Monday, March 31, 2008

At Least She's Using Expressive Adjectives

I just brought Kate her sippy cup with regular water in it. I walked back into the kitchen, so I didn't see her take a big swipe of it or lick her lips afterwards. But, I did hear (in her always-shouting-even-if-you-are-directly-beside-her voice) was:

Dank du, Momma. Is yishish!

She just called her tap water delicious.

Where is she learning this stuff?

Saturday, March 29, 2008

The Things She Learns From Her Sister

Momma, no by or tum. (Mommy, no bite your thumb.)

Katelyn told me this last night and just minutes ago when she saw me chewing on my thumbnail. (A habit, I'm sorry to say, that has been impossible to break since childhood.)

She has picked this up from Padyn, who apparently has watched the "Bad Habit" episode of Berenstain Bears one too many times.

I wonder if their father is putting them up to this.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Future Camper?

Padyn has spent almost all day under this blanket. Seriously...all day. She calls it her fort. It's her new favorite thing. The pros-completely self-entertained...for a LONG TIME. The cons-she doesn't want her sister anywhere near it (hence, tantrums on both ends) and whenever it falls, I have to go fix it.
She wanted to nap in it, but we drew the line. Instead, we made her a "tent" in the playroom. She slept, then woke up really hot. But at least she was happy about it.

We'll see if this lasts through the weekend or if was just a fad for today.

And I know, I know...she really needs a haircut. I'm shooting for Monday.

Photo Friday-Table Does and Don'ts

This Photo Friday, I thought I'd enlighten you with a brief tutorial in proper dining etiquette, as understood from a 2 and 4 year old perspective. I have included photos so as to minimize any confusion. Feel free to use these techniques at home. They are not yet copyrighted.

First off, the table isn't just a place to scarf down your chicken nuggets and dehydrated peas. No, no. It is a place of rest and relaxation. You should sit, stand, kneel or lie any way that makes the consumption of your meal most enjoyable. Kicking back with your feet on the table is particularly helpful in digestion. (Especially if all you are digesting is air.)
Secondly, despite what you may have heard in the past (usually by well-meaning, but misinformed parents) food is a toy. Playing with it actually makes it taste better. Making your gummy vitamins dance around, taking your grapes off your plate one by one to count them, and rolling your cup across the table (to watch it roll off the table) are all fun, easy ways to better enjoy the meal set before you. Balancing food on one's face is especially satisfying.
(you have to know that Kate actually did this first, and Padyn copied her. That's why Kate looks so pleased with herself.)Recent studies show that chewing food with your mouth open may actually lead to less choking, better circulation of oxygen to the lungs, and more stimulating table conversations. Using sticky, gooey food substances with this method are particularly encouraged.Lastly, wrestling and other forms of contact play are most fun when the risk of bruising oneself on the hard edge or corner of a table is present. Don't limit yourself to wrestling or playing on the soft carpet. Where's the fun when no risk is involved? Go ahead...tackle your sister, brother, mother or father tonight at the table. Everyone will love it.Happy Friday

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Signs That There Might Be Too Much TV Viewing #16

Mommy, when will WE find a dinosaur bone?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Family Portraits-The Dinner Edition

Like any decent family, we attempt to eat dinner together a couple nights a week. It's usually only a couple because by the time Daddy gets home many nights, the girls are needing to be in the bath. But tonight was one that we all sat down at the same time and attempted to eat the same food. For whatever reason, the camera eventually came out. I think it started with Kate showing us her ladybug stamps (as opposed to eating) and went downhill from there. We managed to get a close-upish picture of everyone, although, obviously, by the time we got to Kate, she was ready to be DONE.


What do your family meals look like?

Sunday, March 23, 2008

What a Difference A Year Makes







Happy Easter

Though it's hard to tell from the pictures, we really do stress that Easter is about Jesus' resurrection. The candy in the eggs are just an added bonus...

This was the first year Kate has been able to participate in the Easter Egg hunt after church. The only thing in her eggs was gold fish and Cheerios, but you would have thought she'd discovered gold by her excitement over her goodies.

Padyn was a bit pickier this year. She only went for the pink or purple eggs. That was a terribly limiting strategy, therefore she only ended up with 5. I wasn't upset about it...5 plastic eggs is plenty of candy. And she didn't seem to notice that all the other preschoolers had about 20 eggs in their baskets. Hopefully that will last at least another year. (The green ones in her basket below are actually from Kate's basket.)

