My Dream...

Katie R.

For a few months now I have been planning a wedding.  It’s going great and I am really enjoying it, in fact it may even give me the motivation to really start marketing myself to do more events.  However, what is not awesome is trying to email during naps while sitting on a bulldozer or trying to have a phone conversation while writing with one hand and holding a 20 lb baby with the other arm.

So for the past few months while I’m “working” and staring at the toy tornado aftermath which is my house, I daydream.  Not about winning the lottery or being lucky enough to be skinny no matter what I eat or even something selfless like world peace… nope I dream about having an office all to myself.

Now, with the renovations I will have an office downstairs but that is not even close to what I’m talking about.  What I dream about is an office, just one room I’m not greedy, in a building located anywhere but here.   Somewhere I have to drive, park and walk too- in that order.

Here is what is allowed in my office:  white furniture, a coffee maker, a nice rug with no stains, a small refridgerator for wine and soda, a decorative pillow that remains on the chair or sofa, a nice photo of my family all clean and smiling

Here is what is NOT allowed in my office:  kids, toys  and goldfish crackers and/or raisins

See I’m not asking for much.  Just something like this:

So I will now go do some work with both of my kids in bed and still awake. And tomorrow when I make calls I will do my best not to curse when I step on yet another Lightening McQueen car as I rush to find a pen and usually end up taking the note with a crayon.  Oh but a girl can always dream….

No Son of Mine...

Katie D.

As I had mentioned earlier, we headed to the beach for Memorial Day weekend. I grew up in southern Maine near the coast.  Going to the beach was something my family did on a regular basis.  All of my summer jobs were at beach.  I am a beach girl at heart.  When we arrived on Saturday the first thing we did was kick off our shoes and hit the beach.  Colby was pumped to be out of the car and was all over the place and “accidentally” fell in the ocean.  Lincoln, on the other hand, was miserable.  Granted he had only taken a short nap but my cheerful, easy going son was anything but happy.  Just holding him while Colby ran around he screamed and cried like we were ripping off his toenails.  Crestfallen, I headed back into the house with Lincoln. No son of mine was going to feel anything but love for the beach and the ocean.  Early the next morning Tom and I lathered on the sunscreen lotion on everyone and headed back to the beach for a walk.  I put Lincoln in sneakers so that he couldn’t feel the sand hoping that might help the transition.  It did not.  I let Tom and Colby enjoy themselves a while longer and, once again, headed back inside with Lincoln.  My determination to get this child to realize how wonderful the beach had not wavered. We had a snack, visited with some family and then grabbed our sand castle tools and went back at it.  (Let me also mention that Lincoln plays in the sandbox at home and loves getting dirty and messy with his brother.) Colby got right to work and Lincoln, not screaming this time, sat on my lap and played with the shovel in the sand for about 15 minutes before he decided he still didn’t like the beach.  So again he and I headed inside. Every time we leave the beach he is happy as soon as we cross the road and get on the porch of the house.  The next and finale day of our stay we decided to skip the parade and try one last time before we headed home.  Lincoln didn't seem thrilled the minute we got on the beach but Tom and I pull out the game of it you touch us we get zapped. As much as he wants us to pick him up he can’t stop laughing because he keeps “zapping” us.  We play this game as we walk down the beach. Finally we stop a little bit and Lincoln realizes again where he is and…..he doesn’t start screaming! It’s wonderful! We walked, stop to pick up shells, threw sand at each other and all the other fabulous things you do at the beach. After a good long time on the beach we headed back to the house, said our goodbyes and went home. We had to work at it but I can now say Lincoln is a beach boy too.  

Here’s the proof…

Going in for a Zap!

Happy boys on the beach!

Sandcastle building!

Colby and Me soaking up some sun!

Octonauts Party!

Katie R.

It was a great week and weekend.  My parents and in-laws spent a lot of time with the kids and Andrew had a great 3rd Birthday party.  The theme for the party was Octonauts and here are some photos...

Wes's Birthday is only 4 months away so I better get planning...

Lame..

