Monkeys & Acrobats

Uno

2011-12-12T07:31:00.000-05:00

If your child wants to play Uno at 6:30 AM and already has the cards dealt, be prepared to lose.

The best part was that he played a "non-draw 4" wild card first, choose red as the color, and then he had to draw a card because he obviously didn't deal himself any red cards....

Somehow I still lost...

Still Working on Spelling...

2011-12-08T19:25:00.002-05:00

The Mario Brothers

2011-11-08T06:25:00.000-05:00

So each year we try to get the boys to wear Halloween costumes that fit together. Last year they were Batman and Superman, the previous year Isaasc was a monkey and Eli was a doctor (from Monkey's Jumping on a Bed). So this year, obviously, they were the Mario Brothers. They were hilarious. Every time they would go up to a house Eli would say, "Can you guess who we are?" And since most people don't live under a rock they would say, oh you guys are the Mario Brothers. And EVERY TIME Eli would say, "Unbelievable - how does everyone know who we are? We didn't do a very good jobb of disguising ourselves." It happened over 10 times and we cracked up everytime.

Seriously though, they were the cutest Mario Brothers ever!

The Model

2011-11-08T06:19:00.000-05:00

The boys like pretty girls. Especially Isaac. I am not sure how else to say it. Even at this young age they recognize/appreciate physical beauty, and Isaac is very much the charmer. I receive a health magazine for women and it has various articles about exercising, eating and living health, etc. Every issues contains a story about some beautiful famous person and has pictures throughout of models whose weight and looks are, lets be honest, unattainable without surgery and a serious amount of airbrushing. Well, the other day the boys were in my room while I was getting ready for work and they found one of my magazines. And the conversation goes:

Isaac: Oh wow, I am going to marry her. (looking at the model on the back cover of the magazine)
Me: Oh Isaac. Just because she has a pretty face doesn't mean she would be a good person to marry. She might not not be nice.
Isaac: It doesn't matter.
Me: Of course it matters. You don't want to just marry someone because they have a pretty face, they need to be a good person that loves you. And for you (food allergy boy) they have to be able to cook.
Isaac: Oh I am sure she is a good person, look at her.
Me: Isaac a pretty face and smile doesn't mean a person is automatically nice.
Eli: Isaac you don't even know her name, you can't marry her.
Isaac (exasperated by this time): Her name is Elizabeth and I will marry her.

Oh Isaac...

September Pictures - One

2011-10-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

Eli's Class Trip to Boyd's Orchard

Hayden & Eli

Eli's the Head & Jenna Rae supplied the feet

The whole class

Picking apples

The boys and their apples

Hayride

Homeboy Cooks

Chores

2011-10-08T17:01:00.000-04:00

As we were getting ready for soccer today Eli asked a bizarre questions - "What chores have I done for the month of October?" I said, "the only think I can think of that you have done consistently is fight with your brother." He said "No, I was thinking about something else..."
Got nothing,
But I will be coming up with a chore list. It sounds like he wants some. Boy he will regret that question.

The Charmer

2011-10-07T14:28:00.002-04:00

I am going to have to label the people in this story or else it will get confusing. So…

A few weeks ago Mom #1 from Isaac’s preschool class came up to me and said, “Are you Isaac’s mom?” I can’t deny him the kid looks just like me. “Well my daughter (Girl #1) is obsessed with your son, like to the point it is almost scary/embarrassing. She talks about him constantly. Sometimes I think he is the only kid in her class…” Mom #1 didn’t think that was as funny as I did.

So today Mom #2 came up to me and said almost the exact same thing. “My daughter (Girl #2) is obsessed with your son. “ Evidently the little girl told her aunt that she had this problem at school. That there is this boy in her class that she really likes, but that her best friend (Girl #3) already said she was going to marry him. But, Girl #2 continues, that is ok, I think I can change his mind…

Well Mom #1 over hears the conversation today with Mom #2, concerning girls #2 & #3. And said really suspiciously “What are you teaching your son?”

We are in for it…

While we eat...

2011-10-06T20:07:00.000-04:00

Isaac and I are heading to Boyd's Orchard tomorrow for his preschool field trip. During the hayride they give each child a donut and a cup of cider. Isaac can't have the donut (eggs) so I bought a donut pan this week so I could make him a safe option. The boys (John included) are obsessed with these homemade donuts. I gave the pan a spin last night and made a cinnamon spiced donut rolled in brown sugar. It was delicious. Tonight when we were getting ready for dinner Eli asked if I had made donuts for dessert. Since I worked today I said, "No hon, not tonight, I didn't have time." He consoled me, "It's ok mom you can just make them while the boys eat dinner."
Now why didn't I think of that...

Changing Their Tune

2011-09-20T08:34:00.000-04:00

I have been given a few opportunities to travel lately to make some extra $$. I hate being away from the fam, but it is a great experience and will lead me in some directions I want to go, career-wise, in the future. The boys were all hugs yesterday as I was getting ready to leave. Saying, "we'll miss you so much", "who is going to feed us, " blah blah blah. John said, "Mommy is going to go make us so money so we can go to the beach again next year." Their tune changed quickly. They started doing some kind of happy dance and running around the room and then said "See ya" and pushed me out the door...

When I Grow Up

2011-09-20T08:31:00.000-04:00

We have made it a practice to ask the boys what they want to be when they grow-up. We want to start planting seeds and sneaking ideas into their head early so they won't be living with us when they are 30. Given their answers we have our work cut out for us.
Isaac: An animal rescuer... (as a note, Eli is TERRIFIED of animals, how are they so different??)
Eli: An astronaut (will have to move to Germany or China for that one) or "a science" (I guess he wants to be studied?)

Homework

2011-09-19T19:59:00.001-04:00

It has been a really long time. I know, I have lots to catch up on, but I had to capture my "experience" in doing homework with Isaac. I am not sure at what point it became cool to "mess" with your mom in preschool, but all I can say is Isaac is going to give us a run for his money. The homework was easy. In fact it was the exact same homework he has had for the past two weeks. Trace "Isaac" write "Isaac" twice, trace A (2) and write 10 (A's), and trace a (2) and write 10 (a's). I was thinking 5 minutes tops, which is why I waited until 7:55 PM on a Sunday night before tackling it with him. Not with Isaac - 30 minutes later I was about ready to take the pencil out of his hand and do his homework using my left hand so it would be believably done by a 4 year old. Tracing went pretty well. Then he "wrote" his name. The "I" was correct, the small "s" was backwards and on the top line, the two a's were so small they looked like they had been typed by a typewriter, and the c was upside down. He would just look at me and say, "good enough" with this stupid grin on his face that really said, "oh you want to watch the Emmy's - I am going to make sure you miss at least the first four awards." And I did.....

