Back to Normal...

We got outside last night... yay!

Can you believe this kid had surgery 12 hours before this picture was taken?


The bike/scooter/things with wheels parking lot. ;)


Simon's friend Quinn

My Oh So Productive Day...

I keep thinking that today is the perfect opportunity to get some things accomplished. Tom is home, it's a weekday, the kids are pretty tired and mellow.

And then I try to get off the couch and end up laying on the floor around the house somewhere curled up in a ball begging for a blankie.

I have taken two 1-1/2 hour naps today, had two glasses of gingerale, one cup of tea, a piece of toast and bowl of rice. I have seen pretty much all of the internet and part of a Star Wars movie.

Again, I'd really like to do something productive (I had organizing some baby clothes in the attic in mind, or trying to find a birthday gift for my niece, or any one of a hundred random little things that are hard to do alone during the week with two kids at my feet but all I keep thinking is I'd really just like to take another nap.

Sleepytime...

Simon's Ears and Kiddie Germs...

Simon is all finished with his surgery and home. He did awesome, was done in no time and didn't cry once... not even coming out of the anesthesia. Nurses love him! I always feel the need to explain that despite appearances, he is not always so mellow...

I'm feeling better, though I was up the ENTIRE night, save for one hour of sleep sometime between 4 and 5. I learned a hard lesson about not eating Frosted Mini Wheats at midnight when you were feeling pukey earlier in the day and think you might be a little hungry.

Good times.

But, hopefully, this is the beginning of a well period for the Baby Human clan. We could use a nice healthy respite before the onset of school germs in September.

The Latest Victim...

I seem to have succumbed to the fever bug of summer 2008. I was SO TIRED and achy all day, but took a Motrin and dismissed it, though I did lay down on the sofa for at least half of Spiderman 2 during Simon's nap.

Then after lunch, my stomach felt a little off and I never did get hungry for dinner. By 8:15, I was huddled in bed with a fever.

Now that the second dose of Motrin has kicked in, I'm just hungry and sleepless. Great!

It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to blog at 10:45 p.m. though. So hello all you night owls! ;)

Still a Go...

Looks like fever or not, Simon will still be getting his tubes tomorrow! WOOHOO! The nurse at the ENT's office said it's such a minor procedure that they don't cancel it for fever, or even for a cold!

So yay! I was prepared to postpone it a week or so, but this was wonderful surprise news! :)

Wish us luck, both for Simon and for Ben, who will be spending the night with his Nanee and Pap. I want him to have the time of his life and not even think about wanting to come home overnight! We'd love to get into the habit of sending both kids there once a month or so for a sleepover and eventually work up to being able to jet off for a weekend, just Tom and me! :)

I Guess I Should Just Be Happy They Are So Good At Sharing!

Yep. Simon woke up with the fever bug. That means no tubes tomorrow, and that stinks.

Just Another Virus...

That would actually make a great alternate title for this blog, especially when winter comes. Oh how I am dreading winter already...but that is a post for another day!

Anyway, yeah, so Ben came through for me and worked up a respectable temp of 99.6 by the time we got to the pediatrician's office, thus proving I am not crazy.

The one nurse looked up when we got there and said, "Oh look! It's my best friends!" Truly. We have seen her at least five? six? time since the beginning of July. The other nurse was amused to see us again as well, but said that you just never know with a fever that has relapsed, especially with a kid who is ear infection prone like Ben is. She said that yes, there is a virus going around all over that is causing "just a fever" that fluctuates up and down and comes and goes as Ben's has, but that you really can't be sure that's what it is until you rule out the usual infection suspects.

Long story short. I ain't no fool. Boo ya. Score one for the mommy!

They must not fill the doctor in on the day's patient list because when she opened the exam room door, she actually said, "You guys are here AGAIN?" But, she concurred with the nurse (because mommy ain't no fool! Boo ya.) and checked him head to toe. The final verdict? Just the virus everyone else has and that will be $20 please and thank you.

But, it's good to know there's nothing more sinister brewing. And of course he's been 100% fine pretty much since I wrote out the check for the copay. Playing outside, completely himself. I'm hoping he's finally beat it for good this time. Fevers kinda sap the fun out of a nice summer day, and the funds from the savings. ;)

The Most Indecisive Fever Ever...

Ben woke up this morning around 8:45 with yet another fever. He sported it all morning... well, actually just long enough for me to call the doctor to get him in. Then it went down to 99.5. I called back and canceled. They laughed. It went back up to 100.6. I called back and rescheduled. They laughed more. Now it's gone... in fact, he is 98.1 and fine. I simply can not call that office again and be THE joke of the day... so 3p.m. appointment it is. I actually sort of hope his temp goes back up again, at least for the visit, lest my $20 copay be completely wasted.

