Oh Boy!

Piano Player

2012-02-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Matt started taking piano lessons two weeks ago. He has been working very hard, and can read the notes "C" and "D." He has homework each week in a "keynote speller," and I am so proud of his dedication to learning music!

He has learned four songs on the piano so far. The first three songs involved only the "C" note, played in whole notes ("Let's Play"), half notes ("Grandfather's Clock") and quarter notes ("Moccasin Dance").

He was so excited to add a second note last week, and got to learn to play "The Train."

I am so proud of my little guy. I can't wait to see him learn to play more songs - the next song in the book is "Sea Bees," which is the exact opposite the "The Train" (using the left hand to play).

Music makes him happy. I love it.

Warm Winter

2012-01-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

We are having a ridiculously warm winter. Sure, there is snow. Snow is normal. Rain, on the other hand, is not typical January weather for Western New York. The rain has been falling off and on throughout the month, which is just plain weird.

Of course, when it snows, we take advantage of the white stuff and head over to the local school's sledding hill.

The best thing about the boys' ages is that we can all sled together. Last year, an adult had to trail Nolan to help him up the hill, and to make sure he didn't spin out of control when he was going down the hill. This year, he's big enough to handle his own sled and the walk back up the hill.

Dad takes a turn on the mini luge

I have decided, however, that some activities should be left to the kids. I tried out Matt's new snow scooter on the hill, and had a sore hip for an entire week after falling!

I think I am too old for this...

I think I broke my hip!

Sadly, the day after this gorgeous, sunny sledding day, the rain returned. Followed by snow, then rain, then ice pellets. We haven't seen the sun in about two weeks, and there isn't any snow on the ground to brighten things up. I'm grateful for the clear roads, but the gray landscape could definitely use some brightening!

December Catch Up

2012-01-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

This is an attempt to catch up from all the fun events over the Christmas holiday. December was an extremely busy (and fun) month!

Stockings were hung

Our book advent calendar started

A Christmas tree was found

Ornaments were hung

Snowball fights were had

Matthew turned six. SIX.

Grandparents came and Christmas Eve dinner was grand

Casey had his first Christmas

Santa came!

Toys were played with

Sledding outside with Grandma and Grandpa!

Life was joyful

and Grandmas are sorely missed.

Math Test

2012-01-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

I am very, very behind in blogging about our life - goodness gracious, I still haven't posted about Christmas yet!

Anyhow, Matt brought home his math test today. I'm proud of the little guy - he is right on track with his math concepts and loves the subject.

He counts well up to 30 and can estimate. Did we do estimation in kindergarten? I'm not sure, but I know my kids are learning things well ahead of when I learned them.

He can skip count (by 2's) and understands which number is "less" vs. "more." He counts objects well (though he did write "12" as "21," he corrected it) and he can identify the number that comes after 15 and before 20, as the instructions state on the test.

It is exciting to watch him learn new concepts and to really enjoy the process.

Rock on, Matt-man!

Tot Tennis

2011-11-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

Waiting for class to begin.

Nolan has been waiting for a long, long time to play tennis. At least, that's what he tells us - it has really only been about 2 weeks since we signed him up through our local YMCA. They have a "tot tennis" class for 4 and 5 year old children that focuses on preliminary tennis skills.

His class size is really small, which is nice because the kids get a lot of attention.

The coach has them run a lap at the beginning and end of the lesson. I love any sport that burns off energy.

The kids develop eye-hand coordination by throwing and rolling balls back and forth to each other. Since there are five kids in the class, Nolan was partnered up with the coach.

The lesson is only 30 minutes long, but it is perfect for my little munchkin! He really loves going to the class, and I love seeing him so full of joy!

In Which the Dog Recognizes the Truth

2011-11-12T16:32:00.001-08:00

Our cat rules the family.

Exhibit 1:

The cat approaches the dog's bowl and requests food. The dog pretends to give the cat a stare down, but we all know who the victor will be here.

Stage 1: Denial

Exhibit 2:

The dog goes through the very brief "five phases of grief." Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Denial: I don't believe he's eating my food!
Anger: He's eating my food - grrrr!
Bargaining: Please, God, don't let him eat my food! I'll be a good dog!
Depression: He ate all my food. I'm sad.
Acceptance: I'll just go eat the cat food.

Stage 4: Depression

Exhibit 3:

The dog accepts the futility of asking the cat to move over, and appeals to the humans for help. Sadly for the dog, we are not willing to risk the vehement force of teeth and claws that exist in our cat. We'll just feed the dog later, after the cat retires to his ~~throne~~ bed.

Stage 5: Acceptance

Who's Your Daddy?

2011-11-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

Nolan has quite a few "friends" that have been joining him at bedtime. The number has topped fifteen stuffed animals, and it can be hard to find the boy among the bears, lions, frogs, and puppies!

I asked him if he really enjoyed all of his animals, and he told me,

"I have lots of kids."

Oh, I thought - that is so sweet! I asked him if he was a good daddy to his kids. He looked at me blankly and simply replied,

"Oh, I'm not their daddy. The lion is."

Apparently, Nolan is simply the caretaker for the diverse offspring of the lion. And don't ask me how a lion becomes the father of a frog, a dog, and several bears. Some things need to be taken at face value.

Matt liked the idea of having a bed full of animals, so he copied Nolan's plan and ended up with several "friends" in his bed, too.

Sometimes the cuteness is overwhelming! Goodnight from the boys!

Back on the Ice: Timbit Hockey, 2011-2012

2011-11-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

We headed down to the ice arena last week to pick up Matt's new jersey and to exchange his skates for a larger size. He chose "the white team" this year, and was fortunate to get the same number (7) as last year. The only thing they didn't have on hand were new sticks, and his stick from last year is quite short!

A lot of the new beginners are on the chairs, and Dennis is helping the little tykes stand up in their skates. Matt is a very steady skater this year, and simply heads off with the "big kids" to run through skating drills. He's the kid in the white jersey out in front/on the left hand side of the picture below.

Here's to another fun year of ice, pucks, and a little boy with a "sweaty head!"

A Late Halloween Post

2011-11-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

We've been rather busy renovating a bathroom and spending time outside during unusually good weather this past week. Here are a few (late) Halloween pictures:

Batman, an Owl, and Jango Fett: Trick-or-Treating

Pumpkin guts are DISGUSTING!

Going back for more seeds...

YUCK. I'm not touching that!

A quick puppy-hug.

Jack-O-Lanterns, carved by Mom.

Happy Halloween!

Letterboxing Again

2011-10-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

We took the boys on a short hike to find two more letterboxes (what are letterboxes? Here is an explanation). We hiked through the woods and found the first one fairly easily - the boys were happy to get their stamp in their book. We were happy to get them out on the trail to run off some energy!

Once we had stamped into the letterbox, we headed back to the main trail to find a second box. It was listed as missing, but the owner planned to replace it - so we decided to take a look.

We found the spot, but the box was missing. The boys were disappointed, but our mission to run off some energy was accomplished. We were in the area of the Chautauqua Gorge, so we took Casey Dog down to the water to see if he'd take a dip. He did chase one stick into the water, which surprised us (for being a Golden Retriever, he isn't that fond of water).

He jumped out as quickly as he could and refused to get near the water again. He spent most of our afternoon on this rock:

Matt managed to find a few fossils and we headed home - we were all happy to have seen the sunshine on the last warm day of fall (side note: it snowed on the Thursday following our hike). It seems like winter is going to descend upon us, whether we're ready for it or not!

Zoo Boo 2011

2011-10-26T18:36:00.000-07:00

We chose one of the few non-rainy nights and decided to drive to the Erie Zoo for the annual trick-or-treating event. The kids were pretty good in the car - I think we may never travel without blankets again!

We had some errands to make (in the midst of renovating a bathroom, we had to return a vanity to Lowe's), and the boys were exceptionally good in the hardware store. Their patience was wearing thin toward the end of the errand portion of the trip, but we had no meltdowns in the store. We treated them to dinner at Panera Bread, which Nolan has dubbed "Erie," as if the entire point of the city of Erie, Pennsylvania is to house Panera Bread. Their macaroni and cheese is pretty delicious, though, so I can sort of see his point.

We finally headed to the zoo and managed to score great parking. We had bought our tickets in advance, so we didn't need to wait through the long line - we just zipped right through the entrance and started trick or treating. The kids loved trading their tickets for candy. We also saw a few animals, though we didn't get many pictures in the dark.

I did cringe when I saw one certain booth again. Last year, this one caused Nolan to melt down in tears.

Who let the dentists crash Halloween? Nolan didn't cry this time, but Matt almost did. Toothbrushes on Halloween make kids sad.

Fortunately, there was a nice person sneaking the kids some Trident gum at the back of the booth. Gum makes kids happy (and it is good for their teeth)! Win-win.

The boys were happy, tired, and had bags of candy - Zoo Boo 2011 was a success!

Leaf Time

2011-10-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

There is always one day in fall when the sun is shining and the leaves are perfectly crisp on the lawn. It is usually the only day in fall with these conditions, so when the weather strikes, we grab our rakes and start piling! Next, of course, comes the jumping.

Jumping into crunchy fall leaves is probably the most fun event in the world, especially when you have enough Maple trees to literally bury yourself in leaves.

I'd write more, but we have some jumping to do!

Port Farms

2011-10-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

We headed down to Port Farms on Sunday morning. The weather has been unusually hot lately - it was 82 degrees and brilliantly sunny the entire day! The kids were so excited to get to this farm (located in Waterford, Pennsylvania) - the giant slides, corn bin, hay fort, and pedal tractors were enormously fun for the boys. Our neighbors joined us, and the three boys had the best time together!

