Prestonisms

While getting packing food for our picnic...

P: "Can we listen to Ice Ice Baby...I want to rock!"

While talking on the phone to his Pappy...

P: "Happy Birfday Pappy! How many candles are on yer cake?"

Pappy: "54"

P: [pauses] "Are you serious?"

 

While trying to catch a spider in it's web...

P: "He's running from me 'cause he's scared. He doesn't know me."

P: [to the spider] "Hi! My name is Preston!"

P: [with enthusiasm] "Mommy!! He's not scared anymore, cause I died him!"

Me: "You died him?"

P: [matter of factly] "Yeah, I killed him."

 

Bathtub chit chat...  

P: "Did you know me and Daddy match? We bof [both] have geen [green] eyes. So we match!"

Me: "That's right, you do!"

P: (while holding up his forefinger and shaking it once) "AND... AND we bof have big eenises [penises]. Our penises match, too!"

Me: "Not sure if that's good for you, or bad for Daddy?"

P: "It's good Mommy. Cause matching is good!"

 

Kid Stats

Since I'm attempting to play a mad game of catch-up, thought I'd post the yearly check-up stats for the kids.

Preston, at 3 years
• 31lbs 2oz. in the 25th percentile.
• 36.25" in the 25th percentile.

Norah, at 1 year
• 21lbs 5oz. in the 50th percentile.
• 29.25" in the 50th percentile.

She's gaining on her big bro!

A New 'Do at Dooz

Norah was born with a full head of hair. Lost the back and some of the sides, kept all of the top. So what is that- a reverse mullet?
Whatever it is, she no longer has it!

Thanks to Rachel at Dooz, the days of the thin, whispy pigtails are gone (not that they weren't ahhh-dorable)...Norah is now sporting a chic inverted bob of sorts.

There were bubbles, books, toys and snacks. Norah hadn't a clue what was going on, but she did know she WASN'T happy. By the end of the haircut she was in a rage- face blotchy, breathing heavily, and didn't give a poo about the "prize" they were trying to give her.

Stylists who cut children's hair must have the most patience in the world!

Before- content and clueless.

After- confused and ready to hit the road. (She was waving bye-bye)

It's a Shabby Chic 1st Birthday!

Being that Norah is THE CUTEST, and THE SWEETEST little girl you'd ever meet, I thought it only proper to give her THE CUTEST and THE SWEETEST first birthday a little girl could ever have...Shabby Chic- vintage linens, old jars, fresh flowers, desserts, and handmade crafts. Thanks to Etsy.com and hours of online research, the party decor was perfect.

The guest list was quaint..a few friends and the in-laws. Party was short, but Norah is just a babe. And the weather perfect.

Check out the pics below. As always, click to enlarge.

Dessert table.

Angled view of dessert table.

The cake! Strawberry with vanilla icing. Adorned with a wide vintage ribbon, fresh flower and candle.

'N" cupcakes.

Lemon cupcakes with raspberry jam filling.

Highlights of Norah's first year.

Vintage jars with ribbon.

Dining table.

Centerpiece with jars, cans, lemons and fresh flowers.

Favor signage.

Favors were a "Shabby Chic" cookie recipe and cutter.

Mobiles hung throughout the yard (not good for wind, as you can see). Vintage lace glued onto a cross-stitch ring; circular strips of construction paper hung by baker's twine. Simple and cute!

Tin cans with fresh flowers lined the fence.

Miss Norah Grace and her cake.

Digging in!

Cake is good!

Demolition!

Her "big" gift...4-in-1 ride on. Princeses!

Captain Preston's 3rd Birthday

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Kate and I am your chief flight attendant. On behalf of Captain Preston and the entire crew, welcome aboard Flight 3333 with nonstop service to Seattle, Wa.

Our flight time will be 3 hours and 3 minutes. We will be flying at an altitude of 3,333 feet/meters at a ground speed of 333 miles per hour/kilometers per hour. (Is everyone picking up the "3" theme...cause I'm laying it down pretty thick!)

