A Question

I've been watching the Olympics this week and one of my favorite things is hearing the back-stories of the athletes. I love hearing how they got to be there. But it also made me think...

Have you ever been asked "if you could have one superpower, what would it be?" What about "If you had one question to ask God, what would it be?" I've never had a good answer for either of those. I just never felt inspired to want to know or do anything that seriously. I'm just lazy like that. But now I think I do have an answer. If I could ask God one question, it would be "what could I have been?" I suppose if you aren't inclined to go the religious route, you could just as easily ask for a superpower that would allow you to see your alternate life paths.

I don't mean that I'm not totally stoked to be where I am. And before I even start down this train of thought, I have to say that there are some things I would never change - namely my husband and my kids. I never even question any of my dating decisions because I know that every choice and every mistake led me to Woob. And I don't question my boys. Not for a second. The very existence of Kellan, who was quite the surprise, is a testament to the notion that there is often a larger plan than you can imagine. I can't fathom a life without these boys or any roads that didn't end with me as their mother.

But I do wonder about other things. The Olympics have made me wonder if there's anything I would have been that good at. I know that all of these athletes have worked their hineys off to be there, but ability obviously comes into play as well. And so I wonder. If I had found something, and been passionate about it, is there anything I could have done that well? Do I have any special talents that I don't know about? I mean, I've never tried bobsledding - I could be totally awesome at it right? What about curling. I mean, if a pregnant chick can do it, I bet I could.

What do you think you could have been?

The Story of A Rat

It was Halloween of 2007. I was very large and pregnant with Dash and that made me more determined to make the holiday special for Finley. As such I also had that crazy pre-birth energy spurt to do just that. We made several trips to the pumpkin patch and took advantage of every fun activity it had to offer.

Maybe if just stay on this hayride all day, I'll go into labor.

We also decorated the house.


Well, mostly Brooks decorated the house. But I added the rat. I found it at Michael's and it looked seriously real. In fact, before it graced our porch we surprised our favorite neighbors by leaving him perched on their trash can. Really, we're awesome to live near, I swear. So anyway, once the house was appropriately cob-webbed and pumpkin-ed out, I dropped the rat on the front porch. Yeah, that's right, I was LARGE. So I dropped it. And it landed. And we laughed good and long. The haphazard placement just added to the authenticity and it looked just like a sad rat corpse. It was awesome.

An approximation of the never-documented rat

Then Dash was born. And we slipped into the routine of life with a new baby. Which is code for I stopped venturing outside the house. Our Halloween decorations remained in place an embarassingly long while. But we had an excuse, right?

Welcome Dashel!

But we finally did take the webs down, and we tossed out the pumpkins. And we meant to stow the rat for next year, really we did. But then the longer we left the rat out, the funnier it was. Watching people come to the door and scream and freak out was fantastic. The longer that the rat was out there, the more "weathered" it began to look. Even people who knew that the rat was fake would still do a double take. Delivery people would scream and then go over and kick him away.

And then it was Halloween again.

And we went to the Pumpkin Patch...

And then there were two...

And we decorated the house.

And the rat once again belonged...

And then Halloween was over. And we took the decorations down. Yet we couldn't bring ourselves to get rid of the rat. It had been too long and he made us laugh too much. Fin and Dash seemed to get just as much joy out of him. You could say he was family.

It sometimes seems that life with children can be measured with blinks and just like that it was Halloween again.

And we went to the Pumpkin Patch...


And there was a new addition again!

Welcome Kellan!

And we decorated the house. And the rat was there...

Only known photo of the rat.

And once again, it seemed a criminal to put him away. So he stayed. This year we even joked about gifting him with antlers for Christmas. He frightened more delivery people. And our doorbell stopped working which made us laugh even harder at anyone's attempt to breach our porch. Packages were often left on the bottom stair. And then came a sad day. I walked out front to see this...

The scene of the crime.

