Tribal Warrior Princess

Kids are noisy. It's just a fact. They are, by nature, loud. At least mine are. They are always yelling, screaming, singing, playing drums, laughing, crying, etc... -- just having fun! It's when they get quiet (and not in your sight) that you need to worry. Usually, if things are quiet (too quiet), you can bet they are up to no good.

The other day as I was sitting in the living room folding laundry, I listened to Jacob and Annabelle playing in Jacob's room. I heard the sounds of several toys. I heard them laughing and talking to each other. I heard the music of drums and little pianos. It never got quiet. I never worried. As I got toward the end of my laundry pile, I called their names. Annabelle came running in with a big grin on her face, pointing at at large blue spot on her arm. But she didn't just have a blue spot on her arm, it was all over her face.

Upon seeing my little blue daughter, I quickly ran to Jacob's room (a.k.a. Big Brother's Tattoo Parlor). Jacob was sitting on the floor, blue sharpie in hand, eyes tightly closed because he knew he had done something wrong. I scanned him and the rest of his room to see if anything else had "mysteriously" been colored blue. Nope. Just his sister. While Jacob spent a few minutes in the time out corner, I spent a few minutes on the internet, searching for ways to remove sharpie marker from skin.

Although I freaked out a little, Annabelle was perfectly happy with her new tribal warrior tattoos. I walked her over to a mirror so she could see exactly what her brother had done to her and she giggled with delight. She loved it. Since I wasn't quite as thrilled with her body art, I proceeded to get the ink off. After reading a number of "remedies" from using mineral oil to fingernail polish remover, I decided to try Wet Ones (antibacterial wipes). It worked. A few wipes later, the blue was gone and I had a nice, clean, germ-free baby.

Jacob said he didn't know why he did it. He just wanted to color. I was upset that he colored on his sister...with a sharpie marker....but I have to admit, the marks on her face were interesting. They looked like Chinese characters. What can I say? He's an artist...on any canvas.

Oh, one more funny thing.....See the picture of Annabelle sitting in the corner? She was sitting across from her brother, who was in time out. Of course, she couldn't let him sit there by himself -- especially after he had done such a great job on her tribal warrior princess tattoos.

Playtime Fun and Conversations

I remember Jacob hitting a certain age where he began copying everything he saw and heard. Whatever I said, he repeated. If I stood a certain way, he stood that way too. If I made a face, he tried to make that same face.

This is where Annabelle is now. She mimics everything. Jacob, however, has advanced beyond simply copying and now questions everything he sees and hears. For example, the other day, I was frustrated about something and let out a big, "uuuuuuuugggggghhhhhhh!!!!" Immediately after, I heard Annabelle mimic my frustration in her version of an "uuuuuugggggghhhhh!!!" while Jacob looked at me and said, "Mommy, what did you go 'uuuuuuuugggggghhhhhh' for?" Hearing both of them respond in different ways made me laugh and forget my frustrations for a few moments. They are just so funny!!

Jacob and Annabelle love to play with sand. They've been spending a great deal of time in their little sandbox in our backyard. Somehow, Annabelle always ends up with a mountain of sand in her diaper. It's as if she takes a shovel and pours it right in; although, I've never actually seen her do that. While she digs in the sand and throws it ALL OVER THE PLACE, Jacob is usually busy creating something -- his imagination, hard at work.

Bless her little heart, Annabelle seems destined to forever have a bruised forehead. She has had a bruise right in the middle of her forehead for almost a month. When one bruise finally vanishes, along comes another. How does she get these bruises? Well, she ran into the corner of the wall and created the first one. The second came as a result of a little shove down the slide at church (compliments of her big brother.) Then after that, she climbed up onto the toilet and fell off, bumping her head on the corner of the stainless steel trash can. Ouch!

