This was my first attempt to interview Jack for the blog. I asked him in advance if he would do it and he eagerly hopped onto the couch next to me and watched me typing. I started with a softball question.
Me: What's your name?
Jack: This. (pointing at an icon on the screen). This. This.
Me: Can you tell me what your name is.
Jack: I have frocks (pointing at the word "this").
Me: Frocks? (I have no idea what he's trying to say)
Jack: Frocks. Frocks. (gets off couch) I go to my room.
Me: Where you going?
Jack: I'm going in my room. (He leaves and I hear his door close. A minute passes and he returns with a Thomas Tank Engine in his hand.)
Me: Are you ready to tell me what your name is?
Jack: Yeah. (Man, it's like pulling teeth to get this kid to talk)
Me: What is it?
Jack: Thomas.
Me: That's not your name. What's your name?
Jack: Thomas.
Me: Is Thomas your name?
Jack: Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.
Me: What's your favorite color?
Jack: My color? My color name.
Me: What is it?
Jack: Thomas. This kind (pointing at the top of the train)
Me: You mean black?
Jack: Yeah, black.
Me: Are you going to school today?
Jack: No.
Me: Yes. You're going to play with friends, right?
Jack: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Me: Are you done with interview?
Jack: No, I want to watch it!
Me: Can you tell me a story?
Jack: Yeah.
Me: Well, what is it?
Jack: My story name boo shoo this. (I have no idea what he's saying)
Me: Your story's named what?
Jack: (no response)
(Fireman Sam then came on, so the interview ended)
Showing posts with label Jack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A Photographic Interlude
My two little nuts on the Fourth of July, complete with glo necklaces and cakey face.
No, she's not shy. Why do you ask?
Lily in her latest favorite dress. She calls it "the one with the sprinkles on it."
Jack showing off his latest ensemble: 1 black t-strap shoe (on the wrong foot), a diaper with PJ top, a pencil and a pink binky. All the toddlers are wearing this now. The one shoe look is a completely modern take on the whole Michael Jackson one glove thing. Don't you love his sweet little knock knees?
The birthday girl during a frenzy of gift opening. I can't believe she's 5!
Oskar gets in on the birthday action.
Lily's Big Birthday Party. 13 kids. I don't even want to talk about it except to say that it's over and everyone had a great time.
So that's a brief photo essay of what we've been doing for the last few weeks!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The UGG-ya
I think Jack is getting just as creative at making up stories as his sister! It all started a few weeks ago when he told me the Big Bad Wolf drank all of my iced tea (actually, it was Jack himself who drank it). He then said the wolf was going to blow our house "all in pieces" but that he would catch him and eat him up.
I was pretty impressed. Jack hasn't been talking in sentences for very long, so it really stuck out when he suddenly told me a long story.
Today, he did something even more creative. He was down stairs in the playroom by himself. He came running upstairs and told me there was an UGG-ya in the basement and he was scared. I was on the phone with my mom at the time, and neither one of us could figure out what he meant by UGG-ya. I asked him if he meant "ogre" but he said "No, its a UGG-ya." I asked him what it looked like and he said "Come down with me."
I followed him downstairs and into the playroom. He walked about 4 feet from the door and then pointed out the door into the laundry room (which was dark). "It's in dere." I said "Where in there?" and he said "Oh, it's some clothes!" He ran out of the playroom and headed up the stairs. I started pointing at the various items of clothing in the laundry room. Was it Jim's shirts hanging on the clothes rack? No. Was it the pile of handwashing on top of the dryer? No. Was it the pile of clean clothes that Jim inexplicably dumped on the floor in front of the dryer? No. Was it the folded clothing on the table? No.
Finally, Jack said "I wanna go uptairs. I scared the UGG-ya!" I thought he meant he was too scared of the UGG-ya to stay in the playroom, so we both went back into the living room. Once we got there, this is what Jack told me about the UGG-ya:
The UGG-ya says "UGGGGGGG (deep growl) YAAAAAAH! (yell)" He is littler than Jack by about six inches. Jack is not scared of the UGG-ya because Jack "scared him away" when we were down in the basement. The UGG-ya is his friend Mimmo.
I was on the phone with mom the whole time and Jack's little story was cracking us both up. We both think he must be trying to say "ogre." He was just so serious about his story!
Kids. They act like little terrors one moment and then they tell you about the battle they won with the UGG-ya. It's moments like these that make me s glad I'm staying at home with the kids.
UGGGGGG-YAAAAAAH!
I was pretty impressed. Jack hasn't been talking in sentences for very long, so it really stuck out when he suddenly told me a long story.
Today, he did something even more creative. He was down stairs in the playroom by himself. He came running upstairs and told me there was an UGG-ya in the basement and he was scared. I was on the phone with my mom at the time, and neither one of us could figure out what he meant by UGG-ya. I asked him if he meant "ogre" but he said "No, its a UGG-ya." I asked him what it looked like and he said "Come down with me."
I followed him downstairs and into the playroom. He walked about 4 feet from the door and then pointed out the door into the laundry room (which was dark). "It's in dere." I said "Where in there?" and he said "Oh, it's some clothes!" He ran out of the playroom and headed up the stairs. I started pointing at the various items of clothing in the laundry room. Was it Jim's shirts hanging on the clothes rack? No. Was it the pile of handwashing on top of the dryer? No. Was it the pile of clean clothes that Jim inexplicably dumped on the floor in front of the dryer? No. Was it the folded clothing on the table? No.
Finally, Jack said "I wanna go uptairs. I scared the UGG-ya!" I thought he meant he was too scared of the UGG-ya to stay in the playroom, so we both went back into the living room. Once we got there, this is what Jack told me about the UGG-ya:
The UGG-ya says "UGGGGGGG (deep growl) YAAAAAAH! (yell)" He is littler than Jack by about six inches. Jack is not scared of the UGG-ya because Jack "scared him away" when we were down in the basement. The UGG-ya is his friend Mimmo.
I was on the phone with mom the whole time and Jack's little story was cracking us both up. We both think he must be trying to say "ogre." He was just so serious about his story!
Kids. They act like little terrors one moment and then they tell you about the battle they won with the UGG-ya. It's moments like these that make me s glad I'm staying at home with the kids.
UGGGGGG-YAAAAAAH!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
My Kids Amuse Me
Sorry for the radio silence lately, but after two weeks of adult only time, I'm now in North Carolina for a week with my parents, after which the kids and I will fly home. It is as hot as Hades here. Seriously. I do not kid, it's been about 100 for most of this week. Thank the powers that be for air conditioning.
But...I digress. The kids seems so much older after two weeks away, especially Jack. My dad took him to the barber. I told my parents to get him a "little boy cut" because we didn't have time to go to his usual barber before he left on his trip. My mom called to say my father had taken Jack to the barber and his cut was very short. I said "As long as it's not a 'high and tight.'" She said, and I quote "Oh, it's not, but it's a lot shorter than it was before." When I got to NC, I immediately saw that Jack was sporting a high and tight, contrary to my mother's claim. He looks like a miniature marine. Fortunately, the cut is very cute on him and I'll probably keep it that way until the fall. It also makes him look older.
The kids have been getting up to all kinds of shenanigans at Grammy and Granddaddy's house. My father has a giant Peanut M&M figure that shoots M&M's out of it's side (forgive me, but it is very hard to describe) if you crank its arm up and down. Lily "pressured" him into buying M&M's for it (she asked once) and the kids love getting a treat. In order to keep the candy consumption to a reasonable level, my father took to hiding the Peanut Man and telling the kids he had gone away. Lily somehow interpreted this to mean that the Peanut Man periodically goes away to the M&M Ball. Jack isn't as fanciful and just started hunting for Peanut Man and quickly located him in the closet. My father now hides him behind some boxes.
Now that Peanut Man is sometimes AWOL, Jack tries to get him to come back by holding his hand up to his ear and telling my father "I think I hear candy!" For some reason, this cracks me up. Lily, on the other hand, was happy in the thought that Peanut Man was having fun at the M&M Ball until yesterday, when she caught my father carrying him into his office. She ran out to the living room and told me "Peanut Man hasn't been at the M&M Ball! Granddaddy has been hiding him and moving him all along!" She was very indignant, and immediately left to confront my father. I don't know what he told her, but today she said he was at the M&M Ball again. Ah, to be a child again. Any time one of the kids discovers that Peanut Man has returned to my father's office, they run out and tell us that he's back. It's really funny.
In other big, big news, Jack suddenly started to use the potty four days ago. My mom bought him some big boy underpants and showed them to him when he first arrived. Fast forward to the day I arrived. Jack asked me to give him a lolly. I told him "You can have a lolly if you pee in your potty." He carried on and whined and then went away to play. About four hours later, however, he told my mom "I gotta pee!" and ran into the bathroom. To our surprise, he peed into his potty for the first time ever! He got his lolly, and then he told my mom "I wanta wear my big boy underwear." She let him put them on, but he refused to put pants on and asked to have his shirt off. He ran into the living room wearing only the underwear and said "Ta-Da!"
