Never Trust a 3 year old

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here you go...

Aaron was supposed to be playing a game on Disney.com while I changed Marcus' diaper... it's amazing how much damage can be done in 2 minutes or less.  I guess that self-inking return address stamp was just WAAAYYY too tempting...

The last photo is a shot of the counter and chair after I scrubbed with a bleach and water mixture then later some no-name kitchen cleanser.  Obviously it didn't work... it did fade it a little.  When I asked him why he did this, his response was "I lost the cap and had to dry it up."  (Did I mention it was self-inking?)  He stamped the counter, the floor, the cabinets, butcher block top, himself (obviously!) and my laptop. 
Brad came home with Mr.Clean Magic Erasers which were amazing!  It begs the question... what the heck is that stuff made of?  If bleach couldn't do it, I am worried!  The other conundrum is that the ink wiped off Aaron's cheeks, nose and chest very easily but would not come off his belly, arms, legs or feet.  I'm glad I've seen the horror videos on what the Magic Erasers do to skin or I probably would have been tempted to try... scary!

As you can see, Aaron is appropriately sorry.  :)  He's such a little actor.  I told him to look sad for the photo.  Nailed it!  His television and computer privileges were revoked for the day.  He took his punishment quite well and played quietly in his room with Marcus and even took a nap!  Go figure!

I submitted the first photo to shitmykidsruined.com... it was posted on their facebook page and has had 245 "likes"/comments.  :)  Too funny!

Marcus - 9 months

Nine months... nine months!  I cannot believe it has been nine months!  Well, it's actually 9 months and 3 weeks... we were a little late with our well visit.  We went last Monday.  Marcus is doing great... no surprise there!  He has hit all the major milestones for this age... crawling, babbling, stringing sounds together (baba, dada, mama etc), recognizing his own name, teething and stranger anxiety (just for a few minutes... then he's all yours!)  We discussed our concerns... Sunscreen - how much of the information on the internet should I believe?  Also about his new found distaste for pureed food (ugh - I did NOT see that coming and have an apocalypse-like quantity of meals and purees I've made over the past month or so)  A lot of our focus for this visit was on childproofing (done! mostly.) and how the second child differs from the first... often has delayed speech because big brother/sister does their talking for them, frequently crawls/cruises/walks sooner (oh great!) because they want to keep up with big bro/sis.  Dr. Amin asked some questions about how Aaron interacts with Marcus.  I think he was trying to get a gauge on whether he was experiencing any jealousy.  I'm really happy to say that the jealousy monster has not made an appearance.  (I was tempted to write "...yet" but to be honest, I don't think it'll be a problem)  Aaron is protective of Marcus in the most loving, sweet and sensitive way.  He frequently and unprovoked puts Marcus' needs before his own... for instance, making sure Marcus gets a nap at his usual time even if it means we have to come inside or rush home from tumbling class.  He is Marcus' biggest fan... encouraging him to walk, talk and crawl.  He tells him how proud he is of him all the time... we couldn't have asked for more!
Stats:
Ht: 29.7" (85%)
Wt: 21 pounds 15 oz (66%)
Head: 48.2 cm (98%)

Potty Talk by Guest Blogger, Daddy

So, we have been wanting to write a post about this for a while because it is such a funny part of our days with Aaron, but it is one of those things that we have decided to reserve for the family (until now).  Since this blog is a baby book, of sorts, we decided it was necessary to include - and use at all of the major life-events in Aaron's future. (Graduations, wedding, other events where it is appropriate to embarrass him with goofy childhood stories...)

I'll be making a guest appearance for this post because it is probably best coming from the Dad.  After all, its not ok to use potty talk in front of Mommy. Unlike Erica's posts this one doesn't come with a picture.  You'll understand why in a moment...  And just a friendly warning: this is a bit gross!

Aaron is just about the most "regular" person you will ever meet.  He is basically BeneFiber with legs.  Needless to say, we spend a LOT of time in the bathroom.   So much time, that Aaron has had ample time to create a new game.  He calls it the "What does this one look like" game.  Yes.  That's right.  Aaron likes to take a look at his poop and talk about what (or who) it looks like.  And he is a pro!  He is so good that he will say what the poop looks like within 3 seconds and it is amazing how it actually looks like what he says.  (Yes, we look, but you would too if your son pointed into the toilet and exclaimed, "Look!  It looks like Abraham Lincoln!)   Ok, maybe our 3-year-old isn't identifying Honest Abe in his BMs, but it is an uncanny ability.  For example, last week, Aaron pointed into the toilet and screamed downstairs, "Guys!  Come look!  I pooped the number 4!"   And sure enough, Aaron had pooped the number 4.  Another impressive one was the Winnie the Pooh poop.  (And no - I'm not going for the easy joke on that one...)  It was unbelievable.  It really looked like Pooh.  (Ok, I had to go for the easy joke.)

Again, I am posting this against my better judgment, as I am not a fan of potty talk and this isn't really one of those talents you want to openly brag about, but as a parent I guess we all end up applauding talent when we see it.  I think I will probably put a moratorium on updates for the "What does this one look like" game, but if we find Abe Lincoln or Mickey Mouse, I'll let you know.

Da Beach

We are back from our fabulous week at the beach... by "we" I mean Marcus, Aaron and Mommy.  Brad had to fly from NC to Tampa, FL for a business meeting.  He'll be back in Boston on Thursday.  The weather could not have been better and we had a great time although Aaron has a new fear of the ocean which was unfortunate.  He wanted to spend the majority of our time at the pool which was fine... there were enough hands on deck to allow Brad and I some actual beach time. 
We were in Surf City, NC at Adam's condo in the Surf Condominiums.  It was very nice... Ace and GG have done a lot of work on the place since they became "co-owners" of the condo (I put that in quotations because they don't actually *own* anything... Adam got taken in a poor real estate investment with a buddy who took out an interest-only mortgage on a MASSIVELY overpriced piece of property and then left town with no further contact.  Sweet!)  Dad has painted all the dark wood white which makes the place light, airy and very beach-y.  There are two bedrooms... the master (which is where we stayed) and a loft with two twin beds (Mom and Dad took this room because it is open to the living room and Ace likes to stay up late to watch TV and snore!).  There is also a bunk bed tucked under the stairs to the loft just off the kitchen... this is where Aaron and Alexzndra slept for the week. 
Ray and Linda drove over for the day on Sunday which was great!  The boys hadn't seen them since January.  We hung out on the beach then picked up some great shrimp from some local fishermen  and had a feast (although we later found out the shrimp that day came from Texas... oh well, they were delish!)
Here are some shots of our relaxing trip...