Another Averyism

Avery was helping me pick up the kitchen while Dono was taking a nap and found Tiffany's "Deceptively Delicious" book. She looked at me and said "I knew it! I knew Mommy was secretly putting growing food in my sugar!"

Busted!

Day 2

We've made it to day two of Tiffany's NY trip and actually made it to church this morning (no, not exactly on time, but close). Here's a picture of the two of them afterward:

We got lots of compliments for how well we were color coordinated, Daddy wore his purple tie too. Mom would be proud.

Then there are moments like these, where Dono is trying on Avery's shoes, that might make any dad wonder about his son's future. I think we're going to go get some G.I. Joe stuff from Target tomorrow, and I'm thinking about getting him a tatoo. Too young? Maybe. At least some beef jerky and a NASCAR jacket.

Big Apple

Tiffany's in New York this weekend seeing Clay Aiken in Spamalot . Just kidding, she's seeing Wicked. Wait a second, I think I was supposed to say that she was seing Wicked just so people wouldn't know she's seeing Spamalot with Clay Aiken. Oh well. That's why you don't ask husbands to keep secrets.

Her being away means I'm home with the kiddos. So far so good: no stitches, kids actually had four meals, and got to bed at a reasonable time. Not too shabby. I'd have photos for you, but there are two good reasons why I'm not going to: 1) I think Tiffany took the camera to NY, and 2) there's no good reason I can think of to provide photographic evidence of what the house looks like with Dad in charge. Good thing we have two more days before T gets back, we should be able to recover.

Another funny thing happened while we were saying prayers tonight. Avery thanked Heavenly Father for America. Patriotic? Darn straight, we teach 'em early in this house.

24 hours to go!

Scott has been in India for the past 9 days. He is coming home tomorrow! If you read this from the other side of the world, we can't wait to see you, Big Daddy!
xoxoxoxo

Caterpillars

Today, I took my kids to the park. Avery had a great time walking around and picking up caterpillars. Donovan had a great time trying to break his neck on the playground equipment built for 12 year olds. When it was time to go, Avery approached me and told me that she wanted to take her two special caterpillars home. She had one in each hand. I told her no, that I knew they would get dropped in the car, and I didn't really want caterpillars anyway. She started begging, and I told her very calmly that caterpillars live outside and how would she like it if someone came and took her out of her home and took them to their home. She immediately started sobbing and told me that the caterpillars would be lonely and how would *I* like it if I had to live alone outside in the park. She professed her love to these caterpillars, telling me how special they were to her, how she would carefully hold one in each hand all the way home and wouldn't drop or squish a single one until we got home when she could put them into a jar and watch them build a cocoon and turn into beautiful butterflies.

We now have two caterpillars lost somewhere in our car.

I think I could be a pioneer. At the very least, I think I have made my pioneer ancestors proud of me this week. We have a garden plot through the city. Someday, I hope to live in a place where we can garden in our own back yard like most of America, but for now, we rent a city plot for $40 per year. So like I was saying, we have a garden. Donovan and I have spent every day at the garden this week. We're getting it ready to plant on Saturday. I have spent hours pulling weeds, tilling the ground and mulching. And ask my how I tilled the ground... With a motorized garden tiller? Oh, no! With my own two hands and a manual shovel. See, I'm just like a pioneer! And I did all of this with a baby tied to my back, just like the pioneers. Ok, so maybe the baby wasn't tied to my back, but he was crying and I had to run after him so much that maybe it would have been easier if I had just tied him to my back. Plus, I had to make sure he stayed out of the road and away from the trash bins, so maybe I'm a little tougher than a pioneer because I bet they never had to do that. Another thing I bet pioneers never had to deal with: Having the person who gardened there before them plant a giant square of fabric sided vinyl under their plot. I had to pull it up. And since it has been there at least a year, I had to pull it up piece by piece because it kept breaking. After it had been weeded and tilled, I mulched it. Now, I wasn't sure so much what "mulch" was, but Scott assured me that it is mainly rotting leaves and plants and that there was no manure whatsoever in that mulch. Well.... I think he lied to me because today, when I was hauling several thousand pounds of mulch to the garden plot, I got the distict scent of manure. And I'm kind of an expert on manure, seeing how I've spent countless hours at the farm lately. Anywho, I smelled manure, and this was AFTER I allowed my baby to climb up the mulch pile. But, unfortunately it was also before I accidentally ate some, so when it was in my mouth, I knew exactly what it was. I bet the pioneers never had to endure that! At least I bet they were smart enough never to do that. Or, they had husbands who flat out told them that there was manure in the mulch. After the mulching, I got into my car, which currently has no air conditioning and drove home. See? Me=Pioneer.

