Feeding a Baby

Reilly: Mom I know why your nibbles are fat.
Mom: Why?
Reilly: Because they have all the milk in them.
Mom: Ahhhh..... uh huh.

Welcome...

It must have been a result of my eviction, because our third child joined us less than 24 hours after the post. We have been blessed with another daughter, Shea, to our family. Oddly, labor began at 3:30am when I woke to a pain (contraction); my eyes popped open to find Kate standing inches from my face stroking my hair. I was confused and thought it was a dream - Kate rarely is up before the sun. I brought her back to bed and went back to sleep - curious if this was the onset of labor... finally. About 30 minutes later I woke again to a pain, I opened my eyes and as I stared at the door, Kate came walking in once again. She knew... she just knew...

We all hung around the house as my labor progressed and I passed time upstairs while Dad and the kids hung out downstairs. I cleaned more than I had in months... I think Shad was wishing I went into labor more often. Somewhere around 8am I told Shad to "GET the kids to school". I called my MD who told me to come into the office at 11. I found that to be odd as I had not done that in the past, but I agreed. 11am finally came around and we went to the md office. I found some pleasure telling the woman checking me in when she questioned my appt time that I was "in labor". Shad and I walked up the three flights of stairs to my OB's office and waited for her to be free. She checked me and sent me to the hospital - I was 5cm. It was 11:30 by the time we were in our room and I was sitting on a ball in a hospital gown. Over the next 4 1/2 hours Shad and I breathed together, I screamed, and Baby Shea arrived. (of course this is the abbreviated version, email me if you want the full version) Her arrival was different than the arrival of the other two. Not better or worse, but different.
She has a full head of dark hair, and weighed 7lbs 15ozs. Over a pound more than the last two.

Eviction Notice

What I once referred to as the "home stretch" apparently was not at all. I'm sitting here like a butterball turkey still waiting for #3 to make his/her grand entrance into the world. I can think of a number of reasons this child has not made it's way through the tunnel, but I'm sure aside from the fact, it's just not time, there isn't a good reason. My theories, however, still are worth considering:

1. Because of my lack of patience and tolerance the child on the inside hears a lot of whining and crying from the siblings on the outside and a lot of dog barking and whining.
2. Again, because of my lack of patience and tolerance the child hears much yelling on the outside and wonders why he/she would want to be there to hear it on the "other side" at least from where he/she is sitting, it's muffled - perhaps like when you go underwater in the bathtub and someone starts talking to you.
3. Oreos won't taste the same through breast milk.
4. It's been snowing and it's cold outside - it's warm on the inside.
5. Christmas is just around the corner, why not wait.
6. The other two kids got to make their mark in different ways on their way to the "outside" world, so this one figures that 10-12lbs would be a good way to make sure he/she is always remembered.

Oh, perhaps it's a little bit of all those things - then again it's likely none of them.

The Home Stretch

#3 is almost here - technically he/she is not due to arrive until 11/30 but intuition tells me it may be sooner. The kids are getting pretty anxious and in some ways it is showcased through their uncanny ability to "not hear" Shad and I as well as their knack of mastering the art of "crying/whining" when they are not getting their way.
Shad and I are truly challenged with keeping our patience these days. It's been a test to say the least. Fortunately, for the most part, when one of us is feeling impatient the other is patient. I would tip my hat to me being more of the former than that of the latter.

The kids have both attended "sibling" classes at the hospital so they can have some insight into what is to come. It's funny when I think about it Reilly is always going to be the "oldest" no matter how many members of the family come - but we are creating that not so envious position of "middle child" with Kate. She will now become the middle child and will either be the only girl or will have a sister. It's really an interesting thing to change the whole family dynamic - for better or for worse.

Shad and I are looking forward to the coming weeks to understand how we have done so...

Chick Mornings

Shad has been taking Reilly to school for the past few months which means Kate and I can have our "quality bonding" time in the mornings. The past couple mornings I have tried to get her to lay in bed just a "little longer". Verbally she'll commit, but as soon as she lies down she says "I need juice" and I say that I'll get it in a minute - to which she then replies "and dinner - I need dinner now too."

We don't last more than about 20 minutes b/c the demands just keep coming and it defeats the purpose of trying to get an extra few minutes.

Perspective

So... Kate is into dressing herself. I let her get whatever she wants out of her draw and typically only provide climate driven feedback. So, some days she has on 4 shirts and other days she wears her pants backwards. Typically the clothing does not match but occasionally she get something that at least looks like a coordinate set - either way, she's expressing herself, so I think it's cool. Well... I did... until this morning. The shirt she chose has a quasi neck tie - it's a piece of ribbon that appears to allow you to close the shirt at the neck but it's truly an accessory and has no function at all. Kate asked me to tie her shirt, I did. Apparently incorrectly... she untied it and asked me to do it again. I took the two ends and made a bow... I was wrong...again. Repeated step #1 again, this time I created tears. I asked what she wanted and she said a bow... after about the 7th time I picked her sobbing body off the floor and started showing her the zipper on the sweatshirt she had chosen.

Thankfully the distraction worked b/c the shirt was fine from that point on. Phew....

What's new in Kate's World

So Kate has her own way of speaking... a sampling of her words and expressions are below:

Darn It
You okay Rye
Top Tarts
Tolka Dots
Tay doh
Teese Car

Things she loves to do:
I go to ballet class.... Friday
I color
Brown Bear Brown Bear What do you See? I see a Green Bird looking at me?
I go with you?
I do it
I get my clothes
I brush teeth
I read books... train books

Mine Rye... it's mine. Das my Mommy.

