Exploring at the Science and Industry Museum

Today we loaded up the car and headed to Lake Shore and 57th for a little Science and Industry action!! We had a blast but one forgets how many exhibits there are and how many stairs one needs to climb. Call me gross but I really wanted to check out the babies in a bottle...yes the babies in formaldehyde from the 1950's!! When we got there, I soon realized they were under construction. Apparently their bottles were LEAKING!! Oh man! If that didn't make my stomach turn! I would not want to job of 'rebottling' those things!! EWWWWW!!

We also went because P wanted to see the Dinosaurs Alive movie in the Omimax. We all went into the theater and P was so excited for about 2 seconds. Once the movie kicked on and the entire screen filled with dinosaurs, he wanted out of there. A, on the other hand, was ready for some dinosaur action. She had lots to say during the film too....'Dinosaur eat dinner mommy?' 'Man in helicopter mommy?' 'Want more cracker mommy!!' 'Dinosaur mommy - say roar!!' Anyway, you get the point!! The lady in front of me didn't think it was so cute so we headed out to meet big brother and daddy!!

You knew pictures would follow....

TIME TO GO...MELT DOWN

Growing up and stuff

As most of you know, school started in a lot of areas today. P was very into seeing the kids at the bus stops, walking to school and the buses in general. I am stepping into my 3rd trimester and perhaps I am a bit hormonal however, the thought of him being old enough to take a bus to school and being away from me all day was making me tear up a bit. He asked me what was wrong and I told him he was growing up so fast and I could not believe in a couple years he would be old enough to go to school. He looked at me and said, 'Mommy, I am not going to school yet, only a class.' I will be attending the class with him I may add...Since turning 3 a few weeks ago, he has turned into this big boy with lots of valid questions, ideas, and thoughts.

A is doing great as well. She is talking, talking, talking. She told Bernie (the dog) the other night to, 'get out of here and go see daddy.' The other day R asked P if he liked the beach. From the backseat our little Diva told daddy, 'A likes the beach too daddy.' Our vocal little Diva.

On a side note (no pun intended) Aunt C-Note started painting A and Baby Bow's future room last night. (We opted for them sharing a room and keeping a guest bedroom). We will also be painting P's room this week. He is very excited. We made the mistake of letting pick out a color and he picked orange!! I have to say, the decision has grown on me and only one (or two walls) will be the chosen color. The others will be a khaki brown. As for the girls, we are going with two pink walls and two khaki walls. Looking good so far. I will post pictures when the job is complete!!

The Shed

Well today we went to the Shed Aquarium with the kids. P has been begging to go see some seahorses the last couple weeks and we couldn't deny him such a cute and random request!! We all had a fabulous time!! I thought I would share some pictures (Believe it or not this really is 'some' and not all!!

The reason we made the trip...

Smile
Smile Again

Dolphin Show P smiling at the dolphin show (he loved to watch them perform)
Cheese!!

One is smiling...

And now the other....GO FIGURE!!

The BIG shark

Looking in the shark tank

iphone envy

I have to admit something....I have been having a serious 'iphone envy' problem ever since my sister got one in the beginning of the week (has it only been one week??)! The wide screen, the options, the trendy thrill of it all!! All of a sudden, my Blackberry seemed to lack in all departments. I tried to exchange my Blackberry (since I just upgarded in December) but they only sent me a new exact model....which by the why happened to be a blessing in disguise because I was having minor problems with it prior to the call.

Anyway, I thought I was over my gadget issues after having kids but the little electronic gadget beast still lives despite everything else and Shillary happened to release the beast this week. Long story short, I stayed up late last night and fell back in love with my Blackberry...don't get me wrong, I am sure I will want an iphone again soon!!

The point of my babbles.....
Yesterday when we got home, my 'new' Blackberry was at my front door. I couldn't open the package fast enough. I left the kids in their carseats, grabbed the package and jumped back in the car. I figured I could get at least 20 minutes of 'cell phone play time' before they started to complain. I took my key and busted open the box. P immediately noticed that the phone I pulled out of the box was the same exact one I had already. Not understanding my excitement, he said, 'Mommy, that is a Blackberry again, not an iphone like Aunt Ma-Ma has!!' Man, I can't even catch a break from my son that turned 3 two short weeks ago!!