That's right. A sad empty porch. No rat to be seen. I called Brooks right away. Indignant that someone would STEAL our rat, he combed the bushes and the yard. But to no avail. Our rat was gone. Where did he go? Did he get scooped up by that cat who sometimes leaves real, actual rat noses on our back porch? Did a delivery guy finally get fed up? Did the trash man decide to do us a favor? I'm afraid I'll never know.

As you can see, this rat had been through a lot with us. He'd seen the birth of two children and watched all three of our boys grow. His absence would be felt. Ok, so maybe that's a little dramatic, but also, I was PISSED that someone would steal our FAKE PET RAT!

Well, it turns out that it's near IMPOSSIBLE to find a rat of this sort after the Halloween season has ended. I looked high and low. Rubber rats were a dime a dozen, but that would be a totally lame replacement. The only interesting thing I managed to find was a similarly designed skunk. And while I found this idea hilarious, I was informed by a very angry Dash - "No skunk! New rat!" For a child who isn't overly opinionated, this spoke volumes. So I went to the one place I hadn't tried. Ebay.

And I found this. Well, these.

A rat for each boy!

And I will have NO shame debuting them in February. Maybe we'll name one cupid.

The Art of Parenting

Fin's parent teacher conference was this week. And to say that I was nervous would be an understatement. The main purpose of this meeting was to determine kindergarten readiness and we've already decided to hold Fin back so I really had no concerns there. (FYI for all my east-coast peeps, the CA school cut-off is Dec 2 and since Fin's birthday is Dec 1 it would make him literally the youngest in his class.) Being the good husband and father that he is, Brooks assured me that I had nothing to worry about and everything would go just fine. But then it hit me that this was for me what a performance review at work would be for him.

Parenting is much like trying to paint a beautiful piece of art. Blindfolded. And often with one hand behind your back. Or holding a screaming baby. Or changing a toddlers diaper. And going to a conference like this, having your child evaluated by a professional who likely gets to see a very different version of your child, is like taking that blindfold off. A brief glimpse of your progress so far. And if you're lucky, you look at your painting and are pleased to see that shapes and colors appear on paper much like they did in your head. And for a moment, you think maybe, maybe you can do this parenting gig after all.

Man are we lucky.

Sure, I heard that Fin needs to work on his lowercase "e's" (man, lowercase e is TOUGH!). But I also heard that he is a good friend, a good student, and a joy to have in the classroom. And really, that's all any parent wants to hear. That their child is nice and lovable and a joy to have around. We can work on his e's :)

Also much like that painting, there will be surprises. Here was mine.

Fin's teacher was telling me how funny he is at snack time with his routine. It's a longstanding joke that Fin is the slowest eater on the planet and will often come home with the majority of his snack untouched. It was no surprise to hear that his routine begins with eating whatever little chocolate treat I put in his snack (a plane, a soccer ball or if I'm out of little surprise chocolates, a Hershey kiss). Then, before he moves on to whatever else he has, he pulls a picture out of his lunchbox to share. A picture? I ask, not knowing that he even HAD a picture in there. Oh, I was sure you knew, we thought you were replacing it regularly since it stayed so nice despite the handling. No, I had no idea. Yes, he gets out the picture and passes it around. Every day. And every day we expect the other children to tell him that they don't want to see it again and yet every day they get just as excited as the day before. And the photo is passed around and shared and they all laugh before moving on to finishing their snack.

What picture? This one. It went to school last year for share day. And I had no idea where it had gone. Until yesterday.

And I delight in my painting and it's surprises, happy to put the blindfold on and get back to work.

P.S. I didn't mention this to Fin. I felt like talking about it might just dampen the magic a bit. So pretend I never told you ;)

I Heart Faces * Texture Challenge

This week's challenge at I Heart Faces was texture use. I've never entered before, but I just happened to get this snap over the weekend and it's the first time I've used a texture in a loooong time. Kell was so snuggly while mama did the cleaning that he passed out. I had to look in the mirror to see why he was so quiet, then I had to grab my camera to capture it.

