Covert Roller

Over the past week Luke has gone from a child who needed to be held, hated to sleep in his play pen, and had to eat every 2 hours on the dot to a child who loves his play mat, will sleep 10 hours at night in his play pen, and just seems all around happier. It all started with a hit on the head. Not sure if it was causation or correlation, but life around here has gotten easier.

About this hit on the head - I put him down on our bed , and about an hour later I hear a frantic cry like I haven't heard before. I run into the bedroom and there is Luke on the floor. I figured he had rolled right off our bed. This was confirmed when his Granny saw him roll while we were at Wicked. Then during his nap he began crying a bit earlier than I expected, I walk in and there he is on his back looking like a flipped over turtle; his arms and legs flailing about. The same thing happened during the night; it isn't as cute at 1am. I have tried putting him on his stomach during the day, but he refuses to show off this new skill. So for now he remains my covert roller.

Happy

It has been pretty dreary around here today, so I thought that I would think of things that have made me happy in the last week.

- I got pictures of my boys taken. Jessica took these pictures for us, and if you visit her website you can see more.

-We bought tickets to see Wicked in Louisville! Shortly after we lost Owen we went to NYC, and wanted to see Wicked ( that was in 2006) but for whatever reason it didn't work out. We saw Phantom instead, which was great, but ever since then we have been dying to see Wicked. Now we get to!!! It will be an anniversary present to each other- a couple months early.

-In related news we have decided to eat dinner at the Bristol. We thought about this long and hard. We debated a nicer more upscale restaurant, but then we decided on a local favorite. Going to the Bristol and KCA in the same night will be very reminiscent of the first time we both realized there might be something between us. Prior to this evening we were bantering partners at lunch and nothing more, that night we both let down our walls and things haven't been the same since. The Bristol is also were my cousin hosted my bridal luncheon, where my friends and I went to eat as part of my bachelorette party, and it reminds me of all my good friends with whom I have shared a meal.

- We went to the Farmer's Market. It is still a little too early in the year to get much, but I enjoy going. We bought bread and granola, both are very good. I am actually eating the granola right now.

-For Mother's Day Pete made eggs, I got lilies and sandals, we spent the morning playing war and go fish with Jack, and then naps were had by all. That afternoon we got energy( Jack calls drinks/smoothies his energy). I got a polar pop, something I have given up in an effort to lose weight, and then we got a smoothie for everyone to share. Our smoothie had gogi berry, kiwi, and mango-- Jack loves fruit with silly names. Smoothie in hand we walked to campus, Jack and Pete slayed so many dragons, and then we stopped by the 'math' fountain. It was a very relaxing day.

-I have been enjoying Riesling. I am naturally a Cabernet drinker. I love Cabernet and drink it all the time no matter the food choice. ( I know it is not something a connoisseur does, but I like what I like). Still, I have been wanting something a bit lighter and fruitier to drink so we brought home a Riesling and drank the whole bottle that night. ( Please note the we and not I in that sentence). A couple weeks later we bought another and it was just as good. I am happy to have a light wine to drink during these sunny spring days.

- Tuesdays. Frankly nothing more should have to be said about this. I know many of you know why this is the best day of the week. We have made it our date night. Pete makes sure to have all studying out of the way, the kids are asleep, the popcorn is made, drinks are out, and the tv turned on. It is the best night of the week. On Mondays we always have a moment where we look at each other and say- Do you know what tomorrow is? On Tuesdays I often look at Pete and say- You will study during the day right? You know what tonight is?

It is the little things-- the breathing in and out and in and out (counting crows)

Hollerin'

I used to yell across the aisles at Wal-Mart when looking for someone. It never really seemed odd to me because I wasn't the only one doing it. I used to say ya'll all the time, and in trying to not sound like I am from Kentucky I changed it to you all. I say you all often, but in reality who says you all? I may as well say ya'll because why be pretentious with a phrase that people don't use. Then there is hollerin'. In the past week I have rediscovered this word and told Jack to- Quit your hollerin'. I believe Pete is slightly horrified at his Kentuckian wife who occasionally forgets that she is educated and now if not northern, at least mid-western. At least I stopped hollerin in Wal-Mart.

We went to Kentucky last weekend to celebrate Derby by watching it all day on tv, This is not something you can do in Indiana. I miss it. I would say I miss going to Derby, but I have never been. I have attended a few Derby parties, which is what many Louisvillians do instead injecting alcohol into fruit or making vodka ice cubes, but never Derby. I figure we will go one of these days because how can you be from Kentucky and never experience Derby first hand? I did honor it and my past Derby parties with a Makers and coke. I also called Super Saver and Icebox. Just so you know.

