I've officially moved. I am not sure if I will import this blog or always link to it. I'm holding out for the day I can export the entire blog... with photos. My new blog can be found at www.motheroftheyearagain.com Unfortunately someone owns motheroftheyear and MOTY... I thought that after four years, yes FOUR years, I was entitled to add "again".
So, please continue to read and send me your comments.
SMOOCHES!
B
Last year we took my niece for a week so that she could go to camp with Reilly. This year, my sister, always trying to "one-up" me (okay not really, she just has much more patience for other peoples children) offered to take Kate AND Reilly so that they could go to a soccer camp with Brenna and Connor. So... she's having an eventful week with the kids and the rain.
We made our own version of the video game Mario Kart. Take your own mode of transportation and race down the driveway and back. Kate gets a 9 second headstart and if you get hit with a ball or a frisbee you must dismount and do push-ups.
WELL I WOULD INCLUDE THE PHOTO BUT IT SEEMS THAT GOOGLE/BLOGGER IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING .NEF FILES. (NIKON)
Reilly wants to know what we do when he goes to bed. I told him it's the most fun we have all day... okay, not really but I showed him these photographs. I'm pretty sure he's confused b/c he wanted to know where the tank was and why Daddy was wearing a swim mask on the moon.
Ahhhhh.... no.... but this morning I put a shirt on to go running Reilly very innocently said, "it looks like there is another baby in there." Thanks Reilly... I need you to read the book about how to win friends and influence people! Okay, maybe we'll save that until you know how to read.
A day that I had been dreading for quite some time. I wondered if today would be the day I would lose my job in the planned workforce reduction at work. I knew if I was fortunate to miss the cycle of layoffs I was bound to lose working with some dear friends. Today was not my day to leave Sun, but it was one of my best friends day among other very dear friends that I have spent the last decade with. Being laid off is one of those things I would not wish on my worst enemy. It's terrible in so many ways and on so many levels including being the ones left behind. Peculiar how that is, but it is. It is inevitable my day will come given how things are going but I really like my job and my coworkers, so I'm thankful that today was not "my day."
Reilly has a small backpacking tent set up in the bedroom because he wanted his own space but didn't want his own room. It's actually been pretty good, thankfully it's small enough to fit in their room. He and Kate each have their own flashlight and she accumulates books over the course of the week and he accessorizes the tent. He has a "kit" for any kind of emergency or situation he thinks might come up. He has his cape, his spy kit, his dog and it's needs, if he could have snacks upstairs - he would. Anyway, so they both have led flashlights and Kate didn't feel hers was bright enough so she yelled down to Shad "Dad, the fire went out inside my light and I need you to fix it".
I don't think she realized it's just batteries.
Mom, when you march really hard on a stool it will really break.
More good talks with Kate.
"Mom, is potty talk bad?"
"Well, we don't like to talk that way in this house, it's unneccessary."
"Oh okay, well is Shake your Booty potty talk?"
Good talks with Kate.
Kate's recital is right around the corner - I am working on my bun and bobby-pin skills! Oh my... who thought I would ever be doing this!
That's what size pants Shea is wearing now. I forgot to tell Kate it's not what size she is wearing - she is convinced these pants are hers when in fact they are her sisters! On Shea they would be down to her ankles. But hey, spandex knickers are in...I'm sure... somewhere in the world!
are cool for me because it's another reason to play "I want to be a photographer". It looked cooler than the photo shows but, hey, it's proof we had a thunderstorm. :-)
They had a good time testing these out at Dougie and Bailey's house. It is not necessary to wear a bathingsuit when using one, it's completely optional.
Oh, and it's camouflaged, so if for some reason you can't see anything but Kate or Reilly and a set of wheels, that's why!
Since the kids wanted to help bathe Shea I thought I would have them really help. So I gave them some soap and told them there was a piece of candy in Shea's neck and if they scrubbed hard enough, they might find it. Okay, not really... but they didn't want to play with her since she was in the sink.
Reilly went to a baseball birthday party today with Shad. He told me he left after the 6th "ending".