Fortunately, not much jealously ensued over the difference in egg fillings. Padyn did manage to share some of her jelly beans with Kate, so we are all good.Happy Resurrection Day.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Photo Saturday-A New Trend

Maybe I should just start calling it Photo Saturday...but it really doesn't have the same ring as Photo Friday does.

Here are a few shots we took at playgroup on Wednesday. Yet another one of our good friends is moving far far away, so I was snapping some shots of everyone for a little photo book so they could remember everyone. Here's what I took of the girlies...

Padyn and her "best friend," Emily, drawing with chalk. Kate and Josh (Emily's bro) sharing the sand truck. Padyn showing off. I can't ever get this child out of the swing. She could stay there for the entire 2 hours if I let her.Padyn was swinging next to Emily...that's what she's looking at.Happy Weekend. I'll put some shots up of the girls in their Easter finery tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

It IS the Season of Miracles...

After a week or so of eating almost nothing by crunchy snack food and air, Katelyn stunned us this evening. She ate:

Two helpings of Trader Joe's Curry Chicken (CURRY! TWO!)
Two helpings of blueberries (BOO BERRIES!)
A small helping of rice (first time ever)
A Strawberry YoKids Squeezer yogurt (no surprise...she thinks it's candy)
3 apricots (she's been boycotting apricots lately)

I'm still scraping my jaw off the floor.

Don't worry...I'm sure she'll be back to air tomorrow. The universe will be restored.

Budding Vocabulary

Kate turns 2 in a couple weeks. I'm totally in denial about it, yet, all her behavior lately keeps shoving it right in my face. The stubborn drive to constantly have her own way, the screaming tantrums that ensure when she doesn't get it, the contrary actions, the new language skills...all point to the reality of a two year old.

When she turns two, I'll give you an actual update, but I just wanted to throw out the new response she has apparently picked up from someone else in this house (I honestly don't know who...it could have been me just as easily as it could have been from her big sister.)

This was a conversation we had Monday morning after I took her out of her crib:

Kate: I wan paci boo boo.

Mommy: Why do you want Paci Boo Boo?

Kate: be-CUZ!

Monday, March 17, 2008

St. Patrick's Day Photo Fun

I was trying to get a good picture of the girls to show off their St. Paddy's day shirts that Auntie bought for them. Instead, I got these... At least I got the shirts.
Hope you remembered your green today.
And for those of you who think the only thing this patron saint is famous for is corn beef and ridding Ireland of snakes, Wikipedia, as usual, has more information than you ever wanted to know about my eldest daughter's namesake.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Photo Friday-Oops...Saturday

I know how disappointing it is. It's Friday, so you eagerly pop over to my blog, knowing there will be some cute pictures to look at. Some of you have been waiting all week for it! Then, to your utter dismay, when you get here, there's nothing. You might think, "Well, it's still only 3pm (or 5:15 or 9:42)...she just hasn't gotten to it. I'll check back later. And if you checked again at 11:57pm (because I was still up then) you would have realized the truth. I have been lazy.


Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth, but I won't whine to you about my crazy insane day yesterday. I can tell you I didn't take these pictures until about 5:30. The girls had been without me most of the day. (I was home part of the time, but busy sitting in on a phone interview and the other part of the day I was off training parents while the girls hung out at their friends' house.) They really wanted to go ride their bikes, so I brought the camera along. I think it's pretty funny that they are wearing almost the same clothes they wore in the last pictures I posted.

Kate isn't really riding her bike yet. She discovered the other day that she prefers kneeling on the back and having me pull her along. This may be easier for her, but it's hard on Mommy's back.Lately, Kate hasn't wanted to swing on the bars in gymnastics (her favorite activity in the fall) but yesterday she busted out her hanging ability. She's swinging there yelling, "Nastics! Ook (look), Momma. Nastics!"
Kate wanted to just hang out and watch Padyn ride her bike in circles around the playground.Padyn is getting more confident on her bike, but still as slow as molasses. She has figured out how to use the pedal brakes, which is amusing since she never goes fast enough to actually require braking. She did have a major wipe out yesterday, but after a few minutes of crying and refusing to get back on, she was drawn in by peer pressure and rode again(the neighbor boy came out then to ride his bike, so of course, Padyn had to get back on hers.)
She still occasionally prefers Kate's trike, as you can see here. And look what they discovered...maybe I should buy them a tandem.

Happy Friday.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The Lengths We'll Go To to Protect Our Kids

These are classic. Of course, I own one of two of these items, so don't think I'm above these.

http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000548.html

If you've never read The Banterist before, you should. Find his eBay sale of his leather pants. That's the best.

