Switch flipper

If you have ever had  a 3 year old...you will most likely be able to commiserate with me on this topic. I have been down this road before, and that is why I feel educated enough to bring this topic up.

To hell with the Terrible Two's. Two year olds don't scare me at all. Maybe you have a 2 year old right now and maybe you think age 2 is terrible. And maybe at one time, a kindhearted stranger at the grocery store check- out (or me right now!!!) has asked you how old your angel is. When you tell them (or me) they are two years old and the stranger's smile (or mine) turns very serious and says something like " Oh, I loved Age 2. Three is the new 2." Don't be confused. BELIEVE THEM (and me!)!

Savor your child's second year.... who cares if they discover the word "no!" and use it freely.... no biggie. Who cares if they discover some new found independence and "I do it!!!" becomes the first words out of their mouth when you try to do ANYTHING for them. I promise you.... you are living the dream with a 2 year old...(and I feel qualified to say that because I  also just had a fresh 2 year old pop up a month ago).

There is this switch....and sometime between blowing out three candles on their birthday cake and waking up the following morning....it is flipped. The negativity "NO!" and independence "I do it!" is replaced with a whiny, defiant stranger. They might look exactly like your two year old.... but be warned.... they are not....aliens have invaded their tiny body while they slept.

Usually happy 2 year old.... trying out the new "no-smile 3 year old" look

Activities like going to the circus, going for ice cream and generally anything pleasurable at all are quickly met with " Buuuuut, I don't waaaant to!". Offers of replacing broccoli with candy bars are met with "Buuut, I don't liiiike candy bars" (ok, I haven't tried this.... but I swear this would be the case!). You can expect to hear other enchanting phrases like:

But, I don't want to blow my nose.
But, I don't like my bed.
But, this show (that I have watched the past 365 days) is scary.
But, I don't want my diaper changed.
But, I don't like to eat lunch, dinner, breakfast, apples, pizza, candy, fruit.....
or my favorite as of late (EVERY DAY WHEN I PUT HIS JACKET ON)....
But, I really hate zippers. (huh??!!)

At a parade, a usually happy experience- pitching fit in an attempt to be as miserable as possible.

Here's the thing.... before you start sweating about your own almost three year old or are concerned that I might be putting mine up for sale.... I can also assure you with certainty.... the switch EVENTUALLY, even when you feel like it never will, will get flipped back the other way. Granted, we're not even a month in on this round of Terrifying Three....but I see glimmer of that old sweet 2 year old in there..... and I know he'll be back for good someday.... just about the exact same time our next Terrible 2's switch flips!

Hopefully, the little one isn't paying too much attention and will stay 2 forever!

Opening Day

Today is Opening Day for the Cincinnati Reds. This is an event that either evokes a ton of excitement from members of this city or you really just don't care about it at all.

Opening Day has meant many different things to me over the years. It's never really been so much about the game for me (some of you are shocked to read that, right??!) but the social events surrounding the game. When I was young, single and semi-crazy... some friends and I actually slept outside on the concrete in the freezing cold winter to attain this very hard ticket to come by to Opening Day. Oh, it was fun...and miserable.... and involved some serious adult beverages but ended in sadness as the tickets sold out just seconds before we reached the ticket window. I did somehow manage to get to the game that year.... but can't really remember how.

Opening Day was often my most anticipated "personal day" when I was teaching. We only got 2, so you better believe they had to be saved for something good. Opening Day of years ago involved cab or bus rides downtown, bars, boys (usually my now hubby), oh and the game, of course- a long  long day. It could be 80  degrees or 40....so goes the weather in April in Ohio.

Once I got hitched and grew up ever so slightly, Opening Day was spent with my students at the Opening Day parade. I taught first grade in a pretty rough inner-city school that just so happened to be a block away from the parade route. We'd spend days making shakers, pom poms and decorations and spend the whole afternoon at the parade. Some people thought I was insane...it's a really great memory for me though.

For the past 5 years, I have observed Opening Day from afar. Sometimes jealous when work tickets allowed my hubby to go and I would be home with the kids, but mostly content to miss out on the hustle and bustle.

But miss out no more!! I am "fun mom" today! I am venturing to the parade with all 3 of my boys. I hate to miss a party. I am even allowing the big boy an early  school dismissal. These are the things memories are made of! I am living in the moment! I may regret my decision in the next couple of hours.... but for now.... bring on the marching bands, floats, excess candy and local celebrities. The sun is shining, the boys are decked out in their Reds gear and it's time to welcome the season to  Play Ball!!!

A Blogcation

I took a blog-cation on purpose. I missed blogging a lot and also not very much. It started to stress me out that I didn't have anything to write about. When it was midnight and I hadn't blogged, I started feeling guilty. When I was taking pictures of my kids in ridiculous situations for the sole purpose of putting them on my blog... I decided to take a break.

