Japanese Robot Men

Steve brought Nick and Nate Robot Action Figures from Japan. When you press the buttons on the back, they make noises like gurgling drains and laser blasts. The boys love them. They just had to learn that robots need to get along, and not bonk their brothers in the face. Both boys began crying at the same time. But Nathan's nose began spurting blood both from the outside and the inside, and the lip Nick was clutching seemed fine. Nate got better quickly. Hence the band-aid making him look like a boxer, and the slightly timid expression.

Peek A Boo

I still see you!

He's My Brother

I know I've mentioned Nick's imaginary friend, Mario.

Steve has finally gotten a copy of MarioKart for the Wii. It's fun! And it can be played online, too! So anyone that has a Wii, get MarioKart, and we can play together, even if you're say, in New York, Seattle, LA, etc.

Nick and Nate love to play, too. But ever since playing the game, Nathan has adopted a new "friend" of his own.

The other day I heard him yelling. "No! Stop! I mad at you!" and I caled out "Nathan, why are you angry? What's going on?" to which he replied "I'm not talkin to you! I talkin to Puigi!"

Yes, we've told him it's Luigi, with an L, but he doesn't seem to get it. Puigi it is. Mario's brother.

.

Good News

I love getting news about my friends, especially good news! So... you know, send it in as soon as you get it. Or I'll send Nathan after you.

The Cure

On a day where I am feeling kind of down and frustrated and hopeless, one look at this smile and I've got one of my own.

How Things Go

Just in case I haven't mentioned it, we are taking a trip to Disney World in the near future. One might say I am excited.

So it should come to no surprise that with our departure date fast approaching, Andrew has come down with a cold. Not just ANY cold, but a cold with a rash. A speckely rash, which the doctor assured me was normal, and would go away in a few days.

And in a perfect world, a world where luggage showed up on the conveyor belt and flights took off when they were supposed to and landed where they were supposed to, this cold would be a non issue. It would infect Andy for a few days, then fade away until, one day, we noticed there was no longer a steady stream of snot running from his nose.

But we live in THIS world, the Anti-Traveling World, where, when one kid gets sick, he stays sick for TWO WEEKS, and then his BROTHERS get sick, and they get HIGH FEVERS and maybe even THROW UP for NO REASON. And all this might happen ON THE PLANE because I WILL NOT let this illness interfere with my vacation. The boys might be feverish zombies, but they will be dragged around the Magic Kingdom regardless.

The worst part about all this is that I am very tired. Andy is probably tired, too. But he can try to sleep whenever he wants, and no one expects him to shop or make dinner. So being up half the night doesn't seem to get to him the way it does me, Little Miss Snappy.

PS - Steve woke up with the kids this morning, by himself, with no prompting from me, just so I could have a little extra time. I cannot tell you how great this was. But I am also still snappy.

Andy Has A Cold

So I didn't get anything done today.

Getting Dressed

You would think getting dressed would be simple. How many issues could possibly arise?

Well...

With Andrew, it's a matter of... well, he's mobile. And there are always other things he wants to do besides getting his diaper changed. So getting him into a new diaper, let alone a new outfit, requires placement, replacement, distraction of several kinds, and finally good timing.

With Nicholas, it's a matter of supervision. Because he is MORE than willing to pick out his own clothing and dress himself. But sometimes he chooses inappropriate clothing, such as long pants when it's 90 degrees, or dress shoes with his gym shorts, or a t-shirt he outgrew two years ago. I might also find his discarded PJ's in the toy bin, or stashed under the bed.

But either of the above is actually fine. Even together, I could get through it with few problems.

And then, there's Nathan.

Nathan will wander into the room to get dressed, and I will find him in there reading a book. He will refuse to get dressed because he is reading a book. I ask him to get undressed. I take the book away. He then tries to get ME to undress him. But I am trying to get him to do these things himself. I tell him he can do it himself. Then I tell him he's right, he CAN'T because he isn't a superhero. Then he says he IS a superhero, and undresses in ten seconds. Then he is naked, and gets distracted, etc. I help him get dressed, but he stands three feet away and I feel as though I'm chasing him around the room. When I finally start helping him, he shouts that he wants to do it himself. He insists on wearing his underwear backwards so he can "see the picture" of batman that is supposed to be on his bum. He can't find the waistband of his shorts. He gets his sleeves tangled up. Overall, it takes five minutes to get the other two dressed, and twenty for Nathan.

I love this boy. But he is a handful.

I need a case for my basket

I am a hormonal basket case.

I know people tend to use this term loosely, especially me. I blame practically every mood, argument, and accident on hormones. But this time, I know it to be true. Not only because I have been a little down in the dumps. Not just because I find myself gritting my teeth while I'm trying to get Nathan into his clothes, or out of them, or to do anything (this deserves it's own post, so check in tomorrow.) No, I know I am a victim of hormones because I have been breaking out like a teenager. Specifically, my face has decided to act the way it did when I was in middle school.

If you met me in college, or after college, you might be surprised. Because when my skin cleared up, it cleared up. I was very lucky that way. But some of you knew me in middle school. If you are one of those people then you know that I had a LOT of zits. For years. I was very embarrassed and tried a number of things to get rid of them, and also to hide them - make up, combing my hair in front of my face... Until... well, I don't know. It all cleared up my senior year, I think.

But now... well, I'm back to having pimples all over. I haven't changed any of my habits to cause it. I have no idea what's going on. And I'm very cross about it.

One, Two, Skip a Few...

I skipped posting yesterday because my computer had to be taken back to the shop to get fixed - same problem, but like anything else, it takes at least two trips and fourteen people in line ahead of you with Ipod questions before anything useful happens. Lucky for me, Steve went and took care of it, and all I had to do was wait here at home.

Yesterday evening Pam and Larry came over, relatives of ours who live close but we never see because I am horrible at keeping in touch. It was so good to see them. And the boys had a great time, even though they got confused and were calling Pam "Larry" and Nathan insisted Larry was "Pam." Which is, when you think of it, kind of funny.

And Andrew... Andy cooperated by taking three consecutive steps for the first time. I can see him balancing, his little body swaying, and I know it's only a matter of days before he's unstoppable.

She's So Bad

I am NOT a political person. I usually avoid political banter at all cost and I don't think I have ever made political commentary on this site. It's not what it's about, and I recognize the fact that my readers (all four of you) hold different political views, and have the right to. Personally, I find politics confusing and boring, and kind of like a game of "Responsibility Hot Potato" where they take all of it if it's a good thing and none of it if it's a bad thing, and it's hard to tell who did what because our system is practically built on red tape. I usually find that one politician is much like another, which is why I marginally supported Obama over McCain in the elections, and mostly because McCain seemed closer to what we already have.

Then McCain chose a running mate.

