This, That & Carrot Tops

Reading In The Oven

2012-01-26T22:03:00.000-09:00

So damn cute!!

Tooth Fairy Time

2012-01-26T21:57:00.000-09:00

Hard to believe he's already old enough to lose his teeth but apparently he is. Where did my little baby go?

And the funny part is that we only realized it was loose 2 days before it fell out. He got off way too easy as far as I'm concerned (no pliers, or trouble eating, or threats to tie it to a doorknob) but I guess that's what happens when you try to bite your brother with a loose tooth.

WTF?!

2012-01-16T21:36:00.000-09:00

How the hell does a 2 year old lift a mattress?! If he didn't want to take a nap, he should have just told me.

Wiener Wars

2012-01-16T20:08:00.000-09:00

I have always known that men love their penises. Nothing new there. It's a toy. It's a compass. It's a measuring stick. Whatever. Why wouldn't they love them? It's like a built in Swiss army knife with a life time warranty that they can never misplace. It's perfect.

I just had no idea the fixation and fascination started so damn young.

I suppose it was inevitable raising three boys but I guess I really never gave it much thought until recently. I feel like I am the penis police at a freak show. Bo can not keep his hands off of his. Every time I turn around, his hands are down his pants doing lord knows what. And now that Sam is fresh out of diapers, his is a whole new adventure for him. He likes to run around naked and show everyone how big it is.

Then there's the Wiener Wars. Yep. The highly disturbing, highly competitive sport of wiener wrestling. Basically it's arm wresting for penises. I am not an advocate or sponsor, but unfortunately have been a spectator and let me tell you, it is not pretty. Actually I wish I could erase it from my memory bank, but instead, I figure I'd just write about it so Bo and Sam can read this when they are all grown up and see what they put me through as kids.

As the penis police I try to enforce the house rules much like that in the outside world with 'indecent exposure' and 'playing with oneself' a punishable offense if in public spaces but ok in the confines of ones room or the bathroom.

However my duties go well beyond that of law enforcement. I am also the penis professor. Just last night Bo asked me in all seriousness, "Mom, what is the part of your wiener, not the big tank part, but the part down below with the 2 dots? Is that where the juice comes from?"

WHAT?!? The juice? WTF is he talking about?

I just bit my lip, told him to ask Dad and then laughed at him behind his back. Sorry Bo, but really? Juice? I'm still confused. However, kudos on calling it "the tank". Nice one.

Sammy-Says #2

2012-01-04T17:56:00.000-09:00

In the Anchorage airport after going poop in the potty, which is a fairly new phenomenon for him:

SAM: Look, there's 2. They're like pickles!!

Santa!! HO HO HO!

2011-12-24T11:10:00.000-09:00

We made our annual trek to North Pole this week to see Santa and Max was so excited. He kept saying, "me see Santa" over and over and over. He was all about sitting on Santa's lap and loved it.

It was only 4 days until Christmas but I'm pretty sure with detailed picture lists like Bo took, Santa's got him covered.

Sam on the other hand wanted nothing to do with Santa's lap but finally warmed up enough to give him knucks.

The rest of us were there too

Merry Sugar-mas To All And To All A Good Night!

2011-12-21T21:13:00.002-09:00

It's that time of year again when everything with sugar in it some how becomes "ok" because it's Christmas. No wonder America is obese. Oh, it's December? Sure. I'll have that sample of peppermint mocha with whip cream and cute chocolate drizzle on top. And hey, because dropping of this package at the post office was so tough, I'll most definitely take a piece of holiday chocolate. Oh wait, it's taking too long, I better take 2. And thanks Wells Fargo for the cute bag of red and green m&m's you sent to me in the drive through tube. I'll be sure to add it to the other three trillion calories sitting on my hips right now.

Seriously? Who thinks like that?!

Not me. Thank God. I just say no thank you and walk away but when it comes to my kids, I'm much more fun and much more Decembery.

So in the spirit of Christmas and the spirit of sugar, I once again tackled graham cracker houses with the boys this year. I really have absolutely no idea why gingerbread houses are even considered Christmasy (I probably should google that) but they are fun, always make a mess and taste yummy yummy.

Although, I don't remember them being nearly as difficult last year. I don't know if it was the icing I bought or my lack of construction skills, but mine kept caving in. My plan was to built ones for Sam and Max and then let them decorate them but because I took way too long to build anything that stood up, Sam's attention span was long gone as were fist fulls of jelly beans and about 1/4 of his icing jar. I'm still surprised he didn't puke.

But Bo stuck with it and really worked hard. He got frustrated a few times but did a great job and did it ALL by himself. He kept asking me if he could lick his fingers or did he have to use a napkin (so cute). He also chose to put candy he got from school on his even though he knew it meant not eating them.

He calls his a Lean-To with Chimneys and a Fence

When Wes got home Bo was all excited to show him what he built and Wes said, "Oh no, it fell over". (Oops. Way to go Dad.)

And here is Sam's. Yes, I know its lame but it's all I could get to stand up. And for what he had to work with, I think he did a fantastic job.

This is the one I constructed for Max that became the community project. Everyone did a little.

It was fun, we made a mess like usual and now we have 3 tacky sugar houses sitting on the counter taking up room that I don't have either the heart to throw away or the stomach to eat. Man I love December!

Hawaii Part 4 - Sea Life Center & Black Rock

2011-12-16T21:43:00.133-09:00

We took a break from the beach one morning to check out Maui's Sea Life Center and the boys LOVED it. The underwater tunnel was by far their favorite. The sharks and stingrays were amazing. I just hope the fish can't hear through the glass because the boys could not stop screaming with excitement.

With a few days left, we found an amazing beach and snorkeling spot at Black Rock. It was awesome. We bought a ginormous inflatable turtle for them and Bo literally rode on it for hours at a time. Hours. The waves were perfect. They would take him out and push him back in, take him out, push him back in. All day long. Out and in. Out and in.

The snorkeling was just as awesome.

Scuba Steve (Wes & Ethan)

And then there was this . . .

It took me awhile to figure out what they were doing and why on Earth they were all covered in sand but then I saw this . . .

Duh . . . "HEAD MARKS"!!

And here are just a few more pics from our last day at Black Rock

Wes playing football with the boys

Where did everybody go?

It truly was a great trip. We can't wait to go back.

Hawaii Part 3 - Beach Time

2011-12-16T19:29:00.022-09:00

Max finally started working his way closer and closer to the water.

Locals playing on the beach next to us. The music was fantastic.

Hawaii Part 2 - The Wedding

2011-12-16T19:02:00.004-09:00

It was a long time coming but Randi and Ethan finally got married on December 11. We couldn't be happier for them and were excited to share in their special day.

The beautiful bride and her dad

Groomsmen: Lee, Mike, Ethan (Groom), Brian, Corey (ring bearer), Chris, & Wes

Best attempt at a family photo

Hawaii Part 1 - Day 1

2011-12-16T18:54:00.085-09:00

Other than having a stomach bug with endless diarrhea for a week, the boys were beyond excited to go to Hawaii for our good friends Ethan and Randi's wedding. I, on the other hand was freaking out about packing enough diapers and extra clothes for the plane ride and worrying about entertaining Max for 6 hours. We usually fly at night and 6 hours is a long time for a wiggly 2 year old. But despite Max pooping 4 times and Sam twice from Anchorage to Maui (the flight attendant kept spraying air freshener in the bathroom after we left), the boys did great on the plane. They each zoned out to their itouches and took a nap. I was so proud of them. And on top of that, we made it there in our original clothes. Bonus!

Just landed and all smiles

We rented a 3 bedroom condo in Kahana for the week and enjoyed not having a schedule or anything planned (other than a few wedding festivities). It was a great vacation and felt amazing to escape the cold of Fairbanks for awhile.

View from our lanai

Early the next morning we went to the beach for the first time and Bo and Sam went wild. They were in heaven and ran and laughed for hours.

Max on the other hand was not so sure. It was his first time ever to the beach and was a little freaked out. The first day he just stayed back and dug in the sand.

Later that afternoon we went on a three hour snorkeling cruise with the other wedding guests. The weather wasn't great and the water really choppy so we unfortunately did not get to go to the good snorkeling spot but we still had a nice time. They boys even swam with us for a while and Max actually fell asleep while bobbing in the ocean.

Lapro Choly

2011-11-09T19:49:00.002-09:00

Seems so weird to me that I can be sitting here, 48 hours post op, without my gallbladder and not feel like its missing. Serously. It has been with me for 33 years and then poof, it's gone. I kind of feel like I should have thrown it a farewell party or something, but nope. Nothing. All it got after having me cuss at it for 9 months was a first class ticket out of my belly button in a platic bag. Poor thing was probably just as sick of me as I was of it. Holy cow. I hated it. And despite the fact that I was born with it, I do not miss it one bit. Sorry GB, no soup for you!!!

Sam Is Finally Sam

2011-11-04T20:26:00.006-08:00

It took paperwork, one court appearance and three months, but it's finally official . . .

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE STATE OF ALASKA

FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT AT FAIRBANKS

CASE# 4FA-11-02174CI

CERTIFICATE OF NAME CHANGE

A judgement was entered by this court 9/6/11, authorizing Samuel Michael Madden to assume the legal name of Sam Michael Madden effective on the date stated in this certificate, which mush be after notice of the judgement has been published.

All requirements for publishing and posting a copy of this judgement have been met.

Therefore, the effective date of the name change will be 10/31/2011.

T6 & Counting

2011-11-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

It's only taken 10 months, 1 ER visit, an ultrasound, two meds, a couple x-rays, a CAT scan, a HIDA scan with CCK, 1 trip to Anchorage and an Endoscopy but in 6 days everything will hopefully be better and my gallbladder will be out of me!!

WTF?! . . .Fart Gun Version

2011-10-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

So, I got shot with a fart gun tonight. Yep. A FART GUN.

Oh, What's a fart gun, you ask?

Apparently it is when a buck naked 5 or 3 year old bends over at his waist and puts his head on the floor while using his hands to spread his butt cheeks apart and aim farts at you or his enemy brother while screaming "FART GUN!" and laughing hysterically.

WTF?! Where do they come up with this stuff and what on Earth am I in for?

All Hands On Deck

2011-10-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Math whiz

2011-10-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

The other night at dinner I asked Bo how many chicken nuggets I cooked if I made 6, 6 & 4. He thought for about 5 seconds and answered, "16". I was shocked!

Fun In The Leaves

2011-10-05T22:35:00.042-08:00

Max is 2!

2011-09-20T19:45:00.001-08:00

I can not believe our baby is 2. It's just crazy to me. He's getting so big. To celebrate we kept it small and had Grandma & Grandpa over for dinner and cake. He chose a white cake with chocolate frosting and sprinkles. It was yummy.

There was some serious spit involved but the candles were eventually blown out.

The big gift of the day was a wagon from Grandma & Grandpa.

