chaos and loving it

Tumble Bunnies

>> Wednesday, July 28, 2010

I found a coupon for a free trial class at a gymnastics center in Centerville and signed both boys up for class on Monday. We liked it so much that Jonah will be going back for the next 5 Monday nights. Jude's favorite part was falling into the cube pit. We'd like to send Jude back too but decided to wait until he's old enough to understand the words that are coming out of our mouth!

Sorry about all the blurry pictures. Bad lighting and fast-moving kiddos!

Home Sweet Home

>> Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I'm not complaining. We love the new house. The neighborhood is awesome, the layout is great, more contemporary and it's very close to my office. For whatever reason, though, we are struggling to make it feel like home. Our picture frames and artwork haven't been hung and displayed and our other decorations are still sitting in boxes in the basement. It's been a very busy summer. Just doesn't feel quite like home.

You may remember the swing set we built for Jonah's 2nd birthday. It is a wonderful handmade double decker tower with swings, trapeze bars and a slide. We spent a lot of time building it that summer. I remember taking a pregnancy test one evening while Adam was working on the tower. I had Jonah walk over to Adam and tell him that he was going to be a big brother. The swing set was not only fun to build but has sentimental value as well.

When we moved from Tipp City to Springboro, we didn't initially bring it. The new renter at the Tipp house didn't want it as his son is 16. This week we finally got around to disassembling it and bringing it to the new house. Thank you Dad, Mike A and Ken.

We have spent the last two nights getting it back together. The neighborhood kids have been anxiously waiting to play on it. Jonah and Jude are beside themselves with excitement to have it back.

Adam and I are feeling a little more "at home" now that the swing set is part of our family again. There's something very normal about looking out the back door and seeing it just as it was at the old house.

Swing set at the old house

Swing set at the new house

Once, there was this girl who

>> Monday, July 26, 2010

Well, it's not a Crash Test Dummies song but seriously, is it a miracle that our children don't look like one giant freckle!

Happy Birthday Alex

Happy Birthday Alex! Cousin Alex turned the big 04 with a celebration at Playland. I squeezed myself, Jude and our giant camera through the obstacle course of tubes. And then I applied hand sanitizer:) What was I thinking?

Alex the Birthday Boy

My view from inside the tunnels.

Cupcake

Jonah: Do you guys know about Girl Scouts?

Us: Yes we do.

Jonah: I want to be a cupcake.

Us: [laughing too hard to respond]

I think it would have been helpful if he had talked about Girl Scout Brownies before mentioning that he wanted to be a cupcake.

Happy Birthday Kirk

>> Sunday, July 25, 2010

We stopped by Kirk and Suzanne's on Friday to celebrate Kirk and his son Kyle's birthdays. Good party! Another four year old for Jonah, an entire table full of sweet treats, buffalo chicken dip and embarrassing pictures of the boss man. Well done!

Happy Birthday guys!

A nice "Then and Now" of Kirk, looks just like his youngest Mitchell!

Tighty Whities

>> Friday, July 23, 2010

So I went out to lunch today with my Brother-In-Law and some co-workers. On the way we saw this guy jogging. He was wearing Tighty Whities, he was also wearing some gold around his neck. Not that all of this was enough but he had applied a generous amount of baby oil to his body.

The quality is bad because I took it from a pretty good distance with my iPhone, but.... you get the idea.

Rage Against the Minivan

>> Thursday, July 22, 2010

I thought I'd share a new blog that I stumbled upon. Rage Against the Minivan is hysterically funny, truly a look into life with children. Check it out www.rageagainsttheminivan.com.

Irresistible

>> Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Does anyone else find raw cookie dough irresistible? When making cookies (and when I say "making," I really mean breaking apart the pre-made cookie dough and placing it on a cookie sheet), I can't resist eating at least one cookie before it ever makes it to the oven. Raw food, food poisoning, whatever. I've never gotten sick from it. Irresistible!

She's Like Sherlock Holmes

>> Friday, July 16, 2010

Earlier tonight:

Ring, ring, ring...
Me: Oh my god! I'm so glad you called!
Va Nia: Hi, why?
Me: I've been looking everywhere for my phone all night and when you called, I was able to hear the lazy susan ringing.
Va Nia: Jonah or Jude?
Me: Jude!

