A Visit With the Butterflies

While spending the weekend in DC with Noni, Grandpa, Uncle Jon and Oma we took some time this morning to go to a butterfly exhibit. This is a big open aviary/greenhouse type building that is just filled with butterflies. Both the kids are fascinated with butterflies right now and were very excited about going to see them.




There were some important ground rules such as no running, no screaming and no touching the butterflies. These were difficult for Jeffrey to process. Once we got inside and saw the butterflies it was hopeless. He was so enchanted by them that he would scream with glee every time one flew by him. And if one was still enough he'd reach his finger out to "pet" it and shriek as soon as it would flutter its wings and fly away. And forget about not running. How can one not run after something that is so amazing. Even still he did manage to remain still enough for a few seconds at one point that a butterfly landed on his shoulder. This resulted in the loudest squeal of glee of the entire morning - and immediately terrified the butterfly off his shoulder.


Erin wanted very badly for a butterfly to come and sit with her. She would try and sit very still and put her hand out next to a nearby "flutterby". But any time one would get close to her she'd jerk her hand away and giggle. With the ones she saw flying through the air she would run after it clapping her hands together as if she could catch one in her grasp. She would stop often when she saw one on the ground or a nearby flower and get up very close to it as if she was inspecting every detail of their wings.



All in all the kids loved the trip. Much more exciting than when we took Erin almost 3 years ago. That time she was most excited about the stones in the paths. This time it was all about the butterflies.

Boys Will be Boys I Guess

Well one boy in particular. He seems to have gotten himself in quite a bit of trouble yesterday afternoon. The type of trouble I never had with Erin. Not even when she pooped in her room so proud because she didn't poop in her panties. Although this is along very similar lines.

Jeffrey was put down for his nap at his usual time yesterday. Before laying down he peed on the potty and we got a pull-up on him. Both he and Erin were up very early - like 6:30ish which is way too early for me. So expected them to take good naps. Jeffrey apparently had other plans. About 10 minutes after laying him down I heard him up playing. I went in to guild him back to bed and noticed he smelled stinky. I half expected this actually. He's not been super great about pooping in the potty recently, but at least saves it for the Pull-up at nap time. So I take him into the bathroom. Clean him up and remind him that poopie belongs in the potty. I fish out a new Pull-up and bring him back to his bed.

Ten minutes later I hear him up again. Now I know he's just playing so it's time for some action. I go upstairs and find him in the middle of the hallway wearing only his t-shirt. That's right, no Pull-up. He looks at me with a big smile and says.

"Poopie in the potty mommy"

I peer into the bathroom and there is his Pull-up in the middle of the floor. And he has actually gone pee in the potty. Well I'm actually pretty proud of him for this because he's never really taken initiative to go on his own before. So I tell him good boy, but it's time to nap. I put the Pull-up back on and tuck him in.

Ten minutes later I again hear him playing. This time he's in the living room playing with the drum. Since he knows he's supposed to stay in his room during nap time he runs away from me. But not before I notice that yet again----he's naked on the bottom half. I ask him where his undies are and he leads me to the bathroom and again proclaims,

"Poopie in the potty mommy"

I peer inside and yes he has eeked out a little more pee into the potty. But this time I'm a little more frustrated because he KNOWS it's nap time and is really really testing the limits.

Again I re-clothe him and send him back to bed. Ten minutes later I hear him up again. This time it sounds as if he's staying in his room. I decide to wait it out hoping that he'll just conk out on the floor. A bit later I head up to check on him. Erin's door is open and there is a nasty smell coming from in there. Erin hears me coming upstairs and runs to meet me...

"Jeffrey went poopie mommy."

"OK honey, I'll get him cleaned up."

"No don't worry mommy I wiped his bum for you."

"What?"

Now you see I assumed Jeffrey went poopie in his Pull-ups. And I was correct in that assumption. What I didn't realize was that he had then taken said soiled Pull-ups off and tried to dump the poop into the potty (something he sees mommy do). Then feeling like a big boy he just went about his business. Except he rather missed the toilet and actually ended up dumping the whole Pull-up into the potty. Then apparently proceeded to fish it out. I wander into Erin's room and there he is in all his glory squatting in the middle of her floor playing. Clearly his path to this location had taken him through her room, over to the fish tank, up onto her newly washed sheets, and ended on the floor in the middle of a pile of toys.

Erin's room stank to high heaven. Jeffrey had poop all over his hands, all over his T-shirt, all over his legs, and all over the toys he was playing with. So I scooped him up, cleaned him off, removed said T-shirt and got him settled in pants and a clean shirt. I then turned my attention to the bathroom and toilet which had splatters of poop everywhere. After wiping that down it was time to address Erin's room. I stripped her bed, got the spots on the floor, and cleaned the toys. All in all it took about 45 minutes to clean it all up.

I asked Erin why she didn't come get me and she was quite clear that it was OK, she had wiped Jeffrey's bum. Clearly in the mind of a 4-year old this was sufficient enough to deal with the situation.

So I've got a stripper and a little girl who loves being a big sister so much (on every other Tuesday that is) that she's willing to clean up his poop. Boys will be boys I guess.

