Friday, August 28, 2009

The Naming of Fish

Sophie got a fish yesterday. To put in the aquarium that she got for her birthday. She named the fish "Scott." When the fish guy at Petsmart told her it was a girl, she said, "That's okay. His name is Mrs. Scott."

Monday, August 17, 2009

Back to School!

It was a big day in the Webster household. Frank and I had to report to duty for titillating sessions on tardiness versus truancy, calibration of short-skirtedness -- oh my, a thigh! -- and how to deal with said insubordination, the "love your students but don't LOVE your students" speech, and other such standards -- all accompanied by awesome powerpoint presentations. Handbooks and dirty looks were passed out to the teachers for immediate use in the classroom. Frank created bingo cards for his colleagues featuring acronyms of the trade: IFL, IPG, TEA, TEKS, IEP, ARD, PLC, TAKS, PBS, CAC, CIP and eveything else that helps us teachers take care of TCB. How many can you identify, dear reader?

The kiddos had a big day, too. Thankfully, they are both returning to the same classrooms and teachers they had last year, but we did have a new wake-up time, new clothes, and new lunchboxes. And new attitude -- have we mentioned that?

"Mister J," as his teacher calls him, slept on a mat. On the floor. With the big kids. Well, he slept during his morning naptime. Apparently he flirted with the staff during afternoon nap and played peekaboo instead of sleeping. When I went to pick him up from school, he was flopping around the floor like a grumpus and Miss Lillian told me he was "having himself a drop down." I love her.

Here's Jameson on his first day of toddler class, 2009:


Sophie has been super excited about school and went with me to pick out some new clothes and new shoes. Today she reported that her new shoes were too tight. (Bullcrap, and you're wearing them.) Yesterday she loved her new skirt. This morning she hated it. She proclaimed it "disgusting." I made her wear it anyway.
Poor little bowlegged baby.

She did seem to like her new lunchbox. Score one measly point for mom.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Summer Nights

Sophie wanted to help make dinner, so we made a pizza and decorated it with veggies and such. "Frank" got a little bit over-cooked, but was still yummy. Broccoli-headed clown came out a bit better.



Dance party for dessert:

















Don't judge him for his tutu. J-man also plays with soccer balls and matchbox cars. (And he really likes the way Strawberry Shortcake smells, but who doesn't?!?)

Well, I'M looking at the camera!


And if I look cute, the picture gets posted, people.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Not Really a Baby J

We've been visiting Baby Will this week -- who is tiny and sleepy and beautiful and snorty and wonderful -- and when I see this tiny baby sitting next to MY tiny baby, well, Jameson looks like a giant pretending to be a baby. I've also been watching "Baby" Bennett, who is about four months older than her cousin, and she has this huge vocabulary and does all of these amazing things (she knows what the animals say and she can point to and name family members in photographs!). And it's occuring to me that Jameson is changing faster and faster and faster. He's still my baby, but he's not really...a baby.

Here are a few things I want to remember about "Baby J" when he was 13 and a 1/2 months old:

He says "mama," "dada," "dadoo" (with thank you infection and context), "light," and...he JUST started saying "tickle, tickle, tickle."

He nods his head. All the time. Yes, yes, yes.

He does NOT put up with diaper changes. Squirms around and escapes almost every time.

He puts his head on my shoulder when I lift him out of his crib in the morning.

He kisses me with a wide-mouth-frog-style open mouth.

He cracks up when I sing the roll 'em up, roll 'em up part of Pattycake; he also cracks up whenever his sister makes funny faces at him.

He walks (sometimes at a fast lumbering pace) any where he wants to go, but he's not a fan of shoes. He shakes his feet when we put them on, like a dog wearing sneakers.

He is VERY ticklish. Especially the ticky-tocks.

He has the best smile. I hope he keeps on smiling.