At first I thought it was a joke. It had to be a joke. I simply couldn't take it seriously and joked about it because not only did I think Sarah Palin was a poor choice, but she seemed to keep getting poorer and poorer by the day. By the HOUR. And I smiled and shook my head and wondered why McCain was throwing the election.

But at the playground today I overheard some women talking and I realized... those crazy screaming people on TV? They aren't being sarcastic. They are simply deluded. And McCain and Palin? They might actually run this country.

I am not sure why I hate Palin so much. It's not that she's a woman - I like women. I am one. I disliked Clinton, wouldn't have voted for her, but Clinton simply left me with the feeling that she was lying to me, and not the "Run Away!" feeling I get from Palin. And I know I stay at home but I feel that is a choice I was lucky enough to have, not an obligation, so the fact that she has an infant at home, one that requires special care, that's not it either. Not even knowing that no one with a Toddler can be 100% sane. I can't even say for sure that it's becasue I disagree with her on every single issue, even though I probably do, because I haven't been able to watch her for longer than two seconds without being overcome with nausea and panic. All the quotes I have read are either bashing Obama for bashing her, or explaining that she's super excited her seventeen-year-old is going to be a mom. I seriously wonder how the seventeen-year-old feels. Did she want to have the kid? Keep the kid? Get married? I don't suppose any of the politcians care. After all, she's not old enough to vote.

I just couldn't understand why someone in their right mind would think Sarah Palin would be a good choice to run our country. Because as the VP, that would be a major job function: running our country if the president can't, i.e. in a time of crisis. And I can't fully explain it, but I feel like I'm in that movie, all trying to warm people "Soylent Green is PEOPLE!" and "The Pod People are taking over! They're everywhere!" I'm terrified, because I've just realized that there is an actual possibility that enough people will get brainwashed into voting for McCain and Palin, and when that happens Palin's head and her pink suit will crack open, and her true Evil Spider self will crawl out, her huge red eyes flashing, and she will eat McCain, and then she will laugh maniacally, and move on to destroy the rest of this country, and while she's at it, the Earth.

Once Upon A Time...

Andy took his first step today.

Oh, don't get TOO excited. He didn't exacting stick the landing. He lifted his foot and immediately began falling forward, and his foot hit the ground a moment before the rest of him. But the point is this: he knows what he wants to do. And he knows how to do it. He just needs the balance.

Strike

The other day we took the kids bowling.

First of all I must clarify the term "Bowling." Where I am from, bowling pins are kind of curvy and look a little like bottles. The bowling balls are about the size of a head, and have holes in them for your fingers. Here, in New England, bowling pins are shaped like two plastic cups taped together at the open ends, and bowling balls are the size of... well, a small heavy cantelope. Everyone I've met from here insists this is "Real Bowling," and apparently ignores the fact that all TV shows and all movies with bowling in them has what they refer to as "Big Ball Bowling." Apparently they just think the balls are bigger because they are props, like fake money in a play. I think the "Big Ball Bowling" should be called "Bowling" and that the other kind, the candlepin kind, should be called "Imposter Bowling." And I can't explain how I ever developed such string feelings about bowling in the first place. Except that I know I'm right.

Anyway, we took the kids Imposter Bowling. Not just regular Imposter Bowling, but Glo Bowling, which is apparently bowling in the dark, with loud music and disco lights flashing. They gutters were blocked off, so you couldn't loose. But it was still kind of hard for the boys to roll the balls. While Steve and I would fling those suckers down to the pins, Nick and Nate would roll them, and then we would all watch as the ball slowly, slowly rolled, rolling... still rolling... Other people bowling would finish entire turns, throwing the ball six times, and we would still be waiting for Nate's ball to reach the end of the lane. And finally knock over a single pin.

As soon as a pin fell over Nate would turn and do a victory dance that would make a football player proud.

Because the boys took so long, it took us over an hour to play one game. But it was lots of fun. I'm glad I at least know another place we can go when things get snowy and cold.

House Rules

We're all sitting on the couch watching Sid The Science Kid, and since it's cool here in the mornings, we've got the blankets pulled up on our laps. Nate is snuggled next to me, and Nicholas has crawled next to Nathan. Nicholas leans into his brother to get warmer, and he gently puts his arm around Nate's shouler in a brotherly sort of way. Without taking his eyes from the TV screen, or even moving away, Nathan says" No hugging in the house."

I am pretty sure this was not one of MY rules.

What Big Brothers Are For

Ice Cream, of course! Nathan was actually very generous. If only Andrew understood the concept of a "Lick." He kept trying to grab the ice cream with his little fingers.

Let Me Explain

As you might know, we are heading off to Disney World is a couple of weeks. I am fully obsessed with this trip.

You might be wondering a couple of things.

First of all, why take the kids to Storyland if Disney World is right around the corner? Well, the truth of the matter is, we won the tickets to Storyland. Well, Nathan did. Our library had a summer reading program. For every five books read each child (parent) gets to fill out a raffle ticket, and multiple prozes can be won. I entered all three kids - Nick is in a higher age group, and Andy is eligible for the Little Listeners. Andy won a T-shirt (size 4T, Nate got it) and Nathan won two tickets to Storyland (he's under 3 so got in free.) They expired at the end of the year, so we had to use them.

I am sure this will not affect our Disney experience. I am very excited. I am really looking forward to taking the boys on all of the magical rides - let's face it, just being there is super fun. And I am looking forward to visiting Epcot and browsing the little countries... especially Japan. In case you didn't know, Steve recently returned from the real Tokyo. He was thre for work, but got to do a little sight seeing, and let's face it, just walking around has to be a super great experience. I didn't expect to be jealous. Who knew? But we all get to go to Disney, and um....

Have I mentioned we're going to Disney? Hee hee!

Ugly Me

Remember the wonderful picture Jamie took of Nathan in the ball pit at Storyland last year? They were green, and looked like giant peas. Jamie takes the best pictures of my kids. I tried to copy him with Andy this year, only I was unable to overcome a few obstacles, such as Andy sinking into the ball pit and needing to be found, and my camera not focusing properly, and finally my photographic skills not being, so to speak, any good.

Today I got new glasses! I needed them, as the lens fell out of the one pair I still had the day before Storyland. I couldn't be too upset, as I had purchase that pair shortly after graduating college. Twelve years ago. It was time for a new pair.

I picked them up today, and looked into the mirror, and it then cracked into a billion little smithereens and scattered all over the floor. Because today was NOT a good looking day for me. I have this zit right over my lip and of course I've been poking at it. And when one pokes at a sensitive area like that it tends to swell up. So all this morning I had a fat lip. I told people I got Botox. It seemed sexier than the zit.

Once the glasses were on - thick, trendy frames - my lip stuck out even more. Plus all the freckles or sun splotches REALLY stood out, and so did my unplucked eyebrows (who plucks with a fat lip?) and every single wrinkle I have thus far obtained (I worked HARD for these wrinkles, man!)

