The last 9 months

This post is mostly for Grandparents, but you are welcome to it. It's a repeat of a post-style I did in January, which is the life of my kids as captured by my facebook posts. It was prompted by one of those days parents have when they feel like their children' childhoods are slipping right through their fingers. Enjoy as much or as little of it as you want! (And please excuse the font issues; I have fixed it and fixed it and saved and re-saved the changes, but they keep being jacked up!)

Sept. 4, 2010 This morning, Pat let Israel help him make our own crushed red pepper. Before he washed his hands, Israel picked his nose. It's a fun morning.

Sept. 3, 2010 Eden finished drinking her milk, handed me the cup, saying urgently, "ah duh coffee, more pease, waduh ice in!"

Sept. 2, 2010 Israel, pretending, looks up at me and asks, "Hey, horse! Do you want to eat this field?" And he KEEPS repeating to Eden: "Hey, horse...you must be tired. I read you a story. Now it's time to go to sleep. Hey, horse..." I don't think Eden is a very compliant horse. ‎"Hey, horse, it's nice and cozy up here...."

Sept. 1, 2010 Israel, out of the blue: "It's sorta buggy outside, so we might want to watch Sesame Teet." He likes experimenting with conditionals.

Aug. 31, 2010 Today, an older lady in Aldi complimented me over and over about how well-behaved my children were! I'll take that over "cute" any day! So cool to have someone else affirm your kiddos!

Aug. 30, 2010 Israel has more stamina learning his letters when he's "teaching" them to a stuffed animal.

I recommend the walking path at Heekin for preschooler biking adventures.

Aug. 29, 2010
Eden, singing: "Now I know my ABCs. ABCD,XYZ."
Israel: "You cannot sing that because you do not know how it goes."
Eden: " [some word] WANT to sing A,B,C!"
Israel: "But, you do not know how it goes!"
Eden, singing: "A,B,C,D, Now I know A,B,C. A,B,C!"

Aug. 27, 2010 Eden is crying in bed and I heard Israel say, in his best impersonation of his mother, "I don't want to hear it!"

Aug. 27, 2010 Eden: "Hey, Mom! Cacka gums!" Me: "Cracker gums?" Eden: "Yeah." Me: "What's that?" Eden: "Um...beans! Look a dat!"

Had fun with the kids at their first trip to the dentist. Israel LOVED it!

Eden handed me her empty cereal bowl and said, "More, please." Then she lightly pushed on my arm and said, "Later! Bye!"

Aug. 26, 2010 Tonight, Israel seemed to be experiencing growing pains in his leg and said of Pat's kiss: "It didn't work." It's a sad night in the McCrory house.

Aug. 25, 2010 Israel: "I do have more reasons."

Aug. 23, 2010 I put Eden in her crib and she says, "Kisses." So I give her a kiss. "Thanks," she says. As I leave the room, I hear Israel trying to sing "This little light of mine" to Pat. "It just gets too hard for me," he says, "and I can't remember it." This continues to be a week when I'm amazed how fast my kids are growing up.

My kids did a great job at the library today! They were so well-behaved I had to tell you about it. They cleaned up after themselves, said "please" and "thank you," and shared with each other. It's nice when they act like you've taught them to. I know it doesn't always happen, but it's SO NICE when it does!

Aug. 22, 2010 Eden is going around the house pointing out everything. "Yook at dat kidd-uh cat!" and then she pointed to the box of cereal: "bay-suh ban!" This morning comes the sudden realization that she's saying a lot more than I expect/understand to be words most of the time. and, "Ee yike ih song!" Me: "Do you like that song?" Eden: "Yeah."

Aug. 21, 2010 Me: "Israel, you are SOOO cute! Who made you so cute?" Israel: "Daddy." (big smile and giggle)

Aug. 19, 2010 Israel just asked Eden if she would babysit his "Ellie" (cookie monster doll).
This morning, my mom and I were discussing Israel's crazy ability to dribble milk off his bottom lip.
Me: "I think he has my lips." [Israel smiles.] "Yeah, when he smiles, he barely has a top lip. Must be my lips."
Israel: (in silly voice) "I don't have your lip!"
Me: "Well, whose lips do you have?"
Israel: "I have MY l...ips! YOU have YOUR lips!"

Aug. 18, 2010 Eden got so mad in the bathtub tonight, she made herself puke. Oh, Eden.

