In the Spirit of the Season

All the happenings of the month...that I love...because this is February the month o' love. (spirit of the season)

Kids who earn their keep. FINALLY, finally I'm seeing the benefits. A little weed pulling. They worked hard and Jara even figured out if you kick the weeds with your boot it loosens the weed so you can get it out easier. Jack figured out if you pull in the wrong place your hand will get poked with stickers. Is is weird when your children ask you to take them to the hardware store to buy work gloves?

Saying I love the jungle bouncy is an understatement. I luvvvvv this thing because Elise will chill in it, squealing, jumping and munching toys for the entire HOUR I teach piano lessons. Hallelujah! If only it will last.

How can you not love Jessie and Woody? When they aren't biting each other on the ear or using each other for a punching bag they place so nicely.

Happy in the morning babies are very lovely. Even if she is really smiling only because she just left me a nice present. I'm still going to claim it's "joy at my presence" smiles.

Jack and his babies. He is a loving father. The babies are snugly tucked into bed every night.

When Jed takes the kids in the castle and I don't see them for awhile. I won't even lie, I love that, peace for me, fun for them, good all the way around. And of course I am doing something wholesome like making dinner, or...searching online for a chair. You know.
Also-I really don't know how my 6'5"husband fits in the castle with the kids, he bends.

Bike ride/walks. Jack really likes his helmet, he even wears it in the car after the ride. We are quite the entourage, Mom pushing the stroller and two little bikers ramming into each other, me, light poles, whatever is in the path. However, if Jack slams into my Achilles tendon one more time...

Happy Valentine's Day

5 Months

Her favorite toy is her feet. She likes to play with her toes, chew on them and kick anything in her path. She can pass many a minute in company of her chubby little paws. The best part, they never get lost.

Taking a break from her feet to savagely munch bee

Digesting bee. Doesn't it look like she's smiling because she polished off the bee?

This month she started eating rice cereal. The first time I gave it to her she was offended I was promoting such vileness, so we waited a week or two and when she started trying to steal food off of my plate and was practically jumping out of my lap in her endeavor to coyote a roll, we tried again. Ahh success! It is so funny to watch her "chew" her rice cereal. She also likes to have her own cup of water. We give her a cup to hold in the bath tub and she sits in a state of bliss, calmly smiling and staring at her cup as if it's the worlds greatest invention. It ranks second, after her feet, as most amazing thing EVER.

She is in the stage now where nothing is safe within her grasp. Jara and I have both had our hair yanked out and she tried to pull the curtains down when I stood too close to the window the other day. She is very determined to grasp toys in her path and will rake and scoot and wriggle until she gets whatever she is after.

Left thumb is her favorite pacifier. (Do you think this means she will be left-handed like her dear old mom?) We were not surprised when this little habit sprung up, in one of my many ultra-sounds we caught her sucking on her hand in utero so there is no fighting it.

I don't know how much she weighs but the carseat is about to break my arm and back, even if she is of normal girlie, fluff-ball weight. Her length, however, is not average, she is super long. I put her in 6-9 month jammies the other day and by the end of the day she had busted her big toe out. Granted they were old ones of Jara's but still...I think she is going to be taller than me by 3rd grade. And for the record I'm not that short.

We are enjoying this month because after this... 6 months...that's right...half a year...no turning back. I get collectively sadder with each child.

Conversations

Scene: Jack sitting at the table playing with his veggie straws

Jack: Pointing an orange straw at a yellow straw
"Where is your baby?"

Yellow veggie straw: "In Jack's mouth."



Let's hope he doesn't do this to my baby.