toddle, toddle!

Jack's really starting to motorvate around! He's been taking up to 4 or 5 steps if, say, i'm wearing a really silly, fascinating hat. But then he'll drop to the floor & crawl the rest of the way. Now he'll cross 5 or 10 feet w/o falling, and last night I even saw him start out crawling, then decide to get up & walk the rest of the way!

goober kisses

jack's all about big, wide, open mouth kisses these days! and shaking his head wildly back & forth for very vehement "no's"! dunno why! (my guess is that he likes that dizzy, brain-sloshing-around feeling).

he'll routinely stand up in the middle of the floor w/nothing around him, and sometimes even lift heavy things and maintain his balance for LONG times, but still he gets nervous and plops down as soon as he tries to take a step!

chunky jesus

last weekend we visited grammy & granddad in PA. We went to dinner tonight & were discussing options. Very quietly, mom & scott mentioned "Chucky Cheese's". Within seconds, from the backseat, Erin piped up - "I think we should go to Chunky Jesus's for dinner"! we cracked up at the little pitcher w/the big ears, and decided to go there. she & daddy had a blast!

too much tv

erin knows all about what "oxiclean" is - ask her, and she'll tell you - "get's tough stains out"!

also, we were in a store the other day, and I don't believe I ever used the name of the store, when she, out of the blue, said "i know where we are, kmart smart"

whippersnapper watches WAY too much tv!

chef erin

last night erin went to the refrigerator, opened the door, got out an apple and a sprig of celery leaf. then she got a cutting board and her plastic knife & tried for a while, before asking me to cut it into thirds, cross-ways. I tuned out for a while, but later she called me into the living room where she had assembled salads for jack, scott, she, & i. she tore up the celery leaf, and with her plastic toy knife, she cut the apples up into bite-size chunks. Then she put them all on a tray (cutting board), and carried them to the living room for us, setting the table. she really can be so sweet!

oh, and jack's teeth are being put to use - on us! he bit debbie yesterday, and has sunk his chompers into my arm & leg a few times....

"Wise"

Last night I was reading Erin the story of Adam & Eve. The snake was trying to get Eve to eat the apple, and said "don't you want to be wise?" I asked Erin "do you know what "wise" means"? She said "Yes, it means to be naked!"

close.....

; )

birthday weekend 1

few quick notes....

erin had a blast at the party, i guess! she refused to eat lunch before we went, so when we got there, she just wanted to eat snacks. which i think was a coverup for her being nervous, remembering that this is where she hurt her tooth a few months ago! it took some doing, but by the end of the party, she was going down the big slide again. the funniest 2 moments were when she realized that everyone was going to be looking at her and singing "happy birthday" and she suddenly turned shy and refused to enter the room, and when she & Evie were playing air hockey, and seemed to think the point of the game was to hit the puck into their own goal....just cute!

wish me luck - i think jack's spoil-threshold is ridiculously low right now, for whatever reason. the last 2 nights he's woken up & violently SCREAMED, wanting me to hold him while he slept. saturday night it was 2 hrs of him screaming, me letting him cry for a while, me picking him up, him sleeping, me putting him down, him screaming, etc. in the end, we put him & the pack n play in the master closet....people seem to think that wasn't very nice of us! last night it was a much shorter ordeal, only 30-45 minutes or so, most of which we were busy with erin during, so it didn't seem that bad. erin's cough that she's had for ~3 weeks got much worse yesterday (though it seems improved today), and 3 times yesterday she got herself so worked up w/a coughing fit that she puked. one of those times was at 11:30 at night, probably woken up by jack's screaming fit, so scott was changing her sheets while i was consoling her, and jack was screaming out his frustrations. the coughing fits are weird. i truly believe that 10% of it is actual needing to cough, and 90% of it is getting herself in a tizzy, making it worse. She & jack both have a checkup friday - based on today, i think we'll make it till then w/no trouble!

tooth 2

ps - ~Sept 11, Jack's 2nd tooth broke through! (HIS bottom left front)

M&M - redemption

Ok, to Jack's credit, the next day I tried a few more solids, and realized that he didn't actually know how to swallow them properly, and he'd gag when the solids would get to the back of his throat. By the end of that 2nd meal, he'd gotten it down pat!

M&M's

One of my favorite stories from early in my relationship with scott is about the Dilbert candy dispenser in my office at work. I'd keep it stocked w/M&M's, and Scott would come by and grab a few. One day he ate some and started retching and gagging - "THESE M&M'S ARE ROTTEN!!! GROSS!!!!". Who ever heard of chocolate going bad? I'd put in some Reese's Pieces!!!

So, fast forward a few years to Scott's clone, Jack. Time has flown, and I can't believe that he's 8 months old and still not really eating solids! So, I made rice for dinner one night 2 weeks ago. I decided to mix some of that in w/Jack's pureed carrot babyfood, to get him started with solids.

