Oh Gross...

I literally thought I might die on Tuesday night. And then Wednesday, I very well may have if it weren't for my lovely Mom-in-Law, Grandma Janice.

I was sick.

The kind of sick where you loathe the day you were born because you can't even find comfort lying under quilts in the fetal position.

The kind of sick where the toilet and you become intimately familiar and the cold tiles around it actually seem welcoming after your sweaty chills.

The kind of sick where you seriously consider writing to your Senators to suggest a 911 Nanny program for those very days where a mama is down and out and needs emergency day care for her little gems.

And then she arrived...

Bless Grandma Janice for taking care of these little grinners. While I hibernated and prayed and beat something fierce outta my system with exorbitant amounts of sleep.

What would we have done without you?

And as a P.S. to this post, don't you think we should all write in to our local government officials about the 911 Nanny system (an idea that a fellow blogging friend originally proposed and I wholeheartedly support)...

Genius - I swear. :)

At the Expense...

You know what's crazy? The general law of the land that when you have "chillun" in your home, you can tackle a new project, but only at the expense of something else. Allow me to further pontificate...

Monday I had on the old to do list "clean the pantry". And I was going to make it happen. I was feeling the fire of a Monday morning task. The babes and I even went to Wally-World to gather some organizational tools and a Diet Coke so we were fully prepared. We got home and the fun began. I emptied the pantry and placed "like with like" items all over the counters and the table and mean while... the little whirlwinds had emptied the toy chest, several drawers in the kitchen, a canister of Gerber Cheetos and Dax's sock and shoe bins. All of 'em. By the time nap time rolled around the pantry looked stellar. I was beaming.

(I mean, look at it - drool - adore it... I get it)

Until I turned around to face my next project and it took me three hours to repair the damage done to the rest of our humble abode by these happy little feet and hands.

Then I blinked and the little balls of fire were up and at it again. This time I was in the midst of a closet re-org (why do we all feel the need to clean and purge just because the seasons change?) Anyway, it was snowing out and I hadn't fed the dog so I put him and my two little men in the garage together and they were giggling hysterically. Dax was cruising in the walker... Kael was chasing him... Coop was dining.

Happy Sounds = Happy Mom.

They look so innocent here - I know - You can probably barely believe they ever get into trouble, eh?!

Followed shortly by a not so happy sound... the crash of the dog food container and kiblets scattering from hell to breakfast all over the concrete floor. I knew my Big K had some guns (he shows us daily) but I had no idea he could push over that big old thing. And so, the closet re-org got put on hold while I shoveled up dog food with Kael and his little blue plastic shovel. Which he happened to think was the most fun project of all time. Sigh.

So, there you have it. My challenge o' the week. To tackle some spring cleanin' projects with my two little "handy mannys". The good news is at the rate we're moving, we'll be done by, oh - maybe August. And the other good news is the weather is supposed to get fab by the end of week and then even I might throw the list of projects to the back burner and go play in the sun with my little guys. We're wild that way. :)

Lil' Dapper Ones...

I think these pictures need no explanation. Our little men are adorable & dapper gents and here they are all ready for church (at 9 am might I add).

They always start out so sweet. Happy to be there, singing, munching, reading and juicing.

And then we have a steady and swift decline.

It ain't pretty.

How do you do it? How do you keep your kids occupied, somewhat reverent and in or near your seats while keeping your skirt hem down around it's natural resting place?

We are baffled and amazed at all of you.

Send us your wisdom.

Send us the list of toys and other things designed for such outings.

Send us your secrets.

Pretty Please?

Slips My Mind...

Did you know that our Kaelster is adopted?

I know, seems like a weird thing to suddenly have an epiphany about, but I swear to you, I don't even think twice about it, well, really, ever. Except for those moments when I am basking in my Mama-hood and feeling like I am earning a Mama Merit Badge of sorts and then I think of Kael's birth mom. And I send her a huge hug via ESP... like the kind of hug where you nearly tackle someone because you feel so strongly about getting your arms wrapped around their neck to really solidify your message and your feelings. An airport greeting hug if you will.

Similar to this one...

Or This one.... You're Welcome :)

It is crazy how well our baby boys fit right here in our little nest. It is clear - crystal clear - that they were a little packaged deal and that they worked with the Big Guy upstairs to ensure that he got creative enough to put them both at the same local address here on Earth. And I am so, forever grateful that Kael's birth mom was in on the plan too. And that she and her dad were in tune with the Spirit to know what was best for her and for our Kael.

Life.

