Flicker's Blog - Now with more Sequel!

Scooting in January

2012-01-29T11:11:00.001-05:00

Winter shminter. It's sunny, and dad says I have to get out of the house. Thanks Aunt Margie for the cool scooter!

Your next American Idols. . .

2012-01-22T22:17:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been so long. . .

2012-01-22T22:13:00.002-05:00

It's been a very busy couple of months. Very busy. Joss is walking, talking, and getting into Paul's business; Paul is learning to read and write, and both Mommy and Daddy are working hard both at work and at home.

Will try to catch up, though. Try. . .

TV Sets

2012-01-22T16:32:00.004-05:00

Paul noticed the newspaper advertisement for Paul's TV and was excited to see his name. I asked him which television he would get and he considered it for a moment. Then he said - "none, we already have a television."

Paul's Anatomy

2012-01-03T19:08:00.002-05:00

(Getting ready for bathtime, Paul takes off his shirt. He has a pimple or bug bite on his tummy)

Dad: Paul, what's that?

Paul: I think it's one of these.

Dad: Paul, it is not a third nipple.

Man of Mystery

2011-12-29T18:08:00.002-05:00

Mommy: Paul, what did you do in school today?

Paul: I went outside and played with Aiden.

M: What did you play with Aiden?

P: (silence)

M: Did you play tag?

P: No.

M: Did you ride bikes?

P: No.

M: Did you play pretend?

P: No. I played. . .something. . .YOU don't know.

M: Wow - what was it?

P: Um. . .I don't remember.

Perspective

2011-12-07T07:42:00.001-05:00

Mommy: (looking out at the rain) Ugh. It is not a nice day out today.
Paul: I like the rain, so it is a VERY NICE day today!

Movie Star Part Two

2011-12-04T19:27:00.003-05:00

[Driving on the highway past the movie theater]

P: I want to see Toy Story 5

Dad: Wow. They haven't even made Toy Story 4. Who is in Toy Story 5?

P: Me and Buzz and Woody and the whole world! It's a very long movie.

Dad: How long is it?

P: 150 Years.

Dad: Wow. That's a long time. We'd have to live there. And our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren!

P: And Mommy and Joss can join us. And we can have popcorn. But the movie theater has no doors.

Dad: Then how will we get in?

P: We have to use magic. We'll need magic wands.

[At this point, he gets quiet and looks out the windows]

Movie Star

2011-12-04T07:26:00.003-05:00

P: Daddy! We don't have Toy Story 4!

Dad: Sorry, honey, there is no Toy Story 4. They've only made three of them.

P: Toy Story 4 is the one with ME in it. And I go up to space and ... [an uninterpretable, manic, stream of consciousness story of him in space involving Woody and space follows].

Note that we were watching The Muppet Movie at the time.

Playtime

2011-11-28T14:39:00.003-05:00

The boys play so well. Smile! Thanks, Paul.

Paul loves his trains.

And Joss loves puzzles!

Cookie Time w/ Mommy

2011-11-28T14:35:00.003-05:00

What does a family do the day after Thanksgiving? Make more food! Paul is a terrific cookie maker.

Mix that dough. Mix that dough!

Daddy, don't disturb the chef!

Sick Day for Joss

2011-11-28T14:26:00.003-05:00

Joss didn't eat last night. We chalked it up to his finicky nature. This morning he proved us wrong in a big way - by regurgitating breakfast all over Mommy! This is what he looked like this morning:

If you're wondering, this was Joss' tub when he came home from the hospital. By midday, though, he was feeling much better. Begging for crackers and cookies. I walked out of the room, and came back to fine him like this:

Jossence of Arabia! I hope we're done with sickness for a while.

Joss' Florida Adventure!

2011-11-24T07:31:00.001-05:00

Daddy & Joss bravely flew down to Florida for some fun in the sun with Bubbie Barbara. What would Joss do without his theatrical older brother?

Posing for the paparazzi

Joss loves the dollhouse. Mostly, he likes throwing the baby doll down the dollhouse steps.

Overalls: A great place to hide your arms

Bathtime Baby, Splish Splash in Bubbles

I can use a spoon right side up...

...and upside down.

What's up here?

Monkeys!!!!

Down the slide

Through the port hole.

Steering the ship.

Ride 'em, Seahorse. Away!

Babaloooooo!

Stop! In the name of love.

Plaster Fun

2011-11-13T15:44:00.001-05:00

At a classmate's birthday party. A wall full of animals and figures, and Paul chooses one that says "Danger, Mother at Work."

Our little innovator

2011-11-11T18:58:00.001-05:00

Why just have a bottle when you can have a bottle?

The Yogurt Eater

2011-11-06T17:54:00.001-05:00

Joss has not quite perfected the art of eating yogurt with his hands.

Paul the Poacher

2011-11-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

Daddy: Paul, Daddy is going to be away for one sleep and Mommy is going to be gone for seven sleeps.
Paul: When I get big, I'm going away for TEN sleeps.
D: Where will you go?
P: On a trip.
D: On a trip to where?
P: To a forest.
D: What will you do in the forest?
P: Break animals. And eat them!
D: What kind of animals will you eat?
P: Lions and TIGERS!

School Photos!

2011-10-26T22:12:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!!! THE BIG 04!!

2011-10-23T21:37:00.009-04:00

Paul's 4th birthday party (with a Wizard of Oz theme) was supposed to be at a super cool play place, but Mommy got her times confused, and there was double booking, and much wailing and gnashing of teeth until Super Daddy took the reins, notified friends, planned an activity, and bought tons of paint in neat little plastic tube-brushes. Mommy already had all the paper goods, the cake, and a tank and a half of helium, and a house party was born. . .

Cowboy Paul wrangles some doggies, er, balloons. . .

. . .and of course Joss has to do whatever big Brother does.

"Somewhere over the rainbow. . ."

Thanks to Mike, Reiko, James, and Mikeayla for coming early and helping with set-up!

Toys, and costumes, and friends - Oh My!

Couple of balloons. . .

Oh, and a frikkin huge Nemo came by to say hello.

Woah.

(Thanks to Safta Sheila for the remote-controlled behmoth.)

Joss takes a quick break in the kitchen. . .

. . .before heading outside for a little fresh air.

The activity Daddy planned? PUMPKIN PAINTING!!

Joss was outraged that the pumpkins were being abused with paint instead of pureed with bananas. Outraged!

Thanks to Jon, Stacey, Tesla, and Faraday for supplying the pumpkins!

Paul says that Asher is his cousin and his friend (emphasis his).

Paul and his 4 balloon.

After the pumpkin painting - Pizza! Paul managed to find the cheesiest, goopiest slice ever witnessed this side of the mighty Charles.