Point being, I wanted to post a photo of me in my new frames, but lost confidence. Maybe tomorrow. For now, Andy.

Blog Style-links

If you've been checking this blog regularly, you might have noticed some changes. Maybe? In background color, font, etc? I've been playing around with the different templates, trying to find one that I like better. I don't know if I'm done yet, but comments and feedback are more than welcome.

Part of the motivation for the change is due to Styled Right, which I've added to my Places To Go. Sure, it's about style and fashion, and I am, as you know, the most unfashionable person on this planet and all that. But I have found that I can relate to it. It's written by someone I know, written well, and I encourage everyone to check it out.

I've also added Travel Monkeys, a for those who enjoy travel stories. I haven't been following this one for long, but I like it. And again, I have met the blogger. She's super cool.

Finally, I've added Cake Wrecks, for those who enjoy cake. Particularly cakes that are either odd or messed up in some way. I mean, would you pay for this wedding cake? Or how about this cake right here? I love this site. I have never met the blogger. But she must be great because she blogs about cakes.

Finally, I got rid of some sites that haven't been updated in a while. If it's one of yours and you start blogging again, tell me. Blogger makes it easy to put the links back up!

And now I must go and fold laundry, think about dinner, and hope no one steps on the baby's fingers.

Another Milestone Come and Gone

Today was Nathan's very first day of school.

I was worried about him. When Nicholas started this class he was just two. He was in diapers. He drank only from a sip cup. He had never had his hair cut.

Nate seems so much older. He isn't three yet, so he can't be part of the next up class. He is older than Nick was by five months, but the difference is astonishing.

Of course he is the biggest in his class. But he was also the only boy today. The little girls are so tiny, and they seems so delicate. I was worried Nathan would have a hard time.

But apparently he did a great job. I had no problems at all dropping him off. He was very excited at the end of the day, telling me about everything he had done. And I think it's going to be a great year.

For his part, Nicholas will be in a much more academic class this year. The day is much more structured, and they even have their own journals!

And as for me, I'm working of getting drop off and pick up times down to under thirty minutes. With all the running around and juggling of stuff for each kid I got very confused. I'm sure I'll have it down within a few weeks, though.

Sorry I was Out

I forgot to post yesterday.

I mean, I just plain forgot.

See, my routine has been a little topsy turvy lately, since my laptop has gone kaput, and even though it's working with this hard drive at the moment I have been reluctant to drag it around as though it were healthy. So sometimes I have been posting during the day.

And yesterday was "Meet Your Teacher" night at school. Today we went to STORYLAND, and school starts for real TOMORROW!

So, you see, we've been busy, and I've had a lot on my mind. So yesterday, when I didn't post, it was because I thought I had already posted.

I'll try not to let it happen again.

Look! Me!

There are very few photos of me with any of my kids. Mostly because I am the photographer, but also because when anyone else snaps a photo I have a really great expression on my face, and I don't like being reminded that I look funny.

But I look OK here. If a little nervous. Because, secretly, Nick was taking this picture.

Yummy Yummy

You Must See This

Actually the whole site is pretty funny. But this one is my favorite for some reason.

Helpful Household Hint

We got a new washer a while ago... well, since Nick was born. I consider this new. Others might have the idea that newness wears off. Not I. No matter than we've already had to have the repair man in.

We did not, however, purchase a new dryer with the washer. I believe in using something until it stops working. Of course, you have to run a load of laundry three times in order to dry it... and eventually I know I'll break down and finally buy a new one.

I do laundry every day. As I have mentioned. The wash goes in early morning, then gets transferred to the dryer and I usually just restart it when I walk by and notice it's off. Until, of course, it's run three times.

The other day I started the dryer very early in the morning, because I had actually started a load of sandy beach towels the night before. I ran the dryer twice, in each case doing a quick reach-in-turn-on. It wasn't until mid afternoon that I actually stuck my head in the laundry room and noticed the load of towels in the washer.

That's right. I forgot to actually PUT the wet laundry into the dryer. No wonder my stuff isn't getting dry.

oh, bother

just a few comments today

first, my laptop is still kaput. the Apple store was out of the hard drive I needed. Steve has made it so that my computer can be used until it can be fixed. But I do not have access to things such as my photos, movies, music... and I REALLY HOPE they can be saved. I should start backing these things up. but there probably won't be any photos for a while. Please don't stop reading. don't leave me. I need you.

second, I wanted to clarify my comments about Disney Dining. I am 100 % certain we will have a wonderful, fun, amazing time, even if we have to eat pop tarts and pop corn off the sidewalks the entire time. I mean, it's Disney World. They probably pipe Happy Gas throughout the entire billion mile complex. And I'm fine with that. I'm really looking forward to our trip. I just find it funny that I should have made lunch reservations five months ago. And that so many other people in this universe knew to schedule lunch and even BREAKFAST along with their dental cleanings.

Finally... well, I don't have much to say here. But this post needed a "finally" and I guess I can say I will be posting. Keep reading. Honestly, when I post I feel as though I'm actually talking to people, and when I can't I start feeling lonely. Odd, perhaps, and wrong, but so true.

message from the madhouse

I will not be posting regularly for a while. At least I don't think I will. My laptop died on me yesterday. The hard drive just started grinding and getting slower and working harder until finally the computer couldn't turn on.

In the meantime I am spending all my time calling Disney Dining. We are going to Disney world a month from now. I thought I was being a good planner by calling ahead to make reservations for, you know, food. But unfortunately, everyone else is MORE INSANE THAN ME! Every character dining restaurant is booked for Every meal for Every day of our vacation stay (5 days). 

I DID manage to get a time for an early lunch at a theme restaurant at one of the parks.

And also an early dinner at the casual restaurant IN OUR HOTEL, but only because someone canceled. Otherwise we'd be stuck with a 9:45 pm dinner, and I don't think Andy would appreciate that.

So not only do I not have a computer for awhile, I get to think about how we'll be eating overpriced bags of potato chips for meals during our vacation.

Seriously, it's a madhouse here. You should be visiting.

Um... I forgot it

I can't remember what I was going to post. I HAD a topic, but then I had all sorts of trouble getting the photo up. And now I can't remember what it was. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll remember it at some point. Probably at 2am.

Big Stuff

Anyone who has seen our home knows that... well... we do not lack space. Space, we have. We also do not lack clutter. We have a lot of that, too. The thing is, with baby items, the clutter can be large.

This afternoon, I managed to get Andrew drowsy for a nap. He doesn't always take one later afternoon, but when he doesn't getting through dinner is a real chore. But we were downstairs, and I didn't want to put him in his crib all the way upstairs. So I decided to place him in his swing, something we haven't used in a while.

Since we haven't used it in a while, I had placed it in the hallway. But I accidentally jostled the baby while trying to find the strap to secure him in. I looked down at him and he was grinning at me. So to keep him happy I wanted to make sure he could see me. I dragged the swing from the front hall into the kitchen, so I could start making dinner.

