Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I do not (frequently) root for Ryan to beat his big brother in board games just because Wesley never lets Ryan win in any of the games Wesley makes up.

I have not spent so much time at work playing catch up from my time off that I'm starting to think taking a vacation isn't worth it.

I did not let a completely rotten mood be turned around by a baby storytime, a lunch time yoga class and a fresh baked cookie.  No way am I that easy to manipulate.

I did not tell Ryan that he needs to marry one of his classmates just so her dad will someday be family and cook his amazing food for us!

I did not drive by my old house and realize (once again) how fortunate we are to be in our current neighborhood.

A Not Too Threatening Threat

Duane and I tell the kids that they can buy what they want with their own money - which totally explains the vast number of notebooks, shiny rocks and the self-inflating whoopie cushion in our house. Overall, telling them that has worked out well for us. Mostly because the boys can't really save money.

Wesley has been telling us for about four years that he's saving up for a TV for his room. Do Duane and I like this idea? No. But we have discussed it and decided that if he actually saves enough, we'll get the cable or whatever hooked up for him (and use the parental controls like mad) so he can enjoy his shows in his room. In four years the closest Wesley has gotten is around $40. At that point the temptation is just too much for and he has to give in and buy something.

Ryan can't save money for more than a week or two at a time. He just has this need to spend spend spend.  I think his piggy bank currently has something like $2.64 in it - and that's the most money he's had in weeks - which is why the following conversation didn't trouble me.

"Mom, I really want a little, baby kitten of my very own."

"Ryan, we have three cats, we are not getting another one," I told him.

"But I want a playful kitten!"

"Cleo is playful," I reminded him. "Besides cats are expensive because you have to buy their food and kitty litter and take them to the doctor."

Ryan was insistent, "They aren't expensive because we already have food and water and all they need is a box to go to the bathroom in!" Note: he totally ignored the vet thing. "Well, I'm going to save up and use my own money to buy a cute, little, playful, baby kitten."

I would have been more worried about that statement if 1) I wasn't already aware of Ryan's spending habits, and 2) he didn't follow it up by saying: "As soon as I save up to buy a few more Lego Mixels.

Looks like we're safe for awhile.

They Really Are Good Kids

I mean, yes, they still cause me to reach for the wine on occasion, but overall, Wesley and Ryan really are good kids. Take this morning for example. They wanted to stop at a fast food place on the way to Grandma and Grandpa P.'s to get hash browns. As usual, I found myself with no cash on me and there was no way I was going to use my debit card for a two dollar purchase.

"I can buy my own," Wesley told me. "I'll even buy Ryan his since he never has any money."

I agreed to make the stop if Wesley paid and we left the house. After about ten minutes in the car, I realized that I had forgotten my breakfast at home and would have to get something at said fast food restaurant. It's not the way I like to start my day, but trust me, you do NOT want to be around me when I'm hangry. 

As we pulled into the drive thru, I told Wesley that I would use my debit card since I needed to get food for me too, and would give him his two dollars back.

"Well, how about you give me back one dollar, but you should give the other dollar to Ryan since I was going to buy his hash browns anyway," Wesley replied.

And despite the screaming and hair pulling I witnessed when I got home from work, the guys showed their good sides a little later when they helped me clean the house without being asked. They assigned themselves jobs and divided up how they would accomplish them. Wesley even wiped down the toilets!

Guess I can relax with nothing stronger than a diet soda tonight.

This is Why I Drink

I have wonderful, amazing boys. I love them with every fiber of my being and cannot imagine my life without either of them. That being said, they can try my patience like no one else.

Wesley has a great imagination and is incredibly creative. He is going to do something amazing with that talent someday - write, illustrate, act, creative problem solving - something. He creates complex worlds and games and stories in his head and can pretty easily get others on board with it. He always has been able to do that. It's one of his gifts. 