At this time, make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position, your seat belt is correctly fastened, and that as of this moment, all electronic equipment must be turned off. Please sit back, and enjoy the ride.”

Click on any image to enlarge.

The invitation:
Basic template and inspiration courtesy of Anders Ruff. Anders Ruff edited the ticket as I requested, then once I had the file in-hand I personalized names, addresses, and origin airline info. I also created personalized business envelopes for each guest.

The runway:
We clearly transformed the walkway up to our house to mimic a runway. The door sign said TERMINAL P3, and the sign on the left (above the plastic shoe bin) was the security sign asking everyone to remove their shoes.

Airline Check-In: 
Each guest had their own badge. Preston, obviously, was the "Captain". All the adults were "Crew". And the children were "Co-Pilots".

Hanging Decor:
Inflatable airplanes and fluffy clouds were hung throughout the house.

Food Court:
The peninsula in our kitchen was transformed into "runway 3" with an airplane hanging overhead preparing to land. The dining table was also adorned with a runway and airplane. The airport food- small sandwiches, chips, fruit bowls, and nuts- were all appropriately sized and priced. Drinks were served in small clear cups with ice. And the cupcakes (personalized with "Preston 3") ready to take off!

 

Arrivals/Departures:
I also altered a .jpg found on Google of an Arrivals/Derpature board to include the "Addy Airlines" name and date. This way displayed on our flat screen tv, that hangs on the wall in our living room, during the party.

Other various signage included: Lil' Pilot's Playspace (in the playroom), Lavatory, Beer Barrel and No Smoking. And of course, on the way out at "Baggage Claim", each guest received their own personalized puke bag. Contents included various airplane-themed goodies, and personalized luggage tags I created.

Thank you letters were sent out on Addy Airlines letterhead.
Must.Keep.True.To.Theme.

By now you are probably thinking I'm one of those crazy mom's who goes overboard with decor. And, maybe I am. But I have to tell you..there isn't much airline-themed party stuff out there. Which doesn't make sense considering we live in the state of Washington, i.e. a Boeing mecca. So I HAD to make the decor myself- with the help of my hubby and mother. Which really sucks for a creative-type like myself. ;)

Shit or Get Off the Pot

Does this saying ever make sense NOW!!!

Near the end of November, Preston awoke with yet another 5-pound pee diaper and a rash to match. I showed him the rash in the mirror and told him his penis was not happy. That's all it took. From that point on, he decided he was only peeing in the potty.

Jeremy and I had been moving in this direction with Preston for months but we didn't want to pressure him. Peeing in the potty party was part of our pre-nap and bedtime routines, so we knew Preston could control his bladder. It was just a matter of him "wanting" to make the big move.

And to our surprise, the kid hasn't turned back. He wears underwear all day, even for naps. We've been trying out underwear at night as well, and have had few accidents- he actually gets up at night to pee then goes back to bed. I love it!

Funny thing though...Preston refuses to poop in the potty. He asks for a diaper when he needs to go. He's not afraid to sit on the pot or the flushing sound. I think it's him holding on to being a baby. OR, him just wanting to have control over one of the few things he actually has control over. At this point, we're making him stand by the potty to poop in his diaper. And it's nearly comical- he gets a diaper, I put it on, he goes to the bathroom and yells, "I need piacy (that's privacy, minus a couple consonants)" before shutting the door. Then he comes out when he's finished.

Sometimes though, he likes to throw his parents a bone. He acts all interested in taking a deuce on the big white throne. He even gets excited. But alas, he gets shit shy, and the diaper goes on.

Here is a visual to help...

 

 Got any shittin' suggestions?

Top 10 of 2010

Okay, so this is a little late. (I won't apologize.) In no particular order, here they are...

10) Sweet baby Norah Grace, born May 14.

9) Preston deciding to potty-train himself at the end of November. (stay tuned to the blog for a fascinating post on this)

8) Preston saying "cowet", pronounced COW-ETTE. It's how he says "quiet". Adorable, yes!

7) Norah consistently being in the 95th percentile, and Preston in the 25th percentile.

