Genius times 3

Adam (who, remember, is only 4) asked me the other day "Hey mom, what does 2 plus 2 plus 2 equal?"

I said, "Why don't you think about it and see if you can figure it out."

He ponders a moment and then says, "I think that it equals 6. And mom! That is what 2 three times is."

The kid is doing multiplication and he's never even gone to preschool! I'm convinced that he gets his brains from me.

Can't see the forest for the trees

Tonight while trying to get the kids into pajamas Zoey told me "Mom, we're pretending your bedroom is a forest."

I said, "Yea? What's in a forest?"

I was not sure she knew what a forest is, and so I was testing to see if she would say trees. Instead she said "A scary monster."

Yea, I guess forests might have those, too. Perhaps they've been reading too much fantasy fiction.

It's rhyming time

You know how sometimes you get songs stuck in your head. Some repeating line and melody over and over and over and over again. Until you're so sick of that song you want to scream.

Since I have kids I get Dr. Seuss stuck in my head. Can't help it. The rhyme and rhythm glue themselves to the inside of my cranium, beating around inside my already crowded thoughts.

A classic that is often found bumping around my grey matter is "Bid D, little d. David Donald Doo. Dreamed a Dozen Doughnuts and a duck-dog, too."

Over and over and over with the ducks and the doughnuts until I'm not sure I should quack or bark or run down to my nearest Krispy Kreme.

Fox in Socks is bad, too. Because even in my head my tongue trips all over the words. "When Beetles battle Beetles in a puddle paddle battle and the battles in a bottle and the bottles on a poodle and the poodles eating noodles. This is a Tweedle beetle puddle battle muddle fuddled wuddle."

I won't ask you to say that 5 times fast because I'm pretty sure my older brother actually can. I think he just may have the entire book memorized, too. "Who sews Sue's socks? Sue sews Sue's socks."

And those Who's down in Whoville. You know how they are.

Don't misunderstand me, I actually really love Dr. Seuss. My daughter's bedroom is decorated all in Dr. Seuss. My kids were even Seuss characters for Halloween last year.



I just wish those catchy rhymes weren't so, well, catchy sometimes!

So sweet dreams all my readers. I wish you pleasant dreams free from a dozen doughnuts and duck-dogs, too.

Are two yolks better than one?

The kids wanted eggs for breakfast this morning. Boy was I surprised to crack the egg and find it had to yolks! I thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Apparently it tasted like a normal one yolk egg, seeing as I threw just as much egg away this morning as I normally do.

croupy kids blues

Last week Harrison was sick. Diarrhea, croupy cough, runny nose. It was a fun filled week full of being cooped up in the house and long, sleepless nights.

I was see the light at the end of the tunnel around Friday. He was starting to sound better and be happier. I rejoiced greatly.

Yesterday morning Adam woke up sounding croupy and by noon Zoey was sounding just as bad. And if last night was any indication of how the rest of the week will go, it's going to be a long week. Fevers, croupy coughs, runny noses. I spent the night running back and forth between the two-I'd get one comforted and back to sleep just in time for the other to wake up crying. I spent the night rubbing vicks vapor rub on chests and feet, re-dosing them with tylenol, refilling water bottles, sticking heads in the freezer to help them breath easier.

So it looks like week 2 of being cooped up in the house and long, sleepless nights.

I know it could be worse. They don't have chronic or life-threatening diseases. For that I'm thankful. But a nice LONG nap sure would be nice.

Unfortunately I have to teach at church today so Mike will be staying home with the sick kids and he'll probably get that long nap instead.

And who says motherhood isn't glamourous?

Joe Jr.

Remember that scene in While You were Sleeping when Sandra Bullock opens her closet and Joe Jr. is sitting on the floor trying on her shoes? Remember?

Well, today I realized that it was quiet. Too quiet. So I went looking for my two oldest children. I looked in all the normal spots only to come up empty handed. But then I realized there were some quiet noises come from my bedroom closet.

So, I walk into my room, open the closet door, and am greeted by this:

baby steps

Harrison is starting to take his first unsteady steps. Beginning to venture out on his own. It's exciting because maybe in the future I won't have to carry him everywhere. Yet a little sad because it means he is growing up and will soon be a toddler, leaving his "baby" traits far behind.

BFF

From the day we brought Zoey home from the hospital her and Adam were destined to be best friends! My whole pregnancy I worried and agonized about how Adam was going to react to having a sibling. Because not only was he our first child but he was also the first grandchild on my side of the family and a boy grandchild born to the son in a family full of sisters. This was the grandchild that would carry on the family name. So, needless to say, he was kind of a golden child that first year.

But all my worrying was in vain because Adam loved his baby sister from day one. And she loved him, too. He was always kind and gentle and sweet to her. He never seemed to get even a tab bit jealous of how much of my time she took. And was very protective of her when she cried. And I'm convinced they somehow communicated with each other and had this conspiracy to take over my bed.



When Adam was old enough to move out of the nursery at church and into the 3 year old Sunday School class he cried for weeks and weeks about Zoey not coming with him. It was quite traumatic for him to be separated from her!

