Speech therapy here we come!

The case manager from RC came and approved B's therapies. He's going to be getting speech 2x/week, child development 1x/week and then he's also going to be evaluated for OT as well. She thought he might have some sensory issues since he's constantly drooling and he stuffs his mouth with food. There might be numbness or something that makes him not able to feel parts of his mouth. This whole thing is so mind numbing! I can't wait to get it all started though. I so badly want to see improvement. And I so badly want him to stop hitting, biting and pulling hair! He got two handfuls of mine yesterday and it hurt like hell. He does it to D all the time. NOT FUN! The poor kid just gets so frustrated because he can't tell us what he wants or needs. He probably thinks we're stupid because we can't understand him! Anyway, all of this is going to start after Jan. 3. I'm in the process of finding a speech therapist because our insurance covers it and we have to expend our resources before expending the RC's. It makes sense but I swear we're going to go broke over this. Can't wait for that tax return!!

It has been raining since Friday. CRAZY! We haven't had this much rain in years. I think it's supposed to keep going until Thursday. I think we're all going to go nuts. Yesterday we filled the wading pool with plastic balls and let the kids go nuts in the living room. Today the sitter is here and I was able to take B to My Gym this morning. But who knows what the afternoon is going to be like! My folks are coming tonight to let David and I go to dinner. It's been awhile since we've had a date night. I sometimes wonder if I'm going to survive this stage of my life and then I look at my friends who have 3 kids or more and wonder how the heck they do it. I need to remember that my kids are basically healthy and great and I need to stop complaining so much! Ok, going to go now and complain.... :)

Making progress

So tomorrow the case manager from the Regional Center is coming to see us. B has had his evaluations, hearing test and tomorrow the CM will come and tell us what we can expect. I'm really hoping from speech therapy 2x/week and child development as well. B does seem to be making strides. He's nodding more, babbling a little more, focusing more on looking at books and sleeping more! He's such a happier kid when he's better rested. He's still biting and hitting and that bothers us so much. Especially because if we tell him to stop or say "no," he just does it more. SO annoying! It has been so helpful to my psyche and well being to have had sitters twice this week to watch him and for me to spend time with D. She is so much fun and so much easier than B! She won't have school for two weeks after tomorrow. That should be interesting. We're going to have help a few days a week even though David isn't working much just to give us some time off. The stress has been crazy and we're so much happier when we get a break. So happy holidays to us! More tomorrow on speech delays...

Stressful times

I've been so out of it lately. I haven't written since Thanksgiving. That was like 2 weeks ago! I will do a quick recap.

We decided to have B evaluated for a speech delay. The evaluators came last week. They both agreed that he has some form of delay, both speech and developmental (probably because he doesn't communicate well). They are recommending that he get therapy. We are now waiting to hear from the Regional Center what they will grant us. I sure hope something! He has no words. He grunts. He points. He smiles. He signs "more" and does a few other motions that we understand. He also bites, hits and yells. The boy gets frustrated. And so do we. I have had such a hard time with the tantrums and crying. I have wanted to turn in my mommy card many times in the past two weeks. I just feel like I can't handle it. People tell me it will get better. I really hope it does. Now he has a cold. I took him to the doctor today because I was worried he might have an ear infection. His naps have been horrible. He's overtired. And apparently he's teething which is making it worse. Fun!

On the flip side, there's D. The most amazing almost 4 year old girl. She has been so great lately. So fun! I think that has made my time with B more difficult. I feel robbed that I can't spend more time with D. We've been celebrating Hanukkah all week. She has loved all of her presents. Last night she didn't get one and didn't even ask for one. I was shocked. Tonight during cuddles she recited the blessing over the candles in Hebrew! Knocked my socks off. We made holiday cards for her teachers today and wrote all the words and names herself. Amazing. I'm so proud of her. She still has her moments but she's such an awesome kid! We celebrated the first day of Hanukkah at school on 12/1. I was snack mom and brought Grammie and Grandpa too. I read a story to the class, lit the candles with D and showed them dreidels. I brought latkes of course. It was so fun. Magic moments! Holidays are sooooo much more fun with kids!

I have so much to do. Holiday card, Snapfish, etc. Sick kids, tantrum-y/needy kid, etc. At least David is home more in the next couple weeks because of down time at work. Bad for money but good for my sanity! Last night of Hanukkah tomorrow and here's hoping the kids sleep and B feels better tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We made it. After 2 weeks of D being sick, we actually made it to Thanksgiving dinner. I am relieved that she is better and that the rest of us seem to be fine. I'll write more another time about dinner but before I get my tired butt in bed, I wanted to jot a few things down.

Tonight before bed, I asked D what she is thankful for. She stated the following: "I'm thankful for the world. And for kisses. And dogs." Then I told her what I was thankful for and she continued to say "our house, our beds, pictures." This was after she went through the list of all the family members of course. And finally she ended with, "our neighbor friends and hugs." She is so dang cute!

Sick again?

My kids are sick again. And I'm a mess. We thought D was having allergies this past week but she kept complaining about her throat so I took her in today to find out that she has a cold. But before I left to get her from school, B was just a wreck. Clingy, exhausted, crying... Tonight he bawled his eyes out at bedtime. Something he rarely does. My stomach is in knots. I feel like throwing up. I'm on pins and needles expecting him to wake up again. I sat with him for a while to calm him down but he fell asleep crying. He didn't have a temp which is good and we gave him tylenol but the poor kid! D was in great spirits even though she wasn't feeling great. I hope B bounces back quickly. I'm so worried about nighttime. I don't know why. Loss of control, being awakened out of a deep sleep to crying....I'm just not good with it. He's not even that sick! David is home but working but I still feel so alone. And to have to sit here and listen to the monitor in anticipation is just making me more and more wound up. I'm a mess! I need to go turn on the tv. And apparently this is setting off my asthma because I need to take my inhaler too. I think I'm worse off than my kids!

18 months!

Today was B's 18 month check up. He'll be 18 months officially on Friday. Time flies! Anyway, he got a clean bill of health and is 30 lbs! No wonder my back feels broken. We got him allergy tested last week and the results came back with a very mild allergy to peanuts (almost undetectable) and a moderate allergy to egg whites. He may not even react to them...I have no clue! So we're going to be careful and then retest at 2. The other thing is his speech. He is just starting to babble more but we are going to look into speech therapy. Because of my being neurotic, I just want an expert to tell me he's fine and give us some tips. He gets so frustrated and so do we!! We faxed the form to the regional center and I'll look into a private therapist too. By the time I find someone, he might have one word! Ma-ma would be nice!!

Big milestone!

Today was a big day.

It started like a normal day. Crazy as always. At least the kids slept in a little so that was nice but then it was a rush to get David out the door and a guessing game about B's first nap. I decided to ditch it, throw them in the car and meet Grandpa at the park. We had fun. B was definitely tired. So we came home and I gave them lunch early so I could get him down. I put them both down early at 12:30. D fell asleep fine. B never did. UGH! So I got him up a little before 2 and played until we woke up D at 2:15.

