And of course this all happens right before Christmas. Seriously?!
Dear Santa...
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Vehicles are a huge freakin' money pit
In the two months that Adam's been without a job, we've spent more money on our cars than we have in the at least the past two years. First we had to replace all the tires on the Odyssey because they were bald--to the tune of almost $600. Then a rock cracked the windshield of the Civic. Another $100 gone. And yesterday the Civic's check engine light came on. Did you know that replacing an O2 sensor costs almost $600? Well we sure know now. :( Maybe Adam needs to switch careers or take up a car repair hobby in his spare time because OMG.
And of course this all happens right before Christmas. Seriously?!
Dear Santa...
And of course this all happens right before Christmas. Seriously?!
Dear Santa...
Thursday, November 21, 2013
A mom cliche
I'm officially the cliche of a mom who can't call her kids by the correct name. I used to say the wrong name occasionally when the boys were little, but lately, I've found myself pretty frequently going through every name except the one who I was talking to. "Lor- Log- Adam, ugh you! Whatever your name is...AIDAN!" or some variation happens all the time now. I've even called my poor HUSBAND "buddy" on accident, which is a term that is strictly reserved for my boys. Oy.
Oh, and after eleventy billion questions of WHY WHY BUT WHY HOW COME??? over the years, I now fully embrace the dreaded "because I said so." A phrase that I secretly swore to myself I'd never use because I thought it was annoying and ridiculous growing up. But sometimes, there really is no other answer. So mom, I get it now. :)
Hey you, whatever your name is! Smile a little, buddy...because I said so. :)
Oh, and after eleventy billion questions of WHY WHY BUT WHY HOW COME??? over the years, I now fully embrace the dreaded "because I said so." A phrase that I secretly swore to myself I'd never use because I thought it was annoying and ridiculous growing up. But sometimes, there really is no other answer. So mom, I get it now. :)
Hey you, whatever your name is! Smile a little, buddy...because I said so. :)
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
What does love mean?
As I was cleaning up my (embarrassingly out of control) work inbox, I came across an old email forward about what love means to children. It inspired me to ask each of my kids "what does love mean?" so I took them each aside tonight and asked them the question separately, and their answers melted my heart:
Aidan, age 9: "Love is liking people in your family forever. It's liking people with all of your heart. (...It's so hard to describe!)"
Logan, age 7: "When you're in a family and you take care of each other. It's a feeling that makes you happy and grateful for your family because you never stop loving them."
Lorelai, age 3: "Ummmm....hugs and kisses! And Peaches!"
And to me? Love means my heart is bursting with joy because these four are in my life, and I would do anything for them.
**********
And here's the email forward that inspired me, for your reading pleasure:
A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." ~Rebecca, age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." ~Billy, age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." ~Karl, age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." ~Chrissy, age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." ~Terri, age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." ~Danny, age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." ~Emily, age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
And listen." ~Bobby, age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." ~Nikka, age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." ~Noelle, age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." ~Tommy, age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." ~Cindy, age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." ~Clare, age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." ~Elaine, age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." ~Chris, age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." ~Mary Ann, age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." ~Lauren, age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." ~Karen, age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." ~Mark, age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." ~Jessica, age 8
And the final one:
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
Aidan, age 9: "Love is liking people in your family forever. It's liking people with all of your heart. (...It's so hard to describe!)"
Logan, age 7: "When you're in a family and you take care of each other. It's a feeling that makes you happy and grateful for your family because you never stop loving them."
Lorelai, age 3: "Ummmm....hugs and kisses! And Peaches!"
And to me? Love means my heart is bursting with joy because these four are in my life, and I would do anything for them.
