Carpe Diem!

Cute Wishes

2010-05-11T20:23:00.003-07:00

Tonight, Ian gets to sleep in my bed. He's the man of the house while Paul is away at a conference in Boston, so Ian declared that he gets to sleep in my bed. Fine by me.

We laugh through our stories, Doggone Dogs and Hooray for Fly Guy. I tuck Laurel into her bed. Then, I snuggle up with Ian in my bed. He decides we need to look out the window and watch the planes fly by, incoming flights fly just north of our area.

I see one and tell my little man, "Ok, Ian. There's our first plane for tonight, make a wish."

Eagerly he nods his head and states, "Alright, Mommy," as he stares out the window.

I have to know, so I ask, "What did you wish for?"

"I wished for Peter to always be healthy."

Peter is a dear friend of Ian's, that is a great wish.

A second plane is in view. "Look Mommy, another plane!"

"Ok, buddy, make another wish."

A few seconds pass, and yes I have to be nosy. "What did you wish for this time?"

"I wished that all my girlfriends will always like me."

Secretly I'm thinking, "Well since there is more than one, I don't think that's possible."

Cooking Love

2009-04-04T03:27:00.003-07:00

There are times I just love to cook and bake, especially bake. I'm not a natural at it by any means, and recipes are a must. I usually read through a recipe several times before tackling it, and then double or even triple check as I try to put the ingredients together. It takes me forever to fix a meal.

I love to watch shows on Food Network. For a while, I thought Rachel Ray would help me get dinner out in a timely manner. It didn't work. She may be able to get the meal made in thirty minutes, but it takes me a minimum of an hour, and that's a recipe that I've prepared at least three times before.

I think I know why it takes me so long, there are two children underfoot, or at least nearby enough to distract me. Once I realized that Rachel's kitchen was child free and mine wasn't, my frustration level significantly lowered.

In a perfect world, time would not be an issue, there would be a kitchen fairy that would clean up after me, and my children would heartily eat everything I made from scratch as much as they do with Spaghetti O's and Mac 'n Cheese. Nothing kills the cooking mood more than a child who just picks at his/her food. Why bother doing all that work, especially when hubby has to work late and I'm the only one really enjoying the meal? I would rather spend the hour playing with my kids.

But still, the cooking/baking bug is in me, and I occasionally try a new recipe.

By the way, I secretly want to be Paula Deen. The woman just loves her food and she's absolutely adorable. On a show, she was giggling with glee as she made a dessert and then commented, "I use a lot of butter, because I can!" Amen.

The Boy Needs His Sleep

2009-03-31T06:09:00.002-07:00

A lot of parents I talk to tell me their kids are done with taking naps around the age of three or four. Ian is four, going to be five in a couple months. I still have him try to take a nap. He fights it, like all kids do, and tells me, "I'm not tired! I need to play!"

Ian's crankiness, whining and crying at the drop of a hat that occurs on non-nap days tells me otherwise. So I, the ever mean mommy, make him take a nap each afternoon. We read our stories, snuggle in bed and usually he falls asleep for an hour. He wakes up sweet, clear minded and recharged.

This past weekend, I thought I'd relax my must have a nap rule. On Saturday, we attended a sports class and tackled trekking through Costco. He seemed alright throughout the day, showing a wee bit of fatigue come nighttime. We got together with family for a birthday celebration on Sunday. As the day ended, it was obvious the boy was overly tired. Ian was in zombie mode, not able to follow through with any directions we gave him.

Monday, Ian went to preschool, followed by our family seeing the Monsters vs Aliens movie in 3D. Again, he got no nap, instead playing games, having lightsaber battles, and building Thomas track (boy am I glad to see he still wants to play with Thomas).

In the middle of playing a game of Mario Cart, he gave up his steering wheel Wii remote and complained of a headache. He was pale. We gave him some water and tried to get him to eat something, but he also complained of a stomachache. In the end, sleep was the only solution. He was asleep by 5:30 and did not wake until this morning.

This morning, he is well and ready to play! I have learned something about my boy, he needs his sleep, so he will get his nap this afternoon.

Thomas Dies By Lightsaber

2009-03-07T06:51:00.006-07:00

My little boy is growing up. He's reaching a stage where play time is taking on new adventures. It used to be Thomas the Tank Engine, now it is Star Wars. Now everything he talks about and does involves spaceships, lightsabers and hiding from Darth Vader.

Last night, Paul got home just in time to help put the kids to bed. While snuggling with Ian, the conversation of course revolved around the Star Wars topic.

Paul: Ian, did you play Star Wars today at school?

Ian: Yes, I played Star Wars with Aiden.

Paul: Oh, who did you get to be?

Ian: I don't know who I was. The teachers kept taking my lightsaber away.

Paul: Oh, what did you use for a lightsaber?

Ian: Anything I could find.

Paul: Next time, just use your imagination. They can't take that away from you.

Ian (face lighting up with glee): Oh, and it can be invisible!

Missing Daddy

2009-03-04T21:38:00.006-07:00

Hi, there, Daddy! We sure miss you. Everyday we ask if you're still on Earth, and Mommy reassures us that yes, indeed you are. You won't be gone too much longer, but we are anxious for you to come home. Here are some pictures of us for you to enjoy.

Ian is totally obsessed with Star Wars. He made a tiny red light saber out of legos.

He's also building spaceships and flying them around the house with lots of added sound effects.

Laurel loves to snuggle her kitty.

Dressing up as a princess is an everyday activity.

We would like to eat waffles at every meal, but Mommy says we should get in other foods, too.

Have fun with your work. We can't wait to see you and hug you and dogpile on top of you.

We LOVE you,
Ian and Laurel

PS - Mommy loves you, too.

You Can Count on Me

2009-02-25T13:45:00.003-07:00

Ian, Laurel and I are at my mom and dad's for lunch. Somehow, Laurel ends up eating inside with my parents, while Ian and I eat outside on the patio table. Ian gets to spend the night, so I talk over a few items he needs to remember.

Me: Ian, remember to help Grandma and do what she says.

Ian: Oh, yes, of course, Mommy. I always help Grandma.

Me: Oh, good, I knew I could count on you, buddy!!!

Ian ponders what I've said.

Ian: And I can count on you, too, Mommy.

He then points and traces along my body and counts: One, two, three, four, five, six...eighteen, nineteen, twenty! See, I CAN count on you!

Time suckage and insomnia

2009-01-06T04:00:00.003-07:00

Facebook has taken over my life. Um, that and reading Twilight. A dear friend gifted me the Twilight series, and so far I'm loving it! Problem is, when I find a moment to read, I fall asleep only a page or two in. The book is quite exciting (half way through the first one), I'm just a tad exhausted.

Insomnia has hit hard tonight, up at 2:30 a.m.. I've been Facebooking and surfing the net. Now I'll try a little Twilight. Sweet dreams to all you lucky heavy sleepers.

Christmas Crafts

2008-12-22T14:15:00.009-07:00

Oh, how I love Christmas crafts!

Star and bell suncatchers are easy and fun to make.

These applesauce and cinnamon ornaments sure make our house smell yummy!

The activity the kids love most is decorating snowman sugar cookies.

The survivors, but they know the clock is ticking.

Commercial Seepage

2008-12-21T04:18:00.003-07:00

TV advertisements are seldom viewed in our household. This is largely due to us having TiVo and the fact that most of the programs the kids watch, such as Dora and Backyardigans, only have commercials at the end of the show.

However, holiday shows such as Rudolph and A Charlie Brown Christmas are broadcast on major networks that place commercials intermittently throughout the program. Yes, we are able to fast forward through the ads, but when I am in the middle of fixing dinner, I am not always able to grab the remote. Agitated pleas fill the air, "Mommy, bring Snoopy back!" Of course when brainwashing toy ads fill the screen, the natives settle back down.

And so, my children are being exposed to commercials. Is it making an impact? Yes, in a way...

I am downstairs piddling around the kitchen, when I hear Laurel finally stirring from a good night's sleep. Walking into her room, I happily sing, "Good morning, Sunshine," and lay down next to her to snuggle.

"Good morning, Mommy," she replies and smiles and stretches. "Is today Christmas?"

"No, Sweetie. We still need to wait six more days."

Laurel takes this information in, smiles and states, "Yeah! Six more days 'til Christmas. And then the commercials come!"

Visions of Sugar Bums

2008-12-18T14:23:00.008-07:00

Laurel just before she lays down for her nap: Mommy, I'm going to dream 'bout sugar bums!

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
~Clement Clarke Moore

Laurel's dreams of sugar-plums came true, we assembled our gingerbread house!

A little icing here...

and a little icing there.

Laurel doesn't like what Ian is doing to the house.

But finally she buys into it and helps out.

The kids had a great time making the gingerbread house. I'm sure a little bit of candy will be missing from it each day, and I will continue to find candy on the floor and sugar on the walls until Easter.

Stockings

2008-12-17T14:13:00.002-07:00

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
~Clement Clarke Moore

I don't know about that "not a creature was stirring" bit, for certainly someone in this household was stirring in order for this to happen...

Me: Ian, why are your socks on top of your dresser?
Ian: They're ready for Christmas.
Me: Christmas?
Ian: Yes, Mommy, you silly. I'm putting toys in the stockings for all the little children.
(If you look carefully, the socks do have bulges and there are toys sticking out a couple of the openings.)

Santa, do you have need of an extra set of hands? This boy is ready and eager!

Trick or Treat?

2008-11-02T07:14:00.002-07:00

When I was kid, Halloween and trick-or-treating was a huge ordeal for residents in my neighborhood. Everyone seemed to participate: those with children and those without, younger families and older families, even the grumpy old man who lived next door (sure we were scared to ring his doorbell, but who's going to pass up an opportunity to get even more candy?)

Over the last decade, I've noticed trick-or-treating has started to dwindle. Different organizations such as churches and malls have taken it upon themselves to provide Halloween parties, fall festivals, or trick-or-treating within their own parking lot, calling it trunk-or-treat. I understand parents wanting to provide safe Halloween celebrations for their children. But one advantage to trick-or-treating within your own neighborhood is conversing with your neighbors, hopefully getting to know them a little bit better.

As we took our own two children out for trick-or-treating, it saddened me to see so many dark houses. This year, I'm guessing maybe only 20 percent of the residents in our neighborhood participated in this Halloween tradition. It was also sad to see so few children out trick-or-treating.

Do I need to change with the times and find some alternative Halloween celebration? I hope not. The few neighbors we do know, really got a kick out of seeing the kids in their costumes. And for a few moments, we conversed and giggled together. I guess our little family will continue this tradition until we're the only ones left with a brightly lit porch light.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-01T15:04:00.003-07:00

Wishing your family a spooky Halloween night, from Tink...

and Wall-e.

Three, Two, One...

2008-10-29T05:56:00.002-07:00

AAAAHHHHHH!!! We're at the final days of prep for Halloween. I LOVE this holiday. It's become one of my favorites. Decorating, thinking of crafts, getting creative with costumes, carving pumpkins, reading spooky stories, trick-or-treating, it's all good.

But, of course there's a but, I tend to be a perfectionist. For the anal side of me, there's never enough time to get everything done that MUST be done. And, I over plan and don't spend enough time actually doing things.

Laurel will be Tinkerbell. We bought her dress and shoes/slippers. Easy, right? NOT. I found out on a trial run that the dress is too big and the shoes won't stay on her feet. Taking in the dress is not that big a deal, except that I DO NOT sew. I do not own a sewing machine and refuse to get one. Why? I just don't like to sew. However, I did learn how to hand stitch in a junior high school class, so I dusted off my extremely underused sewing kit and set it out for one of today's tasks.

As for Laurel's slippers, hmmm. Fortunately, there's a bit of gold lace across the top. I bought some elastic gold cord and just sort of weaved it along the edge and thought we'd tie them on her feet. Then a spark of creativity came into play: I weaved gold bells along with the cord. Now when she walks/runs/skips Halloween night, she'll sound like Tinkerbell. Cute, huh?

Now, I'm starting to think about Tinkerbell's hairstyle. Sure, I can do a ponytail on the top of her head and add a little bow. But, oh no, the perfectionist in me nags, "You can do more!" The problem is, I'm not exactly a hairstylist. My idea of fancy IS a ponytail. All last night I tossed and turned thinking about this little detail. I finally decide at five this morning to get up and turn to Google for help (I heart Google). Within minutes I find a site that gives me peace of mind: She Does Hair. The wonderful woman of this blog demonstrates how to achieve the Tink hairstyle step by step with pictures. She explains it so well, I think even I can do it. Today, Laurel and I will do a dry run. I just need to purchase some hairspray and possibly some glittery hair stuff.

As for Ian's costume, um, well, let's just say I've been very busy painting and cutting and Googling (of course), and making many trips to the craft store. I swear the cashier looked at me yesterday and muttered, "What? You, again?"

Yes, me again, I have made about a bizzillion mistakes.

Have I really been to the store that much? Let's just say, Laurel, all of two and a half years old, knows the layout of the store well enough that she can locate the felt and glue sections without blinking an eye. "Over here, Mommy," rings through my ears as she and I trod through aisles of crafty fun.

Farm Time

2008-10-22T14:12:00.023-07:00

Our quest for fun lands our little family at a farm. This is the third year we have gone to Schnepf Farms. Some things we have done before...

The goats and other farm animals were quite patient with us.

We had to ride this monster slide. Climbing up the hill ensured both kids were tuckered out by the end of the day.

Thank goodness we brought the wagon or we'd have had to carry both of them.

Corn on the cob is a must!!!

Of course we had to pick pumpkins!!!

