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Toddler Moments: The Cute and Crazy (June)

Kate has begun doing this, "watch me" routine that's adorable. First, she does something naturally on her own. Then, you can see her realizing that that thing was new, interesting, fun to do...something captivating. So, she comes to find me and says, "watch me ___" and then does it.

Yesterday she was mooing (like a cow).

Kate: "Watch me moo....MOOO!" (giggles in delight)

Today she came up to me and said, "watch me run!" and then ran, looking down at her feet as she went the way toddlers do when they're enthralled with their new ability to go fast. After she ran she said, "watch me AHH!" and then she ran while fake-screaming, "AHHHH!"

She pronounces watch: 'wot'




Yesterday James was hungry. He followed me into the kitchen and then, in his best Coach voice (as Theo describes his loud, problem-solver tone) he announced: "Mama! I find hungry samwich!"

He proceeded to open the cupboard doors where we keep the bread and peanut butter but, instead of recognizing the ingredients he looked right past them and scanned the area for actual ready-made sandwiches. He was extremely disappointed to see none and sadly announced, "Nope, mama, no hungry samwiches."

(I love that he's always called PB&J "hungry samwich"' since they're what we've used as stopgaps when they're starving and can't wait for a meal. It's his own name but now we all use it.)

Next he went to the cupboard where I keep the pancake mix and did the same scanning for pancakes followed by the sad announcement. He seemed to genuinely think that all I did was open a cupboard and take out food to serve. If only, buddy!

It was so cute I ended up making pancakes for everyone, even the big boys, at 3:00 in the afternoon. Because sometimes you just need a pancake.



We were at the Farm and Fleet getting supplies for the chickens. I wandered over to the tubs where they keep new baby chicks for sale. Jane looked in each tub and oohed and ahhed over every type of chick. I glanced in the next tub and saw that this one had ducklings, not chicks. When Jane looked in I said, "do you know what these are?"

She immediately burst out confidently, "Duck-billed platypuses!"

Oh my. Apparently we need to watch fewer nature documentaries and more farm documentaries!




James, when given a peanut butter and graham cracker sandwich because we were out of bread,
"Mmm! That's tasty!"



I took the girls to the store to pick out balloons and a card for Seth's 17th birthday. They choose a princess balloon, a unicorn balloon and a pink sparkly card with rainbows and unicorns. Through careful negotiation I talk them down to a smiley face balloon, a horsy balloon, and a pink, sparkly card with a pig and a funny saying inside. They bring a whole new dimension to our family events.



Kate, when looking for someone: "are oooo??? Mama, are ooooo???"
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