We had such a good time playing at the farm, and we can't wait to go back next year!

The Enchanted Forest, 2011

2011-10-11T05:52:00.000-07:00

We took our little Jango Fett and Batman to the Enchanted Forest on Saturday night. The event is hosted by our local Audubon Society, and features trails lit by luminaries in the woods. Along the trail, volunteers are dressed as native animals and talk to the children. It is a really educational event (did you know that the Pennsylvania woodland cockroach will not enter houses?) and the kids absolutely love it.

Matt and Nolan really liked the Monarch Butterfly - the first animal we encountered on the trail. I didn't get very many pictures, since the sky darkened considerably once we were into the woods.

After seeing the various animals (this year featured the butterfly, cockroach, tree frog, garter snake, spider, and a bat), we headed inside for some popcorn, cider, and crafts. Nolan had a great time making a spider that could actually climb up a web! Matt decided to make a butterfly.

The Enchanted Forest is always the beginning of our amazingly wonderful fall season here: festivals, pumpkin patches, leaf piles and trick-or-treating events fill up the majority of October. I love every second of it, and so do the kids!

Reason Number 837 Why I Like Being a Mom

2011-09-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

I get to be Spiderman's chauffeur.

Going to Little Caesar's is a LOT more fun with a superhero.

Farewell, Gardening Season!

2011-09-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

This summer, we grew our own vegetable garden. Watermelons, tomatillos, tomatoes, cilantro, and chives have been filling our bellies for the growing season. Matt and Nolan both planted watermelons (different types) and nurtured them from tiny, baby plants to full grown fruit.

Matt grew Orange Tendersweet, which have an oddly-colored orange flesh but taste wonderful.

Nolan grew Sugar Baby watermelons, which have a traditional red flesh and are also delicious.

And then we had watermelon coming out of our ears. Watermelon everywhere. I made watermelon jelly.

Watermelon fruit leather.

I gave watermelon away to friends and neighbors. I'm pretty sure we won't grow watermelon next year. I thought I would never say this, but we're sick of eating watermelon. Fortunately, the last melon has been cut up and eaten!

I also canned tomatoes and tomatillos, and we recently ate spaghetti sauce from some of our canned, homegrown stock.

I am officially addicted to gardening and canning. I just need more garden space so that I have more jars on the shelf next year!

Starting School

2011-09-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

The day before school started, both boys were able to ride the school bus on a "practice run" to the school. They were thrilled to board the big yellow bus, and to meet their teachers for the first time.

On September 1st, everyone was up bright and early to catch the bus. Both boys were gone by 8:15am.

Nolan returned home at 11:40am, chirping about all the fun things they did: they sang The Wheels on the Bus, played with toys, and listened to a story about puppy dogs who go to school.

Matt had a half-day for the first day of school, and he arrived home at 1:00pm. He was so thrilled about school: "Mom, we got to see the gym, the music room, the art room, and the cafeteria. They called it a tour!"

School is now in full swing, and Matthew is gone from 8:15am - 4:10pm. That is one long day for a kindergartener! Still, he loves every minute of it. He is particularly fond of gym: they have very creative games of tag, and he raved about a game of "dog catchers" and "dogs." I can only assume the dog catchers were supposed to catch the dogs in that game - his teachers are very creative!

The Birthday Boy

2011-08-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Nolan absolutely loves thrill rides, so we took him to Waldameer Amusement Park on his birthday. He was so excited to ride the fast rides - fortunately most of the mild thrill rides at Waldameer allow a child over 36" tall to ride with a parent. Nolan was so very excited about his trip to Waldameer!

There were two small roller coasters that he could ride, and a wide assortment of other spinning/swinging rides that he and Matthew both loved. The sun was shining, it was a gorgeous, 70 degree day, and the boys had a blast!

Click Click Click....

Wheeee!

Riding Big Rigs - Number 4, of course!

Annoyed at Matthew's insistence on a boat ride.

On the Paratrooper ride. This kid is insane!

Riding the Frog Hopper

Trying to get some air on the Ferris Wheel

Hitching a ride on Daddy's shoulders

The Birthday Boy with Mom and Dad

Birthday Cake, a day later (we got home too late)!

Nolan was so excited that he insisted we come to Waldameer every day, and that Waldameer was "super fun because it has super fast rides."

I am so glad he had a wonderful time. I still can't believe he is FOUR!

Sliding

2011-08-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you add water and children to a large sheet of plastic?

The world's most awesome slip and slide:

We spent all day at Luensman Overview Park, slipping down the hill and having a marvelous time. Matt and Nolan squealed with glee as they shot down the slide.

Of course, this was Amish country and there wasn't really a convenient water source. Everything had to be pumped from the hand pump at first: Matt decided he probably didn't really want to be an Amish child.

A water pump truck finally arrived and made the water hauling process MUCH easier. The kids were ecstatic to slide over (and over and over) and over again.

School starts in two weeks. Until then, we are in denial.

Summer, we love you!

Future Engineer

2011-08-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

Matt builds with construction toys constantly. He called me upstairs to take a look at his "combine harvester," and I was pretty impressed! I love seeing what his mind creates!

Gleeful

2011-08-12T14:38:00.001-07:00

Our apple tree dropped an apple prematurely. Casey couldn't have been more thrilled.

Now, if only he would realize that watermelons are not tennis balls, I would be thrilled!

I Wish It Would Last Forever

2011-07-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Summer,

Please

Don't

End.

Thank you,

Leah

Becalmed

2011-07-10T15:37:00.001-07:00

The crew holds the dock lines

No jib set today: just two little boys in the bow.

Sailing is fun, Mom!

Sun, wind, and water. What could be better?

On the dock: land lubbers!

We took the boys out with just the mainsail. Handling a jib was going to be a little tough with two small boys on their first sail. The wind died away within 40 minutes of being out on the water, and we were in irons. With nary a breeze in sight, we dropped sail and pulled out the trusty oar to row back to the dock. Nolan watched several boats zipping around on the lake, and said,

"Sailing is super fun. But when can we get a motorboat?"

We'll definitely have to take them out on a day with a bit more wind. These boys need speed and splashing!

Catching Up

2011-07-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

Goodness, the summer is so busy I never manage to keep up. So far we've been:

Firefly Catching

Fishing

Soccer Playing

Strawberry Picking

Water Sliding

Our winters are so very long, so we go a little nuts when summer arrives and we try to do everything. We still have sailing, creek splashing, and amusement-park going to accomplish.

If only summer would never end!

Water Wars: In Which Daddy Buys Everyone a Squirt Gun

2011-06-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Let's have a duel!

3..2..1...SQUIRT!

Not going down without a fight!

He got me!

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I feel a wee bit guilty this year. Dennis did get a nice Father's Day present (a drill set he wanted), but he spent most of the weekend doing back-breaking labor with a pick-axe to level the ground for this impulse-buy:

The pool is finally up, but it will take a while to fill it with water. Hopefully it will be "open for business" by next weekend.

After the ridiculous amount of labor he put into the groundwork for the pool, I think Dennis holds the right to the first dunk.

Totally Worth It

2011-06-10T12:29:00.001-07:00

One wrist-band: $7.50
1/4 tank of gasoline: $12.50
A three year old's first roller coaster ride:

Priceless.

Wordless Wednesday: Blown Away

2011-06-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, Preschool...Hello, World!

2011-05-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Matthew graduated from Pre-K on Thursday. While there is still an entire month remaining in the school year, the graduation ceremony was held in the Big Room at Zion Covenant's preschool. Watching those wiggly four year olds turn into slightly-less wiggly five year olds has been an adventure this year.

Marching into the "big room."

Being a little goofy

The Graduate

Hats off to my little "graduate." I am so very, very proud of you!

Throwing the hats was the best part, Mom!

Well, That Was Easy

2011-04-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Matt's friends are starting to ride bikes without training wheels. We took a deep breath, took the training wheels off, and held on to the back of the seat. It was time for our little bird to learn to fly.

Apparently, he didn't really need to "learn" how to ride a two-wheeler. He simply took off, and rode down the street. Daddy ran after him for a while, just in case.

Matt didn't need any help, and continued to zoom around the neighborhood. He was having a moment of absolute freedom and joy.

It was quite apparent that he had outgrown his little 12" bike, so we presented him with a new, 16" bike on Easter Sunday.

Nolan, of course, inherited the 12" bike. It is strange to see my "baby" riding a two-wheeler: it makes him look like a big kid. Very soon, his preschool years will be forever behind us.

The trite old saying is right: the days are long, but the years are short. It sure went by in a flash.

In Which Strategizing is Not Nolan's Strong Suit

2011-04-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

My Dearest Nolan,

If you are going to sneak into the kitchen to secretly snag some junk food, it might be a good idea to make sure you can get down again. Because, you know, if you have to call for Mommy to get you down from the counter, you are probably going to get caught.

XOXO,

Your Mommy

In Which Perfect Silence Reigns

2011-04-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

In an event so rare, it ought to be televised on the evening news, Nolan took a nap.

The dog followed suit.

And Matthew, well... Matt didn't sleep, but he quietly watched TV and sucked his thumb for an hour. Despite the future orthodontic bills, I was tickled pink. I spent the next hour folding laundry and listening to the wonderful sound of silence.

The Amazing Spiderman

2011-04-17T05:58:00.000-07:00

Spiderman, Spiderman,
Does whatever a spider can
Spins a web, any size,
Catches thieves just like flies
Look Out!
Here comes the Spiderman.

Is he strong?
Listen bud,
He's got radioactive blood.
Can he swing from a thread
Take a look overhead
Hey, there
There goes the Spiderman.

