Today

Yay! Max will entertain himself for hours playing Legos.

Ugh! Legos are not allowed to be anywhere near the baby.  They are only allowed behind the gate, down the stairs in the play room in the basement.  Restraining orders have to be enforced, meaning I am now the Lego Nazi.

Yay! Max is at a great age to help with Mini.  He is super enthusiastic to assist with all kinds of things - running to get a diaper, distracting Mini during a changing, jumping over gate and zipping through house to get a burp cloth.

Ugh!  Multiple diapers are thrown in my direction, wild singing and dancing takes place with arms flailing next to me as I’m trying to hold down a 7 month-old crawling octopus, basket of burp cloths are dumped all over the floor followed by hysterical laughter as Max walks around the house with the burp cloth over his head.

Most other days I can appreciate his sense of humor.

Yay! I was able to accomplish something housework-related today.  Well, almost.  I cleaned the kitchen and mopped half of the floor.

Ugh!  Max celebrated the occasion by bringing his sleeping bag to the kitchen for an indoor camp-out.  I know he was just having fun, but why can’t a single room be clean and clutter-free for 5 minutes?

Yay! It’s Friday and Mike is home for the next 2 days. Plus Nana is coming over and bringing reinforcements in the form of Chick-fil-A waffle fries.

Ugh! Weekends don’t last long enough.

Have a good one, though!

Running on Fumes

Sorry, I haven’t been a good blogger lately.  With the new version of Mini hitting the floor (we’ll call her the On The Go Mini) I’m finding myself out of fuel and put-put-puttering towards the couch at the end of each day for a tune-up.

Oh, how I love a word picture.

So blogging has taken a back seat (thank you) but I still want to keep this updated with pictures of my ever-changing kids along with some of my thoughts (that may or may not have anything to do with those pictures…or anything that makes sense).

In other words, everything here on the blog will be exactly the same.  Just less often.  Blame it on the economy, if nothing else.

And if you promise to use that excuse for the state of my messy living room, then go ahead and watch this video of On The Go Mini - her crawling style is pretty funny!

Learning

Homeschooling is going well so far.  I love the Shiller Math which bounces around from topic to topic (one minute you’re skip counting, the next you’re filling up measuring cups with water) and Max is beginning to read simple readers on his own.  He’s motivated to learn and even more motivated for the reward.  Which I forget about half the time but he never does.  So far, so good.

On average we’re doing school three mornings a week at home plus a day at the co-op.  Love the co-op.  Max has made some cool projects in art and oceanography (that’s right, I said oceanography.  The bar is set high for learning in kindergarten.)

Looks to me like he learned something shocking about starfish.

See the red paint he’s wearing on his arm and leg?  Well, we had a bit of drama about that red paint last week.

Do you remember how he had a semi-serious allergic reaction last December after we painted Christmas ornaments?  Well, Max broke out into hives all over his body again but, long story short, it wasn’t the paint.  It was a typical penicillin allergy.  I called the doctor and spoke to a nurse at first, who told me TOTALLY WRONG INFORMATION…only to access my crazy side for an hour as I called an allergist and planned his funeral.

Once the doctor saw him in person, though, we got things straightened out.  Allergic to penicillin.  Good to know.  Cancel the funeral.

I think I’ve spontaneously planned his funeral about a hundred times since he was born.  All due to nothing more than an ear infection, swollen lymph node in the neck, or a busted-up lip that covered his shirt with blood, of course.  I’m not so good in a crisis.

Then sometimes I miss things altogether and ignore the obvious.  Like when he had started telling me his face was itching an entire day before the hives broke out.  Ah, it’s nothing.  Meanwhile I gave him two more doses and nagged and lectured him all day gently reminded him once or twice about keeping his hands off his face.  Nice.

I am the one who is learning.

If You Need Me, I’ll Be on the Floor

Mini is beginning to get up on her knees and crawl a little now and I’m adjusting to life with a mobile baby.  Which means I’m watching her like a hawk as she curiously moves around the living room only to pull her out from trouble after I turn my back for a second.  She gets stuck in a corner fast.  Let me catch my breath, it’s been a tiring week.

But OH! She’s the cutest little crawler/creeper around.  Here, let me show you what I mean.

She’s busy, people.  And I’m just saying to myself, “I can do this.  I can do this.  I can do this.”

Because she really reminds me of Max at 7 months, as far as energy level and curiosity.  And just a little bit of PERSONALITY.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

September Pics

Did the month of September go by fast or slow for you?  It went by incredibly fast for us - I don’t think there was a single day of down time around here.  It was a fun month, though, with birthday celebrations and beach vacations, so no complaints at all.

