Curly Straight

After my ceremony, TJ tells me, "I am going to call you Major Powers from now on, Mommy."

TJ had a great swimming lesson today, his last one of the summer.

He dunked his head under and held his breath a bunch of times!

He's beginning to use his arms to do the freestyle stroke, and puts his face in the water as Janelle holds onto him.

Exciting.

Googling "how to remove Sharpie marker from carpet" - as John is working on it with the orange multi-purpose cleaner.

Purell, rubbing alcohol, spot shot, were all suggested, but he did it with the orange stuff and the manpower of one. This is the same guy that moves entire rooms of furniture all by himself up and down two flights of stairs. Yay!

Mama: TJ, what to you want for breakfast?

TJ: Oatmeal. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right.

I wish I could bottle the way his ABC blankie and her little rainbow blankie smell.

Mama: TJ, what do you want for a snack?

TJ takes his hands and twists both of them in a back and forth motion down by his waist.

Mama: What's that?

TJ: sign language for drinking yogurt.

Julia is so funny, she crawls, crabwalks, kneel-walks around the living room, checking out everything - she loves looking at books, and playing with whatever TJ has out.

One of my favorite things she does is disappear around the corner, where we keep a basket full of hats.

She goes into the little alcove, and appears, a minute or two later, wearing a hat.

The fun is seeing which one it will be - Mommy or Daddy's winter hat, a red plastic Fire Chief hat at a jaunty angle, an Air Force hat, TJ's Big Bird baseball cap on backwards.

It's always a surprise and it is always very cute.

She loves the hats.

At an all inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic, Ocean Blue H10, I think it is called.

Life here is basically a Corona commercial.

Blue ocean, white sand, free flowing drinks, mucho food, good friends, smiling faces. It certainly is not a bad place.

Mama to Mimi, can I talk to TJ_

Mimi, he does not want to talk to you.

Mama, tell him I need to know what comes after uno.

TJ gets on the phone.

TJ, dos, dos.

Mama, are you having fun, TJ

TJ, yes but I miss you Mama.

Mama, yes honey I miss you too.

TJ, I miss you one hundred.

Mama, I miss you one hundred and one.

TJ, I miss you one hundred years, Mama.

So, we arrive home from our relaxing vacation in the Dominican Republic. Tired from the flight, but excited to see the kids, and yes, the Rottens, and even the cats.

TJ plays with us for a while, then perks up, remembering something. "I have a surprise for you," he says, taking me by the hand and leading us into his bedroom.

There is a light illuminating his whole room, an aquarium with two goldfish in it.

Are you kidding me, I am thinking, more pets. TJ and I had this conversation the other day, and I told him that 2 dogs and 3 cats is enough. I am not happy about this at all.

But I can't let him know that, he doesn't understand the whole dynamic of it, he is just psyched that he has new fish.

So I ask "What are their names, TJ?"

"This one is Flip and this one is Flop."

Julia walks!

We came home from vacation and heard from Mimi that Julia is walking...I had actually seen her take about 7 steps the day before we left. She didn't really show us Friday night, but today, she's motoring all over the place like an expert.

She does it so well, I'm pretty sure she was practicing while we weren't looking.

Mama: TJ, let's say prayers tonight.

TJ: OK

Mama: So you start like this, and fold your hands and tell God what you are thankful for...

Mama says a little prayer, and asks TJ if he wants to add to it.

TJ, very quietly: I love my mommy and my daddy and Julia and even myself.

Mama: Amen

John's take on flip flops:

"They are like slippers for the beach. You don't wear slippers to the beach or out in public. Same thing with flip flops. You can't pull off wearing them out in public. Well, some people do, but I don't."

It is really creeping up on me, the fact that TJ is going to be going to school, every day, all day very, very soon.

It makes my stomach knot up a little. And my throat choke up a lot.

I'm gonna miss that little guy.

Everything is acting up on me today.

My car door locker, not working. I asked the refrigerator for ice cubes, it gives me crushed ice. The water is coming out very s...l...o...w...l...y out when I try to get a glass of water from the dispenser. Liar GPS has a low battery. My earphones, one of the little cushy things fell off. My laptop is taking forever to start and going through some registry check every time I start it.

TJ just put me in time out for 39 minutes because I accidentally erased his picture he painted with his computer keyboard.

TJ: I am a dinosaur, in a dinosaur parade.

Walks into kitchen, brings me the refrigerator magnet with "K" on it.

TJ: You be K-Rex.

Leaves, walks into kitchen, brings Julia the refrigerator magnet with "B".

TJ: Julia is B-Rex

Walks into kitchen, comes back with the "T" magnet.

TJ; I'll be T Rex.

I like to drink a beer, iron pants, and watch guilt-inducing shows on MTV. All at once. At least the ironing makes it somewhat worthwhile.

Mimi thinks that if Julia goes down to sleep, and doesn't fall asleep immediately, she's not ready for sleep. She also likes to get Julia up the minute she makes a peep. I am completely different, I let her lay there and talk for a while before she goes to sleep. And she usually does go to sleep. I also give her a few minutes to wake up before I go in and get her.

Since we have been back from vacation, it's taking some adjusting for Julia to get used to not getting picked up right away if she talks when I put her down for a nap.

