Some of the most amazing moments of being your Dad (and your Mom) come from witnessing or being part of the things you do. But, some of more ephemeral moments that shed an even brighter light on who you are and what were like way back when and what was on your mind comes from what you say. I started keeping track of some of your more memorable, funny, heartfelt, sweet lines in 2015. Wish I'd done so earlier, but those memories from 2010-2015 (2012-2015 in your case Julia) are not lost: they are part of the fabric of our lives and our hearts. You are amazing children. Interesting, sweet, special, funny, silly, emotional, honest, mischievous, and you are your own people. ...and you say the darndest things:
Aidan: 2015
Julia: 2015
I love you daddy...you keep me warm Aidan 4-19-15
Caught aidan singing our lullaby to his bugs
Daddy...can you stop that? My hair is dying. Julia 4/15
J: let's kiss together A: let's hug instead
Ooh cool bus! When I get older I will get in a bus and drive to the museum when I get older. Julia 5/15
I like you daddy. I very very very like you. I will never drop you again in the monster's mouth. - aidan 6/9/2015 Oh preston! I missed you! I went to sleep without you... You are so cute. - julia 6/16/2015
Preston's getting a hair cut? Oh good! He will be so cute like Toby! And julia will be so happy! Aidan 6-19
Oh no...my penis has to go! Aidan 6-19 Daddy, I so much love you! Aidan 7-2-2015
It's fun seeing the fireworks! I like the golden ones! They are all tinker bell! -julia 7-4-2015
He wasn't this disgusting when I married him. He was on best behavior. - mom 7/8/2015 Daddy I love tomatoes! (While picking and eating handfuls of cherry tomatoes) - julia 7/13 I love smashios! - julia summer 2015 Mommy you are the best- julia 8/1
My julia is so silly. She makes me laugh! - aidan 8/1/2015
Nationwide is on your side - julia 7/2015 Sometimes we go to target and my mommy says 'that's too much' -Julia 'The music was terrific and the elephants were woken up and I don't want you to wake them up because they were sleeping' - aidan re circus 7/15
I'm napping so I can dream of the beach ! Aidan 8/15
It was fun seeing the circus daddy. I like the flying horse got a lady on it! Julia 8/15
Was it a big ant or a small ant? Oh don't worry daddy... It just want to play on your foot and nibble on it. Julia 8/15
I love you daddy.. You are the maker. I love my mamma she is the maker. She makes cookies and lollipops and Star Wars gummies! Aidan 8/15 Sekinas... J&A at the beach 8/15 Dad, we'll never lose each other! Aidan 8/15 Daddy you stay there I'll go by myself. Julia 8/15 Aunt Bekka is a nice girl... She always paints my toes. Julia 8/15
Daddy - you can't be a robot! That's for kids! Julia 8/15
Caught aidan singing the pirate dinosaur song to himself. 8/15
I picked out the Minnie Mouse pajamas with mustaches.....<later> oh... Maybe they're bats or waves. Maybe they're waves... I was silly when I said they were mustaches! Julia 8/15
Nationwide is on your side! Julia 8/15
Nipples aren't private parts, daddy. This is right here... The penis... That's privates. But not these guys.Aidan 8/15
My name is aidan powerful weinstein. Aidan 8/15 I want to ride on your neck so I can work you like a robot. Aidan 8/15 The sun turned the lights on in my room! Julia 8/15 When these dogs die, we'll get new ones! Julia 9/15 What's that brown thing? Aidan 9/15 Daddy you gots a big one. Julia 9/15 Dad, I like you so much...you earned a hug! Aidan 9/15 I'm gonna tell a little bit story.... Aidan 9/15
I will be mother and you be rapunzel. Rapunzel, do you want to go see the floating lights on your birthday? I will never slice your friend away and I will never trap you again. I love you. And don't forget... Mother knows best! Aidan 9/15
So... Mom... How was your first day at school? Julia 9/15 This morning I was nervous because I did the puzzle all by myself, but then mom helped me and I did the puzzle by myself. The pirate one, not the animal one. And I did it all by myself! Julia 9/15
Patience, bro. Aidan 9/15
Let nature be. Aidan 9/15 I want a lesson on this. Aidan 9/15 It's fun to be dirty - aidan 9/15
I didn't do it... The force did it! Aidan 9/15
Well...sing me happy birthday and bring me cupcakes and balloons! Julia 10/15 It's all in your head. You think in your head and listen in your head! APW 10/15 Mama, Yesterday you told me that I'm a puzzle master! Julia 10:15 Daddy when you come back I will give you 3 kisses and 10 hugs and 10 hugs from mama! Aidan 10/15 my dad, you are the best... You keep us safe from ghostes and zombies. Aidan 10/15 We had pizza yesterday. I'm not hungry anymore, I'm only hungry for....candy! Aidan 10/31/15 Rain gives us food and candy. Aidan 10/31
We don't want pomegranate. We. Want. Candy. Julia 11/15
We saw a doggy In a car and he was dancing his tail! Julia 11/15 Hey zombie please don't kill my brother... He's my brother! Julia 11/15 Mama... You are beautiful just like Emerson... Aidan 11/15
Daddy don't go to work about it's raining...okay...but don't go fast. Julia 11/15
I wished on a star that u would ride a dinosaur with Brady!...and Julia! Aidan 11/15 I kissed Jacqueline... I'm not gonna kiss anyone ever again... Except you and mommy and Julia and myself... Aidan 11/15 Dad... Don't call me 'J' any more... Call me 'Elsa'... Julia 11/15 Daddy I will never die...and I'll be a daddy just like you! Aidan 11/15
I kept mommy safe. From monsters and zombies and wolves and spiders. And I karate chopped them and they cried. Aidan 12/15
I dreamed about Elsa gots a pretty dress....and bacon. Julia 12/4/15 I love Carolyn! And I kiss Jacqueline every day! Aidan 12/15
Daddy will you clean that up for me? I'm a princess and princesses don't clean up messes. Julia 12/15
Daddy... I'm a princess and I cleaned up all the mess! Julia 12/15 I'm going to dream of mermaids and stars and butterflies. Julia 12/15 I will dream of mommy. Aidan 12/15 This is my sparkly black coin purse. It matches your hair and your beard! Julia 12/15 Daddy you get only eleven kisses. Aidan 12/15 I'm going to be a brave girl and talk to Santa and he's going to say 'nice outfit!' Julia 12/15
Dad...do I know the Force? Aidan 12/27/15
(End of Star Wars: force awakens) AGW: who do you think is at the top of the stairs? APW: um... Let's wait and see!
