Monday, June 22, 2009

Emma's 4 month Appointment



Emma Jane had her four month well-baby check up today and everything went really well. First of all, Luke was an absolute ANGEL. He sat in the chair in the exam room the whole time and played with his dinosaurs. He was quiet and patient, and even gave Dr. Bean a high five and answered his questions!

Emma weighed in at a whopping 11lbs 3 oz-- she's our little petite-bebe. She is in the 50th percentile in height, but only 10th in weight and head circumference. I am actually pleased with that, because I think she is perfect all skinny and tiny and bald! :) She eats plenty and Dr. Bean told me not to worry, she just might be a little girl. Emphasis on LITTLE.

Anyways, she is perfectly perfect and healthy!

Friday, June 5, 2009

Out of Character

Many of you know that Phil had been planning on leaving Sunday for the E3 Video Gaming Conference in Los Angeles. I was stressed out about this, because it meant four days alone with the kids. As the conference approached, Phil seemed to be getting more and more nervous about the trip. He was wary of driving the truck because it is 6 years old and a stick- not good for traffic jams. He was nervous about staying with the friend of a friend because he didn't know him well. He was nervous about navigating the LA freeway system because he couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. He was nervous about leaving the kids for four days because he would miss them terribly.

So on Sunday afternoon, he began to waffle. He started saying that maybe he wouldn't go. Fearing that this could only turn in to a repeat of the Vegas '09 disaster (he couldn't go because Emma was four weeks old and STILL complains about it) I told him to GO ALREADY. On a whim, I offered to bring myself and the kids along. I said we'd play at Disneyland while he did his conference- and then on the last day, we'd all go to Disneyland together. Ha ha ha. How spontaneous THAT would be!

I never thought he'd take me seriously.

See, Phil and I don't do these types of things. We are the opposite of spontaneous and adventurous. Our idea of fun is checking our savings account balance to see how much interest we've accrued. So to decide to take a four day vacation, and to spend hundreds of dollars, on essentially twelve hours notice was... well... odd. Yet, in less than four hours, we had booked a hotel, bought a 3-day pass to Disneyland for myself, mapquested every place we'd go, and packed up the car. We left at 7am the next morning.

Overall, things went really well. I spent two days at the Magic Kingdom with the kids. There was plenty to look at, the weather was great, and Luke and Emma could ride everything but the big roller coasters. Luke rode in the stroller or wore his monkey leash, and Emma chilled in the Moby Wrap. The MVP of the trip was DEFINITELY the Moby. If she was awake, she could face outward a la Bjorn. If she was asleep she could face inward, or lay cradled and hidden away.

That is not to say we didn't have some *issues* the first day. First of all, I'd forgotten how LOUD these rides are. Or maybe I never noticed because I had never tried to keep a baby asleep as I rode one before. On our very first ride- "its a small world", (don't judge, we were waiting for Toontown to open and there was no line) Emma woke up halfway through and SHRIEKED until we got off the little boat. I got some really dirty looks from the Chinese family sitting in front of me. Seriously? The worlds most annoying song is being blared as scary puppets dance around, and you think my baby is ruining the experience?! Oh well. Whatcha gonna do?

Later that afternoon, Luke wanted to ride Heimlich's Chew Chew Train at California Adventure. Its a little train in the shape of a caterpillar that drives through large pieces of food. Luke loved it. lOVED it. So much so that I had to drag him kicking and screaming off of it while I also kept Emma in the Moby wrap. He put so much energy into this tantrum that he kicked both of his shoes off and the conductor person had to chase me down to give them to me. We were quite the sight. Then, when I put him into the stroller to put the shoes back onto him, he kept tantruming and kicking and kicked Emma (in the moby wrap) in the face. She started screaming, people started staring, and I left the area as quickly as possible while avoiding eye contact with every adult. (Emma was not hurt- just annoyed. Wouldn't YOU be?!)
We had a nice long chat while waiting for the Pixar Parade and, after Luke realized that you had to take turns and get OFF a ride when it was over, we were golden.

On day two, we hit Disneyland early, and rode the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion (which BROKE DOWN for thirty minutes while we were on it!!!), Dumbo, the Merry Go Round, Pinnochio, Snow White, and the Casey Jr. Circus Train. It was on that train that I learned that I could discreetly nurse Emma WHILE riding the train. See, the broken Haunted Mansion sucked up most of Emma's nap- so of course she woke up just as we were about to board the train. She was already lying sideways in the wrap, completely hidden. To avoid a repeat performance of "its a small world" I started nursing her as soon as we were sitting in the train car. No one could see, she was happy, and I began to feel invincible! I now knew how to handle any Em-meltdown at Disneyland! BOOBIES!!! Yeah!!!

