Creating Our Family

The End

2010-11-25T18:52:00.001-08:00

When I started this blog two and half years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing. I could barely upload pictures, let alone apply cool backgrounds or import videos. My goals were to find a way to keep family and friends up-to-date on our second adoption and to use this blog as virtual scrapbook, hoping to preserve all the moments I knew I'd never document in a photo album or baby book.

A lot has changed since my first post. We've brought Aidan home and learned to balance the needs of two children with our own. A little thing Chris still likes to call "The Facebook" took off, allowing us more control over who sees the kids' pictures and stories online. Blogging for me has become less of a scrapbook and more of a place to share my experiences as a parent and connect with an amazing online community of mothers I otherwise wouldn't have met.

So today, as we celebrate Aidan's 2nd Family Day, it seems like an appropriate time to write my last post on Creating Our Family. I'll be posting pictures and everyday happenings on Facebook, so follow us there if seeing pictures of the boys is the highlight of your week :) In addition, I will still be blogging over at the blog I started this summer, I Spy A Family. I've so enjoyed sharing a little bit of our lives with you and hope you will all continue to follow along on my other blog.

And since I believe every one of life's milestones should end with a slide show, I leave you with this:

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Rescuers

2010-11-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sure our stuffed animals will be less concerned about being tossed down the stairs now that we have a firefighter and an EMT on site.

Treats

2010-11-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

On the way to school this morning, Aidan and I were talking about how much fun we had yesterday trick or treating....

Aidan: 'Member you let us eat candy while we walking?
Me: I remember, that was a special treat.
Aidan: What that candy we eat outside called?
Me: Kit Kats
Aidan: Oooohhhh, Kitty Cats!!! That my best treat ever!

***pause, while angry look spreads across Aidan's face***

Aidan: Hey - why you never give us Kitty Cats before?????

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T07:54:00.001-07:00

FFF - Best in Show

2010-10-29T08:01:00.001-07:00

There's still the possiblity of a snuggly-in-my-Christmas-jammies picture knocking this one out of the top spot, but as of now this is one of my favorite pictures of the year: And this is definitely the best jack-o-lantern the Gorski Family has ever carved...

Chris did scrape out 95% of the insides and performed the actual cutting, but I really credit Aidan and I for doing such an excellent job of scooping out the seeds :)

Favorite Foto Friday - Pony Rides

2010-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

The boys recently enjoyed pony rides at a pumpkin farm.

True to form, Aidan hopped right on and had to be reminded repeatedly to pay attention and keep two hands on the saddle... While Andy approached with caution and focused intently on holding on tight.

FFF - Winter is worth it...

2010-10-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

...for beautiful fall days like this one

Another year goes by...

2010-10-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

Andy, I can't believe you are 4 years old today!

It seems like only yesterday we were watching you smear frosting from your 1st birthday cupcake all over your high chair; how can you already be blowing out 4 candles all by yourself? It's amazing to me that when I look at you I see a kid - not a baby, not even a toddler. You're growing up so fast...in another 4 years, you'll be 8 and in another 4, 12 and in another 4....well, I just can't believe how quickly it will all be over.

I thought I'd take a moment to record a bit about who you are right now, in this moment, because I want to capture the details of this time of your life before it passes me by in a blur of trains and cartoons and stories before bed.

So, here's some things about you at age 4:

How we celebrated: This year instead of one big party, we opted for many smaller ones. A few weeks ago, we celebrated with your grandparents, aunts & cousins. After weeks of deliberating w/no decision, Aunt Sandy suggested you have a double theme of pumpkins and candy for this party, which worked out perfectly b/c I found a pumpkin pinata at Target. Despite valiant efforts, you, Aidan and your cousins were unable to break it open, so Daddy did it for you and then climbed on top of the swing set to create the "candy rain" we'd been promising. Post-candy collection, Daddy put the pumpkin on his head and entertained you by running around the yard and falling down. Yesterday, we celebrated with the B family at our house with dinner and brownies with peanut butter whipped cream, on which we put imaginary candles for you to blow out b/c for the life of me I could not remember where I'd put the ones from your party. The B's got you a basketball hoop that fits over a door with a breakaway rim. I have no idea what that means, but the Dads were very excited about it. This morning we made pumpkin pancakes with whipped cream before school and this afternoon we will have ice cream with Grammy, Aunt Sandy & your cousins. Then next week, my aunts and their kids will be coming over for more ice cream and presents. So basically, the entire month of October will be filled with presents and treats, but I think that's fine b/c in my opinion you can never have too many of either one.

Your favorite cartoons: Diego, Caillou and Fireman Sam; thankfully none of them annoy me and Dad too much, though we do spend a lot of time wondering why 4 year old Caillou doesn't have any hair.

Your favorite movies: Toy Story 2 & Cars.

Your favorite foods: Anything with peanut butter, yogurt covered raisins, red grapes and Goldfish. Your are very fickle when it comes to your favorite frozen treats, one day proclaiming cookies and cream ice cream to be your best treat ever and then the next time rejecting it in favor of strawberry or mint chocolate chip. Your devotion to frosting and whipped cream however, is unwavering.

Your favorite books: poems from Where the Sidewalk Ends, especially "Lazy Jane" and "Invention", Olivia, Llama, Llama Mad at Mama, Little Miss Spider, Goodnight Moon.

Your favorite activities: using our suitcases to play "vacation" with Aidan, pushing anything with wheels, taking pictures with the camera Grandma Jean gave you.

The thing I enjoy most about you: Talking in bed every night before you go to sleep. Our conversations cover everything from whether or not you liked what I made for dinner to what a sting ray's mouth looks like. Snuggling in bed and hearing your sweet little voice is the perfect end to even the most hectic days.

The latest installment

2010-10-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

"It doesn't sound the same without my sunglasses on." - Aidan, on why he couldn't play his guitar until we found his sunglasses.

"I don't really care for sleep." - Andy, making the understatement of his life a few weeks ago at bedtime.

"The stinging wasp did a battle with Daddy, but the shoe won." - Aidan, after Chris killed a wasp in his room.

"We ate the cake, so now I'm four." - Andy, trying to convince me he turned four the day of his party, not 2 weeks from now.

"I wish I could, but my legs are out of batteries." - Andy, on why he was unable to help clean up his toys.

"Well, I make quite a mess." - Aidan, telling me about snack time at school.

"To infinity and beyond!" - Andy, every time he flushes the toilet.

Favorite Foto Friday - Let's Wrestle!

2010-09-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

Favorite Foto Friday - Pilgrimage

2010-09-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

Once a year

When the leaves start to change

When the air feels crisp

And players take the field

Chris & I take a grown-ups only trip

To see our team play

Some years its sunny and sometimes it rains

Some years its a victory and sometimes a defeat

But every year

rain or shine

win or lose

We have a great time

(probably because of the grown-up beverages and cigars)

Favorite Foto Friday - Puddle Jumpers

2010-09-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when I put on rain gear I look like a shapeless blob, but when the kids put theirs on they look even cuter than they usually do?

Appearing adorable no matter the weather - just another one of the many joys of being young.

Look Out World

2010-09-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today was Aidan's first day of preschool. As he does with all new experiences, he approached it with enthusiasm. I love how Aidan views the chance to do anything new as a grand adventure. It is without a doubt my absolute favorite thing about him.

With him at school, my trips to the grocery store will definitely be less exhilarating.

2010-09-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago, we were struggling to have a family. The house felt quiet and empty.

Now, this is the sound that often can be heard echoing through the halls:

Our house is wild, noisy, overflowing with little boys' toys and a reminder of how full our lives are now.

Its perfect - even though full enjoyment frequently requires 2 Advil.

First Day of School

2010-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I won't say that either one of us was jumping for joy, but we made it through the first drop off of the year without any tears.

There was a moment, right before we said good-bye, when both of us were blinking back tears, but since Andy managed to be brave, so was I.

The real test, of course, will be how he feels about going back tomorrow. I'm hopeful we can get through this school year without any tearful good-byes.

Though watching him walk away with his lunch bag in tow really pulls at my heart strings, so I can't make any promises.

Postponement

2010-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

We've been busy trying to soak up the last bit of summer vacation before Andy's school starts Monday.

Check back then for some First Day of School pictures - I'll be the one weeping in the background.

Favorite Foto Friday - Ingenious

2010-08-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

After 10 minutes of spinning in circles like a dog chasing his tail, one of my sons came to me and said "I have an idea! You take a picture of my butt - that's how I can see it!"

Obsession with butts aside, I've got to hand it to that one, he's a pretty awesome problem solver.

Too Soon to Laugh

2010-08-06T15:42:00.001-07:00

I just hung up the phone with the sound of Chris's laughter ringing in my ears. My reaction to the news I'd shared with him was somewhat less enthusiastic.

On the heels of their newly won privilege to play upstairs by themselves, our charming, delightful, creative "big boys" decided they no longer require my assistance to change Aidan's dirty pull-up. Clued into the fact that mischief was being made by the sound of giggles of the "I can't believe we're doing this" variety, I went upstairs to discover my children had taken off Aidan's pull-up, emptying no less than half its content onto the floor of my bathroom and were using the knife from their kitchen set and a plastic bat to scoop it up and throw it in the general vicinity of the toilet. Following my shriek of horror, Andy glanced up mid-scoop and said innocently "What Mom? Poop goes in the potty." As I entered to further examine the scene of the crime, I slipped on the dirty toilet water covering the floor and nearly fell on my face. It was then, when Aidan reached out his hand and said "Careful Mama!", that I saw the poop stuck to his fingers.

The next moments were a blur, I think my brain is already trying to block the details from my memory, but I somehow got the kids, bathroom and myself cleaned up just as Chris was calling to tell me he was headed home.

Of course he thought the story was hilarious. He's not the one that had to clean it up.

What I Learned on my Summer Vacation

2010-08-02T11:30:00.001-07:00

Aidan successfully uses the potty about 50% of the time, but has a 100% success rate when allowed to go in the ocean.

Andy will sit quietly for 6 hours straight if Deigo's Iguana Rescue Sing-Along DVD is playing on a continuous loop.

Kids get sand stuck between their toes, in their ears and every other place imaginable...as well as some places that defy the imagination.

If Aidan gets salt water in his mouth, no problem, he'll spit it out, but sand is so delicious it's not only worth eating once on accident but then licking off sea shells every time the opportunity presents itself in the future.

It is possible for me to go 7 days without Starbucks...but after my first sip this morning I realized the truth to that saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder".

Favorite Foto Friday - Beach Vacation

2010-07-30T15:19:00.001-07:00

Sadly, today is our last day in North Carolina.

Rather than bore you with "we saw this" and "we did that", I'll simply say it was a really great trip and let the pictures speak for themselves.

The only thing I will not miss about Atlantic Beach, NC is the excuriatingly slow speed of the internet. After spending literally 35 minutes uploading these few photos, I just don't have the patience to arrange them properly, so you'll have to enjoy them as is.

Favorite Foto Friday - Milestone

2010-07-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

Aidan, 32 months old:

First solo book-reading experience not ending in riped or chewed pages.

Man of the House

2010-07-21T13:28:00.001-07:00

Andy walked into the kitchen where I was doing dishes (okay, fine! Maybe I was checking my email) and we had the following conversation:

A: Mom! There is a crab in the playroom that pinches butts!
M(laughing): A crab that pinches butts, that's funny...oh, also don't say butts.
A: MOM.ITS.NOT.FUNNY. Butt-pinchers are very dangerous.
M: Oh.
A: Don't worry, I will catch him, cover his eyes and tell him to shoo.
M (trying to supress giggles): okay. Thank goodness you're here.
A: Yes, thank goodness. Otherwise Daddy would have to come home from his work.

Its so comforting to know Andy is now a qualified butt-pinching crab tamer. That's a load off my mind.

Three Years Ago Today...

2010-07-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, I understood...
why moms drive cautiously in the right lane
why dads spend hours baby-proofing the kitchen cabinets
why parents stand next to their baby's crib just to watch him breathe

Three years ago today, our house...
became a place overflowing with baby toys and accessories
became a place filled with the sweet sound of lullabies
became a place where a family lived

Three years ago today, I realized...
the joy of a baby's smile
the heartbreak of his cry
the sweetness of his hand in yours

Three years ago today, Andy filled...
our hearts,
our home,
our lives,
with love

Happy Family Day Andy! There isn't a day that goes by that Daddy & I don't thank God for the privilege of hearing you call us Mom and Dad.

