wild*life

Just when you think the Occupy movement has subsided, you encounter a resurgence in your own living room.

Their demands are unclear— something about “I want a jeep for my birthday.  I like green best.” and “More TeeeeeeeeeeVeeeeeeeeee.”  Every night we run them off and dismantle their camp… and every morning they’re back.

The quote of yesterday, “Happy Valentime’s Day, Mama!  Bring me my Christmas cards.  All of ’em.”  That Jakey.  He’s too much.

I was talking to my friend Jamie on my drive home last night and she told me her son Jack’s class was celebrating “Friendship Day.”  We both agreed between snorts of laughter… ree-dic-u-lous.  Those crazy Angelinos.  We wouldn’t want 2-year-olds “loving” each other too much on Valentine’s Day.

I got home and James made me my most favorite weeknight dinner.  We call it steak salad.  And chocolate fondue for dessert.  Needless to say, Jakey’s a fan of fondue.  Natesy, too.  Jake wouldn’t go to sleep and we could hear him talking… well yelling… in his sleep all night long.  Nate ate numerous chocolate dipped blueberries and then would not go to sleep.  He pops up like toast and now he can fling his bedroom door open so that his wailing increases in volume via hallway acoustic amplification.  I’m pretty sure I laid him back down about 25 times.

We love chocolate.  But I think we might love sleep more.

As James lays his head on Jakey, “Why is this pillow so lumpy?”

“Hello Daddy.”

“Why is my pillow talking to me?”

“Hey, I’m not a peelow.  I’m Jacob!”

James and Jakey act out this script word-for-word all the time.  I can never get it right.  Seelly Mama.

We’ve officially completed week 1 of Potty Training.  It’s been cold turkey.  Hard core.  A full court press.  As Grandma puts it, the Pee Pee Police are on duty… literally.  So far it’s going pretty darn well.  We’ve caught ourselves sinking to new levels of bribery… I mean positive reinforcement.  But really, everyone wins.  We’ve all really enjoyed our nightly cupcakes.  Though we did catch ourselves when James said (in his best game show announcer voice), “Use the potty and you could win a BRAND NEW CAAAAR!”

Of course there have been a couple of accidents.  And I heard about an incident at school where the first line of defense failed (sweatpants) and his shoes didn’t make it.  Apparently Miss Maria couldn’t control her giggling as she recounted the story to Dad at pick-up time.  It was either wear pink sandals from the lost and found box or no playing outside.  Poor JJ wanted to play and ultimately put on the “girl shoes.”  But he was clearly embarrassed and couldn’t effectively play and hide his pink footwear.

I’m pretty sure that will probably be the worst of it… which isn’t too bad I hope– we don’t support “potty shaming.”  Wearing diapers in kindergarten would be more embarrassing, right?

My kiddos are growing-up too fast.  Everyone says it and it’s so true.  A phase can last a couple of days or a few weeks.  If Mommy falls asleep at the blog wheel, entire tot trends can come and go in the time it takes Nate to unfold a basket of clean laundry.

Grandma and Granddad resisted a few months of both being Damma.  It’s now long over.  Auntie Anla-la is Angela.  Agualemon is watermelon.  Tee tats are kitty cats.

I just came home from 5 days in Vegas… forsey is now horse!

And the same holds true for the little one.  He says mama, baba, nana, something that sounds like “more” and something that could actually be “ball.”  Oh, and he says Dada.  He’s been saying Dada for months and I forgot to write about it.  Really!  I forgot.  Fine, don’t believe me.

Some of my favorite words and phrases of late:
* All taBOARD!  (train conductor style)
* Hey, wait a minute!
* I go be right back.
* What are we having today? (as he approaches the dinner table)
* Let’s talk yes-ter-day.
* Eddybody (everybody).
* Flower yogurt (vanilla).

Luckily, Nake is still Nake.

It’s Super Bowl weekend… and what better way to celebrate the super bowl than literally, right?

So far Day 1 of hard core potty training resulted in just 4 pairs of Thomas the Tank Engine underpants, 4 pairs of associated sweatpants and 1 pair of socks.  Half of these occurred within the first hour… which was cause for great concern as to the potential for the rest of our Saturday.  The daddy stomping and sighing alone had me gazing longingly at the bag of Seventh Generations abandoned on the changing table.

