I' m not really sure if the word I'm looking for is self-awareness. Maybe it's selfishness, or inflated self-worth, or some other self- word that I'm not coming up with. But whatever the word, I don't like it, and it seems like it's everywhere there's a lot of kids.
This week, since Abby has off of school Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I decided to take them a few places to enjoy the time. Wednesday we headed to Stonefire Pizza Company in New Berlin which is similar to Chuck E. Cheese, only much nicer, with better food and, if you're from Milwaukee, much less crime. One of the neat things about the restaurant is that there's themed rooms to eat in--sports, cartoons and discovery place. We go in discovery place which is for kids under 8 where movies are playing and it has rooms with things to do like a play restaurant, a water area, a train area, paint your own face and a small version of McDonald's playplace. They also have a room with giant legos for the kids to stack. When we went in there, Max picked a few up, but there were a couple of girls with their mom playing in there and they had all the sqare 4-pegged legos, so all that was left was odd shaped ones that Max couldn't stack. So, he got frustrated quick and we went to find something else to do. I kept watching the mom and her two kids and they kepts building this house thing, using all the legos. People kept coming in, commenting "wow" (because what else do you say?) and then leaving. The mom kept taking pictures of them and helping them build this house, using every lego in the room. Really? Every lego? Come on. I know you're having fun with your girls, but how about you buy some for your basement and let the other kids play too? Lack of self-awareness? Selfishness? Too high of self-worth?
Then, today, I took the kids to the children's museum. I had been there just a couple of weeks ago with Max and Nolan, but I figured Abby would really like it too, and it's great for Max so off we went. Because there were some Halloween festivities this afternoon, and because several schools had off today, it was busier than the last time we were there. Right when you get into the museum there's this whole area where you take golf balls and put them in several slides, ramps, roller coasters, swirls, etc. When there aren't a lot of kids, you can take a few balls and use them. But, today, there were several kids so it was a little hard to find a ball to start out with. Abby was frustrated, but we finally found one for each of the kid. If they happened to find another one, I made them share with someone new who was looking for a ball. Meanwhile, one girl was hoarding 7 or 8 balls. And it wouldn't be so bad if maybe it was just because she was a kid and she really didn't know any better. But, she would find them, go give them to her mom, and the mom would hoard them for her. Really? You're going to take more than you could possibly use or hold onto at once while other kids don't have any? Come on. I know you want your daughter to have a good time, but how about you give it up a little? Lack of self-awareness? Selfishness? Too high of self-worth?
So frustrating!
And then there's the other frustration. The big kids who don't play well with the little kids. Again, at the pizza place, this time at the play area slide. I didn't see it, but two older kids came to their mom's table and said they got yelled at. When the moms asked by who, they said one of the other moms made a comment that they shouldn't be in there because they weren't toddlers (the area is for 8 and under, and 8 is pushing it. They were about 12.). When the moms asked what they were doing, they said they were just playing tag. Uh, hello. You're climbing up and down the nets and platforms that two, three and four-year olds are trying to climb. Even if you don't hit them, you're still distracting them and they fall. The moms just looked irritated with whoever yelled at their boys. And then today at the children's museum, in the area with the golf balls, there were two brothers who had about 10 balls between the two of them. When a mom near us told her three-year-old daughter to ask them for one, they told her no. Really? Geez! When the girl told the mom, the mom said (within earshot of the boys) "well, at the children's museum we share. And I'm sure those boys will share with you because we all have to play together. Go ask them again." So the girl did and they begrundgingly gave her one. That time, there were no parents in sight.
Despite some frustration, both days were really very fun. The kids always enjoy the pizza place, although sometimes Max is a little hard to curtail. The children's museum today was great. We got there early, the kids did a ton of things, then when the Halloween stuff started at noon, we hit the trick or treat areas for about an hour and hit the road. Max was exhausted, and the kids really enjoyed themselves. Tomorrow we may hit the zoo. Or I may let the kids rest. We'll see!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Boo!
We had quite the Halloween weekend last weekend. And I have a feeling the festivities will continue throughout the week. With Halloween on Friday, and trick or treating the Sunday before, and several parties inbetween, the costumes will get good wear at least!
On Friday, Abby had a Halloween party at a house that's close to ours, but that has horses. It's so close, in fact, that the day after the party we walked there to pick up Abby's sweatshirt that she lost. The party was fun, but what was really neat was that this is the house that, since we moved in, Nolan has called the horses there "my neighs." And even after he could talk and say horses, he still called them his neighs. So, when Dave called to RSVP, he asked if Nolan could possibly see the horses. Well, when they went to pick up Abby, Dave took Nolan with and they got to feed them! Very cool indeed. Nolan was just so excited. No pics of the horses, unfortunately, but here's Vampiress Abby before the party...
On Saturday we waited for Max to go down for his nap, and then rolled out the pumpkins to carve. Nolan really wasn't sure at first, and the insides were really cold, but they got into it eventually.
Here's the final product! The kids drew the faces and Dave cut them out. Usually he does the really intricate portraits and pictures, but he kept commenting how great these pumpkins were. It was nice that the kids are getting old enough to actually be involved and help. And instead of three hours to carve, it took 20 minutes!
Poor Max slept through the whole thing. By the time he woke up, everything was put away, just like we hadn't been doing anything. Poor kid. I just didn't need pumpkin guts and paint all over the house. And if he gets into it, it's EVERYWHERE!
Saturday night Dave painted the kids' faces with glow in the dark paint. Here's two versions of Abby
Which teeth are scarier??
The artist with his work.
And the kids with Cody... we have to include him on the fun!
