Friday, February 24, 2012

To Declan at Two


Declan, it seems like just yesterday you shocked us all by being born a BOY, and here you are already two years old! We still don't know who you look like (although our nearest guess is Grampy) and we're waiting to see if you'll be tall like Mommy (haha) or tall like Daddy.

It's been a big year for you. You were just turning one last year when you gave us the scare of a lifetime and introduced us to the world of babies turning grey and breathing treatments at the hospital. Looks like you inherited Uncle's crap lungs - sorry about that, buddy.

You were just 13 months old when you became a big brother. You are sandwiched between sisters and the three of you are already thick as thieves, we can't wait to see what you will be like when the three of you are teenagers!

You were late to walk and it wasn't until you were 18 months old that your little buddy Thomas came over and got you going. But you made up for your lack of mobility with your never-ending chatter.


You are bright and curious. You talk constantly. Seriously. You don't stop from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep again - my ears are tired at the end of the day. Fortunately, most of what you say is so hilarious we can't help but laugh. Here are a few of your latest gems:

"My will PUSH Thomas and my will say sowwy!"

"Das Tah-yee-ah's milk? Das my milk? Das Weeby's milk? Das Daddy's milk? Das Mommy's milk? Where Daddy go? Daddy at work? My want Daddy home. Das my sock? You like my nice shirt? My pants? I eat...."

"Tah-yee-ah! NO PUSH ME SHIRT!!!!!"

You love to play pretend with your big sister and to push your little sister around in her walker.  Your favourite toys are balls, hockey sticks, and trains. Sometimes you come in with me to drop off Talia at school, and it breaks your heart when you can't stay and play.

You are so smart. When your Daddy and I can't find something, we send you off in search of whatever we're looking for and you almost always deliver. When Grandma and Grandpa looked after you last weekend, we weren't surprised that you were Grandma's big helper. You aren't much of a cuddler but when Grandpa is around you could (and often do) cuddle with him for hours at a time.


You like to play in forts and you love when we set up obstacle courses in the living room and you're actually allowed to jump around on the furniture. When you're in the tub you like to wrap the toys in your facecloth and pretend they are your babies.

You eat like no other kid we've ever seen and your father is going to need a second job when you're a teenager in order to keep you fed. You love to come home from daycare and inform me that Tante Sue has "Cho-late muk" at *her* house.

You are sweet & sensitive and rough & tumble, all at the same time. Right now you are wearing gitchies over your diaper because you want to be a big boy and a baby all at the same time - which is exactly the combination you are these days.

Before we had kids, we used to wonder what we would do if our kids weren't funny. Of course, there are so many more important things to worry about when it comes to kids!! So we've been blessed that so far, our kids are happy and healthy, and we're lucky enough that you're even funny, too. You make us laugh every day and we can't wait to see what the next year will bring us! Love you, buddy!

Lousy Healthy Kids

So I'm sure you've all seen the fun spaghetti-in-wieners pictures that have been floating around the Interweb for months now. And since I'm never one to turn my nose up at an Internet craze, (Rockin' Green Diaper Detergent? Amber teething necklace? WHO'S WITH ME????) I thought I would make these kids a little treat and stick some noodles in wieners today for lunch.

Step 1: Chop up some wieners and shove some spaghetti in them. I used whole wheat spaghettini and put about 6 or 7 noodles in each piece of hotdog.


Step 2: Throw it all in a pot of boiling water.


Step 3: Disgusting, no?


Step 4: Your kids who are not used to eating crap like hotdogs will laugh hysterically at the "jellyfish" and then push their plates away, waiting for their real lunch.

"Do you seriously expect me to eat this bullshit? Make with the fruit, lady!"

So lunch was kind of a fail. At first I was all "That's what is for lunch. Eat it." Then I remembered that it's actually good if my kids don't like hotdogs, so I stopped being crazy and cut up some apples, cheese and grapes. Fruit is fun, right? RIGHT?!? Sigh.