Thanksgiving thankfulness

I am thankful for SO many things. When it gets to this time of year -- when everyone is posting about gratefulness -- I find that I can't actually list them all.

I mean, there's my relationship with God (ever-evolving), my seriously amazing husband and friend, my beautiful boys, my sweet daughter, my supportive and loving parents, my wonderful family, my devoted friends, my awesome babysitter, financial stability, good health, a safe and happy home, a job I enjoy, etc. etc. etc. And those are just the big things. I could go on and on and on and on about the small things (heated seats, helllllooooo!) 

So I usually don't participate in the gratefulness postings. It sounds silly, but I just get overwhelmed by being grateful.

But after spending three days at my Mom and Dad's house this Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to post about three things for which I am grateful (Mom's sweet potato pie is always on the list, so just imagine that item as 1 a, b and c.)

1. I am grateful that my boys so LOVE being at their "Nana's house." All of my sisters' kids have lived with my parents for some period of time. So I always worried that our every-so-often visits to Mom and Dad's would never compare to actually living there, and that my kids would not be as comfortable running around their house as their cousins. Suffice it to say, I was so wrong. These boys think Nana's house is like Christmas, Halloween and birthday parties all rolled up in one. They have so much fun. And my Mom always finds ways to up the ante each visit. This weekend, she pulled out old costumes she had lying around and put them on Cary and Dean. The little dragon and the little doggie were the happiest two critters around! This makes my heart so glad! Just because we're the only ones who live more than 20 minutes away from my parents doesn't mean we miss out on all the fun. Hooray!

Having a very important discussion, clearly.

2. I am grateful that my sister Tahira enjoys doing little girls' hair (because I am still so bad at it). And that Clair sits still for the hair-and-beauty session. I am grateful that my sister, who is one of my best friends, loves my children so much. I am getting teary just thinking about it. (See? Getting overwhelmed!!! Ugh!)

Clair is going to have such a special relationship with her Auntie. It reminds me already of my relationship with my Aunt Fern, who I used to stare at, when I was a little girl, thinking, "She is the most beautiful, most stylish, most fun, most wonderful Auntie ever!"

 3. And I am grateful for my nieces and nephews, who are a loud and wild bunch, with attitudes and sassy personalities and who never, ever, ever sit still. But that's not why I'm grateful for them. I am grateful for them because -- despite having challenging lives and growing up way too fast -- they are still so super sweet. They love C, D and C to pieces. They give us all hugs and kisses and ask a zillion questions and are always so, so glad to see us. And this weekend, when the Davises put all our kids down for a nap (and decided to steal a few winks with them), 6-year-old Alahna put this note on our bedroom door.

Isn't that the sweetest? Good grief, those kids are sweet. (Getting overwhelmed again. Oy!)

We "lov" you, too Alahna. And all the rest of you crazy kids, too. And the whole darn family of crazies. And we're so, so grateful that you're in our lives.

Happy post-Thanksgiving all!

Clair's 9-month appointment

Clair had her 9-month appointment today.

Before the shot: I LOVE the doctor! After the shot: I HATE the doctor!!

She is 29 inches tall and weighs 17 lbs., 12 oz., which is only 3 oz. more than she was at her 6-month-appointment.

I figured this would be the case, as she really has tapered off with her bottles. It happened almost right after her 6-month-appointment, actually. She just had little-to-no interest in her bottle. She was happy to eat soft food, but not much of it, honestly. But she even refused to drink much milk before bedtime or when she woke up after fasting all night. She was happy and healthy so I didn't bother the doctor, and he said today my instincts were just right. You can't make kids eat, and as long as she was healthy and happy, then there was no reason to worry.

In his opinion, Clair started out a much bigger baby than her genetics really mean for her to be as a child/person. In other words, her disinterest in eating was her body's way of evening itself out. So even though she started out 7 lbs., 14 oz. at birth (pretty big for a 38-weeker) she's likely to be a smallish person, he said. More Cary than Dean, but probably somewhere in between.

She also has a pretty gross nasal infection, which explains her constant need for suctioning -- and her fitful sleeping -- so he prescribed antibiotics. He also said I might need to check with my doctor about this horribleness that is lingering in me. Yeah, sometime between now and when the kids go to college, I'll have time for that. Aaaa-choo!

In all other things, Clairzee is perfect -- even ahead of the game. She's crawling, cruising, babbling, and waving. She's a master at pincer grip and is alert, social and cute as can be.

And, clutch the pearls, she doesn't have to come back until she's a YEAR OLD!