Dear Dog Owners

I know you love your dog. I get it. And I know you may think of your dog as your child. But really? Your dog is NOT a child. And there are some places that your dog should not go. In fact, there are places I don't take my children. I don't take my baby to the movies. In fact, I don't take my kids to any movie that starts after 8pm or is wildly inappropriate. And I don't take my kids to nice restaurants for dinner, even though they are extremely well behaved. I respect people without children and the fact that there are times and places where the presence of children might be seen as slightly undesirable or disruptive. Here's where it comes back to you dog owners.

There are some places that it's just plain rude to tote your pooch.

First, and largest, I don't want to see your dog in a grocery store or a restaurant. Yes you people with your dog at Whole Foods yesterday, I'm talking to you. When I buy groceries, I do NOT want to fight your dog over the potatoes. I wouldn't let my own dog near my foodstuffs (you know, if I had one). It's just unsanitary. And if you want to dine outside of a family style restaurant, then I have no beef with you. But inside? Never. And I don't care how nice or well behaved your dog is. I don't care if they stay in your purse the whole time. It's gross.

Now let's talk about transportation. I understand that your animals need to get places. They do in fact have car seats for dogs. Get one. Or put them in a kennel in the back. Yes, man with the dog in his lap who almost killed me last month, I'm talking to you. If cell phones are enough of a distraction to be illegal, then what the hell makes you think having a moving animal struggling to get to the window across your lap is a good idea? When traveling larger distance, I understand the need to take your small dog on board an airplane. Now if your dog has to be smashed and bent into the carrier, he's too big to be on the plane. That means if you have to open the carrier for your animal to breathe as soon as you get on the plane, he should not be in the main cabin. Now if you bought him his own seat, go for it and unload him. Also, if your dog is a nervous flyer, drug him. If it's good enough to do to people and children, it's good enough for your dog. Everyone will thank you for it.

Now let's talk clothing stores. Frequently, when perusing any cloth-like items on ebay or similar sites, the seller will specify "item comes from pet and smoke-free home". There's a reason for that. I don't smoke and I don't want my clothes to smell like smoke. And no one would dream these days of lighting up inside ANYWHERE in CA. So tell me why it's even in the realm of acceptability to take your dog in a store? And yes, you dog owners who take your pets to The Grove and allow them to prance through Anthropologie or Nordstrom, I'm talking to you. I understand it's a pretty area to walk around with your dog. But if you decide to bring him with you, then you forfeit the right to go into the shops. And please, don't tie your dog to an object outside the store either. Especially if your dog is less than friendly.

Really I love dogs, I do, but this had to be said...

The Year In Review

Once upon a time I was a very good mother who wrote Finley notes every few months on what his life was like. Then Dash came along and I tried to do it a few times a year. Then Kell took up residence and, well, it's been a while. So, the harried mother is reduced to posting a whole year in review. I'd make keeping up a new years resolution, but that would be like swearing off In N Out. Not going to happen.

