Now You Know

It's been said that I cram too much into a weekend, into life really. It's been said that James is the most active toddler ever seen - he wakes at 6am and goes full speed until his (much needed) nap. And now we know..... it's genetic.

My mom (Nanet) came for a visit last weekend and she proved, day after day, that we are genetically engineered to be productive all day, every day. First, some quick math: Nanet lives in Arizona. Arizona is THREE HOURS behind us. Nanet traveled five hours to see us, stayed up until 11pm, and woke the next morning at 7am, showered, dressed and ready to play. That is 4am her time!

You are probably thinking, "Well, surely she took a nap every day." NOPE. Not one. Even when the kids slept, she got to work on one of the bazillion knitting projects she has going - two sweaters for Molly, one for James, one for me, booties, hats, I could go on. We also had the "Costume Talks 2009." My mom has always helped me with James' Halloween costume and this year I needed some serious help (or an intervention). We brainstormed, we sketched, we went fabric shopping.

I quickly learned to take advantage of the fact that we could all get showered and out the door by 9am so what better way to enjoy Fall, than to go apple picking!

This is a great summary of pics that shows James' new life.....

Molly wants anything and everything he has.

Molly: "Hey James, what's that you got there? An apple? Oh, I could totally eat that."

Molly: "I will just climb right over you and get it. I am much stronger than I look."

James: "Oh no you don't little Molly."

James figures out that she is not kidding and flees the scene.

So Molly decides to try to eat the camera instead.

Molly may lack the energy gene.....

The literal fruits of our labor.

25 POUNDS of apples.

So what does my mom do?

She bakes a pie, of course.

From scratch.

She even made a little James pie.

Thanks for the great visit mom!

I laugh out loud to think of our next house guest, Cathy, reading this post.....

Well Cathy, bring your recipes, your knitting needles and get lots of rest.

The bar has been set HIGH.

We Don't Need A Lot of Time.....

Just 40 hours, in fact. That's how long we spent at the Bruce's last weekend. 40 hours and that includes two nights of sleep (BOTH kids slept through the night!).

First up: arrive late Friday night, put all three kids in matching PJs and shove them in a closet.

Just kidding of course. The closet thing was all their idea.

10pm: sleep. Did I mention "THROUGH THE NIGHT?"

9am Saturday morning: hit the Flea Market. This flea market is a Raleigh landmark and Brian and I have furnished/decorated our house with many finds from this fun Saturday morning tradition.

Here's James making his big purchase of the day: a red fire truck (because he doesn't have enough of those). Cost: $3. This was paid for with his dollar from Oma that he's been carrying around in his wallet for weeks. Daddy covered the rest of the cost, but as far as James knows, fire trucks at the flea market cost exactly ONE DOLLAR.

9:30am: have small meltdown about not buying a bubble machine at flea market - James' first lesson in "money doesn't grow on trees" - when your dollar is gone, it's gone.

10am: stop at KMart for underwear that mom forgot to pack (boo!) decide James might be too young for money lesson, and pick up bubble fun stuff on clearance shelf.

10:30am: Win award for "Best Mommy Ever."

12pm: Lunch. A delicious mediterranean buffet from one of our favorite restaurants.

12:30pm: Dessert. A delicious (or so he says) fruit snack in a lovely shade of brown. Virginia picked it out and thought it was grape. Nope - plums, aka A Big Strip of Fiber that You Peel and Eat.

Here's Virginia: clearly happy about her bright red choice.

Here's James trying to figure out how a brown sticky sheet of prunes = dessert.

(Note: I am just giving BFF Emily a hard time here. He loved i!.)

12:30pm: Brian and Tres leave to tour a brewery.

1pm: Molly sleeps like a rock. James doesn't sleep until 3pm, about 30 minutes before we have to leave.

3:15pm: Boys return.

3:30pm: Pack cooler, kids, and blankets and head to the NC Museum of Art for James' first concert - They Might Be Giants. This was a little confusing at first as both kids thought the musicians would be "really big" and sing songs that start "fee fi fo fum...."

Other than arriving about 10 minutes after it started and parking in what seemed like another state, the concert was GREAT and James LOVED it.

Here he is taking it all in:

Molly's first concert too:

4:20pm: Here are James and Virginia in the "toddler mosh pit." Seriously. It was a little area to the side of the stage where little kids were "dancing" which is mostly running, jumping and wiggling and sometimes/often/always bumping into each other.

4:45pm: Rush the stage. James loved this concert so much that he actually tried to rush the stage. He was, honestly, escorted off by security.

The weather was perfect, the music was great, the kids were so happy. Really, there was just a lot of love. Here's Molly receiving some "love" from Virginia.

and from Emily....

5pm: The concert ends, but we're not ready for the fun to stop. We head directly to the steepest hill we can find, steal an idea from another family, and start sledding.

5:30pm: Go back home and get REALLY dirty - mostly from playing here in this "hidden sandbox" in the Bruce's deck....

6pm: Put very dirty selves on bike and take the cutest picture ever.

7pm: Bath and bed. Did I mention they slept through the night??

Sunday: more bubbles, more playing, more fun.

12pm: Head back home.

Thanks, Bruces, for a fast fun trip. Let's set aside another 40 hours soon so we can do it all again.

Little Bit of Love

James is really coming around on the whole "I have a little sister thing." In addition to "singing" her favorite lullaby every day, he will sometimes say "Hi little Molly" or "How was your nap little Molly?" or as he's heard me say a zillion times, "oooooooh Molly" with an exasperated sigh as she gets into something she's not supposed to.

But this (THIS!) really shows how much he's starting to love her.

He lets her play with lamb.

Yes, that lamb. The one he hasn't let out of his sight for three years. The one that he makes me take in the car because he doesn't want "him to feel lonely without us." That lamb.

And look at the pure joy on her face because she knows what it means that James let her even LOOK at lamb, let alone pull on his ears:

But I believe this is the look of "Ha! I totally played that right. If he only knew how much of his stuff I'll have my hands on soon!"

Little bit of love.

Check, Check and Check

These aren't even the death-defying pull-ups. She has no fear. No fear.

Clearly, she is quite proud of herself.

Back to School, aka Mommy Finally Takes a Long Hot Shower

Hip Hip Hooray! First day of school today! Was that the LONGEST summer ever or is it just me?

James started a new school today - much closer to our house and no co-op requirement. I don't know who was more excited - James?

Me?

or Molly who finally got to come home and take a long QUIET nap.

Despite it being a new school, new teacher and all new kids, James did his usual goodbye routine. And by "routine", I mean there isn't one. He barely let me take this picture before he was inside saying "See ya" and waving to me by flicking his fingers at me much like one would try to get rid of a pesky fly.

Genius

I'm sure you can tell where this one is going....

So, Molly and I are sitting on the floor and I am putting puzzle pieces into this puzzle and I can't find the chicken.

I say, "Molly, can you find the chicken?" and she does! She pulls it out from under her tush!

No wait, it gets better....

So then I say (jokingly, of course because she is 7 months old for crying out loud),

"Good Molly, can you put it in?"

and she did!

RIGHT INTO HER MOUTH.

Obviously we are dealing with a genius with a cunning sense of humor directly inherited from her great grandfather.

Funny girl, Molly. Funny girl.