I want my Mommy.

Photo Day

Reilly proudly selected his outfit for today and styled his hair. :-) Kate just went along for the ride.

He appears to be the next Alex P Keaton... or maybe Troy Bolton. Who knows.

Shrinkage

Mom, if I put this shirt in my draw for a really really long time, it will shrink and then it will fit.

But the pool is closed

Around 10:30 the other night, the kids had been in bed for a few hours, Shad heard someone walking upstairs. He went up to find Kate standing in front of her dresser with her bathing suit on. "I want to go swimming."

Shad put her back to bed and let her know the pool was closed. She had nothing to do with his opinion and insisted on asking me. I let her know the same - oddly she fell asleep after my confirmation.

2 versus 3

These past few weeks have been a big test for us. Reilly has adopted a new personality that involves crying and sobbing at many corners. We attribute it to being back in school, our best friends moving out of state, darkness coming at 6:30, the impending third child among other things. Kate has been having her challenges too - if Shad even looks at her the wrong way she screams and comes running to me. (much like I did with my Dad) If I'm around she's attached to me - and wants to do everything with me. (which I am loving) Nonetheless, we are being tested in ways we have not been tested to date. It's been challenging as of late.

At dinner the other night they both hated what we having. Reilly was sobbing uncontrollably about it (we are working hard on the diet and the mealtime in our house) and Kate was just sitting quietly observing. Reilly walked by her chair and she leaned over and hugged him... patted him on the back and said "you okay Rye?" Shad and I just watched for the ensuing 2 minutes where they just embraced. It was the cutest thing and it made us truly appreciate our family and that we have two kids that are learning to love one another.

Kate was so perceptive to know that Reilly was sad. Reilly was so happy to have someone to give a hug to that wasn't Shad or me.

We're excited for number three to arrive, yet still nervous at the same time.

Finally... it's gone....

Well, that flu that swept through our house has finally taken it's toll on the entire family - minus the dog (knock on wood). It's been a long week of buckets and bathroooms. Thankfully it didn't last more than two days for each one of us. Ugh... it was a killer though. And, it was Reilly's first experience like that - he was a bit amazed and proud about the noises his body can make. Actually he hasn't stopped talking about it. I guess this is where boys become boys!

Ewwwwww..... Gross

Reilly and I were headed to preschool the other day and this was our "fruitful" conversations.

Reilly: "I just burped and my juice came up"
Me: "oh"
Reilly: "I swallowed it again and it was warm"
Me: silent... disgusted... but empathetic

Some kind of bug

Shad woke up to sounds of choking last night and ran into the kids bedroom where he found that Kate had vomited ALL over the place. I walked in seconds later to a stench (got to love that sniffer during pregnancy - can you say magnify x100!) that was as foul as they come. Upon some sheet changing and pajama removing we realized the vomit was cold - and she had obviously been sleeping in it for some time. We went into divide and conquer mode - since it WAS 3am. I put Kate in the bath and Shad stripped the bed. It seemed the entire bottle of febreeze wasn't going to help the smell. GROSS!

I stayed home with Kate today - we had one close call where she almost lost it on my new work laptop. Otherwise she was good and she slept a lot. Both Shad and I agreed though we smelled the smell ALL day!

Hopefully tonight goes a little better.

dehdehdehdehdehdehdeh bagel

This is Kate's latest way to have a long conversation. She gets on the phone and says "Nannie... dehdehdehdehdeh coming over?" OR "Mommie.... dehdehdehdehdeh Reilly's hat". Normally I can piece it together and figure out what she's getting at - but it cracks me up b/c she has been speaking in complete sentences for a while. I think she's itching to have more focus on her and wants to feel as long winded as the rest of us. (Especially her Dad!)

Labor Day Weekend

I'm thinking that Kate is not learning from Reilly - you tell me if you feel otherwise.

We did a little hike up to Lonesome Lake in the White Mountains this weekend. Reilly hiked all by himself and Kate hiked about 1/3 of it. We had a great time!

Josh Baskin

Hey... what's wrong with this picture?

No He's Not 16

but he thinks he is....

I wonder how long Kate will want to be his passenger, I suspect not very long.

Dog versus Fish

When Reilly and I went to talk to his new fish Ella last night he asked if we could take her out for a walk.... ummmmm....

She's not really like Nandi Reilly. I don't think a walk would be what she wants.

Ella's in the HOUSE!

Reilly got a belated birthday present from Auntie Amber, Ella and Grace today. It is a one gallon fish tank. We set it up today and went to the store to pick out a fish. Reilly and Kate are just so excited - Reilly named his fish Ella and after only about 15 minutes has Kate calling the fish Ella too. Here is another one of our infamous phone photos of her.

Concept of Time

Reilly's questions about time.

Is that a "long hour" or a "short hour".

I never know how to answer that one so I base it on how eager he is for the time to pass by.

Summer Camp

Today was the first day of summer camp for Reilly and his cousin Brenna. I dropped the two of them off with their big backpacks and their bathing suits on. In their instructions they are required to bring a backpack that they can carry by themselves. Put a towel, lunch box, spare clothes and a jacket in there, and it can be quite big. So... it was actually like their backpacks were taking them to camp. I can't wait to hear how it goes.

FIVE!!!

Reilly turned five and we had a little pool party for him. We invited five friends and had some family. I MADE THE CAKES! I have to say, they came out pretty good for a rookie.

