I'll give you a boost

Nana came in town to finalize her retirement and took the opportunity to stop by for a visit. Yes, my mother is retiring...it's hard to believe she's that old! (That one is for you, Momma.) Anyway, when she left today, Caroline decided to watch her leave by peering out the front door window. She noticed that her brother wanted to do the same, but suffered from being vertically challenged, so she said, "Brother, climb up my leg and I'll give you a boost." This is what then transpired:

Will's 15 month check-up

In the past, I've not been too good about recording the kids' routine visits to the pediatrician. This time, however, I'm proud to report that at Will's 15 month appointment, he was 22 pounds, 32 inches...placing him in the 75th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight for his age bracket. This came as a shock because he has always been on the low side for height and average side for weight. In the past, I've always thought they had the height incorrect, because he doesn't seem any shorter than his peers, and thought his weight was low because he loves to eat (obviously there are bigger butter balls out there).

Of course Matt was thrilled to hear that his little man is growing tall and may overcome his mother's short genes. As for the weight...well, it doesn't matter how much he eats, when you run around like he does...you're bound to get skinny. Maybe I should take a lesson from him. :)

Of course with the routine check-ups come shots. Caroline prepared her little brother before the nurse came in by saying, "Will, you're gonna get a shot and it's gonna hurt." Thankfully, he didn't understand what she was saying as evidenced by his big toothy grin at the nurse when she walked in to the room. He was fortunate to have his big sister by his side holding his hand while the nurse gave him his two shots (her idea of course). A few tears were shed, but they quickly disappeared when the nurse walked in with a sucker for both kids. Oh how a little sugar helps the medicine go down!

Backseat driver

I don't know how I ever managed to get us anywhere prior to having a toddler. I am so thankful that I now have a backseat driver who can help direct me to where we are going...whether it be playschool, the gym, church...you name it, she knows how to tell me to get there. On our way to the library for Tot time today, she informed me, "Mommy, you're gonna miss it," as we approached the turn. She was relieved that we didn't miss story time so that she could listen to Miss Lizzie read about the Gingerbread Boy, help her brother participate in the weekly parade, and play with homemade play dough that smelled like gingerbread.

The benefits of a birthday

On Saturday, I celebrated my birthday. I don't quite look forward to birthdays like I once did, but I do enjoy all of the benefits that go along with them. For instance, my mom came to town on Friday to take me and the kids to eat "Mehcan" as Caroline calls it. When my mom told the guy it was my birthday, he must have misunderstood her request for a hat (perhaps she should have said sombrero) and instead grabbed the spoon and put the whip cream on my nose. The kids thought it was hilarious, while Momma and I looked a little bewildered. Oh, and I should mention that while leaving the Mexican restaurant, we decided to take a picture by their fountain. After Nana gave Caroline a penny to drop in the fountain, she realized she dropped her credit card in during the exchange. Oops! Lucky for me, I had my handy dandy hand sized camera she gave me for Christmas. I captured the whole retrieval on video! Once she finally retrieved her credit card, I told her that if she really needed money that bad, I would lone her some rather than her stealing money out of the fountain! Ha Ha Afterwords, we also went shopping so that I could pick out a present. My mom watched the kids while I tried on clothes, so I actually got to enjoy the experience. As usual, Caroline and Nana enjoyed shopping together as evidenced by the picture below.

I warned Matt ahead of time that I was not planning on washing any dishes on my birthday. His solution? Let's just eat out all day long! So, he took us to Cracker Barrell Saturday morning for brunch. While at the restaurant, Will decided to show off his new trick. Mamaw Kat recently taught him how to shoot deer, so now he shows everyone what a good aim he has. Unfortunately, his little finger gun is usually pointing at someone while he's saying pow, pow...so that leaves me to explain just what he is doing. Thankfully, the young men he was shooting thought it was funny once I explained everything to them.

I had requested a new pair for my birthday and Caroline told me, "Mommy, you don't need any new shoes. You can wear your old ones." The frugal apple obviously doesn't fall from her Daddy's tree. Despite her opinion, we stopped by the shoe store on the way home so that I could pick out some new running shoes.

Later that afternoon, we had some more birthday visitors...my Dad, Mimi and Uncle A came to babysit so that Matt and I could go to a movie. Before we went to the movie, we enjoyed the annual homemade birthday cake Matt and Caroline had made for me. It was absolutely delicious...the frosting was just right and I didn't find an eggshell in my piece this year! We haven't been to the movies in ages, so we were quite shocked at how packed they were. Since all the movies were sold out that we had planned to see, we ended up watching Marley and Me. It was precious and at times reminded me of our own lives right now. After the movie, we all met up to eat. As usual, Will made friends with the waiter and blew kisses to everyone as we left the restaurant.

All and all, I had a great birthday and enjoyed all of the visitors that came to help me celebrate!

