Sunday, November 29, 2009
Christmas Ornaments and Chaos
Every year since Cate has been born, my friend Kathryn sends a huge box of Christmas ornaments for her and now Ava. She loves them and has a ball opening them each year. A couple of weeks ago she asked when we could get her "Christmas jewels" out. Ava, Tucker, and Molly joined in the fun and I was just thankful Kathryn did not send any glass ones this year due to the chaos.
Thanks Kathryn, Steve, and sweet Drew!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Avaspeak 1.0
Yes, there is an Avaspeak. She speaks, a lot. She speaks and is funny, and she speaks well. She has moved on from "Yes" to "Yeayah." Her vocabulary is rapidly expanding, and we are loving it.
The other night she and Cate got out of the bath tub at roughly the same time. The routine is to put lotion on both kids, and then pajamas. Since Ava wears a diaper and can be a loaded cannon, she generally goes first. Cate was cold (as usual), so I got Ava lotioned, diapered, and put pants on her. I put her shirt on, but since it was a button down, I elected to leave that for later so I could get Cate dressed. Trying to button the shirt of a toddler can be a ten minute process. I began to work on Cate, but Ava was very dissatisfied. She came up to me in a whiny voice, shirt tails in hand, "Daaaadddyyyy, CLOSE MY GATE."
I buttoned her shirt. Cate had to wait.
The other night she and Cate got out of the bath tub at roughly the same time. The routine is to put lotion on both kids, and then pajamas. Since Ava wears a diaper and can be a loaded cannon, she generally goes first. Cate was cold (as usual), so I got Ava lotioned, diapered, and put pants on her. I put her shirt on, but since it was a button down, I elected to leave that for later so I could get Cate dressed. Trying to button the shirt of a toddler can be a ten minute process. I began to work on Cate, but Ava was very dissatisfied. She came up to me in a whiny voice, shirt tails in hand, "Daaaadddyyyy, CLOSE MY GATE."
I buttoned her shirt. Cate had to wait.
Bathtime Fathering Fail - Dedicated to Jody Steverson
There are many utterances from the mouth of my beloved that fill me with dread. Although, I could quickly come up with a top five list without much reflection, the phrase at the top of the list is as follows: "Go put the kids in the tub and just watch them. I need to do (fill in the blank) and I will be right there."
For some reason, I continue to fall for this. Even though I know that intellectually, right there never means what you would think it should mean. Most of the time, I could have them both bathed and dressed by the time right there happens. But as a Dad, bath time is my most dreaded chore. After a busy day at work, I come home seeking quiet, order and rest. Bath time is the most chaotic time of night. The girls seem to get their second wind and there is usually loud screaming and splashing, water going everywhere, shampoo in eyes, kids standing up and sometimes slipping, wet feet running on hard tile. It's a nerve rattling experience for a tired Dad. My mother-in-law, in her infinite love and giving, always gives them a bath when she's here, which is very much appreciated by me.
Of course, there is the other scenario that occasionally happens at bath time. It's worse than any of the above. It epitomizes chaos and disorder, and it happened the other night.
It is necessary for me to point out, at this point, that I have a come a long way in my relationship with poop. Lauren is not bothered at all by it, but she will tell you that the first time I cleaned up poop from our new puppy 5 years ago, I struggled to make it to wherever I was going with it. There was incessant gagging and face redness. Now, I am not at all bothered by dog dropping. The first diaper I changed nearly killed me, and now, it's nothing. Likewise, the first time I cleaned Cate up after she became potty trained, I was traumatized. For whatever reason, whenever I am introduced to a new form of waste, I am a basketcase. Yet, even though this is not new at our house, I will never get over a code brown.
Code brown is our word for when a kid goes in the bathtub. Cate did it a few times a couple of years ago. What I remember about that is that she was so horrified by it that it was pretty short lived. Ava is now on a bit of a streak, and she doesn't seem to care. I'd say that it happens once a month. When one of us yells "Code Brown," the other one comes running. It's a two person clean up job.
Since Ava has gotten so prone to doing this, Cate is learning to recognize the signs. Last night, as we were waiting on Lauren, at the first sign of any squat, Cate would frantically yell "Ava's gonna poop! Ava's gonna poop!" I would look at Ava, and I couldn't detect anything. After the second time this happened, I got Ava out of the tub and put her on the potty and encouraged her. This actually worked for Lauren last week. No such luck for me, and she wanted back in the tub. Satisfied that we were ok, I went to hang up some clothes in the adjacent closet. Cate's scream sent chills through my veins. I walked into a scene that no parent wants to see. Sparing the detail, Ava was looking relieved and satisfied and Cate had scurried up on the side of the tub and was huddled in the fetal position.
I called "Code Brown," and my wife came in calmly. I corralled Ava and took orders, as Lauren faced the strange visitor. Cate shivered and commented how gross the situation was. She would occasionally look down into the tub and gag. "Don't look down," I'd say. She was worried that her bathtub toys would be covered in fecal matter, especially her water gun. As I went to get some type of cleaner, Ava wandered into the bedroom. I came into the room to see her standing in a puddle of baby pee on our new hardwood floor. Lauren came and cleaned this up as well. I was kindly admonished for my role in the matter.