Jacob is one smart cookie and doesn't let us forget it. The other night after dinner, we each had a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll for dessert. Side note: I sent Heath to the store for milk and a can of kidney beans. He came back with Little Debbies. :) Anyway, after we had finished our dessert, Heath grabbed a box of Hot Tamales candy and began eating them. Here is the conversation that followed:

Jacob: Ooooooh, Daddy....I want some of those. Can I have some of those?

Heath: No. You had a swiss cake roll for dessert.

Jacob: Well.....what did you have????

Touche.

Hi, My Name's Jacob and I'll Be Here All Night, Folks!

I don't know what was in Jacob's milk at Sweetwater Tavern that night, but something got him going. He was hilarious. Actually, he had been cracking us up all day. I was convinced he was using us as a test audience for his stand-up act because every word that came out of his mouth was so incredibly funny. I wish we had some type of recording device attached to him that day. That kid is some comedian.

Jacob was sitting beside his beloved Aunt JoBeth when suddenly, he turned to her and said, "Aunt JoBeth, you are the prettiest one.....you are a good Aunt JoBeth....I yuv you." Then he proceeded to pat her on the back and rub her arm. This was all after he downed a full glass of milk in approximately 49.8 seconds.

As we were about to leave, Jacob jumped down from his seat and danced his way around the table. He then stopped to dance in the middle of the restaurant -- right beside a table where two older gentlemen were in the middle of their dinner. The more Jacob danced, the more the men clapped. It was, quite possibly, one of the funniest moments I have ever witnessed; mainly because it was so unexpected. I could not stop laughing. Tears were rolling down my face and Heath was just about in the same boat.

Jacob continued to dance his way out of the restaurant all the way to the car. Here is a little taste of what happened that night. If only I'd had the camera out when we were inside the restaurant.......

When we were back in the car, the dancing subsided, but Jacob was still on a roll...and was still feeling the love. Out of nowhere he announced, "I love Daddy and David and Aunt JoBeth and Annabelle and Mommy.....and I love myself."

Whatever was in Jacob's milk must have also been in Annabelle's. I had brought along some little Transformers toys for Jacob to play with at the restaurant. When he was through with them, I handed them over to Annabelle, not knowing if she would play with them or not. Oh, she played with them alright. She loved them. It looked like she was making them fight. I guess she was just copying her brother. Anything he does, she wants to do also. I was just happy she was content and not throwing a fit at the table. :)

Transformers...more than meets the eye...

Later that night, we drove into DC to see the White House. David asked Jacob if he wanted to live in the White House. Jacob replied, "No. I can't yiv in the White House because I'm not a pwesident." Well, maybe one day, Jacob...maybe one day......

And yes, the dancing continued at the White House. Jacob wanted to dance up beside the iron gate, but we convinced him to come down. This one's for you, Mr. President.

18 Months

Annabelle is 18 months old. Wow. Time flies. We went to see the doctor this morning for her well-visit. I must have temporarily lost my mind when I scheduled this appointment...for 7:00 AM. Seriously, what was I thinking?!?!?!?! Especially since Annabelle is a late sleeper. We're talking 10:30, 11:00 AM late. Anyway, I woke her up (after prying myself out of bed) and she was in a surprisingly good mood.

She now weighs 21 pounds, 11 ounces which puts her in the 10th percentile for weight. She's moved up in height, to the 25th percentile. She's 31 inches. And since they always measure head circumference, I'll give you that too: 17 3/4 inches, which falls into the 10th percentile. She's definitely gotten taller, but still petite...and adorable. :)

Annabelle is much more vocal lately and I giggled when the nurse asked me if she could speak at least seven words. Annabelle knows a lot of words now:

shoes: shhhhs

trees: tees

juice: dooce (which is her word for any drink)

pig: dih

Jacob: Dahtcha

go: guh

ball: bah

cracker: gack-uh (usually yelled loudly, in a demand)

Mommy: mama (she has said mama for a really long time, but she's only recently began calling me mama. I love it. :) )

Daddy: Daa-tah or Dah-tee

bubble: buh-puh

Bottle: bopple

Paper: pah-puh

Book: buh

good girl: guh-goal (she claps when she says this)

uh-oh: uh-oh

There are more, but these are some of the "regulars."