Before I had put them down for nap, Christina from next door called to see if D wanted to come over for a playdate with Gwen in the afternoon. We had Lacresha coming over in the afternoon to help out so I thought it was a great idea because then I could actually get something done. When I first asked D, she wanted me to come. I explained to her that I would walk her over and leave her there for awhile and then come back to get her. She didn't seem so keen on the idea. I told her to think about it and we'd decide after nap. When she got up from nap, she was all for it. Her biggest fear was stepping in dog poop in their backyard. For some reason, each time we've been over there, she's stepped in dog poop! When Lacresha got to the house, I took D next door. She got a little clingy until Christina asked if she wanted a popsicle. That was it. She was fine and I left. I was able to do laundry, dishes and a run to TJs. It was lovely. I went back at 5 to get her and she was wearing a white dress up gown with her sneakers. It was great. She didn't want to leave. It was so huge for her to do what she did. I'm so proud of her!!!!

Now back to the nap thing. This was day 2 of B not napping. Since his croup, his schedule has been off. This is so not good. We "fall back" on Sunday and we're going to be in such hell if we can't get him to nap tomorrow and go to bed later. Tonight I put him to bed at 5:45 because he was so tired. YIKES! I think I'm going to bed early tonight and tomorrow!!

Feeling better

So it's been a few days. Much has happened. In good news, the Giants won the World Series. In not so good news, B came down with croup over the weekend. I took him to the doctor on Saturday and not only did he have croup, but an ear infection too! UGH! He cried like crazy. No wonder he's been so fussy. I felt like mother-of-the-year of course. D's first ear infection was like that too. We had no idea! Well, armed with an antibiotic and steroid for his barking cough, we got through the weekend. Once he was a little better, I got sick. Not just a cold, full blown bronchitis. Love that I can call the doctor and get the antibiotic over the phone because there was no time to go in to be seen. That was Monday. By Tuesday David had a cold. FUN TIMES! The good news is that we are all feeling better. I took B to the doc today for a recheck on his ear and he's fine. I decided to take him for his allergy test while we were near the lab. We'd really like to know about the peanuts. BAD idea. Although there never really would have been a good time. Turns out, he's hard to tap. They had to go in both arms. He cried and cried. BROKE MY HEART! But again, silver lining, after a crappy afternoon nap, he was in a great mood! I really think all the fussing and whining has been because of his ear. Who knows. At least he was happy and squealing!

I don't know what is going on with B and his naps. Because he's been sick, we have gone back to the two naps until today. Hopefully now we can find a rhythm.

Tonight I made pigs in a blanket for dinner. I'm so tired of having the same thing all the time and fighting the kids and their pickiness. So, tonight was hot dogs. Organic, all beef, no nitrate hot dogs! We had baked beans, red peppers and cucumbers. The most gassy meal ever! But everyone ate, no complaints!! Hooray!

Funniest part of me being sick.... My cough is deep and sounds horrible. For some reason, it startles B to the point of him diving head first into my lap. If I'm standing, all of a sudden, I have a little boy wrapped around my leg. It's the cutest thing! That and all the cuddles, if only I could bottle them up and save them for when he's too busy for me or with his girlfriend or off to college or something. I love that little boy!!!

Allergy season is here

D has been coughing for weeks. The nose started running a couple days ago. Today she woke up and said it hurt when she blew her nose. My guess? Sinus infection. I took her to the doc and yep, she has a sinus infection. The doc's first comment was "definite allergies." Don't ya love genetics? She takes after her daddy. I'm starting to wonder about B too. He's been sneezing here and there. He was super fussy today. I just hope he's not getting sick. I think he has another tooth coming in and since giving up his first nap, he is always tired. So I just can't tell. I'm trying not to anticipate and just let it be. I'm really trying. D is on antibiotics and is allowed to go to school tomorrow if she is up to it. The weather is going to drive us all nutty. It's been in the 80s and this weekend is supposed to be cool. Monday it's going to be in the 80s again. No wonder we're all sniffling!

So in other news.... Yesterday I took D to her Jewish cooking class. They made chicken soup and challah. How cute! They learned how to bless the candles too. It's the most Judaism she's had. I feel like such a bad Jew. The only thing she knows is the holidays. I really have to step it up and read a book or something. She's going to ask me about G-d one of these days. What will I say? OY!

B is starting to babble more. There's hope.....

Giants won game 2 tonight.

Cute kids and a fun weekend

We had a fun weekend. Took the kids to the park on Saturday. B was EVERYWHERE. He really is nonstop these days. And so cute!! :)


He has such a great personality when he's happy!



Today was a birthday party for a classmate. She got her face painted and had a blast!



After nap, it was trunk or treat at her school. This year she's a pixie...or a fairy...or a butterfly. Maybe all of the above? Who knows. She's darn cute though!

This has been a good day

D summed it up at dinner tonight. "This has been a good day!" First off, B slept through the night after his screaming at bedtime. I think he was super exhausted. The one-nap days are tough and he's not used to it just yet. That will change in time. Also, his belly seems to be getting better. Finally! So other than just tired and fussy as usual, this was a good day for him! D had a good day at school, a good nap and a good afternoon. The only bummer was when she tried on her Halloween costume tonight and it didn't fit. It's a pixie costume from Target that she picked out herself. It's a child medium and it's just too tight around her belly. She's so my child. I was such a bulky kid! She was so sad that it didn't fit. I hope I can find it in large. If not, guess it's another princess costume.

Is B sick or allergic?

So we introduced B to peanuts a couple weeks ago. Really slowly. A bite at a time. Thought he was fine. But then after giving him more, his stomach revolted. He's been having diarrhea for about 5 days now, on and off. The thing is, I stopped the nuts. So we don't know if he's sick or what. He has no fever, seems happy. He's really tired though because he's giving up his first nap. Not sure what is going on but it's giving me so much anxiety. Tonight he flipped out after I put him to bed which he never does. I had to go back into his room and get him because he wouldn't calm down. He still wasn't running a fever but anytime he acts out of sorts, it means he's getting sick. So now I'm in panic mode. Fortunately, after taking him back in his room, he fell asleep on me so I put him back in his crib. He was awake, fussed a little and went right to sleep. That was 2.5 hours ago. Here's hoping he stays asleep and is just really tired. He napped almost 2 hours today though. UGH! I hate not knowing! And it's always at night!

D made me feel better. After I put B down again, D and I cuddled on the couch while we watched the baseball game with David. I think she knew that I was in need of some love. That's exactly what she gave me. And then, she went pretty much right to sleep after we put her down too. A good night for her.

I know I can't control when my kids get sick. And it makes me so anxious when they get don't feel well. My stomach literally flip flops. I don't know why I feel like I can't handle it but logic just doesn't work when I'm in the thick of it. I know I can deal if I have to. So why the freak out? Does all this go back to D's RSV? No clue. Time for therapy because this is ridiculous. I shouldn't be this wound up. I know it will be better when B can talk. Hope that starts soon. Something else to worry about. Not good at this mommy thing sometimes.....

Telling time

So last night I was listening to D's monitor after she had been in bed for awhile. It had been quiet for awhile so I thought she was asleep. Until I heard...."It's 8 o'clock! 8-1-0. That's 10. It's 8:10!" I know it's just a digital clock but how cool that she figured that out on her own! And how not cool that she was still awake!!

