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.

Faith's 1st, Tanner's 3rd, Jake's 5th, My 37th, and Brian's 39th

It was definitely a sports themed holiday around our house- the boys got Bronco State uniforms from Auntie Sue and a foosball table from Santa, Jake got a Tom Brady Patriots jersey from Grandma Mary, Faith got a baseball glove and ball from Daddy, and we all got Giants pajamas.

Other favorites included Faith's "build a bear" (a purple hippo named Ballerina Bear) that Jake made for her (given by Auntie Sue), an Elmo vacuum cleaner for Tanner, and Brad Paisley tickets for me (YIPPEE!!!).

It was a great day filled with lots of football (Tanner "hikes" it, then Jake runs the play with help from Dad and me), foosball, chess (I'm still trying to beat Jake!), napping, eating way too much junk food, and snuggling on the couch.

Merry Christmas everyone... no matter what number it was for you, we hope it was your best ever!

Traditions

A conversation I had with my sister on Christmas Eve got me thinking about family traditions and what my kids will remember about their childhood, especially with regards to the holidays.

I have so many incredible memories of Christmas: I grew up baking elaborate and time consuming cookies with my Grammy, mom, and sisters, singing Christmas carols and playing charades on Christmas Eve, eating a "snacky" dinner while decorating the tree...and a hundred other little things that made the holiday special. What will my kids remember?

I know what I HOPE they remember...

• Making (and eating large quantities of) Chex Mix with Grandma
  
• Baking cookies with Mom (Tanner's favorite this year were the Mexican Wedding Cakes!)
  
• Putting on silly Santa hats and aprons and making a big pancake breakfast with Daddy on Christmas morning
  
• Opening a tool (from Dad) and a book engraved with their name (from Mom) every Christmas from birth so that when they turn 18 and go off to start on their own in the world they are equipped with a full toolbox and 18 classic novels
• Taking turns getting to put the angel on top of the tree. Jake did it in 2005, Tanner in 2006, and Faith had the honors this year
• Throwing a quarter at the tree and having the present it hits be the first present opened on Christmas morning
• Always opening new jammies on Christmas Eve
• Leaving cookies and milk on the table at bedtime and finding a thank you note from Santa in their place the next morning
• Singing "Baby It's Cold Outside" (Brian and I's favorite "carol") about 500 times during the month of December (We have 4 different versions!)
• Watching Shrek the Halls (This is a new tradition since it just came out this year, but it is hysterical and I hope it becomes a yearly thing! Jake and I have been quoting the movie for weeks now. My favorite lines? "That wasn't Christmas, that was CHAOS!" and "Christmas ain't Christmas until somebody cries!")

Of course there is the downside to creating such a magical time....As I was putting Jake to bed on Sunday night he looked sad. When I asked him why he was down he said, "Mom, I don't want tomorrow to be Christmas Eve!". Thinking this was strange since all he had been talking about for weeks was how many days it was until Christmas finally arrived, I asked him why. "Because that means that the time is almost over. I don't want this special time to be over, Mom!".

A boy (for better or worse) after my own heart. I always had a little holiday letdown, too (although usually not TWO FULL DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS DAY!).

'Twas The Night Before Christmas...

And all through the place
four feet and two knees around the house they did race

We made Chex Mix with Grandma, played chess, baseball, and blocks
While waiting for Santa to fill up our socks.

We started with dinner, we ate that ham fast,
then left glitter for reindeer and oats on the grass.

The boys had dessert- a blue Jello with fish
An easy, fun bedtime was all that we wished.

The kids all opened a traditional present of PJ's
then headed for the tub- always a favorite of TJ's.

Snug in their jammies and clean through and through
the kids made a plate for Santa and crew

After singing some carols all warm in their beds
the boys fell asleep with Christmas dreams in their heads

We did the "Santa stuff"- completing the ruse
Then crawled into bed too excited to snooze.

White Christmas OR Our local weathermen are idiots!

So every weather forecaster here assured us that it would NOT be a white Christmas....that it would snow up in the mountains, but not here in the valley.......So this is out in front of our house today, and the snow is still coming down. Granted, it's not Sierra Snow Park like, but we got to sled and have a good time and it looks like it will be a white Christmas after all.

