tonight’s funnies

Well, hello!

tonight… I let William barricade himself in the kitchen with play dough. I am in the other room and I overhear, “and he took the bread, broke it in half, and told them to eat”; then I hear “and he gave them juice”

that crazy kid is re-creating holy communion with his play dough!

super-cute or super-sacrilegious? you be the judge…

tonight, I was scratching my calf because well, it itched. Ryan walked over and started scratching my calf as well. thanks, kiddo!

did I mention he is in the “mimic everything that everyone does” stage? no? well, there it is.

tonight, William threw a monster cry fit when it was time for him to go to bed and I am D-O-N-E with his little fits waking up Ryan. my solution? I let him cry it out in the garage. (and for the record, I tried this once a few months ago but I put him on the back porch – Mike said that was not good because someone might hear him and call the police). it totally worked! he came back in totally fine.

tonight, I had to put eye drops in the eyes of two people in my house. wanna guess who got eye drops? not me. not William. wanna guess who threw a bigger fit about it? not Ryan.

ahhh, picnic.

We headed to the park last Sunday evening, thanks to the brilliant suggestion of Emily, and because we were there a little early (I KNOW… early? Don’t ask - I have no idea how it happened.) I wanted to take come pics of my boys.

Here is Mike’s idea of what his best pose with the boys would be (and this TOTALLY makes the list as #321)


Ryan was not impressed by my photo skills

A little baseball. Can you tell that Mike is teaching Will how to lift his leg when he throws and hits? He’s trying, he’s really trying! (And this picture just qualified as #320 on the list)

And of course, what every 3 year old boy should do with their father at the park. love it.

Mr. Fix-It

We had some guys working on the house a couple of weeks ago repairing some sheetrock inside and painting outside. There was lots of hammering and what-not and Will became obsessed with fixing things. He pulled his workbench (shout-out to Aunt Paige!) into the living room every day for almost a week to “do his work”. He even tried to hammer the wall in his room!

it’s officially over

That’s it! We’re done! I’m declaring it finished!

William is potty-trained!

He hasn’t had an accident in over two weeks and we are out of the candy we were using as bribes. So it’s done.

Now, this may not seem like much to most people. But FOR REAL. He was 39 months old. Seriously, nothing phased this kid. We tried rewards, wet underwear, little training potty, pull-ups, bribes (and good stuff, too!) but he didn’t care.

He is fiercely independent ( I WONDER where he could have gotten that quality…) and just decided one day that he was going to do it. Now he is a champ about the whole thing and acts like it is no big deal. He just sits on the regular toilet and holds on. He has only fallen in once. ha! One day he told me he wanted to go standing up. I told him no. no way. no how. I am NOT ready to start cleaning that up yet. Mike can teach him that soon enough. (And then Mike can start cleaning it up.)

Still wears a pull-up at night, but I’ve heard that can continue for awhile.

And while we are on the subject… Little boy underwear cracks me up! It is supposed to be a manly thing, I guess. But when it is so tiny and covered in cartoon characters it is just too cute!

it’s february. in texas.

we are supposed to be wearing shorts and flip-flops by now! seriously! really doesn’t do much for the whole global warming argument, huh?

(Lucy was not impressed.)

snowman. take one. 
 

all Will wanted to do was throw snowballs at Mike.  

snowman. take two.
 

little snowman for Ryan who was inside the whole time 

 

doesn’t everyone have leftover branches form their Christmas tree still in their garage available for snowman arms in February? and doesn’t everyone have shape sorter blocks in a ziploc bag just begging to be used as snowmen eyes and ears? 

 

#323 and counting!

I am working on a list. partly for mike - to let him know how much he is loved. and partly for me – to remind me how blessed I am and to never, ever take anything for granted!

Reason #323 can be summed up in one word:

eyes

exhibit #1, as seen in the previous post

exhibit #2, as seen in the previous post

my two beautiful boys have the most gorgeous blue eyes thanks to their father! love you!

bye, bye breathing treatments!

