Chloie Turns 2

It's hard to believe my little baby girl has turned two!  Thinking back on when Owen turned two, he seemed so old and wise.... I suppose with a four month old in tow a two year old has to be bigger and wiser.  But Chloie is just a baby to me and Matt though with her complete sentences and imaginative play and being just about as long as the crib she still sleeps in tries daily to remind me her baby days are over. 

Chloie started her day by strongly disliking the singing of "Happy Birthday" to her.  As we sang to her at breakfast she vehemently announced, "Stop that singing happy birthday to you!"  And if you've never heard her spit fire tone, let me tell you she literally spits out the words when she's in one of these moods.

However, her annoyance over the singing quickly turned to delight as she started opening presents and realizing she was getting lots of attention.  Her realization turned to gratitude even as she came running into the kitchen long after she had finished her birthday breakfast announcing, "Thank you, Mommy, for getting me waffles for breakfast!" 

Her birthday party came several days later, but in the meantime she'd announce to anyone who'd listen and even those who didn't, "I'm turning 2!"

Lots of presents, lots of friends, lots of swimming!

Stopping for a picture with her little friend, Charli!

Thanks for helping my Mom make this pretty cake, Jen!

Happy birthday to me!  Much better than last year's candle flame fiasco.

Hey, brother, get off my cake!

What fun turning two!



Monster Trucks

We took Owen and Chloie to their first big monster truck show a few weeks ago.  And while the event itself left me quite sweaty, crabby and generally annoyed with the public (we got to witness two moms resort to calling each other "white trash" with puffed chests because they thought the respective kids stood too long on the famed Robosaurus for a picture as one example...), I have experienced much joy from Owen's recollections of the show.  He was terrified of the noise, but truly loved standing next to the giant trucks and sitting on their tires. 

"I knew Outlaw would be here!"  Owen was so excited.  He has this toy truck, and he did announce to me that he was sure he would see that one.

One of his favorites, Avenger!

Chloie wasn't quite as excited about the big trucks, but she was still a pretty good sport.

"Look, the semi with the tiny wheels inside!" 

Tidbits of My Morning

Upon realizing it had been several weeks since I recalled any fascinating activities in the Davis House, I decided I would just write down all the little things the kids said that made me smile today.

At Owen's 6:30 wake-up call that always begins so obnxiously with the bellowing of "Mom! Mommy! Mommy! Mom!" until I reach his room, he sweetly asked, "Mom will you snuggle with me for a little bit?"  Ummmm... Yeah!

At my first peek into Chloie's room she sat up straight with her paci in her mouth and blurted, "Aunt Nancy come home today?"  After such a fun week with her special aunt, Chloie must have been hoping she would be back today.

At breakfast I took a picture of the kids to send to Daddy while he was away on a business trip this week.  Later Chloie gets her play phone, turns it horizontally, squats in front of Owen and says, "Owen say cheese.  Good job, Owen.  Do it again.  Come on, say cheese, Owen."  I thought this was hysterical.  Owen was less than amused with his sister in his face while he played airplanes. 

In a rare moment of unsupervised monster truck play, I overhear Owen tell his sister, "Chloie this is so nice that you're sharing."  Ah... oh, yes it is, sweet babies!

I actually made it to vacuuming this morning.... I guess Owen could tell the floor was really needing cleaned since the moment I turned off the vacuum, he says, "Mom are you all done sweeping?"  Yes.  "Oh! Thank you for making the floor nice and clean!"  You're welcome, dear one....

Aviation Day and Snow

Aviation Day at the small airport near us was much anticipated! 

Chloie is serious about her need to get into the sky.

Owen considers the task at hand and is ready too.

Chloie pauses to simply take in the show and decide where to go next.

"Ummm.... Let's go here couple minutes." 

Chloie's favorite phrase this week: couple minutes.

"Daddy hold you (meaning herself) couple minutes." 

"Coie see it couple minutes." (Daddy's phone, that is)

"Play outside couple minutes."

Oh, a stage coach too.  That was fun!

Are we in Indiana???

No, because it was 80 degrees in Indiana the day this crazy hail storm rained on our house.  "Snow!??!!"  Owen just can't believe it.

Oh, sweet Chloie....

