Miri shares her slide

This is her second wind on her second birthday. About an hour before this she stumbled like a drunk toddler across the floor to put her grape stems in the trash and her dirty bowl back in the drawer. Then a quick revieving yoghurt stick and she was off to play on her slide yet again. 

Zachary rides again

Miriam got a scoot bike for her birthday! Zachary dusted off his bike and got back in the saddle. Today he spent about 2 hours zooming around an empty parking lot in our unseasonably warm 78F.

Miri turns two!

Miriam's thought bubble: Thank goodness my cupcake is not on fire any more!

Austin bouldering project

fun sunday times

Rocking out - raise your hands up in the Air!

"YELLLLLOW"

 Yup, She has picked a favorite color!

su·per·ca·li·fra·gil·is·tic·ex·pi·a·li·do·cious

Zachary got in the car at pick up and started saying su·per·a·li·do·cious over and over. I intervened with a do you mean. And then we practiced breaking it down and saying it in parts on the drive home. By the time he was brushing his teeth he got quite fast and I let him watch a video of the song as a treat before bed. In other news, Miriam is asleep. She had an early morning start with surgery finished and ear tubes in by 7:30am.

Day at the Houston Zoo

Painting Pumpkins at Preschool

"Miriam, where is *the rest* of the poop?"

Yeah, so those were words that were needed in our house today.

The potty training is mostly fine, but every so often rogue post-bath nakedness gets... out of hand.

It was fine. And actually surprisingly funny.

Zachary was, appropriately, deeply disturbed.

Haloween part 3

Halloween part 1

We went to the park

Fun was had. Can you tell?

Miriam loves cupcake

Bedtime Bananas

My crazy daughter at bedtime tonight. I like that finally after 15 minutes, she sat down to rest and play. 

Deep in the Valley of "No"

"Miriam, do you want a cheesestick?"
"No."
"Do you need the potty?"
"No!"
"Do you want to read a book?"
"No!"
"Let's put on your shirt!"
"NO."
"Time to get in the chariot."
"Nope."
"What's in your hand?"
"Noooooooo."
"Do you want an ice pop?"
"Nononononononono."
"Miriam, bedtime!"
"No mama no mama HAAAAAAALP."

Musical theatre - Another useful parenting skill.

Miriam has had a few good nights of sleep, and let me tell you that really spoils us. So last night, when she was fussy (we were all fussy, if I'm honest. Even Zachary struggled to get to sleep), we all slept badly, and the morning was shenanigans. Not yelling shenanigans, just forgetting things, not getting it together, out of rhythm. And Miriam was real up in her feelings. No, she didn't want pants. No, she definitely didn't want shoes. No, she was quite happy with her dirty diaper thanks for asking. No, she didn't want her helmet (here is where you know there is trouble, because most days she would sleep in her helmet given half the chance...).

Finally she just looked up at me with the saddest frantic kitten eyes and I scooped her up and sang her a song. I sang about having a snuggle with mommy. I sang about putting on our shoes to keep our toes safe. I sang about putting on our helmets to get into the chariot to go see our friends in the Owl Class. I sang about how much fun school was.

And she gave me a hug, and a kiss, and bounced off to start her day.

Thank you, years of musical theatre, I owe you one.

The Five Statements

We were chatting at dinner tonight about family, and Miriam being the littlest Collins, and not having any more siblings (Sorry kids, that's a wrap.) And Zachary cackles and goes "So she has to do the five statements forever!"


.........
....
..

And after a lengthy pause Mark turned to me and goes "I think he means the four questions."

MY SON IS THE BEST.


(ETA - The four questions are sung at passover, usually by the youngest capable child present. They are questions based around "Why is this night different from every other night?" and as far as I can tell were created to torture youngest siblings the world over.)