This day in history...

Today is January 28th, 2009. Ava and Alex are 23 months old today.

Ava and Alex were born on Robert's 23 month birthday - February 28th, 2006.

Robert at 23 months (his last day as the only child)

I never thought I'd say it, but I love that my kids are 23 months apart!

Holiday Treats

To most, this is a Rice Krispies Treat.

To Robert, it is an "Ice Christmas Tree."

Delish.

knock knock...

Lately, Robert has been very into telling jokes. The jokes, themselves, are old hat to us, but the funniest part of all is listening to him butcher them:

The real Joke:
Why was 6 afraid of 7?
A: Because 7 ate 9 and 10.

Roberts version:
Why was six afraid of eight?
A: Because one and two and ten weren't there anymore.

The real Joke:
Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To get to the other side

Robert's Version:
Why did the chicken go across the park?
A: Because... to get to the other side. Hah Hah Hah. I'm funny.


I'm gonna miss it when he's not this cute anymore.

Pass the oatmeal, please.

Today, Alex stood at the pantry pointing to a box of oatmeal. He said "Pap-pe, Papp-pe."

Apparently, The Quaker man resembles Pape (my dad).

I think he's right.

Smarty Pants

Yesterday, at nap time Robert asked/told me 4 things in a row.

"Mommy, What time is it? I'm hungry. Can I have a drink? I'm tired." (pause. he had to stop and think "did I just say that?")

I stopped what I was doing (dusting the blinds - not that anyone ever notices) and said to him "I think you are bored. B-O-R-E-D."

He said, "No, I'm R-O-B-E-R-T." (emphasis on the B.)

I hope some day he wins a spelling bee so I can tell him this story again.

New Recipe Tuesday

Last night I made Dorito Chicken Casserole. It was the first recipe that appeared in my Google search at 4pm yesterday afternoon. It's a combination I have heard about for years and have always wanted to try. I had no ideas for dinner and happened to have some fresh chicken in the fridge, so I whipped it up.

The verdict: Not bad. Not terribly good either. Alex ate a decent amount. Ava picked at it. Bobby said it was 'a waste of his perfectly good doritos' and my thoughts were similar: a waste of perfectly good chicken.

On the positive side, it was pretty easy to make. If you like doritos, you can't miss their taste in this one. Of course, Bobby would much rather have them alongside his sandwich at lunch than in a casserole at dinner.
And that, my friends, is a perfect example of the kind of cook I am! (and probably why I hate to cook!)
THANK YOU to everyone who has sent me recipes to try. I trust that you have tried them so they must be reputable. I am anxious to plan for them! And you'll be reading about them - I promise!

new toys my kids have already broken/destroyed

Am I the only mom out there who loves when I toy breaks? It gives me a reason to get rid of it without feeling guilty! Here is a list of new toys my kids have broken/destroyed since Christmas:

silverware from kitchen set
toy cardboard 'food boxes' (they were destined for the trash before we even opened them!)
race track
needle from doctor kit
baby bottle

here's a picture of some of the said broken objects:

This blog post has been brought to you by...

I'm on a roll today... making up for lost time.

Two dumb things I have wanted to blog about:

/begin commercial #1/
Do you suffer from dry hands in the winter??? Every winter my hands (usually my right more than my left) get cracked and dry around my knuckles. It has gotten worse as I have gotten older. Since I can't stop washing dishes or changing diapers I have had to live with this condition.
I decided to try some of my face lotion, which is very mild, on my hands. Within days, my hands are back to normal - smooth and soft! I use Purpose lotion on my face (and now my hands) and I recommend you do too if you suffer from dry cracked hands in the winter.
/end commercial #1/

/begin commercial #2/
Do your kids hate the end piece on the loaf of bread? My kids (and my hubby) won't eat it. BUT I have discovered if I use if on a grilled cheese sandwich, crust side in, the kids can't tell the difference. And I feel great because I have saved those two pieces of bread from ending up in the trash!
/end commercial #2/

Thanks for reading, and have a super day! :)

new bathroom

For months, I have been telling Bobby that I wanted him to paint the half bath while he was home over the holidays. Well, the holidays came and went. And yesterday - the last day of his vacation, he decided he wanted to paint. I was planning something 'Terra cotta' or 'rust' colored. Bobby disagreed. So I let him chose the color. He spent a long time (more than 10 minutes!) matching the cabinet and counter with 'the perfect color' from a ton of paint chips (thanks, Soniya!) He finally chose a color called 'Cafe Mocha.' Sounds cozy, right?