**********
And here's the email forward that inspired me, for your reading pleasure:
A group of professionals posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds, 'What does love mean?' The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." ~Rebecca, age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." ~Billy, age 4
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." ~Karl, age 5
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." ~Chrissy, age 6
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." ~Terri, age 4
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." ~Danny, age 7
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss." ~Emily, age 8
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
And listen." ~Bobby, age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate." ~Nikka, age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day." ~Noelle, age 7
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." ~Tommy, age 6
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." ~Cindy, age 8
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." ~Clare, age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." ~Elaine, age 5
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." ~Chris, age 7
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." ~Mary Ann, age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." ~Lauren, age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." ~Karen, age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." ~Mark, age 6
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." ~Jessica, age 8
And the final one:
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Sibling love
My kids love each other. There's no doubt about that. Sure, they bicker sometimes and make each other cry occasionally, but the bond they have amazes me and melts my heart.
All fears I had about bringing a sibling into the mix when I was pregnant with Logan were erased when I saw how much Aidan loved his brother right from the start. Logan adored Aidan right back.
And it was a no-brainer when number three rolled around. I've probably said it before, but even before Adam and I pulled the trigger on number three, Aidan and Logan both got together and asked us specifically for a sister. And oh, how they adore her. Even when she's crazy. :)
No doubt about it--we were giving them the gift of a sibling. The blessing of built-in friendship and companionship. Something I hope they'll cherish and nurture for a lifetime.
But in the event that they need to be reminded in the future, here are just some (out of many!) little things that show how much they love each other and how sweet they are to each other:
>>> This weekend, Lorelai fell really hard on her knee. She wouldn't bend it, couldn't stand on it, and cried in pain several hours (and a nap) after it happened. We ended up having to go to urgent care to have it x-rayed, and when I told the boys I was going to call my mom to stay with them so they didn't have to wait with us, they both said no. They were so worried about her (just like last time) and didn't want to leave her. The x-rays came back clear and she ended up being fine the next day around lunch, but it was touching how protective they were of her.
>>> Aidan got off the bus one day, pretty upset. When we asked him about it, he started crying and said he didn't know if Logan got on the bus, since the bus driver made him sit in a different seat at the back. The whole bus ride, Aidan feared that his brother was at school alone. He was so broken up about it.
>>> Logan is not much of a morning person, and definitely not a Monday morning person, and he was having a particularly grumpy day this week. When I got Lorelai up for school, she wanted to go see the boys, like usual. When I told her Logan wasn't in a good mood, she said "I have an idea mommy. One more kiss. Let's go give Logan one more kiss." She also insists on giving the boys a kiss every night before bed.
>>> The boys are always on high alert when it comes to Lorelai's peanut allergy. They were so cautious during trick-or-treating, making sure she didn't get into anything she wasn't supposed to, making sure we knew if she got something unsafe, and directing her to the safe candy if she got a choice.
>>> Logan got a booboo (okay, Aidan give it to him during one of their playful fights that got out of hand...) and Lorelai immediately ran to the freezer to get him the ice pack.
>>> If they're watching TV on the couch, I'll often find them snuggled up with each other. Not even sure they know they're doing it. Just an arm on the shoulder here, or a hand on the knee there.
While I hope this bond will last a lifetime, I do know that they will fight along the way, and may grow apart. So I'm going to cherish all of these beautiful sibling moments while I can. We're all so blessed.
All fears I had about bringing a sibling into the mix when I was pregnant with Logan were erased when I saw how much Aidan loved his brother right from the start. Logan adored Aidan right back.
And it was a no-brainer when number three rolled around. I've probably said it before, but even before Adam and I pulled the trigger on number three, Aidan and Logan both got together and asked us specifically for a sister. And oh, how they adore her. Even when she's crazy. :)
No doubt about it--we were giving them the gift of a sibling. The blessing of built-in friendship and companionship. Something I hope they'll cherish and nurture for a lifetime.
But in the event that they need to be reminded in the future, here are just some (out of many!) little things that show how much they love each other and how sweet they are to each other:
>>> This weekend, Lorelai fell really hard on her knee. She wouldn't bend it, couldn't stand on it, and cried in pain several hours (and a nap) after it happened. We ended up having to go to urgent care to have it x-rayed, and when I told the boys I was going to call my mom to stay with them so they didn't have to wait with us, they both said no. They were so worried about her (just like last time) and didn't want to leave her. The x-rays came back clear and she ended up being fine the next day around lunch, but it was touching how protective they were of her.
