Got the message, loud and clear!

One week ago today, Christopher turned two. Unfortunately, it really sucks beans when you are the youngest in the family and your birthday falls during the first week back at school, and you come down with a fever-of-unknown-origin on your birthday and birthday cake is the last thing you want to eat.

We have officially entered the Terrifying-Twos. Really, I think the three's are more terrible, but I can certainly understand why the Two's cause so much panic. There's that whole getting-into-EVERYTHING stage, and the development of words, without the necessary oral muscle control to make them comprehensible. So, you get really good at playing a guessing game. Is it Water? Do you want a walk? What on earth are you asking for, child?? HELP MOMMA!!!

With Parker, it was quite comical. He'd babble for something, and I'd try to interpret and would often get a resounding NO, often followed by a look that I swear said "OK, you foolish woman, I am being as clear as possible and you are just dumb as a post!!" He would give up, grab my hand and take me to what he wanted. This second attempt was typically far more fruitful for his efforts!!

We took Chris to the doctor on Monday, 5 days into this low-grade fever and feeling icky stuff only to find that both his lungs and his ears are clear. Its just a random virus, nothing to do but keep him comfortable, it should go away on its own in 7-10 days.

There are most certainly times when you want the doctor to find something if only for the reason that the discovery often leads to something we can actually DO for the child. This was not the case for us and Chris is not any better, babbling through coughing fits, getting royally twerked at us because we can not only not understand him, but are clearly not doing enough to help him feel better!

Last night, he falls asleep on Steve's shoulder downstairs and we get him nestled into bed... where he stays for precisely 45 minutes before waking in a fit of screaming. OK... I go calm him down, and head back to my own bed, only for him to wake up about 30 minutes later. I go back into his room to find him standing in his crib, screaming. I approach, and he hands me his blanket. I pick him up from his crib, he squirms from my arms, toddles his little coughing and crying tuckus over to the door of his room, out to the hall-way, into the guest room, climbs onto the bed and asks for his puppy-bear. He then buries his head under the pillow and drifts back into a fitful sleep.

Yeah... no questions as to what he wanted from me.

It's not exactly what I'd say is my ideal night's sleep, it is pretty wonderful to know that just being next to mom can sometimes be the best medicine.

They are getting so big!

Today was the first day of school for 3/5 of the Jensen family. Parker really thinks that 3rd grade will be fantastic, and all of Matthew's nervousness about 1st grade disappeared, even though he has no one from his Kindy class with him this year. As for Mom, well - it would have gone better had the air conditioning been up to snuff... today reached about 113* and there was virtually no air at school. My class room thermometer read 87 and I was the coolest room on my wing!

But this year, other than the heat, I am getting a reprieve... Rather than have to deal with Middle Schoolers who drive me to want to drink heavily, I will be teaching 4th, 5th and 6th grade LRC. This equates to a chance to actually TEACH, and that will be a very nice change!!!

These are some pictures from today - as I passed several busstops on my way to school and noticed tons of Moms and Dads with cameras of all makes and models, I am glad to know I am not the only goober who insists on taking photos of my kids on that first day of school!

Christopher, the caretaker...

I no longer need to worry myself about who will take care of Steve and me in our old age. Matthew has always said that he would be there to take care of us in our dotage, but if he is responsible for our care and feeding, and there's a TV show on he wants to see, we'd starve!!

Christopher is already the family caretaker. The things he does at such a young age just melt my heart... He brings Steve his glasses every morning, gets him a hairbrush after he gets out of the shower, he brings the dogs handfuls of food, in case they are hungry, and will find me my coffee or shoes. He seems to take complete delight in helping others.

At childcare, Nada reports that he is always the one to bring a toy to a crying child, or retrieve one that was tossed on the floor. She has commented more than once that he is such a loving and good-natured child, who seems to have no mean/angry/selfish bone in his body (OK, he's not quite 2, and that latter part might change...)

I wonder where these traits come from. Does he watch and learn from others, or are they innate within his being?? Do we have a future pediatrician or veterinarian on our hands?? It is amazing to watch them all grow and change and develop, and I have to say that I am both humbled and delighted with the path we are watching Christopher start to walk down!!

Oh, Darling, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

Oh, dear friend, Starbucks... has it come to this?? Why, oh why, after years of a faithful and loving relationship, must it come to this?? The pain, the sorrow.... the aching of my stomach after a grande carmel frappachino is more than I can bear...

I've come to the realization that I cannot enjoy Starbucks anymore. Oh, let me rephrase - I enjoy - I just pay for it twice. Once, at the counter and then for hours later. I came upon this realization with clarity yesterday, but if I am honest with myself and my 3 readers, I've been suspicious of this issue for a while.

In an effort to be a tad more frugal, I stopped going (daily) so frequently before school was out in June. I've walked into a Starbucks probably 5 times since then, most often deciding on a tea-based lemonaide. The two times that I decided to get "a little something with caffiene", I have majorily regretted it later.

At least I will save both time ane money by skipping my trip to Fourbucks before school. There IS something to be said for that, at least!!