Dear Rosie
We got to cuddle today. Putting you to sleep is no longer the worst ever. 4 months ago - we were not friends. I loved you cuz you were my baby girl but... we were not friends. You didn't know how to sleep! You would cry and cry - like hard core hysterical. We figured out that if you had a loud sound in your ear it would calm you down... most of the time. I'm talking hair dryers and vacuums up by your face kind of loud - and hours on end! Your Dad and I would work all evening to put you to sleep and you would wake up 15 minutes later -- screaming away. You had the jimmy legs really bad too. After you FINALLY would go to sleep, I'd relax and start thinking about a strategy to put you in bed and you'd start to twitch - your arms and head flailing around and you would wake your self up again. Or if we jiggled you about too much trying to lay you down you'd wake up. It was infuriating. 

There was much wall punching.

Now. You are glorious.

I always put you down drowsy but awake. You some times fuss but mostly just get your self to sleep. Dad likes to hold you until you are totally konked out. Not because he HAS to but because he WANTS TO. It is so nice.

And today I was thinking how when Dalton was a baby I relished in all the moments to hold him. I some times would hold him through his whole 2 hour nap, just because I could. And I was feeling bad that I don't hold you like that. However, I am SO proud of you that you put yourself to sleep so well now. Also - I have to get you down into bed quick because your big brother is trying to be potty trained and does pee on stuff if you don't keep an eye on him.

Next. Work on your 8 hr stretches. :) Pleeeeeaaaasssseee

Love you Rowie

Mom

- Top picture is you today. Snuggled in with ease.

- Next is you and Dad. Dad really put in some long hours with you... he likes you.

- Last is just trying to get you to sleep where ever I can make it happen. I would build little 'nests' where every I could get you down at. Never lasted long, danget. 

Dear Dalton
You are precious. You try so hard to please me and do a good at all your jobs. Right now one of your jobs is to pee in the potty. I didn't realize how hard this is to learn but you are trying so hard! Most days you do this great success. Today I put you up in your room for a nap... which only happens 2/3 the time. I went out side to work in the yard and came in every once and a while to check on ya. An hour into 'quiet time' I  can hear you crying and yelling GO PEE IN THE POTTY! I thought, ... why are you saying this? You're wearing a normal diaper for nap....

I opened the door and you were standing up in your bed. You had pooped in your diaper, pulled down your pants - ATTEMPTED you take your diaper off, realized you had to pee too with no diaper but surrounded by poop and crying out for help.

I of course was SHOCKED but kept my composure and hopped you off the bed and you ran to the potty.

Aren't you sweet. Wanting to take care of your diapers for me.

Thanks for being awesome.

Now. Go take a nap.
Love you
Mom

Cute Rosie at 7 months

Smart D and Hobby lobby bribs

D is doing speech therapy. He's only had 3 sessions so far - and I think today the lady saw how smart he really is. She had some cars that if you shake them it made them drive a short distance. The more you shake it the farther it drives. It also has an off switch. To help motivate him to say ON - she would snatch the car from him after it drove and turn it off. He would need to say ON before she would give it back. (Half the time he sea lion barked at her GIVE IT BACK - the other half he would make an effort at it.) He was smart enough to drive the car out of her reach - 'I know she'll snatch it from me'. She also would put the cars in a plastic tub then with the lid on it - 'say OPEN' (of course in a very nice voice :)) In order to avoid having to talk he snuck the tub lid and put it far away from her reach. HA! Now I you can't make me say open!

We also had our first outting today with 2 kids. Hobby lobby isn't the best choice for this but cuteness was needed. The outing ended with ipads, french fries, orange shakes, and everyone screaming in the last 5 minutes in the car. Oy. We'll have to try that again tomorrow.

Even on hard days

Today I need to remember something.

