Donovan and Reese have been blessed to have their Grammie Q watch them while Tom and I work for at least a couple days a week since they both were born. They both love it. As in they turn and run when they see Tom pull up to pick them up on most days. Poor Tom. This does not speak to his parenting so much as it speaks to how much the kids both love their time with their Grammie. In fact, this weekend we had Tom's brother and our new sister-in-law's wedding reception, and Donovan talked about how he was going to be the one to get to sit on Grammie's lap for 2 whole days before it. She is that great. The kids fight over her constantly.
Well tonight, as I am leaving Donovan after I tucked him he we had this conversation:
D: "Is it a Grammie Q day tomorrow?"
M: "No, it's a school day."
D: "Whyyyyyy? I want it to be a Grammie Q day!"
M: "Well you have to go to school some days to learn fun stuff and play with friends your age."
D: "But I like Grammie Q the best. She is more fun. I want to go to Grammie's everyday. I want everyday to be a Grammie day."
M :"Well honey I know but you and Reese are hard work and Grammie needs some days to rest."
D: "But I want to go there everyday. (pauses) Somedays I'm not crazy." (we tell them they are crazy people when they are wild. He has apparently picked up on this)
M: "I know but you still are a lot of work and you still have to go to school. You need to learn lots of stuff and your friends would miss you if you weren't there. What would Drew and Buddy, and Seth and Austin W. do without you? They would be sad."
D: "But I like Grammie the best. (pause) Someday, when I'm not crazy anymore, maybe I can go there everyday."
I didn't have the heart to tell him that neither of those would ever happen. But as much as it breaks my heart to hear him tell me that, it makes me that much happier that he feels that way. There is no price for what that woman does for our family and for our children. If we were to rank who our kids love the most, she would be at the top, above Tom and myself I am sure. We often call her "Saint Grammie" around these parts. And the best part? The rest of our kids grandparents, aren't too shabby either. Any one of them would drop everything for their grandchildren. To say we have hit the lottery in grandparents, is the understatement of the century. And hopefully, someday our children will realize just how good they have it. We are blessed.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sunday, funday, October 21st
Last Sunday we had another wonderful day of family and friends. It started off with just our family going to Grant's farm, but as we were walking in we hear someone yelling Tom's name. Turns out our good friend the H's were making having themselves a Grants farm morning as well, so we waited while they parked, then went in and hung out with them all day like we planned it like that the whole time. The weather was great, and we soaked it in as we might not have another day like this until Spring (ok, minus the days this past week that were like that).
First thing we did was feed the goats. No pictures of that, only video which I have not downloaded. Dono enjoyed it, actually fed them himself this year, did hug some goats but not as many as last year. Reese, she wanted to watch the goats from the comfort of my arms.
Next up, was the carousel. Donovan has proven himself to be a little timid when it comes to the carousel. He left the big, moving animals to the little girls, and refused to ride in anything other than the bench. What a manly man.
After we enjoyed the park we visited the Clydesdales. There was a baby one that was particularly friendly. And soft.
Reese enjoyed her view of the horsey feet. Donovan enjoyed the horsey poop. Wanted to see it more than the horses.
We wanted to get a picture with the kids together before we left and this is what they did.
Then Reese ran up and jumped in. Notice her hand on Donovan's face. She was trying to put her arm around him but it didn't quite get executed like she wanted it to.
Then Donovan's hold got a little to tight for her liking.
Reese loved the carousel so much, we had to go back a second time, and ride by ourselves.
The kids were very cute together. On the tram ride at the beginning, Donovan and Penelope were sitting next to each other and anything Donovan would say, Penelope would repeat verbatim. Then they played cars in the courtyard while the ate lunch. Later in the day I asked Donovan his favorite part of the day and he said, "Playing cars with Penelope."
That evening was also good, but in a much different way. We had Tom's grandmother's wake and took both kids for a little while. Tom's grandmother was 98 and had been in declining health in recent years, so while it was sad, it was also a blessing that she was finally able to rest and be with her husband, who she had been missing for the past 8 years. During the funeral the priest had mentioned they had been together for 67 years! That is longer than some people live! So we are happy that they are now reunited and catching up on everything that happened since they last saw each other.