While visiting we encountered a flood. The creek across the road was rushing and broke the bank. Roads, bridges, and even Wal-Mart closed. Pete was studying while all the rain was pouring and his journey back is quite a tale. I don't remember all the things he did but I know he was stopped from coming the normal way, tried to go an alternate way, and was again unsuccessful He ended up leaving town and coming in through a different town. This was somewhat more successful, but he couldn't get to the roads he needed. He tried going on the mountain but the road no longer existed and instead he was met with a gate on someone's property. He knocked on someone's door to see if they knew of any way to get home, and they ended up asking their neighbor if he could drive through their field. Crazy I know. The whole time he was gone I was so mad, and worried, but mad is easier to deal with, and just as I was about to tell him what I thought, he told me this crazy story so I couldn't be too mad. Though I don't agree with the part where he said he should win husband of the year. Wouldn't the husband of the year know better than to go study when there is flooding going on?

So here are a couple pictures of us out the in rain before the flooding got too bad.

In this week's news

We wait until the absolute last shred of clothing is gone ( for at least one person in the house) before we do laundry. If you take a look at the swim trunks, dog shirt, and boots you will see Jack ran out of clothes first this week. He wore that outfit to the laundry mat. Can we say--AWESOME! In the other pictures he got dressed and informed us he was daddy and was now going to school to study some math.

In other Jack news-- he has a major crush on the girl from- How to Train Your Dragon. It is a full on, gets really embarrassed, has to look at pictures of her crush. Keep in mind she is animated, but she isn't a car!

Mr. Luke is next on our list of people to talk about. He had a bit of a cold this week, and I totally flipped out, called the doctor, went in, and the whole bit just to have her tell me -um he has a cold you can't do anything for that. Which of course I know, but for some reason when a child is teeny tiny you can easily take the smallest thing and run with it. I mean Jack had the same cold and all I said to him was -quit licking your snot.

Luke went in for his two month check and is doing quite well. His height is in the 25th percentile while his weight is in the 75th percentile. The kid loves to eat. Apparently he is eating way more than he should be and thus all the spit-up. However, he is like a clock and every two hours he starts screaming and crying for food. I guess his is just a glutton.

While he loves to eat the one thing he does not enjoy -- sleep. They say some sort of nap or sleep schedule should be starting to emerge around now, and I should see some method to the madness. I don't. There is one time during the afternoon when, if you are lucky, you can get him to sleep for two hours, but you have to be lucky. He prefers to be awake and held. Sit him down and he cries. The only way he will sort of sleep is if he falls asleep while you are holding him and you keep him in your arms! He got his shots today and is currently knocked out-- so this is a welcome change because I am not holding him. Maybe it will be the start of something new.

Pete and Becky news: We are still looking for a place to live. We have an appointment tomorrow. It is in the same townhouse complex as the one we liked earlier, but this one is owned by different people. They said they take dogs.- we will have to wait and see if large dogs count as dogs.

I have been going to aerobics about 3 times a week and have been trying to eat less. I will say that while I do get hungry I am thinner. I am currently wearing pants that are some of the smallest in my closet.

Pete is still plugging away at school. He is on a grant this summer so no teaching again-- yay!! He is still playing WOW- in case anyone was wondering. Plus, he is indoctrinating our son with the news according to Jon Stewart. Jack is a big fan now- really.

Smell it Mommy

Having a 3-year-old boy is definitely fun in its own special way. For instance, I was in my room nursing Luke when a naked and proud Jack struts in. J : "Mommy I peed." Me: "Good job"
J:" Off the patio." Nice-- we live upstairs in our apartment complex so I hope no one got wet.

Other things that are fun when you have a boy-toots. We were in the car and Jack let some manly toots fly. I responded, "Oh those smell." Jack laughs and says, " Smell it Mommy smell it!"

We have been having a good time around here. Saturday we went to Springfest. Jack got to pet a rabbit and a chick then was able to look at cows, sheep, and pigs. He saw tractors and was able to play with remote control cars. He did not want to pet insects or have his face painted. We ate hot dogs and hamburgers and got a balloon. Last year they had the Purdue train running in the morning so we really hoped we could ride it this year, but it was not meant to be. We did run into the Pappy's ice cream cart and shared an oreo sundae that was very good.



Sunday took us to Chuck E Cheese to celebrate Jack's bathroom victories. Jack's favorite ride was the Barney train. He used about 15 tokens on that plus the extra tokens we amassed when we put one in and got one back. Our goal was to get a large amount of tickets, and it was looking bad for us until Jack stuck in a token and won more tickets by accident than Pete and I had trying. Then our luck improved when I played The Price is Right and ended up winning over 90 tickets in one turn. We ended up with 320 tickets! Jack got two cars and a bunch of candy.