Luke did GREAT the rest of the day! He patiently waited his turn for every ride, got off the rides as soon as they were done, and didn't try to run away. It was also really cloudy and rained a little- keeping the crowds down.

It was this day that I learned that apparently, Emma is a gorgeous baby, and apparently, no one has ever seen a Moby wrap before. I mean, of course *I* thought she is perfect, but I'm her mom. Every mom thinks her kid is perfect. However, this weekeng I lost track of how often I was stopped on the streets of Disneyland to be told how cute/precious/beautiful she was. Maybe they just felt bad for me because I was one woman with a toddler and baby, and wanted to lift my spirits? But she deserved every complement. Other than the two meltdowns I have described, she was a perfect, happy, cooing, blob of baby. thank goodness.

The third day, Phil came with us. We took the double stroller this time, and we had the best time ever! We rode Autopia, Nemo's Submarine Ride, Pirates of the Carribean, Teacups, Alice in Wonderland, the Storybook boats, Dumbo, and Buzz Lightyears Astro BLasters. Luke loved it all. And the third day was much less stressful with help from Phil!

Overall, I'm proud of us for stepping out of our comfort zone and taking such an impromptu vacation. We created priceless memories and now know that we can take the kids anywhere- if we want to!













Monday, May 18, 2009

Mother's Day

Happy belated Mother's Day to all the strong, loving, caring, selfless, and exhausted mommys that I am blessed to know! This song makes me think of YOU!



This month, we did what Phil always jokes is "my way"... celebrate each holiday 3 times. Well, we celebrated Mother's Day in style... but only twice! First, we went up to Casa Grande to have a relaxing Sunday lunch with Phil's mom's side of the family, the Strayers. We made yummy cold cut sandwiches and had pie and tried to stay out of the heat. Luke and Gabe, as usual, were partners in crime, while Emma played it cool sitting on various laps and looking cute.



This past weekend, we headed up to Phoenix. On Saturday night, Rita, Victoria, and Jeremiah came over and we bar-b-qued with my parents at their house. It was potluck style. Victoria brought this awesome "Grill Pack" of assorted marinated meats from this store called Fresh n Easy, and Rita brought meditteranean side dishes- lavasch bread ("cracker bread"- we had a LOT of fun with that name...) hummus, etc. I brought the peach cobbler and margaritas and mom made a salad. It was delicious and SO much fun to catch up with the girls (and Jeremiah). I hadn't seen Rita since the day before Emma was born, and Victoria since... September!

The next day, Angie, Shawn, and Shelby came over and we made imitation Paradise Bakery Club sandwiches (on croissants!) They tasted just like the originals, only we didn't have to wrangle three kids in a restaurant... so much better! We swam, hung out, and ate a delicious DQ Ice Cream cake. Angie will be 27 soon (next weekend), so I bought her what she asked for... acrylic drinking cups from Costco. Yes. I know. I could have gotten her something pretty or fun, but I wanted to get her what I knew she wanted, and we Sniders and nothing if not excruciatingly practical. ;)



I also made the ladies a Mother's Day mix CD. I am a child of the 80's, I can't help it. I LOVE mix CDs. Its so fun to pick out meaningful songs I think that they would appreciate, arrange them in just the right order, and then design the CD label. :) The songs that I picked for my moms for their "Mellow Mother's Day Mix 2009" were...

Superwoman * Alisha Keys
Somebody's Hero * Jamie O'Neal
In My Daughers Eyes * Martina McBride
Because you Loved Me * Celine Dion
When You Come Back Down * Nickel Creek
Teach Your Children * Crosby, Stills, and Nash
In My Life * Beatles (but sung by Allison Crowe)
God Only Knows * The Beach Boys
You've Got a Friend * James Taylor
Your Raise Me Up * Josh Groban




Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Mother's Day Retreat was a Success!

