Feelings and the backyard

One morning, Jack didn't want to leave his lovey on his bed where I usually ask him to leave it. In explaining that I didn't want to have him wandering around with all day, I said; "We don't run around with our lovies all day." His response; "I not running roun'. I keep my body calm." Well, in that case ....

We had thunder and lightning this morning. As I put Jack in his carseat, he asked; "Is it funder and lighting?"

On Sunday, we went to the early service, then came home to hang out and eat lunch before going over to Half Price Books. Of course, Jack wanted to play outside while we were home. Leesha decided to play outside too. They made a fort of sorts under one of our evergreens. At one point, I went outside to check on them, and here was Jack with one end of a closet door we've had outside waiting to burn, while Leesha had the other end. How cute!

Now that he's able to spend so much time outside, he likes to pee in the yard too. At least a couple of times, I've looked out to find him pulling up his pants. Hope the neighbors don't mind.

A newer phrase; "Aw man!"

The other day; "My feeling hurts."

Just some snippets from our trip to St. Louis and back home again

In an effort to get Jack to stop playing with his trucks and go to bed, I told him the toys needed to rest, because they were tired. His rebuttal; "But they don't have so many eyes." (In other words, how are they going to sleep without eyes?')

On Tuesday of our visit, we went to Faust park where Jack played and played on the playground equipment. Maggie soaked in everything and enjoyed some time in the swing with lots of giggles. Leesha enjoyed herself by playing with the little ones.

Jack found a big boy playing with a handheld video game under a slide and hung out watching him for a few minutes, mimicking the older boy by pushing his finger or sticks through the holes in the playground floor. Later, a girl named Cecelia decided to play with him. In talking to her dad, we discovered that she and Jack share a birthday, but she was 2 years older.

Back at Grandma and Grandpa's, we had one very tired little guy on our hands. I told him I'd read "The Little Engine That Could" to him before rest time. His response; "I don' wan' to read "Little Engine That Could". I wanna stay 'wake."

During "Poop Time", Grandpa Steve was reading him his new books. After Grandpa explained that caring was sharing time with someone, Jack said something like; "But we have pumkins." (huh?)

Once he was done with "poop time", Grandpa asked if he could wipe him, Grandpa will have to help with the details, but I believe Jack said; "Yes, but only if you use this toilet paper." And then, "Don't make fun of my butt."

On our way home, I overheard a new version of an old classic;

"Father Abraham an' so are you. So let's just praise the Lord. Right arm, left arm..."

Jack also said; "Mom's a naughty woman and you're a naughty boy 'cause you ate all the donuts."

And later; "Dad, can we listen to "We will, we will, we will, we will rock you"?"

Jack didn't want to nap. I told him he needed to give me his lovey if he didn't want to nap. He went and found it and brought it to me. He'd been crying about having to nap and decided he needed just a bit more love from his lovey, so he wiped his face with it. After that, he announced; "I made myself glad!"

At dinner since we've been home, he mentioned that his thumb was stinging. Where did he learn what "stings" means?

I put Jack's sipy cup of milk on the top stair and pointed out that it was there. He said; "I'm coming." as he went and picked it up. When he had it and was heading back downstairs, he said; "Now I'm going."

Another new quotable; "Huh?"

Just for Willis South

Leesha just told Maggie that we're going "bye bye" on Saturday, then when Jack asked about it, she said we were going to visit Grandma and Grandpa.

His response; "Grandpa Steve an' Gramma Holly and Gramma Mary? That be great! I have fun at that!"

First in a while

It is a fine Spring day up here in "t' nort'" (the later said with a Scandanavian accent)

Now, a little back story ....

A while ago, one of Jeffry's co-workers gave him some trucks for Jack. The trucks were rolling around in the back of the CRV until last night when Jeffry put them in the strip of yard between the garage and house. Leaving for our family walk after dinner, Jack saw them and was successfully steered towards the walk. When we got back home, it was almost bedtime and too dark to play, so Jack "parked" all the trucks very nicely on the sidewalk between the house and garage. He said something cute about this, but Jeffry will have to record that because I wasn't there.

Now for this morning ...

I waited (and waited, it seemed) for Jack to wake up this morning before exercising to and from the grocery store for a few things.

