Why Lazy Rocks

At first I thought about having a birthday party for Tristan… a big one. A party with a circus theme where our fabulous friends would volunteer to work a fishing booth, a face painting booth and pick a duck. I was going to give the kids tickets that they could use for rides and to buy their food. I was going to make signs and rent a bounce house.
I bought invitations, grab bag goodies from the internet and invited Tristan’s preschool class. Then about three days later, I came out of whatever haze I was living in and realized that, 1. that party would be a LOT of work and 2. I really didn’t have that much time to put into it. So, I called everyone in Tristan’s class, (only the ones that didn’t get the email that I sent) to tell them that the party was cancelled. No one asked why, which was good, because I didn’t have to explain that, his party was cancelled because in an attempt to make up for the fact that Tristan hasn’t yet had a “real” birthday party all his own, his own mother realized that he’s only 2 years old and probably wouldn’t remember which prize he got from picking a duck in the first place.
So then I decided to just do the circus theme for Connor’s party since I already had the ideas and the grab bag stuffs. Tristan would have just as much fun at Brother’s party and next year Tristan would have a big party of his own… I mean both of the kids are so little that we could take them to Dollywood, tell them its Disney and they'd never know the difference, but then again I realized… I had no desire to put the whole thing together. Without a play set in the backyard, what would the kids do for three hours? I am perfectly capable of entertaining 10 kids if the yard is set up for it... but entertaining 10 kids and 10 parents... well that's a whole different story, unless a keg is involved.
So, we decided to have Connor’s party at Space Kidets, one of the bounce places filled with arcade games and jumpable inflatables where you have your party in their space. We were able to have the whole place to ourselves for dare I say, just a little more than we would have spent having the party at our house. The kids bounced and then sang happy birthday to Connor and had cake. I didn’t even serve or cut the cake. It was fabulous. I didn’t have to spend a week cleaning the house. I didn’t have to worry about what we would do if it rained, (which is did). We just showed up, bounced, had cake and went home. It was wonderful! I loved it and so did the kids. I think they definitely had more fun than they would have in our backyard and it was completely mosquito free. And do you know what I did the night before? I laid on the couch, watched Jon Stewart and painted my toenails. I can't think of a better way to throw a party.

Rock the Vote

Yeah Baby! Today after dropping the kids off at school, my friend Amy and I waited in line for an hour and a half so we could vote. We didn't have any excitement in our line, no riots or arguements, no complaining or campaigning, in fact, we were the first 20 or so in line, since the voting did not open until 11am and we were there at 9:30am (Yay Amy for bringing me a latte!!!). Our part off the line just happened to go right through the kids section of the library which had chairs that we were able to sit in and a table that we were able to put our coffee on.
I missed having my laptop with me, had I known I would have brought it so that everyone in line could watch movie trailers for an hour and a half. It did make me feel sorry for Jorma who waited for 31/2 hours without his ipod or portable DVD player. I guess having all of the entertainment technology in the world doesn't do us any good when we leave it at home. Note to self, the ipod should be living in the purse.
I'm glad our household is finally done with our civic duty though, I feel kind of like I do when I finish my Christmas shopping. As far as who I voted for, (you know you are just dying to know), if you know me personally... you don't even have to ask.

Dear Connor - 4 Years

Dear Connor,

It doesn't even feel like it's been four years since you came into our lives. Time starts moving faster once you have children. Everyone tells me that in the blink of an eye, you'll be off to college and then having children of your own. Right now I just try to enjoy the years of your childhood before they pass us by. The occasions that you are still snuggly and sweet and in many ways closer to baby than to little boy.

Those times are further and further apart though. You are able to play with more complicated toys now. Toys that actually require action to work, turning a jack in the box or cranking up a car so that it will propell itself down the hallway. You've never had much interest in toys that don't DO anything. Give you a plastic dinosaur and you'll hold it for a while and then try to bounce it off of a wall by throwing it at the ceiling fan. Give you a play kitchen and you'll climb on it and use it to play king of the hill with your brother. But with a flashlight in a darkened room you are the happiest kid in the world. I keep trying to play Candyland with you, but you want to make up your own rules, (the rules that we end up playing by) which invoves no turn-taking, not keeping the same color game piece and just randomly grabbing cards and moving our men around the board. I really made an effort with Candyland to teach you about sportmanship and turn taking, but you just don't have the attention span for it yet.