EVERY time Jack starts eating, he makes the MOST AWFUL faces. This time was no exception. He took 3 or 4 bites, screwed up his face like he was eating lemons, and half of the carrots squished out of his mouth. Then, i tried another bite, only this time, he projectile vomited all over everything. Stupidly, I tried another bite, and ditto - more projectile vomit! It's as if he was JUST like his daddy, and saying "EWWW!!! GROSS!!!! THESE CARROTS HAVE MAGGOTS IN THEM!!!!!! THIS IS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING!!!!!!!!!"

To test the theory, I gave him applesauce. He gobbled the entire container down, no vomit involved!

Playground Bully

Poor kids. Apparently yesterday jack was obsessed w/Ryan's ears, kept pulling on them. Today was Cooper's turn - his long hair was too fascinating to ignore - so much so, that Debbie had to keep Cooper in a swing, etc., so Jack wouldn't mess with him! Fortunately, he's still cute enough to get away with his tyrannical behavior! : )

Jack Stories!

The other night, jack was hanging out in the bathroom while i got ready for bed. He made a stinker, and I made a big silly "oh!" sound, and he cracked up so hard he toppled over backward! what's not to love about the baby stage!

hi!

this morning i went into jack's room, and he popped up in his crib. I said to him "Hi Baby! Good Morning!" and he immediately lifted up his hand and started to wave at me!

seriously, wish i could freeze he & erin both right now, forever!

whew...

Erin had her first kiss! I took her to preschool today and her teacher, Courtney told me that last week Anthony kissed her cheek! She touched it and got this really weird look on her face, and that's about it! wait till daddy gets his hands on this kid "anthony"......!

while waiting for erin to eat, i watched Jack & Ryan play together. so sweet! Ryan picked up the football, threw it, chased it, repeat - about 10 times! and in general, anything ryan had, jack wanted....so at least it's not just erin that he does that with!

???

Quote from Erin tonight - mama, how did Jack get out of your belly?

AND! Jack's first tooth broke through yesterday! (HIS bottom right front)

cute stuff....

wow. been a while. sorry 'bout that kiddos!

erin's started preschool again - she's a "teddy bear friend" this year - woo hoo! A few notable things in her world lately are that she?s FREQUENTLY stopping and asking ?So. How was YOUR day today?? to whoever happens to be around! Also, last Thursday, August 27 the pool was officially completed! Since then, she?s been in it every day (except for Saturday when we visited Grammy & Granddad in PA). She?s turned into a MAJOR little fish, jumping in off the sides, swimming underwater, doing somersaults, etc. Only 1 sour note ? yesterday she knelt down to touch the pool water, and toppled right in! Fortunately it was in the shallow end & we were right there to snatch her back out, but yipes! She was VERY unhappy, but at least safe!

Jack remains adorable and cuddly as always! The other day he was holding himself up to walk along the bay window in the dining room, and got to the end, and wanted to continue on to the nearby chair and walk around that. He fussed & fussed, wanting to do it, but afraid to! With some encouragement, he made it ? walking?s not too far away! He?s also been letting go and standing there for a few seconds at a time, before plopping on the ground. Also, he?ll climb to the 2nd step before getting nervous and looking around, which makes him fall! He?s also learning to clap and point, and make slerber/motorboat sounds all the time ? very cute!

freak mama out

Debbie's on vacation this week, so Mike & Marlene are here watching the kids while we're at work. After a fun day playing with them, I was trying to get Erin into the bathtub. She was stalling, HARD, and I was getting frustrated. I was in the bathroom filling up the tub, and she went up to Marlene and asked her if they could start a movie. Marlene said "no, honey, i don't think so". Erin said, "Let's freak mama out, let's watch a movie".

Just when I think it's that she's just 3, and that's what 3 year olds do, I find out that it IS malicious, and targeted directly at ME!

: )

prayers

tonight erin said "thank you God for..." and started listing off bunches of ocean creatures. But in the middle, she cut herself off, looked at me, and whispered, "but, i don't like sharks"...

baby baby

one thing i love about jack - how his little legs are so short, but his thighs are so wide, that if he lays on his side, his knees won't go together! not by a LONG shot!

swimmer

a few weeks ago, i met kayti one night w/erin & jack, and we went swimming. erin loved splashing around, getting her face wet, etc., and could swim really well holding onto a ring. However, last week in KY, they said she can swim underwater. I didn't believe marlene, but Monday we went to the pool, and it's true! she can't actually swim ABOVE water at all, but she definitely can hold her head under the water and kick around to get places! wow! REALLY weird how she picked it up literally all at once - one day she couldn't swim, the next day she could!

my what big teeth you have!

Erin spent all of last week in KY w/Mike & Marlene. When she came back, she hugged all over Jack, saying "oh Jack, you've grown so much - look how BIG you've gotten!" wonder how many times she's heard that line!

cruiser

as of this weekend, say 7/30/09, jack can officially pull himself up to a standing position AND can also scoot around, walking from one end of the fireplace to another. My money says that by September he'll be walking. he's gonna look awfully funny bald, fat, w/no teeth, but walking!

peek into the future

erin's become a master tricyclist, and her favorite thing to do is speed around the deck while scott or i "race" her. she was finished eating dinner yesterday, and wanted us to race her. Jack was also out on the deck, first time that he was outside in his walker. We told Erin to race Jack, which she thought was big fun. That is, until Jack took off like lightning after her, and actually gave her a pretty good run for her money!

