Rainy Day Fun

What do you do when it's rainy and you are dealing with loads of energy? You had over some umbrellas and send them on their ways. Last night there was a nagging sprinkle outside and Jackson has asked for quite some time if they could play in the rain. Since it wasn't all that cold we obliged and had a good laugh all the while. OK, so originally I sent them out without umbrellas but went out with one myself. Once they saw mine, it was a mad scramble to find a couple of others. Turn out they had much more fun with the umbrellas than without.

Wet ducks!

They finally understand what those pesky little gray things are for...aka downspout drain. They had fun playing in the pool of water.

His turning radius craps out at times. Check out that wet bottom! It all started when he sat in the downspout drain prior to the fall. I suppose we got our monies worth for that diaper, huh?

How stinkin' cute!

A video of the action.

until next time...lc

Jackson to the World: "I Call 'Em Like I See 'Em, Folks."

This morning, on the ride into daycare, I decided to swing through Starbucks to use my little free Wednesday coffee card Laura gave me a couple of weeks ago (THANKS, HONEY!!!). It's a promotion for their new house roast coffee, Pike Place Roast, which is actually pretty good. But, I digress...

Anyway, as we're pulling out of the parking lot in front of Meijer and Menards on U.S. 36 (or, Rockville Road, as it's also known) Jackson notices that the car turning left at the light is a Chevy Blazer, and that it "looks just like your car, Dad!" I commend him for noticing the similarities, and also for pointing out that the wheels are a bit different on the other car. The kid doesn't miss a beat, as I'll further explain, now.

I inch a little further up at the light, trying to make sure traffic's clear so that I can make a right turn on the red light. As I do this, Jackson notices the driver of the Blazer, and shouts, "Ha ha, Dad, LOOK! There's a dog driving that car!"

I look at the driver of the car, and it's a woman with a total throwback Jersey mall chick spiral perm and a huge bouffont bang job on top of her dome. I roar with laughter, and ask, "What makes you think that's a dog, Jack?" To which he responds, "Look at her hair! It's SO BIG! It looks like a dog's hair!"

These are the times where I wish I had a P.A. system wired to the car, like the Blues Brothers' car. I'd just pass him the microphone and let him publicly humiliate people.

(K)

Strawberry Status

Jackson looks forward to checking in on his strawberries every chance he gets. He was finally able to pick a few last weekend.

Enjoying the "fruits" of his labor.

Checking in on them....again. (This happens about 3 times daily.) Oh, and we noticed last night that the tomato plant has a tiny little bud under the flower. He's excited about that one too!

He's ready to pick this one, but I suggested waiting until it grew a little more. We picked 2 more this past Monday and they were extremely tart. He didn't mind since he loves to make his "tart" face. I'll have to get that one on film next opportunity.

until next time...lc

Wii have Funn

As Kyle posted earlier, we jumped on the bandwagon and splurged on a Wii. Here are some photos from the first go-round.

Kyle and Jackson playing the first game. They matched up in a good 'ole game of bowling. We thought that would be the easiest to introduce the little guy to. Jackson in action. Notice Kian in the background holding an unplugged Nunchuck. He was quite content playing with this all while it didn't faze him one bit that it wasn't plugged in.
Not to be left out with his ever-so-cute "cheese" pose.
Drum roll please.... Here's the final score from the first game. I'd like to take this opportunity to let everyone know Jackson was the first player and Kyle the second. Way to go Jackson! More than double your daddy's score. You make your mommy so proud!


until next time...lc

I've Attained First-Class Accommodations on the Express Train to Hell, if Such a Mode of Transportation Exists

So, Friday night, after a brief deliberation (i.e. Laura asked me if I wanted one, and I replied with a resounding, "HELL YES!") we decided to purchase a Nintendo Wii. I, personally, have been absolutely intrigued by the different approach to video-gaming the Wii offers since I initially read about it; but, had been hesitant to buy one because of our extensive PlayStation game collection. The PS3 is backwards-compatible with PS2 games, and I hated the idea of losing that capability by buying an altogether-different system. But, at the end of the day, I still have my PS2, and everything I've read about the PS3 tells me the system sucks; so, I'm thinking we'll get much more enjoyment, as a family, out of our Wii.

Along with the Wii, you also get Wii Sports when you purchase the system. It was decided that we should expand on our initial game collection, so we bought Wii Play (primarily, though, for the additional remote you get when purchasing the game) and wanted to get Mario Kart, as well. I LOVED playing Mario Kart on my friends' N64's back in the day, and knew the boys would like this latest iteration of the classic. We bought the Wii at Sam's Club, but they didn't have any copies of Mario Kart, so we tabled that purchase for a later date.

