Last weekend

Last weekend, Scott kept the kids while I spent some quality time with my mom. Here's a picture of my crew at the zoo. They look pretty happy, but what's that look on Abby's face?

Old McDonald Had a Farm

Just a funny little tidbit about Abby. At bedtime, we sing her a series of songs (by request, of course). Her clear favorite is Old McDonald Had a Farm. Lately, she has wanted it sung like this:

"Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O And on that farm he had a mommy, E-I-E-I-O, with a Mommy here and a Mommy there, here a Mommy there a Mommy everywhere a Mommy, Old McDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on that farm he had a Jackson, E-I-E-I-O..." and so forth.

We go through every member of our immediate and extended family. It's not seeming as funny as I write the story, but it's ridiculously funny when she's making her requests!

Candy

There are plenty of mothers who disapprove of bribery as a parenting technique. I am not one of those mothers. In fact, I wholeheartedly embrace it! I credit bribery for the success of Jackson's potty training (Skittles), sitting still at church (stickers), and getting out of the house on time (Hershey's Kisses). The photos below demonstrate the power of bribery. After trying (unsuccessfully) for five minutes to take a decent picture of the kids to give to their great-grandmother for her 86th birthday, we broke out the chocolate:

Sitting still - and holding hands - at the prospect of candy.

The moment the candy hits their taste buds (and we manage to snap our first decent photo).

The kids are thrilled - and so are we (and if you look closely, you can see the chocolate in Jacks' mouth)

Quick update

Ugh. It's been sooooo long since I've updated my blog. I feel like I've been cheating on my blog with Facebook! For those of you who still bother to check - despite the fact that I haven't contributed a post in almost FOUR MONTHS - here are a few quick updates and several new photos:

1) Scott and I went to Outside Lands over the weekend. AWESOME. I was *this close* to Ben Harper. I wanted to touch him, but I'm pretty sure his security goons would have intervened...

2) Sweetest Jackson-ism ever on Monday, August 25, while I was pushing him on the swing at McKinley Park: "I love Mommy, I love Daddy, I love me and I love Abby." Completely unsolicited. What more could a parent want (especially the "I love me" part)?

3) Abby says about a zillion words these days. Among my favorites: elbow, mole (random, I know), Jackie (pronounced Ja-ee), butterfly and lasagna. She has a Spanish-speaking babysitter who asks her, "Donde esta la nina (I don't know how to put the accent over the second 'n' in 'nina')?" Abby answers "I am nina" and then points to all of the girls/women nearby, calling each one a "nina." She also says cabesa, boca, ojos, nariz, and numerous others.

If you're on Facebook, "friend" me!

On to the photos...

Jackson in Old Sacramento - click on this photo - it's animated!

Studmuffin

Blue-eyed boy (who was desperately in need of a hair cut)

If Abby and Jackson were in a band, this would be their album cover. They're so very "cool."

Taken from my camera phone - nothing better than pigtails on a baby girl!

At the Gilroy Garlic Festival - that event was pure, 105-degree hell!

Heaven

We love them when they're awake, but there's nothing better than two sleeping children!

Time for the Birds & The Bees?

The other day, Scott was getting the kids ready for a bath. In the three seconds between removing Abby's diaper and plopping her in the tub, she peed on the floor. Jackson's face was a mask of confusion as he watched the pee trickle down her legs and form a puddle at her feet. He said to Scott, "Abby doesn't have a pinker (our pet name for Jackson's you-know-what). Abby pee-pees from her tummy." Abby's tummy is so lovely and round it hangs down to her knees, concealing her "parts" from view, and it DOES look like she's peeing from her tummy.

This was too funny to include in my "Jackson says" column - it deserved its own post!

Abby's tootsies

This is probably the third (fourth?) post about Abby's delicious feet. Please forgive me. They're just too precious. Every time I change her diaper (and pretty much every time they're within reach), I kiss her feet. As a result, she now kisses her own feet when she takes off her shoes and socks, as if this is simply the natural thing to do when her bare toes are exposed. SO CUTE. This evening, she took her Crocs off in the car. I turned around and saw her kissing her feet - one right after the other. I can't say I blame her! I have never seen such perfect, plump toes. :)

Weekend in SoCal

We drove to Southern California Thursday night for my cousin's missionary farewell. The five-hour drive was rather uneventful, unless you count Abby's midnight wakeup during which she screamed inconsolably for 52 minutes. Fun. All improved from there, with a quick visit with Scott's mom Friday morning followed by two full days of aunties, uncles and cousins. SoCal is supposed to be warm and sunny year-round, right? Wrong! We had to bundle our kids the entire weekend, as it was cold and windy and miserable! Lucky for everyone, the wind subsided during the farewell dinner, which took place at the beautiful Capistrano beach (my aunt bought Tiki torches and everything - sooooo OC - it was an incredible party).

