Pepperoni

Long time, no post. Anyway...

A couple nights ago, about 10pm... long past bedtime, David was still talking to himself. Then he yelled.
"MOM! HOW DO YOU SPELL PEPPERONI?"
I rolled my eyes. I spelled it.
"WOW! THAT'S A LOT OF LETTERS FOR A LITTLE PEPPERONI. G'NIGHT MOM!"

Zoe's Treasures

The kiddos found a gift bag the other day, a blue one with red hearts on it. Zoe's taken it as her own, & I suppose it's the closest thing I can get to a purse for our little hoarder. She calls it her "present." I took a peek tonight after she took it to bed with her:

a pink doll brush
hair combs
plastic Dora & Swiper figurines
2 pairs of pink sunglasses
some plastic beads
a Dora necklace
a plastic bracelet
a Dora pen
a train
maracas
2 cell phones

a Zoe book (the Sesame Street Zoe)

I think if you're almost three, that's a pretty good survival kit. :)

It's not a sucker! :(

Bridgit, the kiddos & I went to Cork n Fork last night - I haven't been there in years! Still a local favorite - and it was sooo good.

Bridgit's sandwich came with two of those fancy party toothpicks. She gave one to each of the kiddos. Zoe got really upset - because she thought it was a sucker! She kept telling me to open it. Such a sad moment. :(

I was proud of my little peanuts though - I offered to get them sodas for drinks, and they picked water bottles!

David is a Fruit Loop

If you are two, the apples on the counter are best reached by climbing up the loveseat. David did it this morning, and since it's fruit, I'm ok with it! He wanted me to cut up his apple as usual, but I thought it would be fun to show him how to eat it whole. I took a big bite and he thought it was really cool. He tried, and he opened his mouth as wide as it would go and shook himself like he was trying really hard - a big man-tremble. He was getting frustrated because it is hard to get a bite sometimes, so he'd say, "You bite it Mom." I was supposed to take a bite but leave it on the apple so he could have it. It took a couple tries before we got that right!

A couple hours later I saw him get an apple out of the bowl again. And he put it back. With a bite out of it. So I took a closer look... and there were THREE apples with bites in them! That little stinker, and I didn't even see him do it! So now the apple bowl is on the stove, awaiting a more proper place where little hands can't reach it without help.

I'm wondering if David's having a growth spurt. One day this week he ate 2 cups of yogurt before they left for the sitter, and 2 more cups before bed that night. Last night he ate 1 1/2 bananas, and then asked for a bowl for strawberries. Initially he was mad that I cut up all the big ones, but he got over it when I let him put his own strawberries in his bowl, He filled it twice. He asked for a third helping - put one strawberry in, and said "I think dat's enough, Mom."

Don't get me wrong - I'm thrilled that he loves fruit! I just hope we can find a happy balance here so the kid gets some other food once in a while.

Spring, songs, strawberries, store

After some gentle encouragement from a friend, I'm back to the blog. I think of things to write a lot, but I'm usually changing a diaper, or in the car, or zapping some nuggets for supper... you know, not things condusive to writing!

Zoe loves to sing songs. She surprised me the other day and sang the entire first verse of Mary Had a Little Lamb. One of her other favorites is "Happy Cap Yer Hands" (translated If You're Happy & You Know It). The $10 Dora CD I bought a few weeks ago was my best purchase ever - puts a smile on her face every time we get in the car - and she makes sure I "turn on da Dora CD" as soon as we get going.

David spotted a container of strawberries on the counter this morning as we were going to the car - I had to wash one up so he could take it along. It was a giant one, it looked like he was holding a football in his hand.

Last night I took the kiddos to Sam's. I needed a couple things but mostly I went there because they have 2-seater carts. (One day... I WILL take a Sam's cart and march right across the parking lot to Walmart with it!) They were so good! They were polite, chatty, and all around good kids. David mentioned to a passerby that I GOT DIS BOOK! but otherwise it was a picture perfect trip. Anytime I mention a store, David assumes it's the "train store" and we're going to buy more Thomas trains. I was afraid of a meltdown but he managed this time. I got them each a book - Zoe's has balloons and numbers on the front, and she is so in love with the cover that she still hasn't opened the book.

We try to play outside and go to our little neighborhood park as often as we can. That outdoor air makes them sleep so much better later! It's nice that spring is finally here so we can do those things. We do grow weary of chasing balls down the street though - whenever we play in the front yard, Brett & I remind each other that the number 1 thing on a wish list for a new house (you know, if ever, in the future, if HGTV buys us one) - is a flat driveway!

This has been sort of a rambly post... but it's a post! I'll try to get in here more often.

Smoothies & books

Sorry, I've been a lazy blogger. We finally determined that Zoe was indeed having night terrors. It lasted every night for about 3 weeks, and she hasn't had one since. I feel very lucky that she's not one of those kids who has one every night until they go to kindergarten.

I've been going to Weight Watchers for a week now. In addition to treating myself better, I've been trying to watch what the kiddos eat too - not just chicken nuggets, goldfish and gummies! Tonight I decided to try a smoothie and see how it would go over. They liked it! Zoe wasn't interested in helping but David pulled up a chair so he could do it. We got all the goods in the blender and I warned both of them, It's noisy, don't be scared. 1st hit on the blender: David jumped. Stir. 2nd hit: David said, "Mommy I want you hold me!" 3rd hit about to go: David said, "Mommy I don't want help you smoothie anymore." And he bailed! Off that chair and straight to his room! I hooted, I couldn't help myself.

I had to tell Zoe it was yogurt to get her to try it, which is weird, because usually she doesn't like yogurt. David ate all of his and most of Zoe's. Good thing, because he didn't want anything else I offered tonight.

Last night, instead of the usual trains, they both wanted to take books to bed. This morning neither one of them wanted to get up because "Nooo! I readin da book!" Good reason!

Can't wait for spring - David ran up and down the driveway a couple times tonight before we came in - and Zoe wanted to be held, and said "I wanna go insiiiiiiide!" - got to get that girl outdoors again!

Tantrums!

A couple nights ago Zoe woke up around 2am, for no reason that we could figure. She didn't seem to be afraid, like she'd had a bad dream, it was more like she was livid! It went on for a good 45 minutes before she settled down. Truly, it scared both Brett and me. She was interacting with us - she would respond to our questions, so we didn't think it was night terrors. I kept trying to tell her to "use words" so we could help her. After she finally started to calm down - into the sup-supping phase - the gaspy breaths, etc... she said "I don't wanna use the words!" Oh boy. Last night was slightly better, the tantrum came around 11:45 and lasted about half an hour. This one was over a particular train, that she wanted, that was in the basement, that I most definitely was not going to get for her! She got over it. I think Brett & I have both had enough that we're willing to take a few rough nights to get through this on the other side.

This morning we were watching one of the kiddie shows on PBS. The characters announce themselves then say "What's your name?" Usually D & Z ignore this but this morning David announced, "My daddy calls me David!" Alll righty then!