We get these out nearly every day and he spends quite a bit of time at the kitchen table, attempting to copy designs from the booklet or making up his own.

I remember playing with this exact set when I was little. What a timeless toy! We also use them to practice counting and colors as well as sorting.

You're now nineteen months old and have definitely grown into the toddler role! You keep me chasing after you (and now, with my big belly, you're usually faster than I am!) and pulling you down from tables and shelves! You will play with toys on your own or with your brother for an extended period of time. You love musical instruments, your baby doll, ride-on toys, Lego Duplos, and animal figures (all of them make the same growl, which right now is your only animal sound effect!) You're saying "no" and causing trouble and also having sweet little conversations and offering up hugs and kisses all the time.

You went on your second big trip to the US and back. This time, to visit Daddy's family in New York! You met for the first time your Uncle Jason and Aunt Kay, Great-Aunts Connie, Barb & Sherry, second cousin Josh, Great-Uncle Brian, Great-Grandpa, Great-great-aunt Ginny, Mom-mom & Pop-pop! You warmed up quickly to everyone and enjoyed playing and eating everywhere we went. We stayed a week and a half at Grandma and Grandpa's house with your Aunt Jen and had a fun, relaxing visit. You got in a lot of exploring, playing, becoming buddies with the dogs, and getting spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa!

You're such a good eater and enjoy almost everything we put in front of you. So far the toddler pickiness hasn't set in! You love soup and lasagna, will at least try most vegetables, and devour any fruit. You're starting to use a fork and spoon sufficiently (though messily!) and have almost mastered drinking from a normal cup without spilling all over yourself!

It's been a busy, fun month of seeing a lot of people and adjusting to different schedules and time zones. We don't have any big trips planned for the near future, so this next month we'll just be at home, playing and chasing after you! I love all the joy you and your brother bring into the home. I love you so much!
 

- Mommy

Well, challenge #9 over at a bowl full of lemons is toys! I feel I'm pretty organized with everything, but just have to figure out how to keep it that way!

Here's what our toy closet usually looks like by noon:

We also have a train table with drawers in the living room that isn't so bad:

So I shoveled everything out of the closet, pulled up the carpet squares, mopped down the floor, cleaned a bunch of toys, and threw all the unwanted stuff in donation boxes.

We have another bin rack upstairs that is home to toys that are a little bit too old for the boys and some things that we rotate out when they seem to be bored of the millions of toys that they have. It's neat and tidy because they never use it, though. Most of the bins are all ready labeled, but I didn't want to label the shelves right now because items do rotate out a lot. I added the boxes on the bottom shelf. One is for puppets and the other is smallish, miscellaneous toys that don't really work on the metal rack shelf.
The boys seem happy with the organized toys and are always more interested in the toys once they're sorted. Unfortunately, right at this moment they are pulling things off the shelves and dumping out the bins!

The train table remained pretty tidy, but I labeled the drawers. Rhino seems to understand that the trains go in one and the tracks/accessories go in the other. We've only had it since Christmas, but we haven't had any problems keeping things sorted so far.

I like the idea of all the labeled, clear bins but we will have to try that in the future. For now, I like the open bins that the boys can get in to rather than struggle with lids. I have the feeling that organization won't really be the problem for a while, but I'll still be cleaning up every toy they own every night!

Now go get some great toy organization ideas and motivation over at a bowl full of lemon's 9th challenge!

My brother is too sweet. Usually we don't exchange a lot of gifts, just something small. He tie-dyed a bunch of toddler shirts (and a onesie for baby #3) and sent them for the boys, which are super cute! He also sent Heron an adorable rollercoaster bead toy, which are always a huge hit with the boys, but this one has a couple special twists!

The most exciting gift is definitely Rhino's Mega Bloks Busy Day at the Quarry. He is over joyed with his new toy!! We are glad to see that the Mega Bloks are compatible with our Duplos and I think it's really neat that this Thomas set has tracks incorporated into the lid and base.

Matt and I are gamers and always love a new board game. Last night we played It's Alive! Card Game which was pretty cute (creepy?) I'm also looking forward to trying out our new Whatzit? game with friends this weekend.

Ohh, and they got me the funniest little knitting pattern book: Knitted Icons. Hilarious patterns of pop culture icons! First thing, I'm knitting Matt a lil' Godzilla!

Thanks, Matthew / Uncle Matt & Adria for all the thoughtful gifts!

On Easter morning we woke up to bake Resurrection Rolls for breakfast. These were such an amazing idea and we will be making it our Easter tradition from now on. What a fun (and delicious!) way to teach about Jesus’ resurrection! Rhino had fun coating the marshmallow and placing it on the dough and, of course, loved chowing down on the empty, cinnamon-y rolls!

We went to church for Sunday School and the morning service at Faith and it was wonderful and uplifting! I stayed late to take photos of almost all the families at church, per Pastor’s request, so he could look upon our photos as he prayed for the church members. We invited Katy and her boys over for lunch afterwards. We had a symbolic Easter meal of rosemary chicken, asparagus, and potatoes. I couldn’t find purple potatoes, so I just roasted up some yummy new potatoes.

