And What Was Mom Doing?

In addition to attending a great reading conference I: finished two books, watched two entire movies, slept through the night, and ate meals without reminding someone to please finish their peas/asking someone to move their milk farther away from the edge of the table/cajole someone into eating what was served/or shovel food in my mouth before someone fell apart and needed to be put into jammies/put into bed/put into timeout. Did I feel guilty about these pleasures? Yeah, a bit. But I reminded myself how infrequently I get the above luxuries. While I missed my husband and all of the kids like crazy (no... really... I did... I swear!), Brian's blog kept me feeling in the action, made me laugh, and made me appreciate my freedom even more- while also reminding me that I was going home to a pretty amazing guy and three wonderful kids.

I was greeted at the airport last night with three children, each with a rose for me. Am I spoiled or what? After hugs and kisses all around my poor, harried husband let me know in no uncertain terms that I better not die because if I do he will either have to marry again within days, have his mom move in with him, or send at least one of the children to boarding school. He made it look easy, though. All the laundry was done and the house was CLEAN. I am pretty sure he missed his calling as Mr. Mom.

I guess things were interesting right up until the moment I walked off the plane as, of course, Jake had to go to the bathroom upon arriving at the airport so Brian was pushing Faith (screaming) in her stroller while trying to keep Tanner from rolling around on the men's room floor and repeatedly asking Jake to hurry up with the pooping already. Three separate men commented: "Looks like you have your hands full there!". Yeah... you think???

In any case, everyone survived the weekend no worse for wear. Brian definitely earned some big time brownie points. I think the best thing to come out of it was me understanding how hard it is to go away and Brian understanding why it's so hard for me when HE goes away! That.... or maybe the fact that I got to drink my morning coffee and read my morning paper in peace for three mornings in a row.

...tuppence a bag..tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag...

For whatever reason, Jake decided that it was very important that the birds be fed today of all days. It is about 38 degrees, windy and rainy here....but I wasn't going outside, so whatever. The boys tore up a big bowl of bread crumbs and proceeded to throw them all over our back lawn. I didn't see any birds while they were doing it, but they are looking out the back window waiting for them to come and giving me enough peace to get this post typed.




Prior to that we were playing catch in the front room, and I explained to Jake what a "fade route" was. I literally spent the next 45 minutes throwing ball after ball to the corner of the living room while he ran route after route trying to get it perfect. Tanner alternated between running fade routes and hitting the baseball. Jake was running routes down one side of the living room and Tanner was batting down the other side and I was in between both alternating between passes and pitches.

Now this is the current state of the living room (it actually looked much worse yesterday). Jake is currently chasing Tanner through the house with the play swords, yelling, "Seize him!". Tanner finally understood that I was serious and that we were not watching any more Shrek this weekend, (Shrek 1, 2 and 3...in order and Shrek the Halls 3 separate times is enough to make you want to barbeque donkey yourself...) and stopped asking a few minutes ago. The boys are enjoying some Buffalo WIng flavored Doritos (Jake's choice, not mine!) for snack and it's leftover night and then baths.

Just for the records sake, Tanner slept for about 45 minutes, Faith slept for about 2 hours and Jake barely even closed his eyes and didn't stop tossing, turning and talking to himself for me to get any sleep at all. It is early bedtime tonight.....I'm really glad you are back tomorrow, and I have never looked forward to a workday so much!

More from the Art World

In retrospect, it might not have been the best idea to show Jake that I could put his drawings on the computer.....however, I do love the Cherokee War Paint that Tanner did on his face while I was on the phone with you...

Happy Sunday Morning! Having your paper and starbucks?

Well, let's see what to say about that.....Faith went to bed at 5:30 and then woke up about 8:00 PM for a bottle (I was feeding her when you called). Jake woke up at about 8:30 and wanted to go in our bed, but not unless I was in the room, so he came downstairs while I finished feeding Faith. I put her down and he and I went to bed at about 8:50 PM or so. At about 9:30 PM Tanner fell out of bed and started crying, Jake woke up and realized that I wasn't in bed with him as I was in getting Tanner and he started crying. I the middle of this Faith woke up and started crying....so that was fun.

