same game, different game

i have a secret for you is a game mom plays that is particularly enticing to toddlers.  mom simply whispers sweet nothings in kiddo's ear and then the child takes a turn doing the same.  when stover girl was younger, she often just repeated back what was said.  she loved the game and mom loved hearing compliments like 'you're so cute'. 

stover boy is now at the age of appreciation and he initiates playing nightly.  however, it's a totally different game for him.  mom whispers a sweet nothing like 'you're such a smart boy' and in return mom is surprised with a tongue twister such as 'zizzer zazzer zuzz' or 'peter piper picked pick epper'. 

counting sheep with baby #3

another early morning (4:45) for stover mom.  up after just 5 hours of sleep.  up again for unexplained reasons.  this morning, stover dad heard me getting out of bed and asked 'what are you going to do?'  i responded (humor in tact at a ridiculously early hour) 'tend to a baby that's not yet born!'  but good question though- what do insomniacs do all night? 
this insomniac tunes in to mindless ET/ extra/ or TMZ episodes (thank goodness for drunken celebrities making headlines).  this insomniac checks and re-checks loved one's blogs (keep your entertaining posts coming please).  this insomniac watches a few silly info-mercials (have you heard of cardwoo?).  this insomniac combs through crafting websites (causing a reinforcing itch to redecorate and nest).  this insomniac will conduct RS business (and have her lesson done a week ahead of time).  this insomniac wonders if she's being prepped for a monster with cholic...

'but we have tickets'

after a great saturday outing, stover boy asked 'can we do that sneeze again later?' (translation for toddler's use of 'that sneeze' = a reference to the science museum & obvious translation for toddler's use of 'later'= tomorrow)  mom replied 'today was a special day- we probably won't go again for awhile.'  stover boy then pled 'but we have tickets' ! 
...a look at the special day he loved.

another parenting blunder

about 6 months ago, stover girl had an overly irrational tantrum resulting in the loss of a beloved polly pocket.  stover girl was stunned and devastated when she realized that polly pocket's fancy attire also went in the garbage!  for mom, sometimes this scenario elicits satisfaction- a knowledge that the punishment was truly punishing.  but this time, stover mom's heart began bleeding.  nonetheless, sympathetic mom 'dug her heels in' and polly pocket sat in the 'garbage' (aka the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard) for many months.  this morning, (while nesting and) while alone... mom found the polly and elected to nonchalantly stash it amidst a pile of unsorted toys.  within 5 minutes, stover girl made a discovery and announced 'hey this is the polly pocket that got throwed away! how did this happen?'  stover mother was shocked that she'd remembered this 1 polly among more than 20 and then speculated about what answer to provide.  in the end, she elected to plea the fifth and let her wonder. 

my funny valentines

(lips also double as his 'skateboard')

ignoring life's big questions

stover girl has recently been fascinated with baby and mommy animals.  she spends hours constructing and categorizing families who then go on all sorts of adventures together.  but she's run into a dilemma that troubles her- some baby animals have no large figurine to represent their mom.  she is mildly content with the idea of adoption but has been hoping for a more pleasing solution.  stover mom admits this would be a great opportunity to generalize real life; however, stover mom also admits she couldn't resist the (seemingly more uncommon) opportunity to be the heroine!

...thank you blessed target dollar spot!

the sunday comics

• stover girl calls our food storage 'the food store'.
• stover boy enthusiastically chants 'no more diapers, no more diapers, no more diapers!'
• when suggesting alone time as a solution for needing some space from her brother, stover girl responded 'i don't like very much to be alone!'
• stover boy believes mom's carrying her baby extremely high and therefore has concluded that there are 'two babies' coming.
• overhearing stover girl ask stover boy, 'Is it the man mommy is scaired of?' with reference to the neighbor she's been instructed to keep a distance from.
• stover boy says 'thank you not fight about it' over and over in his prayers
• stover boy pointed to the sacrament table and asked if that's where Jesus lives.
• stover boy refers to his favorite nursery teacher as his 'cousin'
• stover girl said 'i dreamed i got another pillow pet!'
• in discussing baby names, stover girl asked 'is my name real?'





the floor is littered with mounting tabs

mom's been using every ounce of free time she encounters to finish stover boy's baby book.  the race is on to finish this long overdue project before a new stover baby is born!  a sneak peak....

