Kevin and Me + Three

Corinne's talking

2010-10-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Danny's preschool graduation

2010-06-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to putting these pictures on here.

Here's Danny (red shirt in the middle) and his classmates singing at their program:

More singing:

They recited bible verses in twos. Here are Danny and Ashton saying theirs:

Danny with his teachers:

2010-04-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Some videos of Corinne:

And some pictures of Ben's first tee ball practice:

Corinne's baptism

2010-04-11T19:32:00.001-07:00

Corinne was baptized today.

Sleeping on Kevin's shoulder:

Rudely awakened:

Let's just say that Father DiBacco is not stingy with the oil. Kevin considered wringing her hair out on the grill rack to season it:

After she changed into her white dress:

Final moments after the candle was lit:

Most of the family:

Smiles for Father DiBacco:

Godparents and dear friends (Matt and Arlene):

Spring pictures

2010-03-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've been editing!

Ben's 3rd birthday

2010-03-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Check out a photoshow for Ben:

Ice skating, snow shoveling and sleeping

2010-03-07T16:19:00.000-08:00

Ice skaing with Danny's preschool class:

Ben helping Daddy shovel:

Corinne got sleepy:

Corinne is six months old!

2010-02-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Fashion show:

Cori laughing at Danny

2010-01-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

Corinne's eating cereal!

2010-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of Corinne trying cereal.

She doesn't love it. But, next week we'll start some applesauce and then we'll have a happier eater.

Vote for Children's Hospital in Morgantown!

2010-01-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

Go here, set up an account and vote. If everyone votes, we can raise some money for our wonderful Children's Hospital!

http://radiocares.childrensmiraclenetwork.org/

Photo with Santa

2009-12-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

Danny got to sit on Santa's knee and tell him what he wanted for Christmas. Corinne was a happy little elf. Ben wasn't interested in getting too close to Santa, but with Mommy's help, he told Santa what presents he would like! Hey, at least no one cried.

Danny's Christmas party and the best baby ever

2009-12-19T10:19:00.000-08:00

Danny's Pre-School Christmas party

Singing some songs:

Time to eat!

Best baby ever:

She was playing on the floor and I looked over and she was asleep. This child is a miracle. I've never had a kid who slept like this.

Head scratchers

2009-12-12T18:13:00.001-08:00

We had a few head scratching moments here tonight. I decided to let the kids decorate some sugar cookies. I explained to them that often, when creating a piece of visual art, less is, in fact, more. I showed them an example (note my tasteful use of pink and purple sugar for the dress and some candies for the facial features):

Here was Danny's first cookie. He started off nicely with some green sugar for the wreath and some red for the bow. Then, he went completely berserk with the "ornaments" as he called them:

And here was Ben's. Okay, seriously, what is that, like 20 chocolate chips?:

Neither of them seemed to grasp the minimalist approach.

Corinne wasn't sure what to think of any of it:

Here they are. I would not eat one of these for a million dollars:

And, now for the last moment of confusion. I was wrapping presents and stepped into the other room to get a bow. When I came back, Ben had unrolled an entire roll of paper and said, "Take this back. There's nothing in it."

Here's Cori laughing!

2009-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

Please excuse my singing :0)

Our tree

2009-12-06T16:15:00.000-08:00

Picking out our tree yesterday:

Decorated tree:

Clark Connoley | A Dog Named Christmas

2009-11-30T16:22:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. Vote for Clark! Cutest dog contest!

Clark Connoley | A Dog Named Christmas

Perspective

2009-11-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Stolen from Mary Kathryn's blog:

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, Lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek-peek-a-boo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo.
But I'm playing "Kanga" and this is my "Roo."
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rock-a-bye, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing will wait 'til tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs. Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
~ Ruth Hulburt Hamilton, 1958

Corinne is three months old today!

2009-11-10T11:29:00.001-08:00

Playing in the exersaucer, trying desperately to reach that purple guy:

Not tall enough to stand up without the pillow yet:

I love this one. She looks like she's saying, "Hello, world"!

Like father, like daughter:

Completely out cold:

Halloween '09

2009-11-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

Luigi, Mario and Princess Peach:

Ready for trick-or-treating (see our Mario and Elmo jack-o-lanterns?)

Annual pose with the neighbors:

In front of a neighbor's nicely decorated house:

Yummy! Ben had already said several times, "I'm donna do home and eat my tandy wight now"!

Little Princess:

Sweet smile:

Happy 5th birthday, Danny!

2009-10-21T16:01:00.001-07:00

Some recipes

2009-10-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

People have been asking for these, so here we go:

Roast pork (brining it over night makes this roast so juicy, even if you end up having to cook it a little longer than planned)

1 cup water
1/4 cup each salt and sugar
1 heaping Tbsp pickling spices
3 cups apple juice or water
4 1/2 pound pork loin roast
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1. The day before making roast, boil 1 cup water in a 2-qt saucepan. Stir in the salt, sugar and pickling spices. Bring to boil and cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes.

2. Add apple juice to pickling liquid. Combine brine with pork in large ziptop bag or lidded container. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Heat oven to 375 F. Remove pork from brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Rub oil over entire pork.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place pork in pan and cook all sides until browned. Transfer to a roasting pan and cook for 55 to 60 minutes or until temperature reaches 155 F. Remove from oven; cover with foil. Let rest 15 minutes.

Holly's Cream Cheese Dessert

2 cans crescent rolls
2 blocks cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and egg in medium bowl. In greased 9X13 pan, flatten one can of crescent rolls, pinching perforations. Spread cream cheese mixture onto crescent rolls. Top with other flattened can of crescent rolls. Mix ingredients for topping in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of crescent rolls. Bake in 350 F oven for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Happy and Sleepy

2009-09-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

Happy baby Cori:

Bad diaper=bath in sink:

Post bath and crying fit...sleepy baby:

She loves to sleep in the swing:

Haircuts by Jennifer

2009-09-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, I bought some clippers at Wal-Mart and I cut the boys' hair. I must say that I'm pretty impressed with how the cuts turned out and how easy it was to do. Their haircuts were $10 a piece at a salon, plus tip. I decided to give it a try and see if I could save us some money and I'm totally happy with the result!

Here's Danny:

Danny from the back:

Ben (he has a really strong cowlick right in the front that always looks kind of messy):

Another shot of Ben (he is perpetually naked):

Ben from the back (he was my first "victim" so I didn't get the back cut as nicely as I would like. Plus, he was getting pretty squirmy by the end. Still, though, it looks fine):

Hooray for me!

Crayons...

2009-09-15T11:24:00.001-07:00

...were not meant for the couch, Benjamin.

He also colored on Danny's bed and the plug for the baby monitor. Why?

First day of Preschool '09

2009-09-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

Danny had his first day of school today.

Here he is on the front porch, ready to go:

In front of the school:

Ben wanted his picture taken too:

Finding his seat with help from Mrs. Decker:

Coloring in between Levi and Jake:

So far so good. His teachers seem very nice and nurturing. Friday is "Take your favorite stuffed animal to school". I'm guessing Dora, the reindeer will be visiting school. Then, that night, Dora will be getting a bath in the washing machine :0)

Some more pictures of Corinne

2009-08-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

At the hospital:

With Grandma Connoley:

With Suenamaw:

The boys and Grandpa Connoley:

Talking to Daddy:

Pretty girl:

At home with the boys:

Visiting with Great Grandma:

With Grandpa Kerzak:

Sleepy:

Where's my thumb?

2009-08-16T14:50:00.000-07:00

We had a baby.

Corinne Sue Connoley born August 10, 2009 at 12:28 p.m. She weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

She is perfect!

I need a new name for my blog. Any suggestions?

Swimming with Daddy

2009-08-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ben had swimming class for the past two weeks. Kevin got in the pool with him to help him and it was so meaningful for Ben. Especially, right before the new baby will be born.

Here they are floating with a noodle:

Here's Ben in the play area or just "the area" as he calls it:

Coming down the slide. This picture is great because it so captures his wildness:

Today was the last class so it was Family Fun Night and we all got to go swimming. So, here's Danny coming down the slide:

Here's a little video:

Last OB appointment

2009-08-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

We had the last OB appointment today. The C-section is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Monday, August 10.

I'm excited and also scared. Mostly, I'm thrilled to never have to be pregnant again. Some people love being pregnant...I am not one of them. I'm excited to meet Cori. I am praying for a healthy baby. I am scared that Kevin and I will be outnumbered now and I am anxious about the first few months with a newborn. Been there and I know how hard it is. I don't do well with lack of sleep and I desperately want this to be a smooth transition for the boys.

Thankfully, we will have family here to help. Of course, my parents will be here, but Kevin's parents are coming too. I like having lots of people around me in times like this. I am thrilled that they are able and interested in being here to help us.

Four days and counting!

Baby Corinne's room

2009-07-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

I finally finished the baby's room. I could just keep putting more butterflies and flowers in there, but I recognize the fact that I need limits :0)

Butterflies hung from the ceiling (when the fan's turned on, they float around a little):

The closet:

I foresee lots of time spent in this rocker:

Changing table waiting to be used (probably not in very ladylike ways. If memory serves me, this changing table has seen its fair share of diaper explosions):
The crib, her name and a pretty lamp:

I'm happy with it and I'm glad we decided to paint the walls purple instead of pink. There's plenty of pink in there, but the purple is nice. I love all this girl stuff!

Danny's swimming lessons

2009-07-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Danny had swimming lessons for two weeks. At first, I was wondering how much he could really learn from this...I'm skeptical. I signed him up mainly so that he would have an activity that would be something to look forward to. I just kind of assumed this would be like a little introductory class where the kids had supervised play in the water, etc. I was wrong. These were real lessons. He learned a lot and really enjoyed it!

Here, his class is playing "Ring around the Rosy" and at the end when they all fall down, the hope was that they would put their heads under the water. Some did. Danny did it a few times.

