A Night on the Town

Liam's got a thing about peeling his crayons.

Big Boy Pants

Liam and I hung out this weekend, as I had thee whole days off from the shop. We decided to work on potty-training...

BOO-yah!

Whirl-E-Bird

From now on helicopters shall be called "hepperpoppers".  That is all.

We Play Hard; We Sleep Hard

Peas in the Nose

Dear Diary,

Today I put a pea in my nose and shoved it up so far Mommy couldn't even see it.  She made me blow my nose 3 times before I took a GIANT breath and blew it and some boogers into Mommy's hand.

I wonder what else I can fit up my nose?

Love,
Liam

Un-Birthday

We had an un-birthday party today for Liam.  Mostly it was just an excuse to have some good friends over and eat delicious food.  (I am still bitter that I made 24 empanadas for 10 adults, and I only got to eat 1.)  (I will be bitter for awhile - those were yummy yummy.)

Matt and Laura brought a gift for Liam - a set of firehouse / fire truck / fireman Duplos.  He played with those things all day... and all night too!  He played with them until 8:15pm when we finally gave up and put him in the tub...

...but not before he added his Duplos.

And then they came to story time too, and they sat on the bedside table while we read books.

Speaking of books, our friend Penny got to come for awhile today as well.  She and Laura and I had lots of fun making the empanadas - I love those Ladies!  Penny also brought a present for Liam - a hardcover collection of P.D. Eastman beginner reader books.  So far today we have read "Go, Dog, Go!"... TWICE... and "Put Me in the Zoo."

It was a good day.  An exhausting day, which resulted in all three of us passing out once people left.  And sometimes those are the BEST days.  :)

Skipping Stones

Need: child-sized Muck boots.

Voracious Reader

Liam got some digger books from Mamaw for his birthday. He likes them so much he even takes them to bed.

He reads those books so hard, you might even say he DEVOURS them!

(Aunt Bethy, close your eyes...)

Tractor Love

Liam brought his tractor to nap time today.

Because It's Thursday

Mamaw & Papaw's House ROCKS

So we went to the drive-in on the 23rd of March.  On the 24th (Saturday), Mamaw and Papaw came to visit while Daddy and I worked on moving cafe equipment to Bedford.  We had more stuff to move on Sunday and so we sent Liam up to spend the night and the next day at Mamaw and Papaw's house.

We didn't get too many details on the weekend's activities, but we did get some pictures:

Mamaw and Papaw, wanna fill us in for posterity's sake?

Hunger Games

We went to the drive-in movie theater last weekend with our friends Matt, Laura, and Gatsby the giant St. Bernard.  It was Liam's first trip to the drive-in (or any movie, for that matter), my first time, and the first time in a LONG time for Daddy.  It... did not go well.

First of all, earlier in the evening there were terrible storms that had gone through.  Our other friend Laura had been driving south to Bedford and reported seeing three big funnel clouds coming down from the sky, very close to the theater.  Anyone who knows me knows that when I have nightmares, they are about tornadoes.  I've never seen one, and if I ever do I will very likely poop my pants.

By the time we got to the theater, the storms had cleared.  However, there was still a good lightning show  going on in the distance and threatening clouds overhead.  Still, we laid out our blankets in the back of the truck and hoped for the best.

The feature movie was The Hunger Games.  We have not read the books.  We should have.  It made little sense to us.  That being said, I hear the books are pretty good!  If you like reading about kids killing each other for some kind of sport?  Umm... let me know when they finally make a movie out of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

Liam behaved about as well as expected.  He had no interest in the movie, which, of course not - he's two.  And it was past bedtime and we wanted him to sit still and quiet and he didn't want to.  When he gets tired he gets crazy-wild and unmanageable.  We ended up taking him for walks so he wouldn't jump around in the truck bed yelling.  He fell asleep on Daddy's shoulder on the second walk, and slept the rest of the movie passed out in his carseat.  Finally, some peace!

In conclusion, I would go to the drive-in again if we had a sitter.  Or if there was a kids' movie playing so that Liam could yell as much as he wanted and the other parents would all be like, "Yeah, that's ok, our kid is a wild monkey too."

Phil & Amy, Sitting in a Tree

We have had a jam-packed couple of weeks here.  Wedding, cousins, school pictures, storms, drive-in movies, coffee shop, Mamaw & Papaw, birthdays...

Let's start with a wedding.

Last weekend my cousin Phil got married, and Liam, Daddy, Mamaw, Papaw and I all piled in our car and drove north.  This was a very posh wedding, and children were not invited.  Since the wedding was in Naperville and since Great-Grandma Mary and Aunt Celeste and Uncle Roger and cousins Jake and Andy all live in Naperville, Mamaw and Papaw came along to visit with the family and watch Liam while Mommy and Daddy partied.

