Confirmed Sighting and Art Van Antics...

That's right! As of this morning, we have official confirmation that Annie's top teeth have FINALLY broken through! FINALLY! I have been suspicious this past week that she was teething and those teeth were finally going to break through - any minute. I kept checkin' and checkin' to no avail. But - this morning at the baby-sitters, I finally saw them! Finally! Did I mention that I finally saw them? I was seriously beginning to think she didn't have anymore teeth... Grace had at least 6 by 10 months, I'm sure of it...

Clint took this past Monday off, as I had it off from school, and to properly celebrate Martin Luther King day and the Civil Rights movement, we headed on up to Kazoo to run some errands and I wanted to do something fun with Grace. She's been so good the past week - and I know it hasn't been hard, we have been shut inside with sub-zero wind chills and most of Mama's attention was directed toward the baby because of an ear infection, teething and the fact that if Mama put Annie down for even a second, she would scream. Anyway, Grace has been a champ, although I knew she was getting stir crazy and bored to tears. (Much like myself!) So, up to Chuck E. Cheese we headed. This time it was a much better experience. We took her almost a year ago - the week before I had Annie - one Friday when we went to visit J&B in GR. And let me tell you - Chuck E. Cheese with a 2 year old...on a Friday night...in Grand Rapids...

What were we thinking?

Good grief, there were tantrums and crazed runnings through all the machines, and aunts, uncles and dads running all over the place after one extremely overloaded child...My poor bro and sister in law...when we called it a night and put her in the car, Clint & J wanted to check out a store very quickly and left B, Grace and I in the car - and my poor little girl completely FLIPPED OUT. I was a little nervous about it, I have to say. The only way we could get her to settle down and relax was to start singing songs...maybe I've blogged about this before - I don't remember, but it was the craziest I've ever seen her.

This time was MUCH better. A Monday afternoon with a 3 year old was a much pleasanter experience. No tantrums when we left, no psychotic running about and a successful potty experience. However, she did have some Sprite to drink, so when we had to stop at Art Van - and I HATE furniture stores and wasn't thrilled about dragging the kids into one with me - while Clint was talking to the service people about the part we need for the couch, I occupied myself and Grace with another trip to the bathroom...

Now. I have a feeling it's just my child, but EVERY time Grace gets on the potty she takes off ALL her clothes. Except for her shirt, she'll leave that on... EVERY time. And every time, I try to tell her, you can just pull your pants and panties down and still go pee, she has a fit. So here we are in Art Van, got ourselves into the stall and, off comes the boots,

and the socks,

and the pants,

and the panties,

and the coat,

AND the hat...

just the shirt for Miss Grace. There is just no such thing as a quick trip with her. After she's done, she proceeds to hop off and attempt to crawl under the stalls, bare butt in the air and I grabbed her and told her to put all her clothes back on while I went to the bathroom.

I no sooner had my pants down when she unlocked the door (bare butt) and scampered off, leaving me to chase after her with my pants around my ankles. I hauled her bare butt back in there and ORDERED her to get her clothes on. I was a bit impatient, I had to go. Plus, I had my pants down and the door was still swinging open.

She dawdled a bit more and I smacked her butt and told her to get dressed. She looked at me, rolled her eyes and said,

"Oka-a-y"