With so many cute pumpkins to choose from, it's hard to decide.

And some things the kids tried for the first time...

Flying is a huge hit.

Laurel wants to join a circus just so she can be the trapeze artist.

My little girl had to ride a pony. She chose the biggest one. Not exactly a pony, is it?

Oh, my, we're overheating. What to do, what to do? I know...

...eat
ice cream!

Something I Never Thought I Would Say to My Son

2008-10-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's almost bedtime, so our little family busily cleans up the toys downstairs. I notice Ian is wearing Laurel's princess shoes, a common sight these days.

Once finished with picking up the day's mess, I announce, "Alright guys, it's time for bed. Let's go upstairs and put on your jammies."

Ian meets up with me at the bottom of the stairs and states, "Mommy, I'll race you upstairs."

"No, Ian, I don't want to race you while you're wearing heels."

Ian, the Chip Eating Soothsayer

2008-10-13T21:06:00.004-07:00

Ian sits with Laurel and I eating lunch. Like most times before, he happily munches on his potato chips first. About halfway through, he briefly stops to inform me, "Mommy, when I'm done eating my chips, I'm going to ask you if I can have more chips. And I know you will tell me to eat my sandwich first."

He then returns to crunching away on his Pringles.

A couple minutes later, he finishes and asks, "Mommy, may I have more chips?"

I simply reply, "Ian, what do I usually tell you?"

He smiles and answers, "To eat my sandwich first."

I laugh and say, "Ok, Ian, go for it!"

Still Here

2008-10-04T06:11:00.003-07:00

We're still here, just busy. I've been wanting to post more about our California trip - the beach, the aquarium and Legoland, but of course life interrupts and the computer is not cooperative in allowing me to view, let alone edit pictures. Sigh.

Recently, Ian, Laurel and I had a wonderful opportunity to spend a week at a friend's time share beach house in Rocky Point, Mexico. My friend brought along her two children, so there were us two mommies and four kids ages 4 (Ian), 3 (Riley), 2 (Laurel) and 1 (Connor).

The beach was awesome. At low tide, there were tide pools everywhere and we could wade in the water and chase Kermit Crabs, fish and some other bigger crabs. I have to laugh because not only do my kids cutely say "Kermit Crabs," but so does Riley.

On the last day we collected seashells in our buckets. Ian excitedly scooped up piles of tiny shells. Looking inside his bucket, we discovered it's entire contents were on the move. I informed him he needed to release his prisoners. We then tried to find unoccupied shells, a difficult thing to do. After rinsing the shells and laying them out to dry, we found several still had residents.

Non beach activities included making bracelets, a huge hit with Ian who made about ten of them. The kids also loved frosting, decorating and eating cupcakes. Of course the week was a huge party, so we made crowns. There was lots of chasing, singing, reading books, coloring, watching movies, Laurel and Riley pretending to be princesses and playing in a bunkbed turned castle, some squabbles, some crying (and not just by the mommies), and sweet hugs.

A wonderful week!!! Hopefully, if a certain computer gets fixed soon, I'll be able to post pictures.

Vacation: San Diego Zoo

2008-09-09T14:30:00.004-07:00

We're home and ready to rest after a week full of activity.

We of course had to visit the San Diego Zoo. It's amazing, and enormous! We chose to walk instead of taking the tour bus. Believe it or not, the kids walked the entire time. Well Laurel did anyway, Ian maybe let us walk him in the stroller for about 500 feet's worth. I'm guessing we must have walked at least three miles, probably more.

The animals are amazing: koalas, gorillas, gobs of snakes, grizzly bears, pandas, and the usual lions, giraffes and elephants. A couple of our favorites had to be the polar bears...

...and the hippos.

My personal favorites were these three.

We easily spent seven hours there and didn't see everything. Next year we'll take a different route to see the rest. It's definitely a zoo worth visiting.

C is Also For...

2008-08-31T06:03:00.001-07:00

California and Carlsbad.

Legoland, here we come!!!

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Letter...

2008-08-29T14:32:00.016-07:00

C is for cotton balls and ...

cookies,

Cookie monster (of course),

cupcake,

cry,

cars,

crust,

carrots,

...and CRAZY HAIR DAY!!!

Ian loves his preschool, but I think I'm having more fun. Let's face it, it wasn't his idea to fix his hair like that. This shows more of what he really thought about it...

Toddler Emotions

2008-08-27T14:24:00.003-07:00

Toddlers cracks me up...

Paul, Ian, Laurel and I have just finished swimming. We have taken all the boats, styrofoam noodles and squirt guns out of the water. Paul is reconnecting the pool vacuum, while the kids and I put the toys away onto the patio.

At one point, I turn around and catch Laurel sitting at the pool edge, dipping her feet into the water. This is a big no-no, especially since she does not yet know how to swim. She knows better, so I immediately sit her in a chair on the patio for two minutes of time-out.

Oh yes, there are tears. Between sobs, she screams, "I am very angry...and jealous!" Then very softly, she whispers, "And I love my mommy."

Fill One's Socks

2008-08-20T16:40:00.006-07:00

As a mother of a preschooler and a toddler, I usually dress quickly in order to save precious seconds. Simply, I wear jean pants, shorts or capris so I easily match my bottoms and tops. As for socks, I have a bountiful drawer of white socks. Easy, right?

That's not always the case. On more than one occasion, I've noticed my socks felt slightly tight, leaving me pondering if they shrank in the wash. Upon further scrutiny, I notice they look a bit different from the norm. Then it dawns on me, "Oh, these are Ian's socks!"

Is it possible that my four year old has feet almost as big as mine? Evidently it's close enough we can almost wear each other's socks. No wonder we're spending a small fortune on footwear for our wee man.

Bigfoot may be out of a job soon.

Back to School Meme

2008-08-17T14:33:00.003-07:00

Evidently, my mind is blank about what to blog about, so I need to steal others' ideas. Lauren at Baseballs and Bows did a back to school themed meme. With all my teacher friends heading back to work, and all the wonderful kiddos I know excited about going back to school, I think it is a great idea!

In kindergarten, I remember each child's chair had a cover over the top of it with a huge pocket on the back of it full of crayons. I even remember the fabric was a bright yellow with pictures of Raggedy Ann and Andy on it.
In first grade I got to ride in the school float for the city's parade. My mom had sewn a prairie dress that I wore to school, and the teachers thought it would be perfect.
My best friend, Stella, and I were in the same second grade classroom. I really don't remember much about that year or hanging out with her then, but we are still friends after 30 years.
Third grade was horrible, due to a dragon lady of a teacher. If we were too talkative, she would tape our mouths shut with masking tape. One poor girl got in so much trouble, the teacher put tape on her mouth and around her hair.
In fourth grade I started playing the flute. I loved it, and the piccolo later on, and become a serious band geek. My mom must have been seriously bummed, since I started hating playing the piano, and would only continue piano lessons for two more years. Oh how I regret that decision now. As for the teacher, he was ok, except his punishment for inappropriate behavior was to put some sort of hot pepper flakes in our mouths.
Fifth grade, hmm, another wicked teacher, although she liked having us perform short plays and had us try out for parts. I don't remember any of the plays we did.
Sixth grade was a lot of fun. Volleyball, softball, basketball, you name it, I loved sports! Slam books were a huge hit. Anyone remember making or filling those in? I remember taking my Merlin game to school, and of course the teacher took it away. Our school had a book character parade, and I dressed in a white jumpsuit like Princess Leia from Star Wars episode V.

Anyone else have some school memories they would like to share? Let me know, I'd love to read them.

Yippee!!!

2008-08-12T20:49:00.001-07:00

Laurel is a little happy about her new bed and mermaid bedding.

Unexpected Food Storage Opportunity

2008-08-09T16:00:00.004-07:00

It's lunch time. I call out to my little anklebiters, "Lunch time, guys."

Ian comes running to me at Mach five, jumps into his chair and immediately shovels chips into his mouth. Laurel sort of floats in on tippy toes, wearing her blue princess dress. "Ok, Princess Laurel, let's take that off so it won't get food stains," I tell her as I remove her outfit, leaving her to eat wearing just a diaper.

There's lots of crunching going on since the kids usually eat their potato chips first. Laurel suddenly growls, looks out from under furrowed eyebrows and deeply grunts, "I NEED A BIB!"

Her voice is so garbled I can't help but laugh at her. She hates to wear a bib, so I must inquire, "Laurel, why do you want a bib?"

Still growling, she replies, "Chips are all over me!"

Curious, I investigate. I pull her booster chair away from the table and notice there are indeed chips all over her. As I clean off my dainty little princess, I notice an extraordinarily large collection of crumbs in her bellybutton. Laurel's bellybutton is an innie and quite cavernous, and evidently can hold about a teaspoon's worth of food. My laughter is now uncontrollable, "Laurel, how did you get all those chips in your bellybutton?"

Ian is now laughing at her, too, "Laurel has chips in her bellybutton!"

Laurel again furrows her eyebrows and growls, then joins in the laughter.

Well Color Me...Rainbow

2008-07-25T16:03:00.004-07:00

A. I'm too trusting.
B. I'm not keeping a watchful enough eye on these two.

I HATE SAND

2008-07-24T05:11:00.002-07:00

Insomnia hits me square in the face this morning. I lay in bed staring at the clock at about 2:30, finally getting up and dragging myself downstairs an hour later. I've done some laundry, cleaned off the bar counter top (where everything ends up and is never put away unless I have insomnia), put away some of the kids' toys, Googled gift ideas for my tween niece's birthday, and blogged.

Nature calls, so I walk into the bathroom. My sensitive naked feet complain about a dirty floor. I look, and yes, yet again there is sand encroaching on the white tiles and grout.

A couple years ago, we had our back yard relandscaped. Paul and I thought it would be a great idea to designate an area for a future swingset/jungle gym for the kids. We had a sandpit put in measuring approximately 15 by 18 feet. There is no swingset yet, but the kids do love to play in the sand (so do the cats, but more on that later).

My mother warned me early on not to have a sandpit. "Your going to find sand everywhere in your house," she would tell me over and over again. The woman never let up on this, and I would reassure her that we'd strip the kids down and shake sand out of their clothes before letting them enter the house.

Ha. Perhaps it's laziness, but that just doesn't happen. Most times we remember to take shoes off, but we forget to check pants and shirt pockets. Oh, and let's not overlook the potential for sand collecting in diapers (you'd think the wearer of such a diaper would complain, but alas, no).

The kids sometimes have a mind of their own, and will run into the house unannounced while wearing wet sand covered shoes. Ian has a knack of leaving a beautiful set of prints leading from the back door to the bathroom.

I have swept and swept and power-washed the patio and pool deck, and still sand can be found - not a comfortable thing to walk on in bare feet. We have found sand in every room of the house. There is sand in the van. Paul and I even find sand in our own clothes thanks to the sharing of laundry machines. You can imagine the surprise when putting your hands into your pants pockets and pulling out a small pile of sand.

I HATE SAND!!!

Thankfully, my mother is not exactly internet savy, lest I get a phone call today pretty much stating, "I told you so."

Call Me Alligator

2008-07-15T22:01:00.004-07:00

Every night, our little family climbs into Paul's and my king sized bed for stories. Ian jumps upon the mattresses with book in hand, crawls past my feet and suddenly stops. "Mommy, I want that."

I follow his gaze to see what he's looking at. He's staring at my feet.

"What, Ian? What do you want?" I inquire.

"Mommy, I want that," he replies, pointing at my big toe.

My toenails are not painted, so I'm not exactly sure what he means yet.

Confused, I ask again, "Ian, what do you want?"

"I want that," and he touches the bottom of my big toe. "I want those lines."

Ugh, he wants to have calloused, scaly feet like mine. Yup, it's definitely time for a serious pedicure.

Welcome Home Grandma and Papa!

2008-07-12T06:12:00.003-07:00

Great news, Grandma Ann and Papa Dave have returned from Scotland. Laurel and Ian were excited to go visit them last night. "I love Grandma and Papa, I miss them sooooo much!" Ian would tell me.

We took dinner over to their house. Ian knew we would be doing this. As soon as he woke up from his nap (yes, he's four and still takes a nap, otherwise his name would be Mr. Cranky), he reminds me, "Mommy, don't forget to take dinner to Papa and Grandma's house. As soon as Laurel wakes up, we have to go get food so we can eat."

I guess he was already hungry, although lately, he's been very food oriented. At any party we've gone to or had, he's always talking about what we're going to eat. He's all about the food, especially when it involves his favorites: pizza, cake, cupcakes, ice cream or popcorn.

As much as Ian and Laurel missed their grandparents, you'd think they'd burst out the van as soon as we were parked and run inside the house to get hugs and kisses. The opposite happened, they hung back, waiting for Paul and I to walk them up to the door. Once we were inside, they were quite shy and it took some coaxing to get the kids to say anything and give hugs.

After dinner, Grandma and Papa gave us a truckload of gifts from Scotland. There were tons of books, many involving a certain cheeky little blue engine. There were tons of clothes, including a new kilt and blouses for our ever growing Laurel. Ian got knee high socks, kilt flashes and a beautiful vest to go with his kilt (Ian also already has a belt with a thistle on the buckle, and a sporran). We are attending the Arizona Highland Celtic Festival in Flagstaff next weekend. Laurel and Ian are going to look fabulous!

Grandma and Papa, welcome home! We sure have missed you. We're going to have a blast up in the mountains next weekend.

In-Dependency

2008-07-04T07:08:00.004-07:00

Happy Fifth Anniversary, dear sweet husband. I love you immensely, and love our roller coaster life we have together!

