It's All About the Condiments, Baby!

Vegetables. Need I say more? We definitely don't get the daily recommended servings in this house. Oh, I try to force them on the kids (and Josh for that matter). But does it work? Not generally. Honestly, I'm lucky if I can get two whole green beans down their gullets a day. I've tried to sneak them in, but seeing as how they don't eat much of anything aside of cereal, it doesn't work very well. Peas don't exactly go with cheerios and broccoli doesn't blend into the cocoa puffs very well. So I've tried a few tactics. If I feed them a plate of veggies before dinner is ready, they will piece on them. Then a few days ago I decided to throw some ketchup and BBQ on the plate with the green beans. Apparently, that's all it needed. One large plate of green beans disappeared fast when there was a lovely condiment on the plate. I should have known that was the key to success. If they want applesauce or oatmeal, all it takes to guarantee empty bowls are a few sprinkles or a dash of cinnamon. As for other foods, I'm sure ranch dressing would help, but a milk allergy makes that impossible. So we use Ketchup. Ketchup with fries. Ketchup with meat. Ketchup with bananas. Gross? Undoubtedly so. But it works. So who's to judge. I mean, as a kid I used to watch my dad put salt on watermelon and pepper on cantaloupe. To each their own. Food is food, but in the end, it's really all about the condiments, baby!

How Times Change

If you read my blog regularly, you'll know that my friend, Mandy, has a new baby girl. This week, we finally got to re-initiate our play-dates. So now, what used to be three screaming children, has become four. But for a brief moment, we were all sitting on the couch and enjoying a little quiet time. And by quiet time, I mean the TV was merrily playing cartoons and the kids were drooling over it. Though the peaceful moment only lasted mere minutes, it was nice. So I pulled out my trusty camera and snapped a timer photo. It's probably the best photo I've gotten of us with our kids. Greta doesn't look thrilled, but hey...she's only two weeks old. Gotta give her some credit. She's not exactly at the 'smile for the camera' phase of her life.

But as I was looking at this photo, it made me realize how much time has passed and how we have changed. Mandy and I have been friends since the fifth grade. It was one of those moments, when neither one of us had someone to sit with on the field trip bus and it turned out to be a life-time friendship. I gotta say that we've had quite the times together. Graduations, weddings, and now kids. It'll be interesting as we watch our kids grow and go through a second round of the same things. Graduations, weddings, and then grandkids. Here is a picture of Mandy and I on the eve of our high school graduation.

And then here, twelve years later, we have four kids between us both.

Wow. Times do change. But I wouldn't trade it. It's been a blast. If my blog is still going 30 years from now, perhaps I'll get to add a photo with grandkids.

Potty Time...for real

Okay. So In the past, I've blogged about potential potty training. Up until now, I've had hit and miss luck with it. I suppose I could count all of my failed attempts as steps that have gotten me this far, but who knows. Six days ago on Saturday I decided (after a disgusting poopy diaper) that I was done changing Alex's diapers. Or at least done changing them so often. You've seen those charts that you see regarding potty training. You know, the ones where it has every developmental milestone and sign that your child is ready to potty train? Yes. Well, Alex has ever single box checked. He has for quite some time, actually. I personally feel that he is such a busy kid, that he is simply being lazy about it. Why run all the way to the bathroom when you can just pee on the go?

So after multiple times hearing, "Are you working on potty training yet?", I'm finally able to answer, "Yes." Remarkably enough, it's going rather well. The first day was a total disaster. Josh was here and was more frustrated than I've seen him in a while. Day two was barely better. The pooping accidents were the worst of course. I thought that there was no hope in the near future. Yet another failed attempt at potty training. Ugh...

Then day three came along. We had mild success. Finally, there was light at the end of the heavily diapered tunnel. He only had two pee accidents and asked for a diaper to poop in. Okay...so he doesn't want to poop in the potty. No biggie. I'm good with that. At least he has control of it now. As day four came along, he started to ask to go potty. He had two accidents on day four and on day five had one. Today we are still at just one accident and he is recognizing that he has to go and goes mostly without prompting. Granted, I still find myself asking him to go very frequently. So folks, I won't lie to ya. This is fantastic! Amazing! And it will only get better. The diaper pile is barely disappearing and I can feel my pocket book growing heavier from the money I will be soon saving. I've actually thought about potty training miss Abby at the same time. We are using the reward method. Candy of course. And every time Alex gets a piece of candy she asks for one too. She is constantly telling me that she peed or pooped so who knows. Maybe before the year's end I will be diaper free. Here's hopin'...

It's Almost Birthday Time!

Okay, so in the words of my gaming husband, I have officially 'epic failed' on the birthday invitation area this time around. Alex's third birthday is quickly approaching and I have yet to get invitations out. Oh, they are ordered and due to arrive next week on the 6th. Great...so by the time I get them out and they are delivered, that will give anyone who wants to come a whopping one week notice. So I'm going to do something that would only work in this day and age. I'm going to give a heads up to any family or friends via blogging. Great...now I'm one of those moms. I'm not giving details, of course, purely for safety reasons. But I'm giving the date and time in hopes that it will help a few family members to get a nice heads up. I even have a picture of the invitation that you will be receiving in the mail very soon.

Saturday - October 17th @ 11:00 a.m.

