TotRules&CrabbyZachy

Mackenzie has become a selective listener. Not really a recent 'become.' She probably 'became' one longer ago than I realize. Difference is, she acknowledges when she is and is not listening. Like if I repeat myself, just in case she didn't hear me the first time, she'll say to me, 'Momma, I not listening to you.' Thanks for clarifying run-your-own-program-totgirl. Or, she might let me know when she is listening, expecting excessive praise I'm sure, which she gets of course. Today she let me know she was not listening to me today, but assured me that she would be sure to listen in Preschool tomorrow.

She's very much into rules when she wants to be. She likes to be big sisterly to Zachy and tries hard to explain things to his uncooperative, impulsive fifteen month old self. It's rather amusing, especially since, as is obvious from the previous paragraph, her own desire to follow rules is rather tenuous at best. She tries though. Yes the girl does, in her own little ways. It's all about pushing limits at this age. Push.Push.Push. That's life with a three year old, I suppose.

Zachy was really crabby today. Nothing was right in his world. Me thinks it's teething. He seems to struggle more with teething than she did. Definitely rough on him. He's having a difficult time at bedtime as well. I think maybe he's in a new phase and we need to adjust his nighttime routine some. Maybe try to the whole cry it out thing. Yah, like that'll happen. Right now he goes down easier for Dad than he does Me. I start the process, but usually, unless he's really pooped, Dad finishes. My guess is he's ready to start the weaning thing, but he and I have not figured out how to make that Okay. It'll come.

Tomorrow I work and they are off to the Totcollege.  They've been off for six days due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. Zachy had really started to complete his adjustment in the Toddler A room, so hopefully this extended break of sorts won't set him back any.

Let's do a couple TotMusings from today, shall we?

• Very dramatically, 'Momma, Will you save me so Zachy doesn't get my toys?' I have to hand it to her. Despite how dramatically she said it, she was trying to ask for help instead of taking matters into her hands...aka hitting, pushing, grabbing and yelling.
• Her response to me saying I needed to eat? (Laughing), 'Mommy's don't eat.' My inability to lose weight would suggest otherwise, but it was funny nonetheless. A reminder that in the totworld, we exist soley to meet their needs and any needs we have are but a minor inconvience.
• While hanging out with me in the bathroom (remember, once you become a Mother, potty time is no longer private), she reprimands me for taking too much toilet paper and 'Wasting' and then throws it in the garbage and tears off the correct amount for me. Love the disconnect!

ZachyMusing...

• Mackenzie had her cars lined up on the climber and he started to take them. She screamed of course. When he tried again, I sternly said his name. He turned and looked at me with the most devilish look. The boy knows what he's doing! Poor totgirl doesn't stand a chance!
• Mackenzie yelled No at him and he started yelling it right back at her, over and over and over again, laughing all along. Not sure he really even knows what it means. But he sure loves to taunt her!

TwoGoodThings...

1. Mackenzie and I had a rockin' dance party. Good for our souls! Zachy mostly watched, and clearly cannot wait to be able to jump and shake!
2. Zachy chasing BuddyCat. All over. The thing about BuddyCat is he could run, but he just keeps walking just slightly faster than his stalker. Even when his stalker is a pretty slow wobbly-walker. So, it keeps the game going longer than he probably wants, but Zachy loves it and it keeps him entertained, so I love it too.

ChasingZachy

We put up our tree today. Just a small artificial on the top of a table tree. We will be visiting my Mom for Christmas, so it makes no sense to get a real tree. Not to mention, I have the fifteen month old Zachy who, so far, has not pulled the tree down. We'll see how long this lasts. He showed some early interest, but got over it relatively quickly. Let's hope he's really over it!

Zachy's walking continues to improve. So does his game playing. As usual, he like anything that involves getting a reaction out of his sister. He now also likes to pretend he is dumping his milk out so I will try to get it from him. Over and over. Tonight he started a game of chase with me. Playing chase with a wobbly walker is the best. He thinks he's 'running,' going as fast as he can. Mackenzie heard all the fun we were having and of course joined in. Back and forth and back and forth. Have I mentioned how insanely cute he is?

ZZReturns!

Today Mackenzie decided we could call her ZZ. ZZ used to be her nickname, until she turned three at which time she decided we could no longer call her ZZ. But today ZZ became another character she plays in her imaginary world. She alternates persona's throughout the day. At times she is Baby Lucy. Baby Lucy is Teddy's little sister. Teddy is in her class at school. Teddy and Lucy's Mom happens to be the Preschool Room teacher. So, this week she plays as if she is part of their family. The other day I needed her to get dressed and she said that Teddy said she had to wear such and such. Her imaginary world usually trumps reality, in her mind that is. When she is Baby Lucy, she has to wear her baby outfit, which consists of a pull-up diaper and a pajama top. At times she is Mackenzie, in which case she wears a dress. When dressed as Mackenzie, she can also be Mommy to baby Bucee or a daycare teacher in any number of rooms. And now, today as ZZ, she decided she has an old shirt she must wear that was a ZZ shirt. And ZZ has certain things she does. ZZ has definite boundaries now. And we can only call her ZZ when she is in her ZZ shirt and doing ZZ things. So there!

It was cute. She has resisted any use of her nickname for several months now. I think she sort of liked being called ZZ again. Yet in some way it threatens her Independence and Control since she was the one who decided that nobody could call her ZZ anymore (even though she was the one who came up with the nickname in the first place!). At one point she said we could call her 'Mackenzie-ZZ.'

So, we shall see tomorrow who she is and what we can call her. My guess is, she'll be a variety of people.

Mackenzie-ZZ is pretty much an all waking hours comedy routine these days. A lot of it doesn't translate well into writing. However, she has had a couple of recent good one liners...so how 'bout a little TotMusings, courtesy of the one and only Mackenzie-ZZ!

• After dumping her markers and crayons all over, she says, 'Momma, look I cleaning this mess up for you!' Could she BE any sweeter?!?
• 'Mommy, Zachy was waiting his turn when I was coming out of your tummy.' I guess she can be pretty sweet after all!

ZooDay!

We went to the Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium in Phoenix today. GreatDay! We all had a fabulous time. Both kids did wonderfully. FeelingGood!

We had 'planned' to get out by 8am. But, oddly, both slept in until about 7:20. Very unusual for my very unfortunately early risers. But I was ecstatic, because this meant maybe, just maybe, we could get through the adventure pretty meltdown-free and I WAS RIGHT! Doesn't happen often, but I WAS RIGHT!

We got out about 9:45 and arrived just about 11. Perfect 'winter' weather down in Phoenix, low to mid-60's and sunny. PerfectlyPerfect. We pretty much headed straight to the Petting Zoo. OHMEGOODNESS, Zachy is fearless. His fifteen month old self was petting anything and everything. He wobble-walked himself all the way through. Full of Gleeful Screeching as he petted adorable soft furry creatures. Mackenzie enjoyed the Petting Zoo as well, but her Highlight was feeding the Giraffes. That's right, she got up close and personal and fed those beautifully exquisite mammals. She was absolutely giddy with giggles. Smiling just picturing their faces. The train was a hit with both. Zachy's first time, first aware time anyways. Mackenzie got to pet some sea creatures in the Aquarium, but then her dress got slightly wet, so that was a bit of a dramatic moment. She's in a phase where she can't tolerate being wet or dirty at all. However, she worked through it like a champ and pulled herself together. Two slightly older toddler girls flirted shamelessly with Zachy. He's a toddlergirl magnet I tell ya. And, of course, he got a bunch of the usual 'he's so cute' smiles and looks. He is. What can I say?

