Ghetto Blocks

Two days of continuous downpour have forced us to get a bit creative in the way we entertain ourselves. Behold the S family tribute to recycling. We call it, "Mount S." Creative, aren't we?

Fortunately the sun is shining today and the boys have been playing outside since the moment they woke up.

In case you are wondering, I am now squirting a liquid antihistamine directly into my eyes. I attended a work function yesterday, numerous co-workers were forced to seek refuge from the horror of having to look me directly in the eye. A vendor actually swatted my hand while ordering me to stop touching my eyes. I know it is awful people, I am doing the best I can, really.

Nathan's eye has turned some fascinating shades of purple. Perhaps tomorrow I shall amuse you by posting side by side pics of our gruesome eyeballs.

Stitches

Believe it or not, with the exception of open heart surgery, c-sections and NICU stays, the S family has escaped the last 5.5 years without a single stitch sewn into any of us. Pretty darn impressive, in my opinion, when you consider that we are parenting 2 VERY active little boys.

Impressive, that is, until today.

While busily digging for worms in the backyard, Isaac attempted to throw a shovel full of dirt over his shoulder and instead succeeded in gashing open Nathan's head, just above his left eye. It only took 3 stitches to sew up and Nathan was quite the little trooper. He was perfectly still and did not flinch once while the ER doctor fixed him up. He happily chirped, "Thank you!" when they were finished and gracefully accepted his orange popsicle and 3 huge stickers. The ER folks thought he was adorable, we completely agree. ;)

I have to admit, despite the fact that my little boy was bleeding and a bit upset, it bordered on pure joy to visit the ER for such an everyday event. Don't get me wrong, I am not at all glad that Nathan got hurt, I am just glad that we came home happy and whole and without worry or concern for any one's future health. It is a lovely feeling.

I snapped a few pictures with my camera phone because Nathan wanted to see that he looked like a pirate with a patch over his eye and because I thought it was ADORABLE when he wanted to call Isaac and tell him that he was ok. Isaac was quite distraught over causing an injury serious enough to send his brother to the hospital. Poor baby!

On a personal note: May is almost over and I just might survive. Liz suggested that I find a mantra to get myself through the rest of the month. I have settled on, "Just let it go." Say that over and over while breathing deeply and you will be amazed at how relaxed you feel!

If you happen to see me walking down the street, please do not comment on the fact that both of my eyes are rimmed in red, chapped skin and purplish bruises. I am quite aware that I look terrible. My allergies are still completely out of control and I am tempted to try and cauterize one of my tear ducts with a branding iron. Even my mom says I need to go to the doctor now. SIGH Maybe I will have time in June....

Bon Appetit

Is it June yet? Is it? No really, is it? I have lost all track of time. Day or night, Friday, Tuesday, Sunday, it really does not matter. I AM SO TIRED. Someone give me a swift kick when June gets here and make sure that I actually sit up and pay attention.

Why did I start this entry? I am pretty sure I intended to accomplish something other than to gripe about my busy life. Oh yes, to tell you about our one day off this week.

Long ago, our playgroup swore a solemn oath that we would NEVER visit the zoo on a Friday in late May. It has been such a rough year and such a busy Spring that we have not had much of a chance to get the kids together, so on Friday we all threw caution to the wind and met for a day at the zoo.

Ok, it was probably a mistake. We did had fun despite the huge crowds AND we only lost Nathan 3 times. That may just be a record. Have I ever told you about the time he fell head first into the sea lion enclosure and had to be rescued by Ms Wendy? No? Well that was pretty much the whole story. They now have his picture posted with a caption that reads something along the lines of, "If you see this child coming, pour rubber cement on the ground outside of every animal enclosure so that he cannot climb in." Nathan, God love him, is a complete menace at the zoo.

He capped off this particular trip by parking himself in front of me and very proudly announcing that he just ate a rolly polly olly. Yes that does mean what you fear it might mean and he had the leftover chunks in his teeth to prove it. I am not sure what possesses this lovable little boy of mine to eat the little creepy crawlies that he encounters, but he actually does this fairly frequently. Usually he eats ants. This also probably explains why we have to beg him to eat more than 2 bites of food at any given meal.

