My mom rocks!

Seriously, she does.

Matt and I are heading to Iowa City on Friday morning to take Andrew to a pediatric specialist. He was born with a small "defect" that will require surgery, and we've opted to to take him to the University hospital (with Dr. Jon's recommendation, of course! LOL) rather than having it done here.

Anyway, since we need to be in Iowa City around 9 (It's about a 2 hour drive) and Katherine doesn't go to be to school until 8:30'ish, we were going to have my mom come over in the morning and get her ready for school and then watch Caleb during the day.

For some reason, Matt really wants to bring Caleb with us. I'm sure it has something to do with going to the stadium, and taking him out to lunch, but I just thought it'd be easier to leave him here.

So as plans evolve, my mom has changed her schedule a million times. The latest (and most likely final) plan is that she'll come over for a late dinner (Katherine has gymnastics until 6:30 and we don't get home until around 7), we're going to make our favorite dessert (frozen berries with melted hot white chocolate over them) and then she's going to spend the night here. Katherine is beyond excited that her Grammy is coming to stay at our house and sleep in bed with her. Can you say SLUMBER PARTY?!?!?! LOL! My mom is going to get her ready for school and drive her in the morning so she doesn't have to wait out in the cold for the bus and then we're going to take Caleb with us. Hopefully Isaac can meet up with us for lunch!

I'm thinking a stop at the outlet mall in Williamsburg in on the agenda!

The test

My dad is famous for his random knowledge. He knows tons of stuff most people never think about. If I have a question about history, nature, how something works, or something totally obscure, etc... he's my "go to guy". Chances are he'll know the answer.

He's a learning disabilities teacher, and a few weeks ago he was telling me about this "test" to determine how smart your child is, and then demonstrated it on Caleb. It goes something like this...

He gave Caleb two jelly beans (which he LOVES) and told him very simply and matter of factly that the jelly beans belonged to him (Caleb). He could do anything he wanted with him. He could eat them immediately, HOWEVER, if he waited until we went home later that night, he would fill up a Dixie cup with jelly beans and he could have them all. He let Caleb see the Dixie cup and jar of jelly beans.

Now -- as a side note, the key to this "test" is that you can't make a big deal out of it. The child has to know the "small" item is theirs if they want it now, but if they wait, they get something better/bigger/etc... in the future. You can't tell them, "If I were you I'd do _________". The decision of what to do is solely theirs.

This simple test is an early and accurate indication of intelligence. In measures the child's ability to delay immediate gratification in favor of long term success. In other words, can they think in the long term to make the best decision, or will they take the "feel good, easy way out". Evidently, it's a good predictor of how a child will do in school (will they put in the time and study hard to do well on a test), how much success they'll have in college (will they party all night, etc) and how they'll do in the workforce, etc... It definitely makes sense to me.

So Caleb -- how'd he do on this test?? Any guesses???

After my dad gave him the jelly beans and told him he could have many more IF he waited until he went home later that night, he looked at my dad and got that little twinkle in his eye and shoved those two jelly beans in his mouth as fast as possible!! Oh, and if I remember correctly he squealed in delight. Now .... it's not that he didn't understand the prospect. Oh no... it was exactly the opposite! Right after he swallowed them down, he said something like, "I know you'll give me more Pop-pops! You always share with me and you love me!!". Great... He knows he's got my dad wrapped around his little finger. Not exactly sure where that puts him on the test, but the outcome is SOOOOO Caleb. LOL!! I didn't expect anything else out of him!!

So last night, I decided to do the same test on Katherine. I gave her the same little speech. I told her that I sent some licorice nibs in her lunch. If she brought them home and didn't eat them, I'd have "something" better for her. I didn't tell her what "something" was, but just that it'd be better than the licorice nibs in her lunch. I also told her it was her decision, and if she wanted to eat the nibs with her lunch, that was fine with me. I didn't care either way. She could do what she wanted.

All day I was thinking about her and wondering what she'd do. She was at school, with her peers and without me around to guide her or give her any direction whatsoever. Would she eat the Nibs or bring them home? Would she make the decision to wait for something better in the future or would she just chow 'em down like Caleb did?

