Breakthroughs

TV Time -- Austin could actually care less about TV, but I think he liked
sitting next to his big brother

There have been some breakthroughs this week at the McBride house. Austin started walking on his own last weekend -- not all of the time, but he will just take off across the room and pause, change directions and plop down very gracefully. What's funny is that he cracks up at himself as he does this, which I have not yet caught on video.

Tyler has been amazing with the potty -- except at school of course -- but otherwise he's almost 100% -- even at night. He's transforming into this precious and precocious little boy right before my eyes. When he got in the car from school yesterday, he recited the Pledge of Allegiance and knocked my socks off. It's extra neat to see your young ones do something you don't personally teach them.

And of course, these 2 boys are running me ragged with their endless energy. Tyler doesn't just walk across a room -- he does a spastic dance, arms flying, singing at the top of his lungs. He even watches TV standing up sometimes, throwing his body across the ottoman occasionally to kick his legs and stretch his limbs in every direction. As someone with not a lot of experience with children, or boys, I'm in a bit of awe at the constant expression that comes from him in every second -- even as we go to brush his teeth he runs into the bathroom excited about something as simple as turning on the water. I could eat him up in one minute and the next I want to pull my hair out. The stamina this takes is beyond anything I've ever done!

We have been mostly stranded this week due to a family cold that has hit us all. It's bad enough to not feel normal, but we still have the desire to be normal -- and that's what's rough. I hope this week will bring health and some outdoor fun again.

In the meantime, my house is a disaster, we have a huge jelly bean addiction (due to potty training), and the kids are climbing the walls. But Scott is off for 4 days in a row starting Saturday and the countdown to the beach at the end of April is on!