TOGETHER

For just a few brief moments these kids were swinging TOGETHER in perfect unison.  It was one of those perfect memories of childhood.   I can still remember the absolute glee of swinging on the swingset with my friends.  

And I know, it is probably not the best shot, technically. 
But it still speaks to me..... the fading sun and the green grass, the bare feet, the last glimpses of summer, and the belly-bursting FUN that these kids have TOGETHER. 

We are sure going to miss evenings like this in a few months.      



HIGH FIVE ME!

I am linking up to this week's YOU CAPTURE challenge - the theme was TOGETHER. 
I took lots of others but these photos just seemed to fit the best.

Click on over to I Should be Folding Laundry for more togetherness!

COFFEE AND CATCH UP

Not - Coffee and Catsup, that would be gross.  CATCH UP, as in, I am so slacking lately on the blogging stuff. 

I am drinking my hot cup of Joe and enjoying a few moments of peace and quiet before both boys erupt again at each other.  I hope I can type this FAST. 

If you were here with me drinking coffee...... I would apologize profusely about my attire (PJ's) and the boys' attire and the state of my home and the attitudes and non-stop bickering and rather than go on and on I might just suggest that you wear a blind fold... and ear plugs.  Just kidding, that might be wierd. 

Anyway, I would tell you I had a fabulous/exhausting weekend and urge you to settle in so I can tell you all about it.  My night out in the city with my sis was AMAZING.  (I linked to her new blog, she just posted for the first time yesterday.  Head over there and say hello!!!)   We ate at a swanky steak house, drank two bottles of wine, chatted with her co-workers (past and present) and talked and laughed and tried to look sophisticated.  (Wow, I just had a hard time trying to spell that. My brain needs more coffee...  How about you, do you need another cup yet?)





Then I would complain to you about how awful I felt Saturday morning and most of the day, actually.   And we would laugh about the fact that we don't bounce back like we used to.  But it still didn't stop me from zooming home to take the boys to the Farm show, like I promised them that I would. 

They had fun... I think.  Chase has been a little moody and doesn't seem to be enjoying himself no matter what we do.   It makes me livid that he has such a sense of entitlement.  I want him to appreciate the things that we do DO for him instead of focusing on the things that we don't.  He was sulking most of the day because we wouldn't buy him ice cream or a hot dog or any of the other junk food there.  And Dylan was mad about the fact that we had to put him in jeans, long sleeves and shoes.   He had these same issues in the spring when we had to switch to shorts and sandals.  He gets so attached to his clothing.  

I got only a few photos to share... since we were all in a bit of a funk.









Thank goodness for the chickens.  Dylan was so excited to see them and keep bellowing cock-a-dooda-dooooooooo. 

We would get another cup of coffee and I would mention that on Sunday we had an appointment with our photographer/friend Carrianne who is soooooo busy that we had a hard time sneaking in an appointment.  But we did, and it went great, miraculously.  Dylan was freaking out again when we put jeans and shoes and long sleaves on, but the sweater vest sent him into total hysterics.  That combined with his recent shyness and bouts of stranger anxiety, I was certain that it would be a disaster.    But, Carrianne is a true professional and he was like putty in her hand.  He did everything she asked, willinglyish.  Candy corn may have been involved, but STILL.  AMAZING. 

This is the only picture I got of him in his cute little outfit (that he HATED) spinning around in his swing.   Oh, and speaking of swings, Chase learned how to swing... FINALLY.  After years of urging him to pump his legs, he finally put it all together.  And man, can he swing now - YAY!  Which frees me up to take lots of pictures  - DOUBLE YAY :D


So, that should about catch you up on what has been going on around here.  Oh wait, have you been watching Dancing??  Isn't it good this year?  Michael Bolton is history, don't you think?  Can't wait to find out tonight.  I really enjoyed the company and having coffee with you!   Head on over to Amy's place for more coffee.

See you next Tuesday  (if I remember :D)  same time, same place!

JUST BECAUSE......

