How all our photo shoots go

Our Friends the Bryners

Our good friends the Bryners have settled in Pittsburgh, so it is time to do a tribute post. If I have the story right, Cait and Tallia became friends through this blog, so it seems an appropriate place to celebrate our friendship.

Things we love about the Bryners

1) Their children dress fashionably

2) The parents are more obsessed with vintage kids toys than the kids

3) Jon's sense of humor. It takes some getting used to, but I promise it is worth it. And everything he says is both a joke and a true statement. Hard to pull off.

4) Tallia's look of disbelief every time Jon makes a stupid joke. Also, Tallia doesn't make jokes as often as Jon, but when she does, they are golden.

5) Jon and Tallia's chemistry. Everyone can feel it.

6) Jon and Tallia are both very honest people. That allows for a very honest friendship when you too can be honest without them getting offended all the time.

7) You can never get bored talking to Alice. Maybe you can, but we haven't come close. You also never get tired of squeezing Harrison.

8) Jon is an excellent cook.

9) Tallia is an excellent house keeper.

10) Jon's mom is cooler than your mom.

11) Pizza night.

We are, of course, sad about leaving such a great friendship. I feel like we had hit a really good stride in our friendship. I suppose friendships are like vacations, though. Best to leave them while they are still great rather than when they are just exhausting. You never got exhausting Bryners.

More Atticus Birthday

Cait's post for Atticus' birthday was great, there's just one other thing I want to praise him for, that I don't think I saw in Cait's post: He is an awesome big brother. He is really kind to Tallulah, really concerned about her happiness, and willing to give us time to take care of her when we need it. I'm proud of you, little guy.

Atticus turns 3

My baby. IS THREE. THREE!

And what a three-year-old he is. He is blossoming into the most handsome and agreeable of children. He really is a great kid, spunky and smart and just pleasant. He loves his baby sister more than anything, and can make her laugh like nobody else. He is a huge fan of preschool, and on off-preschool days he constantly says "ready to go to school now!" and is really disappointed when we tell him not until tomorrow. 

His vocab is booming. I was a little worried he'd always be behind, and maybe he is a little still, but the kid can say just about anything. Our favorite Atticusisms include: 

- It's too dark outside. (he says that at night, every night)

- Sunny day! (he says that every morning, it's his "good morning")

- Guy's turn (he always calls himself Guy)
- Tell me a story about Apple Juice (every night, he wants a story about a boy named apple juice...?)

... so he has others I just can't think right now.

He always wants to eat yogurt, and went on a Kix phase for a week where that was all he wanted. He also loves "chicken nuggets" that are actually these broccoli-potato bites shaped like dinosaurs we found at Whole Foods. He loves carrots and tofu and edamame and buttered toast and plain butter and peaches and apples and bananas and pretty much all fruit. 

His favorite games are usually make-believe type ones, everything needs a mommy and a daddy. He also likes to play Super Why! or Wonder Pets with his Buzz Lightyear doll, Curious George, Cabbage Patch Kid and Caillou. Buzz is always Wyatt and Curious George is always Alpha Pig. Sometimes Lula is "Presto". Or if we play Wonder Pets, he takes a small finger puppet and puts it in a compromising situation and we have to go save it. HIs new favorite thing ever is his Mater car that Poppy bought him at Target, and he loves to play his new Arthur Goes to the Library game I found at a garage sale. 

He thinks cooking with mom is the coolest past time ever, and cleaning up with baking soda and vinegar tickles him as well. He usually ends making the biggest mess ever, but I'm trying to foster a positive association with chores and housework, so we'll see if it works.

He is used to the idea of mom going to school now, and he will often run to the fridge to get Lula milk when she is fussy. 

He sleeps through the night, though he still doesn't go to sleep on his own. He still is nursing occasionally, usually only once a week or so and just for a few seconds. He recently potty-trained himself. We took off his diaper one morning and he walked into the bathroom and climbed right up, and has been doing it of his own accord ever since (ok, it's only been a week, but hey!) He is still in a diaper for school or when we go out because I'm too cheap to buy pull-ups.

He has a knack for organization, and will sort and line-up almost anything. He loves building train tracks or with blocks or Legos. He will read books by himself for hours if he gets in the right mood. 

Though sometimes we gripe about the mistake it was to have kids so soon, I really am glad he exists in our life. I can't say I can't imagine life without him, because I can, and it's glorious. But in the meantime, we love him, he's great, he'll be out of the house before we know it so we might as well enjoy these days!

Birthday dinner last year -- what a difference a year makes!

First day of school

Atticus has started preschool. After lots of debate and research (almost all on Cait's part) we decided to go with the preschool that was closest. Although some other programs were more highly touted, this one seems more than sufficient. It is nice, friendly, diverse and has really engaged teachers. It is also close, which will be especially nice in the winter. For now, he is only going two days a week, plus eating lunch with some of the kids after, but he seems to love it so much, that we might have to do more later.

Today we were playing at a park near his preschool and right as we got there, all the preschoolers came to play there too. I don't think that is super standard practice, because they have their own outdoor playground, but Atticus was loving it. He was so sad when they all got to go back to school and he had to stay and dig in the dirt with his lame dad and sister. It was cute.

Here's some pictures from the first day:

I had the beginnings of a bad summer cold. And I have a beard.

You can see Cait in the reflection. The only photographic evidence that she participated in the big day.

He's so proud of himself

All grown up

Bye, for now

My Feminist Political Theory seminar on Tuesday morning, bright and early at 8:15, will kick off my next 7+ years of school. I'm taking more classes than I'd like to, and will probably be MIA from this blog for awhile. I anticipate Tim may take over the reins, but he's been known to not be the most prolific blogger, so I suppose only time will tell. I've scheduled a bunch of posts I've written over the past few weeks to appear periodically, so I won't be completely gone, just not really here. And I may find time to periodically blog, but I have a feeling I'm going to be in over my head, and I probably should limit the amount of procrastination I do on the internet, lest I find myself at 3 am writing a paper due at 8. You know.

And since I don't really have time to read your blogs, I guess we will actually have something to catch up on when we meet again. Don't be offended if I don't know you are pregnant or moved or got a new job. It'll be like old times, pre-blog days. It's not like I don't like your blog, or you, or your adorable kids. I just also like my kids. And sleep.