Friday, September 30, 2011

Sick as Dogs... If Dogs had Colds

We're still sick.  Mommy and Liam are finishing up their two-week colds, and Daddy is just now getting the worst of his.  Between rainy, cool weather and being sick, we have been fairly homebound.  Factor in a general refusal to eat real food, lots of nursing, nighttime wakings, a daily refusal to nap, and a general bad attitude... well, you can see how it has been a rough week for everyone.  Oh yeah, and copious amounts of snot.

So how have we been keeping ourselves busy (besides NOT MURDERING each other)?  Well, we made cookies one day, and Liam helped.  We don't have any in-process pictures, because it was all Mommy could do to keep all the ingredients in the bowl as Liam mixed the dough.   But you can see that he lent a hand in putting the dough on the cookie sheet:



It only looks like he ate the finished product.  In fact, he spit out all the bites he took.  Mostly our cookie experience looked like this:


And this:


That's ok though - that just meant Mommy got to eat the whole batch!

This morning Liam talked to Aunt Bethy on Skype.  He shared his peanut butter sandwich with her.


And then Snickers stole it.  She really has no manners.


Remember this cute little garden?


It looks like this now:


That danged cherry tomato just won't stop growing!  We've cut it back twice now, or it would be in the front door.  As it is, between the cherry tomato and the zucchini, we haven't used the sidewalk in about two months.  Looks like we'll be planting in the lower garden next year for sure.

Daddy took this picture... Not really sure what's going on here... probably blackmail for Liam's high school years:


Liam had his pictures taken at school the other day.  These are the three poses we got.  We'll assume that since you are reading this post, you are either a grandparent or a close relative.  Therefore, if you want a print, let us know which one(s) and what size, and if you want it cropped at all.  He might look happy in these pictures, but he was actually crying at the time (he didn't want Mommy to let go of him).  The photographer was really good at getting him to smile. 




Liam had his 18 month check-up this week.  He is 24lb 3oz (25%), 32-1/2 inches (50%), and 48.8cm head circumference (75%).  Also, shots.  This time Daddy needed to get a large caramel turtle shake from Steak'n'Shake to calm his nerves.  Mommy got a cheeseburger.

That's about it for this week... tomorrow we have a wedding to go to, and next week we'll be preparing for Grandma and Grandpa J and Aunt Bethy's visit October 7-10th.  But first, Mommy's going to take a nap.

Friday, September 23, 2011

2 Weeks Notice

Well, we're finally back from our 2-week vacation!  It was amazing!  Let me tell you about it!

Wait - no - we weren't on vacation.  *Sigh*  We have just had a busy week.  Uh, two weeks.

No - that's not quite right either.  We have been exhausted.  Also, busy watching Battlestar Galactica.  Again.  Also, runny noses.  Understandably (hopefully understandably), Mommy's brain is fried, so we're going to visit Stream of Conciousness Land tonight.

Mommy and Liam are sick with colds.  Liam's is worse.  His nose drips like a faucet, which makes him congested, which makes him cough.  A terrible, ugly, heart-breaking cough.  He has been nursing lots and eating little.  Also, he's breaking out in little patches of hives.  However, they disappear about 15 minutes after they show up.



Tomorrow is the annual ALS walk in Indianapolis.  Mommy and Daddy and Liam are all registered to walk, but between Liam's cold and the weather forecast (high of  65 degrees with 60% chance of rain) Mommy and Liam will very likely stay home.  Which is terribly upsetting to Mommy.  Anyone want to watch a sick baby tomorrow?  Short notice, eh?

Let's see, this week we made cherry crisp with Grandma J's cherries from last year.  Liam approved, and so did Daddy.  Mommy got two pieces.


Mommy tilled the garden... remember the dirt angels?  Well, Liam still likes playing down in the garden.  He, uh... helped Mommy plant some late season peas and lettuce and now that there is a beautiful layer of horse manure on the garden, he likes to go down and break up horse apples.  Which we don't often do, because then a bath is required.  And sometimes Mommy is just too exhausted.




  
Remember our giant fort?  Well, little ones are just as fun.


Last week Daddy took off work on Thursday afternoon and took Mommy and Liam to Le Petit Cafe.  The butternut quiche was... transcendent.  And the spicy chicken was pretty good, too.  Liam is Daddy's baby; they shared several cheese pastries.


