PANQUAKES

Newest Little One

2012-01-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

Well we have a new little one...she is sooooooooo cute. We are all getting to know and love her.

Things have been very busy, but here are a few of the latest and greatest goings on around here:

B: " I want puffed up ones like yours mommy, mine are down ones"
B: Shissue
B: crying "wee, wee, wee" seriously!
M: Christmas of the Nutcracker...Daddy took her and all she wanted for Christmas was a nutcracker and a "Wheel Dog". She so sweetly wanted to wake up in the middle of the night to see if her nutcracker had come to life.
M: Drawing like crazy...very impressive work.
M: Wheel dog says, "Bark, bark" also naughty dog went to the bathroom in the "store" on Christmas morning.

Too Long!

2011-06-30T09:32:00.003-04:00

It has been way too long since my last update and I am fogetting many "unforgettable" moments...so I'm going to try again...at least until the newest little one arrives :)

Current Phrases:

Gank-you

Gawelcome

Hus (us)

Favorite Books:

Little B

Frog and Toad

Pinkalicious

Cookie "Job" - past favorite

Miss M

Elosie Wilkenson

Henry and Mudge

Cinderella

Pigs Ahoy...seriously

I have started the parents Susuki classes for the piano...I have a lot to learn. Miss M starts her lessons in the Fall. I hope she loves them. We are listening to the music about 2 hours a day at this point. By the end of the summer it is supposed to be 8 hrs a day!

Miss M is doing very well in her swimming lessons. She is getting more comfortable swimming under water. Little B is loving the water this year...not always the case. She used to shiver and scream at the sight of a pool.

M won't be going back to the Friends school next year...it just wasn't a good fit. I think I will keep her home next year as a trial run for Kindergarten. We are working on phonics during B's naptime and she is doing well. So far, we are both enjoying it. I tried a couple of months ago and she wasn't ready. We'll see how it goes this time.

I'll be back!

Daddy Prince

2010-09-08T19:40:00.003-04:00

As DH was leaving for work in a suit (he usually wears scrubs) Miss M asked him, "are those your prince clothes Daddy?" Needless to say there were several dances before he left.

Favorite Update Update!

2010-09-07T21:54:00.002-04:00

Speaking of favorites, I can't believe I forgot to mention this...actually I can. It is 100% true that if you don't write it down, you will forget it!

Last week, Missy M was jumping around after eating a very big lunch and, well, she vomited, a little. She was fine, we brushed her teeth and she was fine. In the meantime, Baby Bee was very upset and was walking around saying "ucky!, ucky!." We cleaned it up and it was forgotten...until Daddy came home. As Daddy walked in the house from work, Miss M excitedly exclaimed, "Guess what Daddy, I flew up today and it was YOUR FAVORITE COLOR!!"

Just FYI Daddy's favorite color is orange.

One of Baby Bee's favorite toys is Bootsy (Boots, from Dora). Her favorite game is to put Bootsy in Time-Out. If you ask her about it, the conversation goes as follows.

Me: Where is Bootsy?

B: Time-Out

Me: Why?

B: Hitting, trouble.

Me: Who did Bootsy hit?

B: Brid-et...cryin... BEEP, all done.

Favorite Updates

2010-09-07T21:46:00.002-04:00

Baby Bee -
Books- Who took the cookies from the cookie jar? (aka Cookie book)
Kipper's book of opposites
Song- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (aka Tinkle)

Miss M -
Books- Anything with Belle and the Prince
Song - 5 Day's Old- Laurie Berkner Band

As a special gift, Daddy gave Miss M a bouquet for her first day of school. It had both purple and yellow flowers (her fav's)

Long time, no post!

2010-09-07T21:33:00.002-04:00

So it has been a long time since my last post, but here we go.

Today was a big day. Missy M started preschool at her "wittle school." Before we left for school, she confirmed that I would not be staying at school today. She wanted me to drop her off in front of the school but was gracious when I insisted that I walk her in. She gave baby B and I a kiss and went off to play with her friends. I didn't stay for the parents coffee, as I thought I might start sobbing in front of the other parents. Baby B and I went straight to Costco. She cried the ENTIRE way. She missed her sister and is not used to being in the car without her. I have to pick M at 1:00, which is in the middle of nap-time, so that was interrupted. Baby B had a rough day and went to bed at 6:00.

Sarah left for China today. I looked for webcams at Costco, but they don't carry them. I will keep looking. I miss her already.

Three!!!

