John 2.0

I was perched in a squatting position playing trains with Luke before bed. His eyes widened with a huge expression as he pointed to the floor beneath me. "Mom, spider in our house! Dit's right dere, unda you!"

I looked with my head practically beneath my legs and saw just the wood floor. "Did the spider run Luke? I don't see it."

"Yeah Mawm, baby spider. It is a baby because it is."

"Oh, okay buddy," I nodded.

Then his eyes twinkled as he hit me with this: "Nawh Mawm, I just actor. Dere no spider here Mawm. HAHAHAHAHA. I joke."

He might look exactly like me, but clearly he's proudly sporting his father's genes.

Bobbys and Back Packs

The exterior of our house is being painted. New stairs have been built off of the back porch and the front porch has been rebuilt. New doors are coming in the next week or so and then we start working on the bathroom with the kitchen to follow. It's exciting and stressful.

Luke starts pre-school in two weeks. I am as much excited for him as I am in denial that this time is going faster than I ever anticipated. The days seemed so long, the time ahead of us seemed so far in the distance and now we have a house full of back packs and glue sticks, giant crayons and lunch bags. His latest thing is to say, "Mom, I need to talk to you about...." some days it's apple trees, other days it's UFOs.

Ellie has not had a morning or nighttime bottle the last two days/nights. This is huge. Please do no judge and mock that my almost 2 year old is still taking a bottle before bed. She has no attachment to anything other than that and her "blankie b". A house free of bottles is actually really freeing. It's a huge milestone and one that now has created an intense need for her "blankie b". This morning we woke to screams of "DAH-Y (daddy) I need bobby (her bottle)!! Need BOBBY DAH-Y!!" Oy. It was intense but she fared pretty well when we handed her a regular ole sippy cup of milk. I prompted us to rid her of her bottle addiction as she is potty-training herself. She tells us she has to go peepee, pulls her diaper away from her body and dances in front of her potty as we undress her and then wiggles her bottom so happily onto her little seat. I figure if she's ready for the potty then she should be off the bottle.

One door opens and another closes as the chapters of our life unfold before us.

The Salad Spinner

Luke: Mom, we don't eat grass or leaves.

Me: That's right, we don't.

Luke: Animals do eat grass and leaves.

Me: Right, and we eat vegetables and fruit. What kind of vegetables do you like to eat?

Luke: Umm salad.

Me: I love salad too. Do you want me to make you a salad tonight for dinner?

Luke: Yeah Mommy I like salad.

Me: Okay, with lettuce and what else would you like?

Luke: Umm egg salad.