So, all you wise and experienced moms out there, what IS a mom to do? I honestly do not think that this habit will hurt him, but I would prefer that he refrain from consuming arachnids and insects unless he is A. starving or B. a contestant on Survivor.

I put together a little slide show of our day for your viewing pleasure. Overall we had a great day and I am very glad that we made the time.

Have a great weekend!

PS Is anyone else suffering their Spring allergies more intensely than usual? My eyes feel like they are on fire, my whole face itches so badly I could scratch until I hit bone and I am getting very tired of blowing my nose. I am so uncomfortable I want to swig a bottle of Benadryl and sleep for 3 days, which is generally what happens when I take Benadryl. I suppose I COULD visit my doctor and ask for some allergies med, but that seems like a LOT of effort at the moment.

For Auntie Liz and Why You Should Always Check Your Receipt BEFORE Leaving the Store

Blogged twice today, yes there were probably better things that I could have been doing. Make sure to scroll down to read my hypothetical and then tell me that I really don't need to worry.

Auntie Liz, we just cannot thank you enough for the wonderful birthday present. We finally got an electric pump to blow it up and the boys LOVE IT! Everyone should invite Auntie Liz to their kids' birthday parties! She gives out giant hamster wheels! Is there any better gift for little boys?

It DID attract a few other neighborhood kids who did not seem too keen on going back home. We gave them all an espresso and a puppy and sent them on their merry ways. Their parents certainly won't make the mistake of sending them to play at the S house again. EVIL GRIN

Now for an in depth explanation as to why you should ALWAYS check your receipt before you leave a store. Perhaps the rest of the world already knows this. Perhaps I don't do it because I always have 3 kids in tow. Whatever the case may be, consider this your public service announcement.

My sister Mary and I took all four of our kids out to lunch, shopping and to the park today. No, we are not insane, I just REALLY had to escape from my house today. I am still working on writing the post that explains why. It is very hard to accomplish without lacing it with swear words.

Anyhoo, upon studying my receipt more closely this evening, I discovered a charge for $59.99 for an item called, "table." The problem is, I did not purchase a table or anything that remotely resembles a table. I certainly did not purchase anything that cost $59.99.

Quite upset by this charge, I piled the kids in the car and raced back to the store. I approached the service desk, pleasant smile in place, and explained the situation.

Much eye rolling and looks of skepticism ensued.

I guess I do not really blame them for assuming that I was there to commit fraud, but really, what happened to innocent until proven guilty?

The checker paged someone and up walks a security guard. It took 3 different explanations before he understood that I was telling him I had been charged for something that I did not purchase. He took the receipt, said he would check on this and disappeared.

The checker told me I could wait "over there" and that the security guard would be back soon to tell me, "everything I needed to know." Okaaayyyy...sure, whatever lady, I know you think I am a thief.


The security guard returned about 15 minutes later and asked me to follow him, "because we need your help with something in the picture room." Um..what exactly is the picture room? "Please follow me, we have some questions for you."

Down several cramped and poorly lit hallways, clutching my children's hands and trying desperately to think if maybe I HAD purchased something that might have cost $59.99 and could have been called a table.

We arrived at a room with a big sign on the door. The sign said, "ASSET RECOVERY."

OH CRAP

We walked into the room, one whole wall was covered in TV screens and there was a guy sitting there, rewinding and fast forwarding the images on one screen. I quickly realized that I was the person in those images. AH...so the store is smart enough to have cameras above each check out station so that they are constantly taping as people are checking out. A wise move! Thinking that I am totally in the clear, I relax, greet this person, and ask for a place for the boys to sit down. They indicate two wire mesh stools that have handcuffs clipped to the side. At this point Isaac breaks into a cold sweat and starts clutching my hand. Isaac KNOWS what handcuffs are for. It took a lot of reassurance before he would actually sit, I think we was convinced that we were all going to jail.