2010-03-13T20:41:00.002-05:00

Miss M turned three this week. It is amazing how quickly time is going by and how big she is getting. For her birthday Miss M requested a big girl bed, with purple sheets and pillowcases and a purple birthday cake. She got the bed and the cake, but we are still waiting on the bedding. Although she is happy with her bed now, initially she was disappointed. The toddler bed was smaller than what she was expecting...she wanted a big mommy bed. After I explained that both she and Goldilocks needed a bed that was "just right," she embraced her new bed. As a motivation to say in her bed we started another sticker chart with a ring pop reward. It worked like a charm and she has stayed in her bed for naps and overnight, no problem.

Baby Bee is growing so fast. She is already in 18-24 month clothes! Her favorite toy, or maybe just her favorite word is "ball." She is very fond of the big exercise ball that is in Gunther's room. Every time we walk past the room she says, "ball, ball, ball, ball, ball." She is a bit of a daredevil and at gymnastics class this week she tried to jump off a ramp that was way to high for her. My opinionated little one has started trying to bite if things don't go her way. "The Wheels on the Bus," is her current fav song. She makes a little circular motion with her hand to indicate her preference of song. DH and Baby Bee had some one on one time today while Miss M and I were at swimming lessons and while I took a nap today. Baby Bee enjoyed herself and as I was putting her to bed tonight she kept asking for him...so cute!

Potty Trained!

2010-03-01T14:43:00.002-05:00

Since my last entry much has changed around her. Miss M is potty trained...day and night. One day I decided to was time to try...two accidents that morning and that was it. Within a couple of days, she refused to wear a diaper at night! Her motivation was a "Curious George" sticker chart and a strong dislike of wet underpants. M continues to amaze me. Speaking of amazing, we may have a potty prodigy on our hands here. Baby B noticed all of the excitement and has since started using the potty when she is in the mood.

M's current fav's are:
Books: "Bear Snores On" and "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear?"
Color: Purple
Activity: "Something fun"

Baby Bee has quit nursing, cold turkey.She does not like milk in a bottle, but will tolerate it if mixed with a yogurt drink aka : Monkey juice. She has a minimum ratio that she will tolerate...seriously!

B's current fav's are:
Toys: Binky, Doggie and Kitty Cat
Song: "Family," by The Laurie Berkner Band and the ABC's

We have been going to the pool lately. Baby B is starting to adjust. On the first trip, she took one look at the pool, screamed and tried to run back into the locker room. At this point, she will go into the water to play with some toys, but will scream at anyone who dares splash her.

Cute things:
DH was recently dubbed, "Bunny Scout Leader Daddy"

M told a little girl at the pool that she was getting a big girl bed. When that same little girl tried pouring water on her head she said, "Hey! That is not funny!." The source of the "not funny" is as follows. It was a Sunday during football playoff season, bedtime. I was about to bring the girls upstairs when the power went out. DH was in the basement watching the game at the time. I called down to him, no answer. I called again, I saw some lights flickering in the basement, no answer. As you could imagine I was getting concerned. I called again and finally got an answer...hysterical laughter! My response was a very serious, "that is not funny!." The whole family went upstairs as usual. When M laid down for her bottle and "Max and Ruby," she realized that the power failure was a problem for her. She very seriously said, "That is not funny Daddy. Turn back on!!!" She was relieved in the morning when she told me that, "Daddy fixed it."

Baby Bee is Walking!

2009-11-16T12:16:00.001-05:00

My little baby bee, no relation to the previously mentioned "Freakin' Bees," is walking! Her highest count so far is 8 steps. I wish all of this walking was wearing her out, but so far no luck, she is still up during the night.

Freakin' Bees

2009-11-16T12:13:00.001-05:00

We have had some problems around the house this Fall with bees. A nest was dug up by another critter in the side yard and both of our shrubs by the front door have nests in them. The bees must be sensing that the Winter is coming and they are looking for a warm place to hang out...they have discovered my living room! I have found many bees and wasps buzzing between my shades and the windows and a few dead bees (stingers intact) on the rug. All this being said I must have gotten a little frustrated and lashed out at the bees. Last week Miss M asked to watch "The Freakin' Bee Movie." On Halloween her aunt was dressed up as a bee, along with her mother and grandmother...M pointed to them and smiled and said "Freakin' Bees!"

I will watch what I say even more closely as it is obvious that little ears are listening!!

CurrentFavorite Poem

2009-10-05T13:36:00.002-04:00

Humpty Dumpty...aka Frumpty Frumpty : 2 versions

Baby Bee Slept!!

2009-10-05T13:31:00.002-04:00

Baby Bee slept through last night...despite 2 new teeth working their way up!