...hope he loves it as much as any male would! (no sarcasm intended!)

we've reclaimed our sabbath

the church schedule has changed to 9 AM this year and in just two weeks, sundays are already feeling so much more pleasant.  our family has time to take a walk or bikeride again (as opposed to a drowsy stroll around the block in our pajamas).  the childrens' moods are much improved with the availability of a nap (as opposed to a 5 minute shut eye on the ride to church).  and we can have company over for dinner on a regular basis (as opposed to enduring tons of quick, slow-cooked dinners).      

(aunt 'gordon'- our number one pick for sunday dinners)

i have a confession....

i absolutely love being on the back of my hubby's motorcycle. 





it's a rather unexpected hobby for this quite nerdy and very conservative mom.  it was not an automatic interest- for 5 years, i ignored stover dad's request for a motorcycle.  after finally giving in, i spent the next year feeling unimpressed by his silly, overindulged purchase.  and then, in an impulsive moment, i consented to ride with an intention to prove him wrong.  i argued that i'd been on a motorcycle before and hadn't liked it.
...however, there was something indescribable about us talking together through helmets and observing a normal drive with an unblocked view.  i loved it even though it ruined my hairdo and caused me to reek horribly of gasoline fumes.  my interest kept building and we eventually began taking the motorcycle as our mode of transportation for most dates. 
i confess....we've now evolved into the motorcycle often being THE actual date.  just this weekend, i giggled after arranging a teenage babysitter for one hour so that we could enjoy a quick ride!    

today is the day

warning: major potty talk ahead!

this morning... while enduring ANOTHER unsucessful breakfast with a resultantly hungry little monster who hits and pushes his way through the rest of the morning... stover parents finally noticed the pattern and were ready to act.  the pattern: stover boy eats a tiny bit of breakfast (as little as 5 bites sometimes) and then complains and wants desperately to leave the table.  the complaint is always an unidentifiable 'my bum hurts' or 'i'm done' or 'my tummy hurting' and he runs off to play.  this morning, with complaint, stover mom enticed stover boy to the potty to see if his digestive tract was the culprit.  sure enough.... stover boy had some number 2 waiting for the throne.  stover mom impulsively decided that today is the day for potty training.  (not completely impulsive- lots of factors influenced her 8:00 AM decision: she'd waited until after traveling for the holidays, she knew it needed to be soon since stover boy seemed to be holding back not liking a messy diaper, expectant stover mom wanted as much time as possible in order to preserve the last weeks of freedom she had left before a dependant little baby was born, and stover mom was hoping that time would give him the maturity to potty-train with a bit more modesty rather than the naked approach.)  stover boy was put in underwear, finished his breakfast, and was thrilled to accomplish an entire morning without an accident!

  

in honor of the first...

some firsts we experienced on our trip home for christmas:

1. for the first time, we took stover girl rollerskating.  there was a lot of excitement

followed by a spell of disappointment

but there's nothing like the hokey pokey to reclaim the fun. 

2. for the first time, our family were the benefactors of a pay it forward act.  when we asked for our restaurant check, the waitress said a do-gooder who'd been sitting close to us had already paid our bill and left.

3. for the first time, stover boy served as the example to big sister.  when two items were inexplicably broken while staying at my parents home, stover parents inquired among the kids.  stover boy immediately confessed to breaking a piece of wood trim with an immediate 'i'm sorry mommy'.  then, following suit, stover girl cleanly admitted (without the usual excuse, fib, or hesitation) to having broken the phone jack.

4. for the first time, we experienced the humiliating status as THE problem family.  while swimming at the local fitness center, stover fam was the center of a few foibles- including, stover mom not recognizing the name or face of a high school friend, being scolded more than a handful of times by the lifeguard, and stover boy needing a rescue from the hot tub.  ironically, his hero was spotted that same evening while THE problem family was out much too late for icecream buzzes!

5. for the first time, the stover kids played nintendo ds

while the parents played bean boozled (have you played this jelly belly game of dare?)

 and a few rounds of no thanks for new year's

6. for the first time, stover dad sported a pair of coveralls while out sledding on a very frigid south dakota day