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Evan has re-started soccer, and playing with a slightly older group of kids than he did in the fall. Since his birthday is right on the cutoff, we put him with the younger crowd (5-6) in the fall, but he seemed like he would be able to handle himself with the older kids (6-7) for the spring. It seems like a good move so far. Coach is great, parents are nice, and there's always a few kids that are...interesting.I was watching practice today and see one of the boys spitting on the ground. It looked like spitting from where I was standing, at least. Then one of the coaches yells to him "Cover one side of your nose and blow out the other!" Yeah, he was teaching the kid how to blow his nose without getting a tissue/napkin/etc. Now I don't have a problem with that, but still...wasn't prepared to see it on the soccer field from a kid that age. Can't wait to see what we learn at next week's practice :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/04/didnt-see-that-one-coming.html
I never thought asking people to STOP sending me things would be so difficult. And since it's almost Earth Day, it seemed like a good time to blog about it.We canceled our Sunday paper subscription. I don't need the temptation to buy stuff in the stores, and you can read all the articles online, so why bother? I called the paper over a month ago, and was told April 4 would be my last delivery. Two weeks later, I am STILL getting the paper.I had a sonogram done FIFTEEN MONTHS ago, and am still getting notices from the hospital about it. The kicker? They owe me money. $25. I have called them the past 3 times I received the "bill" to tell them to please stop sending me the notice and to just go ahead and keep the $25 because at this point they have spent more than that sending me these paper notices. Does everyone else get catalogs all at the same time? I swear we don't get any for a couple of months, and then I get 8 in the same week. This past round, I called all the companies and asked to be removed from their mailing list. The only one who kept me on the phone longer than necessary was LL Bean, but I assured them I would still come spend a small fortune when my next child needs a backpack, since they have such a great return policy when my kids destruct their indestructible products. Now it just remains to be seen if I keep getting catalogs from places that I buy something from MAYBE once a year (usually Christmas).
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/04/going-green-staying-green.html
We have an extremely chatty hygienist at our dentist's office...how does that happen? I mean, you're at the dentist with all sorts of torture devices being stuck in your mouth, and you have this (very nice) woman who is talking and talking and talking, and she keeps stopping what she's doing to either make a point, or because she expects me to respond. I've actually told her that I am in a hurry, but that seems to go over her head and she continues to tell me about how she swears she saw me at her gym the other day but she didn't want to come up to the person in the gym because what if it wasn't me and do I work out and where?Really? When I'm at the dentist, my goal is to pretend that I am somewhere else and to get out of the vinyl chair as quickly as humanly possible. It can be 6 degrees outside, and I will come out of the chair looking like I have just spent an hour in a sauna, that's how stressed out I get about going to the dentist. I've never had a 'bad' dentist experience, and our dentist is really awesome, but I don't like him enough to want to hang out in his office for hours at a time and get my teeth and gums poked at with a pointy thing.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/03/please-stop-talking-to-me.html
I'm tired of the 'Zoom Zoom', especially since the zoom-zoom Mazda has been replaced by the 'Swagger Wagon' Toyota. But seeing as how this is not a car blog, I don't think Swagger Wagon would be a good fit of a title. So hang in there, and I'll be back with something much more original in no time.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/02/name-change.html
Note: After 26 inches of snow and 4 days off of school, with the knowledge that 10-20 more inches and 2 more days (at least) are coming, we've started to get a little punchy. My humor may not actually be funny to anyone but me anymore.Anyway, some Evanisms that have made me smile and laugh in the past few days:1. He stands during the National Anthem. I would give Carrie Underwood some of the credit for getting him to drop his pizza and stand in awe, but he started standing with his hand over his heart when Queen Latifah sang 'America the Beautiful.' And while Queen Latifah did a better job singing than Carrie Underwood, I think Carrie wins in the looks department. Especially because of the shoes she wore while singing last night, according to my husband.2. While at the grocery store today, where we re-stocked for Snowmageddon Part 2 (or could we consider this a trilogy, starting in December?), Evan got hit on by a girl. I'm sure 'got hit on' is a grammatical train wreck, but I have no better way to say it. We were walking along, and these 2 girls walked past us...the one turns to her friend/sister and says "hey I know that boy from my school" and then says to Evan "hey dude!" My jaw about hit the floor, and he just giggled as we headed to the bread aisle (which looked like it had just been re-stocked)3. Evan decided he wanted to read to me tonight...his book of choice? "Defenders" which is about animals and how they defend themselves. Not exactly soothing bedtime stories, but you take what you can get. One of the pages was titled "Beat It" and before the thought could fully process in my head, he turns to me and says, "you know, like the Michael Jackson song." Ok, while I am a fan, and I realize his music was overplayed for a few weeks after he died, I would not have thought he would know who MJ is. Mystery solved, his friend Gavin has told him about Michael Jackson's music. Interesting to find out what first graders talk about on an average day....
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/02/all-about-evan.html
Eric & Evan, sitting on the plowed snow-------------------------------------------------------------Estimating we have about 'half an Eric' of snow-------------------------------------------------------------Evan, on top of the plowed snow...the bottom of the picture is ground level
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/02/snowpocalypse-2010.html
I feel eerily prepared for this weekend's snowstorm, which is strange. I keep thinking I should be stocking up on supplies for the weekend, but then realized I have everything. Ok, maybe we could use another gallon of milk, but we can always use another gallon of milk for the cereal monsters. When Emmett starts drinking milk, I think it will be cheaper to just buy a cow.Groceries--check. Although I'm going to have to re-evaluate the menu for this weekend, because I don't see my husband grilling steaks on Friday night if we get the snow we're supposed to get. But I can probably push that meal to Sunday, so not a big deal.Movies--check. I have been stockpiling 'new' movies from www.swapadvd.com and the kids have Little Big League, Free Willy, and Dennis the Mennace. Ethan and I have Hitch, and Liar Liar (which we have seen dozens of times, but are still good go-to movies for a snowy night in).Salt--un-check. We have very little ice melting sat to sprinkle, BUT our homeowners association found a plowing company that also shovels/salts our sidewalks for an extremely reasonable price, so I'm not too worried.Activities--check. Evan and Eric recently discovered the joy of building forts out of furniture/blankets, which provides HOURS of entertainment. It's awesome. Evan was home with me yesterday because of the snow and he spent most of the day snuggled in his fort drawing and playing video games. The rest of it he spent putting stickers on a huge piece of paper, which is also a quality time-waster. We also got a bunch of games for Christmas, and there's a few that haven't been played yet.What are your snowy weekend plans?
