Judah | February - December 2014

Judah: 2014


February 22: My children have very different approaches to prayer. Jael is very matter of fact: "Dear Jesus, help my dolly not to wake up lots tonight. Help Talon [our cat] not to be a whacker. Make my owie better. Amen." Judah takes a melt-mama's-heart approach: "Dear Jesus, help me not hit Jael. Love Mommy, Daddy, Jael. Sleep good. Happy Sabbath. Amen."


February 24: And the snow keeps coming. Judah cried last week when I told them I thought we were done with snow for the year, but I was wrong! Jael is making paper snowflakes and I think we'll make hot chocolate for supper.


March 19: I got Judah's fever/headache/the works and spent the day trying to sleep and on my laptop....and explaining to Judah that I was too sick and would nurse him later. When Jeff got home tonight, Judah solemnly informed him, "Mama's nursies sick 'day, Daddy." And on another note, after eight episodes, I can't get the Friends theme out of my head.


April 2: I told Jeff yesterday that Judah had slept through the night in his room for the first time. Judah was listening and laughed, "Me? I not sleep, Mama!" Yeah. I guess that child knows himself pretty well. (And....he woke up 4 times last night, of course.)


April 4: Definitely Friday. One of those days where the whining and fighting just doesn't let up. After the 587th whiny question from Jael, I told her, "You're sure being a cranky lady today." Not to be left out, Judah chimed in, "I'm a crying sad man today, Mama." (I wish I had a picture of his very loud, animated fake cry. He's got definite dramatic potential. )


April 8: My boy and his expressive nature are going to be a heart breaker someday. This morning during breakfast he sidled up to me, put his arm around my shoulder, and whispered in my ear, "Thank you fo' making this good bweakfast, Mama. I WUV pancakes!"


April 14: Judah had lunch with Grandma today, so I asked him what he'd had when I picked him up. He thought seriously and informed me, "I ated smashed potatoes and bwoccoli plants!" Technically correct, I suppose....I'm just glad he'll eat broccoli!


April 19: Jeff: "Judah, are you big or little?"
Judah: "I little. But someday, I be gwown-up like Daddy. I no will have nursies and I will have a BIG BIG BIG SLIDE!!!!!!!!" Because that is the epitome of grown-upness.


May 9: Judah: "I want to play on that new swing set!"
Me: "No, Judah, it's not safe by yourself. Craigon didn't finish it yet."
Judah: "I will be fine, Mama."
Me: "I don't know, Judah. It's probably not a good idea..." *gets distracted by what I'm baking*
And then I look up out the kitchen window two minutes later and see that little guy hightailing it across the yard as fast as he could. I guess that means he can open the front door by himself!


May 23: Jael's storybook last night asked what she wanted to do when she was grown-up. She wanted to "get married and wear a marrying dress like Mommy" and invited Judah to marry her. He refused with some agitation and informed her, "I no mawwy you! When I am gwown-up, I will climb to the WEALLY TOP of the climbing wall!"


May 25: Jael was working out with me to a Jillian Michaels video routine this evening when Judah wandered by. He looked at the video for a few minutes, looked at us in our shorts and t-shirts, and decided we need some instruction on correct work-out attire. "Mama! You s'posed to be naked!" I guess sports bras and spandex shorts don't count as clothes in his mind, ha.


May 28: Jael: "Mama, yeste'day I was really sad 'bout Ginny [her cat] running 'way from me. And I went to my room and cried and cried. But Talon [Judah's big old cat] came to comfo't me. And he licked away ALL my tears! Judah, are you gonna cry when we leave to skate today?"
Judah, thoughtfully: "Yes. I fink so. I have a muffin, Mama?"
At least he's not worried about it, I guess. lol.


June 3: Today's adventure: speed planting our hills of pickling cucumbers and zucchini. It started thundering and Jael ran to the garage for shelter while Judah danced up down next to me, frantically yelling, "We go NOW, Mama! It funders! It get us!"


June 11: Judah just beat all his previous records for most-horrible-mess-ever. I should have been suspicious when he was so quiet while I was cleaning my room. Came out to find the dirty cat litter box dumped all over the kitchen floor and back porch. And he walked all through it. *gag* No wonder he smelled so bad.


June 18: I could have some real submissions for that "reasons my toddler is crying" blog. Today Jael cried because she is going to "miss my dolly when I'm a grown-up". And Judah cried because it was raining. Not because he wanted sunshine, but because it wasn't snowing. (Made me think of you, Jo )


June 28: My favorite of Judah's new words: "I pwease want a snow cone for bweakfast, Mama!" [scone] Even after Jeff corrected him twice, he's still got it in his head that he loves "snow cones". 2 is my favorite age!


July 5: I turn around for two minutes and Judah is outside, completely naked except for his crocs, picking raspberries. The joys of country living, right?


July 8: Put Judah down. Two minutes later, he is screaming. Jael comes trotting downstairs to get me. Hike all the way up there and he is distraught because - of all things - I only tucked him in with a sheet and no blanket. Which is completely unacceptable. Never mind our long discussion about the fact that his room is 85 degrees, since we just turned on the a/c. A blanket is how you're SUPPOSED to be tucked in. Obviously.


July 19: You know what is impressive? My son will eat raw garden tomatoes sliced on bread with salt. And he's 2. I can't even get Jael to eat cooked ones unless they are completely blended into unidentifiable sauce.


July 25: Judah was on a roll tonight. I told him we needed to go to the garden and pick zucchini earlier and he was entranced. "Mama, I want to go pick bikini with you! I will get a BIG bikini and you get a SMALL bikini. Mama, I think Jael no like bikinis, but I WEALLY LIKE bikinis." OK then.


