Placid As She Goes

Some days, things fall apart, and some days, things come together. Some days, things fall apart and come together in the same day. Today was that kind of day. We've been here before, Fans, and Julie writes this post with both a triumphal heart, and heavy one.

After dinner, the usual silliness ensued. As Julie was trudging out of the bathroom with the bath toys, and Joe was asking her like a would-be smart alec "Why are you moving the bath toys?", she thought, "Let's take a different tack." She's a believer in high bars. They have never failed her. And frankly, she's never too excited to hunker down on the floor in her nice work pants in the smallest room of the house surrounded by porcelain things that can smack her in the head so who cares if the bambini weren't bathed tonight? And so, she started flat out ignoring EVERYTHING the bambini did. Everything included:

• Waving their toothbrushes in the air, screaming
• Waving their tubes of toothpaste in the air, screaming
• Running around naked, screaming
• Removing all of the items from the bin that holds Clara's diaper changing supplies, unfurling as many of the diapers as possible, removing Kleenex from the box (but only two!--?????), and removing wipes from the container (here again: only one!--?????), screaming
• Removing all of the items from the bin that holds Clara's diaper changing supplies (a classic never dies, Fans), unfurling as many of the diapers as possible, and applying lotion to legs (Joe only), not screaming--concentrating (Joe) and mesmerized (Birdie)
• Removing the following games and puzzles from the shelf in their room, opening all of the boxes and removing all of the pieces: Memory, Moody Monsters (Memory, but with monsters exhibiting different moods on the cards), the alphabet matching game, Candyland (game board was a mountain, pieces mountain climbers--sliders?), Chutes & Ladders, and the four small Thomas puzzles, screaming
• Running around screaming and slipping on lotion covered legs (too busy running and screaming and trying to make one's mother watching out of the very, very corner of her eye pay attention to him to stop and wail), screaming with brief pause

Throughout all of this, Julie placidly did the dishes. Then, she placidly removed everything from the top of the refrigerator. Then, she placidly picked up various things one by one and as she did so, placidly put them on top of the refrigerator.

She was a study in placidity. She was, if she does say so herself, a study in magnificence!

By the time she'd finished, Joe was still trying to think of something he could do with the Candyland game board that would elicit a reaction, but Clara had caught up to, or on to, Julie: Birdie had set herself down on her changing pad and was trying to figure out how to put on her pajamas. So Julie changed Clara and took her into the living room to read one story, while Joe asked if he could do a quiet activity. (We do not make this last up. Julie maintained placidity and did not laugh.)

Instead, Julie, placidly, said no and sailed on. A rather befuddled Joe accompanied the Birds to the living room, where he was soon back in the swing of things trying to climb on the chair. Birdie listened to the story (You Are My I Love You*, which Julie read as much for herself as for Clara), and then Julie carried her into bed.

She walked out of the bambini's room holding Joe's pajamas and informed him--placidly--that it was time to put them on and go to bed. He said "But I want to do a quiet activity." Julie placidly said that there was no time since he'd spent so much time being silly. Then he said, "But I want to read books." Julie placidly said that there was no time for that either. Joe wailed.

Julie placidly read the Styles section from Sunday's Times at the dining room table.

Eventually, Our Hero donned his pajamas, and settled himself in the chair in the living room with a Thomas the Tank Engine pre-reader form the library with which he is taken at the moment, and In The Night Kitchen, which Julie heard him trying to "read." When he was done, Julie placidly told him it was time for bed. He sputtered some half-hearted, over before it started protest and then walked to the bambini's room.

After he was under his covers, he informed Julie that when Clara was talking, he was going to go to sleep. Again, we do not make this up.

Julie walked out of the room, outwardly placid, but inwardly a swirl of emotions: proud to have set the bar high and demanded the bambini rise; prouder still to have seen them rise, each in their own way; sad that Ted was not with her to share the triumph; and heavy-hearted that she didn't get to read books with Joe.

It was sort of a pyrrhic victory, but a victory (for today anyway), nevertheless.

*http://joeandclara.blogspot.com/2011/06/it-was-big-weekend-in-still-other-ways.html

All Big Bird

Birdie Brigade, you should see Our Girl. All of a sudden, she is so big--so tall! She is bigger every day in other ways, too. This morning, Julie was getting Birdie dressed, and as Juliegathered the shirt up and made to put around Clara's head and pull it down, Clara reached up, and firmly and surely pulled that shirt down. Brigade, you should have seen the smile on the face that poked through as the shirt came down. She's got it goin' on.

She's very independent, with a determined will, and comes to things in her own time. Birdie teaches one to keep the faith, because usually, if she thinks she's got it, she does. Like lately, sometimes, she's been balking at getting herself together at pick-up. Other times, she's all coat--boom! Hat--boom! Mittens--boom! And we're off like prom dresses!

Last Friday, she made to put her boots on to go home, and when Julie said, "No boots," (because we have a pair that stays at home) Birdie pitched herself on the floor, wailing. She then declined to put on her coat, as well as her hat and mittens. But a half an hour later, she was flipping her coat on over her head to cheers. Today, was a boom-boom-boom! day. She missed one sleeve on the first pass, and self-corrected and no, she didn't need help with that, thanks very much. But you can clap and sheer if you want. Clapping and cheering are always welcome.

Who can say why one day she's on the floor and the next she's flippin' and flappin'? But Our Birdie is made a strong stuff, and maddening though it is likely to be, and right soon at that, there is something so fabulously appealing about someone with such determination and gumption.

Today, we were told that in another month's time, Birdie will be transitioning to the "Twos" room, with Ms. Manisha and Ms. Marjorie, who also taught Joe when he was the same age. It's the room in which we drop Bridie off in the morning. Lately, she walks right in and we all give her a kiss and then say good-bye, and off she goes all see you on the flip, all Big Bird.

Cupcake Day

Some days, things fall apart, and some days, things come together. Some days, things fall apart and come together in the same day. Today was that kind of day.

It started off well enough, but Julie knew things had taken a turn for Sigh, Really? Ville when Joe dashed off to the bambini's room with a gleam in his eye that meant, no, of course he was not going to change out of his pajamas and into school clothes the way he is supposed to every morning. Instead, he was going to tear back out into the living room to relocate the cupcake kitchen and all its contents hither and yon. Julie, in the big kitchen, doing the breakfast dishes (She is a self-starter! Leading by example!), thought to herself, "You've said it once. He knows what he is supposed to be doing. Ignore the unwanted behaviors. Acknowledge the ones you like." Probably about the time she was thinking the word "acknowledge," was about the time she heard Joe delightedly bellow, "And now I got to throw these on the floor!" These, Fans, would be the miniature utensils residing in the cupcake kitchen's drawer. Julie knows because by this time, she'd angrily stripped off her dishwashing gloves, flung them and the sponge into the sink, and stormed into the living room to announce she was going to count to five and if Joseph Trump wasn't in his room and beginning to get out of his pajamas by the time she got to five, then she would be doing it all for him. That's how Julie and Joe wound up in Joe's room with Julie removing Joe's pajamas, while he trashed around, wailing, and loudly informing him that tomorrow, he could make different choices if he didn't like how things were unfolding now. At one point, while he thrashed about, he was on the bed, and then, naturally, he fell off. It's a drop of only a foot, of course, but one would think Joe had plummeted from a second story window or some such.

