I have decided the following

1) When you have a lot of cooking to do for what is, let's face it, people eating for fifteen minutes and leaving a messy table, a new apron makes a world of difference in your outlook. Thanks Linda for starting a new tradition. Angelia, Brooke, we missed you and hope next year all four of us can be matching! (This is the only picture taken before the battery on my camera died.)
2) For our family Signing Time! DVDs are the very best thing for in the car. Every time I looked back at the boys they were totally engaged and doing sign language from their car seats. I always check these DVDs out from the library but I just may have to buy a few. Look out bilingual Italian cousins, we are learning a second language as well.
3) Scout will travel with us as much as possible. Yes, we took our German shepherd with us to Broken Arrow, then on to the Kansas City area. And she did great! I was so proud of her, she stayed with us the whole time and just laid in the back seat for the five and a half hour drive home.
In fact, last week when I took her to the vet she was much more well behaved than Drew. Which is why she AND Drew were on a leash. Actually Drew wasn't too bad, David led him around on his Elmo leash/harness thing that I had never used. Drew acted like a cat much to the amusement of the vet and staff but it all worked out. Scout got her exam and David got a kitten to parade around.

Appreciating the forest

I am adept at majoring in the minors. I sweat the small stuff. While I get wrapped up in petty things I forget about what is really important. My favorite gripe is that I never seem to get past the cycle of make a meal clean up a meal, make a meal clean up a meal. And don't get me started on the clutter that just keeps popping up. I am always saying that I never feel like I accomplish anything.

This afternoon I took David to get a haircut. While we waited, I read the boys a new book we had just picked out at the library. An old friend that I have known since eighth grade and rarely see came into the salon as we sat. "Natalie?! Are these your boys??!!!" And as I introduced them to her I suddenly saw them through her eyes. Happy, healthy and listening intently to their story they looked like the great kids they are. Guess I am accomplishing something after all.

From what he brought home from school, it looks like David was thoughtful too. I just love dried pasta/paint/construction paper creations. David is thankful for his friends, his food, and his mommy and daddy. He was so proud of his work that he insisted on wearing it to the Chinese buffet for dinner (didn't have to make/clean up a meal tonight.) There's nothing like eating a smorgasbord and then coming home and watching "Biggest Loser" after the boys go to bed. It's a wonderful life.

Soccer Season

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heyitsdebv/sets/72157622740161257/

These are pictures from David's last soccer game. It was a make-up game; my parents took the boys since we were on our way home from Mexico. We HATED missing David's last game, but since my mom had been at every single game anyway, I don't think David minded. I had packed sweat pants or shorts for him to wear depending on the weather. I can see why, but it cracks me up that David didn't say anything and just wore both.
I think we have many more seasons of soccer ahead of us. David loved every minute of it. My goal was for him to run off energy and learn a little about teamwork and sportsmanship. Plus, I think any extra practice in listening and following directions is great for four year olds.
David's goal was to score as many goals as possible each game. He always made at least one goal every game, and usually made four or five.
David has always been active. I feel like I have spent a good part of his life telling him to be still, slow down, stop running. So it was the best feeling in the world to look out on the field and see him kicking that soccer ball with a look of pure joy on his face.

We are stopping...

