Things I've Learned

1. It is absolutely impossible to count on a 2 year old! Just when you think you've got his 'schedule' all figured out, and plan his 2nd birthday party for morning, he will wake up crabbier than all-get-out, cry and scream hysterically no matter how many nice things you say to him, and leave you with absolutely no photos showing how much fun he had at his birthday! Well, OK, this photo was taken prior to leaving for his birthday, but, as you can see, there was no way this child was going to smile. No matter how many goofy faces the photo-taker made, the outcome was the same. It was only after the flash went off that he'd sort of smirk at the camera, as if to say, 'Haha! You only think that you can control me!'

2. When setting up the 'area' at the birthday party, one should wait until the birthday boy is far, far away from the cake table. Telling a 2 year old not to touch the construction-themed cake, complete with small trucks and cookie crumbles, does not bode well for the parents, or anyone else in close proximity to the party facility. Not only was he told "Don't Touch!" about 15 times, all followed by screams and cries that caused other patrons to turn around to be sure you weren't punching the child in the face, which would cause these screams & cries, he was also instructed not to throw his birthday plates on the floor, which went over about as well as "Don't touch the cake!".

3. When lighting the 2 small candles on his birthday cake, you find out that your teachings may actually be sinking into his little brain! As soon as I lit his candles, he started screaming and crying, clawing to get away from the flames. I guess all of my "Don't Touch, HOT!" and "Owwwy!" comments when he approaches the occassional lit candle at home have really made an impact :) In light of this new development, I didn't mind having to blow out his candles so he would sit in front of the cake while we all sang a stirring rendition of "Happy Birthday to you".


4. Opening more than 2 gifts with a 2 year old is a cruel joke! After he opens one gift to discover a big truck, you quickly push that one aside and insist he open another one, to find another big truck. After taking that one away too, he no longer wants to go through the motions of opening any more gifts, since it's obvious to him that you will only strip that one away as well. 2 year olds are pretty smart...and stubborn!


5. Last, but certainly not least, when you get home, you should promptly put away all birthday gifts. Leaving them in gift bags, nicely arranged at the back of the living room, really isn't a good idea. As soon as you are out of sight & ear-shot, your 2 year old, with the assistance of his older brother & sister, will most certainly open each & every box and bag, remove all contents of said package and spread them all over the house, making it impossible to walk through any room without stepping on one object or another! And, you can forget finding a place to sit on your couch!!!

I'll return...eventually!

I'm up to my eyeballs in recipes, so I'll have to get back to my blog when this task is completed! I'm assisting my MOPS group by inputing recipes into an online system for a MOPS cookbook fundraiser. Thanks to my friend, Alex, I was given no less than 22 pages of recipes - 3-4 recipes per page - to input as quickly as I could. So, you can guess what I've been doing on this long, wonderful weekend!?! Well, that, and cleaning my carpets on Saturday :)

Have an awesome Labor Day and I'll return...someday!!!

I think something is missing!

I simply cannot believe that my baby is old enough to have lost his very first tooth! Two nights ago, the toothfairy made her first visit to our house - the first of many - leaving behind 4 whole quarters. Alex was amazed that 'this little tooth' was worth that much. I suggested to him that we go ahead and pull out all of his teeth right now, explaining that he'd make a fortune. Fortunately, he didn't go for my idea :)

Doing a little dance :)

Maybe it was the mother driving down the street, honking her horn vigorously at us while shaking her fists in victory and whooping, or maybe it was the cheering from my fellow moms & neighbors, and hugging-all-around at the now empty bus stop that brought a smile to my face, but I do believe that I might have a little bit of an extra spring to my step this morning!

SCHOOL IS BACK IN SESSION....HALLELULAH!!!!!!

My oldest boarded the bus this morning, enroute to his 2nd first day of school - the 1st being last year's first day of kindergarten. With his fellow Yellowjackets (the school mascot), he greeted a smiling Mr. Dennis, the ever-faithful (and very loved & trusted) bus driver. As he passed us by on the way to the corner, the kiddos all started clapping & cheering when they saw his face behind that giant steering wheel. He greeted each child by name as they boarded, then took the names of the new kiddos just starting out this year. Alex and his 2 best buddies, Cameron & Kyle, found a seat for all 3 of their bottoms, then decided to switch to the seat directly across from the first. Alex reached up & opened the window so that he could yell out at us, waving as the bus drove off.

