Damn you Berenstain Bears

Life continues in this house of 5.  I'm slowly getting into a bit of a routine with getting Colby ready and out the door to the bus stop, getting Lincoln off to his preschool 3 days a week and managing Vivienne (already 13 weeks) all the while.  Some days I make it look easy and others (most) I'm just trying to keep my shit together.  Yesterday I needed a little bit of help so I called my good friend, the television, for help.  She was on early and helped entertain the kids while I tried to function like an adult and get some things done around the house. After realizing that Vivienne wasn't going to nap before going to the grocery store I put a baseball hat on over my gross hair, used some make-up remover to clean my face from yesterday and headed out the door to get some much needed necessities. (Like peanut butter for Lincoln's most requested peanut butter and fluff sandwich for lunch) As soon as we got home and I attempted to put the groceries away Vivienne woke up, started crying and Lincoln was tearing around the house like the mad man that he is.  I, like any good mother, called in my good friend again.  I told Lincoln I would turn the TV on and asked him what he would like to watch and this is what I got in response....

"Mom, remember the Berenstein Bears book, Too much TV? I think we have had enough TV today. I think we should just sit together and play a board game.  I'll go get Zingo!"

Yup, mother of the year.  My son's moral compass comes from a family of bears. So I put the cold stuff in the fridge, left the rest on the counter for later and played some Zingo with my boy while nursing Vivienne.  Just call me Mama Bear:)

Certificate of Acheviement

I love that Colby goes to a school that still has holiday parties, parades for Halloween, able to send in cupcakes for birthdays and celebrations for everything.  The school does a great job celebrating milestones and achievements in classrooms also. For example I turn to one of Colby's favorite classes, PE.

What kindergartener doesn't love PE. (I call it gym but Colby always corrects me that it is PE, gym is where it's at!)  He's not a boy that comes home and tells me all the details of his day but I do usually get a play by play of PE.  He loves learning and playing all the different games and sports  they have to offer and once they move onto another activity they come home with a certificate of achievement once that unit is done.

As shown above, he did a fantastic job at bowling. He told me he even enjoyed setting up the pins over an over again. (who likes that?) These crowning certificates are taped on the door for all to admire. 

 The basketball certificate cracks me up. "Awesome effort" translates to you tried but boy you sure don't have the hang of it.

And here effort is  mentioned again!  An "active player" translates into you ran around and burnt off enough energy that you can go back to your classroom and not burst and drive your teacher nuts!

And then, my personal favorite, the certificate that will serve him well later in life....

Cup stacking really?  Isn't this a gate way to flip-cup? And no effort mentioned on this certificate, just an awesome job in achievement in stacking!  That's my boy, this skill will take him far in life (or at least in drinking games in college).

Warning Labels

With a 4 and a 6 year old I had long past the stage of worrying about finding soft, age appropriate toy or trying to latch a baby into a 16 point harness seat, swing, highchair or concerning myself with newborn warning labels.  Well, those days are back.  And with being a third child myself I feel completely fine saying that Vivienne will survive with whatever I do for her.  Don't worry she sleeps on her back and I strap her into her bucket car seat correctly and keep the 4,000 legos off the floor around her. But sometimes  you have to throw caution to the wind. 

Warning labels sometimes take it to the max. I love the "at all times", what about when they are in the car and you cant see them, or you leave them on the floor to go to the bathroom or if they are screaming bloody murder because they are so tired and need to soothe themselves. I don't smother Vivienne with blankets and stuffed animals but when you have a snuggle item that soothes her you keep it with her. 

I mean are you going to try and take this from her! I sure as hell am not.  Watch out world, she's got her eyes on you.

My New Love

So I've been absent for awhile.  I've been busy with the holidays and having a baby.  Yes, all good things with great stories and pictures to tell.  But that will come another day.

