One more....this time Cari....

So, Cari has started going potty in the potty chair. She has been 'trying' for some time....usually sitting for all of 5 seconds, and then wanting to climb around on it. Last night, we noticed after she was changed and ready for bed that she was holding herself and pulling on her clothes....so we asked..."do you want to sit on the potty?" "Yep" So...daddy takes her in the bathroom, and she sits.....for a lot longer than she ever has before...which is encouraging! And, she went!!!!! Wow, did we cheer, shout, sing and dance! ;o) Then tonight at dinner, JJ was in the bathroom, so of course, she wanted to be as well. I told her she had to wait until he was done....then we went in, and after a short time...she went again! It looks like she maybe actually does understand a little bit of what is supposed to happen!

So, half an hour later, while getting ready for her bath, she is standing with no diaper, and I ask her to sit again, but no, didn't want to.....and of course, what do you know, she went right there, standing inches from the potty chair, half on the towel, half on the floor.

Oh well....can't win them all I guess! ;o) Truely, I think she is doing amazing! ;o)

Burglars?????

JJ asked me tonight about Burglars.......apparently his cousin (who is 5 and 6 months older, thus knows EVERYTHING) told him about burglars......you know, people who steal things. He was asking if they were around here, like they are animals....LOL Then wanted to know if they carried around a bag to put their stuff in that the stole. Then the best question of all

"Mommy, do burglars look like normal people?"

"Yes honey, burglars are just people who take things that don't belong to them"

You mean, they aren't aliens?????"

I laughed, tickled him and called him silly....secretly, I am so hoping he isn't going to dream about burglars in the middle of the night!!!!!

Preschool update...

JJ did AWESOME today at school....especially for it being a Monday! He was excited about having the 'mystery box' which he got to choose something from home to bring in the box. He still tells me he doesn't play with anything, just wanders around looking at everything....but I guess if that doesn't bother him, it shouldn't bother me right? I told him that it made me sad that he wasn't playing, because I want him to have fun there.....he says " It's ok mommy, you don't have to be sad."

I am sure there will still be days...I do think it helps that it is not me dropping him off.....but still he is doing awesome! Hopefully he will play with SOMETHING before the end of the year! ;o)

When I grow up........

Lately, JJ has been very focused on talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. Of course like most little boys, it changes daily, sometimes even hourly. The list grows, but sometimes he will come back to the same things.

Sunday the music person for our Sunday school stopped me in the hallway and told me that JJ had stopped them in the middle of music time, raised his hands and offered the following:

"I just wanted to tell you that when I am watching you and her (referring to the teachers daughter who was helping - she is like 8), I know what I want to be when I get big.....a teacher"

I thought it was awfully cute, especially when he rarely will share those things with anyone but me.

Some other things he has mentioned he wants to be when he 'gets big':

Doctor
Motorcycle rider
Zoo Keeper or Animal doctor
police man
rescuer (anything involving a helicopter)
daddy

He has so many ideas in the little head! I love listening to him work them all out! ;o)

Dinner and a show!

The other night, we had a super nice dinner, grilled steak, baked potatoes, veggies, fruit etc. Just plain and simple. Along with this, we had a nice little show... Cari singing her favorite songs. ;o)

"Row Row Row boat down tream; melly, melly melly life a dream dream dream dream......." ;o)0

"ABC...FG...IJK....M..OP...RST..V....XYZeeeeeeeee. Now I know ABCs, nex time sing me. I did it! Bravo!"

"Twinkle winkle star, wonder what are, up in sky like diamond, winkle star, wonder what are."

You get the general idea.. but I am pretty impressed given she just turned 2!

She had also decided that since JJ gets to go to preshool, she does too....so she grabs her backpack (like JJ) and says 'go to school....I go to school' We remind her that she can't wear diapers at school, and she has to go potty and not wear diapers anymore first. Then she says "I go potty in potty chair, then go school" ;o) Dont' think she quite gets it. ;o)

Speaking of JJ and preschool....can I take a moment to say that for all the complaining he did about not wanting to go today, his teacher actually called me at school today and told me that he had a great day, with very little tears, and played with new things and had a great time! Of course, he says he didn't play with anything, and his favorite time was going home.. LOL I know it will come, and he will love it, and it is good for him. I just wish he would adjust faster! LOL

Random kid'isms

You know...those things they say that you keep saying "I need to write that down, that was so funny", etc. Except that I keep forgetting to write them down....or once I go to write them, I forget what I was going to write....

So, here are a few...just in an attempt to save them for posterity:

JJ - heard last night after stopping for (more) mulch at Home Depot -
"Mommy...it is getting dark....well...guess daddy's going to be doing mulch in the dark, not MY decision, guess he will have to deal with it!"