Sunday from 5-7 was trick or treating. Earlier in the day, the ice coming from the sky was not a great indicator of how the evening would go.
My Hershey's Kiss, Dragon Ninja and Vampiress.
With Cody the Red Power Ranger
The gang with Rocky Beer.
My little Hershey Kiss. I just love this outfit! Dave's mom made it, and Nolan wore this three years ago, and our niece Megan wore it probably five years ago. It's had some wear, but is still so cute.
Now, if that's not scary, I don't know what is!
On Friday, Abby had a Halloween party at a house that's close to ours, but that has horses. It's so close, in fact, that the day after the party we walked there to pick up Abby's sweatshirt that she lost. The party was fun, but what was really neat was that this is the house that, since we moved in, Nolan has called the horses there "my neighs." And even after he could talk and say horses, he still called them his neighs. So, when Dave called to RSVP, he asked if Nolan could possibly see the horses. Well, when they went to pick up Abby, Dave took Nolan with and they got to feed them! Very cool indeed. Nolan was just so excited. No pics of the horses, unfortunately, but here's Vampiress Abby before the party...
On Saturday we waited for Max to go down for his nap, and then rolled out the pumpkins to carve. Nolan really wasn't sure at first, and the insides were really cold, but they got into it eventually.
Here's the final product! The kids drew the faces and Dave cut them out. Usually he does the really intricate portraits and pictures, but he kept commenting how great these pumpkins were. It was nice that the kids are getting old enough to actually be involved and help. And instead of three hours to carve, it took 20 minutes!
Here's the three hour versions from a few years ago...
After the carving, we painted the other pumpkins.
Poor Max slept through the whole thing. By the time he woke up, everything was put away, just like we hadn't been doing anything. Poor kid. I just didn't need pumpkin guts and paint all over the house. And if he gets into it, it's EVERYWHERE!
Saturday night Dave painted the kids' faces with glow in the dark paint. Here's two versions of Abby
#1
#2
Which teeth are scarier??
The artist with his work.
And the kids with Cody... we have to include him on the fun!
Sunday from 5-7 was trick or treating. Earlier in the day, the ice coming from the sky was not a great indicator of how the evening would go.
My Hershey's Kiss, Dragon Ninja and Vampiress.
With Cody the Red Power Ranger
The gang with Rocky Beer.
My little Hershey Kiss. I just love this outfit! Dave's mom made it, and Nolan wore this three years ago, and our niece Megan wore it probably five years ago. It's had some wear, but is still so cute.
Nolan the Kiss
The kids did great trick or treating. It was cold, rainy and windy, but they went for almost an hour and a half and were happy. Even Max in the wagon, sucking his sucker, piled in blankets, was a happy camper.
The kids did great trick or treating. It was cold, rainy and windy, but they went for almost an hour and a half and were happy. Even Max in the wagon, sucking his sucker, piled in blankets, was a happy camper.
Max, when he got home, just wanted CANDY!
And the kids wanted to sort all theirs out... They sure are different. Abby, taking up all the space she can
And Nolan all on a little chair.
That's it for the weekend! Tuesday is Abby's Halloween party and costume parade at school, and Wednesday is Nolan's. Abby has no school Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and I'm excited for my first days home when Abby's on break. Last year I remember feeling sad because I was missing her first breaks. Now I've got lots planned! It should be fun!
And now for the really scary stuff. If you have an aversion to naked kid pictures, please look away. You can judge me all you want, but I just had to take, and now subsequently post, these pics.
First, the tame ones. Here's Max, still taking baths in the sink. He loves it, and I can get the kitchen clean! But, he does love to splash as much as he can now, so the kitchen does end up very, very wet.
And then there are these. Nolan was getting dressed but got sidetracked by a video from Madagascar 2 that was playing of I Like to Move It Move It. Here's Nolan moving it, moving it, in all his glory.
Now, if that's not scary, I don't know what is!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
More!
More...
Max just hasn't seemed interested in any of the signs. Or any words, for that matter. When he sees a dog, he very loudly screams "Dog!", but that's it. Jenny next door swears he said Mama and Hi, but I haven't heard it. Well, tonight I was giving him a bath and he kept wanting me to put soap on his hand and I'd ask "More?" And he signed it! I made him do it for Abby and he did. Then I asked him if he wanted to get out, and he said "No!" What? I asked again, and he said it again and shook his head. Tonight, when I asked "Time for bed?", he shook his head no until he grabbed his blanket. Then I asked "Time for bed?" and he waved at Abby and Nolan. When I got to him room, we sat on rocked a little bit, and when I asked if he was ready, he shook his head yes. I think we're starting to communicate! Now, when he starts to talk back, I won't be so excited, but for now, I'll take it!
More!
MORE!
For 15 months now, I've been trying to get Max to say "More" in sign language. I distinctly remember Nolan learning that from daycare, and how helpful it was. In fact, I remember taking him to my mom and dad's house, pointing out cows to him through the window, and him signing "more!" Um, sure! More cows. No problem. Lucky for me, it was Wisconsin, and there's always more cows.
Max just hasn't seemed interested in any of the signs. Or any words, for that matter. When he sees a dog, he very loudly screams "Dog!", but that's it. Jenny next door swears he said Mama and Hi, but I haven't heard it. Well, tonight I was giving him a bath and he kept wanting me to put soap on his hand and I'd ask "More?" And he signed it! I made him do it for Abby and he did. Then I asked him if he wanted to get out, and he said "No!" What? I asked again, and he said it again and shook his head. Tonight, when I asked "Time for bed?", he shook his head no until he grabbed his blanket. Then I asked "Time for bed?" and he waved at Abby and Nolan. When I got to him room, we sat on rocked a little bit, and when I asked if he was ready, he shook his head yes. I think we're starting to communicate! Now, when he starts to talk back, I won't be so excited, but for now, I'll take it!