Unfortunately, it's also a curse. Wesley has a very precise picture in his mind of how his games are supposed to be played or acted out and woe to anyone who has a difference of opinion. He'll get Ryan excited to act out a new character or play a new game, but then shoot down any idea Ryan has about how it might be played, and squashes any attempt Ryan makes to insert a little of his own creativity. Duane and I have had to talk to Wesley about letting others give input in their (made up) games and that if he keeps telling everyone "no" then, eventually, no one will want to play with him.

This all came to a head the other morning before we even had breakfast. The boys had just finished getting dressed when I heard Wesley say to Ryan, "You wanna play that game we were playing last night?"

Note: this was a made up game that consisted of them acting like made up dog characters.

"Okay," said Ryan. "But I want to be Sparky."

"You can't be Sparky. I called Sparky while you were still asleep. You have to be Bark Bark."

Ryan started whining, "But you were Sparky last night. I want to be Sparky."

"No. You have to be Bark Bark."

Cue the crying and more whining from Ryan. "Mo-om! Tell Wesley he has to let me be Sparky! It's not fair!"

Great. Because I so wanted to be put in the middle of this argument of which child gets to pretend to be which imaginary character in a made up game with no rules.

I decided to proceed with caution since one of my children was already in tears. "Wesley," I began. "Remember what we talked about last night. Ryan is not going to want to play with you if you never let him have his way on at least some things."

"But I called Sparky!" Wesley insisted.

Okay, time to change tactics. 

"Ryan, I can't make Wesley not be Sparky. Why don't we make up a whole new character for you to play? He could be anything you want. We could call him Max."

Oh! Very bad idea on my part. "There's already a Max!" Ryan wailed and he began sobbing even harder. This continued until I dropped them off at Grandma and Grandpa's house and went to work. Nothing like a fight over imaginary characters to start your day.

Pass the wine. 

I've Been Claimed!

The other day Ryan and I were walking around a local art festival. A boy wearing a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" shirt that said, "Don't worry. I got this." walked past us. Ryan look at the shirt, then grabbed my hand, kissed it, gave me his cutest smile and said, "And I've got this!"

The best part is that he continued to say "I've got this" whenever he comes up to hug or kiss me. 

Melt my heart, why don't you?

Taste of Summer

I don't know about you, but I crave certain foods in the summer. Yes, I eat more salad and fruit and grilled food in the warmer months, but I'm talking about those things that, when you bite into them, make you think "This is what summer tastes like!"

My grandpa Martin's homemade ice cream is one of those things. I only make it about once a year - not because it's difficult, but because my ice cream maker is small and I have to do it two batches. But it's so very worth it. It's worth the calories and the raw eggs in it.  It's worth waiting two days for because I have to refreeze the churning container between batches. It's pretty much perfect in my book.

Another one of those things is watermelon. I adore watermelon and will eat a ton of it in the summer. Good thing too, since Duane can kind of take it or leave it and the kids freak out if there is even one little while seed in their watermelon chunks. That's okay, more for me!

I also love a meal of a BLT with a fresh tomato, and corn on the cob to go with it. Again, this is one of those meals that Duane could take or leave, but I force it on him once to twice every summer.

You  have to have summer camp out/grilling food. I can pass on hot dogs most of the time, but cook one on the grill or on a stick over a campfire and I will devour it - and probably have seconds! S'mores too. Just the thought of a real s'more (not prepackaged or made in the microwave) sends me swooning.  I will eat myself sick on s'mores.

The final thing is something I have introduced the boys to this summer - toffee ice cream bars. I remember when we would go swimming as a kid and they would sometimes sell toffee ice cream bars during break. They were my most favorite thing to buy there. Maybe it was the sun or the chlorine scent in the air, but they always tasted extra good.

So tell me, what tastes like summer to you?

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I did not find myself packing lunches for myself, Wesley AND Ryan one day. Isn't it supposed to be summer break?

I did not treat myself to watermelon Jolly Rancher and a bottle of Yoohoo one day because those things just taste like summertime to me.

I did not end up going to the library where I work three times during my week of vacation so my kids could pick out books.

There is no way I showed up for a doctor appointment at the right time, but a day late.

