Mobility phase 2: Climbing...

We knew it was coming, but it certainly doesn't make it any easier to deal with. Jayden is getting around pretty well. She can basically run now and her balance is pretty good. It takes a lot to knock her down, which is good considering Jaycee is always pushing her around. She stomps around with confidence now and isn't afraid of getting into tight spaces since she knows how to get herself out as well. However, the need to climb has also shown up.

Anytime any elevated object is around, it takes Jayden about 12 seconds before she attempts to climb it. She has begun testing out what is climbable and what is not. I have caught her trying to climb the wall and the entertainment center in addition to her high chair. She understands that scaling objects gives her some advantages. Maybe it is reaching a forbidden item or gaining a vantage point to drop down and attack her sister. No matter what the reason, she has no desire to keep her feet on the ground anymore. Of course, the result is falling and so far we have been able to keep the distance pretty small between her and the ground, but Jayden has her sights set on some pretty high spots. She complicates things by her need to multi-task. She never just climbs. She has to climb and dance when she reaches the top. Or, she needs to carry a rolling pin as she ascends. The other day she was climbing the footstool and talking on her cell phone. I'm not sure who she was talking to, but she was very irritated with something they were doing (or not doing).

Jayden is really coming into her own. I wrongfully assumed that I could have only one daughter that demanded the spotlight all the time, but it looks like Jayden is headed down the same path. May the loudest child win...

For answers to life's complicated problems, ask a 3 year old...

A quick story from today. Our power was out for about an hour today and for most of that hour Jaycee was walking around trying to figure out what exactly was affected by the power outage. She immediately noticed that the lights didn't work. Then she realized that the television could not be turned on. Then she was asking me about the clocks, the refrigerator, the pantry, and everything else she is familiar with.

After about a half hour of identifying what worked and what didn't, she decided she wanted to watch T.V. She asked me to turn it on even though we had discussed that it was not possible. She sat for a moment, presumably thinking about her investigation from earlier. After about 5 seconds I saw the light bulb above her head: "Dada, can we go to the store and get some batteries for the T.V.?"

That makes perfect sense. She discovered that all her toys that have batteries were unaffected by the shortage of electricity. So, why couldn't we get batteries to fit the T.V.? Have any problems that need solving? Just ask Jaycee...

Just another day...

I have mentioned before that Jayden has really started to emerge from her observational state and she has become a force to be reckoned with, especially for her sister. She no longer takes things lying down. If Jaycee commits a household crime against her, Jayden no longer contacts the authorities (mama/dada), she prefers the vigilante approach. This usually involves hitting back, scratching or, in the worst cases, biting.

I don't mind the self defense approach she has taken, but I have begun to notice innocent little Jayden has become the instigator. This morning, Jayden was stomping around with on of Jaycee's toys in her hand. Jaycee usually doesn't allow this and I have to step in and let Jaycee know that she has to share with her sister and that Jayden will share with her too. This time I didn't have the opportunity. Jaycee was still in her early morning mode which consists of minimal movement and limited communication. Because of her semi-conscience state, it took Jaycee a minute to discover Jayden carrying her toy around. When she did notice it, Jayden jumped into action. She went on a dead sprint into the bathroom.

One of the tough parts of potty training is leaving the toilet seat up at all times in case the need arrises. We learned the hard way that an unprepared toilet can be the difference between flushing the toilet and mopping the floor; but I digress.

Jayden had managed to beat Jaycee and into the bathroom and by the time I got there she was standing over the toilet attempting to flush it as she watched the toy floating in the bowl.

For a moment we all sort of looked at each other. Jaycee looked at me wondering what course of action I was going to take against her sister, while Jayden had a look on her face that said "Did you see that dada? That was... AWESOME". I shifted my gaze between both of them still trying to figure out how Jayden knew exactly how to pull off this stunt. If I didn't know better I would have guessed she had been planning this assault for days.

And to think I thought things would be easier when Jayden was walking...

Another candle...

Certain things really remind me of how old I am. The most obvious things are the girls' birthdays and of course my own. Jaycee is 3 now. Yes, I said 3. It seems like yesterday I was out of my mind trying to figure out how I was going to change a diaper by myself let alone spend any length of time unsupervised with a child. I wish I could say its maturity I have gained, but that just doesn't seem to be the case.

