From the Mouths of Babes in March

Linus had a lot to say this month. A lot.  Some of it I did not like, especially "Mommy stop talking."  Luckily, he had many sweet and or funny things to say as well.

Linus: "Cowboys wear jeans.  I love my jeans.  Cowboys wear socks.  That's right Mommy! (wags finger affirmatively) I need horse.  I need cowboy boots.  Where are my cowboy boots?"
Me: "You don't have cowboy boots."
        (Linus walks downstairs)
Linus:  "Cowboy boots! Where are you?  I have an idea.  Lets buy cowboy boots."

Linus: "Mommy, I eat you for lunch."
Me: "Oh no! Please don't eat me for lunch."
Aunt Beth: "If you eat mama, who will make you lunch tomorrow?"
Linus: "Daddy."

Linus: "I want Aunt Sally ride in my swagger wagon."

Linus: "I'm making my baby warm and cozy." (said while holding Eileen)

Linus:  "Whoopsy boopsy."

Linus: (arms extend and running) "Buzz Lightyear, to eh and beyond!"

Linus: "Who's Baby Lucy's mommy?"  (Lucy is Linus' doll)
Dave: "I don't know."
Linus: "Shh. It's okay Baby Lucy.  Your mommy be back soon."

Cupcakes

Linus and I like to get cupcakes when he goes for haircuts. There is a Trophy cupcake next to both places where we go for kid haircuts.  Despite having just gotten a haircut the other day, he has started asking for more haircuts.  I fear cupcakes may be habit forming....

Linus woke up from his nap today and declared, "I want to go someplace.  I want to go someplace in car."  Dinner was cooking and Eileen was asleep.  Needless to say, we stayed home and Linus cried.
As we finished dinner, Linus repeated his desire.  I looked at Dave and said nothing.  Sometimes it's nice to not be the one to make decisions.  Instead, I did the dishes.

Apparently, a decision was made to go for cupcakes.  Linus was kind enough to invite me.  One of the benefits to living in Seattle is that there is a plethora of cupcake options in close proximity. We loaded up the car and headed to Cupcake Royale.

Dave got the whiskey maple bacon cupcake.  Linus got a chocolate baby cake with vanilla frosting. I ventured out of my normal and tried the lemon drop.

Linus is quickly becoming a cupcake connoisseur.

That's some good cupcake.

 

Eileen happened to be dressed festively for the occasion.

I love Cupcake Royale.  Besides delicious cupcakes--salted caramel and chocolate anyone?-- they brew Stumptown coffee and the owner provides health insurance for her employees.  The owner has even been invited to the White House to discuss health insurance and small business with Obama. Cupcakes and a liberal agenda. Mmmmm.

A Walk in the Woods

Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and go for a hike at Discovery Park in Magnolia.  

Since we knew we weren't going on an epic hike, we decided to go ahead and give Linus the map and let him navigate. He took his job very seriously.

Climbing steep hills

Note the hands in pockets while walking

It was Eileen's first hike.

Linus was very good about taking breaks, telling us he needed a rest. 

No hike is complete without the fruit snacks.

I can't help but notice how much I am beginning to look like my Aunt Eileen as I get older.

 

 

 

It was so nice to have a day free from rain, sleet, snow, hail, wind, thunder, or lightning.  I love living in the Puget Sound because of places like Discovery Park.  It made me a little nostalgic for Point Defiance.  I am looking forward to more hikes with my family this spring/summer.

4 months old

Eileen turned 4 months old on Tuesday.  I can't believe how fast this is all going.  She is perhaps one of the easiest and happiest babies I have ever met.  She goes to bed easily, only eats 5 times a day while sleeping through the night, sleeps until 8 or 8:30 in the morning.  She is constantly smiling and babbling gleefully even if she is short on sleep.  I know I am blessed.

We went to the doctor today for her 4 month well baby check.  Here are the stats:

Weight: 15 lbs 6 oz    75-90%

Length: 24 3/4 inches  75%

Head Circumference:  16 3/4 inches   50-75%

I am so relieved her growth has slowed down a little bit.  She was in the 95% at 2 months.  I was worried that she was going to be one of those children featured on TLC, the ones who can't stop growing and are like 7 ft tall and only 12 years old.

