anniversary number twelve

we definitely cut it close this time, but still managed to have a little celebration.

on the weekend of our anniversary, the kc master piecers returned to st. paul for the second year, this time with a full four person team, but we left our cheering section in kc. so while donald was home entertaining jack and archie i was in the thick of the individual and pairs competitions. once those wrapped up julie and i headed to the airport to watch a very stressful afc championship game in two different airports and one airplane, landing back in kc with just enough time for me to race home and sneak in the door right before midnight to enjoy a late night version of our anniversary fried chicken.

Read more

archie is two

these are ten of the things we love about you:  

1. the exuberant greeting you give to whoever enters the room 

2. your shiny, golden hair and how it sticks up in the cutest way 

3. the remarkable volume at which you call for mom or dad 

4. you love getting bowls out of the drawer for "nacks" 

5. the way you say "come on" and drag us by the hand when you want us to follow you 

6. how you fold your hands and say "amen!" when we pray 

7. the low grunts you make when you are displeased 

8. the way you love and look up to your big brother 

9. you have a laugh just like your great uncle mick 

10. when you stand on the furniture, hold your nose, and yell "cannonball" before you jump off 

Read more

things jack says

jack is so funny and makes us laugh on a regular basis. we don't have as many words and phrases to translate these days, but there are a lot more one liners and hilarious conversations. 

dictionary entries: 

• twisty rolls = tootsie rolls [which he collects for gaga dubs] 

• book snacks = ritz, wheat thins & cashews ["i want circle crackers, square crackers, and nuts shaped like a phone."] 

• spicy drink = starry/sprite/7up 

• spicy nuts = honey roasted peanuts 

• bird church = when we see a flock of bird sitting on a wire 

• snuggling pillow = bean bag 

• better noodles = ramen

• freeze brain = brain freeze 

• bread cheese bread = grilled cheese 

one line laughs: 

• "i could use a bookmark. a lunch bookmark." [because earlier we had given him a flyer from ihop to use as a bookmark] 

• "don't hit any deer!" [his reminder to biscuit when she's leaving our house] 

• "are you still in the living room?' [every night. at least five times.] 

• "can i tell you a story? so. once upon a time there was an archie, mom, dad, and jack, and they were the best friends..." [for a period of time this was how all of his stories started. be still my heart.] 

• "meanwhile..." [these stories always take a turn with a 'meanwhile' somewhere in the middle] 

• "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 17 18 19 20" [he skipped 13 and 15 for a very long time, but it was so cute i couldn't correct him] 

• "good morning bright eyes!" [what he says to archie every morning when he goes into his room to say hello] 

• "i took archie's napping coat off" 

• "let's blow up archie's mind" 

• "hay!" [he thinks it is hilarious to shout this to us in the car when we drive by a bale of hay. he has gotten us on a number of occasions.] 

• "mom, if i haven't told you, i really appreciate your help." 

• "are the potatoes okay???" [he said this in a panic while watching 'the martian' with dad] 

• "wait a minute...this is a BIG wait a minute!" [while playing the pig game with gaga bisc on the way to the beach] 

• "mom, how far away is the ladybug concert?" [it was a beatles cover band] 

• "there's a guy on the roof mowing the trees" [a tree trimmer] 

• "i was watching snoopy in my brain" [after waking himself up by laughing in his sleep] 

• "bonus hug!" [we eventually transitioned to bonus hugs after bedtime, which are currently rationed at two per night] 

great conversations: 

          shelly: "we can go to the pool for a little while." 

          jack: "no! let's go for a lot of while. i want to go for seven minutes." 

     

          biscuit: "jack, who's going to follow you?" 

          jack: "i'm going to follow myself!" 

          shelly: "jack, what's on your feet?" 

          jack: "just feet!" 

          shelly: "jack look over there, there's some flowers." 

          jack: "oh wow, beautiful!" ... "look there's more!" ... "unbelievable." 

          [jack yelling downstairs from bed] 

          jack: "hey dad, do you...ummmm...what was i going to ask you?" 

          [after a few minutes] 

          donald: "do you remember what you needed to ask?" 

          jack: "ummmm...maybe tuck me in?" 

Read more