It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas

There's no denying that Christmas is coming up fast this year. We spent yesterday putting the Christmas decorations up. Wesley helped me decorate the tree (as much as a three year old can) and we dancing around the room singing carols.

I've also stocked up on some other Christmas odds and ends: a gingerbread house for Wesley and I to decorate some evening, hot chocolate, an advent calender, the ingredients for my fruitcake (which is actually edible). I've purchased cards that I hope to get around to sending. I've put Christmas trees in each of the bedrooms and I think I have a clue what gifts I still need to buy. Whew! Of course I do still have a list of Christmas activities I hope to get around to, but I don't want to stress myself out this year. We'll do what we can and enjoy each moment of it.

Dance Fever

While I was taking Wesley to the potty yesterday, he said something that totally shocked me.

Wesley: Mom, I want to take dance lessons.
Mom: What kind of dance lessons do you want to take?
Wesley: Bal-way! (said while executing an arabesque)

Duane was a bit mortified by this story, but a little later showed his true superdad colors by saying, "If he really wants to take ballet lessons, I'd be alright with it because it would make him happy." That being said, we are not bringing the subject up again unless he does. Why do I suddenly get have the urge to watch "Billy Elliot?"

So Thankful

There are so many things we have to be thankful for. I feel especially blessed this year because in this time of economic hardship, we are doing alright. We have a house to live in at a time when so many are foreclosing on their homes or have no place to live. We have good jobs at a time when so many are losing theirs. We have plenty of food to eat despite the rising cost of groceries. We are healthy and so is our family. We are surrounded by family and friends that we love and that love us and accept us as we are. God has truely blessed us in so many ways. I am always amazed at His love for us.

Happy Thanksgiving

Things I've Done

I saw this on another blog I read and thought it would be fun to include here. Someday Wesley and Ryan can look back and think - "Mom! TMI!" or "Boy, Mom was pretty boring back in the day."

The things I've done on this list are in bold type.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - not the official diagnosis, but I was in the hospital for 5 days and that's the best they could come up with
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - but only when my kids were
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb - no, but I've held a baby lion
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke - in front of teens, no less
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - just ask Uncle Kirk
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - no, but I really want to
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House - but only the grounds, not inside
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - waded, really
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.

So there you have it. As of 11/25/2008, I've done 39 of the 100. Hummmm....not so good. I guess I'd better get busy!

Do You Believe in Magic?

I do. How else can you explain how children can drive you bonkers one night and the next day you miss them so much your heart hurts?

Want more proof of magic? Today I discovered that rubber cement will stop a run in pantyhose. Who knew?

Even more proof? My sweet little baby Ryan is four months old today. To think, I used to worry that Wesley had taken up so much room in my heart that I wouldn't have any room for a new baby. Now I wonder what filled those empty places inside me before we had Ryan. I love him so much.

Let's Eat

As I said in my earlier post, the doctor gave us permission to start Ryan on baby cereal. Although we probably won't give him any until after Thanksgiving, Wesley is very excited about the idea of feeding his baby brother. The other night he got a bowl and spoon from his play kitchen and "fed" Ryan throughout dinner. Wesley would take a bite of his dinner, then give Ryan a bite of pretend dinner. Poor Ryan had no idea what was going on. And yesterday, Wesley refused to get in the car without a bowl of "Ryan's baby food." I think Wesley will be pretty disappointed if Ryan doesn't catch on to the real food thing quickly (although who am I kidding, as soon as Ryan figures out he can eat it, he'll be all over it!) I also think that Ryan better get used to the idea of his big brother feeding him. Why am I envisioning drop cloths?

Growing Like a Weed

Ryan had his 4 month check today - just a few days early. Here's the report.

Weight: 13 pounds, 13 ounces (40th percentile)

Length: 26 inches (85th percentile)

He's in great health and we can start him on baby cereal if we want. Yum. Break out the wallpaper paste!

What Not to Wear

Wesley is finally taking interest in what he wears. There is a shirt that I got him at Gymboree that he absolutely hates. Every time I try to put him in it, he cries and begs me to take it off. Today I tried to dress him in sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Okay, that's not exactly high fashion, but it's warm! Anyhow, he burst into tears and said he couldn't wear it because it was "too doggy" (it had a bull dog on the front). He also insisted that he couldn't wear his new shoes because they were too big and "weren't for walking." So we had to go upstairs and let him pick out a whole new outfit that he deemed wearable.

The following pictures have absolutely nothing to do with Wesley's sudden pickiness in his wardrobe, except for the fact that Ryan doesn't care one bit what he wears!

