My in-laws are coming to visit tomorrow and I know I will forget to post about my New Year's Resolutions if I don't do them now so I'm getting an early start on this (let's hope it isn't also an early start of breaking the resolutions).
Normally my resolutions center around things I want to change that don't really impact me as a person. For instance, I talk about losing weight (still a goal but not a resolution) but as a "big girl" I am the same person as when I'm "normal weight." Or I talk about trying to scale back my potty mouth but whether I use the "s" word or not, I'm still me (just a potty mouth me who will probably get a call from a teacher some day about the fact that my child dropped the "f-bomb" in class... sorry mom).
So this year I thought what could I resolve to do that would really improve the person I am and how can I know what changes to make? Well, to make the right changes I felt I should try and improve something about me and use a friend as a "model" on how I would like to be. What better way to have a goal and a path?
So, without further ado:
1. I resolve to be a better friend like my friend Joanna. I have never met someone who is more committed to her friendships than Joanna. She is truly one of those people who if you called her right now and said you needed her, she would be on a plan in a second. And how does she show she is a good friend? Well, she will travel to see you whenever she can (no matter where you are). She will be in your wedding (i.e. my wedding) and even though she is in a different state and has to shoulder extra expenses she will NEVER once complain about it or try to weasel out of something... she will make it work. She will include you in everything she does because that is what a friend does. Hopefully I can be 1/2 the friend she is. Please do not think this means I don't have other friends who are really good too.
2. I resolve to be better at staying in touch with people like my friend Robin. This woman is amazing. Whenever she goes on a trip she brings address labels with everyone's (and I mean EVERYONE's) addresses so she can send out postcards from wherever she is. She send out little cards just to let you know she is thinking of you (and she even remembers to send birthday cards WAY in advance because she might be out of the country when your birthday happens). She will call and email periodically just to stay in touch. I stink at this and as we continue to move it becomes more important... but I'm going to follow her lead this year.
3. I resolve to be a better mom like my friend Danielle. Danielle as three kids (2 of whom who are twins) all 5 or under. She is amazing with them. They drive her nuts, like any mom, but she truly enjoys every moment she has with them. And most of all Danielle lets other people's business be their business so she can attend to her children - as in she doesn't get all caught up in how other people view her parenting and she always gives the benefit of the doubt with other parents. Her children are all happy and adjusted as well (and yes, I'm sure some of this is also about her husband but this post is about me).
I'll let you know how it all works out as I'm going through it (or maybe you will know because you might benefit from one of the above resolutions).
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Kiss-Mas*
It came and it left. In between we had over-stimulated children, chaos, a trip to the Georgia Aquarium, someone who forgot to let the London Broil defrost so she had to improvise and make bacon and eggs for Christmas dinner (this forgetful person shall remain nameless), and sleeping children (with soon to be sleeping mommy and daddy).
It was our first Christmas alone (as in we had no other family around us) and there was something really nice about it (we did miss our family... don't get your panties in a wad). Mostly the nice part was that we only had to coordinate 4 people... granted, 2 of those people are rambunctious children, but they were oddly behaved (I think it was a combination of colds, exhaustion, and constant sugar highs and lows). And now it has gone. But I wanted to share some of the moments with you.
Let's start with our tree... this is what it looked like the night before once Santa had visited:
I'm thinking that to actually impress her we need to get her a pony... and while her father would gladly do that, Mommy is the voice of financial reason in these situations.
But here is the real meaning of Christmas... the materialistic overload of things and trash:
No, seriously, here is a more "real" meaning of Christmas... last week Evan and I made wrapping paper. I cut up old paper grocery bags and let him paint on them (finger and brush). I used one of his creations to wrap a gift he picked out for his Daddy:
I hope you all had a Merry and pleasantly exhausting Christmas!
*The letter "R" is still difficult for Evan to pronounce so this is how he pronounces "Christmas."
It was our first Christmas alone (as in we had no other family around us) and there was something really nice about it (we did miss our family... don't get your panties in a wad). Mostly the nice part was that we only had to coordinate 4 people... granted, 2 of those people are rambunctious children, but they were oddly behaved (I think it was a combination of colds, exhaustion, and constant sugar highs and lows). And now it has gone. But I wanted to share some of the moments with you.
Let's start with our tree... this is what it looked like the night before once Santa had visited:
And... this is a tree that only has presents for Chloe and Evan. A little obscene for a 2 year old and 7 month old. And even worse - I honestly thought I had gone light this year (I blame it on the Aunts, Uncles, and grandparents who sent gifts, not Mom and Dad). And even worse than that - Brian's parents are coming to visit this weekend so their gifts aren't even under the tree.
So, here I have this beautiful Christmas tree all ready for the children to come down and be awed by its bounty of presents. And I decide to try and make a moment of it. This morning (Christmas morning) once Evan woke up, I woke up Brian and then Chloe. Then I had Brian carry Evan and Chloe downstairs so I could videotape how animated the children will be once they see the presents... this is what I got:
While Evan was interested, it just wasn't the excitement I was looking for. And Chloe just didn't seem impressed.
Even though her pile started out like this:
And ended up as this:
I'm thinking that to actually impress her we need to get her a pony... and while her father would gladly do that, Mommy is the voice of financial reason in these situations.
But here is the real meaning of Christmas... the materialistic overload of things and trash:
No, seriously, here is a more "real" meaning of Christmas... last week Evan and I made wrapping paper. I cut up old paper grocery bags and let him paint on them (finger and brush). I used one of his creations to wrap a gift he picked out for his Daddy:
I hope you all had a Merry and pleasantly exhausting Christmas!
*The letter "R" is still difficult for Evan to pronounce so this is how he pronounces "Christmas."
