Cheese Strips

James has had a few very difficult days lately. They all culminated with a series of unfortunate events that had him in solitary confinement (aka his bedroom) for the day. Not only did he have to spend the day in his room, but he had every single item he possesses taken away AND he had to write sentences about never behaving that way again. In order to earn the right to go outside again he had to write 2 pages of "I will never hurt Jack again". He is now in the process of having to work to get his things back. Now, this may sound like a harsh punishment for a 6 year old, but trust me when I tell you that the pain of having to earn back your toys is nothing compared to the pain he inflicted on his brother.

 

I swear there is nothing on the planet that makes me as angry as when one of my kids hurts another one.

While James was in said solitary confinement, he kept calling out of his room that he was hungry (it was 9 am and we ate breakfast at 8 am). I didn't have a lot of sympathy nor patience at this point, so I told him to wait until lunch. I was folding clothes in the living room and noticed Jack running back and forth from the kitchen down the hall with a little backpack on wheels. I finally asked him what he was doing and he said "I am bringing food to my bawa because he is hungry". I asked him what he had in the backpack and he said "I am bringing bawa a cheese strip so he can keep writing so we can go play."

I was shocked and amazed at his ability to be compassionate after the events that occurred earlier. It made me realize that the things that are most important to me - love, respect, kindness, caring - must be in them somewhere and maybe there is hope for us after all....smile

Update

So I am feeling very guilty about how I have neglected my poor blog. It seems like all of the interesting things seem to come in waves....and right now we are in a dry spell! I am however, continuously amazed at the ability of my three sons to abuse their bodies and still be able to move. Before we had kids, I used to tell people to buy stock in shoe stores...now I tell them bandage companies. And antibiotic ointment manufacturers.

 

So here are some updates on My Three Sons!And a random, embarrassing picture of Daryl.  HA!

JAMES

James has been officially signed up for Cub Scouts. I am not sure who is more excited...him or his dad. I see a gleam in Daryl's eye whenever he talks about the pinewood derby. I have had to remind him that this is an event for James, not Daryl....but I suppose the whole fun of having kids is to live vicariously through them, right?

James and Jack have two new friends that they have been spending a ton of time with - Sebastian and Will. The boys actually spent the afternoon at their house today (THANKS HOLLY!!) so now their mom is my new best friend....grin. Sebastian goes to school with Jack and Will is one grade ahead of James. It is so much fun seeing them all together...we go to the park on Tuesdays and Burger King on Wednesdays so there is a lot of time spent plotting against evil forces lurking in the trees and under the tables at Burger King.

JACK

Jack is a walking band aid. Seriously, the boy needs to wear an inner tube or something. The other morning, he had had a bloody nose, bruised knee and a cut on his head by 7 am. I am almost afraid to take him anywhere because I don't want people to think he is abused! Daryl is incredulous that he falls so much, but the boy is like a German Shepard puppy. You know how they have HUGE paws and are kinda gangley until they grow into their bodies? That's Jack. He is 5 pounds lighter than James and wears the same size shoes. I am going to have to shop at Omar Tent and Awning when he gets older. NOTE! In about 5 years, switch back from band aid stock to shoe company stock.

JOEY

JOEY IS ALMOST 1!! His first birthday is next MONTH! I can't get over it. It seriously seems like we just brought him home. I think the time goes by faster with each kid....or maybe with each of my birthdays. Either way, I am amazed at the little person he is becoming. He is crawling like crazy, standing up and has 6 teeth. He is cruising along the edge of the couch and should be walking any time. Plus he is really really cute...grin.

His party is going to be July 13th and you are all invited. SMILE!

 

 

Summer Fun!

 

The summer seems to be going by so fast already, and James has been out of school for only a week! Jack and James decided that they had had enough of me and wanted to see their grandmother, so Jack spent the night at her house last night, and James is there tonight. James told me this morning that it is kinda boring here without Jack...oh, and quiet too.

Jack had an absolute FIT when Grammy was bringing him home and picking up James. I swear the entire neighborhood heard him scream "But I can't SLEEP without JAMES here! I LOVE MY BAWA!" In case you have never heard Jack say "brother" before, it sounds like bawa. Of course when you say it like he does, he immediately corrects you.

