These Days

Just a few of the impromptu iPhone images that seem to capture life lately. Daniel's adventures are many - too many to capture each in photographs. But here is a glimpse into his sweet, charmed life.

Happy 7th To Us!

Daniel, this is technically your blog, but sometimes I feel the need to post things that aren't really about you so that someday you'll learn from them. (And I'm the author, so you really don't have a choice in the matter.)

This is one of those posts.

Today your father and I celebrated SEVEN years of happy marriage. You will meet a lot of people in your life who don't stay married, sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for silly reasons. As you get older, you'll realize that every year in a happy marriage is a huge gift from God.

But I also want you to realize how great of a husband your father is... he really is the best. It's easy to have such a great marriage with a guy like him. With all my heart, I hope you watch him carefully and learn because if you can be like him, you'll make some girl the happiest wife in the world.

One of the areas your father excels in is romantic surprises... and tonight was perfect. He took me to a surprise destination for dinner (Cafe Lalibela's, an Ethiopian place we've been wanting to try) and then to another surprise destination for dessert (Yogurtini... so fun!). It was an amazing, thoughtful evening, just talking together and being able to eat our food without having to feed or entertain you and Violet (sorry!).

Here's the lesson: Stay romantic, Keep surprises in the relationship, Make time for each other.

Happy 7th to us!

Tia Quito & Uncle Chris

At the ripe old age of four, Daniel was honored with the position of ringbearer for Raquel & Chris' wedding.

He fulfilled all the requirements: 1) Look good in a tiny suit and bow tie, and 2) Walk down the aisle. Well... almost. He got cold feet at the last minute and Keila (the main of honor) had to escort him down the aisle.

He then spent the rest of the ceremony sweating it out in that suit in the direct sun, being fed candy by Daddy who had the role of "keeping the kids quiet" while Mommy got sunburned as a bridesmaid.

It was actually a very lovely day, aside from the heat. Daniel tore it up on the dance floor, and crashed as soon as we put him in the car seat. He slept all the way to Mema & Papa's house, where we ended the evening in style with pizza and movies.

Family weddings are fun... and a great excuse for a "dressy" family photo.

My Puppy, Jack. Or Rainbow.

Holy Imagination Explosion. I'm not even kidding... forget every other time before that I said his imagination was incredible. THIS time it's insane.

He is constantly in another world mentally, fighting bad guys and imagining himself to be a super hero. Conveniently, he can transform into whatever super hero would be most beneficial at the moment. Currently, he is favoring Larry Boy with his Super Suction Ears, but also becomes Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Astro Boy, Flash, and sometimes Iron Man. He allowed us to create our own super heroes, and sometimes I'm Lavender Lassie and Fernando is the Eloquent Elephant. Violet almost always gets stuck with Cat Woman.

If he is not a super hero, he is putting on his backpack and asking us to join him "on an adventure". We hike mountains, swim through lakes and run away from swamp monsters. We usually save something from someone at some point, and take lots of breaks for pretend snacks.

Occasionally, he transforms into one of his two puppy alter egos. One is Jack, a big dog who runs fast and does lots of tricks. But usually he is Rainbow, a little puppy who likes lots of affection, pretend dog treats and loves to fetch an invisible ball. (I didn't make any of this up, by the way. It's all Daniel.)

We went through a two weeks phase where he wanted to 1) decorate and then 2) fly his rocket/airplane into outer space. He would enlist our help to paint the rocket, but then only he could sit in the pilot's chair. We had to sit back in the far back of the plane.

The bad side of his imagination continues to be his bad dreams. Whatever he plays/pretends/watches on TV shows up in his nightmares. One night after watching Horton Hears a Hoo and playing a few minutes of Angry Birds on his iPod, he dreamt that angry purple monkeys put him in jail and wouldn't let him out, and that he was crying until two of the nice angry birds came and took him back to his bed in his house. No kidding.

Anyway. I have a good feeling we aren't anywhere near close to the end of this particular adventure. I love that he gets complimented on his imagination. I love that sometimes you don't know if you are talking to Daniel or to a character he is playing.

And I love that he very clearly knows the difference between pretending and reality, and can make a decision which he'd like to participate in at that particular moment. (When our friend was visiting in town, he put on his dinosaur slippers for her. She proceeded to pretend that he was a dinosaur. But he said, "No Miss Stephanie, I am not a dinosaur. I am Daniel, I just have dinosaur feet on."

Love this kid.

Shutterbug

Daniel is a budding photographer. He'll grab anything that looks remotely like a camera (usually a pair of toy binoculars) and get into photographer mode.

He'll say, "Mommy and Violet, get together and hug each other. I'm going to take a picture of you! Ready? Smile!" and then he makes a click noise, looks at his pretend LCD screen, and turn the camera around to show you what he just took (with the biggest smile on his face).

