A & M

The kids are off to a great start this year. Just need to get Miriam on a better schedule all-around. At 6 months she was really sitting up well. Now at 7 months she is clapping and turning in circle on her tummy.

Drew is talking up a storm. Repeating just about every conversation we have, verbatim to anyone who will listen. The other day he asked if Texas had mountains. I said not where we live - but there are mountains in Arizona. "Where the Twists live? Do Aunt Allie and Uncle Erik climb mountains?" Hm...sort of... "Can I climb mountains with them?"

2012

A new year. A new post. Don't get used to it, my blogging days may be over as I plan to start a new business soon! We'll see if and how it all works out.

For now, I'm just happy for a new year and to be well on my way to keeping up with my "goals". One of the first, is to be more organized. I sifted out 4 boxes from our cluttered garage last night and am determined to have a garage sale by March 1. The kitchen, old photos and art supplies are in-progress.

Some of the my other goals include:

Volunteering

Reading

Working out

Successful vegetable gardening

Buying less/saving more

playing pretend

I remember playing "house" and "store" with my cousins and actually feeling like we were in a real place - someplace other than in the front yard or the play room. Drew has started this phase and hopefully it will continue until Miriam can play along!

The other day Drew decided we need to go out and look for "fish". He said we were both witches and had to put on our "witch hats". We do not have any witch hats, but he let me know I would be the cowboy witch and he would be the pirate witch. We then proceeded to go to the "woods" (our backyard) to look for the fish.

Another fun play time was when he came across Christmas stickers with an appropriately dressed snowman. Drew HAD to put on his winter coat, mittens, hat and boots. He came across a Christmas gift bag and headed out to the backyard again to play in the 100 degree heat.

Other funny sayings:

- You're a genius mommy! I'm a genius too!

- Ehh, what's up doc!?

- Ehh, what 'cha cookin'? Rabbit stew?

- Stop it balloon! You're in time-out!

- 9, 10, 11, 13, 13, 13...Daddy? Oh no! Daddy is lost!

- Couldn't have done it without you, Mommy!

- Hello, Mommy! I'm off to fix the table. Now, where is my hammer? (while carrying toolbox and wearing a cowboy hat)

- Drew: Mommy, you make the ants cry. Me: Why? Drew: You make them sick. Me: How? Drew: The food makes them sick. (fire ant poison...oops! at least he is compassionate)

- Mommy, do you want to be a pumpkin for Halloween?

- Drew: My belly button hurts. Me: Why does it hurt? Drew: Because I want to get out of the car.

- What's that sound? Daddy tooted. No doubt about it!

- For his birthday, he requested a pirate party with an elephant pinata.

joy and peace

travel

And yet another funny conversation with Drew:

Does it get darker in the airport?

Where'd the orange stroller go?

We should go to on an airplane today.

(Me: You'll go on an airplane with daddy soon, to visit uncle Shaun.)

You should go too, Mommy.

You should go on an airplane with me and Daddy.

Daddy is your brother.

Oh, Daddy is your husband?

I want to go on an airplane with you.

(Me: We'll go on an airplane together at Thanksgiving.)

No, I don't want to go WITH Thanksgiving!

(Me: Okay, we'll go someday then...)

You should put the orange stroller in the car.

I'll go check your car for the stroller.

He clearly tries just about every angle he can!

car talk

Drew is growing up so quickly! Most of the time he is a delightful little character, though he certainly lives up to the title of "Terrible-Twos." We're doing our best to remain patient with him and give him as much attention as we can with a new baby in the house. When we're in the car and Miriam is asleep, he takes all the attention he can get!

On our way home from daycare today he was chatting up a storm, I couldn't even respond to all of his comments, except to laugh. Here are the ones I remember:

we had 'pagetti and Miss 'Vangeline's (Evangeline's)
i didn't help pick up the Legos

David Scott has Legos

I have Legos at home, yep

we should have 'pagetti at home

i don't like 'pagetti, he didn't eat very much 'pagetti (he who?)

i didn't pick up the Legos at Miss 'Vangelines (telling on himself, again)

you like 'pagetti, Mommy?

hey, what's that song?

is it a guitar?

i need my pink guitar

we need a new blue guitar

does Santa play guitar?

we'll see Nana and Reagan at Christmas, when Santa comes

Santa's really, really big

Santa will come to Nana and Papi's, yep.

we need snow boots at Christmastime

he has a flag on a stick (pointing to a homeless man)

he has a hat, he's a cowboy!

hi cowboy!