Eli's First Day of School

2011-09-01T17:01:00.001-04:00

I am not sure why...

2011-06-17T07:59:00.002-04:00

but Eli wears all of his shirts backwards on purpose. He likes the design to be on the back instead of the front. What a weirdo.

Becoming a Grown-Up

2011-06-10T17:46:00.002-04:00

Eli was complaining about having tacos for dinner. I told him when he turned 18 he can make us all dinner and he can pick what he wants to cook.

He said, exasperated, "What - I have to wait until I'm grown-up! I have tons of lessons to learn before then."

So, so true...

Pete's Dragon & The Treadmill

2011-06-08T20:18:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen Pete's Dragon? It is a weird movie. For some reason Eli really likes it. He was watching it today and during the scene where they are running on large barrels of beer (really not sure how this was ever deemed a "kids" movie) Eli said - "Now there is a family who needs a treadmill." Running drunk on a treadmill, now that sounds like an adventure...

Speaking of running on the treadmill, I learned a valuable lesson last week. For Mother's Day John installed a flat screen TV in front of my treadmill. I quickly learned that I can not watch new episodes of funny shows while running. I about fell off the treadmill laughing at Modern Family, when Cam ran into the door, after falling in the pool.... too funny.

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

The boys "graduated" from preschool this past week. I must say it was one of the cutest programs I have been to. The boys had a great year in preschool - hard to believe Eli will be in Kindergarten next year. They are growing up on me!

I wish this wasn't normal

2011-05-14T16:05:00.001-04:00

but it totally is...

T-Ball

2011-05-14T16:04:00.003-04:00

If only we were as good as we look...

The tie

2011-05-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

1) The tie is clip-on
2) It came with an outfit for Eli (6-12 months)
3) Isaac wore it everyday for one week (school, park, library, grocery, Mother's Day Tea, etc.)

That's My Boy....

The best things I ever did...

2011-05-14T15:59:00.000-04:00

Teach the boys how to use the hand vac....

I know you are wondering.....

2011-05-14T15:57:00.000-04:00

but, I have no idea what was in that box....

Commando

2011-05-10T16:59:00.000-04:00

When Isaac first discovered that the super soft material that pajamas are made of was called cotton he insisted that all of his clothes be made of this fantastic material. He has been known to come up to anyone who will listen and say - "Feel my shirt - it's cotton." to which we are supposed to reply, "Ahhh, so soft."

Today I was changing his pajama pants into school pants and noticed that he did not have underwear on.
I was a little shocked and said, "Isaac what happened to your underwear?" To which he intelligently replied, "It's so much more comfortable without underwear. Mom, my pants are cotton!"

I am not prepared for a teenager who started going commando at age 4. What are we in for?

Run In With Eggs

2011-04-20T06:33:00.000-04:00

It turns out chewy sweet tarts have egg in them. It isn't listed on the allergy statement, which only mentions wheat, it is listed as one of the 50 ingredients on the back. As soon as Isaac ate them he complained of his stomach hurting and was twisting and turning in pain on the couch. Then came the vomit. Last night was a LONG night.

T-ball Game #1

2011-04-17T15:31:00.000-04:00

We had our first t-ball game yesterday. It was about 30 degrees outside. Some little guys were crying before the game even started. I went to check on Isaac and he had two snot-cicles sticking out of his nose, but was still in good spirits. We learned two valuable lessons:

1) They do keep score in t-ball
2) You can loose by slaughter rule.

We lost 16-1. Eli said he really wanted to win and wanted to know why we didn't have 16 points. In true mom speak I said - don't worry about it honey you guys will win some (at least I hope so) and loose some (guaranteed). The only thing that matters is that you have fun.

If only....

2011-04-08T08:44:00.000-04:00

I assume that all mothers walk that fine line of moving their kids towards self sufficiency and being a little flattered that they are so indispensable and relied on. When my kids are driving me nuts and wanting something every 7 seconds of the day I try to remind myself that it won't be this way forever, and so I should cherish it, at least a little. But last night... whew - I really just wanted some sleep. We have had a great spring break - we have played a lot, accomplished some things around the house, had some friends over; it has been a really nice break. I was TIRED. Unfortunately I paid the price all night for a bad judgement call. When a movie says "for kids over 7" next time I am going to listen. A scary fish man from Scooby Doo tormented us all night. Eli woke me up a total of 9 times, so if I had been lucky enough to get 9 hours of sleep (ha ha ha) that is one interruption per hour. I would get all snuggled in my pillow and drift away to some far away land made of fine dark chocolate and I would feel a peck on my forehead - "Mom, I'm still scared."

I comforted myself with the thought that his lack of sleep might mean a late morning for him and at least I would be able to exercise uninterrupted. Yeah - so Mr. Bright Eye's was up and ready to go at 5:30 AM. If only I had the energy of a five year old.... I'm optimistically hoping for an early afternoon crash...

Wetting the Bed

2011-04-07T10:46:00.000-04:00

After MONTHS of dry nights John and I decided to save $30 a month and forgo pull-ups at night. The boys were excited about this milestone. Tuesday night was our first night in big boy underwear during the night. Well, at least we made it dry for one more night.
Wednesday night both boys wet the bed. Got to go do laundry...

T-Ball Update

2011-04-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

Isaac made it through his first practice without crying. Seriously, the kid looked invincible out there. Instead of stopping the ball with his glove he stopped most of them with his shoes and legs. I guess boys get to a point where they have some many bruises on their legs they just don't feel the pain anymore.
The best part was the herding of the team. No matter where the ball went on a hit the entire in-field (and out-field for that matter) would all go storming after it. Whoever got their first was the lucky one that had to try to chuck it towards first. It is really comical. I can't wait for our first game.

