Monday, January 28, 2008

Overheard

Overheard from the playroom as Ben was playing with his buddy Kate:

"Kate I love you! You can be my friend whereever I go!"

"I'm the dad and you're the mom"

Guess I'm going to have to keep my eye on those two!!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Just yesterday or today Sarah has started to try to say "hungry". It comes out all nasally sounding "hunh-hra"...but soo cute that she has a new word. I asked her if she wanted a snack and she told me "hungry" and when I reiterated, she nodded. I've been excited knowing that within the next few months language is going to click for her. She's growing up too fast!

Ben is good and growing up fast too. He seems to be learning patience lately and it is soooooo wonderful. We've managed a few drives in the car where he didn't whine for a snack the whole time! And he let me have a phone conversation regarding work without interruption!! He spends a good portion of his days playing with his Geo Trax trains. The kid LOVES these trains!! Today he brought me the box that we still have and showed me which train he wants to get next...apparently 3 aren't enough. He's convinced Keith wants a "ghost train" for his b-day too.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

She's Organized!!

I don't know where she got it from. It certainly isn't from my gene pool! She's been a good helper at cleaning up for awhile, but today I was handing her some markers to put back in the box and she put them all in the same way...cap down...into the box. It wasn't a fluke. She looked closely at each before she put each one in.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Eyecandy

http://finishedkitchens.blogspot.com/ I've been drooling over these kitchens and trying to resist the temptation to rip every last shred of wallpaper off my kitchen walls. I'd have it done in 10 minutes flat...well, the border might take a little longer. But it's the "good" thick paper that comes off in full sheets. Ben and I finished the bathroom in about 3 minutes before Thanksgiving. But if I tore the paper down, we'd still have the baby blue countertops screaming at us. No paint will solve that dilemma. So until we get a PLAN in place and decide what we're doing with the countertops and when...blue flowered paper it is...unless I'm struck by a moment of weakness.

Oh, Sarah....looky here at this corner of wall paper!

Monday, January 7, 2008

Work, work, work

It's looking like my bout of unemployement is nearing an end. I received an e-mail today from the manager I've been talking to at my former employer. He's talking to some contracting agencies this week and will be in touch by the end of the week. It was good not to have the work stress while it lasted. But it will be good to have the 2nd income and a break from constant parenting.

Shop Green

I ready about this in our local paper. Kinda cool. http://www.shopwilliamgood.com/Earth.aspx

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Sarah's Words

Here are the words Sarah can say or sign:
bah-pah (backpack)
NACK! (snack)
mommy, momma
daddy
doddie (doggie)
dod (dog)
ki-ee (kitty)
bahty (potty) also signs potty...and grabs her butt!
no no no (no)
no (snow)
brr (brr cold)
ott (hot)
hat (hat)
choo-choo (choo choo train)
dorda (Dora)...sad, i know
deido (Diego)...yes, even sadder
bah-bye (bye bye)
sah (sock)
shos (shoes)
bahby (baby)
baba (bottle)

She can sign:
more
eat
drink
potty
and her own signs for:
hat/barrette/pony tails (pats her head)

Friday, January 4, 2008

Yay Sarah!

I was so impressed with Sarah today. We went to a friends house and as we were about ready to leave, Sarah signed "potty" ... then grabbed her butt (apparently incase I didn't get the sign). I took her to the bathroom and she peed and pooped! Yay Sarah!! Not even 18 mos yet and telling me she had to go...at someone else's house no less!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy New Year!

Well it's just not a party with our family until somebody throws up! Ben and Sarah were throwing up all night Friday night. Keith got it Sunday night and I had it all day Monday. Apparently Mom & Dad got hit by it too. So much for our New Years Eve plans with our friends!

Despite the post-Christmas vomitting, we had a nice Christmas. We decided to torture ourselves and try to do it all again this year. We don't get to see the Columbus family very often and Keith's one aunt and cousins had never even met Sarah, so we decided we'd go there this year and still make it up to Michigan. Despite all the driving, it was a really nice day and we got to have Christmas morning at home for the first time ever which was extra special since this is the first year Ben really new what was going on. Keith and I got up early to get ready and the kids actually slept in. Keith finally woke them up at 8 and Ben was excited to see Santa had come and ate his cookies. We started opening our presents and the inlaws arrived a short time later. We finished opening all our presents including the ones Ben had bought for us at the school "Jingle Bell Shop" which had miscellaneous donated items the kids could buy and give as gifts. He'd brought them home the week before Christmas and was dying to open them. I helped him make a paper chain to count down the days and that seemed to help. Anyway, he bought me a handmade serving size bowl...light green with tiny little blue chickens painted on the inside of the bowl. He was so proud of it. He also bought me a gold tone picture frame with a country Christmas print. For Daddy, he bought a white with blue rim coffee mug....looks like one you'd see at a little hole-in-the-wall diner and a mug rug! The mug rug is tiny little woven grass green rug that actually says MUG RUG in white letters with a picture of a coffee cup in between the words! Too funny!! We also received a reindeer tree ornament they'd made in school with one of Daddy's old ties. It's really cute and will no doubt bring special memories as we hang it on our tree every year. He also made a palm-print Santa on a card and dictated this message:
"Dear Mommy and Daddy, We're going to make something that's chocolatey stuff with chocolate chips, some sugar...and Merry Christmas...we have a Christmas tree at our house."

Oh, and we took Ben to see Santa just before Christmas. As we were driving there, we told him we were on our way to see Santa. He said, "Are we driving to the North Pole?"