My Animal Expert

As a mom who thinks barnyard animals are among some of the cutest things ever (especially the Fisher Price Little People farm animals...could they be any sweeter?), I've never been exactly forthcoming with my kids about where we get our meat. So I was a little perplexed at the turn this silly, nonsense conversation took this morning:

Me: Hey, Cait! Did you know pigs give us milk?

Caitlyn: No they don't!

Me: Sure they do! Oh, wait, you're right...chickens give us milk.

Dylan: No, no, no mom! You have it all wrong! Cows give us milk. Chickens lay eggs. And pigs give us meat!

Happy Birthday, Caitlyn!

We all had a wonderful time celebrating your third birthday today! You were so happy this morning to have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, and you were an absolute angel at Mass, where lots of people wished you a happy birthday and where you got to hear your Uncle Robby sing some of our favorite songs. You got to open the first of your presents when we stopped by Grandpa's house on the way home, and then, just as you requested, we had chicken nuggets and french fries for lunch with Nonny! You told us a few weeks ago that you wanted everything Pooh Bear for your birthday party, and so, my sweet girl, that's exactly what you had:

This was the first year that Dylan helped wrap your presents, and he was so excited for you to open them! He couldn't wait for you to see the dress up Cinderella outfit we got you, and he loved playing "Prince Charming" (Pooh ears and all!)

Happy birthday, beautiful Princess. We love you so much!

Signs of Love

I didn't think anything could be sweeter than the sight of Meghan sleepily waving at me before finally drifting off as I nurse her...or watching her wave excitedly at us as soon as she wakes up in the morning, so happy to see us again each new day. But I witnessed something far sweeter on Wednesday night when Darren walked in the door after being gone for three days. Meghan was just beside herself the moment she saw him, waving enthusiastically over and over again, smiling and babbling and bopping up and down in my arms. She couldn't get to him fast enough! She'd briefly lay her head against him before pulling back to smile and wave at him some more, as though she couldn't believe that he was finally home. It was hilarious to watch her, waving, "talking", then waving some more! I think it may have been the final nudge I needed to finally jump on board the Signing Time bandwagon. I'd really love to see what else she has to say!

You Know You're A Mom...

...when you can serve dinner, eat a meal, load the dishwasher, take out the garbage, start some laundry, and help your two year old into her pajamas--all while holding your fussy, clingy, 17 pound nine month old on one hip.

A Rainy Day

Today began dark and dreary, with a steady rain accompanied by lightning and thunder. Indoors, our spirits weren't a whole lot brighter. Darren left again this morning for another three day business trip, and all three of the kids are sick with nasty colds. We were sad. We were restless. So we did what we do best during times like these...we baked. And baked. A batch of yummy chocolate chip cookies was our first priority, as Caitlyn has been asking so sweetly for the last few days if we could "please make some cookies". While they baked, we snuggled on the sofa and read some of our favorite fall and Halloween books. Meghan was fussy, and tired, but wouldn't sleep for very long unless I was holding her. After yet another unsuccessful attempt to help her settle down to sleep in her crib, I brought her into the kitchen with me, snuggling her and rubbing her back.

"Poor thing", I said. "Little Meggie isn't feeling very good".

"MOM", Dylan corrected me. "Meghan is not a THING! She's our baby!"

Ever the protective big brother, always concerned about his little sisters. Sometimes he makes me want to just cry.

The rain continued as the day progressed, but our dispositions were increasingly sunnier, especially after Caitlyn, coming into the kitchen from the living room, stopped dead in her tracks and shouted with an excited gasp, "Look outside, it's a rainbow!"

Oh, yes, it was...a beautiful, breathtaking rainbow, forming a complete, unbroken arch against the dark afternoon sky. I ran inside to get the camera, and even as I snapped a few pictures it began to fade. I'm so glad she noticed it when she did, or we would have missed it completely:

Later, when I realized I actually had all the necessary ingredients on hand, we tried a recipe for an apple cake that I've been wanting to try...just the thing, I figured, to finish off our day.

It didn't come out quite as pretty as the oh-so-lovely Rachel Ray's, but it tasted delicious. (And I'm thinking we'll even have some for breakfast in the morning!)

Evolution of an Artist

When Dylan was little, we'd sometimes let him play with the paint program on our computer. That was about the extent of his technical expertise, but now that he's older, he's become much more proficient in navigating a broader range of computer applications. He loves writing stories in Microsoft Word. He can Google anything. He really enjoys the interactive websites of PBS Kids and Playhouse Disney. He gets a real kick out of creating virtual zoo experiences with his Daddy. But recently he rediscovered his first love: paint. Here is a picture he did when he was around two years old. When we saw it again this afternoon, he asked me, "Mommy, what was I trying to draw?" I have no idea, but I do remember thinking at the time that it was surely the most inspired masterpiece I had ever seen:

He's been quite industrious the past couple of days, creating holiday "paintings" which he then asks me to e-mail to his cousins. Here are a few that I just adore:

Clearly, he's made considerable progress in his artistic achievements. But to me, his first early scribbles will always be some of his most precious work.