All of the boys loved it. Bo spent the rest of the day carting Sam and Max around the yard. I can't believe we didn't own one before. And check out those off road tires. Perfect. Thanks Grandma & Grandpa.

It is still hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that Max is 2, but here is a little more about him at this awesome age . .

- He is so much fun. He loves to be the center of attention and has a light around him that makes everyone smile when he walks into the room. He is definitely the baby of the family but not a push over. He holds his own.

-Has a very infectious belly laugh.

-Is extremely possessive of his things. Puts up a fight if anyone takes his toy, cup, dog, etc

-Loves green beans, soup, popcorn, toast and chicken nuggets.

-Hates to wear shoes.

-Has bad eczema on his feet and hands.

- Is all about "Baby" and likes to take him everywhere.
- Will go pee pee in the potty if naked. Runs into the bathroom and crawls up onto the toilet all by himself

- Is a binky baby and likes to have a bunch. "1, 2, 3, 8"

- Usually takes a 1.5 - 2 hour nap around 12:30 and goes to bed in the evenings around 7:30. He sleeps on 2 crib mattresses next to each other on the floor of his room.

- Favorite response to asking him to do something is, "No way, Man!"

- Is very picky about what he wears every day. Very opinionated.

- LOVES the Wiggles and Monkey (Curious George)

- Can walk on his toes like Sam

- And makes me proud everyday to be his momma.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAXY!! I LOVE YOU.

My Babies!!

2011-09-16T19:18:00.006-08:00

Helmets! We All Need Helmets!

2011-09-12T21:49:00.002-08:00

( I keep going back and forth on the title of this post. Torn on whether to put it as one of my WTF?! posts or something else because, let me assure you, "WTF" was muttered many a times during all of this. Many many a times.)

As if Ethan's injury wasn't enough, Wes' dad fell off the roof 2 days ago (or ladder or something; we probably will never know because he doesn't remember anything) and was knocked unconscious. Thankfully Marcia was home and called 911. He was laying on the ground, out, not moving, fingers bent backward. Not good.

All he kept talking about was the gutter and the fact that the gutter is bent. Even the paramedics were getting a bit annoyed. "Yes, Karl, the gutter IS bent." (It got bent during the accident and was the first thing he saw when he woke up on the ground)

He was taken by ambulance to FMH where we quickly learned that he, too, like Ethan, had sub-cranial bleeding. Are you kidding me?! 5 days. 5 DAYS after going through all of this with Ethan, we were right back where we started with Karl. And like Ethan, he was medivac-ed to Anchorage to see the neurosurgeon.

Seriously, you can't even make this stuff up.

But thankfully, his brain contusion was small and did not have any increased pressure so the doctors just wanted to monitor him for 24 hours to make sure the bleeding would not continue.

The funny part about it is that a bunch of our friends were still in Anchorage with Ethan so Karl & Marcia had quite the welcoming party. It was really nice for Wes and I to know that they were not down there alone but some of the pictures seem like they were having a little too much fun.

But then again, misery does love company. . .

Ethan & Our 10th

2011-09-11T20:48:00.001-08:00

Saturday was our 10th wedding anniversary and although the day started out great with our usual football watch party and Nebraska kicking off their season with a win over Chattanooga State (whoop whoop), it ended on a much different note. At about 5:00 that evening we got a call from our buddy Sonny saying they had an accident and Ethan was hurt badly. The words "hit a tree," "bleeding from the brain", and "ER" is about all I remember from the call.

A few of our friends had borrowed our boat for the day to go fishing up on the Richardson Clear Water but unfortunately things did not go as planned. Story has it, they were having a great time, the weather was beautiful, the fishing not so beautiful, but they were still having a blast being out on the river until they went to move fishing spots and a sandwich baggy that was swirling around on the bow, caught wind and flew back the length of the boat. Everyone turned to watch it land, including the driver, and when he turned back around he was 2-3 feet too far to the left. They were heading right for a big spruce tree leaning over the water. Harry tried to do an evasive maneuver but the super narrow river and downstream current were too much and they crashed into the tree, ejecting Ethan from the back of the boat where he had been sitting.

Once they realized Ethan was missing, they whipped the boat around and fished him out of the freezing spring fed water about 40 yards back. Ethan was knocked unconscious but came to when they got to him. Everyone knew it wasn't good and that time was not on there side at this point so after grabbing dry clothes and a blanket for Ethan at Harry's cabin, they high tailed it out of there and back to the landing. Ethan was talking and joking but confused on what had happened. His left eye was a ginormous purple plum and he was complaining about his shoulder. They sped back to Fairbanks and straight to FMH where it was quickly determined that he had bleeding on his brain with increased pressure and a collapsed lung. They re inflated his lung and medivac-ed him to Anchorage within the hour.

He underwent surgery that night to remove a blood clot from behind his eye, remove part of his skull to release the pressure on his brain, insert a drain to drain the blood, and insert 4 metal plates to set all the skull fractures. He responded well to the surgery but they wanted to wait 6 hours before trying to wake him up to see how he responded.

Around 9:45 the following morning, they did just that but he was very agitated and running a fever so they put him back under. Over the next 3 days, they tried this a number of times, each with Ethan being very agitated and trying to pull the tube out of his throat. One of the times it took 3 people to hold him down until they could knock him back out. He is definitely a fighter.

By the fourth day, they concluded that he was finally breathing 100% on his own, so they removed the ventilator and THEN tried to wake him up. Things went much smoother. He was awake and asking questions.

Then miraculously, on the 8th day, he was released from the hospital. Released! I still can't believe it. He still has a long road in front of him but is predicted to make a full recovery. He is very sore and tired, is having trouble with the vision in his left eye, needs to have shoulder surgery, but is home and doing remarkably well.

And although I would much rather remember our 10th anniversary for different, happier reasons, I am extremely thankful that Ethan is ok and very thankful to have such a wonderful husband in my life.

So here's to many many more.....for ALL of us.

Bo's First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-25T21:41:00.009-08:00

It's hard to believe but Bo is now a Kindergartner. I don't know if I should be excited or sad. Part of me loves watching him grow and explore and try new things but the other part wants him to stay little and cuddly and my little Bo-bo forever. Where did the last 5 years go? (Oh that's right, it got flushed into a hazy fog of 2 more babies, not much sleep and a whirlwind of everyday life. Duh!) Yesterday was his first day and it went well. He was excited about the idea of school, the new clothes, the new lunch box, super cool "golden" folder. . .but this eagerness quickly faded when it came time to me having to leave him in the classroom. He did not want me to leave and immediately reclused into himself, hunching down over his paper, crayon in hand, his head practically touching the table, mentally blocking out everyone else around. It broke my heart. But I knew he would be fine. His teacher, Mrs. Todd, is super nice and his table mate, Jacob, seemed like a very nice kid so with a wave and one last kiss I was gone.

The nice thing about Kindergarten in Fairbanks is that they ease the kids in slowly. First of all they start a week after all the other grades and then once they do start, they only go for 2.5 hours the first two days. It's great. Plus because the Kindergarten classes are flex-day, each classroom has a morning group of kids (8:30-1:00) and an afternoon group of kids (10:30-3:00) with them all overlapping a few hours in the middle. But for these first two days of school, the two groups do not overlap at all, so the class size is small (about 10 kids). Bo went 12:30-3:00 and it worked out great. It was a nice transition. He got to play at home all morning, eat lunch here and then go in for a few hours in the afternoon. Not bad.

And amazingly enough, when I picked him up yesterday, he said it was, "good"! :)

However, this morning when it came time to get ready for school, he said, "What? I have to go again?!"

Opa & Nana's Visit

2011-08-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

It may have been a quick 5 days but it was a fun 5 days. I just wish it could have been longer. In true grandparent form, they came with presents. And this time it was Duplo Lego's. The boys' favorite. They played with them every day Opa and Nana were here and have honestly played with them every day since.

Dad has always been really great with the boys and this trip was no different. He REALLY bonded with them. I'm sure some of it is has to do with the fact that the boys are older but a lot of it comes down to the fact that Opa is big and cuddly and uber patient.

Dad/Opa also made a couple of loaves of Opa-bread while he was here which was awesome. I probably ate more bread in the last week than I have in the last 2 months. Thanks Dad.

It was cool and rainy for the majority of the time they were here and while it was a nice break from the hottest summer on record they were having in Texas, it was annoying for me. So when the sun poke through one day, we decided to take advantage and head up river for the afternoon.

Thankfully the sun came out again on their last day here. We played outside, walked around downtown, went to the Monday night market and really enjoyed the day. It was a great way to end their visit, even though I didn't want it to end at all.

Movie Night

2011-08-10T21:01:00.002-08:00

Wes & Grandpa were out of town fishing so I invited Grandma over for movie night with the boys. It was Sam's turn to pick so we all snuggled up to wach MegaMind with yummies. Popcorn for Sam, Max & Grandma and ice cream for Bo. Fun night.

Golden Days Parade 2011

2011-08-09T21:00:00.003-08:00

Bo, Max & Sam with GrandmaTighe, Sam, Grandma, Max, Bo & Devon
Sam
Tighe, Sam, Max, Bo & Devon

Petting Pedro's donkey

Devon, Arron, Sam, Tighe & Bo

Garage Door Roulette

2011-08-02T20:02:00.012-08:00

Really?!? What part of hanging on to a garage door and riding it all the way to the top while dangling over concrete even seems like a good idea? But just in case, while we're at it, why not let an almost 2 year old be in control of the button because Lord knows he's not trigger happy.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.

Sounds perfectly logical to me.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. . . .Up. . .Up. Down. Up. Down. Up . . .

WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Oh crap!

A mother knows this cry. It is not the "I'm overtired cry" or the "I'm spoiled and I want my way" cry or the "I'm frustrated" cry or even the "I don't want you to leave" cry. It is the cry of pain. The one cry that makes you jump up out of your chair or leave dinner bubbling over on the stove because you know it is not good and it is real.

Down. Up. Down. Up. Max! Seriously. Stop!!

And it was not good and it was real. Sam fell from the top onto the concrete, barefoot, and was grabbing his left foot. He could not put weight on it and was hysterical. His lips were shivering and he kept saying he was cold.

Double crap!

Injury and possible shock. . . that's not good.

But thankfully it did not take long to calm him down. A lot of hugging and reassuring goes a long way and before long he was up trying to walk on it. Foot turned out, toes pointing out to the side, heel only on the ground, hobbling pretty bad, but he was walking.

Phew!

So I decided to not rush in for x-rays but just watch him and see how it was. As much as I love sitting around a waiting room for hours on end, I didn't want to go to the ER if we didn't have to so motrin and cuddle time was what I prescribed. But by the following afternoon he still was not walking well, the swelling was getting worse, and I decided it was time to go have it checked.

1 ER trip, 1 very well behaved boy, many purple surgical glove balloons, and 4 hours later, his foot was not broken. They gave us an ace bandage and suggested he wear his shoe as much as possible to support and protect the foot. If in 1 week it was still sore, to follow up with our primary care doctor.