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Evan's Music Obsession
I don't know if I've ever shared with you the fact that my son is obsessed with music... I mean obsessed. Everything becomes a "la-la" (which could mean music or a musical instrument). I asked my parents to buy him the band in a box from Melissa & Doug for his birthday and he plays with it at least 3 times a day if not more. He even lets Chloe play with the maracas.
Another way that we foster his obsession with music is that we attend a weekly class from The Music Class (if you have one in your area go... go now). They give you a CD of the songs used in class and because Evan is obsessed (I'm not sure I've used that word enough for you to fully understand how he feels about music) we play the CD most nights before bed.
When he was younger and we played the CD he would just make up a dance or smile. Now, he dances the way it was done in music class (mostly, he still has his own style) and he even sings. So, I thought I'd share with you some highlights from last night (I don't have the links so if you are reading this in your email you will probably need to get over the blog to actually see the videos):
Another way that we foster his obsession with music is that we attend a weekly class from The Music Class (if you have one in your area go... go now). They give you a CD of the songs used in class and because Evan is obsessed (I'm not sure I've used that word enough for you to fully understand how he feels about music) we play the CD most nights before bed.
When he was younger and we played the CD he would just make up a dance or smile. Now, he dances the way it was done in music class (mostly, he still has his own style) and he even sings. So, I thought I'd share with you some highlights from last night (I don't have the links so if you are reading this in your email you will probably need to get over the blog to actually see the videos):
(Why yes, this is Evan's room and that is an alarm clock on the floor... what, your child doesn't steal Daddy's alarm clock to play with it? And yes, Evan does control his own CD player. I've told you often, I'm only here to change his diaper.)
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Last Day of Fall Semester
So, hey... it's been a while... yeah... about two weeks. And I made all those comments about how I was going to make 4 Thanksgiving posts and I'm sure I got your hopes up. Well... sorry. It didn't happen and I can't lie, it isn't going to happen. And I have 20 excuses I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm not even going to share them. Nope, let's just move forward... together... and forget about all of the broken promises and broken hearts. 'Kay?
And let's move on to the fact that today was Evan's last day of school before his winter break. I cannot believe he has already gone through one semester of school. I cannot believe I refer to it as a "semester." But mostly I cannot believe that for the next 2 weeks I'm supposed to entertain him all the time... like 5 days a week... all by myself. Well, not all by myself, I set up some play dates and thankfully grandparents are coming to visit so I guess it won't be all bad.
The up-side of this being the last day of school was the concert... yes, my little man gave a concert. Well, not just him, all the kids got together to sing for the parents the Spanish songs they've learned in since September. Brian couldn't be there (his annual December conference) so I taped pretty much the entire event. I tried to keep the videos on the shorter side but that didn't always happen so some of pretty long.
I do have to warn you that there are some things you need to know about my son before you watch the videos... he isn't exactly a follower. And by that I mean he doesn't really listen well all the time so he tends to do his own thing. Also, he is the youngest in the class and also the smallest. Therefore his hat doesn't really fit so he gets a little distracted. And, he is just too darn cute.
I mean, look at this:
So here he is in all his glory:
And let's move on to the fact that today was Evan's last day of school before his winter break. I cannot believe he has already gone through one semester of school. I cannot believe I refer to it as a "semester." But mostly I cannot believe that for the next 2 weeks I'm supposed to entertain him all the time... like 5 days a week... all by myself. Well, not all by myself, I set up some play dates and thankfully grandparents are coming to visit so I guess it won't be all bad.
The up-side of this being the last day of school was the concert... yes, my little man gave a concert. Well, not just him, all the kids got together to sing for the parents the Spanish songs they've learned in since September. Brian couldn't be there (his annual December conference) so I taped pretty much the entire event. I tried to keep the videos on the shorter side but that didn't always happen so some of pretty long.
I do have to warn you that there are some things you need to know about my son before you watch the videos... he isn't exactly a follower. And by that I mean he doesn't really listen well all the time so he tends to do his own thing. Also, he is the youngest in the class and also the smallest. Therefore his hat doesn't really fit so he gets a little distracted. And, he is just too darn cute.
I mean, look at this:
So here he is in all his glory:
(This one is 3 minutes)
Chloe also liked watching all of the little people. I think she also enjoyed giving me a massive cramp in my arm as I had to hold her for the 15 minutes. She is dead weight people. Cute... but dead weight.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
The First Haircut
Brian, Chloe, Evan, and I went back to NJ for Thanksgiving. And there is definitely a lot to share from the trip. So much that I'm going to have to do about 4 posts just on this topic (until you are so sick of reading about it that you force me to come up with something interesting from our everyday life).
One of the biggest events that happened is my little man got his first haircut... and I didn't cry (true story). I know it seems that 27 months is a long time to wait for the first haircut but let's talk a little walk down memory lane... shall we?
Evan Semi-Bald at 6 months:
Evan, still semi-bald at 1 year (actually on his first birthday):
And then all the sudden, this is what happened:
So, as you can see, when we arrived at the Barber shop, he had no idea what was about to happen and was happy to jump right up on the chair. Didn't even blink, he just sat there watching TV.
The woman cutting his hair made a comment that she couldn't believe how good he was. That he just sat there and let her cut his hair. I didn't have the heart to tell her that the truth was he was closely watching every move she made and was enthralled by all the new "toys" she used. I have no doubt that is I put a pair of scissors in his hands he would try to use them to cut his hair. He stored all the information somewhere in his scary scary brain.
Every request she made he did without delay. She told him to turn his head and he did it. She kept waiting for him to be confused or to be ornery but it never happened. I am always amazed at his ability to handle new situations with interest rather than fear.
As a side note... love the hair dresser. But isn't she about as Jersey as you can get? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the real Jersey... sadly not too far from what you see on TV.
