My husband has nicknames for the kids: "Long Hair" for Gracie, and "Short Hair" for Drew. I don't really remember when he started calling the kids that. However, I will never forget the day that Gracie looked at my husband and asked, "If I'm Long Hair and Drew is Short Hair, who is Mommy?" My husband asked her what she thought they should call me. Gracie thought for a minute, and said, "Bush Hair!"
Unfortunately for me, Gracie's description is very fitting. My hair is long, and if there is any humidity at all it gets frizzy and looks like ... well, like a bush. My husband thought Gracie's nickname for me was hilarious, and he has called me that ever since. Maybe someday when the kids are older I will spare more time to try to tame my hair.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Summer Reading
I took Drew and Gracie to the library today to sign up for the summer reading program. Drew has really become a book lover in the past month or two. It makes trips to the library interesting, though. Drew has almost outgrown his stroller, but I still put him in it for the library, because he loves books so much that he wants to choose stacks and stacks of books for himself.
That's not my only problem with Drew and library books. I try so hard to watch him when he is looking at library books, because I know he can still be a little bit rough with them at times. Unfortunately, it seems like I end up at the circulation desk all too often, explaining the damage to one book or another. Our librarians are awesome. I always offer to pay for the damage, but more often than not they say it is something they can fix, and that they are happy that Drew is learning to love books. I am glad, too. I just wish he wouldn't love them quite so hard.
I am trying to decide how to choose books to read to Drew and Gracie this summer. I usually pick a few books at random and then let Gracie (and now Drew) pick some. Gracie almost always gets ones we have read before, and Drew just picks a handful that are all in a row from one shelf. I would love to have lots of variety in the books that we read, and I'm sure I'm missing some great books with my random choosing. Maybe I will adopt Drew's strategy and start at one end of the alphabet (for author's last name) and work our way through the library's picture book collection. :) I wonder how long it will take to read them all ...
That's not my only problem with Drew and library books. I try so hard to watch him when he is looking at library books, because I know he can still be a little bit rough with them at times. Unfortunately, it seems like I end up at the circulation desk all too often, explaining the damage to one book or another. Our librarians are awesome. I always offer to pay for the damage, but more often than not they say it is something they can fix, and that they are happy that Drew is learning to love books. I am glad, too. I just wish he wouldn't love them quite so hard.
I am trying to decide how to choose books to read to Drew and Gracie this summer. I usually pick a few books at random and then let Gracie (and now Drew) pick some. Gracie almost always gets ones we have read before, and Drew just picks a handful that are all in a row from one shelf. I would love to have lots of variety in the books that we read, and I'm sure I'm missing some great books with my random choosing. Maybe I will adopt Drew's strategy and start at one end of the alphabet (for author's last name) and work our way through the library's picture book collection. :) I wonder how long it will take to read them all ...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Another Boy
We found out this morning that Drew and Gracie are going to have a baby brother. The baby seems to be healthy, so we are really thankful for that.
Am I allowed to say that I was hoping that we would have another girl? When I was pregnant with Drew, I felt sure that he was going to be a girl, and when I found out he was going to be a boy, it took me a while to adjust. This time I again felt sure we were going to have a baby girl, but again it's a boy. (For the record, I thought Gracie was going to be a boy, so I'm zero for three.)
The funny thing is that my husband's Granny has an uncanny ability to predict whether someone is expecting a boy or a girl. She has thirteen great grandchildren (plus this one on the way), and I think she has been right every time. She was even right when she told one of my husband's cousins that they were going to have a boy, even when their doctor said it would be a girl. We saw Granny last weekend, and she told me that she believed it would be another boy. How does she do it?
I can hardly believe that this pregnancy is halfway over already. At least I still have time to look through the baby name book for a boy's name.
Am I allowed to say that I was hoping that we would have another girl? When I was pregnant with Drew, I felt sure that he was going to be a girl, and when I found out he was going to be a boy, it took me a while to adjust. This time I again felt sure we were going to have a baby girl, but again it's a boy. (For the record, I thought Gracie was going to be a boy, so I'm zero for three.)
