Pookie Says...Volume 4

Aww, my sweet little Pookie. He may get older (can you even believe that he'll be five years old in 9 days!?) but he still says the greatest things...

"Mom, how come all my brothers and my baby sister have Chinese eyes and I don't? I know dat they aren't Chinese but dat's what their eyes yook like. Why Mom? And my eyes not yook like that, my eyes yook like yous." 

"I know I should be tired Mom but my brain just doesn't feel tired"

 "Let me think...{taps finger on temple}....UGH! I just don't remember anymore mom!"

"I can't go to sleep. I try and try but I just can't remember how."

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Um, I got an idea..."

"Mom, how come I'm allergic to cats like you. And you have my birthday. And I gots curly hair like you?? Why do you have to SHARE EVERYTHING WITH ME?! I don't want a birthday buddy! And I don't want curly hair. But I don't like cats so I don't even care if I'm allergic to them. Am I allergic to dogs?" 

To be continued, I'm sure. Pooks I love you and your unique way of thinking and talking. 

It's that time again...

Tada!

Sissy you are now even closer to turning two years old! Nineteen months...it almost seems impossible. One year ago today you looked like this:

You have changed so much...you no longer look like a baby but now, a little girl. You are truly acting and looking like a toddler. Granted you haven't grown much...the onesie in your seven month photo...you still fit in that but you are growing. You're healthy and happy. You are talking a little bit more each day. You are running and jumping and a ball of energy.

At NINETEEN months you are...

• tipping the scales at 20.8lbs. You have gotten taller for sure because your jeans are all too shorts on you but I don't remember your measurement (it was in centimeters).
• speaking clearer each day. You love to say ''I don't know", "Peek a boo" and peoples names. I love the way you say "Logan" and "Delilah", the best. You also like to yell ''BOYS" and "Wascal!" 
• now randomly come running up to me, say ''Hi Mom!" then ''Up!" then once I lift you up say ''i-wove-you" and give me a kiss. You've always been affectionate but it's fun to see you initiating it. 
• really getting into playing with toys. You love playing with Mega Blocks, any book, your Leapfrog Explorer and your baby/stroller. You also don't hesitate to crawl around the house pushing a car saying ''vrrroom, vrrrooom" with your brothers. 
• still nap, once a day in the afternoons. You are also sleeping all night in your room, in your crib without waking
• of course, you're still nursing. I don't see you giving up the boob anytime soon. It's only at home and usually only when sleepy.
• have more teeth! You have your four front and bottom teeth, all four molars and two upper canine teeth. 
• now sit at the table with no booster seat, no high chair. You insist on sitting like everyone else. It's a bit messy sometimes but mostly you do extremely well. You use your silverware and napkin, you drink from an open mouth cup and are very proud of yourself for doing so. 
• doing much better with your separation anxiety. I have been taking you to hourly daycare on post for 3-4 hours a week and while you always cry when I leave, you stop crying very quickly. Your teachers say that you behave well and are a great eater. 
• finally fit into a size 5 shoe without it constantly slipping off. Your feet smell horrible though, so we usually let you go barefoot anywhere we can!
• sitting much better for these monthly photos. You say ''cheese'' and let me take quite a few before giving up!

Love

Life is a driveway.....

Today we got Peanut his first bicycle! He is 3.5 years old and up until now always rode on his tricycle or a push car/Cozy Coupe. But since the weather has gotten nicer, since we have a giant driveway...we figured it was time. In all honesty, I'm gonna give him about a week then next weekend I intend on taking off ALL of the boys' training wheels and teaching all 3 at once how to ride without them.

Bubba just turned 6 and still uses training wheels. It took him a long time to figure out that he had to steer and pedal at the same time. Pooks has had his bike for a year now and goes so fast but doesn't have the confidence. Every time we talk about taking the training wheels off, he insists that we leave them on. Well Peanut ''gets'' it. He pushes back on the brakes a little too often but overall, he gets steering while pedaling. So I figure that if we're gonna do it, might as well do it all at once. Wish us luck! We've been spending afternoons outside playing so hopefully by the weekend they'll all be ready :)

Tuscany Day 6: The walled town of Lucca

Our last full day in Tuscany we went to Lucca. Tourism wise, Lucca is barely a bleep on the radar. It doesn't have a tower, it isn't know for it's Renaissance or huge Cathedral. What Lucca has is charm. It's adorable. It is an old Roman city (think 180 BC) and one of the few Italian walled city whose wall is still fully intact. It's now used for pedestrians, bicyclists and leisure. The ''thing'' to do in Lucca is ride bikes along the wall, which goes around the entire city. We did that (on an 8 person bike, no less) then wandered around the small town. I loved it. I think out of all of our stops, Lucca was my favorite.

No I'm not pregnant, this maternity jacket was in the stow-n-go of our van and it was chilly. I will never wear this coat again!

This is all ON TOP of the wall.

  

The little kids loved the basket.

And the big kids loved the back...right up until Bubba got motion sickness and vomited. He was fine, he just told us to slow down!

 We got to see some amazing views from those walls....

After the bike ride (it took a little less than an hour to bike around the entire city and this was stopping several times) we walked around Lucca.

 

An Italian treat that we bought at a crepe stand...it was basically a huge sugar covered donut. Delicious!

And that, was our Tuscan vacation. Whew! Pretty impressive, right!?