Conversations in the Car

Thatcher: "Mommy, can we play gob (golf) today?"
Danielle: "Thatcher, I'm afraid it's going to be too hot to play golf today."
Thatcher: "Mommy, some gobers (golfers) play gob when it is really hot outside. You know that."

Upon hearing Hadley ask for "more" fruit snacks for the 457th time in 10 minutes, Thatcher replies, "Hadley, they're all gone. I told you that three times."

Hadley upon reading her new book, "The Shy Little Kitten:" Ki-kat, ki-kat, ki-kat, ki-kat." Hadley upon dropping her new book: "Book, book, book, book, book. Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy. Book, book, book, book, book." Hadley after I hand her the dropped book: "Ki-kat, ki-kat, ki-kat, ki-kat." Repeat conversation in its entirety until arriving home some 20 minutes later.''

Thatcher to our pediatrician, Dr. Reilly, (not to mention his Sunday School teachers and anyone else who will listen): "We went to Disney for vacation. While we were there, my granddaughter ate a bug. It was stinky and disgusting." For the record, I have no idea who his granddaughter is or why she is eating bugs.

The End of an Era

Upon reviewing my children's postings--or lack thereof--on their blogs, I've made the executive decision to take over their blogging responsibilities. It would seem that Thatcher and Hadley are simply too overwhelmed with their hectic summer schedules and travel plans to maintain a steady writing regimen. They've fallen down on their duties, and I confess that I am, perhaps, partly to blame. The kids have taken to using Facebook to convey their summer antics, leaving the average "Jam Master T" and "Hadley's Happenings" reader to wonder just what those little munchkins have been up to since their last postings in May. How else would you know that five weeks ago, Chad called a first ever "Family Meeting" to ask Thatcher (and the rest of us) if we would like to go on a Disney vacation in a few weeks? How would you know that the kids are obsessed with playing golf at all hours of the day? How would you know that Hadley's vocabulary is expanding at an alarming rate - and that Thatcher, the boy who didn't speak until he was 2 1/2, rarely stops talking?

So, at least for now, the kids are signing off of the blogs and letting mommy take over. Besides, my computer has far too many little fingerprint smudges all over it to let them continue typing on it much longer. You'll still get the same Thatcherisms and updates on Hadley's fierce determination and eating and sleeping dramas. You'll just be getting them from my perspective...from the trenches...from a sleep and caffeine deprived mom of what soon will be "three kids three and under." The blog might not be coherent, but hopefully it will appear more than once every three months. If you want more, feel free to come keep the kids so I can run away to write!

Danielle

lkuuuuu (self-typed)

It's been awhile since I have written, I know. I've been busy trying to sleep. At long last, I have settled into a sleeping routine mommy and daddy can bear. In other words, they figured out what I need in order to sleep. These things are as follows:

1. Dark. I will not go to sleep in my room unless it is dark. Don't even bother trying to put my down while it is still daylight outside. I will scream until it is dusk, at which point I will fall asleep. Seriously, don't even try it.
2. The door must be open. I like to know I'm not shut off from the rest of the world, so don't even think about closing my door. As long as you put me down when it is dark, I won't scream and you won't even know I'm drifting off to dreamland.
3. Companions. I need Buddy, my green frog, in one arm and my as-yet-to-be-named sheepdog in the other.
4. My Green Blanket. This is the latest addition to the bedtime arsenal. My Aunt Margaret gave me a green and white blanket when I was born. It is similar in texture to a blanket mommy's grandmother made for her when she was born. It's soft, snuggly, and the perfect size for a fairy like me.

If all the stars have aligned, the sun has set, my door is open, Buddy and Sheepdog are in hand, and I'm nestled under my blanket, I come dangerously close to sleeping all night. At some point, I usually come out from under my blanket, get cold, and wake up. Mommy just comes in and gives me a hug, so I lie down, let her cover me up, and go back to sleep.