Here's the kids, trying to make Max sign "more".
And since this is called more, I thought I would show more pics. I know you've been wanting to see them! Here's the crazies that take place throughout our day.
Max in neighbor Cody's shoes, trying to Wii...
The love between Max and Gogglehead...
I mean, really.
I mean, really.
And here's the pirate ship from last weekend. They really love that!
And that's all the more there is!
And that's all the more there is!
Sadie's Crayon
Throughout the course of any given day, Nolan and I have several conversations. Many of them are interesting at first, but become quite mind-numbing because they happen so often. "Daddy's the biggest in the family, and Max is the littlest. Abby's the biggest kid in our family." This is one of my favorites because, of course, Nolan means age, but I always think yup, Dave's the biggest. Ha! Or the conversation of who would win in a fight, The Hulk or The Thing. Hmmm, I don't know Nolan. Who do you think? "Well, the Hulk when he's green." Oh yeah, probably. Good point. "Why didn't you know that mom?" What? Oh, probably because I wasn't really paying attention to you. "Well, who do you think would win between The Thing or Superman?" I don't know Nolan. Who do you think? "You have to guess." I'm not sure. "Just guess." Ok, Superman. "Why do you think Superman?" I have no idea. Because I had to guess, and that's the only one I actually heard you say. "I think The Thing would win, because Superman just flies, but The Thing has stronger muscles." That's true, I say. "Mommy, why do you always say 'That's true'?" Good question. Probably because I have no idea what else to say.
We have conversations like this every day, and today was heading in that direction. "There's a dead bug by our door." Yup, there's probably lots. Glad it's dead. Yesterday they were alive and trying to get in. "Will he go to bug heaven?" Not sure. (Well, I tell him not sure, but in my mind I'm thinking nope, not so much. But not sure seems nicer and prompting of fewer questions.) "When birds die they go to birdie heaven." Yup. "When dogs die they go to doggie heaven." Yup, like Sadie. (Uh oh. Why did I mention specifics?) "So Sadie's in doggie heaven with her crayon, right?" Well, ok. "She has her crayon, right?" I'm not sure what crayon you're talking about. "You know, her crayon, her marker." Ah! Her marker. Like when we went to visit Nana and Julie in the cemetary and they had markers? "Yeah, like that." Markers. Or crayons. Either way.
We have conversations like this every day, and today was heading in that direction. "There's a dead bug by our door." Yup, there's probably lots. Glad it's dead. Yesterday they were alive and trying to get in. "Will he go to bug heaven?" Not sure. (Well, I tell him not sure, but in my mind I'm thinking nope, not so much. But not sure seems nicer and prompting of fewer questions.) "When birds die they go to birdie heaven." Yup. "When dogs die they go to doggie heaven." Yup, like Sadie. (Uh oh. Why did I mention specifics?) "So Sadie's in doggie heaven with her crayon, right?" Well, ok. "She has her crayon, right?" I'm not sure what crayon you're talking about. "You know, her crayon, her marker." Ah! Her marker. Like when we went to visit Nana and Julie in the cemetary and they had markers? "Yeah, like that." Markers. Or crayons. Either way.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
What a day!
Usually when I say "What a day!", I mean wow, it was exhausting, kids were bad, thought it would never end, you know. But not today. Today it is "What a day!" in the best way possible. And really, I could say "What a weekend!" Not for anything amazing that happened but just for the joy of a fall weekend.
Friday afternoon was rainy and Nolan, Max and I picked up the kiddos from school. We played outside just a little bit before the rain really started coming down, then came inside just before Dave got home. Dave brought home yummy Papa Murphy's pizza, and then the kids and I decided to go to the library. Now, I don't know if that's at all appealing to anyone else on a Friday night, but for me, it was perfect. Especially since I just finished reading a book that wasn't very good, and I was really looking forward to reading a new one. I picked out a few books, the kids picked out a few books, we picked out a few movies and then we headed home. When we got here, Dave had made the couches in the living room into a pirate ship, which the kids just love. After Max went to bed, they put in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and watched that, while I took a bath and started one of my books. Ahhhhh. Lovely start to the weekend, don't you think?
Saturday we really didn't do much at all. I slept in until 8:30 and the kids played nicely together and stayed in their pjs for a lot of the day. When we all finally got dressed, we were in and out, enjoying the wonderful fall weather. The kids and I decided on church Saturday night, and then afterwards went to Wayne's, a neat ice cream place near church. They didn't really have dinner, so we decided that ice cream for dinner was a great idea! By the time we got home, Max was almost ready for bed, the kids ate a little more "real" dinner, Dave was getting ready to go to a wine tasting at a neighbor's house and the kids put their pjs on to watch a movie. Once Dave left, the kids watched their movie, and I read my book. And once they went to bed, so did I, and I finished my book in bed! I haven't finished a book in two days since high school, probably. That right there makes it a great weekend!
This morning started out a little rocky. Dave was hung over from the wine tasting, but filled me in on the events of last night. Dave and Shelly are the neighbors who had the wine tasting and are fairly new (6 months here, maybe?). Neighbor Dave must be the jealous type and must get even more so when he's been drinking, and ended up accusing a different neighbor of kissing his wife. Oh my. I'm not sure if I wished I went just to see how this whole thing happened, or if I was happier seeing it second hand! Between them and the new neighbors two doors down from us who moved in last month (and who have (gulp!) crazy teenagers), it's getting crazy!
