Forgot something...

You know, it really helps to remember to take your clothes off BEFORE you get into the bath!

15 Degrees

We headed out this past Saturday evening to see the Jamestown Christmas Parade. We've never managed to make it to the parade, and we thought it would be a fun experience for the kids. The only problem? It was FIFTEEN degrees. So on went the snowsuits and snowboots, mittens and hats, scarves and blankets.

We thought we'd be getting to the parade in the nick of time, but there was some sort of delay and it started later than the official time stated in the paper. I had on regular tennis shoes (silly me) and my toes were frozen before the parade began.

Nolan had to be held at all times, and we kept a close eye on him and Matthew due to the frigid temperatures. Matt seemed to revel in the cold (that child has freon flowing in his veins).

The parade finally started and we saw a variety of firetrucks and horse-drawn floats. Unfortunately, the parade kept STOPPING for extended periods of time. At 15 degrees, nothing should stop moving. We were worried about the kids being outside, so we left long before Santa appeared. Nolan was just happy to get home into his nice, warm high chair.

Oh, well. Maybe we'll get to see the entire parade next year!

Snowman

We dub thee "Frosty."

It finally got warm enough to go outside and build a snowman. Yes, in early December it has been too cold to get the snow to stick well enough to form snowballs! Nolan still hates cold weather, even when the temperatures approach the low 40's. Matthew, as always, is my winter child and loves the snow and ice.

Mr. Snowman, meet your nemesis!

Having defeated the snowman, Matt kindly replaces his nose.

Nolan was really only happy eating snowman eyes (i.e. raisins) and playing on the driveway.

Once inside, Nolan was finally happy again. This boy is going to grow up and return to his Southern Californian roots!

Then again, perhaps it is the hat-hair, not the cold, he detests!

New (Permanent) Works of Art

I saw Matt's latest work of art and thought, 'oh, please. Be Crayola. Be washable!

My hopes were not to be realized.

We have Sharpie Marker everywhere. Some of it made it onto paper. The rest is all over the family room. Even the angel on the nativity set has the appearance of a bad makeup job.

I bring you news of great joy and bad mascara!

Here You Go

I have a cousin who occasionally asks me what it is like to have kids. This is, of course, an impossible question to answer. It is something you have to live.

On the other hand, there are a myriad of small experiences which convey some information about parenthood. Take, for instance, our recent trip to Walmart. I don't think we even went to Walmart prior to children.

We pull into the snow-covered parking lot and have to get hats and coats on two wriggling boys. Who most definitely do not want coats or hats on their person. The one year old starts crying. The three year old starts whining.

We walk into the store and don't bother to get a cart. We are only there to pick up a picture frame, so we don't really need one. Or so we think. We also don't have the diaper bag due to the short nature of the trip.

The 1 year old is balanced on one hip, still resentful over the whole coat-and-hat thing, and the three year old decides to make a break for it. In the grocery section. We deduce that he is somewhere among all the produce carts and manage to catch him. The husband, in the meantime, has wandered off to look at the flat screen TV's.

The 3 year old is crying because he now has to hold your hand (akin to Capital Punishment for a preschooler). Crying creates snot. Lots and lots of snot.

I make it to the housewares department and find the stupid frame. I now have a toddler perched on my hip, a frame in one hand, and my other hand wrapped around the wrist of the 3 year old. Who is struggling to get away.

Suddenly he stops straining against my grasp. This should have been a warning sign to me, but for reasons of exasperation I took it as a minor miracle and let out a sigh of relief.

"Here you go," my sweet boy says and holds up his hand. I have no idea what he is giving me, and I can't lean over due to struggling-1-year-old on my hip. He wipes his hand against my hand, and I realize what my gift is. A booger.

Great... no diaper bag means no wipes, and now I am stuck in the middle of Walmart with two cranky small children and a gargantuan booger stuck on the back of my hand. 3 year old tries to make a break for it again, and I grab him to find the father of my offspring.

"We have to go. NOW," I say through clenched teeth. My dear husband still really has no idea of why we have to go, but takes Matt of my hands and we head to the checkout. I ask the cashier if she has a paper towel or Kleenex. Of course not! The nearest paper towel is at register number 13, all the way across the store. Forget it, I'd rather keep the booger than traipse across the store with these two kids.

We make it to the refuge of our car (yes, your car becomes a refuge when you have kids) and the relief of wet-wipes and Purell. Lots and lots of Purell.

Let's just say that I can't wait until booger season winter is over!

Superhero

Move aside, Matthew Kitty Cat. A new alter ego is in town!

The newest obsession is a mask, or "mats" as Matt calls it. The mask must accompany us everywhere, with Matthew holding it up over his eyes so that people will not recognize him. After all, if they knew of his great powers, he'd be signing autographs for AGES.

Matthew Kitty Cat

I love three year old boy. It is so much better than two year old boy (chiefly for the decline in general whining). One of the new developments is a very active imagination, where Matt spends much of his day pretending to be something. Lately, it has been a cat with a rather unimaginative name of "Matthew Kitty Cat."

Matthew Kitty Cat likes to play with balls, climb trees (aka the couch), and meow at the door to be let out. We were having a lot of fun with our boy-cat, until he informed us that cats don't eat dinner. They only eat cat food.

The cat food has been moved to an undisclosed location pending the return of Matthew Preschooler.