Sunbutter

2011-04-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

Eli comes by it honestly, but he hates cold food. He doesn't like sandwiches or deli meat - it just doesn't cut it for him. I am the same way. I love food, I can't just choke something down. I would rather be super hungry then eat something I'm not in the mood for. So our lunch options are slim for Eli. He was a huge peanut butter fan prior to the "peanut butter might kill Isaac" discovery so that hasn't been a food option for 3 years. And so it goes when you can't have something you want it so bad you can taste. I have been dying for some peanut butter. So someone told me about sunbutter - made with sunflower seeds. I was warned that it wasn't the same, but for someone who hasn't had peanut butter in three years it has to be better than nothing, right? We tore it up. Our first jar is about gone two days later. I am thinking about buying it in bulk.

The Tale of Two T-balls

2011-04-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

We have decided to venture into the world of organized sports this year, signing up the boys for the same t-ball team. It is entertaining to say the least.

So there's Eli....
Eli is one happy go lucky kid. He celebrates EVERYTIME he makes a stop on the ball. So the ball rolls to him, and he stops it (about 25% of the time). He jumps up and down yelling "I'm awesome" and then remembers that he has to throw the ball to a base - it makes it about 30% of the way towards the base.

Then there's Isaac...
He has cried at 100% of the practices. And unfortunately he has this wailing cry that would peel paint of the walls. The first practice he slide half-way between second and third base burning his tummy on the sand. "That's it I am done with T-ball." The second practice I was playing "catch" with the boys and nailed Isaac right in the lip. Blood and crying ensued. "That's it I'm done with T-ball."

Should be an interesting season.

The "Bad" Words

2011-03-27T16:02:00.001-04:00

This is an old one that I somehow forgot to post...
We have identified three words/phrases that are not to be said in our house: "Oh My Gosh" (which sounds worse than it reads), Stupid, and hate. The boys haven't dabbled beyond these "bad" few phrases, before today.
Today hasn't been good - the boys have been in foul moods today. So I think they were testing us when the were adding all three word/phrases into sentences and then staring right us. Like "Stupid, I hate you, oh my gosh." or "Oh My Gosh Stupid, I hate you." Both typically followed by a punch.
I guess I should have counted my blessings with those phrases when Isaac kicked me in the rear end and said - "Yeah, KickA$$."

The Tattle Tale

2011-03-27T15:43:00.000-04:00

Eli sees two colors, black and white. If you aren't right you are most definitely wrong. So at school this has become a bit of an issue. He has a strong tendency to tattle on other kids who aren't doing the right thing, because it is "impossible for even a good teacher to see everything everyone is doing." So he has offered his assistance to his teachers in watching out for bad behavior. Super.
His teacher has kept me in the loop and we have tried to be on the same page in reminding Eli that unless someone is hurt, bleeding, or crying it is not his job to tell the teacher about other kids. His one, sole responsibility right now is to learn. Last week his teacher told me that he came marching across the gym to her and she could just tell he was going to tattle on someone. Before he could even make it over to her she said told him to stop right there, that she didn't want to hear anything unless it was about him. She said his jaw just dropped and he froze for about 10 seconds and then gave a big ole smile and said, "I love you Ms. Ward" gave her a hug, and ran away. Quick thinker.

Thin Mints

2011-03-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

Last year we were shocked to discover that Isaac can eat Thin Mints. Before that discovery he had only one processed cookie option - Oreos. Our favorite girl scounts (Kaeley, Baelyn, and Ms. Monica) gave us a box of Thin Mints for Isaac. At lunch last week he asked for a Thin Mint for dessert. I gave him one and ate one myself. Isaac walked out of the kitchen and into his play kitchen, found a fake chocolate bar from his fake food stash and brought it to me. Politely he said, "Mom here is a candy bar for your chocolate fix, hands off my thin mints."

Hershey's Kisses

2011-03-25T16:26:00.000-04:00

Isaac is a son after my own heart - he LOVES chocolate. Yesterday we was so excited that he got a gift bag and it had 6 Hershey kisses inside. I should have guessed something was up when he kept taking the bag into his room and shutting the door - but I just figured he was wanting Eli to stay out. So I was a bit shocked when I went grab his bag after dinner and take out the Fineas & Ferb fruit snacks that he requested (also a coveted treat from the gift bag) and 6 empty hershey kisses wrappers fell out of his bag. He had eaten ALL six!! I had to laugh - the kid has about the same amount of self control that I have. I think he was a little embarrased, but impressed that he had kept it secret for that long. Needless to say no fruit snacks for Isaac last night...

The Secret

2011-02-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

We have a secret boy-magnet in our back yard. We have successfully kept it hidden for 4 years now and today the secret was discovered. Eli and I were playing tennis on the driveway and Isaac ventured back deep into the yard. He came running up to me and said - "Oh My Gosh Mom!! We have to go on an adventure. Did you know we have a CREEK in OUR BACKYARD!!!!" In the summer there is so much greenery down at the back of the yard that you can barely make out the water. In the winter it is typically too cold to go out and the boys don't venture into the depths of the backyard. After today our life will never be the same. We spent an hour throwing rocks and sticks into the creek, chopping worms in half, and "fishing". I have to say I have no idea why we kept it a secret so long...

The bad smell

2011-02-21T13:48:00.000-05:00

As Eli was laying down for a rest this afternoon he came into the kitchen and said his hand smelled really bad. He then asked me to smell it so I could tell him what the smell was. Warning - if you are a parent you should NEVER fall for this. Tell your child to promptly wash their hands. But I was dumb, so naive. I took a sniff, and ... it smelled like poop. "Eli, why does your hand smell like poop?" "Because my butt itched in the middle." Naturally.

Taking out the trash

2011-02-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

Monday is trash day. John usually goes around the house and empties all the trash cans and takes the trash to the street. Isaac was wanting to, you guess it, wrestle, and was begging John to play super guys with him. I told Isaac he would have to wait a few minutes while dad took the trash out. To which Isaac replied:
"You know mom, I have never seen you take the trash out. What don't you give dad a break and you do it so you can see what it is like."
So Ironic.

Salesman

2011-02-20T07:23:00.000-05:00

This morning Eli was picking at his toenails, a gross habit we have been trying to get rid of. I asked him if he needed me to grab the clippers to cut off a rogue nail and the conversation goes...
Eli: "Nope, I am not doing anything, I just want my hands to rest on my feet." Right.....
Me: "I don't know how dumb you think I am, you are going to have to sell that story to someone else." Eli: "I don't know why you always say that, what am I going to have to do to sell YOU on that story"

Women's Basketball

2011-02-10T19:25:00.001-05:00

So I guess my guys have never seen a women's basketball game. I was folding laundry and watching a Florida vs. Tennessee women's basketball game, while the boys were wrestling with John in Eli's room. Eli came in and so the conversation goes....
Eli: Why does the black team of have a woman on their team?
Me: Those are all women playing on the court.
Eli: (scratching his head) huh - well that other one looks like a man.
Me: well, this is a women's game, it is only women on the court.
Eli: (long pause, long pause, still scratching his head) Well, men are better.
Exit Eli.