Big D is sick. Just a head cold but still a gross one. And he's 2 yrs old. Therefore - he has a right to be grumpy. He was whiney and needy and cried over everything as SOON as I got him up today. Before Ben left for work I said --- today is gonna be rough, isn't it buddy. Everything I did made him mad. Like ragging and gnashing of teeth mad. Part of it was my fault. #1. It is so pretty and warm outside and I'm itching to clean up and the yard and work outside. Usually he'll bee-bop in the back yard for HOURS but not when you are 2 yrs old and sick. #2. I am distracted with church calling stresses and my desire for activities and plans to work out even when I'm the one that is planning them. And when it is not communicated to me that things are in motion...I desire to take over in a bossy-pants manner. #1 and 2 were making me less patient with my little guy. Late morning - I had to put him down stairs in front of Cars movie (God bless Pixar), 5 cookies and milk... while I worked out my calling frustrations.
Then we had to get in the car to drive Dad's lunch to him. Dalton was way ticked off about this too because his movie was over, he's tired, and 'I HAVE TO GET IN THE DANG CAR?!' The drive to Ben's work is like 10 minutes tops. But when we got there I turned around to find him asleep in his car seat. Chocolate chips smeared on his face.  :)
When we got home and it was time to get out --- at the frustration of today melted off with his limp little arms and floppy head that stayed asleep on my shoulder as I carried him to bed. I thought of how I wanted to burn the memory of his fat baby body sleeping in my arms 2 yrs ago and now I want to do it again.... a fat 2 yr old asleep on my shoulder. ( I had a brief moment of rage when I stepped on Scout who asked 'can you think of something blue?' .... thankfully not waking D. Otherwise it would have been a swift end for that bear...) Even as I laid him down in his crib D didn't wake up just plopped flat on his back. Uneven hair cut from when I tried to trim it when Ben's beard trimmers. Chocolate smeared face. Football jersey and softy jeans that look like he's off to the pep rally. And the crib covered in Lighting McQueen stickers from the sticker book to keep him busy after he wakes up.
Even on hard days.... he's not so bad. :)

...simple pleasures

 I had one of those 'toddler days' this week when we just couldn't get along. I didn't want to play what he wanted to play and he didn't want to play what I wanted to play. 

BOY. HOW DO I ENTERTAIN YOU. 

So I put him in front of Sesame Street and turned to pinterest. There are loads of toddler activity ideas - however most of them seem too old for Big D or just lame or require special prep. 

This is what I came up with...

Q-Tip in a Jar

Worked pretty good. Card board lid and kept his attention for 5 minutes. That's pretty good for his age. And he wanted to go back to it later. So that's a win. 

...look at those little hands... :)

Sort Easter Eggs:

Too many things say 'sort' on pinterest for toddler activities. "Sort" means "toss all over the place til bored". Egg "sort" was good at first. Big D didn't really sort them as he just liked to open them to see what's inside. Really liked it - less them 2 minutes of entertainment now what he can get them open easy. But! He always goes back to them. Could recycle if put new things in eggs: treats, cars, cereal, etc.

"Sort" 

More attempt at sorting. Big D really was interested in this apple holder from costco.. until I tried to make him sort puff balls, cereal bits, mallows...even punching holes in the top to push there. Bust.  

Magnet Board

This one is pretty good. The big magnets hold his attention the longest. Unfortunately I only have 12. What's really funny is he likes it until I start quizzing him. 

Don't try and make me learn Mom. :)

 

After all my tricks were out of the bag ... you know what worked the best? What was the most fun? What kept him busy the longest?

...

Ramming his bus against the wall. 

So I think sometimes... we try too hard.  :)

Simple Pleasures 

..Is picking blackberries at Gpa's

Spent the weekend in Salt Lake City with family. Gpa has a LARGE patch of blackberries that Big D was wild over.  

This pained look on his face is because he is worried about the thorns. At our old house we had a wild blackberry bush that Big D would graze on. However the thorns were horrid and often he'd come back to me crying covered in purple juice and scratches. One time his lips were bleeding! What'd you do?!

 BITE THE BUSH?

Gpa's bush on the other hand has no thorns and the berries and 900 times larger. :) Big D still wouldn't touch the branch - he would point and squeal at a berry until you picked it for him. 

I hope Gpa keeps up these bushes. I hope to find Big D sneaking berries with no fear of thorns in the coming years. 

Things you did today

Dear Big D.
You did some pretty awesome stuff today:
- For breakfast ate an orange, banana, blueberries, and 2 scrabbled eggs.  Whoa.
- Slid down the slide without wigging out.
- Swung on the swing without wigging out.
- Climbed through a tunnel without wigging out.
- Got stuck in the chicken coop ( by your own accord) without wigging out.

You are growing up.

btw - You chased the chicks into the cage. They got escaped and you got stuck. We didn't leave you in there a REALLY long time.