After Dark

When the lights go out and it is time for bed, this...



...gets ugly.




Sure, he may SEEM to love the cat by day.

But, by night - oh boy!




The shriek. The howl. The sobbing.

A nightmare? A storm? An accident?




No, my friends. It is a cat. In his room.



The horror.





But, in the morning...


all will be right again.

Things I Never Thought I Would Say

They say you change when you become a mom. At first, I resisted this. I disbelieved. Then, I noticed I was a different person.

The most startling part is how quickly my list of "Things I Never Thought I Would Say" has grown. (Side note: Being a teacher, I actually did have this mental list before I had kids. The list consisted statements like, "What are you doing? We don't crawl down the hallway!" which I said to fifth graders.)

Anyway, seemingly every day I pause to think of the absurdity of what I say. I hope know I'm not alone in thinking this!


"Oh no, sweetie, we don't use our toothbrush on our pee pee."

"Honey, let's talk about our poopy a little more quietly."

"Please don't stick your finger in your brother's nose."

"Yes, sweetie, mommy does wear a bra."

"Let's not touch the kitty's bottom."

"You're right! Your poopy does look like a letter 'P'!"



My mental list fails me. I know there's more.

I guess we'll have to wait for the boys to wake up so they can remind me.

A Weekend in Pictures

28 hours...

One "hootel" room...

Way too much fun to express in words.

Enjoy!

We Call Him "Bug Juice"

He...

calls his little brother...

Bug Juice.

(I'm pretty sure the above picture was generated by a comment, such as "Mommy, look at Bug Juice!")

We don't really know why. Except that Bug Juice (you know, this stuff) is apparently quite the treat.

Incidentally, everyone else gained food related nicknames. Daddy is "Ketchup." Mommy is "Corn." Uncle Mike is goober, but that's a story for a different day.

The "Ketchup" name caused a bit of an issue the other night. See, I really do NOT (do you get the point here?) like the smell of ketchup. This is important to the story, so remember it.


Anyway, the following conversation took place.

Big Brother (formerly known as "Chicken Nugget"): Mommy, do you like ketchup? (giggles)

Mommy (aka "Corn"): Umm...not really sweetie.

Pause.

Mommy: Oh! Do you mean Daddy?! Oh, well I like Daddy, but I don't like ketchup ketchup.

Big Brother: Daddy is Ketchup, Mommy! I mean, "Corn." Do you like Daddy?

Mommy Corn: Yes, sweetie. Yes, I like Daddy...I mean "Ketchup!" I just don't like real ketchup.



Oops. I hope it is clear to him now. I will feel bad if he develops some type of complex, thinking Mommy doesn't like Daddy.

Summer Survival Guide

What to do when...



...it's raining.

...the rain stops and your big brother is still asleep.

...you get a little extra sleep in the morning and want to do something fun in the afternoon.

...it's been a hot and rainy week and you need a break.

Then, you might want to rest.

All Stars

On Sunday, Father's Day and birthday presents were finally fulfilled.

We went to the Cardinals game. (Something we did much more often when there were no squirmy little guys!)

I chose this particular game because of something we did last year after the Cardinal game.

I mean, really, who wouldn't want to make running the bases at Busch Stadium an annual tradition?!


This year, we were a bit more prepared for the LOOONG line. Especially since we knew those wonderful folks at Busch would keep things moving right along.


This year, even I got to take a trip around the bases. (Last year, we didn't know Daddy would get to carry the little guy around!)



And...they're off!

So. Much. Fun.

Oh, and still the #1 Dad!

Things I'm Happy About Today

Ten things I am happy about today. In no certain order.

Except that number one is really #1.

1. I have a wonderful family.

2. My younger son did NOT poop on the floor today. (Read into that what you may.)

3. My older son walked up to me today and said, "Mommy, I just want a hug from you. Okay?"

4. We are having a garage sale tomorrow. Less stuff=less stuff to keep neat and clean!

5. I have been to two interesting and exciting meetings this week.

6. My younger son seems to like swim lessons. (Unless you do the unfortunate thing of asking him to float on his back. God forbid you actually make him do it.)

7. My older son wakes up at the crack of dawn, but he will play and read in his room so I can sleep until what I (or his little brother) deem to be a reasonable hour..