Both kids were pretty well behaved. I was interested in how Donovan would react to the whole thing, and I told him what we were doing and why before we got there so he wouldn't be surprised. He had a few questions, and I am not sure how much he understood, but overall, he really didn't bat an eye once we got there. When his Grammie and Paw Paw there, he usually doesn't care about the what's and why's, he is just happy. We got to see some family we haven't seen in a long time, and got to spend some time catching up. The kids also got to eat a full meal of chocolate chip cookies so that went over big too.
This is Reese's cute outfit for the night. The dress is a 6-12 month dress that she wore last Christmas. You can't really see but she was wearing her brown boots too. We found out that those boots also are good at stashing food in, as we were at the wake for 5 minutes before Tom found a whole grape hiding in one (she was eating them on the trip there).
After that it was jammies, a little play time and some snacks.
Reese put her accessories on herself. She puts on her purse, sticks her arm in the air so her purse stays on, and tells us "Bye!" She knows if you put your purse on, you must be leaving.
Since the kids only had cookies for dinner that night, they had to balance their meal with...Cinnamon sugar toast. What else? Reese wanted to sit in Dono's chair, and so did he. But instead of fighting about it, they shared. What a novel idea!
And that rounds out our busy past-weekend
First thing we did was feed the goats. No pictures of that, only video which I have not downloaded. Dono enjoyed it, actually fed them himself this year, did hug some goats but not as many as last year. Reese, she wanted to watch the goats from the comfort of my arms.
Next up, was the carousel. Donovan has proven himself to be a little timid when it comes to the carousel. He left the big, moving animals to the little girls, and refused to ride in anything other than the bench. What a manly man.
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| This is Reese smiling for me. Sometimes she smiles so hard, she closes her eyes. |
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| Cutie Penelope. |
After we enjoyed the park we visited the Clydesdales. There was a baby one that was particularly friendly. And soft.
Reese enjoyed her view of the horsey feet. Donovan enjoyed the horsey poop. Wanted to see it more than the horses.
We wanted to get a picture with the kids together before we left and this is what they did.
Then Reese ran up and jumped in. Notice her hand on Donovan's face. She was trying to put her arm around him but it didn't quite get executed like she wanted it to.
Then Donovan's hold got a little to tight for her liking.
Reese loved the carousel so much, we had to go back a second time, and ride by ourselves.
 |
| Dono and Penelope with their souvenirs. Large punching balloons. |
That evening was also good, but in a much different way. We had Tom's grandmother's wake and took both kids for a little while. Tom's grandmother was 98 and had been in declining health in recent years, so while it was sad, it was also a blessing that she was finally able to rest and be with her husband, who she had been missing for the past 8 years. During the funeral the priest had mentioned they had been together for 67 years! That is longer than some people live! So we are happy that they are now reunited and catching up on everything that happened since they last saw each other.
Both kids were pretty well behaved. I was interested in how Donovan would react to the whole thing, and I told him what we were doing and why before we got there so he wouldn't be surprised. He had a few questions, and I am not sure how much he understood, but overall, he really didn't bat an eye once we got there. When his Grammie and Paw Paw there, he usually doesn't care about the what's and why's, he is just happy. We got to see some family we haven't seen in a long time, and got to spend some time catching up. The kids also got to eat a full meal of chocolate chip cookies so that went over big too.
This is Reese's cute outfit for the night. The dress is a 6-12 month dress that she wore last Christmas. You can't really see but she was wearing her brown boots too. We found out that those boots also are good at stashing food in, as we were at the wake for 5 minutes before Tom found a whole grape hiding in one (she was eating them on the trip there).
After that it was jammies, a little play time and some snacks.
Reese put her accessories on herself. She puts on her purse, sticks her arm in the air so her purse stays on, and tells us "Bye!" She knows if you put your purse on, you must be leaving.
