Gary's Buddy

I took this picture first thing this morning while Gary was drinking his "ya-ya" (that's toddler speak for Yoohoo, which is really chocolate soy milk) and watching Curious George. He had the whole couch to sit on, but he made Clara move over and make room for him. I guess he wanted to sit right next to her for warmth since our living room is like an ice box in the mornings. Funny thing is the boys can't walk on the new wood floors in their sock feet because they keep slipping and falling. It's either socks and shoes or cold feet. They usually opt for the cold feet. 

Doesn't Clara look like the tolerant, dutiful dog that she is? She's the best.

December 1st Will has an appointment with a pediatric neurologist for an evaluation. Crossing my fingers that it's not a waste of time or that he doesn't recommend a bunch of tests that my insurance refuses to pay for. I can't wait for Obama to start kicking some you-know-what to get out country's healthcare system on track. I hope my vote wasn't wasted. I'm counting on him to come through for me.

My 36th Birthday Dinner

Well, I've had another birthday. I'm not quite as old as I feel, but I'm closer. We (that would be myself, Gary, Little Gary, Will, Rick, Ree Ree and Grandma Betty) celebrated with dinner and cake. Mom cooked spaghetti with cole slaw and garlic toast. Yum! She was going to make me a caramel cake, but I didn't want to disappoint the boys by not getting the traditional transfat-filled birthday cake from the grocery store and vanilla ice cream. What's better than Crisco mixed with sugar? (Really, don't think about that one too long if you ever want to enjoy a birthday cake again.) 

Neither my mom nor my mother-in-law would let me post pictures of them, so you have to take my word for it that they were here. Vanity knows no age limit I guess. Anyway, I had a nice birthday with my family, and here are some of the pictures.

William Everett

Just wanted to share some cute pictures of Will sporting orange, his best color. He's trying so hard to talk, but we're not there yet. Sometimes we hear what we hope and want to believe is Mama and Dada (or Daddy). I've heard "ball" a few times--I think. Tonight he was playing with the telephone handset that's on the fax machine, and it sounded like he was saying "Hey". I told him to say, "Hey Ree Ree!", and I swear it sounded like he said "crazy". You know, come to think about it, the kid may be talking after all. (Sorry, Ree Ree!)

Anyway, he's beautiful and funny and full of life and energy, and he's so loving. He's perfect even if he never talks. His brother even loves him most of the time, as long as he stays away from his toys

. 

Budding Artist

Gary walked up with his Magnadoodle the other day and said, "Look, Mommy! A bird."

Can you see it?

Gary, the friendly lion, goes Trick-or-Treating.

Little Gary got dressed up tonight as a lion, and we hit Uncle Rick's neighborhood for Trick-or-Treating. Boy, did he score! For the last 30 minutes or so of the night he had us carrying his pumpkin for him because it was too heavy. 

He did well saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you", but he wasn't loving the houses with the scary decorations. Uncle Rick tried to encourage him to go to those doors, but he was having none of it. 

Ree Ree got worn out from all the walking, but everyone had a good time, and we'll have plenty of candy around for a couple of weeks. Woo hoo! Happy Halloween!

Utter Cuteness

I caught this picture of Gary tonight while he was watching "Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie". Wouldn't you love to recapture a 3-year-old's sense of wonder? He's blissful sitting there in his M&M-covered dinosaur pajamas watching Winnie the Pooh. These are the moments to remember.

Bubba Says "bite" . . . almost

In our house, word approximations count as words. After big brother was sent off to bed for repeatedly trying to kill Will, we were sharing (I wasn't really getting much) a bowl of vanilla ice cream. It dawned on me that Will kept saying "bi-" and then opening his mouth. He was trying to say "bite"! Yeah! He did it consistently. I'd hold out a spoon of ice cream and wait, and he would finally say it. Then I'd say, "OK, you can have a bite. Here you go." He was digging this communication thing. I could just see it on his face. He was getting his point across with a word (well, almost a word). 

Will is 28 1/2 months old, and we think we've heard Mama and Dada on occasion. Of course, that may just be wishful thinking. That's it. Asking for a bite over and over and over again with the same word approximation is progress in this house. Hot dog! When he learns to say "No!" and "Mine!" to his brother, I think I may just have to sit down and do the ugly cry, as Oprah says. I know we'll get there one day. That day can't here soon enough.

Gary's Halloween Costume

Oh, boy! Gary gets to go trick-or-treating this year for the first time. He is so excited! Today we settled on a lion costume, and he's thrilled with having a tail. He keeps saying he's going to wag his tail. 

I can't wait to see him with the nose and whiskers. He's going to be so cute. We're working on his roar. Ree Ree is going as a witch, and I'm going as the official "candy inspector". Lucky for me, this kid won't go near peanut butter, so I get to eat the Reese's Peanut Butter cups before Big Gary gets a chance. He's staying home on Bubba duty. No, Will isn't trick-or-treating this year. He gets to go when he learns to walk when I say "walk" instead of dropping to the ground like a 30 lb bag of potatoes. Maybe next year will be his year. He can share in the spoils.

Stay tuned for official Halloween night pictures. This is only a semi-dress rehearsal. 

The Boys Get a Visit from the Aunts

My mom's two sisters, Elaine and Gail, came to visit this past weekend. We've seen Gail recently, but the boys haven't seen Elaine in about two years I think. They had so much fun getting all that attention. Elaine came, of course, with new books for the boys, and Aunt Gail bought them toys while she was here. Gary got a real pair of binoculars which he loves and thinks are very cool. It really stinks that they live so far away. We all had such a good time visiting and playing. Plus, I got a break from bathtime for two nights!

Chocolate Cake

"Huh? What? Something in my teeth? Where? Here? Did I get it?"