>>> Aidan got off the bus one day, pretty upset. When we asked him about it, he started crying and said he didn't know if Logan got on the bus, since the bus driver made him sit in a different seat at the back. The whole bus ride, Aidan feared that his brother was at school alone. He was so broken up about it.
>>> Logan is not much of a morning person, and definitely not a Monday morning person, and he was having a particularly grumpy day this week. When I got Lorelai up for school, she wanted to go see the boys, like usual. When I told her Logan wasn't in a good mood, she said "I have an idea mommy. One more kiss. Let's go give Logan one more kiss." She also insists on giving the boys a kiss every night before bed.
>>> The boys are always on high alert when it comes to Lorelai's peanut allergy. They were so cautious during trick-or-treating, making sure she didn't get into anything she wasn't supposed to, making sure we knew if she got something unsafe, and directing her to the safe candy if she got a choice.
>>> Logan got a booboo (okay, Aidan give it to him during one of their playful fights that got out of hand...) and Lorelai immediately ran to the freezer to get him the ice pack.
>>> If they're watching TV on the couch, I'll often find them snuggled up with each other. Not even sure they know they're doing it. Just an arm on the shoulder here, or a hand on the knee there.
While I hope this bond will last a lifetime, I do know that they will fight along the way, and may grow apart. So I'm going to cherish all of these beautiful sibling moments while I can. We're all so blessed.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Fall on the brain
It's about time I've embraced fall, right? Especially since it's practically winter (according to Starbucks and their red cups and pepperminty drinks...). As much as I cling to summer, I might be the saddest of all to see fall end...because once these gorgeous leaves fall, it's nothing but cold, short, dark days for a while.
We went to the zoo this weekend and it was a gorgeous fall day. 60 degrees without a cloud in the bright blue sky. Days like that make me almost want to change my tune about Fall not being my favorite season. Trees filled with vibrantly colored leaves that fall whimsically to the ground. A slight chill in the air with an occasional breeze, warmed by the sun's rays. Yet not a drop of sweat in sight.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ~Albert Camus
On a related note, daylight savings time sucks. But surprisingly, it's not because I've been up at the crack of dawn with kids who won't sleep. My kids don't seem to have been affected AT ALL. In fact, we had to wake Lorelai up on Sunday morning to get to the zoo. Me on the other hand? I've been in a bit of a funk these past few days. Result of the early darkness? Maybe...
But before winter rears its ugly head, I'm going to enjoy the heck out of every colorful tree and mild day we're graced with.
And guess what? I got a pumpkin picture! It was just a decorative display at the zoo and not an actual pumpkin patch (obviously), but it's good enough to be my annual pumpkin picture I wanted so badly. :)
PS: an hour after I hit publish, I realized that maybe I should have used "autumn" in my post title so it didn't sound like I fell and injured my brain? Ha!
We went to the zoo this weekend and it was a gorgeous fall day. 60 degrees without a cloud in the bright blue sky. Days like that make me almost want to change my tune about Fall not being my favorite season. Trees filled with vibrantly colored leaves that fall whimsically to the ground. A slight chill in the air with an occasional breeze, warmed by the sun's rays. Yet not a drop of sweat in sight.
“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” ~Albert Camus
On a related note, daylight savings time sucks. But surprisingly, it's not because I've been up at the crack of dawn with kids who won't sleep. My kids don't seem to have been affected AT ALL. In fact, we had to wake Lorelai up on Sunday morning to get to the zoo. Me on the other hand? I've been in a bit of a funk these past few days. Result of the early darkness? Maybe...
But before winter rears its ugly head, I'm going to enjoy the heck out of every colorful tree and mild day we're graced with.