The new guy points at the screen in question, indicating an item on the checkout belt and announced that, "this is your table." I faced two very stern faces, both with looks of amused, "WE GOTCHA" plastered on and informed them that the table they were pointing at was in fact a large bucket of cat litter with a bright orange top and very clearly, a handle.

ooohhhhhhh...ooohhhhh...ohh well miss, sometimes when the warehouse sends us items they are labeled incorrectly and we take a loss because we pay the price on the bar code too and you can have the cat littler for free and we will refund you the $59.99, blah, blah, blah.

Whatever.

The lesson here? Always check your receipt before you leave the store!

This has been a public service announcement. Thank you.

A Hypothetical

IF you were to walk upstairs late at night and IF you were to find this scene, painstakingly created by one of your offspring, would you worry?

I don't know what you might be thinking, but it looks to me as though Daphne is in for a world of hurt. She is tied up, caged, the green goblin is riding a dinosaur and there is an apocalyptic looking skeleton on a horse! Poor Daphne, this just cannot be good.

Remember the Macaroni Jewelry?

Do you remember all the pieces of uncooked pasta jewelry that you painstakingly assembled for your mom? Do you remember anticipating her unabashed joy when you presented her with your beautiful creations? Do you remember the sparkle in her eyes when you woke her up on Mother's Day and excitedly gave her your gifts? Do you remember her wearing them out in public, proud to display your hard work?

I am thrilled, honored and humbled to report that I have now experienced the joy of the macaroni necklace from the other side of the table.

For mother's day this year, my darling boys bestowed upon me several lovingly selected gifts that I will treasure for ever. Isaac picked out a pair of brown flip flops adorned with pink hearts and Nathan presented me with 2 sets of beautiful, plastic costume jewelry.

I will forever cherish these treasures that my dear little boys insisted on purchasing for me. Those two are just the light of my life.

We spent a lovely day painting at our favorite ceramics spot, napping, had dinner at Maggianos and then came home for a rousing evening game of street hockey, during which Anna repeatedly tried to crawl into the street. A wonderful and perfect day at the S house. Pictures of our day in the slide show below.

Jesse gave me a new backpack to use with Anna. She has started crawling out of the sling when I have her on my back and I am afraid to use it with her anymore.

In case you are wondering, I still have not figured out how to use most of the functions on my new cell phone. Ah well, plenty of time in June. If I make it out of the month of May alive and sane, it will be a miracle.

Love to all, I hope all you metro area folks survived the intense weather this evening unscathed. Tomorrow I am going to wear my beautiful new shoes and jewelry to the grocery store where we will purchase lots of fun pasta that we can assemble into priceless artifacts to bestow upon our loved ones. I now firmly believe that you have not lived until you have worn a pasta necklace out in public.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I love Mother's Day. I love it because my darling husband spoils me rotten on this day and on most other days throughout the year. I love it because it has special meaning to me and it reminds me of how very blessed I am.

I love Mother's Day because it reminds me of what an absolute privilege it is to BE a mother. I am so grateful that these three beautiful souls choose or were chosen to be mothered by me. I am grateful that I have been entrusted with such an amazing gift. I will continue learning and growing and trying to be the best mother I can.

Isaac, Nathan and Anna, I love you more than words can say!

I love Mother's Day because there are so many souls out there who, while they may or may not have children, were clearly born to mother the people on this earth. This day is set aside especially in recognition of those wonderful people.

I love Mother's Day because I dearly love my own mother and because it gives me the chance to tell her what a wonderful person she is and what a wonderful job she did raising me, despite the fact that I was less than thrilled with some of her mothering at the time. I can only hope that my kids will also grow up to appreciate the things that I have done and will do for them, but that they resented me for at the time. I love you mom! Thanks for everything!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms to be out there!

BLISS

Despite a full cycle in the washing machine, a few days of drying out was apparently all my Ipod needed, IT WORKS!!!!!

HAPPPY DANCE

Wicked Baby Steps

The only possible thing that could have made up for the loss of my Ipod was opening night box seats to Wicked. See how very easy I am to please? And people call me high maintenance! (I don't know who, but I am sure someone, somewhere has said that about me.)

Wouldn't you know it? The man came through for me AGAIN!

