Mud

We were outside tonight enjoying the cool weather, eating dinner on the deck, while Maggie chased the dogs around the back yard. I can hear her laughing and squealing and I know she is having a great time. After a little while she is climbing the stairs and I look over as she reaches the top complaining, "Mama, I got muddy!"
How odd, it hasn't rained in almost a week, how did she get muddy? She turns to face me and sure enough, her right knee is caked in mud, her right hand as well because of course she had to touch it. "Mama, I dirty, I got muddy!"
Hmmm...how DID she get muddy, there is no mud in the yard right now. Then my stomach turns because I realize something. I lift her up and very carefully bring my nose close to her soiled knee. Yup... just as I had feared... it's poop. "Maggie, this isn't mud, this is poop."
"Poop!?"
"Yup baby, poop."
"Yucky poo poo! Payton did it!"
Gross. I grab a handful of wet paper towels from inside and by the time I come back out, all of 30 seconds later, my daughter literally has flies buzzing around her. Double gross. Then I have to touch her, and now I have poop on ME. Triple gross. I get her all cleaned up, send back down the stairs to play, and hear, "Oh no! I got muddy again!" HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?! She hadn't even made it down two steps! I look and oh, there is poop on one of the steps where her knee must have made contact coming up. More paper towels, more gross, gross, gross! Being a mama is so glamorous.

Mama May I

The spongy super-soaker brain of a toddler is a marvelous thing. I've been big on manners for a while now and she's gotten pretty good at please and thank you, bless you, excuse me, etc. But today was the ultimate. Today she said, "Mama, please may I have some water?" Woo Hoo! A FULL SENTENCE that included "please" and "may I". I'm so proud!

Another language related story - she just came up to me and said, "Mama, I want to color on my paper." I looked at her and didn't immediately respond as I was too distracted by the 45 Hello Kitty stamps covering the length of her arms (I knew I should have thrown that stamp away!). Apparently she assumed this meant I hadn't understood her. So she repeated, very slowly and with a low voice, "Mama,... I ... want... to... color... on.... my... paper." I could almost hear her inner dialogue calling me a moron. I had better hop to!

I Love My Goofbulb Husband

I think I forgot to add in the previous post... I love my goofbulb husband! He may not be the most romantic (or complimentary) man in the world, but he's still pretty damn special... and he puts up with my compulsive need to over-share via this blog.

I love, love, LOOVVVEEE you Dear!

Another Gem From My Thoughtful Husband

"I'm going to have to take down your picture at work," says my dear husband, referring to the black and white photo taken at our wedding.
"Why?"
"Because everyone that passes my desk comments on how beautiful my wife is!"
"Aww, that's nice!"
"Yeah, I mean, I get it. It's just a nice picture, black and white and everything."
"So, what, I don't look that good in color?"
"Well, yeah, but this particular picture is a good one."

Hmmmm....not sure I like where story this went. Should have gone something like this...

"I'm going to have to take down your picture at work," says my dear husband, referring to the black and white photo taken at our wedding.
"Why?"
"Because everyone that passes my desk comments on how beautiful my wife is!"
"Aww, that's nice!"
"Yes, it is. I tell everyone that comments what a lucky man I am!"

Much better :)

Yucky Applesauce

We had a rough night last night. It was the first night one of the kids was sick since the baby was born. I think I might actually be typing this while sleeping, I'm that tired.

From 4:30pm to 11:00pm Maggie threw-up every half an hour. The whole evening she would say, "I'm fine mama," then five minutes later BLECH! She had applesauce for lunch, and throughout the whole evening when she lost that lunch she would say, "I feel yucky mom, yucky applesauce," and point to the mess. Gross. Kids are so gross.

I slept in her room to make sure she didn't do something ridiculous like choke to death. She didn't, but she did wake up periodically coughing, and then at 3:00am scared the crap out of me by standing next to the bed, three inches from my face and stating, "Mama, I want juice."

Thankfully she is feeling much better today, she got to have blue moon ice cream for breakfast - that's a flu remedy isn't it? Now I just have to sit here and worry that I am going to start barfing at any minute, which would be super duper! I can't wait!

