I Love My Boys

I got the mixer out of the cupboard to make dough, and Will crawled in. Very pleased with himself. As soon as Sam heard Will banging around on my glass mixing bowls, he had to join in the fun too.

Yesterday on the news I heard about a 16 month old baby boy who fell in a pond and later died. I was sick to hear about it...that's how old Will is. This morning I found out that the baby's dad is a guy Mike grew up with. I cried as I read the obituary this morning. And my boys got extra kisses today.

New Baby

Yes, it's true. We have a new baby. No, not the little girl due in Feb. A minivan. That's right, we're now a minivan family since 3 car seats just don't fit in the back of either of the other cars. Why do I feel it necessary to swallow my pride and admit I'm not cool? It's just another car...something to get the family around in, right? There's just that unspoken (well, sometimes spoken) understanding that minivans aren't cool. Call me lame, but I really like my minivan! It has 8 seats, an automatic sliding door, and the sliding door windows even roll down! The 3rd row seats also fold flat into the floor for tons of storage space. We got it used, but it's in great shape. The only way you can tell it's used is because the floor mats are a little stained. I think my carpet cleaner would take care of that though. Everything else is perfect. It's super easy to get the kids in and out of, and I can automatically open the door by Will from the keyless, or a button on the overhead console. It also averages more than 24 mpg city. And, I don't have to find a babysitter for Will when I'm driving the carpool. The one thing I think is a little funny though...do I really need 12 cupholders? I don't think we've even found them all yet. Some day I'll probably be grateful for them, but right now it seems a little excessive.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Sam has told us from day one that he wants a sister. He never said he thought it was a sister, but he was adamant that he wanted one. Well...he gets his wish! We're having a girl!! It's kind of a weird feeling after having two boys, but we're very excited! On Monday we asked Sam what we should call the baby if it was a brother. He thought for a minute, got a big smile and said, "Baby Will 2!"

And, following in the footsteps of her brothers, she was NOT shy about showing us her gender. I have a feeling Mike and I are in for it! Oh, and my due date got pushed back. Instead of Feb 5 (based on LMP), it's probably going to be Feb 13 (based on size). My doctor didn't have the ultrasound results today because I went straight from one appointment to the next, but since she measured about a week smaller at my first ultrasound too, they're going to change it. Sad. Now I feel like I'm going to be pregnant for an extra week.

I think the hardest thing about being 9 months pregnant in the summer is painting toenails with that big belly (and you're never not hot). I think the hardest thing about being 9 months pregnant in the winter is putting socks on every day. It's just so hard to reach the feet with both hands! But if that's the worst thing I have to endure, then I'll probably be fine. I'm finally half way done!! And I haven't been pukey for a couple of weeks now! Hallelujah!

I am a Mother

Sam came home from preschool today in a particularly good mood. I went to the car to get his booster seat (since we carpool), so he followed me and said something about being happy to be home. The cute mom that drove him home stopped and said, "You sure love your little family, don't you?" Sam said, "Yeah, I love my family!" It doesn't take much to melt you heart when you're a mom.
I've also been reading the book I am a Mother. I know how blessed I am to be a mother, but it can be easy to forget that sometimes when dealing with crying, discipline, throw-up, dirty diapers, morning sickness, etc. It's great to have a reminder of why I do what I do, and how blessed I am to do it. Not every mom gets the chance to stay home and raise her kids. I'm so grateful that I get to!

Soccer!

Sam is done with soccer now, which is kind of sad. He had so much fun. We were running a few minutes late, so I mentioned it to Sam on our way over. He got a big smile and said, "We're a little late...but a lot fast!" Red Light/Green Light is always a favorite!

They played a real game of soccer. Well, sort of. The program we had him in taught the basics of soccer in a non-competitive setting. Last week they tried to play a game, but it ended up with every kid going and getting a ball and taking turns kicking it into the goal.

This time they only had one ball, but some kids couldn't break the habit... This was one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. They actually did really well, but man, if you want a good laugh, go watch a game of 3-5 year old kids trying to play soccer.

Sam got a cool trophy and certificate! He didn't want me to take his picture, so he put the trophy in front of his face.
Yay soccer!

(Some of the other kids had names I'd never heard: Griffina, Ridge, & Jagger.)

Morning Ritual

Every morning, rain or shine, we go out on the front porch and wave to Mike as he leaves for work.

More Birthday

Grandma Grace had a little pizza/pinata party for Sam last week.

He never really did enjoy the pinata. Even with Dad's help.

Sam and Osie had lots of fun hitting it, but they make those pinatas pretty sturdy these days. The dads stepped in because it just wasn't getting anywhere.


Osie gave Sam a dinosaur, which he promptly named Drag (like dragon). He loves his new dinosaur!
Sam is just like his dad. Doesn't like his picture taken.

Preschool!

Sam started preschool a week ago, and he loves it! It's a lady that lives pretty close to us, and everyone in our neighborhood has gone to her. Her classes fill up about a year in advance, and we got the last spot she had (last October!). The only major disappointment for Sam is that he doesn't get to ride the school bus. He's been looking forward to that all summer, even though I've explained to him many, many times that his preschool doesn't have a school bus. We carpool though.
I just really like this one. Sam goes for a couple of hours in the afternoon twice a week. It's supposed to coincide with Will's naptime, so when Will cooperates, I get two hours of quiet, solitary time to read, clean, blog, nap...whatever I want! I like preschool.

