Halloween 2012

Before it's six months from now and I still haven't downloaded the pictures from my camera, a few snaps from tonight in their pre-trick or treating glory.

Just a little background on N's costume.  He WAS going to be a raccoon.  I bought his costume a month ago, feeling just slightly smug with myself for not falling into the whole youngest child always gets the hand me down costume cycle (ahem, like I do with all his other clothes.)  I then pulled it out a couple weeks later and realized that despite the hanger clearly stating "18 months", the tag in the costume showed "6-9 months"

[commence cursing]

So!  With a couple weeks left before Halloween, I took it back and bought him a new one I decided C's old lion costume was good enough.  It's an improvement on the former given it was size 6-12 months after all.  Doesn't he look thrilled to be squished into it?  True story: he kept the hood on the entire time.  I'm still somewhat shocked by this.

In true N fashion, he dragged that bucket behind him the entire time.  Even when it was full of (full size!) candy bars.  And he always had to be holding a candy bar in his other hand.  When we got home, the boys dumped out their candy in the middle of the kitchen, but have no fear, you could clearly identify N's treats by those with the big teeth marks puncturing the wrappers.

C took his costume very seriously.  Because he is a serious child.  And fighting fires is serious business.  Which makes trick or treating dressed as a fire fighter VERY serious business.



See?  Serious.

So after making a candy pile in the middle of the kitchen floor and me weeding out anything with peanuts and/or eggs, the boys picked M&M's for their post trick or treating snack.  C's dairy allergy is still going strong (we still are unsure about N, but are waiting until he's more verbal to introduce full dairy), but a bit here or there doesn't hurt.  I hand them each  two M&M's to start with and the following reactions occur:

N:  Attempts to tackle me in order to get at the bag and pour the entire thing in his mouth.
C:  Gingerly chews one, then places the other one in his mouth.  Swallows like he just sucked on a lemon and tells me immediately he needs his water because, "Mom, those things are REALLY SPICY" 

Yes, he said spicy.  And then asked for pretzels.

Happy Halloween everyone; I'm going to check that my pumpkins haven't been smashed because we were the only house to not givve out full size candy bars (!!!)

I Have to Park These Conversations Here

The last few days have really underscored how C is firmly out of the toddler stage and hurtling towards being a proper little boy.  Case in point, a few of the conversations I've had with him in the past day or so.

I tend to lean into the catagory of a "fall-cleaner" vs "spring-cleaner" and made C's room my project yesterday; a ginormous map from IKEA put together, new "nice" bedding for the bunk beds that I bought two years ago (before N was born) got washed, and actual nails went into the walls to hang pictures and momentos.  It looks 100% better albeit a bit psychotic from a decorating perspective as I try to pull together a Nautical/Hockey theme (yikes - it looks as interesting as it sounds.) 

He ran upstairs when we get home.  I walk into his room and he says "So.......where is my surprise?"

Sigh.

E.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g has changed in his room.  Including the massive map that now takes up a whole wall.  And a shrine to his favorite hockey players by his bed.  So as I deliberately point out these things (through gritted teeth), I ask "So what do you think, do you love it?"

He thinks about it for a couple of seconds and says to me-

C:  (pointing to the top bunk of his bed) "Mom, so like, when I'm 5 or maybe 6 will I sleep up there?"
Me:  "Yes honey, sure, 5 or 6, whenever you are ready."
C:  (pointing to the bottom bunk) "And N will sleep down there?"
Me:  "Yes, exactly."
C:  (thinking some more) "Mom, if N cries when he first sleeps there, is it ok if I get down from my bed and go into his bed to give him snuggies?  And then when he stops crying, I'll go back into my bed.  Is that ok?"
Me:  (stunned)  "Yes, absolutely."
C:  "Ok, good."

So.Adorable.

