Tuesday, July 24, 2007

When it Rains it Pours

Three posts in one day - how 'bout that.

I just wanted to make note of a few funny conversations I've had with the boys.

LB (third time asking) - "Please Mommy?? Please can I have a sip of your drink?"
Me (it's diet sprite, so I don't want to make a habit of it) - "Oh, alright - but only a little bit"
LB - "NO! I want a BIG bit!"

***********
BB was watching me make Big Al's sandwich for today's lunch last night and commented that I was really good at making sandwiches.
"I should get a job at Togo's!" I joked.
Shaking his head...."No Mommy....you can't get a job at Togo's because you have too much work to do here." Throws his hands up - "There just isn't enough time in the day!"

************
Today in the car, I was telling the little boy that *his* swimming lessons start next week (he's been insanely jealous of the fact that his brother has been swimming and he hasn't.)
BB gets a worried look on his face....."Well, how deep is the pool? What if he chokes on a whole bunch of water? What if the teacher doesn't watch him and he drowns? What if he can't hold his breath?"
I told him that he would be fine in a class with other 3 year olds. The teachers would take care of him, and either Mommy or Daddy would be there watching, and the pool is the same pool that he swims in, etc."

The big boy looks at me like I've completely lost my mind, crosses his arms, lets out a big defeated sigh and says: "I've got reservations about the whole thing Mommy."

**********
Lastly, the boys are very proud of themselves because they know how to spell POOP. They recite it often. P-O-O-P spells POOP.

Nice.

Completely Powerless

OH.NO.
If it wasn't bad enough that the new Fall line of Boden (Miniboden.com)has been released and I'm a complete and TOTAL sucker for their kids clothes.....now......they have a baby line too.
I'm dead. My card is trembling in my wallet. Their clothes are just so well made, and so adorable and more than anything else - they're unique. It's no secret that children's fashion is of interest to me, and I just get so sick of NAVY AND RED AND GREEN AND STRIPES AND CARS AND THAT's IT. Boden....Boden is fantastic. I love Boden so much I would marry it.

Gotta go.

(disclaimer: I'm not of of those who doesn't let their kids get dirty, etc. We have drawers full of play clothes that are duly abused on a daily basis!)

Monday, July 23, 2007

A Stellar Day.....All things considered.

Things to "consider," are that it's been a thousand degrees outside, and I'm as big as an RV.

We went to a new park today (new to us anyway) with some friends and had such a nice time. Going to the park with friends (friends for the boys as well as myself!) is WAY more fun than going it alone. For starters, BB and LB don't feel the need to bring every wheeled object they own if they know that they'll have some of their buddies around to play with. This park really tired them out, as there were five different slides that started at the top of a hill. In order to slide down again, they had to climb up a ton of stairs. Works for me! Run kids, run. Thankfully, LB didn't try to escape beyond the borders of the park and into a nearby neighborhood. BH contractions were in full force, so I basically "parked it" on a bench, chatted with my friend, and enjoyed my Diet Pepsi while the kids played. On one or two occassions, the older kids tried take off but my friend was all over it as she has three kids and wasn't afraid to scream at them across the park (a girl after my own heart).
It has worked out that BB has made friends with kids who have siblings who are almost exactly the same age as LB. All the older kids went to preschool together for two years, and now all the younger ones will be starting preschool together in the Fall. Generations......
I'm always really proud of how nicely my boys play with other kids. Oh, who am I kidding. I'm just super proud of them in general. They may act up for their Dad and I (and they occasionally pound each other), but they're great with other people! Always respectful and kind. I want my boys to be known as "nice" boys, and for the most part - I think they are.
After our trip to the park, we stopped at the ice cream store for a treat. I managed to bring the camera in (like a big dork) for some summer ice cream pictures. I forgot to bring the camera into the park with me and had to make up for it somehow!
CUTE - Exhibits A and B:



When we got home, BOTH boys took a two hour nap. Talk about winning the lottery. As if that weren't enough, my darling husband brought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for no reason! When I asked him what the occasion was, he said "Because I love you, and you're beautiful, and you're pregnant! I'd be a jerk not to bring you flowers at least once while we're waiting for Jack." I love that guy. I know I've said this before, but he just keeps getting cuter. Men age like fine wine and women age like cheese.....Is that how the saying goes? Anyway.....I still get butterflies when he smiles at me.....even when he does so while leaving his stinky socks NEXT TO the hamper. What's up with that?!? Anyway, besides being all kinds of handsome - he's just awesome. He's really "grown" into an excellent husband (he's always been pretty great at being a Daddy). When we got married, we had already had BB....and we just sort of jumped in. I don't think either of us knew whether or not we were going to pull this whole "married grown-ups" thing off - but so far we have, and I wouldn't trade him for anything.