Upon our return, Jack noted the trucks and wanted to play with them. I told him he needed to finish his lima beans before he could play outside. So, he worked on the limas and even ate some cereal then jumped up asking; "Now can I go outside and play?!" with all the joy and enthusiasm you can imagine.

So, after months indoors, our little guy finally gets to play outside again today!

He came inside the house periodically. At one point, he came in and said; "Let's pray about the boxelders." then places his hands together.

Oh the tears when I had him come in!

The Moon Makes Everyone Feel Better

We took a walk after dinner tonight. Jack fell down for some reason and hurt his lip. There was blood and crying, but it wasn't bad at all. To distract him Cara said, "Jack! Look at the moon!", which worked.  He was up on my shoulders and forgot about the injury a few minutes later. Then he says...

"The moon feels me better".

the kiddos

On Tuesday, I took the kids to Small Group. Jack pulled out the pair of 3D glasses that he's had in the car. He called them "Nerf glasses" instead of "Nerd glasses."

On Saturday, after we left "Uncle Eric's" birthday party, we stopped at Mom and Dad's to get a blender and a cake. Jack was talking about the birthday party and said; "Hafty Burfday'. Now, we'll see if we actually sing "Hafty Burfday" when it's people's half birthdays.

Maggie scared Mom and Dad by almost choking. Once she settled down and went to sleep, Jack took a tumble on their stairs. Then later, back at home, Jack was spinning and fell, giving himself another fat lip. Can't wait to see what he looks like this morning.

On the way to Mom and Dad's yesterday, Jack was singing in the van; "Pajamas. Pajamas. Pajamas."

He's also really taken with the word "Why?" We'll tell him something, and his pretty immediate response is; "Why?" even if "why" doesn't apply to what was said. For example; "Jack, here's a spoon of peanut butter." "Why." (It confounds me almost daily.) And since I mentioned peanut butter, he had a spoon of it yesterday, but mistakenly called it a "'Poon of speanut butter."

Out of the blue, Jack states; "Grandma has a bum knee." Since I didn't respond immediately, he tried again; "Mom, Grandma has a bum knee." This apparently after he wanted Grandma to sit on the bathroom floor and read to him. She told him she didn't want to get down on the floor because of her "bum knee".

Maggie likes to pull her hair when she's tired. Her bald spot on the back of her head is no longer bald, but I'm wondering if I should worry about the sides of her head now .....

She's gotten very good at pulling herself into a standing position. Funny how that's such a compulsion for babies. The other day, she pulled herself up on the Little People Farm, then went head-first over it. She'll get up on all fours, but I've yet to see her actually crawl on all fours.

Since she's a thumb sucker, we're trying to cover her hands at night to discourage the thumb sucking (even though it's so cute). A few nights, I was too tired to deal with her fussing, and let her have her thumb. I wish she were attached to the lovie with the thumb sucking since Leesha stopped sucking her thumb when she "lost" her blanket.

Maggie has a very uncanny ability to know exactly when we're dropping off to sleep and starts to fuss at night. She also loves to play with jack's potty and is hell-bent on getting the toilet brush.

Wednesday night, she thought it was "wakers" time at 11:30 pm. I sat up with her for 40 minutes or so, then tried putting her back to bed. No go. So (very frustated by this point) I tuned on the bright light, and sat her on the kitchen floor for a bowl of cereal. She blinked at the light and grinned at me which sent a shot of guilt right through me.

Leesha has signed up for Track. Strange since she hates running, but I guess when peers become so important, you'll do strange things. Glad that it's something appropriate and active at this point.

Today, she brought home a "B Honor Roll" certificate. I told her to put it on the fridge but noted it had not replaced the "A Honor Roll" certificate from 1st trimester.

On Friday, she came home crying because she'd had her first fight with a friend in a long time. Glad I only vaguely remember those days.

The humor of our lives

Jack came up to me; "Mom, there's something in my nose."

"What's in your nose?" as I try to take a look.

"No, I need to sneak it out." and off he runs.

Earlier, I'd given him a banana. He likes to peel them himself, so I just cut the ends off and gave him the banana. He peeled it and started to eat it. Next thing I know, he's slipped. I didn't see it myself, part of the banana peel was still on the floor. Did he slip on it?

At the mall, I told him to eat his orange. His response; "No, I just singing a little bit right now." (or something very similar to that).

Instructed; "Don't move." during time out, Jack soon states; "Dad, I just move my feet so Leesha can get out."