Sweet Hour of Prayer

Okay, so at our house this is really more like sweet seconds of prayer, but nevertheless. Morgan loves to pray. He always wants to be the one to say the prayer, and when I insist that someone else gets a turn he folds his arms and listens quietly until they are finished and immediately says, "my turn!" and proceeds to say his own prayer. Not only does he love to pray, but his prayers are so thoughtful lately. He says all the stuff he hears the "big people" say, but he also makes sure to thank Heavenly Father that Daddy gets to go to work or school (depending on the day), for getting to go to the ball museum (Discovery Gateway), for Curious George books from the library, for the ghost marshmallows from Grandma Becky that he gets to take in a little baggy to church tommorrow, and on and on. I love that he recounts the specific details of his day, and I love that he knows that his Heavenly Father cares about all of it! I am trying to make my prayers as good as his.

Morgan isn't the only pray-er in our family though. While Chloe has been folding her arms on cue for many months now when we tell her it is time for prayers, in the last couple of weeks, she has started keeping her arms folded for the full prayer and babbling quietly after whoever is praying when we say nighttime prayers with her in her room, as if she is repeating the words or at least adding her 2 cents.

I love that no matter what the members of our family are doing, when Seth says, "Let's pray," before he heads out the door for the day, everyone knows what to do and does it willingly! Does this mean I think my family is perfect? Absolutely not! But we are doing one thing right - at least for now - and the fruits of that labor are very sweet!

Wet and Poopy

These are the words that Chloe has decided to share with me a lot lately. In fact, every time she is wet or poopy, she waddles up to me tapping her diaper in the back or front (depending on the poison) and says, "Wet," or "Poopy" as appropriate. Then comes the really amazing part where I ask her if she wants to be changed and she says, "yes" and lays down in front of me with her legs in the air.

Morgan never did this, ever! He was always very good about letting you change him when you asked him to come lie down, and even held his bum in the air while you cleaned him up, but as far as caring that he was wet or poopy - never! I can only hope that this means Chloe will want to get potty trained much earlier than Morgan, because I have really gotten used to changing fewer diapers now that Morgan is potty trained and infants already poop a million times a day!

An Itty Bitty Break

Thankfully, I got my break. 30 minutes at the Mom and Me Scrapbooking sale with no kids, no responsibilties and no projects. Just me, surrounded by colorful inspirations, and all 25 % off. My little piece of heaven amidst a very crazy week!

Where do I clock out?

I keep looking for a time clock where I can "punch out" for a 15 minute break or even a 30 minute lunch, but alas, at this house there are none to be found. Maybe next week I will be able to find a short little block of time just for me. No kids, no reponsibilities, no deadlines to meet or projects to finish. Just a little me-time to skip off to the Lace Place or scrapbook store or even to Linens n' Things. Just as long as I can leave my big purse at home and opt for a little clutch, I'll be happy.

Let's face it, I'll probably be happy regardless, but a girl can dream!

We Can Hardly Wait!

A Bunch of Random Stuff

Lots of funny, cute and noteable little things have been happening lately, and I haven't been writing them down, so if you'll forgive my ramblings for a bit, I'd like to share a few.

1. Today as we were driving past the restaurant my brother, Michael, works at, Chloe got really excited and said her version of "Uncle Michael's work" (really more like "unca mika wook" but it was very clear if you speak chloe-ese) as she pointed to the building. I was surprised she recognized the building, we do go there a LOT though.

2. Chloe follows instructions so well lately...well, at least when she wants to or thinks it isn't too inconvenient. I tell her to put a book away where she got it and pick out another one and she puts it in its exact place and picks out one she wants to read next.

3. Chloe loves to sit in my (or anyone else's) lap. She stands with her back toward me and scoots backward with her bum sticking out until she is close enough to sit on my lap. ALL books must be read while she is sitting in the lap of the reader.

4. Morgan has been a HUGE pain about going to bed for the last 6 months or so (probably more on the "or so" side). He would get out of bed repeatedly or turn on his lights and play in his room and I have tried everything. The only solution that worked was taking away his lights (unscrewing all of the lightbulbs in his room) and locking his door from the outside. Now before you go thinking we are abusive parents, note that his vent and our vent are connected and I can hear everything in his room. Well, since potty training him, we knew that we had to give up the locked door in order to get him night trained, so I started a reward box and he is doing so well with it. It is so great to put him in bed and have him go right to sleep for just the promise of a prize in the morning. A $.50 dinosaur is a small price to pay for a seamless bedtime.

