Yesterday.....

Wow... It's been quite a couple of days. I've been incredibly busy, and by the end of the last few days ... absolutely exhausted. By the time the kids go to bed, I'm ready to crawl into bed myself and turn the world off.

To say that Matt hasn't been around much would be the understatement of the year. First he was in Canada for 8 days for that CFA prep class. Then, every night last week, he went straight to the Drake Law Library after work and studied until 10 or so. This week, he took the entire week off work and is studying at the Drake Law Library from 8 am until 10 pm or so. He's not even home for meals... So, that makes 3 full weeks this month that he's been gone, and it's just the kids and I. Can you tell I'm ready for Sunday??? This test can't come soon enough for me. After this test is done, I'm getting a much deserved day to myself... getting my hair done, scrapping, taking a nap...

Yesterday was one of those days... If it could go wrong, it did. I was living Murphy's Law, and I wasn't laughing....

For starters, I had to run by the post office to mail a package to Kim. As I filled out the customs sheet (she lives in Canada), I hear, that'll be $14.45, please. What??? I asked her to double check the postage, because it was a small package and I thought that was a fortune! She looked up at me and gave me a dirty look and asked if I still wanted to mail it. DUH, that's why I'm here. Of course I still want to mail it!! So I pay the postage, throw the receipt in the car and head to the park with the kids.

Caleb was in rare form yesterday. Typically, he's a happy & energetic toddler, but yesterday, he was anything but... I decided to take the kids to Dewey park before lunch. It's a great park that actually contains two separate parks -- one designed for 2 -5 year olds, the other for 5 - 12 year olds. When we first got there, Katherine and Caleb were playing on the toddler side. They were having a great time! Caleb was following Katherine around and she was showing off her little brother to anyone who would listen. She's so proud of him, and I've got to say.... I love that!

About 30 minutes later, Grant (one of our neighbor boys who is Katherine's age) arrived, and came over to play with us. Grant's grandma watches him and his little sister during the day, so I got to meet her for the first time. (*first time* being key here). I was thrilled at how wonderfully the two of them were playing alone together -- without all of the other neighbor kids around. They were taking turns, Katherine was insisting that Grant be the leader at times (for her, this is HUGE), and they were playing little made up games. At one point, Katherine dropped her flip-flop on the ground, and Grant raced over to pick it up and he told her to hold out her foot, and he slipped her shoe on for her. It was adorable!!

After a while, Katherine and Grant wanted to go over to the "big kids" park, so we all went with them. Caleb doesn't realize that he's only 20 months old and that physically he can't do everything that his big sister can. When he realized that he couldn't climb to the top of the play structure with Katherine and Grant, he threw a tantrum. And I'm talking just any old tantrum... he threw the mother of all tantrums. I've seen meltdowns before, but never in my life have I seen such a spectacle ...... not from my kids, not from any other child. He was uncontrollable. He was inconsolable. And there was nothing, and I mean NOTHING I could do about it.

He started off by falling in the wood chips, throwing them all over including in his hair, down his shirt, and all over me. Fearing he'd get a splinter or poke his eyes out, I decided to pick him up and move him into the grass. WRONG MOVE. It made a bad situation worse.... He totally freaked out and tried to get away from me with all his might. He started kicking and screaming NO, NO, NOOOOO and crying so hard he was yelling. Tears, snot and spit were all over.

Wouldn't you know... about 5 minutes into this, I realize he's got a nasty, smelly diaper that I've got to change immediately. So I pick him up and take him out the car so that I can change his pants. OK -- I've done this a billion times before. I open the back of the Lexus, take out the stroller, and change his pants in the back trunk part. OMG -- he'd have none of it!! He was trying, with all of his might, to get away from me -- hitting, kicking, throwing his body all over the place. It was a battle of wills!! 20 minutes later (literally) I'm dripping with sweat and cussing under my breath, but I've won... if you can call it that.

In the meantime, Grant's grandma is watching Katherine while I tend to Mr. Meltdown. Evidently she had fallen and broke her knee open -- blood running down her shin. She had been crying for me, but I couldn't hear her, so Grant's grandma picked her up, and brought he to me. Wouldn't you know... Grant's grandma's pants were COVERED in blood, and I'm not talking a drop or two, I'm talking tons of bright red streaks all over the front of her pants. Ay-yi-yi.

OK -- so to top that off.....

Earlier in the week I had gotten a call from church to bring a meal to a new mom. No big deal -- I like to cook, love seeing the babies, and if I can help someone out, great!! Now, without sounding snotty and exclusionary, this is the conversation that we have, AFTER I AGREE TO BRING THE MEAL.

** Amy is the girl that sets up these meals.

Amy: Do you know "so and so".

Me: No, but that's fine. I'm more than happy to bring them a meal.

Amy: Well, the meal isn't exactly for them. "So and So" go to our church, but her daughter in law just had a baby and they requested that we send them meals.

Me: I'm bringing a meal to someone who doesn't go to our church?

Amy: Ah, yea, it that OK. Her mother in law thought it would be nice.

Me: Sure that's fine. What's the address?

Amy gives me the address, and it's somewhere I've never heard of. Not unusual, I'm not great with directions anyway, so it's par for me. Anyway, after I get off the phone and do a little investigating, I find out that I'm going more than 50 MILES round trip to get to this place. WTH? YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME. Oh, and it's in a not so great part of town, and Matt's studying. So I decide to drag my mom with me. Let's just say, that there is NO WAY I'd leave my kids alone in the car for 30 seconds in this area..... UUUUUGH.

I feel so bad complaining about this, but come on.... The whole idea of this dinner thing is so that new moms in our church can have a break after they give birth and focus on their babies. I'm not trying to sound exclusionary, but I don't bring a meal to everyone in Des Moines that has a baby.... I don't have time. I don't know them. I've got enough going on in my own life. (yea, I know how this sounds. I'm whining...). Thinking of the lesson I'd be teaching Katherine if I complained about this in her presence, I keep my mouth shut, put a smile on my face, and rant over email to Kim.

So as I'm feeding the kids lunch yesterday, I start to make this dinner. When they're done eating, I open up the patio door so that they can play on the deck while I finish dinner. I'm totally lost in thought -- fuming about making this dinner in the first place, still wondering what in the world got into Caleb at the park, and worrying about my Grandma (my mom and aunt went to the funeral home to get things in order....). So, I've got a lot on my mind, and I hear Katherine start screaming and laughing. I look up and it's down pouring outside. The kids are out on the deck and dancing in the rain. They're having a wonderful time, and I'm just thankful that they're having fun.

While they're napping, I start to pack up the car with the dinner I made and notice my receipt from the post office. Still wondering how it could be sooo expensive, I take a look at it. GET THIS.... My receipt says first class to CHINA. That's right, China, not Canada. That explains the pricey postage... So I immediately call the post office, worried that my package will end up in Beijing. They tell me that everything is fine, the package will be delivered to Canada, and I'm just due a refund on my postage. Great!!

As soon as the kids wake up from their naps, we pick up my mom, and head off to the south/east side to deliver this meal -- in the pouring rain. When I get there, the new mom barely looks at me, her husband takes the food, I chat with their little girl for a couple of minutes and leave. Not that I expect it, but it would have been nice if they had said "thank you". UUUGH! I'll never understand, I'm not even going to try. Caleb was saying "thank you" at 10 months. He didn't need to be prompted after 12 months, and these grown adults don't know how to be gracious.

Photo overload...

AAAHHH -- It's been a great day. I'm still not feeling well..... actually I feel horrible. My sore throat and earache is gone, but it's been replaced with a horrible cough and typical asthma problems. I sound like an 80 year old that's been smoking all my life. LOVELY!

Today we went to the zoo with Monique and her two kids, Waverly and Kevin. They live across the street from us, and Katherine & Caleb adore them. When we got home it was nap time for all of us. What a luxury!! I was so exhausted from being sick, that I crashed when we got home. It was GREAT!

