L found my Pepe the Prawn toy, which is still in its clamshell packaging. She's been begging me to open it, insisting over and over, "I will not break it, OK, because I will not break it, because I promise that I will not break it. OK? I want to hold that, OK, because I want to hold it."

It makes me laugh how she'll keep using "because" and "OK" making the sentence go on and on, until you break in with a response. I've found that if I just look interested and engaged, she'll just keep going, and going...

She also comes up with a "because" reason for practically anything she's talking about. Just a bit ago, she wanted me to reach under the couch to pick up a toy, "because if [she] reaches under the couch then [her] arm will get stuck and break." Other "because" justifications abound. I just wish I could think of more right now.

Lily woke Kevin up this morning, his birthday, by singing him the "Happy Birthday" song. She did OK -- glad we practiced -- and just needed a little help as she sang. I told her where the presents were hidden, and she grabbed them out of my drawer of "unmentionables" and presented them to Kevin. Two XBOX games, natch. One featured some hellish graphics and Lily advised Kevin he should play that after she goes to bed.

Lily got her flower girl dress for Uncle Brian's August 8th wedding today. She instantly wanted to put it on and dance. She requested Josh Groban to dance to, and was kind enough to let me video some of it. After a while, I grew a bit uneasy about her getting the dress dirty, so I told her we could change into another dress and dance in that one.

We went into her room to select another dress, and she said, "Mama, just make sure it's beautiful!" She tried to get me to put my wedding veil on, but I demurred. Then, of course, she wanted to wear it, and I got a little WHOA DON'T GROW UP in that moment. We settled on a dress Jaime loaned us that she loves. So now, she's "singing" along to Josh Groban and snacking on Baked Lays.

It's also gorgeous out. FINALLY.

And Owen is napping.

Today's report from Chelsea's, who graciously babysat Lily for Kevin and me.

Conversation today between Lily (almost 3) and Caius (2.5):
Lily: "Don't worry, Caius. My foot is right here. It's not touching you."
Caius (with finger up his nose): "Boogers."
Just about sums up the male/female stereotypes, eh?

Ha! I just put Owen on his stomach, and he promptly turned himself over! First time!

I turn on the movie, "Leap Year" and Lily yells, "HERE COMES THE ROBOTS!"

Owen's first laugh today! I was late with the camera, boo.

KEVIN: Lily, if you drink Coke after you've brushed your teeth, we have to brush them again.
LILY: No!
KEVIN: Yes, Lily, you can't sleep with that sugar on your teeth.
LILY: No! (Licking her lips) I just clean it with my teeth! (Continues licking her lips)

Today's Lily tale:

She's discovered how to open the door. She's also very much obsessed with going outside, which, as you can imagine, is a bad combination. I'm constantly reminding her not to open it without permission (in fact, as I typed this, I had to put her in time-out for yet another case of her ignoring me telling her to close the door). Anyway, this morning she asked if she could go outside, and I said not yet, because I had to breastfeed Owen. I told her we'd go outside when it warmed up a bit and the sun came out.

LILY: Can I go outside by myself?
ME: No, Lily, that's dangerous.
LILY: Why that?
ME: Because I don't want a stranger to come and take you or you to get hit by a car and hurt.
LILY: Why hurt Lily?
(uh-oh, I can see us getting into the weeds, here)
ME: We have to be careful about strangers.
LILY: They eat me?
ME: Um...sure.

Lily said her first solo prayer, and I got Owen to smile at me. It was a milestone-tastic day!

Lily's prayer when something like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for food.
Thank you for mama.
Thank you for dada.
Thank you for baby brother.
Thank you for Owen.
Thank you for everything.
Bless this house.
Bless mama.
Bless dada.
Bless baby brother.
Bless everything.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

This morning Lily really managed to get me laughing. After rushing to get Kevin to the bus stop on time, we were driving over to McDonald's. Lily was upset that Kevin ran off to grab the bus before he had a chance to give him a kiss goodbye. I explained that Dad was in a hurry and he'd give her kisses tonight. This only satisfied her to a very moderate degree, hence, McDonald's. I was in the mood for a large Coke Diete anyway. (Only $1, any size for a limited time only!). Anyway, so I switched over to my man, Bryan Suits, local talk radio man.

LILY: No! I don't like the radio!
ME: What? Why?
LILY: I want music!
ME: Why don't you like the radio?
LILY: Because...because I am not old!
ME: What?!
LILY: Because I am not mama!