So 1 sore and swollen foot, 1 miserable boy, 1 more doctor visit, and 1 week later, his foot still is not broken.

More motrin, more bandages, and more shoes.

And yet people seem to look at me strangely when they see my boys riding bikes without helmets? Really? Screw that!! They've never hurt themselves on their bikes. If anything they should wear them at home. Eat breakfast . . .Check. Get dressed . . .Check. Brush Teeth . . .Check. Put on helmet . . .Check. Ride garage door . . .UnCheck!

Shield Against Transformers

2011-07-20T23:07:00.000-08:00

Fireworks & Pooping Chickens

2011-07-05T03:15:00.017-08:00

Sam, Bo, Aaron, Devon
Becky & Max

This year the boys were so excited to do fireworks. It may not ever get dark and the fireworks may not really show up but they are still noi-sy and everyone had a blast! (heehee)

Sam & Max loved throwing the poppers off the back of the truck Sam, Bo & Aaron watching the parachute man float down. This was one of their favorites. Bo throwing a smoke bombAnd then there were the chickens. I am still baffled about these. WTF?Check out Max's face in this oneWho wants a BIG one for the finale??Oooooooooooooo!Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

When God Gives You Rain, Make Play Dough

2011-06-30T13:45:00.006-08:00

It rained for the umpteenth day in a row today so we decided to make play dough. I have always wanted to make our own but never have. I got a recipe from a friend last week and decided today was the perfect day and I loved it.

They boys really had a good time and there were quite a few steps which was nice because it kept us occupied for a long time. Keep in mind it is not complicated and could probably be made in about 20 minutes if solo but with 3 little kiddos measuring, dumping and stirring, it was an all morning project.

Here is how we did it.

Stir 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, 2 Tbs cream of tartar in medium bowl.

Mix 1 cup water & 1 Tbs oil in another bowl

Add food coloring of choice and stir

Then add the water mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined

Stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes. When it forms a ball in the center, remove from heat

and let cool

Put on floured surface and knead until desired consistency.

Store in air tight container in the fridge.

WTF?!

2011-06-24T20:54:00.004-08:00

When 3 boys head outside to eat their Popsicles and decide to ride our gate like an amusement park ride.

And that is most definitely how we play WTF?!

Steering Optional

2011-06-22T08:45:00.001-08:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bo-ism

2011-06-21T09:44:00.001-08:00

Bo was calling Sam by his full name yesterday so I asked him what Max's middle name is and he answered "amillion".

Love it!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Trouble In Disguise

2011-06-12T22:14:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Super-Sam!

2011-06-11T20:26:00.003-08:00

One nice thing about being (A) a grown up and (B) a parent is that you get to make the rules. You can eat cake for breakfast, watch tv in bed, or tell your son his birthday is on a different day than it really is because the real day is inconvenient.

What? I know, it's a little selfish and cruel but he's only 3 and completely clueless. Besides, his schedule is way open; ours is not. He surely doesn't know the difference and was just as excited on fake-birthday morning when he woke up to his favorite breakfast of bacon and waffles and us singing him happy birthday as he would have been on his real birthday. And we are only talking about a day here folks, not a week or anything crazy, just a day. Friday was hectic and Saturday wasn't, so "Happy Birthday to Sammy on Saturday" it was!

And he had a blast.

We gave him many choices of what he wanted to do and he chose a boat ride with his favorite buddy Aaron (Devon' older brother). So we dropped Max off at Grandma's and headed to the river. The weather was wonderful. We took a short ride, stopped at a gravel bar for snacks and rock throwing and then headed home for cake and presents.
(More coming soon . . . )

WTF?!

2011-06-09T22:02:00.006-08:00

When a 5 year old attempts to flush the toilet after pooing a mountain on top of God knows how many baby wipes he dumped in it earlier and nasty diarrhea water overflows to the point of seeping through our downstairs ceiling and making everything in its path reek of rotten sewer.

And that, people, is how we play WTF.

May...The Cliff's Note Version

2011-05-31T22:25:00.036-08:00

May was a great month. The weather finally warmed up, the shorts and short sleeve shirts were dug out, and we played hard. Played really hard. Here are some (ok, a lot) of pics from our adventures.

First picnic of 2011 - dinner on Dad's truck at Grandma & Grandpas.
Mac-n-cheese never tasted so good:

The first of many many playground visits.

Exploring the trails at Grandma & Grandpas for the first time since the snow melted. These pics really remind me of the old "Joe, Jerry & George" stories my dad used to tell me, minus the sound effects. Love it!
Fairbanks city wide clean up day. Sam was my big helper this year.
Alaska Rail Road open house with free train rides and trains to explore.
The boys (and Grandma) had a blast.

When the weather is too nice to stay inside and build forts, what do you do?
Build a fort outside, of course.
Not wasting the warm hot tub water as we syphoned in out for the summer.
Smart boys.
Samsquatch

Waiting for Daddy to get home from work is always more fun when you hide
A few of the days we actually spent at home

Apparently, when you see this face . . .Run!!!!

Wes took Bo & Sam out on the boat one night after work and to say they had a good time is an understatement. They didn't get home until almost midnight and it was worth every minute of the cranky next day.

Memorial Day Weekend - Camping at 45 mile CHSR with our new friends Amy, Jason, Lola & Reece.

WTF?!

2011-05-20T23:03:00.005-08:00

Finding a 2.5 year old in the bathtub with an entire container of Vaseline and a trail of grease that stretches from the tub to the sink smothering everything in its path.

Needless to say, the boys were unable to brush their teeth tonight or brush their hair or cut their fingernails or apply Neosporin or Oragel, if so inclined.

And that my friends is how we play WTF?!

Food Fights

2011-05-20T21:29:00.013-08:00

I don't know about other parents out there but I really struggle with food. I despise meal time at our house. It's down right draining. As soon as one meal is done, another is looming and then there's the dishes and the food bubble. Yes, the food bubble. About a 3 foot radius around each kid where stepping is not advised and any starving child could possibly consider it a buffet. Man I miss our dog.

But a lot of the problem is that the boys don't like the same things and none of them like to eat what I eat. And then there's Wes who also doesn't like to eat what I eat or what the boys eat so basically meal times SUCK. So annoying!

I know a lot of it is me and my eating issues of the past (ok ok, I still have some) but the idea of anyone making me eat something I don't want to REALLY bothers me. And so I have a very tough time forcing my kids to eat something they don't want to. I once read something somewhere that said "Make Dinner, Not War" and that's pretty much how I roll. It's not worth the battle or the stress. Food has always been a point of stress for me and the last thing I want is for it to be the same for my kids.

Don't get me wrong, I still push fruits and vegies and healthy eating but I definitely cater to their wants as well. I have friends who make their kids eat what's cooked or go hungry and I just CAN NOT do that. I can't! Absolutely no way. The idea of my child being hungry stresses me out more than having to cook multiple things.

The other problem is that I am a snacker. I like to eat little amounts all the time and my kids are no different. They LOVE their snacks. Things even taste better if I call it a "snack" instead of "lunch" or "dinner." Who knew?! So basically my 3 time a day meal battle is in all actuality an all day drag-out fight. (Please refer to the sections on: "Cons to Being a SAHM" and "How Many Granola Bars Can One Boy Eat In A Day")

I know I should probably put them on a schedule, but hell, I want to eat when I'm hungry, not when someone tells me it's time so why should I make it any different for them. Kind of goes back to the newborn breast feeding phase of "on demand feeding." Feed when hungry. It's that simple. Same goes for my boys.

Oh, and the mere thought of forcing them to finish everything on their plate makes me cringe. And people wonder why America has a weight problem. Geeze!! Really folks? Come on. It would be different if the boys were older but they don't know to eat when bored or sad or while watching 'The Biggest Loser'. They are kids and they eat when they are hungry. Simple as that.

But back to the foods themselves. For example, tonight I asked Bo & Sam each what we should have for dinner. Here's what they had to say:

Bo: "muffins, pancakes, mac-n-cheese"
Sam: "bacon, hotdogs, chicken"

They couldn't be more opposite. So I compromised. (And no, I don't usually ask them what they want but it's Friday). We had blueberry muffins hold the blueberries add grated carrots (anything to help me feel better about the retarded meal I was preparing), macaroni-n-cheese, turkey bacon, & green beans (MY addition).

Here's how it went down. Bo ate 2 muffins, half his mac-n-cheese and one green bean.
Sam ate 2 slices of turkey bacon, 1 muffin, half his mac-n-cheese, and 2 green beans. Max mushed his muffin (que food bubble music), ate all of his green beans, half a slice of bacon and stole all the tomatoes off my salad.

But you know what, they were excited about dinner and all sat at the table like civilized little boys, minus the few minutes when Sam decided to do a Cirque de Soleil routine on his chair and Max crawled across the table to get Bo's iTouch, but that's neither here nor there. We had a very nice dinner with very nice toddler conversation and very nice green bean mustaches.

I consider myself victorious but better quit blogging and go rest up. Breakfast is only 8 hours away.

WTF?!

2011-05-19T20:57:00.004-08:00

As the boys grow older I am finding myself saying "WTF" to myself more and more so I figured it only fitting to start a new series of posts titled just that. And I'm starting off with a doozey that is so wrong on so many different levels . . .

Yesterday Sam tried to pick Bo's nose but stuck his finger so far up it he made it bleed.

And that ladies and gentlemen is how we play "WTF?!"

It's Happening Again

2011-05-14T22:04:00.004-08:00

19 months, 21 days. That’s it. That’s all you got? Really? COME ON! I am so not ready for this. So incredibly, whole heartedly, emotionally not ready for this. Totally not cool dude. Not cool. You are supposed to be nice to me. You are the baby. My easy to put to bed baby. My super stubborn strong willed easy to put to bed baby. . .at least you were until yesterday.

Why? Why? WHY????? Why must you do this to me? Do you enjoy torturing me or do you just love me so much that you have to be with me at all times? Either way, I’d prefer you to just be a 19 moth old boy that doesn’t crawl out of his crib.
But instead you have forced me to put my game face on. Oh yeah. You are not my first escape artist mister. Your older two brothers were no joke and I am no rookie. So Mr. Maxy. "Bring it", I say. Because just as you think you can get a leg up, I will build higher and higher. Don’t under estimate the power of duct tape. However, I would be more than willing to call a truce, turn your crib back around, slide it out of the corner and move the dresser away from the side if you will agree to stay the F in there. It’s up to you.

End of School Picnic

2011-05-07T21:50:00.010-08:00

Bo's school had it's end of year picnic last week at Fun Time Park and it was just that. Grandma and I took the boys and we all had a great time.

Bo & his best friend Zach

Bo & Zach

We Love Pickles!!

2011-05-05T22:45:00.003-08:00

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

2011-04-29T22:57:00.002-08:00

It is officially Break-Up in Fairbanks. The snow is finally melting and the icy puddles are changing to mud. We couldn't be happier.

