Blue and Blue II

In between my nightly routine of getting supper on the table I thought I probably had enough time to sneak in cleaning out our blue Beta fish's tank. I worked like a mad woman while the hamburger was browning to get it all finished. Normally, I keep Blue in a little bowl for a few hours after I clean the tank to be sure the new water is back to room temperature. However, Favorite Boy kept on saying he wanted to hold Blue just one time and that he really missed Blue couldn't he just give him one kiss? I sat and debated for quite awhile about leaving Blue in the little bowl vs dumping him back in the tank. Then I remember my friend Jenni's post about her "helping hands" and how Ruby didn't fare so well. I normally clean the tank when favorite boy is taking a nap, but since I was doing it during dinner he was infatuated with Blue in the smaller bowl. I got scared thinking about little Ruby so I just dumped Blue back in the tank thinking he would be safer that way.

We went about our nightly routine and after we put the kids to bed Aaron and I were cleaning up the kitchen. Aaron said uh-oh, I don't think Blue's doing so well. I think he's been laying on the bottom of the fish tank since I got home tonight. I took one look at the tank and knew it wasn't good. I turned around and started washing off the table and of course started crying. I killed my son's fish! I could only wash the table for so long before I was going to have to turn around. Aaron said well should we go get Favorite Boy up and have a funeral? I said no, I knew I was overreacting and I didn't want Favorite Boy to see me that upset. Aaron said well what are we going to tell him? I said I don't know yet. Of course Aaron's suggestion was that we could tell him Blue grew wings and flew away. In between my blubbering I told him we could not lie about the fish. He started laughing and said well it's worked with all the caterpillars we've had this fall. Aaron took care of Blue and I thought about what to do. The next morning Favorite Boy woke up and his newest caterpillar was dead in his caterpillar hut and he was a pretty upset about it. Ugh! He decided to put the caterpillar in the front yard so he could go to Heaven with his other caterpillar friends. It was Saturday morning and we had some errands to run so we headed out the door. We were gone pretty much all morning long and for our last stop I pulled into the pet store. Favorite Boy asked what are we doing here? I told him we were going to get a new fish. He said oh good now I will have two Blue fishes!! I said no honey I'm sorry Blue went to Heaven to live with God last night and so we are going to get another one. He smiled and said, okay can I show you the bird that says "Polly want a cracker first"?

WHAT?!

I said sure and we hopped out of the car and went inside. Sure enough there was a parrot that said "Polly want a cracker" Favorite Boy and his dad frequent the pet store and humane society often threatening to bring home all kinds of little creatures. I was amazed that Favorite Boy had any idea about the bird. I was still wondering if the whole fish thing was really going to go that smoothly. He marched right over to the Beta's picked out another blue one and carefully carried him to the counter. He then proceeded to tell the man at the counter that his other Blue fish died and went to live with God but it was okay because he was going to get a new Blue.

I know it's been forever but I have a few minutes so I thought I would write. I have to get this in writing so I can remember the story but I'm warning you ...you might find out more about my undergarments than you ever wanted to know. So if you don't want to know don't read any further. Back in October my boss turned 40. All of us in our office decided to wear black to work to "celebrate" the occassion. I'm a very boring person and have started to wear all white undergarments because it is easier that way. When I'm racing around the house in the morning getting ready I don't have to worry if bright red underwear are showing through my khaki pants. Well I decided since I was wearing all black clothing it would be okay to stray a little away from the norm and wear a black bra and black underware. Normally my three year old child does not watch me get dressed but on this particulare morning he stopped watching Diego long enough to come into my bedroom and catch me putting on said undergarments. In his most amazed voice he asked, "Mommy you are going to wear black boobies today?!?" I responded that I was and turned around. I then quickly grabbed my underwear and put them on (mortified) and then he said, "oh mommy!!! you're going to wear black panties too?!" I told him I was and then sat for a second to decide just how many people we would encounter that day who would now also know about my undergarment selection. I can hardly imagine what his preschool teachers must hear.

