bundled and smiling

Merrrrrrry Christmas!

Thanks to our friends and family it feels more like Hanukkah. The twins are opening gifts every day as opposed to one big Christmas morning event. We are excited because now they have even more of a variety of toys to play with here at Oma's house.

Each day we do our best to get Easton and Layla out of the house for some outdoor activities. Some days are easier than others depending on the weather. When it is 115 degrees outside in Arizona there aren't many ways to enjoy the great outdoors. However, here in California even though some days are chilly and rainy (mid 50's for day time highs) we can still bundle up and head out to the park. I'm sure this picture will end up on my laptop's wallpaper sooner rather than later.


Kendra found (or remembered from years gone by) a park near by where there are several huge wooden structures for kids to play on and around. They are so big Easton said, "house, daddy... house" as we walked towards the play area from the car.


Kendra was in charge of keeping up with Layla as she ran through the passage ways making friends with all the little girls. Even though they were a little older than Layla, she did a great job of keeping up with them and still maintaining manners.


The park experience was the highlight of the day for me. Mostly because it turned out 100 times better than the McDonald's PlayLand experience last week.

We had the privilege of hosting dinner with Kendra's grandparents. It was a full evening of great conversation and it's been a long time since we've been able to get together in such a small gathering. The twins loved and hugged on both of them before heading to bed at the appointed hour.


They brought cute stockings with a book in each one along with some shiny wrapping paper. Guess what intrigued Easton the most about the gift? Yep, the wrapping paper...


As a break from the norm, we spent the evening at a Bible study with Oma and Opa's group... without the twins.

Kendra convinced me to allow Oma's friend's daughter, Sammy, baby sit for us. As you can imagine I had a difficult time accepting the plan to leave my two precious babies with a 13 year old whom I've never met. Kendra's confidence gave me the courage to agree and I'm happy to say everything worked out wonderfully. Thanks, Sammy!


That makes her the only the second non-adult we have trusted to baby sit Easton and Layla since they were born.

On another previous evening we stopped by and spent time with the Jakins' whose grandkids entertained the twins and vice versa. T.J. brought out the whoopee cushion. I am here to tell you, there is still comedic value and laughs to be had from the age-old gag of the whoopee cushion. Layla and Easton took turns stomping on it until it lay lifeless and empty on the floor.


Then T.J. would fill it up again with air and repeat the cycle until it was time to leave.

Easton's verbal skills took a huge leap over the past couple of weeks and here you see Oma listening intently as he explains the physics concepts of String theory.


OK, maybe it wasn't String theory. More than likely he was saying something like, "Christmas lights outside, Oma!"

He also recently discovered his singing voice and occasionally he'll participate in the nursery rhymes and fun songs Kendra made up. Easton's shyness is waning and his confidence is starting to build. He's learning how to express himself better day by day. One thing he always has and continues to do very well is: Relax! He leans his head on his hands and snuggles up in the blanket next to Layla for a new episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.


I still haven't heard why GG's authentic hat ended up on Layla's head, but here is Layla showing her super smile while wearing GG's hat from the 1950's. It is in excellent condition and looks extremely cute on Layla's head even though it is quite a bit too big.


The most exciting part of the upcoming weekend is my time away from work so I can join in the fun everyone is having with the twins each day while I've been working the day away.

See you soon!

safe travels

Merry Christmas friends and family,

Apparently the rest of the country has outlawed the use of the word Christmas so here on the 4Webb's blog we'll use that as our greeting for the rest of the year. Just exercising my freedom of speech. Ah, sweet freedom. I'll avoid my soapbox regarding the current effort to push Jesus out of America, but just know I'm not happy about it one bit.

There are many things to be happy about so I'll spend my time focused on those instead.

Sometimes not knowing how to do something is better than partly knowing. This is where the statement "ignorance is bliss" comes from. In the morning it is common to find Easton sitting up in bed reading or talking across the room to Layla. However, Layla usually jumps up and down in her crib loudly singing or screaming Easton. Also, the longer we leave her awake in the crib, the more likely it is to find her clothing in some state of disarray. She figured out how to unzip her pajamas, but hasn't figured out how to take them all the way off. She also figured out how to take her shirt off... sort of.


