Build and Grow

Greetings friends and family,

The 4 Webbs are gearing up to host 4 parties in 3 days.  Craziness abounds.  We still have time in the midst of the planning for quality time together though.  We made a picnic lunch and a blanket to enjoy the near-perfect weather.  Kendra and I even spent a few minutes lying next to each other in peace while the twins played tag around us in the greenbelt.  That moment was one of those "please, nothing change... ever" moments.  I wouldn't go so far as to describe life as perfect, but I couldn't write a movie scene any more desirable than that.  Layla danced around in her princess way.

Easton screamed and ran around like a warrior on a battlefield until I mentioned his new Batman watch.  He stopped in his tracks and describe the awesomeness of his first-ever watch.

We played Star Wars with large chunks of tree bark as guns.  Someone noticed the sticky tree sap on the weapons of bark destruction.  Like Sherlock and Watson and Princess Watson we traced the sap back to the tree it came from and investigated what happened.  Somebody cut off branches of a tree and we were privileged to see the hardened, crusty sap, newly gooey sap, and fresh sap still oozing out of tree.  We spent the next 20 minutes touching, smelling, seeing, (no sound or taste, thank God) the sap.  Such curious kids.

The balance we are trying find is how to encourage their curiosity and questions against "slow obedience".  Every time we give a directive like getting a cup, it turns into a big explanation session.  We're working to have them obey first, then ask questions second.  that's tougher than I thought.

The twins are still working to establish boundaries and learn how to respect each other's boundaries.  Layla occasionally hits, kicks, pushes, steps on, or slaps Easton.  Thank God he is a patient and kind-hearted.  He does really well to control his emotions and not retaliate.  I find that as long as he has a chance to express his side of the story and be validated, then I give him a hug and say, "Thank you for not reacting and coming to talk to me."  Then I give Layla a chance to explain what happened and why.  Next comes the discipline and forgiveness routine between them.  30 seconds later they are back to playing as best friends.

I took the twins to the Lowe's Build and Grow event, which is held every Saturday.  The pre-packaged project comes with nails, stickers, instructions, wood, and hammers.

I had to supervise one step at a time with each kid.  It would have been better with Kendra instead of going back and forth, but she made good use of the non-kid time.  Easton got the hang of hammering quickly, but Layla kept choking up on the handle and trying to muscle the hammer down instead of swinging it from the end and using the leverage to get the momentum.  They certainly are unique when it comes to what each one excels in.

The best part of the project is that we finished it!  There's a certain confidence that comes from never giving up and seeing something through to completion.  It's a "Wheel of Love".  Like a wheel of fortune device where the spinner has a window that shows something Easton and Layla can do to show love.  I woke up this morning with Easton in my face quietly holding up with Wheel of Love.  He whispered, "Dad, you get two spins today because I love you."  I landed on "give a compliment" and "draw a nice picture".  He said, "You're handsome even though your breath stinks."  Thanks, Big Time.

I had the twins the entire day Saturday while Kendra worked around the house, attended a baby shower, and went out for a birthday dinner.  One of my activities included a surprise with my friend Scott.  I won four tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters!  Our seats were not in a great location, but they were close enough to see the action and keep the twins' interest.

They put on a good show, but I they make everything look so easy that Easton and Layla didn't grasp one bit of the excellence and talent.

Layla's favorite highlight was the half-time show.  A flood of cheerleaders from a local dance school did a few routines.  Easton said, "this is borrrrring".  Layla said, "Dad I want to do that my whole life!  Can I do that and ice skating and soccer?"

They are so different and that makes life interesting.

See you soon!

The Big Five

Greetings friends and family,

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Easton and Layla!  And a hearty "congratulations" to my wife and mother of the birthday twins.  She deserves a celebration as much, if not more, than Easton and Layla.  She already cried out the tears yesterday as she absorbed the fact that the twins are growing up and growing independent.  Her role in their life will decrease as they head off to school in six months.  That's worth celebrating, but also has some grieving associated with it.