.... it is Friday and it has been a long week.
.... my two Girl's Night's that I had planned this week fell through.
.... she is my sissy.
.... she was in a bit of a funk about being in the big 'ol city by herself.
....  I read this blog post and then this blog post and got The Itch.  (Go read, then come back!)
....  we haven't gotten to chat (uninterrupted) just the two of us, for what seems like years!
....  I am in the mood for adventure.
....  my husband urged me to JUST GO!

SOOOO.... I AM HEADING INTO CHICAGO TO STAY OVERNIGHT WITH MY SEESTER! 
I am a little bit excited... can you tell???

She was bummed about having to do this tradeshow for work, which meant staying downtown in a hotel room by herself.  Hmmmm - I thought it sounded like HEAVEN!  So, I selflessly volunteered to keep her company.  That is just the kinda sister that I am :D   She is gonna owe me big time!  Hee.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

A FLOWER A DAY....

.... KEEPS THE - - - oh, I don't know.... BLUE'S AWAY.  I am making this up as I go :D

This week's You Capture challenge was FLOWERS.  I went a little crazy and I am sorry about that.  But, these beauties are fading fast as fall officially sets in around here.  I am going to miss all the color and happiness that these guys bring to us.   I find myself gazing out the window just trying to soak it all in.  Then, of course, I grab my camera and start shooting. 

I loved this week's challenge and can't wait to see the other entries.  Click on over to I Should Be Folding Laundry and take a gander.  You  won't be sorry!

THE POOP FAIRY

**** WARNING:  If talk of poop, bowel movements, constipation or anything of the like grosses you out - CLICK AWAY!  Click away NOW, my friends!****



So, now that only 4 of you are actually reading this, I will continue on.... but, I will warn you again:  It isn't going to be pretty.    Well, the photos are kinda pretty.  Isn't he cute when he isn't writhing in pain?



We are having a hard time in my house right now.  I posted last night that we had a great weekend and we did, but yesterday was tough.  I thought, though, that we were over the hump.  When, in fact, we were not.  We are still in the thick of the most severe case of constipation that I have ever had to witness.   There may have been a little relief (if you know what I am saying) but apparently, not enough.

Dylan.  Oh my goodness..... my poor little Dylan has been gasping, yowling, crying, contorting himself red-faced in frustration every 15 minutes or so for the past 2 days.   This isn't just a constipation issue, I think it is a fear thing too.  I have come to realize that it isn't that he can't go (things are pretty soft when they finally do come out) it is that he doesn't want to go and is holding it in.  

He is in severe pain and is getting to the point that he refuses to walk.   And when I do make him walk around, he grabs ahold of my leg, hyperextends his legs by locking his knees backwards, curls up his toes, and starts howling and screaming.  Meanwhile, I am holding him and urging him on, "PUSH Baby, you have to push it out!!!"  And through all of this, I can't help but laugh a little because if someone overheard us, they would think we were in the middle of labor and delivery! 

The frustrating part is that I don't know how to help him.  It is hard to watch your baby in so much pain.  But my sympathy is starting to run thin.  I just want him to GO instead of bottling it all up.  The longer he does this, the worse it gets.   I have changed at least a couple dozen diapers in the last 36 hours.  Between all the Pedi-Lax, Mineral Oil, fiber suppliments and suppositories that we have given him over the past two days - there HAS been a little progress.  But in very small quantities.  All this diapering has left his backside raw and irritated and makes him want to go even LESS.   I keep telling him that he is making the situation worse, but there is absolutely NO talking any sense into a two-year-old.

Has anyone been through this?  Any words of wisdom?

ONE LITTLE MONKEY HANGING IN THE TREE

We spent most of our weekend JUST HANGING OUT.   Chase even showed me how with step by step instructions.  
"Mom, just hold the branch here and walk your feet up the trunk!  You can do it!" 
I didn't have the heart to tell him that the branch probably wouldn't even hold me. 

