Serves me right...

...for trying to get another sweet picture of the boys together.

First, this happens:

(Check out Peanut's "mean face.")

And then, this happens:

(I don't think I have to explain the issues I have here, do I?)

Oh, well. Our boys are obviously not lacking little personalities, right?!? Besides, if all I had were pictures of them both looking angelic, they would certainly not have genuine momentos of their respective childhoods. Just remember that I am trying to preserve their true characters if you get a Christmas card photo with a grimace or a belly shot, okay?

Boys will be (sweet) boys

On our trip home from the in-laws this weekend, my husband and I heard some delightful words in the backseat:

Peanut: I love you, Pumpkin.*

Pumpkin: I love you, Peanut.*

Peanut: Wanna share my helicopter?

Pumpkin: Sure! (Peanut gives Pumpkin his helicopter.)

Peanut: Can I see your car?

Pumpkin: Okay! (Pumpkin gives Peanut his car.)

Peanut: We just shared, Mommy and Daddy.

Mommy: Great job, guys!

Pumpkin: Cough, cough.

Peanut: Are you okay, Pumpkin?*

Pumpkin: Yeah, I'm okay. Wanna see my helicopter?

Peanut: Okay! (Pumpkin and Peanut trade toys again.)

Peanut proceeds to sing his made-up counting song that begins at one and ends at ten thousand. Pumpkin joins in to the best of his ability.

I bring this perfectly sunny example of their loving brotherly relationship to you not to brag or to bore you with happily-ever-after stories, but rather as proof. Sometimes, when everything gets incredibly hectic -- when Pumpkin is cranky and has thrown the millionth Thomas the Train track while Peanut is patiently trying to put it together, or when Peanut trips on a leaf in the grass and Pumpkin laughs which upsets him even more, or when the boys decide that it's time to jump on Mommy's back while I am trying to play with them after a rough day at school -- it's good to remember that these times do exist. It's good to think back to a sweet sitcom-esque situation and remind myself that -- whatever the dilemma -- it will not last forever, and we will indeed get "back to normal" (whatever that is) soon. Today, when I was listening to their exchange, I couldn't help but imagine them as older boys, with Peanut sticking up for his younger brother and the two of them still the best of friends. I realize this is awfully idealistic of me, but it is a wonderful possibility to daydream about. And I just had to put it in writing as proof to me, their daddy, and perhaps --someday -- even proof to them that they were often this sweet to one another. Please try to remind me of this the next time I am in the middle of calming a nasty tantrum, okay?

*My children actually call each other by their real names (in case there was any doubt), even though Mommy often uses their nicknames (and many derivations of those nicknames).

It's hard being five and a half...

That's right, just around the corner of the calendar from his little brother, Peanut is five and a half today. And it's not that easy being five and a half. For example:

• Even if the character from one of your favorite shows is making an appearance at your local zoo, that doesn't mean you actually want to meet said character.


• You have to share all of your toys with your little brother, but when you want him to share a toy with you, he throws it across the room instead.


• Every day at recess, the same kid pretends he is shooting you, and you know that playing that you are shooting isn't allowed. You tell the teacher but it still happens every day. Then when you shake hands too hard one morning with the "shooters kid," you get in trouble and have to sit in "the thinking chair."


• You wanted to shop with Mommy for your Halloween costume, but the stores with the costumes are all too scary.


• If you do the same thing your little brother does, it's not okay because "you know better."


• Your parents make you eat your food at dinner and not just the butter on top of the food.


• Your mommy wants to kiss you all of the time and you want to wipe them off, but you know that makes her sad.


• You are too big for your parents to carry you around now, even when you are really, really, super tired.


• Your parents get annoyed when you get out of bed for the third time, but this time it was just to remind them that you love them.

Happy 5 1/2, Peanut. Despite all of the hardships of being a kid your age, you are a great big brother and a bright kindergartner, and we love you soooo much. (Just don't tell anyone how many years-and-a-half Mommy is today. Your great memory is dangerous!)

Two and a half today...