This is seriously moving so fast, people. I know I say that all the time, but I truly can't get over how fast time is moving with her. A YEAR?? With the holidays coming, we all know how fast that time goes; before we know it it'll be the New Year, and then bing, bang, boom -- February!

Excuse me while I go look at baby pictures of Clair and scream and cry and pull my hair out. Thanks.

Bye-bye curls

I thought I could live with Cary's patchy hair, but Lester and I both decided it'd be better to get his hair cut and let it all grow back in evenly.

So I took the boys to the barber on Saturday. We saw the same barber who cut Cary's hair the first time. She laughed at his bald spot, and got straight to work. Cary, for his part, was not thrilled, but didn't cry.

Look at my little curl-less boy. :-(

When it was all over, Dean clapped wildly and said "Good job, Cary!"

I have the best boys!

To reward Cary for having to lose all his hair to his brother's barbering experiment, and to reward Dean for being a supportive little brother, I took my sweeties out for pizza afterward.

They sat at the table like big boys, and didn't get down and run around or throw things or act like banshees. I've been teaching them to sit either "on your bottoms or on your knees" at restaurants, and they were really good about remembering that. They said "thank you!" to the servers, and waved "Hi!" to the children in the booth behind us. We stuffed ourselves full of cheesy pizza and chicken strips and fries. The boys even tried honey mustard for the first time (Cary - NO!; Dean - Yes, sir!!) and life was good.

Notice Dean's trance-like state? There was a TV on behind me with some kind of NASCAR-like race going on.

So all in all, I'd say, the aftermath of losing Cary's curls was not so bad after all. I got to bond with my big boys and Cary actually looks kinda cute.

So, bye-bye curls. We'll miss you, but we'll be waiting for you to come back in a few months. (And this time, we'll keep the clippers away from Deanie!)

A rant, a rave and a real housewife (sorta)

First, a rant.

I have been very quiet about my kids' pre-school, because I have not had a lot good to say about it. The feelings I had in the beginning about the teachers have not gone away. In fact, they have only been confirmed. I won't go into detail, but let's just say, I'm going to have to have a long discussion with the school about their 3s program -- and especially the teachers -- before we even think about enrolling them next year.
I have not shared most of my displeasure, but I had to share this:

So RUDE!!

 Do you see what I see there?

The teachers thought it was appropriate to send home a note to the entire class, listing the parents who still needed to send in "pullups" -- their catch-all term for diapers -- and wipes. It's not like it's a long list; there are three people listed there. Why couldn't they have slipped something discreetly and kindly in the kids' take-home envelopes? Or said something privately to the parents when they came in? I don't know how those three parents feel about being publicly shamed in this way, but I am outraged for them! It's just plain rude, in my opinion, and I am not loving the fact that my children are being taught by people who think that that is any way to behave. Also, I truly cannot get over this woman's obsession with "pull-ups." If she put half as much energy into teaching, playing with and nurturing the kids in her class, those kids would all be future Rhodes Scholars and philanthropists and tree-huggers.

OK, rant over. It's Friday. I'm not going to let her ruin my Friday buzz.

Now, a rave!

We took Cary and Dean to the dentist again today and they were AMAZING!

Checking out their goodie bags after being SUPER good boys at the dentist!

I almost didn't recognize these two children. Whereas last time there were tears aplenty, this time they were cooperative, friendly and agreeable. They did everything the hygienist and the dentist asked them to do. They said "aaaahhhh!" with aplomb! They laughed at the dentist's goofy jokes. They smiled when people spoke to them. Everyone was gushing about how well-behaved they are, and how adorable, and what a great job we are doing taking care of their little teeth! I feel like a million bucks! 

Of course, Cary decided he didn't want the bag of rewards the hygienist gave him, and threw it on the floor of the car, only to decide he did want it after I was already driving (sorry, buddy!), causing a grating whinefest for the entire ride home. But a girl can't have everything, now can she?

And -- just to make sure Clairzee gets in on the Friday blog-post-action, here she is doing her best "RBONJ" imitation. (That's "Real Babies of New Joizy" for the uninitiated.)

Totally needs her own reality show!

Isn't she the most?!

Happy weekend, all!

Hello, 1980s? When'd you get back in town?

I never thought I would think anything from the 1980s coming back was cute.

I mean, shoulder pads? Neon? Acid-washed jeans? Ugh.

But Clair in hot pink legwarmers has got to be the cutest thing this side of Ryan Gosling!

Isn't she just TOTALLY RAD?
:-)

The good, the bad and the ugly

The good:

Clair is waving! She does it all the time, and appropriately. When you say hello or good-bye, she starts waving. Of course I tried to capture it here, and the twin tornados had to get all up in the mix. So you can barely see the wave. I'll work on getting a better video. Meantime, here she is, my happy little waver.

