Springer Family Revue

Last weekend

2008-11-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

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

2008-09-15T15:45:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-03T14:27:00.001-07:00

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

Time for the Birds & The Bees?

2008-04-30T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-21T00:54:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-04-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-03-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-02-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

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...

2008-01-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

Yum!

2:20 a.m.

2007-12-30T02:20:00.000-08:00

No mother of two should be up at 2:30 a.m., let alone posting (and catching up on all of her friend's blogs - did Racheal Janakes have her baby or what?!!). However, I'm a bit cracked out after downing countless Coke Zeros today in order to complete a major cleanse of our house. Specifically, I went through the kids' toys and stuffed two huge garbage bags full of books and cars, baby toys, etc. (etc., etc.!). I also cleaned out the kids' drawers - including their dreaded sock drawer - and came up with another bag full of clothes they've outgrown (I'm saving the most precious items for progeny, of course). I was thrilled to throw in four pairs of my own shoes that have occupied precious space in our San Francisco closet.

It feels so good to get rid of all of this stuff...I will joyfully deposit several large garbage bags (along with our old vacuum cleaner) at Goodwill tomorrow morning!

It does not, however, feel good to know that my yummy babes will be up and at 'em at a horrifyingly early hour...

Computer armoire?

2007-12-30T02:12:00.000-08:00

I'm seeking a computer armoire/office. You know, the kind with cabinets that you can close at the end of the day (and hide the mess)? With the cabinets shut, it should be discreet and should look like a regular armoire or other piece of furniture, as it will be occupy a conspicuous spot in our dining room.

I need to make a purchase because I'm moving out of my office/laundry room in the next couple of weeks. We're remodeling the room to become a bedroom for Jackson, thus giving Jack & Abby their own rooms. We've moved our laundry downstairs to the garage, which isn't as annoying as it sounds, and is certainly worth it for the kids to have their own bedrooms.

I'm not terribly excited about working in the dining room, but I AM excited about decorating the kids' bedrooms. Here's what I've picked out for Jackson, and here's Abby's....

Christmas 2007

2007-12-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas truly was something for the record books. Jackson, our happy helper, assisted all of us in opening our gifts. He tour through present after present, barely pausing long enough to appreciate each goody he unveiled. Despite his frenzy, it took several hours to open all of the gifts. By the end of it, even Jackson was exhausted (and that's a rare occurrence)!

Next year, we may decide to limit the number of gifts beneath the tree. The kids would be just as happy with a handful of gifts, as opposed to the gross consumerism displayed this year!

That said, I don't know if Scott and I will be able to show any restraint. We're not so great at demonstrating restraint when it comes to buying gifts for each other! Just like we do every year, Scott and I promised not to get each other anything, preferring instead to bankroll the money (the kids need to go to college, right?). And despite this promise, we suprised one another with numerous, fabulous gifts! My sweet husband spoiled me with a Gocco, mani/pedi gift certificates, Dolce & Gabbana's new scent, the new Feist album, and several other presents. My favorite was a 3 ft. x 3 ft. stretched canvas print of Jackson and Scott (posted below).

My mother-in-law (Grandma Candy) came to visit, which made for an extra-special holiday for the kids. We bought her a digital camera...she's not sure she'll be able to work it, but we have hope for her yet! After all, she's managed to navigate her Mac computer, emailing regularly, purchasing airfare online, and even reading this blog!

Several days later, ribbons and boxes, lonely puzzle pieces and Thomas trains are strewn up and down the halls. I plan to go through the kids' toys this weekend and make a giant contribution to Good Will, while making room for all of the new stuff Jack & Abby received.

We had an amazing holiday. We are so blessed to have each other and are extremely grateful for the gifts given and received - both temporal and spiritual.

Forgive me for posting so many pictures...this post was created in large part for the grandparents who couldn't be here.

Our nudie girl

Opening gifts

So many presents...

Beautiful blue-eyed boy

Jackson and his new shirt

The picture Scott used for my canvas - my favorite gift!