Shameless Love from Daddy

When they told us that it was picture day at Tanner and Faith's daycare, we were a little amused. They are a little young for school pictures, we thought as we disregarded the picture date and didn't even remember on the day of, dressing them in their normal grubbies. Imagine our surprise when this is the photo that came back for Faith (Tanner's were nothing special). I had to put it in here so everyone can see what a beautiful baby girl she is (no, these are NOT our clothes...the photographer must bring them to the daycare to change the kids into).

She is getting bigger by the day. She is starting to eat regular food and has just begun to wave bye-bye. She attacks the presents under the tree with gusto when not properly policed by her big brothers and loves to knock any tower taller than two blocks to the ground with one swing of her arm. We are looking forward to her first Christmas, and are more in love with her everyday.

Don't Try Looking For Him... He's Not There

Our big holiday event of the season- the R-House Christmas Program and Party- was on Saturday. Tanner had been rehearsing at school for weeks. They take their holiday program VERY seriously at his daycare. He was involved in 8- count'em- EIGHT little songs/skits complete with hand motions and simple costumes. He had been showing us glimpses of what was to come throughout all of last week. A few notes of "Silent Night" here, an action of a tree growing there... So, we were pretty excited to see the performance. We dressed to the nines (Well... Faith did!) and headed out to cheer our little guy on. As soon as we arrived Tanner began acting a little strange- hiding behind my leg, not wanting to play with the other kids, being shy with his teachers, etc... but when it came time to take him in the back room to get ready we were surprised that he willingly went with his teacher. About five minutes later, though, he was brought back to us, sobbing. Heaving sobs. He had no desire to perform. He was apparently terrified. So, while the rest of his group (see picture) carried on, Tanner gave me a private concert. He sat in my lap and sang the songs in my ear, occasionally adding in some appropriate hand gestures.



As if this all wasn't traumatic enough, Santa showed up after dinner. Even though Tanner seemed interested and watched as his sister smiled at the jolly guy and accepted a gift, when the time came for him to sit upon his knee, he wouldn't have any of it. That's Miss Rhonda (the owner of the daycare) in the picture with him. He screamed, "Mama! Mama!" and reached for me. After a few seconds Santa handed him his present and through his sobs everyone heard him say, "Thank you!" as he was handed back to me. That night he slept in our bed after awaking to a bad nightmare: We are pretty sure it is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like.... a bigger hole in the ozone layer

As you can see we - and by "we" I clearly mean "Brian"- decorated the outside of our house this weekend. At Costco we purchased a Holiday Lighting and Storage Kit which included a revolutionary new system for hanging lights on high eaves (I am only being SLIGHTLY facetious). Really, it turned what used to be an all day adventure full of danger (icy roof) and lots of swear words into less than one hour consisting almost entirely of Brian yelling in the windows things like, "You gotta call your mom and sisters and tell them about this thing! It's SO GREAT!" and "Really, Honey. Call up everyone we know and send them to Costco!". The best part (Brian wants to be sure I tell you all this...) is that all of the lighting, including Santa and the reindeer (named "Santa Alan" and "Pouncer" by Jake) are controlled BY ONE SWITCH. I've never been prouder. An auspicious start to our holiday season, for sure.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

We took the kids to see the big man in the red suit at our annual holiday party this Saturday. As you can see, the three kids had vastly different reactions:




Jake: "You're my best friend, Santa!"














Faith (Having been rudely awakened by Mom after falling asleep on our neighbor Greg's shoulder): "I don't think you're the guy I fell asleep on... and what's up with that goofy hat?"









Tanner: "I don't care if he DOES have candy and presents.... get me the hell out of here!"









The kids gorged themselves on holiday treats- even Faith got into the Christmas spirit and spread goo from a frosted sugar cookie all over her red dress. Jake got the chess set he had been asking for,Tanner got a Spiderman umbrella and proceeded to channel Gene Kelly out on the deck of the barn, and Faith (taking after her mother) got clothes.

Jake's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

Santa, could I please have a Boise State football and a Boise State jersey? Santa, could I please have some checkers with red and black or white and black? Because me and my friends play it at school. This is what I want for Jake.

I want to give you something...a warm hat. I think we should buy a hat at the grocery store. At Albertsons.

I think Tanner would like books because he reads a lot of truck books and lots of animal books. Faith would like a blanket and Baby Mumm Mumms.

And I want an electric game on Spiderman. I like that we decorate a Christmas tree and have salami and cheese and pigs in a blanket for dinner. Santa, I wish that you had like a hundred presents in your house.

