A new obsession

I snapped a few photos of Elizabeth yesterday demonstrating her newest passion.

I couldn't get this kid to take a pacifier as a baby. It would have been great to pop one in whenever she was fussy, or have something to give her when we were away from home to signal it was naptime. She spent a lot of time spitting it out, so I gave up on it. She much preferred her own fingers to something plastic.

I went through a lot of stuff in my search for items to take to today's garage sale, and came across several pacifiers that hadn't seen use since Shannon was two. (Avery never took one either.) I had been getting word from nursery workers at church that Elizabeth had been stealing other kids' passies. When I set the basket I found with the passies in it on the floor in Elizabeth's room she toddled over, sat down, and started laughing with glee.

Then she put one in her mouth, two in each hand, and wandered around the house like that for the next hour. Today I had to hide them because she started crying whenever she saw one she couldn't get to. She's at the age now that I always tried to start weaning the others, so I don't want her developing an addiction now. I'd much rather her learn to talk.

But she is really cute!

We've had a week of accomplishments around here. Thursday is the first official day Elizabeth started walking for real. She had been toddling around for about two weeks, but Thursday was the first day she immediately got up everytime she fell. I guess the days of the butt scoot are over. (Sniff. She's growing up!) She also cut two molars this week. Maybe that helps account for the recent passy passion.

Before I forget I want to record some Averyisms from the last week.

Because he is still not a terribly coordinated eater, we put a bib on him most meals. He turned it around backwards and said, "I'm super hero costume guy!" Wonder what Costume Guy's super powers are...

He got down from the table with it on another day, turned it around again, pointed one finger to the sky and put his other hand on his hip and announced, "Super Avery's going to the bathroom!"

A couple of mornings ago I put his breakfast in front of him and he looked at me and said in a serious voice, "Why do we have toast and eggs and no green beans?"

His version of the alphabet song is fun too, "A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, J, L, N, M, O, P, T, R, S, C, U, P, W, S, why, and Z." Close.

Now that he's potty trained life has been one step easier for me. It's also provided some comic relief since he doesn't yet get how to put on his underwear and pants or even that he SHOULD put on his underwear and pants. He came around the corner stark naked from the waist down the other day and said, "Look who's here! It's Avery!" A perfect example of naked and unashamed.

The best part of potty training has been his running commentary of what's going on while on the toilet. I will spare you the details, but any mom of a two year old with an unfettered tongue can probably guess how hilarious it can be. He enjoys kicking off his clothing while sitting on the potty, and shot his undewear across the room the other day. In usual commentator style he said, "That underwear says, 'Wheeee!!!'"

While keeping the two year olds Wednesday night, Avery came up to me, pointed at a little girl standing next to me, and said, "Who is she the heck?"

Avery will be three on Wednesday. He's also growing up. (Sniff.)

Occasionally Shannon mixes up phrases too. The other day he was discussing something funny with Amelia and said, "That cracked my head off!"

Shannon will be five in three weeks. (Sniff.)

And I now leave you with the news that we made $67 at the garage sale today. We're rich, we're rich! And we still have left an infant car seat, exersaucer, double stroller (which admittedly was given to us and doesn't turn very well), bouncy seat, large dog cage, and a few other assorted items which will be doing some more time in the basement. If someone has need of any of it, let us know! It was a big personal step for me to be willing to let the baby stuff go. For a flexible person I have a hard time with change when it comes to the big things in life. (Probably hard to believe coming from someone who added four kids to life in five years. Somehow that was easy. Letting it go, that's hard.)

Enough from me before I confess too much. Going to get some ZZZ's so I can stay awake in church tomorrow! We like to sit near the front so head nodding is kind of embarrassing.