Jack and his Daddy

Jack, Grandma & Scott - admiring the photo book!

The Christmas bomb

Abby with wrapping paper stuck to her bum

Finally enough hair for a ribbon!

The kids' birthday party

2007-12-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

It was awesome, to say the least. More than 60 friends came over to celebrate our sweet munchies' birthdays. We were incredibly touched and honored by this tremendous outpouring of love. It's especially important for Scott and me, as we have no family close by.

The kids were ridiculously cute. Jackson - cracked out as ever - did wind sprints up and down the halls, shrieking all the while. He was so overwhelmed and ecstatic with all of the guests and all of the attention. Abby is a blossoming social flower; she greeted each reveler with a wave and "hi" and was quite thrilled to be passed from person to person all afternoon. I barely saw my baby girl!

In addition to standard party fare - food, drinks and goodie bags for the kids - we invited a local children's musician (Keta) to play songs at the party. Abby was the belle of the ball, dancing along fanatically to every song Keta played.

Jackson and Abby blew out their candles after the chorus of 60 sang the birthday song. Mom & Dad had baked mini-cupcakes for the occasion. Despite the fact that they were "mini," Jackson still managed to consume his body weight in sugar, which meant a very long and painful bedtime process. Abby - just like most 1-year-olds - simply stuck her entire face into the cupcake, grinning widely through frosting-glazed lips.

I hate to admit it, but we hid almost all of the kids' birthday presents until Christmas morning, at which point we finally let Jack & Abby tear into the gifts. We won't be able to do that in the years to come, but, this year, they didn't know the difference! Thus the reason I'm a little late with the thank-you cards...

Sneaking his fifth (or was it his sixth?) cupcake.

The birthday song

Mini-cupcakes for the kids

Abby demonstrating her remarkable musical aptitude

Abby getting her groove on

Blog drought...

2007-12-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

It has been over a month since my last post. Officially a drought. In the last month, I've been occupied with the following mundane, yet time-consuming tasks:

1) Planned and hosted a birthday party for my kiddies with 60+ people in attendance.
2) Completed all Christmas shopping and mailed packages to friends and family in other cities/states.
3) Coerced my husband to design our Christmas card.
4) Updated our mailing list; stuffed, addressed and mailed all cards.
5) This is the biggie: spent 50+ hours (not exaggerating) designing Apple photo books for each of the three sets of grandparents.
6) Purchased a Christmas tree and (nearly a week later) trimmed and decorated the tree (in fairness, Scott took care of this task in its entirety - I was too freakin' tired!).
7) Nursed two sick children back to health the entire weekend of Dec. 19, including a five-hour stint in the hospital where Abby received three breathing treatments and a course of steroids after contracting bronchiolitis (she's okay now!).
8) Wrapped Christmas presents, watched (and photographed) my children rip through the dozens of gifts in a frenzy, and, finally, stood back in awe to observe the grizzly scene...it looked as though a bomb had gone off in my living room!
9) Cleaned up the debris for two solid days - and we're still not finished!
10) At long last, stressed about updating my blog! I still haven't posted pics of the kids' birthday party...
11) Oh yeah - one last - keep up with my full-time job and raise two tiny children all the while! Ahhh... December!

Abby's Walking - Officially!

2007-11-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

She cruises up and down the hall and has mastered the art of navigating around corners and through doorways - just a few weeks shy of her first birthday. On Sunday, Jackson played "chase" with Abby. It was hilarious to watch her try to escape her brother's clutches, waddling as quickly as she could around the kitchen and laughing hysterically all the while.

Scott videotaped her new skill and used his masterful editing skills to create the attached movie. Four things to note:

1) Listen to Jackson saying "She's walking, Dada," in the background. Ridiculously cute.
2) Enjoy the crusty nose and Abby's ladylike nose-picking.
3) Dance along to Abby's groove scene, creatively edited by her proud papa.
4) Enjoy the music of Swell Season's "Falling Slowing." Seemed a pretty appropriate pick for this clip, as Abby stumbles around like a drunk and is always on the brink of falling.