It's a good thing he doesn't do this often...

however, if he did he might get a little better at it. Tonight Matt went to Walmart. This marks his second trip to the store since we moved to Madison. Since I stay at home now, I make sure to get everything we need so there is really no need for him to go. However, after tonight...it definitely does him good to get out a little. He is obviously leading a very sheltered life.

Anyway, he decided he would attempt to make me a birthday cake this year (check out last year's fiasco for a little laugh). I told him that I would make it easy on him and have all the ingredients ready. Well, I didn't anticipate Matt eating ALL of the ice cream prior to my big day, so that meant he would have to go to the store and get more in order for my birthday celebration to be complete. He decided to take Caroline along with him (perhaps because he hadn't gotten my birthday present or card yet) so I knew he would be in for a treat. When he returned home, I discovered a lot of extra purchases were made. Supposedly these were prompted by our darling daughter who said she needed certain things (gum, yogurt, Dora toothpaste, lunchables, etc.) because we were out. She was incorrect in her justification, but nonetheless, she had her Daddy's full attention. Perhaps the best purchase was the Dora toothpaste. Instantly, I asked Matt if he checked to see if it was appropriate for toddlers. His response, "Well, it has Dora on it doesn't it?" As suspected, the back of the toothpaste clearly said: "Not for children under 6 years of age". Another victory for our darling....talking her Daddy into buying big girl toothpaste. Since he was conned into buying it, I'll let him be the one to take it away from her. That should be fun!

The other purchase I got a laugh out of was the single can of tennis balls. Matt and I are planning on hitting the courts again tomorrow and needed some fresh tennis balls. Well, we haven't hit in months and even then it was only for a short stint. That being the case, he'll be chasing his 3 little balls all over the courts since he didn't think to get more. When I asked him about his single can of balls, he just started laughing. Perhaps because he can just see us playing with 1 ball because he's hit the other 2 out of the park.

Okay...enough funny business. I am thankful that he went to the store. It did both of us good. He got to experience life out of his little box and I got to feel important. Staying at home and being a full-time mom is a very "thankless" job. Now I think he appreciates what I do a little more and I felt reassured that I do a good job of keeping this house together...or at least partly together!

He keeps going and going and going

It's becoming quite a routine for me to have to explain how my little man got his latest bruise, bump or scratch. Basically, I've decided that if he is not in a cast, we're doing fine because the dude is rough and tough and won't let a little boo boo get him down.

For instance, just this week, he fell at the gym and got a carpet burn on his forehead (or so I'm told by the gym babysitter). Thankfully that is just about healed, so that made room for his latest injury....his first bloody nose. Yes, while running in the house he tripped over Sally (Caroline's doll) and landed smack dab on his nose. Blood was gushing everywhere and it scared me half to death. Of course I thought he might have broken it, but as soon as I got the blood flow under control, he calmed down. That being the case, I think he'll be fine...maybe just a little swelling.

To help him feel better, I made his favorite for dinner...spaghetti. When Daddy got home, he made sure to show him that his nose was a little swollen. bit that his spaghetti was making it all better. In case you're wondering...yes, I let him feed himself spaghetti. It's messy but he loves it and I don't mind cleaning up the mess afterwords too much.

Will's 1st horse ride

On Sunday, we spent the afternoon with Pop and Mimi. As soon as their house was in view, Caroline said, "There they are...there are the horses." After lunch we bundled up and headed to the barn so Caroline could ride LL (which she pronounces LEL). While Caroline was riding, Will kept pointing at her and saying "ook, ook", which is to be interpreted as "look, look".



We decided to not make Will be a bystander any longer and let him ride with us on a horse. He was mesmerized by the whole experience. It didn't take him long to realize he needed to be in control, so he grabbed the reins as if he had been riding forever. Caroline was proud of her little brother and was so glad she had taught him how to be a cowboy.

Happy Birthday Pop Buddy!

Saturday was Pop Buddy's birthday, so we helped him celebrate it at my grandparents' house. Though he didn't kill the big buck he wanted, I hope he still had a great birthday. My kids love their Pop Buddy and I'm thankful to have such a great step dad. When your parents split, it is never fun, but I've been blessed with two wonderful step parents that love me and my kids as if we were their own.

The kids worked hard making him a card, but unfortunately, we forgot it on our kitchen counter. Instead, he'll just have a nice surprise in the mail this week!
While in Philly, I took Caroline to Williams Brothers to buy her 1st pair of running shoes. She was eager to go, but was extremely indecisive about which pair to buy. She finally decided that she didn't need any, and would just keep wearing her boots instead. I decided otherwise and bought a pair because the child needs a pair of good shoes to run and play outside in. I just can't imagine that running in boots is that comfortable. We'll see if she changes her mind about the shoes. If not, nothing will be lost because I bought a pair that her brother can wear in a few years instead of the cute little pink pair that I was tempted by. Here's a few pictures of Caroline showing off her new kicks!