I know I didn't seriously consider going into work the final weekend of my vacation just so I wouldn't be overwhelmed by email and state of my desk when I return officially. 

Too Much Excitement

It's barely nine o'clock on a summer Saturday night and my children are showered, in their pajamas and in their rooms. Not because they want to be, but because they need to be. We've had an evening where they couldn't stand to be around each other, but they couldn't leave each other alone. There was teasing, hitting, picking on, mocking and tears - which means time in their rooms so Mommy doesn't completely snap.

Granted, they've had a very busy day. A couple of their friends came over for the morning - arriving for a doughnut breakfast and staying until after lunch. That's a pretty awesome start to the day, but it's also a lot of excitement that they aren't used to.

Later this afternoon we headed to an art festival up the street. And yes, I threatened my kids with taking a dollar of their allowance each time they whined, so I could please have a nice afternoon. The threat (and a few well timed treats) worked quite well and I had a really good time time. Plus I got a REALLY nice new knife.  So nice that we bought a loaf of bread and drove to Grandma and Grandpa H.'s to show them how awesome it worked.

We had a nice dinner, and then the boys' behavior went to heck in a hand basket. Things are much calmer with them in their rooms. Although apparently Ryan has decided to write out his feelings in his new secret diary. Of course, he doesn't realize that if he tells us exactly what it looks like and asks to spell half the words he's using, it really isn't that much of a secret.

So now Duane and I are watching a tv movie and enjoying the relative peace and quiet.

Still Reading

The boys summer reading time is still going strong. We go to the library a couple of times a week and each time they leave with an armload of books. Of course, that translates to books all over the house. Here's a sampling of the books that are littering my house (in a good way)

LEGO Ninjago book next to Wesley's bed

Transformers pop-up book on the floor of the dining room

Cleo napping on the footstool next to the book I was reading

Stack for four Garfield books on the couch in the living room

Galaxy Zack on the other end of the couch in the living room

Overflowing crate of library books by the door to the garage

The two books I will be reviewing for School Library Journal this summer

Captain Underpants in the car

And of course, my favorite sight of all - especially when it is accompanied by the sounds of belly laughs!

What Happened to My Little Boy?

When I first had kids someone told me that the days would be long, but the years would fly by. Through endless diaper changes, bottles, potty training, and repeated viewings of Dora the Explorer I thought that person was wrong, but lately it has occurred to me how very right they were.

Wesley would still be content to let us do everything for him. In fact, sometimes it feels like he's eight going on two, but I see him coming into his own. This week alone he has gone swimming without a family member with him. He has made a friend whom I don't know at all and I watched him and this new friend fist bump to say goodbye yesterday.it was such a big boy moment.

Then there's my little Ryguy.  Ryan, who is at that in between age of five, but almost six. He's really startling the line between little kid and big kid right now. He's done with kindergarten so he's too big for the little kid space at COSI, but he isn't yet six so he's too young for day camp and canoe trips. He can go on some thrill rides, but not the big ones he really craves. He's so independent, but still wants to snuggle and hold my hand.  I look at him and see all arms and legs and possibility and I wonder where my little boy went.

I'm trying to savor this week with Ryan because I don't know when I'll have another week of just the two of us. Is it possible that this is the last one? 

A Better Day

Today's camp experience for Wesley was much much better. I was a bit more optimistic last night when he reminded me three times that he had to be at camp no later than 9:00 so he could go to the movie.When I picked him up today he was hanging out with a new friend he had made and said, "You mean it's time to go already?"  Now that's what I want to hear.

Ryan and I had a good day at "Camp Mommy" too. My original plan had been to take him to a movie today, but he begged to please go to Glow Putt (an indoor glow in the dark putt putt course) instead. I gave in and we had such a good time that we played two rounds. Afterwards we got some Italian ice as a treat.

Since we were feeling refreshed, we decided to walk "creekside" in the suburb we were visiting. We stopped for a quick cool off in the fountain before heading down to the creek.

