Three Cheers for the Public Library

I just have to take a moment to praise the amazing institution that is the public library. Public libraries have to be one of the greatest resources that exist for parents of young children. Ours offers various storytimes, music classes, crafts, summer programs, and books and music to check out, as well as parent resource books and interactive materials. Plus a great place to hang out and interact with other kids while playing with blocks, trains, or the puppet theater. And it's all FREE and available to everyone. Our children's librarians are amazing and clearly love their work.

I don't know how much time people spend appreciating what a great resource this is, but they should! We love it. Support your library! :)

Here is Atticus doing "storytime." He holds up the books the way the librarians do and reads them out loud. (He also walks up to random kids at the library like this and insists on "reading" to them.)



The book he is reading is "Bailey Goes Camping," ordered from the Weekly Reader Book Club in 1987. We just got it out two days ago and it immediately displaced "The Cat in the Hat" to take the top spot on the Doodlebug Favorite Book of the Moment list. He has it memorized already.



Inspiring us to build the tent below.



I told Atticus we could build a tent like Bailey's, which was initially met with enthusiasm. However, when I pulled out the sheet I got a scornful look and a "Mom, that's not a tent. That's a blanket." Once we got it together, though, he was delighted (and so was the Ladybug).

*****

I have to add: The Doodle did some watercolor paintings of dinosaurs this afternoon. After they dried, he had them lying in a stack on the floor. I picked them up and said, "Wow, let's hang these on the refrigerator."

Atticus: "No! That's important stuff. Not to hang on the refrigerator. Important stuff, about songs."

He turns to them, furrows his brow, and mutters to himself, "Now let's see what these say..."

Outdoor Adventures

Just a few pictures from playing outside today. We took advantage of the nice-for-January weather and got out of the house for a little while this afternoon.

Frances is now at the age where she does NOT want to stand still and have her picture taken. She thought it was a fun game to run away from me every time she saw the camera.



I did catch her checking out a bug.



The Doodle found a feather. He actually did have a much bigger one he wanted me to take a picture of, but it blew away. Luckily, we found this one.



I should mention that this is the outfit Franny-bug picked out for herself this morning, jacket included.



Atticus found some dirt to play in, and he is excited about it:



Besides that, we haven't been doing much. The library programs started back up this week, and Atticus was thrilled to see all the librarians again. (Have I mentioned that he knows all the children's librarians by name?)

Also, Nana and Papa got us PAINT for Christmas. We broke it out a few days ago. Here is our little artiste at work:



We didn't get any good pictures of the Doodle painting, but he loved it as well. That's all for now...

P.S. Our sweet little Franny has already figured out exactly how to drive her big brother crazy, and does it with devious glee.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Potty Training!

Franny-bug says Merry Christmas:



The kids have been having a great time, and I am having so much fun on my break with them. My family came to our house on Christmas Eve, and we had a nice Christmas dinner and opened presents.

I have to show off the homemade play kitchen that my amazing husband built for the kids:



It is so cute! The Doodlebug/Ladybug love to pretend-cook (and real-cook, for that matter), so I know they will have a blast with this. "Santa" brought it on Christmas Eve.

Here is the Doodle with his present from Uncle Andy: a real ukulele. He has been running around pretending everything he owns is a guitar for months now, so he was thrilled with this!



On Christmas morning, we got up and went to Nana and Papas house to celebrate Christmas with Craig's family. We opened Christmas presents in the afternoon and the kids had fun seeing their cousins.

Also, can I mention that potty training is going awesomely? The Doodle is wearing "underwear" (cloth training pants) all day long with almost no accidents, and even though he is sleeping in diapers at night, he has stayed dry for four nights in a row. He is very into it and tells me "I'm SO BIG!" :)

We have had a potty chair and training pants available to him for a long time now, but we didn't pressure him at all. He knew they were there to use when he wanted them, which he did every now and then. Then when he decided he was ready, it was almost like he trained himself. (Daddy did tell him he could have a chocolate chip each time he used the potty, as an extra incentive...) Anyway, I'm very proud of the Doodle and hope this post doesn't jinx us!