Once I did that, I had to move the exersaucer, which had been taking up most of the free kitchen floor space. I dragged that into the dining room, but the corner I was aiming to put it in was occupied with the play yard, which was still in its bag from our trip to the beach. I dragged that over to the other corner, which had the parts of the play yard we didn't take to the beach - the changing table and the mobile, which Andy has already outgrown. Back in the kitchen I picked up the noise-making activity table and took it to the living room, where the other noise-making activity table was in the middle of the room. I tried finding a good corner to put them in, a place not occupied with the furry bear footrest or the life sized fire engine. Finally I gave up and just put it in the middle of the rug.

I know that a lot of these things will go away eventually. But right now our home is a giant obstacle course.

Been Gone

In case you didn't know, we've been gone since Monday. We went to visit Lillian, who has rented a place by the beach for a couple of weeks.

It was not a good weather week. It rained on our way up. It was cold and wet. The morning we got there we took the boys to the beach anyway, just to see what it looked like. They have seen water, but usually water with no huge surf. I pointed out the noise of the waves as we walked through the dunes... and then we finally saw the water.

Nathan promptly dug his heels into the sand and refused to move forward. "I don't like this pool," he said.

He did manage to get in the water a bit, but the seaweed freaked him out, not to mention the breaking waves. I didn't push it, because to be honest, the water may as well have been ice. It numbed my legs in thirty seconds. But Nick loved it, and asked me to carry him out further so he could practice swimming.

Live Action

Trouble

Tell me this isn't just going to get messier.

Monster Feet

I finally went and purchased new shoes for the boys.

It was kind of overdue, but I knew that the second I got shoes for them, their feet would grow another two sizes, and I'd be right back where we started. I guess I was waiting for their feet to grow BEFORE I went to get new shoes. Anyway, the time had come.

Usually we go the Stride Right, where the boys select some great shoes that they get measured for and fitted in and cost... well, more than I pay for my own shoes. Although I am notoriously cheap when it comes to clothing. And my shoes last much longer

Anyway, we went to Kids Foot Locker, where we could find these Sesame Street Sneakers. They had three kinds - Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Oscar. Of course both of my kids wanted Oscar. So that Steve and I would spend the next six months picking up one shoe after another and wondering which kid it belonged to.

The woman working at the Kids Foot Locker had the IQ of one of the sneakers. She stood there while I found one of those foot measuring thingies and measured my own kids feet. I asked for an eleven for Nick, and then I said Nate was an 8 1/2. "Do you have a 9 1/2?" And she shook her head and told me they didn't have half sizes. Then she said they didn't have Oscar shoes in Nate's size. So I convinced him to select a different sneaker, and she brought it out, and it did not fit. "What size is this?" I asked. She said size 8. Because, you know, he measure 8 1/2, but they didn't have half sizes.

I just smiled and asked for a 9. Then she asked if he wanted the Oscar shoe in a 9, or the black sneakers? I wanted to hit her over the head. Because being thick skulled is one thing, but another with kids jumping all over the place and even Andy was pulling display sneakers off onto the floor at this point.

Anyway, they both got their shoes. And they love them.

Swingset

We recently got a new swing set, thanks to Gramma and Grampa.

The boys loved it when they saw it at the swing set store, and they bugged me non stop until the day it was delivered. And then it rained and hasn't officially stoppsed yet. But we have gotten a few sunny mornings in.

Traffic Jam

Vroom Vroom

La la LA

I was going to do a post about the weather. Because its been raining for DAYS here, and not just a heavy rain, or a little rain, but a constant state of overcast with heavy rain and thunderstorms in the afternoons, for over a week now. And it's been keeping us indoors and, quite honestly, driving me a bit insane.

But no one really cares about the weather, unless I have photos of flooding. So instead I'm going to talk about my kids, and music.

Each night I play them a CD of music to fall asleep to. And recently I've started offering them a choice of CD's. As with anything where I offer both boys a choice, they each decide they want DIFFERENT THINGS. I can't explain how odd it is to listen to my children arguing. "Brahms! Brahms!" "No, Mozart! Mozart!" And I honestly thought I could actually stick John Coltrane in the CD player and tell them it was Beethoven, and they wouldn't know the difference.

But then tonight, Nathan said he wanted Brahms and then started singing it. I was floored. And a small part of me that I try and pretend doesn't exist got all warm and proud, and I thought "I am doing something RIGHT! My children are learning something because of ME! And it's CULTURAL!" So I nodded and said "That's Brahms, very good. Now can you sing Mozart?"

Maybe the boys were both singing different songs. Maybe they were both singing multiple songs. They have, after all, heard a lot of Mozart. But what ended up coming out of them was a random dissonant jangle of "doo doo DOO's" that resembled nothing close to Mozart, Brahms, or any other composer unless you count Schoenberg. This reassured me, in an odd way. The boys are not musical geniuses. They just know that one song of Brahms. And they also like to argue.

Play Station

I found my Playstation in the closet downstairs. After a bit of a hunt, I recovered the wires to hook it up. And it still works. The boys are thrilled, and I am trying to find to time to sit and play my old games. I lost one of them, but I still have Spyro, which is cute, and also Parappa the Rappa, which looks like a baby game but is Wicked Hard!

Wall E

As I think I mentioned, I began the vast undertaking of cleaning out and organizing Steve's computer closet. In the process, I ran across my old laptop.

I have sentimental feelings about this laptop. I got it my senior year in college, and at the time I thought it was so cool. This was back in 1995, mind you. I can't even being to tell you how many generations that is in computer terms. But this laptop... it's huge, first of all. It must be three and a half inches thick. The screen is tiny inside the top, and it's... well, it's gray scale. Meaning there is no color. But at the time I thought it was so cool because it wasn't that computery green. It doesn't have internet access. And it takes about seven minute to boot up.

My new laptop, the one I use now, is a sleek white. It's thin, light, brilliant colors and video - I can watch movies on it and they look wonderful. It is ready to go about twenty seconds after I turn it on.

I don't know if you've seen the movie Wall-E yet. (I think you should It was so cute.) In the movie, Wall-E is an "old" robot. And he Meets Eve, a "new" robot. And whoever animated that movie must have had my computers in mind, because the first thing Nick said when I turned on my old computer was "Wall-E makes a sound like that!"

Sadly, my old computer doesn't really work any more. I can turn it on, but only as long as I am pushing the power cord into the computer as hard as I can. As soon as I release pressure, the battery dies, and I have to reboot, which means waiting seven minutes before opening a program... and sadly, there is no way to get the information - some writing I did many years ago - off the computer. Because it takes square floppy discs, not round CD discs. And it is so old I can't hook it up to any printer I own. Oh, well. If Ihadn't found it, I wouldn't have missed it.

Still, I thought it was funny seeing the computers side by side.