Pizza party!

Pizza party picnic!

Adorable family.

Cheerful chaos.

Amidst the craziness, Jacob manages to fall into a good book - he makes his aunt proud.

Sonia is the collector and redistributer of balloons. . .

Safta and Bubbie plot their next caper. (Maybe robbing a bank? Really, really slowly?)

Cake time! While the cake looked kind of like a giraffe wearing a party hat, with the proper decorations, once can clearly see that it's the Emerald City and the Yellow Brick Road. Right? (And yes, that is a mini bottle of vodka on the spice rack. Mommy keeps that there for emergencies.)

Happy birthday, darling Paul. May all your wishes come true.

Brotherly love - post noogie/headlock.

Oh, did we mention the cake was RAINBOW inside? Yeah, Mommy rocked the cake this year.

Aaaaaaaannnnd, the aftermath. Once our wonderful guests left, and the party was cleaned up, Mommy baked, frosted, decorated, and packed up two dozen cupcakes for Paul's school on Monday. . .

Whew. So, what should we plan for Joss in February?

One more for the road.

2011-10-13T18:22:00.003-04:00

Paul: (running into the kitchen distraught, brandishing an uncapped marker) I CAN'T find it ANYwhere!!!!!
M: What?
P: I CAN'T find it ANYWHERE!!!
M: The cap to your marker?
P: YEESSSSSSS!!!!!
M: The cap that's in your other hand?
P: (looks down at his hand, where there is, indeed, the cap he had been seeking). Oh.

Our weird life.

2011-10-12T21:39:00.009-04:00

Irrefutable logic
Mommy: What did you do at school today?
Paul: I don't know.
M: what do you mean you don't know - you were there?
P: I don't know what I don't know. I only know what I know.

Good News/Bad News
Good news: Joss told me (as he was naked after his bath, and while pointing to his penis) that he had an "uh-oh."
Bad news: He didn't tell me where.
Good news: I found the puddle.
Bad news: I was barefoot. *sigh*

Planning for the Future
Paul: I know who I'm going to marry!
Mommy: Oh, really? Who?
P: I'm going to marry Aunt Margie, when we're all growed up.
M: Sorry to break it to you, kid, but Aunt Margie is already going to marry her friend, Jason. remember, we saw him at Passover?
P: Oh. *thinks* Well, then, I'm going to marry . . . Grandma!
M: Sorry, kiddo, Grandma is married to Grandpa.
P: Well. I'll marry Safta!
M: You're striking out, Paul. Safta is seeing someone else.
*Paul looks very dejected*
M: Maybe you can marry my friend, Jodi (sorry, Jodi!)
P: *brightens* Oh! Oh, I will marry Jodi!

(Jodi - in 14 years, he's all yours!)

Next on Hoarders
Joss had been moaning for his binky (Na-na. Na-na na-na. Na-na-na. *whimper* Na-na?) the entire 5 minute drive home from daycare.

We got in the door, and he ran over to the drawer where we keep them, anxiously waiting for me to put down the mail and open the damn drawer already. I took out one of the two binkies that was in there, and he took it, shook his head, placed it on the counter, and looked up at me. "Na-na? Na-na. Na-na!"

I took out the other binky, and the same scenario happened. I raised my hands in the international sign for "I ain't got no more" and said, "Joss - there aren't any more binkies in there." He scrunched up his face, then turned to my SodaStream gizmo . . . pulled up the drip tray, and there hidden in the space beneath the well was - finally! - a satisfactory binky.

Like, Totally
Part of Paul's routine is after he's had stories read to him, and his lullaby sung, he likes to ~~look at~~ read books by the ambient hall light for a while until he gets properly sleepy. I'm in the kitchen, trying to clean up from dinner while watching Lost - not as easy as it sounds.

Paul: Mommy? Mommmy? Mom? Mommy?
Mommy: (rushing to the stairs) What's the matter, baby?
P: I can't find the A to Z.
M: What?
P: I can't find the A to Z. Can you find it?

I go into his room, turn on the light, figure out which book he means (Sandra Boynton's "A to Z" as opposed to the gatrillion other ABC books he has), and begin digging through the book piles. After a few minutes of shifting the strata, I find the perennial classic in question on his night table.

M: Is this what you were looking for?
P: (grabs book and turns to climb back on the bed). Yes! You TOTALLY found it, Mommy!

Joss Speaks!

2011-10-07T10:07:00.004-04:00

Not only does Joss have teeth now, but he has words! Here is a sample of them:

Down

Yes (sssssssss)

Daddy (Ad-dee)

Ball

Paul

Nana (Pacifier)

Nana (Banana)

Mama

Milk

Uh-oh

Please

Meatball (or something like it)

Mine

Moon

Baby

Dog (oggie)

He can also sign:

Please

Thank You

Help

Milk

No more

He also knows lots of body parts and animal sounds, although he isn't the performer his brother is. If he's in a good mood, he'll point to his nose and his belly. (He knows and will point to his nose, eyes, head, hair, belly, tushie, opens and closes his mouth for mouth, grins for teeth, and sticks out his tongue. -ed.)

A Great Question

2011-10-03T19:16:00.004-04:00

P: Daddy, there is a "Shin" (שּׁ) on the Mezzuzah!

Daddy: (Surprised that he recognized the Hebrew letter and remembered the Mezzuzah). That's right! There is a Shin on most Mezzuzot. There is a Shin there because inside of the Mezzuzah is the Shema prayer. Do you remember what we do when we say the Shema?

P: Covers his eyes.

I'm a proud papa.

Look Daddy! I'm hiding!

2011-09-22T23:01:00.002-04:00

Conversations

2011-09-11T20:16:00.003-04:00

Paul and I talked about who he was named after, and I showed him pictures of his Sabba Paul and his Granduncle Andy. I also told him that today was a special day to remember Andy. He asked to keep the photo we have of the two of them next to him on his nightstand. That teared me up (not that it takes much).

http://flickersblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/whats-in-name.html

http://flickersblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/whats-in-name-2.html

Where's Joss?

2011-09-11T17:54:00.001-04:00

There he is!

Ooookay. . .

2011-09-08T20:28:00.003-04:00

Paul was sitting at the dinner table, eating grapes for dessert. . .

(Under his breath) I'm going to eat you! You're going to eat me? Yes, I am going to eat you! nom nom nom. . .

Mommy: Paul, are you talking to your grapes?

Paul: No. They're talking to me!

No! The other Paul!

2011-09-05T11:21:00.001-04:00

Riding on Paul Revere's path.

Spelling lesson

2011-09-02T19:00:00.001-04:00

Paul is "reading" the label of the juice container.

