If I Have To

It's Passport Photo time! I took the boys to get their "oh so charming" pics taken at the AMA last week. I used to work at the AMA, and I used to take passport photos. The running joke was that there was an "ugly filter" that made even the most gorgeous person look homicidal, or at the very least unimpressed, and nothing you could say or do would make them crack a smile.

I wasn't worried, though. My boys are pretty darn cute. There may be those who say otherwise, but I really don't think they exist. These would be government photos with flare!!

Well, I was wrong. The "ugly filter" applies to babies, too.

Okay, so maybe not 'ugly' persay, but I'd much rather catch a pic of them screaming their faces off with alligator tears streaming down their cheeks than this souless, two-dimensional mis-representation of my two happy little men. They're happy babies, I promise! Don't trust the current evidence. I also can't say I'm a fan of Austin's "I'm in a stupor" face, either.

Which leads me to part II of my rant. On the application form, it specifically says mouths must be closed. Having done photos before, I know there's leniency for babies, but I didn't want to risk making the trip to the passport office, just to turn around and get another picture taken. So I got the pic re-done. I don't think AMA was very happy that I was being so picky. And they reminded me that it would likely be okay.

Well, if it would be okay, how about they say so on the application?? Something along the lines of "mouths must be closed, with the exception of children under 3" or something like that. But no, it's this unspoken rule that they'll pass, and wouldn't it be grand if I ran into the one person who rolled out of bed and decided to be a government (fill in the blank) the day I go in. No grey area, please - just re-do the photo and I'll be on my way. So we did.

 

He doesn't look so clueless, and the collar adds a touch of 'studious', but it still doesn't show the world how loving and amazing this little boy is. 

So be it. 

Scarfing Pancakes

I'm trying out different finger foods on the boys. They do great with puffed wheat and raisins, but the mango and banana just gets squished in their tiny Hulk hands.

I decided today to try out some pancakes for them, so I whipped up a teeny batch with whole wheat flour, added cinnamon and banana and omitted the sugar and guess what? Huge hit! I just had to make sure they swallowed what was in their mouth before they packed in another fist-full to avoid a choking hazard. I think this will be my new staple.

The Boys Will Play...

The boys have been sleeping in the same crib up until a couple of weeks ago when I pulled out the playpen to seperate them. With all their rolling and army crawling, they just weren't falling asleep anymore! Well, it turns out they miss each other, cuz even though they're not in the same crib, they are in the same room and I swear they've developed their own morse code with stomping the mats back and forth. So now it takes a while for them to wind down and fall asleep, and I don't mind. Who am I to not let them interact while they're still happy?

One night, they were taking a particularly long time to settle, so Miles went up to check on them. He grabbed Austin out of the crib and as they passed the pen where Lincoln was, Austin practically jumped out of Miles' arms to see him! So he placed them together, and this is what we got! The first real noticeable interaction between them.

Austin thought he was pretty clever taunting Lincoln with his soother:

This is an especially great video because the boys laugh out loud so rarely. Even with tickling it's like forcing water from a rock...

Austin's First Hair Cut!

So.....Austin's hair has been bugging me. The top is beautiful and uniform, although not very thick or long, but the rest of his head was a disaster! I never got a clear before shot, but let me just say that his fine hair was long enough to fly out in wisps over his ears. He never did get much a bald spot on the back of his head, but as the hair was growing he loved (and still does) to lay on his back, dig his heels in and arch to look at whatever was behind him. This created an interesting 'runway' of sorts of not very uniformally shortened hair, right down the middle of head. "Cut it!" I cried!

Since we've been married, Miles has never paid for a haircut. He insists on cutting it himself with clippers, and he does a really good job. This I support, because his lack of spending goes on into my hair budget :)

Naturally, then, he's on deck to cut Austin's hair. I envisioned getting him undressed and placing him in the tub naked to cut his hair right before his bath. Smart, right? Well, Miles had an even better idea:

Austin did so well!! Not a peep or squirm, just waited patiently while Daddy did his work. How did I get to be so lucky??

First Road Trip

Last weekend we all packed up and headed on the trek toward Creston, BC. Creston is where Miles' grandparents live and they aren't able to make it out to Calgary anymore. So off we went, to drop Miles' mom, Maureen, off for the week and to introduce Austin and Lincoln to their Great-Grandparents on their father's side.

I've never taken the boys in the car for longer than an hour before, and I didn't know how they would do. They normally sleep well in the car, so I thought we'd get most of the way to Fernie, then they'd wake up and we'd feed them, then stop in Fernie so we could all stretch our legs. Sleep they did, but only for a half hour! So we spent the rest of the time talking and having fun. Until just outside Fernie when Austin had had enough! But to Fernie we got, all alive and well, and as soon as Austin nursed for a bit he happy and ready to go. Go figure!

But apparantly didn't feed him enough, cuz he still wanted some of Daddy's milkshake. Not yet, little man!!

Off we go again, ready for another few hours in the car. I took over the wheel and Miles got to entertain the boys, but I don't think they needed him much, they seemed to be doing just fine on their own!

It was a surprise for the grandparents that Miles and I were coming with the boys and I think seeing their two little angel faces made the surprise well received indeed :) Thank goodness they had an old crib we could set up for the boys, that made things so much nicer.

I loved the crib, I thought it was very cool. It's well over 50 years old as Miles' mom and her sister were babes in it. It was iron and very antique looking, but certainly not 'safe' by today's standards. Keep on looking, you'll see what I mean....

Hehe!! Lincoln reminds me of Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree while Austin's trying to break free. We tried to pad the sides with blankets, but to no avail. Next time, I bring my bumper pads!

Our weekend continued well with the Grandparents helping with the feeding. We then continued on to visit with a childhood friend of Miles' and they had a swing in their backyard that the boys loved. First time they've been in a swing - I think regular trips to the park are in the order now that the sun shines on!

The trip home went well, too, and we all slept so well that night. Thanks, G&G for a nice weekend!!