Any guesses?????

After school she went over to Olivia's house for a play date, and while I was talking to Melissa (her mom) on the phone, I told her to ask Katherine where the Nibs were. I heard Katherine laugh in the background. "They're in my lunch box! I wasn't about to eat them. I'm too smart for that. My mommy is giving me something WAAAAYYY better when I get home".

That's my girl! She gets it. She does the right thing, even when I'm not around to guide her and remind her of what she "should" do. She's responsible. She's thoughtful. She's forward thinking. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to delay immediate gratification. I'm so proud of her. So proud of all that she is and who she's becoming. So proud to be her mom. So proud of her.

Back in business!!

Friday we went to the Science Center with the Harris', Launderville's and Burkle's. We had a so much fun -- the kids ran around, got some of the lead out, laughed a lot, and had a really wonderful time.

We had lunch there -- nothing out of the ordinary. The kids were angels, and I ordered the same turkey sandwich I've been eating for ages... After the first bite, I looked over at Michelle and asked her if her turkey sandwich tasted a little "turkey-ish". She thought so, but after a good razzing from Danyel about how ridiculous the comment was, I ate it... convinced it must be fine.

That night we had Matt's "Winter Celebration" party. Since it was an entire company thing, neither of us were super excited to go. We made an appearance, stayed for dinner and drinks and then made an early exit. On the way home, we stopped for a drink and dessert. I ordered a super yummy flourless chocolate, but unfortunately I was "too full" to eat it. ** OK, that should have been my first clue something was WAY wrong!! *** So I brought it home and gave it to Katherine and my mom who devoured the thing on the spot.

That night, I woke up sick and spent more time in the bathroom than in my bed. It was terrible. I honestly thought I could have died! Around 9 am, I gave in and just laid on the bathroom floor, curled up on the hooded towel "Santa" gave Andrew. I haven't been that sick in AGES....

After talking to Michelle and finding out that she too, was nauseous, we determined that it had to be the turkey sandwich. Dang it!!

So unfortunately, I had to miss my nephew's first birthday party. I missed seeing Matt's parents, and spent the entire day sleeping. Thankfully, Matt took all three kids with him while I rested and finally, by the end of day on Sunday, I was feeling somewhat normal.

Needless to say, I won't be eating that turkey sandwich EVER again! LOL.

So what else......

For some reason, Monday has turned into family night at my parent's house. We all go over there for dinner (I don't have to cook), the kids play and we sit and chat. It's super nice. Anyway, shortly after I got there, I realized that I had forgotten something and had to run home. I left my mom with all 4 kids (Morgan was also there). When I got back to her house, I found Katherine and Caleb in the bathroom. Evidently he had to go, but didn't feel comfortable sitting on the potty by himself, so Katherine lifted up there and held him on. She was so proud of herself "just trying to help you out mommy"!

Oh, and she stayed the night at mom's on Friday night (after we went to Matt's party) and made me the most wonderful little "get well" card. She drew two girls holding hands and smiling. I was the slightly taller one with green hair. LOL!! On it she wrote, "Katherine Ann I love you". Bless her heart.

Oh, and in school on Monday she was asked to draw a picture of something she did over the weekend and write about it. She drew a random house and wrote, "Iim slypen at my gramas howos". Sound it out phonetically. Super cute. Love all that she's learning in school. Love how hard she tries. Love that girl. So glad she's mine.

Fast forward to tonight....

Since Katherine has gymnastics every Tuesday from 4:30 - 5:30, I always make something for dinner that I can make early in the day that will be ready when we get home. Tonight it was chili and I invited my parents over.

Anyway... While I'm cleaning up the kitchen and Matt's holding Andrew, we hear Caleb start yelling. Matt hands Andrew off to my dad and runs upstairs. Low and behold, we have another poop problem. Oh yes dear friends! He has once again gotten up off the potty without being wiped and dripped poop all over my BEDROOM CARPET. I swear there about 8 or 10 polka dots right outside the bathroom door. UUUUUGH!! Does it ever end? There are days I could beat my head against the wall. I swear it'd do more good! LOL.