Paul: This says "Paul"!
Daddy: (looking at the label). That says "antioxidant."

Two Weils Passing

2011-08-29T16:45:00.001-04:00

Honk! Honk!

Why is Paul So Boney?

2011-08-28T06:54:00.001-04:00

What do Paul's bones look like? Like this:

Now you know.

Na na na na na na na na Na na na na na na na na BATKIDS

2011-08-28T06:41:00.001-04:00

With Mommy as Alfred.

The Many Faces of Joss

2011-08-28T06:33:00.003-04:00

We used to blog every day about the cute things that Paul did. Sadly, our blogging frequency has gone way down. Does that mean than Joss isn't doing cute things? Hardly! He's beginning to talk up a storm, loves to read and bother his brother, and get into everything. Here are some of the many faces of Joss.

What's better than a Joss-in-the-box?

MONKEY Joss-in-the-Box!

Safta: Want to buy a duck?

Wow - we're all looking at the camera at the same time.

Nobody's gonna rain on my paraaaaaaade!

Look what I can do all by myself? Hysterical!

JossLion and PaulLion

2011-07-31T22:30:00.003-04:00

Joss (18 months old) is an adorable lion. . .

. . .he gets it from his brother (Paul at 2 years old).

Happy Birthday, Dorothy.

2011-07-31T22:17:00.003-04:00

I had to stop at the supermarket on my way home to buy a birthday cake for Paul's stuffed triceratops, Dorothy (nee Goldilocks*), who had his fourth birthday today.

Paul announced at breakfast that it was Dorothy's birthday, and ran upstairs to "wake" him up and sing happy birthday. We had to bring Dorothy with us to school, although he wasn't allowed inside the children's school - I had to bring him to dinosaur school. Paul was still talking about Dorothy's birthday when Shawn picked the kids up at the end of the day. And what is a birthday without birthday cake?

*Dorothy was Goldilocks for nearly a year, until Daddy began reading "The Wizard of Oz" to Paul at bedtime.

July 25, 2011

Robot T-shirt fashion montage

2011-07-31T22:11:00.002-04:00

The boys both looked so cute in their new, matching robot t-shirts, that Daddy had to take some pictures, fig newtony faces and all.

A tisket, a tasket, two boys in laundry baskets. . .

2011-07-31T22:07:00.000-04:00

Joss helps Mommy with the Laundry.

2011-07-31T21:58:00.000-04:00

Do you like my new hat?

July 23, 2011

Gonna need a bigger boat.

2011-07-31T21:57:00.001-04:00

July 20, 2011

It's a shark!

2011-07-31T21:55:00.001-04:00

Don't worry mommy, I'm a nice shark, and I don't bite people; nice sharks only eat lots of fishes.

Gonzo journalism is alive and well. And extra gonzo.

2011-07-31T21:53:00.000-04:00

Tuesday Concert

2011-07-31T21:27:00.004-04:00

Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Another wonderful evening spent at the Lexington Bicentennial Band's summer concert series!

Hello, mother.

My brother is soooo embarassing. . .

Mommy - you forgot the lens cap.

Look mummy, there's an aeroplane up in the sky.

I'm tired, can we go home now?

Beach be not proud.

2011-07-31T20:27:00.001-04:00

So, one sunny Sunday in July, we decided to actually do something summery, and hit a beach on the north shore with some friends. Parking was hell, the far beach was crowded, but the near beach was almost empty. So, we settled in, and began to enjoy the shallow water and gentle tide.

Well, Joss was not a fan of the water, and preferred to stay out of the sun.

And our friend James also didn't really like the water, but he loved digging in the sand.

Paul loved both sand and surf, and did his best to get as much of both as he possibly could.

You see how deep the beach looks in this picture? Well, less than an hour after taking this picture, the tide came in all the way to the sea wall, effectively ending our outing with a hurried picnic, a frantic packing-up, and a scurry up the sea wall stairs.

Lesson learned: when you see an empty beach on a lovely day, there's probably a damn good reason!

Summer = Band Concerts!

2011-07-28T21:37:00.003-04:00

You know where we'll be most Tuesday nights. . .the Lexington Bicentennial Band Concerts!

Grandma takes Joss for a little stroll. . .

. . .Joss takes the ball along on his little stroll.

Lawn chairs and juice boxes - life is indeed good.

Pizza? There was PIZZA?

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-27T22:39:00.009-04:00

As is becoming tradition, Safta came up to go to the parade with us!

Git-R-Done.

Please date Safta! Check her out on JDate - she's HotSafta666. =)

Juicin' it like Barry Bonds, yo. (too soon?)

Joss has the best seat at the parade!

Blue tongue!

There's Daddy!

It's not a parade without a Fyfe and Drum Corps.

The floats at the parades around here toss candy at the kids. When the parade was in front of our house, it was easy for Paul to grab some off the street. When the parade was in a bigger town, and we were sitting at the end of the line, and there were many more kids, and they were mostly bigger kids, Paul was frequently left without any candy. . .

Paul managed to grab some lollypops and a few shattered hard candies, which was plenty as far as I was concerned. However, the somewhat little-er, somewhat more timid kid sitting next to us was too shy to even join the candy-grabbing frenzy. When Paul came back to sit on my lap, I whispered in his ear and asked him to share his candy with the little boy. Paul immediately jumped up, walked over. . .and tried to give the boy the lollypop fresh from out of his mouth. =)

I grabbed him back and suggested the extra lolly in his pocket. Paul's face brightened - like a lightbulb lit over his head - and he cheerfully dug the sweet out of his pocket and gave it to the very happy little boy. I'm so proud of how kind Paul can be.

Quick fact: Mommy played the glockenspiel for about 20 minutes in middle school.

Roll out the barrel! And roll out the Oompah band on a truck bed.

Everyone loves the pipers. (Well, Mommy really likes them.)

Did we mention it was, like, 49 MILLION DEGREES IN THE SHADE?!?!? So. Hot.

I can't remember the name of this cycling family, but they are really cool to watch.

The highlight of the parade for Paul - hugging a Pizza mascot.

Joss made do with a cheese sandwich.

Hope everyone had a happy and healthy 4th of July!

More yogurt! More! Faster!

2011-07-27T22:34:00.003-04:00

Joss loves yogurt. One spoon does NOT get enough yogurt to his mouth; it's way too slow. . .

Hmmm. . .if I use two spoons. . .

. . .I can eat yogurt twice as fast! Nom nom nom!!

After Mommy cleans me up, it's also a puppet!

Hey! I love yogurt too! I really, really do!

July 4, 2011

Craftmatic Adjustible Bed - not necessary

2011-07-27T22:32:00.001-04:00

This is how I found him one night. . .