Favorite Boy's First Day

Okay so I have been very very bad about keeping up with the blog. I don't know what has happened to me. I have become this very fat lazy blob for about the last month. All I want to do is make dinner, and go straight to the couch to watch CSI reruns. I guess it comes from not having cable for the past 8 years and now I'm playing catch up. Anyway I will play catch up on the blog now.

Favorite Boy had his first day of preschool on Thursday August 23. It was a very bittersweet day for me. My brother left for Iraq (AGAIN) the night before which is always so devastating for our family. I went to bed that night thinking how crazy is it that I am laying here praying that my baby boy will be brave and that he will get peaceful, restful sleep and wake up well-rested ready to face his BIG day. And my poor mom was laying in her bed thinking the exact same thing but on a much grander scale? Then I started bawling, rolled over and eventually cried myself to sleep. But I had to wake up and be happy, happy, happy. Favorite Boy woke up full of empty threats. He told me, "mommy if you don't stay there with me I will be sad", "I won't play with any of the other kids if you don't stay and play with me", "I will just sit at a table all alone and listen to the other kids having fun" Okay so he pretty much tore my heart out and handed it to me on a silver platter, but I just kept validating his feelings, telling him it was okay to be scared and that he would eventually want to play with those other kids and they would want to play with him too.

We arrived a little early so he was able to play outside on the playground equipment for awhile. Then I took him in and did just as they taught as at "parent orientation" I bent over gave him a kiss (and this big bottom lip stuck out and the water works started to flow) I told him he was going to have a great time, handed his tiny little hand to his teacher and turned around and sped out the door. AWFUL! My waterworks didn't start until I turned around which was a very good thing.

I went back to pick him up and he was full of smiles and wonderful stories! He loved it! He was even ready to go back the next day! Too bad he would have to wait 5 days until Tuesday.

Preschool Open House

We have been busy so the journaling kind of was pushed to the way side. I will try to be better for Favorite Boy and Favorite Girl's sake!

Mommy and Daddy attended parent orientation for preschool on Tuesday night (without Favorite Boy). It was pretty exciting! Each of the teachers introduced themselves and told about their family. Then each parent was asked to say their child's name, something about their child and what their favorite ice cream flavor is. I of course did the talking, while choking back tears...I said that Favorite Boy absolutely does not know a stranger, he is quite fond of the grandparent types and anyone slightly older than Daddy and I are automatically "grandma" or "grandpa" which can be quite embarrassing out in public when he runs up and throws his arms around anybody's leg and yells "hi grandpa"...everyone giggled as if they could relate. I said that he will eat just about any kind of ice cream but his new favorite this week is Blue Raspberry Mr Misty from Dairy Queen (which we frequent quite often) and again everyone giggled. It was fun to hear about all of the kids personalities. I can't wait to hear about the kids.

Next we went thorough the parent handbook, schedule of events, and policy and procedure. It about broke my heart to hear that they don't get to go on many field trips since each child is required to be in a carseat and they just don't have transportation accomodations. I think my all time favorite memory from preschool was going to the pumpkin farm and apple orchard. They do get to go to the firestation and learn about the fire trucks. Favorite Boy will love that!

On Thursday Mommy and Daddy got to take Favorite Boy to preschool for one hour. We introduced him to his teacher, checked out his classroom, showed him where to hang his coat and bag and where the bathroom is located. He really enjoyed himself. Daddy took the rest of the day off work for a Favorite Boy day! They visited a toy store, came to the hospital to eat lunch with mommy, took a nap together and then went to a water park and swam the rest of the afternoon. Favorite Boy was on cloud nine all day. He strutted around like he was King! It was the cutest thing. We can't wait for Tuesday when he goes to preschool all morning by himself.

Corruption

Favorite Boy came with me to the office the other day. I had to go in to my boss' office to take care of a few things so Favorite Boy went and played with some of the other ladies in the office. They thought it was really funny to let him put this terrible mit on his hand and take pictures!

Lion vs Little Boy

This is a funny conversation Favorite Boy and I had the other day. The conversation reminds me how little he still really is. He is a little sponge but everything is still very literal to him.