When Matt got home from studying and the kids woke up, we decided to pack a picnic and head to the park. After we were done eating, we took off to feed the ducks at a local pond. The kids had a great time, and it was so wonderful to have Matt with us.

Here's a ton of pictures. Sorry, I'm still not feeling well, so I'm not funny, not overly forthcoming details, and ready for bed. Enjoy the pics!!

Just wondering....

Why is it that when the kids are sick they have as much energy, IF NOT MORE, than when they're well.... UUUUUUGH! I'm beginning to wonder if the medicine doesn't make him hyper... Val???

My asthma is acting up -- I'm coughing up a lung, and my throat is so sore I can barely talk. Caleb has the same thing -- but it doesn't phase him a bit. He's been running around the house like he's had 5 cups of coffee. Ridiculous!!

Oh -- and the best part.... It's been raining all day -- dark and cold. Caleb decides that it's the perfect day to wake up 1.5 hours BEFORE normal. And Matt -- he's studying. The test is a week from today. THANK GOODNESS!!

It is so not about me....

As a mother, I feel this way often. Actually, what mom doesn't feel this way from time to time??? There are days when I'd love to sleep in for an extra hour, take a bubble bath, scrap, chat on the phone, heck.. even clean the house. But, the reality is... as a mother, I can't do these little things whenever I want and I'm often reminded that...... IT IS SO NOT ABOUT ME. Life is not about what *I* want, it's about what *they* want and need. And the other reality is... I'm so thankful for that. I'm eternally grateful that I have two wonderful, happy kids, and that life is not just about me anymore. It's so much more that... my life is so much better for the two smiling faces I wake up to each morning, and for the little hands that clasp mine as we walk to the park, and for the wet slobbery kisses that I receive each day. Life is so much better for them, knowing them, loving them...

Yesterday morning I started feeling a little under the weather -- sore throat, earache, nagging cough -- just all around yuck. As much as I would have liked to sleep in for an extra 30 minutes, I got up to get ready for Katherine's big day -- OUR big day. It was her last day of preschool. She was so looking forward to the picnic her class was having with all of the parents, showing off her most recent "craft" creations, taking lots of pictures and playing with her friends for the last time before summer break. So I got up early to make her favorite lunch, chicken salad, and got everything ready for her big day.

We were supposed to have a picnic in the park and feed the ducks, but since it was POURING rain, the picnic was moved inside to the gym. I had an hour between the time I brought her to preschool and the time I had to be back for the "picnic". I was *hoping* that she'd let me drop her off at the door, so that I wouldn't have to drag Caleb out in the rain either. Her preschool has a wonderful little drop off system in which I could drive up in a little area, and the assistant teachers take them out of the car and walk them into the classrooms. But no --- she was adamant that I had to walk her in. "Only mommies who don't care about their kids just drop them off and leave" she tells me. "They don't take the time to hug and kiss them goodbye. They don't watch their kids turn their name tag over and say hello to their friends". *SIGH* I try to explain to Katherine that I don't feel well, that I really don't want to haul Caleb out in the downpour, that I still love her with all my heart, but of course, she wouldn't hear of it. So I'm reminded that, IT IS SO NOT ABOUT ME. It doesn't matter that I'm not feeling well and I suspect Caleb is also sick. It's completely irrelevant that it's cold and raining. She wants me to walk her in... So in we all go, the three of us in the rain, huddling under one umbrella and shivering cold.

As soon as I dropped her off at school, Caleb and I ran to Target. I had to pick up a few things for the preschool picnic, and get another gift for her teachers. Thankfully, the rain let up a bit so Caleb and I made a run for it. However by the time we were ready to go it was raining really hard -- as in coming down sideways. I would have loved to wait it out for a few minutes, but since I needed to be back at school, Caleb and I dashed to the car. I had to stand out in the rain so that I could get him buckled in, and by the time I was done, my entire left side was soaking wet. I looked like I stepped out of the shower. It was horrible!! As much as I would have LOVED to run home to change my clothes and dry off, I couldn't. I would have 5 or 10 minutes late for the all important picnic, and I wouldn't do that to Katherine. I just couldn't. So once again I'm reminded... IT'S SO NOT ABOUT ME!! I showed up for the picnic soaking wet and freezing. Let me tell ya -- I looked GREAT! LOL.

Katherine (and Caleb) had a wonderful time at the picnic. Katherine's teacher, Mrs. Schramm, is also a Kindermusic teacher, and since the "picnic" had to be moved inside, we had a big Kindermusic session. Caleb loved it. He played instruments, clapped to the beat, danced, and swayed with the colorful scarves to the beat of the music. The little guy has rhythm!! After lunch, the kids ran around in the gym and played all sorts of wonderful little games.

Later in the day, Caleb started getting really crabby (and not eating) so I suspected that he wasn't feeling well either. Since Dr. Jon doesn't work on Thursdays, I decided to hold off and take him this morning. By the time this morning rolled around, I was feeling HORRIBLE! I tried to get into my doctor, but no such luck.... So I was planning on taking Caleb to Jon's and then heading into the walk-in clinic for myself.

When we saw Jon, he asked the usual questions... How was he feeling, what was wrong, was he eating, etc.... I told him that I wasn't totally sure if he was sick or not, but he wasn't eating as much as usual and was super crabby. I then went on to tell him that I was on my way to the walk-in clinic because I was sick with a sore throat and earache and I suspected that Caleb had what I did. He shot me a this puzzled/confused/dirty look and told me that he was going to take a look at Caleb and Katherine. (Katherine didn't have an appointment). After he looked at the kids he told me to open up. The end result... Caleb and I have strep throat, Katherine is as healthy as can be. So he saved me a trip to the walk-in and wrote me a script. LOVE HIM. Since Matt's taking the big test this weekend, he also got a prescription just in case. I know I've mentioned this before, but I am soooo thankful for Dr. Jon. He's a pediatrician, so technically he's not supposed to treat me, but today he did. And his dirty look.... I soon found out that it was a "don't be ridiculous, I'll help you out" type of look.

Nap time could not come soon enough for me today. I was lusting after sleep like I can't even tell you. I was running a fever, coughing up a lung, and could barely swallow. My head was pounding.... All I wanted to do was to crawl into bed and turn off the lights. But yet again, IT'S SO NOT ABOUT ME. Katherine and Caleb wanted to run around outside, play on the swing set and go for a walk, so I indulged them. But when nap time did come, I took a power nap, and it was wonderful!!

I'm very aware at how quickly the kids will grow up -- and have already grown up. The days that Katherine begs me to walk her into school will fade and her constant need for me to be by her side, will be replaced by her need to fit in with her peers. It won't be every day that Caleb and I can run in the rain and laugh until we cry. I won't have the opportunity every day to watch his little hands stretch to the sky in hopes of catching a raindrop. So, I'm grateful for these days. I'm so very thankful that life is bigger than me, that it's so not about me anymore.... that it's about them.

Bumps... Bruises... Scrapes.... Scabs

Poor little Caleb looks like he just arrived home from a war zone. His forehead is bruised and swollen, his knees are bloody and scabbed over, and his shins are purple. You hurt all over just looking at him... And you know what??? In typical Caleb fashion, it doesn't seem to bother him a bit. He ran around outside all night tonight ... laughing, playing baseball with 5 of the neighbor boys and went digging in the sandbox as long as we'd let him. He was a bundle of energy and as happy as could be!!

Caleb's long streak of battle wounds started last Thursday. While I was making lunch, Katherine and Caleb were running around the house playing. Caleb was riding on this, and Katherine was pushing him around the kitchen. Then they decided to start running from the living room (the only room on the main level that has carpet -- all of the other rooms are hardwood floors) to the kitchen. Caleb was about 5 steps ahead of Katherine and running toward me. All of a sudden, he trips over his own feet and falls to the floor. The sound of his head bouncing off of the hardwood was chilling. It instantly started turned purple, and within a few minutes it was swollen to about the size of a small walnut. I was scared to death!! He cried for a minute or two and then he was off to play again. But, because of the swelling, I called in to Dr. Jon's office. They gave me the run down of what to look for and after talking to the nurse, we decided that Caleb was probably just fine. Anyway, he still has a pretty good bump and a really ugly purple bruise.

