outsmarting him

I ordered a pizza for dinner tonight because I wanted to color and play longer. I also avoided the what-to-make-for-dinner decision because I knew Carl wasn’t coming home after work (he had soccer training). Em was jumping for joy but I knew Connor would protest. I’ve figured him out. He claims to not like pizza but I don’t even think that’s possible. I mean, who doesn’t like pizza, seriously. When I say that I’m ordering a pizza, he’s quick to tell me that he doesn’t like it or want it. He never disappoints. So this is what I have learned to do…I respond to him by saying, “You don’t have to have pizza if you don’t want to, I’ll make you whatever you want and Em and I will just have the pizza…no problem.” Nine times out of ten he decides that he wants the pizza. Every once in a while he calls my bluff and I have to make him chicken nuggets, but the other times, it’s totally worth the risk because I know that I outsmarted him. Yes, I know he is only five, but there is some satisfaction in that.

youtube...it's for kids too

Even though it's mostly known for making ordinary people famous with their everyday antics "caught on tape", YouTube is also a good source of videos that are appropriate and fun for kids to watch. A few months ago Carl found this song & video and Camryn loved it. We haven't seen it in awhile but this morning as I was cleaning her up from breakfast, I started singing the song. She got this huge smile and then turned her head towards the computer. It wasn't on, but she kept looking for it. So, of course, I put it on and we watched it a few times. She was so excited to see it again. It's amazing what little things make them happy.

new old toy

When Connor was a baby we bought a Power Wheels jeep at a yard sale for $40. Since we had a boy, it was a pink Barbie jeep, and we didn't know if we'd ever have a girl, we bought it with the intention of selling it on ebay. These things go for $269-$299 brand new and it was in really good condition. I cleaned it, took pictures of it and even wrote the ebay description but we never actually listed it. So it's been sitting in our basement collecting dust...until yesterday.

to the lady at the dunkin' donuts

A couple of months ago a friend of mine, and another blogger I follow, wrote a letter to a lady at the grocery store who was talking on her cell phone the entire time she shopped. It was hilarious and so true. So with that in mind, I write this to the lady who I encountered at the dunkin' donuts today.

I cannot believe you actually threw your hands up at me when I finally honked at you. I am a patient person but you need to pay attention to what you are doing and stop the texting. I saw you coming and I yielded to you, even though I thought that I would be better off with you behind me. Well thank God I let you in front of me because if you were behind me, I'm sure the curb that you ran over twice would have been the back of my car had I been in front of you. Just so you know, because you were obviously completely unaware...THERE ARE OTHER CARS IN THE DRIVE THRU and guess what...THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANT THEIR COFFEE. When the car in front of you moves up, you move up. That's what you do in a drive thru. We don't want to have to block an entire parking lot when you don't pull your car up enough into the lane because you are TEXTING constantly! So freakin' annoying.

the past five days

This week flew by. It started with a change in routine for us. Carl's days off switched...they were Monday & Tuesday and now they're Sunday & Monday. His hours also switched, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Most people would think that's great because it's "normal" working hours but quite frankly, I hate it. 9 to 5 is really 8:30-7 for the most part so he hardly got to see the kids this week. When his ending time was 1 a.m., it was really more like 2-3 a.m. most nights but we were all sleeping so what did it really matter to us? He would just sleep a little later in the morning. I'm pretty good with change though...I vent to him a little, will blog about it now and then I'll be done. It is what it is.

So with the change came a new routine for me. Alone with the kids all day and trying to find fun and interesting things to do. Emily and Camryn are napping on opposite schedules these days so it is a challenge if I want to, or need to, get out of the house. Camryn naps from 10-12, Emily naps from 1-3 and Camryn naps again from 3-4 so if I want them to nap, we're pretty much home all day.

On one of the nice weather days, I cleaned out the garage and while I did, Connor and Emily found a slide hiding in the back.

They also found this toy bbq that makes bubbles. They had lots of fun with that and even though they played with it last summer, it was like it was a brand new toy.

And we had some not so nice weather so we had to be in the house on those days. During the thunderstorms, Connor and Emily cuddled. They are so love/hate these days...one minute they are yelling at each other and then the next minute they are hugging. This was a sweet moment between the two of them.

I bought them each a dry erase board at Target, which did keep them busy for quite some time.

And as usual, Camryn is happy doing anything. She decided that she prefers to play with a bag of Pasta Sides rather than her toys. Other things she prefers to her toys...cat toys, dirty shoes, fridge magnets, t.v. remotes, plastic bags, IKEA seat pads, window candles, and cell phone charger wires.

After I typed that, I realized how unsafe my house sounds for a baby! But the reality is, these are all things she finds while in her walker. I put her in there and she's on a mission. It doesn't matter how many of her toys I put on her walker tray, she goes for the stuff she shouldn't have. Luckily, I'm usually 10 steps ahead of her and quick to take something away. And when I need to do something for a few minutes, I just throw some puffs on her tray and I know I've bought myself some time.