Date Night, Part Two

>> Thursday, July 15, 2010

Jonah and Jude spend the night and most of the next day with Uncle Jason and Aunt Kate while Adam and I were enjoying some time together (and playing video games and organizing compulsively).

Their evening started out with the kid swap in the Ikea parking lot, a convenient halfway point between their house and ours. Three observations:
1. It definitely looked like we were fulfilling a custody agreement by exchanging the boys in the parking lot for "a weekend with Dad."
2. Although they were only staying with Jason and Kate for 24 hours, I packed so much "stuff" that my trunk was completely full.
3. Car seats are disgusting and should not be viewed by anyone but their owners. It was disgusting and embarrassing to pull them out of my car and see the crushed cheerios, raisins, juice & milk splatters and other unidentifiable objects. The car seats themselves were just as gross with food in all the crevices and straps. I promptly washed all of the car seat covers and detailed the cars the day after the boys came home to avoid any further embarrassment.

I'm sure Jason and Kate slept well after the boys left because it was a busy and exciting visit. They made smiley face pizzas for dinner, visited the park and went to the zoo. Jude stayed busy cooking the cookbooks and Jonah cleaned their house (wearing a helmet-must have been pretty dirty).

They took pictures and notes during the visit. Kate provided a comprehensive list of memorable quotes from Jonah:
-"I have a dirty butt."
-"Do you want to hear a funny joke? An animal walked into the woods and took a poop."
-"Do you want to hear a scary story? [Done in a whisper voice] A scary animal walked into the woods and took a poop."
-Jonah planning not to tell Mandy about petting a snake at the zoo because "Mommy will be mad." "
-"Please don't tell my mommy that I petted a snake at the zoo."
-"I farted"
-"Did you hear that? I farted."
-"I farted!"
-"Ha! I farted!"
-After Kate apologized for "snapping at Jonah" he said "You mean like this?" and made a snapping motion with his hands.
-"I hate your house."
-"I like your house."
-While napping with Kate. Jonah: "What is that?" Kate: "A mobile." Jonah: I like that [the mobile] and the vines [hanging plants] and that [purple wall] and that [pink poster]. I like your room"
-"Thank you for sleeping over with me."

Thank you for the fun visit with the boys. We really, really, really enjoyed the break.

It's not technically cheating

Aren't we the cutest couple. Don't worry, Edward is okay with it. We have an open relationship.

Date Night, Part One

>> Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Adam and I enjoyed our first date night in 8 months. Yes, we need to spend more time together without the boys. Yes,life as you once knew it is over when you have children.

I'm, of course, kidding (kind of). We absolutely love being parents. We spend too much time away from them during the work week and have trouble parting with them on the weekends. As a result, we typically have only 1 or 2 date nights each year.

My brother Jason and his wife Kate were up for the task to keep Jonah and Jude overnight and through much of the next day. I'll cover that perspective in part two.

By 5:00, I was kid-free and enjoying a peaceful shopping trip alone to Ikea while Adam played a couple hours of Modern Warfare. We arrived at the Melting Pot for a late dinner. Adam has never had fondue and I only once during a business trip. This location was so wonderful, especially for a chain restaurant like the Melting Pot. We were seated at this private little table and spent a couple hours eating and talking.

I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to sleep in the next morning. I have more and more trouble sleeping in the older I get. Oh no, not this time. 11:00! We slept in until 11:00! I was full of energy for the rest of the day. We had a long breakfast and read the newspaper and then did some shopping at the mall. Then, I organized the garage (therapeutic) while Adam played more Modern Warfare (therapeutic).

The boys returned home for dinner, and we all hung out on the deck the rest of the evening.

I'll say what I say at the end of each date night: "We really should do this more often." Translation: "Check this blog in 8 more months for our next date night post..."

No more training wheels

>> Sunday, July 11, 2010

Adam woke up Sunday morning and decided he was going to teach Jonah to ride a bike without training wheels. We've given this a feeble attempt two times before. I think the second time Jonah had lost interest in trying before Adam even got the training wheels off.

This time, they started off at the top of the yard aiming slightly downhill. He held Jonah up at the top of the hill and Jonah pedaled down the hill and balanced the entire way. He lightly tumbled over at the bottom and turned around and walked his bike up the hill to start again. This is what Adam tells me as I was trying to get the camera ready and had to save Jude from one of the many falls he takes in any given day (see clip below):

His next attempt was flawless (see clip below):

A few more attempts and he was ready to move to the sidewalk. He decided to start at the top of the driveway and ride through the grass to get to the sidewalk. Strange approach but we let him do it. He did great. Apparently, it was such a great plan that we all followed him. The clip below is a weird video of Adam, Jude and me all running with Jonah. So strange. I think the weirdest part is that none of us say anything???

