Saturday, August 21, 2010

Elektra's Sand Bath

I went to pick up the kids from daycare yesterday.  While DJ, Grace, and Elektra played happily in the sandbox, Eleanor took me inside to show me the damage DJ had done the day before with the Desitin.  As we were walking back outside, Eleanor and I see Grace standing up and pouring an entire cup of sand over Elektra's head.

"Well, DJ poured sand on Grace's head a few weeks ago... I guess it's payback," I thought.  It was all I could do to keep from laughing.  I mean, really, it was hilarious.

Elektra didn't even react.  I don't think she knew how to.

Meanwhile, Grace was saying that she was giving Elektra a bath.  And I'm 100% positive that in her mind, that's exactly what she was doing.  It just so happened to be that she was pretending that sand was water.

While Grace got a timeout, I did my best to get the sand out of Elektra's hair, clothes, body, etc.  And because Elektra was wearing a sleeveless top, I knew she had it down her shorts, diaper, onesie, etc.  I knew it was no use to think I was going to get away with no sand in my car (and her carseat).

I called Steve to give him the forewarning that we'd be giving baths before dinner.

When I got home, we dropped Elektra directly into the tub.  As Steve stripped her down, this is how much sand fell out of her clothes and diaper:

This is what sand baths can look like!
Needless to say, I had to rinse Elektra from head to toe multiple times before I could get 90% of the sand off of her.  Then I had to rinse the tub before I could let a very anxious DJ into it.  Then I spent the next 20 minutes working on getting it out of her hair with shampoo, conditioner, and a fine toothed comb!

I noticed today just how much sand her carseat has in it, and I will have to take it out of the car to shake it out, too!!

DJ's (mis)adventures

We don't know what's going other than the fact that it's clear that DJ is acting out... big time.  Why is he acting out?  No idea.  We've totally stopped any attempt at potty training so it can't be that.  Other than being on vacation last week, nothing else has changed.  ::clueless::

So what has he done?

At Eleanor's on Thursday, he climbed out of his crib during nap, and proceeded to get into things.  He reached onto the computer desk, grabbed the digital camera, the stamps (which he started to peel off... they're stickers, of course!), a rubber stamp (really good thing he didn't get that open...), and apparently, the scotch tape because he taped the rails of his crib. 

When he was done with what was on the computer desk, he went into the bathroom.  He found the tube of Desitin, and proceeded to squirt it into the sink, and then wipe it around like finger painting.  Then he took it into the playroom and squirted it onto the glass doors (and finger painted with it there, too).  And the kicker... he squirted into holes in the rug. 

Both Steve and I were speechless.  We don't even know where to start.  It turns out that we should have heeded the warning...

This morning I left early for my annual required service to the field hockey officials organization.  I left the door to our room open so Steve could hear the kids when they wake up.  He heard DJ when DJ started banging a pepper grinder onto a tuna can. 

Wait, what?

I received a text from Steve that said DJ had gotten into the pantry, and had poured sugar and breadcrumbs all over the rug.

DJ's pantry raid
It looks like DJ actually dumped the powdered creamer we had in case of the no-half-n-half-for-coffee-emergency as opposed to the full 5 pound bag of sugar (and matching flour) we have a few shelves up.  The reason Steve thought it was the sugar is because DJ said "the sugar tasted sweet" and the breadcrumbs "smelled good".  At least we know our boy has good taste; picked the Italian Breadcrumbs to dump onto our rug.

DJ also chose to pour the creamer into corners on the rug inside his room, next to his door hinges.

 The creamer was sprinkled next to the door hinges on the floor in DJ's room.
He also sprinkled some powdered creamer next to the corners where the gate latches and by the hinges in the rug, of course, and not, conveniently, on the tile.

More creamer in the corners
Because this just couldn't get any better, DJ took some of the breadcrumbs and sprinkled some of those in front of the hall bathroom on the rug, of course, and not, conveniently, on the tile.



The glass bottle was empty, so thankfully, he didn't pour any liquid out, else we'd probably be tearing up the rug today. 

A close-up view of the most damage.
As you can see, DJ played with his pile of breadcrumbs and creamer like a sandbox, having put the breadcrumb can in the middle of it.  Also evidenced here are the tools DJ used to wake up Steve, the pepper grinder (which was also empty), and the tuna cans which now have nice dents in them.

