True Stories

This is a true story.  The other day I got a postcard in the mail from my old dentist in Colorado.  It said, "It has been 760 days since your last visit, time for another appointment!"  Not only have we found another dentist, but we have lived in a completely different state for over two years. I know they probably just used some mass mail computer program and didn't screen anything...but come on.  As much as we loved Colorado, our dentist wasn't one of the reasons that keeps us going back.

Another true story: I was out walking with Russell a few mornings ago and I saw the backside of this big hairy animal in our neighbor's yard. I slowly tip toed into their driveway to see if I could see it better. As I moved closer, I thought, "I probably shouldn't be pushing my baby towards a wild animal." I then noticed my neighbor's teenage son sitting on the front steps. "Oh, he sees that thing, too! I wonder how long he's been watching it..."  I looked at the beast again. A javelina? A bobcat? Then the neighbor called out, "Hello?" The animal moved. I quickly realized that the wild animal was the neighbor's dog. "Sorry!" I shouted, "I thought your dog was a wild animal!"   "Oh" he yelled back, "Its not."  "I know!  Sorry!" I felt like an idiot and promptly left.

Also, I made two types of freezer jam last week. I felt accomplished. Among my other cooking endeavors were a slightly overcooked pan of brownies. I tend to do that. I don't know why but it is sure annoying. Seems like that is an easy fix, like, just under cook them next time, duh! But for some reason I always chicken out. "If I take them out now, they'll be all goo!" I always tell myself.  

In terms of Russell updates, he is becoming more and more like a little boy...sometimes I can't stand it.  He's almost 9 months. Where did my baby go? He weaned himself from the pacifier which is so bizarre because anyone who knew him in his infancy to 2 weeks ago knew how obsessed he was with that thing. Countless people said Russell reminded them of Maggie Simpson with his vigorous and continual sucking of the binky. I was actually pretty worried he would be taking it to kindergarten. But, he suddenly became disinterested in it. Whenever we'd give it to him (usually when he was hungry or upset), he take it out of his mouth and throw it on to the ground, insulted.  Like, "You want to shut me up? You think this thing will placate me? Well I'm onto you guys and let me tell you NOT COOL. So not cool. You are not going to win this one. I will not be shut up!"

He is also army commando crawling everywhere and is quite speedy. His big toes are getting blisters, which is not surprising as he moving constantly and is into EVERYTHING. His newest tricks are sitting up by himself, pulling himself to standing on furniture and the occasional wall. He continues to cruise along furniture and loves to hold on to our hands as we walk him around. You'll also notice from the picture above and in one of the videos below that his tongue is always out. I find it pretty silly and of course, quite cute. One of the videos is of him sort of waving...another new trick. The second is when he got another case of the giggles. For some reason he thought it was hilarious when we made a certain sound. Like usual, pardon my annoying voice. I tend to say "Buh bye!" in the most obnoxious way in every video with Russell. I keep hoping that if I get his attention in the final seconds of recording, he'll do this amazing trick, but as you can tell, it never works. Probably because saying "Buh bye" is not an attention getter. It is more like an attention zapper.  And on that note...before I zap even more of your attention, here's the videos.  Adios!

Musings

Russell is on the right, Owen on the left.

Russell:  Um, Owen, I have a question.

Owen: Shoot.  I'm all ears.

Russell: Have you seen that big girl that keeps running around here?

Owen: I think so...the one who keeps singing Ba Ba Black Sheep?

Russell: Yea. Traci? I think that's her name.

Owen: My mom says she is my cousin.  She says you're my cousin, too.  I don't really get that word but I think it means that we have to be friends or something.

Russell: My mom keeps saying that cousin word, too!  Wierd.

Owen: What do you think of her?  She's not little like us but she's not big like our moms.  But she can walk around and eat all by herself.  I have seen her cry, though.  A lot of times.  So I know she's not all the way grown up.

Russell:  I think she's cool.  Sometimes, she takes off her diaper...without any help!  It is amazing.  All the moms and dads around her sure think she's hilarious.  They are always asking her questions and laughing at what she says.... (Pause)  I'm a little jealous of that.

Owen:  I know what you mean.  All the moms and dads just say, "Owen, you look so cute!  Those glasses are just so adorable!"  Cute this, cute that.  I'm more than just my looks.

Russell: Seriously!  I have sand all over my body.  It is totally itchy and it tastes so salty...but instead of doing something about it, my mom just laughs and says, "Aw, Russell looks so cute with sand in his mouth!"  Don't get me wrong, I like the attention and I am kind of obsessed with this sand, but sometimes it is kind of insulting.

Owen: You know what, Russell? I think we are going to get big like Traci.

Russell: I was wondering about that. I wouldn't be surprised.  There's that other baby here, Carmen.  My mom keeps saying, "Oh...I can't believe Russell used to be so tiny like baby Carmen."  I don't really remember, but my mom does know everything so she must be right.

Owen: I think it'll be cool to be big.  You get to sing songs a lot and everyone gets so happy when you say thinks like "Icky Bug" or when you tell people you have to go poop.

Russell: Yeah.  Mostly, I just can't wait to walk.

Owen:  Word.

Russell: Actually, I've been wondering something.  When you get big, do you have to walk all the time?

Owen: Probably.  I've seen that Traci girl walk up stairs and everything.

Russell:  Well, sometimes I like it when my mom carries me.  Sometimes I cry just so she'll pick me up.  Does that make me a baby?  I don't want that to go away.

Owen: Hmm....I don't know.  I do the same thing.  I especially do that around bed time.  I just like my mom to hold me so sometimes I pretend like I'm really sad about something.  If I don't, she'll just put me in that thing she calls the 'Pack-N-Play' which, FYI, is not really for playing at all.

Russell: Well, let's see if we can ask Traci about that.

Owen: How?  Traci verbalizes stuff.  We just send telepathic messages.

Russell: Um....we are going to have to revisit this conversation because here my mom comes, with the camera and my hat.  I think it is time for another photo session.

Owen: Ugh.  Why are they so obsessed with that stuff?

Russell: I don't know but Owen...

Owen: Yeah?

Russell: You'll always be more than 'cute' to me.  I think you are so rad.  I'm glad we are cousins, whatever that means.

Owen: Thanks Russell.  You can suck on my yellow shovel whenever you want.
Enter Moms with hats and cameras.  Moms scoop up babies and smoother them with terms of endearment and sunscreen.

This is one of my favorites from the trip...you can see Russell's snaggle tooth and Owen happily chomping away on that shovel....

Traci!  Russell and Owen really did just stare whenever she was around. 

Baby chaos

Sunkissed.