Lastly, we had two fun outings this week...but sadly, no pics to go with. I was a slacker with the camera when we went out. We met my friend Matt, his wife Page, their kids Logan and Alex, and Matt's parents at Friendly's one night for dinner. We were supposed to go to the park first but the weather didn't cooperate. Matt and his family were here visiting his parents...he lives in Illinois. He's my oldest and dearest friend and it was so great to see him. And today, we went to Cambelle's 3rd birthday party (my cousin Danielle's oldest). The kids were very excited to go, had fun, played nicely and most important to them, got to eat cake! Seriously, all they talked about was cake on the way there.

10 months

Camryn turned 10 months last week and I feel like I always say this but I can't believe she's been with us for that long. I feel like I was just pregnant, just had her, just getting used to life with three...yet I feel like she's been here all along and can't remember what life was like with only two. She's doing so much these days...waving hi and bye, shaking her head for no, saying mama for me, clapping, finger feeding, drinking from a cup and pointing. She can identify her family when asked...she looks at the person with a huge smile. And that's something she is constantly doing...smiling. She could be the happiest baby I have ever seen. She is so content to do anything, just goes with the flow. The only time she ever cries is if I hand her to anyone (except Carl). She definitely knows and loves her mom and dad. These days, she's sleeping great at night and takes two good naps during the day. When she wakes up, she could hang out in her crib forever just talking. She's getting very interested in real food...loves the Gerber puffs, pasta, toast, bananas, pizza and really just about anything she can pick up and feed herself. She's already becoming disinterested in the baby food. She's pulling herself up on anything and anyone within her reach and absolutely adores her brother and sister. When she sees them, she literally looks as though she's going to burst from the joy she feels. It's awesome to watch. She's a wonderful child and I can't imagine life without her.

This is Camryn's mode of transportation. She doesn't crawl, she scoots on her butt.

it's getting there

The deck is just about done. The guy building it could only work on his days off, Wednesday and Thursday, and it has rained most of those days for the past 3 weeks that he has been here. Even with a friend of his and Carl helping a little, progress has been slow. This past Tuesday, my dad helped Carl and they got a lot accomplished. Then the deck guy and his friend (John and Jerry, but Emily likes to call them Tom and Jerry) worked again Wednesday. That was supposed to be the last day but the brackets for the railings were missing so they had to come back Thursday. And on Thursday, it poured so they didn't finish. They actually finished their day here digging their truck out of our backyard for an hour and a half. They were full of mud. Carl and I decided, since we're paying for every day that they work, no more deck guys...he's going to finish with the help of my dad tomorrow and Monday. They only have the stairs left and the lattice that goes around the bottom of the deck, so let's hope we'll be chillin' and grillin' on the deck this week!

Carl and my dad working hard

Connor and Emily hangin' out.

Just the stairs and the lattice and it's done!

another first

As your children get older, the milestones that they reach become less frequent. During their first few years, there are a million "firsts"; first smile, first laugh, first time they track you with their eyes, first response to their name, first roll-over, first grasp of a toy, first sits, crawls and steps, first conversations, first potty's, first imaginations, drawings and pretend play, first tricycle rides, amusement rides and playdates. They continue to reach milestones, just not as many or as often. You even get bad at recording all of them as you so diligently did the first few years. And then, all of a sudden, another milestone sneaks up on you and you can't believe it's here. For me, this describes how I felt yesterday watching Connor graduate preschool. I don't know where the last two years went.

I remember his first day of school like it was yesterday. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to be leaving him somewhere...somewhere that I wouldn't be. That I wouldn't be there to know what was going on, what he was doing, or what someone was doing to him. He was quietly nervous as we entered school that day for the first of many drop-offs. He was brave, because although I could see the watery eyes and the look of uncertainty on his face, he didn't cry. He trusted that I knew what I was talking about when I said that he would be fine, that it was okay to feel nervous, but that he would love school. And he did. He told me today that he is going to miss his preschool, that he wishes he could go back there. He told me that he is nervous about Kindergarten but also excited. He's so mature, so confident, and in every way, so the son I hoped he would be.

Connor, Thomas and Jordan

Connor, Grandpop and Mom Mom



Getting his diploma

The school program was really cute. Connor had been talking about it for weeks because they were practicing every school day. There were a few skits; Connor was proud of himself (his words) that he was going to be playing Papa Duck in "Three Little Ducks" and that he was going to be carrying a bridge in "The Red Racer". Carrying a bridge made out of cardboard from one end of the stage to the other literally took 5 seconds...so fast that I couldn't even catch it on video, but his face was priceless. He had this huge smile, as if he had been given the starring role in a major Broadway show. They also sang songs...my favorite was "Jesus Loves Me", which they sang and signed. I made him do it for me again during breakfast this morning.