Sunday, May 31, 2009

Addi's Chores

Why you don't put a three year old in charge of feeding the dog.


Saturday, May 30, 2009

Addi's Big Day

Addi had her first date today! She was a really good girl yesterday for our babysitter, so as a reward she got to take a date to the circus. She was so excited she could hardly stand it!

To get ready, she picked out an outfit and then she got a mani/pedi, a la Mommy. She even got little flowers on her toes, just like a big girl.


It was a little weird sending her on her first big date, but it turns out I really like the guy she chose.

Jay said it was a great date with just the two of them. Addi's favorite part was the clowns with the funny noses, and she also liked the elephants!

They did have a slight issue when she had to go potty towards the end of the show. She refused to use the men's room because "Those are for BOYS! I'm a girl!" and then when they finally got back to their seats, the circus was over and her cotton candy had been thrown away.
Jay said she just sat there looking sad, so he bought her another bag of cotton candy. It came with a free hat.

I'm so happy her first date went so well. Fingers crossed we don't have another one for many, many years!

Friday, May 29, 2009

What's in a name...

Growing up, I had a few nicknames. Lee and I were called Winnie and Wyndall Whiner for obvious reasons, and Lee called me Sis for quite a few years. I was also called “Monk” and for years thought it was because I climbed around a lot, like a monkey. I later found out that my bat-shit-crazy dear aunt Melva apparently thought I looked like a monkey as a baby, and it stuck. (For those who think I am being disrespectful of dear aunt M, trust me, I was being kind with my description - but that’s another blog entirely.)

And despite my parents best efforts to convince me otherwise, anyone who viewed my baby pictures could see that, crazy as she was, Melva was dead on about the resemblance. So, Monk I became and years of being self consciousness took hold.

Now that I see what everyone else does (you know I’m hot! Hello!) I have moved on from my Monk-hating days. And I affectionately call my own little girl Monk now and don’t even think twice about it.

No, not because she looks like a monkey.

But because I do believe she might be PART monkey.

The girl can climb, chair not needed. The problem is, she's recruiting. And holding training camp in covert locations, like under our dining room table.

Ah, the joy of parenting small children.


Thursday, May 28, 2009

They paid off - at least today

In a moment of self indulgence, one day last week I went and had my nails done.

Don't they look nice? However, several time since then I have thought to myself, "Wow, self, that was kind of a waste of money. Did you really need them?"

Then, I say, "Be quiet Self!" and move on and enjoy my nice looking hands. Until that annoying voice comes back, threatening to ruin my fun in Vanity Land. The adult version of Candy Land.

Until tonight, when I got home and saw dinner on the table, ready for the kids and I to eat. Fifteen minutes later, Sam had made an absolute mess of her Jay-made Chinese food (or should we call it Jay-nese?).

Seriously, rice everywhere. Imagine my surprise when I actually found rice stuck in the bottom on Sam's shoes. The BOTTOM. That takes a skill that I wish I could bottle up and sell.

And then, my beautiful new nails became handy and quite useful. I didn't imagine that I'd be using them to dig partially chewed rice out of Sam's Stride Rites but it got the job done.

So the next time I get my nails done, I will do it with a smile and only a small amount of guilt. And fingers crossed that I won't be digging anything nastier than rice out of any odd places.


On the move

With walking now her made form of travel, I feel I can say it... We have a walker on our hands.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The dog food dilemna

Being a parent has changed me. Some in profound, 'I don't know what I did before I had these two amazing kids in my life' ways. Some in small, 'I don't remember what it's like to brush my teeth alone' ways.

I am more patient, then less patient. Happier, then sadder. I frequently wash my hair with only one hand (while the other hand is holding the shower door shut while Sam bangs on it, screaming at the top of her lungs). I eat hot dogs a LOT more regularly than I'd like. I drink less beer, rarely wear high heels, and haven't seen a movie in a theatre in I don't know how long.

We now have two kinds of milk in the fridge. Sippy cups fill my dishwasher. I know what it's like to step in pee.

It's funny how many things have changed and without giving it some serious thought don't even realize we changed those things because of the kids.

For instance, this weekend we bought dog food. Addi picked out a fun looking kind that had various colors of dog bones and shapes in it, and Jay vetoed it because of all of the food coloring. He reminded me that this brand stains our carpet, and I nodded, vaguely remembering something about that.

Fast forward to this morning. Me, chasing Addi around the kitchen, trying to brush her hair. Sam, quietly munching away on dog food. As I told her no, she crawled away, drooling dog food juice all over her as she went.

And then I remembered. THAT'S why we switched dog food in the first place! Addi also routinely got a hankering for dog kibble and drooled food coloring all over our carpet. And then stained said carpet a lovely pink color.

So THAT'S why we changed brands.

Oh, the things I forget. Which, I think, is a lovely, clueless way to live.


There's A Whole Lot Of Pottying Goin' On

Now that Addi is officially potty trained, we've had to adjust a few things. Before jumping in the car, she must potty. Then we have to remember to ask her on regular intervals if she has to go and [fingers crossed] take her to an actual restroom.

That said, the girl has now learned to potty outside as needed and is more than willing to pee in the wild. However, we try to reserve those times for special occasions true emergencies.

So far, she's pottied on a curb at Glen Oak Park, behind a tree at our neighborhood park, and on our neighbor's landscape. Sorry, Scott.

Anyway, on Monday we headed to Target for some shopping fun for me. Afterwards, because Addi had been a fairly good girl we went to the pet store to see the puppies and buy her hermit crabs some new shells.

After about 15 minutes, I remembered to ask Addi if she needed to go and she of course said yes. So we located the nearest restroom and off we went. And boy, was it fun!