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/02/bring-on-snow.html
Me: Eric, what's your phone number?Eric: Mommy! I don't have a phone!------------------------------------Me: Eric, what's your address?Eric: I don't wear a dress-------------------------------------Me: Say 'Vienna, Virginia'Eric: something unintelligibleMe: ViennaEric: ViennaMe: VirginiaEric: VirginiaMe: Vienna, VirginiaEric: That's what I said!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/02/lets-hope-he-never-gets-lost.html
I walked past Eric in the bathroom earlier tonight and he was--ahem--'shaking.' He sees me walk past and says:"Look Mommy, I'm shaking over the potty! Dancin' and shakin' and movin/ to the music!"To be fair, I was the one who taught him what I thought were the lyrics to "Play That Funky Music" but I am now finding out the actual lyrics are:"dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'"In any case, it's a good story to have when he starts datin' :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/in-case-i-need-good-blackmail-story.html
When picking Eric up from pre-school today, one of the teachers needed to talk to me. I actually had the idea they wanted to talk to me because of how wonderful Eric has been doing lately.Wrong.Today, my sweet, mellow, mild-mannered (post ear tube) little boy decided to regress. BIG TIME. He hit--not one, not two, but THREE--of his 'friends' today. And the first one he hit in the face with a (toy) train track. Luckily the victim was okay and didn't require stitches or anything. The other two hits were minus any toys.So, on the way home, Eric and I are talking (I"m curious if he will tell me about what happened). I ask him about his day and what he did and his friends, and he answers everything all happy cheery with no mention of turning pre-school into a cage match. I ask him about hitting his friends and he admits to it. When I asked him why:"Because that's what Eric's do"Seriously, how can I rationalize with a three year old when he starts talking about himself in the third person? Let's just hope today was a one-time deal.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/wwf-goes-to-pre-school.html
The icemaker on the refrigerator seemed to be jammed this weekend. After waiting a full minute, and listening to the ice build up in the door, a Happy Meal toy came flying out of the ice dispenser, followed by about a gallon of ice cubes.I took Evan and Eric for haircuts...on the drive home, I thanked them for being so good and patient. Eric replied "Oh sure Mommy, not a problem."There was more, but I've already forgotten...this is why I need to blog!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/atypical-but-not-surprising.html
Eric got ear tubes a few weeks ago (I find myself wanting to say he had ear tubes installed, but that just doesn't sound right), after suffering through 7 ear infections in as many months, or some miserable number. The doctors assured us it would be a good thing. Friends told us the surgery was a walk in the park and he would be back to his normal self by the time he got home from the surgery.They lied to us. They were all WRONG.The surgery was a great thing. Eric is a completely different person. The ear tubes propelled him from being a grumpy toddler into a happy, social little boy who talks so much I think he might be talking more than Evan. He greets me in the morning with a hug and a "good morning Mommy" and constantly comes up to me wanting a hug and kiss, and to tell me that he loves me. He asks questions (lots and lots and LOTS of questions) and tells stories and puts on "shows" for his family and his classmates using puppets and stuffed animals.In a word? He is CUTE! Ok, he was always cute, but now he is a happy cute. See for yourself:
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/eric-20.html
Evan goes to before and after school care at his elementary school...the kids are all different ages, and we've noticed some differences (for better and worse) in behavior because of this. It is what it is, he isn't going to be an angelic 5 year old forever, right?I dropped him off yesterday morning and walked him in like I normally do. He ran towards the coat area, and very briefly paused to look back at me before putting his coat away and giving me a wave. Something was off, but he seemed okay, so off to work I went.This morning, while I was pouring cereal, Evan gave me a big hug and whispered "Bye Mom" in my ear, even though I was going to be taking him to school in a few minutes. Then it hit me--maybe he doesn't want to hug me in front of all the older kids?Seems like just yesterday I couldn't get out of the door without the requisite high five/pound/bonk combo. :-(
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-do-they-have-to-grow-up.html
So after a whopping 42 blog entries is all of 2009, here we are again. It's the time of year where we vow to start over, do things better, try something new, etc. And who am I to think that I am above that? So here we go...the blog-worthy resolutions for 2010:Eat better. While I am doing very well post-Emmett, the past month or so our family has been eating like crap, and since I do almost all of the shopping and a lot of the food prep, I can change this. The meals for January have been planned out, and we had an all-family trip to the grocery store today, so I'm off to a good start (I hope).Blog more. I don't do scrapbooks or memory books, so I really need to blog so that when I'm old and senile I will remember all the memorable things that currently fill my brain. Like when Emmett got his first tooth during the 'Winter Wallop' of 2009, and his 2nd tooth just 10 days later. And even the fact that we had such a thing as a 'Winter Wallop' that dumped roughly 20 inches of snow into our neighborhood and canceled school for the entire week before Christmas.Take more pictures, and be happy with them. Don't snap the shutter just to hurry up and get another picture, but enjoy and savor the moment. Thanks to the inspiration of these nice folks, I am starting my own 'Photography Project365' this year...if you're interested in keeping up (and hassling me if I fall behind--which I have no doubt that I will), then check out my Absolutely No Smiling blog. And remind me to tell you why I decided to call it that!So there you have it...the resolutions I'm willing to share to the few devoted friends and family members that are brushing away the cobwebs to see that I still have a blog. Thank you for being here :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-new-year-new-decade-and-maybe.html
Eric and I went to the pumpkin farm with his preschool last week. He really was a Sugar Pie Honey Bunch :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkins-pigs-and-slides-oh-my.html
