Bed Head

Wow, Dylan has a crazy do going.

Here he is wearing my hat that I got at Target for 33 cents. Yup - I am a BIG spender. Good thing because moments after I took this picture he took off the hat and stuffed it in his bowl of green beans!

BIG BOY!!!

Still has lots to growing to do before he fits into those boats ;)

Jackie and Harlan took Dave and I out to eat last night to Stoney River for his birthday. Only a month late.... not too bad :) They got off pretty easy this time. I guess there was a big mix up in the kitchen and we waited a little longer for our food than normal... only like 15 minutes..... Anyway, they comped our ENTIRE meal :) The tab was $185! We decided that good food tastes better when it is FREE!!! BTW, Does Dave look different to you???

What's Up????

Have you all been dying to know what I've been up to??? Okay, well, pretend that you were... cuz here it is! :D

LATELY, ALL MY TIME IS MONOPOLIZED BY:
-Playing Referee
-Looking at scrap layouts on http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/
-Surfing Facebook. Okay, I am officially hooked. I have decided that Facebook is for nosey people and I LOVE IT!! (Does that make me nosey or maybe just a loser??)
-Butting heads with Chase... hence the previous post, "Nanny 9-1-1"
-Shopping....not, fun shopping, late night grocery shopping. I've concluded that "Real" shopping can only occur when the kiddos aren't present.
-Cleaning toilets. Seriously, WTF???? I could clean them 20 times/day and they would STILL be dirty. I live in fear of the day when all three of my guys are using the toilets. Hmm...although that means no more diapers.... and I am already cleaning them a dozen times/day..... let's face it.... they can't get much worse!
-Changing diapers. I was on my fourth, YES FOURTH, poopy diaper at 1pm. That doesn't seem healthy, does it?
-Trying to figure out what to cook for meals, buying food for said meals, preparing meals, cleaning up after meals..... It's a FUN circle.
-Playing with Play Dough. Actually, Chase is playing with it and I am frantically cleaning up all the pieces that fall to the floor. I cringe at the thought of Dylan trying to eat it. I also fear it will get tracked all of my carpet. (OCD, maybe??)
-Counting the hours till Dave gets home
-Blogging
-Grumbling about how icky the dirty snow is out there and how I really detest the large amounts of it that end up in dirty, melty piles on my wood floors.
-Singing and dancing to all the Noggin' songs. I know them ALL by heart!
-Nibbling Dylan's baby ears, nuzzling his little neck, zurberting his round little belly, making him laugh. What I am going to do when he isn't a baby anymore??? :(
-Picking up toys that end up in my kitchen, kicking toys out of my way that end up in the kitchen, stepping on toys that end up in my kitchen and trying to fight back the curse words on the very tip of my tongue.
-Daydreaming
-Trying to keep up with all Chase's random whims. "Let's make a craft, play a game, make juice pops, build a tower, color a picture, write a letter, have a snack, make some cookies, etc......" This is not an exaggeration, they come ONE after the OTHER just like that... ALL DAY!!!!
-Laughing at Chase.... he is hysterical. For example: Today, he is going potty. I hear the distinct sound of plastic hitting porcelain and water sloshing around. Groan.... what is he doing NOW??? I go in there and he says, "Momma, I cleaned the toilet for you!" (He must have heard me complaining about round the clock toilet cleaning... opps!) "What do you have to say to me?????" He is looking at me, all too pleased with himself, expecting a big Thank You. Which leads into my final one.....
-Trying to keep my COOL.

OK... that should do for now.... feel free to leave me a comment letting me know what you're up to!

NANNY 9-1-1

Does anyone have Super Nanny's phone number? I think we NEED a housecall.... soon. Seriously! And to think we used to laugh at those parents........ ughhh!

Momformation

Andrea Frazer, a writer on Momformation, found one of my posts and liked it. So she linked it in on one of her posts...sooo cool! She even posted a picture of all my guys with it. Anyway, just thought I would share.


http://blogs.babycenter.com/momformation/2009/01/25/an-led-light-for-moms-short-fuse/

Take a minute to read her story about the parking incident. She is flat out hysterical!!

