December Eve

Tomorrow is the first day of December. It's the day I allow Christmas music to start playing in my house - even though we have cheated and played a little in the car already this year. It's the day I look at the monthly calender on the fridge and start to freak out a little bit about about all the things there are to do.

• Advent Festival at church
• wrapping the Santa gifts for school and delivering
• work holiday party
• fundraiser for the school
• Christmas shopping date with Duane
• overnights for the boys
• breakfast with Santa
• shopping day and tea with my mom
• baking cookies
• early morning staff meeting
• my nephew's holiday program
• volunteering at the Christmas shop at the school
• trying to get to the zoo lights
• taking in the new holiday lights and a family night downtown
• all the wrapping!

But this year, I'm going to try to look at all the "to do's" and think about how I can refocus the stress (good and bad) into something positive for my family. I haven't been happy with the mommy I've been the last couple of weeks and I want to take the opportunity that a new month brings to make a fresh start. It just seems appropriate since Christmas is a time of waiting expectantly and celebrating God's love for us.

I want to try to smile more and be more patient. I want to be present in the moment and not thinking about all the things I "need" to do. I want to enjoy my family and think more about making memories that will last instead of hurrying on to the next activity. That doesn't mean it won't be a busy month - it's going to be VERY busy - but that doesn't have to mean crazy.

Wish me luck as I enter the end of the year and with (hopefully) a new attitude.

Commentary from the Commute

Two quick stories from the drive to and from school and work today.

I turned the radio on as we were driving to school this morning. I usually listen to audio books or kids music in the car, but since I didn't want to lose my place on the CD, I turned the radio on instead. The station that came on happened to be playing Christmas music. Unfortunately, it was my least favorite Christmas song "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Before I could change the station to something that wouldn't drive me half out of my mind, Wesley shouted, "Hey! I know this tune!" and started singing along. I couldn't change the station after that!

I had a short day at work today, so I got to pick up Ryan and then we went to get Wesley from school. After we got back in the car, Ryan turned around in his seat to look at his big brother. "So how was your day, Wesley? Tell me about school," he said. I'm sure it's what Grandma, Grandpa and I say each time we pick Wesley up. It was so funny to hear it parroted back to me! Guess I'd better be careful what I say in Ryan's earshot. As Ma and Pa Ingalls would say, "Little pitchers have big ears."

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

We did not feed our children dinner at 9:30 one night. Oops.

I have not started laughing when Ryan throws a temper tantrum and yells "I want it" or "I don't want to!"

I did not find it rather ingenious that my brother made Ryan run laps around the table to get a sip of soda. And I especially did not love that each time Ryan wanted another sip, Kirk made him do another lap.

There is no way a rather large container of cookie dough has disappeared from our fridge in only about two weeks. And even if it did, I know it's not because I ate most of it raw.

O Christmas Tree

I have certain self imposed "traditions" (read: rules) when it comes to the holidays. I do not listen to Christmas music until December. I do not like to decorate until December, if possible, and the tree comes down on Dec. 30 or 31st.  However, since our December is going to get very busy very quickly, I asked Duane to set the tree up today.

We decorated tonight after I came home from work and the boys were super excited about it!

Our tree looks great but it doesn't feel like Christmas time to me yet. We didn't play carols. We didn't drink cocoa. It was more of a "let's get this thing done" kind of decorating.

Oh well, I still have a few days until December.

Translator Needed

I am usually pretty good at understanding things that kids say. I mean, I have worked with kids in some way, shape or form for over 20 years. I was a babysitter, did some classroom work as an undergraduate, worked in the toddler room of a childcare center, been a children's librarian and have kiddos of my own. I think those are pretty good qualifications.

But every now and then one of my children says something that I just don't understand at all. Usually it's Ryan. It's not uncommon for Duane and I to listen to something Ryan is saying, then turn to each other and ask, "Was that English?" We've even asked Wesley to translate for us now and then, but that's a mixed bag because if Wesley doesn't understand his little brother he'll just make something up.

Last night I got a real stumper from Wesley.

"Mom, do we have any poms?" he asked.

"Poms?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Poms," he said.

"I don't think I know what a 'pom' is," I told him while figuratively scratching my head.

Wesley started to get frustrated with me. "Yes you do! A pom! A POM!"

I decided to try another tactic. "Where did you hear about poms? At school?"

"Yes, but here too,"he sighed. "I just want to know if we have any poms!"