On arriving in Naperville, we ate lunch with Papaw's family at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant - Clara's, in Woodridge, where the pasta is made fresh.  I had a bowl of radiatore with vodka cream sauce (vodka creammmmmm...).  It is a good thing it was a ridiculously huge bowl because after he munched on bread, and after he fished all the noodles out of his minestrone, Liam decided to help himself to my pasta!  That kid loves himself some noodles.

We went back to Great-Grandma Mary's to visit with her and Aunt Celeste, then we hurried back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

Then we got lost on the way to the wedding.

But we found our way back, just in time!

Cousin Phil is in the Air Force Reserves and so there were lots of guests and groomsmen in uniform.  Which was very beautiful to see.  The ceremony was pleasant... casual... I think the pastor was a hippy.  Takes all kinds, eh?  And then the honor guard gave new-cousin-Amy a spanking on the way back down the aisle, as a welcome to the Air Force family.

Then it was time to PAR-TAY!

No, wait.  Then it was time to EAT.  And boy, did we eat.  We started with a potato soup, then moved on to salads, then a pineapple sorbet.  To cleanse our palates.  I had to ask the server.  Then I was full, but we moved on to the main course anyway.  Sides of baked sliced potatoes, steamed carrots and asparagus, and chicken piccata AND beef filet.  It was so good, but it was way too much food!  Oh, and don't forget dessert!  Aunt Colleen made the gorgeous cake - red velvet and almond poppyseed - and there was ice cream on the side.  I was about to burst, so I just had a coffee.  I should have had the cake!

And dancing.  Oh, the dancing!  Daddy danced with me all night long!  So wonderful.  A few hours later Amy's mom (who works and McD's) ordered 150 burgers for those people who'd worked up an appetite dancing.  Yeah, right.

We got back to the hotel at midnight, and Liam had just fallen asleep in Mamaw and Papaw's room.  Daddy and I went back to our room and directly passed out.

The next morning we woke up and met all of my family downstairs for breakfast, and we all sat in the lobby and visited.  It was wonderful!  (We sat with Christina, her husband Tony, and their new baby Ethan at the reception - they just moved to Columbus for his job at Cummins.)  We left around noon, stopped at Fair Oaks Farms for lunch, and was home by evening.

It was a whirlwind trip (they always are), but it was well worth the trip.  I can't wait until the next time we all get together!

Grandma J, Liam, me, and Great Grandma Biwer

Ashton, Ethan, Christina, Brittani, and Liam

The Gravity of the Situation

Who has two thumbs and is a slacker?

THIS GIRL!

I feel like I should have updates on the kid.  Or pictures.  Or something.  Let's see what I can think of...

Well, we took the front off his crib, so now he can climb in and out.  Also, roll out during the night.  Ok, so that only happened the first night.  He was more surpised than anything, as I found him on all fours, whimper-crying.   I helped him back into bed, and he directly fell asleep.

The second night, he woke up at 6am.  I woke up to him calling, "Ee!  Ee!  Ee!"  I went to investigate, only to find he was not in his bed!  I found him standing in the hall between the front door and the dining room, in the dark, asking for something to eat.

Then we got a baby gate.

Then we got a baby gate that fit the doorway.

No more rolling out of bed, no more trips down the hall in the dark... I think we've got this down!

And just in case, we piled up some nice soft pillows along the side of his bed.

Of course, now he's figured out that if he calls, "Potty!  Potty!" we will let him out of bed after his is tucked in.  Usually he does actually go potty - it would just be nice if he did it before being put to bed.

Oh well - at least he's smart.

He has a real eye for photography.

So we were lucky enough to have breakfast for dinner tonight.  Mommy and Liam made lemon poppy seed pancakes.  Liam is starting to become a pretty good helper.



 First, you mix it all together.

 Then you stir it.

 And stir it some more.

 MMMMM...those look yummy!

Hi Mommy!

 Liam REALLY liked the strawberry topping Mommy made!

 After dinner, Liam practiced for his future job in Mommy's cafe, and poured us all some coffee.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the photographs that Liam took this afternoon.

 Ha "eye" for photography! Get it?

 Ode to sweatshirt.

 Blue carpet in afternoon light.

 Smelling smelly dog.

 One blue left, one brown right.

 Who needs focus?

Cheese!

That's all the art for now.  Tune in later for more work from a future master.

Climbing the Monkey Bars, Part II

We had two more break-outs today.

Any suggestions for keeping him contained?  We want to keep him in his crib as long as possible.  Or is it just time to try a big kid's bed?

Climbing the Monkey Bars

Liam is sick this week.  Or rather, he has a snotty nose and is generally in a tired and crabby mood.  I put him in his crib this afternoon and he spent a good 20 minutes screaming and crying to be let out.  Ok, so I'm a sucker and let him out.

