…like daughter. Baby push-ups – working out for that next triathlon.
Mommy’s elves
Getting ready for Christmas can be a daunting task – even Santa with all his magic needs the help of hundreds of elves. So this year I decided to employ a few elves myself. I knew the best ones are the small variety so I found two and hired them on.
Things started out very promising as we whipped up 30 small loaves of cranberry bread to be handed out with our newsletter.
Just as I was running out of counter space one little elf volunteered for dish duty – the only drawback to small helpers are small hands.
Little elves wear out quickly so while the smallest was recharging, I started the task of wrapping presents…what a stroke of luck to find that the older elf was an expert in wrappings and bows.
It seems this elf was also an expert in candy decorations for gingerbread houses.
Everything met with his approval and we were able to share some Christmas fun with our friends.
So if you find yourself stressed with everything there is to do, find an elf near you and liven up your holiday preparations! Or better yet, if you need to hire one or two out for a few hours, just let me know and arrangements can be made.
Late night projects
Brian got on a Mr. Fix-it roll Thursday night and everyone stayed up until 10:30 making several changes to our house. First he covered all the windows and glass door to insulate us from the cold.
Then he finished his dryer project – this allows warm, moist air to blow back into our house. Our place is very dry (we used a humidifier all last winter) and any extra heat is welcome so we’ll see how this works – at least on laundry days.
And finally, we rigged up a bunk bed of sorts for the kids. Ivy was getting too big for her bassinet so the kid’s room was overhauled once again. To get the crib up high enough for Lance to sit up underneath Brian had to add a few boards for stability.
Lance loved staying up and working with dad – he measured and marked, and watched in awe as Daddy cut (mommy held his ears). Ivy was mostly cheerful about staying up late if she was being held. Both kids and parents slept in the next morning.
Current news
Thought I’d amuse you with an anecdotal little tale of child training.
Lance often gets frustrated when something doesn’t perform as it should. After several tries (or less depending on his current mood) he breaks down crying. In an effort to prevent this and other forms of whining, I’ve been teaching him to call for “Mommy” instead. So now it goes something like this:
*fussiness or crying*
Mommy: No whining Lance
Lance: Mooooommy (in a woeful voice)
Mommy: Yes Lance? Do you need help?
Lance then signs help and I figure out whatever is bothering him. When Daddy is around the scene changes slightly.
*fussiness or crying*
Daddy: No whining Lance
Lance: Mooooommy (in a woeful voice)
Daddy: I’m Daddy
Lance: Daddy (in same voice)
It makes me laugh every time!
In other news, we had the kids doctor visit over Thanksgiving and I got a copy of their growth charts so you can see what I’m talking about. The diagonal lines indicate the normal range of length and height in children – the dots with circles indicate my children.
This is Ivy – stretching the upper limits for her age. And this is Lance – well below short.
People always said your first and second kids would be totally opposite, I just didn’t think it would be in this way. At this rate Ivy is going to catch Lance in weight and size within a few months; like most second born children she’s already super competitive!
Sack-out
In honor of Dec. 4th I thought I’d do a post on sleepy kids.
Here’s Lance after his Thanksgiving dinner – I guess he’ll be taking a nap instead of watching football.
Ivy tried to stay up late playing games. She also jumped in her bouncer so much that she wore herself out!
Then the day after I put up a bumper pad in the crib look who peeked out – guess she conquered that obstacle!