Daddy's Boy(s)

The tides are turning. I knew this day would come... eventually. :( Boo hooo!
I have been trying to stop it with all my might. But some things are just bound to happen.... in spite of all my efforts. Yup, it is official.....
DYLAN LIKES DADDY MORE! **Sob, Sob***

From the time he was born, I reveled in the fact that he was mine, he actually liked ME! (Keep in mind that Dylan showed up right about the time that Chase started really turning me away.... or maybe he started turning me away because Dylan showed up????) Anyway, I snuggled and cuddled Dylan and thought, "At least one of my boys likes ME." I know, your mumbling to yourself, "Don't flatter yourself Lady! He was just a baby. He would like anyone who holds him all day long and feeds him." Anyhoo, Dylan has always been my little cuddle bug and I admit to hording him all to myself.


But lately.... *sniff, sniff* he beams with delight when Daddy is near and squirms to get out of my arms and right into Dave's. It is really, really sad. It's not that he doesn't like me, I know he does. It's just that when given the choice, lately he seems more apt to choose Daddy. I can't say that I totally blame him. Daddy is funner! (Sorry, my mom - the English Teacher - is going ballistic right now... that is one of her pet peeves!! Put DOWN the red pen.) Daddy is MORE fun! (Is that better Mom?) Dylan loves when Daddy holds him, he is so much taller and stronger. He flips him up in the air with ease, lets him ride on his shoulders, & walk on the ceiling (see picture below.) He gets down on the floor and wrestles and plays with them. I get it. Daddy is definitely more fun. I guess I am just having a hard time letting go. :(
The upside is.... I get to eat my dinner in peace. While I am scarfing down dinner, Dave looks at his food longingly as both boys jockey for position on his lap. Hey... is that why my waistline is growing and his is shrinking???? No fair, no fair, NO FAIR!!!

Divide and Conquer

The boys both had well visits at the Dr. this morning. They each see a different Dr. at the same office and the appointments were at the exact same time, so Dave and I each took a kid. I got Dylan and he took Chase. I think I definitely got the best end of this deal. Poor Dave. While Dylan wasn't exactly EASY.... he was running around in circles in the exam room, opening every drawer, pulling on all the wires & tubes, and he did cry a bit during the exam and shots following. I still don't think it was nearly as bad as Chase's visit. I say this because I could distinctly hear his howling from inside our room, and he was all the way down the hall.

After Dylan and I finished we joined daddy and Chase. At that point he was sitting on daddy's lap and the doctor was simply looking in his mouth and feeling his tummy. You would have thought she was removing limbs. She looked up at me and said, "Does he have a flair for the dramatics?" Uhhhh - ya think???? Yup. That is Chase. Every single thing she asked him to do resulted in screeching and lots and lots of tears. And they saved the shots for the very end! Ughhh..... at least it is over or a whole year. The good news is we got glowing reports on both of them. They are literally growing like weeds - they both continue to hoover near the very top of the growth charts. I guess those few random bites of food must be doing some good after all!

McDonald's was the treat at the end. We pulled up to the drive-thru and Chase barked from the back seat, "Mommy, I want a cheeseburger, ketchup only, some apple dippers with caramel, and chocolate milk!"
"AND A BOY TOY!" Geez, do you think he has been through this routine a few times before????
A couple more things to note, since turning four means he is now officially a BIG BOY, Chase doesn't get sippy cups for his juice, only big boy cups. And, no more pull-ups! Hallelujah!!! Even at night he is wearing his undies..... and so far, so good!

I smell ...T - R -O- U- B- L- E!

Trouble has been brewing around here for days now. I honestly don't know what is wrong with me. I am on the verge of snapping ALL the time. Dave commented last night, "Gosh, you have a short fuse lately." (Don't worry, I didn't bite his head off!) I know he is right. THAT is probably even an exaggeration. I think my fuse has gone missing all together. Some days I just don't feel equipped to handle much of anything. Much less my children. Or, one child in particular. He is yanking on my ponytail as I write this!!! Arghh..... I just want a MINUTE... of piece and quiet. I want him to stop talking, talking, talking and demanding one thing after the other. I can't handle the constant barrage of demands. "Change the channel, get me juice, I need you to wipe my butt, I want to play a game, where is my race car, get Dylan away from my tractor"....... it goes on and on and on.... ALL bleeping day!!
I just want to SCREAM, "I CAN ONLY DO ONE THING AT A TIME!"