Aug. 16, 2010 "I realized that I cannot sleep when there are shadows in my room." -Israel
The real kicker is that there ARE NO SHADOWS IN HIS ROOM. There were sometimes, but there are not.

Aug. 14, 2010 "Tinkle tah ow I watuh we are. Abuh da kie...." Name that song as sung by Eden McCrory.

Aug. 12, 2010 Mommy's sentence of the week: "I didn't ask you what you WANTED to do, I told you what to do." Israel's sentences of the week: "But, but, but I was just..." (or its cousin: "But, but, I don't WANT to...") and "Mom! Sorry for disobeyin'!" It's the beginning of another stage, I guess.
Yeah, Israel has also started "reasoning." "If I do that, I will get a pankin'. If I don't do that, then I WON'T get a pankin'? If YOU do that, then I will give YOU a pankin'." We are still working out the bugs. Today, he said he was "pretending" when he said he would spank me (for doing something with my food at the table?) If it weren't about disobedience, these conversations would be pretty funny. Let's not get our kids together for awhile. It could be dangerous! :)

Israel is attempting to free-style these days.

Aug. 9, 2010 Favorite Israel moment of the weekend
My mom: "Israel, do you want to say the blessing?
Iz: "Blessing."
My mom: "Do you want to say the prayer?"
Iz: "Prayer."
...Me: "Israel, do you want to pray?"
Iz: "Jesus, thank you for the food. Aaay-MEN."

Aug. 8, 2010 paid a visit to my sister-in-law's kindergarten room this evening with Israel. Her room was the most fun-looking there, but Israel was mostly impressed with the potties that were "just his size!"

Aug. 6, 2010 were finally able to take the kids with us to Raven Run today! Israel LOVES hiking!

Aug. 4, 2010 We were found outside at Minnetrista when the thunderstorm suddenly hit. Yea for an unforgettable moment!

Aug. 3, 2010 Eden is throwing her obligatory fit about our horrible cooking.

Israel, out of the blue during dinner: "Mom, you're married. Where is your weddin'?"
- We were married before you were born. [pointing] There are pictures of our wedding.
"That was your weddin'? I like your weddin'."
- Thanks. We do, too.
"I like your dress. And I like you, too. And, Daddy, I like you, too!"

Aug. 2, 2010 The kids sit on the counter while I make chocolate chip cookies. Before each ingredient, Israel asks, "Can I pour it?" After each mix, he asks about the beaters: "Can I lick it?" It's easy to make a kid happy.

"Mom? Can we have cookies now?"
-Not yet, but I like your enthusiasm.
"I like YOUR tu-tsie-stats!"

Jul. 31, 2010 The kids had a great time with the Jones kids. I could not believe how quiet it was with 4 under 3 in our house! Yeah for good kids, books, and play dough!

Making playdough for my kids took about 5 minutes and made me feel like super-mom. Happy rainy Saturday to us!

Jul. 29, 2010 I'm in an epic struggle with a 1-year-old over 1/8 of a green bean. ‎45 minutes after is started, the battle ended...and we both won! WHEW!

Jul, 26, 2010 Israel asked to see the GAP mailer that came in and started "reading" it to Eden at dinner. "It, it, it makes you fee bettuh, it gives you a feeling in your heart...." Ummm...?

Israel and Eden are playing together in a cardboard house and pretending it's raining inside, holding their hands up to catch it. Days like this, I'm glad they're so close in age!

Jul. 25, 2010 When I finished getting Eden dressed, she stood up, looked in the mirror, and said, "I coot!"

Jul, 24, 2010 Why was Papaw a firemen?
-You'll have to ask him.
I will have to ass kim?
-Yes, you will have to ask him.
[visibly upset] But, but, I thought you said I have to ask Papaw!

Jul. 23, 2010 Israel is learning to set the table. I can tell him to go in the kitchen and get a fork for "Me, you, and Daddy," and he goes by himself, gets the right number of forks, and puts them in the right spot! I'm amazed and surprised! I can't figure out why that's possible since he can't reliably count objects yet. I mean, he can count to 12, but can't always count, say, four fish or whatever. I'm a little puzzled.

Proof that kids can remember more than we expect them to: Israel came up to me out of the blue carrying the green goggles I last saw this winter and said, "Mommy, are these the snowman's eyes?" And they were!

