an update, and pictures for the grandparents!

Charlie and his friend Eva at the park, and...

A bunch of pictures for the benefit of the Grandparents:

After Charlie went to bed the other night, this is how I found his toys:

A meeting at the watering-hole

The cast of the Nativity, waiting in line either to board Noah's Ark, or to get into the animal hospital

Valentine's Day waffle breakfast

Here's an update on all of us in the easiest and therefore quickest format I know how to utilize-- the outline.

NIA

Quotable Quotes:

• "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da"
• "Phthhhhhbbbbt"
• "EEEEEEEEE!!!!" (high E, maybe even a high A)

Current Obsessions:

• hands (anyone's)
• feet (just her own)
• mommy's new glasses

Recent Accomplishments:

• pretending to have forgotten how to roll over/smashing her face in the rug
• sleeping straight through the night from 5:30 to 5:30!
• surpassing her own impossible standard of cuteness and deliciousness EVERY DAY

CHARLIE

Quotable Quotes:

• (Looking into the bright sunlight) "Mommy, it's brighting on me!"
• (To Antonia) "Hello! So nice to see you!"
• "You getting smaller, Mommy?" (by which he either meant that I look like I'm losing weight, or I appear relatively smaller to him as he gets bigger. I'm not sure which, but I'm hoping for the former...)
• "I looking nice. Let's take a picture." (He was feeling particularly confident in a new pair of jeans that Grandma Daines just sent him)

Current Obsessions:

• Cars. Always cars. Really, all forms of transportation
• playing with Antonia, which is more like playing AT Antonia, but she is entertained nevertheless
• talking about four things that will happen when he gets bigger: 1. he will go to preschool, 2. he will ride a bike, 3. he will ride a scooter (this last one is totally his idea, we've tried to get him interested in riding a scooter NOW, but he insists that he needs to get bigger. Apparently he doesn't want to rush into anything before he's ready...) and 4. he will draw a pinecone

Recent Accomplishments:

• he now goes potty all by himself, and no one is more excited than I am. These days all I have to do is button his button or buckle his belt
• he has executed some very nice downward dogs while doing a yoga video with me. Anytime I'm working out at home he tries to participate, and it is ridiculously cute, especially the yoga poses. He wiggles and contorts himself into his best approximation of the pose and then says "I think I got it! I think I got it, mommy!"

ADRI

Quotable Quotes:

• (To a salesperson at every store I visit that is outfitted with security doors) "There is a ginormous magnet in the clasp of my purse that will set off the alarm when I leave this store. I promise I'm not stealing anything."
• "Did everyone poop today?" Ok, I didn't actually say this out loud, but sometimes I find myself thinking it as I drift off to sleep. There are at least two other people in my life for whose physical health I am almost solely responsible, and sometimes a person's physical well-being can really hinge on bowel movements, you know?

Current Obsessions:

• "Lost"
• Jones Sugar-free Cream Soda
• half.com (Dad, it's like all the used bookstores in the world in one convenient place: your computer!)

Recent Accomplishments:

• I finished Walden in time for my book club meeting, and no one was more surprised than I was
• Does getting my baby to sleep 12 hours at night when she previously only slept 6-7 count as MY accomplishment? I'm counting it.

WILL

Quotable Quotes:

• "You go to bed. I'll do the dishes and clean up." (Not just one time, either!)
• "I found some really good stuff on iTunes! Michigan State University Wind Ensemble! With John L. Whitwell!"

Current Obsession:

• finding good band music on iTunes (see above)

Recent Accomplishments:

• As always, molding young minds
• Being a great example, father and husband. Not really time for much else

Well, friends, that's all for tonight, but now that I'm getting more regular sleep, you can expect more regular posts. At least, I hope that's how it will work out. Here's to hoping!