And now for the the bad and the ugly -- which are all in one:

Lester went to give Dean a haircut. He plugged in his electric clippers and turned to go get something he needed out of the dining room. In an instant, Dean -- who is ALWAYS looking for something to get into (seriously, 99.8-percent of the time he is into something) -- grabs the clippers, figures out how to turn them on, and gives Cary this awesome (NOT!) haircut.

Sigh.

It looks a little bit less noticeable when his hair is not wet, but I think I'm fooling myself by thinking I don't actually have to cut his hair all the way down to that newly-shorn length. But I love his little curls! And I don't want him to look like such a big boy with a big boy haircut! Waaaaaah!

Oh well. The good news is I posted this unfortunate turn of events on Facebook and got to read and laugh about all the ridiculous hair-cutting stories that have happened with friends' kids over the years. Here's the best one, from an old college friend:

Been there done that so so many times over the last thirteen years. One time the oldest shaved the middle child's hair in the middle while he was sleep and then krazy glued the excess hair to his face. True story.

Now THAT is so much worse than Cary's little reverse Mohawk, I actually do feel better. LOL!

Synapse Checklist check-off

As the boys were turning 2, I started thinking about what kinds of things I wanted them to do and experience before they turned 3. (Since everyone knows that birth-to-3 is like the ONLY time kids ever learn anything ever and after that, if they haven't learned it, they're screwed for a lifetime. :-) )

So I created a Synapse Checklist, which is really just a list of fun things I want to do with them.

The boys hit  the 2-and-a-half mark yesterday, so here's where we are on the checklist:

• Go to the beach. Build sand castles. Watch the tide come in and out.

• Pick some fruit at a real fruit orchard. Bring it home and help Mommy make something out of it.
• Fly a kite.
• Ride public transportation.
• Have a picnic.
• Dig for earthworms after a good rain.
• Go to the State Fair. Ride some kiddie rides. Eat funnel cake.
• Sleep in a sleeping bag.
• Go to the zoo. (We've done this a bunch, but I think they're old enough to really get it now.)
• Play with Play-Doh.
• Finger-paint. (Ditto.) Does it count that they've done this at school? Yes, I think it does!
• See a real rainbow in the sky.
• Go on a hayride. Help Mommy or Daddy carve a pumpkin. On second thought, I think this knife-wielding activity is a "next year" task.
• See a parade, complete with floats and marching bands.
• Ride on some kind of boat.
• Participate in at least one, maybe two organized activities (music class, soccer, swim lessons,etc.) Music class is humming along!

We did go to the beach but the boys refused to help build sand castles. We watched the waves come in and out -- but not the tide -- because I did not think hard enough about how long you have to sit on the danged beach to watch the tide come in AND out. So watching the waves is good enough for me. (Is this cheating?)

We didn't go to the State Fair this year, but we did go to a bunch of festivals. We had apple fritters at the apple pick, which tasted a lot like apple-flavored funnel cake, but no actual funnel cake.

We have time still for riding on public transportation (Lester thinks the trolley at the beach counts, and I'm willing to concede that point if I get too lazy to actually take my sweeties somewhere on the city bus between now and May).

And if push comes to shove, I can pull out a sleeping bag and let them sleep in it any ole time, even if it's on the night of May 10th.

But now that the weather is cold, I don't think we'll get to the kites, earthworms, rainbows or boating situations anytime soon. So that means we will have to be on it in the spring! On. It!

Looking at this update, I'd say so far, so good! Countdown to May 11, 2013 begins....now!

P.S. Just for some perspective about how far these two boys have come, take a look at this picture, taken when they were both just a little over two weeks old! Look how scrawny!

Dean on left; Cary on right

And now look at them -- driving already (LOL!)

Taken at the Unbalanced Mommies meet-up yesterday at Oregon Ridge. Just a small part of our whirlwind weekend (all done while Mom is sick as a dog!) which you'll hear more about in another post. Perhaps.

We ARE somebodies!

Clair's sick and has been up at night with the stuffed-up nose, can't-breathe, uncomfortable thing going on. So I'm exhausted from getting up to comfort her, suction her, help her find a pacifier, re-situate her in the crib, put her blanket on and just love on her.

This weekend we have play dates scheduled with Abby and Maya, the twin girls we met at the vegtival who are also in our music class, and also with the Unbalanced Mommies.

I have been spending a lot of money on kids' clothes and shoes lately and I'm not exactly sure why.  Year of Austerity? HA!