But only for a little while!

After his break from the pokey it was time to go back and try again.  Sometimes we get lucky and he lies right down.  Not so today.  More crying!  More screaming!  Oh, the humanity!  "Mother, life is so unfaaaaairrr!"

Meanwhile, I retreated down the hall to give him some time to settle down.

And then he settled down.  No more crying.  No more screaming.  "That was fast," I thought to myself.

But wait, what is that noise?  Breathing?  In the hallway?  Did he...?

And then a little head peeked around the corner.  He smiled a sheepish smile as if to say, "Heh.  Hey Mom.  Guess what I just did?"

Yup, our kid monkeyed his way out of his crib.

I took him back down the hall and put him in his bed.  He pointed at his book - I gave it to him.  He pointed at his water - I gave it to him.  He pointed at his babies, his tractor, his blankets - I gave all of these to him (all of which he threw out of his bed 10 minutes earlier, by the way), and he lay down and closed his eyes for a nap.

I shall never understand this child.

I Hope You're Not Allergic to Peanuts...

Although if you weren't before, you may be now:

Well, at least he cleaned his plate...

...with his hair.

Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  Liam went to play school in the afternoon, had a V-Day party with his friends, and came home with a bag of Valentines Day cards and treats.

We looked at the cards again this morning before breakfast.  Liam sorted out and lined up the three Winnie-the-Pooh cards, then pointed out that they all had a Piglet on them.

Then he put a whole package of gummy bears in his mouth at once. It's ok! They were organic! That means they're HEALTHY, right?! No? Oh well. Daddy's not home, so we're going to do whatever we want.

Liam would like you to know he got a "beu monter tuck."

 "Hope you had a MONSTER of a day!"
 *groan*

Happy late Valentine's Day!  Now I'm going to go eat some chocolate as a replacement for my absent husband.  It's not really a fair trade, but we don't have any beef cakes in the house.

Ain't No Sunshine When He's Gone

Daddy's gone this week.  AGAIN.  This week is going to be the longest he's been gone, as he flew out Sunday night and doesn't get home until Friday.  Today is Monday.  We've got a lot of time to fill.

And here is what we did today:

Put cereal up our noses.  Ok, actually only Liam did this.

Cleaned out the kitchen cupboards.  Don't YOU like cooking in an obstacle course?

Baked whole wheat pumpkin muffins and bread.  Which turned out really short because half of the batter was in the muffins.  Liam is getting much better at being an assistant though - he only put his hand in the batter twice!

Ok, this wasn't today - it was a week or two ago, but it was really really good.  It was a BLT with a fried egg (I die!), avocado, and chipotle mayo.  Oh, man was it ever good....

Dr. Teeth

Liam hates to have his teeth brushed.  I mean seriously hates it, with the fire of a thousand suns. 

Our bedtime routine includes toothbrushing, and he will only willingly put the brush in his mouth long enough to suck off the tiny bit of toothpaste we grant him.  Then he proceeds to brush the pillow, or little lamb, or one of his books.  But not his teeth.

We beg and plead and definitely give him a chance to brush his teeth peacefully, but this struggle usually devolves into one of us laying him flat on the bed, and straddling him in order to pin his arms down.  Then the other one holds his head still and together we try to pry his mouth open and sweep the brush quickly over his teeth, all the while trying not to get bitten.

It is awful.

Today I took Liam to his very first dentist appointment.   I expected the worst, and for good reason, obviously.

This child - THIS CHILD - made a complete fool out of me.  He sat in the big chair all by himself.  He opened his mouth wide.  He let the dental hygenist put a mirror in his mouth.  He opened his mouth wide and let her brush his teeth - ALL of his teeth.  For a good two minutes.  He let her floss his teeth. (HE FRAKING LET HER FLOSS HIS TEETH. ARE YOU EVEN KIDDING ME?)  He let her brush his teeth again.  And he didn't make a peep. 

I sat there, aghast, thinking I had perhaps stumbled into a parallel universe where my child was actually well-behaved and cooperative.  It was confusing and wonderful.  I want to go back to there.

Then the dentist came in and he freaked out.  "That's more like it," I thought.  Until he settled down and let the dentist stick another mirror in there.  Let him stick his fingers in his mouth and poke around (and DIDN'T bite him).  Opened and closed his jaw on command.

Who was this kid!?

They sent us home with a new toothbrush and some dental floss.  I told the hygenist we expected her at our house at bedtime, because she is apparently magic.  Also, I'd like to keep all my fingers.

Ridiculous.

Fashionisto

Liam has a highly developed sense of fashion.

Exhibit A: Jammies and snow boots

Exhibit B: Hunting hat, accessorized with lap quilt and dump truck

Nature is Fluffy... and Kind of Ugly

Yesterday we watched this video:



Liam was concerned that the owl was eating mice, so I explained how some animals eat smaller ones; owls happen to eat mice.  He decided that was alright.

