Raw

Last week, Jack was just playing around and took a piece of the fridge off. Immediately, he started to cry and mumbled that he needed to go to bed. I was not angry about the fridge, but he felt terribly guilty. So, I sat down with him and asked him to help me put it back together, which he did. It was so precious to see the raw feelings.

While I was downstairs tending to the laundry, and Jack was upstairs:

"Hey Mom!"

"Yes, Jack?"

"I was a'mos' lossing you."

About an animal in a book: "No! 'S a raccoon. See mom, it says rack-coon." (I should probably add that it was not a raccoon, but I didn't argue with a toddler. We all know how pointless that is.)

"Mom, you know I live right where I live?" Then something about a globe.

After whapping himself in the face with his book, crying, he asks: "Mom, would you read this book?"

"This is yuck." referring to the previously ingested dinner now available for viewing on his bedsheet.

Playing with the phone, Jack picks it up and "talks". I overhear; "Get up and try again." He's repeating the recording that comes on when no call is made. ("...., please hang up and try again.")

Maggie has mastered sitting, and army-crawling; both in one week. She also intentionally moves from sitting to belly in order to crawl. It started mostly a fall, but she did it with enough grace to not cry. It's almost as though she is contemplating the probability of a face plant as she rocks to and fro.

We finally started a Girls Club for some of Leesha's friends. Two came over the first time. We chatted a bit, had a snack and made some bracelets. I realized I need to plan more to do.

Girls and boy

The girls:

Maggie has mostly mastered sitting. And now army crawling. One of our neighbors stopped over last night and thought she was waving. Guess the Omegas I took during my pregnancy did some good.

Leesha is 12. Wow.

The boy:

"'S not boogers, 's snot." Whatever you call it Jack, it's now on the table. Ick.

More on that subject: While running errands, I took a few minutes to feed Maggie in the van. I sat next to Jack. He started picking his nose. I asked; "What are you looking for?" "Boogers." "Did you find any?" "Up dere and dere and dere."

Jack announced the other day; "I'm in time out." I asked why. "I push Maggie over." I asked Jeffry and Leesha if they'd put him in time out and they said no. He exiled himself to time out.

"Rice creepies" instead of Rice Krispies.

"Wha's dis s'posed tabee do?" (What is this supposed to be do?)

"Mom, look at my body!" as he's face-down in Maggie's saucer.

"That be great!" (That'd be great!) echoing what he hears from me sometimes.

The other night; "Jack, what pajamas would you like to wear?" Jack: "My utility belt ones." referring to his Batman pajamas from Grandpa Steve and Grandma Holly. They got them because of an earlier post in which I mentioned that I told Jack he needed to stop running and he replied; "No, I'm Batman. I needa run" or something like that.

Jeffry has a hard time reading books to Jack because they put him to sleep. Yesterday afternoon, he was reading to Jack, and fell asleep. Jack did not know that Dad had fallen asleep and asked; "What happens on the next page?" which woke Dad up.

Well ......

This afternoon, Jack announced; "I needa go muckers!" and took off for the bathroom. I followed him in and helped him balance on the big potty. When I thought he was done, I asked if he was done. He said; "No, I needa make more." Then he peeked under the ring to see what was going on, and states; "It's a Christmas Tree Mucker. It's standing up" of the chunk that was "standing". A good laugh.

Considerate

Feeling under the weather yet again, I intentionally have a very short "to do" list today. Blogging is not on it, but I think I can spare a few minutes .....

Maggie woke up during dinner the other night and I brought her out to join us. I think she's more sensitive to the light than Jack was, and we enjoy watching her try to adjust to lighted areas after she's woken up. Jack noted her struggle and tried to shield her eyes from the light. (Awww.....)

Moments later as I was nursing her, her cold hand touched my stomach and I made a strange noise. Jack asked why, so I told him that Maggie's cold hand had touched my stomach. He then took her other hand and tried to move it away from me. I hope his tendency to be considerate never changes.

Today, Jack brought Maggie some toys after she'd finished her breakfast (oatmeal goo and avocado - yum!). I told him that I wanted to clean her up first, so he went and got a wet wipe and started wiping her hands.

Later, when she spit up a bit, he went and got a wipe again and started to clean her up.

Some Jack-ism's and more

To Maggie: "You wan' a toy? I be right back." and he toddled off to get her some toys.

"Let's get a wet wipe. Mom, Maggie spit on my rug. What she do?"

"She spit up."

"She spit down."

"Welcome and share your life." ????????

Mom to Jack; "You crack me up."

Jack to Mom: "No wan' crack you up."

I got up at 6 to go grocery shopping this morning at Rainbow. I was one of very few customers, so the employees were having a bit of fun. Halfway through my shopping, one of them tells me; "Ma'am, we can't allow you in here with those Cub boxes." referring to the boxes I take with me to bring the groceries home, so I don't collect bags. Since I have taken Jeffry's Superman sweatshirt again, and was wearing that, one of the other employees asked; "So, is it Super-Mom, Super-Woman, .. What?" I replied; "All of the above."