Mackenzie got plenty of those 'she's so cute' looks too. She looked sweet in her gray polka dot dress with leggings and boots. Her sweet appearance can be a bit misleading at times. We were checking out the porcupines, which she thought were simply adorable and a woman made a comment to her and My Little Miss Social Skills made her sharp grunt noise. Love that noise. I guess it's a 'thing' in the preschool. But it comes out of nowhere. I suppose they do it to one another in Preschool when so and so is mad at so and so and doesn't want to play. I need to put a warning sign on her of sorts when we take her out in public. Something like 'Beware, I'm not as sweet as I look.' We have a little market a few miles over run by a nice couple. Mackenzie is never nice to the lady. She always gives her 'the noise' when the lady tries to talk to her. The couple laughs when they see her come up, because it has become somewhat of a game between Mackenzie and the lady. Until last time. Last time the lady asked about her something and Mackenzie started responding. When we left Mackenzie said they were friends now. We'll see what happens next time. At least she's got the 'Don't Talk to Strangers' thing down, right?

After the zoo we debated whether to do the drive through thing or actually take them out to a restaurant. We were worried we might be pushing our luck, but we went to Chili's. They did FABULOUSLY! No meltdowns! WOW! We ate and got in the car and even the hour and a half car ride home was fine. Zachy napped a bit and then cried for about five after he woke up, but otherwise, a peaceful ride home.

You never know what to expect when you venture out with two toddlers, but when it works, it's FUN! And today was FUN! Yay! We had a nice evening, played, took baths and now it is 8:15 pm and both are sound asleep in their beds.

FotoFriday11.26.10

I did not get around to posting yesterday. Yesterday was Thanksgiving and it's pretty obvious what I am Thankful for. I am incredibly Thankful for Mackenzie and Zachy. They are both incredibly remarkable Spirits. I am also Grateful that they have a truly good Father; A Father who loves them very very much. We had a nice day. Mackenzie did not eat too much, she just wanted pie. Zachy enjoyed all the sides, the stuffing, the green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and far too many cranberries (full of s.u.g.a.r. - we saw the impact of this right after dinner!). Both loved having pie!

Some pictures from this week in the lives of Mackenzie and Zachy...

We had some cold, rainy weather this week.

Winter has arrived.

Mackenzie's family tree craft.

We had a lot of fun together making it!

Mackenzie got on RufusDog pretending he was a horse.

He was less than thrilled!

Zachy in 'his' necklace holding money.

Totmusing:

'When I grow up, I going to be a horse rider and save allll the horses!'

A little hard to see, but she is on her stick horse here.

Zachy figured out he can drag things behind him.

And he likes carry things and swing them around.

He looks a bit crazed here! And there's our humanitarian horse rider in the background.

 'Bubbles!' He loves Bubbles.

Trying to keep ourselves entertained with laundry basket rides.

Whatever works!

He's just cute. That smirk...so playful and yet so wise.

How sweet is she? I can't help but smile right back!

FavoriteThings

Oprah recently had her Favorite Things episode. I didn't see it, but since it's her last, I thought in Honor of Oprah and her Favorite Things, I would list Mackenzie and Zachy's Favorite Things.

Zachy first:

• The word Ut-oh.
• Bubbles.
• RufusDog. He calls him Roo.
• Mackenzie's Pink Loving Family Dollhouse Car.
• Song: If You're Happy and You Know It...clap your hands!
• Clapping his hands.
• Sand.
• Dirt.
• Pushing things.
• Balls.
• His Pillow Pet.
• Anything Mackenzie is doing at that particular moment.
• Mackenzie getting upset because he takes things from her.
• Chapstick. He likes to eat it.
• Climbing.
• Putting things to his ear like he is on the phone. Anything. Most things. Random things.
• Carrying things. Because he can now that he's a wobbly-walker.
• His shoes. And socks.
• Music instruments. The louder the better.
• Throwing things. Again, the louder the bang, the better.
• Being outside.

And now for Mackenzie...

• Dresses.
• Role play.
• Her most favorite role play game is Preschool.
• She also likes playing Mommy.
• Noodles, pancakes, ice cream.
• Steak night.
• Running.
• Riding toys - playing 'road construction.'
• Cuddling.
• Twirling her hair (or ours).
• Music.
• Any one of her five hundred stuffed animals at any given time.
• Baby Bucee.
• Crafts.
• Practicing writing.
• Making parties.
• Playing parking cars.
• BuddyCat.
• Caillou
• Books and Reading.
• Her family.

SimpleIronies

From MiaMommaMusings...Being a Mother, you quickly learn that there are some Ironies that come with. Off the top of my head...

• The pincer grasp develops right around the same time as the ability to crawl.
• Babies have about a three second attention span; if they are quieter longer than that, it means they have discovered a choking hazard or something else equally as dangerous like the one unbabyproofed electrical socket in the house.
• No matter how hard you try, you won't find a toy that will hold your nine month old's attention span, unless it's a bag of marbles of course.
• If there's a needle in a haystack to be found, send a baby. (S)He'll find it no problem.
• Teething and ear infections pretty much look the same, symptom wise.
• It's normal for a breast fed baby to go days without pooping. Unfortunately, dehydrated babies also don't poop for days.
• Teething babies drool a lot. So do babies with sore throats.
• Doctor's make a lot of money off teething babies, cause you never know if they might have an ear infection or a sore throat or a stomach virus for that matter cause teething babies can also poop a lot, bordering on diarrhea.
• I say ear infections alone are a doc's bread and butter. The rest is all just gravy.
• Sleep books suck. And if it was really as easy as they all say, there would not be such a market for them. Bottom line.
• Every time you THINK you have your child's 'schedule' figured out, it changes.
• All the advice you see in books and get from people sounds great in theory. And would probably work, if there were not a million other things interfering.
• Example: Involve your toddler in a quiet activity while you are putting your newborn asleep. Brilliant? More like common sense. But even common sense knows that this requires the cooperation of the tot and that the baby falls asleep before the tot's attention span runs out. Neither of which is very likely.
• No matter how cool the push toy you get them is, they will just push the trash can, or the stepping stool or anything else that moves.
• And yes, they like the boxes that the toys come in as much or more than the actual toys.
• It's almost impossible to have kid's meals ready for them when they are actually hungry. Either they're not hungry when it is ready or it's not ready and they're hungry and they're screaming.
• Most of your own meals consistent of eating their scraps.
• The phone will always ring or someone will inevitably knock on the door really really loud right when you finally get your baby to sleep. Even in the middle of nowhere.
• The terrible twos get a really bad rap. During them you THINK you have it all figured out. Get a bit cocky. But then the threes hit. Whoa. That's what parents need to be warned about.
• 99% of your day is spent trying to get your toddlers entertained enough so you can get something 'done.' The other 1% is spent cleaning up after all your failed efforts at entertaining them.
• You eagerly wait for your baby to say Momma. Despite how wonderful this sounds at first, there does come a time when you have moments where you wish your name was Dada.
•  A toddler who doesn't want to do something suddenly has strength equal to that of the Incredible Hulk and weighs as much an Elephant.
• You do forget. This is painfully obvious by all the glares you get in the store when your toddler is acting up.
• It really is Hard. Worth it, but Hard.

TwoGoodThings11.23.10

TwoGoodThings...

1. While struggling to find Mackenzie's name in the log book outside the Preschool Room, I look over and suddenly notice her watching me, with her jacket on, hood and all. When she realises I have seen her too, she smiles and runs over with her very special painting of the day in hand.
2. Mackenzie and I picked up Zachy together. He is happy in the Todds Room. When we got there, he was focused on climbing on something. After he saw Mackenzie and I, he came wobble-walking over to us, happy as can be. One of his teachers said he is her FAVORITE Tuesday-Thursday Tot. Of course he is. He's adorable and sweet and lovable, yes he is.

MorningTotBanter&EIEIO

Mackenzie woke up this morning crying, which is unusual for her. She used to wake up crying all the time, it was her 'thing,' but not so much anymore. Even when I'm not in the room with her. In fact, the other day she came out and found me and very cute-groggily said, 'Momma, I look for you all over the bed. You weren't there.'

This morning, her first comment was, 'Momma what happened to me and Zachy's airplanes? They flew away. Can we go find them?' I'm thinking just maybe she was dreaming.

After Zachy woke up, she very matter-of-totfactly stated, 'I not going to knock him down today. I just going to give him kisses for waking up!' It was sweet while it lasted...

In other news...

Zachy loves music. He likes the song 'Old MacDonald' and has his own very cute way of 'singing' E-I-E-I-O. It goes something like, 'EYIII-EYIII.' Always right on cue.

I admire his persistence. Sometimes he almost crawls because it is faster for him still, but then it's like his mind says, 'NO!' and he gets up and walks, his wobbly walk. Proudly. Just like a Rockstar.

TwoGoodThings...

1. Mackenzie and I jointly deciding that when we get mad we need to take deep breaths. We practiced together and tonight, instead of melting down at bedtime, we did our 'Just breathe' together. It worked!
2. Zachy happy-yells all the time when he is walking. It's like he's saying, 'Here I come!!!!!!'

TotgirlHair

Mackenzie has taken forever to get hair. Really, for a three year plus three months old, she doesn't have a whole lot. It's very slowly filling in, though. And, of course her Momma thinks she is ab-so-lute-ly adorable, regardless of how much hair she has!

Over the years, her hair has come in something like this...

Her first birthday....

At sixteen months. We were over a friend's house and I had talked about Us (Mom and Dad) getting haircuts. Kathy looked at me baffled and asked how much I had cut from Mackenzie. She had misunderstood. It was hilarious. She thought I was nuts!

Despite the hat, it's pretty clear she still didn't have a whole lot on her second birthday.

In the last six months or so she has taken more notice herself and her friends. I think at school they will comment if someone gets a haircut. She never has really had a haircut, although last June-ish, a friend was kind enough to make a big deal out of cutting her hair. She was soooo excited!

Her third birthday. More than her first and second for sure...

Hair 'today.'

Lookin' cute.

We even managed to get in a couple of  'pigtails,' with a bit of effort of course.

But WHERE this came from...I have NOOOOO idea!

NoCrankies!

Dad is working this weekend, so it was me solo with the kids. We had a really good day. We went to Walmart this morning. Of course, you never know how an hour drive each way trip is going to turn out, but we did okay and got some of the fixings for Thanksgiving and a few other needed odds and ends. Dad will finish up the official grocery shopping tomorrow after he finishes working!

Mackenzie and Zachy both got lots of  'Awww they're so cute' looks and comments. Mackenzie was hopping beside the cart for awhile and was saying she was 'Exercising.' Then she decided to do the tot-run and play chase. She thought it was a lot funnier than I did. That ended her up in the back of the cart sitting on cans for awhile. Don't get me wrong, she was pretty funny and cute, but I, of course, get really scared when she is not in eyesight. After having to sit in the back of the cart, she went back to compliantly hopping beside. On the way home Zachy fell asleep and I got a bit nervous because keeping him asleep once we got home depended on the cooperation of the three year old totgirl. And cooperative she was! Phew! Success.

Zachy slept for TWO total HOURS! He was a happy, not-at-all cranky boy this afternoon. LOVE IT! Mackenzie seems to only be napping about forty five to sixty minutes, but that works for her and she's still napping, so NO complaints on that. She too was a happy, not-at-all cranky tot this afternoon.

After naps, she got right into preschool character. After awhile she decided she was Bucee's mom and was bringing her to me for childcare. Our conversations went something like this...

Mackenzie: Baby Bucee has poop. You need to change it.
Me: I already changed it.
Mackenzie: She had two poops.
(Me thinking...darn, she got me.)
She goes to 'work' and comes back a few minutes later (wish I had her job!).
Mackenzie: How was Bucee's day?
Me: Her day was good.
Mackenzie: Oh, she not cry or anything?
Me: No. She was very happy today.
Mackenzie: Oh, she cried yesterday.
(Me thinking...she's taking this really seriously!)
She takes Bucee home and then brings her back in the next day.
Mackenzie: Bucee needs to make a craft.
Me: Okay.
Mackenzie: Put her down now and do it.
(I don't move fast enough, apparently.)
Mackenzie: Put her down and do it now.
(So, I do, don't want to get in trouble twice from the bossy totmom!)
She goes to 'work' and comes back a few minutes later...still wishing I had her job.
Mackenzie: Do she have a poop rash? I think we go to Arizona. We go to Phoenix on Monday.

It was a riot. I think she was replicating what she heard me and Zachy's teacher talking about the other day. Perceptive little girl she is.

And, here's a picture of babyBucee in my 'classroom' doing her 'craft.'

AFewGoodThingsFromToday...

• Blowing bubbles for Zachy while he took his bath. I mentioned yesterday how much he loves bubbles. He was trying to catch them. So intent. And he sounds really adorable when he says, 'Bubbles.' The thing about Zachy and his words is, he might not have too many, but he loves the ones he has and uses them not only frequently, but wisely.
• Mackenzie putting on a baseball cap and saying, 'I think I look very cute.' And, for the record, she did.
• Mackenzie and I having such awesome teamwork when we got home. We High-Fived and everything. So was amazing. She did just like we talked about. And when it was her turn to do down for nap, she did so without a fight. She was a Good Egg today, For Sure!
• Zachy brushing his teeth before bed while I read him Good Night Moon and then not wanting to stop brushing his teeth. If he keeps this up, he'll have the best tot-teeth EVER!
• Zachy loves tuna noodle casserole.
• Mackenzie referring to her baby as 'Buc.'
• The two of them playing with the 'racetrack' together and working out a way to do it together so that each got to have a job. Seeing them together...playing...that's what it's all about! I have Good Kids. LOVE IT! LOVE THEM!

Lastly, I would have to say ZACHY IS IN FACT A WALKER! He barely crawls and when he does he switches back over to walking pretty promptly. He's still pretty wobbly on his feet, but determined. Smiling, Yes I Am.

Bubbles&Kitties

We were outside today and  I was pushing Mackenzie on the swing (who was decked out in her summer dress in 55 or so degree weather). I hear Zachy very clearly saying, 'Bubble, bubble.' I look over and sure enough, he has bubbles in his hand that he had gotten out of a bucket on the porch. One of his Tot A Report Cards stated that he enjoyed watching the bubbles. Apparently they were right. So much so that he learned that word the first time he heard it. He now also says 'Whoooaaa'  a lot. That one I am pretty sure he got from me. The other thing he is doing that is reallyexceptionallycute is clapping for himself when he walks. So he takes a few steps and then claps. Funny little guy! I do like his age a lot. Such personality. (smiling)

This morning Mackenzie put her arms around Zachy and said, 'I love Zachy. I worried about him because he is crying.' I think she was serious. I say 'I think' only because she can be a bit of an actress at times. As I have mentioned she often spends her days in character. Oh, and speaking of being in character, today she informed me that I was 'Grammy.' That's right. She decided I was her Grandma. And, her 'Mom' was named Stacy (which is the name of one of her friend's Moms). Whatever Totgirl! (smiling, sort of)

Both are in bed and the house is quiet. I hope they sleep well. There was a bit of the tired crankies going around today. But, all in all we did okay. And, we had some fun. And, I got to snuggle with Zachy before putting his sweet sleeping face in the crib and then got to snuggle with Mackenzie on the couch for a bit. She is an excellent cuddler. She curls up on you just like a kitty cat! (smiling, for sure)

FotoFriday11.19.10

Not a Bad Week At All...In Fact, it was a Pretty Fine Week in Our World!

Mackenzie playing with the fall leaves.

Later in the week, Zachy rediscovered them on his own.

Zachy playing his 'game.'

The one where he catches the spoon his mouth and won't let go!

Note the mischievous grin and twinkle in his eyes!

Mackenzie's first 'person' drawing!

Working on her Treasure Box.

 Zachy sifting through the remnants of our tomatoes.

Mackenzie painting her pumpkin.

And her face.

Proudly displaying her finished product.

Doing a ballerina dance for Zachy and I.

The FIRST STEPS Moment!

And also the first Teeth-Brushing Moment.

Yay Zachy!

Carrying the zoo animal visor, BECAUSE I CAN!

Yep, I'm a Rockstar! I WALK!

Sister lending a helping hand.

Why? Why not?
Monkey See...Monkey Do!

It's....Music Time!

GreatPickUp!

Fairly easy appointments today at work, so I was able to slip out a little early and pick up the kids from totbabycollege. I really have to stop calling it totbabycollege and just totcollege, since they are both officially tots now.

It was a GreatPickUp! I got to watch both for a few minutes before they saw me, which I loved because they were both totally enjoying their totcollege worlds.

When I walked into the preschool room I could hear my darling totgirl's voice from the bathroom, talking excitedly about pottying with another totgirl. That sounds a little odd. But, Yes, they already go to the bathroom together. And, they are three, so their conversation is pretty limited to the Here and Now. I could see her standing, chatting very animatedly. She was surprised and happy to see me. Did I mention that on Tuesday she told Miss Sara that she wanted me to pick her up? Sweet, huh? And then Dad told her he had chocolate milk in the car (failed to mention that Mom prepared it!), and then she was just excited to get to the car. Nice. But, hey, at least I am up there somewhere close to chocolate milk in the rankings, right? Today, Miss Sara said that Mackenzie had an absolutely great day and was a lot of fun. Translation: Crazy Girl showed up! Lucky them. Crazy Girl IS a lot of fun! I LOVE Crazy Girl!

When I looked in her folder for any 'take home's,' she had made me a card that Said, 'Mommy, I miss you. I love you. Kenzie.' My heart is full!

We then went to get Zachy. Miss Amy was in the room cleaning up and Zachy was out on the playground. She said he has been doing very well. Happy, eating good, intrigued by all his friends. Really starting to enjoy himself. I felt a little relieved hearing that since I have not had a chance to pick him up since his first day and that day he was pretty clearly shell shocked. I peaked outside and saw him on the playground. Pushing a wooden walker thing and then stopping to put wood chips in the front of his walker. So busy, So Intent, and, most importantly, So Content. Oh, and did I mention, So Adorable? They saw him walk today. All across the wood chips! Not a flat, even surface! He is getting good! I might just have to officially declare him a walker. I'm going to see what he does tomorrow though. He was happy when he saw us there to get him. He held my hand as we walked through the playground to the door. He's so Proud of himself. I LOVE it.

Yes, the pick up was great. Seeing them happy and in their world was stupendous. I love how herself my Mackenzie is there. Oh, and they said that she is 'fine' and has 'adjusted' well to Zachy's move. She did a good job working through her feelings and letting him move on. Yay, Mackenzie! I love how Zachy is doing well now and happy with the Todds. Adjusted to the move himself. Yay, He's a Big Boy Now!

Drive home was a bit of a bummer; Their exuberance had worn off and their tired set in. Man oh Man, that already long drive can seem even longer when it involves screaming kids! But, I just kept smiling and picturing them happy and thinking about our GreatPickUp from the totcollege.

HappyHumpDay

Getting home from work last night was awesome. GoodThingNumberOne (from Tuesday)...

• Zachy 'walking' to greet me when I got home with his 'I'm a Rockstar' expression. Yes, you are a Rockstar my almost-walking Zacharoo! I know I keep gushing about it and will continue to do so, even later in this very post, but his 'walking' is precious. I could SCREAM it's so cute.

I was also greeted by Mackenzie calling out to me from the bathroom. 'Momma, I pooping. Come see.' If your not a Mother, this probably sounds gross. Not that if you are a Mother it's something you look forward to, but it's all in a day's work. Yep, that's Motherhood, all inclusive: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

Zachy continued to practice his walking, but was pretty tired, so taken to bed fairly early. When I got out from putting him down, Mackenzie was still playing away. Resisting her bedtime. She was playing, what else, 'Preschool.' At (real) Preschool, the kids are immersed right now in art projects. Next month they have a special Parent's Night set up so we can come and see our kid's work. I can't wait.  (Hmmm...tonight Mackenzie said that tomorrow they have 'music class.' Maybe the kids will all sing a song together for the special Parent Night? Oh, how lovely would that be!) So, last night she was having me 'paint' objects. She, of course was the 'teacher' and I was the 'friend.' When I would finish, she would take My Masterpiece (hey, I can dream, right?) over to the drying area, tell me in her 'teacher voice' that I had done a 'Good Job' before sending me home for the day. Then calling me back to do it all again, of course.

She finally got into bed, but just would not fall asleep. I had been up early, so decided to go to bed with her.
 GoodThingNumberTwo (from Tuesday)...

• Mackenzie whispering, 'I love you too. No more talking.' before rather quickly falling to sleep.

Today was a fine day. Zachy practiced his walking a lot today. He is 'there.' Favoring crawling a little still, but not too much longer. I love seeing him walk over to me. Such a different sight than I am used to. Again, the look on his face just makes me smile every time, smile and feel a little like (happy) crying at the same time. He wants to practice his walking in any way he can. He pushed a walker around for a bit. He figured out he could transport stuff on it. The random things he would put there was hysterical. He was walking with his walker, saw a bib on the floor and said, his always favorite word, 'Ut-oh,' picked up the bib and put it on his walker. Very thoughtfully. Then just transported it all over to nowhere. He also likes to walk holding hands like I have mentioned. And, of course, he did a lot of solo, unsupported walking. As I think about it, he might have actually walked more than he crawled today. The balance just might have already shifted. When he is walking unsupported, he likes to carry things in his hands. Because he can. Again, random things. A zoo animal visor, a purse, a block, a sketch a doodle. You name it, he'll carry it. He even tried to 'kick' a ball while walking. Whoa, Slow Down Buddy! Kicking balls come much later! And now that he is walking all over, he is MUCH LESS clingy! I'm telling you, there's a little push-pull resistance to independence that happens right before walking.

Mackenzie was an absolute delight today. She is getting so good with her brother. I know it pains her at times, but she really tries. She said 'actually' today. I Love when toddlers start saying 'actually.' Because, when they learn that word, then they actually start to say it all the time! She also kept using the phrase 'on purpose.' We discussed whether RufusDog pushed her over 'on accident or on purpose.'  She was convinced it was 'on purpose.' Today we painted her Pumpkin. Carved off the top and painted it. Yes, I realise it is way past Halloween, but the beauty of having a three year old is that she doesn't totally know what goes with what. I take that back, today she said, with a big glossy-eyed consumer driven expression, 'I sure hope Santa brings me A LOT of presents!' How does she know that? Speaking of Santa, I told Mackenzie that maybe he would bring her a new bed. Her own bed. She loves the idea. So, now she is sure Santa is bringing her a bed. Oops, Momma should have thought before suggesting such a thing was possible. Possible to a three year old means it's happening. I'm in a bit of a bind, if Santa doesn't bring her a bed, will she forever be disappointed in Santa? It all sounds great, Mackenzie in her own bed, but would she really do it? So, that's my latest and greatest dilemma.

Our HappyHumpDayGoodThings...

