Happy Birthday!

Katie and John turned FIVE yesterday. Oh what a treat the day was!
Every phone call started with Katie shouting into the phone, "HELLO! This is the birthday girl and boy!!!" They both sat with great smiles on their sweet faces as the callers sang Happy Birthday. Allison said, "Happy Birthday" to them every time she passed them in the house and repeated to anyone we met, "It is Katie and John's birthday today."
Katie's favorite gifts were a giant stuffed elephant and an even larger stuffed bear. They take up her entire bed! She gasped when she opened the bear box and shouted, "It is the best gift I ever wanted. I've never seen one before. I love my new brown bear!" Brown bears are always at the top of her 'must have' list and it is the only thing she asked Santa for this year. We will have an army of them soon and she will be in brown bear heaven for years.
Ask John what his favorite present is and he'll tell you, "All of them!" Playmobil sets and RC cars were a big hit. His remarks included, "WOW! This is the best toy I ever wanted from the toy store!" and, "I never knew I could have one of these!"
Watching them open their gifts was a mommy's and toy store owner's dream come true.
I so adore these innocent joyous moments and I hope they never end.

Funny kids...

Claire is taking an awful smelling medicine. She spit it all back out at me the first time I gave it to her and explained, "Mommy, SPICY!" Oh how I giggled. Lucky for me she is easily bribed. She drinks it all down twice a day so that she can enjoy the cookie chaser. :)

Katie, all snuggled in bed, fighting sleep: "Mommy, do you think I am on Santa's nice list or his naughty one?"
Me, "His nice one."
Katie, "What if you're wrong?"
Uhhhh...????

Joy to the World!

...Jenn is back to blogging. :)

Since my last blog I have sold the house, moved all of our belongings into storage, moved all of the kids and pets into a rental, reunited with Spence for two weeks, traveled to Houston for most of a week, finished 90% of my Christmas shopping and designed (though not yet printed) my Christmas card. In the next two weeks I have multiple events, a long trip to Virginia, Christmas and two 5 year old birthdays. All I want for Christmas is a clone of me! :p

Claire has started preschool. What a doll she is! One day a week she joins her brother and sisters at school. She just toddles in there, hangs up her jacket, picks up a toy and doesn't look back. Ask her what her name is and she'll tell you HAPPY FEET! Often she will jazz it up with a peppy little version of modern tap and a big smile. Ask her to say 'Claire' and she says, 'MY!' as in 'That's MY name!'

Katie, John and Allison had their preschool Christmas program today. For the first time ever there was NO crying! (I have had to pull Katie off stage in previous years to save the program from complete disaster.) All three of them enthusiastically participated. I was so excited to watch them. They were thrilled to get a cookie after... Priorities!

Katie's taste in music warms my heart. Her favorites these days are from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. He most requested Christmas song is Little Drummer Boy. What mommy wouldn't be proud?

John is quite pleased with our rental house, circa 1854. He finds things to fix and collect and create daily. His outdoor collection consists of old bricks, large sticks, an old bucket and a few other cast offs her found in his yard. He does refer to the pile as his 'collection'. His most recent creation (which he does refer to as his 'creation') consists of different sized mailing boxes and packing tape. He tapes the flaps up and out or tapes a few boxes together. His current fix-it project is matching the 50 keys we have found here to the doors in the house. He is a boy who doesn't need toys; he makes his own fun.

Allison is still walking around everywhere with a thumb in her mouth and a couple of fingers twirling the front of her hair. She recently added a small soft blankie to the mix. I know that someday she will outgrow all of those things; I hope it isn't too soon and I hope that I will always be able to conjure up that perfectly innocent and sweet image of her.

Halloween

I didn't take a single photo on Halloween this year. I was fighting a nasty fever and was proud just to get the kids dressed and out trick-or-treating. In lieu of photos they get my recollections, however hazy they may be.

Katie, the witch, looked far more striking than scary in her corseted witch's dress, made-up eyes, tall hat and sparkling smile. John was all boy in his Spiderman costume and mask. Allison was sweet in a 2 piece ghost costume. The outfit stayed in place. The hood did not. It was sometimes backwards, sometimes cock-eyed so that her eyes were peering out of one eye hole and her mouth visible through the other, sometimes sideways so that her eye and ear were showing; it was never on straight. Claire looked angelic in her poofy ballerina outfit, denim jacket and pink bomber hat.

Katie and John ran ahead searching out homes with the lights on. Katie came back after one and let me know they tried to give her TWO pieces of candy. She only accepted one. :p John paused later to tell me he was told to take as much as he wanted at one home and he opted for THREE! Allison and Claire sat in the wagon between stops. They both popped out each time before I could bring the thing to a complete stop. Allison made it to the door long before Claire. I could hear her enthusiastic TRICK-OR-TREAT across the yard. She will never master volume control. Claire finally said her first "trick-or-treat" at our final stop. Before that she would walk up, smile (who could resist that?) hold out her hand, put her treat in the bag and turn to me. When I instructed her to say thank-you she pulled the lollipop out of her mouth and giggled. So darn cute! All four of them. Even in my feverish state I enjoyed every minute of it.

I know! I know! Where have I been?

I could share stories of children vomiting in my bed, of bottoms so dirty I wouldn't take outer layers off until the offender was in the tub and my own nearly week long fight with a 102+ fever. That wouldn't be any fun!

How about some sweet memories?

Even at their young age I enjoy telling the kids stories from the past about them. They get a kick out of it too. Usually. Recently Katie or John found my phone precariously placed on a kitchen counter. I moved it to safety and shared this story...

When John was no older than 2 1/2 he came running to me crying his eyes out. He kept telling me he was so sorry he cooked my phone. I followed him into the kitchen and to the sink where I found my phone at the bottom of a stock pot filled with water. Bye bye phone. I laughed then. I laughed when I retold the story. John burst into tears as I retold it. Evidently it was just as traumatic for him the second time around. Poor, sweet buddy.

When Spence was home he gave the kids a bubble bath. They think that is such great fun! Now. I recall Katie and John's first bubble bath. They were just under a year. Yia Yia came to visit and was being a sweet grandma, giving the kids a bath for me and making it special for them. Little did she know then that Katie does not appreciate change or the unknown. Katie screamed bloody murder. Of course my sweetly overzealous mom used enough bubble bath for ten baths. It took her forever to get the bubbles out of the tub and to settle Katie down. I'm still laughing as I type this. Thanks for the great memory, Mom!

Katie can make an impression on anyone. She recently left a magna doodle board outside the door to her room. There were a few misspellings; the message was crystal clear. "No mom allowed in my room." Where does she learn these things? Really - who taught her to read and write? And what am I the target??? :p

John left an impression on Yia Yia. A very cold impression... She was here to watch the kids when Spence and I jetted off to the east coast for an Army v. Navy football game. He was almost 3 years old. Mom called me over and over again to get advice on warming up the house. She couldn't seem to make the thermostat work. (I was thinking - REALLY? I know you can work a thermostat!) It was December and the temperature in the house was falling into the low 60s. She was making preparations to take the kids to a hotel to get warm! With a bit of sleuthing I found out that John had flipped the master switch on the furnace. He didn't think Yia Yia would like all of the noise it made. She sure appreciated the heat it made when she flipped it back!

Allison's newest concern is nightmares. I can't tell if she is really having bad dreams. She worries about them when I first put her to bed. This week she came to me in the middle of the night babbling about a bad dream. I asked her about it and she said there was a monster getting her. She sounded quite upset. So I asked if the monster was pink or purple. She let out a joyful giggle and said "Pink! I guess that means it was a nice monster. It won't get me." She went back to bed and I didn't hear from her or her monster again.

