Asher and I faceswap

This is from last year, I think, but it never gets old.

Betty today.

Today, betty compared the neighborhood pregnant cat to Ryan. "her tummy is like Daddy's. But not like Mommy's. Mommy's is getting smaller."

It is not, true, the getting smaller part. She will be handsomely rewardee anyway.

This is what bedtime looks like.

Snow hat on a 90-degree day?

Check.

Stuffed fish?

Check.

Carrot sticks to eat in bed?

Check.

Soccer shorts

Betty calls these her soccer shorts. Naturally, she had to wear them today when we played soccer.  Naturally, they are size 12 months and they have been hanging around her drawers unused for at least 2 years until last month, when she named them.

She was a pretty good little soccer player. She thinks it was the shorts.

NYC

We went to New York City this weekend for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. It was fabulous and the whole trip was so fun. We stayed with Ty and SJ and we got to play with adorable Caroline. The picture below is Ryan in front of the Guggenheim. We went inside, too. We ate delicious korean barbeque tacos, laduree macarons, goat milk ice cream, pasta, and the best thai food ever (at Pure Thai. Go there!).  We went to all the fancy furniture shops in Soho and tribeca. We visited with dear old friends and family. We peered inside the Chrysler building and Grand Central Station. We saw Matt Dillon driving around on friday night and I did not mind looking like a fool as I craned my neck to see if there were more famous people inside his SUV.

Highlight of the trip for Ryan: Kicking a rat onto the empty tracks of the subway on our way out of the city. Nothing morbid about it, I guess for Ryan it just seemed authentically New York.

ps, this post is from back in May! I just noticed that there was an error when I tried to publish it back then!

First Day of School

The first day went surprisingly smooth. I will attribute it to the father's blessings they received the night before school started. Asher decided to ask for a little something exta, you know, as long as he had heaven on the line, and he called out "Make me big!" during his blessing. Later he told me he was asking to be bigger than me, or Ryan, or even Uncle Ryan. Yes, he is looking for a miracle.

Ava fell asleep by 9pm, which was a huge and unexpected blessing. She woke up happy the next day and she walked Asher to his classroom before heading to her class. In the afternoon she was happy to report that she knew almost eveyone in her class, her new teacher was really nice, and she saw Asher and her BFF lauren at lunchtime. Lauren's table is close to her table at lunch and they have recess at the same time.

Asher, always cheerful, left happy and came home happy. The first thing he said was "I made a couple friends, mom." "oh, what are their names?" I asked. "Don't know." he cheerfully replied.  I wish I could be a fly on the wall in his classroom.  He played princess tag and also power ranger tag during recess. He was impressed with the kid with a ninja shirt. Today he told me that the girl who sits across from him at lunch is fun. "she likes to play like me and Ava do while we are eating, and pretend like our food is fighting in our mouths!" 

Betty's reaction has been the biggest surprise. She is so sad every morning! Also, exhausted because she refuses to go to sleep at night and now has to wake up to take the kids to school at 7:20. On the first day I told her we would do something special and go on a date, just her and me, but she just sobbed that she wanted Ava and Asher to come.

When Asher hopped off the bus in the afternoon, Betty exclaimed "I missed you, Asher!" and gave him a big, adorable hug. She loves her bother so much. On sunday at church I had Betty on my lap and Asher hit his head on the back of the pew with a loud thud. He tried to make his way to me, but before he could get to me, Betty had wrapped him in the biggest hug her little arms could muster. And her comfort was enough.  He did not need to come to me anymore. A friend who was sitting behind us seemed to appreciate the scene as much as I did, and later she told me what I couldn't see from my angle: the most sincere look of sympathy on Betty's face.

Hairs

Haircuts to dentist appointments, Betty wants to do everything her big brother and sister do. This week I humored her and let her get a big-girl haircut at the "salon". Great Clips gets the "quotation mark" treatment because of the hack job Ava came away with. Betty's hair, however, looked the same (as planned). She looked super cute and so small sitting on that tall chair with her tiny head poking out of an abundance of capery, holding back a smile.

I got my haircut, too. At a salon.

Keepin it real

Asher: Mom, our car smells like that cheese I had on a cracker at the farmers market.
Me: goat cheese?
Asher: yeah!

Ready for take off!

The girls and our friend Lila in their homemade rocket. 

Outstretched arms

I know, I am obsessed with Betty

I just love age 2. It is the cutest. When I get around to posting a video of Betty's voice right now you will understand my favoritism on the blog.

So this is the conversation Ryan had with Betty ( no, we are not trying to have a baby, I am not pregnant, nor do we even have maternity insurance. I SWEAR. Ryan just asked this question out of curiosity. )

Ryan: Betty, do you want a little brother or do you want a little sister?
betty, without a second of hesitation: I want that little baby we saw at the Gap.