He loves how the power button glows on the computer, he cannot help himself, he pushes it each time he walks by.

Me: Favorite Boy did you turn off the computer?
Favorite Boy: No mommy
Me: Favorite Boy are you sure you did not push the button and turn off the computer? It was on just a minute ago?
Favorite Boy: No mommy, I didn't push any buttons?
Me: Favorite Boy are you lying to mommy? It is better to tell the truth.

He looked at me a little confused.

Favorite Boy: No mommy I'm not a lyin' (I hadn't caught on yet what he was talking about)
Me: Favorite Boy when you don't tell the truth that is lying. If we lie we can't go outside and play when mommy is done with her work. Are you sure you didn't push it?
Favorite Boy: Mom, I am not a lion...I am a little boy!

Duh!

Favorite Boy Preschool Papers

I know many of you will read this on August 1. I promise not to dwell on this for the next 28 days but I just thought I would share how bittersweet this day has been for me. We received Favorite Boy's preschool orientation papers in the mail today. His first day of preschool is Tuesday August 28! We are very excited. Although I did pull out Favorite Boy's first photo album and of course I am sitting here typing away through very blurry tear filled eyes. Not to seem too cliche but it certainly feels like "just yesterday" when I brought this itsy bitsy teeny tiny little baby home. I remember the nurse walking us out to our car and checking the carseat to ensure it was properly installed. Once she gave us the okay Daddy and I just looked at each other dumbfounded like what do we do now? Are they really going to let us take this baby home with us?! We instantly decided I would sit in the back seat with him. Daddy started up the car and the Dixie Chicks started playing on the radio...well at least I thought it was the radio so the water works started flowing. (For the duration of my pregnancy I had been working in Waterloo and we lived in Cedar Rapids. I would listen to three different Dixie Chics cds on my drive back and forth everyday. I would sing at the top of my lungs and talk to Favorite Boy (in utero) to keep myself awake. Of course I thought it was quite a coincidence that Dixie Chicks was playing on the radio for our ride home). Daddy looked at me and kind of smiled and then told me it was the cd. During our ride home I remember us talking about how small he was. We talked about the mistakes we would probably make as parents. Daddy asked if I could imagine putting our little baby on a bus in five years saying "bye love you please come back safe, remember to get off here...at our house...we'll be waiting for you...right here... at 3:30" I think it goes without saying that the waterworks continued to flow. Although five years have not yet passed us by it certainly seems amazing that three already have. All we have to provide for daycare are 2 bottles of antibacterial hand soap and 100 drinking cups (seems like a weird combination). I think it's best that we don't have to go full fledge-school supply shopping quite yet. I already bought him a Cars backpack and bawled from the back of the Target store all the way to the checkout register.

Forgot where they were

It is not so much that I lost my children but just forgot where they were. It was a hectic week last week and we are praying that this one is a little less eventful. This is what happened...We originally knew that daycare would be closed on Tuesday. That was easy enough. We lined up two high school girls to come and take care of the kids on that day. I feel much more comfortable with two girls since the kids can be a handful. We also play volleyball on Tuesday night. So I lined up a babysitter for that. I knew I had to work late on Wednesday night so Aunt A planned to come to my office, trade me vehicles, go pick the kids up from daycare and Daddy would meet her at our house at 6pm. Still easy enough. Daycare called Monday morning and said she would be closed because her daughter had ran a fever all through the night. I quickly called one of the two high school girls to see if she would be available on Monday as well as Tuesday. She was not interested in doing it two days in a row so I called Aunt A. She was available and came right over. That night when I got home she explained to me, while the phone was ringing and both kids were at my ankles begging to be held, that Wednesday night she was planning to go eat dinner with her grandma but that she would just take the kids with her. I told her she didn't have to do that. I would just have Daddy come home from work early. She said it would be fine her grandma would enjoy seeing the kids, so it was done. Aunt A would pick up the kids from daycare, take them to her grandmas and daddy would pick them up there at 6:00. I answered the phone, picked up Favorite Girl, wrote Aunt A a check and waved goodbye.