After we got that problem under control, Danyel came over around 8 to show me how to spot Katherine on her back walkovers. She had been having a little problem on her form, so Danyel was kind enough to come over and give her a few tips. Oh, how thankful I am! Within a few minutes (literally) Katherine was doing them very well and didn't need to be spotted. Oh, happy day! Just watching her find that success made my heart happy.

Oh, and Danyel you'll love this .... while I was tucking her into bed tonight, she looked at me, smiled and said, "You know what Mommy? I'm really good at gymnastics. I can do every move now but a back flip and back handspring. After I learn those, I'll be ready to go to the Olympics". AAAAHHHH, sweet innocence. LOL!

public bathrooms...

*** Disclaimer --- I'm sure after reading this post, some of you are going to thing I'm a total nutcase, and that's fine, but public bathrooms are one of my quirky hang ups. I hate them. I truly detest them. If it were just me, I'd NEVER set foot in one, but since it's not just me, I have no choice. *sigh*

Anyway....

I can't think of too many things I hate worse than public bathrooms, especially when I have to take the kids in there..... I'm somewhat neurotic about them, but I've seen too many people NOT wash their hands, and do other random disgusting things, that I have a hard time using them at all. In general, they are dirty, disgusting, and full of germs. Thankfully, Katherine has been well trained in public restroom protocol. She knows what she can and can't touch, makes sure the toilet seat is completely covered with paper before she sits down, and never touches a door handle without paper in her hand. Caleb on the other hand... Not. So. Much.

This afternoon, my mom and I made a quick Costco run. Before we went, the boys and I were over at the Launderville's house for a play date. Before we left I asked Caleb 100 times if he had to go potty, but he told me no, so off we went. Shockingly, about half way through the shopping expedition, he's "gotta go"! So I leave Andrew and the cart with my mom and dash off for the bathroom.

All the way to the bathroom I prep Caleb for what he can and can't do. I thought he understood, but evidently not. As soon as we get into the stall, he tries to lift up the lid to the little garbage box hanging on the wall, exposing "items" that made my skin crawl. I immediately tell him not to touch that or anything else because it's full of germs. He says "OK, Mommy" rests his hands on the toilet seat. Again, I explain to him that the bathroom is dirty and that other people sit on the potty chair, and he should NOT to touch it. He then tries to flush the toilet with his bare hands. At this point I'm sweating, swearing under my breath, praying for a can of Lysol to drop from the ceiling, and trying not to freak out about the whole experience.... Too late for that, huh?? LOL!

I then put down the paper ring things on the toilet seat and he asks my why we do that at the Costco, but not at home. I explain to him AGAIN about germs and sit him up there. Since he's not used to using a regular toilet yet, I have to crouch down and hold him on.

All of a sudden, I hear a lady yelling at me from 4 or 5 stalls away. She says, "I am sooooo sick down here and am forced to listen to you ramble on and on about how dirty and full of germs this bathroom is. Can't you just be quiet already???". NICE. What do you even say to that? Nothing!

At this point, Caleb pats me on the cheek and whispers, "I love you, Momma". AAAAHHHH, the silver lining! It was all worth it.

We do our business, and as we're heading out of the stall, she says, "Make sure you wash your hands. YOU don't want germs".

Nice. Really nice, lady. You're just ooooozing with class!

My goodness. I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there!

Oh, poop!

First, let me say .... Caleb has been doing a wonderful job potty training. He hasn't had an accident during the day and we're up to 6 nights in a row that he's woken up dry. In fact, he's begging and pleading to wear underwear all night long, which I'll let him do when we get to 10 dry nights in a row. Pretty good for a kid who was wearing diapers a little over a week ago! But, today he got a little cocky.... (You knew there HAD to be a story right??? LOL!!)

While I was downstairs, I heard the toilet flush. Pretty scary, since *I* empty his little potty chair into the big one. I put Andrew in his swing and RUSH upstairs only to find my worst nightmare...