I’ve blogged about the highlights of the month but there were a few pictures that I took that never made their way into a post.  So, I thought I’d just share them here instead.

The Grammy Book Fair came into town after Max’s birthday party.  Grammy (my mom)’s friend gave us a whole bunch of Scholastic books that her boss gave her (same woman who gave me all the Hawaiian shirts - I think this gal’s got a shopping addiction!)  Max was so excited about all the Magic Schoolbus books.

One night Max told me he was “guarding” Mini while he was having a snack.  This is probably not that funny to you, but it’s hilarious to me.  A little background about Max’s snacking style:  When he eats a snack, Max is in no shape to serve any kind of guard duty.  He spins around, hums, looks at the wall, out the window, etc.  He goes into full snacking Max’s Own Little World.  The boy enjoys his food.

And anyway, guarding what?  She’s just sitting there watching him eat his carrots.

Mini had her first taste of ice-cream (this one was actually taken in August - shhh)  and she didn’t know what to think of it.  But when we gave her some ice-cream at Dairy Queen on our way home from SC she had changed her thinking - it was very good!  Wish I had some pictures of that, it was pretty cute.

Any of my old Maryland friends remember this place?  After I took M & M to have their picture taken, Max needed to get some energy out.  He had met his quota for being still.

This place has served us well over the years - in fact, I think it was our second home for every winter duirng Max’s bumping and crashing toddler and preschool years.

That’s his old time-out spot under the big mushroom.  Haha!

This was Mini’s first time in the park swing.  Her little legs were dancing like crazy, she loved it so much!

Doesn’t she look like she’s having the time of her life?

The next pictures were taken after Max had his regular ENT appointment ($25 copay for 5 second appt to check on his ear tube - ouch!) and we couldn’t resist the smell of Krispy Kreme donuts afterwards.  (Sorry for saying ear tube and donuts in the same sentence - ew!)

Max brought a hat home for Mini (but no donut - now’s the only time he can get away with that kind of nonsense!)

September was a great month.  But isn’t any month great if you add some Krispy Kreme love to it?

Mom of Mystery I Am Not

Last Friday we went on our first official homeschool group Field Trip.  We met in downtown Baltimore at the children’s museum to play on a massive indoor playground, learn how to make our own chewing gum, push interactive buttons, touch knobs of all kinds, and explore tunnels on our hands and knees with multitudes of other children and all their germs and bacteria.

A good time for Max to be on antibiotics, I’d say.

The field trip was super fun and Max’s curiosity was piqued as we went from one room to the next.  When we first arrived, a buddy told him about a section called the Mystery House and right away Max had to find it.  It was mysterious, all right.  Mysterious how I survived the rest of the day answering the MILLION questions Max had about it.

*sigh* Where was Daddy when I needed him?  He would have taken the time to read all of those signs, know all of the Mystery Room’s ins and outs, and would have answered every question in detail.

My lack of response to all of his questions was frustrating to Max.  I tried to come up with a good excuse explain that Mommy was busy taking pictures of him in the Mystery House and I didn’t have time to read all of the blurbs and captions in the who dunnit game.

Yes, yes.  I was taking pictures.

Sidenote:  This drain tunnel thing is the scariest thing I’ve ever crawled through.  You know when you’re so scared that your voice quivers a little?  Well, my voice as well as all my vital organs were quivering “GET OUT NOW!”

Bravery is not my strong suit.

Equilibrium is not, either.

I had to get out of there before I was sick.

But other than that, we had a great time, Max is still talking about it, and he begged us to take him back again.

This time, with Daddy.

All In A Day’s Work

The antibiotics have kicked in and Max is feeling so much better, even though he wasn’t feeling that bad to begin with.  There were no obvious symptoms of strep throat prior to yesterday morning except for a hoarse voice.

Maybe the fact that he lied down in the middle of soccer on Tuesday was a bit of a clue, though.

Speaking of clues (haven’t I used that segue before?) Max informed me today that he is no longer a Bug Explorer.  It’s official, inspired by iPod crime scenes, birthday parties, and a set of Encyclopedia Brown books that Aunt Jen gave him, he is now a Boy Detective.

After we were finished with school, he grabbed his police hat, a box of random tennis balls and such, his magnifying glass, pencil, paper, and a plastic grocery bag to gather evidence outside.  He asked me if I knew what case he was going to solve.

“The Case Of Why No One Could Come Out to Play.”