The following day, he reminded me of this:
where's my water bottle daddy? (my reply: "am I daddy?")
no, you're jess.
doug is at home, yep.

male bonding

Our new baby girl has allowed for some male bonding time for the boys...With lots of wrestling and rocking out to loud music. The last two nights have included both - ending with Drew dancing around the living room with his guitar belting out lyrics to the White Stripes. He has also decided "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" left out one very important body part...boys. Wow.

break-dancin' the new room

creative education

Daddy will have to handle the math, science and history for our kids...because all I ever really want to do is foster creativity:

master of ceremonies

Not only does Doug hold the family talent for acting as MC...Drew may have a hidden talent there as well. His newest phrase:

"Ladies and gentlemen. Boys and grills...."

new fav

Just dropped in on this cute blog and I must say, it would be very easy to get distracted from the things I "should" be doing...

http://alittlehut.blogspot.com/

for daddy & his girl

Father and Daughter

Paul Simon

If you leap awake in the mirror of a bad dream
And for a fraction of a second you can't remember where you are
Just open your window and follow your memory upstream
To the meadow in the mountain where we counted every falling star

I believe a light that shines on you will shine on you forever
And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed
I'm gonna stand guard like a postcard of a Golden Retriever
And never leave 'til I leave you with a sweet dream in your head

[Chorus:]
I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign
So you'll always know
As long as one and one is two
There could never be a father
Who loved his daughter more than I love you

Trust your intuition
It's just like goin' fishin'
You cast your line and hope you get a bite
But you don't need to waste your time
Worryin' about the market place
Try to help the human race
Struggling to survive its harshest night

To an already wonderful Daddy, I can't wait to see you with your little girl!

conversations

When asking for an almond butter sandwich:

"want almond butter and sandwich. almond butter AND sandwich. not peanut butter."

D: Read Winnie Pooh.

M: Hm, that would be nice, but we took the Winnie the Pooh book back to the library. (Two months ago...)

D: Okay, Mommy. Be right back. Go to library.

(At this point he's got his blanket with jammies on and he's running to the front door...)

After his nap yesterday he was a bit snuggly and asked to lay down on the couch with "Mommy's pillow." He invited me to lay down too. Then he told me to use my blanket since he already had his. After then requesting to put "my blanket" over our heads, he told me, looking through the blanket weave that we were looking at stars. So sweet!

kittens vs. puppies

Drew has always seemed like more of a puppy to me - playful, always just out of reach, social, and a little yappy at times. He's never been much of a snuggler, unless he's sick.

But, I'm thinking this baby is going to be a snuggler. It feels like she is trying to fit her entire body on one side of mine, unlike her brother who used to try stretching out completely. There's not that much room in there - either one of you! :)

stuff

Last night we put Drew in some of his "new" Christmas jammies. He's been avoiding them like the plague for some reason, but last night he was SO excited about them. Doug held them out to him and he RAN up to them and said, very precisely pointing, "Look at all that crazy stuff!" I think it's actually squirrels dressed up as Santa Claus, but I guess "crazy stuff" works just as well. :)

drew quotes

I've been a bit remiss to add quotes lately...They come faster and faster these days, it's hard to remember them all.

"Dinosaurs! Rarrr! Mommy, I love dinosaurs. T-Rex? Where? Mommy, where?"

"Aaargg! I a pirate!"

"Awww, don't be sad, Jessie" (while watching Toy Story)

"Don't worry Mommy" (while rubbing my cheek - I wasn't sad, but I guess I looked pensive while working on the computer)

"Elmo! You thirsty? Want sometink to dink?"

On our way to Gee-Gee's house a couple of months ago, as soon as we pulled into the neighborhood he said, "Gee-Gee!" He hadn't been there for a few months and I hadn't told him where we were going, he just recognized it.

"This George. Good monkey, always curious. George, Man Yellow Hat, hol-day parade!" He can now "read" the first page of Curious George books if he's read them before....he's such a little sponge!

"My toy! Remember! Grandpa, grandma!" Every time he sees this toy from my dad he tells me he remembers. Sometimes he'll go into a whole shpeel about the dogs, running, riding a truck, watching for the 'big step', etc.

Magina-Movers - aka, Imagination Movers

Last night we had the following conversation as he was falling asleep from exhaustion (he's been sick for a week with a cold...)

D: "Mommy, Magina-Movers...big phone book."

M: "They were moving a big phone book, weren't they?"

D: "Yes. Really big"

M: "How did they move it, on wheels? Like a car?"

D: "Yes...I love cars..."

Drew's new daycare provider is named Evangeline, sometimes he calls her Angel. I was saying goodnight a few nights ago and this was the conversation:

M: "Goodnight, Angel."

D: "Miss Vangeline?"

M: "No, you're the angel. You saw Miss Evangeline today, didn't you?"

D: "Yes, play outside. Lias, DaveScott, Camiwa..." (Elias, David-Scott & Camilla)

M: "You have lots of friends there, goodnight!" :)

it's a GIRL!

I'd like to think I'd be elated either way - and I know was prepared for a boy and very excited about it. But, a girl! What do you do with a girl!? :) Get ready for the bows, little one!

She's a little blurry and bumpy in the image, but it's still fun to see her in 4 dimensions! :)

logo designs

Beginning stage of a conceptual logo design project. More to come, as it evolves...

wanna-be cowboy

All day today Drew has been singing "Home on the range...home on the range..." That's the only line he remembers so far; we're working on the rest!

He also loves wearing our shoes. Today he chose Doug's cowboy boots. After he'd successfully put them on, he said he was ready to go. I asked where he was going and he said, "Andrew going to the bank." Sounds like trouble to me!

Two new phrases: "giddy-up, cowboy!" + "infiny and eyonnnnd!" (To Infinity and Beyond!)

Outside of the Western-themed day, we created a cardboard mailbox for his cardboard playhouse. I kept trying to ask where he was sending all his toys but he wasn't sure of the recipient. We'll let you know if you're the lucky one.

december 30 : 70 degrees