He's been using the potty one or two times a day ever since. He's also been wearing his big boy underwear for most of the day without incident. Unfortunately, he still usually insists on wearing ONLY the underwear. He did grudgingly allow me to dress him the other day when he got too cold from the AC. He still comes out and says "Ta-da!" when he first gets them on. In order to encourage his potty training, I supplmented the baseball themed underwear my mom provided with Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. He is very serious when he picks out which pair to wear and discards two or three options before settling on a design. It's hilarious!
I'm knocking on wood that this self-training will last and become a permanent habit. I never thought he'd train this early. I feel like singing and dancing with joy, but I hold it in because I fear the potty training gods will smite me and send him back to the diaper. I'll keep you all posted. Send good potty vibes to Jack.
But...I digress. The kids seems so much older after two weeks away, especially Jack. My dad took him to the barber. I told my parents to get him a "little boy cut" because we didn't have time to go to his usual barber before he left on his trip. My mom called to say my father had taken Jack to the barber and his cut was very short. I said "As long as it's not a 'high and tight.'" She said, and I quote "Oh, it's not, but it's a lot shorter than it was before." When I got to NC, I immediately saw that Jack was sporting a high and tight, contrary to my mother's claim. He looks like a miniature marine. Fortunately, the cut is very cute on him and I'll probably keep it that way until the fall. It also makes him look older.
The kids have been getting up to all kinds of shenanigans at Grammy and Granddaddy's house. My father has a giant Peanut M&M figure that shoots M&M's out of it's side (forgive me, but it is very hard to describe) if you crank its arm up and down. Lily "pressured" him into buying M&M's for it (she asked once) and the kids love getting a treat. In order to keep the candy consumption to a reasonable level, my father took to hiding the Peanut Man and telling the kids he had gone away. Lily somehow interpreted this to mean that the Peanut Man periodically goes away to the M&M Ball. Jack isn't as fanciful and just started hunting for Peanut Man and quickly located him in the closet. My father now hides him behind some boxes.
Now that Peanut Man is sometimes AWOL, Jack tries to get him to come back by holding his hand up to his ear and telling my father "I think I hear candy!" For some reason, this cracks me up. Lily, on the other hand, was happy in the thought that Peanut Man was having fun at the M&M Ball until yesterday, when she caught my father carrying him into his office. She ran out to the living room and told me "Peanut Man hasn't been at the M&M Ball! Granddaddy has been hiding him and moving him all along!" She was very indignant, and immediately left to confront my father. I don't know what he told her, but today she said he was at the M&M Ball again. Ah, to be a child again. Any time one of the kids discovers that Peanut Man has returned to my father's office, they run out and tell us that he's back. It's really funny.
In other big, big news, Jack suddenly started to use the potty four days ago. My mom bought him some big boy underpants and showed them to him when he first arrived. Fast forward to the day I arrived. Jack asked me to give him a lolly. I told him "You can have a lolly if you pee in your potty." He carried on and whined and then went away to play. About four hours later, however, he told my mom "I gotta pee!" and ran into the bathroom. To our surprise, he peed into his potty for the first time ever! He got his lolly, and then he told my mom "I wanta wear my big boy underwear." She let him put them on, but he refused to put pants on and asked to have his shirt off. He ran into the living room wearing only the underwear and said "Ta-Da!"
He's been using the potty one or two times a day ever since. He's also been wearing his big boy underwear for most of the day without incident. Unfortunately, he still usually insists on wearing ONLY the underwear. He did grudgingly allow me to dress him the other day when he got too cold from the AC. He still comes out and says "Ta-da!" when he first gets them on. In order to encourage his potty training, I supplmented the baseball themed underwear my mom provided with Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. He is very serious when he picks out which pair to wear and discards two or three options before settling on a design. It's hilarious!
I'm knocking on wood that this self-training will last and become a permanent habit. I never thought he'd train this early. I feel like singing and dancing with joy, but I hold it in because I fear the potty training gods will smite me and send him back to the diaper. I'll keep you all posted. Send good potty vibes to Jack.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Cookie Monsters
No explanation is needed for this post other than to say that the kids were eating butterscotch chip cookies during these photos, and they are both little hams. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Very Little Under The Couch This Week!
Imagine how amazed I was when I pulled out the couch and saw this:
That, to me, is a normal amount of stuff that would accumulate under a couch in the space of two weeks. I thought maybe the amount of outdoor play this week was making a big difference...
...until I saw this:
Apparently, someone has stopped throwing things behind and under the couch and has started throwing them behind the chair.! I did notice that Jack's toy bin was a little low this week, but I foolishly thought Jim had pared it down by taking some stuff down to the playroom. The little pile of stuff behind the chair reminds me of a squirrel's secret store of nuts. Which would make sense, since I sometimes believe Jack is a little nuts.
I'm pretty sure it's Jack, but the thought did cross my mind that Lily might be tossing his toys down there to annoy him. I'm going to have to keep my eyes open and see who the culprit is!
That, to me, is a normal amount of stuff that would accumulate under a couch in the space of two weeks. I thought maybe the amount of outdoor play this week was making a big difference...
...until I saw this:
Apparently, someone has stopped throwing things behind and under the couch and has started throwing them behind the chair.! I did notice that Jack's toy bin was a little low this week, but I foolishly thought Jim had pared it down by taking some stuff down to the playroom. The little pile of stuff behind the chair reminds me of a squirrel's secret store of nuts. Which would make sense, since I sometimes believe Jack is a little nuts.
I'm pretty sure it's Jack, but the thought did cross my mind that Lily might be tossing his toys down there to annoy him. I'm going to have to keep my eyes open and see who the culprit is!
Minor Technical Difficulties
In other words, I've been Jacked! I have a nice, long draft post saved. It is waiting for some lovely photos of our yard and garden. Sadly, I have been looking for the cord for my camera for the last few days. I cannot download photos without it. I have been storing it in my odds and ends basket by the couch in a plastic bag to keep it coiled up. Jack pulled everything out of the basket on Thursday of last week. I noticed on Friday that the cord was missing!
Is it under the couch? I pulled it out to look and, amazingly, there is not too much under there this week. Basically, I have no idea where it is. Jack seems to have "disappeared" it! There will be no more photos until I either find it or get another cord to replace it.
Is it under the couch? I pulled it out to look and, amazingly, there is not too much under there this week. Basically, I have no idea where it is. Jack seems to have "disappeared" it! There will be no more photos until I either find it or get another cord to replace it.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Now for the Cute and Funny
I like to balance out my posts with a good one about the kids after I bore you non-knitters with my knitting stuff, so here are some cute shots of Lily modeling the new sweater her Grandma Deeds made for her. One photo also features the matching purse (somewhat stretched out by the pounds of change she poured in there from her piggy bank). Also, it's hard to see, but she insisted on posing with two of her Barbies in a couple of the photos.
That was the cute, in case you couldn't tell.
This is the funny -- here are a few things that the kids said this week that I found amusing:
Lily, talking about how God filled up the rivers and ponds: "He must have used his mother's garden hose!"
Jack's stock response when asked about school: "I play with friends, I play with fun mag-a-nets, I play outside, I have 'nack, I play with fiahfucks." Translation: mag-a-nets = magnets, 'nack = snack and fiahfucks = firetrucks.
Jack, talking about an upcoming trip to North Carolina: "I go walk with Papa to the rainmoo. Papa show me the rainmoo." Rainmoo = windmill. Of course, Jim isn't going to North Carolina, and the "rainmoo" is actually at the home of Jack's other grandparents! He's a little confused. I doubt he remembers the last time he visited North Carolina, but he sure remembers the "rainmoo" in California!
Lily, explaining why she doesn't cry when I drop her at school now: "I don't have to cry if I don't want to." Too bad she didn't feel this way for the last six months.
Finally, time to make fun of myself a bit. Remember that one time that I complained about Jim? And his scraping of cream cheese and two olives? Remember how annoyed I was? Well, I guess I believe in karma because yesterday Jim had good reason to be annoyed with me. He called me at about 8:30 (shortly after he left the house) and asked me to put the steak tips in to marinade. The catch? I was supposed to look on the internet to find a recipe and make the marinade myself.
As some of you may be aware, I am not a good cook. In fact, I can barely make macaroni and cheese from a box. Baking? Love it. Cooking, on the other hand, usually leads to me setting something on fire. Anyway...I was not thrilled about having to find a recipe and put together a marinade, but I agreed to do it and hung up.
Within about 15 minutes I completely forgot about the conversation. I'd like to blame my heart medication or lack of sleep. One or both of them probably contributed to my forgetfulness. If I'm being brutally honest, however, I suspect there was some element of a subconscious passive-aggressive desire to forget about it! Either way, I did not give the matter a second thought until Jim arrived at home and told me he was going out to start the grill. I didn't even remember it when he mentioned the grill! Then he asked "Did you remember to marinate the steak tips?"
Oops. He seemed a little annoyed and he said with a sigh, "I suppose I can try to marinate them while the grill is getting ready." He did and they tasted great.
