Accidents Happen

Luke had his first post-potty training accident today, and it was #2. See, it goes like this. We're outside - I'm hanging up laundry and he's playing where the water from the sump pump comes out. He's not supposed to be there and he knows he's not supposed to be there, but the draw is irresistable. So, he's gotta go poop, but he can't go inside because his shoes are wet from playing in the water in the place he's not supposed to be. One thing just leads to another, and then there's poop to clean up. But, on the up side, his face always gives him away - I can tell with a glance when he's been up to something. And, he has not yet mastered lying, so we usually get the truth from him. Lord help us if that boy learns how to cover his tracks.

Girl Stories

Julia has really been 'discovering' the right side of her body. Over the last few days, I've really noticed her looking towards her right. I love when she looks at me as I come to get her out of bed in the morning. And, she's looked to her right side to check things out in other positions, too.

And, tonight she spent some time grasping and even shaking a maraca. She gave it some big shakes with her left hand and some little shakes with her right hand. And, I must add it was hilarious to watch Erica try to put the maraca back into Julia's hand after she dropped it. Finally, after a couple of unsuccessful attempts at jamming it into Julia's fist, she announced, "Julia done." That Erica is quite the mother hen. It is absolutely heartwarming to see her love on Julia. As often as I think of how nice it would be if each of the kids could have their own room, I always end up more grateful for how close the girls are, due in part I'm sure to the special bond that comes from sharing sleeping space. Even the boys will typically turn off their fighting once they're in bed for the night. Turns out this house is just the right size.

My Boys - The Wheels are Always Turning

Alex - Still gives me a hug and a kiss every night when I tuck him in. I hope he never gets 'too old' for that. But, that's not the story that fits this post. Here's that story. Within the last couple of days, I've had to pull over for emergency vehicles twice while Alex as in the car. So, Alex asks me how many times I've had to pull over in my life so far. While I'm thinking about it, he guesses 50. I say, "Hmm, probably more like 20." His immediate reply, "Oh, that would be about once a year." Umm, yep, that's exactly right. And, after further review, I think his guess of 50 is closer - after all, one per year isn't all that often. Especially if you consider two in the last two days. And, let's not mention the two times I pulled over for an emergency vehicle and it pulled over right behind me...yes, speeding tickets, and no, there were no kids in the car with me, and yes, I obey the speed limit now (and least MOST of the time). On a related note, Luke calls officers 'police cops'.

Luke - Has strep. It must be a mild case because he doesn't seem to feel all that bad, and there's none of the terrible whining we saw the last time he was sick. And, he was a very brave boy when they did his throat culture. Funny story from our visit to see Dr. Griswold - while we're in the exam room waiting for the doctor (just Luke and me because the rest of the gang stayed by my parents), Luke tells me to sit in the chair without arm rests. I told him I wanted to sit in the chair with arm rests. So, he crawls on my lap, points to the armless chair and says, "That chair is for people without hands." What made him think of that? And, why does it make me crack up every time I think about it?

Snapshots Continued

Okay, I know most kids do it, but I thought we had Luke buying into the whole idea that only Grandma Stern can give haircuts. Wrong...a couple of days ago, he gave himself and Erica haircuts. He used a kid's safety scissors (at least he used an age appropriate tool) and he did in the bathroom (at least it was easy to clean up the mess). But, he took a pretty big chunk right out of the middle of his bangs, nearly down to the scalp. And, he got a chunk of Erica's bangs on one side, which we can camoflauge a little bit. His reason for doing this: 1 - his bangs were in his eyes, 2 - he wanted to look like Ryan (who just got a buzz cut), 3 - he did not do this, but we're trying to find the guy that did it. At first I was pretty upset, but I've kind of gotten used to the way they look. And, it's just hair, so it will grow back. Now if only I was sure that he wouldn't try to do this again. I guess I should be wishing that he won't come up with even bigger trouble...

Here's more of the snapshots in time...

