They Love the Beatles

Make It True

Labor Day Weekend

We did no laboring...just a lot of yelling and having fun. And it was good. It was very, very good.

The Bowl

Noel is a little negotiator. "Just ONE more minute."
"Maybe after I eat my dinner I can have just a little piece of pie."
"Maybe when we go to Costco, I can get a churro."
"You should put Lennon to bed so I can play this big boy game."
Last night he read me a sentence. "This says 'Things'. This says 'that'. This says 'go'." "Things that go."
He makes jokes.
His relationship with his dad is the sweetest, most loving father/son relationship I shall ever witness (until Lennon gets a little older, and they become a trio).
He likes to play puppies. His name is "Woof Woof". I'm "Frannie". Lennon is "Big Blue".
He likes cars, and diggers, and trucks. He greets every car he sees. "Hi, Whitey." "Hi, Silvery." and my personal favorite, "Hi, Blacky."
When putting him to bed, he will give you kisses so you'll stay. He'll hug you around the neck so you "Don't leave!"
He is a good brother, a good son, and I couldn't be happier that he is my little boy. The Bowl is 3 1/2.

I'm A Stinker

And I know it.

I love this kid. He's such a little smartie. He knows what he wants, and he will tell you...LOUDLY. He mimics his big brother. He adores him. He is ready to be a Big Boy, just like Noel.
He is 26 lbs. of pure trouble. He's long and lean, and he has a big head to encase that big brain. He says a million words, and he babbles pretend sentences. He can't wait to really join in on the conversation. He likes to "PEE!" on the toilet, and brush his teeth while he goes. He likes to take a bath and pour water on his brother's head. He likes to laugh when you tell him "no" and run away from you (laughing).
He will lay his head on your shoulder when you hug him. He wants to be "Uppa! Uppa!", in your arms. If you're sitting down, he will come sit in your lap. He has the sweetest giggle, and a toothy, adorable grin that will melt your heart.
Lennon, Lemon Juice, Lennon Spa-chem-an (Spaceman), Jucifer is 1 1/2.

Making the Best of an Unfortunate Situation

Sometimes I get wrangled into things I shouldn't...and I always regret it later. Without going into detail, I was involved in a review blog that went sour. What do you do when you've got sour milk? Can you make something with it? I don't know...Can you use it as buttermilk? Well, from this sour milk, I got Anna-my buttermilk. Anna is a fellow mum, and a terrific friend. She would bend over backwards and do cartwheels, flips, and an entire gymnastic routine for you, if you asked her too. She is one of the most giving and loving people that I know.
There are times when I am sure that Anna and I were separated at birth. We both love music, hanging with our families, LOST, cooking, and share a similar sense of humor. She is the real deal. She is awesomesauce.
I've not had the pleasure of meeting Anna and her super-duper family yet, but I see it in our future. Elliott loves all things American history, and the Holler's happen to live in Philadelphia, just a few blocks from the Liberty Bell! The Holler's have also been considering a move to Hawaii, and well, duh, when we have the money to do some traveling, we'll be there with bells on. Bells, whistles, kazoos, and harmonicas-we'll be throwing a parade all the way to the Holler doorstep, where ever that might be.

Our Moment

We've embarked on something new in our parenting journey. We call it The Very, Insanely Willful Child. Literally, there are times when I say "Put your arms up!" to change his jammies, and he'll put them down and give me a dirty look. Oh my...to be 3 1/2 again...or not. This evening, he was being very good, and even though he cried when we left Rosa's (Taco Tuesday, baby) because we wouldn't get sopapillas, on the whole, it was a good night.

After Lennon went to bed, we had Noel's "Special Time", a 15 minute window of hanging out with just Elliott and me. Tonight I introduced him to one of my very favorite records of all time, The Point. Nilsson was a genius. Noel loves music, and his taste rivals his father's. I can see many future arguments which might go something like "No! Exile on Main Street is infinitely better than Let it Bleed". The other day, he asked me to play "Johnny Thunder" by The Kinks. Whoa.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous that he wouldn't like this album and story that is so dear to my heart. I put it on, and he immediately started air drumming, and the look on his face actually got me choked up. He looked awestruck. It was so adorable. We sat, listened to the music and the story, and looked through the comic-like book that came with the album (yes, as in LP). It was one of those moments as a parent that I thought "I hope I remember this forever."

The Point is something that has always been in my life. I used to listen to it with my parents, and sing every word with my mom. I remember how excited we were when we found the video tape at the video store, and how happy I was when I rediscovered it and found it on Amazon 10 years ago. Then, I had no idea that 10 years later, I would share a special moment with my own child, listening to the same record that is so dear to me.

Isn't it cool that we have access to movies, music, shows, toys and games that we loved as children, and now have the ability to share them with our own? We are probably the first generation to have the massive library of "stuff" to pass on and enjoy with our kids. That is just so cool to me.

What's something special from your childhood that you have shared with your children?