Later, as I was telling my mom about the incident, she told me you can marinate steak tips in Caesar dressing. Umm, that would have been easy, even for me! I mentioned it to Jim and he said with a tone of annoyance "I know, that's what I ended up marinating them in." Good to know. Perhaps he should have mentioned that option to me instead of suggesting that I hunt down a recipe and make marinade from scratch.
So, seeing it from Jim's perspective, he probably has even more reason to rant about me than I have about him. Although, I would like to mention that those two olives? They're still in the fridge and no one has made a sandwich out of them to date.
That was the cute, in case you couldn't tell.
This is the funny -- here are a few things that the kids said this week that I found amusing:
Lily, talking about how God filled up the rivers and ponds: "He must have used his mother's garden hose!"
Jack's stock response when asked about school: "I play with friends, I play with fun mag-a-nets, I play outside, I have 'nack, I play with fiahfucks." Translation: mag-a-nets = magnets, 'nack = snack and fiahfucks = firetrucks.
Jack, talking about an upcoming trip to North Carolina: "I go walk with Papa to the rainmoo. Papa show me the rainmoo." Rainmoo = windmill. Of course, Jim isn't going to North Carolina, and the "rainmoo" is actually at the home of Jack's other grandparents! He's a little confused. I doubt he remembers the last time he visited North Carolina, but he sure remembers the "rainmoo" in California!
Lily, explaining why she doesn't cry when I drop her at school now: "I don't have to cry if I don't want to." Too bad she didn't feel this way for the last six months.
Finally, time to make fun of myself a bit. Remember that one time that I complained about Jim? And his scraping of cream cheese and two olives? Remember how annoyed I was? Well, I guess I believe in karma because yesterday Jim had good reason to be annoyed with me. He called me at about 8:30 (shortly after he left the house) and asked me to put the steak tips in to marinade. The catch? I was supposed to look on the internet to find a recipe and make the marinade myself.
As some of you may be aware, I am not a good cook. In fact, I can barely make macaroni and cheese from a box. Baking? Love it. Cooking, on the other hand, usually leads to me setting something on fire. Anyway...I was not thrilled about having to find a recipe and put together a marinade, but I agreed to do it and hung up.
Within about 15 minutes I completely forgot about the conversation. I'd like to blame my heart medication or lack of sleep. One or both of them probably contributed to my forgetfulness. If I'm being brutally honest, however, I suspect there was some element of a subconscious passive-aggressive desire to forget about it! Either way, I did not give the matter a second thought until Jim arrived at home and told me he was going out to start the grill. I didn't even remember it when he mentioned the grill! Then he asked "Did you remember to marinate the steak tips?"
Oops. He seemed a little annoyed and he said with a sigh, "I suppose I can try to marinate them while the grill is getting ready." He did and they tasted great.
Later, as I was telling my mom about the incident, she told me you can marinate steak tips in Caesar dressing. Umm, that would have been easy, even for me! I mentioned it to Jim and he said with a tone of annoyance "I know, that's what I ended up marinating them in." Good to know. Perhaps he should have mentioned that option to me instead of suggesting that I hunt down a recipe and make marinade from scratch.
So, seeing it from Jim's perspective, he probably has even more reason to rant about me than I have about him. Although, I would like to mention that those two olives? They're still in the fridge and no one has made a sandwich out of them to date.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Just a Few Jackisms
As a preliminary matter, today was a much better day than yesterday. Jim is indeed still alive. He claims that he was planning to use the TWO olives in a sandwich. Right.
Anyway, it was beautiful outside today and the kids had a lot of fun playing outdoors. We had popcorn for a snack, and I noticed Jack continues to refer to it as "Cockcorn." I thought it might be time for a list of the latest Jackisms.
A Peeter: Computer.
A zeeyum: Museum.
Book Man: Butcher (man).
Gwapes: Grapes.
Cop-too: Helicopter. See also Heh-cockter.
Cockcorn: Popcorn. A favorite snack.
Dig-ooh: Digger, one of Jack's favorite construction vehicles.
Heh-cockter: Helicopter. See also Cop-too.
Hi, Doo doo: Jack's way of saying "hey, dude." It morphed from his initial "hi, dude!"
Jan Fwandich: Jam sandwich, Jack's lunch preference.
Manana: Banana.
More-tayto: Tornado. Said as Jack spins wildly in a circle, chanting "More-tayto, More-tayto, More-tayto!" Not to be confused with Tayto or MyTayto (see below).
MyTayto: Matteo, a little boy in Jack's preschool class.
Panpake: Pancake, Jack's favorite breakfast. Often paired with the word "house" thusly "Panpake House" to indicate he would like to go to IHOP.
PIE-at Booties: Pirate Booty, a favorite snack food.
RAD-doo: Used interchangeably to mean radio or radiator.
Stick Toes: French Toast Sticks, another preferred breakfast. A bastardized form of "French Stick Toast," which is what Lily calls them.
Tayto: Mr. Potato Head.
Anyway, it was beautiful outside today and the kids had a lot of fun playing outdoors. We had popcorn for a snack, and I noticed Jack continues to refer to it as "Cockcorn." I thought it might be time for a list of the latest Jackisms.
A Peeter: Computer.
A zeeyum: Museum.
Book Man: Butcher (man).
Gwapes: Grapes.
Cop-too: Helicopter. See also Heh-cockter.
Cockcorn: Popcorn. A favorite snack.
Dig-ooh: Digger, one of Jack's favorite construction vehicles.
Heh-cockter: Helicopter. See also Cop-too.
Hi, Doo doo: Jack's way of saying "hey, dude." It morphed from his initial "hi, dude!"
Jan Fwandich: Jam sandwich, Jack's lunch preference.
Manana: Banana.
More-tayto: Tornado. Said as Jack spins wildly in a circle, chanting "More-tayto, More-tayto, More-tayto!" Not to be confused with Tayto or MyTayto (see below).
MyTayto: Matteo, a little boy in Jack's preschool class.
Panpake: Pancake, Jack's favorite breakfast. Often paired with the word "house" thusly "Panpake House" to indicate he would like to go to IHOP.
PIE-at Booties: Pirate Booty, a favorite snack food.
RAD-doo: Used interchangeably to mean radio or radiator.
Stick Toes: French Toast Sticks, another preferred breakfast. A bastardized form of "French Stick Toast," which is what Lily calls them.
Tayto: Mr. Potato Head.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Just So I Don't Kill Him
I try very hard to make this blog about me and the kids, with the occasional funny story about Jim. I think I've followed that rule pretty successfully up until now. Today, I am going to rant just a bit.
It has not been a fun morning in our household. The kids are peevish from lack of sleep (all four of us were in one bed last night). I'm peevish from lack of sleep. As a result, when the kids wanted to play in Lily's room, I was happy to let them go. And then...silence. I am angry with myself for not checking out the cause of the silence immediately, because I should know better. Sadly, I continued to update my blog widgets and peruse patterns on Ravelry. After about 10 minutes, however, I thought it behooved me to check on them.
They were not in Lily's bedroom. They had decided it would be more fun to play upstairs in my room and Jack's room. I called up the stairs and asked what they were doing. Lily said "We'll be right down, Mom. C'mon, Jack."
Those words sent chills down my spine. I practically sprang from the first floor to the second in a single bound. The upstairs was messy. The kids had pulled out a lot of Jack's stuffed animals and a few of Lily's, and they were lying around the room like casualties on a battle field. All of the pillows were on the floor, and there were several long pieces of what looked like accordian pleated plastic wrap lying around. Annoying, but a mess is easy to clean.
And then, there was the smell. A fruity smell. I asked Lily what the smell was and she said "We just washed our hands with some soap."
Me: "What soap?"
Lily: "I'll go put it away."
Me: "What soap are you talking about?"
Lily: "The shampoo soap you bought yesterday." She ran off and came back with the bottle of shampoo, now more than a quarter empty. I lectured her and told both kids to pick up the mess and get downstairs. I went down and put the shampoo in the cabinet. Where it belongs. Where the kids can't reach it. Where Jim failed to store it last night after bath time.
And...I noticed the brand new bottle of Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath was missing. Again, I sprang like a gazelle up the stairs and looked wildly around. I noticed nothing unusual, so I begin to interrogate the kids.
Me: "Where is the bubble bath? Did you take that, too?"
Lily: "I decided to hide it."
Me: "Where?"
Lily: "I'm a very curious child." Giggle, giggle, giggle.
Me: "Where. Is. The. Bubble. Bath."
Lily: "I used some to wash my stuffed animals."
Me: "Did you use it all? Where is it?"
Lily: "There's a little left."
Me: "GET THE BUBBLE BATH. NOW!"
Lily: "Here it is." She had hidden it in the drawer under Jack's crib. It was partially open and lying in a cardboard box.
The cardboard box was drenched with soap. Upon closer inspection, there were several animals and pillows drenched with soap as well. The bubble bath? That I bought yesterday and we used once last night? Empty. Because Jim failed to put it in the cabinet, where it belongs and where the kids can't reach it.
Now, I know I share the blame, because I should have immediately looked for the kids when everything went silent. Silence = Very Bad. But I have more, oh so much more to rant about.