It's hard to keep up with every advance you make, as you have grown and learned so rapidly that we hardly have time to adjust.
You are talking in full sentences and baby paragraphs routinely. "Daddy, I shut it. Please open it!" or "Aidan, no touch my tushy!"
You are mostly potty trained. When you need to go, you enter the bathroom, undress, and get business done. Including wiping. Sometimes, though, when you need to go but don't want to go, you can be quite stubborn about the whole thing, which occassionally causes some inopportune moments. You still sleep in a pull-up (only the "Mermaid" and "Doffin Stuffin" ones...NOT- god forbid- the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (Minnie Mouse) ones."
You are funny, and love to play jokes, retell funny stories ("Aidan says blerg blergh blergh), and surprise people. You also learned that "poopoo" is funny (thanks to your brother, and your extended family for laughing that one time).
You also love to say "uh-oh daisy" in case of accidents.
You are smart and determined: you know your ABCs, you know to use the potty, you dress yourself most of the time, and try to undress yourself at night. You know "twinkle twinkle," know that you live in "Dallas." You know that Aidan is your brother. You call your Mom and me by first name sometimes...although maybe that should be under "funny," since you know you're being cute when you do it1 And are a quick study when learning new words. You also love to read to yourself, even if you don't know all the words.
You are strong: doing forward rolls in the back yard, and impressing everyone at the little gym with your hanging skills, jumping skills, and rolling.
You can tussle with the big boys and take them down a peg if needed. It seems just like yesterday you were learning to Jump and not getting off the ground...and now, a few months later, you're practically a frog or rabbit!
You are sweet: you have no problem displaying affection. You love kisses, and tickles, and hugs. You tell me, Aidan, and Mommy "I love you SO MUCH" (which never gets old). You say bye bye to inanimate objects "Bye bye TV!" And you LOVE animals, especially your dogs and other people's cats. Just yesterday you walked past Preston and told me "That's my boy! That's my boy Preston!" You, of course, had to stop and give hugs.
You love your brother like no other.
You LOVE dairy foods: yogurt, cottage cheese, chocolate milk, shredded cheddar, shredded parm, shredded mozzarella, and "pirates booty booty." Sometime you'll tolerate meat or vegetables.
You LOVE Frozen, and sing "Let it GO Let it GO Let it GO" around the house, in the car, or wherever. You also LOVE Aladdin. The other day you were saying something repeatedly and we had no clue what it was "Hoenewwhoa Hoenewwhoa!" I asked you what it was. You said "Yaddin Song!" You were singing "A Whole new World!!!" You also love "Wreck it Ralph." And Nemo. God, do you love Nemo.
Your favorite animals are Horses, Zebras, and Giraffes. We "play horsey, daddy! get up horsey!" nearly every day.
You are weigh 26 pounds and are 32 inches tall, and you're in perfect health.
You've grown from this:
To this:
To this!
And we have loved every moment of trying to keep up with you. Happy Second birthday, dear, sweet, strong, silly, stubborn, super, Julia Sekina!
Julia, I can't believe you are only 11 months old. It seems like you've been part of this family forever. You are an integral member of this family and none of us would be the same with out you. I can't believe it hasn't even been a year yet since you made your entrance to this world. You've already done so much, changed so many lives, grown so much physically and and emotionally. And yet, I can blink and still remember the day you arrived and how the world seemed to come to a pause while we cradled your tiny little self and marveled at your long little toes.
No matter how I frame it in my mind, you have already left an indelible mark on this family. And I'm so excited to see how you will grow from here!
You are now 11 month old. You're tussling and playing with the biggest boy you know (and holding your own).
You don't take your newfound steps lightly.
You walk here:
You walk there:
You walk everywhere!
And you're getting very good too...and quite confident!
But walking isn't your only 'trick.'
You have a great sense of humor: playing games with us (like the eyebrow game), imitating us chewing, pretending to put something in your mouth, playing with the dogs and tickling your brother.
You also have improved your kissing skills. Most of the times now when we ask for kisses, we get one of these beauties:
You are rapidly trying and learning new words to say too. You know "mine" (thanks Aidan) and will 'run away' with a toy saying "mine" when you're brother's in pursuit. You take a little toy car and run it over your head saying "zzzzzooooooooo."
You even have been working on your animal sounds, and surprised us out of the blue when we were reading "Dear Zoo." The lion appeared and you "roared!" You know that snakes "sssssss", dogs "woo woo woo", and monkeys go "ooh ah."
You even have picked up the words to a great song.
You remain one of the happiest little girls I've ever met. But you are so much more too! You are get sad or lonely or upset. You're pensive and thoughtful and smart.
You are Julia...you are OUR Julia and we love you to a million pieces. Whether I believe it or not that you're 11 months old, I am always in disbelief how awesome you are, and how beautifully you are growing up.
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