For the past few weeks, I have been working with Michelle and the Assistant Organizers of Meetup Moms to put together a Mother's Day Luncheon. We wanted it to be a relaxing afternoon with yummy food, great conversation, and best of all... no kids! The theme of the event was "If Mama Ain't Happy..." and the AOs came up with beautiful table centerpieces and favors that focused on taking time for ourselves- something we usually don't do as busy moms! It was at El Parador and was a raging success! How can 3 hours go by so fast?!? We had about 35 moms attend, and all seemed to be having as much fun as I was. We read hilarious "dirty little secrets" (contributed anonymously, of course), drawing raffle prizes, and eating yummy Mexican food and strawberry Costco cake! I am proud of my chicas and how hard they all worked to make this event appear seamless and well-organized. You are the best!

Musings on Turning 30




For some reason, my 30th birthday has seemed like a bigger deal than the other milestone birthdays I have had. On your 16th, you get a drivers license. On your 21st, you get to consume alcohol in public places. On your 30th, you get.... what? A slower metabolism? Decreased fertility? Saggier eyelids? I don't know. But I do know that whenever anyone I found out that I was going to turn 30, a look would come over them that would be a mixture of shock and pity. Even Phil was adamant that I should "do something" for this birthday. Phil, the man who would banish birthday celebrations forever were he not married to quite possibly the world's most festive person, suggested I throw a party. Really?!

Perhaps that is because Phil turned 30 about 9 months ago, and he had a hard time with it. We didn't do anything to celebrate (obviously... see previous paragraoh) but he talked about it a lot, and made random comments about getting old. In fact, most people do. I have helped celebrate with quite a few friends over the past few years as they bid farewell to their twenties. Its always fun, but there is an overwhelming sense that they are saying farewell to a more carefree time and heading into the more reserved, boring, responsible part of their life. That quite possibly the "best" days of their lives are behind them.

And in some senses, that is true. Turning 30 means that I probably won't be able to get away with using my old CatCard to get the college student discount at the theaters anymore. It means that my favorite songs from high school are now played on the Classic Rock station (is that even legal.. they're only 15 years old!)

I say bring it on! When was I ever spontaneous, carefree, or wild? Exactly. When did I ever enjoy drinking to excess? Wearing overly revealing clothing? I think you get my point. My point is: I was born 30. I've always been a homebody and slightly boring. Before kids, I could spend an entire day reading. I worn sunscreen before anyone cared and was frugal before it was cool. I TiVo the Suze Orman Show and 60 Minutes and read the business section of the newspaper. Heck, I read the newspaper. I know how to crochet.

But now that I am officially 30, I have no reason to feel embarrassed by my 9pm bedtime. After all, I am 30. Worried that people will notice that I'm on Facebook on a Saturday night (before 9pm ;) and not out at a party or something. Well duh, I'm 30. Sad that I didn't know who "Lady Gaga" was when she performed on American Idol. Why should I be? I'm 30 and now officially out of touch with today's youth. I am also married with two kids. Enough said.

The fact is, I am proud of what I have done in my 30 years on this planet. I earned my Master's Degree in Education, taught science for 5 years, married a wonderful man, and had two awesome little kids. I have created a family, and spend my days teaching them how to be gentle, kind, and polite (re: I give copious time outs for hitting). I take them to the zoo, explain what sounds letters make, and what to say when someone sneezes. I am happy that I am getting older. We all do, and it sure beats the alternative!

There is a line from an Alan Jackson song called "remember when" where he sings "remember when... 30 seemed so old, now looking back, its just a stepping stone, to where we are, where we've been, we'd do it all again, remember when". Amen, brother.

Here are some pictures of the Birthday Fiesta that we threw last week. It was awesome. My brother-in-law let me use his employee discount to order yummy Chili's fajita party platters, and the Costco cake and margaritas were delicious. My family came down from Phoenix, and my in-laws and friends came over, too. Kids were everywhere, and I had a blast! And it didn't last past 9pm. Per-fection.






My big birthday present from Phil and my parents was a patio dining set for the paver patio out back (by the rose bushes). I have always wanted one, but had never put the funds together for it. I love it so much! The past two nights, we have eaten out there. Luke calls it "having a picnic"!

On my actual birthday, I hosted a playdate at my house. A few friends came over, we ate Trader Joe's mini tacos and brownies, and relaxed all morning, watching the kids play. I didn't want to ruin the day with a stressful trip to a restaurant (2 kids is not conducive to a relaxing meal out), so we ordered pizza and ate at home. It was perfect!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Videos from this week

This week, we managed to get some good videos of the kids. So... without further ado...

With this one, you can hear both the dishwasher AND the oven timer beep. This was truly a "they are acting so cute, we should get the camera!" moment right before dinner....



