One small step for Quinn, one large step for the Shipley's

My wife got the little gut to take his first unaided steps!!! The momentus event took place on Friday, Ma 29that the Grandparents. Mom bribed him into five or six small steps with a probug drinkable yogurt! He wanted it so bad, but unfortunately Dad was caught off guard and had no recording device available but had plenty of witnesses!! ou go little dude!!

Picking up speed, hope we don't hit any bumps!!!

Well, not to say we have been pushing the sign language, but we have been actively using the signs with Quinn. His break out moment was with doing MORE after a slight case of starvation and that has been great. He does it all the time now so we hope he really is understanding it. Then tonight we were into the bedtime routine whe we asked him if he wanted books and while I had my eye on a great little animals books he chopped his hands together. Now, it really wasn't quite the correct sign for BOOK but he made the attempt and Mom saw it and gave him the needed praise because when we asked again if he wanted a book he clearly signed in the same choppy motion of hands together with palms up in front of himself and then pointed at the animal book I picked up!! Great job buddy!! He signed BOOK after the end of all the books and even used MORE and BOOK together. Look out world the boy is going bilingual! Now if we only get him to locate his nose?!?!?

Cancel the spot on Letterman

We have a sighting on the well know Ms. Frump face. Last seen at the Ready Teddy Preschool performance of "Commotion in the Ocean"

She came into the performance with the lovely scowl and kept it up through the entire singing and dancing of "Baby Beluga" a song she has known for quite over a year. She second from the left side and is just above the teachers head for the first half of the clip. You have to hand it to her, she does have stamina! Even with a costume adjustment, she still kept it up, WOW. I do think this effectively kills her stage career though.

And then, in a repeat performance . . .

Once again, here is a song she has had playing in her rotation for about two years! She has been to two concerts for Ralph's World and loves to swim a, swim, swim but not today. Can we market this kind of show? Is there a call for scowling preschoolers? Maybe Letterman doesn't want her but what about Americas Funniest Home video? Hhhhmmmmm. We officially flushed away $17 for a DVD of the performance of Ms. Frumpy Face. Can I take that out her college fund, do I have enough evidence to please the courts?

Anyway, she left the way she came in and then transformed back into her normal self.

Asleep at the wheel

Despite the rain on Memorial day, I took the kids outside to play on the monstrous swing set that Uncle Mark scored for Grandma and Grandpa's house. Paige enjoyed wiping down all the wet places and Quinn was raring to go in the baby swing. Paige became restless and eventually left the swing set for other distractions. Quinn however, was setting up camp in the baby swing. He took pushes from me, grandpa and Paige and kept us working for at least and hour. The pictures are of the little man in shut down while still in the swing.

Man, he gave grandpa and dad a good laugh. Didn't last though as sister just couldn't stay quite and sparked his fire to be awake again. Too bad little guy, Dad needs to go inside!!

Kideny stones and apples

Well, I had a bout of Kidney stones late Wednesday night, May 20th which left me at home for an extended Memorial day weekend and on some really good drugs. Can you say VIIIII-CADIN! Well, after battling the pain and then the fog of the vicadin I spent some time with the kids. Mom went to Woodstock to hang with the girls and Dad was in charge after coming out of the drug stupor. No major damage, a small chin road rash, baths and an early bedtime, not bad for a recovering druggie of two days.
In an attempt to let Mom catch up on sleep, Dad was up with the two kiddos on Sunday morning. Paige wanted an apple so she got one out to eat. Quinn just had to have some, so she shared. Sure enough he used his 3 1/2 teeth to gnaw away at her apples. But big sis had to have it back so Dad peeled off the middle of the skin of another apple and Quinn rolled around for a good hour just working away at the center of the apples. The video clip shows the two kids with apples and the delight they had in eating them together.

Newly found educational principle

On Memorial day we took teaching sign language to a whole new level. Just like most parents these days, we have been trying to get the little man to pick up the sign language. We did it with Paige and it was awesome! He grasped MILK pretty quickly but we have been stumped in our attempts to get MORE out of him until . . . we accidentally tried starving him. That's right, we let him nap through lunch, and what a great time it was to sit and eat lunch with two adults and one child. Anyway, after his nap we decided to head in the direction of Hickory Hills to spend the afternoon. As is usual, Paige asked for a chewy snack and we gave he some mango. Quinn man longingly watched her munch away, and at this point both his parents are oblivious to his hungry stares. Well then Mom has a moment and decides to get hi a snack out, which he devours voraciously! Mom asks him if he wants more and almost heartbreakingly he musters up the strength to make a small attempt at MORE. So he gets more. He so wanted MORE that he perfected tapping together his two index fingers for MORE just like Paige did when she was young. So just let it be known that if you really want them to pick it up, try starving them a little and see if they do not respond quickly!!! Sorry little man.

Two fisted drinkers

One of the great photos we have of Paige is her in her cow skin carseat with two bubbas (pacifiers for the average joe). And in a repeat performance, Quinn decided to two fist the sippy cups tonight at dinner. Not to be outdone by the big sis, he went back hand on one of them to up the difficulty.

Quite a feat, it really impressed the judges (his parents are pretty easily impressed), but Paige was not too wowed.

From baby to boy!!!

Well, we did it. We took the boy and put him under the scissors. That's right, the first haircut is done. Boy, did that change his look. Now this little man stares back at you, it's weird. He sat really well, but kept trying to find Mom who was dealing with big sister across the room. I never realized you needed dance training to cut hair, but if you end up doing an 11 month old, you better be light on your feet.
Cut turned out fine and the dude looks cool!

Not a bad adventure on Mother's Day!!