Clara came in with a pretend orange and then beat a hasty retreat all, "This orange looks delish. I'm gonna go pretend to eat it in the living room."

So things sort of fell apart there.

By day's end, she had her game face back on. She left St. Paul at 4:02pm, and made it across town in record time. She pulled up to the KinderCare at 4:35pm, and headed inside to tell Our Hero that it was--A CUPCAKE DAY! She was met with a gasp of delight. Joe was so excited that he forgot he had to follow Julie down the hall to collect Birdie.

We met Graham, Connor, and Sara at Yum! for dinner, and Fans, the bambini were rockstars--ROCKSTARS! They sat calmly at the table while Julie ordered. They ate their macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers in happy companionship while making convivial conversational sallies. Joe kept his straw in his drink the entire time, and Birdie, most of the time. They stayed in their seats. In short, "restaurant behavior" abounded.

"Cupcake day!"

"I see you!"

By the time Julie and the bambini arrived at home, it was bath time. Joe quickly did away with the possibility of playing with bath toys, but Julie is pleased to say she delivered the news calmly and quietly, and Joe said only, "No!" with a pout to which Julie was already turning her back, which really took the wind out of those sails. Sadly, bubbles and "doing something" [while Clara was read to] were also dispatched in short order, but happily, again, Julie meted out the consequences calmly and quietly. Somehow, a major bambini uprising was quelled, at least this evening.

There was, however, an additional matter to discuss. Julie was told that Joe had some trouble following directions today. Apparently, "some trouble following directions" meant that he merrily followed the lead of a friend who was putting noodles on his fingers at lunch. Julie and Joe talked all about how there are times we play, and then there are times we eat, and covered off on which of the two breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time are--i.e. not times we put noodles on our fingers. Then Julie said something like, "Pal-o, you're going to have to learn to think, and decide for yourself what's right, and do the right thing.

That's life, Fans, right? It's the same when you're three deciding whether or not to put noodles on your fingers like your dopey friend is doing and when you're 35 trying to figure out what to tell your three-and-a-half-year-old son about noodles and fingers and friends and fun and life in a way that will make sense to him. In other words, it's hard. It's really very, very hard.

Julie stopped there thinking, "What are you saying????? Do the right thing????? What's next? Stand and deliver?????"

Then, she asked Joe what he was going to do tomorrow. She wasn't sure what he would say.

"Do the right thing."

Sometimes things come together.

We Miss You Already, Daddy!

Ted left tonight for Chicago, where he will be until Wednesday night. He left just after the bambini were bathed and pajamaed*, and was given a two-bambini hug and kisses before leaving.

The time Ted left was just before Joe's usually hang-out-with-Daddy time, and he said he still wanted "to do something." Specifically, he wanted "to cut." We nix-nayed the unsupervised use of scissors (safety scissors though they may have been), and allowed him his choice of puzzles. He picked cars. It is the most difficult of all his puzzles since the road in the picture curves around, and the colors and patterns in it repeat with more frequency. Ted set it out upstairs before he left, and as Ted walked out the door, Joe tromped up the steps, and the Birds settled in the chair. They weren't even to their last book when Julie heard Joe calling, Mommy! Mommy! I got to show you something!" Julie knew it, but didn't see it until after Clara was down: Our Hero had done it all by himself! He was very proud.

Later, Julie and Joe made up a new game. It sort of like Five Things.** Joe picks a letter, and then he and Julie think of five words that start with that letter. Tonight's letter was B: ball, bubbles, Berenice, boy, and something Julie has now forgotten.

And so, so far, so good. But, special to Chicago: We are,

Missing You In Minnesota

*Socks were donned later tonight, and only by the Sock Crazy Birdie.

**The game in which Joe had to find five things in the Richard Scarry's Best Word Book.

JCC Book Fair

This morning, the Birds met Connor and his mom Sara at the Jewish Community Center where Graham and Connor attend daycare for its book fair. (In the end, after a bit, the boys came, too.)

The other week, Julie watched Connor and his brother, Graham, in the hour before Connor's bedtime. Connor was sort of beside himself over this whole arrangement, especially when Julie told him they could go find Daddy, and then showed Connor a picture of his daddy. Connor is 20 months old so he didn't have words to say what he thought, but it was pretty clear: "Lady. That's a picture. Where's my dad? Or my mom. 'Cause you ain't either one. Where's G Man? G Man. This lady told me she was going to show me Daddy and she showed me a picture. Can you believe that? Don't go far, man."

Julie thinks she made progress today. Connor grabbed her leg twice. Clearly, he thought Julie was Sara when he did. But one of those times, he tried to play it cool and make like he did it on purpose, which meant he didn't immediately move away.

And, Julie brought Clara, who was kind of Connor's groupie (she's pretty easy on the eyes, too). The JCC is his turf, after all. Connor took off his shoes, so Birdie did, too. They did a little art (a little scribbling, a little stickering), looked at the books (Clara tried to impress Connor by trying to remove as many as possible from the shelves), pretended to listen briefly to the storytellers that were there, and visited various themed photo stations.

Joe got another balloon fishing pole which was enough to ensure that he had a good time. Clara got a monkey climbing a tree, but a part of the tree promptly popped, which was enough to make Julie unnecessarily panic about balloons generally, even before Clara put part of the balloon in her mouth, which is when Julie decided her nerves couldn't take it and took the balloon away, and Clara wailed and tried to climb over Julie's shoulder like the balloon monkey to get it back as they made their way through the parking lot to the car. (She's has to remember to get that monkey balloon out of the car before the bambini wake up in the morning and we head for school in it.)

Fierce, and Fashion Forward

Fans, the keen-eyed among you may have noticed that Joe and Clara were wearing socks with their pajamas in those video clips. Joe's pajamas are, now, all footless, while all of Clara's, save one pair, are footed sleepers. The other night, as he was getting into bed, Joe asked for a pair of socks. Birdie was still up and was not about to be left out of that action. Socks? Oh--she's in. That night, she happened to be wearing her pajamas without feet. She has requested socks every night since, and so it is that she has been wearing socks over the feet of her footed pajamas. It's a fierce look, Birdie Brigade. But then, as you know, Birdie is very fashion forward.

Birdie, Elmo, and the Farm Animals

Joe Nation. Bridie Brigade. We know that you are one. Thus, you will no doubt have noted that we wrote Ted had taken video of Julie reading to both bambini and may be wanting to see what went down when Birdie was in Julie's lap. Here, too, you will be coming in midstream, and you need to have your listening ears on straight away to catch Clara saying "David," after the Birds find Elmo's friend, David, in Goodnight, Elmo. Not long after, you will hear her repeat, "five stars."

Then, you will see her thinking, "Let's blow this popsicle stand, Elmo. David? Who's with me?" Birdie has one of those sharp eye teeth coming in and has a rather wickded case of diaper rash and so isn't much for sitting still these days. Who can blame her?