So, I present to you, Cafe Mocha:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's Pink. PINK! We are in agreement that it's a nice color overall. It kind of reminds me of Grandma's house. It's livable. Not at all what we envisioned for the bathroom, but it will do until potty training takes it's toll and we'll need to repaint anyway.

We;; finish it off with crown moulding and some accessories next weekend. Can't say that I love it, but it will do. Anything is better that the embarrassingdirtygrossness that it was before!

resolutions

I posted on this very same topic on my skinnyblog, but here I decided to create a new resolution post. This one involves the family so I thought it more appropriate to post here.

This year, I will try 2 new recipes every month. I thought about trying 1 new recipe every week, but if you know me, you know I am not much of a cook. Bobby, on the other hand loves to cook, but is short on time. He isn't crazy about veggies or new foods, so this will be a huge challenge for me. Robert is a terrible eater (got that from Dad) but the twins eat anything and everything.
Right now, I cook the same 6 things: grilled chicken, chicken parm, tacos, meatloaf, pork chops, and turkey burgers. Occasionally Ill make a lasagna or a roast. Friday night is always pizza night. I can follow a recipe pretty well, but I'm just not too creative.

So, now I ask for a favor of you. Can you share your favorite recipes with me? Please?

Sassy Diva

At 22 months, Ava was finally in need of a haircut!

I took her today to Sweet and Sassy for her first ever hair cut. I already knew she wasn't going to cooperate. When I asked her if she wanted to go get a hair cut, her response was 'eh uh', as she shook her head 'no' emphatically. I'm convinced she had no idea when getting her hair cut entailed.

Walking into Sweet and Sassy was an experience. Think pink. Think girly. Think spoiled. The walls were decorated in 'all things frilly' - signs that read 'Spoiled (but not) Rotten', Frilly slippers, pink bathrobes, and hair bows and ribbons out the wazoo. Do people really buy this stuff for their daughters?
Off to the right were a few girls having pedicures. They must have been 7 or 8. While I was there a woman came in to book a party for her daughter's 10th birthday. Seriously? I digress...

Ava sat - reluctantly- on my lap while she had an inch cut off and some bangs created. She wore a cape that said "Sassy Diva." (very appropriate) When she was finished, the hairdresser sprayed glitter and some smelly stuff in her hair. I paid 15 bucks, left a tip and got the heck out of there.

Wordless Wednesday

Santa

Santa came to visit the neighborhood kids last weekend. Robert was so excited to see him - he gave him a big hug when he walked through the door!

ps is that not the best looking Santa? I found him at the grocery store in October. He was in the produce dept - NOT the bakery as some might think. He even smelled pretty nasty like a good Santa should!

Christmas Portraits from Hell

Just a glimpse of what our portrait session was like this year:



It was NOT fun. And for those of you who get cards from us, please know how embarrassed I am that I am sending such awful picture cards this year!
And the worst part of all: I actually purchased $150 of these god awful photos!

Christmas Spirit

This year, I am unable to hang garland from the staircase, stockings from the fireplace or put candles in the windows. I am also unable to display my Nativity.

No, we have not converted.

We have toddlers. 2 of them. and they have already decapitated a wise man, broke the ear of a sheep and yanked the candles off the window sills.

The Christmas Tree is quarantined in the Living Room. We can't see it. We can't enjoy it. It really doesn't look much like Christmas here at all.

Bah Humbug.

Oh Christmas Tree!

We bundled up he kids on Saturday and trekked into the wilderness (okay, not really) to find the perfect Christmas Tree. I love this tree. The size is perfect and it fits perfectly in the corner in the Living Room. And it smells so good, too!

Unlike last year's tree... it was HUGE and took up the entire Living room. (see below) The kids had a blast running around the forest (again, not really) and being freezing - runny, snotty noses and all.
After the tree cutting, we went out to eat. This was a first for us... Bobby and me, alone with all three kids in a restaurant (it was really a diner). It was great! The kids were so well behaved and ate so well. It helped that the diner was full of old people who were just enamored by the kids, not to mention the ladies who worked there. Bobby and I high-fived each other as we concluded our mission. And all three kids passed out on the way home.

