Reached Capacity!

Who would have thought?  I have "reached capacity" to upload pictures on my blog!  Without paying money, or transferring the blog to a different platform (I experimented with that and didn't like it much - I don't want to have to think too much for this...), I decided to just start a new blog.  Starting today, you can visit the kiddos at http://www.angieworzala2.blogspot.com/ .  I need to work on the formatting and such on that page - but I wanted to get it set up before the 4th birthday festivities begin!

Fat Lip

Melanie had her friends over to play on Sunday, and as the Moms sat in the kitchen having a nice, quiet conversation, suddenly Mel was screaming bloody murder.  Her hands were covering her face, and I realized there was a LOT of blood coming out of her mouth.  Being Mother of the Year, I immediately called for Lida, who is an MD.  Because clearly a doctor is needed for a cut on the lip!  But, I didn't know where the blood was coming from, and knew she'd have a clearer head than I would!  She was able to get the wound isolated and we realized it was all on the lip.  After we were all settled down and Melanie got a bath (have I mentioned there was a lot of blood?) - she was a trooper, even being a little bit of a braggart about it :) 

Random Pictures

Matching Jammies!

Helping Daddy stretch before a trip to the gym

Cuddling

Cheese!

Joey

I'm not quite as diligent at posting updates about Joey as I was about Melanie.  Joey is nearly 22 months old, and doing great!  He has nearly all of his teeth, is wearing 18 month clothes, still loves sucking his left thumb, and is in a HITTING stage.  Ugh.  He is also VERY loveable, giving hugs and kisses whenever asked (or when he's in trouble).  He even kisses pictures or inanimate objects.  One evening, he asked for his potty repeatedly, so I got it out of the closet (I haven't even been talking about it).  He went "#1," and then I put him in the bathtub.  He repeatedly asked for it, but I thought he was just distracted.  He then climbed out of the tub to, ah "finish his business."  I was pretty impressed.  Since then (and one subsequent #2), his interest is more theoretical than productive.

Joey does a great job following directions (when he wants to), but doesn't talk nearly as much as Melanie did at his age.  Therefore, I got him assessed by First Steps for language development.  It was an interesting meeting, as they bring out a developmental therapist and a speech therapist, and it's like a little playdate.  They asked me a lot of questions while they just observed him playing.  He didn't say one word while they were there, but they determined he doesn't need the speech therapy at this point.  He has more than 20 words, and based on the responsiveness he has to language, his progress lately, and how much he mimics Melanie, they think he'll just be a "late talker" (I was too, believe it or not).  If, in about three months, I feel he's not advancing, they asked me to call them back. 

One thing that the therapists thought was hilarious was Joey's love of cotton balls.  He always has a cotton ball on him (he holds it in his hand while he sucks his thumb).  During our meeting, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to my bathroom, where I had to deliver a cotton ball.  He would then put it in and out of his pocket depending on whether he needed his hands for his activities.  Crazy kid.

He's obsessed with "Dora."  Every time he sees a TV, he wants it to be turned to Dora.  Melanie has at least two books that have Dora songs, and those are his favorite books to "read," he can stay occupied for a long time with those (it's what he's playing with above).  I was too slow to turn on the show yesterday, and he brought me the remote control and yelled "DORE!!!"  He even figured out how to flip it there himself once last night (it was a fluke, but one I'm scared of!)

Children's Museum

Sunday, we all four headed to the Children's Museum.  I think this was the longest the kids have held on; Melanie was kicking and screaming that she didn't want to leave!  (Which clearly meant it was time to leave).  The formatting of the pictures below is a mess, but I have to stop messing with it.  Melanie and Joey enjoyed the Mr. Potato Head exhibit, the archaeological dig/scuba area, trains, glass, Barbie, Playscape, and at least one of them really enjoyed the carousel!  There is no way I could have taken them both by myself (unless Joey stayed strapped in the stoller the whole time!)  I'm not sure who was more tired - the kids or the parents!