Allison hums while she eats. It makes me giggle. I like to believe it is because my cooking is so fabulous!

Claire's obsession is HAPPY FEET! She loves penguins and she loves to dance. She carries a baby penguin around with her. She can find every penguin in the toy store. She screams "NUSIC! DANCE!" every time we see the CD player. And she dances.

Oh what fond memories. Tonight I sat at the dinner table with my crew and thought everyone should get a chance to do this! Sit around the table with 4 kiddos, 4 years old and younger. Let them lead the conversation. It is a hoot!

Hello Baby Mason!

New words...

Claire's favorite place to escape is my closet where she pulls everything she can out and scatters it around the floor. Then she sits down and tries to put everything on. Shirts on her legs, pants on her head, socks on her hands...
Today she was quiet for a tad too long so I went searching for her. Sure enough, there she was sitting on my closet floor with this and that all about. I asked her, "What are you doing in here?" to which she proudly and enthusiastically responded, "MESS!"
Ah ha! She does listen to me.

Sweet Dreams

Me to John, with great exasperation - John, WHY do you come into my room every night?

John in a quiet, sweet voice - Mommy it is because I love you sooooooooo much.

I know the pessimists among us would say - manipulation! I say say, awwwwww, he melts my heart.

Ha! Ha!

When John was 2 and potty training we changed his pants - a lot! Spence was just home after a year long deployment and didn't know that a tot could have a sense of humor. Spence sent John back to get a clean pair of unders (as we call them) and John came back with a pair of Katie's. Spence explained that he wanted a pair of boy unders and John went away and came back with... another pair of Katie's. When a pile of 6 or more were on the floor at his feet I had to explain to Spence that John was playing a joke on him. The funniest part about the whole event was me explaining it to Spence because John has Spence's sense of humor!
I've been thinking about that a lot over the past few days as I have watched Claire develop her sense of humor. It is so similar to John's and Spence's. I will have many stories to tell in the near future.

Cookbooktionary - any cookbook worth reading, according to the Anderson kids!

Holding On

I often wonder which memories will stick with me over the years and how intact or embellished they will be...
I hope these are two of them!
Monday (my one and only easy morning) I was lounging (ha!) in my bed just past 7:30. At least one child was already in my room and I could hear everyone else stirring. I glimpsed a head full of blonde hair walking around my hair and rolled over to say good morning to Katie. Um, NOT Katie! That's right... 20 month old Claire can escape. With ease! She is sooooooo proud of herself. Oi vey.
Every night after prayers everyone gets a chance to thank Jesus for something or to ask him for something. Every night, no matter what kind of day we have had, whether I've just been cuddling with John or screaming at him about his unacceptable choices, he thanks Jesus for his sweet, wonderful Mommy and Daddy. My heart melts every time.

I know where they get it from!

Katie and John ask WHY? in a disobedient manner way too often. (Kids, don't throw sand at each other! WHY? Kids, don't touch the hot stove! WHY?) They must go sit on the stairs and consider the question and answer. Claire has picked up the habit. So, as I am the only one who really understands her I am also the only one who is pestered with her quiet, sing-songy voice asking why? many times a day.

Katie's newest catch phrase: Needs salt!

Allison's phrase: W-w-w-w-w-what's happenin', dude?

I was baffled by these newest bits until I overheard their latest movie du jour... A Leap Frog reading enrichment video. Ha! Ha!

Hiking with friends...

Funnies

Katie, having a 'pretty party, brushing my hair and putting barrettes in for me (ouch!) - Oh Mommy, soon you are going to be so stylish. Gee, thanks!

John, watching a DVD that wasn't playing well - Mom, this movie keeps itching! I thought hard and asked a lot of questions to figure out his train of thought... At some point I probably told him that DVDs skip when they are scratched. Scratched. Itching. Aha!

Julie brought her new puppy, Sophie, over for a visit. Katie noticed Sophie's neck and said - Oh what a beautiful leash. Julie told her that it is a collar. Allison immediately piped in - I have a collar bone and it is broken. (Insert sad face.)

Katie, while crying about everything threw in a very dramatic - It has just been years and years and years since I saw Daddy!

When Julie's husband, Craig, left their house yesterday their daughter ran out and said 'Bye Daddy!' My sweet, sweet, sweet Claire went running across the front porch happily screaming - DADDY! DADDY! DADDY! (Tears in my eyes.) Awwww... The baby girl just wants her daddy.

Allison must have dreamt about Spence a few nights ago. She woke up and told me her daddy was home. I gently told her, not yet... She pleasantly insisted that she saw him here, at home, with her. We walked through the house, hand-in-hand, just to be sure.

Friday night is pizza night. In our ideal life I take the night off from cooking and Spence makes pizza with the kids. In this altered universe I make pizza with them. Chef John helped through the whole process. His running commentary is quite amusing. The best was when I turned only one oven and put both pizza stones in there. I now know (and I expect to be reminded many, many more times) that is NOT the way Spencer (yes, he refers to Spence as Spencer) makes pizza. Spencer is the best pizza maker and I should follow his methods. (Spence will be disappointed to know that our current 'pizza' consists of a tortilla, sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, tomatoes and feta - with basil and/or spinach when we have it.)

Learning Curve

I am fascinated by the learning curve my children are on. (Yes, I know this is true for all children!) The part that fascinates me the most is watching the differences in how and what they learn. It is most obvious between Katie and John...
Katie is coloring inside the lines and sounding out words. She writes names and short words without help. She draws pictures with details that (almost) anyone would recognize. She will excel in a traditional classroom.
John scribbles most of the time. (He does draw trees and write his name when he feels like it so I know he is capable, yet uninterested.) He has no patience for sounding out words or learning to spell anything. Instead, he can explain to you how the natural gas line coming into the house works. He can build machines, tanks and homes with Lincoln Logs. He can take things apart and put them back together. He is an engineer in the making. Will the teachers in his future recognize these strengths?
We played a game of Scrabble Junior one night. Katie spelled all of the words. John understood all of the rules. So interesting to watch!

To the tune of 5 Little Monkeys

4 little Andersons asleep at home, John rolls off and breaks his bone. Mama calls the doctor and the doctor says... Yep, it's his funny bone.



4 same Andersons asleep without a care, John screams aloud with a night terror. Mama calls the doctor and the doctor says... Nothing to do, could anything be rarer?



4 kiddie Andersons asleep without hollers, Allison tumbles down and knocks her collar. Mama calls the doctor and the doctor says... After this week you will be a certified bone scholar!

To borrow a line from Molly Lang, OH FOR THE LOVE!

Sunday night I was just turning off my light... The kids went to bed almost four hours prior. THUMP! Scream!!!!!!!!!!!!! John rolled out of bed. I scooped him up quickly and knew within minutes that something was broken. After a fairly quick trip through the ER it was confirmed, broken humerus. The next day we went to see an ortho where they put a cast on him (camo, in honor of his daddy). He sat so still and merely tensed up and said a quiet 'ouch!' while they manipulated his arm. What a big boy!

We battled through some itching problems that night and went out to get some children's Benadryl the next day. I gave him a dose just a few minutes before bed time. An hour later I had a boy who could have starred in the Exorcist. That medicine gave him night terrors and made him crazy. He was thrashing, screaming, stomping, pushing something away from him. His eyes were open and he was in a severe panic. It went on for 30 minutes. He never woke up through it. I just followed him around, soothing and protecting him from falling down the stairs or bumping into furniture. My mother witnessed it as well. I don't think she would believe the extremity of the attack if she had not. He had a shorter one an hour later. And no more to speak of since then. Before that night I had only seen such an event on TV. I hope never to see one again! (Thankfully we haven't had any repeats. Note to myself: NO MEDICATION FOR JOHN.)