Then, so as to not be outshone, erin refused to race again, but instead stood on the back of the walker like a skateboard. Which totally backfired, as Jack took off walking, carrying her with him!

today

from erin - "daddy, you're a really good poopie wiper".
from daddy - "it's what I've always aspired to be"

jack

little bugger now likes carrots, pears, applesauce, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. He hates bananas and apricots, but I'll have to try them again to know for sure! He is also still doing a weird worm-crawl, but VERY effectively - and is a MASTER at sitting himself up from a prone position. He's even sitting in the middle of the floor, on his hands and feet, as if he's trying to stand up by himself! and, he crawls over toward things and you see him reaching up, SO high, trying to pull himself up....better get out the next round of toys soon!

all growed up

also, the night of my birthday, Erin was sitting on my lap, and she was asking about the manicure and massage that Scott got for my birthday. I was trying to explain it, and it must have sounded good, because she said "When I grow up, I want to do that too". Then she held her fingers ~4" apart and said that when she was that much bigger, she was going to do that. I hugged her and said that she would grow up soon enough, that "i love you just the way you are". She said "well, I don't. I want to be Big, right now, just like you." big hugs, all around.

ms. manners

the night of my birthday, we went to the DERC pool, but it was raining, so we had a picnic. Erin turns to me and says "so, how was YOUR day today mama?". Then, with me still cracking up, she turns to scott and says "how was YOUR day today, mister"? little grown up!

kermit

This week I started letting jack sleep with a little, super silky soft frog. it's the sweetest thing how he curls up on his left side, and snuggles with it, all the while petting it so softly with his fingers!

fashion preferences

Last week when Brooke, Ben, & Ann were here, Ann was on a kick to learn to sew. We found these panels you could buy, pre-gathered at the top, so all you had to do was sew a seam up the back, and 2 ribbons on as straps, and voila! A dress! Erin was very excited about the idea that you could make your own dress, so last night she helped me put it together. Then she tried it on, but the straps were too long. So when she went to sleep, I shortened the straps for her. This morning she, very excitedly, tried it on. But then she kept looking down and fiddling with the top. Finally she looked at me, and said ?mama, I want more of my boobies to show?. We?re SOOOO in trouble with her!

lots of memorable moments!

first, jack is now officially allowed to start eating fruits & veggies, so i tried some apricots. poor bugger does NOT like apricots! or rather, theyu don't like him! was up frequently last night, howling, apparently because of gas, based on the volume of stinkers he let loose in the morning!

on another jack-note, it's been almost a week since he woke up before my alarm, needing fed! will keep my fingers crossed - go big boy!

and erin had a hysterical moment tonight - for starters, momentous event, she finished ALL of her dinner! actually, she finished before both scott AND i! so proud of herself, we let her be excused from the table, and she sat in a chair next to me. being finished eating, she apparently decided that the proper thing to do next was to make conversation. "so, mama, how was your day today?" is what she came out with! then she jabbered a few words that made no sense, then "whatever", "i don't care"! silly grown up little goose!

Happy 4th of July!

Thursday & Friday we went to Gallipolis, OH to visit Ann, Brooke, & Ben. Kristy & Chase came for Friday and the 3 original triad babies, and their new siblings, all played well together! They all had their moments, but it was fun! A few notable memories ? at one moment Brooke was running through the yard w/her butterfly net, Chase was running w/his baseball & bat, and Erin was rocking her snuggle-bug like a baby ? each being completely true to his/her own personality!

Saturday we hung out at home, until Kayti?s barbecue in the evening. Erin was a big HAM all night, making silly faces at folks, etc. At one point Jack was in his exersaucer, w/a circle of people around him. He?d been there long enough and decided he wanted out. He was looking at one guy, starting to wimper and ?ask? to be removed, but the guy was being ?funny? and saying things like ?no, I?m gonna leave you there, you can?t come out yet?, etc. Jack got more & more upset, until HUGE pouty-face kicked in, the biggest I?ve seen in a LONG time. Then he started to actually cry, and I came across the room to save him. Jack turned toward me in his exersaucer, raised his hands to me, and clear as a bell, cried ?MAMA?! The whole room went quiet and everyone was amazed that they?d gotten to share in his first words! I?m not at all confident that he actually knew what he was saying, but I?ll take it! My baby boy!!!!

For background ? Pouty-Face is what Jack does when he?s upset. If he doesn?t like something, you?ll get a little warning as he makes this BIG pout/frown, and starts to whimper. If you don?t address his concerns in a timely fashion, it?ll morph into full-on wail, but usually you can intervene in time. It?s so sweet!

