It's Thursday

This morning, having a conversation about whether or not he need PE shoes today:

Ethan, looking confused: It's Thursday?
Me: Yes, It's Thursday.  It seems like it's only Wednesday because there was no school on Monday for the holiday, remember?
Ethan (Still looking a little confused):  Oh, yeah.  So I need my PE shoes because it's Thursday not Wednesday?
Me: Yes. 

Five minutes later:
Ethan: So, if it's Thursday, how come Nick doesn't have school?
Me: Um..... (oh, no...Nick had school yesterday, so it can't be Thursday....)  Because it's Wednesday?  (Shoot!)

Needless to say, Ethan was very confused, and I left to go get more coffee...
And yes, it's really Wednesday today, not Thursday.  It's a wonder my kids survive me somedays.

The Boys Room Makeover

It was about time for Nick to get a real bed, so we started shopping for beds.  If you're going to ask for a new bed for one boy, chances are you'll ask for a new bed for both boys.  If you're getting new beds, you'll need some new sheets.  And if you're getting new sheets, you'll need a blanket to go with them.... Well, you know how that story goes...

So, here's the surprise room redo.  We managed to buy all the stuff for this, and have it hidden around the house (or in plain sight) this week, without the boys catching on.  They "tent camped" in their room after we took out the old beds on Monday to clean the carpets and paint the baseboards.  Today, they were gone at Nana's, and we surprised them tonight when they got home with the fully made over room.

Daddy must love us an awful lot to do all this work for us!

But he's not crazy about the picture part...

Starting to take shape.

One down, one more to go...

Time to make the beds...

Tent canopy up, and bed made.

Mama must really love us too...she even ironed the curtains!

New beds, new curtains...

Ethan's bed is ready now too...

Ta...DA!!!!!

There's a tv watching area...

There's a reading area....

There's even an 'overflow' stuffed animal bin...

And here's the "Big Reveal"...
oops...couldn't get that video clip to work. 
I'll try to figure it out and add it later.  They were soooo surprised!

I love this book!

Checkin' out the tv area...

His comment? "It looks like where worms live!"  Unique as ever.

Time to check out the sleeping area.

I love it!

Have to get everything 'just so'.

Ahhh...perfect!

Summer Fun

I'm a 'Murner', Are You?

Yesterday, on the way to the park after school, we stopped in at the Sonic Drive In to get some 1/2 price happy hour slushies.  This particular Sonic only has one driveway going in, and I always seem to forget that and head for what I think is the 2nd driveway, but is really the place next door.  And, of course, they don't connect.  This has happened often enough that I realize it as soon as I'm just past the correct turn in spot.  So, I muttered, "Shoot.  I missed the turn again!" to myself.   In the backseat, Ethan says, "Mom!!  You're a MURNER!"

Now, I'm trying to turn left across three lanes of traffic, and I'm really not paying attention to him, but as soon as I cross over in the parking lot, I hear an echo in my head of what he had said.  Somewhat horrified, I wonder what would make my son call me a murderer.  I don't even squish spiders in the house, thanks to 15 years of brainwashing from my hubby, who can't stand to kill any living thing.  If I can't scoop it up and take it outside, (read: it's too big and scary for me to deal with...) then it gets covered by a large glass, with a book on top  to make sure it can't escape, until he gets home to deal with it.  (Spiders  are strong, you know.  It might just pick up that cup that's 100 times bigger than it's own body size, and crawl on out...LOL.  I know, I know, I'm a wuss.)  But back to the point.  Why did he just tell me I'm a murderer?


Me: What?  I'm a murderer?
E: No.  You're a MUR-ner.
Me: (Okay, well that's better, but what on earth is a murner?)  I don't know what that is... What's a MUR-ner?
E: You missed the turn.  You're a murner.  Get it?  You're a 'missed turner'.  Missed + turner = murner!
Me: Laughing.  Oh.  You're right, I guess I am a murner.  And you're pretty clever for coming up with that!
E: I know.  Are you going to tell Mrs. D. at the park about 'murner'?
Me: Yep, I'll definitely tell her about that one.

Later that night, on the way home from a Love & Logic class,  we had this conversation:
E: What class did you have to go to?
Me: It was a Love & Logic class.
E: Why did you need to go there?
Me: So I can learn to be a better mom, and teach you how to be a better kid, so you can have a better life.
E: And be a better dad when I have kids?
Me: Yes, that too, I guess.
E: (Who is only just 8...) I don't know who I'm going to marry.
Me: Well, you probably haven't even met the person  you're going to marry yet...
Nicholas: (who is 4...) I'm going to marry a TABLE!! 
That was the end of that conversation.  We were all laughing too much!

I am surely blessed with these two guys who are always making me laugh.

Dear Ethan & Nick: 

I LOVE you, 

and you're driving me 

CRAZY....  

with laughter! 

Nick's 4th Birthday

Nick turned 4 on May 5th.  Here are a few pictures from our celebration day.

First things first, wake up and open a present!

Next, grab some donut holes and head over to Jump for Fun to celebrate with friends.

 Later, have Grandma deliver your custom order "BLUE EYEBALL" birthday cake.

