One for Marji Jackson

[Happy Birthday Aunt Kiki!]

After bath tonight #1 came flying into #2's room in his jammies, but with underwear on his head.

He comes by it honestly. When I was about the same age, my very best friend, Marji, and I put 10 pairs of underwear on our heads and danced around her living room to a fantastic song by Raydio. Everytime they sang "You Can't Change That" we would strip one pair of underwear off our head and fling it across the room. It is one of my earliest memories ... and a heavenly blissful one. It makes me laugh my ass off - often.

Go ahead ... push play and go back to 1978. The song is on replay as I post this entry with perma-grin.

Love Confessions ...

... of a 4 1/2 year old ...

I picked #1 up from school the other day when his teacher had a sheepish grin on her face. "Um, I have to tell you something," she said. "Today while we were at the playground, #1 was standing on top of the picnic table lip locked with Sarah (his classmate). When I asked them what they were doing #1 responded, "Ms. AM, we're transformers and we're transforming into each other." I can only assume the explanations will continue to be this creative. At 17, the best his father could come up with was, "the devil made me do it."

Here are some recent dates with his leading ladies.

Two lovebirds by the elephants at the zoo



Hads just found out about #1's date with another woman and is none too pleased.

Sidelined

As much as the daily negotiating and sassy back-talking makes me crazy, this peanut has been such a trooper considering his life over the last month. The Mid-Atlantic pollen apparently doesn't jive with the Midwest and Southern DNA he was given. He's been on a cocktail of more drugs than I can count - I have a spreadsheet to keep track of them. 2 of the medicines make him bounce off the walls ... much more so than a 4 year old already bounces. He gets bathed twice a day to get all of the pollen off his body and out of his hair - just from a morning and/or afternoon trip to the playground. Then on top of it all, he had strep throat and now has a double ear infection. Can a mini not get a break?!! This is a picture from the day before we figured out the ears ... he didn't move the entire day. :(

I bumped into our neighbor at the pharmacy the other day. She asked me in a very concerned voice if everyone was OK at our house because she heard this terrible coughing from her side of the fence. I explained #1's situation with the pollen when she looked down a little sheepishly and said, "so I guess it doesn't help that we have a 150 year old Oak tree in our yard that covers your entire patio where the boys play." I didn't need to answer. Do you think our neighbors will suspect something if their tree goes missing one day?

Mother Nature are you listening? ENOUGH with the spring sprouting.

Reconnecting with a Previous Life

We've thought for a long time that #2 was a dog in a former life. At first sight of a four-legged friend he goes bananas. He can spot a DOG-GEE a mile away and is the happiest little mini one could imagine. Love for the animals has continued to cats - he chased our neighbors cat for 45 minutes on Saturday afternoon ... up the alley, down the alley, repeat - and now he's on to birds.

Sunday evening while eating his dinner he continued to squeal from his seat at the head of the table. I thought it was sheer delight over his plate of vegetables (post for another day on our budding vegetarian). "Momma, ur-dee, ehhhhs!" Huh? Over and over again. "Momma, ur-dee, ehhhhs!" Finally after about the 10th time he started pointing out the front window. I crouched down to his height and looked forward through the dining room - through the living room - and sure enough, out the front window of our house there was a pair of Mourning Doves - Momma sitting on her nest of eggs and Daddy keeping a close watch. #2 was watching the whole thing and continues to creep up to the window and take a peek every now and then when he remembers they are there. The 2talk is still evolving, but there is nothing wrong with this kid's comprehension of the ways of life and world. I haven't yet taught him about Momma birds sitting on their eggs ... "Momma, ur-dee, ehhhhs!" (Momma, birdie, eggs!)