Went to the dr. today to check on R’s RSV – whoo hoo!
no wheezing = no more breathing treatments;
still has a cough that could linger on another week;
has lost 5 oz. because he is not eating as well, but let’s be honest, he had a little to spare!
go back in 10 days for a re-check on his weight and his 4-month (yikes!) check-up/vaccines.

Hello, love!
 

W is having a Valentine’s Day party at his school on Friday. He signed up to bring candy (because he likes candy) and I signed him up for cookies (because, honestly, I want him to have cutie cookies for his party and how can I ensure that the cutie cookies are present unless I make them?!);
before Friday, I need to make his shirt (“heartbreaker”), make cookies (easy when you buy the pre-made dough!), and get Valentine cards together for his little friends! 
I also want to do a little cute shirt for R – just ‘cuz.

Doesn’t everyone need a good wolf/lion/whatever hat?

a stream…

… of consciousness (by the way, in 4th grade I won my school’s spelling bee and advanced to the district competition – I got knocked out on the word conscientious! how is a 9 yr old supposed to know that word?! )

LOOK at this gorgeous boy!! Eli was born Saturday, 1/30 – a few weeks early but completely and wonderfully healthy! Congratulations Nick and Emily!!!!

Ryan has RSV – doing ok but on breathing treatments – someone forgot to tell him how sick babies are supposed to act – giggling and cooing, then cough, cough, cough; here are our “supplies”

Will started his new school today – didn’t want to leave so I guessed he liked it – only hiccup was that he ate two lunches (the school didn’t realize eh brought a lunchbox and served him their meal also!)

my employer’s policy on sick days makes no sense – my days are all gone bec. of maternity leave and so now, if I don’t want to have my pay docked, I have to be out at least three consecutive days to qualify for leave pool – sure! I’ll take three days off work so I WON’T loose money

will someone please fix the problem with the cost of prescription drugs? we have really decent insurance and man, am I glad we do!! but what about people who don’t have insurance? I am immensely grateful for sooooo many things!

I have a sticky note sitting right here of some super-cute projects I have seen on blogs/websites that I am dying to try – maybe tomorrow? one of them is a necklace from washers and ribbon. hhhmmmmm…

also have some photo projects I need to attend to

and do our taxes

and make a valentine’s shirt for Ryan – is Will to old to have one too? anyone seen a cute idea for a “big boy” valentine’s shirt?

we were at Ikea a couple of weekends ago and bought some solid pine mini-dressers that we are going to be using as nightstands by the bed – bought the stain a week ago but then, well, the world went crazy for a few days

speaking of… I finally feel calm again today – of course that is easy when I don’t have to go to work

Mike and I are determined to loose weight! I am going shopping for our e-mealz menu tomorrow and we are going to join the Snap Fitness up the street from the house just until summer – the plan is to take turns in the evenings and one person stay here while the other goes to work out, then switch – we’ll see! they have a great deal and it  is too good not to at least try it

and look at this! I was going through a bunch of flies the other day and found it – we took Will to Oktoberfest in Addison when he was about 9 months old – I made lederhosen for him! oh my gosh!!! I forgot how cute and round he was – he has changed so much!

found this one too! Will looks miserable! it was soooo cold that morning!

and just so no one feels left out: (Hello, Ryan!)

really?!?!?! (this is mostly whining – beware…)

Here is a summary of my last 36 hours, starting 10:30am on Thursday:

- get an e-mail (NOT a phone call) from the owner/director of William’s preschool saying they are CLOSING and want everyone to attend the school’s other location in Allen starting MONDAY (yes! that is 2 days notice)

{FREAK OUT!}

- realize we cannot transfer to the other location because it would mean at LEAST an hour round trip in the am and pm to the school

{FREAK OUT!}

- remember a friend had told me about her daughter’s school, call them, they have a spot open – PRAISE THE LORD!

- call Mike, explain everything, a little less freaking out

- leave school in the pm, Mike leaves work early to pick up William, we take him to the new place to see it, feel comfortable, etc. because we have to start there on MONDAY!