My niece has a fever too. So do ...(counting)... at least three of my neighbors' children... whatever this bug is, it's REALLY contagious! Yet so benign... because other than the fever, no one seems to have any other symptoms. Very strange!

Nanee Wanted a New Ears Picture...

Hee. My little mouseketeer. We're gearing up for another trip in just six months! Woohoo!

Reunited...

Yesterday I took Ben to a birthday party at Little Gym for his friend Carly (from school). They hadn't seen each other since school let out, and since they are only four, I wondered how they'd react... if they'd even really remember each other all that well?

We were the last ones to arrive and Carly's mom opened the door to the gym where they were all playing, Ben ran in, Carly came running from across the room, "My Bennnnjamin!!! Yayyyyyy!!!" Ben yelled, "Carwy!!" ((he mispronounces it in a very adorable way) and they spent 45 minutes chasing each other around, even though Carly had 15 other friends there to play with. Yeah, it was pretty darn cute. What's funny is two of his other school friends were there (both girls) and Ben barely even gave them the time of day... one he didn't even notice was there until two minutes before we left.

I think it's safe to say he has a type. He likes the ones who are a little hyper (like him) and non-stop talkers (like him)... I've also noticed that the little girls he likes to play with and who like playing with him almost always have older brothers. Interesting, huh? I guess that makes them used to dealing with crazy, rowdy boys...

Anyway, I snapped a pic right before we left. Sadly, these two are not in the same class this year since Ben is morning and Carly is afternoons... but Carly's mommy says she is going to bring her early sometimes for Lunch Bunch and Ben is going to stay late for Lunch Bunch, so they'll still get to see each other. ;)

Waterblogged...

Photo heavy... too tired to write actual words...

-First stop: the one with the fam

Cousins on the raft

Swimming Ben

Anastasia in the floaty car

Benjamin and Aunt Sarah

Quality time with Dah



- Second stop: neighborhood party!

Simon in the waterfall


Happy on the swings!


Simey and his buddy Clayton in the sandbox


My matchy boys playing in the fountains


Simon and Quinn in the fountains and hanging out in the water



And this one is not my kid... it's Ben's friend John. I just thought the pic was cool. ;) John has no fear of the water and Ben is in awe of his jumping/going under water skillz... but not enough to be inspired to try jumpingin /going underwater himself. ;)


Oh and this is how Simon spent roughly an hour and a half at least... in and out, in and out, in and out... easily entertained!

Busy Day...

Hopefully this is a day that will yield lots of cute pics. We have dueling pool parties! One is at noon with Tom's family and their church and we are going until Simon is ready for his afternoon nap. Then we are headed to another one with the gang from the neighborhood tonight after four. Of course that is barring any meltdowns from either of my kids... everything is tentative in five and under land, you know. ;)

Back tonight!

Bonus Stats Update!

Simon had his pre-op physical today, so I got a sneak preview of his stats for 15 months... at 14-1/2 months, the kiddo is about 70-75th percentiles all across the board now as he weighed/measured in at 26-1/2 pounds and 32 inches. He hasn't gained anything since 12 months, but according to my records, he has grown 2-1/2 inches, so I have to wonder if she measured wrong, either today or back then. That's kind of a crazy growth spurt for only three months, don't you think? I may measure again later just to see... seriously, almost THREE inches? At that rate, you'd think I'd actually be able to see him growing taller just between lunch and dinner!

Simon's Surprise!

Last night, I guess Simon was feeling like he was missing out on the daddy/Ben party in the basement because he DID NOT want to go to sleep. I went up around 8:30 and just rocked him and talked to him for awhile. Eventually he put his head on my shoulder but continued to babble away.

Just for fun, I said, "Simon, where's your nose?" (not expecting a real response because usually he just giggles at me or pinches MY nose)... he sat up, pointed to his nose and said, "Noh". So I tried another one. "Simon, where's your mouth?" He pointed to his mouth and said, "Meh." I tried to stump him with teeth, but apparently he has figured out where those are too, and calls them "Chee" That was the end of the game as it seems eyes, hair and ears are still a mystery to him. ;) Oh, but he DOES know where his big 'ol belly is!

Anyway, I was so surprised! I had NO idea he knew any of that yet. That's kind of the sad part of the second child... you don't have as much one-on-one time as you do when you only had one, so sometimes they learn things without you even realizing it.

I can't wait until school starts in September and I have that little chunk of time in the morning with just him. :)

Fast Recovery....