I've always had a crush on my Uncle (by marriage) Chris. Is that wrong?

Chris' wife - my Aunt Pam. He's *almost* hot enough for her!

I can't help but post pictures of my babes' feet.

Jackson is smiling delightfully in this picture, but only after I promised him a drink of Sprite!

Sad Abby...

So, my dad asked me yesterday if Abby ever smiles anymore. He lives in Wyoming and doesn't have the opportunity to see her on a regular basis. We send lots of photos to make sure he doesn't miss a pound or an inch!

Lately, Abby has been less than thrilled with the camera. As such, every photo my dad receives is similar to the shot below. Unlike her diva brother, she doesn't enjoy posing for a camera while numerous adults shout "smile!" while making stupid faces and loud noises. Instead, she assumes a blank expression, like "why are all of my big people acting like such idiots?" She also becomes very curious about the camera itself - we have several pictures of Abby reaching for the lens.

In any case, this post is intended to prove that, yes, Abby DOES indeed smile. The second picture was taken on Easter. The blue thing on her cheek is a sticker. I'm pleased to report she's a giggly, happy girl (when she's not screaming bloody murder, that is).

Seriously!

I know it's not the "in" thing to brag about your kids, but I simply can't help it. How ridiculously cute is Jackson? And that belly? Please.

Freakin' Scary Easter Bunny

Apparently my children are terrified of large, fluffy bunnies with hard glass eyes and permanent bunny grins. We attempted a traditional Easter Bunny photo on Friday - with mixed results. I dressed them in their freshly ironed Easter outfits, combed their hair, and scrubbed the peanut butter and bread crumbs from their faces before heading to Stonestown Mall. Abby was instantly smitten with the bunny, calling him "doggie" and waving emphatically (from the safety of her mother's arms). Jackson wasn't particularly interested in the bunny, but rather turned his focus to the new Lightning McQueen I had hid (unsuccessfully) in the basket of their stroller.

The new car was intended as a blatant form of bribery. Specifically, "sit on the bunny's lap and smile and you can have the car." Although Jackson was quite nervous approaching the bunny, the bribe paid off. He smiled like an angel. No amount of pleading or cajoling could convince Abby, however. She simply screamed and cried for her mom, as if the bunny's white fur was scalding her legs as she sat on his lap. Alas, here is the result... Better luck next year?

A regular comedian...

Jackson's sense of humor is...well...maturing (?). He loves telling knock-knock jokes. They go something like this:

Jack: Knock-knock!
Me: Who's there?
Jack: Mama Head!
Me: Huh?
Jack: Unsuppressable giggles

He also substitutes "Mama Head" with "Daddy Head," "Abby Head," "Pillow Head," "Book Head," etc. No idea where the "head" reference originated... The other version of his knock-knock joke is "flub," i.e. "Mama Flub," "Daddy Flub," etc. HILARIOUS (?).

Barf-o-rama

The scourge has hit the Springer household. Abby started throwing up in middle of the night Monday and hasn’t stopped. We went to the doctor today to make sure she wasn't deydrated, as she doesn't seem to have any tears when she cries. Turns out that despite the seemingly endless yacking (and other, equally fun forms of human output), she is perfectly hydrated. Sadly, that's the only thing she has going for her. Her diaper rash looks like a war zone; it hurts her so much that we have to hold her around the middle rather than beneath her bum. And although this method protects her sweet tushy, picking her up around the middle has invited mass vomiting, almost like we're squeezing it out of her. I have no idea what's left for her to barf, as she hasn't eaten in two days! She must have a secret stash of food stores (I suppose you can't get thighs like hers without a little effort)!

Jackson, whom we thought had been spared, threw up five minutes before I picked him up from preschool Tuesday. To make up for lost time (and to keep up with his little sister), he threw up again in his car seat on the way home. Any parent out there has likely experienced the unique challenge of disassembling a car seat and washing the pad. No lack of fun at the Springer home during this week’s barf-o-rama!

What's worse, I'm starting to feel queasy myself. Fingers crossed that my symptoms are purely psychosomatic, but I'm feeling the faintest stirrings of nausea and achiness. Uugghh...

