Priceless

A box of Reynolds aluminum foil: $6
A pair of underwear: $ 2
A small baby doll: $10

Using that box of foils as a bed and blanket for your doll while wearing your sister's dirty underwear on your head: PRICELESS

I love how kids can take things that are so simple and everyday, sometimes even completely useless, and rarely resembling an actual toy, and turn them into something that is suddenly incredibly entertaining. When Allison put Juliet's underwear on her head she was so proud and said "Nice hat!" Then she proceeded to make her doll at home in a box of foils I actually use to do highlights and even used one piece of foil as a blanket. As adults, along with losing our innocence, we lose so much of that ingenious creativity. No longer are we satisfied with such simplicity. Suddenly we need the latest and greatest gadgets, extravagant vacations, and engaging activities. Would an adult be able to turn a comb, an old sock, and an empty box of cereal into an interesting and exciting game of adventure, mystery, and discovery? I think not, but I know for a fact that my two year old can!

Happy Hands Club

I think Napoleon Dynamite is probably like the best movie ever made. Juliet loves the movie and understands the humor in it so the two of us go back and forth quoting lines and cracking each other up like a couple of junior highers. It is the most quotable movie ever so if you've never seen it then your missing out! Gosh!

Ahhh! Cookie Monster!

If you click on the audio clip above, you will hear Allison's impression of cookie monster. She's something else!

Two Time

I'm such a sucker for good pictures of the girls. I need more stories and less pictures. I'll work on that. Allison will be two in less than two weeks. She will graduate from the nursery at church and be in the toddler (two and three year old) class. We won't have a party for her this year-she can hate me for it when she's fourteen- instead the four of us will go to Buckaboo Creek for dinner with the singing animal heads. Now that spells F-U-N!

Smurf Child

I once had a friend who doesn't have any kids ask me how I accomplish simple tasks, such as taking a shower when I have two children I am supposed to be supervising. I think I answered, "You just do it and hope for the best." On this day, however, my showering did not have the best outcome. Allison discovered a blue, non-washable ink pad and decided to do her best rendition of a smurf. I scrubbed that child and the blue hardly bugded. She walked around all day looking like this. Not that she cared. But you should have seen the bottom half of her...and my carpet. If I smell funny the next time ya'll see me, you'll know why. Not sure when I'll be showering again....

I Believe That Was A First For Me

It has been a long time since I've been in a situation where I felt as violated and helpless as I did just yesterday. I was sitting on my porch (the one in the picture) with my friend Mel and Trooper, our Rottweiler, when our lovely pet hornets we have living in a crack on our porch decided they were not in the mood for visitors. They were especially upset with Trooper and were all over him like, well, bees on honey. Anyway, we were quickly forced to go back inside, but a couple of them managed to get into the house. We could see one clearly, flying around inside, but we weren't sure where the other one had gone. Well, I quickly found out. It had flown up my shorts and decided to sting my butt. And it hurt like a mother. I had no choice but to whip my shorts off and run around like a mad woman, in my thong and all. Poor Mel. It was not a pretty sight. And today, my butt still hurts. Stupid hornets.

Fireworks Go "BOOM!"

Katie and Allison waiting for the fireworks show to start. Watching the fireworks at Manchester Community College has become and annual thing for us. I didn't know if Allison would be scared or not by the loud noise but she didn't mind at all. In fact she joined in and would yell "boom!"

Red Sox Fan

Here's Allison at the hospital on the day Trevor, my newest nephew, was born. She thought she was the coolest thing going wearing my hat. And it had to be on backwards!

Splish Splash

Here's Allison at Chris's parents house splashing away in the kiddie pool.

Close-Up

I love this picture of Allison. It was not supposed to be a close-up but she is a moving target, as far as trying to get a picture of her. One of those "oops" in life that actually turns out okay!

Cutest couch potatoes

Allie and her Dada cuddling together on the couch. She is a very cuddly little girl and she just loves her Daddy. Sometimes she calls us both "Dada". I think it means, "Hey parent - person who's providing me food and shelter." Other times I'm just "Mom". Chris is never mom. That's good, I guess.

Womb with a view

Most of you probably have never seen this. It's an ultra-sound photo of Allison at about 30 weeks when I was pregnant with her. My Dr.'s office had just gotten a new 3-D machine and asked to practice on me. It's amazing they can even do that now. Kinda looks like her when she was a baby, doesn't it? Except she's always been much, much cuter in person!

Expensive Taste

Last summer Juliet requested a lobster dinner and they where on sale for $5.99/lb. so I thought, why not? Lobster is one of here favorite foods ever. She loves seafood - she even likes sardines! I made salmon one time and she thought that was great. I've never seen such a little person with such grown-up tastebuds!

August 2005

At the lake when Timmy John and Beth came for a visit. We had so much fun! Miss you, bro!
Good ole' Riley in the background. How does he make it into every picture?!

Crazy Park

I took Allison to "crazy park" as Juliet calls it, and she decided that she is too big now for the baby swing. You know, the big plastic one that you can sit back in. Now she has to do the regular swings by herself and pushes your hand away if you put your hand on her to steady her. That will probably end up being a tough lesson for her to learn....

My Girls

My pride and joy.

Screaming Bloody Murder

I don't understand why when babies and toddlers are tired they just won't sleep. Allison has been upstairs screaming bloody murder for almost an hour and I know she's just exhusted. Just sleep, please! I remember when Juliet was a baby I called my pediatrician to see if it was normal for babies to sleep so much, but Allison, oh Allison, she didn't even sleep through the night until she was about 19 months old. And she will scream forever before every nap. Will it ever end?

Duped by a one year old

Today I decided to begin the potty training process with Allison. I didn't have a clue where to begin but picked up an old book that tells how it can supposedly be done in one day. I'm not buying it, but it did inspire me to start trying because I certainly don't want to have her in diapers til she's three like Juliet was. Anyway, Allison did really well. She sat for a really long time (okay so I bribed her with lots of candy and soda - but that's what the book said to do! At least that's what they suggested to do in 1970 when the book was published!) and we did puzzles together while we waited for something to happen, which it never did until she got off the potty and immediately started peeing everywhere. I grabbed her midstream and and she finished on the pot though. I couldn't have been prouder. I cheered for her like a crazy woman. One thing I realized today though is that Allison is a lot smarter than she lets on. She grabbed her numbers puzzle and counted to five out of nowhere. And she knows all her colors, animals, and their sounds which I didn't know until today either. I only thought she knew a couple maybe. That little stinker has been playin me for a fool. Not anymore though. I'm holding her to a higher standard now.
Tomorrow's agenda - "It's Potty Time."

No More Na-nas!

I finally realized this morning that I need to be done with breastfeeding. I brought Allison in bed with me this morning like usual, hoping to catch a few more precious moments of sleep, when I cut her off because I was getting so sore. Well, the child went balistic on me. She was grabbing my face and pinching and scratching, ripping my hair out, all while kicking and screaming violently. She's got a lot of nerve. What's that saying? Don't bite the hand that feeds you? Well, I think that applies to na-nas as well. What's left of them. Anyway, Chris has wanted me to quit for awhile now, for obvious reasons I was blind to until today. The child's almost two now anyway. Her immune system has got to be pretty decent by now. Now it's time to focus on other things, like potty training. Good times are definately ahead!