Sunday we went to COSI for the first time, and Erin had a blast w/King Triton in the water-play exhibit, among other things. But Scott & I will most fondly remember afterward, when we had ice cream, and Erin said ?Ow, My Head is Cold?. I don?t think the baby books have a place for ?baby?s first brain freeze?!!!!

Monday I went shopping w/Jack for some new clothes (Kristy & Ann laughed at me for stuffing him into 3-6 mo sizes, even though he?s 20+ lbs), then we went to the pool for the afternoon. It was big fun, though chilly! Jack would immediately start to cry as soon as his feet got into the water, then stop crying immediately when you got him out! Erin picked right up from where she left off last year, well on her way to turning into a fish this year!

forward progress!

it ain't pretty, but jack crawls! he gets where he wants to go, in a forward direction! the other night he was on the bathroom floor, and rolled himself over, then scooted backward ~5 ft.....which was funny because the tile floor was cold and he was NOT happy! but now he's making forward progress, which is also funny because his little knees & elbows have rug burn!

4 weeks

for the record, here's my prediction - mr jack will be up and crawling in the next 4 weeks - by august 1. THEN i expect chaos to ensue at our house, and I fully anticipate that big sister won't be such a fan anymore! so, i have 4 more weeks to enjoy the sweet brother/sister relationship as it is!

Pink Purchases

The other day we were in Rite Aid. As is typical, Erin was pulling lots of things off of the shelves, saying we NEED this, we NEED that....everything pink or sparkly that she saw. Usually I try to get her to put it back, but lose the battle, so later when she's not looking, I take it out of the cart and put it back on some other shelf somewhere. We were in the vitamin aisle and she does this, and i look at what she's picked up for me, and lo and behold, it's "Libido Max - Female Libido Enhancer" (in a pretty box w/pink letters, of course!). I cracked up, and showed Scott, who also cracked up. So, it's time to check out, and I notice that I hadn't put back the Mr. Bubble (big pink bottle), so left Scott to pay, while I put that back. When we get home, I'm putting the stuff away that we had bought, and sure enough, the Libido Max came home with us! I'm not sure what's worse - that Scott paid that little attention to what he was buying, the possibility that he bought it on purpose cuz he thought i needed a little boost, or the fact that now we have to return it to the store!!!!! Way to go, Erin....

In Jack's world, he's reached a new milestone. After 2 weeks on solid food, my baby's dear sweet adorable little poopies have begun to stink....

things i love about babies

i love how, after being squished for 9 months, you sleep with your fists at your ears, elbows & knees spread as far as they'll go...

i love how you'll wake up at 5 am just because, then roll over because it's fun, but then get upset because you're stuck and can't get back to your belly!

i love how i never know what position you'll be in when i check on you - perpendicular to your crib, upside down compared to when i left, etc.

how you get "embarassed" and smile sometimes, and can't keep eye contact..."aw shucks ma!"

your overall adorable, soft, gooey, sweetness....

tubb!

jack's having a big week! saturday he started getting rice cereal
(he's giving it mixed reviews - more fun to spit out than to swallow,
and eating isn't as fun as grabbing the spoon and bowl, but tasty, as
long as you don't keep him confined in the high chair for TOO long!)

i'm also declaring that he's able to sit up on his own, although he
fell over twice while i tried to get this picture - he's getting
there! he routinely arches his back and scooches his way out of his
carseat or bouncy seat or wherever you're trying to keep him
contained.

he's also started rolling over ALL the time, belly to back, he's using
it as a way to get from place to place - you can count on him not to
be where you left him, when you look back! when he's on his belly he
pushes WAY up w/his arms, and is wiggling w/his legs....he can make a
little forward progress, frustrated all the while....crawling is not
far off!

no teeth yet, but he's slobbering like crazy, and chewing everything
in site...including dr patel's elbow today!

and last, today he got 5 rounds of medicine at his 5 mo dr
appt....AND....drumroll please....here are his stats...
20 lbs 2 oz - 97th percentile (down a little, by percentile, from 3 mo ago!)
27.5" tall - 95th percentile (same % as last time)
17.75" head circumference - 83rd percentile (similar % as last time)

for comparison - erin at this age was the same exact length, but only ~16.5 lbs!

Singsong, Brian

Erin & Jack go to daycare with baby Ryan. Erin INSISTS on calling him BRIAN. We?ve all discussed this with her MANY times, but to no avail. The other day scott told her ?Listen to it Erin, it?s R, for Red ? Ryan?. She looked him square in the eye and said ?No, Blue, for Brian?!!! At least she understands the concept of phonics!!!!

And suddenly Jack is singing, a LOT! He has these soft, adorable little squealy singing sounds ? utterly wonderful!!!! He?s also getting to the point of being VERY frustrated with his inability to get around on his own. Little sucker?s gonna be mobile, SOON! Which will make me sad, because I?m getting some HUGE biceps from toting his 19 lb tub-ness around!

money makers

Yesterday scott was getting erin ready in the morning, helping her brush her teeth. She starts, and then he asks "did you brush the back ones? what about your tongue? did you get the money makers? Those are the big ones, up front! Silly daddy?.