Bonus footage: here you can see Clara listening to Farm Animals* just before Joe had made his way downstairs from upstairs where he was meant to be sitting staring at the four walls and considering how little fun that was and therefore concluding he ought not run about and scream like a wild thing before bath. Of course Our Hero did nothing of the sort as later, we found the humidifier (which was absent it's tank that had been refilled downstairs and was waiting to be ferried back up), on, with an outlet cover set just so where the tank would ordinarily be. Listen closely and in addition to Clara lowing like a cow, among other things, you can hear Joe calling down the stairs as he makes his way down them to the bathroom, and then using the bathroom, before scampering to the couch--this whole thinking about the consequences of one's actions wholly lost on him.

*Interestingly, the books Birdie selected in these clips are sort of outliers these days. Lately, she's all about If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and its progeny.

In the Night Kitchen, About to Read?!

Fans! Friday night was a pretty exciting night at Raleigh House. As you know, Our Hero is mad crazy for the letters. He's getting really good at making their various sounds, and associating those sounds with words that begin with those letters. For example, Saturday morning, he said "wah" for W and then said waffles (which we were eating) started with W. Friday night, Julie and Joe read In The Night Kitchen and, Fans, he was sounding stuff out and saying it with her and following along like it weren't no thing, BUT FANS--!!!!! It totally IS, right?! Because it's like he's about to READ!!!!! He's not, really, now, but he's really piecing it all together, and it is so much fun to watch him running, headlong, into all the world that await between the covers of a book. Ompaloompas, and wardrobes that open into enchanted woods, and wrinkles in time. . .all of it waiting for him.

As it happened, after several more successful nights, Joe ran about and screamed a bit before his bath Friday night, and so toys in the bath, bubbles in the bath, and hanging out with Ted were withdrawn in rapid succession, which is how it came to be that Ted was sitting on the couch taking video of Julie reading to Clara, and then, to Joe.

And so, fabulously fortuitously, you can see some of this all go down here. You will be coming in midstream here, but will soon be right in the thick of things.

Bonus footage: quite possibly the most charming moment was when, before Julie and Joe had even begun the story, Joe found an M on the title page, and said, "Mmm, mmmilk." Fans, he had found the author's name: Maurice Sednak.

Empower a Toddler, Run the World

Our Hero has begun setting the table! It all began one night when Julie was making dinner and casting about for something to occupy at least one of the bambini scampering around underfoot in the kitchen. She figured he was old enough now to reach everything, and to understand what went where, and execute the whole endeavor with minimal mess. She was also thinking that, in his room at school now, Joe has a job with which he helps so why not give it a go at home? Joe's job at school is posted on the "busy bee" board. Some jobs are shared jobs and thus, are assigned two busy bees. Joe's current job is "book helper" which is a one-bee job, and means he tidies up the library.

Our Hero took to the whole thing like white on rice, and added his own flourishes, like announcing (repeatedly) that dinner is ready, and it's time to wash hands. He bustles about with a great deal of self-importance as he ferries things to the dining room, which seems only appropriate. Julie has learned not to fill the glasses up too high as Joe's height demands he tip them a bit to get them down from the countertop and on to the table. Since the first night Our Hero helped set the table when a little milk dribbled on the floor, nothing has spilled!

We're Going on a Bear Hunt!

You may also recall that We're Going on a Bear Hunt is the book of the moment, at least for Joe. One very much gets the sense that Clara is thinking, "AGAIN?!" Joe, on the other hand, has much of it memorized, and will recite it along with the reader. Last night, when Julie reached the penultimate page that reads, "We're not going on a bear hunt again," Joe pointed to it and said, "That says, 'We're not going on a bear hunt again.'" Then, he found the words "bear" and "going" from their first letters lickity split! (G happens to be the letter of the week in his room.)

You can see some of all this bear hunting fun here, and be sure to check out Little Miss Ain't No Thing! early on rocking a whole sentence! Now, Fans--you will also no doubt note that she calls Julie Daddy. You may also recall that Birdie used to call Julie Mommy. Birdie did. But now, it's Daddy. Is she trying to be funny? Is she confused? (There was a period when Joe would parrot her when Birdie said Julie was Daddy because he thought he was being funny, which may have confused Clara? We don't know. But we're a little confused anyway.)*

You will also Clara's impatience with this, our fifty-second bear hunt, and how she dips in and out for her favorite parts, including going under the covers because we're not going on a bear hunt again. ("Though this has proved not to be the case of course," she is probably thinking.)

We should also mention that Joe got a chipmunk for Christmas whose paw you press before speaking in order to make the chipmunk repeat everything it's just heard back in a chipmunk voice. Chipmunk went on this bear hunt with us.

Readers, you're ready now, to come along on the bear hunt. Let's go!

*Incidentally, Clara does the same thing with her colors. They are all yellow. Does she think yellow is a noun instead of an adjective? Is she trying to be funny? Is she confused? It's hard to say. She has, in the past, nailed purple, and pink (she has no use as of yet, really, for red and blue and your other basics), but now, everything is yellow. It doesn't matter how many times you say it's blue or orange or whatever. Birdie remains unpersuaded. Where's the proof?

Snowflakes

Fans, you may recall that one of the consequences for Joe for running or screaming in the house in the post-dinner but pre-bed minutes was no hanging out with Ted upstairs while Julie read books with Clara. Since Our Hero has pulled it out two nights in a row now--and in the face of Clara's squeals (such temptation!--it's all you want after coming home from a day at school: a nice dinner with the family, your pajamas, some books, your pillow, and some screaming), the Boys have been back at the upstairs fun. In the wake of Christmas, when Joe received the game Cooties, the Boys were playing that. Though there were only two of them, they would build all four bugs, and then Joe would scatter them about upstairs--peeking out from under the bed, or the bookcase; maybe waiting next to the filing cabinet. But lately, they have been making snowflakes (or once, rocket ships--one looked suspiciously like a snowflake). Then, before coming back downstairs, they let them go from the top of the steps to watch them flutter down and see whose lands furthest from the drop point. At this point, we have a lot of snowflakes. This weekend, we taped them up to the windows. One entire living room window is filled. W're working on the dining room window now.

Tight

Laying down the No Running or Screaming in the House Law has meant that we have been talking with Joe about other ways he can have fun with his sister. In the course of one such discussion the night before last, Julie introduced Joe to the slang expression of being "tight" with someone. She was telling him about how brothers and sisters loved each other, watched out for each other, and you know, were "tight," crossing her index and middle fingers. Joe replied, "There are two people who love each other. Joe and Clara love each other. I'm tighter. Clara's just a little bit tighter." Exactly.

Tough Love Is Tough

Well, Fans, we laid down the law: the No Running In the House Law, whose corollary is the No Screaming In the House Law. We didn't have to lay it down until just after the truncated afternoon snack Sunday. Ted had had hot chocolate for the bambini. Joe reportedly took two sips and then, with a gleam in his eye, said he was all done and pushed back, which meant that Clara was all done as well because she knows what's coming. Joe was clearly ready to tear it up, and Clara was ready to get that party started as well. It wasn't long before we'd run through all our consequences: no toys in the tub at bath time, no bubbles in the bath water at bath time, no time for Joe to do anything fun with Ted upstairs while Julie read books to Clara, no books before bed for Joe with Julie. Both bambini were in bed by 6:30pm. Julie told Joe she was so, so sad not to be able to read books with him. Trying to make her feel better, Joe said, "You read books with Clara." We really do hope he was trying to make her feel better, and not highlighting the fact that although Clara was running around and screaming, Julie read Birdie books.