Saturday evening, just after putting the kids to bed, I was sitting downstairs chatting with my mom and looking at photos from our recent beach trip. I heard the kids moving around in their room. Before I went up to investigate I heard THE scream. Allison, diving into her crib, must have turned her head the wrong way. She calmed quickly. I put her on the couch for a few minutes then evaluated her arm. She was pointing at her clavicle. Sure enough, when I moved the arm forward she screamed. Good grief! Off to the ER we went. She was Super Hero like in the ER. Laughing at their jokes (even when she was scared and hurting), telling them that their camera (the x-ray) was so wonderful and saying they were going to fix her. For now her arm is pinned to her side with an ace bandage. We are off to see the ortho for an expert opinion.

Who knew going to bed could be such a DANGEROUS night time activity!?!?!?!?!?

We are at the beach!

What a great week we are having. Thanks Mom & Dad! Check out the photos...

Thanksgiving

We say a prayer of thanks at dinner. Katie and Allison tend to say structured prayers. John is more likely to go free form. Tonight, as my mother listened (and laughed!), the end of his prayer went something like this:
Thank you for not letting us eat trans fats and always eating organic. When we have candy we have only one slice or one piece for not too much sugar. Amen.
And to that I say, AMEN BROTHER!

Happy Birthday America

Today we celebrated our country. We dressed in red, white and blue. We had a birthday party (a neighborhood picnic at the pool). We said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang America, America the Beautiful, the Star Spangled Banner and the Army Anthem. We ended the night with a short walk to the edge of the neighborhood where we sat and watched the fireworks show across the river. It was a wonderful day. We have many reasons to celebrate. Happy Birthday America... And many more!

Look, we can swim!

John, without taking a breath...

"Underwater Katie" earning her self-proclaimed title...

Good Morning!

My young 'uns are up soooooo early! They are fed, groomed, dressed, covered in sunblock and bored by 9 a.m. If we were home they would be doing morning chores. That isn't so easy here! In lieu of morning chores they go outside to save the frogs. Today they found one as big as their hands. Oh the excitement! Not so, for me. It was in a spot requiring my help for a successful rescue. Ew! Blech! Yuck!
We did add a bug hotel to the backyard. It was a suggestion from our science book. According to Katie the inn is vacant. I have not yet worked up the courage to look myself. Again, ew!
We also moved one lucky (???) tadpole into our indoor tadpole habitat in hopes of watching him/her transform into a baby frog. Five days later the tadpole lives. By my standards we have success!
Our next experiment (a word that John can barely pronounce though he chooses to use it often, along with confusing - as in Mom, I was very confusing about that!) will be with trash in large glass jars. We are going to do compostable trash in one and trash that doesn't break down in another.
Oh the fun of summer!

Trivial moments

Allison to me - Mom, do cup and cake rhyme?

Me - No.

Allison - Is it an alliteration?

My thoughts - Really, Allison? How do you pick these things up?

Katie to me - Mom, what is the name of the place where Gregory took us to play and eat?

My thoughts - What awful, dirty place did he so thoughtfully (because at 16 taking your nieces and nephew anywhere IS quite thoughtful!) take them to? I am stumped.

Allison - Chick-Fil-A

My thoughts, again - Really, Allison? That was her first and only time going there and it was days before! How does a 2.5 year old recall like that?

Allison is just recovered from a fever. No other symptoms. Claire now has the fever. 103+. She doesn't handle being sick very well. I will pray over and over that she passes through this as quickly and easily as Allison did.

Good deeds

Picking up glitter... Glitter, litter with a g to dress it up. My kids thoroughly enjoy picking it up so it is quite appropriate that we call it glitter. Picking up glitter is something we do very often. Every trip to the store starts with each child picking up at least one piece of trash and depositing it in the garbage can. I must be especially diligent lest they pick up something particularly disgusting. Receipts and bags - OK. Anything wet - ewwwwww! I introduced the idea that a clean Earth is a better Earth. John started the clean up tradition when he was a wee one (about 1 year old) visiting the park.
Recently my dad treated the kids and me to a ferry ride. Katie noticed the trash floating around in the water and gave us all (strangers included) a lesson about how the fish and ducks cannot live with those things in the water. Oh how I wish I had jotted down a few of her quotes!
My do-gooders request help saving frogs daily here. The frog mommies lay eggs in the decorative pond. We watch them morph from egg to tadpole to tadpole with legs to tiny frog. Those tiny frogs (and a few big ones plus a few crabs) sometimes find their way into the salt water swimming pool. That is when Operation Frog kicks in. We do daily pool checks, fish out the little buggers and release them into the grass. Katie and Allison are quite certain that the large croaking frogs are the mommy frogs saying Thank You! for saving the babies. :)
Saving the frogs isn't our only mission. We are all quite diligent about making sure no children end up in one of the many water hazards near here. All of the kids wear bracelets that alarm when they get wet. The bracelets are particularly sensitive. Claire licking one or Allison sweating on one while she naps will set off the alarm. Because of that sensitivity we have many water hazard drills. They are paying off! Today just Katie and I were home while Claire napped in her crib. Katie sat at the kitchen table doing a craft while I walked down the driveway to check the mail. Halfway up the drive I heard the pool alarm sound. My first thought was - Yikes! Katie freaks out when any alarm goes off. I ran into the house and instantly noticed Katie... Fingers in her ears, standing at the back window, scanning the pool. She caught sight of me, ran over (fingers still in ears) and announced Mommy, there are NO kids in the pool! I was so proud of her for reacting quickly and safely. Together we went outside to take a walk around the pool check for frogs...

Dreaming about Daddy

I caught Allison as she awakened this morning. Mommy, when you were at the store a snake bited my finger. My daddy opened the snake's mouth and got my finger out. Then he put a bandaid on it and I am all better now. How intriguing to hear about her dream and how sweet that it is about her daddy saving her. I can only hope that the snake part wasn't too traumatizing.

John brought some matchbox cars to me and started... Plus one and three is four. Whoa! I have introduced this during playing. Is he really catching on? He 'played math' on and off all day and added rocks to make the equations more fun. At one point he even remarked Now THAT is my kind of math. (Picture his head tilted to the side and imagine the smacking noise he makes with his lips when he is expressing an important point.)

He asked me to play bubbles with him. He successfully made lots of bubbles then passed the stuff off to me. I couldn't make a great bubble! Heck, I couldn't make any bubble. Lucky for me I had John with me. He asked to have another turn and very successfully made more bubbles. Am I smarter than a four year old?

John and I also spent some time flying his glider outside today. (It was a great Mom & John day!) The glider takes a short charge and is designed to fly 20 feet... When counting to 20 he was missing 16 quite often... 14, 15, 17, 18... So everything we do involves counting to 16. For multiple glider flights he counted to 16, released the plane and watched it fly through the yard. Retrieve, repeat! Unfortunately the plane caught a gust of wind that sent it 200 yards north, 100 yards west and three stories high where it is now parked on the top of a townhouse. Oops. With tears in his eyes, MOM! 16 wasn't such a great idea!

Science 101

Tomorrow we are going to start the summer of science. I found a book at the library with age appropriate experiments and I can't wait to try them. I'll share the good and the bad...