July 3, 2011

Catching up with July

2011-07-27T22:29:00.002-04:00

Wow - the month is almost over, and there's been so little time for posting! I've started working full time again, Shawn's got some major projects ramping up, Paul has been potty training and finally got the hang of it, Joss has begun to walk and talk, and Ivan the Fish II is somehow still alive. Wait - no, he's still alive.

So . . . let the catching up commence!

Daddy & Paul Day

2011-07-27T20:23:00.001-04:00

Daddy and Paul day today.

An experiment at the Harvard Lab for Developmental Studies on the development of the concept of "more."
Mac and Cheese lunch at a fancy schmancy restaurant
Lazy nap in a quiet park
Winnie-the-Pooh in a mostly empty theater
Purchase of a "Cars 2" big boy bicycle (w/ training wheels) and helmet
Bicycle assembly and maiden voyage on the sidewalk in front of our house

Whew! Quite a day.

The most beautiful band-aid in the world.

2011-07-06T20:41:00.002-04:00

During dinner, I bumped something with my thumb, and said "ow." Paul, needing to know EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING asked, "Why you say Ow, Mommy?"

I showed him the minor cut I managed to self-inflict earlier today, and said that I had a boo-boo.

Paul nodded sympathetically, and said that I needed a band-aid.

After his bath, and once he was dressed, we went into the bathroom to cut his toenails (see post below), brush his teeth, and apply band-aids to his day-old scraped knee and my sore thumb.

With intense focus, Paul carefully peeled apart the outer wrapper of the Curious George band-aid he chose for me (refusing outright my suggestion of a plain bandage), and delicately removed the tabs from the sticky parts. He then gently placed the center of the band-aid over my boo-boo, and firmly wrapped the band-aid around my thumb.

"That feels better now, Mommy."

Yes, it does Paul, thank you. And now I have a little ache right in my heart.

Paul Andrew - Spinner of Yarns

2011-07-06T20:25:00.005-04:00

Paul and I were in the bathroom tonight, and I was cutting his toenails. I'd pretend to cut off his pinkie toe, only to have Paul pretend that his leg was cut off, and so on until his face was cut off. We laughed together at our shared joke, and then got down to the business at hand, er, foot.

(For brevity's sake, I eliminated all the times I repeated what I thought Paul said, and Paul replied by repeating back what I said he said.)

Mommy: Now, hold still so I don't cut you by accident.

Paul: I like you to cut me by accident.

M: No, you wouldn't. It would hurt, and it would feel better by tomorrow, but it would still hurt and you would feel sad and I would feel sad that you were sad.

P: Oh. (thinks a moment) I got hit with a hammer.

M: You got hit with a hammer?

P: Yeah, Pauly and Joss got hit with a golden hammer.

M: Wow, that sounds like it must have hurt.

P: It did, it did hurt only a little bit, but it's OK.

M: What happened after you and Joss got hit with the golden hammer?

P: Pauly and Joss and Mommy and Daddy got hit with the golden hammer and turned into fire.

M: We all turned into fire?!? What did we do when we were fire?

P: We lived in the fireplace.

M: Were we happy living in the fireplace?

P: Yeah, we were happy. And then when the fire was done, we turned back into children.

M: So, Pauly and Joss and Mommy and Daddy got hit with a golden hammer that turned us into fire, and we lived in the fireplace until we turned back into children? How did we turn back into children?

P: The fire turned us back into children.

M: And what did we do once we were turned back into children?

P: We got out of the fireplace. Can I have a band-aid?

Forget About Bears and Popes. Where Does a Paul Go?

2011-07-05T22:31:00.003-04:00

(We're at my band concert in the park. It's the end of intermission. Paul walks to the shrub in front of the gazebo where we play.)

Shawn: Paul, where are you going?

Paul: I have to pee!

Shawn: What?!?

Paul: I have to pee in the bush!

Shawn: You don't pee in bushes. You pee in the bathroom.

Paul: No! Grandpa says "Sometimes you pee in the bathroom and sometimes you pee in bushes!"

Shawn: Grandpa is meshugana.

Paul: Can you be shugna too?

Reveling in the Music

2011-07-01T20:40:00.002-04:00

(Pictures at an Exhibition is playing on the radio)

Dad: I LOVE Pictures at an Exibition!

Paul: I love pictures and windows and challah!

Pauuuul, it's time to get up!

2011-06-27T07:12:00.004-04:00

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm still SLEEEEEEEEPYYYYYYYY! I want to stay in bed for one-hundred of years!!!!!!!

That's my boy!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T08:53:00.001-04:00

Celebrating all fathers. And grandfathers. And great-great-great-great grandfathers!

arm pulling and spitting - just more services an older brother can offer. . .

2011-06-15T22:56:00.003-04:00

Someone told me it's all happening at the zoo. . .

2011-06-12T13:17:00.004-04:00

I do believe it, I do believe it's true.

The monkeys stand for honesty, Giraffes are insincere,

And the elephants are kindly but they're dumb.

Orangutans are skeptical of changes in their cages,

And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.

Zebras are reactionaries, Antelopes are missionaries,

Pigeons plot in secrecy, and hamsters turn on frequently.

What a gas! You gotta come and see at the zoo.

June 5th, 2011, we went to the Stone Zoo with our friends Adam & Mary, and their daughters Divasha and Segal. Fun was had by all. The "good" pictures are by Adam, lyrics by Simon and Garfunkle.

Sesame Street and Human Anatomy

2011-06-12T10:12:00.004-04:00

(Daddy and Paul were in the shower, singing a song from Sesame Street. . .)

D: . . .I've got two eyeeeeeesssss! And they're both the same size!
P: Penis!
D: How many penises do you have?
P: One.
D: What else do you have two of?
P: Testicles!!
D: Um. . .I don't know that verse. . .

Memorial Day Parade

2011-06-09T05:52:00.002-04:00

The grandfolks came to our house for the annual Memorial Day parade. It isn't much - the town garbage truck, the high school band, a single crazy parade lady - but it is ours. What better way to remember our fallen warfighters than with Tootsie Rolls thrown at us by the Cub Scouts?

Waiting for the parade to start.

Paul has TWO flags!

Joss means business.

All smiles.

Where's My Hair?

2011-06-07T06:14:00.001-04:00

I'm Shorn!

Mommy and Daddy are Great Stylists.

Touch a Truck!

2011-06-07T05:53:00.003-04:00

We went to a truck petting zoo -- or Touch-A-Truck -- sponsored by a local business. 50 cool trucks to climb on, honk horns with, and drive away. We had a great time with the Feinbergs and their friends.

Wow. That's high.