Happy birthday, America! You are still quite young, and have many, many lessons to learn ahead of you. Please be considerate and flexible in your thinking.

Five years ago, Paul and I decided to lose our independence on Independence Day. With a week's planning, we bought a dress for me, rented a kilt for Paul, booked a flight and a room, and happily followed our hearts to Vegas to elope. It was all very romantic, very low stress and TONS of FUN!!!

Paul and I consider ourselves a team. We work together to get things done. I can't tell you how much I depend on that ideal. Knowing he is there to help out with anything, whether it be changing diapers, cleaning up vomit, or listening to me vent, is worth more to me than all the money and desirable tangibles the world has ever known.

Too often we are told it is not good to be dependent on anyone or anything. I like that Paul and I depend on each other, that we can count on each other to help out. Obviously, Laurel and Ian being wee tots depend on us to provide them with food, shelter, and love. That dependency is what makes us a family. We rely on one another to help out. The burden of chores, the loving and caring, should not rest on one person, but all of us. It is much easier to tackle those undesirable tasks when there is someone by your side.

Will someone always be there for assistance? No, that would be impossible. But knowing later someone will listen to you vent about loathsome tasks is quite comforting.

To Paul I must say, thank you. Thank you for always listening. Thank you for lending a hand when you're home. Thank you for numerous back and feet rubs. Thank you for encouraging me to rest when dog tired and I don't know better. Thank you for ignoring the irritable side of me. Thank you for letting me make mistakes and learn from them. Thank you for encouraging me to go out and have fun with my friends. Thank you for Ian and Laurel. Thank you for letting me depend upon you. Thank you for journeying through life with me.

Hello, Scotland!

2008-06-30T14:56:00.013-07:00

Hi, Grandma!!! Hi, Grandpa!!! We have to shout so you can hear us all the way in Scotland.

Yesterday, we saw the movie WALL-E. We really, really liked it. Now we run around pretending to be Walle and Eve. In the movie, Walle keeps trying to hold hands with Eve, so that's what we do. We hold hands everywhere.

The nice people at the movie theatre gave us these blue watches that have Walle and Eve on them. Ian wears his all the time.

This morning Mommy had us play in the backyard as soon as Daddy went to work. It was already hot out, so we put the tents up for some shade.

We needed a tunnel to ride our scooter and trike through, so we moved the tents to the patio.

Like everyday, Ian checks for edible strawberries. No luck, the birds got to them first.

Mommy said we looked red, so we had to go inside and cool down. Some cold drinks do the trick.

Of course, popsicles make us cold faster!

We know you're having a great time in Scotland. We miss you. Sending you hugs and kisses! Love from Ian and Laurel.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-06-28T21:16:00.012-07:00

Hooray, Paul is back home from his trip to Austin. But, Grandma Ann and Papa Dave are still on holiday in Scotland. I have not done as great a job as hoped to post pictures of Ian and Laurel. We have just been so busy.

One thing that takes a bit of time is the garden. We planted a variety of sunflowers, corn, carrots, sugar snap peas (already taken out), zinnias, cosmos, moss rose, marigolds, and something somewhat small with dainty white flowers I no longer remember the name to.

It's starting to look rather spent, the hot June heat is just too much for some of the plants,

although the sunflowers seem to still be doing well.

The birds sure love them, especially these feral peach-faced lovebirds.

I'm getting used to being a taxi taking Ian to preschool two days a week, and Laurel to a tot class one day. We've also participated in a kids' club at the mall and gone to the dinosaur museum yet again. But the highlight this week has to be going to the circus.

Ian and Laurel were both very unsure of it at first. We briefly went to the preshow activities, but the weird looking people, sparkly outfits, and loud music were overwhelming for our first timers.

Riding the escalator up to the level where our seats are, definitely helped the kids relax. To them, it's a fun amusement park ride.

Ian and Laurel feel safe in their seats, far away from the entertainers, yet close enough to watch, be amazed and laugh.

Pictures

2008-06-24T22:14:00.011-07:00

A quick post for vacationing grandparents who are missing their bambinos, and for a certain Daddy (aka Tickle Monster) who is away on business. The kids are keeping busy (and therefore, me too)...

Outside by 8:00 a.m., it's already 90 F! Ian loves this huge beach ball.

Of course, there's nothing more relaxing than a ride in a boat.

Monkey see, monkey do...

Silly, Ian. The scooter might work better on a different surface.

While Ian's at preschool, Laurel is pleased to get the playdough all to herself.

I give you Princess Laurel. Laurel summons her fairy godmother...

"Make a wish!"

Natural Consequences Suck

2008-06-21T06:30:00.010-07:00

While eating at the table, Ian tends to be a bit, um, wiggly, to put it mildly. Paul and I find ourselves constantly reminding him to sit still in the middle of his chair. We reposition him, and for about a minute he will be fine. All too soon, Ian scooches toward the edge of the chair, dangles and kicks his feet, stands up, sits down, and generally keeps in a constant motion.

Unfortunately, such behavior can't go long without undesirable consequences. During lunch, Ian again is wiggly and begins pushing and pulling his chair in and out from the table. Just as I reach to reposition him, the chair slips out from under his body. With a loud smack, Ian's face hits the edge of the table and he falls to the ground. Screams of pain immediately follow.

I scoop him up and quickly inspect his injuries. There's a scrape just under his nose and swelling already showing signs of bruising stretching from his right cheek to his upper lip. It's obviously very painful, and I do my best to console him. Tons of hugs, a band-aid, and a cold paper towel finally do the trick.

Falling is a natural consequence children learn from. It's a physics lesson and behavior modification at the same time. But part of me can't help but wonder if I couldn't have done more to prevent this accident. As I type this post, it dawns on me that I could have used a logical consequence to change his behavior. Whenever he gets squirmy, I should take his chair away and let him stand while eating. Of course, he may still be in constant motion. I guess a follow up consequence would then be time out.

I don't expect him to sit perfectly still while we eat. He is, after all, an energy exuding four year old. But he does need to be safe. There's no fine line as to when the wiggles become dangerous, but I should try to help him learn appropriate "manners" while sitting at the dinner table. Obviously, when he's sliding his chair in and out of the table, it's a safety issue, and a consequence would be apropos.

There's quite a learning curve while doing this parenting gig. I try to keep my children safe, help them learn about their world, teach them manners and how to contribute in our little circle of family and friends. But sometimes the lessons come naturally and painfully. Ian marches on after this afflictive experience, and hopefully a little wiser.

Here are a few pictures of my brave wee man. No, they're not with his boo-boos, I just can't bring myself to take pictures of his wounds. But here are some from his first day of preschool a few weeks ago:

Ian gives and receives a goodbye hug from Daddy.

"Let's go!"

Ian and I arrive a few minutes early to help him get used to his new surroundings. There's a center of seashells and buried treasure to explore.

The Kermit crabs pique his curiousity.

Laurel's First Hair Cut

2008-06-17T14:32:00.018-07:00

Laurel's two and a half. I finally decide to take her in for her first haircut.

Paul did not really want me to cut it. He says her hair is beautiful, and it is. I think he is afraid I'll have the hairstylist hack it off. Fear not dear hubby, I love to put Laurel's hair into ponytails, so most of the length will stay.

I don't dare cut Laurel's hair myself. The last time I tried, it was a disaster. I only attempted to give her some bangs to get the hair out of her eyes. The first snip was crooked. Of course I tried to even it out, but again, it was crooked in the opposite direction. It kept getting shorter and shorter, and finally I had to just stop before it looked like she had a buzz cut. Lesson learned, I cannot cut hair.

Reading the newspaper, I come across an article about kid centered salons. Bingo! So today, we head to a place called Lollilocks. Whimsical describes it perfectly. We walk through the door, and Laurel immediately runs to the different chairs you can sit in. They look like those rocking rides at parks. A tough decision, but finally Laurel chooses the dinosaur chair.

First a bit of water to get the hair wet. No tears, but Laurel is obviously not a fan of the squirt bottle.

Hair is wet, Laurel is still, we're ready for that first clip. Hold your breath...SNIP.

Of course, sitting still is quite a challenge for a toddler. After a while, you just have to wiggle and look around.

Not to fear, a lollipop will save the day. I hold the lolly and ask Laurel to tell me its colors. She is still an entire two more minutes while the stylist quickly tries to finish cutting Laurel's hair.

But alas, the wrapped lollipop no longer holds Laurel's interest, and she loves to look in the mirror at what's going on.

Ah, finally, the reward... a lolly of course!

Did Laurel like getting her hair cut? I would say, YES!!!

Look Who's Four

2008-06-11T06:19:00.003-07:00

Ian, you're four years old. Your father and I will need some time to get use to that fact. It still seems like yesterday you were born.

In honor of your fourth birthday, I write four things I adore about you:

You still need to hold something soft when having a big drink of something, whether it be milk, juice, or water. Usually, you hold the bottom hem of your t-shirt, it's always there for you.
Most of your playtime is spent redesigning your train track and making up stories as you push your engines and train cars along.
You love an opportunity to cut things up with scissors. You spent a great deal of your birthday party time cutting out the details of your crown. You also love to cut things out of magazines, especially cars and trucks, and possible toys you may get for special events like your birthday and Christmas. Somehow, we've lucked out, and you've only cut your hair once.
You are a collector. You are currently trying to get all available diecast characters from the movie Cars. You are also trying to get all engines, train cars, train sets, and other miscellaneous characters from the wooden Thomas railway. The mini brochures that come with the packaging of said products are wrinkled and torn from hours of you perusing what you still need.

Little man, we love you.

Childhood Fantasies Intermingled with Nasty Truths

2008-06-04T06:45:00.006-07:00

Laurel and Ian love the Disney movie Peter Pan. This week, Paul is on vacation, so he's seeing it in greater detail. They've already watched it twice this week. The obsession with Peter Pan goes beyond viewing it on a television set. Ian loves the song that plays when the Crocodile shows up to chase Captain Hook, and I have to sing/hum it for him at least three times a day.

And whenever we are eating, the kids ask for me to tell a story that includes themselves as characters. It usually starts with a request from Laurel, "Mommy, I want a story of me and Ian sleeping and Peter Pan and Tinker Bell coming to our rooms."

With a deep breath, I begin the tale. "One night, Laurel and Ian are sleeping soundly in their beds. A breeze blows on them as Peter Pan and Tinker Bell fly over them. Peter Pan whispers, 'Wake up, Laurel, wake up, Ian.'"

The story continues almost verbatim to the Disney movie since I have not read the novel yet, although I have recently purchased a copy. One big difference I make in my story telling, is incorporating Paul and myself into the story. Heck, I want to visit Neverland too!

This last month, Paul has had to work some really long days, often getting home after the children have already gone to bed, capped by a week long business trip to Las Vegas. Obviously, his absence is on their minds and concerns them, for they do miss him when he's not around. This became especially apparent in one retelling this week of our family's version of Peter Pan.

ME: When Laurel and Ian open their eyes, they see Peter Pan and Tinker Bell flying in their rooms. Peter Pan says, "Hi, would you guys like to go to Neverland with Tink and me?"

Both Ian and Laurel say, "Oh yes, oh yes, but we need to get Mommy and Daddy first."

So they go and climb into their Mommy and Daddy's bed and ask, "Mommy, Daddy, can we all go to Neverland with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell?" So Mommy, Daddy, Ian, and Laurel all fly to Neverland with Peter and Tinker Bell.

IAN: No, Daddy can't go. He has to work late.

Gender Differences

2008-05-29T20:46:00.002-07:00

Laurel, Ian and I are playing with some little plastic dinosaurs. First I interact with Ian. Growling, I hold a dinosaur before Ian and tease, "Roar, I'm a T-Rex and I'm going to eat you."

Ian picks up a nearby T-Rex, growls back at mine and begins to attack it. Soon there are chomping sounds, which I can only assume that his dinosaur ate mine.

I then turn and play with Laurel. I hold the same dinosaur in front of her and give a growl. "Roar, I'm a T-Rex and I'm going to eat you!!"

Laurel sweetly smiles and happily chirps at it, "I love you." She then takes the dinosaur from me and gives it a hug and a kiss.

A Happy Reunion

2008-05-23T20:13:00.002-07:00

Hi, Daddy! (Day 4)

2008-05-22T10:27:00.003-07:00

Dear Daddy,

We're so glad you called this morning. We love to hear your voice. Have fun in your classes today.

So far, we've played with trains...

and we've packed our bags to stay the night at Grandma Ann's.

We're so excited. Grandma says we get to ride the Molly Trolley to the park today. But there are lots of clouds and it may rain. Mommy says we won't melt if we get wet. We're also very excited because we'll get to see you tomorrow! We miss you. Remember, as soon as we see you, you have to be Tickle Monster.

We love you. Hugs. Kissy, kissy,
Ian and Laurel, and Mommy too

Hi, Daddy, Please Come Home!!!

2008-05-21T15:59:00.016-07:00

Dear Daddy,

We talk about you all the time and wonder if you're ok in Las Sega (Las Vegas in Laurel-ese). We love talking to you on the phone. Ian yells so you can hear better since you are sooooo far away. We kiss the phone a bunch since we hear you on it.

Today we went to our weekly classes. Laurel had ABC fun in her class, and Ian played Duck, Duck, Goose in his. Mommy was going to take pictures, but she forgot to put the memory card back in the camera. Silly Mommy!

Here are some pictures of what we're doing at home:

Laurel is getting away with sucking on her fingers since you're not around to remind her, "Fingers out," and take away her blankie.

Of course, Ian is setting up his race track a different way.

He's also busy playing on his computer. *Picture courtesy of Ian.