Jakey says all the right things… he knows exactly what we want to hear.  But then when it comes to execution… excuses, excuses.  It’s the Giants versus the Patriot.  The Patriot may have won the day, but the Giants will win this game.  You can bet on it.

Nate has started “cruising.”  This is the word they use to describe the phase where babies walk from one end of the couch to the other in pursuit of your remote control.

I think he’s probably been doing it for about two weeks.  I know, I know.  The youngest kids always get the short end of the stick… parents can’t quite remember their baby milestones as clearly and forget to note them down the way they did for their first born.

If I could get my laptop open without four chubby hands that “want to type,” then maybe you’d have a point.  Just enjoy the fact that we’re already beat down and after not even three years are loosening our parental regulations and standards… didn’t you literally take a bath with your big brother tonight while he drank hot chocolate?  Imagine the things you’ll be doing in less than two years time… brushing your teeth with frosting no doubt.

Today, Nathaniel’s teacher Melissa told me there were several moments where he stood for a few seconds without holding onto anything.  Melissa is Natesy’s rockabilly teacher.  She has cute pin-up girl 1940’s hair and colorful tattoos on her arms.  She once told me she hopes she has a body like mine after she has a baby.  She was most certainly buttering me up in the most effective way possible.  Melissa is my new favorite.

After school today, Natesy made a new friend at the bus stop.  He started blowing kisses to a pretty lady named Mina who is expecting a baby girl in May.  Already picking-up the ladies in public…

Then tonight during hot chocolate bath time, Nate used the comb to brush his own hair.  Just the little curls in back since there’s still not much up top.

Cruising, standing, kiss blowing, hair combing.  Perhaps next week he’ll graduate to hot chocolate serving.

I’ve been meaning to post an update on my newest little nephew: Devon George Tyrone Purnell!

I know from personal experience, that will probably be a two-line name on his future driver license.  I’m sure the grandfathers are pleased as punch.

We’ve already crossed doctor off the list based on pumpkin guts.  And now, his future career as a fortune teller has already crashed and burned…  before it ever got off the ground.

Baby Zinger was born happy and healthy this morning via C-section.  Drum roll please… it’s a boy!  Somehow, despite being a surprise baby, his parents entered the delivery room, girl’s name in hand.  I have no idea whether they simply reached an impasse?  I do know that he may be spending his first night still known as Zinger.  I feel fortunate that in our experience, we came up with two girls’ names and two boys’ names and somehow never revisited the subject.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the longer you go, the harder it is to decide… and you don’t want to compromise just to get past the hospital check-out counter, right?

When I got home tonight, Jacob was still in denial.

“Jakey, Baby Zinger was born today.  Do you know if it’s a boy or a girl?”
“Her’s a ga-wol.”
“No, Baby Zinger is a boy!  Can you believe it?”
“No.  HER IS A GA-WOL!”
Honestly, he was not having it.  He had already had a similar conversation with his Daddy earlier today.

I showed him a picture of the baby on my iPhone and he softened his unyielding stance.  Instead of arguing with me, he became more interested in understanding why he had so many things on his little ankles.

Yes, the title of this blog is still blank.  I just can’t decide what to call it…

Tomorrow is Baby Zinger’s birthday!  If anyone is out there reading this blog, Baby Zinger is my brother Geoff’s very first baby.  Geoff’s wife Angela’s maiden name is Zing… thus the nickname.  Little Baby Zinger will be born on the 20th, just like its maternal grandmother and of course, favorite Auntie.

I love that the first time we came home after a Saturday at my parents’ house with Geoff and a pregnant Angela, Jake turns to me and with his typical shoulder shrug and questioning hand gesture asks, “Where Baby Zinger go?”  All the talk of some invisible baby had him a bit perplexed.

Ever since we found out about Baby Z, I’ve been asking Jakey to predict if it’s a boy or a girl.  In eight months, he has never deviated from his answer.  I change up my question, just to make sure he isn’t pulling that old trick where he just says the last choice presented.

“JJ, is Baby Zinger going to be a girl or a boy?”
“A ga-wol.”

“Jakey, is Baby Zinger going to be a boy or a girl?”
“A ga-wol.”
“A ga-wol?”
“No…a Ga-wol.”
“A Ga-wol?”
“No.  A ga-wol.”
“Ohhh, a girl?”
“Yeees, a ga-wol.”

This is my new favorite game.  We both find it hilarious.