Odds and Ends

Here is Mr. Lucas at the bottom of a kiva at Pecos NHP. It is such a cool park! We had so much fun yet again. Dog friendly trails!!!


The boys and I at the bottom of a kiva. I know it looks like Nick is scared but I looked at him right after this picture and he was smiling for the camera - it just didn't turn out.


Here is Mr. Lucas all wrapped up after "Quiet Time". This is when he gets some yummy chocolate milk and a cartoon or two.


And here is yet another time out scenario where Nick puts himself into time out next to Lucas. In case you are wondering, Lucas threw dirt at the dog's face. I am following the advice of this book(the quadrillionth book I've read on discipline) called 1-2-3 Magic and holy cow you guys it seems to be working!! True to the books advice I have found that if I get upset with the kids they keep doing what they are doing and things escalate. So now I just hold up a finger and then two fingers and if the behavior doesn't stop they go to time out. The hard part is training myself to be consistent.



Right after showers. Showers are reserved for nights that my back and AJ's back just can't handle bending over a tub. The kids love them and I figure they won't die if they don't get scrubbed down for one night.

Morning Fun

This was my morning:
4:30 - Nick is awake
5:30 - Finally get Nick to sleep
6:15 - Nick up again
6:45 - Still trying to keep my eyes open
7:00 - Lucas up
7:10 - Everyone is hungry and no one wants to eat what I serve
7:20 - Wrestle children into clothing - any clothing will do, it doesn't have to match
7:25 - Rush to get myself dressed. Forgot to put on the other shoe. Had to return to the chair to get it on.
7:30 - Heading for the door to get Olivia to the pet resort for her "Doggie Day Camp" evaluation - must be there by 8am (more on this later)
7:31 - When the front door opens and the cold air hits me I realize that I have forgotten to put a shirt on. There I stood in my bra.
7:32 - Back to my bedroom to find a t-shirt. Any shirt will do. The dog is bouncing off the flipping walls - THANK GOD I am getting rid of her for the day. Maybe she will come back tired.
7:33 - I forgot to feed the dog breakfast. So I feed her breakfast while loading the kids in the car
7:40 - Drive away - for the resort.

That was only the beginning. Olivia needs to be evaluated for three days if we want her to have "group play" while we are on vacation. This is our last opportunity to get it done before we leave. Except they tell me that she is missing her final Parvo/Distemper shot. So there we sat in the waiting room while they tried to get ahold of the vet. I was not upset about the shot but was mostly upset about the prospect of taking Olivia home for the rest of the day. She was so hyper and I was so tired. Eventually (1 hour later) they let her in once the vet said that she was current. My word doesn't count, they need proof.

They day improved though. Olivia has come back from Doggie Day Camp with a glowing "Campers Report Card". She did great. Two more days of evaluation and she is accepted into group play while we are on our trip.

That . . . sound

There is a sound that babies and kids can make that will cause a Mommy freeze in her tracks and move so fast. . . lightening fast. I first heard the sound when my nephew EJ was just a little guy and we were eating lunch at a restaurant with AJ's sister and EJ. Christina was returning from the buffet with a plate and when she was about 10 feet away EJ, who was seated in the booth across from AJ and I, made that sound. Something was in his throat. I'll never forget because AJ and I never had a chance to move - not a chance. Because Christina was by EJ's side so fast and gave him a swift blow to his back - so fast, way before AJ or I could process what had just happened. And I remember thinking that she was really in tune with her kid to hear just one little tiny sound and immediately identify that sound and REACT to that tiny sound waaaaaayyyyy before anyone else could.

I've heard that sound once with Lucas. And now I've heard it from Nick. Nick had a Tablespoon that he removed from the dishwasher while I was unloading it. I didn't see him take it but I heard that sound when it was jammed into his thoat - hard. He was face down on the ground and it was holding his head off the ground. . . yeah. Scary. I moved so fast. Thankfully he is alright. He immediately took a very long nap and I kept going in and checking on him because I was worried that the trauma might cause his throat to swell up. But thankfully he is alright. And I was reminded about how fast I could move when properly motivated. : )

NM State Fair 2009

We went to the fair today. I forgot how expensive the fair can be. But it was still fun, the kids had a blast looking at all the animals and they went to the petting zoo and Lucas got to ride his first "horse" (really a pony ride) and he was soooooo excited! You can't tell from his pictures because he REFUSED to smile or look happy the entire time he was on the stinkin' pony. But he was just soaking it in and was so proud of himself. It was neat to see him be that excited about something. Nick loved the petting zoo. He got such a kick out of the animals tongues licking his hands. Too bad Nick was too young to ride the pony. But hey. . . it saved us $7!! We saw a pig talent show which was pretty cool and then we saw a dog jumping competition. It is where the dogs jump into a big pool of water after a fake duck. They are judged based on how far out from the dock they land - or in this case whether or not they get into the water at all. Some of the dogs were too nervous to jump. But their owners were pretty cool about it, they didn't try to force the dogs which was nice.