Playground Days

2011-04-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

Spring is coming in fits and starts - a week of horrible, snowy/sleety/rainy/windy weather followed by a day or two of 50 degree, sunny weather. When the sun peeks out, we rush out the door to the nearest playground to run off some of that little-boy energy.

I love playgrounds, though I always forget how dirty the boys get in the spring.

Matthew is extremely adventurous this year on the playground equipment, even trying to climb on top of the tunnels, and climbing on the outside of the rails. I have a rule that he's not allowed to do it, but every once in a while I catch him at it.

They really do love playing, and I love the reduction in the general level of rambunctiousness that follows a morning at the playground. Plus, I can get some cute pictures at the park!

Question and Answer

2011-04-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, why is the dog green?

Oh. Boy.

(Hopefully) the End of Mini Might Hockey

2011-04-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

Matt had an opportunity to play during the intermission of an NHL game. It is a pretty cool opportunity, and Dennis drove him up to the HSBC Arena in Buffalo to skate during the intermission of the Buffalo Sabers vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game.

The five children who skated during the intermission were going to try to score a goal off the Saber Tooth mascot. Saber Tooth did a really great job of making sure each child had a wide open shot at the net (without making it obvious to the kids that he was letting them win). Matthew shot his goal, scored, and was absolutely elated.

I was really proud of my little five year old boy: he skated in a packed NHL arena, which had to be a little intimidating. He was absolutely thrilled, and had a great time - though he did think the arena was too loud!

One little dude in a big arena!

Boys and Dogs. And Hockey.

2011-04-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Teddy Bear Tournament

2011-04-04T18:08:00.001-07:00

All the teams lined up for the opening ceremonies. The Canadian National Anthem and The Star Spangled Banner were played.

A representative from each team was called forward for the ceremonial glove drop. Being "Mighty Mites" and five years old, every child rushed forward for the glove drop. It was really a glove mob.

The horn blared and the first game began. Jamestown vs. Fredonia. No official score was kept, but the kids knew who won at the end of the game. They also knew the exact score, and who had made the goals.

Frequent line changes meant lots of time for everyone to play, and for everyone to hang out with buddies on the bench (Matt is #7).

The horn blared again, and the game was over. Everyone shook hands and left with a smile.

By the end of the second tournament day, some little guys are just worn out.

Everyone gets a medal. Everyone is proud of playing so hard. Smiles are everywhere.

A strong Daddy is appreciated for long walks back to the car.

When the little guy gets home, all he wants to do is ... play more hockey.

Recent Artwork by Matthew

2011-03-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been drawing a lot of pictures lately. I really, really love kid artwork.

This one is of "Daddy" and "Mommy." Apparently, Dennis has a gargantuan belly button. And I'm not quite sure what is under my arms, but I can assure everyone I shave on a regular basis.

This is his dinosaur. He declares it a stegosaurus. I love the fact that all of his creations have smiles: happy dinosaurs are awesome.

I'm really looking forward to Spring Break, so that we can color, paint, and create without rushing out the door to school every morning.

Happy "Spring"

2011-03-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

The snow is certainly beautiful, but it can leave at any time. Of course, Casey the Dog loves the snow, so he might be sad when it leaves. Still, we are really looking forward to sunshine and flowers! Bring on the warm weather!

Doggy Days

2011-03-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so far behind on updating the blog. We've been rather busy with the boys and the blissfully mild(er) spring weather.

Also, we just picked up our newest family member: Casey the WonderDog.

Casey loves doggy toys, small boys, and playing "chase."

Casey hates rhododendrons. They're just freaky, people.

I have a feeling we have a rambunctious and fun-filled summer ahead!

FIVE

2010-12-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

ZERO

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

Happy Birthday, my dear boy!

No Such Thing as a Short Story

2010-12-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are running a tad low on Christmas books for our advent tradition. I included some very short board books in the pile, including a beautiful picture book with the words to The Little Drummer Boy. I read (sung) the story, then we talked about the meaning of the story.

"Look, Matt. He is a very poor boy and he has nothing to give to the baby Jesus. He can play his drum for the baby, though, even though he has nothing."

Matt, ever the cynic, said,

"Why doesn't he have any money? He shouldn't have spent it all on that drum!"

I suggested that perhaps someone gave him the drum.

"Well, then he should sell it. Or play it as a job and earn some money. Then he wouldn't be poor!"

At that thought, Matt shook his head, disgusted with The Little Drummer Boy.

It's hard to instill the magic of the holiday season with such a tiny skeptic in the house!

Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

2010-12-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

Living in a house with two small boys with active imaginations, I am used to finding toys in all sorts of locations. There is little that can surprise me.

But then I came across Scooby.

Poor, poor Scooby.

Was life really so bad?

*For concerned readers, Scooby is alive and well. That was the "rescue chain" from the helicopter, hauling him upstairs from the evil dragon. My kids are strange, but they're not that strange!

The Proper Care and Dressing of a (Little) Hockey Player

2010-12-02T08:12:00.000-08:00

Generally, my husband handles all of the sport-related gear in our household. Particularly the hockey gear, which involves approximately 1,000 pieces of protective equipment in a giant duffel bag. Unfortunately, he was out of town, and I had to dress The Boy for practice. If anyone else ends up in this situation, here is a helpful guide to the proper preparation for a little hockey player (click on pictures to enlarge):

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4: (Repeat Steps 1-3 once completing Step 4):

Step 5:

Step 6:

Step 7:

Step 8:

The rest of the gear (ice skates, helmet, and hockey gloves) are put on at the ice arena. Thankfully, a (weary) husband arrived from snowy Canada just in time to help with the rink-side finishing details!

Snow Day

2010-11-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

Gingerbread Intervention

2010-11-27T12:23:00.001-08:00

A lopsided seven hour project

The packaging called to me from across the seasonal aisle at Wegman's grocery store. Pictures of mother and child, placing candies on an irresistibly cute gingerbread house. What a wonderful idea, I thought, to decorate a gingerbread house with the children over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Not so, my dear friends, not so. If you have heard the siren call of the pre-baked gingerbread house kits, I am here to provide an intervention.

First, you have to make the mortar. Technically, this involves ingredients common to all icing mixtures. The difference is that it will have approximately the same consistency as wet Playdough, with twice the mess. Since I don't own a pastry-bag to pipe the icing, I modified a Zip-Lock baggie by snipping a hole in the corner of the bag.

Do not do this. The icing (commonly known as "royal" icing, since it is a royal pain in the *$$) is so thick it will simply burst out of the top of the bag, and adhere itself to your hands. Have you ever seen The Blob? It's like that, only this blob is also capable of inducing a diabetic coma.

At approximately this time, your four year old will wander in and say, "COOL! A gingerbread house! Can I help?" The answer is NO. Do not let any child come into contact with either the gingerbread or the cement-like icing. You will be sorry for it. Very, very sorry. It may be weeks until you get the icing-spackle out of their hair. Consider yourself warned.

After you get the walls up, you have to wait two hours for the icing to harden before installing the roof. During this time, you will hear the following phrases repeated every two minutes:

"Can I put candies on it yet? Can we eat it? Can I play with it yet?"

After two hours, the icing will have hardened. This also includes the first batch of icing you made, since the ziplock baggie has burst. The next phase involves making more icing, installing the roof, and waiting another two hours.

"Why is it taking so long, Mommy? WHHHYYYYYY?"

Once the construction phase is over, the decoration can begin. This phase should also be done sans children. If you do this with your children, they will eat about half the candy (and icing), get royal-pain-in-the-*$$-icing all over the kitchen, and possibly knock down a gingerbread wall. Also, they will get frustrated when the candies don't actually stick to the walls. This will add whining and crying into the sticky-hands-sugar-hyped mess.

I just ate about 1,000,000 gumdrops.

I finally kicked the kids outside and finished decorating the house. I made gumdrop trees, tried to spackle on some "icicles," and included a cute little gingerbread Santa Claus on the outside of the house.

Santa or a Shriner? You decide.

The house took 7 hours to create. Seven. Whole. Hours. I was going to move the finished product to our dining room table, but the icing has dried to the counter top. It will remain on the kitchen counter, possibly forever.

At least, I thought to myself, it is a cute little wintry wonderland scene.

Then the four year old came inside.

"Wow, Mom! That is a really spooky witch's house!"

Four-year-old children are harsh critics

I now spend approximately 50% of every day chasing children away from the candy-coated "witch's" house. We'll see how long it lasts!

Bake-a-Palooza

2010-11-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving. I love the cozy days home with the family, basking in the warmth of a fire while the lake effect snow falls outside. This is Western New York, after all, and we nearly always have snow on Thanksgiving.

Most of all, I love the baking. I love the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, and the goodies stocked all over the house.

Oreo turkey cookies

Aunt Leta's marvelous sugar cookies

As I was deep in the throes of my pre-Thanksgiving bake-a-thon, Nolan wandered into the kitchen.

Now, really, is my cooking that bad? I promise I won't set the house on fire ~~today~~, little guy!

Four Year Old Gratitude

2010-11-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Matt's classroom project this week was to create a "place mat of gratitude," where he cut out pictures from magazines that represent the things that have the most meaning to him. Matt's place mat is an ode to the ~~bizarre~~ inner workings of a four year old brain:

Matthew is thankful for:

Abbey. The little four year old sweetheart in his Pre-K class. The lovebirds are still going strong.

A pink seahorse and a yellow starfish. Because, obviously, colorful sea animals are awesome.

Behr Paint Chip, Mint Green. Interior decorating deserves a lot of gratitude.