Anyway, so after Dave took a nap or two to fight the hangover, and I read the Sunday paper, and after Max went down for his nap at 11, I took Abby and Nolan to a local bike trail and we went for a bike ride. It was the best bike ride ever! The sun was shining, the sky was blue with little wispy white clouds, the leaves were beautiful and the kids were in such a great mood. Abby started singing a song we sing in church--Halle, halle, halle - lu-u-jah (Here's a YouTube link of some church singing this song if you want to hear how it sounds!)--And then she started singing the same tunes with "Autumn, Autumn, Autumn, Autumn!" and I just laughed. Then Nolan started yelling "Autumn is Awesome!" and driving his bike through the leaves on the ground. They are crazy! After we rode up about 20 minutes, we headed off the trail to a custard place and had lunch there. The kids shared a chicken tender basket so nicely (which wouldn't happen every day!) and had shakes, and then we played outside for awhile. Well, the kids played, by themselves, and I enjoyed watching them. Then we headed back on our bikes to a park we passed on the way there. Nolan got a little tired, but we finally made it, and the park was awesome! At first I was really quite upset that I hadn't brought my camera. The sun, the beautiful leaves, the kids playing... but then I realized I would have tried to take too many pictures and may have missed the actual moments. I even thought we should go home and see if Max is up and bring him back with Dave, but by then, the moment would have for sure been over. So instead I just watched the kids. Abby in her jeans and a sweatshirt, which for some reason always make her look so much older, and Nolan in a long sleeved striped shirt, with a sleeveless shirt over, and blue windpants, which always make him look so much... crazier! They pushed each other on the merry go round, and ran to the slides, and collected leaves. The leaves on the ground were so vibrant, they must have just fallen off today since they weren't brown and crunchy yet, but so bright against the still green grass. And then, just as other people were starting to come to the park, they came over to me and said they were ready to go home. Perfect timing! So, home we came, where I sat on the couch and took a nap, Dave played with the kids, and I woke up just in time to see the last half of a winning Packer game! It really just doesn't get any better than that. I do hope that all of this is a precursor to an amazing week to come. And if it isn't, well, there's always next Sunday!
Friday afternoon was rainy and Nolan, Max and I picked up the kiddos from school. We played outside just a little bit before the rain really started coming down, then came inside just before Dave got home. Dave brought home yummy Papa Murphy's pizza, and then the kids and I decided to go to the library. Now, I don't know if that's at all appealing to anyone else on a Friday night, but for me, it was perfect. Especially since I just finished reading a book that wasn't very good, and I was really looking forward to reading a new one. I picked out a few books, the kids picked out a few books, we picked out a few movies and then we headed home. When we got here, Dave had made the couches in the living room into a pirate ship, which the kids just love. After Max went to bed, they put in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and watched that, while I took a bath and started one of my books. Ahhhhh. Lovely start to the weekend, don't you think?
Saturday we really didn't do much at all. I slept in until 8:30 and the kids played nicely together and stayed in their pjs for a lot of the day. When we all finally got dressed, we were in and out, enjoying the wonderful fall weather. The kids and I decided on church Saturday night, and then afterwards went to Wayne's, a neat ice cream place near church. They didn't really have dinner, so we decided that ice cream for dinner was a great idea! By the time we got home, Max was almost ready for bed, the kids ate a little more "real" dinner, Dave was getting ready to go to a wine tasting at a neighbor's house and the kids put their pjs on to watch a movie. Once Dave left, the kids watched their movie, and I read my book. And once they went to bed, so did I, and I finished my book in bed! I haven't finished a book in two days since high school, probably. That right there makes it a great weekend!
This morning started out a little rocky. Dave was hung over from the wine tasting, but filled me in on the events of last night. Dave and Shelly are the neighbors who had the wine tasting and are fairly new (6 months here, maybe?). Neighbor Dave must be the jealous type and must get even more so when he's been drinking, and ended up accusing a different neighbor of kissing his wife. Oh my. I'm not sure if I wished I went just to see how this whole thing happened, or if I was happier seeing it second hand! Between them and the new neighbors two doors down from us who moved in last month (and who have (gulp!) crazy teenagers), it's getting crazy!
Anyway, so after Dave took a nap or two to fight the hangover, and I read the Sunday paper, and after Max went down for his nap at 11, I took Abby and Nolan to a local bike trail and we went for a bike ride. It was the best bike ride ever! The sun was shining, the sky was blue with little wispy white clouds, the leaves were beautiful and the kids were in such a great mood. Abby started singing a song we sing in church--Halle, halle, halle - lu-u-jah (Here's a YouTube link of some church singing this song if you want to hear how it sounds!)--And then she started singing the same tunes with "Autumn, Autumn, Autumn, Autumn!" and I just laughed. Then Nolan started yelling "Autumn is Awesome!" and driving his bike through the leaves on the ground. They are crazy! After we rode up about 20 minutes, we headed off the trail to a custard place and had lunch there. The kids shared a chicken tender basket so nicely (which wouldn't happen every day!) and had shakes, and then we played outside for awhile. Well, the kids played, by themselves, and I enjoyed watching them. Then we headed back on our bikes to a park we passed on the way there. Nolan got a little tired, but we finally made it, and the park was awesome! At first I was really quite upset that I hadn't brought my camera. The sun, the beautiful leaves, the kids playing... but then I realized I would have tried to take too many pictures and may have missed the actual moments. I even thought we should go home and see if Max is up and bring him back with Dave, but by then, the moment would have for sure been over. So instead I just watched the kids. Abby in her jeans and a sweatshirt, which for some reason always make her look so much older, and Nolan in a long sleeved striped shirt, with a sleeveless shirt over, and blue windpants, which always make him look so much... crazier! They pushed each other on the merry go round, and ran to the slides, and collected leaves. The leaves on the ground were so vibrant, they must have just fallen off today since they weren't brown and crunchy yet, but so bright against the still green grass. And then, just as other people were starting to come to the park, they came over to me and said they were ready to go home. Perfect timing! So, home we came, where I sat on the couch and took a nap, Dave played with the kids, and I woke up just in time to see the last half of a winning Packer game! It really just doesn't get any better than that. I do hope that all of this is a precursor to an amazing week to come. And if it isn't, well, there's always next Sunday!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Cleaning the kitchen
The kitchen finally got the better of me. I couldn't handle the dust, dirt, splatters and just general ickies anymore. When I got up this morning I thought maybe I would reorganize some of the cupboards (how do they get messed up so quickly?) and the junk drawer. But I ended up cleaning the guck out of the window sill and the sliding patio door, dusting the light fixtures, scrubbing the cabinets, washing the baseboard and cleaning the oven (well, it self-cleans). (Oh, and by the way, the oven takes four and half hours to self-clean, so if you make enchilada casserole with Nolan and plan to bake it before the kids have a soccer game at 5:30, you should not start the cleaning at 2:00! Thank goodness for good next door neighbors!!)