Namaste!

Nah-MAH-stay is how you say hello in Hindi. In case you're wondering, Scott's in India this week, Delhi to be specific, working on a project for his firm. Fun huh? It's Scott's first time to India, he's here to build a university. Yes, I know what you're thinking, and the answer to the question in your head is no, but then, that's what consultants do, right? As long as we can stay one step ahead of the client we'll be fine . . .

Anyway, here are some lilttle known fun facts about India:

• It's hot and dusty in Delhi, and yet still tropical
• Eating curry makes you smell like . . . curry, especially when you sweat (yummy!)
• There are no monkeys?! Not that I've seen anyway.

I tried taking lots of pictures, but the camera ran out of batteries halfway through the first day. Oh well. I probably couldn't have charged it on the 220V plug anyway. Here are a couple to give you that nice India flavor (no, not curry).

The view from the hotel:

The Hotel is the Intercontinental New Delhi, but don't let the fancy name fool you - it's really just a Holiday Inn.

Here's a picture of what I like to call the "green hornets." There are thousands of these moto-rickshaws in New Delhi and they swarm all over the road 24 hours a day. NY cab drivers have nothing on these guys.

And yes, they do have traffic lines, although no one pays any attention to them. This is how they go about painting traffic lines in India (just in time for the Olympic torch to pass through here on Sunday, the day after I get home).

For you architecture buffs, the nice landmark behind the line painter is the India Gate. Here's a close-up:

But here's one of the cooler things I got to see. It's Humayan's tomb, and is said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, which I didn't get to see. So I'm gonna stick to my claim that the original is always better. At least that's what I'm saying for now. Here's the front door:

Yes, that's just the front door. Here's the whole thing:It was built in the 1500s, and has stood preserved like this for over 450 years. Neat-o, huh? It's hard to imagine that India has been settled almost as long as Egypt. There are things here from as long ago as 600 BC. I'll put that picture up soon, along with some other stuff, but I'm afraid my hour of internet is almost up, and that's almost the most expensive part of the trip.

Avery-isms

Yesterday after church, Avery ran around the grass in the churchyard picking grass, dandieions and weeds. She handed them to me and said "Mommy, these are for you. They're for Mother's Day!" I thanked her and she said "Well, I just wanted to make another way to tell you how much I love you!"

Today, Donovan is sick with the stomach flu. He's lying on the couch and Avery came to tell me that he "looks like he ran out of batteries." She came to me a few minutes later and said "Mommy, did you know Donovan can still talk even though he's sick?" I told her I wasn't suprised and she said "He's sick and he's still talking AND he just learned how to say backpack in Spanish, did you hear him? He's clear as a bell!" Mmmmmkay.....

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Also, Avery and Donovan are trying to share a room. We're moving in about two weeks, and I while I would like them to share, Avery is desperate to share a room with her brother. She thinks they're getting bunkbeds, despite the fact that I have repeatedly told her Donovan is a little too young for bunkbeds. But we're giving it a go. I set up the port-a-crib in Avery's room, and he has been sleeping in there. They've done great, with minimal playing and talking. They want it to work even more than I do, so maybe I can use this to my advantage....

