Garcías of the Southern Post

Gifts

2012-02-12T11:23:00.000-05:00

Since being home, I have found Marguerite donned with Josh-gifts many times. An incomplete inventory includes: Josh's bottle, several pacifiers (This is his favorite gift. He knows the importance of some good pacifier time.), a ball, and the surgical sponges from the hospital. So sweet, especially given that this list includes most of Josh's favorite things, save the sponges.

We also had a Birth Day party for Marguerite. Gabe decorated the cake. I think the sprinkle layer was at least 1/4 inch thick. Impressive skill. Gifts were also exchanged. I think Gabe was most excited about the pink tutu skirt he picked out for Pillow. He wants his sister to be a princess in pink. Side note: The other day, I had her dressed in an old hand-me-down from the boys - something pretty gender neutral. Gabe said disapprovingly, "Mom, she looks like a boy."

Introducing Marguerite Ruth Garcia

2012-02-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

Marguerite Ruth Garcia, aka "Pillow" joined our family on February 5th at 11:45 at 7 lbs, 7 oz and 18.5 inches. When my mom told Gabe that Pillow was here, his eyes lit up as he said, "She's here?!? That's AWESOME!"

Marguerite was named after three different grandmothers. Marguerite, her paternal Grandmother, and Ruth, the name of two of her great grandmothers. We're so grateful that all of the grandmothers in Marguerite's life, even those she is not named after, provide strong and courageous examples of goodness, kindness and love.

The name Pillow was not inspired by Michael Jackson's child, Blanket, but originated in the mind of older brother, Gabe. Gabe has been calling her Pillow for months, and when I made the mistake of referring to her as Marguerite during Gabe's first meeting with her, he looked quite confused and hurt, and said, "But I thought her name was Pillow". We determined that her name was Marguerite Ruth Pillow Garcia, so he could call her Pillow if that's what he so desired.

Proud Dad

Proud Mom

Proud Grandma

(We're very, very grateful Grandma is here already. The boys are having a great time with her while we hang out at the hospital, and we look forward to two more weeks with Grandma at the house!)

Proud Brothers

Gabe and Josh met baby sister with adoration and enthusiasm. Gabe made sure she had her eyes, nose, mouth, fingers, toes, and hair. But he was especially impressed with her ears. "Oh look at her ears! They're so cute and small!" My favorite Gabe moment though was when he sat there just looking at her with love, and said, "Oh Pillow" in the most adoring voice I've ever heard him use.

Josh also enjoyed taking inventory of body parts.

And here she is again. We're extremely grateful that Marguerite is here safely and are enjoying beyond measure our time with her!

2012-01-29T19:11:00.000-05:00

We're all excited for baby girl Garcia to arrive any day now. Gabe tells everyone about how he'll have a little sister soon, who he says he would like to call Pillow. I'm pretty sure Josh has no idea what is going to happen to his little world, but he's a happy boy, doing his 18-month old thing.

2012-01-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

Brian's sister gave him this shirt for Christmas. It's a game called "Dadville" and the boys love it...

If you can't see what it is, it's a shirt with a village on the back, streets and all. The boys take their cars and drive around on Brian's back.

Preschool

2012-01-08T23:07:00.000-05:00

Gabe started an official preschool program last week.
The boy didn't even look back to say goodbye to me on his first day.

This is him on his second day, very excited to be carrying his backpack. As I took these pictures, he was singing a song he composed himself, made up of the following lyrics:

"I'm so tough and strong. Tough and strong. I'm so tough and strong." Gabe has inherited his father's ability to create such short, "catchy" dittys.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

Nativity

Mary and Joseph partaking of a pre-show snack. I love the way Claire is looking at Gabe in this picture.

Joseph and Shepherd using their staffs to cart around their transportation.

Cute wisemen. They gave baby Jesus bread pans for their gifts.

Christmas Morning/Afternoon

Cousin Time!

The high point of Iris and Josh's interaction probably took place while either sat in the high chair, fighting over food.

A Christmas Video

2011-12-21T21:46:00.000-05:00

The last couple weeks when I've dared enter the world of retail, I've been reminded how crazy the Christmas season can get. This beautiful little video reminds me of the true spirit of giving we should have throughout the year. Enjoy.

A call for numbers

2011-12-16T09:27:00.002-05:00

After Josh sucked the life out of one phone (literally), and then took the replacement swimming in the toilet, I finally have a working phone. Could you please email me your phone numbers? While your at it, throw in your address and I can make sure we have those updated as well.

Thanks!
Erica

erica (dot) r (dot) garcia (at) gmail (dot) com

2011-12-14T00:07:00.001-05:00

We heard a lot of giggling tonight in the laundry room...

This is what our investigation uncovered.

2011-12-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

There's no rhyme or reason to this post. I just haven't updated in awhile...

Josh loves hats and the recorder

Gabe really wanted to be wrapped up like a present and put under our Christmas tree.

We've been sick. A lot. But this is what I found one particularly sick morning and my heart melted.

osh loves balls. The mosquitos love Josh. Even his eyelid is tasty.

Since we're in TX and can't create a snowman, Gabe created a play-dough man.

Gabe tackling a Cuban sandwich Thanksgiving weekend.

Give Josh a basket, garbage can, box, or drawer to climb in and he'll be a happy camper.

The previous owner of our home planted this lovely little Maple directly under the power line to our house. Brian, being an employee of our energy supplier did not approve, so the boys chopped the tree down and took it to the dump.

Lunchtime

2011-11-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

This is why I don't answer my phone if someone calls during lunchtime...

(Sorry about the horrible camera work, but at least you can see the wonderful wood paneling that fills our house).

Introducing John Acre

2011-11-13T22:57:00.001-05:00

John Acre is a red-headed fox. He is also a teacher. He teaches at gymnastics, nursery, and Friend's School and his teachings involve alternate lyrics to already familiar songs. Mostly, the lyrics involve off-color humor, such as this take on "Saturday", a song from the children's songbook at church:

Saturday is a special day

It's the day we get ready for Sunday!
We poop on our clothes

And we poop on the chair

(etc, etc, etc)

Thank you, John Acre. Your teachings are lovely.

