Notes on the kids

Donovan does not say a car is "backing up". Nope. They "beep up". As in, "Hey mom, did you see that big truck beeping up?". We taught him when he was younger that some cars and trucks "beeped" when they backed up, so now it has taken the place of the backing up itself.

We are very excited the St. Louis Blues are playing again (booo lockouts). Reese has absorbed that excitement. Today on the way to school she said: "Ready, set, GO! Let's go blues! Let's go hockey!"

I would like to take the time to acknowledge how much more Reese is talking than her brother was at this age. We were counting his words when he was her age. I can't even count the sentences she says. Every day we hear more and more. "I high five Nick." "Reesie do it." "Petey hurt you." "Dono fall down." "Daddy play hockey. Yeay daddy! Excited!" "My baby hungry!" "Baby Carter waving." There are tons more of those, but suffice to say she is a running commentary of the day at this point.

Two of my favorite things Reese is saying right now: "TADA!!!!!!" whenever she finds something or wants to  show you something she is excited about. The other thing is what she says when she wants you to hold her; "I hold you" as she looks up at you and raises her arms. Oh really Reese? You are going to hold mommy? I would like to see that. She is starting to get better, now saying "Mamma hold you" or "dadda hold you" depending on who she is asking to pick her up. (she is the "you" in those sentences).

The other night Donovan was telling me that Reese was a stinker butt that day (his words).  I asked him why she was being a stinker butt and he told me he didn't know (his favorite response to anything).  I told him it was probably because she is related to him. Then he replied back, "Yeah and because she is related to you!" Touche Donovan, touche.

Things Donovan is super into right now: Hammer head sharks, volcanoes, and monster trucks. We had to go to the library twice in the past 2 weeks to stock up on some books about the above issues.

We went to watch Tom play roller hockey the other day and Donovan went early with Tom to the game so he could go in the locker room and hang out with the guys while they were getting ready. Then he got to sit on the bench while they warmed up. Either Tom or uncle Nick sat by him the whole time to make sure no pucks went his way. When I showed up, all I could see what this tiny blond head peeking over the edge of the boards. Cutest thing ever. He was beaming sitting over there with the big guys. Then Tom brought him over to drop him off with me so he would be safe during the game. When Tom skated back, Donovan started running after him, so happy, because he thought he got to go back. When I yelled at him to stop, and when Tom stopped, I could see the realization and heartbreak come over his face at the same time as it dawned on him that we were not going to let him sit on the bench the whole time. Lots of tears. So heartbreaking. But you know what made him happy? The "stuffed up" life sized hammer head shark that they have at the hockey rink. This is how it went. Dono: "(crying, crying, crying, lots of complaining and begging. Then suddenly stopping, looking up and smiling) Mama, I'm smiling now because I am looking at the hammer head shark!" And then he was over it.

Reese named her baby doll (who is a girl) "Baby Carter".  She just so happened to meet real baby Carter (best friend Kate and Kurt's adorable little man), over Christmas break so methinks he made quite the impression on her.  And you must say his full name every time you refrence him. "Baby Carter sleepin. Baby Carter thirsty."

Petey bit Reese tonight. I was not home when it happened but Tom told me that she cried hard for a little while. When she calmed down enough she told him what happened. "Petey. I pull hair." and later added when telling me, "No no. Bad Boy." Kinda hard to punish the dog when she straight up tells you it was her fault and he bit her in self defense (yet she still reprimanded him for biting her). I found her with two fists fulls of his hair the other day after I heard yiping. No wonder that dog doesn't like her.

Reese is turning in to such a big girl. She wants to do everything by herself. Which is especially interesting because she is trying to do hard things, like put her own socks on, that he brother refuses to do.  Just tonight she refused to sit on Tom's lap to read a book. She insisted on sitting next to him, by herself like a big girl. Lots of time we hear her say "Reese do it" or "I try it". Lately when I try to carry her up to her room to get a diaper change she will bat my hand away and say, "I walk" and march off in front of me.

Photo dump (from the i-phones)

Yes, this is a smile.

Showing the camera her "Putsie-a-roll" (tootsie roll)

 Donovan insisted on wearing these "bracelets" at grammies. Even fell asleep with them on.

Dono's school had a beach day, on a Wednesday, when he doesn't go to school. So grammie made a beach day for him at home. She's the best! ( I think the kids were rocking out their beach gear in this picture).

Yet another "pretty smile". Beauty is in the eye of the the beholder.

Reese's first pigtails. 

Reese's first crush

Reese has a crush. His name is Trevor and he is 5. I have written about Trevor before, as he is the older half of the "buddies". Since buddies moved away over the summer we have only gotten to see them a handful of times. The last was over a month ago. Well apparently over that time love has blossomed. On Saturday night we went to their house for a chili cook off. Reese was hanging out doing her own thing until about 2 hours in when Trevor picked her up (see below picture). From then on it was love.

After he picked her up once, she would walk over to him and hold her hands up to have him pick her up again and again. Then they went in the play house with a girl Trevor's age that he was playing with.  Reese decided to stake her claim and plopped down on Trevor's lap and he just held her there for 5-10 minutes. So cute.