This one was taken right after I got off the treadmill (hence really bad hair) and we were getting ready for bed. We're singing a song I made up while driving one day when Emma was screaming hysterically from the car seat. i just sang it over and over and over again to drown out the howling. Luke liked it and now its "our" song for Emma...

Monday, April 20, 2009

My hubby and his book deal!

Most of you know that Phil's second book, "Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel" is coming out September 1st. It is pre-orderable through Amazon.com and today, Publisher's Weekly ran a little blurb on it! Scroll down to see his name! Yeah, Phil!!!!!



Sunday, April 19, 2009

Race for the Cure


Today, my mom, mother-in-law, and daughter dressed up in pink and headed down to Reid Park for the 11th Annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I had never done this before, but I was excited to captain a team for Meetup Moms. We were the "Hakuna MaTATAs" and my friends Lisa, Angela, and Cathy (along with hubbies and kids) came along, too. Other than the traffic jam pulling into El Con Mall for parking, I was very impressed with how well the event was organized and staffed. There were over ten thousand participants expected and police officers were directing traffic and pointing people where to park, like at SPring training games. This was GREAT, because we didn't have to circle around looking for spots, we just followed the signs and parked where they told us. City buses were used as shuttles to move people from the parking lot to the staging area, saving us two miles of walking! We were all running late getting to the start line, but thanks to cell phones, we were able to meet up quickly and easily. A team picture was taken, and then off we went!



There were so many people walking, that we were moving at a snails pace for about half the walk. We had fun pointing out funny Team names and creative T-Shirts. My personal favorite was the group wearing "Tanks for the Mammaries" tank tops. Survivors wore special pink race bibs and many people had "In Celebration of..." and "In Memory of..." bibs pinned to their shirts, telling us who they were racing for and reminding us of how many people have suffered from breast cancer. It is truly scary if you think about it. But it was also great to see how clever and funny some groups were. Take THAT cancer! Some groups had signs and props, and we even saw another group wearing "Hakuna Matata" shirts-- I guess I'm not the punny genius I thought I was! Or at least not the only one! :)


It was impossible to keep the group together once the walk started, but that was okay. I had a great time walking with my moms! The weather was great, and Emma literally slept through the entire walk. We joked she "Slept Through The Cure!" and kept thanking her for making the event so enjoyable (as opposed to stressful had she been fussy).


We finished the walk in an impressive (or embarrassing) one hour and 27 minutes. If we had started on time and those darned Native American dancers (in full headdress complete with drummers) hadn't been holding us up, we would have finished soooo much faster. :) But hey, whatcha gonna do? We weren't being officially timed, so what did it matter, other than it is actually harder to walk really really slow than it is to walk fast! (Who knew?) We headed to the booths and scored some free yogurt from the Yoplait tent and scarves from the Ford tent. The Eegee line was too long, so we parked it under a shady tree and rested and ate a granola bar. Walking 2 miles an hour can really take it out of you! ;)


Overall, we had a great time, and I am already looking forward to doing this again next year. It was very empowering to be a part of something so big, and to feel like you are making a difference, even if it is just by walking in a big circle! :)

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter!

This week, we celebrated Easter Villarreal style! We started by coloring some Easter Coloring Pages and mailing them to the family. Luke has been into coloring lately, and frankly, it gave him something to do while I am (constantly) feeding Emma. He got excited when I said he was coloring pictures for specific people. :) On Wednesday, we went to the 2nd Annual Egg Hunt with Meetup Moms. Every kid was to bring a dozen filled plastic eggs, and you would leave with as many as you brought. To give you an idea of how many eggs we spread on the field... there were over 43 moms there! Some with multiple kids! It was so much fun to see all the kids running around on the soccer field picking up the eggs and then sitting down to see what goodies they had found! We finished up the week with a trip to Pump It Up Party (the inflatable playground) on Good Friday. Emma slept through the whole thing and I jumped and jumped and jumped with Luke!



This weekend, we embarked on a two city, two family, whirlwind Easter Tour! And we're only on moderate sugar highs! It all began yesterday morning when we packed up the Subaru with what looked like enough supplies for a weeklong excursion (actual trip length: 30 hours). We headed up I-10 to Glendale and visited with Nana and Poppa. The Hennessy's also came over and we enjoyed a relaxing ham and potato salad lunch. Well... maybe relaxing isn't the right word. Luke kept alternating between wanting to sit in the booster seat and wander around the house-- all with dinner rolls in each hand. Emma wanted to be held and bounced... just not in the dining room. Where everyone was. So Phil had to keep walking her around the house to keep her from crying and didn't get to eat with everyone. Argh. I'm pretty sure while we were the picture of chaos, Shelby sat like a little angel in her seat and quietly ate every bite of her dinner with perfect table manners. I think.