Eye Candy

Alex is talking up a storm... this week he started with colors - Blue, Red, Green, Yellow and Purple. We are working on recognition since he thinks everything is 'Bwoo." He has also added "Thank you", "please", "excuse me", "Touchdown" (with arms up), "football" and "not nice" to his vocabulary.
His fascination with the toilet has returned. He feels it is his duty to flush every time anyone uses the potty. He is very pleased with himself when he does 'his job.' Perhaps this could lead to some easier potty training?
Alex loves the bread drawer and I have (more than once) gone to make lunch and found a slice with a bite taken from it. (Must start using twistie ties)



Ava has been gracing everyone with her kisses and hugs. She is obsessed with shoes and tries on whoever's shoes are left by the door. She can put on her own shoes as well. She puts her dishes in the sink when she is finished eating (and boy does she love to eat!) Ava also loves to draw and color. She is not as vocal as her brother, but she uses sign language more than he does.

Did you know....

You know the footsie sleepers that most kids wear to bed until they are about 3? The ones that zip from the foot all the way to the neck?

Well did you know that on boy's sleepers the zipper starts on the Left foot and on the girls it starts on the Right foot?

Betcha didn't know that... Another amazing discovery from a mom of boy/girl twins.

Something about Ava...

You've seen "Something About Mary"

Well, today, There's just Something About Ava, too...

A Lesson in Genetics

There are some things in a marriage that need to be overlooked. I've learned to pick and chose my battles.

That said, two things in particular frustrate me: when Bobby 'forgets' to put a trash bag in the kitchen trash can (which is every time he takes the trash out) and when he leaves an empty toilet paper roll hanging in the bathroom (which is often, and usually I am the one who gets 'stuck on the potty.)

This weekend, however, I discovered that these 'trademarks' are actually no fault of his own and I can no longer blame him for his ignorance. Read on...

Bobby's mother came on Saturday to watch the kids while we went to a friend's wedding. We were gone for most of the day and returned late at night.
Early Sunday morning, I went to throw something away. There was no bag in the trashcan. The bag of garbage that Bobby's mom had taken out was double bagged in the garage, so maybe that second bag was supposed to go in the can?
Later that day, I was summoned to the bathroom upstairs by Robert to help him (aka 'wipe his hiney'), and Alas, there hung the toilet paper roll - as empty as can be.

My apologies, dear husband. We all know I come down on you pretty hard too many times. But this time, we can place the blame on your own genetics. I can only hope this defect did not get inherited by our own children. And remind me to ask at Thanksgiving which side of the family Mom got this trait from. Something tells me it wasn't Grandmom.

(disclaimer: Mom, if you are reading this, it is really meant to be funny. Please don't be offended and know that we appreciate everything you do for us and for our kids. This was nothing but an observation turned good blog topic.)

Laundry rant

The following is a long overdue rant on laundry. If you are the type who really enjoys washing, drying and folding laundry (only to watch it pile up again before your eyes) you may not want to read any further.

Rant #1 My husband has a habit of taking off the clothes he wears and draping them over the hamper. I call this Laundry Purgatory. What is the deal? Is it clean or is it dirty? You left the belt on your pants, do you plan on wearing them again? Or are you just too lazy to put your clothes all the way into the hamper? Please let me know. I don't like smelling the armpits of your shirts and inspecting your pants for dirty spots.

Rant #2 WHY do you insist on taking off your clothes inside out? New rule: if it goes into the laundry pile inside out, you will get it back inside out. The same goes for the kids' clothing. I am always careful to make sure their clothes are right side out. (Hubby is not so good at this) I have spent too many hours turning clothes right side out again. That ship has sailed.

Rant #3 Is it just me or am I doing laundry more often as the kids get older? My kids (usually) only wear one outfit each day- unlike the infancy days when they'd dirty multiple outfits/bibs throughout a single day. My guess is that their clothes are getting bigger and so I am able to 'fill the washer' easier than before. Lord knows I am not washing bibs and blankets the way I used to, and that brings me to my next rant...

Rant #4 Socks and Onesies. Yes, they are back. You may remember my post from earlier this year about the evil socks and onesies. Well, we had a break over the summer. The kids hardly wore onesies OR socks throughout the summer, but now that fall is here, I have started to hate 'doing whites' again. Matching socks and folding onesies is tedious work, and I have already had to send Bobby to the laundry basket in search of clean undershirts - more than once.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

When Ava and Alex nap, I put their 'sleeptime music' on repeat. When they wake up, I tend to turn it off with my big toe since I usually have a child clinging to my hip. (The radio is close to the floor).
Yesterday, I told Alex to "turn off the music." He swung his foot up and turned it off with his chubby little Barney Rubble toes - just like Mommy!