I was annoyed by the shampoo/bubble bath lollapalooza, but, mindful of my own contribution, I managed to remain calm. I hauled the kids downstairs so that I could keep them under constant surveillance, and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast for myself. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed some bagels and then looked for the cream cheese.
When I opened it, this is what I found:
That's right, there is barely enough cream cheese to cover half a bagel, never mind two entire halves. Someone had replaced a near-empty container of cream cheese in the refrigerator. Up high. On a shelf that our children cannot reach. I know it wasn't me.
I was also treated to this lovely vision after I moved the cream cheese container:
Doesn't it just make you crave a banana? And right next to that, I noticed a second container. I opened it and this is what I saw:
Yes. Jim made pizza two nights ago and decided he Just. Couldn't. slice up the last TWO olives and put them on the pizza. I guess he figured it was more important to save those two olives by shoving them into the back of the refrigerator in their container. Since neither of us drink martinis, I am not certain what he believed we would do with these two olives. Maybe they would be serve as an amuse bouche? A little midnight snack?
The little seed of annoyance sprouted into a small sapling of rage. That is when I decided to write about it in order to avoid pelting Jim with the two olives and rotting banana when he walked in the door. Mission barely accomplished.
Epilogue: While I was writing this post, Lily took her brother into the kitchen with her where she told me she was getting a drink. In fact, she removed the bubble bath container from the trash, squirted the last few drops into Jim's partially filled orange juice glass from this morning, added a dash of water and gave it to Jack with a straw in it. He, of course, took a big sip. Apparently, bubble bath doesn't taste so good, and makes you drool and gag bubbles. He had his revenge, though. Lily let him go with her to water her lettuce seedling later on and he threw the little pot to the ground, where it broke into a million pieces and splattered dirt everywhere.
I can't believe it's only 2:27 pm.
It has not been a fun morning in our household. The kids are peevish from lack of sleep (all four of us were in one bed last night). I'm peevish from lack of sleep. As a result, when the kids wanted to play in Lily's room, I was happy to let them go. And then...silence. I am angry with myself for not checking out the cause of the silence immediately, because I should know better. Sadly, I continued to update my blog widgets and peruse patterns on Ravelry. After about 10 minutes, however, I thought it behooved me to check on them.
They were not in Lily's bedroom. They had decided it would be more fun to play upstairs in my room and Jack's room. I called up the stairs and asked what they were doing. Lily said "We'll be right down, Mom. C'mon, Jack."
Those words sent chills down my spine. I practically sprang from the first floor to the second in a single bound. The upstairs was messy. The kids had pulled out a lot of Jack's stuffed animals and a few of Lily's, and they were lying around the room like casualties on a battle field. All of the pillows were on the floor, and there were several long pieces of what looked like accordian pleated plastic wrap lying around. Annoying, but a mess is easy to clean.
And then, there was the smell. A fruity smell. I asked Lily what the smell was and she said "We just washed our hands with some soap."
Me: "What soap?"
Lily: "I'll go put it away."
Me: "What soap are you talking about?"
Lily: "The shampoo soap you bought yesterday." She ran off and came back with the bottle of shampoo, now more than a quarter empty. I lectured her and told both kids to pick up the mess and get downstairs. I went down and put the shampoo in the cabinet. Where it belongs. Where the kids can't reach it. Where Jim failed to store it last night after bath time.
And...I noticed the brand new bottle of Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath was missing. Again, I sprang like a gazelle up the stairs and looked wildly around. I noticed nothing unusual, so I begin to interrogate the kids.
Me: "Where is the bubble bath? Did you take that, too?"
Lily: "I decided to hide it."
Me: "Where?"
Lily: "I'm a very curious child." Giggle, giggle, giggle.
Me: "Where. Is. The. Bubble. Bath."
Lily: "I used some to wash my stuffed animals."
Me: "Did you use it all? Where is it?"
Lily: "There's a little left."
Me: "GET THE BUBBLE BATH. NOW!"
Lily: "Here it is." She had hidden it in the drawer under Jack's crib. It was partially open and lying in a cardboard box.
The cardboard box was drenched with soap. Upon closer inspection, there were several animals and pillows drenched with soap as well. The bubble bath? That I bought yesterday and we used once last night? Empty. Because Jim failed to put it in the cabinet, where it belongs and where the kids can't reach it.
Now, I know I share the blame, because I should have immediately looked for the kids when everything went silent. Silence = Very Bad. But I have more, oh so much more to rant about.
I was annoyed by the shampoo/bubble bath lollapalooza, but, mindful of my own contribution, I managed to remain calm. I hauled the kids downstairs so that I could keep them under constant surveillance, and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast for myself. I opened the refrigerator and grabbed some bagels and then looked for the cream cheese.
When I opened it, this is what I found:
That's right, there is barely enough cream cheese to cover half a bagel, never mind two entire halves. Someone had replaced a near-empty container of cream cheese in the refrigerator. Up high. On a shelf that our children cannot reach. I know it wasn't me.
I was also treated to this lovely vision after I moved the cream cheese container:
Doesn't it just make you crave a banana? And right next to that, I noticed a second container. I opened it and this is what I saw:
Yes. Jim made pizza two nights ago and decided he Just. Couldn't. slice up the last TWO olives and put them on the pizza. I guess he figured it was more important to save those two olives by shoving them into the back of the refrigerator in their container. Since neither of us drink martinis, I am not certain what he believed we would do with these two olives. Maybe they would be serve as an amuse bouche? A little midnight snack?
The little seed of annoyance sprouted into a small sapling of rage. That is when I decided to write about it in order to avoid pelting Jim with the two olives and rotting banana when he walked in the door. Mission barely accomplished.
Epilogue: While I was writing this post, Lily took her brother into the kitchen with her where she told me she was getting a drink. In fact, she removed the bubble bath container from the trash, squirted the last few drops into Jim's partially filled orange juice glass from this morning, added a dash of water and gave it to Jack with a straw in it. He, of course, took a big sip. Apparently, bubble bath doesn't taste so good, and makes you drool and gag bubbles. He had his revenge, though. Lily let him go with her to water her lettuce seedling later on and he threw the little pot to the ground, where it broke into a million pieces and splattered dirt everywhere.
I can't believe it's only 2:27 pm.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
My Kids, Let Me Show You Them
Jack, eating an apple in his pajamas and winter hat.
Jack, reading Curious George, his current favorite, tied with Richard Scarry's book about vehicles. He has hot cocoa around his mouth.
Jack, so pleased to be sitting with Papa!
How could the child that put together this highly coordinated outfit (black tights, pink skirt and white t-shirt all match colors in the fleece top) put together the outfit below?
I personally enjoy the way the pattern on the tights clashes with the pattern on the skirt.
My pretty, cocoa-smeared girl!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Life Is Never Easy
We've had a, shall I say, interesting week so far.
On Monday, we went to the Children's Museum. Despite the fact that I asked Lily repeatedly whether she had to go to the bathroom, she ended up holding it for too long and she accidentally peed on the floor in one of the exhibits. Sigh. We ended up leaving about an hour after we drove in.
On Tuesday, I was all set for my "day off." Things could not have worked out better. Jim had done the week's grocery shopping the night before, and I had gotten a lot of the weekly cleaning done on Monday when Jack was napping and Lily was playing at the neighbor's house. I cast on a seamless Icelandic sweater this weekend, and I needed a larger circular and a smaller circular. I dropped the kids at school around 8:30 am and came home to do some work. Then I took a leisurely drive to two different yarn stores to pick up the new needles. When I got home, the phone was ringing. It was Jim. It turns out that Jack and Lily's school lost power, and then a terrible smell was coming from the heater, leading them to believe there may have been an electrical fire! They were asking all parents to pick up their kids. By 11:00 am, I was back at home with two kids who were bouncing off the wall because their schedules were interrupted. A very long day ensued.
Today, Jack inexplicably awoke just before 5:00 am and demanded milk. I took himn downstairs so he wouldn't wake up Lily and Jim. As a result of his early day, he was falling asleep by 10:00. That would normally be fine, but today is Lily's ballet day, and he always naps after we get back from class so his nap won't be interrupted. It was too painful to watch him drowsing, so I took him upstairs where he proceeded to laugh and play for 45 minutes.
When we got to ballet, he was so overtired that he was running and throwing himself on me repeatedly. Then he started crawling under everyone's chair. Periodically, he would get in my lap and almost drowse off. Then he would jerk himself awake and start rampaging again.
At home after class, Lily had a very messy accident in the bathroom. I will not horrify you with the details. Suffice it to say that she was too embarassed to tell me at first and she tried to clean up the mess herself. I ended up hosing down all of her clothes in the shower along with a bath towel, and mopping the floor. Ick.
Just now, I brought Jack down from nap, only to see Lily trying to hide one of the down throws in the office. She then advised me that the throw "accidentally got cut." I asked why and she admitted "I wanted some feathers." It looks like I will have some darning to do this evening. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have gotten many feathers out.
Jim just called to say he's on his way home. Hallelujah.
On Monday, we went to the Children's Museum. Despite the fact that I asked Lily repeatedly whether she had to go to the bathroom, she ended up holding it for too long and she accidentally peed on the floor in one of the exhibits. Sigh. We ended up leaving about an hour after we drove in.
