Family Update

I've been letting things slide on here, so it's probably time to get caught up on family news, youngest to oldest.

Brooklyn
Eeek!  That girl is the sweetest thing, I tell ya.  She's cuddly, loves hugs and kisses, and still has a delicious smile. She's been walking solidly for a month now and loves to try to keep up with Jack.  Although she never took a bottle, she's a fantastic eater.  I didn't think Jack was that picky of a toddler until we had Brooklyn and realized that some children will eat anything.  It's awesome!  Tonight, she was fussing at the table, so I let her get down.  She walked to the counter and pointed at a spoon.  Turns out, she just wanted to have her own utensil!  I gave her a bowl of applesauce, and she ate it with her spoon like she was a pro.  *sigh*  Why do I forget that she's not a helpless baby anymore?

Jack
Just when I think that he couldn't possibly become more fun, he does.  Some of his favorites lately are monsters, Jesus, Jonah/large fish, wolves, ghosts, elephants, and trains.  He's also becoming genuinely helpful too.  He folds washcloths, sets the table, pours/stirs ingredients when I'm baking, uses the swiffer wetjet on the kitchen floor, and shovels the deck.  Oh!  And he's potty-trained!  He still has an occasional accident, but I'm slowly starting to take him out in public in undies.  Well....clothes too.  By the way, how do you handle the super inconvenient potty emergencies?  Like when you're in the checkout line at the grocery store with both kids or in the middle of a doctor's appointment?

Anyway.  Here are a few recent quotes:
"Friday night is Jesus' birthday."
"Daddy go potty 'cause him go pee in his pants."  (which did not happen, in case you're wondering)
"I want the light off and the door open.  That might be fun."  he told me at nap-time.
"HEY GUY! GET BACK UP ON THAT LADDER!"  yelling to the man fixing the neighbors' tv dish.
"I'm too old to pick up [toys] because I'm getting big."
"I need to drink coffee so me feels healthy."
"I'm happy you came home Mommy."

Amanda
Mehh, not too much news to report here.  I mean, the whole vegan thing has kept me busy trying new recipes, and I'm almost finished with the book, The China Study, dealing with nutrition and the typical American diet (which hardly belong in the same sentence together, it would seem).  I feel great and have more energy, although I'm pretty sure I'll feel even better when spring hits.  I don't mind the snow/ice/cold per se, but I'm not a huge fan of putting sixteen layers of clothes on my herd of wild cats every time we want to go outside.  What? You have a herd of wild cats?  Sorry, I mean, the kids.

Jeremy
Hold on to your hats people.  Jeremy has been feeling pretty stinkin good lately.  And in case you didn't know, that is big news.  Jeremy's had chronic back pain for 6.5 years, catalyzed by the bridge+rope swing+shallow water incident, and injured further when we moved almost 2 years ago.  Our chiropractor, Dr. Michael, has helped a ton since the move, and he helped to bring us out of a very difficult time.  That being said, Jeremy's had to see him 1-2 times a week for nearly two years.  Until this month.  He hasn't gone yet.  Yes, the same month that we switched to a totally plant-based diet, Jeremy's back pain improved dramatically.  One possible explanation for this is that clogged/blocked arteries can cause pain and degeneration.  As blood flow improves, pain decreases.  Makes tons of sense, really.  And it's probably all the incentive that we need to stick with this thing...because there's nothing like good health.


Alright, that should do it for tonight.  I'm off to slaughter a vegetable.