Tag Team Mischief

Just FYI

2012-01-23T20:54:00.004-07:00

Today is the Chinese New Year. Declan would like you to know that it's not actually the beginning of 2012, it just is in their minds.

Lots of things have happened since I last posted. Christmas. New Years (regular). Some other stuff. I don't know...I can't be expected to keep track of all my wheelings and dealings.

Lucky for all of us, Chris bought me a new camera for Christmas.

We went to Pappi's and Declan gave me his standard picture face that I'm getting these days:

Then I asked if I could get a picture with his normal face:

The boys spent a couple days playing back and forth between our house and Caleah's. One day they went, the girls at Caleah's house planned to play prom. Chris dropped the boys off and said he felt like he was dropping them into a minefield because there were a bunch of girls there standing on the stairs, all dressed up in play dresses and with makeup on. Apparently the boys were told they had to dance before they could eat dinner. They survived, and the next time they went over, Logan and Declan decided they needed to comb their hair nice. Logan came out of the bathroom with his hair parted and plastered to his head with gel. He said, "I tried to spike my hair, but it didn't do what I wanted so I just turned it left." (File this under When Kids Don't Know the Words.)

Hallowiener

2011-11-02T15:27:00.005-06:00

This is one of our favorite books around here. It's led to many, many wiener jokes this season. Good times had by all.

Logan started reading the Harry Potter series about six weeks ago. He got thoroughly entranced with the Potter universe and has been making plans for his own sort of fan fiction. I keep finding sheets of paper with drawings and lists of spells and potions and things that he wants to include when he writes his book. Anyway, that was the inspiration for his Halloween costume.

The very first day we talked about Halloween costumes we came across a particular sort of ninja costume that Declan decided was made for him. It's not just a regular old ninja, it's a Shadow Ice Wolf Ninja and when you ask Declan what he will be for Halloween, he'll give you the full title. Don't call it a ninja. Declan was a different kind of ninja last year, so both Chris and I attempted at various times throughout the month to convince him that there were many other suitable costumes. However, Declan being the Declan we know and love, had made up his mind and dug in his heels. Shadow Ice Wolf Ninja it was. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

Prior to the trick-or-treating, there was an epic battle in the kitchen.

On the way home from the candy-getting, I told Declan he could take his mask off if he wanted. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief as he pulled it up over his head and said, "Good idea. It smelled pretty bad in there."

Other things

2011-10-25T09:58:00.004-06:00

Declan lost one of his front teeth and, as Chris noted, has reached a whole new level of cuteness.

Declan has been thinking about what I should be when I grow up since I'm back in school. He knows what my career choice is (generally speaking), but he'll pipe up with things periodically that he thinks I should consider besides houses. His most frequent suggestions are: be a teacher so I can teach his class at his school next year or the year after or whenever I'm done, or maybe open a restaurant and be a cooker for the restaurant. I think, given the variety of options he could come up with, those are pretty complimentary.

Logan recently asked if his friend Caleah can spend the night. It sort of stopped me in my tracks, because that wasn't exactly what I was expecting him to ask. I fumbled a little trying to figure out how best to explain to him that boys and girls can't spend the night together without opening a whole new world of questions and curiosities that he hasn't thought about yet. Aside from their brief questioning about what their testicles are or why I don't have a penis, there hasn't been much discussion about relationships or babies or anything like that.

So I pretty much just said that it wasn't appropriate and it was fine if she came over to play, but she would have to sleep in her own home. Logan said he didn't understand why it was inappropriate just because she's a girl and he's a boy. I looked at him and said he'd just have to trust me on the matter and believe that he'll understand it better when he grows up. He said, "THAT'S why Caleah keeps saying she's a girl and can't spend the night. I didn't get it when she said it." Apparently this is something they've been discussing for a while.

Curious about how he was envisioning this sleepover going down, I asked him where he thought she would sleep. Logan said, "Well, I was thinking that she could sleep in my bed and I could sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor since she'd probably be more comfortable in my bed than on the floor." Cute, right?

So then Declan walks in the room in the middle of this (by the way, Declan also wants to marry Caleah, but since Logan saw her first he's deferring) and realized what we were talking about. He started talking about how he also wished Caleah could spend the night. I asked him where he thought Caleah would sleep and he said, "She can sleep in my bed and I'll sleep in Logan's and Logan can sleep on the floor." Typical.

