GRASS!

I will definitely be posting my zip-line adventure later (already promised our guide Eli that I'd post a video) but, had to journalize tonight's dinner story.

Have you seen this video?

(Can't get video to post.  So not annoyed.  Am not talking out loud to computer.  Will try later?)

Gabe has been mowing the grass with Daddy for many moons.  He started out in the Bjorn front carrier and later graduated to the Kelty backpack.  

It has gotten so bad that on a random Wednesday afternoon several weeks ago he heard a mower and ran to the window and started bawling....thinking that Daddy had forgotten him.  

(it is unthinkable to him that someone else might just be mowing their lawn.)

Anyway, during dinner tonight he said, "Grass?"  It was actually prophetic as the grass really does need a mow job.  Anyway, Ron suggested we all make bets on how many times he would say it before dinner ended.  The girls and I all guessed somewhere between 1 and 4.  Ron guessed 10.

He said it eleven (11) times.

Obsess much?

First Steps!

Gabe took his first couple steps last night during the bedtime routine.

 (anything to delay bedtime!)

The girls were squealing with delight and screaming, "walk to me, Gabbers!"

Do Not...

...allow your 3 year-old to put Play-Doh in an infant's hair.

Just don't.

Double Check the Lock!

I hesitate to share this story lest you think I am an unfit parent.  However, in the interest of THANKING GOD FOR SAFETY, I will.

The kids were all playing in the living room and I was running around doing, well, I'm not even sure......something, right?

I walked back in the living room to check on Gabriel and he was no longer in the living room. And the sliding screen door to the backyard was open.  Yikes.  I immediately see him sitting there (this is where the "thank you God" comes in).  

He had opened the door, climbed down the patio stairs and was sitting in the mulch eating the scrapes from the girl's picnic lunch.  All this at mach speed.

I so, completely wish I were kidding.  

So, just in case you read this blog and think I have it all together (which, obviously means you don't actually read the blog), I don't.  Not even close.

I do, however, pray protection over my children.  Every. Single. Day.

Fake Sneeze

This morning, one of the girls sneezed and out of nowhere we hear Gabe say, "Ahh  shhhh."

This is his version of a fake sneeze and he loved the reaction he got and has continued his rendition all day.

His other new tricks include giving kisses (very wet, gooey ones - usually unannounced or with very little warning) and saying "Da Da" as he reaches for Ron.

For the record, he did that like eons ago for me.  Ok, I wish.

Oh gross.  Lauren just walked in with goop all over her hands.  I said, "Did you put too much Vaseline on your lips babe?" (her lips are chapped)

She goes, "No Mom, this is snot!"

Sick. (pun intended)  Gotta go.

Happy 1st Birthday Gabriel!

(still waiting on birthday pictures but here is one the morning of his birthday....he is showing off his new trick.  I can wave!)

Pictures to follow....I lent my camera to a friend who was headed to NYC for the weekend.

Grandma should be emailing pictures soon.

At any rate, Gabe had a great birthday.  What a sweetheart!  He was hilarious with his cake.  The whole, "show up and watch him dive into his cake" was a bit of an overstatement.  He ended up requesting a spoon which he used to carefully scrape off a bit of icing.  Anyway, I think he liked his first taste of sugar! :)

Uh-oh!

Today, Gabriel learned to announce "uh oh" as he tosses food from his highchair.  

You would think the 4th time around that I would not be ROTFL.....but I was. :)

Of course it will not be nearly as funny the 2nd, 3rd and 89th time, but today.....funny.

(for those of you who actually think there would be an 89th time.....nope.  Once you throw the food, you're done. :)

Kickin' it Old School

Let me explain.  

I heard Gabriel in his crib at 6 am this morning.  He went to bed at 7 last night so I knew he was ready to get up.  I reluctantly headed for the nursery as we are in a full-on blizzard here (10 inches already) and this morning, of all mornings, would be the perfect day to sleep in.

As I am headed back out of the nursery, Gabe in tow, Madeline (also known as my angel and you'll see why in a second) appears out of nowhere and says, "Mom, I can take him so you can go and sleep some more."