And here is the best part of the entire experience... apparently the only photo I took of his final haircut was with my phone. And I have one of those old phones where the picture doesn't easily transfer to my computer. I do this... it's not really a surprise. It's kind of like on our honeymoon when I had a camera that actually used film and I was surprised since I thought I had a 36 (or whatever) picture roll in the camera but I was able to continue to take pictures after 36 and then, when we got home, and I went to develop the pictures it turns out I didn't have any film in the camera. And somehow my life just keeps moving forward.
Luckily, he got his haircut the day before Thanksgiving. So here is a picture of the little man on Thanksgiving with his haircut:
I know you can't tell from this far away picture but the cut is really cute. And on top of that he kept his curls! I was super worried about this, but it turns out his curls are from the root so they aren't going anywhere. Now, on to obsess about Chloe's hair...
Do you think the "curls" off of her mohawk will stick around if I cut it? Don't worry, a haircut is not coming anytime soon for her.
One of the biggest events that happened is my little man got his first haircut... and I didn't cry (true story). I know it seems that 27 months is a long time to wait for the first haircut but let's talk a little walk down memory lane... shall we?
Evan Semi-Bald at 6 months:
(I know - can you believe this is my little man?)
Evan, still semi-bald at 1 year (actually on his first birthday):
And then all the sudden, this is what happened:
(The genius salon put on Sprout to entertain him... he is so cute with his disheveled locks.)
So, as you can see, when we arrived at the Barber shop, he had no idea what was about to happen and was happy to jump right up on the chair. Didn't even blink, he just sat there watching TV.
Every request she made he did without delay. She told him to turn his head and he did it. She kept waiting for him to be confused or to be ornery but it never happened. I am always amazed at his ability to handle new situations with interest rather than fear.
As a side note... love the hair dresser. But isn't she about as Jersey as you can get? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the real Jersey... sadly not too far from what you see on TV.
And here is the best part of the entire experience... apparently the only photo I took of his final haircut was with my phone. And I have one of those old phones where the picture doesn't easily transfer to my computer. I do this... it's not really a surprise. It's kind of like on our honeymoon when I had a camera that actually used film and I was surprised since I thought I had a 36 (or whatever) picture roll in the camera but I was able to continue to take pictures after 36 and then, when we got home, and I went to develop the pictures it turns out I didn't have any film in the camera. And somehow my life just keeps moving forward.
Luckily, he got his haircut the day before Thanksgiving. So here is a picture of the little man on Thanksgiving with his haircut:
I know you can't tell from this far away picture but the cut is really cute. And on top of that he kept his curls! I was super worried about this, but it turns out his curls are from the root so they aren't going anywhere. Now, on to obsess about Chloe's hair...
Do you think the "curls" off of her mohawk will stick around if I cut it? Don't worry, a haircut is not coming anytime soon for her.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Ramblings
Three out of the four of us were sick this weekend (Chloe was spared) and according to Brian when I get sick I ramble. So I thought I'd do something rambling for you.
Chloe started solid food two weeks ago. She has done really well and this time around I'm making her food (but totally draw the line at pureeing meat, that I will buy). She enjoys her cereal, butternut squash, banana, and peas. She LOVES avocado... another one. And then she got constipated (surprise... poor girl). So Brian and I followed the advice on our pediatrician's website (because they are totally in the 21st century) and gave her 6 oz of apple juice yesterday. Yeah, she is no longer constipated. Now I'll be mixing her cereal with prune juice to help out and I'm shelving the bananas for a while.
On another note Evan is really helpful when I'm feeding Chloe. You know, doing random things like taking her spoon, climbing on her high chair, trying to get her to pull his hair, and other really helpful things.
I need to apologize to other parents. It just isn't fair that my child is so incredibly cute (sorry... and that is said with no sarcasm dripping from it, none at all, not even a little):
I'm writing a new book called, "1001 Ways to Play with Acorns: How to Raise a Child Who Doesn't Play with Toys." Seriously, Evan plays with anything that is not a toy (for example: spatula, coins, acorns, extension cords, breast pump, allen wrench, all the really safe things). He has always been like this, even as a baby he wanted a pen rather than a rattle. Chloe loves her toys. She also loves remote controls and plastic bags.
Look who is almost sitting up on her own:
It's kind of funny when she falls over into the pillows because she just sits there and moans... and then I rescue her. She also now rolls from her back to her stomach and back. She even pushed against Brian's feet today and seemed to scootch a little on her stomach. I'm completely against her getting mobile and am currently plotting on how to make that not happen.
When we go to Trader Joe's Evan gets two things, 1) a sample and often more than one... his favorite last weekend was the gouda with cranberries, and 2) stickers. For some reasons the stickers always end up on me and more specifically on my chest:
I leave them there. Hey, I'm a mom.
This weekend Brian seemed to get better faster than I did so he got up with the kids. Apparently they are good for him in the morning (unlike for me when we always have at least one meltdown). However, there is photo evidence that they aren't always happy (well, at least Evan isn't):
In Brian's defense... there were 6 other photos where Evan was smiling but I actually like this face the best. Maybe it's because it's the face I most often see throughout the day.
Today Brian made my baby laugh. It's one of the reasons I love him. It is well worth watching the entire thing:
My goal is to be completely healthy by tomorrow so maybe I'll stop rambling by then... we'll see.
Chloe started solid food two weeks ago. She has done really well and this time around I'm making her food (but totally draw the line at pureeing meat, that I will buy). She enjoys her cereal, butternut squash, banana, and peas. She LOVES avocado... another one. And then she got constipated (surprise... poor girl). So Brian and I followed the advice on our pediatrician's website (because they are totally in the 21st century) and gave her 6 oz of apple juice yesterday. Yeah, she is no longer constipated. Now I'll be mixing her cereal with prune juice to help out and I'm shelving the bananas for a while.
