Ernie's First Edition

Ernie's been making up words lately. Yesterday, he said "Ally, you're all squibbing around!" He told me that means "ornery cat walking on tables." Ally squibs all the time.
This morning, he said something like "Dad, schboosh me!" Which he translated as "push me around the house in my firetruck."
Yesterday afternoon something like "zimmering" was defined as "playing wth chalk in the backyard."
The student has become the teacher.

Ernie's Third Birthday Book-Swap Bash!

After Lenora's Naming, we took advantage of having family in town to host Ernie's third birthday party! First the grandmas, Chris born March 2 and Bonnie born March 8, exchanged some gifts while the kids napped.

And birthday grandmas also got extra snuggle time with Lenora while Mom and Dad rushed around for party prep.

Cousin Maisie and Lenora got another chance to visit! They are keeping right up with each other, and are probably the most beautiful five-month old girls alive in the world today.

Though several of our guests had to decline due to last-minute sickness, we still had a nice group for the book swap!

Jonathan got one of our favorites: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaimon.
And Grandma Chris read Kitt's Curious George book to the group.

Ernie loved his cake, but most of all he loved having candles to blow out and people to sing to him!

And Aunt Laura and Uncle Tim's gift was a HUGE hit during and after the party. Ernie has been attached to his bug net and bug collection kit and binoculars ever since he opened them. For his actual birthday, he requested "The science museum with the bugs!" instead of the Children's Museum. Most of the after-party play sounded like this: "Would you like to go bugging wit me? Please, step into my museum [perennial garden] wit the director of ed-mology [entomology] and 'vestigate the bugs!"

The day went so fast, some of Ern's gifts from his grandparents weren't opened until his actual birthday on Tuesday. As you can see, he wanted to wear his new jammies from the Halls RIGHT AWAY, even if it meant over his moose pajama footies. And he's been playing with his new Duplo set from the Mohrs everyday. He loves that he can make tractors and construction machines with it!

Lenora's gifts

While the kiddos napped between parties, we opened some lovely presents for Lenora's naming. The Halls gave her a beautiful print of an owl from the Northwest tribes, and Bonnie's wonderful research on Lenora's many talented and loved namesakes. We plan to hang these above her dresser. Also a gorgeous sundress that I can't wait to put her in because I have a similar one and I want to be mother/daughter matchies!

The Mohrs gave her a lovely figurine, some cute clothes (and sandals!), and Lenora's Great-Great Aunt Agnes's baby ring which is mounted on a chain. It is gorgeous. I might just have to wear it for her until she is old enough.

Lenora's Naming Ceremony

This is by far one of my favorite Unitarian ceremony, but I managed not to cry this time thanks to Ernie's distracting antics. Thank goodness our friend Scott gave him a Scott-era matchbox car to play with so he wasn't completely all over the pulpit. Lenora behaved beautifully, and didn't cry when Fritz held her or let loose any loud gasses while in front of everyone. We were so glad to have her welcomed by the church, and so happy to have our parents and Aunt Laura participate.

Underpants and giggles

Our kids like each other

This is how tired I am

I percieve myself to be fairly high-functioning exhausted, and I'm just grateful that Lenora reliably lets me have at least three consecutive hours per night with only two wakings. Still, two events recently revealed to me how exhausted I really am:

1:30 a.m. waking, I go into Len's room and pick her up. I usually snuggle her nose to mine while carrying her over to the changing table. This time the dry air caused a bit of a shock, and thus some burned hair smell. What did I immediately think when I smelled smoke from this little static charge? "OMG, LENORA! Have you been smoking?"

3:00 a.m. waking, I have Len on the changing table and have just placed the new diaper under her bum. I reach up in the dark to make sure her penis is tucked down and can't find it! I freak out! How could I loose her penis?! What kind of a mother does that, even in the dark!?! Oh, that's right, this one doesn't have a penis.