5. I cannot handle anymore whining. It should be outlawed. Morgan is adjusting to his new role as a preschooler and Chloe is just a dramatic girl, but since I am the only parent around lately, I never get a break from the whining and tantrums.

6. Mondays are now officially "Girly Mondays". Once Seth leaves for school and Morgan is at preschool, Chloe and I spend our morning doing girly stuff. Last Monday we painted Chloe's toenails for the first time and she danced around in her tutu doing the "tutu dance" where she shakes her hips and sings "tu tu tu tu tu tu tutu". So cute. She walked around for 3 days saying "pitty toes" and pointing to her toenails. This Monday we went to Gymboree for some girly shopping and read books. I love girly Mondays!

7. Since school started, I am already overloaded with Morgan's art and the front of our fridge is not magnetic, so I had to come up with a plan. Today, I had Morgan hold up his pictures one at a time and took a picture of each one. Then he got to pick one to keep and I got to pick one to keep. I plan to put all the pictures of him holding his artwork and all the "keepable" artwork in a photo album. Problem solved - an uncluttered, non-magnetic fridge, and one less box of keepsakes I have to find a place for, without sacrificing all the memories I want to keep!

8. The other day we met my mom for lunch at Shivers. They have this cute little train that the kids can eat in and Morgan thinks it is the greatest. This particular day there were two other little girls about Morgan's age eating in the train and Morgan introduced himself to them and found out their names. Then, he said to one of the girls, "Would you please scoot over to make room for my sister? Her name is Chloe." I loved that he was so concerned about including Chloe.

A little bit later, Chloe was literally falling asleep eating the fry sauce off her french fry. I wanted to get a picture of her drooping eyelids, so I took out the camera, but the second she saw it she perke up and said, "Cheese!"

9. Morgan and Chloe love our new driveway. I love that the big area of the driveway is in the fenced part of the backyard. Morgan loves to drive from the garage to "home depot" (which is by the fence) and back to the garage or "home" as he calls it. He loves it when I knock on the door of the garage and he gets to answer the door and ask me to bring him pineapples (which I have to pick off our neighbor's peach tree - why pineapples, I don't know). Now if only we had 2 tricycles, our outside bike riding time would be perfect!

These Little Piggies

Make this mommy so so very happy. Now that Chloe FINALLY has some hair, she got her very first pig tails for church yesterday and they could not have been cuter! Now it's on to a new phase of bow making...bows for pig tails, baby buns, and all sorts of fun girly hair adventures!

Becoming Real

Now that Seth is into the groove of school and homework and studying and working, everything has become real. I knew in the back of my mind that it would be like this, but it didn't become real to me until this week. Seth is very rarely home, and when he is, he is either studying, fulfilling his church calling, or trying to spend quality time with me or the kids or the dogs despite utter exhaustion. As far as the house goes, I am on my own. This is probably normal for many of you wives/moms out there, but I am used to a husband who helps with the cooking, cleaning and kids on a regular basis. No longer (he still tries, but he just doesn't have the time). The dishes, the laundry, the endlessly sticky dirty floors to clean, the dogs, the kids, the clutter, the cooking of every meal, the shopping (have I mentioned that I HATE grocery shopping before) and the total weight of it all on my pregnant shoulders - let's just say it is harder than I thought it would be (not to mention that I have been canning up a storm). So, it is real and it is hard, but we are pressing on, hoping that this first sememster really is the hardest as they say. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Lesson #36

As I've been preparing my Young Women's lesson for tomorrow on marriage standards, I can't help but feel utterly qualified to teach this lesson. It just so happens that I "chose" the most perfect man for me to be my hubby and I still think so 5 years later, so I must know something about standards for picking a mate! Part of the lesson is making a list of the qualities to look for in a spouse - if you went to young women's as a teenager, think back, I know you had this lesson at least once a year, and if you are a married man, ask your wife, I bet she remembers this activity and you may even get her to pull out that list and see how you stack up. Since I dutifully made this list every time I started a new journal, I dusted off a couple of my old journals and looked to see if there were any pearls of wisdom I could share with my girls. My lists are pretty awesome...luckily I was less superficial then than I am now - more cheesy, but less superficial...but the real jewels were the pages and loose inserts and letters that caught my interest.

