Keeping us company

We had a lot of visitors this spring so far, namely the Easter Bunny and even better, Oma and Papa Joe, who, like the Easter Bunny, gives the kids treats, but who unlike him, stick around to play. It feels like a lot of stuff has changed since I last updated the blog a million years ago, but it's hard to nail down in a paragraph. Mostly, Annie's becoming more of a big kid, literally, as she's growing like a weed. She enjoys other people's houses, frequently telling me to leave (I'm trying not to take it personally) so she can play with her new grownup. And Oscar is becoming more of a big baby (not in the cry baby sense of the term, but more in a size way). He teased us with two nights in a row of full-night sleeping, but then quickly kept us in check by waking up at 4:30 the following night. He likes to keep us guessing.

Oma and Papa Joe's visit was great. It was so nice to watch Annie play with Papa Joe (he has a knack for story telling off the cuff and playing make-believe with Annie's tree/doll house). And Oma got to have a lot of hands-on Oscar time (I take advantage of any break I can get... not that I don't LOVE my kids, they're just heavy sometimes). She and Annie also made pancakes WITHOUT A RECIPE. Annie was so impressed, mostly because she got to wield a knife under Oma's watchful eye. They were wonderful, and not just because I didn't have to cook them. We were sad to see them go, but were so happy to have them for a week while Annie's preschool was on "spring break" (why preschoolers need a spring break, I'll never know, but I'm guessing the teachers relish it ... when do moms get a spring break? But I digress...). The weather here is gorgeous and we've already had to switch the thermostat from "Heat" to "Cool." Flowering trees are in bloom and we've even planted our own tomato plant on the deck. Annie's quite the waterer.

Oscar started his foray into solid foods with rice cereal and seems to be a fan, although he's not so great at the eating part. He still mostly likes to lick his food. We're working on it. He also is great at grabbing any object within grasp (including hair or skin). He has a deep chortle of a laugh like an old man whose had a few too many cigars. He's a pretty easy going kid, I have to say, mostly because he has to be. We drag him everywhere, but he keeps smiling just the same. Granted he's probably delirious with sleep deprivation, but still. This weekend we head to Houston for a lightning quick visit (due to an airfare deal). Oscar will finally get to meet all the people he's only heard of (either from Annie or through the womb). We'll see if he still has any of his Texas accent.