The funny thing is that my husband's Granny has an uncanny ability to predict whether someone is expecting a boy or a girl. She has thirteen great grandchildren (plus this one on the way), and I think she has been right every time. She was even right when she told one of my husband's cousins that they were going to have a boy, even when their doctor said it would be a girl. We saw Granny last weekend, and she told me that she believed it would be another boy. How does she do it?
I can hardly believe that this pregnancy is halfway over already. At least I still have time to look through the baby name book for a boy's name.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Flower Girl
Gracie was the flower girl in my cousin's wedding on Saturday. She got to practice going down the aisle twice at the rehearsal, so we were hoping that she would know what to do for the wedding itself. The rehearsal was somewhat amusing. When she decided to try out the flower basket as a hat and to pick up the flowers at her feet and throw them into the air, we decided that it would be best for her to sit with us for the ceremony itself, rather than remaining at the front of the church. We thought that after we ironed out those few wrinkles, she would probably do fine.
During the actual wedding ceremony, we realized that we forgot to give her one very important instruction: that she should not talk while she was coming down the aisle! Gracie is a talker, so I don't know why we didn't think of that beforehand. We were treated to a running commentary as she came down the aisle: "Look how many flowers I dropped that time. Oh, I still have a lot of flowers left! Well, I can drop them when I go back to sit by mommy." Fortunately, the wedding was fairly informal and the bride and groom didn't mind.
I'm glad Gracie was in my cousin's wedding, because it gave her practice for our neighbor's (much more formal) wedding later this summer. Gracie and Drew are both going to be in that wedding, so it should be an adventure!
During the actual wedding ceremony, we realized that we forgot to give her one very important instruction: that she should not talk while she was coming down the aisle! Gracie is a talker, so I don't know why we didn't think of that beforehand. We were treated to a running commentary as she came down the aisle: "Look how many flowers I dropped that time. Oh, I still have a lot of flowers left! Well, I can drop them when I go back to sit by mommy." Fortunately, the wedding was fairly informal and the bride and groom didn't mind.
I'm glad Gracie was in my cousin's wedding, because it gave her practice for our neighbor's (much more formal) wedding later this summer. Gracie and Drew are both going to be in that wedding, so it should be an adventure!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Hypochondria
I am a bit of a hypochondriac all the time, but I'm probably worse when I'm pregnant. I just never realized until Saturday how I might be rubbing off on my kids. I had a headache and a nosebleed when I woke up Saturday morning. Later in the day I felt like my face was really flushed and warm. I commented to my husband that I hoped that my blood pressure was not too high. (I'm not sure why my miscellaneous symptoms, all fairly normal during pregnancy, led me to speculate on my blood pressure.)
By Saturday evening, I had forgotten all about it, but I guess Gracie must have overheard me. While I was rocking Drew, Gracie brought out the plastic blood pressure cuff from her toy doctor kit. She proceeded to sit on the floor beside my rocking chair, wrap the cuff around both of her legs, and squeeze the little bulb three or four times. She looked closely at the gauge and then showed it to me. I made some comment about her blood pressure. She peered at the gauge again and asked, "Don't you think it looks a little bit high?" I reassured her that her blood pressure was just right, all the while promising myself that I would be more careful about my worries, especially the ones I express aloud.
By Saturday evening, I had forgotten all about it, but I guess Gracie must have overheard me. While I was rocking Drew, Gracie brought out the plastic blood pressure cuff from her toy doctor kit. She proceeded to sit on the floor beside my rocking chair, wrap the cuff around both of her legs, and squeeze the little bulb three or four times. She looked closely at the gauge and then showed it to me. I made some comment about her blood pressure. She peered at the gauge again and asked, "Don't you think it looks a little bit high?" I reassured her that her blood pressure was just right, all the while promising myself that I would be more careful about my worries, especially the ones I express aloud.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
One Year
This morning I checked the date on my very first post, and it was exactly one year ago. I knew I started blogging sometime in May last year, because it was shortly before Drew's first birthday. I remember posting about baking his birthday cake and packing to go out of town to visit the grandparents.
It has been a good year. I didn't post as often as I would have liked to, but I didn't let my blog die completely, either. I have a lot of ideas to write about, so maybe I will post more often in the coming year.