Saturday morning, we went to Edinburgh's Outlet Mall to return some items Laura had bought there a while back, and decided that, on the way home, and depending on the boys' moods, we'd stop in Greenwood to look for Mario Kart. We went to the Greenwood Toys-R-Us to look for it, but they were completely sold out, so we decided to head over to the SuperTarget in Greenwood to try our luck there.

As we're leaving the Toys-R-Us parking lot, I happen to notice - out of the corner of my eye - something laying on the ground in one of the lot's aisles. I ask Laura to turn around at the end of that aisle, and drive back toward the spot where I noticed the item. She asks what I saw as we're driving toward it, and I reply, "Hold on, let me see," just as she's braking, and I'm hopping out of the car.

Sure enough, there on the ground was a crisp, folded, twenty-dollar bill.

SCORE.

I yoinked that bad boy up quicker than a crackhead who's dropped a sliver of his last rock on the ground, jump back into the car, and immediately burst into a diabolical laugh. I show Laura the fruits of my exit from the vehicle, then place the cash back into my pocket.

As we drive out of the parking lot, and on toward Target, I make the comment to Laura, "Man, I just thought about this....that twenty was probably some kid's allowance money that he dropped on his way in to Toys-R-Us to get a new Transformer or something."

As we discuss this possibility, I get a recurring scenario stuck in my head: Little Jimmy super-stoked to be getting the new Optimus Prime, beaming with pride and joy as he proceeds to the check-out lane to purchase his awesome new toy with the money he's worked so hard to save. Then, as he places the package up onto the register's counter, he reaches into his pocket and feels the angst and horror quickly overcome him as he grasps nothing more than pocket lint, a rock intended to be thrown at a sibling's head, and a wad of ABC gum (ABC = Already Been Chewed, of course). Then, the ensuing verbal beratement by his mom or dad, scolding him for "not letting ME hold onto the money, because I KNEW you'd lose it," as he has to slink away from the register with nothing more in his hands than guilt and sadness over his lost allowance.

And, I laughed. I laughed heartily at this vision, because I WAS that kid, once in my life. Sheesh, probably more than once in my life, I'm sure. I can't remember any specific incidents, but I'm pretty darn sure I lived out this very scene, which helps explain why it was so vivid in my mind.

So, perhaps my consolation is that I'm teaching this kid a valuable life lesson - always keep your money stashed and secured until the very moment you're going to use it; and, reinforcing a life lesson of my own, which is to ALWAYS keep your eyes on the ground for a potential windfall from the faulty pockets of others.

Or, perhaps I should just invest in some hot-weather outfits for the afterlife, eh? Hahahahahahahahaaaaaa...


(K)

Grass Monster

Ryan, Melissa and boys were over for a cookout on Sunday. Many times we are stuck in the house playing with what's available, but since it's nice outside we were able to play outside. A couple of weekends ago Kyle started playing "Grass Monster" with the boys at the park. This consists of Kyle sitting on the ground and letting the boys climb on him, knock him over and tickling each other senseless until someone gives up (or gets hurt).

This is shortly after the introduction of the game to Ryan, Ethan and Dylan. Glad to say they picked up on it quickly!

Simultaneous knock-downs of both fathers. Great job boys!
I thought it would be a great opportunity to get a picture of all the boys together. Guess again. I couldn't get them all to look at the same time. As you can tell, Jackson just wasn't interested. He was head-butted right as the picture request was announced and wasn't happy that we didn't drop everything. It didn't help that he failed to nap that afternoon.

until next time...lc

The ice cream truck and yet another picnic

As soon as the boys arrived home from daycare on Friday, Jackson came rushing into the house as if he were on fire. Come to find out, the ice cream truck was on its way down the street. He was so excited to see such a thing. I guess they see it at daycare on occasion, but I don't think he remembers that it has been around our neighborhood before. Since it was Friday and they were relatively good for the week, we allowed them to get something from the beloved ice cream truck. They chose none other than the $2.25 Sponge Bob treat. Are you kidding me? Why were we splurging again? Are they going to expect another indulgence when they hear that annoying song that blare through the neighborhood again? What was I thinking getting this treat at the beginning of summer? For crying out loud, it's not even summer yet! Ugh, what have I started?

