It Was Bound To Happen

Well, here we go! Another stage in life. Just started this week.

The stage of "toddler-can-climb-out-of-crib"

And boy is he proud of it! He walks in with a big toothy grin, knowing he's up to something.

I kinda liked being able to contain him and know that he can't get out.

Muah-ha-haaaa!

But I'm sure we'll get used to it...same as we did with his new freedom in crawling and again with walking.

Although he learned today what happens when he climbs out when he is supposed to be napping. He didn't like it, and neither did his hiney.

You might be wondering how he learned such a trick. Well, I'll give you three guesses but you'll only need one. It's the one he calls "D" (as opposed to the one he calls "Tsie-Tsie" or the one he calls "Ca-Ca" - and no, we're not teaching him Spanish!).

Yeah, you knew Jessica fit in this picture somehow. Doesn't she always? (If you're wondering where the "D" comes from...we sometimes call her by her initials - JD.) So yes, she climbed in and out of his crib and apparently he is a visual learner because all he needed was a demonstration.

Actually, I'm kinda surprised he hadn't learned it sooner. Surprised, but glad.

I'm sure I'll feel some nostalgia when we take down the crib for the very last time. But I'm not going there now. And I gotta do some better toddler-proofing in his room before we put him in a "big boy" bed.



And on another note, I'm not sure if it's a conspiracy but Jake has also learned to open the back door to let the dog in...any time he pleases. Like when it's muddy outside. Ugh!

Spring Break

So, what did you do for Spring Break? Go anywhere fun? Travel? Soak up some sun?

Well good.

I'm just so stinkin' happy for you.

Because our Spring Break was last Friday. Yes, just Friday. Blows my mind! Last year we had 3 days of Spring Break and I assume next year it will be gone completely.

So we did what any other fun-loving family would do to make the most of that one day vacation.

We cleaned house!!! I know you're completely jealous and I'm sorry you didn't get to clean house too. It'll be ok. Maybe you can plan ahead for that on your next Spring Break. If you need any tips just let me know.

Or you can ask Mackenzie, who has a "better" way to do everything she's told to do...and will spend no less than 30 minutes explaining it to you, in great detail, instead of just going and doing it. But she does a good job once she's finished explaining it.

Or you can ask Jessica, who has a covert cleaning system of stuffing items under furniture. She works in silence, which is her most secret weapon because she goes undetected for quite some time. Then when she's caught she flashes those big ol' brown puppy dog eyes at you. Not fair.

Or you can ask Rebecca, who actually is any mom's dream because she gets her jobs done, done well, and done fast...and then asks, "what else can I do for you, Mom?" Now I really know you're jealous. For real this time! As you should be!

Or you can ask Jake, who has the strategy of sabotaging all three sisters' efforts and making them scream. They say (in their loudest, most whiny voice), "I just cleaned this and now he messed it all up again!" (be sure to add a HMPH! and a pout with that). And I think..."hmmm, I know just how you feel - times FOUR."

So, while our Spring Break was not as fun as others' it sure was nice to have a clean house...for a few hours. Not that you could tell it now. Sorry that I don't have pictures of our Spring Break to share with you.

Ok...gotta go clean house.

I'm still here! Really.

January? Has it really been that long since I posted last? Oh I'm so neglectful!

Well, let's see...

It's that time of year where my camera is still full of Halloween and Christmas pictures that I need to get off of there to make room for more. And nothing is really going on anyway that is picture-worthy. Well, there probably are but I'm too lazy to mess with it.

Nothing really exciting has happened since January. Unless you think that 2 year old Jake kung-fu-ing his 10 year old sister to the ground and making her cry is exciting. (Oh yes, I videoed it! And laughed.)

Ever since he's watched Kung Fu Panda that is his thing...he says HI-YAH! and whacks you with is foot or hand. I had to nip the hi-yahing my hiney in the bud, though...and hi-yahing the grocery store clerks. It's that fine line between a cute toddler being funny and allowing him to just kick people. Gotta fix that problem before he's bigger than me.

He also dead-legged me yesterday and it hurts like crazy. I'm not kidding. I'm such a weenie. We were tickling him and he was kicking his legs and that bony heel came down on my thigh. Boys. Having flash-backs to my brothers whooping up on me, which is probably the last time I've been dead-legged (if you don't count that rollerblading injury in college but that was self-induced from my own stupidity).

Well that is just way too exciting for me so I'll just leave it at that. Don't want to flood you with stories all at once, you know. That'd just be crazy.