Tuesday-Daddy got rained out at work and was sent home by 8am so I called the high school girls and cancelled on them. I waited until Daddy got back home from work and then I went to work a few minutes late. One high school girl still babysat Tuesday night while we played volleyball...of which we lost 2 and won 1...and this has never happened before so we were bummed!

And then Wednesday came. I called daddy at 6:30 to make sure he made it home, paid Aunt A, and started some dinner. He said the house was empty, no kids and no Aunt A. I figured I must have locked the door so Aunt A took them over to her house. Daddy called over there but there was no answer. He called me back and said we need to find them and you need to get home from work because I have to be at a Union meeting at 8pm. Ugh! I asked him to come to the hospital and pick up Aunt A's truck and take it over to her house. Then he could drive my car home and I would meet him there at 7:45. He came to trade me vehicles and headed to Aunt A's. He called me from her house and said nobody was there. Oh yes, I forgot this part of the story, my cell phone died so I did not have Aunt A's cell phone number, and of course my husband didn't have it in his phone so we couldn't even call her to find out where she was.

Panic was starting to set in. I had been locked away in a conference room all afternoon conducting first day orientation. I wouldn't have been able to hear the overhead page if the emergency room was trying to page me! Where on earth could the be?! I hung up the phone and sat there a minute. Finally it hit me...now that it was 7:00! I called Daddy back and told him they were at Aunt A's grandmas and he was supposed to pick them up at 6:00. Imagine how happy he was with me. All I really remember from the conversation is "Woman, how on earth do you forget where your kids are?!" click!

I don't really know how on earth I could forget such a thing?! I know I have been a stress monkey lately. I know I am feeling a tad bit sleep deprived because I have this baby girl who has had countless ear infections thus we are up walking the halls most nights and it's finally taking it's toll one me. We have already had two full nights sleep since her surgery. Despite my husband working 7 - 10 hour days and never being home I was able to sand all the woodwork for our bathroom, clean the house, including scrubbing all the floors, yippee. It's 5:30pm on Sunday and I have two more loads of laundry, the front yard to mow, dinner and baths. I am feeling all caught up so I just know this is going to be a better week! I vow to know where my children are at all times!

Oh yes, and while I was sanding the woodwork my "husband's dog" decided to chase a rabbit. She has done this before a time or two but never to her advantage until of course today! The neighbor guy across the street yelled at me to get my attention and told me Dog went after a rabbit. I wasn't too worried because the dumb dog always comes back home, but he went running after her so I felt obliged to do the same thing. The only thing holding me back was the fact that I was in my SWIMMING SUIT!!! Okay, I don't even feel comfortable wearing a suit in my own backyard, so I definitely did NOT want to go running down the street in one, but I followed him anyway. The neighbor stops dead in his tracks in front of a house around the block from ours and says, "oh no she got it" and all I can do is stop and say to myself "why me?" I was so afraid she was going to bring me her prize. What on earth was I going to do with a half dead rabbit? Thankfully, Dog came running out to the street empty-handed (our empty-mouthed I should say). The neighbor guy goes running into the backyard and yells, "she got it, it's dead!"

Thanks! I drag my butt up to the people's front door and ring the doorbell. A man comes to the front door and I tell him "um my dog just killed a rabbit in your yard, can I send my husband to get it when he gets home from work?"

He tells me, "yes, please do" ohmygod! does he think I want it for dinner or does he really just want us to pick it up out of his yard? I can't believe it. Daddy got home and I took him to their house with a Target sack and we brought home the damn prize!