I spent EIGHT HOURS cleaning my house from top to bottom this past weekend and somehow, just six days later, it is a cluttered mess again. 

Lester and I wanted to go to Boston this Thanksgiving to visit my Mom's family - including my Nana who has never met Clair - but the expense is too much for air travel and driving from here to there (hello NJ Turnpike!) with two toddlers and an infant is too much just all around.

Sounds like everything is just blah, blah, blah doesn't it?

But you know what? It ain't.

We are keeping hope alive!

'Cause we ARE somebodies!

(I'm such a cornball!)

Celebrate!

I am soooo happy about my President.

 I can't lie. It makes me incredibly happy not just that the country re-elected the man I believe is the best man for the job, but also -- ALSO -- that a black man earned the trust of the American people two times in a row!

Considering our nation's history (and sometimes its present), this makes me feel all kinds of overwhelming emotions about the possibilities for my boys.

I am so emotional about it, I can't even adequately convey all my thoughts.

But also, I am so happy that my state of Maryland finally has given the right to marry to people who are gay! (It's so awesome to really see in full color that my vote counts!)

The marriage equality vote chokes me up too. I'm a Christian and I love the Lord, but civil rights are civil rights, people. And it's a sad day when folks willfully choose to conflate religion with rights.

But today is NOT a sad day. Today is a happy day! And I am celebrating!! I am celebrating for all my friends who can now get married (shout-out to Jessica and Holly -- can't wait to go to ANOTHER wedding of yours!) And I am celebrating for myself, too. I love it when love wins over hate.

And I love it when Cary busts in on me in the bathroom first thing in the morning to say, "Mommy, Barack Obama wunt!"

Sweetest words ever!

As Kool and the Gang would say, "Celebrate good times come on!!! It's a celebration!!"

Why 2-year-olds should not be allowed to predict elections

Last night, while intensely studying his Lightning McQueen slipper (that boy is an observer, I tell you), Cary points to the tiny American flag you see here and says:

"Mommy, look! Barack Obama!"

I decided to take that as a sign. My child sees the teensiest symbol of this great country and immediately and unequivocally equates it with Barack Obama, the man who is fighting tooth and nail to hang on to the presidency. The man I would like to see win again.

From the mouths of babes, I thought. Dear Lord, let it be so.

I even posted my prediction on Facebook. (Dunh dunh dunhhhhh.)

Fast forward to this morning, election day.

Getting in the car, Cary spots my "I voted" sticker and claims it as his own.

I tell him he can't have it, because it belongs to Mommy. Mommy gets to have it because Mommy voted.

"I voted too," he says, nodding vigorously.

"Really?! That's great," I tell him. "Mommy voted for BARACK OBAMA!" (I say it with gusto, so he and Dean know that this is a good thing.)

And then Cary says, "I voted. I-I-I-I voted for MITT ROMNEY!" (He says it with gusto.)

And smiles at me. And takes my sticker.

Sigh.

Get out and vote, people!! A lot of folks died so we'd have this right. So get out and do it today!

Photo recap of the last several days

I've been crazy busy at work, trying to pull together a publication for a client. And Superstorm Sandy threw a monkey wrench in everything. So I haven't had time to blog.

But I wanted to make sure I'm keeping good record of what's going on in the life of the Davises. With no time to write, what's a girl to do? Post photos of course!

First of all, during Superstorm Sandy, when it rained -- HARD -- for three days straight, I tried to find lots of things to do to keep the kiddos busy.  You know how I was worried about storm preparation? Turns out this is the only storm prep anyone ever really needs.

Oh yeah!

And lest you think that we spent the three days singing songs and playing Play-Doh and baking stuff like the Partridge Family, please know that by the end of the three days inside with the Crazies, I was ready to ship them in a box to Sri Lanka. (My friend Angel's family is from there, so at least I know someone would feed them.)

Doesn't this photo look like it's from the 70s? Cary even has an Afro.

 Sara decided that she is a baby and constantly tries to wiggle in between the actual babies when we're all piled up together on the couch or on the floor. Here she is in Clair's highchair, which is her new favorite place to sit, hang out or nap.

Do you want some rice cereal and sweet potatoes, little Baby Sara?

 On Halloween, the kids did not go trick-or-treating because I am lazy (I am answering a question from Beth) and also because they still think it is really fun to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to our door. And we get a fair amount, actually, which is surprising since I am one of only two houses on the whole block that even decorates for Halloween. And by "decorate," I mean put some pumpkins on the porch.

Clair is hanging right along with them! Look at her!