Anyways, after lunch, or was it before?-- its all a blur now, Angie and I "hid" plastic Easter eggs in such clever places as window sills and the middle of the living room floor... they are toddlers. We had fun helping Luke and Shelby find the eggs and put them in their baskets. This might be the last year I can get away with filling them with Goldfish crackers and trail mix. I plan to keep it a secret that most people fill the eggs with chocolate and jelly beans for as long as possible. Luke on a sugar rush is NOT a pretty sight and let's be realistic: we have no money. We wouldn't be able to afford to fill the cavities that would arise from munching on Easter cany, therefore dooming him to a life as "That Kid Without Teeth." And that's just cruel. Hence, the Goldfish.



Shelby and Luke played so well together. They really interact with each other now and have little conversations! Its fun to watch and makes me excited to see them grow up together. I, as usual, was really stressed out. I worry so much about the kids melting down or Phil not having a good time that I forget to have a good time. It took me a long time to relax and just enjoy the time, but eventually I did... :P I'll keep working on that.



We were a little worried about staying over at my parents house with both kids. Usually, Luke would sleep in the playroom in the pack and play and we would sleep in the guest room. Now that Emma would need the pack and play, Luke slept in the playroom on an air mattress on the floor. The only incident all night was when Luke rolled off the mattress, fell the 4 inches to the floor, scared himself, and began crying. We put him back on the mattress, tucked him back in, and kissed him goodnight. We didn't hear from him again until the next morning.

Easter morning, my dad made his "Egg Rick Muffins" (thanks, Mom, thats a GREAT pun!) and they were a huge hit. Phil ate two of them and Luke ate an ENTIRE Rick-Muffin. We used English Muffins, egg, cheese, and leftover ham. De-licious!!! Luke also loved his Easter basket, filled with goodies like bubbles, a magnifying glass, a small fire truck, Spider Man bandaids, and his first ever chocolate bunny! He ate it in one sitting (it was small and hollow) in quite possibly the happiest food-related expierience of his life. You are welcome, Little Man.


Between Easter parties...

I got all dolled up- curled my hair and everything, and said goodbye to nana and poppa to drive to Casa Grande for the final leg of our excursion. The Strayers were all meeting up for a potluck Easter Lunch slash badminton tournament. We never got around to the tournament, but we did eat quite the lunch! Our contribution was a broccoli and cheese casserole and a lemon cake from Costco. The casserole seemed to be a hit, which is great because I found the recipe online and had never made it before. Can you really go wrong, though, with cheese whiz, stuffing, and cream of mushroom soup? And bacon? I threw on some bacon bits because bacon makes everything better! ;) (The lemon cake was a substitution. I originally made my friend's Gooey Butter Cake, but it didn't make it past the Sniders. It was just too good, and after allowing my mom and sis to "taste test" it- they offered up the Lemon Cake (what we were supposed to have for dessert) in exchange for the Butter Cake!) We had a great time with the Strayers. Vicki and Rhiannon were meeting Emma for the first time, so I dressed her up in her new Easter dress! The boys (Gabe, Dom, and Luke) played together and wreaked all sorts of havoc, and everyone was able to catch up and enjoy each other's company.





When we got home, there were two surprises sitting on the kitchen island. Cindy had made two Easter baskets and left them for the kids to find. Luke's had a prayer book and some little toys and Emma's had a book, stuffed pink bunny, and a little outfit. Thanks, Gramma!

Overall, it was a great weekend. I really like when we get together with our families- it is always lots of fun and it makes me so happy that Luke will grow up knowing his aunts and uncles and cousins so well. Having grown up three thousand miles from my relatives gives me some perspective and I put a premium on the holidays.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Emma Jane is two months old!


I can't believe how fast the time has gone! I know everyone says that, but it is so true. It seems like those early nights camped out on the recliner in the living room, watching back to back to back episodes of the "Starter Wife," while Emma slept on my chest were YEARS ago... not just weeks ago!