New House and Halloween

2011-11-01T22:11:00.000-04:00

We've had a busy couple of weeks. We moved into a new house (which we LOVE), and celebrated Halloween while unpacking boxes, organizing, and trying to dream up some good renovations on our house. Gigi and Pops also came for a quick and wonderful visit.

Our new house was built in the 1960 and the same man lived in it until last May. He left us gems like this:

And this 50 year old oven

We do have some new things though, and the boys (and me!) are certainly enjoying the washer and dryer.

Pops and Josh at Dinosaur Day at the Southeast Texas Energy Museum

Trunk or Treat

Halloween Night

Gabe's costume was completely directed by him. He saw the dryer ducts at a hardware store and immediately switched from wanting to be a ghost for Halloween to a robot. He wanted the boxes white, not silver, and he did NOT want any buttons, volumes, knobs or stripes. "Just plain" he kept saying.For the most part it worked out well, although he had some trouble staying on his feet when we went trick or treating.

2011-10-19T23:29:00.000-04:00

I know I've been neglectful. So for the grandparents and Jennifer Chiles out there - here are some pictures from the last few days...

Josh loves lying down in the bath and relaxing.

Front porch play. We hang out here almost every afternoon.

The "NO" series

The "scary face"series

1 step forward, 3 steps backward

2011-09-15T21:09:00.000-04:00

We love these two little boys.

And they're excited to be big brothers to a new baby sister sometime in early February. Gabe's especially excited because he thinks the baby looks like a dinosaur (he went to the ultrasound). We're excited too, but hope she's a little cuter (and sweeter) than a T-rex!

Snaggle Tooth

2011-09-14T20:30:00.001-04:00

In just the last two weeks, Josh has gone from this...

(no top teeth, photo credit: Gabe Garcia)

to this...

(major snaggle-tooth)

Is this the same dental set-up as Chunk from The Goonies?

Boys

2011-08-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

It got up to 109 Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (pre-heat index) so any outdoor time has had to involve water. Which means mud. The boys have loved it. (If you look closely at the first picture, you can see J's fang coming in). Slowly, but surely, that boy will get a mouthful of teeth. In the meantime, we'll enjoy the snaggle-tooth phase.

Gratitude

2011-08-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

Josh delights in patty-cake.
We delight in watching him.

I could gush over both boys these days. I'm very grateful for them.

The other day, I was chatting with another mom at the park whose husband is stationed in Afghanistan for the next three years. I am amazed at her (and her husband's - and children's) willing sacrifice for our country. I am humbled and grateful so many are trying to make our country better. And for what? To be able to watch our little ones play patty-cake, knowing they'll grow up in a better world. It made me ponder my own contribution to making this world better. It seems insignificant most days, but hopefully it will mature to something great (or great-ish) in the years, decades, and even centuries to come.

(Yes. We bathe Josh after almost every meal.)

Birthday Celebrations

2011-08-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Josh's birthday with Iris, his cousin who is just a few days younger than him, in New Orleans with lots of family.

We had a low-key family celebration on his actual birthday which included a pancake breakfast, presents, freezie-pops outside, pancake dinner, and early bedtimes for two tired boys.

Fancy filter, you think? Cooky editing? No. This is how hot it is. This is what my camera lens is like for the first 1/2 minute outside these days. It's hot, but I'll be glad in February when it's 65 degrees here.

Garcia Family Reunion

2011-08-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

We headed to Casa Garcia for a family reunion last weekend. There were 9-13 children and 10-12 adults sleeping at the house while we were there. It was a party.

The weekend included a trip to the beach - everyone had a blast - even if the next few days were filled with red faces and shouts of "DON'T. TOUCH. MY. BACK."

Thanks to Caroline for the pictures!

Josh is 1

2011-08-04T14:52:00.000-04:00

Some Josh highlights
-almost walking
-says hi, bye, mama, dad, what's that?, and uh-oh
-has 2 teeth
-laughs a lot
-when he gets mad, he really gets mad
-loves balls, putting things in "places", cars, his brother, and freezie pops

We couldn't love him more!

2011-07-13T10:16:00.000-04:00

It was rainy here the other day so we painted and I gave Josh some different textures to play with.

All we wanted to do for our Nation's B-day was stay home. So we did. And ate freezie pops.

Vacation: Part III

2011-07-07T21:56:00.000-04:00

After the family reunion, we were able to spend time more people we loved, Brian's mission companion, mission president and wife, and a good friend from New Orleans. So wonderful to see everyone. On the drive home, we got to visit with more family - Rod and Janet (B's aunt and uncle) and family, as well as the Sorensen's & co. (including Emilee and Loree's family and Aunt Helen.) What good times. Unfortunately, we never pulled out the camera. So here are some doozies from the car.

Vacation: Part II

2011-07-06T23:28:00.001-04:00

From my parents, house, I drove with the boys to my sissy's - where I got to meet this strapping young man for the first time! I miss little P-man already.

My patient children also enjoyed meeting lots of new friends as I got together with some beloved friends from days gone by...

Here are BYU roommate, Kelly and honorary roommate, Cass. So fun to catch up with them. Both are doing amazing things with their talents and it was inspiring to be with them for the few hours we had together.

I was also able to get together with one of my favorites from Boston, and two more BYU roommates. I've been back to UT so many times since graduating, but have not taken the time to get together with all these wonderful people I love. I'm so glad it worked out to be able to do so this time!

After a few days of visiting, Brian joined the family! We were able to visit with two dear friends of mine from OU (again, absolutely wonderful to catch up in person), and then headed to a big 7 bedroom house for our family reunion.

I loved being with all my siblings in the first time in who knows how many years, but it was especially wonderful to see Gabe have so much fun with his cousins. This is A-man - who we also got to meet for the first time. He's a trip - a happy happy boy. Gabe also played with his older cousin C a ton. I have no pictures of them because they were always playing games that involved running, hiding, chasing, etc.

The boys picked up some bad habits in Park City. Note what Gabe is advertising with his head-gear (thanks, Steve) :)

And Josh, poker. Geesh. You try to raise them right...

And here are all the grandsons with my dad. Sadly, I think this is the best shot.