Easton thought it was very humorous. His eyes are purposefully closed as he laughed at Layla's shirt incident.


The trip:

The drive to NorCal was safe and uneventful (whew). We started the trip by singing Old MacDonald and Psalty songs and eventually had to resort to watching a video. that lasted until dinner time where I fell apart. The only good thing to come from the McDonald's trip is that now I know the play area is NOT for kids under 3 years old. We revved up Easton and Layla so they would be excited about the play area when we arrived. However, after taking their shoes off and running around it became clear they were not big enough to climb up into the vertical tunnels which led to the suspended passages. Layla cried because she wanted to follow the other kids. Easton cried because he was starving. I fell apart because the entire McDonalds was disgustingly dirty and the patrons looked like half of them were homeless.

Kendra returned with a receipt... not food, just a receipt because they were slow behind the counter. That pushed me into a whole new state of panic because now I have two kids running around the dirty play area with no shoes on... and no food to lure them away to a table. I decided to wait in line for the food and get it "to go" so Kendra led the kids to the car while I went to the counter to find out how long it was going to take for us to get the food. After 10 minutes of being ignored by every employee behind the counter I just left. And now for the happy part. Across the street was (drum roll please)... Denny's! The waitress had two bowls of Mac-N-Cheese on our table within 2 minutes of sitting down at the clean table. That moment was the highlight of the trip. The failed attempts to play in the play area, acquire food, and sit at a clean table faded away with every bite of my Grand Slam breakfast.

From then on, it was nothing but sleeping, highway, fog, and quiet. The twins slept well and we arrived at 4:00 AM. We took a day to adjust, but we are all in full vacation mode.

We're HERE!

Layla asks, "Where is the snow?"


She's ready for the cold, for sure. We are hoping to go see the snow during our visit. Easton is up to his same old constructive tricks in Oma and Opa's living room. His tower is really tall and aligned, isn't it!


As a part of the holiday tradition of baking and cooking, Oma is starting early to show Layla the secrets of the kitchen.


Yesterday GG came over to spend some time with us and she looks like royalty sitting in Opa's big, comfy chair with her purple outfit.


I was happy the twins heard a refresher of GG's lullaby songs. It means much more to them when she sings the songs (instead of us) and they are live in 3-D (instead of Skype). The next few days will be relaxing and filled with sharing meals with friends and family. I can't ask for more than that!

See you soon.

Barbie and dancing

Hi friends and family,

long time no write. No excuses, just the holiday excitement and preparing for travels has eaten away at the free time so much that sleep is now optional. Yeah, I know... You make time for what's important!

As for the pictures and videos, Easton and Layla are both still under the weather so we haven't been doing much adventuring at all. Both of them have learned to ask for a tissue (politely) and wipe their own nose with varying degrees of success. They are still giggling and playing all day long, just at a slower pace.


Not quite like their normal smiley, happy faces, huh...


You might think Easton plays with Barbie dolls by glancing at this next picture.


But if you look closely you'll see he is really using the Barbie doll container as an airplane transport and storage! His heavy, metal dual-prop airplane is safe and sound as he carries it around from room to room. Meanwhile, Layla has the Barbie doll sitting on the couch combing her hair.

The word "comb" leads me to share the most haunting English language conundrum of all...

tomb
comb
bomb

How do you explain THAT to a two year old? Not that we use the word tomb or bomb often, but all three words are pronounced differently. Oh well, at least I have 18 years with the twins to help explain these unsolved mysteries. Oh wait... Make that 16 years. They are already almost two years old!

The most recent new-found enjoyment around our house is dancing. Everybody dances, even the big, stuffed bear (thanks to Layla).


Time to go choose between sleep and sorting my vitamins for traveling. I can't wait for vacation time and Christmas!

See you in California.

togetherness

Hi friends and family,

With four snotty noses at the Casa de Webb we shared a relaxing get-well-soon weekend. My nose problems stem from allergies, Kendra's from being sick, and the twins from teething and/or the flu-bug. I'm excited to report there are only a few more teeth yet to poke through so this perpetual teething will be over soon.

If anyone finds a shirt that says, "Powered by: Apple juice" please let me know because it is both true and humorous. Easton asks for it by name repeatedly all day long. Water has lost it's favor and flavor according to their desires.