After reading all about my relationships with this cute boy and that cute boy and how in love with them I was, I got to the amazing part of my journal where I met Seth. WOW! I am more grateful than ever to be married to the man of my dreams (and to not be 16 anymore - whew!). I think sometimes it takes some serious reflection on what life has thrown at you to realize how glad you are that you ended up where you did. Even though today hasn't been one of the best days and I feel like I saw Seth for about an hour total all of last week combined, I don't think I could be happier than I am with the life I have right now. I also can't help but be grateful that I took the time to record every detail of my life, and I mean every detail. While some of this stuff happened only 6 or 7 years ago, I had totally forgotten about so many things that were so impactful to me. And sure, a lot of it, I'd rather skip over because it just isn't that interesting, but sandwiched in there are a lot of priceless memories that I am glad I won't forget.

A Canning Palooza

If your calls have not been answered or your messages not returned, have no fear...I am probably just canning...well, bottling really, but I call it canning. Yesterday I made 2 batches of fresh salsa to freeze, a large batch of pesto to freeze and put up 12 quarts of peaches (which may not seem like much for you seasoned pros, but this was my first time canning anything but jam, so this was quite an accomplishment). Today we have peach and raspberry jams on the agenda, and only a few more weeks before we start on applesauce.

Oddly, while I do proclaim the process of harvesting, prepping and canning foods to be hard work (especially on my little pregnant feet), I am having so much fun seeing the results. Since I did apricot jam in late-July, we have already been through a whole bottle and boy is it delicious! After finishing up my peaches last night after midnight, Seth and I stayed up chatting for almost an hour about the things we will plant next year (when we finally have a REAL garden that isn't just makeshift while we try to move or remodel), where we will plant them and the things we will be able to can and freeze when we harvest them!

Oh, and I did dry-pack canning with my ward a few weeks ago which was so much easier and quicker than I had ever imagined. My newly arranged long term food storage area in my crawl space is brimming with sugar, rice, flour, oatmeal, Macaroni and Cheese and soon-to-be jam and peaches (yes, those are our basics). Not to mention that my storage cupboards are all organized and stocked with pastas, canned goods, and cereals. Now, if I could just get Seth to run the electrical to the garage in the 15 spare minutes a week when he is not at work, school or doing homework, I could get my 2nd freezer hooked up and be really set!

A Glimmer of Hope

My kids love Sundays, but as a mom, I would say that Sunday is my least favorite day of the week. There is no such thing as a convenient church time in the LDS faith, even the coveted 11:00 slot has its challenges for kids (and mommies) who like to eat around noon. Juggling 2 kids at church, often by myself up until Seth started school, is not a fun job and Sacrament meeting ends with me feeling like it was just another hour and 15 minutes that, though it would pay off someday....hopefully, for now felt like an utter waste of energy I didn't have to start with. Thankfully, I then get to send both of my kids off to nursery where they are in heaven as I get to recover from juggling them for the last hour.

But, today was different. It should have been much worse since it was Regional Conference for ours and 71 other stakes in the Salt Lake Valley, and we attended a 2 hour meeting at the Conference Center with no promise of nursery to persuade good behavior from the kiddos. Surprisingly, today was the best Sunday I have experienced in a long time. The kids sat quietly (excpet for one scream from Chloe when Morgan stole her magna doodle, which I quickly gave back and then all was well) and something really special happened...Morgan listened to parts of the talks.

When we first got there, Morgan kept asking me what was going on and why we weren't at our "white church". It is Sunday, after all, and he knows the routine. After I explained that we were going to hear the prophet speak and that it was a special meeting where lots of churches get together, even all of our Grandma's and Grandpa's and aunts and uncles churches, he sat quietly in his own chair for most of the meeting playing with his tractor, doing his puzzles with his mouth and sharing his grapes with Chloe. When Elder Ballard got up to speak, he said, "Mom, look, one of the Prophets is talking on that TV." I told him it was one of the apostles, Elder Ballard, talking and he dutifully repeated Elder Ballard's name, so I am sure I will hear about him again soon. Then, he told me that, "President Monson is sitting in the dark."

He got excited when President Monson got up to speak, and sat very quietly, holding his tractor in his lap. Whenever people would laugh, Morgan would say, "he told a funny story mom," as he giggled with the congregation. But, the real miracle came when he looked up at me halfway through President Monson's talk and said, "Mom, he is talking about the missionaries, did you hear?" He was, President Monson WAS talking about the missionaries and Morgan was listening enough to know.