Update: Maybe he was a bird and not a dog. I spent 10 minutes with both of the boys talking about caterpillars (they are everywhere on our back patio). #1 would gently pick them up, pet them, take them one by one from the patio to a tree or bush where they would "be safe." #2 listens to the entire thing, very captivated by #1s ritual. Then as we were coming in the house there is a caterpillar right in front of the back door. I step over it ... #1 steps over it ... #2 STOMPS ON IT like he needed it good and dead for dinner! One less butterfly in our backyard this year. :(

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's to french toast breakfasts, hand created treasures and an all around happy family day!

One of *those* days

Call it PBD - post-birthday-depression - or just life as it happens to be right now, but yesterday sucked with a capital S. Both of the minis have been sick as dogs with springtime allergies and strep throat (not to be confused with swine flu - you overly-freaking-out people). For the last two weeks we've been in and out of the pediatrician many times ... I've had to beg for appointments (see above comment on swine flu and mad dash on "sick" visits at the pediatrician) and while there, we've averaged 2 hours in the office - mostly waiting - per visit. And of course any good visit to the pediatrician is followed up with an equally painful visit to the pharmacy to wait for medicine that is out of stock since every child in this area is on the same medicine ... so same game continues at all pharmacies in a 15 mile radius of the house. The complete cycle of - #1 is sick enough he needs to be seen by someone ... to ... proper medicine in my child so he can actually sleep and stop screaming, wheezing, gasping for air - was about 18 hours long. A similar scenario happened for #2 a week later. And now we're in the "brief re-check" world for both - where we fight for an appointment, show up early, wait 45 minutes past our appointment time, then the doctor briefly examines child. It's worth it ... I need the peace of mind that my kid is improving since I can't hear whatever they hear in his lungs, but I have done nothing but drive to and from doctor or pharmacy, administer medicine or snuggles ... or the well deserved time-outs since plethora of medication has made the boys higher than kites ... for the last two weeks. No work, No exercise, No dance party, No date nights, No nada. Yesterday was my first day back to work on any sort of "normal" schedule and my first day back in the office in over a week. So I stayed up late to do a week's worth of work the night before. After sleeping peacefully for 25 minutes, someone needed medicine, a drink of water, another tuck in, a rock in the rocker ... We all got up at 6:15 the next morning for the day and after I got everyone dressed (and me in big girl - don't touch me, Mommy's going to work today - clothes), fed, medicined, lunches packed, dropped at school and drove to work - I arrived at 10:30 AM ... and then I quit my job.

I quit for a whole 5 seconds until my boss (who rocks) said, "so what's the real problem? What can I do to help? I'll approve a personal LOA today if you want it." ... And I'm not sure what the answer is yet, but I'm working on a number of things that will hopefully make life during my work days a little easier. Mr. Right was thrilled when I told him we needed to start looking for a wife.

The boys continue to give me reasons for laughing through the tears ...
#1 was tucking #2 in last night and said, "you're a big boy now - you're 2 years old. Now we just need a bigger house and you can sleep in my room with me." Never mind the fact that #1 already has a room large enough for both of them ... he's already prepping me for the shiny new car on his 16th birthday. Thankfully for me, by the time he can drive the laws will have changed and he'll be 21 and about to make his own money. After he tucked his brother in, I tucked him in and laid with him for awhile. I closed my eyes and just listened ... "Mommy, I know I am supposed to be a good boy and use manners, but I am a fighter. My body is fighting these terrible allergies so I need to fight, fight all the time. I need to use my hands and feet and be a really good fighter. So I can't be a good boy right now. Maybe when these terrible allergies go away I can be a good boy again and get my Spider-Man things back." For all of our sakes, let's hope that is soon.

Birthday Boy!

Birthday Boy, you're TWO today! I will say this every year - to both you and your brother - how did this happen? You keep me so busy and there is much that has happened over the last 730 days, but I'm having a very hard time understanding how it is possible that you are now two years old. I promise not to treat you like a baby forever, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give it up. Unfortunately for me - you've made your decision - you are a baby no more.