Gummy Vitamins. We should all be thankful for nutrition masquerading as candy. It's brilliance in marketing at its finest.

A T.V. That beloved opiate of the masses.

A happy horse. Sad horses are the pits.

The color blue. Should I be concerned that he selected the life insurance advertisment for this one?

Playing in the leaves. Best. Fun. Ever.

A dog. We don't have a dog. This is Matt's attempt at subliminal advertising- he wants a dog.

Mom. Awww... (position on aforementioned dog weakening). I'm thankful for you, too, little buddy.

Who Needs Toys?

2010-11-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

Leftover paint cans and scrap wood are all Matt needs to be happy. He invented a game (with rather complex and ever-changing rules) involving a croquet set and the "cave" created out of our garage junk. The basic rules involved whacking a ball into the cave and then running around bases.

Unfortunately, I now have to go and clean up all the "bases" before the snow starts falling. "Cave Ball" isn't exactly a winter sport!

Ready For School

2010-11-23T12:45:00.001-08:00

Why I Have Prematurely Gray Hair

2010-11-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

A while back, I purchased the boys a tumbling mat. I figured they could do somersaults and other basic tumbling moves on the mat, letting off some steam on the days we're stuck indoors.

What I didn't anticipate was Matthew using the mat to practice for the next Olympic skeleton event.

House rule #547: No bobsledding down the stairs!

Cheap, Cheap, Cheapity-Cheap

2010-11-21T11:24:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe for liquid laundry detergent online. While I'm not going to have a bazillion babies, the frugality of the Duggar recipe caused a shiver to go down my spine. A load of laundry done with commercial detergent costs about $0.20 per load. A load of laundry done with home-made laundry soap costs about $0.01 per load. This stuff costs about $2 for 10 gallons.

I did read (from online reviews) that the mixture can sometimes form "lumps" and doesn't mix well. Since I have a talent for getting bovine serum albumin and rabbit brains to go into solution*, I figured the laundry mix shouldn't pose too much of a challenge.

My dear husband thinks I have lost my mind. With the right set of ingredients purchased (along with a 5 gallon bucket), I made the detergent. It is now sitting in the laundry room until it cools off and obtains the right gel-like consistency.

I really hope it works!

*I used to work as a biologist for an in-vitro diagnostic device manufacturer, making coagulation reagents. The rabbits were from the Lucky Rabbit Company. Seriously. We turned them into rabbit brain powder- I'll leave the rest of the mental imagery up to you.

Update: This stuff really works! Not only does it work, but it actually works better than our commercial HE detergent. I always knew my ~~inner scrooge~~ frugality would pay off!

Dinsoaurs!

2010-11-19T17:33:00.000-08:00

Ice Time

2010-11-15T14:08:00.000-08:00

I think this means I'm a "hockey mom."

Matthew's time in the "Learn to Skate" program has come to an end. We had to decide whether to place him in Beginner Hockey or to continue the "Learn to Skate" figure skating program. At his last Learn to Skate session, we explained to Matt that his best friend would no longer be on the ice with him. His little buddy had moved over to the Beginner Hockey program, and Matt was quite saddened by this fact.

I did walk over to observe the Beginner Hockey program, and was quite pleased with what I saw. The children pick their own color jersey and number, and skate in various games to increase skating skills related to the game of hockey. There is no actual competition at this stage, and safety is paramount. I also noticed that several other friends from Matt's preschool program were in the program.

The coach goes around to each child after the game and checks to make sure one thing has been accomplished:

"Do you have a sweaty head?"

Each enthusiastic little hockey player yells back, "YES!"

Then I looked at the cost (I am frugal, if nothing else). The "Learn to Skate" program is $65 for seven weeks. The Beginner Hockey program is $200, for the entire year. That money includes all equipment (from the helmet, skates, pads, and stick to the duffel bag). Even the USA Hockey membership is free for children under the age of six. Plus, the kids get to skate twice per week, as opposed to once per week with the figure skating lessons. I was sold.

We signed Matthew up, put him in his gear, and set him out on the ice.

Nolan helps Matt carry some gear.

Heading out to play with his friends.

He absolutely loves it. His world lights up when he is with his best buddies, banging the stick on the ice to "clap" for his friends, and playing tag with the hockey coaches. Best of all, he gets a "sweaty head."

Let's just hope he stays out of the penalty box!

Interior Design: 4 Year Old Style

2010-11-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew has been flexing his artsy muscles lately, and has been armed with scissors, glue and construction paper on a regular basis. I find drawings, stickers, and "projects" everywhere. Lately, his attention has been turned to decorating his bedroom. I think he is practicing for future dorm-room life, making his own posters.

His use of Scotch tape is impressive. Nearly every surface in the house has some tape on it. The most recent addition was an installation he calls, "Triangles." Who needs a bed skirt when you have a four year old armed with craft supplies?

If his current pace of "creativity" is maintained, I suspect we'll have to take out stock in 3M. In the meantime, I'm off to make another Walmart run- we are completely out of craft materials!

Trick or Treat

2010-11-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

In the nick of time, we managed to get the pumpkins carved. There is nothing like procrastination to place a little pressure on your pumpkin carving efforts, especially when all of the stores are sold out of their pumpkin carving knives.

NOT a safety knife

Eviscerating pumpkins is not for cowards

With exactly 50 minutes until trick-or-treating time, Daddy was our hero and arrived home with the very last kit in any of the local stores. We carved our pumpkins, lit the candles, then hustled off for the beginning of trick-or-treating hours.

When we lived in California, we had never heard of official "hours" for trick-or-treating. I am pretty sure this is peculiar to the Midwest/Northeast, but I am quite fond of the idea. Our hours were from 5:30pm-8:00pm, and we went on the earlier side of the allotted time. Having specific hours for trick-or-treating allows the police to keep order, knowing that any teenagers out making mischief after a certain time are not trick-or-treating, but simply causing mayhem. It also lets everyone on the home front have a break- in California, people would still be knocking on the door at 10:00pm in search of candy.

The boys were Spiderman and Obi Wan Kenobi for Halloween. I managed to get a good picture of them in their costumes- the only time they could be seen for the rest of the evening.

Trick-or-treating in Western New York generally involves heavy jackets, and sometimes snow boots. We had some sleet, rain, and even some wet snow pellets while we were gathering treats from the neighbors. Fortunately, we finished gathering candy just in time. The deluge of sleety-rain started as we knocked on the door of the very last house.

I have to say, I am glad Halloween 2010 has come to an end. It was fun, it was sugary, and it was hyper. I am looking forward to a nice, sedate Thanksgiving filled with lots and lots of tryptophan!

Halloween-a-Thon

2010-10-30T12:42:00.001-07:00

Candy overload? Not us!

This has been the busiest Halloween season EVER. After going on approximately 1 billion trick-or-treating excursions, the children are hyped up on enough high fructose corn syrup to cause them to actually vibrate.

It all started with the Zoo Boo event at the Erie Zoo. Who can resist zoo animals coupled with candy?

Even Spiderman has use for a light saber.

The weather cooperated nicely, and held off raining until we were safely back in the car. We're not sure if Nolan will ever recover from receiving a toothbrush from the booth the dentist's office set up. Everyone knows that giving toothbrushes away for Halloween is just plain wrong.

A toothbrush?! Who let the dentists in?

After the Zoo Boo event, I was informed of a "Spooktacular" Halloween event at the new Children's Safety Village. I'm really glad we got there early, since only 200 people were expected and 4000 ended up attending. The early bird gets the Snickers bar!

Then Matt's class had a "reverse trick-or-treat" at the local nursing home- instead of receiving candy, they handed out artwork to the residents. Of course, the nurses decided to give the preschoolers candy on the way out the door. Sidenote: nurses give away awesome candy- full sized Reese's and Snickers. Yum! I have no pictures from that event, since I was at home preparing for the next event: Treat Street.

Cutest. Kids. Ever.

The next day, Nolan's preschool had its annual "Treat Street" event. Parents choose a room on the third floor of the church and decorate it. The kids go trick-or-treating in the hallway, and we enable their sugar-loving ways. Our door looked pretty awesome.

We rock.

The only negative about our door was that it led to the supply closet. We hunched in the dim light among all the Christmas decorations, feeling very conflicted. The Baby Jesus simply glared from His manger. Awkward.

Not My holiday.

Matthew's pre-K class had its Halloween party on Friday. Fifteen four year olds, assorted siblings, and sugar. Enough said.

The Monster ~~Sugar Rush~~ Mash.

Then, of course, there was the trick-or-treating at the local mall. Getting candy from scantily clad goth-women at Hot Topic was definitely a new experience. On the plus side, the kids did learn some new vocabulary: "fish net hose" and "lip ring." Thankfully, Victoria's Secret was not handing out candy.

Fish net hose not included.

The actual trick-or-treat event isn't until tomorrow. I'm pretty sure we'll have enough candy to open up our own Sweet Shoppe by then. If we're not all hospitalized for diabetic coma, that is.

I hear Hershey and Nestle calling my name. Time to ~~raid the kid's treat bags~~ have a little chocolate break. Peace out.

Bring on the Sister Wives

2010-10-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

"Mommy, why do they have such a big car?"

Matt stared in envy at the large 15 passenger van parked at his preschool. I explained that they had a lot of children in their family, so they needed a large vehicle to carry everyone. I told him that if we had more children, we would also need a larger vehicle.

"Like, if we had FIVE children, we would need a big van?"

"Yes, Matt. If we had five kids, we would need a van."

He sat quietly for a long time. I thought the conversation was over, until we arrived at his classroom and he declared:

"But then you would have to get married FIVE TIMES!"

You know, a sister-wife might come in handy on laundry day...