It sorta just takes care of itself. We all kind of get on board and strap ourselves in for the ride. And I can't tell you how happy I am with mine - even amidst the chaos and the messes... which have multiplied ten-fold with our ever growing mobility and cache of tricks... I get these freakin' amazing vistas of love and brotherhood and joy every day. And I can see a little sliver of Heaven in the form of my little blue-eyed wonders. It's all pretty dang incredible and I try to soak it in through every one of my pores every single day.

Our boys are different. And yet they are oh so the same. One has big cheeks that are soft and sweet - like cookie dough - and his blonde hair looks platinum when it catches the rays of the sun. He is loud and strong and passionate and he gives huge bear hugs with his chubby little dimpled arms. But those eyes.... those blue ocean eyes, they are his unquestionable link to his brother. Who also wears those soul-searching ice moon orbs and who has a delicate little nose and one dimpled cheek in his olive complexion. He is lively and agile and determined. And his rock star hair begs for kisses atop his little head. But you hardly notice any differences at all when you watch them giggle in the back yard with their beloved dog or mimic one another as they play.

They are both ours. They are both amazing.

And we are incredibly lucky.

And really, that's all I have to say. Except that amidst runny-noses and dirty diapers I can, and sometimes do, momentarily lose sight of my little slice o' Heaven. Not on purpose. But it happens. So when the blissful sounds of slumber enter our home once again each afternoon; I bask. Not in the sleepy noises, but in my life. And I take a few moments to just think and let my heart sop it all up like a sponge. I ponder on my blessings. Our little men. My big man. Our happy home. Our comforts in life. And all the good things yet to come.

And there is not a day that goes by that those blessings slip my mind. :)

Juvenile Delinquent...

Well, this morning didn't go as I had planned. We were up bright and early to prepare for our Daddy-o's homecoming. We had business to tend to and off we went at 7:30 in the morning to run our first errand.

Upon arriving home I got Kael out of his car seat and let him sit behind the wheel for a few minutes while I unloaded Dax. I picked up little man and began to pack him into the house when I heard it. The unmistakeable "click" of the power lock button in the truck. Whoops. I had Dax in my arms but no diaper bag. Which meant that the diaper bag WITH the keys was in the truck with my little Kaelster. And here's the worst part... RyGar had his keys (for who knows what reason) with him in Europe... a fact I was already aware of.

I sat Dax down in the living room, started a little movie and gave him a jar full of puffs to snack on - should be A-OK for a while. And out to the garage I went to try to talk Big K into pushing the unlock button. He loves to push buttons and he loves being in the driver's seat, shouldn't be too hard, right? Wrong. Fifteen minutes later the mirrors had been adjusted, the hazards were on, but the doors were still locked and I was beginning to sweat. So I broke down and called the non-emergency police line for our city. Holy freakin' embarrassing. I explained the situation and literally within five minutes the officers were there. They were so sweet and assured me that I was not the only mother in the world to ever pull this little stunt. Maybe not but I still felt like I deserved to be grounded.

Alas, the Chevy dealership arrived to save the day with their unlocking gadgets of all variety and by this time, Big K was not about to push anything. It wasn't funny anymore and there were two little streams of tears running down my Kaelster's big cheeks. The magical sound of unlock rung through the air and there was my little crying bundle all hot and sweaty in my arms. Poor kid.

Lesson learned.... NEVER live life without a spare key. Do not underestimate the power of a young 'en, and if you are interested in not becoming the talk of the 'hood, don't do stuff that requires the summoning of multiple police cars before 9 am. :)

And to all the good officers of the world... You are amazingly patient and kind. Let's face it, NO ONE calls you with good news or a brilliant move that they made... it's always the "oops" moments and you still arrive with a smile. THANK YOU!

And here's wishing a happy hump day to all of you too!

H.O.M.E.

You know that feeling you have when you go to your home? The home where you were raised with the people that raised you? The home town where you shopped at the department store and went to the playground and walked along the canal banks?

I LOVE that home.

It's like Dorothy said, "There's just no place like it."

The boys and I escaped to my home this weekend and fittingly enough, I sported my red Pumas. And I'm pretty sure the little men felt this "awe of reverence" by the way I smiled and gushed and talked them through the next "must do". We made it to the Dairy. We made it to IFA to see the Easter chicks. We made it to the swings. AND we still had plenty of time for Grandpa's March Madness jigs and Grandma's lap.

We missed our RyGar. But when a girl's arms are empty in the walls of her own home, sometimes she just hits the road and heads to THAT HOME. And it fills up her soul and makes her H.A.P.P.Y. :)

* These pictures are from last weekend. Slacker that I am, I forgot the camera on our trip HOME.

