Funny kids. Mostly.

Annika: I have one sleep. Only one sleep.
Mommy: Why don't you try two sleeps?
Annika: OK! (And she runs upstairs to try some more sleep. Of course, it didn't really work.)

Annika: (In a very forlorn voice) Its hard to go to sleep. So hard.

Annika: Hooray! You did it Mommy!

Annika: No, Daddy. Its not Mr. Jakey-Wakey. Its Jacob. Not Mr. Jakey-Wakey.

Annika: I'm just a little bit sick. I need to watch a movie. (Or have a bitavin. Can you figure it out?)

Annika: You sing really pretty, Mommy. But, too loud.

Unfortunately, Annika has suddenly developed a phobia of bugs. She won't step on the floor, sometimes, and point to all sort of bugs. Except they aren't bugs. Its just evidence that I don't vacuum my WHITE???? carpet everyday.

Jacob likes to play spaceman with a clear bucket on his head. He smiles and cheers and drums on the bucket to make sure that we all know how much fun he's having. Then he usually bumps into something and falls over.

We bought a minivan, a trampoline and we are going on a road trip this Friday. We're driving to southern California to visit aunts, uncles, my grandma and to meet my dad out there. (Not to meet my dad, as in I've never met him before, but as in he's going too.)

I'll post pictures later when I'm not packing.

Why Annika is not naming any future siblings

And, no, that is not an announcement of any sort. Except that she's not naming any future siblings.

Annika turned 3 this past Friday and had a birthday party the week before. I was reckless and invited 8 kids which made 9, so....

Actually, the party was a great success. She received lots of great presents, the majority of which are ponies of the "My Little" variety. She LOVES them and so they are perfect. Here is a sampling of their names:

Hor
Haaaiiii said like a war cry
Rushi
Grandma
Sharleen (Isaac's mom.)

Her new build-a-bear, who wears very pretty dresses and has a beautiful smile, has been christened Kirky.

Now that she is in naming mode she has named her little bear Hike and her kitty Ham. Sometimes she calls Kirky Turkey. So, we just keep getting more and we can work up to a club sandwich.

Pictures of our Cute Kiddos

Obsessed

I can't resist staying up all night to watch the Olympics. I pretend that I'm one of them. I change my story to fit my current life. I have imaginary interviews while I wash the dishes. I proudly sing my national anthem. I surprise everyone with my gold medal combined with my undiscovered superstar voice. I set records. I'm a media darling. I'm a complete unknown. I'm the oldest figure skater to compete in the Olympics, and at 34 I am in stunning shape and I set world records and everyone wants to talk to me and praise me and give me money to endorse awesome products.

Its really fun. I'm not embarrassed or ashamed of my lunacy, I just think that's its funny that I watch these beautiful and inspiring events while in a near vegetative state on my couch. Fold laundry? Too distracting. Sit ups? I don't want to make the athletes jealous. Do the dishes? Don't be ridiculous. It is all I can do to peel myself off the couch to pee. But, that gives me time to practice more interviews. Pep talks. Visualize my awesome outfits and my awesome bod. (That part is my favorite.)

Sometimes I'm a skier. I have a story for that. I'm an aerialist. My story for that is crazy. I'm a last minute alternate for the hockey team and I score the winning goal. After being in a coma. From saving the president from assassination. (That one isn't actually true. Well, none of them are "true", I just mean that I've never actually come up with that one. But there's still time. I do, after all, have to pee.)

Pride and Disappointment

Yesterday, when I picked Annika up from the nursery (at church), she came running to me and said, with joy and enthusiasm, "Mommy, I'm so proud for you!" (Which means I'm so proud of you.)

Today, she isn't pleased about the stair gate at the top of the stairs enforcing her nap time and she yelled down, "Mommy, take down this gate RIGHT NOW. I'm so disappointed for you." (Again, this means I'm disappointed in you.)

Well kid, what goes around comes around.

Here are some pictures of the kids. The ones with the especially big and not very natural smiles are what she does when I say, "smile!"

Fine

We're fine, back to normal, which means a sassy little girl who seems to be in charge, but other than that, we're fine.

Fine, but uninspired.

I keep sitting down to write and getting bored by myself so I stop. We don't have any pictures to post yet, I'll try this week. Anyway, maybe I'll come up with something later, but not today!

Wow. This is the lamest post ever. Maybe I'll be so embarrassed that I feel I have to make up for it. Maybe.

January?

So, January was a big crapfest. Not literally, but pretty close.
Urgent care, ceaseless crying, molars coming in, sick kid, sick kid, sick dad, sick mom, injured knee, rainy, computer died, old tv didn't fit into the armoire that took forever to get sorted out, canceled playdates and cabin fever. And more cabin fever. No gym because of sick kids, no church because of sick kids. No Avatar because of sick mommy and injured knee of the guy who's 6'4" and barely fits into a movie theatre chair anyway. Oh, and the 3 year old. Oh, the 3 year old. (Almost 3, in March.) Hands on her hips, scowl down to her lips, and attitude to drive us insane. INSANE. Any possible decision involves wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mostly hers, a little of ours.)

But, now we're all fine, (except John's knee.) Its been a little sunny, I saved $300 on the armoire, we bought a flat screen and we're ordering our new computer today. We've played with friends, both adult and kids, gone back to the gym and might actually go on our date next week. Oh, and Jacob turned one! And he can walk! And we gave him his first "haircut." Its a buzz cut but it didn't start out as one. Annika is learning her letters and is pretty good. We mailed her binky to the Binky Fairy with a beautifully decorated letter. The Binky Fairy sent Annika a beautiful letter telling her how proud she was of her and that the binky would be given to a special little baby who needed it more. The Binky Fairy sent her a special present, a magic wand that makes special "magic" noises. (Kind of a tinkling sound.) We've been 2 weeks without it and I must say that I'm proud of everyone. A few nights she was "having a rough time" and crying that she wanted the binky fairy to bring her binky back and that I should get it back for her.

Because our computer died, I can't post pictures for a little while. I'm using John's work computer right now. I'll post as soon as I can.