Katie and the Rocking Chair

Whew! We had a GREAT day yesterday.

I had the day off - I could pretty much stop my list there, right?!

BUT wait, there's more!

The kids were sweet, I folded some laundry while they played in their room. Katie running around with a play drill, Jake watching her every move while trying to follow her around, both of them just content to "be". It was nice. And relaxing!

Then Grandma invited us to go to Walmart with her and Grammy invited us for dinner later that evening!

So we got ready to go to Walmart with Grandma and both kids were good. Not too much fussing. Bought some 12 month clothes for Jake since he'll be able to wear them... ohhhh, right about ... NOW. I had to buy a bag of trail mix for Katie to munch on since she was *starving* at the store. She was so hungry she reverted back to about the age of 1. She was adamant that she was not hungry before we left, but oh boy, once we got there she was staaaaaaarving. So it was a very smart impulse buy!

Then on to Sam's Club. Looked at lots of stuff.

At both stores Jacob sat in the cart in the seat. Usually I bring the carseat with me but Grandma wanted him to be able to look around. He sure did! He loved it. Stared at everything.

After we were done shopping we headed home. Mom waited in the car with the kids while I ran in with the "super duper juice" and the milk. When I started out again she called to me to remember Katie's water. So I went back in and got it. By the time I got into the car (not ever 3 minutes after mom got out) Katie was asleep. So was Jake. They slept ALLLL the way to Grammy and Grampys and Jake slept in the car while I carried Katie into the house and stayed asleep till we got to the door.

Ate a delicious roast with everything OH, and Grammy made some delicious sweet potatoes. With marshmallows. Marshmallows that mom forgot at home.

Dad came in and then we heard the car leave... and couldn't figure out where she was headed to!

Jake wanted to be into everything (there's a framed pic on the bottom of one of Grammy's tables that Jake goes for EVERY time were there! and he had a blast playing with some wooden spoons and a plastic funnel on, and the beach ball too!) and Katie was having fun with the chalk and the firefighter hats.

We were taking a bathroom break and Katie told me "Mommy, I like it here. I have fun."

She really did have a good time talking to Virginia about everything under the sun... she took to her right away!

We got home and that's where the trouble started. *Someone* took the remote and hid it. When I asked *someone* she said she didn't take it. I asked the same *someone* quite a few times but didn't really press the issue because I didn't know if John had moved it so the kids didn't play with it/chew on it. Then *someone* had a meltdown... Katie thought Jake was interested in touching her rocking chair. You would think it was made of glass and would break at a glance when really, it's sturdy wood. I told her to put it in her room and shut the door but she cried that she "couldn't do that because Jakey would get it before she shut the door!" Oh my. Not fun. Then "her knee hurt". So I got her an ice pack and moved the chair into her room... which is when I saw the toys she was supposed to pick up and put in her toy bins... "but not just in one pile sweetie... put the dolls with dolls and knex with knex... not in a big pile!" They were laying on her bed. In a big pile. So I called her in and she came right away (I get the feeling that she knew I had seen the pile!) and she cleaned them up.

When we were ready to leave the room, I told her that she should "turn off the light, shut the door, and get the tv remote." (If you remember from the previous paragraph she told me that she hadn't moved the remote.) What do you think happened? She turned off the light, shut the door, and WENT TO THE DINING ROOM AND GOT THE REMOTE FROM THE CHAIR UNDER THE TABLE. Hmph. We're still working on truth vs. lie.

Katie and Jake - First Plane Ride

I'm a little nervous but really excited. We (me, the kids, mom and dad) will be flying to Texas in January.

Nervous because I'm not sure how the kids will handle it... and excited because it will be really fun to see my family and introduce Jake to everyone. I'll get to see babies, kids who've grown from babies in the two visits I've made in the last 7 years, cousins, aunts and uncles, my grandfather... everyone!

I told Katie that we were going to fly in an airplane to get to Texas. She said "I scared mama." I asked why and she said "I scared I will fall out."

So we're back to nervous. What if she decides (at however many feet in the air we're at) that she doesn't *want* to be in the plane. I'm a little nervous that she will start her looooouuuuuud cry. It's like a siren in its repetition and it drives me bananas.

I think I'll have some candy (maybe suckers... maybe caramel wrapped around peanut butter wrapped in taffy - get it? Gooey candy = quiet toddler) for her during the flight and hope for the best. She'll probably be fine. Really. Probably.

Jake can only do two things... sleep or cry. I'm hoping he'll choose sleep. It's a long flight and I can't keep a bottle in his mouth the whole time. And candy for him is probably a no-no.

Then there's the car seat/stroller dillemma. Arg. I didn't ever think I would be able to travel anywhere while the kids were little (unless it was by car) so I didn't consider the logistics of a toddler and a baby.

I think mom has read up on stuff so I feel a little better but still... getting there is going to be a challenge.

But I can't wait!

Kids are funny...

I was folding laundry on Sunday and decided that I might as well pack the kids' bag for their trip to the lake on Friday.

Yes, I know it's a whole (almost) week away but there were enough clothes so I didn't think they would end up running around half dressed... well, maybe Jacob but he's usually in a onesie and diaper anyway (minus the onesie) so we would be fine.

I really truly did not pack them up on Sunday in eager anticipation of Friday's good bye's, no siree. I only wanted to avoid the rush on Thursday of bath and packing and all that good stuff. Katie decided to pack her toys too, even after I told her that we've got a lot of days to go before it's Friday and she might want to play with the toys she crammed into her toy bag to bring along... but she was determined to pack in advance. Oh well, I expect to see her toys on the living room floor when I get home. Oh well again. *sigh*

So, we had a great week. The kids were fun and cute and wonderful, as usual, there were no meltdowns and no one peed on the bathroom floor because they were too busy playing and didn't make it on time... 3 times. No siree.

No one spilled water on the floor while playing in the sink and then raced through the kitchen and slipped on that water and cried and cried and cried... No siree.

No one had a horrible accident on the living room carpet that grandpa helped clean up... No siree. (When I say horrible, I mean gross and icky... so it's a goooooood thing it didn't happen!)

So we've had a pretty quiet week with all of the stuff that *didn't* happen.

Oh, I hope to be updating more since I can do it on the road or from the comfort of my recliner now that (insert Oprah voice here... yep, it's her "announcey" voice I hear in my head when I'm really excited about something. I know. Strange.)

IIIIIIII got a blackberry!

I didn't think I would ever want one but John convinced me that we needed one for Christmas. We're sharing it because, while we did get a discouted price, the price tag made me second guess. And third guess... and keep guessing till I heard that I could go on Facebook and even do internet stuff (insert Oprah voice here...) from my owwwwwn recliner at which point I just had to say hook me up!

I did have a little gulp of worry about our budget but knew there was some wiggle room... I might have to save up for another month to get my under cabinet kitchen radio/cd player I've wanted for the last few months, but this is 10 times cooler so I'm okay with that.