Erica

• Likes to say "Hey, Matt" to get her daddy's attention
• Obsessed with Calliou. We record the daily episodes (she usually watches one in our bed while I shower in the morning), and a Calliou video is the first thing she looks for at the library
• Needs to have her chair right next to mine while we eat so she can put her feet on my leg
• Calls Luke "Gook-ger"
• Loves to swing. Wants to go higher and touch the trees
• Tries to take off her PJs every night - we either pin the zipper or pin the top to the bottom (snaps aren't enough of a deterrent). If she gets the jammies off, the diaper follows. Then she will pee in her bed. Then she will cry. Then mom or dad will speak firmly to her. Then she will cry harder.
• Starting to use sentences, like "Gook-ger, go away!" or "Puppy scares me" or "Carry you" (which really means she wants to be carried)
• Loves to play with her kitchen set and food
• Has a long list of things she must have at bedtime: blankie (both pieces - so much for cutting it in half so we'd have an extra if one was lost), Abby, bottle (for Abby), cup of water (for herself), ice cream (plastic ice cream cone, or the plastic chicken drumstick in a pinch) and duckie (the stuffed duck that's as big as she is). Then, she wants to snuggle for a while, then you need to rub her head for a while. She's quite the con artist.
• Favorite foods: Baked beans, watermelon, Cheerios, muskmelon, mac 'n' cheese
• Loves the color purple. Starting to learn all of the colors.
• If you ask her how old she is, she says "Two" and holds up all five of her fingers. This is followed by "Macy three".
• Likes to play with the dollhouse she got as a hand-me-down from the McLaughlins
• Very opinionated about what she wants to wear - tries to pick her own outfits
• Fascinated by babies. Considers anyone her size or smaller a baby (sometimes even kids that look bigger and older than her to me are called babies).

Kids - A Snapshot in Time

Little things - important to remember. Slip your mind so quickly if you don't write them down. So, here is a look at the little things that really tell you who they are right now.

Alex -

• Checking out on school. The boy is just ready for summer vacation. It's hard to push for him to plug away at his homework, especially when the weather's nice. He's done such a great job this year that I don't think we need to worry if he slacks off a bit during these last couple of weeks.
• He's loving the Nintendo DS he got for his birthday; although, thankfully, he's not as totally obsessed with it as I thought he would be.
• He make up jokes (at least he claims he made them up): Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left? Repeat... InchMe and PinchMe were in a boat. InchMe fell out. Who was left?
• Fights with his brother nearly constantly. Those boys have some fierce sibling rivalry.
• As much as he fights with Luke, he is so sweet and loving with Erica. He just adores that girl. I guess it's easier to get along with her because he doesn't see her as direct competition like he sees Luke.
• Gets along great with other kids, but also content to do his own thing. For a while we were worried that he was too much of a loner, but I don't think that's the case. He's the kind of kid that doesn't mind playing alone sometimes - he'd rather do what he wants by himself than do something he's not interested in with someone else. His teacher said he is a leader that won't do stupid things just because other kids are.
• Is very mechanically inclined. He understands Matt's machines better than some of the operators do.
• Still a hard worker. Happier to be doing a project than playing. Begs Matt to let him cut the grass (he can start the mower and mow some of the more open flat areas).
• Gives me hugs and kisses when I tuck him in at night. As much as I felt really sad and worried when we found out that he was missing several permanent teeth, it did start a wonderful nightly ritual. We brush and floss our teeth together almost every night, and then I tuck him in. It's just 5-10 minutes of one-on-one time, but it has been a true blessing.

Julia

• Still getting back to healthy. Ear infections followed by pneumonia followed by a mystery bug...it's been a rough couple of months for her. It sure does make us appreciate her personality and good spirits when it's been a while without having her really shine. It is a true blessing that she is such a strong little girl and that she is so easy going. She rarely fusses, never cries and just keeps plugging along, sick or not. So many lessons to learn from that girl.