- vacuum cleaner issues (remind me about this later – a story which needs it’s own time)

- go eat dinner with Nick and Em, deal with sorta-sick, super-tired baby at dinner, eat a few wings, go home

- have a mentioned it was pouring rain most of this day? no? well it just made things that much easier…

- Mike puts Will to bed, I get Ryan down, then I go to the grocery store because awesome-me agreed earlier in the week to make taco soup and chocolate candies for work on Friday

- come home: bottles, lunches, chocolate candies, pack for school, bed.

- this morning: overslept. awesome. no shower. ew. that’s right.

- baby has gunk – suction a bunch of boogers from his nose at 6am

- make coffee: when I fill up my mug to take to work, all that comes out of the pot is water (ours is stainless and you can’t see into it)… I FORGOT TO PUT THE COFFEE IN THE COFFEE MAKER!

- super late to work. get there and realize it is “bring your dad to school day” and park 2 miles from the school; haul aforementioned chocolate candies and crock pot for soup 2 miles into school

- have I mentioned it was pouring rain all morning? did I fail to tell you it was 35 degrees? no? well, again, it really helped everything tremendously.

- made it through work. plan was to leave early, get Will, go play at the new school for a bit, then get Ryan and head home. um, no.

- Ryan’s sitter calls me at 3:15 saying he had a slight fever. I tell her I’m on my way. new plan: get Ryan first and drag him around in and out of cars/rain for the rest of the afternoon. call pediatrican. can’t get there before they close today, they say to call the on-call dr Sat am.

- get Will at his school. cry with the ladies there that he is leaving (apparently, all the other parents have 3 extra hours a day for driving around and are moving to the other location.). load up.

- go to new school. Will plays, Ryan poops, I change a diaper, Will pees on himself a bit while using the toilet at the new school. and it is still raining outside. and 32 degrees.

- ah, home. Ryan is so tired he goes to bed. Will hangs out with milk, Goldfish crackers, and Tigger and Pooh on tv. I develop a ridiculously awesome headache.

- Will pooped. not in the toilet. enough said.

- Will and I share a bagel for dinner ‘cause I am super-mom. Mike comes home with beer and wine (he has a 6th sense) and amuses Will (God bless that man!). Ryan wakes up and takes half of a bottle, coughing the whole time. both boys to bed. I am here typing. and now I am done.

- Here’s to a new day.

last week, freezing cold, lazy, failed experiment, and morning chaos

I'm sort of a list person, so here goes:

1. We made it through last week! Thanks to Mom and Emily, Ryan was well cared for and made my transition back to work soooo much easier! It was seriously freezing, however, and it was NOT fun to return to carpool duty OUTSIDE in the teens and twenties! ha!

2. On the subject of last week, it wiped. me. out. I was so dead on Friday and I was such a lazy bum all weekend! Besides it was too cold to go anywhere! And I have proof:


Instead, we did a little of this:


and a little of this:


3. Mike had to work Saturday so I got a smidge of an inkling of an urge to do something and decided enough was enough. I was going to put William in his underwear and just let him wet himself - surely THAT would get him to use the potty all the time. He put on his Sesame Street underwear, and parked himself on front of the TV on top of a vinyl tablecloth I had spread on the floor. (let's face it - I was hopeful, but not super-optimistic). Sure enough, about 30 minutes in, he had wet himself and we got him all changed and I thought, okay, one more time. When I saw him waddle around the corner another 30 minutes later, I knew we were in trouble. Use your imagination and decide why a toddler not wearing a diaper might walk bowl-legged and avoid eye contact - mmm hmm - poo. I labeled the experiment a failure and returned him promptly to his diaper-wearing self.

4. Saturday night was the Cowboy game and I had dressed Will in his Romo jersey that day. Mike bought this for him for his birthday (Will's, not Mike's) and for each of the games since the birthday when Will was wearing the jersey, the Cowboys have won. Do you sense where this might be going? So of course, he was wearing it for game day. Mike asked if it had been washed between all the wearings. At first, I was offended. But then, I realized it is not completely outside the realm of possibility for our house.
The Cowboys were doing great, but it was definitely Will's bed time. So when Will came in to give good night hugs and kisses after Mike had put his pajamas on him and brushed his teeth, I really wasn't surprised to see him wearing his Romo jersey and his monkey pajama pants. Mike's exact words were, "What?! We're not going to stop the streak now!" and so that is why William slept in his Cowboy jersey.