Yes I am lame.  I have not posted in a blog in about a week and I can't do it for another few days.  My parents left today, my in-laws leave tomorrow so I will definitely do some updates. 

The good news is we are surviving construction, I officially have a 3 year old and I haven't gained any weight (ok so I gained .2 lbs according to the scale today).  Next week we will be back to normal.

Signs of Summer

Katie D.

As we get ready to head into the memorial day weekend I think of all the fun summer has to offer a mom with her two boys.  Shorts and t-shirts have become the new uniform as we are outside as much as possible.  Along with the new summer outfits comes the bumps and bruises that the outside world has to offer.  As I take off to travel to the beach this weekend I'll leave you with some of the first signs of summer on my boys.

Black eye from outside patio table!

All scraped up on both legs and arms from
an epic digger on the playground at school. 

He seems to be no worse from the wear!

Neither Colby or Lincoln shed a tear over each of their crashes. I have some pretty tough boys on my hands! 

Have a great weekend everyone!   

Reading

Katie D.

My kids have found a new passion in their lives. One that is wonderful and all encompassing…Reading! Tom and I have always read to the boys. It’s a consistent part of our bedtime routine, we have books throughout the house and we lead by example. Don’t get me wrong, we still watch our fair share of TV but my kids are choosing to stop watching, pick up a book and bring it to me to read to them. Colby had a speech delay that he has caught up with and I wonder if his new found vocabulary has given him more confidence in reading aloud and asking questions about stories. He has his favorites and request them but the great moments are when you introduce a new book and he is captivated and asks to read it over and over and over again.  Colby’s excitement is only rivaled by Lincoln’s.  I’ve taken to calling him a lapapotomus! He constantly is grabbing a book, crawling into your lap and demanding to be read to.  If I’m not sitting down he will try to drag me out of the kitchen so that I will sit down.  It’s usually very cute unless I’m attempting to get a meal on the table.   What I’m most excited about is this came about very easy and naturally.   It may be a passing phase but I’ll enjoy it while it lasts!

Plus they are so damn cute when the sit in one place quietly for any amount of time!

A Little Relaxation

Katie R.

This week is going to be a crazy week.  Both my parents and my in-laws will be in town for Andrew’s 3^rd Birthday.  Saturday we are having a birthday party with about 30 guests and although it sounds chaotic the fact is I love it.  I love having family around and planning an Octonauts themed party.

However, I also love some time alone with my husband and because our family lives so far away we rarely get away overnight let alone two nights.  So when my parents so graciously agreed to watch the boys for 2 nights so we could go to Portland, Maine we jumped at the chance.

The best part is that there is almost nothing to talk about from the trip.  We ate too much, drank a little too much, slept way too much and it was perfect.  I didn’t get out of bed Sunday until 11am, not because I was tired but just because I could stay in bed.  We walked around and shopped, ate some more food and I was back in bed at the hotel by 9:30.  Just so I don’t seem completely lame the night before we did go to a late dinner and stopped at a bar for a beer after dinner, so we were back at the hotel much later on Saturday.

The most amazing thing was that Joe and I didn’t not argue or bicker once.  For those of you that know us well, you know how unbelievable it is.  But it is true, mainly because there was nothing to argue about.  I even was ready to come home and see the little monsters today.

Of course all things must come to end, and by 3pm today we were home and arguing as we moved a heavy freakin washing machine all around the lower level.  So things are officially back to normal.

Hopefully we'll see you again soon Portland (oh and we didn't actually see the lighthouse this trip but we have seen it).

Spaghetti Dinner

Katie D.

There are many forms of pasta: macaroni, linguini, rotini and so on and so on.  According to my children they all taste differently. I’m not surprised by this decision, I’m sure I had similar protests when I was a child too.  This does not frustrate me; I ask the boys ahead of time which type they want for dinner because I will not make an extra meal for anyone.  What caught me off guard the other night during dinner was that spaghetti apparently is only eaten in long pieces.  I had cut it up in to small, not even little, pieces and my lack in judgment made for a very long dinner.  As any mom knows the longer the spaghetti the bigger the mess but if a meal is eaten with relative ease then I’ll take it!