On Tuesday, I was all set for my "day off." Things could not have worked out better. Jim had done the week's grocery shopping the night before, and I had gotten a lot of the weekly cleaning done on Monday when Jack was napping and Lily was playing at the neighbor's house. I cast on a seamless Icelandic sweater this weekend, and I needed a larger circular and a smaller circular. I dropped the kids at school around 8:30 am and came home to do some work. Then I took a leisurely drive to two different yarn stores to pick up the new needles. When I got home, the phone was ringing. It was Jim. It turns out that Jack and Lily's school lost power, and then a terrible smell was coming from the heater, leading them to believe there may have been an electrical fire! They were asking all parents to pick up their kids. By 11:00 am, I was back at home with two kids who were bouncing off the wall because their schedules were interrupted. A very long day ensued.
Today, Jack inexplicably awoke just before 5:00 am and demanded milk. I took himn downstairs so he wouldn't wake up Lily and Jim. As a result of his early day, he was falling asleep by 10:00. That would normally be fine, but today is Lily's ballet day, and he always naps after we get back from class so his nap won't be interrupted. It was too painful to watch him drowsing, so I took him upstairs where he proceeded to laugh and play for 45 minutes.
When we got to ballet, he was so overtired that he was running and throwing himself on me repeatedly. Then he started crawling under everyone's chair. Periodically, he would get in my lap and almost drowse off. Then he would jerk himself awake and start rampaging again.
At home after class, Lily had a very messy accident in the bathroom. I will not horrify you with the details. Suffice it to say that she was too embarassed to tell me at first and she tried to clean up the mess herself. I ended up hosing down all of her clothes in the shower along with a bath towel, and mopping the floor. Ick.
Just now, I brought Jack down from nap, only to see Lily trying to hide one of the down throws in the office. She then advised me that the throw "accidentally got cut." I asked why and she admitted "I wanted some feathers." It looks like I will have some darning to do this evening. Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have gotten many feathers out.
Jim just called to say he's on his way home. Hallelujah.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Easter
Here are the Easter photos!
Above, Jack and Lily dying Easter eggs.
Photos from Easter morning. I love Lily's excitement when she found out the Easter Bunny left her a Littlest Pet Shop toy. Jack was less excited until he found the candy. I couldn't get him to pose for any shots except the one shown here.
Lily was so funny the night before Easter. She told us that she had to leave the Easter Bunny a note and a picture. With Jim's help, she wrote out the note herself. It said "Dear Rabbit I love your eggs." She drew a picture of herself and the East Bunny with hearts around it. She told us she had to leave the note in our bay window so that the Easter Bunny could see it from outside. She left the picture by the refrigerator so that the Easter Bunny would know where to look for the eggs she made. She then placed an Easter Basket )that Jack made as a school project out of a paper plate) in the other window and told us she needed to put carrots on the window sill "because the Easter Bunny will probably be hungry." She made sure the empty Easter baskets were placed in the window as well. Then she said very seriously, "Do you think I'm forgetting anything?"
She told us she hoped the Easter Bunny would leave her a note (he did) and maybe even a picture of himself (he didn't because his identity is a secret). She was so surprised when she saw her toys -- a small plush puppy, some Disney Princess lip gloss and the small pet shop toy. "How did the Easter Bunny know I would like these things?" I wonder....
Jack got a Fisher Price fishing boat complete with life preserver, fishing rod and fish and a Captain. It plays a song when you put the Captain in the driver seat, which Jack loves. We know this because he played the song repeatedly and danced to it.
I gave the kids much less candy than last year. This year, there were a just a few jelly beans, a couple of marshmallow chicks and some chocolate. Still, the kids had enough to jack them up for the entire day before we cut them off. Jack was literally shoving multiple chocolates into his mouth at once, and we had to take away all of his candy to prevent him from making himself sick.
We did have a couple of candy SNAFUs, all my fault, I'm afraid. I put the chocolate bunnies in the guest room closet with all of the other Easter stuff, forgetting that the main steam pipe for the entire house runs through that closet. When I pulled out the bunnies, they were melted flat into the bottom of the box! Jim ran out that night to replace them and ended up going to 5-6 different stores. He was only able to find one, which we gave to Lily because she specifically asked the Easter Bunny to bring her one. As it turns out, Jack would have had his confiscated early on any way, so it was better that he didn't have one. You can see her holding up her replacement bunny in the photos above -- she was very excited to get it.
My second mistake was buying something called Snickers Cream Eggs. For some reason, even though the word "Snickers" was emblazoned across the package, I thought they were chocolate filled with cream. As soon as Jack began to wolf one down, we saw that, amazingly, they were filled with peanuts and nougat. You know, like a Snicker's bar. Who knew? I'm not sure why they call them "cream" eggs, but I should have known better. We had to confiscate those before Jack ate any more because he's too young for peanuts. He ended up eating a Twix-like candy that Jim bought in Switzerland (he was there on business a couple of weeks ago). That was the candy we had to confiscate to prevent him from making himself sick. He consoled himself by eating jelly beans until we took his whole basket away from him and put it out of reach.
It turns out that when Jack is on a sugar high he runs around, screams and throws things. When Lily is on sugar high, she talks nonstop and demands that you play Littlest Pet Shop with her all day long. For those not in the know, if you play pet shop with Lily, it means you must sit next to her and make periodic comments about her play, but you CANNOT touch anything or try to take part in any way. Jim and I put in about 3 hours each of this today. We are very tired.
In other news, when I told Lily she needed to let her "old Dad" have a break, she informed me that "Papa is not old. Grammy and Granddaddy MAY be old, but Papa is not." I told my mom and she was relieved to know that Lily only thinks she "may" be old.
Above, Jack and Lily dying Easter eggs.
Photos from Easter morning. I love Lily's excitement when she found out the Easter Bunny left her a Littlest Pet Shop toy. Jack was less excited until he found the candy. I couldn't get him to pose for any shots except the one shown here.
Lily was so funny the night before Easter. She told us that she had to leave the Easter Bunny a note and a picture. With Jim's help, she wrote out the note herself. It said "Dear Rabbit I love your eggs." She drew a picture of herself and the East Bunny with hearts around it. She told us she had to leave the note in our bay window so that the Easter Bunny could see it from outside. She left the picture by the refrigerator so that the Easter Bunny would know where to look for the eggs she made. She then placed an Easter Basket )that Jack made as a school project out of a paper plate) in the other window and told us she needed to put carrots on the window sill "because the Easter Bunny will probably be hungry." She made sure the empty Easter baskets were placed in the window as well. Then she said very seriously, "Do you think I'm forgetting anything?"
She told us she hoped the Easter Bunny would leave her a note (he did) and maybe even a picture of himself (he didn't because his identity is a secret). She was so surprised when she saw her toys -- a small plush puppy, some Disney Princess lip gloss and the small pet shop toy. "How did the Easter Bunny know I would like these things?" I wonder....
Jack got a Fisher Price fishing boat complete with life preserver, fishing rod and fish and a Captain. It plays a song when you put the Captain in the driver seat, which Jack loves. We know this because he played the song repeatedly and danced to it.
I gave the kids much less candy than last year. This year, there were a just a few jelly beans, a couple of marshmallow chicks and some chocolate. Still, the kids had enough to jack them up for the entire day before we cut them off. Jack was literally shoving multiple chocolates into his mouth at once, and we had to take away all of his candy to prevent him from making himself sick.
We did have a couple of candy SNAFUs, all my fault, I'm afraid. I put the chocolate bunnies in the guest room closet with all of the other Easter stuff, forgetting that the main steam pipe for the entire house runs through that closet. When I pulled out the bunnies, they were melted flat into the bottom of the box! Jim ran out that night to replace them and ended up going to 5-6 different stores. He was only able to find one, which we gave to Lily because she specifically asked the Easter Bunny to bring her one. As it turns out, Jack would have had his confiscated early on any way, so it was better that he didn't have one. You can see her holding up her replacement bunny in the photos above -- she was very excited to get it.
My second mistake was buying something called Snickers Cream Eggs. For some reason, even though the word "Snickers" was emblazoned across the package, I thought they were chocolate filled with cream. As soon as Jack began to wolf one down, we saw that, amazingly, they were filled with peanuts and nougat. You know, like a Snicker's bar. Who knew? I'm not sure why they call them "cream" eggs, but I should have known better. We had to confiscate those before Jack ate any more because he's too young for peanuts. He ended up eating a Twix-like candy that Jim bought in Switzerland (he was there on business a couple of weeks ago). That was the candy we had to confiscate to prevent him from making himself sick. He consoled himself by eating jelly beans until we took his whole basket away from him and put it out of reach.
It turns out that when Jack is on a sugar high he runs around, screams and throws things. When Lily is on sugar high, she talks nonstop and demands that you play Littlest Pet Shop with her all day long. For those not in the know, if you play pet shop with Lily, it means you must sit next to her and make periodic comments about her play, but you CANNOT touch anything or try to take part in any way. Jim and I put in about 3 hours each of this today. We are very tired.