Now if I can just get a hold of this terrible c-section fear I'm having! You guys - if anything happens to me, print out the good blog posts and give them to Big Al. He's awesome, but not so awesome that he has bothered to set up a log-in for my blog!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Ignorance is Bliss

My oldest son.....shaking his head as he takes in the enormity that is my tummy:

"I hate to say it Mommy....but I think you weigh 100 pounds"

You're right, Son. You're absolutely right.

Meet the Newest Members of our Family



Their names are "Cool Swimmer" and "Gary."

This is what happens when I go have coffee with friends. I come home to stinky, prehistoric looking creatures in a glass aquarium overlooking the kitchen table. Yesterday the boys put them in their plastic swimming pool so that they could "race." My poor kids would absolutely KILL for a dog, but this is the best they can get. Mommy isn't a dog person. I have to say, these are interesting little creatures. One of them - Gary? - changes shells every night. Perhaps he thinks he can hide from the kids. Poor, misguided hermit crab. I'll give them this - they haven't pinched anyone and they're surprisingly active. They really do walk around a lot...not as "hermit-y" as I thought they would be.






Random observation - Big boy's eye color seems to changing. I think they're going to end up hazel-y/greenish/brown like Big Al's. Maybe I'll have one non-blue-eyed child after all. His lips seem to have turned blueish purple, but I'm pretty sure that's residual Popsicle.






I brought BB to his swimming lesson last night (usually his Dad brings him) and was happy to see that he's doing much better with his swimming. Let's just say that he isn't a natural born fish. He's catching on though, and he really enjoys it which is great.


What else can I say? Another boring post.


What's next should really be it's own post, but since I'm in this once per week posting schedule - I'll just throw it in here.



How am I?


If you don't want to deal with gratuitous complaining, now would be the time to click away!



I'm in permanent sway-back position. Waddling....tightening contractions all the time.....up 2-3 times per night to go to the bathroom....can't get comfortable to save my life....very limited patience with the boys who really are pretty well behaved for the most part. Horrible heartburn, and STRESS.


Big Al and I have decided that he will go ahead and pursue this other position within his company that will require him to go to a two week, out of town training school. Guess when he leaves? Just guess. That's right, when Jack is exactly two weeks old. Yes, I have my Mom to help me out in the early evenings when she gets home from work - but not overnight. She can take the big boys from about 4pm-7pm on those nights. That's great - but that doesn't help me with a newborn in the middle of the night. Thanks to our newly installed home security system, my "scaredy-cat" anxieties should keep their distance....so I've at least got that going for me. I feel like I'm being a wimp about this, but it's hard not knowing what to anticipate in terms of how our daily life and schedule are going to change. I mean, I *do* know - I've done this once or twice before, but it's been a while. The timing absolutely sucks. The poor baby is quickly going to be thrown into a crazy driving/pick-up schedule. Everything starts right away. Kindergarten, preschool, soccer. All when he's about two weeks old. And the c-section?? Well, lets just hope that I heal quickly because I'll literally have no choice but to be driving and doing all of my regular "duties" exactly two weeks after the birth. Oh, who am I kidding? Even sooner than that. Because I truly cannot function in a dirty, cluttered, house - nor do we have the total and complete luxury of house cleaners, so I'll be jumping back into the housework section of my "job" if only to save my sanity. Big Al is great in taking care of the kids, but the only way he can do housework is if I let go of my control issues and let him do things his way. I should be mature enough to do that, but I'm not. Seeing things done incorrectly, and half-assedly will quickly cause me to lose my mind.


"If you want something done right......you have to do it yourself"


So anyway.......these poor, bored boys. I have to come up with something for them to do today. LB has been TERRIBLE about not staying with me. He takes off. It drives me crazy, isn't safe, and he should have outgrown it by now. Really limits what I can do with them at this point in the pregnancy.

Monday, July 9, 2007

"Something is Missing........a BABY! This room needs a baby "


Here are pictures of Jack's nursery! This room is so sweet. I just want to sit in that glider, think about babies, and never leave. The pictures I took of the changing area/dresser and little green refinished table didn't turn out (finger in front of the flash - brilliant). I didn't take pictures of every little shelf, detail, etc. but here are a few highlights!


Once the baby can pull-up, I'll be re-arranging some things so that he can't grab that light on the wall!







The little blue dresser (total score at TJ Maxx or as I call it: "TJ-I'm-in-love-with-you" holds receiving blankets. Love the Humpty Dumpty lamp - on clearance from Land of Nod. And the glider? Perfect shape (ideally it would have been natural wood to match our third-time-around crib, but that's okay) and I found it on Craigslist for $30. The kicker? The people who sold it to me live about 3 blocks away. I love it when things work out perfectly like that.


I LOVE this sweet little owl print I found on Etsy.com - my new favorite website.



This "J" wall hanging was another recent 1-o'-clock-in-the-morning activity! I had gotten a plain, unfinished, wooden "J" and wasn't sure what to do with it. A little paint, scrapbook paper, distressing ink, and my cute new Sassafrass Lass "Oliver and Friends" owl stamps and here it is. Oh, and buttons, metal letters, and modge podge of course.