She's Absent...

Okay, well, not really. Summer has been so busy for our family and everytime something funny or cute happens I say to Shad, "I need to blog that", but at the end of the day when I start to wind down... it just doesn't happen. Being pregnant in the summer sucks I decided - carrying this extra weight and losing my breath each time I walk up a step... yes, A step is a bit disconcerting. But, we're all looking forward to #3. We told the kids a little while ago and Kate was like "whatever" and Reilly just hoped it would be a boy so he wouldn't mess up his stuff like Kate currently does.(little does he know, it has nothing to do with gender!)

Reilly is growing so fast these days he's no longer my "lil guy". He bosses me around like I boss him around which is quite a challenge and he wears my watches and my socks - yes, he really is almost FIVE. He is by far one of the nicest and most thoughtful little guys you could imagine, which I just adore.

Kate on the other hand still believes that the world was put here just for her. She continues to make us smile and laugh with every move and I now, better than ever, understand why my brother - who is #2 - is adored the way he is. #2 is a real good spot.

Here is the latest youtube release on Kate's dance class, it's short so don't leave the computer or you'll miss it. She is the best toe tapper I have ever seen!

Spitting Image...

NOT! Kate and I look alike but I think at this age I probably had handmedown baseball uniforms. We are trying to give Kate some hope of being chickie - she will likely be in a hockey rink or climbing a mountain before she knows it.

Elite UK

Reilly is at soccer camp with his friend Owen this week. They are two of the younger ones in the half day program but they seemed pretty content just chasing one another around during the scrimmages. The coaches brought them in at the end of the day and had them sit in rows by team. Reilly, I noted was sitting in the "England" row, and Owen was in the "Japan" row. Each kid was given a homework assignment for the night "research something about soccer in your country". The coach then pointed to Reilly's row and said in his cute little British accent "Does anyone know the name of a player on the England National Team?" No response from the row - then Reilly, the smallest guy sitting in the front raises his hand and says "I do". The coach says "Great Reilly, who is a player on the England National Team" Reilly replies "My Mom."

Although I suspected he was going to say Beckham since it's the only player he knows - I thought it was the cutest thing ever that he thought I did. The coaches however, thought it was the funniest thing they had ever heard.

Happy 4th

The fourth was celebrated in political fashion here. We went to a local parade and watched fire trucks, political demonstrations, preschools, bagpipers, and of course a line of people representing the candidates and their issues. Bill Richardson was the only presidential candidate that was worth mentioning. Reilly got tagged by the campaign teams as you can see in this photo -he just thought he was collecting stickers. :-)

Debate Team

I was never on it... although my Dad always told me "You would argue with the Pope." After today I feel like I'm going to get beaten down by arguing two and four year old children. They would both argue with the Pope, and I suspect that one if not both would win.

It's been a very tiring day in that way... from the wet sheets, to the 30 minute wardrobe malfunction, to shutting fingers in the door, to yelling at me from the opposite side of the house about something as simple as a matchbox or a cup of juice. And I WANTED THREE, what was I thinking... UGH. I'm glad today is over and tomorrow is another day. Mornings really suck sometimes...

Elmo goes to school

Kate wore "big girl underpants" for the first time today. Guess who was on them? Yup, ELMO! I told her not to let Elmo get wet... I'm not sure she understood. She did pretty well for a few hours then "ooops".

Maybe another day.

Mr Sun Sun...

Mr Golden Sun... Please Shine Down on Me.

Reilly was singing this at the top of his lungs on the way home from school. The skies have been gray all afternoon with scattered thundershowers. He was singing at the top of his lungs, over and over again - then he blurted out "Daddy, it's working!!!!!!"

Thanks Kate

As Reilly stood at the counter and blew his nose, he used multiple tissues. Kate finally said to him "Rawley, you are makin a mess!"

I'm not really sure what that meant - if it was an audio mess she was referring to or a physical mess.... Hmmmmm.

Who's the King of the Castle?

I was talking to Reilly this morning and our conversation turned into this:
"Reilly, I am the Queen of our house and you are the Prince"
"No,we're not"
"Yes, we are, how come you think we're not?"
"Mom, you're not a Queen, you are not dressed like one"

Hmmmmm... I don't know what is wrong with yoga pants and a t-shirt. Hmmmm... was he expecting a gown, if so, it's not happening.

Love and Praise

Good Job _____________ (fill in the blank).

This is Kate's favorite thing to say to whomever is in the restroom at the time. She is so proud of anyone using the potty - now if we could just get her to do it more consistently. :-)

Congrats Michael!

Hopefully you're graduation went well yesterday and we're sorry we didn't make it down. It was a 5 year old double birthday party that took over the afternoon. Good job and good luck at Catholic U.

The Writing on the Wall

which Kate was SO proud of herself for. Kate approached me (Sat am) holding her red crayon and excitedly said "I draw on the wall for you". I seriously shreiked... not something I could be proud of her for and it became something I screamed at her for... Kate took her little red crayon and drew on the window sill and the sage green wall in the dining room. I was so mad (although I think my lack of patience was perpetuated by me being home alone with the kids for two days - Shad had an adventure race in VT). I immediately sent her to the naughty step and finished getting ready for his classmates birthday party which was to start ten minutes from the current time. It was really a whole morning of issues.... anyway about two minutes later I had taken my deep breaths and went to retrieve Kate from the stair. Oddly, she was not there... I called her and she told me she was in the bathroom getting bath toys. I remarked in a sharp tone, "you come back and sit on the step." She whimpered yet complied.