Fast forward to today... It's my aunt's birthday, so after I dropped Katherine off at preschool, Caleb and I met my mom and aunt at Panera's for breakfast. Caleb was in heaven. He ate over half of my cinnamon roll and then downed an entire glass of orange juice. He then decided to modify his new "chair diving" game and bounce off my mom and I in the booth. He thought he was pretty funny.... so funny that he threw his head back and let out a huge belly laugh. We were all laughing with him until his foot slipped and he fell between the bench and table. The result -- a scrape on his arm.

Then, when it was time to go, Caleb and I were walking out, and he decided to stop and chat with a random lady in a nearby booth. When he was done, he ran to catch up with me. I was waiting by the door for him and I'm not sure if his depth perception was off, or if he truly didn't see it, but he ran full speed right into the glass wall (which the door is a part of) and literally bounced off and fell to the ground. He hit his head again pretty good, but wasn't about to let it show. He just looked up at me and said, "N-n-n-n-n-ooooo door. My bum-bum". (Bottom). I picked him up, gave him a kiss and off we went. We left with a scrape on his arm and another bruise on his forehead.

Then tonight.... We were outside playing at Andrea's house. Caleb followed the older boys out of the fence and into Tiffany's yard. For whatever reason, he ran around to the front of the house so I followed him, and started chatting with Carolyn. Caleb was running up and down the sidewalk and all of a sudden took a really good spill. He got up and came running to me with outstretched hands so that I'd kiss them. I noticed that they were really scraped up, but I kissed him and sent him on his way -- he wasn't crying or anything... Anyway, a couple of minutes later, Carolyn and I notice that there is blood running down his leg. He must have skinned his knee really badly when he fell. Poor little guy. It had to hurt! So I took him in the house and cleaned him up. But his legs... they are full of bruises ... one is his knees is bloody and the other was is scabbed over. So glad pictures were taken before this fiasco!

I'll try and take a picture tomorrow of all of his battle wounds. You won't believe how beat-up he looks!

Totally switching subjects, but....

Today was Katherine's last day of preschool. I can't believe how quickly this school year has gone, but at the same time, I'm so ready for summer and am thrilled that she's back with me everyday. When it was time to pick up the kids, Mrs. Schramm had all of the parents come in the room and she gave us these great bags full of goodies! It was full of all sorts of wonderful stuff -- art projects that the kids had made, little notes from them, magnets they made, pictures from the year, etc... Then she walked around and gave all of the parents a scrapbook page that she had made for each of the kids. Talk about thoughtful! I am thrilled that she took the time to make something like that for the kids. It's definitely going in the scrapbook!!

Challenge...

Kim posted a challenge in her blog. It was listing your favorite things in each room or the main room in your house. Here's mine --

Kitchen --
Bar Keepers Friend... Probably the best cleaning product ever invented. It cleans EVERYTHING and is super cheap.
Magic Erasers -- again, they work wonders. Perfect for almost everything!
The 8 X 10 picture of Katherine and Matt walking in the woods that I have by the sink. Love it!
All Clad pans.
My under the cabinet CD player. Perfect for the kids and I to get our groove on and sing and dance whenever the mood strikes -- which is pretty much all the time!
My ginormous walk in corner pantry.
My cookbooks -- some are sentimental, and some are just plain good (think Ina).

Living room --
the Waterford music box that my mom gave me (Kim -- this is the same music box that I keep one of my little "treasures" in -- Katherine's).
The picture of Matt and I that sits on the bookshelves.
The lamp I got Matt for Christmas one year. It's a Iowa Hawkeye lamp with his name and the year he graduated with his MBA engraved on it.

Scrapbook room (really the formal dining room, but who's keeping track???) --
I love everything about this room. It faces the front of the house and has a huge window, so it's really bright and cheery. It also has all of my scrap supplies which I love, and is filled with pictures -- which again ... I love. It's also the one room in the house that's mine... it's off limits to the kids (unless they are in there with me) and Matt has no interest in patterned paper, eyelets, ribbon, ink, stickers and rubons! It's also where I keep my journals for the kids.

Caleb's room --

The quilt Matt's mom made when he was born.
His chair.
His little silver race car bank.
His growing collection of stuffed Sesame Street characters that he sleeps with -- Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, and Ernie.


Katherine's room --

The quilt Matt's mom made when she was born.
Her books.
Her little gold bracelet. My Grandma, mom and I all wore it in our baby pictures, and I'm hoping she'll pass it along someday.

My bedroom ---
shoes.... shoes..... and more shoes!!
The box of clothes I have saved in my closet. It contains every outfit Katherine has ever had her pictures taken in. I'm still working on Caleb's.
The cross that hangs from the mirror on my dresser. It's nothing valuable, but is something my dad gave me on a trip. It's a constant reminder of a very important lesson he taught me long ago.
The earrings my mom gave me on my wedding day.
Our Drexel furniture. It's the first nice thing Matt and I bought together and I still love it.

Basement - I love the fact that the big screen TV is down there because I can send Matt down to the basement to yell at the TV during football season. We don't have a TV on the main level of the house (GASP, SHOCK, HORROR) so it's easy to banish him to the basement. Now if only it was soundproof!
The little area under the stairs that I'm making for the kids. It's going to be a wonderful little play cove when I'm finished.

It's not really a room of the house, but....

Most of all, I love our neighborhood. It's filled with kids and is a wonderful place for Katherine and Caleb to grow up. Even though we often think about getting a bigger house, neither of us wants to leave this neighborhood, and all the friends we have here.

Proud Momma Moment....

Today the kids and I went to the zoo with Jodi and Abby (one of my neighbors and her little girl who plays with Katherine). Matt had left early in the morning to study, so the kids and I were on our own for the day. And with such a wonderful warm sunny day, there was NO WAY we were going to be stuck inside!

I've got to brag!! I had such a proud momma moment today! Shortly after we got to the zoo, we went into the Australian exhibit. It's one of those exhibits that you walk into the gate with the emu and wallabies, so they're running all around you. Katherine is a very curious child and we're always talking about totally random stuff. She's got a million questions, so there's NEVER a quiet (or dull) moment! ** And I wouldn't have it any other way!** Anyway, since we were in the Australian exhibit we were talking about animals that carry their babies in pouches (kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, etc...). So I asked her what these types of animals were called, and she proudly answered "marsupials". The grandpa behind me about went into cardiac arrest! He was shocked that she'd know that, and he confessed that he didn't even know what the answer was!!!! LOL!! Katherine just beamed, and told him that her mommy teaches her all kinds of stuff.

By the time we made our way up to the snack bar, the kids were hungry for lunch. While the kids were eating their chicken strips, a male peacock came right up next to Katherine and started pecking at the ground directly next to her chair. His tail bumped into her leg several times and she could have patted him on the head if she would have wanted to. It was insane! I've never been that close to a peacock before.... And Katherine was all giggles! She was in awe of his tail and couldn't believe how huge it was!

My little ballerina

All I can say is..... WOW!

Katherine's first dance recital was a huge success!! She looked absolutely adorable and danced her little heart out. I was so proud of her!!! We got her a bouquet of flowers, and you would have thought I handed her the world. She was beaming.

Matt watched from the audience, and I spent the night with Katherine -- changing her costumes, touching up her makeup and watching her dance around the room with her friends. When it was time for her class to go backstage and wait for their turn to dance, I waited in the wings with her. She was able to watch two other dances before it was her turn to go out. She got as close to the stage as she could, sat on her hands and knees and watched the "big" girls dance. The curtain was closed right before her dance so that the flower pots could be set on stage. As soon as it was time for her to go out, she turned to me, gave me a big hug, and ran out as fast as she could. As soon as the music came on, she popped out of her pot, a big smile on her face and danced her little heart out.