Could it be true?  Am I still dreaming?  Do I really have a child that is old enough for this?  

(This inner dialogue came later in the morning.... much later....and after I handed Gabbers off like the Olympic torch and dove back under the covers).

Ahhhhhh, Ron and I got to sleep in for a bit.....reminding us of BK  (before kids).

First Official Mess

Gabe managed to find the girl's water bottles, dump them out and splash around in the mess. I'm not sure why I think this is so cute....I just do.

He Waves....did I already tell you this?

Gabe officially waves and says, "Da Da" when someone leaves the house.  Ok, so he says, "Da Da" and not "Bye Bye" - what's your point?

That's all I have.  Really.  I just get a huge kick out of it every time he does it.

Someone has a big - numero uno - birthday in 14 days...

Popsicle anyone?

Lauren just asked if she could stand outside and eat a popsicle. FOTFL. (Sorry, I am falling on the floor laughing)
In the summertime (when the weather is lovely), I make popsicles and let the kids eat them outside....so all the drips and the mess land in the grass....you get it.

Today, however, it is super cold. Super. Cold. As in, you walk outside and your snot instantly freezes. That kind of misery, I mean, weather. I think its 7 degrees.

As I am explaining this to her, Abigail brings Gabriel in and announces that his hair is done. Now, he only has 18 hairs so I didn't realize it needed "done." Apparently so, as it is now FULL of gel and standing up straight.

Must go get camera.

Gabe's Three-Quarter Birthday

Yes, we are just that obsessed with him.

Snapped this photo of him this morning during our celebration. He wants everyone to know that flannel is trending.

Happy Birthday Gabers!

Lauren's Laundry

Are you kidding me? I'm in the laundry room again??? Pleeeease. Say it isn't so.
Oh, but it is.

I just had to do a quick blog on Lauren. Today, she came into, yes, you know, the L room and asks, "Mommy, can I help you do clothes?"

Oh, I just pray she has this same motivation for clean clothes in a few years.

(Sorry, I am lost in a daydream where SHE is in the laundry room and I am on the patio sipping a margarita.....ERRRRrrrrrr.....back to reality)

Anyway, she removes each item of clothing from the dryer and says who it belongs to.
Dadddy.
Madeline.
Gabe.
You. This one is yours, Mommy.

I am completely impressed that she knows every item's owner. After about a dozen items, she says, "I'm all done now" and disappears. If only I could be so lucky!

On a side note (I so did not mean it that way Gabe), Gabriel cut his 2nd tooth today.....also was standing in his crib when I went to get him from nap!

Something Beautiful

I never want to forget Madeline and Abigail belting out the lyrics to the Newsboys song, "Something Beautiful"

It's a voice that whispers my name
It's a kiss without any shame
Something beautiful
Like a song that stirs in my head
Singing love will take us where...
Something's beautiful

It's the child on her wedding day
It's the daddy that gives her away
Something beautiful
When we laugh so hard we cry
It's the love between you and I
Something beautiful

.....especially as they are singing, "It's the Daddy that gives her away" with big smiles to Ron. I will never NOT cry when I see that.

Oh, and Gabriel said "mama" today. So, it wasn't actually TO me....more like AT me. So?
Something beautiful.

Pumpkin Farm, Bob Evans and Triplets

Yesterday, we are on our way to a nearby pumpkin farm when I see a husband and wife (take that Schwarzenegger - you may not allow teachers to use this terminology in school but you can't keep me from blogging it!) walking in the park.

Me: OMGoodness, look at that couple....pushing a triplet stroller AND they have a single!
Ron: Get out, what are they, crazy?
Me: I know. Triplets AND another kid.

From the backseat:
Abby: Uh, Mom? YOU GUYS have 4 kids!
Me: Oh yeah. Duh.

Leave it to Abby to point out the obvious to me.