Thanks to daddy, I've also started saying more words. My favorite--by far--is "kitty cat." Every thing with four legs is a "ki-cat." Winston is "Tinton" and W is "duhdah". Daddy has also taught me how to say Thatcher.

Winston and W have joined me in my battle against food. I still have eating issues. I take a bite, then give one to Winston and one to W. It drives mommy NUTS, which is an added bonus. Mommy thinks there are days when I take in no more than 2-3 tablespoons of food. Then, there are days like today when I eat some frosted mini wheats, two Chick-Fil-A chicken minis, and tatertots - all before 10AM.

PS - Just as mommy hit the "publish post" button, I emptied the contents of my stomach onto her and the couch.

Since I give Winston and W so much food, it is only fair that they let me drink out of their water bowl.

Mommy let us play in the sprinkler the other day. It was a blast. Check out all three of my teeth.

We've had so much rain that we actually had ducks in our front yard yesterday! Well, that is until I chased them off...

Jersey Boys

Mommy went to see Jersey Boys on Broadway last weekend for her birthday. When she got home, she found the soundtrack on sale for $10 at Target, so we had to buy it. Now, I'm totally into the Jersey Boys. I want to hear my song--Sherry--every time we are in the car. If I happen to hear mommy watching something Jersey Boys on You Tube, I have to stop what I'm doing so I can join her. They better be singing my song while I'm watching, too; none of this "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" nonsense. Sometimes, I forget the words to my song, so I substitute words from other songs I already know. Example: "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, come out toniiiiiiiiiiight. Jingle Bells, come out toniiiiiiiiiiiiiight." I think mommy might like it better that way.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Dying Easter Eggs at Gran's House.

Talking on Monster Truck Telephones with Aunt Sherri

Going through Hadley's Easter basket and wondering why she got Peeps and I didn't. "Easter Bunny bring Hadwee Peeps. Easter Bunny not bring me Peeps. (Incredulously,) I love Peeps." My shock over the Easter Bunny's clear oversight remains one of the most hilarious things mommy has ever heard.

I'm going through a "clothing optional" phase.

Postcards from April

While in Atlanta, I fell in love with babies. Anytime we were out and I saw them, I had to have them - as many as my arms could hold. They cannot be wearing hats, though. All of the babies you buy come with hats. I hate them. My children will NEVER wear them (probably because they will have lots of hair like their mommy).

Mommy and Thatcher dyed Easter Eggs without me. To protest, I stealthily went into the spice cabinet, found gran's food coloring, pulled out the blue dye, and chugged it. That'll teach them not to dye eggs without me.

Chocolate...The Easter Bunny brought me chocolate!!!

In my Easter finery at Granddaddy's

Posing for the Cameras

Difficult

Difficult seems to be the word of the day lately. Hadley is a difficult sleeper. Hadley is a difficult eater. Hadley is being difficult at nap time. Can you blame me for not blogging when I'm so busy being difficult?


Frankly, I don't buy into all the hype. I think I'm perfectly charming. I laugh all the time (when I'm not screaming, that is), and point to things I need and want. I really try to focus on tending to others' needs. For example, I spend countless moments trying to exercise the boys by chasing them, grabbing their tails, and attempting in vain to turn them into ponies. Whenever mommy is reading Thatcher a book, I don't take it personally. There is no way they could have known which book I wanted, so I'll get it, climb into mommy's lap and "persuade" them that my choice is clearly the better one.

Speaking of climbing, did I mention that I'm going to scale Everest by the time I'm two if I keep going at the same rate? I climb into my high chair. I climb onto the kitchen table (and dance on it). I LOVE to climb.

I'm also trying to talk. Gran discovered that my first non-mommy/daddy word was (drum roll, please): Thomas - or "Tah-es" as I like to say. Daddy has been teaching me how to say kitty cat (ki-cat), while mommy has taught me how to say "bird" (bud). Of course, I can say Winston (Dinton) and W (Duhda), too.

So, you tell me...difficult or delightful? I'll let you be the judge.