Honey do

You can add this to the list:

Reinforce toilet paper holder to hold the weight of a small child while they are brushing their teeth.

Although, no hurry. We aren't using the toilet paper holder right now because Gemma can empty the roll in less than 10 seconds. Gleefully.

2/24

Last night, John sent me this picture. It isnt a great shot as it looks like she is holding the little table. However, she not holding anything- except her purse. Gemma has been standing for longer and longer periods of time without really realizing. Last night, she stood (with purse in hand no less) for close to a minute before sitting. She is getting more and more confident with the standing.

Uh oh

I know these pictures don't look like much, but here is Gemma trying to climb up on the bed frame to get to Amelia. She lifted her leg, gave a big grunt, and tried several times to heft herself up on the bed. Adorable. And yet, am quite thankful she isn't able to scale the furniture yet.

*the big kids have been using the bed frame to play on a lot as Gemma can't (yet) get there and it isn't being currently used.

Valentines cards

I was late getting some family valentines out. As usual, I was organized, had a plan, had the stuff to do it, and then couldn't get it together in order to actually get them out.

The kids sat down to help me on Monday's holiday from school and William helped me sign Gemma's name. Complete with little hearts on the m's.

I sure do love that boy.

A secret reminder

William: mom! Mom! Guess what? You have a secret reminder!

Mom:? What?
William: yeah! You have a secret reminder! Someone who loves you and doesn't tell you!
Mom: a secret admirer? I hope it is daddy.
William: nope! It's not daddy.
Mom: hmmmm... I wonder who it could be?
William: (grin). It's a secret!

--

Later, while I was giving the girls a bath, I heard William having the same conversation with daddy.

---

Around bedtime some mysterious valentine card showed up at our house...from our secret reminder! Signed and everything!

Dragon

I was reading William his book before bed. Sadly, he is all dinosaurs, all the time currently so we settled in with a giant volume about the different types of dinosaurs (I'll admit- they don't make my heart race. Or even skip a beat. They make me kind of yawn.)

I turned the page and William let of a big sigh of satisfaction. "I love this dinosaur" he breathed into my ear.

"How come, buddy?"

Another deeply satisfied sigh as he snuggled closer.

"Because one of it's names means DRAGON. Dragons are so cool. But, they don't use that name antrodemus anymore. That's okay though. I'm going to name my baby antrodemus when I grow up. Isn't that a great name mama?"

How could I not agree?

Let's just hope the person he is having kids with has a different opinion.

First steps!

I'm crying just a little here because I have to report that Gemma took her first very unsteady steps tonight from the coffee table to me. Two, maybe three steps. Almost falling towards me, but walking nontheless. If she keeps this up, she will be our earliest walker by far. My guess is that she is going to continue to work on this slowly, slowly (I hope) with more official walking happening closer to the 12 month mark. Boo hoo...

Gemma also was introduced and mastered the straw this evening at dinner time. She drank some water with a little assistance from me and then was able to drink the water right from the straw by herself. She thought she was pretty hot stuff and had to take a few breaks in the action to giggle at her new accomplishment.

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