Unfit Mother

Two weeks ago, Robert swallowed my wedding ring. It was my fault. I left it on the counter. He swallowed it, and I had to do the Heimlich on him until he threw it up. True Story.

Yesterday I looked into the family room and there was Alex, with a gallon sized plastic bag over his head. He must have thought it made a good hat (it was a perfect fit) and he was just ready to pull it over his nose. I got it away from him before he suffocated himself.
How he got a gallon size plastic bag, I don't even know.

This morning, A&A were playing in my room as I got dressed. They pulled out my 'little glass jars' - one filled with safety pins and one with buttons. Alex got them both open and even though I was right there, he still managed to swallow a button while I cleaned them up. He bit me pretty hard when I tried to fish it out of his mouth.
Today my MIL had to pry a fully wrapped hershey kiss from his mouth.

I never said my kids were good eaters.

Robert's Class Trip

Today, Robert's preschool class at Holy Family took a trip to Graver Farms. They rode on a tractor out into the pumpkin patch and picked their own pumpkins. Robert had a blast. He totally loves his friends from school and I learned that they love him back just as much.
It was quite interesting to see him 'in action' with his friends and just so cute when he realized his teachers were there too and he threw his arms around Mrs. Fulmer waist to give her hug. (Mrs. Fulmer is a twin mom too!) He even interacted with the "Farmer" as he explained how pumpkins grow.
I learned who Robert's best buddies are (TJ, Mikey and Matthew) and witnessed that Robert is a born leader and the kids just seem to want to be around him. It was really a neat experience and it makes me so proud to know how independent and social he can be- Such a dramatic change from the library incident this past summer!
I guess we are doing okay at this parent thing after all.

Who's your Daddy?

Alex (left) and Bobby (right) both at 19 months old.

Do you see a resemblance?

Little Minds

My kids are creative.

Ava has very few 'girl toys.' She improvises the best she can - she'll put a hair tie on her wrist and pretend it's a bracelet. She loves to make anything into a hat and she will carry around any thing she can that may resemble a purse.
But this... this may send me to the toy store much earlier than anticipated (we were waiting for Santa)Ava pushes her favorite doll around in this dump truck (backwards) pretending it's a stroller. How sad is that? We need to get her some girly toys asap.

This is Alex's new favorite toy of choice:

To him, it's a phone. He carries it around and repeatedly yells "Hawoah."
In real life... it's an old powder compact that he found in my bathroom.


Robert is very much into Time lately. He asks me many times a day "What time is it? What day is it? and How much longer? (To which I respond "until what?") Of course, it means nothing to him when I reply with the time and day, but it's interesting that he even cares.

How does your meat loaf?

When I was growing up, my mom made meatloaf into a, well, 'loaf.' She'd make it into the shape of a football and bake it in the same black roasting pan everytime. Her meatloaf was always good no matter how she made it. She'd sometimes put rice or stewed tomatoes in it, and she's always use canned tomato soup on top. My dad always enjoyed an 'end piece' and would rave to my mom that "This is the best meatloaf you've ever made" - every time.

As I grew older, I learned there were other recipes for meatloaf. I learned a recipe from a family for whom I used nanny. Theirs called for milk and dry onion soup mix - a recipe I adapted as my own.

When Bobby and I got together, he hated my meatloaf. He hates onion soup mix. He wanted his meatloaf dry and flavorless - just meat in a pan. A pan? Yes, a pan.

Bobby grew up eating meatloaf pressed into a flat pan and then cut into squares like brownies. This was odd to me. But I sometimes make it this way for him - for nostalgia's sake. No onion soup mix - just salt, pepper, bread crumb, Locatelli cheese, and egg and occasionally some ketchup or dry onion flakes. He seems to like it.

So, now when meatloaf comes up in conversation, I ask people "How do you make your meatloaf? In a 'loaf' or in a 'pan'?" The answer is almost always 'in a loaf'. See, I knew the pan thing was odd.
But it all tastes the same no matter how you shape it, I guess.

