Birthday Week

Josh's 32nd and my 34th birthdays happened mostly uneventfully this week. There were lots of other things going on, and neither of us could decide what we wanted for birthday presents, so there wasn't really any unwrapping to do. We did manage to have two nice family dinners: I made rosemary apricot pork roast for Josh on Sunday (his actual birthday), while my parents were still here, and Mom Keffer contributed his favorite red velvet cake. Then, two days after my birthday, we had dinner at Mom and Dad Keffers—sukiyaki and flourless chocolate cake...yummy!

Monday night we'll finish up the birthday celebration with our traditional trip to Red Robin for birthday burgers. For those who have Red Robin in your area: they do free birthday burgers during the month of your birthday if you register your rewards card online. Unbeatable!

A Visit From Gamaw and Capaw

My mom and dad came for a visit and to attend the Focus over Fifty conference. We wondered how Xander would do with guests in the house for five days, since he is rather territorial about having people besides us in "his" house. He isn't mean, but he barks and barks, and he has such a huge voice, so it really annoying after a very short time. 

Well, Dad tamed the beast...

My dad loves to torment, er, play with puppies. He would throw the ball for Xander over, and over and over. So, for the most part, Xander decided it was OK for him to be in the house. He still wasn't sure what he thought of Mom, but he even calmed down a little around her as the week passed. 

Lorien is blessed to have two grandpas who LOVE to read to her. She and Dad read every book she owns at least three times, I think. Since Mom and Dad left, we have heard her ask for, "Campaw. More books?" several times. Apparently, her other favorite part of their visit was playing with Grandma in the back yard, because she also asks for "Gamaw, outside. Fwing?"

Family Photo

We needed a new family picture to send to Josh's Grandma Keffer for her birthday, so we set up the tripod and snapped this one. I think it might be my favorite one of the three of us since last Easter. 

Star Wars, Anyone?

 
Lorien’s been stringing words together into sentences for the past month or so, and we love the Yoda-esque syntax on this one: “All done the milk.”

Also, for several months, she’s been pulling what we call the Jedi mind trick: telling us what she wants us to say in response to her:

“More crackers. OK.”

The OK in that sentence is not her saying OK. It’s her telling us that that’s what we’re supposed to say in return. It's so cute it sometimes works.

The Concept of Two

 
This past week, Lorien has been learning the concept of two. She has known the word two for a while now... and that whenever she heard someone say, “one,” she should follow it with “two.” But now she gets that two is what happens when you have one in each hand.

It all started when I washed my cell phone last week. (Yes, that is another story entirely.) So the other day, I spent a LONG time on the phone with Verizon customer service, trying to get a very old mobile device activated on my number. And Lorien observed: “Two. Phones.”

Also, she is into “bear-bears” these days. None of her bear-bears have names. Just colors. Pink bear-bear. “Geen” bear-bear. Brown bear-bear. So now, when she has two of them in her arms, she’ll say, “Two. Bear-bears.” Super cute.

Valentine's Cupcakes

In Lorien's words, "nummy, nummy!"

She Started This

I wouldn't say that I'm ambitious about potty training. I definitely wasn't planning to start this early. But Lorien started informing us when she has to go. So we bought a potty. And she uses it. Not consistently, but at least every other day. 

Here, she is reading "The Wheels on the Bus," which she calls "Party Time." She also likes to read her "Happy Book" when she's on the potty. 

And yes, I know. Someday she will hate me for these pictures.