They got lots of one-on-one practice with the lifeguards. Here he is "swimming" on his belly:

Here he is swimming on his back:

Happy:

Here's a little video of him jumping off the diving board:

Most of the kids were just lowered into the water from the board, but Danny wanted to jump every time! I'm so proud of him and so glad he's not afraid of the water! The only drawback of this was the weather. It was cold a few mornings. The kids were turning purple and even the lifeguards were saying how cold the water was. Other than that, though, I am very happy with these lessons.

Spaghetti and drivers' licenses

2009-07-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

We had spaghetti for lunch today. Ben was really hungry:

Our neighbors have a cool ride-in car that the boys absolutely LOVE!

Let me just say, though, I now understand why we wait until we're 16 to get a driver's license.

Mmmm...cake!

2009-07-03T20:16:00.001-07:00

Happy weekend!

Nesting, I guess.

2009-07-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

I've been cleaning.

Anyone need some inspiration to do some cleaning, themselves? Maybe this will help a little (if we know we're in it together). Before kids, Heidi and MK and I would have races to see who would clean up their apartment quickest. I don't remember ever winning, but anyway, it was fun to feel as if you weren't the only one in the world cleaning.

Here are some of the things I've done: 10,000 loads of laundry, carpet cleaning, sorting out and getting rid of toys, organizing the play-doh and moon sand into a giant bin, cleaning out refrigerator/freezer, organizing clothes in the boys' and Corinne's room, and cleaning out the closets in the bathroom, the hall and my bedroom. It's taken me (and my dear, dear mother) a few days to get all of this done, what with the boys all over us, un-doing everything we do.

Here's a picture of Danny "helping us" clean out the hall linen closet:

I guess he thought we had made him a little bed to sleep in.

Next on the agenda is cleaning my bathroom, cleaning out the cabinets where all the sippy cups are, cleaning up the family room, and cleaning out the little cart where all the crayons/markers/craft supplies are.

I am still working on the baby's room and will post pictures when I get a chance, but it is so beautiful already. I am so happy to be looking at purple and pink and butterflies for a change :0)

I love my flowers!

2009-06-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Pretty lillies:

Dahlias on the front porch:

Two little sprouts:

Baby shower at school

2009-06-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

The teachers/staff at school threw a baby shower for me and a retirement party for one of our kindergarten aides. I was truly overwhelmed by their generosity. The had some themes going and each pod of teachers contributed to little baskets they put together. There was a bath bundle, "fine dining" (cute), music, etc. I am so lucky to work with such nice and supportive people! I will miss them next year when I'm home on maternity leave!

Here's the cake from Ray's--yummy--my favorite!

An adorable little poncho that one of the 3rd grade teachers' moms made:

Look at this little dress:

Here is an absolutely beautiful trunk that was painted and decorated and filled up with "stuff":

See all the little baskets and bundles?:

Thanks so much to everyone!

Danny's pre-school promotion

2009-06-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since Danny was promoted, but I just now got the pictures into the computer! I got a little teary-eyed during the ceremony...Kevin said, "Geez, Jennifer, it's not even GRADUATION from pre-school, it's just promotion to the next year of pre-school...get a grip." But, he just looked like a little man up there and it just made me realize how fast time flies.

Here's his little class on the stage with the fun slide show of pictures in the background:

Pledge of Allegiance (Danny and the little girl next to him seem confused about where the heart is...smile...):

Singing:

Another fun song...love the farmer hats!

Danny (with his teachers) receiving his certificate:

We absolutely love Danny's pre-school. I hope next year will be as positive an experience for him as this year was. It was just perfect!

Chinese Acrobats

2009-06-03T11:34:00.001-07:00

Comments from 4th graders heard during the assembly of Chinese Acrobats today:

"Oh my God...China is awesome"
"I could do that." (picture women riding 10-feet tall unicycles and balancing silver bowls on their heads)
"Do you think they'll still be here after the show so we can bring our autograph books down?"
"I could do that in 3 years...it takes 3 years to learn"
"Oh, snap!"
"Those are connected with strings...(imagine chandelier thingie flying up in the air)...oh, maybe not."
"I don't like the yellow one anymore." (different colored costumes...yellow costume failed to catch a bowl on her head that was flung to her from another acrobat's foot while she and the others were riding the unicycle...don't worry though, she caught it on the second try)
"That calls for a piece of gum." What?
"Those aren't Chinese yo-yos." (Iranian child said this, after the translater described the next set of tricks, to which I said, "Honey, I think they would know...they're from China.")

It's funny sitting in front of 4th graders and eavesdropping on their conversations! I forget sometimes how hilarious they are.

Danny's first tee-ball game of the year

2009-05-13T19:39:00.001-07:00

Danny's playing tee-ball again this year. Last year he played for Lytle's Little Hammers. This year, he's on the Pepsi team. Here he is batting:

Running home from 3rd base (Daddy standing by to direct):

Time for the Pepsi team to take the field...Danny played 3rd base:

He's in that clump of kids somewhere (click on the picture to see him better)...when someone hits the ball, the entire team runs to try to grab it first:

Running back to Daddy for a high five after throwing a ground ball to 1st base:

Mother's Day on the train

2009-05-10T18:47:00.001-07:00

We spent Mother's Day on the Mountain Thunder train...a trip that goes from Cumberland, Maryland to Frostburg, Maryland. This was a lot of fun!

Here are Ben and Danny waiting to board:

Here's the train waiting to leave (those of you who know me well, just know that in my mind, I was at Platform 9 3/4 ready to go to Hogwarts):

Mommy and Ben on the train:

Danny and Suenamaw:

There was an open car where you could stand and take pictures and look out the open window:

The view from the open car of the engine in the distance:

Closer-up view with the beautiful mountains in the background:

Ben, Daddy and Danny at Frostburg (this began Danny's difficult hour or so where he was first put-off by the noise of the engine and then was mad and indignant about EVERYTHING else):

The engine pulls onto a turnstile and they turn it around for the return trip:

Back on the train after lunch...headed back to Cumberland:

Back in Cumberland at the station:

Corinne's a contortionist and Danny's Mother's Day Celebration

2009-05-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

So, Corinne's a contortionist.

At our last ultrasound, here is what she was doing:

Yeah, that's her leg going straight up over her head. See the long bone passing right in front of her profile? I know babies are flexible, but honestly, that's pretty impressive.

Danny's pre-school class invited all the mothers to school on Thursday for a celebration. They read a story called, "Five Minutes Peace" about a mom who can't enjoy a private bath because the three children keep bothering her. Here's a picture of me in the bathtub, drawn by Danny:

Apparently I was pretty dirty, because the bubbles are BLACK! I also couldn't help noticing that I have a big round belly.

Here is a questionnaire that each kid filled in about his/her mother. Mrs. Kellar read each one aloud and we all waited with great anticipation for what would be said about us (you might have to click on the image to be able to read it):

I'm pretty excited that I am perceived as being 14 years old. Some of the moms' favorite things to do were laundry and ironing. Clearly, I have my priorities (as most of you know)...forget the cleaning and housework...let's eat and play!

And here are some beautiful handprints with a lovely poem for all of us moms.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

Movie of Ben

2009-05-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here's a little movie of Ben from today. He's pretty funny!

I love it so much when they really start talking!

100 days

2009-05-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Oooh...I just looked over there at the floating embryo and saw that there are only 100 days left until Corinne is born. August 10 cannot get here fast enough.

Ben-isms

2009-04-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some things Ben says on a daily basis:

*When he is asked to do something he doesn't want to do, like clean up the puzzles he dumps all over the floor or put his milk back in the refrigerator: "I don't want me to!"
*At least 75 times per day he wants to know what I'm doing..."Are doing?" I have taken to coming up with creative answers. Sometimes I'm solving the world hunger crisis, sometimes I'm flying to the moon, sometimes I'm picking and grinning.
*At least 50 times per day he wants to know where all members of the family are..."Where's Daddy? or Mommy? or Danny? or Suenamaw?" He asks this even if these people are standing directly in front of him.
*"I have turn". I hear this almost every time Danny tries to play with any toy in the house. Ben is very jealous and demanding.
*When he wants to sit on the couch with me or have some M&Ms or one of a host a zillion other things, he says, "I too".
*TMI here...my belly button is herniated big time. Ben lifts my shirts to look at it and says, "Belly...weird".
*He loves the song "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" but he calls it "Oh so high". When he wants to hear this song, he says, "Sing it for me, oh so high, for me". Lots of his ~~demands~~ sentences end with "for me".
*As of late, from dawn till dusk, he begs, "I go outside". Man oh man, he is all boy. He wants to play in the dirt, he wants to get wet with the hose, he wants to kick balls down the street. On Saturday, he got wet in the hose, then picked up handfulls of dirt and smeared them in his hair.
*He also says, "I love you too". This melts my heart!

2009-04-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

Here are recent pictures we got taken.

So sweet!

Love this one:

Precious Danny:

Ben is so adorable:

Here are some shots that didn't exactly turn out as we'd hoped.

What is Ben's smile?

Ben trying to escape:

Again:

Little too short to pull this one off...but I love the ornery look:

Foreshadowing?

2009-04-01T06:26:00.000-07:00

I called home this morning to remind Danny that today is April Fools' Day and to play a joke on Suenamaw (the classic, "there's a bug on your head" joke). I told him to take the phone with him so I could hear him do it. Here's how it went:

Danny: Suenamaw, I have an April Fools' Joke for you.
Suenamaw: OK, what is it?
Danny: There's a bug on your hair.
Suenamaw: Where?
Danny: April Fools!

Kind of lost some of the surprise factor with that interpretaion. I think they call that "foreshadowing" in literature/the theatre.

And, unfortunately, I can't do my usual April Fools' joke on Kevin this year: "I have something to tell you...I'm pregnant." Because I actually am this year.

Anyone playing some good jokes this year?