And oh yeah one other thing.....this morning I was greeted bedside by a stark naked Jeffrey in all his glory. Heaven help me. Now if I can just get him to tell me where he hid the diaper.

Out of the Mouths of my Babes

Here are some cute conversations I've had with the kids recently.

• Jeffrey went through a hitting phase a few months ago where he found himself in time out quite frequently for hitting. Whenever we put him in time out we always ask him, "Jeffrey do you know why you are in time out?" Usually he'll just look at you with his big eyes and say - "I sorry mommy." I'd inform him he was in time out because it's not nice to hit people. So, recently when he's in time out, most often for not listening, I'll ask him...."Jeffrey do you know why you are in time out?" His immediate response....."We Don't Hit PEOPLE" (emphasis on people). I try very hard not to laugh at him but it's quite difficult to hold it back.

• Or there's Erin trying to get Jeffrey to eat a Lima bean (her new favorite). "Look Jeffrey it's good. It's not spicy. It's good. Try it." Well put my dear. It's true - Lima beans are not spicy.

• Tonight Erin was sitting on my lap while I was playing an online fantasy game. She'll sit with either Tom or I enough she has a basic grasp for the game. So my character "fell over" (read died). Erin asks, "What happened mommy?" My response, "Mommy fell over, it's OK". A few minutes later the same thing happens. "Look mommy you fell over again." Then she turns her head away from the screen to look at me -- "You're not very good mommy." After one last attempt at the quest I moved onto a different area. Erin got slightly confused and said..."We're not in Kansas anymore!" I laughed for a good 5 minutes. No dear we're not in Kansas anymore. I couldn't have said it any better myself.

What could make a better photo shoot than...

...the end of a hot day, Popsicles on the porch, and naked kids (well almost naked). We had a long day in Richmond (actually lucked out with the dress and was able to pick it up today) at the dress store and then the Children's Museum. The kids were great at the store this time - probably because we were only in there for less than 5 minutes. Then we went to the museum where both were amazingly well behaved....until it was time to go. Erin got a rainbow painted on her cheek as the highlight of the day. When we got home we had a quick dinner of garden veggies and dip and Spaghetti Os. I promised the kids if they ate well we'd have a special dessert. I had them take off their clothes (although Jeff refused to take off his shorts) and they sat on the front stoop with Popsicles. The sun was shining in their faces and it was simply beautiful. I'll put up some of the pictures, but given today's society I'm going to hold back on any of Erin without her shirt. Sad as that is I think it's the appropriate thing to do. Anyway I've got a few to share.


Erin with her Rainbow before dinner


Erin with her Popsicle


Jeffrey having a go at it

Today.....

....we left the house in big boy undies. We took our first trip out of the house in big boy undies today. He's been doing very well for me the past few weeks. He doesn't yet tell me when he has to go, but seems to understand that when I take him to the bathroom he needs to try to go potty. I've been able to stretch our trips out to almost 2 hours apart which is great. Then I'm guaranteed he'll go within the first few minutes. He's been pooping in his pull-up at naptime so the pooping is still being worked on, but he hasn't had any poopy accidents in his undies.

So today we took the plunge, and went to the tax office (car tax day) and then the park for about 30 minutes. We were gone about an hour and he stayed dry the whole time. Yipeeeee. I'm not sure we're ready for big trips without the pull-ups but am certainly excited to know that we're making major progress here on the potty front.

At This Very Moment

At this very moment Jeffrey is playing in his room. Usually this is a good thing...today not such a good thing. You see he's supposed to be sleeping. I've gone up there 4 times, changed a stinky Pull-up, moved him back in bed, and even once slapped his behind. He knows he's stretching the bounds because when he hears me coming he either runs for his bed or lies down where he is on the floor and pretends to be asleep. He and Erin were both up early this morning playing and need to nap.

He's been fighting the sleep more and more lately. I think it's more of a control thing than a not being tired thing. He wants to control when he sleeps. Or where even. For example (a cute example at that).

Last night I put the kids into bed around 8:00 PM. Tom was out so I got both kids to bed at the same time. I read Jeffrey a story, tucked him in, got my night night kiss and left the room. I went over to Erin's room and read her a chapter from Charlotte's Web. All was quiet when I left her room. I headed down to the basement to watch a movie and play on the computer. I have a baby monitor on my desk so I can hear what Jeff's up to. All is quiet for the rest of the night.

When I'm ready to head to bed I always peek in at the kids and give them secret kisses. Sometimes Erin wakes up and says love you mommy. Jeffrey is usually half out of his bed and I scoot him back to the middle. So last night I head into Erin's room and give her a kiss. She makes a few noises but doesn't wake up. Tom, standing outside the room immediately starts giggling. I am thinking - he knows I do this every night, what's so funny. Tom remarks...

"I assume you put Jeffrey to bed in his bed tonight, right?"

"Of course, where else would I put him?"

"Well come look at this."

I turn to see what he's snickering about. There in the middle of our queen bed is a sound-asleep Jeffrey. All snuggled under the covers and cozy on Tom's pillow. I have NO idea when he moved in there. I never heard a thing.

Usually if he wakes up later in the evening he'll come downstairs to me...not last night apparently.