Return to "Normal"

Finals are over, and I am over finals! One semester down. I actually have really, really enjoyed classes, and even studying for and taking finals. But I am now ready for a much-needed month to catch up on my real life! Because while I walked out of a test on Friday feeling pretty good about how I did, I was even more giddy about the fact that on Thursday, the Doodlebug had pooed in the potty for the first time. Yes, this is my life. :)

I finished up on Friday morning, and on Friday afternoon the kids and I went to the dinosaur museum (giving Daddy a much-deserved break). Here's the Doodle standing next to a mastodon. (It was too big to get them both in the picture, so I went with my handsome boy.)



When I came home Thursday night, someone had made some "muffins" and left them baking in the "oven" (under the rocking chair). They were delicious!



Franny-bug rocking her shades at Grandma's today.



She looked so funny in her little outfit I had to take pictures! Here she is using the oven door as a mirror to make crazy faces at herself.



So how are we? Pretty great. I remember panicking a little when the Doodle was only 7 months old and we found out he was getting a sibling. In the early months of two-under-two we kept telling each other, "It gets easier." Of course, we had no reason to know that but we had to say it to keep our sanity.

Turns out, it does get easier and easier is now! We don't have to hold their bottles, spoon-feed them, or swaddle them and trick them into sleeping. For the most part, when they find small objects on the floor, Atticus ignores them and Franny conscientiously delivers them to me.

Although, truth be told, Craig went into Atticus room the other day to find Franny balanced on the foot-board of Atticus' bed, heel-to-toe, like it was a balance beam. (We have to admit, the girl does have an uncanny sense of balance.) And when we try to sing along to the ABC song from their CD, Atticus witheringly says, "Mom, don't sing!"

What's not to love? :)

Just a few pictures from today. Franny's new look:




She was wearing this around this morning and she thought she was hiLARious! I wasn't really able to capture the fahbulous attitude in just a picture, so you will have to use your imagination.


The Doodle making playdough:



He has played with playdough before but we had never tried making it. He was bored this afternoon and I asked him if he wanted to help me make playdough, and you would have thought I had asked him if he wanted to go to Disneyland.



The finished product. A little sticky, but not bad. He's making "muffins:"



By the way, anyone with a two year old boy who doesn't have a tea set might not realize what fun they are missing. Ladybug got a little teapot and cups for her birthday, and Atticus thinks they are the most wonderful toys in the world. He also puts his blocks in the teacups for ice cubes. The things he might have missed out on if he didn't have a sister!

Duck Wings

So last night we are putting Atticus to bed, and Craig is asking him about his day. Craig asks him if he remembers what we had for breakfast. (We had pancakes, his favorite.) Atticus thinks about it, and says, "Ummm...duckwings."

What? We can't understand him. "Duck Wings," he answers.

Duck wings? I am sitting behind Craig on the bed, and am dying laughing but burying my face in his back so Atticus can't see me. Craig is trying not to laugh, but poor sweet Atticus is dead serious.

"Duck wings?" Craig asks him. "Yes," says Atticus. "Duck wings."

We are both about to lose it when I remember that while we had pancakes for breakfast, for lunch we had chicken and dumplings. Poor kid. It must be so frustrating to be two.

Happy Birthday, Ladybug

Ladybug is a year old! We had her birthday party last weekend, and here are a few pictures. She had a good time. By the end of the party, you could tell she realized it was HER party (for once, ha ha).

Here she is trying on part of the Doodle's Halloween costume:





She wasn't too sure about the cupcake at first.

What IS this stuff? Is this even food? What a mess!



I guess I'll try it...



Whoa! It's amazing! I love it!



And one more picture from the big day:



We took her to the doctor for her one year appointment and she weighed 21 lbs. Getting weighed was about the only part of the whole doctor's appointment she cooperated for. We went in for flu shots a month ago, and I'm pretty sure she remembered.

At one year, Franny is such a sweet girl! She is very affectionate and gives lots of love and hugs and cuddling. She loves her brother and tries to do everything he does. But she will get upset and SCREAM if he takes something away from her.

She will climb on anything she can find and isn't afraid to try anything. She is still crawling a lot but can take 5-10 steps at a time. She still eats some homemade baby food, but eats most of what we eat, too. She still takes a bottle sometimes but also drinks from a cup.

She has a few words, but they aren't very clear. She shakes her head yes and no in answer to your questions, and signs for "milk," "more please," "bath," and "all done." She can play ball and peek-a-boo. She LOVES animals and gets so excited to see cats or dogs or to go feed the ducks.

Anyway, that's Frannybug at one year. We love you, Franny!