Okay, though, we did do one exciting thing.  Dave and I took our annual trip up to Madison, WI with some friends to watch a Badger game.  That is always a blast.  (One of these times, I will bring my camera.)   And better yet, MeMe' watched the boys for us during the game and ended up keeping them overnight at her house.  My head didn't leave the pillow until 8am this morning. 8AM!  That hasn't happened in YEARS and it was HEAVEN!  So, yeah, it was actually the BEST weekend EVER.  :D

YOU CAPTURE [9.16.10]

Just checking in to share a few random snapshots.  

I mean, how could you get through your day without seeing my little ROCKSTAR?




Or my little SOCCER STAR?

I recently signed Chase up for soccer for the first time.  While doing so, the league mentioned that they were running short on coaches, so I volunteered!  Well, my husband, that is.  I volunteered my husband..... no way was I doing it.   I have never played soccer before in my life. 

Anyway, it was so cute to watch them all running around in clusters with the ball.   And it was even cuter (Mom, I know it is wrong, but I still use it!) watching my husband try to make some sort of sense of it all.  He is so great with kids. 

And last but not least are a few shots are of my friend Melissa's kiddos. 
They came over for a play date/photo shoot and I had some new victims to stalk with my camera!  :D  (Insert evil laugh... hee hee hee)   By the way, these little people were far less disgruntled about photo taking than mine are.   Yeeeee.  And aren't they stinkin' cute??








I am linking up to YOU CAPTURE this week.  Can you guess what the theme was???

At a loss?  It was Photographer's Choice this week.  Hence the randomness.  I will admit that I was a little lost... I am not so good when left to my own devices.   HA  :D

Click on over to I Should Be Folding Laundry to see what everyone else came up with.

NOT MUCH....

It's Tuesday and it is coffee time. 
Tuesday is MY morning  to be extra lazy.  I don't have to go to work or run carpool or go to the Y... so here I sit sipping my second cup of coffee, wearing my jammies.    And I am trying to relax and type this between "requests" from my little guy... "Momma, where my yellow bouncy ball? Da YELLOW one???"  If that isn't like finding a needle in a hay stack, I don't know what is!   "Momma turn on a MICKEY!  Upstairs!" 
"Mom, I want my milk!"  It never, ever ends.  I try to shake all these demands and whines off, but sometimes it makes my insides seize up and my teeth flench and my blood boil.  I am trying to instill manners and patience and common courtesy in these boys, I really [REALLY] am.  But it doesn't seem to be taking.  *sigh*

Anyway,  (after milk was retrieved and Mickey turned on... PEACE....for a few minutes)  I don't feel like I have much to report.  I didn't take a single photo all weekend.  Shocking!  I think I got burnt out a little after the photo-frenzy session on Friday for 10 on 10.  I tend to do that.... it is feast or famine around here.   Okay, wait, that isn't entirely true.  I did take a couple shots on Sunday when I pulled out all the Halloween stuff to start decorating. 




I am thinking about this one for my new profile picture, what do you think?   (I can't believe I just posted that photo.)  I found all this stuff shoved in with all my fall decor and HAD to model it.  I think I was scaring Dylan with my new get-up, and annoying my husband who was glued to the tube trying to watch football. 

So, I will just leave you with that one to enjoy!

Head on over to Amy's blog for more coffee.

TEN ON TEN [SEPTEMBER 2010]

Yesterday was Ten on Ten - take a photo an hour for ten consequitive hours on the 10th of each month.  I had so much fun last time - I thought I would give it a go again.


Am I still dreaming?  Is my son really vacuuming the house at 7 in the morning? 
I don't even know if I should laugh or cry.  He has been trying to earn exta $$ to buy a toy.... b...b..but at 7AM!!!

This is the result of me crawling around in my jammies in the front yard trying to get a good shot for 8am.  I always find myself gazing out the front window at the flowers that are still glistening with dew while the sun starts peeking out over the neighbors houses.  I never actually photograph it because I am almost always in my jammies - but today - I threw caution to the wind!


