Vrooom-Vrooooooooom!

One of the most incredible things about living in our area is that you get to see and do things on a national scale that you can't anywhere else in the world. For example, every Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend, we line ourselves up on an I-66 overpass right next to our church to watch and wave at the Rolling Thunder (www.rollingthunder1.com) motorcyclists as they make their way in to the National Mall. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of all the Harleys or of Michael flinching from all the noise. But, we did get one of our patriotic gal happily waving away.

Little GaGa?

Usually when Katie dresses up, we can make sense of her outfit. Often she's a princess or ballerina, sometimes a pirate or firefighter. We couldn't make sense of this outfit from yesterday until one of our friends on Facebook pegged it: She's a mini-GaGa!!! And, it doesn't surprise us. Katie likes Lady GaGa so much that she squeals with excitement every time she hears her songs on the radio. She's also named her Matchbox tractor "Lady GaGa." (Yeah, that doesn't really make sense to us either.) Well, here she is with her post-modern interpretation: no pants, multiple well-placed props, and gorgeous jewelry. Let's Dance, indeed.

Gearing Up for the Weekend

It's almost time for the long weekend - HOORAY! Traci is especially excited to have Mike home for a few days and also to finally bank in on her Valentine's Day spa gift certificate. Ahhhhhh.... Anyway, we thought that Katie and Connor (almost 3-years-old) looked very patriotic and appropriate for the Memorial Day weekend on this bald eagle play area. (What else would you expect to find in the greater DC area?) Looks like they just hatched from the nest..... But, if you look very closely in the background, you will see their younger siblings, who did, in fact, just seemingly hatch.

Look Out, Katie!

While this forward motion is not official enough to get recorded as a first crawl in the baby book, it is enough to get everybody's attention around here! Our little guy is now able to get just about anywhere he wants in this very crude, hard-working lunge/army-pull/hands-knees hybrid motion. Nothing is safe, especially not Katie's toys. (We're hearing a lot more of "No, Michael!" all day long.) By the end of today, Michael was tentatively moving his hands and knees in the more conventional crawling motion, so we are on the cusp of a dramatic change in our household. Boy, when the experts write that your second kid hits milestones a lot faster than your first, they weren't kidding. Personally, we would have rather had the timelines reversed....

'Til July, Grammy!

Thanks, thanks, thanks!! What more can we say to all of the family and friends that have reached out to us, literally and electronically, over the past couple of weeks? Unfortunately, it took such a bad event to once again show us how lucky we are for everybody in our lives. A super-special thank you must go out to Grammy, who left for home this morning. Grammy, as always, went above and beyond to help take care of the kids and Traci. Between the meals, diaper changes, cuddles, and baths, Grammy did all that was asked of her and more. As soon as we dropped her off at the bus station, Katie asked when we would see her again. 'Til July, Grammy, 'til July!!!

Kissy-Kissy

Katie, Michael, Traci & Grammy attended a really fun spring barbeque this evening with many of our closest mommy pals/families. (Thanks so much, Julie and Matt!) But it looks like these two kiddos (Colleen and Michael) may have had the most fun of all...wink, wink!

Giggle Monsters

No matter how rough a day we have (and we've had some rough ones lately), we can always count on our favorite time of the night to get us all giggling. After Michael gets his bath, he's usually in the best mood. And Katie and Traci love to take advantage of that great mood with some tickles and raspberries. This video doesn't do his giggles justice because he is always distracted by the camera, but here is a little taste of the fun....

Shhhhh....While Mom's Not Looking!

When you start the day off with a cookie snack......

And end it with a big ice cream cone.....

Grammy must be in town!!!

You Got to Feed What?

Well, as subdued as yesterday was, today's adventures with Grammy were completely out-of-this-world. Rather than trek into the city on a gloomy day, we decided to give the Reston Zoo (in the suburbs) a first try. Take it from somebody who used to work at several world-class zoos and aquariums: this was no zoo, it was a glorified petting station. Which, of course, was perfect for a 3-year-old and her animal-loving Grammy!! Katie got to pet and feed a wide variety of animals. Yes, of course, there were the normal kinds of animals like goats, sheep, and cows. But, she also got to feed a kangaroo, an ostrich, and a camel! And, as you can see in the pictures to the right, I don't know who delighted more....the preschooler or the grammy! Please take a look at the photo album to see some satisfied customers.

Super Savers

Papa has left and now Grammy is here! Thank goodness for grandparents!! Grammy's first day here was pretty slow as we had to wait inside through rainy weather and a visit from a repairman. The kids did a great job keeping Grammy busy with their fun and games. We did finally get out of the house for a little field trip to stock up on the groceries. Since Michael was occupying the cart, Katie decided to get her own little shopping cart. She's such a great helper at the grocery store.