Here's a great one a teacher friend played on her husband one year: They were trying to sell their house and she called hubby from school to tell him that a "Mr. Lyon" called about buying the house and to call him back at such-and-such number. The number was actually the Pittsburgh Zoo, so when hubby called and said, "Could I speak to Mr. Lyon?", the person answering the phone said, "Would you like to talk to Mr. Tiger and Mr. Elephant too?" Awesome!

Have a great day!

Birthday party

2009-03-21T14:57:00.001-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came to Ben's birthday party! He had lots of fun!

Blowing out the candles:

Dig in:

Presents:

More presents:

What was left of the cake:

Ben is 2 today!

2009-03-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

Today is Ben's birthday...he's 2! We were going to have his birthday party yesterday but because both boys were still a little under the weather, we decided to postpone it until next weekend.

Here he is blowing out the candle:

Enjoying the frosting:

Really enjoying the frosting:

He has been so excited for his birthday. He can't say "th", so instead of birthday, he says "burpday". He's so precious.

Ben was a scheduled C-section...thank God. He weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz. He was born at 8:07 a.m. on March 16, 2007. I was nervous even though I had been through it all before with Danny and rightly so...my OB was literally pushing on my chest to get him out because he was so big. I felt like I was having a heart attack. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him. He had a full head of blonde hair and he was so round and pink. Danny was so skinny when he was born and he was jaundiced, so he wasn't that gorgeous pink color.

Almost immediately, Ben started showing signs of reflux. The second night in the hospital, he started gagging, choking and turning blue. Kevin and I were constantly grabbing him and helping him breathe. I had to ask the nurses to watch him that night because I couldn't sleep at all. Honestly, every hour or so, he would gag and choke.

He also growled like a little bear. All night long when he was put down on his back, he was trying to clear his little throat. When the breastfeeding really got underway, he started spitting up...a lot...every feeding. Projectile and out his nose.

He had an upper GI which showed reflux and a hiatal hernia. Somehow, through all of that, we nursed for 10 months or so and by then, the reflux had settled down a lot. Now, he doesn't show any signs of having trouble with it, but I do think he has some food allergies which may have contributed to the early reflux.

He is an angel and I can't help myself from smiling at him all the time. I am so thankful to have such a sweetheart for a son...I can't wait to see how his life will turn out.

Baby girl

2009-03-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

We had an ultrasound earlier this week (in the midst of Ben's hospital stay--I don't even want to rehash that awful ordeal).

Here are some pictures of our little girl:

Profile:

Foot:

Hi, Mom!

We are just absolutely thrilled to be having a little girl! Please pray for a healthy baby!

Guessing Game

2009-03-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

Having a baby and trying to figure all of its needs is SOOOO hard. Especially before he/she can carry on a conversation with you. Even then it can sometimes be a guessing game.

I have suspected for a long time that Ben has some allergies to something he is eating/drinking. We are going to start seeing a pediatric allergist. I think he's allergic to milk/dairy. I thought he might be sensitive to milk while I was nursing him...so much so that I wrote it in his baby book over a year ago. Things that I have read about dairy allergies really seem to apply to Ben. I read a checklist of eight symptoms yesterday and Ben has six of them. The ones that really stood out are: abnormally red cheeks, bouts of constipation/diarrhea and constantly clears throat. Those of you who have seen Ben a lot or who have seen pictures have no doubt noticed his bright red cheeks. He goes through times of constipation followed almost immediately by diarrhea and vice versa. He has always (from day one) cleared his throat...he used to sound like a little bear growling.

A couple of other things I read said that kids with dairy allergies love and crave dairy almost like an addiction. This is definitely the case with Ben. He asks for milk a thousand times a day. If he sees me take a piece of cheese out of the refrigerator, he runs around excitedly screaming, "Cheese...yay"! And, when I give him even one piece of cheese, honest to God, he becomes constipated despite all the wonderful fruits and vegetables he eats.

I also suspect peanuts and peanut butter. His cheeks have cleared up considerably since I stopped giving him peanut butter a few weeks ago. Originally I was annoyed by the peanut butter scare, but now I see it as a blessing.

I think these allergies are what make him susceptible to so many colds, infections, and viruses. What I read said that immune systems are weakened when the body is fighting off allergies.

I am praying that we will figure this out. Ben is such an angel...I can't bear to have him suffer with this stuff anymore. I have just been thinking that as he grew up a little he would grow out of some of these problems he has, but it's just not happening.

I was relieved to find out that they do a scratch test, not shots or pin pricks for dairy. I will keep everyone posted after we have the allergy testing done. Please pray for Ben.

Odd occurrences

2009-02-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted...life is too crazy these days to blog...but I have a few minutes, so here goes:

*Still haven't switched into the maternity pants. I've only gained 4 pounds. Is this something to be concerned about or happy about? Can't decide. I definitely LOOK pregnant, but the scale's not showing it.
*Ben is the only one in the house who is sick...yellow goop in his nose...pretty high fever. Yesterday, I took him to the doctor. He said the yellowness of the goop usually means an infection somewhere and that his throat looked kind of red and one of his tonsils was starting to look suspicious. How is this kid sick again? I am majorly troubled by this. Honestly, he is sick A LOT! And he doesn't go to daycare. What would it be like if he was actually around other kids? Also, the sore throat and fever have not affected his appetite at all. He continues to eat like a horse.
*I lost a brown shoe that I loved somewhere in the house. It was honestly gone for over a month. It showed up mysteriously last weekend. I'm wearing the shoes today.
*At around 5:30, this morning, I woke up and couldn't find Ben in the bed (at some point every night, he comes into our room to sleep with me). I could hear him, but I couldn't find him. I realized that he had gotten out of the bed and was asleep on some pillows on the floor next to the bed. I don't get this at all.
*I woke up this morning and got in the shower. A sailboat sticker was stuck to my right calf. Apparently all night. Didn't notice it. Funny!
*For the first time in my teaching career, I can't figure out what to spend my teacher's allocation on. I have some definite ideas, but I am having a little trouble :0) This is definitely a good problem to have!

Are we crazy?

2009-01-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a bun in the oven:

Here's our bun in the oven:

We're about 11 weeks along. Are we crazy? This one's been rough so far...ER trip and modified bed rest for 7 days a few weeks ago. Now I'm dealing with a really bad sinus infection and of course, I don't want to take anything for it...so I'm waiting it out. We're just hoping and praying for smooth sailing the rest of the way until August. OMG, that seems so far from now!

Danny

2009-01-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

Last night when I was putting Danny to bed, we started saying his prayers as usual and he goes, "Oh Lord, won't ya buy me a Mercedes Benz?"

Today he was trying to figure out the difference between the two words: occupy and octopi. "Mama, more than one octoPUS is an octoPI. But it also means something else". I had to explain that occupy and octopi are actually two different words.

At dinner tonight, when faced with his meal, he said, "I don't like your decision".

The other day, he said, "My sinues are going to explode".

I love it!

Bad car trips...chapter two

2008-12-30T16:42:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone's Christmas was great. Ours was great in some ways and absolutely awful in others.

Apparently, we are cursed with having bad car trips. This is the second installment in our Traveling Sucks Journal. Click here for the first installment.

We left home at around 4:30p.m. on Monday, the 22nd. We drove to somewhere in Kentucky and stayed the night. We woke up early Tuesday morning to drive the rest of the way to St. Louis. It should have been a 5 hour drive. Then the ice storm hit and a car in front of us slid off the right side of the interstate, then back on, hitting a tractor trailer in the process. We all stopped. Everyone was fine. The roads were a solid sheet of ice. We drove 30 mph the rest of the way until a bad accident caused the entire westbound side of the interstate to come to a complete stop for about 30 minutes. These things combined made our 5 hour drive an 8 hour one. Not so good for little Ben. Danny handled it ok, but Ben cried himself to sleep at one point. Not happy.

The visit with Kevin's family was terrific. We loved seeing everyone and had a great time, despite the fact that Danny doesn't handle big groups of people well and had a small meltdown on Christmas Eve during which time he missed the annual visit by Santa Claus. Also, Danny needs his sleep. He sleeps a solid 10-11 hour block every night. He goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00. St. Louis is in central time, so the 9:00 visit from Santa was actually 10:00 to poor Dan. He wasn't in a good mood. But we got through that, no problem.

We left to come home on Saturday, the 27th at around 4:30 or 5:00 with the plan being that we would drive 4 or 5 hours to Louisville, Kentucky to stay the night. About a half hour into the drive, torrential rain started coming down. I'm not exaggerating that I was looking for tornadoes. It was raining sideways and the wind was blowing the car all over the road. I was feeding the boys grapes and milk to try and keep their little minds off the terrible storm, when Ben started throwing up all over himself. We stopped the car at a gas station and I took him inside in the pouring rain to clean him up. The car seat wasn't too bad, so we just cleaned everything the best we could and started out on the road again.

A half hour later, more barfing. Rapid fire, like 5 times in a row. He was crying. I was crying. He threw up on my arm at one point. The car seat at this point was hideous. Vomit in the cracks and crevices. The car reeked. We had to stop early. No hotels anywhere. We checked the Garmin. No hotels for 25 miles. Except for one little, crappy, very creepy Budget Inn somewhere in Illinois.

We stopped at this place, hoping against hope that they would have a washer and dryer to put the car seat cover in. No luck.

I washed the car seat in the sink as best I could and laid it across the heating vent hoping it would dry by morning.

That didn't happen, so the next morning, we put garbage bags and grocery bags all over the thing, then covered those with t-shirts and packed everyone up.

We drove the 9 hours home in a car that smelled of puke. It was way too long of a drive for Ben, especially considering he didn't feel well. We all felt kind of sick from being in that car.

We made it home. Ben seems to be feeling better. No one else has been sick...yet...please God, don't let us all start barfing. I hate being sick like that.

I'm almost afraid to plan another trip to St. Louis. Maybe we should start flying.