I want on a rampage last night in my kitchen. I am hoping that by cleaning the clutter in my kitchen it will help to clear the clutter in my mind. I just can't handle all the SHIT everywhere anymore. I NEED to be able to just THINK. I NEED to take back my kitchen. I am taking a STAND!!! (Just picture me standing on my island, hands on my hips with a completely crazed look in my eyes! I didn't actually do that... but that is what I felt like doing!) So, I filled 3 garbage bags full of stuff. And it felt GOOD. There is something very therapeutic about throwing stuff away. Expired boxes of Easy Mac & instant mashed potatoes, old sippy's that leak, McDonald's toys (I am ashamed of how many of those where floating around my kitchen) , Chase's artwork (not all of it, just MOST of it), endless toy parts, etc. Anyway, it is a start. A start to getting my life organized. I do feel better. Much better. Tonight I tackle the toys!!

FOUR

The BIRTHDAY BOY!

We ended up taking Chase and Dylan sledding today. The boys LOVED it. Can you believe we have never taken them sledding before? Slackers, we are! Dylan and I headed back to the car after only about 15 minutes. I sat in the warm cozy car watching Dave and Chase playing on the hill, contemplating who was having MORE FUN. Actually, poor Dave was running down the hill and pulling Chase back up after each run... hee hee... the daddy chair lift ;) Anyway, I got a couple cute pictures - of course! Here they are.

***Remind me next year to limit Birthday celebrations to 1 day. Four days of birthday fun were a little too much for Chase! The day ended with a complete melt down. Lesson learned!***

The Last Day of THREE

Auntie is going to kill me for this one! Hee hee... Aren't they cute?

Thanks Uncle Mike! A race car!!!

Chase turns four tomorrow. Four. Does that sound impossible to anyone else? It is completely crazy. Each year is another year that feels like it slipped right through my fingers. Didn't we just celebrate three? Like, just a couple months ago. They go so, so fast. I will probably approach all of his birthdays with the same combination of emotions...denial, astonishment, pride, hope, fear & disbelieve. To be completely honest, three was a tough year. It was great too, when it wasn't tough. I am actually a bit anxious to see what four has in store for us :)

So, what are the big birthday plans tomorrow???? Hmmmm.... actually NOTHING. We had a family party here on Saturday night. Then, we spent today at a giant indoor water park - his idea! It was a little chaotic there, and the water was a tad chilly, but he had a blast. So, we have been partying it up all weekend. Tomorrow will probably be a pretty low key birthday. But, seriously, FOUR. I mean FOUR!!! OKAY, I'll stop now.... I'm off to eat ANOTHER piece of birthday cake!

Here are some pics from the water fun house.

This is what he did when I asked him to show me how old he is going to be... as in, show me four fingers. Not sure how he got this out of that????

How Big is Dylan?

For months Dave has been asking, with great enthusiasm, "How BIG is Dylan?" And nothing. I try to show him that we are expecting, as a response, for him to reach WAYYYY up in the sky. Luckily, Dave is patient and keeps trying. So, Sunday night, Dave asked him again, "How big is Dylan?" You could almost see the gears working inside his brain. It took him a minute, but eventually a grin spread wide across his face and he excitedly reached his little arms way up high. (Which isn't all that high....yet ;) This is really silly, but I can't tell you how exciting it was. (I know, we need to get out more!) We all clapped and cheered for him and he was so proud of himself! Luckily, he hasn't tired of his new trick, since we ask him often to perform it over and over. He still grins big every time.
The funniest is when he is holding something in his hand, say his milk sippy. His little mind doesn't process things quickly, so you can see him get a little confused and panicky. "Hmm... I know I am supposed to throw my arms up in the air... but what am I supposed to do with this?" So he usually bends down and puts it down first.
Anyway, just thought I would share!! I attached a video? Never done this before. Turn your volume down. I am holding the camera and didn't realize I was yelling into the camera.... opps!

Battle over Breakfast....um, and Lunch....alright FINE and Dinner too!