Soon, the bathtub was clean and both girls were back in. Ava was relieved, Cate was calm. I quickly bathed them both and got them off to bed.
Dads aren't made for such.
-Joe
For some reason, I continue to fall for this. Even though I know that intellectually, right there never means what you would think it should mean. Most of the time, I could have them both bathed and dressed by the time right there happens. But as a Dad, bath time is my most dreaded chore. After a busy day at work, I come home seeking quiet, order and rest. Bath time is the most chaotic time of night. The girls seem to get their second wind and there is usually loud screaming and splashing, water going everywhere, shampoo in eyes, kids standing up and sometimes slipping, wet feet running on hard tile. It's a nerve rattling experience for a tired Dad. My mother-in-law, in her infinite love and giving, always gives them a bath when she's here, which is very much appreciated by me.
Of course, there is the other scenario that occasionally happens at bath time. It's worse than any of the above. It epitomizes chaos and disorder, and it happened the other night.
It is necessary for me to point out, at this point, that I have a come a long way in my relationship with poop. Lauren is not bothered at all by it, but she will tell you that the first time I cleaned up poop from our new puppy 5 years ago, I struggled to make it to wherever I was going with it. There was incessant gagging and face redness. Now, I am not at all bothered by dog dropping. The first diaper I changed nearly killed me, and now, it's nothing. Likewise, the first time I cleaned Cate up after she became potty trained, I was traumatized. For whatever reason, whenever I am introduced to a new form of waste, I am a basketcase. Yet, even though this is not new at our house, I will never get over a code brown.
Code brown is our word for when a kid goes in the bathtub. Cate did it a few times a couple of years ago. What I remember about that is that she was so horrified by it that it was pretty short lived. Ava is now on a bit of a streak, and she doesn't seem to care. I'd say that it happens once a month. When one of us yells "Code Brown," the other one comes running. It's a two person clean up job.
Since Ava has gotten so prone to doing this, Cate is learning to recognize the signs. Last night, as we were waiting on Lauren, at the first sign of any squat, Cate would frantically yell "Ava's gonna poop! Ava's gonna poop!" I would look at Ava, and I couldn't detect anything. After the second time this happened, I got Ava out of the tub and put her on the potty and encouraged her. This actually worked for Lauren last week. No such luck for me, and she wanted back in the tub. Satisfied that we were ok, I went to hang up some clothes in the adjacent closet. Cate's scream sent chills through my veins. I walked into a scene that no parent wants to see. Sparing the detail, Ava was looking relieved and satisfied and Cate had scurried up on the side of the tub and was huddled in the fetal position.
I called "Code Brown," and my wife came in calmly. I corralled Ava and took orders, as Lauren faced the strange visitor. Cate shivered and commented how gross the situation was. She would occasionally look down into the tub and gag. "Don't look down," I'd say. She was worried that her bathtub toys would be covered in fecal matter, especially her water gun. As I went to get some type of cleaner, Ava wandered into the bedroom. I came into the room to see her standing in a puddle of baby pee on our new hardwood floor. Lauren came and cleaned this up as well. I was kindly admonished for my role in the matter.
Soon, the bathtub was clean and both girls were back in. Ava was relieved, Cate was calm. I quickly bathed them both and got them off to bed.
Dads aren't made for such.
-Joe
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
As though she needed any help...
Granny gave Cate a doll for her second Christmas. She was not beautiful when she arrived, but Cate wagged her everywhere for several weeks. Her name is Emmie and since Cate is not into dolls very much, Ava has inherited her.
A couple of afternoons ago Ava had been taking a nap and I heard her in her crib playing. I let her talk and sing for several minutes before I went in to get her. I opened the door and turned on the light. Ava was sitting up in her crib and very plainly said, "I eat hair." I thought surely I had misunderstood, "What baby?" Ava repeated, "I eat hair." As she said it that second time she reached behind her back and pulled out Emmie. She really HAD said, "I eat hair."
Though she hadn't really eaten her hair, Emmie's head was quite wet and well, something...
Poor Emmie.
A couple of afternoons ago Ava had been taking a nap and I heard her in her crib playing. I let her talk and sing for several minutes before I went in to get her. I opened the door and turned on the light. Ava was sitting up in her crib and very plainly said, "I eat hair." I thought surely I had misunderstood, "What baby?" Ava repeated, "I eat hair." As she said it that second time she reached behind her back and pulled out Emmie. She really HAD said, "I eat hair."
Though she hadn't really eaten her hair, Emmie's head was quite wet and well, something...
Poor Emmie.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Trimming, Tedious, and Tantrums
This house and household are keeping Joe and I pretty busy most of the time. Saturday Mama Sue came and played with the girls while Joe and I worked in and around the house. Ava is now saying "Ma Sue" just like Cate did when she was about this age. Cate was thrilled with the Halloween cupcakes Mama Sue brought and would not let anyone eat the last one because it was for "my Daddy"-- little did she know he had eaten his fair share already.
