Swimming

We have been going swimming once a week at the Rec Center with the kids, and they love it. And Gene is taking swimming lessons with my mom, who teaches at the Rec Center. But that is not the actual swimming that is the subject of this post.

Picture this: a 2 year old who strips off her clothes and comes waltzing downstairs. When asked what she is doing, she announces that she is going swimming. And she asks Brendan to turn on the light in the basement. He does, and watches as she makes her way down the cold wooden steps to the even colder cement floor, in her bare feet.

A couple minutes later we come down to get something (an excuse to take a peek at what she's doing) and find her sitting on the trampoline, loudly reading a book, and looking like she's having a grand old time. We turn our back for a sec and when we look back, she's laying down on the cement floor on her (naked) belly and moving her arms and legs around. Brr...I was cold just looking at her, as I stood in the basement wearing tennis shoes, pants and a sweatshirt. But she just said she was swimming, and was happy to be on that floor.

The imagination of a young child runs rampant, and takes them to places they would never dream of going when they grow up...

Fashion show a la Jane

So I was following Jane upstairs last night to help her get ready for bed. We had been playing "run and sleep", her favorite game to play with me right now while B and the older kids play the Wii. We basically run back and forth across the kitchen floor, and then take a rest by lying down on the middle of the floor. She is adding all sorts of things to the game, all completely her own inventions. Somewhere she must have played or watched Red Light, Green Light so she started saying, "There is the red light, there is the green light (pointing to crumbs on the floor...oops, how did those get there?). When I say red light, you stop." Etc. Then it evolved to, "When I say 'O' you stop. And other variations. Last night she was preparing for the game, and decided we needed pillows and blankets. She got the couch pillows and a couple throw blankets, and laid them on the floor for us. I felt a bit silly, but I did lay down next to her. She was having such a good time, and was so cute. I started to hint that it was almost bedtime, and she said, "I want you to run with me for a little more whiles until it is bedtime."

So we started upstairs, and here she is in all her stylish glory...


She so reminds me of my sister Bekah, with blanket on her shoulders and curly hair...Bekah used to complain of the cold when we lived at home (it wasn't that cold really...) and it was common to see her with a blanket on.

So this evening, while I was finishing a late dinner after my Montessori class, Jane decided she wanted to take her baby for a walk. She got the little doll stroller and settled the baby in, with a blanket to keep her warm. The next thing I know, she had changed her mind and decided to go for a run, "outside". She got her tennis shoes on, and jacket, and asked for help zipping it.

Then she remembered her hat and mittens, and started on her way. As soon as I pulled out the camera, though, she pulled off said mittens and wanted to hold the baby up to be in the picture...

And did I mention that she is still pants-less?

Mildly sick

The girls have colds...too bad because they are the ones who love to play in the snow. Maybe I'll bring it inside...? I hear you can do that, in a big tub or something...hmmm. Our goals of the day are to finish making valentines and make an apple pie for the nice neighbor who often snowblows our sidewalk- probably saved me an hour's worth of shoveling yesterday!

Snow Day

We finally have snow now (after a long dry, but very cold, spell) and Gene went right out to help Brendan shovel. The kids all LOVE to use the little snow shovels we borrowed from my mom, and I had to buy another so they would each have one. He is old enough now (at 6) to really be effective, and he has been known to stay out shoveling for up to 30 minutes! Too bad that's not long enough to do more than put a dent in our long, wrap-around-the-corner sidewalk...

We got about 6-8 inches of snow, and it's always fun to be out in the morning when all the snow-blowing people are out. Such a feeling of neighborhood community...




And here's the bird feeder that Gene built in December...we have only seen a few birds (Gene says 4) eating the birdseed but we hope to see more this winter.


While I had the camera out, Janie insisted that I take her picture. I asked what she would be doing for the picture, and she said, "Closing my eyes". So, here she is:


And, because I had this other really great picture of her with eyes open, I thought I would put it in as well. Here she is, posing with one of her favorite things, her "baby":


Now, we'll see how the rest of this snow day goes...

Potty Training Update

I don't have a picture to share, but we are beginning a "new" system of potty training. I have a lot of ideas, but this makes the most sense right now...Picture this: a skinny little girl in a sweatshirt for warmth, a bare bum, and skinny legs in navy-blue legwarmers with large pink flowers at the ankles. Diapers (cloth) for sleeping and going out, but otherwise that is her attire. So far, so good. One accident started, but she actually caught herself because she felt it going down her leg. That's never happened before!

Pray for us, all you caring wonderful people out there:)

By the way, going bare is bothering her a lot more than wearing the cloth diapers was...that's a good sign, cause maybe she'll be apt to take action and use the potty.