Sept thru December 2011

Titus is frustrated about not getting a ball that his cousin Luke posses. We say to Titus, "Go get that ball!" (Which is a larger, bluer one.) He tucks his head, hunches his shoulders, smiles, and slyly goes to the new find.

December 2011

Isaac says to his Grammie and Gramps (my parents), "I don't like it when people are mean to me. I will beat the crap out of them."

December 2011

Eli is in the middle of an on going potty-training. He yells, "Pee-potty!" I pick him up, and on the way to the bathroom he passes gas on me.

He says, "I burp!"

I say, "No, you tooted."

He replies, "No, I burp."

December 2011

Me and Isaac are practicing if/then sentences. I say, "If the car is small then the bus is___." Isaac replies, "BIG!"

He says, "If the smaller tree is small, then the bigger tree is___." I say, "Well, that'd be 'big.'" He says, "Wow, you're right, Mom!"

December 2011

Isaac isn't feeling well and is in our bed watching shows on the iPad. I hear him start to scream, and I run into the room.

Me, "What happened?! Are you sick?"

Isaac, through sobs, "I was chewing on my finger and I bit myself!"

December 2011

Titus has complete trust in me and Matt. He loves to randomly fling himself at us, in the most heart retching times, and believes that he'll be scooped up before certain death. Like on the stair, or off the table.

Winter 2011

I'm ready to go on a run, decked out in black/grey running gear, and even have a grey water-bottle belt on. Eli looks at me quizzically, and asks, "Mom, you Batman?"

November 2011

Titus loves to take a bath. His favorite thing to do during the bath is to climb the side of the tube. He holds the railing, steps up onto the soap ledge, looks down behind him, then jumps belly first into the bathwater.

November 2011

Me, "Eli, come get your shoes."

Eli, "No, Op-mus Prime!" (Optimus Prime)

Me, "Okay, Optimus Prime come get your shoes."

Eli, "Okay Megatron."

November 2011

Me, "Isaac, did you go to the bathroom?"

Isaac, "Yeah, I did. It was a quick and slobbery poop... I didn't touch it though."

November 2011

When Titus is happy and excited he loves to run in circles, dance little jigs, and "jump" in the air. Falling down often happens, but he gets back with with undeterred enthusiasm and continues his running, dancing, and "jumping."

Fall 2011

It's been a long day. The boys are sitting at the table, yelling happily at each-other, while I'm making dinner. I just can't take the noise and I start to patiently "hush" them: "Shhh... shhh... shhhh..." They get very quiet, and then are silent. Isaac looks at me with big eyes and says, "Mom, I can hear the sound of the house!"

November 2011

Isaac to me: "It was really nice of the builders to make the toilet in my room quiet. But they made the one downstairs too loud, and it's scary."

November 2011

Eli calls a big pile of raked leaves a "tram-ene!" (trampoline)

November 2011

Eli can pick out Jeeps and Toyota 4Runners with 95% accuracy. When seen, he loves to yell: "MOMMY! JEEP!" or "Pour-nunner!"

Fall 2011

Me and the boys are driving through a park. Eli spots a huge statue of a sitting Abraham Lincoln and yells: "JESUS CHRIST!"

October 2011

Isaac's favorite way to address Titus in a loving manner is to say, in a southern/cowboy accent, "Hey 'lil Ty-dah!"

October 2011

Titus likes to shoot guns, and makes noises when bullets leave the gun; i.e. play rocket, long LEGO, plastic spoon. His bullet noise is made with a "Thbbs! Thbbs! Thbbs!" with his tongue, often sounding like passing gas than a round leaving a chamber. Oh, and spit goes everywhere too!

October 2011

Isaac often tells me after I raise my voice, "Mom, you scared my feelings."

October 2011

Isaac is watching the football game between Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. He says, "We want the orange team with the cow to win."

October 2011

Eli calls all things the color blue "Optimus Prime," all things yellow "Bumble-Bee," and all things red "Lightening McQueen."

October 2011

The 3 boys are taking a bath together. I step out for moment to change the laundry, and a few seconds later I hear horrible screaming from Eli and Isaac. Thinking that Titus went under, I rush into the bathroom. There I see Titus upright and happy holding the shower pull valve up so that a full shower was on, and Isaac and Eli afraid and crying in the far corner.