After all, Joe is not instigating any of this! Rather, it is the exuberant-please-please-please-chase-me! Birdie that begins it every time. Tough love is very tough, Fans.

But, we are pleased--so pleased!--to report that last night's, at least, post-dinner and pre-bed minutes, went swimmingly. No one ran, and although Clara screamed, Joe did not. Toys were played with, bubbles were had, time was whiled away with Ted, books were read with Julie. And then! AND THEN! Clara was still up babbling when Joe went in to bed, and Joe was a rock star and showed Clara how to sleep.

Joe Breaks It Down For You

Joe is very much about getting the plan fixed in his mind and why things are the way they are. This means he will often ask why things are numerous times before moving on to making pronouncements about how things will go down and why that is. Thus, yesterday morning, on the way to do our weekly shopping before music class, Joe observed, "We call it Whole Foods because there's lots of food there. We call it Target because [pause] it targs things."

At breakfast, he'd been talking about how there were lots of belts (by which he meant the conveyor belts) at Target, but not so many at Whole Foods. He concluded this comparative exposition by exclaiming, "Holy bonkers!"

Musical Birdie

The bambini are in music classes at our MacPhail Center for Music Saturday mornings. Music class with Clara is pretty much one charming moment after another. Birdie is all about music class. Each class has an instrument and musical concept associated with it, but there are some things that are done every time.

Class starts off with the hello song on the guitar during which each child gets a chance to put his or her hand on the guitar to feel the vibrations. Then, everyone walks in a circle to Skip To My Loo, on tippy toes and with great big steps, too. Clara can't do tippy toes yet, but she understands the great big steps and while she can't alternate legs, she takes great big step after great big step with one leg (charming moment 1). Then it's rhythm stick time, followed by scarf time, followed by ribbon wand time. Birdie pounds and plays peek-a-boo and waves, twirls, and shakes (charming moments 2, 3, and 4). She loves them all and looks especially cute when she plays peek-a-boo to Someone Is Hiding through the sheer scarf. Then the parachute comes out, which the kids go under and shake before grabbing the balls that are usually tossed on top (charming moments 5 and 6). Yesterday, cotton balls were tossed on there instead. They went flying everywhere and Clara said "Uh-oh," and immediately went about trying to pick them up and get them back on the parachute (charming moment 7). The last bit of business is, of course, the good-bye song. Clara always returns to Julie as home base at the transition between activities. Sometimes Birdie plunges headlong at Julie; sometimes she marches over to Julie, all smiles, turns, and plops herself down on Julie's lap facing out; and sometimes, like yesterday when she had a tooth coming through, she turns and wads herself all up in Julie's arms until its her turn to touch the guitar again (charming moments 8, 9, and 10).

So Birdie really digs the music! We should add here, that sometimes, on the way home from school, if we don't have the radio on, Birdie will grunt and point at it until one of us turns it on, and then she bops for a bit to pretty much whatever comes on. Oh Brigade. You should see her. It'd just melt your heart. (We keep trying to take some video but if it isn't to dark, Birdie is mesmerized by the recording light, so you have to use your imagination.)

Mad Crazy Times

Fans, here we are at the day's kick off. We give you this uncensored shot so you can get the full flavor of what days right now tend to be like: Clara, rocking the mad crazy 'do and just lovin' life; Joe, listening to about 25% of what is said to him; and Julie (as herself, and proxy for Ted), bravely smiling, but looking--let's call it like it is--a little tired, and maybe in need of a shower, if only because it occurs in the one room of the house where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy (read: the door can be shut with good reason).

The challenge we have been having is this: Clara will do something goofy, Joe--who knows better--will nevertheless follow suit and show her how to step it up a notch--and then Clara will step it up a notch. One can attempt to discipline Joe, and one has to go big or go home, because Clara will keep doing whatever it is she'd begun and Joe had continued, and Joe will just pick it right back up again.

On the one hand, it's great to see them get on so. Clearly, they are already a gang, and they are already laughing at us (and this last, in some ways, is wonderful). On the other hand, they scream. A lot. Their favorite thing to do right now is chase each other, screaming. Especially after dinner on through bath, right up until they are both in their pajamas. By the time it's over, Julie and Ted don't want to chase each other, but they do want to scream.

So tomorrow we are going to do the whole lay-down-the-law-consequences thing so don't turn that dial, Fans, because this promises to be some choice programming.

(The other thing to say about this picture is this: in it, Julie is reading We're Going On A Bear Hunt for about the twelfth time in two days. Joe is suddenly nuts for it. He overheard Julie reading it to Clara, and now, he cannot get enough of it.)

Maybe Friday

Keen-eyed Fans will have no doubt noted our mentioning in passing that Joe is in a new room at school. Our Hero has moved from Pre-A, with Ms. Kristin, to Pre-B, with Mr. Mark and Ms. Vanessa. Mr. Mark and Ms. Vanessa do fun things like decorate the kids cubbies in keeping with the two-week theme of the moment, as you see pictured here. This morning, at drop off, Julie saw Mr. Mark and said she'd heard that Joe hadn't been a very good listener yesterday. Mr. Mark said, "OH! It was all the boys. I think they're testing Ms. Vanessa." (Ms. Vanessa is new to the room, and KinderCare.) He added that there is even more structure and routine, and of course, Joe is in there with all his buddies and of course, he wants to cut it up. Mr. Mark is not worried unless Joe is still not listening in another week or two.

Oh. So maybe they didn't need a two page note explaining all about the misbehaviors we'd seen this weekend, and that we thought they might be due to Joe recently dropping his afternoon nap on the weekends, and transitioning to a new room with more kids, including the aforementioned band of "buddies," and what we had said to him about it all--i.e. listening is important for three reasons etc. (Mr. Mark took it all in stride though, and thanked a sheepish Julie for the reading material.)

What can we say, Fans? We are a pair of over achievers. One of us is sort of controlling. We like to nip in the bud any behaviors brought to our attention by a person in a position of authority. (It's true--we will handle the teenage years with grace and aplomb. Especially the one of us who tends to be controlling.)

Joe for his part affirmed this morning--twice--that he was going to listen, because: "it's distracting," and "it's appropriate." And there is your evidence, Fans, that our little parrot does indeed listen as clearly, he has absorbed our noting that failure to listen results in being distracting, and that listening is appropriate (also, perhaps, that he is also an over achiever in the making, with those words in his vocabulary).*

But then, at dinner, apropos of nothing, he informed us, that he'd "done just a little naughty behavior" today. "Maybe Friday he'd do good behavior."

*Sometimes Joe will inform Clara that something is inappropriate, which is really very amusing to overhear.

Tonight's Birdie Book Line-Up

Birdie usually tears around hoping someone--anyone--will chase her after she's in he pajamas and before she's in Julie's lap for before bed stories. Once she's in Julie's lap though, she's taken to snuggling right in. Of late, she's also taken to pointing to the books she wants or trying to say their names, as she knows them, instead of hopping down to get them.

Tonight's selections and rejects were:

Baby Says Peekaboo (This is one of those "Who's behind the ball?! Peekaboo!" lift the flap books. Of all the seemingly hundreds of lift-the-flap books we have, this is for sure Birdie's favorite.)

If You Give a Dog a Donut (Birdie had no comment this evening.)