Outdoor activities were limited so we played with every toy in the house several times through the rotation. Only a few bumps and bruises as we learned the soccer slippers are indeed... slippery. The traction on the bottom isn't grippy on our tile floor so when Layla comes roaring around the corner she looks like a Dachshund on a skating rink.

Anyway, over the past few days I looted a few pictures of Easton AND Layla in the same shot. These are their new pajamas as an early Christmas gift from our friend and neighbor, Marsha.


You'd be amazed at how excited two kids can be about dinosaurs and pigs. Especially Layla who made sure everyone in the room noticed her little piggies. She sure looks proud and happy!


And you should hear the noises she makes when asked what a pig sounds like. Our friends, Scott and Marisue, spent the evening hanging out with us. It turned into Mission Impossible trying to get a good picture of them with the twins, but I did capture Marisue gladly accepting the free will hugs given out by Easton and Layla.


I did my best to get a picture of her face instead of the back of her head, but this was one of those rare candid shots of the twins showing love at the same time in the same frame of a picture. They spent the rest of the night buzzing around like flies chasing Scott and being chased until they laugh so hard it isn't possible to run any further.

Earlier in the weekend I walked Easton and Layla to the park so Kendra could cook and relax in peace for a little while. We met another couple who had a daughter the same age as the twins. They played well together with their new friend and the Dad was nice enough to take a picture of us.


I dug into the archive for this next picture to show their relative growth in 10 months when you compare the way their jackets fit. This next picture is from their 1st birthday.


What an amazing difference in just 10 months! These are the hand-made jackets Oma made for the twins. In the 1st birthday picture you can see how their sleeves are rolled up and the jacket engulfs them. In the recent park picture, the jacket just barely fits. Also, Easton and Layla finally have hair.

The next few days will be filled with packing and making travel arrangements to prepare for our trip to NorCal. We are looking forward to spending time with Kendra's relatives and our friends while in town. Nothing says "holidays" like spending time with family!

See you soon.

silverware

Hello folks,

Thanks to Kendra's super-mommy efforts, we are the proud parents of two toddlers who are restaurant qualified. Can you spot the last piece of the puzzle in these pictures?


I'll give you a hint: It is metal, not plastic or rubber.


Easton and Layla are using grown up forks! Being the complete novice at child development I am, I doubted Kendra's efforts to bother with attempting to teach them to eat with a fork or spoon or spork. Now, not only do they use utensils regularly, they are using grown-up tools to eat.

I think we should celebrate by going to a semi-fancy restaurant. Although I'm not sure if the patrons will be so gracious or complementary when Layla counts to 20 with her extremely loud voice like she did at In-N-Out burger. Half of the restaurant cheered her on as she steadily counted off the numbers and they applauded her as she exuberantly screamed, "Twenty!"

This occasion at In-N-Out is officially known as her first public performance. Many more to come, i'm sure...

Our Wednesday night Truth Project get together has spoiled any hopes of posting a WFMW or Way Back Whensday edition for the past few months. Guess I'll call this:

Works For Me Thursday

I hate to pay retail for toys and Kendra hates the idea of getting some strange kid's germs on a used toy from Craigslist. Because of our willingness to compromise and her ingenuity we found a solution that works! Kendra has a network of other mommies through our church and neighborhood. She recently started swapping toys with those mommies whose kids are similar in age to ours. Now we don't spend any money and just get the germs of a kid we know. Problem solved... Now she can rotate through our toys and her friend's toys to keep things fresh and interesting for Easton and Layla.

Here's a ride-on toy train we are borrowing which has all kinds of bells and whistles. literally.


Almost every evening for Easton and Layla ends with several rounds of "cover up" just before bed time. They lay on the floor and ask me to throw the big Costco sized blanket over them. They lay very still and giggle under the blanket. The think since I can't see them that I don't know where they are, which I think is hilarious. After a few seconds and my asking, "where are Layla and Easton?" They crawl out from under the blanket and say, "boo!"


Layla isn't feeling well today so I took Easton to the tire store so we could a new set of shoes on our Pilot prior to driving to California. We had a great time wondering through the Dollar Store and eating cheap chinese food at the local greasy chopstick.

