This week

Titus found Brian's razor, and managed to only cut his finger a little and shave about a 1/4 inch of one of his eyebrows - they're so light it took me a couple days to notice. No worries - I noticed the finger rather promptly, though he never cried and didn't realize he cut himself - just wanted to know what that stuff was on the toy he was playing with.

Isabele can take 2-3 steps holding onto only a spoon. She also climbs on anything she can manage - little chairs, the stairs, Titus' bed. The other day she climbed up on the kids chair next to my computer desk, then up onto their little table, then, if I hadn't picked her up and told her "no", she would have climbed right up onto my computer desk. She climbs the step stool in the kitchen, too. She's not quite big enough to climb out of her bed, or onto the couch or my bed, yet.

For my Birthday, I got a new bicycle!! It's purple and pretty. Brian's finishing up ordering the rest of the parts to update it as he got it off of Craigs List in Tennessee (gotta love being a pilot for a living) from a guy who hadn't used it in 4 or 5 years. It will be wonderful! Brian's also working on wiring in the new used ovens after building the base cabinet for them and then will start on plumbing the new used dishwasher - then the work-space countertop.

The mudding is done in the hallway and the kids room and also the arch in the diningroom/kitchen. Now I need to pick out paint for the hall and the kitchen and prime and paint. Looks like Brian's going to be off most of this coming week, so maybe we can get lots done.

The Things They Say

Titus woke up on the wrong side of the bed from his nap this afternoon. He wasn't crying, but was rather snively and whiny and generally pathetic. Of course, he won't or can't tell me what's wrong. After telling him that he needed to talk normally and stop whining, he said, "The battery from my mouth is dead and my mouth can't talk normally anymore." I asked him where we could put a new battery and got no response. Apparently he hadn't thought through his theory that far. Gotta love 'em, even when they drive you nuts.

Isabele at Dinner Tonight

"Mother said that it is all gone, but I think I can get a little bit more."

Is it working?

"What? You have a problem with my technique?"

"It worked. Mess? What mess? Not me."

"Now I'll just rub my hair a bit."

"Don't look at me. Look over there at Titus."

"I don't know who you thought you were watching, but it wasn't me. I'm innocent."

Sleeping

Poor girl cried herself to sleep. She was exhausted and I put her in her crib to keep her safe while we were demolishing a wall.



"I'm not tired. I'm not going to take a nap ..."

Photo Catch-up September and October

We have spent the last several months working on renovating our house. Titus has watched almost all of it and has readily picked up on how to do most everything. Above is his version of cutting drywall. The tape measure is underneath his arm. He's cutting with a hacksaw blade.
Below he's wearing his "headset" and sanding with the belt sander. The noise he's protecting his ears from is self-made. The sander is not plugged in.




Auntie Hannah was over and Lily needed nursed. Titus was going to help Hannah with that and was told to leave the baby alone - so off he went. Next thing I know, he's found the grinder I used for a while to grind up food for Isabele. Then he found my old pump. I didn't think that I pumped very much, and I know I haven't in months, but he remembered what it was for and how to use it.


Titus after an evening out at the woods burning up lath from the house. He's just a little dirty.


Isabele, on the other hand, is filthy. Her s'more ended up in her hair, smeared across her forehead and eyebrows and everywhere else on her face, too. I do think she enjoyed it.

Isabele's First Birthday

Little Miss Isabele turned 1 on the 30th of October. We had a party for her at home. Attendees: Titus, Brian, Me, Billa, Auntie Hannah, Uncle Mike, Cousin Lily, Nana, Grandpa and Isaac. We had homemade chicken noodle soup and French bread. Isabele got a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. There was also an Angel Food Cake - for those not wanting Isabele's slightly demolished chocolate cake.

She was enchanted with her cake. I forgot to get candles, so we stuck a match in and then lit the match. It burned just long enough and then fizzled out all on it's own.

She was quite tentative at first, just carefully picking off the pink and teal spots.

The end of her time with the cake - she had chocolate frosting everywhere.

Once again she is clean, if only for a few minutes. I like this expression. She liked the ribbon, but didn't know what she was supposed to do with the paper.