Two of Ryan's handprints and one of Mommy's

We walked down to the actual creek then and found tons of families splashing in the water and playing around. Ryan kicked off his shoes and dipped his toes in, then contented himself by throwing lots of rocks in the water.

We got our fill of wildlife while we were there too.We saw a snake in the water and watched some kids catch crawfish. The one boy was really nice and brought a crawfish over to Ryan so he could have a good, close up look at the claws and tail. I think Ryan was equally grossed out and fascinated by it. And he really gave me a funny look when I said I like to eat them - good thing I didn't tell him you're supposed to suck the brains out.

So today I had two happy campers - which makes for a happy mommy.

Happy and Not-So-Happy Campers

Camp. It's the stuff summer dreams are made of, right? I don't mean overnight, sleep-away camp, but day camp. I loved day camp. It was one of my favorite weeks of the summer when I was growing up.  In an effort to shake things up a little bit, I signed the boys up for camp this summer. My grand plan was to have them both do a rec. center camp in June, VBS in July and another camp in August. That way the grandparents would get a week "off" each month and it would give the kids something different to do.

But plans have a way of not working out exactly as you'd like them to.

When I registered the boys I was told that Ryan could not attend camp until he was six. Never mind that he has finished Kindergarten, the rec. center was firm about the six-year-old minimum age. That means that for June, Wesley would be attending camp alone. I thought it would be okay - especially since the brochure said it was "art extravaganza" week, so I went ahead and signed him up. I took the week off work to spend with Ryan so all the grandparents could have a break the same week. Sounds like a win/win/win, right?

Not exactly.

I was really nervous as today (the first day of Wesley's camp) drew near. Wesley wasn't going to know anyone at the camp and he's not one for new experiences. However, there may come a day when camp is how we work child care in the summer and trying it out a little at a time is probably better than a whole summer of it all at once.

Wesley was really quiet when I dropped him off. We didn't see anyone we knew in the room, so I did the obnoxious mom thing and found a few boys that looked his age to introduce him to. That couldn't have been embarrassing (she said sarcastically.) Luckily, as I was leaving the drop off area, one of my friends from PTA was there dropping her boys off. C. is a grade ahead of Wesley and B. is one of Ryan's good buddies, but I figured at least he knows them. Heck, we were at a cookout at their house the other night. I felt much better as I left the rec. center.

Ryan and I had our first day of "Camp Mommy." We went up to the Olentangy Indian Caverns to mine for gems and play some putt putt. We were practically the only people there, which was nice because we could just go at our own pace then.

Ryan was quite serious about his mining

You can see an arrow head in this screen, we ended up with four of them and a bunch of really cool rocks and gems

No hole in ones, but we didn't keep score, which was probably good.

 After we finished up at the caverns we headed to a pet store Ryan likes to visit. By this time, I figured Wesley was doing fine and was able to enjoy my time with Ryan.

They handed us this little guy to hold as soon as we walked in.

This little Manx kitten was very interested in my purse. Ryan was tickled to get to see this cat because he just checked a book about Manx cats out of the library.

This was Ryan's favorite little guy. This kitten looked right at Ryan through the glass, walked over so he was standing in front of Ryan and meowed at him as if saying, "Please pick me up."

Cute blue eyes and a little black nose

 Ryan also held a dwarf hamster and petted a ferret. I'd say it was a pretty good pet store visit.

We ate lunch out since Ryan has been asking for pizza for several days, then stopped by Grandma and Grandpa H.'s for a minute or two to show off them gem finds. Ryan was having so much fun that he even spelled out a message for me in rocks and gems.

It's a little hard to read, but it says "I love you."

We didn't have to pick Wesley up until about 4:00. I made sure to be there right on time because I was still a little worried about how the day went. The kids were all in the gym playing - wait for it - dodge ball. Wesley was sitting in the bleachers with a bunch of other kids who were "out" and boy, did he look relieved when he saw me.

"How'd it go?" I asked.

"Can we talk about it in the car? I'd rather not say in here," he told me.

Uh-oh.