I'm sure my smile will eventually fade, but even now, my cheeks are cramping :)

*Dancing in my chair, bobbing my head to Kool & The Gang's Celebration.

Playing in the sand box

As I would expect most any other stay-at-home mommy would do, I look for the quiet moments in my day. I treasure them! I also use them to get as much done as I possibly can, whether it's cleaning, eating, reading or posting blogs, or sleeping. If there is a quiet moment to be found, I'll use it!

Of course, sometimes I find out that the quiet moments are simply the calm before the storm. In a house with 3 kiddos, it's bound to happen sooner or later, right?

Lately, I've been forcing my 3 children to play 'nicely' together. It is those times when I'm desperate for a moment of peace, or simply need to do something like say, use the bathroom, that I politely (most of the time) request that they keep their hands to themselves and head upstairs to the playroom. Alex, who will be 7 in December, is the designated babysitter. It is his job to ensure that no one does anything they aren't supposed to do (a job he takes very seriously, mind you). So, when there is a quiet moment, and I've sent them all upstairs, I would assume that the babysitter is doing his best to fulfill his duties, ensuring that his 2 younger siblings are upstairs with him, playing!

The other day, after about 30 blissful minutes of quiet, I went upstairs to see exactly what 'fun' my 3 monkies were having. I hadn't heard any screaming or yelling, no crying or sudden thuds, so I figured it would be safe to assume that they were all dead. Imagine my surprise when I reached the playroom and found only 2 of my 3 monkies quietly playing together. I quickly asked my oldest where exactly his younger brother was? Without flinching, he says, over his shoulder, "I don't know". Hmmm...what kind of babysitter are you? Oh wait! The almost 7 year old kind! So, I simply replied, "OK, would you mind helping me look for him?"

At that, we all went in different directions, me to the other bedrooms & bathroom upstairs (thinking that he was probably hiding in the bathroom, hands in the toilet splashing contentedly), Alex & Morgann downstairs to continue the search. About 10 seconds later I hear, "Oh my gosh! Moooommmmm!!!!!" Of course, that left me no other alternative than to dash down the stairs at break-neck speed (almost breaking my neck on the pile of toys at the bottom) to find out what would cause such a reaction. And then I saw it...my 23 month old, trouble-maker son, playing in the cat box! With a wild smile and sparkling eyes, he looked up at me and started laughing while throwing handfuls of sandy pebbles into the air. He seemed proud of the pile he'd made in the middle of the kitchen floor - the one I'd just finished sweeping less than 5 minutes before. I immediately start wondering what would possess him to do such a thing, then I remembered how much he loves to play in the sandbox at our favorite, family-friendly restaurant. So, after scooping him up, washing his hands (and face) with warm, soapy water, and sweeping the floor again, I squated down to his level and explained that the "kitty box is yuck! Don't touch! Yuck!!!" He smiled, repeated the word yuck, then toddled off.

I was satisfied with his response and assumed that he thoroughly understood what I was trying to say, and would never again do such a gross thing. Boy was I wrong! Now he apparently thinks it's a game...that we're supposed to play daily. I've found myself resorting to screaming each & every time I find a pile of kitty litter next to the box, regardless of whether or not Ian is anywhere nearby. I've started finding litter in some of the strangest places - the couch in the living room, my water glass sitting on a near-by table, the cats food & water dish, the toilet...it's never-ending! And, each & every time I go looking for him, he's got wads of litter in-hand, just waiting to toss up into the air as soon as I'm within his sight, but not yet close enough to grab before he let's go mid-throw. How do you get a 23 month old to understand "gross" and "yuck" when he loves to get dirty? He's such a boy!!!

So, for now, I'm simply hoping that we remember to clean the kitty litter box at least twice a day, praying that the kitten isn't carrying any funky diseases that can be passed to people, and keeping the broom & dustpan nearby for a quick clean up. Oh yeah...and buying several more bottles of anti-bacterial soap!