I got a larger than expected thrill from seeing all of the award winning quilts. They were amazing. It has inspired me to try quilting. Some other day though. In the distant future. Once I find the time to actually fold my laundry - then I will try quilting. I have no concept of how long it would take to finish one of those quilts, but the HAND quilted ones . . . were truly incredible. Since I already crochet I think the afghans are more within my reach. I don't think I will be able to crochet anytime soon though because 1) the kids will use the hook as a weapon and 2) they will find my in-progress afghan and unravel it. And forget about hiding it from them. There is no such thing as a safe hiding place in my house - they find everything. Thank God we have a gun safe. Anyway, I didn't get to spend much time admiring the artsy fartsy stuff because the kids were pretty pooped out by the time we found the quilts and they were in full meltdown mode.

Visit to the Corn Maze

We went to the corn maze with my Mom's group. Although we were really late (over an hour late) we still ran into a bunch of the ladies. I had no idea this existed in the fall here in Albuquerque but it does!! And it is so much fun! It will be open for Halloween, and decorated to scare people at night. I think we will come back for that. Olivia is even welcome in the maze. I am so glad we are up here in civilization - even a year after our move I am still so grateful. Lucas had a blast trying to navigate the maze and eventually ended up on my shoulders because it was hot and he was tired. I'll bet you can guess which one is my favorite picture.

Tags

Just a quick note to let you all know that today is hell. Nick's two bottom molars are coming in and they look like molars sitting in his mouth - but with gums over the top of them. VERY PAINFUL looking. Usually teeth break through by now but Nick's gums keep stretching and stretching. . . and he keeps crying and crying.

I sent Lucas to school with a tag hanging off of him. Didn't notice until he came home. Good thing he is too young for other kids to kick the crap out of him for stuff like that. I'm a little embarrassed. And I know I shouldn't be.

Nick and Lucas had Dr. appts yesterday for their normal checkups. Nick is very tall - 95th percentile. He is skinny too but we knew that - 25th percentile. This explains why he fits lengthwise into clothes but constantly has his pants falling off of his butt. He fits into 6-9 month shorts because the waists fit him. This winter he will either be in "capris" (hee hee) or he will look like a gangster with his ass hanging out.

Lucas is in the 50th % for both height and weight. I am apparently not feeding the kids enough milk so I need to step that up a bit. The Dr. actually had the balls to suggest that I buy THREE kinds of milk: whole milk for skinny Nick, 1% for Lucas and Fat free for us. I told her she was crazy and that I will feed everyone 1% or 2% and that Nick can stay skinny. It's not like he is considered too skinny or that he is "failing to thrive". I compromised (not really) and said I'd feed him extra avocados and cheese (which I already do). Seriously she must hate me for being so blunt and obnoxious.

Baaaaad Daughter-In-Law

I will be trying to put a new look on my blog - again. I completely forgot that my Mother-in-law is afraid of frogs. Yeah. I am a really shitty daughter-in-law right now aren't I?

Instead of emailing pics of the kids I put them on the blog. And if she wants to see her grand kids she needs to get onto the blog. And I put a HUGE frog that stares right at you onto my blog. Seeeee? THIS is why I want son-in-laws instead of daughter-in-laws. Cross your fingers that one of my boys is gay.

ribbit.

Don't Forget the Beach Towels

We decided to escape the heat yesterday, Labor Day, and drive into the Jemez Mountains to Fenton Lake State Park. We thought we might stop and get into the water somewhere along the way (there are creeks and lakes scattered about up there) so as we were leaving I hollered at AJ "Don't forget the beach towels . . . just in case!" And this is what we encountered:



Yes. That is a lot of hail. It got worse too. It looked like snow on the ground after a while. It got so bad that I had to pull over because there was so much water on the ground. When we got to Fenton Lake we used the towels for an entirely different purpose than we had imagined. Mud was everywhere. People were everywhere and the bathrooms were unspeakably disgusting. So we left shortly after arriving. And it isn't really a "lake" by my standards. It is more like a "pond".


On the way back down the mountain the kids were climbing the walls and none of the food I had brought with us was good enough to make them SHUT UP, so we stopped and got the kids something they have never had before. Convenience store food. Remember Randy the Macho Man Savage? The Pro-Wrestler with the funky sunglasses? "SNAP INTO A SLIM JIM!!!"