All About Sam

2011-04-12T21:25:00.011-08:00

Sam. Sam, Sam, Sam. There's just something special about Sam. I'm not sure if it's the age or just Sam being Sam, but he is so damn cute. All I want to do is gobble him up in my arms and squeeze him. He makes me laugh. Oh he makes me laugh . . .sometimes just by looking at him, sometimes by the off the wall things that spurt out of his mouth, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Don't get me wrong, he's still two and destructive and physically rough and mean to Maxy but all that is overshadowed by his pure and genuine Sammyness.

From him prancing around the house in my high heals, to him always wanting to be nakey, he definitely marches to his own drum. It is this individualism that I so admire and hope he never loses.

And here is my attempt to write it all down to capture his cuteness forever.

SAMMY SAYS . . .

driving in to town after many dark days in January Sam: The sun is awake.

my favorite: Sam: [burp] I just tooted in my mouth!

While in line with me at a local sandwich shop a group of ladies walked in. Sam turned his head, put up his claws, lunged toward them and growled like a very loud dinosaur. And that was it.(but in true Sam form, it made them all giggle)

Sam:[burp] You excuse me!

While I am wearing a pinkish coat and yellow pony tail holder in the car Sam:Why you have yellow in your hair? You need pink or purple.

And today, while changing his diaper after eating a ton of peanuts (also remember, the boys call their penises, "peanuts") Me:Wow, you pooped out peanuts. Sam:No, I pooped out my butt!

SAMMY DOES . . . Here are some more things about Sam that I also want to remember:

- Absolutely loves "Tom & Jerry"

- Is Mr. Social. Not afraid of people at all. Might even follow a complete stranger around the store just because.

- Is salty not sweet. Prefers popcorn or chips over ice cream. Sausage over pancakes.

- Loves to do the Nakey Dance.

- Loves to smack his peanuts while doing the above mentioned Nakey Dance.

- Is a total Daddy's Boy. Always wants to be where Daddy is and to help with every man project possible (split wood, mow the yard, shovel snow)

- Is a goer. Never wants to be left at home.

- Can drive a snowmachine by himself and not crash (usually). All the throttle all the time.

- Is a music lover and has great moves.

- Sleeps with "bunny" and "other bunny." - Can eat half a cheese pizza (dipped in ranch)

- Loves crackers and cream cheese but hates cheese

- His favorite sandwich is bread with mustard and mayonnaise and that's it

- Prefers apple juice over orange juice - Has eaten more chicken nuggets at age 2.5 than anybody should in their entire lifetime

- Likes to wear my shoes

- Can not catch a ball or throw one very well for that matter either.

- Can dish it out but not take it. Loves to hit and kick Bo, wrestle Max and sit on his head, but cries every time they do it to him.

- Does not have a temper.

- Couldn't care less about potty training.

- Runs up and tackles Wes every time he comes home from work screaming "Daddy!!"

- Absolutely hates to get his hair cut.

- Riding in Daddy's truck makes him happier than anything else and more devastated than anything else when he can't.

- Can count to 10 (kind of) and can sing most of the ABC's.

- Is fascinated with guns and weapons but also loves playdoh and Lego's.

- Not a fort guy.

- Will not eat an egg of any kind. Or rice or yogurt.

- Can play in the shower for an hour and still not want to get out.

- Likes gum.

- Loves to tell stories. Known as "Motor Man" by some.

- Says "Oh My Cow!" instead of "oh my goodness" or "holy cow"

Little Squirts!

2011-03-30T22:46:00.004-08:00

A Roll of Laughter!

2011-03-30T22:22:00.005-08:00

Happy Birthday Bo!!

2011-03-16T21:33:00.002-08:00

I still can't believe it. Bo is 5! Where did my baby go? He's growing up so fast.

Unfortunately Wes had to be in Anchorage all day for work but Grandma & Grandpa came over for dinner and cake. His real party will be on Saturday.

He may be 5 now but somethings never change. He still hates to have the birthday song sung to him. Sam, on the other hand, begged us to sing it to him and got so excited when we did.

Happy birthday sweetheart! I love you.

Ice Park

2011-03-06T21:51:00.014-09:00

March is such a fun time in Fairbanks. The days are getting longer, the sun is shining and the Ice Park is open.

Grandma and I took the boys on Sunday and had a great time. We met Becky, Devon and Aaron there so needless to say, the boys had a blast.

I don't think Grandma was prepared for how fast the slides are. She was so cute. It was hilarious. But funny enough, she only went down once. Hmmmm . . .

Sam on one of the kiddie slides

Bo & Sam. Ready. Set. Gooooo!

Snack time

From bottm to top: Bo, Sam, Aaron, Laura

Aaron & Sam

Bo, Aaron, Devon & Sam

Time to go home. Devon, Bo & Sam

X-Box Taketh Over

2011-03-05T21:08:00.008-09:00

I hate video games. Always have. Always will. But Bo is A-D-D-I-C-T-E-D and it is driving me CRAZY!!! Some mornings I swear he asks to play even before his feet hit the floor. Can I play Xbox? Can I play? Can I play now?

I know, I know, I'm the mom, take it away or limit the time, make him earn it, yadda yadda yadda, but I feel for the kid. We are on month 6 of winter and there just hasn't been a whole hell of a lot to do. I don't want to go outside when it's freakin freezing either. Sure, there is bowling, the library, ice skating, Fred Meyer & GlowPutt but none are easy with a 17 month old piece of Stuggle. Yes, stuggle. Half stubborn, half wiggle. Max is definitely a Stuggle.

Hmmmm, maybe one too many Dr Seuss books, you think?

Then came the Stuggle out of the blue

Dragging two boots from behind the louboo

Face with a smile, looking so sweet

But wiggling, thrashing, screaming, "me too me too!"

But I digress . . .

So, the way I see it, Xbox is better than watching TV all day (at least it requires problem solving and thinking) but worse than reading books and imaginative play. Plus, it is a great time occupier (Ok, maybe "time waster" or "babysitter" is more accurate) when I need to help Sam or Max, or clean the kitchen, or do 3 trillion loads of laundry or just don't want to build another fort.

It is also the one thing he thoroughly enjoys and thus the first thing that gets taken away when he is in trouble. He was grounded from it for 4 days a few weeks ago when he threw a ginormous fit when I asked him to turn it off. He screamed at me and slammed the door (3 days) and then kicked a shoe at me (1 more day). I probably should have taken it away longer but 4 days to a 4 year old is for-ever!

And those 4 days were a struggle. It made me realize how lazy video games have made me. Yes, ME. It was tough to be "on" all the time. I didn't realize how reliant I had become on them. They kept Bo busy and me less busy but for those 4 days I had to dig deep into my creative soul and conjure up fun things to do. It was exhausting. BUT we did it and I enjoyed "having" to put chores aside and play.

So for now, despite my love-hate relationship with it, I have come to terms with the fact that my son is a gamer and I'm a gamer enabler. (Wow, that's a mouth full) but have already forewarned him that once the white turns to green and the mittens aren't needed, the Xbox is NO MORE!!

Come on Summer!!!

Cutie PaNudies

2011-03-01T21:22:00.000-09:00

San Diego Trip

2011-02-11T19:48:00.026-09:00

Grandma & Grandpa rented a condo down on Imperial Beach in San Diego for the month of January so Wes and the boys packed up and headed down for a week. Wes had a few business meetings to attend to in San Diego but mainly it was a week of total father/son/son bonding.

They had an absolute blast and were exhausted when they got home. They played HARD and loved hanging out with Daddy. It was a great trip for all involved (not to mention, I got a ton of things done around the house while they were gone. Amazing how easy things seem with only 1 child around, but that's a whole other post in itself).

Check out their week. . .

DAY 1: CONDO, NAPS & MONSTER JAM

DAY 2: LEGOLAND

DAY 3: SAN DIEGO ZOO (No pics that I know of ??)

DAY 4: AIRCRAFT CARRIER-USS MIDWAY

DAY 5: SEAWORLD

DAY 6: CONDO FUN IN THE POOL

Texas Trip 3 - Picnics & Dirt

2011-01-28T14:15:00.006-09:00

Nana & Opa have a huge pile of dirt in their front yard which Nana believes is full of arrowheads so when she would go out digging, so would the kids.

Max's hair was so curly from all the humidity

Sam

7 kids are hard (and messy) to feed in one kitchen so we did a lot of eating outside. It was fabulous.

Super cute picture of Charlee

Texas Trip 2 - River Fun

2011-01-28T14:11:00.009-09:00

We tried to spend as much time as possible down at the River throwing rocks and sticks but despite not being really warm enough to be IN the water, we couldn't keep the kids out of it.

Bo & Sam looking for minnows with Wes

Bo with his "big fish"

Two fish - monkey see monkey do

Opa with Claire & Sam

Snack time for Kate & Owen

Sam & Kate

Kate & Bo - best buds

Kids trying to convince Wes to go off the swing

Max & Nana

Log boat races

Bo's even had a sail and according to him, it ALWAYS won

Texas Trip 1 - Bikes & Sand

2011-01-27T19:59:00.009-09:00

This was our "on" year for spending Christmas in Texas with my family and we were all looking forward to getting out of the cold for a bit. But the weather was so nice there and so cold here in Fairbanks, that our 2 week trip turned into 4. Wes came back as originally scheduled on the 29th but the boys and I stayed until the 13th. Needless to say, we took a TON of pictures so I am going to split them up into categories beginning with "Bikes & Sand".

With all 7 grandkids in one house (all under the age of 4.5) we spent a lot of time outside playing. The boys pretty much lived in the sand box or on their bikes. Sam even graduated from a tricycle to a big boy bike with training wheels while we were there.

Claire, Max & Sam

Bo was Mr trixter on the trapeeze

Lesson Learned The Hard Way

2010-12-15T19:36:00.000-09:00

Lesson: Pushing down a trash bag into the trash can to force the lid to close is not a good idea unless the above mentioned trash bag is full of feathers and definitely not half peeled back tomato soup can lids. Duh! Who would do that? Well a severed nerve, chopped blood vessel, nicked tendon and 15 stitches later (4 inside, 11 out) I definitely won't ever again.

Madden Christmas

2010-12-15T18:45:00.001-09:00

This year the boys got to celebrate Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa early because we are going to be in Texas on Christmas Day. It is the first time we have had the opportunity to drive a few minutes to a family members house and actually spend a holiday with them and it was wonderful.

We decided to celebrate with breakfast because morning is by far the best time of Christmas in my opinion and Marcia did not disappoint. She had "create your own pancakes" (ahem....dessert) with a choice of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips or all three like Bo chose, and sausage and eggs. Hello sugar high! Hello Christmas fun!

We then let the boys go to town on their presents. It was a great morning and everyone had a blast.

Snowmachining...Like Father Like Son

2010-12-10T18:59:00.001-09:00

Bo and Sam definitely take after their Dad with their love of snowmachines. Any weekend warm enough (which isn't many right now), they are out at Grandma & Grandpa's riding through the trails, around the driveway and all through the yard. I can't wait until Spring when it's warm enough for them to be out even more. They absolutely LOVE IT!!