Hmmm... having a little taste.

And so, of course, his sister must also have a taste. 

We played in our "snow" for quite awhile until Daddy got bored and started making snow balls to hit poor Mommy.  That got Owen excited except the ice was too cold for his little hands and all of a sudden his joy to turned tears.  And when his did, Chloie instantly started wailing too.  Oh, how we silly Arizona parents don't know how to dress and play with our kids in the cold.  Matt and I just stood laughing as we held our two hysterically screaming children until their poor little hands got a little feeling back in them.

And this is just a random picture of the kids watching a 3D movie that makes me laugh every time I see it.  Such joys, such pains... can't help but love 'em.

Budding Personalities

How ridiculously true it is that those darn little babies grow up so fast!  The past couple of weeks I just can hardly believe Chloie is the same tiny baby that came into this world so helpless and needy twenty-one months ago as she adamantly demands she do just about everything "self!"

Do you want me to help you open that sucker? "Self!"
Can I help you take off your shoes? "Self!"
Let's read that book together. "Self!"
I'll catch you at the end of the slide. "No, Mommy! Self!"
ok... I get it... she doesn't need me for everything anymore.

Our little gem also starting letting us know when it's "poopy time."  She'll hold her butt and run like the wind to the bathroom.  Her little face so serious, "poopy time, Mommy."  So we'll sit on the potty with her special potty books.  She'll read them to me over and over.... but much of the time that's all the action we get in the bathroom.  Although last week, again with her independence, told me, "Walk away, Mommy.  Shut door."  Evidently, she needed some privacy.  And that did it for her... pooping magic.

She also just decided she'd know all her colors last week and start jumping.  Fun stuff...

And not to leave out our buddy Owen.... We were playing corn harvest just before nap today.  I was trying to hurry it along a bit.  You see, I was tired and there was a lot of corn in our field yet (corn being blocks stood up on end all down the hallway).  So I'm usually the combine driver while Owen runs the grain cart and semi.  Well, in an effort to get on with it.  I told Owen (on the CB radio, of course), "Owen just take that load on the grain cart up to the grain bins.  We don't need the semi today." 

Completely exasperated, Owen throws his hands to the floor, rolls his eyes and educates me with strained patience in his voice, "Mom, the grain cart doesn't unload at the grain bin.  He has to use the semi!" ...his voice getting a little louder and higher pitched as he explained...  Alrighty, we'll play this game out, Owen....

Owen Talk

We were at the park a couple of days ago.  Owen and Chloie were following each other in the tunnel when Owen runs out and starts shouting at me, "Mom, I gotta tell you somethin'!  Here's the scoop -- Chloie pooped her pants."  And off he runs.... Sure enough, the tunnel was not a pleasant smelling place.  And it only took about a day for me to realize where my son comes up with dorky sayings like this.  I "had a scoop" to share just the next day.

After devouring his oatmeal earlier this week, Owen rips off his bib and shouts, "Everybody! I'm outta here!"  Matt and I just look at each other and crack up wondering... where on earth are you going, son???

And just one more example of his dramatics... Owen told me yesterday, "Mom, come out and watch us play sandbox or we'll get super sad." 

Zoo Time

We had such a fun zoo trip today!  The weather was gorgeous, the kids were sweet and the company was great!  It's just such a joy to watch them run around and discover new things.  Chloie is finally at an age that she can keep up... for a couple of hours anyway, and actually enjoy the trip too. 

 I wasn't sure we were going to get past the entrance.  Owen and Chloie were so excited about the little waterfall.

 Chloie is mesmerized by the zebras.

Climbing a frog.  The most embarrassing part of the trip... when Owen claims he is "standing on the frog's penis to help him climb up."  Umm... no dear, that's his leg.

So glad to have good friends to share the day with. 

When Matt asked Chloie what she liked at the zoo, she answered, "Run around."  So evidently I could have just taken her outside, and we'd have had as much fun for her.

Owen's favorite part by far was this cool tractor and barn.  Owen was so serious about driving it.  Here he is backing it into the barn.  He had to check it's engine... it was leaking oil, you see.  He was very upset that other kids were driving his tractor.  I had to explain many times that not all John Deere tractors are his.  Farming runs thick in this boy's veins!