Adonis Houdini

I woke up this morning and heard a cry a little closer than what I'm used to. I got out of bed, opened our door and, to my surprise, saw the boys' bedroom door opened. I wondered if Jonas had left if open for whatever reason but since he was showering I didn't want to bother him. As I got closer I saw Adonis, who had - who knows how! - gotten out of his pack n' play and was now taunting his brother who is a little fuller and still stuck in his pack n' play. Have we reached the point where only strapping them in will keep them from getting out? I'm dreading toddler beds...

Little helpers

While Adonis doesn't hesitate sharing, Apollo's slowly developing that skill. But every now and then he surprises us with half second moments of cooperation.
My mom puts them down for their morning naps and, because she can't lift them, she pushes a little stool near the pack n' plays so she can sit on it and help them get in. Today the boys rushed upstairs and beat her to the bedroom. She walked in a few seconds behind to see them both trying to push the stool and place it at the usual place so that Vovo could sit and help them into their pack n' plays. Such little helpers.

More signs

It warms my heart when the boys sign independently.
Today, while we were at church, Apollo's eye caught a baby. He grabbed my arm and proudly signed "baby" :)

Vovó

My mother always shares tales of the boys' day - and I, of course, just love it!
Today she reported Apollo referred to her as "Vovó". As in saying-it-out-loud-not-signing Vovó. Groundbreaking!

B is for Bird

You'd think that at 18 months these kids would be speaking by now, but no. They're taking their sweet time. And I quite frankly don't mind. At. All.
Research shows that twins are 'late' speakers. Research also shows that bilingual children are 'late' speakers. Put these two factors together and they're 'late' speaker by the power of two (no pun intended!).

So you can imagine our surprise when Apollo, as he was signing 'bird', started making the /b/ sound. It was exciting and we praised his effort, even if it means that his first 'real' word will be in English... lol

Look mommy, I'm so tall

Caught these this morning, just before leaving to work.

Dish helpers

I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before our kids are ninja assassins in training. Once they go into “stealth” mode, there’s little anyone can do.

Today it was no different. Vovó Dedé reported that Adonis, in stealth mode, stole the dishwasher actionpac, ripped it open with his teeth (poison control, anyone?), spread the micro “foam” balls on the kitchen floor, alerted Apollo of the mischief who in turn came diving onto it. All of that in the spam of 10 seconds.

Two words for you: DEMO and TEAM.

Adjusting schedules

It’s official: the boys are down to one nap a day.
It's kind of sad because I looked forward to those 2, sometimes 4, hours a day when I could catch up on school work, catch up on the lanudyr, catch up with my sims family, catch up on HHI (House Hunters International, in case you're wondering), or even catch up on my sleep! I knew this day would come just not so quickly...
They're masters of their own schedule, we just reinforce it. So when their 9AM nap started being pushed to 11 AM or even noon, and the 3 PM just stopped happening, we knew it was time to revise their schedule.
It was actually perfect timing since next week they start their survival swimming lessons (more details to come). We have a pool but no gate, and being that Arizona summer has already begun (90F degrees, you're welcome) we figured better sooner than later.
Their new schedule looks something like this (note the times fluctuate because, as I said before, they're pretty much call the shots):

Sundays

I don’t recall the last time I stayed the whole 3-hour block for church services.
Today I told myself that would be it! I got myself psychologically prepared, stuffed the diaper bag with snacks and books and finger puppets, and off we went!
And before the last speaker was done at Sacrament meeting, we were out… We’ll do better next time. I’m sure. Actually, I’m not sure. How are we going to do better? Because the boys are still a couple of months from nursery, how am I supposed to care for BOTH during Sunday School AND Relief Society AND pay attention?! Parents of twins, I call on your expertise.

A Fun-filled day

It all started with Jonas, at 7 AM, telling me about an Acai Bowl place he recently ran by. Being deprived from my roots for the last 4 years, he shouldn’t have been surprised when without hesitation I told him he should get in the shower with no seconds to spare because we were going there right now.
We got there with actually 5 minutes before opening – I was sooo excited! We order away – sans peanut, of course – and………… what a disappointment with the serving size! It literally had three banana slices. Past that shock, the four of us ravenously savored every spoonful. Boy, I miss Praca Brasil, Belem.

