You're My Inspiration

Yep, they even went out dressed alike, right down to the blue boxers briefs.

Last Day of Soccer

Soccer Balls and Shoes Free to a good home (Kids optional)

Today was the last soccer practice of the 6 week class for Niamh and Finn. For whatever reason, Finn has become more adverse to playing each week. It started with him just sitting on the ball (See Video), then he wanted to stand by me during practice (which I would NOT allow. I get so annoyed with people who coddle their kids and let them get away with that behavior), then he started to inch his way off the field and refuse to go back on. The last of those behaviors earned him a time out at Green Lake standing against one of the trees until the end of practice. Niamh has always continued to play and pay no attention to what Finn is doing because she is getting good attention from the coaches (being one of two girls on the "team" earnes her a teeny bit more attention, which she thrives on). Between practices I really get Finn pumped up for the next one. We practice kicks, we tell him how good he is, we make him think he is having fun. He seems to fall for it and leads me to believe that the next practice will go well. Then, the next practice comes and he is even more a pain in the rear. This last practice today was the most embarrassing public display of my parenting and his stubbornness and Niamh's jealousy I have ever endured.
In the car everyone was just fine. The plan was to finish practice, have a picnic at Green Lake, and play on the playground. It is a GORGEOUS day. Then, we got out of the car and it started right away. Finn wouldn't even walk off the sidewalk. By the time I got him to his team, he was grabbing my leg. Niamh didn't like Finn getting all the attention so she stuck her thumb in her mouth and grabbed my skirt. Are you kidding me? Of course, with Finn's behavior by the tree at the last practice, the parents were all looking at me to see what I was going to do to make today end differently. I told both of them to "Go out there and show me how good you are!" I was Cheerleader Mom. Finn said he wanted a snack. I told him they were for after practice. "But I really want one now", he whined. "NO", I said. That was all it took. He screamed and tears started streaming down his face, snot out of his nose, and we were right back to the tree in full tantrum and pissed off Mom stride. Then, came Niamh. "I don't want to play, I'm shy." Like hell she is. To make a long story shorter than it could be, we picked up our picnic, camera that I brought to take pictures of the momentous last practice, and headed back across the field to the car with both kids' cries getting louder and louder and I muttering, so that only they could hear, all the toys that will be taken away when we get home. Finn has lost his helicopter, bike, and delivery truck. Niamh has lost the 3 stars she had earned for good behavior, bike, and she is not allowed to wear a dress later today. Neither of them are allowed to play outside today, they are confined to their rooms and the hallway and bathroom between their rooms. It could work out fine for me because I won't have to deal with them unless I enter their territory, but we are all missing out on a very sunny day. I hope I never run in to any of those parents. I was completely mortified by my children while every other kid was having a blast. I'm sure this is because my kids eat frozen waffles and watch too much television while all the other kids' parents are probably teaching them sign language and organic gardening in the mornings.

Yum Yum Yum

The last time I made individual pies for the family, they were chicken pot pies. They were NOT a big hit. I think that everyone (including Steve) was expecting dessert for dinner. Today, I redeemed myself. Though Finn made sure his did not have carrots in it before taking a bite, I think they were all satisfied with these personalized apple pies.

I caught Finn on camera sticking his finger in the pie.

What better way to eat ice cream than topless with a tiara!

How Was Your Day?

In the Westover House we have our bed time ritual. Run around naked (the kids), take a bath, run around naked (again the kids), jams on, brush teeth, read books, then we lie down with each kid for about the length of one song on their bedtime CD. Finn likes to have his feet tickled during his one on one time (this is a Fiona Shaw gene). Niamh likes to talk about whatever comes to her mind. The following is a little dialogue between the 2 of us a few nights ago. Mind you, I have been trying for 10 years to get Steve to take interest in my day at work the way she did.

Niamh: Mama, how was your day?
Fiona: It was good, I was just at work.
Niamh: What babies did you take care of?
Fiona: Oh, I took care of one who's lungs are too small and one who has something wrong with his head. (stay with me, this gets better and I won't violate HIPAA.)
Niamh: Did they have hair?
Fiona: Yes.
Niamh: What color?
Fiona: Black and brown.
Niamh: Oh, I don't like those colors.
Fiona: What color hair do you like?
Niamh: I like purple and pink.
Fiona: You aren't born with purple or pink hair.
Niamh: Auntie Alex has pink hair. (Really, it is red. Possibly another reason why Auntie Alex is her favorite.)
Niamh: Who did you take care of yesterday?
Fiona: I took care of a baby with a bad heart.
Niamh: That's not good. (Her tone when saying that was perfect.) Did you have to break open his belly to fix his heart?

