When Dad’s away …

Mom gets lazy. These last few weeks have been brutal with work. I am swamped. Mike is swamped. And now he is gone. So, since I am still doing a lot of work from home every night the house is a disaster and the boys are watching way more TV than I care to admit. Nick has been glued to the iPad and Netflix since we broke down and got it last month. He loves so many episodes of iCarly at his fingertips (though I noticed he watches a lot of the same ones over and over again).

And dinner is whatever they will eat, which means bread and yogurt and cheese for Zander (he puts the yogurt on the bread) and tortillas with cheese for Nick. At least I give them fruit with it!

Mr. Independent

There are some days that Nick can be super independent. He is tall enough to reach just about everything in our house and if he can’t get it from his feet he most definitely can with the help of a chair. Lately he’s taken to wanting to help pack his lunch. Sounds great right. Except I have two hours to get myself and two kids ready, pack two lunches, feed one child a bottle and another breakfast and get out the door. Thankfully Mike takes care of Nick so I have one less task on my checklist each morning. When Nick makes his lunch I still have to supervise. And he is still kind of really slow. So his “help” ends up taking me longer. I just have to remind myself that someday his help will really be a help, and then he won’t offer it up anymore. Ah, the joys of motherhood. And, yes, that is what my countertop looks like every morning. It is chaos everyday.

One food at a time

Confession time. I’ve never had a sweet potato. That means I have never cooked one either. I guess I didn’t realize I could throw it in the microwave just like I do with regular potatoes. So, I finally bought one for Ben and cooked it up. He loved it! I wasn’t surprised considering sweet potatoes were the first baby food I fed him and he liked them through all his trials and tribulations with food. Now I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t do this for the other boys. Nick was sitting next to Ben when I put this on the tray. He just crinkled his nose and moved as far away as possible. I can’t say I blame him. I tried a bite. It wasn’t awful, but nothing great. Maybe if I dressed it up a little it wouldn’t be so bad.

Trouble with a capital T

That’s what this one is. We are struggling with baby-proofing the house because we don’t want to incapacitate Nick and Zander’s ability to be independent, but we also need to keep Ben safe. It’s a delicate balancing act that we are still trying to figure out. So for right now, it is pretty much a free for all in our house. If I was a praying woman I would be doing a lot of it, hoping that Ben doesn’t find a stray Lego or marble or raisin on the floor and think he needs to see what it tastes like. For now though his favorite place to play is in the cupboard under the sink … you know, where all the completely safe toxic cleaners are. Great, huh?

The worst part is, is he knows he shouldn’t be under there. Look at that smile. He’s saying “I got you wrapped around my chubby little finger mommy. You just keep sitting there and taking pictures while I destroy everything.”

So I do. Because he’s cute. And I can’t resist his smile.

Or his dimples.

Or his eyelashes.

It’s true

A small part of my had hoped that Mike was just kidding me – that my baby wasn’t (gulp) a toddler. But, he wasn’t kidding. As soon as Ben rolled out of bed this morning I had him down on the floor and was coaxing him to walk. He wasn’t all that into it, but he took 3 steps for me too. Ack. I can’t believe it, my baby is officially gone. I am now the mother of a kindergartner, preschooler and toddler.

How can it be?

How can it be that I missed my last little baby’s first steps? I left home about 3:30 tonight for an announcement that would end up (likely) being my (and the town’s) biggest story of the year. I had only been gone about 15 minutes when Mike called. He said “I know you probably don’t want to hear this but …” Stop right there. If you know I don’t want to hear it then why did you call? Anyway, he didn’t stop. He proceeded to tell me that Ben had taken 3 steps on his own. How can that be? He isn’t even 10 months yet. This is the baby that was supposed to be a baby for a really long time. The one that I would have been happy to have wait to walk until he was at least 1 and he has to be my overachiever. And I missed it. What was worse was I knew I was going to be gone until well after his bedtime so I wouldn’t even get to see it when I got home. Ugh.

I want my baby back

Because this little guy is way too big to be my baby.

Look at that belly.

And that chin!

And that smile!

Where did my baby go?

Ready, Aim

Ben has been working hard at the whole food thing. Now that he is OK with eating puffs we are working on his accuracy. For now, the pincer grasp is still out of reach, but he is doing alright with shoving his whole hand in his mouth. I’d say we are at about 50 percent accuracy.

Really, it doesn’t matter much when you are this cute.

A late Valentine’s treat

The family came over to visit last night so I had to put off my special Valentine’s Day treat for a night. This is a Pinterest, two ingredient special. You make some strawberry cake batter, throw in some chocolate chips and make a waffle. It looked a lot better on Pinterest, but Nick didn’t seem to mind. He gobbled up his (and Zander’s) without hesitation.

Zander is more of a traditionalist. He really doesn’t like to try anything new, even if it is a sweet treat. So he stuck with the ice cream and chocolate syrup.

And little Ben had some very special Puffs.

Then I took what was left of the cake batter and made cupcakes. I really hate cleaning the waffle iron and the idea of making anymore than what we were going to eat that night was a bit daunting. Besides, who doesn’t like a strawberry cake with chocolate chips? The correct answer would be Zander of course.

Happy Valentine’s Day

For real, no sarcasm this time. We started the day with some canned cinnamon rolls and Nick told me I was the best mom ever (or something like that). It’s amazing how such a little thing will make him so happy.

Even Ben got in on the sweet breakfast action.