Regardless, it made for some cute photos:

Kyle went to a bachelor party this past Saturday for a wedding that he is standing up in this coming weekend. The original plan was to take a bike ride and have a picnic at a neighboring subdivision around lunch on Saturday. Since it was raining, the picnic was postponed for what I thought was another weekend. Not wanting to make the situation more stressful for myself, I caved to the tenth request/whine to go for our picnic. So, the boys and I loaded up all the necessary goods and took 0ff around 500pm, just before Kyle headed out for the party. We rode for what seemed like an eternity (in all about a 3 mile journey) and ended up at the shelter house. This entire experience was one that I never expected to turn out so frustrating. The shelter house was the unfortunate victim in a recent paintball fight. So, out in the grass we went to munch on our food. Too bad we didn't have a blanket. Once we finished eating we headed back to the playground in our neighborhood, since the one we planned to visit was too overcrowded for my liking. Just as we started on the path back, I noticed the honeysuckle bushes that lined the path. I instantly had flashbacks of my childhood when we used to taste the nectar from them. We stopped so I could share this memory with Jackson. They weren't quite bloomed enough to get the full effect, but it was nice to share this with him. We continued our ride back to the park and stopped to play for some time. Back on course, we went around to see if the fountain was on (it wasn't). As we neared our house, I looked up to see my car in the driveway. Instantly I remembered that I didn't have a key or a garage door opener with us. It was 700pm. What the hell was I thinking? Bedtime was approaching quickly. I was left there with two over-tired boys and no way into the house. We checked...the car was locked, the doors were locked. I called Kyle to inform him of our unfortunate luck and tried to think of how I was going to keep them pacified for the next 45 minutes knowing they were getting more tired by the minute. I don't know why, but I decided to check the windows. I knew that if by chance one were unlocked, I could get the screen off, shimmy up the window and toss a kid inside to remedy the situation, right? I kept trying to remember how the locks went on the window in order to open them...to the left or to the right? Lo and behold, one of the windows was unlocked. I can't recall the last time we opened this particular window, but at that point I couldn't have cared less. I tried to get the screen out, but failed. I was pissed that I had my nails done that morning and had them trimmed down. After the four-hundredth time of "How are we going to get in Mommy" I hear Jackson say, "I can bust out the window Mom." Yeah, sure Buddy. As if busting out the window hadn't crossed my mind. After convincing him that breaking the window would most likely hurt us to the point we'd have to go the hospital, he agreed that wasn't the best method. We went over to a neighbors house and asked to borrow a flat screwdriver to break into our own house. Thanks to Joe and Toby, we were able to get Jackson in the window. Mind you, he was instructed to go straight to the garage door and open it. On his way, he found a pack of sidewalk chalk and decided to play with it for about 5 seconds before I lost it. What a little shit! I put the window back together and we continued on our evening. Oh, and a quick call to Kyle to abort mission...we were in. To all out there: we have checked all of our windows and they are locked. I don't think I'll ever leave again without a way in. At least I hope not! Here are a couple of shots from the picnic.

until next time...lc

Trackside fun

Tammy gave us a call last Saturday morning (Pole Day) saying she had some hospitality passes and a prime parking spot if we were up for it. This call came just after Kyle detailed out the day he planned for Mother's Day. We were planning on going to Holiday Park for a picnic and walk, but as a group decided to take Tammy up on the offer. The picnic was postponed until Sunday. We loaded up the car and spent the day at the track. Here are some photos we snagged along the way.

Firehawk was on site to greet the kids. Jackson was the only willing child. Kian teared up and screamed immediately.

Jackson and Nana Hop
Nana Hop, Kian and Mommy
Will we ever get a decent family photo?
Getting ready for the big race. Check out the video clip below.

What a face! They were definitely buddies this day, as they are most days.
Jackson is notorious for having his tongue sticking out a little bit whenever he is in action. More often than not, he will be striking this pose.
What a character!
Another character!
Jackson's Big Race: Go Bubby, Go Bubby, Go Bubby

until next time...lc

I'm Your Knight in Shining Armor

Here's a link to Sigur Ros' lyrics page on their website. It provides some translations of the songs.

Look to the left, and you'll also find a link to a pronunciation guide, so you can learn to sing along with a proper Icelandic accent!

http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/band/lyrics.php

I know, I always come through in a pinch. You're welcome.