Bears In the Night (This was new for Birdie. She liked it. She thought the owl's whhhooooo-s were funny. Julie asked if she saw the crescent moon on one page. Birdie said, "Yeah," (dah) and pointed right to it.)

Old Hat New Hat (Current favorite. Hat! Goes on your head! Tap your head for emphasis!)

Windows To Color (REJECTED!)

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (NO! NOT THAT ONE EITHER! THAT WAS SOOOOO THREE DAYS AGO!!!!!)

The Spooky Old Tree (NO!!!!! DUH! THAT WAS TOTALLY NOT THE BOOK I WAS POINTING WILDLY AT!!!!!)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Finally. This is for sure Birdie's favorite book right now. We read it a minimum of two times a night.)

And they all lived happily ever after. The end.

Listen Up

Oh Fans. Today, we had our first report of Joe behaving poorly at school. Apparently, Joe forgot to put on his listening ears.

We should also say that the weekend was rather touch and go and that, last night, Joe had an epic tantrum that lasted roughly two hours. It all began when Julie pulled into the garage with the bambini. It was then that Joe said we need to go back to school and collect his dinosaur magnets. (The theme this week is dinosaurs. The magnets are visiting, together with some other dinosaur paraphernalia.) Julie said that would not be possible as we were home for the night, besides which, the magnets were visiting his room. Pouting began.

When Julie went to unbuckle him, Joe pulled the classic Daddy-Want-To-Do-It Ploy. Julie replied that Daddy was in the house waiting for us. Pouting continued and ticked up a notch. No matter. Julie is a practiced steam roller and merrily asked Joe to get out of the car and close his door on the way and marched off. Wails broke out--but Joe moved, got out, closed the car door, and ran, reaching the gate leading to the front door and yard before Julie and Clara--and there, Fans, is where things really went off the rails.

Joe had attempted to lift open the gate latch in his be-mittened hand, and wanted Julie to pull the gate open. Julie said no. She said no because the latch is even with Our Hero's face, the gate sticks in cold weather, and she feared the stiff tug necessary to open it would end with the latch plowing into Our Hero's face. It's fair to say that Joe was furious about this turn of events.

Julie, determined to remain calm, marched herself off to the back door with Clara. Joe was hot on their heels and grabbed Julie's legs. Julie handed Clara off to Ted and began shuffling her way inside. Joe continued to scream and hold on. Eventually, he let go and ran back outside to try the gate again. Then inside. Then outside. Then inside. Then outside. Then inside.

Then, he decided to try the old Now-I'll-Do-It-The-Way-You-Said-Let-s Do-A-Redo! Ploy. Julie broke out the old That-Ship-Has-Sailed-Buddy Ploy, but noted there was still time to get in on the coat, hat, mitten, and shoe removal action before some washing hands action before some eating dinner action.

Joe wanted no part of that action.

Things continued on in this vein. Joe said he needed hugs. Hugs were dispensed, but they did not really even stem the tide. Julie suggested Joe read a book to calm down as he has done in the past. Joe couldn't turn the pages (because he was still wearing his mittens--still hopin' for that do over!), and also screamed through his tears that he couldn't read. He asked for someone to read it to him. The someone's with the requisite level of literacy were eating dinner. Those same someone's explained that they understood he was upset, but that it was dinnertime, and if he wanted to eat, time was of the essence.

Joe cried louder and harder. By now, Julie was also crying. Ted said that we were doing the right thing though. The right thing is very hard sometimes. (Turns out, we were learning the same thing Joe was.)

Then it was bath time. By that time, Joe had his shoes, coat, hat, and mittens off, but was negotiating for a do over on the eating dinner. That ship, too, had sailed. Our Hero was much dismayed to hear it.

But by that time, he was running out of steam. He got into his pajamas, and Fans, doesn't the world always look better when you're padding about in your pajamas? By the time both bambini were gathered on the couch with both of us, Joe had quieted.

But he was not yet done. No. He had enough fight left in him to act silly and distract Clara during the before bed story time. (Such hilarity is part of the reason why Julie does not yet typically read books to the bambini at the same time, but the hour was late--and patience was dangling by the slenderest of fraying threads.)

Tonight--naturally--we sailed smoothly from garage to sink to table to tub to couch to bed. Who can say why? Our Hero has been transitioning into the third and final pre-school room before the pre-kindergarten room at school. He has dropped his afternoon nap. He is now wearing 4T clothes; he's growing. He's three-and-a-half. Is it one of these things? All of these things? None of these things? Some, but others, too? We don't know.

In any case, after Julie and Joe read stories, they had a chat about listening. Although Joe now has an attention span slightly longer than that of a flea, she still kept it brief. She said listening was important because:

1. We have more fun when we listen.

2. Listening keeps us safe.

3. We have to show Clara how it's done.

She asked Joe what he was going to do tomorrow, especially at school. He said, "Listen."

And Julie said, "Listen, Pal-o: I am so proud of you. You rocked the listening at home tonight. I know you can do it tomorrow, too."

A Boo Bunks In With a Bird

We used to clean the house when the bambini were napping. So a byproduct of this whole no-more-naps-for-Joe thing has been shoehorning cleaning in here and there. Yesterday, Ted took Joe with him to return things at two stores, while Clara napped, so Julie seized the opportunity to do the floors. After running the vacuum for a while downstairs, she came into the downstairs hallway--the last bit to be done--and found the door to the bambini's room wide open, and thought, "Argh!" and then: "Don't panic. Just leave the vacuum on so the noise level remains the same and then try to make like a disembodied arm and close the door!" Which is exactly what she did, but when she realized the only noise she heard was the sound of the vacuum, she quickly peaked around the corner, and saw that Berenice had fled to the safety of Joe's snuggly little bed.

Llama Llama Red Pajama

Joe took Julie out on a date this afternoon! They went to see a children's theater production of Llama Llama Red Pajama in Hopkins, one town over or, as Joe put it, he went "to see Llama Llama Red Pajama, with Mama." In honor of the occasion, Joe dressed up in a "party shirt," and Julie wore a red sweater. On the way there, in keeping with the afternoon's theme, Our Hero requested Red Solo Cup, approved stopping for a car wash, tagged along while Julie picked up a movie at the Red Box at McDonald's, and scored a strawberry shake. Ostensibly, the shake was the share, but as Our Hero was allowed to keep it in the backseat with him, he had pretty much sucked the whole thing down by the time they arrived at the theater. (He left a bit in the cup for the way home, and then decided to save the very last sip for Ted. Lucky Ted. There's nothing quite like the dregs of an hours old strawberry shake.)

The tickets were for the balcony level, but the first row, so Joe had a pretty solid view of things once he had Julie's coat, and his coat, folded up underneath him. It was touch and go for a bit though as Joe tried out various seats, clearly searching for a better view, and not understanding this whole concept of "assigned seating." "Assigned seating!" Who needs it?! Once Joe was settled, they passed the pre-show time by making paper airplanes out of the pages of the playbill (and thankfully, they didn't sail down to the orchestra level).