Now, let's contrast this heart melting story with the conversation I had with him tonight as I was putting him to bed.  C wants to be a fireman (again) for halloween, but wants to add fireman "accessories" to his costume from last year -

Me:  "Tell me again what you want for your halloween costume?"
C:  "Oh, ok, sooooooooo I want fireman pants, fireman boots, a fireman hose and a fireplace."
Me:  "Ok - wait, a fireplace?"
C:  "Yes, a fireplace mom, I need one."
Me:  "Uhhh, why?"
C:  "Well, I'll explain it to you next time we're on a plane."
Me:  "WHAT?  Why do I have to wait!"
*cue enormous set of giggles*

Annnnnnnnnnnnndddddd it wasn't until I was writing this post that I realized by fireplace, he meant a fire PLANE (which is derived from the fact my brother used to be on the CDF Helitac crew.)

I wish there was a way to go back to thinking like an almost four year old.  Pure awesomeness (most of the time.)

SMKS - 8/15/12 edition

Warning:  I am tired; this post may not make any sense as a result.  Reader beware!

So with that caveat in place...

It's safe to say we're a bit Pinkberry obsessed in our household lately.  As soon as the kids are tucked in tight, Andy zooms out to pick up our favorite combos (me - original/strawberry, he - original/chocolate.)  We actually didn't realize how often we were eating it until one night C threw a tantrum because he wanted "to watch daddy leave from the driveway!"  His bedroom window looks out over the driveway and apparently he's been sneaking out of bed to watch him leave.

We told him that daddy doesn't leave from the driveway every night and then made that oft made mistake of trying to debate with a 3.5 year old.

C: "Yes, you do!"
A:  "No, I don't" (!)
C:  "You DO"
A:  "Look buddy -- daddy doesn't go to Pinkberry every night because it would cost $200 a month if I did.  That's a lot of money!" 
C:  "You DO"
A:  [brow furrow]
C:  "yodoyodoyodoyodoyodoooooooo"
A:  "Listen, I don't --"
C:  [jumps up, narrowly missing slamming his head into the top bunk] "I KNOW...daddy, daddy!" [throws hands in air like he's a genius] "I will go work at Nana's"
A:  "What?"
C:  "Yes, at Nana's.  I will work and make 5"
A:  "Work where at Nana's?  Make 5?"
C:  [pauses to think]  "Upstairs.  In the office store.  And she will pay me 5 and then you can go buy yogurt and I can watch you leave from the driveway."

I may or may not have immediately started calculating how many visits to my parents house, where C could make "5", it would take in order to pay off at least one year of college.  NOW who's the genius!

Welcome to Our Digs: The Backyard

For our family and friends a far, I thought it would be nice to do a virtual house tour blog post "series."  The area that has changed the most since we moved in is our backyard...and there is STILL a whole lotta work to be done.  So maybe this is a good place to park a backyard "to-do" list as well.  Yes, I shall do that.

Because everyone likes a little before and after action...I present to you the official BEFORE pictures:

Pre-pool demo (sorry, not the best pictures...we didn't want to get too attached to the monster body of water plus encroaching deck/awning combo that took up the entire backyard)

Let the demo begin!  Step 1:  Drain the pool.  Step 2:  Run around the bottom of pool like you're five years old (this is a very important step, naturally.)

Step 3:  Jack hammer it to smithereens.  And the pool deck.  And the diving board.  And the other deck/awning combo.  Oh, and rip off the solar panels from the roof that we don't need anymore to heat the pool.  Yes, it was demo galore at our house.

Let's call this next set of pictures, IN PROGRESS:

Ta-da...a pool removal permit, a jack-hammer and four days hard work = um, no more pool.

My boys were stoaked about their new backyard aka mud pit.  Me, not so much.  So despite the fact I wanted to hold out on doing anything back there until we had plans drawn up from a landscape designer, we knew we had to throw some sod down.  Because in my typical fashion, it's now 3-ish months since we've put down grass and we still haven't selected a designer.  So, yeah.  It was the right move.

So, we move on -- prepping to lay sod!

Insta-grass!



Sorry for the washed out picture...it's way too late at night for me to bother with color correction :)

We did a pretty poor job at taking any pictures of the side yards, fencing and trees -- and the most recent project we completed, (I mean, paid someone to come and do the work for us,) was to cut down several trees and perform some serious pruning and ripping out of bushes. Much to our neighbors delight, I might add, as tree debris no longer drops into their pool.  Seriously, we are the current title holders of the "Best Neighbors EVER."  It's awesome.  And it means they bring us stuff in appreciation, like wine. :)

Below is what our backyard looks like as of this past weekend.  I won't call these "afters" because we still have a LONG way to go:

View from out of the sliding glass door in the Den


And a few more shots, including side yards.