As I stood there and watched her, tears were rolling down my face. I was so proud of her. She was so confident... strong... secure... She loves to dance, and she enjoyed being on stage in the spotlight. She wasn't afraid of all the people watching her ... it didn't phase her a bit. She was in her element. Once again, I'm reminded that my baby is growing up, and I am so proud of her.

Today, Katherine also had another first... She went to her first "drop off" birthday party. Apparently I'm the only mom who thinks that 4 is too young to be dropped off at someone's house because there were 15 other little girls there.... It was Lynsey's (a little girl from her ballet class) birthday party and if it would have been at a house where I didn't know the parents REALLY well, I wouldn't have allowed her to go, but since Lynsey lives a few blocks away, AND I know both of her parents well, I thought it was probably OK. But please, at 4 is it really the end of the world if a parent accompanies their child??? UUUUUUGH! I've been known to overreact, but there's NO way, I'd drop her off at a house where I didn't know the parents VERY well. Before I dropped her off, we had a long talk about the party and the fact that I wouldn't be staying. At first she didn't want me to leave her, but after we talked about it, she decided that it was a great idea, and that she, too, should have a "no mommies party". WONDERFUL!! LOL!!

Lynsey had a princess theme birthday party and all the little girls wore their "dress up" princess gowns and shoes. Katherine looked adorable!! As I took her up the driveway she met her friends and gave them big hugs. They all told each other how beautiful they were! HA-HA! As I turned to walk back down the driveway, she yelled after me, and started to cry. She wasn't as OK with the idea of a drop off party as I thought she was... Part of me was glad that she still needed me and wanted me there, but the other part of me, wanted her to be happy about this new experience and have a wonderful time. Lynsey came up and put her arm around Katherine and told her that she could sit by her, and Ryanne (another girl from ballet class) told her that she looked too pretty cry and that she wanted her to stay and play. Katherine stayed and had a great time. Thank goodness!!

While Katherine was at the party, Caleb and I went to the park and played outside. He had such a blast!! When it was time to go, he was sweaty and tired. It was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with him, and as soon as Matt's done with the CFA, Katherine and I have a few things we want to do that we can't with Caleb.... She wants me to take her to the movies, so that's first on the list!!

Speaking of the CFA -- only two more weeks until test day! .... not that I'm counting or anything! LOL!

Dance rehearsal

Tonight was the big full dress rehearsal for the recital this weekend. Katherine is in the 3 year old class which is also the youngest class in the studio. All of the older kids take them under their wing and want to show them ropes, while Katherine and her cohorts follow them around with stars in their eyes. It's a match made in heaven!

Katherine's costume is a flower, and in the beginning of the dance the little girls pop out of gigantic flower pots. Everyone in the audience was ooooh'ing and aaaaah'ing over how cute they were. And I've got to agree -- they were absolutely adorable.

The rehearsal started with the finale dance. All of the girls in the studio do a dance together at the very end. The little ones (3 and 4 year old classes) are in front of everyone else across the front of the stage, and guess who is in the dead center of everyone??? My little Katherine! Wow, when she's up there, she's just glowing. She's got "I love dancing" written all over her face. I'm not sure what's wrong with me lately. My emotions are totally out of whack! Just watching her up there brought tears to my eyes. Literally, tears were running down my cheeks the entire time she was on stage. AAAAAHHHH..... Why is it hitting me so much lately?? My little girl is growing up. How'd I'd love to keep her this age forever.... Why can't time stand still???

Caleb put on quite a show of his own tonight. For the first 20 minutes or so, he sat on my dad's lap and cuddled in with him just watching all of the excitement around him. We knew it wouldn't last... it just couldn't! All of a sudden, Caleb decides that this is a great time to invent a little game we now affectionately call "chair diving". There was an empty chair between my dad and I, and Caleb would crawl up in the chair and start diving in our laps. He felt like such a big shot!! Every time he'd body slam either my dad or I in the chair, he'd let out this super loud belly laugh and scream "MOOOOR... MOOOOOR". About 5 minutes into his new favorite contact sport, he cracked his head on the wooden arm rests separating the chairs. WONDERFUL!! He yelled "Mamma, Mamma". I gave him a kiss on the head, he yelled "GAAANK YOU" and resumed chair diving into our laps. I would have cried, but not my little boy -- he was having the time of his life. As soon as Caleb realized that the people around him were watching him, he stood in the chair, and tried to lean over the back to give them a high five. He was wired tonight!! LOL!

Shortly before we were leaving, Caleb decided that it'd be a great time to throw a fit, so he had a full on tantrum right there. It was terrible. He was inconsolable, there was nothing we could do but watch it happen and laugh about it. Matt took him outside, and let's just say it was a battle of the wills when it was time to get in the car seat. Caleb fought it for all it was worth.... Thankfully Matt won! LOL!

Andrea called right as were were pulling in the driveway, and offered to watch Caleb Friday night during the recital. Given the fact that Matt and I would like to enjoy the recital, and make the night special for Katherine, I'm going to take her up on it... After the tantrum he threw tonight, there's NO WAY, he's coming on Friday night!!

Here's some pictures from Katherine's big night.

Katherine patiently waiting her turn to dance on stage...

All dressed and ready to go!!



These pictures are out of order, but quite frankly I'm too tired and lazy to fix them now!! This is Katherine at home getting her make up done. She got the works -- eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, powder, blush and lipstick! YIIIIKES!




Here she is at the beginning of the dance popping out of the flower pot. It's funny.... Andrea asked me if she had any stage fright, but that thought never crossed my mind. She couldn't wait to get out on stage and dance for everyone. I think she would have danced all night!

Katherine with the little girls in her class.

Isn't she adorable????? AAAAHHH...

Katherine and Morgan with the flowers that Grammy got them for their big night.

Picture perfect!

Today was such a success!! I am elated at how wonderful the pictures turned out and am kicking myself for not going to Holly's new studio sooner. Let's just say that I'm beyond thrilled!!

The pictures of Katherine turned out gorgeous. I couldn't have asked for anything better. They are literally the best pictures of her that have ever been taken, and so much better than the rat race of Target and Portrait Innovations that I've been putting them through!

Caleb remains a bit of a challenge.... It's such a tough age for pictures. When we first got there, he wanted nothing to do with the camera, but when he saw Katherine posing he warmed up to the idea quickly. He's at such at hard age right now. He definitely doesn't "get" the sit still and smile at the camera thing yet. He was his typical boyish self -- wanting to climb on the props that were off in a corner, play catch with a ball, and tickle his sister. Let's just say that we got plenty of shots with him wrinkling his nose and making goofy faces!! But we did get a genuine smile out of him, so that's great! We got some great ones of him alone, and a few good ones of the two of them together. What more could I ask for??? Holly was great, so patient with them, and took all the time we needed to get some great shots. She's going to edit them tonight or tomorrow, and then send me the link, so as soon as I get it, I'll post it here.

Tonight my parents, sister and Morgan, and my aunt are coming up for pizza and then we're off to dance rehearsal. It's the full dress rehearsal for the recital this weekend. I'm going to take pictures and video tonight, so if it's not too late I'll post a few when we get home.

Oh happy day!

I don't like surprises. I despise them actually. I agonize over Christmas and birthdays. Not only do I want to know what is in a package for me, but if I'm giving a gift to someone else, I hate the suspense of them not opening it. It kills me!! If it were up to me, I'd let the kids open all of their presents 5 minutes after I put them under the tree. It's just how I'm wired. I can't help it! LOL!! And, I've been known to worry a time or two about things I can't control... I waste precious moments thinking about things which I can't influence, or try to find ways in which I can control them.... I know, it's a lovely personality flaw!