Favorite Foto Friday - Out of Retirement

2010-07-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

I bet when Chris gave him up many years ago, Potbelly Bear thought he'd spend the rest of his days in quiet reflection. I'm sure he didn't think he'd ever again...

...share a boy's dinner...

...or serve as a soft place for a child to rest his head...

...be part of movie night...

...or experience the joy of a really small one's really big hug...

Luckily for Potbelly, even when one particular boy grows up, there are always others waiting to love him.

Best Friends & Worst Enemies

2010-07-14T06:35:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the boys couldn't look at each other without a fight breaking out.

Today, they want only each other, telling me the playroom was for brothers only. Andy did briefly come out to "check on me" and told me "when Aidan grows up he will grow into a mommy-girl and I will marry him and be the daddy-mommy."

Such is the life of brothers.

Fav Foto Friday - The Fundamental Things Apply, As Time Goes By

2010-07-09T13:42:00.001-07:00

The movie may have been more focused on kisses and love songs... ...but we've stumbled on another one of those "fundamental", unchanging parts of life...

...as long as there are little brothers, there will be big brothers to torment them.

In Case You're Unaware

2010-07-06T07:13:00.001-07:00

Aidan wants to make sure you know they're called thunderworks. It doesn't matter if everyone else calls them something different. Everyone else is wrong. Thunderworks. That's the real name.

I'm envious of my two year old's stubborn self confidence.

You're Invited

2010-07-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

To visit I Spy a Family - my new blog!

I love documenting our lives here and this blog will still be the place to come for Favorite Foto Friday, funny things the boys do and the latest in our day-to-day lives. My new blog will be somewhat anonymous, complete with fake names and no identifying pictures, which will give me the chance to write about my experiences as a mom without worrying about the information I'm putting out there for the whole world to see.

I hope to see you over there and look forward to sharing a bit more about our family.

http://www.ispyafamily.blogspot.com/

Obligatory Mom Post

2010-06-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

I know every parent thinks their kids say the cutest things & I am under no delusions that my kids are any cuter than the rest, but part of my job is to ensure these things get recorded from time to time.

Here's our latest installment of Kids Say the Darndest Things:

"Holy Smokes!" - Andy's response to seeing fireflies in our yard.

"I take car, buckle up, drive to Grammy's." - Aidan's plan for avoiding cleanup time.

"Good ol' Mick" - Aidan's nickname for his Mickey Mouse stuffed animal.

"Gorilla got crazy eyes." - Aidan's explanation for why his much-loved gorilla is now banished from his bed.

"Sometimes its like a fire hose and sometimes its like a squirt gun." - Andy describing his bathroom experiences.

FFF - Thanks Kate

2010-06-25T05:52:00.000-07:00

Got the idea to let the kids paint their bodies after remembering an old episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 where Kate momentarily recovers from her OCD-ness and let the kids paint themselves w/pudding.

I knew all those hours of reality tv viewing weren't just a mindless waste of time! Hmm, I wonder what lessons I can take away from this season of the Bachelorette...

Dinner Conversations

2010-06-23T09:32:00.001-07:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Other Person Responsible for Creating You

2010-06-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

There's lots of talk in the adoption world about birth mothers. The sacrifices they made. The dreams they had for their babies. On Mother's Day, children's birthdays & family days, blogs are flooded w/thoughts about birth moms and the significant place they have in our children's lives.

There is decidedly less said about birth fathers.

I know in our family, the kids' birth moms are part of every conversation we have about their adoptions:

You grew in your birth mom's belly. She loved you, but she couldn't take care of a baby. She made a plan to give you the life she wanted you to have.

We have yet to mention their birth fathers. The boys don't even know they exist.

Its just at this age, I don't know where to begin. Birth moms are easy to talk about, they play a role kids understand (growing a baby in her belly) and in our case, as in many cases, chose adoption b/c they knew it was the only way to give their children the life they wanted them to have. Birth moms' stories are the ultimate example of what it means to love someone more than yourself.

Birth father stories are often not as simple or as nice. I know ours aren't. For one thing, I am so not ready to explain the role a man plays in where babies come from to my 2 & 3 year olds, especially when that story doesn't start w/"when a man and a woman love each other very much...". Then there's the undesirable role, or lack there of, some birth fathers play in their children's adoptions. I won't get into specifics w/our children's stories, but many children's histories include fathers who wanted pregnancies terminated or who deserted birth mothers after learning of the pregnancy. Conversely, there are many birth moms who chose not to tell the father about the pregnancy or her decision to make an adoption plan - sometimes b/c the pregnancy was the result of a casual relationship, sometimes b/c the father is not a good person, sometimes b/c she doesn't want him to try to talk her out of it. I'm not saying all birth fathers are evil or selfish, but many times, as w/our sons', the roles they played are complicated. Its hard to fill a page in your toddler's lifebook entitled "The reason your birth mom kept you a secret".

Yet it is conversation I know we will have to begin in the next few years. Birth fathers are part of our children's adoption stories and I will not make the mistake of thinking the kids will never wonder who their biological fathers are. I will also not omit them b/c it is simpler and risk sending my boys the message that when it comes to creating a life, its only women that matter. Men do matter; my boys need to grow up knowing they will matter to their children. So I'm finding the words to begin the conversation...

Favorite Foto Friday - "Snuggle Me!"

2010-06-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Aidan's new game is to select a target & hurtle himself into said target's arms while shrieking "SNUGGLE ME!!!!".
It is both completely adorable and obnoxiously bossy - much like the child himself.

The Awesomeness of Chris

2010-06-15T18:34:00.001-07:00

My weekend away w/the boys reminded me of lucky I am to have a husband who is such a hands-on parent.

Since Father's Day is this weekend and today is our 8th anniversary, I decided to post 5 reasons Chris is a great dad...because nothing says "I love you" like a good list.

Whenever he is home, Chris changes just as many diapers, reads just as many books & watches Cars just as many times as I do.
Watching a game always takes a back seat to spending time w/the boys - even when its Notre Dame football season.
Every night Chris asks the boys about their days and is genuinely interested in what they have to say.
Chris is quick to give hugs & kisses and never tells the kids ridiculous things like "boys don't cry".
Chris is the king of silly songs and pillow forts.

Chris, thanks for being so awesome. I hope the boys grow up to be just like their Daddy.

Seven

2010-06-09T19:32:00.000-07:00

In two days, the boys & I will be leaving on a Grammy, Mommies & Kids weekend getaway (no babies, no Daddies, no pets, no Papas) with my mom, sister & niece. As usual, in the 48 hours leading up to our trip, my To Do list jumped from about 6 items to practically 20. Inevitably in those 2 days I get about 3 things crossed off my list, stay up until 2 am the night before the trip and wind up feeling unjustifiably frustrated that kids require me to focus on them as if its a normal day and their backpacks of fun will just pack themselves.

Not today. Today was different. Today we had Kayla.

I know in my last post I confessed to being a tiny bit anxious about the whole babysitter thing. It didn't help matters much when Dallas called yesterday and said she'd just gotten a spot in a really popular drivers ed program and Kayla would be coming alone for the 1st 5 weeks (I'm sure she's super psyched about driving and all, but she doesn't turn 16 until FEBRUARY and therefore has plenty of time to take a class that doesn't conflict w/my mommy time, but whatever). It got worse when I casually mentioned to the boys that the nice girl from down the street would be coming to play w/them and Andy went pale, asked if I would be there too and then burst into tears when I explained I would be upstairs.

Even though every fiber in my being was screaming "This is wrong, all wrong!" (it felt very similar to this one time in college when I considered buying $200 white leather pants), I decided to go ahead w/it anyway. I was afraid if I didn't I'd end up becoming the type of mom who forces her 12 year old to check in w/her every 5 mins...when he's hanging out upstairs.

So promptly at 9:30 this morning our doorbell rang, I ushered Kayla in and spent 25 mins going over rules, safety precautions and a demonstration how to pin Aidan to the floor and change his pull-up if a person wants to avoid scrubbing poop off the carpet and/or various parts of her body.

Then I went upstairs.

And in 2 hours, I got SEVEN things crossed off my to do list.

Seven.

And Andy didn't cry.

And Aidan didn't choke.

And now the boys won't be required to text me from their bedrooms.

Loosening My Grip

2010-06-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

Aidan woke up last night and because he currently has a cold that prevents him from sucking his thumb, I ended up taking him into the guest room to sleep. Long after he drifted off, sprawled sideways across the bed w/his feet in my face, I laid frozen in place on my 1/8th of the mattress, obsessing about a decision I'd committed myself to 12 hours earlier.

Starting this Wednesday, I've hired 2 girls from our neighborhood to babysit the boys for 3 hours every week while I exercise, shower and cross other non-kid-friendly errands off my to do list.

I realize for many of you, this doesn't seem like a momentous event and certainly isn't anything to lose sleep over. Yet I there I was, wide awake at 1 am, panicking about all the things I would have to tell Kayla & Dallas on Wednesday:

My cell number will be taped to all the phones.
The kids cannot go outside w/o bug spray & sunscreen.
Aidan tries to sneak into the woods if you look away for even a second
Aidan is not allowed to jump off the fireplace, no matter what he tells you.
Aidan has been known to eat chalk. and flowers. and twigs. and once a lady bug.

....and on and on and on....

As I laid in bed, thinking of the hundreds of vitally important pieces of information these girls were going to have to commit to memory before they could take care of my kids, I was suddenly struck with 2 thoughts. First, Good Lord Aidan is a lot of work and second, maybe this whole babysitter thing is a bad idea, I should cancel.

When asked why we've never used a babysitter, I've always said that it didn't make sense to pay someone when I have 2 sisters, both parents and numerous relatives who will do it for free. Plus, with Andy's shaky sense of security, the sleepless nights and tantrums that follow introducing a new person into his life don't make the few hours away worth it. Those things are both true, but I realized last night there is more to it than that.

A big part of it is that I have trouble giving up even the tiniest bit of control over Andy & Aidan without obsessing over all the things that could go wrong in my absence. What if Andy is too scared to ask to go to the bathroom and has an accident? What if someone doesn't cut their food into small enough pieces and one of them chokes? What if no one helps Aidan walk down the stairs and he falls? What if they don't get tucked into bed the special way they like and go to sleep feeling lonely and missing me?

The thing is, this is not the kind of parent I want to be. I've struggled w/anxiety all my life and its super not cool. I don't want my kids to learn from me that every park is a potential broken bone, that every stranger could be a kidnapper, that every popsicle is a possible choking hazard. Most importantly, I don't want them to grow up feeling that every time they are away from me they are not safe.

So tonight I'm going to finish this post and go distract myself w/a good book. On Wednesday I'm going spend 35 mins w/Kayla and Dallas going over the laminated child care instructions I will no doubt create tomorrow and then I'm going to take a deep breathe and head down to the basement to reacquaint myself w/the elliptical while two very capable girls feed my kids a snack.

Maybe in a few weeks I'll even make myself leave the house while they're here :)

FFF - Reindeer Games

2010-06-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

There is a 97% chance you are getting a preview of this year's Christmas card because come December they seem to develop an allergy to wearing anything holiday related and smiling at the same time.

I guess that's fine - people in the tropics wear short sleeves in their holiday pictures, right?

Favorite Foto Friday - Do you behave in Church?

2010-05-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

If so, you can join us for donut Sunday.

Clothing optional.

You've come a long way, kiddo!

2010-05-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to a party at Andy's school to celebrate the last day of class. We sat on the floor, nibbling M&M cookies and sipping lemonade, while Miss Terry, who has the most soothing story voice I've ever heard, read us a book about spitting watermelon seeds all over town. After that, all the kids stood up to sing us a selection of their favorite songs of the year...well, all the kids except for Andy, who wanted no part in performing for a huge group of camera-wielding moms jocking for position and whisper-screaming "Ryan, look at me!", "Julianna, smile!".

Nope, he preferred to stay seated right where he was, on the edge of the crowd, studying his lei and resolutely refusing Miss Laurey's gentle attempts to get him to join the group.

If you know what an overachiever I was in school, you might think this disappointed and embarrassed me, having the only kid in a class of 16 who refused to participate in the end of the year show. But to be honest, I sat there feeling so ridiculously proud of that kid.

