Amusements

Things my children have said to me in the past week:

1. While discussing the pros and cons of Zachary wiping his own derriere (we've been discussing this for nearly a year now, despite repeated admonishments that he does NOT want to do it til he is an adult), Zachary asked me, "Mommy -- can I have some rubber gloves to wipe my bum?"

2. Vivian, Zachary and I were laying in bed reading stories. Twice (these were the first two times in her life), Vivian hands me a booger. I finally said, "Vivian, where are you getting all of these???", to which she thoughtfully replied, "Ummm -- Target."

3. Both kids were taking a bubble bath. Vivian toots, creating her own bubbles. I add the obvious commentary, "Vivian tooted!" Ever curious, Vivian turns around and starts splashing through the bubbles: "Where toot go? Where toot go?" This soon became a whole song and splash between the two of them.

pee pee in the potty anyone?

I can't believe I am about to say this, but girls are really different than boys. Viv peed in the potty today. She has been asking periodically for about a month, and show even more intermittent interest in actually sitting on the potty. Tonight, with the bath running, she insisted. Not one to stand in the way of my VERY vocal daughter, I let her sit on the potty chair as long as she wanted. A few minutes later, success! She smiled and smiled, and put her hand between her legs to touch the warm pee in the receptical. Old enough to use the potty, but not old enough to understand not to touch it. Zach was almost a year older when he finally caved and started to use the potty. She is not even 2 yet, and can pee pee in the potty. I can't imagine being more proud than I am today.

first steps

Viv took 3 tiny steps all on her own today!!

Viv at her 18 month:

Weight: 25 pds 3 ozs. 75%
Height: 31.5 inches. 50%
Head: Healthy, growing at just the rate it should.

Happy day.

Finally! Some TEETH!

As I've already told nearly everyone I contact in any way, Viv FINALLY got her two front teeth in! At nearly 17 months, she had one of the most protracted teething periods I know of. But they have finally arrived. Hurrah!

Lest you feel sorry for us and girl who has been eating mush for her entire life, know that late teething is associated with late puberty! Seriously, who DOESN'T win when your daughter hits puberty after she moved out of the house. Hurrah, squared!

Pics will follow eventually...

best laugh of the day

Check it. Thanks Tracy.

Water Sports

My children are Austinites, born and raised, so they are no strangers to stifling, miserable, breathtaking heat and humidity. It's a fact that you can't spend more than 30 seconds outside (the time it takes to get into your car and the AC cranked), before you have gone from dewy, to drippy, from head to toe. The only way to avoid this sticky salty fate is to either a) drink cold margaritas, and/or b)stand under a spray of cold water. Still too young for this TexMex fav, we stick to sprinkles.


Zach has never been too impressed with sprinkles. Mostly, he just likes to experiment with the spinning parts on the sprinkler head. But since Viv joined the fun, he has a renewed interest in these light water sports. So, his favorite outdoor activity is to follow Viv around with the sprinkler head dangling over her head, or perhaps just take the nozzle off and insert the gushing hose down the back of her swimsuit. Viv is a terribly good sport about all this, but she too has limits.

Helicoptors

It seems that 3 year old boys generally go through some very predictable obsessions. Garbage trucks, recycling trucks, excavators, backhoes, dump trucks, etc. Lately, it's helicoptors. He has two special helicoptors that he has recently named Bird and Pillow. I suppose there is probably some logic to those names -- fly like a bird, land on a pillow? Anyway, there is a lot of love there. Sometimes he leaves one in my car while he is at school, to take a nap, and gives it a cuddle when he returns. At night, creative bedtime storytelling ALWAYS stars either a camping trip (more on that later), or Bird and Pillow.

So, while back there was a family day at Camp Mabry, and they had all kinds of helicoptors on display for kids to see up close. Wouldn't you know, there were throngs of boys under five and their dads swarming every one of those displayed. Despite the heat, the crowds and the very pronounced 'i-have-a-napitude' at that late hour, Zach was in heaven. Vivi stuck it out like a champ and was rewarded with some delic ice cream.

Hey hey Happy Mother's Day!

For Mothers Day, my dear family sent me out on a long anticipated shopping trip -- to get a new bike! My last bike was lifted from the condo on Waring Road, more than 10 years ago. Pathetic, how long it took me to finally replace it. But now I have a sweet ride, complete with lots of shocks, lovely upright positioning that allows me to see what my neighbors are up to while cruising the hood, and a dipped top tube that is easy for my skis to clear when mounting up. I fastened up the child seat, and have had many great adventures with my tiny Weisses already.

Here we are on the way to Zach's school: