Poor Les was dragged off the the Superbowl in Florida this year - for "work." Clearly it was all work and no play as Les & Joe went to Disney World Saturday afternoon.Buzz Lightyear is Parker's current favorite Disney character, so Les grabbed the chance to get his photo take with Buzz. Daddy will, of course, always be Parker's favorite Super Hero.
This is what Kaitlyn looks like first thing in the morning - hair everywhere, but even with her eyes barely open you can see she that she's planning something. In this case, it was to snatch the camera away and drop it on the floor. Next time I'll remember to use a stronger grip.
Jammie time is followed by wrestling in the crib time. Kaitlyn gets her PJs on first and then gets dropped into the crib and then she "steals" Parker's pillow and blanket. Then when Parker's all dressed he goes in the crib too and tries to take them back. Giggling and screeching ensue. At some point I always ask Parker "Are you squishing Sissy?" and he always looks up at me and innocently says "No."
Tuesdays are often Costco days at our house (new books, movies & cds are released on Tuesdays). This definitely shows our standard Costco purchases: diapers, soy milk, kitty litter, canned goods & cereal. The only thing missing is bottled water. Parker loves going to Costco and calls the Babies R Us across the street "Baby Costco."
(The t-shirt she has on in this photo was covered with dinner, so I got to have a little fun in Photoshop. I converted it to black & white and then added the blue back in. One day I will have time to master the program & do really cool things.)
Parker's Point of View: Naptime on the couch is always better when you've got a warm kitty lying next to you.
Mama Kitty's Point of View: Naptime on the couch is always better when you've got a warm human lying next to you.
Kaitlyn is always the first one dressed and ready in the mornings. As she sits contentedly munching on cheerios, chaos surrounds her as Parker, Les & I run around trying to get dressed and groomed & find coats and shoes & pack bags for work and school. We just wheel her from room to room with us and she's happy. (Do note, however, that she must be strapped in or she will try to "Evil Knievel" her way out of the chair.)
As a reward for a job well done, Les was sent half a bushel of Maryland blue crabs from his firm's Philly office. That was enough crabs to share lunch at the office and then have leftovers for dinner that night. John & Mallory were kind enough to come over and help Les finish them off.
Parker has really become a little helper around the house - and such a good big brother. When we got home for work, he first took his coat off and then helped Sissy take her coat off too. (When Les grabbed the camera, both kids immediately started saying "Cheese." It seems perhaps the camera has been out quite a bit lately. I guess it's a bit telling that Kaitlyn said "Cheese" before she ever said "Mama.")
When we dropped Parker & Kaitlyn off at day care, two little boys - about 3 years old - were arguing: "I'm Rock Obama." "Barack." "Okay, I'm Barack Obama." "No, I get to be Barack Obama." "No, I want to be Barack Obama." It was the most adorable thing ever. It really brought home the fact that children - my children - are really going to reap the benefits of the changes that President Obama brings to our country. While, clearly, I didn't take this picture, I couldn't think of a better one to represent 1/20/09.
Who Me? I am not playing with Parker's toys. If he's not here to see it, I've got plausible deniability. (Okay, Kaitlyn can't actually say the phrase "plausible deniability" but can't you see that totally innocent look in her face - even when caught in the act?)
There are several things I like about this picture. Saturday morning was Les' day to get up with the kids (which means sleeping in for me). Les decided that he wanted blueberry muffins - so he baked them himself. And he even took the time to document it for my scrapbooking project. That definitely moves him up a few rungs on the Best Husband Ever ladder. The other thing I like about this picture is Kaitlyn's hair - just look at it! Kaitlyn won't sit still long enough for anyone but me to put it in pigtails. So on Les' mornings Kaitlyn always rocks the "crazy hair" look.
Whenever Les has to travel, he always puts his laptop in front of the door so that he won't forget it. This time he was only in going to be in LA for the day, but in the wee hours as I am closing up and getting ready for bed, it reminds me to say a little prayer for his safe travels.
Kaitlyn is sly & crafty and has a thing for remote controls and the telephone. We are constantly trying to keep both out of her reach. I set the phone on the back of the couch - which I thought was out of reach. Then I see these fingers creeping up over the edge, followed by the top of a head & pair of mischievous eyes. She snatched that phone right up and started making what could have only been international phone calls. Parker, helpful as ever, walked over to her took the phone, pushed her over and handed it back to me with a "Here go Mommy." Well, at least she didn't dial 911. 
"N is for Nostril and Other Alphabet Silliness" was Parker's book of choice this evening. There is a mouse on each page that he loves finding. As a big reader myself, I love to see him so interested in books. And he's starting to recognize the letters - he's got "P" and "K" down pat.
Parker has really become quite the puzzler. Santa brought him two new puzzles for Christmas and he spends quite bit of time taking them apart and putting them back together. Of course, this must be done at the dining room table, because Kaitlyn would otherwise try to eat the puzzle pieces - she's recently acquired a taste for all things paper. Each of the puzzles has about 24 pieces and Parker can put them together all by himself. Of course, just like his mom, he has to have someone come and admire them when he is finished.
Kaitlyn clearly has her own opinions about interior design. She has decided that farm animals are so last year. In an attempt to help us prepare her room for new decor, she has been pulling down all of the wallpaper. Kaitlyn, as helpful as this is, I really wish you wouldn't eat the wallpaper after you pull it down. I know you are just trying to "hide the evidence," but really one should not eat paper products.
Who knew that after have oral surgery, you'd get so many free parting gifts? In addition to two kinds of pain killer, I got antibacterial mouthwash, an ice pack and a pack of gauze. In the never-ending saga of "Fix Kelly's Teeth," this is step 8 (preceeded by two crown preps, two root canals & three fillings). To follow, after 6 weeks of healing, will be two crowns & 4 extractions. I have seem to have lost track of what happens after that . . . lost track? . . . perphaps selective memory loss is a better term . . .
To avoid going to sleep Parker asked to have a book read to him. When he picked two out, I told him he had to pick one. He looked at me and said, "When this one all done, then this one." I repeated to him "Pick one." To which he replied, "When this one all done, then this one." And I said, "No pick one." He looked directly at me and starting speaking slowly and clearly, as if to make sure I understood, "When this one all done, then this one." It was then I realized he was doing a pitch perfect imitation of me when I am getting impatient and am trying to explain things to him in words that he can understand. It was clear that he thought I was clueless and was trying to explain to me that we'd be reading the second book when the first one was "all done." Message received, Parker, tonight we will be reading two books. I can't wait until he attempts sarcasm.
When I looked out the window and saw it snowing AGAIN, I wondered when it was that we moved to Montana. When I realized that a car slid down our hill and hit the stop sign in front of our house, I thought perhaps we should move to Montana. Thank goodness for the stop sign though, because if it hadn't been there the car would have ended up in our front yard at least or, worst case scenario, in our dining room.
A quick stop at the mall ended up meaning new toys for the kids and nothing for the parents. I suppose we shouldn't have gone into the Disney store if we had wanted a different outcome. Kaitlyn quickly became attached to her new Minnie doll and didn't let go until she fell asleep.
ROAR!! This is what Parker does when we ask him to do something & he doesn't want to do it (perhaps this is his "crafty minion face?). Did I mention he is two and asserting his Independence? He is very much aware of "good guys" and "bad guys." I think that he is trying to scare us away because we are being the "bad guy." I know that you are not supposed to encourage this type of behavior, but he is so darn cute when he does it - it's hard not to laugh.