On Sunday morning we were downstairs together - she looked up at me and said "No draw on walls, only paper". I picked her up and hugged her and asked if she would like some paper. Kids can be so cute... it's a killer.

NOTE: Magic Eraser takes crayon off sills and off painted walls. Thanks Cole.

Plastic Babies

Kate has been carrying around her doll these days - taking care of the baby - which I often think is a direct reflection of her experiences. Today she rocked the baby in the chair, she took her to go potty, she held her (by the head...), she talked to her, she blew her nose, she sat with her on the couch, she watched tv... then she said "baby hit me". No sooner had the baby hit her did she have to go sit on the naughty step and was lectured about hitting people.

Hmmmmm.... perhaps she'll be a good big sister one day.

Cold Sweats

Reilly, Kate and I were driving home the other day and suddenly Kate arched up in her car seat and yelled "POOP"... I turned to see her eyes bright red and watering and her forhead with a new crease in it as she struggled. I said "do you have to poop" and she let out a "yahhhh" "ohhhh" "poop". I thought perhaps since we were less than a mile from home she might be able to hold it. I said "Oh Kate you can hold it, let's do a cleansing breath". Reilly, who has done cleansing breaths with me for a few years joined right in... in through the nose, out through and sometimes with an audible response. Kate acoompanied us in no time. I thought it was too much since she just whimpered from the back seat. I felt bad.

We pulled up the driveway, I parked the car and yanked her out and ran to the bathroom... expecting to find a big mess. I was shocked to see a small mark in the Princess pull-up that she is so fond of and a job that was in process waiting to finish. I dropped her on the potty as quick as I could and praised her for her will. She was pretty proud of herself, I could tell. She said "good job Kate".

Reilly came running in and said "is she okay and did she poop". I said nope, tell her she did a good job. He went in the bathroom, put his hand on her shoulder and said "Kate, I am SO proud of YOU!" She said "dank you rawley".

Dumbadeedah Dumbahdeedah

Why did the turtle cross the road?
He didn't because we interrupted him.

On the way to school today we found a big turtle crossing the road. Aware of it's rapid pace Reilly and I decided to unload and go watch him walk across the street. Our presence, I believe, made him return to the direction from which he came, but I don't think that was a bad thing. I couldn't imagine a destination for him in the direction he was heading... then again, I'm not a turtle so I have no clue where he wanted to be. :-)

What you don't see here is Kate who had the death grip on the back of my leg. She was not getting any closer!

Note: It's time to start bringing a camera with me instead of this phone...

How Big?

Once again, not a great photo but I'm still thankful to have a phone during these times...


Reilly was fishing for the first time this weekend with his friends Brendon and Maggie. It was more of "drop the line off the dock and see what will bite." Well... lots did, in a matter of 20 minutes he had probably caught five fish. The first four were sunfish and the last was a bass. I don't think Reilly knows that fishing is not typically this easy, but... it was cute nonetheless.

Like Father... Like Son

The more and more these two hang out the closer they get. It's pretty darn cute.

Saturday Night Lights

This photo isn't the best, it was with the phone and in low light. But... you get the energy.

On Saturday night we went to our first hockey game with the kids. It was part of the Calder Cup playoffs. The game had fireworks, loud music, it was dark to kick it off, and the kids hated the first 15 minutes. Kate conceded after a little bit and accepted that she was going to watch the game with us, from my lap. Reilly got involved once he got to see the Zamboni's and he was featured on the big screen dancing in between periods. Shad and I were excited they transitioned so we got to see the whole game. It was the first time in a long time we have actually had to pay to go to a hockey game. Bummer.

Smirking all the way

Reilly came home from school yesterday and came to me with the biggest smirk on his face, and something behind his back. I looked at him, smiled, and said, "hi... why are you smiling so much?, What are you up to?" With even a bigger grin, he brings his hidden treasure out from behind his back....

I said "what is..." and before I could finish, he said "these are the people I want to invite to my birthday party".

Funny thing is, his birthday isn't for a while. He had all these little guys sign this sheet, and he came home and read the names to me and told me why they should be there.

I'm not sure how I can say no. Then again, I'm not sure why this exercise took place.... several months prematurely. :-)

Hiatus.... or Vacation

Reilly and I headed to San Fran on the 5th for two weeks. I spent a week working and during that week Dad and Kate joined us. So, the four of us have been hanging out at Grandma and Papa's - swimming in the pool and playing in the yard. It's been a week of little computer use, hence my absence. Give me a couple days and I'll be back with a recap.

Happy Mother's Day

On Mother's Day we trekked over to the beach to take a photo of the kids, the big kids and the whole family (including the outlaws like me) to give "Papa" for his birthday. This is one of the photo's that struck me - mainly because of the bug on Kate's forehead, the consumption of sand by Grace and the obvious biting bug on Ella's neck - of course Rye is posing!

I know how to spell....

seatbelt buckle without looking. Reilly said to me on the plane yesterday. I said great, let's hear it.
L
I
F
T
I smiled and said, good job, that actually spells "lift" and together we looked at the word on the buckle. I explained that it was telling him how to take his seatbelt off. He thought that was pretty cool.

Kleenex and Chapstick

Got to love those "brand names" that are generic.