For those of you who know me well, you know that I like my camera. I'm always snapping away and always trying to get my lighting just right or the expression that I was looking for. Well, I took a photo the other day in Kittery that I was pretty psyched about - here it is:
So, Shad and I had date night tonight. We went for a bike ride - quick b/c I was feeling lazy and then went to dinner. I got two drinks at dinner for the first time in years! So technically, it's amazing I am typing right now BUT this is what I'm looking at... what's up with that???
Today we went to Kittery to find a couple geocaches and do something new. We ended up running around and playing in the ocean. Reilly is a bit stumped on the Atlantic and Pacific thing - but we're working on it.
Reilly decided that it would be okay to have a boa wrap around his arm at his buddy Dougie's birthday party. Shortly after the photo the trainer peeled the big guy off. Reilly thought it was getting a little tight and he had enough. I was sooooo proud of him for checking it out. He was a bit timid at first.
Kate came in my room this morning with a finger over each nipple. She said to me in a very excited voice, "Mom, feel these!" I wasn't sure what to say, so I said Wow, look what you found.
Nicole bought some lobster yesterday while shopping with the kids. I asked Reilly if he tried it and he said emphatically "NO". When I asked why he replied, "because I wouldn't want you to get sick."
How cute is that? He knows that I'm allergic to shellfish.
is your hero...
Did you ever wonder how it starts? What the catalyst is for someone to find their hero and see everything they do as the "best in the world". Well, Reilly is five and he thinks Shad is all that and a pot of coffee. It's the cutest thing. Tonight, Reilly and Shad went to a Giants game with Grandpa and it solidified his position even more. They sat on the first base line and Shad snagged a foul ball. Reilly thought that was the coolest thing and is sleeping with the ball right now.
So... it's not a salivating dog, but it's quite similar nonetheless.
A few months ago we worked on potty training Kate with a box of stickers and a piece of posterboard representing the days of the week. Eventually this tool set turned into a box of stickers a timer set for 45 minutes and a fruit snack gummy. Over the course of a couple weeks we found that a 45 minute timer and a successful trip to the bathroom was rewarded with not only a sticker of her choice (sometimes one of those free address labels that came in the mail with Shads or my name on it) but an individual fruit snack gummy as well. About two weeks later we were able to just remind Kate that it was time to go and once in a while she would negotiate a sticker or gummy. She would act quite proud of herself and who were we to question this pride. Afterall, if we could get her potty trained, at least during the day - that would leave just one child in diapers during the day. Thankfully now we are at just one child in diapers - cloth diapers this time around - during the day.
This past weekend we were reminded of our potty training process when Shad put a drink in the freezer and set the timer as a reminder. We were having lunch at the kitchen table when the timer went off. I noticed right away when it began to beep that we had Kate's undivided attention - I responded with "Kate, it's time to go to the bathroom" just as we had months prior. She popped up out of her seat and ran to the bathroom. She returned to the table a few minutes later. I was amazed and laughed about how automatic the whole experience had become. About five minutes later the timer went off again and I turned to Shad silently wondering why it went off again - but verbally saying to Kate "time to go to the bathroom". Again, Kate sprung from her chair and headed to the bathroom - I was in hysterics - Shad, defended the need for just five more minutes in the fridge and Kate let us know she didn't have to go again.
I wonder if I can use that timer a couple times a year just for a refresher and bust it out on her first date or something. Hmmmmm.... this could be fun. :-)
Reilly and I talked about him having his own room on the way to school today. He and Kate currently share a room and Shea's crib is in there as well. (although she hasn't spent a night in there yet) I always thought, what fun to share a room - they would be lost without one another. To my surprise, Reilly said "Kate distracts me", "If I had my own room, I could fall asleep a lot easier". These remarks were followed up with "She can really annoy me at times and she talks a lot too."
My response to this: "Okay Reilly when you're going into first grade, it might make sense for you to have your own room." (currently what would be his room is my office, so I don't really want to find a new home for me yet)
R: I'm trying to move you Mom so I can get into bed next to you but you are too big and way too heavy.
K: Mom's not too big she's perfect.
Thanks Kate!
R: No, she's too big Kate, look.
We went to see Illusionist Jason Purdy - Reilly was one of his participants. It was so cute. Who knows how he poured 6 different beverages from one milk carton. He left the milk carton with Reilly - it expired in May of 2006. Hmmmmmm..... bummer they never share their secrets.