Moving right along...

This marks the first week of my THIRD TRIMESTER!! This pregnancy is flying like the other two did!! The kids are both really enjoying feeling Baby Bow kick her little feet! They love to run over and put their hands on my belly and they also love talking to her!! Baby Bow also seems to like the attention because when she hears their little voices she responds with kicks and movements!! I can't believe that in 90 days (give or take) we will have another little baby!! We are all so excited about our growing family!! P has already informed me that when Baby Bow comes out, we need to grow another baby in there!!

Here are some pictures from this morning.

Too cute not to include...A and Bernie wanted in on the picture taking action

The joys of a new electronic...

Yesterday I got a new vacuum and the joy that bad boy brought to me made me realize something....I am getting old!! I have officially become a mom and it is not because I am knocked up with my 3rd baby!! Our old vacuum broke last week and I have been on the search for a new one. I have talked to people with kids, dogs, cats, etc. and finally decided on the Brissell Lift Off!! Dude - that thing is called 'Lift Off' for a reason. It lifted off my excitement to a whole new level last night. The attachments, the suction, the pure joy of a new vacuum!! I didn't even let Mattie (or vacuum attacking shepard) near it!! I shut her out of the bedroom while I tried it out on the carpet!! I only had time to do our room last night because we got home late and by the time I assembled the thing and tried out all the attachments, the kids were literally begging to go to sleep. Anyway, I can't wait to use my new vacuum today. At what point in my life did a new vacuum get so exciting?

The Monarch

P and I found a monarch butterfly yesterday while at Noni and Popi's house and it had a broken wing. We were both terribly upset that the little guy could not fly. My animal rescue instincts kicked in and we went to work.

I have absolutely never tried to repair a broken wing on an insect before but it was so beautiful and it really was horrible to see the little creature flapping its wings only to fall down in mid-flight (ooooooo - reminds me of the poem I referenced the other day). Anyway, I figured I could not do any more damage so I inspected the working wing and tried to see what was wrong with the other.

In the meantime, my parent's neighbor was pulling out the her driveway and saw me leaning over her sidewalk. When I told her what P and I were doing (okay I was doing it but he really was into helping and empathy needs to be taught - RIGHT?) she gave me a look that reminded me of when I was a little girl and my sister and I used to bring EVERYTHING home to my mom. Birds with broken wings, lost dogs, ducklings half eaten by a snapping turtle, a bird that was half dead in the middle of the road...our backyard turned into a graveyard for those little creatures that didn't make it. Anyway, before Mrs. White pulled away, she had some last minute advice of sorts, she said, 'Jenny, you can't repair that one.'

WELL, with all due respect...SHE WAS WRONG. Two seconds after she pulled away, I saw that the broken wing needed to be pulled forward over the other half of the wing. I ever so carefully pulled the wing forward and touched it into place.

When I opened my hand, the monarch butterfly flew into the air, did a little spin and took off down the street. P cheered with delight and you are damn right that I did too!! We watched it go all the way down the middle of the street and then it came back towards us as if saying thank you (I know a butterfly is not capable of that...no worries this 3rd pregnancy hasn't completely sapped my brain). Anyway, it turned and went back down the street and flew out of sight! If only I had my video camera.....

P was so excited to get back in the house and tell R and A about how mommy and P helped a butterfly fly.....

Naughty transformer talk

This is really NOT FUNNY at all and I didn't laugh when it happened...not in an obvious manner anyway. I hide my laughter very well.

Anyway, P was playing with his new transformer in the backseat of the car. He asked me if I could hear the transformer talk. I said I had no idea that it did talk. Since it was a new toy, I believed that it probably did make noise...doesn't every toy my kids have make noise??

He asked me to listen and I turned down the radio. In a really deep voice, P said, 'Yo Bitch.' I got my poker face on and turned around and told him we don't talk like that in this family and he said, 'that is not me, it is my transformer.' Low and behold from the backseat I heard the deep voice again. 'Bitch, Yo Bitch!'

The good news is, I have not heard it from him again!! Thank goodness!!!

Starbucks...