Jul. 22, 2010 After reading "Where the Wild Things Are..."
"But why didn't he want to stay with the wild tings?"
"Because he wanted to go home where his mommy loved him and made good things to eat."
"But why she make good tings to eat?"
"Because she's a mommy."
..."But...YOU make good tings to eat!"
"Why, thank you, Israel."
"You make good tings to eat...like...BOCK-EE (broccoli)! Bockee is a good ting to eat!"

Jul, 21, 2010 I walk in the bathroom to check on Israel, who had just finished going potty like a big boy and found Eden standing facing the toilet, shirt pulled up, pulling her stomach out.

This morning, Israel was talking to an imaginary person and they were shooting off "fireworks." After lunch, I asked him if he could flap his wings like a bird and he smiled at me and said, "I don't have any wings." I guess someone bumped his imagination switch.

Warning to all parents of 1-year olds: Suddenly, your one year old will be approaching 1-1/2 and I don't care what they tell you...s/he will turn into a tantrum-throwing toddler right before your eyes! Just when you think you know a person! Geez! :)

I had a lady in the store yesterday tell me she was impressed with how "alert" Eden was. It's a great compliment for and INFANT.... What on earth will people do when I'm insisting that she "use her words" and tell her she "knows better?"

Jul. 20, 2010 After Israel incorrectly corrected my song lyrics, I said, "Goodnight, Mr. Argumentative." Israel said, "No, I not argumentative, I'm just Izzo."

Jul. 17, 2010 Okay. The ride home summarized. Adult: "Look at the mountains!"
I -Deeja, do YOU like the mountains?
-Yes, I like the mountains.
I -She said, "Yes, I like the mountains." ...Daddy, do YOU like the mountains?
-Yes.
...I -He said, "Yes." ...Eden, do YOU like the mountains?
- ...YEAH!
I -She said, "Yeah." Papaw, do YOU like the mountains?
- No. (Being ornery.)
I -Huh?
- No.
I -Huh?
- No.
I- Huh?

Eden kept interrupting saying (far less understandably) "Ee, MOUNTAIN! Look! LOOK! LOOOOK! (Adult: "What is it, Eden?" Ee, MOUNTAIN!"

Conversation with my kid:
Iz - Why you say we made it?
Because we buckled up in time.
(Repeat many times.)
Iz- Why you buckle up?
...Because you told me to.
Iz- Why did I tell you to?
I don't know. Ask yourself.
Iz- Izoo, why... Mom, why I tell you to?
Ask yourself.
Iz- I can't do that

Israel: "We goin' tuh to see the fwans right now. They are veey boo-fuhl!"

Jul. 10, 2010 Israel, with stickers all the way up his arm: "I'm Mike and I'm havin' a hard time. Mom, can you help me because I'm Mike?"

Jul. 8, 2010 Tonight, we prayed and thanked Jesus for the rain. Me: "Israel, is there anything else you want to thank Jesus for?" Israel: "ME! [squeezes eyes closed and assumes slightly quieter tone] Jesus, thank you for me. A-MEN!"

Me: "Israel, go find the cup of water you brought in the house." Israel: "Mom, I've looked and looked and looked for my cup of water all day and I can't find it."

Israel: "Do you want some lunch?"
Eden: "Yeah!"
Israel: "Well, Mommy's making us some lunch. Do you like quesedillas?"
Eden: "Yeah."
Israel: "Do you like va-ca-tion?"
...Eden: "Yeah!"
Israel: "Well, we have to get ready to go on va-ca-tion!"

Jul. 3, 2010 famee date night!

Jul. 2, 2010 Israel now dresses himself, gets himself glasses of water, and buckles himself in his car seat. Where'd that baby go?

Jul. 1, 2010 I left the dining room to get a towel and return to Israel chewing my cereal and saying, "Mommy, I like it when you share wit' me!"

Jun. 30, 2010 Israel: "When I get little, I can have TWO birthdays."
Me: "When you get older, you'll have 1 birthday. Everyone gets 1 birthday a year."
Israel: "I have TWO reasons for 2 birthdays!"
Me: " What are they?"
Israel: "I CAN have 2 birthdays. That my reason for I can have more cakes!

Jun. 29, 2010 I love it when my son asks me to cover up his stuffed animal, too.

Jun. 28, 2010 At Eden's check-up today, the nurse asked, "Can she let you know what she wants without crying?" Eden has at least a 100 word vocabulary, but I still almost said, "No."