1) Baths. Can't take it anymore. I have a Galapagos turtle/Orca/Dolphin named Drew who splashes way too much. One bath=three towels to wash. Seventy-five pounds of boys isn't meant to be in one tub. They will learn to love showers. I do.
2) Peeing outside. I'll admit it. I am a bit lazy when it comes to David going inside to go to the bathroom. I figure it's my due, yeah, I have wild boys but at least David can urinate and put antibacterial on his hands in 45 seconds. After today's little incident I am nixing tree peeing. Before I type what happened, I have to say that I believe in calling a spade a spade. And a nose a nose and private parts, well... you get the gist. Please, friends that were in developmental psych with me, back me up on this one. I mean, I don't give my elbow some nonsense name, right? That being said, I am going to tell this story in code so some weirdo doesn't stumble upon it in a sick Google search. We'll call the part "snowman." Here goes:
We ate at Hideaway for lunch with my friend Jayme and her three precious daughters. When we got outside she asked her middle daughter if she needed to potty. Why'd you do it Jayme? The next thing I know both boys are clamoring to go. I tell Drew to feel free to take advantage of his diaper and point David to my rear tire semi out of sight. The next thing I know David is running around on the sidewalk with his snowman flopping out of his pants and trying to show the girls. 'It's blue! It's blue! My snowman is blue!" And he's chasing them with it. Pleased as punch, because like all males he's proud of his snowman and a blue one is very spectacular. David, your snowman is blue because it's cold. Put it back in your pants. I barely have time to try and get him zipped before I see that Drew has wandered over to a small sapling and is muttering, "I go potty." He manages to get his diaper down and I think fine, whatever, if he's this determined, go for it. Until he then says, "And now I have to poop." And proceeds to...
I should have just drug them back in the restaurant like a normal mom. After all, Jayme manages to do it with three.
3) Diapers. We will be out of them in a week or two. I might as well roll up my sleeves and potty train Drew. After all, we'll be visiting public restrooms more frequently now. Might as well let both of them climb on the germ infested commodes.

Siblings

I have this huge goal of kids who like each other. Siblings who are friends and have minimal bickering. After David was born, I read books like, "What to Expect the First Year." When Drew was born (mostly because David kept hitting defenseless Drew) I tried to read everything I could on brothers adjusting to each other. "Siblings Without Rivalry" is great, although there isn't nearly enough on what to do when they are really small. I need to go back and read it again now that the boys are older.
Guess what? Drew can tromp across a train track that David has painstakingly built and no major fight ensues. I have trained David to say, "Hey, you naughty little rascal quit that!" It takes so long to say, that by the time the words are out of his mouth David is laughing and the guilty rascal has moved on to something else.
I wanted my kids close in age. I love their friendship. My problem is that sometimes I feel like I really can't do what's best for either of them because I always have to consider the other.
Anyone else with multiple offspring feel that way?
Case in point- science museum. David will build/explore/play for long periods of time at one exhibit. Drew...has the attention span of a two year old. There are a lot of situations where I feel like I am rushing/cranky/scolding one kid for what the other kid is doing. I can't be in two places at once.
Monday at the store, Drew was having his "I want to walk" issues. So I decided, fine, walk holding on to the cart but if you let go, you're back in buster. Of course, David had to walk too. And did just fine with the rules. Drew did not. I got frustrated and ordered the boys to get back into the car attached to the front of the cart. David kept saying, "But was I good Mom? I was being good, wasn't I?" I felt terrible because as obedient as he was being, David was still bearing some of the brunt of a cranky mom. And in Drew's defense, I never would have expected as much out of David as a two year old as I do with Drew. I seriously jumped through some major hoops for Toddler Dave and many of the fits that Drew has now were avoided with David simply because I worked really hard to avoid pitfalls.
My kids are fine. I know that. They get taken to the science museum so it's stupid to feel too sorry for them. And Drew won't be scarred from me having higher expectations for him. I get that, I really do. I just hate to see Drew so frustrated at times and David feeling like he's in trouble when he's not.
Saturday morning I think Keith and I will divide and conquer. Two year old things for the toddler and a four year old activity for the preschooler. There.

Back from Mexico

I know I need to delete pictures, move things around, add blogs that I read so I don't have to go on Gena's blog to find them... But "making a nicer blog" sounds like more of a New Year's resolution, right? I'll wait until 2010.

Saturday evening we arrived home from Cancun. Keith was awarded a trip for his sales rankings so we got to spend four nights in Mexico.

