Kicking it Off

Adventures, sunshine, warm day, cool breeze, naps and icecream.  A great start to vacation!

Crazy Baby Skills

At 10 months old, MMan is undressing himself.  He is quite proud of himself!  Just to show off a little he showed that he can balance his binkie on the rail if the crib.

Aaah, Spring!

Blooming daffodils,  forsythia, and hyacinths begin to set the stage for our spring and summer landscape. 70 degree weather, sunshine, anda warm breeze in the back yard warm the winter weary soul.  Laughing, exploring children keep me on my toes.

The Story Of A Blue Ball

On Monday HandyMan rescued a large blue ball from the brush on the far side of our creek.  It has beenthe center of much play since then.  The girls had a grand time with it when he found it.  Tuesday he and GGirl played lots of volleyball with it and Wednesday GGirl and I had volleyball, soccer, and fetch going in the back yard.  Flowers blooming, bird singing, children playing happily...

Until the breeze turned fiesty and tossed the ball I to the waiting creek.  GGirl was quite upset by the development.  She saw that the ball was caught in a small pool in the creek and "Mommy, we have to get my ball!"  So with one eye on MMan,  I rolled up my jeans, tossed my sandals and headed into the creek.  As I ducked under our bridge and carefully made my way towards the ball, I had one eye on an MMan who was now interested in what was going on in the creek and one eye on the ball.  I began navigating the slippery rocks towards the ball.  Then the ball freed itself from the little pool and meandered further down-creek, just as MMan decided it was time to come trucking down the hill.  So I hauled -er -myself out of the creek, intercepted MMan just as he barrelled over our flimsy excuse for fense, which is intended only to stop toys, not baby boys on a mission, and hiked it back up the hill. 

And turned to talk to a very sad GGirl.   I explained that maybe she and daddy could go on an adventure and try to find the ball later.  After dinner when we looked down the creek, an unnaturally blue orb was caught in the creek just below our house.  SuperDaddy scaled down the bank, braved the creek, retrieved the Blue Ball and returned it to one very happy little girl.  All without getting his sneakers wet. 

A Sunny Play Day

A play date with MOPs friends brought great backyard fun this morning and great naps for the little guys this afternoon.  The girls were practicing some early rugby moves.  And the Hide and Seek seeker got distracted leaving the hiders hanging out in the shed.  Add good coffee and visiting for the grown-ups and lots of sunshine and it was just about perfect.  70 degrees, barefoot and shorts would have made it perfect!

"This Is My Costume!"

GGirl spent the afternoon outside catching up on Daddy-time.  He was out of town for meetings this week and in her words "I just missed you 'cuz I just love you sooooo much!"

From the back porch I saw her out by the shed in an ensemble that can only be described as 'original'.  When she came in she proudly showed off her "costume".  Complete with flower flip-flops and an anklet.  She even posed for the picture.

My little original!

Outting

The sun is out and the children are squirrelly.  It was time to get out of the house.  After MMan took a much too short nap we loaded up and headed to one of GGirl's "favorites"-Frog Pond Farms.  We saw the animals, found lots of yummy fruit and GGirl played in the corn bin.

MMan, still not feeling quite up to par, jabbered from his stroller and giggled uncontrollably when GGirl dumped shovel loads of corn onto the wagon. 

Fun stuff!

Miserable Baby

Apparently we've done too good of a job teaching GGirl to share.  She got a sinus-fever-yucky cough bug over the weekend.  Last night it became very clear that she has shared with MMan.  Off to tend to the oh-so-grumpy little boy.

Motivators & Alien Abduction

Yesterday was rough.  Somewhere between MOPs and home an alien from Planet Obstinatecrabbypants abducted GGirl and took her place.

Today, motivated by lack of sleep and low patience levels, I did something I rarely do: I negotiated with my four-year-old with candy.  Hey, my management classes taught me to find out what motivates employees, same principles can apply to children and GGirl is highly motivated by special treats.  We counted out 10 Reeses Pieces into a cup and discussed which choices got her treats and which ones got me treats, and went about the morning. 

HandyMan took over for a bit so I could work on the lack of sleep thing.  When I came back downstairs GGirl asked for her special treats. I explained the negotiations to HandyMan and asked if she had lost any of the candies.  After some discussion it was determined she had lost three.  Then HandyMan sheepishly admitted that he had eaten the candies while he was cleaning up the kitchen.  So we counted out 7 more Reeses Pieces and the day went on peacefully.  Until clean-up time.

I asked her to clean up.  No response.  I told her that if I had to ask again I was going to eat one of her candies.  She came over to inspect the candy dish. "Mommy, you can eat them.  I only want 4 so I will clean up when there are 4 left. 

I ate three.  She cleaned up. 

And somewhere in all of it the Alien returned my GGirl.

I Got A Desk Today

As I've mentioned before, I work from home.  I have a corner of the house that is mine.  I go to my corner and hide to work.  I set up my Corner Office in January so I could set up my second monitor.  Being the "make do with what I have" girl, I made do with a TV tray and a shelf.  And it worked, until I couldn't take the incongruous surfaces anymore.  Then I ordered a desk.

