May Day

Sam - since I treat this blog as a babybook of sorts, I have to record these somewhat banal updates, and please forgive...
a) Sam has slept through the night for almost a week!!!!
b) this morning he ripped off his diaper and pooped in the potty - all on his own accord!
c) his vocabulary and sentences expand daily - but the funniest thing remains his 100 different ways to say "yes," which includes "Rar," "Rah," "Yez," "Yeah," "Jes," and more.

Josephine, meanwhile, has begun to... talk about herself in third person. I can hear her whispering to herself about herself as she does things: "And then Josephine opened the door. She looked inside..." She's NARRATING her life. Now, I remember doing this when I was about 8 years old - I'd read so many books, and I was often convinced I would be the subject of one. But I'm hilariously surprised at her doing this so young! It's soooo funny. And hopefully not a sign that she's narcisstic...

Lately, she's obsessed with death. "When will you die, Mama?" she asked me yesterday morning. I've also been asked to explain The Beginning of the World, Where is the Air, why the Sun gives Energy, and other items that I basically do not have any clue how to answer.


Gift update: I forgot to mention in my Wish List for the Kids a) art supplies (paper, glue, glitter, paint - they go through like crazy) and b) sheet sets, twin size. No Disney, please!

Presents

If you're wondering what the kids want/need, here's a couple ideas (pitches, beggings):

- Kid science books: Josephine is constantly asking about the nature of air and everything else; we've been discussing solid/gas/liquid and watching ice; but it would sure be great to have more materials, esp. since I don't always remember...

- They Might Be Giants also has a couple albums, science-related, for kids, that would be really fun

- Swim passes for the summer (about 20 something)

- Ballet/dance classes for the fall (about 45 for six weeks)

Thanks!

Josephine IS a Flower Name

Yes, it's true! I overheard at the local Southern States a lady discussing the Josephine strain of clematis - and I went beserk!

Jo is thrilled that her name is a flower name - she loves flower fairies, flowers - and we just looked it up - and yes, yes, it IS PINK!!

Actually quite wild-looking - the middle park fluffs open in May.

Quite fun, and maybe I can find her one...

I Wuv Oo

There's nothing as sweet as waking up to your little two-year-old quietly padding to your bedside, putting his head beside yours, and whispering, "Mommy, I Wuv Ooo." And then giving you a big kiss. And because he's two, doing it all over again a couple more times.

It's good to have these moments, because they fortify a person so that later when this same sweet boy is screaming about having to leave his new Spiderman swim shorts at home, well, you have a layer of sweetness to bolster your patience.

Josephine, meanwhile, is challenging my somewhat cursory knowledge of science: In the past weeks, I've been asked to explain - in factual detail - condensation ("Why do grapes turn into raisins? How? How does the sun dry things up? Why don't WE dry up in the sun?"), mold ("Why does it grow? What is it?"), the lifecycle of dandelions, how bladders work, germ theory, the difference between motor scooters, motorcycles, and motorized scooters, why wind happens, why rain happens, what causes thunder and lightning, when and why people will die, the ins and outs of poison ivy reactions, etc. Her mind is constantly curious about the workings and reasons behind EVERYTHING. Which is great, except I find myself struggling to recall middle school Earth science...

I've been delighted that in the past few weeks, babysitters and strangers alike have commented alike on how well-behaved Jo and Sam are, and how well they get along. I feel proud to have such sweethearts who play well together - even if it's only when they're being watched by others...

Spring and Easter 2010

These kind of go in reverse order... as you can see, I got Jo in a pair of overalls by offering the treat of being Sam's twin... Sam's friends dressed in a dress-up dress... Jo in her adorable handmade bunny ears examining eggs...

Ballerina

Some ballerina pics - our friend visiting to babysit - and Jo right when she was starting to get ill... she's got a high fever... but she sure did love dancing!

He's MY Baby

- The latest great thing is that Josephine says about Sam, "He's MY baby!" and she hugs and cuddles him and he LOVES it - they are so cute together - she still envisions him going to live in Australia, as she told me the other day - but she adores him. So sweet...

-Jo's "imagination friend"'s name is Rocky Rocky!

- Mommy, why do you have to keep eating?
- What do you mean?
- Are you going to get bigger?
(Pretty good question, since I'm always telling her to eat so she can grow!)

- Mommy, are coffee and tea the same thing?
- Well, no, good question, but coffee comes from coffee beans, and tea comes from tea leaves, but they do both get made with hot water.
- Oh. So the beans and leaves are their parents?

- Mommy, how do you die?