HATS!

The kids made these hats during Bible study the other morning. Ella was having lots of fun modeling her new hat.

One of the workers helped her stamp the E on the hat. Truthfully, I'm not sure how much of the hat she actually decorated herself!

Bo was not feeling the hat modeling, but I managed to get one non-whiny shot. Now that everyone says 40 is the new 30, and I've recently heard that 3 is the new 2. That's definitely proving true on our end! We're officially wrapping up the terrific twos and heading into the tumultuous threes...and a newborn. Who is excited?

Cars

This had us laughing so hard last night. It is definitely one of my favorite videos to date. Bo got a bit of Cars pariphenalia for his birthday, so we've really been enjoying the cars lately. He was only interested in about 30 minutes of the movie, but he got several of the racecars that you shake and then place on the floor to zoom away. He loves those cars. Yesterday, he kept asking for his slippers [a big thank you to Grandaddy and Marmee] and this is what happened when he got them.

If you're not familiar with the movie, the quote is, "The checkered flag is mine," but Bo modified that to "check, the flag is mine."

Sniff, Sniff

It's really gone. Jason and I have been talking about selling his 1965 Mustang for many years, and we finally did it. It has been in storage and not driven regularly, so for a host of reasons, we decided it was time. The car was special to me because it was how we left our wedding, but I know it meant much more to Jason. At the tender age of 16, he spent every penny of his hard earned money to purchase that car. And now, sadly, it's time to say goodbye!

These are pictures of pictures, but still a reminder of a special day!

It is neat to think that the kid who bought it [another 16 year old spending every penny of his hard earned money] will be able to enjoy it as much as Jason did!

In other car news, the 1993 Ford Taurus is not doing so well. We're trying to figure out what to do and how to get it done. Ugh...I hate making big girl decisions!

Big Girl

Ella has discovered the potty, and she loves it! She is constantly pulling out the potty seat so that she can take some time to sit and try to potty. We've not actually had any sort of pottying happen, but it's fun to try!

I asked Ella if she was ready to get up, and this is the look she gave me right after she said, "no." She likes to sit for a while, and then says "up" when it's time to move on to something else.

I was actually reading an article about potty training the other day, and I'm wondering how much we should really try to start with her. Here's when kids are supposedly ready to start using the potty:
Your child shows an active interest in the potty...check
Your child sits on the potty without being scared or frustrated...check
Your child communicates when her diaper is soiled...check
Your child will actually keep her diaper dry for 2 hours at a time...check
I guess the question is, am I ready?

My Little Monkey

We are OBSESSED with animal books and noises these days. We have four books that I read over, and over, and over, and over with Ella. Then, when Jason comes home, he's on reading duty! It is really precious to see her imitate the animals. Here's her monkey:

Words I'll Miss

Bo:
refridgelator
capatiller
sharks-instead of shocks from static electricity
pecaroni-instead of macaroni

Ella:
pippers-slippers
dagu-there you go
uppa-up please

I'm really starting to wonder...

I had an OB appointment today, and with a little under 10 weeks to go, I'm starting to be super curious about whether or not this baby is a boy or girl. I think I'm prepared either way, but here are a few thoughts:

GIRL:
I've thought this from the beginning. Despite the fact that I've never had any sort of feeling before, I was really feeling a girl from the moment I found out I was pregnant.
We didn't see anything on the ultrasound. Despite a few good leg shots, no male parts jumped out at us....this has Jason thinking girl as well.
I will eat anything that is fried or slathered in mayonnaise OR just carbs in general.
The heart rate has been pretty high at my OB checks [over 155 until today].
This baby moves a LOT [much more like Ella than Bo.].
This baby also likes to poke my belly button from the inside out, just like Ella did!
I feel like the baby is HIGH. It seems like there is always a body party nestled up close to my rib cage.

BOY:
My weight gain seems to be more like it was with Bo.
This morning, the heart rate was around 130...much lower than it has been.
My sister is insistent that it is a boy.

So will it be this one...

OR

this one?

I'm going to argue that it's a total win-win here. When I ask Bo, he now consistently replies that the baby will be a girl. And her name will be Berber. Not sure where Berber came from, but we'll soon find out if he's right!

Bathtime

We had fun with some wacky hairstyles in the bath tonight!

Bo had so much fun watching Ella get her hair spiky that he wanted one too...

And this is Ella's comb-over. She thought it was absolutely hysterical!

Vocabulary

Ella has added a new word to her vocabulary. And let me just tell you, we get to hear this all the time!

Bo was really unusual when it came to the word, "no." When he said it, he really meant it. My mom was surprised when she observed this and she kept telling me that it was just so out of the ordinary for kids to know and understand when and how to use no correctly [at two years old!]. I knew that in my head at the time, but now that Ella is using it so differently, it's thrown me off a bit. I've had to really think about how I respond!

I was really good at this whole parenting thing until I had kids!

Movie Night

Jason was on call Sunday night, so I decided to do something fun with the kids. It was a Bob the Builder movie night!

The kids got to eat their m&ms while we watched the movie, and it was fun.

I know it's hard on them when dad is gone for two days! This was definitely a fun treat!

Another day...

Day two on the couch. Ella is still feeling fine, but she really wanted to join her brother on the couch. Bo actually ate the toast and banans today and was even asking for more. He's fever free as well, so I'm hoping we're on the upswing.

And I thought we weren't going to get it!