I have no idea how long I will keep this up, but since I happen to have some blogging time on Emmett's 3 month birthday...here we go.Weight: about 18 pounds, so he seems to be slowing down a little bit. Finally. The kid is wearing 9-12 month clothes and has started rice cereal, so I was getting a little worried about how long this gorwth spurt was going to last.Sleeping: about 9 hours at night, and not so great with the naps during the day. I am starting to see a little bit of a pattern though, so we'll work on it.Personality: he's such a little dude :-) If I prop him up on my lap, he sings and coos and makes all sorts of cute noises and gives these huge grins. His eyes are a gorgeous shade of blue with the longest eyelashes I've ever seen--combine those with a drooly, bubble-blowing smile, and I'm a sucker for whatever he's selling.Unexpected things worth mentioning: He LOVES the jumper/exersaucer/whatever you want to call it. I stick a pillow behind his head just to help keep his head straight, but the kid will sit in there kicking and dancing, and just as happy as can be. He is a strong little guy, and I can tell I'm going to be in trouble in another couple of months!!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/10/three-months-right-on-time.html
As Evan and I were driving home from school the other day, he was telling me about a new friend he made in the cafeteria. It seems a boy named Cyrus was making faces at a girl named Regan, and Regan kept putting her lunch box in front of her face so Cyrus wouldn't look at her. And Evan kept pushing her lunch box down so Cyrus could look at her.It won't be long until they break out into song on the playground...sometimes it's good to be a mother of all boys!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/10/you-can-be-my-wingman-anytime.html
The bedtime battles have returned. We are back to the nights of running up and down the steps every 10 minutes, bribing, threatening...one night I actually left the kids with nothing but the fitted sheet on their beds. No pillows, blankets, or stuffed animals. After some discussion, Evan and I identified two key rules, wrote them on a piece of paper, and hung them in their room:Be quietStay in bedEvery night, I remind Evan of the rules, usually by asking "what are the rules?" Tonight when I asked him, he started to go into a long rambling spiel about how it's hard to remember and maybe if I moved the nightlight closer to the sign he would remember them. I asked him who the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles was and--without taking a breath--he rattled off all THREE quarterbacks (McNabb, Garcia, and Vick).When you have knowledge like that, how can you possibly have room in your brain to remember how to go to sleep at night?
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/10/priorities.html
Since the one month update was so much fun, why not do it again?Emmett:Weight: 16 pounds, 11 ounces. The pediatrician believes I am producing Haagen Dazs.Sleeping: 8 hours at night pretty consistently (woo hoo!). Still not really getting into a daytime nap schedule, but seeing as how he sleeps 8 hours at night, and then goes back to sleep for 2-3 more hours? I don't really care!!Personality: Not quite as squeaky and grunty, but still a noisy little dude. Loves to be held, but also enjoys hanging out in his swing/chair. He is also handing out the smiles like candy, except when I have the camera out. The he just looks at me with this crooked frown.Unexpected things worth mentioning: He has amazing neck strength and head control...the doctor made a point to mention that because babies with big heads tend to not be very good at picking up their heads, and Emmett does it like a rock star. You go boy!Jessica:Weight: minus 35 pounds. But before you start calling me mean names, I do have the pouch and I'm going to need to do more than laundry to get rid of it. I liked it better after Evan was born when the pouch went away by itself...Sleeping: Slightly less than what Emmett sleeps at night, which is my own fault. I really need to learn to go to sleep when he goes to sleep!!Personality: Apparently I'm pretty calm and laid back. A friend called this morning to tell me her son has what they are 95% sure is the swine flu and she said the reason she wasn't totally freaked out about it is because I was so relaxed about the topic when we had lunch a few weeks ago. Silly, but that made me feel pretty good!Unexpected things worth mentioning: I produce Haagan Dazs. No, I do not give out free samples.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-months-still-little-late.html
Evan has mastered the art of buying lunch at school, but like most activities in his life, he has to find a way to be anal about it. I can call him anal, because he's my kid, not to mention the fact that he probably gets this 'bad habit' from me. I don't think it's a bad habit, but I'm sure it drives his father nuts ;-)He also rambles a lot, but that could just as easily be blamed on Ethan's genetics.Anyway!Evan came home the other day and told me he got a cookie with his lunch, which is an 'extra.' No big deal, I know he eats pretty well, so if he wants to get a cookie with lunch, have at it. He then tells me that, since he got a cookie, he did not get chocolate milk because "that would just be too much chocolate."Thankfully, Ethan restrained himself from telling Evan there's no such thing as too much chocolate.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-work-here-is-done.html
Emmett is a month old! I didn't miss the milestone, I just have not had a chance to blog since then :-) So, a month later, here's how things are going...Emmett:Weight: approximately 14 pounds (holy crap, what is this kid eating??)Sleeping: 6 hours one blessed night. Average is a singe 4-hour stretch, and 2 hours the rest of the time. But we are making progress on a lengthy (2 hour) afternoon nap!Personality: Wants to be held constantly, and loves to look at the ceiling (??). Still extremely squeaky and grunty, to the point that I occasionally call him Wilbur.Unexpected things worth mentioning: He outgrew the newborn diapers when he was 6 days old. And then the size 1 diapers & 3 month outfits at 3 weeks. Moved out of the bassinet (due to excessive squeaking/grunting) at just under a month.Jessica:Weight: minus 27 pounds. And constantly hungry/thirsty.Sleeping: Slightly less than what Emmett sleeps, and no more naps during the day. I'm just not a good daytime sleeper :-(Personality: Delightful as always (just ask my husband)!! Except when Emmett goes on his three hour feeding frenzy from 8-11 PM...Unexpected things worth mentioning: hmmm...nothing too exciting. I've gotten used to the 'routine' a little more than I expected and am making a slight dent in my random "to do" list...I am giving my closet a makeover, packed up a few bags of maternity/baby clothes to give away, nothing too exciting ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/08/one-month-three-days-late.html
