Fun at Sam's

KJ and I got an unexpected afternoon date yesterday, and I had so much fun.  Where did we go?  Sam's!  Our main mission was to look for a new suit for KJ, but the place we went didn't have his size, so we ended up at Sam's.  I haven't shopped there since we became a family of four, and I had a really fun time.  They had several items in bulk that we eat all the time that were cheaper than buying singly.  I love the feeling of having an abundance of such items as nutrition bars, granola bars, string cheese, vegetable soup, and goldfish.  Ella was very excited about the "biggest box of goldfish she'd ever seen."  She told KJ we had enough goldfish for "a week, or forever."  


It was fun getting to shop alone and have some time with KJ.  I am grateful to Mama T for keeping the children.  They had a great time.  Ella told me in great detail about what they did, but she has become a very confusing conversationalist as of late.  When asked a question, she gives very conflicting answers:


"Ella, do you want to go to the store with me?"


"Well, not really, but I guess I could go, but I don't really want to, yes."


(a little exasperated) "So, yes or no?"


"Yes."


And then there was this from yesterday talking about James taking a nap at T's house:


"James took a really long nap, but it was really kind of short."


I'm not sure what that means.  Then we came home, and she watched an episode of Backyardigans.


"Ella, is your movie over?"


(Lots of head nodding up and down, then from side to side, and then up and down...)


I'm not really sure what is up with that.  You can't really believe anything she says in the area of hunger or thirst, either.  One moment she is full and the next she is starving.  She just says things without thinking, I believe, dependent on what ends she wants to accomplish.  But, she is too sweet and too fun, and so is James.  I love that baby.  I've realized lately that while babies are a lot of work and really hard in the sleep department, they are so much fun because they don't talk back or do anything out of knowing rebellion.  They just smile and laugh and look sweet and chubby and lovable.  So, I am enjoying the last few months of James' first year.  He is pulling up on everything now and standing up so straight and tall.  I was a bit sad that he might walk earlier than a year because I didn't want to lose my baby, but my lower back is hurting from bending over so much to pick him up, so I decided him walking would not be a bad thing.  He has been a big boy all along and has taken a toll on my lower back since about the sixth month of pregnancy.  Sometimes I think he is somehow secretly older than he is supposed to be.  Oh, and I should mention that he weighs the same that Ella did at 18 months, and is probably only a little bit shorter.

Climbing stairs at T's house

I know most parents don't want stairs, but I wish we had some for James to climb.

He loves it so much.

My sweet family