Daddy would like fishing stuff like lures and a fishing rod. Mommy wants clothes and coffee. Can Milo have a chewing toy? I been good so I get presents!

Love,
Jake

Tanner Turns 2

On one hand I can't believe my little guy is already two. On the other hand it is hard to believe that he is ONLY two, especially as Faith is nearing one. For weeks prior to his birthday Tanner would say "Me?" anytime he heard us mention the "B" word. We kept our gift giving simple: two presents. One was a pair of Spiderman light up shoes and the other an old skateboard that Brian refurbished. Yes, he may be only two, but he LOVES Jake's skateboard and we decided to get him his own version so the brothers can get their first concussion together. He loved the shoes but he absolutely adored the skateboard. He was attempting tricks on it immediately and after nearly experiencing his first head injury that night we had to take it away for the duration of the trip- until he got home and could wear his helmet.
My mom ordered him a Cars cake from Baskin Robbins. This, too, was a huge hit. He showed much more discretion in eating it than last year. (See? No chocolate on the face!) but enjoyed every bite.
Tanner loved playing with the toy that Lisa and John gave him- a stackable pyramid block thing that was actually pretty cool for the adults, too. He got lots of clothes from Grandma Mary , Auntie Lisa,and Auntie Sue, along with a Cars truck and a set of Magnetix that he loves.

He is SO two now. I swear.... he became a stereotypical two year old overnight. Everything is "Mine! Mine! MINE!" and "I do!!". He wants to do everything himself- including putting on his shoes and socks, which he really isn't quite capable of yet but he insists on doing it himself- even if it means we are late for school/work/dr. appts/the inauguration. He is so proud when he is successful, though. He beams and says, "DID IT, Mama!". He loves to stand in front of the potty and pretend he is peeing like the big boys do. Every few seconds he will stop and say, "Pee, Mama!" and point into the potty. As of yet the potty remains empty. Those of you that had your kids potty trained at 2 are miracle workers and have far more patience than I do! It gets so tiresome that I find myself telling him, "Not now, Tanner" and then kicking myself for squelching his enthusiasm (when he is 4 and still not potty trained I am sure I will regret that!)
In any case, he continues to crack us up. Happy Birthday Little Man. I hope the last two years have been as fun for you as they were for us.

Thanksgiving Roadie 2.0

We made our second annual road trip to Lisa and John's house in Seattle for Thanksgiving this year. Last year it was kind of a last minute sort of thing, so there wasn't really time for anyone else to react or to make any plans - and we had a great time. This year, the trip was planned out enough in advance that Kim/Bill/Abby/Aidan and Cori were able to make the trip as well. Lisa and John (Saint Lisa and Saint John?) had an entire houseful for several days over the holiday weekend. The trip was a lot of fun, but it is easier to recount if I group certain parts of it together, so:














1. Getting there (to and fro) - For whatever reason (stupidly and gluttony for punishment I think) Marisa and I decided to leave from Boise at 3:00 AM and drive straight thru to Seattle, arriving at 11:00 AM. This actually worked out well. Aside from throwing everone's sleep patterns off, the drive was a breeze. The kids all slept for portions of the drive. We hit a personal record best of three McDonalds in a 9 hour time frame and got to Seattle will still a lot of the day left to enjoy. On the way back, we did the reverse (again, who knows why?), leaving at 6:00 PM and driving straight thru, arriving back home in Boise at 3:00 AM. Again, great move. The kids slept, I got to listen to my music as whatever volume I wanted (I was so wired on Red Bulls, I was rocking out to the Ramones as we hit the Idaho border) and it was a very low impact drive. We stayed up for about an hour when we got home to give Faith a bottle and unwind and went to bed about 4:00 AM. Everyone slept until about 9:00, and we got up and went about our day.

2. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (no not the one on TV) - We went last year the day after Thanksgiving and had a really great time, so it was on the docket again this year. This year we ended up down at the Macy's where the parade ends and it worked out really well. It was no where near as cold as it was last year. Tanner really enjoyed the display window with the trains and airplanes going round and round. The older kids really enjoyed the parade, especially the portions where candy was thrown, they watched the entire hour and a half sitting on the curb. Faith enjoyed sleeping in the snuggly inside my jacket. The balance of the grown ups enjoyed popping into Macy's to; use the bathroom, buy chocolate, shop etc. I personally enjoyed the stop at the donut shop afterwards (another running tradition).