You can also see an empty Jello chocolate pudding box.  The actual bag of pudding mix is buried under the breadcrumb pile near the back (towards the empty breadcrumb can), and we found that it was unopened, thankfully.  That would have been one step closer to disaster.

But we were REALLY thankful that DJ did not open the bottle of the Light Corn Syrup.  I normally wouldn't worry about that because the bottle is made from pretty solid plastic and if unopened, has a foil safety topper stuck on the inside.  But because this bottle is partly used, all he would have had to do was flip open the top or twist off the top, and we most definitely would have been ripping up the carpet today.

Needless to say, Steve went to Walmart and bought more door knob covers!!!!  One for the pantry, one for the hall bathroom (he's been going in and turning on the sink), one for the basement (even though it has a lock, one for the outside of Elektra's room, and one for the utility closet.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Some more pictures from the beach

More pictures from the beach...

Papou, the Tickle Monster.  Elektra would then ask, "Again?"



Pure, unadulterated happiness!

DJ at the beach.

DJ playing in the "really, really big sandbox (and bucket)".

Elektra coming over to play with the bucket.

Elektra, the sun-kissed baby with Yiayia Elektra and Nouna Sophia.

Elektra and Sophia playing with an iPad.

DJ during dinner at the Oceanic Restaurant.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Elektra vs. The Greek Yogurt

A picture is a thousand words... taken while at Wrightsville Beach, August 10, 2010.





Thursday, August 12, 2010

Beach Day 2

Today's beach adventure ended early for Elektra.  She just wanted no parts of the beach.  She dug in the sand for a few minutes, then wanted to sit on Daddy's lap on his beach chair.  I tried taking her out to the very shallow part of the ocean, and she freaked out.  She ran back up to Steve, and asked to watch Word World and Thomas.  Of course she could watch neither as we didn't have our iPads with us.  Then she asked to go home.  Yiouch.  So Steve took her home to the pool.  It turns out she not only had an early lunch but she was also down for a nap by 12:30.  She's having a rough day, I guess.

DJ, meanwhile, immediately started digging in the "really really big sandbox!"  He had a good time digging, and he'd take his watering can to the water and fill it without asking us for us to help him.  He'd just go down to the ocean, fill it, and come back.  Sometimes, he'd let the ocean "chase" him back towards the beach, laughing the whole way.  After a few rounds of that, he looked up looking for us, and realized he was farther away than he wanted to be.  He came over to us, and then went back down to the water. 

After Steve took Elektra back to the house, DJ and I walked down to the water, and then sat in it where the waves had to wash up to us.  He sat in between my legs, and the waves washed over us, and DJ was putting sand on my legs, in the bucket, picking up shells... he had a grand old time.  He sat there with me for over 45 minutes, and he didn't want to go home.  Though then when he realized he was hungry, he said he wanted to go get some "Yunch."

Home we went, showered off the sand and salt, and had a good lunch.  As a reward, DJ go to eat a Krispy Kreme for dessert.  He fell asleep for his nap in under 20 minutes... he was cooked.

Wrightsville Beach 2010

It's already past mid-week here at Wrightsville Beach.  Vacation is going to be over so fast!!

This year, we are staying in a new house, and it is spectacular.  We actually have an appropriate number of rooms for people!  We are staying in a room with 2 queens.  DJ is sleeping in one, and we are sleeping in the other.  He's been sleeping pretty well, though we aren't sure if it's because he's just that tuckered out, we're in the room with him, or if it's because he's in a big bed.  Whatever the case, he's doing a great job sleeping.  Elektra has her own room with the pack-n-play, and after the first day, has been a dream child... hanging out in her crib after she wakes up, and sleeping for many hours.


The house also has a really nice outdoor pool which we have been using extensively.  Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, we took the kids to the pool in the morning because the tide has been high in the mornings and because the pool is completely in the shade (yay for no sunblock application!).  Elektra wants no parts of being carried out into the pool, though she was willing to sit on a raft with me on Tuesday.  She sits on the edge, fills her watering can, pours it out, and refills it.  She'll also kick her feet in the water ("kick kick kick!").  DJ didn't want to go out into the middle of the pool either until Tuesday, when after a raft ride with me, he asked to be carried out.  He kicked his feet like a big swimmer, and did a great job.  Otherwise, he's been thoroughly enjoying the $5 water cannon from Walmart and filling/refilling his watering can.