"Rec-tan-gle"

Tonight Gary was running around and around the couch saying, "rec-tan-gle, rec-tan-gle". I'm always amazed by the random details and bits of information that manage to stick in his little head. He has to be told a dozen times not to throw matchbox cars or blow bubbles in his cereal bowl, but "rectangle" and "damn it!" he remembers.

Fun with the Sunday Paper

Well, so much for reading the paper! At least I was able to salvage the coupons. Boys are like kittens. They can turn anything into a plaything.

Gary's First Trip to the State Fair

Gary and I took Little Gary to the North Georgia State Fair today. Bubba stayed home with Ree Ree. He would have been too big of a handful, so he gets to wait until next year. Gary had so much fun feeding the animals and riding the rides. He loved driving the cars, so he did it three or four times. He also got to eat cotton candy for the first time, and he thought it was really cool. 

The weather was gorgeous, so we enjoyed a comfortable day walking around taking in the sights. Next time we'll eat a funnel cake. 

A Lesson in Manners

Tonight I was hanging out with Gary in Ree Ree's room while he was eating a popsicle and Mom was getting ready for bed. When he finished his purple popsicle I asked for a kiss. Well, my darling, sweet boy leaned over to kiss me and burped in my face. Then, of course, he giggled. I laughed and said, "You're supposed to say 'Excuse me' when you burp." So he blessed me. OK, maybe he's a little confused. Then he grinned really big and said, "I pooped on Ree Ree." I knew he meant to say that he "pooted" on Ree Ree (during a diaper change), so I corrected him. He just laughed and said, "Oh yeah, pooted." (giggle giggle) Boys. I know there's more to come. I had two big brothers. Joy! Somebody hide the cigarette lighters. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky. Those of you who are redneck enough to know exactly what I'm talking about, please let that little trick die with you. Let's spare the next generation.)

Baby Squirrel

Today Mom and Rick rescued a baby squirrel that was stranded in the middle of the street. They were on their way to Whole Foods for lunch, so Mom just tucked him into her shirt and took him in with her. He's a cute little fellow, probably 7 or 8 weeks old. Little Gary was thrilled to hold him and watch him suck from a bottle, and he just couldn't understand why the little guy wasn't eating the acorns he had given him. Rick has him at his house along with two cats and several dogs. I hope the little guy doesn't become someone's midnight snack. He is very sweet.

New Addiction

I just want to say, "I LOVE FACEBOOK.COM!" (Yes, I realize I'm shouting.) If you haven't discovered facebook, then you need to. You will connect with all sorts of people that you had forgotten ever existed. You'll also connect with people you've thought about 1000 times over the years. I'm totally addicted. 

Little Gary's Photography

I didn't even know Gary had gotten ahold of my camera until I uploaded these today. I have about 20 random shots of toys and the ceiling and the stairs, but he also managed to get a couple decent pictures of Bubba. Pretty good, I think.

Gary Tries Steak and Likes it

By some miracle, Gary managed to convince Little Gary to try his steak. The trick was letting him cut it with a "big knife". Well, he liked it, but he couldn't manage to chew it well enough to swallow it. Once he'd chewed it until it was just a flavorless lump he spit it out.

This is a big step for a child who, until now, has refused to eat beef of any sort and only eats chicken once in a blue moon. If it weren't for milk and cheese, he'd get no protein at all. I promised him that if he liked it I'd cook him one every day. My mom told me I was going to regret that promise when he's 16 and demanding steak every day. I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Don't you wish you could get some sweet, sweet Bubba love?

Will doesn't give kisses. Well, at least he won't kiss me. But today he was sitting in the recliner with me looking at my PARENTS magazine, and he kept kissing all the babies. I'd ask for a kiss and get a hug, but all the magazine babies got kisses. He gives excellent hugs though. When Bubba starts passing out the love, you just gotta get in line. It's some good stuff!

Double M's

Yesterday Gary woke up with a cold, or at least I thought it was a cold. It seems to have disappeared now. Anyway, he went with me to the store to stock up on supplies: Ibuprofen, Vick's Vapor Rub, Benadryl, etc. He saw M&M's in the check-out line and asked for some. He was calling them "M's". I just casually told him that I would get him some M&M's--didn't want to be too obvious about correcting him. I was just hoping that he'd pick up on it. Well, he ate about half the bag, and I put the rest in my pocket. After I got him buckled into his car seat he told me he wanted his "double M's". It's so funny the things kids come up with. I was pretty impressed, though, because I don't remember explaining what "double" meant or even using the word. I don't know what's so tough about saying "M&M's". Maybe he just likes being unique.

Boys!

I can't believe we haven't been to the ER yet. Just today Gary clobbered Bubba on the head with a big, wooden train and made a big knot rise up. Then he hit him in the leg with a piece of scrap wood that they play with in the sandbox. Then they were playing with a long piece of 3 inch PVC and Gary managed somehow to bust his lip and make it bleed. Then I turn around and see Will biting into a big chunk of dog crap, despite the fact that I had spent 10 minutes canvassing the yard picking it all up as I do everyday before playtime. Guess I missed some. Oh, I forgot to mention the bucketful of sand that Bubba swallowed. He's going to have a diaper rash for a week after all the butt exfoliating treatments he's going to be getting every time he fills his diaper. Oh, Lord, deliver me!

Bubba tries to say "Pop".

I was blowing bubbles outside for the boys today. I kept saying "pop, pop, pop". A couple of times Bubba tried to say it, but it came out "bop". Still, that's progress. Up until now all we've heard is "bubble" that one time, "Mama" and "Dada" a few times (maybe not intentional labeling), and that's it. Trying to say "pop" is a big deal.