Paul Bunyan?

As I’ve described many times before, Dear Daughter is a little sponge of information and constantly overflowing with words, sayings, and gems of knowledge. I’ve realized that she picks up much of this from the 14 books we check out each week from the public library. This week she has been quoting from her “Three Billy Goats Gruff” book. The first time it was in the middle of lunch at Grandpa and Grandma’s house when she stated that we were going to “eat and get fat.” It took me awhile to get the association, but I realized she was referencing the little billy goats who say they are trip trapping across the bridge to get to the meadow where they will eat and get fat. That brings me to the second reference yesterday when Dear Daughter was watching Dear Husband replant a tree in our yard. As he wheeled a wheelbarrow full of dirt out of the fenced back yard to the large grassy side yard, she stated that Daddy was taking the wheelbarrow to the “meadow.” I said, “How do you know what a meadow is?” She said, “I don’t know; I don’t know what a field is either.” I laughed out loud, as she most obviously does know what a meadow is if she knows it is like a field. When I shared this with Dear Husband later, he pointed out that the same book references a meadow. However, my favorite reference from that book was when I was tucking her in one night and pretending to eat her neck and I said, “I just want to eat you up!” and she exclaimed, “No! I’m too little!” which I realized is what the two smaller billy goats say to the troll when he tries to eat them as they cross the bridge.

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Our big project this weekend was buying new car seats. Yes, at four months of age, Dear Son has outgrown his infant seat, which is just as well, I suppose, as I can hardly lift him in it anymore…or at least I cannot carry him in it very far at all. I noticed the top of his head was fast approaching the top of his seat back. A couple weeks ago he had his four month check up and measured 16.8 pounds and 26 ¼ inches. I checked the instruction booklet that came with his car seat and it specified that the height limit is 26 inches. The dilemma, Dear Daughter, also in the 90% for size, is not quite ready for a booster as she can still fit in a harness, and that is recommended as long as possible. We decided to move Dear Son into her convertible seat and purchase a new combination seat for Dear Daughter, so she can continue to use the harness as long as possible and then we can remove it and use the seat longer as a belt positioning booster. Due to our varied work schedules, we had to purchase two of these seats. I drop the kids off once a week with Grandma and Grandpa and go to work and Dear Husband picks them up so I can work late. To this point, we have gotten by without double seats, but life has gotten more complicated recently.

Dear Husband had the daunting project of figuring out how to install/re-install four carseats in two vehicles, neither of which has LATCH and one of which requires those gosh-awful seat belt locking clips. I think it took most of the morning to accomplish said mission.

Another complicated aspect of the current situation is that while Dear Son is too big for his infant seat to travel safely in the car now, he does not have the coordination and strength just yet to sit up in a cart, or in the stroller seat, for that matter. I’ve decided I will have to hang onto the infant carrier and leave it in the family-mobile to use when going places so that I can take Dear Son out of his convertible car seat and transfer him into the infant seat, which snaps on the stroller or can be set in a shopping cart. He can still fit in the seat for that purpose, just not to safely ride in the car.

Dear Son is also pushing the limits of many of his 6-9 months clothes already. I had to purchase him the largest size of lightweight footed sleepers I could find. One brand is nearly too small in the 6-9 month size and the other brand sized 9 months fit just right. I cannot find 12 month lightweight footed sleepers. I also purchased him the large size onesies that are indicated for 9 months of age and should fit to 20 lbs. He only has one more size up to go in those (to the XL) and I will no longer be able to find onesies to fit him. I keep picking up up 12 and 18 month size clearance clothing for him when I see it, thinking he’s going to hit those sizes way too soon! I know he will have to level off sooner or later. If not, we will have another Paul Bunyan on our hands!