Now if you ask him, "Liam what does the owl say to the mouse?" he will tell you...

"Bye, mowsh!"

Disgusting, But It Was Sure to Happen Some Time...

Today Liam pooped.  Not so out of the ordinary.  But this was new...

Liam:  *grunt...grunt...grunt*

Mommy, calling to Liam in the other room:  "Liam, did you poop?"

Liam:  "NO!"

Mommy, under her breath:  Yeah, right.

5 minutes later...

Liam:  *gigglegigglegigglegiggle*

Snickers:  *licklicklicklick*

Mommy gets up to investigate...

Mommy:  "Show me your hands...  Where did you get.... please say that is chocolate???  Ohhhhh, nooooo."

Three Days of Christmas

We're baaack!  Did you miss us?

Of course you did.  You don't have to say it - we know.

We had three days of Christmas this year, and we might finally be recovered.  Our first day was Christmas Eve, when we went to Mamaw and Papaw's house to have lunch and presents with them and Aunt Lauren, Uncle Nick and Cousin Grayson. From there we went to Christmas Eve services after supper.

But first, Liam had to put the finishing touches on Mamaw and Papaw's present.  (He got them a pack'n'play so he could stay overnight at their house.)  (Ok, so that was kind of a present for Mommy and Daddy.)  (Of which they have already made use.)  (Oh yeah!)  (Parentheses!)

They had better save this paper - it's going to be worth some money when Liam is king of the world some day.

We also needed to finish Cousin Grayson's present - a first Christmas ornament.  Liam and Mommy made some salt dough cut-out shapes, and Daddy helped Liam paint them.  And yes, that would be a tie-dyed shirt over his diaper, tied with a rubber band in the back like a tail.  Liam drove Daddy crazy by asking for blue paint, telling him it was wrong, then proceeding to ask for blue again.  And again.  And again.

We're cheap crafty.

At Christmas Eve Liam got a backpack from Cousin Grayson, which he loves.  But he especially loves the Tractor Day book that was inside.  He calls it "Tratur! - DEEEE tratur!"  We read it every night.

Other presents?  What?

Mamaw and Papaw also gave him a little tent with a tunnel.  This is the tunnel.

And this is what happened when we brought the tunnel home:

Hey, who turned out the lights!?

 It was then relegated to the hallway.

The next morning was Christmas.  We stayed home.  It was lovely.  It was relaxing.  It was perfect.

First thing when we woke up, Liam padded down the hall and found his first present, a play kitchen.

Even before we opened the rest of the presents, Liam had to make us some breakfast.  Mmmm... Chocolate, fennel bulb, pickle, pear, chicken, and bread.  It doesn't get much better than that!

Great Memaw got the boys miniature tractors.  Liam likes to chew on the rubber wheels until they come off in his mouth.  We still have not found one of the two front wheels.  What's that you say?  Did he pass it?  Uh, we don't care that much about finding out.

Liam also got a toy vacuum.  At least one person in this family should learn how to use one!

Run Snickers!!

After presents, Mommy made pancakes.  Since it was a special day, we ate in the living room and watched the Muppet Christmas Carol. 

Oh yeah, this is also one of his favorite presents from Mamaw and Papaw - a toy instrument set.  It's really a great set, with drumsticks, maracas, cymbals, a trumpet that plays three notes, castanets, and a whistle.  Our family band time can get pretty noisy though...

That tent stayed in the hallway for quite a few days.  Liam took to vacuuming it.  Which is nice, because then Mommy didn't have to.

The tent has since moved to Liam's room, where he reads books with his stuffed animals.

Back to Christmas!  On the 26th we went to Great-Memaw's house to celebrate with the aunts and uncles and cousins.  Liam and AJ made friends, and even shared the toy cars... once in awhile.

Race you for pinks?

The four boys (three 2-year olds and a 3-year old) sat at the kids' table.  It was chaos waiting to happen.

Sure, they LOOK innocent now...

And then chaos happened, complete with crying (Owen) over spilled milk (Liam!).  But the noodles more than made up for it.  "Boo-doo!  Boo-doo boo-doo boo-doo!" says Liam.

We did presents after lunch.  There are no pictures of this, because with 6 boys 3 years and under, presents were done in about 4.2 seconds.  How did Liam like that?  Wellll... he kind of forgot about opening his own presents, and instead wanted to steal the other boys' new toys.  Mommy was embarrassed.

The boys began hitting walls, so we quick took family pictures with Great-Memaw.

Again, they just LOOK innocent.

And of course there was Cousin Grayson, with whom Liam is in love.  These two are going to be big trouble when they get older!

How was YOUR Christmas?