• Mackenzie loving being teased by neighbor Rich. I love when she gets to interact with people, enjoy herself and show off her fun n sparkly self.
• Zachy shoveling sand into a bucket and dumping it out. He is so studious; his fascination with things is never ending.
• Playing music together. All of us, experimenting with different instruments, Mackenzie singing and Zachy applauding.

Walking&Talking

I work tomorrow after being off for six days. I'm feeling a little sad, missing my babies already. Granted that first day off was awful, but the rest have been pretty good. Today was great. We had a wonderful Monday. Everyone played well, I was able to keep the house in 'relative' order and get down and play too. Naptime went well. No complaints.

I only work two days, but it still feels hard at times. Overall, I think it provides us all with some balance. I have mentioned before that we live in a rural area, so the socialisation is great for the kids and for me at work as well...getting a little adult time. But, I still miss them on my days at work. I miss them a lot.

Zachy practiced his walking again tonight. None during the day, but tonight he was trying. And doing great! Mackenzie loves 'helping' him along. He loves when we both hold one hand and walk with him. Maybe he'll officially be a full walker in a couple of weeks?

Mackenzie took her first steps on her first birthday and was a full walker at thirteen months plus two weeks, to the day. She seemed to do a lot of things at precise times. Rolled over the first time at four months to the day. Rolled all over (to get from point A to point B) at six months exactly...that kind of thing. Oh, but with the full blown walking thing. She did not walk much between twelve months and thirteen and a half months, but then she woke up one Wednesday and walked, all day, as if she had been walking all along. She never crawled again. Actually, it was a bit odd. But cool. I thought she might do that same thing with Potty Training. But I was wrong. That was much more of a 'process.'

So, who knows when Zachy will actually walk-walk? Or how his walking will evolve? But, it's fun to watch. I think walking is the by far the biggest and most exciting early milestone. It represents a huge developmental leap. From there they start to develop rapidly in other areas. It's like their brain energy is freed up to learn new things. Don't get me wrong, Zachy is learning plenty of 'other' things right now too. It's just I think the whole walking thing takes quite a bit of focus. Another thing that I recall happening after Mackenzie learned to walk-walk, was that she became less fussy and less clingy. My theory is that there is a bit of push and pull that goes along with learning to walk, since it represents a 'step' towards independence. So, they fight it a little by being more clingy and dependent right before they are ready to 'take off.' Just a theory. Maybe not a new one, I don't know. But I've seen it now with both.

The next really exciting time comes when their language takes off. Mackenzie is there right now. She's been there for awhile, but it just continues to grow, obviously. You learn about your kids in a whole new way. It's awesome. Mackenzie talks all day. I mean all day. No matter what she is doing, she is talking. Living in a fantasy world. Her imagination is incredible. Watching her talk is downright fun and somtimes comical, always (almost always) endearing.  Not only is it the words she uses, but the way she says things. The Tone. The Facial Expressions. The Body Language. The Hand Gestures. The Phrasing. The Whole Picture. I Love hearing her talk (most of time anyway!). And I Love the chance to develop a whole new kind of Relationship with her through Language.

I guess the whole thing is exciting. You really do get to see life again through a child's eyes. Sometimes Mackenzie will do or say things and I can see myself having done those same things. As I respond, I can hear my Mom responding. Things I long forgot about. Seemingly little things, but BIG to a toddler. Sharing these experiences really is pretty magical.

TwoGoodThings...

1. Zachy nodding his head up and down, like he is saying 'yes.' Maybe he is, I don't know. But, along with his adorable smirk, I love it.
2. Mackenzie taking her 'newborn' the hospital and having the doctor (me) examine the baby. I congratulated her on her new baby. She bent forward just slightly, her eyes got really big, she smiled a huge pretendish smile and said, 'Yah, it was great. Thank you for the ogratulations.' Her facial expressions are priceless.

TwoGoodThings11.13&14.10

Had problems with the Internet yesterday, so I was not able to post this.

Yesterday's TwoGoodThings....

1. Mackenzie is a mini-me. She likes to follow me around and do what I am doing. Tonight I had to change Zachy's diaper and get his jammers on. She brought in one of her dolls (Bucee) and did everything I was doing, said everything I was doing, laughed when I laughed. It was really funny.
2. Zachy made the funniest expressions tonight. I can't even explain them. He gets so animated. At one point tonight he was crawling back and forth behind Mackenzie just laughing. He thinks he is really funny. He is really right. Then he started with the downward dog. And he was looking at Mackenzie and I through his legs, upside down. Yet again, thinking he's a riot and once again, he was right!

And, for today...TwoGoodThings...

1. Making a Treasure Box with Mackenzie. I went to the mall yesterday and got a shoebox. Today Mackenzie and I went to the Dollar Store for some additional craft supplies. When I was getting ready, I had put on a -shirt and some casual 'lounge' like pants. Not quite sweats, but comfy. She said, 'Momma you can't wear those to the Dollar Store. You need to put on clothes like for work (which means jeans...haha!).' She is a riot. So, anyways, after her nap we got started. It was a blast. I'm not too crafty, but what we have done so far looks cute. A bit of a patchwork covering since we just had one size construction paper, but I think it's working out nicely.  And, most importantly, we're enjoying it...To-Geth-Er!
2. I already said the Big News about Zachy, which was he TOOK STEPS! Tonight we had Steak Night. Zachy doesn't quite do steak yet, but he gets into the Spirit of the Family Dinner thing. Sitting on this Throne. After dinner, Dad and Mackenzie went and got ice cream. Mackenzie, Dad and I started to enjoy our ice cream at the table and Zachy was crawling around playing. But he caught on. Yes He Did. He came over and pulled up on me, I gave him a taste and it was aaalllll oooovvvveerrr from there! He was on lap within a couple seconds sharing my serving and clearly enjoying every bite. Maybe that's what gave him the boost for those first steps!
3. OneMoreGoodThing....Zachy and Mackenzie were taking bath together. Next thing you know he starts to hand her the foam letters and she throws them at him and they both start laughing hysterically and he hands her another and she throws it at him and so on and so on.

A Good,  Good Weekend for Us. Quiet. Did not have any real plans, but a Good Weekend.

YayZachy!

YayZachy! He took his FIRST Steps today. Whoot-Whoot! Six days shy of fifteen months.

I wish I could package the look of pure joy and pride on Zachy's face as he took those steps! Priceless. Absolutely Priceless. I'm Smiling just thinking about it.

Here's how it went down. Zachy was 'brushing' his teeth for the first time. Yes, two firsts in like two minutes. Overachiever! He was soooo excited when I gave him his toothbrush. He knew EXACTLY what it was for and started brushing away. We were sitting down. He decided to stand up. Multitasking. Just like his Momma. Then he almost took a step. I thought to myself, I think he's still a couple of weeks away. Well, I think he has Extrasensory Perception (ESP) because right then he took a step. WOW! He did it. He took a step! Yippppeeee! With his left foot. His right foot tried to follow and he almost fell into a center split, but then caught his balance and, ByGosh, he stepped with his right foot and then his left foot and took about six to seven more steps! All with a toothbrush in his mouth (Bad Momma I know, but I was not about to ruin his excellent moment over a silly technicality!). He was so PROUD of himself. The Look. I LOVELOVELOVE that Look! It's the BEST! Mackenzie got the same Look when she took her first steps. Come to think of it, they were both about the same place in the living room.

He took a couple more steps, but was too excited to focus at that point. So, he took my hand and then Mackenzie's and we walked with him. That pleased him.

I suppose this means he is officially a Totboy. Some say it is when they turn One; Others say it is when they Walk; I say it is when they do Both. I don't know if I would say he is actually walking just yet, but he's far enough into being One that I think that along with Steps counts. So, yah. He's a Totboy.

