Halloween

Halloween for my kids is just another day to dress up and get candy.  Seriously, they love to dress up.  For me, Halloween means making their costumes {and stealing their candy}.  Even though I start mentally designing their costumes at the end of September, I don't usually start actually making them until the week{end} before.  I think the costumes turned out pretty good this year, if I do say so myself.

Dominic is obsessed with all things Pirates of the Caribbean, so I really wasn't surprised when he said he wanted to be Jack Sparrow.

Jessalyn really likes Tinker Bell and I had every intention of making her a Tink costume {I even made the tutu and got her some wings}, but when we decided to participate in the All Saints party at our parish I figured I wasn't up for making her 2 costumes, so she went as an.....

Jessalyn was hilarious!  She's gone trick-or-treating for the last 3 Halloweens, but this year she really grasped the concept.  After the first couple of houses, she looked at me and exclaimed: "People are giving me candy!"  : }She would laugh and run up to the door and say "Trick-or-treat! ... Thank you!"

Even though her little legs were tired she wouldn't let anyone to touch her candy bucket.  {Dominic on the other hand said after four houses, "I think I have enough candy..." and handed me his bucket}

 

Dominic went off with Emily to trick-or-treat with his friends, so I didn't really get any pictures of him trick-or-treating, but he was funny when we found him...

I think we did pretty good - Jessalyn was definitely more in to trick-or-treating than Dom, but they both had fun and that's what really matters!

Like Mother, Like Daughter...

I've been reading The Temperament God Gave You and it is VERY enlightening to say the least.  While I was reading the book I would come across something and think to myself, "That sounds like Jessalyn!  She most definitely has a sanguine temperament!"  Although I was starting to see myself with a Choleric temperament, the results of the temperament indicator came through loud and clear - apparently I am more of a Sanguine than I thought.  That might explain why we're alike in a couple of ways...

I like coffee ~ she likes my coffee breath {she's going to be a coffee drinker, I can just tell}

I like girly things like painting nails ~ so does she {or at least looking girly while doing boy things}

I'm always within reach of my phone or computer ~ so is she.

I've been known to show emotion in very rare situations ~ she wears her emotions on her sleeve.

I may or may not make a few distinct facial expressions ~ she has the same ones. 

I talk occasionally ~ she talks constantly and to anyone who will listen.  

I like accessories ~ so does she.

I tend to be a bit clumsy ~ she is accident prone.  

I like to dress up like Batman from time to time ~ so does she.   

I've even heard that she kind of looks like me.  I just don't see it...

I guess it makes sense that we're so alike, because she is my daughter after all -or so I've been told.  

{I do love my mini-me, attitude and all!}

Jesus' Life (As Told By My Kids)

I'm terrible at blogging.  I go in spurts where I'm really into it and stick with it for a while, but then I fizzle out  (I've realized that's been my pattern with a lot of things recently).  I've been wanting to start blogging again, but being the perfectionist that I tend to be, I wanted to have something really good to write about.  The following happened yesterday morning, in the span of about 5 minutes...

Jesus' Life

Starring Dominic (as the Angel Gabriel, Joseph, and a Soldier) and Jessalyn (as Mary), with a special guest Fulton (as Baby Jesus, in Act 3) -

Act One:  The Annunciation
     Dominic (carrying a sword, wearing Jessalyn's fairy wings):  "I am the Angel Gabriel.  I have a message from God for Mary - you are going to be Jesus' mother!"
     Jessalyn (wearing a blanket draped over her head and of course her new favorite rain boots):  "Oh boy!  I like Jesus!"

Act Two: (Shortly after) Jesus' Birth
     Dominic (wearing a towel draped over his head, secured with a chip clip):  "I have to find the perfect gift for my wife's baby!  My wife Mary just had Baby Jesus and he needs a present!"
     Jessalyn (still wearing her blanket, now carrying a baby wadded up in a blanket): "Husband, where is my Baby Jesus' present?!"
     Dominic: "I'm looking, but the shepherds are supposed to bring something too!"

Act Three: The Foretelling of Jesus' Death
     Dominic (once again wielding a sword, this time accompanied by a shield): "I'm a soldier and I'm going to help kill your Son, Jesus.  I don't want to do it, but that's what the other soldier guy told me to do and I have to obey my orders."
     Jessalyn: "Don't kill my Son!  I will be sad and probly cry!"