On another note Evan is really helpful when I'm feeding Chloe. You know, doing random things like taking her spoon, climbing on her high chair, trying to get her to pull his hair, and other really helpful things.
I need to apologize to other parents. It just isn't fair that my child is so incredibly cute (sorry... and that is said with no sarcasm dripping from it, none at all, not even a little):
I'm writing a new book called, "1001 Ways to Play with Acorns: How to Raise a Child Who Doesn't Play with Toys." Seriously, Evan plays with anything that is not a toy (for example: spatula, coins, acorns, extension cords, breast pump, allen wrench, all the really safe things). He has always been like this, even as a baby he wanted a pen rather than a rattle. Chloe loves her toys. She also loves remote controls and plastic bags.
Look who is almost sitting up on her own:
When we go to Trader Joe's Evan gets two things, 1) a sample and often more than one... his favorite last weekend was the gouda with cranberries, and 2) stickers. For some reasons the stickers always end up on me and more specifically on my chest:
This weekend Brian seemed to get better faster than I did so he got up with the kids. Apparently they are good for him in the morning (unlike for me when we always have at least one meltdown). However, there is photo evidence that they aren't always happy (well, at least Evan isn't):
Today Brian made my baby laugh. It's one of the reasons I love him. It is well worth watching the entire thing:
My goal is to be completely healthy by tomorrow so maybe I'll stop rambling by then... we'll see.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I'm a Safety Girl
This, my friends, is the definition of safety:
A child in a Bumbo on the middle of the dining room table playing with a plastic bag with a glass jar at her feet. Seriously, the only thing missing is the crack pipe.
Or the half naked older brother... oh wait, he was there too, being unsafe as well precariously perched on a chair:
I don't think I'm going to be nominated for any parenting awards any time soon. Probably even more so since I actually stopped to take a picture instead of stopping this nonsense.
A child in a Bumbo on the middle of the dining room table playing with a plastic bag with a glass jar at her feet. Seriously, the only thing missing is the crack pipe.
Or the half naked older brother... oh wait, he was there too, being unsafe as well precariously perched on a chair:
I don't think I'm going to be nominated for any parenting awards any time soon. Probably even more so since I actually stopped to take a picture instead of stopping this nonsense.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Growing Up...
My babies are growing up [sniff... wipe away tear]. This morning Chloe decided if she could roll one way then she could roll back (but she's only done it once so far). My mom made some comment about Chloe growing up (which I had already thought of and decided to completely ignore since it made me emotional) and I had to correct her for 2 reasons, 1) Chloe is only 6 months old... that is not grown up yet, and 2) if I think Chloe is growing up then I'm going to want another baby and I'm not physically, emotionally, or sleep-wise ready for that (and may never be).
But even though I'm choosing to ignore her growing up... she's doing it anyway (is this a foreshadowing) and we had her 6-month check-up today:
Weight: 17lbs 9 oz (76.62%)
Height: 25.3 inches (30.27%)
Head: 17.2 inches (84.6% - still smaller than Evan's has ever been)
So, she is still on par to end up like her mother (short and... umm... round?) but she doesn't look like that at all. Basically, her torso is so long that she is in 9 months onesies but I have to fold the arms and legs back because her limbs haven't caught up. But all you see when you look at her is cuteness:
And the little man? Well... his speech becomes more impressive every day. He is now speaking in 3-4 word sentences (although sometimes it comes out a little mixed up and he sounds like Yoda) and using articles (I swear... Brian also heard him say "Read the book"). Here is a clip of him performing... almost:
I know they are going to continue to grow up... but I'm not ready for this.
But even though I'm choosing to ignore her growing up... she's doing it anyway (is this a foreshadowing) and we had her 6-month check-up today:
Weight: 17lbs 9 oz (76.62%)
Height: 25.3 inches (30.27%)
Head: 17.2 inches (84.6% - still smaller than Evan's has ever been)
So, she is still on par to end up like her mother (short and... umm... round?) but she doesn't look like that at all. Basically, her torso is so long that she is in 9 months onesies but I have to fold the arms and legs back because her limbs haven't caught up. But all you see when you look at her is cuteness:
And the little man? Well... his speech becomes more impressive every day. He is now speaking in 3-4 word sentences (although sometimes it comes out a little mixed up and he sounds like Yoda) and using articles (I swear... Brian also heard him say "Read the book"). Here is a clip of him performing... almost:
I know they are going to continue to grow up... but I'm not ready for this.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
It's Feeding Time...
That's right Ladies and Gentlemen... Chloe has started her adventure with solid food (mostly because I got sick of her staring longingly at my fork each night at dinner). And, so far, she is doing much better than her brother who spent the first few times spitting the food right out.
At first she wasn't so sure:
But she opened her mouth anyway...
And then she made this face (and I don't really blame her... that stuff just looks and smells gross - although Evan had a bite and said it wasn't too bad):
She ate about 6 spoonfuls her first time out and didn't spit any of it out. She wasn't so sure why she was doing it, but she did it anyway (which is a personality trait that I think will make my life much easier with her than with her brother... that is IF it is a personality trait and not a phase).
Brian was able to catch some on video... of the end of her meal when she was much more uncooperative:
So far I've only fed her twice (we skipped yesterday morning because we had to get up early and get out the door to drop off Brian to get his car fixed and pick up a rental) and so far she has eaten both times. I'm thinking about a week of morning feedings and then we move on. And then my life will become all about food as I make her bottles (yeah, I need to blog about my decision to stop breastfeeding... don't judge until you hear the story), make her food, make Evan's food, make my food, make Brian's food, clean the dishes and repeat.
At first she wasn't so sure:
But she opened her mouth anyway...