8. My master's class this summer is beginning to seem manageable.

9. I found out that I will be getting paid for two full days of work last week, instead of the one and a half I was expecting.

10. My toenails are sparkly pink.

Completely unrelated (and old!) picture that also makes me happy every single time I see it.

What to Do at the Park

Some kids go to the park to play.

And some kids go to the park to pull weeds and "cook spinach."

Can we get him on the payroll?

Afraid of the Water?

He...is not a big fan of water.

This would be the place for a picture of him screaming in the bathtub. However, when he screams in the bathtub, I am either holding him or putting laundry away in his room. Just imagine a wrinkled up nose, eyes squeezed shut and an ear-piercing scream.


So, we have basically decided to put him in or around the water whenever possible.



It seems to be working!


My eardrums have not burst during swim lessons. Yet.


Actually, I thought he had turned a corner.


Today, we got out our new backyard kiddie pool. There was laughing. There was dumping of water. There was squealing (of the happy kind). There was a small fight over who got which measuring cup. I was all set to weed the garden.


Then, he fell down. Cried. Wanted a hug. Got over it.

Crisis averted.


Until...he started crying again. He wasn't happy in the pool. Playing with the water table. Helping me pull weeds. (This is actually something I have to stop my boys from doing!)

Me: Do you want me to get out a ball? (He loves balls.)

Him: NOOOO!

At this point, I am about to concede that our efforts to make him like the water have failed. Miserably

Finally, we went inside. As I pulled down his trunks, something fell onto my foot (first hitting the stool and my arm). I'll give you a hint - it was not pleasant and I had to use plenty of soap and disinfectant spray.

Apparently, that is why he was not happy outside. Makes sense.

We'll try the pool again later...

My Family

This is my family...

...and they make me happy.

Going to the Fair

We wouldn't miss a chance to go to the county fair. Animals, greasy food, hot sun, rides...what's not to love?

First, we went to kids day.

The boys got some free balloons, courtesy of our local politicians. Then, I made the poor little guys stare into the bright sun while I took a picture.

We went over to see some of the animals. The chickens and bunnies were a hit.

No pictures from the swine barn though. A pig grunted and made our little man cry. Terrifying, I'm sure.

The next night (notice the change of clothes!), we took the boys back for a nutricious dinner of corn dogs and a ride. ($17 for an armband?! We'll pick a ride and buy tickets, thanks.)

After a walk around and a look at every ride, the motorcycles won out.

Is he pointing? Rocking out? I don't really know.

The train seemed like a good bet for both boys. It was...

...until it was time to get off. The slightly more dramatic of our two children proceeded to cry. All the way home.

The end.

Cheeks

Sometimes, I hear whispers. They come from little girls, ladies in the grocery store, nice old people...

They tend to whisper about my little man's cheeks. The ones on his face, of course! I know what you were thinking. In case you were wondering, the word "pinch" is often used.


I suppose he is rather *ahem* well-endowed in the cheek department.

I think he may be part chipmunk because those cheeks sometimes serve as a food storage area. He kind of likes to eat.

He also happens to have a cute laugh, a fondness for showing you his tongue, and a love of giggling and running away when you are trying to catch him. Of course, the ladies at the grocery store don't see these things quite as readily.

I can see how his cheeks might draw your attention.

However, when he wears his shades the cheeks sort of take a backseat.

These shades won him the admiration of a whole crew of tourists. He was photographed at Red Rocks and the subject of much conversation in Kansas City. I'm not sure what language the nice ladies in Colorado were speaking, but I'm pretty sure they used the word "cute"

...a lot.

That's certainly the word I would use.

This Kid

This kid makes me smile.

He's kind of a happy kid. Can you tell?

He likes to run through the sprinkler. He tells me that the water is "pretty wet."

He also likes to play the piano. While wearing his turtle puppet. And telling his brother to use only one finger. He will ask to see this picture as soon as it is taken because, well, he doesn't know cameras haven't always shown you the picture right away.

He also knows the password for any "troll bridges" you might find. I would hate to give away the secret, but suffice it to say that the password also makes the clubhouse appear on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."

Despite the fact that our cats and our dog sometimes fear him, he loves animals. This is Chip (Dale was apparently down the path). Chip actually sniffed his hand. I'm sure it was because Chip wanted to be friends and not because there may have been a scent of peanut butter.

Did I mention that he cracks me up?