Aquaphor Update

2007-11-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

Sadly, the $80 we spent for professional carpet cleaning was all for naught... Jackson's rug will soon be banished to the dump, unless someone's interested in a rug that's entirely covered in a fine layer of petroleum product?

My LEAST favorite product this week.

2007-11-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

Oh, goodness...what a day we had yesterday! I put Jackson down for a nap around 1:30. I shut his door and walked into my office to work, as usual. Around 3 p.m., I heard some racket in his room and figured he was playing - not sleeping. Scott happened to be home at that time, so I asked him to go into Jack's room and put him back in his bed.

From my office, I heard Scott say/yell, "Jackson, what are you doing?!" I walked in to find that Jackson had undertaken an art project of massive proportions: he was painting. His canvas? His bedroom and all of its contents. His medium? AQUAPHOR! He had smeared two jars of the thick, gooey, greasy stuff all over his carpet, his bed, his furniture (including INSIDE the drawers and cabinets), the doors, the walls, his potty, etc.

Scott and I stood in shocked silence, eyeing the damage, for several minutes before we attempted to clean up. Mere water doesn't make a dent with Aquaphor...we had to bring out the big guns. Scott found a heavy duty degreaser/cleaner called Nature's Orange among our household cleaning products. That seemed to do the trick, though I have since discovered several Aquaphor globs we missed yesterday (not a pleasant discovery, mind you). We didn't even attempt to clean his rug, as it's covered with a thick layer of the stuff (did I mention this rug was custom-made for Jackson's room?). We've scheduled a carpet-cleaning service for Friday morning.

Needless to say, Aquaphor is not my favorite product at the moment. What's funny, though, is that we used Aquaphor on Jack's bum last night before bed...only a few hours after finding our little Picaso and his Aquaphor masterpiece. It is the BEST product for healing diaper rash and skin irritations. We originally discovered it after Jackson contracted rotavirus a couple of years ago. His sweet tushy took a serious ravaging, but it healed up right away once we began using Aquaphor. It's great for use on a child's bum...but not for children's hands.

Scott's Masterpiece

2007-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, my husband is an artist. He is an award-winning, critically acclaimed creative director and owns his own ad firm in San Francisco. Suffice it to say, he's a rockstar.

Despite the industry awards lining the shelves of his office, the piece of art of which he's most proud is this Jack 'O Lantern. Admittedly, it is rather extraordinary. Scott could barely contain his glee when we learned his pumpkin was the most popular at our neighborhood Jack 'O Lantern showcase.

I wish we could say this was an original design, but it is not...Scott found a picture of a cannibal pumpkin online and had to create his own!

One funny tidbit: our upstairs neighbors have a darling 4-year-old boy named Quinn (and a 2-year-old, Hadley). Quinn asked several times, "Why is the pumpkin eating his baby?" Cathy provided brilliant, well-timed answers such as "pumpkins eat their babies when they don't go to bed," or "pumpkins eat their babies when they don't eat dinner." I'm actually laughing out loud just thinking about it. I used this tactic with Jackson on numerous occasions, but, either he's still too little to understand my intimation, or he simply knows he's the boss around here. Unfortunately, the latter is probably true...

Halloween...Roar!

2007-11-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

Halloween was fun, but - whew - am I glad it's over! We were committed to getting our money's worth out of the kids' 8-zillion-dollar costumes, and that we did. I break a sweat at the mere memory of maneuvering their impatient arms and legs into their costumes!

Jackson had the opportunity to wear his monkey and tiger costumes several times. And while he liked the polar bear at first blush, it was too itchy and bulky to wear much longer than five minutes...good thing the camera was handy! Jackson was HILARIOUS in all of his costumes. He roared loudly and incessantly. I think he liked the tiger best - simply because it provided the most roar opportunities. He did try out a fierce growl while donning the monkey, but it didn't go over quite as well. It confused his friends at preschool (don't monkeys say "ooh ooh ahh ahh?") and it likely annoyed their parents!