The production was about an hour long, with lots of singing and dancing. Joe was pretty mesmerized--except during the moments of pure dialogue. Then, he turned to Julie and asked if it was time to leave. Or to use the potty. Fortunately, this is solid community children's theater, and they kept the straight up talking to a minimum. So even though Our Hero probably didn't follow an hour's worth of story (and one with which he is somewhat familiar), he liked watching everything that was going on. He also, apparently, enjoyed the clapping. After it was over, Julie asked what Joe thought. He said he liked the clapping. Walking out, he said he had fun on our date. But he didn't want to see Llama Llama Red Pajama again.

Clara Does the Coat Flip Trick

A few posts ago, we mentioned that Clara can do "the coat-flip trick" to put her coat on all by herself. Look out World! Here she is. Put your hands together! Yea!

Winter Gala 2012

Fans! The wait is over. Winter Gala 2012 is in the bag. Longtime Fans will recall that this is the third Gala in which Our Hero has participated. He was there at its inception, in 2010, when even the Toddler Room tots participated, and the kids were taken into a green room before the performance. But we know we don't need to remind you of all of this. Who can forget Our Hero's breakout performance in Little Red Caboose?* By 2011, Winter Gala performers were pulled from the ranks of tots in the Twos Rooms and beyond. Our Hero was an old hand, but the excitement of the night got the better of him.**

In this year's Gala, Joe performed two numbers with the Preschool A classroom. A ditty called Bundle Up sung to the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. (In the run up to this year's event, Joe informed us that instead of "wimoweh," he liked to say "wimoWAP!") Given the second song selection, jungle animal costumes were de rigueur. Joe was in a monkey suit (over monkey pajamas). He is third from the right (or stage left). (WE were sitting in the first row, stage left, and he pegged us--Joe Fans!--right away. Waved with both hands when he came out.) You can spot him in The Lion Sleeps Tonight as the start of the group that isn't doing the wiggle at the wimowehs. You can see his wheels turning, trying to remember all the motions with the words. He had the words; the motions were perhaps a little lost in the moment. But watch for the tucking of his head to his hands on "the lion sleeps tonight" line, and especially, the little hip waggle which he added at the second chorus of wimowehs. Also, look for the enthusiastic hopping that follows the celebratory Preschool A huddle at the end of its performance. He was so proud, and we were, too. (Clara would have been, too, but she stayed home with Sara, who came over to put her to bed. Birdie will perform at next year's Gala, so yes, you will want to start counting the days now.)

*http://joeekkers.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-gala-movie.html

**http://joeandclara.blogspot.com/2011/01/second-annual-winter-gala-movie.html

Uno Moo

Note: no socks.

Also: backwards shirt.

So as we just mentioned, but posts ago, the bambini spend a lot of their time playing together, chasing each other. Most often, they run from their room, to the corner of the kitchen where the refrigerator meets the junk drawer that will not open all the way, and back again. The door to their bedroom is open and shut repeatedly. When they happened to end up, momentarily, on opposite sides of the door, when the door is then flung open and they are reunited, they SCREAM in delight. AHHHHH!!!!! Another favorite "game" of the moment, is to take any matching card game, and dump all the cards out (Candyland cards are often in the mix, too) onto the floor, or into a bin. If the cards are dumped into a bin, Joe likes to stir them up and chant, "Milk in the batter! Milk in the batter! Stir it! Scrape it! Make it! Bake it!" from In the Night Kitchen.

This morning though, Joe wanted to play Uno Moo. He asked Julie to play, but as she was in the midst of setting her hair and the only one in the family not yet dressed, she had to decline. That's when Joe said, "Maybe Clara will play with me." Clara is most often found hot on Joe's heels so she was game. Before things went off the rails, Julie suggested that perhaps Joe could tell Clara what the colors of all the pieces were. Thereafter, one could here him saying, just like Mommy or Daddy," See, Clara? This is yellow." (We may have mentioned that Joe thought it was funny for a time to tell Clara all manner of non-yellow things were yellow, so Julie did peak around the corner to see if Joe was leading Clara astray again. He was not.)

Clara Tries to Say CHEESE!!!!!

So cute, figure 1

Sockin' It To Ya

Birdie Brigade, as you know, Our Birdie is her own Bird. Of late, she has been exerting her will when it comes to her socks. When Joe was her same age, of course, he didn't have a three-and-a-half year old showing him how it was done. But Clara sees her big brother picking out his own undies, and his own socks, and she will do the same to the extent she can, thank you very much. It took her a few days to get her well-meant (but frankly doltish) parents to catch what she was throwing. Initially, we were thinking she just thought the socks were toxic and her feet would instantly rot if she put them on. No. The socks were not toxic. We were just dumb. To get us to see reason, Birdie had to reject the socks initially proffered; go to her clothes cupboard and bang on the doors with an open hand; and then dramatically toss herself on the floor, wailing, when said cupboard remained closed. Now, after Birdie is dressed, the magical clothing cupboard is opened, she is lifted up to select her own pair, and then left to her own devices until she requests help, or it is time to go--by which point she has usually wrestled with them enough to know that it ain't gonna happen without an assist.*

*Having said that, we should, by way of an advance preview of coming attractions, mention that Birdie has learned how to do the coat-flip trick. She nails it every. Single. Time. Video to follow once we get our acts together during the morning melee to capture it on film.

Dude, I got this. How hard can it be? I've seen Doh do it.

It can't go on your hand? For real? So maybe it's a little hard. (It's true. I am running in and out of my room here. Opening and closing the door. It's all the rage right now with me and Doh.)

Reading With Bird: Still A Bear of a Different Color

Reading to Clara Jane is a whole different experience than reading to Joe is, or ever was. Birdie is sweet--so sweet--but rather rakish, and this later trait means that she may engage in all manner of antics before finally settling in.* Such was the case tonight. When she finally did allow Julie to read to her, the second book she selected was Brown Bear, a book she had flatly and vociferously rejected only minutes before, and indeed practically every time it has been suggested to her in the past few months. She does this with her signature you've-got-to-be-kidding-me no.** Naturally, she then wanted to read Brown Bear three times.

Then, she wanted to read What's In My Pocket? which has also been on hiatus. Be that as it may, Clara Jane knew just what was in each animal's pocket: carrot (rabbit), cheese (mouse), peanuts (elephant), and all of the above and a joey (kangaroo). She requested this book be read multiple times, too, and Julie noticed the second time through that Clara's seemingly random punching of the pages and putting her hands in her mouth was really not so random. Instead, Clara was giving the animals some of their respective snacks, and "eating" some herself! The third time through, Julie was also offered some imaginary snacks. After the third time through, it was time for bed and, as usual, Clara protested. What Julie usually does is to tuck Clara in close and break out the trusty shushing. Kisses are usually dispensed as well.

Tonight, Julie gave Clara kiss and felt Clara pull back, and then plant her open mouth on Julie's cheek (which is how Clara kisses). Oh, Bridie Brigade. Who can resist such charms? (Then Clara said "Nose?" and pointed to Julie's nose, and then teeth (so funny!), and then ears, eyes, and then back to teeth which led to mouth which led to hand chomping (also so funny!) and then, it really was time for bed, and Birdie conked right out.)

*(Another) representative example: select a book and then try to bait its would-be reader into a game of chase by streaking out of the room with it.

**(Yet another) representative example: Clara was in the midst of expressing her consternation about something or other this morning when Julie attempted to distract her by asking Clara to find the (toy) broccoli. Clara said no and the look on her face added "Mom. I have got the broccoli down. If you don't, at 35 years, I don't know how to help you. But please, don't patronize me."