Lost in Translation: At the Dinner Table

2010-10-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

As we were sitting down to our lovely dinner of ribs and corn, Matthew was dancing in his chair. He had many tales to tell, because he had been on a long-awaited field trip. He couldn't wait to tell Daddy all about his adventures.

"Dad, Dad, Daddy, Da-a-a-a-ad. Guess what? Today we went to the Animal Cemetery!"

Dennis looked a bit surprised.

"An animal cemetery? I suppose that was... interesting."

Matt was gleeful.

"We saw LOTS of animals! It was so cool!"

I could see the confusion settling into Dennis's head. Four year old children and dead animals makes for a rather disturbing mental picture.

"You went to an animal cemetery? Really?"

Matt nodded solemnly and replied,

"Yes. The animal cemetery. It's where all the animals live."

I figured that the Mommy-Translation should come quickly, before the conversation took any strange turns to pet funerals or burial practices.

"Matt, I think you mean sanctuary. You went to the animal sanctuary today."

"That's right, Mom! The Audubon is a great animal cemetery. It has so many animals."

Glad we cleared that one up. Sigh...

The Enchanted Forest

2010-10-06T06:20:00.000-07:00

The Bear Hunt

2010-10-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Matt's Pre-K class recently made bears for "B" week. The next day, the bears all went missing, and the children had to go on a bear hunt. The bears were found, but no one ever thought to ask why the bears went missing. I asked Matt what the bear had been doing when he disappeared, and Matt said, "Probably eating some berries."

After inspecting one of the bears in question, I think I know where the bears went.

It's all there. The dilated pupils, hallucinogenic colors, and vacant smile. Yes, folks, I think these bears were dabbling in something a little more serious than blackberries.

Mr. Bear: I think it's time for Rehab.

The Dread Flusher

2010-09-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

He looks innocent. I assure you, he is not.

Little brothers spend a lot of time refining the art of torturing older brothers. Nolan is rather talented in this area, and is constantly finding new ways to drive Matthew absolutely crazy. Until recently, I thought I had seen it all.

I have heard the occasional yell from the bathroom, and Nolan running away filled with glee. Neither boy could tell me exactly what was going on, but there were lots of giggles from one child and misery from the other. Yesterday, I managed to watch the entire scene unfold.

Matthew had to answer a call of nature, and rushed into the bathroom. Nolan stealthily paced outside the door, waiting for the right amount of time to pass. Once he was sure Matt was in an occupied position on the toilet, he darted in and flushed the toilet. Matthew, of course, let out a yell. Then Nolan ran in and flushed the toilet again.

The mystery of the botherly brother has been solved- he is the Dread Flusher. Or was the Dread Flusher. We put the kibosh on that little antic right away!

Big brothers everywhere: Beware!

A Double Header

2010-09-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

Dennis carried a screaming Matt into the house last night. This is not unusual, as Matt loves being outside and detests coming in for a bath. I wasn't too concerned, until Dennis turned around and I saw the blood.

Apparently, Matt had been riding the skateboard and fell off, hitting the asphalt with his mouth. Head wounds bleed a lot, and it took a while to see what was going in with Matt's mouth. He knocked a tooth backwards, and gave himself a fat lip. We debated going to the emergency room, but decided to wait and see the dentist in the morning. The poor kiddo snuggled on the chair with a blanket, and I went to give Nolan a bath.

Nolan stood up and tried to climb out of the tub. He slipped, fell, and cracked his chin open. This is when we had our second "do we go to the ER" discussion of the night. In the end, we decided on a Diego bandaid and close monitoring.

Nolan seems to be doing fine this morning, but Matt's lip is quite fat and his tooth looks pretty bad. His jaw is also pretty sore. Our dentist is not in today, so we are going to the pediatrician- hopefully they can take care of the tooth and reassure us that Matt's jaw is just fine.

I don't know how much more of this "excitement" I can take- here's to a very boring Friday!

Best Friends

2010-09-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

A bright eyed little girl skipped past me yesterday morning, and announced, "I have a letter for Matthew!"

Oh, the beloved (and most charming) Abbey. Matthew was giddy with anticipation, and hasn't let the drawing out of sight.

The two children have become pen pals, exchanging drawings and notes before school each day. I wonder how long Matt will keep up his end of the drawing exchange- he chose watching Stuart Little on TV over writing to Abbey this afternoon. Oh, puppy love between four-year-olds is a fickle thing!

Emerged

2010-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Apprehensive before school

Despite a slight "boo boo" obtained from tripping over a crack in the sidewalk, the first day of preschool went off without a hitch! His classroom comes equipped with Scooby Doo bandaids, which take the sting out of any scrape.

A small boo-boo

He loves his teacher, he loves the other kids in his class, and he loves story time. He told me, "We didn't paint today, but we did read!" The first day of preschool was a success!

Happy after class

The First Love Letter

2010-09-14T11:17:00.001-07:00

Matthew is in love. Every day, after school, he gushes on and on about "Abbey." According to his teachers, he follows her around like a little puppy dog during class. I think our little guy has his first crush!

Yesterday, he was drawing a picture and wanted to know how to spell her name. He included balloons, a picture of himself, and his own name so she would know who the picture was from. He also drew "Mickey Mouse Kisses" (in yellow) because a girl like Abbey needs to have Mickey Mouse Kisses. I'm not quite sure what a "Mickey Mouse Kiss" is, but it must be something pretty special.

He's going to "mail" the letter to her at school tomorrow. I'm pretty sure there is nothing sweeter than (pre) kindergarten love!

Pre-K: The First Day

2010-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

School Supplies

2010-08-31T11:44:00.000-07:00

Matthew starts school on Thursday. Universal Pre-K has a surprisingly long school supply list. I totally understood the need for markers and crayons, but the tube sock requirement threw me. As it turns out, the children will need tube socks and gardening gloves to make puppets later in the year. I have had ZERO luck in finding child-sized gardening gloves, since we are approaching the fall season and the stores are now stocking life-size Santa Clauses next to the pumpkins in the gardening department. Hopefully they won't make the finger puppets until spring.

Nolan starts three-year-old preschool on September 14. His school supply list is much, much smaller. Actually, it is non-existent. Except for the whole toilet-training requirement, which resulted in another trip to the store. We can all hope Reese's Pieces are a powerful motivator!

Lepidopterists: Con Men

2010-08-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

One of our Monarch caterpillars

I love butterflies. I think the transformation from caterpillar into butterfly is one of the coolest miracles of nature. I wanted to share this experience with my two boys, and being too cheap to purchase a kit, went on a nature hike to collect milkweed leaves and Monarch caterpillars.

I decided to look online for various butterfly kits, just out of curiosity. After reading many of the kit descriptions, I came to a conclusion. Lepidopterists are con men. Or amazing marketers- same difference. To other moms, the process is amazing. But there are a few facts you ought to know about butterfly larvae, and they're not all pretty.

The Kit Claim:

Behold the amazing caterpillar as it grows!

Yes, the caterpillar grows at an amazing rate. What the marketing literature won't tell you, however, is that these little larvae molt quite frequently. Then they turn around and eat their old skin. Apparently, caterpillars find themselves delicious.

Also, not all caterpillars are cute. Swallowtail larvae look like bird poop for the first few stages of their lives. Lepidopterists call these stages "instars." This is a very cute word for describing how many times your caterpillar has decided to eat its own skin.

Be sure to clean the frass on a regular basis.

Frass? Frass sounds so cute. Frass sounds like something a Fraggle might create. Don't be fooled: frass is caterpillar poop. And these little larvae poop a LOT.

Watch as the caterpillar forms a beautiful jade chrysalis!

Soon your larva (fat from eating leaves and it's own skin) will stop pooping and eating. Then its skin will split open, and a green casing will enclose it. The caterpillar's head case will pop off, often falling to the floor of your container. If you have many larvae, there will be little caterpillar heads all over the place.

The caterpillar will magically transform into a beautiful butterfly!

This part is completely true. The process is magical, and butterflies are beautiful. What actually happens inside the chrysalis, however, is kind of gross. The larva encases itself, and then starts producing enzymes. The enzymes completely dissolve the caterpillar, until it is nothing but liquid. That green chrysalis is holding larva soup. The butterfly rebuilds itself from something akin to stem cells in the bath of dissolved caterpillar.

While the butterfly is assembling itself from the liquid larva it once was, it is trapped in the chrysalis. This means there is no place for *ahem* waste products to go. When the butterfly ecloses, there will be a little puddle of brown goo that comes out with it. You can guess what this puddle is- days' worth of butterfly poop.

Watch as your butterfly emerges, and set it free.

This part, as far as I can tell, does not omit any important information a mom might want to know about raising butterflies. The butterfly will emerge, pump vital fluids into its wings, dry out, and fly away to a happy nectar-filled life.

We are eagerly waiting for our own caterpillars to finish eating themselves, pop off their heads, form a chrysalis, dissolve into goop, and become amazing butterflies.

When I'm the Mommy

2010-08-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Nolan has recently discovered there are perks to being The Mommy. The Mommy appears to have no bedtime, gets to drive, and gets to operate cool gadgets like cell phones and computers. Nolan's favorite conversational topic centers around this very topic.

At bedtime, when he is restricted to his bedroom, he tells me, "When I'm the Mommy, I go downstairs!"

When I caught him mashing buttons on the computer keyboard, he told me, "When I'm the Mommy, I play on computer!"

I found him trying to get into the car in the garage. His defense: "When I'm the Mommy, I drive car FAST!"

I've been finding these little conversations humorous, but his latest one left me perplexed. I wasn't sure what the child was saying to me as we walked in the mall.