Rhino and his buddy Carson hunted for Easter eggs that Matt and Casey had hidden in the yards. Rhino was on such a mission and zipped from egg to egg, really cleaning up. Carson was so adorable and would stop to thoroughly celebrate each egg he found! They had such a good time running around and cracking open the eggs to find all sorts of goodies. They crashed quickly for naptime and Katy and her family went home.

We recuperated a little bit in the afternoon, but really should have napped with the boys. We returned to church for the evening service. The choir and some church members performed an Easter Cantata, which was beautiful and powerful. Matt worked the sound for the performance and had spent the last few weekends practicing with the choir. It was really something!

It was Heron’s first Easter and I wish I had made a bigger deal out of it. I didn’t buy the boys snazzy new clothes or take special photos. I did decorate eggs for each of them and we read the Easter story together. They received Easter baskets from Grammy and gifts from Grandma and Grandpa (lots of chocolate, a truck with dinosaurs, a stacking toy and a rubber duck for Heron, and some cute paints for Rhino. Thanks, Mom & Dad and Mama!!) Next year I want to do baskets for them, too. I didn’t want to have fancy baskets this year because Heron’s not eating sugar yet and Rhino didn’t really need any more with all the candy-filled eggs he collected. I do want to get them little gifts and sweets later, though.

Today you are two years old! You are having a great day so far! We are having a family celebration right now and next week you will have a small party with some of your good friends. Last night you went to a party while Daddy and I went to our church Valentine’s Day Banquet, so you were out late and playing hard! You got to color, listen to music, play games, hit a pinata, and have lots of snacks! So you wanted to sleep in this morning. As soon as you woke up, we went to the Weasels’ Den for the Pajama Jam, where you played on the playground and bounce house, had a big breakfast buffet, saw some friends, and watched some Ice Age on a big screen. When we came home, you opened presents from us, from Grandma and Grandpa, and from Grammy and Uncle Ron. You were given some fantastic toys, snazzy shoes, and a Blue’s Clues DVD and CD! We talked to Grammy on Skype while you opened gifts from her, then we traced your hand and you painted a picture. We have more fun lined up for you, but right now you’re enjoying playing with Heron and your new Blue doll.

I thought it would be nice to keep track of some of your favorite things and see how they change from year to year. Love you!

Favorites
Fruit: mandarin oranges; apples
Vegetable: carrots
Snacks: cheese; tuna salad; scrambled eggs; peanut butter
Meal: breakfast
Drink: apple juice
Songs: the Itsy Bitsy Spider; Skinamarinky Dinky Dink
Movies: Aliens vs. Monsters; Potty Power
TV Show: Blue’s Clues
Cartoon Character: Elmo
Book: I Love You Through and Through
Friend: Carson
Toy: Duplo blocks
Stuffed Animal: Yellow Bear you got from Uncle Matt your first Christmas
Playtime Activity: blowing bubbles
chores: sweeping; unloading dishwasher
Place: the Thursday Playgroup room at EDIS

Easy Valentines Chocolates @ Gourmet Mom on the Go

These look amazing and actually not very difficult to make! They remind me of all the wonderful chocolates my brother, Matthew, and his girlfriend, Adria, made all his family for Christmas. Yum! I don’t think I’ll get to try these in time for this Valentine’s Day, but maybe I will next year, or this Christmas, or just one day I’m craving chocolate!

Rainbow Pancakes @ i am mommy

This poor gal has gotten a ton of criticism via blog comments for something as silly as making these crazy colorful pancakes for her little ones as a treat. I definitely don’t want to pack the boys full of food dye, sugar, etc daily but I don’t see any harm in pumping up the fun factor in foods occasionally. These awesome pancakes remind me of the wonderful colorful cakes (like my 4th of July cupcakes) and I definitely will make some colorful breakfasts for the boys in the future!

Total Eclipse of the Heart: Literal Video Version @ YouTube

My friend Liz linked this on Facebook and I cannot get enough of it! I’d never watched a “literal version” of a music video but considering how Matt and I adore MST3K, it’s not surprising that we enjoyed this sort of humor. This particular video was done by dascottjr, and there are some other wonderful literal versions of videos on his site. My favorites, not including the awesome Total Eclipse of the Heart, are definitely Jingle Bell Rock, Separate Ways, and the choreography part of Love is a Battlefield!

NZ Book Council – Going West @ YouTube

This is a short animated film narrating part of the book Going West. It’s a stop-motion of papercutting, which is absolutely stunning. I highly admire papercutting and hope to do some of my own someday, but I cannot imagine the time and skill required to produce a project such as this. Amazing!

Bunny Hop Slippers @ Craft

The cutest! I’ve always wanted a pair of bunny slippers, and these are the most adorable I’ve seen. I can’t wait to knit them up! I’ve never made thrums before, so that should be fun, too.

“So Easy, A Toddler Can Do It” Snowflakes @ Frugal Family Fun Blog

We made these in our Wednesday night King’s Kids class (Flyers; 4 &5 year-olds) a few weeks ago. It really was easy and the results were wonderful! I let the kids place their masking tape however they wanted, so some of the snowflakes were a little creative and free-form, but that was sort of the point! It’ll be fun to make these one winter when the boys are a little older.