I have something to confess. Don't judge me.We are not a very 'green' family. We don't recycle (at all) and do plenty of other wasteful things. I'm trying to get better about it though.We have cut WAY down on our paper towel usage since switching to microfiber cloths. I think we used to go through a roll of paper towels in about two weeks...we're on our third roll since buying these things in February. That's a saving of ELEVEN rolls!! Now if only I could get my husband to quit using tissues and napkins to wipe up spills...I got a recycling bin from our trash company. I'll give you a second to pick yourself up off the floor, for those of you that have come over and put your empties on the counter next to our trash can, only to have me come behind you and throw it into the trash can. Yes folks, I am going to attempt to remember to fill that bin and put it out by the curb once a week and do a little good!!I have started taking batteries and dead electronics to Best Buy for recycling. The guy at the front door gave me a hard time about it, but the nice customer service lady took my dead hair dryer and worn out electric razor and promised they would in fact be recycled, so at least I know I tried.I'd like to make the switch to cloth napkins as well, but am having trouble finding napkins that 1) are not the size of a kid's blanket and 2) do not cost a small fortune. Fabkins are really cute, but $20 for a set of 4? It ALMOST inspires me to make them myself! Almost.So why write a boring blog post on how un-green I am? Because now, when I look at my blog, maybe I will remember to be a little more green. And take the recycling out on Sunday night because the truck comes at like 5 AM on Monday :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/08/its-not-easy-being-green.html
To be honest, I didn't have 'twenty' as part of the title when I started this post, but when I realized I could actually come up with 20 things we say at the dinner table on a regular basis, I had to add it. So here it is:Sit upPut your cup where it belongsUse your napkinUse your fork/spoonDo not wipe your hands on your shirtDo not wipe your face on your shirtGet your hands off of your feetGet your legs out of your shirtStop kicking the tableHead above the tableFingers out of your mouthElbows off the tablePay attention to what you're doingTake smaller bitesStop picking at the bread and take a biteChew with your lips closedDon't talk with food in your mouthPut your arms downNoEat!I'm wondering if I can turn this into some kind of game to get the kids to break some of these habits? Do other people have these issues? Honestly, we're thinking of leaving them at 'Parents Night Out' at daycare this weekend to be able to eat a meal with OUT saying any of these things!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/08/twenty-things-i-am-tired-of-saying-at.html
For the first time in a long time, I realized summer is coming to an end. I guess it's because, since college, there really hasn't been any milestone that separates summer 'vacation' from the rest of the year. Even last year, when we moved Evan to a new school, it just kind of floated along (or I blocked out the trauma of taking my oldest to his first day of kindergarten).This summer was pretty easy, as far as they go. Evan and Eric were co-located, so we didn't have to drop-off and pick-up multiple kids in multiple places. Evan's camp offered swim lessons, so no running around in the evenings/weekends. We didn't really take any vacations, because who wants to spend more time than they have to cooped up in a car with a pregnant lady who constantly needs to go to the bathroom?? So it was a lazy summer, spent by the local pool and in the backyard playing 'ghost ball' (variation of baseball that only requires 2 people).But the school year is creeping closer...3 weeks from today, in fact. Evan will be a first grader at a new school, both kids will start Sunday school at our church (although Evan goes on Saturdays--how weird is that?), soccer starts, and we're going to attempt to keep the swim lessons going as well, although it will only be once a week during soccer season. Luckily, I don't go back to work quite yet, and when I do it will only be a part-time gig until January.So enjoy these last few weeks of summer until the chaos begins!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/08/summer-days-driftin-away.html
Evan & Eric,Not to leave you guys out, but you were both born on the day you were 'supposed' to be. Probably the only time Eric has done something on someone else's schedule ;-). I went to the hospital the night before, the next morning my water was broken, drugs/epidural were given...yada yada yada...you were born. So simple, no additional stress, no frantic phone calls. Bags were packed, cameras/phones were charged, cars were where they were supposed to be. It was nice.Love, MomEmmett,You were determined to do things a little different, and you succeeded. After the doctor's office messed up your original induce date, you decided the newly scheduled date wasn't going to work for you either. July 29th was NOT going to be your birthday, dammit! I went to the doctor the morning of the 27th for the usual weigh-in and belly measurement, and over the 2 hours spent listening to women talk about their high-risk pregnancies, 44-hour labors, epidurals not working properly, hospitals not having private rooms, I'm guessing you decided "enough of this crap, I'm getting out of here!" and so labor began. The nurse in the doctor's office said it was the first time she saw someone start labor in the office, which I find pretty impressive. So away we went to the hospital, where I did NOT tell your dad that the contractions were still coming, because there's a chance he would have run that last red light and your delivery would have been a six o'clock news story.Once we got to the hospital and the superstar anasthesiologist made all my pain stop? You decided to take a rest as well, and make us think today was NOT going to be the day you were going to be born. So then the doctor came, water was broken, drugs were given, he said it would be a done deal by 9 PM. And 9 PM came and went (if they had done a sonogram, I bet it would have shown a particular finger pointed in the air). At 11 PM, your dad actually went home to get some clean clothes and the cell phone chargers--again, since you decided to do this on your own schedule, we were not as well-prepared as we could have been. Bags were packed, but sitting at home...and my car with all the carseats was conveniently located at the doctor's office.Finally, a few minutes into July 28th, you decided you were ready. You're certainly handsome enough to be a Monday's Child, but we'll have to wait a little bit to find out why you insisted on being born on a Tuesday instead. The nurse had us do a 'practice push' while the doctor was getting ready, and then yelled at me to stop pushing because apparently you were REALLY ready to come out. Yada yada yada, push push push, and out you came. All EIGHT POUNDS AND FOURTEEN OUNCES of you. Seriously kid, I have my work cut out for me, don't I?Good thing you're cute.Love, Mom
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-before-you-were-born.html