In other Zachy news:

•  I have mentioned before how he LOVES to be outside. He now brings his shoes to me as a way of 'asking.'
• I think he is almost saying 'Mommy' in addition to 'Momma!'
• Have I already mentioned that he says 'Up' when he wants Up?
• He competes with Mackenzie for my attention. If she is trying to sit on my lap, he will start saying 'Momma' and then starts to push her off.
• Nobody makes him laugh harder than Mackenzie. When they are in a zone together, they are in The Zone!
• Oh, and he only pooped three times today. His poor bum is covered with diaper rash, but this is an improvement. Praying it is even better for him tomorrow!

Not new news, but I Love Him. I Love watching all the New and Exciting things he is learning to do and watching his Personality evolve. I Love his Humor and his Sweetness. I Love His Being. Gosh, I am Lucky! Incredibly Lucky.

CatchUp

Before I move forward...here's Tuesday's TwoGoodThings...

1. In the morning, totgirl said she didn't want to go to school for the day. Her plans? To stay home alone, walk to Walmart barefoot, and invite all the Walmart friends over for steak. She also wanted to invite neighbor Rich over. (Big problem, though. Walmart is an hour's drive, not sure how long it'll take to walk, but best of luck to ya!)
2. They said Zachy had a Good Day in Toddler A at Totbabycollege! Yay! Is he finally adjusting to being with The Todds? I sure hope so!

I think this last week has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. We have had some really good days, some in-between days and one really bad day.

I worked Monday and Tuesday, so I was really looking forward to Wednesday. Unfortunately, Wednesday ended up being our really bad day.  I don't know why, it just was. We started out by painting, which was a lot of fun. It was Zachy's first painting and he loved it; Mackenzie always enjoys showing off her artistic side.

Then Zachy started to have his diarrhea, which he has been having on and off it seems for awhile. I decided, rather than assume it is teething (which I have been doing), to take him to the doctor. I have been concerned that maybe he has had an ear infection, since evolution has a sense of humor and has made the two look identical (teething and ear infections). I'd been putting it off because: 1. I did not really think he had an ear infection (and he did not); and 2. The drive. I try not to subject the kids to the drive unless I have to or unless it's for fun. However, I figured it was time to make sure.

Doctor went fine, but then we went to Walmart on the way home. That ended up setting the chaotic tone, which then dominated the remainder of the day. The first half of the 'trip' was fine, but the by the back end, they were both tired (and probably hungry too) and screaming. Fun. Despite the hour long drive home, neither got in much of a nap, so the day went from bad to worse. Three people melting down by bedtime. I have to say, it's really hard on me when we have really yucky days. And, I'm sorry kids. I really am. More than either of you will ever know.

Despite the really yuck day we had, there were a FewGoodThings...

1. Painting, both of them enjoying it.
2. Mackenzie was really good at the Doctor's office, very sweet and engaging.
3. Zachy completely charmed the folks in Walmart early in the trip, very adorable.

Thursday was a definite improvement. Ironically, I was supposed to have a Momma day, since it was a holiday and the daycare center was open, but because of Zachy's diarrhea, he stayed home. Mackenzie wanted to stay too, so I let her. We had a nice day. Naptime was a bit rough, but both finally fell asleep and got a decent rest.

Thurdays's TwoGoodThings...

1. Mackenzie and Zachy crawling and 'jumping' on the bed together. Cracking each other up. I love when they play together and enjoy one another, but I swear it always seems to involve some element of danger.
2. Holding a sleeping Zachy before I put him in the crib. I might have already referenced this at some point, but it's one of those things I have to cherish, because it won't be possible much longer. Gosh, his face looks so sweet it hurts, in a good way. I'm gonna miss snuggling him to sleep.
3. Mackenzie talking about whether she'll take just a taste, a half or a whole serving at mealtime. Love the totbabycollege influence. Really, it helps open her up to trying things. Before she would say something was 'Yucky' or 'Poopy' before even tasting it, but now she does pretty good...most of the time! Yesterday I had asked her if something was 'Delicious,' and she said, 'No, IT GOOD!'

Today was our best day of the week. We were all in sync and the vibe was mellow but fun. We played outside this morning, Mackenzie threw leaves, Zachy stood at the fence and looked at EmmyDog from next door and crawled around the yard. We took a walk down the street. Mackenzie rode her trike-ish thing and Zachy pushed his walker. I think they both enjoyed being outside. Cool fall day, no wind. Just perfect.

Mackenzie is into playing house now. It's adorable. She pretends the playroom is her house. And, if I do so say so myself, it is pretty well set up for that. She kept inviting me over. Once when I 'got there' she was folding up blankets. A lot of them. Very well I must say. Her baby was sleeping in the 'baby room.' She had 'her room' blocked off with pretend walls. Her imagination rocks! I love seeing it evolve and lately it seems to grow daily.

Today Mackenzie also drew her first person. It had a head with a smile and two eyes along with a body of sorts with some stick arms and legs! Woo-hoo. That's HUGE! It seems to have happened overnight. I think just a few days ago I tried with her. Then today she just did it herself. All by herself!

Zachy continues to develop his jokester persona. He is too funny. I have already mentioned how he loves to pester his sister, but really in a good natured way, although she definitely does not think so. But he comes up with all sorts of games. He loves when he captures your attention and will do what he needs to do to keep it. He has a flare for the using the element of surprise. Today I was feeding him yogurt (I don't normally feed him, but he has medication mixed in, so I want to make sure he gets it) and he got that mischievous look in his eyes and then held onto the spoon in his mouth and just started shaking his head back and forth and laughing. Now he loves that game and does it every chance he gets.

Zachy's STILL not walking! So mobile though. I'm not sure he sees any advantage to walking, so just is not in a hurry. He does great when he practices either with the walker or by holding hands. I guess he's not quite ready to take those first steps on his own. In time. In Zachy time! Tonight I had gone to the back room to get more diapers and he came and found me. I gave him two diapers to hold and held his other hand and we walked to his room to put them away. He had an excited smile on his face. I think he knew he was being my 'helper.' It was really cool.

I feel like I missed things that I wanted to talk about. I have to get better about writing things down. My brain definitely forgets!

Although this was not our best week overall, I think it ended on a High Note. We're family. And, we are going to have our bad days too. Just have to move on and forward and learn from them and try to do things different next time! No matter what, I love my kids and I will wake up each day and try to do my best.

Lastly, here's today's TwoGoodThings...

1. Waking up snuggled between Mackenzie and two cats. She is so lovable in the morning. It's a great way to start the day.
2. Zachy said, Bye Bye! He is really starting to pick up language. Fun to watch!

FotoFriday11.12.10

This week was strange. I should have some great fotos. We had a playdate last Friday and went to a birthday party on Saturday. But, no pictures from either event. Mostly due to dear Mackenzie's (not too good) mood. I worked Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday was not our best day at all, and Thursday was a catch up day. So, a slow week in fotos! But here are a 'few.'

The birthday party was football themed. Zachy wore a Longhorns jersey.

(Mackenzie had a CUTE cheerleading outfit and refused, thus...no pic!)

Could he be any cuter?

Painting...

Zachy's first painting!

Playing together...well, sort of.

Mackenzie playing cars and Zachy playing Princess castle.

GenderAppropriateOrder has been restored...

Zachy playing cars...

...and Mackenzie playing Princess castle.

(Expression would pretty much sum up the mood of the week, unfortunately.)

Awww....

