Quirks

Sometimes it feels like the occasional monotony of life as a stay-at-homer to two small children is broken up only by moments of serious frustration. (let me interrupt to say that earlier today I read one blogger's pledge to only read 'inspiring and uplifting' blogs in the new year -- and with an opening line like that I'm guessing Camp Patton will be numero uno on her list-o-spiration). I did say sometimes! Yesterday's morning involved Julia and an unfortunate accident of the shitty variety in the bathtub and if I were a silver lining type of gal I would thank my lucky planets that Sebastian had just been plucked from the tub due to his whines that were just grating enough to be answered and appeased. But silver linings aren't for me and I think I'll still brag-complain about it to Simon during dinner tonight. Anyway, like most days - the hits kept coming in the forms of completely emptied closets, short (toooo short) naps, a bad hair day, and Julia losing her (teeeeeny tiny) "Dowa daw" and throwing herself into hysterics 45 too many times.

But a day in the life is not the topic du jour ... let's focus on Julia Grace Patton's fleeting moments of redemption.

happiest toddler on the block.

I could/should/won't start a blog dedicated solely to the fruit of our limbs and the things they do that only parents find endearing so I'm sorry in advance and thank you for suffering through posts of this nature.

This weekend I had yet another interminable (18 second) talk with Julia about how I would prefer that she not wear my glasses because I need them to see and drive her and Sebastian around and it really is in the best interest of her safety and my sanity that she not wear them. She seemed to understand and repeated "no wear mommy's gwasses -- big twouble." Perfect. Houston, we have comprehension! We then got ready for our big loop around the hood and I loaded the kids, the sippy cups, the lap blankets, and no glasses into the stroller and was just minding my own, listening to music, and pointing out all trillion of the blow up Christmas lawn ornaments our neighbors throw up every year when, after a few blocks, I looked down to see:

sneaky and disobedient or disobedient and dumb?

and a few minutes later ... giving her eyes a rest:

maybe she thinks they help bring out her feminine side ...

but I think she is wrong-o.

so wrong.

Other Julia-isms:

~ caring deeply about the state of her/my nails. She reports hang nails, too long nails, and scratchy nails the instant they surface on either party
~ caring deeply about the state of Sebastian's toe hygiene when he wakes up in the morning. She dutifully cleans out any sock lint that may have made a home in his toe crevices overnight
~ calling me "mommycakes" when it becomes blatantly obvious she has crossed one too many lines
~ furrowing her brow, getting all up in his face, and asking, "was wong, Bashy?" when Sebastian cries/whines
~ not letting anything stick out of her dresser drawers
~ employs a highly inefficient high-knee run on her tip toes if she needs to get somewhere quickly
~ tells me when she thinks my clothes are too tight 
~ when I ask her if she'll help me clean up her toys she always responds, "no, sank you."
~ when we are heading out the door she always says, "come on migos, come on!!"
~ still going strong with her desire to name the baby "Diego" if it happens to be a boy

Enough for today. Maybe for a lifetime? I think so.

I don't doubt your toddlers are cuter/less infuriating. I don't doubt it at all.