Uncle Marion

I know this is supposed to be a blog about my boys, but really, it's about our family. I say right in the title of our blog that this is a place to share our happy, sad and crazy times. Unfortunately, today is one of the sad times. My uncle Marion passed away today. He was my dad's oldest brother (Marion was 13 when my dad was born) Even though he'd been very ill since before Ryan was born and even though we knew it coming, it's so very hard to lose someone you love.

I think two things will always immediately come to mind when I think of my uncle Marion. The first is how much he loved being a grandfather. My cousin Sue has three children. The twins (the oldest) were born when I was in fifth grade. I remember how excited my uncle was. He even had a vanity plate for his car that said "MELKEL" since the girls are named Melinda and Kelly. When Alex was born he was absolutely over the moon. I'm so happy they got the opportunity to grow up knowing how much their grandfather loved them. Because trust me, anyone who saw him with them for even 30 seconds would know they were his pride and joy.

The other thing I'm always going to remember about my uncle is his smile and laugh. I don't think I have a single memory of him when he wasn't smiling. My dad's entire family loves to laugh and are constantly telling jokes, puns, tall tales and speaking tongue in cheek. My grandmother (their mom) was always a perfect lady -with a devilish sense of humor! I'm so glad all of her children shared that. It really helps me to know my uncle is with his parents again and that they are all sharing a good laugh over something or other.

This is the P. family. My uncle Marion is on the back left, my uncle Phil in the back middle, my aunt Marilyn on the back right. The front row is my Grandpa P., my dad (Wesley and Ryan's Grandpa P.) and my Grandma P.

Here are the four kids from the above picture, some years later. Phil, Marilyn, Ken (my dad) and Marion.

That Snot Funny

Wesley has become a nose picker. Even better, he's a "wiper" preferring to wipe the gold he mines on others or furniture. Consider your self warned!

We Survived

You know, I can't wait until the day arrives when every little thing is not a fight with Wesley. Yet, despite his three-year-old-ness, we went to COSI and had a pretty decent time if you don't count the scene in the lunch area.


Wesley got a hot dog for lunch. Grandma cut it up for him and he was even using a fork to eat the pieces. It seemed so peaceful, but beware, that's when the three-year-old temper will enevititably hit. A piece of hot dog fell off of Wesley's fork and rolled onto the floor. Wesley immediately went berserk. He screamed so loud and with such pain, I thought for sure someone had stabbed him. The tears quickly followed - as did the gaze of everyone in the lunch area. Grandma and I tried to get Wesley to focus on the rest of the hot dog, but he insisted that it was "dirty."


After what seemed like an eternity (but was probably less than a minute) I scooped Wesley up and carried him into a corner to have a little chat. Once he calmed down, Wesley told me he wanted a new, clean hot dog. Yeah, right. Like Mommy was shelling out another three bucks for a second hot dog when there was nothing wrong with the first one. Instead of saying that, I grabbed the container with his cut up hot dog and went out to the food line with it (where Wesley couldn't see me), waited a minute, then went back to the table with a "brand new, clean and already cut up hot dog" that looked suspiciously like the original one. Wesley didn't notice and happily ate every bite of the "new hot dog." But this is where the story gets really good. As Wesley was munching his "new" lunch, a child across the room began a loud whine. Wesley looked at me and Grandma and said, with a completely straight face, "WOW. Somebody is grumpy!" I think I almost snorted water out my nose.


We spent most of our visit at the Sesame Street Body exhibit. Wesley loved it! If you live in central Ohio and haven't been yet, you really should go!




Wesley had a great time making faces at the begining of the exhibit. Too bad they didn't have a howler monkey face.


Getting Elmo dressed for the rain was one of Wesley's favorite activities. We had to carry him out of that section and on to another part of the exhibit.





No, I did not mail my son to Siberia! He crawled into the letter box himself. I asked him what letter he was. His answer? "E!"



Hooper's store was the best part of the whole day for Wesley. We spent at least 40 minutes "shopping" and restocking the shelves.


Wesley put together a nice nutritious lunch puzzle. No dirty hot dogs there!

How Can It Only Be 9:00!?!?!

I can't believe it's barely 9:00. Ryan got up at 5:45 this morning and Wesley got up at 7:00. So far I have made one of the two things I am taking to a cocktail party tomorrow night, made Wesley two breakfasts (scrambled egg and yogurt, followed by more yogurt and pancakes), changed Ryan into his second outfit of the day, prepped the chicken I need for dinner tonight, picked out clothes for Wesley, put on my Mommy costume (jeans, long sleeve t-shirt, cardigan and ponytail) and packed the diaper bag for today's outing.