The first day of their life they depended on her for everything.  milk, comfort, warmth, protection, cleanliness, and every other minute aspect of life.  There is no magic wave of a wand that happened today on their fifth birthday, but in looking back over the mountain rage we climbed together as parents, the truth of how old they are sets in quickly.  Kendra is still the full-time stay-at-home mom, but they are increasingly interested in their own dreams and goals and interests more than just "Mom".

I'm very proud of the kids Kendra raised so far and the first five years are so critical that it's hard to even put into words the sense of urgency required to be good parents right out of the gate.  Some parents figure it out later in life when the kids are 12 years old or already moved out.  For them, it's usually too late.  My heart is content knowing we did our best so far and have few regrets over the time and money and effort spent to lay the foundation as solid as we did for Easton and Layla.

Their home schooling is coming along great.  Kendra acquired some curriculum as well as ideas online.  They seem to be getting the concepts well, but in their own individual learning style. Learning math is much easier when Layla uses fuzzy colored balls and Easton uses toy planes.

I took off work for the their birthday and we had a great hiking together.  We wandered around the hole-in-the-rock park so much they were completely worn out when we were done.

The hike up to the hole was quick.  We sat out on the edge and surveyed the whole city with the panoramic view.

We stopped by the two ponds to explain the difference between marsh and swamp.  They are so comfortable being right next to and showing love to one another.  Yes, Easton is wearing his TMNT shirt again...  for the third day in a row.  It wasn't dirty and he is so into the turtles.  he wouldn't be considered the "stinky kid" at school, but wearing the same shirt three days in a row is a bit much even for a home schooler.

We had a little history lesson about the former governer of Arizona, George W. P. Hunt.  He's dead... and buried in the pyramid tomb on top of the hill overlooking the city.  It was kind of creepy so I skipped over the mummy / zombie folklore.

Here is the best picture of the day in my opinion.  The 4 Webbs tackling a mountain together turned out to be the perfect birthday activity.  Free, adventurous, interactive, and outdoor.

We also had a birthday dinner at home where they ate Kendra's homemade Snicker Doodle cookies with strawberry ice cream in the middle.  Kendra and I sang the birthday song as a duet.  Although the day wasn't extraordinary in fanfare, it was a good celebration and family time together.

Next weekend we'll have Easton and Layla's separate parties with a few of their closest friends.  Kendra is in the planning, coordinating, purchasing phase of the party.  From what I've heard i'm sure they will enjoy their special birthday gatherings.

I'm excited for this year of their life.  The plans we already have in motion for the 4 Webbs will most certainly prove to be our most adventurous year yet!

See you soon!

The Big Party

Greetings friends and family,

We are two days away from being parents of five-year-old twins.  I sense this is a milestone worthy of celebration because the foundations are basically laid.  The concrete is dry and now we get to start guiding them in the way they should go.  One of the most important concepts is "the force" and the dark side.  OK, it's not really on the top of our list, but we've been introducing them to the Star Wars characters through cartoons and a montage of kid-friendly clips in the movies.  Kendra described the Snow Speeders and Luke's brilliant idea to wrap the tow cable around the AT-AT legs.

Easton's mind was blown.  Layla was mildly concerned about the guys who died.

One night we took a trip to DQ for some chocolate badness.

They noticed the advertisements with ice cream cakes and asked me to get one for each of them.  We decided to give separate birthday parties this year for the first time.  Their friends and interests are too divergent for a single party and we want them to be individuals.  For the past year when one of them asks me for some item in a store I say, "maybe for your birthday?"  I don't like to say "no you'll never have that" and I also don't buy them everything they ask for.

I found out the hard way that Easton and Layla's memories are good enough to remember each and every item I ever said that about.  They also are smart enough to match those things I said with my consistent promise that I am a man of my word.  That's why Easton got one of his birthday presents early.  The Shell Raiser Turtle van.  When we walked out of the store he beamed with a smile saying, "I've been dreaming about this for my whole life!"