I love this little cherub baby.

An Impromptu Visit

My sister, Beth, and her son, Dylan, came for a short impromptu visit this week for a few days.  It's always nice to see my sister.  Linus loves Dylan.  We didn't do anything special, but sometimes it is nice to do nothing at all with somebody else. 

On Tuesday we went to U Village and bummed around while Linus was at preschool.

 

Today we met up with my sister, Sally, and her boyfriend, Bryan, at the Interbay Starbucks.  Bryan kept the boys fully entertained so we sisters actually got to talk.  

Watching cars and trucks drive by on Interbay.  Trucks routes can be very fascinating.  Bryan was also good enough to continually follow Linus around as well as hold Linus upside down.

Dylan tried to hold Eileen.

 Eileen grew tired of Starbucks so we did a quick trip to the zoo.  Checked out zoomasium, the gorillas, and jaguar.  Then we headed home for lunch.  Dylan and Beth headed home to Portland and my kids both went down super easy for long naps.  Despite Linus' decision to repeatedly act out, and my getting the time wrong on open gym at Gymboree --disappointment does not begin to cover Linus' reaction to this--it was a fun visit.

Enabler

I have a confession.  I am officially an enabler.

For about the last three weeks Linus has woken up screaming during his nap.  It always happens after about 30 to 45 minutes into the nap.  He sobs and is completely beside himself.  Often, despite my best efforts, it is the end of nap.  This means I am left with a sleep deprived toddler.

Recently he has started waking up at night as well, sometimes multiple times. Dave is a wonderful husband and always walks down the flight of stairs and goes to Linus' aid.  I try not to feel too guilty since I am on baby duty.

Today, right on schedule, Linus woke up screaming and crying after 40 minutes.  I went to him and tried to console him.  He wanted nothing to do with my hugs or singing.  He just kept hitting himself in the face.  In a moment of frustration and exasperation I asked,

"Do you want a binky?"

Suddenly, there was silence and a sniffly, "Yes."  I got him one of Eileen's spares.  Linus took it gratefully and immediately fell back asleep. 

So yes, I am an enabler.  The funny thing is, he hasn't asked for a binky or tried to use one of Eileen's since sailboat binky "accidentally got left" in Portland.  I now feel very conflicted.  Do I continue to deprive my child of the binky that provides him with hours of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep and let him cry in hysterics? Or do I simply give him the binky and promise myself he will kick the habit before he is 3 years old and ruins his teeth?

I think I will choose to be an enabler for a little while longer just to see if today was a fluke.

Daddy's Soccer Game

I was not allowed to play soccer as a child.  It is one of the things from childhood that I am still bitter about.  I like the idea of soccer, but I have no idea what the rules or positions are.  Around the time I was about to give birth to Linus, Dave started playing on a co-ed rec team with some of our friends from camp.  Occasionally, I got to sub once Linus was born.  I lack the ability to dribble the ball or make contact with my foot.  I can sprint quickly up and down the field, get in the way, and intimidate.  In other words, I can function as a warm body when needed.

Linus loves soccer. It started because Daddy plays soccer.  His passion grew when I started buying him little samba shoes like Daddy wears and enrolled him in Lil' Kickers soccer at 18 months.  Now it is often a fight to get him to wear something other than his soccer uniform. The main floor of our house has become a soccer field.  Linus makes sure to always pick up his toys so the field is clear.  A large box in front of the back door acts as a goal.

One of Linus' greatest treats in life is to go to one of Daddy's soccer games.  The games usually start long after his bedtime but sometimes on a rare occasion, there is an early game.  Tonight was such a night.  I loaded up the kids and headed to Redmond so we could watch Daddy play.  Linus wore his soccer clothes.

Meeting up with Daddy at Arena Sports before the game.

Watching the action from behind the goalie.

Linus was very patient while waiting for halftime. 

Linus sat on the couch, giving me the play by play--"Daddy lost ball."  "I want Daddy to get ball."

Linus lives for halftime as well as the end of the game when he can run on the field and score a few goals.

For the next few weeks, all I am going to hear from Linus is: "I kicked ball at Daddy's soccer game."  It's the simple things in life I suppose.  Linus is already talking about going to the next game.