Birthday First

Yesterday was my birthday.  The blow of moving up one more age bracket in the survey questions was definately softened by the fact that this year, for the first time ever, two little people said to me, "Happy Birthday, Momma."

And that it was 65 degrees and sunny.  That, too.

Since no one was smart enough to take a picture of anything yesterday, most especially Naomi eating a very large piece of birthday cake all by herself, here are some pictures of the girls playing with trains.

It's been a recent obsession.  They crawl all over each other an the track shouting, "Choo!Choo!" and get very annoyed when the track comes apart.  We are also learning lessons in magnetic polarity as it is a major crisis when the trains won't stick together the right way.  This train obsession has been another example of Lillian's sorting personality.  She only plays with the two green trains. Naomi can have the other 12 cars of various colors, but Lillian just wants the two that are green. Which explains exactly why Naomi wants those, too.  Seriously.  Is the U.N. this hard?  I may put in an application.  Let me at the Middle East Peace Negotiations.  It can't be any more difficult. Just as log as I can distract everyone with play-dough if the talks take a downturn.

Very Friendly Ghosts

Happy sounds!

Let The Tortillas Burn

It's been a rather crap-tastic week in our household.  I won't lie.

Someone, or multiple someones, have been ill since last Thursday.  Sometimes violently.  Thankfully (?) that was only in my case. 

We were scheduled to have the tubes put in Naomi's ears yesterday, but as she was the first to descend into the abyss of illness, it has been postponed until March.  Now, she has a sinus infection.  I wasn't even aware that babies had sinuses.  In truth, they don't.  But toddlers do.  And in her amazing trifecta of clogged ears, tiny eustacean tubes and brand new, non-draining sinuses, she is a seething pit of infection.  Does that sound harsh?  She's a tiny ball of adorable goopiness, then.  So, antibiotics.  Again.  And we're not *$^%ing around this time.  She's staying on them until the day of her surgery.  Doctor's orders, not mine, though I did ask the pharmacist if they sold bubbles.

With microbes plotting our demise at every turn, happy moments have been a little farther and fewer between than I would prefer.

But, tonight, a reprieve.

I was madly preparing an overly-complicated dinner (one that I was supposed to make for Dinner Swap this week and I wasn't about to let all the ingredients go to waste) and William was entertaining two relatively happy girls upstairs.  When things had gotten close enough to warrant bringing the hoarde downstairs, I was instead beckoned up.  What I found there were two naked babies in Lillian's crib, leaping and jumping and counting and laughing.  It was easy to stand there and take it all in, laughing along.  It was a great reason to let the tortillas on the stovetop scorch.

I Stand Corrected.

I thought they just didn't get how the whole Mr. Potato Head thing worked. But maybe they totally do.

Might As Well Start Practicing For Driver's Ed.

 I took our little sheepdog baby to the hair salon today.
She was a total rockstar, aside from insisting on standing instead of sitting in the fancy police car chair. 

She was amazingly patient through the whole process.  This was probably aided by the fact that there was an Elmo video playing the whole time.  These people know their stuff.  This also probably explains why they didn't bat an eye as I helicoptered around, taking pictures.  And why they, without asking, dropped a few locks of her hair into a little bag for us to take home.   They actually filled out a little certificate.

Her hair doesn't look all that different, just bangs in the front and efforts to get the mullet under control.  I don't have a high quality after picture to offer just yet, but I'm sure there will be some soon.

Super Sunday, indeed.

I don't know if we are going to get a real winter here in Cleveland, but I am certainly not going to be the one complaining if it doesn't arrive.  We went for a walk around the block with the girlies today and, though  it was breezy, the sunshine just felt so wonderful.  Will I still appreciate Spring when it comes for real?

    The ladies very much enjoyed the walk as well, Naomi pointing out the various shapes on the houses we passed and waving to an airplane overhead.  Lillian walked in the lead most of the time, turning around frequently to say, "Come on, Sister!" as though Naomi's lollygagging were keeping them from some kind of appointment.

     It's been just a lovely weekend.  Nana and Papa babysat last night while William and I got all dressed up and went out to a wedding.  We were there with several other friends who had left their children behind and it was wonderful to watch all of us kind of *blink* in bewilderment.  Conversations are so different when they are not constantly interrupted by the needs of sleeve-tugging creatures.  And when there's an open bar. By all reports the girls had a grand time with the babysitters and the babysitters said they'll come back for more.

     Just random?  Several times today, I've asked Lillian, "What are you standing on?" but it turns out she's just that tall.  They are growing too, too fast.

Damp Babies.

Trouble brewing.



Daddy gets the brunt of said trouble.




Two very damp little girlies.