Abby was absurdly beautiful in her white tiger costume. The colors perfectly complented her pink cheeks and rosy lips while a fringe of white-blonde hair peeked out from beneath her hat (is it obvious that I'm in love with my girl?). She was thrilled to be dressed up, but my OCD was flaring hotly, as she insisted on crawling over various filthy surfaces (i.e. gymnasium floors) in her pristine white costume - the one I had decided was more important than her college education! I picked it up from the dry cleaner today...I haven't inspected it closely, as I'm afraid a few of the smudges didn't come out.

The day after Halloween was one for the record books. Read: exhausted after a late, late night (the kids went to bed at 10:30 p.m.) compounded by a sugar crash much like a drug-addict's withdrawal.

Click on the first image below to see the animation of Jackson roaring in his tiger costume!

Roaring polar bear.

Sweet polar bear - I love his tootsies in this picture!

Jackson as Dash Incredible last year - he thought Dash should roar, too!

Most precious baby girl...now taking her first steps unassisted!

Unbelievably sweet mug.

I just can't let this go...

2007-10-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

I tried the look-alike meter again, this time using different pictures of Scott and me, sure that the result would confirm Abby's incredible resemblance to her dad! The program must have a faulty algorithm, as it concluded Abby looks 13% more like me! Anyone with eyeballs can see this simply isn't true...

Abby looks equally like Mom & Dad?

2007-10-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think so...

I don't buy it... As far as I can tell, she's a mini-Scott! She *may* have inherited my feet, but the rest of her...her hair, her eyes, her lashes, her scrunchy smile..are all Daddy! That said, this super-sophisticated technological program has determined that Abby is equal parts Mom & Dad. Guess the Springer and Morrison gene pools are equally powerful, as both kiddies look "equally like Katy and Scott!"

For nonbelievers, check out the meter on Pepper Elliot's blog: http://absolutelyplum.blogspot.com/2007/10/look-alike-meter.html

Their meter showed Oslo is 69% Mark, 31% Pepper. Apparently you CAN reach a conclusion other than "[BABY] looks equally like Mom and Dad," despite the results of my kids' look-alike meters!

For those of you who say Jackson looks NOTHING like me!

2007-10-30T11:38:00.001-07:00

A Preview of Oct. 31...

2007-10-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Here is Jackson modeling his monkey costume - the feet are the best part! The monkey is just one of three costumes we purchased this year. eBay snafu. Good thing we'll be attending three costume parties - he'll have an opportunity to wear all of his costumes (monkey, tiger and polar bear).

Jackson's response after seeing his many costumes? "I want to be a grasshopper!"

Abby's Scrunchy Smile

2007-10-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't the BEST picture of my beautiful baby girl...she looks rather scrunched...but it DOES communicate her sheer love for her Grandpa (at least the shot embellishes her magnificent chubbiness - I just want to nibble her cheeks and tummy and thighs)! My dad fusses over Abby as if she were royalty, speaking to her in a sweet baby voice and jumping up to answer her every wimper. I asked him if Abby looks like I did when I was a baby. His response was the epitome of diplomacy: "Yes, she looks a little like you, but you were more svelte." What could that possibly mean? I love you, Dad :)

Barf-rageous Jack-O-Lantern

2007-10-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday night at the Springer household. The kids have eaten dinner and taken their baths. Scott and I unveil the evening's activity, sure to be the highlight of our weekend. We have purchased a pumpkin-carving kit and are planning a magical night creating the first-ever Springer Jack-O-Lantern. Scott - always the artist and perfectionist - has found the perfect design for our pumpkin after an extensive web search.

Scott's job is to carve; Jackson has the important responsibility of digging out the pumpkin seeds and other gunk. We have equipped our little boy with a small shovel. Jack can barely contain his excitement; he yells at Scott to hurry and finish carving the top so that he can begin his important task!