Another weekend, another birthday party.  This is getting to be routine and I don't see that changing anytime in the next several years.  Easton's best buddy, Elliot, turned five.  His parents hosted a train-themed party with about 20 kids.

One of the games they played was hilarious to watch.  A fan with a hose attached blew dozens of plastic butterflies into the air while the kids caught them with bug nets.  That lasted about 10 seconds, then the kids would spent 5 minutes picking up and reloading all the plastic butterflies that blew all over the room.  turn it on for another 10 seconds of laughter and repeat until the magician arrived.

Layla hung out with her old friend from pre-school, Isabella.  They were inseparable during the party.  I'm glad Isabella was there because it made the party worthwhile for Layla.

The magician was good with kids and they seemed to enjoy his antics.  Layla sat right next to him to be part of the spotlight.  Easton sat on the other side of the circle and was amazed by his magician abilities.

At the end of his performance he made balloon shapes for every kid.  Layla requested flower... of course.

Easton requested a sword so he could play fight with the rest of the rowdy boys.

Five seconds after he received the sword it popped.  Easton nearly fell apart thinking he'd never get another balloon. ever. ever.  I don't know why kids go to extremes like that, but I was close by so we worked through it together.  I assured him the magician would make another one if he asked.  He pulled it together and kindly asked for another one, but in blue this time.

Layla made the magicians act so easy because she played right along with his questions and requests.  She may be a bit of an over-achiever, but I certainly won't hold her back from reaching her potential.

We spent about three days of our life preparing, hosting, and cleaning up after the biggest Super Bowl party we've ever attempted.  The invite list was comprised entirely of church friends because...  well, that's where we invest our time and friendships.  Anyway, about 40 people mingled between the den, great room, and back patio to watch the game.  Our couch was a big hit as always because of how comfortable it is.

The light rain and overcast skies prevented us from having any outdoor fun during the big game, but the patio provided an overflow area for those who like it a little colder than inside our house.

The great room couches were arranged for optimal TV viewing and we left it that way after the party was over just for a change in scenery.

I consider the party a huge success because everyone enjoyed being here and no lives were lost.  Some scratches on the walls and cake smeared on some chairs is about all the damage we took, but it was worth it to spend time building relationships and "doing life" together.

During one of the commercial breaks I turned on some dance music for the kids to give us a performance.  They did much better than Beyonce and were appropriately dressed for family entertainment, unlike Beyonce.

They danced to Psy's Gangnam Style and that little boy knew way too many moves from the video for a 4 year old.  I was impressed.  They also danced in the big room for the whole crowd.  Easton wanted no part of the dancing, but he did take this picture:

He'd much rather learn how to take pictures than get his boogie on.  Whatever works for him!

I wanted to take pictures of the entire house and do some before-after comparisons of what it looked like before we remodeled.  It's been over a year now so I should probably get started on that...  Here's a picture of half of the great room Kendra and Jenny recovered the cornice board.  She is much happier with the color scheme.

We're gearing up for Easton and Layla's birthday parties over the next few weeks.  Not sure what we'll do for their actual birthday though.  I'll probably just spend time playing with them because that's what they want more than anything.

See you soon!

Extreme Daddy Time

Greetings friends and family,

The 4 Webbs are gearing up for the biggest Super Bowl party we've ever attended or hosted.  We're expecting around 35 friends to flood the Casa de Webb.  We have three TVs, 20 seats in the backyard, plenty of space, and a house built for parties.  We shall see how it goes.

I let Layla dress herself one morning and this is what our stylish princess decided.