Little Miss M did not sleep through. I think she may have had a nightmare. She has been very concerned about the "Mean Witch" at Lowe's. Every time we drive by, I hear her say, "Mean witch, just a toy." I think she is trying to convince herself. Every night we sing songs before bedtime. Last night she requested a song about the Mean Witch. I had hoped the song would have put her at ease. I guess it didn't work.

PS: We made a delicious batch of panquakes yesterday!

We are going to attempt the Flyers game tomorrow night...haven't decided if Baby Bee will be staying with Grammy or coming with us...

8 Months, 6 Days and STANDING!

2009-09-18T08:41:00.002-04:00

Yikes! Baby Bee is attempting to walk and is standing on her own for several seconds without falling. I wonder if walking will enable her to be more independant or just a better stalker :)

Daddy got his hair "pipped"

2009-09-16T15:06:00.002-04:00

Yesterday when Tommy came home from work M noticed immediately that he had cut his hair...he was wearing a hat. After the hat came off to reveal a shorter style than she is used to, the comments started flying.

M: "Eddie's hair...no, no Daddy" (Uncle Eddie has a similar cut)
M: "Daddy pipped your hair?"
M: "Fix your hair Daddy...put back!"

Needless to say, the haircut was not a hit.

I also have to mention that when I got my first post-pregnancy haircut after Baby Bee was born and I cut off at least 8" M's reaction was that, "Grammy fix it, your hair."

In summary, I must have needed a new do, but Daddy was just fine as he was!

Todays Favorite Poems

2009-09-15T12:38:00.002-04:00

M's: Old King Cole & Pussycat, Pussycat
Mine: Sing a Song of Six-pence...M squalks like a crow while I read this...laughing at her own cleverness!
Baby Bee: Enjoying the cat book, she hits the cat and squeals.

Partytime!

2009-09-15T12:33:00.001-04:00

On the morning following a family get-together, M awoke, came downstairs and asked, "where are all the bodies?"

Also, recently she stated, "every body come back soon, mommy's house, watch apunzel, yeah!"

I think I may have a party planner on my hands!

Baby Bee is now standing up on everything! She is actually getting better projection for her demands at 4 am by standing up in her crib. It is amazing to see her standing. I see her in a new light...more independent, more herself.

A Prayer for Sleep

2009-09-08T21:13:00.001-04:00

Dear God, please let my girls sleep peacefully through tonight. Tomorrow we can go back to the usual routine. I just need one good night.

Bye For Now, George...

2009-09-03T10:11:00.004-04:00

Curious George has been dethroned! It is Me Mouse Cubhouse, over and over. I am already sick of it and am hoping that George will come into favor again soon. The good news is that hiding the remote and telling Miss M that Me Mouse went outside to play is working, at least for now.

Current favorite poem: Three Little Gostesses, by Mother Goose

Baby Bee & our Little Artiste

2009-09-03T10:07:00.001-04:00

Baby Bee climbed up to standing on the ottoman yesterday! She is also balancing on her knees! Watch out...here she comes.

Little Miss M is going through watercolors at an amazing rate. Yesterday, between 3 and 6:30 pm she used up all of the lilac in a new set of paints. She leaves very little negative space on the paper. The paintings are quite nice.

We were playing on the deck yesterday afternoon. I had to run into the house for a minute. Miss M came to the door and said "Where are my shubles Mommy?." She had hidden them and wanted me to find them...when the were discovered she said,"here are!"

Boarding School for Babies?

2009-08-20T12:50:00.002-04:00

Baby Bee was up from 1-3 AM this morning! I fed her. Twice. She refused to go back to sleep. Eventually, she broke me down and I put her in bed with me. The crying stopped and the crawling around started. Eventually she fell asleep and let me put her back in her crib. When she woke up this morning she was happy, all smiles. I can't say the same for me!

Baby Bee ... Breaking News... Meh, Meh. Deh, Da. Not even 8 months old!

M has been enjoying the blow-up pool on the deck. "I go swimmin' at beach." Yesterday M, Baby Bee and I all got into the pool! Baby Bee was happy to sit with me in the water and play with her toys. I think we are making great progress. I'm sure that it helped that the water was 80+ degrees. It is hard to be grumpy when I am surrounded with this kind of cuteness.

Phillies Game...Didn't Happen

2009-08-20T12:48:00.002-04:00

DH had a rough day at work and couldn't get off the phone and Baby Bee refused to eat...and therefore be left with Grammy. We had a nice visit with Grammy and Pop.

