Sweet Kids

There is no better feeling than driving along in the car and listening to the kids talk to each other in the backseat. Most of the time it's Jack saying "Madelyn, what are you talking about? You're such a nut," or Madelyn asking "You done crying now, Jack?" or one of them is yelling at the other to stop singing a song or to give the other a toy they are hoarding. However, there are times where one of them just spontaneously says to the other "I love you" and I get such an overwhelming feeling of "this is what life is about" I could burst.

This week, Mads had been down again for the count with another round of this pesky fever that comes up every month. On our way to doctor's appointment, the following transpired:

M: I wuv you, Gack
J: I love you too, Madelyn. You know what I don't love? I don't love it when you are sick.

Pillow

For whatever reason, despite her using crib bumpers and stuffed animals as pillows every night, we had not given Madelyn a pillow to use. Last night before bed she was dragging one of my pillows off the bed and brought it into her room, so I went into the closet and found the little toddler pillow we had bought for Jack back in the day. She didn't want to "try it out" before bed, but when we were rocking and I told her it was time to go to bed, she smiled and said she wanted to try the pillow. Once I put her in bed and we exchanged "I love yous" and "goodnights", she said "thank you for that pillow, Mommy." 

Let's Try and Resume

Jack was tired and whining over and over about wanting to see Grandma on the way home from Chillin' and Grillin' where he just saw Grandma.  We’ve been doing a word of the day and a week early the word was “fixated.”  Hadn’t used the word in a while.  Just when I (Andrew) was losing it and telling him to stop crying b/c he just saw Grandma he said while sobbing, “I know daddy, I know, I’m just really fixated on grandma right now. “

We also learned the word emit.  For a few weeks once a day Jack would stop whatever he was doing, pop up and run to the bathroom and say, "Sorry guys, gotta go emit some poop." 

These Kids

These kids crack me up. On our way to Grandma P's this am:

> Madelyn - saying "night night" and closing her eyes and pretending to sleep, complete with snores. Then we'd say "morning Mads" and she's raise her arms up and clap

> Jack - upon arriving to the house and being greeted by an excitable dog "ok, ok, just simmer down now, Jack. Simmer down."

Clearly my blog has suffered lately, but that is certainly not from a shortage of things to write about. Madelyn is 15th months going on 3 years. She is so coordinated - running, "jumping" and doing whatever big brother does all over the place. She says a ton of words and tries to repeat almost every time when asked. She is also VERY sure of what she wants and doesn't want. We've already seemed glimpses of tantrums out of her, and I am legitimately scared for what the future holds in that department. 

Jack is still hysterical and sweet. He just completed a week of vacation bible school and despite telling me he didn't want to go every single morning, I know he had an "aweshome" time. He's had a few weeks of some night time fears that started with a song from the Christmas Toy, but he's found a new friend, Teddy, that helps keep him safe every night. He is still taking gymnastics and has moved into the big kid class and goes all on his own while Grandpa Jim hangs out. We're doing soccer, though we've only had 1 game so far. And he does a really good job riding his bike, and loves going on bike rides around the block 

A Gem

Last night when I got home, Andrew and the kids were in the yard enjoying the 70 degree day. Jack LOVES to play in the car so he was doing that while I was brushing dirt and snot off of Madelyn. When it was time to go in, Andrew was trying to coax Jack out of the car. Jack's response?

"You're wasting your time, Daddy."

Andrew's response?

"You don't talk to Daddy that way."

Who does this kid think he is???? But, I can't stop giggling about it. 

11 Months!

My pretty girl:

Randoms

Jack is quite a character. When he's not causing us to pull our hair out with some 3 year old antics, he is the funniest person we know. A few funnies from the drive over to Grandma P's this morning:

1. Last night he started a new game called "Hotel." It works very similarly to "Restaurant." We check into the hotel, or motel, as he calls it. So this am I said I was taking him to the Mokena Motel for the day. I asked if he knew how to get there:
 J: "Yes. You just go, and then you stop at Starbucks and get a blueberry muffin, and then you turn and go to Grandma's. And then you did it!"

2. My parents had pulled out P's car out so that I could pull our car into the garage when we arrived:
J: "There's Grandma's car so we can get in the garage. How did she know that? Grandma is amazing!"

3. Grandma eating her granola bar this morning.
J: "What are you eating Grandma? A banola bar?"