What I've learned about marriage

I knew I'd get everyone's attention with that title.

We celebrated our 10th anniversary in a whirlwind 28 hours. Who says that isn't long enough? It was like 10 regular dates right in a row.

Though I put that picture of me at Anthropologie to look cool, we did our best shopping at tried and true Old Navy and Target. It just feels easier to spend $$ at places where the overall prices are lower. Even if you end up spending more. Tricky Target.

The kids had fun with my good parents and R and I had a nice escape from It All. Of course we still had to watch the Lost season finale and it only made the trip even better. What a show...but just one more year of it, darn it!

Oh yeah- back to the anniversary. We'll have more than one season left of our marriage, I think. Kind of like tv- some seasons are better than others. But it's the whole storyline that counts, and if the characters are real and likable. Man, I'm good with waxing philosophical about tv and marriage! Parallels in everything guys...you just gotta look.
Keep thinking those deep thoughts.
Happy 10, R and Me!

Just enjoying my Spring

It has been an awesome Spring. We get the run of the gamut this time of year. Flying kites in the wind, washing the car with the rain, one last (hopefully) jaunt in the snow, being outside all day in perfect temperatures only to endure frigid cold the next day, it's all a part of moody Spring. And I like it. I have weather ADD. If it's rainy for too long, sunny for too long, or snowy for too long, I get a little bored. I'm one of those people who actually like talking about weather, not just because it's a safe small-talk topic. How I'd love sitting down with Mark and Kevin Eubank. If you don't know who those cool guys are, then you need to google them. Mysteries are so easy to solve with Google. Speaking of mysteries, I have always wanted to do one of those group Mystery Murder Nights. Has anyone done that? It'd have to be with people I know really well, though. If we did it with a random group I think I'd be afraid that someone in the party really was a psycho-in-waiting and just using the guise of the game to finally play out their murderous desires.
I took this picture with Sam in the baby bjorn as an admirable reference to the Best Buy commercial with the guy holding the man-dude in his baby carrier. I thought that commercial was funny. Just the idea of that hairy man being held like that walking down the grocery aisle is right up my humor alley. Plus I relate well- I use the BB faithfully the first 4 months of my children's lives. I'm like a kangaroo. So it was a fond moment to pull out the carrier and try it on Big Grumpy Clingy Boy (ear infection strikes again!). Sam is 15 months and 20 lbs, and yeah, it wasn't quite as comfortable as the days when he was half this size. Plus, if you can see, he didn't quite take to it.

A slight dash of hypochondria and loving healthy days

First things first. Happy Easter everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying some religious happiness and some ham today. And mini-eggs and pb eggs.

You want to know what desperation is? Trying to find Cadbury Mini-Eggs the week of Easter. Holy cow....I looked far and wide for them in 5+ stores. Not for the kids (might as well give them stale chocolate chips- they can't tell the difference!) but for myself, for the long months ahead when Cadbury doesn't produce these delightful mini-drugs. I'm a little selfish this way. Always looking out for numero uno...but what can I say? Good candy makes me a better person. It really does! So I looked on ebay, and there they were...40 oz. and all. I won't tell you if I bought them at double (ok, almost triple) their value but hey- someone's got to woman the house. And if it's going to be me, I've got to have premium gasoline to keep goin'.

Aren't big sisters the best? Bangin' some music

Finally getting to wear his cool moto jacket!

I just can't seem to master my health imagination. I know I've talked about this before, but it is a recurring theme in my life (as are mini-eggs). It's been a week of sick kids. Stomach flu, then some other weird things....then I'll get a line of thinking that goes this way: "hmm...he has spots on his belly that don't look like the other ones (drool rash)...aren't liver spots due to weakened kidneys? What if the reason he's been so moody and clingy is because he hurts, and has organ problems we didn't diagnose??" And then I'll hit the internet, looking up all the things that could possibly fit any given symptom. The same with Anika's cough that followed her flu. She wasn't getting better fast enough so I wondered if she had pneumonia, or meningitis... good thing about all of this is that I am learning a lot more about illnesses and I almost could diagnose a patient. Well, I'd probably over-diagnose the patient, but better to over-do than under-do, right?

humbled by the calming goodness of an oreo

Fun on the couch side-effects

This was yesterday. Have you ever seen a child more pleased than Isabelle about going to PCMC for a doctor appt? She's had the best attitude ever about her broken arm. (For all you that don't know- she broke her arm above her elbow falling off the couch last week. She fell all of two feet. Yes, they have that song "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed/Couch" for a good reason!)