Even now it never ceases to amaze me how well they play together. Of course there are disagreements and arguments. But for the most part they are like two peas in a pod. There are days that they will disappear into Adam's room together for hours on end, content just to be playing with each other. The bond they have is truly special. And it's just between them. As far as they are concerned, 3 is a crowd.

A few months ago Zoey was sick, and spending a lot of time in bed. But that didn't deter Adam. He hopped right up on the end of her bed and "read" her books all day. (He's only 4 so he doesn't really read, he quotes books he has memorized. It's really cute.) He even wanted to have his lunch with her, to keep her company.



And this is how I often find them when they are watching movies together.



And the kicker....the other night Zoey woke up crying. She said she had a bad dream. I tried to console her for a few minutes but no matter what I did she just kept crying and couldn't calm back down. I even offered to rock her for a few minutes. But what she really wanted was Adam. I kept telling her he was asleep but she kept asking for him. So finally I asked her if she wanted to go lay in his bed with him. At that suggestion she finally stopped crying. So I took her into his room, slid him over, and laid her down next to him. She settled in immediately and went right back to sleep!



I love that they love each other. Here's to the start of a beautiful relationship.

No, I'm 2!

Whenever Mike or I have finished changing Zoey's diaper, or when I have finished combing her hair her we typically tell her that she is free. Meaning no longer contained, free to go play. She always misunderstands though, and every time, without fail, when we say "Zoey, you're free." she says, "No I'm not, I'm two!"

Jealousy

Adam has an intersting way of dealing with jealousy issues. One that he came up with all on his own.

Adam has always loved to snuggle. So sometimes he still gets jealous when I am holding or rocking his baby brother. Or he gets jealous when daddy is throwing the baby up high in the air, because at 4 years old he is getting too big for some of those types of games.

So whenever one of the younger kids is getting some kind of attention that he thinks he would like to be getting he says, "you did that to me when I was a baby, too." I always assure him that yes, I most defiantly did do that to him when he was a baby, and the affirmation makes him happy enough that he doesn't cry or pout over the thing making him jealous.

Now if I could just get him to act so mature when it comes to sharing toys with his sister.....

Movie Makers

I apologize for a post with SO MANY movies of my kids. Oh, wait, no I don't. They all make me laugh (because they are my kids, after all) and if you don't like them, just don't watch them. But you'll like them. Because, well, my kids are stinking funny!

At age 4 Adam already wants to be a movie maker. It's in his blood, he can't help it. My older brother made his first movie, The Time Machine, years ago with my parent's old 8mm camera.

And then there's the Snow White remake that my cousin and I made. Of course I was Snow White. And my younger brother had a cameo as the Dread Pirate Roberts. Yes, he was in this version of Snow White. (She'll laugh when she reads this, and say "Oh my gosh! I had forgotten all about that!")

After his cameo in my Hollywood blockbuster my younger brother later came into his own as a movie maker, too.

My college degree is in broadcasting.

So, it really comes as no surprise that my son has a desire to make movies himself.

A few nights ago I had my Canon point and shoot out that also has the ability to take short movie clips. I also had a purchased a new tripod (my bargain of the day that I found on a clearance table for 2 bucks after an otherwise unsuccessful day of shopping.)

They SO wanted to see what the tripod did. So I showed them. And the rest is history.

Below are movies taken BY my children. Adam would tell Zoey to go in front of the camera and he'd turn it on and tell her action! So, I apologize for the horrible lighting and the somewhat bouncy camera work. But I've been trying unsuccessfully for weeks to get Zoey to sing me a few songs and with one word Zoey would do it for Adam.

Hopefully you enjoy them a bit....because I find them tremendously hilarious!


How's it gonna take the picture?




Monkeys swinging in a tree




Itsy Bitsy Spider




Adam ABC




Popcorn Popping




Pop Goes my heart

Food Theif Strikes Again!

Some of you who have been reading awhile may remember when I told you all about how Zoey steals the baby's food.

She's been at it pretty consistently, always getting busted for taking whatever I happen to put on the baby's tray. Apparently his food tastes better than hers, which is strange since I mostly feed them the exact same thing! Whenever she gets busted she tries to tell me that the baby didn't want it anymore.

Today for lunch I gave the baby a cereal bar. Not 2 minutes later I turn around to see the ENTIRE thing in Zoey's hand, with a big bite taken out of it. I say "Zoey, give that back to the baby!" So she sets the remaining cereal bar down on the highchair tray and then starts to spit out the half chewed stuff already in her mouth.

GROSS! So I had to quickly explain to her that she could KEEP what was in her mouth and just had to give back the un-masticated portion.

Sudden Obsession

My 4 year old apparently is very obsessed with death lately. First came talk of the baby dying then today I walk upstairs and Adam says to me "Zoey and I are pretending to be dead."

I say "Why don't you pretend to be asleep instead, because I would be SO sad if you were dead."

He says "Well, we're just PRETENDING to be dead."

I'm not concerned so much as just really curious as to where all this is coming from. Can't say we've really had too many talks about death at our house so I'm not sure where he has picked it up. Guess I need to keep closer tabs on what they are teaching on PBS Kids.....