What can I say? Special little nachos (can't pronounce, let alone spell the exact name) for breakfast, chocolate massages, afternoons poolside and our biggest worry being what to order for dinner- I couldn't ask for anything more. Sure, there was one overcast day, I got a bad tummy ache from eating salsa with almost every meal, and we learned that sushi south of the border isn't great, but all in all it was a perfect trip.

We had only been away for one night from the kids, so leaving the country and being away five days was a little scary for me.

Luckily, our moms teamed up and took excellent care of the boys. Keith's mom did the first couple of days and my mom finished up. No tears were shed, the boys had a blast and all my months of worry were for nothing. Drew did refuse to wear diapers for Mimi (we heard about this one and crossed our fingers that the abuelitas would potty train him for us) and when my mom took the boys to buy more underwear David insisted that Keith wore "beaver eaters." My mom hesitantly brought this up and asked if it was some sort of family joke. It's not. The best we can figure out David was trying to get my mom to buy him boxer briefs.

As idyllic as it all was, I am ready for things to get back to normal. Look out Thanksgiving cooking, Christmas budgeting, and weeding out toys that are rarely played with. I'm ready for the holidays.

Info. you might find helpful

1) Don't spend two hours looking for a missing board book from the library. Just tell them you lost it and pay the three dollars they charge for all lost board books. Whether you work outside the home or not your time is worth much more than $1.50 an hour.
2) Lately I have been seeing moms dressed to the nines around Edmond. Ugged out, bejeweled, perfect hair. Makes me feel like a main street hobo if I am caught in sweat pants. If you go out on a weekday morning to play at the children's museum wear your Wednesday best. Or at least have the foresight to invite a friend so you have someone to roll your eyes with.
3) The taco burger at Taco Bueno isn't very good. The taco burger at Alfredo's Mexican Cafe in Moore is a little bit of heaven.
4) If your kids are dragging their feet to pick up their toys, you can make up an elaborate story about the Toy Fairy. Yes, I painted her as a slightly diabolical thief who takes toys of kids who don't pick up and redistributes them to poor children who are deserving. But the toys are getting put away. And what do I care if my boys associate Tinker Bell with stealing? It doesn't bother me if they fear fairies- mythical or masculine they can just stay away from them. We'll tackle the tooth wench in a few years.
5) Telling your four year old that "cheating is a hollow victory" when you are trying to play a game before nap won't help him. It's probably best to just ignore it and go over fair playing when he's not tired.

And we're done.

With school that is. Well, just Drew. I couldn't do it one more morning. I wanted him to go to school, for me and for him. He's social, he likes to learn, he seems bored sometimes at home. I knew when we started that it would be an adjustment. He had a few good days, but on the whole, Drew did not like going. He told me in no uncertain terms. And while I tried to tell him that it was a fun, happy place where he painted and played on the playground, he's no fool. Drew repeatedly would tell me, "School is not a happy place. McDonald's is a happy place." He also told us over and over that his teacher said, "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it." I am sure with seven two year old boys and one helper that she had a legitimate reason to say that. But something inside me thinks that she may have told Drew that in regards to him crying. I know that the teacher does a fine job. After all, her son is in the class and the other kids seem happy enough, even the one who bites. I won't make the mistake of putting the blame on her. And since Drew can't talk well enough to tell me all of the reasons why he would get panicky at the thought of even going to school, I'll probably never know for sure what spooked him so bad. I counted up that we gave it a try about fifteen times. While I don't give in to Drew's whims, I have to listen to him on this one. He told me as best as he could that he was unhappy and scared. I know that the directors bent over backwards to help him. I started crying a little when the head of the school told me she had been thinking about him all weekend and praying for him. I feel like we were so close to him having great, happy days with people who loved him.
So in the spirit of Michelle Duggar and the Pioneer Woman, I am home schooling my sensitive son for the remainder of the year. Since he wants to know what moose, hippos and whales eat, and asks me on a daily basis this should be fun.
He's little, we can try again when he's three years old and for now I am going to enjoy my time with him. Errands will get run eventually and clean houses are overrated.