I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Dean ADORES handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. He yells "Trick or Treat!" and slams candy in their bags, and then waves, "Hiiii!' Even the kids think he is adorable. Cary, on the other hand, who now knows that every piece of candy going out the door is one less piece of candy for him, sulks, pouts and scowls at the trick-or-treaters, refusing to hand over the candy he's clutching in his little hand. He still likes for them to come to the door -- nearly falls over himself running to see them -- but he is no fan of sharing the Halloween bounty. Unh-unh.

Look Mommy! We have BIG muscles!

Fun with PicFrame! (Bet you thought I forgot about that!) Kids in PJs on Halloween night, hopped up on lollipops and other goodies (well, not Clair) making Mommy and Daddy sooooo ready for them to go to bed.

The lines in Baltimore for early voting have been crazy long, but I managed to sneak out in between two work assignments and do my civic duty. It's impolite to discuss politics, I know, so I'll just say that if my vote has anything to do with it, everyone will be able to get a college education, regardless of where they came from, and all my friends will be able to marry the people they love.

Because of the storm, the kids' Fall Festival and Halloween party got pushed to Thursday and Friday. Lester took Thursday (fall fest) and I took Friday (party). At the fall fest, Lester said the boys were incorrigible and refused to do all the fun crafts. They melted down when it was time to build a scarecrow and they were so hard to deal with the whole time, he was ready for a drink by 10 a.m.

In a text message to me, when he sent this picture, he said, "While the other children were all doing crafts, YOUR children were doing this."

On Friday, at the Halloween party, as soon as Cary saw me, he wanted to go home. So he whined and cried just about the whole time. And because the party got rescheduled, only two other parents and I were able to come help out. So it was a little bit chaotic. But we managed to make a bunch of crafts (more on that later) and eat a bunch of snacks and I was the hit of the party with the kids because I sang them the "Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee" song, which includes vomiting sounds. Kids LOVE that.

I even wore a costume! See -- here I am: Lt. Uhura reporting for duty! I don't think anyone got my costume though. Do people not do Star Trek?

And about those crafts we made ....

Are my children trying to tell me something? Is this a cry for help? Do they need therapy -- at 2 and a half? Arts and Crafts always leaves me with so many questions.

:-)

Happy post-Sandy Halloween!

Lester did a yeoman's job preparing for the storm after all (I should have known he would) and caulked up some cracks in our outside walls, as well as stocked our house with food and baby formula and other actual necessities like Papa John's pizza and Pillsbury slice 'n bake cookies. I bought batteries and bottled water, and filled up our downstairs tub with water. We had the flashlights at the ready.

In the end, we survived nontropical Sandy, or whatever she ended up being called, with very little damage to speak of. In the three days we were stuck in the house a little bit of water seeped in through the basement, but other than that, we have nothing significant to talk about. Especially not when compared to the devastation in NY/NJ and other parts of the Northeast.

My prayers go out to all of those who lost loved ones, and I pray that people will be able to get back to their normal lives as soon as possible. I know it is a very "1st-world" problem to be so majorly inconvenienced by power outages and public transportation stoppages, but still. This sucks.

In other news, it is Halloween, and I hope the boys and Clair will get at least some trick-or-treaters tonight, as they are crazy excited about wearing their costumes and handing out candy. And since school was closed again today, they missed out on their Halloween party and likely tomorrow's fall festival, too. So since this is it for them, trick-or-treaters better come a trickin' and a treatin'!

We at least got out as a family before the storm and went to the Patterson Park Lantern Parade on Saturday, which was awesome. We ate festival food and saw marching bands and amazingly-creative paper lanterns and kids in costumes and our friends Antwyne, Mari and Antony and Stacey and Hugo. Dean was a little freaked out by the scary costumes -- at one point he said, "Mommy, nooo! The dinosaur is going to eat me!" -- but he still had a really good time. The highlight of the night was definitely the marching bands. My boys LOVED them. See for yourself (this video is 2 minutes long and worth every second!):

And here are some cute photos of them in their costumes, which they thought were the best things ever.

Mater Truck and Lightning McQueen reporting for duty!

Raggedy Ann (actually Raggedy Andy, because I wanted her to have pants.) Yes, my daughter is a cross-dresser. I love and accept her no matter what. :-)

Daddy and Raggedy Ann(dy) at the Patterson Park Lantern Parade. Clair was a huge trooper, especially considering that it got kinda chilly out and it was way past her bedtime.

Every day since Saturday the boys have asked to wear their costumes. And I told them they could wear them on Halloween to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. Which is why those darn neighborhood kids better high-step around all the downed tree branches and come eat all this candy I bought!!