We're so proud of him. Adam has reminisced all day about the day he learned to ride a bike. Making memories.

Will you breed again?

>> Monday, July 5, 2010

I think it's a perfectly natural question to ask of a family still in their childbearing years. WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER BABY? People are so curious about this and have been asking a lot lately. Why is that? Are we like watching a train wreck, entertainment value to watch as we struggle along? I'm quite sure it isn't because people think we've got it all figured out and have extra time in our lives for another tantrum-throwing, pooping, but of course amazing and perfect, little creature.

Adam and I are very much undecided about this topic. We have what we refer to as "2 days" and "3 days." Some days, the two children we have are too much to handle. Other days, we say "Man, we've got this controlled chaos thing down to a science - let's have another.

Number 3 is a big decision though. It means an even bigger daycare bill, which has now surpassed our mortgage payment. It means a new car because kids have to sit in a car seat these days until they're like 25 years old and our cars only accommodate 2 car seats. It means that I have to be pregnant and nursing again for what seems like an eternity - Adam would painfully agree.

I have the utmost respect for big families. It takes a certain personality to do it - the right way. Say what you will about Kate Gosselin but she does a much better job than I could ever do with 8 kids. I think I'd jump off of a cliff!

The other day I was grocery shopping with both boys. I think Adam was still at work. Jude is like Houdini and get can out of any seatbelt. He was continually standing up in the grocery cart. Jonah was knocking things over with each corner we went around. I had no idea what I was buying and was just throwing things in my cart without checking labels and prices - dangerous with Jude's allergies but what could I do. While all this insanity was ensuing, a woman with four kids came cruising by - silently. There was one child in the seat and the other three were riding on the outside of the cart while she referenced her shopping list and looked through coupons. She made me look like a complete retard. How does she do that? Some people just have what it takes.

I can tell you this with great certainty, there will be no accidents and it won't be for quite some time. Until then, you can usually watch the spectacle at the Springboro Kroger grocery store on Saturday mornings.

[YES] Drip Bottle

>> Friday, July 2, 2010

How can it be a No Drip Bottle if indeed it does drip and stick to everything in my pantry. Pictured below is the specimen with part of a cereal box stuck to it. Refund please.

A champ in training

A few snippets from Adam and Jonah's recent trip to the driving range.

Sugar Bugs

Jonah had his first dentist appointment last week. Adam and I were worried that he would be "difficult" at the appointment and not cooperate. To our delight, he was absolutely perfect and was a superstar! He sat quietly and let them clear his teeth and take X-rays. They did find one sugar bug - a small surface cavity in his back molar that will have to be filled later this month. I was less than thrilled to discover this but not the end of the world.

Jonah's Birthday Pictures

>> Thursday, July 1, 2010

Thanks again to everyone!

Jonah's Beach Bungalow

Jonah has been asking for a "surfer bedroom" for months. He would tell us weekly, and sometimes daily, that he wants a surfer bedroom with bunk beds.

Why did he want a surfer bedroom? Why did he want a surfer birthday party? We don't know the answers to any of these questions. It's somewhat of a mystery to us. There's a possibility that it had something to do with a Scooby Doo episode. Who knows!

Anyway, Adam and I took 2 days of vacation from work while Jonah & Jude went to the sitter during the day. We completely transformed his room into a beach bungalow.

Day one was spent assembling the bunk bed (from Ikea so you know how many freaking pieces it was in) and starting the wall mural. The boys came home later that afternoon. We locked Jonah's door and spent the evening playing outside and told him he would have to sleep in our bed. He never asked why or even tried to get inside his room. He was completely oblivious that we were doing ANYTHING to his room.

The boys went back to the sitters the next morning while we finished the mural, hung the swing, light and curtains, decorated, painted the toy chest from my childhood made by my great grandpa Errick. That night, Jonah went to Grandma Pressel's so we could keep him out of the bedroom and also prepare for his birthday party the next day.