Jack, the little rascal, is QUITE the wiggler and giggler these days! He?s VERY ticklish, and has these throaty, gurgly giggles that escalate into squealy screams when you ?get? him ? so fun! And, whenever you put him down where he doesn?t want to be put down (car seat, bouncer, bed, wherever!) he arches his back so only his head and toes touch, and bends his legs so he scoots out of wherever he is! Now that?s talent!

parent trip (actually yesterday)

Jack slept through the night again! Perhaps it has something to do w/my new resolution to forbid you from sleeping between the hours of 5:30 & 9:30 pm ? apparently if you?re tired, you can sleep a lot more! We?ll see if the theory holds. Kids can make you feel so dumb sometimes!

Sometimes that reputation is deserved, and sometimes your kids just impose it upon you. For example, Erin the other night was eating dinner, fish. She did pretty well, but we were tired of sitting there, and tried to get her to finish her last few bites. I even said she could have her chocolate pudding after dinner, if she finished up. So, she took the bite. But, a while later, we realized she was still chewing. ?C?mon Erin, swallow, let?s get that chocolate pudding?. No dice. 30 minutes into chewing the SAME bite of cold fish that?s now paste, I gave the ultimatum ? swallow before I count to 10, or no pudding. All of this was in happy, calm tones, and I even got up & left the room while I counted to 10 (VERY slowly) so that she could ?save face?. Still no dice. We get up, clean off the table, and she?s riding her bike around the deck. 15 minutes later, I kid you not, she STILL has the same bite in her mouth. Scott finally convinced her to wash it down with a drink of milk. At which point, she turns to me and asks for the chocolate pudding! AAAARRGHH!!!!

(no, she didn?t get the pudding, and yes, she threw a fit when she realized it wasn?t going to happen ? kicked the kitchen cupboards, and got put in time-out?.)

playing God...

last night erin & scott were playing with her Little People Noah's Ark. I enter the room. She says "Mama - come sit down and play God with me"! Scott was mortified....

mobile!

Jack rolled over on Saturday, from back to belly! go big guy!!!!!!!

cruisin'

This morning Jack was nursing and TOTALLY locked eyes with me the whole time. It was really sweet. He usually zones out, eyes closed, in bliss. I do enjoy it....

Yesterday he actually slept the ENTIRE night, for the first time since i went back to work. was really nice to wake up, rested! Last night he woke up, ate, then fell asleep for a few minutes, but woke up again twice. The good thing is that both times, he fussed for a minute or 2, then went back to sleep. He?ll do that pretty well, unless he realizes he?s hungry, and then all bets are off!

Last weekend we had Jack?s pictures taken. Little bugger refused to sit where we wanted him to, and is now starting to wiggle himself out of car seats/bouncer seats, etc., if he doesn?t want to be there! We laid him on his belly to get some pictures, and he actually made a little forward progress!

Last week we mailed mother?s day cards. The next day Erin INSISTED we go back to check on the mailbox to see if they were still there. On our way down to the mailbox, she was telling me ALL about how she?s going to shave her legs when she?s big. I?m sure it?ll be tomorrow?..

Scratchy Daddy

Scott's been growing a goatee/mustache sort of a thing for about a week. Last night when he was reading Erin bedtime stories, he gave her a kiss. She said "Daddy, I don't like your beard". He said "Do you want me to shave it off?" She said "Bzzzzzzz" (immitating the sound of his shaver). So, today, the beard's gone! (She's right - it was time for it to go!!!!)

finding fingers/puzzles!

my sweet gooey baby boy! You grabbed my nose the other day & hung on forever! Suddenly you're grabbing my hair, reaching for things, and lunging for my boobs! You?re trying to sit up and lean forward from your car seat, and your feet are fascinating to you! All in just the last week, you're REALLY showing a lot more curiosity about the world!

And then Erin! First, a good note - the other day we sat down and did a puzzle. i was ASTOUNDED when you just started putting it together! You started w/the corners, then started working through the other pieces, based on shapes & colors! The last time we worked on puzzles, it REALLY didn?t click much at all ? it?s simply incredible how one day those connections are just THERE! We?ve been doing flashcards about numbers too, and it?s adorable to see your mind just stretching ? 1 and 0 make TEN! I did it Daddy! I did it!

All of this happiness helps to make up for the lovely fact of the terrible 3?s. Dear heavens, how children survive?.The other day you were so proud of your new mermaid skirt & shirt, until I dared point out how cool it is that the skirt had shorts built in so the boys couldn?t see your panties. 5 minutes later, you DESPERATELY wanted to change clothes because this was shorts, not a dress! BLECH! Then, 2 weeks later, you want me to show you which of your outfits have shorts in them, so you can be sure not to wear them!