Toots are funny! Part 2

So tooting is still funny in our house. I tooted one early morning and David said, loudly, "There's a duck in mom's pants!" Of course B was already giggling as he always does when anyone toots and D immediately started repeating David over and over and over again. Fun stuff. Well, a couple days later, I was giving the kids snack in the afternoon and D tooted rather loudly into her booster seat (which is a vinyl spongie material so it resonated!). She said laughing, "There's a helicopter in my pants!" And of course, B was giggling and I had a much needed laugh. There is a small chance I might keep my sanity if they keep making me laugh.

The weather is back in the 90s. It's killing me. Earlier in the week, it was pouring rain and cool. So nice! And now it's summer. We went to Devan's 2nd birthday today at Travel Town. Fun but soooo hot! And chasing B is so not fun in this weather. I don't know how I'm going to get through the week. David and I had a date night last night. It was only a few hours but it was nice. Unfortunately, it's not going to hold me over until the next date night. Ugh.... Oh well, hopefully D will make more funny comments and B will keep giggling.

Chocolate covered hot dogs

No, we didn't have them for dinner last night. D and I have been making up stories instead of reading for bed the last several nights. The first night we did it, I came up with a story in which we ate chocolate covered hot dogs. It wasn't the story that was funny. It was her response. "That's TERRIBLE!" I've never heard her use that word before and her expression was hilarious. She loves chocolate and hot dogs but apparently, she has no desire to eat them together. So funny. She is getting very imaginative in her play and is playing more by herself. She is enjoying that B is more interactive as well although he's still not talking.

I will be calling the doctor tomorrow to get a referral for a speech therapist. B sounds like a caveman. He points and tries to communicate but doesn't seem to make any effort to babble or make words. He says "dah" every now and then but that's it. It makes me sad that he gets frustrated because he can't tell us what he wants. We get frustrated too. I just hope it's nothing serious and that once we do therapy the words start flowing. He's almost 17 months old. I did notice this morning that he has 4 more teeth coming in. That might be the reason why he's been so fussy the last few days!

September was a hard month. I didn't post a lot because we had some "issues" that I didn't want to advertise. I'm hoping I will be much better about posting in October! I have to do Snapfish for Sept so at least there will be pictures to remind us of the good things that happened.

Where does the time go?

A lot has happened since last I wrote. Nothing that I will write about here because I don't want to advertise our baggage but I will say that all is fine and the drama is over. Now, back to our regularly scheduled life....

D is enjoying school. Her teachers are fabulous! She has made friends and all seems fine at her new school. Today we went to a fundraiser lunch at The Habit. I'm all for eating burgers to support her school! But I am starting to realize that fundraisers will be a large part of our participation at the school. We just got the magazine drive info yesterday. I do understand why they do it though. The tuition is REALLY low. So I will do my part to keep it that way!

B is walking like a champ. He and D like to "run" and chase each other in the living room. They both giggle up a storm. I hope they always have a close relationship. Sharing is still an issue for D but she had a good day today and I was proud of her. It must stink to have to give up her toys to her little brother who doesn't give them back!

I'm finally getting to the point where I'm tired of breastfeeding. I know there's still some milk left but I think I'm just getting to where I want to be "free." I love B so much and it's usually a relaxing time with him, especially before bed. But he's almost 17 months and I'm just feeling like it's time to move on. We'll see how long it actually takes me to do just that

I looked in the mirror tonight and looked old. The gray hairs were sticking out, I look tired and I saw myself as a tired, old lady. Not good. I need to get together with the girlfriends, get a massage, something. And can the hot weather PLEASE go away?! It's not helping how I feel! Or how the kids feel. They don't seem to care how hot it is but it has to affect them somehow. Ok Fall, you can come now!

Word World is paying off!

So one of the shows we let D watch on PBS is Word World. Between WW and Sesame Street, the girl has definitely learned A LOT! On the way to her doctor's appointment yesterday, we passed a doctor's office and a sign that said "Duck Lim, MD." She said to us, "That's a duck store!" I realize it's word recognition and she didn't sound it out or anything but isn't that what reading is at first? Funny and cute!

She's hooked on Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That. I love PBS but man, does she like watching the same shows over and over again! B loves the opening music to WW and does his happy dance. That's fun to watch. Fortunately after that he loses interest. We don't want him watching tv yet. Although with them both being sick, it does help!

Tough times

So we're all sick. It started on Sunday. B was really fussy and his nose started running late in the day. By Monday, he was a mess. By Monday evening, D was sneezing. I came down with it on Wednesday and David today. D complained about her ears this morning so we took her to the doc and she has a double ear infection. I had taken B on Tuesday because of his cough and the doc thought he might be starting an ear infection but when she checked today, he was fine. I'm so tired of wiping snotty noses! And B just can't seem to stop drooling. I swear it's been going on for over a year. I would not want to take a sample of the carpet at this point. As soon as he stops though, we will celebrate with a carpet cleaning! Anyway, with all the illness, David has been helping me during the day and working at night. No wonder he got sick! Since next week is going to be crazy he has get a jump on things. When it rains, it really pours around here! D's had to miss school. I just hate that. But hopefully she'll be good to go back on Monday. Fingers crossed.

Preschool is upon us!

D is finally going back to school this week. She starts back on Friday. FINALLY! It's been 6 weeks since the end of summer school and it's been a LONG and sometimes very difficult time. Transitions for a 3 year old aren't easy. For her parents either! So last week, one of her teachers did a home visit which was nice and this week, I set up a couple playdates for her to meet some new friends that would be in her class. Of course the one friend that I requested her be with this year will be in another class. I wanted her to see some familiar faces so yesterday we went to another little girl's house and today we met two more girls at a park. All very nice and they seemed to get along with D just fine. Phew!

Last night was the New Parent Orientation at the school. Technically, since we were there during summer, we aren't new but since we've never been during the year, they thought we should go. The school is awesome. The only thing I don't like is the 6 weeks off during the summer! But the director is fabulous, I love the very strict health policy and the parents and kids that I've met seem really nice. Oh, and the parent involvement at the school is great too. Something that D's old preschool didn't have AT ALL! So bring on Friday! We're ready!!!!

Today at the park, I let B walk around while his sister played with her friends. He was so cute while toddling all over the place. When he tried climbing up a ladder, I had a little freak out. I can't believe he's turning into a climber! D didn't start climbing until she was over 2! The whole boy/girl thing is crazy. Big differences! Tonight we went to Grammie and Grandpa's for Rosh Hashanah dinner. Both kids seemed to have fun but B was so funny rambling around their house. Pictures to come!

Interesting times....

It's been a hard few days. I've basically dried up and B's stopped nursing. I'm heartbroken. On the flip side, he's walking all over the place. My big boy. I guess it's just time.

Yesterday we went to Ventura Harbor for lunch. We drove an hour and 15 minutes to get there. It was 95 degrees here and 60 degrees there. We had lunch, got D ice cream, let B walk a little and before we knew it, it was time to go back home. We drove for over 2 hours! Not because of traffic but because of the fact that he fell asleep 5 minutes from the house so we kept driving so he could nap. Thank goodness for the DVD player so D could watch her Clifford. We got some cute pictures from the Harbor. I'll have to post them. Since my battery is about to die though, I have to go plug in. And go to bed.