Evidently, while he was pooping, he stood up to check his progress. In doing so, he got poop on the seat of his little toilet. Being the "helpful" kid that he is, he decides it's a good idea to pick it up with his BARE HANDS, and throw it in my toilet. (Hence the flush I heard). He then sits back down, only to realize he's got a fist full of poop, and decides to WIPE IT ALL OVER THE FLOOR. Oh. My. Goodness. Are you kidding me?

To top it off, I keep Clorox disinfecting wipes in the bathroom and out in plain sight (for obvious reasons), and since he's got poop all over his backside, he grabs those and wipes his bum. I'd think it'd burn, but not about to give it a whirl and find out! LOL!!

As soon as he hears me running upstairs, he walks to the door -- beaming. He couldn't have been more proud. I just had to sigh... Here is my little boy, proud as the proverbial peacock, with poop smeared all over his bum, the toilet, his jeans, and the floor. Oh, and when he turns around, I find a Clorox wipes stuck to his butt. Holy cow...

Makeover....

I have to give Danyel a big thank you! I'm loving the new blog makeover, and think I'll be changing it often. Sooo, cool!

Being a mom means....

Even though you had invited a friend over for the night to scrapbook, and you were looking forward to tonight for ages .... when your little girl discovers that there is a huge gymnastics meet in town and decides that she must go, you put a smile on your face and cancel your plans. After all, she has to see "what her future meets will look like when she makes team" and really, is there anything more important than that? Scrapbooking will have to wait....

Oh, and as a side note ... since I'm still breastfeeding, it wasn't an option for me to be gone all night long with Andrew, and I knew she'd have much more fun if she didn't have to leave early, so I sent Matt and Katherine on a Daddy/daughter date night. It's the boys and I tonight. Maybe they'll go to bed early and I can fit a little scrapbooking time in later..... (Fingers crossed!!)

4 hours...

Based on the title, any guesses what this post is about? Let me tell you...

4 hours is the approximate amount of time it took to potty train Caleb. We had two accidents last Sunday morning and since then, it's been smooth sailing! He has even woke up completely dry the last three mornings. Oh, how sweet it is! Not to be cocky, but I think we're done!!

Today, we went to the Playground for Kids with Danyel, Walker and Ryan . My mom and Morgan also joined us. The kids had a blast, running and playing and jumping and general rough housing. In fact it wore them out so much that EVERYONE took a 2 hour nap -- me included. AAAHHHHH, the simple luxuries.

While we were there, Caleb had to go potty. He was a little nervous using the big potty, but quickly went and then said, "Mommy, I need a big high five for that one! That was so easy for me". After we high 5'ed in the bathroom, washed our hands and did our secret handshake (lol) we left the bathroom. He looked up at me and said, "Let's rock and roll, Momma. I'm ready to play". I had to laugh. Where do they come up with this stuff???

Tonight after everyone woke up, we grabbed a bite for dinner and went over to the Launderville's house. The kids had so much playing together, and I must admit... it was mighty nice for the mommies and daddies too!

Tomorrow morning Katherine has gymnastics at 9, and then I need to spend several hours cleaning and doing laundry. We had a play date at our house every day and/or night this week and my house is just DESTROYED. In fact, it's so bad, I'd be embarrassed if my own mother came in! Tomorrow night, Michelle is coming over and we're going to scrap from about 6 pm - midnight. I'm really looking forward to some good girl time and be able to relax after this past week!

It just doesn't get anymore real than this....

Oh man... it's been a day. Where do I even begin?

My morning started off well... Caleb woke up completely dry and sat down on his little potty chair and made us all proud. I was actually shocked that he could hold THAT much all night long. We made a big deal of him being dry overnight and he was BEAMING. He was so proud of himself. We all were.

