Week 22

We had a really exciting week with the Hackney clan in town. However, it was also a challenging week with Lincoln because we did so much running around and he was a bit overly tired. Then it turns out that both Lincoln and Corinne were cutting molars! Yikes! My sweet Corinne never fussed a bit and I only noticed it when she gave me a big laugh while we were at the grocery store. But it did explain her on and off temperature. Oh yes, and then we had a horrible traumatic experience involving stacking cups---more on that later.



On Monday we headed down to Mission Bay to meet up with the gang. We were so happy to see our friends again. It had been way too long since our last meeting.



















Cami entertained us at the beach by demonstrating just how cold the water was---and she was spot on---much too cold for me. I was thankful that there were no waves at the Bay and I could just tell Lincoln to not go in past his belly button. Surprisingly he complied.




















And I finally got to meet Bailey Grace! She was the perfect age for the beach---old enough to appreciate the nice breeze in the shade, but not yet coordinated enough to eat handfuls of sand.

















Lincoln got to work playing in the sand. It is amazing how many hours these kids were entertained by the sand alone.






















And Corinne did a lot of snacking on the beach. Sara had commented that you would think Corinne would be a chunker like Bailey based on how much she truly enjoys food and how much time she devotes to snacking. This girl loves to eat!






















After a morning in the sand the kids rinsed off and did a little tree climbing.
















Here is Lincoln being bossy...probably telling me not to chase him.




















We tried to make some boundaries for them to play in since Sara and I were double teamed for a few hours with 4 kids to the two of us. I decided Cami definitely has a future in track and field. That girl can run like the wind!






















After lunch we headed back to the beach.
















And we got to work on a sand castle. Cami was in charge of water.




















Lincoln gathered the toys.






















And Sara was the engineer. Unfortunately both Cami and Lincoln got more joy out of wrecking the castle than building it. The typical sand castle life expectancy on the beach was about 2.5 seconds.




















After a second bath, the kids got a tour of the hotel koi pond.






















On Tuesday we headed to the zoo and started our day out with some face paint. Cami was a peacock.
















And Lincoln was a giraffe for the day.




















They were both super cooperative for the artist.





















And it was hard to pull them away from the mirror when they were finished.




















We checked out lots of animals.





















And got to pet some goats at the petting zoo.















Lincoln gave Cami a death squeeze while they posed on the turtle.















Jason gave Corinne the "Best Kid of the Day" award for not whining at all while she sat in the stroller. I explained that she was my laid back kid and pretty much always goes with the flow.....


















Unlike these two rascals that spent the day jumping in and out of the strollers!









































Here they are posing by the gorilla exhibit.






















Bailey was pretty laid back too and got a nice nap in as well.





















Ahhh and my little monkey, climbing on the monkeys! He fits right in don't you think???




















While waiting at the deli at the store I noticed that Corinne is also cutting teeth, which made her a bit of a picky eater the rest of the week. After an hour trip to Walmart with the kids, to include 2 trips to the bathroom for Lincoln, I get to the checkout counter and find that I left my wallet at home---GREAT! Luckily I had gotten my produce earlier that day, so we lived off of fruits and veggies for a few days until I got the energy to brave Walmart yet again, for the same stuff. The worst part about the whole trip was when I loaded up the checkout counter and then had to reload it all into a basket. I went ahead and got my WIC stuff and then Lincoln saw the lady carry the rest of the food away in the basket to be put back (we do not live close enough to just run home and come right back). Then Lincoln started screaming "That's our food! Bring back our food! She has our food and my new toothbrush!" I had to whisper in his ear that we had no money with us and that we can't take things unless we pay for them. This seemed to calm him down enough for us to get outside. Then while I was loading him in the car he tells me "I am really sorry Mamom. I am sorry I forgot your wallet at home and now we have no food." I told him it wasn't his fault, but it was nice to hear that he was understanding of my big mix-up!






















We hung out at the house for the next few days, trying to deal with teething and recovering from busy days down in San Diego.















Corinne found a new use for our toy storage baskets---just her size!




















And now we come to these bad boys! We have a set of these cups at home--actually 2--one set for outside that we use in the pool and dirt and another for the playroom.