We hope that everyone can make it. Alex is so excited for his big party. If you are wondering what he is interested in these days as far as birthday presents go (not that it's a requirement to give him anything so don't feel obligated), then I'll give you some ideas. He loves The Wiggles, tractors, The Wiggles, trucks, The Wiggles, coloring stuff like crayons and markers, The Wiggles, Buzz Lightyear...and did I mention The Wiggles? I'm going to make ice cream cone cupcakes. You know the kind, right? You use a cake cone to bake the cake batter in and make the frosting look like an ice cream cone.

Mmmm...I'm drooling already. Then there will be tasty soy ice cream (It tastes better than real ice cream if you get the right flavor). Hot dogs and chips with dip for the lunch and a plethora of soda pop to drink. We are hoping for good weather so that we can enjoy the free picnic table that I pawned off of the apartment complex that went bankrupt behind us. It's huge and would be great for an outdoor birthday celebration. It would also be great for any kids that come to enjoy some outside time while we still have mild temperatures. Usually on Alex's birthday, we get to enjoy our town festival, but this year the festival date was changed so there won't be a parade and rides to enjoy, but it will still be a lot of fun. I just feel like a lazy bum that I didn't get the invites out sooner. Bad Mama.

The Eye Roll

Okay, possibly the shortest blog entry I'll ever write, but tonight when miss Abby was fighting sleep I decided to rock her. It has been awhile since I rocked either of the kids, so it was really quite nice. Good bonding. But I think one of the most adorable things about kids this age, has got to be the eye roll. No, not the kind of eye roll you give when someone is annoying you. But the baby/toddler version of an eye roll. I call it the "I'm-too-tired-to-keep-my-eyes-open-but-I'm-going-to-fight-it-to-the-best-of-my-ability eye roll". Anyone who has ever rocked a wee one to sleep knows exactly what I'm talking about. Endearing.

Autumn

Oh Autumn. You exist purely to mock me. The new season has just begun and here we are, right back where we left off last year at the same time. Sick and bored. And sick of being sick and bored.

First up, cold season is getting off to a bang. Abby just got over her first cold of the season and she passed it gracefully on to me by wiping her nose on my cheek. Yuck. Josh naturally got passed. I don't know what his parents did to him growing up, but he has one heck of an immune system. Alex seemed to be free of the germ, hopefully indicating his immune system improving from his first two years. But this morning, he has woke up with a snotty nose. Okay. So it's clear snot right now. That could mean allergies, but with all the meds he is on, I am anticipating a cold. Apparently the kids got my immune system, dang it. Looks like it's about time for another round of home disinfecting.

And now to the bored situation. I have a nearing three-year old and a one and a half year old. We all know that the energy level of children past the age of one just goes up until they reach their lazy teen years. So now we have the colder days setting in for the long haul. Not only does Autumn mock me with the constant chill in the air but daylight savings time further strips away what little time we get to spend outside. Soon, our days will be forced inside by 5:00. That isn't even dinner time! What on earth are you supposed to do in a tiny two bedroom house for four and a half hours every evening? I mean, you can only play with play-doh so much. You know what I mean? And to make the entire situation worse, the kids were so used to play dates with best pal Wesley at least twice a week. Now with new baby Greta in the house, we are on quarantine indefinitely. I fear by the time we get to see them again, Greta will be crawling and Wesley will have forgotten us entirely. It makes me sad. I only pray that we are all well for Alex's 3rd birthday party. I fear that he will have zero attendees this year and as excited as he is for his birthday, that may end in devastation.

Then, as the cherry on the top, there is the fall allergy season. Poor Alex can't go five feet outside without a constant drain of clear snot dripping from one nostril. Poor kid. Allergies are truly mother natures form of torture. Even with mass medication, he can't seem to shake the nose drippys. Abby even gets the tell tale clear drippys from time to time when we go outside.

I don't know. I suppose I am merely spoiled by the beauty of spring and summer and all the joyous times it brings. Ahhh...summer. Oh how I miss your sweltering heat and high air conditioning bills. Come back soon, please. We miss you dearly. Take a good look at the picture on the tops folks. That's about all you'll get to see of us until the winter quarantine is lifted. Too bad they haven't invented a real world version of the sci-fi hyper-sleep. I think I might be tempted to sign us up for the winter months when they do.

The Void

Lately I've been getting to leave the house without kids more often. Okay, so maybe 'often' is the wrong word here. I've actually only got to leave about three times without kids in tow over the last few weeks. But still, it's alone time, right? The funny thing about being alone, is that when you are so used to having someone there, when they are gone you feel a void. I enjoy my alone time just as much as anyone, but sometimes, it just feel strange.

The other day, I went to the store by my little ol' self. I decided that with Abby being sick, it might be nicer to go without the kids for a change. It can be exhausting wiping a nose the whole way. Not to mention I was thinking it might be nice to not spread the germs. So I hopped in my trusty mini-van and headed out. It was nice at first. Listening to grown-up music. No screaming. No packing of the snacks. No constant entertaining. No diaper bag. But then, the longer I was out, I realized I felt the void of their absence. I ended up calling Josh twice just to have someone to chat to. It was weird. I mean, don't get me wrong. I do need the occasional break from the kids. But generally, I take that break with another person like Josh or my friend, Mandy.

All in all, it was a good couple of trips out, but I don't think I will complain about toting the kids with me even at their most annoying times. Because when they aren't there bugging the snot out of me, I miss them still. Apparently, when you leave the kids at home, you just can't seem to avoid the void.