After our tummies were full (because I did have to order a second one) off we went to Sam’s Club – with the boys! We went there because I had some $3 off coupons for diapers, only to find out at checkout that Sam’s does not accept manufacturer’s coupons. Boo.

The boys were apparently exhausted from this 2-errand morning, so much that they went down for a nap at 10:30 AM and Adonis didn’t wake up until after 3PM! Subsequent to his hibernation we decided tiring the boys down has its rewards. So we went over my in-laws, where their cousin Gus and Bud anxiously awaited. Playground, swings, cars, sand, water, water and sand… couldn’t have been more awesome.

Is there such thing as being "too friendly"?

I'm referring to the boys, of course.

Tonight my in-laws hosted a company event at their home and, as the awesome employees and family we are, we showed up a couple of hours earlier to help set up the amazing fiesta.

Naturally, Jonas and Connie did most of the work since I was chasing 16-month old twins. One would think I was doing a great job until Apollo decided to take a dip in the fountain during the split second all three adults blinked. It was actually kind of funny and cute all at the same time. Since we’re teaching our children the importance of being able to laugh at themselves, we all had a laugh and took pictures of the poor, shivering child. Grandma whisked a pair of pajamas and we were all back to business (you can tell it’s a Grandma’s house by the children’s clothing items available in occasions like this).

The dinner social was a blast. With a Fiesta theme, barbecued tacos and paletas made all of us happy. The boys were impressively well behaved and extremely social. I mean, extremely. Almost embarrassingly so. They would come up to everyone, lift their little arms as if saying, “Hi stranger. You look interesting. Pick me up now, please”, study the person’s face for 30 seconds, and then signal they were ready to go. I couldn’t help but to wonder whether people thought these kids don’t get enough “colo” from their parents that they have to beg everyone…

From 2 to 1 nap a day

It’s been a while since the boys have been iffy on two naps a day. They’ve naturally, slowly transitioned to one nap a day. Today they confirmed my fears by refusing to take their oh-so-awesome 9 AM nap…

Apparently they’ve pushed their naps and now nap around 11 AM, making the afternoon a little too long for everyone. However, our attempts to encourage a late afternoon nap have backfired.

No problem. One nap it is. As long as it’s more than 2 hours long :)

Thunder

To our excitement and surprise, our forecast today indicated thunder – lots of thunder. So we’re sitting in the kitchen feeding the boys and all of a sudden it begins. Rolling thunders, pause, boys shrieking, another one, boys’ eye wide open, pause, repeat.

They were initially a little scared, one could tell, but we’ve been using the “scared” sign to acknowledge and indicate that it’s okay to be scared. However, after the fifth thunder, I decided it was time to improve our vocabulary and learn the sign for “thunder”(there’s this pretty neat website called Signing Savvy where you can search signs by word and there are a lot available). So Jonas and I learned it and starting signing it every time we’d hear a thunder. Adonis was pretty quick to pick it up and shortly after he and Apollo were signing it too.

Lesson learned: meal times can be educational.

Happy Patty's Day

I always enjoy my TESL (teaching English as a Second Language) classes and, after a hiatus due to finishing my masters, it was nice to be back even if there was only one student and the building was locked and we had to meet outside. Let me publicly express my appreciation for Jonas who selflessly watches the boys during the three hours that I’m teaching. Doomo arigatou gozaimashita. Bow.

After class we met up with the illustrious visitor and Jonas’s childhood friend, Dan, and his SO, Susie, and hit Higley Hot Dogs – a favorite of Dan’s, a first for me. If you’re not familiar with Higley Hot Dogs, it’s a little cash-only shack that sells Chicago style dogs. If you’re Brazilian, there’s nothing special about this place compared to Brazilian hot dogs. If you’re American, Yelp reviewers swear by it.

