Sheep and 'Shrooms


At the Ren Fest

Labels: boys, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 12:49 PM |

 
Bim Bam Boom
By the way, Daniel
- started crawling
- pulled up for the first time, and
- started using a real word (no doubt about it) within a couple of weeks.

And started stealing food from his brother- can't forget THAT milestone ;)

Labels: baby talk, baby tricks

- posted by Lenise @ 9:42 PM |

 
Before the Purloined Pastry
I was going to link to this article. Thank you, sir!

Labels: policy, politics

- posted by Lenise @ 8:42 PM |

 
Sticky Fingers
Coffee cake doesn't last long in this house. I was doling it out to the big boys just now, and while I was working on Jay's piece, I heard Isaac start kicking up a fuss as I saw a chunk of his fall to the floor. I looked up to scold Isaac for not being careful, but what I saw was Daniel with a handful of coffee cake.

Isaac may watch Daniel a little more closely now when he's got to walk past with food! (Isaac did get a new piece of cake, but while I was convulsed in hysterics, Jay and Isaac were rather traumatized.)

Labels: baby tricks, boys, eating

- posted by Lenise @ 6:24 PM |

 
Pulling Up and Throwing Down
There was a whole lotta crying going on around here tonight. Jay started the tantrum train during dinner, but calmed down eventually and was the mature one for the rest of the evening (as is only fitting, of course). Isaac was next, though his fit didn't kick in until he was instructed to report to the bathroom to brush his teeth. When he didn't follow directions, he ended up being sent (carried) to bed.

At this point, he changed his screaming refrain to "I wanna bwush my teef!" Too bad, little man. Then came the pajamas. These didn't seem to help, and I couldn't tell whether his monkey pajama scream was of the let-me-wear-them or the you-can't-make-me-wear-them variety. At this point, I decided to let Isaac scream for a while, during which time I'd retrieve Daniel, who'd been put into his highchair so I could attend to Mr. Terrible Two.

Daniel had (naturally) started his own tale of woe in the meantime, so when I returned to the boys' room, I had not one, but now two screaming children. Somewhere in here, Jay got his pajamas on, and over the ruckus, I got him to understand that I wanted him in his bed. "I would love to go to bed!" was his reply, about the third time around. I think it's an attempt to curry favor, and, as it turns out, it's quite successful (at least with me). Isaac would not stop screaming and flopping long enough to put on his monkey pajamas (still), so he was banished to the master BR to allow prayers to proceed at a civilized volume.

He returned to the tooth-brushing phase of his fit and attempted to go back downstairs. Now I had successfully navigated the stairs carrying a thrashing Isaac once, and I did not plan to reprise the feat. I made him understand punishment would be forthcoming if he continued his descent, so he screamed his way back up the top two stairs, and after some more threats, I got him out of the hall and back into our bedroom.

Holding Daniel (who is perfectly quiet while being held, generally speaking, and in this specific instance), I began the prayers with Jay. A cacaphonous two-year-old approached, screamed some about monkey pajamas, was banished again, and returned, eventually settling quietly under his comforter (having been warned that there was to be no more pajama talk until after prayers), so we began the prayers again.

Prayers concluded, I had to replace Daniel in the crib so I could get Isaac properly monk-ified. Daniel's screaming is sadder, but much more tolerable than Isaac's. At least to me! Anyway, I told Jay his water request would have to wait, since I had to put Daniel to bed, and then my four-year-old played his trump card. A bleeding wound delivered by scaredy-cat (she stepped on him as she was fleeing in terror), and I decided I had better come downstairs for some alcohol, a washcloth, a band-aid, (and may-as-well get the water) first.

By the time I got upstairs, Jay was singing, Daniel was standing up wailing (first time pulling up!), and Isaac was asleep.

Labels: baby tricks, boys

- posted by Lenise @ 8:43 PM |

 
Quicker than Quick, Faster than Fast
Daniel's gotten to be a speedy little scooter over the past couple of days. He was still doing some flailing last evening for our Bible study group, but he remembered how to get places after a while, and today he's really traveling.