Monday we had plans to pick Pete up at 1:30 to look at a condo. The boys and I slept until 1pm so lunch was the McDonalds drive-thru. Jack got a Happy Meal with a dragon from How to Train Your Dragon. After viewing the condo Pete had the idea of taking Jack to see How to Train Your Dragon. I wasn't so sure because 1. Jack has never been to a movie theater 2. He is a typical 3- year-old boy so the two don't seem a good match 3. We have Luke and do they even let babies in the movies? However, Jack was already pretty pumped about his dragon toy and Luke is still young enough to be good through the movie-- why not. Off we went to the movies. Jack brought his dragon inside, we got popcorn, and sat down. Jack didn't understand the seating arrangements at first. When I told him to walk down the aisle to get a seat he simply sat on the steps and thought that is where you sit. Once we led him to the seats he didn't quite understand how they worked. He eventually ended up on Pete's lap because he did not like those chairs. He practically ate the whole bag of popcorn by himself. He never let go of his toy dragon and he sat on the edge of his seat the whole time. He was completely engrossed in this movie. There was even one part where he threw his arms up in the air and cheered!!! He loved the movie. Pete and I are in agreement that we loved this movie too. It was so so super cute. It was better than Up. What a great experience for Jack's first movie.

As far as finding a place to live we have not been very successful. The place we thought we were going to get told us they accept dogs, but apparently when places tell you they accept dogs they mean tiny dogs. We have had a couple different places say yes we take dogs then when we say that we have a golden retriever they say oh we don't take big dogs. The search continues.

Things that make you go hmm...

After one day at aerobics it was made clear no progress was made when a button on my jeans popped off, but after two visits...

Getting out of the car with my tiny son I soon noticed a stranger eyeing me. Could it be that after two work-outs I was "hot"? My confidence was soon soaring- oh yeah I've got it. Then I get Jack out of the car and he says, "Mommy, you have spit-up all down your back. "

This sadly leads to the whole spit-up situation. How much is too much? I feel like our house smells like sour milk and in reality I am sure it does. Every time you turn around there it is. This leads to the URGH I WANT A WASHER AND DRYER situation. When you have a baby spitting up and a son having accidents, trips to the laundry mat either occur all the time or you just have piles and piles and piles of smelly clothes everywhere. Can you tell which happens with us?

We did go look for a new and improved place today. I think we found it, and yes it does come with a washer and dryer! July/August cannot get here soon enough. This does mean that I will once again be in charge of laundry which is sad, but preferable, even to a husband going to the laundry mat.

Other things that make you go hmmm...

Everywhere you look around here you find wet diapers. ( I will say they are rolled up and not just open because even we have some standards). I must have thrown 5 away today. I crawled into my bed to read stories and diaper. I go in Jack's room to find some clothes for Luke and diaper. I go to get something out the diaper bag and diaper. I go to put toys away and diaper.

To bring things back around I will say that Pete and I were discussing ways for me to be a "hot momma" again and it was decided that I should replace all my cokes with lite beer. This way I am consuming fewer calories/ carbs and let's face it, I will be more fun.

Since what is a blog involving spit-up without pictures of my children.

Here is Jack sporting the sunglasses look.




Here is Luke with the latest smile and 'goo'

And so it goes...

Today has been a bit rough in the trying to get my children to sleep department. After many failed attempts I finally succeeded and came over to the computer to get stuff done when the power in our place keeps going on and off and on and off. Grr.... I think things are on track now- let's hope.

Jack's been pretty funny lately here are a few snippets of conversation:

- Pete: That game isn't funny
Jack: I laughed
Pete: That doesn't make it funny

-Becky: What book do you want to read?
Jack: There are too many options.
Becky: You're right. What about book "A" or book "B"
Jack: How about Books " C and D"

-Jack: Woman stop saying so many words ( this said to his dear mother)

Then there was this scenario with Pete on Easter:
Jack falls and hits his head, starts crying and wants a kiss. I am cooking so Pete offers to kiss it. Jack tells him that he does not have the best kisses and only mom has the best kisses. Then it is decided that Pete can kiss one spot but mom has to kiss all the spots. When asked what spot Pete can kiss Jack tells him he can kiss this spot, grabs the Cheez-It box, and hands it to Pete.



Jack got a Leapster Click-Start for Christmas. He was not all too interested in it at the time-- I mean he did gets cars too what was I thinking. Anyway, over the last few days he has asked to play with it every day. I am amazed at the difference a few months makes because he used to have no clue how to use the mouse-it was just way too much for him. Now he is fairly adept. Also, he used to demand that I sit by him the whole time and watch-- now he could care less. I have a picture of what his pre-teen and teen years will look like.





Potty training is going well. He wears diapers at night and that is going to continue for awhile-- I am no where near ready to tackle that monster. He will go out in public and he goes here with very few accidents. I still have to remind him every hour or two. I am pretty pleased with the results so far.

On Easter Pete sat the boys on the couch and took many many shots of them. This one gives you a taste of what all the others were like:



Here is a better picture of Luke a few days before Easter-



Today is Pete's birthday and Jack got him purple pens. For a month Jack has been talking about getting Pete purple pens. I have no idea why but that is exactly what Pete got. We are also getting sushi tonight- this is a treat because no one else here eats it, so he doesn't get it as often as he would like.