My reasons for blogging are just this:
1. an outlet to vent, laugh, inspire, share and document.
2. a place where I can be me and share who my family is.... the good and bad.
3. one of the only things I have that is truly my own.... and I want to share it with YOU.

I have to stop intentionally trying to think of something funny to blog about, because let's face it...life is totally not always funny!
I have to quit stressing out if I don't blog some days....because as we all know, life is busy and sometimes I feel with certainty you need a break to regroup. Plus, who wants to read a boring blog about nothing?! Not me, that's who!
I need to stop comparing this blog to other blogs. Period.

So... I am BAAAAACK!!!! Fresh home from vacation, a home renovation project, a newly turned  2 year old, a newly turned 3 year old, an almost 6 year old (GULP!) and trying to enjoy each day of this amazing early summer-like weather we've been given!

I have missed you....thanks for sticking around! ;)

Exhibitionist

If you are following along, you know that we have two 2 year olds living in our house this week. Last week, Luke turned two.
There was cake....

There were presents....

and there was a mommy who felt a little bit "whoa is me" that there were no babies in the house any more. I even emptied out a drawer full of bottle parts and pieces that hadn't been used in over a year. It seemed so final.

Then I went in to wake my new BIG 2 year old from his nap today...and I found this.

And you know what....my big boy isn't so big...he's definitely still my baby.

But we're all in trouble when he figures out how to get his pants off!!!

(Oh and don't be surprised if you see Luke wearing off the shoulder shirts in the future... nothing like stepping out of your shirt!)

730 days ago...

I became a mom for the third time. I brought home the most perfect almost 9 lb. bundle of joy I had ever seen....that year. Waiting for this sweet little boy to come home were his two brothers...almost four....and almost ONE! It was the happiest, scariest day of my life. 730 days breezed by in a wink... I have lived to tell the tale. It  is a happy, fun and wonderful story of adventure! Happy Birthday to my sweet, loving, hat wearin', fun (wild, crazy and loud) Luke! I ask for your prayers the next 11 days as I will have two 2 year old children under this roof! Lord Help Me!!! :)

Sleeping through the night

Luckily, I have kids who are great sleepers. They have all slept through the night since they were 12 weeks old. Some have called me the Sleep Nazi. I consider that a term of endearment. These kiddos are on a great schedule....a stay at home mom schedule, if you will. If I don't need to get them up and dressed and off to a sitter/school/daycare....there is no reason for anyone's door to open before 8 am. (Sam and I have adjusted with school this year, but we've just had to barely tweak it as his school day does not begin until 9). It's the law here. So far (and I am knocking serious wood here) everyone has complied.

Here's who is not sleeping through the night. Me. I have a cough that has been keeping me up for what feels like 40 minutes of every hour every night for as long as I can remember (or at least a week)...and it is slowly causing me to go mildly insane. The cough hasn't limited itself to nighttime though. Just yesterday... I had the littlest boys out for a quick errand and could feel the fit coming on.... I was right by a McDonald's, so I quick pulled in to get a drink hoping that would help ward it off. It started before I could order... I couldn't even speak when they asked if they could take my order.... I sputtered a "sorry" and kept driving.... I was about to hyperventilate. I pulled into a parking lot and started coughing like the Marlboro man... uncontrollably.... I started to panic. I ripped off my coat (who knows... maybe that would work??!) and started digging through my purse for anything I could stick in my mouth to help stifle the coughing....which was more like gasping...and eventually dry heaving (sorry...are you eating breakfast? whoops!) and found a dum dum lollipop.  It didn't cut it. I looked around the mini van frantically.... I was sweating, tears streaming down my face....and out of desperation grabbed the nearest sippy cup PRAYING it didn't have old milk in it. Old apple juice. SCORE! I chugged it down like a camel who had just found a puddle in a dessert. Disgusting......... but it worked. Relief.

I dried my eyes, took some deep breaths and slowly turned around thinking the twins must be freaked out by what they just witnessed in the front seat. On the contrary, they asked if I could change the dvd they were watching. Good to know they have my back in a crisis.

So, I finally called my doctor and pleaded for something to knock me out at night... I was dying for a decent night's sleep (and so was the hub's...although he has been a sport not complaining about being wakened by his hacking, sputtering wife for what seems like an eternity now!). Cough syrup with codeine.... yes, please!!! Finally...a decent night's sleep was in my future... and then... as Murphy's Law would have it..... God sent a Thunderstorm in February. Oh God....you kidder!!!!

I guess there's always tonight.

Poor little blog...

Last week I neglected this little blog because I was hardly keeping my head above water while the hubs was on a 4 day work  trip.... this week.... I am crawling my way out of this mess.....

Stay tuned....