Since the kids only had cookies for dinner that night, they had to balance their meal with...Cinnamon sugar toast. What else? Reese wanted to sit in Dono's chair, and so did he. But instead of fighting about it, they shared. What a novel idea!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Saturday
This past Saturday we had our annual Pumpkin Patch day with the O family. It was beautiful weather, and great company! I am already looking forward to next year when Reese does not insist on me holding her the entire time. She is like a hip tumor. But a cute one at that. My arm is still hurting from holding her so long.
The kids loved the bounce house obstacle course. The part where they came out of it though....well it was interesting looking to say the least. (see next two pictures, especially the second). It got us adults talking.
In big girl news, Reese got to ride a big girl horse! She loved it! Wasn't scared at all. Just kept saying, "neigh neigh" to point out all the other horses to me while we were doing our laps. "Cowboy" was a very gentle horse for being so dang big compared to my little equestrian.
Dono and Claire, meanwhile, were riding on the big kid tractor ride.
Afterward more playing, we hopped on the big wagon for a family ride (sans Tom O. and Owen as they thought Owen might get fussy on it). Also, we learned that Reese loves kettle corn. Now I know how to keep her happy, and quiet.
At the end of our pumpkin patch time, we got our annual kid picture with the pumpkins. This first one makes me laugh so hard. Dono snuggled right in next to Claire right as we took the picture, so it looks like poor Reese has no friends :( Either that or Donovan is telling us he wants to be in the O family. Or he was hitting on Claire. Or Reese smelled bad. Either way.
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| Besties before getting ready to play. |
The kids loved the bounce house obstacle course. The part where they came out of it though....well it was interesting looking to say the least. (see next two pictures, especially the second). It got us adults talking.
In big girl news, Reese got to ride a big girl horse! She loved it! Wasn't scared at all. Just kept saying, "neigh neigh" to point out all the other horses to me while we were doing our laps. "Cowboy" was a very gentle horse for being so dang big compared to my little equestrian.
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| Cutest thing you have ever effing seen. If you tell me it's not, well then I don't believe you. |
Dono and Claire, meanwhile, were riding on the big kid tractor ride.
Afterward more playing, we hopped on the big wagon for a family ride (sans Tom O. and Owen as they thought Owen might get fussy on it). Also, we learned that Reese loves kettle corn. Now I know how to keep her happy, and quiet.
At the end of our pumpkin patch time, we got our annual kid picture with the pumpkins. This first one makes me laugh so hard. Dono snuggled right in next to Claire right as we took the picture, so it looks like poor Reese has no friends :( Either that or Donovan is telling us he wants to be in the O family. Or he was hitting on Claire. Or Reese smelled bad. Either way.
We are so blessed to have these crazy kiddos!
After the pumpkin patch we went to the O's house where we continued the fun, and where Donovan and Claire took turns tattling on each other, and then on Reese. Another successful and fun filled day with the O family!
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Laying in bed tonight
Laying in bed tonight with Donovan he says to me: "Some jets have fire behind them. And some jets have contrail behind them."
Aaaaaaand, that's when I realized my son is smarter than I am. (Especially since I just learned that word last month. When Donovan taught it to me.)
Aaaaaaand, that's when I realized my son is smarter than I am. (Especially since I just learned that word last month. When Donovan taught it to me.)
Sunday, October 14, 2012
All about Reese weekend
This weekend, starting Friday afternoon, my parents took Donovan on a mini vacation to Branson. That meant we got 2.5 days of Reese and only Reese. It was awesome! It was so nice to have her, and her only to focus on. I have never spent even close to this much time with just her and Tom and I both loved it. She was so fun and really flourished with all the attention. I feel like her vocab got better in just these past couple days. We got more inside jokes together, and we got to shower her with all the attention of an only child. Something I think we should do at least yearly now. I think we may have loved it more then she did. Although, she got to eat sitting in Donovan's chair whenever she wanted, without getting yelled at. She got to play with, and tear up, her brother's train track, and nobody even screamed at her or hit her or anything! Here are some of the other fun things we go to do with her.
Friday night, Auntie Jenna, and our friends Maria and Brad came over to watch the baseball game and have some pizza. Reese got to stay up late for the pizza party, and FINALLY, I have a child that loves pizza! She loved the pizza sauce more than the pizza actually. She dipped the pizza crust and bread stick into the sauce and would suck the sauce off, then dip again.