We did not leave the house yesterday. This was extremely depressing because it was beautiful outside... 85 or so and virtually no humidity. However, the day of rest seems to have done wonders for fever boy, because after an entire day of laying around with a fever that bounced around between 100 and 102, it finally broke around 4:30p.m. and he was pretty much himself. This morning, he seems completely normal. I also got every piece of laundry in the house done, which is a nice silver lining as well. ;)

Today we're making up for lost time!

Hide and Seek Ben Style...

In Ben's version of the game, which we have now played about 100 rounds of today so far, he tells me where he is going to hide, then goes there THEN tells me I can start counting. If I start counting before then, he yells at me.

When it's my turn, he tells ME where to hide. I like to throw him off and hide somewhere else in the same room. Gets him every time. ;)

... of course!

So Ben got up at a crazy hour (for him) this morning... 6:30a.m. Tom put him on the couch to watch the Disney Channel while he finished getting ready. I got up and got a shower then went to get him breakfast.

"I'm cold," he said, pitifully.

Now, Ben knows that when he says he is cold, I instantly feel his head and check his temperature. (he's a crazy hot kid and is NEVER ever cold) I thought perhaps he was going for the attention-getter, which he has done before...

I felt his head. Oddly warm.

I took his temp.... 101.5. He couldn't POSSIBLY have roseola again, (could he?) so I asked him if his ears hurt and he said no. Since Simon has a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning (pre-op for his ear tubes), I guess I'll have her check Ben out too. Seriously, my children are germ MAGNETS.

Anyway, so now he's on his couch bed eating breakfast and watching more tv. He's quiet and sleepy but he ate a good breakfast and seems otherwise okay. (sigh)

Another day, another germ. Good times.

Gah.

Yesterday was the worst day in a long time. I was that mom who yelled the entire day.

The kids tagteamed me.

Tom was late because he was stuck at the allergist, who was running over an hour behind. (gotta love specialists...)

The power in our neighborhood went out for two hours, just after Ben and I had settled in to watch the rain and the first Spiderman movie. He was not pleased. (but yay for neighbors who invited us over to play and saved my sanity temporarily!)

The power outage screwed up my plans for dinner preparation...

We were just going to order out but, since Tom was going to be so late, I went ahead and tried to make the dinner I planned anyway, which meant I had to do it at 6:30, AFTER the kids had eaten and were then trashing the downstairs and hanging onto my legs. Ben was throwing quarters from his piggy bank all over the living room. Simon took both remote controls and threw the batteries all over the kitchen. Then he tore up the kitchen rugs. Then he threw goldfish on the floor and stepped on them. Then he wanted to be picked up.

By the end of the night, I had decided I was finished with having kids and might possibly just run away for a week or two.

Thankfully, for Eventual Hypothetical Future Baby Three's (E.H.F.B.T, for short) sake, I feel slightly better about life this morning... but who knows what today will bring!

Simon...

...is slowly getting back to his old self. The only problem is that his old self has acquired that mid-one independence desire that results in tears of frustration (him, not me... yet) many times a day.

First off, he wants everything his big brother has. Literally, whatever Ben is holding/eating/drinking, Simon must have AT THAT VERY SECOND OR OHMAHGAH THE TEARS WILL FLOW. He has even taken to sitting on the floor and just lowering his head all the down between his legs while he cries, just for added dramatic effect. It looks like a yoga position.

Secondly, he wants everything he can't have and if he can't have it, or if he momentarily gets it and someone takes it away... same as above.

Thirdly, he is forever testing me with the stairs and the darn bunk bed ladder. If I dare put the gate up or keep him from going up either of those... same as above.

He has started to HATE riding in grocery carts. This is fun.

In short, Little Dude has QUITE a temper.

(Oh, and he's also at what is quite possibly my least favorite baby stage. THe one where they are never content sitting say, on the couch with you. They MUST attempt to dive off over and over and over again. And they are still too little to trust them to sit by themselves or get up and down by themselves. He also can't verbalize much of what he wants yet and he spends a good deal of time frustrated... yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious to speed along the next few months or so.)

You know, it's funny... as challenging as Ben is in many ways, I can probably count on one hand the number of temper tantrums he has thrown in his lifetime. They are rare and few and far between... usually only happening when he is overtired.

Simon? Though he hasn't had what I'd call an actual temper tantrum yet, (you know, the kicking, screaming, out of control, all you can do is toss them in their room and wait it out type thing) I could see that becoming an issue sooner than later. I have GOT to work on breaking this because, really, let's be honest, it's not going to be long before he is WAY stronger than I am. I'll probably have a hard time carrying him kicking and screaming out of places by the time he is two.