Oh, and depending on how ignored you?re feeling, you refuse to take off your own clothes, and refuse to put on your own clothes. One night I gave you 15 minutes to eat 5 bites of dinner or else you wouldn?t get one of Daddy?s birthday cupcakes. Sure enough, you didn?t get one, then had a fit. ?Mama, I NEED a cupcake, so I can smile, or else I might never be happy again?!!!!!!!!!!! I kid you not, THAT?S what you said!

more web-isms....

More web-isms?.

We?ve been practicing letters with Erin. So we point to ?S?, and she says ?S? for Squiggle-Sam, ?B? for Bessie?, ?I? for Isabella, etc.

When she sees a period, she says ?there?s a dot-org?!

boys & girls

scott had this set of books when he was little, that are meant to help teach kids basics about the world - what things are dangerous, how to make friends, etc. One of them is titled "you're either one or the other" and is about what makes boys vs. girls (not sure if it gets into anatomy!). He was reading it to her tonight and one line was "you're either male, or female".

Erin was listening and interrupts and says, "well, I know what I am, I'M a EMAIL"

i was dying....

weekend fun...

Had a nice weekend! We planted peas, released our butterflies, went to the circus w/chase, and washed windows ? pretty eventful!

Our butterflies came in a kit, and we grew them from tiny ?? caterpillars, through the cocoon stage, all the way up to butterflies. Has definitely been interesting! Hopefully they survive outside ok!

Erin says to jack ?awww, what a big tub? ? silly goose! Not sure where she got that from ? neither scott nor i! but it?s sweet!

The circus was a blast, and I find it funny that w/the elephants, tigers, trapeze artists, etc., Erin?s favorite part was the little white ponies w/the blue flags on their heads, that looked just like cinderella?s ponies!

The silliest part of the weekend was last night when we were washing windows. Erin handled the hose, wetting down the windows, then we scrubbed, then she rinsed. What a show ? trying to explain to a 3 yr old to rinse from the top down, while it?s all she can do just to hold in the handle and get the water to go in the direction she wants! It?s amazing all 3 of us weren?t soaked!

camo

Yesterday Scott wore camouflage pants to work. When he got Erin up & ready for the day, she looked at him, and said ?Hey, you have a shirt like that?. Scott racked his brain, then said ?no I don?t. To which she replied, ?yes you do, when you were a little boy?. Again, he thought, and thought, and then it hit him.

When he was a little boy, one year he didn?t tell his mom when it was picture day, so he wore his camouflage shirt. We have a frame with all of Scott?s class pictures from school, so she?s seen that picture in there, but it?s surprising that she noticed that level of detail, and it stuck!

It?s ESPECIALLY amazing when you consider that we took that frame down before Christmas, so she hasn?t seen it in almost 5 months! Girl has a mind like a steel trap!

Then there?s Jack. Last night you let me sleep 5 hrs in a row, and I woke up feeling like I?d slept for days! That?s pretty pathetic that 5 hrs of sleep can be such a blessing! Last night was better though ? when you woke up, it was to gab a little, not to wake up wailing?.baby steps I guess! I just wish I knew what on earth was going on! Until 7 days ago, you slept like a champ! Now all of a sudden, you?ve forgotten how!!!

I just called.....

This morning Scott was taking the kiddos to Debbie's at the same time I was getting into my car to go to work. I got 3 minutes down the road and the phone rang. It was Erin, who just wanted to call to tell me "bye", and to say she loved me. Sweet thing - she made me cry! I hate leaving my babies every day.....

mama's little helper!

Sunday Daddy came down w/the same stomach bug that I had last week, so yesterday I picked the kiddos up from Debbie's and took them grocery shopping after work. I was nervous about the trip, but we had an EXCELLENT time! We got the MONDO sized cart at Walmart and managed to not run anyone over. As we went around the store, Erin would hop up and check things out in the aisles, but then hop back in her seat every time we moved forward. She even heaved some gallon jugs of water off the shelves and into the cart! we had a great evening, right down to the little thief sneaking a carton of goldfish into the cart! my little sweetheart....

in an unusual turn of events, Erin's my angel, and Jack's my demon. Poor guy - maybe he's going through a growth spurt or something, but for the last 5 nights he's had me up every 30-90 minutes, sometimes for just a minute or 2, sometimes for an hour or more. UGH!!!!!!!!! killing me!!!!

BAD man!

last night I was holding Jack while scott was playing around, smacking my butt. every time he'd do it, i'd jump a little and squeal "OW"! After the 2nd or 3rd time, Jack got a BIG POUTY face on, and started to wail!

you hit my MAMA! you BAD BAD MAN, daddy! STOP that now!

am trying to get video of Jack's pouty face - he also does it when scott makes fun of him, and it's ADORABLE! Unfortunately it involves video taping him crying. Again. Sadly, he rarely shakes his bottom lip while crying these days anymore....only sometimes when excited now!