I wish we had some before shots with all the trees and bushes intact so you could fully appreciate what a HUGE difference it is now that they are gone/pruned.  The amount of sun we get now is amazing, and our options are opened up a bit more in terms of how we can utilize the terraced retaining walls (which at some point need to be completely redone.) 

But, okay, it still looks like a hot mess back there.  But we have PLANS.  Lots of plans.  Which include:

1. Putting in new deck/stairs from sliding glass door off kitchen.
2. Installing cohesive patio material (cement or stone or brick) throughout the non-grass void.
3. Rebuilding the terraced retaining wall.  We would like to scale it back and use the raised area as a container garden that lines the yard.
4. Have tree stumps drilled out.
5. Add in new flowers and plants.
6. New cohesive fencing around the yard perimeter.  Raise fence that faces street.  Fix the gate.
7. Built in BBQ area, most likely off the deck/stairs area, under the kitchen window
8. FIRE PIT!!
9. Some type of covered area (trellis or cabana...still throwing ideas around on this)
10. Small play area (swings + slide?)
11. Shed for the side yard to store lawnmower, outdoor cushions, etc.
12. Lighting:  uplights for landscaping and general outdoor lighting mounted on the house.
13. Buy patio furniture and accessories.
14. Hire a landscape designer to translate the above list into reality -- please forward your recommendations!!
15. Convince my husband to sell one of his kidney's to finance the backyard of our dreams.

I actually can't believe we've only been living here for four months...it feels like an entire year has gone by.  It truly feels like home to us now, although there have been moments -- as recently as tonight-- where C asks us about the old house and says that he misses it.  Tonight was especially bittersweet as he was in near tears telling me that "I remember the outside mama, but I can't quite remember the inside...I really want to remember the inside."  He did this a few months after the move and I drove him past the old house, only for him to get quite upset he couldn't go inside. 

It's funny how you focus on preparing your children for the big things, like...a new sibling or a death of a loved one.  We knew the move to a new home would affect C from the perspective that it was "change", but admittedly overlooked that even at the young age of three had developed an actual emotional attachment.  I realize that he probably won't remember feeling this way in a few years, but it was a good reminder for me that kids notice the little things, too.

I think my plan is to work back to front, bottom to top...so that means an update on the Den will be forthcoming!

SMKS - 6/6/12 Edition

Scene {1}  Sitting around the dinner tonight, I ask C why he didn't finish his lunch at school today.

Me:  "Why didn't you finish your lunch today?"
C:  "Well, I wasn't that hungry."
Me:  "Why weren't you hungry?"
C:  (sigh) "NO MOM, I didn't say I wasn't hungry, I just wasn't THAT hungry." (eye roll)
Me:  "Oh.  Right then."

Scene {2}  Having bedtime snuggles in C's bed.  We are talking about his day.  Or trying to. (Note: C still wears a diaper at night...the kid insists in drinking a huge thing of milk right before bed and sleeps like a log aka doesn't wake up with the urge to pee yet.)

Me:  "What are you doing?"
C: (pulls hand out of diaper) "Trying to feel my pee."
Me:  "Ugh, please don't do that.  You've never done that before."
C:  "Why not?"
(yes...I should have known better at this point to keep this conversation going.  End of day exhaustion is known to lead to poor parental decision making.)
Me:  "Because it's yucky."
C:  "Why is it yucky?"
Me:  "Because it's dirty."
C:  "Why is it dirty?"
Me:  "Because it's full of bacteria."
C:  "What is bacteria?"
Me:  "It's like germs."
C:  (now entering spaz voice mode) "Ohhhhhhhhh like diarrheaaaaaa MAMAAAAAAA"
Me:  "Okay, time for bed."

Scene {3}  Saying our final goodnights

C:  "Good night mom...mom...mom mom mom hey MOM...hey, why do we have bones, mom?"
Me:  "Ok, goodnight!  Sweet dreams!  Love you!"