My goal for our yard is to make it as unappealing to a family of snakes as possible. Joe and I cleared more brush and hacked away at the thicket. We can't just cut a limb or a small tree and drag it out of our small forest. We have to clip the 15 briars attached to it first. My arms look like the kitten (which we still have) used them as a scratching post. We can tell there has been progress made in the back and will hopefully be able to plant a few pretty trees soon.
We have also started pulling wallpaper down in the laundry room. It only covers one small wall in there, but it is taking for-ev-er! We have tried everything from vinegar to a product from Lowe's, but nothing is working very well. I did manage to tear a rather large hole in the wall. Thank goodness there's only one other room with wallpaper in it and it's a bathroom.
Ms. Ava has learned to pitch a fit, and boy can she throw one. We attempted to have a nice family meal with my cousins Robert and Alyson on Sunday and Ava screamed and carried on until she had to be carried out. She tried a similar stunt at supper at home that night and after a swat on the leg decided to sit in her chair and act like a human being. Mornings have not been her thing lately either. This is a picture of her getting ready for school last week. I got her dressed and she then went and got these sunglasses. She put them on, sat back down in my lap and did not want to be moved or spoken to. Joe and I began snickering and she looked at me over the top of those glasses with a very stern glare.
Ava has begun speaking in full sentences this week. Our favorites: "I love Mama." "I love Daddy." "I sit in my chair." "I get clothes on." She recognizes the color blue, we think, but it's hard to tell because she calls most everything blue. She can count to six and tries to sing along with some of the songs in the car.
Cate is very wound up about Halloween and getting to dress up. She almost destroyed her costume- it has had a few surgeries already. She's been scaring us, sort of. She will walk up to one of us and say, "I'm about to scare you." She then walks off a few steps, turns around, and says, "Boo. We don't scare too bad." Joe was settling her in bed a few nights ago and was scratching her back. "Daddy, wouldn't it be great if you scratched Ava's back? Joe replied, "Yeah, it would." Cate then said, "She's probably not old enough to appreciate it though. That was on Olivia."
They are pretty sweet most of the time and always keep us entertained.
It's seldom that the girls are dressed in anything but pajamas (half the time they don't even have those on), that I thought I'd get a few pictures before school one morning. Cate cooperated. Ava did not.
And we can't forget our first child- Tucker, lying in the sunshine with a much beloved sock.
My goal for our yard is to make it as unappealing to a family of snakes as possible. Joe and I cleared more brush and hacked away at the thicket. We can't just cut a limb or a small tree and drag it out of our small forest. We have to clip the 15 briars attached to it first. My arms look like the kitten (which we still have) used them as a scratching post. We can tell there has been progress made in the back and will hopefully be able to plant a few pretty trees soon.
We have also started pulling wallpaper down in the laundry room. It only covers one small wall in there, but it is taking for-ev-er! We have tried everything from vinegar to a product from Lowe's, but nothing is working very well. I did manage to tear a rather large hole in the wall. Thank goodness there's only one other room with wallpaper in it and it's a bathroom.
Ms. Ava has learned to pitch a fit, and boy can she throw one. We attempted to have a nice family meal with my cousins Robert and Alyson on Sunday and Ava screamed and carried on until she had to be carried out. She tried a similar stunt at supper at home that night and after a swat on the leg decided to sit in her chair and act like a human being. Mornings have not been her thing lately either. This is a picture of her getting ready for school last week. I got her dressed and she then went and got these sunglasses. She put them on, sat back down in my lap and did not want to be moved or spoken to. Joe and I began snickering and she looked at me over the top of those glasses with a very stern glare.
Ava has begun speaking in full sentences this week. Our favorites: "I love Mama." "I love Daddy." "I sit in my chair." "I get clothes on." She recognizes the color blue, we think, but it's hard to tell because she calls most everything blue. She can count to six and tries to sing along with some of the songs in the car.
Cate is very wound up about Halloween and getting to dress up. She almost destroyed her costume- it has had a few surgeries already. She's been scaring us, sort of. She will walk up to one of us and say, "I'm about to scare you." She then walks off a few steps, turns around, and says, "Boo. We don't scare too bad." Joe was settling her in bed a few nights ago and was scratching her back. "Daddy, wouldn't it be great if you scratched Ava's back? Joe replied, "Yeah, it would." Cate then said, "She's probably not old enough to appreciate it though. That was on Olivia."
They are pretty sweet most of the time and always keep us entertained.
It's seldom that the girls are dressed in anything but pajamas (half the time they don't even have those on), that I thought I'd get a few pictures before school one morning. Cate cooperated. Ava did not.
And we can't forget our first child- Tucker, lying in the sunshine with a much beloved sock.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuck and Molly
It didn't take long for Tucker and Molly to become buddies. They play together, nap together and even get into mischief together.
But when you get right down to it, Tucker has been whipped by a Cat!
But when you get right down to it, Tucker has been whipped by a Cat!
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