One step forward, two steps back

My children have all been late walkers. I was sure Harrison was going to walk sooner than the first two. But he's 13 months old now and not walking yet.

But is starting to stand up ALL the time these days. (Of course every time I grab the camera to document it he sits down and laughs at me!)

I did catch a couple of him pushing Zoey's doll stroller.





And, totally unrelated to him walking at all, enjoy a movie of him playing with the ball shooter. Because I enjoy it.

What?

Where does the 4 year old come up with this stuff?

Conversation at the breakfast table yesterday.

Adam: "Mom, why don't you want to have any more babies?"

Me: "Well, don't you think there are enough kids at this house?"

Adam: shrugs shoulders

Me: "Where would another baby sleep? We're out of room."

Adam: "Well, but if the baby dies you could have another baby."

Yea, I was pretty much speechless. And then I secretly prayed that he wasn't like psychic or anything and it was merely the ramblings of a 4 year old because I 1-don't want the baby to die anytime soon and 2-don't want to be pregnant or have another baby anytime soon.

A 4 year old's version of entitlement

I never used to buy kids meals for my kids. Typically when we ate fast food they would each get an order of 99 cent crispy chicken nuggets from Wendy's. And if they were really luck an order of 99 cents fries to share. No soda. No toy inside. Just deep fried breaded chicken. And life was good.

Then, about 2 months ago, for some reason I still don't understand we went to McDonald's. (or, as my children like to call it, Old McDonald's) And I got them each a Happy Meal. With fries. And a drink. And a toy inside.

So tonight we grabbed some fast food for dinner because I was on a cooking strike and Adam ended up with an order of crispy chicken nuggets.

When we got home and I placed his nuggets in front of him the first thing he said to me was "Where is my drink that came with my nuggets?"

"We didn't get drinks tonight. Just the nuggets."

"Well, did I get a game or a toy with my nuggets?"

"Um, no toy either. Just the nuggets tonight."

"Well, I like when I get a toy."

How did I let it come to this? And how do we get back to where we were before?

Future rock climber

Harrison is my climber. He still doesn't walk yet, but he climbs EVERYTHING. He curls his little toes around anything and everything and scales it like he's the most experienced rock climber around.

Last night he sat and watched the older kids playing on the slide until he just couldn't take it anymore at which point he wriggled out of my lap and went to join in on the fun.




This was the first time he had tried climbing the slide, and you see how easily and quickly he was able to do it. I'm telling you, future rock climber! Is that an Olympic sport?

A pig? Really?

Adam was playing with this huge plastic ant outside this morning. Which is ironic, considering he is terrified of teeny tiny ants. He brings it over to where I am sitting in the swing with the baby and says "Hey mom, there are some ants this big and they could eat a pig. Isn't that amazing?"

Where does he come up with these things?

Just bodies

I love to read the Shutter Sisters blog because I am really trying to learn more about photography and there are so many good tips and great ideas there!

One feature they have is the Superhero photo challenge. And, just like it sounds, it is a challenge to take a picture in a way that is out of the ordinary. The last challenge was to take a picture of just bodies. So I gave it a try. Here are some of my favorites from my mini photo session with my kids.



Okay, so I don't know enough about photoshop quite yet to clone out the outlet. But, other than that I really like this one.





So, take some just bodies pictures yourself. Then post them on your blog on put them on your flickr page and link to it here in the comments section. I'd love to see what you come up with!!!!

Through a child's eyes

A 4 year old's version of a tow truck





Not quite Tow Mater....but it will do.

Paper, rock, scissors

The conversation my husband had with my two oldest children tonight. (while I sat in the other room giggling.)

splash, splash, splash (did I mention the kids were in the tub?)

Dad: "Okay, who's ready to get cleaned?"

Adam: "Zoey first!!!"

Zoey: "No, Adam first!!!!"

Dad: "Okay, pick a number between 1 and 10."

Zoey: "10"

Adam: "Um, um, um, I pick 10 like Zoey."

Dad: "You can't pick 10 like Zoey."

Adam: "Why? I want 10 like Zoey."

Dad: "Because you have to pick a different number than Zoey picks."

Adam: "But I want 10 just like Zoey."

Dad: "But that messes up the game we're trying to play."

Adam: "Well, we want to mess up the game."

Dad: "Okay, okay. Let's do this then. Can you do this?"

shows them how to to rock, paper, scissors.

the kids mimic what he is doing.

Dad: "Okay, now on the count of 3 you have to pick one of those things to do. Ready? 1....2....3"

Dad throws rock, so do both kids.

Dad: "Let's try again. You don't have to do just rock. You can do any one of the three. Ready to try again? 1....2.....3"

Dad throws paper, so do both kids.

Dad: "No, no, no. Don't just do what I do. Pick a different one to do."

Adam: "But we like doing the one you do."

Dad: "But that messes up the game again. You each have to do something different."

Adam: "Okay. Daddy this time you do the rock and I'll do the paper and Zoey will do the scissors.:

Dad: "Oh never mind. Zoey, you're first. Let's wash your hair."

Boys will be boys

This is the scene at my house when I put the boys in charge of doing the laundry

breakfast conversation

Here is the scene at my breakfast table this morning.

Zoey: Eating a dinner roll for breakfast

Adam: "Zoey, that roll looks like a mouse for a computer."

Zoey: "Yea."

Adam: "Hey Zoey, hold your roll like a mouse and I'll take a picture." shapes left hand into a circle (because he has a pop tart in his right hand) and puts it up to his eye. "click-click. Wow, that was a great picture."

Zoey: "I wanna see!"

Adam: turns a flat palm towards his sister as if showing her the LCD screen on some invisible camera.

And I just have to ask, do I really say stuff like that?

The 3 amigos

The baby sat up to the big kid table tonight, and ate a happy meal. Just like the big kids.



And he thought he WAS a big kid.

Don't tell him that he's really still the baby. What he doesn't know won't hurt him

Future Blogger

"Blue-eyed blond, with shoes on wrong 'cause she likes to dress herself."

Lonestar
My Front Porch Looking In

Webster's Child

Yesterday my 4 year old said to me "Mom, I have a brilliant idea."

Yes, my 4 year old used the word brilliant. And he even used it correctly! How brilliant is that?