What in the Hell Just Happened Here??

Katie R.

So Andew’s been a little whiny lately and we chalked it up to me being busy, Wes constantly attacking him with whatever toy he can find and getting over a cold.  That doesn’t mean we aren’t both about to pull out every hair from our head if he whines one more time; however, we’re trying to be as patient as we can be. 

Today started out as a decent day.  Had some breakfast, went and played at the playground with some friends, came home and had lunch and were all playing before naps.  Wes went to bed and Andrew decided he needed to brush his teeth and then he put his pull-up on and went into his room.

Everything seemed ok and then within 5 minutes hell broke loose.  I told Andrew I would read 2 books as its nap time and we read 2 books now and more at night.  So I read one and then he had to choose between Make Way for Ducklings and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  Well true to form he wanted one and than the other and back and forth this goes for 3 minutes.  I finally start reading Chicka Chicka and he loses his mind.  In my head I’m thinking what the hell just happened here?

He then starts thrashing around like he’s having a seizure and hits me with his hand.  It wasn’t intentional but at this point he is past being calmed down so I put the books away and leave the room.  A few minutes later he opens his door, which is not allowed, and is still screaming about books.  I pick him up to put him in bed and he throws himself back catching me on the chin.  It totally caught me off guard so I screamed “ow” and as calmly as possible put him in bed and walked out of the room. 

At this point I’m fuming and commending myself on putting him in bed and not tossing him out the window instead.  I go grab a soda and some lunch which by the way was a great lunch with a child screaming at the top of his lungs in the background.  Finally he gets quiet and I hear the door open.  I put down my soda and am ready to do battle when I hear “Mommy, can I tell you something (pronounced somefin)?  Mommy I am very sorry for being mean to you.  I love you mommy.”

So I stop in my tracks, a smile creeps onto my frustrated face and I am able to unclench my jaw.  I tell him it’s ok and then walk him back to bed and rub his head a little while and he calms down.   I’m pretty sure he was sincere with this one as he didn’t ask once for more books (which he would have done if it was a con). 

Did I handle this correctly, oh probably not but in the end he’s sleeping, I’m typing and we’re counting down the hours until daddy gets home.  I wonder how long it will be until the words “what the hell just happened here” are once again being muttered by a parent in this house... my guess is by 4pm.

 

 

 

Another Day, Another Parenting Failure

Katie R.

So the last few weeks the wedding planning has taken over my our lives.  I promised Andrew last week I’d be a better mommy this week and trust me he has not let me forget this.   So in my attempt last night to make up for the hours of cartoons, iPad playing and “go play by yourself while I send out just one more email” comments I was putting his most current picture in his artwork of the day frame.  In case you’re really up on things you may be thinking yesterday was Sunday, does he have school on Sunday?  No of course not but it takes us about 2 days to get the backpack out of car and get it up in the frame.

So we pull out the most recent masterpiece and I notice there is his name obviously written by a teacher and then one in his handwriting.  I asked him which one of his teachers helped him and he response “no one I did it myself”.  I looked at Joe and smiled shaking my head no.  I sat there during dinner thinking I wonder if he can make any letters himself or if the teacher helped him but then promptly forgot about it as Wes threw ever piece of food off his tray.

Later that I night I said “Andrew why don’t you show daddy how you wrote your name”.  I got out a pen and some paper and he wrote his name.  I looked at Joe wide-eyed and said "wow.. .we suck."

But wait it gets worse.  Today he got home and wanted to write his friends names and asked if I could spell them for him.  Yep with just a little help he pretty much went ahead and wrote all of their names as I spelled them. 

So my son not only taught himself, with the assistance of the iPad I’m guessing, to write letters but I just smiled and shook my head when he told us he could do it.  Tune in next time when he tells me he can read and I laugh in his face.

Don't even get me started on my worst idea ever the art of the day frame.   Do you know how many projects he brings home or does at home on a daily basis?

1st Day of Fall

Katie D.