This is a kid who started out the year reluctant to get even the tiniest bit of paint on his fingers, who today brought home a fingerpainted sun to hang on the fridge next to dozen of other messy works of art he willingly created.

This is a kid who just 9 months ago flat-out refused to let any stranger get within 5feet of him, who today scooted up close to both his teachers for good-bye hugs and pictures.

This is a kid who at the beginning of the school year would cry the moment we got in the car to go to school, who today released his death grip on my hand and quietly said "Bye Mom, see you after school" when it was time for class to start (even if he still made sad, little puppy-dog eyes as I was leaving).

This is a kid who has far exceeded my expectations. Even if he had stood up and belted out a solo of that sleeping fish song, I couldn't have been prouder.

Favorite Foto Friday

2010-05-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Look at you two in your sunglasses.

Ready to rule the playground.

Become kings of the splash pad.

Totally Cool.

Unfortunately, you look less cool when your sunglasses become bent from being jammed into your pockets.

And even less cool when, despite my warnings, you repeatedly bend them until they snap in half.

Oh well, T*rget has a never-ending supply of $5 glasses and summer is just getting started. We have lots of time left to master the "cool kid" look.

Pitter-Patter

2010-05-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today we got an envelope w/a letter & a pair of socks from one of the boy's birth moms.

It got me thinking how easily I can close my eyes and hear the pitter-patter of his little feet in the hall as he chases after his brother or tries to tip-toe away to do something he's not supposed to. It made me think of how he can almost reach the pedals on his big boy bike and how he taps his feet to the beat when we are listening to a song he likes in the car.

Then I pictured his birth mom, standing in the accessories aisle of a baby store or at a booth in a crowded street market, looking at rows and rows of little boy socks, unsure of which pair to buy b/c she doesn't even know what size shoe he wears. The enormity of what she has lost hits me like a ton of bricks.

I can grab his adorable, pudgy, stinky little boy feet and kiss them any time I want and she doesn't even know what size shoe he wears.

No matter how many letters and pictures I send, it will never be enough to thank her for the sacrifice she made to give him a better life. I just hope it gives her some peace.

Favorite Foto Friday - Ear Plugs

2010-05-14T06:53:00.000-07:00

If I could do it over again, that's what I'd add to my baby registry.

Favorite Foto Friday - Table Manners

2010-05-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

I should probably put a stop to them actually licking their plates clean....

...but it sure does makes the dishes less work.

You're in Timeout Mickey.

2010-05-04T12:35:00.000-07:00

I recently asked Aidan if he could please refrain from stripping down to his birthday suit when he is supposed to be taking a nap. His reply: "No Mom - Mickey make me do it."

5 Reasons

2010-04-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

Longtime followers of this blog are well aware that I love lists and ranking systems in general.

Honor rolls.
People Magazine's Most Beautiful People.
New York Times Best Seller Lists.
The game where I make Chris list the top 5 reasons he loves me.

These things make my heart smile.

It should come as no surprise then to hear that as a child I was obsessed w/which one of us kids my parents liked best. Of course when asked they always claimed not to have a favorite, but my sisters & I are so different - I'm the bookworm, Sandy's the social butterfly and Jen's the athlete. How was it possible to love us equally? It seemed rather unlikely. In fact, it sounded about as plausible as someone claiming they liked that goody-two-shoes Brendan just as much as Dylan and didn't care who Kelly chose (FYI original 902010 writers - Kelly's "I choose me" was super lame & in no way a victory for feminists).

Well into adulthood I held onto the belief that all parents secretly have a favorite child. In fact, one of my biggest concerns when we decided to adopt a second baby was that I would like one better than the other. I couldn't imagine loving anyone more than Andy; what if I resented Aidan for changing the dynamics of our relationship? What if Andy's two year old tantrums suddenly made him seem like a demon child next to Aidan's sweet baby giggles? What if no matter how hard I tried, the one I liked less knew it? Even as I drove to the airport to meet Aidan, the fear that I wouldn't be capable of loving two children equally bounced around in my head.

So today when Andy, the child who loves schedules and lists even more than I do, crawled into my lap and asked "Mom, who do you like best, me or my brother Aidan?", I was so relieved to find that I could truthfully reply "I love you both the same". And because I can understand his need to put everything in its place, I know that answer didn't quite satisfy him. So Andy, when you read this, here's a way of answering your question that might make sense to you:

Five Reasons I Love Andy

I love that when I put on a dress or paint my nails you tell me "You look beautiful Mommy!".
I love that when Aidan is uncharacteristically quiet you notice and stop to give him a hug and whisper "You alright buddy?".
I love that when you find a spider in the house you lay down next to him and ask where he is going.
I love that when I drop you off at school, you give me a shaky smile and say "I'll be brave" even though I know the thought of staying there w/o me terrifies you.
I love that when we make cookies, you always find the best one and ask me to save it for Daddy.

Five Reasons I Love Aidan

I love that no matter how steep the slide or high the ladder, you're always up for the challenge.
I love that you hit the ground running every morning and don't slow down until you close your eyes at night.
I love that you are as rough and tumble as they come, but every now and then you will randomly stop what you are doing and give me a hug.
I love that your favorite part of reading books every night is pointing out all the pages you ripped or chewed.
I love that you offer Andy your most prized possession, your blankie, when you know he's sad.

Boys, I hope as you grow up you never feel that the characteristics that make you different from each other, that make you unique, somehow make me like one of you less. I hope that I'm able to show you that parents don't have a finite amount of love that must be divided amoung their children. At the very least, I hope that someday you will cuddle your own babies in your arms and realize how very truthful I was being when I said "I love you both the same."

Favorite Foto Friday - Revolt!

2010-04-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

I don't care for the way they are looking at me. I feel they may be plotting to overthrow current household leadership. I'd better start reinforcing my pillow fort.

Planet Pals

2010-04-21T17:31:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd share Andy & Aidan's tips for going green.

To conserve water, Aidan recommends drinking your own bath water. Don't worry, it tastes a little soapy, but the bubbles mean its germ-free.

Andy routinely eats crumbs off the floor so no food goes to waste.

Save a tree - color on the walls like Aidan does!

Speaking of saving trees, Andy recently shared some great advice to limit excessive Kleenex use: "I don't need a tissue b/c my tongue comes out like a snake and then the boogers are gone."

If the above paper-savers don't appeal to you, try saving a sheet by putting stickers on your pajamas instead of a notebook.

I'm so proud of my little conservationists. Plus, I'm pretty sure their efforts mean its okay for me to keep driving an SUV.

Breaking the Ice

2010-04-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog,

Gosh, its been so long since we've talked. I hope you know I feel really badly about that and I never meant for this to happen. Its just that things were so hectic when we were replacing the floors. Then as soon as they were finished, we put the house on the the market and suddenly six weeks later we were moving. After that, we got sucked into the craziness of the holidays. By the time I was able to catch my breathe, I really wanted to get back to you, but by that point it had been so long that it had become all awkward.

Its not like I haven't been thinking about you though. Remember how excited we were the 1st time I successfully posted a video? And how about that time I thought I'd lost an entire post after hours of work, but you had remembered to auto-save it for me? We've had so many good times together. Let's just move passed this unfortunate incident and get back to the way things used to be.

XOXO,
Kristen

We are the Truth

2010-04-15T15:46:00.000-07:00

We fell in love w/a few precious photographs and dreamed of the day we'd hold the baby (our baby!) in our arms.

We read parenting books, painted the nursery & researched airline policies related to traveling w/a baby on an international flight.

We learned to say "please", "thank you" & "i love you" in the language of our children's first homes.

We held our children for the 1st time and marveled at the utter perfection of 10 tiny fingers & 10 tiny toes.

We paced the floors with aching arms, trying to soothe the cries of a grieving child.

We experienced the joy of first words, first steps & first trips to the beach.

We filled page after page of our children's scrapbooks, documenting every meal, bath & playdate.

We celebrate birthdays, Christmas & the day we became a family.

We pass on folding laundry so we can read our son's favorite book "just one more time".

We talk to our children about the countries they were born in and how they came to live in this one.

We thank God every day for gift of being called Mom & Dad.

We are horrified by the treatment of Artyem Sviliev at the hands of his adoptive family and know this incident is not a true reflection of the adoptive community.

We are the truth.

We support JCICS's We are the Truth Champaign & Call to Action.

http://www.jcics.org/Russia.htm

Traveling Circus

2009-09-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

So we've survived 1 week of our 3 week home renovation. Although we can sleep at home, the house is off limits from 7:30 every morning until 5 pm every night. In order to survive this "adventure", the children & I have had to adapt to the lifestyle of gypsies, hopping in the car each morning and going from place to place in search of food, entertainment and restroom facilities.

Should you ever find yourself temporarily living out of your car w/your two small children, here's a few tips I'd like to share:

1. Take a look at your vehicle. See your orderly glovebox? Your nice, clean floors? Your spacious trunk? Yeah, all that's going to have to go. Your car is now your closet, your kitchen and your storage facility and will look and smell as such.

2. In addition to the changing look and smell, that "no food in the car" rule will certainly have to end. Cheerios are easy to shake off your floormats, as are dried fruits and crackers. Cinnamon toast crunch, it turns out, is not.

3. Planning bathroom breaks is key to your survival. Make every effort to plan your playdates and activities around your potty schedule. If you must make an emergency stop, Target has nice facilities. Just remember you cannot bring a cart with you once you've put merchandise in it, so be sure to make that your first stop when you enter the store. Avoid any establishments that require you to ask for a key and/or make a purchase in order to use their bathrooms - you don't have time for that when you're dealing w/a leaky diaper.

4. Be sure to bring extra clothes. Whether the cause is sticky cinnamon toast crunch or a poorly thought out potty plan, eventually someone is going to need replacement pants. If you fail to pack "just in case" clothes and one or both of your children have to ride around w/just a diaper or missing a shirt, it will severely limit the type of activities you can attend. Even McDonald's has a No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service policy for goodness sakes!

5. Great news - if you forget to pack clothes, Target currently has toddler pants on sale for just $7.00 in a wide array of colors!

6. It is imperative that you bring any toy, blanket, book and sleepytime cd your child has ever listened to b/c that 1 yellow airplane, the one your kid hasn't asked for in 9 months, that's the 1 thing he absolutely must have in order to nap at Grammy's house.

7. When all else fails and you feel like you can't survive another second, just close your eyes and whisper "Hardwood floors, Hardwood floors.".

Favorite Foto Friday - And Finally, He is Still

2009-08-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

Aidan is good at many things - eating, running, shrieking, throwing toys down the heating vents - but one area he does not excel at is sitting still. Reading books? No thanks, he'd rather chew the corners before throwing them across the room. Relaxing stroller ride? Not interested, he'd much rather run in circles until he crashes into a tree.

This zest for life is fabulous and all, but sometimes Mommy needs some quiet time! I was beginning to think that until Aidan went to preschool, I'd never have a moment to even catch my breathe, much less empty the dishwasher or make a phone call. Then on Monday, something amazing happened. I put in a Bob the Builder DVD for Andy after naptime - and right in the middle of banging his truck on the toy box, Aidan turned around and stared at the tv. I was even able to move him to the couch w/a plate of crackers and sit on the other side for an ENTIRE 20 MINUTES. I enjoyed my little tv break, but figured this was obviously the result of fatigue brought on by an impending illness. I stocked up on Infant Motrin and prepared myself for the envitable 3 am "I have a fever and need my Mommy" cries that would jolt me from sleep that night.

Much to my surprise, Aidan remained seemingly healthy. Could it be possible that Bob the Builder, with his "Yes We Can!" attitude and imaginatively named construction equipment friends (a digger named Scoop - what creative genius came up w/that one!?!) was the secret
trick I'd been searching for? The next day after nap time, I crossed my fingers, put Aidan on the couch and pressed play...and turned around to find this: Of course for the last 5 days every moment of quiet is filled by my humming "Bob the Builder. Can we fix it? Bob the Builder. Yes we can!...", but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. It could be worse - he could've become obsessed w/the Wiggles & their big red car.

I Know Who Does Not Need a Thesaurus this Christmas

2009-08-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Of his 40 word vocabulary, 4 of Aidan's words consist of different ways to say no:

The traditional method: NNNOOOOOO

The casual method: Nope

The "Well, if you're giving me the option..." method: Not (example: "Do you want to go to sleep or not?")

