Propaganda and Constantinople

This evening, as we were driving home from the hardware store with the kids in the back seat, Brandon and I were discussing who was to put which child to bed. Normally, we both participate in the nightly rituals, but for one reason or another (football, e-bay), Brandon has left the routines to me the past few nights. This evening, in the car, Anali overheard me asking Daddy to put her to bed.
"No, I want Mommy. I want Mommy," she gently wailed.
Parents laugh up front.
Eventually, unlike my junior high writers, she realized she would need a reason or detail to support that claim.
"Gotta org-a-nize my books," Anali explains.
Parents laugh.
"No, sweetie. It's time for bed," Mother coaxes.
"Daddy's back hurts!" Anali reasons.
"Propaganda!" Mother exclaims.
Parents laugh.
"Propaganda!" Anali parrots.
Parents laugh.
Anali sits thoughtfully in back.
"On-stan-en-en-en-OPAL!" she calls out. [Constantinople! A vague reference to Dr. Seuss's Hop On Pop and the biggest word she knows.]
What she was really saying was "Look at all the big words I know!"
Parents laugh uproariously up front.
Anali kicks the back of my seat, quite pleased with herself.
Asher chimes in "Dadada. Bababa. You think you can say big words? Check out these syllables! Babababa! Dadadada!"
Parents congratulate themselves on their fine parenting skills resulting in such brilliant and engaging children.
Mother puts Asher to bed.
Father puts Anali to bed.
And to all a good night.

For Overseas Aunts and Out-of-State Uncles

Anali's rearin' to go on a bike ride with her Daddy!

He's going to hate me one day for this! And you're going to try pinching the screen, aren't you?

They like to be pulled around in this little wagon Dad made me when I was their age.

I know you miss them. Sorry I've been MIA in the bloggosphere. I'm ready for bed before their nightlights turn on most evenings. I'll try to keep up better. It will be my Thanksgiving resolution.

Asher Update - Eight Months

Asher started crawling last week, the day he turned eight months old. Brandon had him chasing a bottle across the room. Nothing like food to motivate my kids! When Brandon placed the bottle on the floor to go retrieve something, he noticed Asher started to make way for it. To encourage his movement, he kept inching the bottle away from Ash. It worked, and the boy started crawling. We’re excited. Babies are fun when they can move!

In his first afternoon, he was eating Anali’s barrettes though. Since then, he's been into my sweeping pile, Anali's Little People, and the soles of our shoes. We’re going to have to baby proof – fast. A little harder with a two-year-old tornado under the same roof.

On the food front, he's starting to branch out from my purees. Today, he ate whole wheat spaghetti noodles (broken up). It was pretty cute how he'd try to suck them into his mouth. He didn't do too badly, either. O's, soft carrots, and applesauce make him happy, too.

Thanksgiving Turkey, here we come!

Mousy

Halloween 2008

Anali Mouse and Little Bo Peep (Jasmine)

At Maris Farms