***
And guess what? I got a pumpkin picture! It was just a decorative display at the zoo and not an actual pumpkin patch (obviously), but it's good enough to be my annual pumpkin picture I wanted so badly. :)
PS: an hour after I hit publish, I realized that maybe I should have used "autumn" in my post title so it didn't sound like I fell and injured my brain? Ha!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Happy Halloween
Behold the creative genius of Aidan and Logan: a mohawked cyclops ghost. They sketched and I carved. Love it! (We only had one pumpkin big enough to carve this year)
From my Minnie, Creeper and Hawkeye to you--Happy Halloween!
So after several years "off" from making costumes, we ended up DIYing Aidan's MineCraft Creeper head and Logan's Hawkeye costume when we couldn't agree on any of the store-bought costumes that weren't $$. Sorry, but I don't want to spend $40 on something you're going to wear once, dudes.
But what we ended up with was absolutely perfect. In Adam's abundant free time (a perk to being unemployed? It gave him something fun to distract him, at least!) he used this tutorial to make Logan's bow and arrow set, and I followed her instructions for the arm band. We just cut the fingers off a cheap knit glove for the other hand. Grandma Cheryl sewed the fabric and zipper onto the t-shirt and I just ended up hem taping some grosgrain ribbon to the raw edges of the fabric so it didn't fray out of the stitching. Not too difficult, and it turned out great!
The quiver is just duck-taped thin cardboard; the strap is duck tape as well.
After we put the kibosh on Aidan's "scary jester costume" idea to the tune of $34.99, he decided he wanted to be a MineCraft Creeper. Adam just taped 12x12 inch pieces of cardboard together into a box and I spray glued/taped the printed out pattern. (I used the template from this youtube.) Bonus: that shirt from Target can be worn anytime!
Creepers gonna creep...
Lorelai was the easy one--once she saw that Minnie Mouse costume at Target, she put it in the cart and that was that. I just bought some slippers (I was going to get her some anyway since she's outgrown her old ones) and duck taped the bottom so she could wear them outside without damaging them. Boom, done.
mesmerized by a group of early trick-or-treaters...way too distracted to smile or look at me!
We had great weather for trick-or-treating tonight and made it to quite a few houses before our buckets were full (enough) and our feet were tired.
The kids also got to wear their costumes to my work for trick-or-treating, and to the annual fall festival at our daycare. Rave reviews on their costumes all around.
We had a happy Halloween, indeed! Now please excuse me while I go stuff my face with all of the candy Lorelai can't eat (and then feel gross about it later).
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Fall Farm Fun
Let me just start off by saying that we have no pumpkin patch pictures for this year. We have pumpkins, but we did not pick them out as a family during a quintessential fall outing. Yes, I'm bitter. :) Especially after going through all of my old pictures from years past--we have gone to the pumpkin patch EVERY year except this year.
Aidan and Logan actually did go to a pumpkin patch on a field trip, so at least they weren't deprived of the experience. It's just me and Lorelai who were deprived. (Adam doesn't count since he wouldn't sign off on a trip this weekend to get pumpkins we didn't need just for the photos...party pooper! It's like he doesn't even know me and my obsessive need to take photos, ha!)
Aaaanyway...
We did end up having some other fall fun at a local farm during a work-sponsored family outing (aka, FREE!). Which is why, in Adam's mind, we didn't need another trip. Corn maze does not equal pumpkin patch, but after last year, it's a close second on my fall bucket list, so I guess I shouldn't be too bitter.
We made our way through the first section of the maze, and by that time, Lorelai was over it. She was actually over it by marker 2 out of 5...so she and I headed back to do some other activities while the boys raced their way through the rest of the maze.
We ended up at the bounce house, aka, Lorelai's happy place. Pretty sure she couldn't care less about the lack of pumpkins as long as she has a bouncy house to play in.
There were tractors to climb...
Rabbits to see...
Faces to get painted...(oh my, I can't tell you how much I LOVE that Lorelai was willing to get her face painted--she was very hesitant at first, but the end result was SO worth it. Beautiful! And she got compliments from pretty much every single person at her Great Grandma's nursing home that afternoon.)
