Stripping Wallpaper

We have had this pastel peach and teal wallpaper with large flowers on the wall in our entryway and along one wall of our living room since we've lived here. And I really don't like it. I think it's hideous. So today I took it down. I'll need to strip the backing off the walls too, and that might take a little longer. But at least there aren't any more peachy flowers on the wall.

I've been thinking it will be fun to see when John notices. Will he as soon as he walks in? When he sees the extra bag of garbage that's incredibly light? When he next looks at our blog? (It's supposedly for both of us to write in, but it's mostly just me...)

The Robinson's are stripping wallpaper from their bathroom and hallway, too. I was thinking that maybe we could have a contest to see who could get the walls painted he fastest. They had a couple layers in their bathroom, but they also have more helpers. Well, I do have two helpers who are around more often, but they're also shorter. It could be fun...!

First Foods

Danielle tried her first solid food today: a green goldfish cracker, fed to her by Isaac. I was at the computer, and Isaac ran over, saying, "I give Danielle green cracker-fish!" He had tried putting it in her mouth, and about half of it came out easliy. I keep telling Isaac that Danielle can't eat foods because she doesn't have any teeth yet, but he loves her so much he wants to share his favorite things with her. His "little blue blanket," his trains, his Star Wars toys, his rainbow cracker-fish...So sweet. I was thinking that baby oatmeal might be a little more appropriate.

Ball!

This morning I took the boys to Wal-Mart while John and Danielle were sleeping in. We bought some crackers and juice and diapers. And then we went to get some toys for the summer. We got some bubbles and some more Play-Doh. And then we passed the balls. Jeremiah said "Ba-ll!" I didn't buy one. We kept going to the bigger balls (those ones were normally sized) and we got a huge purple ball. Isaac held it in the back of the cart; after we bought it, Jeremiah held it in the front of the cart. They like their new ball.

Tortillas and Quesadillas

"Mom, I want a quesadilla!" Isaac said, looking into the fridge.

"But we don't have any cheese, Isaac," I replied.

Thoughtfully, he suggested: "A tortilla?!" (His thoughts are typically enthusiastic.)

I think it's fun to have a little guy who didn't talk very much a year ago (i.e., "Cast off?") saying "quesadilla" and "tortilla" without being prompted. (He also quotes paragraphs from Star Wars and sings all the words to "Child of God." His dad and mom, respectively, are proud of him.)

Milestones

I was reading through developmental milestones for four-month-olds; Danielle has her four-month well-baby appointment on Friday. I wanted to make sure I knew the answers to all the questions. (I was stumped on "Can Jeremiah bunny-hop three times?" And, yes, he can; I saw him bunny hop six times the next afternoon.)

I knew she was on track for all but one of the milestones. She coos and babbles. She smiles. She laughs. She makes eye contact. She turns toward voices. She watches things. She wiggles really very well (I think she's getting ready to roll over soon). She likes to play on her tummy for a few minutes a few times a day. She sleeps wonderfully at night. But, does she reach for things?

I set up an experiment. Since I'm not watching her all the time when she's on the floor (I'm usually playing the piano or doing housework if she's having floortime), I put her on a blanket and set two large stuffed blocks next to her, one on top of the other. And lo and behold, the next time I passed by, the blocks weren't stacked anymore! Yes! She can and does reach for things!

Of course, I saw her reaching for Jeremiah's glasses today when he was giving her a hug. And I saw her reaching to grab my shirt. And reaching to grab my arm. And reaching to hold her blanket. So, she's right on track.

Slipping

"I'm slipping! I'm slipping!" Isaac exclaimed. He was ecstatic. He definitely was slipping. As was Jeremiah. As was John when he went in the broken eggs to retrieve the boys and get them into the bathtub. But that wasn't the mess that John had referred to when he said I'd soon find out why things were just okay and not great and not good. That was the beans and wheat and flour that the boys got all over the kitchen, before they emptied the 18-pack of eggs. My shower was sure eventful.

Jer's First Speech Therapy Session

Today Kristin, Jeremiah's speech therapist from Birth to 3, came over. She and Jeremiah played in (not with, but in) the blocks. They scrambled the blocks with their hands until she said "Stop!" and then Jeremiah waited until she said "Go!" to start scrambling them again. He also put blocks back into our box when she said "In!"

Then we got out some wheat and scooped and poured and found alligators and dinosaurs lurking underneath...Isaac helped. Maybe Isaac won't help us during speech next time, but only between sessions.

This week we'll be working on "more." We'll be working on eye contact and either a gesture or movement, possibly a sound, to demonstrate that he wants more of anything. Apple slices, blocks, crackers, bubbles, spinning, running, bouncing. We'll also be working on "Go!" That one will be fun...fun things go.