Some Sam

Summer Haircut

Haircut: She asked for one, and I obliged!

This is Jo wrapping the "yoga mat" around her head (actually kitchen rubber stuff):
"I'm getting married..."
"To whom?"
"hee hee hee...: DADDY."

Making Faces Together

Describing Politics to a 2 Year Old

I show her the Obama sticker - we've just left the rally (free food at the park across the street, yum).
Obana?
Yes, he's a man who wants to be president. Of our country.
Our country?
Yes, the country we live in.
We live in?
America.
Am-er-ica?
Yes.
Ok.

Later: What is it?
Obama.
Obana?
Yes. He will maybe be president. He will try.
Pres-dent?
Yes, in charge. We will all vote - choose - who gets to be in charge of our country.
Ok.

Later: He maybe pee in potty?
Who, Obama?
Yes.

Lily's Birthday Party

Lily and friends in their flower fairy crowns!




Sam's delight was chilling with Daddy while watching the bubbling fish tank.







1) Sam sneezed. "Does he have the hiccups?" I asked, mishearing.
Jo: "No, he has the 'Bless Yous'!"

2) To Daddy: "I grow up, I get bigger bigger - I get boobs. PURPLE boobs!"

3) Sam has discovered his toes. And he reminds me of an elephant. This is probably because I just read Water for Elephants, featuring an elephant; while reading descriptions of an agile, sensitive trunk, I had a baby foot similarly probing and curious, more like a trunk than a foot, at my elbow.

A Story While We Were Painting

Jo: You and me, We lived in a monkra.

Me: A monkra? What's that? (jokingly) A place where monks live?

Jo: Yes.

Me: oh. We were monks?

Jo: No. We were good people. We were not bad people. We lived near the jungle. And elephants lived there. An elephant was asleep. Then he woke up and saw the night sky.

And there were dogs, too. The dogs and the elephants were friends. And they were good elephants and good dogs, not bad, in the jungle. Ha ha ha!

The Latest and Greatest

So, it's been a while since I've posted on here about the kids... the move has really taken a toll on me and my ability to do anything extracurricular... We love the new house; I can't wait to share photos of my crazy painting of the walls; I feel soooo at home here; and meanwhile, both Jo and Sam are both growing and expanding and learning like crazy.

So here's a few things I've wanted to note about Jo...

1. About Sam, waving his foot around (he's quite dexterous with his feet): His foot is making music on his body. His foot is singing.

2. While getting a diaper change, cream and powder applied: Cream and powder are friends!
Yep - that's one way to look at it.

3. Currently wants to have a pink pirate birthday party and wants to be a pink monkey for Halloween. Knows her birthday is in October, but keeps saying she's getting a 'new birthday in June!'

4. Reading the story Thumbelina, who gets a broken heart when the bird seems to be dead. Jo said: Heart broken?
Yes. But then it gets fixed.
Bird go down through her throat? Fix her heart?

Mother stutters, not knowing how to explain this concept...

5. Boy tries to play with her on playground - she pushes his dump truck away, saying: "I'm having time to myself. I'm having space." Hmm... where in the world could she have heard that from???

6. Playing with Daddy, she roars like a lion. He mimics being scared.
She says, "Don't be scared. Just pretend (tend) lion!" Very sweetly concerned for her dad.

7. Jo can count to 10; she can pick out numbers (like 5 books at bedtime); she drew an "L" today and said "an L for Lily!"; she knows a "J" "is for me!"; she's extremely astute with memory and story, as in noticing pieces of a story that will recur later, hard to explain but very interesting; is learning how to use the word "interesting."

Yes, the pic above is her with brother Henry... she adores him...

Crowing, Cooing: Sam as Howler Monkey

"He likes to play, doesn't he?" asked our new doctor at Sam's four-month checkup. The answer is YES. He loves to be tickled, he loves to laugh, especially loves it when I chant and sing, and mostly, right now, he loves to do vocal scales that rise to ear-splitting squeals, earning him the monikers Howler Monkey and Howard Dean (that's all Daddy...)... He's 15 1/2 pounds, adores his sister, can pinch and kick and roll over and is trying very hard to sit up. Loves to cuddle. Still no hair. Loves to kick on air and in the water. Gets compliments for his beautiful head.