In summary:

1.  Have you figured out what "SMKS" yet?
2.  I'm super glad the timing of Scene {2} did not occur at the same time as Scene {1}.  Small miracles and all that.

Feast or Famine

Our weekends are typically low key.  After a busy week of early mornings and late evenings due to work and week night activities, we're generally ready to put to breaks on having any schedule by Friday night.

This weekend was an exception -- we had plans.  LOTS of plans.  Clearly, it's feast or famine around our house...either we have nothing on the schedule or every minute accounted for.  It kicked off on Friday night, with a lovely dinner with friends that included 1,567 trips back and forth from the table to find out who made who cry downstairs in the den.  I'm being serious when I say I'm pretty sure we burned off all the calories we consumed.  But the kids had a blast and really, its (always) worth the memories.

Saturday was basically a blur - starting off with being woken up at blurry o'clock by C, headed out at 7:30am for hockey clinic, trip to the store for picnic supplies, 11am park/picnic play date, back to the house for naps, then into the car to head to the Greek Festival....

...speaking of the Greek Festival - be still my heart:

So as we were weaving our way through the festival, we see C's futurewifeimeanfriend, the one and only Anna Maria, "helping" her Yia Yia sell raffle tickets.  Her Yia Yia spots C and she asks Anna Maria if she wants to go see him - she darts from the booth and they hug (me = DYINGG of the cuteness).  But it gets better.  Because then Yia Yia decides they are going to walk with us to the booth Anna Maria's parents are working.  Brace yourself people...C and Anna Maria then HOLD HANDS and start leading the way (me = officially dead.  Too.Much.Cuteness.)  Like, for a full 3 minutes. 

Then Yia Yia put the breaks on things and stuck her hand in between theirs, like any good Greek grandmother would :)

After a late Saturday night, we wound down on Sunday with a special treat for C- a "Skating with Sharkie" event. Which meant he could roller blade with the Sharks mascot, Sharkie.  Which meant that we knew he would be so excited.  Which meant he would put on his roller blades and pads and helmet with full intention of getting out there on the rink.  Which meant that he would take one look at every single one of the older kids and think (and then say) "There is NO WAY I'm getting out there with all those big kids who are going to knock me down."

And which, in fact, is what happened -- but not all was lost and he came home happy as a clam having received a signed picture of Sharkie and a handful of stickers.  It really takes very little to make a 3.5 year old day.

After naps, it was time for soccer clinic, with a special visit from Emeline to watch C and visit with the snack-monster N.  Then home for dinner and getting ready for the week ahead.

Although this weekend was busy - and at some points downright exhausting (like figuring out how to get 5 loads of laundry and grocery shopping done in between everything else), I feel so unbelievably grateful and appreciative for the life we have.  I never ever want to take what we have for granted.

I should be back to a more normal blog posting schedule this week -- house updates to come!

Sneak Peek - Window Coverings

Our new home had exactly zero curtains when we moved in.  It also had exactly two windows that were  standard size and I could buy blinds off the shelf to fit them.  The other windows?  The dreaded custom order. After months of dithering back and forth, I finally bit the proverbial bullet and ordered window coverings for all the windows in one fell swoop.

(In case you were wondering, yes, our savings account is currently in the ICU attempting to recover.  Why are these suckers so much money!)

It will take several weeks for them to arrive and be installed, but here is a sneak peak...

We're using shutters on the four front downstairs windows - two in the living room, two that flank the front door.  They look like these:

For the kitchen, we went with a roman shade over the slider and kitchen window in this woven wood material (with lining for extra insulation and light blockage):

For the dining room, another roman in a neutral linen blend:

And lastly, for the master bedroom and office, a roman in strait up natural linen.  The Hunter Douglas rep tried to convince me to go with a more trendy color in the master and I had to burst her bubble by letting her know I will have this curtains until the day I die.  As in, these need to be neutral enough to go with any decor scheme.  As in, no, I will not be going with the lovely duck blue shade you think would blend with my color scheme perfectly.

They are coming to do final measurements tomorrow and then the countdown is on!

Wait - did I forget to mention one room that won't be getting a blind?

THE DEN.