And then she made this face (and I don't really blame her... that stuff just looks and smells gross - although Evan had a bite and said it wasn't too bad):
She ate about 6 spoonfuls her first time out and didn't spit any of it out. She wasn't so sure why she was doing it, but she did it anyway (which is a personality trait that I think will make my life much easier with her than with her brother... that is IF it is a personality trait and not a phase).
Brian was able to catch some on video... of the end of her meal when she was much more uncooperative:
So far I've only fed her twice (we skipped yesterday morning because we had to get up early and get out the door to drop off Brian to get his car fixed and pick up a rental) and so far she has eaten both times. I'm thinking about a week of morning feedings and then we move on. And then my life will become all about food as I make her bottles (yeah, I need to blog about my decision to stop breastfeeding... don't judge until you hear the story), make her food, make Evan's food, make my food, make Brian's food, clean the dishes and repeat.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween
There was a lot going on in the Castrucci house this weekend but let's start with Halloween. First off, let me start off by saying that Halloween was a holiday that my mother hated. I don't remember having Halloween decorations (except for pumpkins... we always had pumpkins) and basically you could be a hobo and dress up in old clothes or a rich woman and wear a dress, gloves, make-up, and costume jewelry. Although, in fairness to my mother, there is a photo of me as a witch one year where I wore a black dress and a construction paper cone hat with green yarn glued on to the hair for my hair. So, I'm not blaming or anything, but I think I've inherited my mother's ennui for this holiday... I'm just not organized enough nor do I care enough to really get into Halloween. This is probably why Brian came home from work today and said to me, "I'm not saying this to you just you... but this is the last year we can be half-assed parents about Halloween."
So, onto our half-assed Halloween. No decorations, a painted pumpkin, and a paper bag that I tried to get Evan to decorate but he had no interest. Brian decided he wanted Evan to be a Jedi (from Star Wars) for Halloween and he saw a Yoda costume in Target that he liked. He also found a Princess Leia costume and got that for Chloe. So, when we tried on the costumes last weekend we found out that 1) the yoda "hat" basically looked like green bunny ears, and 2) The Princess Leia costume was clearly not an infant costume since Chloe was swimming in it. So, we had half a costume for Evan and none for Chloe. Brian left me in charge (re-read the first paragraph of this post and wonder what he was thinking) and he had to go away for a few days.
Well... if you remember I had some rough days filled with a non-sleeping naked child and basically did nothing about the costumes. I decided Evan could wear his Jedi robes and with his blonde hair he basically looks like Anakin Skywalker so I went with that (and Brian bought him a glow-in-the-dark light saber):
And then I got cheap and decided I wasn't going to buy a costume for Chloe since she wouldn't leave her car seat anyway. Instead I dressed her in a really cute onesie with a tu-tu that says "Rocker Princess" on it and spiked her hair. I then dressed up in an ensemble which faintly resembled a fat midget hooker with some 80s paraphernalia (this is what happens when you don't define your costume well or wait until the last minute):
And... Brian went as Brian. He did wear a sweatshirt from his alma mater so I said if anyone asked he could be a college student. No one asked. Although someone asked me if I was dressed-up and that just confused me a little... but I guess I was plausible and probably had on the same make-up I wore in the 90s (which Brian really liked by the way).
So, on Saturday off we went to the East Atlanta Village Halloween night (EAVoween). Basically all the businesses in our downtown hand out candy to everyone... it's a nice safe alternative to house to house trick-or-treating in East Atlanta. It was a lot colder this year so we didn't see as many kids but Evan still enjoyed himself (and Chloe loved looking at everything).
We ended the evening at the Firehouse where Evan got to sit in a fire truck:
We then decided, mostly because I was too tired and didn't feel like dealing, not to dress him up Evan tonight and take him out. We got about 10 trick-or-treaters at our house, with only about 7 of them in actual costume, and then we shut off our porch light. Brian's right... we are a little half-assed about all of this. There are some days when I feel like we are the Griswold Family (the wife's name is Ellen).
So, onto our half-assed Halloween. No decorations, a painted pumpkin, and a paper bag that I tried to get Evan to decorate but he had no interest. Brian decided he wanted Evan to be a Jedi (from Star Wars) for Halloween and he saw a Yoda costume in Target that he liked. He also found a Princess Leia costume and got that for Chloe. So, when we tried on the costumes last weekend we found out that 1) the yoda "hat" basically looked like green bunny ears, and 2) The Princess Leia costume was clearly not an infant costume since Chloe was swimming in it. So, we had half a costume for Evan and none for Chloe. Brian left me in charge (re-read the first paragraph of this post and wonder what he was thinking) and he had to go away for a few days.
Well... if you remember I had some rough days filled with a non-sleeping naked child and basically did nothing about the costumes. I decided Evan could wear his Jedi robes and with his blonde hair he basically looks like Anakin Skywalker so I went with that (and Brian bought him a glow-in-the-dark light saber):
Trying to figure out his light saber.
Success.
And then I got cheap and decided I wasn't going to buy a costume for Chloe since she wouldn't leave her car seat anyway. Instead I dressed her in a really cute onesie with a tu-tu that says "Rocker Princess" on it and spiked her hair. I then dressed up in an ensemble which faintly resembled a fat midget hooker with some 80s paraphernalia (this is what happens when you don't define your costume well or wait until the last minute):
Clearly I should have gone as a "rich lady" but Chloe looks super cute.
And... Brian went as Brian. He did wear a sweatshirt from his alma mater so I said if anyone asked he could be a college student. No one asked. Although someone asked me if I was dressed-up and that just confused me a little... but I guess I was plausible and probably had on the same make-up I wore in the 90s (which Brian really liked by the way).
So, on Saturday off we went to the East Atlanta Village Halloween night (EAVoween). Basically all the businesses in our downtown hand out candy to everyone... it's a nice safe alternative to house to house trick-or-treating in East Atlanta. It was a lot colder this year so we didn't see as many kids but Evan still enjoyed himself (and Chloe loved looking at everything).