Potty Training has been going pretty well for the last month. Today had an interesting "twist":
-My underpants are all wet.
-Did you pee in them?
-No.
-How did they get wet?
-I don't know.
Probably not the first mystery that is going to be part of growing up in our household.
Kate had a princess party for her birthday. She dressed as Cinderella and we bought her a Cinderella necklace to go with her outfit. She loves this necklace, then again, so does Reilly.
Today I was getting an outfit for Reilly because we were running late. I picked out his Spiderman boxers from his underwear draw and underneath them I found the Cinderella necklace.
I'm confused? What was Cinderella doing with Spidey in and underwear draw. Do I dare ask Reilly to explain?
So Kate turns three today. I started singing Happy Birthday to her when she was waking up, her response was "No, I don't want to be three yet, how about tomorrow".
My theory is that she knows that since she's three it's time to "send" her pacifiers to that little baby in California who needs them now. It worked for Reilly, hopefully it works for her.
We have a rule in the minivan (yes for those of you who don't know... the MINIVAN) if the ride is longer than an hour we can use the dvd player. (okay, and sometimes when I'm tired of listening...I turn it on for some peace and quiet)
"Dad, can we watch Cars"
"Let's ask Mommy when she gets here"
"Dad, is Mommy the boss of the van?"
"Ummm... Mommy's the BOSS of everything"
"Oh..."
Well, that would be more fun if it were true. Worth a chuckle nonetheless.
Kate opted to give her Easter outfit her own personality hence opting out of the traditional patten leather shoes and Easter hat.
Reilly, Kate and I were having a discussion about birthdays this morning.
R: Mom, are you all done having birthdays?
M: No, birthdays happen every year.
K: All the time?
M: Yes, all the time.
R: So.... when you don't have birthdays anymore you will be dead?
Hunh... I guess that's true - in a morbid way - yet that's how a child can understand it.
Last night Kate and I went on a trip to Target... just the two of us. On the way home we had this conversation:
Mom, I'm going to take my shoes off.
Kate, we're almost home, why don't you leave them on.
No, I'm going to take them off.
Kate, please leave them on.
I'm taking them off.
Kate, listen to my words.
I'm listening but I can't hear you talking.
I guess I lost that one - it's a bit like "You had me at hello". How do I respond to that?
Hey everyone look at Shea sitting up in a Bumbo chair for the very first time. Isn't it neat, hey Kate check it out... ummmm, excuse me, who is the guy in the background and what is he doing in our house?
Kate was a tagalong today at Reilly's learn to skate class. Since it is the end of vacation week and we're in the middle of a snowstorm we thought it might be quieter than normal at class today. It was and Kate had the opportunity to follow in her brothers footsteps... sort of.
Kate repeatedly asked me this morning where her tard was? I was perplexed, confused and not wanting to assume what a Tard was. After much prodding and prying she committed that it was for her ballet class. Ahhhhhh.... a leoTARD, she doesn't realize there is a leo in her tard. :-)
Who knew that you could love three kids in such different ways. I'm learning more and more about my kids every day and I adore them more and more every day. Kate makes me laugh all the time. She is stubborn and independent but incredibly unique and optimistic. Last week as we sat in my bedroom at Grampa's she blurted out, "I really like the pictures in here, especially that one" as she pointed to a pencil drawing of eskimos doing a circle dance. She is always so proud of herself for her accomplishments whether it's taking a nap, finishing a glass of milk, pulling on her pants or going poop in the potty. In her way, she's inspirational and her attitude is contagious to those around her. I admire her so much.
Reilly, now he's the most sensitive and caring old soul I have ever met. He has concern for everyone and everything and is always looking forward for what is next. People say it's because he's the first child, I believe his traits are more than that. He's compassionate and has an amazing sense of humor. He wants to spend all his time creating things, making things or acting out some character he has seen in a book, on tv or someone he wants to be. He is curious to learn - but mostly through other people. He wants us to read to him, to spell words so he can write them, he wants to play UNO or TRASH all the time and wants to make the rules flex to suit his current hand. He's an amazing boy now, he's no longer just my little guy - he's my friend.
As for Shea... I'm learning more about her with each passing day. Right now, we exchange smiles and I love to listen to her coo and try to laugh. As I sang to her in Church last week, she sat in her car seat and smiled... the woman behind me said, "I just watched you sing to your baby... and the way she looked at you was.... indescribable". That was so awesome...