Speaking of Michael (aka, Little Edge), here he is taking his first spin in a grocery store shopping cart. (Yep, Traci usually leaves him at home for all shopping trips.) He had an absolute blast looking at all of the new sights - wish we would have taped all of his squeaks, snorts, and exclamations of glee. It would be a first....a McG man who enjoys shopping.

You're....Getting....So.....Sleepy

Must....stay....awake....to....gnaw.... Poor guy is so tired lately that he can't even stay awake for his meals. Why so tired? Hmmm....could be because he's up half the day and night practicing his new skills. The latest? He's now able to travel across the entire room backwards. Um, Mr. Baby-Proofer, can you come home soon?

Up and Down, Up and Down

Papa has arrived!!! It's been so nice to have a fun and friendly diversion for the kids this weekend, as I think they were getting a little tired of their cranky mom. Today we trekked into the city so that Papa, the brilliant engineer, could see the National Building Museum for himself. He and Michael (the quiet, stationary one) went to look at a few exhibits while Traci and Katie went to the toddler play zone. Afterwards, we went over to the Verizon Center area to grab some lunch. What was Katie's favorite part of the day? Going up and down the escalators again and again with Papa. Traci and Michael were content to watch from the sidelines, thank you very much.

Ready, Set....

(Not quite) GO!!! If this boy had his choice, he'd already be crawling halfway across the country to visit Daddy and Grandma. Thankfully for us, he's staying put for now. We're hoping he follows his sister's lead and doesn't crawl until well after his first birthday. We can dream, right?

New News is Good News

Just a quick update on Grandma M: Even though her recovery is going to be a long, arduous process, she is definitely making baby steps toward good health! She was successfully transferred from the ICU to a regular hospital room today and seems to be in decent spirits. Obviously the medical staff is monitoring her to ward off further complications, but they have deemed her well enough to start the painful physical therapy process. Now if only we could convince Katie to draw her a picture to hang on her hospital room wall. Aren'ts 3-year-olds supposed to jump all over gestures like that?

Bumbo Buddies

Our buddies Mo, Connor (2.5 years-old) and Madeline (3 months) came over to keep us company today. (Thank God for all of our good friends here, by the way!) The kids all had a great time letting off some steam, and Michael and Maddie even got some quality sitting time together. (Maddie, ever the prodigy, is already rolling at her young age!!) Special thanks to Mo for helping to clean up my kitchen and living room as both of my kids simultaneously melted down in preparation for their much-needed naps. Sympathetic mommies are the best!!!

PS - I've been keeping up with Mike's mom's progress as much as possible, but they are still very much in "wait-and-see" mode. I will definitely update you whenever we get some concrete details. Thank you so much, everybody, for your kind emails, phone calls, prayers, and queries. It really means a lot to our entire family.

T.G.F.K. (Thank God for Katie)

As some of you already know, Mike has left for Michigan for awhile to tend to his mom, battling a major surgical complication. Traci, Katie, and Michael all wish we could be there to support her and shower her with hugs and kisses, but we would probably just get in the way. So, unfortunately, we three musketeers are left at home to fend for ourselves for the unforeseeable future. As you can imagine, this makes for some pretty @#$% long days and nights for all of us. Thank God, however, that Katie has recognized our special situation and designated herself as Special Assistant In Charge of Michael. She has taken it upon herself to play with him while Traci cooks, cleans, and takes care of other myriad things. She also rushes to his side whenever he cries. If it weren't for her, Traci doesn't know how she would get half of her normal everyday stuff done.

On the flip side, it's not been all sun and roses, and it's only Day 2 of Single Parenting. For some reason, Katie has picked this week to really step up the bedtime tantrums. Last night, she must have asked to go to the potty at least 10 times after her bedtime. When she suggested that she was going to do that again tonight, we got into a bit of a shouting battle. (You can imagine that Traci is at the end of her rope by bedtime...) Also, we haven't had the greatest overnight experiences either. Last night, Michael woke up at about 2:15AM with a dirty diaper. Needless to say, the change completely woke him up and he battled going back to sleep with cries and whimpers. Of course, he woke up his sister sleeping in the same room, and Traci suddenly had two wailing kids at 3:30 in the morning. So, she alternated walking the baby around the room while stopping to rub Katie's head. Phewwwww....don't know how single mothers do this all the time!

Mani-Pedi, Anyone?

Traci had such a wonderfully busy Mothers' Day yesterday that she forgot to take any pictures with the kids! Oh well... Thank you so much to Daddy, Katie, and Michael for taking care of her weekly grocery shopping trip, putting together a picnic lunch, giving her the chance to go shoe-shopping (solo!), and making a nice homemade dinner. A Mommy couldn't ask for anything more.

Well, then again....she could have asked for a mani-pedi. But, take a close look at today's picture. It looks like Katie is taking over that privilege. Only a 3-year-old (and perhaps Lady GaGa) could wear Smurf Blue so smashingly well!

PS - We're sending out lots of hugs and kisses to G.M.!! We love you and hope that you get well soon!