What is the deal with kids and eating??? It seems so strange to me that they don't enjoy this necessary daily gathering as much as we do. I know, I know, this is the age old struggle of Moms everywhere trying to get their kids to just friggin' eat already. I am not sure what the most frustrating part is.... Do we take it as a slight that they don't eat the food we make? (It is rather insulting.) Is it the total lack of appreciation for GOOD FOOD when many children around the world don't have a fraction to eat ALL DAY of what my kid turns his nose up to at each meal? Is it the lack of nutrition? Or just the lack of conformity? For me, it is ALL of it! And, we aren't even talking about broccoli and brussel sprouts here. We are talking about his FAVORITES.... hot dogs, pizza, pancakes, waffles, PB&J's!!!!

So, Chase went through a phase, that lasted for weeks, where he wouldn't eat anything! Only a bite or two at each meal... IF THAT! It got to a point where I surrendered. I couldn't fight this fight three times a day at EVERY meal. It is exhausting! So, the white flag went up and I threw my hands in the air and said "FINE, DON'T EAT." I limited snacks, as much as I could. It is hard when Dylan is a perpetual snacker these days. And geez, does it seem like I am eating more because he is eating less? It must be some deep down need to fill up some one's belly. If not his, then mine... ughhh...

Anyway, FINALLY, he is starting to come around. Not sure if it is because of his new obsession with cooking these days. He has started preparing most of his meals (with mom or dad's help, of course.) He can't very well turn up his nose to something he made -right? Or it could be his new "Good Boy Chart." Dave came up with the idea to make a chart with 10 different items on it for which he earns stars as he accomplishes each item. Meals are, of course, on the chart, and he seems genuinely excited about getting those stars. (We are also making progress in his overall behavior with this new tactic... YES! It has only been a week or so...... baby steps!)

So, whatever the motivation, he is finally starting to consume some actual food. Now, we just need to work on the nutritional content of that food. Again... baby steps! This leads me to wonder.... at this age, what is more important: Quality or Quantity??

The Doll House

Sarah and I

Melissa and Allison

Allison is hard at work!

MaryKim and Allison pose for a picture. MaryKim is the owner and operator of the Paper Dollhouse and let me tell you, she is the Hostess Extraordinaire. She does it all..... she waits on us, cooks fabulous meals for us and even entertains us with her story telling. It is such an experience to go there!

We get some interesting hats to wear for Sunday's brunch. No, it wasn't an option ;)

The group of us on the last day!

The Paper Dollhouse in Sycamore, IL. Isn't it awesome??? (http://www.thepaperdollhouse.com/ )

So, I am back from my scrapbooking weekend and it went a little something like this: drive, scrap, chat, eat, scrap, scrap, scrap, sleep (a little), wake up, scrap, chat, eat, scrap, scrap, chat, eat, scrap, scrap, eat, scrap, chat, scrap, chat, sleep (a little), wake up, scrap, eat, scrap, chat, scrap, scrap, frantically pack up the disaster that I made, and drive home!

So you get the point. A lot of scrapping, chatting, and eating and not enough sleeping ;0) But, I got a LOT of pages done AND had a ton of fun catching up with the girls. I am totally rejuvenated and I feel like I am somewhat back in my scrapping "groove" thanks to total submersion and being in the presence of some really GREAT scrapbookers.

Anyway, back to life where I have to cook, clean and tend to children instead of sitting on my duff all day. Don't get me wrong, it is good to be back :) OHHHHHHHHH.... and I got an exciting call when I was at the Dollhouse. Auntie returned from her vacation in Cancun with a shiny new diamond on her left ring finger. Wahhooooo...... I couldn't be happier for her and Joe. Exciting stuff around here!

Tag! YOU'RE IT

Wahooo!!!! It is my turn to "TAG OUT" of the proverbial wrestling ring. Hmm... or maybe it isn't proverbial. We do seem to have a little WWF going on here lately! It seems like Dave and I are always tagging in and out as we dash off in different directions. So, Dave just returned from a snowmobile trip to the UP of Michigan with four of his buddies. I included a few photos :) NOW, it is my turn...**snickering*** I am stoked about my 3rd Annual Scrapbook Retreat Weekend. My gear is packed and weighs probably triple my body weight. All that stuff and I will probably only get like 12 pages done... oh well. It is still a fun weekend away with the girls regardless of how much I get accomplished! I will post pictures next week! (This is the third year and I am determined to remember my camera this time.)