Laurel's put together several picnics for us to munch on. *Picture courtesy of Ian.

Mommy never stops doing laundry. *Picture courtesy of Ian.

Don't worry, we're helping Mommy with the chores. Ian picked up the newspaper and rolled the black trash barrel back into the backyard. Laurel helped Mommy make sandwiches for lunch.

We also helped water the plants.

Look, Daddy, look! We pulled out some carrots. They almost look big enough to eat.

But we're not waiting, we're eating them NOW!!! YUMMY!!!

Good night, Daddy! We love you. Have sweet dreams.

Hugs and kisses,
Ian and Laurel and Mommy too!

Hi, Daddy! (Day 2)

2008-05-20T15:04:00.015-07:00

Dear Daddy,

Oh, how we miss you. Mommy's keeping us busy so we don't think about you being gone too much. She says if we stay busy you'll be home sooner.

Today we went to the dinosaur museum.

First we panned for gold. We did find some gold, but the fun part was getting wet! It was hot, but the water felt good. We'll show you our gold when we get home.

The museum has lots of dinosaurs. Laurel was scared of them. Mommy kept saying they aren't real, but they were big and moving. Some have really big teeth. We didn't want to be eaten, so we stayed close to Mommy.

We also saw stars, meteors, planets, and comets. We got to touch some meteors.

Hey, Daddy, guess what? We're movie stars! That's right, we were on TV! The museum has a place where you go behind the TV, but you show up on it. It's fun Daddy. We danced and pretended to jump on the people.

After the museum, we went to Grandma Edie's for lunch. We must have eaten too many snacks in the van, we weren't hungry for lunch. But Papa Chuck gave us chocolate milk, and we drank it all up. Ian got to stay the afternoon over at Grandma's, but Laurel went home with Mommy. Ian will come home after dinner. Grandma and Papa want to see our new shower.

We love you Daddy! We are sending you hugs and kisses.

Love,
Ian and Laurel, and Mommy too!

Hi, Daddy!

2008-05-19T20:44:00.004-07:00

Dear Daddy,

We miss you. Night time is just not the same without the tickle monster around. Mommy just can't make the right noises for it to be effective. Promise you'll turn into Tickle Monster as soon as you get home.

Today we went to the mall and played indoors. Mommy says it's too hot to play outside today, but 108 doesn't sound hot to us. We did get to jump and run and make friends at the play area. We went on the carousel and got to get a book at the store. Here's a picture of us reading Ian's new Lightning McQueen book.

We are being very good. Tonight we both cleaned up all our toys and brushed our teeth without giving Mommy too much grief. Ian won the race to see who could get their jammies on the fastest. Laurel chose to read I Love You Stinky Face, and Ian of course wanted Curious George. Tonight, it was the one where George makes the pancakes. Can we have blueberry pancakes, Daddy?

Daddy, will Peter Pan and Tinkerbell visit us tonight? Can we go to Neverland? Remember when Captain Hook was scared of the crocodile, remember that Daddy?

We're sending you hugs and kisses. Sweet dreams, Daddy! We love you!

--Ian and Laurel (Mommy sends her love too.)

Sick, But Not Deterred

2008-05-17T14:06:00.004-07:00

Ian has some stomach virus today. He woke me up at six this morning complaining that his stomach hurt. About an hour later, the vomiting began. He is all too familiar with what we call the Barf Bowl, and knows to use it when needed.

Today is garbage truck day. More than that, we get visited by two garbage trucks. One picks up our recycling, and another picks up plant material. Ian is laying on the beach towel covered couch. He is gray and still. But, upon hearing an all too familiar screech of brakes, he sits up and softly reports, "The garbage truck is here."

Ian staggers towards the front windows. I rush to grab the Barf Bowl and follow him. He opens the curtains to view the marvelous truck lifting our recycling barrel. Good thing I closely follow him with the Barf Bowl, he immediately begins retching into it. He will not stop watching his beloved garbage truck, but continues looking out the window, all the while throwing up.

The truck finally departs, and Ian pretty much collapses in my arms and I walk him back to the couch. After convincing him that chicken noodle soup would not be a great idea right now, and reading to him a book about garbage trucks, Ian is asleep and hopefully on the mend.

Moonlighting

2008-05-14T15:06:00.014-07:00

So, I've got a secret blog. Back in September, I started trying to lose weight and was occasionally posting about it. Then, I took a break from blogging, those end of the year holidays came and went, and I gained all the weight back plus an additional four pounds. Heavy, heavy sigh.

Depressed and failure are some words that describe my feelings towards myself at the time. Fortunately, enough was enough, the clothes were getting WAY too tight, and I decided to stand up again, dust myself off and take charge over this part of my life.

Back in March, I refocused my efforts on getting healthy. I started taking note of portions and calories consumed, started incorporating exercise into a busy life, and chose to create a blog dedicated to this one aspect of my life. It's dull - just me keeping track of whatever goes into the pie hole, exercise, struggles, successes, and such. But, oh, it's so important to me. I'm posting daily, and it's helping me keep focused.

Unfortunately, this blog has suffered. Where are all the cute stories of the kids? I need to find balance between the two. So I now must offer a story, that incorporates both...

I need to exercise at home. Driving to some gym and putting the kids into a daycare while I work out is not my idea of fun. Yes, I gave it a try last summer, and I just didn't like spending 40 minutes on the road each day.

Exercising at home obviously takes away that 40 minute drive time, but there is a challenge: Laurel and Ian sometimes get in the way. I think it's so cute when they want to work out with me, but when I'm doing aerobics, I'm afraid I might jump on them, or my hand might hit them as they walk by. Actually, both kids have accidentally been whacked by me as they ran by at the wrong moment.

The solution was simple. Whenever I exercise, I divide the room with a long piece of yarn. The kids can work out or play on one side, while I sweat it out on the other. Does it work? For the most part, yes. Laurel still crosses the line to crawl between my legs while I'm stretching. To her, I'm a tunnel at that point and she just can't resist. I just hope I can keep my balance.

Ian doing the moves in the aerobics DVD with me.

Laurel tries to do lunges.

Ian holds wooden beads as his weights during strength training. He's having some fun.

*BTW: sometimes I have brain fart and forget to change my identity when leaving comments on your blogs. If you see someone by the name of Slenderella, that's me. :-)

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T09:04:00.001-07:00

Why I love being a mother...

Happy Mother's Day!

Bad Fashion, Beware

2008-05-02T06:41:00.008-07:00

There is a Fashion Nazi residing in our household. She goes by name of Laurel, and she knows exactly what she wants to wear. Point blank she tells us if an outfit is not desired. Try to put it on her, and you face fits of fury exerting the energy of a tornado. There will be high pitched shrieks, tears, flailing arms, back arching, and the inevitable escape. We've learned to offer her choices in her apparel, giving her control. It makes for a much happier morning.

Evidently, ponytails and a sequined shirt
are appropriate apparel for a baseball game.

However, the opinions are not limited to herself. Paul likes to be shirtless when brushing his teeth, thus eliminating the possibility of getting toothpaste on it. This bothers Laurel to no end. She stands next to him, points and yells, "Daddy, put on a shirt!"

Sometimes I wear a light jacket in the house when cold. Laurel points at me and says, "Mommy, no coat!"

I usually respond, "Honey, I'm cold and I need the jacket to keep warm."

Comfort is not of importance to her, only how I look. She repeats herself, "Mommy, no coat!"

Me walking away does not deter her. She just follows, repeating her command. "Mommy, no coat! Take coat off, NOW!"

This lasts for a few minutes, but I refuse to give in to her demands. My needs are important, too. Eventually, she gives up or gets distracted, and I always get to laugh at my wonderfully opinionated daughter.

Look out, Ian. It won't be long before she notices you like to wear your shirts backwards. I'm just warning you...

Big, Scary Smoke Alarm, GO AWAY!

2008-04-27T21:21:00.002-07:00

Lately, Laurel is obsessed with the smoke detectors in our house. Actually, fearful is more accurate. To put her at ease, I've been trying to explain how the smoke detector keeps our family safe from fires. Despite all my efforts, she is still unsure of the round object that looms on the ceiling just outside her bedroom. It scares her to the extend she quickly runs into nearby rooms, closes the door and states, "I am safe now."

So the discussions continue, trying to put her mind at ease. Even Ian is trying to help his little sister understand the role of a smoke detector and that it's just not some scary monster waiting to gobble her up.

This morning's conversation:

Laurel: The smoke alarm is my friend. It winks at me. (She's referring to when it blinks a red light.) The smoke alarm put out the fires.

Ian: No Laurel, the firetruck and firemen come and put out the fire.

Laurel: Yeah, the firemen and the firetruck put out the fire.

Ian: That's right Laurel, the firemen and the firetruck put out the fire.

Laurel: Ok. If the fire alarm goes off, we go to Grandma's house.

Ian: No, we go to Alex's house.

Laurel: Oh yes, we go to Alex's house.

Ian: Yes, Laurel, we go to Alex's house and the firetruck puts out the fire and puts the fire in the tank.

Laurel: Ok, the firetruck puts the fire in the tank.

Ian: Yeah, they put the fire in the tank and then they take it away.

Evidently, Ian knows something about the process I don't.

Finding Time for a Date

2008-04-17T15:47:00.006-07:00

There just never seems to be enough time to accomplish all the things I want to get done. Of course, part of the problem lies within myself. I want to do it all! Gardening, exercise, play with my kids, teach my kids stuff, scrapbook, make awesome and healthy meals, bake, experiment with said cooking, hike, travel, just to name a few. Add in the daily housework, laundry, diapering, feeding and grooming of kids, grocery and clothes shopping, it's a wonder I ever get to participate in extracurricular activities.

Speaking of extracurricular activities, I would like to take my dear hubby out on a date once in a while, but when? We have little mini-dates at home. You know, when the kids are put in bed and we have our alone time. Lately, our together time has been consumed fighting off evil patrons of the dark side of the force. Aha, yes, we geeks (and proud of it) love to play Lego Star Wars on our Wii. I'm not typically a video game connoisseur, but Paul has found one that strikes my fancy. I love playing Han Solo and blasting my way through swarms of Storm Troopers on the Death Star.

Other mini-dates include being couch potatoes. Our favorite shows include Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Eureka (if it ever comes back). The combination of my hubby, a scifi show, and a glass of wine is downright romantic! Once in a while, none of our shows will be airing. Then we rely on our DVD stash, preferably something from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

It's been a long time, but we also like to challenge each other to a game of Scrabble. But alas, poor Paul, he is timid about playing against me, because of course I am the Scrabble Queen. It may because I taught second grade and had to teach phonics and know a phonogram or two, but the bottom line is I usually WIN! I think the one time he did win, is when we took the travel version to the hospital while I was in labor with Ian. The contractions definitely interfered with my thinking during that game.

What do you do for a mini-date?

Yes, We are Cheesy

2008-04-07T10:27:00.003-07:00

One of the perks of parenting is torturing your kids by making them wear the same clothes.

Funny thing, neither kid minded. In fact, they were down right giggly about wearing their froggy jammies.

Bubble Busted

2008-04-04T14:38:00.006-07:00

Last night, Laurel and I went for the three mile walk that goes around our neighborhood. Paul had just arrived home and needed to eat dinner, and Ian chose to stay behind to play with his cars and computer. I strapped Laurel into the stroller, and off we went.

Ian decided to play his Click Start computer. The game of choice involved popping bubbles that would splatter paint onto the surface. The computer gives you a certain amount of time, and then tells you how many you were able to pop. The idea is to help little ones learn to control a computer mouse.

Paul would encourage Ian stating things like, "Ian, you got four that time, that's a lot. Wow, Ian, six this time, good job," and so on.

Ian started getting excited along with Paul. "Daddy, Daddy, I got four!"

The next time around, "Daddy, Daddy, five this time, that's a lot!"

The following round, "Daddy, two! I got twooooo!"

Finally, "Daddy, Daddy, I got one!" There's a slight pause, his voice lowers an octave and he exhales, "Oh, that's not so much."

***********************************************
Unrelated topic:

I'm totally psyched about tonight's BSG! WHOO-HOO!

Finally.

If you're a true scifi geek, you'll understand.

Building Trust

2008-04-01T14:29:00.004-07:00

Laurel is in the beginning stages of potty training. When the occasion arises, and she asks to use the potty, we oblige. We let it be her idea. So far, she'll sit a minute, nothing happens, and then she's wiggly and ready to go play.

But the little potty chair is not good enough for her. Lately, she wants to use the big toilet. Fine by us, less mess to clean up, that is if she ever produces anything.

One evening, Paul goes to help her remove her diaper and place her on the big toilet. She balances on the rim, Paul's hands nearby just in case. She worriedly looks up at him stating, "Daddy, don't flush me down the toilet!"

Easter Pictures

2008-03-26T06:57:00.011-07:00

Some pictures for a certain grandma missing her babies...

Ian shows Laurel how to open Easter eggs.

A little Easter love.

Zonked out while traveling to Maricopa.

Dreaming of jellybeans.

Older cousin, Allison, made sure everyone lined up by height for the Easter egg hunt.

Ready, set, go!

Sprinkler fun needed to cool the kiddies down.

Laurel likes to jump like the Easter bunny.

No Easter would be complete without a little hot tubbing.

Natural Consequences: My Turn

2008-03-25T04:00:00.001-07:00

Ian is desperate to retrieve one of his dump trucks from the backyard. I allow him outdoors to accomplish this task. Laurel and I peer out the windows, amused by Ian's tactics in trying to find his truck. After a few minutes, he is frustrated in not locating it. I instruct Laurel to stay inside while I join Ian in his quest.

