SLC-DCA

That stands for Salt Lake City-Washington DC Airport (or whatever the FAA calls it). It feels like I know more airport acronyms than a air traffic controller. Den is on his way home. I forgot he would be home tonight and had started preparing for how I would get a shower if the kids woke at 6am how I'd get them out the door by 9am. Well, he will be gone from 8-6, but at least I can get a shower.

I'm afraid I've done something to our computer by leaving a browser open for a week straight. Neither Firefox nor IE will open. Hope someone hasn't hacked our computer. That would suck. So would losing all the photos and emails and whatever else I've got on there. At least Den did a back up recently--right?

Eddie is starting a cough--uh oh. Just in time to spread our germs to the family. Last year was a doozy--I don't think we'll be allowed to come if we plan to pass the same thing around this year--it knocked everyone on both sides of the family down like a set of dominos.

Pictures when I can figure out what is hosing our computer...

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

When I was a kid, I remember reading a book with the same name as the Title of this post. I thought it was hilarous, in part because I liked how its main characters weren't perfect (something I can identify with) and it made me realize just because one is unconventional doesn't mean you don't care about what everyone else cares about. The part that ties into this post is every time I think about a kids program at Christmas, I think of this book.

Ed's preschool had it's Christmas program today (and it's a church preschool, so it's a Christmas program). For the last couple weeks Ed has been singing random Christmas songs. Now I didn't think I'd been playing the Christmas music that often, but yet there we were in Target and Ed starts belting out Jingle Bells, asking me if I'd ever heard of the song.

He really does have a sweet voice, and it's just a joy to listen to him, so Den and I were pretty excited, even though we had no idea of what to expect.

They had the 3s and 4s up on stage and it was one Christmas tune after another. We were lucky, as Ed's class was sitting in chairs, right up front, although the boy you see in the blue just in front of Ed (usually you see the side of his face) kept practically standing and so half our pictures are of the kid and not Ed as this kid had a talent for completely blocking out Ed.

We kept tying to get him to notice us--without everyone else noticing us too. He finally noticed us in between songs. He stood up and with a delighted grin yells, "mommy!" and stood standing -- not long enough for a picture, but long enough for everyone to know who'd said it. Okay, so it wasn't that crazy obvious, but Den and I just cracked up, thrilled he'd found us. We'd brought Cookie and Josie too and Josie stood on our knees, being passed amongst us, ocassionally calling out, like a groupie, "Eddie!" as she pointed to him.

Have we mentioned how much we love this preschool? It's just great.

Haircut

Took Eddie for a long overdue haircut. For the first time I can remember--ever--Eddie did a GREAT job, no tears, no nerves, just happy faces. He selected the horse, let Mr. Pat put him in said horse and smiled the most angelic grin the whole time his hair was being cut--even when the electric trimmers were used.
I've missed seeing that smile. It's been a long time since it's been out on display with such reckless abandon.
Josie was another story. Her bangs long ago began to creep into her line of vision. While I know that is the style with the older kids, she's got at least a couple years before she'll start worrying about the latest style. She sat in my lap as Mr. Pat trimmed her bangs--repeatedly putting her fists up to her eyes. He really is good--they appear to be pretty straight and nobody got stabbed with the scissors, so I consider it a sucess. He charged $2--worth every penny.
She is just finishing up lunch here--so she's got food in her mouth. Eddie took this picture. He really is getting good at composition.

Eddie had me use the timer a couple times and ever time he was smiling like this. Wow! Josie meanwhile is wondering when she'll be able to get back to her food.

"Aunt" Sharon came over to night to watch the kids after we put them in bed. For xmas she brought Eddie this clock, that if it works, we will be paying HER for the clock. It is a nightlight and helps kids learn to tell time. But the really big deal is that the nightlight is yellow. When it turns green at a parent programmed time, it tells the kid they can get out of bed. I know we'll have to give it a week or so to work, but we are holding our breath and crossing our fingers. Eddie was pretty into it this evening.

While You're Away

Den is away again. It does get easier with each trip--and if the kids slept better, it actually wouldn't be bad at all. I need to head to bed, but need also to wind down, as I had to work tonight.
Over the weekend, after church, J put on my boots. Then Eddie wanted to try them on. They started doing laps around the family room and at some point someone tackled the other and then they were rolling on the floor, laughing.

Speaking of tackles, I wish I could remember--maybe Den does, but Eddie had something J wanted and he wasn't planning on giving it to her. So, she did want anyone else would do and tackled him, as Den puts it, like a safety tackle (if that means anything to you...). It was hilarious, but Ed didn't think so.
We made our gingerbread house this weekend. J helped decorate this year, but we were disapointed in the lack of candy for the house. Last year the whole house was decked out with candy to spare. This year we were able to do the roof and foundation. Eddie spent more time eating the frosting than decorating...

While the dog is away, the cat will play. While Ed was at preschool this week, Josie decided she wanted to play with his clickbook computer-shhhh, don't tell Ed. She had a great time.

J is really starting to pack on the pounds, weighing in at around 24 pounds. I think she is going to zip right through 18 month clothes and head straight for 24 months clothes. I wasn't ready for that.

Well, time for bed, 3 more nights to go...

Remember When?

Of the literately 1000s (perhaps 10s of 1000s) of photos I have of the kids, these rank up there in the top 100 for each kid, maybe even the top 10. I do have shots in which the kids are in almost similar poses, but they would require time to find and I have a Christmas letter chock full of pictures to assemble.

I digress--anyone tell who's who is these photos?

Den is on his way home right now, in between flights at the moment.

Remember when we marveled at their baby poop? When on the day we arrived home from the hospital, Eddie not only blew out a diaper, but pooped while said diaper was being changed and the force spread poop about 10 feet from the point of origin? Through the playpen and clear across the living room. Den and I laughed so hard, I nearly cried from pain.

Remember when J, unlike Eddie couldn't poop after starting solids? We obsessed about her poop and her dietary intake.

I think I'll rename this the poop exploits of Josie and Eddie. Today, when I got home, Eddie enthusatically announced that he had pooped in the potty. He then proceeded to poop again in the potty before bed. THANK YOU JOSEPHINE!

She is now not as committed to the potty, but it was enough to get Eddie started. I'm not holding my breath as he will periodically decide to poop on the potty, but I feel a new leaf is being turned.

In years time, when I've long ago stopped tracking their potty progress, I'll read this post and laugh over how consuming it was of my mental power, especially because I'm sure that I'll be obsessing over something that will seem just as important as this was right now. After all, it's not healthy not to poop and as the book says, everybody poops.

Bathtime

Just a quick post for dad, who is someplace much warmer than here. J would put the rubber fish in her mouth and Ed would yank it out and put it in his mouth. J would giggle and then put another fish in her mouth to repeat the cycle. This continued until a game of 'splash' began.

btw, in case you are following, J seems to have slightly lost interest in the potty. we'll see what happens when Cookie comes this week.