Whew. I'm definitely in the home stretch. Yesterday's BH contractions were almost scary. For me to have to stop what I'm doing and take a few deep breaths....well.....not so fun. I realized as I sat down that I had been on about 4 hours worth of errands, cleaning, cooking, etc. without a stop and maybe that's why I was having a hard time. Hmm. Ya' think?

Anyway, I'm excited for this little guy to get here. Scared to death about the c-section and hospital stay, but excited. I actually told my Ob/Gyn at my last visit that in a recent dream, I sat up on the operating table, grabbed him by the coat collar, and said "Look. I can't die today. Don't "F" this up." He laughed and assured me that third c-sections are almost always complication-free. It's once you start having 4, 5, or more c-sections that it can get a little sketchy.

Plus, I'm such a control freak - I hate to leave the boys and my house for 5 days! I also hate that I have to "recover," and have nurses that I don't know bring my baby to me and then take him away again. Big Al will stay with me overnight on the day of Jack's birth so that he can follow the baby back and forth, but as soon as I'm able to walk around (usually the next day I think) I'll be doing that. I'm just so paranoid that I'll get one of those freaky fake-nurses who will steal my baby.

Oh! Well, hello there crazy-pregnancy-thinking! Gets me every time.....
"Half Trained"

My little boy seems to be pee-pee trained! It has only taken a little over a week of effort on my part and he's been doing just great. He of course insists on putting his undies on all by himself, and lets just say it doesn't always work out. He comes out and says "How do I look?" with his hands on his hips and both legs in one leg hole. At one point I told him that his undies were all "wonky" and he just died laughing. So now he comes out of the bathroom and asks - "Mommy, am I wonky?"

Poop is another matter. I've tried talking to him about it, and he just isn't on board. "I can't - it's not working. It'll get everywhere." Fair enough. So the deal is, he tells me when he needs a pull-up, and then he does what he needs to do. Baby steps. I just got him two packs of these assorted Thomas undies, and to say that he is thrilled with them is an understatement!

Monday, July 2, 2007

Why I'm a zombie today

I was up until 1:30AM finishing this little stool. I'm not going to lie - I'm totally smitten with it. I wish I would have taken a before picture - it was a plain wooden stool with a small picture of a piano painted on it. I received it as a gift when I was about 10. After painting an old side table to put in the nursery, I decided to paint this stool to match. It will go next to the glider in Jack's room. At first I was going to put his name on it, but I realized that it would be nice to decorate it in such a way that *I* might enjoy it somewhere else in the house at a later time. You know, as soon as he realizes that he wants to go live on the Island of Sodor with his brothers. That was another Thomas reference.
Anyway, I adore it. Wait 'till you see the whole nursery. It's so adorable. I want it to be closer to completion (please bring my A,B,and C today FedEx!) before I post pictures.


All I did was paint the stool two coats of white base paint to cover the piano, then I painted on two coats of green acrylic paint, and then came the fun part - cutting out all of these little flowers, petals, and the bird from my scrapbook paper. I drew out the branch, cut it out and then set it all up. Next - MODGE PODGE! What a great invention. Anyway, Voila!

More Cheap Summer Fun

I know I've been a lazy blogger. Not much has been going on! I will say, that I'm officially "in the hut." I feel huge and icky and I don't want to do anything or go anywhere. HA! Wouldn't it be nice if I could indulge those feelings? I have to get my kids out of the house at least every other day. I used to try to get them out every day, but now I just hate it too much. Braxton Hicks contractions, the 'ol numb leg - it's all too much. The boys have become so used to be entertained every freakin' second, and now it's all coming to a screeching halt. I did go to Toys R Us and stock up on some activities in anticipation of this week. See, the next round of activities doesn't start until NEXT week. If the going gets tough, I'll whip out the Moon Sand! Or the new Thomas activity books! Or the finger paint! By the way - you know your kids have had too much Thomas exposure when they say "Cinders and Ashes" in their growly voices when frustrated. Or "You aren't being very USEFUL". Train Moms know what I'm talking about.



Really quick -here's a funny story. LB was at the park and as usual- was making friends right and left. A little Hispanic boy was speaking Spanish to him at rapid pace. LB stood there, dumbfounded....just listening. He turned to my Mom and said in a sad voice "He doesn't like me."


The most popular TRU purchase was this $12.99 pool. They start at one end of the yard, run like hell, and then belly-slide into the pool. I don't know which will go first - their teeth or the pool. I give it two weeks before it gets cracked and we have to go get a new one. And get a new one - we will!! Because it buys me at least an hour before hearing "NOW WHAT??"




Note to self - DUH. Never frame what could have been a cute picture with a bunch of plastic crap, the BBQ, and the tail end of a minivan in the background.




These pictures remind me that I'm SO behind on my scrapbooking. Of course, I've taken to a new little hobby in the process of decorating the nursery. But that's another post.