In other news, when I told Lily she needed to let her "old Dad" have a break, she informed me that "Papa is not old. Grammy and Granddaddy MAY be old, but Papa is not." I told my mom and she was relieved to know that Lily only thinks she "may" be old.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Funny Things My Kids Said Recently
I don't really have anything of much interest to blog about right now, so please enjoy a few funny things that the kids said recently:
"Everyone's invited to my relaxing Disco party!" (Lily, while playing Littlest Pet Shop last night)
"Played with friends, played outside, they wiped my boogies." (Jack, when asked what he did on his first day of school)
"I have to freak out when you leave because I love you, but don't worry, I stop crying as soon as you drive away" (Lily, on why she cries when I drop her off at school)
"Make some cookies?" (Jack's first words upon waking up at 3:30 am a few nights ago)
"Can you take Jack back where you got him?" and, when told no, "Can't we just take him and leave him somewhere?" (Lily, feeling angry towards Jack)
"My ear poking!" (Jack, trying to tell us he has an earache)
"There be stickies?" (Jack's comment when told he needs to go to the doctor for his earache. He did get a sticker at the end of the appointment)
"Cats, Dogs, Bunnies, Sea Animals, the Panda, Quiet Animals and Noisy Animals" (Lily listing the categories of pets in her Littlest Pet Shop)
"You don't need any new friends, you have me!" (Lily's comment when I told her I was going to a knitting group to make some new friends)
"Everyone's invited to my relaxing Disco party!" (Lily, while playing Littlest Pet Shop last night)
"Played with friends, played outside, they wiped my boogies." (Jack, when asked what he did on his first day of school)
"I have to freak out when you leave because I love you, but don't worry, I stop crying as soon as you drive away" (Lily, on why she cries when I drop her off at school)
"Make some cookies?" (Jack's first words upon waking up at 3:30 am a few nights ago)
"Can you take Jack back where you got him?" and, when told no, "Can't we just take him and leave him somewhere?" (Lily, feeling angry towards Jack)
"My ear poking!" (Jack, trying to tell us he has an earache)
"There be stickies?" (Jack's comment when told he needs to go to the doctor for his earache. He did get a sticker at the end of the appointment)
"Cats, Dogs, Bunnies, Sea Animals, the Panda, Quiet Animals and Noisy Animals" (Lily listing the categories of pets in her Littlest Pet Shop)
"You don't need any new friends, you have me!" (Lily's comment when I told her I was going to a knitting group to make some new friends)
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Those Crazy Rabbits!
For your enjoyment, some pictures of the kids being crazy tonight:
The kids got into my work clothes closet (in Lily's room) and came out wearing my high heeled shoes. Lily demanded that I take a picture. I know my feet are big, but these picture makes it look like I wear small sloops on my feet!
Next, the kids came out wearing "costumes." Jack is wearing cat ears and Lily claims to be dressed as a fairy.
Here is Lily posing with the cat she made. She painted it at her friend Bella's birthday party, which was held at Plaster Funtime. I dont know if you can tell, but there is a glittery top coat sprayed on it, so it's very sparkly.
Lily arranged her dolls and demanded I take this photo. I love how her pose mimics the pose of the dolls.
The kids got into my work clothes closet (in Lily's room) and came out wearing my high heeled shoes. Lily demanded that I take a picture. I know my feet are big, but these picture makes it look like I wear small sloops on my feet!
Next, the kids came out wearing "costumes." Jack is wearing cat ears and Lily claims to be dressed as a fairy.
Here is Lily posing with the cat she made. She painted it at her friend Bella's birthday party, which was held at Plaster Funtime. I dont know if you can tell, but there is a glittery top coat sprayed on it, so it's very sparkly.
Lily arranged her dolls and demanded I take this photo. I love how her pose mimics the pose of the dolls.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Jack's First Day at Preschool
Jim and decided several months ago that we would enroll Jack at Kindercare two days a week once he turned two (the price goes down after age 2). Today was his first day.
It was harder for me than him, I think. I've been taking him there almost every time we dropped off Lily so he could get familiar with the room and the teachers. He immediately took off his coat and began to play with all of the toys. I should have left while he was having fun, but I stayed for a while, and he started asking "When we go ridey?"
I told him only mama was going ridey and he freaked out. He tried to get out of the room, and he was crying "No mama, I go ridey. No, mama, no!" The teacher picked him up and he calmed down as I was leaving.
When I picked him up this evening, he was so happy to see us. They told me he had a terrific day and only cried once in the evening when other parents started picking up their kids. He started to cry while I was talking to the teacher because he wanted to go home! On the way home, he told me that he played with "friends" and went outside. He also mentioned that they wiped his "boogies." According to his sheet, he took a two hour nap and ate very well. He sure looked tired tonight.
Lily seemed to have the best day of her school career. Ever since I began to stay at home, Lily has been resistant to going to school in the morning. She told me that "you and Jack do all the fun stuff while I'm gone." She told me that she has to "freak out" when I leave her because she loves me, but reassured me that she stops as soon as I'm gone.
We told her last night that Jack would be starting school today. She was very excited. This morning, when I asked her to get dressed for school, she said "Sure!" and ran to get her clothes. She was chatting and laughing for the entire drive to school and ran right into her class with no "freak out." At pick up time, she threw a mini-fit when I told her we had to leave, but then perked right up when I said we had to pick up Jack. On the way home in the car, she smugly told him "You'll be going to school with me every time now, Jack!"
Schadenfreude: the German word for taking delight in other people's misfortunes (or, in this case, perceived misfortunes).
It was harder for me than him, I think. I've been taking him there almost every time we dropped off Lily so he could get familiar with the room and the teachers. He immediately took off his coat and began to play with all of the toys. I should have left while he was having fun, but I stayed for a while, and he started asking "When we go ridey?"
I told him only mama was going ridey and he freaked out. He tried to get out of the room, and he was crying "No mama, I go ridey. No, mama, no!" The teacher picked him up and he calmed down as I was leaving.
When I picked him up this evening, he was so happy to see us. They told me he had a terrific day and only cried once in the evening when other parents started picking up their kids. He started to cry while I was talking to the teacher because he wanted to go home! On the way home, he told me that he played with "friends" and went outside. He also mentioned that they wiped his "boogies." According to his sheet, he took a two hour nap and ate very well. He sure looked tired tonight.
Lily seemed to have the best day of her school career. Ever since I began to stay at home, Lily has been resistant to going to school in the morning. She told me that "you and Jack do all the fun stuff while I'm gone." She told me that she has to "freak out" when I leave her because she loves me, but reassured me that she stops as soon as I'm gone.
We told her last night that Jack would be starting school today. She was very excited. This morning, when I asked her to get dressed for school, she said "Sure!" and ran to get her clothes. She was chatting and laughing for the entire drive to school and ran right into her class with no "freak out." At pick up time, she threw a mini-fit when I told her we had to leave, but then perked right up when I said we had to pick up Jack. On the way home in the car, she smugly told him "You'll be going to school with me every time now, Jack!"
Schadenfreude: the German word for taking delight in other people's misfortunes (or, in this case, perceived misfortunes).
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Today Was a Good Day
I love it when we have a good family day!
Jack woke up at 6:30 and his first word was "Bawberries" (strawberries). Of course he also woke up Lily, so the three of us went downstairs and let Jim sleep in for a bit. When Jim got up 2 hours later, he let me go up and sleep for a bit. Two well rested parents is a Very. Good. Thing!
Once everyone was up and showered, we decided to go to Cambridge and get dim sum at Mary Chungs. Jim eats there once a week and they have the best Suan La Chow Show (this is my best effort at spelling it). It's like crack -- once you taste it, you must have more. Since we tend to go into Chinatown for dim sum most of the time, it was a nice change. Also, the staff knows Jim pretty well, so they always give us and the kids a little extra attention, which is nice. Lily must have eaten about 10 steamer buns, including all the little squares of steamed cabbage they come on. We ended up asking for a second order of the buns because she had eaten most of the first order and wanted more. Even Jack (aka He Who Never Eats) ate crab rangoon, shu mai and some steamer buns. His big favorite was the Dun Dun Noodles that Jim ordered. They are VERY spicy, but since they put the noodles into the dish and put the spicy stuff on top, you can usually eat from the bottom of the noodles and get only some spiciness. Jack was shoving those noodles in like there was no tomorrow until he hit on one that was a little too spicy. Poor kid. He turned bright red and made some gagging noises. We got him to drink some water and he felt better, but he didn't eat anything else after that!
After lunch, we went to the local art store and picked up some art supplies for the kids. By the time we got hom, Jack was passed out in his car seat, so he went down for a nap. Lily and Jim worked on her art project and and I did some reading and a lot of work on the scarf pattern I'm trying to come up with. I actually managed to work out some of the bugs and now the scarf is about 1/3 finished. I've never made up a crochet pattern before, so I feel pretty proud of myself!
After Jack woke up, we all hung out in the living room and watched some Harry Potter while the kids played. Since we'd had such a late lunch, we opted for a soup and sandwich dinner. Everyone, even King Picky himself, ate some dinner. We had a little more family time, and then the kids went to bed without a fuss. Jim's off to his weekly cartoon night at a friend's house, so I had a few hours of peace and quiet to work on my scarf project.