And my personal favorite, The "I choose door #2" method: Nober (as in "another", i.e. come up w/something better if you want me to cooperate Mother)

Additionally, he will also growl at me like a small but fierce lion when none of the above result in him getting his way.

With any other kid, all this might come off as stubborn and willful, but he is just so darn adorable that its rather endearing. Future teachers - consider this your warning! This kid and his oh-so-sweet dimples are going to find a way around all your rules while somehow managing to have you laughing along w/him.

Sean Connery - I'm Ready for Your Obstacle Course

2009-08-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

I feel just like Catherine Zeta Jones - minus the sexy black spandex ensemble - sneaking out of Andy's room every night after whispering the last lines of Goodnight Moon. One creak of the floor or squeak of the door and I have to start the whole routine all over again.

Daddy's Birthday: Andy's Perspective

2009-08-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Me: Andy, today is Daddy's Birthday!
Andy (runs to Chris): Happy Birday Daddy!
Chris (bends down to hug Andy): Awwww, tha-
Andy (runs back to me): Andy eat cake now!

************
Andy: I almost 3.
Chris: That's right.
Andy: I try coffee then.

FFF - Cuteness

2009-08-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

No big adventure or long story to share this week, just some "so-cute-I-could-eat-them-up" smiles.

Favorite Foto Friday - Another Day in the Life of Little Boys

2009-08-01T18:05:00.001-07:00

Just another typical week at our house...

There were special outside ice cream and peach treatsA fingerpainting session

And a day spent lounging at the Splash Park

I can see why they say play is the work of children - it sure is exhausting!

I Don't Like to Name Names, but...

2009-07-30T16:36:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to avoid being that parent who says and does things that cause deep embarrassment to her children, I am very selective in terms of what sort of information I post here about the boys and their shenanigans. While they currently seem to think the computer is simply a bulls-eye at which to aim their toys, I realize one day they will become aware of the existence of this blog and I'd hate to have included anything about them that they'd rather have kept private.

That being said, I am having one of those weeks where I'm quite certain that if I do not voice my rapidly growing frustration I will lose my mind.

I have a certain child, let's say his name begins w/an "A", who has been having some, um, let's call them difficulties, w/his behavior. While no mother of a toddler lives a completely tantrum-free life, up until this point I have considered my firm voice, serious "you're in big trouble mister" glare and occasional time-out more than sufficient in keeping the hysterics and misbehavior to a minimum.

I'm not exactly sure what has changed, but for the last week "A" has been completely out of control. At Target, he was throwing groceries out of the cart and trying to swipe items off the shelves as I flew down the aisles grabbing only the absolute necessities that would keep us hydrated, fed and in clean diapers. At home, he cries and throws himself to the ground over such "horrific" events as not liking the color of his dinner plate or the end of Imagination Movers. He suddenly is hitting, pushing and - for the 1st time ever - biting his brother for absolutely no reason whatsoever. He laughs at my "firm voice", mimics my "you're in big trouble" glare and no longer seems to mind how much time he spends in time-out. All this from my sweet little boy who just weeks ago would apologize if a crumb fell on his chair during dinner.

All the books, you know the ones that make soooo much sense before you actually become a parent, say that its best to simply ignore these types of tantrums b/c apparently the experts feel things will only worsen if any sort of attention at all is paid to these behaviors. That's the strategy I've been sticking to those far - continue to enforce the rules in the same calm, but stern manner - but what was once my "firm voice" is reaching dangerously close to a tone I would describe as "shrill" and a few times has crossed over into a full-out yell.

I really don't want to be "that mom" - you know the one who you can hear screaming through her open windows phrases like "if you don't put that down right now I'm going to throw you in your room and leave you there until you don't even remember what the sun looks like!" (though I will say, I have more sympathy for her after the week I've had). At the same time, I want to raise a house full of well-mannered, polite little men who follow the rules and listen to me when I tell them to do something. Gosh, this parenting thing sure is hard!

Anyway, I'm sure its just a phase that will work itself out as all phases do, but in the mean time if you have any suggestions, can send me a pair of earplugs or a prescription for some Xanax please let me know :)

FFF - Finding Your Passion

2009-07-17T14:43:00.000-07:00

Years from now, when Aidan graduates from culinary school, I will tell everyone how blessed my son was to stumble onto his passion so early in life...

Welcome Little One!

2009-07-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

The long-awaited birth of Auntie Sandy & Uncle Brian's 2nd baby finally happened last night:

Brady was born just before the 10 o'clock news on July 15th and weighs in at a teeny, tiny 6 lbs 12 oz and is only 17 inches long.

He was introduced to his soon-to-be favorite Aunt Kristen today at approximately 12:15 pm.

Mommy, baby, Daddy & new big sister Addy are all doing fabulous.

Fav Foto Friday - Red, White & Blue

2009-07-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Since this has been the Summer of Rain, I was not surprised at all to discover the sun chose not to make an appearance at this year's 4th of July celebration, even though WGN's Tom Skilling assured me he had RSVPed that he'd be there for at least part of the party.

Luckily, we were still able to enjoy all our 4th of July activities anyway, even if Andy had to wear long pants w/his USA t-shirt and Aidan's sleeveless red & white onsie had to be saved for Labor Day.

We started the morning w/the annual neighborhood fire truck parade:Then enjoyed some popsicles in the park:

After naptime we headed over to Grammy & Papa's, where we did manage get in some boating:

and some time in the sand

and most importantly, the fireworks, which, after we pumped them full of chocolate chip cookies, all 3 kids stayed awake to see.

Road Trip

2009-07-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

If you're anything like me, when you hear the words "road trip", you immediately picture the following:

cruising along the open road w/the windows rolled down, your hair flying around you as you sing along to your favorite songs on the radio; trying to capture the beauty of miles of corn fields or the sun setting over the Appalacian Mountains on your camera as you fly by them at 80 miles an hour; stopping only to grab a bite to eat in some quaint small town diner and to take ridiculous pictures of yourself smiling like an idiot in front of those "Welcome to..." signs you pass every time you cross a new state line.

Well, that's exactly what our recent road trip to NJ to see Chris's mom was like...if you add in two toddlers, replace your favorite songs w/the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse soundtrack, add in 5 hours of thunderstorms and substitute crowded rest areas filled w/weary travelers & less-than-spotless bathroom facilities for quiant little small town diners. So, it was nearly the same.

Why, you ask, would we ever attempt such a thing when we could've hopped on any number of planes and reached our destination in a little under 3 hours? I know, it seems like a sort of crazy thing to do, definitely not something two experienced parents would willingly subject themselves to when given the choice. Believe me, we asked ourselves many times if we were absolutely insane to willingly commit ourselves to 12 to 16 hours in the car w/two kids who have trouble sitting still for a 20 minute episode of Handy Manny. Hard as it is to believe, driving was the clear winner on my Pros & Cons list - we could stop any time we wanted, we didn't have to worry about our screaming children disturbing other passengers and we could take as much stuff as we needed to bring.

So a few Thursday nights ago we found ourselves stuffing the car w/2 suitcases, 1 pack-n-play, 1 toddler air mattress, 1 travel high chair, 1 double stroller, 2 duffel bags of toys, books & DVDs and 1 bag of snacks. The next morning (and I use that term loosely, it was 4 am) we scooped the boys, along w/their favorite blankies, out of their beds and into the car and we were on our way...

I have to say, despite that fact that it poured from the second we pulled out of our neighborhood until we were halfway through Ohio and despite the fact that Chris & I were convinced the boys would catch E. coli or worse from the family bathrooms at the rest areas the trip did go amazingly well.

Yes, what should have been a 12 hour trip took us 15 hours - but stopping every 2 1/2 hours for 20 to 30 minutes kept the kids happy and reasonably quiet for most of the trip.

Yes, we ended up letting the kids eat about 300 hundred M&Ms & have McDonald's for breakfast, lunch & dinner - but what's a vacation w/o a little chocolate & junk food?

Yes, we did resort to using the built-in DVD player in our car - but not until 11 hours into the trip, which I personally consider a major victory.

And yes, Aidan did have 1 major diaper disaster (probably from all those M&Ms) - but at least the carseat was spared and he was quite happy to ride pants-free the rest of the way.

Besides, what's a good road trip w/o a few funny stories and misadventures???

Favorite Foto Friday - Addy Turns Two

2009-06-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Addy turned 2 on Wednesday and Auntie Sandy planned some fun activities to celebrate. She invited Grammy, Andy, Aidan & I along for the adventure.

First, we all put on our mandatory party hats:

Then we boarded the Metra train (it was the kids' 1st time!) and rode a few towns over:

Andy was thrilled to sit by the window:

After exiting the train, we walked to an ice cream parlor and had a special 10 am ice cream treat (b/c after all, you only turn 2 once!):

In lieu of birthday candles, we made wishes on birthday dimes and threw them into a fountain:

While we waited to board the train again, we stood in the station windows and watched a freight train pass by:

After a few hours, it was time to take Winnie the Pooh home for a nap:

Happy Birthday Addy-cakes!!!!

Brad Paisley, You Read My Mind

2009-06-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

To Chris on Our 7th Anniversary:

I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmorized
And 3 weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

I never thought the random cute boy I met at an over-crowded dorm party freshman year would turn out to be my husband. Thinking back on that night, its not that it was “love at first sight”. I wasn’t overcome with the feeling that Fate had brought us together. It was just that I really, really liked you. And as we got to know each other – over more noisy parties and many late night walks around campus – the more I liked you. By the time we started dating a few months later, I was completely head over heels…

I can’t believe that was 12 years ago! Our 4 years at Notre Dame were definitely some of our best times. Every once in awhile I flip through our photo albums from those days and remember the friendships and the parties and the study sessions and I feel so lucky that we share all those memories. I can’t wait until the kids are older and we can bore them with stories from our “Glory Days”…

The dances
The football games
And the wild and crazy nights we'll never tell the kids about :)

And i remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn't care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then

I will never forget that freezing cold night you took me out to dinner and then dragged me outside to our bench in front of the library, the one we used to sit on and talk for hours. I will never forget how peaceful campus looked covered in snow or how when you got down on one knee I thought you’d slipped and fallen on the ice. I will never forget how Leslie and Lily screamed and cried when we told them or how your roommates toasted us w/champagne poured into coffee cups and cereal bowls. Most of all, I will never forget how excited I was to begin our life together as husband and wife.

We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

It is truly unbelievable to me that we were married 7 years ago today.

When people ask me if I ever regret getting married so young, I always say that I’m so glad we got married at 23. I love that we truly began our lives together…starting our 1st real jobs, living in our tiny city apartment w/no air conditioning and no dish washer, deciding we’d had enough of city life and buying our 1st house…it was exciting and overwhelming and so much better b/c we did it together.

Those 1st few years were not always easy. There were the disagreements that are envitable as two people learn to juggle each other’s families and jobs and holiday traditions. There were long days in the office when we barely had time to squeeze in a phone call saying “don’t wait up…”. There were the heartbreaking moments of infertility treatments and a miscarriage. Definitely not always easy; but those struggles made us stronger and made the good times all that much sweeter…

There was the excitement of our 1st Christmas together.

There was the amazing Carribbean cruise paid for by all those late nights in the office.
There was the excitement of deciding to adopt and the life-changing moment we held Andy for the 1st time.

There was the joy of bringing Aidan home and becoming a family of four.

now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you
We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then

Life still isn’t easy. We still have to juggle work and families and busy schedules. There are errands to run, bills to pay and messes to clean. There is too little sleep and too many dirty diapers. Definitely not easy; but I can honestly say, there’s no one else I’d rather share this chaos with than you. We’ve gone from college kids to newlyweds to suburbanites to “Mom & Dad” together and I feel so lucky you have been the person standing beside me through it all.

And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

My greatest hope is that 50 years from now, you are still the person standing beside me. What more can I ask for from life than the blessing of getting to share it all with you?

FFF - SICK!

2009-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

We'll I knew it was going to be a long week when Kristen was sick last Sunday. It got even longer as Andy got sick on Tuesday. The above picture is the only photograph taken during the week. As of writing this blog, Andy woke up for the second time and is now cozied up on Mommy's lap...both are coughing in unison.

FFF - Funny Faces & Extreme Closeups

2009-06-04T20:34:00.001-07:00

Have a digital camera and a willingness to look ridiculous? If so, you have everything you need to play our latest "its raining outside" game - taking silly pictures of ourselves and then looking at them.