 Last week I finally got out to do a little retail therapy.  Here in the fabulous Upper Valley that means hitting up a handful of stores.  Seeing that I've only bought maternity clothes over the last 9 months I was excited at the idea of finding some cute clothes for myself. As I maneuvered the stroller up and down the isles I figured I would grab what I liked and return what didn't work out.  (I've had to adapt with a newborn, don't push my luck on time) I started finding some cute things and then on one of the clearance racks I saw a pair of black sweat pants.  I've got tons of yoga and running pants (because I do so much of that) but no real pair of sweatpants.  I mean, does anyone purposefully buy sweatpants.  I feel they are something that come into your life from different avenues, stolen from the husbands drawer,  mysteriously acquired in dorm room in college and you have had them for years (or decades) or your favorite sports team gear that everyone has to have. What I don't need is more comfy clothes but, alas, I found myself grabbing them, purchasing them and bringing them home. Later in the day when I was trying on my new finds I had almost forgot about the sweatpants.  As I proceeded to go through the bags and being satisfied with my haul I came across the pants in the bottom of one of the bags.  I had tried everything else on so I slipped into the pants and I immediately ripped off the tags. I tell you, I hit the jackpot.  I now understand why some people wear sweatpants in public.  It was like coming home, but to a home that was more comfortable than I had remembered. I admit, unapologetically, that I have worn these pants everyday since their purchase.  I have taken them off and put on other clothes when I go out (the bus stop doesn't count, they stay on then) but I come back to them everyday.

Why do I share this story of my new favorite pair of heavenly black sweatpants? The reason is simple, the happiness that it gives me and the smile that it brings to my face. No really, I found myself laughing at my pure joy and thought that I should write about it.  I'm hoping to be back at the blog again and I figured I would start with some humor before I smother you with stories of newborns. Thanks for coming back.

Today's Lesson

Living in the upper valley provides some great opportunities for Colby's school to take advantage of. Tom and I are fortunate with our time to be able to learn and then teach a science lesson to Colby's class once a month.  (Yes, me teaching science! I realize this is hilarious seeing that the only science I took in college was oceanography which consisted of a lot of hanging out at the beach.) Nevertheless, it's a great opportunity to get in the classroom and see the mind of 5 and 6 year olds working.  Clearly, coming to class and teaching has shown us in a new light to Colby.  The last time we taught he came home that afternoon and set up his own presentation for us.

 

He took his lesson very seriously and explained how a castle works and how you protect yourself when under attack. (very important life lessons, much more interesting then the lesson we taught on ecosystems) 

 

He even asked questions that we needed to raise our hands for to answer.  In the above photo Colby is calling on Tom to get his answer after I failed to provide the right number of ladders needed to escape off the top of the castle. (the answer is 2)

I love how his mind works and how he translates it into his play.  I also like that he sees me as more then the person that cooks, cleans and drives him everywhere.

Introducing Cal Kitty

It's been some time since we said goodbye to our beloved cat Isis.  (Stupid terrorist group had to name themselves after the best cat ever) We have missed having a pet around but the break has been good....not having to make arrangements when we go out of town, worrying about shutting the door before the cat tries to get outside and cleaning the litter box.

The timing was right for a cat but not a permanent one.  Enter Cal Kitty....

 

 

 

This pretty little guy is my parents cat.  He originally was my sister's cat when she lived in California (hence the name) and then made his way to Maine where he resides with them.  My parents have a big trip coming up and we have a pet free house; this was a no brainer.  He has been with us for almost 2 weeks and will stay about another month.  He has settled in very nicely and everyone is happy to have him around, especially Colby.  He loves animals but has a soft spot for cats.  They already knew each other but Colby has taken this time with Cal to get more familiar with him. Colby decided to start with drawing Cal's portrait.  He took his time and Cal was a very good model.   

 









 

I think they will both enjoy their time together.   It will be a fun month. 



Starting Lists...

It's only October but thoughts of Christmas have started to creep into this house. I'm certainly not complaining, I love Christmas and don't mind it sneaking into our lives early. One big bold clear way this is happening is through the number of catalogs that have come in the mail.  I often recycle them before they make it in the house but a few have snuck in under the radar.  Colby and Lincoln love looking through them over and over again.  Colby has started to circle some items he thinks he may want.  At one point Tom saw him circle a princess dress-up collection and he asked if he really wanted it.  Colby just laughed at him and informed him he had circled it for his friend Harper.  He then wrote her name down beside it so as not to confuse anyone else.  I loved that he wasn't just thinking about himself as he looked through the catalogs.  He even picked out some items that he thought his brother might like too. 

