Update. (stupid title?)

This is just a regular ole family update.  And I STILL hate titles.

What's new around here?  Well, things are going well over all.  Gracie boo is turning into quite a sweet, pleasant little girl with minimal fussing.

This is the Grace we first lived with...

I seriously laugh EVERY time I look at this picture because it pretty much sums up her first few weeks of life.  She basically cried every time we didn't look at her....or hold her....  And she refused to sleep during the day. (I can't live like that-  I'm not all about the whole wearing the baby all day long).  Thankfully, I do babywise, and that didn't last very long.  I'm grateful.  When people would ask the typical "Is she a good baby?" question, and I'd say, "well, she's rather fussy", some people would say "Well with that kind of entrance, no wonder she's fussy!"  But seriously, is that an excuse?  I mean, I'd say it was a little bit harder on..... oh, I don't know, ME?! and you didn't see me crying every time someone wasn't looking at me.  So there.  And the car.  That was bad.  She always screamed in the car.  One time BOTH kids were crying in the car, and I took a video of it, so Ben could see what I was enduring while he was driving in his vehicle behind me (with his windows down, singing along to the radio, with not a care in the world) on the way home from church one night. OK... not a care in the world might be a bit of an exaggeration... but you get the point.  Another time Ben offered to trade vehicles with me... or maybe I asked him to, either way, he did it, and it was the best car ride of my life.  I think I may have gone under the speed limit on the way home......

Really, I LOVE being a mom.  I promise.  And my children really are a joy to me.

This is Grace now...

BHAHAHHAHHAHA.  Sleeping peacefully in her carseat ;)  Seriously, I would put a better picture up, but I take most pictures with my phone now, and I can't figure out how to upload them to a mac.  Maybe some day.  So for now, you can enjoy this sweet, sleeping little baby-- I sure do =)

Let's move onto Caleb.  Or, as he would prefer to be called, "Thomas".  It's just today.  Yesterday he wished to be called "Garrett".  Sometimes he wants to be called "baby Grace" until I remind him that baby Grace can't eat cookies, and he quickly switches back to being Caleb.

He is talking up a storm and working on using his manners...

This has been going on for a while.

Caleb: I want that
Me: Excuuuuse me??
Caleb: May I pease have a want it.

Or

Caleb: Can I have that?
Me: What??
Caleb: May I pease have a have it.

That was my personal fav.  Usually we just end the conversation because I can't figure out what he's talking about and eventually don't care anyway ;).

Sometimes he says
"May I pease have a sit on stool?"
"May I pease have a go outside?"

The English language is SO hard, isn't it?

We've really been enjoying this nice weather by taking walks, going to the park, and on Monday and Wednesday evenings going to Ben's softball games!!

I take the two kids and usually invite my parents.  They're pretty good cheerleaders AND they help with the kiddos, so it works out.

                                  We try to keep Gracie nice and bundled up

 Notice Grandpa and Caleb sitting on the bleachers backwards behind an empty field....

 WOO HOO!! GO DADDY!!!

Caleb walked around all evening with his hat over his eyes one night.  I didn't ask why, I just took a picture instead.  Here he was probably asking where his baseball bat was. .....

Caleb is an EXCELLENT cheerleader ..... for everyone.  Unfortunately any time ANYONE hits the ball he hollars out "GO DADDY!" And usually he claps for the other team.  Although last night he clapped more for the correct team.... but he was also facing backwards on the bleachers, so I'm thinking he was just getting lucky.

Today we tried potty training again.  The first time I put him on the toliet he said....

"I no like a sit on potty.  Can I get down?"

Later I tried again, and he sat there for a HALF HOUR..... and STILL didn't go.   He was reading "Mr Bounce" a book that Ben had when he was little.  On the back of the book it has a million pictures of other "Mr" SO, the whole time Caleb would say...

Caleb: Who's that mama? Who's that?
Me: UM... that's Mr. Nosey
Caleb "Who's that mama? who's that?"
Me: Mr. Tall
Caleb: Who's that mama who's that?
Me: Mr. Grumpy
Caleb: who's that mama? who's that?
Me: Mr. I'M NOT TELLING UNTIL YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM!!!

Just kidding.  I didn't say that, but seriously, if you can't tell.... it got old.  Thankfully I was able to at least dust my bedroom while he sat there.

WAHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I want to cry about it.

I just feel like he DOESN'T get it. At all. Like doesn't even know what's supposed to happen while he's sitting there....  Maybe I'll try again in a year.... or two. Or, I'll go on vacation and instruct someone else to do it.  Any volunteers?!

Maybe I'll just go get therapy. I think I'm going to need it.

Enough of this.  Time to go make my grocery list and drink a cup of coffee.

(OH, the Jehovah's witnesses are coming back next Wednesday, and I'll probably do an update about that if you're into that kind of thing. =) )

Until next time,
Melanie