What Comes From Not Napping

Today, Clara Jane went down hard for her nap, and again at bed. This is notable because, of late, she can often be seen prancing around her crib, hanging on its rail, giving her stuffed companions contained within what for, and probably waiting up for Joe, before yucking it up with him, before finally going to sleep.

Representative Example 1

Representative Example 2

Indeed, yesterday afternoon, Clara was amusing herself (and intermittently wailing) when Julie, who had gone from the back of the house to the front of the house, and back again via the path that runs alongside the house and is visible from the bambini's bedroom widows, heard a substantial uptick in wailing. She glanced back and saw that the blinds covering the window were noticeably ajar. That's right, Brigade. Our Birdie was standing up in her crib, and had pulled back the blinds to check out what was happening on Fern Hill*, when it would appear that she saw her mother. Julie is all kinds of fabulous to Clara Jane right now and clearly, Birdie thought her life was about to get a little less fabulous, and who knew for how long? Best to assume worst case scenario--clearly. Such is what comes from not napping.

*As our neighborhood is known.

The Dynamic Duo Does Under the Snuggly Little Bed

Here are the Dynamic Duo tonight in the hour before dinner. Several things were happening: a game of Chutes and Ladders was being played; pretend bread was being eaten (the bread was also playing Chutes and Ladders); and Clara was going to and fro with Chutes and Ladders game pieces, its spinner, the pretend bread, and kitty (the small pink one). Fans, Our Hero's heart really is one of a kind, and he is quite the brother. When Clara first got all mixed up in the Chutes and Ladders game, it was Julie's turn, so she picked the spinner up and asked Clara to spin for her. Joe's turn was next, of course, and without missing a beat, he said, "Clara, do you want to spin for me?" He is, also, a willing accomplice in all his sister's scheming. Our Hero is, of course, as you know, Fans, quite the follower of rules, while Our Birdie is a bit more devil may care. Toss game pieces under the bed and wiggle in after them? Yes! Sounds like a gas! Do it again? And again? and again?! The only thing better could be doing it again--or possibly tossing something down the heat register that is under there. Joe wouldn't think of that--wouldn't dream of it--but no doubt, one day, Birdie will lead the way, and he will happily follow.

Wipes, A Love Story

Birdie is pictured here with two of her greatest loves of the moment: a wipe, and the multi-use pad that covers her changing pad (folded up, her left). Both were temporarily readily accessible to her in a way that had not been, as the overhaul of the bambini's room meant that the low dresser on which the changing pad rested was eliminated. Now, the changing pad is kept tucked under Clara's crib. We had been keeping the wipes and a small plastic tub with diapers and the various diaper creams the wee-est Ekkers have needed to keep their bums looking as they should. But this all changed when we happened upon Clara shortly before this picture was taken with a good many more wipes pulled out than seen here, and then some, the top of the container clearly having popped open in the frenzy allowing for great hunks of wipes to be removed and plopped on the floor. Now, the diapering supplies reside on a shelf. It's a little sad for all involved--Clara for obvious reasons, and us because of late, Clara has taken to announcing when she has pooped ("Poop! Poop!"--all very "Danger, Will Robinson!" in tone), and dashing off to make ready the supplies for changing her diaper. She would take the wipe container out, and the tub with the diapers and sundries, and then stand on the changing pad like she'd just executed a gold medal-caliber vault, before plopping down. So endearing! (When feeling her oats, she would do all of these things save plop down; instead, she'd whip the multi-use pad off the changing pad and make off like she'd robbed a bank.)

Now, she wails and attempts to roll over until she is permitted to remove one wipe from the container, which she then fondles adoringly for the remainder of the diaper change.

At least she's taken with the wipes instead of the Desitin. That could have been very messy.

Proceed to Party

Tonight, Julie and Clara got caught up inside the KinderCare so Ted and Joe beat them to the car. When Julie opened the door to put Clara in her car seat, the Glee cast's version of Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror came pouring out. (Longtime Fans may recall that several weeks ago, Julie and Ted gave a car concert of this song on the way to Target one Saturday morning. We're almost ready to take our act on the road. We are no doubt available for your upcoming event so keep us in mind.) Clara, rather charmingly, as is her wont, immediately began to bust a move. When the song ended, she immediately requested "more, more," and both Birds were dismayed to learn that Joe had already requested Sing With Me. Sing With Me is the lead off number on the second of MacPhail Center for Music's second children's music album. It's fine. Sort of a folk vibe. Not even rockabilly, which, frankly, Fans, we could not describe, but is at least fun to say. In any case, let's just say that the King of Pop wouldn't have covered it.

But just as you're thinking that Joe's musical tastes leave much to be desired, he requests "See the Party." Translated, this is Red Solo Cup, the chorus of which includes "proceed to party"--hence, "see the party." For our Fans who are perhaps dismissive of country music, we should add that Red Solo Cup is a sort of stupid, but fun, Toby Keith hit. Our Hero sang us home. Proceed to party, Fans.

Birdie With Pony

Fans, some of you have noticed that Our Birdie is getting rather a lot of hair. Of late, many days we will arrive to pick her up and find her sporting a "pony." (When Julie was little and getting ponies, they were called pony tails. She is coming to realize that the full compound word is passe.) These ponies of Clara's are of the Bam-Bam variety. We weren't sure, but we suspected that our girl, who knows her own mind, was requesting them. Today, her sheet noted that she "asked for a lel-low pony," meaning a pony, secured by a yellow elastic (again, they were "rubber bands" back in the day; now, "elastics"). And here she is, rocking the lel-low pony.

Moe Goes Fishing

Tonight, Joe heard his first "Moe" story. For the uninitiated, when Ted and his sister Kate were little, their dad would make up stories at bed time chronicling the adventures of Ned and Kit. The stories tend to have a similar arc: Ned and/or Kit experience an activity very similar to something their namesakes did recently and usually involve explaining in great detail some otherwise small piece to the story (which was only fully realized and appreciated tonight because Ted found himself doing the same thing - a good delay tactic while you think of where to take the story). There are enough twists and turns to keep the listener on the edge of their bed, but all ends just peachy with the heros fully grateful for the experience and better for it somehow. So, before handing Joe off to Julie for the real story time, Ted had Joe nestle into the upstairs sofa for a Moe story. At first Joe was a bit confused, he didn't get the concept of lying back and listening - he was trying to see if Ted was holding a book, but after a couple lines to the story, he settled in.

The inaugural story told of how Moe went fishing with his Uncle Scott (admittedly, this was old material, but it is what came to mind and what Joe would want to hear about). As the first few lines were spoken, Joe started softly whispering the words right after like he knew the story, so he was told that this was a new story he hadn't heard, which quieted him down (so our narrator could concentrate). Our story was brief, and it found Moe and his Uncle Scott off to fish. They sat on a big rock by a lake, Moe caught a fish and reeled it in (this is the part that got extra detailed: "and he kept reeling, and reeling, and reeling, and reeling...), and Uncle Scott caught it in a net. They then released it back to its friends. The End.

