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. :)