3. Thanksgiving Dinner (actually the food in general) - For those of you who have never had Lisa cook for you, let me just say you are missing out. For those of you who have, you know what I'm talking about.....The Thanksgiving Dinner was amazing. There was so much food and it was all so good that it went on for days and days afterwards. As you can imagine with 7 children under the age of 8 at the kids table, it wasn't a very relaxing meal, but it WAS delicious. Additionally, there was the aforementioned donuts (we had some left over hee, hee, hee...), the traditional trip for the boys to The Wingdome for wings and beers, and really great take out Mexican food. Yes, we made four trips to the grocery store in four days, but again, there were SEVEN kids.

4. Random Thoughts - Sleeping in the same room with all three of our children was so FUN (yes, sarcasm intended, it sucked bad). Not a one of them slept thru the night and Marisa and I split the night into shifts with either Faith or Tanner sleeping on one of us, or out of the room on the couch etc. Jake planned to sleep in the room with the girls (and then didn't) and then planned to sleep in with Grandma Cori (and then didn't). Naps were more frustrating than anything. I think the best the kids slept the entire trip was in the truck on the way back home. Tanner had a blast on his birthday (Marisa is writing that one), but really enjoyed vacuuming Lisa and John's house with the toy Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner (sorry guys, we totally accidentally and not at ALL on purpose forgot to pack that when we loaded the car) in Jessa's patent leather pumps (if the kid wasn't such a bruiser I would be worried). Very little, but very necessary and nice adult time. I think that we were all in the room together, before Bill fell asleep in the chair each night, for an hour or so. That is what made the trip last year so great and held true again this year, it's just really good to be able to talk and catch up with the people you care about. (Oh yeah, VERY CUTE puppies!)

5. Bad news for Lisa, John, Quincy and Jessa - I think this is becoming a tradition, and one that won't stop until you tell us not to come anymore. See you next year for version 3.0!

Just Some Things I Don't Want to Forget...

I looked through Jake's baby book last night- and realized how incredibly incomplete it is. Sure, it tells when he first crawled, what kinds of solid foods he started with, and his favorite song when he was one.... but the important stuff, the everyday stuff- none of that was in there. It made me realize how much I want to record stuff for them to see when they are older, for Brian and I to reread when they are grown with kids of their own. So here are some things off the top of my head that I don't want to forget:

• The way Tanner says "Did it!" with kind of a lispy voice whenever he wants to do something himself or when he was successful doing something himself. Lately it is putting his socks on himself, taking off his pants, and catching a football. When he wants a specific person to notice (and applaud!) it is: "Baba! Did it", "Brother! Did it", "Mama! Did it", or "Dada! Did it".
  
• How glad I am that Jake is at Foothills- if only for this one year. The picture above is a project he did at home this weekend. He told me that he wanted to "reuse" materials to create something. So this is what he came up with. He explained it all to me. It is a McDonalds. The spiders are eating the food and the cracked nutshell is the waiter (I'm not sure which McDonald's HE'S been going to!). The Starbucks cups are the building itself. The nut slides down the chute to serve the food to the spiders. The fact that he did this on his own is HUGE to me. At his old preschool the most creative he ever got was cutting out pictures of ovals (or whatever the "shape of the week" was) and gluing them on white paper.
  
• The way Tanner backs up and says "Go..... go.... go!" before running into your arms, kicking a ball, getting his shirt on, giving high fives, etc...
• The morning Faith woke up at 4AM and fussed on and off until 6:30 when we finally went in there and found that her arms had gotten stuck up in the shoulders of her jammies. She must have been trying to free them that whole time and it looked pretty funny and more than a little bit uncomfortable- but she was no worse for the wear. She still greeted us with a huge smile.
• How Jake uses the word "apparently" to begin sentences these days: Ex: When Faith threw her remaining food on the ground after lunch, Jake commented, "Apparently Faith isn't hungry anymore!"
• Tanner's love of all things tidy: the broom, napkins, scrub brushes.
  