Commercial free, please

This morning when I sat around the table with all of the kids Allison said to me, Mom, my heart is OK. Is your heart all better? She was referring to some trivial moment earlier when I said something was breaking my heart, probably someone throwing recyclables in the trash or the like. John responded, My heart is not OK. It isn't even here. It is in Honduras with Daddy because I miss him. Awwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uncle Gregory, John, Katie and I ran a few errands while the little girls napped today. We were a block away when I realized I needed a few things from the house. Turn around. Pull into drive. Send Gregory in to get the items. It was pouring down rain and Katie said to me. Mom, you sent Gregory in for those things because you don't like getting wet, right? Yep, she is right!

The kids see more TV in a day here than they see in a week at home and with that TV time comes commercial time. Daily I hear from Katie, Mom, will you please order me some Bendaroos. I don't even know what Bendaroos are. Reference the trip mentioned above... Our first stop was Bed Bath & Beyond. As we walked through the door and I headed back to find lunch boxes Katie spotted Bendaroos. Who knew? She is now a walking Bendaroos advertisement. (Singing) Benda-what? Benda-who? Benda-roos? Over and over again. Punctuated with You can use them again and again. And Bendaroos won't make a mess. What will they think when we go home and they realize we don't have cable. Heck, we don't even have a TV anymore! Those Bendaroos will fill lots of free time then!

New Friends

As a stay at home mom to young children I've recently come to this conclusion...
Meeting potential friends is a lot like dating. I go to places where people I might enjoy befriending tend to congregate. I approach someone who looks attractive to me. I initiate small talk and request to exchange numbers. I call or send a note and then wait and wonder if I will get a reply. We meet a few times in mostly neutral places and decide whether or not going to the next step is in the best interest of both of us. Those social skills I am teaching the kids will come in handy for the rest of their lives!

Better days!

John spent the night in his bed (yay!) and came in just before 6:30 to wake me up. I sent him downstairs to have breakfast with Grandpa. He was back within minutes bouncing around, begging me to get out of bed and see the breakfast table. It seems that after his bedtime Yia Yia put a colorful striped table cloth out. John to me, Mom, you have to come see what is on the table. It is the most beautiful (beautiful is very exaggerated) table I have ever seen. What a fun moment - even if it was before 7!

Today I took all of the kids for a trip to the grocery. (I am not afraid!) I pushed Claire in a beep-beep cart (my kids' nickname for the race carts with steering wheels) while Katie, John and Allison followed behind me - each pushing their own mini cart - all in a row. We went through the store like a mama duck and her little ducklings. They were all well behaved. Lots of shoppers told me so! I was so proud. :)

I found a note from Aunt Misty today from a month ago. Katie was having a sleepover there. When she was coloring Misty commented on how many crayons they had and how lucky they were to have them. Katie (because she is MY daughter) said, Yeah, we should sell some away!

May I have a pillow with that?

Some time late last night (I never check my clock during late night wake-ups; it just ruins my night) John came in to see me. He was in wet pajamas... I fixed him up and invited him to crawl in my bed. I certainly wasn't going to waste sleep time changing his wet bed! Not too long later he popped up and said Mommy, I am coughing and getting sick. Ugh! After a long trip to the bathroom I brought him back to my room to settle down - FINALLY - for the night. That sweet boy loves to sleep in my bed. Yet he KNOWS that getting sick in my bed is unacceptable. So... When I brought him back to my room, without prompting (heck, I hadn't even thought of it; I just wanted to get back to sleep!) he said Mommy, can I please have a blanket and pillow to sleep on the floor next to you? My heart just melted. I know, it seems like such a small thing. Still, my little boy was thinking about me - or, at least, my rules - even when he was sick and tired.

Tidbit

Katie to John - Look! We are driving close to the ocean.
John - We can't see the water yet, we just see the cranes putting the containers on the ships.
Katie - Oh yeah, the containers go on the Chicargo Ships.

Chi-cargo ships... Are those cargo ships built in Illinois? She cracks me up!

Boys? Or just my boy?

Someone with experience raising boys (or any good advice even if you don't have boys!) please help...
John is a disaster. Defiant, defiant, defiant. As soon as I start to tell him to change his behavior or attitude he argues with me, talking over me and assuring me that he is in the right and everyone else is wrong. His most annoying behaviors... Laughing when I discipline. Shooting Allison in the face while she screams "Don't shoot me!" Then yelling at me that they are fake bombs when I take all of the guns away. (THAT is why we don't have toy guns in our house!!!!!!!) Pushing on the stairs. Pushing Allison into the pool. Swimming when I am not outside. Passing at mach speed on his bike. He has that 'I know everything and I can do everything better' attitude that irks me about other kids. GOOD GRIEF! What am I going to do?????????
The cherry on top... He locked me out of my parents' house today when I took the trash out.
Really, help. PLEASE!

Daily Doodles

I wonder... Often! What are they thinking? Do they wonder what I am thinking. Nope! They assume they know what I am thinking.

Today John decided that drinking water is best when it comes from ice. He spent most of the afternoon putting ice in a cup, placing the cup in the sunshine and returning every few minutes to sip the melted bits. He was so excited about his discovery! He even recounted the steps for Grandpa tonight at dinner.

Claire thinks the best part of being at Yia Yia's is the shoes lined up near the door. She puts a new pair on every few minutes and stomps around in them. None of them are hers. :)

Katie wants to know if Dr. Seuss is Yia Yia's doctor. She also wants me to go on a date. Spence won't be thrilled about that! What she really wants is to see the babysitter! I can arrange that even if Spence isn't here to go out on a date with...

Allison. Yikes, Allison! She is my challenge these days. Why must we survive these stages? She doesn't like anything we have and she doesn't want to do anything we are doing. AAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Where in the world are we?

Ha. I have not given up my blog! We have been traveling and preparing to travel almost every day since my last entry. The first weekend of May Spence and I took Allison and Claire to Utah for Talisa's (Spence's cousin) wedding. The following weekend Uncle Russ arrived for a long weekend visit in Indy at the same time I flew out for a longer solo weekend in Miami with Patti. The third weekend in May we packed up the whole family for a road trip to my parents' place in Suffolk, Virginia, where the kids and I are spending the summer. The next weekend Spence and I took Uncle Gregory on an adventure to Germany and France where we did the tourist bit with Uncle Chris and Aunt Beth. This final weekend of May we are seeing Spence off as he begins his journey to Honduras. So you see... I have not given up my blog. It is just on hold for a few more days.

Spence's Shadow

Spence has been doing some pre-move cleaning. He was doing laps from the basement to the garage this weekend and everywhere Spence went John followed. At first John just walked up and down with him. Then John walked up and down carrying a load with him. By the end John was doing all but the heaviest of loads solo with Spence walking alongside him. The conversation was very one-sided; John was talking Spence's ear off. A tidbit from the conversation... John to Spence, I don't think we need these helicopters anymore Dad. They are Cobras and we like Blackhawks better. The Blackhawks are faster and awesomer, right Dad? Yeah, we like the Blackhawks. It was sooooooooooooooo stinkin' sweet. I've always enjoyed watching little boys interact with their daddy idols. It is even more sweet when the boy/daddy combo is my own. :)
When they were done with the moving chores my guys went outside to practice some bike riding. Less than a month ago John (who just turned 4 in mid-December) tried going on 2 wheels for the first time. He has no fear! Spence has spent hours pushing John to get him started and running up and down the street holding onto the collar of John's shirt to keep him upright... Those days are done! After spending a few hours 'working' with Daddy John decided he could do it solo. AND HE DID! Yay John!!!