As we walked to the car Wesley told me that his day was "horrible" That he tried all the activities, but didn't have fun and that dodge ball was the worst. "I thought this was an art camp!" he said.

"I thought so too," I told him. "But it looks like you are going to do a whole bunch of different things and not just art. Did you do any art today?"

"We made masks. That was about the only time I had fun." Which felt like a sucker punch to the gut to me.

The result of the only good part of the day, according to Wesley

Wesley was less than impressed that not only does he have to go back to camp for the rest of the week, but that there will be another week of it later this summer. He didn't cry, or really complain for more than a few minutes, which is good I guess, but I know he doesn't like it.

So now I get to be the mean mom who makes him go back and tough out the week. I really think tomorrow will be better because they are going to a movie in the morning, then they are going to go swimming after lunch. Those things are more his speed and I think he'll be more comfortable since he'll kind of know what to expect. Still, I feel so guilty that I'm sending him back - but not guilty enough that I let him off the hook after one day. And it's not just the money, I want him to really try this. I want him to be around other kids this summer. I want him to try new things (they did some gardening today). Surely that counteracts the mean, right? He needs to branch out a little bit and I feel like this is a good way to do that. I just hope I remember that tomorrow morning.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

I did not spend several days at work playing catch up from the trip to CA only to turn around and take this week off too.

I know I didn't spend half an hour getting my printer to work so I could do Wesley's camp paperwork, only to try and print and discover I was also out of ink.

I certainly didn't take the boys to the library on the first full day of my vacation from the library. Where would the sense in that be?

I have not spent part of every non-rainy day sitting on the patio and enjoying the outside. And even if I was, there is no way that Duane looked over at me and my mom, chatting and enjoying an evening glass of wine together and comment, "That patio just paid for itself."

I have not become obsessed with getting a fire pit for the patio so I can cook s'mores over the flames whenever I want. 

Happy Father's Day

Hope all the dads out there had a great Fathers Day today.  I didn't get to spend it with my dad, as he's out of town, but I had very nice day with Duane and a good evening with my stepdad, so that helped.

Duane and I taught Sunday School this morning and I don't think we've ever had a class period go by so fast. The morning just FLEW! I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I really love teaching Sunday School with Duane. He is so good with the kids and so patient. I love that they (and our own kids) get a chance to see this big guy as a teacher, a friend, and a follower of Christ.

After church we went by Mya's Fried Chicken for lunch, then headed home so Duane could work in the yard. I know, it's not how many dad's would like to spend Fathers Day, but Duane is the kind of guy that, when he gets an idea or project in mind, he wants to see it throught.

While he was working, I took the boys up to the library to get some books - but not before asking my stepdad to come over and keep and eye on Duane for me. Not that I was nervous about him doing something I wouldn't "approve" of, but because I hated the idea of Duane being in a tree with a chainsaw and no one being around if an accident occurred. So Tom sat and had some coffee and babysat my hubby while the boys picked out books.

After Duane reached a stopping point, we coerced (read: bribed) the boys to go out and pick up the sticks in the yard, then we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa H.'s for dinner.

You know, there was a point last year when I wasn't sure Tom would be around to celebrate Fathers Day this year. I'm so glad he proved us wrong.

So there you have it. A pretty low key day for some really great guys.

Lucky 13

Today is not only a Friday the thirteenth, it's also a full moon. I guess those two things coinciding is a pretty rare occurrence and it's been the topic of many a conversation lately. This morning as I was taking the boys to Grandma and Grandpa P.'s the DJs on the radio were talking about all the bad luck things that might happen today.

"Why is today bad luck?" asked Wesley.

"Because it's Friday the thirteenth," I answered. "Some people think Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day and that a full moon is also unlucky. If you put the two together, they think it's the worst luck. I don't believe it's unlucky though."

"Neither do I," Wesley assured me. "We're going to Grandma and Grandpa P.'s and they are really really nice to us, so it can't be a bad luck day."

Sounds like it was probably a pretty lucky day for Grandma and Grandpa to share with a couple of their grandsons.