How The Girl Scouts Saved Christmas

2010-12-07T21:15:00.009-09:00

We took the boys to see Santa today. They even had lists to give him and were so beyond excited. Well, Bo and Sam were at least. Max, not so much.

But when we got to Santa's House, we found out that Santa was not there because he rests on Mondays and Tuesdays. WTF? Santa doesn't rest in December. There are toys to be made and lists to be checked and then checked again. I know 'pa in his kerchief' but not 'good ole St Nick in his underoos'.

I have never seen Bo so disappointed. Bubble bursting. Sail drooping. Dog dying. I felt horrible. I almost cried. Probably would have if it weren't for the wall to wall holly jolly Christmas explosion I was standing in.

But then in happened. Frowns no longer. Cloud nine approaching. Looking like larks. Santa was in the building!! SANTA WAS IN THE BUILDING!

Thank you wonderful Girl Scout troop for dragging Santa from his day of rest. Now we love you AND your cookies.

*Side Note - Anyone else find it strange that Santa's mouth is always open?! Kind of creepy.

Sammy-Says #1

2010-11-28T21:18:00.007-09:00

I have always loved keeping track of all the funny, strange and cute things Bo says and now it is time to start doing the same for Sam. Sam has been talking for quite awhile now and is usually the one who has me laughing all day but more from the things he does rather than the things he says. However, he's still a kid and spurts out some pretty fun stuff every now and then so from here on out I will do my best to capture them.

1) Sam: (While squinting) I need go to eye doctor.
Me: The eye doctor? How come?
Sam: Because my leg hurts.

And while I'm thinking about Sam, here are a few things that define Sam lately:

-always walking around with his shoes on the wrong feet and quite often un-matching ones (typically one rain boot and one snow boot)

-prefers to be naked
-always slightly awkward but in a really cute way

-has the personality and smile to light up a room

-never wants to be left behind. If anyone goes down stairs, or outside, or leaves our house, he wants to go too. Grass is always greener. "go too! me go tooooo!"
-loves to tell stories with tons of sound effects. Sometimes it's only sound effects and arm motions, especially when talking on the phone, and generally an airplane is involved.

Mmmmmm....Lego Soup

2010-11-14T20:45:00.007-09:00

They worked on this soup for over an hour. Scooping. Stirring. Dumping. It was awesome. One pot eventually turned in to three and then, like with everything, the spoons became weapons and we had to clean up.

Brigitte Is Snow Much Fun!

2010-11-09T21:48:00.010-09:00

Can I just say, Brigitte is AWESOME!

Today when I came home from running errands I opened the garage door to go inside and then heard some giggling down in the woods. I turned around and sure enough, out popped 2 little snow rats and their fearless leader. All bundled up, covered in snow and smiles from ear to ear.

Brigitte grew up in Alaska and loves being outside. She understands the weather and embraces it; something I am still struggling with after 9 years of living up here. To her, the snow and cold is an exciting change and opens up new wintery things to do while I am completely opposite and see it as an end to summer.

Goodbye bike riding and playing outside for hours. Goodbye soccer games in the front yard and sidewalk chalk roads on the driveway. Hello play-doh, toys everywhere and forts, forts, forts. Hello daily trips to Fred Meyer and hello cooped up energy.

So why? Why can't I think more like Brigitte? Why can't this Texan think like an Alaskan? It sure would be nice. I know the boys would love it. I know it would help the winter go by faster. And I know it would help keep the house cleaner.
But until then, until I learn to love the cold, until I fully appreciate the wonders of winter, thank goodness the boys have "Aunt Brigitte"

Cupcakes For Grandma

2010-11-05T20:12:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Grandma's birthday so the boys and I surprised her with homemade cupcakes. Sam helped me make them and then he and Bo decorated them all. And boy were they DECORATED!!!

I feel like an idiot for not taking any pictures of the boys giving them to her. It was priceless. They were so excited and Grandma was shocked. I think she really enjoyed the surprise.

Bo also gave her a book on 'Scats and Tracks" of Alaska. He and Grandma always talk about the animal tracks in the yard so this way they can learn to identify them. And by the time we left last night they had decided a fox and a vole were the two most frequent culprits.

Happy Birthday, Grandma. Hope it was a great day.

Just Some Cute Pics From October

2010-11-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

Playing at Grandma & Grandpa's
Bo on a fire truck at Fire Safety Day at his school

A tub of funWinter is hereBuilding food forts

You're Fired!

2010-10-17T20:53:00.008-08:00

I just read one of my friends' blogs (http://flapyap.blogspot.com) and really got to thinking. What if I had a boss? A mommy boss. A boss for my full time child wrangling, house scrubbing, bill paying, grocery shopping, diaper applying, laundry sorting, meal planning, question answering, sleep training, and household harmonizing.

Would I do things differently? Would there be less crap that goes undone? Would the trash get taken out before it overflows to the point you can't physically slide it out of the can without it ripping and tearing and busting all over the floor? Would I not walk past the same alphabet magnet on the floor for 2 days without picking it up? Would I really be sitting here blogging with my elbow resting on a big ass pile of unopened mail, magazines and other random papers that need to be filed thinking about my stomach rolling over the top of my pants and wondering why the damn dryer won't stop buzzing at me?

Or would I have everything alphabetized in color coded files, the laundry folded and put away, and a self-help book in my hand while diligently doing sit-ups? I don't know. But what I do know is there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done around here and ALWAYS something I'd rather be doing. I have no problem watching Project Runway or an episode of The Office after the kids go to bed but can never quite find the time to scrub the stove.

Hmmmm . . .Interesting . . .

So one might conclude that I am lazy or just don't care, but I think the real problem lies not with me, but rather the job at hand. Think about it. Every other job I have had as an adult, which granted has not been many, has been one in a position of authority. And I kicked ass! I really did. And yes, if you are wondering what that sound is, don't worry, it is just my own horn.

toot toot!

So you see, the problem is definitely NOT me. Not me at all. The problem is my employees. They are just too damn young. If anyone should be fired, it is them.

Now, if only I could get a raise . . .

A Party Is Still A Party Even If It's 3 Weeks Late

2010-10-16T12:54:00.011-08:00

Since Wes and I were in Seattle on Max's actual birthday (sorry Maxy) we decided to push it off even a few more weeks and wait to celebrate when Opa and Nana were here. So last Sunday we did just that.

It was really nice. I cooked a ham, Nana made potato salad, Grandma came over (Grandpa was working on the house) and we had a mini Max party. We opened presents (mainly all pajamas) and then let Max go to town on his cake. I made a Devil's Food cake with vanilla icing and he devoured it!

Finally Slowing Down

I knew he was shoveling and shoveling and the cake was disappearing but I thought most of it was missing his mouth and falling into his lap. But I was wrong. I felt horr-i-ble. Horrible, I tell you! The kid ate an ENTIRE loaf of cake. An entire loaf of cake, folks. I thought he might explode. Or puke. Or pass-out. Or have the most ginormous cakepoop ever. But nothing. The kid took it like a champ. 'Man vs. Food' has nothing on him.

Oooh, so FULL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX!! I love you.

Opa & Nana's Visit

2010-10-13T14:36:00.006-08:00

Mom & Dad came up last week for a short 4 day visit. We didn't do anything exciting or go anywhere new but we sure had a good time just hanging out together. Here are a few pics from their visit . . .

Max Eye Surgery

2010-10-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

For the first time in his life, Max woke up this morning with beautifully clear eyes. It's amazing.

He has had a clogged tear duct in his left eye since birth and finally got it fixed yesterday. His eye was always weepy with green goop in the corner and red dry circles underneath with some mornings it being crusted shut. But Dr. Zamber from the Eye Clinic of Fairbanks did a great job and now his eyes sparkle.

The night before surgery

Here's the same pic but zoomed in

We had to be at the hospital at 7:00am with surgery scheduled for 8:00 so we woke him up at 6:30, put him in the car and headed on over. He was such a trooper and never minded any of the poking and prodding that was involved in the pre-op. I was shocked. I thought he would have hated it but he just sat there and watched the nurses work on him. I was so proud.

Afterwards he was a little frantic which we were warned might happen from the anesthesia but after about 30 minutes he was allowed to have some apple juice and began to calm down. The poor child was starving! He hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 7pm the night before. So 6 oz of watered down apple juice and 5 oz of milk later, he was beginning to perk back up and was released to go home a little before 10:00am.

Mark on his head is to identify the correct eye to operate on

Max - 1 Year Stats

2010-09-28T08:46:00.005-08:00

Weight: 22lbs 10 oz (50%)

Height: 30 in (50%)
Head: 18 7/8 in (90%)

A little bit more about Max . . .

He walks & runs
Can go up and down entire flights of stairs
Waves bye-bye
Walks backwards
Loves to dance/bounce and sway
Has 4 teeth
Is always smiling with his mouth wide open
Super feisty but quiet unless provoked
Will not sit on my lap or be still ever
Hates to have his diaper changed, be dressed or restrained in any way except for his car seat which he has never protested
Loves taking a bath or shower
Still up once at night for a bottle but sleeps a total of 12-13 hrs
Takes 1 long nap during the day but probably needs 2 (busy schedule dictates 1)
Off of formula. Drinks whole milk.
Loves to crawl in the dishwasher and steal the silverware and then escape to the living room with it (his favorite is the tongs)
Is a total climber (up on chairs, on top of coffee table, into the gater . . .)
Mimics Bo and Sam when they scream or put their hands on their ears
Is busy busy busy
Very independent
Loves yogurt, mandarin oranges, any kind of pasta, oatmeal, pears, strawberries, toast, crackers, graham crackers, & vegie soup
Hates eggs, tuna, cheese, sausage
Loves to give wet, slobbery open mouth kisses
Lays his head down on Wes' shoulder every time he picks him up
Says "mah mah mah" all the time.
Loves to play in the kitchen cabinets and drawers, especially with the pots and Tupperware
Drools like crazy, always has to wear a bib
Comes over with arms stretched above his head and rests his face in between your knees when you enter a room. His way of saying he wants up.
Has mastered the full-body-throw-back thrash when mad and the shoot-the-arms-straight-up maneuver when you try to pick him up when he doesn't want to be as to insure droppage
Is always stealing and chugging Bo & Sam's sippy cups of juice
Uses a binky in bed and in the car
Has only ever let me read a whole book to him once
Sticks his bottom lip out to pout
And last but not least .. . is so damn cute!

House Remodel For Grandma & Grandpa

2010-09-27T22:22:00.002-08:00

It's been a painstakingly long drawn out process but things are finally starting to happen . . .

1. Cutting down trees

New 30x30 addition will be off to the left and a detached 30x30 garage will be behind the old dilapidated shed (which will be torn down next Summer)

Brigitte even volunteered to helpBreak time - Bo, Sam & GrandpaBack to work

2. Dirt Work & Skirting Removal

Pad for house

All of the original skirting was rotten so it had to be ripped off, thus exposing the crawl space

Wes & the boys are loving all the equipment

3. Concrete

Garage slab prepped for radiant heat

Footings for the house

Bo and more big trucks

Best seats in the house

Summer Recap 5 - Bees!!