Dearest Finley, you've grown up so very much this year. When I look back at pictures of you at this time last year I can still see traces of the baby you were and now when I look at you, as I am right now (you're playing Little Big Planet with Daddy and doing GREAT), I see a small man-child. You are in the afternoon three-day program at school and you love it. On the rare occasion that I keep you home with me, you get very angry for having missed a day. You are also quite the surly child and generally too smart for your own good. When your father and I told you that bad boys get coal for Christmas, you asked what coal was. Daddy explained that it was dirty rocks. After careful consideration, you told us that if Santa brought you dirty rocks you would just clean them up and paint them pretty. Smart ass. This past summer you learned to swim. You were nervous about it at first, but by the end of your two week session, you were like a little frog. You swam around underwater so much that I'd have to ask you to stop being afraid that you were going to exhaust yourself. You also started playing organized sports, starting with TBall and Soccer. You were more interested in socializing than playing either, but you were also the youngest on your teams by a good amount. We're trying Football in a month so we'll see how that goes! You've learned to write your name this year and your penmanship improves daily. You signed all the Thank You notes for your birthday gifts and did a great job. You're also getting way too good at decoding the words I spell to your father. We're going to have to resort to speaking in french soon if we want to keep anything from you! One day a few months ago, you came to me and started talking about addition. Not sure how you picked it up, but once the concepts of addition and subtraction were explained you took them and RAN. Your ability to learn new things is just astounding. You continue to love anything Star Wars and have fallen deeply in love with all things Super Hero. You enjoy Hot Wheels too and have quite the car collection. You earn a dollar for doing various things to help Mom around the house and then you can either save them or use them to buy cars on our frequent trips to Target. You are your fathers son and will sit through nearly any movie and you seem to prefer live action adult movies to the animated variety. You went to see Star Trek and Twilight in the theater with Mommy this year and Daddy and Uncle Brandon took you to see Avatar in 3D - you wore the glasses and everything. You've proven yourself an excellent big brother and although you argue constantly, you are an excellent friend and playmate to Dash. You're great with Kell too, always making him laugh. You love to eat out with us and are quick to suggest Sabor or Sisley as your choice dining out spots, although I think Johnny Rockets might still be your favorite. You've learned how to get into and out of your own carseat, which makes Mommy's life MUCH easier since Kell's arrival has pushed you to the back of the car, and in a few months when we move Kell out of the bucket, you'll move up to a booster seat. Seems like yesterday it was you that I was hefting around in that bucket. How did you get so very big?

My Sweetest Dash, you've grown from a toddler to a little boy this year. Hard to imagine that this time last year you were just mastering walking. Now the space between you and Finley seems so small - and I don't think you realize that there is ANY as you fully believe you are the same size. When asked your age, you will readily tell them you're three. You don't believe me when I remind you that you're only two :) You're learning in leaps and bounds and can count reliably to 10 and at times to 15. You're working hard at learning how to sing your ABC's too. I just wish you'd apply some of your desire to learn and grow to using the potty. I even made you Gabba Gabba underwear and you wanted to wear them - OVER your diaper. You're barely two though so I'm sure by the time I write a note next year, I'll be praising you for your potty-using abilities. We made many trips to Six Flags this year and my goodness are you FEARLESS. You wanted to ride everything and when I told Fin to sit with you on the little roller coasters, you wanted no part of it preferring to do it "by yourself". We also had a bevy of parties at places like Sky City and Scooters Jungle and you were all about going down the largest slides and doing it all on your own. I was exhausted after just a few runs but you just kept going up and down and up and down. I got tired just watching you! You got to see your first big snowstorm this Christmas with Mommy while Finley and Daddy were in Nashville. You LOVED watching the snow fall and when we were able to go out and play, you couldn't wait to sit in it and throw snowballs and you had no fear of getting snow everywhere. At one point you actually laid down on your stomach and put your whole face in it. Daddy took a funny video of you eating it. You're such a funny kid! Speaking of eating, you're a bottomless pit and there's nothing you won't try. You love all fruits and have recently started loving juice too - a change from Fin who still only does milk or water. You moved into a room with Finley this year, sleeping on a trundle. We talked about a bunk bed, but Fin didn't want anything to do with top bunk and you were all over it. Which would have been ok I guess if you weren't already the most accident prone kid on the planet! I think you both love having a buddy and Daddy and I love hearing you chat when you wake up in the morning. You're working on dressing yourself. You've been putting your own shoes on for a while now and you're getting better with your shirt. We're a while off of pant mastery. Like Fin, you're fantastic with Kell and delight in making him laugh. We're working on keeping you gentle, which doesn't really seem to be in your vocabulary. You are still the sweetest child I've ever met - snuggling and hugging at every chance you get. Often I find myself wishing I could just hold you at this age forever. Between my desire to do that and yours to grow up in a blink, hopefully we'll cancel each other out.