Anyway, Riley had an appointment to get groomed, so I had to add our neurotic dog to the mix of our usual morning chaos. I packed the kids up in the car, grabbed Katherine's ginormous bag of "stuff", and got Riley. He was so excited to come with us that he could hardly contain himself. He jumped into the backseat and hopped onto Caleb's lap. Then he went over to Katherine and crawled up on her shoulder (he's a 4 pound Maltese) and jumped into the open trunk area. He then jumped back on Katherine and walked along the top of the backseat before jumping onto Andrew and licking his face. At this point, I had had it with him and seriously considered throwing him out the window! I told him to get off Andrew, so he jumped over him and scratched his face. OMG... I nearly had a coronary. I was ticked. He's never done anything this spazzy before, and if he ever does it again ..... UUUUUGH!

So I drop Riley off and head home. When I get there, Caleb is doing the dance and I know he has to poop. He sits on the potty for 10 minutes and nothing. Absolutely nothing. Shortly thereafter, Andrew has the mother of all blowouts. He's my third child, and I've never seen anything like it. Never. It was terrible. Poop was everywhere. Literally, if I had a scissors in reach, I would have cut the outfit off him. The poor little guy had poop on his cheek, on the top of his head, all over his back, his arms, his legs... You get the idea. It was awful. Just awful. So I rushed into the bathroom and drew him a bath.

While I'm giving Andrew a bath, Caleb disappeared and a few seconds later, I heard him yelling for me. He needs to be wiped and of course it has to be done right now.... GREAT. So I rushed Andrew out of the tub and go to find Caleb. When I round the corner to my bathroom he walked out, completely naked and glowing. He pooped all by himself and couldn't wait to show me. So I tell him how proud I am of him and start making a big deal of what a big boy he's becoming and how great this all is. At that moment, for some reason unbeknown to any rational person, he sticks his fingers in his bum and gets poop all over. UUUUUGH. So at that moment, I have Andrew screaming, just out of the bathtub and cold, wrapped in his towel AND Caleb.... naked by choice, a hand full of poop and a smile on his face. Riiiight. I had a good laugh.... there was nothing else I could do! LOL.

Oh, and it wasn't even 10 am yet!!

Keeping with the potty talk --

Up until today, Caleb's been a champ.... no accidents, no misses on the floor, no constantly asking him if he had to go and setting the timer routine. It's been incredibly easy!! Well all of a sudden today, he peed on his jeans. No big deal. I empty the potty chair, change his clothes and we go on our way. About 2 hours later, he calls me into the bathroom and shows me that he went potty. Oh man ..... he really went. I was shocked at the amount in the potty, but once again his jeans were wet, so I change his clothes again. An hour later, he disappears into the bathroom, so I follow him and peek around the corner so he can't see me. I was SHOCKED at what I saw, and certainly got a question or two answered....

As I stood there, peeking through the crack in the door, I COULDN'T BELIEVE what I saw. He took apart his potty, dipped the insert (where you'd pee) it into the big toilet, and got water. He put it back into his little potty and sat down spilling TOILET WATER ever so slightly on the floor and on the BACK OF HIS JEANS. Oh. My. Goodness. Are you kidding me??? My three year old is trying to outwit me? He knows that he gets candy when goes potty, so he puts some water in the potty chair, pulls down his pants, and sits on it ONLY so that he can claim it as his own and collect candy? AAAHHHH, I've so got to watch this one! He's WAAAAY to sneaky for 3! At least the little stinker confessed! LOL.

Thankfully, Danyel and her kids came over to play tonight. Her hubby is gone all week, so we both enjoyed the adult conversation and the kids had a blast. School is cancelled tomorrow due to the cold weather, so Katherine is having a sleepover at Grammy's house. Hopefully I can sleep in a little! After today, I need a little rest!

Christmas in January!

Who doesn't love a good Christmas party, even if it is in January??? Certainly Katherine!!

Since school was cancelled the Friday before Christmas break, her party had to be rescheduled until this past Friday. It was such a great party -- 3 "eating" stations set up in the classroom and 6 craft stations set up outside in the common area.

Here she is with Olivia, one of our neighbor girls who is also in her homeroom class. Olivia is the little girl she often has play dates with after school. It's so nice the two of them have become good friends since her mom and I are friends and she lives so close and can come over to play often.