Tanner eventually came into our bed and slept between me and Jake. Since only Marisa and I have done it, I will try to explain sleeping with Tanner. Try to imagine sleeping with the Tasmanian Devil, only he doesn't just spin around, he rotates in all directions, refuses to sleep under covers and doesn't care if he lays his head on the pillow, or your head, shoulders, back etc....it's a VERY restful experience. After a night full of that, more or less, Tanner woke up at 6:00 this morning and he and Jake proceeded to engage in a fun game of "Tanner Stop Touching Me", until I just made the executive decision to get up as Faith was also awake in the other bedroom.

I told Jake that we were all taking naps today and he, as usual, got upset and started to cry, so I told him that I was taking a nap today and he could do whatever he wanted - he says he wants to nap with me - so we'll see how that goes.

They were in the kitchen watching Curious George (which Tanner seemed to really like, these photos are of the boys being monkeys) and having pop tarts. In the part of the movie where George is chasing the man in the yellow hat's taxi through the city, Tanner was yelling, "ahh ahh wun" at the TV. Now they (including the damn dog) are all in the office with me while I am trying to type this so I will need to say goodbye for j nxmcrwalget .....

Saturday Night Live

Some photos from Saturday afternoon/evening that I took but did not have the energy to post last night before bedtime. Jake and Tanner both worked on puzzles. Jake did his new puzzle from Yellowstone and Tanner did the "melmo" puzzle, actually putting in a couple of pieces on his own. Everyone had a good dinner of spagettio's (I have NO idea how that is spelled, and really don't care), peas and yogurt, which Faith just loved. She did pretty good until she eventually flipped the plate over onto the floor. She was then just content to eat off of her place mat.

Saturday Evening Art Show

Honey - here is some artwork that the boys did for you this afternoon. Jake will not let me eat dinner until I get this on the blog for you. Remember that if you double click on them they will get bigger for you to look at.

The first one is a picture that Jake did of the two of you playing chess together. Notice the stark contrast of the monochromatic palette he has chosen to offset the serious, intellectual nature of the game. In addition, you have really messed up hair.

The second one is the two of you playing kickball. It says, " I hope you have a nice day in Florida."

The third one to the left here is from Tanner. It is hard to interpret (as is all great artists work). He didn't explain it to me very much, other than it had to do with his "head".

They have all finished dinner and the boys are watching Shrek II (as a sequel to Shrek and Shrek the halls that we watched already today). Faith is in bed already. She is just exhausted today, but seems much more herself, I think she is just resting up and getting her strength back. The house looks like a cyclone hit it. I will clean up after the boys go to bed and then it's bourbon and vanilla ice cream (mother of god, Scrubs better be on tonight!)

I'll post again after I get the boys in bed. Miss you.

Saturday Morning Update

Good Morning Mom!!!! All three kids made it through the night. Tanner woke up about 6:00 AM and came into bed with me and Jake (more on him in a minute) until about 6:30. Faith woke up about 7:15 or so. Jake picked Cream of Wheat for breakfast and we all had some, Faith really seemed to like it.

After some equal parts "donkey" and "Flushed Away" we got dressed and played some foot volleyball while I read to Tanner in the chair. The lack of sleep over the last few days seemed to help as they all went down fairly quickly and without incident, which was great as I was able to get caught up from the work that I didn't get done during the day on Friday.

Jake woke up calling out for you around 9:30 last night, so I brought him into bed with me. I was able to move him without waking Tanner up (who slept in the same position all night, so he was OUT). Tanner also woke up this morning calling out for you as well now that I think about it. Jake was his usual "Kung Fu Fighting" sleeping style in our bed. This picture was taken at 2:30 am (I didn't want you to miss any detail) so I took the camera to bed with me in case things like this happened....How did you sleep?

Faith is already looking sleepy and I am going to put her down for a morning nap here in a little bit. We miss you.

After kids bedtime conversation...

Just in case you were homesick for me as well, I thought I would include some after kids bedtime normal conversation. (For those not in the know, this is had while shoveling some form of ice cream into our mouths, while watching bad TV.) For instance, this evening, the conversation would have been had over Dreyers Vanilla and Peanut Butter, while watching "Scrubs" (admit it, you know you're jealous of our jet-set lifestyle).