Making Miracles

I witnessed my first miracle. Well, I've certainly unknowingly seen many of them... So, I recognized my first miracle on Saint Patrick's day.
It was a Tuesday morning. Spence didn't have PT and I didn't have much on the calendar. We were slowly getting up and starting our day. We didn't have any reason to believe that morning would be unlike any other...
I went into the little girls' room to get them up for the day. I immediately knew something was not right with Claire. Her position seemed odd to me. I leaned over her and enthusiastically engaged her. Her eyes were open, but her only response was to slowly look away from me. She was limp, lethargic, jittery and barely conscious. I immediately wondered if she was postdictal (if she had been having seizures). I scooped her up, continually engaging her, begging her to pep up. I took her temperature, though I knew without looking at the read out that she didn't have a fever. I buckled her into her carseat, left everyone else at home, and raced to the ER. I prayed, out loud, as I drove the 5 minutes to our hospital Please God let this be reversible!
In the ER she was triaged and we were sent to a bed behind a curtain immediately. Claire turned her head to new, loud sounds. Other than that she remained limp and without response. While we waited for the doctor to see us she put her head on my shoulder and went to sleep even though she had just awakened from a full 12 hour night of sleep.
My poor baby girl was so sick and I had no idea what was wrong. :(
The wait to see the doctor seemed to last forever though I suspect it was less than 10 minutes. He came in, introduced himself and asked me what was going on with Claire. After listening to less than 15 seconds of my story he stopped me, stepped out of the room and came back with someone to check her blood sugar. The weight of the world lifted from my shoulders at that moment. Aha, low blood sugar. That explains ALL of her symptoms.
Sure enough, her blood sugar was 38 (it should be 70-110). Claire didn't even have the energy to cry, move her hands and legs or protest in any way when they poked her 4 times for blood samples and an IV!
Halfway through her IV Claire opened her eyes, lifted her face up to me and gave me a kiss. I shed a few happy tears. What a blessing she is!
I am thankful to God for so many reasons... For my intuitive realization that Claire needed immediate help, for Dr. Brantley who instantly knew what was wrong with her and for the scientific and medical resources we have that allowed her to return to her normal self so quickly. No so long ago (and still, in some parts of our world) Claire's condition wasn't reversible.
I remained completely composed through all of Claire's experience. (On the outside only!) Her nurse in the ER even stopped by at one point to thank me for being so patient and at ease with the process (especially the multiple needle sticks). A month later I am just able to write about that day. I still can't talk about it without experiencing significant anxiety and a few tears.

Road Trip!

Monday - I look at the calendar and realize that there isn't anything on there next week. A completely unscheduled week? That never happens! Hmmm... I call Spence mid-day and ask, "Do you want to go to Disney next week?" Before the end of the day I received an email with a suggested itinerary, a route of travel and a budget. (It was in quad chart format, of course.) Yep, we were going to Disney!


Wednesday - I asked the kids where they would like to go for vacation. They were unanimous in their answers - CRACKER BARREL! Oh to enjoy such simple pleasures.


Saturday - We were on the road at 7:30 a.m. It was the start of our family cavation (Allison's new word). We made it into Florida, 14 hours later, with only 2 stops. I dare you to try that with 4 kids under 5. Go on, I dare you. :) Dry erase boards entertained Katie, John and Allison for many hours. They quietly colored for so long... And then I heard from Allison, "Mommy, I am decorating!" I turned around and found my little warrior, in full face and body paint, smiling at me from the back seat. Note to all moms: Dry erase cleans off of faces just as easily as washable Crayolas and the entertainment value is well worth the clean up!


The week that followed was wonderful and joyful. We spent a day with Mema (my mom's mom) and Agnes (Mema's sister). Gigi and Ray happened to be there that day so we shared a great dinner with lots of family. The kids were (and I am so very thankful for this!) well behaved and they can't wait to go back to try out the pool! We spent a day with Grandma Dyer (my dad's mom) and another house full of relatives. Katie, John and Allison braved the cool pool water - all day long. That night as we waited for Spence's mom to arrive Katie declared, "I hope Elle brought her cookies. She is a great cookie maker!" I'm quite certain that in the minds of my children Grandma Elle spends all day making cookies and that she is never without them.


Our two days at Disney were better than anyone could have predicted. The temperature was moderate and the skies were overcast. It was lovely. The lines were short. We all rode Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Cinderella's Carousel... We even made it through the Haunted Mansion, though Allison was traumatized by the lights out thunder and lightening in the beginning. If I hadn't been holding her hand I don't think I would have found her when the lights came back on. Katie and John tried Splash Mountain with Spence and me. John loved it. Katie was not pleased to be splashed. Nor did she enjoy the drops going over the hills. She won't be braving the roller coasters any time soon. John, on the other hand, was willing to try anything. He even rode the Dinosaur and Everest with us at Animal Kingdom. Some of the funniest moments were after the rides when he interpreted what happened. When asked what their favorite part of the Disney park was they all agreed - Cotton Candy treats! Once again, such simple pleasures. :)

Check out our Disney slideshow. You can click on it to see it fullscreen.

Moments

Katie to me - Wow Mom, that cemetery sure is beautiful with all of those flowers. Let's dress Daddy and John in handsome clothes. You, me, Allison and Claire can wear dresses and we can have a wedding! We can eat cake because sometimes there is cake at weddings.

Mis-steak (pronounced mistake) - the new name for steak in our house. I am certain they aren't commenting on my grilling abilities! :)

Allison has more emotion in her than any 2 year old I've encountered. Sure, she can throw a tantrum with the best of them... Those tantrums are worth dealing with because of the numerous joyous outbursts she shares. When she steps out of her school to wait for me to pick her up she runs right up to Katie and shouts with glee, My sister Katie! My best friend! as she bear hugs Katie. When I walk up the path to take them to the car she throws down everything in her hands, sprints to me and jumps into my arms. What a lovable little girl!

Have you interviewed your children lately?

I borrowed this from Laura. (Thanks Laura!)

I lived as my mother's daughter for more than 30 years without knowing that her favorite cuisine is Italian and her favorite vegetable is Brussels sprouts. (Maybe that explains why we had spaghetti 4 nights a week when I was a kid... OK, that is a slight exaggeration and a running family joke!)

After reading Haddie's responses to Laura's interview questions I starting wondering what my little ones think my favorite food is. I took a copy of the questions on a recent trip to the park and invited Katie and John to sit with me and answer the questions. After playing for a short while Katie joined me on the bench and happily answered the questions. John answered a question here and there as he bounced past me playing with sticks and chasing bugs. Typical John. :)

Below is a transcript of the interview with each of their answers. My notes are in parenthesis. I deleted the questions they weren't able to answer.