The bad thing about cleaning all those things is that I notice it, but for all the time it takes, nobody else does! In fact, when Dave came home, he asked what that smell was and that he hoped it wasn't dinner (it was the oven self-cleaning, of course), asked why it was so cold in the house (windows open to try to help with said odor) and asked what happened in the living room (moved furniture to get everything out of the kitchen and he came home early so it wasn't put away yet). Geez! But, the kids enjoyed having everything moved around for awhile. Nolan spent his rest time on top on the kitchen table. That doesn't happen every day!
The bad thing about cleaning all those things is that I notice it, but for all the time it takes, nobody else does! In fact, when Dave came home, he asked what that smell was and that he hoped it wasn't dinner (it was the oven self-cleaning, of course), asked why it was so cold in the house (windows open to try to help with said odor) and asked what happened in the living room (moved furniture to get everything out of the kitchen and he came home early so it wasn't put away yet). Geez! But, the kids enjoyed having everything moved around for awhile. Nolan spent his rest time on top on the kitchen table. That doesn't happen every day!
On Tuesday, Nolan, Max and I met my friend Lisa and her son Connor at the Children's Museum. It was great--a perfect place for Max to run, and he could hit every button, pick up every ball and play with all the toys! I ended up buying a season pass since it's good at most children's museums nationwide (including Eau Claire, if we ever visit! And the DuPage museum (a little late, huh Nicole?) and the museum at Navy Pier. I think I'll take Abby and Cody to the museum with Nolan and Max at the end of the month when they have days off school, too. I think they'll really like it.
Here's Nolan by the big Harley. Must be the Milwaukee museum!
Farmers at heart.
Here's Max and Connor, Lisa's little boy.
Max spend at least 20 minutes putting balls in this and watching them. He probably would have spent another 20 if I had let him!
In the little kid area (3 and under) Max found this horse, just his size.
In the little kid area (3 and under) Max found this horse, just his size.
Grease monkeys...
Nolan the doctor. I have to get enough shots from him. Maybe it'll pay off one day!
Navigating in a wheelchair. Nolan actually did pretty good and figured out how to go around the whole little course that they had.
Max loves the markers. That's why I never let him play with them at home! First thing he did was take the cap off, color on the table, the paper, and then stuck it in his mouth. Looked like he'd been eating blueberries!
And that's that! I can't believe another week has passed and it's Friday again. The days go by so quickly, I'm truly amazed. I think the days and weeks go by quicker now than when I worked all day, which shocks me. There may be moments that go slow, but all in all, I can't believe I've been at home for nearly five months now. And I don't know what we would do if I weren't at home. Last week, Monday was church, Wednesday was church too (just the kickoff CCD week), Thursday was soccer and Abby has homework every night. Last year, it was all we could do for me to get home, get the kids from daycare, get them to church class on time, get home and get to bed. When is the homework? Or on soccer nights, if dinner isn't ready by 4:30, they don't have time to eat. I was rarely home with them before 5... that would have been lots of McD's! And the mornings... We used to have to LEAVE at 7. Now they rarely get up before 7. What a more relaxed life we lead. I knew it was hectic when I was doing it, but I guess I never realized how much!
And that's that! I can't believe another week has passed and it's Friday again. The days go by so quickly, I'm truly amazed. I think the days and weeks go by quicker now than when I worked all day, which shocks me. There may be moments that go slow, but all in all, I can't believe I've been at home for nearly five months now. And I don't know what we would do if I weren't at home. Last week, Monday was church, Wednesday was church too (just the kickoff CCD week), Thursday was soccer and Abby has homework every night. Last year, it was all we could do for me to get home, get the kids from daycare, get them to church class on time, get home and get to bed. When is the homework? Or on soccer nights, if dinner isn't ready by 4:30, they don't have time to eat. I was rarely home with them before 5... that would have been lots of McD's! And the mornings... We used to have to LEAVE at 7. Now they rarely get up before 7. What a more relaxed life we lead. I knew it was hectic when I was doing it, but I guess I never realized how much!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
When a trip to the ____ isn't just a trip to the _____
For those of you wondering, I have, indeed, gotten some sleep! Of course, it completely hit me around 11 the next morning. Luckily, Max was sleeping, and Nolan was playing Wii. I can sleep quite well through Wii games! Poor Nolan.