Vacation: Part I

2011-07-04T22:49:00.001-04:00

June 15: Drive 475 miles.
June 16: Drive 714 miles, 2 of them through a crazy dust storm. I've never driven through fog that thick, let alone, dust.
June 17: Drive 530 miles. Arrive at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

We were glad to be in a house. The kids were so excited about sleeping in hotels that they - well - didn't sleep. I was exhausted and had to retire from most days by 9:30 to recover.

We stayed there for 5 days and fit in quite a bit.

We celebrated Father's Day and my birthday.
(The 4th in a row Brian and I have spent apart. Uncanny.)

Gabe helped Grandpa in the garden.

Josh went from this mess...

...to this little boy.

You'll notice Josh still only has his bottom two teeth.

Gabe went four wheeling with Grandpa.

And Josh helped rearrange my parents cupboards. Many, many times.

Another B-day celebration

2011-06-05T00:17:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Gabe's birthday again in New Olreans, to be documented later. (My camera died about 3 minutes into his party.) But it was fun. And hot. We went to the amusement park at City Park, then back to the house for food and more fun.

Here in Texas, we went to a park/splash pad, had a pinata, and a volcano rice krispie treat "cake".

Gabe's Birthday Part I

2011-05-23T22:37:00.000-04:00

Some highlights to Gabe's b-day included a package from Grandma, making a volcano with rice krispie treat batter, his drums, and his dinosaurs. I heard him in bed awhile ago talking to his dinosaurs about his birthday and he sounded happy, so hopefully it was a good birthday for him.

I'm grateful that three years ago Gabe entered our lives. He's a blessing and a joy.

Moments

2011-05-19T22:23:00.003-04:00

ONE
Monday night during Family Home Evening, we talked about Stranger Danger and we role played. Here's what happened

Dad (Stranger): Hey. Do you want to come with me?
Gabe: Sure!

At this point we thought we would have Gabe be the stranger so we could show him the "correct" response. It turns out he's a much more convincing stranger than scared child.

Gabe (Stranger): Hey, Dad. Do you want to come play with me? I have candy.
Dad: No! Get away!
Gabe: Are you sure?
Dad: Yes! I don't want to play with you.
Gabe: (A little bit hurt) Are you sure? You don't want to play with me Dad?

TWO

THREE
Gabe: Mom, what's in a volcano?
Mom: Lava
Gabe: No, it's diarrhea. And fire.

Random samping of the last several weeks

2011-05-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

Fire Museum of Texas

2011-05-01T16:37:00.004-04:00

We recently went to the Fire Museum of Texas. What a great place for little kids. They have a cab the kids can climb around, kid-size dress up firemen/women clothes, a kid-size house, and a huge playroom with fire stationy toys and books. The play room is actually called the "dormitory" so it also has two beds sporting sleeping "firemen" which the kids pretty much ignore. Gabe had a blast there with his friends.

This is Gabe's satisfied look.

These kids have grown leaps and bounds in cooperation and sharing this year. This was a rare moment of angst that brought our time in the fire engine cab to an end. Fortunately, they had a great time in the rest of the museum after this.

Easter

2011-04-24T21:02:00.008-04:00

Our Easter weekend included an Easter Egg hunt at the local park. Gabe was very happy with his loot of two eggs.

His age range was Pre-K to 2nd grade and he was a bit overwhelmed
with the other 500 kids also clamoring for eggs.

Josh, on the other hand, didn't have that great of a time.

Today, we had some friends over and had our very own Easter egg hunt, as well as a presentation of Resurrection Eggs.

Here are K and Gabe running around for eggs.

For dinner, we made Easter Pie. One of my sister's best friends grew up making Easter Pie with her family. Every year, the Saturday before Easter, they invited friends to partake of it's goodness. 3 years ago I found that their son had divulged their "secret family recipe" online. It's become our tradition since.

Gabe helped roll out the dough.

Brian layered.

And Josh cheered on the culinary efforts.

More than Easter Pie and Easter Egg hunts, we're grateful for a Savior who lived again so that we may also live. We're grateful that we can become an eternal family through his Sacrifice and Love.

2011-04-23T13:16:00.001-04:00

Play dough and Mr. Potato Head Meet

2011-04-07T21:56:00.003-04:00

Weekend

2011-04-05T14:20:00.005-04:00

We had a really great weekend. Brian had Friday off so we explored a new park in a nearby town and went to the Southeast Texas State Fair. I think we spent our children's inheritance on food, but it was worth the sacrifice because Brian ate a do-nut (how they spelled it on the sign) bacon cheeseburger. We'll tell the kids about that and my funnel cake when they're upset we only saved $30 for their college experiences. Saturday and Sunday our church held it's annual General Conference which was absolutely wonderful. My favorite talk taught me a lot about parenting and confirmed many things that I had been thinking about as a parent.

Josh and Gabe at the SETX State Fair

Josh trying to escape from the stroller

Gabe loved the cotton candy. It was magical the next day as well.

Josh swings!

The boys after two days of General Conference.

Sleepy Boys

2011-03-30T22:11:00.004-04:00

We started the bedtime routine at 6:30 tonight. I left Gabe's room at 9:00 - both boys finally asleep. That's what I get for letting Gabe take an unusually long nap this afternoon.

(Don't worry CPS, I took Josh into his own "crib" right after I took this picture)

When a day ends like this...

2011-03-24T23:17:00.002-04:00

...you know it has been a good one.

Mardis Gras Weekend 2011

2011-03-15T07:16:00.006-04:00

Gabe stayed up in this ladder seat more than 4 hours. Aaron, Daniel, and Vincent took turns joining him.

Lizard costume. I'm not sure how a grasshopper shirt, dinosaur shoes, and pirate pants made a lizard, but Gabe was pretty convinced, thanks to Aunt Megan.

Josh enjoyed the festivities too.

Cousin time.

Josh time.

I love Josh's laugh. You can witness it's glory starting at 1:00 of this video.

Attack

2011-02-26T21:55:00.005-05:00

Exploring

2011-02-26T21:45:00.004-05:00

Sometimes when I'm sweating in January, I dislike Texas weather. Other times, when my boys can be outside exploring in February, I like it.