Liam LOVES his dump truck.  The new favorite game is Ram-the-Dogs-with-the-Dump-Truck.  Which may be why Bounder snapped at him the other day and has since been banished outside during the day while Liam is up.  Anyone want a dog?  Mommy wants to make Bounder into fertilizer; Daddy says to wait a couple days before doing anything rash.  Anyone want a dog???

We don't have a video of Ram-the-Dogs - thought we did - but here's a video Grandma J's been asking for instead:



We are still seeing 6 deer and 4 turkeys come through Bill's yard.  The other evening, after laying manure, two of the deer came up to the garden to check it out.  It's getting to be about that time of year, when we should think about deer season.  We have not been to the cabin and need to scout for deer sign.  Not sure yet if we will take Liam along with us this year to play with Papaw, or try to find someone to keep him for a few nights in a real house with lights and heat and space to run and toys and books, and... well, you get the idea.

Can't think of much else just now.  It's late, and morning comes early around these parts.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Dirt Angels

Mommy tilled the garden this weekend with help from Papaw, Daddy, and Liam.  After all that gorgeous, beautiful, yummy soil was turned over, we let Liam loose on it.  Like every normal kid (and some adults!) this kid LOVES playing in dirt.  At one point he flopped down on his belly and made dirt angels.  We are both looking forward to growing lots more veggies next summer in the lower garden.

Speaking of yummy veggies...

"Hellooo, gorgeous!"

And here are a bunch of pictures.  Because we're lazy.

When Liam feels picky.

A snapping turtle in the lower yard.

Daddy's a-MAZ-ing golf outfit.

Napping in the car.

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty!"

Eating at Grandpa J's table.

Just watching the world go by.

Daddy has trouble cutting Liam's hair.

Eating soup at the table like a big boy.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Talk This Way!

Words Liam can say:

Ice ("Icccce")
Deer / Deere
Apple
Ball
Dog

We're getting lazy with our sign language.  Used to be, we would sign everything with this kid.  He knows signs for foods, signs for bathtime and bedtime, signs for feelings, signs for animals, even signs that would make you think we were teaching him manners.

Now we have to coax him to sign "please."  Although he still signs "milk" daily.  ("MILK! BOOBS! NOW!")

Daddy thinks that since he says so few words, we should stop signing so much and force him to practice saying the words.  Mommy's not convinced that is how language development works?  He's not going to start talking just because we want him to.

We subscribe to monthly / weekly emails updating us on "Your child's development - THIS WEEK!"  According to these emails Liam should have 20 words in his vocabulary by now.  Liam has 5, which he only sometimes uses.  These emails should be called "Your child's developmental delays - BECAUSE YOU ARE CLEARLY FAILING AS PARENTS!" 

*deep breath*

My kid is just fine.  If there is a problem, we'll talk with his pediatrician at the end of the month.  There's no point in getting our panties in a bunch yet.  Anyway, lots of moms we've talked to have said, "Yeahhh, my kid didn't start talking until she was 2, and now she won't shut up."

So here's to ignoring what my kid is "supposed" to be doing by now.  Heck, he's enough trouble already without him being mouthy as well.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Painting the Town Red... Er, Pink and Yellow

So we found this post on "Meet the Dubiens" about making sidewalk chalk paint.  The recipe requires only cornstarch, water, and food coloring - all things we had in the cupboard (this was the real shocker!).  We didn't get after pictures, but the colors really brightened once it dried, just like the Dubiens'.


We began by mixing up one batch and split it between two bowls - one for yellow and one for red. We might have made more, but let's be honest with ourselves, the Kid would surely spill the paint anyway.

Told you so!

Liam really had fun painting... and so did Mommy!  She has to practice drawing cars though - hers come out more like rollerskates.

Oops!  There goes the yellow!  And now Little Lamb is a little more yellow than he was before.

Ooooh, Daddy is going to be maaaad!

"Quick - let's get out of here!"

Item: one happy kid.

All I Want To Do Is DANCE!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Climbing Monkey

Dang it!  The baby just climbed up onto the bench at the dining room table.  It's all over.  Pretty soon he'll be getting into the kitchen cabinets, climbing the bookcases, swinging from the chandeliers...

Mommy's running away from home.