There's this nasty little bug that's been going around for weeks now, and I thought we had managed to avoid it. Turns out, I was wrong. Here's how my night went last night:
10:20-ahh, sweet sleep
3 ish-I hear "Mommy, come quick!"and head into Bo's room. "I throwed up all over my bed mommy." And sure enough, he had. So, we're in the bathroom getting him cleaned up and changed. I move Ella into the back bedroom and put Bo in the crib Ella sleeps in at night. Then, I commence cleaning. I'm outside in the garage rinsing off pillow, sheets, blankets, and throwing everything into the wash with bleach.

3:39-everything is rinsed and in the laundry so I go back to check on Bo, who is in the process of throwing up again. Another change of clothes, another bed stripped. Now, I move him out to the couch [this time covered with a towel and armed with a throw up bucket!] and head back out to the garage for more rinsing and laundry!

3:50-we snuggled on the couch for a little bit and then I remembered that I did in fact have a second set of twin sheets. I got up and put them on his bed [along with a towel] hoping that the bed might be more comfortable for the three of us. Yes, my belly now counts as a separate entity.

4 something-Bo: "Mommy, throw up is really yucky. It is yucky like poo-poo. I do not like it."

4:47-I'm headed back to the laundry with another set of dirty clothes. Thankfully the towel saved the sheets and pillow, so Bo was able to stay snuggled in the bed

5:21-I think Bo has finally drifted off to sleep, so I start to get out of the bed. He starts to whimper, "my belly, my belly, can you make it better?" There was some serious dry heaving, but no more throw up. Poor kid...he handled it like a champ.

6:13-Bo is finally asleep, so I head to my bed for another hour of sleep before both kids are awake!

We spent most of the morning on the couch. Actually, Bo spent most of the morning on the couch while I covered the rest of the house with a thick layer of Lysol! My mom was religious about two things when we were sick, so I'm passing those things on to my kids! Number one-we were always in cotton. Cotton breathes better when you're fighting a fever [which Bo now also has a fever], so both kids are in 100% cotton today. Number two-the BRAT [Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast] diet is the order for food. Even though Ella feels fine, she's had a lot of toast and bananas today because I fear the illness could strike at any minute. My stomach feels off, but I'm not sure if it's because of all the goo I keep having to clean up or because something is really going on. Time will tell...

Birthday Party Success

Well, the party is over, and let's just say we had quite a bit of fun. I managed to pick the coldest and rainiest day of 2008 for the party, but it still went off without a hitch. We were missing a few friends because of all the yuck that seems to be going around, so that was a little bit of a bummer. I joked with Jason that I may have overdone the Blues Clues theme; there were blue pawprints on just about everything!

The cake was a pawprint, but the guests ended up eating the cupcakes. I definitely liked the idea of the cupcake versus having to slice and serve cake. Oh, and the ice cream already in cups was also a really nice thing!

I know the kids are only three, but I thought a few games would be fun. The first thing we did was try to put the ears on Blue. Believe it or not, we decided to skip the blindfold element of the game. The kids were supposed to spin around three times and then run as fast as they could to put on the ears. It was fairly hard to determine a winner, but they had so much fun.

The next game was a "clue hunt." I joked with the kids that Blue couldn't be at the party, but she came by earlier and left some clues for them. They all got little notebooks and pencils to record the clues and try to figure out the message.

Here we are in the kitchen recording clue #3. It turns out three year olds still need a little help with basic shapes. I knew the game was a hit when the kids were asking about clue #4. Note: there were only three clues!

Clue #1-a plate; Clue #2-a cup, Clue #3-a fork...can you figure it out? Bo raced to the couch as soon as we got the third clue so that he could "think" about it!

After hot dogs and pears, the kids really enjoyed their cake and ice cream.

Ella had no problem eating her cupcake in a hurry as well!

Bo enjoyed opening his presents as well, even though he immediately wanted to take each one out to play with right then!

I was a little overwhelmed this morning at the thought of a houseful of three year olds on a rainy day, but we had a blast. It is such a blessing to see Bo relating to other kids and enjoying them. AND I felt blessed at the women God has provided for me in relationship. Considering that 18 months ago we didn't know a soul in this city, it is a gift to have women that I can call friends!

Serenity Now

I'm going to do my best to sound positive here, but it has been one of those days. 27 degrees, freezing rain, two well-child checks at 9:30 this morning, and lots of whining in between! Whining from the kids and me. The cold and rain made the trip out interesting, but the real storm started in the pediatrician's office. Ella stripped down to her diaper and was playing happily, but Bo was not thrilled about having to take his clothes off. Turns out he could have stayed dressed, but the nurse in training didn't know that!

So I'm wrangling Bo out of his shirt; trying to say calmly, "you don't have to like this, but it's going to happen anyways." And the nurse whisks Ella away to measure her head and length. That pretty much sends Ella into complete hysterics, which is Bo's cue to take his fit up a notch as well. After screaming through all the "fun" stuff...weighing, measuring, blood pressure...we had a moment of naked snuggle time to regroup. Bo was great once he got his clothes back on, and Ella totally charmed the doctor. Funny...the doctor they love, but the nurse doesn't quite have the same calming affect!

Both kids are growing well and doing well, which is encouraging, but apparently we brought the whines home from the doctor's office! That is why the kids are already asleep in their beds for naps [note: it's only 12:35!]

Here's a nice moment I'm reflecting on in light of all the morning's chaos. We love play-doh!

This is apparently how you keep two small children completely happy when dad is late coming home from work and you want to cook dinner uninterrupted. The only stipulation is that you have to be content to end up with one wad of multi-colored play-doh at the end of it all. My theory: 30 minutes of giggles, grins, and complete independence is totally worth the single colored play-doh!

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you lots of love today!

and

Love, Bo and Ella

And some memories from Valentine's past...

Ella at 6 months, Bo at 2 years; my little conversation hearts

Bo at 12 months; cute little cupid

Time Flies!