Isabelle today, pre-surgery. Good attitude hanging on, even after a change into hospital attire. I'm a little jealous; when I stay at the hospital all I get is a blue faded drape that dons no ferris wheel or carnival tent. She also got cotton candy gas. Seriously good stuff. She is doing well and we're glad she's back home. Great job Is!

The part where I have to give in order to get

how you'll feel if you don't win

I am doing Stephanie's pay it forward game. The first three people to leave a comment on my blog will receive a gift from me some time in the near future (let's be more specific and say month). The catch is you must do a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Remember only the first three will get a gift and it will be good. (Erin-standards good, which could also mean Target brand gummi peaches good, but who doesn't love those?)

I love my baby enough to share mini-eggs

I've always been a skeptic of the "terrible two's". Labels that cause expectations that are often not even true and induce false dread and false relief. I mean really, isn't "terrible" a little harsh? Kids are sweetly naughty because of their innocence, right? Plus we've all got our semi-terrible moments (well, me not so much), even those of us several decades old. So why put all the pressure on an innocent 2-year old to be naughty and difficult?! To let the age be the scapegoat of all unwanted behavior, I guess.

Why am I even going off on this? Well, because for me I find the difficulty in the 1- year olds and want some validation and perhaps some understanding. Here is some of my evidence 1 year olds are more of a handful than 2-year olds:

• 1 year olds grunt, point, and pant their desires, which must be met immediately!
• They want to do boring stuff like stand at the microwave for minutes and just open and close that door for what seem like hours.
  
• They don't like the telly so how can long car rides work or using the telly as a babysitter? (super problem, I know).
• That beautiful display tower of jello at the store? Gone.
  
• They remember the taste of that m&m well enough to know where they are and to grunt you in the direction of them. Can't quite reason with them "treat after the sliced bananas, baby" (ok, shame on me for exposing my babes to the evil seduction of sweets)

The list goes on but so will boredom if I continue...

Steering away from all that negativity (if it's taken as that) and more on a "isn't he precious" note, here are some pictures of Samuel doin' some of his 1-year old hobbies.

Playing mop for a good 10 minutes. He also likes R's wooden shoe trees. You never know what makes a good toy for a 1 year old.


Look here- I'm impressed that he knows how to twist a screwdriver! I have to change our belt about every two weeks because of all the random dress-up scarves we have half-hiding, just within suction's reach.


What I have to put on the floor to keep to keep him entertained so I don't have to hold him while I do my important duties.


So those are my thoughts on this matter. But dang, as high-maintenance as he is, he is a GOOD boy. Labels and all.

We got somethin' you want

Are your kids acting hyper? Has Spring Fever seeped into your household, finding no place to drain excess energy and excitement? Are your kids feeling pent up from being inside the days that aren't so Spring-like, leaving them angry and more prone to boredom and fighting?

Well...here is your answer to your problems. Send them over to my house to enjoy some child-taming germs we've got goin' on.

We've got something you might like...here are the pros:

• not having to get up and do the carpool thing
• more chances to see your kids throughout the night, each time an extra treat
  
• very likely less toys to pick up, less crumbs to sweep
  
• you can turn down the heat and cuddle up to your super-toasty child
  
• your children will just sit there in front of the tv, quiet and entertained (well- I guess that is not such a departure from any other day)
  
• extra quiet in the day as they slumber!
  

Cons of this bug? Well, I don't advise it on children under 2. It's too hard to re-sleep-train babies. And the ear infection thing. And the clingy-thing. Sweet, but not really.

While I'm being honest, I am a parent who goes to the internet at first sign of a symptom to diagnose. Anyone else? I've gotten myself sick worrying about all sorts of weird diseases and illnesses. I often think I should have married a Dr. so he could put my hypochondria to rest. Luckily I married a computer doctor so that's a close second.