Michael and Beth's BlogMichael and Beth's Blog - Catch up with Michael, Beth, Ella and Paige

Delicious Muffins

Michael Wender — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:21:49 +0000

This morning Beth and Ella did some baking and made some blueberry muffins. Ella made sure she saved one for me to have at lunch. As I enjoyed my first bite, Ella and I had the following exchange:

Daddy: Ella, these blueberry muffins are delicious!

Ella: We don’t talk with our mouth full Daddy.

Babbling Paige

Michael Wender — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:18:04 +0000

Paige is becoming quite the talker.

Paige’s Happy Squeal

Michael Wender — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:30:48 +0000

Paige has a very happy squeal. The only problem with it was when she first started it Mommy would hear it and wonder if she was happy or sad. It only took a couple of days of observation to confirm that many more times than not this is a happy squeal.

Paige’s First Bites

Michael Wender — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:38:24 +0000

Tonight we fed Paige her first bites of solid food.

My Favorite Place to Cry

Michael Wender — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:06:36 +0000

The following exchange happened calmly and happily without Ella offering a bit of the emotion implied in the dialog:

Ella: I’m going to go cry in my room.

Beth: Aw, Ella, why are you going to go cry in your room?

Ella: Because I love to go cry in my room.

Abbreviated Nap Time

Michael Wender — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:49:57 +0000

We’ve had Ella in a toddler bed for a little over a month now. Although she’s able to get out of it, she’s never attempted to unless we’ve come in the room to get her out of bed. She’s even cried for things she has thrown out of bed because she hasn’t thought of getting out to get them. Well, things have begun to change…

Yesterday my mother was watching Ella, and she told us that Ella had gotten out of bed as she was on her way back to her room. Today’s story tops that: I’d just put Ella down for a nap. While I was working in my office, I heard a door open. I thought it was Beth coming from our bedroom. Imagine my surprise when I heard Ella in my doorway announcing, “I’m all done with my nap, Daddy.” I assured her that she wasn’t done, escorted her back to her room, and watched her climb back into bed.

Afterwards, I peeked in at Beth who was holding Paige for a nap. We shared looks of raised eyebrows and rolled our eyes at each other. A couple of minutes later, Ella was back up again. This time Beth reminded me to tell her that if she got up again she wouldn’t get to watch a TV show when she gets up from her nap. Hopefully that did the trick…

Family Reading Time

Michael Wender — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:20:38 +0000

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear to Paige and Ella.

NOTE TO EMAIL READERS: Please click on the title of this post to visit the blog and see the picture.

A Good Night’s Sleep for Paige

Michael Wender — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:23:48 +0000

It’s official. Beth and I are both ready to call last night’s sleep the best so far for Paige since we started “sleep training” her this past Saturday night. She only fed twice (one more hour of sleep would have dropped that to once), and she went down easy (i.e. no crying) for bedtime and after each feeding.

Tell Me a “Mater” Story

Michael Wender — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:21:23 +0000

Ella loves for us to make stories up on the spot and tell them to her. Recently, Ella was introduced to the characters in Pixar’s Cars movie. She loves for us to tell her stories about Lighting McQueen and Tow-Mater. The following exchange relates how one day last week she tried to trick Grandmommy into telling her a story with one of her favorite characters:

Ella: Grandmommy, tell me a “Mater” story.

Grandmommy: I don’t know any “Mater” stories.

Ella: Tell me a “Rastus*” story.

Grandmommy: Ok, what “Rastus” story would you like to hear?

Ella: “Rastus Meets a Friend”

Grandmommy: What friend did he meet?

Ella (with a sheepish grin): Mater.

You may or may not catch the humor and the precocious thinking here, but for those involved this is a scene definitely worth capturing and remembering.

*Grandmommy has told “Pogo and Rastus” stories for years. Pogo and Rastus are two black bears who live in the Smoky Mountains. They still join the Wender Family whenever we take trips to Myrtle Beach.

Fast Friends

Michael Wender — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:38 +0000

This past weekend Beth met her two roommates from college for a “Girl’s Weekend”. Here’s a shot of Paige and Josiah during some pool-time.