Donalson Visit, etc.

Stella got a little dramatic (surprise, surprise) during our photo shoot in the back yard

"Mom! She's eating my dress!"


Too tired to sit up with Sophia

But I'll smile when I am by myself

How do people get a decent picture of two kids?

I'll just poke her in the ear

We took a trip to Stone Mountain with the Donalson fam. The kids did such a great job! We had a lot of fun and still haven't managed to see the whole park.

Donalson family

Mini ropes course

Stella has inherited my scaredy cat-ness. (I know that is not a word, but I am not currently a language arts teacher, so I can get away with it) Anyway, she is unsure about trying new things and I want her to get over that. The problem is, she has me for a mother and I am constantly worried she is going to get hurt. I need to stop yelling "Stella! Be careful!" every time she is trying something new. I learned this from watching Whitney. I think moms of boys are just more laid back because little boys are such dare devils.

Sophie and Lucas on the slip and slide

Doesn't work very well when we all stand here

Let's sit down and try it

Stella's new "cutie boots" from the Donalsons

Excited face

Sad face

An attempt at angry face

Happy face

Angry face

Stella found some garage sale stickers in the basement boxes and decided to sell Sophia. Looks like she is $10 or make an offer. Any takers? If there are, I can assure you that she cost more than $10 and we are still getting medical bills. If anyone is interested, we can discuss the additional costs. Then, there are also shipping and handling fees. I'M KIDDING, PEOPLE! Geez...you can't even make jokes about selling your baby anymore. What is it with you guys?

Where to begin? There is so much going on around here developmentally. Every day something new is happening! Sophia is smiling, laughing, pushing up and looking around. The other night as I was leaving her room, I turned back to look at her and she was practically on all fours peering at me over the crib bumper! She is such a joyful baby. She just hangs around and waits for someone to look at her and when she catches your eye, her whole face lights up and she startes kicking and flailing her arms, grinning, gurgling, and cooing. She looks like she has so much to say but she gets so flustered. She's adorable. (Notice how the opinion of said baby changes as parents start getting more sleep) It's truly amazing what time can do for one's popularity in this household.

Stella is her same hilarious self. She is teaching us to be better parents as we try to teach her to be a good person. Kids don't let you get away with anything! We are trying to teach her to say "yes ma'm, no sir, etc" (because we were recently around the Donalsons and their kids say this and we thought that it was a great idea and wondered why it had slipped our minds up until this point because we were severely beaten as children if we didn't say these things to adults-I'm kidding, parents and in-laws) Anyway, she is catching on but wonders why we don't have to say it to her. She asked me a question and I replied with a simple "yes." She quickly corrected me by saying "Yes, sir, Mama." I said "Grown ups don't have to say that to children and by the way, you are a girl so you would be a ma'm." Puzzled look from Stella. "Never mind."

She also likes to turn things around on you and we still don't know how to respond. "Stella, if you don't stop throwing the ball in the house, you are going to time out." "No, you stop throwing the ball." "I wasn't throwing the ball." "No, you throw the ball." "What?" This is confusing. I forgot what we are arguing about. And why am I arguing with a 2 year old?

Hide and seek is a new game and it is really easy to play. Just close your eyes and everyone disappears. And no one can see you if you close your eyes, so you are hidden. Wouldn't it be great if that were true? I could think of a lot of instances where this would come in handy. When you see someone in the grocery store and don't want to talk to them, just close your eyes and you both disappear. When you are at a party and say something really ridiculous (you know, when the record player screeches to a halt and there is silence and everyone at the party stops and stares? I guess I haven't been to a party in awhile if I am making 80's movie record player references) Anyway, you can yell "Hide and Seek!" and close your eyes and all is forgotten as everyone ceases to exist in your little world.

Another thing that amazes me about Stella is her diet. I am going to write a book that will rival all of these "lose weight quick" schemes. The Toddler Diet, by Dr. Amy Newman. (you have to add the doctor part or no one will buy it-let's just say I have a doctorate in toddlerology) Let's get back to the diet:

Breakfast-1/4 cup of cheerios and 1/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup orange juice, half of a banana; Eat three bites of the cheerios, dump half of the orange juice into the bowl of cereal, spoon remainder of orange juice onto the table and mash banana into orange juice puddle. Yell "I'm finished!" and run 14 laps around the house

Mid morning snack-Juice box and goldfish; eat half of the bag of goldfish and squirt juice box into play purse. Put remaining goldfish in pocket for later. Go outside to swim in the baby pool.

Lunch-peanut butter sandwich, applesauce, and 1/2 cup of milk; dismantle sandwich, lick peanut butter off of bread slices, eat 3 bites of applesauce and pour remainder on top of bread slices. Drink milk. Nap time.

You get the idea...eat 2-3 bites at each meal and play with the rest until it no longer resembles anything that you would ingest. Sound like a plan for weight loss? How do you think she keeps her fantastic figure? I have been cleaning my plate all these years and it hasn't worked for me. Stella's combination of diet, exercise, and rest is a surefire way to get into those skinny jeans by fall. What am I talking about? I would never wear skinny jeans. And I don't know why she even diets-all of her clothes have an elastic waist band.

Okay-last story for the day. We are on our way home from the store and I said "Stella-look at the stop sign-it's upside down." She says "Mama, it's an 'optagon'." "Stella, it is an octagon. You are so intelligent. Do you know what that means?" "No. What does it mean?" "It means you are very smart." "Oh, okay." Minutes later-"Mama, look at the beautiful house. Do you know that means?" "What does that mean, Stella?" "It means I like it." "Oh, okay." Nice processing, my love.