The day was rainy and overcast so her rain jacket was the perfect appropriate match.  She looked alright to me, so I congratulated her and headed out the door with Easton to a birthday party.  The invitation was for a day at the park with train and carousel rides, but because of the rain we ended up at Peter Piper Pizza.  Otherwise known as "the germiest place on the planet outside of the African continent".  I'm not a germaphobe, but I could barely stand touching the handles of the rides or the watch the twins crawling around in the play structures.  I didn't prevent them from doing or touching anything, but my spidey senses were tingling the whole time we were there.

Their favorite ride was the simulated roller coaster.  The seats rocked back and forth and vibrated to coincide with the scenery.  They screamed often and laughed whenever they weren't screaming.

Layla wanted to ride the carousel even though it was only a lame three person ride.  Her smile says, "I'm still having fun no matter how big the ride is!"

They climbed around the germ-infested play structure.  I'm surprised they didn't come back with a lost-n-found dirty diaper.  Neither of them got sick from the outing so all my concern was for naught.  We all three had a great time there and since we had to leave early I kept several coins for a return visit some day in the next few weeks.

And the highlight of the party is always the same.  It's all about the cake or cupcakes.  The twins enjoy watching the kid open their gift, but cake still tops their memory banks.  The princess cake was nicely decorated, but five-year-olds couldn't care less about the design.  The only people impressed by the decorations were the parents.  The birthday girl's parents were kind enough to send me home with a big piece, which I devoured.

We arrived home and I had plans to crawl in my mancave and be alone for a few hours.  However, I noticed the rain was really coming down.  I asked the twins "who wants to go for a walk in the rain?"  Layla jumped at the chance while Easton just wanted to go play in his room.  Fine with me!  Layla and I suited up in our rain gear and headed out the front door.

We splashed in a couple of puddles as we walked down our street.  I looked down the sidewalk to our greenbelt and noticed it turned into a pond.  We walked down to get a closer view and saw a raft of ducks!

We walked along the edge of the pond to our back door and invited Easton to join us with promises of a  new found adventure.  He agreed and off we went to splash and play.

I caught a self-portrait because there was obviously no other neighbors crazy like us out in the rain to take our picture.  I love shocking them by doing crazy stuff like this together.  I shrugged my shoulders and gave my typical response of "why not?"  and away we went splashing in the mud.

The three of us waded out deep into the center of the greenbelt.  The water got so deep it was higher than the tops of our boots.  They flooded with water and we laughed hysterically while sloshing as we jumped.  

Our pants were wet, boots were filled, and at one point they both admitted their underwear was soaked.  The twins were having a blast, but I could tell it was getting a little chilly for us so I gave them a chance to wade across one more time.

They will probably never forget this hour of bonding time.  I know I won't.  It's been mentioned several times since that day.  Rain of this magnitude only happens a couple of times per year and sometimes those occurrences are at night.  This rare alignment of elements made for a great day together.

On some other random occasion we were all sitting around in our pajamas.  Layla brought out her box of hair bows and asked if she could put one in my hair.  I agreed and she didn't stop until every last hair accessory was stuck on my head.  When I say to her, "Do you know what Daddy REALLY needs?"  She is conditioned to reply with, "a kiss and a hug."  She is more than willing to meet my need even though in reality I'm meeting her need too.

After the hair accessories were yanked out we did whatever Easton desired.   He wandered over to the hall closet and chose Playdough as his activity.  Nothing wrong with a little imagination to create all kinds of animals and scenes with a boat-load of Playdough.  

I took a day off work this week to indulge in a little getaway.  I won free tickets to the Phoenix Open with free parking, free meals, and free seats overlooking the 18th green.  Talk about going in style!  This was by far the most elegant way to attend the event that draws over 500,000 attendees.  Best seat in on the course?  for free?  Not bad for a lowly corporate lackey.

Once my afternoon of vacation away from Kendra and the kids and work was over I was happy to jump  back in the groove.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?  Absolutely.  There will be Phoenix Open tournaments every year from now until the day I die, but Easton and Layla will only be four for a few more days.  Cowabunga, dude!

See you soon.