LittleBother

I had to work today. I work again tomorrow. It is a 'holiday' week, but sometimes being a half time employee doesn't quite work to my advantage when holidays happen on my scheduled workdays. So, I am working two days in a row. I felt a little sad because I won't see my kids tomorrow. And, actually they will be going to totbabycollege both their normal days. I am off Thursday, which is also the holiday, but since the 'school' is open, I'm sending them so I can hopefully get organised for Christmas. Living as far out as we do, I have found that if I don't start early, it doesn't happen. But, tonight, the whole thought of being away from them for three days..sad. The break will do us all good though!

Today they went to Carol's, our back up to the totbabycollege. I got to do the pick up and Carol said they had good days. They both came running/crawling over to me with big smiles when I got there. Hard not feel good about that.

They were adorable on the way home. A bit tired, but cutecutecute.

Zachy got a little mad when I put him in his carseat. I gave him his blanket to snuggle with and he pushed it aside, my little temper boy. Then I gave him a bottle and he was happy and picked up his blanket again.

Later on they both played peek-a-boo with their blankets. All I could see in the rearview mirror were their blanket heads. It was too funny. That and the giggles. And we sang songs.

Mackenzie did good tonight, especially since I know she was tired. She is REALLY into being injured these days. Yesterday she skinned her knee and we're still hearing about it today. She had to go poop and was in the bathroom for a looonnnnng time. I hear her yell from there, 'Poopus, I need my privacy!' About 10 minutes later I hear her yell, 'Zachy, I need my privacy.'

Zachy lights up now when she gets out her Princess Castle and Little People. He has developed this whole game that he thinks is going on. The one where he grabs something, takes off and she screams while he cracks up. He definitely is becoming her little 'bother.'

Two(More)GoodThings...

1. Today, there was another 'baby' at Carol's. I asked Mackenzie if she thought the other baby was cute and she said, Yes, and then I asked if the baby was cuter than Zachy and she said, No. Awwww....
2. Zachy came crawling in with a doll and said, Baby! Loud and clear. Yay!  A new word for Zachy. Let's list his words: Mama, Dada, Ut-oh, Ball, Nigh Nigh (meaning bottle), Roo (for Rufus), Nana (for banana) and now Baby! Yipee Zachy!

ToddlersAndBabies

I posted this on my MiaMommaMusings blog but since this blog is for my kids, I thought this might be something they might be able to enjoy someday...

Little Ones...ToddlersAndBabies...Everyone says to enjoy them, because it goes so fast. Yes, indeed it does. Very fast. Everyone says to enjoy them, because you will miss the ToddlerBaby stage when they are all grown up. Yes, I'm sure I will.

But, that said, there are a few things I won't miss about these days...

1. Constant crying, whining and/or screaming.
2. Doing everything with one hand, if I'm lucky. No free hands if I'm not.
3. Not being able to go to the bathroom or take a shower without having one to three people joining me and/or having a national crisis erupt while I'm 'gone,' which usually means even if I didn't start out with all those people there, they end up there.
4. Sleep issues...theirs and, as a result, mine.
5. Eating issues....theirs and my inability to eat as regularly and healthily as I would like.
6. Not being able to exercise, which used to be my stress release...now it's Diet Coke. Ick!
7. Not being able to finish anything from start to finish...dishes, brushing my teeth, going to the bathroom, eating...I'm talking basic stuff folks!
8. Losing everything, forgetting everything (This one started after I had my second. Before that, I was still able to be organised and knew where everything was and what was going on...now life is a bit like crisis management at a mental health clinic!).
9. Not being able to take a break when I need one and having no break in sight.
10. Working my butt off all day, cleaning and picking up toys and doing laundry and cooking and taking care of my two kids and then at the end of the day feeling mentally and physically exhausted, looking around and having the house look like a tornado hit.
11. The MommyMeltDown that happens when one too many of 1-10 happen all at once!

These days do have their challenges. I have come to realise that every stage of life with our children has it's challenges as well as it's blessings. Most important is that we are able to realise the blessings that we have.

Things I will miss about these days...

1. Yummy cuddles.
2. Sleeping toddlers and babies in their pajamas...divine sweetness.
3. How forgiving and accepting they are.
4. Being called Mommy by the most angelic voices I have ever heard.
5. I will miss the sound of their little people voices...yes, they are angelic.
6. The honesty in their laughter and their smiles.
7.  Being surrounded by their total innocence.
8. The magic that happens when they learn or discover something new.
9. The very amusing things that she (and eventually he) says.
10. After they accomplish something new, they get the most authentic look of pride on their faces, no humility, just total self satisfaction because they accomplished something awesome!  I LOVE this so much. I wish that wouldn't go away...the ability just feel good about yourself.
11. Falling more and more in love with them each and every day.
12. Seeing them laugh together and watching their relationship develop is heaven.
13. Their total ability to be in the moment.
14. Twinkling sparkly eyes!
15. Simplicity.
16. Living in their world and rediscovering life their eyes.
17. HOW could I forget...their little bum bums...I LOVE their bums!
18. Their enchanting reality.
19. Mackenzie today: My silly, crazy totgirl!
20. Zachy today: I'm already missing that he is no longer a baby...and quickly turning into a little totboy.
21. I will miss not being the center of their world. Egocentric I know, but it's true. I guess this means that, on some level, I will miss 1-10 of the things I won't miss list!

Far from a complete list. Gosh, I love them. Sometimes they drive me very literally crazy, but I do love them. No matter what happens during the day, at some point they will make me laugh, smile and spill over with warmth. They truly are my Gifts. There is nothing in me that feels worthy of these two beings. Nothing at all. But, I also know that I am here to be their Mother. And, I Thank God for that, for trusting me with Them.

OhhhhZachyPoorTotgirl!

OhhhhZachy, I think We're going to have our hands full with you, just like your sister, only different.

I'm not sure if I can do literary justice to what happened this afternoon. I hear Zachy crying. I ask Mackenzie what happened; I was pretty sure she hit him or something because she was hiding her face. She told me that she hit him with some toys she was playing with. He was bugging her; I know, but she still cannot use the toys as weapons. She knows she is supposed to ask for my help. So, I took away the toy. Naturally, totgirl was not happy about this. MyPoorTotgirl! On one level, I feel bad for her. Self control is a big responsibility for a three year old, especially when you have a fourteen month old that pushes you beyond any level of control you are capable of having. But, life is painful and this is how she's going to learn. (I do cut her some slack sometimes, because I know it is tough for her.)

Next she sees Zachy playing with some toys out of a bin and comes over to grab the bin. So, I hold onto it and next thing you know, she and I are both holding on for our lives. But laughing. Or trying not to. Zachy decides to get in the mix. So, he starts to throw stuff at her and then hits her (not hard, he is only fourteen months; I don't even think he made any actual contact) and then he 'yells' at her. Poor totgirl is ganged up on. But now I'm cracking up. I couldn't help it. But seriously, Mackenzie was never a hitter (until Zachy came along that is). He's a little SpitFire that boy. He loves to pester her. I'm not sure if he understands that she is 'upset,' but he sure enjoys the reaction. My guess is, as funny as it is now, we might be in for some stormy weather ahead!

Two(orThree)GoodThings...

1. Piggybacking off the above....this evening Mackenzie was playing party. Actually it was more like she had set all the 'guys' (I love how she calls her Little People the 'guys') up in an audience and she was performing for them. Then I started to sing with her, so we were performing together for the 'guys.' Zachy decides to get in on the action. He starts to take one 'guy' at a time and turn around with it. She starts screaming and he starts cracking up and throws it 'to' (more like 'at' her). Dad and I start cracking up too, because really it is hilarious. After a couple of minutes of trying her best to be furious, Mackenzie got in the spirit of it and started to see it has humorous and joined in on 'his game.' Love moments like that.
2. Spending some time with Zachy while Mackenzie was napping. And getting some time to see a little more of who he is. Most importantly, a pretty happy little totboy!
3. Before bed, Mackenzie said, 'Momma, I too pooped to pop!'