Anyway, When a trip to the _____ isn't just a trip to the _____. Have you ever gone somewhere, a routine trip, which turned out not at all like you were expecting? I had two of those experiences in the past week.
Scenario 1: When a trip to the doctor isn't just a trip to the doctor.
I've been so fortunate that my trips to the doctor have been quick and easy, with all three kids, every time. Last Tuesday I took Max for his 15-month checkup, just trying to get in and out as soon as possible since I had Nolan with me too and it was Max's naptime. Temperature, normal. Height, tall (99th percentile). Weight, normal (60th percentile). Head, normal. Breathing, oh wait. Wheezy. Ears, oops! Infection. I left with more medicine than Max has been since he was born, and he got shots too. Not so fun. He's still wheeezy, even with breathing treatments, but I'm hoping that by midweek he'll be better. Otherwise, back to the doctor!
Scenario 2: When a trip to the park isn't just a trip to the park.
Last week I took Nolan and Max to the park by Abby's school. We were going to go in the morning, but the Max took a 10 AM nap, and slept until 1. So, we couldn't do morning, and couldn't really do the picnic we planned. Instead, we went at 1:30 and stayed until Abby got done with school at 3:30. When we first got there, there was one other mom there and she had her four kids there. It was obvious that she must home school, since the park is right across from the in-session public school and three of her kids were obviously old enough to be school-aged. The boys started playing and I walked around by the mom, and she started talking to me right away, asking how old my kids were and just general questions. She was very nice, and before long I realized I hadn't asked her anything about her or her kids, so I asked their names and ages. One of the girls was 7, so I mentioned that I had a daughter who just turned 6. The mom asked me when her birthday was, and after I told her she said she had a son who passed away but would have been 6 on September 26 (which was Abby's original due date so kind of strange). I told her I was sorry and commented how hard this time of year must be for her and her family. She said it was, and then also said that she just miscarried a 12-week pregnancy, too, the week prior, so this year was especially hard. Then she mentioned her son who had passed away again at four years old, and so I asked what happened. The boy (I wish I could remember his name!) had the flu and had asphyxiated in his sleep. She said that the girl who was just a year older than him had real trouble going to sleep that night and woke up saying things like "I'm going to miss him" and "He was such a good brother." The mom promised her everything would be fine, that he just had the flu, but then, five hours later when she went to check on him, she couldn't wake him up. Wow, that's really scary! Her older 12-year-old boy said that was the last time she ever made a promise, since she promised he would be ok but he really wasn't. A different time in the conversation (which was only about 20 minutes) she also mentioned that she miscarried an 8-month old baby about 10 years ago. I just looked at her in amazement and she said that she knows there's reasons for all of this, and knows God is with her. She mentioned some of the prayers that have helped her and she was very strongly witnessing her faith. While what she said was all very familiar to me, I assumed she must be born-again or a fundamental faith of some sort. I asked her what chuch she belonged to, and she said Holy Angels, which is a Catholic church near her. I was shocked! Being one, I know a lot of Catholics, some weak and some strong in their faith. But, I'd never heard anyone be so outright without being crazy, overbearing or otherwise strange. She was very normal, nice to talk to, and so strong in her faith of being able to deal with all these things that have been dealt to her. It was really quite amazing. I pray that I never have to test my faith to that extent!
After she left, we were at the park for another hour or so, and watching Max just makes me tired. He's everywhere, trying to climb every ladder, slide, swing, ramp, everything! There was another mom who brought her son, who looked about 10 months old. As we were leaving, they were sitting by our bikes, and she asked how old Max was. I told her 15 months and I asked about her son. She said 15-1/2 months, but he couldn't walk yet because he had had several surgeries and some things wrong with him so he was about two months delayed developmentally. Point taken. Max makes me tired, but I appreciate, appreciate, appreciate him and his abilities. And I'll even take the crazy doctor appointments where he has (gasp!) an ear infection. All right, I get it. And I'll stop taking it all for granted.
Anyway, When a trip to the _____ isn't just a trip to the _____. Have you ever gone somewhere, a routine trip, which turned out not at all like you were expecting? I had two of those experiences in the past week.
Scenario 1: When a trip to the doctor isn't just a trip to the doctor.
I've been so fortunate that my trips to the doctor have been quick and easy, with all three kids, every time. Last Tuesday I took Max for his 15-month checkup, just trying to get in and out as soon as possible since I had Nolan with me too and it was Max's naptime. Temperature, normal. Height, tall (99th percentile). Weight, normal (60th percentile). Head, normal. Breathing, oh wait. Wheezy. Ears, oops! Infection. I left with more medicine than Max has been since he was born, and he got shots too. Not so fun. He's still wheeezy, even with breathing treatments, but I'm hoping that by midweek he'll be better. Otherwise, back to the doctor!
Scenario 2: When a trip to the park isn't just a trip to the park.