You've mastered using the computer mouse. It's taken you several weeks to get it, but now you hold it just like Mommy and Daddy do when you play your games. The website for all of the cartoons that you watch, has age appropriate games that you can play and we can definately say that we've been taking advantage of it. It's nice to have friends come for dinner and move you into the office to play your games so that we can have an adult conversation that's not punctuated by a high pitched voice whining for cookies. We don't let you play that often but when we do, you absolutely love it. I can see how parents that have sworn never to have a video game in the house finally relent. Now when I watch you use the mouse I realize that your generation will start to have carpal-tunnel in their late twenties, from using a mouse from so early in life.

Your birthday was yesterday and it was a fantastic day for you. Your class sang happy birthday to you and you had special frosted birthday cookies after lunch. You had birthday cake after dinner and then got to open the presents from Mommy and Daddy. You got a book of spooky tales, a nerf football, a hypercycle set (two motorcycles that you click into a slot on a ramp so when you crank the hand crank on the side the cycles launch forward at top speed), a ring pop (which you promply ate), the 3rd in the series of Alladin videos and a memory matching game. You were beside yourself with joy. The joy wasn't even from the presents as much as from Mommy taking little brother upstairs so you and Daddy could race hypercycles down the hallway unmolested by your brother.

I'm glad that the terrible twos and tormenting threes are behind us now and we are now standing on the precipace of your boyhood. I think 4 years old might be my favorite age, because you are mature enough to carry on a conversation and have some self control but still young enough that I can carry you upstairs to bed.

Happy Birthday Baby-love,

Mommy

Train of Naught

I started a post late last week, but ran off to chase the kids for one reason or another and when I returned, the gmail format had completely changed and my post was missing. Not just from gmail or my computer, but also from my brain.
I tried to find it last night, but it wasn't in drafts or lurking anywhere else so I just gave up. Part of what sent me on the search was the fact that I remembered starting a blog post... but totally forgot what I was writing about.
This morning I remembered what I was posting about and decided to rewrite it at some point this week. Sure I forget things like everyone else, (especially when it's convenient) but for the most part, I've always had a really good memory. I'm not sure if it's old age creeping in, distraction or just being busy with the kids, but I could NOT believe that I just completely forgot what I had been writing about. How can I forget that, but remember every detail of the funeral that broke my heart? Why can't we pick and choose our details of memory? Ben Franklin said that he had a great memory because he forced himself to forget all of the things that he didn't need to remember. That would be great. Then I could forget my exboyfriends favorite color and remember my blog post.

Dear Tristan - 2 Years, 1 Month

Dear Tristan,
You've finally decided that you love school. Two days ago when you went in you saw your teacher in the hallway and went running, pell-mell, tumble-bumble, full speed ahead. There is nothing cuter than you running with your arms swinging all around you and a smile on your face. I saw your teachers face light up when she saw your smile and I know for sure, your super power is sweetness and light.

You have a sense of humor too and I just love it. You love to laugh but even more, you love making other people laugh. We are a pretty happy family as it is, but your antics crack us up... even your brother.
You have a natural rhythm and love music and dancing. I've seen many kids dance and most of them look like a monkey on expresso, but you can actually move to the beat. We encourage it too, not only because it's adorable, but because we are always trying to do anything and everything to let you work out that energy so that you will sleep.
I would be remiss if I didn't write at least something about the sleeping habits that you've developed. We took the front panel off of your crib, so that you could get in and out on your own. You do have a bed rail not because we thought that the 12 inch fall from your toddler bed would hurt you in any way, but because you might wake up from it and let the entire house know of your displeasure at say, 3am.