 (Seriously, people, I ate so much junk during the storm sequestering, I neeeeeed this candy out of my house!)

The Upside to Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is headed our way.

It is being called the Frankenstorm, because of its projected strength, predicted damage and the fact that it is likely to collide with a winter storm coming this way at about the same time.

Forecasters and Baltimore residents are losing their ish over this storm.

"The pre-Halloween hybrid weather monster that federal forecasters call "Frankenstorm" is looking more ominous by the hour for the East Coast, and utilities and local governments are getting ready," said one news article.

The ingredients awaiting Hurricane Sandy appear to be coming together to create what forecasters are calling a monster combination of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe snow that could cause havoc along the East Coast just before Halloween next week.
"We're looking at one of the worst storms on record that we've seen in this region," said a hurricane specialist for The Weather Channel.
 
 "It's going to be a long-lasting event of two to three days for a lot of people,'' another forecaster warned.

I have to admit to be panicking a little bit, too. Three kids under age 3 -- and a crazy cat -- stuck in a house without power for any length of time = NO FUN. What will we eat?

And my husband is totally opposed to preparing for storms. He thinks it makes zero sense to stock the house with things you might need, because - no matter what -- somewhere there will be a store with stuff to buy, and we can also go to a hotel, if necessary. I would rather have the stuff at our house, but I'm overruled in this area. Therefore, I really hope we don't get hit too hard. Really.

But there is one upside to this whole storm.

That darn fall festival that I had to buy overalls and stuff for? Postponed! Yippeee!

It's only postponed by two days, but still. Now I have more time to try to find the things they need, without having to spend too much money.

So at least in this case, hooray for Sandy!

Life with boys

Last night at the dinner table, in his highchair, Cary let out a long, sputtering fart.

It was so impressive, it stopped him from talking. (This is quite a feat.)

When it was finally over, he smiled and said, "A motorcyle! There's a motorcycle in my diaper!"

And then he and Dean both CRACKED up.

As a woman who is not a fan of flatulence, bodily fluids, blood, guts, gore or other grossness, I have to say I am not looking forward to the years and YEARS and YEARS I have left of this kind of thing.

(Even though I have to admit, I cracked up too! It really did sound like a motorcycle!)

I need a second job!

One thing I was not prepared for when the boys started school was the sheer volume of things we would be asked to sell, purchase, pay for, fund, raise money for etc.

Since Cary and Dean started pre-school, we have already had to bug our friends at work to buy cakes, cookies and pizza for a fundraiser. We've gotten a coupon book the school wanted us to buy (we didn't). The boys got sent home with 25 tickets to a turkey dinner that we are required to sell (which means we're just sending in a check for $25, because I'm not selling turkey dinner tickets). And we have to send in diapers and wipes every month -- a huge box to share.  That one I get, because the boys are still in diapers, but added to everything else, it all starts to get a little overwhelming.

At least twice a week, we get notes from the school like this:

• Please help the school's Certificate Program!  We need to sell $150.00 in AMC Theaters and/or Applebees to receive an additional $7.75 discount!  That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up! 
• The preschool classes will be riding their bikes for the annual Trike-a-thon to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.   Please make your donations payable to "St. Jude  Children's Research Hospital."
• Longaberger Basket Bingo - Location:  Church Hall  Cost:  $15 in advance and $20 at the door.  Food and baked goods will be on sale starting at 6 P.M.  Bingo will start at 7 P.M.  Plan to join us for this fun fundraiser that will benefit the church and the school.

And there are countless other things -- I've lost count, truly, and it's only October. I don't mind helping the school, but good grief! My head is spinning with all the requests for money!

The latest thing is a fall festival next week, where the school will have the kids make scarecrows. I assumed from the flyers they've sent home that the scarecrow part of the festival was optional, but I was told yesterday that no, we are required to buy the materials for Cary and Dean to make scarecrows.

Please keep in mind I just bought the boys a whole complement of fall things, like fleeces, hoodies and these super-cute puffer vests:

So I was none too pleased about being told I now have to buy two sets of overalls, two shirts, two sets of pantyhose, and two hats. I have two boys after all. They both will want to make scarecrows!

Their teacher said, "Oh, just go to the thrift store." But the last time I checked, the thrift store still requires actual money in exchange for their goods!

Ugh!

I know I'm being a little huffy about this, and I know it's all for a good cause. I want the school and all the kids -- not just mine -- to have the things they need to be successful. But I honestly (naively) thought that the tuition plus materials fees we paid before school started was the extent of  the cash we'd be "required" to shell out.