Go Daddy Go!

For the second straight year, the whole family headed into the city to watch Mike take part in the National Police Week 5K. Traci was a little nervous about how the morning would go with a rascally 3-year-old and a nap-less baby. But, never fear....the kids were well-behaved, Daddy finished quickly with his race, the rain held off, and we even squeezed in a museum trip and a pleasant lunch. Nice way to start the weekend! Please check out our picture album from today in the column to the right!

Back in the Saddle

After Wednesday's disastrous recital, it was very important to Mike and Traci to get Katie right back to the dance class setting that she had previously loved. We didn't want her to give up something so special just because of one bad experience. Thankfully, the kid rebounded and happily went back with her usual gusto. Traci talked to Katie's teacher, Miss Monica (pictured), after class for today's scoop. According to Monica, Katie was her old self: laughing, joking with her classmates, and leading the charge on many of the dance exercises. That's our girl! So, we had to take the picture today that we wished we would have gotten a couple of days ago. Enjoy!

Oh, and in a funny, related story that demonstrates the relative maturity levels of mother and daughter: Each week after dance class, the studio hosts an Open Gym where the kids can play on all of their climbing equipment, slides, etc. This week, since Michael was happily napping in his stroller, Traci decided to join all of the little ballerinas in a game of chase/tag. Well, all except one....Katie - the daughter of the crazy woman chasing all of the little girls - was off chatting with the mommies. She did not want to be disturbed by her mom's antics. What is wrong with this picture?

The Recital That Wasn't

Look closely....can you spot Katie in the picture to the left? If you can, congratulations! That is the best shot you are going to get of our little girl's first ballet recital!! Why? Well, let's start this story from the beginning. We should have known that our day wasn't going to go well when we were still coaxing Katie to bed last night at around 10PM. Of course, this morning, she woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at around her normal time. Mike and Traci had been talking up her first recital for weeks, and Katie seemed pretty excited about dancing for us, her teacher, and her classmates. Unfortunately, she may have been a bit too excited (or over-tired) for her nap time, because that just didn't happen. (So, just to keep count, she's going on about 8 hours of sleep by this time.) Katie was still pretty excited about things as we dressed her in her ballet outfit and did her hair nicely in a ballerina bun. However, the mood QUICKLY shifted the minute we walked into her dance studio. Unfortunately, it was absolutely overrun with parents, siblings, grandparents, etc., etc. Suddenly, one of Katie's favorite places in the world was not as it should be, and she just melted into her first tantrum. She would not leave Traci's side, but she was also just curious enough to not want to leave the studio. So, Traci held her and comforted her until she convinced Katie to go and sit with her class, as in the picture above. But, the minute her class got up to dance, she broke down in wailing tears again. Well, that was that - we had to leave before she got her dancing certificate, her cookie, and her hug from her classmates and teacher. Poor Mike - he had taken off work extra early to be at the studio first in order to greet Katie. He was sooooo excited to see his little girl dance. Instead, he was stuck with a crying, hungry, tired 7-month-old. Oh well, we'll laugh about this someday.

Oh, and here's a happy picture of her just before we left for the recital. See how stoked she was to curtsy for the camera??

A Puffs Kind of Picnic

Just look at the adorable sis-bro crew having a nice little Puffs picnic at the park! Michael is now stable enough to sit on a blanket and watch all of the action. And, of course, Katie will always stop whatever she's doing to steal away some of her brother's Puffs snacks. (She did get a little miffed when Michael leaned over her leg to snatch her pile...the horror!) It's nice to enjoy moments like this while we still have a baby who can't escape.

But that doesn't mean that Katie stays nearby us for too long. In yet another sign of her burgeoning playground independence, she has even figured out a way to swing by herself (much to Mommy's relief). She now loves to "belly-swing" (see picture) as fast and as high as she can go. Mommy takes these moments to feed, or God forbid, play with Michael on her own.

Getting from Here to There

Hey! Michael, here. I've got a huge dilemma these days. You see, I really, really, really want to get AT all of the cool things surrounding me. For example, just look at this picture. All I want to do is lunge forward and grab all of my sister's long, luxurious locks. However, my lack of mobility is stopping me from doing such fun, naughty things. So, I've started to come up with my own solutions.... First, I've been propelling myself backwards pretty well from the belly position. (Shhhh...don't tell Mommy and Daddy, but this is how I fell off the bed last week!) Second, I'm trying to bum-scoot as far as I can go in the sitting position. Just picture me rocking back and forth and bouncing up and down while I sit. Sometimes I move a fraction of an inch, usually not. Maybe soon I'll be strong enough to actually crawl or walk somewhere! Wish me luck....and make sure my parents have lots of band-aids!!

Story Time

Finally, Katie has found an audience (member of one) who will hang on her every word. How long do you think this harmonious relationship will last? Oh yeah, until Michael starts crawling and destroying her stuff....