Ugh.  Sorry, Bud; 11:30 a.m. on a school day may not be prime playing time in the neighborhood.

I know, it makes me feel kinda bad too.  But if he were not homeschooled he would have missed out on the next thing he did afterwards.

He announced to me, “Mommy, it’s invention time!”

“What time huh?

“Invention Time!  I’m an Inventor”

I can’t keep up with all these major career changes.  I followed him into the kitchen where he asked me for a bowl and permission to fill it up with water.  Sure, why not.  Homeschooling is fun.

He gave me a verbal list of necessary ingredients for his invention.  Passionately, he was trying to see what would the result be if colored foods were added to water.  I thought that was pretty educational.

He tried a lollipop, apple juice, and blue m&m’s.  I left him to his science experiment while I took care of business changing Mini’s diaper, but when I came back down I decided something.

From this day forward all inventions will be supervised.

Huge mess on the counter.  Every kitchen tool used.  Bits of wheat bread floating at the top of bowl full of brown water that caused me to barf a little.  How long was I gone? 5 minutes?

I couldn’t help but laugh (because the mess was manageable).  He and I cleaned up the counter and he moved on to another occupation before sunset.

This time, he was Agent Max.  I asked him if he knew the difference between a detective and an agent.  He said, “a detective searches and an agent sneaks”

He does look rather inconspicuous, doesn’t he?

I believe that whatever he grows up to be, he’ll have his heart in it for sure.

Let It Out

Found no clean underwear, but told him not to fret

I’ll throw a load in right away, watch me: get ready, set

Uh-oh! spilled Cheerios on the floor, spit-up on my leg

OJ tastes yucky Mommy, swollen glands pop out his neck

Out the door to see the doctor, next stop: Target to get

Orange flavored penicillin, 10 days for the strep

Housework never finished, clothes in dryer sopping wet

Better fix some dinner, Mike gets home early I bet

Junior High starts tonight, has to leave in just a sec

Dinner’s not yet ready, pillow crying is my out-let

Take can out to recycle bin, and who was it I met?

A big raccoon on the deck, I think my pants got wet

It was only just a day, but a day I just wish to forget

How was your day?

7 Months

Mini turned 7 months old while we were at the beach so I missed posting an update last week on my sweet girl.  She’s growing and changing so much now, it feels like daily life just sped up a notch.  I took her to the pediatrician this morning and she is now 14 lbs 13 oz and 26 1/2 inches long.  Wow!

Mini’s personality is really emerging now.  I love how she looks intently in the eyes of someone until she warms up to them.  Then, in due time, she’s all smiles.  Cautious at first, that’s good.

She wakes up at the crack of dawn (which I forgot existed) but if left alone will entertain herself until she falls back asleep.  Once awake again between 7 and 7:30 and fed, I put her on the floor with a basket full of toys to individually take out, put in her mouth, examine for a minute, then toss to the side.  It’s her work.

She’s content to play with her toys as long as I’m nearby.  If I leave the room, then there’s cause for real concern.  But at least the cries serve as Max’s alarm clock each morning and he doesn’t yet seem to mind.

Max always says “good morning Mini-girl” (well, her real name instead of Mini), which I think is down right adorable, and he gives her a kiss on the forehead.

The two of them are meant to be brother and sister.  She already clearly likes to have her personal space and he doesn’t even know the definition of personal space, but even so, Mini just taps his head in protest without a single whimper.

It doesn’t phase him.  He’ll do a little dance or make a silly face and she giggles.  She laughs for me maybe twice a day.  She laughs for Mike maybe twice.  But Max?  She’ll laugh for him at least a dozen times before noon.

They are quite a pair.  Max is a wonderful big brother - very protective, extremely attentive (in a good way) and naturally encouraging.  He cheers for her new accomplishments over and over again.

It’s been quite a month for development.  She’s Army crawling, moving to a sitting position, picking up Cheerios and fist-feeding them in her mouth and clapping.  I think she understood me tonight when I asked her to clap, which was really cool.  She loves all the praise!

She’s pretty quiet when she plays with toys or books (she loves books with mirrors!) but in the car, stroller, and high chair she sings and babbles.  Her voice is so cute and I absolutely love the mother/daughter talks we have.

Okay, now for some pictures.  I was able to capture one of her latest things in several photos from our beach trip: the discovery of her tongue.  Oh, how fun!

And here are the latest portraits that were taken of my two kiddos

It’s been a very happy 7 months!

He Has Some Moves Too

And, yes, we’ve always known in this case, as well.