Well on Wednesday night I noticed a liquid spilled on the toy cubby and the stacking cups sitting in it. I confronted Lincoln on it and he admitted to pouring my "Mama drink" (aka Crystal Light) into the cups and leaving it there. I then informed him that:
#1 We don't use these cups for liquid or drinking---they have holes in them.
#2 We don't dump Mama drink out---period!
#3 We can't get the toy cubbies wet because it will ruin all the hard work that Dada and Grandpa Jinks put into making them special for Lincoln and Corinne.
#4 If I catch him doing it again, I will have to take away the cubbies. And if there are not cubbies for toys---there won't be any toys either.
I then made him clean it up. I thought my message was clear and he got the point. He also lost a bean.

So as we are running out the door for swimming lessons I again see a clear liquid sitting on the toy shelf with the stacking cups. I immediately lose my temper and yell "What is this?" Lincoln replies, "Sissy did it!" I then remind him that Sissy did not do it because she can't even open a sippy cup or my water bottle and that lying will not be tolerated. I am furious and confused. I ran out of Crystal Light last night, so I know it isn't that and I am pretty sure he had sucked down his apple juice the second I gave it to him that morning. And there are no signs of him sneaking into the bathroom to get a cup of water. So I crouch down and smell it---nothing! Then I make the biggest mistake of my life and dip my finger in the clear liquid for a taste---then it all clicks. And I scream at the top of my lungs---"Did you pee in the stacking cups?" And Lincoln yells through tears "Yes, I peed in them!" Had I not paid so much for swimming lessons and had Karen not been coming later that day, I would have made him stay in his room the rest of the day. But we were in a hurry. He got a nice spanking, lost a handful of beans, had to clean up his mess and got numerous lectures on how gross he is. Then I told him I was going to take away some toys since I can't actually move the toy cubbies on my own. So he offered me all of Corinne's toys. I said "no, she is the nice clean kiddo--you are the gross one who pees on things!" So I hit him below the belt and took the vacuums and the remote control car. Then when we got back from swim lessons he had to tell Karen (the love of his life) what he had done. We have had no problems since, but boy was I reminded of just how gross little boys can be. It came as a real shock to me because not once while he was potty training did he ever play with his "waste". I have no idea what made him think pee would be a good liquid to play with--HMMM???


Then Sara and Cami came out for a Friday afternoon playdate. Cami ditched her shoes right away and Corinne wasted no time scooping them up and putting them on her own feet. She is a bit of a shoe theif! She even fastened them herself.





















Cami and Lincoln snuck up to my room for a "nap" together. They kept slamming to door so I put a door-stopper at the top of the door so that they couldn't lock themselves in and so we could hear what they were doing. Lincoln then proceeded to scale the door frame, pull it off, and rip it in half--HMMMMM??? I am not sure how I feel about his dire need of privacy with Cami.
















Before they left Cami gave Linc a big hug good-bye and we hope to see the Hackney clan again soon!

















Lincoln decided to bury Corinne in a laundry basket of toys.





















It looked like too much fun for just one, so he joined her in the "ball pit" of toys.
















Corinne may have found her first "lovey". She has always been attached to Pinstripes---her zebra that converts into a pillow, but it stays in her bed. She started carrying Minnie Baby around this week. I can't help but think it is adorable.


















On Sunday after church Corinne and I had a little fun in the sun while Lincoln napped.
























I can't believe how grown up she looks in these pictures--especially compared to the little baby that Nathan left behind in February.





















She loves my hat!


















Then chef Lincoln/Woody made us pizza for dinner---just like Caillou did in an episode we watched the other night.






















I was impressed with how patient he was about putting on the toppings.















Although he did sneak a few pepperoni! It was actually quite delicious.





















Tasty enough to guard your last piece from your sister.






















And finger licking good!

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Quote 1: After getting in trouble for something.

Me: "I am not happy with you Lincoln."

Lincoln: "Well I am not happy with you either Mama!"

Me: "Fine!"

Quote 2: Randomly.

Lincoln: "You have the best kiddos in the whole, high world!"

Quote 3: While making egg salad and adding the cayenne pepper--I didn't tell him it was spicey, he must have just assumed.

Lincoln: "Oh, that's hot lava Mamom!"

Quote 4: While the kids were "napping" in my room.

Lincoln: "Go back downstairs!"

Cami: "Get out of here, we are just napping!"

I wonder how many years I will let him get away with this naughtiness!

Quote 5: While laying on my bed and inspecting his scab.

Lincoln: "My owie is putting my body back together!"

Quote 6: After our second trip to Walmart for a toothbrush.

Lincoln: With so much joy, you would have thought I got him a new puppy. "Somebody has a new toothbrush! Lincoln does! The old one is dead."