benjamin & asher are THREE!

my 3 guys in bed this morning

Happy Birthday matzoh brei and a cup of tea

blowing out his candle- the hot food melted the wax. oops!

Really?  My two itty bitty babies are 3? How?

They are such big boys, with such big personalities.  They are funny, and sweet, and drive me up the wall sometimes.  Asher has a great memory, he holds on to things I say and holds me accountable days/weeks/months later.  This lead-up to the birthday got me in such trouble.  2 months ago we were at the mall, and Asher spied a police car in a toy store window.  I told him he couldn't have it that day, but it was his birthday soon, and maybe then.  Well, ever since then, Asher has told me he wants a police car for his birthday.  And last night, when he found the afikomen for Passover, he said he wanted a police car.  We went straight to the toy section at Target today, and he picked out his police car.

Benjamin is much less direct.  He is more likely to be engaged in play by himself with his cars and trucks.  He is indecisive, which leads to buyer's remorse.  Today at Target, he picked out a monster truck when Asher picked out the police car.  We were almost done our shopping when I noticed Benjamin trying to steal Asher's car... so we walked back to the toy section and Benjamin got a police car, too.

They are both still my snuggle bugs, and love to come get big hugs and kisses from mommy.  I know it won't stay that way forever, but I sure do love it right now.  They are delicious and good snugglers.  I kiss them so much that one morning I started giving Benjamin kisses and he said, "No more kisses, Mommy!  No eat me up!" because sometimes I tell them they're so delicious I could eat them up.

They are often generous and thoughtful- sharing their food with me or each other, asking after the other and their baby sister if one of them isn't around.

stuck behind the couch

Then they are also normal kids- throwing toys, purposely ignoring my requests, playing bedtime stalling games.  Benjamin bit Asher yesterday, hard enough to leave a bruise, and today he pushed Asher off the step stool in the kitchen.  Today Asher dropped my small purse on Charlotte's head.  I struggle with discipline because time-outs don't work and I can't come up with good, immediate consequences for bad behavior.

We are also having trouble around meal times.  They're increasingly picky, and although we make and offer a variety of foods, they mostly refuse it all.  For a while we played the "take 2 more bites" game, but Asher would force himself to choke and vomit and that doesn't help anyone- it's just gross.  So I ask what they want, keep "real" foods around, and we have started to really limit snacks.  They seem to have plenty of energy, but I think their weights will be fairly low, with little gain, when we go back to the doctor.  Without fail they like crackers, the squeeze tubes of yogurt, raisins/apricots/prunes, and cookies.  Sometimes they like cheeses, sometimes eggs, sometimes toast, often pancakes.  Asher has a huge sweet tooth and always knows where his next treat is coming from.  If we don't have anything planned, he'll ask to go to Trader Joe's, because they give out cookies there.

They are both talking a lot, but Asher is much easier to understand than Benjamin.  We'll see at their 3 year well-visit what kind of interventions- if any- we need to take for Benjamin's speech.  Asher is really able to express himself fairly well, except if he gets excited, he stammers a little, repeating a couple of words over and over, like a car churning its wheels in mud before it gets going.

Their favorite things to watch on TV are anything "Cars" related.  Benjamin likes some show called "Mighty Machines" on netflix, and Asher likes "Go, Diego, Go."  Benjamin knows the ipad better than I do, and definitely better than Asher.

Their favorite books come in spurts- we read "Each Peach Pear Plum" for weeks, and "Bunny Cakes" for a long time.  Asher also likes "Time Out For Sophie," and tonight we read "Goodnight Construction Site."  They like "Snowy Day," and Asher named a stuffed owl Peter after reading it.

Their favorite songs are Mumford & Sons' cover of The Boxer, the song Hit the Road, Jack (since mommy is always rushing them along and saying, "We have to hit the road!"), and Queen's We Will Rock You, which they call "Boom Boom Tush."  They like to sing their ABCs, with some mistakes in there, and the goodnight song I sing them, as well as the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

They are beautiful little boys.  I think they'll always be my babies, and sometimes I am surprised to see how big they are, and how boyish their faces look.  As frustrating as some of our days are, I am honored to be their mommy.  I can't believe just how much they have changed my view of the world and life.  They absolutely are my heart, walking around outside my body- they make me vulnerable in a way I never was before they were born- but I wouldn't change it for anything.