Winter 2012

Ice Skating at Embarcedero

Ill fated basket ball team

Big tummy

Valentines Dinner

ARROW!

January 2012

**The Things You Do**

Miguel:
- You love toys.  All you want to do is play with toys.  You like star wars legos, cars, boxers. 
- You still love to box and wrestle.  One disturbing thing is how you like to tackle Tonio and then bang his head on the ground.  It seems so violent.  
- You love baseball right now.  You play the baseball game, use whatever toy as a bat, and play it outside.  It makes your dad happy.
- You are learning to read- yeahhh!!

Tonio:
- You love your world map puzzle.   You love islands, especially Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Japan, Easter Island and then China.  You are an asiaphile.  You love maps. 
- You like to use scissors.  I print out maps for you to color and then you love cutting them out.
- You have an obsession with all things sugary so right now you eat sugar (dessert) on Saturdays only.
- You like learning languages at Pre-school.
- A few weeks back at church, we were walking up to get the host and you and Miguel had your hands crossed on your chest to get the blessing.  The priest held his arm out to bless you and you ran, jumped and gave him a high five!  I couldnt  believe it.  Before I could do anything, Miguel did the same.  You both kill me.

Both:
- You get along pretty well.  You play well at the park and with your toys.  You have your usual arguements- Tonio is better at sharing than Miguel- but otherwise you love to play together.  Its cute because Tonio loves Miguel.  He is always calling him Brother.  Hey brother, look at this or Brother come here.  Not in the annoying Bro way or black brother way but just as a name.  You also both like to sleep in the same bed.  Its cute.

Arrow:
- In three weeks Arrow will be born.  He will be born on my mom's birthday.  He kicks like crazy and I feel like I have inner bruises.  The boys are really excited for him to come out and pretty curious.  

Your dad has been gone for a week in Philly helping his mom move into a new place, so its been the boys and I.  Today I felt a little sad.  I think I try to pack to many activities in a short time- its Christmas so I want to have fun activities but all you want is to play.  That is not what made me sad, what made me sad was thinking that you both are growing up already.  I feel the baby bond slipping and it makes my heart ache a little.  Tonio, today you were a spicy pepper.  Fiesty, punchy, a little bully at the park and it hurt.  You have been my cuddler and sweet pea.  Now you use words you hear at school like butt instead of bum bum.  I cannot expect you to be my babies forever, nor can I expect you to be who I want you to be.  You will be your own person.  I am just not ready yet for to be teenagers already.

I think you both might be also getting ready for Arrow, boy #3.  I get nervous about disrupting the status quo too.  I just love you both so much.  I guess just being around teenagers at school all day, I know independent they can be and so foreign to adults.  It just scares me.  I am being sappy and hormonal right now but I love you two so much it hurts.  Even if I get mad and snappy at you.  I try.  Someday I want you to know that- that I tired my best.  I try to let messes happen, to let you be boys, and to relax.  It was not how I grew up.  I dont even really remember playing with toys.  I did only if someone else was.  I grew up an adult with the weight of my whole family history on me.  I try to do the opposite of my mom and grandma.  I want you to feel sad if you want, to play with me and dad, to be kids.  Sometimes I think it is hard for me to even play because I never really did as a kid.  I try.  I want you to know that.

Halloween

we told you a couple of weeks ago we could go to the Halloween store to buy a costume because I did not have a chance to make them. We went and it was horrible. All the boys' costumes were so violent- axes in the head, SWAT teams, zombie cops. The girls' costumes were all "sassy" or sexy. We said no and boy did Miggy flip out.

We did the goodwill route. Migs was a skeleton and Tonio was Luke Skywalker. We went to Grove St and had a wonderful Halloween. It was warm and clear and you both were so good.
Counting candy
Post trick or treat dinner

with Brandon, and all with your eyes closed


Toto you had laser like focus on the houses with candy.

With your zombie daddy waiting for the bus

Halloween parade at Marshall and Toto joined

wrestling and new haircuts

We tried to find a pool in Marin on a beautiful fall October day but they were closed for the summer. Instead we settled for throwing leaves and wrestling.


I tried trimming your hair and I gave you a bob- you looked like a girl your dad said. We had to chop your beautiful long hair. You were sad to loose your curls you said. Lets hope it grows back.

Fall 2011

Here is Arrow. He is a boy. I wanted a girl, oh well. Three stinkers.

Apple Picking in the Russian River. You liked it Tonio, Migs thought it was "boring".


Flag Day at Marshall Elementary School

Lazy Sundays
Sunday Streets and Miguel our rock climber

Sid the Science Kid at the Academy of Science

Birthday #4

Now its Toto's birthday. For months you would tell people when they asked how old you were, "3 but I will be 5 in a year." You just completely skipped over 4. We went to the river with Tony and swam, picked berries, canoed, and had your favorite meal "strings with cheese on the side" Daddy made you a beautiful pirate birdie cake, as requested. Tony bought every toy in the cereal isle for you too. You wanted a race track and dad bought you one that you are still playing with, a week later.


Just some funny Toto moments:
- When asked what you want to be when you grow up, "First I want to fix pirate birdies and then I want to be a kid fixer like Poppop and terry."
- The other night you told me I was your best friend.
- When I picked you up from school on Friday you saw me and ran and gave me the biggest hug.
- On Friday Morning after dropping off Miguel you said, "I love my brother so much."