It was a nice experience sitting outside, trying to listen to the boys (Jonas and Dan, that is) reminiscing while chasing the little boys around. WARNING: TMI – the after fact wasn’t too nice though… Let’s just say not only did the owner (or at least I think that’s who she was) treat me badly, but so did their dog. A few hours later and I thought I was going to turn inside out. I would definitely go back.

Some of the best things about making up

unexpected, beautiful flowers

Rough night

After a powwow with Jonas the day before, waking up to Apollo today with vomit all over himself and leaked through his hammock to the carpet, and the whole upstairs just smelling sourly was the highlight of my day.

Tough love

At 2:30 PM, just as I was getting ready to leave work, I got a call from my mom. Adonis*, in his unconditional love, had given Apollo* a hug and Apollo* had lost balance and fallen face first on a bouncer, cutting his inner lower lip and producing a lot of blood.

After a 30-minute commute, I got home and walked straight towards Apollo only to find out that it was actually Adonis who had been injured. My mom, in her anxiety, had mixed up their names. It was a pretty funny scene: Apollo with arms up and ready to be cuddled by mommy and mommy suddenly shifting away from him to Adonis, leaving Apollo hanging.

Daylight Savings

As I’m sure every Arizonan is aware, Arizona does not change time. Ever. Duh. I knew that. But my iPhone apparently didn’t and decided to change it for me the day before. Result, I’m out of bed an hour earlier to Jonas’s shock, the kids are still asleep to my shock, Jonas is still on his robe to my shock, and – to my final shock and almost breakdown - my mom hasn’t woken up and I’m ready to leave for work! What’s wrong with everyone, I remember thinking. Then Jonas is kind enough to point out that it’s 6 AM.

Sushi

It was about time we introduced the boys to sushi. After all, WARNING: TMI, they are kind of Japanese. So we took them to our favorite AZ sushi spot (thank you Justin) for lunch. We arrived earlier than the crowd and tackled 1:1 ratio. They were so proud to sit on booster chairs (a first!) and next to us. They were a little dubious as far as sushi went but loooved edamames and hashi. Overall, a successful event.

Greer we go (part 2)

Greer we go (part 2)

Our cabin was so nice! It is basically a two-bedroom house, with two en suites with jet tubs, open floor plan, full equipped kitchen, wrap around deck, and a hot tub! I could totally live here.

The boys seem to enjoy it as well, and have napped and slept well – no waking up in the middle of the night – to our delight. It’s been quite windy today and it actually snowed. In fact, it was so windy that its noise was scaring the boys which equaled to an opportunity to increase their (signs) vocabulary – “wind”. We camped in and had lots of fun watching signing time, Face off, more signing time, playing “I’m gonna get you” and “where’s your belly button”, and going out just for food.

Lessons learned:

Feed boys before going to restaurant;

We have about 40 min to eat before they get restless;

It’s easier to contain them in highchairs than boosters;

The best time to go to restaurants is during off-peak hours.

Greer we go

A couple of months ago we had planned to go skiing in Sunrise, but the boys’ 24-hour stomach bug the night before jinxed our plans. We decided to reschedule it to after I was done with classes when it’d be less hectic and more enjoyable, even if it meant no skiing.

So on Tuesday, we took off to Greer and it couldn’t have been a more pleasant road trip. Actually, we could have if we had gone through anywhere else besides Globe. But that was okay because the boys were entertained and happy little passengers and rode in the backseat without me having to hop back and forth. I guess it helped that they napped before the trip and were fed snacks throughout it.

We stopped in (deserted) Globe for lunch at a pizza by the slice spot. Pizzas were adequate, we were the only customers, everybody was happy, etc. That was until Adonis spotted my drink and pleaded for a sip. It was Sprite. I honestly didn’t want him to drink sodas just yet but I figured he couldn’t work the straw, so no harm, right? Wrong. That little smart “moleque” CAN use a straw! It was funny to watch him react as the fizz hit his mouth. Eyes watering, big smile, signing “more”. Oh boy. I created a little monster.

Being a Brazilian, I'd say it's pretty natural that I get excited with the sight of snow. As we approached the area, more and more snow appeared - just beautiful. We arrived just in time to eat dinner, check in, and get the boys ready for bed.

