Jungle Gardens

I took Caroline to Jungle Gardens yesterday. She got to see alligators, a wallaby, and some turtles. She go to walk right up to some flamingos, and watched as mama held a parrot on her arm.

sun and sand

Caroline loves playing in the sand and loves swimming in the pool. I took Clayton for his first swim and he loves it too!

Florida!

We made it to Florida. We haven't seen the sun much yet, but it is WARM enough to go outside. After a particularly cold and snowy winter, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to actually be outside!

pictures from Caroline (and my) actual birthday...

The birthday girl!


Blowing out the candles...


Mmmm...cake with FROSTING!

Putting baby Mary to bed in her new baby doll cradle...

Caroline's 2nd Birthday Party!

We celebrated Caroline's 2nd birthday on Sunday. It was a "Sound of Music" party. There were balloons, cupcakes, apple streudel, and Sound of Music songs. We had lots of fun. I CAN'T believe she is two. My baby is growing up!

For the whole series of photos, you can check out Shutterfly.

And for a quick video of Caroline dancing in her new tutu...

Clayton in a basket

Happy Valentine's Day!

All clean...for the time being, that is...

Singing "grace" at her teaparty with her dollies

Happy 6 Month Birthday Clayton!

Adventures in Eating

Lunch
- Sit Caroline in her highchair with 2 pieces of turkey, a string cheese, and some cut-up tomatoes. Encourage Caroline to start eating her yummy lunch.
- Sit Clayton in his Bumbo seat
- Clayton fusses.
- Caroline insists she DOES want salad dressing dip for her turkey. Quickly get dressing.
- Clayton starts bobbing up and down trying to get out of Bumbo seat
- Try to feed Clayton oatmeal but he's bouncing and fussing.
- Look over at Caroline who still has yet to touch her lunch.
- Encourage Caroline to take a bite.
- Try to feed Clayton cereal, but he wants to practice making the "bbbbbb" sound instead whenever he feels the spoon in his mouth.
"bbbbb" sound + baby oatmeal = baby oatmeal spit right back into your face. If you wear
glasses, this is even more fun.
- Try to wipe the oatmeal off my glasses. It smears and now is worse. (the shirt is already a lost cause. )
- Physically put a piece of turkey into Caroline's mouth.
- Again try to get the spoon into Clayton's mouth and get him to eat the food before he starts "bbbb" iing again.
- Caroline is still chewing the first bite of turkey...like 3 minutes later.
Tell her to swallow and put a piece of cheese in her mouth.
- Feed Clayton some more cereal + some carrot baby food. He hungrily eats it. While I go to get another bite, he eagerly puts his fist in his mouth. Carrots, drool, oatmeal cereal now coat his fist.
- Ask Caroline to eat a bite of turkey. "I don't want to. " She says and drinks her milk instead.
- Put another bite of food into Caroline's mouth.
- Clayton rubs his head (along with the carrots, drool, and oatmeal.)
- Feed Clayton some more. He starts eating a little better with only a few "bbbbs" in between.
- Wipe glasses again, try to wipe the food off his head and fist.
- Ask Caroline to take another bite. She is still chewing the bite from a few minutes ago. "OK, swallow, then take another bite, please " I say.
- Clayton fusses because the feeding has stopped. Feed him another bite.
- Caroline has finally swallowed. "Take another bite, please". Instead, she starts singing and doing the hand motions to "Itsy-Bitsy Spider".
-"Right now" I say. She makes fists and whines. She finally takes another bite...
- Clayton has eaten all of his cereal and baby food and starts to fuss. Grab his pacifier for his post-eating suck.
- Caroline has eaten some turkey (dippe din slad dressing) and is now rubbing her hands (and oily salad dressing)all over the chair and the tray.
45 minutes later, 1/2 the string cheese is left, but at least most of turkey and tomatoes have been eaten. We call it a day and get cleaned up.
This is lunch for a baby and a toddler!

company

We had friends, Bryan and Fiona, and their 5-month old Oliver over Saturday night. It was a lot of fun to get together with adults, especially ones that have kids the same age as ours!

Clayton is loving baby food!

The days of solid foods are here. Clayton loves his oatmeal baby cereal. I gave him carrots the other day (baby food of course) and that was a big hit too!

new word of the day - "frustrated"

Caroline's new "word of the day" is frustrated. I can't recall the first time she said it, but one of the most memorable recent times was when I was letting her "help" me make mac-and-cheese. She helped pour in the milk and put in the butter. I then opened the cheese packet and gave it to her to pour into the pot. Before I could even get a word out, she threw her arms up and bright orange cheese powder flew everywhere...all over my nice white (well, formerly white) cable-knit sweater... all over my pants...all over the kitchen floor...all over Caroline's clothes. It got pretty much everywhere but into the pot. (Needless to say, we had pretty cheeseless mac and cheese that night.) "Oh Caroline!" I groaned. She took one look at me and said "Mama is SO frustrated."
Caroline - you hit the hammer right on the head. Mama was definitely frustrated!