Lora, Porter and baby Naomi have come in for a visit. Wahoo! We've been waiting around all week for them to come and now they are finally here. Everyone is so happy, however, I think it may take a little while for all of us to get used to the baby/toddler schedule.

You know what I have been missing in my life? A two-year old. Why? Because they are sweet and funny. Because they are beginning to talk and understand the world around them. Because when they run, they look so cute. And, oh yeah, because they are mischievous little elves that keep you on your toes.

I had forgotten the 1/2 minute rule. If you don't hear a 2 year old for about 30 seconds...they are knee deep in trouble. Or as yesterday would have it. Knee deep in hot chocolate powder and an entire container of salt. Just think of what he would have gotten into if we gave him a whole minute?
And here is the sweet boy getting a little time to himself to think about his behavior. Can you see the chocolate powder foot prints?

If you look closely, you'll also see that the chocolate around his mouth. When he was caught by Lora, he knew all of that lovely powder was going to be taken away and he dived in, face first, to eat as much as possible of it before being torn away.

Now, today, Lora and I got talking for a minute after giving the little ones a bath. Porter was dressed first and wandered out of the bathroom. The silence took a few minutes to register and when we jumped up we found him like this.
Oooooh. BUSTED!!! Now, you can't really see what's going on here. He had managed to unwind about 10 bobbins of thread which was beginning to tie him up pretty good. I love the look on his face. Gotcha!

Porter has also been a bundle of cuteness. He is a smart little man and loves playing with the big kids. Ethan has taken the role of big brother (really, you aren't surprised, are you?) and has been watching over him. Austin likes to run around the house with Porter playing tag. But Alaina...that girl only has eyes for Naomi.

The night Lora and the kids came in to town, Alaina wanted to hold Naomi all evening. Unfortunately, Naomi was tired and Alaina had to go to bed. She sighed and threw her hair back, saying, "I just can't wait to hold that child!" Did Alaina just jump from 6 to 60 years old? Well, she got her wish today and was so happy to hold that sweet child. Here is the little angel taking a bath.

And here is where Aunt Christy is making her smile. (she either fell for my infectious charm or she was passing gas. I'm going with the charm) Such a sweetie!

Seriously? Now she's gone too far. This girl needs to ratchet down the cuteness a couple of notches.

I was about to resign this little gem of a story off to the 'inappropriate blog material' section of our lives, (which, by the way, is a surprisingly large section.) but in the end I decided that it was only borderline inappropriate. Lucky you. Lucky Ethan when he is old enough to know that I wrote this one down. Lucky me for getting to experience it first hand.

Ethan.

I was walking the kids to the car after school last week. My pick up routine never varies too much. They all talk incessantly at the same time, right from the moment I pick them up, while I find myself looking three different ways and adding random statements of acknowledgment. "Yeah?" "Hmmm." "Really?" "Amazing." "I'm so proud of you." etc. This particular pick-up started no different than the rest. However, a few steps away from the car, Ethan suddenly stops in front of us, making us trip all over him. "Check out my new move." he says. With all eyes on him, he sets his legs apart, leans up on his toes, spreads him arms out and follows through with 7-8 very fast, very enthusiastic hip thrusts. No joke. I stammer out a couple of pretty pathetic comments, "That, is not. Well, that's really not my favorite move. In fact. I really don't care for you to do that move anymore." And before I could go on, the kids scrambled for the car. Teaching moment over.

We rushed home, got dressed in their swim suits, and rushed back into the car for swimming class. Barely making it there on time, as usual, I found myself simultaneously braiding Laina's hair, putting Austin's goggles on and putting Ethan's stuff away. In the middle of my chaos, from out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan pull up on his toes, and just to the side of some poor, unsuspecting mother, he whips out his brand-new, signature move. Gasp. Without thinking, I blurt out, "Ethan. What did I tell you about that move?!" I looked over at the woman who trying to hold in a rather shocked laugh and all I can get out is. "I. I. I really don't know what to say about that." She laughed, looked at her twin 2 year old boys and said something nice, like, "I guess I'll find out soon enough." Yeah. Maybe.

After shooing the kids through to the swimming instructor, I went to the outside of the swimming pool (where you can sit and look in through the glass) and I watched my twinnies obediently slip in to the pool. And my sweet Ethan. That dirty rotten kid walks over to where I am sitting, in front of this wall-sized window. He slowly turns around to face me. Arms up high, face contorted into an wicked 80's big-hair band snarl (oh, yeah, baby.) lifts himself up to the most energetic show of hip thrust dancing to date. Then, with a satisfied nod, and a very clear, "whatever" look, he spun around to the pool, smiling like a maniac.

My jaw dropped. I looked over to the side to make sure I was the only one who saw that slightly creepy display of bravado and I saw that nice lady (Ethan's previous victim) sitting next to me. This time, she didn't hold back laughing. Ooooh that kid, KNEW I couldn't get to him behind the glass. What a giant pill! He is soooo LUCKY I am completely crazy about him. But seriously, waddaya going to do?

Lora, when I told her the story, cried, "Oh no. He's THAT guy!" Well, not yet. And 'the move' hasn't come out again for a week. Maybe that was the last we've seen of that? Please. Please let him not be 'that guy.'

Inexplicably, Ethan's favorite singer, ever since Kindergarten, has always been Micheal Jackson. Just ask him. He'll tell you right off. I think the obsession started when his last school went through a week long, school-wide mourning when the King of Pop died. (There were a LOT of fans in NC) Anyway, his current fancy dance move is very reminiscent of old Micheal's signature move. Maybe I'll try introducing a bit more Fred Astaire into his audio diet.

Alaina was practicing compounds words while I was doing her hair.

Dog (clap) House (clap)
Doghouse

Tooth (clap) Brush (clap)
Toothbrush

Rain (clap) Bow (clap)
Rainbow

So I thought I'd join in.

Gor (clap) Geous (clap)
Gorgeous

After being chastised for doing it wrong, I tried again.

Gor (clap) Geous (clap)
Alaina

Alaina got a good kick out of that and did her own.

Ma (clap) Ma (clap)
Laundry.

Nice. (No clapping)




Ethan...the master of all that is absolute fair and just in the world, was worried that Alaina might get to eat two candies instead of the one promised after dinner. He blurts out,

"Me and Austin get to have one candy but Laina doesn't because she already had the Skitters this morning!" Oooh. I hope I don't get the skitters...it sounds painful. I'm thinking he meant to say Skittles.