The dentist

I forgot to write about M&J's first trip to the dentist. Even with brushing their teeth they were getting stains on their bottom teeth. It was grossing me out so I wanted to get them cleaned.

I took them in one day. They came out and got Maddie first. She went right in with no problem. I knew they would do better if I wasn't in the room so I let her go by herself. She sat in that chair and let the hygienist do her thing. Meanwhile they came out for Jackson. This didn't go as smoothly. He wouldn't leave my side so I went in with him. Even though he was sitting on my lap he still wouldn't even let the hygienist look in his mouth. So we left with one mouth clean.

I made an appointment for a few weeks later. My mom took them this time and when the hygienist came out with a ball to play with he went right in with her. My mom waited in the waiting room with Maddie. Yeah for clean teeth!

Photos

They actually posed like this for me!

Cheese face.

Jackson stole my chapstick

31 Months

Late update again. Lame photos again.

Jackson is continuing to have quite the mind of his own and is testing us at every opportunity. Again I know it's normal but it can be very frustrating at times.

On the other hand he is SUCH a loving little boy (omg, I didn't call him a baby). I think he loves his mommy the best but really he is so excited to see all of his favorite relatives. He excitedly yells their name as he leaps into their arms. It really makes you feel special. He also loves to snuggle. I hope this lasts because I love snuggling with him too.

At nap time I still have to lay down on the floor next to his bed until he falls asleep. He falls asleep so quickly that I don't mind and he sleeps for at least 2 hours so I know he needs the rest.

This month he's starting to point out colors and consistently gets green correct. He still thinks all letters and numbers are "seven". Too funny.

Madison's tantrums are getting less frequent. What has really worked is telling her that she has to go to her room to cry and she can come out when she stops. She actually willingly goes to her room and sits on her bed! As soon as she goes in there she stops crying but sometimes she'll take a breather in there and come out a few minutes later.

While Jackson falls asleep for his nap Madison sits in her bed and sings and talks to herself. Once he's asleep I take Maddie into my bed and we both take a nap there. They sleep longer if they aren't there to wake each other up. Plus I can't resist cuddling up with my little peanut!

She can name all letters and numbers (1-10) and naming colors is child's play. She especially loves to correct Jackson if he's wrong.

The Quabbin Reservoir

Last Sunday my mom and I drove to western Mass to see the Quabbin Reservoir. For those that don't know about it, it started out as a small lake. It was decided to expand it by flooding three entire towns in the valley to make a drinking supply for the city of Boston.

I know by looking at a map the lake is really big but to see it in person was really amazing. Although it's really creepy to think of all the people who used to live on the ground beneath all that water.

We took Maddie with us while Jackson stayed back home and went to lunch with Nana and her two sisters.

Here she is looking out at the lake.

We stopped at a nice little family restaurant before heading on the road home.

On the way back we made one more stop at a farm, saw some animals, and got apple cider donuts!

Topsfield Fair 2009

This years fair was great even though it rained on us. At least it wasn't too cold so the rain was tolerable.

We started out at the petting zoo although it was hard to pet the animals since they were behind fences. The biggest attraction for M&J were the red animal food dispensers. All they wanted to do was spin the spinny thingy that makes the food come out.

Then we got out annual tattoos. This year we all got the airbrush ones. Maddie got a butterfly and Jackson and I got a shamrock.

Then we made our way to kiddie land so they could go on some rides. They loved the merry go round.

Then they went on a really lame train ride.

My mom went down the big slide with Jackson right as it started raining. As soon as he stood up at the bottom he slipped and hit his head on the bump. They shut down the line after that. He cried so hard :-(

I love how it looks like my mom is having 100 times more fun than Jackson.

Then we got to the rides that had height restrictions. And they were strict. Poor Maddie couldn't go on the flying elephants with Jackson.

They loved giving their tickets to the operator.

Jackson flying high.

Maddie thinks the turtles are lame compared to the elephants.