Fabulous show, worth every fraction of every cent. I want to see it again.

Thank you honey!!!!!!

If you get the chance, GO!

5 minutes before we left for the show, Anna took 2 steps all by herself. You may all picture my upper lip trembling and very pathetic tears staining my cheeks. Our baby girl is growing WAY too fast.

NO WORDS

I

washed

my

Ipod.

sniffle

My Kingdom for Cool Under Ware

Recall if you will, a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon from years past.

Calvin is searching desperately through his drawers.

"Mom, I can't find my happy hippo under ware!"

"Calvin, they are in the laundry. Wear some of the plain ones."

Calvin, clutching his forehead in frustration, storms off muttering, "I hate it when I can't gird my loins in funny animals."

While this rendition is likely not exact, I guarantee it is pretty darn close to the actual cartoon. I cannot remember the specific name of the character he was searching for, but you get the idea. HOW do I remember such a thing? While most older teens/young adults were busy sneaking out and trying to secure illegal alcohol, I was holed up in my room, devouring Calvin and Hobbes anthologies, drinking tea and doing homework. Yes, we have already established in
the previous post that I am a nerd so there is really no reason to revisit that topic.

We take this stroll down memory lane because our dear little Nathan lived the life of poor neglected Calvin this evening. Upon discovering that a too long delayed trip to the potty resulted in sightly wet undies and that he had no Spider Man undies available, he fell tragically to the floor, sobbing hysterically while clutching my hand, begging me to take some Spider Man undies from Isaac's drawer because, "I'm not wearing anything cool mommy!"

Poor baby. Please someone, for the love of God, contact social services before it is too late.

We do feel that we have gotten to the bottom of some of the defiant behavior we have observed in our first 2 born. They have both this evening expressed a desire for alone time with mommy and daddy. Now if that does not tug at the old heart strings I don't know what will. After Anna was asleep we granted them an extra hour of awake time and split them up for private playtime and stories.

I read a few stories to Nathan and then we discussed the possibility of a weekend trip to acquire a few "cool" clothing items that will be all his very own. In Nathan's defense and lest you think that we usually solve behavior problems with bribery, Nathan really does live in the most awful hand-me-down hell. Given that he holds little brother status in the family, many of his clothes previously belonged to Isaac. Isaac is a bit of a clothes horse. If he really likes something, he wears it until it disintegrates in a brisk evening breeze and then comes inside to start on the next item. Typically the items that he wears to disintegration are the clothes that both boys deem "cool." You can see the problem. Nathan rarely gets handed down any cool clothes, they just do not last that long.

To that end, this weekend Nathan and I will hit the pavement in search of "cool" undies, jammies and shirts. He specified several must have items, the most distressing of which is a superman shirt, "just like the one Uncle James has. It has to be a regular shirt, not a jammy shirt." Gonna need a little help with this one folks. The only superman tops I recall seeing were most decidedly PJs. After shopping we will absolutely need ice cream. I think he will have fun. Isaac is going to stay home and play castle set with daddy while Anna takes her nap. Castle set with daddy is Isaac's utopia.

Both boys were all smiles as they went to bed this evening. Amazing what 20 minutes of individual attention, with the promise of more, will do. Jesse and I talked further about this and we will make more of an effort to give them as much individual attention as possible. The S family lives are crazy busy, there is a reason why we have a clock in our dining room with "Grand Central Station" emblazoned on it. I cannot imagine a more accurate piece of decor for our home.

Behavior mystery solved? Stay tuned!

In other news, Esther has admitted that she logged onto the blog from a bunch of different computers in her school and voted for Chipotle from each one. A more appalling misuse of public property I cannot fathom and I will be forced to render a complaint with the proper authorities.

Everyone be sure to sign this petition in support of Paris Hilton. A crying shame that such a delightful and upstanding young lady should be put in jail. Oh pardon me, my eyes just rolled so far back in my head that one of them actually fell out. Must chase it across the room before the cats get to it.

Resolution....of a sort

Not the kind of resolution where two sides actually agree on anything, mind you. We are talking about more of a Matrix 3 kind of resolution, where both sides agree to end the bloody battle but neither side really gives into the other. A temporary resolution at best.