1. What is something mommy always says to you?
K – I love you
J – I love you
2. What makes mommy happy?
K – When I give you hugs and kisses
J – That we save a tree (he is literally hugging a tree as he answers)
3. What makes mommy sad?
K – If I be naughty
J – When you knock a tree down (dancing around the tree)
4. How does your mommy make you laugh?
K – She…(thinking)… Tickles me
J – (runs away)
5. How old is your mommy?
K – I don’t know
J – 16
6. How tall is your mommy?
K – Very tall
J - 18
7. What is her favorite thing to do?
K – Sleep
J – Make dinner
8. What does your mommy do when you're not around?
K – Does something what you just do yourself
J – Bible study
9. What is your mommy really good at?
K – Taking a nap
J – Helping people
10. What is your mommy not very good at?
K – Fixing the swings; fixing stuff
J – Making dinners and what parts she forgets to put in (wondering off to play with a stick)
11. What does mommy do for a job?
K – She tells me to um…; she goes potty (she obviously did not understand the question; still she tried to answer)
J – Help us
12. What is your mom's favorite food?
K – Spaghetti
J – Bean burrito
13. What makes you proud of your mommy?
K – Giving me ice cream
J – Helping people (he as obviously decided to go with this theme to get through the interview faster!)
14. What do you and your mommy do together?
K – Play in the park
J – Anything we want to
15. How are you and your mommy the same?
K – We have hair like this (twirling her blond hair)
J – If mom’s a boy and I’m a boy (indeed that is how we would be the same; note to self - next time rephrase so that they understand the questions)
16. How are you and your mommy different?
K – When we have little hair (I think she meant that we would be different than we are now if we had short hair like John)
J – Mom is a girl and I am a boy
17. How do you know your mommy loves you?
K – ‘Cause she gives me hugs and kisses
J – By helping (there is that answer again)
18. Where is your mommy's favorite place to go?
K – To the store
J – To Kroger

Angels

I've been wondering for a while now why it is so difficult to blog about John. He is certainly as entertaining as the girls! I tell stories about him often... So why can't I blog about about him? Yesterday, as I was down on his level listening to one of his stories it hit me - AHA! It isn't easy to write about John because so much of his communication is non-verbal. He isn't by any means a quiet kid. Far from it, in fact. His emphasis, his expression and his personality all come through his hand movements, his body posture and his extreme facial expressions. I am not able to adequately describe the tilt of his head, the seriousness of his eyebrow arch, the cluck of his tongue behind his teeth and his hands on hip posture as he nods his head and says - Yeah, Mom. It's OK if you make vegetables with my dinner. Gee, thanks for the permission John!
He is perpetual motion. When I ask him to sit still he responds with a very teenage-like But moooooooom! And then goes on to explain to me that he loves to wiggle. Tigger has nothing on my boy! When the weather is bad he does laps around the house. He gets up at night to come visit me. (Mom, I like sleeping in your bed best! And I like to wiggle when I sleep.) And he is the first one awake every morning.
He makes me tired just blogging about him! :)
Last night as he wiggled through Mass he noticed the Altar Bearers standing in the front. They wore their traditional white robes tied at the waist. He was still for just a moment then looked over at me and whispered, Mommy, are they angels? No John. Well, maybe to their mommies just as you are one of my angels...

My name is Mama!

Claire's favorite words have been dada and back. Dada is what she called me and Spence. It is also what she babbled when she just wanted something to say. Back (said sharply) is what she called the dogs and what she yelled at the kids when she didn't like what they were doing. It was her version of no. Her ears are finally clear of the fluid in them and she can hear and say the softer N and M sounds. She calls me Mama now. Yay Claire! And she says No. (Uh oh!) Her newest words are Katie and John John. I can't wait to hear what words are next.

She is learning a few other tricks as well. She easily climbs onto the coffee table where she likes to stand up and bounce and she navigates down the stairs very quickly. I so enjoy watching her learn these things. Spence isn't so sure. He is a bit nervous about his little baby girl making her way down the stairs. (Um, Spence...? If this makes you nervous the teenage years are going to be very rough!)

Katie is teaching herself to read and write. As an added bonus she is teaching Allison to spell. Rhyming is a favorite game of hers. Recently when I asked her what she would like for lunch she responded P-I-E. OK then... :)

Allison is befriending all of the shadows in her room. This step is a significant improvement. For a short time those shadows were all naughty ghosts and monsters. That (thankfully short lived) phase made for difficult nap and bed times!

John. Hmmmm... What is new with John? I'll save that for my next update.

I caught her with the cell phone! :)

Should I nickname her Popeye?

Claire has the same fake cry all the kiddos had at her age. She, however, has added her own flair to it. She does the one eyed cry, pout and tantrum. You can't cry properly with your eyes wide open! And she certainly isn't willing to miss any attention she may be gaining by throwing a fit! So she does a one eyed squinty thing. She looks just like Popeye every time! I have been trying to catch a picture of it for more than a month. Unfortunately, the need for the attention she seeks is fulfilled when I aim the camera or phone at her and she instantly stops. STINKER!

BACK! says it all.

Claire took 15 steps in a row yesterday! She is going to catch those big kids soon. Katie and John are just as excited about it as are Claire and I. It is so much fun to watch. She walks with such glee. Giggle, giggle, step. Giggle, giggle, step. She falls down and she pops back up again to try a few more.

Claire is very fond of telling the dogs BACK when I am commanding them to to move back and down/stay at meal times. She may have crossed the line when she was sitting in her highchair waiting for lunch and watching me squat down at Allison's level and explain why she would be spending the next few minutes on the naughty spot. When I stood to prepare lunch and Allison began to wiggle, Claire pointed straight at Allison and shouted BACK! BACK! BACK!

Allison, starting a phone conversation with Spence - Hi Daddy, this is your Sweet Roja talking. Melts my heart... :)

Precious Gifts

This morning Katie came to me with her small hands clasped around something... She said to me, "Mommy, this is your surprise. It is your birthday present!" She opened her hands and presented me with a necklace we made together over the summer - a string with beads we did together as a craft project. The beads spell her name with hearts and stars randomly placed between and around the letters. The E is backwards. I have the sweetest children. And today, for my 34th birthday I have Katie's special gift around my neck, hanging down next to my heart. I love you Katie!

Oh me, oh my sweet baby!

Claire Bear walks!

Three days ago whe wouldn't even consider taking a step forward except when she needed to catch her balance because the box or big toy she was hanging on to was slipping away.

Two days ago she stood holding my hands, facing me, and took a few steps forward as I walked backwards.

Yesterday she stood between my legs, holding my hands and walked forward with me.

Early this afternoon I noticed her cruising beside a wall and then a piece of furniture. It was different than her usual cruising; she was balancing with just one hand and she had her shoulders squared over her hips and ankles. She was walking forward with just that one arm out for balance.

Not long after that while Claire was playing at my feet and I was standing in Debbie Poole's kitchen chatting with Debbie as she made lunch (if you can call fresh fruit, homemade chicken and dumplings, homemade yeast rolls, vegetables, salad, homemade apple crisp and homemade ice cream lunch!) I looked down and there was my baby... TAKING THREE GIANT STEPS FORWARD! What a fun moment to witness. She was sweet enough to repeat it half a dozen times for me before the end of the day. :) She'll be doing laps with Allison, John and Katie when Spence comes home next week...

Sweet Sentiments

Katie to John - Do you want to give me a hug and a kiss because I found Daisy and I saved the world?

John to Allison - Do you want zero or two barrettes?
Allison - Zero.
John - But zero is none.
Allison - I like zero.
John - But it is nothing!
Allison - Oh.

Allison to all of us - I think I forgot Daddy.
Poor sweet Allison. Spence has been gone for two weeks and will be gone for another two. She did not mean that she doesn't remember him. She thinks she left him somewhere and now she can't find him. :(

Claire watches all of her siblings take their turns at dinner then she clasps her hands together and babbles a prayer of her own. It is so precious. She does the same for our bed time prayer.

The morning after my blog about the challenges John presents me he brought great joy to all of the girls (me included) by spending the morning building and rebuilding (thanks to Claire) a Mermaid Kingdom for Ariel (Katie, in costume) and her fellow merpeople (Allison)...

My 4th

Thanks Laura!

I've been tagged so now I must share with you my 4th photo in my 4th album on my hard drive.