Cherry Blossom Parade

The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival has come to a close. We never did get our act together to go down to the Tidal Basin, but we partook in some of the other festivities. I mentioned that we went to the Kite Festival last week, and yesterday, we went to the parade. Scott is in India, which is maybe convenient, since he doesn't really like parades. The kids and I went with our friends the Nielsons. It was a great parade! I think it is the first one the kids have been to (they have neglectful parents), and they loved it!

When I asked Avery what her favorite thing about the parade was, she said "everything." Donovan's favorite was "Elmo." My favorite part was seeing DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton....wait, just kidding. The highlight was definitely the bands. They had some really great bands from all over the country, but the best one by far was a local band. They were AWESOME! The drum majors did the splits in the middle of the street, for goodness sake! Donovan clapped along to the music and danced.


Avery and her friend Lizzie, staying dry under their umbrella.


Donovan thought he was a big boy when I let him sit on the curb.




Thanks to my friend Jill for supplying these great photos. Scott has my camera in India.

I love ketchup, yes I do

Donovan has a love of ketchup. Or ranch dressing. Or pretty much anything he can dip his food into. He sucks most of the dip off whatever he just dipped into it and then does it again. It's totally gross and very messy, but while he does it, he say "dip, dip, dip, dip" in his darling little voice, so I just keep filling up his plate with dip.

Other things that Donovan loves:

• His "sissy." Yes, I know that it's extremely dorky to have your child call his sister "sissy." We kind of started it as a joke, but now it's so darn cute, I can't make him stop. He's going to be the 15 year old still calling his 18 year old sister "sissy" while everyone makes fun of him behind his back... Anywho, Donovan LOVES Avery more than the average sibling, I think. When he wakes up in the morning or from his nap, he doesn't call for mommy or daddy. He sits in his crib and yells "SISSY!!!" until she comes in to talk to him. When we go to pick her up from school, he runs to her, arms outstretched and hugs her with his head on his shoulder. When we drop her off at school in the morning, for at least the next 45 minutes, he asks over and over again "Where's sissy? Where's sissy?" When I tell him that she's in school, he'll wait about five minutes and then start asking again.


• The long jump. I don't even know if I can describe it, but Donovan thinks he's a long jumper. He will take three steps and then jump with both feet together. He does this all day long. Who cares that he only jumps about a half an inch into the air and about two inches forward? He does it with such enthusiasm, someone could mistake him for an Olympic long jumper. I'm sure our downstairs neighbors love it. Also, this is how he dances. Hey, if you've got one move that you do well, you go with it, I guess.


• Go-gurt. Whoever invented Go-gurt was a genius. Donovan can't get enough of this stuff. For those without kids, Go-gurt is a tube full of yogurt. You simply rip off the top, and your kid squeezes the gooey yogurt into their mouth, all over their face and down their shirt. Some people freeze their Go-gurt so it's not messy, but Donovan doesn't like it that way. Maybe it's because it's too cold, but I like to think it's because it isn't messy enough in it's frozen state. But, however messy Go-gurt may be, it's about 1/10 the mess compared to Donovan with a spoon. With the Go-gurt, the mess is pretty much confined to face, hands, shirt and eating surface (i.e. table, carseat, shopping cart or Daddy's lap). When Donovan eats ANYTHING with a spoon, it is not confined to those four areas. When Donovan eats with a spoon, the food is also in his hair, up his nose, down his pants and mashed into the carpet. Like I said, whoever invented the almighty Go-gurt is brilliant and should start putting other things in tubes. Like spaghetti. Or applesauce. Or pancakes. Just sayin'.