Immediately afterwards, Joe launched into his own Moe story, regaling Ted with a tale concerning any object he could spy in the room, it went something like this... "And Moe.......he.....had a computer....and a shirt was on it....and the light was on.....and he fell down. Was that so funny!?!?" A good time was had by all. Ted (or should I say Ned?) will work on his improv so Joe will look forward to more adventures with Moe and might even put up with hearing about Moe's little sister Sara.

This Just In

Joe: "Mommy, I going to sleep, and I don't want Clara to wake me up."

Said the pot to the kettle.

The Grand Reveal | Part 2

Berenice plotting rug destruction.

The cupcake kitchen and grocery corner.

The dining room.

The dining room drapery fabric, up close, for interested parties far away.

The Grand Reveal | Part 1

Readers, before this new year gets too far out of the gate, we wanted to reveal all we did at the close of the last, as promised. This all started with a desire to get some of the bambini's toys out of great big bins which Clara, in particular, often wouldn't paw down to the bottom of, to give them another area in which to play, and--selfishly--to make the living area look a little more adult-friendly as well. Such is cottage living, where pretty much every room and everything does double and triple duty.

Truth be told though, we probably wouldn't have done as much as we did if Julie hadn't asked Ted to rehang the ill-hung-seven-years-ago-and-it's-fine-and-we're-leaving-it!!!!! curtain rod in the dining room as she replaced the aforementioned gray-nee-white drapes in that room. Once the drapes were down, one could see how horrid the window frames looked, which led Ted to scrape and repaint them. Well, if you've got the paint out, you might as well do the bathroom window that's been mocking you for at least a year, and get after the windows in the bambini's room, too. All told, five windows were repainted.

A similar logic led us to repaint the bambini's room. We repainted it the same color so one doesn't get the same thrill that comes with seeing a new color go up, but one does get the but-we-don't-have-to-prime! thrill, which is not to be lightly dismissed.

So here are the bambini's new digs, replete with more toy storage, a rug in the living room (no doubt Berenice will have dispatched it before the month is out), a rug in their room (Berenice' February project), and more room to play. It's like the fairies came.

No pictures yet! Imagine pictures.

The snuggly little bed.

The new armoire-y cabinet-y things.

Inside one of the armoire-y cabinet-y things. (Green bins here and above all repurposed!)

Goin' Down With Me

Fans, all is quiet this early Tuesday morning, for which we are grateful as last night and yesterday morning was decidedly less so. At 11:14pm, Clara let out a wail suggesting her arm was being ripped off. Julie rushed downstairs and found Clara at the rail of her crib (with both arms intact). As Julie leaned over, Clara reached up and locked her arms around Julie's neck in a vice-like grip, and then hoisted herself up--like she was doing a pull-up!--until she could place a foot on top of the rail of the crib, at which point she pushed the rest of her body up and over and on to Julie and Fans, she was not. Letting. Go. It was all very, "Mommy, if you put me back down there, I'm taking you with me, screaming. Decision time." We still really have no idea what was wrong, but we passed a restless night in the big bed with Clara. She was up, she was down. She rustled, cooed, and babbled. She spun about, kicked, and pounced. This was all after the nap-that-sort-of-wasn't yesterday afternoon. So we don't know what was up with Our Birdie, but she stayed down all night.

Another Yar Moment

As we may have reported here before, Joe is really into tacking down this whole rhyming concept. So these days, it is not uncommon for him to bust out with some pronouncement like this one from Friday evening, in the car, on the way home: "You know car? And gar? They rhyme!" About fifty percent of the time, the rhyming word is not a real word. About five percent of the time, it's the same word (e.g. "You know car? And car? They rhyme!"), so we've got about a forty-five percent success rate right now. After Julie shot gar down, Joe tried again and this is what he said, "You know car? And yar? They rhyme!"

Oh, Fans. Those of you who have been with us for sometime will no doubt--no doubt--recall that Julie is extremely fond of this word, and all nautical terminology despite the fact that she was born and raised pretty much in the landlocked portion of the United States. And so, while no doubt--no doubt--Our Hero really had no idea that yar was a real word, Julie managed not to drive off the road as she excitedly turned around to tell Joe that "Yes! Car and yar did indeed rhyme!"

A New Year's Nap

Our Hero decided to kick off the new year by taking an afternoon snoozer! He took a bad tumble in the morning and so sort of felt like tucking his little self in to his "snuggly little bed."* Naturally, Clara woke up crying in the midst of her siesta. Julie bolted in, scooped her up, and bolted back out just as Joe started to stir. So it was that Clara finished her nap on top of Julie. Birdie is getting rather big so it makes Julie's breathing a little shallow, and Julie is, of course, utterly pinned and down for the count. So if one had, say, been reading on the couch and thinking about popping up for a little bowl of potato chips and a fizzy beverage when the Birdie began to wail, well, c'est la vie. But, every time it happens that Clara ends up napping on top of Julie, Julie thinks it may be the last time, and so hopes it is not. So it's not such a bad vie, even if it is temporarily sans potato chips.

Shortly after Ted took this picture, Clara Jane herself popped up all, "Hello, World!" and wanted some books of her own to read. Ted snagged the three that were on the nightstand: The Itsy Bitsy Spider; The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear [Could the authors seriously not have shortened that up a bit? Where was the editor on that one?]; and Where's Spot? Clara deemed Where's Spot? the only tome worthy of her attention, and instructed Ted to read it twice. Quite charmingly, the second time through, upon reaching the flap hiding the aligator under the bed, she oriented herself just as we were before copying our "SNAP!" (as in an alligator goes SNAP!) motions.

*This "snuggly little bed" is new. Julie is always off the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, and this year, Ted took it off as well. We had grand plans to linger at the Starfoxes each morning, go to the movies, take in an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center, read, and do a little reorganizing around the house. Tuesday, we set off bright and early for IKEA to get some new and improved toy storage, and while we were there, decided the root of the toy storage problem in the bambini's room was that their room is too small for two twin beds (or one twin bed and a crib). As a new, smaller bed is cheaper than a new house, we got new "snuggly little bed[s]" of which we will be reporting soon in a grand Home Improvement Reveal post.

A New Year (Let the Adventures Begin!)

And here we are, Fans: on the flip! Happy new year! The early part of the New Year's Eve found Joe in a pair of the Justice League underwear Santa left in his stocking, "measuring the steps." (The measure "four fifty-six." Rather markedly like a clock time measurement. Must be a magical tape measure.)

A little later--when things were really getting crazy (read: right before bath--we believe we've mentioned what an absolute gas this portion of the day is before), Joe was roaming about in the buck and decided to do a little baking.

What was Our Birdie doing while all this measuring and baking was going on? Birdie was engaged in her new favorite activity: tearing up the junk drawer by the refrigerator (the same drawer with which Joe was also inordinately fascinated when he was the same age). So many delights reside in this drawer!: tape; stickers (LOTS of stickers); pens, pencils, and highlighters (she is especially fond of the highlighters); scratch pads and paper; three unsharpened Halloween themed pencils; one or two measuring tapes; a flashlight; gum; a small black object resembling a top hat for a mouse (or so it was once describe when Joe asked what it was); and probably some other things the bambini can't reach owing to the fact that their arms are short and this drawer cannot be opened all the way. Such are the thrills of life in an older home, and with the bambini. Here's to more adventures in 2012!