feeling better about my job. feelling more like a Mom than a servant.

After making another 35 quarts of applesauce today dinner was simple, but the kids were an absolute riot tonight. Ben wants me to feed him now and I do because he wont eat much otherwise. so he was making these faces all through dinner. then showing us his muscles. and showing us his round full belly. Sophie wouldnt be outdone. She had to show us her muscles, which means SHE CAN LIFT THOSE ARMS WHEN SHE WANTS TO. not all the way up but definite movement to higher than she usually holds them. She was signing baby to me too. and she was making faces. the more we oohed and ahhed at her muscles the more she would scrunch up her face and make her "muscles" which would get ben going to show his again.

They sure love going for a walk every day. they ask "Amelica?" and then get all excited. Chrysta took Ben on the trampoline today and he loooved it. the smile on his face said it all while he was showing Papa what he did.Ben also loves when I sing wheels on the bus. he rolls his arms around. Ben and Sophie and I were playing Piano and Sophie didnt want to share. Ben kept pushing her hands away from mine and telling her sternly something(I presume something like share with mama) and then he would put my fingers back on the keys. he is such a love.


Speaking of loves, Sophie is getting affectionate with me. and more accepting of Eric. She cant get enough of roughhousing. We play making faces and giving kisses when I have her on the toilet. captive audience! lol. She willingly went to nap today. no tears. she wants me to hold her more often. lets me kiss on her more. More and more she is letting me feed her things she could feed herself and starting to look around before going too bonkers about things like taking her cup(I was refilling it)she also doesnt like to be left alone out of sight. All good signs I think.

great strides with Sophie

She is becoming more attached to me and Eric. She wants only Mama to do for her if mama is within sight. and Of course Mama is happy to help. She has taken to letting me hold her cup some of the time she is drinking even though she CAN hold it herself very well. I hold it anyways as long as she wants me to. She doesnt want Chrysta to get her down from the high chair. She doesnt want Chrysta to do anything for her. I make sure its Mama or Daddy that serves food, or feeds food and also puts to bed and most often get up from bed. Occasionally Chrysta helps with food prep or a trip to the bathroom. but I try to do it all. Seems to be helping. She is calmer and fewer screaming rages. although last night she got time out because its just a rule, if you kick mama you get time out. but I watched her today trying to take something from Ben and I said nooooooo. and she didnt take it and didnt need a time out. She is learning. the funny thing is when either Sophie or Ben wants something they say to the child in posession "SHARE!" but when someone else wants what they have its WAAAAHHHH! typical kids. I definitely think things are looking up. We all got a decent nights sleep for a change, except Ben had to go to the bathroom at 1045 just after I got to sleep. and the cat woke me to open the basement door. If only the cat would learn to open the basement door herself I could sleep every night.

language funny

space

I try to get the kids to say new words. If we eat something I try to get them to say what it is(repeat it) and tonight was spaghetti. I never met a kid yet who could say spaghetti, they were no different. Ben said ghetti. but Sophie called it sgabelli which sounds almost italian lol.

figuring each other out

are they playing me or what? I put them each on the toilet before sleep times. even if they do all of their business they will cry after I put them to bed that they have to go. If I take them they quiet down afterwards, even if they didnt go. I was beginning to think they must have some crazy bad UTI but I just told Sophie now, no peesit, nigh nigh. and she smiled up at me and said some words I didnt understand and I closed the door with a smile and no more crying for peesit. go figure.


They are trying to learn new words all the time. I love to hear them say bye bye. its so obvious when they say it that its a foreign word to their tongue. Ben's funny pronunciation for the day is "killy killy killy!" he was calling the cat "killy killy killy!" I know there will be plenty of funny words to come.

Sophie wanted into my lap several times today. thats a good thing. She let me read her all sorts of stories. IT didnt last long but she kept coming back. thats a great start for her. She is in her crib now and no longer in my bed. She likes that ok. I like it a lot! She can still pitch a fit like you wouldnt believe but I would like to think perhaps there are fewer of them now? or maybe I am just better able to ignore them. She likes to have her hair done and looks so cute with a pony or bow in her hair. Ben is so darling too and I cant help but kiss his adorable cheeks when I brush his hair.

Today when we walked to the post office in the stroller both kids chattered away. and they kept asking Amelika? I would say yes America and they would ooh and ahh.

I spoke too soon.

she gave me a fat lip.

things I have come to appreciate in the US

hot water on tap every day all day

heat every day all day

I can go to the store and buy anything I want in any quantity I want. I never go there only to find that oops they are out of what I want.

Restraunts generally have available whats on the menu. I never go to a restraunt and have them tell me that 3/4 of the menu is unavailable and only one of these and two of those are left.

Crossing the street...SAFE! Taking your life in your hands sometimes in Kiev.

Internet. available at home. all day every day. whenever I want it. No having to run down the street to McDonalds or up the street to coffee shop.

No nosy ladies who hang around the front door watching who is coming and going and when(and offering unwanted advice on child rearing)

Not having to lock your house up like a bank vault. No armored padded door necessary. (at least where I live)