Wonder where he gets that? :)

For his birthday, we gave him a real camera - the kind in the kid-friendly case that can actually be uploaded on a computer. It takes AWFUL photos but it's so fun for him to have his own camera. He takes pictures of absolutely everything and took it into his class "show and share" last week.

And last night, when I asked him what was special about him, he told me "I'm special because I take great pictures!"

I'm kind of loving this current phase. :)

Behavior Crisis

So, Daddy went to Mozambique for a week. We had a lovely time, just me and the kids, but it was evident in a lot of ways that they were really missing him. (And so was I.)

Daniel had a crazy meltdown at preschool the day after Fernando left and it resulted in a full on tantrum (flailing limbs and all). Teachers were hit in the process, and the proverbial smack was laid down once we got home.

We spent the evening writing apology notes. After we had done a few for his teachers, I asked if there was anyone else he needed to apologize to. He thought for a minute and said, "Yes. You, Mommy."

He is 1) the sweetest child alive, 2) a master manipulator, or 3) just very, very lucky.

I still have his "I'm sorry" note... I'm thinking I'll keep that one forever.

4 Going On 1,000

Life has been pretty stinking amazing lately.

I continue to worry about when my affectionate little boy will become a "don't kiss me in public!" kid... and every milestone is another reason to worry. But just days after his 4th birthday, he is sweeter than ever.

He tells me a few dozen times a day, "Mommy, I want to stay like this forever" as he hugs me or cuddles at bedtime. He holds my hand happily in public. He lavished kisses on me and doesn't seem to care who is around. And he still screams with happiness when I appear in the doorway at preschool to pick him up - and he about tackles me to the ground with a huge hug - the best moment of every day.

Although one big thing DID change at the 4-year milestone: His taste buds. All of a sudden, he is eating broccoli and asparagus happily without even a tiny complaint. Tonight we're trying brussel sprouts just for fun.

Daniel has been talking more about growing up and getting bigger. He wants to be 100 or 1,000 years old still, and seems to think that as he ages, I will get younger. He frequently tells me that when he is a hundred, he will take care of me as a baby. We had a brief set back when his desire to grow up last week when growing pains hit with a vengeance. He sobbed quietly on his bed, holding his legs, crying "I don't want to get bigger! I want to stay small!!!" But the next morning he was back to his old aspirations of being 1,000 years old.

Recently, Ms. Stephanie came to visit again (always a favorite of the kids!). She took some amazing family photos of us, and I'm so grateful to her for capturing this magical time in our lives. Enjoy... these are some of my favorites.

Hamburger Boys

In a Rainbow Submarine

If there's a time to break my "black and white photography only" rule for this blog, it's today: In honor of Daniel's Rainbow-and-Submarine-Themed 4th Birthday Party.

(By the way... that theme happened because Daniel loves to pretend to paint his imaginary submarine every color imaginable. And because we have a super talented friend who offered to make him a custom cake - he blew us away!)

So, we just filled the house with as much color as possible. Rainbow-theme was pretty stinking fun - everything from candy to clothing.

My folks were still in town, and Fernando family came over to join the fun. Which means that I got what I wanted: Photos with each kid and both sets of grandparents.

Happy Birthday to my little 4-year-old... as hard as that it to write. You are so smart, funny, sweet and I just couldn't be prouder to be your mama.

Secret View

Tex and Gramma came to visit. It was a fabulous trip... more photos to come. I just had to share these two gems.

Tex is the original jigsaw master. Daniel helped Tex work a glow in the dark puzzle, and then showed him the Amaro Family Secret Technique of how to make a glow in the dark puzzle glow with all the lights still on: Under a blanket.

The things a grandfather will do for his grandkid.

Wizard of Oz

Wizard of Oz, Day 1:

Last night, Judy Garland entered Daniel's frame of reference.

We were going to do "dinner and a movie" and settled in to pick something fun to watch while we ate. Wizard of Oz was a staple childhood of mine, and strange and scary as it is at various parts, I figured I could pick the fun colorful parts to show the kids.

I thought I'd have to skip the black and white bit at the start to keep them interested, but they were captivated from minute one. And when Dorothy sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", they sat in magical silence, not moving a muscle (or even chewing the bite that was in their mouths). It was beyond beautiful to watch - my babies witnessing for the first time something that was so integral to my childhood. I blinked back tears as Daniel sighed deeply at the end of the song and leaned his head on me. It was a moment I will never remember.

We only watched up until the part where the "green lady" (Wicked Witch of the West) begins appearing in every scene and throwing *very* realistic fire balls. It was nearly bedtime, after all. But Daniel loved when the movie begins in color - "Wow! Look at her red lips!" and then when they walk into Munchkinland for the first time, he was so excited - "Mommy, that's SO VERY beautiful! High-five for beautiful!!" And he thought it was just hilarious to have little people hiding in the bushes. (He said, "Munchkins?! Those aren't munchkins! They are little people!") The "Lollipop Guild" gave him the giggles. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about that whole scene. But I guess it's a classic...?