I must admit, I was a tiny bit worried about Easton's lack of "manly" character during the first year. He was very shy and timid even around just the 4 Webbs. Layla was (and still is) very overbearing and she would literally run him over. However, over the past six months or so, he has really turned on the testosterone. He rough-houses and wrestles with me on the living room floor. He even playfully grapples with Layla and wins! He's extremely interested in anything with wheels, which is a good sign from my point of view. I'm very relieved to see he has a deep, sensitive side, but is also developing his manly confidence.

Last night when I sang Layla's lullaby, she sang along with me in perfect tune. Then, when I sang Easton's lullaby, she sang along with me as well! We serenaded Easton to sleep with our little duet and I've never been more proud of her. I'm amazed at what they pick up just from being around Kendra and I. Not only the words we say and the attitude we express, but even the songs we sing!

Sometimes there are no words to describe how much joy these two toddlers bring to my life. I wish so badly for a helmet cam to video tape every minute I spend with them because those extraordinary moments occur like flash paper catching fire. No time to go grab the video camera and wait for the lighting... Just POOOF! and moment is gone.

Goodnight, see you soon!

Do I fit?

Greetings friends and family,

My dad (papa to the twins) was given the green light to go home from the hospital so hopefully he will be safe at home soon. Whew! that was a scary few days for our family... Dad went into the hospital because of heart problems and they persisted over the weekend. However, all of his important heart-related metrics are within normal limits again. No surgery or intrusive procedures necessary. Just some blood pressure meds and an official solute as he heads out the door from the VA hospital. We are expecting a full recovery and life back to normal.

The only change for me will be a conscious effort to avoid stress-inducing topics when we talk on the phone or emails depicting anything related to politics. :)

I'll call this next section, "Do I fit?" as a tribute to Easton and Layla and their quest to comprehend size and volume comparisons.

The answer to the question is: No, No, Yes, Yes, Not Yet.

No, Easton, you can not fit inside the pink Porsche matchbox car. Why in the world do we have a pink Porsche anyway? That should be outlawed! I'll have to go back and see who gave Easton such an odd toy...


No, Layla, you do not fit in Kendra's Sponge Bob Square Pants lunch box. I would gladly take her to work and bring her out during lunch time for entertainment if it were possible.


Yes, Layla, you fit just perfectly on the bouncy horse affectionately known as "Bullseye". Thanks to Toy Story 2 for that name.


Yes, Layla, your soccer ball slippers finally fit! We've had those in the dresser drawer for over a year waiting for two things: cold weather, and feet to grow into them.

Oh look! It's a fairy princess... with, ummm, soccer ball slippers. Hey, whatever works, right?


Easton, you do not fit in the cowboy hat. Yet. It's still fun to play with and he loves the new dress-up props, but it'll even more fun once the hat doesn't fall down over his eyes every time his head moves. Besides, nothing says "Gangsta" like a cowboy hat and a dinosaur shirt.


That's it for this edition of "Do I fit?" Join us next time for "How did you get that stuck in your nose?"

After a lot of prayer and concern over my dad's health, wind and rain storms last night, and midnight train horns blaring, I plan to sleep very well tonight. Time to go look for my pacifier and Nunu.

See you soon!

hats and monkeys

Howdy folks,

The free time in my weekend was filled in with Christmas shopping, dinner with my guy friends and working some overtime hours to prepare for tomorrow's semi-important meetings for work. Easton and Layla kept me laughing and singing all weekend long. Easton is holding his own against Layla now so we are all three able to do some rough housing during play time in the living room.

Part of the play time involved trying on the new cowboy and cowgirl hats given to us from our friend's David and Tam. At first, Easton put the hat on sideways, but eventually figured it out after I led by example and placed the hat properly on my head. I'm sure the is a possible "caption contest" with this picture because I'm not feeling witty enough tonight to make up my own.


Layla is a big fan of hats and Jessie from the movie Toy Story, so she put it on and immediately yelled out a big, "yeeee hawwww!"


Then we went for a few rounds of spinning the twins as they sit in my office chair. Easton was most excited for his cow stuffed animal to ride with him. All is well in the world as long as he has his thumb and a stuffed animal.