Why are kids fascinated with these things? I recall when Reilly went through the phase, he was just like Kate. He used the tissue, shredded it, and threw it on the floor. When you looked at him you would see that he really just moved the subject matter around, he didn't really get any of it in the tissue. Kate has begun taking on the same fascination - today I found mucus up over her eyebrows and it was dragged down under her chin. I had to bust out the wipes to clean that one up.

As for the chapstick. I recall Reilly wanting to apply it all the time - it pretty much always missed his lips. Kate... well, she ate half of a tube of Blistex last weekend. Good thing she doesn't know this stuff comes in flavors! I can only imagine, it would take the place of a meal.

Mom....

do you see what I smell?

Swing High

Reilly learned how to pump to swing - he can go pretty high now!

Independence and Poop

So those are the biggest things in Kate's life right now. She wants to do everything HER way and she wants to go on the potty. Shad and I have found that these two things are not to be ignored, it's not in her best interest, and it's surely not in ours. Tonight for example, I was still working, I heard Kate say "I pooped" which usually means she has to go. I thought Shad was taking care of her, and I'm not sure what he thought but... after a couple minutes of her chatter I suspected she was alone in the bathroom about fifteen feet away from me. I went down the hall to find her undressed and discovering her poop.

She is her own person these days - and she found herself up in the bathroom immediately following her discovery.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh....

is what I found myself saying frequently on Sunday morning while we were at Church. I made the mistake of bringing Kate's purse with us that had a mirror in it and many accessories that she likes to "discuss".

In an effort to give her something that would make her less verbal, I gave her a wipe. During the sermon, she proceeded to clean the books, her cup, her hands, her face, her seat and then she squatted down and said "clean GINA" as she wiped between her legs.

Training Wheels

Reilly got a new bike this weekend. Basically, a larger version of the one he already had. When I asked him about his training wheels, this is what he said: "Mom, training wheels are special wheels for four year olds who can not ride with two wheels until they are five."

Ahhhhhh, okay.... I think.... Wait... I'm confused....

Evacuation Plan

Do you have one? I didn't and I don't. I did learn that I'm a terrible packer when a policeman comes to the house and tells me I have five minutes to get across the bridge a mile from the house. I packed two pair of underwear for Reilly, about six diapers for Kate, some dirty sippy cups and a stale box of crackers, my laptop and my camera. Other than being well documented and dry, I'm not sure what my bag would have accomplished. But hey, at least I remembered the kids and the dog!

Live and learn....

The photo on the left is the river that runs along 101 which is normally a ways into the woods. The photo on the right is the same river going under the bridge. We have paddled down this section of the river and we are normally also able to walk right down to the water which is usally at the edge of the bridge.

Nor-Easter

So the weather is pretty bad today and Reilly school is closed for the first time in it's history. One of the local areas has 25,000 ppl without power. I was telling Reilly that 25,000 people were without power - he said "how many" I said "25,000" he said "who are they? and what are there names?".

When waking up

"Mom, I have crumbs in my eyes next to my nose."

Twinkle Twinkle

Little Star must be sung from the floor in our house. Kate doesn't believe it can be sung any other way - and if you are sitting up, you too must assume the position.

"10"

Here is Kate modeling the suit she got for her birthday. It even has BLING on it!

It just takes Lego's

Reilly is totally motivated by Lego's, it can occupy him all afternoon without a problem. He typically likes if you'll play with him, but when you play with him you are not allowed to touch anything. It's his rules.

Geocaching

Today Reilly and his little broken peg took us on a family hike with the gps. He and Dad followed the gps and the clue and Reilly spotted it first! Way to go Rye. We left a JavaOne shaker and didn't take anything.

NOTE: Did you know that a CamelBak can double as a baby backpack? Reilly is demo'ing that for you.

Happy Birthday Kate

We celebrated Kate's second birthday with a few little friends. We painted for a while and then made belgian waffles - it was a perfect use of two hours for a party. Kate got paint on her hands and legs as you can see - then put her hands over her eyes. What a good look!

Beside Myself

When we arrived at Reilly's school today he was pretty adamant that he did not want to go. I tried to be patient by giving him an extra couple minutes in the car with Kate. I walked his bag and lunchbox upstairs, and gave his teachers a heads-up that he was having a tough morning. I got back out to the car, spoke with him for a couple minutes. We didn't make much progress. I actually had to lift him out of the car and bring him to the door. He screamed NO three times at the door. I brought him inside and stood with him for a minute - the tears started to come. His teachers were trying to encourage him to go upstairs to see his friends, he sobbed more. One of them came down and picked him up so I could get out to Kate and the car. He was sad, but it was KILLING me... I got in the car with Kate who saw Reilly crying through the glass door which made her bottom lip pop out and she kept saying "Rei-yee" "Rei-yee cwying" Rei-yee sad until she finally couldn't speak anymore because she too began to cry.

It Friday's so Kate and I had Mommies an Me - she soon forgot about Reilly's morning trauma when she saw all her friends. I called Shad and had him check-in while Kate and I were at class and I checked in afterward. He was just fine....

How Do You Spell Kate's Name?

Reilly was arranging the letter magnets on the fridge. He asked
How do you spell Kate's name?
K
A
I got that one already
T
Okay, you don't have to tell me anymore.
Okay.
Mom, whate comes after T?
E
Okay, I got it.
Kate this is how you spell your name.

I can do anything...

Except move the earth. I can't move the earth because I'm not Superman. I'm just a kid.

- Reilly

While you were out...

