Details on Helper

Dan and I were frantically trying to get our house clean yesterday b/c I I had a lapse of insanity and invited some friends over. I was NOT feeling well, and the house was a disaster. So, Dan took the kitchen, and I took the living room. I went into the other room, and Jay was just a-walking behind me. I grabbed a dust-rag, and Jayden kept up and grabbed another dust rag. I turned around and looked at him, and he was just a-walkin' and talkin' behind me. I started dusting the top of the entertainment center, and Jay pushed himself in front of me and started "dusting" the shelf in front of him. I yelled for Dan to bring the camera to show our little clean-freak at work!! Notice that once he noticed the camera he had to smile and laugh, and make a show.

Mommy's Little Helper

What's been happening....

Well, as most of you know, I've been spending the last week helping Dan's parent's out by staying with the kids while they went to pick up Andrew from Penn. What a week this has been!!! I went from one child (who I thought was bouncing off the walls) to seven!! Talk about a difference!! This experience has been so good for Jayden and I, though. Jayden got to play lots and lots with his uncles. He has discovered, however, that when someone takes a toy away from him he can get it back. We had a little problem with him starting to hit and saying mean things (sounds?), but a few minutes in Mommy's lap telling him to be nice to his friends and explaining why we don't hit has nipped that one (for the time being). Jayden has increased his vocabulary during this week. He says: more ("mo"), banana ("bana"), no, yeah, bye-bye (with the hand waving like crazy), Jayden ("Jada"), Mommy, Dada, Grandma ("rrrmMAA") Angel ("Ah-ah" This was his favorite part of his Nativity scene), Bottle ("Bado") and Benji ("En"...this was one of the hardest to figure out...It finally clicked when Jayden was crawling behind Benji, screaming "EN!!! EN!!" and trying to get his attention. Benji turned around and said "No, my name is BENJI!" and Jay just smiled, sat down, pointed, and said "En!" triumphantly.) He can sign milk/come here. It is the same thing to me, but to him I guess there is a huge difference. He gets so frustrated when I pick him up and don't give him milk, or when I offer him milk and don't pick him up. He waves hello and bye-bye, and we are working on car, please, thankyou, and eat. He can point to "Jayden's ear" and "Mommy's ear". He just trys to pull anyone else's ear off. Jay has (finally) joined the population of walkers!! He had been walking a little bit before the hospital trip, but he decided that it wasn't worth it afterwards. When we came down for Christmas, he realized that walking was the thing to do. At first, he would only walk to Uncle Benji. Then he started walking to Uncles Jimmy, Josh, and Aaron. Then to Grandma Richardson, and finally to me. I've started trying to get Jay to take his sippy-cup more often. He has no problem taking juice, water, pedialyte, or cow's milk, but if I try to put his formula in it, he makes a face and pushes it away. All in all, we've had a great time this week. We've learned a lot, and made new friends! Pictures and videos will be following as soon as Dan and I hook back up. (Yeah...the seven kids were by MYSELF!!! Dan was at back up at school!!!)

Christmas '06

Is that a puzzled look...or a give it back look?















Look Ma...Im a manger



















Happy Holidays
















Apple sauce and the hospital















1st time sledding
















Dan's eye after getting sick