Tribute to Dr. Seuss

Having kids is fun. They give you an excuse to do things like this:


Not only are green scrambled eggs fun, it's rather satisfying to trick Mary into eating a whole bunch of spinach.

Yes, I'm very proud of myself for outsmarting an almost-2-year-old. Anyone who knows her knows what I'm talking about.

Michael at 2 Months

Michael would like to tell you something:



Ok, he actually just wanted to show you how he can wiggle and smile, but if he could talk, he would tell you all about his 2-month checkup at the doctor. His report would go like this:

"I'm giant. I weigh 13 pounds 11 ounces and am almost 24 inches tall. The doctor also says I am very sociable and have impressive head control. The three shots were a but unexpected and rather unpleasant, but I recovered quickly."

Michael's "impressive head control" is probably a result of all his tummy time:



And his growth is no doubt a result of his strict daily routine: Eat, sleep, wiggle. Eat, sleep, wiggle. Eat, sleep, wiggle. Here's some more wiggling, just in case you're bored. (sorry, I can't get the videos to format small enough to see the whole screen on the blog, so you'll have to click through to youtube if you want to see his head.)

Snapshots of the Yard

It doesn't take much more than stepping out into the front yard to entertain the girls. You might not think our front yard is that exciting - no playground, no bouncy house, no trampoline, no pets - but there is apparently a lot a toddler can do to entertain herself there.

Catherine is currently learning to throw a frisbee. The phrase "Look out, Mary!" is probably ringing in the ears of all our neighbors.


Mary does not look out.


And even if she did, she wouldn't be able to move quickly enough in those shoes to get out of the way (she usually insists on wearing Catherine's shoes, and has the scraped knees to prove it).

So she tends to go off and do her own thing.

"No, Mama. I wasn't eating the sand at the end of the driveway..."


"He he he... you got me... I was totally eating sand."


Twirling is also a favorite activity outside. The sun and the grass and the outside air all enhance the twirling experience.


Side Note: I downloaded a free trial of Photoshop Elements, and it compels me to do things like this to photos.


I'm sorry. I promise not to subject you to 10 different versions of every picture I take with various effects for the next 30 days. At least I promise to try not to do it.

The Checklist

When I would go flying with my Dad when I was growing up, the one thing that was the same on every flight, no matter where we were going or how long we were going to be in the air or how much time we had or who was going along or how impatient I was, every flight started with the checklist. There was a little laminated card tucked away in every plane, and it didn't matter that he could fly that plane in his sleep; he would go down the preflight checklist item by item without fail. A couple thousand feet in the air is not the time to realize you forgot something.

Ok, so it's no life-or-death situation, but I'm thinking of implementing a similar checklist policy in my own house. The first thing I would do is laminate my Sunday Diaper Bag Checklist. Leaving the house at 8am and planning to return sometime around 1pm, with three children, it would go something like this:

Wallet (check)
Phone (check)
Keys (can't find them)
Chapstick (forgot - Mary ate it)
Camera (check)
Diapers for Michael (4 - check)
Diapers for Mary (3 - check)
Wipes (check)
Spit-up cloth (check. wait, smelly. new one - check)
Extra clothes for Michael (check)
Extra clothes for Catherine (underpants, skirt, shirt - check. wait, she won't wear that shirt anymore - something about the button, or the stipes - new shirt. check.)
Two sippy cups (with valves - check)
Spare barrettes (check)
Pacifier (check - wait, fuzzies. cleaned - check)
Blanket (check)
At least 2 snacks each for Catherine and Mary (2 cups of cereal, 2 cups of carrots, banana - check)
Sunglasses for Catherine (it's raining outside - doesn't matter - check)
Sunglasses for Mary (check)

Unfortunately, I didn't have this checklist with me last Sunday, and my diaper bag was still in utter disarray from the trip home on Saturday (a "Flying Cross-Country Diaper Bag Checklist" would require a lengthy scroll). So I forgot a key diaper bag element: Extra clothes for Michael. And he chose that day to explode his diaper through both the onsie and pants he was wearing.

Luckily, three things were working in my favor:
1. None of my clothes were caught in the explosion
2. He waited until second church was nearly over
3. I did remember his blanket, wipes, and diapers (I know that one should be a given - if you remember only one thing, remember the diapers - but I have actually had to stop at the store between churches for diapers before.)

So in the end all I had to do was peel off his old clothes (yuck), use 14 wipes to clean him up (yuck), and wrap him up in his blanket (in just a diaper). This worked great until I had to figure out how to get him in his carseat with the blanket situated in such a way that I could get his buckles on but the straps weren't cutting into his bare skin.

Success. I think he looks rather cute, although by his face I think he might prefer I consult the checklist next time.

Smoothie Mustache

This is Our Family Dominates. We don't settle for simple milk mustaches around here.