*PRODIGY ALERT* ;)
Maybe, just maybe, he's got his first real word down. He's been working on all kinds of different consonants, so there was a lot of da-da-da-ing and ga-ga-ga-ing, but these past couple of days, Daniel's been saying "Mama", not just when he's in a talkative mood, but when he's tired, hungry, whatever, he'll even cry, "Mamamamaaaa". Even Isaac didn't start calling me anything this early...

Labels: babies, baby talk, baby tricks

- posted by Lenise @ 8:33 PM |

 
Improvements
Dad (aka Grandpa) and Uncle Todd swapped out
these















and installed these

out with the bland and in with the cool =] (OK, the compact fluorescents kinda ruin the effect, but they'll burn out soon, right? Maybe in the next 5 years?)

Labels: bathroom, family, kitchen

- posted by Lenise @ 9:19 PM |

 
Photogenic

Labels: boys, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 8:34 PM |

 
Yuppie, Go Home!
The other week I was driving to or from work and saw a bumper sticker that said: "Protect our Troops: Bring Them Home" or something along those lines. Well, sorry, pal, but the soldiers I know are not interested in being protected by a middle-aged yuppie with his senator on speed-dial. The troops I know are men committed to the protection of government of, by, and for the people. They are willing to put their lives on the line to protect young mothers, grandparents, babies, retired veterans, children, teenagers, and even middle-aged yuppies who enjoy the blessings of freedom. There is such a thing as heroism, and believe me, it costs a whole lot more than a bumper sticker.

Labels: commute, politics

- posted by Lenise @ 10:04 PM |

 
Aware of World Issues at a Tender Age
Jay likes to say a prayer for his friends, clowns [not a clue!] whenever we do prayers together. In the past couple of weeks, in addition to his prayer of thanks that clowns are safe and healthy, Jay thanks God that they have "energy to put in their cars."

Labels: boys, clowns, prayers

- posted by Lenise @ 8:41 PM |

 
Too Many








I waited too long, and now I can't post ALL the good photos. I got some good ones on the train (Day Out With Thomas), a few good ones of tricycle riding, some cute Sunday best shots, some nice ones at the playground, and of course, the face painting. We'll see how many I'm patient enough to upload...
- posted by Lenise @ 10:27 PM |

 
Daniel, A Few Days Ago
Vyera's helping me come up with categories. She's also preventing the video from uploading, but she's a cat for goodness sake. We don't expect perfection.

Labels: 5356+, babies, video

- posted by Lenise @ 10:05 PM |

 
Slacker
So, yeah, we still have three sweet boys (yes, yes, Jay, I meant caterpillars) who keep doing cute stuff. And other stuff, too, really. =]

Daniel's getting mobile. Today, he made several feet of forward progress (!) and was stunningly complacent about his brothers removing books, foam letters, crayons, and other floor debris from his grasp. No prob! He can move- he'll just grab something else!

The big boys' facial tattoos from the fitness fest are nearly gone, and the hand tattoos from "Day Out With Thomas" are long since gone. After the face painter finished with Jay, she showed him her work in the mirror. His response? "Ohhhh- I look pretty!" Not the adjective I would associate with a two-inch housefly, but that's OK!

Mushrooms are Jay's latest interest. They also are invariably "pretty". He's got a sharp eye for fungus. I wish I knew where Uncle Todd's Fergus the Fungus got to. Jay would enjoy it!

Jay cracked his first pun a la Daddy today. I was trying to correct something the boys were saying, and Jay caught on fast, but Isaac persisted in his error. I said to him, "Isaac, are you incorrigible?" This turned into a long discussion of who was incorrigible and who wasn't. Jay said, "I'm encourageable!" At one point, I was explaining that you could either be corrigible or incorrigible. John said, "I'm not incouragible, I'm outcouragible!" Paul and I exchanged a glance. He knows it's his fault ;)

Labels: boys

- posted by Lenise @ 9:45 PM |

 
I Guess It's Just Me
Our local news channel's website features an article/video segment entitled "Palin Facing Voters Who Doubt Her Readiness". I guess I'm alone in doubting Obama's readiness, though he seems to have significantly less experience and is running for, um, President. Never mind those of us who doubt Sen. Biden's sincerity... Maybe those doubts are just not newsworthy...

Labels: politics

- posted by Lenise @ 10:21 AM |