We ended the evening at the Firehouse where Evan got to sit in a fire truck:
He was so excited he didn't even know what to do.
I think he kept looking for permission because it was too big for him to understand.
We then decided, mostly because I was too tired and didn't feel like dealing, not to dress him up Evan tonight and take him out. We got about 10 trick-or-treaters at our house, with only about 7 of them in actual costume, and then we shut off our porch light. Brian's right... we are a little half-assed about all of this. There are some days when I feel like we are the Griswold Family (the wife's name is Ellen).
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
It's Been One of Those Days...
Actually... it started last night. Chloe was up twice (once for a feeding and once from coughing - apparently she needs to hit me over the head to tell me she needs a humidifier) and Evan was up... like 5 bazillion times. I still am not sure why but he was up at least 4 times that I can verify... I also think there were some more times he was up but I didn't fully wake up so I can't count those as 100% true.
And then he woke up at 5:00 am. I was able to convince him to stay in bed (I have no idea if he slept or not) until 6:00 am and then we were downstairs watching Yo Gabba Gabba (which is the current obsession). Chloe then decided to wake up at 6:20 am (almost an hour early). I was pretty sure none of this was a good omen for my day and then this happened and I knew my day was not going to be good:
So, once he put back on his pajamas and Chloe agreed to her morning nap (which was an hour earlier than usual since she woke up so early) I thought maybe... just maybe this day was salvageable. Then Chloe only slept for an hour (she usually sleeps for 2 in the morning) and I was ready to stick Evan on the corner and see who would take him. Both children really needed some sleep time but I had to be smart about it and figure out how to let them nap for just so long so that they would still nap in the afternoon (or I was going to start drinking at 2pm).
At 11:00 am, I opted for the tried and true technique known as "the walk." I put them both in the double stroller and took off. They wouldn't sleep... apparently the fresh air was too enticing. I walked all around my little corner of the world and finally... at 11:45 am, they both nodded off (it was creepy... first Evan fell asleep and then within minutes Chloe went to sleep - I don't know if she was waiting for him or what). The good news was that they fell asleep... the bad news is that the window was small for letting them sleep without putting the afternoon nap in jeopardy. So I started the walk home.
I made it back to the house by 12:05 pm and had to take pictures of the sleeping babies before I woke them up (mostly because I needed to remind myself how cute they are when they sleep because they weren't cute when they were awake):
So, they woke up and I was reminded that there are some days you just get through. Chloe only napped 1.5 hours in the afternoon (again, down from the 2 she usually does) and Evan took forever to fall asleep for his nap (because he kept calling for me) and therefore he had to be woken up (he can't sleep past 4:00 pm or he won't go down at night) and was even crankier (if that was possible).
It was one of those days that made me think of what my mother said once (and I'm paraphrasing), "There were days I was happy that you all couldn't tell time because you went to bed early." Both of my kids were in bed and lights out by 7:00 pm (Chloe by 6:30 pm). Usually this phenomenon doesn't happen until 7:30 pm. And I might be in bed with lights out by 9:30 pm.
But before I go to bed I'm going to ask the Universe to go easy on me tomorrow... or easier than today. Is that too much to ask?
And then he woke up at 5:00 am. I was able to convince him to stay in bed (I have no idea if he slept or not) until 6:00 am and then we were downstairs watching Yo Gabba Gabba (which is the current obsession). Chloe then decided to wake up at 6:20 am (almost an hour early). I was pretty sure none of this was a good omen for my day and then this happened and I knew my day was not going to be good:
(Listen - don't hate me for the privacy box, there are creepy people out there.)
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the face of a little boy who decided he did NOT want to wear his pajamas or his diaper this morning. I had no say in the matter as he didn't need my help getting any of it off. He made himself naked and then informed me he would be using the potty.
And the potty was there (along with 4,000 other things as you can see in this picture) and he even sat on it once or twice... but he did not use it. Thankfully, at one point he decided he was too cold and he put his pajamas back on.So, once he put back on his pajamas and Chloe agreed to her morning nap (which was an hour earlier than usual since she woke up so early) I thought maybe... just maybe this day was salvageable. Then Chloe only slept for an hour (she usually sleeps for 2 in the morning) and I was ready to stick Evan on the corner and see who would take him. Both children really needed some sleep time but I had to be smart about it and figure out how to let them nap for just so long so that they would still nap in the afternoon (or I was going to start drinking at 2pm).
At 11:00 am, I opted for the tried and true technique known as "the walk." I put them both in the double stroller and took off. They wouldn't sleep... apparently the fresh air was too enticing. I walked all around my little corner of the world and finally... at 11:45 am, they both nodded off (it was creepy... first Evan fell asleep and then within minutes Chloe went to sleep - I don't know if she was waiting for him or what). The good news was that they fell asleep... the bad news is that the window was small for letting them sleep without putting the afternoon nap in jeopardy. So I started the walk home.
I made it back to the house by 12:05 pm and had to take pictures of the sleeping babies before I woke them up (mostly because I needed to remind myself how cute they are when they sleep because they weren't cute when they were awake):
So, they woke up and I was reminded that there are some days you just get through. Chloe only napped 1.5 hours in the afternoon (again, down from the 2 she usually does) and Evan took forever to fall asleep for his nap (because he kept calling for me) and therefore he had to be woken up (he can't sleep past 4:00 pm or he won't go down at night) and was even crankier (if that was possible).
It was one of those days that made me think of what my mother said once (and I'm paraphrasing), "There were days I was happy that you all couldn't tell time because you went to bed early." Both of my kids were in bed and lights out by 7:00 pm (Chloe by 6:30 pm). Usually this phenomenon doesn't happen until 7:30 pm. And I might be in bed with lights out by 9:30 pm.