The kids loved seeing the temple and all of the water fountains around the Conference Center and temple square, so we spent a lot of time walking around after the meeting was over. Chloe wandered around to every bit of water she could find saying, "water" and trying to get wet. I pointed to the temple and asked Morgan, "What is that?" "That's the temple, Mom" "What happens in the temple, Morgan?" "Mommy and Daddy got married there." "That's right," I told him with tears glimmering in my eyes, so glad that he knows about the temple and how important it is to our family.

President Monson talked about how 3 years-old is the most impressionable age for a child, and it really touched me. It seems that the things we are teaching Morgan are really sinking in. He understands and remembers so much, I just hope I am teaching him all the right things. Apparently all the painful hours of "teaching" him to sit quietly in church are paying off. Even if it is only for one week, to me, it is a glimmer of hope.

Quoteable

"Holy Cow, look at this mess!" -Morgan (in reference to all of the toys floating in the bathtub)

"There's not enough water in the bath, Mom. It doesn't even cover my button!" - Morgan (button meaning belly button, not enough water is apparently a cause for serious concern)

"Darn it! They are all gone!" - Morgan (referring to the cupcake he had just asked for, but didn't see in it's normal place on the counter)

"But the baby is hungry," - Morgan (as he carried a doll wearing one of Chloe's bibs downstairs for some food from his play kitchen when he was supposed to be eating his lunch)

"Come sit down right here next to me. I'm going to read the book to you, Mom." - Morgan (as he narrated every page of a Curious George book and The Missing Piece by memory, some of the pages were even verbatim. Did I mention that these are both library books that we have only read a few times - this kid's memory is amazing!)

I seriously wish I had these quotes in audio form...it was not so much the things he said but the very grown-up tones he used when he said them. I don't know if I will ever get used to the idea that my little boy is actually not that little, even though he reminds me that he is a "big boy" all the time!

A Little Getaway

After fulfilling all of our obligations last night, Seth dropped off the kids for a "sleepover" at Grandma's house and we snuck away for a little getaway. As we were pulling out of the driveway, I looked at Seth and said, "I feel so sneaky!" as if leaving the kids for one night was a criminal act! Since we got a very late start, leaving the house at 8:00 pm, and we aren't the night-owls we used to be, our escape was short, but much needed and well worth it. A car ride to Park City with no interrupting children, watching a movie next to a romantic fireplace (until it got too hot and we had to turn off the fire) at a fancy condo we had all to ourselves, and then back home to our own bed where we could sleep in until 8:40 without even having to turn on Veggie Tales or ignore Chloe's coos from her room! We were hoping to sit in the hot tub or one of the jetted tubs at the condo, but by the time the movie was over, we were both too exhausted! Next time we sneak away, we will have to get an earlier start!

Too Quiet

Here I sit on the couch in my house missing a little boy, because it is too quiet in the house. I can hear the babble of a little girl talking about her shoes and reading a book, I hear the sound of two crazy dogs wrestling as they try to figure out who is top dog (for the millionth time), and outside I can hear the construction from a couple of blocks away, but the sound that's is missing is Morgan. The silly laugh, the endless chatter, the pitter patter of little feet always finding something new and exciting to do and even the sound of all the "noisy" toys he loves to play with with Chloe.

While I kept it all together on Monday, today was a different story. Monday I didn't have to leave him, but today, dropping off my little baby boy to spend three hours learning and laughing and playing without me, I realized that he really isn't a baby boy anymore. He's a big boy who doesn't have a twinge of fear knowing that he is on his own today...no mommy, no daddy, no Chloe, just Morgan, Miss Corinne, Giffy, Wyatt and all his new preschool buddies...not even a glance behind him as he headed off to the manupulative table to the sound of my "Goodbye, I love you!" Chloe and I were like a couple of lost sheep when we got home, not knowing what to do with ourselves, so we went on some girly errands to pick out fun fabrics, but still the time could not pass fast enough. While I know that I will adjust and adapt and learn to relish this time while he is gone, for today I am counting down the minutes until we can go pick him up and give him an extra big hug, just so he knows we missed him!

(Now, does that sound more like the emotional mess of a mommy you all know and love?)

Back to School

Today was the day...Morgan's first day of preschool. Last night, his nerves started to get the best of him and he said, "Mom, I'm not big enough to go to preschool. I'm still little." I couldn't agree more little buddy! Then he told Seth he wanted to have Dad come with him and not Mom. Well, that didn't sound like a good plan to me, so instead we both went and I think he was pretty happy about that.