"When I the Mommy, I have big booms."

I tried to figure out what he was saying. Brooms? Something that goes boom? Rooms? What was he talking about?

"Nolan, I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're saying."

An exasperated Nolan looked at me, then shouted at the top of his lungs:

"When I'm the Mommy I have BIG BOOMS. I have BIG BOOMS and wear a BRA!"

Oh, my.

He's gonna be bummed when he finds out boys don't get big booms!

Hiking Chautauqua Gorge

2010-08-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Matt and his friend A. on a log

There is a gorge near our town with a river, waterfalls, and deep swimming holes. Just the perfect thing for a summer day! Thunderstorms were predicted, but fortunately we were only hit with a momentary deluge. Unfortunately, shale is quite slippery when wet, and the gorge has a lot of shale. This led to some minor injuries:

The scenery was totally worth any bruises, though! Everyone had a marvelous time swimming, hiking, and frog-catching. Summer in Western New York is truly magical.

Matt and Dennis check out a waterfall

Matt prepares to play in the swimming hole

Nolan checks out a little frog

Friends in the swimming hole

The boys by the first set of falls

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Friends

2010-08-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Box City

2010-08-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Box City, the craftiest town on Earth! The founders are rather young, but they are experts in design and architecture:

With some spelling help from ~~mom~~ the Town Mayor, the buildings received their official signs:

Shortly after its conception, Box City was ready for the populace to move in.

The town inhabitants are rather pleased, as the taxes are low, crime non-existent, and services abound.

Graffiti Artist

2010-08-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Nolan's love of markers isn't diminishing. He has been coloring quite a lot lately, something I readily encourage. What I do not encourage, however, is coloring on surfaces other than paper. This is a lesson Mr. Nolan hasn't quite learned yet:

This is the hallway leading into the kitchen. Decorated courtesy of Nolan- he calls it Dollar Store Marker on Drywall. Nolan's current desire to use all markers/crayons/pencils on the wall is just a wee bit exasperating. He had to attempt to clean up his mess, though I suspect he enjoyed using the soapy sponge to smear the marker around.

As a side note to other parents: the cheap markers that come in a pack at the dollar store are not washable. Spend the extra $0.50 and get Crayolas. Trust me.

The end result: this stuff is NOT coming off!

Disneyland, July 18, 2010 (Day 2)

2010-08-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

We woke from our deep slumber and headed out for Day 2 in the parks. My cousins weren't with us on this day, but Grandma and Grandad were waiting for us at the giant "California" sign just outside of the parks. We entered California Adventure and headed straight for the giant Redwood Creek Challenge Trail playground. The entire area is themed like the Sequoias, and has slides, climbing nets, logs, and other play equipment right up the boys' alley.

After getting some wiggles out, we headed over to the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. This ride is amazing- you wear 3-D glasses and shoot darts/balloons/rings at different targets. The effect is quite real and both boys absolutely adore this ride. The line was a little long, and we had some difficulty with Nolan trying to turn the queue chains into swings. Fortunately, we were soon on the ride and having a great time.

We had arrived in the park a little late, which was fine because we all needed rest more than anything else. As we were late getting into the park, it was time for lunch after the Midway Mania ride. We had some paninis and pasta at the Wine Country Trattoria.

There are very few rides at the park that suit Nolan's height- many of the attractions require a child to be >40 inches to ride. Because of this situation, we headed over to the Bug's Land area and rode the few kiddie rides available- bumper cars, lady bug spinners, and a balloon style spinning ride. The kids loved this area of the park, but there are (unfortunately) not many rides in the area.

The next "must-see" item on our list was Turtle Talk with Crush, a very cute little show in the Hollywood Backlot. The kids enjoyed this show quite a lot, and after it was over, they were pretty wiped out. We decided to head out of the park at this point, because it looked like they were nearing the meltdown point.

My parents left for home, and we went over to Disneyland to check on the photopass system for Matt's Jedi Training Academy pictures. We found that they store the photos for 30 days, so we picked up a card- we can order online if we decide we like their pictures.

While we were in the photopass office, Nolan saw the rockets and began to clamor for a ride. He was so enamored that we couldn't tell him no- we got into line and took the boys on their first rocket ride. Nolan was beyond thrilled- he kept yelling, "I'm FLYING!"

The boys seemed to be in chipper moods, so we risked a visit to Toon Town and Mickey Mouse's house. This was the only Disneyland item we missed from the day before, and the boys absolutely loved Toon Town.

We saw Mickey's house, and the Big Cheese in person- Matt was thrilled, though Nolan was creeped out by the overgrown rodent.

It was a little difficult to pry them away from the area as we were truly preparing to leave the park, but the experience was well worth the difficulty.

Both boys are still talking about Disneyland, and have already asked if we are going back "tomorrow." Alas, they will have to wait a while before we get to go again!

Disneyland: July 17, 2010, Day 1

2010-08-08T12:39:00.001-07:00

Ah, the Happiest Place on Earth! Disneyland is the epitome of "fun" for little kids, and our boys were quite excited to go to Mickey's House. We met my parents and my cousin's family in Downtown Disney and entered the Magic Kingdom.

We knew that the lines for some of the Fantasyland rides would grow ridiculously long by mid-day, so we ran for Dumbo as the first ride. The line was only about 20 minutes long- the shortest it would be all day. Matt rode with my parents and shrieked with glee as his elephant soared and dipped. Nolan was no less thrilled in our elephant, though he was a bit sad when our ride was over and we had to leave. He was only temporarily unhappy, however, because he spied the carousel and insisted on a ride.

Peter Pan was next on the list, with a 35 minute wait. This would be our longest wait of the day, which means the park was not quite as crowded as we thought it was upon arrival. Nolan dubbed this ride "Boat With Stars," and was quite fond of it. Lunch time rolled around and we headed over to our priority seating reservations at the Orleans Cafe- Dennis and I had the Monte Cristo sandwiches on the brain, and were glad to be seated on the cool patio. The kids had macaroni and cheese, and sitting down in a cool place for lunch was a very good plan.

Rejuvenated, we headed over to Small World. The line was quite long and stagnant, which is unusual. The paramedics appearing on one side with an elderly woman on a gurney let us know the reason for the delay- the heat or the ride must have affected her badly. We were on the ride shortly after that, and the kids absolutely adored it. My cousin's baby fell asleep on the ride, lulled by the song and cool air. Our kids pointed and clapped throughout the ride- this one is definitely a hit for the preschool set.

After Small World, we went to Tomorrowland to get fast passes for Space Mountain- we were going to do the "switch off" option for parents with young children. Our fast passes were for 7:00pm, so we had some time before our scheduled ride. On top of the Space Mountain fast-pass distribution machine, we found valid fast-passes for Buzz Lightyear. Leaving my cousin's sleeping baby with my parents, we hopped on the ride with almost no wait. My parents were wonderful and really helped with the little ones, who couldn't ride some of the rides due to nap-time or height!

My cousin's one-year-old was too small for Autopia (they recently enacted a height requirement of 32"), so they stayed with the baby while we rode with the kids. Nolan is quite the crazy driver, but he really loved this one. I pushed the gas pedal and he swerved back and forth. I will not be the one to teach this kid to drive!

I had read about the Jedi Training Academy online, and was determined to get Matt to the show. I desperately hoped he would be picked, because he is very outgoing and in love with anything "Jedi." He has never actually seen a Star Wars movie, but he gets the general idea. After the "Master Jedi" had selected many children, a despondent Matt thought he was not chosen. He started to give up, but then they called out his description: "The boy in the red shirt with stripes!" Never has there been more joy for the little guy. Matt took the training quite seriously- donning his robe and practicing the moves they taught him. He fought Darth Maul (he took this a little too seriously- I thought he was going to beat the character to death with the plastic light saber). At the end of the show, he received a Jedi Training Academy certificate. He is quite pleased with it, and is convinced he is now a real Jedi!

Adventureland was calling, and we rode the Jungle Cruise with all of the little ones. The line was short, the ride was cool, and there were lots of animals for the kids to look at. Matt got the front-row seat, which he loved.

The Tiki Room followed, which was my cousin's baby's favorite attraction. He bobbed and danced through the entire show! My only regret was not getting a Dole Whip (they are delicious).

We headed back to Tomorrowland and Matt rode Star Tours for the first time. I thought it was scaring him, because he leaned over and said something to me during the ride. I thought he said, "I'm scared of this ride." Afterward, he was all smiles and said, "NO, Mom. I said I meant to go on that ride!" Matt has now entered the age of "big boy" rides, which is a rather nice phase to enter.

The grown-ups then rode Space Mountain (I wasn't ready to try Matt out on that ride quite yet), and it broke down just after we exited. I was bummed for my parents- we were doing a switch-off and they weren't able to ride because it broke down before they could get on. We headed over for dinner at the Red Rocket's Pizza Place, then went over to California Adventure so my cousins could see Soarin' Over California. This ride is incredible, and feels like you are really flying over the orange groves and ocean. Matt rode his second "big boy" ride of the day, declaring it "the most favorite ride ever!" The switch-off worked for this ride, and my parents were able to ride it after we got off.

Judging by the exhaustion on Matt's face, we decided to leave the park after this ride.

The hotel was only about 15 minutes away, and we gratefully crashed into the beds and fell asleep. Disneyland, Day 2: here we come!

Markerpalooza

2010-07-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Where there's smoke,

There's fire.

I knew I should have bought stock in Magic Eraser.

The culprits have been sentenced to NAP TIME, effective immediately.

