(Almost) Birthday Boy

Liam had his 1 year portraits done today...something which I have done for him with less regularity than with Reina. Our preferred kid photo studio seems to have gone out of business as well, coincidence?

Here he is, looking oh so grown up in his collared shirt and "Robert Redford hair" according to the photographer lady. Reina, despite not being quite camera ready, managed to sneak into one shot.

Still not walking yet, and unwilling to let go of steadying surfaces, he DID say "Mama" for the first time today, I swear I heard it!

Just When

Just when you think your head is about to explode from a three day headache and your body about to give up the fight against diseases shared by your little germ factories, your three-year-old creates an Ode to Banana Bread:

"Banana bread is so nice, it makes me so happy. Mmmmmmmmmm. I love yummy. It feels nice."


And then, as a final blow, your almost-one-year-old blows you a kiss.







And then poops his pants.

Texas, Revisited

We returned last night from another visit to Texas. We turned Bill's conference into a family vacation with the help of frequent flyer miles and free room and board. We enjoyed showing Liam off for the first time and staying with family. Reina and Liam got to play play play with cousins and we all got to catch up with Ryan, Kristin, Gerlyn and Andrea, as well extended family. All that togetherness led to runny noses, coughs, pukies and sick poopies about midway through the week, but still had a great time. The kids and I took in some theatre with Kristin and the kids..."If You Give a Moose a Muffin." We also enjoyed more sunshine than we've had at home recently and I finally got myself some long-coveted cowgirl boots. In between loads of laundry, I'm wiping noses and making a grocery list, pausing long enough to look out the window at our muddy slushy yard. Missing the sun and the company, although sad to visit for the first time without Bill's dad there as well. As with any good vacation, however, it is good to be home, too. Some of the 400 photos taken:

Reina being coached on texting by an official teenager

WAKV exploring the floor monogram

Three Mermaids

Lizzy, now 5, was a great role model and helper

Rockin' and rollin' with Aunt Kristin

Landa Park Railroad Fun

Attempt at a group photo, one of 273 attempts

Another, more perilous attempt

Uncle Ryan trying to instill some daredevil tendencies

cousins gotta hug

Tidbits

Just a few quick thoughts I wanted to jot down before I forgot. Two anecdotes, actually.


Friday, at Reina's dance class, the teacher started cracking up for no obvious reason. Afterward, she told us why. It was during the tumbling portion, when each girl waits in line for her turn to be spotted by the teacher. Reina has had a difficult time with this part of class, preferring to wander around on her own or cut in line (!); things we're coaching her on. Anyway, while waiting patiently, Reina decided to kill time by bursting into song...specifically one from The Little Mermaid (ahhhahhhh ahhhhahhh)! While her turn taking leaves something to be desired, her showmanship gives her high scores in the street cred with teacher department.





Today, while trying to get us out the door, Reina asks for braids in her hair, with bows. But the blue bow is wet.

"Why is this one wet, Reina?"

"Because I dropped it in the toilet."

Hug in My Tummy

Yikes! Has it really been almost a month since I promised pictures? Whoops. Sorry.

The original "hug in my tummy" was tomato soup, which, when I made that comment at work earned me the nickname of "Hello Kitty" in the hard scrabble ER. Can't imagine why. Anybody can tell you I like my creature comforts...mainly those involving hot beverages, fleece and slippers. Got a problem with that you cranky nurses?

Soup is still in my top ten for tummy hugs, but this month opportunities have abounded for additions. I might add before we get to the photos that Reina started swimming lessons 2 weeks ago. NOT one of my fondest memories and definitely no tummy hugs in ice cold pools in February. However, her pool is 90 degrees and so far she loves her class. She's still taking ballet/tumbling and we're waiting to hear if she'll be registered in the preschool class of choice for next fall. Liam is crawling like a wind up toy, pulling up on steps, growing in 6 teeth at once and giving hugs and kisses. No real words yet except one that could be "Dada." Enjoys frequent head locks from Reina.

And now, on with the show:

HUG: "I had to leave work early to work on my fort."

HUG: Our house is now a fortress

HUG: Check out my fangs!

HUG

HUG

HUG

HUG: Mommy's Day Off and Homemade Cookies

HUG: Chocolate Cookie Mustache

HUG: Using tummy for support to keep hands free to play

HUG: Hot Cocoa Mustache

HUG: Revelations of Childhood "Hey! It's orange in here!"