Once inside her stall, Addi exclaimed, "Mommy, oh my goodness! I have my OWN garbage can in here! I am serious!"

After a minute, I realized she meant the sanitary napkin trashcan hanging on the wall. Kinda like this (for the two boys who read my blog and perhaps have not seen one.)

Once that excitement died down and Addi finished her business, she came out to wash her hands. When I went to hand her a paper towel, she said, "No mommy, my potty ALSO has it's own paper towels!" She then pointed to the "towels" hanging on the wall... also know as toilet seat covers.

Once I convinced her not to "waste" those special towels, she accepted my boring regular towel and dried her hands. But when it came time to throw it away, she insisted on using her very own trash can in her potty.

I thought it was funny and sweet how she gets excited about things I totally overlook. And as we left the restroom to explore the water fountain Addi spotted on her way in, I could hear laughter coming from the other women in the restroom.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Signs of summer

Over the past three days, we have immensely enjoyed our first official lazy summer weekend of 2009. A long time ago, before our kids came to be, it was a very rare occasion that Jay and I were actually around Peoria on a weekend, let alone a long holiday weekend. Family commitments, weddings, bachelor parties... every weekend was filled with some must-do excursion. Literally, the summer we got married we were in town for Memorial Day, then Labor Day. Not a single weekend in between. Whew. I get that hangover feeling just thinking about it.

Now, with two kids and gas prices going up, up, up, we are more selective for our weekend travels. And by selective, I mean CHEAP.

So, minus Jay playing 18 holes of golf on Saturday, we hung around the house all weekend. And hung around our neighbor's house when our house became a tad too boring.

While swimming in our neighbors' Spiderman pool on Saturday, Addi had to potty. Not wanting to soak their kitchen with her wet feet, I let her to a bush and she did her business. Then proceeded to tell anyone who'd listen that mommy let her pee outside. Love my kid ;)


Sam, surprisingly, LOVED swimming. She was the only kid who stayed in the pool the entire time. She even chose to stay IN the pool to pee. That's my girl.

Sunday, we pulled the whale from our basement and set the pool up outside. Turns out, it's a great place to eat watermelon too.

We spent the remainder of the weekend playing on the swing set, taking naps, and making failed attepts at keeping the sand out of Samantha's mouth.

Not bad for weekend number one! At least until we find the sand Sam "hid".

Sunday, May 24, 2009

She takes after her sister

I'm starting to think Sam is really Addi's sister. Leave her alone for a few minutes... and she redecorates. With snacks.


May 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

Friday, May 22, 2009

Dinner Conversation

Addi: Mommy, I really like the name Gaga.
Me: So, if we had another baby, what would you name it if it was a girl?
Addi: Gaga
Me: What if it was a boy?
Addi: Casey
Me: ok..?
Addi: Mommy, there's a baby coming out of your belly RIGHT NOW! I can hear it!
Me: Um, no... there's not. What sound do you hear?
Addi: B-o-o-o-i-i-i-n-g! B-o-o-o-i-i-i-n-g!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Dancing with the Baby

Tonight we watched Dancing with the Stars. We had never watched it before, but apparently Sam is a fan.

I do have to say, the girl has more rhythm than her dad!

Setting Up Camp 101

With all the rain we have been having (and folks, it's been a LOT! I swear I saw ducks and geese walking two by two down the street last week!) it's hard to keep the kids from going stir crazy. Add in what I am beginning to think is three-year-old ADHD and you end up with a cranky kid, a crying baby and a semi-bald mother.

So, last week we went camping. Yes, it was in the living room, but it was a ton of fun. And now, Addi would like to teach YOU how to have this much fun. Get ready to wow your family on your next rainy day.

First, build the structure. This Cranium do-hickey is a pretty cool deal... the pieces are magnetic and snap together easily, and hold up quite well. We also recommend reading the directions prior to a teething baby drooling all over them.


Next, furnish your new digs with your favorite things... We recommend lots of blankets, pillows and animals.

Then, invite some friends to join you in your camping fun.

Sometimes your friends will need a little extra persuading. Use brute force when necessary.
No camp is complete without a latrine. Be sure to potty on regular intervals. We recommend the Princess Potty.

Finally, get really mad when your mom has the audacity to move your new camp six inches to the left so she can watch Desperate Housewives. And by "get really mad," Addi means knock over your tent, stomp on the floor, and yell "YOU ARE NOT MY BEST FRIEND ANYMORE!"
After 20 minutes of repeated time outs, come back downstairs, freak out when you see your dismantled camp, and proceed to wail and nash your teeth. Yelling "Someone knocked over my tent!" repeatedly is sure to be a hit with the locals.
Repeat next Saturday.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

A trip around the sun

One year ago, Jay and I woke up early (4 a.m. to be exact) and headed to the hospital. As we walked through the halls, we were a little more confident than we were the first time we made that walk. We had a better idea of what to expect for the day than with Addi for the actual delivery but had no idea what life with two kids would really be like.

I can remember so much about that morning... How Jay smelled (alarmingly like a pine tree, thanks to some body wash he "had" to have, courtesy of my dad)... The butterflies in my belly as I got admitted into the hospital... And the short long walk to the OB floor.

Three hours later I woke up from my unexpected anesthesia and got to see my new daughter for the first time.


One of the best moments ever was watching Addi meet her new sister for the first time.

I had no idea what it would be like with two kids. Turns out, I'd be a lot better off if I could grow another arm or build a time machine to create the 30 hour day. But I have more than enough love to go around, and that was my biggest worry. Now, time and space on my lap... that's more limited.

So, Happy Birthday, Samantha Jane! We love you and can't believe it's been a year since you joined our family!


And thanks to my dear friend Jenny... She took that awesome picture of Sam at Glen Oak Park.

Now, time for cake!

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