Quote for the Day - Put off

Me - Okay, baby, I want you to count the ladybugs in the book with me as I read, okay?

B.B. - No, you can do it. You're a big girl now.

Quote for the Day - Growing Up

"Well, I used to like artichoke hearts, when I was little, when I was 2. But things change as you get older. Right, Dad?"

--Little Man

Quote for the Day - Responsibility

"No, Dad. It's your responsibility to make the chocolate milk."

Yes, Dad puts in much more chocolate syrup than Mom, and yes, we've been talking about responsibility.

Shaggy Story - Batman and Superman

Little man is quite the storyteller. He could sit for hours looking at books or with his dinosaurs and tell very detailed, involved stories (and he's teaching his little brother to do the same thing - yeah!)

His favorite type of storytelling, though, is more interactive. My mom calls them Shaggy stories, and we each take turns telling a little bit of the story.

Today he suggested a story about Batman and Robin (big surprise - he's superhero crazy at the moment).

Starts with the setup:
I ask, "What story would you like to tell?"

"Batman and Robin are driving around in the Batmobile looking for bad guys and people to save"

I repeat what he says (he gets his storytelling abilities from his dad), and pass it back to him with "they're driving around, and they see..."

"Superman picking strawberries!"

I love this boy. The story went on from there. Many bad guys were caught, many people were rescued, all is well.

Five

My baby turned five recently, and it really hit me.

Very clichéd, but I realized he's not a baby anymore. In the past few months, his fears have slipped away (well, most of them), his energy has increased (is that possible?), his boyishness has increased (wow - has it ever), his thirst for knowledge has increased exponentially and my boy is a reader!!

My sweet angel baby, you are such a wonderful little man, with a gentle, giving soul. You take such good care of your little brother, and you are his best friend. I love that your biggest wish for when you grow up is to have children of your own. I am as proud of you as a mother could be, and can't wait to see those children of yours (far, far in the future, if you please).

I love you.

Speaking of taskmasters

We've been talking about having another babe, and man alive, I can't even look at babies right now without wanting to grab one (no, not really!)

Time flies

Happy anniversary my love -

Time has flown and we are having fun! Thank you for all the wonderful times and most especially for your loving kindness and support. Our boys are amazing and are thriving. As I'm writing this, little man is washing the dishes. I love our boys. I had wonderful picture in my mind of what life would be like when I was married with children, but it pales in comparison to this. I am truly blessed.

I love you and here's to sixty more (hey - I can hope...)!

happy happy happy

Happy birthday C!!!

I was so excited to be taking the man out to a yummy dinner, as originally requested, but he came home and just wants to go to a movie instead. Sigh. We had such plans before the kids: absolutely one date night every month, go here with them, do this with them. But the reality is we're worn out by the time the babe falls asleep (if he falls asleep... well, he always does eventually, but some nights are later than others). Last night we watched 1/2 a movie. Impressive.

I would never in a million years give them up or go back to life before, but sometimes, well, I remember the before fondly.

Knitting wise, Daisy's moving along; I've split the fronts and back and am almost done with that, then it's quick sleeves and we're done, done, done.

Yum

When it comes to cooking dinner, I seem to be three on, three off, with one night out for good behavior (read: to save my sanity!!!!). I get three good meals going every week, and then the rest of the time I do a simple simple pasta salad or pasta with sauce from the jar. What will be, will be.

I made the most wonderful dinner last night and then topped it off with red beans and rice today. So tasty, and the babe can, and does, eat everything!! For dinner last night, I made the chicken tagine recipe from this month's Sunset magazine. We made it with rice instead of cous-cous, because it was what was in the pantry. I think my favorite way to have chicken is with apricots and prunes... oh, sorry, dried plums in a marketing change-up. I guess prunes sound like grandma's food (which, by the way, she had with milk every morning for breakfast). Although the little man would be quick to remind me that his favorite is the chicken with garlic confit or the beer-can chicken (2 different recipes). He likes to help cook. Tomorrow we're making Ka-bam Kabobs from his Emeril cookbook since the weather is wonderful and we can barbecue!!!

Still going on Daisy - must finish, must finish.

N-I-C-E

I'm still knitting away, and I can't believe it's been more than a week since I posted. Time flies baby. I've got to say I'm very happy I signed on for the february is for finishing knit along. While I still haven't finished everything - although I'm so close on little man's sweater - at least it got me knitting (and finishing) again.

I realized this morning that I hadn't knitted more than a row here and there for the entire first year with baby boy. I also had a flash of deja vu, a feeling I got when little man was about this same age; that I could rejoin the rest of my life . So, while I still haven't been able to get back to my knit group (YET! I predict it will happen in March), I am knitting more again, which is so... nice is just too tame a word... but, yes, nice.

I'm also managing get a handle on the babe's dietary restrictions (although it still boggles my mind how a little baby can be allergic to almost everything), and am able to get dinner on the table most nights, as opposed to dumping it in poor hubby's lap. No, no, no - not literally.

So nice (there's that word again) to feel competent again.