2010-09-26T22:18:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago Bo came running into the house squealing and crying. It was one of those shrills that as a mom you know something is REALLY wrong. He was tugging at his shirt and pointing to his back and screeching and screaming and squirming. . . .BEES!. . . . He had stepped on an in ground bee hive while playing in our front yard with his friend Devon and the little bastards flew up his shorts and tshirt and were stinging the living bajesus out of him.

I immediately started to strip him down but there were still bees hovering around him and a few clinging to the top of this sock so it soon became a battle of many fronts. Not only did I need to take care of Bo, but also protect Sam and Max, and get the freakin bees out of the house. It was chaos. Thank God Devon's mom, Becky, was here. I'm not sure what I would have done without her.

Being severely allergic herself, Becky took Bo into the bathroom and shut the door. This way she could help Bo and quarantine herself from the bees. She threw him in a hot shower to help reduce the sting. "TWELVE! THIRTEEN! FOURTEEN!" She tried to count the number of stings but lost track. There were too many. "WHERE'S THE BENADRYL?!"

All the while, I was bouncing around the kitchen like a crazy woman, swinging a turkey fryer lid in the air with one hand and a pot in the other. Quite the site, I'm sure. Especially when one of the bees bounced off the big ass lid and landed on my cheek. I honestly didn't know I could juke that fast or squeal that loud but boy let me tell you, it was not pretty.

It sucked!!!

But thankfully by the time my frantic kitchen dance was successful, Becky had already given Bo a hefty dose of Benadryl and had him almost entirely dressed. We both decided I needed to get him to the ER pronto because we had no idea how his body was going to react and we live 25 minutes away. I was freaked of anaphalaxis and out the door we flew.

(Becky stayed with Sam & Max until Marcia (Grandma) could get here.)

Luckily Bo never experienced any breathing issues but did receive an Epi shot, an oral steroid (prednisone) and another dose of Benadryl during the 4 hours we were at the ER for observation. They finally discharged him and sent us home with a 4 day prescription of prednisone and more Benadryl but told me to bring him back if the welts ever spread to areas other than the sting sites.

The sting sites started out as light red welts with his shoulder and calf hurting the most

Then turned into dark bright red patches locally around the stingsWhen I picked him up from school the next morning he had welts all over his abdomen, bum, forearms, and hamstrings. Needless to say, we went back to the doctor that afternoon and got prescribed an Epi pen for next time, just in case his reaction is worse. . .

. . .hopefully we will never have to find out.

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than This

2010-09-13T21:27:00.008-08:00

Sam holding a lady bug

Summer Recap 4 - Misc Happenings

2010-09-07T22:21:00.004-08:00

Some other things from the past month that I don't want to forget . . .

- Bo had his first cavities and got 3 fillings. 2 on one side, 1 on the other. All on the bottom. He did fantastic at the dentist. It only took 3 prior visits a couple weeks apart to get him to that point but he did great and I am so proud of him.

- Sam is always so concerned about everyone else. Where they are, how they are doing, etc. He always asks, "Where's Grandpa?", "Where's Daddy?", "You OK?", "Kiss? Kiss make it better?" (if I bump my arm or stub my toe or something). He also always has to bring you something if he knows it's yours, like Wes' coffee mug or my DDP and won't give it to anyone but that particular person.

- Bo asked Grandma why she was so fat while pinching her love handles.

-Max has seen 2 eye doctors about his clogged tear duct and is scheduled to have surgery in a few weeks to fix it.

- Bo asked me, "How do cars steer if only their front wheels turn?" Seriously? What 4 year old notices that?!

- Max HATES, and I mean HA-ATES! to get dressed, especially his shoes. I thought Bo and Sam were tough but they were a cinch compared to Max. He will fight and wiggle and squirm and roll and toss and screech and do anything he can do get away. He does not like to be held down or restrained in any way. He always wants to be on the go and being held to get dressed is torture for all involved. It is a wrestling match every time.

-Bo had his first sleep over a few weeks ago. He spent the night with Grandma and had a fabulous time. They played hard all day, stayed up late, and then slept on the floor together. Grandma was sore the next day but Bo was so happy.

- Sam is in a big-boy bed now. It has been and is still a struggle to get him to stay in bed but we are getting there slowly but surely.

-I have always sung Sam songs before bed such as, You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jingle Bells, Silent Night (my repertoire of songs is limited so Christmas songs are a staple). But recently he has started to ask for songs about Daddy, Daddy's Truck, Bulldozers, his dresser, Grandma's House, 4-wheelers, Nana, Bo, Choo-choos, Tom & Jerry . . . you name it, I've sung about it and believe you me, they are not pretty. And since my musical ability is retarded at best, every new song is to the tune of an existing song. Here are some of his favorites:

Daddy Loves You - is to the Barney song
I love you
You love me
Daddy loves our family
and he works really hard all through the day
so you and I can run and play

Daddy loves Sam
Daddy loves Bo
Daddy loves Max and Mama, so
Let's all run up and give him a hug
And say thank you for being loved

Daddy's Truck - is to Frara Jaca
Daddy's tru-uck
Daddy's tru-uck
Is really loud
Is really loud
We can hear it comin
Up and down the street
Vroom Vroom Vroom
Vroom Vroom Vroom

Bulldozers - is to America the Beautiful
Oh beautiful for bulldozers and yellow back-hoes too
For brown dirt mountains majesty, above the green birch trees
O big diggers, O big diggers, come move this dirt for me
And crown thy good a neighborhood, from street to shining street

Tom & Jerry - is to The Farmer and the Dell
Tom chases Jerry, Tom chases Jerry, hi ho the dairy o, Tom chases Jerry
Jerry gets away, Jerry gets away, hi ho the dairy o, Jerry gets away
Tom gets squished, Tom gets squished, hi ho the dairy o, Tom gets squished

Sam And His Little Booger

2010-09-07T08:04:00.006-08:00

One thing great about having kids so close in age is watching them become buddies. Sam and Max are 15 months apart and really starting to interact, and play together and inevitably fight together. Bo is the "big kid" now and these two have really begun to bond.
Sam always refers to Max as "Maxy" or "Booger" and is so stinkin adorable when he does.
"No, No Booger"
"Maxy wake up"
"Maxy, Nooooo!"
"Mornin Maxy"

But they are both super determined (ahem . . .stubborn) and brutally strong, so fights over toys rarely end well. Max may only be 11 months old but he can hold his own. If it weren't for Sam always sitting on him or body slamming him to the ground, which happens pretty much every time, Max might win a few. I can't begin to count the number of times I have found Sam laying on top of Max, pinning him face down to the ground, riding him like a donkey.

But Sam better watch out because Wes and I think that Max is going to out-size them all. Let's just say he won't be the "little brother" for long.
They usually take baths together every night, too. They both LOVE the water and could spend hours in the tub if I'd let them. Plus, I think Sam loves the fact that he gets the front finally. When he takes a bath with Bo, he always gets shoved to the back of the tub. With Max, he's the big boy and gets to hog all the water for a change.
They are both so much fun to be around and I look forward to watching them grow as brothers as well as friends. Should be an interesting ride.

Summer Recap 3 - A Rare Moment

2010-09-07T01:16:00.007-08:00

One evening I found this . . .and then quickly grabbed my camera and Max. I couldn't believe it; they all actually cooperated. I absolutely LOVE this series of pics. Moments like these are few and far between.

And this one cracks me up. Looks totally like a 2-headed monster.

Summer Recap 2 - Golden Days Parade

2010-09-06T22:21:00.005-08:00

Summer Recap 1 - MRE Softball

2010-09-06T21:48:00.006-08:00

Madden Real Estate fielded a summer softball team this year. We played 2 games every Monday night for about 3 months and had an absolute blast.

Billy (coach), Rachael, Jeremiah, Ethan, Wylie, Jenn, Me
Brandon, Charlie, Kristin, Nichole, Wes

Wes

Nichole, Jenn, Rachael, Me

Being silly with the kids

Apparently I Now Suck At Blogging

2010-09-06T21:06:00.005-08:00

Ok, so I'm back. (Que: Applause) And no, I didn't go anywhere oober exciting or overcome a mysterious illness or have anything else excuse-worthy happen, but the circus that I call my life seems to do a pretty good job at keeping me preoccupied. Well that, and the fact that I got a "hot pussy" virus on my laptop (don't ask) which required our wonderful friends down at Two Geeks to hold it hostage for 3 weeks and consequently cause me to develop a twitch, but I'm back and that's all that matters. . .

It's been about forever since I last blogged and I am feeling entirely overwhelmed with the mere idea of trying to catch up and attempting to remember everything that has happened in the past gazillion months, but the more I procrastinate, the more overwhelmed I become, and the more overwhelmed I become, the more I procrastinate, and the more events that pass, and. . . ugggghhhhh . . .I think you get my point.

Why did I ever let myself get so completely behind?? This royally sucks! Really, it does. I don't want to leave anything out but I think the best plan of attack is to just sum up that which I can remember and pick back up with things of now to ensure I don't miss out on the current circus show. It's bound to be a doozie; it always is.

OMG I'm So Far Behind, Here's The Cliff's Note Version

2010-08-04T21:48:00.003-08:00

It has been a couple of months since I last posted and I feel horrible about it. So much has happened and I want to remember it all but sadly I have not had the time to sit down and blog about it so I figure I will at least jot it all down in a list and then hopefully, eventually, (but probably not) expand on some with full blogs, giving them the attention they deserve.

But in the mean time, here goes (in no particular order). . .

-Sam had his 2 year well-baby check in June where the Dr detected a very noticeable heart murmur. We had an eccocardiogram done a couple of weeks later and thankfully everything checked out to be normal.

-Karl & Marcia (aka Grandma & Grandpa) made it back up here for good after selling their house and almost all their furniture in Iowa. It is wonderful to have family up here with us and perpetual built in baby sitters. The boys are loving it!

-Bo & I made a quick 6 day trip down to Austin for Reunion and had a great time (pictures coming soon). It was so good to see all of my family and finally meet my newest niece, Charlee.

-Max turned 10 months and started walking. He went from 1-2 stumble steps to walking across the living room in a matter of days. The kids is an animal and unstoppable.

-Wes & Grandpa went Shark fishing in Valdez. Crazy fun experience and the group caught 3. We even have the jaw in our freezer to prove 1 of them.

-Max loves to say "mamamama" and mimics "ny-ny" for night-night. He waves and looks up toward the fan when you say "fan". He is also developing quite the little attitude. Grandpa things he is going to be feistier than the other 2 and I think he is right.

-Sam can peddle a big bike with training wheels and can drive and steer the Gater like a pro. He is also speaking in 4-5 word sentences and has a vocabulary unlike any other 2 year old I know. Plus if you ask him what his name is he always responds with, "Chicken Little." No idea what that's all about.