Favorite Girl's Surgery

Favorite Girl had tubes put in this morning. We were scheduled to arrive in the Pediatrics department at 6:45am. (I am so thankful the hospital schedules the peds patients in the morning since they cannot have anything to eat or drink after midnight). Of course Favorite Girl has a cold right now so we have been up the past two nights fighting a very nasty cough. The poor girl was up at 2am absolutely miserable (wanting a bottle and needing cough syrup) and I couldn't give her anything. I finally broke down and gave her some Robitussin so we could get a few more hours of rest before her big day. I was afraid they would reschedule her because of the cold but the anesthesiologist told me that when kids this age need tubes they will likely continue to be sick until they get them. He said as long as her lungs sound okay they would move forward with the surgery. She sounded great so they came and took her from me at 8:20 and by 8:35 the ENT doc came in to tell me everything went great. I was back in recovery with her by 8:40! She is such a little trooper. She came out of the anesthetic without even a whimper! But boy was she ready for a bottle. She drank two bottles of sugar water before they would let her have milk. Since she kept the water down they let her eat some graham crackers and cheerios. We moved back to a room in Peds to be monitored for one hour. Of course she was a little show off. She kept wanting to walk out of her room to "talk" and wave at everyone. The nurses thought she was absolutely beautiful, they are just sure she should be in movies. I wonder if they tell everyone stuff like that or if I just have exceptionally beautiful babies :) I know what you're thinking! Perhaps I'm a tad bit partial. They are probably the smartest kids on the block too! It's probably because they have the greatest mom in the whole wide world, you know the one who is up for mother of the year, the one that LOST her children this week. And also (this week) taught her son to say, "my frickin damn shoes dad" It's been an awesome week! Anyway enough about me. I just wanted to let you know Favorite Girl made it through surgery and, as if you haven't already guess, I'm ready for a vacation!

Favorite Girl, a little groggy after surgery, ready to go home for a nap!

We stopped by the hospital pharmacy for some tylenol and ibuprofen on our way home.

God has carseats

Okay I have to preface this conversation with a little background. Whenever Favorite Boy asks to ride with someone we tell him he can't because they don't have a carseat for him. That usually is a good enough answer and so he hops in our car and away we go.

This was a cute breakfast conversation we had today.

Favorite Boy: Where was Favorite Girl when I was a baby?
Me: She wasn't born yet.
Favorite Boy: Well where was she?
Me: She wasn't here when you were a baby. You were our only baby.
Favorite Boy: But where was she? In your belly?

(I had no idea how to explain this to a three year old)
Me:Well she was still with God and He was deciding if she was going to be a baby later.
Favorite Boy: Oh and He has a carseat so be brought her here later?
Me: Yep :)

Volleyball/Baseball

We played volleyball tonight. Our babysitter was ill so we took the kids along. Favorite Boy thought it was great fun to cheer daddy on. As the volleyball game was coming to an end (we won by the way!!) the kids and I walked over to watch our church team play baseball. Favorite Boy of course latched right on to a family friend (he has this sixth sense for grandma types) and walked right up and asked for a bite of her grandson's hotdog!! As I was dying of embarrassment her grandson took a bite off one end while Favorite Boy took a bit off the other end.

MYSTERY LIQUID?

I have been walking around my house for the past couple of days finding these little puddles. They look kind of weird, sort of gross. I guess they are just gross because I can't figure out what in the world they are. It isn't water or juice dripped from a sippy cup, it's not milk from a bottle, dog slobber??? The puddles have these little bubbles in them? I haven't asked anyone in the family if they know what it is because I'm half thinking I'm going crazy. I find them in the weirdest places. And then tonight we walk into Favorite Boy's bedroom after his bath. He stops dead in his tracks in the middle of his room to pick up his step stool and says, "I better spit on this" !!!!???!!!! And he spits the biggest pool of spittle right smack dab in the middle of the step stool. I've never seen him do this? I've never heard of him doing this? I've never witnessed him watch someone else do this, and especially not INSIDE my house! So my reaction is, (imagine this very dramatic exasperated reaction because it was) "Favorite Boy why would you spit and why did you do it in the house? We don't do that!" And his logical three-year old response is, "um, because I wanted to" I still have no explanation of where he learned this nice little habit but all I could do was run out of his room as fast as I could (to giggle) because I know for 100% certainty that my mom wished this upon me!! I remember her bopping my brother upside his head on an hourly basis all summer for about ten years because he spit every where he went. I'm pretty sure his response to our mom was the exact same as Favorite Boys was to me.