"Hey Leesha, I helping mom clear the table."

Upon discovering that his jeans had torn at the knee; "My pants are broken, see my leg."

"Mom, I touch Dad's game book and I'm sad." (I suspect this is because he feels guilty.)

More with friends

Susanna and Abby were over today. Just a few snippets from their visit .....

Jack telling Susanna; "Listen. 'Bey."

As they were leaving, Jack was having "poop time"; Susanna insists; "I wanna have poop time with Jack." That could be some really great blackmail fodder.

Kids and Dora

Grandpa David came over the other night and shared with us the stories he'd written to Cousin Caelyn for her birthday.

He told about a time he was riding his bicycle very fast and ran over a kid (of the baby goat variety). The other story was about when he wore his slingshot around his neck, with the wood hanging against his chest. While romping with his buddy, his friend pulled the slingshot and dad told him; "Let go!" His friend obliged and dad got whalloped on the forehead with the wood.

This morning, Jack asked; "What happened to Grandpa's bicycle?" and later; "What happened to Grandpa's eyes?" These inquiries stemming from conversations around the stories.

After his nap, I was hanging out with the babies on the nursery floor. Jack went and got Maggie's baby doll for her - oh, how sweet. Later, Jeffry was telling him that Maggie was his little sister, and he's have to look out for her and take care of her. Jack went and got another toy for Maggie and gave it to her - almost as though he'd actually understood Jeffry.

This just in; "Mom, I'm working songs on my iPod phone." "Tell Jack when to stop." "My favorite song. This is D D Dora." To Maggie; "Want to listen to D D Dora?"

Last week, I worked every day and had a sitter from church come be with the babies. This Monday, the kids went to be with Grace and Charlie. I told Jack that I'd be home for a few days, then Uncle Eric is going to come be with them on Friday so I can work. Since I mentioned Eric, Jack asks if he's here just about every time there's a transition - waking up, dad coming home, etc.

So, enough about Jack .... let's see what the girls are up to ....

Leesha did some testing at school the last couple of days. From what she's said, she's gotten very high scores. We're in the midst of making birthday plans for her 12th on the 23rd. There's an All School Party on the 22nd, so I've suggested she bring a few friends over after school, then we can take them all to the party. That way she'll get to do a little celebrating with friends here at our house. We'll also try to plan something with Grandpa David whose birthday is on the 20th.

Maggie is an expert roller. She's also managing to get around - literally. We can put a circle of toys around her on the floor, and she'll make her way around to them. It's amazing how she can move without actually crawling. Sitting should be up on her list of accomplishments soon. Although she can sit, it's a matter of sitting without the occasional nose-dive that will consider it an accomplishment. We've tried her in the Johnny Jump Up which she enjoys a whole lot. She's working on cutting teeth, but seems to be taking her time about it. It seems that solid foods are not quite as unpleasant as she originally thought. We'll put cereal in mesh feeders and let her gnaw on those. Her "new tastes" also include; green beans, lima beans, peas and squash.

oops!

Double FAIL: "Can I take the zebra on trapol?" instead of "Can I take the giraffe on patrol?"

Hilarious

Jeffry has Google Voice. One of the features is that his voicemails are transcribed into text messages. With this in mind, I tend to try to leave very concise and coherent messages. However, it has been in the back of my head to give Google a run for it's money. So, yesterday, when I left him a voicemail, I threw in a little Kiswahili just for kicks and giggles. As a result, we had a wonderful belly laugh before drifting off to sleep last night.

This is basically the message I left:

Jeffry, if you got the email from my dad about our calendar, do not worry about getting that from Tracy today. We can do that another time. It's no big deal to me. And .... Kujua wewe ni kupenda wewe. Bye bye.

(Translation: to know you is to love you. But all you Kiswahili buffs, I claim absolutely no proficiency in the language.)

Here's what Google texted Jeffry:

Jeffry if you got the email from. I doubt about our calendar. Do not worry about getting that from Tracy today we can't do that another time, so it's no big deal. Me and could you relate with the coop and over. It was a bye bye.

Needless to say, the message confused Jeffry.

A little "ketsup"

Okay, let's see how much blogging I can get done before I'm interrupted.....

Some mispronunciations:

Jack thinks "Bo Peep" is "Go Peep"

He thinks I do Yoda vs. Yoga :s

He told me the other day that he was "deading you" and then told Jeffry he was "deading mom".

In the van he was recalling some minor injury stating; "I scratched the table and got a bruise on my leg." What was incredibly cute was the lilt in his voice on the word "bruise" in the later half of the sentence.

During Leesha's first reading of the Twilight books, when Jack saw my book he'd ask; "Mom, that you Twilight?"

