2/28/09 - 3/3/09

Saturday 2/28/09 – I went to the library with the boys this morning. I was questioning going out at all since it was about zero degrees, but I couldn't just sit in the house all day. Lijah really enjoys pushing the buttons that open the doors automatically, but I'm sure those inside the library don't appreciate it because he pushes them both at the same time so a big gust of cold air goes right into the library. But when I'm holding my book bag and car seat it is a bit difficult to stop him from doing it without causing a scene (again, you have to pick your battles). In the evening there was a karaoke party at church fro 6-8. Jason is on the activities committee so he went early and I took the kids over to WalMart while we waited for 6pm to roll around. The activity was one of the best I have attended – it was laid back and low key and not too structured. We all just got to hang out and if you wanted to sing you could, but you weren't pressured to sing (I didn't sing). Lijah ran around and I lost him a few times, he ate popcorn for the first time (we're paranoid about choking, and rightfully so with popcorn), and played with paper airplanes that all the little boys decided to make with the coloring pages we had set out for the kids. Clark slept in his car seat pretty much the whole time – which meant I was pretty much stuck at the table by his car seat. But I did manage to get up and about and still keep an eye on him sleeping across the room. At one time during the night I had Clark in the sling and was eating popcorn. I could tell he really wanted to eat some (but of course I would not let a 5 month old eat popcorn). He watched as I picked up the pieced and put them in my mouth and one time he actually leaned forward and tried to get it from my hands. It was funny, but so sad that he wanted it but couldn't have it. Jason had to stay late to help clean up so he drove us home at about 8pm. I hear that when he went back he sung "Wind beneath my wings", which of course I missed. I wish I would have seen that! Jason got home just in time for Lijah's bedtime. I tried to put him to sleep but was having some difficulty. There was a small wet spot on his sheet (which for once was not from the car) but it was small so he decided he could still sleep with it. But then all of a sudden he started freaking out saying that his fitted sheet was wet and his pillow was wet – then daddy came to my rescue.

Sunday 3/1/09 – We skipped church today because Jason wasn't feeling well and I wasn't much up for handling both boys alone by myself. Instead we hung out and played all day. I made eggplant parmesan, and decided that I am over my eggplant parmesan kick. I also made a Clementine cake, which turned out pretty good – but Jason thought it was disgusting (of course). I had to boil the oranges for two hours so I would have been pretty upset if I thought it was bad. It wasn't the best cake I've had, but it was pretty good. Since I had some extra time in the morning I decided that would use up the rest of my sugar scrub in the shower. Later in the afternoon I went into the bathroom and saw something in the tub – and that something was about 30 carpenter ants!!!!! We had seen the ants here and there in the bathroom, but not enough to really worry about it. Now I am not one to kill things, and if I see a spider I won't kill it. I'll leave it be or relocate it outside. Even this past fall when we found a mouse that had come in with a bag of clothes I did not want Jason to kill it. But carpenter ants……they will eat my house. So I pulled out the shower head, put on scalding hot water, and flushed them all down the drain. Later that day I went into the bathroom again and I thought "the washcloth!". Sure enough I looked in the tub at the washcloth I hung up and it was covered with ants!!!!! So I scalded them and killed them!

Monday 3/2/09 – This morning I had Clark in his "office" while I was cooking breakfast when I heard Lijah start crying. Then Clark started crying so I went in to see what was going on. Somehow Clark had flipped his exersaucer and was upside down on his head. It must have hit Lijah when it flipped because Lijah was crying about his leg. I suspect that Clark did not flip himself, but that Lijah gave him one end of a cord and then when Clark would not let go he pulled, and that flipped it over. Tonight Jason got a great idea of a fun activity for us to do with our new ant friends. While I was in the bathroom I saw some ants in the tub and decided to sit and watch them, hoping to find out where they were coming from. I noticed a tiny hole in the caulking between the tub and the tile and that's where they all disappeared to when I turned on the light. So Jason decided to get out the vacuum to suck them up, but even better…..he decided to fashion a "super anteater sucker" on the end of the hose with a tube, some tinfoil, and some tape. We then lugged the vacuum upstairs into the bathroom and went to work. We were able to suck up one ant that was out in the open, but it didn't have the super suction capabilities he was imagining. I think he imagined putting the super sucker tube into the hole, creating a vacuum effect in the walls, sucking up every ant in there. Lijah sat on the rocker in the nursery and watched from afar. I also tried to make a special snack – bananas and chocolate. I saw an idea somewhere where you split a banana in half, add chocolate chips, and bake it. However, mine turned into a nasty mess. Then I tried freezing them, thinking that they might be good with milk and sugar, but that turned them into a nastier mess. Bummer.

Tuesday 3/3/09 – Clark has taken a liking to putting his fingers in my mouth and having me tickle them with my tongue. Every time he nurses he tried to get his hands in my mouth, and then just laughs. We've officially run out of extra milk in the freezer for Clark so he'll have to start formula for part of the day. I have started him on solids as well. He's had rice cereal and sweet potatoes so far and seems to know how to put the spoon in his mouth. He's a natural eater. Lijah never really seemed interested in food – I mean he'd eat just fine, but he would never drool over the thought of eating food like Clark seems to do. He always watches me when I eat and really gets excited when he gets to eat. Hopefully he does not follow in my insatiable eating habits…..