-We can no longer keep Sam in his crib despite it being turned around backwards, shoved in the corner with a tall-boy dresser pressed up against it and 4 pillows duct taped to the other side. I don't know if he is more monkey or Houdini but either way he is frustrating the hell out of me. We have a twin bed in his room as well but he won't lay in that either. Aaaahhhhhh!

-Madden Real Estate softball team had their last game on Monday and went out with a bang. We won our last 6 games and had a blast. I can't wait for next year.

And that is all I can remember. I'm sure there is more but they are escaping me right now. Apparently I just need to do better about keeping up and I won't have this problem. I'll see what I can do. . .

Saturday Was A Big Day

2010-06-29T21:15:00.008-08:00

Saturday on our way home from swim lessons, the boys and I took a detour to a garage sale. I'm generally not a garage sale shopper but all the signs for this one said "mostly kid stuff" so I figured, "what the heck, let's check it out."

After driving for what seemed like forever, I ended up buying a brand new pack-n-play (don't really need one but it was a great deal), a few baby toys for Max and then let Bo and Sam each pick out one toy for themselves (Lord knows we don't need any more toys in this house).

Bo picked a new Car's game for his Leap Frog computer and Sam chose this ride-on car thing. They were both super excited but especially Sam. He loved his new toy. The moment we walked in the door (and disinfected it) he started racing around the house on it and screaming, "my toy!" anytime Bo got near it.

But when Sam went down for a nap and Bo was preoccupied with his new game, out popped little ole Max. He pulled himself right up behind the car and started to push that thing. He was walking! I couldn't believe it. We have had a Thomas the Tank Engine push toy since Bo was little but Max never expressed any interest in it. Then low and behold, bring this home and the kid starts walking.

While this is obviously baby book worthy and oober exciting, the problem with it is we now have a case of Sam vs Max.

Once Sam wakes up. . .Sam wants to ride it. Max wants to walk behind it. Rock beats scissors and Sam beats Max. Next thing I know, Sam is drag racing through the kitchen, Max is flailing in his dust with a death grip on the rail and legs scuffing the floor. Sam is laughing. Max is crying. I want to do both. I so wish I had my camera.

But in the rare moments when the car is unguarded, Max loves to push it all through the house.

I can't believe my little baby is starting to walk . . .

And my other baby is training wheel free.

Our friends let us borrow the bike their boys learned to ride on a few weeks ago and Bo has been sitting on it and coasting around the garage on it but not pedaling . . .until Saturday. All of a sudden he just took off on it and once he started, he did not want to stop. He even rode in the rain for an hour that night because he was so excited and proud of himself. It's been three days and many shin bruises later but he is now racing around laps, hills, bumps, and banks. He even rode down our front patio concrete step tonight like it was nothing. The boy is an athletic animal.

He must take after me. (ok ok, and Wes)

Water Fun

2010-06-29T20:35:00.006-08:00

We have had a majorly cool and rainy summer this year so anytime the sun does come out and the temps warm up near 70, we've been busting out the water.

Brigitte gave Sam a slip-n-slide for his birthday and it has been a big hit. The boys don't usually last very long because the water is ice cold but they sure have fun before they freeze. Their other favorite thing is to play in the pool. Since the water is so cold and miserable, I have been running a hose from the hot water washer hook up in the laundry room, out the window and into the pool. The percect "hot tub" and the perfect Alaskan pool.

Bo jumping off the "diving board"

Miracles Do Happen!

2010-06-29T08:18:00.003-08:00

Last night all 3 boys slept through the night. It was the first time ever and absolutely amazing! Absolutely A-MAZ-ING!!

Healing

2010-06-23T20:14:00.003-08:00

Other than a big bruise on his hip, you would never know by looking at Bo that anything ever happened. However, he is self conscious about the whole situation and doesn't like for us to talk about it to others; he gets embarrassed. But he did allow me to take one picture of his leg tonight.

Day 6 and healing nicely

By Far My Scarriest Mom Moment

2010-06-18T21:15:00.012-08:00

Bo was hit by a car today. He's ok, but I'm a wreck. . .

We had a fun morning at the Athletic Club, the kids played in the play center for an hour while I worked out and then I took Bo & Sam swimming while Max stayed in the play center a bit longer. It was Sam's first time to go swimming and we were all super excited, especially Sam.

With floaties on his back, he jumped right in. Didn't think twice. He was fearless. He even went under a few times after jumping in and didn't freak out. The boys had a blast, giggling, blowing bubbles, splashing, jumping in and onto me . . . it was great.

Afterwards, we grabbed Max and went upstairs for a snack before heading home.

By this point Bo & Sam were a little out of control, laughing, running around, and most certainly not listening to me. I was churning inside. I can not stand it when they misbehave in public. What do you do? You can't yell at them or spank them or send them to their rooms. Ugh, I hate it! Absolutely CAN NOT stand it. I tried making them both sit in time-out but that didn't work and threats of later punishments didn't work either so needless to say I cleaned up our (ahem, Sam's ) mess as fast as I could and defeated and frustrated, got the hell out of there.

Still ultra wound up, the boys took off running outside as soon as we left the building. I tried to get them to stop but nothing I said even phased them and with Max in my arms, I could not run fast enough to catch up. (Again, cue churning stomach.) Bo was out in front, Sam about 15 yards behind and Max & I probably another 10 yards behind him. We were all on the sidewalk and then the next thing I heard was screeching tires and a woman yelling. I froze and then with diaper bag and gym bags flailing and Max getting tossed around on the opposite hip, I ran. Pure panic. I had no idea what I was going to find. I could not see anything over the row of cars between us and all I could picture was Bo laying on the ground in front of the car all CSI like but all the while still trying desperately to hold on to Max and keep my eye on Sam.

Then out from behind the cars ran a very pregnant woman holding Bo screaming "HELLO?!, HELLO?!" She was carrying him sideways, his arm around her neck, one shoe missing and absolute fear in his eyes. At that point I plopped Max down on the sidewalk with my bags and ran to meet her. She was shaking and crying and apologising. Bo was crying. And I was crying but trying to stay calm for Bo. I just started spewing out questions while cradling him and examining him once over for cuts, scrapes, or bruises.
"Did you actually hit him?" . . yes.
"Did he fall down?" . . . yes but he popped right back up. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.
"Where did you hit him?" . . .but I kept getting interrupted by the other passenger in the car who for some reason kept offering the kids donuts. WTF? No, we don't want donuts!

This along with the driver wanting to call 911 continued for quite some time (no real sense of time but probably 10 minutes or so) until we all came to the conclusion that despite a scraped elbow and knee, a bruised hip, and a bit of shock, he seemed to be ok.

But here's where my internal struggle deepens (as if not being able to control my kids enough to have one not get hit by a car isn't personal torture in itself, it gets worse). Because I still was trying to make sure Sam hadn't run off and Max wasn't about to crawl off the curb, I couldn't completely focus on Bo. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. I wanted to just sit there and hug him and console him. He did not want me to put him down but we still had to cross the parking lot to get to our car. I could not carry him and Max and our bags and hold Sam's hand (who by the way seemed absolutely clueless that anything was wrong) all at the same time. I honestly did not know what to do other than have Bo walk to the car. Then, as my heart had nothing left to crumble, out ran 2 staff members from the gym (late but still appreciated). I handed Max to the guy and Sam to the girl. Finally I could give Bo what he really needed.

Once we all got back into the car, I broke down and so did Bo. We just sat there in the parking lot and cried. I could not help but think about how badly this could have gone and how quickly things happen. It could very well have killed him. What if she had her head turned and never saw him or was texting or messing with the radio or who knows what, even reaching for a damn donut, but she wasn't and for that I am forever grateful but the thought of the former mixed with the fear I felt today along with the frustrations of not being able to control my kids is something that I feel entirely responsible for and am having a hard time shaking.

As for Bo, all he has said about it (in the sweetest of sweet voices) is, "Mama, I didn't hear that car."

******
Update: I took Bo in to the ER to get checked out just to make sure there wasn't anything internal going on that I was unaware of. After a urine analysis to make sure his kidneys were ok and a body check, we were released with some Motrin and ice packs. Looks like he's going to have a sore hip but be just fine.

Watch Out World, Samsquatch is 2!!

2010-06-11T03:21:00.006-08:00

Yep, that's right. Our little Sammer Jammer turned the big 2 yesterday. We didn't have any exciting plans or rambunctious parties, just a fun day of playing at home and lots of "CHI-KEN!"

The day started off with me serenading him with the birthday song before he even got out of his crib and the poor kid probably heard it another 25 times after that. He loves music and singing, even if it is from his tone-deaf-can't-hold-a-tune mom, so I made sure he got plenty of it. (Hopefully no one else was listening) We then headed into the kitchen for his favorite breakfast: sausage patties dipped in syrup, where true to Sam form, he ate 3.

The rest of the day was fairly normal: cars, water guns (or "water shooters" as the boys call them), fishing off the back deck and getting the lines all tangled up, running around the yard, lots of chicken nuggets with ketchup for lunch, a 2 hour nap, constantly whining for "cakey", swinging in the hammock (my favorite part of the day), getting soaked by Bo with the hose (not cool, Bo), warming up with a hot bath, more chicken nuggets for dinner (hey, at least I buy the 100% All Natural ones), and finally CAKE!

And presents . . . a vacuum cleaner that makes noise and lights up, a magnetic alphabet musical toy for the refrigerator, and a Radio Flyer inch worm.

Overall, a pretty cool birthday. And like it all began, the day ended with yet another beautiful rendition of the birthday song while rocking and cuddling before bed.

Happy Birthday, Sammers. I love you.

Bo-ism #21

2010-06-08T12:45:00.004-08:00

Today while in the car Bo was talking to his friend Brody about Grandparents . . .

Bo: Do you know what Grandparents are, Brody? Grandparents are where you go for the first time and get red hair like me and Sam.

Bo-ism #20

2010-06-05T21:15:00.002-08:00

This is so blackmail material for when Bo gets older. Sorry, Bo, but I have to. . .

Last night while the boys were finishing their dinner and I was unloading the dishwasher, I started to feel dizzy so I told Bo I was going to go sit down for a bit because I felt funny.

Bo: What does it mean to feel funny?
(and before I could answer)
Bo: (said mater-a-factly and with a head nod) Sometimes when my penis gets really big, I feel funny.

Day on the Upper Chena

2010-06-03T21:37:00.013-08:00

On Tuesday I arranged for Brigitte to come over and watch Max while I took Bo & Sam (& Chena) up to 36 mi CHSR. We spent the morning throwing rocks and sticks, splashing in the freezing cold water, having a picnic lunch and building a water shoot (Bo's concoction). We had a great time.

Here's how it all went down . . .