I have been elbow-deep in barf and other human output the past two days... I’d be happy never to have to clean it up again. That wish is a pipe-dream, I know, as my kids will surely be inflicted with many more barf spells in the years to come! And to think I went out of my way to get them both flu shots (non-thimerasol, mind you!)... I got one, too, but I'm afraid the vaccine is failing us all! Scott is our last hope. If he gets sick, the kids will have to learn to fetch their own Cheerios and juice!

Back-seat driver

Jackson is a brilliant boy. He has mastered the concept of "red means stop, green means go." As a result, my 3-year-old has become a back-seat driver, SCREAMING "stop!" from his car seat when he sees a red light. Unfortunately, he hasn't quite figured out which stoplight goes with which lane of traffic. For example, if we're driving through a green light but he sees a red turn arrow, he truly FREAKS OUT and screams for me to stop, certain that we're running the light. After I recover from his significant volume and the shrill of his voice, I laugh out loud at my poor little boy's plight. In addition to not understanding which light goes with which lane, he has limited visibility in his car seat. It's freaking hilarious.

Mine eyes ne’er beheld such beauty

My newest work of art. Sure, I've produced two beautiful children (and this fabulous blog), but the creation of which I'm currently most proud is my pantry. Newly organized and freshly scoured, this particular project consumed four hours of my time. As you can see from the photos below, the time was well spent. That, or the toxic fumes I inhaled have altered my thought processes to such an extent that I *think* four hours - elbow-deep in bleach - was a good use of my time.

My mom told me last night that I need to get a life. Clearly,  she's right...

Front view

Right view

Left view

The latest...

It's been a busy couple of weeks! This stay-at-home-mom thing is pretty unbelievable, first because it's such a treat to have so much time with my kids, and second because I'm unbelievably busy and exhausted! In addition to indulging my children, I'm also consulting with several public relations and marketing firms and picking up the slack at Scott's ad agency. More on that later. For now, I'm just happy to report that this (almost) full-time mom-thing is working out well!

In the time since I quit my job, we have have made the rounds of all of the local kid spots:

• Bay Area Discovery Museum (three times)
• Children's Fairyland
• Exploratorium
• Urban Recess (at least a half-dozen times)
• My Gym (same - at least once or twice a week)
• Alta Plaza park (FABULOUS park at Steiner & Jackson)
• Walter Haas park
• Potrero Hill park
• California Pizza Kitchen (twice - it's my fave)
• Boston Market
• Kids Cuts (awesome - though not cheap - kids hair salon with a gigantic play area attached to the salon - great tool for bribing your child to sit still!)

Tomorrow promises to be an equally fun day for the kids, as we are heading to the lab for a lead-level blood test. I will have the fun task of restraining both children while the phlebotomist draws their blood. Anyone who knows my kids knows they have a little extra chub, thus rendering it nearly impossible to find a vein with the first poke. I'm dreading this... I'm packing a bag of M&Ms to feed Jackson during his ordeal (much like sugar cubes for a sick horse). Abby will get over it in five seconds. She doesn't yet have a negative association with needles. Yuck.

Jack and his girlfriend, Stella, at the Exploratorium

Scott & Abby at Children's Fairyland - she was laughing hysterically, but I couldn't manage to capture her giggles on film. At least Scott's hand looks super-cool.

Jackson at the Discovery Museum

Abby at the Discovery Museum - what's that look on her face?!

Jackson at Alta Plaza park

Abby at Alta Plaza

Jackson at Kids Cuts

Abby - finally enough hair for pigtails - kind of!

Unemployed and drunk

Friday, Jan. 11, marks a significant milestone at the Springer household. I (the matriarch) am unemployed! I ended my nearly six-year tenure with Buca di Beppo last week when I volunteered to be laid off as part of Buca's "reduction in force."

Although my job was not on the chopping block, my co-worker WAS about to get laid off. Anyone who knows me well also knows that I had fantasized about quitting my job for a long time. While I loved working at Buca - LOVED it - I love my kids more! I was constantly struggling to balance work and family, feeling guilty all the while that I wasn't able to spend more time with my yummy babes.

So, when I heard the layoffs were coming, I emailed my boss and volunteered to off myself. He accepted! And, my co-worker's job was spared - a pleasant side-effect.

I'm unemployed and DRUNK with joy. I will do some freelance work in order to keep me sharp (and keep food on the table!), but I'll have a lot more time to enjoy my precious Jack & Abby. What a great thing.

Abby's Toes...

Yum!