Doing Stuff

Some days I have a lot to post about, and others I do not. Please don't think that means I am not doing anything. I am actually very busy, and moving all the time. But really, I like it that way. These past few days I have been busy, fussy, and driven up the wall, but insanely happy. Remember, I am a mother of three, including a two year old. So it's possible!

Monsters

I can't post a photo because blogger will not let me. So instead...

Well, I'm taking the night off. Because I love my kids, and we had a fun day today. But they were also little monsters.

Perspective

I have probably mentioned this before, but Nicholas is outgrowing his nap. It was bound to happen at some point. I just wish I had outgrown it first.

Some days, like today, I know he needs a nap because he has had an unusually active of exciting morning. But I can't get him to fall asleep. He jumps on the bed and flails his arms as soon as I leave the room to keep himself awake.

I was angry today because I almost got to sleep myself, and was just drifting off when I heard him moving in the other room. I would have left him there, but there was another sleeping child in there. And I know how that works because I used to be a non napping, early rising child. You walk over to the sleeping sibling, peel back the eyelid until the eye focuses on you, and then you shout "Mom! He's AWAKE!" And you only have to do that is leaping onto the bed didn't wake him first.

So I was upset with Nick. He wouldn't be still, and he wouldn't be still, and he wouldn't be still. I sat with him, and he was still awake. And then... I gave up. I just decided not to me angry anymore. And sure, he still needed a nap and was miserable right around dinner time, but let's be honest, that would have happened anyway. So I flipped over on my bed with my head over the side, and Nick brushed my hair and went into my bathroom and came out with chapstick, which he applied to my lips (teeth) and moisturizer which he applied to my face (and hair) and it was a wonderful and funny time, and so much better than being angry and trying to force Nick to do something he couldn't do.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Andy is now crawling like a pro.

He knows where all of our electrical outlets are, and the stairs, and which cabinets hold the cleaning products, medicines, and the hot poisonous knives.

He gets into the trash more than the dog.

If I leave anything on the floor for more than a moment, he is there putting it into his mouth. Soda, baby powder, Windex, you name it.

But mostly, he is just trying to keep up with me. He clings to my legs, trying to pull himself up. He never quite makes it, but it keeps me from moving. I've taken to putting him as far away from me as I can, then running back to whatever I was doing and doing as much as I can before he finds me and starts to climb me. Then I pick him up and put him across the room again.

The things is, it's like taking care of a completely different kid.

Pack Rat

Every once and awhile I realize that the boys are not picking up their toys because there is no longer any place for the toys to GO. The toy chest is so full it hardly closes and toys get piled on top and in heaps on the floor... so then I go through the chest and do crazy things, such as putting parts of games back in their boxes, and weeding out the broken toys and games.

When I start doing this, Nicholas comes and stands over me. He watches me very carefully, and whenever I pick up anything that looks like it might get thrown out he begins exclaiming how he has been LOOKING for that! Look! See this broken toy phone? I MISSED this phone! And this deck of flashcards that has been scribbled on and torn up so that it only has fifteen of the alphabet letters? Finally! As I throw things into the trash can, Nathan picks them out, and when I turn around he's got them all either on a pile on the floor, or stuffed into one of their small knapsacks.

Steve is also a pack rat. A rather large closet in the basement is his appointed "computer stuff" closet, but recently it has started spilling out, it's contents leaking out into the rest of the basement. So I went through it, trying to get some order in there. And this is a difficult task, for someone like me, who can pick up a computer part and have absolutely NO IDEA what it does. I'm trying to sort these objects, but I have no idea if I'm doing it right. It's like trying to get a library in order if you don't read. You end up sorting the books by size or by color.

I also found out we have miles and miles of cables. I have no idea what these cables go to, or why we have so many of them. I do know that I was looking for one in particular this afternoon and I can't find THAT one. We also have lots of green computer chips and disk drives. I am not sure why we are hoarding them. And lots of huge square things with plugs, and also many small fans with wires coming out of them.

In the face of such horrific pack ratism I am making a concentrated effort to lighten my own load and unpack-rat myself. I went through my puzzles today - I must have fifty and I haven't done one in years because of small fingers and babies who like to eat the pieces, chew them, and spit them out in wads of soggy cardboard. I kept the ones I haven't done yet, and a few of my favorites, but the rest are going to the library when they start accepting donations again. Gosh, I hope there are no pieces missing.

Arrgh, Charlie Brown!

I had one of those days, like the time Charlie Brown was trying to get through the door with a baguette and the ends kept getting chopped off, and then he kept buying new ones and doing it AGAIN. And he didn't realize he could just pick up the ends and still eat the bread, and kept making the same mistake again and again...

I just had these issues calling the exterminators - for the wasps - because getting them to get rid of them is the same as sending both kids to gymnastics for three months. And then I drove to Target with the kids only to get there and realize my wallet was at home on the counter next to the phone, where I had given the exterminators my credit card number. So I had to drive back and get it, and then drive out to Target AGAIN, because I had promised the boys we were getting lunch boxes for school, with thermoses, so they could have soup for lunch, and mac and cheese. And they looked at me with those wide, wide eyes...

And now they have a couple of nifty lunch boxes, and a couple of thermoses that were sold separately and were twice as expensive as the lunch boxes, and I forgot the wax strips for my legs and also the AAA batteries.

I'm Baaa - aaaack!

Yesterday afternoon my cell phone rang, and my first thought was "who the *bleep* is calling my cellphone?" Because although many people today rely on their cell phones over their mainline phones, this requires A SIGNAL, and that is something we do not get here in our house. Unless it's on the back porch, standing on a chair.

Anyway, I answered my cell phone and it was Steve. And Steve told me he had been trying to call but couldn't get through. The number was not working.

And this is how we found out that the phone line to our house was spanning our front lawn instead of hiding in the trees.

Of course the internet and the phone go through the same cable. So we were without phone OR internet access for over 24 hours. I know you all tried to call and couldn't get through. Oh, the panic it must have caused. But I'm back now.

The Supermarket

Did I already do a post about grocery shopping without the boys? Did I already mention that I can get there and back in just a little over an hour? And I don't have to visit the bathrooms? And I remember to get more of what's on my list? And I somehow spend a lot less money?

It's a little insane. I guess when the boys are with me I buy more "rewards" for myself. And for them. Because when they start screaming I NEED the pint of guacamole and the tub of rice pudding.

But now I don't have any snacks for watching TV.

Sneaky Sneaky

We took a secret trip to NY.

Actually, it wasn't that much of a secret. It was a last minute trip though, so I didn't get in touch with all the people I was supposed to get in touch with, and only my family knew we were coming. This is why I have had one line posts for the past couple of days.

The drive up was terrible. 30 miles from home an accident turned the highway into a parking lot that we sat in for two hours. It rained heavily until Steve got behind the wheel.