After thoroughly searching the yard together, Ian and I conclude the truck must still be inside, possibly in his room. Together, we walk to the patio door. Ian turns the door handle and pushes, but the door does not budge. He tries it again and again, but the door remains steadfast. Offering support, I comment, "Ian, remember the handle is tricky. You have to turn it all the way first and then push the door."

This time I try opening the door. As I push against it, I can hear the distinct sound of metal hitting metal from the deadbolt cylinder. My heart stops as I look down and see Laurel on the other side of the glass door reaching for the lock. I flashback to a day about two years ago, when Ian had locked me outside. Learning my lesson, I usually take the house keys with me in case of such an emergency. Today, well, I am feeling just a bit stupid.

I yell through the glass, "Laurel turn the knob all the way around."

She gets up on her tiptoes and reaches for the knob. She turns it, but it doesn't rotate enough to unlock. "Keep turning it!" I urge her.

Laurel turns it the wrong way. "No, Sweetie. Turn it the other way."

She tries again and again, but without any luck. Ian asks, "Why won't Laurel open the door?"

"I don't think she can turn the knob all the way around, Honey." Then the light bulb goes off in my head. Laurel doesn't have enough leverage to reach the knob.

"Laurel, go get the stepstool."

She continues reaching for the lock. "No sweetie, first go get the stepstool."

Finally, she stops messing with the lock and trots off hopefully to get the stepstool. I squint through the glass and watch her retrieve it. She places it next to the door and climbs up. A few more sets of instructions and then, click. Oh, what a beautiful, heart-revitalizing sound.

Quickly, I push open the door in the small gap between it and the stepstool so Laurel is unable to accidentally lock us out again. Whew, another close call. Mental note: Always take the house keys outside with me no matter how short the stint, now matter how quick the task.

Natural Consequences

2008-03-12T15:44:00.002-07:00

As parents, we try to protect our children from harm and teach them about possible dangers that lurk in our world. Hopefully our repeated chants sink into their ever growing brains. "Don't touch the stove, it's hot. Stay on the sidewalk so you won't get run over by a car. Pat the dog gently or he may bite."

Unfortunately, there are dangerous situations we parents may have overlooked, and curiosity will overpower any lessons taught.

Ian screams from the top of the stairs. They are nonstop shrieks that get my immediate attention. I race up the stairs and quickly look him over for any signs of injury. I see none. It takes me a few moments to calm him down enough so he can give me any sort of explanation. Between deep breaths, he sobs, "You should not leave the light on. The light hurt me."

My brain races with possible interpretations. He's oddly holding his hand. I look it over and find no cuts. It seems like an eternity before I figure out what Ian is trying to tell me. I remember having seen Ian and Laurel touch the hallway light that is just above the baseboard and behind a piece of translucent plastic. That gets warm, but if he just now touched an actual light bulb, that would be hot enough to burn his skin.

I rush him to the bathroom and immerse his hand in cold water. Within a minute he calms down. I look at his fingertips, and see a white blister forming at the end of his middle finger. "Ian, did Laurel touch the light too?"

"Yes, mommy."

I call Laurel to me and look her over. On her index finger a white blister is forming. I get the step stool for her to stand on and have her dunk her hand in the water also. Why she didn't cry is beyond me.

Upon further investigation, I find out that Ian and Laurel were reaching down between the staircase slats to touch the light bulb in a lamp. Evidently, this was a case of both curiosity killing the cat and monkey see, monkey do.

I discuss the circumstances with the two of them. "Guys, do we touch lights?"

"NO! Lights are hot and burn," yells Ian.

"No, Mommy. Ow, ow, ow," remarks Laurel.

No further lecturing is needed. My two curious kittens have learned their lesson. Some time spent in cold water, a band aid and a kiss alleviate their pain.

Later that evening, while Ian sits on the potty, he states, "Mommy, now I have to earn some more money to buy a new finger!"

Highland Games - Year 3

2008-03-04T15:23:00.011-07:00

This post is for my Mother-in-Law Ann, better known as Grandma Ann. Some of you may remember that she received a double lung transplant last year. This year, she was looking forward to attending the Highland Games, however she unfortunately caught Ian's and Laurel's nasty cold and had to miss it yet again.

Paul helps the kids pose for a picture.

Hand in hand - too sweet!

Our wee man loves his kilt!

Our bonnie lass loves her "Princess dress," as she calls it.

A kilt isn't going to keep Ian from climbing...

...and playing.

Laurel follows Ian's lead.

Going up, up, up...

...and then down...

and down.

Now, that's what I call an ice cream cone!

Ian had to get one with pink on it. Unfortunately after only a few licks, it toppled over, hit his sleeve and landed on the ground. Oh yes, there were tears.

Sweet Laurel was willing to give up her cone to Ian in exchange for Mommy's strawberry shake.

Ian eats this cone more carefully. You can see the pink residue from the last cone's fall on Ian's sleeve.

The day ended with a fun train ride for the kids. I think each car was made from a keg of beer.

Letting My Guard Down

2008-03-04T08:53:00.004-07:00

I am in the kitchen making yet another meal (honestly, I feel like I spend half the day in there). Ian is noisily playing with his cars in the living room. Laurel runs to edge of the upstairs landing and yells, "Mommy, don't come upstairs." She then quickly turns her little body and runs back into the upstairs hallway.

A little red flag goes up in the back of my mind. "She's definitely up to something," I think to myself. But considering all the raw chicken goo on my hands, I decide to finish my task.

A minute later, Laurel again runs to the edge of the stairs and yells down at me, "Mommy, don't come upstairs!" and turns tail to return to her adventures.

"Oh yes, she's definitely up to no good," I mutter.

But alas, I am still covered in chicken goo, and quickly try to finish the prep work for the meal.

A third time Laurel runs to the edge of the stairs and commands, "Mommy, don't come upstairs!"

Finally, I am able to wash my hands and run up the stairs to investigate my daughter's evil doings.

Looking in her bedroom, I find nothing. Looking in her brother's bedroom, I find once folded socks, underwear and pants thrown carelessly from his dresser drawers, but no Laurel.

With a heavy sigh, I check my own bedroom. My bedroom is void of my little gremlin, but little giggles are heard from my bathroom. I walk in and find she has emptied my makeup drawer. All the little containers and tubes are now lined up neatly on the edge of the bathtub.

Lesson learned, I will keep my bedroom door locked. As for Ian's room, his clothes will just have to fend for themselves.

Girls' Day

2008-02-26T20:08:00.011-07:00

Today, Ian went to the mountains with Grandma and Papa to visit Great Grandma Eva. Paul works today, leaving Laurel and I to do as we pleased. Laurel's first request was to watch Teletubbies. This was a treat since Ian typically vetoes it when we chose a program to watch.

Laurel's next request was to paint, so I had her make some birthday cards for us to give beloved family members. We have lots of birthdays to celebrate in March and April.

Some lunch, a nap, and then we were ready to dress up. Laurel received a trunk full of princess outfits and accessories for Christmas. She loves to put on the jewelry, but had yet to wear an outfit. I decided to put on one of my fancy dresses, hoping she would follow suit. It worked! Isn't she beautiful?

Afterwards, she must have felt that she needed to prove she isn't a girly girl, so she grabbed the toy toolbox and set to work fixing the front door.

We ended our day by taking a walk around the block. She loves to wear Ian's Mickey Mouse Ears. It's so funny that she knows who Mickey Mouse is, but has only seen him in a show once about a year ago. Once she has her hat on, she grabs my keys and is ready to go.

Along the way, we have to stop and smell the wildflowers.

I love to watch her try to balance on the edge of the sidewalk, treating it almost like a balance beam.

A tradition on our walking trips, is for Ian and Laurel to bang every passed street light with their hands. Today proved no different.

Laurel, thank you for a wonderful day full of memories.

Independence on His Own Terms

2008-02-22T13:48:00.008-07:00

Do you ever pause a moment and think, "How did we get here?"

I'm in the kitchen heating a can of soup, when I hear Ian bark an order to Laurel. "Laurel, read a book to me!"

"Okay, Ian."

Her sweet voice comes from the bathroom. My curiosity piqued, I walk to the room in question. There they are, Ian on the toilet and Laurel reading to him. Ian's patience with his sister's attempt at reading expires, and he grabs a book of his own. It's a sweet moment, one that I must capture on camera.

Then the thought occurs to me, "Weren't we battling potty training with Ian just yesterday?"

No, it wasn't yesterday, but last October when I was quite discouraged. It was our second attempt at helping him gain more independence from diapers, but he was still not ready. Paul and I decided to put the potty training on hold until Ian showed he was ready and would take the lead.

That day came. The Friday before Christmas, as I removed Ian's nighttime diaper, he informs me, "Mommy, I want to wear underwear."

A bit leery of him possibly not having any follow through, and me having to clean several more accidents, I hesitate before I respond. I tell myself to have faith in my child. I smile up at him and say, "Ok, Honey. Run up to your room and go grab a pair."

I can still hear his footsteps as he excitedly ran up the stairs and into his room.

Paul and I were a bit apprehensive about the timing of starting the pottying process since there were a couple of family parties to attend and my three nieces were coming over to spend a couple of days and nights with us. We didn't want to use diapers or Pull Ups at all since they seemed to only be a crutch and hinder any success. Underwear it was, and we let Ian take the lead.

Ian has not worn a diaper since that day, not even for naps or nighttime sleeping. I think maybe the first three mornings he woke up soaked, but none since. There has been an occasional accident during the day, but only little trickles where he caught himself and ran to the bathroom.

We still remind him to use the bathroom, especially before car trips and bedtime. He has yet to learn how to keep his pants on while sitting on the toilet and how to wipe himself clean, things only essential for starting preschool next year. But man, oh man, he is diaper free! Oh how proud we are of our little man!

Sick

2008-02-19T19:18:00.004-07:00

Ian has passed his cold on to Laurel and Paul. Runny, red noses and deep wet coughs, just lovely stuff. They are all miserable. Somehow I have managed to ellude this virus so far. Paul thinks I have a superior immune system thanks to eleven years of exposure while teaching.

Poor guys. You know they're sick when they refuse to eat cookies and ice cream. It's heart breaking, absolutely heart breaking.

Setting Limits

2008-02-17T06:37:00.004-07:00

See this picture? Ian is extremely sad. But, aha, he's getting a lesson in planning ahead.

We are at a park having a picnic. Both Ian and Laurel are eager to finish eating so they can attack the playground equipment. Ian declares, "I'm finished."

His sandwich is only half eaten, and he has barely touched his carrots or chips. Paul and I comment, "Ian, you will not be able to eat later, so you must finish your lunch now. Do you understand?"

"I understand, I'm done. I want to go play."

I really don't want to argue with him and force him to eat, so I view this as a learning opportunity. We allow Ian to make this choice, and off he heads towards the playground. Laurel is soon in hot pursuit, but being a faster eater, she has already consumed twice as much as Ian.

The two of them have a great time running, climbing and sliding. All too soon, it is time to head home. As we load our little family into the van, Ian asks, "Mommy, can I eat the rest of my lunch now?"

I cringe as I hear the inevitable. Sadly, I respond, "No, Ian. We already ate lunch, but you can drink your water."

"No, mommy, I want to eat my lunch!"

His voice starts to go up an octave, and his breathing gets heavier.

"I'm sorry Ian, lunch time is over." And with that, we buckle up the the kids and drive home. Ian's cries for food continues. Paul and I try our best to not respond. Many thoughts cross my mind about being a bad parent because I am starving my child. As doubt sets in, I look to Paul for reassurance. He looks at me and shakes his head. I take this to mean I should not give in.

Ian continues to cry for about five minutes, and then relaxes. We start to talk about the fun things we did that day and sing some songs. The moment has passed, but hopefully the lesson has stuck. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

Cough, Achoo, I Love You

2008-02-14T16:08:00.002-07:00

My poor wee man has a Valentine's Day cold. Watery eyes, runny nose, and lots of coughing encompass his world today. Sometimes he tries playing with this beloved cars and trains, but he lacks the energy to pursue his imaginary worlds for longer than 10 minutes. After two minutes of trying to make a Valentine's Day Card, Ian announces he is finished. We read, and read, and read, but now it is only DVD's he asks for. We already watched Toy Story, and have just started Cars. I really, really hate to even complete one movie in a day, and here we are starting movie number two. Sigh.

So here I am, asking you wonderful parents and caregivers of the blogosphere what you do to entertain your children when they are sick. Books, drawing/crafts, TV, and sleep aside, what else entertains your children when they are feeling under the weather?

Crafting and Snow Fun Weekend

2008-02-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

We had a fun packed weekend. Saturday, the kids made Valentine's Day crafts at the Arizona Youth Museum. You know it's a good time when there's paint and glitter glue involved. Laurel and Ian got to make placemats, heart shaped finger puppets, flowers, and a couple heart posters.

Surrounded with fun art activities, and what draws their attention? The magnetic letters on the white board of course!

Sunday, we drove up to Flagstaff. After a three hour drive, we reach our destination and get to play in the...

SNOW!!!

Chair Fun

2008-02-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

Screech. Screeeech. SCREEEEEECH!

I pause from loading the dishwasher and find Laurel dragging the chairs around the dining table. They resist against the tile floor and complain quite loudly.

"Aw, Laurel, are you redecorating the eating area?" I comment.

Too busy to answer, she continues moving the chairs around. SCREEEEEEEEEEECH! SCREECH! SCREECH!

All the chairs are now corralled together on one side of the room. She squeezes her little body between them and climbs onto the one in the middle. Proudly she sits there, looking between the slats of the chair.