Each time we go to the doctor for a well-visit, I am given a handout on what to expect from my child at his/her particular age. I laughed when I read this one: "Toddlers sometimes seem out of control, or overly stubborn or demanding." Ummmmm. Yes. This is right on target. Annabelle is quite the stubborn little girl. And she has a fiery temper too; but, we've known that for a while now. :)

She's also extremely smart and catches on to things very quickly. The other day, I said the word "excited" in conversation with someone else. Annabelle overheard me and began clapping...because that's what you do when you are excited. If you mention shoes, she will immediately run to her closet and bring back a shoe. She loves shoes. If you say the word, "go," she is ready. She heads to the door...or to the closet to get her shoes if she's not yet wearing any.

She has also developed a hearty appetite, eating her brother under the table. I'd venture to say she usually eats more than Jacob at just about every meal. I asked the doctor about this. Since she's still in the 10th percentile for weight, we don't have anything to worry about. The doctor's advice: "Feed her 'til she's full." Will do.

I tried pigtails. From the side, very cute. From the front, not so much. I was just excited that she can now actually have pigtails!!

While The Cat's Away...

...the toilet gets clogged, apparently.

The night before I left on my trip, we experienced total chaos. Wednesday nights are always a little rough because we get home so late from church. The kids' schedules get thrown out the window, so that alone creates chaos in itself. On that particular night, I wasn't going to give them a bath before bed because it was so late. But, they had been to the playground and both of them were filthy. To the bathtub they went...kicking and screaming.

Heath took Annabelle after her bath while I finished Jacob. Amidst all the crying, I suddenly heard Heath exclaim, "OH NO!!" He had Annabelle in one arm, while his other was in the toilet. Somehow or another, Annabelle's baby brush got flushed. Jacob continued crying. Annabelle cried harder because she bumped her head on the doorframe. I sat in silence trying to figure out what happened. Heath still had his arm down the toilet, fishing for the flushed brush. I tried not to laugh...unsuccessfully.

That night, the toilet seemed fine, even though we could not retrieve the brush; however, after I left the next day, things didn't go so well.

I'm not exactly sure what was done, but by the time I got home, the toilet was back inside...and unclogged. Hmmmmm....I wonder what the neighbors were thinking. :)

Mommy Has Left the Building...For One Night, Anyway

I feel like a new person. Really. One overnight trip with friends and no children can do wonders. :) It was so great to go somewhere as "Paula" and not "Mommy." Don't get me wrong. I love being a mommy, but I have to say, it was very nice to leave the house for a little while without that responsibility -- no strollers, no sippy cups, no breaking up fights, no "If I see you do that one more time....." Aaaaaahhhhhh. When we were planning this trip, I was a little nervous. After all, I had never been on an overnight trip away from my kids. Yes, Jacob is almost four years old. You can gasp if you want to. I guess it was about time.

We went to Jacksonville, mainly to see our good friend Tim McGraw. Tim was wonderful and he brought along his new friends, Lady Antebellum. Ok, so we're not really "friends" but I've been listening to Tim McGraw's music for so many years, we might as well be best buds. :) The concert was great and we had tons of fun.

My concert pictures aren't so great.

I must confess, when we began talking about this little trip to Jacksonville, I was secretly hoping a stop at The Cheescake Factory would be involved. Fortunately, everyone else on the trip enjoys food just as much as I do. We went to The Cheesecake Factory. Twice. Good times. We also ate at P.F. Changs -- a restaurant I'd been wanting to try for quite some time. I had heard great things about their food and it didn't disappoint. Looking back on it, this one night getaway may have been more about the food than the concert....and there's nothing wrong with that!



Of course, our restaurants of choice were both conveniently located within a fabulous shopping center. So, I don't have to tell you how we spent the rest of our time. Besides eating and shopping, we did manage to do a little sightseeing in St. Augustine. The weather cooperated with our plans, which made the day even better -- sunny, breezy. It was perfect. I actually got a little sunburned, but that's nothing unusual.