Down in the big D . . .Delta that is

2010-06-03T21:29:00.011-08:00

Like every year, we, along with every other Alaskan, ventured out for a Memorial Day camping trip. For Alaskans, Memorial Day is to camping like Opening Day is to moose hunting. It marks the start of a season and the beginning of months of endless planning, packing and sleeplessness.
For us, it marks the first of many "great" ideas that start as fun days full of frisbee, fishing, and water guns but quickly turn in to nights of major frustrations, fits and bazerko kids bouncing off the walls. Seriously, they just snap. Last year it was Bo; this year it was Sam. The whole sleeping thing gets us every time. But unlike last year, we actually prevailed and eventually got all 3 to sleep a little after midnight.

They boys had a great time but needless to say, there was not a Night 2 and it will probably be awhile before there is.

Bittersweet Homecoming

2010-06-01T19:58:00.013-08:00

My Aunt Mary died 2 weeks ago after a brave 3 year battle with kidney cancer. She was an amazing person, a super fun Aunt, and a wonderful mom to my cousins. I loved her very much and really wanted to be there for her memorial so Max & I made a whirlwind trip down to Austin. We left on Wednesday and came back on Sunday. It was a very quick and tiring trip but I am very glad I went.

I wish it was under better circumstances, but it was really nice to see all of my family and to let Max experience the River for the first time. Ceremonial first dip in the River . . .

Apparently the water was a little cold for his liking . . .
Definitely did NOT like sitting in it . . .
But LOVED sitting next to it with his big cousin Owen . . .

Glad to be dry and on the truck . . .
Warming up with a bath in Nana & Opa's new house . . .

I Finally Did It!

2010-05-16T20:57:00.006-08:00

I finally took Sam's bottle away from him on Friday. (can I get a whoop whoop!) I know, I know, you are supposed to do it when they are 1 instead of almost 2, but hey, I think I have already established the fact that I am not the best baby book instruction follower. Besides, I have always had the philosophy of not pushing things too hard.

Like with potty training for example. I was not the mom who sequestered herself at home for weeks on end with a naked child, putting him on the potty every hour on the hour to undoubtedly strive for bragging rights that he was out of diapers by the age of 2. Nope. I figured that when Bo was ready and interested, we would attack it then, but not any sooner. And at 3.5, he was, and we did. I knew he would not be a 10 year old in diapers, just like I know that Sam will not be a third grader riding his bike to school with a bottle of milk sticking out of his Spiderman backpack. It just won't happen.

And so, a year late, Sam is now bottle free and hating every minute of it.

We have gone from super easy nap times and bed times to screaming fits and throwing things out of the crib. Ever since Sam was about 1, we plopped him in his crib with a bottle (again, not the best rule follower) and he would fall asleep. It was great. Now don't get me wrong, this was not done out of laziness but out of survival. Bo was still such a high maintenance child at that point, that we just did what we could with Sam in order to deal with Bo. Sure, looking back on things, I would probably handle it differently, but at the time it's what made sense.

Which brings us back to today. A wonderfully happy and hilarious sweet-destroyer who will drink anything out of a cup, sippy, thermos, box or can; just not milk. In the 3 days he's been bottle free, the milk consumption in our house has plummeted drastically. On any given day he would probably drink at least 16-20 ounces of milk and is now down to about 0.2. He just won't do it. I don't get it, but whatever. It is what it is and in the wise words of my mom, "this too shall pass."

And in semi-unrelated news . . .coincidentally enough, ever since I put the 'do not enter' sign on Sam's door, he has slept through the night. Again, I don't get it, probably never will get it, but I'm lovin it and will take it! Who knows, maybe I'm on to something. Maybe all I need to do is put a 'milk in cups only' sign on the refrigerator door and all my problems will go away. Now wouldn't that be nice?!

Bo's End of School Picnic

2010-05-14T20:33:00.015-08:00

Today was Bo's last day of preschool and his school had an end of year picnic to celebrate. Unfortunately it was right during Wes' weekly radio show so he couldn't come, but the rest of us were there.Max even took a nice nap in the sun until some girl tripped over his carseat and woke him up. Here's Bo and his good friend Devon with Sam on the right. They absolutely loved the mary-go-round. Bo even flew off once but it didn't seem to phase him. They sat under the playscape for a long time. Not exactly sure what they were doing under there but Bo did have quite a big pile of rocks on his lap at one point. This was by far the funniest thing to watch. From right to left: Bo, Maxwell, Sam, Ethan, Ethan's little brother. They laughed and laughed and laughed. And last but not least, Bo with his teacher, Mrs. Dupont. She's awesome! It was a great first year of preschool for Bo. The 3 hours, 3 days a week was a perfect start. He really seemed to grow up this year and made great strides socially.

- He went from not wanting/knowing how to interact with any kids to always wanting playdates. He still is not ultra comfortable in large groups or with unfamiliar kids but he talks about his friends all the time now. I am super proud of him. I know it hasn't been easy but he's really getting there.

- Wes took him to school in the mornings but on the rare occasion I would, Bo always procrastinated and drug his feet. He LOVED daddy taking him. It was there thing.

- His favorite job was "flag holder." Two kids got to hold the American and Alaska flags during the Pledge of Allegiance and Bo loved this. He preferred holding the American flag the most.

- Every day when I picked him up, he would literally drag me out the door asking what treat I brought him (I would bring him a little cookie or something fun) and if Max & Sam were in the car? He liked school but was always ready to leave.

-He is off for the Summer but will start back with the same MWF schedule in August. I feel bad for him, though, because all of his closest friends will not be there again. They are all a year older and are starting kindergarten in the Fall. Now Bo will have to re-make friends all over again. Hopefully it won't freak him out too much, but then again, it's probably good for him regardless.

Charlee Belle

2010-05-13T10:33:00.004-08:00

I have a new niece . . .

Charlee Belle was born on Wednesday morning at 10:03am in St. Louis. She is a beautiful 7lbs 7oz and true to Ohlendorf form, came out in a hurry. Both mom and baby are healthy and enjoying becoming a family of 5. I love you guys and can't wait to meet her.

Max - 6 Month Photo Shoot

2010-05-10T13:55:00.006-08:00

We had Max's 6 month photos taken back in March and we just got the proofs back. Cassy at Exposures Studio here in Fairbanks ( http://exposures-studio.com/) did another amazing job for us.

You would never know by the pictures that Max was not in a very smiley mood that day. I left the studio hoping we would at least get 1 good one, but ended up with 12. He's such a cutie and has a smile that lights up the room. And I LOVE that we took them with the blanket that Nana made for him...makes the pics even that much more special.

Here are a few that Cassy was nice enough to let me put on my blog to share. Thanks, Girl.

Bo-ism #19

2010-05-07T20:41:00.003-08:00

One of Bo's teeth was bothering him yesterday so I told him it was a good thing we are going to the dentist next week because he probably has a cavity. About 30 minutes later he asks:

Bo: What day are we going to the cavity store again?

Sleep Update

2010-05-04T20:03:00.013-08:00

Ok, so it's been a couple of weeks since we started sleep bootcamp and we have definitely made some good progress with Max but I am embarrassed to admit I caved, and cave badly, with Sam.

I don't know what it is but I give in or make excuses or give him milk in my sleep without knowing it, or convince myself he NEEDS me, or that if I just give him a bottle I can go back to sleep, or any other number or things that are counter productive to getting him to sleep through the night. But I'll talk more about that later.

I want to talk about Max right now. Mr. Maxy. Oh he is doing so well. And despite my caving the first night after listening to him scream for 1 hour and 15 minutes, I refocused and have had my game face on ever since. Game face, I tell ya. Game Face!

So this is how it went down:

First 3 nights he fell asleep fine around 6:45pm (minor fussing) on his own but woke up 45 minutes later screaming. Night 1: I caved after 1 hr 15 min and gave him a bottle. Night 2: screamed 2 hr 5 min. Night 3: screamed 1 hr 15 min (hoarse from the night before. So sad!) Night 4: screamed 42 min. Night 5: slept through that first waking. Yippeee!!!! . . .PROGRESS.

As for the rest of the night, he usually wakes up between 1am and 2am, gobbles 7-8oz of formula and then sleeps until anywhere between 6:30am and 8:00am.

So, I am proud to say, we have met our first goal (see: patting self on back) of putting him down awake and only feeding him once during the night. Every once in awhile if he goes to bed super early, there is a second feeding around 5:30am because the first feeding is closer to midnight, but in general we are down to one.

My next goal is to cut out all middle of the night feedings in about another month or so. I'm just reluctant to do it now because the poor boy does not eat any solid food. He hates it. So the extra calories at night seem needed for now. I will be sure to update more when the next phase commences.

Side Note: And just as I started to feel reassured by my parenting
skills and thinking I'm doing a good job, I talked to a mom on Sunday who
sleep trained her daughter at 7 wks. Yes, 7 wks. Stopped
all night feedings cold turkey. After a week of crying, Lucy now, at 6 months, sleeps 12 hours straight, and I am once again left believing
that I am too soft and not cut out for this. Damn over achievers!!

Ok, back to Sam . . .

I lasted all of about 3 nights with Sam. We did the whole, no milk in bed thing, only gave him water in his bottle in the middle of the night and it just made him so beyond pissed off that I gave in which is why as of tonight, this sign is now on his door. . .

I have GOT to do it. My new strategy is the same as with Max. Do not enter the room, let him scream, he will eventually fall asleep, unless of course he injures himself first from thrashing violently in his crib as he has known to do, but that is neither here nor there. He needs to learn how to sleep and I need to learn how to let him.

Game face back on!! Wish me luck.

New Bike

2010-05-04T19:42:00.004-08:00

With the snow all melted and the days getting longer, we decided it was time to buy Bo his first bike. He was so excited. The next three days of rain didn't even stop him. He rode circle after circle after circle in our garage.
He even set up an obstacle course for himself, kind of his own mini bike rodeo. Around the snowmachine, in front of the cozy-coupe, around the Gator, circle back around the basketball goal and repeat. Knowing Bo, I predict the training-wheels will be off by the end of the year. We'll see if I'm right.

Rub-A-Dub-Dub, 3 Boys In A Tub

2010-04-21T20:04:00.002-08:00

Bound & Determined to Sleep

2010-04-13T20:20:00.004-08:00

Out of pure exhaustion and desperation, I have turned to the experts. Quite frankly I'm embarrassed and unsure why it has taken me four years, three kids and hundreds of sleepless nights to do so, but folks, this is it. This is the start of my journey to recapture my sleep, my feeling of control and most importantly, my sanity.

And it is all starting with this . . . 457 pages of how to teach you child to sleep, and hopefully 457 pages of pure genius. It worked wonders for my sister's kids so I am hoping it will do the same for us. I will let you know how it goes. Tonight is Night #1.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:43:00.007-08:00

Loot from the Easter Bunny

(& Grandma & Grandpa - white box)Look, It's as big as my head!!Cool new shades. Thanks GrandmaDaddy look, duk tuk! (dump truck)

Where are all the other eggs?

Oh, here's one!Ah man, this one's empty. What about me? Where are my eggs?