This morning Reilly and Kate asked for some cereal. Reilly asked for Krispies and Kate wasn't sure, so we went thru the list:
Peanut Butter Puffins?
no
Gorilla Munch?
no
Krispies?
no
O's?
no
Honey Comb? (purchased at about month 5 of pregnancy on a whim and most likely VERY stale)
okay
I pull the box out of the pantry and reach my hand in to find a rolled up bag with not even enough cereal for a bowl full. As I am pulling it out Reilly says "that's real fashion cereal". Confused, I said, "it's what?" Real Fashion cereal Mom... although he could not explain what he meant - he implied that it was the kind other people had.
I thought it was a pretty cute expression "Real Fashion" as opposed to??
We are trying to keep Shea up to help her adjust back to the East Coast time vs West Coast - I have enlisted Shad's help on this. I really, selfishly, want to go back to sleeping through the night as we had been prior to the trip. No she's sleeping the same amount of simultaneous hours, they just don't overlap my sleeping hours - so we're trying to refine.
In our efforts Shad opted for tummy time - we wondered how long it would last. Oh, I'd say about one minute although we tried for two. Shea let Shad know that this was unacceptable to her. She screamed at him and he tried to talk to her - she had nothing to do with that. He gave her a pacifier, she talked to him from behind the silicon with an angry tone. He tried the swing and turned it up, she got wide eyed and continued her grunts and groans.... better him than me!
or so my children seem to think. Most everything that Reilly discusses with me I am wrong, he actually knows the answer - his version of the right answer. I'm finding that Kate is adopting this style as well.
Tonight we were driving home from skiing and there is a house that we pass which recently burned. Reilly asked "where is the burned house?" I said "it's not on this road, it's on the next road, Old Wilton Road". He replied, "No, it's on this road, it's coming up", I repeated my earlier reply. He said "no.... it's coming up Mom, you'll see".
He was wrong, it was right where I had said.
Just the latest example, I think I'll add more as they happen.
"Don't play ball in the house"
Well, we weren't throwing a ball we were throwing Kate.
Then of course Reilly wanted to play too!
While in the car after hours and hours of traveling...
Shad: Shea smells
Me: Yah, she needs a bath.
Reilly: What does she smell like?
Kate: Like grapes or something? or maybe apples?
Ahhhh, yah Kate... that's it. Grapes or Apples.
Kate's favorite words. No matter what you say to her, if it's something she doesn't like or didn't want to hear, her first response is... "I just...". For example:
Kate, please don't step on the dog.
I just walking on her.
Kate, please give Reilly back his car.
I just using it.
Kate, please stop touching Shea's head.
I just feeling it.
Kate, can you please get up in your carseat?
I just looking at Reilly's.
Kate, can you please go potty.
I just can in a minute.
It's her world... we're all just living in it with her.
According to MerriamWebster : continuing or following without interruption.
The word defines Kate... she talks incessantly. Those of you who know us knows that she takes after her Dad. I am so soft spoken and shy that I know it is his trait. ahem
Anyway, she talks and talks and talks whether you are paying any attention to her or not. If you are talking to someone else she just chooses a few words from yours to repeat and try to become part of the conversation.
Another approach she has happened this morning, it went like this:
Kate: "Reilly"
silence
Kate: "Reilly"
silence
Kate: "Reilly"
silence
Kate: "Reilly, answer me"
sigh
Kate: "Reilly Andrew, I'm talking to you, answer me"
Reilly: "What Kate"
Kate: "Ummmm, ahhhhh, I don't know"
Reilly had is ski lesson today. There are a couple little guys in his class - as everyone readied themselves for the upcoming hour, I helped Reilly get his skis on. We started moving toward the lift and he said:
"I have to go the bathroom." Oh man... I was ready to ring his neck b/c we had already gone. I said "Are you serious" which is really a dumb question because with children it usually doesn't come out of their mouth unless it's true. So the next 7 minutes went like this:
Okay, hurry, come on.
scamper scamper (tough in ski boots)
into the ladies room
Mom, can you take off my mittens?
No, I'm going to help you.
I take down his ski pants and two pair of long underwear and the SpongeBob boxers, I line him up and expect him to just go.