So, where does all this interest come from? Is she up at night watching medical mystery shows on television? Possibly, I know she is up at night stealing candy from the high shelves. Hopefully, before she enters college, she will realize that "Princess" is not really a career choice and she might go in to nursing like her mommy.

Hannah Montana no more.

I have been asking Niamh for ages if she wants to cut her hair. The answer is always the same. "No, I want to look like Hannah Montana." Well, I got tired of having to brush through the food in her hair that turns in to sticky knots. So, I pulled out the big guns. This is what I said, "Niamh, how about we take a nice little walk to the Wallingford Center, get your hair washed and cut, have Wendy (our stylist) puts some pretty bows in it, and we can have a cupcake?"

SUCKER!

Happy Birthday, Auntie Mary!

Happy Birthday, Auntie Mary. Niamh and I ditched Steve and Finn and took a little trip all by our own girlie selves to San Francisco to my Aunt Mary's Surprise 70th Birthday Party. Niamh missed Finn terribly, she seriously did. The moment we stepped up to the check in counter, she said, "Mama, can we call Finn? I want to tell him 'I love him'." How sweet is that? And, when I was showing my parents pics on the computer, Niamh became very melancholy and said, "Stop, Mama, I don't want to see any photos of Finn. They will make me sad."

Anywho, I don't know how, but I managed to get not one single photo of Auntie Mary all weekend long. She looked good though, very surprised, and very happy, especially because her brothers Dermot and Brien (the 2 flanking my dad in the middle) flew in from AUSTRALIA and Eastern CANADA for the shin dig.

We also got to meet the newest addition to the family. This is my 2nd cousin once removed (third cousin to Niamh) (my dad's cousin's daughter's son) (confused yet?), Liam. He is cute as can be and looks nothing like anyone in our family. He must be a Janos, he looks just like his Dad.

I'm really glad I took this self-photo of myself and Niamh. Not only am I glad because I now see the need for botox around the corners of my eyes, but because it was one of the rare moments Niamh paid any attention to me all weekend. She was too busy hanging with her cousins.

Here she is with Cousins Deirdre and Keira at the party at Golden Gate Fields (horse racing for all you who don't know it.) Our group of maybe 40 people definitely helped bulk up the crowd that was there. If it weren't for us and the large group of nuns (I'm sure gambling is a sin), the place would have been very empty.

There is no such thing as ONE day of partying with the Shaws and Murtaghs. After the day at the races, we had a BBQ that night at my parents' house, and then ANOTHER BBQ the next day at my parents' house. A little snuggle with grandpa.

Grandpa, Niamh, Cousin Nessa, Uncle Dermot, and Uncle Shawn

Slip N' Slide!

Saggy Bum. This is definitely a Westover trait. No Shaw has problems filling out the bum of a swimsuit.

Cousin Joey (I love this kid. How could you not?)

Here are the cool kids I got dumped for.
BackRow: Avalon, Deirdre, Ashling

Front Row: Joey, Keira, Niamh

And when we got home, this was the welcome home hug Niamh had for Finn!

Sharesies

What's a little shared spit among family?

Hey, Hadley P., .....

look how brave we are. DUCKS!

No Interest Whatsoever

Yes, Finn, I'm sure that when the coach said, "Everyone, stand up. GO!", he meant Everyone, except you.

(Niamh is in the black pants with pink stripes, Finn is sitting on the ball in the blue pants with white stripes.)

Mother's Day

I had to work on Mother's Day. As a very nice and very unexpected treat, Steve dropped the kids off at Auntie Alex's house on Saturday evening, then showed up at the hospital with a bag of my wrinkled clothes, cute shoes, and 6 cupcakes from Trophy Cupcakes. We passed out some cupcakes to our fav Mom RNs at work and a fav Mom of one of the NICU babes, then went to dinner at The Volunteer Park Cafe. That was delicious. This morning, Niamh surprised me with this little hand made gift.

Inside that pretty little packet was $0.36 which she had "taken" from my nightstand. It's the thought that counts.

Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, Leprechauns, The Tooth Fairy, and The Grocery Fairy

I thought that the kids play center at QFC in U Village was the greatest gift to grocery shopping moms. Then, the Grocery Fairy arrived (AmazonFresh.com) and left these pretty colored boxes full of fresh fruits, veggies, yogurt, and chicken. It was all there waiting for me when I rolled out of bed. They didn't even ring the door bell. How does the Grocery Fairy know what I need in my refrigerator and how I don't like to be woken before 7:15am? The Grocery Fairy must be watching me. I must have been a good girl.

Niamh and Finn were so excited to see what was inside each box. It was all packed in pretty silver stay cool bags with ice packs and dry ice.

There are the waffles!

Eddy wanted to see if there was anything in there for him.

The Kiddos even helped bring the goods to the kitchen where they took everything out of the bags in search of grapes.

Moms, They're Always Talking About Poop

Niamh went through it and now Finn is doing it too. It took forever to get Niamh to poop willingly. She would hold it in spite of suppositories and, well, I'll just stop right there but will say there was an ER visit involved...and she STILL held it. Eventually, she figured it out and poop became her friend, literally. She actually talks to it as she is doing it. When Finn started showing signs of having the same problem (too much control), Niamh tried to coach him through it. "Listen to what your poopie is telling you. 'I want to come out' (she'd say in a made up poop voice)." More coaching. "Finn, I used to have a hard time too. Now I don't, I just poop."
On Friday, when I picked them up from daycare, the teachers told me of a funny conversation between Niamh and Finn. Apparently, Finn was in his usual post-dinner stiff as a board position, trying to hold it in. Niamh told him that she has a favorite stall, "the one in the middle", that she uses because every time she goes there, she poops! She was trying to get Finn to use the middle stall as well so that he could experience its magic. She is 5 and she has a favorite bathroom stall. I Love it.

Nutrition 101, by A Nurse

Dinner after a 12.5 hour work day. Lettuce, Bleu Cheese Dressing, Beer.

So Much Potential

What will they be when they grow up? I think it is normal as a parent to theorize about the answer as they start to develop their talents and interests.
Niamh Right Brain/Left Brain
Niamh is very artistic. Our walls are covered with drawings and paintings of princesses, flowers, and rainbows.

At the same time, she totally impresses me in math. She can do 2+2+3 and 8-5.

She is really smart. Maybe she will follow her Mom and be a Nurse.

Finn.

Maybe the Circus will be hiring?

Quotes of the Day

Niamh- "Mama, did you know that Grandmas are better thinkers?"
Finn- "Sorry I put a hole in your floor."
Niamh- "My friend at school got hitted by a car on his forehead and it was really bloody. I think I saw his brain a little. Can we send him a card that says 'Love, Niamh' because I can't remember his name?"
Niamh- whispering "Finn, I know where there's candy, it's a secret." Finn- "I WANT SOME CANDY! MAMA, CAN WE HAVE SOME CANDY?"
Finn- "Hold on hold on I'm getting lipstick on."

Pee Pee In The Potty

At 3 years and 4 months, our Genius can finally pee in a toilet. We have been trying well over a year. This is huge for his development, his advancement to the next room at day care, our finances, the environment, and the way his bum looks in his Old Navy jeans. If you haven't received your phone call yet, hang tight, we have only reached the letter "E" in the phone book.

People on the Phone in order of appearance: Daddy, Neighbor Reshma, Grandpa Mattie, Auntie Alex, Uncle Steve, Cousin Cooper, Teacher Char, and Teacher Jackie...just in case you want to skip to your part.
Note: Check out all the crap food he is eating as his rewards. Good thing he likes chocolate.

Damn you, Megan P, for telling me to be a Blogger. Do you see what time this is posted?

If you ever wonder if you should have more than one, you should see this.

If you have one kid, you go through the motions and emotions of wondering if you should have another. You don't want the first to feel any less love. You don't want the second to feel like they are in second place. You certainly don't want to increase your work load two-fold. Well, I'm here to tell you that adding another kid is like adding another dog, it gets easier because they have each other (at least that is what I am told by 2-dog families). I could have to play the role of Finn in this montage of play footage. Could you imagine me riding a Rody Donkey in a race with Niamh (OK, Steve DOES race them a lot but I am not Steve).

Thanks for the material, Niamh

To think, I was worried I'd have nothing to write about, that all of a sudden my kids would be boring and want to read or something. Nope.


Niamh is having a fit that her new soccer ball is dirty. It has a grass stain on it. It was hard to convince her to take it out of the house yesterday to kick around outside. She told me she didn't want it to get dirty. Now look what happened, it got a grass stain. She is downstairs in the bathroom scrubbing it clean.