6) Norah's bottom two teeth finally coming forth on her 8-month-birthday (pics to come for this as well!)

5) Realizing I'll never be a perfect mother, but I'm the best mom the kids will ever have.

4) Hearing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!" repeated consistently, nearly 500,000 times a day, even when I'm standing one foot from Preston.

3) Having a boy AND a girl.

2) Admitting, and not being ashamed or feeling guilty, that sometimes being staying-at-home is boring and monotonous. NOT to be confused with "it's so easy I'm bored". ;)

1) Preston greeting his lincoln log when he pulls his pants down with a cheerful, "Hello, Penis!"

A New Year, A New Chapter

We're eighteen days into the new year and I'm finally on this blog writing. In the past I've jumped on here an updated the world every time Preston did something new and/or special. The blog started out as my personal journal through my first pregnancy. Once we moved across country it became a portal to keep our family and friends updated. Then, after Norah was born, and the postpartum hit, it became nothing more than a drag. Now, thanks to Lexapro and getting in a groove parenting two young children, I'm hoping to log on as I can, when I can, and when I want to. NOT when I feel like I have to.

Christmas was story-book. We baked and decorated sugar cookies for Santa. Left oatmeal and carrots in the front lawn for the reindeer. And gathered around the Christmas tree and fireplace while Jeremy read The Night Before Christmas. In the morning Preston was overjoyed. He first checked that Santa ate his cookie and the reindeer ate their snack. Then he wholeheartedly ripped into his gifts. It took us the entire day to get through everything, as he played with each toy after opening it. Norah, being only 7-months-old was happy with her dolls and play kitchen. Preston was super excited to get "Alphie" from Santa. We even managed to Skype with the all the grandparents in Ohio, too!

New Year's Eve was low-key. We took the kids to a local park on the water that had a Christmas-light display to walk through, ate dinner at home, drank champagne, and watched the ball drop. The fact Jeremy and I made it to midnight was a miracle.

This year so far has been fantastic. Norah is a delight. I've said this before, but I can't get enough of her. She gets sweeter and bigger everyday! She just turned 8-months-old and is wearing 12-18 month clothes. She's sitting up on her own, trying with all her might to crawl- up on all fours and revving back and forth; she's in neutral but not in drive. BUT, she does go in reverse! And her bottom two teeth FINALLY came in; the bottom right on the 12th and the bottom left on the 14th!

Norah is also an eater. Which isn't a surprise due to her size. She takes four 9oz. bottles a day and has a serving of cereal in the morning and a veggie or fruit with her dinner. Since her teeth came in the Cheerios don't stand a chance. So far she loves all fruits and some veggies, but refuses green beans. She shutters with each bite and then presses her lips together so tight I can't get the spoon in her mouth.

She's a little spitfire. Happy all the time, unless she's hungry. Naps great. Sleeps even better. And squeals at such a high pitch I bet she can talk to dolphins. Can you tell I'm in love?

[Wow...this post is starting to remind me of one of those brag letters people send out in holiday cards. Barf.]

Preston is a little man. Loves electronics, math and science, and all things boy. And luckily for me, he decided to potty train himself at the end of November. One morning he decided he wanted to start peeing in the potty. He's hardly had any accidents, and most of the time wakes up from his naps and bedtime dry.

The kid never stops talking. He's  turning into a real handful- boasting his young voice and determination on us parents. Preston is a grade-A manipulator. And has a better memory than Jeremy and I combined. His third birthday is Sunday and he's requested an airplane themed party.

[Oh hell, this IS one of those brag letters. Sickening, isn't it.]

I'll finish up this post with a couple pics/video, and will be back on shortly with my top ten happenings of 2010. (Better late than never!)

Best. Playdate. Ever.

Preston, at the young age of two (nearly three) doesn't appreciate the fact he just had the best playdate EVER. Parents were preoccupied with crackers and cheese, fruit and champagne. And the toddler girls had their shirts off, pillow fighting, and taking pictures.

One day, when he's sixteen, he'll appreciate this. As for now, he's sacked out napping, oblivious to the fact he's the coolest kid on the block.