Interloper

After putting the kids to bed this week, I returned from brushing my teeth to find Dylan happily ensconced under the covers on my side.

The only surprise was that he did this while we were still up, instead of his usual 3:35am foray into our room and bed, when he groggily opens the door and hoists himself up and over my sleep-deprived form to nestle between us.

This week, with him and Jason still recovering from a cold (and mine just getting started) and the related late night coughing and snoring, Jason had had enough. "We only need one guy snoring all night long in this bed," he proclaimed, carrying Dylan back to his room.

He was back within minutes, but the clock is definitely ticking down on his unfettered wee-hours access to our bed.

I can't blame him though: Ava's even said, "Make Dylan move over so I can get in too: your bed is SO nice and warm and cozy."

I know! That's why we want it all to ourselves! It fits the four of us perfectly for our family movie nights, but for actual sleeping, four is a crowd, even in a king size bed.

At least we're not alone in grappling with the perils of the flailing being(s) in our midst. Anyone who has shared a bed with a toddler or two - or even a dog - will recognize the images in this series of Baby Sleep Positions cards from the How To Be A Dad blog.

 "Jazz hands" shown above is definitely popular at our place. Enjoy!

Grow, baby, grow

With all of my angst over Dylan's speech delay, I've been remiss in highlighting all the other awesome ways he's developing. He may not say much yet, but he is very physically capable and fearless when it comes to climbing, jumping and crawling at home or on the playground. Left to his own devices, he doesn't hesitate to head for the big kids' equipment and climb the ladders, bars and zip lines.

There's also his amazingly easy going personality. Not much ruffles this kid, other than having his beloved Thomas or other toys stripped from his grasp. This makes car trips with him a treat because once he's buckled in, you're ready to roll for at least two hours or more with hardly a peep from the back seat as he contents himself with watching the scenery fly by, listening to music, or in Dad's car, watching a DVD. Contrast that with Ava, who at times as a toddler punctuated even the short two and a half hour trip to Vancouver, BC with on-going screams of protest for being stuck in her seat, requiring multiple stops to give us all a break and rinse the blood from our ears. Kidding. But it was an ordeal.

Dylan does take after his sister in the music enjoyment area. Check out this little shimmy I caught as he played with a new microphone with built in beats Ava received for Christmas with some doll whose back story is that she's in a band. And since when did dolls need a back story or cover story? What are they, undercover operatives?

As we've started following the therapist's recommendation to repeat and enunciate more with Dylan, he's added a few more words: butterfly, thank you, juice and yes. Oh, and Ava. Or Ah-VA, as he puts it.

His vocab is growing right along with his body: we're in dire need of pants since he keeps growing out of his! He's currently in 3T as he's been since the fall, and is wearing the same size shoe as his 4 year old sister. A few people have asked if he and Ava are twins. The last time, as Dylan silently sized up the guy asking, Ava threw a protective arm around his shoulders and explained, "No, he's just my brother and he's still getting used to people."

See? Who needs words when you have a sister who's got your back?

Watching #superbowl, baking cookies, cooking dinner. One kid sleeping. Amazing how much less energy required for just one kid underfoot.

Presidents Lincoln and Obama and the future

President Obama Holds Arianna Holmes | The White House

Great pic of lucky girl with two great presidents who beat long odds and opposition.

Leaving a funeral. Always a tough reminder to hug your family & tell them you love them, because tomorrow is not promised to any of us.