There were three eating stations in the classroom. The first one was an apple cider/hot chocolate area complete with marshmallows, chocolate chips and whipped cream, the second one was a cookie frosting/decorating area, and the third was a sugar cone area that the kids frosted green and covered with sprinkles. It was supposed to look like a Christmas tree, but by the time the kids got done, they were covered in frosting and about to go into sugar shock! They loved every second.

Katherine got a little carried away and just couldn't help herself. Nothing beats a spoon full of whipped cream!




Here she is with her teacher, Mrs. Seybert. She is an amazingly kind, fun, caring teacher and I feel incredibly blessed that Katherine got her this year. She's made the transition into full time school so much easier.





We had a great time!!

Craziness!

That pretty much sums up our lives over the past couple of days. It's been nothing short of pure chaos around here, and as crazy as it is, I've been loving every second.

The biggest news around here is potty training. Up until now, Caleb has refused to wear underwear. Literally. Refused. As in, when I'd try to put it on him, he'd scream and cry, throw a fit unlike anything you'd ever seen and beg for his "diapers with tabs". I've tried it all -- begging, bribing (yea, I'm not above bribing my children, but sadly it didn't work), throwing away diapers, but he just wasn't ready. One of the main problems was that he outsmarted me. It's sad I know, but quite honestly true. I told him that he couldn't go to preschool until he was potty trained. Well since he didn't want to go in the first place it only worked to his advantage and totally backfired on me.

I had planned on starting the potty training process on Monday, but Andrew was sick and very uncomfortable on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday we went to the Science Center and Thursday we played with a friend and had gymnastics that night. Friday I had Katherine's Christmas party at school and then took Andrew to get his three month pictures taken. Later that night we went over to Danyel's house for dinner and a play date and Saturday ... the excuses just kept piling up. I must admit, I'm not a homebody. I like to be out, playing with the kids, taking them places and the thought of being holed up in the house for 2 straight weeks made me ill.

With all that being said, Sunday morning I realized that I either needed to buy more diapers for him or just go straight to underwear. So we decided to skip church and hit it hard. It took a while for him to even agree to put on underwear, but he did. And he used the potty chair. And Matt decided to make a Casey's beverage and paper run and bring Caleb with him. So far so good. Until he got home and Caleb pee'd all over the floor. Fun times.

About an hour later, Caleb had to poop. He was holding his little bum and doing the unmistakable dance. Matt put him on the potty and he froze. He just couldn't go. Matt had to run upstairs for 30 seconds and when left to his own devices, Caleb pooped down his leg, all over the floor and made a total mess of the bathroom. It was only 10 am. UUUUUGH!

Thankfully, Matt was home and really took the lead potty training. He bore the brunt of the mess and frustration. Katherine and I made a Target run to get "bedtime underwear" AKA pull ups. Caleb didn't want to put them on at nap time, but finally agreed. The remainder of the day, he didn't have an accident.

This morning he woke up virtually dry and after about 10 minutes of sitting on the potty, he went. I put underwear on him and packed the kids in the car and drove Katherine to school.

Before I go any further, I must confess... Matt and I agreed that we'd sacrifice "nutrition" for a potty trained child, so we dangled candy in front of his face. We told him that every time he went potty in the potty chair, we'd give him a treat out of his "treat bag" which was his Halloween candy. The only thing he couldn't pick were the full size candy bars that some of our crazy neighbors hand out. Those were reserved for poop. Anything else was fair game.

Oh, he was a machine. He didn't have one accident all day. He ate more candy that I thought humanly possible. He couldn't even eat all he "earned". He pooped on the potty chair. I can't believe how easy it was. Literally in less than a day, he was potty trained.

We baked cookies today and right as two sheets were coming out of the oven, my phone rang and I had to take it. It was an important call... At the same time, Caleb had to potty. So, I tell him to start going upstairs and I'd be right behind him. I quickly answer the phone, take the cookies out of the oven, and run upstairs. I find him sitting on the potty waiting for me. He'd already gone! Woo-hoo!