Happy first day of Fall! To be honest, I'm ready for it! We had an amazing summer; vacation at the lake, family reunion, several trips to the beach and lazy summer nights when we let the boys stay up late with us because the sun was still out. We have an epic oak tree in our front yard and it has already dropped enough leaves to produce huge leaf piles perfect for jumping in.  Colby and Lincoln seem to never get tired of running and jumping in the leaves and then asking me to rake them up again into a big pile.  Lincoln has a small amount of words and please is one of them and it is the sweetest, cutest please in the world so I will do just about anything when he says it.  So, as my blisters on my hands prove, I raked and raked and raked until we had to come in to eat dinner.  What also amazes me is that leaves don't give much of a cushion! Have you jumped into a pile lately? I've become more of a leaf throw up in the air and run around kind of a girl because of the lack of cushion leaves actually make.  These boys make me love Fall even more! I guess it's time to get the sweaters and boots out!

Epic leaf pile jumping

Colby loving life

Lincoln about to ask "Please"

Bring it on Fall, I love this season! Tomorrow we go apple picking!

A in Math, F in Biology

Katie D.

Colby: Mom! Look! I have a worm!

Me: Wow! Buddy, that's great!

Colby: Look Mom, I made 2 worms!

Me: Great job!

He gets an A in Math but an F in Biology!

And the Winner Is....

Katie D.

This past Saturday Tom and I got the chance to spend some time with some old friends and partake in a competition we look forward to every year.  Tom gets a chance to submit a homebrew and compete with a bunch of our friends. The last 4 years we have placed second with hopes that someday we would clinch the top spot. We took a big risk this year and made a coconut stout.  Tom brewed, and we tasted it for the first time the night before the competition.  My nerves quickly gave way to excitement; it wasn’t just good it was fabulous and we had a chance of winning. Fast forward to the next day and Tom was drinking his beer out of a trophy. 

Where were the children? Another first, they did not attend the brew- off this year.  I had either been pregnant and/or had a child with me for all of the past competitions! They were having a blast with grandparents.  I think both Tom and I and the grandparents think they had a better time.

 

The trophy looks good on the mantle, doesn’t it?

 

 



Enough about Tom and I; Colby is child of the week at school this week and it's the cutest thing in the world! More to come on that later this week!

Screw it let's go to Dunkin' Donuts

It was Thursday which is a non-school day here and it was beautiful cool morning when I went outside to take out the trash. I came back inside and asked Andrew what he wanted to do for the day.  Because we both have the attention spans of gnats the conversation lasted 30 seconds and we both went on with what we were doing.  He went to play with his remote control car and I burst out without thinking “Let’s take the remote control car to the playground and you can drive it on the basketball court”.  Then I realized I would have to pack lunches, get Wes dressed and get ready but what the hell I was already dressed and I love the fall weather.

Of course we had to get said remote car ready as well. The remote control car, purchased by my parents for Christmas last year, usually hangs out downstairs because the Lightening McQueen car and I are on a break.   Why?  Because Lightening McQueen causes the boys to “fight”.  Andrew tries to drive it and Wes chases it around like a puppy.  Wes eventually catches it and Andrew screams, throws fits, etc.  Then when I finally get them distracted, I forget to turn the car off and Lightening says “Hey are you still there”.  How awesome is that?

So anyway we get everything ready and head out the door.  We get to the basketball courts and the first thing I realize is it’s hot.  Of course we’re all over dressed and now I’m sweating.  The kids don’t have sunglasses, hats, etc but hey it’s September so they’re fine right?  We haul all of our stuff out of the car, onto the stroller and make it over to the courts.  We get all set up and what happens next?  The car won’t work.  I turn the remote on and off, the car on and off, give  them both a good whack and… nothing.  Andrew actually handles it ok and I say let’s just have our lunch.  Then of course Andrew’s not hungry, Wes won’t sit and eat, and I’m hot so I say forget let’s go home.

We go to pull out of the playground parking lot and Andrew says “Let’s go to Dunkin Donuts”.  This is why I think my son is gifted because I think this idea is brilliant.  So I pick up some pumpkin k-cups for myself and get some munchkins for Andrew.  We then go home and they eat munchkins, cheese sticks and Angry Birds Cheez-its and of course I have a pumpkin iced coffee.  All was right in the world again.

Cheese sticks, Angey Bird Cheez-Its and juice boxes.  Life is good.

Oh and of course the car worked fine when we got home.  I think McQueen and I are going to be on a break again.

Delicate Cycle

Katie D.

In this house we usually do baths every other night.  On the days we don’t give baths we do a fairly good wipe down with a facecloth. On Saturday evening, after returning from a wonderful birthday celebration, my boys were properly dirty from cake.  It, not being bath night, was an epic scrub with the facecloth. After the cleanup was over I threw the facecloth on the sink counter to be dealt with after bedtime. 