School Pictures

2011-10-25T09:46:00.002-06:00

Declan, 1st Grade - I think he was trying to go for the cool look like last year, but they made him smile so this is what the mashup of that was.

Logan, 2nd Grade - He really likes that shirt.

8 is Great!

2011-10-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

Sweet baby Logan is now sweet 8-year-old Logan. He's kind of goofy and really smart and very compassionate and has a quirky, sarcastic sense of humor and I'm really happy to know him. He does well in school and seems to have friends a'plenty. He and Declan are still best friends and talk about growing up and living next door to each other or maybe across the street from each other. He'll pretty much try any food and like most of what he tries.

Logan reads. A lot. He will read anything - the other day at breakfast he picked up some papers I was studying for one of my classes and started reading through them. His teacher says he chooses all types of books at school and is happy with whatever he can find. He's set a bit of a benchmark in his class for reading and a lot of kids see him reading certain books and want to read them, too. He read through the first four and a half Harry Potter books and found a love for that world that made me happy to see.

He's got a renewed interest in sign language since there's a boy in his class he's gotten to be buddies with who has cochlear implants. Logan wants his friend to be included in things, so he does his best to sign what he knows and is constantly asking what other signs are.

So anyway, I kind of like the kid.

1st Grade, 2nd Grade

2011-08-30T08:19:00.003-06:00

School started for myself and the boys two weeks ago, Chris started last week, and we're now full in the swing of things. It's a bit chaotic at times, but I think that's normal. Logan has the same teacher he had last year - in fact, she has the same class she had last year plus 3 more students. We're happy about that. She is one of those teachers that people want to teach their children because she has control of the class, and because she genuinely cares about the students and loves them. So Logan is happy as can be back at school, though he's never really had any problems with going to school.

Declan is doing fine in his class, too. He seems to enjoy his teacher and I haven't (and won't) let on about how I did not get a good impression from her and she has not in any way done a thing to improve that. However, as long as he's happy and getting what he needs out of school I'll just sort of keep an eye on things and not fuss over it too much. Declan has told me a couple of times already that he doesn't like school and doesn't want to go. When I talk to him about it to find out why exactly that is, the conversation always goes in the direction of how he doesn't like to sit and do work and would rather do his own thing. No surprise there. That's a Declan issue that he will have to learn to deal with in life and I'm hoping time and maturity will be big factors in that adjustment for him.

This is the boys on the first day of school. Logan had been so excited to start that he popped out of bed and got himself dressed early. Declan wanted to look cool, so he chose that blue shirt and insisted the collar be up instead of down. That's how the cool kids do it, you know? Logan, in the true oppositeness of Logan and Declan, insists on wearing a collared shirt completely buttoned up and the collar down flat.

First World Problems

2011-08-24T09:47:00.004-06:00

We were at the go-get-your-shoes-and-socks-on point of the morning. Declan emerged from their bedroom with his trademark scowl, brimming with at-ti-tude.

Declan: You know what's really getting old?

Me: What?

Declan: THESE!

"THESE!" was a pair of white socks.

Apparently the drawer-full of white socks was enough to push him over the edge. He wants something with color. I just want easy street when folding laundry.

We did it!

2011-07-03T11:13:00.005-06:00

Before the boys left on their vacation, we all did our belt testing for Krav Maga. Because of their schedule for flying back to Rhode Island with Grandpa, they had to do their belt testing with the older kids. When the kids found out they were going to be with kids they don't know - older kids they don't know - they got nervous. It was to the point that both of them were saying they would rather not belt test. Logan was very concerned he would be embarrassed. He was worried he'd be asked to do something he didn't know how to do. Declan picked up on Logan's nerves about it and got shy as well. We had talks, reassuring the boys that they would not be asked to do anything they didn't know how. We reminded them that part of having courage is doing something you're afraid to do.

Eventually Declan put on his determined face and folded his arms fiercely across his chest saying, "YES, MA'AM! I'LL DO IT!" Logan watched Declan and nodded, then a moment later said, "That thing Declan said? It's a probably for me." I said I wasn't going to force him to do the testing if he didn't want to but I would really love to see him do it. His response: "Probably is more yes than no."

