Crazy Week!

To say this past week was crazy would be an understatement. I spent all day at the school last Sunday. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had parent/teacher conferences at the school, so I didn't get home until around 7:00 both nights. Thursday was eventful. To make a long story short, a parent was making a scene in the hallway by cussing out the Principal and Pastor. The kids heard it and were scared. Needless to say, she is no longer allowed on the property (which covers about 10 acres of land.) Tomorrow, we're having an International Food Fest. Each class was given a country or two and a table to decorate for them. We were given Puerto Rico and Cuba. We won't get out of there until around 7:00 tomorrow, too. I will be glad when we have Thanksgiving. I need a break.

We went to church today and K2 was screaming during the service. We tried moving to the area where the families with young kids are and she got worse. She was too wound up so we had to leave early. :(

B and K are now 14 months old. Here's what is new:

• Both kiddos are still in size 3 diapers.
• B still fits into 3-6 month and 6/9 month pants and shorts, but the pants are not long enough.
• The weather here is getting cooler so they are starting to wear sweats and long sleeves. We bought their first snow outfits and mittens this week. I can't wait for the first snow to hit so they can play in it.
• K2 is starting to walk better and for longer distances. She is getting a lot better at getting herself back up when she falls. B is starting to run.
• Both LOVE stairs. They do really well crawling up them. They struggle getting down, but they at least try. K2 has a fascination with stairs at the babysitter's house.
• B is interested in toy trains. When we visited our principal's house the other day, he wouldn't stop playing with their son's train set. I guess we should start saving up to get him a train table. He might end up being an engineer like his daddy, but it might be a train engineer instead of electrical. :)
• B can pull the lever on the little spinning barn toy (I'm not sure what that thing is called.) It said "cat" today and he said it also. So far, he has said "stop", "cat", and "back."
• B and K can both take the cap off the milk jug and put it back on. They are very good at opening cabinets and drawers. They love kitchen utensils, pots, and pans.
• They both love other kids. Anytime we're around someone with kids, they always walk over there to say hi.
• B loves to give hugs and kisses. K isn't much of a hugger, but she loves to give kisses.
• Both are in the biting phase now. I haven't been majorly bitten, but B drew blood on K1 a couple of weeks ago. He tries to bite my toes and his sister, though.
• Both are learning to brush their teeth. We can usually give them a toothbrush and they will brush their own teeth (not well, but they try.)

It amazes me everyday how much they grow and learn from just watching us. I am loving being a mother.

Copy Cat

I started getting sick on Monday and I originally thought it was a simple cold. I took a day off work and I came home and slept. I started feeling worse so I went to the doctor yesterday, only to find out that I had the start of pneumonia. I hope it gets better over the weekend. I'm staying home tomorrow to get more sleep.

B has learned that he can say what we say and do what we do. When I started getting sick, the kids were being noisy so I put both hands on my head and said, "stop". We looked over and B had both hands on his head and was saying, "top". A while back, he was mimicking my hand motions because I normally talk with my hands. He was walking around the house blabbing about something with both arms out going up and down. Apparently, this is the point where our words and actions start making an impression on the kids. We will have to be cautious about what we say and do.

Since we moved up here, we have all been stressed out. Normally, K1 is more laid back and calm but since he has been at home with the kids for the past month without a job, his stress level has gone up. He seems more short-tempered than normal. I think part of it is the stress of being without a job and not knowing if/when he is going to get hired. We got a phone call yesterday with a job offer and he accepted today. I have already seen a change in him. I know that I mentioned in another blog that a man's status is based on his job, while a woman's is based on her family. It is stressful on men when they don't have a job, one that pays enough to take care of his family, or even one that overworks him to where he never sees his family. He has talked about this job almost non-stop since they started interviewing him (they spent 4 days interviewing him.)

K2 took her own pants off tonight. She is following B's lead. She loves to give me kisses. B is a big hugger, though. They both love baths and taking toys away from each other. They love the wooden spoons from the kitchen. They'll put them in any bowl they have handy and start stirring it. They love the "fart machine" that my dad gave to them. It does make for a good laugh when we hear these "noises" at random times. K2 loves the slides on the playground. We went to a fun fair on Sunday and when I put her at the top of the slide and let go, she pushed herself forward and slid down. She laughed all the way to the bottom.