I was away for work last week and a couple things occurred. Reilly's cast got soaked and needed to be replaced - these were the photos I received via the phone:

Spring has Sprung

Well... sort of... it is supposed to get cold again today. But I noticed when I let the dog out this morning I could hear birds chirping - which aside from the owls in our backyard, I have not heard too many birds over the past several weeks. I also noticed two flies, that appeared to be in drunken stupor but I really think they just weren't "all there" yet. They are just flying around and crashing into things - those reactions to avoid a swinging hand just aren't there yet.

Look at Tate today.

K is for Tate

That's what Kate thinks her name is: Tate

When the kids came home today I was in my office, this is the brief conversation I overheard:

Reilly: Kate!
Kate: What Ryeree
Reilly: There will be no farting in this house.
Kate: K.

Oh yah, you would think we drove our home around with those types of remarks.

Y is for Why

I'm not that illiterate but if you know what a DLH is then you know how I could make that deliberate spelling error.

Anyway Y is for "WHY I AM MOTHER OF THE YEAR". The morning in our house kind of goes like this - I let the dog out, run downstairs, put frozen waffles in toaster, make juice cups and put smoothies out - all while I am simultaneously making the kids lunches. Once this is complete I go upstairs, sing to the kids to wake them up - Reilly usually tells me to stop singing or just and outright, be quiet.I get Kate out of her crib, get her dressed, get clothes out for Reilly and help him get dressed - b/c of his leg. I tell him he is racing Kate to the kitchen table and that inspires him to get downstairs quickly and I don't need to carry
him. He says "I won Mom" and then I bring Kate down to eat.

Once they are eating I go in the garage, start the car and open the garage door. I need to get it warmed up and heated prior to the kids getting in the car.

Then I rush them to get in the car and head off to school. All of this takes place in 30 minutes or less.

Today, like any other day, Reilly told me to be quiet, Kate asked for a waffle, the dog went out, yada yada yada. I drop Reilly off at school, I then drop Kate off, and then I usually call a friend to say good morning. During that call today it occurred
to me that Reilly wassnackchild at school and I neglected to bring the snack. Reilly and I have been waiting since December to be snack child because as snackchild, not only do you lead most of the morning routine you get a show and tell too. Reilly had a photo story book his Grandmother made him that we have been hanging onto since it was published - December to share with his class. I thinksnackchild is like being class president for the day - you are the head honcho - the cat's meow, you're where it's at!

As Mother of the Year, you now know, I forgot the snacks, I forgot the book and since I was late dropping Reilly off to begin with - the whole class had to delay snack time until I appeared with the goods. On top of that, I had to then run home and get the book, and bring it back to school. Who the heck wants to be the loser Mom and better yet, who wants to disappoint a four-year old!

R is for Raise Your Hand

I was driving the other day and Shad was in the passenger seat - the kids were behind us. Reilly created this little survey - into market research like his Mom... this is how he conducted his survey:

Reilly Raise your hand if you know how to dog paddle.
Shad, Reilly and I raised our hands.

Reilly Raise your hand if you like cake and ice cream.
Shad Reilly and I raised our hands.

Reilly Raise your hand if you like the Power Rangers.
Shad and I left our hands down... seconds passed... silence... then "Hey, how come I am the only one."

P is for Proud

Kate pee'd on the potty for the first time today. She was so proud of herself - and announced it to the whole family.

B is for birthday parties

Reilly has been to so many lately - here's todays. (He's on the floor in the middle, you can't even tell that he's got a broken leg!

F is for Fundraiser

This isn't really about the kids, but I'm doing a fundraiser for the Vermont Special Olympics next weekend. It's a 6 hour spinning marathon. So, we're rallying to Burlington next weekend to support this effort. I'm fortunate to have very supportive co-workers and a supportive company that matches their contributions. If you want to see how I'm doing, or donate, check out this page: www.firstgiving.com/motheroftheyear

S is for Smile

Reilly has been doing so well handling his injury, Kate on the otherhand has identified his range and tortures him on every occasion. He went to a birthday party on Saturday and all the lil guys signed his cast as you can see.

He is at school today - we're hoping he does okay.

W is for Walker

and P is for Poop - which Kate just did in the tub. AND, W is for walker which Reilly is maneuvering around quite well. He has a bowling birthday party tomorrow that he's got his heart set on so that will be his first encounter with his friends since he got his cast. We'll see how that goes. He's pretty uncomfortable still so hopefully it will be a distraction.

Oh, and for those of you asking for a photo... I'll get to it this weekend.

C is for Cast

Which is blue... like a Power Ranger, of course.

We met with the ortho md yesterday. Thankfully b/c of Shad's relationship with the practice we got in as soon as we could get over there. A spiral fracture of the tibia, it should be fine they say. His cast goes up almost to his groin, it's non-weightbearing and he has a pediatric walker to get around.

His school is hesitant to tell me whether he can be there. Isn't there an ADA law on this sort of thing? If he's relatively mobile (aside from the stairs and the toilet) do they not need to accommodate him? I guess I'll learn quickly...

Anyway, more importantly, he's in some pain still, and he really just wants Dad - who is at work. Kate is beside herself because the attention has been diverted slightly.

X is for X-Ray

Reilly was skiing with Shad this afternoon at the little ski slope down the street. Reilly is skiing with a harness on and Shad in tow. On a flat section Reilly tumbled and hurt his leg. I figured it wasn't good when Shad mentioned he took him to the ski patrol first aid. Although it didn't swell or bruise immediately, Shad and the ski patrol person thought it best to take a picture and rule out a bone break.