Enjoy!!!

Perfect Day

2009-06-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

I just sent the boys up to bed & am basking in the wonderful, warm afterglow of a perfect day...

We made our 1st summer visit to Brookfield this morning w/Aunt Sandy, Addy & Aunt Jen. Even though the drive there took forever, even though the place was mobbed w/school kids on field trips, even though I vastly underestimated the amount of juice I needed to bring w/me, we somehow managed to have an amazing time.

Everyone stayed awake the whole way home, a special treat meaning Mommy still got an hour and half of nap time to recharge, something that almost never happens when little boys have the chance to doze on the 45 min. drive home.

After nap time,we didn't have the usual long stretch of "free time" to fill before Daddy gets home b/c we had a playdate w/our favorite neighbor friends, Joseph and Nora. In fact, the afternoon flew by and it wasn't until Andy started asking for dinner that I realized it was 5 o'clock and time to head home. While we waited for Daddy to arrive, we sang and danced to "alligator, alligator eat 'em up, eat 'em" until we fell down laughing and gasping for air and then Andy leaned over, pressed his forehead against mine and sighed "I happy Mommy".

Then, in a rare moment of total spontaneity, I scraped the usual pajamas-stroller walk-songs-books-bed routine and suggested we go out for a special family ice cream treat in our jammies. The boys could not have been more thrilled, Andy exclaiming "I LIKE IT!" w/every bite and Aidan shrieking his most excited baby shriek.

After a quick walk in the stroller, they both went happily off to bed, Aidan calmly sucking his thumb, Andy dragging his blanket behind him. I thought to myself that I wish I could bottle this day up and open it from time to time, like in the middle of a boring winter day, when both the kids are crabby and sick of playing inside or 10 years from now, when the kids idea of a perfect day is all about friends and I can no longer remember all the words to the "alligator song" or why exactly it made us laugh so hard.

Since I know of no such Perfect Day Bottling Device, I decided I had to sit down right away and try to write down why this day was so special b/c I want the kids to know that in between the bad days and the busy days and the up-and-down days and the just plain dull days, we had some special days too, when the magic of simply being little boys was enough to make an entire day perfect.

Favorite Foto Friday - The silver lining of rain storms in May

2009-05-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Addy's parents got her a playhouse for her birthday and set it up over the weekend. We were over there a few days ago checking it out when it started to rain and Aunt Sandy thought the best thing to do was to take shelter inside the little house. We all crammed in there - 3 little kids, me & a pregnant woman - to wait out the storm. When what started out as a fine mist turned into a full-out downpour, we realized a playhouse w/glass-less windows and a leaky roof probably wasn't the dryest of places we could've chosen to hide. By the time the rain had stopped, the kids were pretty wet and there didn't seem any point in preventing them from jumping in the puddles and standing under the gutter to take a "rain shower"....

...and after every last drop of rain had fallen from the rooftop and we had to strip off all their soaking wet clothes, there didn't seem to be any reason not to let them run naked through the house.

(No "nakey-party" pictures will be posted here, I wouldn't want those out for all the world to see. I'm saving them to use exclusively for embarassment in front of future girlfriends.").

We arrived home the same time as Daddy and he laughed when he saw his boys - soaking wet, & wearing nothing but oversized T-shirts we stole from Aunt Sandy. Then he shook his head and sighed that Mommy was raising a bunch of Bohemian hippies.

And there's the silver lining of rain in May. It reminds me that underneath my suburban-living, SUV-driving, Baby-Gap shopping, Barney-watching lifestyle, I am still the kind of mom who wants her kids to run naked and play in the rain. Guess there's a little Bohemian hippy in us all, no matter how many J Crew sweaters we own.

Favorite Foto Friday - My boys

2009-05-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Its been a long week (more on that later), but I wanted to post these adorable pictures of my boys (all 3 of them). Aren't they handsome???

Mom Mondays - Out the Window

2009-05-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Structure is very important to me. Always has been. I'm big on lists, schedules, long-term plans & the hour-by-hour forecast on weather.com. If I was a little more prone to staying on top of the housework and a little less prone to napping I would definitely identify myself as "Type A". I guess maybe I'm an A- or something...

When I 1st became a Mom, I found it really frustrating when things didn't go my way. After all, I had quit my job to stay-at-home full-time, being a Mom was my job, so any deviation from the plan was clearly due to some failure on my part to do my job well. I just could not understand why I couldn't get things to work out exactly the way they were supposed to all the time. Looking back on it now, I just want to give myself a hug, a big glass of wine and a huge chill pill.

What I've learned is that every detail of children's days cannot be "managed". Not because I'm somehow failing as a Mother, but b/c my kids are their own little people w/their own ideas and plans and needs and sometimes those don't fit into my own...AND THAT'S OKAY.

There are going to be days when you're 20 mins late no matter how early you start getting ready.

There are going to be days when your 2 year old refuses to eat anything except string cheese for breakfast no matter how many exciting ways you cut up their pancakes.

There are going to be days when your 15 month old ruins not 1, not 2, but 3 outfits while learning to spoon-feed himself.

And there are going to be days, like today, when your son is just not ready to go to bed (even after 2 hours of trying to get him to close his eyes) and instead of being mad and frustrated, you are going to let your little boy win one battle and instead invite him to a picnic on the family room floor w/you and Daddy....

Yes, he stayed up 3 hours passed his bedtime. Yes, he got crumbs all over the floor. But he also made you laugh and that's worth throwing the schedule out the window for. At least for 1 night.

FFF - April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-05-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

I see the silver lining with that one, but so far I can't find anything positive to say about all these rainy May days.

Somehow I've convinced the children that pulling their chairs up to the window and watching the rain is actually a fun game.

I can just picture them, 6o years from now, sitting together on someone's front porch swing, listening to their grandchildren complain about not having anything fun to do. They'll smile at each other and then one of them will say "You think you have it bad! When we were little, our crazy Mother made us sit around watching the rain!".

I guess its a compliment?

2009-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

For the past several days, Andy has been telling me "Mommy Beautiful!" when he 1st sees me in the morning.

The two other things he routinely proclaims as beautiful are -

Diggers.....and disposable diaper bags.
Apparently in my son's ranking system, my attractiveness measures up to construction equipment and poop accessories...I guess in the eyes of a two year old boy that's something to be proud of :)

Favorite Foto Friday - Picture Difference

2009-04-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Can you tell these two fish apart?

We're hoping Andy can't either.

Andy started asking for a blue fish after seeing his cousin's over Easter, so against my better judgment, I somehow found myself in Petland two weeks ago spending $11.95 on bowl, food, rocks, fake tree and blue beta fish. The fact that the fish and all his accessories cost less than our standard Pizza Hut order probably should have been my 1st clue that I'd either be presiding over multiple fish funerals or repeatedly sneaking off to Petland in the middle of night for replacements...

So, we bring the blue fish home and Andy is super excited about it until he realizes he's not going to actually get to hold him. Luckily after only 15 mins of repeatedly sobbing "pweeze hold it! pweeze hold it!" I was able to convince him that the fish would be able to feel it if Andy "pet" the bowl. I then spent 20 mins reading all the instructions that came w/the fish bowl about water temperature, bowl cleaning techniques and the importance of not overfeeding beta fish b/c I don't think I have done anything to Andy yet that he will need therapy for as an adult and I don't want killing his first fish to be #1 on the list. After safely transferring the fish to his new home, ensuring the temperature was indeed over 70 but less than 80 degrees and supervising the 1st feeding, I decided the fish would probably make it through the day and that we should name him. Andy promptly announced his name would be "Goldfish" (I think I'm going to enjoy this kid's sense of humor).

All was going well until our cats jumped up onto the table to investigate and I suddenly remembered that all their favorite foods are fish-flavored.

As I sat there watching the cats circling like sharks, stopping only to take the occasional swat at the bowl, I decided Goldfish would have to live in the bathroom unless we were sitting w/him at the table. Nevertheless, I was confident the cats and Goldfish could peacefully reside in together as long as everyone was vigilant in ensuring their continued separate co-existence. I knew I could do it and that if I explained the gravity of the situation to Chris he'd be okay too, so there shouldn't be any issues. Naturally, just 3 nights later Chris was putting Aidan to sleep and I forgot to put Goldfish back into the bathroom when I took Andy up. I was halfway through "Goodnight Moon" when I heard the crash and realized what I had done. I knew that even if I ran downstairs right then it would already be too late.

By the time I arrived at the scene of the crime, Chris had done most of the clean-up and I was spared from seeing what was left of poor Goldfish. I know many parents use the death of a pet as way to teach kids about the circle of life and all that, but I honestly just did not have the heart to tell Andy that his two favorite feline friends ate his 1st pet for dinner. Instead, I told Andy Daddy took the fish to work w/him the next morning and at lunch Chris ran into Petland and purchased Goldfish #2. I wonder how many "Goldfish" we will go through before we give up the whole "Take Your Fish to Work Day" and tell Andy Goldfish went to swim in that Big Bowl in the Sky. Since just the other day I told him the dead bees one of the cats had squished and left on the windowsill were "sleeping", I'm hoping Petland starts a "buy 10 blue betas, get the 11th free" promotion sometime in the near future.

Favorite Foto Friday - Vacation

2009-04-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Our vacation can pretty much be summed up in 4 words:

Boating...

Beaching...Swimming...

And of course, lots of eating...

In other words, its was fabulous!!!

If I hadn't seen it w/my own eyes...

2009-04-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

If I hadn't seen it w/my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. Listen to this story...

So it's another cold, wet "spring" day and we are again trapped inside w/not much to do. After spending most of the morning breaking up fights between two bored toddlers, I decided the best thing to do was head out to our local mall and let the kids run around in the indoor play area for a little while.

I must pause here for a moment and tell you that I have a very hard time letting the kids play in these types of places. In addition to trying to keep an eye on both of them, all I can think about the entire time is how long its been since someone cleaned everything and how many germs are getting all over the kids. Don't get me wrong, my house is not one of those perfect, spotless germ-free houses where the energetic mom washes the floor after every meal and vaccuums once a day (if I did that, when would I write this blog???). But in our house, those are our germs and our germs are fine. Its the germs of strangers I find completely disgusting.

Anyway, so there we are playing in the children's area, when a mom walks in w/2 little girls, one who looks to be about Aidan's age and the other who is probably 3. She struggles to get them out of the stroller, takes off their shoes and pulls off their coats before sighing "okay, go play" and I'm thinking how tired she looks and saying to myself "oh, I know just how she feels". Just as I'm giving her a sympathetic smile, I hear this lady's 3 year old daughter say "Mama, I have to go to the potty real bad!!!". The mother replies "Too bad, I told you to go before we got here. I'm not packing you both up again to go to the bathroom. You're going to have to hold it until we are ready to go". With this comment, my sympathy for the mom completely vanishes and just as I'm thinking that I'd never tell my preschooler "too bad, hold it", I see poor little Heather relieving herself all over the jungle gym. Her mother sees it too and here's where the story gets really unbelievable...

This woman runs over to her daughter, grabs her by the arm, scoops up the baby and drags them both out of the play area...and just leaves. Did she take out a package of wipes and clean up? Nope. Did she ask another mom to borrow some wipes to clean up ? Nope. She simply left the play area, leaving the rest of us moms open-mouthed in shock, wondering if we really just saw another mom leave her daughter's pee on the floor where our children are still playing. After a moment of silence, 3 of us pulled out our own wipes and cleaned it up the best we could, but naturally this pushed me over the edge of my germ tolerance for the day and we left soon after. Needless to say it will be awhile before I will be able to handle letting the kids play there again.

Seriously, the rudeness of some people is just shocking, isn't it?

Favorite Foto Friday - Amazing

2009-04-10T17:02:00.000-07:00

After putting Aidan to sleep tonight, I came downstairs to find this going on in our kitchen:

As I walked in , I could hear Chris telling Andy "Okay, help me pour the breadcrumbs into the bowl...great job...now help me mix them up." I could tell just from the way he was holding the spoon so carefully and listening so intently to Chris's instructions that Andy felt so special and proud to be helping Chris cook the meal we make every Friday during Lent (baked mac & cheese).

When he saw me, Andy looked up and exclaimed "I cook Mommy!".