A new Friday tradition was born today.  For some crazy reason, Chase's school starts a half hour late on Fridays.  And my feeble mind can.not seem to grasp this concept.  So, we drove up to the vacant school and I slammed the heal of my hand into my forehead.  DUH!   We killed the time by heading to Dunkin Donuts.  I think we may be (inadvertently) doing this often!

This week we have been ditching the Y in favor of soaking up as much of this GLORIOUS weather as we can.  So, Dylan and I took a long jog/walk instead.... okay, so it was more like a walk/jog... whatever! 

Our town recently added this little boardwalk through the marshes of the lake.   It is really neat.  I let Dylan out of the stroller for a few minutes to stretch his legs... and stalk him with my camera!  The photo above is of him calling to the froggies... "Wibbit, wibbit.... wiiiii-bit!"  No froggies came though, strange, huh!?!

It was either this or a photo of my super clean toilet.  Since that is what I was doing at the stroke of 11. 
Yeah, I thought this was better too. 
I got this little beaut in the mail the other day and have left it propped up on the counter in the kitchen.   Just a little reminder that in a few months we will be jetting off to Mexico for a week.  And that makes me S.M.I.L.E!

We MAY or may not have ruined our lunch by eating too much of this addictive stuff.  Kettle corn should be banned.  It is lethal!

Keeping him busy and distracted.  We are closing in fast on his usual nap time, but are trying to ween him off.  He is actually having a harder time with it than I am.  He has been asking all week for his nap and even goes up and puts himself to bed if given the chance.

Out running errands.... and THIS was being assembled in front of Ace Hardware.  I was so giddy with excitement that I HAD to pull in a take a picture.  YAY FALL :D

Opps, I forgot it was 3..... darn.  (An hour sure goes fast when you are paroosing around Target!)  I pulled over and snapped this shot out of desperation. 

This is how I found him when we arrived home from running errands.  So much for NO naps!  Oh well.

Phew....  that was so much fun!  I find myself looking forward to the 10th's now. I know, I know... I am a dork like that :D
  
Click on over and check out what everyone else did for their 10 on 10.

Also linking up to Sweet Shot - I love that 8am shot!!

OUR WEEKEND IN KENTUCKY

We had such a great get-away weekend in Kentucky.  I thought I would share a few ton of the photos that I got during our stay.

First I will tell you that the boys did shockingly well during the 8 hour ride.  I have always suspected, but it is now confirmed.... the boys can sit and watch TV for 8 hours straight without making a peep.  Especially when they each have their own DVD player, which means we didn't even have arguments over whos turn it is.   And they didn't sleep a wink either, the entire way down.   Amazing. 



The most exciting part of the ride was when we passed all these windmills.  There were hundreds of them.  Pretty cool!


Chase and Daddy took a trip down to Kentucky last summer and he excitedly told me all about it for months and months.  He loved it and was so thrilled that this year Dylan and Mommy were coming too.  I was a little skeptical about Kentucky.... I have never been before and wasn't exactly sure what to expect.  But, it was BEAUTIFUL.  The weather was PERFECT!  Seriously.  It couldn't have been better.  And, all we did was boat, fish and relax....uhh, and I took lots of pictures.  It was the BEST. 









Taken right before he zonked out in my lap.  He napped in my lap while on the boat for two days straight and I was in heaven.  It has been so long since he let me cuddle him like that!  (Please ignore the wind hair.)



























Do those guys resemble my guys a little?

Chase let Mike wear his Skater hat.  For a few minutes anyway!







So, I did take 350 photos during our stay, but a good 200 of them look like the shot above.  The boys wouldn't get off the tub and kept asking to go faster and FASTER.  Those little dare-devils :D





"Awwww....we have to go home tomorrow.... boooo."

Okay, so he was actually shaking his head at me and telling me to put the camera down!
Anyway, that's it - that was our Kentucky Labor Day weekend - four days late!  :D    (SLACKER!)