So my three sons have discovered Webkinz. They are these little stuffed animals that come with a tag that has a code written on it. You log into Webkinz's website, enter the code and POOF! there is your little animal. You adopt it, feed it, play with it....it is quite a set-up. The only problem is, they cost about $15.00 each and of course, they want every one under the sun. I discovered, much to Jack's delight, that they have Webkinz Pugs. We now have 2 named....you guessed it. Sadie and Solo. I am sure when he is grown up I will hear about how traumatized he was when his mom got rid of his real dogs and gave him stuffed ones instead! By the way email me if you want to know their names in Wekinz World...they love to send letters to people!

Kid Fest 2008

 

 

 

We had the perfect day for Kid Fest 2008!

 

It was warm, sunny and humid.

 

 

The 3-person Slip and Slide was perfect for racing...although the piece of wire we found in the grass after some scrapes kinda slowed them down!

Jacks School Picnic

 

 

 

Jacky got to ride a horse! He was so excited.

 

 

Como Town

LOVE Como Town!




We had a great time!



Even Joey had fun!

Jack VS The Ice Cream Cone

'Nuff said....

Today was James' Garden Party at school. It has to have been the cutest thing ever! James was "Pig Number 2", and had THE best lines...smile. His 2 brothers caused quite a scene, however. Joseph decided to throw up on me, and of course, I was wearing black, so it showed up fluorescent orange. Here I thought I looked SO sophisticated with my pseudo pedal pushers, flowered flip-flops and "in" hair do. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that the other 2 sons went home early (thanks to Mr. Jack-Man for that one!) and I was left with a "snail trail" of vomit down my arm and shoulder, so I didn't even have a baby with me for an explanation.

Jack was in rare form. Or typical form...take your pick. Running all over, climbing on chairs. Yelling "HI JAMES!" to his brother in a perfectly quiet auditorium, and when I take him out in the hall, all you can hear is "BUT MOOOOOM! I HAD TO SAY HI TO BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!"

I was so impressed with James' teacher, Mrs. McNulty. I had to laugh because here she was, sundress and pony tail...acting out all of the kids' parts for them while standing on the sidelines. It was just the most adorable thing ever. James sure is going to miss her when Kindergarten is done!

Running WIth Froggy Boots

So Jack was running up the steps, wearing his froggy boots and tripped. He got a perfect circle of a sore on his chin and wanted a band aid on it.

He then decided that had better get him something else to hold the band-aid on because he didn't think it would stick while he was eating yogurt.

 

 

He sort of changed his mind after I was done with him.

 

 

Jacks 4th Birthday Party

GOTTA LOVE snow in April. And in particular, in April on the exact day that we invited 20 three and four-year-olds over. These poor kids where packed in my tree house (what I call my home because it is so small), all bunched up on the floor eating hot dogs and popcorn. They were so cute!! Our outside carnival party was a bust, but I think the kids had a good time. The crane game was the favorite. I tried for 20 minutes to get a damn piece of candy out of the thing and couldn't do it, but these kids were getting handfuls of it. I was so impressed!

 

My three sons had a blast. James was in heaven having all of the kids to run around and play with, and it goes without saying that Jack had fun. Not only was there unlimited food and a MOUNTAIN of gifts, but the love of his life was here (his teacher...giggle), and he just adores her (SORRY MRS. BENTS!!). I think she must still be blushing over how he wanted to introduce her to everyone at the party. Jack has also become enamored with his Uncle Dave since seeing him at Christmas, and was thrilled to see him and his cousin Cam! Joey was a little angel through the whole thing. Kids running around, people laughing and being loud, very little nap time and being completely off schedule didn't even phase him. Between Grandma Darlene, Aunt Dawn, Aunt Robin and his favorite preschool mom, Nancy, all paying attention to him, he was happy as a clam!