Paul the Patriotic Fireman

Paul & J - great friends.

Bob was here too. Can he build it? Yes he can.

Daddy and Paul by the wood chipper.

Paul is ready for school. Mom is well reflected.

Ready for the long haul.

Scooped.

I can do it!

Oh, and Joss was there too - with little K.

Little dozer with J.

You're in the Army now. Actually, Marines.

Bye-Bye!

Want a Cup?

2011-06-07T05:51:00.002-04:00

A drink for me...

A drink for you...

And a hat to look dapper.

Mother's Day Celebrations

2011-05-29T16:05:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day! While Dad was busy working, Mom, Paul, & Joss spent the day in the park with Grandma, Grandpa, and Sophie.

Where is the snow, grandpa?

It's getting late, Grandpa.

What a beautiful flower, Soph.

I can use these poles too!

Attack of the Joss!

Pile up on Grandma.

Bending it like Beckham.

All smiles.

Playing outside. Finally!

2011-05-29T16:01:00.001-04:00

After a long winter, we've had a very rainy spring. It was finally nice enough to get out of the house. Here are some beauty shots of Joss playing in the back yard.

Bye-bye!

Sleepover Time!

2011-05-29T15:54:00.002-04:00

We love it with our cousin Asher comes over. We love it even more when he sleeps over.

Mischief was had.

And horseplay. (sorry)

I have no bellybutton! Oh noes!

Yea!!!!

Hey - Look here!

2011-05-29T15:41:00.003-04:00

Joss had a fun playdate with K!

Hey kids - look over here!

That's it, K. Now you Joss!

Thanks Joss! Wait, K, why aren't you looking at me anymore?

*sigh* - Oh well. At least they are looking at each other.

Passover 2011

2011-05-27T06:43:00.003-04:00

Back to Safta's for Passover!!!!

We found all of the chumetz.

First Seder at Safta's house. It was nice to see so many friends and family...

...and to celebrate mommy's birthday! Happy 29th, mommy.

We had a quick visit to Bubbie Rose's - and Aunt Phyllis was there to read us stories!

What a big world out there.

The Second Seder was even better than the first!

Boy did it make me sleepy. Must have been all the wine.

Visiting Bubbie Rose

2011-05-27T06:36:00.001-04:00

During Purim we had a great visit with Bubbie Rose.

She gave Joss lots of Bubbie kisses.

We love you, Bubbie Rose!

Art is Glorious!

2011-05-27T06:30:00.003-04:00

Art is Glorious!

The artist at work.

Can I play too?

Or, better yet, eat these tasty markers?

Better let these dry.

Hooray!

Purim 2011

2011-05-27T06:18:00.003-04:00

We made the long trip to Safta's house for Purim this year. Can you guess what our costumes are?

Paul is always a turtle. On Purim, he gets to express his inner reptile.

Joss is a SCARY lion.

We had a great time with our friend Nate and his mommy...

...and with Max and Dylan in New Jersey.

And we LOOOOOVE Hamentashen. Mmmmmmm!

Where have we been?

2011-05-27T05:48:00.005-04:00

Well, its been a few months since we've had regular posts. You must be wondering where we've been. Well, we've been...

...making and cleaning up messes.

...sitting and spinning.

...STANDING and spinning.

...moving faster than the human eye can see!

...breakdancing.

...motoring.

It is great to see you again!

Interesting People

2011-05-15T09:12:00.003-04:00

We're lingering over breakfast. . .

Paul: Mommy, where did your friends go?
Mommy: I don't know. Where did my friends go?
P: Your friends go. . .to whore houses.
M: (splutter) What?
P: They go to. . .nowhere.
Daddy: (to Mommy) Where do you meet these women?

Hiking the Fells with Joss

2011-05-01T15:38:00.002-04:00

He's not as impressed as I am.

From Flicker's Blog - Now with more Sequel!!

Distance and Relatives

2011-04-15T23:56:00.003-04:00

Daddy: How far away is Safta's house?
(Expected answer was along the lines of "far, far away.")
Paul: It's all the way to Safta's house long.

I bet he's as tall as it takes for his feet to reach the floor, too. =)

Proving a point

2011-04-09T08:50:00.002-04:00

Mommy: Paul, go downstairs and say to Daddy, "I am a contrarian."
Paul: No.

Two from dinner.

2011-04-02T19:29:00.006-04:00

Paul: Mommy? Mommy? Mommy?
Mommy: What, Paul?
Paul: My mushroom was a water chestnut. *shakes head sadly*

Mommy: *whispering* Paul - can I tell you a secret?
Paul: *whispering* Yes, Mommy.
M: *whispering* It's a secret - you can't tell anybody, OK?
P: *whispering* OK Mommy.
M: *whispering* OK, here it is. I love you very, very much.
P: *whispering* Oh. OK. I'm going to go tell Daddy.

What's for lunch, Joss?

2011-03-16T14:32:00.002-04:00

What is in this bowl Mommy put on my tray? Is it? Could it be?

YES!!!! MAC & CHEESE!!!

How do I feel about having Mac & Cheese for lunch?

I LOVE it!!!

Now. .. how does this spoon work? . . .

That's my son!

2011-03-14T07:21:00.002-04:00

Daylight savings has thrown us all for a loop. Mommy actually had to wake *both* boys up today!
M: Opens Paul's door, letting the hall light splash across his sleeping face. Good morning, Sunshine!
P: Throws arms dramatically over his face. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Oh, Pastina!

2011-03-14T00:35:00.003-04:00

Why do you have to be so delicious, yet so hard to clean up?

I've been feeding myself Pastina and Cottage Cheese. Yummy!!

First really good meal I've had in close to a week, what with the fever and the stomach bug. . .

I'm feeling better now!!

(And I have 5 teeth!!)

I also have a tongue! Ith righ 'ere!

Mommy? Can we wrap this up now?

Ah - before the bath, the dust bust!

More Pictures from Pantless Potty Training weekend

2011-03-14T00:27:00.002-04:00

Joss (fully clothed) is so excited for his big brother!

Happy Paul and relieved (in the potty, of course!) Daddy.

Paul got to talk to Safta and tell her about his Potty Training. When prompted to tell her what he was wearing, he said "I wearing a shirt and no pants, and no socks, and no dinosaur slippers, and on my head I've got hair."

Paul gathered all his stuffed animals, shoved them under his bed, and crawled under to join them. He's not wearing pants. I decided not to post those pictures, since every time I tried to get a "cute" shot, he'd call out "CHEESE" and pull his knees to his face. . .

Great job this weekend, Paul!