Another in/out of hammock episode

I think yesterday’s hammock in/out fun did not set a good precedence with Adonis. He just wouldn’t stay in his hammock for this morning’s nap!

So in my old parenting fashion I just put him back in, told him it was time for a nap, held the top part shut, and just sat there until he gave up – a half hour later…

Needless to say, this type of exercise exhausts me… I just hope tomorrow it’s not another struggle…

One little monkey out of his hammock

After a couple of minutes from putting the boys down for a nap, a thump is heard upstairs. A few seconds later Adonis shows up in the hallway with the biggest smile. Has he figured out how to get out of his hammock or was this just a fluke?

So I usher him back into their bedroom and put him back in his hammock, leave, and close the door. A couple of minutes later, another thump. And Adonis shows up in the hallway with the biggest smile again.

I can’t believe my eyes! Not only has this little rascal figured out how to get out of his hammock, he’s figured out how to open the door! Nah, it must be a fluke. Since we don’t have cameras to place in their bedroom to appraise the situation, I sit behind his hammock after putting him down for the third time. And, without hesitation, voila! In half a second he sits on his hammock, throws his body out in a somersault fashion and off he goes! This little rascal has officially figured out how to get out of his hammock!

Now it’s just a mattered of time before Apollo figures it out as well. I think we better lower his hammock from the 5 feet height.

Where cousins become best friends

Cousin Noah, who is living in CA, came to visit and play with the boys. They were so well behaved and such good sharers! It was fun to see the three little cousins, all born within 3 months, acknowledging each other’s presence.

I have great memories of visiting and playing with cousins when I was growing up, and I’d like the boys to have a similar experience. In my in-laws’ home, there’s a sign that says “Grandma’s home: where cousins become best friends”.

Mommy is s/mad

Apollo bit Adonis. Ugh!

Justin's Birthday

I enjoy Justin's birthday celebrations – every family brings a choice of Justin’s favorite take outs (ours included Hawaiian this year), kids run around trying not to step on other people’s stones, and there’s lots of balloons for everyone to release. Although neither Apollo nor Adonis seem to enjoy the later tradition yet as they held on tightly to their balloons.

Apollo and Adonis seemed to enjoy being the only babies around and having Grandma’s and Abuelito’s attention. They would not let go of them! “They” as in Apollo and Adonis and “them” as in Grandma and Abuelito – not the other way around.

This year one of my sisters-in-law started a thread titled “Justin’s month” and everyone in the family had a chance to share a memory, a laugh, and (in my case and I’m sure in many others’) some tears.

The stories shared portrayed a Justin synonymous of weird food, awesome gaming, only the best, and memorable quotes (my favorite being “a family should be run like a business”).

Happy birthday, bro. We continue to miss you.

Cousins' gathering

I love excuses for getting the cousins together (and getting the boys out of the house and getting spoiled) so Celyn’s birthday party was very timely.

The boys enjoyed playing with the cousins but I think they especially enjoyed playing with the bunnies. Oh! Did I forget to mention that Celyn and his siblings got a couple of female bunnies who turned out to be a male and a female and resulted on an unexpected biology lesson? Yep. Lots of bunnies now :)

Counting down

Last day of classes! Yay!

We survived the intense 8-week, two classes schedule!

Now, onto the final exam!

Sharing skills

I’ve noticed Adonis doing this a lot lately: he’ll grab two toys (usually the same; i.e. two walking dogs, two fake phones, two lids, two lego pieces, etc) and he’ll hand one to Apollo – who will gladly accept it – and both will go off happily playing. It’s super cute.

On a side note, Apollo’s first word was “cocô” which in English means “poop”. Thank you, son. We love you even more.

Oh holidays weekends…

It's always nice to get a break from work but it seems like something else always comes up… The long, holiday weekend was quite a marathon. It probably felt longer because I crammed one of three finals while Jonas (graciously, I’ll add) watched the kids.

New tricks include Apollo climbing onto the couch all by himself and Adonis frustrated with their new toy. It also includes the Tornado Team sneaking upstairs into our master bathroom and unrolling the toilet paper roll.