Evan graduates from kindergarten this week...factor in some pregnancy hormones and I'm thinking my husband is not going to want to stand anywhere near me during their little ceremony.The past couple of weeks have been a chaotic mess of spirit days, field day, field trips, and all of the above events being re-arranged because of the weather. And we still need to get through the picnic and graduation.Today was the spring musical. I was unable to attend, but my hubby did his thing and spent most of the morning at school, and hand-delivered the video camera minutes after it was all over, making him the BEST HUSBAND EVER (until I came home and saw what he did to the laundry, but that's a story for another day). And if you remember the Christmas show, Evan continued his role as the star performer (and I'm really not even exaggerating, see for yourself):
Enjoy!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/06/let-festivities-begin.html
I swear my kids can have a growth spurt overnight, or even while they spend the day away from me. Eric was looking much taller the other day when I picked him up, and his shorts seemed a lot looser (more loose?), so I swear he grew a couple of inches at daycare.Today we went shoe shopping (I should pick a brand of shoes and buy stock in it the way Evan & Eric wear through sneakers), and I was having trouble finding a pair to fit Eric. His last pair was a 6.5, so I thought a 7-7.5 would be the next logical shoe size. I finally took him to the measuring thingy and his big toe was almost touching the 9. We ended up with an 8.5, but seriously--I bought him last pair of shoes three months ago!! Two sizes in three months!! Craziness!!And yes, I prefer to think my child has feet that magically grew 2 sizes over the past week instead of obsessing about how long he has been running around in too small shoes and maybe that's why he's been such a grump. Also because he has eaten more food in the past 48 hours than the entire week before that ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-do-they-do-that.html
Evan is a reading machine...it's great and mind-numbing all at the same time. Great, because he can read signs and stories and even enjoys reading to his little brother. Mind-numbing because he reads the same things OVER and OVER. Like the sign on the door to his school that say "Olivia V., principal of the day, has declared June 1st to be Crazy Hair Day." Or the "Going out of business. 60% off" sign on the furniture store we pass every morning. I could go on, but I won't.And if you're thinking "sure he can read, he's probably 'reading' the same picture books he's been looking at for 5 years now and just recognizing letters on the signs" then ha!Last night Evan came up to me and simply said "best sex ever" before heading to the bathroom to take a bath. Somewhat horrified, I then realized this was printed on the cover of the Cosmopolitan magazine I happened to be reading.I canceled my subscription a few months ago, but stuck the unread issues on a shelf in my closet, just to be safe.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/05/proof-that-my-kid-can-read.html
I feel like I could be my own series of 'Yo Mama' jokes with a pregnancy twist...how pregnant am I? I'm so pregnant...I worry about mowing down a 3yo when I pick up Eric from daycare because I can't see the kids under my stomachIf I need to make a u-turn with a shopping cart in the store, I have to go all the way to the end of the aisle to turn aroundRandom strangers offer to load my groceries into my car, even though the heaviest thing I buy is a 12-pack of soda. I'm pretty sure they're going to start thinking I have a pillow stuffed under my clothes, since I'll be this way for another couple of monthsI can no longer wear pants...unless they're overalls. Yes, I wear overalls. And dresses. But only because I'm pregnant.By the time I finish washing my hands after using the bathroom, I could go again (and sometimes do)I get excited when Evan is on the playground at pickup time, because then I don't have to put my shoes back onPregnancy events to look forward to...taking the elevator to my 2nd floor office and breaking out the laptop bag on wheels!!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/05/pregnancy-humor-which-may-only-be-funny.html
I'm not even going into my lack of blogging. It is what it is.I had a wonderful Mother's Day today though. Evan and I went to the Orioles/Yankees game in Baltimore and had an absolute blast. Ethan and Eric stayed home, because the little man just would not have had the patience to spend all day watching a baseball game, but he'll get there. So while I'm a little bummed I didn't get to spend Mother's Day with all of my boys, I'll get over it as I remember the awesomeness that was the baseball game.This? Is the view of first base from our seats. FROM OUR SEATS PEOPLE!!! I didn't even have to stand up to take this picture, and it was from my little point-and-shoot camera that does NOT have a super-duper zoom lens on it.Evan's favorite, #21, Nick MarkakisDid I mention we took these picturesFROM OUR SEATS?!?!An autograph from Dave Trembley...we didn't even have to leave our seatsEvan and The Bird(Momma Bird was also there, which was kind of funny)Seriously, it was an awesome day, and I realize the non-baseball/Orioles fans will not appreciate it half as much as I did, but that's okay. We saw foul balls whiz past us, heard the clap of the ball when it hit the first baseman's glove, saw all the action that takes place in a run-down (too bad we got out because of it), and experienced baseball up close and personal. Hopefully I can live with going back to the 'cheap seats' after a day like today :-)And, not to be left out, my goofball at home :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/05/oh-happy-day.html
Why must parenting be so hard??Eric made some excellent strides in potty training today. No accidents, and he actually went to the bathroom as opposed to just holding it in all day and then going when he finally gets a diaper on at nap/bedtime. AND he went on the potty at home which is a flipping miracle. Life is good, right?Sadly, we are going to have to go back to having the boys in separate rooms for a while. Despite the '21 days to form a habit' theory, no good habit is being formed and it's been waaaay more than 21 days. The only way to get Evan and Eric to go to sleep in the same room at a decent hour without injury is for Ethan or I to sit in the room until they both fall asleep. And we have better ways to spend ~10 hours a week. So unless someone has a brilliant plan, Eric will go back to the 'baby' room tomorrow night, which is sad and pitiful because we already put the toddler bed away and essentially he'll be sleeping on a tiny little crib mattress while there's a nice big-boy bed in the next room over. But the boys need their sleep and us parents need our sanity.And can I express my disappointment in the internet and its lack of help in the room-sharing crisis? I know Eric is the 'spirited' child, but I can't be the first person to put a feisty 3 yo in a bedroom with his 5 yo brother, can I? But if you google things like "sharing room" all you get is people putting an infant and a toddler together, or people wondering if it's wrong to have a boy and a girl share a room. Internet, how can you let me down in my time of crisis??