Here is Nick snapping into a Slim Jim.


Olivia was hoping to Snap into a Slim Jim.


AJ was busy eyeing the Triassic rocks (red rocks) for that elusive triceratops skull that he's been wanting. I kept yelling out "oooohhhh I see bones!!" just to mess with him. Of course AJ was kidding about the skull. He kept telling me that he wouldn't settle for a partial skull, he wanted an intact skull.


And here is Nick. I couldn't find him and was looking all over the house . . . and it turns out he was ON LUCAS' BED!! I looked in Lucas' room but didn't see Nick because I didn't think he would be ON THE BED. Apparently I have a little climber on my hands. Lucas' bed is the same height as a normal bed. Pretty tall.


He was reading Lucas' books. In fact he really hates his crib now and has made several nearly successful attempts at escaping. This might mean that he moves into a big boy bed even earlier than I thought. . . sniff sniff. First Lucas and the bus and now Nick getting out of the crib!

Pucker Up

Lucas has a cold that he brought home from school. He denies that he has a cold though. The snot coming out of his nose doesn't exist and therefore he doesn't need to blow his nose (according to Lucas). He is becoming quite the social butterfly though. He has made friends at school and in the neighborhood and he is very proud of this - as he should be.



Nick has been all about the kisses lately. He is adamant that if someone else gets a kiss than he should to, so he comes at you with a pucker. All ready for his kiss.



I swear that my kids do start the day out wearing pants. I usually take pictures at the end of the day though. So to sum up. We do own pants that fit the kids, and they do wear them, you just never see it.



Playing in the sink to pass the time until dinner is done.

Mmmmm. Buldges.

I just went shopping for clothing that I will need for our cruise and an upcoming wedding.

Need I say more?

I need a swimsuit to go snorkeling in and let me just ask the universe a few questions. Who's brilliant idea was it to put HORIZONTAL stripes on a bathing suit? And polka dots? In my size? You have GOT to be kidding. No one wants to see a person in that size wearing a green polka dot bikini!! I think I might just stick to the Archaeological tours and skip the snorkeling. I don't want to be mistaken for the rarely seen albino humpback whale. I'd hear fellow cruisers yelling "Look it is breaching isn't it magnificent. . .wait . . . is that a green polka dot bikini?"


So I moved onto the wedding attire. Dresses. Yes those are safe. Right? No. It has been so freaking long since I have shopped for a dress - much less tried one on that I forgot how to get into them. Is there a zipper? Do I go in from the top? Okaaaayyy. Maybe I go in from the bottom? Do I tie this thing in the front or the back? Holy Freakin' Cow!!! (looking in the mirror) Why in the hell did they put pleats there?? They make me look even larger than I looked naked! Now how do I get out of this thing?

Slacks. I ended up with slacks. Whew. But now I need to get one of those body shapers. You know. The Spanx body shaper. To get rid of my unsightly bulges. If it's good enough for Oprah then it is good enough for me.

Playing in the Rain

Nick noticed it was raining outside and wanted to go play. It was warm enough that I let him run around in the rain. He had a blast. If he could talk this is what he'd have said: "WATER FALLING FROM THE SKY!! SO EXCITING!!"


A few minutes after I took these pictures lightening started striking on the ridge above us so I had to end all the fun. . . . which was sooooooo not a popular decision.


Here's Nick. He is rediscovering his nipples. It is funny every time he notices them. He tries to pull them off.


This is Lucas in timeout for hitting the dog with a plastic shovel. He is upset that I followed through with the timeout. Nick feels that if Lucas is in timeout than he should be too. So he sits in the other corner next to Lucas. AND he screams just like Lucas does. I think he does it to keep him company. And while it does seem mean to take a picture. . . it is really funny when Nick puts himself in timeout with Lucas and cries along with him for no reason. So I had to get it on camera. And no I don't feel bad because we don't hit dogs with shovels in my house.


So you won't think I'm a completely terrible Mommy after the last picture. Here we all are baking chocolate chip cookies. Lucas was very proud that we put him in charge of the eggs because "babies can't hold eggs but big boys can". The kids were doing their nightly meltdowns after dinner so we decided to distract them with baking to keep them from driving us totally insane and holy cow it worked!!


And the best part of baking is the dough!!

Funny

This Guy's funny. The beginning of his Sept. 1st entry is Hysterical!!

Update: This is also a VERY VERY funny website too.

Ummm. Gross.