Paul walks over to observe our little criminal. "Laurel, you're in jail!" we both laugh.

"I in jail." Giggle, giggle. "Mommy, Daddy, I in jail." Giggle, giggle.

She plays a bit, sitting in different positions, getting up on her knees to look over the top of the chair, of course then standing. "No, Laurel. Sit in the chair," both Paul and I chime.

Quickly she sits and places her hands through all the openings between the chair's slats. Laurel again tries sitting different ways and directions. Then, in the blink of an eye, the novelty wears off, and she escapes.

Cupcake Craze

2008-02-08T06:44:00.000-07:00

I love to bake. There's something very therapeutic about mixing some ingredients together, watching them rise and bake, sometimes adding some frosting or, joy of all joys, adding sprinkles, and then tasting the hopefully deliciously sweet results.

So far, I've limited myself to cookies, brownies and other bars, and boxed cake mixes. It just wasn't enough. Suddenly, I found myself searching Google for cake recipes, you know, the ones from scratch. In my search, I kept coming across dedicated cupcake blogs. The thought of making already individually prepared little cakes, each one perfectly frosted, is intriguing. Oh yes, I am hooked.

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I find myself craving strawberries, thus the search for the perfect strawberry cupcake and frosting began. As we know in our internet searches, there are so many sites to choose from. Well after much skimming and head spinning, I finally decide upon a recipe that makes the cupcake and frosting using fresh strawberries.

Recently, I've become obsessed with the idea of using cake decorating tips. I love the pretty swirls that adorn the cupcakes I see at the supermarket. Without much knowledge on the subject, I blindly purchase a tip. My husband later informs me I should have also purchased a tip coupler. Oh well, I decide to pop the tip into the cut corner of a Ziploc bag and just go for it.

Here's the end result:

Pretty, but alas, only okay tasting. The frosting is much too sweet. I kept adding more and more confectioner's sugar, trying to thicken the consistency so I could pipe it. Sigh. The cake itself is more like a muffin, kind of heavy. Hmmm, perhaps I'll try a different recipe. So many recipes, so little time. Happy baking!

Walkin'

2008-02-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, try these sites:
Wordless Wednesday
5 Minutes for Mom

Intuition

2008-02-05T06:08:00.000-07:00

I've recently joined a Mom's Club, and tonight we are having a Discipline Forum. Purse and keys in hand, I say goodbye to Ian and give him a hug and a kiss.

"Mommy, where are you going?" he inquires.

"I'm going to talk with some other mommies about our children."

Plainly, he states, "Oh, are their kids not doing what they say either?"

Superbowl Sunday

2008-02-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

Our little family actually watched the Superbowl.

Laurel's perspective of football as she watches a tackle: Mommy, they giving hugs! Then she smiles sweetly, jumps up and down and giggles.

Ian's perspective of the same tackle: Ah, ah, aaaahhhh, they bump into each other and roll around. Aaaahhhhh! Then he runs off, throws himself to the ground and rolls around, screaming the entire time. I feel lucky he didn't include Laurel in his replay.

Two different kids, two very different perspectives.

Blog on Hold

2007-11-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I haven't kept up with blogging. There's a never ending TO DO list I've got to tackle, especially to renew my teacher certification, printing pictures from the last year and putting them into some sort of photo album and labeling them, SPRING (ha, will it ever get below 90F so we can play outside without coming home in a complete sweat?) cleaning, holiday activities, etc. I miss blogging, I miss talking with my blogging friends. I hope to get things done as quickly as possible and then continue with blogging. Until then dear blogging world, be healthy, be safe, be happy, and make wonderful memories!

Love and hugs,
Mamacita Tina

Calling All Mommies...SOS!!!

2007-10-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Potty training - I feel like I have completely failed my son in this endeavor.

We started potty training Ian the beginning of June. This was actually our second attempt. The first attempt just never seemed to take off, so we gave it up until Ian seemed more ready.

The second attempt started out much more successful. A few weeks beforehand, we had Ian try to use the potty first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Then we dove right in and had our little guy running around the house naked. We reminded him to try and use the potty, and occasionally he was seen trotting off to the bathroom by himself. Accidents were few and far between. Amazingly, he woke up from naps and night time sleep dry during the first few weeks.

We took him to the mall in a pull up, not really expecting much, and he asked us to take him to the bathroom. The big toilet didn't bother him at all, just the noisy hand dryers. He came home dry and clean. Even at swim class, Ian asked to use the potty. We started letting him use the big toilet at home, he didn't flinch. Of course Ian's the size of most five year olds, so he has an advantage.

Yes, things seemed to be moving right along, my little man was having great success at this potty training business.

But, yes you knew a humongous BUT was coming, here we are, almost five months later, and it's like we never started the potty training process. Somewhere we've lost our way, and now it's a pink elephant nobody knows how to handle.

Ian runs away whenever we remind him to use the bathroom. He cries and struggles if we try to get him to sit on the toilet. I believe in letting him wear underwear so that he learns from his mistakes. After asking him to try and use the potty, or even after he's tried to sit a few minutes on it, five to ten minutes later he'll have an accident. I'm not talking one accident a day. We're talking at least three. I'm really tired of cleaning urine out of the carpet and chair cushions.

I've tried incentives in the form of Skittles, stickers, TV time, and special play time. It's become obvious none of this matters to him, the accidents continue to happen. I'm losing my patience with him, and I know it's become a power struggle between the two of us. Ian's 3 1/2 years old. Am I feeling pressure to train him because of his age? Absolutely, and I know I shouldn't. I know I need to put Ian's needs first and not care what others are saying.

I'm not sure why he's regressed. We haven't moved, there are no new siblings, there haven't been any changes that I can think of. I try to make sure he gets individualized attention throughout the day, whether we work on puzzles, play with trains or garbage trucks, share a snack, or attend a special class together. Ian just doesn't mind sitting in wet or soiled clothes. He doesn't want anything to interfere with his play time.

So what do I do? Right now, I'm giving up and putting him back into diapers. I think both he and I need a break from potty training and all it entails. I need advice on how to approach it for hopefully the last time. Does anyone have a book they would recommend I read? Does anyone have a tip they found particularly useful? If you've already written about this on your blog, please send me the link so I can learn some beneficial approaches. I need help, especially from those of you who have already experienced this wonderful time of preschooler potty training.

HELP!!!

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 5

2007-10-24T17:13:00.001-07:00

Another week has passed, is it possible? As the holidays approach, time seems to speed up.

This week, I maintained. I actually feel pretty good about that, especially when I reflect on how awful the week went. All of us caught some version of Ian's flu. Laurel got the worst of it, but fortunately recuperated more quickly than Ian. I had some serious headaches over most of the week that wouldn't go away with Excedrin or Tylenol, or even sleep.

Paul worked late almost every night, leaving me alone with the kids (and sick at that) most days. Poor guy, he even had to work on Saturday. I'm not complaining, it's just not the usual routine, and I wasn't feeling 100% yet.

Needless to say, I didn't focus on eating habits or exercise. Maintaining, yup, it's a good thing. As for total loss, I'm still down four pounds, only six more to go to reach my goal. I realize ten pounds does not seem that much, but I want to have some fun with food over the holidays. The big picture is finding a somewhat smaller me in the mirror come January 1, 2008.

My family is healthy, there are lots of fun activities planned for the following week, it's time to focus again on good eating habits. Here are my goals:

Drink water!
Journal food and beverage intake and be aware of every little bite
Get moving, try to involve the kids in the process (there will be lots of walking at the farm on Sunday!!)
Find some low calorie alternatives for those snack attacks

Have a great week everybody!

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 4

2007-10-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm a day behind in posting this. Ian's been sick with flu, poor fellow. Just when I think he's over it, another symptom pops up. At first he complained of pain in his ankles, then vomit reared its ugly head, then just lethargy, of course diarrhea followed, more lethargy, more pain in his ankles and he's hobbling, and we'll see how today goes. Monday night I had to ask Paul to come home early since I thought I caught whatever ails Ian. I felt nauseaus all evening, but woke up the next day absolutely fine. At any rate, our days have been a bit low key and yet I'm extremely busy trying to keep them that way.

I'm glad to report that I'm down another pound, that makes a total of four pounds lost so far. This week I haven't been journaling like I should. I seem to have internalized how much I can eat during the day, but I need to be cautious since it's still early in the game.

As for exercise, I didn't quite reach my goal of three days of activity. One day, I pushed the kids in the stroller and went for a three mile walk. Our neighborhood's hilly, so it's a good workout. Another day, I worked in the garden digging out dead shrubs and replacing them. I'm not saying this isn't exercise, just that I didn't intend to count it. Monday, I did 45 minutes of aerobics. I may have over exerted myself and ended up feeling sick. So, all in all it could be counted as three days of exercise. But if you feel the gardening doesn't count, then yes, you can send a raspberry my way.

Goals this week:
Journal
Drink more water, less diet soda
Go for walks!!!! The weather is finally down in the 80's, no more excuses.

Here's to another week where losing is a good thing!

WW: The BEST Christmas Gift Idea For Toddlers

2007-10-16T22:23:00.001-07:00

For more WW, click here and here.

Please, Oh Please, Just Go To Sleep

2007-10-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

A wonderful, busy morning is spent at the railroad park. To my surprise, Ian insists that we go to the playground first. The kids play hard running between slides, climbing stairs and ladders, and getting completely dirty from head to toe in the sand. We rest a bit while riding the carousel, and then meet up with Paul to have a picnic. Lucky for us, his work is across the street from the park. After lunch, we ride the train. Paul gives us all goodbye kisses and hugs, and the three of us head home.

My two completely exhausted children scream as we leave the park. "No mommy, I don't want to go! Nooooo, wwwaaaaahhhhh!!!!!"

Trying to comfort my babes, I offer, "Say bye-bye to the park."

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO, wwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

Ugh, they're over tired. Nothing to do now but usher them into the van and head home. Within minutes, Laurel is passed out. Ian is a zombie. He tries to talk to me about the trucks he sees on the road, and manages to stay awake the entire ride home. When we enter the house, Laurel wakes up in my arms and Ian runs off to use the potty. Laurel's diaper is changed, Ian finishes in the bathroom, and we head upstairs for a much needed nap.

We read a pumpkin story, and then Ian curls right up, ready for Slumberland. Laurel, is a different story. She yells, "No, Mommy, no nap! Downstairs now!"

I quietly kiss her head and lay her down in her crib for a nap. As I walk downstairs, I hear her kick the wall and cry, "Mommy, noooooooooo!"

I'm wondering if she'll wake up Ian. She is extremely loud and her pleas don't seem to be coming to an end any time soon. I refuse to give in to her requests, so I decide to find a project to keep me busy. The neglected photo album screams for my attention as well, and wins.

Ten minutes later, Laurel is still whining and crying. I am amazed Ian is sleeping through her song and dance. But then, the magic words are said that get my total attention, "Diaper off!"

My mind races, did she really just say what I think she said? Do I dare set foot in her room to check on her? Where is the surveillance camera when I need it?

I rush up the stairs, peek in her room, and find out she has indeed taken off her diaper and is playing with it (fortunately, it only contains some urine). Drat, I did leave off her pants when I changed her, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish this feat.

Quietly, I walk over to her crib, remove the diaper, pick up Laurel and place a new diaper on her. I also put her in a pair of snug fitting pants that she won't be able to take off, well at least I'm hoping. No words spoken by me, I just go through these motions and gingerly place her back in her crib. "NO, MOMMY, TIME OUT!"

I walk out her room and decide to blog instead of finishing the photo album. She was really pissed off and crying and yelling at me, but as of a few minutes ago, she had calmed down and was just talking and singing. At least she still doesn't sound mad. She just finished singing, "Happy Birthday," and said, "Night-night, Daddy. Night-night, Ian. Night-night, Mommy."

I guess she's no longer mad at me. And now, what do I hear? Nothing, except the clicking of the keyboard. Sweet dreams, Laurel.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 3

2007-10-10T16:02:00.000-07:00

Another pound lost! That makes a total of three pounds I'm saying sayonara to.

Hip, hip, hurray!
A pound was lost today!
A little change here, a little change there,
For my health, I'm showing great care.

Calculating, calculating calories all day,
Wanting a smaller number on the day I must weigh.
Making good choices, keeping the mind set,
To reach my goal of a sexy silhouette.

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A poet, I'm not, but it was fun to quickly put that together. So, I'm still journaling. I didn't journal during girls' weekend, but I didn't go overboard on eating while having fun, either. I came back and started journaling again on Monday. Keeping track of foods I eat, the amounts, and calorie counting helps me keep focused. I'm still struggling with integrating exercise into everyday life. As the weather cools down, if ever, it's still in the mid to high 90's here, I will go for longer walks around the neighborhood. The zoo is also a great place to get moving. I know I'm being lazy, there should be no excuses. I'm going to set a goal of going for walks with the kids three times in the next week. If I don't reach that goal, you can all send me a great big raspberry!

Have a great week!

Breathe that Mountain Air

2007-10-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Escaping city life and relaxing in the mountains with some friends is just what the doctor ordered.

Friday night, we sat out on the porch, glass of wine in hand, and star gazed. It was a bit windy, so the pine trees swayed and sang to us.

Saturday morning, we headed up to Hawley Lake. We successfully got a shot of the four of us by the lake. Even our four legged friend is in the picture.

The ten second limit on the camera's timer just wasn't enough for me to sprint across the street for this shot.

We found a closer to spot to place the camera and voila, success! You can see the aspens are just now changing color.