But before I go to bed I'm going to ask the Universe to go easy on me tomorrow... or easier than today. Is that too much to ask?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Bunch of Random Things Together
Here are some random moments of my life over the last week...
It's been cold here this past week (and real cold... like in the 40s at night and 50s during the day) so I had to pull out the kids' new winter coats that Maga (known as Naga to Evan) bought as Christmas presents. This is what Chloe looked like... the cutest pink elf I've ever seen.
As an aside... putting her in and out of this coat is such a pain in the tookus that unless it's been freezing I've just been throwing a blanket over her. Yes, I'm sometimes a lazy mother. And, on top of that, the other day I went to Target with the kids and Evan had on his winter coat but no socks or shoes... some battles just aren't worth my time.
The East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market and the East Atlanta Parents Network worked together to bring pumpkin (or "punky" as Evan calls it) painting to the kids.
I think my son is a craft fiend. He was really in to the whole painting aspect.
Seriously, it was hard to get the brush away from him once it was time to go. Thankfully the paint was washable because first-time mom over here didn't even think about putting a smock on him.
And this is Evan's block tower. He has recently become very obsessed with stacking blocks and he was SUPER proud of this tower. I swear I only put on the top few layers... he did everything else.
Oh, and the cans? He took those out of my pantry to stack them. Seriously, I had to explain that? Didn't / don't your kids do that?
This picture has a lot of stories behind it. The first one (and Brian's least favorite) is the headband. Yes, Evan is wearing a headband. The morning that this picture was taken I put on a headband. As usual Evan was in the bathroom with me (because he really is never more than 2 feet away from me when Brian isn't home) and once he saw me put in a headband he wanted one. So, I gave him one. And he wore it most of the day.
The second story is that Evan, for some reason, has recently decided he doesn't like his picture taken. I don't understand this whole thing since he used to be a camera hog... but now he runs away.
Don't believe me? Check out the video evidence:
Or view at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JivQwXnsew8.
And here we move on to Chloe. This was the headband day and Chloe was wearing Evan's hand-me-downs so I felt I had to get a picture of her all decked out in boy clothes (and I say that facetiously because no one noticed she wasn't wearing gender appropriate clothing... probably because at her age a monkey isn't gender specific).
And this is a sad moment in Chloe's hair. Chloe has cradle cap (which I may or may not have told you all) so she gets her hair washed every couple days with selsun blue. This shampoo washes her hair a little too well so it doesn't stick up like it usually does... and this makes me sad. But, she is still super cute.
This is Evan's yoda figurine (which used to be Brian's figurine that Evan bought for Daddy for some holiday that I can't remember but which Daddy gave back to Evan once Evan figured out that he wanted it). And it is of course not age appropriate since it is ceramic... which you can tell because one of his ears has fallen off.
This photo is Evan showing off his $1 canister that I bought at Target and that he uses to put things in (which is currently his favorite past time... all bags, any containers... he puts things in them). But, the best part of this picture is the head band. I gotta say... it looks really good on him.
It's been cold here this past week (and real cold... like in the 40s at night and 50s during the day) so I had to pull out the kids' new winter coats that Maga (known as Naga to Evan) bought as Christmas presents. This is what Chloe looked like... the cutest pink elf I've ever seen.
As an aside... putting her in and out of this coat is such a pain in the tookus that unless it's been freezing I've just been throwing a blanket over her. Yes, I'm sometimes a lazy mother. And, on top of that, the other day I went to Target with the kids and Evan had on his winter coat but no socks or shoes... some battles just aren't worth my time.
The East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market and the East Atlanta Parents Network worked together to bring pumpkin (or "punky" as Evan calls it) painting to the kids.
I think my son is a craft fiend. He was really in to the whole painting aspect.
Seriously, it was hard to get the brush away from him once it was time to go. Thankfully the paint was washable because first-time mom over here didn't even think about putting a smock on him.
And this is Evan's block tower. He has recently become very obsessed with stacking blocks and he was SUPER proud of this tower. I swear I only put on the top few layers... he did everything else.
Oh, and the cans? He took those out of my pantry to stack them. Seriously, I had to explain that? Didn't / don't your kids do that?
This picture has a lot of stories behind it. The first one (and Brian's least favorite) is the headband. Yes, Evan is wearing a headband. The morning that this picture was taken I put on a headband. As usual Evan was in the bathroom with me (because he really is never more than 2 feet away from me when Brian isn't home) and once he saw me put in a headband he wanted one. So, I gave him one. And he wore it most of the day.
The second story is that Evan, for some reason, has recently decided he doesn't like his picture taken. I don't understand this whole thing since he used to be a camera hog... but now he runs away.
Don't believe me? Check out the video evidence:
Or view at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JivQwXnsew8.
And here we move on to Chloe. This was the headband day and Chloe was wearing Evan's hand-me-downs so I felt I had to get a picture of her all decked out in boy clothes (and I say that facetiously because no one noticed she wasn't wearing gender appropriate clothing... probably because at her age a monkey isn't gender specific).
And this is a sad moment in Chloe's hair. Chloe has cradle cap (which I may or may not have told you all) so she gets her hair washed every couple days with selsun blue. This shampoo washes her hair a little too well so it doesn't stick up like it usually does... and this makes me sad. But, she is still super cute.
This is Evan's yoda figurine (which used to be Brian's figurine that Evan bought for Daddy for some holiday that I can't remember but which Daddy gave back to Evan once Evan figured out that he wanted it). And it is of course not age appropriate since it is ceramic... which you can tell because one of his ears has fallen off.