Favorite Girl Ears

Just a quick update. Favorite Girl once again has ear infection and on top of that she had pink eye in both eyes. She was an absolute mess through the night on Friday. Daddy took her straight to Peds on Saturday morning. They put her on Cefaclor because I think she is immune to Omnicef after being on it every other week for most of the summer. Daddy told Dr. Jackson this is ridiculous and we need a referral to the ENT. She didn't even argue, just said okay. So we have our consultation on Friday at 3pm to see when she can be scheduled for tubes. I think this makes her tenth ear infection. They have been happening about every other week now that she is cutting soooo many teeth. The Pediatrician assures me you do not get ear infection from cutting teeth but then argues that tubes are not the end all cure all....I just can't win.

Drunken Siblings

And here is a picture of my brother, sister and I on Jodi's big day! My brother sent me this picture via email. He titled it drunken siblings....not I, never!

Favorite Girl turns one

Favorite Girl celebrated her first birthday May 19 but since Aunt Jodi picked that as her wedding date we ended up celebrating the weekend before. We had dinner with the whole family at our house. Uncle Tony even made it from Alaska! I know this is a little out of order but I wanted to be sure to post pictures of her big day!

T-ball Ghost!

Much to our disappointment nobody in Burlington offers t-ball or soccer for three year olds. Our selection is swimming lessons or gymnastics at the local Y. We have already participated in swimming lessons and I don't quite think I can talk daddy into gymnastics. And then we found out the RecPlex offers a one week camp on the fundamentals of t-ball, soccer and flag football. We immediately signed up and have been patiently waiting for this one week camp all spring! Favorite Boy has talked about playing soccer non-stop! So let me tell you how it went...We lined up aunt A to pick him up from daycare and take him to camp. That way I could just meet them there and not miss so much work but I couldn't make it on Monday. So I sent his glove to daycare and Aunt A took him on her own. I called the second the camp was over to ask how it went. Aunt A said it was really weird he ran the bases one time but then acted scared and wouldn't participate. I thought that was sooo out of character for my little guy. I called my mom all worried and she reminded me he is only three, he is just a baby, we forget that because he acts 25 or maybe 30 but anyway, she said not to worry he probably just felt intimidated by the older kids. I knew in the back of my mind "not my Favorite Boy" but I went with it. So I picked him up from daycare and was ready to hear all about his big day. He told me he didn't like t-ball because one boy brought his ghost with him and he scared him! I about drove off the road! I said oh honey I don't think there was a ghost there. There's nothing to be afraid of. And he proceeded to tell me yes, mommy he is blue and he has a white face and black eyes! Okay so now how do I argue with that?! I just dropped it and decided to wait until Tuesday and see how it went. Aunt A picked him up from daycare and I met them at the Rec Plex. The second I arrived Favorite Boy ran up to me and whispered "see mommy there's the ghost" and sure enough, there was a "ghost" Poor little Favorite Boy! The coach is allergic to the sun. He wears an all blue light weight outfit similar to hospital scrubs covering him from head to toe, he wears gloves, a mask, and a hat with a bill that comes down over very dark glasses. There you have it a t-ball ghost! I am all about respecting diversity. And I truly give that man all the credit in the world for coaching these little 3-6 year olds in 90 degree weather and 100 percent humidity, but ohmygoodness, I think the parents needed the heads up on that one. Diffusing the situation beforehand would have helped immensely! Tuesday after I explained, "no baby he is not a ghost he just has sensitive skin and he needs to be covered up, if he took off his mask he would look just like daddy" he told me "mom I gave the ghost the soccer ball and he didn't even bite me!" Like that was the biggest, best accomplishment in his whole life. We have thoroughly enjoyed every single day of camp and Nicholas has even befriended the ghost!

I started a blog

I decided to start a blog. I just love reading Jenni and Sarah's and I really think I need to get with the 2000's. It is such an easy way to keep up with what is going on in everyone's hectic life. I promise myself over and over again that every night I am going to journal all of the funny things Favorite Boy says to me and then another week, another month and another YEAR goes by and I have yet to keep that promise. I hope that this will be an easier way to save all of those precious memories. We will see.