Adventures in Potty Training

2011-03-13T23:55:00.004-04:00

Paul is 3 years, 4 months, and 2 weeks old. He has been making "man poops" for a few months now. Those diapers are NOT fun to change. We introduced Paul to the Potty over a year ago, and Paul has been peeing in the potty before his bath for almost that long, but there hasn't been any progress and we haven't really pushed the issue.

Last month, daycare suggested we send him to school in underpants (with several changes of clothes) to see what happens. At first, things seemed to go well - all pees in the potty, but poop in the pants. We pushed Paul a little harder to train, and he began having pee accidents at school, along with his poops. He'd also wet himself at home within spitting distance of the potty. Something wasn't working.

After a weekend of backing off (letting Paul wear pull-ups, suggesting potty visits but not insisting on them), and a week of more laundry from daycare, we decided to try one more "training trick" before giving up and buying stock in Depends.

Pants-free weekend.

Mommy wasn't keen on the idea - visions of cleaning up puddles and piles, especially after a full 24 hours of cleaning up Joss' barf, dampened my enthusiasm. But Shawn insisted that it had to work, it just had to. . . So we gave it a go.

And it wasn't too bad. No pee accidents, one poop in the potty (such a mixed blessing - it's in the right place - yay, but still have to clean out the potty bowl - ew), most poops in the pull-ups right after going down for a nap, and tushie-prints on every surface. Paul wore underpants when we went out on a few errands, and didn't have any accidents.

Oh, he also thinks he's a turtle, and has 4 feet, and insists on wearing socks on "all" his feet. . .

Paul also prefers to go potty in the kitchen. I can't wait for his future prom date to see this picture.

(Daddy and Joss provide some travelling music.)

Since Joss had been feeling better, we sent him to daycare on friday so Paul could have 100% of my focus for the first day of Pantless Potty Training. We got to have breakfast (no pants), go to Trader Joe's (underpants & Pullups), have lunch (no pants), make Challot for dinner (no pants) - Paul helped roll out the dough and braid the loaves -

take a nap (Pullups), read books in the rocking chair (no pants), have Shabbat Dinner (no pants), and talk to Grandma on the phone (no pants).

Paul and Joss asleep.

2011-03-13T23:53:00.001-04:00

March 7, 2011

March 8, 2011

March 8, 2011. (Paul is under that pile of stuffed animals and blankets. Really.)

Joss Standing in the Crib

2011-03-13T23:48:00.002-04:00

Oh, and the other day, Mommy walked in to get Joss from his nap - and found Joss standing up in his crib! Joss seemed even more surprised than Mommy was.

(This picture is from the next day - same standing-up, but less surprise and more "I have a fever and am wicked upset.")

March 6, 2011

Joss' Sick Days. . .

2011-03-13T23:06:00.005-04:00

Tuesday night (March 1), Joss went to bed with a fever. Wednesday was spent napping in a Tylenol stupor. Thursday, Daddy got to stay home from work with Joss in the morning, and Mommy got to come home early from work in the afternoon.

Nothing like a dose of ibuprofen and a good nap to keep the fever at bay.

Hmm. . . It sounds different when Daddy does this.

Why won't this hat stay on?

Mommy? Can I have more medicine, please?

The next day, (Friday, March 4th) Joss had been up most of the night with fever and misery, and finally fell into a nice, deep sleep in Mommy & Daddy's bed around 6am.

So when Mommy got up to get Paul scrambled eggs, she didn't want to risk waking Joss up moving him back to his crib. This turned out to be a poor decision.

Breakfast was almost over when Mommy heard a wake-up cry from upstairs. She wiped her fingers on her napkin, kissed Paul on the head, and headed towards the stairs. First there was a soft *flumph* noise, then (as Mommy booked up the stairs) there was a *THUMP* followed by an ear-splitting shriek. Joss had pushed the pillow-barricade off the side of the bed, and took a header after it, missing the pillow. . .

At first Mommy was worried about a concussion, since Joss didn't know his name, or what year it was, and couldn't tell her how many fingers she was holding up (two, then four). However, he calmed down after lots of cuddling and kisses, his pupils were equal and reactive, and the rest of the day passed without incident.

Gotta chill out in the bath, yo. Check out my illin' goose-egg.

March 4-5, 2011

Pancakes!!!

2011-03-13T23:02:00.002-04:00

Pancakes? Pancakes, pancakes pancakes pancakes pancakes! Pancakes pancakes pancakes pancakes pancakes. . .

. . . pancakes. . .

. . .PANCAKES!!

February 27, 2011. . .but we've had more pancakes since then. . . Pancakes!

I LOVE seaweed!

2011-03-12T23:09:00.003-05:00

Paul really enjoys the roasted seaweed snacks that Mommy bought at Trader Joe's. He does, however, get seaweed and kiwi confused. (He does not like kiwi because of all the little seeds.)

A boy's castle is is home.

2011-03-12T23:07:00.001-05:00

Paul is sitting on a tiger, in a castle, wearing sunglasses, and reading a noisy book. Or as we call it, Saturday.
02/26/2011

JOSS HAS 5 TEETH!!

2011-03-12T15:38:00.001-05:00

Three on top, and two on the bottom!

The day that was.

2011-02-28T23:25:00.003-05:00

Oh, the day of crabbiness.

It started when Paul would not let Shawn take a shower before work. He was insistent that Shawn watch SuperWHY! with him. Since there was a little time to spare, Shawn got Paul dressed before coming upstairs to collect Joss and get me outta bed. I made it down stairs, and entered the room to hear Shawn tell Paul to “go give mommy a big hug!” Paul collapsed on the floor in a tantrum.

M: What's the matter, Paul?
P: Want to go upstairs!!
M: You wanted to go upstairs to wake me up?
P: (wailing) YEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!
M: OK, come and wake me up. (goes upstairs, gets back into bed)
. . .moments later. . .
P: Mommyyyy – time to wake up!

So, Shawn showered, I got dressed, and the kids had their breakfast at home. They usually eat at daycare, but today is special. Paul gets to go visit Mommy at work at the dentist's office, and have his teeth cleaned! Paul had a minor melt-down over not going immediately to school, but quickly recovered, and became excited to see the dentist. So excited, in fact, that he buzzed around me like a deranged hummingbird, until I told him to put down the broom and do a puzzle, for crying out loud.

I got my things together, and was about to head out the door when Shawn called for Paul to go to the potty before they got ready to leave. Paul freaked out, screamed NOOOOOOOOOOO, ran around the house, and wound up in the bathroom, collapsed face-down over a small ottoman. I passed by the bathroom at this point, and smelled a smell that was smelly. “I smell poop,” I said. Then it hit the fan.