People, even the Hunter Douglas design rep, who has been doing this for 30 years, was at a loss as to what type of window covering I should use on that sliding glass door, based upon the placement of the couch. I think I have a plan in place though...will do a Den update soon!

Bunch Ball

Despite his obsession with hockey, I'm happy to report C has kept a soft spot in his heart for the beautiful game...soccer, football, futbol - a sport near and dear to both mine and Andy's hearts as well.  He had participated in toddler indoor soccer classes before the hockey obsession started, and when we heard of a soccer academy catering to the 3.5 to 5 year old age range, we didn't think twice about signing him up -- bonus, it was OUTDOORS. 

Yay for fresh air, sunshine and a class start time perfectly scheduled between naps and dinner!

Kelly Gray is a former player for the Earthquakes and his staff is AH-mazing with this age group -- lots of individual attention and at only 30 minutes long, nicely suited for a toddlers attention span.


I totally took "first day of (outdoor) soccer" pictures.

Andy was thrilled that C was finally wearing the soccer kit he bought before he could walk.  C also informed me as I was helping him pull on his soccer socks that "these socks make me look like a big guy."  He then proceed to strut around the living room like...a big guy.

I look like a ghost because my mom put 17 layers of sunblock on me.  But I still look like a big guy, right?

I was anticipating a bit of shyness at the first class - his future wife friend from preschool, Anna Maria, ended up moving down an age group so he knew none of the other kids - the majority of them being closer to 5.  We've been through this before...he'll hang back and half participate and Andy or I usually end up hovering close by to help him break the ice.

Surprisingly, while the shyness still appeared...no hovering was required.

Of course, N was around for moral support.  And to be in charge of eat all the snacks.


I rocked this hat for exactly 22 seconds.

By the time the second class rolled around...big guy found his stride.



He shoots...

He scoooorrrreeeessss!!!!!!!!

N is so proud.  And so mad I won't let him run full speed towards...well, anything that is away from me.

Nautical Mirror

I'll come right out with it:  I'm a craft geek.

Please note:  this does not mean I'm any good at it.  (Just wanted to set that expectation ahead of time.)

When C was born, I went full throttle on a nautical theme for his room.  As in, I actually shipped a bedding set, unwieldy crib bumper and all, to England because I found the perfect one at PBK.  Matching curtain, valence, mobile -- the works.

Then N was born and we promptly stuck his crib in the office/guest room/now-also-a-nursery(!), where he received that all important infant stimulation from stacks of books, old tax returns and piles of fabric peaking out of the closet.

I'll pause to let everyone let out a heavy sigh and a, "POOR, N!"

Not to worry, in our new home he has his own room.  And given that C is more vocal these days with his, ahem, (hockey) preferences, N is now the lucky recipient of  his brothers old room decor.  He's excited, he told me so ;)

However, I figured he deserved a few new items that he could call his own -- especially when I spied this:

via

Prettttyyyyyyyyy.  So I was like "YES, that is perfect!"  And then I saw the price and was like "$149 bucks,(insert expletive.)"  And THEN I was like "Oh hello, I could totally make it myself."  Right?

Home Depot had everything I needed:

Mirrors - the set of 5 was like $15.

Rope - I bought two different types to play around with.  It comes on huge spools that you need someone to help you to cut...together it totaled around $6.

Adhesive - I bought a couple different types including Gorilla Glue and some clear caulk/sealant stuff (technical term, ha.)  It turns out the latter worked a LOT better.

(I skipped adding the top piece that is shown in the "inspiration" picture because...I'm impatient.  But I'm sure you could wander around your hardware store of choice and figure out how to add it.)

So, let the assembly portion of our program begin!  Make sure you pay attention to these super complicated directions:

Spread a layer of adhesive to the surface you want to attach your rope.

Step back and say to yourself, "this crap will NEVER in a million years hold this rope in place," and move on to the caulk/sealant.

So...it says it's clear.  But against a black surface, not so much. But I powered through, because like I said...I'm impatient.  (If I were to do this over again, I may have just relied upon my trusty glue gun.  Lesson learned.)

Now it's time to wrangle that rope and convince it to play nice.

