AJ's cool new glasses

Well... the eye doctor's prediction that AJ would be excited to wear glasses once he discovered how much better he could see with them... hasn't exactly happened. But at least AJ seems to be accepting them.

When we picked up the glasses yesterday, AJ didn't want to wear them at all. By this morning, he said he liked the glasses. Now the challenge is just to get him to push them up high enough on his nose to do some good. I think he's letting them slide down so that he can look over the top of them. Another challenge is to teach him to not put his fingers on the lenses when he pushes the glasses up. I'm pretty sure I've cleaned his glasses more times in the last 36 hours, than I've cleaned my glasses in the last few months.

Personally, I think he looks pretty cute. Or, as I tell him, pretty cool. AJ has told me on more than one occasion that boys are not cute. Girls are cute. Boys are cool.

She's got it!

At seven-and-a-half months, Sydney decided she was too big for a bottle. She's more than happy to nurse. She just wants nothing to do with bottles.

Four months – and at least a half-dozen variations of sippy cups –later, Sydney is at last drinking from a cup. Which kind does she like? The cheap disposable kind. AJ was the same way. I suspect neither liked the fancy ones because they have to work harder to suck out the drink. The cheap cups don't have a stopper to prevent spills, so they just have to tip the cup, rather than suck on the spout.

Who wants dessert?

I don't think I need to write too much for this one. Let me just state the obvious: Sydney really likes Grandma Jo's homemade eclairs.

What's wrong with this picture?

Today is Memorial Day. This weekend is the unofficial start of summer. And yet, when Jeff and AJ headed into the backyard to grill ribs, Jeff's breath was visible, and AJ needed a winter coat.


The day didn't start out this cold. This morning was actually sunny and warm as AJ and I watered our newly planted flowers.


My garden this year is going to feature marigolds. I'm not particularly fond of marigolds because I don't like the way they smell. AJ is the one who picked them out.
Why? Because "they look like dandelions."
Tonight we'll be covering those marigolds. It's May 26, and there's a frost warning.

Five, Six – Pick up sticks...

...Seven, Eight – Lay them straight.

See that pile of sticks?

Our preschool muscleman pulled about 75-percent of them up the hill from the river.

What started as a search for rocks in the backyard to use to ring the fire pit, turned into an impromptu brush-clearing project. I discovered that much of the brush that blocks our view and access to the river is actually dead.

So we started cleaning it up.

AJ thought this was the coolest thing in the world and quickly started picking up sticks. We tired out long before he did (or at least long before he would admit he was tired.)

So we have lots of firewood next to a rock-lined fire ring. Now if we could just get the spring burning ban lifted, we'd be in business.

Anything biting?

It's Memorial Day Weekend and the fishing is... well... not so good.

Jeff and AJ certainly had fun trying to reel in a big one. Or reel in anything. But the fish just weren't biting. AJ explained that they were trying to catch a big fish to eat the worm.

So what have we learned this week? The fish in our river don't like dandelions, and they don't like nightcrawlers. We'll just have to keep trying.

Eating like a big girl

Sydney seems to have decided she's outgrown baby food. We can still get her to eat baby cereal if she's hungry. But other than that, she wants finger food. Bananas are a big hit. Though, much to Maggie's dismay, Sydney isn't quite as generous as AJ was. Sydney's happy to reach out for Maggie, but it's more of a wave. The little tease! She doesn't drop much food.

Breakfast was briefly interupted when Sydney realized the shirt she was wearing wasn't a onesie. She could pull it over her head! (I suppose it was also a good way to get another taste of the bananas she'd dropped.)

Fish food

Last summer, AJ often would stop and pick wildflowers for me. So when he started pulling dandelions this afternoon, I expected another bouquet would be coming my way. No. He had other plans.

"I'm throwing these in the river to feed the fish," he told me. "Big fish. Big giant bird fish!"

"You think the fish are going to eat the flowers?" I asked.

"Yes," said AJ, putting his fingers in front of his face like fangs. "Like this."

We waited for a while and watched as the dandelions slowly floated away. Undaunted, AJ said, "Maybe the ducks will eat the flowers."

So THAT'S where you get one of those!

Trying on an old tanker helmet of Jeff's, which was obviously huge on him, AJ announced, "Whoa! We need to go to the preschooler Army small store and get one for me!"

AJ is very proud to be a preschooler. To him, it means he's not quite as big as a grown up, but way bigger than a baby or a toddler.

Why is this boy smiling?

Never let it be said that I'm influencing my children's tastes.

AJ's Joker-like grin is due to the THREE grape tomatoes he has stuffed in his cheeks. That's what he picked for a bedtime treat.

He likes black olives, too. There must be some mistake. Is he really my child?

Daddy the Superhero – part II

Jeff had to work late one night last week. He made it home just before AJ's bedtime. This was their conversation:

AJ: Did you save the world today?

Jeff: Just my little piece of it.

AJ: Did your friends help you?

Jeff: Yup. My friends helped me.

AJ: Good job Daddy. Give me a high-five!"

Someday AJ will be a teenager. Someday he'll know everything and will look at us like we have three heads. When that day comes, I hope we will find comfort remembering he once thought we were the smartest and coolest people in the world.

Grandpa David genes

We often joke that AJ has inherited his Grandpa David's messy hair gene. Tonight we discovered that Sydney also seems to have picked up on one of Grandpa David's traits - the amazing ability to screw up the TV with the push of just one button on the remote control.

Hard to believe it was eleven months ago tonight... right about this time... that I was starting to realize those Braxton Hicks just might be the real thing.

Daddy the Superhero

AJ is fascinated with superheros – Spiderman, Superman and Batman. And Daddy. That fascination shines through at unexpected moments.

This morning, AJ woke up earlier than usual (5:55 a.m.) and came bursting out of his room. I happened to be in the living room at the moment, sitting and petting Maddie. AJ sat down in my lap and rested his head on my shoulder. He slowly rolled his head from side to side, as if trying to get comfortable. And that's when he saw the cat. The cats usually run and hide from him, so this was a huge novelty!

AJ reached over, gently petted Maddie on the head and said, "Hi Kitty. I'm AJ. My Daddy's a superhero and can save you from all the monsters."