Little Kell, it's so impossible for me to grasp that you weren't even around this time last year. Well, I guess you were, but not really. You joined us fast and furiously this August and you are proving to be quite the force in our household. You are certainly not the easy baby that Dash was, but I'm not totally convinced that you're as challenging as Fin was. You are loud and extremely demanding. I think if you could talk you would tell us that you prefer to be carried. All the time. You're not rolling yet but you are DESPERATE to sit up. Indeed you spend most of your day either sitting on someones lap or propped up close by. You just want to watch all of the action! You love watching your brothers and laughing at anything they do - especially if it's dancing. You are starting to beg for whatever Mommy is eating and I can't wait to be able to give you everything. You just started sleeping in your own room and although it makes Mom and Dad sad to miss you, I know it was time and that we all sleep better. Well, at least Mommy does since it's Daddy who gets up to soothe you when you wake.

Speaking of Daddy, this Christmas he surprised me with the most amazing camera. And while I treasure all of the jewelry he's gifted me with on Christmases past, I can't tell you how much this present - and of his constant encouragement - means to me. Daddy also started a new job this year. I'd like to say more about that, but it's complicated and confidential, so we'll just leave it with how proud we all are of him! We ended the year by celebrating 8 years of marriage. Seems like it was just yesterday that we met at a bar. I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful partner in life!

Well, I must off to bed so that's all for now. Hopefully I won't wait another year to do this! I love you boys all so very much and feel so privileged to be your mom!

Have Yourself...

A Merry Little Christmas. Or Happy Holidays if you prefer. We're headed East - catch you in 2010!

(And wow, I can remember being in grade school and having a conversation - or maybe it was writing a paper - on where we'd be in 2010. I think I wrote "old". Sigh.)

Christmas

A few scenes from Christmas in CA...Ornament & decor storage. A gift from Uncle Bud the year we got married.
Angels. Made with love from Uncle Bud :)This years photo ornament.
This year's mini-tree. Being East, I was not sure I'd decorate at all, but then I decided that the kids needed some spirit so we opted for the small tree :)
Mantle Angels.
...and on to Christmas in DC!

Photography Maybe

I can remember getting our wedding photos back and finding one that was marked "photographers favorite" on the back. It was a simple shot of Brooks' parents looking at him and at the time I didn't at ALL get why it was a "favorite" picture. I mean, I guess I thought it captured a nice moment, but no one was looking at the camera, it was completely unposed and nothing I'd ever want to frame. And don't forget that we got married before the era of digital photography and light years ahead of the journalistic narrative style that is popular today.

All of a sudden, lately, I get it. My love of photography grows daily and with it my interest in photographing things other than my kids. Ok, so more often than not, it's just other people's kids, but still. And I'm finding more and more that I like the shots that are off-kilter, not so sharp, not perfectly exposed and certainly not anything you'd frame. And since I am still a few weeks ahead of my new years resolution to keep up with, well, life better, I thought it might be a good time and place for a photo share. So here are a few of my favorite recent snaps.
My 50mm lens sometimes decides that it wants what it wants. And it wanted to focus on the chair. And I agreed.
This face? I just love this face. Little Briar is just the sweetest and when her Mama asked me to catch some pictures of her, I jumped at the chance. The only problem was what a hard time I had taking pictures of anything BUT her face :)
But I did get this one, which I love. Little girl, new to the walking scene and ready to take on the world.

The next three are from a party where SANTA came to visit! So much fun to watch the kids meet the Big Man and get to hear all his stories...
Fin...total joy...
Dashel getting ready to open his meticulously wrapped gift from Santa.
And oh how I love this one. Jenna stepped up at dang near the last minute to host the shindig and here she is, looking relaxed and having fun. I love the wrapping paper stuck to her leg and the children mulling about. If you ever saw a picture of me on a day where I had 22 (or more?) children running around my house, assorted parents, an array of sweets to be consumed and spilled and SANTA, I can PROMISE you I would not look anywhere near this composed. I can also promise you that the above scenario would likely never happen :)

By the way, that picture, the "photographer's favorite"? I framed it a few years ago.