The drive back up was much better, but I think I'm going to have to start taking photographs of us at all the rest stops we visit along the way because we end up stopping SO MANY TIMES. I used to be able to make it up without stopping once, as long as I didn't drink too much soda and started with a full tank of gas. But now, I kid you not, we can't go fifteen minutes without a kid claiming to need to pee. Even though we JUST WENT. I know because I just got settled and turned my audio book back on.

We stopped for lunch at a crowded fast food place. Steve got the food. When he got to the table I noticed that he had one chocolate milk and one regular. Steve confirmed what I suspected - that they only had one chocolate milk left. ONLY ONE! And obviously we have two chocolate milk drinkers.

So I simply didn't say anything about it. I opened the chocolate milk for Nick, and then opened the regular milk for Nathan, who immediately looked at me and asked "Is this chocolate milk?" And without a moment's hesitation I said "Yes! It's just a different kind." That's right. I LIED TO MY CHILD. And you know what? IT WORKED!

Sneaky me.

Tick Tock

There just isn't enough time in the day for me to do all the things I need to do.

Clean Up

It's messy at our house. But on those days when I clean I find it absolutely depressing at how quickly the place gets messy. Food on the floor, spilled milk, various bodily fluids from boys and pets... I just wonder why I bother.

No TV

Getting the boys to pick up their toys is... close to impossible. I find myself standing in the middle of the room barking orders, telling each boys what to pick up, where to put it, again and again because they move so slowly and get distracted so easily. It really is so much easier to clean up myself.

But I know it's important to get them to learn how to do it themselves. So I try any number of things to motivate them to get the job done. This week, if the toys are still on the floor when we come down that morning, there is no TV that day.

There are a number of reasons I don't think this is the best solution, and also a number of reasons I don't feel bad about doing it. This is the second day in a row I have had to suffer. Because the boys are a little sad when there is no TV. But they get over it. They play. They ask me things. They fight. They bump each other. They cry and they need me. And the things I do during their TV time - things like getting dressed, making dinner, folding laundry - all these things I now need to do while dealing with live, rambunctious little beings. Instead of the comatose, zombified little boys that TV turns them into.

When they say TV is a TOOL, they mean that it helps you get stuff done around the house.

It's official

Last night, at about 2am, I responded to a crying Andrew and found him sitting up in his crib. He used to sit on his own as long as someone placed him in a sitting position. But now he sits up on his own. When he is half asleep.

He can also move fast enough on his belly so that... well, so that a person can tell he's moving. Unless he is thinking about getting somewhere, in which case he keeps trying to stand by pushing himself up on his toes, planting his face to the ground, and then just manages to inch backwards until he is in a corner or under a large furniture item.

Syrup

Nicholas has "adopted" another stuffed animal. He usually goes through phases where he loves one thing or anther intently. And this time he picked the Care Bear we've had for ages. He started carrying it around. It is his new baby. It is a "she." And he has named her 'Syrup."

What It's Really Like

Ahhh... brotherly love.

Cribster

How old should a child be before moving from a crib to a big bed? I don't really know because I moved both Nick and Nate as soon as I could to make room for a new baby.

Moving the crib from the boys' room to the baby's room was a pain. I had to take it apart to get through the doors. But in putting it back together I realized that when Steve had originally put the crib together back when I was pregnant with Nick, he had put the mattress in the lowest position. This would explain why I had to bend waaaaaayyyy over to put sleeping infants to bed without waking them. I wondered how other people had such high mattresses in their cribs and
how I managed to get the strange crib.

But then when I put the crib back together for Andrew I put the mattress up high. So when I put him back to bed I just had to PLACE him there. No bending over, no worries abotu waking him... SO GREAT!

But NOW Andy is starting to roll around and try to sit up and pull himself up on things and the mattress is suddenly WAY too high. So Steve and I went to lower it... well, Steve was lowering it and I helped.

And let me say... they made it WAY too difficult to change the crib height. I mean, the rail moves up and down, and that's easy, but adjusting the actual mattress height practically requires complete disassembly of the crib, and a very particular tool.

But anyway, it's down now, and when I look at Andy asleep in his little bed he looks so low to the ground I could laugh. It almost seems wrong.

Happy Happy

Yesterday we got a message saying Steve's uncle was having a cookout. And I started dreading it right away. But I was so so wring. Because today we went and we had the best time. It was really great. I think I was worried about the boys, but they behaved wonderfully. I can't think of the last time we had such fun. In a group, I mean.

A Thought

We think we've all come so far... but really, a grown up is just an adult teenager. During storytime at the library I listened to a group of mothers talk about a mother that wasn't there, and about how her kids are sick all the time, and she takes them out anyway, and about how awful that is... and I thought - HEY! They don't know what's going on there! I mean, I've been known to take Nick out with an awful sounding cold because if I waited for everyone to be 100% we'd never leave the house.

We've also found ourselves in a couple of places with sprinklers in the past few days, and we did not have bathing suits. My boys hardly waited for a yes or no before stripping off shoes and shirts and running into the water. And I let them. And I can feel the looks of other parents when someone else shouts " don't get wet!" or "You're wet enough!" I also know that I get looks whenever I put Andy down anywhere - the stroller is huge and the car seat too heavy these days, so I just pick him up. But sometimes I need to tie a shoe or pick up another child, so Andy goes down on the ground. And I can hear the gasps as his little legs hit the woodchips, or the grass, or the rug, or the sand.

My point is, parents are SO uptight about their kids in ways that just aren't that important to me. Do I want Andy eating woodchips? Of course not. But if he happens to put one in his mouth during the five seconds he's down there, he is probably not going to turn green and melt into a puddle of goo. And will my kids get cold on the way home? Probably. And it's 95 out, so they will probably be more comfortable than me. And then, when we get home, we'll change. And they may not look cool, but he, they are preschoolers and they don't know that. You might have packed the princess towel and the princess bathing suit with the pink hair ribbons, and you might have the sand 'n surf shoes with the water hat and the swim shirt... but hey, my kids are wetter than yours because they aren't afraid of getting wet and dirty.

On Time

Three mornings a week we head off to the pool so that one of the boys can take a swim class. This morning was Nicholas's turn. Afterwards we were heading over to the library for a special outdoor "walkabout" as part of the summer reading program.

So I was packing a change of clothes, towel, water, bottle for baby, sunscreen, etc.

And at 8:30 am I started trying to get the boys out of the house. And it took twenty minutes. The very last thing I did was have Nicholas use the bathroom, because every class he at least once has to get out of the pool and go. And as his class is only 30 minutes long, and as it takes at least fifteen minutes to get Nate to stop playing, to lug the baby and heard both boys inside the building, etc. and he ends up missing half the class. And as Nate and Andy were already in the car and we were running late, I thought I would save us a few minutes.