On Wednesday, we decided to take the kids to the beach in the morning.  It's quite the ordeal to get them (and us!) ready, but out we went.  DJ was excited to play in the really big sandbox, and he did take right to it.  Once he decided he wanted some water for his watering can, he went down to the ocean without really fussing, and filled his can!  Thio Steve and Spiro found lots of sand crabs to put in a bucket, and DJ played with those, too!  By the end of the day, I picked him up and carried him out into the waves.  He I explained what the waves were doing (breaking) when he asked what all the white bubbles were.  He would laugh every time a wave would break on us, and he genuinely had a great time... even said himself that it was fun!

Elektra took to the really big sandbox, too.  She took off running for the water and when the first wave splashed over her ankles, she WAILED.  We figured out that the lack of footing was really freaking her out, so we made sure that she was in some solid footing each time we took her to the water.  At the end of the day, Steve carried her out to where DJ and I were, but she had mixed feelings about it.  She would laugh because DJ was laughing, but she really wasn't thrilled about being in the middle of the water.  Refilling the watering can was always a good trick to get her to come in the water, though. 

The kids were exhausted by lunchtime, and were in bed for naps by 1pm.  They got up shortly before 5PM.  During nap, DJ was plastered up against me, and I saw him wake up a few times, look at me, and go back to sleep.  At one point, Steve and I switched spots and when DJ opened his eyes and realized I was not next to him, he quickly looked to see with whom he was cuddled.  As soon as he realized it was Daddy, he shut his eyes again and went back to sleep for another half an hour.

We went out for dinner that night, and the kids had enormous appetites.  DJ put away a metric ton of corn bread, popcorn shrimp, broccoli, sweet potato and homemade potato chips.  Elektra also put away a lot of corn bread and chicken strips.  Then they both helped us put away Rita's frozen custard treats.  :-)

Otherwise, the kids are having a ball playing with their cousins.  DJ really enjoys eating his meals with his cousins, and we think he's been eating better because of them.  One of his favorite vegetables this past week has been shredded carrots.  Elektra is still mostly boycotting vegetables, par usual. 

Both Steve and I have gotten some naps in (when the kids are napping), and it has been a fairly relaxing week overall.  I'll post pictures when I get them off of other people's cameras.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

A Poopy Voicemail

Yesterday, I received a voicemail from DJ (with prompting from Eleanor and Sonny):

Begin voicemail.
"Go now.  Say, hi."
"Hiiii!"
"Tell her what you did."
"I poopied!"
"In the potty.  (pause...)  Tell her!"
"I poopied in the potty!  It was a big poop and a little poop."
"Alright, tell her you'll talk to her later.  (pause...)  Say, I'll to you later, Mommy!"
"I talk to you later, Mommy!"
"Bye."
"BYEEEE!"
End of voicemail.

Hilarious!!!

Sunday, August 01, 2010

Strange Bedfellows ... Again

Thursday night, as I was saying goodnight to DJ, I asked him if he was going to come sleep with us. He said yes. At least he's honest!

At 12:30, I heard DJ open his door, but I was too tired to get out of bed and then I didn't hear anything until my alarm at 6:15. I crawled over a sleeping Steve and sure enough, there was DJ, sleeping on the floor next to Steve. He had brought his pillow, Tiger, and his blanket. It was so cute!

Friday night, Steve went to bed early, and closed our bedroom door (not latched) so he could have some quiet. When I came to bed around 12:30, I went to confirm the basement door was closed, and nearly tripped over DJ who was sleeping in the hall outside of Elektra's door. I guess he didn't want to come into our room since the door was closed.

It was so cute.....

He was solidly asleep, so I picked him up and put him back in his bed. He whined, and that woke up Steve, so then both of us were up consoling him. He went back to sleep, but woke up again around 5:30. At that point, I just let him come to bed with us.

::sigh::

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