The new issue of Real Simple came today (yes, I read it... so what....don' t make me kick your ass). This months question column is, "What is the secret to a good marriage?" - for those who don't read this magazine (sorry for the ass kicking comment earlier), they announce the topic in the month prior issue and these are reader answers. This is my favorite part of the magazine (other than some of the recipes...what?...seriously watch yourself...) because the breakdown is as follows: 15% - honest, helpful or funny answers and 85% pretentious a-holes. Some of my favorites from this month:

1. Never argue with your clothes on (obviously these folks don't have kids)

2. Weekly tickle fights (Karla Perrin of London, Ohio - now the MOST annoying person on earth)

3. NPR! Both Mr. & Mrs. listen to NPR "it's so nice to have so much to discuss" - okay... one question later, new most annoying people on earth (Amy Fischer - NY). It WOULD be salvageable if it were actually THAT Amy Fischer and she just changed the spelling of her last name, but I don't think so...

4. Friday night dates - people who are childless or rich (in this case probably both...)

And my personal favorite, one word answer...."alcohol" - thank you for playing. Next months topic, " What eco-friendly changes have you made in your life"...so potentially preachy and sanctimonious...I can't wait...

Now do you want to get the bottle and I'll go get the baby or what?

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Marisa is off to a conference in Florida this weekend, she left first thing this morning. She is really sad to be away from the kids for this long. As an aside, when I left for two weeks earlier this year, I was told to stop saying how hard it would be to be away from them (Faith was 1 month old!) because it would be a "vacation" and "heaven" to be able to sleep through the night. Don't think I didn't bring that up in response to her statements this week. To be fair, she felt really badly and apologized, now that she knows how hard it is to be away. So being the "supportive spouse", I am going to use the blog a little differently over the next three days to try to help the love of my life stave off some homesickness.

Honey -

After we dropped you off at the airport we made it across town in just enough time for Jake to use the bathroom at Tanner and Faith's daycare so he didn't have to pee in your Starbucks Travel Cup. Here are some other highlights from the day:

1. Jake and I went out to breakfast - try to guess where....While eating, we were having a good conversation about who was better at certain things between you and I. Jake voted me the best rememberer, the best cooker and the strongest, but voted you the best parent because you don't get angry with him :(

2. We played volleyball. He wanted to play for points until he fell behind and then he fell apart. (For everyone else reading - there has been precious little sleep had in our house the last few nights - big surprise huh?). We got through it and I thought he let it go, until two things happened. The drawing here is of him and you playing volleyball, which he likes better, because "you're (being me) too good". Then an hour or so later, while driving to the grocery store, we had the following conversation: " Dad, I know what I am going to do in college." What buddy?" "I am going to get really good at volleyball so I can come home and beat you all the time." Talk about holding a grudge

3. Jake wants to explain his drawing to you." Mom - it's about volleyball. There's flowers on it. It says , "Mom, I hope you have a very nice day in Las Vegas. That's all that it says." (Las Vegas is her layover city)

4. Jake (a weird child in MANY regards) stayed home from school today while I worked from home. He watched, Airbud Volleyball - a movie about a Golden Retriever who plays volleyball and (for the 20th or so time) the 2006 Fiesta Bowl DVD of Oklahoma State v. Boise State.....

5. The boys did a great job playing by themselves while I made dinner and fed Faith. Here's an action shot of a spirited game of "Keep the Balloon Up".

Too Little Too Late

Brian was trying to do some frustrating household project on Sunday and said
loudly, "Son of a (leaving out the end, trying not to set a bad example)" and Jake said, "It's OK, Dad. You can say 'bitch'!"

The Kids

Yes, it's trite, but they are getting so big so fast! It is hard enough to believe that Jake will be five in two months, but Faith turning one seems downright impossible.

JAKE:
Jake continues to be a huge football fan. In fact Brian and I had to really discuss how much is "too much" to watch during the weekend because I think if he had the option he might watch all of all the games. Especially now during playoffs. He amazes our neighbors with his ability to discuss the games- the players, the outcomes, the next step in the playoffs, Superbowl possibilities... He likes school and is a natural mathematician. He loves me to give him "story problems" to figure out and (amazingly to my non-mathematical mind) he can figure out whether he needs to add or subtract and then carry out the operation in his head. He is beginning to read a few sight words and loves to hear stories- we are currently reading Superfudge to him, which he thinks is hysterical as it is about a big brother with a little brother and a baby sister, so he can really relate. He has begun picking up books he knows by heart and reading them to Tanner, which is great because if TJ had his way he would have someone reading to him 24/7. He says writing "is hard" but dictates stories to his teachers who type them up on the computer for him to illustrate. Not one to spend a lot of time on ANYTHING, his art work is a lot of scribbles- coloring in the lines of a project is usually not a priority. He loves PE, of course, and is constantly teaching Brian and I new games. Chess is still a big focus and he loves to play against students in my class after school. He tends to get discouraged when he loses, but we keep reminding him that to get better he needs to play against better players. I love playing against him and seeing his mind work as I learn the game. He has taken to "being easy on me" and pointing out when I am about to make a bad move or am missing a good move I could make- even if it means he won't win. He's gotten back into building things with his blocks, legos, magnetix, and Wedgits and often will stay occupied with them along with Tanner and Faith for more than his usual 5 minute attention span. Although his personality continues to challenge us frequently, he has gotten a lot easier to deal with on the basics like bedtime and mealtime. I'm so proud of the way he takes on new situations with ease and deals with social stuff so well.

