Jones and the moon

 (super hero cape, huge cowlick, obsessed with all things Sesame Street..typical Jones)

Jones loves the moon.  We went to the library last night after dark and Jones talked to the moon almost the whole way.  He could see it out the car window and he would say,

"Come on, moon!  Come to the library with us! The moon is going fast.  He's flying fast in the sky.  Come on, moon.  Come on.  What could be his name?   Carston!  Kylie!  (at a red light) He stopped."


I really enjoyed overhearing his conversation with the moon and I felt happy to have such an imaginative little boy who keeps things interesting.  I say this because most of the time he's using his imagination to turn scraps of food into "turtles" and "monkeys" and refuse to eat them because they're scary...or he's using his speaking skills to sass me with phrases like, "Can you leave me alone?", "Yeah it did hurt, mom" and "It is NOT nap time. I'm awake.  See?  And I'm happy".  What a kid.  He's 27 months old and I can't imagine what he'll be saying in another six months.  Maybe he'll be telling me that I just don't understand him and he's not a baby anymore.  I can see that happening.  :)

More on conversations with Jones

 (in the car) Can Greta stop looking at me?

(looking at the refrigerator)
J: Who dat?
Me: That's Lucy.
J: No. Who dat dat I'm pointing at?
Me: That's Grandpa Jones.

J: (holds picture close and considers this information) I don't fink so.

I could watch just five minutes of Sesame Street?

J: What's dat?
Me: That's Greta's booger.
J: I don't want to touch it.  I don't want to eat it!
Me: You don't have to!

Me: It looks like the Christmas tree is getting old and we need to take it down.
J: NO.  It's not getting old.  It's getting pretty.  And good.

***Disclaimer: Jones only knows about choking based on his experiences "choking" -more like gagging- on food. I have no clue where he gathered information on choking people or breaking necks. Maybe it was that episode of WWF we watched together on family night.  Wink, wink. ***

(holding a pencil like a sword)
J: I could choke you!
Me: We don't talk about choking people.
J: I could break it.  I could break your neck.
Me: That is not nice!  We don't say things like that!

Sickies

These first two weeks of December have not been exceptionally fun.  But if I line up all the good moments on a page like this, it doesn't look like things were so bad.  I'm still tired from all the runny noses, coughing, pinkeye, crankiness and so on...thus this post will be brief.

Everyone is on the mend and Scott is working feverishly (no pun intended) on his final papers.  But what's new?  Isn't he always working like a mad man?  Everything else is status quo around here.  

Have a nice week.

Pennies

Jones' newest obsession is coins, all of which he calls "pennies".  He usually has one or two in his hands and not a day goes by that we don't have a discussion about the appropriate use of pennies (i.e. never letting Greta have one and not eating them).  Don't worry, he only put one in his mouth once...wait...as I'm typing this he just put one in his mouth.  Okay, I have taken away the penny and he is now prostrate on the floor crying.  And he has pinkeye, so he's a miniature Quasimodo rolling around in despair.  Oh, Jones.  He just stood up and told me "I calmed down.  I calmed down."  Hmm...you're still not getting the penny back, Quasi. 

Anyway, my little miser wrote a song about pennies yesterday and it goes like this 

(to the tune of 'C is for Cookie'):

C is for two pennies, that's good enough for me. 

C is for two pennies, that's good enough for me. 

Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with pennies!

He's a genius, right?

November

Here's what November looked like for us. 

Braving the cold for wagons and Christmas light viewing.

Hiding in closets.  Cool hand -me-down sneakers.  Homemade snicker doodles.

Playing games in Jones' bed.

Practicing cuddles.

Sharing bath time with the Bumbo seat. 

Sleeping and chilling out with Sophie the giraffe.