One of my recent obsessions was Katherine's preschool teacher for NEXT year. Yea, I know I'm early on this one!! LOL! I LOVE her teacher this year. Mrs. Schramm (Penny) is great with the kids. She's my age, scrapbooks, has two kids and wants more, is super upbeat... She's a wonderful teacher, a great influence on the little people she teaches and truly cares about them. She's *everything* I want in a preschool teacher for Katherine. Most importantly, Katherine loves her, and as a result she loves school. What more could I ask???

As it turns out, the teacher who currently teaches the class Katherine will be in next year, is pregnant and due in the middle of November. I wasn't crazy about her (as a teacher) to begin with -- nothing personal, just not the type of teacher I envision for Katherine. She isn't as warm as Penny. She doesn't have the outgoing, bubbly, warm personality that instantly welcomes the kids into the classroom and motivates them to learn. She's a fine teacher, but quiet and withdrawn, and doesn't encourage the children to really explore.... (i.e. they sit and are "taught" to for 2.5 hours, rather than doing art projects, singing songs, interactive play etc... ) Not sure if this makes sense or not, but she's just not who I'd want to teach Katherine. And on top of that, Katherine would have to endure a teaching change in the middle of year. Again, not something that thrilled me. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled for her that she's pregnant (for more reasons than the obvious), but just didn't think it was the optimal learning environment for Katherine. So, being the worry wart that I am, I started checking out other preschools and actually enrolled Katherine at a different place in case I decided to move her. I needed a plan B! HA-HA!

*** OK -- I wasn't planning on including this much detail, but to put things in perspective... The teacher that Katherine would have next year, lost a little boy who is the same age as the kids she is teaching... So teaching is difficult for her, the loss of her child is very new, and it's just a tough situation all the way around....

So this afternoon I had to call Penny, and our "quick" conversations always turn into an hour or more. Anyway, Penny and I had discussed next year at parent/teacher conferences a few months ago, so she knew I had concerns... In light of the pregnancy and inevitable teacher change, I brought up the subject again. Big surprise there!! LOL! As it turns out, Penny's son is going to be in the Pre-K class which meets 5 days a week, so in addition to teaching the 3 year class on T/TH, she's also going to teach the 4 year class in the mornings only on M/W/F. Guess what??? That also happens to be the class that Katherine is in!! Oh happy day!! Katherine gets the teacher of our dreams! I am beyond thrilled. This made my day if not the week!

On a different note...

Tomorrow is picture day. We are off to see Holly at her studio in Ankeny, and I know she'll take great pictures. Let's just hope Caleb cooperates. He's been difficult the last few months, so I haven't gotten any great ones recently. I'm hoping to get some of each of the kids alone, and then some of them together. Holly rocks, so I've got high expectations!! She used to take their pictures every month, so the kids know and like her... I haven't been to the new studio, so I'm not sure how it works, but if you all can view them on-line, I'll send the link. Oh -- and guess what... tomorrow is her day off. She's opening the studio for us, so we can take as much time as we want/need. AND -- she's giving me a great deal on the pics. See, I told ya she rocked!! I'll shamelessly plug her studio as soon as she sends me the link. As horrible as this sounds, I can't remember the name -- but it's not about the studio, it's all about the photographer, and Holly is tops! Love you girl!

After we dropped of Katherine at preschool, Caleb and I hit the mall to find some new duds for the big picture day. I NEVER have any luck finding him clothes in Gymboree, so I started off at Children's Place and got him some cute polo shirts. Pretty plain and classic. They should look nice in the pictures. There wasn't really anything for Katherine at CP, so I did make the trek to Gymboree. They have the cutest things for little girls! Back in the day when I was working and we had two incomes, I wouldn't have been able to get out of there without a couple of big bags. But today.... I walked in and looked around. I couldn't have bought tons of stuff even if I wanted to. Totally cute stuff, but everything I picked up seemed to babyish for my big girl. I couldn't believe it! When did this happen? When did my little baby girl grow up? It hit me today -- hard. It was so sad! I guess every mom has moments when they realize that their babies are growing up. Today was one of mine.

So many random thoughts tonight...

So after dinner the kids and I went over to my parents house so that Matt could study in peace and quiet. The kids had a blast. They adore my parents, and are always giddy to go over there. As soon as I turned into my parent's development, Caleb started yelling, "MAMA, MAMA... GO GO GO GO!!" Does he know the way there already??? Katherine was laughing to the point of crying. She finally said, "That's right Buddy, we get so see Grammy and Pop-pops".

My parents got this toy horse that the kids can ride on, and for Caleb it was love at first sight. He rode that thing practically the whole night -- yelling "HOOOOORSE" and 'patting' it on the head. Pretty cute!

After we got home it was straight into the bath tub. Matt started filling up my whirlpool for the kids (not sure how they keep abandoning their tub and work their way into mine), while Katherine and I were sitting on the floor taking off her old nail polish. Matt brings in Caleb totally naked, and I immediately tell him to put a diaper back on while he fills the tub. I've made this mistake too many times!!! LOL! Matt insists he'll be fine. Right!!! I hate to say "I told you so", but sure enough... as soon as the water starts up, Caleb pees all over -- the floor, the rug and my foot! UUUUUUGH! Maybe he'll listen to me next time...

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mothers Day! I hope that you spent a wonderful day celebrating the great women in your life. I know I certainly did!

AAAAhh-- it's been a busy weekend. So much to blog about and really no time to sit still and actually write. That's a good thing though!

My brother came into town late last Thursday night, so Friday afternoon we all decided to go to Fuddruckers for lunch. My brother had a hankering for a shake, and since the kids are always willing to join him, we went out to lunch with my mom, brother, and sister. The big surprise of the day was that since the kids slept until 9:24 am (no that's NOT a typo) we had a late lunch, which was perfect because Matt could "show up" at the restaurant and surprise the kids on his way home from the airport -- and boy did he ever! We had sat down and started eating and he showed up with gifts in hand for them. They were beside themselves with excitement! Matt always brings them home a gift when he's traveling, but since he didn't have a rental car and wasn't in a shopping area (or frame of mind) I picked up stuffed Grover and Ernie dolls which were perfect because we were going to Sesame Street Live that night.

Sesame Street Live was the the biggest hit of the year. I'm still not sure how it happened, but I scored rock star tickets!! WOO-HOO!! Caleb sat absolutely still for the first 20 minutes yelling out the names of every character he saw. He was absolutely mesmerized and completely overwhelmed. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. The look on face alone was priceless! He had a great time!! And Katherine...... she was in heaven! We were sitting 4 rows back and our seats were directly next to the stairs that all the characters went up and down throughout the show. She high 5'ed almost every character, hugged many, and got a kiss on the nose by Bert. Oh, happy day!!

During the intermission we ran into Nicholas (one of Katherine's friends from preschool) and his family. So after the show was over, we all headed over to Cold Stone for a little treat before bed time. It was so cute. Katherine and Nicholas sat down at the table and started to discuss the show in great detail. They sounded like little adults! They just couldn't figure out why Super Grover lost his "superness". The funniest part -- it was never explained in the show, and two preschoolers were wondering why! LOL!!

Saturday, Matt resumed his normal study schedule so we went with Michelle, Ben and Tessa to Adventureland. Caleb had a blast going on all the rides. I swear he had a smile plastered on his face for 3 straight hours.... and yet again, the carousel was his favorite. He kept yelling "horse go-go-go Horse!!!!"

My sister called this morning and they were all going out to Adventureland again today -- so guess who joined them??? You guessed it! We went out there two days in a row! When we arrived, the park was basically empty -- there couldn't have been more than a couple of hundred people there. The kids could ride whatever ride they wanted and had NO wait. Many times they just asked us if we wanted to stay on and ride again! It was wonderful! Such a gorgeous day, no crowds, and happy kids. It was a wonderful Mother's Day! Oh -- and since Uncle Isaac was with us, the Katherine and Morgan got to go on all the "fun" rides that their lame mommies won't take them on. Sorry! I just don't have the stomach! LOL!