Now find a super heavy book to rest on top while the adhesive drys/cures/hardens, etc.

Sid Dickens is totally stoked I'm using his tiles as weights for this project.

And that's it!  The final product pretty much looks like the second to last picture.  I'm thinking of adding some thinner twine to the inside edge to hide the bits where the sealant shows.  I made two mirrors in the end and will debut the final product once they are hung with a place of prominence in N's room.

In other news around the house (posts to come)...

1.  I have finally ordered blinds and shutters for the majority of the windows in our house.  I am still experiencing heart palpitations at how expensive this turned out to be.  Yikes.

2.  I have come close to a decision regarding a couch for the Den.  I just need to check out one more place before pulling the trigger (has anyone been to Sofa Outlet in San Mateo?)

More (regular) blogging to come!

We {Heart} the Library

A bit of an embarrassing confession:  before earlier this week, I had not set foot in a library since 1999.  It's actually shocking to see that year in print, to write it out and realize that equates to THIRTEEN YEARS.  I love books (just ask my sisters - and yes, M&M's! - but that's a different story for another time), but clearly love them more when they are shelved five steps away from a Starbucks. Barnes and Noble, you are genius.

So one afternoon this week, during what I call the "golden hour", (aka "what do I do with my kids between nap time/picking them up from daycare and dinner,") my now 99% defunct short term memory actually came through for me and recalled a library I had passed by recently...YES.  Something new to do instead of playing knee hockey in the hallway, shooting one billion shots at C while simultaneously strong-arming N from grabbing the puck...DOUBLE YES.

And off we went.

But first - superfluous mug shots:

C, quite dapper.

N, who is thinking "I just pick pocketed $20 from your purse but I'm cute, right?"

Thirteen years ago, I'm pretty sure libraries still rocked the card catalog and looking up titles on the single computer meant you had to be somewhat proficient in DOS command language.  So when we walked in and I saw a line up of terminals that looked like the self check-out area at Safeway, I *may* have gotten a bit excited at the possibility there may be a Starbucks around the corner. (No such luck - but there WAS a cafe!)

First things first:  signing up C for a library card.  Do you remember getting your first library card?  I do.  I also remember thinking I wanted to max out that puppy with as many books as I could.  Library card = power!  And apparently you don't have to be five anymore, so C picked out a card style from the choices offered, then gripped his new plastic gateway to books tighter than a hockey stick.  We beelined to the children's section strait away as I began to plot how to get Andy to sit down with the kids to read books, buying me some time to go wander around. 

Ha.

The kids spotted them first:  two computers, set up at toddler height station, with toddler appropriate keyboards.  In that instant, I knew any hopes of browsing through the stacks were long.gone.  LONG.GONE. 

It took N maybe 30 seconds to freeze up the first computer. Which meant he immediately charged around to the other side of the table to elbow his way onto the one C was using.  Anticipating high pitched screeching to commence, it was time to see if we could distract N with the entire purpose of our trip, reading some books.

And here's how that worked out.



The right way to use the library computer.




N is not impressed.  And wants to call his lawyer to find out why he's being held against his will, at the other end of the room, whilst being forced to look at "books."

 

"Seriously Mom.  Let's get real.  You know and I know that I'm going to make a break for it in 2.5 seconds."



Reconnaissance in progress - line of sight has been established.

That's the "new walker" jog N has going on.  Top speed: .00342 m.p.h



"EEEEEEEEEE ahhhhhhhh ooh ssccrrreccchhhh".  Which, when translated from Toddler-ese into English means  "Hey guys, here I am!  My turn!  MY TURN! MOOOVVVEEE or I will scratch your face off!"



I call this one, "The Most Patient Big Brother in the World"

We actually made it out with a handful of books and after spending 30 minutes trying to figure out how to check them out, we headed to the car, our first family trip to the library coming to a somewhat successful end.  As in, no one was crying and we had books in our possession.  Clearly feeling a tad bit over confident, we decided to press our luck and have dinner out at Sonoma Chicken Coop.

That was...not so successful.  We'll leave it at that.

This morning C asked if we could go back to the "Li-berry" today, a feeling that I can safely say is better than finding a Starbucks next to the books on tape ANY DAY.