One of the critical things we are teaching the twins right now is friendship and love. Watching them give hugs and cuddles, then try to bite each other's leg, then laugh and chase each other, then pushing the other down to the ground. It's always this back-and-forth where one second they are best friends and loving. The next second , they are at each other's throats. Such a fine balance to keep them pointed in the right direction... The chance to catch Layla somewhat still and cuddling up against Easton is a rare thing so I want to be sure and capture the moment.


My work held a holiday party with all the various kid's entertainment you would expect in the carnival-like atmosphere: pictures with Santa (too long of a line), a big electric christmas express toy train going around in circles, and cookie decorating. As you can see, the puppy leashes were in full effect here because I'm not going to take the chance of losing a kid in the big crowd of people.


Here's Layla in her PJs giving the universal sign that says, "I'm ready for bed". The sign is the same as when you know popcorn is ready to come out of the microwave: Count to 2 and if you don't hear any kernels pop, then it is cooked. Likewise, if Layla is on the ground for more than 2 seconds, then it is time for bed because you know she is winding down.


It's a long story, but we had 6 kids and 3 adults at our house on Friday night. Our Twins, David and Tam's twins, and April's two little ones. I had a great time hanging out with all the little people running around the house and the kids certainly enjoyed it too. Here is Layla and Layla showing how they are best friends with their similar outfits and big smiles.


The zoo pass is getting a serious workout over the past few weeks. One of the great things about the pass is the privilege to go early in the morning before the crowds of school buses. The animals are all out playing and it makes for a much more interactive experience. Can't get much closer than this!


Easton and Layla pick up all kinds of concepts from the zoo animals.


I have no idea why they like bananas so much... Crazy, huh?


Kendra and I are in the process of planning a vacation for 3 days and 2 nights where we will leave the twins with her parents. We haven't had an extended vacation like that since before the twins were born. I am really looking forward to relaxing by the beach somewhere in NorCal.

See you soon!

The death of cool

Greetings friends and family,

Over the past couple of weeks Kendra and I independently came to (roughly) the same conclusion: We are not cool.

Before you console me in comments, realize that I am perfectly content in realizing I don't care about my relative coolness. On the other hand, Kendra began to wax poetic about some "cool" teeny boppers she passed in the mall yesterday. She described their trendy clothing and hair all done-up and makeup, etc.

All I could think of to say is, "don't worry, that kind of stuff isn't important to me and besides, I married you for your natural beauty and am glad you don't have to do all that fakeness to look good."

Inside I felt very proud of myself for coming up with such a true and complimentary response. Come to find out, I should have stuck with my gut and remembered girls don't want answers, they want to know you heard them. Next time I'll deliver my standard response with a hug: "i'm sorry you feel that way..."

Anyway, I know I am not cool according to the common urban usage of the word and here are a few ways this is abundantly clear:

1. Some articles of clothing in my closet are 10 years old... and I still wear them.
2. My decision to wear contacts or glasses is based solely on whether I will kicked in the head during martial arts training that day, NOT on whether I should wear my "pretty eyes" as a fashion statement to go with my sweater.
3. I have a G35 with 20 inch chrome wheels, but... When I replace it I will choose between a minivan and a moped. Seriously.
4. Going out dancing no longer refers to Kendra and I grooving in a sea of trendy hipsters at a local club. It refers to Layla, Easton, and I "going out" to the living room after their PJs are on so we can bob around on the rug looking like Elaine from the Seinfeld TV show.
5. "Happy hour" IS every day from 5-7 PM. However, it does not refer to half-priced sushi and hanging out with a group of friends. It refers to Kendra's break from being with the twins all day when I get home from work. Occasionally it still refers to half-priced sushi, but now I have to include apologizing to the waitress for being hit with edamame beans, thanks to Layla.


I discovered what I believe to be a universal principle: Being cool is the antithesis of being a good parent unless you are on The Forbes 400 richest Americans list. Then it is possible to be both cool and a good parent assuming you don't work 100 hours per week your entire life and sacrifice time with the family... If you are a common man not on that list, then there are opportunity costs of being cool. Decisions must be made with both time and money where doing what is cool goes against doing what is best for the family and the future of kids.