'Tis the Season

So I know, I'm totally sucking at blogging. But I HAVE THREE KIDS PEOPLES!!! On that note, if we're friends and you feel like I blow you off or never call you...for the love of all that is holy, please do not take it personally. I HAVE THREE KIDS! And they know that Mom is much less likely to scream or swat if she's on the phone. I swear it takes all of two seconds while I'm on the phone for them to do something awful and rotten.

Also, it's Christmastime so I've been busting ass to get stuff done. Which is a challenge when you HAVE THREE KIDS!! Did I mention that Dash is still not over the whole "wow it's fun to run and hide from mommy in stores" thing? Yeah. And wrapping presents while holding Kell? Not enjoyable either.

Over the past few weeks, one thing has become glaringly obvious - some people need a refresher course in holiday etiquette. So today, I present some simple holiday guidelines.

It's the season to be jolly, and thankful, and for those who are religious, to celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is NOT the season to drive like an asshat. Speed limits exist for a reason. As do laws against cell phone use and texting while driving. And that makeup? You'll be sorry when the eyeliner pencil has to be surgically removed from your eyeball. Tailgating does not, in fact, cause the person in front of you to speed up. That car you bought, it came with this super cool function called a turn signal. It magically lets people know when you intend to - get this - make a turn. You should totally try it. Amazing, I know.

While we're on the subject of driving, it's important to remember that no parking spot is worth risking your life. I think after Thanksgiving (and in preparation for Christmas cookies) we could all use a little more walking in our daily lives. Plus, you're probably going to SAVE time by just taking the spot that's open but a little farther away. If you must try for a closer spot, remember that the "expectant mothers" or "mothers with small children" spots are for..."EXPECTANT MOTHERS" or "MOTHERS WITH SMALL CHILDREN". So if you're a dude, I'm pretty sure you don't qualify. And being fat doesn't qualify you either. Some people seem awfully fond of stalking. If there is a trail of 200 cars behind you and there are available spaces father away, just fucking take one. Also, if you're stalking a woman with lots of bags, kids, or maybe even a woman with three kids who look young enough to require carseats and a stroller AND lots of bags, you DO NOT get to be PISSED OFF when it takes more than a few minutes to load the car. I will not jepordize my kids safety by rushing so that you get my spot sooner. As a matter of fact, if I see you getting huffy while waiting, I will take longer. Intentionally. And if you get increasingly irritated, I will get EVERYONE BACK OUT OF THE CAR just to be a bitch. I can always find something to go back and shop for.

Now let's talk about shopping. Do everyone a favor and GET OFF THE PHONE when you get to the checkout. These people are providing you a service and you're being an ass. McDonalds even as a sign up in the drive through asking you to get off the phone while ordering. If McDonalds knows better than you, you should be ashamed. I personally think that everyone should have to work some kind of food service and some kind of retail in their lives. I think those experiences would definitely cut back the number of people who scream at workers for little reason. If only "Santa is watching you" worked on adults. Experience should also alert everyone to the fact that inventory runs low close to the holidays. If little Jimmy really HAD to have one of those, you should have bought it sooner. Screaming at a store employee is not going to make whatever it is you want magically appear. For those of you who don't have kids, you should know that it is dangerous to walk in front of a moving stroller. I mean, if you value your ankles. Especially if it's a double stroller. I haven't had the electric cattle prod attached to the front of mine yet, so you may consider this your grace period.

I also feel the need to discuss restroom issues. Hands? Let's wash 'em. Doors? Don't forget to lock them please. Pregnant Ladies? Front of the line. And if you're not handicapped, and there are options available, DO NOT TAKE THE HANDICAPPED STALL! If you have a stroller, go for it but don't take too long since there might just be an actual handicapped person who has to go. Just because you'd like some more space while taking your daily constitutional, does NOT mean it's acceptable to take the larger stall. If I walk into another restroom where the only occupied stall is the handicapped one and the inhabitant is NOT handicapped, I will "forget" to control my small man children who think sneaking under the stalls is great fun. And you will have asked for it.

