the Rolling Stones said it best

Malcolm had his first bathie in the big tub this week.  It was quite a party, as evidenced in the picture.  You may or not be able to tell, but he was less than thrilled.  You can also see that Ceci is sporting some serious bangs.  We are actually growing them out, which is an endeavor.  She is not too keen on barrettes, but I am sick of cutting her bangs every two weeks.  

Henry returned to school this week.  The good news is that his teacher switched their floor x's so he no longer sits next to Yogurt.  He told me this on Monday, and he proceeded to tell me who was sitting next to and behind him.  Then he went on to tell me who was next to them and so on, basically outlining the entire seating chart for me.  I was impressed.  

Ceci was reluctant to return to dance class this week.  Her exact words were, "It hurts my feelings."  I am not sure if it actually does, or if she just knows that that is something she can say when she doesn't like something.   She warmed right back up to it, though. 

There has been an all out bedtime war going on, not just at bedtime, but also at naptime. What this means is we do the bedtime routine (night night sips, pray, sing, tuck in) and say goodnight.  Within minutes, one child, let's say Ceci, but it really could be anyone, comes out, and she says, "Henwy's whispewrin..."  (at one point in time, whispering was gross misconduct, but it now has become the norm).  We tell her to get back in bed, and as she enters the room, we hear a very loud, adamant, "I'M NOT WHISPERIN!"  Then, out she comes again, "Henwy's shouting."  So then we have to get up and tell them both to go to bed or they won't get a sticker, a cookie, to go to the park, whatever.  Eventually, when we realize they don't care, we resort to other methods.  The point is that this goes on for anywhere from 30-60 minutes and usually ends with nobody being the best anybody they can be.  I am ready to separate them.  (They share a room, in case you haven't caught on.)  However, then Malcolm will be sharing a room with Henry, which could prove a far more daunting bedtime task.  Nothing is working. I'm open to suggestions...

Oh, those of you that have been on the edge of your seats about my last visit to the dentist, they informed me that I have one old filling that needs to be replaced, three small cavities they want to fill, and about 10 teeth on the "watch" list, and that I have to floss every night and use a special fluoride toothpaste for the rest of my life.  I just remembered why I stopped going to the dentist in the first place.  Oh, and I am getting my teeth cleaned tomorrow.

Our dear and generous friends, Brooke & Chris, passed their lovely exersaucer on to us, so it is now a permanent fixture in our living room.  I just have one thing to say about baby gear.  Why can't anyone come out with a line of baby gear that is stylish, yet still attractive to babies.  Give me something I WANT to have in my living room.  These things take up a ridiculous amount of space. You can't help but notice them, so why can't they make them chic and affordable?  I am sure someone can come up with an exersaucer that, when the baby inevitably outgrows it, people are sorry to see it go.  Instead we have these tacky behemoths in primary colors that match no one's decor because no one decorates in primary colors, especially all the primary 

colors together.  Well, anyway, Malcolm seems to like it, as you can see. I think he just likes being able to stand up and look around.  With Henry, we also had a doorway jumper.  Some of you remember spending many an afternoon sitting on the sofa, possibly with a beer in hand, watching Henry go to town in that thing. Really, if I think back to that,  his current state of seemingly endless energy is no surprise.  I should have seen it coming. The problem is, none of our doorways have molding here, so I had to get rid of it.  I think Malcolm would have liked it though. Maybe not quite as much as Henry.   I know they make freestanding ones, but those things are even bigger than the exersaucer, and I only have so much room.  Maybe I'll find someone who wants to share custody of an exersaucer and a jumperoo.  Can you believe this is what I spend my time thinking about.

I actually spend a lot of time thinking about renovating my house.  We are in negotiations with a handyman who will be finishing the kitchen tile since our tile guy split, replacing all our windows, our sliders, and...PAINTING OUR EXTERIOR!  You do not even know how excited I am.  Our house, though better than when we found it, is in a sad, sad state.  I am slightly embarrassed by it's current appearance.  But I have a vision, and just to warn you, it involves painting the siding black.  Don't worry, I know exactly what I am doing.  And anyone who really knows me is not surprised by my odd color choice, and also knows that if anyone,  I can pull it off.  So do not fear, my friends, for we will soon have the most awesome house on our street.   

And we await the before and after pictures with bated breath.