HELP!

2008-12-19T05:44:00.000-08:00

I. can't. stop. eating. puppy. chow.

You know what I mean, right? The cereal snack stuff with the chocolate and peanut butter, or whatever...I don't know...it's just delicious.

Not Clark's food.

That's Ben's problem...every time Clark's food is down on the floor, Ben can't resist nibbling it. How can it taste good? Clark doesn't even want it and he licks his own rear end, for crying out loud. He has tried to eat dirty diapers before. He prefers garbage to his own food, yet Ben wants kibble.

Now, don't get me wrong...Ben would eat M&Ms 24-7 if he was allowed. I'm just saying...he likes dog food.

Ben is the most un-picky eater I have ever seen. Danny survives on a diet of peanut butter, fruit and white milk. Ben eats everything. We had a Christmas dinner for the teachers and staff the other night and he ate cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, lettuce...stuff Danny never ate. Ben is like my dad. My dad will eat ANYTHING! Enthusiastically. My dad works up a sweat eating...he loves food.

And we love him!

We are so blessed to have the parents/grandparents that we do. We are supported, befriended and loved.

The best Christmas gifts!

Now, back to that puppy chow!

JOB DESCRIPTION: PARENT

2008-12-11T05:23:00.000-08:00

I didn't know this was what my job would be like when Kevin and I decided to become parents. This is funny!

POSITION : Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life...
• Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5
• Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly
• Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf
• Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers
• Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects
• Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks
• Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next
• Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices
• Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst
• Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product
• Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you...

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately. On-the- job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this...You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

NO RETIREMENT IS POSSIBLE.

Danny's Thanksgiving party and Ben's big boy bed

2008-12-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Danny's preschool class had their Thanksgiving party. Here's my precious boy reciting his prayer before snack:

Singing a turkey song:

Ben recently moved out of the crib and into a big boy bed. My dad and John, a family friend, made this gorgeous bed for him. They also made one just like this but with the drawers on the opposite side for Danny when he moved out of the crib! Eventually, we hope they will sleep in the same room!

So sweet!

Now, if he would only sleep in it. Actually, he's been doing much better lately! He loves his new bed!

What is wrong with me?

2008-11-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

I still haven't unpacked since my trip to Charlotte.

The suitcase sits on the bedroom floor full of now-wrinkled clothes.

There are two other bags with random travel items in them, still sitting there.

What is wrong with me?

Big trip, snow day and sleep!

2008-11-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

I went on a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Alone.

Without my boys.

I cried the entire first half hour of the trip and called Kevin, who said something like, "Put your foot on the gas pedal and drive...you deserve it...you haven't gone anywhere for four years."

True, but still...

I went to visit Mary Kathryn, Jon and Andrew in Columbia, SC, and then MK and I went to the National Orff Conference in Charlotte. It was great fun and we had a blast. I was gone from Wednesday last week till Saturday. Check out pictures on MK's blog.

I really did have a nice time, getting a break from everything at home. And, it was very hard saying goodbye to MK and her adorable little Andrew.

Then, when I got home, we got a snow day treat on Tuesday!

Danny and I made a snowman...there wasn't much snow, but here's our little guy:

We had a nice day together. We made chocolate chip cookies, played outside and spent a lot of time enjoying each others' company.

And, for some reason, this week, Benjamin has slept through the night...ALONE...several times. OMG...it's a miracle.

Trick-or-treat

2008-10-31T18:32:00.001-07:00

Danny, the astronaut and Ben, the alien getting ready to go trick-or-treating.

Apparently, they were already tired:

Daddy and Ben:

The scene in front of our house:

Cool Halloween arch (Danny and Luke are getting candy; Denise, Will, Kevin, Ben and I were a little slower):

The boys posing for a group picture:

Seriously scary horses and riders from the horse farm right behind our development:

Kids were absolutely crying when they saw these guys (our boys didn't really seem scared, though):

Our good friend and neighbor, Gordon always gives us lots of Yum-yums (M&Ms), especially at Halloween:
The last house we went to (Moments earlier, Ben sat down in this driveway--he'd had enough):

Let's see what we got (this is only half of what they got...the other half had already been taken inside):

Danny got some scary teeth:

Ben anticipating the flash:

We carved pumpkins too.
Here's a cat on a fence:

Bats in the belfry:

Winking face:

What a fun, fun Halloween! We all loved it!

Pumpkin farm

2008-10-26T18:25:00.001-07:00

Danny's pre-school class had a field trip to Rich's Farm last week.

Look at all the pumpkins:

Danny riding the little train thing:

Danny on the train in the distance:

Danny and Ben getting on the merry-go-round:

Daddy and Ben on the merry-go-round:

The hayride:

Ben fell asleep on the hayride:

Danny picked some corn:

Nice view:

Fun was had by all.

It's Danny's birthday!

2008-10-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

My due date for Danny was November 12, 2004. He was breach, so I had a version (where the doctors try to turn a breach baby into position for delivery) scheduled for October 22. Kevin, my mom and I went to the hospital at 8:00 a.m. that Friday morning and waited through ultrasounds, examinations, other moms in labor and various personnel changes until around 11:00 a.m. when the doctors attempted the version. Needless to say, it was uncomfortable and it didn't work. Danny's little bottom was wedged into my pelvis and he wasn't going to move.

I had been having pretty strong Braxton-Hicks contractions for a while prior to the version attempt, but immediately after the procedure, the contractions were pretty regular. They didn't think I was in labor, but they wanted to make sure, so we stayed in the hospital, hooked up to monitors for a few more hours.

At this point, I was starving. The kind of starving where you consider eating your hospital gown. I wasn't allowed to eat anything at all that day prior to the procedure or during it in case I went into labor and had to have a C-section. Finally, we were discharged and decided to go to the Boston Beanery so I could seriously chow down.

While we were sitting there, I noticed my back starting to ache. I said, "Hmm...my back is hurting." My mom perked up, "What do you mean? Because that's how I always knew I was in labor...my back started to hurt." I said, "It's like PMS cramps, but I know I'm not in labor...I was just at the hospital and they said everything was fine." So, we finished our lunch/dinner and went home.

I decided to have a nap after the exhaustion of the version procedure, so I went to sleep in our bed. Kevin fell asleep on the couch, watching tv. A few minutes into my nap, I rolled over, then stood up and realized that my water had broken!

PANIC!

My baby wasn't supposed to be born for almost another month...I wasn't ready, mentally. I know that sounds crazy, I mean I knew I was having a baby, but I thought I had a little more time.

I went to the bathroom and tried to clean up a little, but anyone who has been in this situation realizes that it's not possible to clean up. I ran out to Kevin..."Kevin, the baby's coming...wake up!" Kevin jumped up, "How do you know?" I was like, "My water broke...look at me!" "OK, I'll get the car...I'll pull around to the front!"

Off to the hospital we went. Kevin started calling people. My mom, Arlene, Heidi, and Mary Kathryn all came to the hospital. I couldn't stop crying...I was so nervous. I was afraid of the epidural and the C-section and I was freaking out about becoming a mommy.

I can remember praying that Danny would be healthy and that everything would go all right with the delivery. I was so desperate to see his little face.

The epidural was great. I wasn't in full-out labor, so I wasn't really feeling uncomfortable contractions, but the feeling of weightlessness was awesome. I loved how I didn't feel so heavy! Also, I loved the anesthesiologist. His name was Curtis and he was so great. I was crying and he was trying so hard to ease our fears. He kept saying, "Why are you crying?" I said, "I'm just scared." He said, "Don't be scared...we do this a couple times every day." He held one of my hands and Kevin held the other while the surgery was happening. He said, "Count back from ten and your baby will be born." He took the first pictures of Danny.

Those first pictures...Danny with his mouth wide open, screaming for all he was worth, covered in yucky stuff, but so absolutely gorgeous! He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I couldn't and still can't believe that we were blessed with such an angel.

Danny's birthday party

2008-10-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

The birthday boy:

Rocket cake with Diego as the astronaut:

Such a beautiful smile:

Ready to blow out the candles:

Time for cake:

And presents:

Thanks to everyone for the great presents, but most of all, thanks for spending the day with us

Chicka chicka boom boom

2008-10-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday at pre-school, Danny finished his work and was allowed to go pick out a book to look at. He picked the book, Chicka chicka boom boom, which we read at home all the time! He loves the book and we say it in a real rhythmic way with some singing interspersed every once in a while. He pretty much has the whole thing memorized and says it along with me at home. So, yesterday, he picked the book and started "reading" it aloud. Well, Mrs. Kellar said that he "read" the whole thing to the class (rhythmically and with the singing) and everyone kind of stopped what they were doing and listened to him. She said she's never had a kid do that before. I think this is hysterical.

He's definitely our son...loves to be the center of attention (like Daddy) and in full-blown teacher mode (like Mommy). I'm so proud. I really am. I can't stop smiling when I think of it.

The gift of parenthood

2008-10-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have been given so much as a result of having children: Love, joy, affection, gratitude, humility, hope, wonder, fun, compassion, selflessness, friendship, courage, relief, confidence, purpose, determination, pride.

Here are some things that have been taken from me and that I would like back:

*My bed.
*The opportunity to eat a snack alone.
*Naps...I'm pretty sure I haven't had one since 2003.
*Being able to eat dinner at the same time as everyone else, not 10 minutes later after everyone has been served.
*My hairbrush...why is Ben fascinated with it?...why is it always in the living room?
*A long, hot bath...alone..."No, do not put that truck in here, I mean it...no you cannot get in here with me!"
*Clean counter tops...everything we don't want Ben to have is piled on top of the kitchen counters.
*My tv...it is now a vessel for the Wii or Noggin.
*Solo bathroom trips...I don't prefer having an audience...there were times when Ben was a baby, that I was holding him and talking to Danny while sitting on the toilet.
*My sanity.

Play date!