This is Dave looking out over Lake Superior... I think.

Jeff C and Dave

A Mommy Knows:

This is kinda corny (okay, REALLY corny)... but these came to me today... for some reason! And so I share, because that is what I do.

A Mommy knows:

- That sleepless nights don't end with infancy
- That your hair brush (or any other item you use daily and desperately need) is NEVER where you left it. Try the laundry basket, at the bottom of the toy bin or under the bed.
- That trying to HURRY your kids along almost always backfires.
- The horror of being at a playdate and your child hits of bites another kid
- The healing powers of a nice hot shower
- That your heart can feel like it will shatter because it swells SOOO big when you get an extra special smile or hug or kiss
- The fun of seeing life through your toddler's eyes
- How to do almost anything one-handed
-That your kids will totally embarrass you the moment after a stranger has just commented on how charming they are. (I have to share this story.... my mom had all three of us kids out and an older gentleman called her over to compliment her on how sweet we were. Just as she was walking back to join us, my brother said, a little too loudly, "What did that OLD FART want?")
-Ketchup totally counts as a Veggie (SO. It makes ME feel better.)
-That leading by example is hard!
-The sinking feeling in your stomach when your child starts to "loose it" at the grocery store.
-The fine art of negotiation
-The sweet moments outweigh the bad moments even on the days when they are 1:1o.
-That although it is called a diaper bag, it usually contains everything else imaginable BUT a diaper.
-That if you have a professional photo session booked, your kid will, without fail, get a black eye the day before.
-That your baby's nap, regardless of length, always ends too soon
-LAUNDRY NEVER ENDS
-That the sound of her baby's laughter is well... I am struggling to put it into words (that don't sound totally clique') so I will just say - perfect happiness!

Funny

Chase found a flower petal on the floor. "Look Mom, a FEATHER!"
I corrected him, "No, Honey. That is a PETAL. Petals come from flowers. Feathers come from........"
"PILLOWS!" He exclaimed. Okay, I thought that was funny. He is always yanking the little pokey feather stems that are sticking out of my pillows.
********************
"Mommy, do you know Dylan and I are NEIGHBORS?"
"Really??" I reply. "How is that?"
"Well, his door is HERE and mine is right THERE.... we live right NEXT to each other!!!"
********************
We were looking through a Fire Truck book and he was examining all the equipment that the Fire Fighters use. He asked, "What do they use this poker for?"
"Well, It is used to prey open boards or doors or..."
"Or to dig in the grass??"
I started to laugh. "Why would a Fire Fighter dig in the grass, Chase?"
"Well, what if there was a fire under ground?"
"How would a fire start under ground?" I asked.
"Weeeeellllllllll, maybe there were some bugs down there playing with matches...." Then he erupted in laughter.
********************
One more:
Chase missed his favorite part of a movie so he said, "Mommy, can you backwards this please?"

Our Family

Aren't we cute??? Chase has been drawing up a storm lately. His skills are definitely getting better. Don't laugh...they seriously are! Until now, we have only gotten scribbles out of him. He likes to draw pictures of his favorite people, US. I did suggest that he label them so we know who is who. You don't think I am actually supposed to be able to decipher who is who? Anyway, luckily he did, and actually did a pretty good job. (Dylan is the little yellow guy in the corner. I don't think he knows how to spell Dylan.) He has a long way to go with sounding words out and writing down the letters (in the correct direction)... but hey, it is a start! I am so proud of all the progress he has made.

I must confess that he didn't actually draw us all next to each other like that. I am such a dork. (Why are you nodding?) I spent Dylan's entire nap time this afternoon, scanning in the four different pictures and combining them onto one. I need to get a life - HA!!!

Right now Dylan is into.....

* Yanking out Mommy's hair, one piece at a time.

* Following around big brother

* Oyster Crackers and nutri-grain bars

* Hanging upside down - my little bat!

* Pterodactyl schreeches

* Tormenting Bogie, our poor kitty

* Mastering his only two words "Too-Tee" (Cookie) and "Ta-ter" (Cracker)

* Moose, the little animated narrator on Noggin. If Moose is on, the whole world stops and he just zones into the TV. It is amazing!

* Climbing up onto the couch. (You should hear the squeals of delight if he manages to get up there all on his own.)