Jack is quite annoyed at the fact that there is not a HINT of his birthday cake left. Every time he sees a picture of it he walks away grumbling about not having enough of his carnival cake filled with blueberries. I have comforted him by telling him he can have a Dora cake next time. You know how he feels about Dora! He did got the one present he had been asking for since Christmas. Yes, you guessed it...a real vacuum cleaner. I know, I got that one wrong too. Never would have thought that he would want one, but he sat on Santa's lap and asked for a yellow vacuum cleaner. I have bought the boy every conceivable play vacuum, to no avail. The poor thing thinks Santa forgot about him, because, of course, Santa should have KNOWN what he wanted. Huge thanks to Aunt Robin for that one! Jack had to call her last night to thank her for the best present EVER, and of course, at 7 am this morning, he had to try it out.

There is just something about a kid who hugs a vacuum cleaner that makes me smile.

The Race Is ON!

So I am sure that I won't be able to post much for the next week, with Jack's party and all, but I thought I would just write a little bit about what the boys have been up to.

 

 

JOSEPH

Joey is now eating table food!! AND SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! I don't know what it is about that 9 month mark, but all 3 boys waited until then to gift us with a full night's sleep. We celebrated by having steak...smile. I am kidding. But he did eat a grilled cheese sandwich, mashed potatoes and chicken, carrots, peaches, bananas...WOOHOO! The days of $10-a-bottle formula is on it's way OUT!

JACK

 

Jacky has been very excited for his birthday. One of the things we decided to do this year is buy another play set for the backyard, and I wanted it built before the 30 four-year-olds come over. Jack has been helping with building it and shopping for all of his party stuff AND he is over the moon that his teacher, Mrs. Bents, and her 2 girls are coming!

JAMES

James lost ANOTHER tooth! I think he loves the golden dollars that the Tooth Fairy brings him so much that he decided to just go ahead and extract all of his teeth himself. On a SERIOUSLY DISGUSTING (and potential psychiatric-episode inducing) note, James...my lovely James, has surpassed all of my germ-a-phobe fears. As we were taking a potty break at the grocery store on Saturday, James decided to see what the handle on the bathroom door TASTED LIKE!! Hang on...I have to calm the screaming in my head. Seriously, someone get me a Prozac. He just licked it like a popsicle. I'm not positive, but I think the people in the back of the store heard me scream. Wait....that might have been in my head too. He is fine. I need to go lay down.

Happy Birthday Jack!

At our house, birthdays are kinda a huge deal. Mostly because I make them a big deal, but still. We have over-the-top parties....and if I could do more, I would! I think each of my 3 sons should not only feel, but see the joy in celebrating a milestone like a birthday.

It is also a day for me to commemorate bringing an amazing little life into the world. In most of the blog entries I write we concentrate on the funny things that happen around here, but it is important to me to document how special I think each of them are, and nothing reminds me of that more than their birthday.

Jack came into the world the same way he enters a room today...with a lot of commotion. He was perfect...and had the most amazing blue eyes. I remember thinking while his eyes were closed that they were the exact size and shape as an almond. He had red, pouty lips and a ring of hair around his head like an old man. He had, and still does, an intense way of looking at you. On more than one occasion, people (including his pediatrician) have said to me that it's as if he can see what they are thinking!

My little Jacky wants what he wants when he wants it. He potty trained himself at 2 because he "didn't like the smell" of his diapers, and could ride a bike 2 years earlier than James....so he could "ride a bike like his brother". If you give him the right tools, he can dismantle everything in the room in 5 minutes flat. It can sometimes be a challenge (!!!) trying to reason with a 3 year-old who has more personality than most adults, but I wouldn't change a thing about him. He has an opinion about EVERYTHING, but at the same time you get a sense that he is trying to soak up everything around him. He is extremely intense sometimes....but conversely, he "feels" and loves strongly too. He can't stand not having his family around, and there have been some nights when he won't go to sleep until everyone is home. He is forever thinking of his big brother.... whenever Jack gets something, GOD FORBID if there isn't another one for James.

 

I am so proud and honored to have been chosen to be his mom. I can't wait to see who he decides to become! I love you Smoochy Face!

Happy Meal Man and Goggle Boy To The Rescue!

My Son. The Naturalist.

 

Not much else to say, other than this is how I found Jack outside.

 

This was after telling him that yes, he could go out, but he needed to have boots and a hat on.

Silly Mommy! Pants aren't for kids

Red Cleavage

WARNING: Gross story ahead!
I am going to preface this blog entry by stating the obvious; Jack is NEVER aware of any of what I am about to write about. We never make our kids feel bad for a bodily function....even one that is gross...smile.