Even though it seems this post would be more appropriate after my birthday, I think I realize that my birthday really doesn't matter anymore. I don't mean that in the "poor me" way, but more in the "I'm not sure what would make it important anymore" kind of way. Besides, I don't need any additional indicators to tell me I am getting older. Allow me some examples:

-Not only do I officially own more sweat pants than any other type of clothing, but I am only a hair away from wearing them everywhere (no offense to sweat pant wearers). They aren't even the nice ones with a team logo or some other redeeming quality. In fact, the most exciting part about them is that I got them on sale for $4 each.

-I find myself saying "when I was younger" or "when I was in school" a lot more often. These statements are usually followed by some sort of story that involves the way the world is rapidly changing without me knowing.

-I am quickly losing my ability to become embarrassed. This is a pivotal part of the aging father's personality. I cannot identify where this happened, but it is definitely occurring. The fact that I am blogging about my sweat pants is a perfect example. If you need another one: for christmas my wife bought me a "Man Groomer". In case you are wondering, a man groomer is exactly that. Its function is the removal of unappealing or, in my case, excessive body hair. Apparently my body has begun to play tricks on itself and is slowly discontinuing growth in the areas of my head that are most visible to the world and is transferring its focus to my back. The beauty of the hairy back is the fact that I cannot see it. My wife, however, can; hence the man groomer. Well after successfully completing my first independent man grooming session, I proudly lifted my shirt to reveal a partially shaven back to anyone willing to look. If I were my kid, I would have buried my head in my arm and wished myself to the corn field. Thankfully Jaycee and Jayden have little knowledge of what I am becoming and they haven't begun to hold it against me.

-The last and worst of all the traits is my lack of ability to acknowledge my location when I release gas. Okay, so maybe this is unique to me and I am using my age as an excuse, but its true. I find myself letting a stinker escape in places where it would be easy to identify me as the culprit. The fact that I am not afraid of being singled out as the smelly guy is scary. The other day, I was shopping at Target. I was sent with a short list that included orange juice. I was intensely studying the OJ options with the refrigerator door open. I was partially standing in the door so I couldn't really hear much around me with the exception of the whirring of the refrigerator fan. I guess I was in the zone and failed to take the necessary precautions to prevent a loud gas bubble from escaping. I didn't think much of it since I couldn't hear it that loud with my head in the cooler and I continued shopping. Apparently I was incorrect in assuming I had escaped without notice. As I walked away I looked up to see a young girl staring at me with a blank look like someone just farted in her face. I was about to ask her "did someone fart in your face?" but before I opened my mouth, I realized that I had farted in her face. I just sort of stared back and said "sorry 'bout that" and carried on. On my ride home I thought "did I really just do that?". The answer was yes.

That's right, I'm THAT guy. The guy wearing sweat pants with the hairy back that farts without regard for public safety. I know I have many more years to go and I'm starting to wonder how much worse I can get...

Look out, here she comes...

Jayden Rylee is one now (has been for a month) and she is changing by the minute. As she grows, so does her personality. Her sister has a HUGE personality. Jaycee is very in your face and needs 100% of your attention whether you are able to give it to her or not. Jayden, on the other hand, has always been a bit more subdued. She is a watcher. She watches Jaycee stomp around screaming like a human air horn most of the day and she isn't bothered by it one bit. If you hang out with Jayden, you figure out pretty quick that she is pretty relaxed and easy going; she has been that way since she was born. However, recently we have seen an interesting side of our little baby. The observation skills she has been developing are now taking on an entirely different purpose. Like I said, Jaycee is very in your face. It would be next to impossible to not realize she is around. Well, this is not lost on Jayden. Jayden's favorite things to do is play with are "big girl toys" rather than her own. One of those big girl things is her sister's kitchen set. Well, Jaycee's prized possession is her kitchen set. If Jayden even looks at it while Jaycee is in the room, Jaycee throws a fit. So, what to do if your car alarm of a sister won't let you get within arm's length of her stuff, but you really want to play with it? Be patient. Eventually, big sister has to run an errand or two. Maybe she has to go outside and make sure all of the roses are pulled off the rose bushes or perhaps she has to change her outfit for the 7th time in a day. Whatever she is up to, when the coast is clear, make your move. That is exactly what Jayden does. When sister is preoccupied, it is a free for all. Jaycee gets two steps out of the room and Jayden heads on a bee line for the forbidden items. She can usually get a minute or two in before her sister returns and brings the fun to an end. She enjoys the time she gets then goes back to patiently waiting for the next opportunity.