• Carnation Instant Breakfast. Several months ago, Donovan had a little weight-gain issue. He was such a picky eater that he actually lost a little weight. Apparently, losing weight is only for mommies, not toddlers, so the doctor suggested that we add some additional fat to his diet. So, we started occassionally adding vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast to his milk for extra calories and fat. Donovan has always loved milk, and we thought this was a fantastic way of supplementing him without him knowing. Also, since it's fortified with vitamins, we thought it would maybe compensate for his refusal to eat ANY vegetables at all (that's also why I eat ice cream - for the calcium). Anywho, fast forward six months and Donovan will not drink plain milk. So apparently, because of our genius plan, we are stuck mixing Carnation Instant Breakfast into his milk for the rest of our lives because we can't even trick him. Believe me, I've tried. If anyone knows of any 12-step programs for Carnation Instant Breakfast, please let me know about it. This stuff is expensive, and it just may come down to his CIB or college tuition if he keeps up at this rate for the next 16 years.


• Talking. I never thought I'd actually get to say that, because he was a late talker. But apparently, he's making up for lost time now. He'll say pretty much anything you tell him to, which can be pretty funny at times. His new favorite words are "bubblegum" and "peppernini" which means pepperoni, but since "peppernini" is so darn cute, we are bad parents and actually encourage it.

Other things Donovan loves and things that make him truly happy: NOT getting his picture taken, riding his "bus," swings, being outside, bugs, animals at a distance (although today he petted a guinea pig and a puppy at the pet store - a HUGE step for him), going up and down the stairs without holding anyone's hand or a handrail, his friend "Coo-Coo" (Cooper), getting picked up from nursery, driving the race car at the grocery store, talking on the phone, shoes and flip flops, getting into Avery's stuff, money, McDonald's french fries, drinking from a straw, getting tickled, climbing anything and everything, rolling down the window in the car, typing on the computer, Boots (as in Dora's sidekick), Curious George (who he calls Boots - see previous), Key-Shoe, the koala bear he made at Avery's birthday party and named himself, running away from Mommy, choo-choo's, Cars (the movie and cars in general), knocking down anything Avery just built with blocks, jumping on the couch or the bed, riding the escalator, pushing elevator buttons, drinking from the drinking fountain, being naughty, and his Daddy.

I really like this kid....

I can't believe what I saw today...

Today, Donovan and I had a little time to kill before picking Avery up from preschool, so we stopped at the mall after running some errands. We came in on the second floor, and were walking towards the escalators, when I heard a child screaming. I looked around and after a few seconds, I saw her. She was about three years old and was at the top of the escalator screaming. I couldn't tell what was wrong, but as I got closer, I realized that she wasn't on my side of the glass. She was hanging on for dear life on the other side of the escalator wall, clinging to the moving hand rail. The next floor down was at least 20 feet. There was no one around her and no one seemed to notice that she was in trouble. I ran to her and started screaming for someone to help me. I was holding Donovan in one arm, and grabbed her arm with my other hand. I was frantically calling for someone to help me, but no one seemed to be noticing me either. I knew that I couldn't pull her up with one hand because she was flailing around, nor could I bend down to drop Donovan and risk my grip on her arm loosening and dropping her. I held her to the side of the wall as tightly as I could for a few more seconds and finally I saw a lady running towards me, yelling that she would help me. We started to pull the little girl up and over, when finally her mother came running up the escalator. She snatched the little girl away from us and just took off, without saying a word to us. I was frozen and in shock and didn't even know what to do. The other lady and I just stood there looking at each other, and I was visibly shaking. I have no idea how that little girl got on the other side of that escalator rail. I don't know if she climbed up from the bottom or climbed over the rail at the top of the escalator. I tend to think that she rode up the wrong side from the bottom, since her mother seemed to be downstairs when it happened. I have been so upset all day by this. When I got into my car after it happened, I burst into tears and couldn't stop shaking. Thankfully, the little girl was ok, but she easily could have been hurt badly or worse. Why don't people watch their children more carefully???

Some random photos

I just wanted to post a couple of random photos from over the weekend. No real rhyme or reason, I just like them.

First, my boys taking a nap together. How sweet are they?