I swear, the sweetness of it all was enough to break my heart. The big moments are great - the birthdays, the vacations, the holiday celebrations - but its the little moments, the everyday stuff, when the amazing gift I have been given sneaks up on me. I have one little baby, curled up w/his favorite blanket, sucking his thumb, sleeping soundly in his bed. I have another little boy, who is not such a baby anymore, helping cook our regular Friday night meal. We have a regular Friday night meal! A special family tradition that Chris & I used to make by ourselves that we now make w/Andy and one day we will make with them both. I have a family...I have everything I've always wanted. How amazing is that?

FFF - "I Resting!"

2009-04-03T21:47:00.000-07:00

Andy is very big into "resting" right now, which is what he announces any time he sits down. I am then expected to bring him a blanket and a pillow or two. Once all has been arranged to his satisfication, he then takes deep breathes and requests we sing songs. This would work out rather nicely, as "resting" is a very easy game to play, however, Aidan isn't too into the whole idea of sitting still for more than a moment. Though every once in awhile I can convince him to snuggle for a minute or two before he's off to continue the game he currently likes best, emptying all my kitchen cabinets in less than 20 seconds.

Mom Mondays - Don't you just love...

2009-03-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love when you wake up and think you are in for another ordinary day and then something unexpected happens and suddenly your day becomes anything but ordinary?

Well, that is the kind of day I had today! I have to admit, I was feeling a little bit on the "blah" side of ordinary this morning. With all my regular playmates on various vacations (parents in FL, Addy & Sandy in Key West) or working new hours (Aunt Jen started a 2nd job and cannot play w/us during the week anymore), I've been really struggling to keep the kids happy and entertained. Add to that the several inches of snow we got yesterday and a forecast of unseasonably cool temperatures for the rest of the week and I was pretty much dreading the next 5 days.

But all that changed when I talked to my parents this morning and they invited us down to FL next week!

I immediately booked our tickets and began compiling extensive packing lists.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FFF - Why Dads are Awesome

2009-03-26T21:32:00.001-07:00

They turn the entire family room into a fort!

Sleep Deprivation

2009-03-26T07:51:00.000-07:00

I gave my mom Aidan's Baptism invitation yesterday. She called about 20 mins later:

"Um, Kristen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but...there's no date on these invitations".

Oops.

On the plus side, I had not mailed out the other 25 invitations. On the negative side, I now have to open all the envelopes, hand write the date onto my pretty, printed invitations, find new envelopes to send them in and re-address every one.

I guess all that Starbucks and Diet Coke can help mask the symptoms, but there's no substitute for a good night's sleep.

Mom Mondays - The reason I keep my VCR

2009-03-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

So I happened to catch Clueless on tv the other day and as I sat there reciting all the lines under my breath I couldn't help but think about how many hours my friends and I spent watching the same movies over and over and over again when we were in high school. Since my 30th birthday is just around the corner, I thought I'd indulge in a little nostalga and discuss my favorite movies from my high school days.

Clueless
As a Catholic school girl stuck in a uniform all week, I longed for Cher's super cute outfits and closet full of designer clothes. Add in a great soundtrack and an adorable Paul Rudd and you've got the perfect high school chick flick.
Favorite Quote: Tai: Do you think she's pretty? Cher: No, she's a full-on Monet. Tai: What's a Monet? Cher: It's like a painting, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess.

The Molly Ringwald Trifecta (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink & Sixteen Candles)
Is it bad that I cannot remember how to calculate the circumference of a circle, but have no trouble recalling the names of all of Molly Ringwald's love interests (John Bender, Blane McDonnagh & my personal fav Jake Ryan)? Even though they were made in the 80s, all 3 still rang true in the 90s and I loved that Molly Ringwald looked like a regular girl instead of a movie star.

Favorite Quote:Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us... In the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain and an athlete and a basket case and a princess and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club

Father of the Bride

I'm always a sucker for movies about fathers and daughters and for ones w/voice overs, so of course this is remains one of my favorites of all time. Additionally, I am still not entirely convinced this movie was not based on my father...he is very George Banks-like.

Favorite Quote:Who presents this woman? This woman? But she's not a woman. She's just a kid. And she's leaving us. I realized at that moment that I was never going to come home again and see Annie at the top of the stairs. Never going to see her again at our breakfast table in her nightgown and socks. I suddenly realized what was happening. Annie was all grown up and was leaving us, and something inside began to hurt.

Reality Bites

Complaint rock, the Gap, Lisa Loeb, AIDs testing, slackers, psychic 900 numbers...is there a movie that better captures Generation X than this one? Ethan Hawke's character Troy had that whole "I'm a serious muscian who refuses to conform to society's expectations of me", which in retrospect is so annoying, but at the time I thought Troy was "deep" and "intellectual" and exactly the kind of boy I would meet and fall madly in love w/once I got to college. Plus, I don't care how much of a cliche it is, I always love the "I'm secretly in love w/my best friend" storylines.

Favorite Quote: Lelaina: I was really going to be somebody by the time I was 23. Troy: Honey, all you have to be by the time you're 23, is yourself. Lelaina: I don't know who that is anymore. Troy: I do. And we all love her. I love her. She breaks my heart again and again. But I love her.

When Harry Met Sally
Speaking of "I'm secretly in love w/my best friend" storylines...I still love this movie! Even if you are not a fan of romantic comedies, you have to admit that any movie that can make Billy Crystal sexy has got to be pretty good. This is also Meg Ryan at her sweet, adorable best (pre-face lift, lip injections and "I want to be a serious actress") and she definitely should have received an oscar for that "faking it" in the deli scene.

Favorite Quote: I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Top Gun
I know this movie came out in the 80s, but I wasn't allowed to watch it until I was in junior high, so it seems like a 90s movie to me. I was never the kind of teenager who developed crushes on movie stars, but I had it bad for 1985 Top Gun Tom Cruise. It's not my fault though, who can resist a man in uniform?

No favorite quote (can't pick just one), but please enjoy:

Favorite Foto Friday - All By Myself

2009-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

My little baby is growing up! Aidan has decided he is ready to feed himself, regardless of what it does to his clothes or our carpet.

Therefore, we now compromise and have "semi-clothed supper". Aidan gets to be an independent eater and I get to save myself from hours of pre-treating his laundry w/a stain stick. Everybody wins!

Mom Mondays - Never say never

2009-03-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

I've never been one of those people who feels the need to stay on top of technology. I mean, every time I learn how to use something, some new, better "this will change your life!" gadget comes out and I have to start all over again. As someone who distests instruction manuals of any kind, its just such a burden trying to stay on the "cutting edge" that I usually do not bother until it becomes absolutely necessary. Well, this weekend, I came to the realization that some technology updates had reached the absolute necessity level and I grudgingly accepted I was going to have to do not one, but two things I swore I'd never do....

First, I finally caved and signed up for Facebook. I know all you facebook users are saying "Why have you waited so long?!?! By tomorrow you're going to be addicted!". I will admit the only reason I signed up is that my curiosity over what has become of my former classmates and co-workers has finally gotten the best of me and it is fun to add friends and search for people. However, I'm not quite sure what I am supposed to do once I've found everyone I know. Chris tells me I will add pictures to my wall, update my status and tackle or tag people or something, but I'm really not sure how any of that works. Do I want to be tackled? Apparently I do.

If signing up for Facebook wasn't enough for me to deal with, I also bought an iPod this weekend. Honestly, had all of my music not been lost when our computer crashed back in January, I would still be happily downloading songs from walmart.com and burning them onto CDs, but life does not always work out the way you plan. I'm sure once Chris gives me a tutorial, I'll love it and I must admit it will be nice to just bring my iPod in the car instead of burning CDs. However, I am concerned about the iPod slippery-slope most users seem to fall victim to, spending hours downloading the 35,000 songs my iPod can store, and facing millions of instruction manuals for all the attachments and accessories those geniuses at Apple have convinced iPod owners we cannot live without.

If any of my fellow technology resisters out there feel like they are losing a member, do not dispair. I still adamently refuse to:

Get a DVR
Buy an iPhone
Learn how to download ringtones
Sign up for Twitter, linkedup or MySpace
Set up online bill pay

But never say never....

FFF - Come out, come out wherever you are!

2009-03-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Andy "hiding" from the camera. He also employs this technique when attempting to avoid diaper changes & bed time. I love how the mind of a two year old works.

Mr. Mom Mondays

2009-03-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Kristen had an unfortunate fight with the stomach flu today, so I will be the guest blogger. I know how bad it was because I had it on Sunday and decided to share. With two sick parents and two active boys, I was the least ill and took over Kristen's responsibilities for the day (after she did the same on Sunday). I took the kids for a car ride, a walk around the neighborhood and a trip to Grammy's in the afternoon. Kristen has done a great job with the children building their mental, physical and social skills. As a dad, I get to focus on the funner aspects of raising two boys. The difference is more obvious as I played Mr. Mom today. For example Kristen is working with Andy to get him counting to 20. I on the other hand have been getting him to answer real questions with goofy answers such:

Daddy: "Andy, how tall are you?"
Andy: "Eight Feet Tall!"
Daddy: "and how much do you weigh?"
Andy: "Deuce, deuce and a half"

After a long day of watching the kids and making sure mommy gets enough rest (while getting over my flu symtoms for the previous day), I was exhausted. How Kristen survives the afternoon time after naps and before dinner is beyond me. After chasing around two cranky kids and changing diapers before dinner, I couldn't wait till bed time. But as I had a boy in each arm, I realized I left the baby wipes where Aidan would surely get into the next time were in the family room. With a flick of my foot, I lifted the wipes across the room onto the shelf and into the basket with the diapers and changing pad...right were it should have been in the first place. And with that I thought "I had a good day".

FFF - Dress up

2009-03-05T20:30:00.001-08:00

I can almost guarantee that by the time its summer and they actually need to wear them, not one of them will want anything to do w/sunglasses.

The Bad and the Good

2009-03-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

While I'm cleaning Aidan up, Andy sneaks away from the table holding a rasberry....

Me: Andy, did you take a rasberry from the table?
Andy: yes.
Me: Where is it? Did you eat it?
Andy: no.
Me: Where is it then?
Andy: lost.

2 hours later, I reach down to find a ball that has rolled under the couch and find the missing fruit, now smashed into my carpet...

Me: Oh Andy...I found your rasberry...
Andy: GREAT NEWS!
Me: No, its not great news, you mushed it into the carpet and the carpet is dirty.
Andy: blank stare
Me: (exhausted sigh): Don't touch it, I have to get the cleaning supplies and fix it.
___________________________

this morning we are in the car, Andy is singing along to twinkle, twinkle...

Andy: Mommy
Me: Yes Andy?
Andy: I wuv you.
Me: (happy sigh): I love you too.

Mom Mondays

2009-03-02T11:18:00.001-08:00

When I started this blog, my intent was to keep everyone up to date on our Korean adoption process and share what the kids have been up to w/friends and family. Since I am not one of those creative, scrapbooking types, I also thought the blog could serve as a sort of digital baby book for Andy & Aidan, which is why I often write as though I am speaking to a small child (you know, the whole "Mommy, Daddy" thing).

As I've started to get into blogging, I've done a few posts here and there that are about me and things I enjoy and I'd like to start doing more of that. So I thought I'd try something new and set aside one post a week to write about what my life is like now that I am a mom. Naturally, b/c I am a huge fan of alliteration (Favorite Foto Friday), I had to call it Mom Mondays.

For my 1st Mom Monday, I thought I'd talk about how much my style has changed since becoming a SAHM (stay-at-home mom). In my pre-baby days, I'd see those really "mom" looking moms, you know the ones w/messy, unwashed hair, dark circles under their eyes, sweatpants & mismatched socks, and I'd think to myself "I'm never going to look like that!". Of course, I knew I'd be trading in my classic black wrap dresses and gray wide leg trousers for something more casual, but surely a nice cashmere sweater and darkwash jeans would be appropriate. I did consider the fact that I may not have 30 mins each morning to devote to showering and hair drying, but I simply reasoned I would shower and dry my hair every night instead. As far as the dark circles, I knew those could be a problem, but w/a good concealer, no one aside from Chris, our child and the occassional overnight guest needed to know about them.

Well, let me tell you that I sit here typing this wearing black yoga pants & a brown hoodie. My hair was last washed Sunday morning and the unruly strands that are the result of allowing it to air dry are being held in place w/bobby pins. Putting on makeup never even occurred to me. My socks do match, but the right one has a hole in the bottom.