There is a price to pay for coolness and I'm just no longer interested in keeping that cost in my monthly budget of time or dollar expenses. Besides, there is an element of cool that cannot be purchased OR learned and I never had it even before marriage and kids. Luckily Easton and Layla already have more of that coolness than I ever had at my peak (whenever it was). Easton clearly has that special factor working in his favor.


The word cool may not be stricken from my vocabulary, but the connotation of cool has been forever altered. I don't consider myself as some uber-enlightened individual, just a normal dad and husband who is making progress on the quest to discover and implement continuous improvements.

Maslow and his hierarchy are wrong. That statement alone may send some into a defensive tirade of the sacrilegiousness associated with such a claim. Hear me out though... The "self-actualization" concept is sad and shameful. If me reaching my ultimate potential in life is "doing what I want to do" then that is nothing more than selfish fulfillment and self-centered motives to please others in an effort to be cool. What a truly sad waste of life and resources that would be. Those who never get beyond themselves as the center of their world never get to experience real purpose or meaning in life.

Pouring time and money and resources into other people (kids or spouse or community or those in need) is the highest level of cool I can possibly comprehend. Francis Bacon said, "It is a poor center of a man’s actions, himself." and I'm finding out what that really means one day at a time.

shake your what?

Hi people,

This isn't what I call a "cohesive blog post" because I was unable to find a theme to the random moments and pictures from the past couple of days. Either way, there are still daily adventures and we are having a great time playing together and growing our babies into toddlers.

Sing along with me, "The people on the bus go up and down, up and down..."


We are doing our best to transition the twins from pushing their toy bus to riding on top of the bus so they will figure out the try-cycle is for riding, not pushing. Seems to be working fairly well so far. Kendra and I pushed them side by side with their feet up on the front of the bus. They screamed with excitement in stereo: Same key with the same pitch. Too bad we didn't have a third person to be camera man to get a video of it. Oh well, there will be other opportunities if Easton and Layla have anything to say about it.

Each evening after work I take the twins down the street to the communal mailbox and there is a green belt right next to it. There is gravel surrounding a lush, green, grassy area where the two of them go up and down the hill over and over until I drag them home kicking and screaming. Easton is intelligently cautious when jogging down into the green belt, but he is getting braver and more dangerous all the time.


Speaking of bravery, Easton received his medal of bravery by approaching Marsha's (our neighbor) German Shepherd, Brandy. Brandy is very gentle and we encouraged the twins to go pet her. Since we don't have a dog at home they haven't been exposed to them much. So seeing a dog up close is like telling them to go pet a tiger at the zoo. Anyway, he did great until she gave him a lick on the cheek and Easton giggled as he ran towards the safety of Mommy.


Easton and Layla are both still hung up on Mickey Mouse clubhouse and all it entails. Kendra happened to find Mickey and Minnie stuffed dolls at an antique store and brought them home. As you can see, they love the dolls. Now they go everywhere with Easton and Layla: To bed, in the car, to dinner, NOT in the bath though. That is a tough concept to explain to a 22 month old...


Easton sat Mickey in his own special chair and tries to feed Mickey and give sips from his cup. Also those are his new PJs, the 24 month size, which are still a little to big.


We took one last picture of the twins with Oma and Opa before they headed out last Saturday. Kendra did her best to explain the concept of them going away, but we will see them again soon. Easton still asks each morning, "Oma coming? Oma coming?" and we have to say, "no, but we will go see Oma soon!"


Layla learned the thrill of hiding over the past few days and now I have to search for her in various parts of the house. I caught her hiding behind their bedroom door with the sippy cup, patiently waiting for me to find her.


We still read to the twins several times per day. Kendra stocks up on books from the local library and we do our best to keep Layla from ripping them up. Occasionally we let them watch the TV show, "Max and Ruby" so reading a book about them is infinitely more interesting since they've seen the animated version of them on TV.


and last, but not least I'll end with this humorous, short video of clip of Layla. We sat in the living room one evening with Oma and Opa listening to funk music. Layla thought it would be funny to make noises while Opa used his foot to shake her. She’s right, it is funny and at the end she says, “Shake your booty!” We are teaching Easton and Layla only the most important words and phrases of the English language (yeah, right).



Congratulations on making it through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Christmas, here we come!