The age of the times

I have a collection of cassettes from when I studied in Mexico in 1993-1994. Some is music and others are tapes from a radio program that I had with a small handful of other US international students (we called the program Gringolingo, by the way). They were tucked away in a wooden box on a shelf in Ale's room. He was interested in the box so I got it down. When he opened it he was puzzled and asked, "What are those?" He wasn't too interested when I told him. He only knows CDs & DVDs.

It's a new one!

The kids favorite cartoon is Tom & Jerry, one that I watched when growing up. They started watching it because they could see it "on demand" at Nanna & Buppa's. They also enjoy the Pink Panther which both Armando & I used to watch. Samuel went into shock when he said that there was a "new" one on and I told him that none of them were "new" & they were around when I was growing up. But to him it is still "new".

Opposites....

The world according to Samuel...the opposite of "upside down" is "upside up".

Yes, or no, or maybe, there is a Santa Claus

Ale is 4 & 1/2...One day out of the blue he told me that there was no Santa Claus. He then added that the Easter Bunny wasn't real either (this one didn't bother me at all). His logic was quite simple, the Easter Bunny couldn't be real because bunnies are small and that big bunny you see on television or at the mall is just a guy dressed up. I didn't answer yes or no but later said if that is what he thought that he should keep it a secret because he had to decide for himself. Lately he has been talking about the bunny because Easter is coming and he knows that if there is no bunny, however, then there is no fun little basket. Strangly, he hasn't mentioned the 3 Kings but that I am glad for.

Get with the Times!

Samuel is in first grade and he is reading a book about Benjamin Franklin. We have to sit with him when he reads because sometimes the content is a little to complicated. One morning we were reviewing with him and we asked Samuel why he thought that Benjamin Franklin took a boat to Philadelphia. His reply, "Because they didn't have airplanes back then."

Toofers

All of the kids were late "tooth" bloomers...I think Samuel didn't get his first tooth until he was 10 months old. Andrea is our youngest bloomer and her first tooth popped up about a month ago when she was 7 months. She never fails to get a giggle from people when she gives them a stare down and then when they say something to her she smiles and has a mouthful of gums and just one little tooth sticking up on the bottom.

Holy Cow...or Horse?

We were in Mexico in January and Ale was picking up Spanish quickly after a few days of being there. He learned that a horse was a "caballo" (ka-buy-yo...more or less). We had a chuckle when we passed a heard of cows that were grazing in a field near the highway and he said, "Mira (look), los caballos". We told him that cows were "vacas" but he wasn't concerned. He kept on calling cows "caballos" and we couldn't figure out why. One day he pronounced it and we finally picked up why....he was thinking and saying "COW-ballo". At least that explained it!

Going Bananas in a Commercial Sort of Way

When the kids are hungry they are allowed to eat unlimited fruit or grab a yogurt. Annah is our big fruit eater. It isn't uncommon for her to ask for a banana or even two! But she is a demanding little customer; she always wants the banana that has a sticker on it. Over the weekend we had bananas but none with stickers on them. So she selected her banana and decided she'd only eat it if it had stickers. Off we went to find some and she had about 10 stickers on the banana when she declaired it was then okay to eat. This concept may be key to having children eat their fruits and veggies; if they all came with stickers children would be happy and it would be so much better than happy meals with toys!

Let me count the ways

When Annah gets hurt feelings she always wants to make up after or looks or reassurance. She'll come up to you and give you a hug and say "I love you too!" She always adds the "too" even if you don't say anything before.

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When I tell the kids "I love you" they say "I love you too". Then I say "I love you three, I love you four (..sometimes adding, "I love you more").

Soap in the Mouth

It is becoming a tradition to watch "A Christmas Story". This year we really couldn't resist since the kids are getting a bit more into non-animated movies AND there is a home very near us that has a "sexy leg lamp" in it's window. There is one part of the movie where Ralfie said the big "nono" word and got soap in his mouth. Annah was very attent during that part of the movie apparently...

The other day we were packed into the van and I said "Darn it, let's (whatever it was)".

Annah: What did you say?

Me: I said a sassy, no-no word. Don't say "darn it"

Annah: Well, you need to get some (soap) in your mouth.

The boys thought that was funny. Annah didn't laugh until she heard her brothers.

Annah: That was really funny!

Little Monkey!

I have this VERY annoying but cute & fun saying I tell Andrea. "Are you a monkey (high pitch on monkey throughout)? A little monkey? A silly monkey? My little monkey?" So, she is my monkey. We are starting to dabble a tad with foods. One of the greatest invention is the banana. She is a bit young for it because it is harder on her stomach but she really only sucks on it for a little bit. And we may just have to declair the banana the most perfect food...portable & all parts are useable. The skin works great as a little "soother"...something she can grab and suck on when I am nearby. Yup, she is a little monkey!

Swirleys

The two favorite things in our house are legos and drawing paper. This weekend the kids went through a lot of paper. While they use both sides it makes a mess and then I feel guilty for not saving it because it is paper after all! But I try not to worry about it too much. This morning I was picking up the paper on the table and deciding which drawings to save and what would be recycled. I came across a pile about 30 pieces thick. Each piece had a single swirl drawing on it. Samuel! He had been into drawing swirls over the weekend and had us playing guessing games to find out how many he'd have on a single sheet. But a single swirl to a single sheet of paper was just too much. And that is when all I could think about was what I was told in school and at home growing up. "Do you know where paper comes from?" Yes, we have doodle boards but nothing beats a clean sheet of paper...as long as it is used wisely.