• The way the boys adore their sister and want to help feed her (see picture above), change her, bathe her, and play with her.
• Tanner's crazy dancing and how he likes to run in circles around Milo (as Milo dozes on the floor), get dizzy, then fall down again.
• How Faith flaps her arms when she is excited like she is about to take off.
• Last Sunday when Jake and Brian were watching football and they showed a sweeping view of the stadium with all the players in position and Jake said incredulously, "So, Dad, you mean ALL those football guys have two kidneys?" (Jake only has one kidney and knows that he won't be able to play high school football, so this has been a hot topic lately)
  

Jake- 4 years 8 months, Tanner- 2 years on Wednesday, Faith- 8 1/2 months

Faith- 8 months

Faith learned to pull up to standing this week. She started on the bathtub and quickly progressed to anything else that stands about 18 inches off the ground. She also learned how to get back down- I was quite impressed as I watched her gauge the distance between her butt and the floor, clearly think it over, then decide to take the risk. She plopped right down and looked up at me prouder than proud.

With the holidays coming up I had to get her several Christmas dresses last weekend (which Brian humored me about until he got really tired of chasing after the two boys in the consignment store and asked me to JUST MAKE UP MY MIND ALREADY!)- one of them is an over the top long sleeved, red velvet number with a satin bow in the back which she will wear with white tights and her patent
leathers :) I am SO opposite of the "girl mom" I thought I'd be (much to the amusement of those around me, I am sure!). She is still toothless- and mostly bald- but I am sure she will be a vision in her holiday finery.


I think she is saying words. "Na-na" comes when I am feeding her bananas. "Da-da" is said first thing in the morning when she is laying next to (or crawling all over) her daddy. I know, she is only eight months old and I'm sure it is just coincidental babbling. Still, it is fun to listen to and a huge reminder to slow down and enjoy her babyhood while it lasts!

Some Species Eat Their Young

Those species may have got this parenting thing figured out.

One of the fallouts of Jake attending Kindergarten this year is that he is acting more like a Kindergartener. Go figure.

Actually, if I hadn't compared notes with several other parents with children age 4-6 I would describe his behavior as "pre-teen".

"Whatever" is now a "time out word".
As in, "Jake, please put your shoes away.".

"Whatever!" (often accompanied by a deep sigh and possible eye rolling.)

He continues to entertain (or is the word I am looking for "annoy"?) us with his constant dialogue. I swear this kid never shuts up. Especially in the car. You know that scene in Shrek 2 where Donkey and Shrek and Princess Fiona are driving to "Far Far Away" to visit her parents and Donkey keeps talking and talking and talking and finally Fiona shouts: "Just for five minutes, can't you just stop being YOU!". Let's just say that Brian and I can relate to that scene.

Seriously, though. He has grown up overnight. In good ways, too.

• He is so much more independent and helpful with Tanner and Faith. The other morning Tanner woke up before 7 (the time at which Jake is allowed to come in our room) and we heard him get up and crawl into the crib with Tanner. He proceeded to read book after book to him while saying things like, "Dada is sleeping right now. He'll be in to get you soon, Tanner." (By "read" I mean look at the pictures and recite what he remembers about each book)
  
• He is into taking care of the environment and reminds us to reuse everything, picks up trash on walks to throw away at home, and recycles all that he can. My car is full of empty soda cans and wrappers he has found while running errands.
  
• He is really into football right now. And he plays it like a pro. I swear. You'd think he had lessons or something. He throws with a spiral, catches from across the yard, and loves to "kick off" and "hike" the ball. He can keep score and add each 7 point touchdown (we haven't gotten into the one point conversion thing yet...) to the previous score.
• His latest favorite song is by the Dixie Chicks- "I'm Not Ready to Make Nice". He tells me that he feels the emotions in the song -that parts make him feel sad and ready to cry, parts make him mad, and parts just feel good to shout out at the top of his lungs. We listen to it several times each day on the way to and from school. He tells me that part of the song makes his eyes get teary... and I know exactly what he means.

In all the ways that matter to me he is still little, even when he acts big: He's still my snuggle bug and loves hugs and kisses and sitting on my lap. He doesn't mind when I sing and dance to the songs on the radio, and I've yet to embarrass him in front of his friends. Most importantly, he still thinks his dad and I are the coolest things ever.

For now I think the kid is safe from being ingested.

Piece of Work

We're coming up on Tanner's 2nd birthday. I have to say - he is a boy with a personality. I've said before that he is my Grandpa Simonich reincarnated, and I still believe that. First and foremost, there is the smirk - dead on Grandpa smirk, nobody else in the family has that. This is the look that says, "You can tell me to stop doing this all you want, and I may or may not, but we both know you're really not going to do anything about it, don't we?" I love my boy, but I am terrified that maybe he got more than his fair share of my "eff you" genes. We were driving this last weekend and this song came on the radio. This is, and will be Tanners theme song (I added it to the mp3 player if you want to listen to it - it's the Jimmy Buffett version). Here are the lyrics:

Piece of Work
(Will Kimbrough)

I'm a piece of work, I'm iron and lace
I'm shy, I'm right up in your face
I'm all dumbfounded, stubborn as an ass
Sharp as an arrow in a pile of glass.
I'm a sweetheart, genius, reckless jerk.
Lord, have mercy, I'm a piece of work.

