Today

Evy bounds into the kitchen . . . Mom is distractedly finishing up a couple of dishes.

Evy:  Mom, wanna see my muscles?
Mom:  (trying to hurry)  Not right now.
Evy:  (bounding out of the kitchen)  Then you are gonna to miss the goods!

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Merritt totally biffed it today while we were having a dance party.  Not the first time or even the first time this week.  Yesterday, he was in a mad dash to escape my evil clutches as he threw himself to the other side of the car, totally biffed it.

Today, it was face plant on the hardwood floors, and, it was REALLY, REALLY ugly.  I mean, it has been bad before (I may have mentioned that I have already started to save up for his dental work for when he is older), but it was bloody and awful.   Bloody awful.

I am happy to report that almost 12 hours from the time of impact--his mouth has finally stopped bleeding.  My shirt, his shirt, and Erik's shirt are celebrating that fact.

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We've been playing through music for a family talent show . . . and this morning I hear Everett singing:
"I got CHIIIIIIIILLLS, they're multipie-ing . . . 'cause I got power . . . I'm electrify-ING!" at which time he threw himself on the ground a la Travolta style.  I think that I have officially given him the entire act.

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Evy and Merritt were preparing to jump on a trampoline at a cousin's house (Happy Birthday, Baby M!) . . . We explained that it was a "one at a time" scenario because of Merritt's awesome face plant.

Evy, not even a few minutes after jumping (he went first), stopped and said it was Merritt's turn.  I asked him what was wrong, why he didn't want to jump longer . . . he simply said,"Mom, I want Merritt to have some fun, too."

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Some of the words Merritt has recently added (with his pronunciation):
wait=wahhh
hungry=uny
stop=op
cake=aaach
fish=ishsh
Mom=MAAHEEE
car=aahr
I oove you=i uw u
swing=ingg
slide=ide
outside=ide
amen=ahen
rock=rawch
baby=baee
show=ohh
horse=neee
down=ow(n)
up=op
round=ow(n)
book=ooch
eat=eea
water=wawa
bowl=oo-wl
help=elp
cat=meeoww (softly)
dog=ahg
fork=ohr
pee and poop=poop
potty=otty
no=no (he has that one down)
I really don't want to=no no no no (with an erasing/waving hand movement)
something's wrong=uh-oh!!
bye=bye
hello=hewwo
pillow=iwwo
blanket=eee
cookie=ooch
Evy=Eh-eee
Daddy=Daheee
Lightning McQueen=Eeen
Mater=ahher
Sally=aweee
Doc=ahch
train=aine

He avoids consonants.

Something that I have not ever heard him say, and he won't try:  "Yes."

Instead:  "uh-huh!"  with a little booty jiggle dance to show you that you got it right.

He is pretty aware of the sounds he cannot make and it takes lots of effort to get him to try.

Tonight, he was so taken with a picture book.  And, cried when he had to go to bed.  He went to bed with the book.  Such a different level of focus from even a couple of months ago!

At the birthday party today, despite his dental and facial misshape, he INHALED the chips and salsa.  Daddy's boy!
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At the end of the birthday party, Evy was holding the door open for the departing guests (including us) . . . a couple of seconds later, we hear him say:

"Uh, you have an escaper.  You have an escaper."

I turned around and the one-year old birthday girl was, with a basket and fruit on arm, walking out the front door as if she owned the world--as if she, too, was going to get in a car and drive away.

Protector Evy was on alert!

"Maheeeee!"

Earlier this week, for the first time ever, I woke up to the sound of Merritt calling,"Maheee, Maheee!"

I heard it, didn't even notice how ___ early it was because I was so excited, and ran to get him from his room.

For the first time in two years, Merritt didn't call me "Dad."

I know, how, oh, shallow  . . . does it really matter what he calls me?  . . . but my boys prefer their dad, I am not making that up or exaggerating, and having my own name of Mom is kind of nice.

Merritt would point at me when you asked,"Who is your mom?"  or "Where is your mom?"

But, he couldn't really say Mom.

AND, he even said it again yesterday, in a moment of crisis to get my attention.  (you know one of those toddler crisis of "I want cheese now.")

He still calls me "Daeee."  That's okay, he needs a way to get my attention.  I've accepted that from the beginning.  (Like "Daeee" means,"Hey Big Person, I Need Help.")

But it was really nice to get a "mom" that morning . . . .

Easter Weekend

We were able to get the Hunt, the Easter Bunny, and egg decorating all finished by Saturday afternoon.  That was GREAT as it left Sunday to help us be more spiritually minded and not crazy with candy.  Evy in his prayers all weekend,"Please bless that we can remember to think of Jesus."