It was taken in February 2007. Katie, John, Allison, Spence and I were outside enjoying the mild Texas winter. Oh how I long for those winters again! Spence insisted on a game of football with the entire family. (Well, not so much insisted... He just wanted to make sure John becomes a well rounded boy. Evidently we were doing too much arts, crafts and cooking for Spence's taste!) Katie looks like she has 2 black eyes. I suspect she had a cold. My kiddos always get those dark circles when they have colds and ear infections. Looking back at the old photo I realize how alike she and Claire look.

What a fun memory. Really, thanks Laura!

Molly, Stephanie, Hauvala & Jenn O - TAG, your turn!

Oops...

So much for blogging daily! Does thinking every day about the blogs I didn't get done count? :)

Spence is away for a month. We are 10 days into his exile. The first few days were rough, as they always are. We are in our groove now and the home is running as smoothly as ever.

John is working on independence. (Yes, that means that John is having significant behavior issues!) He whines and cries because he doesn't want to dress himself one minute. Then he will absolutely refuse to do things as I ask him to because, in his words, he is a big boy and he knows how to do it. UGH! I am going to pull my hair out before this phase ends. It will end, right??? Once he is dressed and past his refusals (which sometimes include GRUNTING at me - are we farm animals?) he returns to his sweet self. He builds bouncy towns on the floor with all of my couch pillows and invites the girls to jump with him. He helps Katie do anything she asks. He is thrilled when he gets to ride his bike. It doesn't matter how cold it is or how long we played outside, he wants to ride and ride and ride... When Spence is home and the weather is nicer it is definitely time to take those training wheels off and get a little two wheel practice in! He makes snacks and lunches on his own and is at my side when I am making dinner. OK, so the sweet and fun moments do outnumber the pull-my-hair-out ones... I'll keep that in mind when it is time to get him in his pajamas tonight!

Ta da!

Claire enjoys the hour each week she spends at the gym. Allison does a half hour of gymnastics. Then it is Katie and John's turn. Claire plays on the floor, crawls up and down the row of chairs and bounces back and forth between my arms and Spence's. I was holding her during the kids' most recent class, watching through the windows... At the end of every cartwheel, somersault and hop the kids are required to do a gymnastics stand - throw their arms up in the air and say 'ta da!' Half way through the hour I became aware of Claire, on my hip, throwing both of her arms up over her head in her own gymnastics stand each time one of her siblings did the same out on the mats. What a cutie! :)

I am aware enough to keep activities gender non-specific in our home. Girls can play baseball if they want to and boys can cook... I can't say Spence is as aware. Case in point? Today he spent an hour in the back yard with the kids. When Spence was done cleaning up the yard he walked over to where Katie was shoveling snow off the porch. Katie to Spence - Look at me Dad! It is good to be doing man work! (Sigh, I am shaking my head... Wait a minute! I cleared snow off the drive the only time we had snow last winter. Our neighbor did it after our first big snow this year. And I did it again after the second this year. Man work. HA!)

John joins us in bed almost every night. Twice recently I have awakened to a noise. I stop and listen. There it is again. John giggling in his sleep! What a sweet, innocent baby noise. I hope it never goes away. (Though I do hope the nightly visits cease before he is big enough to take over the entire bed.)

One of Spence's coworkers managed to find a lollipop for Katie, John and Allison while they were sitting down to watch Spence's promotion. The room was silent except for Colonel Merkel making his remarks. Allison (remember, she has NO volume control!) to the entire room - Look everybody! Do you all like my lollipop? Again, silence as the S-1 calls attention to orders and proceeds to read the official declaration. Allison (bouncing in her seat) - I like my lollipop! I see candy in the middle!

Their antics make me giggle every day. :)

Major Dad

Do you remember the show? It was a family favorite when I was growing up. I think they should resurrect it...
Today Spence was promoted. The ceremony was small and understated just as Spence would have everything if it were always his decision. Katie, John and Allison are certain that it is Spence's birthday. Why else would there be cake and a party? Indeed, the helicopter cake was the highlight of the day for them.
During COL Merkel's brief remarks he reminded me of one of Spence's stories from last summer...
There he was, CPT Anderson... Driving the visiting General, the current brigade commander and the incoming brigade commander around the installation. Quiet, keeping to himself... He checked the rear view mirror and frowned. A moment later he checked the mirror again. After the second glance he nonchalantly announced, "I think I'm being pulled over." He slowed a bit and was forced to say, "Yep, I'm being pulled over."
Ouch!
Congratulations Spence! We love you! :)

Claire speaks!

Sweet Claire was just starting to use her words - kitty cat, daddy - around Thanksgiving. By mid-December she was suffering from an overwhelming ear infection. At her 1 year check up in mid-January I told the doctor that she no longer had any words. She had not regressed with any of her behaviors and she was still signing so I wasn't overly worried, but I watched closely. I spent more time sitting directly in front of her playing word games and signing. At least 6 weeks and 3 prescriptions after that first ear infection she seems really healthy again. She is sleeping well, she is happier during the day and she is more active. I even commented on the change to Spence yesterday. Then today I heard her calling to the kitty cat (her 1st word from months ago) and after dinner tonight she signed and clearly said all done (a first!) repeatedly. These moments are so sweet!

Heaven on Earth

John - Mom, did you know we live on Earth?
Me - Yes.
Katie - Does Yia Yia live on Earth?
Me - Yes
John - Does Drew live on Earth?
Me - Yes
Katie - Mitch doesn't live on Earth.
Me - Yes he does.
John - Russ doesn't live on Earth, right Mom?
Me - Yes he does. We all live on Earth.
Katie - No Mom. Jesus lives in the sky and so does Grandpa Larry.
Me - Ah, yes Katie. When we don't live on Earth any more we go live in Heaven.
Long pause...
John - Mom, is Michigan Heaven?

A rose by any other name...

Froggy - John & Allison speak for cloudy or misty days. "Mom it sure is froggy out here!" To which Katie always responds, "Be careful Mom! It isn't safe to drive in this bad weather."

Allison's recent diatribe as she sat in her carseat on her way to the grocery store with me: Mommy, I HURT my finger! I hurt my finger a lot. I need to go to the doctor and the doctor needs to give me a lollipop! Note to fellow moms - Lollipops cure better than Bandaids! Those DumDum pops only have 25 calories and 5 grams of sugar per and they don't contain any awful ingredients.

Katie is never thrilled with new experiences nor interactions with new people. She and John recently went in for their 4 year old check up where they both were required to stand behind the line and read the eye chart. John went first, stood alone and loudly called out each letter the nurse pointed to. I had significant doubts about Katie's willingness to participate in the test... When it was her turn she grabbed my hand and pulled me along next to her. I knelt quietly beside her, wondering how the whole thing would play out. When the nurse pointed to the first letter Katie turned to me, took the time to push my hair to the side and whispered the answer in my ear. Her voice was so quiet I asked her to repeat herself several times before I understood. She went through the entire chart like that, stopping just a few times to hang her head and shake it back and forth, almost imperceptibly, when she could not read the letter. The nurse and I fought to maintain our composure - it was too darn cute not to laugh!

Allison has many nicknames. Most recently John told her Allison, you are red and roses are red so your name is Rose. She accepted that explanation and now I have a little girl names Rose!

Would you like a cone with that?