 

When I returned to grab the facecloth I noticed the wash directions tag on it and was stunned.  This facecloth, that I scrub my children with on a regular basis, recommends that I wash it on the delicate cycle! Are you kidding me? No part of the dirt on this 100% cotton facecloth is going to come off easily in a delicate cycle.  Oh yeah, and I don’t tumble dry low it either!

Go check yours! I’m curious to see what others say!

 

Why We Should Not Have Any More Kids...

Katie R.

As Wes nears his first birthday it seems more and more people are asking if we are going to have a 3^rd child.  Altough for me it is an easy no, for Joe he still at times thought about a 3rd.  Well pretty sure today he changed his mind.  Why you ask?  Well these were just a few comments made by members of this family today. 

1.  I’ll give you all the candy you want if you just quit whining

                Spoken by mommy at a birthday party

2.  I’ve told you to get out of the road 5 times if you get hit by a car no one will feel bad

                   Again stated by mommy leaving the birthday party.  In
                   Mommy's defense, she took 2 kids who had short naps to a
                   party by herself

3. You’re now in time out for 7 minutes (it started at 2 minutes)

                   Mommy and Daddy were both part of this comment

4. Damn, Wes pooped on the floor

                   Daddy screamed when he realized it happened.  Wes has
                   terrible diaper rash and we were trying to let him walk around
                             w/out a diaper to help the rash.

5. I don’t like this house I want to ruin it
                  Andrew when he was told to take a bath

5.  I am leaving this house.  I’m packing my suitcase

                Thought by mommy but said aloud by Andrew.  Picture below

So, this was today.  Do you really think we should have another.  Yeah we don’t either.

Oh and apparently he was going to move out without putting clothes on

Welcome Home

Katie D.

She's finally back; my partner in crime! Yes, the fabulous Katie R. has returned from her whirlwind trip to Ohio.  As much as I missed her and her fabulous boys I think this picture shows how excited my boys were to see her pull up yesterday!

Colby is pointing and yelling "They are here!!"

Tea Set

Katie D.

I am a mom to boys. We play in the dirt, we crash cars, and we destroy things in our path! I was meant to have boys because I love everything about it! This is not to say I don’t want to foster a sweet side to my boys they just gravitate to fire trucks, worms and mud on their own.

Some time ago Katie R. came home with a tea party set to the laughter of some of her family but Andrew enjoyed it.  Before the most recent incident with the fish, Andrew and Colby were having a tea party and having a blast. I always kept in the back of my mind that I would like to get a set for the boys.

As you can imagine most sets in stores are pink or purple, with a variety of princesses on them. Sorry, I’m just not going to pay a lot of money for one of those sets.  Fortunately for me we went to a town yard sale today and had great luck.  For a bargain price I picked up, from a lovely old lady, a Thomas the train puzzle and a tea set (yes pink) for $1! Yeah, I know, I was pleased too.  But my joy from this purchase doubled when we got home and the boys proceeded to play with it all day, after naps and right before bed.  Lincoln and Colby took turns filling the cups, adding sugar and toasting to world peace.  It was hilarious.

 

So, cheers to boys that love dirt, trucks, and world peace!

Vacation.. family, food and duct tape

Greetings from Ohio...

We will be heading home tomorrow and it has been a long and great vacation.   We've been here for 16 days and have accomplished the following:

-Visited grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts, great-uncles, cousins, second cousins

-Gained at least 5 lbs

-Drank at least 2 beers every day

-Went to the zoo, the fair, the children's museum, the natural history museum, the mall, the train museum and too many parks to count

-Moved Andrew's bedtime from 7:30 to 9:30 (I am writing this at 8:40 and he's in the hot tub)

-Watched Andrew drink gallons of juice boxes and sweet tea

-Forced Wes to get over stranger anxiety by leaving him with grandparents constantly

-Finally bought some clothes that fit, but that now are probably too tight

-Danced (sober) on the deck to country music, Alabama, with my sister-in-law and father-in-law

-Taught Andrew to like dogs, be scared of dogs and like dogs all in 20 minutes

-Learned my parents have the least kid proofed house on earth

And no vacation is complete without a total parenting fail.  We (aka Joe) duct taped Wes into a "car" to try to keep him from falling off the deck.  And then he promptly slide his body underneath it and it ran over his head.