Clothes

2011-01-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

From November through January, between all the birthdays and Christmas, our house is gift central. Eli made it clear after his birthday that he does not think clothes are an appropriate gift and has pleaded that Santa provide no clothes this year. So last night at our annual Cruze family gathering we open presents by age, youngest first. Isaac was third and Eli was fourth. Isaac opened up a gift with two sets of PJs, Eli looked at me in desperation and said, "I said NO clothes." Although, it ended up being Iron Man pajamas, so the grandparents scored big points.

A Downer

2010-11-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

I don't like to watch the news much because it is always such a downer. It is usually nothing but robberies, murders, and politics, blah blah blah. Eli got up before me this morning and went into the living room and turned on the TV, which was set to the Sunday night football game, which in the AM meant he was stuck watching the news. Not sure how much he had watched before I made it up but he said, "Mom, I have some bad news. Two people got hurt and it is going rain."
Pretty much sums it up....

The "Who's Birthday" Fall Party

2010-10-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

Eli had his fall party for preschool today. When I told him that he was having a party at school today he said, "Who's birthday is it?" and I said, "No ones - it is a fall party for everyone" and he said "Oh" a bit disappointed. Well he was all smiles when I got to his class today. Eli said, "Mom I thought this birthday party was going to be terrible, but it is a lot of fun." OK - so he didn't get the fall party theme - but the boys were all smiles! And loved the "scary teeth" from their party bags!

On bibs

2010-10-29T08:23:00.000-04:00

Yes, my boys still wear bibs when they eat - it is necessary for the maintenance of our laundry loads. Today as Eli was putting his on - he said "Man this thing is getting tight, we need to get some new big boys bibs." I gently told him that they don't make big boy bibs because eventually he is supposed to learn to eat without spilling stuff all over him. He said, "Well - what am I supposed to do? I am a big boy, but I still make a mess."

Brothers

2010-10-05T22:05:00.000-04:00

Time for a Haircut

2010-10-05T22:02:00.000-04:00

No words

2010-10-05T22:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes only a picture can do it justice...

First Field Trip

2010-10-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

Eli got to go on his first official field trip to Boyd's Orchard this week. He was all smiles!!

No Rest

2010-09-27T06:31:00.000-04:00

You know that point in the day when you are exhausted and all you want to do is sit on the couch - even if it is just for 10 minutes? I will find that some days that point in the day doesn't come until 8 o'clock at night, but I just fall into the couch with a nice sigh of relief... and then .... enters Isaac. I've shared before how he still likes my assistance in the bathroom. For a while we thought it had to do with his toys in hand, but recently it has turned into a dreaded game. Isaac begs me to help him go to the bathroom. No matter what I am doing he wants me to drop everything as he does his "I gotta go pee pee now dance" and help him. I say no about 4 times and he throws himself on the floor crying. So in my head I say 1) this is not worth it 2) if I walk to the bathroom with him the crying will stop. So I get off of the comfy couch, or dry my hands off from washing dishes, or stop cooking dinner to help little Isaac in the bathroom. And then you know what he has been doing lately... He hops up, runs into the bathroom as fast as is 18 inch legs will take him, drops his pants, and finishes peeing before I can make it in there. By the time I arrive he is done and laughing at me for being tricked.
We are in for it aren't we...

When I Grow Up

2010-09-01T16:21:00.000-04:00

The boys are in preschool now and we are being quickly introduced to this new world of responsibility and planning. Did you know that preschoolers have homework? When were we doing ours? Sunday at 8:00 PM. Trying to develop good, realistic habits early.
The most enlightening project has been the "I am Special Poster". Both Eli and Isaac have completed a this poster which includes random facts about the child and goals for the future. Eli's was sent home so we assisted him in filling this out. I put everything he said word for word, except for his favorite color being pink - I knew that just was not true. Isaac's was filled out by his teacher - his was by far the most entertaining. Here are some highlights in comparing our oldest and youngest.

Where do you live?
Eli: Kentucky
Isaac: Earth

How do you get to school?
Eli: My mom
Isaac: A White Van

When is Your Birthday?
Eli: November 20th (correct)
Isaac: January 28th (wrong)

Who is in your family:
Eli: Mom, Dad, Isaac, and Uncle Joe
Isaac: Mac, Mommy & Daddy, Nana & Pops, Isaac (Poor Eli)

Favorite Sport:
Eli: Baseball
Isaac: Swimming (never been)

My personal favorite

What are you going to be when you grow up?
Eli: A Doctor
Isaac: fight the bad guys with a sword

Is it the age difference or does Isaac have some issues with reality?

The Barricade

2010-08-22T07:19:00.000-04:00

Isaac has a tendency to get out of bed a lot at night. He has a variety of reasons, needs to pee, needs to poop, just wanted to check in on us. It is cute once, but after eight times of getting up and down to put him back in bed John and I both get frustrated. So in protest last night Isaac barricade himself in his room. He pushed several of his "big" toys up against the door so we couldn't come in a "check on him." He sure showed us...

"Free Hands" & You B%^&h

2010-08-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

So Isaac and I were in the bathroom yesterday so he could go pee pee. John and I have noticed that Isaac will willingly pee by himself if he isn't holding a toy, but is hesitant to put down toys (because he doesn't want his brother to have any fun) so he will ask for assistance when he is holding a toy in hand. That was kind of a break through because we could never figure out why he could go sometimes and not others. The unfortunate result in "holding toys over the potty" is that inevitably they end up falling in the toilet. We have had multiple causalities over the past week. So yesterday, back to the bathroom, a "View Master" card fell in a toilet of fresh pee. Gross. So I pulled it out of the toilet and threw it away and told him that if we put toys down before we went pee pee we wouldn't have to throw so many pee stained toys away. To which he replied - "You Bi&*h."
"Excuse me" I said in shock that he had even heard that word - not one I typically use. And then he swung his arm in front of him and with enthusiasm said it again "You Bi^&h". I instantly realized that he was attempting to say "You Betcha", but was living off a critical syllable. We have been practicing A LOT on saying the full word.
You Betcha.