It's all downhill from here... Jackson's enthusiasm is quickly replaced with waves of nausea as he inhales the pumpkin-gunk aroma. He throws up once, but we don't see him hurl and assume the yucky stuff is just part of the pumpkin guts. Thirty seconds later, he throws up a second time. We begin to suspect the smell is making him sick. Our hypothesis is confirmed a minute later when he throws up a third time. I pick him up and put him back in the tub before completing the arduous task of cleaning up pumpkin guts AND Jackson's guts!

Scott finishes carving the pumpkin by himself. Jackson loves looking at the Jack-O-Lantern (he wants to go out on the porch several times a day to visit it). But, he's scared of it, always remarking, "that hurts my tummy" and insisting that Mom or Dad hold him!

Perhaps not the pumpkin-carving experience we had imagined, but a memorable one nonetheless!

Other Dimensions...

2007-10-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

I realize as I read through my posts that I must seem very one-dimensional...completely obsessed with my sweet husband and children with n'er a thought of anything else. Well, that's mostly true, but it must be tedious reading for those of you who aren't grandparents or otherwise related to my yummy smallies who "star" in this blog.

To that end, I'm dedicating a post to my other obsessions, beginning with the best movie I've seen in a long, long time. Now, I must add the disclaimer that I haven't seen many movies since the birth of my children, as it costs $20/hour for a babysitter in this crazy town, making for a very expensive movie! But, occasionally we "splurge" for a movie and a super-fancy dinner, i.e. Fuddruckers or Jack In The Box. If you haven't seen it yet, make a point to see "Once." It's one of those "artsy" films we San Franciscans can't get enough of. Rumor has it the film was made in two weeks with no big names and a measly $150K budget. It's a musical in the sense that there's a lot of music (but not in the "Oklahama" or even the "Moulin Rouge" sense). The film follows the life of a vacuum-machine repairman who moonlights as a street musician in Dublin. He meets a girl who is also a musician, and they strike up an unbelievably sweet, genuine friendship. The music is actually GOOD. Incredible, really. The day after we saw the movie, Scott and I purchased the soundtrack as well as two other albums featuring the music of the film's main characters. You can view the trailer (and hear a sampling of the music) here:

http://movies.aol.com/movie/once/28796/video/trailer-no-1/1893387

Buy this!!

Another "obsession" is reading, though, in truth, my reading list is comprised primarily of parenting magazines, toddler discipline books (!), and my weekly subscription to "People" magazine, which keeps me in touch with the "real" world :)

I did manage to read a real-live book a few weeks ago. I picked it up at an airport bookstore and couldn't put it down, much to the sacrifice of several nights' sleep. It's called "The Memory Keeper's Daughter." It is heartbreaking and wonderful all at once. Definitely worth a read!

Ignore the "Search Inside" arrow - I copied this picture from Amazon.com

My next obsession is learning Spanish. I have taken up my study in the past six months in order to communicate with my nanny, who speaks very little English. When she first started working with us, I could count to 10 and knew a handful of random words. I understood NOTHING. After spending a bit of time on http://www.freetranslation.com/, combined with her superior teaching skills and lots of practice, I'm proud to say I'm now rather conversational!

My final obsession (for now) is writing. If there was ever a school subject in which I excelled, it was English. I'm one of those grammar snobs, much to the annoyance of my husband. This blog serves as my oulet for this obsession :)

Tootsies

2007-10-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

Is there anything cuter than baby toes? I mean, really?! I had to post this picture of my girl, who has propped her dainty little tootsie on the tray of her high chair. YUM! She strikes this pose often, regularly evoking complimentary stares and giggles from other diners when we're eating at a restaurant. Putting your feet on the table is not exactly good manners, but it doesn't really matter when you're 10 months old, right?

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

Fun day with my boy!

Jackson on a hay ride at the pumpkin patch.

Jackson with his "respectable" pumpkin.

