Tiger Stripes

It must be in the genes.  Both of our boys love to draw.  Yet it's not the kind of art I usually sanction or appreciate.  Lucas, when he was little, was a body artist.  Any time he got a hold of a marker, his face, arms, and hands were never the same.  He called them "tiger stripes" and boy, did he l.o.v.e. his tiger stripes.  No matter how many times we hid the pens and markers, he had an innate ability to sniff them out and go to town.  I have to admit it usually made me laugh because he created some great warrior tattoos and he himself could not have been prouder. Luckily it was never something a good bath or a few days couldn't wear off.  (I know I have other pictures of more self-graffiti instances but for the life of me I can't find them.)

Jonah, with a propensity to color as well, loves to leave his mark on everything around him. Like marking his territory. His art is usually done in stealth, left to be discovered at some random time when the ink has a chance to set. We've found pen on the sofa, pencil marks all over the wood floors, permanent marker on the table and today was his gutsiest move to date-he actually colored ME with chalk as I was brushing my teeth.
Lucas grew out of his phase, graduated to paper and still loves to draw.  Jonah will hopefully move quickly to paper as well.  But I might have to repaint all the walls and refinish all my furniture before he does.

Obsessed much?

Jonah is obsessed with "Chickens."  Or what the normal world calls "Angry Birds" on the IPhone.  He craves it like a junkie, morning, noon and night.  At times, it's been the first thing out of his mouth when he wakes up from a nap. 

It all began so innocently.  A last ditch effort to entertain him while I was in the doctor's office and then again at the grocery store.  It has turned into a full blown obsession that borders on needing an intervention.   And he can't even really play it.  All his birds end up flying backwards just knocking themselves out.   But he doesn't seem to mind.  He navigates himself around the game well enough to satisfy his delusion that he. is. awesome.   

I remember when we first got Atari and thought Pong was the ultimate in games. 

Yep. I am old.  And our two year old is a gaming junkie.

Why swim diapers were invented

{Something's peekin'!}

It's no secret I am not a lover of Seattle winters and for some reason this winter especially I've been day dreaming of sun and warmth, backyard pools and dripping diapers.   I think it's because the wet winter puts a damper on my house projects.  It's too cold and too wet to do much with my BFF, aka spray paint.  I have a chandelier, a jewelry box, a table and numerous frames just waiting in the wings for their makeovers.  But I don't have room or the energy to get them beautified.   SAD is a real thing my friends, especially when the winter gets between me and my makeovers.

Out of creative desperation, I did make myself get out this week and got a few projects going that didn't include spray paint and I should finish them this weekend. If they are any where near presentable (one is pretty far out there for me) I will post them.

Until then , I hope you enjoy memories of sunny yet soggy bums that make me smile.  

Bucket List

I never realized this was on my bucket list until we decided to go.  I grew up watching the commercials and then when they came Seattle, the commercials still didn't really even register with me.  But now that we have an 11 year old boy who does "register" with sports, especially basketball, and who couldn't stop talking about them, I realized I have always wanted to see them too.  And "them" are the Harlem Globetrotters!  I mean, who really wouldn't want to see these American icons?! (Except maybe my father-in-law :)

We decided  to go for it and instead of a birthday party this year, Lucas could invite some friends.  When the time came, I was just as excited as all the 11 year old boys that came with us.  We got a babysitter for Monkey Boots (that's his new nickname because all he wants to wear are the rubber boots the Friess' got him for Christmas, yep they have monkeys on them) and that made a huge difference in parental enjoyment. 

                                     

It was actually a great show and a super fun afternoon.  And who would have thought it would be something I could cross off my "Before I Die" list.  I sure didn't.  But there you go. Life is full of surprises.

Like I said...Style with a capitol S

Accessorize with the swim trunks.  Genius.

(Seriously, he loves them and has been wearing them on his head daily.)

