Da Kids

Today I've been unintentionally mulling over some of the quirky things my kids do. Since this blog functions as the depository for my thoughts, I guess that means you're all subjected to these (that is, if you choose to continue reading despite my warning).

EVERETT:

On several occasions, I have caught Everett dancing along to some music in one of his early morning shows. As soon as he notices that I am watching him, he stops bashfully, giving me a shy little grin and looking as though he is about to burrow his face into his shoulder. Any of my freshman roommates can attest to the fact that I am definitely not a dancer. However, I have tried to encourage Everett to dance, with little luck. But I am glad to see there is a little bit of uninhibited child in him.

Everett loves helping me feed Ashley. While his spoon handling can be a little rough, Ashley has not complained and Everett generally does a very good job.

Everett has to sleep with these things, and nothing less (unless he is too tired to remember):
-All of his trains
-All of his cars and trucks, even big ones
-All of his little animals
-His doggies, his giraffe, and today, his Super Grover
-A bedspread that used to belong to Joel and is quite adult-sized (Joel called it his "special blanket" to Everett once and there has been no turning back).
-His pillow PLUS a red throw pillow I told him he could have
-All of his new vinyl window clings (which I usually tuck behind his pillow or sneak under his bed because I have an irrational fear that he will suffocate on them)

The beauty of it is that he is still small enough that he can still fit with all of these things in his little toddler bed. Barely.

Also, he will eat anything if I tell him it is a "treat". Score!


ASHLEY

Ashley has entered a new stage: the one in which I cannot eat in front of her without hearing a litany of wails and shrieks and desperate pleading cries, not to mention the frantic grabbing. Believe me, I tried today and it is futile. Restaurants are a whole new ballgame now.

Ashley has kind of started saying "mama". I'm not sure if she is really saying it or if she is just babbling, but often when she is playing on the floor and starts fussing, she looks around for me and says it over and over. You never know, though, so I'm not jumping to any conclusions.

Ashley will now sit contentedly and gnaw on a graham cracker quarter while I fix dinner. I don't know what I am going to do when it only takes her five seconds to finish one off, but until then, I am enjoying the means of distraction.

She also still loves to be bundled. I know members of my family can get her to sleep other ways, but I swear by this. If she is remotely tired, she will lay in her crib and put herself to sleep if I swaddle her up. AND, she is still not sleeping through the night! We have a backwards baby. She used to sleep through the night when she was very little, and now she wakes up twice or so. I told Joel that one of these times I'm going to declare it his night and make him get up with her and give her a bottle, but I can't make myself do that.

Ashley loves to participate in recreational squealing. She will sit--sometimes with her fingers in her mouth--and just squeal and squeal and squeal. These squeals are somewhat similar to the squeals she makes when she thinks Everett might do something to her, but they are unmistakable.

Here is a video of the recreational squealing, with some babbling thrown in. Feel free to skip over it. Squealing isn't something I always look forward to hearing :).