TANNER:
Tanner's current obsessions include painting, reading, building, and watching "donkey". Anyone that requires privacy in the bathroom better not head to our house anytime soon. He insists on turning the lights on for you, flushing (after he has asked, "Pee or poopy?") and washing hands together. He is still obsessed with the "ah-ah song", does an adorable "booty dance" and "naked dance", and absolutely ADORES his baby sister- crooning "BABA GUL!! BABA GUL!" whenever he sees her after a bit of an absence. He insists on a hug immediately and literally showers her with affection. He is an imp and runs away whenever we try to get him diapered or dressed, still climbs out of his bed several times an evening to run across the room giggling maniacally, and loves to get a reaction from mom and dad by doing "naughty" things on purpose. He is also a complete sweetheart. He insists on a "love you, dude" from Daddy at bedtime, sits on the potty and says, "I twied, Mommy", greets me with huge hugs when I pick him up from school, and cuddles with the best of them. After seeing him so sick last week, it is great to see him back to his usual self.

FAITH:
Faith has found her official "stuffy" or "lovey" or whatever you want to call it. It is a giraffe that was given to Jake when he was born. We are currently on the hunt for "Replacement Giraffe" in case this one is ever lost. "Replacement Cow" and "Replacement Monkey" both live in the boys dressers just in case. Anyway, the giraffe's name is Sprinkles and she grabs it and puts it under her head to sleep with and when given the chance will drag it around the house. As you can see in the pictures, it is with her in both good times and bad times.






She has sort of learned to blow kisses and makes this ridiculous face that looks kind of a like a parody of a super model sucking in her cheeks whenever she tries to kiss. She delights in her food and I delight in her Buddha belly and dimply thighs -something neither of my sons ever had! She still has no teeth. In fact, when Jake was helping me put her to sleep the other day he said, "Mom, I think we may need to buy Faith some teeth soon". With as much as she loves her food, we are hoping she gets some quickly! Tanner is in his bed full time now, so as soon as her room gets repainted (the beautiful red and blue room that Brian painted last Christmas is now being painted light yellow) she will get the big crib and we can get rid of the mini one that she has been sleeping in up till now.

Time is going too fast. I want to remember it all. If you haven't heard it, you should download "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins. It's a great reminder to stay in the moment.

Missing in Action

At least that is how I feel. 11 days of 2008 are behind us already and I feel like I've barely seen them. Our family just got over a bout of stomach flu.

Luckily for us (and unluckily for her!) my mom was here to help out in the chaos. Actually "help out" would be an understatement. Mom was here to keep us all in relatively good spirits through the vomit covered pillows, blankets, towels, clothes, and carpet; the times when I would be holding Tanner over the sink while across the room she rubbed Jake's back as he squatted by the toilet; the endless laundry; the grumpy moods. No one was exempt from the action- we fell like dominoes. The epidemic started with Mom on the 2nd day of January, followed quickly by Faith and I on Thursday, Tanner on Friday, then Jake and Brian on Sunday. Mom was scheduled to go home on the 5th but when she offered to stay and help... let's just say that I was taught never to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Mom, there's no way we could EVER thank you enough.

We are so grateful.

Poor Tanner got the worst of it. He was such a sick boy. While the rest of us were pretty well recovered within 48 hours of onset, he was still vomiting as of yesterday. I took him to the doctor and turns out he also has tonsilitis. After 24 hours on meds he is much improved and even spent today at school. He must have watched Shrek the Halls 100 times and asked me to sing "Ah Ah Tree" (otherwise known as "Three Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree") a thousand times this week.

From our house to yours, we TRULY hope your 2008 is starting out healthy and happy.