Look Who's Mobile

In the eleven days it took me to post this video, Z has gotten very quick at the army crawl.  I put up a baby gate for the first time today after I had to go looking for him three minutes after I put him down.  He does have a momentary kryptonite, though....tile.  He has yet to cross over into the kitchen or go into a bathroom.  Maybe it's too cold?  Whatever the reason, I'm grateful for the boundary help 'cause this kid is not slowing down.

Christmas Photo Wrap-up

I'm catching up on life events around here.  Don't worry...I try to get to all the major ones sometime in the same season they happened.  :)  Here's our Christmas in quick pics...

 Caroling with extended family on Christmas Eve eve.  This is something that we all sort of cringe about when planning it, but always love it while we're doing it.  We had big Christmas lunch with the fam on Christmas Eve, but I forgot to take any pictures until Christmas morning.

 I relent on my chewing gum ban for one day of the year.  Gum was probably C's favorite gift.  Gum.

 This is that bleary-eyed, just-woke-up Christmas morning happy face.

 J got finger mustaches in his stocking.  Really funny stuff.

 Daddy got a Captain America bobble head for Z.  He thought it tasted pretty good.

 But not as good as his thumb.

A was a little excited about her squinkies gumball house.

 C was thrilled to have her own box of band-aids to do with as she pleased.  The whole box lasted a week.

 She also enjoyed her Toy Story gang.  Which was a good thing, because that's the item I waited in line for at Toys R Us in the cold on the eve of Black Friday.

And the piece de resistance!  Z's present to mom on Christmas morning.  Love you, too, little guy.

What We Learned Today

One of the reasons I homeschool is to raise lifelong learners...learn something new every day.  Today I learned:
1. If you need to remove large quantities of flour from hair, dry brush it outside.  Because the equation flour + water = paste is true in hair, too.
2. A 5-year-old can spot treat carpet stains she creates.
3. The incubation period of our strain of virus is five days.

And today isn't over yet.  What have you learned today?

E-I-E-I-O Party

For C's 3rd birthday, she requested an E-I-E-I-O party.  That translated to a farm theme, which worked out in my favor because one of our close friends had just done a really sweet farm theme for her daughter and I got to mooch all her decorations.  We pulled off the double birthday party one more time with C's 6-year-old boy cousin, whose birthday is one day after hers.  So, imagine a Lego farm party.  It was good fun.  A picture recap, for your viewing pleasure...

 Can't have a farm party without pin the tail on the donkey.

 Birthday boy helping out the birthday girl.

 Mama's cheap and easy farm-theme birthday cake.

And what birthday is complete without presents bigger than you are?!  

Quarantine

Z broke out with a high fever Sunday afternoon.  I assumed it was an ear infection related to his two new teeth.  Can you see how swollen those top gums are?  So pitiful.

I took him to the doctor yesterday and learned it was not his ears, but a virus.  Great.  He was contagious in the 24-48 hours prior to symptoms.  That means Friday and Saturday, the only days we left the house and had contact with other people.  I had to call all those friends and let them know why they were feeling sick.

Want to know the interesting part?  (Because I know this post is already fascinating.)  The same virus in adults has two symptoms....general fatigue and the worst headache you've ever had.  When the pediatrician said that, I knew exactly where Z had gotten it.  Daddy.  J came home from work last week complaining of a terrible headache.  He went to bed and slept for 20 hours.  I sent him to the doctor thinking it was the flu.  He was diagnosed with a sinus infection and given antibiotics.  Now we know.

We'll be staying in our four walls for the rest of the week, praying no one else starts showing symptoms.

You're Three

To my middle child, no longer a baby, fully "big girl"...you are three.  You love to snuggle and cuddle and I wish I could carry you around all day like you ask.  You are a wonderful helper, quick to volunteer when jobs need doing.  You like mommy's new sweeper and use it several times a day to suck up Z's cheerios.  You're also pretty good at emptying the dishwasher, picking up toys, folding washrags, matching socks, putting away your clean clothes, putting away groceries, and carrying in groceries.

Fiercely independent, you want to do it all yourself.  You impress me with what you can do...putting on your coat, opening boxes/bags, working tough puzzles, cutting on the line, making your own pb&j.  You love to brush your own hair and would spend an hour spraying it down and brushing it if we didn't have school to do.  You've given yourself a haircut twice in the last month, much to my dismay.  You are fortunate to have the kind of curls that look good "layered."

You still enjoy a cup of hot milk in the morning, then toy with the rest of your food all day.  Though gum is quite a magic wonder.  If only I could pack some nutritional content into a stick of gum.  I have to give you credit for eating fruit and veggies.  You love all berries, and were even sad the last time I had to throw out some blueberries because we didn't eat them before they went bad.  I felt awful.  You announced this week that, "I'm three, so I like butter now."  And at a different meal, "I'm three, so I don't like french fries anymore."  I'm curious to see how these resolutions hold out, since butter has been a nemesis and french fries a precious friend for a very long time.

You are also a big fan of the living room pizza picnic/movie night combo.  Lion King is the current reigning favorite.  I think we have finally saturated you with enough Toy Story propaganda to allow you to move on from that fixation.

You are squirmy and wiggly and only sit still when being held or touching someone else.  Sitting on your bottom at the table is a current battle and you have landed on the floor more than once.

You can't keep your hands off your baby brother.  If he's in the room, you've got to hug him, squeeze his neck, rub his hair, tickle his toes.  You want to mommy him so much.

You are a very patient little sister, playing whatever game of the day has been prescribed by A, and seldom challenging her rules.  Your imagination has benefited greatly from her and it is a joy to hear you playing nicely together, and even squealing together in naughty shenanigans.  Occasionally, you get fed up with her being bigger and better and start pushing her buttons.  You're always quick to admit you were being a pest and apologize (at least if she whines loud enough).

I can't keep you from soaking up school meant for A.  You pretend to not know your letters, then turn around and recite her Awana verses.  You do a great job of tagging along on this year's education adventure, but I'm afraid you'll need more, much more next year.

It seems that overnight, all at once, you've left your baby ways behind you and embraced being a big girl.  The whining has all but disappeared, your vocabulary has exploded, your choices (even bad ones) are well thought out, you have real opinions to share.  Happy Birthday, sweet C.  We love you, through and through, with big moose hugs.

Dear God,

A few zingers from C's recent prayers...

"Dear God, please help A stop coloring while we are praying.  In Jesus' name, Amen."
"Dear God, please bring us a puppy to get back beta fish.  In Jesus' name, Amen."  (Our fish recently died.)

High Praise

I was sitting on the floor of the girls' bedroom last night, slathering them with lotion after their bath.  C apparently noticed my hair-do for the first time (ever) and remarked, "Mommy!  You have a ponytail!"  I grinned at the thought that this was news to her since my hair is in a ponytail or mommy-bun every day.

Since I was bent over rubbing A's legs, she had a bird's-eye view of my coif.  "I like your ponytail, Mom; all the curls and squiggles that come out.  It's really pretty."  Taken aback by her sincerity, I thanked her for the compliment.  Then I had to bite my cheek when she added, "It's even Target pretty."  That could mean a lot of things in my mommy circle, so I was glad she elaborated.  "Sometimes they decorate their walls with fancy swirls and squiggles that are really pretty.  It's like that."

Thanks.  I think.