The Wrong Guy

2010-06-23T12:37:00.002-04:00

Today was our first day of VBS. We had to miss days 1 and 2 because I had to work. Typically the boys have only been old enough for the worker's room, but today Eli got to go to VBS as a "big boy." Eli was too funny in the car on the way home.

Eli: Mom - we talked about God today, not Jesus, you had the wrong guy.

Me: Eli what were your teacher's names.
Eli: I forgot to ask. Dang it Eli, be brave!!

Park Photos

2010-06-01T17:34:00.004-04:00

Woody

2010-06-01T17:31:00.003-04:00

Eli likes to come out of his room dressed some mornings. Today he dressed up as Woody.

Yes his shirt is VERY tight.

Yes his pants are on backwards.

100 Butts

2010-05-31T08:48:00.002-04:00

Isaac is smart. At three Isaac has learned to work the system to get what he wants. So this morning after breakfast after saying "I'm done, I want to get down" about 50 times back-to-back he decided to go a different direction.
"I need to poop NOW!" He knows that this usually gets him down because no one wants to mess with pants full of poop. So as I get him down from his high chair John says, "I bet you one hundred bucks you aren't going to poop."
Isaac replied," I DON'T HAVE 100 BUTTS - just ONE and it's GOING to POOP."
And he did, after about 20 minutes....

Qualified

2010-05-25T11:45:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday Eli's Sunday School class had a parent filling in for their usual Sunday School Teacher Ms. Kristin. Eli just loves Ms. Kristin so he has a bit sad that she wasn't there for Sunday School.
He asked Ms. C (the parent kind enough to step in) "Why Are you here? Do you even know what you are doing?"
We all got a really good laugh!

In My Heart

2010-05-04T16:35:00.002-04:00

Not sure why my posts have been so few and far between. The boys are still being hilarious.
So today Eli has been more affectionate than usual and I gave him a big hug and said I just hate that you are growing up. I want you to be small forever. And the conversation goes:

Eli: Mom I have to grow that is how God made me.
Me: Well I will just have to talk to God about it.
Eli: I don't think he will be able to hear you since he lives in outer space.
Me: Hon, you have learned in church that God lives in our heart.
Eli: Oh, well then I can open my mouth so you can yell at him.

Scrambled Eggs

2010-04-16T16:25:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday Eli begged for scrambled eggs for breakfast. I reminded him that he has had them before and does not like them/won't eat them. But, he insisted, he wanted scrambled eggs. I obliged (of course) one egg perfectly scrambled. He took one bite and had this "this is so disgusting but I am going to swallow" look on his face. Once it was down he drank his entire cup of juice without taking a breath. I told him I was glad he tried them, but that he really didn't have to eat them if he didn't like them. He was polite - he handed the plate back to me and said "Lets try again when I turn 5."
It is on my calendar.

Liar

2010-04-13T18:10:00.002-04:00

Of course I am describing our resident procrastinator, Isaac. Isaac has a long list of potential delayers when it comes to bedtime. His favorite is "I have to go pee/poop" which you can't really argue with. If they do really have to go then you may have a wet bed in the AM. So we both typically give in on this one, with one caveat. We tell him, if you don't pee/poop we are going to have to give you a spanking for lying. Sometimes that terminates the bathroom trip - other times Isaac swears that he really has to pee. So on Monday, in response to an "I have to pee plea", and a threaten of the lying-spanking, he said "I promise I am going to pee a lot - my wee wee is very full". So we go to the bathroom - I am waiting, waiting and then really panicked he says, "Oh Crap," covers his butt and starts backing away saying, "Please don't spank me, please don't spank me." Very innocently I say - "oh, I'm not going to spank you because you really have to pee." And with that sweet smile he says, "Nope - I was lying."

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-10T17:32:00.004-04:00

Here are the boys getting ready for our Easter Egg Hunt at church. I am convinced that Easter is secretly known as the "peanut butter"lovers holiday. EVERYTHING Isaac picked up he couldn't eat. Poor Guy. I think next year we plan to have an Easter Egg Hunt at our house so he won't have to go through that disappointment again.

Eli won a prize during a drawing. Eli is known at church as being particularly joyful and a bit intense. So his reaction to his name being drawn was more than appropriate. He jumped up like he had been selected for the "price is right", jumping up and down, etc. And then ran to the table as fast as he could. It was pretty funny!

This picture seriously sums up Eli - he is too funny!

Easter Pictures 2010

2010-04-10T17:29:00.004-04:00

Eli's Eye

2010-04-10T17:25:00.003-04:00

There had a been a several day battle over these "flags on a stick" the boys received in a gift bag from a birthday party. John wanted to throw them out due to the sharp pointy ends, and the boys were holding on dearly to them. So when Eli got this huge scratch around his eye we knew both the culprit and the weapon of choice, so we thought. And the conversation goes...

John: Oh my goodness Eli what happened to your eye

Eli: I don't know what you are talking about

John: You have a huge scratch from your forehead to your mouth

Eli: No I don't, I don't know what you are talking about

John: How did that happen? Doesn't that huge scratch hurt

Eli: No, I don't have a scratch, please don't take our flags away

Isaac

2010-04-10T17:19:00.003-04:00

This is Isaac's post. Isaac is kind of a nut so - here is what he has been up to:

Posing for Easter

His interpretation the the "Hunchback" of Notre Dame

Enjoying, no, loving his ice cream - yes it is on his nose and eyes.

A New Level

2010-03-16T12:49:00.002-04:00

It is amazing to watch the boys grow and develop. Watching early turn four and move from a toddler to a little boy has been fascinating. He is continuing to reach all new levels of understanding, coupled with 15,000 questions, about life and the world around him. Today was teacher appreciation day at school. We put a small gift together for his teachers and the boys carried their gifts in to give to their teachers. As I was walking Eli to his class I said - "Now when you give your teachers your gift say - Thank you for being a good teacher." And he looked up at me and said, "I can't do that, they will laugh at me."And to be honest I was a little heartbroken. All of the sudden this curious little boy is worried about what other people will think about him. While I appreciate the awareness and the self control that way of thinking brings, I hate the loss of innocence that comes with worrying about other peoples opinions and actions. Now come the 1000s of life lessons that I think we are all still learning to worry less about what others think and more about who Eli is and who we all are in the eyes of God and how we - in our small way can make an impact on the world.