2008-09-30T20:13:00.001-07:00

Finally, we got Heidi's, Mary Kathryn's and my babies in a room together! It's been a long time coming. We had so much fun!

What the...?

2008-09-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

So, I came home from school one day about a week or two ago and began pouring milk for the boys. Ben took a pan out of the cupboard to the right of the stove and kind of turned around to walk toward me. As he did so, he barely tapped the front of the oven door with the pot. I swear he only tapped it. And then, this happened:

The glass on the front of the oven door broke into a million tiny pieces. Kevin and Danny were in the living room, Ben and I were standing amidst the pieces. No one said a word. No one moved. We all just stared at the thing. Finally Ben started to whimper. We just couldn't believe it did that.

Don't you think oven glass should be a bit stronger than that? I mean, honestly, should it break if you barely tap it?

Well, we ordered new glass and my dad came and fixed it. Now all is well, but I guess I have to make sure Ben doesn't graze the oven door with anything. He is single-handedly destroying our house little by little. We're still shaking our heads over this one.

First day of pre-school!!!!

2008-09-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Danny started pre-school last week! We are so proud of him! He has been doing so well.

His teacher, Mrs. Kellar, said that he has been so well-behaved and has followed directions perfectly. He has gone to the potty by himself at school several times (big accomplishment for him).

He was the first one in his class to be able to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, so he got his name put up on the wall and he got to lead the class in saying it. When all of the children can recite the pledge, they are going to have a party!

Getting ready to go:

Walking in the front door:

Finding his hand print:

Doing some seat work:

He even got to be Mrs. Kellar's helper on the second day of school!

Mrs. Kellar told me a funny story about snack time. She's trying to help the children learn to clean up after themselves, throw their trash away and put their lunch boxes back into their backpacks after snack. She said something like, "It's important for everyone to clean up after themselves so we can use our time wisely and keep our room tidy." Danny stood up and put his hands on his hips and said, "Yeah...Mrs. Kellar, why should you have to do everything?" in a very exasperated voice. Too cute!

He's had a very good time so far...I just hope things stay this great and this isn't just a "honeymoon" period! I'm a teacher...I know of what I speak!

Has there ever been a cuter cowboy?

2008-08-24T12:40:00.001-07:00

We went to a cowboy birthday party yesterday. Each kid made a vest out of a grocery bag. There were bandannas, hats and boots to wear. Horse cake, pin the badge on the sheriff, lots of fun!

But, honestly, has there ever been a cuter cowboy than this:

I love the shorts with the boots and I love how Ben is staring at the boots. So adorable!

Do you eat french fries with a fork?

2008-08-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Ben does. Ever since we have started letting Ben eat with utensils, he absolutely will not eat with his fingers. You name it, he tries to eat it with a fork or spoon.

He eats french fries with a fork. He eats grapes with a spoon. He tries to stab potato chips with a fork.

He will not let anyone feed him anymore. You have to actually guide his spoon into the yogurt, then up to his mouth, but you can't just hold it and do it for him. His hand needs to be wrapped around the handle of the utensil.

He has also started the annoying thing of wanting to drink from everyone's glasses. I love him, but I do not want his backwash in my water. Yesterday he started wanting to hold the glass and drink it by himself. He threw a big tantrum when I didn't let him do it.

Ahh...independence.

Drive-in movie

2008-08-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

We decided to have a drive-in movie in our neighbors' driveway last Friday night. This was so fun. The night was perfect (although, a teeny bit chilly, but that's ok...we just put on sweatshirts/jackets and brought out the blankets)! The kids ate popcorn and watched National Treasure II. Danny wasn't too thrilled with the actual movie, but he said, "I loved it" about being outside watching it. Ben just wandered around stealing popcorn from everyone--it was so cute.

After I took these pictures, some other neighbors came out, so there were eight kids in all. What a fun time! Added bonus was that we looked through one of the family's telescope and saw Venus! The sky was so clear and beautiful! I can't wait to do this again!

What happened?

2008-08-07T09:44:00.000-07:00

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

We went on vacation last week. I have no idea where we went. We were in Missouri somewhere at Kevin's aunt and uncle's lake house. All I know is that we had to drive through Kentucky to get there and we passed places named Paducah and Poplar Bluff. The lake house was very nice, with good space for family time and a nice backyard for the kids to run around in.

Some highlights (or lowlights as the case may be) of the trip:

*We decided to stop and sleep at a hotel halfway through the twelve-hour drive on the way there. We stopped at around 11:00 p.m. at which time, Ben spit up his entire bottle of milk all over himself and the carseat. It smelled like rotten milk and had to be washed. To wash the carseat cover, you have to remove it with a screwdriver. Did we have a screwdriver? Uh...no. Did the gal behind the hotel desk have one? Uh...no. Kevin drove to the local Wal-Mart at midnight to buy a screwdriver, then came back to the hotel, removed the cover, and put it in the hotel washing machine. Then we went to sleep...sort of. Ben coughed the entire night and when he wasn't coughing, Kevin was snoring. Finally at 4:30 a.m. I woke everyone up and we set off on our travels again.
*The rest of the trip was pretty good. I napped a little. Everyone was happy in the car and we arrived at the lakehouse fairly content. Kevin's parents, Bob and Kathleen, and his sister, Amy were already there.
*We took it easy the first day. Later in the afternoon, Kevin's brother, Mark and his wife, Holly, and their two girls, Brooke and Leah arrived. Danny and Ben played with their cousins outside in the sprinkler that we brought. We also went to a sand beach at the lake and the kids played in the water. Ben fell asleep in the floaty. It was so cute...he just floated and bobbed and snored away. I wish I would've had my camera.
*That night, Ben coughed for about 25 minutes while I sat with him in the bathroom with the shower running. Kevin was snoring, so I sent him to the couch where he snored and kept his sister, Amy awake. New plan for the next night!
*On Thursday, Cathy, Anna and Elise arrived. We went on the boat (after we figured out how to put it into gear) that Kevin's aunt and uncle own, parked in a cove and swam. Danny had an absolute blast! He jumped off the boat a thousand times. It was so precious! Then, that night after dinner, we sprayed the bug spray and built a campfire. The kids loved it.
*On Friday, Glen arrived. Here were the sleeping arrangements: Bob and Kathleen slept in one bedroom. Kevin, Danny, Ben and I had to have our own room because honestly, Ben has had so much trouble with all the coughing at night that I just didn't want to subject anyone else to it. That left the following people all in one room together: Mark, Holly, Brooke, Leah, Glen, Cathy, Anna, Elise and Amy. I still feel awful about us having our own room. Next year, hopefully we'll have things under control better.
*Well, the next day was more of the same...kids playing, going out on the boat, swimming and lots of fun family time.
*When we get together, we LOVE to play board games. We laugh so hard. The final night of Catch Phrase was the best. I laughed harder than I have in years at Mark's description of "bone china". And, I'm not sure why there was so much talk of violence and punching. We LOVED seeing the family and can't wait to visit with all of you again!
*Now for the trip home. We left on Sunday at noon, stopped for lunch and then off we went. Ben napped for an hour or so, Danny watched a movie. We decided that around dinner time, we would stop wherever we were, have dinner and then find a park or playground for the kids to run around in for an hour, then get back in the car and drive the rest of the way home. We stopped at around 5:30 p.m. in some little town in Kentucky, where apparently, they bring people in from other cities to work at the McDonald's because no one there knew of any parks. As they put it, "I'm not from here". What? OK, finally we asked some customers who gave us the name of a park which we drove around trying to find and never did. Kevin decided to find an address on his Blackberry, which we entered into the Garmin (navigation thingie) and drove off to find it. It led us like 10 miles out of town into a cornfield. I'm not even exaggerating. It said "Turn left to destination" and I swear it was a cornfield. We drove back toward the town and noticed a little elementary school, so decided to stop there and play on their playground. We were playing for five minutes when Danny announced that he needed to use the potty. Number Two. Number One would just happen over the hill, but Number Two was a different story. I found a Target bag in the car, which I held for Danny to use as a toilet. Five minutes later, Ben went into a little playhouse and got stung on the left pinky finger by a wasp. So we left. By now, after the searching, the cornfield, the playing, the pooping, and the stinging, it was after 7:30 p.m. Not good. Ben cried off and on the rest of the way home. We finally pulled into the garage around 4:30 a.m. and discovered that Ben had peed through his diaper. That may be why he was so uncomfortable for the last several hours.

That's it. We had a good time at the lakehouse with the family. The drive home almost killed us. It was just too long for Ben to be in the car. Hopefully, I'll get some pictures to post. I had my camera and did not even take one picture. Not sure why.

I think Dave Barry said, "There are two ways to travel: one way is fun and the other way is with children." (Thanks, MK) No argument here! It'll get easier, right?

How can you tell it's summer?

2008-07-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here's how (at our house)...

Deck chair (sunscreen at the ready, swimming trunks hung to dry):

The scene on my towel cupboard in the bathroom (I have no idea why a baggie of Cheerios and crackers is there...probably the same reason there is currently a pair of shoes in the middle of my dining table):

A sure sign of summer, poor Danny's knees...

Tugboat Depot

2008-07-25T12:30:00.001-07:00

We went to the Tugboat Depot to play in the absolutely perfect weather yesterday!

Danny wanted us to have a tea party in the little train:

The tire swing:

Danny said, "Ride 'em partner!"

Danny trying to swing across the monkey bars and Ben, (a.k.a. "The monkey", "Buzz (Danny named him that because he's always buzzing around like a little bee), "Benace the Menace"), trying to walk two feet without falling:

Tandem curvy slide:

Daddy and Ben on the curvy slide:

Race ya! (Note Danny's bandaged knees...the result of a very painful wipe-out at the next door neighbor's house)
Live action:

The boys:

Dare I say it?

2008-07-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

I am knocking on wood as I type, but dare I say it? I think Danny is potty trained.

Not at night or anything. Still wakes up with a full pull-up.