October 2011

Titus is running around the living room, naked, with a small plastic sheep in his hand. He puts it in my face, goes "Ahhhhh!" (for 'bah'), puts it up to his ear and says, "E-wow?" (for 'hello'), then runs around the living room saying "E-wow? E-wow?"

October 2011

Eli is learning body parts. His favorite thing to point out are shoulders. He even prays for them, saying, "Beh shou-ers." (Bless shoulders.)

September 2011

We are all riding in the van. Isaac yells from the back seat, "My ear hurts."

Matt asks, "What?"

Isaac, "MY EAR HURTS!!"

Matt, "Oh, your ear hurts? I'm sorry dude."

Isaac, "Well, I'm not dead yet."

September 2011

March 2011 thru September 2011

Me and the three boys are looking at a big picture of dinosaurs in the wild. Isaac explains to us that "The volcanoes explode, then the dinosaurs turned into bones, and now we have our city!"

September 2011

Titus says his first words, "where doh?" (where did they go?) when his toy is lost during play with his Grammie.

August 2, 2011

Titus is a full fledged walker.

mid July 2011

Titus is practicing walking, going back and forth between two persons. Eli decides he needs to practice too! He purposely takes wobbly steps and falls down on his bum. We all applaud his efforts.

mid July 2011

Isaac is using the restroom during the first hour of church. Grammie (my mom) goes to check on him. She asks if he is okay and he replies, "Yeah! I got a burning poop going on in here!"

July 2011

We are at the pool standing in the food line for a treat. There is a shirtless 5 year old boy next to Eli. Eli is so enamored with this boys nipples, he cannot help himself and reaches up and pokes at one of them. The digs his finger in it!
July 2011

Eli is very whinny. I tell him to go to his room because "I don't want to hear it anymore." He screams while going there and Isaac says, "Mom I still hear him!"

June 2011

A whitehead formed in the middle of my forehead. While getting Eli ready for the day he points to it over and over again, saying "eye! eye!" And later in the day Isaac asks me, "Mom, did a fire ant bite your head?"

June 2011

I give Titus a kiss on the mouth. He turns his head and gags.
June 2011

Eli is starting to copy a prayer when helped.
Me, "thank you for blessings..."
Eli, "be-he"
Me, "thank for my health..."
Eli, "he-ew"
Me, "help me sleep well tonight..."
Eli, "Me NIGHT! NIGHT!"
June 4, 2011

Titus starts taking wiggly first steps all by himself!
First week of June 2011

When Isaac says Two Face it sounds like "tooth paste." When he says his cousin's name Renee, it sounds like "grenade." When he calls for his friend Will, it sounds like "whale."
May 2011

Our plane is starting to land and I can tell Eli's ears are making him uncomfortable. Unwillingly he has a big yawn. Shocked at the pain reliefe, he looks at me with big wide eyes and simple grin.
May 2011

Deanne (Matt's mom) is trying to get Eli to say "Oh snap!" After she says this a few times we realize that Titus is copying her.
Deanne: "Oh snap!"
Titus: "Ohhhhhh nip!" or "Ohhhhhh bib!"
He does this 5 minutes of so.
May 2011

Titus when excited or happy throws his head back, causing him to fall backwards in his bed, or out of people's arms.
May 2011 

Eli is gathering up matured dandelions with white downy tuffs, say: "Bubbles! Bubbles!"
May 2011

Me, "What rhymes with hat?"
Isaac, "Cat!"
Me, "What rhymes with tress?"
Isaac, "Branches!"
May 2011

Isaac says in a happier voice, "I just want to be mad and alone right now."
May 2011

Titus loves to climb over a person's legs. If someone is on the ground he or she will be climbed over, and over, and over, and over again.
April 2011

I ask Isaac, "Do you love Nana and Mume?" (Matt's parents.)
Isaac says, "Yeah."
Me, "Why?"
Isaac, "They have lots of toys."
Me, "Do you love Grammie and Gramps?" (My parents.)
Isaac, "Yup."
Me, "Why?"
Isaac, "They have lots of toys, too."
April 2011

