Friday, April 8, 2016

The Sickel Twins Are A-growin'

I do feel the blog has become less about writing to you all. Although, I obviously do. And more about writing down the parts of Max and Harper's life that I don't want to forget. The blog has become the baby books that are sitting in their closets collecting dust.

But somehow believe I have written in their baby books more in the last year than here!

Max and Harper are thriving. They are the most beautiful, intelligent humans. (Biased much?) I know I am nearly 3 years into this Mommy gig but some days I still can't believe that I am their mom. I get to be their person.



Their sweet voices when they say "I love you, Mommy" or being woke up at the side of my bed when they have had a bad dream. All they want is me. I relish in those sweet, tender moments. I love them so much it hurts.

However, there are moments that I forget that this Mommy job is the best ever. Two year olds are frustrating little demons sometimes. (In the best way possible, of course!)

Harper refuses to get dressed for Jeremy and it is a struggle with me too. She is so independent. Every morning the struggle is real.




Max loves to now poop in his pants. He has been potty trained since September. Harper---no accidents ever since November-ish. Max hates poopin on the potty at school. Doesn't mind it so much at home. We are SO over this regression. But his teachers are doing a great job at school of encouraging him and he is making improvements week to week.



Both are amazing little sleepers. They have been going down without fights and staying asleep in their beds all night, except for the occasional "bad dream" that they tell me about.


We have had lots of different adventures over the last few months. Here are just a few to share with you:

Park time 
Princess Harpy Harps

Jammy time

Our 2nd dentist visit

Woo-hoo! Shorts!

We love the Spring weather in the winter! 

Nothing says St. Patty's Day like a good ole booger

Valentine's Party

All of my mom's grandchildren

Visiting Grampa

Ready for Opening Day for our hometown Royals!

Hiding in the closet together!

Nonnie and us on Easter

Easter cheesin'
Perfect end to the day.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Now that the kids have their own little thoughts and ideas, conversations are getting pretty freaking hilarious. I am laughing non-stop about their stories, facial expressions, excitement about life, and questions about life. I wanted to write down some of these conversations so I could have a record of them.


Every night I put them to bed by singing our usual songs: "Jesus Loves Me", "Twinkle, Twinkle", "A Bushel and Peck" (We call it the I Love You Song), and Mommy-created songs that are referred to as Max's Song and Harpy's Song.

After singing in my beautiful and on-key voice, I usually pray with them and we talk about what we are going to dream about. On one particular night, Harper insisted that I dream about Grampa. This prompted a deep discussion on Heaven (as you know my dad passed away in June).

Max: Grampa lives in Heaven with God and Jesus. We will never see him again.
Me: We will see him again. When we go to Heaven.
Max: I don't want to go to Heaven. I want to stay here with you.
Me: We only go to Heaven when God and Jesus need us to.
Max: Can Grampa come back to us?
Me: No, honey.
Max: Well, I don't like God and Jesus.
Harper: I don't like God and Jesus either.
Me: No, we LOVE God and Jesus. They made us. They created everything that we love.
Max: Like Paw Patrol?
Me: Yes, even Paw Patrol. And the flowers, and the sky. And God even made you!
Harper: Are God and Jesus nice?
Me: Oh,yes.
Max: And we see them when we die?
Harper: Grampa was sick.
Me: Yes, Grampa was sick and he died to go live in Heaven.
Harper: When I am sick I go to the doctor.
Me: We go to the doctor to get better. Grampa just couldn't get better so God took him to Heaven. We will see him when we go to Heaven.
Max: I don't want to get sick.
Me: Grampa was old, remember. He was ready to go to Heaven. We aren't ready yet.
Max: I miss Grampa
Me: Me too, buddy.

(Oh, boy. That was a rough one. I thought I was in the clear. There was silence. And then...)

Harper: We remember Grampa.
Me: We will always remember Grampa. We hold him in our heart with all of the other people that love us.
Harper: Like the heart on my shirt?
Me: No,like the heart inside us.
Harper: So, Grampa is in my body???!!! (disgusted confusion)
Me: Let's just go to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the dinner table after "school".

Harper: I have a booboo and need a Rapunzel bandaid.
Me: Ok. I'll get you one after bath.
Max: I have an owie too.
Me: What happened?
Max: This little kid (mind you he is referring to a 5 year old) pushed me down when he was on the scooter.
Me: Did he say sorry?
Max: No, he hugged me. I pushed him down because I didn't want his dumb hug.
Me: That wasn't very nice.
Max: But Mom he did it on purpose.

(sigh)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the way to school with Jeremy the other day.

Jeremy: Do you guys want to count birds on the way to school this morning?
Both of them: YEAHHHHHH
Max: Look, I see a goose crab
Harper: A good crab? (Harper chuckle)
Jeremy: What's a goose crab?
Max: A big bird that walks close to the ground

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While watching The Good Dinosaur. (Spoiler alert!)

Max: Papa died.
Me: Yes, but he went to Heaven.
Max: No, he didn't.
Me: Yes, he did. He will live with God and Jesus.
Max: Mom, it's just a dinosaur movie.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the morning before school. I already left for work.

Harper: Where's Mom?
Jeremy: She's at work. Why?
Harper: I want my hair done.
Jeremy: I'll do your hair, honey.
Harper: No, no, no.
Jeremy: Why?
Harper: You'll make me look crazy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harper: (during a commercial of a favorite show): It's coming back on, Max. I promise.
Max: No. You don't say promise. I say promise.
Jeremy: So, you own the word 'promise', Max?
Max: Yes I do (nodding head)
Jeremy: Ok. How much did you pay for it?
Max: Sixty bucks.

(schooled)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Updates in pictures to come soon! I have the day off while new hardwood floors are installed in my house.

-Lisa-