I tell ya... they are ALL a challenge in their own ways... even the easygoing ones.

Lunchboxes and School Supplies...

Ah yes, my favorite time of year is drawing nigh. The stores are all set up with their bright and shiny school supply displays... I sometimes walk through just to smell the reams of notebook paper and ogle the many varieties of pens. Yeah, I'm strange like that.

What can I say? I was a big dork who couldn't wait for back to school. Ever since I graduated from college, I have missed not not really being able to participate in this time of year. But now... ha HA, I can live vicariously!

I bought Ben a lunchbox the other day. Actually, it's one of those insulated lunchbag things, but I was so excited! I plan on him staying at school for lunch more days than not this year because a) the extra hour will be nice and b) kindergarten is a FULL DAY NOW and anything I can do to help prepare him for that transition, I am going to try to do.


**Begin rant**
Just a quick side rant: I am so very annoyed at the school system for the whole full-day kindergarten thing. I think it's utterly ridiculous to send kids who are barely five off to school for over eight hours a day. I think they get on the bus at 8:50 and aren't home until almost 4:30... ridiculous. The full day should be offered, but optional.

I am currently exploring other options for kindergarten, but a neighbor made a good point about that... if you send your child to kindergarten outside the county school system that is only half day, when you put them in first grade, will they end up being behind their classmates who did full-day kindergarten?

I'm just plain irritated and wish we could afford to put him all the way through a private school and not have to worry about the county school system and their stupid stupid stupid decisions. But seeing as we already have two children and want to eventually have another, private school, at least for elementary school, is pretty much off the table...
**End rant**

But anyway, back to school is upon is and I am excited. ;) We should find out who Ben's teacher is in the next couple of weeks... and then comes the first day! Oh, how I love the first day... I can't wait to walk in and smell the scent of tempra paint and paste, to see the newly decorated classroom, the fresh playdough... (sigh) It brings back so many memories. ;) September can't come quickly enough!

Score One for Mommy!

Guess who woke up with the roseola rash this morning?!?!

Yeehaw!

Not only does that mean I was right and the doctor was wrong, but it also means he's not contagious anymore and should be back to his normal self pretty soon. :) Yay yay yay!

Wall-E... Eve-uh... Sick-E

My in-laws took Ben for awhile this afternoon and did some fun things with him, and it was SO nice for him to get out of the house. I know he had a blast. After Simon's nap, we drove up to get Ben, drop off Simon and go see Wall-E. (Ben loved it)

Simon was doing better, (and still is, in that he hasn't had a fever in over 24 hours)... but he apparently was pretty fussy for my inlaws. He's just not himself... he's SO cranky... and tired... and clumsy. He doesn't know what he wants. He won't eat. It's obvious his mouth hurts, whether because of sores in his throat from the virus, the four molars coming in, or the combination, I don't know. But he's an absolute wreck. I feel so sad for him. I hope tomorrow is a bigger improvement.

:(

On the bright side, Wall-E was good and Ben had a fun weekend despite having a sick baby brother. We were worried he'd have to spend the whole weekend stuck inside with us... but it turned out better than expected. :)

Knock on Wood and all Wood-Like Surfaces...

Both kids seem fine so far today! Granted, they are still sleeping, but I have checked on both and no one has a fever. Simon actually hasn't had a fever since 4p.m. yesterday and was pretty much himself by 5p.m. He even ate a great dinner! Ben was fine too and played until 9:30p.m. after his oh-so-rare nap.

Cross your fingers all is still well when they actually wake up! That'd be nice...

Oh No...

Ben fell asleep on the couch after complaining all afternoon that he was tired.

Ben never naps.

Ever.

Except when he's sick.

(cry cry cry) :(

He seems well enough other that that, but honestly, I'd be shocked if he didn't wake up with a fever. Or puke on me. Or complaining that his throat hurts.

This just isn't fair. Kids shouldn't get sick in the summertime. :(

Forewarning of Cute-osity to Come...

We HAD to get out of the house this afternoon so we all trekked to the mall during Simon's Motrin window so Tom and Benjamin could get measured for their wedding tuxes. (for Tom's youngest brother's wedding in August) I would have taken my camera along, but I foresaw much screaming on sicky-poo Simon's part, so I knew I would be otherwise occupied keeping him happy.

I did, however, get to see Ben try on the tux jacket and he looked SO CUTE, I almost cried! And the funniest part was that he didn't want to take it off. He cried and cried because he loved it and wanted to wear it home. I guess this bodes well for the day of the wedding! Now, let's cross our fingers and hope he thinks walking down the aisle is as cool as wearing the tux.