Don't let this innocent-looking, lollipop-gooped sticky face fool you.

When Peanut, his older brother, was turning three, I remember thinking, "Wow....The 'terrible twos' weren't so bad. Whew! We made it through unscathed!" When I voiced my relief to a girlfriend, she quickly shot me down. "Oh, 'the twos' are nothing. It's 'the threes' that are the worst for a boy!" So, while at the time I truly did not appreciate her candor, "the threes" actually were a bit more tantrum-filled for Peanut. (Although I really have to wonder sometimes why moms constantly feel the need to "one-up" each other. Can't you just allow me to enjoy my ignorant bliss once in a while?!?)

Anyway, let's hope the same does not prove true for little Pumpkin up there. Because, in all honesty, if his "threes" are worse than his "twos," we may need to call for backup. At times, my precious silly boy is the most loving little toddler on the planet. And then, with virtually no warning, he morphs into a flailing, shrieking, throwing maniac whom we barely recognize.

And today, Pumpkin is officially 2 1/2. I could look at that two ways: 1) I am in the throes of the total tantrum stage, and I had better just accept it and pray, or 2) I only have six months left of the "terrible twos," and the threes have just got to be better, right? Just don't tell my aforementioned friend that second philosophy. I'd prefer to remain in my happy place right now and keep hoping that Pumpkin is just mature for his age and that my kindhearted second-born will reemerge without his evil twin someday very soon.

Until then...if you need me, you can probably find me presiding over the third time-out before dinner. Happy 2 1/2, Pumpkin! :)

The Sailboat Sandwich

Update: No one really guessed, but I have to share that my husband did not learn this trick from his mom, either of his aunts, or from reading one of my many parenting magazines. No, my husband learned this from....his college fraternity. One of his tasks when he was pledging was to make this sandwich for a frat brother. Just visualize that for a second. Other guys had to do goodness-knows-what, and he had to make a sailboat sandwich. Just when you think you have guys all figured out, they do something unexpectedly cute like this. :)

When Peanut was old enough to begin eating sandwiches on a regular basis, my husband began a staple in our household known as "the sailboat sandwich." While making one recently, I thought I would share this fun tradition with my nice blog readers. So, here are the easy steps:

1) Make whatever type of sandwich your little one desires (Peanut --no shock here -- prefers the classic PB & J, but most sandwiches will work. I don't think I would recommend it for hot sandwiches like grilled cheese, though.)

2) Cut off the rounded part of the sandwich to make the boat, like this:

3) Then cut the leftover rectangle to make two triangles, seen here:

4) Flip the triangles so that they form two sails, like this:

5) Add Goldfish crackers (or whatever your kiddo likes) and enjoy!

Do any of you other moms out there do this? And do any of you have any sandwich or lunch tricks up your sleeves that you haven't divulged yet? I would love to hear them!

P.S. You may be as surprised as I was to hear that, no, my husband did not learn to make this adorable sandwich from his mom. Bonus points to anyone who correctly guesses who taught him this toddler trick. :) (And stop right there, Honey; you are ineligible.)

My Kindergarten Kid

(Alternately titled Better Late than Never...)

Peanut is a kindergartner. It's hard to believe, especially since it seems we just took these first day of school pictures....

Preschool, Age 3

Preschool, Age 4

Kindergarten, Age 5

But here he is going off to kindergarten, and pictures don't lie. I guess it is also now an obvious fact that Mommy associates green and navy blue with the first day of school. I had no idea I even did that until now, but my excuse is that Peanut's favorite color is green. I'll have to remember to continue the tradition next year. I am also continuing the tradition of taking Peanut's picture by the front door as I remember my mom doing. It's easy to see how much he has grown just in two years based on the door panels; I hope we don't throw all of that off by eventually buying a new front door as we intend to do in the semi-near future. Anyway, I'm off to say a little prayer for my peanut that he doesn't have to "go sit at the table" tomorrow at school. Apparently, the transition into kindergarten has caused much discussion with my son (i.e. he talks too much). His teacher was very encouraging about his adjustment and reassured me that most all of the children have been sent to the table at some point. But since neither my husband nor I were talkers in school, my mother-in-law has offered to take credit for this trait. Whew! Thanks, Gemma. :)

Bug Me, Please

Another tradition around our house this summer was bug hunting. I think I have made my feelings on this topic explicitly clear, but we have had many bug excursions in the backyard in the past few months. My boys are such bug enthusiasts that we even got them these shirts which tout their love of many-legged creatures (Peanut's says "Insect Inspector" and Pumpkin's says "I dig bugs").