That afternoon, we happily watched the Diamondbacks sweep the Cubs. Whoo-hoo, go Diamondbacks! After the game, we went out for dinner and then hung out a traditional spot for us gals: the Lion's Den, a local bar. Typically, they've had karaoke on Saturday nights. No, I don't typically sing, but the others do. We were a bit surprised when we walked in and found a live band. They were good and the girls danced their cares away. Sober (since I volunteered to be designated driver), I'm a wallflower, so I pretty much stayed at the table. But even sitting/standing there, my whole body was moving to the music.

Sunday morning was lazy. The four of us lounged and gossiped and giggled. The only event for the day was to have brunch at one of my friend's mom's house. She spoiled us with absolutely delicious food, the best being the chocolate chip pie. So we ate, watched football and lounged in the sunlight on the patio. Life was great!

Eventually, we had to head home. But I was ready, I was missing my family. I could hear Ian, Laurel, and Paul all yell, "Mommy!" as I was unlocking the door. Their giggles, smiles, squeals of delight, hugs and kisses said it all. I was missed, I am loved.

Dieting Advice from a Three Year Old

2007-10-04T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Ian will say something absolutely brilliant or funny, and I quickly write it down for future blog posts. In light of my new ~~diet~~ health changes, I thought the following scenario to be perfect:

We're sitting at the kitchen table and Ian ravenously eats his lunch. He's enjoying it so much he has seconds. But then he notices his stomach is not feeling too well and states, "Mommy, my tummy hurts."

"Oh honey, maybe you should stop eating. Maybe your tummy is telling you it's full."

Ian thinks about it, looks down at his belly and gingerly pats it. "Mommy, I can take my shirt off and all the food will come out of my tummy and I can eat more."

Don't I wish, don't I wish...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, dear blogging friends, I bid you adieu. Tomorrow, I'm off on a girls' weekend up in the mountains. No hubby, no kids (all of whom I love dearly and will miss oodles). It's going to be a selfish it's-all-about-me time. No diapers to change, no peeing or pooping accidents to clean up, no dressing two little darlings in the morning or at night, no feeding three hungry mouths, no whining other than the wining and dining I plan to do with friends, no breaking up fights, no laundry, no dishes, etc. I only have to take care of myself. I plan on relaxing, gossiping, reading a book, taking a walk, and above all else, laughing my a** off with friends. And yes, I'm being purely selfish, but in the end I know this will help me be a better mommy and wife. I'll be recharged and ready to tackle the endless tasks of domestic life.

Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 2

2007-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

I LOST TWO POUNDS! WHOO-HOO!

Oh yes, I hear applause, I hear cheering! Everybody get up and join me in a happy dance. Shake that booty and burn calories.

So, one may wonder what I am doing to ensure success. I definitely want to reflect and concretely write what went well so in future weeks when I find myself floundering, I have something to guide me back to the right habits.

The biggest change is in journaling every little thing I consume. It's amazing how those calories add up. By writing it down and keeping a running total, I can see where I should eat less or choose less caloric foods. I don't have a set number of calories I'm trying to keep under, although when I'm approaching 2000, I really start thinking about my choices.

Thanks to journaling, I have better control over portion size. I'm more aware of serving sizes, and am utilizing measuring cups and the food scale all the time. The internet is a dieter's dream. I can find out the number of calories for any food with just a few clicks.

While finding healthier eating habits, I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of the foods I love. On Sunday alone, I had blueberry pancakes, a chimichanga, and pizza. The key to success was knowing serving sizes, the amount of calories and recording it. Instead of the typical eight pancakes I would eat, I only had three. Instead of four or five slices of pizza, I only had two. Had I not exerted portion control, I probably would weigh more this week instead of less.

This week I plan to keep journaling. An area I need to work on is exercise. I'll be looking for ways to incorporate it into daily life.

Have a great week everybody!

Perception

2007-10-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

Ian wakes up and I escort him directly to the toilet. As we sit through this morning ritual, he strikes up the following conversation with me.

"Mommy, is it pancake day?"

"Yes, we're making blueberry pancakes."

Ian's entire body shakes with excitement and he wobbles while trying to regain balance on the toilet. "Yes, it is!" he exclaims, letting me know I gave the correct answer to his question. "You, and me, and Daddy, and Laurel are going to make pancakes!"

"Well, I don't think Laurel will be making pancakes, she's still too little."

There's a brief pause while he ponders my statement. "That's right, Mommy. You, and me, and Daddy will make pancakes, Laurel's too little. Laurel can steal toys."

That pretty much sums up Ian's perception of his sister and the concept of sharing.

Friday Fun: Pumpkin Craft

2007-09-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Do you see it? The shadows outside are lengthening and daytime is getting shorter. Do you feel it? The morning air feels crisp. Do you smell it? People are beginning to bake goodies and cook soups and stews.

Autumn finally takes hold. I get so excited with Halloween approaching, and I'm not the only one. Ian has a very good recollection of last year's festivities and has been talking about it for the last month. The last time we went to the library, he determinedly said, "I'm going to find a pumpkin book!"

He did, too. All by himself. He found a book with a small picture of a pumpkin on the spine. I'm so glad he did, for he found, The Witch Casts a Spell, by Suzanne Williams. By pure luck, my little guy introduced us to this delightful book that you sing to the tune, The Farmer in the Dell. Laurel loves it, we all love it, and find ourselves singing it throughout the day.

One thing led to another, and we started repeatedly reading a book we already owned: Five Little Pumpkins, by Iris Van Rynbach. That story triggered a memory of a craft I did with second graders. I knew it would be simple enough that even Laurel and Ian could do it, and I already had all the materials. Let's get crafting!

Paper Bag Pumpkin Craft, demonstrated by 3 year old Ian, and 20 month old Laurel.

Materials needed:

brown paper lunch bags
newspaper, pages torn into fourths (done ahead of time by an adult or much older child)
string or yarn, any color
green pipe cleaners
orange tempera paint (washable is nice)
plastic cups to hold paint (I reused baby food containers)
paint brushes
old shirts or bibs or smocks to cover children while painting (or let them do it naked and then just hose them down afterwards)
washcloths or paper towels or other wipe type product to clean up paint spills
green and black construction paper
tacky glue
scissors (we used blunt ones designed for little people)

Step 1: Crumple newspaper into balls and stuff them into the paper bags, fill to desired pumpkin size.

Step 2: Adult ties bag closed with string or yarn.

Step 3: Prepare the area for painting! Anything you don't want covered in paint must leave the area. Be ready with baby wipes or paper towels to clean up spills, splashes, and all out explosions.

Step 4: Demonstrate how to use a paint brush and let the kids go for it! They paint everything except the stem (the part above the string) and the bottom. You know of course, they will paint those too, oh well, let them have fun.

For Ian, this is serious stuff. Look at the concentration!

I showed the kids how to hold onto the stem so they wouldn't get paint on their hands. As you can see, Laurel didn't quite understand.

Step 5: Let the painted pumpkins dry.

Step 6: If a stem is too long, just cut off the extra you don't want.

Step 7: An adult wraps the middle of the green pipe cleaner around each pumpkin's stem and twists it enough to stay put. Bend halves as desired for a vine-like affect.

Step 8: Cut out and glue on the faces and leaves. Laurel is too young to use scissors, so I cut out a couple different face parts and leaves that she could choose from and place on her pumpkin. I helped her squeeze the glue onto the pumpkin, and then she added the eyes, nose, mouth and leaves (the leaves were glued onto the pipe cleaners, a small piece of tape was needed to hold them on until they dried and then we took the tape off).I tried putting the glue onto the pieces and letting her place them on the pumpkin, but she kept putting the wrong side against the pumpkin, and of course they didn't stick. She also kept wiping the glue off the pieces onto her arm. That's why we ended up putting the glue directly onto the pumpkin and then adding the paper pieces.

Ian does know how to use scissors, so he cut out his own eyes, noses, mouths, and leaves for his two pumpkins. No drawing was involved, I gave him 6 inch squares of construction paper, and he just went for it.

Right after Ian cut out a piece, I had him glue it to the pumpkin so he wouldn't lose it among the scraps.

The finished product:

Here are our five little pumpkins. I made the one on the left, Laurel's are the next two, and Ian's are the two on the right. The pumpkins sit at our table, and when we eat, we have fun reciting The Five Little Pumpkins poem.

Wednesday Weigh In....

2007-09-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

...oops, I'm a day late. Oh well, you know how things get crazy during the day.

But I did weigh myself yesterday. I'm holding at 172. No loss yet, but aha, no gain. Not bad since the night before hubby and I ate at Olive Garden and I let myself have two glasses of wine, two breadsticks, two servings of salad, and the entree. So much for portion control that night. I really don't feel guilty about it, we danced our booties off at the Dave Matthews concert afterwards.

The other three days, yes only three since I started this on Saturday, I did great. I kept track of what I was consuming. Let me tell you, when you start writing down each and every nibble, it's easy to see where all the extra calories are coming from. I caught myself reaching to finish off the kids' lunches. Unfortunately, this is a bad habit I've gotten myself into these last few years. Once I thought about the fact that I would need to record it in my journal, a fire alarm went off in my head. Quickly, I put the half eaten sandwich down.

While making dinner, I also caught myself trying to sample the foods I was preparing. Again, a fire alarm rings and brings me back to reality. All those little tastes add up, and that's not where I want to spend my calories, oh no. I'd much rather enjoy a piece of chocolate, thank you very much.

Wordless Wednesday: Flashdance Laurel

2007-09-26T00:20:00.000-07:00

Laurel, you should have gone to DMB with your daddy and me last night. It was awesome! Someday...

For more WW, click here.

Badge of Honor

2007-09-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Over a month ago, Lady M awarded me the Nice Matters Award. (Yes, I'm a bit slow at keeping up with my posts.)

“This award is for those bloggers who are nice people and good blog friends - those who bring good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you’ve been awarded, please pass it on to others who you feel are deserving of this award.”

Thank you, Lady M. I strive to be pleasant and leave a positive imprint on the world around me. Nice is a wonderful thing to be. I was watching the movie Superman Returns, and thought to myself, if a superhero of that caliber can be polite and kind towards others and still save the world, then nice is definitely a good thing. I take pride in knowing that I'm nice.

In the blogging world, I have been fortunate to meet several women who are nice. I noticed many of you already have earned this award. There are some of us that definitely need to be recognized. Please join me in letting these beautiful, nice people know how much we appreciate them!

Heidi at Butterfly Mama
Kelli at Holding the Mirror Up to My Soul
Elizabeth at Look At Us Now!
Mama's Moon
Beth at Total Mom Haircut
Mary P. at It's Not All Mary Poppins

Embarking on a New Journey

2007-09-22T11:49:00.001-07:00

It's time for a change in my life, one that will improve and lengthen it. I'm 38, I really don't mind the number of years, but I do mind the wear and tear on my body. At the end of the day, my ankles and feet ache! They hurt so much I hobble. My hips, especially my left side, sometimes have a sharp pain. My energy level has dwindled down to almost nothing, in fact it is so bad, I notice I don't get down on the floor and play with my kids as much as I use to. I procrastinate everything, excusing myself from responsibility because I am too tired. My weight is increasing, and clothes are really starting to bind and pinch. Yes, it is time for change.

I want health. I want to be free from aches and lethargy. I want to vivaciously play with my children. I want to feel comfortable in my clothes. I want energy to accomplish each day's tasks.

The holidays are rapidly approaching. Halloween incorporates so much candy, my head spins thinking about all the sugar highs to be had. Thanksgiving surrounds us with loved ones, and a feast where going back for seconds and thirds is more than appropriate. Christmas, of course, means cookies, fudge, and parties. Don't forget New Year's where appetizers and drinks are abundant.

Normally, I do not dare make eating and lifestyle changes this time of year. Instead, I just expect and accept weight gain as a holiday ritual and eat myself into oblivion. Not this year, this year I am taking control over my health. When January 1, 2008 rolls around, I will look in the mirror and smile, not sigh, not cry, but smile, even clap and cheer and do a little happy dance!

Now, to accomplish this change in my life, I need to set some goals:

Support
With a little determination, and the help of family and friends, we can accomplish anything. I know I have the support of my family and local friends. Through blogging, I know I will also have your help. If you ever want to share some advice or a kind word, I'll be more than happy to listen to what you have to say. I'm also joining the courageous gals at Tales From the Scales. They are having a weight loss challenge: Looking Great in 2008! I am very excited about joining this group and look forward to meeting some of them and reading their successes.

Food
I love food. I know, duh, that's how I got this way in the first place. I do not believe there are bad foods, just bad portions. I will continue to eat the foods I love, but I will measure the amounts I eat. I will journal in a notebook what I am eating and keep track of the calories I consume. I already eat fairly healthy and make sure I get veggies and fruits each day, I just need to limit other foods and rethink eating an entire box of cookies. All together now, "PORTION CONTROL!"

Water
I've noticed I'm not drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Plus, I live in the desert, I probably require a bit more than that. Water consumption is a high priority.

Exercise
No more excuses, I need to get up and moving every day. It may be a walk around the block, or a couple of sprints up and down the stairs, or running with my kids outside. I really want to try and involve my kids with exercise so it becomes a natural part of their day, too.

Weight loss goal
I hope to lose 10 pounds by January 1, 2008. Nothing over the top, but attainable, and definitely a step in the right direction. I currently weigh 172 pounds, ugh. Yes, being 162 pounds will be a HUGE improvement.

Whew, that's a lot to think about. But I'm ready, ready for change, ready for health and energy.

A New Fashion Trend?

2007-09-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

Potty training, so much to learn and remember. Some skills are high priority, others are not.

