11/20/2010

We made cranberry wine today and Christopher was right there, helping and watching.  "Don't you want to go watch a wee, christopher?"  "No," said Chris.  He wanted to stay right where he was, helping, participating.  What a delight.  Later he went with Mommy to the store.  Christopher scanned all of the juice on the self-checkout.  Mommy loves taking Christopher shopping with her!

Zac received his first birthday party invitation!  He was so excited to go, that he burst into the bathroom where Mommy was showering, invitation in hand, reminding Mommy that it was time to go!  A few minutes later, we went to the dollar store, to find a present for Jonathan.  "Would you like to get Jonathan some bubbled?" asks Mommy.  "No," says Zac, "Jonothan can't want bubbles."  Over and over, Mommy asking, Zachary declaring that was not it!  Finally, we settled on a paddle ball, a toy car, and an oarange circular tin.  Zachary would get  himself another paddle ball. 

Then came the trial: Zachary saw a set of two happy birthday gift boxes, and he wanted those, too!  For quite a while, as Zachary attempted to leave the dollar store with the things, Mommy endeavored to ask him to choose - do you want the paddle ball or the  boxes?  "Shoes?" Zachary asks.  "No, not shoes, choose, one or the other," emphasizes Mommy.  Finally, Zachary understood what Mommy meant, put back the orange circular tin, decided that he would get the paddle ball, and the happy birthday boxes would go to Jonathan.  Very well.  We went to check out.  Zachary saw candy.  Uh-oh.  Now he wants candy.  So, here we go again!  "Zac, you can have the paddle ball or that candy, but not both.  I will get you one, but not two.  This is one, this is another one.  There are two.  You can only get one."  Zack said that he wanted to get the candy, and that he was going to put the paddle ball game in his pocket.  I said, no, you can't put it in your pocket.  "It not fit?" asks Zac.  "No, it doesn't fit, but that isn't why you can't put it in your pocket, you have to choose," replies Mommy.  Then Zac said he wanted the paddle ball -- and started to put the big (for his size pockets) Mike and Ike box into his pocket.  Oh, Mommy was getting a little exasperated, and trying so hard to stay amused here.  Finally, Zac did get it, and he chose the candy.  OK. 

A little later we arrived at the pizza place, and Zachary was immediately at ease, even though it was a new environment to him, running off to play.  Some time later Mommy gave him 4 tokens, which he put in his pocket, knowing just what to do with them.  Mommy conferred with the mother of the birthday boy and lost sight of Zac for a couple minutes.  "Zachary!  Zachary!"  What a wonderful boy -- there he came, running over to Mommy!  The party supposedly was moved to a park, but we couldn't find it.  Zac was not bothered -- he ran to play on the playground equipment, having a wonderful time. 

A little girl had a toy battery car that she was riding in, and she took a break from driving her car to swing.  Zachary started driving it down the walkway, backwards only, delighted with his discovery.  After about 5 minutes, the little girl (about 3 years old) was done swinging, and came back for her car.  I was prepared for a struggle with Zachary.  I explained to him that it was her car, and he needed to get out so that the little girl could now drive the car, since it was hers.  Zachary complied, and I asked him to say thank you.  He did say thank you.  Then, he did something which amazed me.  He walked around the car, opened the side door, and held it for her to get in.  She did, and sat down, and then Zac carefully closed the door of the little pink car for her.  I was so impressed with my little Zac!  Such a gentleman -- and not even trained to be that way.

Chelsea can sleep through the night consistently dry without diapers!!!!

She also highly prefers nudity to clothing around the house.  We insist she dress when going other places. 

11/19/2010

Chelsea was enjoying new birthday stuff today.  She had to put on her pretty red dress.  Later, she found her white birthday bear.  She handed me the bear, announced it needed to be dressed.  I said she should go get the bear's clothes, which she did, and then I dressed it for her.  She was very pleased.  A little while later I suggested she sit in Paul's lap, and instead, she said the bear would sit in Daddy's lap, and plopped it down there, then got a blanket for the bear in Daddy's lap, and another to wrap around herself. 

Chelsea went with Daddy to drop something off at his work.  Everyone commented on how beautiful she was, and that she looked like Mommy, but Chelsea was shy.  Then they went and got boxes of cranberries!  Chelsea thought that they had said strawberries.  After she and Daddy returned home, the cranberries were still in the car.  Chelsea remembered them.  She grabbed Mommy's hand, babbling on about the "fresas" -- Spanish for strawberries, and it took a moment to realize she was talking about the cranberries left in the car.  Later, Mommy, Daddy, and Chelsea practiced how to meet someone, when asked, "what is your name?", Chelsea can say: "Hi, I Chelsea," and puts out her hand to shake. 

I almost forgot to share about Halloween 2010.  Chelsea was the cutest bunny ever...although she tended to lose her ears a lot and smear her pink nose and whiskers! Christopher chose to be Buzz Lightyear.  Zachary chose Batman -- his most favorite super-hero character.  He even wore his batman mask much of the time.  Friends invited us over for trick or treating, and since their neighborhood is much more friendly on Halloween than ours, we went there.  I had a choice of going trick or treating with the older boys or the older girls...as soon as I saw the boys racing ahead, I knew I'd made the best decision!  As dusk fell we paired off: Mommy and Christopher, Daddy and Chelsea, and Zachary with one of the six older girls we accompanied.  Oh, the delights and joys of candy treats!  Favorite holiday of all the year!!  Three little ones perfected their chorus of "Trick or treat" this year.  Although, after two blocks down and back, the evening full dark, two of our trick or treaters began to fall behind.  Er, that would be a Chelsea and a Christopher.  Nope, not a Zac.  He was still full of energy and raring and ready to go.  Wow.  Mommy and Daddy were getting tired, too.  A little later we stopped by another friend's house on the way home, and visited while the kids played.  And that was our Halloween.