We revealed the room to him when he arrived Saturday morning. He was so unbelievably sweet and grateful for it. He sat in the swing and just looked around, telling us each thing he liked - the mural, the bunk beds, the swing. It was exactly what were hoping for.

He is loving his new room. I think Adam and I can agree that this was by far the most fun we have ever had with a house project. Which room will we do next...Jude's in February:)

King's Island

Jonah enjoyed his first visit to King's Island. Grandpa Kevin watched Jude for 14 long hours. Thanks Kevin!

Jonah had a wonderful time in Planet Snoopy. He rode just about every ride he was big enough for, some of them twice. We played in the water park, ate lots of junk food and left a mere 13 hours later.

Aunt Cake, I mean Kate

>> Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Jason's wife Kate has recently learned to decorate cakes. She's really good at it. Her pink Barbie cake was so impressive. I, on the other hand, suck at decorating cakes. I struggle just getting the icing on. Adam would agree that I am NOT a baker. I enjoy baking and especially eating it, but baking is not a my strong point.

We asked Kate if she would be willing to bake a cake for Jonah's birthday party. She arrived with 3 different cakes, even one for baby Jude that can't eat soy and egg. They were all so cute and were exactly what we were hoping for. We are STILL eating the cake. Kate will be responsible for the extra 5 pounds I'm going to gain from this!

Jonah asked to eat this one first. He was fascinated with all the toys.

So cute! The wave is actually a Twinkie disguised with icing.

Jonah's cute little face on the surfer's body

Sweet Baby Jude enjoying a rare treat. He loved it so much. We saved all the leftovers in the freezer so it will last longer.

Thank You to Everyone!!!

>> Monday, June 28, 2010

Thank you to everyone for braving the heat and coming to Jonah's 4th birthday party. He had a wonderful time and so did we. We really appreciate all the generous presents. We are so lucky to have a supportive and giving network of family and friends.

We will post pictures from his party and his room remodel this week.

Enjoy the break in weather this week. I'm soooo over the heat!

Thanks again!

Tomorrow is the big day!

>> Friday, June 25, 2010

Tomorrow is the 4th Annual Jonah Extravaganza! We hope you can make it. Remember, that we are now in Springboro so don't go to the Tipp City house!

Call us with any questions.

See you soon!

5 Weeks After Mother's Day

>> Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Things have been hectic. I'm just now posting a Mother's Day card from Jonah - five weeks ago! Things are slowing down a little, explaining my recent burst of blog posts. Looking forward to a slightly more boring time in my life. That's coming, right?

This card was made at Jonah's preschool. His teacher wrote what he said...uncensored

Yes, it says my favorite drink is beer and orange juice!

First year of preschool in review

>> Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Jonah's first year of preschool at Minds in Motion was wonderful. His teacher was amazingly patient and had a huge bag full of tricks (preschool teachers are seriously underpaid!). We can't wait for him to return in the Fall. He already misses it.

This preschool does a great job of demonstrating progress throughout the year. Jonah brought home a "yearbook" on his last day of school that showed how he drew himself and wrote his name over a period of about 8 or 9 months. It was amazing to see how far he's come in that short amount of time. For those of you without children...I think it's normal that his drawings looks, um, suspicious.

The 4th Annual Jonah Extravaganza

>> Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ok, here we go! After offering Jonah ANY themed birthday party he could think of, he chose a "Surfer Party." We asked him if he'd rather have a Batman or Scooby Doo Themed party instead of the Surfer Party but no.

So, surf on over on Saturday, June 26th at 4:00 for dinner and bouncing at our new Springboro house. Our new address is 165 Reed Road, Springboro, Ohio 45066.

We published a list of birthday ideas in the column to the right.

We can't wait to see everyone!

Disclaimer: We are still unpacking.

Jonah's First Sleepover

Jonah had his first sleepover recently with cousins Zack and Alex. They played in the water all day and then watched Batman together. They FINALLY fell asleep at 11 pm all cuddled up on a mattress together on the floor of Jonah's room.

Everyone had a great time and we can't wait to do it again!

Lego Butt

>> Tuesday, June 8, 2010

It's no secret that Jude has a fleshy booty and thighs. He is also at that stage where diapers changes are a screaming, squirming tantrum. He hates it. He doesn't want to sit still and threatens to smear poop all over whatever surface he is laying on.