Packing the diaper bag is no small feat these days. We're heading out for a haircut and then to COSI for awhile, so there's plenty I need to cram in there. Here's what the bag contains:

• three bottles with filtered water for Ryan
• formula
• changing pad
• wipes
• bibs
• spare outfit for Ryan
• rattle
• board book
• pull ups for Wesley (we're going to start the day in underpants, but he will have an accident and I only have room for one spare outfit for him)
• spare outfit for Wesley (see above)
• snacks for Wesley
• wallet, keys, camera and phone (because I refuse to carry a purse too)
• I really should pack Wesley's portable potty seat, but that would mean switching to the big diaper bag.

Now all I have to do before we leave at 10:00 is feed and change Ryan again, get Wesley dressed, do Wesley's hair and teeth, pack him a sippy cup of juice, put the stroller in the van and find the coupon for the hair place. THEN the day can begin. UGH! Can I go back to bed?

Ready to Go

I have a feeling that Ryan is going to be an early crawler. The poor child wants to go and he wants to go NOW! The last few days he'll get something in his sights and try so hard to get to it, only to work himself into tears and frustration. Last night Sanders tortured Ryan by lying down less than 6 inches away. Oh how Ryan wanted that kitty!

Speaking of cats, Wesley is on my lap right now pretending to be a cat. "Cat is so sick," he said. When I asked what was wrong with Cat, Wesley fake coughed and replied, "Cat's got a bad case!"

Not for Buying

Wesley likes to play "Pet Man." You play this game by pretending to buy animals from him. He'll tell you what animals are for sale and how much they cost. The other night Duane was playing "Pet Man" with Wesley and tried to buy Stinky Bear. Wesley's response? "Stinky Bears are not for buying!" Here's hoping Wesley feels the same about this stinky bear!

That's What Big Brothers Are For

I have two boys so I have come to terms with the fact that potty humor will be a big part of our future. That being said, if potty humor bothers you, I would not recommend reading any further. Ok, now that those with sensitive dispositions have quit reading, I can tell about how Wesley "helped" me change Ryan's diaper last night.

Wesley walked by Ryan and said "Mom, Ryan smells like poop." A quick sniff determined that Son Number One was indeed correct. Wesley got the changing pad out and sat down next to me as I prepared to change Ryan. When I removed Ryan's diaper, Wesley yelled, "Ryan! Your bottom is full up! " Then he looked a little closer. "EEEEWWWWW! It's green! Daddy! Ryan is poopy! And it's GREEN!!"

Tonight I got ready to change a wet diaper. Apparently Wesley remembered last night's episode because he asked, "Is Ryan green again?" Oh yeah, good times.

Trip to the Library (and a Wesley-ism)

Grandma H. picked Wesley up and brought him to the library this afternoon. We were having the annual "Read to Your Baby Festival" and thought that Wesley might like to see the costumes characters and do some of the activities. Oh wait! I forgot who we were talking about. My son pretty much refused to anything except hang on Grandma. Should have known.

OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. He did check out the new tree quite a bit. At first he said it was scary, but then he started saying that with a smile to make us laugh. He was most impressed with Frederick and the Big Bad Wolf, but I think the whole thing made a good impression. Wesley also fell in love with the stuff on my cat alphabet book. I wish I had had my camera on when he first started looking at it. He was belly laughing so hard his whole face was red! Let's see, after that he spent time ordering people off "his" letter rug in the storytime room and playing on the computer.

Apparently Wesley hasn't had enough time alone with his grandma lately because on the way to her house from the library, he suddenly said "Hey! We're missing Ryan!" Not that he was upset about it.

And now for today's Wesley-ism. Duane made the Dudearama his dinner, but I am the one who put the plate in front of Wesley. After taking a few bites, Wesley said, "Mmmmm. Mommy this is yummy. Thank you." I told him that I was glad he liked it, but that Daddy had made his dinner. Wesley looked at Duane and said "Dad, you're a good maker!"

Whose Toy Is It?

One of my co-workers very generously handed down some baby gear to me. Her timing was perfect, because most of it is 6-9 month winter boy clothes and that's exactly what we need. Oh, did I mention that Ryan is wearing 6 month stuff for the most part? He has some 3-6 months stuff that fits, but 6 month fits better.