And of course we did our annual big chair photo.

And as an added bonus my pumpkin photo won a first prize ribbon!!

Just when I thought 2 1/2 couldn't get any harder | The Great Vaseline Fiasco of 2009

The last couple months really have been difficult.  I haven't been writing about it since it's all I can do to get some photos up and talk about the things we've done.  So let's talk.  They've been difficult.  I know it's all typical 2 year old behavior but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with or to know how to handle it all.  For the most part they are very pleasant and fun and happy.
 Maddie's downfall is she has zero patients and melts into a puddle if you don't make a cracker magically appear in her hand.  I know I need to nip this in the bud but how?  Do I ignore her so she sees that screaming won't get her anywhere (I tried that and that girl can scream for 40 minutes)?  Do I immediately put her in a time out and tell her that tantrums are not allowed?  Or do I put her in her bed and tell her she can come out when she calms down?  All I know is I need to pick one and stick with it.
Jackson's downfall is that he just insists on doing things he shouldn't.  Time out after time out he will STILL get into the junk drawer in the kitchen and pull out a pen.  Then comes the whole debate on whether you should just baby proof EVERYTHING so they can't get into trouble or do you TEACH them what they can't get into (with this particular drawer teaching ISN'T working)?  Then his new favorite thing is to tell us to "stop it".  A conversation will go something like this..."Jackson, you need to get changed" which is responded with "Stop it Mama".  AH!  It just stops me dead in my tracks and he knows it.  Chris tells him he shouldn't say that to mommy and daddy because it's fresh but I swear he does it more because he gets Chris to react.  I tend to ignore it but then getting him changed becomes a total struggle.  The other charming thing he does is if I ask him if he would rather ride in the stroller or hold my hand he will say "up!"  He loves to throw a third option in there and cry when he doesn't get his way.  I've been very consistent with making him choose one of the two *I* offered and he is starting to get better.

Which brings me to The Great Vaseline Fiasco of 2009.  We had a really great day at the Topsfield Fair last Friday.  They were really good and pleasant and fun.  When we came home I put them in for a nap then went to lay down myself.  I heard them wake up a couple hours later but didn't go to get them right away.  They were laughing and having a good time.  Then I heard a distinct noise of something I know is up on the hutch on top of the bureau.  I FLEW out of bed and into their room.  Things get fuzzy after that because I think I hyperventilated.  The first thing I noticed was Maddie standing in the top drawer of the bureau.  I gasped.  Then my eyes went to the floor where all of the clothes from the drawer were strewn about.  Then I saw it.  The coverage of vaseline over every surface of the bureau, the floor, the clothes and both of their heads and faces (the vaseline was up in a basket on top of the bureau).  I was literally speechless and so upset that I didn't even get the camera!!!  I had no idea what to do.  I stripped them of their vaseline infused jammies and plopped them in the tub.  Washing their hair didn't do anything.  Chris came home while we were in the bathroom.  I told him if he didn't want to have a heart attack that he shouldn't go in the bedroom.  We spent the next hour picking up globs of vaseline, sorting through the clothes and attempting to clean the film off of the wood floor and bureau front and the inside of the drawer.  I used a combo of corn starch and lemon juice.  It worked but it wasn't easy.  For the clothes I had to soak them all in hot hot water in the bath tub before washing them in the machine since we don't have hot water hooked up to the washing machine.  And as for the lovely pottery barn rug, at this point it's not looking good.  There is one area of stains that I just can't get rid of.  I have to work at it again though.  I've already tried corn starch and vinegar.  I've already looked up the home remedies online but if anyone has any known cures I'm open to suggestions.

around the house

Goofy kids.

She was pushing him all around the house

Pretending to sleep

M&J love to play pretend sleep. They grab their pillows and blankets and lay on the floor.

"Jachan sweeeeeping"

"Ma-ee awake!"

Then they move to their big boy and girl beds.

Then they go crazy like monkeys in the room.