(K)

Translation Needed

You know things are getting pretty bad when you have your child's sleepy-time songs stuck in your head. Not a big deal, you think? How would you feel if they were in a foreign language and you had absolutely no idea what they were saying? I'm lulling myself to sleep at this point. I have a hard time getting a song out of my head once it's there. After singing these couple of lines over and over, I'm ready for someone to start singing "This Is The Song That Never Ends" to me in hopes that I could change it up for an hour or so. Oh, the issues that I have.


until next time...lc

Sleep Issues

If anyone out there cares, the sleep issues at our house continue. I didn't know we could upset Kian to this degree, but I sure wish we could find a way to help him through it. We all just need a good nights sleep. I definitely think that would improve all of our moods. How dare we interrupt his life like this. If he only knows we are trying to help him become a more independent little guy, perhaps he'd understand.

Jackson has decided that if he wears his sunglasses, he will get better sleep. I about died laughing this morning when I walked in and saw him all sprawled out on his bed donning those yellow sunglasses. I so badly wanted to take his picture, but feared that I would disturb him. I suppose if the screaming from his little brother wasn't enough to disturb him, a little flash from the camera wouldn't do that much harm. I'll try for tonight if I get the chance. I am pretty sure the odds are in my favor.

I want to take some time to thank Kyle for stepping in to get through this. Kian has always been a momma's boy and hasn't ever been fond of his father during his fits. When I feel like I'm at my lowest point, Kyle jumps in and takes over. Yeah, it takes a little longer to console him, but he gets the job done. So, thanks again Kyle. You have been the reason I've gotten at least 4 hours of sleep a night.


until next time...lc

HAHAHAHAHAA...I Don't Know Why I've Not Previously Noticed the Genius of this Picture

Laura had included this picture in her slideshow from our Easter Breakfast thing at Metropolis Mall, but I'd not noticed Kian's hand until tonight, for some reason.

Anyway, I'll caption this: "UP YOURS! BACON!!!"

(K)

AAAWWW...TEE-AN, WHY YOUS NO SLEEPY BABY NO MO'???

I miss this...he used to sleep so well.

A bit of a struggle tonight. Protesting lasted about 30 to 45 minutes tonight. Laura layed down on Jackson's bed when he'd gotten calm, but hadn't committed to sleeping. He did seem to somewhat entertain himself, first to serenity, then finally to sleep; this is good, this is what Jackson started to do when he started to be able to get himself to sleep.

So, I'm thinking progress, right?

Still. I wouldn't be upset if this little version of him would become the norm all night, every night.

Daddy loves you, bubby. Nigh night.

Today is Provider Apprication Day

Happy Provider Appreciation Day! We absolutely adore Michelle for all she has done for our little ones and for all the love and attention she has shone to them. We would never have been able to get to this point without her. The boys absolutely cannot wait to go to her house each Monday and look forward to every minute the get to spend with her. Maybe it's the unlimited amount of play they get, or the gaggle of toys available, their friends, or the amount of attention they receive. Regardless, they are so happy there and we could not be more pleased.

The boys are planning to give Michelle and bunch of pink Gerber daisies, chocolate chip cookies (with the full intentions of getting one for themselves), a Starbucks gift card and a card they made. We'll have to snag a photo with her sometime to share on here.

She hasn't been feeling up to par the past few days, so Jackson suggested that he take her a "feel better sucker" to help her. We may have to incorporate that into the gift as well. He said they work for him so he wanted to share with Michelle. Thanks to Michelle for all you do! We appreciate you for more than you will ever know.

until next time...lc

Goodbye Paci, Goodbye

Last Wednesday night when putting Kian to sleep, I noticed that his beloved Paci had a little more wear and tear than I originally thought. We agreed for some time prior to that he needed to give it up. Our original goal was 18 months, but we failed. We tried to tell him that paci's were for babies and that he should throw it in the trash. Many times he would run towards the trash can, come to his senses and a screeching halt at the same time and refuse to throw it away. So Thursday morning (5/1/08) I snipped off the end of his paci.

Here are some photos and videos of the event.

He asked for his paci on the way home from daycare and quickly gave it up for a sucker upon arrival at home. He did not ask for it again until Saturday on the drive to Jasper. Once again on Sunday in the car and not another request has been made. Do you suppose this is ill-timing considering the fight the past two nights? Oh well, as you can tell from the second video, it's gone for good. We did cut off a green one just in case he was a terror at Michelle's, but they have not used it to date. In fact, he's been on such good behavior and has not bit anyone since the paci went away. He's only hit once since then. Maybe he is turning over a new leaf. We'll see.

until next time...lc