Last week I took Nolan and Max to the park by Abby's school. We were going to go in the morning, but the Max took a 10 AM nap, and slept until 1. So, we couldn't do morning, and couldn't really do the picnic we planned. Instead, we went at 1:30 and stayed until Abby got done with school at 3:30. When we first got there, there was one other mom there and she had her four kids there. It was obvious that she must home school, since the park is right across from the in-session public school and three of her kids were obviously old enough to be school-aged. The boys started playing and I walked around by the mom, and she started talking to me right away, asking how old my kids were and just general questions. She was very nice, and before long I realized I hadn't asked her anything about her or her kids, so I asked their names and ages. One of the girls was 7, so I mentioned that I had a daughter who just turned 6. The mom asked me when her birthday was, and after I told her she said she had a son who passed away but would have been 6 on September 26 (which was Abby's original due date so kind of strange). I told her I was sorry and commented how hard this time of year must be for her and her family. She said it was, and then also said that she just miscarried a 12-week pregnancy, too, the week prior, so this year was especially hard. Then she mentioned her son who had passed away again at four years old, and so I asked what happened. The boy (I wish I could remember his name!) had the flu and had asphyxiated in his sleep. She said that the girl who was just a year older than him had real trouble going to sleep that night and woke up saying things like "I'm going to miss him" and "He was such a good brother." The mom promised her everything would be fine, that he just had the flu, but then, five hours later when she went to check on him, she couldn't wake him up. Wow, that's really scary! Her older 12-year-old boy said that was the last time she ever made a promise, since she promised he would be ok but he really wasn't. A different time in the conversation (which was only about 20 minutes) she also mentioned that she miscarried an 8-month old baby about 10 years ago. I just looked at her in amazement and she said that she knows there's reasons for all of this, and knows God is with her. She mentioned some of the prayers that have helped her and she was very strongly witnessing her faith. While what she said was all very familiar to me, I assumed she must be born-again or a fundamental faith of some sort. I asked her what chuch she belonged to, and she said Holy Angels, which is a Catholic church near her. I was shocked! Being one, I know a lot of Catholics, some weak and some strong in their faith. But, I'd never heard anyone be so outright without being crazy, overbearing or otherwise strange. She was very normal, nice to talk to, and so strong in her faith of being able to deal with all these things that have been dealt to her. It was really quite amazing. I pray that I never have to test my faith to that extent!
After she left, we were at the park for another hour or so, and watching Max just makes me tired. He's everywhere, trying to climb every ladder, slide, swing, ramp, everything! There was another mom who brought her son, who looked about 10 months old. As we were leaving, they were sitting by our bikes, and she asked how old Max was. I told her 15 months and I asked about her son. She said 15-1/2 months, but he couldn't walk yet because he had had several surgeries and some things wrong with him so he was about two months delayed developmentally. Point taken. Max makes me tired, but I appreciate, appreciate, appreciate him and his abilities. And I'll even take the crazy doctor appointments where he has (gasp!) an ear infection. All right, I get it. And I'll stop taking it all for granted.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
One more tip
When trying to deal with the headache that drinking an entire pot of coffee will give you (see previous post), remember that Excedrin has even more caffeine in it, and probably should not be consumed. Especially in triplicate.
Do NOT try this at home
I'm not a big morning coffee drinker. On very rare occasions, I might drink a cup in the morning, but usually only on those mornings that I also feel like having some Baileys along with my coffee. Or, in my case, some coffee along with my Baileys. But afternoons are different. Especially glorious fall afternoons when the sun is shining and there's just a hint of chill in the air. Then, I love to make a pot of coffee, to hear the sound of it percolating, and to drink a cup (with lots of splenda). Today was that day. But instead of a cup, I drank a pot. 12 cups. And now, at 1:24 AM, I'm not sure what I was thinking.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Stop the Baseball!
Every year around this time Dave gets baseball madness. And I don't. I watch a couple of games and it's done for me. This year I thought it would be different. Between the Brewers, White Sox and Cubs all in the playoffs, surely there would be someone I'd want to watch. And then they all lost. And all that's left are some far off teams that no one (and by no one, I of course mean me) wants to watch. Oh well. There's always the basement.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Armadillo Soup and Other Parts of Daily Life
As we're settling into fall school life, I thought it would be fun, or maybe just interesting, to take some pics of our average life hanging out here at home. Nolan is a little lost without Abby still, but comes up with some pretty crazy things.
Once we're all up, Abby and Cody have headed out the door, it's usually not too long before Max goes down for his morning nap. When he wakes up and Nolan hears him, he loves to run up there and crawl into Max's crib with him. Sometimes Max isn't even fully awake yet, but he does laugh at Nolan. Here they are hanging out in Max's crib, in matching outfits. (Awww, aren't they cute?)
After a stint in the crib, Max loves to head into Abby's room to see what trouble he can get into. His latest trick? Climbing up the ladder into Abby's bed. And then getting stuck there.
And to round out the trifecta, they head into Nolan's room for some more ladder climbing. At least Nolan's ladde I can take down if I don't want him up there.
Then we figure out what we're going to do for the day. Last week, one of the days was heading to the zoo to meet Jen and kids for the day. To try to get the seals (sea lions? whatever) over to them, they all made fishy faces. It actually worked, even though you can't see them here.
And Max just loved holding Chad's hand. I think Chad liked it, until I asked if he wanted me to pick Max up and he said, "Yes. I'm having trouble controlling him." Yeah, tell me about it.
But they certainly look related, don't they? Blondies!
The hyenas were out and pacing through their area. What ugly animals they are!
Last weekend, Abby had a birthday party for a friend of hers, Reagan. Reagan turned 7, which of course is first grade age, but still seems strange since Reagan was just at Abby's sixth birthday party. I couldn't imagine Abby to be a year behind from where she is now, but there is certainly a difference between them. Not to mention that Reagan had a tea party with dolls and everything. Abby had fun, but really isn't that much of a girly-girl.
On other random days, I give Max Heinekin to drink. It makes the naps last longer.
Some days, we head to McDonald's. Actually, we've only gone there once since school started, and I'm pretty surprised at myself for that! But, the boys love it and Nolan's really good about going through the play area with Max. Max could spend an hour in this spaceship thing, I think.
Believe it or not, we actually prepare dinner during the day sometimes, too! Here's Nolan helping me make meatloaf. He really got into it!