Mom, I can't concentrate like this.
delay.... delay....
Phew, with that short delay we were back out on the slopes in just a few minutes.
Sounds like a dirty word, doesn't it? It's actually the little ski place down the street where Reilly is in a preschool program. Today was his first day, I wasn't sure how he would do since he's only really skied with Shad and last year was when he broke his leg skiing at this mountain. However, his sister, Kate that is, positively reinforced him on the way over:
Kate: Rye, you are going skiing
Reilly: Yah
Kate: You falled last time
Reilly: Yah
Me: That's okay people fall all the time when they are learning to ski.
Reilly: Yah Kate Mom falls when she skis.
Kate: Yah, but Rye, you fall A LOT.
silence and frost heaves... more silence and more frost heaves...
He skied for an hour with other kids his age. It went well. They stayed on the magic carpet the whole time and Reilly was "assisted" by the instructor most of the time. But, whatever works, we don't want him to be intimidated by skiing since he got hurt doing it.
Afterward he had a BIG smile on his face, rosey cheeks and was thrilled. He was also so excited to be able to wear his ski jacket with his lift ticket on it to school.
NOTE: Thankfully Nannie could help me today, I'm not sure how I would have done it with a stroller/infant, a toddler and Reilly that needed help with all his equipment.
As Kate and I lay in bed today with Shea - we discussed what the day held in store for us.
Me: Today we're going to clean this room. said in a high pitch to make it sound fun and exciting
Kate: Can I help?
Me: Of course, that would be great!
Kate: Shea has hands, but she can't help.
pause
She has feet but she can't walk.
She can't walk down the stairs.
Shea can't help us.
You've got to appreciate such thoughtfulness.
says Tacky the penguin.
Reilly asked where which restaurant we were going to for dinner, I asked him to guess (since we only go to four different ones that the kids will eat at AND that are kid friendly). He began guessing then had this to say: "I know it's Sunshine on the Iceberg".
Shad and I looked at one another, wondered what the heck he was talking about and he broke into a story about Tacky the penguin, apparently one of the books he is reading at school.
We're still in the dark, but he's got us curious now.
It's fun to watch Kate and Reilly since the birth of Shea. They were close before since they share a room but they seem to actually be friends now - playmates. Shad and I love to watch them talk, play, share, veg and more. Kate has a maternal way about her, even at two. She's constantly checking on Reilly, repeating what we say (as though he didn't hear), correcting him, and generally watching over him. He adores her and compliments her on things she does. They are also the first to tattle on one another - specifically at bed time. Some nights they spend two hours tattling on each other, playing, reading, giggling, playing flashlight tag and more things that get them into trouble.
All that being said it's been so great to watch them grow closer to one another and growing in general. With Shea part of our family now, the two of them seem much older and appear to grow inches each day!
He spends most of his free time at school making books, here is a photo of him and his latest:
Reilly just told Shad that he loves Tom Brady as much as he loves Shad. Shad replied with "is it the same kind of love?" (total set-up in my opinion) and Reilly replied with a "yes, the same kind of love".
Okay, well Happy First Month of life in the outside world. For her birthday, she went on her first run with Daddy. Here she is all bundled up and ready to go. Apparently she slept the entire time, when she got home, she got placed on the ottoman and did not move for another thirty minutes. I think she likes the fresh air, and like most other newborns motion is good too!
I played soccer twice this week. I wanted to get out and do something that brought me back to what I thought of as "my old self" - just so I knew it was still there... somewhere. Shea and the kiddos hung with Dad for the two and a half hours while I was out. Shea was challenged with a bottle during these times, thankfully, she did okay.
I played with my "chick" team on Monday and the coed team on Tuesday. I found that my head really knew what to do but my body could not keep up. Three weeks after her birth, it's about what I expected. What I didn't fully expect but got a chuckle out of - in hindsight of course - was the loss of bodily fluid during exercise. Not only was it feeding time, I was reminded of why kegels are important and how pelvic floor muscles are more important than I gave them credit for. Oh... not even forty yet and dealing with the issues of my mother and grandmother. How sad...
Regardless, of my premature exercise, it felt soooo good to be running around again. It makes me so happy to run around not to mention being able to do it with friends.