Jun. 24, 2010 My children just came hopping through the house on all fours saying, "Ribbit! ribbit!" Let the joint pretending begin!

Jun. 23, 2010 Actual conversation I just had:
Me: "Israel, go potty."
Israel: "Mom, I just want to cry."
Me: "Well, you can go to your room and cry after you go potty."
Has anyone else ever used crying as an incentive to obey?!?!
He just actually took me up on my offer because he wanted to. "I'm sad." "Do you want to go be alone for awhile and cry?" "Yeah." ???

I was wrestling in the floor with Israel. He "bit my leg." I started demanding to have my leg given back, so he took his time to make a big spit bubble and tried to "put it back." HA! Eww...

Jun. 22, 2010 Israel is getting freckles.

Jun. 20, 2010 We have all taken our first turns going down the (pretty stinkin' fast) slide!

Jun. 19, 2010 I load the dishwasher. Eden starts to unload it.
Me: "No, no, Eden." [puts the item back]
Eden takes it out again.
Me: "Eden, no, NO." [puts it back again]
Eden takes it out again.
...Me: "Eden, NO."
Eden hands it up to me. "Yah weh-cuh. Yah weh-cuh!"

Jun. 17, 2010 Israel to Eden: "Judah and Nomi comin' to your house!"
Eden: "Huh?"
Israel: "Judah and Nomi are comin' to your house!"
Eden: "Huh?"
Israel: "Judah and Nomi are comin' to your house!"
...Eden: "Huh?"
Israel: "Judah and Nomi are comin' to your house!"
Eden: [starts crying]
Israel: "No, YAY!"

Israel comes out of his room: "Hi. I'm Mike. ...Do you want to sing while I pay the dums?"
I sang with him. He kept a really consistent beat, too! It was one cool version of the ABC song.

Jun. 15, 2010 Israel: "What do we do with the hard rain?"
Me: "We stay out of it."
Israel: "We tell it to go away?"
Me: "No, it's good for the plants to help them grow."
Israel: "That nice of the rain."

Jun. 10, 2010 Israel and Eden are running back and forth from the front door to the back door. Israel: "One, two, tee, GO!" Eden: "Tsee, tsee, GO!"

Jun. 9, 2010 Israel and I were counting. I said, "One...." Eden said, "Two!" Israel and I counted to nine and Eden said, "Ten!" Now she is saying, "2,1,2,1,2,1, 6!"

I love the sound of my children reading books out loud to themselves.

Jun. 7, 2010 Israel: "Eden, it's not a 'weese,' it's a 'fing!'"

Jun. 6, 2010 Israel: "Where does Jesus live?" Me: (buying some time....) "Where do you think Jesus lives?" Israel: "Conner Prairie."
What would YOU say? In your heart? In heaven? Everywhere? I opted for "kind of everywhere..." at which point Israel became afraid of Jesus because he thought he must be a giant and called him a "bad guy." (Did I mention we read about David and Goliath and Jack and the Beanstalk?) Geez! I have some bad theology to undo in the morning! :)

Jun. 5, 2010 Israel last night: "Mom, I have fingernails." Israel this morning: "When I have boogers in MY nose, they are...yucky!"

Jun. 4, 2010 Funny thing Israel said today: "We did see horses and cows! It was piddy cool. It poop."

Jun. 2, 2010 Apparently, Eden wants her new hobby to be climbing on top of the dining room table.

Jun, 1, 2010 Kudos to Kim the Aldi lady for telling the other concerned parents that Eden has NEVER acted like that in the grocery store and then helping me carry my larger-than-usual load of groceries out to the car. It was a rough trip, but Kim ROCKS!

May 31, 2010 My kids have been swinging in our back yard!!!!

May 29, 2010 We're setting the last posts in for the swingset! Tomorrow we SWING! (Israel's already asking where the slide is. Again, he is just like his mom.)

May 28, 2010 Israel just told me, speaking of the shredded toilet paper I told him he cannot have, "I will be disappointed in you if you take it from me."