Pictures

Since I've been bad at writing, I'm going to make up with some pictures from the last week. Not many, but some.

Some shots of D at Kidspace in Pasadena. She had some special time with Dad.



Here she is writing her name in chalk. She's 3 1/2 years old!



The big excitement of the week....B walking!



Here are a couple great pictures from the park yesterday. My kids love the swings!





Finally got a cute picture of B doing his "happy dance." This dance is done to almost any music with a beat but he's basically on all fours here rocking back and forth. And he tends to shake his head around too. It's cuter in a video but I don't know how to do that yet.



Here's a shot of D from our walk today. ADORABLE!

Catching up....again

So another week has gone by since I've written. I had a migraine all week...or one everyday. Not sure which. Not good. If I could only stop breastfeeding and find something that would help. The problem is, I love the time I get to spend with B. He's so cuddly and very comforted by the experience. I am too. And D isn't around to intrude or try to get my attention. So it's special time for us. But on the flip side, the headaches have been lousy. The hot, hot weather and humidity probably haven't helped. There are no other meds that I can try until I stop BFing. Oh well. Here's hoping I get some relief so I can drag my feet some more. I'm not ready to stop. And B isn't ready either!

B is walking more and more everyday. He does really well while barefoot in the house. But he hasn't mastered shoes yet so we can't have him walk around outside. He kind of drags his feet so in shoes, he just falls down. I've been trying to get more video of his walking. I don't really have any of D. For some reason, I took pictures of her rather than much video. What was I thinking?

Yesterday, my folks took both kids to their house for a couple hours so that David and I could have some peace. My dad came up to get the kids in the van around 10:15 and then they came back after lunch. They had a blast! B crawled all over their back patio and his jeans were so dirty! I guess that's what I have to look forward to with having a boy. D helped my dad with some gardening and B watched. It was a good experience all around. Unfortunately, I had a headache and wanted to take a nap. Oh well. Next time we'll be productive or go out for brunch. At least we know that it's possible now.

This morning at breakfast, D turned to her dad and said "You're a genius!" Then looked at me and said "You're a genius because I love you!" The things that come out of her mouth. She's dreading school. Her teacher is coming on Thursday for a home visit. Hope it goes well. We've been reading "Llama Llama Misses Mama" and hopefully it will hit home with her when she goes back next week. David took her to Kidspace on Friday. Special time for them, and a little peace for me and B. I took him to my folks for lunch.

Almost forgot. B's 15 month appointment was on Wednesday. He's 27 lbs. 31 1/4 inches long. Unfortunately he was still getting over a cold so he couldn't get his shots. Dr. Jena thought he might have croup so we had to cancel our trip to see Tara and family. But at least he's a healthy, growing boy. At 12 months he was 25 lbs, 29 1/2 inches. Guess he's a good eater!

Walking Man

It's official. B is walking! And he's so dang cute. He's like a drunken sailor. It started this morning. He was sitting on the step in the family room. I was sitting on the floor in the center of the room near the ottoman. He got up, stood there and contemplated. I reached out to him and said "come on bud!" And just like that, he walked over to me. About 6-7 feet. It was awesome. He had been walking 4-5 steps at a time in the days leading up to today. But this was different. I am so happy that he is finally walking. I feel like this and him giving up his morning nap will open the door for me to find some sanity. It's been so hard getting out to do things with the kids because we're limited on time and he's in the stroller. So we took the kids to buy shoes. B for his first pair ever and D for a bigger pair since apparently she is in the midst of yet another growth spurt. Here is B walking for the first time in his shoes. He was still way more content crawling. In the evening, Grammie and Grandpa came over to see him walk and he put on quite the show. Fortunately Grandpa got some good video.



D's new shoes were not my first choice but she loves them so what could I do. I need to upload a picture.

Yesterday, we let the kids romp in the wading pool for the first time this summer. Not really sure why we didn't do this before but I guess there were reasons. Anyway, B loved it. He was in the water in minutes. No fear. He was crawling in the water, in the grass and on the patio. D was having fun even though she is way too big for the pool. Oh well, she loved it and since it was 100 degrees out and we needed something to do, it was the activity of the day.









The days of summer....hard life being a kid!

My little man

I finally saw B take more than a step today. He took 4. And fell into my arms. It's so funny watching a toddler walk. He stands up on his own all the time. But taking steps doesn't happen very often yet. He'll get there. They all do. It will definitely be nice to be able to get out more with him and not have him be in the stroller all the time. He was babbling more today too. I think all the reading might be paying off in a short amount of time. If D would just stop talking all the time. I really think she intimidates him. Or rather he just wants to listen to her and not talk back. I heard a "gar-gar-gar" today which was new, a couple of "la-la-las" and there was even a "dada." Hopefully he's just taking his time. The best news is that his cold is finally going away. No tylenol today and his nose is finally drying up. Here's hoping he sleeps later tomorrow morning though because 6 is too dang early!

In D's world today, she's been cracking me up with the headbands. Rather than putting them up to keep her hair back, she's been wearing them like Olivia Newton-John in the "Let's Get Physical" video. Too make it even better, she has been dancing her spastic river dance routine all over the house. B just watches and bops right along. He stands holding the little table or ottoman and bops up and down. Hilarious. Gotta get more of that on the camera.

Kids say the darndest...and don't

D has always been a talker. From 10 months on. She has said some really cute and funny things over the years. Fortunately, I remembered on many of them to write them down in her baby book. And then I started this blog because there were too many. There have been a few in the last few days. I don't always remember to write them down and of course, they get forgotten. Today's winner was when talking about her prize for staying in bed, she told me, "you need to stay in bed for 4 nights to get a prize." What I would give to stay in bed for 4 nights! She also told us that she needed her privacy in the bathroom. That's what we get for reading a Book of Big Words to a 3 year old!

Then there is little man, B. He hasn't started talking yet. He's 15 months. Awhile back, he was saying "dada" and said "dah" for dog. But that has stopped. He used to say "lalalalala" but that has stopped too. We're getting a little worried. I wonder if it's because D never stops talking and B just takes it all in. He does get louder when she's not around. It's definitely not a hearing issue. He loves to dance and be-bop to music, to D's singing and whatever else he hears. He does his "happy dance" as I call it to the dancing flowerpot. He is able to communicate through some pointing and he signs the word "more." So I don't think he's autistic or anything. Maybe he's just taking his sweet time. We go for his 15 month well visit next week so if there's any question, I will request an evaluation with a speech therapist. I worry about my little boy.

B has a cold. I hate it when the kids are sick. I feel like I can't take their pain away. I would love for him to sleep on my chest and just wake up healthy again. Instead, I put him to bed with snot dripping from his nose, humidifier running and just hoping that he sleeps through. I hope D doesn't get sick. But if she does, I hope it happens soon so that we don't go for weeks and weeks with illness around the house. I wish I did a better job with not worrying about them being sick. I wish I could just roll with the punches. I will go try and take a deep breath and not think about it too much. Yea right.