Coloring Eggs

Oh, did you notice the blue on his face . . . yeah, in a typical quick-Merritt moment he swiped a blue dye tablet right off the counter and TONS of it disintegrated in the less than one second it took to get it from his mouth.  When we rinsed his mouth out with water, *blue* water gushed out of his mouth for like 5 minutes.

Evy's rocker egg complete with a tie.

Serious contemplation when eating a hard boiled egg.  (And, I was like, "Why can't I get this egg out of this cup with this crazy wire thing-y?")

Mixing colors with Magical Dad . . . what will it be?

The Easter Egg Hunt

Merritt's hunting philosophy:  Find Egg, Eat Contents of Egg before finding Another Egg

Favorite Egg:  anything with a sugary content

Everett's hunting philosophy:  Find egg, Check contents to see if desirable, If so-keep egg and quickly move on, If not-leave egg for brother and quickly move on, and "I'll skip several eggs just so Merritt can have some."

Favorite Egg:  those with chocolate and MONEY

Eating . . . and eating . . . and, notice the pooching of his cheek?  eating.

'Da Food

We had an awesome time cooking and baking for this Easter.  By request of one of our Easter Dinner invites:  Cheesecake

And, this time I made a gingerbread crust. (with the usual plain cheesecake and chocolate swirl cheesecake)

A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

This Ham was Excellent

Tangerine Glazed Easter Ham

(I used sliced sweet potatoes instead of carrots and it rocked.)

My little boys don't like cheesecake yet.  So, I made them a special treat, too.

(Crack me up!)

Aw, cute baby cousin M.

My sister and brother-in-law

In Review (for next year when I don't remember), Stained Glass Jello Salad (for the little boys), tangerine glazed ham with sweet potatoes, snow peas, Easter rolls (raisins, cardamom, and lemon zest), and mango or strawberry lemonades.

Pictures that Crack Me Up

Yes, when Dad makes the macaroni and cheese, Evy is very excited!

Uh, the rabbit was caught IN the garden.

Double the ties, double the handsomeness.

We are practicing a talent show . . . but Everett preferred the following picture:

Four year old "pick my nose" humor.

The Baseball Game

Erik, finally, was able to go to that baseball game that he postponed due to my urgent suggestion (so as to not miss his own surprise party).

He took the boys and they had an awesome time!

Evy was so excited because it is, well, baseball . . . and his plan was to eat LOTS of junk food!

When Merritt woke from his nap and I explained that he was going to a baseball game with his dad, he got ready!

Evy was so excited and made sure he dressed in the team's colors.

The junk food!

Dad caught a ball!  Evidently, this was like the 8th picture that was taken and the first to come as clear as it is.  Evy WAS excited about that ball and has shown everyone he knows the actual "Ball my Dad caught!"  (Love how Merritt who is usually all CHEESE for a picture is just munching away on the popcorn with no pause.)

Chocolate Cake Batter

Don't interrupt me.

Oops, watch the drip!

That's our Boy, not one drip goes to waste.

This is dancing for a spoon refill.  (Don't let it freak you out like he'll fall or something from that tall chair.  He's been doing this FOREVER.)

and, yes, it might be overkill to have this many pictures, but as his doting parents, each picture says something different.  nerdy, I know.

Good Decisions

I am really trying to harness some more positive feedback for Merritt.  He is pretty much busy all the time with everything and much of what comes out of my mouth is correction and redirection, instead of praise.

So, we've been on a mission to take pictures of when he is helping, being a good listener, and, especially, being nice without being prompted . . . I take a picture of the occurrence and then we revisit the picture, praising him again and again.  And, you know, when I focus on this, the behavior that needs to be redirected or corrected occurs less (like taking things, biting, hitting, and all those other things that are age appropriate for a kiddo who is behind on communicating).

I have really enjoyed watching Merritt play especially now that his focus lasts a bit longer.  It is fun to just follow him around the house and watch how he analyzes things, takes them apart, puts them back together (all while testing limits, of course), and he does this all while in tune with what his brother is doing.  If he hears that Evy is in distress, he stops what he is doing . . .  says, "Ewy!"  Motions for me to come and we go and investigate what is going on.

He loves to play hide and seek and mimics the "Umm, Uhhh, where are you" (said in his own jibber) that we say when we seek out the hiders.

Pictures of Good Decisions:

(You can see how Merritt had organized his trains, because he wanted to carry more than his hands could carry----so he decided to put them in this lunch box to carry up and down the stairs.)