Miss Mischief

The last few months have been very entertaining as we have watched Sarah's personality blossom. I am happy to report that she is so much sweeter than early indications might have suggested. :) At 14 1/2 months she....

* Has pretty close to a mouthful of teeth! A far cry from the one little tooth she had at Christmas. That means we've been through a lot of teething the last couple of months, but she is putting her molars to the test and seems to enjoy the results.

* Is not talking - yet. She puts together strings of "mamamamamam" and will mimic some other sounds, but she's holding back on the real words. Not that she doesn't understand us! She can follow instructions such as "Sarah, go get your bunny" and when she gets in trouble she will often direct herself to Liam's Time Out corner! She knows a few official signs, but has developed her own way of communicating: two arms up means "Sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Throwing her back against the corner cupboard in the kitchen means she's thirsty.

* Is the biggest kissy-face ever! She will kiss anyone (including Mojo) and anything. If you're not in range she will blow a kiss your way. And if you happen to be the bird she is watching out the window, then she will pucker up to the glass. No one is safe from the slobber.

* Has a fiery temper. She can flip from super sweet to really angry in no time at all. She doesn't hold anything back, and sometimes it is really a sight to behold. Hmmmm, I think she might get that from me.....

* Is in the 25 lb range and finally at the point where I can't cart her around on one side of my body all day anymore. For the last 2 1/2 years my left arm has been remarkably toned....I suspect it will catch up with the rest of my softness in short order. ;)

* Is becoming a bit more selective about what goes in her mouth. (FINALLY! That is one tough phase to keep on top of!)

* Has no fear. Climbing. Jumping. She hoists her little body onto the sofa, and then launches herself off the back. She drags chairs around the house so she can reach food on the counter. Or so she can reach the computer and wiggle her fingers around the keyboard.

* Has a thing for buttons and dials and when I am busy in the kitchen Liam is my watchman...."SARAH'S IN THE TV CABINET MOOOOMMMM! SHE'S PUSHING ALL THE BUTTONS!!!!!!"

* Still needs to be in bed by 7pm, or things will get dicey. And if dinner is ready one minute past 5:30....bring your ear plugs. This girl is hungry.

* Sustains minor injuries regularly (see comment re: daredevil nature). Regardless of where she bumps herself, she pats herself on the head. Meanwhile, a nice bruise is forming on her thigh....

* Likes to scoot around the kitchen floor by lying down and sliding herself backwards. She thinks this is nothing short of hilarious. The rest of us are somewhat puzzled - but we clap and cheer her on anyways!

So Long, SuSu

By day, he's a Big Boy: potty trained, puts on his own shoes, and can tell us about events that happened months ago with startling clarity and an impressive vocabulary. But by night, he's still my baby: diapers, crib (he doesn't want to give it up just yet) and a soother (or susu, as it's called around here). To be honest, I hadn't thought about it much, but I kind of like it that way.
Last night he got all ready for bed, but when it came time to clip that susu on to his jammies we discovered some threatening cracks in it. We had always known (and so had he) that this was his very last susu. No replacements. But it was still an unpleasant shock to Liam and the panic began right away. Wailing, screaming, and some huge tears were finally staved off with a few rounds of "knick-knack-paddy-wack" (quick thinking, Matt!) and then he was tucked into bed with his army of plush friends. 5 minutes went by. Then 10. So far, so good. And then.....the hysterics began. After a few short trips into the room for reassurance, I went back in for a real cuddle. We sat on his little couch and talked for a long while. He tried so hard to be brave and he talked about all kinds of things that are important to him: his puppy, swimming, Dad playing hockey, garbage trucks, granola, and then, his voice wavering....."Mama, I just feel like cryin'!" And so did I. We both cried a few tears about little boys having to grow up. And when it was finally time to say goodnight, he blew me some kisses, said "I love you Mama!" and went off to sleep. All night. I don't expect that we're out of the woods just yet, but it was a big step....for a little boy.

You've Got a Little Something....

It's no secret that Sarah's bathtime is....an ordeal. So in the interest of self preservation we often overlook the odd tangle in her hair, or that extra sticky spot on her cheek. Until spaghetti night. Then we start filling the bathtub about the same time as the pasta pot!
On another note....Sarah is a great eater, and quietly shovels fistfuls of food into her mouth at dinnertime. It's her quietest and happiest time of day. But her sense of humor is starting to emerge and she has discovered she can get a few laughs out of the bowl-on-head trick. Yes, it's funny the first time....

I Owe Mojo An Apology

The Easter Bunny wasn't the only furry white creature hovering around the candy at our house Sunday morning. A certain bandit known as Mojo discovered he has a penchant for marshmallows before the kids even knew what they were missing. There were a few rounds of "Bad Boy!" and a backyard banishment, but in retrospect I think he did us a favor. 3 marshmallows and 2 jelly beans before breakfast does not make for a pleasant preschooler by the time 9am rolls around!

Mojo gets a whiff of something tasty before retreating to the other room for his own private Easter hunt:

The kids check out each others' loot:


Some technical difficulties are preventing me from sharing photos of Sara's first bite of marshmallow (a bit confused) and jelly bean (chewy!), but based on her reaction I can assure you there will be more opportunities to witness it!

Next up: washing marshmallow goo out of Sarah's hair. I have a feeling I know how that's going to go.

M.I.A.

Yes, I know we've been missing for a while. We put Sarah in charge of the map....

Charming When Dry

That little bathtub meltdown video may have given the wrong impression.* Sarah is a sweetheart, and as long as her molar (yes, MOLAR!) isn't giving her trouble, she's got cheese in front her, and it is not past 7pm, she is perfectly charming.
* The tub always brings on the tears, but usually just during hair washing. What happened here was Matt told her to sit down (bathtub rules!) in his Stern Daddy Voice. She obliged, but thought about it for a minute and decided she didn't like the tone he used. The little lip quivered and then....well, you saw the rest.
One of Sarah's favorite activities these days is to "give flu shots" with the doctor kit she and Liam received for Christmas. The two of them are making sure Matt and I are well-protected against influenza! She wanders around the house with a stethoscope around her neck, but the doctor role playing ends at the blood pressure cuff. THAT is a purse.

Rub A Dub Dub.....Sarah STILL Hates The Tub