Isaac came out of a bath and is still wrapped in his towel. He sits on his grandma's lap for a minute. He starts to slowly unwrap himself, and when his man hood is exposed he says, "Ta-Da!"
April 2011

Isaac, "Mom, I want apple with lots of no skin on it."
Me, "Can you say please?"
Isaac, "Please."
Me, "Pretty please?"
Isaac, confused, "pretty please?"
Me, "Pretty please, with cherry on top?"
Isaac, very confused, "Cherry on top? But I don't want a cherry on top!"
April 2011

Eli is trying to find his bully-button. He finally spots it, and starts jumping excitedly. His aunt and grandma show him theirs, and he totally flips! Jumping and laughing abounds!
April 2011

Eli counts. Sort of. He points to objects and says, "e, c, e, C!"Spring 2011

I walk into Eli's room to get him from his nap. He is already awake, and is standing up playing peek-a-boo with his feet!
"Wher day go?" (Where did they go?) He covers his feet with his pants.
And lifting his pants, he says, "There e is!" (There they is.)
March 2011 

When Titus is upset or tired, he slaps himself in the face.
Spring 2011

August 2010 thru March 2011

Titus loves to have Matt's acoustic guitar on the ground, and then bang out harmonics. He also tries to climb on it, and he freaks out when he is half way up.
March 2011


Eli loves to take baths. During these baths he gets out and in the tub a few times. We often see his naked bum zooming down the hall, back and forth from tub to living room.
February 2011


Eli is our Italian mama. He loves to yell after his brothers,"Is-ia!" and "Ti-yaus!"
February 2011


Isaac asks me if he can buy a new helicopter. I say, "Well, we don't have any money right now." He says, "We can buy some money!"
February 2011


Anytime Titus hears clapping from the television, he happily starts to clap!
February 2011


Isaac says, "Mom, you need to tell Daddy to be nice to me, then give him a spanking."
February 2011


We have the missionaries over for dinner. We are all gathered around the table, Matt is holding Eli, and is saying the blessing on the food. Eli lets out 3 or 4 loud toots. He laughs hysterically.
January 2011


Eli wakes up during the middle of the night, and Matt looks after him. Matt gives him a drink, and starts changing his diaper. As soon as the dirty diaper comes off, Eli lets out a nice big toot. He laughs sleepily, and goes back to sleep.

January 2011


Isaac is not happy about the pjs picked out for him. He says, "I don't like these. They are serious."
January 2011


I'm cutting Isaac's finger nails. He says, "Mom that hurt my figure nails... but not my weenie!"
January 2011


Isaac wasn't feeling well, so Matt laid him on the couch to rest, and turned on the TV to a news program. After a few minutes, Isaac says to me, "Mom, I don't like this word show. I like my show."
January 2011


Isaac, whining about having a runny nose: "My boogers won't stay in my nose."
January 2011


Isaac is jumping on our bed, showing me all his sweet jumping moves. After 3 seat drops in a row, he says, "It's pretty easy."
"It is?" I say.
"Yeah," he responds, "it is easy like pooping."
January 8, 2011


Eli loves to pray. Or the act of praying. He folds his arms at the beginning of every meal without being prompted. BUT whenever he sees someone fold his/her arms, just to stand and relax, he insists on having a prayer. With arms folded, he'll screech at the person till a prayer is given. This also happens during meals. There are times when we have 3 prayers on the food during one meal!
January 2011


I lay Titus on the couch beside Matt and head to the kitchen. A minute later I hear a little *thump,* but hearing no screaming, I think nothing of it. 10 seconds pass, then Matt exclaims, "Titus, how did you end up on the floor?!"
December 2010


We pull up to a grocery store to quickly pick something up. I get out, and Matt says that he will stay in the van with the boys. We hear Isaac say to his brother, "K, Eli, don't cry this time."
December 2010


Matt and Isaac are walking down the apartment stairs.
Matt, "Isaac, you need to go faster, bud."
Isaac, "No, Dad you need to go slower."
Matt, "No Isaac, you need to go faster."
Isaac, "I can't go faster, I have smaller feet!"
December 2010


Isaac is drinking a cold glass of orange juice. He comments, "Mom, this orange juice is hot and smooth."
December 2010