I LOVE Halloween! Last week, I accompanied Jackson's preschool class to a pumpkin patch here in the city. The kids were instructed to choose any pumpkin they'd like - as long as they were able to carry their selection to the cash register for purchase! Jackson experimented with numerous pumpkins, sweating and struggling with great drama, "it's too heavy, Mama!" He selected a teeny tiny pumpkin (about the size of a softball) and was quite pleased with his choice, but I couldn't let him be the wimpy kid in class. I talked him into a respectable, yet manageable, pumpkin, which we'll carve later this week.

We also took a hay ride through the pumpkin patch. Jackson was BESIDE HIMSELF with ecstasy! He is such a BOY.

This is the best part - tonight, Scott and I won Halloween costumes for both kids on eBay. Have you ever heard of Tom Arma costumes? Apparently, they're all the rage. Do a search on eBay and you'll see what I mean. I'm sure I would have been happy with any old costume - until I stumbled upon Tom Arma's white tiger costume, perfect for my perfectly pink baby girl. We were up against 15 bidders. Any of you who use eBay can imagine our anxiety, as Scott and I were willing to SELL our third child (no, I'm not pregnant) in order to win that costume! In the last three seconds - literally - Scott placed the winning bid, causing us to jump up and down with glee (sadly, we undoubtedly ruined the nights of the 14 other bidders).

We did the same thing with an auction for Tom Arma's polar bear costume for Jackson - placed a bid in the last three seconds and won! Jackson now has three costumes for Halloween, as Scott and I were both bidding on different costumes on eBay (unbeknownst to one another). We won the Tom Arma monkey costume from some poor sap who had listed under "Tony" rather than "Tom" Arma.

It's 8:30 p.m. and I'm ready for bed. Too much excitement for one night.

Who's Who?

2007-09-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

I always get a kick of Janae Black’s posts that show pics of her two girls at the same age and ask “which one is which?” If you haven’t seen her blog, be sure to visit http://www.drblackfam1.blogspot.com/. My two babes look remarkably alike, too. Their newborn pictures are almost indistinguishable. Any guesses who’s who?

A. This one is probably obvious given the outfit...

B. Sleepy babe - which one?

C. Newborn baby - girl or boy?

D. Another newborn pic - the kids' hairstyles are definitely the same!

E. Sweet mug - and a gender-neutral outfit.

F. Abby or Jackie? The white and yellow ducky jammies don't provide any clues!

G. These "yawning" pics aren't the very most attractive, but the babes sure look alike!

H. Who's sleepy?

Summer in San Francisco

2007-09-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

While it's known for its temperate (even soggy) climate, San Francisco posted a few blazing days this summer. Of course, the weather is wet and miserable as I type, but these pictures serve as memory of a few scorching afternoons in SF. And since no one has air conditioning here (there's so rarely a need), our homes reach 90+-degrees inside...too hot for those of us (wimps) who are accustomed to the 65-70-degree averages we enjoy most days of the year.

On such afternoons, we fill up our floatie pool and drop the kids inside. We have an itty-bitty backyard and a patch of grass perfect for accommodating the pool! This particular day was Abby's first experience in a pool - solo - without being held by one of her parents. Jackson did a great job "indoctrinating" her.

Jackie wearing his standard "mischievous" mug.

Abby attempting to crawl out onto the grass.

Jackson giving Abby a special "welcome" to the pool.

Jackie grinning through the bright sunlight.

Daddy loves his kids!