She enjoyed the pizza sauce so much, that we had to do a change of jammies before putting her to bed. That night we got to watch the cardinal's pull off one of the best play off comebacks ever, and our little princess never made a peep with all our hooting and hollering. Angel baby.
She spent a lot of time just sitting on my lap. We played lots of i-pad, i-phone, watched "elmo" (sesame street) videos on the computer, snuggled, played tickle and zerberts, and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. We also shared some ice cream. Don't tell Dono about that last one.
She also got to take a bath all by herself. A rarity. She was having such a great time, and I asked her several times if she was done and she kept saying, "No!". I finally drained the tub and she protested and just laid down in the empty tub and refused to get out. All while very happy I might add. She doesn't get to have that much room in the bath with her brother usually, so she spent the majority of her bath laying down and kicking. She even put her head all the way under water! Not on purpose, but she held her breath like she knew what she was doing. I guess instinct kicks in sometimes.
She spent lots of time drawing. A little on this magna doodle she was sitting on, but mostly on paper with markers. She would point at the markers and say, "color", and we would. She colors a little, tastes the marker cap, colors a little more, then tastes the marker while looking at you as if to say, "It's a compulsion. I know it's wrong, but I can't NOT put this in my mouth." So she had a very colorful tongue most of this weekend.
She also did a lot of picture taking on my phone. She knows how to get to the camera, and she knows how to take pictures. So we have a lot of her legs and the ground and what not. Every so often I switch the camera around so she can take a self portrait. And then I photo bomb it.
My favorite part of this weekend was her new found affection for "bear". This panda bear was mine when I was a little girl and suddenly yesterday she was all about it. In fact, last night when Reese and I were at the table sharing ice cream, she insisted that I share it with panda bear. I refused at first but she really let me have it, so we "shared" our ice cream with panda too. Then he got some water from the sippy from Reese when we were done with the ice cream. Reese was a little sticky so I wiped her off with a wet paper towel, which she then took and wiped off panda's face with too (I had to do a second round of panda clean up as she didn't get all the ice cream off his face). Then we played for a few minutes before bed and she asked me to do "neigh" to the bear. Reese and I had been doing "the lady horse goes......" that thing where you put the kid on your knee and go through three different kind of horses and progressively get bumpier and bumpier until they are going all crazy at the end. Well Reese calls it "neigh" and she gave me panda on my knee, and then said "neigh" and waited expectantly for me to start the game. So I had to play with the panda on my knee, like he was a kid. I loved that she was acting like he was real and wanted to have fun too. Then we went to bed and I got in trouble for leaving panda in her room when he needed to go in the bathroom with her for teeth brushing. So I got him, and after she was done brushing her teeth, she brushed his. So sweet.
This morning she shared her ice water with him. He is a pretty messy drinker but she did pretty good keeping it under control. She also was showing him how to make funny faces, which is what she was showing me in this first picture, and then him in the second.
Then she got thirsty from all the sharing and took a drink herself. (On a side note, she made me do "neigh" with a porcelain hippo piggy bank today as well. It was very strange.)
On Saturday, Tom, Reese and I went to Tom's work's family day. Family day at Boeing, is pretty bad ass. You get to get up close and personal with all kinds of awesome fighter jets. Old ones, and new, amazingly awesome ones like a F-15 which make you proud to be an American. Reese wanted to touch all the jets, so touch them we did! She even tried to lay on a wing of a bi-plane, which I let her do a little bit. It was right by Lambert airport so we got to be front and center for a lot of big planes taking off too, so that was awesome. Donovan would have loved it but it was nice just being the three of us. We never do anything just the three of us, and it was nice for a change.
That being said, we are now eagerly awaiting our little man's return. He should be home any minute and we are so excited to see him! We enjoyed our Reese alone time, but we missed our big guy too! Even Reese did! She would ask multiple times a day where he was, it was cute!
Friday night, Auntie Jenna, and our friends Maria and Brad came over to watch the baseball game and have some pizza. Reese got to stay up late for the pizza party, and FINALLY, I have a child that loves pizza! She loved the pizza sauce more than the pizza actually. She dipped the pizza crust and bread stick into the sauce and would suck the sauce off, then dip again.