5. Yesterday, I FINALLY got to some sewing projects I had been meaning to finish for several months. And by sewing projects, I mean lots of straight lines. We don't always get along, my sewing machine and I. I thought I had really messed up the tension, but all I needed was different thread - go figure! LOVE me a zig-zag stitch! And oh yeah, Ryan is THREE MONTHS OLD!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT! He is an absolute angel and so sweet! He laughs all the time and just grins like it is going out of style! Such a sweet baby!

5. This morning was a marathon. Mike had to work early and I had to get both boys to their places complete with first-visit stuff for Ryan and all the Monday things that you moms know have to accompany the child. We made it and I am so proud of myself. We remembered everything and I was only a little bit late to work!
Ryan was so good for Fredes today and Will had a great day as well. Mike was off early, so we went to Chili's for dinner, ran a couple of errands, and now I need to get to bed.
This is our new normal. By my (conservative) estimate we will need at least 2 hours every morning - from the time I wake up to the time we walk out the door. And that is assuming that lunches, bottles, and clothes are all prepared the night before! yikes! The good news is that most mornings, Mike can take Will so I just have to get myself and Ryan out the door. Say a little prayer at 6:50 tomorrow morning :) - that will be the mad last-minute scramble before we hit the road!

This has been lots of rambling, but like I said, all part of the new normal! So blessed we are! (more of this yoda-like speech I will use, I think)

Happy Monday! (and yes, I'll get Ryan's 3 months pics up tomorrow!)

Will's 3rd birthday

We had Will's party a few weeks ago and he had a blast!

the pre-party:

Will's hair stayed like this for exactly 3.2 seconds and then it was over.


Happy birthday, brother - what's up with your hair?!


For my birthday, I would like to pinch your nose. thank you.


Don't you just love me in my baby jeans?



time to PAR-TAY!
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(we had an excellent babysitting team in place)




(at one point, there was a small amount of pouting, but Mike fixed it!)










super-fast!


he had been practicing for weeks!




showing off the green icing


**** a special shout-out to Nick for taking most all the pics so we could truly enjoy the moment! ****

we're like this:

the Preston boys and Dr. Poole

I was counting the other day all the visits we have made to the pediatrician in the past couple of months.

Let's see, William had his seasonal flu shot at the beginning of October (that's one, one dr. visit - muah, ah, ah, ahhhhh).

Then Dr. Poole saw Ryan in the hospital - twice! (that's three, three dr. visits - muah, ah, ah, ahhhhhh).

And of course, Ryan had a 2-day and a 2-week check-up. (up to five now!).

At some point in the middle of this, William went in for the first part of his H1N1 shot (six!).

Ryan had a cold at about 6 weeks so we went in just to make sure all was okay (seven dr. visits - muah, ah, ah, ahhhhh).

Then we were back for Ryan's 2 month check-up (EIGHT!).

Then William had a cold that I was SURE had developed into an ear infection cuz they always do (NINE) but of course, it hadn't!

William had a 3-year check-up, but we got to combine that with the second part of the H1N1 shot (TEN). [a sidenote: when we went for the yearly check-up, dr. poole was looking at Will's ears and remarked, "they look a little bit inflamed" That's right! he goes in for a check-up and comes out with an antibiotic prescription for an ear infection! and it's not the first time it has happened...]

And finally (I hope!) we went today for the cold/RSV/what is this? visit

That is ELEVEN doctor visits in the past couple of months. We (well, actually, United Health Insurance) are keeping this place afloat!!!

In all seriousness however, we are so very grateful. There has been nothing dramatic and everyone seems to be healthy as soon as Ryan gets over his icky stuff. I have been off work and was able to get the boys there quickly. The office is super-close to the house and everyone there is just so wonderful!

Here's to springtime soon!