Huntington Beach

We had a crazy trip to Huntington Beach last week. Of the four of us, Mike was the only one that didn't get sick. I threw up on both flights. The first time we had already landed, so everyone was standing in the aisle waiting to get off. Luckily Grace was with me, so she held a screaming Will while I threw up in the barf bag. We were quite a show for the 20 or so people watching. On the flight back I threw up on the descent, so at least everyone was still seated. Will fell asleep for most of the flight (proof that prayer works!), so at least I didn't have to deal with a wiggle worm while I felt awful. He was awake when I was throwing up, but at least we were almost done.

Will started teething the next day, and I just happened to pack a new bottle of infant ibuprofen. Perfect! Except that it made him break out in a rash. Which gave him a severe diaper rash too. Because he also got diarrhea. And a two day fever. I stayed home with Will the day everyone else went to Disneyland. I guess I had my own little Disneyland. Will slept most of the day, so I watched a movie on Mike's laptop and read my book.

We went to Disneyland again Friday evening. We'd been there for about 2 1/2 hours when Sam got sick and threw up all over himself. He felt awful and we didn't have a change of clothes, so we just left. I went on one ride. Sam went on three. Plus we had to battle the labor day crowd.

Other than that, we really did have a lot of fun. I didn't get to do much since Will was sick for two full days, but what I did get to do was great. And Mike and I got to go on a date without the kids too. It was about the third most expensive date we've ever been on since we started dating. All we did was dinner and a movie, but everything is so much more expensive out there (except for gas). $20 just for the movie.

Sam had lots of fun at the pool. Mostly when Mike threw him in the air as high as he could.
Lon & Grace's condo is gorgeous! It's in a beautiful gated community, and everything is immaculate. The pool was great. They even had an area off to the side of the pool where you could grill (two grills, actually), and the countertops were granite tile. So nice.
Will spent about 10 minutes in the water before he was freezing and wanted to get out. I had enough time to run back and get his hat and take a couple of pictures. I never did make it in to the pool.
This is the private courtyard the condo shares with the other surrounding units. The front door is behind the plant in the middle of the picture. Will was all excited about the fountain, but we were done swimming, so I took him inside.

From what we could figure, every Tuesday they block traffic from Main Street for vendors to come and sell whatever. Mostly food. There were also a bunch of street performers. This guy is ranked #1 in the US and #2 in the world for unicycling. He had just competed in Denmark. Sam loved watching him.
The twelve foot unicycle was pretty impressive. Yes, he juggled while riding a 12 foot pool on a wheel.



The first time Sam went to Disneyland was great. He went on lots of rides, gave Goofy a high five, and got to ride on a boat! He's always liked pirates, but apparently there's a Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and that made him a lot more interested. And Papa taught him how to say some pirate words. Now all he wants to do is have sword fights.

Mike on his way out to surf. There was a group of swimmers close to him in the water, so the lifeguard came out in his fancy truck and told them to come closer to shore (they were too far out). The Huntington Beach lifeguards have their own reality show, so they have these fun little trucks. We saw them filming a couple of times. The last day we were there we saw a little sign on a random tree that said something about a show being filmed on the beach, and your presence is your consent to be on tv.

The HB pier at sunset.
By Friday Sam was pretty well spent. I got him ready to go to the pool with Mike, but before they could leave he fell asleep on the floor. He got his blanket, wrapped himself up, and zonked out.
Will's favorite part of going to California was swiffering the floor.

Yum

The newest way to eat a muffin...stick your finger in the middle and then wave it around.

New Shoe

Will got into the cupboard and found my mini loaf pans. It was just the right size for his foot, and he was very pleased with himself that he had a "shoe."

He was super happy until he realized I really wasn't going to let him have the camera. I think I crushed his whole world. Poor kid.

Birthday Boy!

I can't believe it, Sam is 4! (Which also means we've been in our house for four years.) It's flown by...I kind of wish it wouldn't go so fast! If you missed the previous post, read it and then the cake will make more sense. Sam wanted a train at first, but I talked him into a pirate ship pretty easily. Whew! It was easier, which is always good for a pregnant mom.

We ended up having cake at 8:00 last night because we went to soccer. Obviously, I hadn't cleaned the kitchen up from dinner. Sam's cute Primary teacher stopped by to bring him a card, and Sam ran to the door to give her a hug. That speaks volumes about what kind of a teacher she is! She took a picture of us, and Sam felt it appropriate to wave his hands as fast as he could.
He ate the frosting, chocolate, and fruit by the foot flag. I threw the actual cake away. He gets his love of cake from his parents. Mike had a tiny corner of the ship, I didn't have any, and now it's sitting on the counter waiting to be thrown away. I didn't offer Will any because he had already crashed from an earlier sugar rush. The boys stood together on a little chair as I was frosting the cake. They were supposed to be watching, but they ended up begging for a taste (in Will's case that means very high-pitched, loud shrieking), so I'd give them each a little dab of frosting to eat. After 5 or 6 dabs, I finally finished, and Will proceeded to grab each of my legs (with his frosting covered hands), and purposely rub his frosting-covered face all over the front of my pants. Ah, the joys. Unfortunately, I forgot to get the pirate hat out for Sam when we sang to him. Still, I think he enjoyed it. Right now he's at the dollar theater with Mike...Kung Fu Panda!

Pirate Lessons

I have tons to catch up on, but I thought I'd start with this because it makes me laugh.
Sam is teaching Will how to sword fight. I was putting dishes away and they stole a couple of table knives out of the silverware basket.

En garde! Will was a quick learner, they had a great sword fight. In fact, I'm pretty sure Will won because he didn't know he wasn't actually supposed to hit Sam.
I love it. Am I a bad mother? I think it's so funny. And cute. And Sam was not seriously injured. In fact, he wasn't even injured.