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/04/2-steps-forward-2-steps-back.html
I was taking Evan to school this morning, which requires a u-turn on a relatively busy road. We had to wait a few minutes for the cars to break and let us through, which is always a pain because clearly it would kill people to wait the 8 seconds it takes for me to make a u-turn when the only thing they accomplish by NOT letting me go is to get to a red light faster, but I digress. Where was I? So the cars finally stopped, but only because there was no road left between the intersection and the red light, and we made our turn. As we go past, Evan says:"THANK you cars for NOT stopping to let us go through." And then tells me "Mom, I'm not really thanking them, because they weren't being very nice to us. Like last night, when a car was beep-beep-beeping and I said 'THANK you car for making that NICE beeping noise.'"I have no idea where he could have learned sarcasm at the ripe old age of 5 1/2. Because, CLEARLY I would never make comments like that ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-have-no-idea-where-he-learned-this.html
I'm so far behind, I'm not sure I can get away with just catching up, but you gotta start somewhere.Our house survived a near disaster about a month ago when a pipe burst in our neighbor's basement and flooded into our basement. It was right before St. Patty's Day, so I figure we must have found a leprechaun somewhere and the fact that we have a hole in a storage closet, a beautifully cleaned carpet, and didn't pay a dime out of pocket must have been the pot of gold reward.Baby #3 is healthy and well, and also a boy. Evan spent the next couple of days asking if maybe it will turn into a baby sister, but it's amazing how a couple of McDonalds happy meals can make him think that another little brother isn't such a bad thing.Eric turned 3 a few weeks ago. I'm a horribly bad mother and have no pictures to mark the day, but technically his birthday party isn't until this weekend, so I'll make up for it then. We had high hopes that turning three would magically rid him of the terrible two's, but I think I would have had better luck wishing for Santa Clause to slide down our chimney with a sleigh full of presents. But he has been sick for most of his 3yo life (more on that later), so we're trying to cut him some slack.We took a brief vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, which was a blast for kids and grown-ups alike. Eric went down the little water slide at least a hundred times, and based on the grin on his face and the light in his eyes, every time was like the first time. Evan was tall enough to enjoy most of the rides in the waterpark (with dad's help), and there were plenty of 'dry' activites to keep everyone happy. I'm not sure if Ethan's favorite part was the fact that you could drink beer while in the waterpark or the Starbucks/ice cream shop located in the hotel. It was a great trip.And now I'm sick. Eric got sick right before we left Great Wolf, but seeing as how he could get sick in a bubble, I can't really blame it on the waterpark. Add spring allergies into the mix and most of the house is pretty miserable. So today I am relegated to my bed with crappy daytime TV and the hope that sleep and Tylenol will make all my troubles go away.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/04/ketchupagain.html
I took a class not to long ago and they said it takes 21 days to establish a habit. Clearly this rule does not apply to children under the age of 6 (maybe older, but I have no proof of that). Every day before nap/bed time, I remind Evan and Eric to STAY IN BED and BE QUIET and GO TO SLEEP. Seems easy enough, right? They always agree with me and sometimes even say the words before I do. I'm pretty sure they understand.Yet, no sooner do I put my foot on the first step to go downstairs, I hear a squeal or the thump of someone's feet (I hope) hitting the floor. So four seconds after leaving the room, all 3 'rules' have been broken. Then Ethan and I have to trade off going in and reminding them that they are supposed to be in bed, quiet, and sleeping. It's not fun. There must be a better way.Here are my ideas so far--any takers?Some sort of watch/anklet that reminds them to "be quiet!" as soon as they start talking/squealing. An invisible fence that reminds them to "get back in bed!" as soon as they try to climb down.One of those posters/paintings of me with my 'evil Jessica' face (as Ethan calls it) that looks like it's always watching you.And I realize #1 and #2 sound dangerously similar to what you would do to a dog, but nowhere in there did I suggest an electric shock. I'm just saying, in case you were thinking it ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/03/parenting-solutions.html
Ethan and I are no good when it comes to completing household projects as a couple. I think he will disagree with this, in which case I hope he comments his rationale for disagreeing so the readers can enjoy. When it comes to things like, oh say, assembling furniture or hanging pictures/blinds, it's generally not a pleasant experience. I believe it has something to do with the fact that one of us in a control freak and one of us is stubborn. And one of us is Ethan ;-)We purchased the boys new 'captain' beds which have huge drawers underneath to help offset the fact we are cramming 2 people's things into what used to be 1 person's room. I'll spare you the lengthy details of every argument discussion that took place, but essentially there were problems because I:Read directionsDo not buy the most expensive item that can be boughtThat about covers itIn the end, the beds are assembled, Ethan is still speaking to me, and the boys are very excited about the new furniture and quilts. So I'd say a few arguments discussions are worth it ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-assembly-required.html
In case you're some random stranger who has stumbled upon this blog, or lurks behind the scenes and knows nothing about me unless I post it, here's an update. I'm pregnant. Almost 4 months along now. Now the rest of this will make sense.To be quite honest, the thought of having a girl freaks me out a little bit. Not in a way that will impact me in the slightest bit once she snuggles in my arms for the first time, but in theory? Freaks me out. I have 2 boys (3 if you count the hubster). I know what to do with boys, as much as you can know what to do with them. And, best of all, there are always things that I can say "you really need to go ask Daddy about that." With a girl, I don't think there are a lot of topics that Dad is going to have the infinite wisdom about. Besides, I am a girl (news flash!!), and I know what it's like to live with me and deal with my moods and episodes and good grief could I really live with another one of me? I spent many years living with my mother, who is probably as close to being me as a person will ever get and while my mother is a lovely woman who I will always love...it's probably a good thing that there are over 600 miles between us on an average day.And what if I have a princess?? Or a screecher? Oh good grief, I need to get away from all the 'what ifs'I had a revelation the other night that maybe a girl wouldn't be so bad. That there are the up sides to having a girl. Besides the kind of cute clothes (with minimal if any pink/lacy ruffles) and hair that doesn't need to be shorn like a sheep every couple of weeks. Are you ready?The gas.Evan and Eric are making great strides on sharing a room and oh dear God the smell in that room when I check on them at night is enough to bring back my morning sickness. Seriously, what are these kids eating??And yes, I realize girls have gas and it doesn't smell like roses, but keep that to yourself and give me optimistic moment that I could survive having a girl and there might even be some perks ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/maybe-it-would-be-okay.html