Jack has had an ongoing problem lately that is starting to worry me, not to mention seriously puts a cramp in our collective style. The boy throws up at the drop of a hat. He smells Joey's baby food, or GOD FORBID a dirty diaper, and breakfast/lunch/dinner is revisited. He smells one of those really expensive, but horribly smelling cheeses at the grocery store? CLEAN UP IN ISLE 3!! He goes to his first swim lesson, and gets a TINY amount of water up his nose and he clears out the pool in 5 minutes flat. You have never seen a more irritated mother than one that has to pull their screaming kids out of a pool because someone just threw up in it.

All of this was very much on my mind when we went to the water park. Now, clearing out a pool at the YMCA is vastly different than the water park. I could only imagine how many times I would have to apologize for my son, Projectile Pete. I racked my brain trying to figure out how I could contain the inevitable mess, yet not make Vomitous Victor aware of the problem AND still be able to move around the water park. The obvious choice would have been to plastic coat Puking Paul, me and the surrounding area, but that was unrealistic. I would need to be able to do so inconspicuously.....Bowls wouldn't work; too cumbersome, and really...where would I keep it? I suppose I could look like an opera singer and wear two bowls down my shirt, but I really am not looking to add to my chest size. Too bad it wasn't Hula Day at the park, I could have worn a coconut bra. A bag would have to do and I just happened to have a Target bag with me! But where to carry it. I could tie it to my bathing suite, but I didn't want to explain to everyone I saw that I didn't have a colostomy bag attached to my side. DOWN MY SHIRT! Perfect! It would be hidden, secure and easy to access when needed. I imagined the great fan fair when, like a magician, I pulled a long plastic bag out of my bra to the delight of cheering kids everywhere just in time to catch Ralphing Ricky's pool contribution.

Thank GOD we didn't need it, and I have to say, it was amazingly comfortable. I completely forgot it was there until I went to change and thought I had contracted Scarlet Fever. My ENTIRE chest was red. I was about to yell to Daryl to call 911 when I realized that all of the ink from the Target bag had, I assume, reacted to all of the pool chemicals and was covering my upper body. At that moment I realized that I had crossed over to the alternate universe known as "Mommy World". I had heard of this place, but never thought I would get to go there. It is a place where otherwise perfectly normal women do things perfectly absurd for their kids. It mattered not one iota that I very well could have been walking around with Red Dye #6 covering most of my upper body; Hurling Harry needed something and I was there to supply it.

I suppose it could have been worse. I could have had to pull a rabbit out of my cleavage.

Snow Man

2 of My 3 Sons are currently in the front yard, relishing the new snow. This kind of snow is made for kids. It is super wet and heavy...perfect for snowman making. James came in a few minutes ago, and asked for 12 black olives and a carrot stick for the snowman he just made. Amazingly, I had carrots....but no black olives. I considered, for a moment, telling them to go forage for some rocks, but realized in the nick of time that I would then have to explain, in mind-numbing detail, where to find them.

So I looked around and found blackberries. AHA! The perfect solution! I can give them a nutritious snack AND give them snowman supplies. The only problem is that Jack ADORES blackberries, so I soon hear "JACK! Did you eat my snowman's eyes?! JACK! Did you eat my snowman's buttons?! JACK! I TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT ANY MORE SNOWMAN EYES!" And what I see, as I look out the window, is James making a perfect miniature snowman with Jack sitting in the snow next to him eating blackberries

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

So what is that saying...Boredom breeds creativity? Cold weather generates obnoxious behavior? Sharpies are at the root of all evil deeds? This masterpiece was created by......ready for it?

Daryl.

I have to admit, it actually looks pretty cool in person. The mustache and beard have an authentic look to them while the glasses silhouette Jack's blue eyes perfectly. The thing you aren't able to see, other than my complete shock at my husbands sense of humor, is the flames that are drawn on the back of this contraption. Plus it has Jack's name emblazoned on the front in case he forgets who he is.

I'm thinking it is Harry Potter meets Salvador Dali meets Evil Knievel.

The boys just think it's cool