School

2010-03-16T08:04:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to talk Eli into staying home from school today because of this nasty cough he is sporting. We took him to the doctor yesterday and he said it was a touch of a sinus infection and that he was not contagious and would be fine for school today. But call it mom's intuition, I think he will have a rough day with this barking cough.
When I told him I was going to keep him home today he said, and I quote, "But I want to go to school, mom. I have to learn. Children have to go to school mom to learn or else they will be dummies. I don't want to be a dummy mom."
He makes a good argument.

The Prayer

2010-03-08T08:21:00.002-05:00

I seriously think we need to put together a book of Eli's prayers to share with him later. They are highly inappropriate and hilarious. I guess the good thing is that he feels like he can tell God anything. Sunday was a rough day. Eli was quite emotional/tired after church - so as things deteriorated from his plan, the weeping and wailing got louder and louder. Eli usually likes to say "his food prayer" at meals, but I offered to say the prayer for lunch since Eli was crying. He obliged and then asked to pray as soon as I finished. It went something like this.

"Dear God,
I don't want to listen to my parents. I want to do things myself because I am a big boy. I don't want to eat this food. I am tired and I just want to go to bed.
Amen"

Poor Bird

2010-03-08T08:12:00.002-05:00

On Saturday a bird dive bombed and pooped all over our van. The boys were quited disgusted by this on the way to church. Their most pressing questions were - why does the bird have to poop all over our van and how can we get the bird back - you know, retaliation. Eli suggested that we catch the bird and cut its' wings off. I told him that was a little harsh that birds aren't potty trained like humans are. Isaac perked up and said "I know Eli! You can catch the bird and I will pee on it." An eye for an eye.

Turtle did it...

2010-03-03T18:50:00.006-05:00

Eli likes to make orange juice, fake orange juice. He puts a couple of clementine oranges in a Tupperware container, stirs them around with a fake spoon and makes "fake" orange juice. On Monday he had taken 3 oranges out of the fruit bowl and was clearly dissatisfied with the container I gave him to work with that was "too small". He came into our bedroom while we were getting ready for work and showed us his new big container with a lid.

The question is where did he get it, since they are stored on a top shelf in the kitchen. Eli's first response was that he got it out of a dresser drawer in his room. When I told him "I didn't know we were stock piling Tupperware in your room," he said "Well maybe uhm Turtle got it for me." I have included a turtle below because his sad state makes Eli's answer all the funnier. I am assuming it was statements like those that were behind the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon.

So, John and I had a little fun with him. "Well how did turtle get up there? And, wow turtle must be so strong!" Well not to be out done by turtle Eli said "No, I'm strong - I got it down." "Oh, so you did get it down." Our trip to the kitchen contained all of the evidence - original container thrown on the floor, chair up against the kitchen cabinets, storage container cabinet door wide open. Another mystery solved.

Bathrooms

2010-02-15T10:00:00.003-05:00

Potty training is a blessing/curse. On the one hand you get rid of diapers. No diapers means more $$ and less trash, theoretically. Except that going from two people flushing the potty and using toilet paper to four - increases the water bill and decreases the toilet paper stash. However, when out and about diaper use is FAR handier than trying to find a toilet on a dime. On Friday I took the boys to the mall (I am assuming that is where Isaac acquired pink eye). By the time we got to the indoor playground (which took quite a while since Eli won't step on cracks) got our coats, shoes, and socks off -the boys decided they needed to use the potty. So we get our shoes and socks back on. I am now lugging three winter coats and the backpack of Isaac's "just in case" meds. We get back to the front of the mall to the restroom, again not stepping on cracks, and you guessed it - closed for cleaning. I am assuming some major catastrophe had occured since the mall had only been open for 30 minutes. So holding hands, coats, backbacks, etc we venture off to the next "closest" bathroom. By now I am sweating, Isaac is pulling us, since his urge sparked the trip in the first place, I am ready to drag Eli across the cracks, and we finally make it. It was rather uneventful, pee, flush, wash hands, although I think you couldn't wash public bathroom gross off without a bath. Thirty minutes later wouldn't peeing in your pants in a nice absorbant diaper have been the better option?

Snowman II

2010-02-15T09:58:00.002-05:00

Pops started on a snowman for the boys - it fell after snow number one, but was resurrected after snow number two.

Isaac's Birthday

2010-02-15T09:51:00.002-05:00

This year we made Isaac a "egg-free" big chocolate chip cookie into an "Andy's Room" (from Toy Story) birthday cake. He asked for homemade pizza - tasty tasty! It was a fun night! I cn't believe he is 3!

The World According to Eli

2010-02-15T09:28:00.006-05:00

We gave Eli one of our old cameras to take pictures. Here is the world from his 3-foot vantage.
My favorite is when his feet make it into the shot!

Eli's Face

2010-01-20T13:01:00.001-05:00

Eli has a friend in his "church class" named Eli as well. Here is what our Eli had to say about it: "Did you know that there is another Eli in the world? The weird thing is his face looks nothing like mine."

Enjoying the Snow

2010-01-17T17:10:00.001-05:00

Trying to get a picture before church

2010-01-17T17:05:00.004-05:00

kind of like wrestling pigs...

Just a normal day...

2010-01-17T17:02:00.001-05:00

Resolutions

2010-01-03T17:15:00.003-05:00

Though I hate to take myself too seriously, as we reflect on the start of the year and decade I think it would be beneficial to set some goals and verbalize some lessons that I have learned over the past year that I don't care to "learn" again. So as a reminder to myself, here are some personal goals for the next year and beyond.

1a. Read the Bible, re-establish a "quite time," and improve spiritual health. I haven't been great at this since Eli and Isaac were born. A well established discipline flew out the window with the birth of our two kiddos. If there was ever a time in my life that the word of God needs to be the first thought in my mind it is now when we are teaching two young ones the walk. This must be priority one.

1b. Be more Christ-like. Being more Christ-like will make me a better wife, mom, and friend. By default I will pay more attention to those around me and will be in tune with the directions God has for my life. I will prioritize appropriately because his "will" will be my priority. Providing Godly instruction to my kids will come naturally. I am 100% certain that achieving this goal will reach past this decade.