Erika and I raced to the top of the lighthouse. No. Not really. It was more like a casual climb. Still, my calves were not happy with me. But after 219 steps, I do believe they are more toned.

The view from the top.

Shopping, cheesecake...is there anything better? And no, I did not eat the entire piece of cake; but, I came pretty close.

We all had sooo much fun. I can't wait for the next trip...whenever that is.

A Museum, a Tornado, a Tiger, & a Little Visit to the ER

Confused? I'll begin by saying, none of those things are related...except for the fact that the following events occurred in the same week...a couple weeks ago.

First: The Museum
Jacob, Annabelle and I went on an outing to the local children's museum. We had never been there before, but I had heard great things about it. I found out the museum was having a special storytime and craft hour that day, so I called to register Jacob (Annabelle was too young) and off we went. When we arrived, I realized this little outing was not going to be easy. Of course, Jacob took off running to explore all the exhibits. And, of course, Annabelle took off after her brother. She may be only 17 months old (almost 18 now), but in her mind, she is three and a half years old. This is cute in many ways, but on this particular occasion, it was tough to deal with. The museum was SO CROWDED that day and I was afraid Annabelle would be trampled by the older kids. We visited the toddler area for a long time, which Annabelle loved, but Jacob was itching to get back to the "big boy things." After a series of temper tantrums and meltdowns and one time out, both big brother and little sister calmed down and we had a great time. It was difficult to take pictures because I had to watch them both so closely...and be ready to chase a runner at anytime. :)

Annabelle thought it was great fun to smash her face and mouth against the glass. Mommy, on the other hand, did not think it was so fun. Eeewww.....germs. The steps she's sitting on led to a slide, which Annabelle LOVED. She slid down over and over and over and over and over again, never tiring of it. She had a little routine going: climb up the stairs, dance on the platform, slide down. Repeat.
Arrrgh, matey! Captain Jacob spent quite a bit of time on the pirate ship. He originally wanted to wear two eye patches. I explained to him that if he had a patch over each eye, he wouldn't be able to see. He still had to try it out for himself. It didn't take him very long to realize that second eye patch wasn't so much fun after all.

Annabelle enjoyed playing at the sand table and I don't think she even put any in her mouth! (Unless, of course, I just didn't see it.)
Come fly with me!
They both loved playing in the cockpit. That's Jacob in the pilot's seat. Annabelle mainly liked to climb up into the passenger seats, which you can't see in this picture.

We had our rough moments, but all in all, it was a very fun morning. I'm sure we'll be visiting the museum again sometime soon!

Second: The Tornado
A couple nights later, we had a weather scare. It had been really windy all day, but we weren't aware of any bad weather headed our way. We had gotten a little rain, but nothing terrible. Apparently, neither Heath nor I had paid much attention to the weather reports. Just after 11:00 PM, our weather radio came on to alert us of a tornado watch. Heath went to bed early that night and was already asleep, until the radio woke him up. The radio repeats the message twice before turning itself off. The second time we heard the message, the "watch" had been changed to a "warning." I got a little nervous, but wasn't too scared. Then, just a few short minutes later, we heard the noise -- the freight train noise everyone says you should listen out for. I have never been so scared. It seemed to get closer and closer and my heart began to race. Heath grabbed Annabelle out of her crib and I jerked Jacob out of bed. We all huddled up in the middle bathroom. Inwardly, I was freaking out. Outwardly, I was trying to hold it together so Jacob and Annabelle wouldn't be afraid. Thankfully, we were safe and our house was unharmed. We did have the inconvenience of our power being out for a while, but that was no big deal.
While huddled in the bathroom, Heath kept checking his Blackberry to see if the tornado warning had expired. When it had, we put the kids back into bed and went to bed ourselves, although, it took me a while to get to sleep. Neither one of us had ever heard a sound like that before. We were almost sure it was a tornado. We were right.