But it didn't save us any time at all, because as soon as we got there Nick said he had to pee ANYWAY. And I hearded us in where we waited behind this woman and her son for the rest room, and then they gave up and went upstairs but I couldn;t see myself dragging the boys up there... and finally I knocked on the door and NO ONE WAS IN THERE! Lights on, door shut, completely empty. I was a raving lunatic.

To top it all off, Nick then stood at the toilet and said he didn't have to pee after all.

So then we were ten minutes late for class.

I hate being late.

I don't get around like you get around

Andy is very close to crawling. This was taken a little over a week ago, and he now does baby push ups, pushing his whole body up and trying to stand on his legs. I haven't actually seen him crawl, but he can get clear across the room. And, as you can see, into anything.

never again

I know, I know, it's Tuesday evening, so this post must be about the grocery store!

But wait, you haven't heard this one yet.

Today's trip was the worst ever. How is that possible? After the time Nate hit Nick over the head with soup? After that one time all three kids left crying? After the time forgot my list and forgot to buy milk?

Well, yes. Today was worse.

It took us 20 minutes at the deli counter to get a pound of sliced ham.

Nick spilled the bottle of water I had given him all over the floor.

Nate threw up.

We all had to turn around and use the restroom.

Nicholas walked right into one of those stupid freestanding displays they put in the middle of the aisles.

I then walked my cart directly into one of the stupid freestanding displays, knocking it over and sending forty glass jars of salsa crashing to the floor where they exploded in a mess of broken glass and jalapenos.

Nathan spilled HIS bottle of water on the floor.

I must have looked a mess because one of the checkout guys asked me how I was holding up and I couldn't answer him because I knew if I did I would start crying.

So the NEW PLAN is that I NEVER GO SHOPPING AGAIN. At least until school starts in September. Please send fruit baskets and care packages or my boys will starve.

Truth Stings

There are bees in our backyard.

When I say bees, I don't mean honey bees, or bumble bees, or any other bee that you might think of as GOOD in any way (because bees make honey and are dying off, just in case you didn't know.) No, when I say "Bees" I mean insects that sting, such as wasps, or hornets. They are all bees to me.

When we go outside I can see them. dozens of them fly back and forth and around about a foot above the sand that the swing set is on. The swing set. Of course these things are near the area designated for our small children to play.

I looked online to try and find a solution to my problem, and I came up with a "bee trap," which is a soda bottle cut in half, the top inserted upside down into the bottom, with a little soda or juice in the bottom. The insects are supposed to fly in after the sweet stuff and then get confused and not be able to get out until they drown in the soda. I made two and left them out a couple of days. Not one bee was captured.

My problem is that all of the sites being exactly the same way: "First, identify what type of wasp it is." And many of the sites then provide wonderful photographs to help you. The trouble is that the wasps in the photographs are not FLYING. The ones in my yard are. And there are many of them and they fly quickly, and when one lands on the sand it only stays there for a few moments before flying off again, and I can't get close enough to determine the exact shade of yellow or the size of the waist. I mean, these things STING!

The second thing the websites all say is "Spray the insecticide at the entrance to the nest." Which would be great. If I knew where the stupid nest was. Which I don't. The sites recommend going out at dusk and following a few bees, as they usually return home around then. Well, quite honestly, I usually forget. And when I do go out the bees are already in bed, sleeping. So the trouble is, I have no place to spray the insecticide. I HAVE been watching, but the wasps seem to dig tiny little holes into the sand. Many, many little holes. I tried spraying the insecticide into the many holes, and then onto the ground, but it didn't work. The bees are still there.

I just don't know what to do next. And even though the flying wasp bees have not yet stung anyone (this year) I do not like the idea that they are flying around. And I have a secret fear that they are actually yellow jackets, and that there is a huge, gigantic, car sized next RIGHT UNDER THE GROUND!

Let's Facebook The Facts

A couple of weeks ago I joined Facebook.

In case you don't know what Facebook is (Mom), it's an online community. This means that, once you join up, you get your own page. Your page has all the information you care to plug in - your name, your birthday, your religion, if you're single, married, dating, etc. You can add friends to your personal page. Usually this is done by searching for an actual friend or two, and then adding them to your list.

But something funny happens.

Say I add Larissa, who I know from High School, and Betsy, who I know from College, and Winston, my brother. I can go to their pages and read their stuff and look at their "Friends." I notice Betsy has a few people on there I used to know, and maybe we aren't that close anymore, but HEY! We used to be friends, right? And then a few of Larissa's "friends"send me requests to be "friends"... and yeah, I remember them. I wouldn't have ever said we were friends back then, exactly. I wouldn't have spoken to them if we passed in the halls. But I would definitely speak to them NOW if I saw them on the street. So, sure, I can be "friends" with them. And then I notice Winston is "friends" with this guy I went to school with until the fifth grade, so I go ahead and send HIM a friend request, and before you know it I get a friend request from someone who claims went to my grammar school AND my music school, and he remembers me, and he happens to be "friends" with my sister AND this other girl I am now "friends" with from both places, but I cannot for the life of me remember him. But what the heck - he's posted a school picture. He must be legit! So now you have a page with all these different people you used to know in one place, like a collection of your life. It's kind of like getting married, only the people here are not just the people you would invite to your wedding. They are the people you didn't know well enough. It's EVERYONE FROM YOUR LIFE.

My point is, people end up with hundreds of "friends" on these things, and I really begin to wonder what the purpose of these things are beyond collecting "friends."

Sure, there are other applications. I can take quizzes and post the results. (What Greek God are YOU?) I joined a group that revolves around reading and book reviews, and the best thing about it is that I can post the books I'm reading right on my page. I'm guessing there might be a similar group about movies. I also joined groups for my High School and my College, and that is great because I can then browse the membership for people I used to know and then invite them to be my "friends."

By far the best part of Facebook so far, for me, is Scramble. Scramble is a GAME you can play via facebook, and you can play alone or with other people. And what it is is BOGGLE. You get a square with some letters and you try to make as many words as you can out of the letters you are given, and you have three minutes, and you can't pause even if Nathan is tugging at your arm needing to use the bathroom or the baby falls off the bed. And when you do particularly well the game sends a MESSAGE to your "Friends" telling them that you have BEAT YOUR PERSONAL BEST, and now you are LEVEL THREE which is NOT GREAT, and now all those people you don't really know but kind of remember you, they probably think you are a moron because they do not KNOW about the PEEING URGENCY and the FALLING OFF THE BED and how you can NOT get THREE MINUTES OF PEACE, so it's... you know, extra challenging...

Truly, I'm addicted to Facebook, and I can sense the danger of embarrassing myself with messages to people I used to know and posting inappropriate items to my page by mistake. But I also think it's like many other online activities. I will be addicted. I will let myself be addicted. And one day - a few weeks from now - I'll get tired of it, and then four months will go by before I log in again.

Two By Nate

Nathan is now speaking a lot. He is, actually, speaking to himself at this very moment. And most of the time he can be understood, if not by the general population, by those of us who live here.