And hay bales to climb, swings, cornhole, and other fun activities. Unfortunately, many activities were not included in the admission price, which I didn't love, but we made the most of of the free activities.
And we did get to go on a legit hay ride--with actual hay this year--so that was a win in my book.
That pumpkin we have is from a bin next to our food tent, compliments of the company event. No actual picking involved so it doesn't count.
Not pictured: the goats and cow. Why? Because Lorelai freaked the freak out as soon as she saw the cow and wouldn't go near the barnyard. She held onto me for dear life so hard that it was impossible for me to get any pictures of Aidan and Logan enjoying the animals.
The weather was not great--we had light rain for a bit which put a damper on some of our fun, but all in all, it was a nice fall family outing. We had so much fun in fact, that it was only as we were driving out of the parking lot passing by their pumpkin patch (which was oddly not near any of the other activities), that I realized I didn't have a single pumpkin picking picture.
But next year I'm already planning on going back to Phillip's Farm where we went last fall and then again in the spring for strawberries because I like their all-inclusive setup much better...plus you can pick pumpkins off the vine there. Pumpkins, people. Not a negotiable fall photo op! :)
Oh well...there's always next year. (Or tomorrow, if I can convince Adam that we NEED to go after school!)
PS: No husbands were yelled at in the making of this post. :)
Aidan and Logan actually did go to a pumpkin patch on a field trip, so at least they weren't deprived of the experience. It's just me and Lorelai who were deprived. (Adam doesn't count since he wouldn't sign off on a trip this weekend to get pumpkins we didn't need just for the photos...party pooper! It's like he doesn't even know me and my obsessive need to take photos, ha!)
Aaaanyway...
We did end up having some other fall fun at a local farm during a work-sponsored family outing (aka, FREE!). Which is why, in Adam's mind, we didn't need another trip. Corn maze does not equal pumpkin patch, but after last year, it's a close second on my fall bucket list, so I guess I shouldn't be too bitter.
We made our way through the first section of the maze, and by that time, Lorelai was over it. She was actually over it by marker 2 out of 5...so she and I headed back to do some other activities while the boys raced their way through the rest of the maze.
We ended up at the bounce house, aka, Lorelai's happy place. Pretty sure she couldn't care less about the lack of pumpkins as long as she has a bouncy house to play in.
There were tractors to climb...
Rabbits to see...
Faces to get painted...(oh my, I can't tell you how much I LOVE that Lorelai was willing to get her face painted--she was very hesitant at first, but the end result was SO worth it. Beautiful! And she got compliments from pretty much every single person at her Great Grandma's nursing home that afternoon.)
And hay bales to climb, swings, cornhole, and other fun activities. Unfortunately, many activities were not included in the admission price, which I didn't love, but we made the most of of the free activities.
And we did get to go on a legit hay ride--with actual hay this year--so that was a win in my book.
That pumpkin we have is from a bin next to our food tent, compliments of the company event. No actual picking involved so it doesn't count.
Not pictured: the goats and cow. Why? Because Lorelai freaked the freak out as soon as she saw the cow and wouldn't go near the barnyard. She held onto me for dear life so hard that it was impossible for me to get any pictures of Aidan and Logan enjoying the animals.
The weather was not great--we had light rain for a bit which put a damper on some of our fun, but all in all, it was a nice fall family outing. We had so much fun in fact, that it was only as we were driving out of the parking lot passing by their pumpkin patch (which was oddly not near any of the other activities), that I realized I didn't have a single pumpkin picking picture.
But next year I'm already planning on going back to Phillip's Farm where we went last fall and then again in the spring for strawberries because I like their all-inclusive setup much better...plus you can pick pumpkins off the vine there. Pumpkins, people. Not a negotiable fall photo op! :)
Oh well...there's always next year. (Or tomorrow, if I can convince Adam that we NEED to go after school!)
PS: No husbands were yelled at in the making of this post. :)
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