* Goobering on EVERYTHING!! Mommy's shoulder is the best, but pretty much anything he comes into contact with these days gets a little drool on it.

* Back-washing in Mommy's water bottle.

* Riding around on mommy's hip and expecting her to understand the grunting and pointing

* Putting big brother's hats (and other unmentionables) on his head

* Having a complete melt down when something gets taken away, even if it is something he isn't allowed to have like the remote or phone

*Falling down. Yup still pretty klutzy!

*Getting tickled.

*Stealing dish towels (yes, it is strange, but he loves them.)

* Being the cutest, cuddliest, sweetest, sometimes crabbiest, busiest, yet most adorable little guy around!

Conversations in the Car

Chase: Mommy, do you know we are driving through space right now?
Me: Really?
Chase: Yeah, Earth is in space and we are driving on Earth, so we are driving in space. Right?
Me: Yes, that is right. I guess I never looked at it like that.
Chase: Yes, we are driving through space on Earth. Earth is a big ball in space. We all live on Earth. The Earth is a big, big place. You know.
Me: Hmmm

(I guess the task of driving around seems so much more interesting when you consider we are actually hurdling through space!!)

Chase: Mommy, look for the big, orange sign with the light on top. That is how you know you are getting close to Me'Me's house. Not that one, or that one. It is the really tall one, with the light on top. Mommy you have to turn left here!!!

Lets play eye-spy! Your really really cold.... cold... cold... COLD... COLD.... COLD.... but your getting warmer... warmer... colder... colder... warmer (This went on for about 6 minutes until we got to the street with the sign he was trying to get me to find. Then he excitedly started screaming WARMER WARMER WARMER! HOT!!!!)

*** Chase's mouth rarely stops moving when we are driving in the car. The things he comes up with, while often are bossy, still crack me up! I don't know where he gets this stuff???? He certainly is becoming a know-it-all!!*****

Restoring Order

That title up there isn't so much an accomplishment as much as an aspiration. We dropped Grandma Pamma and Grandpa Jim off at the airport earlier today. We always love when they come to visit, but it is also a relief to say good-bye too. I am hoping that we can settle back into the routine of everyday life now. Especially for the boys... they need to get back to "normal." Whatever that is?!?! I know most adults are reluctant to change... but does it seem like toddlers go haywire with the slightest variation in their every day life? Anyway, I hope everyone rang in the New Year with style. Chase and I went to a little celebration at Auntie's house early in the evening. He had so much fun playing with all Joe's nieces and nephews. We did a little fake celebration at 8pm before we left. Good enough. After getting Chase and Grandma to bed, Dave, Grandpa and I watched the big celebration in New York, figured that was close enough so we hit the sack too. It definitely beats last year's New Year...... I was actually changing a poopy diaper at the stroke of midnight... There really is only one direction you could go from there - right?

It has been an eventful New Year so far around here. First, I have to report that after his misery got to much to bear, we took Dylan to the Dr. on New Year's Eve. He officially caught brother's cold AND he has an ear infection AND 3 of his 4 molars are out (The last one is ripe and should be making its appearance shortly.) Poor little guy ;( So, that explains the extreme irritability and bright red cheeks. After a couple days on the antibiotics, though, he seems to be getting back to normal. Phew... it is so nice to see him happy and smiling again!

New Year's Day we hosted a fabulous brunch. (I can only say that because I didn't actually cook anything.. hee hee!) Everything was delicious and we enjoyed celebrating with family on the first day of 2009.

And how else to celebrate, but with Mimosas. BTW - Nothing but the best for my family! Is that like the cheapest Champagne you can buy???? HA HA!!
Chase is busy helping MeMe by making lots of bubbles in the bowl for her.... (anything to keep him busy and out of the real action!)

And finally, Today is Dave's 35th Birthday. So, we embark on yet another day of celebrating around here. Chase and Daddy made a cake.... from a box... but a cake none the less. It was a pretty low key day. We nixed going out to dinner and just ordered pizza. Sometimes it just seems easier to stay in than take our little angels out in public :)

No laughing at our lame attempt at baking. Chase helped.. need I say more?

We polished off the evening with some good ol' rough housing. Everyone... GET HIM!!! :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!