A long itchy week

It's been a really long week. On Sunday night I had to go to the ER for hives. My body finally freaked out. I was put on steroids, antihistimines and more. Blood work showed nothing. I was so itchy. For days. Not good with two little kids. Two little kids who just wanted their mommy. And I was so grumpy. My poor kids. Today I'm off the steroids and I had some caffeine. I was in a much better mood! The most interesting part of all of this is that the headaches have been much better. I've taken one imitrex in almost 2 weeks.

While going crazy from itchiness, we were truly blessed with Lacresha being here and David's work schedule. She was fabulous with both kids. Didn't miss a beat while 25 weeks pregnant. And David, after busting his butt working, watched the kids while I needed to rest.

Aside from my craziness, the kids are adorable as always. D got her hair cut today for the very first time. She did great. And is so beautiful! B is taking a step here and there but still content motoring on all fours. His hair is so curly! I do think that nursing is coming to an end. With all the medications I have been on, I've kind of dried up. And B just doesn't seem interested. I think our days are numbered. And I also think I'm actually ok with it. We'll see.

Toots are funny!

So we're saying goodnight to D and doing the Twinkle Twinkle drill. I'm in the middle of singing, Dad is doing his dance and D says, "Mom, do you smell my toot?" Nothing like bring brought to your knees during quiet time! :)

Already August

Time is flying. And so is my memory. I keep forgetting to blog. Actually, I keep choosing to forget I think. My headaches have been overpowering lately. Seems I'm having similar issues to that of 2 years ago when I was nearing the end of D's nursing days. Well, staring at a computer for long periods of time hasn't helped so blogging has fallen by the way side. And it's a darn shame too because I find myself forgetting so many cute things. One I had Dad write down the other day. We had been to Grammie and Grandpa's to go in the jacuzzi. When he asked D if she had fun in their little pool, she said "No you mean the Skoogie!" Kids really do say the darndest things!

We've done a lot of swimming by comparisons to other summers. Our neighbors invited us to their parents up the street for Tuesday swim playdates and we've been twice. Fortunately Lacresha has been able to go with us. There's no way I could take both kids on my own. We've gone a few times to my parents "skoogie" as well. I love swimming with the kids but all the sunscreen and changing and baths...it gets really tedious. We've had a very mild summer and I shouldn't complain but I am looking forward to jeans weather again!

B took his first step today. He was standing in the family room right next to me and I slid back just a little and held out my hands and he took a step and fell right into me. It's the beginning!

Sharing is getting worse, not better. D keeps taking things from B and my patience is just gone. So she goes straight into a time out. There is probably a different way but I don't know what else to do. As much as she does well with rewards, she also does well with consequences so we'll see if she learns.

With all the headaches and her being home from school, I feel like she's getting a raw deal. I always feel guilty. Someday we'll all look back and laugh, right?

One more cute thing from D. She took her first shower ever with me last week. It was a huge step. She doesn't like getting water in her face. But she looked up and saw my pubic hair and said "I don't have hair there." I told her she would someday. I said "it's fuzzy, huh?" She giggled and said she would like to have fuzzy hair someday. I don't want to even think about her having fuzzy hair! She's only 3.5 years old! I want to bottle up my kids and not let them grow up. They're so cute! D's been putting the pop beads around her waist and I call it her tutu. She does the hula with them around her waist. That won't be as cute on a 12 year old!!!

Hula Hoop!

Tonight at bedtime, Dad was telling me in front of D what she was going to get if she stayed in bed for the next three nights. It went something like this....

Dad: "If D stays in bed for the next 3 nights, she's going to get.....a winnebago!"
D: "A hula hoop!"
Dad: "She's going to get a muffler!"
D: "A hula hoop!"
Dad: "She's going to get a turnip!"
D "A hula hoop!"

Of course I chimed in a few times as well. It was rather cute. D is very excited about the prospect of her hula hoop.

It was nice to see her smiling. She was scratching herself silly overnight and needless to say, her nether region is very irritated. Takes me back to pinworms. So hard to help her feel better. 3 baths, hydrocortisone, aquaphor.... Here's hoping I get some sleep tonight. I had to call the oncall doctor today to make sure there wasn't anything else I could do. I'll get her to see the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully she stays asleep and doesn't scratch!

B took two naps today and was more cranky than yesterday when he only took one. Can't win!

Another week goes by

So another week has gone by without me writing much. I keep forgetting! So I will recap as much as I remember.

Summer school ended this week. D enjoyed it I think. She was still clingy up until the end but we went to a swim party at a fellow yellow door student's home. It was really nice for me to meet the other moms and not feel like such an outcast. I guess D and I both had some trouble adjusting. But I do need to remember that she is the youngest of her class. All of the other kids will be 4 before her or already are 4. She really does fit in though. We went in the pool and ate pizza. It was fun. And I was very proud of her for all of a sudden saying "I have to pee!" when getting off of the pool raft. She's a big girl! She also didn't have a nap the whole day (a first!) and did just find until bed. And we didn't hear a peep from her when we shut the door!

Another nice thing about school is that Teacher Brooke, one of D's favs, asked me if I needed a babysitter. Since Lacresha will be leaving us eventually, I said "SURE!" And one last nice thing is that Director Debbie and another mom who had just been snack mom said D is so so sweet. I'm always a proud mama whenever anyone says that about her!

B is standing on his own more and more. And two times now, he has stood up from the floor. I hope he decides to walk soon. My back is shot. And it would be nice to hear him say a word or two. Dad is starting to worry. I'm not worried, it would just be nice...especially to hear "mama!"

As for field trips, I took the kid to the Simi Mall yesterday for fountain romping. D loves it. And I enjoy being somewhere else for lunch. B has been really fussy though so feedings are not fun. I think he's food bored just like the rest of us. Seems that when he gets something he hasn't had or not in awhile, he eats it up. D on the other hand, likes the same things over and over again. Best of both worlds! Today Dad didn't have to work and we all went to the Tropical Daze Festival in Thousand Oaks. It was fun! There was live music, hula hooping and crafts. A lot of stimulation! I didn't know how B was going to do because he didn't nap in the morning. But he was fine. I think we will try again tomorrow to keep him up in the morning and see how he does.

Cute things of the week:

D and I took Kona to the vet for a teeth cleaning and D got all weepy about missing Kona. So cute! We made sure that D got to go pick her up when she was ready.

The excitement of D eating chocolate covered strawberries for the first time.

Grandpa Gil meeting us for a picnic at school with his "brown bag" lunch. D was so excited! And so was Grandpa. :)

D hula hooping today. See pic!

Growing up

My big boy is 14 months and doing so many new things. He is now pointing, signing the word "more," saying "dah" for dog, standing for many seconds at a time without holding anything and when I said "where's your sister" he pointed to D! It's truly incredible how fast these kids are growing up. Grandpa Gil was here this afternoon and stayed with us while we ate dinner. At one point he was to Dad and then kept going on and on. D said, "Are you talking to anybody?" How funny and honest! She cracks us up. There are so many things that she has said lately that I can't remember. I really need to have a pen and paper with me because my recall these days is horrible.

Both kids are super clingy right now. I am really looking forward to that being over. Just goes to show that I need to get out more!

