Iron Chef'n It

Lately Wes & Bo have been baking up a storm in the kitchen. Last week it was microwave smores to round out the day of camping in the living room (tent and all) . . .
And Sunday it was blueberry pancakes for dinner . . .

They make quite a team. Now if only we can teach Bo to keep the flour IN the bowl, we'll be set.

House Of Snot

Sam is full of snot again. Poor guy. He's been running fever for 24 hours and has tons of green snot coming out of his nose at all times. He's a mess and thanks to the wonderful socialized health care of the US Army, there are NO appointments available yesterday, today or tomorrow. What's that all about?!?

I thought he might have an ear infection so I decided to take him to Urgent Care last night but once again, thanks to the wonderful inner workings of the US Army, the waiting room was packed. Standing room only. All infants and kids. (Can't someone see the pediatric unit needs a complete overhaul here? Hello!) So when the triage lady told me it was a 4-6 hour wait, we turned around and came home. That's ridiculous. I'm sorry but the last thing I wanted to do was sit there for hours upon hours. Besides, I think I got sick just walking in there. Hepatitis maybe. Or gangrene. Can you even catch gangrene? I don't know but I think I just did.

And to make it all worse, Sam HATES, and I mean HATES to have his nose wiped. The mere site of a tissue makes him cry. So I have tried to become the stealth wiper. Coming in from all angles when he least expects it. Over the top, around the corner, with tissues, with fingers (I'm desperate), with washcloths, with burp rags, you name it, I've wiped with it. Although 9 times out of 10 I just end up smearing it all over his cheeks rather than really wiping it up. Not good. And then in his attempts to evade the apparently not-so-stealth wiper, he ends up burying his face into my chest and smearing the snot all over my shirt. If only you could see me now. Me and my skid-marked snotty tee. Yumm. I am quite the site, let me tell you.

And so we are home, waiting it out. The snot and the cold. It is really cold here today. Our thermometer has been hovering around -20F and it's supposed to keep getting colder this weekend. Ugh. Thank goodness we are getting out of here in 2 weeks. Warm weather here we come.

Just A Few Pictures

I have not blogged in awhile and I feel bad about it but it seems like Groundhog Day here. Nothing new. Same old thing day after day. Sorry to disappointed you avid Carrot Top readers, but here are a few new pics at least . . .

Death By Whining

Seriously! Does it have to be the highest octave possible and at a rate so often it could be it's own energy source? Come on. I know he's only 2 but this is ridiculous. I think of myself as a pretty patient mom but this makes me want to vomit, scream and explode all at the same time. Really, it does. It's that bad. If you don't believe me, come on over. I dare you.

Sanity Saver Day 2

Today was the second day Bridget, our new wonderful, sweet, sanity saving baby sitter, has come over to watch the kids for 3 hours (9am-12pm) so I can shop, run errands, dash in to the store for a soda, browse baby sleep habits books at Barnes & Noble, or anything else I want to do for that matter.

BY MYSELF!! And it is WONDERFUL!!! Wonderful I tell you.

(I love love love my boys but dragging them around town all the time is not fun for anyone.)

The fact that I actually had room in my grocery cart at Fred Meyer to put a huge plastic tub, a Thomas the Tank Engine toy storage shelf, 2 boxes of hanging file folders, and a bunch of other crap without having to kick Bo out of the cart (which he absolutely hates by the way) or shove groceries in the few inches underneath Sam's car seat as it perches up top on the handlebars, was liberating.

I didn't have to go by the truck aisle to appease a screaming 2 year old or speed walk or constantly answer "why" questions or "what's that say, mommy?", or deliberate which child has to endure the cold a few minutes longer than the other while his brother gets put in the car first. I didn't have to do any of that.

But what I did get to do these past 2 days was go into stores with breakable things, small talk with the woman at the frame shop, return Christmas gifts, go to the post office, spend an hour at the fabric store picking out fabric for my nephew-to-be's quilt, and cross a ton of other things off of my to-do list. It's amazing how in 2 days I have accomplished more than I would have in months (errand wise that is).

And the best part about it all, is that Bridget will be coming over EVERY Tuesday and Thursday indefinitely. She is great. Bo has fun with her and she's wonderful with Sam. It seems to be a win-win situation. I hope it lasts.

When Did Crazy Become Normal and Normal Become Weird?

I never know what I'm going to find anymore when I go into Bo's room.

Thursday it was him trying to be helpful by cleaning the carpets. (He honestly thought we was.) The only problem was that he was doing it by smearing baby lotion all over the dirty spots.

Last night it was a buck naked 2 year old who peed on his bed twice after stripping off his owie bulldozer pajamas and diaper while he should have been sleeping.

And now, his light is on in his bedroom while he should be napping, and I am, quite honestly, a bit scared to go in. But here I go . . .

Ok, I'm back. Surprisingly enough he was just laying on his floor reading a book. Now, that's weird!

Boos & Yays Of Today

1. Sam had a doctor's appointment today and there's no sign of the ear infection he developed in Texas. - YAY!

2. It is still stupid-cold outside. The marquee on Ft. Wainwright said -43 this morning on our way to the doctor. - BOO!

3. Bo despises the cold and hates snow suits. He threw a hysterical fit in the car today when I tried to put it on him. I lost. - BOO!

4. Went to the liquor store to buy beer and when I grabbed a case of Alaskan Amber, an entire case of Sierra Nevada slid off the shelf and busted all over the floor. - BOO!

5. Knocked my entire cup of Apple Chai off the table at Starbucks and it busted all over the floor. - BOO!

6. Super nice lady at Starbucks made me a new one. - YAY!

7. Sam only woke up once last night. - SUPER YAY!

8. Found a babysitter to watch the kids on a regular basis 1-2 days a week for a few hours and on the weekends as needed. She starts this Saturday. - A TRILLION YAYS!!

9. Have 4.5 weeks to wean Sam before leaving him with Grandma & Grandpa for a week while Wes and I go to Cancun. - BOO!

10. Going to Cancun in 4.5 weeks. - YAY!

Bo-isms #10-13

10. While "flying" Bo (me laying on my back with my feet up in the air and him laying on them on his tummy) around we were waving at things as we "passed them by":
Me: Hi dinosaur.
Bo: That's not a dinosaur, that's Nana.

11. After pushing Bo on his trike all around Opa & Nana's sidewalk, front yard, and street for about an hour we were trying to get him to go inside.
Opa: Bo, I'm out of gas.
Bo: (Pointing to Me and Wes) You and you full of gas. Five more.

12. In the Seattle airport on the way home.
Wes: Bo, are you done pooping?
Bo: Not done, Daddy. That's one. Five more.

13. (He has been saying this for awhile now, but I keep forgetting to write it down). If you ask him what his name is or how old he is, he holds up his fingers as if counting to 2 and says:
Bo: B-O, Bo, That's Me.

How The Lame Ring In The New Year

Go to a mediocre movie (and dinner) at The Alamo Drafthouse, be home by 10:00pm, and in bed by 11:00.

Next up: early dinners at IHOP.