: )

Saucers

Last night Erin & I had a tea party w/Grandma Myers' tea cups & teapot. These are already becoming my favorite heirlooms from her. Anyway, we were talking about saucers. Erin said "Jack has a saucer, wanna see?" and proceeds to show me his exersaucer in the living room. I thought that was adorable, and creative of her, and I said "so, Jack would be the teacup, right?". Fast forward to this morning, and she sees Jack in his car seat, drooling buckets as usual, and says "UH OH Mama! Coffee is spilling!!!!"

: )

cowgirl dreams

We spent Easter Weekend in KY. Grandmommy & Grandaddy were very proud to have a whole entire room set up for Erin, with her own bed & everything. Unfortunately, after about an hour of Erin screwing around in the room, I asked if she'd rather sleep in the same room as Mama & Daddy. She quickly said "uh huh" and before I knew it, had her buggy & nightlight & bunny packed up and was on her way to our room! Just TOO scary in that big strange room by herself! So, when Jack would wake up in the night, I'd quickly get him and feed him, before he wokeErin & Scott up.

One morning while I was lying there feeding Jack, Erin started mumbling in her sleep. She mumbled several garbled phrases, but then I caught one clear as a bell - "Cowgirl". What on earth do 3 yr olds dream about? now we know!

cupcake

For erin, this is a log of the good times & the bad, and yesterday was more on the bad side. She started the day by fighting w/daddy about getting ready for school (nothing unusual there!). Then she fought w/miss debbie about taking off her backpack - saying she was so cold. When it was time to get into the van, debbie made her take it off, and gave her a blanket. Erin threw the blanket on the floor, so debbie stopped the van & told her she'd better leave it on. THEN, Erin got to school & refused to help pick up the toys - timeout #1. Finally, during lunch, she dawdled so much that after 45 minutes she still hadn't touched her cupcake. After several warnings, Miss Michelle told her that she was going to throw it away now, and of course erin threw a fit. However, what was unexpected was when Erin shoved the ENTIRE cupcake in her mouth! Miss Michelle was scared to death, convinced she was going to choke. She didn't choke, but she DID make her point, that michelle would NOT be taking her cupcake! timeout #2!

and then there's jack, smiley, pukey, sweet as always! however, so far, i'm the only one losing anything on the diet i've put him on! apparently if you feed a baby less than they want, they just wake you up to eat more often! i'm caving on him too - he gets a food raise tomorrow!

troubles getting Erin dressed, Jack's starting to laugh

erin, the little sucker. you know how you nitpick & snap at the people you love worse than you would ever treat someone else, just because you can? friday, i was trying to get erin ready for daycare. she had picked out an outfit the night before, but slept in one of her dresses that night. in the morning she didn't want to take off the dress. i caved and let her stay in the dress, IF she wore it w/a pink shirt underneath. then i caved and let her stay in the dress IF she wore it w/"the bra w/the pink bow" (really an undershirt, but she likes to wear a "bra"). then she agreed, until we got it on her, and she didn't like how it looked, and wanted to take it off. i forced her to keep it on, and on the way to debbies, erin told me that she would just take it off at debbie's. so i told debbie what had happened and that erin had to keep it on. later, when scott picked erin up, he said that debbie had had no more problems w/the shirt, that there was no more mention of it on the whole way home. UNTIL, erin walked in the door at our house & saw me. then she had to take it off. GR! fortunately i have had really good luck lately at keeping my temper, and was just amused! i dread the teenage years!

happy birthday to jack! little gumdrop, just makes every day so sweet! those big chubby cheeks, and your gooey gummy smile - i LOVE tickling your sides lately and getting you to actually laugh. though i'm not sure which is more fun - that, or watching the long "conversations" between you & daddy!

we are so ridiculously blessed....

First Brother/Sister combat

BANG! we had our first brother/sister combat last night. poor sucker! i was in the other room, so didn't see it happen, but when i heard jack suddenly launch into scream mode, i went to investigate. Erin had pulled back one of his exersaucer toys, and let go, so it rubber-banded back and whacked him in the face. he had a nice big red mark on his eye/forehead - poor guy! As for her, she immediately went into "i didn't do anything wrong" mode - GR! was sorta cute, because you could tell she knew she'd done wrong, and didn't know how to handle it! wish she'd have picked a different method....

separately - our butterly larvae have just started building coccoons!!! too cool!

Sweetie Pie, Showers

so yesterday i asked erin about her question to debbie about why she didn't feed jack w/her boobies. She told me "i can't feed jack with my boobies yet, they're too little"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! silly goose - wonder if she'll remember any of this, and be a teenager who associates boobs with babies?

and, last night, after prayers, i told her that i was proud of her for being so good at the restaurant. she gave me a big hug and said "aw, THANK you, sweetie pie!" ROTTEN 'TATER!!!!

jack made memorable moments yesterday by apparently showering debbie twice in a row! after the first she thought he'd need time to reload, but she was wrong! i'm pumping more than i'm sending to debbie's for him to eat, so poor kiddo's on a diet! which he didn't seem to mind too much, because at one of my feedings, he wouldn't eat, just looking up at me instead with a big grin on his face! it was most adorable when i was changing his diaper and tickling one side and then the other - getting him really excited and laughing - SO SWEET!!!