When the time came, Declan was fine to go but Logan was still fighting with nerves. He got in line when it was time for class to start and found that the older kids do things pretty much the same as their normal class. And that was that. The testing went along fine and at the end of it, the boys got to take off their white belts and received their next-step belts of white with a yellow stripe (the belt system is more graduated for the younger kids).

Logan receiving his belt:

Declan receiving his belt:

A few words from Mr. Cohen:

Feelin' fine:

Swimming and Kicking

2011-06-20T20:10:00.007-06:00

The boys had another round of swimming lessons the past couple weeks. Just like last year their teachers gave them the option to jump off the diving board into the deep end of the big pool as a reward for working so hard in their class. Last year, both the boys were scared but Logan toughed up and jumped in (and decided he *loved* it). Declan couldn't talk himself into it. This year, Logan had no fear but Declan was still a bit afraid. Coincidentally, one of the focuses in their martial arts class this month has been on courage. So I suggested that maybe Declan could find some courage to do something he was afraid of and a moment later, he got that determined face and said, "I'LL DO IT!" And he did. He loved it, just like Logan. They both felt so proud of themselves when it was all said and done.

Our martial arts classes are coming along pretty well. The boys constantly impress me with how well they pick up the information and perform what's asked of them. They both want to be black belt students, so Chris and I have set forth some goals for them to achieve before we sign them up for that. In the meantime, we're working on belt advancement. Every three months the school does belt testing to move up to the next rank, and next week will be our first belt tests since we started our classes. The kids are required to know and do various types of kicks and punches, making sure while doing them that they're in a proper stance and moving and breathing correctly. (Us adults have to know the same things, plus self-protection stuff as well.) Last week Mr. Cohen, our instructor, was reviewing side kicks with the kids and I got a couple of pictures of that. As soon as the boys get some muscle behind their combatives, they're going to be pretty dang tough.

Summer has been moving along nicely. Wednesday we leave on a trip to Texas for a few days, then we'll come back, do our belt testing on Monday, and the boys will be off to visit their Rhode Island family for a month on Tuesday. They're looking forward to spending time with their dad, grandparents, and other relatives out there.

Summertime

2011-05-31T10:35:00.002-06:00

The last day of school was last Friday, and it was a bittersweet ending to the year for both boys. They grew attached to their teachers and classmates and were sad to see the year come to an end. But, of course, there was the prospect of all the beauty of summer vacation looking them straight in the eye and they got over the sadness fairly quickly. The weekend started out fantastic - the kids got to spend the night at their aunt and uncle's house. Chris and I took them to see Kung Fu Panda 2. We hung out together and enjoyed the three-day weekend.

Then Chris decided he should mow the grass. A chore that needs doing regularly. The kids love to chase the riding mower around and they followed Chris out to do that. However, the allergens in the air packed an unexpectedly fierce punch and it was a short time later that the kids came inside with swollen, red eyes that were having a terrible and violent allergic reaction. The swollen eyes have taken their time going down. We've shut the house up and turned the air conditioning on in an effort to reduce the allergens indoors. Declan's developed a consistent, low-grade fever and headache that don't seem to be responding to any of our medicines in the house and Logan is still sniffing and wiping his eyes constantly. We're headed to the doctor in a couple hours in the hopes that he'll be able to give us something better for managing this crap.

So hopefully this is not an indication of how our vacation will go. I'm crossing my fingers that our pediatrician will help us get this under control and the kids can run and play and enjoy their various trips this summer without another allergic reaction like this. Apparently it's bad in the area this year - when Chris went to the store to get some Benadryl, he said the shelves for the allergy stuff were nearly cleaned out. So we're not the only ones. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that after a couple days of this junk, we're over it.

Ketchup? Catsup? CATCHUP!

2011-05-05T11:40:00.006-06:00

The boys had their regular visit to the dentist last month and passed with flying colors. Our Dr.-Seuss-lookalike-dentist said that Logan will need braces at some point (doy) and Declan's got a couple loose teeth. Like a week after that visit, Declan lost his first tooth and it was a magical experience for all. At the dentist he also got his first dental x-rays. They went through about four of those stupid things you're supposed to bite down on in the right way before Declan understood that he's supposed to just hold it there in his mouth instead of flipping it around and chewing on it. Sometimes we have a listening problem.

