Haircuts

"Mommy, mommy, mommy," Hayden squealed as I steered the double stroller down the sidewalk past Great Clips on my way back from the morning jaunt to the library and Safeway. "Go barber shop. Get haircut. Get strawberry ice cream and a balloon."

Hold up, here. "You want to get your hair cut?" No one has touched their hair since Halloween. Both boys have styles resembling shaggy mops.

"Yep." Yep is the word of the week with this kid. "Get strawberry ice cream and a balloon."

At breakneck speed I steered up into Great Clips and asked Bayley if he too wanted a hair cut.

"No way, Mom."

I called Jeff to see if this ice cream promise was legit, and sure enough, I was on my way to a sugar high. We waited, watching as a man got his hair cut.

"Do they have to use clippers?" Bayey asked squeezing my hand.

"No, they can just use scissors." The stylist roared a blow dryer to life. Bayley tensed his grip.

"No blow dryers."

"They don't have to blow dry your hair."

"And I want chocolate, not strawberry."

Well, all righty then. Ice cream all around. I put Bay's name on the list. We tried to read some of our library books (Eels, Elk, Elephants, and Explorers) but Hayden couldn't sit still. He wanted to sit in EVERY chair in the place. Grrreat.

After all the hooplah, when he was invited to sit in the chair, complete with a booster and seascape kids cape, he threw a signature Hayden tantrum. Bayley pulled through, deciding he could indeed go first. The stylist was magic with him, and he was on his way to a shorter do in no time.

Hayden however, decided it would be a great time to poop his pants. A front-seat-of-the-car diaper change later, we were back to watch Bayley. When he finished, he got the promised balloon.

It took five (5) tries to get Hayden to believe I would really not buy him ice cream if he didn't get the haircut. In the end, he wiggled in my lap while our lovely stylest worked her magic.

After a big tip, it was back to Safeway for ice cream. Next time, this is Jeff's job. I'm exhausted!

WonderTime Magazine

When we were in Medford, Grandma Evie did the cutest thing. She pulled Bayley aside and showed him a collection of "presents" he could give me. It was especially sweet because I could remember her doing that for me when I was a kid and wanted a gift for my mom. Shopping from Grandma Evie's collection is such a great idea, I wrote a little blurb about it, and it's in WonderTime magazine's March edition.

I apologize for being so behind on posting pictures.

D-lightful

D is for decongestant. The boys and I got sick this fortnight. No fun, I tell you. The suffered through my croaky voice reading about Dragonflies, Dogs, and Deer, but definitely preferred Dora The Explorer on DVD. They liked reading about Dinosaurs, but the movie Dinosaur was deemed too scary by Bay.

The Dog finally got a walk, thought not as often as we planned because it went into Deep freeze here, the temperature hovering in the teens. That killed the Daffodils I was planning on taking them to buy at the Tulip farm. And it has been much to chilly to go and feed the Ducks. At least we see them when we drive out to Grandma Bobbie's house.

Bayley is trying to figure out Dominoes, but he doesn’t have the patience just yet. Plus, he lost two already. I went to the Doctor, but thought scheduling appointments for everyone just to D-up the week would be a bit much. Pop-Pop is handling the Doughnut outing with a Krispy Kreme excursion on Saturday. I wish we could have had Dessert more often, but alas, I’m on a Diet.

D foods presented another challenge. Hayden came through, making Devil’s food cupcakes, but beyond that we were stumped. Dates? Dill pickles? Not really the Burke Brother’s thing.

C week is closed

No need to get too Creative with C-weeks. The grocery store abounds - celery, carrots, cucumbers, croutons, cheese, cilantro...

all leading Bay to one conclusion: Mom, C is a very tricky letter.
Tricky?
Yes, it sounds like a K or an S, and if you put it with an H it's a 'chuh' Very tricky.
WOW.

Anyway...his brilliance has also realized C isn't always a healthy letter. chips - they begin with a C, Mom. And chocolate chip cookies are 3 C's. Chococlate cupcakes get the same treatment. Candy too. If only he would use his powers for good and not sugar...

There are some great C games for kids. Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, Cootie, cards.

And best of all? Our C activity? Chuck E. Cheese. Bay LOVED it. Hayden liked running around and eating crackers.

MAGIC

Our library had a fun winter reading program - read 20 books to you kid. Took us 2 days. Then you take the little worksheet back to the library and get a ticket to a Community Celebration to Congratulate the kids who Completed the program. It started out with Cake - Chocolate Cake at that! Then there was storytime, at which point Hayden took Daddy on a library tour. Next came a magic show. Hayden stopped by just long enough to tell everyone the secret card was a 3 (supposed to be secret) and then he was off again, making new friends.

Bay had fun, so I think Come M week, we'll check out some magic.

Brotherhood

Finally the sun came out and the boys got to play at the park with their preschool friends. Too cute, watching them run around and make up games.
* No one wants to be the bad guy.
# The bad guy can be an imaginary friend.
Nice bit of diplopacy there. But what really cracked me up was one of the big kids trying to play a gameboy. Hayd went and sat next to him and the kid comes barelling onto the play ground, "Bayley! Aren't you going to watch your baby?"
Bay gave him the blankest stare, as if to say, "Why would I want to do that?"

B week

It's a B-week in the Burke household, and Bayley is really getting into it. We went to the library and found B animals to learn about - bears, bees, and beetles. We made a berry bush, and every time we read a B book, we put the name of the book on a berry and glue it to the bush.

At the grocery store Bayley and I made a list of all the B foods. We've been baking up a storm thanks to the B focus. Biscuits and baby blueberry muffins. Even hanging out in the garage at Jeff's folks became a B adventure - blankets and buckets and bleach...oh my! He's also proud to realize he's a double B. As are Grandma Bobbie and Grandpa Bill.

Bayley came up with a great B idea - Bowling! We went glow in the dark bowling yesterday. The glow in the dark part held Bayley's attention more than the bowling. But, it was still great fun.

Our Year, A to Z

A friend had this idea to focus on a letter of the alphabet every two weeks of the year...Each letter gets 14 days to make an impression on you. It sounded fun, since we spend most days doing something alphabet related anyway.

We're having the best time. It gives small things a purpose. Like going to the library. We spun the globe and found all the A continents (Asia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica), then checked out A books (Armadillo and Anteater). The boys are eating A foods (apples and avocados), we found all the A states on the map (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas), play with their abacus every day...even a trip to Albertson's becomes learning related! Jeff even pitched in, watching Alabama and Auburn football games.

The funnest part is reading all their A books. We have an apple tree, and they put the name of the book on an apple and glue it on. We've read:

Arthur's New Puppy
Alphabet Soup- Barney
Alaska ABC
Aristocats
Arthur's Reading Race
Are You My Mother
ABC - Dr. Seuss
Armidillos
Amazing Ants
Angela's Airplane
ABC - Busy Fingers
Arthur's Truck Adventure

The ABC books are coming in handy - making us think of stuff to do when that letter gets it's turn.

Number 2!

He did it! Earned 2 potty prizes by making a dookie in the potty! It's still a long way until I no longer have to wrangle stinky poos off him, but it is a step in the right direction! And best of all, he told me he had to go. No prompting. What a fabulous way to start the new year!