HamItUpZachy&TotMusings

Better day today. We went to Ben's birthday party. It was football themed and Zachy wore a Texas Longhorns jersey from his cousins in Texas. He looked Cute! Mackenzie had an adorable cheerleading outfit and adamantly refused to have anything to do with it. Of course she did. I had made a big deal out of it, therefore, she wouldn't wear it. Lesson learned. Next time I'll pretend I could care less!

Zachy is in a cute phase. He loves to get attention and continues to come up with funny things to do to make sure he gets it. At the party he kept putting his hands out to Jeff and I to hold him. So, if Jeff was holding him, he would put his hands out for me to hold him and then right away he put his hands out to Jeff and so on and so on. Julie and Tess were cracking up. He was hamming it up. He is a funny little guy, for sure. He loves to do silly things in the bath. One thing he loves to do is get on his hands and knees and try to put his face in the water. Call me paranoid, but I'm not nuts about that one. Not a bit. But he thinks it's an absolute riot. That, in itself, is funny. He says 'Nana' now for Banana. He pretty consistently touches his head when you ask where his head is. And sort of his tummy too. Love watching him pat his tummy. Oh and he has developed a temper too. Yikes. He lets you KNOW when he isn't happy about something. And there's plenty of somethings these days! He continues to be clever and perceptive. The other day he was putting puzzle pieces through slots on the inside climber and then he got on the platform and sent them down the slide. He has also been playing with himself in the mirror. It is way to cute to even describe. He and his mirror image play peekaboo, they laugh together. They crawl away and then turn around to see if they're still there. He has a whole routine he does. He's developing so fast these days. Learning new things all the time. Impossible to keep up with it all.

How 'bout some totmusings...

• During the YoGabbaGabba dance segment she said, 'I gonna get up and shake my bum bum!' 
• More GabbaGabba...after getting dressed for school she said, 'I think I not going to show my friends my new GabbaGabba undies. Well, maybe just a little.' Alrighty then.
• 'Mommy, my tummy wants the food!' This reminds me of something she said/did quite awhile ago. I asked her if she had eaten Zachy's cereal and she said, 'No Momma, it got lost in my tummy.'
• One day she was playing 'Preschool' (as usual) and said, 'Excuse me Miss Kindergarten Teacher, I no want to be friends with Lexie Brown.' A few minutes later she said she had changed her mind and wanted to be friends. I then told her that Lexie Brown didn't want to be her friend. Threw my little totgirl for a loop, yes it did.
• After (me) getting Zachy dressed for school one day, she lovingly says,  'Oh, he's ADORABLE in that!'
• (She) Trying to get his shoes on one morning, calls out to me and says, 'Momma, will you come help me, Zachy not listening!' Now if that's not the Pot calling the Kettle Black.
• I had gotten her a new shirt and dressed her in it one morning and she decided to call it 'Poo Poo.' A few minutes later, she came up to me, and very contritely said, 'Momma, I be nice to my new shirt now. I no more call it Poo Poo.' Only my daughter could get into an argument with a shirt!

Finally...TwoGoodThings...

1. Mackenzie playing and having fun at the party. I saw the Mackenzie I know, love AND like A LOT! She's a blast when she's happy and in the groove.
2. Zachy crawling around the party in his football jersey with a green bead necklace on.

WhataDay

Today, was just not fluffy.

I decided to wake up early to get thirty minutes on the treadmill. Five A.M. I got myself out of bed. I walked through the house and I hear Zachy start to cry. I felt myself tense up. But Jeff was in there, so I let him deal with Zachy and just waited. Sitting quietly. Not exercising. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes. Still crying and at Five Thirty A.M. Mackenzie woke up. Really? You mean to tell me I can't even wake up earlier than I want to wake up and have a little quiet then? Really? Motherhood is Hard. And, of course I felt guilty for somehow managing to wake the whole house up, although I had made no noise.

Furthermore, we had a playdate scheduled for the day with Momma Tess, Ari and Cate. Why?Why?Why must my daughter inevitably wake up early and/or be sick just about Every Single Time we have something fun planned? Especially since she doesn't do well AT ALL when she doesn't have enough rest. Not at all. But I figured, ya gotta roll with it.

Momma Tess's kids are the same ages roughly as Mackenzie and Zachy. They got here about Eleven. Things started off alright, for about ten minutes. Maybe ten. Then, sure enough Mackenzie started to struggle. I think it started with Cate having put a sticker in her mouth. Apparently this was Mackenzie's FAVORITE sticker EVER. And things just went down from there. No matter WHAT anybody was doing, Mackenzie was distraught. Of course the one year olds seemed intent on setting her off every chance they got. It was almost like a Self Fulfilling Prophecy. I took her to her room a couple of times to try to give her a break. (I don't believe in public 'discipline.' And, I have to believe she might have been a little embarrassed herself. Who likes to be out of control over their emotions? I know I don't.) At one point she took a bottle of water and laid in her bed. Great,  I thought, Maybe she will nap. She was gone about twenty-five quiet minutes and then came out. Maybe she got a little mental break and will be okay now? One can hope, right? Of course one can hope, doesn't mean it'll happen, but hope away! The rest of the playdate pretty much moved along like the first part. Whining. Demanding. Screaming. Crying. Tess and I managed to get in some conversation and laughs despite my very negative attention seeking tot. But, you gotta laugh through this Motherhood thing. Otherwise, you might just go insane.

She conked out about five minutes after they left, which was about an hour past her normal naptime and two to three past what time she should have napped given her 'delicate' state.

I think she fell asleep with her hand in mid-hair-twirl.

Not the best day. It pretty much continued most of the afternoon. She perked up some about four-thirty, which was when Zachy woke from his nap. He then fussed for the next two hours. Yep, my usually pretty mellow boy fussed for the next two hours. It felt like a conspiracy. A mean, mean joke.

As far as my TwoGoodThings for today...here goes nothing...TwoGoodThingsPlusOne

1. Zachy fake coughing and laughing after he did. Funny. Made me laugh. So did this...

2. See above. Mackenzie...asleep. Love you Mackenzie, but it's true. Otherwise, you weren't too happy a girl. I hope you sleep well and have a better day tomorrow.
3. Given how yuck the day was, I need to have a ThirdGoodThing so I can go to bed feeling just a little better. They had about ten minutes of fun together, late in the evening, throwing dirt at one another. Both of them laughing at the same time and neither of them fussing...

FotoFriday11.05.10

A little look back at our week....

Our sick Princess, not the start the Halloween Festivities we hoped for.

Poor Princess Mackenzie!

While the Princess rested....Zachy played with BuddyCat.

And had a Stand-Off with RufusDog who was after his snack!

Feeling a little better, she made it to the school Trunk or Treat afterall.

Zachy got to experience the Jumpolene for the first time this week.

He Loved It!

Mackenzie's an OldJumpolenePro.

Zachy tried out the trike, while Mackenzie and RufusDog dug holes together...

Rufus was VERY happy to have someone doing something he likes for once!

 We attended Malloween for some Trick or Treat on Halloween.

Zachy played in the play area.

No costume this year.

I called him CuteVintageBoy since he had on an OldSchoolStyle 'Nerds' Tshirt.

 Mackenzie took a ride on the cars, with the reincarnated BabyBucee beside her.

(You can see Bucee's leg if you look really close.)

Zachy stuck to his usual 'ride.' 

Looking dapper Zacharoo!

At home rummaging through her loot.

Zachy amusing himself with his hat.

He thought he looked cute.

He was RIGHT!

I love my crock pot....

(He kept putting himself in it over and over and then crying cause he couldn't get out.)

And, gotta love the hat and the expression...

Big Sister watching and protecting...Always.