Luke -

• So full of life that he sometimes sucks it right out of the rest of us. It's nearly impossible to keep up with him, so the best we can do is try to keep his energy focused. Because otherwise, you will have: melted popsicles behind the couch (or a half-finished yogurt drink or Cheerios or crumbs from a granola bar) - a boy needs his snacks along with a nail clipper or two - a boy needs to be well-groomed and take care of his 'nail problems' (nails that snag or are too sharp); dish soap smeared on the window sill and furniture - a boy needs to help his mom clean; books with the pages 'glued' together with toothpaste - a boy needs to do his craft projects; Luke and Erica sneaking out of the house - a boy needs to show his sister how to escape to the sandbox - there really is never a dull moment with that boy!
• Most trouble is followed by an explanation that begins "I just..."
• So full of love and so happy that it's easy to forgot how much trouble he can get into.
• Does not take a daily nap, but he should. He gave them up back in April or so when we moved him out of his crib. Once he was free, it became nearly impossible to keep him still enough to take a nap. He does make up for it at night though and usually sleeps from 7pm to 6:30am.
• Recently overheard him talking to himself saying, "I don't know everything. Someday I hope to know everything."
• Also said, "Erica doesn't know everything. I'm going to teach her everything I know."
• Makes friends so easily. It's not unusual for Luke to know more people than the rest of us. He doesn't just tag along to his big brother's stuff, but makes them his own - he's got friends at Alex's soccer, friends at Cub Scouts, etc. Not to mention his friends from school, neighbors, grocery store clerks...you get the idea. He's a true charmer.
• Uses big words...like "The mail has arrived," and "I need my helmet to fit properly." He was an early talker, and he still has really good verbal skills.

Okay, early to bed for a change. I need to add more to this list (didn't even get to Erica yet). Maybe tomorrow...or the next day.

This and That

1 - It feels so good to have everyone HEALTHY again. It has once again been a long winter of illness - countless ear and upper respiratory infections, some stomach bugs, pneumonia for both Matt and Julia...it was rare day this winter that there wasn't at least one person sick in this house. Countless prayers have been said asking for good health, and I'm hopeful that we're through with the ick of winter (now if only the weather would stay warm...)

2 - Luke is potty trained!!! And, once it happened, it just happened. I could guess that it was the new Dora seat that we bought or the M 'n' M bribes or the quarters from Grandpa, Grandma and Mr. Morrow or making him wear underwear instead of Pull-ups or banning him from the Gator until he stayed dry. But, I think that none of those 'incentives' made a big difference. In the end, potty training happened when Luke thought it should happen, and not a day sooner.

3 - I'm going to lose 15 pounds this summer. Maybe putting it in writing will make me stick to it. I haven't been walking regularly (I'll blame that on the weather), but I'm ready to get my walking shoes back on. And, with my addiction to allrecipes.com, I should be able to find some yummy and healthy recipes. It sure would feel good to feel good.

4 - I LOVE my new camera. Even using the auto settings, it takes really nice pictures. Now, I just need to figure out f-stops and apertures so I can really master that beautiful piece of equipment.

5 - My kids really needed haircuts. Audrey and Mark came down this weekend, and Audrey gave them all a long-overdue cut. Erica had her first real haircut, and she did a pretty good job sitting still. Her hair was so wispy and fine, but I was still a little sad to see the length go. But, she looks like a little pixie girl with her new 'do.

Art Fair - Times Two

Sometimes it is not so easy to have kids attending two different elementary schools. Two sets of teachers and staff to figure out, two Christmas concerts, parent/teacher conferences in two places...just some logistical challenges.

Tonight was one of those duplicating nights - both Alex and Julia had their science and art fairs. We weren't sure what or if Julia would have any art projects on display because we're not sure how much time she spends in art class with the rest of her 5K friends. And, she couldn't point out her work or scope out the school in advance to find where her things were displayed. But, we the visit was a success. We found two of Julia's projects and several others done by her friends. We also ran into her classmate Caitlyn and her family - in fact, Julia is invited to her birthday party in a couple of weeks. After Julia's show, we went to Alex's. He had four projects in the show, and he's very proud of his work. He had a really neat picture of Pooh and Tigger, a banner, a name drawing and a googly eye picture (one character had a Pokemon tail...he is obsessed with Pokemon). Alex is always so excited to serve as the tour guide. We saw where Mrs. McCudden's room is (where he goes for his reading enrichment group). And, Alex took Luke to the bathroom - a success except Alex said he was so busy watching Luke to make sure he was okay, he peed on his shoes. Oh, my.

Even if it was a duplicating night, it was worth the double effort...now, what's going to happen when Luke and Erica hit the circuit?