Every Thursday night after the kids' gymnastics class we go out for ice cream. Recently the DQ drive through has been our destination of choice. (It is too cold to get out of the car unnecessarily!) We place our order and drive up to the window where Spence requests a small empty cone for Claire to gnaw on. She is just old enough to realize that everyone around her is having a treat and she isn't and she makes it very clear that she wants one too! Last week when we ordered the plain cone the young man behind the window commented on the fact that we are Thursday regulars... This week when Spence was finished ordering and was waiting to hear the total before pulling forward the voice came through the intercom and asked, "Would you like a plain cone with that?" :)

While Mitch and Heather were visiting Katie gave them her bed and slept with us. Last night Katie was snuggled up in the middle of our bed with NiNi (her new stuffed Hello Kitty) and Brown Bear. She had been asleep for hours. Spence crawled in on one side and I climbed in on the other.
Spence to me, with sarcasm - I don't need any blankets I have NiNi to cuddle with.
Me to Spence - And I have Katie.
Katie, in a quiet sleepy voice - I'm OK too. I have Brown Bear.

Happy 1st Birthday Claire

Today she happily ate cake and opened gifts. She was tempted to move away from the wrapping paper long enough to play with the Jack-In-A-Box which is a big hit... When she can wrench it from the hands of Katie, John and Allison.

Her big skill right now is standing alone. Her favorite place to do it...? In the middle of the bed or on the couch, of course! She also likes climbing up on the low tables and calling out to us to rescue her.

Her favorite playmates are Mommy, Daddy, Katie, John and Allison.

Her favorite toys are big bowls and spoons from under the sink.

Her favorite things are her lovies - any number of silky blankets that she sleeps and travels with.

She is sweet and still a baby which won't last much longer so we are enjoying every moment of it. She is a doll!

Moments

Katie is fascinated by smells. It isn't odd for her to walk into the kitchen and declare, "Mom, that is a wonderful smell! What are you making for dinner?"

Claire is standing without help often. Maybe she will take steps soon...?

John took a shower this morning, dried off and dressed. While dressing he said, "Mom, it is your turn to take a shower. I'm all done because there is no more hot water." Gee, thanks John!

Later I asked him to make me a cup of tea. He found a tea bag, opened it and placed it in a cup of water. He handed it to me so that I could put it in the microwave (nothing fancy here!) and said, "Here is your English Breakfast tea Mom." :) Thanks John! (No sarcasm this time.)

Allison is still enthusiastically keeping her big girl undies dry. No matter how often I explain that they were given to her by me, Grandma Elle and Yia Yia she insists that Santa brought them. Note to me: Make sure there are undies in her stocking every year. Evidently that is the best gift Santa will ever bring!

Where do my kids get their wit?

I admit it... I was having a BAD hair day. Then I took a nap which only made my bad hair worse.

I was cooking dinner with four active kiddos under foot when Spence arrived home. He greeted me, kissed me and stepped back to take a good look. His eyes lingered on my hair and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Spence, to me - Is that the Aniston?
Dramatic pause; I have a perplexed look on my face...
Spence, unable to hold back the smile - SEASON ONE?

HA HA HA

When Mom and Dad were visiting over Christmas Spence went into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee only to realize that the pot was empty. Without missing a beat he turned to dad and said, "Are you familiar with the old Army adage - you kill the joe you make some mo'!" Dad was too amused to snap back quickly. Weeks later I am still laughing about it!

More Anderson-isms

It seems that (almost) everything toddlers say is cute.

Allison, regarding my new comforter - Ohh Mommy, that is so beautiful!

Allison, playing with the Geo Trax police car - very loudly! HELP IS ON THE WAY!

John - Mom, I have something to tell you...
Me - Um, OK?
John - I wanted to turn on the big light in my room and when I touched the switch it striked me!
Me, momentarily at a loss and very concerned... - Oh, that's static electricity.
Later, after getting shocked by me, John - Mom, why did you strike me?
My thoughts - Please don't go to school and talk about Mommy striking you. :)

Even with her recent string of ear infections Claire is picking up language. She likes to play the say as I say game. The words are less words and more sounds; it amuses her. She thinks it's great fun to clap when she hears applause. She waves hi and bye. She nods yes and no. She is so sweet! And now she is calling to me...

Somethings are just better with Daddy

Anything bugs
Chase
Horse back rides
Shoulder carries

John to me Mom, will you please build me a pillow tent?
After the tent is built Mom, why does it keep falling down?
A few minutes later When will Dad be home to build it for me?

Not so healthy!

Claire has a double ear infection. She started new antibiotics yesterday. I think her eardrum ruptured tonight. Poor baby girl.
Allison is cranky and running a fever. Ear infection tomorrow, no doubt!
John seems to be in perfect health.
Katie is definitely good.
50% isn't bad! :)

No poopie on the road!

As I worked my way around the back of the van (minivan - though I dream of a much smaller car I see a full size van in my future!) buckling children in carseats John announced, "Look Mommy! That sign says no poopie on the road!" I was so proud of his early reading skills, interpreting the handicap parking sign as well as any 4 year old can! I was extremely amused by his conclusion! What am I teaching my kids? :)

Katie to John, "Mmmmmm. I love trans fats."
John, emphatically, to Katie, "No! They are not trans fats. They are organics!"

To go or not to go...? To the doctor that is!

I miss Nurse Susan and Dr. Alvarado. (If you are heading to the Fort Hood area I highly recommend them!) They made the decisions so easy. Well, they made the decisions. Period. I just called and spoke to Susan and she told me what to do. She'd even call back in a day or two to check up on the kiddos when they were particularly sick.

Now we are on our own. Sure, we have a doctor and he has nurses. It isn't the same. :(

John has a fever, 104. And a rash from head to toe. Katie fell off the back of the couch and bumped her head on the concrete floors. Claire is cranky and sticking her finger in her ear. Allison is dripping nasty green stuff from her nose. (Pardon me while I gag. Snot is the only thing I don't do well!) Spence is snoring and complaining of a monster headache. My lymphnodes have been enlarged for weeks - no doubt working overtime to fend off all of my family's germs. Am I exaggerating? No! Together we have had 6 visits to the doctor since Christmas Eve. We have 2 more scheduled this week. Only Allison (the snot, which has thankfully cleared up) has escaped an exam.

Today Katie's x-rays look normal, John and Claire take their last dose of antibiotics and Spence's head feels good. We are back in good health and we will do our best to stay this way for a long time!

Word Ban

Listening to Katie, John and Allison speak using the same sentence structure we regularly use has been eye opening. I am working on banning the worst of the worst. Perhaps I will succeed before Claire is old enough to pick up on them.

got - as in "I got it." None of the others has permeated our language like this one has. I hear myself saying it. I hear others (the kids, friends, personalities on TV) saying it. I read it in children's books. The alternative: any appropriate verb. It's a great opportunity to teach or reinforce the use of a new big word.

can't - as in "I can't..." This is the only one we address directly every time. I can't is not acceptable. Instead try, "I would like some help please." "I need to practice doing this more."

like - as in "This word is so like Valley Girl!" OK, we don't really sound like this. Still, it sneaks into our sentences occasionally and it is very over used in general. Skip the simile altogether.

but - as in "I am giving you a compliment but following it up with a criticism." "No offense intended but..." Reference Tongue Fu by Sam Horn.

want - as in "I want to watch a movie. I want a water cup. I want an apple." If I never hear "I want..." again it will be OK by me. No requests granted unless they are phrased, "May I please..."

Finally, using manipulative speech to receive favors of any sort is not allowed. A great example, "Mommy, I'm so hungry!" when ice cream is spied in the freezer. They have been corrected so many times that all I need to say now is, "Say it directly." No explanation required.

Updating to add:
let me - as in "Let me do that." We prefer, "May I please do that with you." I hear myself saying this often and I'm working hard to stop it.

2009

Good bye 2008. Hello 2009. This year I will...

finish the scrapbooks
spend less money
record more of those moments
stop taking long breaks from exercising
dust more often

...and revisit this list at the end to see how well I did.