 August 2: This lightning and hot, dry wind are making me nervous. Jael and Judah are watching out the window and shouting updates to me ("That tree almost fell on the shop! Daddy's going to be really sad if it smashes his climbing wall!"). I'm more worried about fire; apparently there's a brush fire in Spokane right now.


August 12: Judah, at Costco: "I want that chocolate thing, Mama!"
Me: "Sorry, buddy, that's too sugary. We don't need that."
Jael, disapprovingly: "Yeah, Judah, that is very bad. It would be like eating cake all day."
Judah: "Ummmm. I see some healfy cwackers....we can get those?"
Judah, after more shopping: "We don't get that, Mama. It have daiwy in it.....we don't get those yucky things, Mama, those are yucky eggs.....I see meat, Mama! We don't eat that stuff!"
I swear I don't lecture them about food all the time or tell him something is yucky. He is so black and white about everything, lol.


August 14: Judah, staring at my stomach: "That baby going to come out of your tummy YET, Mama?"


August 17: Judah, watching Jeff talk to my stomach: "Daddy! You are a silly man. You can't talk to that baby. It's INSIDE Mommy!" *pauses and frowns* "Mommy....is that baby...in your BLOOD?" (He was quite enamored when I said no, it's swimming in water )

August 22: Very thankful for a husband who gets up with a screaming, distraught 2 1/2 year old who decided at 4AM that he absolutely had to poop RIGHT THEN. At least this potty training concept is starting to sink in. :P

August 26: Jael, instructing Judah on how to play make-believe correctly: "Now, Judah, you must not do any mean things to me. Because I'm going to be your really nice wife. And you can be the good king."
Judah: "OK, I do that. I must FIGHT the bad king!!!!!!!"

September 12: Judah came into my room bawling because Jael was mean to him. Then he sniffed, looked morose, and told me seriously, "I fink we should get a diffwent Jael."

September 17: 6:30AM or not, my kids are running around on the lawn screaming and yelling at turkeys. Because our property must be defended from intrusion! (I still can't stop laughing at the bewildered turkey running in every direction. Or the slow ones with Judah charging a few feet behind them all the way to the fence.)

September 26: Judah just climbed into bed with me, snuggled under the covers, and informed me that "You look like Hilda, Mommy." (the hippo) Thank you, buddy, just what I wanted to hear. tongue emoticon To be fair, I think he meant it as a compliment since Hilda was a princess in the last episode he saw. ha.

September 29:

Jael: *takes Judah's toy*
Judah: "JAEL WOCKWELL SCHIWLT! YOU STOP THAT!"
Jael: "That's not my name! That's YOUR name!"
Judah: "No, it's not! MOOOOOOOOOOOMY! MOOOOOOMY!"

October 2:

Jael, as we drive home: "Judah, my dolly wants to marry your baby."
Judah: "No! I don't want my baby to mawwy your dolly!"
Jael, with a dramatic sigh: "I know, I don't either. What should we do? Do you have a plan?"
Judah: "I don't know."
Jael: "Well. I will tell my dolly that she may NOT marry your baby. But what if she says she has to? Then I will give her nine time-outs. That will be our plan. And you can come to my room and we will talk to the dollies about this."
I have no idea where this stuff comes from.  ;)

October 24:

Jael: "Ginny [cat] ate part of a mouse yesterday, Judah."
Judah: "Yuck. People don't eat mouses!"
Jael, solemnly: "No...but some people eat turkeys."
Judah: "Ewwww! That's gwoss! Bears should eat turkeys!"
(The only turkeys they have seen are the wild ones running around our backyard. wink emoticon )

November 3:

Jeff's doctoral regalia came in the mail for his graduation next month. I am ecstatic that he's almost done. Jael and Judah are highly amused. ("Your arms look big and fat!" "Why do you have to wear that funny hat?")

November 7:

Jael: "Judah! There's a fire! Call Fireman Sam!"
Judah: "I will get him! Calling 999! Calling 999!"
Apparently I need to teach them the American emergency number.

November 13:

Cashier at Fred Meyer: "Are you excited for Christmas?"
Kids: "YEAH!!!!"
Cashier: "Are you going to write a letter to Santa?"
Judah, frowning: "No. I don't like Santa."
Cashier: "What! Why not?"
Judah, solemnly: "Because. Santa IS NOT WEAL."

November 19:

Judah's favorite kitten found a home and he cried. I told him we were happy that Charlie has a family to love him and he sobbed, "But WE'RE a family." ‪#‎nowmamaiscryingtoo‬ ‪#‎adoptakitten‬

December 15: I think we may have found the magic answer to Judah sleeping through the night. tongue emoticon Jeff noticed that he always sleeps without waking up on vacations or at my mom's house. So we took him out of his toddler bed and put him on his floor in a sleeping bag. And.....he slept through the night immediately and for several nights after! Crossing my fingers that this will stick.

December 19:

Radio: "Don't miss so-and-so, in Spokane for only one night of an incredible performance that will change your life, call TicketsWest for more information!"
Jael, wisely: "Ads, ads. They're just trying to get you to buy stuff, Mommy."

September 1: Poor Judah has insomnia. He's been down for nearly an hour without sleeping and keeps yelling in frustration every few minutes with random excuses. This last time, I asked him what was wrong and he thought, wrinkled his forehead, and finally sighed mournfully, "Ummm.....ummm....ummmm....I have pwoblems." ‪#‎icanseethat‬