Running on Empty

Monday ended up being a big day. Returning to the office after a 5 month maternity leave, wrestling sign up for the boys, tuition due for Ale, general running and an appointment with the speech specialist at the elementary school for Ale. After work it was off to the bank. Time would be tight but we'd make it to the school ontime for Samuel's dismissal and the appointment. Time got tighter when I realized there was very little gas in the van. The display showed 4 miles and then trickled down to 2 miles. When I got to a station the meter displayed ZERO miles to empty as I pulled up to the pump. I had about 6 minutes to get to the school so only filled the tank 3/4 full to save a couple of seconds. Then I see this note saying if I don't get a receipt I need to pay inside and kept on hearing announcements for other pump numbers to go inside and pay. I was already under the gun and the kids were in the car and I was praying my receipt came off. It did! 4 minutes to spare and I finally arrived to school about just 2 minutes late.

It's Raining Cats and Dogs...No....I mean popcorn!

I never get tired of the first snow fall of the year. And the kids get equally excited. They wanted to run outside and get a "taste" of the snow with their tongues. Annah went outside too and you could tell by her expression and body that she did not remember snow. She is just under 2 and 1/2. She exclaimed "It's raining popcorn". What a cute expression!

So it has been fun telling that story until last night. The boys went to scouts so Annah was home with Andi and me. We were watching Jon and Kate Plus 8, one of her favorite shows when we transitioned her from our bed to her own shortly before Andi was born (she calls it "Babies"). A commercial came on for Netflix. The girl goes outside with a bowl. It was literally "raining popcorn" and she went inside with a full bowl shortly after and sat down to watch a movie.

What a spoiler! I will still claim the phrase to be an "Annah" original even though I admit she may have just seen it on TV. Hmmm, I wonder when they debuted that commercial. We may have a little creative genious on our hands.

You've got Mail!

Annah delighted me with what she calls "E-mail" all day yesterday. She kept on delivering these to me when I was on the computer:



If you cannot make out the picture they were just envelopes which she always has taken from a little basket we keep by the computer. She started doing that when she was a baby. The one in the picture has a little brush in it.

Passport patience

We've done this three times before. It isn't hard to follow directions and have everything in order when filing for a passport. The first fun thing is taking an infant's picture. From past experience we stick with the post office for that to ensure the size is just right. Birth certificate? Oops. We had to go and retrieve it and return. Of course the officer had 2 other appointments booked so we prayed she'd squeeze us in, which she did. No bother that not only did we have to return but Ale & Annah were squirmy and then I had to run out to the van for the checkbook. And THEN hand the check to her only to have it returned because I forgot to fill in a line. No amout of organization would have prevented it; that is just how it is sometimes. So we are ready to go and there is water on the floor by where Annah is standing. Armando whispers..."Did she pee?" Woudn't that be icing on the cake? Whew, just my wet shoe prints from the van run in the rain.

When animals mix

Annah: "I'm a bunny...ribbit, ribbit, ribbit", as she jumped on the floor.

Mami: "Don't you mean a froggie?"

Annah: "No, I'm a bunny ribbit"

My Mami Superpower...I make milk

I don't like bottles and I don't like to pump. Maybe it is because of my nursing experience being cut short with Samuel (another story) or maybe it is because there are so many pieces and the time and effort to keep things stored and cleaned isn't worth it. I haven't pumped at all since with the other children even when I pumped they wouldn't take a bottle. That and my milk supply increases way too quickly when I pump.

With that said Andi is now 3 months and I have never pumped. She has been left once with my mom for an hour and did okay. Next week I am going on a field trip to the pumpking patch with Ale. I did the same field trip when Samuel was in 4 year old pre-school and Annah was just 2 and 1/2 months old; also my first time venturing away from my "baby".

Last night I pulled out the pump and expresses about a 1/2 an ounce just to see. The kids watched. I opened the single bottle that has been stored in the cabinet to which Ale asked, "What is THAT?". Funny what you hear in a non-bottle household. They watched in amazement as the milk came out and we put it into the bottle. Did Andi take it? Not really. She just gnawed with the right side of her mouth and sampled but no sucking.

So I will pump a bottle for my venture out. While I don't expect her to take any while I am away it puts me at ease that she has it even though she will be like her brothers and sister and prefer to wait. I suppose we could try a little dropper too but for her it is probably more about me than the milk and vice versa. She will be fine, right?

Mami

Where the dinosaurs roam freely

Last Christmas we went to see "Walking With the Dinosaurs". It turned our household into dinosaur-mania. I thought it would phase out after a couple of months but we are coming up on a year and they are still the hot item in the house (besides Leggos). We have a full collection plus some of Imaginext. And when Annah was barely walking the boys would play keep away and she would make these aweful dinosaur sounds and chase them. Now Andi makes here little noises and it isn't uncommon for the kids to have a good laugh because they think she is trying to sound like a dinosaur.