The Reason I Work

When the kids wake up in the morning I'm usually the one to get up and get the day started with them. Earlier this week Bubba Gene was sick and I was going to be home with him in the afternoon, so I came in to the office early. When Princess Ana woke up and noticed the change in routine she was very understanding.

Ana: Where's daddy?
Mama: He went to school to do some work.
Ana: Yeah. So he can buy me more dollies.

A wonderful moment in parenting

Ana just went down for her nap, but not before achieving an important milestone.

Ana: "Daddy, I want my towel."
Me (two minutes of harried searching later): "Ana, I don't know where it is. Try to go to sleep, baby."
Ana: "It's in the seat of my Barbie car."

and there was much rejoicing. Princess Ana now remembers where she leaves things and can tell us! I'm sure this is a very selective communication ability (she's likely been able to remember where they were for some time), but any clue is better than just whining.

Always looking to accessorize

Busted

A scene in our kitchen a couple weeks ago as Princess Ana is about to go to bed.

Princess Ana: Daddy, what you eating?
Me (choking on a piece of dark chocolate): Nothing.
Princess Ana: Can I have some nothing too, please?

I really thought I'd be able to get away with more as a parent. Princess Ana plays the game all too well though. The best example of this is from last Fall when the sweet princess demonstrates that she knows all the dinner time rules and how to use them to get what she wants. The basic rules are 1) stay in your chair (or at least within arm's reach of it) until you're finished, 2) don't whine to get attention from mama or daddy, call us nicely, and 3) always say please when you want something.

Princess Ana to me in the kitchen: Daddy, come see me please!
Me (doing a happy dance to her side): Yes, princess, what can I get for you?
Princess Ana: Green ice cream, please!

Most days I really get the feeling that I'm out of my league with this kid and have serious doubts about how I'm going to make it through the teen years. At least the train wreck will provide some entertainment for the rest of you.

Signs that your children are on to you

I bought a small computer desk for the living room last weekend hoping that I'll be able to get a little more work done in the evenings after the kids are in bed.

I just finished assembling it using a flashlight and my best ninja silent construction skills because Bubba Gene has decided that he'll only sleep for more than 20 minutes tonight if he's in his playpen... in the living room... about 15 feet away.

At least it looks like I can type without waking the little guy up. I just need a headlamp if I want to read anything other than the laptop screen.


Princess Ana's moment tonight came after dinner. "Ana wants to go outside... and I don't need socks on!" The crusade to keep her properly dressed this winter has been effective, but it looks like she's planning on preempting any attempt to dress her now. If we can avoid the trip to the grocery store in a bikini until May I'll count the effort as a success. She's been wearing her bikini to bath time for the past week now though, so I may be in trouble there too.

Duh, Daddy

There are times when I realize that you simply cannot explain to a two-year old what you're trying to say.

"No, daddy. It's not a DIAPER rash. It's a PANTIES rash!" Princess Ana hadn't had a diaper on all day. What the heck was I thinking?

"Dah-deeee... food doesn't go in my tummy. It goes in my mouth!" What crazy thing will I tell her next, that the food she eats turns into poop?

May God grant Princess Ana the patience to deal with my obvious mental limitations, and may God grant me the strength I need to not ram my head against the wall after she goes to bed.

Running an Errand

It looked like the perfect morning for a solo run. I was slipping on my shoes and chatting with mama and Bubba Gene when we head Princess Ana start beating on her door. I wasn't about to run off and leave mama alone and outnumbered by the riff raff, so we unfolded the jogging stroller and the princess and I took off.

There's no way I could push the stroller for the originally planned four miles, so I decided to take a suggestion from a recent issue from Runner's World (a good magazine even for a casual jogger like myself). We ran down the back streets to the Albertson's and picked up the almond extract I need for some baking today. We took a short break in the air conditioning while Princess Ana had a donut and I got my espresso fix. We loaded up and ran back home.

It was a productive idea. Mama got a break and princess got some early morning sun. I got my caffeine fix, a needed ingredient, and an easy workout. We'll definately do that again when Ana wakes up before I get out the door.

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1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


Hooray! It's a week of new arrivals at the house. I had jokingly told my mother that if her grandson was born on Saturday I was naming him Harry Potter Smith. Mother was not amused, but the baby came early and a family crisis was avoided.

More on the baby momentarily.

When I'll actually have time to read the new Rowling tome I don't know. I read the last book while holding Princess Ana in my arms. The problem now is that Princess Ana still wants the world revolving around her regardless of who's holding her brother.

Making Connections

Princess Ana is starting to show her ability to associate one activity with another. The quotes and looks we get from her as a result of this are a lot of fun.

Last week she came to visit Daddy at the office. She hoped up in my chair and started pounding on the keyboard. She suddenly turned and gave me a slightly annoyed look and said, "Ana working. Ana busy!" and then returned to her keyboard pounding. I guess mama and daddy need to stop trying to do any work on the PC at home.

This morning the princess had to go to the doctor for a follow-up exam to make sure the latest ear infection had cleared up. In the car after seeing the doc she asks her mama, "Go pharmacy now?" She really likes the pharmacy. Lots of things on low shelves she can play with, and she always gets a bag of candy in an attempt to keep her away from the shelves.

Two year olds are so much fun as long as you're not trying to get them to do something.

Robbed by a two-year-old

Stealing candy from a baby is supposed to be easy. In my house it's just as easy for the baby to steal your breakfast. I had fed the Princess the better part of a bowl of Cheerios this morning before I had to run out the door to catch the bus. As I put together a peanut butter sandwich she was helpfully reminding me of the time. "Daddy go school. Daddy catch bus. Catch bus now!"

I grabbed my sandwich, got hugs and kisses from the Princess and her mama and headed for the door. Just as I crack the door open Ana jumps into full whine mode and come running over to the door. I was expecting a showdown over whether she could go outside. Instead she points to my sandwich and I gratefully hand it over so she can take a bite, thankful that the solution is so easy. She grabs the sandwich, checks it over to make sure I hadn't drooled on it, and then dismisses me with, "Bye-bye! Daddy catch bus!" Robbed blind before I even left the house!

My lovely wife has always held the belief that food on my plate is better and steals bites all the time. Princess Ana has learned this and will come sit with me halfway through dinner and sample my food to make sure she hasn't been given inferior green beans. The blatant theft of an entire meal is taking this to a new level, and I'm not sure I like it. Too bad I don't have a voice in the matter as I'm just the male servant of the house.

In other news, today is Princess Ana's second birthday. Mama will be taking cupcakes to daycare this afternoon so we can get all the other kids loaded up on sugar before they go home. It's a really good thing that we haven't met any of their parents.