The other night, I was doing my best to pin him down while changing an especially gross diaper. I got him cleaned up but he escaped before I could put a clean diaper back on him. He dashed across the room and landed butt first in a pile of legos. Having the squishy, dimply butt that he has, the legos just stuck to his hiny perfectly. I cracked up laughing as he ran out of the living room with legos slowly falling from his butt.

Helping with the Dishes

Recent cuteness

>> Wednesday, May 26, 2010

It's about time he started to pull his own weight

>> Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Jonah learned to set the table. I can't wait until he can mow the lawn and do the dishes too.

He pooped in the coupe

One of our new and wonderful neighbors gave Jonah a Cozy Coupe because her daughters had outgrown it. Jonah has always wanted one of these. He said "thank you" to her and quickly pushed it over into our yard as to say "MINE!"

Last night, we gave it a car wash with bubbles and the hose. Both boys had so much fun cleaning it and playing with the bubbles and spraying everything in sight. After, they were both soaked so Jonah stripped down to his underwear and Jude wore an oversized t-shirt with NO DIAPER for 20 or 30 minutes and they both continued to play on the deck. Then, Jude pooped. In Jonah's cozy coupe.

My dream kitchen

>> Thursday, May 20, 2010

I'm trying to talk Adam into moving up the timeline. Nice winter project:)

Update

>> Monday, May 17, 2010

As you can probably tell from the infrequent posts, things have been busy! We're all doing fine. We're officially moved into our new house and loving it. The boys are doing well. Jude is recovering from double ear & sinus infections and was confirmed to not only have an egg allergy but also a soy allergy too. They gave him an Epi-Pen and told us to eliminate those from his diet and to come back in a month for additional testing. Grocery shopping just got very interesting. For fun, take a look at a few things in your pantry and notice how many things have soy in them. Very challenging.

Jonah is great as well. School is wrapping up for him this month. He and Jude are both really enjoying their new sitter. She's doing a great job! Jonah is especially glad to not have the long car ride everyday.

Adam and I are great...tired, but great. We're enjoying the new house but really just looking forward to things slowing down. We're both swamped at work. Our renter for the Tipp City house moves in June 1st and we still have a ton of work to do on it before that can happen. Hopefully the month of June will be a little more mellow.

Speaking of June...The Jonah Extravaganza will be announced soon. Save the date for June 26th at 4:00. I know you're all anxiously awaiting your invites:)

Stop over and see the new house. Take care!

A little snack

>> Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Jude fell Sunday morning and bit a little chunk off of his tongue. He cried pretty hard and it bled a lot. Adam panicked a little because he couldn't figure out exactly how much damage had been done. Jonah reacted to the panic and the blood and said it "just frustrated his heart." That has to be the cutest way I've ever heard a child express his concern. So sweet.

Jude was fully recovered in 5 minutes and back to climbing on the stool.

We are not on a first name basis

>> Thursday, April 29, 2010

Jonah has recently begun calling us by our first names. I'm terribly bothered by this. I don't even like to be referred to as "Mom." It's too grown up so you can imaging how I feel when he calls me "Mandy" or "Adam" instead of Daddy.

Last night, Jonah was freezing after his bath so I made him a little hot herbal tea. He sipped on the tea while talking to "Adam" about his day. I'm not ready for this grown up stuff.

New House Update

>> Friday, April 23, 2010

We will be closing on our new Springboro house today at 4:00! We're so excited. We won't get occupancy until possibly May 5th, but hopefully sooner. We promise - pictures will be coming soon.

I'll never use the word "Flavor" again

>> Thursday, April 22, 2010

Last night, Jonah yelled at Jude for picking up the plunger from the linen closet and said, "Jude, don't touch that. It sucks all the flavor out of the potty!"

Ewww! There's something about using the word "flavor" in association with the toilet. Gross.

Garage Sale 5/1

>> Wednesday, April 21, 2010

We are having a garage sale on Saturday, May 1st. This is also the date of the community garage sale in Tipp City. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Feel free to price and bring things over to our sale if there are items you would like to get rid of. It will open around 8:00 am so you'll probably want to bring things over the night before.

The birds and the bees are among us and not because it's spring time

Jonah: "Mommy, how does your pee pee come out without a pee pee?"
(to clarify, a pee pee is both a boy part and our word for urine)

Mommy: "Well, what do you think?"

Jonah: "Does is come out of your poop?"

Daddy: "Mandy, don't let him in the bathroom anymore when you're showering."

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