Then, while the boys were eating I got their presents ready (I’m just as bad at Valentine’s as Mike – I had just bought the stuff the day before). But, they loved it just the same.

Love how everyone looks like they are getting along.

Then it was off to school and work and daycare for a normal day (except that the older boys got to pass out their cards and get jacked up on too much sugar before coming home). After dinner my mom, dad and sister stopped by to drop off presents for the boys. There were more Skittles (their all-time favorite)

and new t-shirts and other fun little things. My mom is way better at this than I am.

And Benny even got some new cool stuff. Look at that adorable little smile.

And this one just kills me.

The boys were very happy for everything they got today. Can’t you tell?

I give Nick ‘til second grade before he is as big as my mom (and therefore two of my sisters, too).

New model

Our Zamboni has been upgraded. That’s right folks, Zander is now driving a 2012 top-of-line, state-of-the-art ice cleaning machine.

So, last month Zander started sitting in the chair and pushing the tea cart around. But, that just wasn’t quite good enough. Now, he pushes around the shopping cart with the tea cart attached to the front.

And since our friend Felix, who drives the real Zamboni, took the boys down to show them how it worked again (they went last year, too) he has been quite explicitly explaining everything this Zamboni does. He has to get the old ice out of it and dump water through it and a whole bunch of other things that Felix told them.

I can’t wait to see the 2013 model.

I *heart* Valentine’s

Is there a symbol for sarcasm? Because that is what I need right now. I really don’t like Valentine’s Day. Mike has never been very good at the holiday so we just don’t celebrate and now that we have two kids in school the holiday has become even more fun. Valentine’s cards are the most tedious, mind-numbing task possible, at least when your kids are 3 and 6. Zander’s teacher and daycare provider FINALLY sent home the class list of names. Nothing like the last minute. The only positive: his teacher printed out the class names and a sheet of Zanders so all he had to do was cut and paste. Brilliant, I tell you. Brilliant.

But even this simple task took eons to complete. And then each Valentine needed a skull tattoo (perfect for the Catholic school class) stuck in tiny little slots before it could be folded and stuck together with a little heart sticker. Ugh. Did I mention how much I hate Valentine’s? Hats off to those crafty moms (I know I have one of you reading this) who *gasp* make their Valentine’s each year. I did it once and never again. I don’t care how many cute little cards I find on Pinterest, my kids are going to be bringing the store bought cards to school each year.

 

Guess I should be glad they are boys because truthfully, they really don’t care.

What was he thinking?

I spent the weekend inventorying all of the boys’ clothes in tubs in the garage. I found so much stuff I forgot I had and finally found a solution I think will help keep me on top of what I need and what I don’t as Ben and Zander work their way through the sizes. I managed to find some more clothes for Zander (this is the third batch of them that have surfaced). Every time I pulled out a new shirt or pair of PJs he got so excited about his new clothes. I can only hope he stays this excited about hand-me-down clothes in the future.

After Zander’s bath he came out in this get-up.

There is a “new” Toy Story PJ t-shirt on underneath his “new” Black Hawks sweatshirt. The legging snowman PJ pants are “old” and then there are those bright blue Toy Story sock (with the legging pants tucked in). This is one seriously questionable styling get-up. Someday he will hate me for this. For now, he thinks he looks good.

Nine months

Good ol’ Benny boy has been busy this month. This little guy just cannot sit still. He is into everything all the time. But, it’s so much fun to watch him try and figure out his surroundings. Too bad he thinks he needs to taste everything he touches. Case in point:

• He is 20.3 pounds (41st percentile), 27 3/4 in. (26th percentile) and his head is 18 1/4 in. around (76th percentile). It’s good to know that at least his head is just like his brothers’.
• We are still working on the solid food thing. He is now eating puffs like a champ, but still pretty tentative with everything else. Formula and baby food are still his main source of nourishment. He will gobble down rice cereal and two tubs of baby food at dinner if I let him.
• He now has his two bottom teeth. Hurray! Not that they do much, but at least they are starting to come in.
• Is using everything as a walking toy including his high chair, our kitchen chairs, his brother’s tea cart (don’t ask) and the garbage.
• He has finally said “Mama” though not really directed at me.
• He is wearing mostly 12 month clothes, though I have brought out a few 18 month shirts. They are super long in the arms, but look so much more comfortable in the belly.
• He talks all. the. time. And screams too. He loves hearing his own voice. And in this house you pretty much have to scream to be heard.
• He is still the most relaxed baby I know. He almost never cries (though strangers are starting to cause some drama) unless he is tired or hungry.
• He is still sleeping well which has helped this overtired mama immensely. I always know when he is getting sick because his sleeping patterns will be completely off.
• I’m starting to see more and more Nick in him. Lord help us all.
• He cracks us all up. His smile crinkles up his whole face and he gets this squinty Graham eyes. And he loves to shake his head to the point of almost making himself dizzy. It’s so stinking cute.

I’m beginning to think these monthly photos are getting a bit dangerous.

And finally, one of him just sitting nicely. These pjs make him look so little again after his little man shirt last month.

In training

Zander doesn’t know it yet, but these hours minutes he is logging on the treadmill are actually part of his training regiment. We are heading to Walt Disney World this summer and his little legs need to build up some stamina (then again, so do my big ones). Good thing he is young enough to still think the treadmill is a fun way to pass the time on a Sunday morning.

Too bad anything faster than a 1.0 and he goes sliding off the back. He thinks the safety clip actually keeps him on. And look at those feet, they are still turned in.