For all of you non- facebookers: Nick just walked into the playroom and showed me that he had a live cricket between his index finger and thumb. Yayyy for fine motor skills!! But I digress. I reached out to grab it and he promptly popped it into his mouth.

Say it with me now. . . EWWWWWW!

I just let him chew it for a while and then he spit it out and fed it to the dog. Maybe he won't eat another one now that he had a chance to taste it?

Bus Drama

Today Lucas rode the big boy yellow school bus for the first time. He was so proud of himself! He had on the backpack and was waiting just like all the older kids do for the bus, except his bus is a special preschool bus. Lucas doesn't care that he gets on a different bus than the other kids, just that he gets on a bus. So off he went down the isle of the bus to his seat with the aid of an elderly grandfatherly man who had very kind eyes. His name is Tom. Robyn drives the bus and Tom attends to the little ones while in transit.

A few minutes after the bus drove away I heard sirens from somewhere in the neighborhood. So I decided that rather than worry for the next four hours I should just get in the car and investigate. I never found the sirens and I never found the bus. But I did end up at the preschool and I found myself standing in his classroom waiting for Lucas to be escorted through the door. The teacher was very understanding and smiled at me as I stood with three other moms against the wall waiting. And when he came through the door in one piece with a big smile on his face I was so happy for him. His first words to me were that the bus was bouncy.

Nick and I waited for Lucas to arrive home on the bus and at 11:26 am he arrived. The doors opened and I immediately asked the driver how he did. She smiled a big smile and said that he did great. No crying, no fearful looks, just happiness. I started to climb the steps into the bus so I could peer down the isle as Lucas came down. Instead of the smiling child just described to me I saw a twisted little face that had just burst into tears. Tom followed behind Lucas holding his backpack, oblivious to Lucas' sudden bout with crying. The bus driver saw the tears and immediately asked what was wrong. Lucas was unable to tell us what was the matter, he was so upset. He kept pointing back to his seat.

I assumed that he wanted to keep riding the bus so I told the driver that he is probably unwilling to get off the bus because it is so fun. She exclaimed that this is a first for her.

Most kids are happy to be home apparently. I scooped Lucas up from the bus, climbed down the stairs carrying both Nick and Lucas as I kept reassuring Robyn and Tom over my shoulder that he would be fine.

Lucas kept crying and pointing at the bus and Robyn and Tom both had the most concerned looks on their faces. Truly. They were both very VERY worried. I mean picture it: a three year old who burst into tears when he sees his Mom and then gestures frantically, no hysterically, to get back on the bus. It didn't occur to me that they were most likely worried because Lucas didn't want to be home. I thought they were worried because Lucas was being ripped away from his beloved bus ride.

So they reluctantly drove off after several minutes of watching me try to calm Lucas down. They literally watched me for several minutes! Finally I sat Lucas in a chair in the garage and got him calmed down enough to find out that he was upset because he had left his sweatshirt at school. He wanted to take the bus back to school to get the sweatshirt. I told him we would get it on Friday.

But now I have to awkwardly explain to Tom and Robyn on Friday why Lucas was upset - and try to make it look like I'm not concerned about them thinking my three year old hates me and would rather be with strangers all day than at home. I can hear it now: " He has a great, loving home life I SWEAR!! Please believe me!!"

My sister thinks it would have been really funny if Nick had started crying too and had also reached in desperation for the bus driver as I took both boys from the bus. PLEASE LADY!! HELPPPP USSSSSS!!!

this is all so embarrassing.
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Here are the kiddos playing in the dog crate with the dog. Mucho fun.

Flashbacks

There is a person I have reconnected with on Facebook, she was my sister's best friend growing up. She has a little boy who is Nick's age and another little boy who is Lucas's age.

Her youngest, just went into the hospital with a fever, and weird blood counts and all sorts of scary medical terms floating around. They are in the pediatric cancer ward and are terrified for their little boy. I am just sick over this. It brings back so many scary memories from Nick's hospitalization. I remember being alone sobbing in the crappy rocking chair in the hospital room while I held Nick, my baby, and I kept repeating over and over "No. Not him. Not my Nick." I told AJ about Ann and her little Liam and he got so shaken up that he left the room when I told him. We both were so terrified during Nick's ordeal those memories and feelings of terror come back so quickly once you hear about a similar case.

I wrote her a message on Facebook and told her about our experiences and that we were all pulling for her and her baby. She had her sister write back to me (at 12:30 am). She said that what I described matched her experiences to a T. Except that my experience lasted two days. Her's has gone on for over a week now. With no answers yet.

Please send some prayers and good vibes to little Liam. Let's hope this terrible ordeal ends soon. There is nothing worse in the world than watching your child suffer.