After we got home and cleaned up, we went over to my parent's house for dinner, and had a cookout in the backyard. Katherine, Caleb and Morgan played outside for most of the night. They blew bubbles, rode bikes, rolled around in the grass with the dogs, and laughed more than I thought possible. They had a great time, and since none of them had naps today, by the end of the night they were exhausted! Thank goodness!! After today, I'm tired too! LOL!!

what a day!!

How can chaos erupt in 2 minutes flat? How can we go from having a great day playing outside with friends to complete and utter chaos in the blink of an eye?? I'm not sure, but at the Hanson house anything, and I mean anything is possible.

We were over at Carolyn's house and Katherine and Caleb were playing with Allison on her new swing set. They had a great time. It was super hot out, so as soon as we got home, I pulled a couple of bottles of Propel out of the fridge and we headed inside. The kids wanted to go into the living room and play with the basket ball hoop and new baseball T (clearly I need to rethink that location!!) so we went in and I sat down on the couch and proceeded to open the bottles. Katherine took the first sip and handed the bottle to Caleb. Evidently she didn't think that he was drinking fast enough, so she tipped up (shoved would be more accurate) the bottle (think beer bong) with her hands so that Propel went everywhere -- up Caleb's nose, all over his clothes, on the sofa, ALL over the carpet. It was such a mess! Needless to say, Katherine got a time-out.... So while she was sitting on the steps, I gave Caleb a sippy cup (which I should have done in the first place) and sat him on the sofa while I cleaned the carpet. All of a sudden, he pukes all over everything -- including the sofa. I cleaned it up as much as possible, but Matt will have to take out the Bissel when he gets home -- both the carpet and the sofa need it! Welcome home honey! LOL!!

So after that, I decide that Starbucks is in my immediate future and I pack up the kids and give myself a little caffeine break. Well deserved don'tcha think??? Things are back to normal for about 30 seconds and as I'm making dinner Katherine starts inventing strange noises. She's pushing her arms together as hard as she can and starts making this grunting/straining/groaning noise. Really attractive I tell ya! Of course, Caleb decides that he has to give it a try and while grunting/straining/groaning he pukes again!! OK -- this is getting ridiculous! Pure insanity, I tell ya!! He's not sick, but twice in the span of 30 minutes, Katherine brings him to the point of puking! Ay-yi-yi!!

On a different note, Katherine had her ballet class tonight....

I've been thinking of changing dance studios for a while now. No particular reason; I'm very happy with everything... At the end of the day, I want this to be a positive experience for Katherine. I want her to love it. I want her to have fun. I want her to have opportunity to succeed. And, her current studio definitely has the right environment -- perfect for girls learning to dance, super fun, and not high stress. I really like the owner of studio, all the teachers, the kids in her classes, and thankfully they dress ALL the girls (up through high school) appropriately for recital, which is important to me. I don't want my 10 year old daughter dancing half-dressed in the recital to some provocative song... Anyway, something just didn't feel right. I haven't been able to put my finger on it, but something was missing.... I finally decided that maybe this studio wasn't right for her because she really wants to be in gymnastics, and this studio has a tumbling class but not really a gymnastics (bar, beam, vault) class. So because of that, I was going to take her to a different studio for gymnastics, and felt it would be easier on me if she also took dance classes at the same place. I will say this -- she is already doing flips, cartwheels and handstands in the living room, and she could do it for hours. I think she needs something more than only tumbling, so that's the initial reason for the change... However tonight I learned that one of the recitals will be cancelled. What? The recital is a week away (next Friday and Saturday) and they tell us TONIGHT that one of them will be cancelled. Thanks for the notice!! Apparently, the reason is that the location of the recital is $600/hour including decorating time and they didn't sell enough tickets. HEEELOOO! Have it in a cheaper place! It would have been nice to know this a little more than a week in advance.... I feel badly for her. She's worked all year for this, and is so excited for it. Now, it's partly cancelled.....


Tonight after dance, we had our usual neighborhood play-a-thon. Here are some pictures:


Caleb couldn't get enough of Walker's little motorized ATV. He LOVED it!!




Katherine and one of the neighbor girls were cruising around the back yards with Walker holding on for dear life!! The poor kid had grass stains all over his front side!!


Katherine and Emma.

Wonderful!

Today was a great day. We didn't do anything over the top, but it was one of those days where everything is perfect.... the weather, the kids, our friends. We had a perfect day!

This morning, we had a play date scheduled at a super cute park in Clive. It's cut back into the woods and has nature trails, a small stream, and huge trees all around. It's great! We went on a walk, played in the sand, threw sticks, rocks and various other random stuff into the stream, ran across the bridge no less than 50 times and had a great little picnic. We finally packed up around 1:30 and came home to play for a while before naps.

After naps, the kids and I ordered in pizza and then went over to a birthday party for a little neighbor boy. The kids ran around and played in the backyard all night. And the best part -- Katherine got to eat her all time favorite food .... birthday cake! So it was a really great night for her! LOL!

A few of us moms were standing around talking about what a wonderful neighborhood we live in. All of the kids had a blast playing together. They got along so well. There weren't any fights or disagreements among them. We don't have the "one bratty kid" that everyone dreads. There isn't the constant need to referee and discipline them. It's fun for all. It's perfect!! LOL.

After we left the party, I threw both kids in my whirlpool tub and gave them a good scrubbing. They were full of sunscreen, dirt, sand and sweat! They played like champs today. Oh, and poor Caleb... his legs look awful. From his knees to his ankles, he's one big bruise, scrape, and scab. They just look awful! Poor thing. And the worst part is that he won't leave them alone. He keeps picking his scabs. UUUUGH! And if he doesn't leave them alone, I'm going to have to put him in jeans until they heal. I'm probably going to take a picture and scrapbook it. His legs are all boy!

Tomorrow is a BIG day at preschool. They are focusing on their manners this week, and tomorrow they are bringing in their teddy bears, so that they can "teach" them manners. Katherine can't wait! She's really looking forward to teaching her teddy bear everything that she learned on Tuesday. Also, last Thursday they had a family fun night for all of the parents and siblings. The school hosted a carnival, complete with a jump house and clowns. Anyway, the clowns are coming back to their class tomorrow and "learning" manners too. Katherine adores Cookie and Yo-Yo.

In scrapbooking news..... Do you remember this? (last paragraph)... Anyway, originally I had no intention of making a scrapbook for her, and was trying to get Kim to do it with me and split up the work. Anyway, Carlene told me that she wants the scrapbook to be 50 pages per YEAR her of her daughter's life, and her daughter is graduating from high school next May. So, roughly, it would be 50 pages times 18 years times $20/page. It would take me FOREVER to do this, and I'd probably have to put my own kid's books on hold, but at those prices it would come out to about $18k. Holy cow, that's a ton of money to do something I love. So, I may try to take it on..... It would mean that my original goal of being totally caught up by October 2008 would be shot, but the money is tempting... Thoughts?

Slumber party

Finally, we're back on track -- everyone is healthy and *thankfully* happy. I thought this week would have been more difficult, but so far, life has been pretty normal.

Katherine was testing the "proverbial" waters at Todd and Caroline's house on Saturday night, but since then, she's been her happy, easy going self. She's been going through a stage where she's trying to see what - and how much she can get away with... The end result is a "whine fest" and there's nothing that bothers me more! UUUUUGH! Caleb has been following Katherine around trying out everything she does. The kid's got stars in his eyes, I swear! LOL!! It really seems like he's really grown up since Matt left, and I'll be interested to see if he notices. He's such a little man -- so full of energy, so full of personality. He's figured out what is funny, and has been doing it repeatedly this week. He cracks Katherine and I up constantly. He cracks himself up!