Things were going downhill quickly, so I asked, "What can you tell me about poms? Can you describe it for me?"

After another huge sigh at his apparently stupid mother, Wesley elaborated, "They are like little stories and sometimes they rhyme and sometimes they don't."

The light bulb suddenly went on! "Oh POEMS!!" I said happily.

"Yes!" Wesley answered, glad that I suddenly came to my senses.

Well poetry books I can handle. I didn't have any kids poetry books at home (I know, bad librarian mommy) so I promised I would pick up a couple at work today. I chose one that was full of animal poems that are simple enough for him to read on his own and one large volume that we can work through together.

Hopefully he'll like my choices and we can keep reading 'poms' together!

Killing Time

Wesley and Ryan had a play date with some friends today. Of course, the hardest part of a play date can be waiting for one's friends to arrive. Wesley and Ryan found a unique way to pass the time while waiting for the doorbell to ring.

Hey, you do what you've gotta do!

Gimme My Joe

The boys and I were watching Scooby-Doo this morning. In one scene, Shaggy took a big sip of coffee and spit it out because it tasted bad.

Ryan looked at me and said, "Why did he do that? Coffee is good!" 

Yep! That's my boy!

Happy Thanksgiving

May your Thanksgiving be filled with family and friends to bring a smile to your face, the love of God to bring joy to your heart and food to fill your tummy.

Happy Thanksgiving from the W. family.

Good Thing Cats Can't Talk

We had one of our cats groomed today. Gus is our only long haired cat and has to get groomed about once a year because he starts to smell bad.  Guess when you are a long haired cat and overweight it's hard to stay properly clean.

Here's the "before" shot of Gus - taken immediately before I snagged him off the bed and stuffed him into a cat carrier. See how thrilled he looks. Well, imagine that expression accompanied by kind of howl a cat in a carrier in a moving car makes and you'll get an idea of how the drive to have him groomed went. Luckily we were just taking him to my mom's and a mobile groomer was going to groom Gus, plus my mom's cat right in the driveway.

Wesley and Ryan were copying Gus' cries until I told them that he was making the sound because he was scared. Wesley immediately got very concerned and started talking sweetly to Gus.

"Mom, when we get to Grandma's I'm going to make Gus a card so he won't be scared and will feel better," Wesley told me.

I'm telling you, this kid should work for Hallmark with the number of cards he makes.

"Wesley, that's very nice of you, but I don't think cats can read," I responded.

Wesley gave an exasperated sigh and said, "Of course cats can read. They just can't say the words because all they can say is 'meow.'  I'll show him the card and he'll know what it says."

Apparently Hallmark has missed an entire feline market.

Oh and in case anyone was wondering what Gus looked like after the haircut, here you go:

Can we say "lion cut?"

Let's Roll

Last night I had the opportunity to feel like I was 14 again. Wesley's school had a skating party and it was held at the same place where I used to roller skate every weekend when I was in eighth grade. I loved to roller skate (and truth be told, I still love it.)

Wesley and Ryan had never been roller skating before, so it was a true family experience. The boys couldn't wait to get their skates on and get rolling, but as you may remember from the first time you roller skated, it's rarely as easy as just wanting to skate.

We rented a "skate mate" for Wesley to practice with since this was his first time on wheels.

He still took several spills and after the first fall, he said he wasn't ever skating again.  I kind of forced the issue and made him go out on the rink several more times (with my assistance). 

During our first lap together, Wesley cried a bit and was screaming at the top of his lungs. I have never been so happy for loud music in all my life. He calmed down though - especially when he noticed that his buddy Jack also was using a skate mate and fell just as often.

Ryan had no trouble at all with skates. As soon as he had his skates on, he took off on his own. No waiting for Mommy or Daddy. No caring if he fell down. This was a kid on the move!

We might have to ask Santa to bring Ryan a pair of skates for Christmas.

After about a half an hour of skating, Wesley and Jack played laser tag with some of the older kids. Yep, nothing like a couple of Kindergartners talking smack to the big kids. 

It really was a fun couple of hours. Kind of made me want to do it more often.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did end up volunteering for something again when I attended the PTA meeting. And I certainly didn't volunteer another mom (and friend) for something after she left the meeting a little early.

There is no way I went to go see Breaking Dawn on opening weekend. And even if I did, it certainly wasn't just to hang out with my library friends, eat popcorn, drool at Taylor Lautner and mock the movie.