I was at the drive-thru Starbucks the other day and P was having a fit in the backseat. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed and we were all suffering...including the man with the headset taking our order.

Anyway, he said, 'what can I get you?' I said 'Valium and a nanny!' Not much was said after that, I gave him my real order and pulled up to the window. The poor guy had clumps of sleep in his eyes (not only disgusting but also - can you work at Starbucks and have sleep in your eyes - hello free access to caffeine)! Anyway, I get up to the window and the guy looks at me very serious and says, 'I understand how you feel about wanting Valium. I take it every morning.' I laughed and he said, 'I am serious, I take a form of Valium every day and I can understand your need for it.' OKAY BUDDY settle down, it was a joke. I don't really want Valium. Please P could complain all he wants, especially in the car, strapped in the carseat!! The carseats are 'Valium' enough for me!!!

The 'gift' that keeps on giving

On October 3, 2007, I put a video on my blog of my 'gifted' son (that just turned 2 at the time) rolling up the car window with his foot....well, I am happy to report, the 'gifted' gene has been passed on to A as well!! She exposed her talent at 18 months but it took me FOREVER to bring the camera to the car, video the act, download the video to the computer and then put it on the blog!!

New rule...

P is constantly asking me to hold his milk, Elmo, book, etc. R, P, and A for that matter ask me to find their socks, shoes, etc. Well, having the husband, the 2.5 kids and the 3 dogs, I have enforced the 'Is it breathing?!?' rule. When R and P (A is exempt since she is only 19 months) ask me to look for something, I ask them if it is breathing and if it is not (and it never is), I tell them it is not my responsibility. I am only responsible for living things. It actually seems to be working too. P has been really keeping track of his Elmo blankie and carrying his own cup when we are out of the house!!

Speaking of my responsibility of taking care of breathing things, two of the parrots that have been at Nonie and Popi's are moving in with us next week!! Stay tuned for pictures!!

After a While

I was throwing away flowers that were slowly wasting away on my counter when an old line from my favorite poem of all times came into my mind, 'decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.'

I have no idea why it popped into my head after 15 years but I had to find it online and post it on my blog. I am assuming it has something to do with the lack of sleep I experienced this weekend!
R and the kids are waiting outside for me! If they only knew I was googling poems from over a decade ago!!

By the way, I still love the poem despite the fact that it is such a 'break-up' poem. It gave me the same feeling of independence and strength that it did in the earlier years!! Okay....going outside before Judge Judy is over at my house taping a special divorce court show for the fall!!

After a While

After a while you learn
The subtle difference between
Holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
That kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman
Not the grief of a child
And you learn
To build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is
Too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way
Of falling down in mid flight
After a while you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers
And you learn
That you really can endure
That you are really strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and you learn
With every good bye you learn.

Veronica A. Shoffstall

The case of the missing croc...(times two)

My years of reading Nancy Drew in the 80's have paid off the last couple weeks!

Right before P's b-day party last week, R took both kids to get ice so I could take a shower. He came home 2 minutes before our guests were supposed to arrive and A only had one croc. I have to admit I gave him a hard time about balancing kids and keeping shoes on their feet. He went back to Jewel but couldn't find it. I called the service desk but nobody turned in a kids light blue croc!! We enjoyed ourselves at the party and after everyone left, P and I decided to head over to Jewel. Long story short (too late), customer service had the croc!! Mystery #1 solved.

A few days later the kids and I had to run to my office to pick something up. On the way to the office, the only place we stopped was to get gas and that was all at the pump. No kids got out of the car. In route to the office, A fell asleep and I had to carry her in when we got there. Anyway, after dragging the kids in the office and gabbing for a couple minutes, we were heading out the door when P told me A didn't have one of her shoes. I figured it was in the car or the parking lot. NOPE! We went back into the office and looked around and NOTHING!! We called the office the next day to see if it came up but nobody had seen the croc. I figured it must have been thrown put the window somehow but I was still baffled because I know how my anal brain works and I thought I would have noticed her without a shoe before walking into the office. We gave up the search but since A is obsessed with her crocs, we bought her 'frocks' at Walmart. She loves them!!
As a side note, she wore them to the hospital and I got quite a few compliments on those $5 shoes!! Hmmm, I get $35 crocs and she wears them all summer without a comment from anyone....I buy $5 'frocks' and I get compliments every three seconds the first hour she is wearing them!!