Second, I just wanted to show how classy we are. Scott brought me home some flowers on Friday because I had a somewhat difficult week with two of our children (not saying which two). I have a beautiful vase, but because we have started packing and half of our stuff is in storage anyway, I couldn't find it. So here is what is currently displayed on my dining room table. I think the kids' vinyl placemats make it extra classy. But I really do love them. Thanks, Scott!

Third, tonight, when Avery got out of the bathtub, she was snuggling with me and being really cute. She was saying that she'll never be too big to snuggle, I'll always be her best friend and stuff like that. I told her that she'd change her tune the minute she turned 13, and she swore she wouldn't. Of course I got it on film so I can make her keep her promises later.

And we're back...

Yesterday, we went back to the farm. Yes, I know we've already been twice in the last couple of weeks, but the kids really wanted Scott to see the baby piggies. So we went. As it turns out, there was a barrel racing competition going on there, which was pretty cool. The kids were really into it. Also, Avery milked a cow! There was a cow milking demonstration, and at the end, the lady asked if any of the kids wanted to milk the cow. A few did, but several were afraid to get too near her. Avery wasn't afraid at all. She walked right up and milked that cow!

Our little milkmaid. She loved the milking so much that she actually forgot to pose for the camera.

Donovan, wishing he was as tall as Avery (he's standing on his toes).

At the barrel racing.

The baby piggies were very funny. They were super hyper, running around and around. The kids thought it was hilarious.

We also got a better picture of their mama in all her glory.

Scott pointed out to me just how ugly this turkey is. It's the same one I posted a couple of days ago, but I never realized how gross their faces are! I'll have to get this image out of my head by November, and now you will too!

We actually got Donovan to sit still for a minute and pose in front of some flowers!

We never have to convince Avery!

We also went to the Fair Lakes Springfest and lunch at our beloved Pei Wei. That's actually the real reason we were in the farm neighborhood. To be honest, the springest was a little bit lame, but Avery did get to climb a palm tree.

She also loved the petting zoo.

Donovan didn't mind the petting zoo as long as we didn't put him anywhere near the pen or the animals.

A day at the farm

Today, we went with Avery's preschool class to Frying Pan Farm. We went a couple of weeks ago, but today, I remembered my camera! The kids were excited to see the baby animals, ride on the wagon and eat a picnic, but the highlight by far was that the peacock had it's feathers on display.

Isn't he beautiful?

There was a new batch of baby pigs born this time - NINE! When we went last time, there was another litter with only two, and I kept thinking that the mama pig should write some sort of parenting book. Her two babies were nursing while she was sound asleep. When they were done eating, they went in the corner, went potty, and then curled up and went to sleep! Now that's good parenting right there!

Here are the new little piggies. Donovan kept snorting at them.

And here is their mama. Not a very good picture through the fence, but look at the size of this lady!

The peacock pen was next to the turkeys, and everytime the peacock would put his tail up, this turkey would get his feathers ruffled up as big as he could. I think there is some sort of competition going on. And this turkey was huge, and I mean HUGE. He could probably feed 30 people for Thanksgiving.

For some reason, this turkey was in a pen all alone, but Donovan loved her. I was afraid he was going to grab her around the neck and try to take her home. And if you look closely, you can see that she has a horn growing out the top of her head. Maybe that's why she's all alone!

I could barely drag Donovan away from the cow, this one was his favorite.

And here is the cute Giraffe class, with their darling teacher, Miss Mende. Avery really loves her teacher, and so do I. She really has a love for the kids.

Ballerinas and Bicycles

Today was a great day for Avery. At her dance class, they got their costumes for the recital. They put them on in class and did their dance (or what they know of it). It was so cute. Here are Avery and her friend Adrienne. They are "Love" and dancing to the song "L-O-V-E."


Aren't they cute?




After dance, Avery BEGGED to ride bikes, so we went to the park and rode around for awhile. And by "rode around," I mean Avery rode her bike, while I carried Donovan and his tricycle around after her because he refused to ride it.

On the way home, Avery said to me "Mommy, cars are easier to drive than bikes, because cars don't tip over."