Summer Fun

This past weekend, Dad had to work and I stayed busy with the kids. On Saturday, B had a sitter while I took D to the dentist for a cleaning. The way it works is that she lays on top of me so that the dentist can clean her teeth. The dentist and hygenist showed her all the tools and let her feel them so she knew what they felt like. She did really well. Whined a little but no tears. A big step up from last year! The dentist said that she had no plaque, only tarter so we were doing a great job brushing. He also said she'd need braces eventually. Something we kind of assumed with the thumb sucking but he said it could be that and genetics, we'll never know for sure. We'll start saving now. I had promised D ice cream after the dentist so I took her to The Habit. It was nice to have some mom/daughter time. Although they didn't have chocolate ice cream, she was pretty happy! Grammie and Grandpa brought dinner over and they helped entertain the kids while we got it all together. After the kids went down, we introduced them to Wii. It was entertaining for all of us! See pics!



On Sunday, I took the kids to meet Melinda and Jasper at the Conejo Children's Garden. It's a great place! Not too stroller friendly, at least for ours, but really nice for kids. A short nature trail led us to a stream where a volunteer showed the kids how to fish for crayfish. I had to be with B so the volunteer helped D. She caught a crayfish but it scared her so much that she cried. Hopefully she'll fish again someday. Besides that and me being bitten by a mosquito. it was a great morning. The afternoon saw a walk for B and Kona and D and I played with flashcards. All in all, a pretty good day.





Yesterday, the whole family went to Underwood Farm. Dad didn't have to work in the morning so we took advantage. It was a lot of fun. We hadn't been since B was about 3 months old. We walked around and saw and fed the animals, had a picnic lunch and bought some produce. The weather was beautiful.







B seems as though his nap schedule might be changing. He's erratic in the morning and is a short napper in the afternoon. I think once D is done with her summer school, I may try to widdle his naps to one a day. I remember thinking several months ago that the day would never come and I would be stuck in the house forever. Well, it could be right around the corner!

Fun and Fussin'

We went to the Dumke's this morning for a playdate. The kids were great. All of them! It was fun to watch B roam around the patio. He would pick up leaves, inspect them, put them in his mouth, take them out, look at me and wonder what the heck he just did...it was quite cute. D was a bit reserved but did well with the boys. She even peed on the potty. It was for a popsicle but whatever works! A fun morning.

B is teething. We never had issues with D and her teeth. They just came in and we'd be surprised. With B, he fusses and cries. I hate it. Fortunately, tylenol and my boobs seemed to help tonight. Just hope we sleep.

Couple cute things from D:

D in the car was listening to 5 little monkeys. The part with the slide whistles came on and she said "monkey toots" and covered her mouth as if to be surprised and giggled. It was so cute!

Tonight after we put her to bed, we heard this over the monitor..."Guys? Can I lay in bed with you? I'll lay still...."

Tomorrow it's a trip to the dentist for D. Here's hoping it's not too painful for her or me!

I'm a slacker

I have been so bad with blogging. I hope my kids forgive me someday when they read this. They will wonder where all the lost days are and why I didn't get a chance to write. I will say, well, I was too tired after chasing you around all day! :)

The last week has been good. The 4th of July was nice. Grammie and Grandpa came over for a bbq and we all had a nice time. They stayed with the kids while we went out to see fireworks. Just like old times. D is doing well with school. We went swimming with Cailey on Monday. D had a lot of fun and was very happy to see her. She misses her but I don't think she misses her old school. Seems like she is adjusting to the new school.

B is cruising more. He has a molar lurking but hasn't cut it yet. Seems like he will be changing his nap schedule soon but isn't quite ready.

Cute comments made recently....
D: "Is daddy peeing? He's peeing out of his penis. We don't have those, right?"
Me: "Nope, we're girls and girls don't have penises."
D: "Right!"

D: "What is that?" She was looking at the Honda
Me: "Bird poop"
D: "Bird poop?"
Me: "Birds don't have a potty to poop on so it just falls out of the sky"
D: She runs back in the house and said to Dad "Did you know birds poop in the sky?"

Preschool and Pismo

It's been a long time since I've blogged. I'm horrible at keeping up! Too busy, too tired, too much Facebook! Anyway, here's what I remember from the last week....

D started her new school on June 22. She was a bit apprehensive but willing. And what a great place! The teachers smile, are engaged in what they are doing and all of the kids are happy and compatible with D. The director is awesome too. We see her every day! It does not even compare to the old school. The first week was camping week. There were tents set up on the playground! They made bags, tie dyed shirts and supposedly made s'mores although I never heard about them. Every week there is a water fun day on Thursday. She wore her little tankini, which I will have to take a picture of, and had fun playing in the water with her new friends.

This week is Ocean week. I was snack mom today. When I got there the kids were learning about tide pool creatures. An organization brought crabs, sea stars, and even a shark for the kids to see and touch. It was great! When I got there, D was with her teacher looking upset. Apparently the scuba tank had scared her. Fortunately, I was able to get her back to the table to see the creatures. Then she came to the room with me to help set up for snack. I bought goldfish and "tunafish" along with raisins and string cheese. The kids gobbled it up! I wanted to bake or something but it wasn't meant to be. D hadn't been feeling well the day before (after Pismo) and I went with what was easy. Turns out, the kids loved it. D is enjoying her school. Right now she is in bed and I can hear her in over the monitor seeing the goodbye song that the teachers sing everyday when the kids leave. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN SCHOOLS!

So last week, I had a spontaneous moment of wanting to go to see the Prestons for T's first birthday. I booked us a room at the Embassy Suites in SLO for the weekend and on Friday, we loaded the car with all of our stuff, and got on the road. D was a great traveler as she has always been. B was fussy, no surprise there. But he did much better than he did on our first road trip with him when he was 5 months old. We stopped in Santa Barbara for lunch and then drove to SLO. D napped, B did not. Thank goodness for the DVD player which kept D's attention once she woke up. We got to the hotel around 3:15. T's party at the Sea Life Center was at 4. We unloaded and saw the room, changed and then drove to the aquarium. It was in Avila Beach and what a gorgeous day! Grammie and Grandpa were there and it was nice to see D warm up to them immediately. It was a fun party. D enjoyed the sea life and the ice cream cake! We ate Costco sandwiches and said our goodbyes as we were getting on the late side for bed. B took a bit of convincing to get him to sleep but he slept all night. D did great in her queen size bed with bed rail. And as for potty training? She is trained. She did GREAT the whole day! Even went pee in the potty in the big toilet at the hotel. After a few books and cuddles, it was goodnight for the 3 of us...at 8!