How did this happen, you ask? Sometimes I wonder that myself. I can tell you one day I looked in the mirror and was shocked to find a mom looking back at me...I guess it all sort of happened in bits, so that I didn't really notice it at all.

First, I traded this:

for this, because you can barely fit a diaper - let alone wipes, a sippy cup, blanket, can of Puffs, hand sanitizer and random stroller toys - in a designer clutch.

And then my trademark 3 inch heels (necessary to bring me to 5' 3'') were replaced

With shoes I could actually carry a baby in w/o causing permanent damage to my lower back.

After that there just didn't seem to be much point in makeup b/c a "smoky eye" doesn't really go w/a diaper bag and Uggs.

Then, after my favorite pair of jeans met their demise as the result of excessive washing to remove formula & other unpleasant stainsI realized that less-expensive yoga pants not only hold up better in the wash but are ideal for crawling around on the floor.

And that's how, without realizing it, I became the Mom who just may find Stacy & Clinton from What Not To Wear hiding around the next corner. The surprising part is, that I'm happy being that person. Of course there are days when I feel tired and messy and convinced my hair will forever smell like spit-up, but I know these days of practical shoes and diaper bags will be over in a heartbeat. So for the most part, I don't really give my appearance too much thought. I guess I'm too busy being a mom to worry about looking like one.

FFF - Let Me Out!

2009-02-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Aidan has recently decided that restraints of any kind - strollers, carseats, exersaucers, shopping carts - are much too confining. I can compromise on the stroller, exersaucer and shopping cart, but I'm hoping the carseat thing passes quickly. Currently the only way to keep him happy during travel is to sing Twinkle, Twinkle or the Notre Dame Fight song and quite frankly its wearing me out!

Poor little guy, its rough when your greatest desire is simply to be free to walk.

Thank goodness Andy is still such a great sitter AND provides wonderful backup vocals to both songs!

"Mommy Dirty! Andy Too! Aidan Too!"

2009-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

How do you explain to a 2 year old that today is the only day of the year when its okay to have dirt on your forehead?

For those of you who did not walk around all day w/a cross made of ashes on your forehead, today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. Its the time us Catholics spend making sacrifices, thinking about our sinful nature and reflecting on death. Sounds fun, right!?!

In truth, Lent has never been my favorite time on the Catholic calendar. I mean, 40 days of sin and death don't really give you the warm-fuzzies the way that Christmas does, you know? That being said, I appreciate the reminder that life doesn't last forever and that the time to be the kind of person you want to be is now. So if you can't fathom why people walk around w/dirt on their foreheads all day, that's pretty much what its all about.

Now how to explain Lent to a 2 year old...as much as I can appreciate the whole "death, sin and sacrifice" theme, I'm pretty sure that message is still lost on Andy. So, at least for the next few years, I'll let him go on thinking Ash Wednesday is the day grown-ups get to act like kids and let a man dressed in purple robes wipe dirt on their faces.

Since we are on the topic of Lent, I'm still trying to decide what to give up this year and I'm giving myself until Friday to decide. I've narrowed it down to:

No taking the easy way out and ordering dinner out during the week. If I pick this one, I wonder if Chili's will still remember my standard order (buffalo chicken salad, chicken fajita quesedillas) come April 13th?

Give up diet coke, drink more water & get more sleep. Note to self: find out how much sleep is equivalant to the caffeine in 2 diet cokes.
I know, am I really considering giving up my daily Grande White Chocolate Mocha? Well, sort of. I'm thinking of downgrading my morning pick-me-up to a tall WCM instead. Those of you who don't think that sounds like much of a sacrifice have no idea how much I look forward to my daily trip to Starbucks.

Regardless of what I decide, I'll be donating the money I save to a few of my favorite causes supporting adoptive families so that other families can have the chance to explain to their 2 year old child why today is the only day of the year its okay to have dirty on your forehead.

And the Award goes to...

2009-02-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'll admit, I didn't have time yesterday to watch any of the actual awards show - why sit through 4 hours of filler when the best parts will be on youtube??? Besides, everyone knows the most important part of the Oscars is the fashion. Here's my thoughts on who were the best and worst dressed ladies (I don't bother w/the men, no matter what they are wearing Brad always looks the best anyway).

Best Dressed
Ann Hathaway - Everyone knows the best way to get back at an ex is by looking fabulous - you go girl!!!
Natalie Portman - So glad to see someone decided to wear some color in a sea of otherwise neutral dresses. You looked exactly like a glamorous movie star should on the most important night in Hollywood. Worst Dressed
Beyonce - You know, I want to like you b/c you are one of the few stars w/some curves, but really, what are you wearing???? Just once I would like to see you show up on a red carpet in an actual gown instead of some crazy costume.

Sarah Jessica Parker - Oh SJP, what happened???? I usually love your style, even when its a little bit out there, but this is just too much! Women over 40 just cannot wear ballgowns - not even you sweetie, especially if the top is fashioned after Wonder Woman's outfit. Let's just pretend this never happened - still friends?

Last night's fashion hits and misses got me thinking of some of my own fashion mistakes and just to show I'm can "dish it out and take it", here's some of my less-than-stellar fashion moments. FYI - all these pictures were taken in the last 5 years, I didn't take the easy way out and pull out some pictures from middle school in which I fell victim to some unfortunate trends from the early 90s.

Bad Choice #1 - I know the outfit isn't horrible, though I'm not quite sure why I spent an entire vacation day in San Fransisco wearing a just okay outfit when I could've been wearing something cute and vacation-y. I could get passed that mistake if I hadn't put PIG TAILS in my hair and added a Kate Spade bag...Kate does not belong w/pig tails and a sweatshirt. I hope no one at KS finds out about this or I may be banned from purchasing any more of their products.

Bad Choice #2 - Not sure which one I am - just look for my bright pink pants. I know this was a tropical themed party, but there is no excuse for wearing pants in that color. I wish I could say I only wore them b/c of the party theme, but sadly I used to wear them into work as well. Work friends - why didn't you have an intervention? Bad Choice #3 - You'd think for a beach vacation I could've splurged on a cute coverup instead of wearing cotton shorts that I sometimes used as pajamas. And there's those PIG TAILS again...I obviously have some sort of "I wish I was 6 years old" issue. I should probably address that w/a therapist. And last but not least...

Bad Choice #4 - I don't even know what to say about this. I wish I could tell you I was kidding.

Catching Up

2009-02-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here's proof of the busy week we had, in the form of the longest post ever. Seriously, get comfortable, this one's going to take you awhile.

Brookfield Zoo
Our crazy week began with a trip to Brookfield Zoo. Even though we knew we'd have a lot going on the next several days and could've used the time to get stuff done around the house, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy the 1st weekend of mild weather we've had in months. We're so glad we did, b/c the kids had a great time!

The boys loved riding in their new wagon, which was a Christmas gift from Papa & Grammy. Chris & I look forward to the day when they are big enough to pull us in it :)
Andy saying hi to the dolphins

Aidan and Mommy waiting for the sea lions to make an appearance

Exhausted from a really fun day, both kids were asleep before we even reached the expressway (and I didn't last much longer either...poor Daddy was the only one who didn't get to sleep on the way home).

Aidan's Family Birthday Party

Two weeks ago we had our extended family over for Aidan's 1st birthday party. Mimi arrived that morning for a 9 day stay and we were so glad she could be there to celebrate w/us. As usual, the birthday party was a whirlwind of eating and presenting opening, followed by several hours of Chris & I trying to pry all the new toys from their boxes (seriously, why do toy companies use actual screws to hold items in their containers????).

Aunt Kathy & Uncle Pat win Aidan's approval by including his favorite snack in their present Aidan diving right into his birthday cupcake

He was kind enough to share once he'd licked all the frosting off

Wrestling w/Daddy & Andy, on a MAJOR post cupcake sugar high.

Finally coming down & going to bed about 8 pm, the latest our sleep lover has ever stayed up!

Aidan's Adoption Hearing

The morning after Aidan's birthday party, we had to wake the kids up early & make it into the city by 8 am for Aidan's adoption court hearing. The kids did great, I think Mommy, Daddy & Mimi were the exhausted ones! Now that the hearing has taken place, we simply need to have two more post-placement visits w/our social worker and our adoption will be final May 25th!

Waiting for our turn in front of the judgeAidan being officially "served" his adoption papers. Hopefully its the only time in his life that happens!

Cosley Zoo w/Addy, Aunt Sandy & Mimi

We took advantage of one of the nice weather days we had and spent the afternoon at one of our favorite summer spots, Cosley Zoo

Andy & Addy were very happy to be back at the "little zoo"

Aidan didn't share their excitement and seemed unimpressed w/his 1st experience there Andy & Addy took to holding each other's hands when told to "hold a hand"Seriously, cutest thing ever!

Mr. Mom

I went to Florida for a bachelorette party for my friend Kathy (aka Aunt Kathy), marking my 1st weekend away from the boys. I had a great time, but I have to admit I missed them so much and thought of them constantly. A number of times I had to stop myself from speaking "Mommy" (i.e. exlaiming things like "Look - a birdie!!!") and also found I could not sleep in, even when given the chance. In the past, I would've been one of the last ones up every morning, but on this trip I was always the 1st. Crazy how motherhood changes you! Meanwhile, Chris got to experience what its like to take care of the kids all day. He did a great job (no one had any major accidents, got off their schedules or contracted serious diseases!) and Andy now constantly asks me when Daddy will be home to play w/him.

While Mommy was...

Toasting the bride w/a "Welcome to Florida!" glass of champagne in the hot tub

Lounging by the pool while enjoying 3 of her favorite things - Starbucks, reading & sunshine

Having a meal out where only a small clutch, rather than a duffel-sized diaperbag, was necessary

Indulging in a tropical beverage complete w/special glass & fancy straw (don't worry Mom, I only had one and although the glass looks enormous it really was mostly ice!)

Relaxing at the Spa (Mommy not pictured - too busy enjoying Spa's Relaxation Room to pose for photo)
And finally, what girls-only weekend would be complete w/o seeing a Chick-flick (Shopaholic, perfect chick-flick material!).
Daddy was overseeing...

...snack time...

...and bathtime...
...and bedtime......and a trip to the Dupage Children's Museum......and a second trip to Brookfield Zoo...
Good thing he had Mimi there to give him a hand!!

Hibernating

2009-02-19T19:50:00.001-08:00

So I missed Favorite Foto Friday last week and I'm going to be late w/it this week. The last two weekends have been very busy ones - Aidan's birthday party, a 10 day visit from Mimi (Chris's mom), my 1st ever trip away from home (bachelorette party in FL) and not one but two trips to Brookfield Zoo! As a result, I am worn out and have been too lazy to get all our pictures together. This weather is not helping either - all I want to do is curl up w/a blanket and take a nap or stare at mindless television. Hopefully this weekend I will find the motivation to post the pictures from all the fun we've had lately, but then again I have missed last week's US Weekly & now have two to get through, so between that & the Oscars I don't know if I can squeeze it in.

FFF - Sweet Dreams

2009-02-06T06:20:00.001-08:00

Is there anything sweeter than catching a Dad & his baby taking a little nap?

You & Me

2009-02-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have been able to teach Andy many things...colors, shapes, how to count to 10, why the water in the toilet is not the same as the water in the bath tub...but I've hit a wall when it comes to explaining "you" and "me". For instance:

When Andy wants alone time w/me, he takes my hand, guides me out of the room and say "Show me". What he means is "Show you", as in "Mama, I want to show you something".

When Andy wants to be held or hugged, he will come to me and say "Hold you". What he means is "Mama, I want you to hold me".

I have tried on several occassions to explain to him that he has it backwards, but it just ends up sounding like some sort of Abbott and Costello act.

I guess this is why they invented pre-school - I bet there's a whole course for early education majors devoted to this topic.

Favorite Foto Friday - Brothers

2009-01-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

One of our biggest concerns before bringing Aidan home was how each of the boys would adjust to having a sibling. I had visions of screaming matches over sharing toys, sippy cups & me & Chris. Luckily, Andy & Aidan have liked each other from day 1. Of course, we have our small skirmishes throughout the day and sometimes they each want the undivided attention of Mommy or Daddy, but overall, they have done really well and it has been so fun watching them interact with each other. Its very rare for them to be apart...Aidan always wants to do whatever his big brother is doing and Andy always wants to include Aidan in all his games.

