The boys were perfect angels for their television debut -- right up until they were on camera.
They played and toddled and cooed and flirted with the receptionist. They laughed and had a grand time. Then we got on set. Griff had started to whine right before we went on because he was tired (they kept us waiting for forty-five minutes which is a lifetime in toddler time). The lights came on and Allan immediately did a face plant and began gnawing on his shoe like a puppy. I could not get him to quit or look up. Griffith was fine, if whiny, until he dropped part of his Ritz cracker. "Up!" he yelled. Whether he meant 'put me down' or 'pick it up' I don't know, but I didn't cooperate and the next thing I know he is squawling and twisting and in a full backbend on my lap as I am trying to chat sensibly with Barbara and Bill about how the March of Dimes has helped us (Well, they have done a lot of research about lung issues in babies, and, as you can hear, no problems here! Thanks, March of Dimes!) Then, thoroughly ticked off, Griff decided to take a swat at Allan. I was able to catch his hand the first time. The second swipe, though, Griff managed to grab a handful of Allan's hair and give his head a vigorous shake. By the time the two minutes were over, it felt like twenty had passed. Ta-da!!!! Mother of the Year, that's me. Making look easy.
Where was Jay, you might ask? As time to go on approached, he became increasingly reluctant and, when there were only two chairs, he graciously elected to bow out. He dumped Griffith in the lap of Amy, the March of Dimes chick, and retreated. A real prince, he is. Since Griff was clouding up, I swapped her for Allan. Had I known I would have left him in HER lap. Then I could have looked at her disapprovingly -- can't you control that child? 20-20 hindsight.
We will be requesting the video. And showing it at the boys' graduations and wedding rehearsals, etc......
Friday, January 18, 2008
A classic
Where do they learn this? Is it just in their DNA?
Jay and I were in the kitchen making dinner and the boys were playing in the living room. The next thing I hear Griffith is scampering through the dining room (never a good sign) and I turn to see that he has pulled his brother's pants down. And is laughing about it.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Going Hollywood
Thing One and Thing Two are going Hollywood tomorrow.
The March of Dimes doesn't have a new ambassador family yet, but they had already booked a slot on the local noon news talk show for Friday -- would we come? Sure. Would we bring the boys? Sure. Why not? How hard could that be. After all, the Humane Society comes on with animals all the time. Surely they can handle two toddlers.
In other news, things are ticking right along. Allan is getting faster and stronger every day. He's all over the place, crawling from here to there, pulling up and cruising along the chairs and tables and couch. And thinking himself quite clever for doing so. He still hasn't managed to figure out how to sit down gracefully. He mostly plops on his bottom, sometimes quite hard, but we are working on kneeling and sitting. Everything is so complicated.
Miss Julie was well-pleased with him today though because in just a week he has moved on to walking around his activity table. Apparently this is a whole other stage. What she says is so great about it is that he is moving on to the next thing all on his own, just like a regular baby. He's working his way through the usual progression -- it has just took him a little longer to get started on the right path.
We'll try to give you the full report on our television schedule. Hope their new-found fame doesn't spoil them.
The March of Dimes doesn't have a new ambassador family yet, but they had already booked a slot on the local noon news talk show for Friday -- would we come? Sure. Would we bring the boys? Sure. Why not? How hard could that be. After all, the Humane Society comes on with animals all the time. Surely they can handle two toddlers.
In other news, things are ticking right along. Allan is getting faster and stronger every day. He's all over the place, crawling from here to there, pulling up and cruising along the chairs and tables and couch. And thinking himself quite clever for doing so. He still hasn't managed to figure out how to sit down gracefully. He mostly plops on his bottom, sometimes quite hard, but we are working on kneeling and sitting. Everything is so complicated.
Miss Julie was well-pleased with him today though because in just a week he has moved on to walking around his activity table. Apparently this is a whole other stage. What she says is so great about it is that he is moving on to the next thing all on his own, just like a regular baby. He's working his way through the usual progression -- it has just took him a little longer to get started on the right path.
We'll try to give you the full report on our television schedule. Hope their new-found fame doesn't spoil them.
Monday, January 14, 2008
bit and blurbs
Allan is growing more and more proficient with his crawling, pulling up and cruising. He loves to knock the ball across the floor, under the table, around the chairs. The only problem is that his monitor cord gets wrapped around things and pulls loose.
For all that we call Griffith a monster, he can be an awfully sweet little guy. He saw that Allan was about at the end of his tether with the monitor and picked it up and carried it over to Allan so that he could keep on crawling.
We are having a few anger management issues, though. Now when I tell Griff "no" about something he turns and takes a swipe at his brother. Whether Allan had any thing to do with it or not.
Allan still refuses to sit on his bottom in the tub. Last night he kept standing up and Jay and I would say "No, Allan, on your bottom!" and make him sit down. Every time he stood up, though, Griffith would laugh in encouragment. Whether because it was annoying Mom and Dad or because Allan was getting fussed at, I don't know.
