Sunnies. Shades. Peepers

 

I think my kids are way cooler than me.

I also think my kids think they are way cooler than me.

Our Yard Project

Our yard. Oh Lawdy, our yard.

Our 2 children have never never ever never ever played in their backyard without getting a tetanus shot before exiting the back door. We are horrible parents, BUT, we are going to try to make up for it.

Somehow, we are going to make this

             

 

In to this

Does anyone know how to reach Ty Pennington or The Fairy God Mother? We might need some magic for this one.

Niamh’s Journal

 

I was looking through the large stack of papers that Niamh had shoved in her back pack from the last day of school. She’s a kindergarten graduate now. I found her journal.

I have been dying to get a look at this all year. Every now and then she’d bring me in the classroom and we would look for it, but for whatever reason, we could never find this one. All we could ever find was the first journal of the year. I wanted this one because I knew it contained more of her “best guess spelling”. The first journal was mostly drawings.

Understanding best guess spelling is like cracking a code. But, I think I am getting pretty good at it. It is phonics at its simplest. Just sound out the dang letter, add it to the sound of the letter before, and then the one after. Forget the letters you don’t actually pronounce when you say a word. Forget about all those rules you learn in 2nd grade. Kindergarteners don’t know those rules yet.

I was ready to sit down for a good chuckle and a challenge. I wasn’t ready for this.

                                                                                  *My dog died*

                                                                                    *I love Eddy. He is my dog. I love Eddy. Love*

                                                                                                                                                             *I love love love Eddy*

                                                                                                                                                             *I love Jaya. I love Zoe. I love Ava. I love ?. I love Eddy. I love love Eddy*

                                                                                                                                  *I love MLK Day and I love Eddy*

Not at all what I was expecting. Sigh. Gulp. Sigh. Sniff.

UPDATE

My dream has been shattered. Fred has been sold. Gus remains available, but what will Gus do without Fred? What will I do without Gus AND Fred?

I have obsessively been looking at the ad for “my” 2 pups multiple times each day to see if it had changed to read Dear Nice Woman who came by with the 2 kids. We have changed our minds and feel that you are the best home for these puppies. So, rather than charge you and arm and a leg, we want you to just have them, for free. It just seems like the right thing to do.

That didn’t happen, and just now my heart is breaking again.

I miss my Eddy.

I’m sad.

Eight Legs of Love

I have found love again. I am going to have to twist many arms and sell many of Steve’s most treasured items on wheels, and put a good friend in therapy, but ain’t love worth it?

Pee Pees Don’t Have Bones

Finn was looking at the skeleton of the body in a book that our friends Meg and Hadley gave Niamh for Finn’s birthday. Yes, you read that right. Meg is the kind of person who buys gifts for both kids when the invitation says No Gifts.

Finn pointed to the coccyx and said There’s the pee pee. I told him that the pee pee isn’t on the skeleton because it isn’t a bone and skeletons are just our bones.

Finns reply: Oh yeah, pee pees don’t have bones because they’re just wiggly. Now show me where you make poop.

   

We also went over where pee is made, how your voice works, how you make blood, the basic principals behind ECMO, and the latest updates to the CRRT Protocol and the MRSA Isolation and Decolonization Policy.

I then asked him if he want to be a Doctor or Nurse, like me.

He said he wants to work with me but he really wants to fly a fast airplane or collect garbage. There is just something about driving that big truck with the motorized scoop that makes him dream big.

Finn

You are the Goofy Love of my life

And, lately, you are what drives me to drink

No Deal

We were at Target today, and yesterday, and probably tomorrow. No, not tomorrow because I work, but that’s not the point.

We were at Target today and Finn really really really, Like I really really like want this toy, Mama, wanted some toy that launches an airplane with a thing that looks like a gun. 

I told him we would come back and buy it ($29.99!) if he went home and chose some toys to give away because we have too many toys and I was not going to add any new without first getting rid of some of the old.

Wanna see what he came up with to give away………

A little white ladder to a fire truck that he can’t find. Not quite the deal I was thinking of, Pal.

Again and Again and Again

I know I know. I say it over and over and over. And I’ll say it again and again and again.

Niamh and Jaya and Finn and Sasha… all together, paired off, individually, whatever the combination…they make me happy.

I love that Niamh and Jaya found one another just about one year ago. I love that Finn and Sasha are included in their play dates. I love that I love Jaya’s and Sasha’s parents. I love that we are working on the whole deathlyafraidofalldogs thing that Jaya suffers from. I love that Jaya pronounces Niamh’s name in the more correct Irish pronunciation than I do. I love that Sasha won’t leave my house without a hug and a kiss from everyone, including Finn, but not Steve (but I think she singles him out because she knows he adores her and she is playing hard to get). I love that Niamh and Jaya share secrets about where they hide their boogers. I’ll end with that because I kind of think that is the best example of how much they trust each other.