Here's some pictures of them together. Its so hard to get one where they both are smiling, but I can tell you that we have more smiles around here than tears!

Happy Birthday Aidan!!!

2009-01-25T19:51:00.000-08:00

It's official, we now have two toddlers in the house! In celebration of Aidan's 1st birthday, we invited my parents, sisters & their families over for a traditional Korean 1st birthday celebration (the Tol). In a few weeks, we will have a larger party for extended family, but since the first birthday is such an important milestone in Korea, we thought it would be special to honor that tradition on his actual birthday.

The Korean 1st birthday has 4 components: the making and wearing of traditional Korean clothing (the hanbok, which Aidan's foster mom provided for us), prayers for the child, performing the Toljabee (predicts the child's future) and sharing a meal with family. If you want to read more about the Tol, visit www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/tol/tol.cfm.

Our dining room table, all set for the party.
On each plate, we provided a short explanation of the celebration.

Everyone gathered around the table, enjoying the tradition Korean meal Chris & I prepared (beef bulgogi and Jap Chae). We also bought Korean beer and orange rice cakes from the local Asian market.

Our 1st attempt at a "kid table". Andy lasted about 2 mins before he moved to Chris's lap and then we pulled the little table up next to ours so Addy wasn't left all alone on the other side of the room.

Aidan in his hanbok....he looked sooo cute!

The kid table, set up for the Toljabee. If you are wondering what happened to the apple, Andy got a hold of it before the game and helped himself to a few bites.

Aidan selected the apple first, which means he will be blessed with a large family.

Aidan selected the paint brush second, meaning he will be talented in the arts.

An attempt at a family picture.

Aidan and Andy...this one is for a frame!

After Aidan finished, we gave Addy and Andy a turn at the Toljabee. Addy selected the book (she'll be a scholar) and Andy picked the knife (he'll be a warrior). Here's the 3 kids posing with their treasures.

This was the scene in my kitchen post party. I think we used every dish in the house. I stood there wondering who was going to clean all this up....

Luckily, I had two helpers ready to get to work.

"S" is for "Sorry" and 10 other things...

2009-01-24T16:39:00.000-08:00

First, so sorry, but once again, there won't be any Favorite Foto Friday this week. The good news is Chris has informed me the status of our computer has been upgraded from "critical" to "stable" and he assures me that by the end of the week he'll have it completely up and running again. Which is great news b/c tomorrow is Aidan's 1st birthday and we have a special Korean celebration planned...be sure to check back Monday for pictures and a video!

Until then, my blogland friend Rachel (http://www.inhishands-ouradoptionjourney.blogspot.com/) had a fun activity on her blog the other day and since it involves making a list (which as you all know is one of my favorite things!) I decided to play too. Here are the rules:

If you want to play, leave a comment in this post and I will assign you a letter. You write about 10 things you love that begin with that letter on your blog along w/the rules and assign letter to anyone who wants to join in.

Rachel gave me the letter S:

Sons - They're adorable little wild things who keep me on my toes and make me smile every day. Need I say more?
Sisters - Is there anything better than having a friend who has known you your entire life? Having moved well beyond the whole "she stole my shirt/shoes/CD/boyfriend" thing from our teenage years, I can't imagine what it would be like not to have my sisters...other than I would need a lot less cell phone minutes...which would be good b/c I would probably need the money I saved on phone calls to pay for a really good therapist :)
Singing - Not in public, mind you. I'm talking about the "volume cranked up, top of my lungs" kind of singing that I do pretty much any time I'm in the car alone. Yes, I realize my windows are not tinted and that all the other drivers can see (and possibly even hear) me, and yes, I have had some embarrassing "I just got busted car-singing" moments, but tell me how can anyone resist belting out "Like a Prayer" or anything by Madonna for that matter? Seriously, if you do know how to resist, let me know how you do that, I find the restraint of non-car singers fascinating.
Sunshine - The beach. Strappy Sandals. Outdoor Dining. All things I love and all things that require warm weather and sunshine. Sometimes, after spending 15 minutes struggling to get myself and the kids bundled up into all our winter gear just for a 5 minute trip to the grocery store, I find myself wondering "How did I end up living here? Why didn't Chris & I move away when we had the chance?" My friend Leslie has been trying to convince anyone who will listen to move to North Carolina w/her & her husband and if only I could figure out how to move our entire family business down there so that Chris would still have a job I would be looking for houses in remax.com right now instead of wrapped up in a blanket in our freezing house making this list.
Suitcases - I love, love, love to travel. Everything about the entire travel process in so much fun. Researching a new destination. Creating extensive packing lists. Seeing something new. Indulging in hotel room service. So far this year we have a summer road trip New Jersey planned to visit Chris's mom & a few college friends and we are tenatively planning to take the kids to Disney World for the 1st time in the fall.
Sundaes - I am currently going through an ice cream phase and have been creating elaborate sundaes for Chris & I to enjoy. I even bought special sundae bowls which I keep in the freezer so that the ice cream doesn't melt too quickly.
Saturdays - I know Sundays get a lot of votes for favorite day of the week, but I've never been a fan. Sundays mean the end of the weekend and the beginning of another work week. Saturdays, however, are the best. They have everything Sundays offer - no work, a chance to relax, cross something off the to do list or do something exciting without the constant nagging thought that the next day is Monday. Also, Chris gets up with the kids and lets me sleep in on Saturday mornings, so that obviously is enough to make it my favorite day of the week.
Sleep - Oh sleep, my old friend, how I miss you! One day, when the children are older, I will once again be able to spend 9 to 10 hours with you every night. Until then, we'll always have Saturday mornings.
Shopping - Anthropologie. Nordstroms. Sephora. J Crew. Banana Republic. Target. Pottery Barn. Kate Spade. Enough said.
Soup - Maybe its the record cold we've had this winter or the discovery of Barefoot Contessa's Mexican Chicken soup recipe, but lately I've become a big fan. In fact, Chris just walked in with Olive Garden carry-out, so I'm off to enjoy some now!

Today I had "that" kid

2009-01-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

You know "that" kid...the one who yells something really inappropriate in a public place, causing all heads to turn to stare at the child's mother...well, today I had "that" kid.

Aidan has been having some stomach issues the past few days. Today we were waiting in line to pay for our stuff at the grocery store and Aidan was sitting in the front of the cart and Andy was sitting in the back (okay, fine, he was standing...that's right, I let him stand up in the cart when we are waiting to pay). Andy was getting bored and started touching Aidan's head, which led to the following conversation:

Me: "Andy, you're bothering Aidan, stop touching his head, okay? You need to be nice to Aidan".
Andy: "Okay Mama"
Me (in my head): Wow, I am an awesome mom, he is such a good listener!
Andy: "Aidan my brother"
Me: "that's right"
Andy: "Aidan a baby"
Me: "Yes he is"
Andy: "Aidan silly"
Me: "very silly"
short break while Andy tries to grab the little divider stick thing between our stuff and the person's in front of us
Andy (getting really sick of waiting and getting louder): "Mama, Home!!!!"
Me: "I know, its a long wait. We're going home."
Andy (back on his everything about Aidan kick): "Aidan sick"
Me: "Aidan's belly hurts"
Andy (in the loudest voice I've ever heard him use): "Aidan has messy poo-poo! Aidan has messy poo-poo!"
Me (dying of embarassment): "SHHHHH Andy! Let's not talk about Aidan anymore, let's sing a song"

Apparently, Andy is a good listener, I made that messy poo-poo comment hours before we went to the store :)

A little different Friday Post

2009-01-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

I know today is usually the day you can count on some cute pictures and a fun story or two about what the kids have been up, but a few things have happened this week, so I'm going to do post something a little different today.

First, our computer crashed a few days ago...luckily, Chris can bring his work laptop home or I'd be completely out of touch. Also, Chris is one of those responsible types who backs up our hard drive every few months, so the vast majority of our pictures, music and lists can be restored. Unfortunately since this is a company computer, we don't want to upload any camera stuff on it, so no pictures this week.

Instead of Favorite Foto Friday, I thought I'd post Favorite Moment Friday. This week's favorite moment happened at lunch today. Andy was eating strawberries and cheerios and I was feeding Aidan strawberries & vanilla pudding. I realized in my rush to get lunch on the table I left the strawberry container on the kitchen counter & I heard our cats trying to get it open. I went into the kitchen, shooed away the cats & put the strawberries back into the fridge and then the phone rang so I grabbed it from the other room before heading back into the dining room. During this time, Aidan is of course yelling "More! More!" b/c he can't feed himself the pudding. I go back into the dining room to find that Andy had left his chair, crawled into one next to Aidan and was attempting to feed Aidan more pudding though most of it falling off the spoon onto Aidan's shirt. When he hears me walk in, Andy turns to me and in the sweetest voice, w/the biggest smile on his face, says "Mama, I help Aidan!".

So, in addition to our computer crashing, that was my memorable moment for the week. The other thing I have been meaning to post this week is a prayer request for a family we have come in contact with on our Guatemalan adoption blogs. They have several children, one of whom is 4 year old Abby who they adopted from Guatemala. This summer when Abby was 3 1/2, she was diagnosed with lukemia and because of a genetic disorder, her chances of surviving are about 20%. Abby has entered the most serious round of her treatment this week and it is very possible she will not survive it. Of course as a mother, any story of a child battling a terminal illness is heartbreaking. What has really touched me about this family is the unbelievable amount of faith they have in facing the very real possibility of losing their child. Rather than being angry w/God and wondering "Why our family? Why Abby?", they instead are focused on making the most of Abby's time here, on supporting her through treatments and for praying for the strength to accept God's will. In one post they write that they know regardless of the outcome, this is a win-win for Abby; either she will be blessed w/a long life w/a family who loves her or she will be at peace w/God. Honestly, that amount of faith and trust in God in the face of such a devastating ordeal just amazes me. Please pray for Abby and if you have time, visit her family's blog http://www.riggsfamilyblog.com/. I promise this family will truly inspire you.

FFF - Mealtime Fun

2009-01-08T19:19:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, Andy had serious eating issues when we brought him home and was in eating therapy for several months. It was rare to get more than 200 calories a day in him from actual food - he existed mostly on bottles of Pediasure and sippy cups of juice. As a result, mealtime became a pretty stressful experience for us and rather than enjoying family meals together, we spent a lot of time trying a wide variety of tricks to get Andy to eat even the smallest of portions.

That's why its so great now when we have happy moments at the dining room table. In a sort of reversal of roles, Andy wants to be just like his little brother and his willingness to sit at the table and at least try many types of foods has increased greatly.(even if he often takes them out of his mouth, hands the gooey mess to me and say "yuck mama, all done."). Don't get me wrong, Andy still has the appetite of a small bird, but at least I feel like my entire day doesn't revolve around numerous failed attempts at getting Andy to A)put something his mouth, B)chew it and C)swallow. Here's some of the new happy faces around the dinner table:

Aidan, our champion eater. The only protests I hear from him at meal time occur when I am not providing him w/food fast enough. He seriously giggles when I put him in his high chair and smiles the entire meal.... ...even when Daddy dresses him in a Met's onsie as part of his sad, little dillusion that either one of his children will choose to be a Met's fan when they are growing up in Cubs territory.

Andy, our newbie to the pleasurable food experience, "feeding" himself ice cream...

...notice I put feeding in quotations, as most of the ice cream was ending up splattering on the table, dripping onto the floor and falling onto his pants (look at the ice cream on his knee!). I was faking a smile and saying encouraging things like "wow, you almost got all of that in your mouth!" or "don't worry, I think the carpet's favorite flavor is vanilla too!", but the little cleaning lady that lives inside my head was screaming "STOP LETTING HIM DO IT HIMSELF!!! So what if you have to go to his school and spoon feed him his lunch when he's in the 8th grade - it will keep you two from growing distant like so many teenage boys and their moms do". I considered it a personal victory that I did not cover him in plastic and wipe up after every spoonful. Yay me.

Addy, former champion eater of my dining room table before Aidan came home. Her devotion to food is quite strong (I think her & I share that gene). In the picture below it is late on Christmas Eve. You can see how even though she is clearly struggling to keep her eyes open and she is too tired to use her fork, she gives up on trying to eat like a big girl and just shoves the food into her mouth using her hand in an attempt to finish what's on her plate before her eyes close...and you know what, she did it! A girl after my own heart :)