This photo is Evan showing off his $1 canister that I bought at Target and that he uses to put things in (which is currently his favorite past time... all bags, any containers... he puts things in them). But, the best part of this picture is the head band. I gotta say... it looks really good on him.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Poltergeist
So, I've been thinking about those people who claim they have a poltergeist in their house because cabinets and doors are open that they didn't open, drawers are emptied of their contents, etc. I'm probably thinking about this because I've been watching that new show on FX "American Horror Story" and it's really good... and really spooky.
And I've come to a conclusion. Those people who think they have a poltergeist first need to make sure there is not a 2-year old within a 5 mile radius of their house. Because... it's probably the 2-year old. Here is my irrefutable data:
And I've come to a conclusion. Those people who think they have a poltergeist first need to make sure there is not a 2-year old within a 5 mile radius of their house. Because... it's probably the 2-year old. Here is my irrefutable data:
- I was giving Chloe a bath this morning, turned around and all the cabinets were open... no Evan in sight but he had been in earlier.
- I was in the shower this morning and when I got out the contents of one of Brian's drawers was on his sink... no Evan in sight but he had been in earlier.
- Regularly I enter my kitchen and all the cabinets that he has access to are open with no Evan in sight.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Book Deal
No, I don't have a book deal and as far as I know there are no book deals forthcoming. But, earlier today as I was trying to cook dinner with one baby crying and another running around the house destroying everything I thought about a book. More specifically, I thought what would be the title of a book if I wrote it about my life... because, you know, no one has ever thought about writing a book about being a mom... especially not a funny book.
Anyway, these were the titles I came up with (feel free to add any other ideas in the comments):
But, I do have to say, now that everyone is in bed, and it's quiet, and I've had a few minutes to regroup, I do really love my children and I am really grateful to be able to be a stay-at-home mom (but none of this is funny which is why it would never make it in my fictitious book with its fictitious snarky title).
Anyway, these were the titles I came up with (feel free to add any other ideas in the comments):
- I'm Going Crazy Over Here... No, Seriously
- Want a Free Kid?
- Dante Missed a Circle (sub-title: Clearly He Didn't Have Children)
- I Have Kids Therefore I Drink
- Sorry, I Can't Hear You Over The Screaming
- I Would Never Have Time to Read This Book
- This Is As Good As It Gets... Meh
But, I do have to say, now that everyone is in bed, and it's quiet, and I've had a few minutes to regroup, I do really love my children and I am really grateful to be able to be a stay-at-home mom (but none of this is funny which is why it would never make it in my fictitious book with its fictitious snarky title).
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Me - Awesome Mom
Not only did I make sure that Evan got musical instruments for his birthday, not only do I let Evan use crayons in the house, not only do I have finger paints waiting in the closet for the perfect day... but I let Evan play with play dough AND I let him mess up the play dough and mix all the colors (it is his play dough after all). I know, I'm an awesome mom... stop telling me, I already know (that is until I completely lose my cool because Evan keeps trying to play with the kitty litter and do something really mature like lock him out of the litter room while I'm in the room cleaning it only there is no lock on the door and he can turn the handle to get back in the room so I turn into a screaming banshee... then I'm not so awesome).
Anyway, back to me being awesome... on Sunday I introduced the play dough to Evan. And it only took about 10 minutes for Brian to come out and want to play as well. I of course then made sure that Chloe was part of the fun.
I let Evan play with the play dough out on our screened-in porch on top of newspaper. Surprisingly he kept it on the paper the entire time. And, to let Chloe participate, I put her on the table in her Bumbo. You know, because only a responsible parent would put her child in a foam chair on top of a table.
And sure, her father was there in case she threw herself backwards... but he looks a little distracted by the play dough.
And then there is this... I'll never tire of those big blue eyes. Oh, and did I tell you... the reason the Eagles won this past Sunday is because Chloe wore this onesie. She'll be wearing it again in 2 weeks (bye week for Eagles this weekend - no game).
The boys didn't even notice how cute Chloe looked. They were busy in their own worlds. Evan was working on making one giant blob of play dough and Brian was working furiously, using my cookie cutters, to make:
Yup, Star Wars play dough. And, he insisted I take this picture so we could have it for posterity.
Brian wasn't the only one enthralled by the whole play dough / cookie cutter connection. Check out these videos:
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov87EkWbnS0
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asAkTcRW4kI
Oh, and just for fun, let's look at yet another video where my daughter refuses to perform:
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTKrgvCcPU
I swear that when I make those odd noises she usually responds. Trust me, I'm not walking around talking to myself like that.
Anyway, back to me being awesome... on Sunday I introduced the play dough to Evan. And it only took about 10 minutes for Brian to come out and want to play as well. I of course then made sure that Chloe was part of the fun.
I let Evan play with the play dough out on our screened-in porch on top of newspaper. Surprisingly he kept it on the paper the entire time. And, to let Chloe participate, I put her on the table in her Bumbo. You know, because only a responsible parent would put her child in a foam chair on top of a table.
And sure, her father was there in case she threw herself backwards... but he looks a little distracted by the play dough.
And then there is this... I'll never tire of those big blue eyes. Oh, and did I tell you... the reason the Eagles won this past Sunday is because Chloe wore this onesie. She'll be wearing it again in 2 weeks (bye week for Eagles this weekend - no game).
The boys didn't even notice how cute Chloe looked. They were busy in their own worlds. Evan was working on making one giant blob of play dough and Brian was working furiously, using my cookie cutters, to make:
Yup, Star Wars play dough. And, he insisted I take this picture so we could have it for posterity.
Brian wasn't the only one enthralled by the whole play dough / cookie cutter connection. Check out these videos:
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov87EkWbnS0
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asAkTcRW4kI
Oh, and just for fun, let's look at yet another video where my daughter refuses to perform:
Or access the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFTKrgvCcPU
I swear that when I make those odd noises she usually responds. Trust me, I'm not walking around talking to myself like that.
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