 

 

 

The lists will change as the catalogs get recycled over the next couple of months but the ideas they give me will help me give the big man in red some hints! 

 



The Fall Bucket List (thanks to pinterest)

Living in New England in the fall provides you with endless activities and seasonal rites of passage. Combine this with the time sucking vortex of Pinterest and you have yourself a fall bucket list you can complete.  I've printed the damn thing off and hung it on my fridge to encourage myself to think about all the great fall things we can do as a family. 

As I've said before, leaves are my favorite toy in the fall.  You rake them up, jump in them, throw them in the air and then dispose of them.  Also, we don't go to the apple orchard once, we go several times! You go once to get apples to bake pies and the rest of the times you go to wander aimlessly to kill an hour and to enjoy the weather.  (I also volunteered on both boys school visits to apple orchards so we really got our fix this year.)

 Another two fabulous fall things and two more checks off the damn fall bucket list was visiting a pumpkin patch and finding our way through a corn maze.  Well the good old Upper Valley region rocks because this could be done at a wonderful farm just a few miles away.  Even in a soggy drizzle  we survived an amazing corn maze that the boys lead us through and picked our weight in pumpkins.  It is neat to show the boys a pumpkin patch instead of just picking pumpkins out from a pile.





pumpkin patch selfie

 

The bucket list also had some less than adventurous activities on it that could make you feel better about checking more things off the list. For example, drinking pumpkin coffee, drinking apple cider, making a fall mantel and getting cozy all are pretty lame activities but nonetheless got checked off our family fall bucket list. 

Back to real items! Going for a hike and making s'mores are some other pretty easy things to do during this time of year.  Hiking in the fall provides such a different point of view from any other time of year and you don't sweat to death because it is so chilly out.

The fall bucket list continues and we still have plenty of time in the season to check more things off. Up next carving pumpkins....

It is Fall

We may only be a few days into the new season but that hasn't stopped my boys from participating in one of their favorite fall activities. 

 

 

 

In just a few more days the leaves that have fallen have quadrupled! The boys absolutely love leaf jumping and the best thing about leaves is that the leaves are free and they disappear and don't need to be stored somewhere during the winter!

 

Happy Fall Everyone!

 



Chatty Cathy

My lunch date 5 days a week!

With his older brother in kindergarten, Lincoln and I enjoy quiet lunches together most days.  Anyone that knows Linc understands that he is one of the slowest eaters in the world.  He is content to take his time and will eat everything on his plate.  I try my best to sit and chat with him and not go off and get the four thousand things I could get done before he finishes his applesauce. He's pretty cute and chatty so he's got that going for him.  We are only 3 weeks into our lunch dates for 2, let's see how long I can last before I leave him sitting at the table alone.

Education on The Force

May the force be with you...

Wanting to be Luke Skywalker and a storm trooper for Halloween meant my boys had been exposed to enough Star Wars knowledge that it was time...

Thanks to Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Ryan the boys own all 6 episodes and we decided that the time was right to start introducing them to movies of the characters that they love.  We have done A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and they have loved them.  It's fun to watch them take it in for the first time.  Colby already knew that Darth Vader was Luke's father but it still was great to watch his reaction as it all goes down in the movie.  This only solidified the boys' choice in their Halloween costumes so as it gets closer look for pics of Luke and a storm trooper.  May the force be with you...

Back To School

My absence is due to this..

Finally these boys are back in school.  Lincoln is in his pre-school program (that I love so much) and Colby has started Kindergarten.  Lincoln picked up where he left of last year and didn't miss a beat.  Colby had to transition to quite a few changes, new school, bus rides, hot lunch, new teacher and an all day schedule but has risen to the occasion. 

I drove him the first day to school and offered to drive him the second day but he insisted on taking the bus because it was one of his favorite parts of the first day taking the bus home.  He has loved his hot lunch too, I asked if he ate his salad one day and he said "yes, did you know salads have vegetables in it? It was so good!" And I was so concerned that he wouldn't use the bathroom at school but when I asked if he used it the first day he said yes he did both. I was shocked and asked really to which I got " yes, I peed and pooped! That's how Colby rolls!" He comes home happy and tired and I couldn't be more excited about how it has gone so far.  Stay tuned for the stories he comes home with...