Open more presents, and wear your special 4 Year Old birthday hat.

 Last but not least, family dinner at Hibachi Sushi (Samauri Bistro) with Grandma & Papa, Nana, Aunt Barbara, and Mom, Dad & Ethan.

 It's always a surprise when they light the table on fire!

Nick's favorite part?  Catching shrimp tossed through the air.  When the chef went around for a second toss, Nick was already waiting for him....

Finally, special birthday treat and a song.  Nick made one of his trademark crazy faces, and the waitress was laughing too hard to finish the song!

The Three Little Pigs

Ethan had to draw and write what he would have done if he were one of the three little pigs.

Can you tell he's an eight year old boy?  I was cracking up about the fish tank full of sharks.

Menu Planning

Nick wanted chocolate milk, so after paying me in kisses, we were in the kitchen fixing some for him.

Me: Hey, Nick.  What should we make for dinner tonight?
Nick: (very seriously)  Eyeballs.  Walks off with his milk...

Priceless.

That's Weird

We were just driving home from Mom & Dad's in this huge downpour.  Flash flood type rainstorm, so loud that you couldn't hear anything but the rain thundering on the roof of the car. 
Nick says, "What's a sjdsofgi?"
Me: What?  Talk louder, I can't hear you over the rain.
Nick:  What's a SJDSOFGI?
Me: I still couldn't understand you.
Nick: What's a SHIRT?
Me: What's a shirt? (Really, that's what you need to know right this second?)
Nick: Yeah.
Me: (Umm....how do you answer that?) It's just a shirt.
Nick: Well, now that's weird!

Pause is the New Time-Out

I think we watch too much DVR'd TV.  
The boys are running around playing, and when they need to stop for a minute, (when, back in the 'old' days, we'd just say time-out) they yell, "PAUSE!!!", as if you can just pause real life, and then hit play when you're ready again. 

Sometimes, from the next room, I hear,

"Pause!! Pause, pause, pause!!!  PAUSE!!!!!" 

It's too funny.

Bedtime Stories

It's Friday.  I think I'll wear my pajamas to work.  Seriously.  Today is National Wear Your PJs to Work Day!  How cool is that?  Now, I kind of feel like I'm cheating, since I work at home, but I'm still going to wear my Pjs all day!  Why should my kids get to be the only ones to wear their pjs to school once a year?

Okay, in all seriousness, I'm wearing my PJs today, not just because I want to, but for a really good cause.  The Pajama Program donates pjs and books to children in need who might never get tucked in with a bedtime story.  Never know the security of having their own pjs and mom or dad to read a story to them every night before bed.  Bedtime/storytime is one of my favorite parts of my day.  No matter how much my boys are making me crazy, or how bad I feel, I always love snuggling with them and reading a story together.  It breaks my heart that some children never know that gift.


So, while my introverted self cringes, I'm going to go  Starbucks for coffee, and when they say "How are you?" I'm going to say, "I'm great!  It's national wear your pjs to work day, and I'm supporting the Pajama Program!"   I have little slips with the Pajama Program logo and website on them to hand out. I'm taking my son to school (the one where you have to go in with him...) in my Pjs.  I'm going to yoga...in my pjs.   Maybe I'll be really brave and go inside the bank to make a deposit! Why does that seem worse than going to starbucks? Oh, and my boys and I are donating the money we made at the jbf sale to buy pjs for this great cause.  We were able to order 14 sets of Pjs for Pajama Program boys and girls.  Now that's a sweet dream!

Would you like to donate?  

Go HERE for ways to help Pajama Program directly 

(including online donations) 
PajamaProgram.Org

Things they don't tell you...

There are just some things that no one tells you about when you're going to be a mom.  Like some of the conversations you will have with your three year old.   Today's moment about learning how to put on your own underwear, for example.


Me:  Put your underwear and shorts on, so we can go to the park.
Nick:  Cool!  It has a wiener pocket!!
Me:  Yes, it has a weiner pocket...  laughing....
Nick: It's a weiner pocket!!!  It's a weiner pocket!!
Me: Still laughing...  Yes, but the weiner pocket goes in the front...
Nick: OOOOOooooohhhhh!!!!

They say the funniest things...

Nick came in with one of his favorite Nerf guns just now. I was sitting on my bed, and when he pointed the gun to "shoot" me,  I played along, squealed, and fell over "dead".  I lay there to wait and see what he would do.  He didn't say a word, and I didn't move.  After about 30 seconds, he climbed up on the bed with me.  He put one hand on top of the other, and starting pushing on my ribs, CPR style, yelling "Breathe, baby, breathe!  Breathe, baby, breathe!". 

If I wasn't already laying down, I'd have fallen over laughing! 

It's a Dangerous Game

 Ethan just came running up to me and said:  
Hey, mom!  I know a dangerous game.  It would be called 'fire-in-the-hole musical chairs'.  You would put fire on the chairs, and then put on fire stuff (fire retardant stuff, I think he meant), and then you would turn on the music, do-de-do-di-loo....and then the music would stop and you'd sit down on the fire!  Told you it was a dangerous game.

How do you respond to that?