With the exception of one little hissy fit this morning, Lily behaved like a model child. She shared with Jack, told him she loved him and even played with him. Jack was only fussy for a short time after he woke up from his nap soaked in drool. A change into dry clothing and a cup of milk fixed that problem. It really felt like I was doing something right as a parent and wife today. Why can't it be like this all the time?
Jack woke up at 6:30 and his first word was "Bawberries" (strawberries). Of course he also woke up Lily, so the three of us went downstairs and let Jim sleep in for a bit. When Jim got up 2 hours later, he let me go up and sleep for a bit. Two well rested parents is a Very. Good. Thing!
Once everyone was up and showered, we decided to go to Cambridge and get dim sum at Mary Chungs. Jim eats there once a week and they have the best Suan La Chow Show (this is my best effort at spelling it). It's like crack -- once you taste it, you must have more. Since we tend to go into Chinatown for dim sum most of the time, it was a nice change. Also, the staff knows Jim pretty well, so they always give us and the kids a little extra attention, which is nice. Lily must have eaten about 10 steamer buns, including all the little squares of steamed cabbage they come on. We ended up asking for a second order of the buns because she had eaten most of the first order and wanted more. Even Jack (aka He Who Never Eats) ate crab rangoon, shu mai and some steamer buns. His big favorite was the Dun Dun Noodles that Jim ordered. They are VERY spicy, but since they put the noodles into the dish and put the spicy stuff on top, you can usually eat from the bottom of the noodles and get only some spiciness. Jack was shoving those noodles in like there was no tomorrow until he hit on one that was a little too spicy. Poor kid. He turned bright red and made some gagging noises. We got him to drink some water and he felt better, but he didn't eat anything else after that!
After lunch, we went to the local art store and picked up some art supplies for the kids. By the time we got hom, Jack was passed out in his car seat, so he went down for a nap. Lily and Jim worked on her art project and and I did some reading and a lot of work on the scarf pattern I'm trying to come up with. I actually managed to work out some of the bugs and now the scarf is about 1/3 finished. I've never made up a crochet pattern before, so I feel pretty proud of myself!
After Jack woke up, we all hung out in the living room and watched some Harry Potter while the kids played. Since we'd had such a late lunch, we opted for a soup and sandwich dinner. Everyone, even King Picky himself, ate some dinner. We had a little more family time, and then the kids went to bed without a fuss. Jim's off to his weekly cartoon night at a friend's house, so I had a few hours of peace and quiet to work on my scarf project.
With the exception of one little hissy fit this morning, Lily behaved like a model child. She shared with Jack, told him she loved him and even played with him. Jack was only fussy for a short time after he woke up from his nap soaked in drool. A change into dry clothing and a cup of milk fixed that problem. It really felt like I was doing something right as a parent and wife today. Why can't it be like this all the time?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
In Which Jack Vomits Repeatedly
Just when I thought we were past the months of sickness, Jack got my stomach flu yesterday. I felt so bad for him because my own bout with the flu is still fresh in my mind. He would be fine for a bit, and then he would start writhing on the couch and saying "No...no...no...no" until he threw up. It was awful. Fortunately, Lily was at school all day yesterday, so I just wrapped Jack up in a blanket and sat with him on the couch with a Tupperware container at the ready.
Somewhere around 11 am, he finally fell asleep and got his first real break from vomiting. Shortly after noon, he woke up, said "I hungry!" and got off the couch to run into the kitchen. He came back with a packet of instant oatmeal, an instant noodles and meatball meal that Jim bought for some reason, and a can of Chicken and Stars soup. He laid them on the hassock in front of me and said "I hungry now, Mama!"
I decided to err on the side of caution and gave him ice water and two saltines to eat. He wolfed down the crackers within seconds and said "More. I hungry." He ultimately ate about 15 saltines and drank two cups of water. Then he went into the kitchen and said "I eat jam bread," so I made him a jam sandwich. Then he asked for a bowl of cereal, so I gave him some mini wheats. Even that wasn't enough for him, because he continued to repeat "I hungry, Mama!" for the rest of the afternoon. I would have given him more food, but I was already nervous about the amount he'd just eaten.
His ravenous hunger continued through dinner when he ate all of his meal and some of Lily's. This is my child who barely eats anything, ever. I've never seen him put away so much food in a single day.
He slept pretty well last night, and when he woke up this morning, his appetite was back to normal, which means he ate a small breakfast, a few bites of his lunch and no dinner at all. Based on his usual level of food consumption, he probably ate enough yesterday to last him a month!
Somewhere around 11 am, he finally fell asleep and got his first real break from vomiting. Shortly after noon, he woke up, said "I hungry!" and got off the couch to run into the kitchen. He came back with a packet of instant oatmeal, an instant noodles and meatball meal that Jim bought for some reason, and a can of Chicken and Stars soup. He laid them on the hassock in front of me and said "I hungry now, Mama!"
I decided to err on the side of caution and gave him ice water and two saltines to eat. He wolfed down the crackers within seconds and said "More. I hungry." He ultimately ate about 15 saltines and drank two cups of water. Then he went into the kitchen and said "I eat jam bread," so I made him a jam sandwich. Then he asked for a bowl of cereal, so I gave him some mini wheats. Even that wasn't enough for him, because he continued to repeat "I hungry, Mama!" for the rest of the afternoon. I would have given him more food, but I was already nervous about the amount he'd just eaten.
His ravenous hunger continued through dinner when he ate all of his meal and some of Lily's. This is my child who barely eats anything, ever. I've never seen him put away so much food in a single day.
He slept pretty well last night, and when he woke up this morning, his appetite was back to normal, which means he ate a small breakfast, a few bites of his lunch and no dinner at all. Based on his usual level of food consumption, he probably ate enough yesterday to last him a month!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A Busy Weekend For Us
Wow. We've been really busy! And it's been fun.
On Thursday, Jack and I dropped Lily off at school and then headed over to the butcher shop. I've probably mentioned that one of our money saving life changes was to purchase meat and fish directly from the butcher and fish market. The prices are slightly less and the product is so much fresher. Anyway, I go to both about once a week, and Jack always comes with me. On the way, Jack kept talking about the Book Man and getting frustrated because I couldn't understand him. When we got out of the car at the butcher shop, Jack pointed to the store and said "Book Man give a lolly?" Ah HA! Book Man equals Butcher Man! Jack always gets a candy or lolly from the butcher, so it's an event he clearly looks forward to. In fact, as soon as we walked in and I ordered, Jack grabbed my hand and said "Where my lolly?" One track mind.
After picking up some stew beef and ground pork for Jim's awesome chili, we went to check out the yarn sale at Michaels. I got some good deals on worsted weight wool, which I plan on using to make Jim a hat and mittens. I also picked up the yarn I'm going to use for Lily's pink cotton sweater, which will be my next project after I finish crocheting my blue sweater (I have a sleeve and a half left).
Once we got home, Jack played and I spent some time updating my Ravelry account. I love Ravelry! I put up photos of my works in progress and my yarn stash, and joined some discussion groups. I was thrilled to find out that there is a Monday Night Knitting group that meets a few minutes away from my house in Saugus. I'm probably going to head over there tomorrow night to (hopefully) make some new crafty friends.
I also got online and taught myself the continental style of knitting. I'm working on a felted bag that Jill (my sister-in-law) developed, which is all knitting since it is worked in the round on a circular needle. I've been practicing with that project.
Thursday night was my monthly scrapbooking crop. I didn't get much done, but really enjoyed hanging out with my girlfriends and gossiping about the goings on in Melrose. I hadn't seen my friend Kelly since before Christmas, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Apparently, one of the men working on the house next door to us walked outside, looked at Kelly standing in her driveway and then PEED right in front of her. Good to know, since the kids play outside when the weather is warm enough. I would prefer to keep them away from crazy construction workers who expose themselves. Yuck.
Friday morning, the snow started coming down pretty fast. We ended up getting at least 9 inches by the time it ended. Jim's office closed at 2pm so that the workers could get home before rush hour when the snow was predicted to be at its worst. We spent Friday hanging out and playing together as a family while it blew snow outside. It was a lot of fun!
Saturday, the kids played outside in the snow. I worked on some stuff around the house and made good progress on my blue sweater project. In the afternoon, we all went to the North Shore Mall and picked up some baby gifts for our friends John and Wendy. The kids each had some fresh fruit salad and a croissant for early dinner and then we headed home. Jim had to go to his annual fraternity banquet that evening. He ended up staying out until 3 am catching up with his friends from college.
Jack had a bad dream on Saturday night and was able to tell me about it. I heard him calling "Mama! Papa!" over and over, so I went upstairs. When I asked him what was wrong, he said "Fiahfucks! Fiahfucks!" (his way of saying fire trucks). I asked where they were and he said "Fiahfucks outside my winnow! They outside my winnow." Needless to say, there were no frie trucks outside his window or anywhere near our house, so he must have been dreaming. He fell asleep pretty fast after I rocked him and calmed him down.