Katherine is obsessed with being the leader. It doesn't matter what it is, if there's something to "lead" she's ALL over it!! LOL! So now when I ask who wants to be the leader, they both raise their little arms and scream. And when it comes time for naps, and I ask who wants to be the nap leader, they both run for the stairs as fast as they can, cheering all the way. LOVE it!!

Today while Katherine was at preschool, Caleb and I made a Target run and I got him this baseball set. Boy does he love it! He was trying to hit balls while I was in the process of assembling it. I set it up in the living room and let him have at. He didn't stop running around and laughing for over an hour. When he got tired of putting the balls on the T, he started using the baseball bat as a golf club and hitting the balls all over the house. So that Katherine wouldn't feel left out, I bought an extra bat and 16 balls. Fun times!!

We've spent every night this week over at my parents house. The kids have played with their beloved Grammy and Pop-pops and I've had a chance to get a little breather. When Matt called today over lunch, Katherine broke down in tears; she misses her daddy. We're looking forward to Friday night when Matt gets home. We've got tickets to Sesame Street Live and Katherine is beside herself with excitement. Caleb doesn't have a clue what's coming, but I'm sure he'll enjoy it the most of all.

My dad is really into showing the kids everything -- the bugs in the lawn, the berries on the trees, the rocks in the landscaping, the list goes on and on and on. Tonight he and Caleb were sitting on the deck 'sharing' a yogurt drink, and my dad was pointing out things in the sky .... air planes, clouds and birds. My poor dad was so confused. Caleb kept yelling "DUUUUACH, DUUUUUACH, DUUUUUACH" which is Caleb-ese for "Duck". Caleb thinks that all birds are "ducks", and my dad just didn't get it! LOL.

Tonight after naps, we picked up my parents and went out to our favorite Mexican restaurant. The chips and salsa are supper yummy, and the kids feasted on chicken dipped in this white cheese sauce stuff. Hey, if they're happy, I'm happy.

After dinner we made a pit stop at Cold Stone, and then spent the rest of the night at my parent's house. My grandma was there, so it was good to be able to see her. Katherine was beside herself with excitement. She gets to have a slumber party at Grammy's house. They watched movies, ate popcorn, and stayed up late. I came home, cuddled with Caleb for a while, read him some stories and put him to bed, and then it was Mommy time! I actually got some scrapbooking done. WOO-HOO!! I'm making Katherine and Caleb similar layouts (both are Christmas layouts with the same journaling), and I got Caleb's done, and Katherine's started. I'm going to try and finish up hers tomorrow.

We have a play date at a park in the morning, so that should be fun. I'll try and post pictures tomorrow!

NOT AGAIN...

Since Matt's gone, Katherine slept in bed with me last night and we cuddled, ate popcorn and watched a movie. It was a great time!

This morning, when we heard Caleb wake up, she ran into his room and I let Riley outside. All of a sudden I hear her screaming "Hurry Mommy! Come quick! Caleb needs you..." I race up the stairs and into his room. I was instantly suffocated by an all too familiar smell-- PUKE. Not again! Caleb was just sick last week. He was feeling fine when I put him to bed. But this morning, when I went into his room he was covered in bright red, chunky puke. (He had his favorite Elmo applesauce as a bedtime snack). I was up for quite a while after he went to bed and I didn't hear anything, so I'm not sure when he got sick, but by by the time he woke up it was crusted over. Totally disgusting!! Why didn't he cry in the middle of the night and wake me up so that I could clean him up and help him feel better??? It breaks my heart that he threw up alone, and then slept in it... and this is the same kid who didn't sleep though the night until 16 months! Now he'll sleep though anything????

Oh, I wish Matt was home, or at least at work, so I could call and give him the play by play... Why couldn't Caleb have waited to get sick AGAIN until Saturday morning? UUUUGH.... So I spent the morning giving Caleb a bath, changing his bedding, and cleaning the carpet. What a mess!

Since he didn't have a fever and seemed hungry, I fed him breakfast, and he kept it down -- so far (knock on wood LOL!!). After lunch, I took the kids outside and we rode bikes and got some fresh air. I'm not sure what happened, but he seems totally fine now... I'm just hoping it was a one time thing!

Tonight after the kids wake up from their naps, we're headed over to my parents house for dinner. Caleb is a huge "pop-pops" boy, so he's going to get to spend a little time with Grandpa, while Mom, Katherine and I make a Target run. I can get it done so much more quickly without both kids, and then Katherine can get a little Mommy time. It works out well! And... given what happened this morning, I don't want to chance him throwing up in the middle of Target. My parents house is one thing, Target is another! LOL!!

Saturday

Matt left for Windsor yesterday - it's right across the Canadian border from Detroit -- for his week long CFA prep class. He gets back into Des Moines Friday night, right in time to make the Sesame Street Live performance at 7 pm. We're all looking forward to it. 8 days is a really long time to be without daddy. I'm sure by the time next Friday rolls around I'll be exhausted!

Sometime this week, I'm heading to Suite Dreams to get both of the kids a Gund Sesame Street character to bring to the show with us. Caleb has a Big Bird and Cookie Monster, but I thought I'd add to the collection and get them both a new stuffed character to bring to the show. I'm hoping they have Grover as the show is Super Grover something.... And I'm sure Katherine will pick out Elmo. She loves him! LOL.

As soon as the kids wake up from their naps, we are heading to Todd and Caroline's house for dinner. I made this brownie tart for dessert. It's in the oven now, and I'm really hoping it turns out well. I had to make something quick and easy, because with two kids trying to "help" me, speed is the name of the game!! And Ina has the best recipes. They always turn out, so here's to hoping she doesn't let me down! LOL!!

With Matt gone this week, the kids and I are going to do a few projects. I'm going to take everything out from under the stairs in the basement and make it a play cove for them. We have extra carpet from finishing the basement, so I'm going to try and put that down too. I've never laid carpet, so wish me luck. I'm going to bring the kids to Sherman Williams and let them pick out some fun paint colors for the inside. We usually do a craft every day, but I'm hoping that we can call this a "craft" and all work on it together!

Dentist

How could one simple dentist appointment turn into complete chaos??? Let's see... since I make our 6 month appointments one year in advance I have NO idea what I'll be doing a year from then, or what our schedule will be like... Well, yesterday was dentist day!! Matt and I had our appointments - one at 11, and the other at noon. I had two options:

1. Take the 11:00 and bring Caleb with me. Mom could pick up Katherine from pre-school at 11:30 and then meet up with us for lunch; or

2. Take the 12:00 and bring my mom with me to the dentist with the "plan" that she'll watch the kids. Since Katherine doesn't get out of preschool until 11:30, there wouldn't be time to run back to mom's house and drop off the kids.

Given the fact that neither of these were great options, I chose #2. Taking Caleb with me alone while I'm getting my teeth cleaned, just didn't sound like a great idea... Unfortunately Matt wasn't an option either... Since he left today for Canada for a week for that CFA prep class, he couldn't leave work any earlier to take the kiddos....

So anyway ..... after I dropped Katherine off at school, Caleb and I went home to pack a bag full of goodies. I found this nice BIG black back from Archivers. I had gotten it free ages ago because I had spent a certain amount of money in the store. Big surprise there! LOL!! It was a perfect size to hold all of Caleb's big Sesame Street books, random balls, an assortment of toys that he could tinker around with, and every snack the kids could dream of. I felt good. I had everything covered... or so I thought!

As soon as we arrived in the parking lot Katherine was thrilled. She couldn't WAIT to have her teeth cleaned. Uh-oh! I immediately start explaining to her that her appointment wasn't today, it was next month... But she'll hear none of it! She breaks down, tears spilling all over her face. She loves the dentist, she loves Cindy (our hygienist), and she "needs" a new toothbrush. I can't rationalize with her... She doesn't care that she has 6 toothbrushes at home; she still needs another one. When this passes, Caleb and I head inside equipped with our big black back of tricks. Katherine was wearing a little green polo dress (Crissy - it's the one you got her) and since it had gotten cold, my mom was going to change her clothes in the car.