11:42When prompted to say, "Sorry," (a word she can both sign and say) Eden immediately starts to throw a fit. (If she does not say it, she also immediately returns to the wrong she was doing.) This seems like a heart issue. With Israel, the battle is over once he says the right thing as well, but I don't remember how we go...t there. Anyone successfully taught this to their kid?
11:51: She is still in time out. If I tell her I love her and want to play, but that she needs to say sorry, she says "Pay!" and when I say, "But you need to say "sorry," she puts her hand over her eyes, turns her head away, and then starts crying. Oh, the stubbornness!
12:04: ...and...Israel just busted his lip while playing a game with me. He's so tough. HE'S OFFERING HER HIS ICE, saying, "It'll make you feel better!"
12:32: I settled for "Out, please," because it was lunch time. Hope something was learned....

May 27, 2010 Israel just put his shirt on by himself for one of the first times and said, smiling, "I'm poud of me!"

Israel just ate about .50 worth of chapstick. Can you tell I'm on a budget?

May 25, 2010 At the end of a prayer time that went, "Israel, do you know who made x?" "Jesus! Thank you, Jesus, for making x..." Israel suddenly piped up with his own realization: "And Jesus made ME!' [squints eyes closed and smiles big.] "Jesus, thank you for making ME!" I hope he is always that grateful for the life Jesus gives him.

The kids picked a bunch of strawberries from my neighbors garden. YUM!

May 22, 2010 Burris playground = Disney World to a toddler

May 21, 2010 Sophie (our dog) eats the food Eden leaves behind; Eden eats the food Sophie leaves behind....

Parent's confessional: Mistake of the week #1: Saying, "Obey the first time," on the 3rd time. Mistake of the week #2: Israel said, "Are you feekin' kiddin' me?"
Well, that one is mostly his dad, but I'm not innocent in the matter. It gets muttered under our breath when going to deal with Israel doing something frustrating. Israel said it when I told him to go get his shoes, so it wasn't very funny at the end of Defiance Week.

May 18, 2010 Eden just said, very clearly, "Walk! Sie! (outside) Ribwer! (river)" I wonder what she wants to do?

Israel (out of nowhere at lunch): "I want to be a professor!"
Israel has said (awhile back) that he wanted to be a firetruck. HA! He usually says he wants to be a fireman, though. He has also said he wanted to be a dinosaur when he grows up. We're encouraging professor. :)
Brenda Miller added: That's funny, when I was reading him the Richard Scarry book on Monday, he pointed at the picture of the professor and said that's what I want to be...so I said you want to be a professor when you grow up?

May 16, 2010 This week, Israel became afraid of the shadows in his room. Tonight, it's the tree shadow on the curtain.

May 10, 2010 We made it to Kentucky. I still can't talk, but Israel managed to fill in the silence for me. When we pulled up in front of my parents' house, you would've thought he was at Disneyworld (or the Sesame street equivalent). "Yay! We at DEEJA'S house!"

Having no voice makes disciplining a 2-year-old pretty difficult and strange.
Brandon wrote: I think it's high time that you develop a glare like mom had when we were little. A glare followed by a fingernail pinch on the back of the arm...
Pat's cousin, Jennifer, wrote: Give him the "eye".
I wrote: Brandon and Jennifer, I TOTALLY just did that after employing other means. You know what happened? He LAUGHED at me! Oh, Pat should be home soon...Pat should be home soon....

May 7, 2010 My kids are going to be foodies! Of the deglace, Israel said, "I like to dip in it. It make me pretty happy." Of the ribeye, Eden said, "More! Meema!" They each had seconds of the perfectly soft gala apples, the green beans with garlic, and the parsley mashed potatoes. Tonight, we ate like kings and queens!

Yesterday, we found out Eden broke 18 lbs.

May 6, 2010 Eden insists on saying, "Hi, Daddy." when she sees me. (Yes, she can and does say "Mommy," too.)

May 5, 2010 Israel has had 3 dry nap times WITHOUT PULL-UPS...IN A ROW!!!

May 3, 2010 Me: "Israel, are you tough?" Israel: "No." Pat: "Israel, are you humble?" Israel: "Yes."

May 1, 2010 Pat and Israel McCrory will now attempt to make a BLT pizza.

I used to work with a man who would cuss out God every time he didn't like the weather. Yesterday, my son screamed, angrily, "WIND! STOP IT, WIND!"

April 28, 2010 Israel had a LONG prayer tonight. He'd pray, say amen, and then say, "I can pray for another person." The last "person" he wanted to pray for was me to go on the elevator. (Where?!) I told him he could thank God for elevators that make him happy, but he didn't need to pray for me to go on the elevator. So he prayed, "H...elp ME to go on the elevator and not be afraid and push the buttons to go up and down. A-MEN!"