You are talking more and more every day ... lots of words from the English language and lots of words in "2talk." When you are saying something that the rest of us don't understand you will climb up into a lap, hold their face in your hands, and say it again about an inch away from their face. You could be pointing out a flower or solving world peace - no getting around the fact that you mean business! You are also counting to ten - with help and laughs. Apparently you've got 1, 2 and 3 down pat since that's what you hear me yelling the most ... usually to your brother. Last week during our daily end of the day meltdown, #1 was getting the final warning when I said, "ONE" you looked at me with an ear to ear grin and yelled, "TWO!" Your brother got an automatic pass since we all laughed out loud over that one. My favorite phrase of yours right now is "come on!" You take my hand, or Daddy's, or #1s and say, "Hum On, Mommy!" while leading me to the next adventure of the day.

On to the business of growing up. Our nightly routine is starting to change a little bit and I love and do not love the changes. You've started asking for your brother to tuck you in at night and it is breaking my heart. But you LOVE your brother, so how can I be anything but happy about that? And, you are such a rockstar with bedtime and putting yourself to sleep without much protest - something that is new to our family with you - you deserve a brother tuck-in until you figure out how to use it as a stall tactic. Speaking of #1, the two of you are starting to spend a lot of time playing together instead of next to each other. You both are showing me every day, in different ways, that you understand how great it is to have a sibling. You each are the first to go find the other in the morning. The first to run to the other's classroom at school. And the first to throw some sort of physical movement toward the other that will teeter right on the edge of play and pain. I can only imagine what is ahead ... Overall, you love, love, love your brother (and he loves you, too).

I wonder what side of your personality will grow most this year? You are most often HAPPY and laughing ... and you are learning that being a little jokester earns you extra attention and reaction from others (and you like that). You also have quite a temper and are not afraid of laying down in the middle of the floor and making a good tantrum when you find it appropriate. You enjoy your friends and name everyone each morning during drop off. It's a little bit like you are making sure everyone is accounted for so the school day can officially begin. Your blonde, blonde hair is still fuzzy - thank goodness. Whenever you run or dance (something Momma encourages often - you and your brother WILL have rhythm and know how to cut a rug), your hair bounces like a Fraggle and just makes me smile. And your and cheeks that are so yummylicious ...perfect for zerberts and so perfect for the story of Chubby which I will teach you one day so you can entertain the entire family at gatherings.

At the age of two you are an engineer like your father, grandfather, uncles and your Aunt Kiki. You take everything apart and then put it back together - usually new and improved by your standards. You also like to dump everything in a pile on the floor and inspect things one by one. You love all things "choo choo" and there hasn't been a day during the last several weeks that hasn't involved building a new track and lining up the train cars ... "choo choo ... Choo Choo ... CHOO CHOO!!!" You also enjoy your "bike", hours in the sandbox and "Elmo" (which is Elmo as well as every other fuzzy animal/monster). Your brother loves the TV and begs for more than his weekend ration, so you've started asking for Elmo on TV. We put it on for you, you watch for 30 seconds, then you're taking apart an Automoblok in a world far, far away from Elmo - and I thank you for that. Reading ... let's talk about the reading for a minute. You are taking after your Momma on this one ... you really don't like it. You love books, but the whole sitting still and turning page after page ... not so much for you. You sit down in "listening" position like a champ. But on page 2 you bust out with "Yea!" and lots of clapping - as in, excellent story, THE END. We still try, but you're not falling for it. You got a new puppy book for your birthday, so maybe ... just maybe. Last, but not least, you are very into hiding and continue to be into climbing everything.

You had a rough time calming down tonight - no thanks to cupcakes a plenty over the last 24 hours. We rocked and rocked and discussed the day. You reminded me that maybe my last ounce of "baby" in you comes when we're snuggling or in the rocking chair. Tonight I zoned out, staring off into the darkness while listening to some calming night tunes and you grabbed my chin with your hand. You pulled my face until I was looking down at you in my arms ... so peaceful and like a lump. It's almost like you were telling me to take a good look because this little mini is about to explode into a little boy and I should be savoring this moment. And I did ... And I will.