Crud, did that Matrix 3 reference just cement your impression of me as a hopeless nerd? Liz, are you shuffling through new friend cover letters and resumes as I type?

Ah well, what will be will be I suppose.

WHAT am I talking about?

Why I am talking about the Qdoba vs. Chipotle debate of COURSE! Don't you feel silly now?

For the record, I like both but I do not think they are the same thing. I love that Chipotle is moving towards organic ingredients and in general I really do just like the food. We dined there this evening, in fact, simply because I had a craving for that oh-so-Chipotlicious flavor.

Lately, however, I find my self opting for Qdoba more often, simply because their menu is more diverse. I like having options, what can I say?

So there you have it, an end to the bloody battle.

Who are our tragic heroes in this fight, you may ask? Our Neo and our Trinity? Um...I have no idea, I am not that creative. Someone else will have to work that out.

Per Jesse's suggestion, the Qdoba vs. Chipotle poll shall end and a new poll shall begin. So start thinking, which spring/summer sequel are you most anticipating ? Spider Man 3? Pirates of the Caribbean 3? Harry Potter 5? Shrek 3? Die Hard 4? I am aware that there are other movies to choose from, but these are the top pics in my mind. Vote for your favorite in the latest S Family Chronicles Poll!!

In other news, my darling little angels are driving me absolutely crazy. They are clearly all infected with a virus that causes them to not listen, to beat on each other mercilessly and to talk back constantly. I am hard at work on the cure for this illness and will let you know as soon as I have it. Thus far nothing has yielded satisfactory results.

This evening found me so incredibly distraught with their behavior that I attempted self medication with leftover Easter candy. I would have quite enjoyed myself, but for the fact that my chocoholic 12 month old daughter snubbed the organic, freeze dried apples and strawberries I offered and insisted that SHE be allowed to feast on leftover Easter chocolate. I ask you, what child in their right mind would turn down organic, freeze dried apples and strawberries in favor of chocolate??? CLEARLY she is not well.

While we are on the topic of Anna's behavior, can someone please explain when/why she turned from a cooing, contented, when-all-my-basic-needs-are-met-life-is-golden infant into a fit throwing pre-toddler? I tell you people, this girl can pitch a fit with the best of them. I am not talking about fits because she is hungry and I cannot get her a snack right at that moment. I am talking about, mom I want your cell phone and by God I want it RIGHT NOW! fits. When, tell me when and why, tell me WHY did she make this change? I love her to pieces, really I do, but this new stage is a bit trying.

I suppose that is all the complaining I can and should do this evening. Stay tuned for video of our loony cats and shameless solicitation. You are excited now, I know you are. You can't fool me.

The Divine Mr. S and the Home Alarm System from Hell

Believe it or not, these two topics ARE related. My brother in law has a t-shirt on which you will find a graph relating the presence of pirates in the Caribbean to the number of Twinkies produced in Boston, or some such thing. This post is not like that at ALL. Very funny t-shirt, by the way. Probably my favorite in the collection.

But I digress....

I must, in the least irritating way possible, speak a few words regarding my dear husband. A very dear group of online friends long ago dubbed him "The Prince" and a more apt nickname I cannot fathom. He has received numerous requests to write a book on the subject of how to make your wife happy. I am still nagging him about this ladies, really I am.

The prince, realizing how much I dislike being home alone when he is out of town, arranged for the installation of a home security system this week. What a fabulous idea!! Fabulous, that is, until it became apparent that we had been graced with a shiny new installation person who had no idea what he was doing. A person who cut his hand and held it bleeding profusely over the dishes in my sink while I cleaned, dried and bandaged it. A person who neglected to include an Internet filter and messed up our phone line to the point that I could not work, receive phone calls or otherwise do 95% of what I normally do during a typical day. Very aggravating. And he took 3.5 hours to do this.

Today the Prince called the alarm company in question, demanded that they repair their less than stellar work and had someone at our house within an hour of that call. Score one point for the prince.