Now get out there and have a great holiday!

Glimpses of the Future

So I take a lot of pictures of my boys. A lot...


Even I can admit that it sometimes borders on obsessive. But there's a reason. Well, three reasons I guess...


First, they're adorable. I mean really, have you ever seen cuter boys? I may be just a tad biased on that one, I know. But clearly, they beg to have their pictures taken and shared with the world...


Second, I enjoy it. I did have someone suggest that I take pictures of other peoples children as a side job, but really, I just like my own. (That and I don't take criticism well so I'd need a very good PR manager to handle any clients else I bite their head off for not liking the same pictures I did). And as much as I love taking them, I love love love looking at them...


And finally, I'm trying to figure them out. I'm looking for those glimpses of the future. The ones where I'll get a feel for the men that these boys will become. The pictures I'll look back on someday, maybe even after they've made their own homes many miles away, and I'll be able to see the buds of who they are.


The pictures I'll look back on and be able to say, "yeah, that picture is SO you."


But that's the problem you see...


I don't know who they're going to be yet, so I don't know when or how to catch that on film.


So for now, I'll just stick to taking lots and lots of pictures...

Hope you like them too :)

A Lazy Blog

My parents are in town and this month feels like it's beating me already. But I did have a few things I wanted to share...

Because I was in Target this week and they already had their Christmas stuff out. And that made me think of how much joy this clip brought me last year.

And this because I'm working on finishing my Christmas shopping. Not that this was on my list.

And this because my parents are only here for the weekend which makes me sad enough to need a pick-me-up. And this always does it.

Underwear & A Dream

I have this dream. And it involves diapers. Throwing them out, never buying them again, never changing them, never having to think about them...you get the idea. I'm reaaaallly tired of diapers. Dash? Dash is not tired of diapers. Not one bit. I actually think he enjoys having me at his beck and call when his pants need to be, um, "refreshed". I have tried every trick in the book, from candy to harping on being a big boy and NOTHING seems to make him at all interested in the process. That stinker will sit on the potty for 20 minutes and get off only to soil his britches within minutes. So thinking back to Fin's (very easy) potty training, I remembered something. I remembered the power of underpants...
The power of underpants with your friends on them. Underpants you can't WAIT to wear...
Underpants with Toodee...
...and Foofa...
...and Wubzy. Wow Wow.

Here's hoping that they actually work. He asked to wear them right away, but over his diaper. I said no and so he's just been looking at them longingly for the past two days...Baby steps, baby steps...

Brothers

Those Eyes...

IMG_3917, originally uploaded by maggiefielding.

And you can see what keeps me away...

I Am Not My Mother (& Repeat)

I am not my mother. Sounds so simple and obvious, but sometimes I need to say it. Out loud.

I am not my mother.

We're alike in many ways - we both have a pretty mean sense of humor and a low threshold of embarrassment, we're both good dancers, we can both be pretty stubborn, we've both been known to break into song for no reason...

But there are also more than a few areas where we're different. And I need to learn that that's ok.

Cause I am not my mother.

I know, you're saying "duh". But I think we all grow up wanting our children to enjoy all of the advantages we had as kids. And when we can't provide that, it's hard not feeling like you've somehow failed them. I had the house people always wanted to come to - my kids would rather go to Monika's house than Disneyland. My mother always had a hot dinner ready - I can NOT cook. I'm working on it, but progress is slow and really, you're either a natural or you're not. And as a child, my mother (and by extension I) took great pride in never donning a store-bought Halloween Costume.

So this time next year, can someone please look at me, remind me "You are not your mother" and send my ass to Target?? Oh, and make sure it's the one with the Pizza Hut so I can bring back dinner too.