Colby taking it to town!

He attempted to use the fork!

My Therapy... Going to the Dump

Katie R.

Two weeks ago the kids were driving me nuts so at nap time I told Joe that I would go to the dump/recycling center.  Yes here in the upper valley we take our trash to the dump versus having the city/town pick it up. 

So... I'm gathering the recycling and Joe has a lot of beer bottles.  He says do you want to take these to throw?  I looked at him like he was crazy and told him that sure I would dump them.  He said no if you're not going to throw them then I'll take them. So he gave me a couple and I left thinking my husband is out of his freakin' mind.

Until I get to the dump. I went to the recycling center and took out all the cardboard, paper, etc and did the glass last as it's on the end.  I walked up with every intention of dumping the bottles out until I realize what my husband was talking about. 

In this glorious pit there is nothing but glass bottles and you stand approx 8 to 10 feet above the bottles (I had to text Katie D. and her hubby to find out how high it is).  You then toss the bottles, aim at other bottles or just give them a good angry throw and you are rewarded with exploding bottles and the sound of glass breaking.

It had just been emptied today when I was there

Sounds bizarre right?  That is what I thought too but I have to give this one to Joe, when I got home I to felt much better.  So that is how I get my frustration out plus it gives my hubby an excuse to drink more beer.  I mean it's really a win-win!

The Home Depot

Katie D.

When you take your kid for a checkup you bride them to talk about the books they read and not the TV shows they watch, you tell them they can’t play with the phone until you get back to the car and you pray to the gods that they will be good and not have an epic meltdown in the waiting room.  As a mom I want the boys’ pediatrician to see me as a competent mom and that I’m raising healthy, happy boys.

This leads me to my latest trip to Home Depot.  The whole family made the trip and we had plans to pick up a bunch of different items. We arrived around nine thirty, bright and early with two happy boys. Home Depot does it right with the shopping carts as racecars with steering wheels.  Tom and I loaded up the boys and headed down to the lumber area to pick up some joint compound. The boys are fine while moving but started to get a bit antsy while Tom and I were doing some product comparison.  We still had all of the gardening products to pick up, plants to choose from and mulch to load up, this is when I made the decision to make it easier on all of us and give Colby and Lincoln lollipops. Granted it was early but a treat like a lollipop would keep them happy for the rest of our shopping visit.  After picking up our joint compound we made our way all the way to the opposite side to the outdoor gardening area.  The boys happily sucked on their lollipops as Tom and I looked at plants and then we heard “Hi guys”.  Who of course but the boys’ wonderful, fabulous pediatrician.  He’s so damn nice and friendly and we chatted for a bit as he asked about the boys, meanwhile they continue sucking on those lollipops.  I don’t mention the lollipops and he doesn’t say anything but inside I’m dying a little bit.  We say our goodbyes but then end up in line together at the checkout counter! Good grief!

I keep telling myself it’s not a big deal; all pediatricians know that kids have sweets but I was so caught off guard I’m still a bit embarrassed.  But I also made us walk around the parking lot for a minute to make sure we weren’t parked near him so he couldn’t see that I have Lincoln facing forward in his car seat already.  

I Want to Go Back to O-hi-o..

Katie R.

Today the weather was perfect, cool in the morning and high 70s in the afternoon.   Stepping out of the minivan at the hair salon, to which I arrived 15 minutes early just to get out of the house and read the current People magazine, a wave of nostalgia hit me.  No not a childhood memory, I thought of how fantastic these days were when I was at OSU.

Now anyone who didn’t know me in college or has never heard any of my college stories would assume I was talking about being outside studying, reading a book, doing some type of recreational activity or hanging out on the oval.  (This is a view of the oval at OSU where all the students hang out during the day when the weather is nice)

No, this weather made me miss hanging out with my friends in the afternoon drinking beer on a porch (aka roof) or even classier sitting in a baby pool drinking beer.  Then going home grabbing a nap, a shower and heading to a party where we could be outside the whole night. There will be no photos posted of those evenings!