9 Ways To Encourage Your Kids to Live Simply @ Simple Mom

This is my goal. I fail at it often, though. I really do want to instill simplicity in the boys as they grow. Simple Mom has many great articles like this to steer us in that direction. By the way, I’d love to make the boys’ toys! I have knit, sewn, and crocheted a handful for them, but I’d love to pick up some woodworking to make them some terrific, sturdy toys, too!

How to Get Back in the Groove of Reading @ Mom Advice

This term I’ve had to do so much reading for my literature class, as well as the half a dozen textbooks for my other class, that I feel so burnt-out on reading that I don’t want to do. I am trying to put these points into practice in order to read for pleasure. Oh, it’s hard and I feel like I don’t have the time to read, but I’m going to start taking advantage of those reading windows now.

Prayer: Why We Struggle (and how not to) @ holy experience

This really spoke to me. I don’t have much more to say about it. Just read it.

Inspiration: “Tips for Capturing Newborns” @ i heart faces

Now that Heron’s getting so big, I feel like I wasted time that I could have been photographing his tiny newborn bottom and wrinkly little fingers! I wish I had played around more with my camera like this. I am still enjoying photographing the boys as they are, but hope to have another bitty baby someday to capture in this way!

The past two months with you have been a joy, as always! You are such a sweetheart, a bright little boy, and always make us laugh! You didn’t have a doctor’s visit this month, but did have a WIC appointment where we were able to get your height and weight. At 22 months you were 26 pounds, 12 ounces (44th percentile) and 32.75 inches tall (22nd percentile.)

Your vocabulary has really taken off these past few months! You say all sorts of words like shoe, boot, two, hat, cheese, snow, car, plane, up, down, juice, hair, eye, nose, mouth, chin, and thank you (“dat doo”). You don’t string words together to make simple sentences yet, but I have the feeling that’s coming soon! You still use your words together with sign language symbols, but we haven’t taught you any new signs lately.

Some exciting things have happened these past months! Your Aunt Jen came to visit and had such a good time with you! You entertained her a lot with your dancing, silly playing around, and guitar hero strumming. She tried for ten days to get you to say Aunt Jen, but you wouldn’t even try it. Then, after she left, you were looking at photos on our digital frame and saw a picture of her, pointed, and said Aunt Jen. Daddy was on the computer and looked up with surprise, and asked if that’s what you had said. It was pretty clear. Too bad you couldn’t do that a few days earlier for your aunt! We did lots of fun things with your aunt while she was visiting, like shopping, going out to lots of different restaurants, a wonderful Thanksgiving, checking out the Aviation and Science museum, visiting the fish market in Hachinohe, going to the beach to see shipwrecks and horses, and playing games. She can’t wait to see you again!

We also celebrated Christmas last month! It was your second Christmas and was a little more exciting for you than your first Christmas. You enjoyed getting advent treats every day in December, loved all the sweet goodies we munched throughout the month, and really loved the tree and would consistently try to blow out the lights and take down all the ornaments! You received some wonderful gifts from all the people that love you, including a tricycle, a Mr. Potato Head, a huge box of Lego Duplos, some wonderful wooden puzzle toys and lacing beads, lots of snazzy clothes, and your favorite ball – a Blue’s Clues ball! It was a fun, quiet Christmas and you seemed to really have a great time!

You are still such a good big brother and are really bonding with Heron. He adores you so much and you make him laugh when no one else can. You shower him with kisses, want to hold him, and share your toys (by forcing them into his little hands) and your sippy cup (though he doesn’t care for that yet!) You two are so sweet together and I’m looking forward to the days ahead where you will play together!

Thanks for another fantastic few months with you, Rhino! Daddy and I love you more and more each day and can’t wait to have another great month with our big boy!

Love always,
Mommy

We had our first family Christmas at home this year. It is a little lonely being so far away from family, but we had a beautiful Christmas with the boys and our friends. We had lots of lovely snow for Christmas, cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa. Rhino ran downstairs in the morning after we read Luke 2, excited about his advent treat that he’d gotten for the past 24 days. He completely overlooked the tree and presents and ran straight for the empty advent calendar. We had to turn him around and set him straight before he saw all the presents and pointed with a great big “WOW!”

Rhino enjoyed unwrapping the gifts. He’s much better at it this year than he was last year, when he’d only peel a tiny little scrap at a time! Everything unwrapped received another “WOW!” and he was just as excited about Heron’s toys as he was his own. Heron liked to just lie under the tree and gnaw on his toys, then eventually fell asleep on the sofa from all the excitement!

We received so many wonderful gifts from our family. We really are blessed to have such wonderful people who care about us. I only wish they all could have been with us to share in the festivities. I would love it if all our family, both Matt’s and mine, could come together for the holidays, but I don’t really see it happening anytime soon. We’d love to go back to the States to spend future Christmases with family, but while we’re stationed in Japan, it is too much of a trip to trek all over the country for the holiday. Maybe someone will want to come out here with us one of these years!