Family Matters, Week of 10-16-05

Today’s axiom: In the Erwin household, you’re either wearing the diapers or putting them on.

Annie

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Halloween is just a weekend away, and Annie is getting excited. She digs her Lion costume Ericka and her mother picked up, but every time she sees a princess (specifically: Cinderella) advertisement, she begins to ask me about being a princess, the mean ole witch, etc etc. It’s cute, but confusing. Not to mention a little draining on the pocketbook.

You know, if these friggin 3–year olds would just make up their mind…

That’s a joke. Let’s continue.

Otherwise, Annie is doing much better with her sister (after a few spankings for pushing Abby down) and is getting MUCH bigger by the day. It’s come to the point where when I pick her up I know I have to give her a good lift or she’ll drag me down. I’m guessing she’s nearing the 40lb range or so. And so tall! Tallest three year old I’ve ever seen, at least.

Oh, and she loves me. And, according the Beatles, that’s all you need. I agree.

Abby

Abby, bless her heart, tries so hard with language. At night she’ll just look at me and babble on about something, me trying to decipher the sounds into syllables. It’s a struggle to say the least, and brings back that same frustration I had with Annie. Sometimes you’re simply at the mercy of vocal chords and learning processes. Until then, she’s definitely mastered the art of asking to go potty (“Pee pee! Pee pee! Peeeee peeeee…”), regardless of the fact that she may or may not actually have to go.

This provides us with a terrible conundrum of not wanting to stay in the bathroom all day vs. potty training her. She’s pretty good at it, by en large, even pooping in the potty from time to time. It’s now a surprise when she’s got a dirty diaper and not the norm. That’s a good feeling.

Ericka (her blog)

Ericka has been sick this past week, with my fumbling attempts to take care of her and the kids usually ending in a train-wreck. Regardless, she’s been doing well and made an amazing cheesecake for my Dad’s 50th birthday last Wednesday. We tried to remind each other to bring the camera, but since the only digital camera we have is huge and bulky (not sleek and sexy like the latest and greatest) it’s a chore to lug it around all the time so we forgot. Supposedly my sister Jamie got a few pictures, but sans flash so they will probably be a wash. That’s a bummer.

Otherwise, she’s been doing a stellar job at managing the household full of sick children and, eventually, even herself.

Etc

I tell ya, get sick and live with some sickly children for awhile and suddenly there is no time at all. So this week I have but a single quick hit, but it does take 20 minutes to watch, so enjoy it.

– Super Mario 64 in 20 minutes – The shortcuts are just amazing (and kinda ridiculous when you see them). For those who liked this one, I’m guessing you’ll dig Quake Done Quick. Enjoy!

I even fear the ladies
They’re cool but twice as crazy