Two little monkeys

The best part about being at home is watching your kids grow up. I'm looking forward to doing grown up things with my kids, and I'm dang curious to see what they'll end up like. I feel such an immense responsibility to teach them to be open minded/hearted, decent, honest, strong willed, moral citizens.

Over the last couple of years I have grown so much, I literally feel taller. This is to counterbalance the fact that I'm actually shrinking in height. LOL!

But in any case, we have been making a lot of changes in every aspect of our lives, and consequently we see clearly all the blessings from heaven. My two little  monkeys make me so proud. Here's a little update on both of them:

Isaac
If we lived by the ocean Isaac for sure would be a surfer. Besides the fact  that I dress him up like one already(which isn't necessarily something to be proud of, it's just comfy and casual, and above to a mother, functional), he loves the ocean, the sand, and waves. Isaac a couple of days ago said: "Dad, it's time to go to  Florida again".  I totally agree with him. We have to figure out a way to live there in the winter and in Santa Fe in the summer. Hopefully in the next couple of years that will become reality. Isaac keeps growing, and most of the time I have a hard time NOT thinking that he's at least 5 years old. He's taller than most 5 year olds, but sweet as 2 year old still. He's a super brother, most of the time he loves taking care of Isabella. I'm hoping that he keeps taking after daddy, he loves to study books about space, science, travel, whatever. Mike got me a book called Anatomica a year or two ago, and Isaac loves looking at it. The other day I caught him teaching Bella about how the babies grow then they come out. I'm surprised she didn't tear the book to pieces. But I was so proud of him.

Going along with the book, yesterday we were outside right before dinner checking out the mess that is our backyard currently. We have some guys cutting down a bunch of overgrown trees and bushes all around our house and backyard. Isaac got really excited and asked me to come take a look at something quickly. I got over to a piece of the trunk/roots of a tree they took out by our bedroom window, and Isaac says: "Mom this is the tree's heart!"  To my surprise it really did look like a  heart, with all the ventricles and veins etc. I guess he's learning something. Take a look:

 Yesterday I also put him in time out because he's going through this phase of relieving himself inside trash cans, and yesterday he climbed on the kitchen counter and went into the kitchen sink.  So he was in time out. He went into my room for some reason and while I was relieving myself I heard him praying. He said something like this(in portuguese): "Heavenly Father, thank you for this day, thank you for everything, please help me get out of time out quickly, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

How cute is that?!!! So immediately I knew I had to teach him a lesson: The lesson was that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. So I got him out of time out pretty quickly saying that Heavenly Father asked mommy to help Isaac and that he was good to get out. Well sure 'nough today Isaac was put in time out again. The moment I started hearing his prayer I ran into the office and grabbed my phone and  was able to get the last little bit of his prayer today. Here it is:

Isabella
She so takes after me. I really hate to admit it but...my mother was right!  She always told me to wait until I had a girl, and she was going to be just like me. Then, I would pay for everything I did to her, and all the pain, frustration, and gray hairs I've caused her. Well, Bella is 19 months today, and she is already making me pay. Secretly though, I love it! I'm so proud of her for knowing what she wants and sticking to it. With Bella there's no maybe, it's either yes or no.  When she wants something she'll start asking nicely then she screams once, then she throws a fit until she either goes to sleep, time out, or gets what she wants depending on the situation. hehehe. When she does NOT want something she says very clearly and authoritatively "Não quero!!" (I don't want it).  Her English and Portuguese are much better than Isaac's at 19 months. When she speaks Portuguese everything is in the diminutive. It's pretty cute, even Mike noticed it.

She's not scared of bossing Isaac around at all. Sometimes she will push him, elbow him, whatever it takes. She fights dirty. She also loves to do whatever any adult is doing. Yesterday while my mom was making dinner, she decided she needed to put soap in the dish washer. So she did... She opened the cabinet pulled the dishwasher soap, opened it and poured it in the little soap holder. Note the left hand, not the right. She's still showing signs of ambidexterity. Here's a picture to show for it.