Gabe: Temporarily Contained

People who are acquainted with Gabe know that he is something of a wild child. His curiosity and disregard for logical consequences have him getting into and onto everything and getting bruised up quite a bit. At times he whines for me to hold him then he forcefully lunges out of my arms as soon as I pick him up. He has taught Julia to get into more mischief in the last few months than she has come up with on her own her entire life. (They were dancing on the kitchen table the other day. Gabe's idea for sure.)

He takes bites out of toilet paper rolls. One of his new favorite things is to throw all of his clothes in the garbage can in his room. He opens the silverware drawer and scatters the contents all over the kitchen. He loves to take dirty dishes out of the dishwasher, which he can open, and throw them in the sink and on the floor. He falls off tables, chairs, beds, couches, and toilets. Almost every diaper change leaves me completely exhausted. He pulls Julia's hair while we run in the mornings. If I can't find something (like a shoe) I always check the kitchen garbage first. Yesterday I found him eating a banana peel from the garbage can. Soon he will be able to open the fridge. I am just waiting for the day I preheat the oven only to find something burning that he has stashed in there. And I count us extremely lucky that we haven't made any emergency room trips yet.

Of course I love my crazy boy. But sometimes I just don't know what to do with him. Apparently Jonny feels the same because this is where Daddy stashed Gabe the other day:

He thought being stuck in the laundry hamper
was pretty fun...

...for a few minutes, that is.

Oh, Gabey. We do adore you and your brute-like ways. Although he keeps me on my toes all day, he does have me laughing and smiling a lot and we do snuggle at bedtime. Completely uncharacteristically, he puts his head on my shoulder while I rock him and sing his lullaby. It's my favorite time of the day. Last night he was really into kissing me as I sang to him. Every three of four seconds he'd plant a slobbery one on my lips. That guy.

little gardeners

Julia and Gabe are often bringing in produce from the back yard. Julia's picks are almost always ripe and she laughs so hard when Gabe brings in a green tomato.

I love it when Julia proudly announces the vegetable she's found. Last week she brought in a cucumber and said, "Look, Mom! A perfect green one forever."

And just now she came in cradling several cherry tomatoes. "Here. The nummiest red 'pu-nay-ohs' you ever seen at all."

Either she overuses superlatives or our produce really is the world's best. Hey, we did have some pretty delicious watermelon. I wish I could remember what Julia said about that one.

"Mommies obey Julias"

Oh boy. The other day during a run I was explaining to Julia what it means to obey. Since I couldn't see her face, I wasn't sure if she was even listening. But apparently she understood it...maybe a little too well.

Later that day she said to me, "Now Mommy, you go get me a snack now. Please obey me, Mommy. And get me a snack." I was somewhat shocked and tried to explain (which was pretty difficult) that I don't obey her, she just obeys me, Daddy, teachers, babysitters, and other adults. Distressed, she said, "Yes, mommies obey Julias! So do it, Mom!" Like I said, oh boy.

Julia: an official preschooler (at last)

I've been teaching with my sister Amber at her Little Learners Preschool for six years - going on seven. Julia has joined me for three of those years, napping during most of the first few. Gabe is on now on his second year as a napper during the classes I teach. (Amber is always so flexible as we decide what classes I will help with each year. She worked around my college schedule and now accommodates nap times. Since Gabe only takes one afternoon nap now, I am teaching the afternoon class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It's crazy to think I used to teach all five a week with Amber.)

Anyway, enough history. The point of this post is that in her fourth year at Little Learners, Julia is finally attending as a true preschooler. Okay, okay, it's not super official as she's only 3 and attends the 4-5 year old class. But she is of preschool age nonetheless! And she loves it. Since she's been around the preschool block a few times, she has no trouble with the routines and is quite good at following directions.

It's hard for me to believe my baby is old enough to be a student in the same room I taught preschool with her strapped to me in the Moby wrap not too long ago. She still seems a bit too small to me to be one of the students. That's probably because she actually is a little younger and shorter (see the picture above) than her classmates in the afternoon class. (The 3-4 year old class meets in the morning when Gabe does not nap. Clearly it would be insane to try to teach that class with my crazy Gabey awake and about!)

I love to see her do her class job, sing with the other kids, sit quietly in her spot at Circle Time, and excitedly recount her day at school to Daddy. I bet she'll be able to trace her name as well as the other students by the end of the year. That's my girl. (And as she would say back to me, "That's my girl...too, Mommy!")

Just for fun, here are a few pictures I found of Julia's pre-preschool days:

2007-2008

(Cousin Allyson was a professional preschooler for the first five years of her life as well.)

2008-20092009-2010And here are a few of Gabe from last Spring, usually up from his nap by playtime.

Flies BEWARE

I asked Julia to quickly close the door so we could keep the flies out. Instead she stretched out her arms and legs, blocking the entrance of any flies that dare to pass. "Mom, me just keep flies out like this."
I heard that all the flyswatters in local stores are sold out. Luckily we have a guitar shaped one I bought in Branson years ago - just in case any lucky ones make it past Julia.

summer hikes: documented

This was Julia's first summer as a true hiker. During the few hikes we did last summer, she rode in the backpack and Gabe in the Moby. But this year Gabe took the prime spot on Jonny's back and Julia hit the trail. She completely loved it.

We couldn't resist buying her a mini pink Camelbak. All geared up, she was so proud to be a hiker. Gabe was perfectly content in the backpack and laughed like crazy whenever Jonny would jump a little so it shook up and down. Jonny and I have always loved hiking. But we've never felt more at home in the mountains than we do now-with our little friends joining us. We may not have gone on as many hikes this year as we have in past summers, but the trails that suited our little hikers' needs made for some great times. Check them out in slide shows if you are interested...

Hiking Battle Creek Falls with the Ribeiras


Biking Provo Canyon with Mom and Dad
(no, not hiking, but still enjoying the mountains!)


Hiking Battle Creek Falls with the Barretts


Donut Falls


Rock Canyon

Just another lovely day at the pool

Well, at least it was a good day of swimming
for one of my children:

For a little while anyway.

As you can see, it really wasn't our best day at the Lehi pool. And my sisters, who were playing with their cameras, happened to capture it all. Cami even chanced to snap a shot of Gabe walking off the ramp. I was right behind him and fished him out immediately. But it still makes my stomach turn when I remember seeing him completely submersed and sitting at the bottom of the pool - even if only for two seconds. Gotta keep an eye and a hand on that boy.


P.S. The second picture was taken after he slipped on the tile of the ramp, taking a pretty hard fall on his back. I don't even remember why he was crying with Katy. Needless to say, we weren't too disappointed when it started raining like crazy and we all had to vacate the pool.