Back to the story, on Saturday, (2 days after the darn thing came up missing AGAIN) P decides to tell me that he pulled A's shoe off in the office and that is where the little light blue croc was....at my office!! Well, with the bloody head and the slip on the stairs, those light blue crocs went to the back burner of my brain and I forgot about them until I got the following text Monday morning...

Hey Jenny. It's Debbie from work. I just wanted to let you know I found Addie's shoe. I put it on your desk.

Mystery #2 solved!!!

At least we have a back-up pair when we lose them again!!

At Jewel...

At the office...

Stitch update

Last night while changing A's bandage for the first time, I realized she has 7 stitches not 4. Since it was the first time we changed it, I had the camera out and ready to take a picture of the wound before covering it up again. R was annoyed and told me it wasn't picture hour.......I told him I begged to differ (see below). Anyway despite the 3 additional stitches she is recovering great!!

A trip to the hospital

While last night started innocent and quiet enough, the 'confusion' kicked in right before bed! The kids were having a little race that turned a bit bloody. A tripped and smacked her head right into the edge of the door. Her forehead cracked open and the blood began to pour! In the midst of running up and down the stairs, I slipped and being 25 weeks pregnant, we were now concerned for Baby Bow too!

Thank goodness for our friends/neighbors across the street and their medical backgrounds. They put a pressure bandage on the gash and off we went to the ER!! On the way to the hospital, A was quick to point out that 'P was mean' (because he was at the scene of the accident), 'Mommy was mean' (because I had to hold the towel on her head) and 'Erwin' (our fabulous neighbor), 'was mean too' (because he put the pressure bandage on her head)!

We have had blood, bumps and bruises over the last three years but nothing compares to the whole 'stitches' experience! It was awful seeing our poor 19 month old at the hospital. While we were checking in, the lady asked A what happened (not entirely expecting a 19 month old to respond) and A said, 'My mommy did!' Which gave everyone within ear shot a good laugh...and I am sure DCFS will be knocking on the door at some point this week - -KIDDING!! The staff was great and we lucked out with only four stitches.

We were out of there by 11:30pm BUT we were then off to Labor and Delivery for a two hour fetal monitor!! Everyone is perfect and were were out of their by 1:45am!!

On a side note, today is P's real birthday! While we sat in Labor and Delivery at midnight, R pointed out that P was spending his 3rd b-day in exactly the same place he came into this world!!

In the ER waiting for the numbing treatment to kick in before the doc could begin his 'real' work

All is well with little lovie today Birthday Boy!!

Never too early to say CHEERS!!

We had our cleaning lady, Ula (that comes on a not-so-regular-basis) here the other day and while I normally bring her Starbucks and offer her bottled water, I was out of water and we were getting a slow start to the day. Needless to say, little P notices everything and took it upon himself to go downstairs and get her a cold refreshment out of the fridge. He didn't disappoint either by the way....Ula may think we are a bunch of drunks but it was funny, sweet and frightening all at the same time....Didn't stop me from capturing the moment for all of my cyber-friends.

Corona Anyone?

Cousin Day

Aunt Momma was nice enough to take all the kids for a field trip yesterday! Not only did she have SIX (YES SIX) kids with her BUT she also managed to make a slideshow of their special day! I decided to share it with all of you!!

Thanks again Aunt Momma! You are a very special aunt!! I know all the kids LOVE spending time with you!!

Click on the link below and enjoy!!
http://photoshow.comcast.net/viewshow/wC4HX4WF

P turns 3...almost!

Since we will be heading north (yes more north) this weekend, we decided to have P's party a little early!! The weather was great, the moonwalk a huge hit, the friends/family were marvelous and the food...fabulous (If I don't say so myself)! After everyone left and we came inside, P saw all the gifts on the fireplace and asked what all that stuff was doing there. I told him they were gifts for him for his b-day! He was so excited!! It was so sweet that he had no idea he was going to get gifts!! I am confident next year he will retain this little fact and embarrass me somehow so today I will embrace the innocence of an (almost) 3 year old!!