On an archaeological dig

Scuba diving



Joey's dig






This had to be the first stop - Mel was so excited to ride the carousel!

 


Joey's first ride on a carousel.  He was visibly shaking - he was not having fun.



Fast forward 12 years, and I fear the day they're taking a real car on a joyride!

Strutting her stuff on the Barbie runway

Answering the phones at Barbie HQ

Chihuly glass!



Fun Day at Gigi & Poppy's

Naptime (yeah, right)

What goofballs.  And yes, they have their jammies on.  At 2pm.

Joey was pretty worn out from the big day.  He fell asleep on the way home and stayed asleep for quite a while when he got home.  I loved this picture of the boys relaxing

Saturday, the kids and I headed to Frankfort for some fun with Gigi, Poppy, Molly & Julie.  Dad is doing great, getting around with a cane, attending bank board meetings, etc.  The biggest development of the day was that Melanie finally HUGGED him!  She'd been a little reticent as she learned that, despite him looking a little different, he's still the same Poppy!  I don't know how I spent a day there and have no pictures of Gigi & Poppy with the kids. 

Super Bowl, Super City

Ali was taking the picture and Laura was MIA

Liked this shot because of the Monument angle

Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl 46, and according to all of the press, did a FANTASTIC job!  My friends and I headed to Super Bowl Village on Saturday night the week before the Super Bowl, to check out all of the festivities and have dinner.  I walked back down for lunch on Thursday, hoping to spot some stars.  Rumor had it that Ryan Gosling, among others, were staying in Zionsville - so my eyes were also peeled every time I ran any errands!  The Johnsonville "world's largest grill" was set up at our Marsh one evening as part of the extended Super Bowl festivities, and it was even nice enough to walk over there for a family dinner of bratwurst :) 

Sunday evening, we headed to the Dorans' for a Super Bowl party.  As always, they were great hosts, and our kids loved all of the great toys and company!  Charlie & Sammie were there too, and we left before halftime for Joey's bedtime.  I was thrilled that Eli Manning won the Super Bowl in Indy!

Three cousins causing ruckus

So many toys, so little time.

Melanie-isms

Yes, that's a pair of shorts OVER a pair of pants, and snow boots as shoes.  And, a size 18-month coat to top it off, with a shirt that is too small but she "caught" me trying to give it away in a bag of clothes.

Mel - When I get big, I want to be a Mommy.
Me - You will be a great Mommy.  What do you want to name your kids?
Mel - My kids will be you, Daddy, Gigi, Molly, and Joey.  Poppy will be the Daddy.
Me - You and Poppy are going to have all of those kids?
Mel - Yes (each time we discuss this, the list of kids gets longer)
Me - Well, Poppy is a great Daddy, so I think you two will do great.

As we're folding laundry:  Mel - Mommy, you have huge underwear.  It is aMAYzing.

Mel – Mommy, you could take me to school today
Me – No, I really can’t. I haven’t even showered yet.
Mel – Well, I could wait for you to shower, and then you could take me. If you wanted to.
Me – I don’t really want to. But, I do still love you.
Mel – That’s okay, Mommy, I still love you too.

Me - Since Daddy is sick, let's flip-flop our weekend plans.  Let's go to Frankfort today, and to the Museum tomorrow. 
Mel - NOOOOO, you said we were going to the Museum TODAY.
Me - Well, the Museum called, and Mr. Potato Head isn't open today.  And, Molly can come to Gigi & Poppy's today, so let's go there today.
Mel - Okay.  But can I wear flip-flops?
Me - No, it's freezing outside.  Why would you wear flip-flops?
Mel - You said we were going to flip-flop.

As we're looking through a picture book of Mel's baby pictures, I was reading the captions.  Melanie asked me why I kept saying "2008."  I explained that was the year she was born.  Mel - "NO, Mommy, I wasn't born in 2008.  I was born in BETHLEHEM."

Me - "I used to come to the museum when I was your age.  Did I ever tell you that?"
Mel - "I know, I used to bring you.  I was your Mommy."