This shot is included for the hair and face. Brushing teeth sure can be exciting.

Dinosaurs need to eat too...

2011-02-26T00:58:00.006-05:00

Gabe's dinosaurs have become our constant companions. They take baths with the boys, run errands & eat with us, and even cuddle with Gabe throughout the night. It's funny for me to hear a two year old spout out words like Brachiosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegasaurus, etc. like he's talking about the kids next door. The other day, Gabe corrected me that a dinosaur I had referred to as a flyer was in fact a Pteranadon. I guess I should read "The Best Book of Dinosaurs" more often and not settle for the knowledge I learned from watching The Land Before Time. The picture below was taken shortly before all the dinosaurs took a nice swim in milk.

A video for Grandparents

2011-02-17T22:15:00.004-05:00

We knew a family in Michigan with 4 teenagers and 2 younger girls that all loved each other. Not just the deep- down-love but friend-love. They genuinely enjoy spending time with each other. I asked their mother what she did to help encourage that type of family culture. She simply answered, "brain washing".

What?

Yes, brain washing.

We've started and it's working great so far. Phrases like, "Isn't it fun to have a brother?" "You guys are such good friends!" and "You have so much fun playing with Joshua/Gabe, don't you?" are heard in our home many times a day.

And here is a little reward: Gabe and Josh love playing together.

(Maybe it wasn't the brain washing but just their two little spirits, but we're sill grateful.)

2011-02-12T08:05:00.001-05:00

Conversation

2011-02-02T19:13:00.002-05:00

As Gabe and I ate grilled cheese delight tonight for dinner, we had the following conversation:

Gabe: The cheese is going down my esophagus!
Me: Wow! Where is it now?
Gabe: My stomach!
Me: Cool. Now where is it?
Gabe: My intestines.
Me: And now?
Gabe: The stop light!!
Me: ...?

2011-01-31T23:44:00.002-05:00

Monkey in the closet

2011-01-22T23:40:00.007-05:00

When we stayed at my parents over the holidays, Gabe was playing with a closet door in the dark and pinched his fingers. Through his tears he told me that an alligator in the closet had bit him. He was absolutely convinced there was an alligator, even after our fruitless alligator hunt. Today, we found not an alligator, but a monkey in a closet right here at home. A couple hours after we put Gabe down for his nap, we hear some weird scuffling in his closet. We went in to see what was going on, and what did we find, but Gabe hanging from the bar in his closet. He looked so proud as he said, "Mom! I'm a monkey swinging on my tree!"

This is Gabe wearing Brian's polo. He really wanted to wear it for his PJ's one night.

Then there's Joshua. Josh really likes to eat. Here he is chomping on an orange. So far he's eaten just about everything I have given him.

And an upside down cowboy Josh.

Josh Faces

2011-01-12T01:29:00.004-05:00

Sweet

Thoughtful

Shy

Adoring

I'm busy telling jokes

Shocked #1

Shocked #2

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T15:00:00.003-05:00

We've had a lovely New Year. We spent the Eve of the year at church playing in a rock band. Brian played bass and sang lots of songs. I played clarinet and shaker in one song. I'm glad my education is going to good use. Gabe loved seeing his Dad perform, but sadly his attention did not last for the entire hour and a half long set. This morning, we invited some friends over for brunch. Now Brian is at work at the little boys are sleeping.

At the New Year, we're grateful for many, many things - but mostly our boys. We love them to pieces and bits.

Here is Gabe trying to convince me on a cold, rainy day, it would be fun to go outside. He was pressing his face against the screen, hence the dirty noise. (The things that teach you how dirty your house really is...)

Gabe's attempts were successful. I let him go outside for one minute. As you can seen, he didn't have that great of a time. He got cold.

Here, Gabriel is trying to use those persuasive powers to get his brother excited about the medical profession. Maybe the boys can establish a joint practice, although Josh doesn't look too excited about the prospect.

And this smile is just infectious. I can barely stand it when he smiles at me like this - it causes the eating of cheeks. Even Gabe tries to eat Joshua's cheeks off.

Utah highlights

2010-12-30T21:39:00.007-05:00

We had a great time visiting in Utah. Some highlights included...

A visit to Rupert, Idaho to visit my Grandmother - Grandma Aldridge.

Grandma Aldridge's famous trampoline coffee table that she's had since I was a kid.

Introducing Joshua to solid foods. It was a hit. You should have seen him go for that spoon.

Josh being cute.

Traditional homemade pizza for Christmas Eve dinner.

Visiting Temple Square.

We also enjoyed the big Egli family Christmas party at my cousin's gorgeous house in Ogden, a visit with one of Brian's mission companions and wife, a visit with a good friend of mine from Boston, Gabe getting to touch the Logan and SLC temples (he actually licked the SLC temple), and a couple visits with my sister in Salt Lake City. We didn't get to see everyone we would have liked, but hopefully next time.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T17:13:00.008-05:00

Snow for the Texans

2010-12-15T07:55:00.003-05:00

There have been only patches of snow since we've been in Utah, but Gabe has appreciated those small patches for hours on end.

Josh, on the other hand, is a little dismayed by the weather.

Play

2010-12-07T23:22:00.004-05:00

Gabe loves to play with Josh. And Josh usually loves when Gabe plays with him.

One of Gabe's favorite things to do is roll over Josh. I'm pretty sure he doesn't put much of his weight on Josh, because Josh usually laughs when he is rolled over.

Another favorite play is running in circles around Josh. This game actually turns out to be more dangerous than the roll-over game.

The other day a flying foot hit Josh in the face and he was none too happy with his brother.

It seems that hugs made it all better though.

Christmas Card Photos. Or Not.

2010-12-06T21:17:00.004-05:00

...at least the hats are cute (even though Gabe's was on backwards)

Taking it Easy

2010-11-08T23:51:00.004-05:00

We've been taking it easy the last couple of weeks due to lots of rainy and cloudy days. Consequently, Gabe has been using his imagination and creativity more than normal, as evidenced in the picture below of him playing Doctor to Joshua.

Josh is holding is head up more and more these days. He has a very sweet disposition and is typically very happy.