I suppose the boys going to school is as much an education for me as it is for them.

Apple pick!

This weekend, the boys and I went to the "apple pick!"
(That's what Dean calls it, anyway.)

We went to the orchards at Larriland Farms, where you can "pick-your-own" all kinds of things. This late in the season, apples were pretty much it for fruit. But my sister also picked some spinach and some swiss chard.

The boys loved, loved, loved it!

 

Yummmmm!

This might be the best activity ever for Dean. Yank things off of trees. Drag around a bag of things that "belong" only to him. Snack on things. Yeah, this might just be Dean nirvana.

Cousins!!!

I'm making good on my effort to get into more pictures with them. See how happy they are that I'm in the photo. Look at those big smiles! Wait, they don't care at all. Not even a little. Maybe in 25 years they will.

We came home with our bounty and made applesauce with cinnamon and a little sugar, and they got to eat some for breakfast this morning. We're JUST like pioneers, making our own food and whatnot! :-)

And now we can cross that fun activity off the list of things to do before the boys turn 3! Snaps for synapses!

We also went to a community yard sale this weekend, where I bought 10 puzzles they'll never use for $1! And Lester took the boys to music class, while I stayed home and holed myself up in Clair's bedroom, cuddling with her in the rocking chair while she dozed off. I really needed that time with her. And she was so sweet and snuggly.

So all in all, a really good weekend!

I'm having a synapse breakdown

Today, Clair is 8-months-old. She's crawling, standing and even beginning to cruise. She is moving so fast, I can barely stand it.

But as she grows, and I compare her to the boys in terms of how much more she can do at this age than they could, I have also started thinking about how much less time she actually gets with us.

Ugh.

Particularly since she is almost always being edged out by her noisier, more demanding brothers, we almost never have time to just sit with her and read, read, read. Or sing and play individual baby games. Or just point out/narrate all the mundane stuff going on while we cook, eat, dress, and go about our days. Frankly, by the time we are wrapping up with C & D, we are SPENT. She gets a lot of love and hugs and a ridiculous overdose of kisses and tickles, but way less one-on-one chatter.

I was already slightly worried about this discrepancy. Then I read this article in the NYT.

These two lines in particular:

Children of professionals were, on average, exposed to approximately 1,500 more words hourly than children growing up in poverty. This resulted in a gap of more than 32 million words by the time the children reached the age of 4.

As the education theorist E. D. Hirsch recently wrote in a review of Paul Tough’s new book, “How Children Succeed,” there is strong evidence that increasing the general knowledge and vocabulary of a child before age 6 is the single highest correlate with later success. 

And now I am freaked the funk out!!

You know me, people. I am synapse-nuts as it is! Reading this just sends me over the EDGE! And yes, I know technically Clair isn't a child of poverty. And yes, I know she has almost 5 and a half more years before she reaches age 6 (so I have a little bit of time). But still!!

STILL!

How come you people with "second' children (I count her as the second, because the boys are twins) didn't tell me that the second one gets such short shrift? And what can you do about it when they're just babies? And does it even out over time??

Can people please tell me stories about their second-born kids and how they're well-rounded/sweet-natured geniuses?

(P.S. Happy 8-months, Clairzee! We love you so much! We really do!!)

The weekend in pictures...

This weekend, the whole family got dressed up to go to an 11 a.m. wedding.
(People with multiple children will know what kind of preparation that entails.)

But we did a terrible job taking into account the fact that Saturday was also the frikkin' Baltimore Marathon. So we were literally thwarted at every turn by roads closures and runners. Literally.

Thankfully, we were in two cars, so eventually, Lester just went on to the wedding himself and the rest of us turned around, went to the Red Canoe and had a muffin. All dressed up and slightly irritated, yes. But then... pumpkin muffins! Holla!

The boys looked sooo handsome in their button-up shirts and sweaters. Too bad they were covered in muffin 5 minutes later. Also, these heels were killing me! Ugh!

Lester said the wedding was really authentic and beautiful and it made him a little sentimental. This is the text message he sent from the reception:

Awwwww!

Later, Matty-Matt came to visit!

Of course, I had JUST put Clair and the boys down for a nap. So Clair missed her BFF. But at least that meant I got to have Matty all to myself!! He's AWESOME.

Matthew brought his Mom and Dad, too. And his big brother Russy, who absolutely loved, loved, loved Sara!

Russy and Sara ran and played non-stop. Do you hear me? Non-stop.

Russy played with the cat so much and so hard, as soon as he left, this happened:

Now I know what I have to do to get Sara to chill the eff out. Get a 5-year-old!