Date Night

Thank you Granny for babysitting tonight so that Jason could celebrate his *ahem* THIRTY-SIXTH birthday. Dinner was great, but our reception at home was even better...

Maggie - "Mama! Come inside, quick! M'squitos out there! They bite you!"
"I like a doggie, ruff, ruff!" (while crawling around on all fours)
"I want ice cream! A big one, I like the big one best"
"I love Granny a lot!"
"Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Come inside, Fun inside!"
"Mama, you're home now! You went to dinner!"
"Granny watch Beauty and the Beast! Turned into a princess!"
"Ah ha haha ha ha! Ha ha!" (laughing maniacally while spinning in circles)

Geez Granny, thanks for watching her, but did you really have to feed her a crack sandwich for dinner?

Discipline!

Have I mentioned that my daughter must have some German blood in her? She is a big fan of discipline. So much so that we have had to move on from time-out to a reward chart. Time-out has served us well, but when your kid starts putting herself in time-out she kind of gains the upper hand on you. I love that she can recognize when she needs some quiet time to herself, but when that quiet time is taken at the grocery store - and she refuses to leave the dairy aisle because she wants to remain in time-out - you realize that you are no longer in control.

As a result, we have started the "Rainbow Kitty" chart. Sidebar - if there was any doubt about the femininity of my child you just have to refer to this chart, throw together some rainbows and kitty's and she is totally on board. Anyway... the Rainbow Kitty chart has a list of "bad" and a list of "good" things she can do to move her little kitty magnet up and down the rainbow. At the top of the rainbow is a reward. She totally wants that reward, even though she has no idea what it is, we've been moving the kitty up the rainbow all day. There was one backward slide after we came home hot and sweaty from the park, and boy did shit hit the fan when that Kitty slid down a color. Kitty really should have landed on his butt on the floor, so many "bad" infractions, but we're still learning so kitty is hovering somewhere in the middle of the chart.

I'll tell you how this all works out - I'm sure Fraulein Maggie will figure out a way to beat the system before you know it.

Cate's New Stats

Catie had her 1 month doctor's visit this past Wednesday. How does she stack up to her sister? Well...

Weight: 9 pounds 4 ounces, 50th percentile
Height: 21.5 inches, 50th percentile
Head: 39 centimeters, 75-90th percentile

Maggie was always only about 5% for height and weight - about an inch smaller and a pound lighter at this same age.

She got one vaccination at the visit, the HepB boost, and turned the color of a tomato she screamed so hard. Poor baby.

State Fair

It's time for the Iowa State Fair again! We took our annual family vacation to Des Moines this past weekend, continuing our ongoing quest to eat the most lard-laden, artery-blocking, lip-smacking good food "on a stick" imaginable. There's nothing quite like the smell of sweat, beer, and corn dogs at 10am. Oh, and there are the animals, and the rides, and the ridiculously cute little girls (Maggie, Catie, and their cousin) experiencing these things for the first (or second) time. Below are pictures from our trip. I hope to have time to write more about our adventures soon, but I'm still unpacking chocolate covered bacon... on a stick... from our suitcase. To view additional photos click here.

More Verbal Hijinks

Each day I find myself giggling, or full-out belly laughing, at Maggie's ever expanding vocabulary. I try to give her every opportunity to flex her vocal muscles and frequently engage in ridiculous conversations with her. For example, this evening...

"Mama!! I have to go potty!"
"OK, honey I'll be right there."
"Hurry, hurry, poo poo coming. Poo poo coming out of my butt!"
I rush to the bathroom after that comment, the last thing I need is poo poo on the floor. After helping the kid onto the toilet she tells me, "Mom, I spilled applesauce on my shirt. I licked it off," then mimics the licking of the shirt. "Peyton (the dog) can't eat my dinner, she'll get sick. Stevie (other dog) will get sick too. Oh! More poo poo coming! I like to watch my show. Scooby Doo is funny! (rented video this evening)"

The train of thought of a two year old is pretty freaking hilarious.