Rewind to 2 months ago when we were shopping at Gap kids and there was the tiniest little Asian girl following us around. so tiny but somehow walking. Her mother was nowhere to be seen but this adorable girl in the most adorable outfit followed us silently around for probably 30 minutes, even into the dressing room. Betty was fascinated. We all were, but I had no idea that she even remembered the child until her conversation with Ryan. Part of me wants that baby we saw at the Gap, too. I think we could have gotten away with her...

Bettyhead

Apparently Betty got into my volumizer last night. I didn't notice until I got her out of bed this morning.

Favorites from Betty today

Two favorite quotes from Betty today:

"You are mine sweetie, Mom."

And

Me: should we go change your diaper, Betty?
B: (she just went outside to watch ryan mow the lawn) "no. Dad likes smells, right?"

This girl

Today Betty played with her friend Rosie. They had a great time until Rosie picked  Betty up and then dropped her on her bum. When I was putting Betty to bed tonight we had this conversation. In Bettyspeak, "fried"means "cried".

Me: Did you have fun at Rosie's house today?
B: yes, me sad.
Me: Because Rosie dropped you?
B: yes. Me not fried, mine eyes just watering.

Not sure why she feels the need to her hide her feelings already, but I am pretty sure it means we have already ruined this child.

Happiness

Asher had his first spring soccer game this weekend. The best part was the huge smile that never left his face. I love this boy so much!

Dirty pants

Where's betty?

Big eyed betty

Oh, the humanity

This is betty, in recovery after being traumatized because I told a gassy Asher to go lay on the sofa. Betty cried and cried and yelled, saying "he will toot on it!".  this is a different sofa, not the contaminated one (of course.)

Ps-I am trying to say "sofa" instead of "couch" now so if I ever meet Ryans coworkers I wont embarrass myself.  what do you think? Pretentious?

Kids

Since this place is more journal than blog, i feel that I need to record this poem that I read to Ava a few weeks ago. It was in The Friend magazine.

I know that Jesus Loves Me
I know that Jesus loves me.
I can see it in the sky.
It shows in every white, white cloud
That dances for my eyes.

I know that Jesus loves me.
I can find it in the sound
Of the happy little waving leaves
That breezes whirl around.

I know that Jesus loves me.
I can hear it every day
In all the kind and gentle words
My parents often say.

I know that Jesus loves me,
For I feel a burning start
when I kneel and say a prayer.
The Spirit fills my heart.

The poem didn't really move me at the time, but sweet Ava told me it made her feel like crying. I told her it was the spirit confirming to her that Jesus really does love her.

On a less spiritual note, when this song, below, (ho hey by The Lumineers) came on the radio Betty said "Me love this song."  She has also been giving some fast-talking and very wordy explanations of her experiences, which I love. Rarely do others hear her speeches, but the waiting room at the chiropractors office got an earful about how the water cooler works and how much Ava would have liked it if she was there. One of the assistants called to the other in the back room and said "you have got to come see this little spitfire." Then tonight Ryan got to hear a short one  as she climbed to the top bunk, starting with "See? Me go up a ladder. Me no fall!" and we couldn't understand the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvCBSSwgtg4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Here is a pic of our co-op preschool in a box. Asher and betty in front, rest of the class in back. Asher is currently addicted to playing lego star wars on xbox. He has started waking up too early and forgetting to eat all in the name of xbox. Well, he is not blaming xbox (classic denial!) but I am.

Short

Got my hair did. I am enjoying short hair except for that time my aunt and grandparents thought I was a teenage boy on facetime. Even when my mom focused in on my face they were like "who is that boy?". Score one for looking young? Now I am secretly hoping somebody mistakes me for a member of One Direction. Not sure if my jeans are skinny enough, though.

Here is my first selfie!!!!!

Great Wolf Lodge

Last weekend we took some of the money the grandparents had sent us for Christmas and went to Great Wolf Lodge. It was SO much fun but we spent most of our time at the indoor water park and I took no pics because I didnt want to bring my camera or phone.

Asher was sad initially because he was too short to do any of the big slides (he really did get ripped offf for being short), and ava could go on almost all the slides but she was too scared, but in the end the family found common ground in the wave pool. Betty was lulled to near slumber on ryans lap while he lay in a tube. 

the highligt for A and A was having a tv in their bedroom. It was so amazing they would have stayed in their cabin all day if we didnt make them leave. Betty liked staying in a big girl bed but, of course, she kept everybody awake with her chatter. So i brought her to bed with me and ryan, where we were watching The Office. Instead of sleeping she alternately kissed me and made excited faces at me.

The highlight for Betty was getting a donut. We went to Mcdonalds for dinner and i gave them the option of dessert there or a donut at the hotel. They picked dessert there but apparently betty thought she was getting both. When she found out the truth she refused to eat her ice cream cone. We knew at that point she was serious about donuts. So like the spineless pushovers we are, we gave in, and all were happy.

All in all, it was a dream weekend for the kids. Thanks to grampy and grandma and grandpa dart!

Betty looking out her cabin window at Great Wolf Lodge