And Lord knows, she needed a little happy, because as an addendum to the last " bath tub" post, we had another "incident". Only this time, one tub became contaminated by one baby, and the second tub become toxic by the second. Both babies and their mama ended up in the shower as I cursed antibiotics that cause stress to little digestive tracks and I used two cans of the expensive Kaboom disinfecting all things bathroom.

Bless you happy HOME and Mom and Dad for saving a gal on the edge...

And Happy Monday Ya'll.

Spring is here...

:)

The Ugly Truth...

Lately my RyGar has been spending LOTS of hours at one of his clients. So, while he is technically "in town" I just tell myself he is traveling because it's easier for me to swallow that way for some reason. This means that the evening count down is all me, baby. You know what I'm talking about... dinner, clean up, bath, clean up, bottles, stories, teeth-brushing, and finally bed.... yeah, and then collapse.

Last night the boys were in the tub and as usual I drained the water down to a mere inch and scooped one baby out. I sat Kaelster in his towel on the countertop in the bathroom and began to lotion him down and put on his diaper and I glanced over to check on Daximus. Here is what I saw... butt in the air, head on the ground, and full-on giggle fit. So cute... little man can do a headstand! So I continued to "bejammy" Kael. Then Big K started to giggle and I take a little double take at Dax-Man and I finally clue in to what my two BOYS are laughing hysterically about....

Dax was full on doing his "duty" and watching the "fruits of his labor" come out of his sweet cheeks. I died. Literally, I zipped Kael's jammies and put him down then lunged for Dax-Man and scooped him up leaving a nice little surprise in the middle of the tub.

Holy Crap. Literally.

And that may be TMI for you, but it is SO going down in this little family's journal because some day it is going to be my sweet little pay back when someone is old enough to know better. I still don't get how such an innocent little face can do something so gross.... Which leads me to my next thought... kids are hilarious and gross. Period. They are my constant reminder that I am a mother, which is music to my ears, but also wreaks havoc to my bath tubs.

And that makes me one of the toughest SOB's you'll ever meet. :)

Watch Yourself.

Happy Week-END-ing... Ha Ha... Bad Joke.

Little Royals...

Let me tell you a little story.

When my brother and I were young, we were "Grandkid Royalty". Let me explain. My Grandma and Grandpa were well past the newness of having grand babies by the time we came along. They're youngest, my Dad, was... well, how you do you put this nicely, a happy accident? Yep, an accident by quite a ways. One of those "caboose babies" if you will. So Gram and Gramps' other grand kids were definitely kids. Not babies. Not toddlers. And we were the "oh so cute little ones". And let me tell you, it was awesome.

Every Wednesday my Grandma and Grandpa would "drive over the mountain" to come see us. Every Wednesday. My Mom would dress us up in nice duds and they would take us to lunch and order us fish and chips and clam chowder and we'd sit quietly and cutely and eat and wave at their peers while they gossiped with the other regulars at the salad bar. They loved it. And we loved it. And believe me, we got it. We weren't going to do a thing to screw up the status quo. We were kind of famous there, because, well, with royalty comes fame.

Just ask Kate Middleton. :)

After lunch, every Wednesday, they would take us to Kings so we could pick out one new toy each. And I never remember my Grandma checking the price or telling me to choose something else. If I wanted a dinosaur she'd take my dino to the register and make it happen. If I wanted Pom-Poms - she was all over it. I swear, one time, my brother asked for a pocket knife and she didn't even flinch. That is the sweet life.

And the whole reason I bring this up is because today, I bought window crayons and punch balloons for the babies at the store for no apparent reason. Maybe because it was Wednesday and subconsciously I was reverting back to my days with Gram and Gramps. And then I scolded myself and thought, "Duh, they don't need these, I'll save them for Easter." But then I stopped. What am I waiting for? I mean, in all actuality, though it seems a little melodramatic, we could be hit with an eight-point magnitude earthquake tomorrow and our entire existence would change.

So here's what we did. We lived it up with our crayons and punch balls today. Because seriously, I don't care how you do the math; life is precious. And you never know how much time you'll get to spend with the little men and women of your life. So I'm gonna show mine how much I love them and make them feel like royalty, because every single kid needs to feel like that sometimes just because. And I'm pretty sure Royal babies would prefer a punch ball over a silver rattle.... just sayin'.

So, to my little Prince's... brace yourselves because mama is gettin' all existential on you for a minute. You are my royal family. I would do anything for you any day of the week (not just Wednesday) and I love you EVERY day of the week. And you know what? If I lose sight of that in the future sometimes, just remind me of your Great Grandma and Grandpa A. I'll snap to it. Promise. We're gonna live it up & enjoy the sweet life together... today and every other day. Because we can. :)