The End

Hopefully I'll put aside my perfection issues (with more than just blogging) and post more often.  We'll see how that goes...

   

It might be time to potty train if...

It might be time to potty train your 22 month old if...

...she says she has to go potty whenever someone else goes.
...she randomly sits on the potty, fully clothed.
...she puts her dolls on the potty in her doll house.
...she repeatedly tells you she has to go potty while driving in the car.
...she asks to sit on the potty before she gets in the bathtub.
...she tells you when she needs her diaper changed.
...she sits on the potty reading books for more than 5 minutes at a time.
...she asks to wear underwear.

Now if only I could get her to actually pee ON the potty and not in front of it or in her underwear (which doesn't seem to bother her).  It might be time to stop trying sporadically and get our potty training on!  Here's to hoping that potty training girls is really easier than potty training boys...

Never!

Spring Break 2011 consisted of a trip to South Bend to visit Nathan  at Holy Cross and a trek to Chicago to hit up Shedd's Aquarium.  It was a quick trip, but we had a blast!  From the moment we got in the car, Dominic talked non-stop - the ENTIRE 2 hour drive: "As soon as we see Nathan then we can go to the green hotel and then in the morning we can go to the 'quarium and see the sharks, whales and penguins...How old are you?  Do you love me and Jessalyn and Daddy?  How about EVERY OTHER person I can name at the moment?  What animals will we see at the 'quarium?"  Then "the echo" started in with her running commentary - "Are we there yet?  Where are we Momma?  What are we doing?  Where are we going?  Where's that truck going, Momma?"  

Dominic:  Look behind you chump!

Jessalyn:  Dom Aaron look behind me! 

(When I asked Dominic where he heard the word "chump" he said it was from the Jungle Book...?)

As soon as we got to Holy Cross, the talking continued, but now that kids had someone else's ear to talk off - Uncle Nathan's!  "Nathan, I have a stick!"  "Nathan we're going to the 'quarium tomorrow!"  "Nathan where are we?  What are we doing?"  After a long day (without naps) the kids finally fell asleep around 10pm and they were up by 7am the next morning, ready to start the day at the 'quarium...

Back in the car for the 2nd part of our trip, the kids talked the whole 2 hour drive from South Bend to Chicago - talking to each other, making the other laugh one minute and picking on each other and making the other cry the next.  And apparently the kids learned a new phrase -  "NEVER!"...

Me: Dom, can you smile for me? 

Dominic: Never!  I'll never smile for you!  HA HA HA HA!  

 

Me: Jessalyn, let's go find Daddy and Dominic.

Jessalyn:  Never, never, never!   I'm too busy, Momma!

So even though we had a great day at the 'quarium, I wasn't able to get many "good" pictures - the kids wouldn't sit still long enough (surprise surprise) and even when I managed to get them to sit, they wouldn't smile for me...I just hope the mental pictures I have of their sweet little faces, reactions and excitement will be sufficient to remember this trip, because I only have a few (non-blurry) pictures! 

 

 

What we've been up to...

Here are just a few pictures to show you what we've been up to since my last post...

Christmas meant lot of time spent with family and enough toys to fill every inch of space that was previously "vacant" in our house...

Dominic learned how to spell and write his name! 

Dom: A 'o' with a line for a 'd', another 'o', and then a up down up down for the 'm'

We witnessed a miracle!  

Dom: Jessalyn and I are holding hands!  We love each other! 

We managed to survive "Snowmagedden/Snowpacolypse"...

We discovered that Jessalyn likes to cook and has an obsession with shoes and hats...

 

Yesterday we made yummy cookies that we had to throw out - Dominic likes to lick the frosting spoon and put it back in the bowl after each cookie, so I only let him frost a few, but they all got mixed together...and then we found out he had strep...

Stuff they've said...

Dominic:  I want hotdogs for dinner.
Me: No, let's have something else, something healthier.
Dominic: No, healthy food will kill me!  Anything other than hotdogs will kill me!

Jessalyn: It's snowing.  Yep, it's snowing. 

Before eating his dinner Dominic said this prayer: Thanks for the food God, even though it's not hotdogs. 

Jessalyn: How 'bout ice cream?

Me: No, not until after dinner.

Jessalyn: How 'bout dinner?

Me: What would you like?

Jessalyn: How 'bout ice cream?