More tidbits

Alex says uh huh when you ask him a question. It's more like 'uh huh' (his voice goes up on the huh part) - not just uh huh. Hmm, you probably have to hear that one to get it, huh? It's very cute nonetheless.

Today I took the kids to the Halloween Store. Robert tried on a few hats. He said "Mommy, how do I look?" Before I had a chance to answer, he told me "I look very distinguished." I almost peed my pants. That darn Max and Ruby got him again! (I mean, I am guessing that's where he got it from anyway!)

Tonight Bobby and I were sitting on the couch. I leaned in to give him a kiss and Ava caught us. She ran over and climbed onto Bobby's lap. She pushed outr faces together and made a kissing sound. It really made us laugh, so of course she did it over and over. Too cute.

Sorry, wrong number...

When Bobby is away, I sometimes let Robert 'give him a call.' I supervise as he dials the digits to Bobby's cell phone - saying each number and watching him find and press each number with such precision. Then he gets to push "the green button" to turn the phone on and 'make the call.'

Tonight I watched him until the very end. Well, almost. I walked away as I announced the last digit - 7. I looked back and saw the he did in fact push the green button to connect the call and I reached over and pressed speaker phone. This is what I heard:

Man: "Hello?"
Robert: (very enthusiastically) Hi Daddy!
Man: Hi! How are you? (Me: hmm, that doesn't sound like Bobby.)
Robert: I miss you. When are you coming home?
Man: Who is this? (Me: its kind of sounds like our BIL Eddie. Bobby was out to dinner with him tonight - it must be Eddie)
Robert: It's me Daddy - Robert.
Man: Who? (Me: hmm, maybe we dialed the wrong number)
Robert: (proudly) Robert Trifiletti!
Silence.
Robert: Daddy? Why aren't you talking, Daddy? (me: okay we definitely dialed wrong)
Silence.

I took the phone and turned it off and looked back at the last number dialed. Sure enough, he had dialed a 4 instead of a 7.

Oops.

Trif Kids update

Alex says shoes, juice, cheese, fishy, upstairs, go, down and outside. He is always talking, but we never know what he is saying, He loves to turn off the television while Robert and Ava are watching. And he is always looking for trouble. My mom says he has 'mischievous eyes.'

Ava says Stop and cheese fishy among other things. She will point to her body parts if asked. She knows, hair, ears, eyes, mouth, teeth, tongue, and belly button. She uses anything she can find to use as a necklace, bracelet or purse. She is very maternal and loves her baby dolls. She is in desperate need of 'girly toys' but Santa will deliver this year, no doubt. She just started giving real kisses and there is a little boy in particular at the gym that she loves to kiss.

Both kids have a crazy appetite and will eat anything you give to them. Alex especially loves fruit of any kind. He will take whatever he is chewing out of his mouth when fruit is placed in front of him. Ava once ate a 4oz steak. Need I say more?

Robert knocked his front tooth loose a few weeks ago. He had compromised this same tooth last year and the dentist didn't seem concerned at that time. Now, it's very loose and discolored and I fear it won't 'hang around' much longer. We have an annual appointment with the dentist in a few weeks. She said she'll check it then, but if it falls out, there is not much that can be done.

Robert knows all of his upper case letters and most lower case, but he gets confused with b,p,q and d. He can spell his name with ease and is loving his new school already. He knows all of his colors and can count to 20. Is it too early to be counting on that Penn State scholarship?

Handsome Robert

About a month ago I taught Robert that "Boys are handsome" and "Girls are pretty." He caught on rather quickly.

Today over lunch, I explained that Grown up boys are called 'men' and Grown up girls are called 'women.'

After I explained, he said "Yes Mommy. And me and Alex are hamsters."

Where's that Lion Pride???

We are so proud of 'our' Nittany Lions here at the Trif house. The season has started off looking good so far and JoePa is still going.

During the excitement of this weekend's game, we chanted "We Are..."

Robert replied: "No, We Aren't!"

Take Two:

Me: "WE ARE..."
Robert: "No! We Didn't"

Guess this kid has a lot to learn in the next 15 years.

Ava said "TouchDown" and "Football" during the game. She'll be the one that only takes 4 years to graduate.

Alex didn't have to do much but look cute. He's gonna be a Penn State line backer some day!