When Shad got Reilly in the truck to head home, Reilly fell right asleep. I went to pick-up Kate from daycare - when I returned Reilly was laying on the couch... quietly. Two things he isn't normally doing at the hour.

After looking at his leg, and talking to him, I felt it was important to get an x-ray. Everytime he moved, he whimpered, I think he's in some pain.

Just moments after being in the ER, I just knew in my gut it was broken even though every symptom we found on the web he didn't have. I wasn't sure who was more upset about the whole thing though. Shad was clearly bothered. The x-rays came back and Reilly has a spiral fracture of his tibia. So, right now he has itty bitty crutches and a splint that will soon be replaced by a cast.

Being Lonely

Mom, when I was little last year I wanted to have a baby that would live with me and be my friend so I wouldn't be lonely and I would have someone to play with. Then I got Kate.

Geocaching

Reilly found his first geocache this weekend. It was a kid friendly one about 6/10's of a mile from our house. He thought that was the coolest thing that he found it, although I have to admit he and Shad kind of fought about who actually carried the gps and followed the arrow. I'm not even going to say who won.... :-)

Regardless, I filled out the notebook, Reilly picked a Jeep with a caching dog tag and we left a JavaOne Shaker. I have decided to leave JavaOne schwag from this point on. I'm going to be checking out the booths this year to get good LITTLE trinkets to start sprinkling about.

Reilly is so proud of himself and is looking forward to the next one where he can leave the Jeep and I can leave another shaker and he marvels at the possibilities of what might be awaiting him at the next one.

Woo hoo!

Embarrassing or Not....

So we had friends over tonight for dinner and to watch LOST. During dinner, Reilly picked up his shirt and pointed to his nipple, I asked him what he was doing.

What is this called? (pointing to his nipple)
"Nipples"
Mine are Little... you have big ones of these.
pause and giggle at the table
I have another one, where is it?
"It's on the other side"
Pick up your shirt Mom, let me see yours.
"No Reilly..."

I suppose that is where the expression "Out of the Mouths of Babes" comes from.

Awwwww

Purple Flying Saucer

It was his first solo run at Carnival Hill - we were so proud of him for wanting to give it a go on his own. We expected to be sledding for 30 minutes, we were there for over an hour.

Crappy Days Need Magic

Today was a crappy day at work, and as the day went on, it proceeded to go downhill - Reilly, who I believe is an old soul said-
"Mom, Are you sad? Why are you sad? I can fix it for you and make you feel better."
"How"
"It's magic, it's inside me, if you are just very quiet and you listen you can hear the magic and it will make you happy again"
.... silence .... (obviously Kate was not in the room or we would not have been afforded that luxury)
"Did you hear it... do you feel better?"

I'm not sure what it was but... sure, I feel better just listening to the logic of a four year old. It all just made so much sense to him so who am I to question. I often think we have children to keep us grounded.

HINT HINT

Do you think if Kate brings me one bib, she is hungry? And if I take that one bib and she brings me three more, should I make her some lunch? I think so. Gotta go...

Little Armpits

Mom, Kyle can fluff with his armpit, can you do that?"

Cool Photo!

Grandma Kasey took this photo with her phone over the weekend - I think it's an amazing photo of the Queen Mary 2 going under the Golden Gate. (the largest ship in history to do so)

Reilly's got a girlfriend

Okay... so maybe not so much. But, don't they look good together? I'm so thankful he has such a good sense of humor.

Worth a Chuckle...

A few of the comments tonight that I thought were funny:

Reilly: Why are you stretching your shirt?
Nannie: To make it fit.
Reilly: Because you're fat?
Nannie: Yes, but I'm pretty, right?
Reilly: Right.
*****************************************
Reilly: Dad, are we going fast?
Daddy: We're going 30 miles per hour.
Reilly: How fast is 30 miles per hour?
*****************************************
Reilly: Kate, what color is green?

First Crush

Kate's boyfriend "Kiss" - little does she understand he is almost three decades older than her and married. Tough nut to crack!

Rocky Balboa

Okay, so it was really a snow shovel, not Rocky or Apollo. It's on the mend regardless of the weapon.

Farley Returns

This isn't a great photo of the shiner but it is a great photo of her Farley pose which Kate does on command. Can you see the resemblance?

Best Friends

Reilly told me that Owen was no longer his best friend when I asked why he said "because when I'm not at school, he can't find me."

Fluffy Puff and a Shovel

You would never know by her smile that Kate got a shiner this weekend from getting smacked in the face by her brother with a snow shovel.

Snow Angels.... NOT

Okay, so we went out in the snowstorm that we had this weekend - approximately 1 inch - and tried to make a snowman. This will give you some perspective of what the snow supply was like.

Bombs Away

Kate decided to take the plunge for the third time in a month. We put her to bed in her pack and play (we transport her to her crib around 11pm) in the office and she JUMPED out. The girl is crazy, and she scares the living day lights out of Shad and me when she just appears in the kitchen and starts talking to us like she belongs there at 9pm.

We then put her back to bed and smile... knowing this is the beginning of some very long years.... not that we would trade them for anything. But the irony is going to get us one day.

Fashion Model or Something Else

Kate put on her own glasses and headband today - all she needs now is a snowboard according to Dad!