Anyhow, in addition to the great clothes, she also gave us an exersaucer. Ryan's still a little young for it, so for the moment it's just living in the kitchen. However, it's quickly become quite the object of interest in our house. Wesley LOVES to play with it and show me how all the different pieces work. The cats (especially Sadie) like to crawl in the bottom of it and either take a nap, or wait for an unsuspecting cat to walk by. Why do I think that Ryan is going to have to fight for his new toy?

Untitled

Sometimes I think the hardest part of blogging is trying to come up with a title for the post. After agonizing about it for a while, I just gave up.

So, it's 6:30 and I'm enjoying a beer with my chili dinner. After today, I think I deserve it. It started off as a great day. Ryan didn't get up until 7:00. I gave him a bottle, got him dressed and put his laundry away. We had some snuggle time until Wesley got up at 8:00. Like a said, a great start to the day. It started to go downhill with Wesley's breakfast. He ate everything on his plate except for one bite of scrambled egg, which sat there for 20 minutes. That little bite of egg must have looked pretty good though, because Wesley ate it cold - which prompted him to puke everything he just ate all over himself and his plate. GROSS! OK, we got that cleaned up and Wesley got on the computer, but then had two accidents in an hour. And that doesn't include the leaky pull up later on. UGH.

The boys and I went shopping with Aunt Melissa this afternoon. As I was getting Ryan ready to go, I told him that we were going to see his Aunt Melissa. Boy, did Wesley ever get mad about that. "No! She's MY Aunt Belissa. Mine!" When we got to Aunt Melissa's I thought for sure that Wesley would be excited to meet her new boxer puppy, Bella. Not only was he scared of Bella, he was TERRIFIED of Cyrus. Now remember, Wesley used to call Cyrus "Cyrus Good-dog," but I guess those days are over. He screamed this awful scared scream every time Cyrus came near him. It took nearly 40 minutes before the boy would calm down enough to touch either dog. Of course, then he didn't want to leave them.

Back at home, I busied myself baking cookies for a holiday bazaar at the cat shelter I adopted Sanders from. I made these gigantic peanut butter cookies that I love. Wesley saw them on the cooling rack and said, "Mom! Those snacks look like cookies!" Glad to know he doesn't need his eyes checked. And yes, I did let him have one.

Finally, we heard back from the doctor about Ryan's lump. It is a cyst and the doctor recommends we have it removed, but not until Ryan is at least 6 months (less risk with the anesthesia then). So I have some time to get used to the idea of someone making a cut in my child's head.

Ryan is busy screaming. I'm going to go finish my beer and see if I can sneak into a bubble bath.

R & R Ryan

Ryan is rocking and rolling these days. He can roll from his back to his tummy with ease. Actually it's probably a little too easy for him to do because he'll roll over and then get annoyed that he's on his stomach. Grandma H. says she's seen him roll from his tummy to his back, but Duane and I haven't seen him do it yet. I hope she's right though. The sooner he gets the hang of that, the sooner we can quit going into his room in the middle of the night and putting him on his back again (He gets mad that he's on his tummy and cries!)

In other "R" news, Ryan has a new favorite book. Check out the book he is looking at in the picture below - whenever he sees it, his eyes get real big, his breathing speeds up and his little arms and legs start moving around. We might have to buy that one!

Wesley-isms

Wesley says things to crack me up on a daily basis! Here are today's rib-ticklers.

Last night Wesley had a glass of water at bedtime. He took a big drink and told Duane that the water was "Dee-licious and dee-yummy!"

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This morning I decided to put a different pair of pants on Ryan. As I was removing the first pair of pants, I said "Ryan! Somebody stole your pants!" (Duane and I often say that when we are undressing one of the boys.) Apparently Wesley took offense to that statement today because he reprimanded me. " Mom! Don't steal Ryan's things. It makes me angry!" Look out, protective big brother on the loose.

Lumpy Boy Update

Ryan has his ultrasound scheduled for this Thursday afternoon. I wasn't nervous at all about it before, but for some reason I am now. I know it's no big deal - even if it is a cyst that has to be removed, but I'm still not real thrilled with the idea. So, Thursday afternoon we'll be hanging out at Children's Hospital. Whoo-hoo.

Happy Halloween - Sort Of

Wesley was SUCH a cranky little monster today! Maybe he was in the Halloween spirit, but he was too much! He even had to stop trick-or-treating early because he was so cranky we couldn't stand him. Oh well, I had fun going around the neighborhood with Sho.



Dinner was Mummy Dogs.....










....and Spider Pizza








Grandpa H. got into the spirit of Halloween









This is how Wesley trick or treated








One of Daddy's pumpkin creations.