A Little Then and Now

Then: So cute. Little boys enjoying their bath in a clean tub, chewing on their clean toys and writing on the walls with their cute letters.
Now: Half clean boys attempt to escape the murky, black water because it is a little too gross for even them to stay long and play in.

A Week With Daddy

Daddy is obviously not a slave to either fashion or comfort.
Ingenuity kept us fed.
There was a dance party.
And in the end...
We made it through none the wiser and even pretty happy. But mom will make sure there are pictures to tell the tale.Some things that did get done around the house once he realized that mom wasn't making this stuff up?
Day 1: Child locks replaced on the kitchen drawers
Day 2: Furniture rearranged to keep people from climbing on the bookshelves after the phone and from jumping out the second story window.
Day 3: Laundry folded and another load complete.
Day 4: Well, you can't get things done every day.
Day 5: We'll report back at the end.

Try, Try Again

Two and a half weeks ago, we made it to church--all of us. It has taken two and a half weeks to get the stunning pictures up, but we made it--once. We may have worn ourselves completely out that weekend also going to the zoo and a restaurant--all of us. Since that weekend, we've not left the house except for a few evening walks. As you can see by the last picture there, three out of four Stuber babies agree, television is just as good as getting out of the house any day anyway. And, let's not be silly, if Alida had any neck control what-so-ever, her head would be cranked to the left as well.

The Wheels on the Bus

Are broken. A naptime fatality.

Alright, Alright

Apparently posts without pictures aren't even worth it. The girls are happy because mom went back to work today and they are spending the day with dad. (Elaine in stripes; Alida in solid)

The Weather Report--Soaking It All In

The night of the red hoe incident, the weather was cool and clear. The ladies aren’t quite ready to participate in the fanatical arguments over the lawn mower, the broken wheel from the trike that no one has long enough legs to actually use, the sandbox toys that are used anywhere but the sandbox, and, yes, the red hoe. But, they are able to watch and soak it all in. We can see them laying on their blanket watching and waiting. Waiting for the day they can join in the chaos instead of contributing from a stationary point of view. They are indeed learning. They must be learning that the children’s picnic table is for tipping over and crawling on like a boat or for pinning a brother to the wall of the house. They must be learning that flowers are for eating. They must be learning that the swimming pool makes a good fort when propped up against a tender, young tree or better, a prison for a brother when tipped over the top of him and held down. They must be learning that the shovel can carry sand to all parts of the lawn. They must be learning that if you dig long enough, you can always find a good pointy stick mixed in with the mulch. We are only hoping that they are not learning too quickly that legs are for walking and that freedom makes everything possible.

The Two Month Stats Are In

Elaine10 pounds 11 ounces22 3/4 inches longAlida11 pounds 1 ounce22 inches longSome things that mom and dad stocked up on that we are glad to report have not been nearly as useful this time around:Hospital-Grade Bulb Syringes (7). They actually wore one out to the point of breaking it in two last time they went through this infant thing. She had to go back to the hospital to beg more from the hospital black market at the time. Other than Ben getting hold of one and shoving it in our noses, we don’t even know what these things are for.Various forms of pain medication and fever reducers (The Sam's Club stock of Tylenol and Motrin in particular)Balmex (14 tubes)Kleenex (Again, the Sam's Club stock up)Burp Cloths (or vomit rags as they have been referred to in the past) Food allergies like Nicholas had make for all forms of vomiting from leaky to projectile; however, we have displayed such distasteful behavior from the ladies so far. Well okay, Elaine kind of let all of her bottle and the oral vaccine flow at the doctor's today, but who wouldn't?)Heating Pads: There was an effort to relieve Ben’s colic with the warmth of a heating pad. The Back to Sleep folks probably would have been horrified by the baby laying on the floor face down with a heating pad under his belly sleeping, finally.One thing that was not stocked up on that we at least haven’t missed really—baby scented wash and lotion. The threat of eczema has her scared to use anything other than Dove and Eucerin on her children.So far, girls are easier than boys. We will report back in approximately 15-16 years.