A Good Sis

I have been so impressed with how good Abby is to Adam.  She has been good to him from birth.  I know a lot of people say it's ideal to have a big brother to protect a little sister, but there's a lot to be said for a big sister and a little brother.

Abby and Adam are old enough now to venture into the local pizza joint's play area together, with frequent checks. 

"Please watch your brother, Abs," I say.

"I will, Mommy."

When I check in, she's right behind him, hand resting on his back, guiding him around.

"And - and - I letted him climb ALL the way up for - for a special treat, Mommy!"

"Okay, Abby.  Thanks for taking care of him."

"You're welcome, Mommy!  It is [with a bow] my pleasure!"

She picked up the "my pleasure" bit from TV, I think, and got such a reaction from me the first time that she does it just to see my face.  Now I won't tell you about the tantrum before bedtime;  I'll just leave it right here and go off to get some rest.  Sick children don't sleep, and I'm exhausted!

Nashville Getaway

Abby was sent home from daycare today with a temp and cannot go tomorrow.  She says her head, throat, ear, and tummy all hurt.  Both kids are already on antibiotics for ear infections.  Strep is going around daycare, our provider says.  SO...let's set all of that aside for now so I can relive Nashville in photos...

Over spring break from high school (two whole days + a weekend!), Eric and I flew to Nashville to spend time with "old" friends!  A big thank you goes out to Tim, Carissa, and Alia for spoiling us with good company, good food, and good weather; a second big thank you goes out to Nana and Papa for watching our progeny while we enjoyed all of those things!

Eric got to try out some backyard paintball into the river and trees below.

We enjoyed 70-degree weather and a gorgeous 100-acre park & sightseeing!

Yes, THIS was how warm and sunny it was there!  For real!

A new scarf I found while down there...had to try it out right away!  Tee-hee!

Friends we miss very much!  "So move here," they said.

Right after this Eric pretended to try to push me off the wall and broke my camera.  Long story.

Stranded on the Counter

Our kitchen table has a bench one one side of it and two chairs on the other.  One chair hosts a blue booster 24/7, so that leaves only one movable chair total.  And move it does!  It's a good thing we superglued felt protectors on its legs, because it hourly moves from the work counter to the snack cupboard to the stove (supervised!) to the hallway storage closet to a bedroom closet and, with my exertion, back where it belongs.  This chair means the difference between my constantly getting up to reach things for Abby vs. telling her to carefully get things herself!

Anyway, last night I had given Abby permission to reach the snack cupboard for a crackers/cheese snack. Eric and I were in the living room, and we suddenly heard frantic shouting for help.  When I rushed into the kitchen, I found Adam, grinning around his Nuk and pointing up at his big sis.  When she'd climbed up and onto the counter to reach the crackers, he'd pushed the chair back to the table!

Adam "says" so many words now:  Nuk, apple, go, up, done, open, book, eat...it's so fun!  This is the age where I want to freeze the cute stuff in time and keep it.  He sleeps through the night most nights when he is not sick, so life is right-side-up again after 16 months!  He is still babyish, but he can communicate and relate and love you.  I can still put Baby Magic on him after bath and enjoy it the next morning.  He's still chubby.  Sigh...why can't we save a few days here and there and get to come back to them later in life?