Cari - this morning while I was trying to get some work done -
"Mommy...I have my baby. Mommy, I get down from my chair, put baby in bed." Leaves room, comes back sans baby. Climbs back up on the step stool next to me "Mommy, I hear baby...baby cying" Leave room, comes back with baby "Poor baby....baby sad mommy" and proceeds to cuddle and kiss her baby" (Can I get an AWWWW on that one?) :o)

JJ yesterday after Daddy tells him it is my birthday - repeated kisses through out the day....very sweet gentle ones. Then he turns around and hits his sister! Oi Vey!

I love when JJ is sweet to Cari....he rubs her and pats her on the head and talks to her very sweetly. It is super cute! Then 2 minutes later, they are screaming at each other! ;o) Heaven to my ears! LOL

Cari the other night at dinner - "mommy I don wan to eat my parrots"....that's carrots for anyone who doesn't know....but it sent JJ into hysterics! LOL

Yesterday as we were heading out for lunch after JJ's first day of preschool, we told Cari we were going to lunch....she started shouting out where she was thinking we might go.....scary though being that she is 2....I think we eat out too much! Anyway, she started with Culvers, Wendy's and then daddy's favorite Chili's. But when we got to the intersection where we were going to turn, she could see it across the street.....and I hear a jubilent "Spaf Ayiens" (Space Aliens - which for those who don't know is kind of an upscale Chuck E Cheese). I didn't even know she could say it, much less recognize it. LOL

And finally....talking with Cari about her birthday and asked her what she wanted. "Go out to lunch" ;o) If only she were always that easy to please!

"Mommy, I miss oo"

That is how I was greated by my 2 year old yesterday! "Mommy, I miss oo" (read miss as missed). She has never said that before. My son....all the time....in fact, Grandma called me at work for him yesterday so he could tell me..."Mommy I was missing you, but now I am not any more". Nothing like making mom feel good. But something about that little hug, and that little "I miss oo" that makes me just melt!

I can't believe how big they are getting! I always knew I only really wanted 2 kids....and I am not the least bit regretting that decision....nor am I nostalgic for the 'newborn days' by any means....but I will miss the stages they are in now, as they grow and learn and do more and more. I have often said I need a hidden camera to capture everything they are doing now, as they won't do it when I have the camera out, and all too soon it will all be gone!

Lots of reflection this week (see previous entry)....we are so blessed!!!!

How was this a good idea???

Ok, in general I get that getting flu shots is a good, dare I say even great, idea. And getting them now is an even better idea so that when the H1N1 vaccine comes out we can get that too, and they will be spaced out far enough. However, specifically, how is it a great idea to get flu shots for a family of 4, at Minute Clinic/CVS at 6:45 at night, with 2 tired, crabby kids??? Especially when the parking lot is already as full as you have ever seen it when you pull in.

Granted, it was my idea to go there....I wanted to try to find a sudacare plugin for Cari's room, since her poor nose is so plugged, she napped for all of an hour (2 naps) yesterday, and slept really poorly the night before. Anyway, off we went to try to find this little wonder (which of course they don't have in any form or brand). "As long as we are here, we should get flu shots" says my hubby. (He has been trying to get his for a couple days already, but timing hasn't been on his side). So, I figured he would do it, but I didn't think we were ALL going to.

I suppose I am glad it is over, but keeping the kids entertained for over an HOUR while telling them they can't touch anything in the store.....NOT my idea of fun!

Alls well that ends well, JJ cried, Cari didn't even whimper. But then again, she got the really tiny needle. ;o) And they are over. At least this round. I am not looking forward to telling JJ he has to do it again in another month when the other vaccine comes out.

Milestone week.......

Next week will be a huge milestone week at our house! JJ starts preschool for the first time on Monday.... and Cari turns 2 on Thursday! I think JJ is going to love preschool once he gets going, but hopefully history will NOT repeat itself. In past years, when going to a 'alternate' daycare while Auntie Ann is on vacation (my SIL does daycare for us), we have had less than stellar emotional breakdowns from JJ. He has issues with separation, plain and simple. But, he is older now, and seems more mature....and seems excited, better yet! I have been talking up preschool for days, all the exciting things he will get to do...and he loved seeing his room and meeting his teacher last week. So, I am really hoping that he will do ok with the separation part. I think he will once he gets going....and as long as mommy doesn't start crying while he can still see me! Because you know I am going to! I have already given up on trying to convince myself otherwise.

And Cari....I have a hard time remembering she is going to be 2, because it seems like she has been 2 for a long time already! Since she has to keep up with her brother (or so it seems), she does everything and more that a 2 year old would do....AND talks almost as much as he does! Wait, no one could talk that much....but close!

