February 2012

A few explanations:

Addy stuck her legs in one pant leg and her hands criss-cross in her t-shirt and said she was from Mercury.

Today, Joey disappeared into his bedroom wearing jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. Came out and said he was ready to play basketball (see yellow pirate shirt, orange shorts, shoes on wrong feet).

Later, we were bopping around a balloon. Joey disappeared in his room, came out and said "I'm a boxer" (see picture w/ socks on hands)

Earlier today, Joey set up the guitars, stood on them (I know I know) with his drumsticks and said "I'm goin' skiing."

Joey typically "scribble scrabbles" (as Addy says), but WOW, I gave him a dry erase marker and I was astonished that he could draw lots of shapes and things - just a lot easier than crayons I guess. He's since drawn me all the Little Einsteins, Uncle Mark, ice cream cones, and forte giant.

Addy set up a freight train w/ bins to match Joey's recent favorite book, Freight Train.

A few other funny things:

Whenever anyone does something good (finishes a puzzle, jumps really high, etc.) Joey yells "Oh BAAAMS!"

Whenever Joey does something good, Addy smiles and says in a high-pitched voice "Wow Joe-yee! Good job budd-yee! I'm so proud of you!"

Today, I was telling the kids about Danny's internship this summer. I said,"SOOO, Daddy...is going to accept an internship at..." and Addy said, "Walgreens."

Also today, Addy brought out the mop and set it on the floor. She said, "Joey, want to wash the floor?" He said, "Suuure" and picked up the mop. Then Addy turned to me and said, "Mommy, want to play a game now?"

Joey was playing w/ his plastic basketball hoop and made a shot and ran up to me and said, "Mommy! Did you see that? I couldn't have done it without you." (all credit to Little Einsteins for that line fyi).

Joey and I had it out. He had been whining and screaming about everything since he woke up. My patience was expired before breakfast. After 3 hours, we all needed out. I had a terrible idea that we should treat ourselves to lunch out. It was a DISASTER of colossal proportion. Kicking, shrilling, throwing, snotting, wailing. I had my own tantrum when we got in the car. God thankfully put Joey to sleep. When we got home, Addy said, "Since he's already here I'm glad I have a little brother but if I think about it, if he wasn't here I think it would be a little better because then I wouldn't have to hear something screaming all the time, and then the big sister and the Mommy could just talk and not hear something loud all the time." Then she said, "I think we should let Joey rest a little longer." Now that I agreed with.

Dec 2011 - Jan 2012

A few things:

I had a few amazing pictures of the kids in the airport and I don't know where in space they went. But I'm happy at least that I remember what the pictures look like in my mind.

I gave the kids, essentially, as much candy on the plane as they wanted. By the second flight Addy said "I think I've had enough unhealthy stuff." So Joey and I finished off the twizzlers, starbursts, and yogurt melts by ourselves.

I gave each of the kids a dollar spiral-bound journal and then designated one for me. Addy wanted to draw me my first journal entry that she described as "a rainbow tunnel to a land of so many rainbows." i loved it.

I made Addy scrambled eggs. Joey said "But I'm afraid of scrambled eggs."

I was singing to the kids before bed. Joey stopped me and said unprompted "when Jesus comes he's going to show me his smiley face."

Traveled a ton over christmas break. I wish I would have taken more pictures. I took pictures of Ethan with Brian's camera and wish I would have dug out mine too.

Addy says "I love palm trees" now that she's been to FL. A simple reminder about the power of experience. Though, I remember when we moved to Boston and before we even arrived Addy told us over and over us how much she loved a place she'd never been - the ocean.

Joey is still afraid of clocks but says "the clock wants to watch a little show so i'll turn on a little show for the clock."

Addy is in a "and like" and "so like" conversational phase. She sounds like a teenager. But mostly she sounds like me.

We told Addy that Daddy was her special Valentine and I was Joey's special Valentine. She said "But he was my Valentine last year cuz he took me ice skating and you took Joey swimming." Holy memory. Seriously. Makes me a lit-tle nervous that the kid remembers ev-er-y-thing so well.

When Joey squeals - when we chase him, when he's being tickled - he sounds just like a little girl.

Joey was eating breakfast quietly, then busted out with "hey mom guess what i'm taller!" then he stood up to show me.

When Addy reprimands Joey she starts with "Joe-seph Grr-rant..."