I almost called my girlfriends to reminisce about this but I realized it was naptime and I didn’t want to wake their kids.  So I got my hair cut and headed home to mulch.  Oh how times have changed…

I want to go back to Ohio State

To old Columbus town,

To the stadium to hear the band,

By far the finest in the land,

I want to go back to Ohio State

To old Columbus town,

I wanna go back,

I gotta go back,

To O-hi-o.

Ohio, Ohio.

The hills send back the cry (O-H!)

We're here for do or die (I-O!)

Ohio, Ohio.

We'll win the game or know the reason why!

And when we win the game we'll buy a keg of booze!

And we'll drink to old Ohio

'Til we wobble in our shoes!

Ohio, Ohio.

We'll win the game or know the reason why.

stuffed animals

Katie D.

I don’t love stuffed animals.  I appreciate the fact that they are a part of childhood and everyone has them but then the inevitable comes; you have too freakin many and you have to do something about it.  I don’t get sentimental about things like this, I didn’t save either boys hair from their 1^st haircut, I didn’t cry when I sent Colby to school for the 1^st time and I love that they are growing up and changing every day. Granted I still have the alligator that I had as a baby but I don’t have the 4,000 other stuffed animals that filled my room growing up. This brings me back to current day. When we moved to our house in October I did a bit of purging, some toys, some stuffed animals and blankets didn’t make the cut.  But alas more have come to join us at our home.  I guess what I’m getting at is should I feel bad about throwing them away after they have been properly loved, should I cling to them for a bit longer until they are really dirty, should I get one of those vacuum sealed bags and save them until they graduate and move out and then make the boys deal with them? No matter what I decide I suppose I should enjoy the time they spend with them. Lincoln’s new favorite is Colby’s Velcro monkey that he wears around his neck and snuggles as he plays around the house.  It’s pretty damn cute so I will enjoy it until he grows up a bit more and stuffed animals become not cool anymore.

Just hanging around!

Along for the ride!

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Home Depot, Home Brew and Home Improvement

Katie R.

If you would have asked me last week, I would have told you that there are two phrases that instantly raise my blood pressure- Home Depot & Home brew.  Well now I have one more… Home Improvement. 

I think I’ve mentioned (aka complained) about the fact that we are doing a renovation to our lower level and have a strict timeline with visitors coming.  What was supposed to be a quick and easy project seems to be dragging on and of course we’re way over budget; however, when we’re done we will have an additional room, defined storage area and mudroom. 

Originally we were going to do a lot of the work ourselves.  Really that means that Joe does the work and I take care of the kids. Luckily we both realized after a week or so that this plan sucks and we are now hiring people to do most of the work, hence the over budget part.

So, if I’m a little more cranky it’s because I haven’t had lights in my kitchen and laundry room for the past 2 days, I’ve spent way too much time alone with two kids (including a 4 hour trip to a birthday party) and our house is a wreck. 

This is how far along we are: 

This used to be my kids playroom: 

 They don't seem to mind too much:

Our goal is to finished by May 19th so we'll see.  The only good news is I have not heard the word "brew" for weeks.

Pony Rides!

Katie D.

As you know my children love our cat.  They can’t seem to get enough of her. That’s why when we attended a friends 3^rd birthday party this weekend with a petting zoo and pony rides I knew they would have a great time.  I will admit I was a bit nervous with Lincoln’s tail pulling tendencies and Colby’s slow to warm to a crowd personality but they rose to the occasion.   I strategically put Linc in the cage with the chickens first because I figured they could move quickly away from the grabbing hands of him. He looked up at me shocked to find himself in a small cage with 5 chickens. They pecked at his feet as he poked and patted them back.  They turned out to be a great warm-up to the bunnies. Yup, 3 soft, cute, fuzzy bunnies.  Oh the delight my boys had in the bunny cage.  (Side note-Let this be a warning to anybody thinking this is a great idea for my boys; this house will never have bunnies as pets) Colby and Linc loved the bunnies, we spent quite a bit of time patting and patting and patting the bunnies.  Don’t worry we gave love to the ducks and the goat too!