The Beach Tent

2010-07-06T12:53:00.001-07:00

It has been in the 90's with high humidity and nary a breeze in sight. In other words, HOT. We figured this would be a good time to visit Presque Isle, a beautiful peninsula on Lake Erie. On the way down to the beach, we passed a CVS with several beach-related items set outside. With the temperature doing nothing but climbing to a ridiculous level, we stopped and bought a very cool looking sun tent. And it was only $24- score!

We arrived at the beach, and Dennis took the boys to frolic in the water. This was very clever of him, since the other "job" was to set up the tent.

The sand was approaching the temperature of the surface of the sun, so I thought it would be a good idea to set the tent up. The minute size of the box and "storage bag" should have been a warning. The 8 million little pieces and very short instructional sheet that spilled out of the box gave me pause. The instructions read:

"Thread short pole into sleeve. Repeat for other side. Thread long pole over short poles through other sleeve. Use stakes if necessary."

This sounds simple. I assure you, it was not simple. The real instructions should have read:

Put short poles together.
Put long pole together.
Realize you have put the wrong pole pieces together. Recombine and repeat steps 1. and 2.
Unfurl tent on sand. Realize you have no idea which is the "top" or "bottom."
Thread short pole into a sleeve.
Thread other short pole into a sleeve.
Realize poles are in the wrong sleeves.
&%@!$&
Wipe sweat away from your forehead.
Repeat steps 5. and 6.
Thread long pole into remaining sleeve.
Realize long pole is not flexible enough to make the curve over the short poles.
Stomp on long pole until it bends.
Realize tent now resembles a box kite.
Scramble after tent, now blowing across the sand.
Notice there are no stakes to anchor the tent to the sand.
&$%@!!#!
Retrieve tent and throw every heavy object you own into it, so that it will not blow away.
Realize there is now no room for people inside the tent.
Drown self in lake.

We did manage to fit a chair inside the tent, and it did come in handy for us as we switched off kid-watching duties. It was akin to being set to "bake" instead of "broil." Plus, the kids found it handy for re-hydrating and gaining some energy back.

The biggest plus was the ease of taking the tent down:

Drive to Home Depot.
Purchase blow torch.
Incinerate tent.

For our next trip to the beach, I think we'll just buy a beach umbrella.

Attempting to cool off in the blistering heat

Happy Birthday, America!

2010-07-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

A Swinging Summer

2010-06-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

Hey, Mr. Postman...

2010-06-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

Matt decided he wanted to write a letter to Grandma on my Facebook page while I was taking a shower.

Hopefully, next time he'll use the keyboard and not a Bic Pen.

Off to find some screen cleanser...

Naturing

2010-06-27T05:55:00.000-07:00

Matthew was gathering rocks, leaves, and dirt into a bucket yesterday evening. I asked him what he was doing, and he answered, "Mom, I'm naturing!" It appears that nature has become a verb in our house, which isn't all that surprising.

We have been hiking in the woods, playing at the lake, and catching crayfish in the creek all summer long. One thing is certain: my children do not suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder!

Running off to play "witches and trolls"

Nolan on the footbridge

Venturing downstream

Inspecting tadpoles

Local wildlife-bullfrogs were everywhere!

Vacuum Automatical

2010-06-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

Toys were everywhere. Everywhere, I tell you. Somehow the playroom had exploded and deposited Duplos, Hot Wheels, and blocks across every square inch of our family room.

After stepping on one too many Duplo bricks, I made the decree: "All toys shall be cleared from this land!"

I ignored complaints of tired arms, noodly legs, and fingers that suddenly wouldn't work, and left my two small boys in charge of cleaning up the mess. When I returned a few minutes later to check on the progress, nearly all the toys were in the exact same disordered state. All of the toys, that is, except for the Duplo blocks that went into this creation:

Exasperated, I inquired as to the status of Operation Cleanup. Matt held up his creation amidst the mess and declared, "I invented the Vacuum Automatical! It will clean the mess for us!"

Nice try, kid. Nice try.

The Best 5.6 Seconds of Summer

2010-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Water balloons take a surprisingly long time to fill and tie off. After half an hour, my fingers were pruny and shaking from tying off so many tiny balloons. I thought, perhaps, I had tied hundreds of balloons, but once I looked into the box, I realized there were only about thirty.

I gathered the kids and explained the rules:

No throwing balloons at anyone's face.
Only take one balloon at a time.
Don't eat the balloons.*

The kids gathered around the box, and for a full 5.6 seconds, sheerest glee was heard in the realm of Lefler.

My next task is to train the children how to tie off balloons, so that I can have ~~cheap labor~~ more balloons at the next swimming play-date.

Happy first day of summer!

*This was directed more at my children, who have a propensity to eat things they shouldn't.

Got Dirt?

2010-06-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

2010-06-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Lend me your ears, and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key

Oh, baby, I get by with a little help from my friends

All I need is my buddies

I said I'm gonna get by with a little help from my friends

I'm gonna keep on trying

Said I'm gonna make it with my friends

Oh, baby I get by with a little help from my friends

The Orchard

2010-06-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our local nursery is not going to carry fruit trees anymore. Apparently, they don't sell- people want decorative, non-fruiting varieties. Their current stock of trees was on sale, with prices dramatically reduced.

The idea of having our own little orchard made us rush out and buy the last McIntosh and Braeburn trees on their lot. We planted our trees, and were ecstatic to think about all the pies coming our way in the fall.

Of course, now we know why apple trees don't sell very well. There's a little thing called fireblight that is about as pleasant as it sounds-there are lots of dead, falling leaves on the trees. There is also "rust." And "scab." Those are just the microscopic critters that attack.

We have to wrap the trunks to keep wandering rabbits and woodchucks from biting the trunks. There are the flies swarming that are probably the producers of the feared apple maggot. And then there are the deer, my arch nemeses. Sure, they look cute, in their Bambi-spotted hides. Trust me, they are a lot less cute when one wanders by with a prized Stargazer in her mouth! I am still in mourning over a lost group of Balloon Flower in my garden bed.

Still, we are trying our best to raise healthy apple trees, with the hope of apples in the fall. Unfortunately, something tells me our official "deer-proof fence" is not going to be very effective...

I know I'm not supposed to go in here...

Woo hoo- I made it inside!

Wheee!

If a two year old human child can get into our fenced off orchard, I'm pretty sure the deer will figure it out, too. It's only a matter of time until our beloved trees are deer fodder. But we won't go down without a fight.

Bambi, the war is ON.

Busy Bee

2010-06-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

When Matt was a baby, I couldn't wait until he said his first word. As it turns out, that took a little longer than expected. I also couldn't wait to see his first real drawings- I wanted to see what ideas were in his head; the things that interested him. That was going to take a little longer than expected, too. His first words were at 2 1/2 (most babies start speaking at 12 months) and his first drawings weren't produced until well over the age of four.

Matt's fine motor skills aren't exactly well-developed. In fact, it was only six months ago that he stopped eating crayons and started to scribble with them. In the last week, he has experienced an "art explosion," drawing and creating many pictures. I am so, so excited to see Matt's ideas and thoughts put on paper- he likes insects and boats a lot.

Without further ado, I present his first "true" drawing, The Bee:

Mr. Personality

2010-06-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

Big Shoes to Fill

2010-06-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

If you tell a two year old to go and put on some shoes, it is probably a good idea to specify which shoes he should put on. Still, Daddy's shoes look pretty cute on him!

Pittsburgh, Day 3: Carnegie Science Center

2010-06-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

Rain was in the forecast, which was fine since we were planning on doing the Carnegie Science Center. We were a little concerned that most of the exhibits would be "over their heads," so to speak, but the science center had plenty to entertain little ones.

We stopped by the Sportsworks complex first, which was great for letting off a little steam! The boys could throw balls and run to their hearts' content. Nolan, sadly, was too light to participate in the trampoline or human yo-yo activities (the minimum weight for the trampoline was 36 pounds- Matt barely made the cut-off)!

Matt on the "You-Yo" exhibit.

Jumping on the trampoline.

Nolan, playing a large version of "Operation."

We spent the rest of the day exploring the submarine, miniature train exhibit, and playing on the fourth floor, which contained a large play area for small children. Nolan really liked the ball factory in this area, and Matt was fascinated by the water table.

Nolan in the "ball factory"

Checking out the miniature trains.

Nolan on the sub.

After a day of exploration, we hit the road to return home. The three hour drive went by quickly, with Nolan watching "Signing Time" on the DVD player and Matthew snoozing off the day's excitement.

Farewell, Pittsburgh- we will miss you!

Pittsburgh, Day 2: Station Square and the Duquesne Incline

2010-06-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

Matt dubbed it the "Du-Climb"

Station Square was a hit- with trains running through the area regularly, any boy would be thrilled. Matt and Nolan would hear a train coming, then run to the wrought iron fence to watch it pass, shouting and giggling the entire time.

Watching trains race by in Station Square

Matt's favorite thing was the fountain, which was coordinated with music. There's nothing funnier than watching your four year old son dance in the fountain mist to "It's Raining Men." After we had left Station Square for the evening, Matt was still talking about the water "zooming" and "booming." According to Matt, "It wocked my world!"

The boys and Mom in front of the fountain

After dinner and dancing in the fountain spray, we drove over to the Duquesne Incline. Both boys had been longing for this activity since we arrived in Pittsburgh. Every other hour, Matt and Nolan would ask, "Are we going to the Du-climb yet?" We reassured them we would ride the "du-climb" and they were in seventh heaven once we bought our tickets and were sitting in the car. Nolan got quite a thrill out of the ascent, which was steeper than pictures can describe!

Matt and Mom riding up the hill

Nolan's excitement at going up the hill

Oh, I can't look!