I have not starting stressing out about Christmas when it isn't even Thanksgiving yet.

I do not find it a little twisted that we are giving Ryan fudgesicles as a reward for pooping in the potty.

I was not a little sad that Wesley wanted Daddy to take him to a movie instead of me.

Sometimes a Picture Says It All

Ewwwww....Oobleck

Wesley was a little distressed when he got home from school yesterday. Apparently they read the book "Bartholomew and Oobleck" and Mrs. C. told them that they'd be making their own oobleck in school on Monday. Most children would find this really cool, but Wesley found it really stressful. Wesley does NOT like to get messy and he was really worried about what the oobleck would be like.

Luckily, Wesley's mommy has an elementary education and children's librarianship background. Translated: Mommy knows her oobleck.  I told Wesley that we would make our very own oobleck at home and then he would know exactly what it would be like when they make it at school.

Wesley loved the idea and this morning we made our very own oobleck.

For those of you unfamiliar with oobleck, it's just a mixture of cornstarch and water with a little food coloring thrown in. What's neat about it is that if you squeeze it a little bit, it becomes pretty solid, but when you release pressure, it oozes like slime.  Very cool!

That is unless you are Wesley.

Wesley put the water in the bowl and I had him touch it. Nothing to worry about with water. Then I had him touch the cornstarch. Nothing to worry about there. Then we mixed the two together and added food coloring.

BIG PROBLEM! Wesley did not want to touch it at all. He dipped one finger in and said he was done, but I was having none of that - especially knowing since they will have to do more than that at school. Mean ol' mommy made him put his whole hand in (despite the tears). I made him hold it and squeeze it and then let it get slimy in his hands. Then we played "Don't Let the Oobleck Escape" and tried to keep as much of it in our hands as we could without letting it slime back into the bowl. By the time we were done with that game Wesley was laughing and saying how cool oobleck was.

After a quick hand wash (which not only got us clean, but allowed me to show Wesley how easily the oobleck comes off) we put the oobleck in a plastic bag for later. Wesley carried the bag around to show Ryan and renamed the oobleck "zombie slime."  He can't wait to play with it again tomorrow.

I think Monday's oobleck science experiment will be a success for Wesley.

Make Room!

Wesley is getting a new tooth! This is kind of exciting news and would be REALLY exciting news except for the fact that he hasn't lost any teeth yet. In fact, none of his baby teeth are even the slightest bit loose and yet there is a permanent tooth coming through behind his bottom front teeth.

I was really surprised to see it there. In fact, I think my reaction kind of freaked him out. He was really upset about the whole thing until he realised that when his baby teeth fall out, the tooth fairy will come.

Duane called the dentist today about the new tooth. They said it probably isn't a big deal, but they are going to check him out on Tuesday. I'm worried that they are going to have to pull a tooth to make room for the permanent one - but I'm sure not telling Wesley that.

Conflict of Interest?

Nobody loves animals the way Wesley does. Alright, truth be told he's a little obsessive about them, but that's what it means to be passionate about something.

Wesley informed me this morning that he wants to be an animal rescuer when he grows up. "I want to help ALL animals. Cats, dogs, fish, elephants, zebras, horses - every animal. 'Cause I love animals!"

I think it's really sweet that he wants to help animals when he grows up.

Of course, right after that he sat down to his breakfast (a pancake and a piece of bacon.) "People eat animals."

"That's right. Some people do," I said.

"This is pig," Wesley said taking a big bite of bacon. "And nuggets are chickens and hamburgers are pig too."

What? "Honey, hamburgers are beef - they are made out of cows," I explained.

"But 'ham' is pig. So hamburgers are cow?" he clarified.

"Yep!" I answered.

"So, what are hot dogs? Are they pig?" Wesley asked.

Hmmmm...trick question. "Depends on the hot dog. The ones we buy are beef - so they are cow."

"Hey, Mom. Did you know that we wear animals too? Wool is made from sheep and that's an animal. Animals are awesome!"

Do you have to be a vegetarian to be an animal rescuer? Can someone ask Diego for me?

Emotional Yo-yo

When I became the mommy of two little boys I thought, "Oh good! Boys! That probably cuts the drama quotient at least in half." 

I was way off base in thinking that.  Just this morning Ryan's emotions did such a fast change that I nearly got whiplash just watching him.