We often sing the Johnny Appleseed song with Israel before bed. It ends with "Amen!" (pronounced "ah-men" here). Israel ALWAYS says, "On the bus!" I always just thought it was b/c he wanted the wheels on the bus song (another favorite) to come next. Tonight, I asked him why he says that. He said, "because the men on the bus!"

April 26, 2010 Israel has a new phrase from today that took me forever to figure out. Let's see if you can guess it: "Fing-uh-pah-kuh." (Answer: Swing your partner!)

Once again, Israel finished his lunch and started running laps around the table, saying, "Sophie! Underwear!" ...Why???

April 25, 2010 Israel's throwing a fit about having to put his shoe on by himself (which he's been required to do all week). Lezlie's response: "Dry it up and put it on." Pat's response: "I'm not going to be here your whole life to buckle your shoes." Yup. We are parents.

April 23, 2010 Me, tucking Israel in for his nap: "Israel, are you my snuggle bug?" Israel: "No, I-I-I-I'm not a nug bug. I'm not a bug. I'm just Izzo."

April 20, 2010 The other day, Israel sang, "Head, shoulders, knees, and toes...nipples!" It got a laugh from me and Pat. Now Israel randomly yells, "NIPPLES!" during any song.

April 19, 2010 While getting dressed, Eden said, "Bible...so..." so I started singing "Jesus Loves me," and she insterted some of the right words at the right time! She is 13 months old and I think this is AMAZING!

April 16, 2010 We had a great time being hosted this evening. What a treat to be served dinner...and dessert! Israel (who refused to talk upon entering the house) left saying, "I love you!" and blowing kisses. Eden left with berries on her shirt.

April 15, 2010 Israel said, "When I'm a man, I will shave. I will have hair on my cheek when I get older and I will sleep up there (top bunk)."

April 14, 2010 I can tell Israel to go use the bathroom and change his underwear...and it HAPPENS! It's the small things....

Explanation #1: "Because you could break things and hurt people."

April 13, 2010 Today, Eden started saying "thank you" (DEE-doo!) when she receives something instead of when she hands something to you.

April 12, 2010 I'm hunkered down on the couch. Israel: "Can I come pay for gzou?" Me: "Absolutely." Israel: [squinting his eyes, which is funny since I rarely close mine...] "Jesus, pease help Mommy to fee bedduh. ...Jesus, pease give Mommy some money. A-men!"

April 11, 2010 Israel (spontaneously): "Every day of my life, I. Will. Bless. duh. Lord. For He's...gooooood!"

April 9, 2010 Can YOU explain to me why Israel is running laps around the dining room table, saying, "Sophie! Underweeeeaaaar!"

Eden does not like strawberries. But she does like an egg and cheese burrito with sour cream and Taco Bell's fire sauce.

April 8, 2010 Israel was talking about who has babies in their bellies again tonight with the following conclusion: "I want to be a baby so I can come out of Daddy's belly!" Hmmm....

April 4, 2010 When I was putting Israel to bed, he told me two things: 1.) I don't have to go to sleep right now. 2.) I need to vacuum.

April 3, 2010 Telling Israel about the crucifixion: "The people fought Jesus, but Jesus didn't fight back. We want to be like Jesus." Israel: "He fight forwards?"

April 2, 2010 Israel is actually skilled at helping water the plants in my neighbor's greenhouse. Eden just likes to stand on her toes to look in and watch.

April 1, 2010 I just put Eden in the same dress she wore LAST year.

March 29, 2010 Eden, at her 1-year check-up, weighed in at a whopping 17.25 pounds. (3rd percentile.) What a girl!

March 26, 2010 Israel is eating lunch with his backpack on, asking, "We gonna go to Deeja's house soon?"

March 25, 2010 Our friend is in labor this morning! Israel: She have a baby in her belly? Me: Her baby is coming out of her belly. Israel: She gonna jump? She gonna hop out?

March 24, 2010 I just prayed for Eden and after I finished, she said, "Amen."

March 22, 2010 I think my daughter may undermine the doctrine that it is not for humans to bear offspring better than themselves.

Israel is listening to Mozart and screaming, "Everybody clap your hands in the air!" He's so eclectic.

March 20, 2010 Best event of the picnic: Israel sees our friend's dog run into the river and says something about "fimming." Pat turns around to find Israel, pants and underware at his ankles, saying, "Can you take off my shoe, Daddy?"