It is early in the morning. Isaac walks out of his room and the first thing he says to me is, "My tummy hurts, I think a show would make it feel better."
December 2010


Eli is very whinny. Obviously he wanted a snack. But he did just want any plan old snack. Dill pickles with a side of cheddar cheese? Sure!
November 2010


Titus is on smily child. However it is Isaac that makes him crack up! If Isaac makes a silly face and shouts weird noises, Titus will die of laughter.
November 2010


When Isaac wants to know where something goes (to be put away, etc.), he asks where it lives. For instance, "Where do these colors live?" of "Does this shoe live here?"
Fall 2010


When Eli shakes his head "yes," it is a very quick movement. Almost like head banging!
November 2010


"Isaac, did you finish your quesadilla?" I ask.
Isaac, "No, it have a hair on it from Monsters, Inc."
November 22, 2010


Eli has figured out how to push pee out. When naked he looks down, smiles, and pushing will all his might to get any little drops out. He feels very accomplished.
Fall 2010


"Mom!" yells Isaac, "I need some toilet paper!"
I walk in the bathroom and hand Isaac the toilet paper. Isaac looks at me, while sitting on the pot, and says, "Mom, I have a MASSIVE poop!"
November 2010


Isaac is drinking some whole milk and says, "Mom, I don't like this. It tastes like butter."
November 2010


I'm explaining to Isaac what a great-grandmother is. I say, "She is my grandma, or Grammie's mother. You haven't seen her in a long time."
"Oh," says Isaac, "I not see her before, hey! Have you seen gummy worms? I like the green ones. They're very good."
October 2010


When Isaac is excited about something, like playing football or dancing to Matt's guitar, he says enthusiastically: "Woot! Woot!"
October 2010


Isaac picked out an amazing pumpkin to carve. He must wait, very anxiously, two days till carving. Right before Matt plunges the knife in the pumpkin, Isaac says in a very soft voice with no inflation and a blank look on his face: "I am very excited."
October 22, 2010


Eli's first word: "Bu-baw" (football). He, Matt and Isaac were playing with the football. He started saying "bu-baw, bu-baw, bu-baw!" Pretty amazing.
October 23, 2010


Titus has started to roll over from back to tummy. Though he's not sure what to do once he's on his tummy. Hmm... scream till I put him on his back side again? The roll over onto his tummy once more? Yup!
October 22, 2010


Eli is in a goofy mood. He's throwing himself backwards all over the bed. At one point he sits up, on the edge of the bed, smiles--and while I'm charging over the bed (and nursing Titus) to save him--he throws himself backwards off the bed. Hurt, scared, upset crying ensues.
October 2010

Isaac beat boxes. He has many beats, and some are named. There's the "electric guitar" beat box, the "acoustic guitar" beat box, and the "bass guitar with a head" beat box. Sometimes they are mixed, and given the name. "I do a-coustic guitar whid bass guitar beat box!"
Fall 2010


We are in the car, on our way back home, in the middle of the city.
Isaac says, "Mom, I need to go pee."
Me, "Can you wait till we get home?"
Isaac, "How bout I pee on some of these trees?"
Me, "No can't do that. Do you want people to see your bum?"
Isaac, "Oh. When we get home I can pee on our tree! Does that sound like a good idea?"
October 2010


Eli loves to sit with and on people. Like on his 3 month old brother laying on the floor, or on his daddy's head when he's trying to take a nap. Eli also likes to share his love by biting. The small of my back, for instance, and Titus' fingers if I don't watch closely enough.
September 2010


I am reading a book to Isaac all about jet-fighter planes. At the end of a long paragraph explaining a how the Harrier fighter plane takes off without a runway, he says, "Hum, that's very interesting."
September 2010


Isaac is using the bathroom in a public restroom, which has automatically flushing toilets. By the time the toilet has automatically flushed three times on him, while sitting doing his business, Isaac has had it! He says, very frustrated like, "Stop doing that! I hate you!"
September 2010


When Eli is mad at us because we either A) tell him "No," or B) ignore him too long, he "runs" to his room, screaming the whole time, and stands behind his crib, still screaming.
September 2010


Isaac is wondering what his cousins' daddy looks like. I say, "Well he has dark hair."
"Oh," Isaac replies, "my daddy has owie hair."
August 2010