The desk came today.  I had scheduled time on Friday for HandyMan to help me.  When the UPS guy showed up with my desk right after MMan crashed for an afternoon nap, impatience won. 

I busted into the box and figured I'd let GGirl help.  4 year old attention span and furniture assembly - you can see where this is going can't you.

Things started off well.  She would hand me the screws.  I assembled.  About 3 screws in I thought that tracking down the drill might be a good idea.

About 20 minutes into assembly:  "Oh, Mommy, I just love to dance in your empty corner!"  I should have gotten the drill.

30 minutes into assembly:  "Mommy,  why are you putting that piece there?" While hanging on the arm that I was using to wrestle a screw through a metal desk leg and into the wood.
"GGirl, please don't hang on Mommy."
Boy am I glad that MMan is still napping.  I really should go find the drill.

45 minutes into assembly:  "Mommy, I just love your new tabl - ooh, this my favorite song from my special music!"
"You should go in the green room and listen to it and dance."
Yes, definitely be distracted by something not in the precariously stacked corner of the house right now.

Three minutes of jamming out to the kiddie station on Pandora and I hear her coming back.
"GGirl, can you tell me what time it is?"
"No, I don't have my watch on."
"Can you read the numbers on the stove for me?"
"Yup.  Three four six. I can keep track of time for you!"
"That sounds like a fantastic idea!"
That and the music will keep her busy while I finis...

"Mommy!  It's three four seven!  Are you done yet?!"
"Almost.  Only a couple more pieces."
Really, almost done.  Last piece.  What do you mean the last, flimsiest piece of the whole thing takes seven screws!  You've got to be kiddi...

"Mommy!  It's three four eight!  Ooh, I like your table.  Are you done yet?"
"No, I still have to put these screws in."
"I will hold them for you in my hand.  I won't lose them, I promise."
Two screws in, five to go.
"Mommy, I don't want to hold them.  I'll just sit them right here."
"Okie dokie, G."
"Mommy, I'm hungry.

And so went the assembly of the desk.  Now, when you look at the before and after, you may have flashbacks to the kids books where you have to compare the two pictures to find the difference.  While it may not seem like much of an improvement to my four by 6 foot work area, when sitting in my little corner office, it is a huge difference!  And while waiting until Friday when I had extra hands may have been a better idea, I would have missed out on the many many joys of having GGirl be part of the action.

Baby Bare Feet

Just a few fun shots as MMan explores the yard fornthe first time in bare feet. When turned loose, he bee-lined for the rocks: they were good to chew on. He was also fascinated to watch GGirl run around with the soccer ball. I'm pretty sure he was working on figuring out how to run. I think he is going to skip walking and go straight to running.

Sunshiney Fun

Today was the first day that everything came together for some good outside play time:  warm weather, dry ground and both kids awake to play outside at the same time.  MMan got his first taste, literally, og the back yard and the freedom of a wide open space to explore.  Boy will he be disappointed when the "pen" comes out.  GGirl was clearing the yard of sticks and sending them down the creek, playing tag with me and running races against my countdowns when I was done running around.

Fun, fun times that were followed by earlier than normal evening meltdowns and bedtimes. The joys of Spring!

Warmth

The sun is warm. I look forward to some time outside hoping the sun and time outside with my family will calm the undercurrents of sadness that keep welling up in my day. Two friends from a different time in my life have passed away in the last two weeks. Our contact and involvement in each other's lives changed as we moved around the country and they stayed in one of our hometowns. Reunions would bring the feeling like we'd never left. Dinners full of laughter, afternoons full of life: no matter how long the separation. Maryanna and Cindy, you are missed. Until the next reunion.

Spoken Here

Today has been full, beginning with brunch for a bunch of high schoolers.  Then to some work and baking time with a friend.  There was Peep jousting, sunshine soaking, baby napping, cupcake designing and storytimes mixed in too.

Conversations ranged from "Did you just distract the four-year-old so you could steal her blocks?"  to a four-year old processing the concept of death.  It makes an exhausted Mama's head spin and throat choke when I realize GGirl's little mind, that still doesn't have a full grasp of time, is trying to process concepts of death. 

Please God, give me the words and the grace...

Birthdays Abound

With all the birthdays among our family and friends in the last week, it only makes sense that GGirl would continue the celebrations.  Yesterday was Dora's birthday and GGirl and Boots threw a great party.  Today GGirl and Chuck The Truck and his dad are busy partying with Lightening McQueen- it's his birthday today.  The things that keep her busy.

MMan is keeping busy too.  He is doing his best to stand on his own and get teeth through.  He gets busy playing and forgets to hang on: then down he goes.

The cabin fever is a bit severe this year as spring is taking it's sweet time getting here.  If forecasters are to be believed, we should have some nicer days soon.  Time will tell.