March 19, 2010 On our first visit to the White River this year, Eden learned to say "river," "rock," "duck," and "stick."

March 18, 2010 I just put on my logicola t-shirt and Israel said, "Mom, you just look so cool!" "I love you, Israel." "I love you, too, Mom."

March 16, 2010 Events of the day: 1.) I only gave Eden one longer nap. 2.) That meant we could spend the morning at the new Heekin park playground. 3.) Totally unrelated, Eden took a head-over-heels tumble down our concrete steps. Horrifying. Worst fall ever. 4.) She's still amazingly happy, if scuffed up.
She cried a bit over this. Her head is scraped a bit and will definitely be bruised from the outside corner of her right eye to well past her hair line. :( She got ice and tylenol and didn't act like it bothered her past that. I'm curious if it'll be worse tomorrow. [still feeling bad about it]

March 15, 2010 Israel just walked past me, said, "Bye, Mom. See ya!" and blew me a kiss on his way out of the room. He promptly returned and said, "You can come with me."

March 13, 2010 Israel: (with no antecedent, and very matter-of-fact): "I'm just very angry because I'm very sick...because I'm sad...." Me: "You're mad because you're very sick and you're sad?" Israel: "Yeah. I'm very angry because...because...I'm just very disappointed." Come again?!

Israel bowls a 72, which is almost as good as me.

March 12, 2010 I've realized one of my parenting lines is, "Stop making my job hard."

March 11, 2010 We're returning from the largest children's museum in the world. Eden says, "wuh, wuh... ts.ts.ts." about the trains.

March 11, 2009, I was looking into the eyes of my newborn baby girl. March 11, 2010, I take out the camera at breakfast and she says, "cheese!"

March 10, 2010 I spread out the home-made compost in the garden using my bare hands because it felt so wonderful. Eden also thought the dirt felt wonderful and Israel didn't let it get in his way. Pictures to follow; laundry first.

March 8, 2010 Israel just told "the Aldi lady" on the way out, "I love you. Peace out!"

March 7, 2010 And so Israel's Mulberry Street live basketball network begins.

This morning, Eden prefers Israel's Super Grover and he prefers changing her baby doll's "poopy" diaper.

March 6, 2010 I crammed Eden's feet into my favorite shoes for the last time. Bummer. (She might have to go shoeless tomorrow. I had no idea she was almost out of these shoes!)

We had Eden's first birthday party today! (But I'm holding onto her not being 1 until Thursday.)

March 3, 2010 "Israel, what are you doing?" "Nuffin." "Israel, what are you doing?" "Nuffin. ...I, I, I just was diggin' in my butt, but...I'm alright."

As I was putting egg rolls in the oven, Israel said, "Mommy, you gonna make me very happy." "How?" "Because you gonna make me happy with LUNCH!" (I guess he REALLY likes egg rolls.)

March 2, 2010 Eden now says, "ba" for ball and is trying to figure out how to throw one. Dropping it or pushing on it without letting go is as close as she gets today.

March 1, 2010 Eden has been SO high-maintenence today. I'd been checking fo signs of teeth and thought, "Maybe some are coming in up top." Then, suddenly, her next bottom tooth appeared this evening.

11:30 dance party in our kitchen

Feb. 27, 2010 This afternoon, Eden was able to correctly point out a moon in one of her books. Tonight, I asked Eden to find a truck on a page in another book. While she wasn't able to do that, she did respond by saying, "Vroooooom!"

One kid down, one kid up. Other kid down, other kid up. Today's naptime = fail.

Feb. 26, 2010 I forgot to tell you that Eden said her first SENTENCE yesterday. Two word while talking on the phone: "Hi, Baby!"

Israel last night: "Mom, I don't need any kisses. ...Mom, kiss this cheek. [Done.] Mom, I need two kisses. [Done.] I need two kisses on the other cheek. [Done...] I need a LOT of kisses!" [I kiss all over his face. He smiles even bigger.] "I don't need ANY kisses." [He wipes all over his face, smiling.]

Feb. 25, 2010 Eden now says, "Dance! Dance!" (Okay, it's more like, "Di! Di!" but she "dances" while doing it or claps and so I know what it is.)

Feb. 22, 2010 Pat just gave Israel a wedgie. And I'm telling.

