Hello....it's me

Five months since writing seems like a death sentence for a blog, but things last forever on the internets. Other than the gap between seasons of "Lost", not much would rival my hiatus. Since we last talked, Paige started walking, kissing, hitting and recently, talking. Her words are limited, not unlike other 15 month old kids, but she doesn't let this limitation keep her from starting discussions with everyone she meets. Both kids actually, don't seem to have a shy bone in their bodies. Our local health food store, which sees us quite frequently, is a popular spot for Paige-related discourse. She waves at the cashiers regularly and babbles small talk while I pay for the goods. I think they enjoy the moment and aren't being friendly out of requirement of their customer service policy. Lately, she also will kiss anyone within reach, which can be a problem for the kids who do seem to mind the approach. We've started talking to her about personal space, but I don't think it's sticking quite yet. Several children have recoiled and started crying when Paige butts in for a chat and smooch. She hasn't taking this personal yet though, she moves on to the next child or dog for smooching, whichever is closer. She still is a pipsqueak, weighing in at 19 1/2 lbs as of last weeks 15 month check. Should anyone worry, I remind them to take a look at her father, all 5 feet of me. She's happy and thriving and we are too.
Baxter is doing great too, even though he still needs diapers at this point. I always thought 3 years was going to be the magic number for big boy pants, but as that momentis occasion is about a month away, I may have to adjust my expectations. We have the books, the potty's and we even negotiated a reward system for toilet use, to no avail at this time. About a month ago, I tried a different approach. I said to him, "Baxter, I have a feeling that you are going to use the toilet real soon." He replied, " Dadda, I'll use the toilet when my butt gets bigger." Tough to argue with that logic. This reminds me of something I saw in the newspaper recently. There is a new store opening locally that sells natural cloth diapers, and other hippy-like baby gear. One of the owners was talking up the benefits of cloth diapers and the quote that hit me went something like this. "I don't wear padded paper undergarments, so why should my baby have to wear them." That may be true lady, but I can't remember pooping or peeing in my underwear since college, so I'll need a better argument.