House for sale

My mom and dad have put their house on the market. They have lived here for 30 years. It's the only 'home home' I have ever known.
My dad's health is not good and the house has become too much to upkeep. No one is happy about this decision. It's a very emotional time for us all. But we are all in agreement that it is going to be a hard experience whether done now or done 5 years from now.

I went to realtor.com last night and searched for the listing. When it popped up, my heart almost skipped a beat. My mom said she had the same feeling when she walked outside yesterday and saw the 'For Sale' sign on the front lawn.

I'm sad just typing this. I know they don't want to move. They love that house. It's filled with so many memories and so much love. I hope some day my kids will say the same about our home.

School Days

Robert is starting school on Tuesday. He will be attending the preschool program at our church on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. One of the neighbor's kids is in his class - it's so nice to see familiar faces.

This morning there was an open house - a chance for him to re-meet his teachers and get orientated. He seems very comfy there. We scoped out the cubby area and the coat hooks - He looked very carefully for his name, and was so excited when he saw it. We checked out the potty and played with the very popular train table. He didn't want to leave.

I am hoping this is a good decision. I was really happy with the school he attended last year and I was sad to pull him out. But the fact that this school is affiliated with our church is very important to us. We want the morals and values we are teaching at home to be reinforced at school.

Will post pics on Tuesday...

Robert and Mommy

2006

2008

Mommy in the same bathing suit... lol

Peach Pickin'

I took the kids to Strawberry Acres this morning to pick some peaches. In addition to our 10 lbs of beautiful peaches, we also picked up some fresh local squash, cantaloupe and eggplant.

We'll go back in a couple of weeks for raspberries and then in early October for apples and pumpkins. We love it there!

Wall Art

There's not a wall in our house that isn't a mess. I try not to leave crayons, pens or other writing utensils out for the kids to get, but the somehow find other items to display their creativity on my walls. They use colored blocks (a birthday gift from Aunt Julie - Thanks, Jule!) or chunky puzzle pieces. Yogurt works well, as does an ice pop wrapper or chocolate milk. We've got it all.
My kids are probably the most creative kids I know. And my house? Well, it's very well decorated, as you can see.

Stung

Robert had his first bee sting last weekend. He didn't cry, but boy did his hand swell up! (the sting was on his ring finger)


(and ever since, I haven't been able to get that good old silly summer camp song out of my head - sing along if you know it...)

B
B-E
B-E-E
Bee sting
Kumalata Kumalata Kumalata Bee sting
Oh no no no not the beesting
Eeny Meeney Esamene oh wa a wanna meene
Esamene Salamene oo wa oo wa
A be billy oaten goaten bo bo ba deetin dahtin....
Shhhhh

snagged

Ava managed to get past the gate at the bottom of the stairs, but the gate did its job and prevented her from making it upstairs anyway.

The Noise of Toys

Behind the walls of the home of any child rearing family lurk toys... toys that make noise.

Ah, but do your toys make noise when the house is still - when all little children are tucked snug in their beds?

Ours do.

I was awoken at 3am to "Come on Baseball Fans" in my kitchen. I stumbled down the steps and found the toy wedged under the kiddie table and turned it off. As a trudged back up the stairs Elmo called from the playroom "That tickles."
Too tired to think, I let it all go.

The next morning, I realized we have several toys speak when not spoken to.

How does this happen? Bad batteries? (maybe) Spilled milk? (probably) Or could Disney's Toy Story be more real that we ever thought?

Tonight, as I cleaned up the family room, The Fisher Price car said (in her happy, chirpy voice) "Let's go for a ride!"
I was almost ready to respond, but Elmo interrupted (yet again) "Phew, that was fun." Boy he has a lot to say!

Tomorrow he might take a vacation to the basement.

Tubes

Author's Note: Just to show how minor this surgery was... I typed this up the day of Alex's surgery (last Wednesday - 8/3) and I completely forgot to post it! oops!

Alex had his tube put in his ears this morning. We had to be at the hospital by 7:40 am. We spent a whole lot of time just waiting and he finally went into surgery just after 9am. He was such a joy to spend one on one time with. Of all my children, he is the mellow and relaxed one. I can put him down and he'll stand close to me. He won't run off and get into anything forbidden. He plays hand games and sings songs. He is such a love and I so enjoyed our time together.
By 9:40, we were in recovery and Alex was miserable. As the anesthesia wore off he was confused and grumpy. This lasted for about an hour. He finally had some juice and animal crackers and life slowly got back to normal.

