Exersaucer time

My work schedule has been keeping me busy each day here at home (really? Maybe that's why I haven't blogged in several weeks...). Fortunately, Reese is a happy girl who isn't too picky about where she's hanging out while Mom works. This past month, we tried out the exersaucer. She's had lots of fun looking at the bright colors, chewing on the toys, and figuring out how to be upright. I'm grateful she's able to spend some time without being talked to and held. It's just a bonus that she loves it!

4-5 months

During the past few weeks, Reese got to try out cereal and some baby food.

We're working on keeping her hands out of her mouth now, but at first that was all she wanted to do. She did a lot of spitting the food out, but seems to enjoy it now.

Her favorite appears to be applesauce mixed with her cereal in the morning, but she eats her veggies quite well too.

Now we're dealing with teeth as well, so it won't be long before she's able to eat big-people food!

First Day of First Grade...only a few weeks behind!

We now have an "experienced" elementary student living in our house.

Blog fodder

Grant gives me SO much blog fodder...

He likes to drink "Atorgade" instead of Gatorade
He called me into the living room while I was working because "Urglur is on! Urglur! Urglur!"

WHAT??

"Wordgirl" was on.

He does everything now with "Teddy." And many of his requests come though Teddy as well. Pictures to follow.


He's tough not to love, I'll tell ya that.

Grant says...

Grant has been occasionally waiting "too long" to go to the potty. Who can blame him, there is SO much to do this summer and stopping for a potty break is so not cool. It's happened a few times in the past couple of months and we've had several talks about it, reminding Grant that it takes much longer to change pants and clean up than it does to stop and run to the bathroom.
Jeff went swimming the other day and came home in his wet trunks. Grant ran up to him and hugged his legs. He then stepped back and said, "Dad, your pants are wet. Did you wait too long?"
It was all Jeff could do to answer with a straight face, but at least we know our message is getting through!

Halloween Prep...in July?

If you needed more proof that Connor was my child...he is already planning his Halloween costume. Most people may not know this about me, but coming up with an original and great idea for a Halloween costume probably caused me more stress during my childhood years than just about anything else I can remember. I recall spending hours (really? Not sure...but it seemed like it!) dreaming up and discarding wild ideas, remembering that I would rather not depend on mom's sewing or having to buy anything. I had some great costumes over the years that my mom made for me--Mickey Mouse, a bunny rabbit, but overall I felt that my costumes needed to consist of things already found in my home with minimal extra work. It really was a project every year that stressed me out right up to the end as I second-guessed my choice of costume. I even remember one year being one thing at school and another to trick-or-treat. See, my indecisiveness runs deep.
Back to Connor's plan, though. He was sitting out back reading the other day and I went out to see him. He told me he had a great idea for Halloween. He wants to take a Jack-o-Lantern out trick or treating with us, but we need to cut out the bottom of it. His plan is to make his head "disappear" into his shirt and hold up the jack-0-lantern just as each door is answered. I told him it was a funny idea, but would probably scare all of our elderly neighbors. He told me that was what he planned on. He'd yell "trick or treat!" and they'd see his head "disappear" and would be so scared they would drop their bowl of candy. He would then be able to get extra large quantities of candy from each house. Very creative, huh? Not sure how or if we'll do this. I'm not sure of the feasibility of carrying around a jack-o-lanterns, but we'll see. Hold on to your candy bowls!

Stitches

All is well, but Grant got whacked with a baseball bat last Sunday. He was crying--a little. I was screaming--a lot. All I saw was Jeff bringing Grant in the door with blood on his face and heard Marjie telling me, "Grant got hit with the baseball bat."

After a few deep breaths, we saw that it was a gash in his eyebrow and took him to the emergency room. He was a CHAMP there. It probably didn't hurt that everyone who passed by our room felt the need to come in and tell Grant how adorable he was though. The dr. gave him a shot and two stitches. That tough kid didn't flinch. He was begging to play baseball again from the moment we left the house to go to the hospital...and had a short game of catch upon his return. We're so glad he's all right and that he's learned the valuable lesson of not walking into another kid's batting swing!