The boys enjoy searching for little critters together.

Those poor bugs never have a chance when they meet this one. He has been known on several occasions to come running at me with one dangling from his just-slimed hand: "Wook, Mommy! A worm/swug/centipede!" In case you were wondering, slug goo requires many minutes of heavy-duty soap washing to be fully removed from the hand of a toddler.

Peanut is quite serious about his bug treasures.

Do any of you have these all over your trees like we do? My boys can't get enough of them. They are exoskeletons of a cicadas (but we call them locust shells). I guess I should be thankful that they aren't still creeping and crawling; seriously, I am itchy just writing about them. But what a talented Houdini-like feat for these insects to escape the "shell" and leave it all intact! Peanut has recently learned that you can hook one right back on a tree (where Mommy prefers) or to someone's shirt. My apologies in advance to the first innocent little girl whom he tries this trick on in the future.

How I Spent My First Week of School

Okay, class...raise your hands if you remember this post. Yeah, I thought so.

I guess my appendages had rested long enough. And not to be outdone by their sister, the right baby toe, they decided to act out and rebel.

First, it was my right index finger. You know, the one you do everything with.

It was my first teacher day back to school. (No, I am really not kidding.) When the summer rolls around, the school custodians wax the classroom floors. As a result, the desks, file cabinets, tables, and everything that comes in contact with the floor sticks. I decided my first order of business was to move the furniture back where I wanted all of it. I attempted to move my desk first, and it refused to budge. Just then, I spied a friend walking down the hall and asked for his assistance. He helped me move it and reminded me that I was not actually a complete weakling; the wax just makes everything difficult to move. So when he left, I thought myself quite capable of moving my many student desks alone. But desk after desk was stuck to the floor, and it became frustrating. So, a little more elbow grease couldn't hurt, right?

Wrong. It did hurt. Badly.

I managed to push so hard on that desk that it practically flew backwards...into the one behind it. Except my index finger was still stuck there in between them. Yeah.

And then I went for a double feature. The very next night, I stubbed my fourth toe on our cat's scratching pad. The thing is made of cardboard, so it couldn't have been that bad, right?

Ahhh...wrong again. It hurt pretty badly. Again.

The good news is that, while I managed to bang up my finger and toe in two days flat, neither of them could hold a candle to this debacle of a toe injury. And since I know you are dying to know, that little piggy has not been normal since. While obviously no longer discolored, it now no longer resembles a piggy, either, and looks rather like a little sausage.

I'll try not to injure myself again for a few more months. Apparently changes bring on severe cases of klutziness for me. And while I would love to change back to my summer schedule again, I don't think my fingers and toes could take it.

Goin' Dutch

As our last hurrah before school began, we decided to take the boys to their very first amusement park. Peanut had been on the rides at the beach, and after Pumpkin's first partially-successful attempt at the beach rides, we figured it was worth a shot. Many of my friends recommended we try Dutch Wonderland since it specifically caters to young children, so away we went!

We're here!

In front of the castle entrance...

Peanut's first ride at the park. Think he liked it?!?

Pumpkin got excited when he saw the monster trucks (his first ride there) and threw a fit when it was time to get off (so the nice people at the park let them all go a second time).

Peanut's first pony ride...

...and Pumpkin's first pony ride! He was a very proud li'l cowboy. (And yes...I was crying. Again.)

Peanut's first kiddie roller coaster! (I think Daddy had as much fun as Peanut did, considering how many times they went back on!)