M's First Phillies Game

2009-08-04T10:58:00.003-04:00

Tonight we are heading out to see the Phillies and more importantly, the Phanatic. This is Miss M's first trip to Citizen's Bank Park! Baby Bee will be at Grammy's house...hopefully she will cooperate and we will not have to leave early.

Swimmin'

2009-07-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

M has been swimming a lot lately and she loves it. Life jacket is used when we are out of the pool...none when we are in. We have been practicing going under and she is enjoying it very much...especially when it is Mommy or Daddy's turn. The only problem has been that the pools around here are so cold. M gets cold before she gets tired of swimming. Aunt Peggy's jacuzzi was just the right temperature so we were really able to have fun. Baby Bee still detests the water. As soon as her feet hit the surface she starts shaking and yelling. As soon as the feet come out, she returns to her normal, sweet disposition.

BABY BEE UPDATE: She is sitting up! She is crawling everywhere...there are moments where her belly is off the floor.

Notes of cuteness: Me-mouse (Minnie Mouse) and Teddy (or whomever makes it into the highchair) now have to wear a bibbins (bib). They have to keep there pree-dress cleem (clean) too.

More Words

2009-07-26T09:18:00.000-04:00

Boos Whoos...Blue's Clues
Sarch...Monkey Scared
Preey Dress...Pretty Dress (everyday)
Tink-belle...Tinkerbelle

Daddy Games

2009-07-23T14:29:00.000-04:00

As it stands right now Daddy is only allowed to come upstairs at bedtime once M is done with her bottle. Daddy used to come up and quietly lay with M, but then the fun and games began and the bottle was tossed aside. Now, once the bottle is "all done," Daddy is summoned from the top of the stairs. As he runs upstairs, M runs screaming with glee in the opposite direction. The fun has begun! There will be hidin' (with a flashlight) from Mommy. There will be monsters that have to be tickled to be scared away. There will be delay tactics that include, rockin' self, mommy rockin' and daddy rockin', washing binky and finding Teddy! Eventually it will be bedtime and our little sweetheart will sleep through the night as she has done since she was 5 weeks old. Baby Bee is another story altogether :)

Favorite Words

2009-07-23T14:12:00.001-04:00

M has a couple of words that she uses that I love to hear. They are unique and very cute.
Maka-movie..guacamole
milk skake...milk shake
clippy...hair clip
Cubbie...her blanket
Cin-rella...Cinderella
Goggie...Doggie/Gunther
Simpsimps...The Simpsons
Makin'...painting, drawing
A few that are gone but not forgotten.
Wow-Wow-Wow
Gups...grapes and blueberries

Yesterday we had a good time making panquakes and pizza dough. M used her rolling pin and cookie cutter. she didn't like mixing the flour with the water, but nce it was combined and clean, she was happy to play.

Rainy Day

2009-07-21T12:22:00.001-04:00

It is a very rainy day today and M is suffering from cabin fever...and from being awakened at 6:30am by a crow! Thankfully it is naptime!

Mommy Brain

2009-07-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

My memory used to serve me well. I remembered all kinds of useful and useless information. I was a pretty good gift giver and was very good at Jeopardy!. I am now suffering from "Mommy Brain," a well documented condition whereby a woman's brain shrinks by 6% during pregnancy and does not return to its pre-pregnancy size until 1 year post-partum. As I have 2 young children, born 21 months apart, I believe I must be suffering from some advanced form of "Mommy brain." That being said, I am following the advice of my Mother who constantly tells me to write down all the cute, funny and amazing things my children do.

"Panquakes" are the favorite breakfast of my older daughter, 28 months. We make them together. She likes to "helpy me," (help you) by sitting on the island in our kitchen and adding in all of the ingredients together and mixing them herself. She asks for them every morning and sometimes even for dinner. I gave in to the dinner request last night, but breakfast today was shredded mini-wheats.

Yesterday we went to a Blueberry Festival...not many blueberries, but there were Irish Dancers and horses. We planned to arrive around 11am so that we would be able to see the Irish dancers, who started at 11:30, and walk around and still be home just a little after naptime. We actually left the house at 11:20...1/2 hour drive, parking, walking to the stage...we arrived for the audience participation part of the show and the final dance. M got up on the stage for the audience participation part...she lost sight of me and was scared by the noise of the hard shoes and started crying. Not ready for Irish dance yet I guess! She could not have cared less about the petting zoo, but the pony ride was a hit. No fear at all. Baby B, 6 1/2 months, was very good the whole day. We didn't get home until 2:45...not even close to the plan, but it was fun.