Happy Halloween!

Repeat after me

I have noticed more and more lately that Dylan will say things and keep saying them until I repeat back what he has told me. I think it is a confirmation to him that he has said it correctly if someone else says it back - like he has been understood. I can't just answer him, say umm hmm, or yes. He will get louder and keep saying it until I repeat what he has said.

And now I will repeat what I have said about Dylan in the past - he is such a little sweet heart! He has a heart of gold. If I mention I have an ouchie or someone else (Sophia) complains of something, he right away runs over and gives a kiss. Catches me off guard sometimes as sometimes I just say the word while talking and he comes to kiss me. In books, too, if a character is hurt, he leans in and gives that character a kiss. SOOOO sweet. He is going to break a lot of heart - will be a vicious circle - break a heart, kiss it, thus breaking another heart, then has to kiss it...

Giddy-up

Here's another shout out to Lana. I have found myself treating the kids a lot like horses, perhaps due to my dear friend, Lana's, influence. When trying to put on shoes for instance, I will tap their leg as I have seen her do to her horses to get them to lift their leg up. I do the cheek "click click" to get the kids moving, hurry up. Sometimes I will even pat my leg to get them to come. Now if only I could get Dylan to eat apples and carrots like horses we could be onto something.

I realize I have neglected this site for quite a while, so here is a summer/ fall recap. We spent most long weekends up in Maine through out the summer. Most of my time was spent scraping, priming, painting and then painting some more. I don't miss that, however, I do miss the extra calories that I burned. Winter fat is setting in - EARLY. I then brought in the peach crop from our tree and made jam, chutney, sauce and pies. Oooo, so many peaches...

Sophia started her second year of preschool in September. She is at a new school and I like it so much better. I think she will really like her teachers and be able to make some friends. We got to go apple picking in the fall and I can't believe how YUMMY fresh they taste. Made a few apple pies out of those as well as my first apple turn overs. YUM.

We were able to get a good price on plane tickets and now our on again off again trip to California for Christmas is on again. The kids and I will head up mid December and be joined by Ethan on the 23rd. Come home new years eve - wahoo! Now I have a million things to get done between our upcoming trip up to visit Ainley for US thanksgiving, Sophia's b-day and getting Christmas shopping underwraps in time.

I have also been slacking in posting photos, so here is a link to some I posted on Picasaweb

How things have changed...

As a teenager and young "adult" I would spend hours in the bathroom. I would primp my hair, dust my face, primp my hair (I have a lot of hair). Now a days I STILL spend hours in the bathroom. This time it is mostly with Dylan inhaling obnoxious fumes. He is the cutest little guy, but MAN his poops smell bad. And he enjoys his time on the pot a little too much. Upon sitting he right away insists on "read book". And we read the same two books over and over while listening to Elmo shout "Great job!" "you did it!" you're growing up, just like Elmo!" His leg is pressed against the button, so these shouts outs are repeated over and over and over. I have found putting a book under hi foot to help move his leg off the button a bit. Anyway, it really is stinky. At least when he was in diapers he would find a corner to discretely do his business and then return to the room, I would get ONE whiff, change him and be done with it. I now spend the money I am saving on diapers on air fresheners.

Oh, here's a shout out to my little Lana. Thanks for reading! Woot Woot!