Ready for Kindergarten

Tom and I were sitting on the couch after putting the boys down for bed the other night.  We had our feet up, TV on and both had tablets on our laps and were unwinding from the day.  We heard the familiar sound of a door knob turning and waited to see who it was.  Of course, it was Colby. As he heads into the bathroom he informs it is for poop but that he can handle it.  Tom and I exchange glances, thinking that this could be interesting.  (Any mom can relate to the wiping issues of a child and we have told Colby this is something he needs to be better about before he starts school because it is not the teachers job to deal with that.) After some time in the bathroom I called out to Colby to see if he needed anything but he informed us he was fine.  Eventually he came out of the bathroom and with a satisfied look on his face declared that he was now ready for Kindergarten and then went back to bed.  Tom and I contained our laughter until he was back in his room.  Who needs school supplies, this kid can wipe his butt so bring on the school year!

Enjoying the last few weeks of summer!

A Love Letter

Their is no easy way to put it...Colby is growing up.  He has continued to grow into this incredibly sweet and kind little man.  As much as I would love to take all the credit so much of it is because of the wonderful preschool program he has been a part of these last 3 years. 

I vividly remember a conversation with my girlfriends 3 years ago in regards to preschool programs.  Most of my friends had been looking around, considering and signing their kids up and I was firm in my stance that Colby wasn't ready for a program yet. I was socializing him, we got out and about and heck he wasn't even talking yet.  My girlfriends and I discussed the pro's and con's of it and we finished our play date and went on our ways.  That very night I relieved the conversation in my head and made a complete 180. I admit it, my mind was completely changed. Colby, my first child, could benefit from 2 days of social interaction, classroom rules and other authoritative adults. I did my research, called a program I was interested in, visited the classroom and had Colby signed up within 2 weeks of that conversation with my girlfriends. 

Colby's preschool program was a great fit for everyone from the start.  Colby had a very difficult time at drop off at the beginning and Vicki, Eileen and Laurel always had a great approach to soothe him and to send me on my way.  I was grateful to know they could handle it and didn't need me (or want me) to linger to make the separation more difficult.  I remember the first time Vicki told me at pick-up that Colby was "un-corporative" that day.   What a great way to say he was bad!  If anyone else had told me my kid was bad I would have been offended but coming from this program it was just another day to learn and become better. 

The next year, with the same teachers, Colby attended 3 days a week.  His confidence grew and his comfort with the teachers was more present.  One day at pick-up I was having a word with a teacher and Colby was pulling on my arm to leave and Eileen just said calmly, "Colby, please don't pull on mom's hand while she is talking" and he did just that (as if that is all it took in my house to make him stop doing something).

His third and final year he attended 4 days a week and enjoyed more attention from a very small class of 6 boys.  I think the small class helped create a tight knit group of students and teachers.  (It also made for the parents to become friends too, a fabulous bonus) Anytime Colby was tired, grumpy or not happy about something all it took was a hug from Laurel to make anything seem better.  She, as well as Eileen and Vicki were always so good about getting down to their level to help them work on expressing their feelings or to get to the route of the problem.

At the end of the school year it was difficult to imagine these women, that have shaped Colby in so many ways, wouldn't be a part of his everyday life anymore. Luckily they have a summer program that I signed Colby up for so it didn't feel like goodbye...yet. Well, last week was goodbye. On Friday I had Colby go give big hugs to the three women in his life that want nothing but the best for him.  I couldn't look any of them in the eye, afraid I would completely break down myself.  I hurried both Colby and Lincoln out and loaded them into the van.  I go to drive away and Colby says, "goodbye school, I'm going to miss you school" to which I say how sweet that is through my tears streaming down my face behind my sunglasses. 

I know, Lincoln will be at that pre-school for 2 more years so I shouldn't be so sad.  But when the experience for Colby and me was so wonderful and provided him so much confidence I can't help but pause and be extremely grateful for the past 3 years and what they have meant to me. 

At his pre-K graduation

Colby heads to Kindergarten in just a few weeks and we couldn't be more excited.  He is ready thanks to Laurel, Eileen and Vicki! With love, a very grateful Katie.

