Quotation Mark Mondays: Words of wisdom from the back seat

Mark, randomly, while riding in the car:
Mark: "I just ate dirt!"
Matt: "What? Where did it come from?"
Mark: "I don't know. Maybe my shoe."



Mark had been quiet for approximately 15 seconds, so Matt checked on his health and well being.
Matt: "You OK back there, buddy?"
Mark: "Yeah, I'm just being a quiet dude."

Matt of Fridays: Birthday Edition

A big Happy Birthday to Matt, who turned 35 today!  We love you (and your ice cream cake)!

And a big congratulations to Mark, who helped pick out the birthday present last week and managed--in an amazing display of willpower--not to spill the beans!

Five-month Anne-iversary

The stats:  At my four month check, I weighed 16 lbs. That puts me in the 90th percentile, baby! Basically, I could roll over on other kids my age and squash them. It also means that I already get to wear all my super cute 9-month outfits!

Best friends: My own hands and feet. I'm learning how to control my hands, which means I can grab stuff at will and shove it into my mouth. This includes but is not limited to: mom's hair, dad's nose, the dog's fur, my own bib (still needed as an excessive drool-catcher), toys, the hem of my dress, my hat, the remote control. I also like to munch on my feet. Mom once saw me shove my whole foot in my mouth up to the heel (for comic relief, really, at a time when dad was holding me and using his Super Serious Voice to discipline my brother).  Sadly, dad is not a huge fan of Foot Eating. I mean, really, they're my feet. Why can't I eat them if I want to?  I'm not walking, so it really shouldn't be a big deal.  Besides, they're delicious.

Enemies: None. Seriously. I don't even mind when the dog licks me in the mouth. I just try to eat him.

Favorite place: Anywhere I can see my brother. 

Things I like: Drooling.  Screeching really loud.  My thumb.  Putting myself to sleep (no rocking or lullabies please--I can handle it by myself, thankyouverymuch).   I also really, really like being tickled.  Tickling makes me bust out my big, husky chuckle of a laugh.  It's most hilarious when you take off my shirt and nibble on my bare belly or armpits.  (A word of caution, though: you might want to avoid inhaling near the armpits. I'm told they're smelly.) 

Things I don't like: Baby equipment made for "standard" sized babies.  Last weekend, mom and dad had to put away my bouncy seat because I sank all the way to the floor in it, which rendered it sort-of useless.  They say my Baby Bjorn's days are numbered, too.  Backaches.  Even my car seat is getting awfully difficult for them to lift.  Didn't someone in the Baby Stuff Industry anticipate this problem??

Major accomplishments:  I can barrel roll (front to back to front again), and I can eat off a spoon (although admittedly most of the food dribbles back out again).  During an 8 hour road trip to Pittsburgh, I won the hands-down prize for Quietest Kid in the Car.

Mark and Anne of Fridays: Pittsburgh!



A gallery of photos from our recent family trip to Pittsburgh, PA.  We went to the zoo, visited the dinosaurs at the Carnegie Natural History museum, rode the duck boats, and Mark went to a Pirates game. We also got to spend some QT with Dramma, Pap, the Aunties, Aunt Carol and Uncle Rick, and even Aunt Candy and Uncle Roger.  A good time was had by all!



How many dino digging pictures can we
snap of this kid?





Aunt Carol and Anne Carol

Mark and Anne of Fridays: Hayes-ing our children

A few weeks ago, Matt and Lynne sat down to plot out their 8 hour drive to Pittsburgh (more pictures on that later).  Lynne inquired about zoos or children's museums en route.

Then Matt found it:  the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center just off I-80 near Toledo.  A perfect stop!  There was no way to talk him out of it... although admittedly, Lynne didn't try very hard.  Who wouldn't want a closer look at the disputed election of 1876?  An opportunity to study the man who sold out freed slaves and negotiated the end of Reconstruction?  A look at an oft-forgotten bearded president?

By the time we set off on our trip, even Mark was excited.  Matt had even taken him to the library and checked out a book on Hayes.  The kid was literally leaping and bounding into the Hayes museum.

And as it turned out, the Hayes center was pretty nice.  It was situated in a beautiful grove that was worth walking around, and the museum had lots of stuff a kid could identify with -- Hayes' clothes, the seat he sat in in Congress, even his stagecoach and his children's toys.  Plus, Mark's favorite--a randomly organized display on each president that he insisted on viewing in chronological order.

With parents like us, the kid really can't help but be nerdy.  He LOVED the stop and can't wait to visit more presidential libraries.  Matt proimised to print out a list so they can chart them on a map of the United States.  Looks like the Hayes stop was the first in a series.

Anne of Fridays: Adventures in Eating

At Anne's 4 month check-up, our pediatrician gave us the green light to start feeding with a spoon.  So far, her diet is restricted to rice cereal and some pureed veggies.  Anne herself has not been terribly excited about these new options.

Mark, on the other hand, is pumped.  He really enjoys feeding her.

Matt and Lynne are also excited.  At some point, we told Mark that once Anne started eating food, we were going to stop making him separate dinners of chicken nuggets, pizza, or spaghetti.  Mommy, we explained, is tired of cooking him separate food, and she is certainly not going to cook THREE dinners.  Once Anne starts eating, we all eat the same thing.

Mark, of course, took this very literally.  As soon as the doctor gave Anne permission to eat, Mark started asking to try what we're eating.  Then we tapped into his competitive streak. 

"You wouldn't want Anne to be able to eat more things than you, right?"  we say.  "You wouldn't want Anne to be a better trier than you, right?"  "You'd better hurry up and try more foods--she's going to catch up!"

So far, our mind games seem to be working.

Mark and Anne of Fridays: Cousins!

Mark, Anne, Cousin Hannah, Nana, and Bababoo