Josh is one of two people Gabe will admit to loving. When anyone besides me tells him they love him, he gets a little nervous and says, "I love MOM" or "I love JOSH". Because of this great love for his brother, Joshua often is recipient to hugs, kisses, wrestling, and being ran around. Literally. One of Gabe's favorite games is to run in a circle around Josh when Josh is on the floor.

Gabe has turned our 1967 headphones into a stethoscope which he uses to asses the condition of the family's hearts. Joshua is good to go according to Dr. Garcia.

And this is the current favorite picture of Joshua.

Elephants

2010-11-04T21:34:00.003-04:00

Sorry no Joshua pictures. He was kidnapped for the evening by our friend, Nikki.

Brothers

2010-10-28T08:23:00.004-04:00

Tickles

2010-10-28T08:18:00.002-04:00

Uncles

2010-10-24T23:13:00.002-04:00

Gabe loves his uncles. He talks about all of them quite frequently. Today he told me he wanted to play with Uncle Lance (and Cole), and he wanted me to say hi to Uncle Steve for him. He loves putting on hats and saying "I'm like Uncle Landrew". And not for any uncles to feel left out - he really does talk about all of you --- frequently.

Every Tuesday and Thursday we get together with 4 other kids Gabe's age and play. The kids call it "Friend's School" because we do singing time, a "lesson", craft, and snack, in addition to playing. Joshua is a big hit with the ladies of the group. They love taking care of him.

And who wouldn't? Look at that face. His cheeks get mauled by everyone in our family (including Gabriel, who loves to give him "lollipops" (raspberries as most people call them).

And here is a picture of Gabriel and his friend, Kiera, chasing each other at the local Botanical Gardens. This is one of Gabe's favorite games and he coaxed Kiera into playing by saying in quite the pathetic voice, "Kiera, chase me. Chase me!" while pulling her out of her mom's lap.

Smiles

2010-10-12T16:16:00.003-04:00

Family Home Evening

2010-10-12T07:42:00.002-04:00

During our Family Home Evening lesson last night, we learned that Heavenly Father created all animals, as well as everyone in our Family. This morning the first words out of Gabe's mouth were...

"Want Heavenly Father to make cats. And cows. Heavenly Father makes lambs. Heavenly Father makes cheese. I want a frog."

I love little minds.

The Two's

2010-10-06T20:18:00.003-04:00

Joshua is now two months old.
He weighed in at 13 lbs 13 oz and 24 inches. That's almost 7 lbs and 5 inches of growth in the last 2 months.

He's a very happy baby. He smiles and laughs pretty much any time anyone says, "hi Josh!".

Gabe is two years old (and some change). The two's are a bipolar experience. Sometimes I wonder what on earth Gabe is thinking. Today, I tried to figure it out. Here are some hypothesis':

"If I put a bell pepper down my shirt - will I still be able to eat it through the shirt? Let's see. Well - no. But I still get that nice crunching in my mouth, so I'll go ahead and chomp on it anyway."

"How far will the milk go if I first stick my head down my shirt and spit it through my shirt?"

"If I take my dirty diaper off during nap time, can I make cool things with the contents on the carpet?"

"I bet if I pour cup-fulls of water onto the bathroom floor it will make a REALLY BIG bathtub to swim in." (I actually remember thinking this myself when I was little. I remember attempting with my friend, Susan. I foiled the plan when I got out of the tub to inform her mother not to worry, we were not overflowing the bathtub. Kids are so much smarter these days.)

"Maybe I'll scare mom if I put this blanket over my head and walk around. OUCH! Darn bookshelf."

After an hour (yes, only an hour) I tired of translating Gabe's actions into words mainly because Josh wailed half the afternoon from a little body full of vaccinations.

While these two's are full of exploratory mischief, they're also littered with moments of sweet tenderness. For example:

Last week Gabe played with some friends of his (and their saintly mother) while I ran an errand. As we drove home, I asked Gabe my normal questions --- "did you have fun?" "what did you do?", etc. When I asked what he did, he responded with, "I missed you."
Today he crawled up on the bed to kiss a sleeping Josh (this is not unusual in and of itself) and he said. "I love Josh." After a moment or two, he looked at me and said, "And I love you, mom".
A few days ago, I wanted to take Gabe and Josh to the store and was feeling frazzled b/c Josh was upset and Gabe and I did not have the same agenda (meaning, he was dawdling and I was in a hurry). I finally picked Gabe up so I could just put him in the car myself, and he looked at me calmly with a hint of confusion and more than a hint of concern and said, "It's all right mom." Then he patted me on the back and said "It's all right" a few more times.
We've been running most mornings for the last week and Josh and Gabe sit side by side in my new running stroller (thank you Hector and Marguerite). One day, Josh was having a hard time with this arrangement, but calmed down pretty quickly. When I glanced down to see why he had calmed down, Gabe had his finger in Josh's mouth and was letting him suck on it (a trick I showed him a few days prior).

At the end of the day, I'd say the sweet moments are worth the exploration-of-boundaries moments.

Lots of love

2010-09-26T21:03:00.006-04:00

We had lots of family in town over the last couple weeks and it's been so fun!

3 Generations --- Grandpa, Daughter/Mom, Boys

LOTS of family came in town for Josh's blessing. What a blessing to have such a strong support network.

The men that participated in the blessing. Again - we're so blessed to have a strong support network.

My wonderful parents drove all the way from Utah for the weekend festivities.

Grandma with the kids.

First drum set.

SMILES!!!

Rock star Josh. He likes to sport the Mohawk look these days.

Parenting

2010-09-22T13:31:00.002-04:00

I am working on a post with pictures. But I've thought a lot about parenting in the last --- well - two years - but a lot more in the recent months. This video really touched me and reminded me the importance of truly BEING with my children. How often do I just get down on the floor with Gabe and play? Or take the time to sit and coo and smile at Joshua? Probably not often enough!!

Cousin Love

2010-09-12T21:52:00.005-04:00

Claire and Gabe, March 2010
1 point for Claire

Gabe and Claire, August 2010
1 point for Gabe

Are Iris and Joshua gearing up for the same rivalry?