Later today, Caleb told me he had to go, so I got up to take him upstairs, but he told me that he didn't need me. What?!?!? He went. Tonight, while I went to bunco with the neighbor girls, one of the guys and his kids came over to play. At one point, Matt realized Caleb wasn't in the room and finally found him walking out of the bathroom with his pants down. He'd gone potty, all by himself. No coaxing, no asking, nothing. Woo-hoo!! Oh, happy day!

However .... I'm pretty certain that he didn't eat ONE BITE of non-candy food before bedtime. He literally ate candy all day long. But if that's what it takes!

So in one day, my little boy who flat out refused to be potty trained, is just that. He did it on his own, and I couldn't be happier! I'm shocked at how easy it was and am just hoping that when it's time to go to gymnastics tomorrow night we don't have an accident. I'm actually thinking of just taking him in his underwear. The only problem is that we'll be gone for about 2 hours.....

Title? Yea, I don't have one of those today!

Well, I'm pretty sure Andrew is finally on the mend. He slept decently well last night and only got up a couple of times -- which certainly beats the every 20 minute routine he was on the last couple of nights! When I finally woke him up around 7:50 so that I could drive Katherine to school, he was in a great mood. Smiling and cuddly! He was coo'ing up a storm. It was like the fog lifted and he was back to his happy-go-lucky self. LOVE THAT!!

Now on the medicine thing.... Can I just tell you how impossible it is to have him swallow the stuff??? UUUUGH! I have to give him it once a day, and I'd be amazed if he doesn't spit half of it out. I've tried everything -- in the side of the cheek, down the throat, put his pacifier in right after so he'd suck it down, but nooooo... He still manages to get it back out. I'm just hoping he's getting enough of the stuff to make him better!

The boys and I left the house around 9:30 this morning and went down to the Science Center with the Laundervilles. Andrew fell asleep in the car on the way downtown and stayed sleeping until about 12:45 or so. I'm so glad he's finally getting much needed rest.

Caleb and Caden had such a good time at the Science Center today. Michelle and I are always amazed at how well they play together. Actually, we've never heard them fight, which is amazing for a couple of three year olds.

Which reminds me.... My parents got Caleb some GeoTrax for Christmas, and the other day when Matt was putting them together, Caleb said, "Daddy, Caden has these trains too! He's my BEEEST friend. He plays so nicely with me and we share all the time. He doesn't even hit or kick me"! I had to laugh -- evidently at 3, that's what he's looking for in a friend. Someone who doesn't physically assault him. AAAHHH, how simple it is! LOL

Anyway, back to today.... While we were eating lunch, Caden burped so loudly that it startled him and got quite the reaction out of Caleb. Watching this, Michelle and I are about in tears. We're holding back the laughter something fierce. All of a sudden, Caleb decides that he's not to be outdone and starts his super loud fake belching routine, and he just wouldn't stop. All of sudden, Caden looks over at him and says, "It's OK if you burp Caleb, you just need to say 'excuse me' after you do it". We were about in stitches!! Oh, the looks we got!

Tonight we went out to dinner and celebrated my Dad's birthday. Tomorrow is the big day! My sister and Morgan came too, so it was really nice to all get together midweek. And you just can't beat a good excuse not to cook in the middle of the week!

quick...

I need to make this quick so that I can go to bed. I'm exhausted right now.....

Two nights ago, Andrew hardly slept at all. Literally, his longest stretch was 20 minutes, so I woke up (if you can really call it that) Monday morning groggy and calling the doctor. To make a long story short, Andrew has an ear infection (which is his second one in the short three months since he's been born) and wheezing in his lungs. So.... he's been on an antibiotic and nebulizer. At one point, his ear was hurting him so badly that he scratched his poor little face to the point of bleeding in NUMEROUS places. UUUUUGH.... It looks like he's been in a cat fight! My heart breaks watching him in so much pain. He's been pretty unsettled the last couple of days. Here's to hoping it doesn't last long.

I'm off to bed. Gotta get some sleep when I can!