Kicking it on the Patio

We broke in the new patio tonight. Last night we moved the grill and patio furniture out of the garage and onto what is sure to become my new favorite hang out. This evening I sat outside to finish a book while the boys played their Legos.

I think we're going to spend a lot of time in the backyard this summer.

Back in the Real World

Even though Duane and I were only gone for a few days (see previous posts for pictures if you want) it's been a bit of adjustment coming back. And I don't just mean the time change.It was wonderful being with Cheryl and her family again. Even though we hadn't seen them in quite a while, it all just clicked into place and was so natural doing everything together. I miss them all more than I thought I would after a visit.

This past winter was really rough on me and, as a result, I find I am craving warmth and sun more than I ever have in the past. The sun and sand and ocean did wonders for my spirit. I've even had a few people at work comment that I seem more relaxed since returning from California. But truth be told, I've been a little sad the past few days that I haven't been able to soak up the sunshine (darn Ohio rain) and bury my toes in the sand. I can totally see the appeal of the California weather.


I got completely spoiled with the food in California too. I ate seafood every single day because it was so fresh and less expensive than it is here. I have to admit, I'm kind of missing my shrimp and lobster and scallops. And I'm a little worried that Mexican food will forever be ruined for me because Casa Martin in Santa Monica and El Sombrero in Manhattan Beach were so amazingly good!  I'm pretty sure I spent a good 20 minutes yesterday daydreaming about the carnitas I ate.

Wesley got sick while we were gone - a combination of strep throat and pink eye. He's doing fine now, and Grandma & Grandpa took him to the doctor, but we're dealing with the medicine that he hates. I'm just glad he's better, although there is a little bit of guilt that I wasn't here with him when he was sick.

On the other hand, it was really nice to just be a couple and not "Mom and Dad" for a few days. We ate what we wanted, where we wanted, when we wanted. We didn't have to plan our time around the boys or break up any fights or..be parents. I was about 6 months pregnant with Wesley on our first wedding anniversary, so really, we haven't had a lot of time as a married couple that didn't involve kids.  In some ways, the trip was like a second honeymoon and it made me realize once again how much I love my husband and that every day I have with him is a gift.

The last couple of days at home have been a bit of catch up. There's laundry to do and we had to clean out the fridge. The bathroom needed cleaned and we desperately needed to go to the store. We dug leftovers out of the freezer to tide us over and had to add air to the car tires. We've had to send the boys to their rooms for fighting and cleaned cat puke off our bed.  It isn't glamorous here, but it's certainly nothing to complain about. Our life is good and just because we thoroughly enjoyed our time away doesn't mean it's not. It was nice to live the California dream for a few days, but I wouldn't trade our Ohio reality for anything.

Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama.


I did not eat seafood every single day we were in CA just because it was so good and so reasonably priced.

I know I did not complain to Duane about being cold a couple of times in CA. Who gets cold in California!?

I did not giggle repeatedly at the number of liquor stores in CA, even though it was explained to me that they are more like convenience stores.

I did not search darn near every gift shop in Disney California Adventure for a pair of Maleficent horns, only to leave without any.

I did not spend a big chunk of my trip feeling guilty that Wesley came down with pink eye and strep throat practically the moment we left.

There is no way I bugged Duane to get a fedora style had. Even if I did, there is no way he gave in. And even if that happened, I am not insanely happy because he looks so stinking cute in it.

California Recap - Palos Verdes/Point Vincente/Redondo

No worries - I'll give them PLENTY of distance

LOVE this shot!

TONS of people were fishing off the pier

I"m sure they are all saying "Don't eat me!"

Pelican hoping for some easy lunch

I love that you can rent a boat for "private parties, charters, burials at sea." Cracks me up for some reason

Possibly one of my favorite shots from the whole trip

Cheryl, Zack and Taryn

Heather and Duane with a photobomb by my bestie!

Postcard perfect

The girls

The 65 degree water didn't deter Zack from taking a dip

Taryn, Cheryl and Heather with toes in the sand