Words uttered in our house this evening...

When we get home in the evenings, it is typically like a whirlwind. Crazy times of cooking food, cleaning bodies, and attempting to find something to do to retain some sort of sanity. For Tyler, it's watching "Imagination Movers" or "Stuart Little". For Connor, it's pushing trucks around. For Kyle and I - it's time on the computer.

Tonight wasn't unlike most others, but I just started paying attention to the words coming out of my mouth. I never thought I would utter the words I did, but seriously, these words or phrases came out of my mouth after 5:30 this evening...

1. "CONNOR GET OFF THE TABLE!" "Kyle, get me a towel to get the ketchup off his knee".
2. "Tyler, you can have a sticker if you sit at the table. But you have to use silverware."
3. "Tyler, get out of the clothes basket!"
4. "Connor - QUIT HITTING YOUR BROTHER!" (Repeat this 100 times).
5. "Tyler - STOP SITTING ON CONNOR!" (only repeated 3 times)
6. "No golfing in the kitchen!"
7. "Tyler, get the squeeze cheese out of your mouth!"
8. "Get me another drink"

Oh, wait, the last one was uttered by me. I had one of those days at work. Nothing seriously bad happened, but nothing good either, which makes it kind-of a frustrating day. I like to feel some sort of success when I leave in the evenings, or else, evenings like this at home are just THAT much more frustrating.

Looking back at tonight, I laugh at some of the things that happened. I didn't laugh then - but I'm laughing already. Now we're trying to put Connor to bed for the first time without a pacifier, period. Not even with the clipped off ends. I'm having a good time.

(Keep telling myself that!)

Snipers in my Living Room

The new obsession in our house is.....Nerf Guns.

Tyler found one at our friend's house a while ago, and become obsessed with it. So much, that we could actually use it as a constant bribe to get good behavior.

"Tyler, eat your supper and we'll get that gun... Tyler, sit down and we'll get that gun".

So, SuperNanny would probably cringe at the fact that I'm using a gun as a bribe to get my child to exhibit acceptable behavior, but I don't care. There are two little things I'm aiming for, survival and sanity. To have both would be Heaven!

Connor has recently got in on the action. Honestly, he's got a pretty good shot.

Next time anyone comes over, make sure you can duck, and quick. You never know what is being aimed at your head!

My work here is done.

I've spent a total of 79.5 weeks of my life pregnant. Watching everything I ate and drank so as not to hurt the baby. I then spent a total of 24 weeks on Maternity Leave, a total of 12 months breastfeeding, and by now, approximately 15 nights total out of the last 4.5 years, that I didn't have to get out of bed to take care of someone.

I've changed 8 million poopy diapers (I doubt this is an exaggeration), and cleaned up puke, drool, urine and any other bodily fluid you can think of out of the carpet, my clothes, and the car.

Now, Tyler wants nothing to do with me. When it comes to bedtime, he wants daddy. If daddy, God forbid, leaves the house, Tyler will FREAK OUT. He was very clear when he told me this weekend I wasn't supposed to kiss him, ever again.

"You're Yucky!", he says, "I told you not to kiss me!"

Both of the boy's worlds use to revolve around me. I was their lifeline to this earth, providing clothing, shelter, hugs and kisses, and everything else that would make them happy. Daddy was, at that time, just someone to play with and be a pinch-hitter, when Mommy wasn't around.

Now, they want the pinch-hitter all the time. Daddy makes better food, plays golf better, tells better stories, etc. You get the picture.

Don't get me wrong, the free time I'm finally experiencing for the first time since 2004 is amazing, but at the same time, it was nice to be needed. Connor still wants to cuddle when he's tired (or not feeling well), but that's about it. And unless I want to start introducing horrible sleeping habits again, I'm not going to start rocking him to sleep again, although I want to so bad.

I guess it all comes down to what you heart wants and needs. The feeling you get in your heart when your little boy runs to you when he gets hurt, or asks for you when he goes to bed.

Again, I've been pushing for their independence their whole life, and now I'm getting it, and am not prepared for it myself.

Damn the saki bombs!

What do you get when you combine 4 Saki Bombs, 1 Strawberry Martini, and countless amounts of Bud and Miller Light? You get this....

Yep! Kyle and I were STARS on Saturday night! We sang "Neon Moon", and we were GOOOOOOOOOD..... if I do say so myself. I think Paula Abdul might be calling us soon for an audition to American Idol.

Actually, I think I saw people cringe while we sang. And if it couldn't get any better, Vicki, Brenda and I busted out an excellent version of "Sweet Child O' Mine" after this. And you didn't think it could get any better???

I love you Kyle! Hope you had a happy birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Happy Birthday Kyle! Honestly, I don't give you enough credit sometimes for doing what you do, but I do want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. Sometimes I wish you did more, but there are times when I can't imagine what more would be...

• I think I have taken the kids to daycare 4 times this year. You have taken them all the other times.


• I have picked up the kids about 2 days a week. You have picked them up all the other times.


• You are strict with the boys, although I agree with everything you do with them (most of the time!)


• Although you don't do laundry, you do insist on having the house clean - constantly. Sometimes it drives me crazy that you try to pick up toys, while the boys are playing, but the other extreme would be worse.


• You have taken the boys to the doctor when they are sick, taken them for follow up appointments, and picked up their perscriptions.
  You have stayed home with them on sick days and snow days, when I had things I had to do at work.


• You deal with my crazy work schedule which means I have to be out of the house before 7am every day, and am never home before 5pm, ever.


• You know when I am crabby, and although get frustrated when it's 8pm and I don't want to talk to anyone, but you just leave me alone.

Sometimes I look at the boys, and I see all you. All. You. There is so little of my genes in them, it's crazy. I almost forget sometimes when I'm talking to Tyler that it's not you.

Most of all, I love you and cannot imagine any life other than what we have right now!

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

I don't like girls

Tonight, Kyle and I were both sitting on the couch while Tyler watched Stewart Little 2, his new favorite movie. Tyler jumped up from his seat on the floor and jumped into Kyle's lap. "Hold me!", he said.

I asked Tyler, "Do you want to sit in my lap?", because I was desperately needing a cuddle at that time.

"No!", Tyler replied. "I don't like girls!" he said.

Great. He doesn't like "girls", of which I fit into that category, I guess. He spent the next half hour before bedtime cuddled up to Kyle on the couch.

I miss my cuddly Tyler. I have a cuddly Connor (who is in bed), that has replaced that boy, but how long until Connor tells me that he doesn't like girls???

I think we need to get a dog. A dog will always love me.

The nights outside

I am convinced that nights spent outside with the boys are so much longer than nights spent inside with the boys. Maybe it's because we have (ha ha, have!) to play, throw balls, run, chase them, and just have a good time - and when we're inside, we're forced to clean up messes, do dishes, do laundry, etc. boring stuff.

We spent all evening outside tonight until we drug them inside for bathtime, tears and all. According to daycare, the boys spent almost every waking moment outside at daycare too. They are exhausted!

I love the nights spent outside. They run, play, laugh and just spend the whole time outside, smiling.

I do too.