We haven't had any daytime accidents in two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He still wants someone to come into the bathroom with him and I have to bribe him with Dibs ice cream treats to wipe, but I can deal with all that!

Hooray for Danny!

Now I guess we have to buy him that "Wii game" that we agreed to as a reward for being potty trained.

Did I ever mention that we use a "token economy" system of behavior modification around here?

What's up with Clark?

2008-07-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much about Clark. Our dog.

I'm sorry to say that Clarkie became second fiddle when Danny was born, so now that we have Ben, well, I guess the dog's third fiddle. Poor guy. We do, at least, make sure he gets a walk every day and I try to give him some attention when I'm not in the middle of diapering, cleaning or preparing meals.

Ben has a mental checklist that he begins every morning when he wakes up that goes something like this...any cabinets open? No, crap. Bathroom door open? No, darn. Any dining room chairs left un-bungeed from the table so I can climb on them en route to the tabletop? No, oh man! Any crayons in plain view so I can eat them? No, holy heck. Clark's food and water on the floor? Hooray...I can dump them and eat the food and play in the water...yippee!!!!

Clark is becoming a serious problem when it comes to eating. Our mealtimes are fine...it's HIS that are the problem. The only times his food and water can be on the floor are when Ben is in his high chair, outside, or asleep.

The trouble is that Clark doesn't want to eat his food alone, so when we're outside, he won't eat. I have tried putting his food downstairs while we're eating. He won't eat it if he's alone. He won't eat when Ben's eating because he's desperate for the morsels that Ben drops over the side of the high chair. He stalks Ben. He loiters around the high chair. He has started begging for Ben to feed him. Sometimes Ben does and this, of course, only encourages Clark. Here are some pictures I snapped of him...

I have resorted to putting Clark's food down right next to the high chair, in the hopes that he might go ahead and eat his own food while begging from Ben...

No luck. The food just sits there untouched and Clark continues hopefully waiting for a snack. Until, of course, Ben is done eating and out of the high chair...then Clark dives into his food for 25 seconds until Ben realizes..."Alert, alert, Clark's food is down!!!!Dump that food and water!!!!"

Now, what happens is this...Clark does not eat all day. He waits to eat his food until after Ben is asleep for the night. In fact, everyone goes to sleep except for Clark and me. I stay awake until he has eaten.

Is people food that much better than dog food? Seriously, is it so good that Clark would rather starve all day than just go ahead and eat his own food when the opportunity arises? And what kind of personality disorder does he have that he can't dine alone? Some days we are gone for several hours during the day, only to come home and see that he has not eaten anything.

Poor Clark. He's loud, he's clingy, he doesn't play well with other dogs, he has low self-confidence and he is borderline anorexic. But, he's ours and we love him!

Ice cream flavor

2008-07-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

Yeah, just not inspired to think of anything else to post about :0)

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T07:07:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone's having a terrific holiday weekend!

Tiny dancer?

2008-07-01T16:17:00.001-07:00

Does anyone notice a resemblance between Ben and...

...Elton?

I'm just sayin'.

Yummy pound cake and a rainbow!

2008-06-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Wanna make a really yummy and very easy pound cake? Well, here's my mom's (and I think, Aunt Sandra's) recipe for a nice one that we like to make in a bundt pan. It's not too sweet and can be eaten alone or with fresh berries and/or whipped cream (try the new Cool-Whip in a can--very tasty and convenient). You sprinkle sugar into the pan before you bake it and after it's cooled, it makes the most delicious, sugary crust on the outside!

Ingredients:
1 package of Duncan Hines yellow butter cake mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

Directions:
Mix first five ingredients together. Spray bundt pan with Pam. Pour 3/4 cup sugar into pan and spread around. Pour mix into pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack.

Here's a picture of the one I just made:

We had Ron, Arlene, Heidi and Jason over for a cook-out lunch today and managed to actually grill out in between rain showers. Well, after everyone left, Kevin and I cleaned out the garage while Danny played outside and Ben napped. Then the rain hit again and we came inside. Look at the pretty rainbow that appeared:

It was very faint, but it was a double rainbow. See the faint one up above the bright one?

We had a great day today!

Odd faces and a few videos

2008-06-28T19:04:00.001-07:00

Fish face:

Silly face:

And now, for some of Ben's words...try to ignore the tv blaring in the background.

Ball:

Yucky:

Monster House?

2008-06-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Things went haywire around here today. It has been one of the more disgusting days of my life. Stop reading now if you're eating something. I'll try to tone it down a bit.

First, Ben had some kind of strange tummy ache that resulted in 20 minutes of extreme discomfort followed by a really awful diaper and then happiness and normalcy for the rest of the day.

Then, the house attacked us...

Well, really just the kitchen sink. I was cleaning things out of the refrigerator that really should have been taken to a hazardous waste dump, but instead, I just dumped them down the garbage disposal. As I was contentedly grinding up some petrified barbecued ribs and some beans that were once green but upon discovery in the back of the fridge had turned a putrid shade of gray, I noticed water leaking out from under the cabinet door. I whipped open the door and...water everywhere along with shredded up ribs and beans.

This was one of the more disgusting things I have ever seen in my life. A clog had formed and caused the disposal to pull itself out of one of the pipes, spraying shredded pork and pulverized gray beans everywhere. What to do?

I put Ben in the play yard, that sadly, is blocking him from pulling all of our DVDs out of their shelf. Yeah, you guessed it...from his position in the play yard, he could reach all the DVDs and...they are now everywhere. I took everything out from under the sink and put it in the bath tub to be cleaned later (Wal-Mart bags--just threw them away, dishwasher detergent, garbage bags, flyswatter, dustpan, oven cleaner, SOS pads). Then, I set to work cleaning the actual cabinet. It is spotless now, but wow...I had to go through an entire container of Mr. Clean wipes. Love those BTW much more than Clorox wipes. Pulled out the swiffer and mopped the floor.

What a mess. Kevin came home and fixed the clog and the pipes and everything else under there that I don't want to touch ever again. In doing so, he needed to pour some filthy water out of the pipes he was clearing out. We argued for a few minutes about where he should pour the water...not in one of my good bowls, not into a towel (my suggestion because I was just going to throw those towels away, anyhow, but he was against that for some reason)...finally he decided to pour them into the trash bag which I was totally against because I feared a leak later.

Cue the garbage bag springing a leak all over my newly-mopped floor and me ruining another towel.

I ripped the DVD shelf off the wall because I was so disgusted with it after Ben pulled all the movies out. I mean, I was having to block it off with a play yard so he couldn't get to it. Enough.

Back to normal now.

Ever been to Chestnut Ridge Park?

2008-06-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the park today with some of our friends. Just look:

Fun was had by all...wading, digging, making sand soup, looking at salamanders. Only bad part was trying to get both boys cleaned up, dried and into the car at the end. But even that wasn't really that difficult.

Ahh...summer time...fun!

Why do I do this to myself?

2008-06-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have been trying so hard to lose weight.
Why did I eat seven pieces of chocolate today?
And also a s'more?
And a handful of M&Ms?

I need help.
Anyone have the phone number for Chocolate Eaters Annonymous?

"Hello...my name is Jennifer and I am a chocoholic."

Is Ben a monkey?

2008-06-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

Benjamin is not as far removed from the monkeys, evolutionarily, as the rest of us, it seems. He. will. climb. anything. It's really bad. Danny was a climber, but nothing like this. Ben has already had three black eyes, more bruises than can be counted (including a big one on his cheek) and several scrapes that are all the result of falling off of something high.

He can scale the couch. He has figured out how to pull the dining room chairs out from the table so he can get up on them. Occasionally, he tries to get up on the table. To avoid this, I have now tied the legs of the chairs to the table legs with Wal-Mart bags, so that he cannot pull the chairs out. He likes to stand (with no hands) on top of the dog food bin. He and Danny like to climb from the loveseat to the recliner onto the end table, flop onto the couch, then slide off only to run over and do it all again...endlessly...giggling the whole time. Ben desperately wants to figure out how to climb up onto our bar stools...the other day, I saw him trying to move toy buckets over there so he could use them as step stools to get onto a bar stool. He's nothing if not resourceful.

In addition to climbing, he also loves to get up on his tiptoes to pull random things out of drawers that don't have latches on them yet or to pull things off of the kitchen counters. I have not put a latch on the silverware drawer yet...didn't know he could reach inside it until last week when he (I swear to God) had a butcher knife in his hand when I looked over. BABY PSYCHO! Just now, Kevin had to come running because he had opened another drawer and had a long ribbon of postage stamps strung out.

I cannot leave the room for more than 10 seconds at a time. I cannot turn my back on him for more than 20 seconds at a time. I am exhausted from stalking him. Laundry is piled up. Dishes are getting washed on an as-needed basis.

This week he has had a little cold, plus he is getting THREE teeth all at once. He is snotty. He is mucus-ey. He is coughy. He is whiney. He is clingy. He sleeps with us every night and coughs directly in my face because he wants to sleep on my pillow, pressed up against me as tightly as possible.

Ben is under the impression that he needs to do everything better than Danny did at that age. Danny climbed a little bit...Ben's an all out mountain climber. Danny didn't sleep through the night for a long time...Ben refuses to sleep, especially alone...going on 15 months here. Danny spit up a few times as a baby...Ben spit up a few times an hour for nine months and still occasionally hurls for no apparent reason.

I love both of my boys with every bit of my heart...but they are both giving us a run for our money. Why is this so hard? Is it just a boy thing? Are girls easier babies? Is there any way I can get through this without losing my mind?

Pittsburgh Zoo Trip!

2008-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

This was an absolutely fabulous trip! Everyone had a great time looking at all of the animals and enjoying the perfect weather.

Click on the pictures to get a better view of the animals!