In the past few weeks it has been great to see her personality emerge. She smiles often, knows her family, and is settling into somewhat of a sleep schedule. Luke cares for her a great deal- he always wants to give her a hug and kiss before he leaves her. When she cries, he tries to shove the paci in her mouth or pat her leg and say "That's okay, Emma!" I hope this affection continues on when she becomes more active and mobile.

Although she is growing, at 8 weeks old she still is wearing "newborn" sized clothes. She is still sleeping in the bassinet in our room, but we plan to move her to her room in the next month. We are waiting until after my mom comes down next weekend for the "Race for the Cure" and my birthday party-- Emma's room is also the guest room! When everything settles down, we will make the transition.


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Hip Hip Hooray... Its a Gymboree Day!!!

...from hell.

Today started like any other, and I really thought that it was going to be a fun one. My plan was to take the kids to Gymboree, then to Riverfront park for some stroller walking and playing, and then to stop and bank and deposit some Meetup Moms checks into the group account. Well... we made it to Gymboree. And thats it.

First, I was hoping the Emma would sleep in her car seat through the one hour class so that I could follow Luke around and do the activities with him. She woke up as soon as we entered the building, so instead I strapped her into the baby bjorn (yeah! I was prepared!) and carried her around as I looked after Luke. She usually naps from about 9am-12pm, so she was missing some naptime, but she seemed content and I figured she could just make up for it later in the day.

As content as Emma was, Luke was a fiery ball of toddler. For whatever reason, he refused to participate in the group sing-a-longs and activities- he just wanted to play on the equipment. I'm pretty sure he tackled Keira (he always tackles Keira) and was not sharing anything. When I tried to drag him into the circle, he would start to thrash his arms and legs and scream at the top of his lungs "I don't want to!!!!!" Lovely.

About the time I get Luke to somewhat stay in the same vicinity of the group (who all are sitting with their toddlers on their laps singing along and shaking their maracas in perfect harmony), I hear a noise erupt from Emma's bottom. This is NOT a noise you want to hear in the middle of Gymboree class. I was hoping it was just gas, but it was followed by the most horrendous smell that you just could not ignore. Dammit.

So I get my friend Michelle to watch after Luke while I take Emma into the foyer to change her diaper. As I begin to remove her from the baby bjorn, I realize this is not going to be your average diaper change. Oh no. This is the Mt. Vesuvius of diaper changes. This blowout reached her shoulder blades... front AND back. It saturated numerous parts of her outfit, and even soiled part of the baby bjorn. Luckilly, I had one (only one?! I thought I had more. Whatever) diaper and just enough wipes to get the job done. While I am scraping poo off her back, a lady, with best intentions at heart I am sure, walks up and starts showing her toddler the "cute tiny baby" and asking how old she is. Um.... I'm a little busy here for stranger small talk, but whatever, I try to be polite. I tell her she is 7 weeks old as I remove poo from her feet and legs.

It gets worse. Just about then, I hear a cry. I know instantly that is MY little kid crying. Michelle, bless her heart, followed her own daughter to the other end of the playroom, and at that exact moment Luke decides to crawl into a large bin of basketballs (?) and the whole thing fell on him. He bonked his head and was crying big tears. So now I have a naked baby, and a crying toddler. Hmmmm... what to do. I call out to Michelle- who goes running to console Luke, and I reach into my bag to pull out the spare outfit when I realize there is NO SPARE OUTFIT!!! Crap.

So my only choice is to put her new diaper on, wrap her in the blanket, and put her back into the baby bjorn that has a little bit of poo stain on it. I wrap the soiled outfit in a flannel blanket i found at the bottom of my diaper bag (mental note: get rid of useless flannel blanket and buy some plastic bags) and stuff it in my bag and dump the yucky diaper into the only trash can I can find- under the desk of the Gymboree counter. I am so so so so so sorry for the poor soul who has to find that in there, but really, I had no choice.

I run back into the play area to kiss Luke's boo boo, and he is off and running. You couldn't really tell that she didn't have any clothes on, and she seemed happy as a clam (who wouldn't be after that kind of bowel movement?), but I sure wasn't going to earn any awards for Mommy of the Year this day.

Well, not five minutes later, Luke bonks his head AGAIN on the equipment. More tears. The boy needs a helmet. The group gathers for more singing and maraca shaking, but Luke, as usual, wants no part of that and throws a fit when I get him to join them. We had to have another time out in the foyer to calm down.