Flexible Boy

Last week the family and I were over at the other Katie's house. All the adults were outside enjoying the company and the kids, being well past all of their bedtimes, were chillin in front of the TV watching some kid appropriate television. Attempting to be good parents Joe peeked in on them and reported that some were sitting on the couch, some on a chair and Lincoln was laying on the floor with his legs in the air.  To some that may seem odd but the group of parents just laughed it off because that is just what Lincoln does. He is one of the most flexible children I know.  It amazes all of us, he is a solid boy but loves to stretch and twist himself into all types of positions and then proceeds to stay like that for periods of time.

 He will hold these positions while watching TV, taking a break from a game (like Candy Land) or when he is playing quietly with his toys. It makes my legs feel numb just looking at him!  Ah...to be young! 

Close Quarters

Spending several weeks on vacations have made the boys closer than ever.  They have always been pals but have become more inseparable because they have had to share close quarters with each other.  Once returning home they decided to continue this closeness and share a bedroom together.  This required a couple of changes to happen, we had to move Colby's full bed downstairs to the guest room and move the furniture in Lincoln's room into Colby's room.  They were, and are, ecstatic with the changes and seem to have no regrets about the decision.

As with any big move, respecting each other's space becomes a factor. For example, Colby has always called out to check  if he can get out of his room in the morning (even with a clock in his room) or called out to us in the night if he needs to use the bathroom (which he has been told he can just go). I was concerned that with his brother in the room with him he would continue to do this and wake Lincoln up even though I had made it very clear that he does not need to call out in the night.

We are two nights into this experiment and so far things have gone well.  Bedtimes have gone alright, Tom and I expected the talking and giggling and the boys finally fell asleep fairly quickly. The first morning I woke up to Colby in my face saying "Mom, do you think it's alright to flush the toilet or do you think it will wake Lincoln up?" I was quite startled but very proud (and tired) all at the same time.  And then last night, again being very startled at first hearing someone in the hallway, Colby got out of his room to use the bathroom.  After telling him for a year he finally does these things on his own so as not to disturb his brother.  He's such a good kid that in the future when he smacks Lincoln in the night to wake him up I'll have a hard time believing his brother but that's what being brothers is all about.

S'mores

Please excuse my absence for the last few weeks. As always the summer is spent relaxing...which means packing, cooking and doing laundry to go away on vacation. I did this in back to back weeks, it was lovely and wonderful but it took its toll on me and the boys.  I could have posted much sooner but Tom and I have started to watch the show Game of Thrones on demand and we are binge watchers so that has also weighed heavily on my absence.  My apologies, so without further ado, let me continue to fill you in on my life....

For the past three years a great group of friends have decided to vacation together.  Of course fabulous times are always had by all but what really caught my attention this year when I downloaded the pictures was the growth in the boys.  They look the same and yet the have grown so much.  The first year we went on vacation Lincoln still had his pacifier and we stuck him in a chair so as not to get too close to the flames when we did s'mores.



2012

2012

And the next year Lincoln upgraded his seat to a tricycle! Colby continued to rock the sideways bite is his own style. 

2013

2013

And this past year we let the kids have a bit more freedom, even getting a good laugh when Tom's marshmallows caught on fire! Again, the changes are subtle but they are maturing into amazing little men.

2014

2014

2014

Vacationing with great friends is a perk to the summer and having wonderful photos to look back on remind me of what fabulous summers the boys and I have.  I'm not ready to let go of summer yet so don't get any ideas New England!

Cousin Love

Happy belated 4th of July.  I hope you and you families had long, wonderful weekends. Tom, the kids and I loaded up the big tan van and headed to Maine with plans to see a wide range of family.

*I did not bring my camera to Maine. I could say that I wanted to really be in the moments and take them all it but the truth is I just forgot it. 

We set up home base at my parents house and had a great dinner Thursday night in and old mill in my hometown that was renovated into a restaurant. It was great to start the trip out with a quiet family dinner, just the 4 of us, for an easy transition into the busy weekend. We, like most of New England, had a rainy 4th but were still able to visit with almost all of Tom's extended family.  It's great to catch up with cousins that we don't see enough of.  Even trapped inside from the rain the kids enjoyed each other's company and the cousins got a chance to laugh together and tell some old stories. The following morning we celebrated the baptism of two of the cousins children (2nd cousins I think, I get so confused with the correct terminology) It was windy from the storm passing out but lovely and was nice to celebrate with the two beautiful little girls. 