The best part of all was Alex's roommate - his name was Kyle. Kyle's big brother Colby was in my infant class when I worked at Hildebrandt back before I was even married! It was so great to see his mom and dad and chat with them. Colby is going to be starting kindergarten this fall! Man, I feel old!

We were discharged around 11:30 and Alex slept soundly on the car ride home.

The most important thing, the doctor says, is keeping his ears dry. The tubes should fall out by themselves within a year and we're hoping for no more ear infections.

Thanks for your prayers!

smile for the camera

Robert just brought me his Fisher Price camera and told me "you need to fix this mommy, it's not cheesing."

He makes me laugh.

pizza

Tonight Ava said "Pizza." It reminded me of a story my sister loves to tell:

I was about 10 years old and we were at our beach house. My sister went out to pick up pizza for dinner. I sat outside on the curb and waited. Upon her return, I stood up and shouted "PIZZA! PIZZA! THE PIZZA IS HERE!"

I was 10 and chubby. What else was there in life, but pizza? (and twinkies)

I never thought the story was particularly funny, but she loves to tell it. And now that I probably weigh less than I did then, I guess I can spare an extra chuckle.

Ava also says "MOO" when you ask her what a cow says.... I am sure my brothers could think of a good "hefer" story from my past to go with that.

One person's trash...

...was not really trash at all!

Yesterday was trash day. When I went to bring my trashcan and recycling bins back up to the house, I noticed that one of my recycling bins was missing. I looked all around and checked with the neighbors - it was gone.

I just called the hauling company and explained the situation. They will replace the bin - up to a $15 value - I just have to send them a receipt. Nice. You know what that means, right? We're going to have one big recycling bin! The one they took was about $4.

This means YOU!

Last night Robert told Bobby he needed crayons and paper because he need to make a Keep Out sign. Bobby obliged and Robert quickly got to work.

When he finished he held it up proudly and said "This Means YOU, Daddy! Now I need some tape."
Bobby asked why and Robert replied that he needed to hang it up on his playroom door. Bobby helped him hang it (high enough that it was out of reach for A&A)

I think the sign actually worked! Bobby hasn't been in the playroom all day!

Note to self...

Don't go away for the weekend and leave the clothes dryer going and the dishwasher running.

Folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher is never fun on a Sunday night.

A typical gym trip

This exact scenario happened TWICE this week:
3-4 times/week, we go to our local YMCA - a typical weekday afternoon activity for us. I get to workout and get a break from the kids while they play in the babysitting room - they love it. As we leave, I make sure each child is clean and presentable before loading them in the mini van one by one. This usually entails changing diapers, putting hair in pigtails and using the potty - also wiping noses and mouths. Once the kids are all in safe I take a look around, grab my ipod and a bottle of water and we're off. Robert screams that he wants to watch a dvd enroute. We live 3 miles from the gym. I explain to him for the 500th time that we only watch movies in the car when we travel far away.
5 minutes later:
We arrive at the gym, and get a decent parking spot - hooray! (I prefer a close one so I don't have to drag three kids through traffic. When I am alone, I park far away - I am gym rat, but not a lazy one.) I take Ava from her car seat and unbuckle Robert, who sits behind her. They both climb out. Ava has ripped out both of her pigtails. ugh. I quickly replace them and tuck her securely on my hip. We go to the other side of the van to gather Alex. Alex has pulled his shoes off. I find one on the floor but the other is no where in sight. I search all around and finally give up. At this point Ava and Alex are wandering around the inside of mini-van and Robert is at my hip, but wanting very badly to jump into traffic - just to hear me scream his name. I grab a twin and hold hands with the other. Robert tags along on my back and asks repeatedly "Are you going to get sweaty?" Alex goes into the gym without shoes. Ava is fighting to pull her (very sloppily re-done) pigtails out again. I let her win. Robert's butt crack is showing - he hasn't quite learned to pull his pants up properly after using the potty.
We make it inside and are greeted by the people behind the desk who claim to "love my kids." (I used to work in child care - I know how that translates.) I joke that I know that as soon as they see me coming they must call down to the babysitting room to let them know the crazy lady with 3 kids is on her way down - brace yourselves ladies.
I sign them in, say my goodbyes and a Thank You in advance before escaping. I jump on the treadmill. It's my favorite 45 minutes of the day.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Alex's other shoe was waiting for us at home, on the floor of the garage.