His morning started off rough. Really, really rough. As in "sitting on the bathroom floor without a stitch of clothing on and screaming" kind of rough. Getting him dressed was a major ordeal and by the time we got downstairs, I was almost in tears along with him.

And do you know who came to the rescue? Wesley! He did this goofy thing while eating a piece of pumpkin bread and Ryan slowly calmed down and started smiling. A few minutes later the boys were happily munching breakfast and Wesley was reading a book to Ryan.

I figured everything was great again, and it was, until we took Wesley to school. Ryan didn't want me to take Wesley to school and he didn't want to go to Grandma and Grandpa's and he didn't want me to go work. For the second time in about a week, Grandma and Grandpa had to peel the child off me so I could leave.  Oh, it broke my heart!

Of course, he was fine right after I left and was fine the rest of the day. I just can't keep up with his mood swings!

Ryan on a good day.

Who Do I Look Like?

Last night Wesley was trying his darndest to get dessert even though he barely touched his dinner. All of a sudden, he remembered that he hadn't eaten his dessert from his lunchbox.

"You know Mom," Wesley said. "Grandma lets me eat my lunch dessert in the car after school."

"I know she does," I told him.

"So, does that mean I can have it now?"

"No," I said. "You didn't eat your dinner, so you don't get ANY dessert."

"But it's my lunch dessert! I bet Grandma would let me!" he protested.

"Wesley, do I look like your grandma?" I asked, before realizing that, yes, in fact I look a LOT like Grandma.  "I mean....I may LOOK like her, but I'm not her and I'm not letting you have your lunch dessert now." 

Wesley just looked at me and laughed.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not eat BooBerry cereal for lunch because I am tired of Ryan only picking the marshmallows out of it and I didn't want it to go stale.

There is no way I apologized to a valet for having to park my mini van.

I was not a little put out by the fact that while I working the public service desk with one of my co-workers/friends SHE got called "Miss" several times and I got called "Ma'am".  And I was not a little sad to realize that the difference is that she is probably a good ten years younger than me.

I did not let Ryan have a bowl of Chex mix an hour before dinner just because I wanted some while I was watching football and knew he would never let me eat in peace unless he had some too.

That's My Pumpkin

I have a love affair with pumpkin. Pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cake, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin chili, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin butter, pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin bread pudding. I LOVE PUMPKIN!

Oddly enough, I really don't care for pumpkin pie. It's not that I dislike it, but I'd rather have pecan pie or custard pie for my Thanksgiving dessert. I usually eat about one piece of pumpkin pie a year and that is enough.

Apparently Wesley (who likes pumpkin cake, donuts, butter) has inherited my ambivalence towards pumpkin pie.  Over dinner tonight he said to me, "You ate pumpkin pie when I was in your tummy didn't you?"

I was a little taken aback, but I answered, "Yes, I did. How did you know?"

" I tasted it," Wesley answered, then waited a beat before adding, "Not so good."

Guess I know what he won't be eating on Thanksgiving.

Break Out the Stretchy Pants

I usually try to eat pretty healthy. Don't get me wrong I do eat pastry for breakfast sometimes and will sometimes pig out on fried food, but overall, I strive to keep things pretty balanced. For example, I knew I was going to make this seriously decadent mac & cheese for dinner tonight, so I had a whole wheat/low fat waffle with sugar free syrup for breakfast, a cup of homemade low fat broccoli soup, whole wheat crackers and an apple for lunch. See, balance.

And OH MY! The mac & cheese was totally worth it!

Wesley and Ryan wanted to help cook, so dinner prep was a family affair tonight.

The recipe starts with cooking up 6 slices of bacon. YUM!! Wesley helped with this step because bacon is his favorite food.

Daddy and Ryan shredded the cheese (the recipe takes five cups)

The boys took took turns pouring the milk (an entire quart of full fat milk) into the roux and I stirred it all together into a creamy, wonderful fattening mess.

And did the boys eat their creation? NO!! Wesley took one bite and spit it out and it was still more that Ryan tried. Sigh....I give up. I guess I'll just have to eat theirs.

Is There a Cold in Here

It appears as if cold germs have invaded the W. household. All of the guys - including Duane - have stuffy noses and some degree of sore throat. I have been wiping down the computer keyboard and mouse, the refrigerator handles, the phones, the remotes and the faucets in an effort not to get sick myself.

