bleisenblog: miracle worker

For Easter we let this enormous creepy bunny get its mitts on Dylan. She escaped to freedom shortly after this was taken.

She was really into the household egg hunt. I made her hang out with the eggs hidden while I walked Snuffy (the other boys were still sleeping) and by the time I got back she had marked them all with big pieces of paper with eggs drawn on them to help her keep track of them. I think an elaborate birthday treasure hunt is in order this year.

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We haven't been home for the weekend in a long time, so it was really nice to just hang out, but for the ongoing rainy season. We were so excited to all go biking again we went out anyway, despite the 50 degrees and the rain. The kids didn't mind but it made me and Aaron grumpy so we went home pretty quickly. Looks like rain is in the forecast for the next FIVE DAYS yet, so I guess ultimate: week four is not looking good either.

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I took Dylan to a unitarian church with our friends yesterday (look at me, all almost up to the present) because I have been at a total loss to explain religion to her. Between that and the seders she got more religion this week than in her previous 4.65 years...and now she wants to go back to church. They did sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and there was a turnin' and greetin' session, so I guess that was a hit. File it with makeup, princesses, and meat under topics regarding which I have been completely ineffective at brainwashing her. She's always announcing how when she's a grownup she's going to 1) wear lipstick and nail polish and 2) always eat meat. I guess we'll add recruiting souls for the LORD to the list. (although in my understanding that's not really what the unitarians seem to be saying. what they are saying is: war is bad. check out our playground.) By the way mommy, you know that milk and cheese come from animals, right? At that point I usually point about about Ollie's milk not bothering me but by that time she's got her fingers in her ears.

Speaking of Ollie's milk, hmm. I think his first stringing-together-of-two-words is MORE NUR. Luckily no one understands that besides a select few (Dylan: MOMMY HE WANTS TO NURSE RIGHT NOW). You know how I said he doesn't have a resentful stare? Well if I don't feed him quick enough he has taken to glaring at me AND THEN SPITTING AT ME. I tell him that doesn't make me what to nurse him particularly much but that makes him laugh. Little twerp.

I had a lot of fun yesterday looking through the BleisenArchive when Dylan was the same age. The most striking things were 1) I seem to have had a lot more time then and 2) this led to much more funniness. Anyone remember this curling post? Ha! Aaron always says its good I think I'm funny. Not sure what he means by that.

Anyway, it was also fun comparing the children, which remains among my favorite games. There's a certain clueless toddlerness that seems identical to Ollie now in the pictures of Dylan from that age. I also mentioned often how destructive she was, but I get the sense it was more in an exploring kind of way and less in the manner of Ollie's signature deliberately evil style. Dylan was already a super picky eater by this age. I think she's more sensitive to textures and more cautious, and I'm sure nothing I did was helpful since she wouldn't sleep if she didn't eat enough and I was still desperate to get her to sleep. Ollie is still basically an indiscriminate vacuum cleaner (they're usually indiscriminate, I've heard). I can't even call Dylan picky anymore (see: vicious eating crackdown of 2009), but it's helpful having Ollie around since he makes everything look like it must taste like those chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels from trader joes. Or whatever you're covertly munching on right now.

The other notable thing is that Ollie is like 50% more...solid that Dylan was. I suspected he'd been outgrowing clothes months before she had (particularly hats, the melon-head), but this helped confirm my suspicions. I proudly announced Dylan outgrowing the 18-month size at this age. I don't even remember the last time Ollie wore that size, which means it was a least a week ago.

Speaking of comparing children, anyone recognize this one? Without looking at the date or the background?