Now, I am not vain enough to think that anyone was really paying that much attention to what was going on with us today- after all, they were chasing their own kids around. But if they had been paying attention, they would have seen us as quite the cautionary tale. Do NOT bring a cranky toddler to Gymboree. Do NOT forget to stock up the diaper bag. Do NOT think that you can handle both a 26 month old and an almost 2 month old at a place like Gymboree!!

Thank God, by this time, the class is almost over. Bubble time, stamp time, and then we can go!!! Yeah!!! We only had one massive earth-shaking diaper blow out, 2 head injuries, and 3 time outs... in 45 minutes.

We pack up, and head home. The park- yeah right. The bank- it will still be there tomorrow. After all, Emma has no clothes (or any more diapers!) and I am about ready to stop at a drive thru liquor store for some mommy juice. I turn on the radio, and hear this song by Darius Rucker called "It won't be like this for long." Boy, it sure put things in perspective. I teared up and realized the day wasn't so bad after all.



He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all nite
Lay'n there in bed listen'n
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laugh'n
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll drop her off
And she wont even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It wont be like this for long

One day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times you'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she up and cry'n
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watch'n her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It wont be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
He's try'n to hold on
It wont be like this for long
It wont be like this for long

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Winter 2009 Forget-me-nots

1. Luke used to climb up onto the recliner and sit with me while I was feeding Emma.
2. Luke was an incredibly picky eater, but always loved meatballs, pancakes, (golden) and Grahams cereal.
3. Luke would say "maybe tomorrow" instead of "no" when we'd ask him a yes/no question. Guess I overused that when I didn't feel like doing something.
4. When Luke would wake up in the morning, he would stay in his bed and say "Daddy... where ARE you?" in a sing-song voice.
5. Luke transitioned to the big-boy bed that Nana & Poppa got him when Emma was only 3 weeks old... and I was so scared that it would be a disaster, but it wasn't!!!
6. For the first few weeks after Emma came home, Luke would go up to her, shake her hand, and say "Nice to meet you, Emma!"
7. Luke loved his Gummy Vitamins, which were themed after Marvel comic book superheroes. He called them his "Hulk Vitamins- 2 per day." This is because Luke would always ask for more, and Phil would say "you can only have 2 per day."
8. Luke was the King of No. He would change everything into a "no."
9. Luke was obsessed with the movie "Howl's moving castle" and loved to build a moving castle out of Mega Blocks.
10. Once, when he was going "Pee Pee in the Potty," Luke said in reference to the toilet, "I don't go in there... rats will bite my penis." I SWEAR, we never said anything like that to him. Ever. After all, we *want* him to get potty trained, not traumatize him forever!!!!
11. Emma smiled at us for the first time the third week of March, when she was 6 weeks old.
12. We spent many mornings walking laps around Riverfront Park in our Zooper double stroller, in a somewhat futile attempt to lose the baby weight. Luke would read books, Emma would sleep, and I would walk walk walk walk.
13. Luke loved to say "okay, sure" instead of "yes," on the very rare occasions that he would say yes to something!
14. Luke's favorite songs were "How Far We've Come" by Matchbox 20, "Not My Time" by Three Doors Down, "American Boy" (still!) by Estelle and Kanye West, and "Pocket full of Sunshine" by Natasha Bettingfield. He would say "I LOVE that song!" when it would come on the radio or Ipod rotation.
15. Luke loved to say "I can't try" when he couldn't do something, "thats pretty good!" when he tried a new food that he liked.
16. Luke looked so cute in his baseball hat and sunglasses.
17. Luke loved to fill buckets with sand from his sandbox, walk it over to the patio, and dump it on the cement and on the patio table. This provided endless fun for LUke and endless sweeping for me.
18. Every single day, when Phil would leave for work, Luke would say, "Where'd Daddy go?" I would say "he went to work to earn money for the family" and then Luke would say "go see him?" Every single day.
19. Luke decided that he loved his pediatrician, Dr. Bean, only when we started going in for Emma's well-baby checks. Before that, he would scream through the whole appointment.
20. Anytime anybody would get a boo boo, Luke would say "Gotta go see Dr. Bean!"
21. Luke finally completely mastered his colors! We taught him his colors by quizzing him on the colors of passing cars and trucks when on the highway.
22. Emma slept in a little white bassinet in our room at night. When she would wake up, I would get her, change her, and feed her. Then I would swaddle her and put her back in the bassinet. If she didn't go right back to sleep, Phil would get up with her. That was our system and we loved it!
23. Luke's favorite pajamas were his Batman and Superman outfits, complete with capes!
24. Every night when we tucked Luke in, we would say "Show me McQueen!" and he would shine his Lightning McQUeen (from the movie "Cars") flashlight on the ceiling. Then, after we shut the door, he would use that flashlight to look at books until he fell asleep. So cute!
25. On nice evenings, Phil would take Luke to the "Nastics Park," this little playground at the end of our street, to play. Luke named it the Nastics Park during the Summer 2008 Olympic Games, when he thought the playground equipment looked like gymnastics apparatus. He would hang on the bars pretending he was a gymnast.
26. When Emma would sleep in the swing, Luke would go up to it and start rocking it. He would try to sing the "Rock a bye Baby" lullaby. I would sorta get irritated because i wanted her to stay asleep, but it was sooooooo adorable.
27. Luke just could not wrap his mind around the fact that American cheese comes wrapped in plastic. He would go into the fridge, take out a slice, and try to eat it plastic and all. And then he would get confused.
28. I became addicted to Facebook.