Unfortunately that was all the pictures we took of the love connection. After that, they played together, sharing a bench to stand on while Trevor did his best to protect Reese from the monster truck rally all the crazy boys were participating in. Then when we left I wish I would have had a video of the good bye. Reese gave him at least 6 hugs. Then Trevor's little brother Tyler got in on the love and got some hugs, getting a bunch himself. Tyler's hugs were great because he would pick her all the way up off the ground.  Then as a grand finale, Reese puckered up and planted a kiss on Trevor during the last hug. The look on Trevor's face as he was realizing that she was puckered up waiting for a kiss, was pretty damn cute. Judging by his face, this is what he was thinking: "Oh this is a nice hug, oh wait.... She is looking at me weird. Oh wait....what is she doing with her lips....oh! A kiss? Umm, ok alright. A kiss it is."

The replay of that extended goodbye scene is going to be what I think of when I need a happy place for the next month or two. I am already excited to hang out again and see where the love connection picks back up next time.

Singing in the rain

Donovan got an umbrella for Christmas, so Saturday when he woke up from a nap to hear raindrops he was super pumped about going outside and "enjoying the rain" as he told me. Sister came along for the fun but preferred to be out, literally enjoying the rain, on her head.

In this picture, I thought I captured Donovan holding out his had to Reese, to offer her refuge from the rain and a chance to snuggle with her big brother. Right after I snapped it I realized he was just trying to feel the rain.

Reese's latest cheese face. I swear, she really does have a beautiful smile. She just does not know how to show it off on cue yet.

Bowling!

Today Tom and I took Donovan for his first bowing outing and we had a great time! He love it, we loved it, Reese was at home with Auntie Jenna, loving it. It was a win, win, win situation.

We used one of those ramps for the little kids so that all Dono had to do was get the heavy ball up on the top of the ramp and then push it off.  I don't remember this being around when I was a child. Whoever invented this is a genius.

Donovan had to have the front row seat for all the action. Tom and I told him he could stand up there as long as he stayed right next to the ball return, so like a good boy, there he stood. Every. Single. Time. Towards the end of our second (and last) game, he would sit on Tom or my lap and watch us, but I think at first he wouldn't because he thought he couldn't see from "back" there.

I love this kid. (And also his little bowling shoes. A big part of me wanted to stuff them in my purse and enjoy them on a daily basis.)

End score of the second game. Yes there were bumpers and yes, all three of us ended up using them.

Cheers!

The kids have been really into Popsicles the past couple days. Requesting more than one at each meal. My favorite part? Donovan taught Reese to "cheers" their popsicles. He probably regrets it now, since she wants to cheers about 15 times in a row, a couple different times per Popsicle. But he humors her and I love it.

And then he tries to cheers me with the camera.

Holiday Run down- part 3

So Tom, the lucky duck, gets a full week plus off of work every year around the holidays. I shouldn't complain, I got two four day weekends in a row myself but I was missing my family on Wed when I had to go back to work and they got to stay home and play. I asked for a picture of the kids from Tom on Wed and this was what he sent. No idea if there is a story behind it.

Tom was so pumped for Thursday, which was going to be his stay at home day all by himself. Dono got to have a super special spend the night with Grammie Q on Wed (that he has wanted for the past 6 months) and he spent the day on Thursday doing fun things like playing, having a lunch date at McDonald's, and swimming at a local pool for 2 hours. Reese was gonna go to her baby sitters like she usually does except on Wed night when we put her down she threw up her milk right away. Tom was really hoping it was a fluke and even said so, stating that she was perfectly happy acting and was telling him all about how she "spilled her milk" ( "I spill it. I spill it.") But alas, 30 minutes later when she did it again (was still happy and telling us how she just spilled the milk) we knew that she needed to stay home on Thursday and Tom was not going to get his special alone day. Poor Tom and Reese. The rest of the day on Thursday Reese didn't throw up, but just wasn't back to 100%, even taking a 3.5 hour nap. So Tom brought her to go pick Dono up at Grammie Q's and as he goes to get Reese out of the car, barf all over the car seat and herself. Which is how she got the stellar outfit she was wearing below. Her brother's 3T shirt and some 24 month pants Grammie Q had at her house.

Pic of my sick but happy girl from Thursday.

The good news that the car seat debacle was the last of the throw up for Reese, the bad news was that the next 3 days were full of diarrhea and at least 20 diaper changes per day for her, including multiple ones over night. So she got multiple baths and in one, I debuted shaving cream painting for her. She loves art so I knew she would love this, and she did!

Sunday both kids got in on the fun and decided that painting each others hair was more fun than painting the wall.

So needless to say, with all the sicknesses (oh yeah, both kids now have a cough and Tom has gotten the stomach bug) we spent most of the holidays and the holiday break quarantined in our own house.  The poor kids have been really feeling it and you can tell they are stir crazy. Especially since Reese spent much of Sat, Sun and Monday just walking around and throwing random fits.

Then finally, on yesterday we got enough snow that we went outside and played. I wanted to take Donovan sledding at a local big hill, however he was limping a little, saying he hurt his ankle to I decided to keep it local and just play in the yard.

Tom and I laughed that Reese looked like Ralphie's brother in "A Christmas Story". She was able to walk though.

I had this great idea to try sledding in the small hill between our neighbor's house and ours. Dono and Reese went together twice, and then Donovan helped me push Reese a third time and then he declared he was done and wanted to go inside. I was super happy I did not drive him to that big hill I initially wanted to go to.

Reese went sledding by herself twice and loved it. She is my daredevil. 

Dono heading in.

So now you know the story of our 2012 holiday's and holiday break. Could have been better, but could have been a lot worse. Overall, we count ourselves blessed. If all we have to complain about is a few germs, we are lucky. Happy 2013 to all and here is to a wonderful, happy, healthy and safe year. May this year be even better than the last!