Waveland, Mississippi

A typical Sunday evening at hotel Garcia, Metairie, LA

Kids y Abuelos

2010-09-01T15:42:00.002-04:00

We went to Houston this weekend to see Caroline, David, Elijah, Claire, Iris, and the ever-hospitable Schmidt family. Here's a picture of Caroline and I and the kids. Iris and Joshua are 4 days apart. (Yes, Gabe and Claire are also quite close in age - they were born 3 days apart.)

Gabe wants to be like Brian in every way - including how he puts on shoes.

And more pictures of the noise-box sleeping. Doesn't he look calm and serene? You would never guess at the grunts, squeaks, and other indescribable noises he produces while in slumber.

Despair

2010-08-31T13:38:00.004-04:00

Dealing with transition by fighting off sleep like it's the plague has brought Gabe to new sleeping quarters.

For Jennifer

2010-08-24T23:53:00.004-04:00

We've had a request...
Here you are Ms. Chiles!!

Notice the trend of these pictures - a sleeping Joshua and a not sleeping Gabe. That's been the life at our house for the last three weeks!
We took Joshua for his 2 week checkup last week and he's already gained 1 lb 3 oz and grown 2 inches. It's amazing how fast they grow.

It's been so hot here, that whenever it rains without too much thunder, we head outside.

Gabe was mad because he wanted to SEE pictures of himself, not TAKE pictures of himself.

Coordination

Life with the Squeaker

2010-08-12T20:58:00.005-04:00

While Joshua certainly has the lung capacity of his brother, he opts for squeaking, snorting and sighing for communication purposes. It's quite charming.

He likes to sleep with arms above his head

A rare moment awake (or at least half awake)

Gabe excited about holding "baby brother"

More sleeping

And what has Gabe been up to since Joshua has been born?
Below you'll find him in his lawn mowing get-up. (Brian mows the lawn with a similar ventilation/cooling system.)

He's taken over Josh's robe/towel thing. This is what he wore during a trip to Joanne's yesterday.

Making monster cookies with Grandma

Painting with Grandma

Joshua Wales Everette Garcia

2010-08-07T14:34:00.006-04:00

Contrary to popular belief (and a little unclear mass communication), our newest son's name is not Joshua Wales Maximillian Vidal Garcia. Five names is a little excessive. Four is much more prudent. So we went with Joshua Wales Everette Garcia. Joshua after the Old Testament Prophet. Wales and Everette after my very inspiring grandfather, Wales Everette Aldridge, whose birthday he now shares with Joshua.

Mr. J was born on August 4, 2010 at 2:45 PM at 7 lbs 1 oz and 19 inches. So far all he does is sleep.

My mom arrived August 3rd to help before the baby was born. We were quite productive that night organizing our house. And then Joshua decided he wanted to come join the party a little earlier than expected. I went into labor 7 hours after my mom got to our house. Here she is with he newest arrival.

Checking into the hospital. Despite having "pre-registered" we still had about twenty minutes of paper work to fill out when we got there.

Brian while I was in labor...

And here is the man of the hour. This picture is a bit deceptive. He's not really chubby at all.

The old man picture.

I brought a majority of our baby shoes to goodwill last week thinking that all of our children would have square, flat, thick feet, much like Gabe's. Joshua has tree fingers and toes and long, skinny feet with arches.

Gabe visiting at the hospital. Doesn't he look ecstatic? He actually is doing quite well with the changes and likes to tickle Joshua. He also thinks Joshua is silly because he tries to eat his blanket.

Brian and Joshua shortly after birth.

Mom and Joshua shortly after birth.

All is well that Ends Well

2010-07-21T21:33:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, Gabe and I walked to the park as a respite from the packing/unpacking that has consumed our lives for the last two weeks. At one point Gabe was climbing up a slide (with an incline of about 2% - it's the toddler slide) and fell, hitting his chin. He cried like crazy for about 30 seconds, but after rinsing his mouth out with water and getting a good look I decided he had merely bit his tongue on both sides and all would be well. He calmed down and insisted on playing more, so off he went. He was a bit cranky on our walk home, which I blamed on the fact that he's used to riding in the car to get anywhere, not walking in the stroller. But after a very short nap and noticing that his tooth was looking a bit funny, I decided to take a better look in his mouth. That's when I realized the park incident caused more injuries than a hurt tongue - he broke his tooth! The crack only manifested itself in the back, with the front face holding the tooth together. I called the pediatric dentist about one minute after they closed and left a message. But we became very good friends with the whole office this afternoon after spending the majority of our day there. Gabe now has one less tooth. Until he's 5 or 6 anyway.

So, Uncle Andrew, next time you ask for that big smile, this is what you'll see...

(minus the drug-induced hangover look)

Leg pits and more

2010-07-13T19:11:00.005-04:00

Gabe thinks out loud much of the day and will announce what he's just about to do. This proves quite useful when he plans on hitting someone or getting into some other sort of mischief. During his bath, he'll announce what body part he's about to wash. Tonight he said "leg pit" and I looked over to see what he meant - and there he was washing behind his knees.

And some random pictures from the last few weeks...

Gabe loves when we let him "go on" the website: www.starfall.com. He loves his dad way more though.

He's also taken to helping me bake.

We've taken a couple of trips to NOLA and he's had a ton of fun with cousins, aunts, uncles, GG, and Pops. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at taking the camera out when we're there so we don't have a ton of pictures.

This is Gabe's cousin, Claire. She thought it was really funny I put her bow on her tongue. Sorry Caroline.

Itchy Face

2010-06-30T21:06:00.002-04:00

Itchy face + finger painting =

Gabe had just gotten a taste of the paint right before I asked him to smile for this picture. You can see the look of disgust in his eyes, yet he still gave me the "big smile" I asked for. After each picture I took, Gabe ran to me to see the picture. His response each time to the picture: "yucky face".

But he sure got a kick out of it in the mirror.

Excavators, Sibling Class and New Orleans

2010-06-14T12:53:00.004-04:00

A new type of utensil...

The sibling class we went to was interesting. Gabe was the youngest there by a couple of years. There were some sweet moments.

And some moments that if they happen in real life may land us on the news.

The shirt Gabe (and Brian) made for Kid B.

Gabe graduated with honors.