 A
nd still later, we all went to a playdate at Stacey's house. It was a ton of fun and noise and baked ziti and apple pie and ice cream. We loved every minute of it (except for the minutes when Cary was crying and Dean was screaming. But other than that...)

Kelly and Clair (who was starting to get sick, I think.) Also, Clair has no idea but she is sitting next to her future husband!

My friend Kelly came to the playdate with my sweetie-pie Naomi, and when it was time to leave, this happened. Unprompted. And repeatedly.

Check out Dean's form. Some things can't be taught, people.

We have always said that these two are betrothed. From the womb, we have said this. And Dean just keeps proving that we were right. Check out this photo from August, 2011. I think this might also have been unprompted. But even if it wasn't, you see who responded to a directive to "Give Naomi a kiss," and who just stared into space.

Why does Naomi always have the same face when Dean rolls up for a smooch?

Saturday night, Clair got sick. She had already been a bit snotty -- as are all the rest of us -- but overnight, she got so bad she couldn't sleep, and we had to suction her out at 4 a.m. FUN!

All day Sunday, she was miserable and barely napped. I felt sure she'd sleep at night, because she was so tired at dinner, she fell asleep in her highchair! (This would never have happened with C&D. They never slept anywhere but their beds. Ever.)

But she was so phleghmy and snuffly and coughing and hacking all night, she couldn't sleep. Even when I brought her in our bed, she was slightly happier because she got to lie on me and be comforted, but she literally kept us up just about the whole night. MORE FUN!

Lester stayed home with her today because I am super-swamped at work. I felt so bad leaving my poor sick baby. This is pretty much what she looked like when I left.

Finally, finally getting a little bit of rest, poor thing.

But later this morning, Lester sent this picture of her all cleaned and dressed and I feel much better that she feels much better! (Hooray for smartphones!)

Such a happy baby girl -- even when sick!

Now, let's see how tonight goes.  (Anyone want to invent some Baby Sudafed+Ambien? I'll be your first investor.)

Helpful boys foreshadow my future life

I had to wrangle all the kids this morning, because Lester had an early morning work appointment.

Before we came downstairs after brushing our teeth, I got down on their level and explained to the boys that I needed their help today very much. I was all alone and had to do EVERYTHING all by myself. I would appreciate it if they would help Mommy and be cooperative.

They said, "OK, Mommy!" I was dubious.

Surprise, surprise, I think my little talk worked, because they were much less obstinate and all-over-the-place and pretty much did what I asked them to do the second or third time, as opposed to the sixth or seventh -- or not at all.

But the best part -- the part that made me think about how GRAVY my life will be in a few short years -- was when I noticed that I hadn't heard Dean in a few minutes (I had Cary on the changing table, so he was left to his own devices). I called him and called him, and finally had to leave Cary to go see what he was up to. I steeled myself for the mayhem.

But this is what he was doing:

Can you see? He went and got a trash bag from the landing in the basement where we keep the box, and then came and put it in the trash can (sorta) all on his own!

He said, "Mommy, see? I help Daddy!"

Little does he know that, although Daddy usually takes the trash out, Mommy is the one who almost always remembers to put a new bag in the can. But whatever.

I'll take his helpfulness however I can get it! And I can't wait until I can really give this task to the boys to handle!

Thanks boys, you made Mommy's morning pretty easy!

Happy Birthday to my dear Grandmothers

I have been so, so blessed in my life and sometimes I have to stop and really think about just HOW blessed.

One thing that I often take for granted is that I got to have both my maternal and paternal grandmothers in my life well into my adulthood. I know that's not something a lot of people can say.

My paternal grandmother, who I called Grandma, died from complications of pneumonia in June 2008, a day before my 35th birthday. I still miss her. Every single day.

My maternal grandmother, who I call Nana, is alive and well and living in Boston. She tries to get to Foxwood (the casino) every chance she gets, and still hosts a Friday night poker game in her apartment every week. I wish we lived closer so  we could eat lobster together and she could whip my butt in Pokeno.


Grandma would have celebrated her birthday on Oct. 8. Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Nana celebrated her birthday yesterday. Happy Birthday, Nana!

I love my Grandmothers so much; they both showed (show) me nothing but unconditional love my entire life. And I've learned so much from each of them. I can't even start with the list of what I've learned. I'll be here all day.

My Grandma, Rosyth L. White and my Nana, Earline G. Morris. Weren't they beautiful?

I just hope that one day -- even though I waited so late to have my kids -- that I'll be blessed to love Cary, Dean and Clair's kids the same way. <3