HUG: Playing with Daddy "Reina, I'm sorry but you're a terrible driver."

Trouble With a Capital V

As I write this post, I am listening to Liam on the monitor as he wakes from his second nap of the day. This second nap is on the endangered species list...as he is no longer able to sleep in public, or even the car much, and we just don't stay home all day. He is happily babbling to himself, so I have a few minutes. Reina, is asleep in the "comfy" chair we have have in the kitchen, suitable for guests, bottle feedings and mid-dinner cooking story time. She has had a tendency to pass out there about once a week in the late afternoon. The fabric in the chair is washable, but may be laced with valium, or some non-DEA approved substance that induces sleepiness--its from Ikea after all, and we all know that place is a trip.

Our lives are contrasts right now, the days fly by but I couldn't tell you we've "done" anything. It seems we have been busy, however and are enjoying each other's company most of all. Poor Bill has been busy as well, too many long days followed by too long a research course in California, followed by too many more long days. We all miss him, especially Reina. The kids are asleep when he leaves in the AM and when he returns at night. This weekend I have designated as "Family Lockdown" and am seriously considering removing phones, pagers and email access. Let me know if you're planning to have an emergency ahead of time, please.

Additional contrasts are my two children. While Reina, the Queen of Everything hasn't changed, her mild mannered brother has developed his alter ego. Yes, WAK the V has finally come out of his content-to-lay-there-and-smile baby shell. WAK the V has not only proven he is a BOY (in the social high activity sense of the word, we already knew about the body parts) he has proven he has fallen from the WAK family tree, hard. In a squirmy, wiggly, bucking bronco kind of way. Yes, his curiosity and mobility are endearing, and no, I'm not testing him for ADHD, yet. But cutting 4 teeth and crawling on all fours in the span of 1 week is a little much for this mama whose previous experience at this phase was with the aforementioned self-entertained princess. I'm most of the time a step ahead of him, but we're talking 24/7 for this boy. From getting himself into the bathtub and eating handfuls of mud washed from dog paws (in that order, of course, not the reverse) he is keeping me on my toes. I knew boys and girls were different, but I didn't really KNOW. Hopefully he and I won't get into the same epic battles of will that Reina and I do.

I thought I'd be sad to see his gummy little Stay Puft Marshmallow Man smile go with the advent of teeth, but since he's growing in FANGS first he just looks even more impish and boyish. He still has his cuddly moments, but doesn't have the time of day for his bottle or anything fed from a spoon. When he does settle down to eat, it is Cookie Monster style with both hands stuffing fitstfuls of whatever is in reach into his little fangy mouth.

Reina is enjoying her baby brother. True to her need for superlatives, he is the "best brother ever" along with her "best trick ever", "worst picture ever", and "favorite book ever"! What a girl. She does repeatedly get him in a killer headlock though. I can only imagine how that will go over when he outgrows her tiny hiney within the next year or so...

Sorry no pictures. Better luck next time. Maybe after lockdown weekend.

Merry and Bright

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We are freezing here as we start off 2010, weather stripping doors and snuggling under blankets. Making soup. Long johns. But not really complaining. It is time to hibernate a little. Christmas has been one long marathon, starting, oh, about Thanksgiving. Reina's birthday was a blast for everyone, followed by family parties for nearly the entire week of Christmas. For New Year's the kids got to go out to Gina and Mike's while Bill and I got to hang out with our friends with no kids. Thank you!

Christmas morning was a fun and relaxing time for our family. Reina finally "got it" and after going to Christmas Eve Mass with Anthony, Lisa and Lily and Jack, we took our time getting up on the 25th. She was dazzled by the pile under the tree, but thought we were all done after the stockings were opened. Her jaw dropped when Bill said to open those presents over there!

Liam didn't have much of his own to open, but didn't mind. The papers were fun enough. No two front teeth, either, but that isn't slowing him down at meals.

We didn't have a white Christmas, but it was merry and bright. Hope all yours were as well.

Blogger is kind of driving me crazy tonight, so spacing and formatting may be messed up. Sorry. Enjoy the smiling children...and overlook Reina the Red-nosed. I am apparently an over zealous nose wiper. Lesson learned.

I heard children can fall asleep out of fear. The Christmas song sing-along certainly gave good reason.