Solar Powered

Spring has sprung. At least temporarily. While last year this time the kids were still playing on the giant snow mound on our front lawn, the snow is melted and we have had 3 days of sun - in a row. With temps in the double digits. I know..... I can hardly believe it either.

So at Miss J's daycare, they have been playing outdoors a lot. She loves the outdoors but is somewhat put out by the requirement that she remove her dress and wear pants and a shirt. (This just means instead of putting her nightgown on as soon as we get home, she wants to put her dress back on).

The daycare staff comment to the parents about how well the kids will sleep because of all the fresh air. And I use to think that was true.

But it seems that Miss J is solar powered.

The last 3 nights, she has taken forever to wind down for bed. She is perfectly pleasant, but perfectly awake when she would normally would have been snoozing. The longer days aren't helping either. As she notices the light around her window blind she says "Mommy, its still cloudy out. We better open our eyes!!"

Here's hoping for a rainy indoor day tomorrow!

Baby Steps

One week ago today, Monkey decided to take her first real steps. She has been cruising for a while now and barely needs any support when you are walking with her. But she hasn't really been interested in going on her own.

Last Monday, while Mommy was at work (poor me, sniff sniff) and the girls were having a fun filled day with Daddy, Nanny and Poppy, Monkey walked from Daddy to Nanny and back. Only a few steps but she was so proud. And Poppy caught it on video so I got to enjoy the moment too. Those first steps really are so cute, and Monkey was so proud of herself!!

It seems she may be a little like her Mommy however. She walked a little and isn't overly interested in doing it again just yet. As if to say, "Ok, I can do that, check that off my list. Next!". My mom tells me that I walked one day at about 11 months and it was at least a month later before I did it again.

Monkey is still perfectly happy to cruise, chase her sister on her hands and knees, try and take Miss J's Polly Pockets whenever she can, and try to get her socks and shoes on (which she is getting surprisingly close to doing!). Lots of time for walking later I guess!

Oh No!

Neon, Day-Glo, Fluorescent - whatever you call it - its back.  Very very bad....

A few days ago, when picking Monkey up from the sitter, I noticed the teenage girl and her friends next door all had neon pink and green shoelaces.  I immediately had flashback of LA Gear sneakers (shudder).  

And then I went to a movie with CWC (which I'll talk about later!) and noticed, not only shoe laces but jackets, and shorts in store windows with more neon (think: those Bermuda shorts we used to call Jams).  Ugh.

Why am I so disturbed by this?  Besides that this is something else that makes me feel old, what with fashion trends of my youth coming back in style (I can hear my Mom now "Oh my goodness, I had a shirt like that when I was in high school"), it is just plain BAD!  I mean, seriously, NEON?  Of all the trends to recycle, NEON? 

I'm just waiting to see someone wearing a big white T-shirt with bright yellow WOW on the front and back, stirrup pants and flourcent slouch socks.  

Just please don't make us endure acid wash again.

When are Doc Martin's coming back - they were awesome (and I think mine might still be at my parents!)

Nanny and Poppy are Coming

In case you didn't know!

Monday, Hubbs told Miss J that Nanny and Poppy are coming for Easter and that they'll arrive on Saturday.  Miss J, who is learning the days of the week but still doesn't really get what they mean with regards to time, was really excited.  

When the doorbell rang Monday night, Miss J said to Gramma "Its Nanny & Poppy!"

Every morning this week we heard "Nanny and Poppy are coming today".  Or "Are Nanny & Poppy here yet?"

And when she's upset who does she want?  That's right - Nanny & Poppy.

Finally, tomorrow is the big day - she is so excited!!  I hope they're ready for lots of granddaughter love :)

Special Jammies

WARNING: The following post talks a lot about Poop!

Back in the height of potty training, Miss J was having a little bit of trouble getting the poop to actually go in the toilet (read: she was just poopin in her pants!)

We had tried every thing we had heard about: rewards, tossing the precious Dora panties, staying calm and saying its OK, getting a little bit angry, etc. but what we didn't know at the time was that Miss J just wasn't ready to take that poop step. 

Around this time, Miss J had also gotten some new jammies (back in the days when she was still wearing 2 piece PJs).  They were sweet, with fairies and castles on them and Miss J really loved them.  She called them her Special Jammies.  One night before bed (and before her diaper was on), she pooped.  Perfect, I thought, (mean mom alert!) throwing out the jammies will really teach her not to poop in her pants anymore.  

Me: Oh dear, you pooped in your Special Jammies.  I guess we're going to have to throw them out.  

Miss J (her face immediately crumbling): Oh no! I miss them already!

She broke my heart.  So we went to Plan B.  

Me: Well we won't throw them out, but you can't wear them anymore until you do your poop in the toilet.  OK?

Miss J (still sobbing and devastated): OK

A couple of weeks later, Miss J FINALLY pooped in the toilet.  While we were doing the obligatory celebration, she pipes up: Now I can wear my Special Jammies!!  She had been thinking of this all that time.  

And here she is, happy to be reunited with her Special Jammies at last!

She waved

Monkey waved.  In fact, she has been practicing this skill for a while now and lately is really getting the hang of it.  She waved at Gramma from the car today when she saw her walking by.  Its really cute.

She also climbs the stairs.  We cannot gate the bottom of our stairs so we spend a lot of time saying "No Monkey, no" and shaking our heads when she stands at the bottom step getting ready to climb.  She typically grins back, plays "peek" around the post a couple of times and tries to head up the stairs.  

But yesterday, she learned another time to wave.  I said "No Monkey, you can't go up the stairs".  Monkey grinned her cute little grin and then waved.  That's right.  As if to say "Bye, see-ya, I'm goin' anyway".

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I think we might have our hands full here!