I know I've posted too much today, but Eden's sporting some pigtails! I'll have to post pictures.

Kiddo snapshot 1.) Israel got a spanking and a stern talking-to about why we don't put things in the plug-ins. I asked, "Do you understand?" He said, "Yes," and gave me a voluntary hug and kiss.
Kiddo snapshot 2.) Eden spent 10 minutes throwing a fit rather than using words to get down from lunch. (Did I mention she now says, "All done!"?) Once she calmed down, I got her out and she wrapped both arms around me, laid her head on my shoulder, and patted my back.

Israel is sitting at the piano saying, "1, 2, 3! Why you sad, Baby? Why you sad, Baby? Why you saaaaaad, Baby?" I guess he likes coming up with his own blues songs.

Feb. 20, 2010 We spent the day with Deeja and Papaw and returned home to find our snowman knocked over...again.

Feb. 17, 2010 Israel discovered two things upon returning home. He was excited about the "bicycles" hanging from the house. He cried when he saw some kid ran up and kicked over the snowman.

I am the mother of two toddlers.

Having a 2 year old clean his own room is MUCH harder than cleaning it yourself.

I know it may be gross, but I like burrowing my face into my son's cheek when it still smells like his morning-breath drool.

Feb. 15, 2010 I just told Israel to say, "Yes, please," and he said, "Yes, sir." I never use the word "sir."

Feb. 14, 2010 While I was talking on the phone, Eden picked up a hand-held game, put it on her head, and kept saying, "Hi!"

Okay. Two posts for Israel lovers. Post #1: As I was getting out of the shower, I hear a voice coming from the register in the bathroom. It said, "Israel, did you really drop your drumstick in here?" I heard some scratching, and then, "It's gone, man. It's for real gone. It's not coming back."
Post #2: I came out of the bedroom wearing a long sweater and Pat and I were joking about how all I really needed to put on were some leggings or tights. Israel said, "Mommy, you need to put some pants on. Put some pants on, Mommy."

Feb. 12, 2010 Israel's first time bowling = success

I'm leaving Eden in her baggy pajamas and tousled hair because I like it.

I think taking away books for the day is a strange punishment, but I hope it'll be effective.

Feb. 10, 2010 Israel just asked me if I have a penis. And so the discussion begins. I hope I can keep it at, "So I can't pee standing up!" for many, MANY years. Right now it's the same way he's asking everything else: "Mom, do YOU have coffee?" "Mom, do YOU have a lot of food?" "Mom, do YOU have a penis?"

Okay, today Eden started imitating Israel's "smile," by shutting her eyes tight and smiling and independently said the word, "baby" while looking at a book of baby faces. I'm pretty sure I'll never have to directly teach this child anything.


Feb. 8, 2010 Last night, Israel woke up crying 5 times. (That's the last time we'll EVER keep him up so late.) Today, I told him that if he didn't finish eating his apples, he would have to go straight to bed without playing. He then started asking if he could go straight to bed.

I just received the first Eden-initiated open-mouthed kiss on the cheek.

Feb. 6, 2010 We just returned from sledding down the McCullough hill. It was a first for both kids and a second for me.

I love this snow! Yesterday brought the beginning of a snow fort, a snowman, snow cream, a warm bowl of chili, and hot chocolate made with milk on the stove.

Feb. 5, 2010 Accident #2 today. I'm trying hard not o be too annoyed, but I think I'm not going to offer fluids for 48 hours.

Pat put Israel's old socks on inside-out last night in the dark. Today, Israel examined his socks: "This my new sock. [rubs the fuzzy, inside-out bottom] It, it...it feel. It very 'pecial."

Feb. 4, 2010 Returning from Bracken Library to make a quick lunch, Israel opens the pantry and says, "I have a good idea. We could have some-uh dat...and some-uh dat...and...some-uh dat."

Feb. 3, 2010 Today, all that potty training mess and frustration feel well worth it. I'd do it again.

Feb. 1, 2010 Eden McCrory demonstrates two of her most recent accomplishments: walking and saying her version of the English word, "dog."

Jan. 31, 2010 Eden just walked from the dining room table almost all the way to the corner chair! (That's a good 10-15 steps for those of you who don't know our house.) Israel is stacking alphabet blocks 10 blocks high.

Jan. 30, 2010 Pat: "Do you like my shoes?" (old-school Converse) Israel: "Yeah. They're cool!"