Danny, Daddy and a lion:

Danny and zebras:

Elephants (Danny's favorite):

Danny, Daddy and a bear:

Sea lion:

Sea lion again:

Polar bear (Mommy's favorite):

Danny and Mommy on a swinging bridge (Very Indiana Jones, aren't we?):

Danny on the log ride (Danny loved this and cried when it was over, so we let him ride it again!):

Danny, Ben and Mommy in the Tropical Rainforest:

We were all a little tired by the time we got done seeing all of the animals. Especially Ben:

Why can't we all be this easily amused?

2008-05-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Don't you hate it when you're innocently trying to do the laundry and the hamper attacks you?

Tickle time:

And, finally...fun with a blanket.

Isn't that one of the great things about life?

2008-05-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today was my student teacher's last day. I can't say enough positive things about this girl. She really did a great job...she was the most organized student teacher I've ever had. She had her entire placement planned in like Week Two. Unheard of. Believe me when I tell you that they are NEVER prepared like she was. I really hope she does well in whatever she decides to teach...I know she'd be great at elementary music, but I think she's leaning toward band.

It's the strangest thing with student teachers. You spend so much time with them, talking about personal things like mannerisms, comfort zones and self-motivation that you almost start to feel as if you're becoming friends. Then you realize that you are, in fact, fifteen years older than them. I was driving the family car and going on dates when my student teacher was born. Yeesh. Methinks she probably wasn't really interested in my stories about college...back in the 90's...you know, when she was three years old.

Was my student teacher faking enthusiasm when I regaled her with my tales of big 80's hair and dancing to REO Speedwagon? When I said, "I love STYX" and she said, "Oh...yeah...", was that, "Oh...yeah...me too"? or "Oh...yeah...Jennifer's a loser and who/what is STYX"? My endless tales of my boys probably really drove the point home that I am a wife and mother and she is young and free of responsibility. I remember those days so fondly.

I had such a good time when I graduated from college and was a new teacher. I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I did not have to wash bottles or any dishes for that matter until e coli was growing in my kitchen sink. There were no latches on my kitchen cabinets, no Dora band-aids in my medicine chest, no chicken nuggets in my freezer. I went out to the bars several nights a week and drank way too many beers and talked way too loudly. I slept in late on weekends, I went to the pool without a diaper bag during the summer and I ate meals whenever the mood struck me.

Now, though, I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like without my boys. Remembering back to those earlier carefree days is almost like looking at a movie of someone else's life. It seems so long ago and so unfamiliar. But isn't that one of the great things about life? We change so much because of situations, events, experiences...and most of all, people we meet or, if we're lucky, people we create :0) Every day, I am thankful for these boys being given to me and every day I pray that I am doing a good job being Kevin's wife and Danny and Ben's mommy. And, one of these days, a hint of the young me might show her face again!

Anyone have some peanuts and cracker jack?

2008-05-03T13:04:00.001-07:00

Danny had his first tee ball game today.

Danny playing second base.

Danny and Daddy in the field.

Danny getting ready to bat.

The post game hand shakes.
Danny did so great in his first tee ball game! He was so adorable stopping ground balls and when it was his turn to hit, he whacked it hard on the first try! The best part was that he had fun and we got our first game in before the rain hit! Lots of fun!

Why am I still so pudgy?

2008-04-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have been going to Zumba class with my good friend and neighbor, Denise. Don't know what Zumba is? Well, check out this website, then...www.zumbaforlife.com. It's a lot of fun considering that it is, after all, exercise. Pretty much, it's just Latin dance steps done repetitively so that it's like aerobics. It's got a couple of things going for it that regular aerobics doesn't. 1) The music is great. 2) The steps involve a lot of hip action and when paired with the music, you feel all sexy despite sweating and feeling like you might collapse. 3) Our teacher is fantastic...she is bouncy and hyper and a really great dancer...and she has five children. Yes, you read that right...five! The last two were twins. She is super thin and gorgeous, which gives all of us poor,pudgy, post-baby folks hope.

A couple of observations after attending Zumba classes for a week: some people are Zumba snobs. The class consists of lots of different songs played with little breaks in between for water. Well, some people (the snobs) don't go and get a drink of their water. Instead, they start making up their own dance moves (or remembering what's been done before) while everyone else (including the teacher) is panting and gulping down water. I use this time to crack jokes about my body to Denise and to gulp said water. Not the snobs, though. They are serious. They are imagining that they are in Colombia with flowers in their long, flowing, brown hair and ocean breezes blowing through their dresses. They are seriously demented.

Another thing: some people use too much room while they are Zumba-ing. They explore the space more than I would like them to. Here's a shout out to all my Zumba friends: I need room, ladies. I don't have very good balance. If you get too close to me and I whack you in the head while doing the wild step back arm flap move, it's your own fault.

And, finally, some of the folks burst out with applause at the ends of songs. This is very confusing to me. What are they clapping for? They seem to clap mostly at the end of really fast, high-energy songs. I have no desire to clap at the ends of the songs. I have the desire to drink my entire bottle of water, fill it up again, pour it over my head and then leave. My one friend at school who also goes to Zumba and a friend of Denise's said similar things, "Don't you love it? You don't even notice the time going by. You're always surprised when the hour's up." Are you serious? Are these people on crack? Denise and I start checking the time 15 minutes in. We have never left early or anything, but we do check the time.

Well, I haven't lost any weight yet. I've only been three times, but still. Why am I still so pudgy, even though I'm exercising and trying to eat healthier? I'm sorry to report that I have gained a few pounds over the week. Heidi will justify and say that muscle weighs more than fat and that's why I actually weigh more. I'll go with that for now.

Is this what they mean by 'Three's a Crowd'?

2008-04-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, Danny and Ben went to sleep as usual. Bob and Kathleen (Kevin's parents), and Kevin and I stayed up to watch The Office (yay...it's back on!) and then I went to bed around 10:30.

At around 12:45, Ben woke up crying, so I went to get him, but first I poked Kevin to wake him up from a dead sleep on the couch. It was such a dead sleep that he was holding an opened beer and sitting straight up. Then I got Ben and put him in bed with me (no judgements, parenting advice or sleep training here, please. I know we should not let Ben sleep with us every night, but we have no choice...he absolutely will not sleep alone and I have got to get some rest). 30 minutes later, I woke up to realize that Kevin was still not in the bed and I was worried Ben would roll out so I propped pillows up to keep him safe and went back out to the living room to wake Kevin again. This time when he woke up, he spilled the beer on his underwear. He changed his underwear and got into bed.

The next time I woke up was around 3:00 a.m. when I realized that Ben had inched his way up to the very top of the bed and was curled up and kind of perched on my shoulder like a pirate's parrot. I moved him, got him calmed down again and back to sleep we went.

Around an hour or so later, Ben was sleeping sideways with his feet pushing against my ribs. After a bit of rearranging bodies and blankets, we were back on our way to dreamland.

Finally, at 7:20, Kevin said, loudly, "Jennifer!!!" thinking I was late for work which made me panic and search frantically for my glasses so I could see the clock. But, I didn't have to be at work until 8:00 this morning, so I wasn't late. Ben was sleeping upside down in the crook of my legs like a puppy. All blankets were curled in a ball at the foot of the bed and my pillow was essentially on the nightstand.

Sadly, this was a pretty good sleeping night for me. I actually got some decent stretches in there. Do you think this weird pattern is going to continue even after Ben starts sleeping by himself? Am I going to be stuck in some kind of bizarre sleep cycle where I wake up every hour or two for the rest of my life?

Also, why is Ben such a restless sleeper? Honestly, he's all over the bed. He wakes himself up so many times. I know he's still struggling with the reflux and I just keep hoping it will improve. I can't let him cry alone when I know that he is having tummy trouble. So, we're just stuck in this pattern where he comes into our bed every night. But, I know from having Danny, that as a parent, you have to trust your instincts and that's what I'm doing.

I just hope Danny doesn't start coming into our room too. I cannot sleep with three men...at least, not all at the same time.

Why can't they all be like this?

2008-04-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray for me! I have a GREAT student teacher! She is one of the best ones I have ever had. She is everything I'm not but instead of hating her for it, I love her! She is calm and collected, she is organized, on-time, she has practically her entire placement planned with lesson plans typed and turned in to me, plus she is just nice with a good sense of humor. She is so mature and with-it. I was such a dope when I was her age...I don't know how anyone put up with me. She has great classroom management, she thinks the kids are hysterical, she is positive and upbeat, and she loves Harry Potter so we occasionally have terrific magical conversations using words like 'hippogriff' and 'portkey'. Why can't they all be like this?

Why do we bother going out to eat?

2008-04-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder why you even bother to go out to eat with young children? I wonder this every time we go out.

First, the preparation. There's the bantering back and forth between Kevin and me about whether or not we should go. Then, the decision, that yes, we will go. Everyone must get dressed...not a small task when you haven't done laundry in some time. There's the diapering of Ben, then the pull-up for Danny, the argument over the shirt choice for Danny and the bribing so Danny will put his own shoes on (something he's very capable of doing but likes to pretend he can't do, so someone else has to do it for him).

Now, where to go? What restaurant has good kids' choices for Danny with a fun coloring sheet? Where can we go so that someone's meal can be shared with Ben? Fast food is the best choice for Danny who really loves chicken and french fries, but not so good for Ben because he can't really chew chicken or hamburgers and does ok with fries torn up, but that's not exactly a great meal for a 1 year old. So, at this point, I end up packing a meal for Ben that usually consists of bread/cheese or peanut butter and a banana. Then, I've got to pack the diaper bag...don't forget the bib and the disposable placemats, extra diapers, wipes, jackets, etc.

Danny's favorite restaurant is McDonald's or as he calls it, "The Golden M". What is this fascination with McDonald's? Are they subliminally brainwashing the youth of America during commercials? Is there something addictive in the chicken mcnuggets? What is going on? Every time we ask Danny where he wants to eat he says "The Golden M". He doesn't even really like their food the best. He much prefers the food at Wendy's, but I swear to you, he is strangely compelled to go to McDonald's, and he is so adamant about it, it's as if he was implanted with a tiny, golden homing device at birth.