He looked utterly adoreable in his back to school clothes and his itty bitty backpack.

While I didn't get nearly as emotional as I expected, I am sure it was obvious that he is my oldest child. I had the camera out and ready to capture every moment of his first day. Now, I am not a crazy, follow-your-kid to school mom, it just so happens that the first day of preschool at his school is an "open-house" meaning that parents come with their kids for a shorter-than-normal class to learn how things work and see the kids in their routine. It was so fun to watch him learn new things, interact with new people and get excited about all the cool things waiting to be explored! I could tell he was a little overwhelmed with all of the excitement and just trying to soak it all in, but as we talked about it after class, I could tell that he loved it!

One of my favorite parts was watching him raise his hand to answer questions. Every question that was asked, he raised his hand...and kept it raised long after the question was answered (sometimes even by him) and all the other kids' hands were down. So funny!

I also loved how excited he got about the "library" station where they have little couches and books to read. He just went right in, picked out a book, found a seat and started "reading". That's my little guy for you!

The scariest part was when they got to color some basic shapes and cut them out with parent assistance...I was very scared for the safety of my fingers as I helped him move the paper to cut out the shapes. Circles and hearts are a little tricky for a first-time scissor user. (Sorry, no pictures of this event...I had the camera around my neck but my hands were very busy trying to avoid choppage!

As soon as we got home, Morgan went down to his room to change out of his "school clothes" until I realized what he was doing and explained that "school clothes" is just what we call them, we still wear them ALL DAY. He is already talking about the next time he goes to school, so I think he liked it enough to go back! Happy first day of school sweetie!

The Birthday Song

Mom, this post is for you, so that you know I am documenting all the little things!

Today I realized that August and September are big birthday months in our family. Within a few short weeks we celebrate Uncle Jonathan, Grandma Denese, Grandma Becky, mine, Sarah and Grandpa John's birthdays (and I think I am forgetting someone in there...blame it on pregnancy brain!). Not only does this make for ice cream and cake (or ice cream cake, in my family) every Sunday for almost two months, it also makes for a lot of singing of the Happy Birthday song.

While Morgan has known the Happy Birthday song (extended Tate version and regular version) for a long time now, I didn't realize just how much we must sing it until today...
We called everyone in to "sing happy birthday to Grandpa John" and as Chloe was walking in the room, we all heard her distinctly singing (not saying, singing with inflection and changing pitches), "Happy birthday to you..." Of course I second guessed that she actually sang it and thought I might be interpreting just a little too much, but when my mom said, "did you hear that?" and Seth and Grandpa John said they had, I knew I was not just nuts. Who knew that a 17-month-old girl could sing the first line of happy birthday? Next thing I know she will be two-years-old, busting into the Cleaners singing "Just another maniac Monday" like her momma used to do. (Oh, and I do know that it is manic monday, but I used to sing maniac.)

To My Cute Hubby...

Seth has finished his second week of school, and it is already overwhelming with homework, classes, 3 pm to 3 am work shifts, and all the projects you are finding the time to work on at home. So, this post is just to say THANK YOU to my wonderful hubby for all you are taking on to make sure our growing family has a happy future ahead. I know that school and work are time-consuming and demanding, but the fact that you are willing to help me out around the house, spend time with the kids, and finish up all of our projects in your "spare time" (and still find time to read this blog) is just amazing ! Hopefully all our projects will be done soon and we can spend some "spare time" playing rock band...until then, know that the kids and I are really proud of you and grateful to have you as our dad/hubby. We love you Sethy!

P.S. I don't think there is anything sweeter than the sight of you concentrating on doing homework on your laptop with Chloe sitting on your lap reading a book, while you occasionally point out her favorite pictures. You are the best!

Quirky

First of all, let me just say that I really like the word quirky. It just sounds so cool! Anywho...I have been ignoring a number of tags (mostly because I have been slacking in my blogging) and thought I'd get back on the tag-wagon by completing this one...

List 6 quirky things about you.

1. I am really really really happy when my house is clean (that's not the quirky part) but it very rarely is. I really hate clutter on my countertops/table/dresser/piano/etc. but can never keep any of them clear for more than a couple of days at a time. I wish that I could afford a housecleaner!