I Know, I Know...

Dust is collecting. I get it. BlogHer even took all my pretty ads away.

But let me say that having three small boys sometimes feels more like 9. They're just exponential like that. So here's what has been keeping us busy...

1. Kell is nursing every two hours at least. Yes, around the clock. And he has a constant need to be held. Sometimes, he'll let me put him in the swing, but I never know if I have two minutes or two hours.
2. On a positive note, Kell is also making tons of eye contact and wants to make faces back and forth as often as possible. Yay for cuteness!
3. Dash has developed this terrible screeching noise that I can't figure out how to stop. Any advice appreciated.
4. Dash has also decided that he neeeeeeds a three hour nap. This is problematic on school days.
5. On a positive note, Dash is the loviest little guy on the planet so even as he's screeching or protesting the sudden early end to a nap, you can't help but wanna love on him anyway. And you're rewarded with "I love you mommy" at every turn.
6. His other favorite thing to say is "Wanna go Mon-Ka's house!". And I oblige him every chance she allows I get. I like it there too.
7. Fin has school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. So our mornings consist of running around trying to get the house in order, get dressed, have lunch and get out the door. Then I come home and try and get Dash down for his nap (see #4) and I nap too (see #1)
8. Fin has soccer practice on Fridays and games Saturdays and some Wednesdays.
9. Fin has decided that he constantly needs to irritate Dash in any way humanly possible. Which results in #3. Often.
10. On a positive note, Fin is a terrific helper and has been my savior (with diapers, water, burp cloths, etc) more times than I can count.
11. We, Mom and Dad, decided to make their Halloween costumes this year. Expect a long post on this later with pictures and expletives and a LONG explanation on why we will never do this again.
12. Dad started a new job, Yippee! But it's busy. And he's busy. Which means Mom is extra busy.

And Kell looks sleepy so he's about to be fed and all to bed. But there's the shortlist as to why I've been MIA. Again. But I promise a good post soon (see #11)!

MIA, and A Story.

So I now know that you officially cross the threshold of crazy when you hit three kids. I'm sure someone will say that it's because they're so close in age. And I'm sure my response to that person would be expletive heavy. So between Kell's arrival, the start of school and soccer, Dash entering the terrible 2's and Brooks starting a new job, it's been a little hectic around here.

I have some pretty good stories to share, but as it turns out it also takes three kids to master the whole sleep-when-the-baby-sleeps deal too. And then, this one couldn't wait. And I want to save anyone who thinks that maybe they too can grocery shop with three under 4. Fin, the good child of yesterday, is walking next to the cart. Kell, in his bucket, is in the front basket. Dash is in the big part of the basket. Kell's seat is so tall I can't see Dash. As I put things in the cart, Dash is trying to open and eat everything (before you tell me I'm an awful mother for bringing a hungry child to the store, understand that Dash is ALWAYS hungry. Or, more accurately, will always try and eat whatever is around.) Then I hear Fin yell that Dash has the eggs. I immediately stop and run around to the front, picturing him moving the carton of eggs. Nope. He has ACTUAL EGGS. IN HIS HANDS. Looking very full of intent-to-toss, he starts yelling EGGS, EGGS. Thanks kid.

I guess it would have helped the visual to acknowledge that the kids are in LAX shorts and crapola tees, Fin is covered in paint (from school), and Dash's shoes are on the wrong feet (DASH DO IT MYSELF!), and Kell is in an old onesie (it was 104).

I'm thinking we should just go ahead and have another one.

Fires...

It's been a rough start to fire season here in SoCal. For us that meant a LOT of time spent indoors this past week (which in my current state wasn't necessarily such a bad thing). Admittedly, I did very little venturing outside, so when I finally did get around to taking the trash out today, I was shocked to see the remnants of the far had spread this far away. By the Woob's calculation the nearest fire front was about 7 miles from us...


The good news is that it's getting under control quickly and our air quality should be much improved by this weekend.

Just Making It Official