Well the Lord made me on a long thin limb
Made sure I'd remember him or her
In the middle of a long dark night
Creation crazy, death-sheet white
Made in the image of a lion shocked lamb
I am who the hell I am
Even better, bad to worse,
Down to the letter, I'm a piece of work.

I'm a piece of work I'm an angels fiend
Bathed in lavender and gasoline
Scared brave, shallow in an ink black well
Lightly browned in the fires of hell
Wicked, holy, full on fake
Best known for my big mistake
I'm zen wise, peaceful, gone berserk
Good God almighty, What a piece of work.

I'm a dreadful sight, I just don't care
Spent all morning pull out my hair
Woke at dawn with a crazy spin
I was half the day trying to glue back in
Mother, bloody mary, please
Wipe that smile right off your knees
I'm the CEO of the mailroom clerks
Lord have mercy, I'm a piece of work.

I'm a piece of work, I'm a love sick boy
Cloth cap, caviar, and corduroy
All over the map, justa lost in space
With a filthy mind and a choirboy's face
Heels up, head down, straight on through
Watch out woman, I'm a get to you
I'm a gladiator with a mind to irk
I'm a see you later, I'm a piece of work.

Happy almost 2nd birthday buddy. I Love You. (P.S...you scare the crap out of me!) - Dad

Dinosaurs, Superheroes and Vegetables, oh my....

After us "Non-Professional" Trick or Treaters had our fill, we came home to do the philanthropic work of the handing out of the candy. Tanner and I came home and got him into jammies in between answering the door bell. Tanner didn't quite get it at first, but was very curious. Once he got in the swing of things, he had a lot of fun. The routine had to be as follows: we would sit on the couch and watch an episode of Magic School Bus (as far as kids shows go...not TOO bad) until either the doorbell rang, or Tanner spotted someone from his seat. I would then get up and answer the door. He would come up right behind me a little slowly, if the costumes were not too scary (if they were scary, he would watch from the family room). He would check out the costumes, and once he could tell that the candy had been dispensed and the interaction was at an end, would very loudly announce, "BYE" and slam the door in their faces. Then he would run back to the couch and point at my spot and say (equally loudly), "Dada, Dada, Dada" while pointing where I was supposed to sit....and the parade would begin again. We did this for an hour or so, after which I took him to bed, not be heard from again until this morning.

The other photo above is one of the few we have been able to get of him lately. He has begun to love the camera, not being in front of it, but looking thru it, so it has been difficult, at best, to get him to hold still. He is just a blast to be around and is starting to follow in his big brothers foot steps, playing both baseball and football. He is VERY proud of himself when he catches the ball or get's a hit....he stands and preens and yells, "Mama, mama, mama", non-stop, until you say "Good Job Tanner" at which point he lines up to do it again.

Trick or Treat

Faith was just about the sweetest ear of corn I've ever seen. Tanner loved his dinosaur costume,despite being unable to walk in the "claws", and Jake enjoyed throwing make believe spider webs at all passersby while trick or treating last night. Thank goodness my mom was here- we definitely needed the extra pair of hands while getting them all ready, pictures taken, and out and about for the festivities. We had to divide and conquer: I took Jake, Brian had Tanner, and my mom wheeled Faith around in the stroller. After going around the block with all 6 of us, Jake and I joined up with another family in the neighborhood to continue the serious trick-or-treating while Brian and Tanner went home to answer the door and hand out candy and mom took Faith home and put her to sleep.

Jake loved running from house to house while my friend and I kept toasty warm with the hot toddies, hot cocoa, and hot cider that many houses were handing out to the adults. Best quote of the night? Overheard from a father: "Time is candy, Josh. Let's keep moving!" The kids were out in the hundreds (literally). Though warmer than last year, it was down to 35 by the time we got home a little before 9 and Jake and I were both ready to cuddle up under a blanket. Jake dumped out his candy and Brian, mom, and I laid claim to our favorites while he dove in for a few more bites before bed.