Lily and I had a little Girls' Night after Jack got to sleep. We talked about the sweater I am planning to make for her, about kindergarten and some other things that Lily was worried about. The parents of her close friends just got separated and are living apart. Lily is very worried that Jim and I will stop loving each other or move into separate houses. I assured her that was not the case. If Lily is this concerned, I can;t even imagine how confused and scared her friends are! Lily and I drew some mermaids together and then she went right off to sleep. I spent a quiet evening working on my knitting projects and watching movies.
Today I went to my new hair stylist for the first time. She is the mother of one of the little girls in Lily's ballet class. Her hair always looks very cool and her salon is not as expensive as my current place, so I asked for her business card. I basically told her to do whatever she wanted with my hair and I absolutely love it. The color is gorgeous and the cut is exactly what I wanted -- and I didn't even discuss it with her. Not only that, but she got my hair done much faster than my other stylist so I had a little "me" time walking around the North Shore Mall, where the salon is located. I ended up picking up some clothes that were on sale at Gymboree. Lily apparently went almost directly from a 3T to a 5, barely pausing to wear size 4. All of her shirt sleeves are suddenly too short. Sadly, she has inherited my mother's and my monkey arms. She was also in dire need of new pajamas, which were also on sale.
We spent the rest of the day at home, playing with the kids. Lily is really into making up puzzle games right now. She draws a picture and hides either letters or numbers in the drawing, and then we have to circle the hidden characters. She's pretty creative in making them a part of her drawing. She also drew a picture of herself eating a purple plum, and wrote "POML," which she explained was the word "plum." We were very pleased that she basically got all of the sounds and we helped her figure out how to put the letters in the right order. Then she figured out hello by spelling "HLLO." She is getting very good at writing and spelling by herself. My favorite message was "Mama is the beast of all Lily," written when she was mad at me. The actual message read "MAMA BST OL LILY." I was very proud of her work even though she thinks I am the beast of all. Unfortunately, she also used her new spelling and writing skills to write all of our names in black grease pencil on the cloth seats of our dining room chairs. She wanted us to know where we were supposed to sit. She wrote Jack's name on his plastic high chair tray, so only three chair seats are ruined. Since I'm planning to paint the dining room anyway, I'll just add picking up some cloth to recover the seats to my to do list.
Jim and Lily are drawing up some plans for a garden. Her other new interest is drawing plans for houses, aircraft, playgrounds and other places. She draws pictures to explain how these things will be used. Maybe she'll become an architect?
On Thursday, Jack and I dropped Lily off at school and then headed over to the butcher shop. I've probably mentioned that one of our money saving life changes was to purchase meat and fish directly from the butcher and fish market. The prices are slightly less and the product is so much fresher. Anyway, I go to both about once a week, and Jack always comes with me. On the way, Jack kept talking about the Book Man and getting frustrated because I couldn't understand him. When we got out of the car at the butcher shop, Jack pointed to the store and said "Book Man give a lolly?" Ah HA! Book Man equals Butcher Man! Jack always gets a candy or lolly from the butcher, so it's an event he clearly looks forward to. In fact, as soon as we walked in and I ordered, Jack grabbed my hand and said "Where my lolly?" One track mind.
After picking up some stew beef and ground pork for Jim's awesome chili, we went to check out the yarn sale at Michaels. I got some good deals on worsted weight wool, which I plan on using to make Jim a hat and mittens. I also picked up the yarn I'm going to use for Lily's pink cotton sweater, which will be my next project after I finish crocheting my blue sweater (I have a sleeve and a half left).
Once we got home, Jack played and I spent some time updating my Ravelry account. I love Ravelry! I put up photos of my works in progress and my yarn stash, and joined some discussion groups. I was thrilled to find out that there is a Monday Night Knitting group that meets a few minutes away from my house in Saugus. I'm probably going to head over there tomorrow night to (hopefully) make some new crafty friends.
I also got online and taught myself the continental style of knitting. I'm working on a felted bag that Jill (my sister-in-law) developed, which is all knitting since it is worked in the round on a circular needle. I've been practicing with that project.
Thursday night was my monthly scrapbooking crop. I didn't get much done, but really enjoyed hanging out with my girlfriends and gossiping about the goings on in Melrose. I hadn't seen my friend Kelly since before Christmas, so we had a lot of catching up to do. Apparently, one of the men working on the house next door to us walked outside, looked at Kelly standing in her driveway and then PEED right in front of her. Good to know, since the kids play outside when the weather is warm enough. I would prefer to keep them away from crazy construction workers who expose themselves. Yuck.
Friday morning, the snow started coming down pretty fast. We ended up getting at least 9 inches by the time it ended. Jim's office closed at 2pm so that the workers could get home before rush hour when the snow was predicted to be at its worst. We spent Friday hanging out and playing together as a family while it blew snow outside. It was a lot of fun!
Saturday, the kids played outside in the snow. I worked on some stuff around the house and made good progress on my blue sweater project. In the afternoon, we all went to the North Shore Mall and picked up some baby gifts for our friends John and Wendy. The kids each had some fresh fruit salad and a croissant for early dinner and then we headed home. Jim had to go to his annual fraternity banquet that evening. He ended up staying out until 3 am catching up with his friends from college.
Jack had a bad dream on Saturday night and was able to tell me about it. I heard him calling "Mama! Papa!" over and over, so I went upstairs. When I asked him what was wrong, he said "Fiahfucks! Fiahfucks!" (his way of saying fire trucks). I asked where they were and he said "Fiahfucks outside my winnow! They outside my winnow." Needless to say, there were no frie trucks outside his window or anywhere near our house, so he must have been dreaming. He fell asleep pretty fast after I rocked him and calmed him down.
Lily and I had a little Girls' Night after Jack got to sleep. We talked about the sweater I am planning to make for her, about kindergarten and some other things that Lily was worried about. The parents of her close friends just got separated and are living apart. Lily is very worried that Jim and I will stop loving each other or move into separate houses. I assured her that was not the case. If Lily is this concerned, I can;t even imagine how confused and scared her friends are! Lily and I drew some mermaids together and then she went right off to sleep. I spent a quiet evening working on my knitting projects and watching movies.
Today I went to my new hair stylist for the first time. She is the mother of one of the little girls in Lily's ballet class. Her hair always looks very cool and her salon is not as expensive as my current place, so I asked for her business card. I basically told her to do whatever she wanted with my hair and I absolutely love it. The color is gorgeous and the cut is exactly what I wanted -- and I didn't even discuss it with her. Not only that, but she got my hair done much faster than my other stylist so I had a little "me" time walking around the North Shore Mall, where the salon is located. I ended up picking up some clothes that were on sale at Gymboree. Lily apparently went almost directly from a 3T to a 5, barely pausing to wear size 4. All of her shirt sleeves are suddenly too short. Sadly, she has inherited my mother's and my monkey arms. She was also in dire need of new pajamas, which were also on sale.
We spent the rest of the day at home, playing with the kids. Lily is really into making up puzzle games right now. She draws a picture and hides either letters or numbers in the drawing, and then we have to circle the hidden characters. She's pretty creative in making them a part of her drawing. She also drew a picture of herself eating a purple plum, and wrote "POML," which she explained was the word "plum." We were very pleased that she basically got all of the sounds and we helped her figure out how to put the letters in the right order. Then she figured out hello by spelling "HLLO." She is getting very good at writing and spelling by herself. My favorite message was "Mama is the beast of all Lily," written when she was mad at me. The actual message read "MAMA BST OL LILY." I was very proud of her work even though she thinks I am the beast of all. Unfortunately, she also used her new spelling and writing skills to write all of our names in black grease pencil on the cloth seats of our dining room chairs. She wanted us to know where we were supposed to sit. She wrote Jack's name on his plastic high chair tray, so only three chair seats are ruined. Since I'm planning to paint the dining room anyway, I'll just add picking up some cloth to recover the seats to my to do list.
Jim and Lily are drawing up some plans for a garden. Her other new interest is drawing plans for houses, aircraft, playgrounds and other places. She draws pictures to explain how these things will be used. Maybe she'll become an architect?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Jack's Birthday Pictures
I already described the party in an earlier post, but here are a few pictures of Jack's second birthday:
The birthday boy under his Thomas birthday banner.
Jack's "2" balloon and his Thomas balloon, with a few of his presents.
Lily and Emma in front of the Pin the Number on Thomas game.
Jack blowing out the candles on his Thomas cake.
The birthday boy eating some cake.
Here's a bonus picture of Lily getting her first hair cut at Snippets!
Doesn't she look like she's enjoying herself? She was actually very well behaved during the cut, but she was uncomfortable trying to tilt her head in the proper positions.
The birthday boy under his Thomas birthday banner.
Jack's "2" balloon and his Thomas balloon, with a few of his presents.
Lily and Emma in front of the Pin the Number on Thomas game.
Jack blowing out the candles on his Thomas cake.
The birthday boy eating some cake.
Here's a bonus picture of Lily getting her first hair cut at Snippets!
Doesn't she look like she's enjoying herself? She was actually very well behaved during the cut, but she was uncomfortable trying to tilt her head in the proper positions.
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