More wedding

My favorite part of the wedding:

Ivan and Annie's favorite part of the wedding:

Parenting blunder

Me: Annie, come read this book with Ivan and me. It's bedtime.
Annie (playing with toy): No.
Me: Annie, right now. It's story time or you can go straight to bed.
Annie (playing with toy): NO.
Me: Annie, you do not say "No" to Mommy.
Annie (playing with toy): . . . .
Me: Annie, LOOK AT ME. You do NOT say no to Mommy. Did you hear me?
Annie: YES!
Me: Good. What did I say? Do you say no to mommy?
Annie (confused look): . . . .
Me: Do you say "No" to Mommy?
Annie: . . . No?

Translations

I'm finding that the kids' mispronunciations and idiosyncrasies are slowly evolving into a weird family language. For examples:

Poisonberry jam (boysenberry jam) (this is Annie's, but sometimes she just says, "Mommy, can I have Poison on my peanut butter sandwich?")
Opah Meal (oat meal)
Yummy Bears (gummy vitamins)
Red Mustard (ketchup) (this is Ivan's, he always asks for mustard when he wants ketchup, so we have to clarify whether he wants "yellow mustard" or "red mustard")

Bedtime stories

Ivan's been a bit wound up at bedtime lately. We usually have to threaten him with "consequences" before he'll settle down and go to sleep, but in the process it's hard not to be defeated by his charms. Like tonight:

Ivan: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY!
Me: Ivan, you are supposed to be SLEEPING.
Ivan: But I want to tell you something!
Me: Ivan, if you can't be quiet and try to go to sleep-
Ivan: My jacket has ROCKS IN IT!
Me: Then I am going to have to take away--what do you mean?
Ivan: At school I found out that my jacket has pockets and I put rocks in them!
Me: Ok, but you need to go to sleep. You know the rule, you have to be quiet--
Ivan: Except one is not a rock!
Me: And let your body rest--wait, what is it then?
Ivan: It is a TONE.
Me: A stone?
Ivan: For TONE SOUP. And other kinds of soups with tones. Tomorrow at dinnertime, can we make Tone Soup again? It's been a super long time since we had that kind of soup.
Me: Yes, Ivan, we will make Tone Soup. Now GO TO SLEEP.

Trains

Ivan's still obsessed with them. I can't tell you how many weekend mornings I've woken at 6 am to find a small boy by my bed asking, "Mommy, will you help me build a train track?" We were particularly proud of this one.

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Wedding

Dad and Andi are married! It was last minute--they started sending text messages on Friday and by Saturday night, 80 people we gathered to celebrate. The bride and groom have never looked happier, and I was touched to see all the people who dropped everything and traveled hundreds of miles to share the day with them.

The kids were ecstatic, too. The night before, Annie asked if she could go to sleep and not wake up until the wedding (I told her she was welcome to try). She demanded to wear her tutu, as she does for all special occasions, but she changed her mind after we found her a white tulle dress. Ivan, meanwhile, announced that he was going to wear a "bow tie" to the wedding. I wasn't sure he even knew what that was, but sure enough, he picked out a tie at the store the next day. He refuse to take it off all night, not even to change into his pajamas.




Pretty little buggers, aren't they?

Birthday bonanza

Ivan and Annie are four! The kids begged (and begged, and begged) for a party at a local bouncy-house center. We finally relented, and I have to admit, it was fabulous--by the end, the place was trashed, the 25 kids were exhausted, and Steve and I . . . just walked out the door. Some guy loaded the presents in the car and we were off! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Before that, though, we had tons of fun. Here are the kids, lined up and ready to charge.



OMG crazy fun!



My bestie, getting in on the action:



Annie had to be saved from this contraption only five or six times.



Who is that handsome fellow? No, the other one.



So. Many. Children.



After bouncing came pizza . . . .



And more pizza . . . .



And then cake!



Happy birthday, dear babies. Your momma loves you so, so much.