Cindy comes right out to get me, so I bring Caleb back to the room... Now -- about this dentist office... it's super nice and really modern. All of the rooms are "open" and you could walk in between them if you wanted. I'm not sure if this makes sense or not... but the rooms aren't closed with doors like a doctor's office. They are open but with dividers so you can't see the patient next to you....

I sit down in the chair and Caleb happily sits on my lap. He's watching everything that's going on and chatting away with Cindy. A few minutes later, my mom and Katherine come and join us in the room. As soon as Caleb sees the bag of goodies, he decides that he needs a snack. My mom pulls out little cups and and divides a package of Yo-go's between them. Caleb wants down to play with Katherine, and they decide to start dancing and singing at the top of their lungs. Remember the "open rooms"??? LOL!! I tell them to have a good time, but use their "inside voices". That works for about 2 minutes, and then Katherine decides that it'd be a great idea to use the end of my chair as a slide. What??? I have Cindy poking around in my mouth with metal instruments and Katherine rocks and spins my chair. Holy cow! Let's just say I was about in tears!! And then on her way down, she kicks the little paper cups of Yo-go's all over the place. So here is my mom, crawling around on the floor -- on her hands and knees trying to retrieve these little pink balls. The poor woman -- she even had to crawl into the next room to get some of them. Unfortunately for her, that room was occupied -- by a guy in a suit getting his teeth drilled. Ay-yi-yi....

Right after that, she takes both kids into the waiting room, and about 30 seconds later I hear her say, "Caleb NO NO NO"!! He discovered the water jug and thought it was great fun to turn on the spicket. Within a few seconds, the carpet was soggy, and he was soaking wet....

My sister showed up a few minutes later so that we could all have lunch, and I was more than ready to get out of there!! So after I cleaned up the mess that they left behind we went out to lunch at Panera's. On the FIRST bite, my mom's temporary crown falls out, so guess what??? Back to the dentist we go! This time, the kids and I waited out in the car......

Gross!!

So after the kids woke up from their naps this afternoon, we went over to my parents house for dinner. Morgan and Clyde also came over -- Laurie had class, and Matt was studying ... big surprise there! My dad and I played with the kids outside in the backyard before dinner, and pop-pops got out the toddler golf clubs. As soon as Caleb saw them, he ran across the backyard as fast as his legs would carry him, cheering the whole way!! He was all was all over it! An activity that combines hitting things with balls? What could be better??? LOL!

My grandma looked really tired tonight. My mom didn't want to chance that she wouldn't eat the dinner she was making, so she got my grandma her favorite take-out (ribs from Texas Roadhouse). She didn't eat hardly a bite, and she talked even less. Every time I asked her a question, she would just smile and nod. I tried to get her to come outside and sit with us while the kids played in the backyard. She didn't want to walk out there.... At dinner, she picked at her meal a little, but the definite highlight was sitting next to Caleb. He gave her a "high 5" for eating a bite of her ribs. Pretty cute!

After dinner, Caleb wanted to go right back outside to play with the golf clubs. He's got a one track mind I tell ya! When it got too cold to play outside, we let Caleb bring the clubs in the house as long as he only used them in the TV room. Yea, right.... He was running around the house chasing every ball he could find and swinging at it with all his might. All of a sudden, he got really quiet, and when I called him he didn't answer or come running, I knew something was up. NOT GOOD! I find him out in the kitchen splashing in the dog bowl with the golf club.... water everywhere... After I get that cleaned up, I once again realize he's missing. Where do I find him??? Laughing at the top of his lungs in the bathroom. Someone left the door open and the toilet seat up..... and the toilet wasn't flushed completely. Are you kidding me??? Here's my 19 month old splashing around in poop. I could have died! Totally disgusting... AAARRRGGG.

Why didn't anyone tell me???

Mom's of little boys hold secrets and they're NOT sharing them with me!


I know about boys.... or so I thought -- I've dated them, I've been friends with them, -- heck I even married married one... But there's something about boys that still mystifies me. It's as if everyone in the world is in on a big inside joke, and I'm the ONLY one who's not laughing...


Last year I bought Caleb some summer clothes so that he'd have them for this year as soon as the weather got nice. On the way to the zoo this morning I pulled out a spiffy new outfit for him. I thought it was sooo cute -- a navy blue polo and the trendy plaid shorts. I bought a size 18 months, because well .. he's 18 months. Seems logical, huh?? Nope! All mom's of little boys know that they have to buy their sons a size smaller in the pants. Poor Caleb -- he looked like he was wearing plaid capris. In fact, you couldn't see any leg between his "shorts" and his socks. Not a good look!! LOL! Apparently I missed the memo, because he's got enough 18 months shorts to outfit a small army! Here's to hoping they fit next summer!



We went to the zoo this morning. The weather was gorgeous -- it was such a great day to spend outside. However, I wasn't able to take that many pictures because basically the entire zoo was under construction. HELLO! Couldn't they have done any construction work 30* ago?? Again, too logical for me... Instead they decide to do it all when kids are there on field trips right before the school year lets out. That's a good idea! Shut down half the zoo when bus loads of kids are going to want to see the animals. Perfect!


Here's a picture of the kids and I. For those familiar with the Des Moines zoo, I was hoping to get a picture on the bridge, but yes... that too was under construction! And please notice Caleb's legs -- it was the only time they saw the sun all day!

One of the "construction projects" was tearing out the huge trees in the middle of the zoo. Apparently they are adding a new exhibit and moving the monkeys further away from the grill and snack bar. Here a picture of Katherine and Ben watching the tree being cut down. The tree they were in the process of cutting down was the large one directly to the left of Ben. What I wouldn't give for that tree in my yard!

As soon as Katherine and Caleb wake up from their naps, we are heading over to my parents house for dinner. Mom went to pick up my Grandma from the nursing home this afternoon, so I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with her. She hasn't been eating much lately, so we're going to get her her favorite take-out for dinner!

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day everyone! I hope your day is filled with wonderful little surprises...

This morning Katherine's preschool class had a field trip at the Urbandale library. Caleb and I went with them to help chaperone the kids. Everyone had a great time! They started off with story time in the preschool reading room, and then got a "behind the scenes tour". They learned what happened to a book when it was returned to the library and were shown other ares of interest to them -- the kids magazines, the movie section and how to find a specific book. Caleb was in HEAVEN! He loves books and would sit and read for hours, so story time was right up his alley. He clapped and cheered for the librarian to keep reading to him. It was hilarious! And Katherine was so proud of him. She loved the fact that we were along, and she showed off Caleb to anyone who would listen to her. On the tour of the library, we walked past some older guys ("grandpa" age) and she stopped to talk to them and tell them all about her "big brother". They got quite a kick out her. You could just tell that she had made their day. One of the guys told me "thank you -- it was the most he had laughed in quite a while".

When we got home, I went in to make lunch while the kids played in the front yard. They usually chase each other along the front porch or decorate it with sidewalk chalk during the few minutes it takes me to get their lunch ready. All of a sudden I realized it was awfully quiet -- too quiet.... as in complete silence... I panicked and ran outside. There was Caleb was sitting right outside the front door happily munching on May Day baskets -- all 10 or so of them. His face was covered in chocolate and he had popcorn stuck everywhere -- in his hair, on his clothes, even between his toes. What a mess!! But what a happy little boy! Let's just say he filled up on chocolate covered raisins and didn't eat a bite of his lunch -- big surprise there!

Tonight Laurie and I are taking the kids out for dinner -- and if it stays slightly windy, we're going to take them out to fly kites. I think they'll have great time. Matt is spending the night studying -- he leaves Friday for Canada for a week long prep class, so all this weekend and next week it's just the kids and I!!