I sent Wesley to school today because aside from nit wanting to eat, a stuffy nose and a cough that sounds like he's about to leave something slimy on the table, he feels fine. Translated: no temperature and he runs around playing and laughing like he's perfectly well (Aside to Pam: if J. catches this from Wesley, I'll totally squeeze you some orange juice).

I got a call from the school nurse during Wesley's lunch hour. Apparently the staff wanted him checked out because he said he throat hurt and he couldn't eat. She wanted to know if I wanted to come get him even though they generally only send kids home if they are running a fever.

Great. How do you answer that? On the one hand my child has a cold. I knew that and sent him to school. I'm sure he feels less than his best. On the other hand, it's a cold. If I kept him out every time he had a cold, he'd never be in school. So I told the nurse I was conflicted and asked what she recommended.

Since he wasn't running a fever and was acting okay, the nurse thought he could stay at school and they'd focus on hand washing and cover his mouth for coughs and sneezes. That was exactly what I was thinking! I'm so glad she and I were on the same page, but I still feel a little guilty. Oh well, I've learned that guilt is just part of the mommy package.

More Brotherly Love

Wesley and Ryan fight a lot - and I do mean A LOT! But then you have moments like yesterday that make it all better.

When Ryan woke up yesterday he wanted to know if it was a school day. I told him it was and he responded by saying, "But I want Wesley to stay with me."

The brotherly love continued after we dropped Wesley off. We were pulling out of the school driveway when Ryan said, "I really love Wesley. He is my best friend."

My heart just melted hearing that.

Attached

Ryan and I had some good mommy/boy quality time last week while I was recovering from surgery. We hung out every single day - frequently with Grandma H. in case I started to wear out. We didn't really do much, but it was so nice to be together.

I thought it might be rough when I started back to work this week, so I was surprised when Ryan hopped right into Grandpa P.'s car without a word of complaint yesterday. "Great!" I figured. "No problem at all. Guess he'll be fine."

Guess I counted my chickens before they hatched.

This morning we dropped Wesley off at school and headed to Grandma and Grandpa H.'s house. As we neared her neighborhood, Ryan said, "Mommy? You stay with me today?"

"No, Ryan," I said. "I have to go to work."

Ryan wasn't overly pleased about it, but didn't whine too much. Then we pulled into the driveway and he said, "Mommy, I want you here with me." Again, I told him I couldn't stay because I had to go to work. Again, some whining, but not too much.

But when it was time for me to actually walk out of Grandma and Grandpa's house and head to work, Ryan had a meltdown. Not really screaming (thank goodness) but clinging to me and climbing me and asking me to stay. Oh, it broke my heart into a million little pieces.  I know he was fine as soon as I left, but it hurts so much to leave on mornings like that.

Snow White and the How Many Dwarfs?

Wesley has recently discovered the movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." He loves it! The Evil Queen is his favorite character in the movie. I'm sure that says something about him, but I'm not sure what.

The other day we were at the gas station and the guy who was using the pump in front of us had a Grumpy t-shirt on. Wesley and I decided to pass the time while Daddy was filling up the van to come up with seven dwarf names for the W. family.

I dubbed Wesley "Chatty." A completely appropriate seven dwarf name as anyone who has met my oldest son can attest to.

Wesley decided that if I was one of the seven dwarfs my name would be "Pretty."  Awww....I knew I liked that kid.

Ryan was having a bit of a tough morning, so we decided his name would be "Grouchy," to which Ryan responded by yelling, "No! I'm NOT Grouchy." Yeah, tell me another one. 

Daddy, of course, was named "Big."

Guess Snow White has eleven dwarfs now.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week
.
I did not tell my children to go jump on their beds just because I wanted them to stop jumping off the couches.

I have not become totally and completely obsessed with Pinterest. Nope not me.

I did not realize that I had over a dozen cookbooks on reserve for me at the library. And there is no way they are all on their way to me at once.

I know I didn't get a teacher gift, an aide gift and the principle's gift for Christmas at a craft show at church. That would have been way too organized for me.

Falling Back

2:00 this morning was the time we were supposed to turn the clocks back. I have real mixed feeling about the whole "fall back" thing. I love having actual daylight in the morning, but when it's getting dark at 5:00, it kind of stinks.

The kids have done remarkably well with "falling back" this year. We kept them up late last night, so they wouldn't be up at the crack of dawn this morning. It worked too. Wesley got up just after 7:00 this morning saying that he was hungry, but that would have been 8:00 before the time change so it was perfect.