Eric and I went to a birthday party for one of his classmates yesterday. It was a better time than expected...I've become leery about parties at people's houses. But they had cleared out a room for the kids to play in, had a pirate/princess show that was a big hit, and pizza was on time with plenty for parents to enjoy. All in all, it was a successful party.The birthday boy had a cold. As in, big ugly green goo hanging out of his nose that his parents did not seem to notice. Or maybe I'm the only one who noticed it because I am anal-retentive about things like that with my kids and cannot stand to see stuff hanging out of their nose even if they are sleeping peacefully. Some of you are rolling your eyes thinking "get over it woman" and others are saying "Amen, sister...I don't want to see that stuff either." Whatever, it bothers me. After pizza, his dad finally decided to clean his face and thankfully he looked normal again.We move back to the table to sing happy birthday to the birthday BOY as a cake is brought out with PINK icing. But that's not the weird part. As we finish singing and wait for the kid to blow out the candles, he holds out his finger and cheerily announces "I have a big booger!"I hope they submit that video and win some money. And buy the kid a lifetime supply of Kleenex and anti-bacterial hand wash.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/classic.html
I've learned a valuable lesson in parenting today...the power of chocolate.The boys have been sharing a room since Friday night, and it's going 'okay' at best. And by okay, I mean they have been falling asleep (at least) 2 hours later than normal and waking up at the same time every morning. They're exhausted. Ethan and I are exhausted from repeatedly going in the room to tell them to stop talking/playing.At dinner tonight, I told Evan I was going to come into the room at 9:00 tonight and, if he was asleep, I would let him have a piece of chocolate at breakfast tomorrow. I'm desperate. Last night it took until 10 PM for them both to fall asleep and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep about 3 minutes after that.It's not even 8 PM and Evan is already asleep. Eric is still awake, but in bed and quiet and--most important--not disturbing his sleeping brother.Thank you chocolate. Thank you.Update: As of 8:30 PM, BOTH kids are asleep. And then Evan fell out of bed, got a knot the size of a golf ball on the back of his head, had a night terror, but is sleeping again. Oy.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/power-of-chocolate.html
We are trying to make the move away from using paper towels and towards microfiber cloths. Hubby bought into the idea, we bought a set of cloths in different colors (so you have a pretty good idea that they're getting changed on a regular basis), and I moved the paper towels under the sink so they are out of sight/mind, but still there if absolutely necessary.The second day of our conversion, my husband spills some egg on the counter. He gets a wet paper towel to wipe up the egg, and then a second paper towel to DRY THE COUNTER. Sigh. After an exchange on salmonella vs. throwing the cloth into the laundry pile, we move on. Things seem to be going well, the paper towel roll seems to be as full as it was a week ago, microfiber towels are being used to clean things up and disposed into the laundry basket at the end of the day.This morning I turn around to see my husband wiping something off the table with a tissue, and then throwing it in the trash.Sigh.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/find-wall-bang-head-into-it.html
We're in the progress of upgrading the electronics in our basement/rec room. Amazon.com has proven to have the best deals, but unfortunately that means everything has to be delivered and the deliveries require signatures and the delivery guys come for those signatures when we're at work. Boo. We came home Thursday night to a notice on the door that one of our items would be redelivered, or we could pick it up at the shipping center late at night in some scary industrial park miles and miles from our house. Boo.After dinner, the delivery guy returned to our house with our beautiful new speaker system. Because he was "in the neighborhood and thought you guys might be home by now."It's good to know there are still some kind people in the world, even if it's only our FedEx delivery guy :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/there-are-still-some-kind-people-in.html
Last week I took a class based on the book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.' It was a good class, and almost a week after completing it I have not opened the book to start my commitment of learning these 7 habits. Isn't it always the way? But there was a good portion of the class about time management which I'm sure Ethan would say if I became any more time managed I would start scheduling my own bathroom breaks. Truth is, I'm great at figuring out what needs to be done and not that great at getting it done in a timely manner. Take the steam cleaner that is still sitting in our basement, unused for almost 3 years...really, take it. I've been meaning to get rid of it for about 2 years, and have even put it in a place where I will literally trip over it on a daily basis, but it eventually found it's way back into a closet in the basement.Too bad they don't have a class on how not to ramble aimlessly.So, part of the class was telling you make a weekly plan and a daily plan. And today I made a daily plan. It was short, and relatively simple tasks, but I almost finished it!! Yay!! I will probably not go out into the cold rain to deposit some checks at the bank, but they are all ready for deposit tomorrow, so I can either stop on the way to work or take a break at lunch.Maybe tomorrow's list should be to schedule a Purple Heart pickup so I can get rid of the damn steam cleaner :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/02/baby-steps-may-not-take-you-far-but.html
LostBlue-eyed blonde with angelic smile and cheeks that you just want to eat. Loves to do things himself and give long-lasting hugs and snuggles. Master at doing puzzles and singing 'Happy Birthday' to anyone within earshot.FoundRed-faced little devil with what seem to be permanent tear streaks down his unhappy face and a curled up lip. Refuses to wear pajamas (and a diaper) at bedtime and does not like blankets/pillowcases on his bed. Breaks through closet locks and scales furniture when he should be sleeping.Please let me know if you have what I lost and want what I found!!