Bleeding new guy and semi-experienced other guy showed up an hour later and in a span of just 2 (insert sarcasm) short hours fixed the system so that the phone worked and the Internet was no longer so slow that I wanted to end my own life. PARTY! Prince arrived home shortly after, set the alarm to test it and discovered that semi-experienced other guy neglected to enter the code that allowed us to disarm the system. Huh. Trapped in our house with no food, I could not get to the grocery store due to arrival of bleeding new guy and semi-experienced other guy coinciding with the end of Anna's nap, grumpy children, cranky wife, fussing baby and alarm system that cannot be disarmed...the Prince was in a real pickle this time! True to form, the Prince saved the day with a stern phone call to alarm company and the rapid return of semi-experienced other guy who managed to actually fix the system so that it works! Third time is the charm eh?

The Prince, then realizing that his wife was about 10 seconds from a nervous breakdown, supplied dinner, childcare and then ordered me upstairs for an hour of alone time which I am clearly using to its full advantage.

He also got me THE most fabulous cell phone with ALL the bells and whistles for Mother's Day. PERFECT gift! Esther jokes that I must carry my digi cam around in a holster, now I don't have to! I can whip out my phone and snap those pics and video clips that I know you all cannot live without, but without having to add one more piece of equipment to my already overstuffed purse and/or diaper bag.

What more could a girl ask for?

Truly, the man is amazing. He has been through complete and utter hell this past year. (If you are new to the blog you can find instructions for accessing our old blog and the first half of our story here .) I know that he has battled the urge to give up, become bitter, give into frustration etc. Yet he remains the wonderful, caring, considerate, kind hearted person that I met all those years ago. If anything he is all that and more. I am in awe of the way that he has allowed his experiences to shape him into a kinder and more caring person. I did not think it was possible for him to be more of those things, clearly I was wrong.

Please do forgive the personal and, to some, possibly cheesy nature of this post. I won't do it very often, but in this case it HAD to be said.

Happy weekend to all! May it be fun filled, relaxing and not rainy.

PS Esther, I just want you to know that I am WELL AWARE of your scheme to sway the Qdoba vs. Chipotle vote. You can't fool me woman!

PPS Yes, ultimately the whole alarm fiasco was well worth it. I can now rest easy knowing that no one will be psycho killed in their sleep and that our precious collection of primary colored plastic is secure.

PPPS Does anyone know how to use the mp3 function on my phone? I don't want to buy music off of the Sprint site, I want to upload from my computer. Neither of us can find instructions in the user manual, and despite the fact that we are both fairly tech savvy, we cannot figure it out. All my music is in I-Tunes on my computer, I assume that I need a different program to use with the phone? It is not an I-Phone, it is the Sprint equivalent. It did not come with any software...we are very confused.

PPPPS Anna has finally cut her top teeth. Please, NO warnings regarding how I am going to be mercilessly bitten. I am a firm believer in ignorance being bliss and frankly, I like being surprised so don't ruin it!

Nana's Boutique

Indulge me, if you will, in a little fashion show. My wonderful mom, otherwise known as Nana, has through the years created many fun and lovely items for my kids. I have arranged a few of my favorites into 2 slide shows for your review. If you would like to proposition Nana with regards to some darling, hand made items for your little one(s), shoot me an e-mail and I will send you her e-mail address.

PS A few of these pics show only the item as Anna was thoroughly unimpressed with her short career as a fashion model. The cherries outfit has a matching bag that she pitched across the room. Most of these outfits have additional contrasting or matching pieces, ADORABLE!!

The S Brothers Thoughts on Theology

But first....

Ok people, WHO read my previous post and then went out of their way to vote for Chipotle?? WHO WAS IT? I WANT NAMES!!

While we wait, allow me to regale you with the boys' thoughts on God, heaven and all things spiritual.

Overheard from underneath the dining room table:

Nathan, we are going to have talking time now. When you loose a tooth, God plants a new one and it grows up out of the dirt then it goes from your foot up into your mouth and that is your new tooth.

Where is God Isaac?

God is inside us Nathan.

PAUSE

YOU MEAN GOD IS IN MY STOMACH???