A Boy & His Blankie

Maybe it was something I did or it was because both our boys were major spitter-uppers, but they both latched on to these cloth diapers as their blankies.  And I have to say, I love it.   Most kids have something like a blankie of some sorts, but this way I have 20 of them, one is always clean and if we lose some we can always buy more.  I am always covered.
When we're out and about, his favorite way to wear his security blanket is around his neck.  He asks, "Tight?  Tight?" and wants me to tie it around his neck, ascot-style.  Maybe it's to keep his hands free for toddler destruction or he just likes the Fred Astaire look.  Man's got style, what can I say? (I do have admit I lost a little respect for dear Fred when I saw him playing a villian on a rerun of Battlestar Galactica. Fred Astaire in cheesy 80's space travel just does NOT have a place in my brain.)

Like Lucas, Jonah is also a huge pacifier man and does not want to live without it.  I am slowly trying to wean him from this security appendage but if he is anything like his brother, this is going to be a battle.

For now I 'll let him have his comfort. Life is hard enough. And who couldn't use a little snuggle that makes everything right with the world?

Top Tens

Top Ten items we have discovered in our VCR this month

10. Graham crackers

9. My debit card
8. My insurance card
7. Entire puzzle worth of puzzle pieces
6. Matchbox cars
5. A brotherhood of "Lego guys"
4. TV Remote
3. Toy Car
2. Pacifier
And my very personal favorite...

1. An entire wooden back scratcher.  I must admit we were all impressed with that feat.  And yes, we need to move the VCR.

Top Ten Sayings from Jonah this month

 (Nothing is ever just said, it is exclaimed!)

10. "Gotcha!!" as he throws himself on your back and grabs you around the neck
9. "Turn a'wound! Turn a'wound!!" is cried every time we turn from 99 on to Westminster Road. I think it's because he knows we're going home and LOVES being out and about.
8. "Mommy, great song!" is declared after listening to Primary songs in the car, especially "Scripture Power"
7. "Bye Cotton.  See ya later.  Be back soon."  And then a kiss is blown whenever we leave the house.
6. "I wanna baff!" (bath) I hear this at least 4x a day, even if he's already had one. This kid would live in the bathtub if I let him.
5. "Come on, Mommy. Show you!" said to me all day long as he finds my ring finger, always my ring finger, and pulls me to whatever he has to show me.

4. "Trucks!  Nemo!"  The only two movies he wants to watch.  Richard Scarry's Busy Town and Finding Nemo.
3. "He'p! He'p! (Help!) Save Jonah!"  is yelled as he dangles his legs over the side of the bed or couch.  He loves to be saved.
2. "Where's Jonah?  I hiding!" right after he throws the blanket off because he can't hide for more than 4 seconds.
1."No, Mommy!  Stop it!  He'p! He'p!" as I lay him down for his nap every day.  After I get him down he falls unconscious but he fights it every step of the way.

He keeps us laughing and cuddling and enjoying life.

What a crazy joy!

Our kid

This is the kid who, once told we were going to the library, hung onto my leg and cried "Library! Library!" as I brushed my teeth. Cried "Library! Go!" as I got dressed and scarfed down some breakfast. The same kid who, as I finally rushed around to find my keys, my arms full of books and door open, decided



 "I want a shower!"

This is the kind of kid who screams in the library bathroom as I change his diaper because he loves to hear his echo.

The kind of kid who won't sit quietly like ALL the other kids in story time and has to rummage through the librarian's play mailbox as she tries to read a story.  I am the mother sitting there wondering if it's more disruptive to just let him play or go up to the front and make a scene.

He is the one kid who is climbing under the table and thinks it's hilarious to scatter around the art supplies.

He's the kind of child who won't participate with the other kids in the bean bag song, but has to pull out the librarian's bongo drum and play it as loud as he can in the middle of the floor.

He's the one who runs around pulling all the stuffed animals off the shelves and screams as I try to make him pick them up.

He's the kid whose mother leaves early from story time. 

He's the one kid who plays dead and goes completely limp as I gather up another armful of books and say it's time to go home.

He's the kind of kid whose mother is ready for nap.