The next day, we had a chaotic and early morning. D woke up to pee at 5:30 and didn't go back to sleep. She kept wanting her pancakes and we told her the cook was still asleep but that didn't seem to phase her. After showering and mass chaos to get out the door, we went and had breakfast. Afterwards, D and Dad went to the Farmers Market and I tried to get B to sleep. HA! He wanted nothing to do with it. So, after 30 minutes of listening to him cry, I gave up. So I got him up and dressed. Dad came back with D and roses for me...hoping to make me feel better. I was not a happy camper. Too much chaos. After much craziness, we headed to Avila Barn to meet the Prestons. It was fun to hang out with them and play with T. And D peed there too! We then went to lunch at a place near the water. It was getting late and the kids were fizzling. We probably should have gone somewhere else but alas, we went to a very loud place that wasn't really good for little kids. D kept wanting to go to the bathroom but it would freak her out because of the noise. I was on the edge of crying much of the time and finally, David P took me outside and I melted down. Big time. Then, we saw David B carry D out. She had fallen and whacked her head on a chair. Could it get much worse? I ended up having to take their food out to them on a bench because D was afraid of everyone cheering for the World Cup soccer game. Somehow B was unphased, ate all of his food and then some and we managed to leave without a major issue. D had a knot over her ear but nothing a little tylenol couldn't help. We went back for nap. D slept, B did not. I took B out in his stroller while D and D slept. And of course he pooped while we were taking laps around the courtyard. A fun time! D could have slept all afternoon. We had to wake her to go to the Prestons for playtime and dinner. Grandpa paid for Alex's and the kids had mac and cheese. B did exceptionally well and we didn't get back to the hotel until 7ish. He cried for exactly 30 seconds before he went to sleep. D crashed as well. Frankly we all did after a couple of books. Oh, D brought a Hanukkah book and she was singing it while pooping. It went something like this...."on the 5th day of Hanukkah my daddy gave to me, two pieces of toilet paper...." She cracks us up at the oddest times!

So Sunday came after a great night of sleep for all of us. D slept until almost 7! The chaos was less. Of course the last day of the trip and all was easier. We should have stayed another day but Dad had to work. We had our breakfast and much to my amazement, B actually took a nap! Once he was up, we packed up and left the hotel for the Prestons. We were going to take family pictures. The photographer that took their great family photos was going to come and do ours along with pics of the grandparents and everyone together. The kids were difficult to say the least. All weekend, D was really tired. She had been like this for several days before the trip as well. The littles were just fussy but food seemed to help keep them busy and not crying. I'm sure I'll have teething biscuit all over my shirt in most photos. After photos were done, the kids ate and David P and I went to get food for the rest of us so that we could get on the road. We finally did around 2. Thankfully the kids both took naps. Traffic was horrible, we had to stop twice but we finally got home just after 7. The best part of the drive home was that B napped and D peed in her potty in the back of the minivan in Camarillo. Picture to follow. What a trip! The pisser of it....Dad ended up not working on Monday. We could have stayed! However, D wasn't feeling well. Some stomach thing. She ended up pooping a bunch (it was green!) and felt much better today. In fact, it's almost 9 and she's still awake!

One more funny from D...

While playing with B who was playing with a bowl which was "made in China," Dad said, "don't chew on that, it was made in China." D then said, "I'm made in China." She was holding her vagina. We snickered and said, "No, that's a vagina, not China!" D said "oh" and looked confused. Goes back to when she was about two and China and vagina were confused in the bath. Too cute!

Cute-isms and Fathers Day

D: "I am wearing lots of bells!"
She was referring to her undies which had Belle from Beauty and the Beast all over them.

D: "I have a baby in my tummy and I'm going to breastfeed it"
Me: "What's your baby's name?"
D: "Area"
Dad: "As in Rest?"
----------
Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day. It was a nice day. Dad took the kids in the morning to the Farmer's Market and I was able to run errands and get some things done in preparation for the afternoon. One of the things I did was take hot dogs and chips to the local fire station to give them a nice Father's Day too. They were very grateful. We had a lot of chips from the Vons fiasco from the night before (story to follow). So I picked up some dogs to round out the meal. Anyway, lunch was Poquito Mas and then the kids napped. Around 3:30 the grandparents (all 4) came over to join us for dinner. Dinner was a success and the kids had a great time. We actually did too.









Vons fiasco....
I wanted to get Dad a day off and a trip to the MLB Fan Fest in July. I got John to say yes to going with him and then a couple days later he let me know about a promotion that Vons was doing. $20 in Pepsi products would get 2 free tickets to the Fan Fest. A great deal since two tickets were $60! So I went to Vons. Little did I know that nobody there knew anything about the promotion! And it was selected items so I had to go through the check out line twice and then stand with the supervisor for 45 minutes to make it work. I ended up with 4 cases of Aquafina and 4 bags of chips! Thankfully John was home and I talked with him on the phone while dealing with the whole thing. Fortunately, the gift was a success and I look forward to D going and having a fun day out!!

Funny comments from a 3 year old

Watching me change B today as he's playing with his penis, D said "He's playing with his pilly dilly!"

While making a u-turn in the Gelson's parking lot in Encino with D in the car, I was cut off by some lame-o driver. I exclaimed "D, some people aren't very smart!" She quickly said, "I know!"

Sibling love

For all the times we have to tell D to share with B or to stop yelling at him, there are so many times when she is so sweet to her little brother. I can't wait to see how they will be in a couple years.

Reading to B (a Hanukkah book in June!)



Pushing her brother on the swing.

The germs keep coming

Well, the bug that got Dad and B appears to have attacked D and me. Oh joy. Colds are never fun but when the weather is hot and you go in and out of air conditioning, ugh. I feel so badly for the kids. Poor little B can't blow his nose. His naps have become so short. I know he's teething too. And on top of it, he's headed for the one nap transition. And the separation anxiety is crazy! So he's got a lot of things going for him. D just started with the runny nose a couple of days ago. We went to a playdate yesterday to meet (re-meet) Alexa who D was in My Gym with and now will be going to her new preschool with. Her nose wasn't really running at the time but now that it is and she claims her ears hurt, I feel badly for taking her. I hope they don't get sick too! I really hope D is well for her first day of school next week. Fingers crossed.

I haven't really taken a lot of pictures lately. We haven't done a lot. I feel like a bad parent for not getting out much but when it's so hot, I really don't feel like it. I feel like B will overheat in the car seat or stroller. Maybe I'm just making excuses. With D only going to school for 5 weeks this summer, we're going to have to get out!

Here are some cute pictures taken recently of B. The first one is when he decided to wear his spaghetti in his hair. So cute. And the second is of him trying to escape into the garage. Already? He's growing so fast!

Cute stuff

I haven't blogged in a few days. I've been tired, lazy, headache-y, whatever, just haven't done it. I took the paperwork and D to her new school today. She was so excited! She was like a fly...buzzing this way and that to check out everything. She even hugged the director goodbye. I couldn't be happier. Can't wait to leave GP. Good riddance! She was so tired and crashed for her nap. I heard her wake up and went to go get her. I got to her door just as she was opening it. I bent down to her level so when she opened the door we were eye to eye. She jumped and just started giggling. It was so cute! I love those moments. Pure happiness.

D's reward for staying in bed for the last few nights was a trip for ice cream (or frozen yogurt really). Grandpa met us there. Dad had to work so it was just me and the kids. D was all excited and we had a good and yummy time. See pic!



Her cute moment of the day was when Dad said "Wassup?" and she said "Sup starts with S!" She cracks me up....when she's not driving me crazy!