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/lost-found.html
I swear I had nothing to do with this. At no point during my summary of 'The Man Plan' did I suggest my husband should NOT take Evan skiing with his co-workers. I was simply laying out all of the likely scenarios so if he came home and whined about being tired or Evan whining or having to miss a key play in the Eagles game, I could shut down the whining with a simple point to the blog. I was not objecting to having almost 2 days to myself with Eric who, when in the situation of an 'only child' is quite delightful to have around.Hubby and Evan decided not to go skiing. Ethan blamed it on me to avoid commentary from his co-workers. I hope they read this blog ;-)Co-workers decided not to go after finding out the cost of this simple overnight adventure was going to be a tiny bit more than they expected. Apparently the ski lesson for the kids did not include the lift ticket, which seems a little unfair, but oh well. Probably hasn't been the greatest ski season so far, and everyone needs to make a living.So we'll ALL be home this weekend. Guess I better get going on the laundry to make sure all the Eagles gear is clean ;-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/man-plan-dismantled.html
My husband and 2 of his co-workers have decided it would be fun to take all the kids skiing...guys and kids only. Three men and four children, ages 5-7 (I think). Three of the children are girls.They want to take them to a ski resort four hours away, so the brilliant plan was to leave the night before, spend the night, throw the kids in a half-day lesson while the men get some time on the slopes, pile everyone back in the car, and come home. One of the guys has an SUV big enough to hold everyone + gear, so seems simple enough, right?Heh.They decided this weekend would be the good weekend to go...leave Sunday and come back Monday. The day before Inauguration Day, when 4 million other people are going to be swooping down on the DC metro area.Also? Since football playoffs are on Sunday, they have also decided it would make the most sense to leave earlier on Sunday, get everyone settled in before football, and essentially lock the kids in one room with movies while the guys watch football in the other room.Here's my summary:"So you're going to drive 4 hours with 4 kids to cram 7 of you into a 2 bedroom house, and then expect those kids to behave somewhat reasonably while you guys watch football all afternoon on a television that probably does NOT have Tivo. And while you guys stay up until midnight, you're going to want the kids to go to bed at a reasonable hour so they will not be tired and cranky when you dump them off on the ski slopes with a total stranger for 4 hours the next morning while you attempt to snowboard for the first time in at least 8 years. Then you're going to have to instantly provide food (and I mean INSTANTLY) for these starving tired children before shoving them all back into the car and driving another 4 hours back home, assuming you don't get stuck in traffic as you get closer to our house."Apparently the other wives are just happy to be getting rid of their husbands and some kids for 2 days, and have not brought up any of these points. Maybe I should just do the same?What amuses me more is that we are thinking of taking the kids to Great Wolf Lodge for a couple of days over (Evan's) spring break and Ethan looked at me as though I was a crazy woman when I suggested we rent one of the rooms that just has a separate sleeping area for the kids as opposed to one of the 2 bedroom suites.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/man-plan.html
Apparently Eric has decided he no longer likes his race car bed...the other day I had to wait for him to wake up from his nap because he was sleeping in front of his door.Tonight, I just went to check on him and was unable to open the door because '**something** was blocking it. After gently shoving it open and squeezing myself through the opening, here's what I found:I'm wondering if I should just give up on the bed or if he's trying to tell me he's ready for a 'real' bed?
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/we-dont-need-no-stinkin-beds.html
I keep thinking of things to blog, but then when I get to a blog-friendly computer, my mind goes blank. So maybe if I post something and hit 'publish', I will suddenly remember what I wanted to blog and it won't be the middle of the night.Otherwise, the best I have is that Evan and I went to the dentist today and I had no cavities, but he had one. Apparently 'craisins' have the same evil quality as fruit snacks. Oops. And my five year old boy? Already has his six-year-old molars. And another loose tooth.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/if-i-blog-it-it-will-come.html
Eric is quite a kid...I'm not sure if there's a single word that can capture his personality, probably because over the course of a day it seems like he has more than one personality. This past week or so has been particularly rough, and I blame the irregular routine of daycare being closed, staying up late, and spending more time than usual lounging in pajamas and watching Disney channel on TV. We went through consecutive nights of being sent to bed without stories because of hitting (he was doing the hitting, just to be clear), followed by more nights of him refusing to keep his pajamas and diaper on. I think Ethan was a little worried about taking Evan swimming last night, because many of the previous nights I have not been able to handle Eric by myself and had to send him in for a couple of rounds.But, strangely enough, when it was just the two of us, my blue-eyed angel re-appeared and all was well in the world. We read stories, I only had to put his pajamas on him one time--I did have to put him back in bed several times, but there was no fighting. The storm has passed!Tonight, I picked Eric up and he was getting a diaper change, which led to a conversation about if he wanted to go to preschool, he was going to have to start using the potty. He spent the entire car ride home saying "I go to pee-school and go on the potty" which I thought was pretty funny. I'll have to tell his teachers the new requirement is that he needs to wear big boy underwear before he can go to 'pee-school.'
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/ericthe-good-bad-and-ugly.html
My children are beyond exhausted from staying up way way way to late last night, and are resisting going to sleep tonight. On the umpteenth trip into Evan's room, I told him his dad and I were planning to take him to breakfast tomorrow morning as a special treat, but if he didn't go to sleep we weren't going to go (Eric has daycare, so just the three of us).Evan told me he forgot to give me something. The 'something' was a giant hug, with both arms wrapped tightly around my neck while he whispered "I love you Mommy" in my ear.He owns me.
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2009/01/manipulation.html
In case you missed it, yesterday was Christmas. A very merry one in our house. Evan came into our room at 5:20 AM to report that Santa had come and left presents, but went back into his room for a while (with a couple more trips downstairs to snag some toys) until Eric woke up a little before 7. And he was not kidding, Santa had left us some LOOT!The 'before' shotBooks and toys galore for both kids (we need to do some purging this weekend to make room for it all), gadgets and gizmos for Ethan, camera accessories for me.Eric posing for my new lens next to my new camera bagEvan and Eric enjoying their new 'pinano'Evan showing off some books...and let's not forget the ginormous dinosaur (over 2 feet tall, and a little intimidating!)
And what does our house look like after opening dozens of presents and being overtaken by a piano keyboard, giant dinosaur, performing Elmo, multiple electronic puppies (even one that fetches), towers of blocks, and a dump truck?A mess :-)
http://sandersonva.blogspot.com/2008/12/merry-christmas.html
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