T-shirt Trauma

Have I mentioned before that Caroline absolutely loves wearing t-shirts? Basically, that is all she wants to wear...morning, noon and night. Thankfully she received a few new t-shirts for Christmas so that means I don't have to wash them every day. Anyway, every time we get ready to go somewhere, it is a huge ordeal to get her changed into something more appropriate (primarily something warmer).

Yesterday as we were getting ready to go to story time at the library, I told her that she would have to put on something else. She instantly balked at the idea, so as I was scolding her, she replied, "Mommy, you are mean!" What? Did I hear that right? I know I didn't....surely that didn't come out of my 2-year old's mouth?

She knew she had messed up (I guess by seeing the reaction on my face), because she made an awkward face and then gave a little chuckle. Well, needless to say, the Mean Mommy did appear after those words came out of her little mouth.

Later as we were all dressed (FINALLY), I asked her if she really thought I was mean. There was silence...absolutely no response...just a look. Okay then, I thought...I get your point. She obviously was not over the attitude adjustment session we just had.

After we got home from our Wednesday night ritual....the library, Chick-fil-A and church, I asked her again if she thought I was really mean. She said, "No, you're a sweet Mommy." Ahhh...that's better!

Mommy's Big Helper

Recently, Will has learned how to help out around the house. His list of chores include helping Caroline pick up her blocks, putting his trucks in the basket, and bringing his shoes to me so that I can help him put them on. When I ask him if he wants to go outside, he runs (well, maybe it is a swift walk) to get his shoes. He loves going outside, so he is very eager to help me find his shoes. Now if I can only teach him how to put them on by himself!

Bubble Bath Fun

Good Sister

From the mouth of Caroline: "Will, you are a good sister, you know that?"

I guess she decided to pass the compliment she had been receiving from Matt and me along to her brother.

Favorite Christmas Memories

As I've stated earlier, Christmas is my favorite time of year. After the hustle and bustle is over and the new year begins, I usually hit a little funk as I'm sure most people do. Unfortunately, this funk has gotten worse since I've had kids. Primarily, I assume, because I enjoy watching them enjoy all of the excitement of Christmas. As I look back on this Christmas, I can't help but smile when I think of how Caroline and Will enjoyed all of the lights and ornaments on the tree. Will just couldn't resist touching them every chance he got. Caroline tried her best to keep him at bay, but he somehow always managed to slip by the both of us to get a quick touch of one hanging just low enough for him to grab. He was especially excited when we visited our family because that meant he could explore new trees with new ornaments. Oh, what fun!

Despite their love for Christmas trees and their shiny, tantalizing ornaments, my kids were most fascinated with learning about the manger scene this year. I should clarify that it was mainly Caroline that really got into identifying all of the characters that surround the Baby Jesus, because at this stage, Will just follows her lead.Although I have a manger that I display at our home, Caroline instantly fell in love with the manger at Nana's. She especially loved the fact that she could actually hold the Baby Jesus. She rocked Him in her hands, kissed Him and took Him for a stroll in her baby stroller. It was precious! The pictures of her adoring the Baby Jesus will forever be some of my favorite from this Christmas season.

Blackberry

Last night while talking to my grandparents on the phone, my grandfather asked me what I knew about a blackberry. He said he had seen a good deal of commercials about them and was just wondering what all they did that his cell phone didn't do. I tried to explain as best I could to him before it was time for him to hand the phone to my grandmother for her turn to talk. As soon as she got on the phone she asked me, "Do you want to know what to do with a blackberry?" "I 'll tell you two what to do with them...you pick 'em, wash 'em and bake a pie out of them, that's what a blackberry is for," she explained. We both chuckled for a while after her joke. She may struggle to get around these days, but she sure hasn't lost her wit!

Ring pops, tea time and UNO

Last week, the kids and I packed our bags once again and headed to Nana and Pop Buddy's house for a short visit. Since Matt has been working a good bit lately and Nana was out of school, it gave us the perfect excuse. While we were there, Caroline enjoyed "tea time" with Nana and learned how to stick out her little finger in order to look prissy. (This is a very old tradition in my family. My grandfather always kidded my grandmother about going to her ladies' club to have coffee. He said that in order to go, you had to learn to drink tea while sticking out your little pinky finger. So...the tradition continues...) Anyway, Caroline also participated in her first UNO game. She really seemed to enjoy it and was actually rather good at it. I fondly remember playing UNO with my grandparents and cousins on the weekends when I was a kid. It seems like just yesterday. I can hardly believe I'm teaching my daughter how to play already. Boy, time flies.Anyway, Will's highlight of the trip was when Pop Buddy brought him a ring pop. It's obvious that Will loves Pop Buddy because he was willing to share some of his ring pop with him. Unfortunately, just as he was getting good and nasty, he dropped it and it broke all to pieces. I bet next time Pop Buddy will buy a back up in order to avoid the tears that followed.

Does it get any sweeter than this?