I can hardly believe that Drew is almost two years old already. My mom had asked me earlier this week what he might want for his birthday. After thinking about it, I don't think he truly "wants" anything. He has plenty to eat, lots of hugs and cuddles, and way too many toys. I want to buy him a fabulous gift just to see his eyes light up, but that would be for me, not for him. So, last night my husband and I took Drew shopping to see what he might choose for his birthday gift. We went up and down every aisle in the toy department twice. We tried out the itty-bitty bicycle that was just his size. We looked at the tricycles and big wheels. We looked at trains and race cars. But the thing that Drew latched on to were two small stuffed animals, an Elmo and a Cookie Monster. He would not let them go. He would not pick one or the other. He would barely let them go so we could pay for them. They rocked in the rocking chair and listened to bedtime stories last night. They slept in the bed with Drew, and came to the breakfast table this morning. We spent a grand total of about $12 on Drew for his birthday, but he seems content.
Today is birthday-cake-baking day again. Gracie will undoubtedly want to "help," making the process take at least 50% longer, so I need to get busy.
It has been a good year. I didn't post as often as I would have liked to, but I didn't let my blog die completely, either. I have a lot of ideas to write about, so maybe I will post more often in the coming year.
I can hardly believe that Drew is almost two years old already. My mom had asked me earlier this week what he might want for his birthday. After thinking about it, I don't think he truly "wants" anything. He has plenty to eat, lots of hugs and cuddles, and way too many toys. I want to buy him a fabulous gift just to see his eyes light up, but that would be for me, not for him. So, last night my husband and I took Drew shopping to see what he might choose for his birthday gift. We went up and down every aisle in the toy department twice. We tried out the itty-bitty bicycle that was just his size. We looked at the tricycles and big wheels. We looked at trains and race cars. But the thing that Drew latched on to were two small stuffed animals, an Elmo and a Cookie Monster. He would not let them go. He would not pick one or the other. He would barely let them go so we could pay for them. They rocked in the rocking chair and listened to bedtime stories last night. They slept in the bed with Drew, and came to the breakfast table this morning. We spent a grand total of about $12 on Drew for his birthday, but he seems content.
Today is birthday-cake-baking day again. Gracie will undoubtedly want to "help," making the process take at least 50% longer, so I need to get busy.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Boom!
Drew fell down the stairs the other day. I should have been watching him more carefully, so I felt terrible about it.
When you walk in our front door, we have six steps leading up to the main floor (with the kitchen, living and dining rooms, and bedrooms) and six steps leading down to the family room and laundry room. We were just coming in from outdoors, and I had my hands full, so I left Drew standing by the front door. The open door was blocking the way to the stairs going down, so I thought if he moved, he would most likely follow me up the stairs. He is fairly good at going up stairs by himself. Instead, he decided that he needed to shut the front door, so he was trying to go around the door to push it closed. The landing at the front door is small, and I happened to look down (I had put the things I was carrying down and was headed down to get him) just when he was teetering with his heels over the edge of the top step going down. My heart almost stopped as he tumbled down. I ran downstairs and picked him up. He cried for about a minute. I cried for about ten minutes.
When my husband got home from work that evening, he told Drew, "I heard you went boom down the stairs today." Drew's face just lit up, and he said, "Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom over boom stairs!" He seemed so proud of himself.
Since he was not injured at all, I can laugh about it now. I'm glad my little boy is so tough!
When you walk in our front door, we have six steps leading up to the main floor (with the kitchen, living and dining rooms, and bedrooms) and six steps leading down to the family room and laundry room. We were just coming in from outdoors, and I had my hands full, so I left Drew standing by the front door. The open door was blocking the way to the stairs going down, so I thought if he moved, he would most likely follow me up the stairs. He is fairly good at going up stairs by himself. Instead, he decided that he needed to shut the front door, so he was trying to go around the door to push it closed. The landing at the front door is small, and I happened to look down (I had put the things I was carrying down and was headed down to get him) just when he was teetering with his heels over the edge of the top step going down. My heart almost stopped as he tumbled down. I ran downstairs and picked him up. He cried for about a minute. I cried for about ten minutes.
When my husband got home from work that evening, he told Drew, "I heard you went boom down the stairs today." Drew's face just lit up, and he said, "Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom over boom stairs!" He seemed so proud of himself.
Since he was not injured at all, I can laugh about it now. I'm glad my little boy is so tough!
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