The following day, Sunday, we headed out to visit some of my cousins that were vacationing in Maine. Another cousin (and her family) my Aunt, and my sister got the opportunity to all catch up, spend time with one another and see all of our children together. It had been too long since we had seen each other, I hadn't even met one cousin's husband (who was super nice & sweet).  Colby & Lincoln hit it off immediately with their 2nd cousins (or whatever relation they are) and ran around and acted as if parents did not exist. It was wonderful.

2nd Cousins enjoying birthday cupcakes
Photo from my phone (only one I took)
 

I was grateful to get such a great visit in with everyone.  We left and headed for home from there.  The entire car ride home I reminisced about all the great memories I have had with my cousins; 4th of July's in DC, skiing at Sunday River, hot summers on Sebago lake, holding my first baby, Sarah, in my arms, weddings and all the times in the middle.  It was great to make more memories with all of our cousins with promises made to not go as long the next time.

ABC's

It's summertime! Glorious, warm and lazy days have arrived.  We are taking the days in stride, sleeping late, eating fresh fruits and vegetables (from other people's gardens), having water fights and relaxing as much as possible. This is what summer is all about, right? For the most part yes. Colby starts kindergarten in the fall and to help keep what he has learned in preschool fresh in his mind I attempt to make fun activities for him to encourage this. Granted, I'm no homeschool expert, we do our fair share of counting rocks and worms but sometimes nothing beats old fashion flash cards with the ABC's on them.

Flashcards, clothespins and twine hung from the living room across the kitchen was all that was needed to make an ABC adventure.  (Oh, and a dog we were dog sitting for too) I'm sure the clothespins help some motor skills too but I was just looking to prolong the activity and make it fun for both Colby and Lincoln.  If they had a question or got stuck they ran down the hall to Lincoln's room to see the stickers of letters on his bedroom wall.

Colby confidently hung his letters in a row and was quite proud of himself.  Lincoln, like any younger brother, had to do it himself after Colby had completed it. They celebrated each others completion like a victory in a sporting event, running around, clapping and giving pretend trophies. I never said my boys weren't hambones!   It was fun for all and consumed a good morning but tomorrow we will probably put the flashcards away and have a good old water fight! It is summer after all!

Trip to the ER

It was going to happen eventually, the fall, the scream and the cut that means we are taking our first trip to the emergency room.

We were visiting family at the beach and had just come in from a great day in the sun.  Tom went to put the beach toys away and I marched the boys straight to the shower to hose off.  I stepped in first to get the water on and then I told Colby to come in and he took one step, slipped and hit chin first on the shower floor. I scooped him up and covered his chin immediately. Amazingly their wasn't much blood but when I finally looked I saw that the cut was deep.  I called to Tom and he instantly agreed we needed to go to the emergency room. We left Lincoln with his grandfather and a sandy Colby, Mom and Dad headed for the closest ER.  Luckily we were in Maine and I knew the location of the closest ER so we weren't driving blind following a gps to the nearest facility. I now will proceed with the bragging portion of this blog.  After the initial scream and cry of the fall/cut Colby did not cry at all. The entire car ride he sat with his wet facecloth held to his chin and then once arriving at the ER he answered questions the nurses and doctors asked him without hesitation.  In the picture above he has a cotton ball with lidocaine on it to numb the cut. We had to sit there for about twenty minutes to make sure that it had kicked in.  We told Colby he would need stiches and he seemed alright about it. (Thank you Doc McStuffins from Disney) The doctor was wonderful (she has two kids the same age as Colby and Lincoln) and knew how to handle the situation.  As she kept him talking she shoved the needle all around his cut. He mentioned that it stung a little but he wasn't bothered with her continuing to shove the needle in. Then she proceeded to stich up his little chin. 4 stiches latter and he was up for ice cream so off we headed to the nearest scoop shop for a treat for my little rock star. He could have asked for the moon and I would have promised it to him but all he wanted was some ice cream. 

Weeks later and the stiches have dissolved and all that remains is a little scar and a story to tell the rest of his life.  He was so brave! Tom and I couldn't be prouder and happier to have that under our belts.