Shawn yelled, Paul cried, the bathroom got covered in poop. “Let's get out of here,” I whispered to Joss (who had spent the last 10 minutes following me around and crying when I didn't stop to pick him up), and I put on his coat. As we tip-toed out the door, we heard “You're covered in poop – don't sit down. Don't sit down!! DON'T SIT DOWN!!!!”

Joss and I got to the office about 15 minutes before Shawn and a freshly underpanted Paul arrived. Paul was sweet and charming and obedient. He got his teeth counted (20!), polished, and swabbed with fluoride. Afterwards, he could choose some prizes. He chose a Spiderman sticker, and promptly stuck it to the front of his shirt. “I have Spiderman sticker!” Then Joss grabbed a few stickers from the bowl.

M: I think Joss wants you to have this Batman sticker.
P: No, want other sticker.
M: This My Little Pony sticker?
P: Yeah.
M: Do you want it on your shirt or in your bag?
P: Want on BACK of shirt. (Gives sticker to Shawn)
D: Hmm. This pony's name is Butterscotch. (Places sticker on Paul's back). I have just placed a “Kick Me” sign on my son.

Paul also took a few silly bands, and happily left for school with his brother and Daddy. Until he got to school, and didn't want Daddy to go to work. . . Later today, Shawn went back to take Paul home. He walked into the room and found Paul standing over another child, about to bean the other kid with a plastic bucket. Shawn stopped the assault, and told Paul that we don't hit people. Paul thought this over a moment and calmly replied, “I am mad at you, Daddy.”

I got home late from work, and opened the door to chaos, as per usual. Paul ran up to me, playing with a toy electric guitar, and stated that he was a Rock Star. He would only answer to “Rock Star” for most of the evening.

D: Paul - time to go potty.
P: Nooooo! I not Paul, I Rock Star!
D: OK, Rock Star, time to go potty.
RS: OK, Daddy! (Skips off the the bathroom.)

I guess it's a step up from the “Turtle” he's been for the past month or so. Joss heard my voice and made a frantic bee-line for the door. It would have been wonderfully sweet if I didn't have to pee so badly. Anyway.

We sit down to dinner, a hodge-podge of leftovers. Paul has a plate of noodles, meat sauce, and veggies, but only wants some salad. Plain romaine lettuce does not have the more calorically dense nutrition of the other elements of his meal, so I told him he could have some salad after he ate more noodles and veggies.

P: That's not the right words, Mommy.
M: What?
P: That's not the right words. The right words are “get salad!”
M: (trying not to laugh) The right words are “yes, mommy,” “I will, mommy,” “yes, daddy,” and “thank you, daddy.” Now finish your dinner.
P: I'm done. My belly is full of food.
M: OK. (begins to take away his plate)
P: Nooooo, not finished eating!!!!

I gave him back his plate, finished feeding Joss (who smeared his blueberry-pear-purple carrot blend all over his head, and looked like he had been in some horrific car wreck ), and began to eat my own meal. Paul played with his fork, twisted in his chair, anything but eating his dinner.

M: (gets the kitchen timer) You have 5 minutes to finish eating.
P: Noooooo – still eating – (insert repetitive whining here)
M: You'd be better off using this time to eat instead of complaining about wanting to eat.
P: (whines, but also tucks in to his dinner. Finally)
M: (timer dings) Time's up.
P: (more whining)
M: You have until I finish cleaning-up Joss.

I cleared away the carnage that was Joss' dinner, and told Paul is was bath time. Paul began to freak out. Shawn came back from inside the kitchen to take Paul's mostly empty plate. Paul flipped out, Shawn and I both told him it was “time out.” Paul kicked the tantrum into over-drive; Shawn calmly lifted Paul up and took him to the time out step. I brought Joss into the bathroom, and began the arduous task of scraping a days worth of food from his hair. Joss took advantage of a rare solo bath to finally play with a coveted train/boat bath toy – one of his own birthday presents, by the way.

Paul slunk into the bathroom and apologized. I gave him a hug and a kiss, and told him to strip – time for bath. Paul fussed a bit, but managed to take off his jeans (which were on backwards from the last time he got himself dressed after using the potty) and underpants and sat on the potty. “The Cars™ seat keeps me from falling in,” he said. Then he tried to climb into the bathtub still wearing his T-shirt, sweatshirt, and socks. As I helped Paul get out of his shirts, Joss decided that he absolutely had to be inside my shirt, soapy wet self and all, stood up in the tub, grabbed my shirt, and tried to climb in. I somehow disentangled Joss from my shirt, and Paul from his own shirt, and rinsed Joss off. Shawn came to grab Joss out of the tub, and Paul and I got to have a quiet bath time, just the two of us.

There was the usual shampooing, face scrubbing, body soaping, and all-over rinsing. I decided that the red, square washcloth looked like a jellyfish. I pinched a little fabric in the middle to make a wee mouth, and began talking to Paul as the jellyfish. He loved that. The jellyfish ate the toy boat, and nibbled on Paul's fingers and toes. Paul said that the bubbles in the tub (the dissipating lather from his shampoo) had little tiny playgrounds on them. He carefully made plucking gestures over the bubbles, rubbed his knees, then said the playgrounds were now on his knees. The jellyfish ate the playgrounds off Paul's knees – and then things got dark. Paul was upset the playgrounds were eaten. . .

P: (to the jellyfish) I get a knife, and I cut your belly. (He makes a stabbing/slicing motion over washcloth. He takes out the playgrounds, and places them back on his knees.) I got playgrounds out of your belly.
M: (as the jellyfish) I'm so sad now – you cut my belly with a knife!
P: It's OK – I'll fix you with tape. (Very deliberately, Paul tapes up the jellyfish's wounds.) All better.
M: Thank you – I feel better now! It's time for me to go – goodbye. (I let the washcloth free-float in the water)
P: (Picks up the washcloth, examines it.) Where mouth go? Put mouth back on the jellyfish, Mommy.

Paul and the jellyfish chatted for a little bit longer, but then the bath water grew cold, and it was time to get out of the tub. There's a small lever that toggles the tub drain open and closed. We call it the button.

M: Paul, do you want to push the button down, or should Mommy?
P: (gently taking my hand away from the button) I want no one to do it.

I managed to cajole Paul out of the tub, and cheered him up considerably with lots of hugs and warm blasts from the hair dryer. He got dressed in Pj's, brushed his teeth, and went up to bed with relatively little complaint. Joss watched most of the rest of the (recorded) Oscars with me – he got antsy listening to Jeff Bridges introduce the Best Actress nominees.

The dude abides.

Rainy day fun

2011-02-25T22:38:00.006-05:00

It rained today. Epic, biblical, torrents for hours rain. At least we don't have to shovel it, right?