Griff loves the garage that Lee got him, but he mostly loves it for sitting on top of. This is not a good idea because 1) his feet get stuck and 2) the garage is not designed for sitting so it wants to topple over. We actually put the bad garage in "time out" because it threw him down and made him bonk his head. We also put Griffith in time out because he kept crawling on top of it despite having been told "no."
We went to visit Miss Flora on Sunday. She had to have knee surgery and is still recuperating. The boys were glad to see her and had lots fun exploring her house. Of special attraction was her chihuahua, Lady, who sat outside and barked and barked and barked. Griffith loved the stairs, too. We (Jay) must have climbed 20 stories yesterday. Allan loved the carpeted living room and family room floors because he could really get some traction on it. They both loved the springy door-stopper that makes a "boing!" sound when you smack it hard.
Cousin Jennifer came over on Saturday so that I could work in the basement while Jay worked on "his" house, which he is selling (He was worried that the didn't have anywhere to go if I were to throw him out. I told him I would be a widow before a divorcee but, oddly, he didn't seem comforted by that. You can't help some people.) The sad reality of the basement is that we are going to have to move and abandon the stuff. There is simply no way to get it back under control. Think of the vines growing up on Sleeping Beauty's castle. Very similar mess.
Anyway, Jennifer (and the fellas) seemed to have a pretty good time and I did make some progress downstairs. After Jennifer left, the boys and I went for a run instead of watching the game. The boys fell asleep almost immediately. The combination of the movement and the warm sun was too much for them. It was in the 40's and sunny. They have a plastic windshield that makes the stroller like a little baby greenhouse so they were toasty warm. We made it back for the end of the game (the most important part) and, for once, we had a happy ending.
That's the news for the moment. Enjoy the photos!
For all that we call Griffith a monster, he can be an awfully sweet little guy. He saw that Allan was about at the end of his tether with the monitor and picked it up and carried it over to Allan so that he could keep on crawling.
We are having a few anger management issues, though. Now when I tell Griff "no" about something he turns and takes a swipe at his brother. Whether Allan had any thing to do with it or not.
Allan still refuses to sit on his bottom in the tub. Last night he kept standing up and Jay and I would say "No, Allan, on your bottom!" and make him sit down. Every time he stood up, though, Griffith would laugh in encouragment. Whether because it was annoying Mom and Dad or because Allan was getting fussed at, I don't know.
Griff loves the garage that Lee got him, but he mostly loves it for sitting on top of. This is not a good idea because 1) his feet get stuck and 2) the garage is not designed for sitting so it wants to topple over. We actually put the bad garage in "time out" because it threw him down and made him bonk his head. We also put Griffith in time out because he kept crawling on top of it despite having been told "no."
We went to visit Miss Flora on Sunday. She had to have knee surgery and is still recuperating. The boys were glad to see her and had lots fun exploring her house. Of special attraction was her chihuahua, Lady, who sat outside and barked and barked and barked. Griffith loved the stairs, too. We (Jay) must have climbed 20 stories yesterday. Allan loved the carpeted living room and family room floors because he could really get some traction on it. They both loved the springy door-stopper that makes a "boing!" sound when you smack it hard.
Cousin Jennifer came over on Saturday so that I could work in the basement while Jay worked on "his" house, which he is selling (He was worried that the didn't have anywhere to go if I were to throw him out. I told him I would be a widow before a divorcee but, oddly, he didn't seem comforted by that. You can't help some people.) The sad reality of the basement is that we are going to have to move and abandon the stuff. There is simply no way to get it back under control. Think of the vines growing up on Sleeping Beauty's castle. Very similar mess.
Anyway, Jennifer (and the fellas) seemed to have a pretty good time and I did make some progress downstairs. After Jennifer left, the boys and I went for a run instead of watching the game. The boys fell asleep almost immediately. The combination of the movement and the warm sun was too much for them. It was in the 40's and sunny. They have a plastic windshield that makes the stroller like a little baby greenhouse so they were toasty warm. We made it back for the end of the game (the most important part) and, for once, we had a happy ending.
That's the news for the moment. Enjoy the photos!
Completely worn out (1)
I think that I have seen carved Buddhas in this same position.
Allan was completely worn out last night and fell asleep sitting up.
Maybe next time
Allan crawled all over the first floor of Flora's house, but was flummoxed by the stairs.
How did I ever get anything done before?
Jay can hardly remember how he did any thing without his helpers.
Just like a baby monkey
Griffith holding on for dear life while Dad tries to shake and shimmy him off.
Are you supposed to be there, Griffith?
His sneaky little grin seems to suggest that he knows "no" is the answer.
In the catbird seat
He kept rolling the balls down the ramp, but they didn't make it very far because of his fee being in the way.
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