She spent a lot of time just sitting on my lap. We played lots of i-pad, i-phone, watched "elmo" (sesame street) videos on the computer, snuggled, played tickle and zerberts, and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. We also shared some ice cream. Don't tell Dono about that last one.
She also got to take a bath all by herself. A rarity. She was having such a great time, and I asked her several times if she was done and she kept saying, "No!". I finally drained the tub and she protested and just laid down in the empty tub and refused to get out. All while very happy I might add. She doesn't get to have that much room in the bath with her brother usually, so she spent the majority of her bath laying down and kicking. She even put her head all the way under water! Not on purpose, but she held her breath like she knew what she was doing. I guess instinct kicks in sometimes.
She spent lots of time drawing. A little on this magna doodle she was sitting on, but mostly on paper with markers. She would point at the markers and say, "color", and we would. She colors a little, tastes the marker cap, colors a little more, then tastes the marker while looking at you as if to say, "It's a compulsion. I know it's wrong, but I can't NOT put this in my mouth." So she had a very colorful tongue most of this weekend.
She also did a lot of picture taking on my phone. She knows how to get to the camera, and she knows how to take pictures. So we have a lot of her legs and the ground and what not. Every so often I switch the camera around so she can take a self portrait. And then I photo bomb it.
My favorite part of this weekend was her new found affection for "bear". This panda bear was mine when I was a little girl and suddenly yesterday she was all about it. In fact, last night when Reese and I were at the table sharing ice cream, she insisted that I share it with panda bear. I refused at first but she really let me have it, so we "shared" our ice cream with panda too. Then he got some water from the sippy from Reese when we were done with the ice cream. Reese was a little sticky so I wiped her off with a wet paper towel, which she then took and wiped off panda's face with too (I had to do a second round of panda clean up as she didn't get all the ice cream off his face). Then we played for a few minutes before bed and she asked me to do "neigh" to the bear. Reese and I had been doing "the lady horse goes......" that thing where you put the kid on your knee and go through three different kind of horses and progressively get bumpier and bumpier until they are going all crazy at the end. Well Reese calls it "neigh" and she gave me panda on my knee, and then said "neigh" and waited expectantly for me to start the game. So I had to play with the panda on my knee, like he was a kid. I loved that she was acting like he was real and wanted to have fun too. Then we went to bed and I got in trouble for leaving panda in her room when he needed to go in the bathroom with her for teeth brushing. So I got him, and after she was done brushing her teeth, she brushed his. So sweet.
This morning she shared her ice water with him. He is a pretty messy drinker but she did pretty good keeping it under control. She also was showing him how to make funny faces, which is what she was showing me in this first picture, and then him in the second.
Then she got thirsty from all the sharing and took a drink herself. (On a side note, she made me do "neigh" with a porcelain hippo piggy bank today as well. It was very strange.)
On Saturday, Tom, Reese and I went to Tom's work's family day. Family day at Boeing, is pretty bad ass. You get to get up close and personal with all kinds of awesome fighter jets. Old ones, and new, amazingly awesome ones like a F-15 which make you proud to be an American. Reese wanted to touch all the jets, so touch them we did! She even tried to lay on a wing of a bi-plane, which I let her do a little bit. It was right by Lambert airport so we got to be front and center for a lot of big planes taking off too, so that was awesome. Donovan would have loved it but it was nice just being the three of us. We never do anything just the three of us, and it was nice for a change.
That being said, we are now eagerly awaiting our little man's return. He should be home any minute and we are so excited to see him! We enjoyed our Reese alone time, but we missed our big guy too! Even Reese did! She would ask multiple times a day where he was, it was cute!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Sticker face
Last Friday, Reese saw her Pawpaw put a sticker that she gave him on his face. That is all she wants to do now. Does she have a sticker? Then it goes on her face.
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| "Cheese!" |
Even brother wanted to get in on the silly action.
We don't get to see these two playing together nicely very often. So when we do, we document it!
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| I love this picture. She looks like such a big girl, carefully picking out her next sticker. |
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