Yes Nathan, God is in everyone's stomach.

Conversation in the car today:

Mommy, when we go to heaven, we can't take all our stuff right?

No Isaac, you don't take your stuff to heaven, but that is ok because you won't miss it in heaven.

PAUSE

But mommy I really love my panda and my bear, I would miss them so much!

[Mommy thinks frantically]

Well, you know what Isaac? I bet that your panda and your bear will be there waiting for you, you can still have them in heaven.

What about baby alive? I would miss her too!

Yes Isaac baby alive will be there too.

What about my cars?

Hey boys! Do you want to have lunch at McDonald's??!?! Yeah that sounds like fun, let's have lunch at McDonald's.

Discussion from about a year ago:
Mommy, it is too hot! Why can't you chance the weather!

Only God can change the weather Isaac.

PAUSE Isaac is clearly deep in thought.

Nuh uh mommy. Rescue Heros can change the weather, I saw them do it on tv.

And there you have it, the spiritual side of Isaac and Nathan. Cute, aren't they?

Still waiting to hear who tipped that vote!

Qdoba is winning the polls! and other pointless news

I KNEW if I left that poll up long enough the results would swing in my favor!!

I am supposed to run a 10K on Memorial Day.

Hmmm.......

I should probably think about going running or something.

Anna has started getting up at 6:30 am. Anyone who is even remotely familiar with me knows that this is bordering on torture in my little world. I thought I would be very smart, put some Cheerios on the family room floor and then lay down and doze while she plays. Ohhhh no! I MUST be sitting up and I MUST be actively engaged with her or she throws herself on the floor and pitches a baby fit complete with head pounding. At any other time of day I would find that endearing. At 6:30 am I want to curl up in a ball and cry. The boys sleep until 8 am on a very regular basis. At this very moment it is 8:53 am and Isaac is still asleep. HOW can I teach this child that mommy does not function prior to 8 am?

Yes, to those of you thinking that I should be the one to adapt and start going to bed earlier, I am well aware of this solution. HOWEVER, 8 pm to midnight are pretty serious work hours for me and I am not sure where I would find those hours if I started going to bed earlier. Before ANYONE says it, and I know that at least 12 of you are thinking it, I really DO accomplish more than a 4 hour IM session with Liz between the hours of 8 pm and midnight. No really, it's true. REALLY.

Lovely Spring Sunday

How happy is the S clan that the weather is FINALLY warm and dry? Take a look at the slide show below and judge for yourself. The evening was supposed to end with a trip to our favorite ice cream spot, but a chilly wind kicked up and we were forced to retreat to our natural habitat.

A question for all you experienced moms out there. How long to you allow the thoughtfully collected cups and glasses full of weed flower bouquets that your children have bestowed upon you sit around? I just cannot bring myself to get rid of them until they are quite old and dried out, but I am just a tad tired of having cups full of mud and sneeze inducing weeds sitting around the house. The fact that I accidentally knocked one over on the formerly fabulous purse that Rachael brought me from New York has NOTHING to do with my asking of this question. Really, it doesn't. sniffle whimper

PS Esther is not nearly as grumpy as she appears in that last pic. I just caught her at a bad moment.

PPS Anna does appear to be feeling better today. She is still quite rashy and moderately fussy, but her appetite for solid food has improved, thank goodness. We will visit with the doctor and get a new antibiotic prescrip tomorrow.

Bowling, Amoxicillin Allergy, 4th Birthdays...Cosmic Connection or Amazing Coincidence?

On Isaac's 4th birthday he was on a round of amoxicillin for a really stubborn ear infection. That morning he woke up covered in a horrible, itchy rash. We planned to take him bowling that day but ended up heading to the pediatrician to find out that he was allergic to the amoxicillin.

Today is Nathan's 4th birthday. We planned to go bowling at the exact same bowling alley. Anna is on a round of amoxicillin to treat a bacterial infection. Guess who woke up covered in a terribly, itchy red rash? Or rather, guess who was up ALL NIGHT LONG, fussing and covered in an itchy red rash?