What a Day

Today I went to a funeral with my Mom for a family friend. It was in a Cathedral in Mass that I visited often as a kid. Everyone's funeral, wedding, Holy Days of Obligation, and more were spent in this Church. It's absolutely beautiful. My Dad's Mom and his Grandmother have stain glassed windows in there as well. I think for the city and for our family, there is so much history to learn, and know about what has transpired in that Church.

Anyway, funerals are funny things. I have learned that people won't change their schedule to go to a family reunion - and won't miss their childrens function to attend - I think the best family reunions that everyone shows up for are funerals. Isn't that kind of funny that people don't often gather to say hello, yet they gather to say good bye.

It was a day of reflection for me, a good day. And, it continued on as we stopped by my Nana's to see her in her assisted living facility only to find ourselves amidst a sing along with about forty elderly people . It's funny, Nana doesn't remember much at all these days but she remembered every word to every song from decades ago.

Robbing the Cradle

It was only a few weeks ago when Reilly's teacher told me he got in a "heated discussion" with a classmate on same sex marriage. Yah, I know... at four??? Well, today we heard that he got married at school. He and his friends colored and cut out flowers and rings and the all married one another. Reilly married AnnaLisa who is from the three year old room. He seems quite content with his new life as a married man. :-)

School or School - That is the question.

Milford New Hampshire is one of the few towns in the state and probably across the country that does not offer public kindergarten. Instead we need to pay for another full year of care at a private school - it's about $750/month. He is currently going to an "early learning center" (which is a traditional mainstream learning environment) and absolutely loves it. I can't say enough about the program and the teachers in it - however, I still toy with the idea of sending him to an alternative learning school next year. I often look at kindergarten as the only opportunity I have left to offer him another learning style that helps him develop his inner self. I am looking into the Waldorf school down the street and I have looked a little bit at a Montessori school. I have since been told that I should have started with these learning philosophies instead of introducing them at five. Since when is five beyond a recovery point? And, if I do send him into another learning environment I have been told that I should not transition him back to a public school.

I am so torn on what to do - Shad and I want Reilly to be confident and happy. He is those things but he is also anxious, nervous and often emotional and negative when faced with a stressful situation. Perhaps that is all four year olds. I don't know. If there is something we can do about nurturing these anxieties and allowing him to see another side, we want to do it. I'm not sure the school is the answer but it's weighing heavily on my mind right now - especially since we need to let his school know next week if he is returning in the Fall.

Who knows.... now I know why parents say "we did the best we could... at the time".

Crossing Over

I think that was a show about contacting people who had moved to afterlife, so it is certainly not the context I am referring to. I am referring to our world of 4 passenger cars to a MINIVAN! Yes, a minivan! We bought a used one on Craigslist this weekend and we're already digging the space! No longer do I need to wedge myself in the back of the truck between two carseats and two children possessive of their space. No longer do I need to watch the two kids rip stuff out of one anothers hand and no longer do I need to ride with a backpack and any other items at my feet. As long as we opposed this world we are now embracing it. Of course, I want to trick it out with a racing number, stickers and a bike rack on top - but when we have extra money, I'm sure that's NOT what we'll be spending it on.

It's nice that we have come to the end of our three year search, multiple discussions on gas and coolness, now it's practical and slightly better for the environment.

Night of Responsibility

Reilly wanted to help tonight with Kate in getting ready for bed - two of the many things we heard or the ones that got our attention the most were: Ah, Mom Kate climbed into the bathtub and Daddy, Kate is trying to climb out of her bed.

Other than that,he did a great job. :-)

The Art of Language

I find this time in a childs life to be so exciting - 21 months. Kate's language development over the past several weeks has been so significant. She used to talk nonsense nonstop now she just talks nonstop. She is so proud of herself when she can identify everyone and everything at the dinner table, cup, daddy, reilly, plate, mommy, hot dog (although the hot dog was really chicken)! She even burped tonight at the table, said "scuse me" and followed that with "I fluffed". She has so many words right now, regardles of what they mean she likes to share them with all of us. We love listening to her try to express herself - it's extraordinary.

How's this: Kate talks so much, she's laying in bed talking in her sleep right now!

Pee Queen

Yup, that's me. If I'm not cleaning up spilled milk or juice I'm cleaning up PEE! My little buddy gets so relaxed sometimes the only thing that wakes him is when he pee's in his pants. It just so happens he's often on the couch or the living room chair. UGH... that frustrates me. We are going to need new furniture by the time these guys are in school.

I suppose with most Mom's I'm getting pretty good at the stages of cleaning:
1. blot the spill/leakage with an absorbent towel as much as possible
2. get a wet cloth and scrub the area
3. spray on the toddler cleaning solution
4. wait 5 minutes
5. wipe again
6. spray with febreeze if necessary

Knock Knock

Who's there
Boo
Boo Who
Why are you sad?

Knock Knock
Who's there
Orange
Orange Who
Orange you glad I didn't say boo?

Those are Reilly's renditions of the latest knock knock jokes. He's getting better. :-)

Poor Nandi

Poor Nandi... she spent Christmas week with our friends the Dudevoirs and she was spoiled rotten. Two teenage kids who wanted to play with her and run with her and walk with her all week long and a Mom who made her homemade organic dog treats and a Dad who just admired a "boy and his dog" to.......... children tripping over her, landing on her, pulling her tail, hugging her too tight and being told to "lie down" everytime she lays under the highchair for that last scrap of food that might fall her way. I think she is reconsidering her family options... good thing she can't speak. Although her eyes tell the whole story - thank goodness she still thinks Shad's her husband.