2. Continue to exercise and improve physical health. If you look at my exercise log this certainly appears to be priority one of 2009. Though successful, I can rightly say that 2009's priorities were off. I woke up 5-6 mornings each week at 5:30 AM to exercise. In fact when I don't exercise I can be quite crabby. I increased my mileage from 1.5 miles/session to 3.0 miles. I ran about 500 miles this last year and lost/kept off 16 pounds. I do want to continue this disciple and loose 10 more pounds, just don't want to obsess over it.

3. Leave work at work. I really stink at this one, particularly since 12 of my 32 hours I work from home. Until about September work was my driving force. While I think the chest pains and ulcers were justified (some really crazy things happened this year) they certainly weren't worth it, nor healthy. After all, it is just work. So that is my goal - work is work, nothing more. I will work like I am working for God and not for man, but it will not be the center of my universe - my family deserves better.

4. Save money. I am trying this whole coupon, meal planning, saving money thing. I am not good at it. I am very much a mood eater and don't think I will function well having my entire week of meals planned out for each day. So I am trying a pick 7 meals plan and having the ingredients for all seven on hand. Than gives me seven options for the week and a variety of foods to choose from, and less waste. With Isaac's allergies nearly everything has to be made from scratch and that has seriously limited my cooking this year. I have been less creative and relied to tightly on a few staples. But with planning I think I can get better at this, and in actuality improve the overall health of the family.

So these are the biggies. Probably the top of everyone's list right?
Here's to 2010 and beyond.

Wood chips

2010-01-02T08:58:00.002-05:00

The beginning of a new year always brings to mind ways we can improve our life and do things differently in the new year. One of my goals is to reduce our grocery bill by planning better and not wasting. So, today I made banana muffins with some dying bananas. On my quest to improve the family's overall health I made the muffins with half bran. Innocently, Isaac asked why I put "wood chips" (bran flakes) on top of the muffins. I guess he's got a point...

Torture Spears

2010-01-01T16:01:00.004-05:00

While we were cleaning the closet the other day the boys found a bag of craft sticks (aka popsicle sticks). I gave them to the boys to play with thinking this would occupy their creative minds for a bit. John, being obviously the more aware parent of the moment, asked me what I gave the boys to play with, and if I didn't have any broken glass to make the game "safer". Evidently the craft bag that I gave them had 45 torture spears inside as well. Thankfully the boys still have both eyes. I disposed of the daggers.

On a more positive, and impressive parenting note... Here is Isaac eating an orange and Eli making orange juice.

BounceU

2010-01-01T15:23:00.004-05:00

The boys have been asking, no, begging to get out of the house. It seems that being out of our routine is difficult for everyone! We took the boys out for a surprise yesterday to BounceU - they loved it! Here are some shots!

Congratulations Hanes

2009-12-29T20:04:00.003-05:00

Eli has grown out of his character underwear so I bought him some new Hanes "big boy" underwear. When I put them on him this morning he said, "Cool, now I look like Michael Jordan." He is 4. Congratulations Hanes, excellent name recognition and marketing plan.

Merry Christmas - From The Boys

2009-12-27T06:14:00.003-05:00

A Christmas Prayer

2009-12-19T21:28:00.002-05:00

Eli's prayer tonight:
"The best way to bring Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Amen"

Peace...

2009-12-19T15:35:00.002-05:00

"Christmas" Tree

2009-12-18T12:57:00.008-05:00

Much like the nativity scene, which has added gifts each day from our little "wisemen", the Christmas tree has collected a few "ornaments" over the past week.

A Wrench
Tickerbells treasure chest and a grape
A hammer, Mr. Potato Head
Cream of Mushroom Soup
A Project Lucas Bracelet, more grapes
A block
A french fry, an onion ring, and more grapes...

Because nothing say Christmas like fried food and grapes.

Christmas Illness

2009-12-18T12:51:00.004-05:00

Eli & Isaac are starting to get into the spirit of Christmas - the true spirit of Christmas. Eli received a coloring book from his Cubbies teachers about the Christmas story and baby Jesus. He could recite much of the Christmas story. It was sweet.

I wanted to share a picture from this color book. I jokingly asked if Mary, Joseph and Jesus were green because this was an alien version of the Bible story. I was quickly corrected that Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were green because they were "sick" and had acquired some sort of "bacteria". I guess even the King of Kings is susceptible to the swine flu.

Maybe I should hold off on the sanitizer a bit.

This one is about poop...

2009-12-13T19:57:00.003-05:00

Just so you are fair warned, this is all about poop, and it is kind of gross, but really funny.
Eli had to go to the bathroom today before we left church. He lifted the potty seat and it appeared that someone had a major accident. In our house we call it explosive poo. There was poop all over the bottom of the seat. I know poop is a part of life, but it was really gross. So Eli starts talking it up. "Oh mom, I have to get out of here - there is poop everywhere." He proceeds to come out of the stall, pants around his ankles, moving to the next free stall (luckily there were only two other people, mortified middle schoolers, in the bathroom with us). By this time he decides he has peed all he can, yet he continues, "I can't believe someone did that to the bathroom. Why would someone poop all over the toilet seat? I know adults have really big butts and they have to poop sometimes, but come on."
Oh my goodness. I was trying so hard to hold it together, but it really was hilarious. I redirected him to washing his hands VERY good in VERY hot water, and asked him to talk about something else that someone was probably feeling very sick and didn't mean to. He said, "OK - but that was really gross."

Water

2009-12-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

I have made a grave error. For years I have given the boys a mix of juice and water to drink for snack/meals etc. It is about a 50-50, or 60-40 (juice) mix. It tastes nasty, but they are used to it. They aren't allowed to have it until after 10:30 AM, but after that it is fair game. I have recently decided that I would like to start moving the kids towards water, at least for meals. I have noticed that the few times I have given them water they have drank less and ate much better. Today at lunch I was met with screaming and tears. Eli had several amusing reasons as to why he does not like to drink water:
"It tastes bad"
"I'm allergic to it"
"It makes me sick"
and my personal favorite - "It's gray."

Nativity

2009-12-07T08:05:00.003-05:00

Since the boys are a little older I have placed a few nativity scenes around the house this year for Christmas. I have a neat kid friendly one that I put in the upstairs living room. This morning - I found that it had been a bit altered.
Eli had added a Christmas tree - since "obviously Jesus needs a Christmas tree" and a car, "how else is he going to get around." The worldly and the spiritual collide.