Monday, March 10, 2008

New Hairdo


I know the pigtails are cute, but I have been getting tired of them, especially since her "bangs" are getting longer and she refuses to keep a barrette in. So today, I tried something different. She was not happy about it...she REALLY wanted pigtails.

The Barbie Bike

I don't know if the handbar tassles or the star stickers are my favorite part...

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Small Steps....or Pedal Pushes

Padyn started to ride her "big girl bike" this weekend. I just wanted to get that officially recorded so when she asks how old she was when she learned how to ride her bike, I can at least look back and have a truthful answer for her, as opposed to one I made up. (And she will ask because that's one of her favorite questions lately...Mommy, how old was I when I... OR Mommy, how old were YOU when...)

Now, I wouldn't say she is comfortable on the bike yet as evidenced by her less than one mile a day pace, but at least she'll ride without us holding onto the seat. And she rode it down the driveway into the street (safe) and she went on ahead of Kate and I down the path this afternoon and she's figured out how to get on and off it herself. We aren't quite ready to go out riding with friends yet, but progress is definitely being made.

I'll post pictures as soon as I take them. Cause really, you have to see this bike. It's a Barbie bike. What more could a 4 year old want?

Friday, March 07, 2008

Photo Friday-Cowgirls and Trains

We are currently in the middle of a dance party in the living room on my newly cleaned carpet, but I thought I'd take a breather and post some photos from this week. Well, if I'm to be honest, photos from Wednesday and today. Those are the only days the camera was in use this week. Some weeks are better than others. (Sorry, no photos from the dance party. Too much hair swinging and jumping around. But if you used to live in Arlington Farms, you understand.)

This first one is from Wednesday. For whatever reason, Padyn decided she wanted to be a cowgirl. She found her bandanna from VBS last summer and the cowboy hat Papa brought home from some costume party. In this picture she's shoeless, but you know she wore her hot pink "cowgirl" boots to complete the outfit. Nice. She discarded the hat and bandanna before story hour, but she still contented that she was a cowgirl all day.

Oh, and can you see the shirt? It's my new favorite one that I found at Target for $3 last weekend. It says My Daddy can fix anything. She has taken this very literally since I bought her the shirt. For example, she got this little balsa wood airplane from a birthday party last week, and it immediately broke upon her first usage. I told her that's just the way it was with those toys and we weren't going to be able to fix it. She said, "Daddy can fix it." I said that probably not, it looks beyond repair. Do you know what she said? Actually, it was more of a wail...But my daddy can fix ANYTHING! My shirt says so! No Spoiled Brat or I'm a Princess shirts please. Who knows what she'll do with those.
Yep...that's a little person. Thanks, Padyn.
The following pictures are of our afternoon today. Here's the "train" that Padyn and Kate made. Padyn is on the stairs on her way to get more stuffed animals to ride the train.
Oh, the animals have arrived. Maybe it's a circus train.The train eventually became a car, with both girls in the front seat. So, we tried to take some "I love my sister" photos. This is about the best one I got.
From there we progressed to mayhem. Padyn was rolling around on the floor with her animals, Kate was banging the chair into the ground...I decided it was time to move onto quieter activities...coloring and such. Doesn't work so well when the music is still playing VERY LOUDLY. But that's just the way we like it on a lazy Friday afternoon.
Happy Friday.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

A Peak Inside Her Mind


I think it's best if I just attempt to regurgitate the dialogue rather than give you a summary.

I was still in bed reading when Padyn came in to show me her picture Monday morning. So first...she must have done this in about 15 minutes since it hadn't been that long since she was allowed out of her room. But it's her explanation of it that makes me unsure if I should be proud or concerned...

P: Mommy, this is you and me with crowns. You are walking the boy dog and I am walking the girl dog with babies inside. I have the bigger crown 'cause I'm bigger.
And here's a girl and a boy. And here's the sun.

M: Oh, Padyn. It's lovely. You drew such a nice picture. Tell me more about it. So we have crowns. Why do we have crowns?

P: Because we're the princesses who have dogs. And we have a castle.

M: OK. So I have the boy dog and you have the girl dog? Why does the girl dog have a crown?

P: She has a crown because she eats a special dinner.

Trust me. It makes just as much sense to me as it does to you. And don't ask me what the girl and boy lying on the beach blanket are doing in the picture or why my dog looks like a tick on a leash. I didn't ask and she didn't explain. But what I want to know is, where does she come up with this stuff? And why is she so fascinated with babies in mommies' tummies lately? I am certainly not modeling that for her...