Stair-y Moments

Siennalee was being awfully quiet down by the stairs the other day. She's not supposed to go upstairs by herself, so I was obliged to investigate. Here's what I found:


She had carefully arranged all her babies (along with their toys!) on each step and was talking with them very quietly. Probably telling them how they're not supposed to go up the stairs by themselves.

I got a few cute pictures and went back in the living room. After more suspiciously quiet minutes passed, I investigated again.

Here you'll see that she's moved each baby about four steps higher. And what was really funny about this one, which I don't know that you can see in the picture, is how she has a "toy" for each baby positioned in front of them:

I just love how their little minds work.

Of course, after this picture was taken, we had to move the party off the stairs and back into the living room. But it sure was fun while it lasted!

A Nice Day for a Walk. And a Lesson or Two.

The weather's been gorgeous today! Siennalee and I took full advantage of it and went down to the park, played for quite a while, and then walked to the mailboxes.

This was the first time we've walked so much without me putting her in a stroller, so it was pretty neat. She's still learning her walking "boundaries" - staying on the sidewalk, not running too far ahead of mommie, etc.

On the way back she started to play a game where she won't come with me (and runs away when I go to grab her hand), so a couple houses away from home, I stopped chasing her and just kept walking.

Slowly, resolutely, I marched on, knowing that at some point she has to understand that she needs to make the choice to follow the wiser person who knows the way, or she could find herself lost, alone and unprotected.

She stood there, rooted to the ground, and stared open-mouthed as I got farther and farther away. Once she started following slowly, I turned around to walk with her, and she turned and ran back the opposite direction. I wheeled around and resumed walking home. She followed.

Heart beating madly, mind calculating how far and fast I'd have to run to snatch her up if danger came racing up the road, I went into the house and peeked my head out the door. She'd followed me and now stood at end of the driveway, looking at the house but not seeing me peeking out the door.

I saw her little mouth mutely form the word "Mah-meee" and ZOOM! I flew out to get her! She wrapped her little arms around my neck and asked, "What you doin' Mommie?"

Consequences are hard to learn; this I've known for years. What is slowly being revealed to me now, is how hard they are to teach.

Happy Birthday Pancakies

Catch Up Post - September 26, 2008


Siennalee's 2nd birthday was on a Friday and Jason was traveling home from 10 days' AT in Georgia with the Navy Reserves. Since Daddy wasn't yet back with us and the next day, Saturday, would be her birthday party, Sienna and I had a sweetly quiet birthday breakfast on her special day.

Birthday pancakes were 'specially made for the birthday girl, by the birthday mommie.

She loves pancakes!


She wasn't too impressed with the candles though... kept informing me, alarmed, that they were "hot!" I assisted in blowing them out, but here you see she's still not to crazy about them befouling her "pancakies."

Little bit better once Mommie helped pick these pesky candles out...


"Take it, Mommie!"

Heard in Our Little World Today:

"Oh Mommie, your hair is gor-jus," I'd just come into her bedroom this morning with a wet ponytail twisted into a bun, "I want to touch it," I went over to the crib and got her out, she put out a hand to the nape of my neck and withdrew it quickly, "It's really wet."

***

In the car, on our way to ladies' group: "We going go to church? And make new friends? Play with little boys? Play with friends..."

***

"Rock, rock! Rock, rock, Mommie! I crying!" This was actually in church nursery as I was trying to leave for ladies' group and she was to stay there with the other kids; she'd spied the rocking chairs behind us and thought some time in those would do just the trick.

***

"There's a book hiding in there; I want to get it out. It's really tight in there. Get it outta there, Mommie" She was fishing in the over-filled basket of books that lives beneath our coffee table.

***

As I'm typing this new post:

"Don't touch anything. That's a no no. Don't touch that, ookaaaay? Here's your box, and here's your blanket, and here's your bottle, and here's your... it's okay... don't touch anything, that's a no no, 'kaaay? 'Kaaay?" She's settling her babies in her grocery cart and instructing them on proper cart behaviour. I'm wiping tears from my eyes. LOL!

***

Jason's 33rd Bday

September 7, 2008 - Catch Up Post

We had a small family party to celebrate Jason's big 33rd birthday.

Here's a menagerie of shots of our partying fam:

And Siennalee managed to get in some one-on-one time with family:

And here Sienna has managed to talk Uncle Mike into her tent.
This is no mean feat, just ask my inlaws!

Jason's awesome parents (who live in Pennsylvania) joined us via Skype (which was, unfortunately, a bit patchy-er than usual due to some irritating computer issues)

We grilled some marinated pork loin for lunch and had a couple favorite sides.

Jason's requested dessert was Costco's All American Chocolate Cake.
I added 33 candles to his birthday slice.

Lighting this bad boy was no mean feat; Jason's sister Cheri assisted me. She was also close by so as to douse me with water in the likely event I became a fireball while attempting to light and deliver the birthday boy's cake.

Happy birthday, Jason!
Your two girls simply adore you.