After church on Sunday, we decided to go to the Beanery. This was one of the worst dining out experiences I have ever been a part of. Danny was in one of his competitive moods and was royally ticked off because Kevin beat him to the car after church. This sent him into a tantrum the likes of which I have never seen. I bribed him with a coloring book from the Rite-Aid if he would calm down and change his attitude. I realized the bribe didn't work as I chased him around the store after I opened the door instead of letting him do it. Back at the Beanery, the waitress was thoroughly confused about whether or not to bring us drinks as Kevin and I discussed staying or leaving. Finally, we got things together and had a decent meal but at that point, I was on the verge of losing my mind completely and I'm pretty sure I heard Kevin say he hated all of us under his breath.

Tonight, we went to The Golden M. All was well, except that for the second time in the last two weeks, I have started to eat my meal and realized that I was about to swallow something that shouldn't have been there. Has this ever happened to you? Last week we went to the Outback Steakhouse and some little nugget in my garlic mashed potatoes didn't seem quite right. Today, something in my quarter pounder was not expected. I think it was a straw paper. Not sure about the mashed potatoes though. I don't want to think about it.

My questions: why do we keep doing this to ourselves? Why do we put ourselves through the complete torture that is eating out with youngsters? Why do we extend our torture to innocent diners? What keeps making us go out for meals only to be disappointed by foreign matter in our entrees? I'm afraid my laziness will come shining through but, I can sum up the answers to these questions in three little words...no dirty dishes.

Does this explain why my house is a mess and I'm always tired?

2008-03-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

This is what I did in the last 20 minutes:

*re-folded laundry that Ben unfolded
*picked-up laundry basket
*kicked toy hammer out of my way en route to Ben's room with laundry
*put Ben's laundry away
*picked up stray toys in Ben's room
*closed closet door in Ben's room
*moved giant box of wipes out of way of drawer
*put Ben's laundry away
*went out into hall with Dan's laundry
*took yarn ball out of Ben's hand
*put Dan's laundry down on bed
*put puzzle together quickly
*kicked two books out of way
*took another yarn ball away from Ben
*gathered up strewn-about yarn
*put all yarn balls on my bed until further notice
*closed jewelry box drawer on way to bathroom
*used bathroom
*changed toilet paper roll
*closed shower curtain
*closed bedroom drawer
*closed jewelry box drawer again
*came out to kitchen
*watched Ben dump a bag of moonsand toys on floor
*cleaned up toys
*quickly took dog bowls away from Ben
*reprimanded Danny for smacking Ben
*cleaned a booger off Danny's blanket
*put socks on Ben
*kissed Danny's bumped knee
*sat down at computer.

Then Danny growled at me--not sure why.

Does this explain why my house is always a mess and I'm always tired?

Danny just swung a flaming ball toy (kids' meal at Wendy's) at Ben's face.

Ben's crying...gotta go.

Easter at Chuck and Kathy's

2008-03-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Fun was had by all!

Cousins, once removed, or something. Let's just go with "cousins". Clearly, Benjamin didn't get the memo concerning the dress code: light blue shirt, striped tie.

Benjamin found an egg by a sword!

Danny at the hunt!

I have a memory of Grandpa K picking me up one time to look into a robin's nest at the tiny, blue eggs and he said, "See? Real Easter eggs." This picture of Danny finding a blue egg reminded me of that and brings tears to my eyes.

The kids were having a hard time finding the last few eggs and Chuck had to help them a little. He sounded just like Grandpa K: "You don't know how to look for eggs!"

Thanks to Chuck and Kathy for hosting a nice lunch and a great egg hunt! And, thanks to everyone who made the yummy food and brought Danny and Ben Easter baskets.

Leave well enough alone?

2008-03-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

It's officially Spring Break and I'm glad to have a whole week off from school to spend with the boys! Also, glad not to have to wake up in the morning at 6:00 a.m. in a deep, sleep-deprived fog only to rush around like a fool, getting bottles ready for Ben, organizing my school bag, etc. No, I don't do those things at night...remember-- I'm a procrastinator!

Let me tell you all another thing I am glad to have a break from: the traffic police at our school. I use the term, "police" very loosely because they are certainly not members of law enforcement, and don't have any authority over anyone as far as I know. They hold lighted, orange, traffic-directing sticks and are strategically placed at intersections on the way to school with one of them even blocking off the first entrance to the parking lot so you have to drive all the way around (waiting in an incredibly long line of minivans) to the second entrance. These traffic police are a new fixture this year during our morning arrival at school and have been in place all schoolyear, but I've only gotten to experience them for the last few weeks since I've been back from maternity leave. I guess they are necessary for a smooth drop-off at this point because the number of kids at our school has topped out at 660 students and many, many, many parents are driving their kids in the morning.

Now, I have been yelled at three separate times by these traffic Nazis and was even chased for a moment by one of them. I don't consider myself a fantastic driver, but I am, by no means, reckless enough to be yelled at and/or chased down. It's a matter of miscommunication. They are not exactly clear with their signaling.

First offense: My first day back to school, when I did not expect to see these folks out there and almost drove through the intersection, but I stopped in time. That one was my fault.

Second offense: Another day when I came up to the same intersection and stopped, waiting to be instructed on what to do. He pointed to his stick and yelled, "Watch me...GO". OK, I'm not sure what that meant.

Third offense and by far, the most disturbing: I drove up to the second intersection, kind of stopped, but thought he was waving me on, so pulled up farther only to see a huge, yellow bus and my life flashing in front of me. I kind of pulled way over and kept going, then saw traffic Nazi running behind my car, pointing to his stick and yelling, "What's wrong with you?". I stopped the car, put down the window, and yelled back, "I don't understand what you want me to do. You're not being clear enough." He said, "I thought I was pretty clear." I said, "Well, obviously, you weren't."

Later that day, at lunch, several of the other teachers echoed my disgust and bewilderment (is that a word?). So, it's not just me. I am happy to announce, though, that since that time, I have not been subjected to any more reprimands. Maybe they had a traffic dude meeting and devised ways to be clearer with their directions as a result of my confrontation or maybe I've just been lucky and haven't gotten confused again.

I guess there was a traffic problem at our school. Issues with traffic flow or whatever. Of course, I'm most concerned with the safety of kids, parents, teachers, bus drivers, etc., but I have noticed that as a result of our new system, I am later than usual and there's never anywhere to park. Does the phrase, 'leave well enough alone' apply here?

Does Ben Love Cake or What?

2008-03-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

Today was Ben's birthday party--his actual birthday is tomorrow. I made the cake and we had a nice lunch with family and friends. It was a train party!

What's this, Mom?

Let me touch this frosting.

I'm just going to go for it!

Is there something on my face?

Thanks to everyone for coming to Ben's birthday party. It's been a tough year, but we made it! Hopefully, things will get lots easier around here soon! Check out the next post for some more pictures.

More birthday pictures

2008-03-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Look at all the nice presents!

Jennifer, tell us a little about yourself!

2008-03-14T04:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to do this too, just copy and paste in Comments or email me!

1. What time did you get up this morning? Well, Ben was up at 4:30 for a bottle, but I got up officially at 6:40 AM
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Ratatouille with Danny
4. What is your favorite TV show? The Office--I LOVE Jim!!!!!
5 What do you usually have for breakfast? Frosted strawberry pop tarts or yogurt
6. What is your middle name? Michelle
7. What food do you dislike? olives
8. What is your favorite CD at moment? Johnny Cash Greatest Hits
9. What kind of car do you drive? Honda CRV
10. What characteristic do you despise? Laziness
11. Favorite item of clothing? Jeans
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation? Europe
13. Favorite brand of clothing? New York and Co.
14. Where would you retire to? Somewhere warm
15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? Surprise 31st
16. Favorite sport to watch? WVU Football
17. Furthest place you are sending this? McAllen Texas
18. Person you expect to send it back first? Kevin
19. When is your birthday? June 6
20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Definitely night
21. What is your shoe size? 7
22. Pets? Did that say 'pests'? Just kidding: Clark W. Grizwold Connoley Jr.--beagle/dauschaund mix--very cute but very needy and loud
23. Exciting news you'd like to share with us? Ben has been sleeping so much better! Several times this week, he's slept all night!
24. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher
25. What is your favorite candy? Ghirardelli dark chocolate with caramel (I love dark chocolate!)
26. What is your favorite flower? Pink rose
27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? March 15 - Benjamin's 1st birthday party
28. What is your full name? Jennifer Michelle Connoley
29. What are you listening to right now? My husband on the radio
30. What was the last thing you ate? Two frosted strawberry pop tarts
31. Do you wish on stars? Yes
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? blue-green
33. How is the weather right now? Finally springlike--60 degrees or so
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My mom
35. Your favorite soft drink? Dr. Pepper
36. Favorite restaurant? I'm really liking The Boathouse Bistro these days
37. Color of your hair? Brown with highlights
38. Your favorite toy as a child? Barbie van or Play-Doh hair salon
39. Summer or winter? Summer--that's why I became a teacher--summers off!
40. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
42. Coffee or tea? Coffee although really neither
43. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes
44. What is under your bed? stray Woman's Day magazine, random sock
45. What did you do last night? Watched the Mountaineers spank UConn (I have a little crush on Joe Alexander), ate dinner at The Boston Beanery, disciplined Danny many, many times and straightened up the house
46. What are you afraid of? Bees, wasps, flying, something happening to my family
47. Salty or sweet? sweet
48. How many keys on your key ring? 3
49. How many years at your current job? 10 I think
50. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
51. How many towns have you lived in? 2: Grafton, Morgantown
52. Do you make friends easily? Not really
53. How many people will you send this to? None, I'll just post it to my blog
54. How many will respond? Probably 2 or 3