B said "up" to Dad today. And right before bed, he said "Mama." Finally! :)

Just our luck

Well, the black out shade might have worked had D not peed all over herself and her bed and awakened all of us way too early. Apparently the diaper wasn't adhered correctly. Of all the luck. So I got her dressed and made her come to bed with me because of course, it was only 6am. At least she stayed in bed except to pee in the potty a couple times. But Dad got up. I was going to take D to school and then do stuff without children until picking her up. I ended up meeting my dad for breakfast at IHop and venting my spleen about life with the little ones and having a horrible weekend. Good ole Dad put my stress at ease. And then, Weekday called and told me there was a spot for D for the summer and fall. Goodbye Granada! At least the day was going fairly well. Unfortunately the summer cold has hit our house and got Dad. Here's hoping that none of us get it, especially the kids. I took his dentist appointment though since he couldn't go so I got my teeth cleaned and had the TMJ consult, which I do have. I have to make another appointment. When I got home, I was nearly attacked by my children. B just wanted my boobs which I wouldn't give him. He was really hungry though and was quite elated when I finally fed us dinner. D was excited to show me the pee she made on the potty. I think Dad was just happy that I was home to help.

A crazy day. Cramps and a headache later, an early bedtime sounds pretty good.

We all need more sleep

This weekend was not high on my list of good weekends. Ok, it just wasn't a good weekend. D has been overtired because she wakes up with the sun and then gets up. Of course that means we wake up as well. Not good. We probably did not make the best decision by making a water fun playdate with her friend from school on the same day as a birthday party in the afternoon. On a hot day no less. She fizzled by the end of the playdate, had a short nap and then fizzled (and cried because she fell) at the end of the birthday party. Today was not much better. Listening skills, not good. Drove me insane, pushed all of my buttons and I wanted to kill someone. No, not one of my children. But I did manage to throw a toy against a wall (which then broke) and scream in my closet. Not the best parenting day ever. Ugh. On the bright side, D did poop in the potty again but did have an accident at Borders. Oh well, can't have everything I guess. Dad put up a blackout shade in her room today. Seems to have helped with bedtime. Let's hope it helps in the morning.

What is generous?

D learned a new word today. Generous. Where did she learn it? In the bathroom. She went to close the toilet lid for me before flushing our pee down and I told her she was generous. The conversation went like this:

Me "How generous of you"
D "What does that word mean?"
Me "You mean generous?"
D "Yea, generous"
Me "It means to be giving. Like when you give B a toy, you're being generous"
D "Oh, you mean like I was generous to give you my pee when I went potty"
Me (trying hard not to laugh) "Yes, that's right. You were very generous with your pee"

I love my kids!!!

Rewards or bribes?

So I just bribed D to poop. What is this world coming to? Ok, not the world, but this house! For some reason, she waits to poop until she in a diaper and in bed after we've said goodnight. This means that usually less than 5 minutes after we've left her room, she poops and comes to find us. And that's when we've told her to call us, not to come and find us. It's so annoying! So tonight, we were cuddling and we were going over how many stars she needed on her chart to go to Travel Town. Dad came up with the idea to give 2 stars at night and 1 star for nap since night time seems to be more difficult and for nap she stays down all the time. For some reason, I decided to be brilliant and say, "I'll give you 3 stars if you poop before we put you to bed!" We sent her off to her room and she puttered around a bit before she came back but when she came back, we asked her if she pooped and she said yes. Of course I didn't believe her and needed proof. Amazing. There was poop! So I gave her 3 stars. While it did help in getting the poop out before saying goodnight, she did get up again twice before finally settling in...or at least we think she has settled in.

On a bright note, the peeing has been going so well. Even during dinner tonight she said "Mama, I have to pee." So I took her and we peed! Seems like as long as I pee with her or we do the "Ok, pee and yell surprise and we'll come get you," it totally works. I just hope she can do it at school. I think she gets distracted and pressured there since there is only one toilet. Damn school. That's a whole other entry. Although I will say that we're going to go check out another school on Friday that I'm really hoping works out!!

As for B, he is just cute. Squealing and squeaking is how we communicate. The best part is when it's in the car and I can see his face in the mirror. He does it when he's in the stroller too but I can't see his face. That boy is crawling faster and faster and pulling himself up easier. Not sure when he'll start walking but I don't think it's too far off.

Fun day and fun times

Today was recovery day. We were so tired from the party that we had no idea what we were going to do. After a long nap from Mr. B, we decided to go play at the Simi Valley Mall. It was also going to be 90 degrees and they have a fountain there that kids can romp in. So we put D in her sandals, loaded us all into the van and off we went.

Here is a D romping.



She had a lot of fun playing in the water with the spitting man.



B seemed to enjoy himself too!



A good time was had by all!



Dinnertime was fun. Dad asked if D would like Mahi Mahi. D said "You mean Mommy Mommy?" He said "No, Mahi Mahi." And then for some reason Dad started singing the Smurfs theme song. Next thing I knew, B was bopping up and down in his high chair. TOO CUTE!

**Not sure when it happened and don't remember why but D suddenly ran out of our room yelling "Everyone panic!" It's definitely not as funny out of context but the fact that she yelled it 5 or 6 times and Dad couldn't stop laughing made it hilarious!

Fun times are over. D keeps getting out of bed and is currently driving us crazy. Must go deal with that now.

1st Birthday Bash

So yesterday we celebrated B's 1st birthday with his cousin T. They are 6 weeks apart so we decided to do a joint thing for the family. We did it at our house so that the family could all come. I was surprised that everyone made it since it was Memorial Day weekend. Even Leslye came. So nice. Anyway, lots of preparation over the last couple days but with the house decorated, lots of food to eat and a big cupcake cake, we were ready. Erica had also made 2 smashcakes for the little ones that they definitely enjoyed smashing. It was a big success. D didn't even cry at everyone singing happy birthday! She had a blast with Rachel and Wendie here. Kona was on her best behavior too. It really was a great party. My biggest complaint? Out of 150 pics, I really didn't get any good ones. I can't trust anyone to take pictures of my kids. I'm so bummed! I'm really hoping Molly got some good ones of the kids because the ones I have aren't the greatest. Ergh. Oh well, I will just say that at least the party was a success and we had fun!

B and T in their party shirts. Molly and I didn't even plan this!


B enjoying his cake and D looking, well, not so happy. She just wanted her cupcake!



B and D enjoying their cake!


D finally getting to enjoy her cupcake!



After B had gone to bed, it was cuddle time for D. After such a long and crazy day, I expected her to be a little strung out. Instead she was as cute as ever. I helped her onto our bed and she was lying on top of me. I said "I love you so much." And she said "I know" and kissed me on the nose. Then laid her head back on top of mine and sucked her thumb. When we put her to bed, she sang, or tried to sing anyway, "You are my Sunshine" with us. My sweet 3 year old.

Another day...

B is in his crawling prime. He can cover a room and all the toys in it in seconds flat. Not to mention when he sees the hallway door open, he's a goner. I took a bunch of videos of him today as he canvassed the house. I don't know how to upload the picture yet since it's from the new camera. I can't keep up with the boy. Kona keeps him in check but that's only by licking him to death. And by licking, I mean french kissing him which he LOVES. ICK! But I need to exercise or something because this back of mine just can't keep up. Here's hoping he learns to walk soon.

We are celebrating his birthday tomorrow with his cousin T. She'll be one at the end of June. It will be fun to see them together and all the family too. I hope D is feeling better and she wakes up with no pain in her "bottom." It always makes me sad when she doesn't feel well. And that I had something to do with it really stinks. Let's hope we all get a good night of sleep!!