Lunchmeat, Boobies, Gymnast

Well big guy, you're on your own now! Debbie, who we love dearly, gets to goo and gah with you more now than i do, which i SORELY miss, you gooey silly boy! last nigth i'm not sure if you just missed me, or if you're not happy with the slowness and quantity you get from me, or if you were really starving from only 2 bottles today, but you wanted to nurse and nurse last night - and i loved it! Erin was happy about the change though, she got to show you off to her friends at Debbies, and their parents, and today from what i hear, she even got to give you a bottle!

funny quote - Today Erin said something to Debbie along the lines of "you have boobies, why are you feeding Jack this bottle?"

Last night Erin suddenly became gymnastics girl - we pulled out all of the couch cushions, and she practiced jumping and bouncing - BIG FUN!

Today I was telling Lee about how our night went (overall good, but a little high on the demand for attention) and she reminded me again that it would have been a good night for lunchmeat sandwiches for dinner. She's absolutely right - must remember my priorities!

miserable last day

coming to a close....

my sweet baby girl, who you'll always be, no matter how big you get. my wonderful time with you is coming to an end. not to make it sound like one of us is dying!!!! but on wednesday i go back to work full time, which feels similar in my heart, right now! melodramatic, i know, but that's your mama! today i took you to preschool, and as is common on mondays, you wanted to stay with me, because i'm (as you do tell me!) your best friend. you feel this way, even after we've fought for 3 days because you're 3, and you're fighting allergies and not sleeping, because i painted your fingernails wrong, and made you leave the pool when it closed, and dared get in your bed. i wonder how long i'll have left as your best friend? that's why i hate our fights so bad - i know that each one puts us further from the friendship that i desperately want with you. anyway, you didn't want me to leave you, and i didn't want to leave you, and we both had a tough morning. i hope that tonight and tomorrow are better!

and poor baby jack - your world is about to be turned upside down. i know your big sister will take care of you at debbies, and i know debbie will love you, so i'm really just mourning the end of our time together, you, my big gooey gumdrop. as i sit here crying, i also know that i'm a dork who will spend these last days on the computer, and doing laundry, and not soaking up every minute, like i should. will try, i promise!

i'm a nut, what can i say.

Toothache, Ryan's visit

Yesterday was a trial with my headstrong little princess. The day started with Jack still asleep, so I wanted to take advantage of the time, and cuddle with Erin. So I went downstairs, when she was already awake, and crawled into bed with her to cuddle. i opened her shades, and she went OFF on me, to CLOSE them. and it went WAY WAY WAY downhill from there. We fought about brushing teeth, and about breakfast, and about wardrobe, and everything else imagineable, into and after nap, right up to bedtime! Unfortunately, in the middle, we had a playdate w/Taylor at the mall's Bounce House, where Erin whacked her teeth into Taylors head. The teeth were bleeding, so we went to the dentist to have them checked out. So far they look fine, and probably will remain so, but only time will tell! My baby girl is very obviously torn between loving and wanting her mama, but also wanting to establish her independence. It's no fun for either of us!

Jack, on the other hand, is just a big, fat, adorable, gooey baby! Alan & Vanessa came to visit w/baby Ryan, now 8 months old. He & Jack are only 3 lbs apart, and we staged a hysterical boxing match between them - adorable!!! (oh! and little mr. gumdrop slept 9.5 hours wednesday night! YAY!!!!!)

Time flies...

i'm spending my nights working on erin's video footage of years 2-3. this is a giant pain in the neck, though fortunately the new computer is working VERY well. however, i wouldn't trade this effort for the world. there's no better way to end a trying day with a preschooler facing the terrible-threes, than to look back at footage from just a few months ago and realize how DRASTICALLY she's changed. and to hear how often she says your name and wants your attention and help. it really makes me into a pile of mushy sap, crying every night, but it makes me desperate to hang on to every moment while she still likes me and wants me around.

Green Whale, Salamander

today's momentous event - jack's first day in the exersaucer - woo hoo! he loves it, which helps to make up for the trauma he endured, watching the green whale on the swing while i took a quick shower! who knew oceanlife could be so terrifying!

Erin, the genious she is, remembered a day LAST summer when we went hiking, and i got a salamander in my shoe! heck, i THINK it was last summer, but i really don't remember WHEN it was! she sure does though!!!

Silly Hat Day, jump-up

today we had a visitor, joellen, who was newsy as always. jack's an angel, my gumdrop, gooey and sweet with huge grins, and tiny new giggles. it was our first day trying out the johnny-jump-up, which jack thinks is pretty nifty - being able to be upright and see the world! erin is off playing w/her friends at miss debbie's, and at preschool where it is silly hat day. i hope her tiara isn't giving her too much trouble - her first choice, the white hat w/the pink flowers on the trim, was just too itchy!