2007-09-16T00:08:00.000-07:00

Jackson & Daddy

Daddy & Naked Girl

Jackie and Abby are incredibly lucky. Their dad LOVES them LOVES them LOVES them! It is so touching to witness that love every day, and there is nothing sexier than a man who adores his babes! He and Jackson are very much alike. They are both handsome, funny and bright. They both have great hair. And, they're both incredibly strong-willed (read: stubborn!). This creates a bit of tension every once in a while. For example, we've been struggling with Jackson's eating habits of late...for being such a hearty boy, he's an incredibly picky eater! He prefers macaroni & cheese, chicken nuggets, French fries, and shepherd's pie (one of my few culinary masterpieces). He turns his nose up at just about anything else (excluding sweets, of course). Recently, I put my culinary skills (or lack thereof) to the test and produced a rather decent chicken and rice dish. We set the table, said a blessing, strapped the kids into their high-chairs, and hoped that they'd both comply. In her typical style, Abby grubbed happily. Jackson, however, wouldn't take a single bite. Scott wasn't going to let him win, especially since his wife had slaved over a hot stove all afternoon. He bargained with Jackson - "Just take one bite. If you don't like it, you can get down and we'll go watch 'Shrek.'" Jackson refused. For two hours, they fought over a singular bite, until finally Jackson asked to go to bed. Scott obliged. Neither of them won, but neither lost, either!

Scott loves his boy so intensely, it's almost hard for him to bare. Even though Jackson is almost 3, Scott checks on him at least twice every night, sacrificing his own sleep to make sure his boy is warm and comfortable. It is the sweetest love I have ever witnessed.

He feels the same kind of tender love for Abby - expressed with constant tickling, raspberries and snuggles. Every night, he picks her up and puts her in her bed to sleep. First, though, he inhales her, kisses her repeatedly, and whispers "I love you, baby girl" in her ear.

When we talk about our kids - especially during quiet times after they've gone to sleep - Scott's eyes often well up with tears. He can't contain the intensity of his feeling...they've captured his heart...wholly and completely.

My chubsters

2007-09-15T22:12:00.001-07:00

Jackson - 5 months

Abby - 5 months

Katy - 1 year

Scott - 1 year

I suppose our hair is only one of the qualities that defines a "Springer." Chubbiness is another! Jackson was a hugely chubby baby, and Abby is practically obese! I say that lovingly, of course, because I'm pretty sure she's also the most beautiful girl in the world :) Here are a few pics of our hearty babies, as well as a couple of Scott and me. I'd say they inherited their "stock" from their father, though Abby clearly has my thighs!

Jackson's first day of school

2007-09-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

Colicky boy - this is how he looked MOST days as an infant!

Jackson - Halloween - 11 months old

In the car on the way to his first day of school.

Painting with Teacher Alex.

What next?

Building train tracks with the boys.

My little boy is growing up...he started preschool a few weeks ago! I can't believe it. Seems like just yesterday he was howling in my arms (plagued with colic) or dressed up as Bam Bam on Halloween. The good news is, the transition to preschool was a lot more difficult for the mama than the student. Jackson LOVES school. I planned to stay with him his entire first day of school - just to help him "ease" into it. After about 15 minutes, it was clear he didn't need me at all. He jumped right in - it helped that the other kids were building train tracks when we arrived. I left him there, looking longingly over my shoulder as he waved bye bye without any hesitation!

The Springer Clan

2007-09-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

July 2007

Christmas Day (Mom & Dad look awful tired!)

We have finally jumped the "blog" bandwagon. I've never been any good at keeping a journal, but perhaps this attempt will be more successful (the fact that I can type a whole lot faster than I can write should help).

A little about us... we're a family of four with a signature "look" - we all share the same spiky, blonde hair. When our second-born - Abby - arrived in December, we knew she was a "Springer" (as if there were any doubt), as she was born with a full, fuzzy head of blond locks (just like her older brother, Jackson).

Scott - our patriach - has an ad agency in San Francisco, conveniently located one block from our home in Potrero Hill. I (Katy) am the mama and work as the director of field marketing for a national restaurant company (Buca di Beppo).

We have two entirely delicious kids. Jackson will be 3 in December. He is a ball of fire! Disarmingly charming and demonic at the same time. Abigail is nine months old - she is likely the sweetest, happiest baby ever to grace this planet.

Most days, we have a zest for life. We're constantly on the move - at the park, at the zoo, riding the T, etc. Other days, Scott and I simply try to survive our kids, whose batteries seem never to run out. We love our family, our friends, and the San Francisco lifestyle, and we're so grateful for our many and vast blessings.