Because you have the freedom to get in and out of your bed at will, you've been experimenting with different areas to sleep in your room. We have a lazyboy chair in your room that we've sat in to rock both you and your brother as babies. This is your prefered place of sleeping. You get your blanket, (still called gankie) and a stuffed animal or two and curl up in the chair for a nap or to sleep for the night. Sometimes you read a book or two until you get sleepy and then just drift off.
Many times you try to crawl behind the chair into the corner and curl up with your blanket to sleep. I wonder if the corner is like a womb because it's enclosed or because you're just that stubborn. It does look cozy with you all curled up there, purple dinosaurs and all.

There is something else that I feel is necessary to mention and it's this, you can say either Mama or Daddy for 10 solid minutes, each word perfectly spaced apart so it sounds like a metronome. You do this because you know for sure that either Mommy or Daddy will turn around and ask what we can do for you. Anything to make it stop. It doesn't mean that you are going to get the cookie that you are demanding, in fact it's more likely that you won't and will deciding that your metronome method won't work that you'll try the tantrum method instead. And if the tantrum method won't work, you'll resort to throwing whatever is next to you or hitting your brother.
You are definately proving that you are fully immersed in the terrible twos... it's a good thing you're so damn cute.
I love you,
Mama

Just Finished Reading

The Road, Cormac McCarthy
This is a beautiful and tragic piece about a father and son traveling across the country in the wake of total global melt down. If you read this book, I promise no matter how bad your day is... you'll realize it could be much worse.
I'm trying to get the husband to read it now because I'm dying to talk to someone about it. I'd highly recommend it if you are between books and are looking for an intense read about total and complete devastation and the spark of hope and love. And then shoot me an email and let me know what you thought... and if you were ready to re-pack your survival bags too.

Dear Connor - 3 Years, 11 Months

Dear Connor,
I don't remember what time of day this picture was taken, but because you are watching television it must be around 9am. You and brother don't watch a whole lot of television mostly because, (and remember this when you have children of your own)... if the TV is on all the time, it won't work when you need it to. If I don't turn the TV on all day and then turn it on at 5pm when I'm starting dinner, you'll be glued to it. But if the TV's been on all day long, you're glued to me instead.
When I came into the living room to check on you and your brother, you had the chair propped up and were watching television. When I asked you to put the chair down on it's feet you looked completely baffled. And then of course you told me no. Then I said, yes and then we fought about it and then I took it away and you cried and then your brother started crying just because he thought he should help you out and I wheeled the chair back into the office wondering why everything has to turn into complete chaos.



In early September Grammy Kathi came to visit and oh did we have fun. The city we live in was holding a end of summer festival giving us a full afternoon and evening of entertainment. This was the first time that you've ever ridden a carnival type ride by yourself and you weren't as impressed as I thought you'd be. What you can't see in this picture is how you spent the entire time you were on this ride, turned around, chatting up the chics behind you.




Your first pony ride. Maybe by now you know how much Mommy loves horses and always wished for one. Mommy still wishes for one and believe me if we lived out in the country you would have one, but we don't so you'll have to settle for the ponies at the fair for now. You seemed completely unamazed by the pony ride while I walked next to you in a circle, with a large lump in my throat as you rode your first horse.



Daddy took this picture at the same festival right after you rode the pony. The sky opened up and all of a sudden the rain started to fall in drops as large as grapes. We took cover under the awning of a fudge tent where you Dad felt obligated to purchase at least one piece of candy. We all shared it and then after determining that we really weren't staying dry anyway, we sent you and your brother out to play in the rain. Truthfully, I think for the both of you, it was more fun than the ponies.

Near the end of our trip to the festival I rode the carousel with you one last time. In between waves at Daddy, I turned to look at you. You're belly was full of cotton candy, chicken on a stick and funnel cake. Daddy stood on the sidelines holding the Sponge Bob that he won for you while playing a water gun game. You were damp from playing in the rain. Just by looking at your face I could tell what you were feeling and it was total and complete happiness. I don't mean that you were just smiling and looking around. I mean you were so happy that it radiated from the depths of your soul. I felt it. It touched me and was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.
I love you,
Mommy