We also went to NOLA this weekend for the wedding of some close family friends. The picture below is of our family outside the LDS Baton Rouge Temple, where they were married. (There's your belly shot, Heath!)

GG and Gabe dancing at the reception.

We had a great time in NOLA with lots of family time. Unfortunately, we had such a good time, we didn't get the camera out too much.

Water

2010-06-09T22:37:00.001-04:00

New Orleans Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T14:53:00.008-04:00

For Memorial Day Weekend, we decided to be tourists in New Orleans, as there are a few things I've never done that I wanted to see/do. Our wonderful friends from MI, Brynt and Sarah Ellis came down to join in on the New Orleans fun. Gabe LOVED them and was so sad when we dropped them off at the airport. (We were sad to see them leave too.)

We did lots while we there - I won't bore everyone with the pictures - but the Street Car, French Quarter, French Market, Beignets, Sno-Balls (Sal's and Hansen's), the Aquarium, Oak Alley, Central Market, the Ferry, and a birthday party for Gabe all made it on the agenda. Below are a few pictures of the fun times on the street car. This obviously was a highlight for Gabe.

Gabe's party included lots of water fun for the kids. Some of the diapers did better than others. I guess there's a reason they make swim diapers.

Gabe wasn't interested in the slice of cake right in front of him, but he sure enjoyed digging into the cake itself.

And what would a party be without presents - and cousins to help open them?

Gabe turns two!

2010-05-23T14:39:00.007-04:00

We had a little party for Gabe because he's made it quite successfully through the first two years of life. We are grateful for the little ray of sunshine in our family!

A few of Gabe's favorite things

2010-05-11T14:15:00.004-04:00

Avery.
(Gabe gets to hug his friends after he's hit them, taken a toy without asking, etc. Here are he and Avery after one of said spats. They like hugging. Come to think of it, making him hug his friends his probably positive reinforcement for behavior...)

Building "castles" with Dad.

His Big Boy Bed. From day one of setting this up, Gabe has slept in it without any issues at all. He loves it and is quite proud of himself for his new resting place.

Reading in the reading corner.
This picture was taken right after a bath. He got out of the bath and before I could even dry him off, he b-lined it for his books and read in the buff for a good 20 minutes.

He doesn't like the flat sheet on his twin bed, because evidently it's a fort and forts do not belong on beds. So now his reading corner is a fort.

Playing with his trains (thanks David and Caroline).

And he still loves playing the organ (and the piano, his dad's guitars, and recorder).

Riding the donkey, aka dad.

Gabe has also developed powers. What those powers are exactly, or where they came from, I'm not quite sure, but he likes to talk about them. He throws one arm up in the air and says, "I've got POWERS!" If we ask him where his powers are, he just puts his arm up in the air and yells, "POWERS!"

H! 9! 10!

2010-05-06T23:06:00.003-04:00

As Gabe read letters from his cup today, he paused after he said "H", clearly thinking about what he had just said. Then his eyes lit up and he said "H, 9, 10!" I guess it can get confusing.

The Gusher

2010-05-02T08:24:00.006-04:00

Saturday was a big day. Brian ran in "The Gusher", Beaumont's first marathon ever! He ran with some friends...

While they ran, I hung out with these three delightful children. Gabe, Avery and I went to meet the runners at the finish line. Due to some technical difficulties, we got there just minutes after they finished.

After the marathon, we went to Hamburger Depot where Brian and Ezra each chowed down 1.5 lbs of meat. Plus the bun and toppings.

That afternoon after Gabe's non-nap, we ventured out to the Beaumont Mediterranean Festival. Gabe got to ride in a barrel train and watch some Greek dancing.

Someone was quite tuckered out by the end of the day.

Sugar

2010-04-22T14:33:00.002-04:00

If Gabe hurts himself during the day and I'm not giving him the attention he thinks his injury deserves, he'll often call out for his dad in quite pathetic tones. Today in the car he "hurt" is finger. I tried rubbing it, talking him through it, but it was NOT satisfactory. So he started saying, "Sugar. Sugar. Sugar!" in the same tone he typically calls out for Dad. I had called Brian "sugar" this morning as he left for work. Looks like I'll have to start calling Brian "Dad" when Gabe's around.

Spring.

2010-04-20T22:54:00.003-04:00

Spring is here in all it's glory. Texas spring brings with it hats, sunglasses, lawn chairs, swimming, splash pads, parks, and forts on rainy days.

More Utah

2010-04-09T22:48:00.002-04:00

we took Gabe to feed the ducks yesterday. He was quite concerned at first.

Grandparents

This truck is a favorite among the boys in the family

Bubbles with Aunt Tiff

Play

2010-04-07T21:47:00.003-04:00

Proof that anything with letters will entertain ths boy

Gabe loves the huge top at my parents house
Getting used to his mom holding a baby
Bowling with Cole

Gabe absolutely loved bowling. Mostly he loved the shoes. He was quite sad to leave them behind.

Easter

2010-04-05T20:20:00.003-04:00

Gabe and I spent Easter with my family in Utah (sadly Brian couldn't make it). We made Easter Pie for our dinner. Everyone helped, and Gabe's contribution was eating flour out of a bowl.

Little Molly - the newest one in the family.

Gabe with cousin Cole. Cole is very patient with Gabe and likes to help him remember all the rules.

Gabe and Cole played outside with Grandpa for over two hours today.

And no day wit Grandma would be complete without some learning time.

Thirty

2010-03-25T17:30:00.002-04:00

Brian turns thirty today. Happy Birthday, Brian!!

Cheeseballs and Milk

2010-03-24T00:00:00.005-04:00

Ucht Cheeseballs might be the devil's food. They have absolutely no redeeming nutritional quality, but they are amazingly addictive. We bought them for Brian's upcoming 30th birthday celebration. Gabe eyed them before I hid them in a too-high-to-be-convenient cupboard and made up his mind this would be his morning snack. I made the mistake of serving them in his cereal bowl. Naturally they needed milk. He wouldn't eat them until I figured out this is what he wanted and provided.

Layer one: orange shirt, khaki pants
Layer two: another orange shirt, pajama pants
Layer three: big boy undies.