Desk for sale, adults only

I have to share a story that I find extremely funny.  Scott didn't laugh much because he thought he would get arrested (doubtful).  I am selling a desk on craigslist so I needed some photos of the desk.  As I was taking pictures of the desk in the family room, Scott walked down the hallway and asked me where the clean laundry was.  I answered him and continued to take pictures and then created the craigslist ad.  As I was doing a final review of the ad to make sure I chose the best photos and that there were no typos, I spotted one crucial mistake.  Oh, didn't I mention that Scott had walked down the hallway right after taking a shower?  There in the corner of one of my pictures was Scott, stark naked, asking me about the laundry. He was just barely in the frame and was standing in the dark, but there was no mistaking the nude man lingering in the background.  And I was THIS close to posting the ad!  I called Scott in to show him my mistake and he was horrified and told me to take it down.  I assured him that it hadn't been posted yet, then I laughed for a good five minutes about it before I edited the ad.  Or did I?  Search: work desk, $10, Madison.  Just kidding.

Six months and doing fine

Greta turns six months old on the 24th and she is just wonderful. At her check up she didn't mind being on the exam table...

...but she was pretty depressed about her shots. 

I don't remember all of her stats, but her head was somewhere in the ninetieth percentile.  This picture clearly demonstrates that.

She is a laugher and a babbler and cries only when really necessary.

She's scooting, rolling and inching around the house...much to my dismay.  I left the room for a second the other day and returned to find the bottom half of her body under the couch.  She loves her toys, but mostly loves Jones' toys.  Jones is really into holding a certain dime (which he calls a penny) in his hand.  When I ask him what will happen if Greta gets the penny he tells me that she will choke.  Good boy.

Greta is pretty much up for anything and tolerates all kinds of shenanigans from her brother.  The tables have turned recently and she is more likely to attack him (by clawing at his face) then Jones is to attack her.  

Speaking of Jones. Here is a shot of Jones right before he peed all over the floor and his PJs.  At least he told me he was doing it while it was happening. 

When I need to guarantee that Jones will be entertained for 15 minutes so that I can cook/clean, we play the 'Water Game'.  All you need is one beach towel, several small bowls, some water, some sprinkles and to not care how wet your child/kitchen floor gets.  Works every time.

What's really going on

I love my two babies tremendously.  Some days are good fun and some days are naughty.  Jones is two going on twenty and I have no idea what to expect from him from one day to the next.  Greta is pleasant and relaxed, but knows how to move across the floor like nobody's business.  She is eating and enjoying solid foods and is SLOWLY extending her nighttime sleep.  She loves her brother and finds him beyond exciting. I usually find him beyond exasperating.  He gets out of his big boy bed no less than 20 times on some evenings.  I look forward to the day that he stays put, but am grateful that at least he has learned how to open the door stealthily so as not to wake up Greta.  By 5 PM I can hardly remember what we've done all day, but we must be doing something.  

A few things Jones has said recently:

- Greta, I have a question for you.  What is your favorite 'pay-yooter' (computer)? 

- (playing with toys)  Goodnight, Zurg. I love you, Zurg.  (Zurg = evil space emperor from Toy Story)

- Mommy, you have glasses.  You have eyes.  Can I have a hug?  I have hair.  I have toes.  You could touch them.  We are eating grapes.  I have the LITTLE grape.  I am still eating grapes. 

- I could go to the zoo!  I could do bedtime there.  I could sleep on the moon!  In my cozy bed.

 

I don't have much to say

Snowing.  Cold.  Short naps.  

Playing inside.  

Sunglasses.  

Jones threw up on me this morning

...but just before he did he said, "I don't want to choke on my back."

I didn't know what he meant, but I helped him sit up and then he puked on me and on my pillow and my bed.  MY bed.  Gross. 

We watched Sesame Street and movies all day. 

Now Jones keeps saying, "You killed my father." (Toy Story 3)

And we left Greta in her nightgown all day.

The highlight of the day was putting Greta in her new high chair.  The pads on the front were freaking her out a little, but she likes it.

Life is moving along

Finally went for a run.  It's been weeks.  And we discovered that this gem still fits.

We're getting outside again!

Jones refused to play when his friend wouldn't come outside. 

 Greta loves being outside and doesn't even mind hanging out by herself for a bit.

 We're all dressed and the house is clean. A miracle.

 Greta thinks Jones is the bees knees.

Way to look like a million bucks, Greta.

The first week of November (plus Halloween)

Sibling playtime.

"I wuv you, Greta."

Jones says he was being Buzz Lightyear.  Whatever that means.

 

Partying with the Chambers' on Halloween.