New Years Resolution

So after talking with several of my coworkers and friends, I have decided that at least once a month I need to spend some time recording some moments with my kids.  Gabe is now 5 and Claire is almost 2 1/2.  Wow how time flies! I started writing some special moments down in a notebook-which I have since lost, and I can't really lose a web page, so here goes...

Gabe

-The first story, that makes me laugh every time, is not so flattering of my parenting skills, but it's too funny not to share.  I was sitting in our basement, pregnant with Claire, and Gabe (2 1/2) was lining up his cars, minding his own business.  So, I decided to catch up on some shows recorded on the DVR.  I was about 15min into the show and I notice Gabe watching the TV with me.  I instantly turned the channel and he says, "Hey! Turn that back, I want to see that girl take her clothes off!"

-OK, now for a parenting triumph!  Gabe was just over 2 and I made him a sandwich for lunch and he could have some whoppers for dessert.  He pushed his sandwich away and pulled the whoppers close because he wanted to eat them first.  I told him that he needed to eat his lunch first and then he could eat the whoppers.  He was mad about that and looked at me and pulled a whopper out of the bowl and it was on its way to his mouth when I threatened a timeout in his room (the worst kind).  He held the whopper in his little hand for about 10seconds while he thought about what I had said.  Finally, he conceded and put the whopper down and pushed the bowl away and grabbed his lunch and started eating.  Fireworks were going off inside of me-because I was so joyful, not because I felt like I was being burned from the inside out.  Consistency DOES pay off!

-I also wanted to document that Gabe wanted to marry me when he was 3 and 4.  So sweet.  Now that he is 5, he realizes that I am already married and he has moved on to his best friend's sister, Averie. We were over at their house for dinner and when we got home, her mom text me and told me that Averie and Gabe had kissed.  Averie admitted it and her brother Austin corroborated the story.  So I asked Gabe about it and he immediately looked away and down at the floor and said, "I don't remember.  I just don't remember mom." I told him he wasn't in trouble, but he still wouldn't come clean.  He is the most stubborn kid I know!

-One more about my sweet little boy and then to my precious little girl. Now, Mister Gabe is VERY picky when it comes to his food choices.  I got a call one day from his school and they were reporting that he threw up during snack time.  I was immediately ready to come and get him, but his teacher said she didn't think I needed to.  She said he ate a tater tot and his face got all red and he tried to swallow it, but instead his lunch came up.  He rarely tries anything new, but when he does we make a big deal about it.  He recently decided to try pepperoni pizza and surprise...he liked it!  We practically started a party in celebration!  So anyway, if you offer him a tater tot, he will say, "no, I am allergic to them.  I will throw up and that means I am allergic."

Claire
-My little sweetie has been having conversations with us since she was 18months old.  She has always been very verbal and sounds so grown up.  Some of her word choices make me giggle because they come out of such a tiny person.
         - I will ask her how she slept and she will say, "I had a great nap."
         -When I come home from work she will tell me, "I missed you so much.
         -She asked me for a snack and I offered fruit snacks and she said, "that'd be great." Then about           3seconds later she said, "actually...(as she takes her finger and taps it on her cheek like she is thinking    really hard about the snack choice) I'll have some apple sauce."
         -After several kisses before bedtime, she held up her hand (like talk to the hand) and said, "Awright mom, that's enough.  Now wet me get some sweep."

-She is always singing.  Every night before bed, she needs me to sing both versions of row row row your boat and twinkle twinkle (my favorite line she sings is, up a ba ba world so high).  Anytime she is sitting on the toilet doing her big job, she sings.  Last night she mashed spiderman, santa clause is coming to town and up on the house top.  "Spiderman, is coming to town and up on the house top." She sounds like the little girl from Monsters Inc. when she is in the bathroom singing.  So cute!  Gotta get that on video!

-Our little Claire is such a mommy.  I packed her rolling backpack to go somewhere and I stuffed her baby doll in the top and when she dragged it over a bump the baby cried.  She set everything down, unzipped her backpack, grabbed her baby and slowly rocked it back and forth while whispering that it was ok and shushing.  This particular baby also laughs and giggles...kind of an every other deal.  So when it laughs, she scowls and presses the button again to make it cry, then she rocks and shushes.

-One habit she has recently overcome was covering her babies up with wet washcloths.  I think this started when she saw that the washcloths I used to clean her up after dinner were the perfect size to cover her baby.  After I washed her, she would say, "this is for my baby."  I would say I had to wash it off first, so I did and then gave it to her.  From then on, she always wanted her baby covered up with a wet washcloth.  Every night before she went to sleep and even if she woke up in the middle of the night.  She was concerned that her baby's blanket wasn't washed.  So, we would 'wash' it and she would lay it over the baby's face.  So, if you came to our house you might see a bunch off dollies that looked as if they were on their way to the morgue.  She could spend hours playing with her babies, putting them to bed, rocking them and singing.

Well, that's it for now.  I'm sure I'll have tons of stories to come.  Our kids are so amazing and I can't wait to share all the quirky, silly, funny, crazy things they do.