(throwing a balloon)

This is another outfit of layers he insisted on. I hope the layer-phase fades as the warmer weather sets in. As I type this, he's tucked away in bed wearing two pairs of pajama pants. Luckily his room has no insulation, so he won't get too hot.

Did we mention?

2010-03-19T18:07:00.002-04:00

I don't know that we've mentioned that we're expecting a new addition to the family at the beginning of August. We found out today that we'll be having another BOY. We're very excited to have two little boys running around the house!

Those rude shoes

2010-03-11T20:27:00.002-05:00

Gabe has recently learned the phrase "how rude". Today when he was trying on five thousand pairs of shoes for the umpteenth time (a WONDERFUL hand-me-down package arrived in the mail yesterday), he had trouble getting one on. So he declared, "how rude" to the shoe and moved on the the next pair.

A Picture Says

2010-03-09T16:44:00.005-05:00

Houston Zoo

2010-03-09T16:38:00.003-05:00

We ventured to the Houston Zoo again last weekend. They have some great kid-friendly features like an aquarium with a tunnel through the bottom.

Helping unload the dishwasher

2010-03-09T16:26:00.005-05:00

Gabe takes his job of helping me unload the dishwasher very literally.

Just call him Amelia Bedelia.

Dynamics

2010-02-24T23:18:00.004-05:00

I've been trying to teach Gabe the difference between loud and soft so when I ask him to use his "soft voice" he knows what I'm talking about. What this has resulted in so far is him periodically shouting "LOUSSSSE" (loud) or "SSSSOOOFT" as I'm singing or talking. I'm expected to promptly change my dynamic as he shouts these directions.

Here's Gabe basking in the sun, reading. (Just like his mom.)

Someone discovered the Strawberry Fanta.

Gabe's often found like this playing with his cars.

I knew it was a little too quiet as I sorted the laundry.

Nap time didn't go so well today.

An outdoors boy in an indoor sort of way

2010-02-15T21:43:00.003-05:00

A Random Update

2010-02-12T14:47:00.002-05:00

While my parents were in town, we took Gabe to the Firehouse Museum in downtown Beaumont. Gabe had a good time "driving" one of the trucks.

Grandma bought Gabe some painting supplies! Thanks to Tamara, a good friend in Michigan, he already had a smock. And thanks to a little dumpster diving with GiGi, we had an easel. The boy's all set for any artistic endeavor he may have has a toddler.

Happy about the Superbowl results.

The outfit Gabe picked out all by himself the other day. Pretty impressive if you as me.

Grandparent Time

2010-02-03T09:09:00.003-05:00

Sewing with Grandma

Hiking with Grandpa

Painting Parrot

2010-01-19T21:49:00.005-05:00

Brian's out of town for the week - so this picture is for him. My apologies to everyone else.
Gabe has become a bit of a parrot. He picks out the easiest or most dominant word in anything I say and repeats it back to me as a question. It's quite cute, especially when it's a word or phrase like "I love you" (which is more like aaathooo). Still cute.

We had painting time today.

Painting time quickly turned into make-up artist time. He even used the mirror on his new toy from Aunt Tiff to be extra meticulous. I had to stop him when he started trying to paint the inside of his ear. He actually got a lot painted before intervened.

Like much of the country, we had a cold spell here in TX. It got down to the 20's!! That's said with a little bit of sarcasm - but I won't pretend I didn't feel terribly cold in our uninsulated, raised house. Gabe must have too, because one day when we were headed out he insisted on sporting the fashions of not one, not two, but three jackets.

Not about Christmas

2010-01-06T22:03:00.004-05:00

I love Christmas. But, I guess I'm not very sentimental - or I just can't keep track of anything when we go to NOLA, including my camera. I don't really have any pictures of Christmas or New Years, although we had a wonderful time.

Elijah and Gabe started this game all on their own. Elijah was great with Gabe.

For some reason, Gabe thinks it's fun to rub food in his hair. This was banana pudding right before we headed out for Christmas vacation.

It makes great hair gel.

Gabe is going through a phase where he likes putting socks on his hands. He'll walk around for quite some time, doing the best he can with sock hands.

Hair Cuts: Before and After

2009-12-20T16:27:00.005-05:00

2009-12-15T22:29:00.003-05:00

Gabe's new favorite place is the bathroom cupboard. He backs into it, stands up, then shuts the door, is quiet for a moment or two, opens the door, then shut sthe door, and the pattern continues for a very long time.

I thought about practicing opening presents with Gabe, but had not gotten to it just yet. It turns out there is no need- it's innate for him. I found Gabe this morning under the tree, admiring one of the gifts for his Great Grandmother, wrapping paper aside.

We received Grandma Egli's Christmas package today, with her famous Peanut Brittle, yummy cookies, and beautifully wrapped presents. Gabe enjoyed the box. He climbed in with his fire truck blanket and "read" Silent Night. I guess he was in the Christmas mood.

Painting

2009-12-05T08:02:00.006-05:00

With cold and wet/snowy weather yesterday, we had to be creative with our afternoon indoors. Painting windows was the activity of choice. Here's Gabe in action.

I've never actually asked Gabe to smile at the camera before, but I thought I would give it a try. This is the result. For those of you who are familiar with my camera smile, this may look familiar.

Upon repeated requests, his smile turned into this...
I think his goal was to let people see every last tooth in his mouth.

After awhile, Gabe wasn't too excited about the paint on his hands. He kept trying to shake it off.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T17:02:00.003-05:00

The other day when I got Gabe up from his afternoon nap, he promptly fell back asleep on the couch and slept for another hour.

We spent Thanksgiving in New Orleans this year, so Gabe got to see his friend, Aaron. They get along really well - I don't think there was one squabble between them the whole weekend, mostly because Aaron's a quite the peacemaker. Here they are the New Orleans Children's Museum.

And here they are looking at Starfall.com

Gabe has an adorable new cousin, Vincent, who he loved to kiss.

Helping with the banana pudding.

At City Park Amusement Park. This was Gabe's favorite ride (with Aunt Scharlotte, Uncle Jeremy, and cousin Katie)

And here's a video of Gabe on his favorite toy at Pop's and GG's. As you can tell, he loves it. He's from Texas. What can we say?