couch after nap time.  Brody is an incredible mime.  If he says a word and I do not immediately get what he is saying, his next move it to act out the word.  It is incredibly helpful and an great example of how in tune he is with the people he is talking to.  Brody loves his brother and is always trying to hold his hand or hug him (or tackle him); he is so tough and so loving all at the same time!

Brothers-
These two boys together do and say some pretty hilarious things.  I have recorded a few things so I can keep the almost three year old the memories alive.

-One day Brody asked "Mom, you drive race car?"  while I was driving on the highway.  I did not immediately understand the words "race car" so he mimed driving a video game (he sometimes plays a race car game at Chris's work).  I laughed and said "No buddy, I don't drive a race car, why does it feel like I do?" and in his sweetest, most innocent voice he said, "Yeah!".

-Every single time I get off the highway by our house both boys clap and cheer and say "You did it, Mom!". (Together these items may or may not say something about my driving.  I contest it is really driving in California that is the cause of these statements.)

-Both boys proudly say "Good Morndin" when they wake up in the morning. . . . and when they get up from nap.  It is so cute I have not corrected them.

-As I said above, Brady will tell me countless times "Mom, I love you" and sometimes he will throw in a "Mom, you pretty".  One weekend day he said these things over and over to me in Chris's presence and he must have felt bad for excluding Chris so he said "Dad, I love you.  Dad, you pretty too".  I laughed heartily and told Brady that is why I married him, cause he is pretty.

-Brady says "kunk" instead of "skunk" and "presto!" whenever he waves object around like a wand.  He also says that he has made something  "appeared" when he really means disappeared.  It is adorable.

-If one of us is sitting on the couch, Brody will often come and sit down besides us, cross his legs, look right at us and say "Whatcha up too?".  When he asks the question, he tosses his palms up toward the celling and shrugs his shoulders too.  It's adorable.

-One day I made the mistake of saying that something was kind of spooky.  After hearing this, Brady said "I'm scared".  Right after that, Brody pipped up and said  "I'll protect you, D".

-Chris shaved his chin and left his mustache for Movember. Every morning for weeks Brody would touch Chris's chin and say "Ut oh, it happened again".

-One of the many times Brody was wearing his Spiderman costume I heard Brady say "Spiderman....Spiderman...Spiderman?"  until Brody finally answered.

Brody likes to ask "What the problem is?" instead of "What is the problem?".

Once day Brody was twirling around with a towels around his midsection.  Brady looked right at him and asked "D, you a ballerina?".

After I do something helpful, the boys will throw their arms up in the air and yell Yay SuperMOm!

If I tell Brody that he cant do something that he is asking to do, he slouches his shoulders and in an Eeyore voice says Nevermind