We've cornered them!

Duck fun!





Being very gentle

After we gave the animals all our love and then a little bit more the pony came out to play.  I really had my doubts about Colby getting on the pony.  I knew that he would want to but I wondered if he had the courage to get on a take the stroll around the yard.  We waited in line and when we reached the front of the line I asked him if he was ready and he told me he wanted to stay in line a little bit longer. Soooo… we headed back to the end of the line and started to wait again!  This time when we got to the front Tom asked him if he was ready this time he said yes.  He had no reservations when we put him on and he had a smile the whole time. It was one of those mom moments when your joy overcomes you and your smile is larger than your child’s.  I couldn’t have been more proud. 

 

It was a wonderful party and we were so glad to celebrate a beautiful 3 year olds birthday with her. Thanks for having us and providing amazing animal fun!

I'll have Another

Katie D.

Did you have on your derby hat this weekend? Or did you choose to celebrate Cinco de Mayo instead? Either way it was a weekend to have a party!Tom and I hosted the derby party this year and we had a small but lovely turnout. The weather was perfect for all the kids to be outside playing at the water table. My first attempt at making mint juleps were a huge success and my friend Heather ran away with the best hat competition. It was a perfect way to kick off the summer! 

My Derby Hat

Play toy

Katie D.

Life is tough for Isis Kitty.  Granted she does sleep most of the day, always has food and water in her bowl and gets treats every morning when Colby wakes up but life has gotten a bit tricky for her.  Like Colby, Lincoln’s 3^rd word after mama and dada was kitty.  He has grown to love her as much as we do. The downside is that his favorite part of her is her tail.  Colby never pulled her tail, he always just wanted to lay on her which Isis Kitty never minded that much.  As you can imagine Isis Kitty is not a fan of the new arrangement with Lincoln.  I have yet to capture a picture of it because I’m usually trying to teach Lincoln to pat and not pull.  Lincoln will learn, either by me or by Isis Kitty.  In the meantime, she continues to play well with the boys and lets them do what they may with her. 

Isis Kitty was clearly cold
while she was eating

Lego fun with the boys



There she is after I covered her
with every blanket in my room!

Stay tuned for the photo of the boys with their scratch marks which will eventually come...

A Pretty Good Day

Katie R.

As I stated Sunday was a good day.  Joe, and Andrew, finally were able to get out and mow and while Joe put the lawn mower away Andrew was playing on the deck.  Joe came in to get a shower and Andrew started yelling into the house "Daddy get out here I have something for you." 

Joe, who is a pretty good dad, went to see what he needed.  This is what Andrew had waiting for him.  I love that he not only set the table with food but he got all the condiments lined up as well.

Then it was time to eat!

Of course Andrew wouldn't look at the camera, but it's still a pretty cute picture. After this they came in and had lunch together, peanut butter & jelly AND mac & cheese, nothing is too good for my guys!

It was a good day!  Don't worry these sunshine and rainbow posts won't continue.  Right now Wes is trying to nap and the contractor is sawing and hammering,  so it's 9:30 and I already know what kind of day it is going to be.

A New Week

Katie R.

As observed by the photo of Stripe the Fish last week, it was a definite Murphy’s Law kind of week here.  Luckily it was a lot of of small (yet expensive) problems, but everyone is healthy and for the most part happy.

After the radiator leaks, dryer breaking down and many other issues, Sunday brought about a new day.  Joe was able to get the dryer working and I was giddy with excitement as I was way too lazy to drag the mounds of laundry we had to the laudromat.  I went to the grocery store and actually got enough groceries for the entire week, yes that is a huge victory for this family.

I got home and the boys woke up and we made dinner.  I didn’t have time to empty the dishwasher or put away most of the groceries, but everyone was in a good mood so I didn’t care.  I even picked a few branches from one of our trees and put it in the window.

I actually looked at it and took a deep breath and relaxed for a minute.

Then I looked down.

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. The good news is that by bedtime the kitchen was cleaned, the laundry was done and we’re even on track for the downstairs project.  Maybe this is our week!