...more to come...

Monday, March 23, 2009

The Crazy that is my life...

Those of you on Facebook have already seen some of these, but I thought I'd post them for my family. Emma is 6 weeks old today, and I already can't remember life before her! I think that Luke has adjusted really well- in part due to the fact that she sleeps most of the day, which allows for plenty of quality mommy/son time. He hasn't felt displaced yet, so he hasn't felt the need to act out too much. Aside, that is, from the running off at parks and answering "no" to everything we ever ask him. Par for the two-year-old course, I"m told. Funny story: we were at Sunday family dinner last night, and Luke's cousin, Gabe, was there for the first time in about a month. Gabe is three and is going through a really bossy phase. Like I said, Luke is two and is going through a really defiant, "no" phase. You can imagine how their conversations went! Gabe was always trying to get Luke to do things, and Luke was always saying no! They were frustrating each other to no end! It was hilarious to watch! :)





Thursday, March 19, 2009

I call this one "Future Blackmail"



We were snuggling on the bed this morning, and Luke was being so cute to Emma. He was hugging her and singing to her, all while pretending he was a garbage truck driver... and when I tried to take a video, he did what he has been doing a LOT lately even though I beg him not to.... you'll see. ;)

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Pictures, Images and Photos
St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays I never really cared much about. In school, I always made sure to wear green to avoid the pinching, but once college rolled around, I really stopped caring. I'm not a barfly, and don't drink much, so the "green beer" never did it for me. I don't even think I have any Irish in me. BUT, now that I have kids, I love to get my festive on! And what better way to spice up an otherwise bland month (except for Strayer Week, of course!) than to dress up in green and green food!? Exactly.

The fun began for us yesterday, when we headed off to our friend Marcie's for a St. Patty's Day themed playdate. Everyone brought green snacks (green in color- not in environmental friendliness, although my snap peas would probably be considered environmentally friendly... right?), and wore green clothes. We decorated shamrock shaped sugar cookies with green frosting, made a green foam shamrock craft, and whooped it up in the backyard. I had a great time chatting with Marcie, Carol, Michelle, Courtney, Kristen, and Sarah, and Luke seemed to enjoy himself with the kiddos. Emma slept through the whole thing, so I'm not sure what she thought of it! :P




Then, today, we headed over to Brandi Fenton park for the Meetup Moms St. Patty's Day Craftdate slash Parkdate. The weather was pretty warm (upper 80's) and it was super sunny. Emma, again, slept through the whole thing, which was such a blessing because Luke was pretty high maintenance- running off to explore the park (this time with his buddy Jack), making the craft, eating green muffins, and playing in the play area. It was a relaxing morning overall, and I was happy that I got to chat a bit with my friends and catch up with some I haven't seen in awhile. Also, we managed to avoid sunburn... and its only March!





So for tonight I am trying to think of something festive to make for dinner. We don't have any corned beef (although it makes sense to me now why Costco had so much of it last weekend- duh!) but we do have potatoes. The Irish love potatoes, right?! And green things?! Maybe I'll make green mashed potatoes. Remember, I have an audience of a 2 year old and a man who will eat almost anything... and loves mashed potatoes. They're sure to be a hit!

Edited to Add: Never got my act together on the mashed potatoes. Made green french toast (dyed the egg/milk mixture!) and hash browns. Good enough...