She rolls around in her crib, talking and sometimes yelling "Mama, Mama" for a few minutes. I don't go in and get her. Sometimes it gets louder. Sometimes, as a true last resort, she starts yelling "Miiiiiiimmmmmmmiiiiiii!!!!!" - it's very smart of her. Doesn't get her anywhere with me, but I understand her point.

Getting my car washed this morning, see a little black chihuahua across the street. It decides to cross the busy road to come over to see me.

I tried to give it pretzels and the car wash guys had water out for it, but it just wouldn't come close enough for me to snatch him up. They said he got closer to me than any other person. It's probably a good thing, because I was ready to take it home. I don't normally like little dogs too much, but I felt so worried about him crossing that road.

I called the Providence police, so hopefully they were able to at least get it to the Rescue League.

is going to Aunt Mary's 97th bday party this weekend.

Tequila shots for all.

I did it! I did it!

I sent an electronic query with my book synopsis - well, novel, ok novella, really - to a publisher.

SCARY.

But fun.

I wrote it a LONG time ago and have never really been brave enough to send it out. Rejection and all. But really, so what.

Came home from the Camp to find both Flip and Flop dead. About to have a Fish funeral.

Had a great weekend at the Camp.

Swimming with TJ at the Italian Camp and decided to see if he would jump off the dock. It's pretty high and he's never done it before, but he used to jump off the little wall at swimming lessons so I figured it can't hurt to try it.

Sang "Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall...Humpty Dumpty had a great fall..." and SPLASH! The kid jumped right into my arms.

Repeat about 20 times, then again later at our place, then again this morning.

He loves it.

TJ and I also wrote a book this weekend. He told me what to write and I wrote it, verbatim.

It's really cute and involved a prince, a king, lots of napping, lots of swings and slide and the occasional wicked dinosaur.

My sister likes to write beautiful poems for major life events. AHEM.

Following is her ode to Flip and Flop. Sums it up pretty well.

We went away for a week
Rest and relaxation we did seek

TJ said Mama I have a surprise
And Mama could not believe her eyes

Two goldfish in a tank
And Mimi is the one to thank

Two kids, two dogs, three cats and two fish
How am I going to handle this

Two more mouths for me to feed
Is really the last thing that I need

I really wanted to let out a scream
I pinched myself to make sure it was not a dream

I let it slide no big deal
It was not like it was a pet seal

A little care is all they need
Change the water and some feed

We packed our bags for another trip
Saying behave to Flop and Flip

Little did we know how short our time would be
Usually goldfish have a longer life expectancy

We said our good bye's in a proper way
Off to the fish store I go today

Julia is such a love.

I wish we knew more sign language because all of it we have taught her, she loves to use.

Everytime she sees a cat, or her milk, or a dog she tells us, by saying the word in her own little language (dog sounds like dooooeee), and using the sign repeatedly. It's so cute.

She talks now. She has never had a problem letting you know how she feels, through her actions, expressions, now words. She likes to say No! and shake her head when I ask her if she wants to go lie down with her beloved rainbow blankie. Dada! She'll yell, when John gets home. Mama! when she sees me, or wants me. She even says TJ, but it doesn't quite sound like that. I know what she's talking about though.

She doesn't like seeing people cry. She'll drop everything to comfort Thomas if he is crying. She pats his back and tries to make him happy. It's so heartwarming.

Julia likes the outdoors. She likes the grass and the sky and seeing airplanes go by. Walks are a good time for her, she kicks back in her stroller, usually with a cup of pretzels or crackers and her milk.

She walks all around, still crawls as well.

She's a wonderful sleeper and mostly a good napper.

Needless to say, she loves her food.

She's gentle with the animals, she really loves seeing her pets. It gets her excited.

She likes to talk on the phone and usually yells "Bye!" for a few minutes after I hang up with someone.

She makes a funny, funny sound, it sounds like she is saying the letter W again and again, it is so cute and funny.

We are so blessed to have such a sweet little 1 1/2 year old - a smart, happy, funny, kind, loving girl in our lives.

TJ, in car on the way to the Camp last week:

I don't want to be a chicken.

I don't want to be a duck.

I just want to be me.

TJ got into a little bit of trouble at school the other day for hitting other kids with his blanket during naptime.

It's very unusual for him to act out this way in school, so I was trying to get to the source of the issue.

He finally blurted out the truth - "I love my friends at my school now and why did my fish have to die?"

It's gotta be rough being 4 years old sometimes.

Mama: TJ, it's time for bed.

TJ: But my bones are not tired, Mama.

Just putting away my suitcase now from the weekend.

There is still the "use and care" instruction sheet - being the good rule-follower that I am, I read it before recycling it.

It has 8 steps on cleaning and caring for the suitcases, how to store them, etc.

The 8th step, exactly as written: Never allow childrdn to play inside your unzipped luggage as this could damage the locking handle.

TJ just left to go get a coloring book.

Comes back upstairs with it, but I notice he doesn't have any markers.

I didn't notice he was carrying one behind his ear.

Takes it out, sits down on the floor and gets down to his coloring business.

The sign for bird is the thumb and the first two fingers up to your mouth to make it look like a beak.

Julia has added her own twist to it, when she sees - or hears - a bird, she takes her fingers like that, but backwards and rolls them over her mouth, while babbling - blaalalahabbllllablla.