Not Buying It... But Then Again, I Didn't Go to Medical School...

I'm having a hard time buying that Simon has what the doctor says he has, only because he really doesn't have much in the way of the "hand and foot" part of the equation. He has a slew of mosquito bites on his legs and arms from the pool the other night... there is one small bump on his heel that the doctor used to make the diagnosis, but it really looks like a continuation of the path of the same hungry skeeter. He also has one bump on the top of his hand that also just looks like like mosquito bite.

Hand, foot and mouth sores appear on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet!

It should be noted that she did claim she saw bumps on his throat, but he doesn't open his mouth for her, so I really can't imagine how good of a look she got.

Also, none of the other kids in the neighborhood are sick. (which is strange because that was really the only place for him to be exposed)

Honestly? (not that it matters in the end because the treatment is the same --there is none) My money is still on roseola... guess we'll see in the few days if the rash shows up.

Either way, my poor little fevery dude is taking it rather well. He's so pitiful, but still trying to be happy. :(

We are trying to decide how this is going to affect our weekend plans. We were going to take Ben to see Wall-E today, but now are going to wait until tomorrow to see if Simon is better. Tom and I were also going to have a date day, but something's gotta give because there are only two days in a weekend. ;)

Also waiting to see if the bump that looks like a mosquito bite on the top of BEN'S hand turns into anything...

(sigh)

Oh, For the Love of Pete...

The answer was d) Some other random virus.

A.K.A. Hand, Foot and Mouth...a.k.a. Coxsackie Virus.

I don't know why it didn't occur to me either, because we were indirectly exposed to it through some friends whose other friend had recently turned up with it. Luckily (and I am crossing every possible limb on this one), Benjamin shouldn't get it because he had it over the winter.

Sigh.

Impeccable Timing...

Simon is running a high fever... of course, I didn't discover this until four hours after we got home from the doctor's office. He felt warm before he went down for his nap, but we had been running errands in the heat, so I chalked it up to that.

Anyway, shall we take bets on the cause? Here are your choices:
1) Ear infection
2) Teeth (doesn't usually cause a HIGH fever... but a girl can hope, right?)
3) Roseola (no cold-like stuff recently, but a girl can hope, right?)
4) Random virus

It's really a tough call. He doesn't seem to be in any pain or have any symptoms other than being a little cranky and not wanting anything to eat, which is why I am torn between ear infection and roseola. I would be thrilled if it were roseola because it's a good one to get over and done with) But, sadly, ear infection is probably the most likely culprit. I guess we'll find out tomorrow when I make yet another trek to the pediatrician's office.

Ew.

Ben had a followup of a followup of an ear infection this morning. (don't ask... I swear, I think they just like see me every week!) Anyway, she actually removed one of his tubes since they have now both fallen out and are just hanging out in his ear canal. It was gag-a-riffic. It must have hurt too because he wasn't letting her near the other ear for the second tube.

Also, she agreed with me (Hell? Frozen? Pigs? Flying?) about waiting on his adenoids. Woohoo!

All in all not a bad morning, except that now Simon is boycotting the nap he seemed so desperate to take while we were at the Dr.'s office. And also, now I owe Ben a new fish for sitting still while the doctor used a six inch stick to dig around in his ear for five minutes. I didn't expect her to do that or I would have prepared him better... Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I had to pull out the big guns and just all out bribe him.

C'est la vie.

I need more coffee.

For the PH Gang...

If any of you didn't see this on Facebook yesterday...
Mrs. Lamp passed away. :(

On a More Superficial Note...

I need a new diaper bag. I have been using the freebie Enfamil/Similac bags I got both times I was in the hospital and they are now 100% shot. The question I have been pondering is, should I buy an actual DIAPER bag at this point or should I just get Simon a little backpack like Ben's and carry that around instead? (and then, obviously, when Three comes along, I'll get another of those freebie bags).

The only problem I see with the backpack idea is what I would do with MY stuff like my phone/wallet etc... Hrm... I could just get a cute generic-loking tote of some kind.

What are you carrying around these days?

The More You Know. ;)

(remember those little segments on Saturday mornings?) ;)

Anyway, there was a discussion yesterday on the mommy message board I read about whether or not someone's child is dyslexic because they reverse the lowercase letters "b" and "d". Seeing as pretty much ALL of us replied that our four-year-olds do the same thing, it's obviously quite normal. But one of the moms posted this wonderful article about how children learn to read and write and how their natural inclinations prepare them for these activities. It's really, really fascinating!