Before we made meatloaf, we read Nolan's book that he got from preschool. It's a Diego book where they have a rainforest race and the armadillo wins. After we made meatloaf, he asked me if we could make armadillo soup sometime. Since Dave was making jumbalaya, I decided it was a perfect opportunity! Sure, Nolan, let's make armadillo soup. Here they are making their masterpiece. It came out tasting yummy, but Abby burned her hand a little bit from stirring. We're not sure if it was from the steam or she actually touched the pot, but she got a nice water blister that popped. Other than the first 20 minutes of crying she was pretty good about it.
And while they made armadillo soup, Max played in the bathroom. Medicine dropper? Check. Soap? Check. Towel? Check. What else do you need for your foot bath?
After that we headed to The Elegant Farmer, a pumpkin patch in Mukwanago, which was really a lot of fun, with perfect, perfect weather on Saturday. We got some apples, bread, pumpkins, cookies, and the yummy, yummy, yummy apple pie in a bag. I could eat that at one sitting!
Wooden horses, anyone?
On the hayride we saw this beautiful apple orchard.
Farmers at heart.
Max really got into his pumpkins!
Dave picked his!
Abby could barely hold hers.
Here's Dave's real pumpkin.
Max was certainly tired out...
And Abby and Nolan continued their crazies long into the car ride.
Friday night Abby and I went out to eat and had good girl bonding. I took along the book KidChat, which asks a bunch of questions, and it was fun listening to her (Would you rather explore outer space or the bottom of the ocean?--Outer space, because she wants to be one of the first people on Mars). When we got home, Dave and Nolan had set up a "pirate ship" in the house. They pused all the couches and furniture together, and had a plank and everything. It was pretty cute. Today, I cleaned out my shoes! For those of you counting, I gave away or threw out 18 pairs. And I have 20 left. Don't judge me.
Have a great week!
Once we're all up, Abby and Cody have headed out the door, it's usually not too long before Max goes down for his morning nap. When he wakes up and Nolan hears him, he loves to run up there and crawl into Max's crib with him. Sometimes Max isn't even fully awake yet, but he does laugh at Nolan. Here they are hanging out in Max's crib, in matching outfits. (Awww, aren't they cute?)
After a stint in the crib, Max loves to head into Abby's room to see what trouble he can get into. His latest trick? Climbing up the ladder into Abby's bed. And then getting stuck there.
And to round out the trifecta, they head into Nolan's room for some more ladder climbing. At least Nolan's ladde I can take down if I don't want him up there.
Then we figure out what we're going to do for the day. Last week, one of the days was heading to the zoo to meet Jen and kids for the day. To try to get the seals (sea lions? whatever) over to them, they all made fishy faces. It actually worked, even though you can't see them here.
And Max just loved holding Chad's hand. I think Chad liked it, until I asked if he wanted me to pick Max up and he said, "Yes. I'm having trouble controlling him." Yeah, tell me about it.
But they certainly look related, don't they? Blondies!
The hyenas were out and pacing through their area. What ugly animals they are!
Last weekend, Abby had a birthday party for a friend of hers, Reagan. Reagan turned 7, which of course is first grade age, but still seems strange since Reagan was just at Abby's sixth birthday party. I couldn't imagine Abby to be a year behind from where she is now, but there is certainly a difference between them. Not to mention that Reagan had a tea party with dolls and everything. Abby had fun, but really isn't that much of a girly-girl.
On other random days, I give Max Heinekin to drink. It makes the naps last longer.
Some days, we head to McDonald's. Actually, we've only gone there once since school started, and I'm pretty surprised at myself for that! But, the boys love it and Nolan's really good about going through the play area with Max. Max could spend an hour in this spaceship thing, I think.
Believe it or not, we actually prepare dinner during the day sometimes, too! Here's Nolan helping me make meatloaf. He really got into it!
Before we made meatloaf, we read Nolan's book that he got from preschool. It's a Diego book where they have a rainforest race and the armadillo wins. After we made meatloaf, he asked me if we could make armadillo soup sometime. Since Dave was making jumbalaya, I decided it was a perfect opportunity! Sure, Nolan, let's make armadillo soup. Here they are making their masterpiece. It came out tasting yummy, but Abby burned her hand a little bit from stirring. We're not sure if it was from the steam or she actually touched the pot, but she got a nice water blister that popped. Other than the first 20 minutes of crying she was pretty good about it.
And while they made armadillo soup, Max played in the bathroom. Medicine dropper? Check. Soap? Check. Towel? Check. What else do you need for your foot bath?
After that we headed to The Elegant Farmer, a pumpkin patch in Mukwanago, which was really a lot of fun, with perfect, perfect weather on Saturday. We got some apples, bread, pumpkins, cookies, and the yummy, yummy, yummy apple pie in a bag. I could eat that at one sitting!
Wooden horses, anyone?
On the hayride we saw this beautiful apple orchard.
Farmers at heart.
Max really got into his pumpkins!
Dave picked his!
Abby could barely hold hers.
Here's Dave's real pumpkin.
Max was certainly tired out...
And Abby and Nolan continued their crazies long into the car ride.
Friday night Abby and I went out to eat and had good girl bonding. I took along the book KidChat, which asks a bunch of questions, and it was fun listening to her (Would you rather explore outer space or the bottom of the ocean?--Outer space, because she wants to be one of the first people on Mars). When we got home, Dave and Nolan had set up a "pirate ship" in the house. They pused all the couches and furniture together, and had a plank and everything. It was pretty cute. Today, I cleaned out my shoes! For those of you counting, I gave away or threw out 18 pairs. And I have 20 left. Don't judge me.
Have a great week!