After breakfast, bathroom issues, some sibling rivalry and the resulting tantrum and time out, we headed out to Target. And both boys passed out in the car. What's a mommy to do? Why, hit the drive-thru Starbucks for a chai latte, find a sweet parking space, crack the windows, and read the book she had the foresight to bring with her. Oh, and nap a little too.

Once Paul woke up, we had our Target run, then met Daddy for lunch. What a nice surprise! Then after lunch - the indoor playground!

There's a pirate ship, and a castle, and two huge inflated bouncy slide thingies, and a race track with friction cars, and an infant room stocked with a few baby slides, play table, and mirrors.

Oh, and a triceratops.

Paul was fearless.

Joss was chill.

Mommy wished she had brought a flask. Friday of vacation week + RAIN = a million-gillion screaming crazy kids. *sigh*

Paul enjoyed climbing. . .

. . .and Joss enjoyed crawling.

Well, until he was stopped by the cops.

(Sorry for the blurry cell-phone pics.)

It's my Potty, and I'll poo where I want to. . .

2011-02-25T22:04:00.002-05:00

Paul is in Sudden-Death potty training. Day Care has told us in no uncertain terms that Paul MUST be potty trained before the end of March. (I don't know what the "or else" could be, but I imagine it involves water boarding and multiple viewings of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.)

Anyway, they suggested that we send Paul to school in underpants, and with ~~a few~~ several changes of clothes, and we'll all go for broke. The first day he made all his pees in the potty, but had a poopsident (poop accident). The second day he made all his pees in the potty, and didn't poop at all. He came home, peed in his cow costume, threw an enormous tantrum when Mommy and Daddy couldn't instantly clean the costume, then peed his pants again.

This morning, we started out in underpants, peed twice on the potty, then despite being never more than 12 steps from the bathroom, pooped in his underpants, then duck-walked over to tell Mommy that the deed was done. *sigh* Pull-ups were called into play, but remained dry throughout the afternoon.

Part of today's activities involved the purchase of more underpants. Mommy chose some adorable Paul Frank monkey-pants, and Paul chose Cars and SpongeBob.

Cross your fingers. (And legs.)

Irene comes to visit!

2011-02-25T21:43:00.004-05:00

Mommy's friend-from-waaaay-back Amanda, who we last saw Summer of '09, was enjoying her President's Week break in the Boston area, and came over to visit with her husband, Dave, and daughter Irene. It was great catching up and comparing parenting notes, especially since Irene is going to become a big sister in a few months.

Paul dished the "oldest sib" dirt over a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs.

What you do not see in this picture is the utter chaos of the rest of the front room, the result of lots of great playing by the 3.5, 2.5, and 1 year old masters (and mistress) of disaster. =)

Bath time! Difference between boys and girls: Irene immediately began to gently wash Joss. Paul has NEVER tried to "wash" Joss, but he has dumped many gallons of water on Joss' head.

Joss has begun the phase where he needs to pull himself up everywhere, even in the slippery bathtub.

Post-bath hugs with Dave, Irene, and Paul.

We had a great time seeing you all - hope to meet up again soon!

An artist's rendering of Joss' current dental situation.

2011-02-25T21:07:00.001-05:00

Joss finally cut tooth #4 today! The upper right lateral. Hopefully, we'll have one or two nights of sleep before he continues on teething the other upper central inscisor. (Fingers crossed and Tylenol at the ready.)

From the mouths of babes. . .

2011-02-25T08:21:00.002-05:00

We're sitting at breakfast, discussing birthdays.

M: Do you know whose birthday is coming up next? Safta's!
P: Safta doesn't have birthdays!
M: Oh yes, she does. Do you know how old Safta will be?
P: How old?
M: Sixty-one years old.
P: 61?!? My goodness! That's a LOT of numbers!!!

I swear, Safta, I did not coach him on that! =)

Um. . .

2011-02-24T07:09:00.005-05:00

Daddy: Paul! Time to put on your coat and shoes and go to school.

Paul (sitting in the couch, wearing sunglasses, eating a bag of popcorners, watching Curious George): No!!! I'm too busy to put on my coat and shoes!!!!

Left Alone with Daddy

2011-02-21T16:02:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when they leave the kids with daddy all day. Thank goodness Annie distracts so well. (Don't ask about the couch cushions.)

Where ever thou goest, I will go. . .

2011-02-19T22:02:00.004-05:00

. . . even up a huge flight of stairs. . . several times in a row. . .

The Video:

Old toys

2011-02-19T21:56:00.003-05:00

Gotta find more of Paul's old toys - poor Joss was using a diaper carton as a walker!

This is one of Joss' favorite toys. (Note his little tongue sticking out.)

He has figured out how to place the pegs in the holes. . .

. . .but prefers to eat the pegs!

This one tastes green, and the other tastes like a cylinder. . .

Joss update

2011-02-19T12:31:00.003-05:00

By the way, Joss now:

*has three teeth (upper right incisor, both lower central incisors), with 2 more upper teeth about to cut through. He looks like Cleetus, the Slack-Jawed Yokel.

*can crawl, and crawl very quickly.

*can pull himself to a standing position, and does just that at every given opportunity.

*loves to feed himself. He loves chicken, banana, cereal, yogurt melts, apple snacks, and rice.

*follows Paul around like a puppy.

Friday Fun at the Playplace

2011-02-19T11:30:00.006-05:00

Although the weather was gorgeous on Friday, the playgrounds were all still covered by snow and slush. What's a boy and his brother to do? Hit the playplace, of course!

Despite appearances, Paul made a few friends. . .

Joss wanted in on the car fun.

OK, who gets to drive first? (Note how they picked up a chick? These guys are smoooooth.)

Paul conquered Mt. Inchworm.

Joss enjoyed having freedom to explore.

Paul spent quite a while with this marble puzzle, figuring out how to manipulate the circle ball-diverting thingies to make the marbles go along the right path. It was really cool to watch.

And Joss only wants to do whatever Paul does.

Paul loved this mirror when he was about Joss' age. . .

But Joss has more teeth!

It was an eventful outing. Joss had his first creeper - this little girl (with a very loaded diaper, ugh) kept hugging him, and playing near/on top of him, and tyring to get/keep his attention. Joss seemed unfazed by the experience.

Paul had his first attempted mugging. This little boy - 4, maybe 5 years old, who already had a tussle with another kid - liked Paul's skull sneakers. At first he just tried to touch the skulls, which did not thrill Paul, but then the kid tried to grab the sneakers away! Paul is patient, but no push-over. He hung on to his shoes and wailed, "NOOOOOOOOO, MIIIIIIINNNNEEEE!!!" Mommy intervened at this point, and shooed the would-be mugger away.