My allergies

2009-12-06T20:02:00.003-05:00

It is hard to know how to teach Isaac about his allergies. For the most part if he has had a bad experience with the offending food he knows first hand that that particular food doesn't bode well with his system. So he often he'll say - I don't like fish, or I don't like peanuts. As a two year old - he even knows that his food allergies are the cause of him disliking food. So why am I surprised that Eli has adopted the "I have food allergies" response to any food he dislikes. Eli asked yesterday what we were having for dinner and I said - chicken casserole. "Hum," he said, "I am pretty sure I am allergic to that - can I have pizza instead?"

Unselfish Heart

2009-11-24T06:16:00.003-05:00

I spend most of my blog goofing on my kids. They are 2 and 4 - let's face it, they do some crazy stuff. But since I have specifically talked about Eli's selfishness (see the sharing post) I thought I should write about his unselfishness on his birthday, of all days.
John and I really worked hard to make the day all about him. I think one day a year it is important to really make a big deal out of a loved one. We let him eat Lucky Charms for breakfast (his favorite - reserved only for a sweet snack), we took him to his favorite park, we surprised the boys with a trip to Gatti Town, we made Eli's favorite dinner, had a big "Peter Pan" cake, and got him a few presents. Even on a day reserved solely for him he managed to think of others.
Early in the day he asked me to get him party hats for his party that night. Not sure how he found out about "party hats" but I was going to make it happen. I had already planned to go to the "party store" to get him a few balloons. Anyway he wanted blue and he wanted his brother to have yellow. I am pretty sure all day they both thought it was both of their birthdays, but I still thought it was sweet that he thought his brother needed a special hat too. Anyway - when I brought three balloons for Eli, Eli gave one to Isaac, the green one since green is Isaac's favorite color. All day Eli made Isaac feel a part of his big day.
The sweetest example came later that night. Our immediate family came over for Eli's birthday. There are about fifteen of us (parents, siblings, and grandparents) and we had been telling Eli all day what special people he could expect at his party. We were sitting down to eat and Eli said, "Wait a minute, we are missing someone, where is uncle Joe?" You know, my son is sitting down to a dinner made especially for him, and he has a room full of presents, celebrating a day that has been all about him, and he is still thinking about someone else. Turns out uncle Joe had called and was running a bit late from work - he walked in the door about 5 minutes later and all was well.
The more a dwell on that day the sweeter it is - makes you feel like you are heading in the irght direction doing this whole parenting thing.

Eli's Birthday - Part 2

2009-11-22T20:44:00.002-05:00

Eli's birthday get-together.

Eli's Birthday - Part 1

2009-11-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

Eli turned 4 on Friday. He is growing up so fast. We surprised Eli and Isaac with a trip to Gatti Town, or Pizza Planet (Toy Story reference). The boys had a great time. Skee-ball definitely isn't their strength, but shooting hoops - not so bad.

Fall Family Pictures

2009-11-16T06:13:00.005-05:00

Our friend Aimee (http://aimeenielsonphotography.com/) took pictures of the Collins household this fall. Here are some of our favorites.

Make-up

2009-11-08T14:41:00.002-05:00

Saturdays are not very impressive at our house. I usually get a good run in during the morning and then we lounge around for the rest of the day. I usually take a shower after my run, but that is about as "cleaned up" as I get. We work in the house, run errands, play, etc. Yesterday John was studying for a test so the boys and I were playing downstairs while he studied. Eli brought a small black treasure box over to me. He said "Here mom this is for you." I said oh thanks for the present sweetie (because he often covers his toys in blankies and calls them presents). He said, "This isn't a present mom, this is your make-up, you need to put some on. You aren't looking very pretty today." OK - hint, hint. I pretend put the make-up on. Apparently I used only two of the options available in the treasure chest and closed it back up. Watching me intently Eli said, "Mom, you aren't done - you need to put it all on."
Ouch.

The Librarian

2009-11-06T16:33:00.002-05:00

I took the boys to the library for the "Young and the Restless" reading time. We hadn't been in a while, several months, due to the impending H1N1 threat and Isaac's predisposition to impending doom. But today I was feeling brave. I found the librarian a little boring today. What I did find entertaining was the little boy in the corner holding up a book imitating everything the librarian did with a real animated face and very loud loud words. It was really funny.
Oh did I mention it was my son, Isaac?

The Wild Ride

2009-11-01T06:06:00.002-05:00

Our family went to trunk or treat at church last night - we had a great time. The boys LOVED getting candy! I mean LOVED it! The church also had some of the huge inflatable rides for the kids - which were equally loved! The boys went on this one ride that had a huge slide on it. Eli was up and down with no issue, but Isaac - well his big moneky belly was kind of getting in the way. Our assistant children's minister helped with getting him up the huge climb up, but Isaac was a little terrified to go down on his own. He was just sitting up at the top staring down on all of the waiting parents. There were two kids up there with him and I yelled up to them - "Push the monkey down the slide" because I knew he couldn't get hurt and would love the ride once he was on the way down. But, since our church is filled with great kids none were willing to push him down. A few more came up and by now there were about 5 kids sitting up there waiting for Isaac to go. All of the parents by now were yelling - "Push the monkey - push the monkey." This went on for at least a minute - we were all cracking up. Finally one of the more "boyish" kids in our church climbed up - I knew he would take care of business. I yelled "Will, push the monkey" and he was like "Sweet" and down went Isaac. When Isaac got to the bottom we was jumping up a down saying "I did it, I did it."
Well, sort of!

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T05:58:00.002-05:00

One little monkey jumping on the bed. one fell off and bonked his head.

Momma called the doctor and the doctor said...

No more monkeys jumping on the bed!!

Happy Halloween!!

Evans Orchard

2009-10-31T15:19:00.001-04:00

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-10-28T06:21:00.003-04:00

Chicken Pot Pie is one of our familiy's favorites. The boys just gobble it up. And why wouldn't I be a proud mom? The meal is filled with fresh carrots and potatoes, as well as chucks of white chicken. That is the draw, right, vegetables and chicken?

Last night I called the boys to the table to enjoy a dinner of chicken pot pie and the first thing Eli said when he got to the table was: "So, where's the crust?"

An isolated incident

2009-10-26T14:29:00.002-04:00

Though Isaac is taking three by storm the bedtime temper tantrum appears to be an isolated incident. Whew.