On Sunday, we took Jack and Leesha to their "Sunday School" rooms. After feeding Maggie, I took her back in and stopped at the bathroom on my way back to the sanctuary. As I was passing one of the children's hallways, there was Jack, holding hands with one of the other boys in his class. His "buddy" was holding hands with one of the ladies that works in the children's area. As he walked down the hall away from me, I heard him saying; "Hey Lady! I watch Speed Racer!" How could I resist catching up to him and giving him what the Willis family terms "a popper"?

Leesha is now on her second reading of the Twilight series. She's enjoyed spending her Christmas money on some Twilight gear. She and I worked on some family gifts before Christmas. The last weekend before Christmas when she was with her dad, she went shopping with a friend from school and actually picked out a book for Jack and top for Maggie. Jack just loves "Oscar Meyer".

....... minor interruption when Jack said; "Mom, dance with me!"

Now on to some other "ketsup" ......

I determined on December 22nd that we were getting a van on the 23rd. We had it narrowed down to a Sienna and an Odyssey. The Sienna was more expensive, had less miles, and needed some routine maintenance. The Odyssey was cheaper, had more miles and had been meticulously cared for. For whatever reason, I "knew" that the Odyssey was ours, but hesitated due to the miles on it. So, we tried for the Sienna first, determining that if the owner didn't come down in price, we'd just go for the Odyssey. The owner didn't meet our price requirement, which left me feeling relieved. After I'd babysat Susanna and Abby, we made a local stop before going to get our van. This was at the beginning of the snow storm we had over Christmas. Due to the snow, we were unable to get the van inspected by a mechanic, so wrote a check and headed home with papers stating we'd purchase it if it passed inspection. So, Christmas Eve morning, I was up early to shovel, take the van in and get stuff ready for a Sorley family brunch. What a relief when the van passed inspection. We now have a gold colored Honda Odyssey. A much more comfortable ride, even if it doesn't have All Wheel Drive. That won't make a difference in a few months.

Our stop was at an apartment nearby. Our church had had some families considered to be "in need" fill out a wish list, and our Small Group "adopted" them for Christmas. How fun it was to go shopping for someone else, and then to play Santa to them. I must admit that it was one of my best Christmas memories to date. Leesha helped with the delivery and I think she enjoyed it too. She actually had fun shopping for some of the stuff as well. My little girl is growing up.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with the local Sorley family. It was nice to have time with my brother for Christmas.

On Christmas, while shoveling, I realized that travel would be a bit treacherous, so we cancelled plans to get Leesha from her dad's house and drive the hour to see Jeffry's family. Both Jack and Maggie weren't feeling well, so we just hunkered down. A very relaxing Christmas day for us, but disappointing to not be with any family - especially since our families were so close, and the weather cleared up.

On the 27th, Mom and Craig left for Kenya. We celebrated by going out to breakfast with mom, then returned home for more "hunkering" before Jeffry's parents made the trek over to our house.

We enjoyed time with Jeffry's parents, having Leesha back home and celebrating Christmas with the Willis gang once our babies were feeling a bit better. It was so nice to have Jeffry's parents here for more than a long weekend so we didn't feel so rushed about time with them.

Now, things are back to "routine". Jeffry enjoyed his time off from work. I did too. I'm even back full time for this week. Jack and Maggie have a babysitter from church taking care of them.

Some "big" news is that Jack really seems potty trained now, and Maggie actually seems to "get" eating from a spoon. Big accomplishments. Now, Leesha will be turning twelve soon.

Guess that's it for the ketsup, maybe I'll do mustard next time ...

Little Fella

Jack has a few toys that he favors for a while. Often these special toys are named out of the blue. The latest one came from some generic animal farm package. He has been dubbed Little Fella. Where does he come up with this stuff?

Don't Take the Game Book Away

Dad is home with Jack and Maggie and they're down for naps. Maggie is out sleeping pretty hard. Jack is trying to take a nap... or he's trying not to, actually. He laid down with an old D&D gaming module I let him look at which he calls the gaming book. He says the pictures of the goblins are Yoda. As I'm washing dishes he opens his bedroom door and says "It's open". Yes it is, now go back to bed or do you want me to help you go do bed. So I go in there and cover him up and tell him- if you get up again I'm going to take the game book away.

About 20 minutes later in this quiet house I hear his little feet patter near the top of the stairs. I push my chair away from the desk and he hears that noise. I hear his feet make for the bedroom. As I come up the stairs he starts crying and saying "don't take the game book away!, don't take the game book away!" I enter his room, cover him up and give his head a kiss. He starts to cry very heavily DON'T TAKE THE GAME BOOK AWAY!" I take the game book and close the doors leaving him to take his nap. I didn't say a word. I left him crying as if I scolded the kid. He pretty much scolded himself.

Now, by the time I've finished this post he is silent. Is he sleeping?... I don't know about that.