Still, my baby will be two! My hubby and I discovered the other day that she was no longer our baby....she doesn't look or act like one. We decided it was our "Cari Popping Day". (My sister in law has this thing where when you first notice the leaves on the trees in the spring, it is your 'leaf popping day', so now you see the connection.)

So, while JJ is in preschool next week, mommy and Cari shop for birthday supplies. So far, Tinkerbell is in the lead for a theme....I hope that doesn't mean I need to make purple and green frosting for the cupcakes.................

"dat sing'.......

Cari's favorite phrase lately - "Wats dat sing (thing)" or other variations on the same theme. She has to know about everything as most toddlers do. Last night, she continually asked Grandma what about her phone charger.....and Grandma, with far more patience than I, repeated over an over for her, what it was and what it did.....and yet, the familiar chorus rang through the house "wats dat sing".

She also uses some form of this when she isn't getting what she wants, or better yet, when she gets something she DOESN'T want', such as if I give her the wrong snack (in her mind) 'don't want DAT sing!' If I give her a 2nd snack, still not what she wants, I get "don't want DAT sing EIDER" LOL It continues until she melts into a puddle of tears, decides it isn't worth it or gets what she wants (please note that the later does NOT generally happen on a regular basis)!

She has a lot of great phrases and words....most of which she picks up from her brother.....such as when she pretends she is on the phone, and the likes of the following conversation can be heard:

Cari: Heyyo.....
pause
Cari: Well.....um....maybe not.
pause
Cari: by the way......
pause
Cari: ok bye

She could play with the phone forever, but the countless toy phones fall into the, yes, you guessed it "don't want DAT sing" category!

Like father, like son.....

So, a week or so ago we took the kids to the state fair....we took the day off from work and went, which was good because it wasn't quite as crowded. Then, a couple days later, we went back....but we only took our 4 year old, figuring that the 2 year old had probably had enough of seeing a bunch of knee caps from the stroller, and not being allowed to get out and all that. Plus it was crowded (it was Sunday this time) and the stroller makes things alot harder to navigate in a crowd.

Our 4 year old did great, and walked the whole time, and didn't complain! He really enjoyed some of the 'family rides' like the space tower and the sky ride, but wanted mostly to get back to the 'Kidway' and ride on his rides of choice....a small train, known as the Safari train, which is really an adult torture device, especially for those adults with long legs like my hubby and I. Thankfully we went with friends, who have an 18 year old daughter who was more than willing to go with him. You see, this is a small train on a small track, that makes quick tight corners, and there is a bar right about where your knees go. You can see where this is going......I rode it with him last year, and I think my knees were bruised for 2 weeks! Unfortunately, I thought he could ride it himself, but he isn't quite tall enough. After that, his next favorite is the bumper boats, and the 'tea cups' which is a paired down version of a tilt a whirl, and the ONLY version of said ride you will EVER find me on!

The last ride of the day before leaving was the carousel....which dare I say, he ALMOST rode by himself, but changed his mind at the last minute and decided he really did still need mommy to stay with him. Having been on many carousels many times over, he did what most kids did at first....which is smile and wave and enjoy the ride....but half way through the ride I noticed he was looking up, instead of looking out at the crowd and waving to daddy. I could see the wheels turning in his head as he continued to look upward. We got off the ride and I just looked at my husband, and said....he is definitely YOUR son. Instead of looking out at the crowd....he was looking up and watching the mechanizm that moved the horse up and down. Like father like son.....I just hope my husband is more understanding than he claims his father was when our son starts taking things apart to figure out how they work! ;o)

Stars! Stars! Stars!

This is what I heard from the floor behind me while typing this....my first blog entry in at least a year! I heard this because the 'stars' of my life are sitting behind be watching Dora the Explorer! I know....really I am not using the tv to babysit just so I can write this. But after having the tv screaming loud (thanks to my darling, partially deaf husband) on one side of me and having 4 kids screaming in the other room (until the nieces went home for the day), having them yell a few words out occasionally while otherwise being totally quiet is a welcome few moments of peace!

Since it has been a long time since writing anything, I suppose I better add some basic info, such as the fact that my oldest Jonathan (generally known as JJ) is almost 4 1/2 and will be starting preschool for the first time in a week. And Carolyn (generally known as Cari) is almost 2, and thinks she is at LEAST as old as her big brother, or at the very least that she can do everything he can.

That is about all I have time for at the moment, as dinner needs to get out of the oven, and peaceful time is over, as Dora is over and JJ is beside himself that I won't let him watch another one.