One of the things it talks about is how kids can't really do either until their brain has all the right connections. And to make those connections, the best thing you can do for them is well, let them be kids! Run, jump, skip, play! All of those help wire the brain to eventually let them write, read and comprehend and SIT STILL. ;)

Other than reassuring me that we're doing all the right things with Ben, it also made me love his preschool even more than I already do. As I read this, I remembered his teacher and the director last year talking about ALL these things. And that school (and other preschools like it) is an oasis of sorts in a world where we've gone to all-day kindergarten most places and we're forcing little kids (especially boys!) to sit at desks and work when they should still be playing more than sitting...

Swimmin'...

Just a few pics of the kids and their friends at the pool this afternoon!



Getting ready to go in the big pool

Belly bumps

Put up your dukes!

Ears and Noses and Throats, Oh My...

So my children, as you are probably well aware from reading this blogg, they are afflicted (thanks again to an unfortunate combination of genes) with chronic ear infections. Ben got tubes at about 30 months... they lasted until just recently. But since they have no longer been in he has had two ear infections... during the time of year when you don't expect kids to have ear infections, which is apparently a big deal.

Simon got his tubes at eight months and pretty much just continued on getting ear infections in one year because one of his tubes got blocked with wax or gunk or whatever.

A visit to the ENT on Friday yielded not so good news. Simon needs that tube replaced. That's the easy part, and I'll probably schedule it for early August. Thankfully, the doctor reassured me that he can hear just fine out of his left ear, and his right ear is only muffled.

Benjamin could probably stand to have both his tubes replaced and the doctor has also recommended he have his adenoids out at the same time. OY, what a decision. It's only a slightly bigger deal than having tubes put in, but he'll need Motrin a lot for a few days afterward. And let me tell you, from experience, Ben coming out of anesthesia is not pretty. I'm very afraid that he's old enough now to be rather traumatized by the whole experience.

The doctor said there's no rush on the decision for Ben and I'm weighing the idea of waiting through a winter to see how healthy he stays and giving his allergy medicine a chance (since he wasn't on it last year and chronic allergies are a HUGE contributor to ear infections) vs. getting him in before our deductible resets on November 1st. So we'll see...

He actually suggested having both kids done at the same time. But, lordy, can you imagine trying to manage two kids coming out of anesthesia? (and they both want mommy?!) No, I think I'll pass on that, thanks!

Which is Harder?

Boys or Girls? Interesting article on CNN.com. ;) After reading, I somehow feel like I got the harder end of the deal than my friends/family who have girls... at least for the next 8-12 years.

Pictures...

A few pics from yesterday, courtesy of Krystyna because yeah, I didn't take a single one.

The shower cake Krystyna made. And yes, we lit the candles, though couldn't come up with a Happy Shower song. ;)


Anastasia practicing for her birthday next month


Sarah being forced to don the bridal ears... she was none too pleased.


Bow hats rule


Ah, that pre-children glow..


Sisters by marriage! :)

Finished! :)

Wahoo! And everything went off pretty well! I went to bed at 8p.m. and slept like a log until 6:45. I'd post pictures, but I didn't actually take any. I know my SIL took a few, so hopefully she'll send those along today sometime (hint hint).

Next up, my niece's 1st birthday and then the wedding! :D It's going to be a ridiculously busy and fun August!

Shower Day!

Probably won't get much chance to update later... lots to do. But two quick tidbits about my kiddos...

1) Ben's hermit crab, Mr. Blue, died last week. He was very sad. Tom made a deal that if he ate a vegetable every night for a week, he could pick out a fish for his room. He did (and now likes broccoli and zucchini!) and yesterday, they went out and picked out a little 1-gallon aquarium and a fish Ben has named "Good Eats" (yes, after the show on the Food Network) Last night, he wanted to sleep on the floor next to the shelf where Good Eats' aquarium sits... we came up to find him on the floor with his pillow.

2) Simon says, "Pap", my father-in-law's grandfather name. See, my inlaws were smart in their name choices that way. Pap was easy for both my kids to say pretty early on. "Nanee" came quickly and easily for Ben too and probably will for Simon. My mom, however, has a much longer wait with "Grandmom." Ben called her "Susie" way before he called her Grandmom. ;) Dad's name, Poppy, should be not too far behind Pap. But yeah, Grandmom will need to be patient.

Off to work. I'll try to update later... maybe even with pics. ;)

Hello from the Land of Fruit and Vegetable Chopping...

I swear I chopped things for three hours straight this morning... possibly one of every fruit and vegetable known to man. (if anyone has seen my current Facebook status, this is not news to you).