He is also two. I thought he had gone through this stage early, as though the phase went with size 2T PJ's. You know the stage. The one where each time he doesn't get his way he melts down. He no longer wants to do things himself, he wants ME to do it. Not Steve, ME. And whatever you do for him, there's always something a little bit wrong with it.

Tonight we had burgers for dinner. And I asked him if he wanted pickles ON the burger, or on the side. He said the side. I gave him the burger. "No!" he said. "Put it underneath!" It took a few moments to figure it out, moments where Nate emphatically repeated "Underneath!" Then I put the pickles on the burger.

Nate looked at it. "Oh, No!" He said. "Look what you did to my burger!"

I looked at it. It looked like a burger. "What?" I asked. "What did I do?"

Nate pointed at the plate in front of him. "You put salt and pepper on it!"

OH NO! SALT AND PEPPER! DEMON SPICES! And also NO I DID NOT! I swear, I used ready made burger patties and added nothing. But the thought of salt and pepper being visually apparent on the burger bun... well, I laughed out loud.


Also, earlier today I was trying to get Nathan to put on his pants. Instead, he slung them over his arm and held it out on front of him, bent. The expression on his face was serious and thoughtful. He looked to me like a short and serious waiter. But then he looked at me and whispered "I'm a pirate."

Because apparently pirates walk around with their pants slung over their arms?

Like Dreamers Do

I really want my kids to do well in school.

I mean, my kids are smart. They SHOULD do well in school. Because when you are a kid, that's what being smart IS. You get good grades, and you are smart, and if you don't... well, you aren't.

Nicholas is a smart kid. He can carry on conversations like few other kids his age. He has a vivid imagination. He can figure out computer games that I'm sure he won't be able to work...

But I'm already worried about Nick and school.

Because Nick is a dreamer.

I remember being in school and having a hard time. I would TRY to pay attention, but before I knew it my mind would be thinking of other things. I wasn't misbehaving, so the teachers wouldn't notice. And this is how a lot of kids get lost.

Now, I know Nick is four, but I've watched him in his swimming and gym classes - GYM classes, classes where he is moving around and it should be a bit easier to... not drift away in your head - and he'll be with it one minute and the next thing you know his class is on the other end of the pool and he's alone, spinning in circles. They moved him to a smaller group, the one with the smaller kids, so that he would have more personal attention and not wander off. He's doing a great job and now he's learning, but... you know. And yes, he's young, but SO ARE THE OTHER KIDS!

I can see it in a gym class, but what about in a math class? Poor grades will be the first sign that something is wrong, and then what do you do?

The thing is, I can't think of anything to DO to help the situation. And I guess I'm just worried. I don't want him to get lost or be made fun of. I just... I want him to have confidence and to know he can learn.

Swimmy Swimmy

I signed the boys up for swimming lessons this summer.

There is this lake near us, and our town has a little beach on it, and every year they give swim lessons, and every year we've watched the kids flock in the water clutching floaties and I've thought about how I need to get my kids to learn to swim. My boys are not taking swim lessons at this beach.

See, Nick was fearless in the water at the age of two. But all last summer he never went in deeper than his knees. So I knew he would need something different to learn in. Such as a POOL.

So now, three days a week, I'm at the gymnastics school, in their backyard where they have a pool and a couple of teachers. Nick swims Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Nathan has lessons on Wednesdays. Nick gets to go in by himself. I have to go in with Nathan. This means I need Lillian to watch Nick and Andy because, although I could convince Nick to sit quietly on the pool bench, Andrew might put up a fuss.

The boys are both doing really well. They are wearing special swim belts, but it's really just to give them confidence. Which, by the way, neither of them have. I have seem them both "swimming" without an adult, and they both get really panicked, but they both cross the pool that way. It's amazing. I wish they weren't so scared to do it.

I only signed them up for four weeks, mostly because I wasn't sure how the classes would be. I don't think they'll be experts by the end of the month, but I'm thinking they will, if nothing else, be a lot more familiar with the water. And maybe I can work with them on my own, if Andrew will let me.

I hate grocery shopping

Seriously, grocery shopping is my least favorite 90 minutes of the week.

And it's not so much the kids. Sure, the kids help put the pressure on, because they are THERE, and every once and awhile one of them will let out a SCREAM OF DEATH and the whole store stops and stares at me, glaring at me with their eyes, sending me telepathic hate messages because I have obviously done something wrong to bring such awful children into the world, let alone a place where they sell FRUIT SNACKS and GUM!

No, it's the grocery stores themselves that drive me nuts. Or perhaps the companies that MAKE THE FOOD! Whatever it is, someone follows me around, notes the products I purchase the most, then NEVER STOCKS THEM AGAIN. Seriously. I fall in love with a couple of bagged salads and a month ago they stopped stocking them. The soda I love came out in a Caffeine Free version. I loved it. They stopped stocking it. Bagged potatoes? Gone. I swear I have never been able to buy the same brand of pickles twice. Dill pickle chips. That's all I need. But instead they seem to stock more and more Bread and Butter pickles. WHO (besides my mom) EATS THOSE AWFUL THINGS?

Whenever I can't find what I am looking for in the store it takes time. Time to look for it, to make sure it's really not there - sometimes the crazy store people get bored and move things around and laugh at the shoppers trying to find that brand of bread they got the last time. If it's not really there then I have to figure out what the best deal is. This one's cheapest, but THIS is fat free, and THIS one is organic and has the best packaging. And THIS one is grow locally, but also is kind of expensive... And by NOW Nathan has pulled three boxes of Mac and cheese off the shelf and is screaming because Nicholas is on HIS SIDE of the car.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my frustration. Honestly, that trip ruins the rest of my day.

Responses

OK, first off, I want to make it perfectly clear that Linda is NOT STUPID! The Stupid was referring to me. The photo of Linda and Andrew eating the caterpillar pillow was just a coincidental. Here is another photo of Linda with ALL the boys. I have made an attempt to correct the red-eye.

As for my foot, it DID bleed a little, but then stopped. I took an advil before bed Saturday. I soaked it in hot water a couple of times and this morning it was 98% better. I even ran on it today and I can no longer feel it. Unless I poke at it. Then it hurts.

Also, I KNOW it is not smart to plant grass in July, but we really need something growing there to hold the dirt in place. Every time it rains more and more of it ends up in our driveway. And it has actually rained 17 out of the last 21 days. The problem is, each time it rains the grass seed ends up in our driveway, too.

Finally, I do not actually have any poisonous hot knives. Our knives are usually one or the other. But leave it to my kids to find the worst thing around. Andrew is starting to inch his way to objects he wants. The first thing he grabbed was a wire, which he immediately put in his mouth.

To end, I would like to simply say that the 4th of July was not meant for dogs. Gunther climbed right in bed with me on several occasions over the past few days, as people use up the last of their fireworks.