Poor Ian, he still is learning how to tell when his shirt is inside-out, let alone backwards. We taught him to look for a label. If there's an actual tag that's been sewn into the clothing, he usually figures things out. When the label is just printed on the actual item, he figures he can wear it any which way. Hey, I'm just so glad he's dressing himself.

I'm curious, is there anybody else out there who has children insisting that they must strip down to absolute nakedness in order to use the toilet?

Wordless Wednesday: Mischievous

2007-09-18T22:03:00.001-07:00

For more WW, click here.

Ian's Day

2007-09-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

Ian hasn't had his mommy and daddy all to himself since before Laurel was born. I decide it's time for some one-on-one time with him, plus we need a day to discretely work on potty training.

We leave Laurel with Papa Dave and Grandma Ann, and head home to go swimming. At first, Ian's idea of swimming involves cleaning the pool tiles with a pumice stone. He's a good helper, and the pool looks great! Paul and I finally convince him to ride in an inflatable boat. We push the boat fast thinking he'd love it, but he's a cautious fellow. "Mommy, gentle please."

With a gentle push, the boat glides back and forth between Paul and myself, Ian rides along much more relaxed. Each time he arrives, he comments, "Thank you for being gentle."

After an hour of pool time, we have lunch out on the patio. Ian's hair has the total surfer, windblown look, so of course I take pictures.

Ian gets a relaxing bath, we read a story, and then all three of us take a nap. Paul and I eventually, but reluctantly, get up to shower. Ian sleeps a good two hours, moving around in the pool water wears him out.

I keep checking on him so that when he wakes, I am right there, ready to walk him to the bathroom. So far, he's had no accidents. As he strips so that he can sit on the toilet, we find he is dry. Whoo-hoo!

It being Ian's day, we head off to an ice cream shop for dinner and desert. Ian eats most of his chips and a single bite of his hotdog. This is his day, so we don't push him to eat his dinner, we know he's waiting for the ice cream. The sundaes arrive and Ian delightfully giggles. In the matter of a few seconds, he gulps down all the whipped cream off the top. He eats maybe two bites of ice cream, and he's done. I guess next time we should just order him some whipped cream.

We go to get Laurel at Grandma and Grandpa's, and as we walk through the door, Ian declares, "Laurel, go with Mommy and Daddy, it's my turn."

Yup, arrangements have been made, and he gets to stay the night with his beloved Grandma and Grandpa. Hey Ian, just please don't slam the door as Daddy and Mommy walk out.

As for working on the potty training, no accidents all day!

Girls' Day

2007-09-13T20:57:00.001-07:00

Ian gets to spend the entire day with his Grandma Edie and Papa Chuck. He practically kicks me out of their house as he waves goodbye. "Bye, mommy!" Slam.

I can't blame him for his actions. He has a lot of fun with his grandparents. Plus, Laurel's not going to be there to bug him or destroy any of his creations. Then there's the fact that he knows they're going to the Dinosaur Museum (aka: Mesa Southwest Museum).

So, it's just Laurel and I. I pronounce today, Girl's Day! Whoo-hoo!

The mall is our destination. No, not to shop, are you kidding? Laurel HATES shopping with me! The minute we step foot into a store, she goes ballistic. She so much as smells leather (shoes) or fabric, she screams and arches her back in the stroller trying to escape. Just wait Laurel, I will pay you back when you're a teenager!

No, I don't want to fight with her, I want the two of us to have fun. So instead, we play at the playground inside the mall where there's free air-conditioning. Sweet, sweet cold air! Today's temperature is 107 Fahrenheit/42 Celsius!

Laurel has a blast running around with the other toddlers and babies. The play area is primarily for that age group. All structures are padded and somewhat low to the ground. Laurel easily climbs everything, and slides down them. When she runs by me, she shouts, "Mommy, mommy, mommy, I runneen. I runneen."

Twenty minutes into play, Laurel starts sneaking out of the play area and sits in our stroller. I walk out to her and inquire, "Are you ready for a snack?"

"No, mommy! Ha, ha, hahahaha, ha!" she cackles and then runs back to the play area.

I sit back with the other parents and watch Laurel run through the area and disappear into a tunnel. Shortly, she sneaks by me and sits in the stroller again.

Again, I walk over to her and ask, "Laurel, would you like a snack?"

"No, mommy! Ha, ha, hahahaha, ha!" she again cackles and runs back to the play area.

So, it's become a game has it? We'll just see about that.

I let her play, but it isn't too much longer before she's sitting in the stroller for the third time.

I meander towards her. "Hi, Laurel. It looks like you're ready to go." I reach down, buckle her into the stroller and walk us away from the playground. "Say bye, bye to the playground."

"Bye, bye."

No screams, no tears, I guess we are both ready to do something else. We splurge and get ourselves a couple of cookies and milk, and watch the other children ride the carousel.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, hosey, bunny."

"Would you like to ride the horse or the bunny?"

"Ride bunny on cawasuu."

"Ok, we'll ride the bunny on the carousel."

And of course we do. And of course I'm a sucker, and we ride the carousel a second time, only on a horse.

Laurel passes out on the drive home. I gaze at her sweet reflection in the rear-view mirror, while thinking about the morning's events and how much fun I've had with my daughter.

Wordless Wednesday: Sharing At Its Best

2007-09-12T20:03:00.000-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Legoland

2007-09-11T14:25:00.001-07:00

This is the last of our wonderful trip to San Diego that I'll be sharing. Mom and Dad rented a condo on Mission beach. The beach was literally a stone's throw away. Did my husband and I get pictures of our excited children digging in the sand, chasing the waves, or searching for seashells? No. Sniff. So instead, I bring you Legoland.

New York City built with Lego blocks, impressive! The tallest building is the Freedom Tower. This is the first time I had seen a model of it. Absolutely striking, it makes one stop and remember.

Legoland pleasantly surprised me. It was the perfect amusement park for our three year old and nineteen month old. I'm guessing from three to six years old are the ideal ages for kids to enjoy what Legoland has to offer.

When we arrived, they had two different parking fees: regular for 10 dollars, and "preferred" for 20. We went ahead and paid the extra 10 dollars since Dad was needing a wheelchair and we forgot to bring the handicap parking sign to hang on our rearview mirror. Spending the extra money was worth it, we parked right next to the entrance, whoo-hoo!

We purchased our tickets at Costco, saving us some money. I figured we would also save some time by not having to wait in line to buy tickets, but the lines were only three people long, not busy at all. Once inside, we slathered on the sunblock and headed for the sights, sounds, smells, and rides.

Uncle David takes in the sights with Laurel. Isn't Laurel's harness cute? It gives her freedom from a stroller and yet keeps her from running away and falling into water sources or into other people or vehicles. It's so soft and cute, that she loves it and even snuggles up to it when it's off.

Ian was tall enough to ride their Coastersaurus. Once upon a time, Paul and I were coaster enthusiasts. That past-time has been put on hold since Ian's conception. We were more than happy to share the adrenaline rush with Ian. After waiting in line a few minutes, we looked up and were surprised to see Paul's dad already loaded in the front car of the train. He took advantage of his wheelchair status and got to enter the loading area via the exit and didn't have to wait. Smooth move, Dad!

Ian loved the rollercoaster! Another ride he enjoyed was driving his own car. This totally cracked us up. He knew exactly how to buckle himself in, but had no clue how to drive. He'd continually over correct his steering and end up crashing into another car or the edge of the track. Ian also drove me around in a boat. His steering improved dramatically, but we still experienced a few bumps along the river.

This is the storybook boat ride. You can see Grandma Ann, Uncle Jason and Ian in the first boat. Uncle David and Laurel are in the following boat. They're all looking at the Prince on the horse made out of Lego blocks. It's hard to see, but he's holding a cell phone up to his ear.

Ian loved the Thomas the Tank Engine built out of Legos!

The miniature cities built out of Legos were quite impressive. Ian was extremely excited by the moving garbage trucks that were also made from Legos.

Laurel creates her own amusement: pick up leaves and run around a tree. Whee!

San Diego Birch Aquarium

2007-09-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 28

Morning stories help Laurel and Ian wake up before we rush off to the Birch Aquarium.

Ian marvels at the jellyfish.

Papa Chuck helps Laurel get a better view of the jellyfish.

Kudos to the aquarium for having hands on exploration for little ones. Papa Dave watches Ian, Laurel, and Paul play with the water currents. Notice Laurel's tongue sticking out - a family trait.

Grandma Ann and Grandma Edie pose for pictures with the kids.

Ian talks about the sharks with a new found friend.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Still hungry, the shark chomps on Uncle Jason for dessert.

Wordless Wednesday: Laurel's First Pony-Tails

2007-09-05T02:41:00.000-07:00

For more WW, click here.

San Diego Zoo

2007-09-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday, August 26

Some pictures from our visit to the San Diego Zoo...

A little over four months ago, I posted about my Mother-in-Law's double lung transplant. Thanks to a successful operation and recovery, not only was she able to walk through the zoo, but she was also able to help push her husband through in his wheelchair. (He fell off a ladder and broke his ankle, poor guy.) Notice the smile, the glow of health on her face, and the lack of an oxygen tank! Way to go, Mom!

Ian and Laurel watch the gorillas sleep.

The kids have fun playing among gorilla statues.

Observing Pygmy Hippos.

Ian tries to keep up with a Pygmy Hippo.

Uncle Jason watches Laurel while she plays a quick game of peek-a-boo with me.

Ian strikes a pose while a panda waves in the background.

Grandma Ann tries to point out an animal to Laurel and Ian.

"Hi Polar Bear, hi."

I love these shoes! These shoes saved my feet during all of that walking.

Vacation...Road Trip to San Diego

2007-09-03T12:08:00.001-07:00

Saturday, August 25

9:00 a.m.
Black cat crosses in front of our van as we arrive at Papa Dave and Grandma Ann's. We load up last minute stuff into their car and ours, and off we go.

10:10 a.m.
Parking lot on the 202. Darn that black cat!!! Mental note for next trip: Check for freeway closures. Once home, write letter to ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation), telling them to try thinking.

Looking back at Grandma Ann and Papa Dave's car.

Nothing but red brake lights ahead...sigh.

11:30 a.m.
Finally drive three miles to get off freeway, head to Casa Grande for lunch. Next stop at Yuma. Carl's Jr has an awesome play area for the kids! Finally we cross the California state line.

Sand dunes along the Arizona/ California border.

Look out, dust storm ahead.

Enormous car chopping/ pureeing windmills.

Can you say wind power?

Precious cargo. Are we there yet?

7:30 p.m.
We finally arrive at our rental in San Diego. We hear waves on the beach, all is good.

Slave Labor

2007-08-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

Ah, children, they're such a blessing. Smiles, hugs, silliness, occasional naughtiness and tears, surprises at every turn, more smiles and hugs. All the turmoil, all the worries and gray hairs are worth it, especially, when you start utilizing the slave factor potential.

A three year old CAN wash a car. Paul teaches Ian every detailed step in cleaning his beloved car. Of course Ian cowers by the house while Paul vacuums.

By George, I think the boy's got it! He's cleaned it to a nice shine. I can see myself!

A lot of hard work pays off with the simple pleasure of shooting water up into the air.

Psst, hey Ian, aim that hose over at Daddy...

******************************************************************************
So we're outta here for the next week. We're heading to where it's about 25 degrees cooler and the kids can play outside without bursting into flame. The beach calls to us...we're heading to San Diego. Have a great week everyone!

Elizabeth, the minute we get back from vacation, I'm checking to see if you've had that baby!

Wordless Wednesday: Mommy's Little Handyman

2007-08-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

Ian will fix anything that's busted: doors, chairs, windows, Laurel (poor thing).

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Blankie Love

2007-08-20T05:27:00.001-07:00

Blankies are of utmost importance to some people, one being my little girl, Laurel.

They're great for playing Peek-a-Boo!

They can tag along to a baseball game and help clean up a chocolate chip cookie mess, leaving bits and pieces intertwined in the blankie's fibers - the makings of snack-time for later.

They are great at turning you into a ghost.

BOO!

Best of all, Blankies cuddle you, making you feel warm and safe.

Dissing a Compliment

2007-08-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Laurel, Ian and I are shopping. It's not casual shopping, it's absolutely only what we need now, only what's on the list shopping. I know there's no room for us to steer away from the list since it took us forever to get out the door and loaded into the van. Nap time draws near, and along with it, not so agreeable children.

Our cart has all but the last two items listed. Laurel sits in the cart whining, starting to show her cranky sign. In fact, the whines escalate to loud cries of "No, Mommy, nooooooo!"

Ian walks beside me. "Ian, let's stop so I can check the list one more time. Laurel, hang in there, we're almost done."

I stop the cart, but Ian wanders out into the busy aisle. He walks sideways, not paying attention to where he's going. Consequently, he almost gets hit by someone else's cart. "Ian stop, come here."

He stops. The grumpy man behind the cart goes around my now daydreaming three year old son. "Ian come here, please."

He doesn't respond. Again, another customer has to stop and wait. I walk up to Ian, direct him back to our shopping cart, and smile apologetically to passersby. I bend down to talk to him. "Ian, you need to stay by me so you don't walk into other people or their carts.

"Ok, Mommy, I'll stay by you."

Suddenly, an elderly lady walks up and says, "I was watching you. It's so nice to see a parent discipling her children."

Caught off guard, I respond, "Oh, thank you, I do the best I can."

"Oh yes, you are doing a fine job. I'm an ex-kindergarten teacher, I should know."

Laurel decides to put her two cents in, "No, no, NO!" and points at the lady. "No, go timeout, one minute!"

Wordless Wednesday - Prince Charming Does Dishes!

2007-08-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.