I find it so interesting to have two beings, so close in age with such different life strategies. It makes me wonder as a parent which is going to be easier to deal with? You have Jaycee, who upon hearing no will make every attempt to explain to you why you are wrong and why she is entitled to eat whatever candy she wants at whatever time of day. Or Jayden, the one who waits until the right moment and gets the candy without anyone knowing.

Then it gets real scary. What if they team up? I had a glimpse into my future earlier this evening. Jaycee and I were playing rough and she was trying to get me knocked over so she could beat me up the rest of the way. Then without warning, I feel little fists beating the side of my head followed by the war cry of an Apache indian. I looked up and it was my innocent little baby with the biggest smile on her face, so happy to be ganging up on me. They say dogs can sense weakness, I think my kids can too...

"Dada don't be mad at me..."

So much for my plan to blog more. So much has been going on. Its a good thing Jess is a better blogger than me.

Jaycee is almost 3 and we seem to be rounding the corner on her 2 year old adventures. It seems like the terrible 2's are hopefully coming to a close. Now that she is older, it is much easier to reason with her. She understands consequences for her actions, so timeouts are much more effective (and less frequent). Along with understanding consequences, she has a clear understanding of how to butter up her dada.

Her latest maneuver is to come over to me (after she gets caught doing something she's not supposed to do) and she gives me a hug. Then, in her nicest voice she pleads "Please don't be mad at me dada". Where does she learn this stuff?? The crazy part is, it works. I instantly feel like I did something wrong instead!

Every time she busts that out, I start to worry about her teenage years. She isn't even 3 yet and she already knows how to pull my strings, what will she be able to do when she's 15? Its obvious I lack the ability to fight it, so I can only hope she goes easy on me...

Moving on up...

Things have been crazy around here! In addition to the girls growing like weeds, we have been busy adjusting to our new life. By new life, I refer to our recent move. We have more space to spread out now and we don't have to worry about rattle snakes anymore. But, the most dramatic change has been Jess' commute to work. It went from 50 minutes one way to 7. Yes thats right, 7 minutes! I knew it would be a big change, but had no idea how much it would affect us. Before moving, Jess would come in and we'd see each other for about ten minutes before I went to work. Now we have an hour (since my drive was also shortened) together before splitting off. That gives us enough time to sit and have dinner together and be together. The kitchen is close enough to the living area that Jess doesn't feel cut off when she's cooking and our newly acquired dining table (thanks to the kindness of a family friend) is big enough for us to entertain.

On that note, the girls are really changing their eating too. Now that we can all sit together, we have noticed that Jaycee is making some major strides in her eating habits. Now she wants to eat what we are eating and not a special meal. Jayden is finally taking to her baby food and I credit the fact that we are all eating at that same time for being the motivation for that.

I now have a room I can shut the door to when I do homework, which is a big change for me. Its nice to not have to make everyone go outside while I work.

Our backyard isn't big, which actually works out for us; partly because Jaycee can't get into too much trouble and partly because when we get the chance to fix up the backyard we won't have as much to take care of.

This is a blog about our new life here, so I don't want to go into the things we miss about the old house. I can assure you there are many things we miss, but getting that time we were missing out on together has become the most important thing to happen to our family.

By the way, we now have a guest room, so anyone reading this can give us a call and let us know when you're in town!

We are looking forward to the memories we will be creating in our new home and I plan be a better blogger and write some of those memories as we make them. It seems like life is sort of this continuous uphill grade that we are walking up. Sometimes the slope is steeper than other times but the trick is to just keep moving. Then, every once in a while, you come to a plateau where you can see behind you and all the path you have traveled. That is where we are now. Sitting on the plateau admiring the view... Okay, enough of that. Let the climbing continue...