Our first Thomas the Tank Engine live show!

And after sitting down for some yummy Dippin' Dots for everyone, we headed back home after a great day of fun.

And Pumpkin showed his utter appreciation about ten whole seconds later.

What an amusing day filled with firsts!

A Summer Tradition

Every summer, we make sure to visit Pop Pop and Grandma (my dad and his wife) and go to our favorite beach with them. They live a lot closer than we do, and it is a fun way to incorporate a visit with them while hittin' the sand. They came up with a great idea this year to go to a much less-populated part of the beach and then walk the boardwalk and ride the rides as usual. Here are some highlights:

Peanut is happy as a clam!

Pop Pop carries Pumpkin back from chasing the seagulls (his new favorite beach activity).

Pumpkin's first ride EVER (at age 2) on the same boat as Peanut's first ride EVER (when he was 2, too!) P.S. I am fairly sure this was my first ride ever as well. Why yes, of course I was crying.

Well, now Pumpkin is crying...he definitely liked the boats better. I took him off the Merry Go Round after this picture (and before the ride actually began). He was content for the rest of our visit in my arms or in his stroller. But isn't this a cute picture of Peanut and Daddy?!?

Our grandparent beach trip was a lot of fun, and we plan to do it all again next summer!

Tag...You're It!

Okay, okay...I know I have been neglecting my poor blog lately. And I am sorry. It's not that I don't have blog-worthy material; I have plenty. It's not that I don't have cute pictures to share; I have plenty. But it is that I have lost about nine hours of my time each day, and of that, I don't have plenty. But if you see those nine hours running away in a late summer breeze somewhere, could you steal them back for me? I really miss them.

Anyway, until I get to all of my fun end-of-summer and back-to school posts, I have to attend to some blog business. For the first time in the seven months I have hosted this blog, I have been tagged! And from what I gather, that means you are subjected to my answers to various questions which have been passed from blog to blog. So thanks to my new blog friend, Tiff! Here are my responses:

4 Things

4 things that I was doing 10 years ago:

1) I was a newlywed, married only a year, wishing summer didn't have to end (some things never change).
2) I was beginning a new teaching job closer to home after commuting 62 miles (one way!) for an entire school year.
3) I was totally obsessed with all things Titanic, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
4) I was wishing I had more time to do things on my days off besides lesson planning (and I would later learn what the word "busy" really meant after having children).

4 things on my To-Do list for today:

1) Blog something!
2) Remind Peanut for the 47th time since yesterday that he should sit -- not lie down -- during circle time (as his kindergarten teacher has probably also already told him 47 times in the past two days).
3) Make Peanut's lunch without his surprise Cars fruit snacks since he "never got to eat his sandwich because the fruit snacks took too long."
4) Get to bed at a decent hour and thank God for these wonderful boys that I get to worry about all day long.

4 random things I love about my husband:

1) He uses the best grammar of any normal guy I have ever met.
2) He has sent me flowers every year on the first day of school for the past sixteen years.
3) He doesn't wake up grumpy, and he knows how to deal with me when I (often) do.
4) He is an extremely sentimental, thoughtful giftgiver who tells me on a daily basis how much he loves me even when I don't deserve it.

4 jobs that I have had:

1) Salesperson at various retail stores: It's a Breeze, The Dry Goods, Boscov's, Leggett's, Dress Barn, Sunglass Hut
2) Telephone operator and announcer at Service Merchandise: "Good evening shoppers, and thank you for choosing Service Merchandise. The time is now 8:55 and the store will be closing in five minutes..."
3) Receptionist at a hair salon (I wasn't very good; sometimes I would forget how much time to plan for all of those early-90s spiral perms)
4) Private flute teacher

4 movies I've watched more than once:

1) When Harry Met Sally
2) Pretty Woman
3) The Breakfast Club
4) About Last Night

4 places I have lived:

1) A dorm room next to a stairwell where I could hear everyone's conversations
2) An apartment where the heating bills were more expensive than my rent
3) A townhouse with three girls I had never met before moving in
4) A home in the suburbs where we used to play kick-the-can with all of the neighborhood until my dad whistled for us to come back inside after dark

