Shaker

Today, believe it or not, I changed a diaper. I know, I know, something new. Okay, not really new ... but today there was a twist: I finally convinced Calvin Jesse to lay back down so I could put his pants back on him. As I shimmied the pants up his legs and over his clean diaper, I saw an impish grin and then heard him say, laughing, "Shake it! Shake it!" It was pretty funny.

Bleak midwinter

It is the end of January. Forecast for 70 degrees today. Sometimes I really wonder where we've landed, but then again, Calvin doesn't seem to mind all the extra time outdoors ...

The artist

Today's comment by Lucy (5:41 pm)

"I'm drawing an elephant with a mustache. I don't really know how the mustache got there though ..."

Hand jive

Calvin Jesse has, after much practice, mostly with Sissy, figured out why the game "high five ... to the side" etc. is both fun and funny.

Today we went to Firehouse Subs for lunch

We were not impressed with the food. But Calvin really enjoyed the hat that came with his kiddie meal. Ta-da!

Template adjustment

A Little Bitta This ... now featuring larger photos. Because I finally figured out how to adjust the width of the template I'm using (it was easy to do, just took me a while to remember to do it). Because really, who wouldn't like larger pictures of these cuties?

Snow day!

School's out early, and we are outside in our Alabama blizzard. Lucy's teaching Calvin about the joys of snowball fights :)

Rain and tears

Today, I learned that if Calvin Jesse drops his toy airplane onto the floor at the beginning of the drive to go pick up Dad from work and neither Lucy nor I can reach it, he will cry the entire trip. And that even pouring, pounding rain and rush hour traffic will not drown him out. Looks like powerful lungs run in the family (see: Miss Lucy, aka Sissy).

The girl this week

Miss Lucy's adventures this week included:

Researching a report on penguins

Reading the two more books from the Littles series

Flying the remote-controlled helicopter out back ... on to the roof

Three and a half hours at the pediatric ophthalmologist's office

Painting a blue horse and red tree

Finishing her first sewing kit

Reaching the halfway point in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Wearing crazy socks and an inside-out shirt on her fun Friday dress-up day

Singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" (loudly) 100 times

Working on chapter 15 of her next Deer and Dog book

Playdates with Hazel, Lauren, and Elsie

Watching Phineas and Ferb

Cuddling Calvin

We sure love her!

The boy this week

Things Calvin Jesse said to me this week:

"No thank you!" (most often yelled angrily during a tantrum)

"Airplane! Airplane inna Calvin's bed!" (asking to sleep with his plastic airplane)

"Ta da!" (when he accomplished something, like getting his pants off)

"Dun-duh-DAH!" (after making it to the top of the hill at the library children's garden)

"Daddy lunch!" (asking to go take Daddy out to lunch)

"Yay! Friends inna Y!" (going to the childcare at the YMCA)

"Yellow wocket ship! Wocket ship inna stars!" (wocket = rocket)

"Love you, Mama!"

(Notice all the exclamation points—when he makes the effort to talk, he really wants to get his point across!)