                                                                                   When we showed up at the park and Jaya’s mom saw Niamh’s outfit, she asked if Jaya’s style was starting to rub off on Niamh. Actually, I’m the one that put that sweet outfit together. I guess Jaya’s style is wearing off on me. Stay tuned, I might start wearing mismatched legwarmers on both my arms and legs. Or, I might dress head to toe in Hello Kitty, including my underwear.       

      Finn always looks like he’s been shaken.

      And here Sasha is thinking I only hang out with this Yahoo because his mom is quick to give me as many band aids as I request for my fake owies. And that’s the truth, I’d do anything for her. She’s a charmer.

To sum it all up, The Westovers have a huge crush on The Parsons.

Is It A Mystery Why Finn Has Outweighed Niamh Since He Was 9 Months Old?

This is what Niamh ate today:

• bowl of Crispix cereal
• cup of milk
• 2 bites of cheese sandwich
• 1/4 small apple
• handful of Cheetos
• bagel
• cup of milk

This is what Finn ate today:

• bowl of Fiber One cereal
• frozen waffle
• cup of milk
• 3 pieces Raisin Bran Bread with butter
• 2 eggs scrambled
• whole small apple
• cup of milk
• chocolate cookie
• huge bowl of baked ziti with chicken
• the rest of Niamh’s cheese sandwich
• the rest of Niamh’s apple
• the rest of Niamh’s cheetos
• cup of milk
• handful of red grapes

In about 10 minutes, when I start getting them ready for bed, Finn is going to tell me he is hungry and wants a snack.

Niamh is going to tell me she is hungry and wants a treat.

I’ll tell Niamh her dinner is still on the table waiting for her.

Niamh will then start crying with snot running out of her nose in to her mouth because she is hypoglycemic and her body is starting to eat itself. When one’s body starts to eat itself, it always starts with the rational, calm, good natured part of the brain. Thus leaving the psychotic and emotional part of the brain to try and work out a deal with Mommy.

She’ll tell me she can’t eat it because it makes her throat feel funny and maybe she’ll eat it if I take off all the stuff she doesn’t like (tomato sauce, chicken, diced onions), leaving the part she does like (pasta and cheese).

Meanwhile, Finn will be interrupting Niamh’s negotiations with his own, asking if he can have a treat if he eats the rest of Niamh’s dinner.

So, anyone know why at age 6 1/2 Niamh weighs 37 lbs, and at age 4 1/2 Finn weighs 37.4 lbs?

My Mind’s Made Up

I’ve decided. We are installing one of these between our house and Molly Moon’s.

 

I can’t imagine anything more convenient or more smarter.

Hmmmm, I feel like some Salted Caramel ice cream. Parking can be rough. Walking can take a while. I’ll just jump on the WARTZ (Wallingford Area Rapid Transit Zip) and FLY to the ice cream store!

Yes! That would be very cool.

 

OK, maybe a zip line between our house and Jaya’s house would be a good idea too.

Jaya’s Mom to Jaya: Jaya, Niamh invited you over to play. Wanna go? Ok, Sweetie, hold on tight.

1-2-3  Bye, Jaya. Have Fiona zip you home after dinner.

Could you imagine Jaya arriving at my door like this? That would be pretty Rad!   

Sum Sum Summertime

Welcome, Sunshine. You’ve been gone so long. Us folks here in the Pacific Northwest have missed you. We all take our daily dose of Vitamin D in tablet form (cholecalciferol for all you Smarty Pants out there), but Nature’s Vit D can’t be beat.

Hold your am dose of cholecalciferol but take a double shot of Zinc… the kind you paint on your face. The sun has arrived and we are going to drink it in as much as we can.

First one with tan lines wins!  

Little Bro Missed Big Sis

Saturday night Niamh had a sleepover at Jaya’s house. After we put Finn to bed, Steve found him in Niamh’s room, getting in to her bed, with all his blankets and Pig with him.

Tonight, when getting the kids ready for bed, we couldn’t find Niamh’s toothbrush. Niamh said she didn’t bring it to Jaya’s so she didn’t leave it there (guess she didn’t brush her teeth). We searched and searched and came up with nothing.

Then, Steve put his hand under Finn’s pillow and felt something prickly. There it was! Niamh’s toothbrush under Finn’s pillow.

Looks like Finn missed his Big Sister while she was gone doing Big Sister and Best Friend stuff.  He loves her and her toothbrush.