If only my cat would get the whole idea of the time change. At 6:30 this morning Sanders was on the bed meowing at me. I pulled the covers over my head hoping he'd leave me alone, but instead his just batted the covers off me and gave me the hairy eyeball.

And as I type this, Wesley is saying he's "starving" and Sanders is again giving me dirty looks and taking meaningful strolls by the food bowl. Guess I'd better get off my rear end and think about cooking something.

Back to Work I Go

I went back to work today for the first time since having my tonsils out. It might seem strange to a lot of you for someone to go back to work on a Saturday but, thanks to my wonderful boss, I didn't have any hours on the public service desk today and was able to just sit at my desk and play catch up.

And there was a lot to catch up on!

I spent three and a half hours sifting through email and catching up on all the kids lit blogs I read for work. And that didn't include actually following up on any of the emails - that was just sifting through to see what needed my attention! I got through some of it today, but there will be plenty for me to tackle next week.

I went through three weeks of mail, put the junk in recycling and got other things ready to deal with next week.

I looked at my remaining budget for the year and updated my spending spreadsheet.

And then it was time to leave! I can't believe how fast the day went!  But I did get a couple of nice emails from folks welcoming me back. It's wonderful to work at a place where you are appreciated.

Why I Write

I had to use a writing prompt to come up with something to blog about today. The prompt was "Why do you write?" 

I blog for my boys because:

• I am a little bit of a slacker and never got around to putting together baby books for the boys. I made a real effort (at first) with Wesley, but ended up abandoning it. A blog allows me to capture little "slice of life" moments that don't seem to fit into a traditional baby book, so I think it's fair compromise.
• I want the boys to be able to read this someday and "hear my voice." I write my blog the same way that I talk, so as they grow up, Wesley and Ryan will get a true sense of their mom. There's also the slightly depressing thought that if anything were to happen to me, this would be another way they could connect to me. They would get a good picture of the person I am/was and hopefully be able to tell how very much I love them.

I blog for my family and friends:

• I have family and friends all over. I'm horrible at writing letters or emails or even making too many phone calls, but I am pretty good about keeping the blog up to date. My family and friends in other cities, states, or just those I don't see on a regular basis can keep up with us though my writing.

There is one more reason I write:

• I blog for me. I have always enjoyed writing and have volumes of angsty teen poetry. To me writing is kind of like singing - if I didn't do it, if I didn't express myself in that way - I think I'd pop. Writing keeps me sane. Or at least more sane than I'd be without it.

Anchors Away!

Ryan recently saw a very cool, very sporty boat parked in some one's driveway. He has never been on a boat (unless you count the little boat ride at the zoo) and I'm sure he's never seen one that looked quite as cool as this.

"Mommy! Can we get a boat?" he asked.

Now, Mommy has zero desire to get a boat. One, we certainly can't afford a boat.  Two, we live in central Ohio. Yes, there are places to go boating, but let's just say it isn't exactly convenient.  Three, Mommy is prone to motion sickness. I have successfully taken a cruise, but truth be told, I have gotten sea sick taking a ferry ride at Lake Erie. I decided to pick a random reason why we aren't getting a boat. One that might make sense to a three year old.

"Hmmmm....I don't think Daddy knows how to drive a boat," I answered. Yep, threw Daddy right under the bus/boat on that one.

Unfortunately, my answer didn't slow Ryan down at all.

"I can teach him. I will say 'drive, drive, drive' and when we see a shark I will tell him 'turn!'" was Ryan's answer.

Silly me, I didn't realize it would be so easy to drive a boat. Good thing we have Ryan around to teach us!

My Kindergartener

Truth be told, this is not my favorite picture of Wesley. I don't like his smile in it. I don't like his hair. And I REALLY don't like the fact that he looks more like a kid and less like a little boy in it. How can he be growing up so fast?

Guess What Today Is?

No, it isn't National "I Made Myself Sick Eating Too Much Candy" Day. 

Nope. Not the first day of the Christmas season either - at least not in my book.  There's this little thing called Thanksgiving that comes first.

Give up? Today is the first day of National Blog Posting Month!

That means I'm going to try very hard to blog every day this month. Good thing I had my tonsils out last month since it put a definite cramp in my blogging style.

Be prepared to hear much more from me this month.