I just....

So it looks like Drew's terrible twos will shortly become terrible threes yet the excuses for acting like a crazed kid are getting better. He used to just scream and yell at me that he was sorry. He's topped that. A typical scenario involves Drew punching his sister, throwing a fit, throwing a toy, having a meltdown, you get the idea. He isn't always like this, but he often finds himself in more trouble than the little ladies in the house. So in the heat of trouble, when time-out is imminent he will crack a big smile. Goes like this.

Dad: Drew, don't punch your sister, that's not nice.
Drew: I just kidding
Dad: Drew, I'm serious, you could really hurt her.
Drew: I JUST KIDDING! (repeated 10 times at increasing levels of yelling)

So the other day, I was driving with Drew in the car. Just he and I, probably going to the hardware store, definitely running an errand for the Mrs. and Drew starts acting up over me not answering a question.

Drew: Daddy what dat?
Daddy: What?
Drew: Daddy what dat over dare!
(Mind you I am sitting in the driver seat, his punk ass in the back seat in a car seat so I can't see what tractor he is obsessed with at the moment)
Daddy: Drew, I can't see
Drew: No Daddy, what dat over dare over dare over dare!!!
Daddy: Well Drew that's a dinosaur with tractor wheels and a beep beep horn
Drew: What Daddy?
Daddy: I just kidding
Drew laughs.

Quotable

As I am brushing Caroline's knotted hair she says...

"Daddy, I think I have so many knots in my hair because I move around so much when I sleep."

Sweet Caroline

Caroline turned five today. You could sense the excitement last night, as the child who fits the middle child sterotype like no other had all the attention on her. She opened a few presents early, a Barbie Mariposa dress up outfit and a princess sleeping bag. She and Bella had a birthday sleepover in Bella's room utilizing the new sleeping bag of course. Had to leave for work this morning before she woke up so a call home to wish her a happy birthday is imminent.

There was a time we didn't think she would make it past six months of age. After Daina found her limp in the bassinet, her eyes rolled back and an ambulance on the way. Bad times. She wore a sleep monitor to alert us when she would stop breathing in the middle of the night. Her skin raw from the straps, the alarm going off 4-5 times a night. Nothing like hearing an alarm every night for 12 months alerting you that your child isn't breathing anymore.

She has come along way. Those days are behind us and she is healthier than we could have imagined. Funny how life makes you appreciate small things, like breathing, like growing, like turning five.

Stella Blue Wake Up Call

Stella Blue, though not a child of mine, feels like one. Our dalmation will be 13 in July and has really been a great friend and family member. She has seen me through a lot of challenging times and is there to remind me of when I was younger. She's like a walking memory you could say.

Well today, Stella Blue woke us up in a whole new way. This is going to be gross so click away or continue down this path with me.

So at about four in the morning, I smell something awful. I think the dog just farted and I'll go back to sleep. This is a common thing for Stella to do. And when its me who lets one go, Stella is an easy target for me to blame. She doesn't really care. I digress.

Wake up at 6 to poop and stench all over the room. On the carpet, the bed, the pillows, the sheets, folded clean laundry. It was everywhere. Stella is no where to be found. She is hiding. She thinks she is in trouble.

We find her under Caroline's bed, shaking, scared and stuck. We have to lift the bed and pull her out only to discover that she somehow slept in some of her own mess.

So there I stand in the backyard. Boxer shorts, t-shirt and the dress shoes I wore to work last night. Holding her on a tie down chain and spraying her ass down with a garden hose. And its like 40 degrees. The things you do for those you love.

In the meantime, Daina had convinced me I could be late to work, she needed new bedding and that the carpets needed to be professionally cleaned. I am guessing that will cost me a few hundred. If I'm lucky.

Talking to horses

Drew, soon to be three was talking to some horses through a fence. It went something like this.

Drew: Hi horsies. I Drew. I Three. What doing horsies?
Horsies:
Drew: I said hi horsies, what doing?
Horsies:
Drew: Why you no talk to me. Mommy! Horsies no talk to me! Tears, cry, fits of rage.

I guess at some point in our lives we realize that animals can't talk back. I'm not sure when I learned that or how I felt about it. I suppose it wasn't nearly this traumatic for me. Chalk it up to too much talking animals on tv and a kid could get a complex. Let's hope he gets over it. Pretty sure showing him reruns of Mr. Ed is not a good idea though.