2. When it comes to my social views, I see things more like a guy than a girl - I am not easily offended (though I do notice things that should be offensive and wonder why I am not offended), I am quick to forgive and forget, I am a believer in "work it out and move on", I am not into clicks - I am an includer, and I HATE drama...so much that I will subconsciously distance myself from people who create drama in my life.

3. I really don't like watching (and often reading) the news which is funny since I graduated with a degree in Public Relations (a very close relative to journalism). I cry during the broadcasts and I am bored during the rest, so I just avoid the news altogether. This was a huge problem when I was in school and a portion of every class was devoted to discussing current events or how public relations was affecting the hot topics in the media. When I was working, "stay more aware of current events" was the only suggestion for improvement on my annual review.

4. While I am a bit of a daredevil in real life, I can't handle scary movies or the sight/implication of blood. In fact, I can't handle commercials for scary movies, they give me nightmares for weeks. Have you ever seen the movie First Knight? Well, the fight scene from that movie doesn't even show blood, but I still can't handle it! Pathetic, I know.

5. Even though I survived and thrived on an average of 3-5 hours of sleep a night in college, if I don't get a solid 8 hours plus nowadays, I feel exhausted all day long. Luckily, my kids are really good sleepers, and I usually get my 8+.

6. I always take on more than I can handle...not just a little more...a lot more (I realize that this is a statement of the obvious). Whether it be home improvement projects, crafts, furniture to refinish, schedules filled with commitments, responsibilities or an ornate dinner in a tiny slice of time - I try to take on the world! In fact, I don't know what to do with myself when I haven't taken on too much.

Sorry to all of you whose tags I have failed to complete!

Ultrasound

We had the ultrasound today and the gender was clear. Watch the video to find out...girl or boy?

If you couldn't tell from the video, it is definitely a girl, and I'm afraid she may be just as stubborn as her sister is. She was such a little stinker during the ultrasound - it took forever to get everything they needed because she wouldn't stop moving and when she did stop she was in the weirdest positions. A big HOORAY for dressing up my little girls up in twinner outfits, though.

Mesmerized

Yesterday we took a little family outing to Toys-R-Us. I wish I had captured on video Chloe's reaction to the moving puppies, barbies and especially the baby doll aisle. Every time she would see something new (and preferably pink) she would inhale really long with her mouth wide open and make this gasping noise as if to say, "WOW, look at that!" (It was the equivalent of what my reaction would be shopping for diamond tennis bracelets or boats that I could afford.) Then she would figure out which buttons to push to make it move, talk or cry, until she saw something else that was equally cool and exciting and start the process over again! I have a feeling that Christmas is going to be really fun with her this year. Oh, to be 1 again!

Where did he learn that?

I often find myself asking this question about Morgan. It seems like he knows so much that I haven't "taught" him. He only watches limited Signing Time Videos, Elmo's World Videos and the occasional Veggie Tales or Disney movies, so he isn't picking this stuff up from TV and Preschool doesn't start for another 5 days (yes, the countdown has begun) so he isn't getting it there...yet, though I know he will soon.

Today, we were coloring a picture to give his preschool teacher on his first day, and as I watched him color, I realized that he was holding the crayon with the correct writing grip - we've never worked on that, so I wonder how he figured it out? Then he said, "I'm going to write my name now," and 'signed' his name in one long squiggly line at the bottom as he sounded out Morgan - again, writing his name is not something we have even talked about. Lately at mealtime he has been very grateful for his food. It doesn't matter whether I have whipped up Chicken Piccata, mashed potatoes, squash and bruschette or a grilled cheese sandwich, Morgan always says, "This ________ is really good Mommy. Thank you for making it for me." I probably should have taught him this, but I capped my manners training at a simple please and thank you - I know, low expecations for a 3 year old, right? So, while I am blissfully happy that he has learned these things, I am still left to wonder where he learned it.

Then there are the things that I see him do and know exactly where they come from...often to my dismay. "Freaking dogs," "Not gonna happen" and a bossy little, "Sit down Chloe or you will have to get out of the bath right now," are among the many phrases he has picked up from yours truly. I occassionally notice him biting his nails when he gets nervous or edgy about something and his expectations that everything to be done exactly his way are all too familiar.

One thing is for certain, I sure love watching this little guy learn new things. I'm glad he is picking up some good stuff along the way, and while I may not know the source, It's great to know that even if you don't do everything right as a parent ('cause who really does) kids learn the stuff they need to anyway!