Wizard of Oz, Day 2:

Welcome to today. Daniel has not stopped singing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" all day.

And he keeps asking to watch "Tezzard Hahs... I mean Groundhogs... I mean the movie with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and Follow the Yellow Brick Road!"

So we resumed the magic. Both kids adored it as much as yesterday.

Violet got scared twice: Scary trees throwing apples and Weird lion singing "If I Were King of the Jungle". I don't blame her, really.

Still skipping the really intense scenes, both kids were riveted during the colorful musical numbers. As the credits began to roll, Daniel declared to us all, "Wow, that was a great movie! Such a great movie!"

And I will admit - it's refreshing to watch something (anything!) other than Dinosaur Train, Shawn the Sheep and Ant Bully. Judy Garland, you are welcome in our home until we overdo you and get sick of you.

Just being honest.

Identity Crisis

On the eight minutes drive home from church today: (Try to keep up):

Daniel: "Mommy, I'm going to turn this van into a helicopter so we can fly."

Mommy: "Ok baby, that sounds fun."

Daniel: (Whooshing noise to turn van into helicopter.) "Ok Mommy. Will you be the pilot?"

Mommy: "Sure - I'll be the pilot."

Daniel: (Whooshing noise to turn Mommy into a pilot). "Ok Mommy, now you're the pilot. Pilot?"

Pilot: "Yes Daniel?"

Daniel: "Can we go super fast please?"

Pilot: "Sure, Daniel." (Makes super fast zooming noise.)

Daniel: "You know, pilot, we are going to the park later!"

Pilot: "That's cool, Daniel!"

Daniel: "And there are lots of... um, Pilot... can you turn into Mommy again for a minute?"

Pilot: "Sure."

Daniel: (Whooshing noise to turn pilot into Mommy). "Mommy, will there be animals at the park?"

Mommy: "Yes - some chickens and roosters, probably."

Daniel: "Ok can you be the pilot again?"

Mommy: "Sure."

Daniel: (Whooshing noise). "Hey pilot! there will be animals at the park Probably chickens and roosters!"

Pilot: "That sounds cool!"

Daniel: "Do you want to go with us to the park? Wait... um ... can you turn into Mommy again?"

Pilot: "Sure."

Daniel: (Whooshing noise to turn pilot into Mommy). "Mommy, can the pilot come with us to the park?"

Mommy: "Sure, Daniel."

Daniel: "Mommy, can you be the..."

Mommy: "Yes Daniel." (Whooshing noise to turn self into the Pilot). "I'm the pilot."

Daniel: "She says yes, pilot! Um, Mommy... can you just be Mommy again?"

Pilot/Mommy: "Yes! Gladly!"

Sock Gnomes and Undies

So, Daniel is kind of a comfort-junkie. And a bit of an exhibitionist. Allow me to explain.

He complains almost every morning about having to take off his pajamas to get dressed. It's not so much about the getting dressed part, or even the going to school part. He hates taking off his warm, comfortable pajamas.

And the second we're back home: "Mommy, I don't want my pants. Just my undies." Lately, we've had to... coach... him on how this is NOT ok when we have company over. Just a few days ago, he excused himself from the dinner table to go to the bathroom (very politely, actually) and came back moments later sans pants. "Daniel, where did your pants go?!" "I dunno!!!" With lots of giggles of course. (You'll excuse

me for not posting a photo of this particular phenomenon.)

Last week I asked him about what he wanted to do/be when he got older and he said, "Mommy, I just want to be at home in my undies, on the couch." I guess that's ok since he's three. If he says the same thing at 18 we may have to have a chat.

We've been loving "How to Train Your Dragon" recently, and there is a hilarious line where the lead Viking is charging into a cave and says something like, "When I break through that rock, all hell's gonna break loose!" And his quirky little sidekick says, "In my undies!"

The kids don't understand why that's hilarious, but they know it's hilarious. It's kind of become our kid-friendly version of "That's What She Said". Daniel throws it into conversation randomly and laughs hysterically whether or not it makes sense. Violet just throws her head back and screams, "UNNNIIIEEESSS!" and laughs like an insane asylum patient.

And while we're talking about pants and undies, we might as well cover the topic of socks. Or should I say, "sock". Daniel is only ever wearing one sock. We put two on him every morning and within minute he is wearing one. For some reason, he just likes it better that way. Every time I ask about it, he just giggles and runs away. Either a strange little sock gnome keeps stealing my kid's sock, or my kid IS a strange little sock gnome!

Fun times in the world of Daniel's clothing!

Cows

Yesterday Daniel and I were sitting by the sliding glass door, hiding under the curtain. He offered me one of his blueberries. He put it in my mouth, held my mouth closed for a second and said very sincerely...

"Mommy, we close our mouth when we eat. We are not cows."

He then demonstrated the proper chewing technique for a non-cow.

It was all I could do to keep the blueberry IN my mouth at that point.