4 places I have been:

1) Poland
2) Czech Republic
3) Germany
4) Bermuda

4 places I want to visit:

1) France
2) Italy
3) Great Britain
4) Australia

4 TV shows I watch:

1) Big Brother
2) Grey's Anatomy
3) American Idol
4) The Bachelor[ette]

4 things you may not know about me:

1) I love it when things match. If Garanimals were made for grown-ups, I'd be in heaven.
2) Before we had children, our guest room was devoted to Hello Kitty, and several of my rare items were purchased on eBay from Hong Kong.
3) I don't have any first cousins, and neither do my children.
4) I was in two fairly bad car accidents as a teenager (I was not driving!) and have chronic back and neck problems as a result; I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia about ten years ago.

4 people I tag:

Lisa
Kelly
Kristin
Sarah

Whew! Hope that post was somewhat interesting. I'll be back soon with pictures; I promise!

Singin' the Back-to-School Blues

I should be used to this feeling because it has come over me every year for the past five years. But it doesn't make it any easier. The tears just keep coming. You see, I am technically two different types of mommy. In the summer, I get to experience stay-at-home mommyhood. But then, just as soon as I am really getting used to my new schedule and having my little men all to myself, -- wham! -- it's time to go back to work again.

Don't get me wrong; I love my job most days. I am aware that I am quite fortunate to be able to even have a job that offers two months off (no, we do not have three months off as urban legend would suggest!). But I miss those little boys. Desperately.

Somehow, the day before I return to work, all of the whines, temper tantrums, and messiness in the world mean nothing, and I only want to spend a few more precious days with my children...just us, playing together and relaxing on our lazy summer days, doing what we want, when we want. I realize I am not actually leaving my children; after all, I will pick them up every afternoon as per our usual school schedule. But it won't be the same. I will be preoccupied with all of the work I still have to do well beyond my "workday," Peanut will be starting kindergarten (!) and he will have his own brand new preoccupations, and Pumpkin will be read to and put down for naps by his babysitter and not his mommy.

Once I get back into the swing of things, I'll be okay. But I am never good at change, and these little boys of mine just change so darn fast. So excuse me while I relish the memories of these happy summer days that are gone way too soon with tissues in hand. I have to morph into Working Mommy tomorrow, and tissues will be a required part of the uniform for the first few days.

Budding Artiste Matisse?

When I was little, I loved to draw, color, create. I took oil painting, cartooning, and kids' crafts lessons. However, loving something doesn't necessarily equate excelling at something. Actually, I do remember winning my fair share of coloring contests, but I was always pretty good at staying in the lines. Drawing the actual lines myself, however, proved to be more difficult. As I got older, I realized the terrific artistic talents of other classmates and stuck to writing and music as my main areas of interest. And that is why I was in complete amazement when I witnessed my two-year-old's most recent doodles:

I had to document them because they were gone as quickly as they were drawn with one pull of the lever. Considering my own artistic abilities, I was pretty proud of my little 28 month-old. All I know is, I'm giving credit to the recessive genes!

P.S. I am not discrediting the artistic talents of my husband, of course. He drew some pretty impressive Bob the Builder characters with chalk on our walkway just this afternoon.

Completely Unsolicited

The other day as I was folding laundry, Pumpkin came running up to me and landed in my arms.

Pumpkin: Mommy? I duv you.

Me: Awww...I love you, too, Honey! Thank you! [big smooch]

Pumpkin: You're wecum, Honey.

Luckily you didn't witness this, or you would have seen a mommy blubbering at her toddler's first independent offering of love without provocation yet snorting at the term of endearment he repeated to me. I'm sure it wasn't a pretty sight, but the memory will remain beautiful in my mind!

Have your children ever called you something funny (Honey)?

Treat Yourself

Is there anything better on a hot summer night than licking a popsicle?

My boys sure don't think so!

What's your favorite summertime treat?