But, anyway... all the food prep for the shower is done. And, thanks to my mom coming over to iron table cloths and give things an artistic touch, the decorations and table setting stuff are both done too. Two of the three floors are clean (I always save the basement for last because the boys need SOMEWHERE to be until tomorrow morning). I still have to run around tomorrow morning and get ice, a few more flowers and some balloons and then I quit. Put a fork in me, I'm done... well, except for the actual hosting part, but this is an easy group that way and I have lots of help.

Tired. So tired.

Did I mention the graduation party I now have to attend this evening for my husband's cousin? (my husband's family are the masters of the Guilt Trip. Seriously, they should patent their techniques... I am hosting the entire family at my home tomorrow at 1, had to do all the prep and cleaning today and have still somehow been convinced it's necessary I show up at the graduation party...) I'll be making an appearance, but I may be sleeping through it.

(yawn)

Simon is 14 Months Old!

Dear Simon,

Today you are 14 months old!

You spent the majority of the month mastering walking. About a week ago, (when we were about to go to the Aquarium, where I just couldn't let you be barefoot... ick) I reazlized that you haven't worn shoes (or socks) of any kind in probably three months. You love being barefoot and were none too pleased when I slapped a pair of your brother's old size 4.5 tennis shoes on you. You looked down at your feet quizzically, pounded them on the floor and then grabbed at them and looked at me as if to say, "What's the deal with the cement blocks, mommy?" Then you tried to walk in them and it was just not pretty. Halfway through the aquarium, while in the backpack, you starting fidgeting and fussing and did not stop until I removed those darn shoes. You were happy as a clam to spend the rest of the visit in your socks, which were black by the time we left. Ew.

Yesterday, I took you for your first pair of shoes because, I'm sorry, but a kid needs shoes now and then even if it's summertime. I found out that, though your little feet are a size 4 they put you in size 5.5!! No wonder you cried when I crammed those piggies into size 4's. Sorry buddy, you live, you learn. If it makes you feel any better, your brother's current shoes were a size and a half too small too. My bad! ;) Anyway, now that you actually have comfortable shoes on your feet, you wore them without complaint for a lot of the day yesterday and you are getting used to walking in them. :)


I love your baby kisses and now you also do big baby hugs where you throw your arms around us and squeeze. You are such a big teddy bear. :) You are back to being a little on the clingy side this month... I think that nasty old tooth popping through in the back and the other three threatening are giving you a little trouble. You are still sleeping well though and for that, we are grateful! However, I do think you are dropping the morning nap.... why do you have to grow up so fast? ;)

You don't eat as much as you used to, but you still will eat just about anything. Last week, it was smoked salmon and flounder... this week you tried zucchini! For some reason though, you have decided that carrots are evil and all you want to do is squish them with your thumb. Also, we have discovered that you seem to have an allergic reaction to spinach, which is VERY sad because creamed spinach is one of your most favorite foods ever. When you even see the box come out of the freezer you, go nuts, "Dat! Dat! Dat!!" and can hardly wait for me to cook it and cool it off.

You love pretty much any toy Ben is playing with and you are starting to drive him insane. Watching you toddle after your big brother though just melts my heart. Your favorite toy of his these days (other than whatever he is holding), is his magnetic fish puzzle. You will scurry into his room whatever chance you get, take it off the shelf and start fishing. You also know his bedtime medicine routine and will take his nose spray off the shelf, pop the cap off and stick it up your nose... or in your eye. You crack us up!

You've discovered you can climb onto the couch if you take a cushion off, which is extremely annoying, though cute... especially after you do it and you look so proud of yourself.

You dance this month! Your dance pretty much consists of bopping your head back and forth like Stevie Wonder and then you "sing" along in sort of a tone-deaf baby sort of way. I really do need to get this on video because it's very funny when you really get into it. Your favorite thing to dance to is our neighbor's Batman bike that plays music. Anytime it's outside, you'll climb on and start pushing the buttons. You'll sit on it for a half hour just bopping your head around and singing.

You laugh SO much. Daddy says he had you laughing so hard at something or other last night that you had tears running down your face. Oh, I hope you always do that... it's beautiful!

We love you, Little Dude!
Love,
Mommy

Is it Already Thursday?!