Missing my babies

No, I’m not out of town or anything. It just feels like I haven’t seen them as much because I’ve been studying so hard…

Apollo can

Apollo was electrocuted today. Not the bad, burning, going to ER, electrocuted but the a little shock might serve you well electrocuted. Lol. I sound like a terrible mom, I know. But this child will not give up putting his little finger in the outlet, no matter how many times or how loudly you tell him ‘no’. Apparently it wasn’t enough to traumatize him as the perpetrator later on went right back to the outlet.

Apollo can now sign ‘drink’ however what he really means is he wants a drink from an open top cup, in other words, big boy cup, mommy’s glass - not sippy cup.

tornADO

Sometimes the boys are up before I’m done getting ready for work. On a day when that’s the case and they complain, I’ll let them hang out with me as I get ready, like I did today. The Demolition team was quicker than me. Before I realized, they had gone in the closet and ripped every single item of clothing off of its hanger.

And speaking of being too quick, guess who was today’s diaper pail victim? Jonas’s cell phone :)

Diaper pail

Vovo was having a hard time finding her cell phone today. She looked everywhere and just couldn’t find it. Until someone called her and she heard it. Somewhere in the living room, she thought. Again, no sign of the cell phone. Phone continues to ring and, suddenly, she realizes. It’s IN the diaper pail. Thank you, boys.

Happy V-day to me

Out with the old, in with the new! Happy V-day to me: new iPhone 4S!

Stringing signs

Apollo seems to be stringing signs. Today he signed “bottle” followed by pointing to it.

My Polynesian dream

Today we went to a Polynesian show. I looooove the drums, and playing with fire, and little boys with long hair.

It’s decided: I’m gonna let our boys’ hairs grow and I’ll let them play with fire. Except the hair part might take a little longer since they’re still pretty bald.

On a side note, they’re such “good helpers”. Both run to the dishwasher at the first utensils clinking sound and immediate start unloading it. Or, in some cases, they’ll climb onto the open door while the other tries to pull the top rack out. So sweet. Lol.

First ear infection

Last night Apollo woke up at 22h screaming and there was nothing we did that soothed him. I thought it was night terrors as he’s had a few. But this time it was different; he cried nonstop for over half an hour.

Jonas, in his infinite wisdom, decided to take him for a drive hoping the car movement and white noise would do the trick. However, another half hour later and poor Apollo was still inconsolable. So, like any other first-time, responsible parent (rofl) Jonas took him to the ER. After being discharged, looking for a 24h pharmacy, waiting for prescription to be filled, it was past 2h when they came home.

Apollo has a mild, outer ear infection and is now on antibiotics (for the first time). He woke up as his happy little old self. I can’t complain. We’ve made it to 14 months without an ear infection.

Night terror?

I’m going over the events before bedtime yesterday trying to figure out why Apollo woke up at 5am, inconsolable. I can’t help but to wonder whether it was another episode of night terror…

Sun Day

Bud’s was blessed in his family ward and we all gathered to witness such event. Apollo and Adonis were so well behaved I couldn’t believe it. It probably had to do with being held by their oldest cousin, Celyn, who is so good with babies. After the blessing we enjoyed (delicious) refreshments at Bud’s (awesome, resort like) backyard.

Later in the day we headed out to Grandma and Abuelito’s to join them for more yummy food, courtesy of Amy & Patrick. Amy is a chef. Literally. She went to school and everything. So whenever I hear, oh Amy’s cooking, I’m like ‘I can’t not go!’.

Thanks, Forbis, for another delightful meal and company!

Nothing like a busy (with fun) Saturday

Enjoying the weather, we started with breakfast at Liberty Market, followed by a Farmer’s Market visit, home for naps, and dinner at Keg. Life's good.

Geme (as in the verd "gemer")

Apollo, as soon as he realizes I’m about to leave him alone in the loft (because mommies also need to use the restroom every now and then), starts calling out “ma ma ma”. When he realizes it isn’t working, he goes, “pa pa pa”.