The incline from the parking lot

The view from the top was absolutely stunning-you could see most of Pittsburgh and its beautiful suspension bridges. We wandered around the station for a while, then rode the funicular back to the bottom of Mount Washington.

Pittsburgh from Mount Washington

We had a beautiful last evening in the city before heading back to the hotel for a swim and bed. Tomorrow, we will visit the Carnegie Science Center and say farewell to Pittsburgh!

Pittsburgh Vacation, Day 2: The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium

2010-06-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning dawned with a dazzling, hot sun. We were very appreciative at all the trees in the Radisson's parking lot, otherwise we would have been cooked alive! After a quick breakfast at the hotel buffet, we loaded up the car and drove to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.

I am fairly sure our GPS system was trying to kill us, as it tried to send us on several roads that either didn't exist, had a different name than on the GPS system, or were under construction. Fortunately, Dennis was driving and has a fairly good sense of direction. We arrived at the zoo without having accidentally driven to Cincinnati, which is no small miracle.

After seeing several animals in the African Plains section of the zoo, I had a very special phone call to make. I have a really cool friend who has a brother who works at the Pittsburgh Zoo. It's really awesome to have connections like that! After calling his cell phone, we met up with Jon and got an awesome behind-the-scenes tour of the primate area. Being so close to the monkeys freaked Nolan out a little, but Matt was quite interested. Michele and Jon, thank you for this amazing opportunity!

The heat was starting to get to our little red-faced boys, so we stopped for lunch and found a nice spot in the shade to cool everyone down. We decided to head to the aquarium next, because it had really nice ~~air conditioning~~ fish.

The Pittsburgh Zoo has an amazing children's zoo, so after cooling off in the aquarium, we headed to the playgrounds and children's areas. Matthew was very excited about the polar bear exhibit, which did not disappoint. Having a polar bear swimming above your head is a pretty awesome experience!

The boys loved the kiddie rides at the zoo. We loved the reasonable price- $1 per ride. The cars and the log ride were just their speed, and a great way to end our day at the zoo.

We left the zoo at 3:00pm, and headed back to the hotel for a rest. We had plans to visit the Duquesne Incline and Station Square that evening, and we wanted well rested boys before dinner. Hopefully our GPS wouldn't decide to send us to Toronto instead!

Pittsburgh Vacation, Day 1: In Which Nolan Has Many Things Happen

2010-05-31T17:53:00.000-07:00

"I eat my money."

This is never a good thing to hear on the morning you are heading out of town. Nolan's big eyes were searching my face, pinched into a worried expression. I can guarantee you, it wasn't as worried as mine- the last time we had a child consume money, it resulted in an X-ray, emergency room trip, and an ambulance ride to a hospital in another city.

Luckily, Nolan is quite verbal and I was able to determine the coin he swallowed was a penny, and not 2 Pounds Sterling. He wasn't drooling, gagging, or having difficulty swallowing (issues Matt had when he decided to investigate money with his mouth). We waited an hour or so, watching him like a hawk. After the hour had passed, he was running and playing normally- it was quite clear the child was fine.

We loaded up the children and drove for three hours to Pittsburgh's Children's Museum. It was a delightful place- with a climbing structure that reached three stories high, art studio, and several other interactive exhibits. Matt was enraptured by the art studio and the "garage," where parachutes and climbing nets were located.

Matt in the giant kid climber

Playing on a bubble see-saw

Matt tries his hand at silk screening

Both boys loved the water area. The entire top floor of the Pittsburgh Children's Museum is devoted to water play. Sprinklers, ground fountains, a water table, and pipes covered the room, and the boys were in heaven.

Nolan, prior to taking a swim in the water table

The museum offered rain coats and crocs to help keep clothing dry. This worked perfectly, until Nolan decided to take a swim in the water table. While Matt was tinkering with pipes and setting up a complicated plumbing design, Nolan was reaching for a toy and fell "overboard." Fortunately for us, his hearing aids had been removed as soon as we walked into the area.

Nolan was soaking wet (and more than a little upset), so we decided it was time to check into our hotel and head out to dinner. A quick change of clothes and the quiet of the hotel settled his nerves.

We took a trip to the Church Brew Works (a converted Catholic Church, which is now a micro-brewery). Matt was happy to get pizza, and was intrigued by all of the stained glass. The only downside is that there is a 90% chance that his next trip to church might involve a question on the location of the kegs...

Dinner at the Church Brew Works

Once back at the hotel, we took a swim before settling in for a good night's sleep. The boys rotated beds a few times during the night, but finally fell asleep. Around midnight, I heard Nolan crying, "Mommy, help me!"

I stumbled around the darkness of the room, looking for Nolan in the plush comforter of the boys' bed. I couldn't find him at all. I felt around the floor, all the while hearing his voice crying. Nearing panic mode, I called out to Dennis, "I can't find the baby!"

Seriously. We're in a hotel room, can hear him crying, and can't find the child. We turned on the light and played "find that sound." We finally found him.. under the bed. Curled up in a corner and hidden by the dust ruffle- he had crawled under the bed and gotten stuck. With a little tugging and maneuvering, we freed him and put him back to bed.

We can only hope our next day of vacation will not involve swallowed money, swims in the water table, or children lost in the middle of the night.

Visiting Chautauqua Institution Beach

2010-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Chautauqua Institution is a famous center for the arts, education, religion, and recreation. During the nine weeks of summer, there is a hefty entrance fee. During the "off season," however, admittance is free. With a wonderful late spring heat wave rolling through the area, several "Mommy Friends" and I took our kids to the beach near the Miller Bell Tower.

Shallow water, bright sun, and a floating dock made for an exhilarating afternoon. It also made for two very tired boys, and a great nap time!

While the winter snow may be difficult to bear during the six months of winter, the warm summer days more than compensate!

I Blame The Weather Man

2010-05-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

We were heading up to Buffalo for a routine hearing test, so I checked the weather forecast. It was supposed to be in the high 70's, and I did a dance for joy- we could go to the zoo after the hearing test. Even better, we could wear shorts!

At 10:00am, the parking lot of Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center was 55 degrees. I'm pretty sure the blowing wind was close to 35 degrees. Considering I had not brought warmer clothing along for the trip, this was not a good sign.

The lack of forethought to bring jackets and jeans could be attributed to poor mothering skills, but I far prefer to blame the weather man. Obviously, the forecast was a wee bit "off." Hey, at least I remembered sunscreen!

The kids were definitely pro zoo trip, so we braved the icy wind and drove to Delaware Park. There are parking options at the Buffalo Zoo- you can pay to park in the zoo lot, or you can park for free just around the corner. Because I'm ~~cheap~~ frugal, you can guess where we parked. At least the walk prevented hypothermia!

We're Erie Zoo members, and the Buffalo Zoo used to be free as part of the reciprocating zoo membership program. Alas, this is no longer true. I might have saved on parking, but I had to fork over entrance fees.

We headed to the rain forest exhibit, where it is always a balmy 80 degrees. We visited every indoor attraction available, and by the time we were done, the temperature did reach the mid 70's outside.

The boys played on the new playground, we watched the sea lions, and the boys played "vet" in the learning room. It was a good, if not entirely warm, day!

Matt on the playground

Playing vet

Sea lions rock Nolan's world

Matt, trying to "race" the sea lion

The Pet Ladder

2010-05-13T11:39:00.001-07:00

When we were first married, we rescued two cats from a pet shelter. Two cats is enough pet for anyone, particularly when those cats have enough hair create a thousand tribbles every time you comb them. I was pretty sure we would never acquire another pet, at least not until our beloved cats were no longer with us.

The cat, who resents the fact that we had kids.

Then we had kids. Kids who love animals. Kids who want a dog.

I needed to find a smaller, less troublesome pet to satisfy the boys' need for animal companionship. This is not to instill a sense of responsibility, since we all know who ends up taking care of the household pets (hint: it rhymes with "Nommy"). It is more of a stalling tactic, hoping to delay the inevitable dog by a few years. I don't really want to use a pooper scooper in addition to changing diapers every day.

The "small pet" choice had to be carefully considered. I didn't want to start with something like a hamster, because ~~I hate rodents and the smell of rodent pee~~ they're too delicate for small children to care for. I'm not allowing reptiles, either, because I don't want to have to watch it feed every week. Around Easter time, I found the perfect pet. Sea Monkeys.

Future fish food. I mean, "Sea Monkeys."

Sea monkeys are great. Almost no care, except for replenishing water once in a while and dumping some powdered food into the "tank." And if they die, no one really cares. After all, they're a bunch of creepy crustaceans that look like bugs.

What I didn't count on was my husband's reaction to the Sea Monkeys. He observed our boys watching the underwhelming specks, and immediately declared, "They need a FISH TANK!"

And so we have started climbing the "pet ladder." You know, the one where you buy an innocuous "starter pet" and end up with a zoo in the family room. The fish tank has been purchased, three fish placed in the tank, and what do you know- one of the fish is already pregnant!

In a week or so, we will have a bazillion little swordtails hiding in the plastic plants. Unless Mom and Dad decide to eat all of their young, which is what I suspect will happen.

The expectant couple

So far, I have been able to stop the growth of Zoo Lefler, even as Dennis peruses advertisements shouting, "Adorable dachshunds! 8 weeks old! WITH PAPERS!"Because, apparently, having "papers" makes your dachshund even more adorable. My official stance is "No more pets," lest we end up with three turtles, ferrets, an iguana, and a herd of alpacas in the backyard.

I doubt I'll be able to hold out against the three other members of the family for long. Wish me luck!

Wordless Wednesday: The Tow Rope

2010-05-12T09:35:00.000-07:00