A weak tornado touched down on the street just behind our house. No one was hurt, and no homes were destroyed, but it did cause some structural damage -- siding, roof, fences, etc. There were also a few downed trees. I am so thankful everyone in our neighborhood is ok. A few days later, I was talking to my neighbors about it and they never heard anything. They slept right through it! All I know is, if the noise we heard was only a weak tornado, I NEVER want to be anywhere near a strong one. Those storm chasers are CRAZY!

Third: The Tiger
That weekend, Heath took Jacob to his first Clemson football game. Can you even imagine how excited he was? He, meaning Heath. Jacob was excited about going on the trip, but Heath had been planning this moment from the time we found out we were having a boy. We both figured taking Jacob to the spring game would be better than a real game during the regular season since the atmosphere is much more relaxed, no one would be shouting profanities at the other team, etc... Jacob had a great time at Clemson and one of the highlights was getting to meet the tiger.Notice the backwards hat. Jacob's favorite show is The Imagination Movers. Mover Dave wears his hat backwards. Jacob is always pretending to be a different Mover. Obviously, this was a Mover Dave day.

Fourth: The ER
While Heath and Jacob were at Clemson, Annabelle and I stayed home and had a girls weekend -- a girls weekend that didn't start out quite how I had planned. We had a great Friday afternoon. Erika met us for lunch at Moe's, then we all went for a walk in the park. It was a gorgeous day. The alligators thought so too. We always see alligators at this park. Always. And they are always waaaaaaaay too close to me. One of them was hanging out on the bank, so we had to walk right by it to follow the trail. I freaked out just a tad, but Erika managed to calm me down. Anyway, back to the ER story....no, the alligator had nothing to do with the ER visit.

After our walk, Annabelle and I drove back home. She was asleep the entire ride. Then, I put her in bed so her nap could continue. She slept for a long time. When she finally woke up, somewhere between 6:30 PM and 7:00 PM, she was screaming like I'd never heard her scream before. I ran to get her and she didn't want me to hold her. She pushed me away. She turned my face away from hers. She never does this. She has always been a mommy's girl. She tossed and turned on the floor, screaming and making sounds I had never heard her make. I tried to give her a little gripe water. She wouldn't take it. This went on for quite some time and I didn't know what to do. Our pediatrician has an after-hours emergency line, but after a couple previous experiences, I knew making that call wouldn't do me any good. So, off we went to the ER. I was worried and figured that was my only option.

Erika, being the wonderful friend that she is, met me down there. My parents just happened to be on their way to Florida and decided to stop over for the night to make their trip shorter the next day. So, they actually met me down there, too. Annabelle screamed about half of the trip, then settled down. Of course, when we arrived at the hospital, she seemed fine -- smiling at the nurses, talking to them, etc... The doctor came in, checked her out, and said it was probably just severe gas pains.

I took my daughter to the ER.... for gas pains. The nurse asked me if she was my first child. "Ummm....no.....but I swear, I have never seen her act like that before. She was making sounds I have never heard her make!!!" Seriously, I know that anyone else in my position would have made the same decision. And you know, TV doesn't help these situations. A few days earlier, I watched this show called, "Your Kid Swallowed What?!" It documented true accounts of children and toddlers swallowing all kinds of crazy things. Annabelle puts everything in her mouth. I thought, perhaps, she may have put something weird in her mouth at the park. I didn't know and I didn't want to risk not getting her checked out if she did. At least, now, I knew and didn't have to worry about it anymore.

The rest of the weekend was great. No more screaming episodes. No more ER visits. Annabelle actually had a glorious time. The doctor said I should give her apple juice to help "move things along." I don't give her juice on a regular basis, so this was a treat. And, boy, did she ever drink it up.
I took this video a while back. See the bruise underneath her eye? Jacob had a matching one, except his was a little worse. They were playing on the couch and bumped heads...or more specifically, faces.