We had a great time at Jacquemin Farms. (please do not google this as I'm quite sure it will not come up under this spelling) The girls did the hay maze, played in the corn and then we all took a hayride and ate homemade donuts (I may have eaten 2 - shhhhh, the girls don't know). We picked out a family pumpkin from the field and Madeline cut it from vine. Just when I am convinced it's the perfect family moment, Abigail tripped over a root and landed on a pumpkin where her hand made contact with the prickly part of the stem. Yikes!

At some point during all this, Ron leans over and tells me that he forgot to tell me an old high school friend had called several hours earlier and her son was playing in a football game at St. Brigid - right across the street, literally. I haven't seen her in forever and her son in two forevers so I was very disappointed/angry -- Love you babe, love you!

I did manage to get a hold of her before she left Dublin and was able to see her and her kiddos for a bit. Her 3 year old daughter shared her Bible verse of the week with me:

"In the beginning, God created Bob Evans and the Earth. Genesis 1:1"

Freakin' hilarious.

Crap, Gabriel just hoisted himself up on a box of scrap paper in the office, leaned over it, and barfed. I wish I were kidding.
Gotta run.

Stunt Man

A friend emailed this to me today....from a bbque over the weekend. My little stunt man!
(I can't figure out how to rotate picture.....grrrrr..)

A couple funny things the girls said today that I don't want to forget:

Lauren: After failing to get Gabriel to do something she wanted him to do -
"I don't care for Gabe!" (and runs out of living room)

Abigail teared up at the lunch table. I asked her what was wrong and she says, "I don't want to do locks for love. I want my hair long forever. I'm NOT cutting it. Ever."
Background:
Madeline decided about 6 months ago that she wanted to donate her hair to Locks for Love and has been growing it out and measuring it.....every day (another entry).
I guess Abigail thought this was to be a sister tradition and decided to boycott. Too funny.
(She is currently belting out - and I do mean loudly - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way....It is October, right?)

Official Crawl!

He is officially crawling.....as of yesterday!
Up on all 4's.....crawling like a maniac. I'm about to get really busy (because I am a bit bored now???)
I can't believe he is only 6 1/2 months....the girls were 9 months when they did this....must be a boy thing.


On a side note, I cleaned out my purse today. Because there may be a day when I wouldn't remember this, here is a list of some of the items found/recovered:

- 3 plastic spoons (you never know, the first 2 could get lost or broken and you might need that 3rd one....oh, and they've only been used once for feeding so they can't be that dirty, right?)
- 1 Croc
- 14 barrettes/hair ties
- 1 plastic container of organic carrots (unopened...by a miracle)
- an article that someone handed me at church on Sunday (for my spare-time, reading pleasure)
- Scotch tape
- Orajel
- tweezers (I don't know??)
- a ballet slipper (matching one still to be discovered)
- My Ipod (YES, I was wondering where that went!!!)
- the cut-off sleeve of an old t-shirt that Madeline now uses as a headband (I wish I were kidding)
- Letter "H" from Leap Frog Fridge Phonics (as in, "How" did that get in here?)
- our neighborhood phone directory (you never know when you may want to contact a neighbor from the road)

So you get the gist....or I do since I was the one who didn't want to forget this.

Happy Crawling to Gabriel and my purse is 3 lbs. lighter. Its a good day.

Peas.....check!

I have successfully navigated my way through 2 weeks of Gabriel gagging and throwing his head back in the bumbo seat at even the slightest hint of a pea. After hiding and/or disguising them 184 different ways, he actually EATS them.
Ok, so he will grunt at me as if to say, "I am completely annoyed" but he does injest them....for a time anyway and then they are regurgitated onto the carpet. Hey, take what you can get!

If you are wondering why I bothered (you probably aren't).....I was very diligent with Maddie eating veggies and still to this day she will eat any vegetable found in the produce section...no joke. She actually chose beets on our run last week. NASTY!
I may have been a bit lazy (is that really the right word?) with the middle two and they literally gag when I am preparing the beets (me too...shhhh!)
So, I am back to square 1 for number 4. We shall see.

Our Little Prince

Who would think that eating smashed up banana through a net could be this much fun???