Cripes. I have so much to do... and now I've decided I can create one of theseas the table centerpiece/fruit side dish... why? Because I'm insane, that's why. But I figure the fruit all has to be cut up anyway, how much more work can it be to stick it on skewers and shove it into a flower pot? I'll let you know. ;)

Simon is FINALLY actually cutting a molar (for real! I feel the little pointy thing!) and is a little fussy about the whole thing... he is also transitioning to one nap, so I can never guarantee when he's going to sleep these days. So it hasn't been easy to get things accomplished around the house... but for some reason, both kids are cooperative to run errands, so we've just been running all over town. Yesterday it was Target, the dump, Babies R Us and Michaels. I should probably hit the grocery store and pick up the non-perishable stuff from my shower list.... we'll see if the boys are up for a ride in the little car-shaped grocery cart this morning.

One of our neighbors told my about the 4H Fair at the fairgrounds that runs through this weekend. It's totally free and I've heard it's a blast... so we might do that today too. Anything to keep my kids OUT of the house so they won't tear it up any more than they already have this week.

Off to go get some things accomplished/drink more coffee before they awake from their peaceful slumber...

What Good Are Kids if You Can't Put 'Em to Work? ;)

We have to sweep sand around the patio for a few weeks to get in between the cracks... Tom and I sat back and let the boys do it. ;)






And here are a few random cute ones...
Guys? What's wrong with my swing?

He's cute, he knows it...

Cute closeup

Closeup of Ben... who is a lot harder to get a non-candid picture of. ;)

Finished!

The patio is finished and it is beautiful, a bit empty at the moment, but beautiful nonetheless. The most beautiful part about it is actually something I didn't even realize until just a moment ago. I can put up the baby gate at the opening in the back and have a giant backyard playpen for the boys!!! I am also excited to be able to put up TWO swings, one baby, one big-boy, and plenty of room for the sandbox, the little pool, and some furniture!

Here are a few pics!
Top deck


Patio


View from the back door

The Busy Bees at My House...

Mike and company of patio/deck building blog fame, showed up yesterday morning sometime a little after 7. I went about my day and finally ended up in the basement with the boys around 1. I opened the blinds so the boys could watch the work and holy hole in a doughnut, there was a patio. In the morning, there was dirt (okay, mud) and six hours later, there was a beautiful patio. Today it looks like they'll be doing the little deck railings to go around it and the privacy fence and then I think they are finished! So exciting!

Eventually I'll get out there to take pictures, but mostly I've just been trying to stay out of the way and then in the evenings, my neighbor with whom I now feel like I'm on somewhat strained terms, sits out in his deck with his wife and I just don't feel like having that interaction right now.

As for me being a busy bee... eh, I was kinda sluggish yesterday. I tried to go get Simon's iron blood test done, but turns out the Labcorp I usually go has closed up shop since last I was there. Then we hit the store for a few things... Came home... Ben watched some PBS while I worked on the favors for the shower. Then I worked on dinner (and ohmygoodness you need to follow that link and try this recipe my SIL gave me!) and we went to visit my parents for a bit. I'm hoping to be more productive than that today... or maybe go to the pool. ;)

Pics later... :)

I know things are more expensive thesedays...but sheesh!

This Just In...

Simon likes lox. By far, not the weirdest food he's liked... but still, funny.

Busy Week...

I have an insane week coming up because this Sunday, my house is the venue for my soon-to-be new sister-in-law's (wow, that was a lot of hyphens) wedding shower. I have so much to do and two children to continuously undo most of it, so I'll be trying to keep up with them and their messes all week long. I'm tired just thinking about it. That part is way more exhausting than the actual day of the shower work!

Thankfully, my other SIL is also doing a ton plus making food and my MIL and her family are making a lot of the food... but I will be still be running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. I've decided not to panic about where 18 people are going to go because it's worked out before. And, frankly, as long as everyone over 60 years old has a place to sit, I really don't care if some people need to park themselves on the floor!

Anyway, so yeah... that's the week I'm looking at. I'm also hoping and praying that our patio construction doesn't get slowed down by rain. It'd be nice to have the big Bobcat thing out of the yard by the shower... but I've also decided not to worry about that because it's out of my hands!

In other news, we had THE most gigantic thunderstorm last night! I was SURE it would wake up the kids, but somehow, it didn't. I was woken out of a sound sleep by a simultaneous thunder/lightning combination that set off car alarms up and down the street! I like thunderstorms... but not when they're that close! Sheesh!

Ah well... off to start work on my to-do list! :)

Fishies!

We took the boys to the aquarium today and Aunt Krystyna, Uncle Marc and Anastasia came along! The kids had fun and we got a few cute pics. :)

Simon and Anastasia looking out at the boats


Just cute


Hee


Ben looking at the sharks


Simon and the shark


Simon just being Simon


Ben listening to the bubbles


Stingrays!