Poor sweet baby, she is just so miserable. The infection is still causing her to run fevers, she is uncomfortable from congestion, she is itchy, she is hung over from Benadryl, she is tired because she cannot sleep. SIGH I feel so bad for her, it is just so much worse for little ones because you cannot explain to them why they are so miserable and why you cannot make it better.

So anyway, is there a cosmic connection here? IF you are planning to go bowling on a 4th birthday while taking amoxicillin, will you necessarily end up allergic? OR does the amoxicillin allergy on a 4th birthday make you want to go bowling????

Makes ya think doesn't it?

Despite the misery of his baby sister and sleep deprived mommy, Nathan had a lovely 4th birthday complete with bowling, lunch with singing wait staff, a movie with daddy all to himself, dinner on the deck, backyard soccer with daddy and capped off with a double feature camp out on the family room floor. What more can a little boy ask for?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!! We love you so much!

We could have done without the twirling of the mud covered earth worm above your head in the living room and I am afraid that we will have to deduct Aunt Esther's psyciatrist bill from your future allowance...but other than that...

You are a delightful, kind hearted, fun loving little boy and we are so blessed to have you in our lives!

You have come so far since the day you were born. I can finally look back on that day and focus on you and not on how sick you were. It is a great feeling. I love you sweet boy!

Peeved

It has recently come to my attention that there are those in the world who seem to think that my kids are spoiled.

Really?

Well, let's explore that shall we.

For the record, I really do not care one way or the other what the general populace thinks of my parenting skills. This particular issue I see as an attack on both my parenting skills AND my kids, therefore my need to address it.

I have a few trusted sources who I will ask when I have questions, and I frequently do. Jesse and I realize that we are not perfect parents and have a lot to learn.

HOWEVER...

I take serious issue with the word spoiled when used in reference to my children. Many of you know or will soon find out that Jesse and I are intensely defensive of our kids and will go to great lengths to protect them. Spoiled, by definition, implies that something is ruined, no good, worthless, essentially trash.

For the record, the next time someone stands in my home as an invited guest and utters this word in reference to my children, said person will quickly find themselves standing dazed and confused on the sidewalk outside my home.

To answer a few lingering questions:

Are my kids loved? Absolutely?
Do my kids get a lot of attention? Absolutely?
Do my kids have a lot of toys? Yes they do, more than they really need.
Are my kids home schooled? Yes they are.
Is Anna nursing beyond a year? Yes she is.

Do I feel the need to explain any of the above to anyone? No I do not. Frankly, these choices are nobody's business but Jesse's, mine and our children. If you feel the need to object or discuss, I am happy to have those conversations when approached in a respectful manner. We know that we are not perfect parents and that there is always something new that we can learn as we travel the perilous journey of child rearing.

For those of you who are still concerned, rest assured that a significant amount of daily time in the S house is devoted to discussions regarding manners, behavior and a general respect for our fellow mankind, even when mankind chooses to be disrespectful to us. Our kids do not get a new toy every time they go to the store, they do not get a sugary snack 12 times a day, they are not allowed to beat on each other, friends or strangers, they do not run wild, they have rules, they have discipline and as God is my witness I WILL teach Nathan to chew with his mouth closed if it is the very last thing I ever do!

In the future, let's all be sure not to use our own insecurities or envy as an excuse to attack another human being. Are my kids more privileged than some kids? Absolutely. Are there kids in the world who are more privileged than mine? Again, absolutely! Does that mean that I automatically label more privileged kids as spoiled? No, I do not. Does that mean that I expect perfection from a more privileged child? Absolutely NOT!

There you have it, my thoughts on this particular issue.

While all of the above is true, I ask you to also remember that first and foremost my kids are just that, KIDS! They WILL make mistakes, they WILL have trouble sharing, they WILL get into fights, they WILL say words that they are not supposed to, they WILL demand toys and snacks that they do not need and cannot have, for cryin out loud they are KIDS! Please do not demand perfection from my kids or yours. They will learn as they grow but they need room to make mistakes and a guide to help them learn from those mistakes.

We now return to your regularly scheduled joy and mirth of the S Family Chronicles.