Logan's developed quite the fear of spiders recently. He's always been sort of afraid of them, but lately it's been panicky. He came running into the kitchen one night breathing a little heavy like he was panicking and Chris and I asked him what the problem was. He said, "I'm just waiting in here while Declan kills a spider." As Chris and I looked at each other and asked Logan if he was really making his little brother kill a spider for him, we heard a faint thud from down the hallway followed immediately by Declan's voice calling, "It's ok, Logan! I got him!" And Logan happily scampered back to his room to continue whatever he and Declan had been playing. Well...ok, then.

We went bowling as a family a few Saturdays ago and had a blast. I won, but Chris thinks there should be an asterisk beside my win since I made judicious use of the bumpers put on our lane for the kids. And I'm like, "Use it if you got it!" The kids had so.much.fun! They had some sweet 80s music playing and the entire time that Declan was not bowling, he was dancing his pants off to the songs.

Declan got a scratch on his arm a few days ago when he learned about thorns on rosebushes. It was bleeding, and Logan wisely told Declan to lick the blood so it would get back inside his body. Good tip, Logan.

And can I say that I'm so freaking glad April is over because that means the end of April Fools jokes around here? Logan loved April Fool's Day so much that he decided the whole month of April was made for foolery. So I've been listening to things like, "Mommy! There's a spider on your shirt! APRIL FOOLS! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" allllllll freaking month.

We dyed easter eggs, as requested (or demanded) by the kids. They had such a fun time with it. I remember having such a fun time with it when I was a kid, but now all I can think about is the potential mess. This is one of the ways I know I'm old. Anyway, in classic Logan style, he participated shirtless. I don't know what exactly my kids have against clothes, but I've finally decided on a compromise that they only have to be dressed when we leave the house or we have visitors over. The rest of the time they can underwear it up if they feel the need. And boy, do they feel the need.

Yay Six!

2011-05-05T11:17:00.002-06:00

Me: Hey Declan, whatcha doin' today?
Declan: Oh, just turning six.

Since his last birthday, Dex has been to Rhode Island, been to Washington D.C., started Kindergarten, and started martial arts classes. He's grown a ton and looks more like a second or third grader than a Kindergartener. He's still best buddy to Logan and my most consistent shadow. He's incredibly kind and sweet, as long as you're not trying too hard to make him do something he definitely does not want to do.

Declan loves, LOVES, animals. He had a field trip to a big farm yesterday and assured his teacher that everything would be fine since he can communicate with cows. They some nature film in class a few weeks ago and after school Declan was telling me about some kind of bug where the mom leaves the babies after they're born and some of the babies get eaten by other bugs and he started crying at the thought of it. When he grows up he wants to be a "vetatarian"...or maybe a rock star.

With the combination of Declan's birthday and Mother's Day on its way, I of course am spending a lot of time thinking about how lucky I am to be mom to these kids. Yay!

Updates

2011-03-18T09:09:00.007-06:00

I haven't put pictures up here in a long time. Our camera broke recently, so most of the pictures I have are from my phone which isn't the highest quality. But usually when I sit down to make a post, it's because I need to get some things out of my brain (this blog, I've realized, sort of works like Dumbledore's Penseive) and I'm in a hurry which is kind of the speed of life around here lately.

So, in the past month or so:

-The kids have started martial arts (Krav Maga, specifically) in an effort to improve their discipline, focus, confidence, blahblahblahwhatever else people do martial arts for. It's going well, for the most part. Logan takes it totally seriously and seems to have pretty good form for his kicks and punches and usually isn't the focus of the instructor's attention for doing it wrong. Declan's our Logan opposite. (I think you can all see where this is going.) He is the one in line twirling around with his mind off in space. He generally has to be reminded how to stand or how to move properly. We've got a ways to go with that kid, but he's at least trying and interested and has a lot of potential.

-We're on Spring Break and for the start of the week my BFF Maclaine came to visit us with her two youngest boys. The kids all fell in love and had a blast together. So much that when it was time for the Texans to re-Tex themselves, there were a lot of tears from mostly everyone except Maclaine and I. Logan and Declan have decided that Maclaine and her family feel like our family and can't they just be a part of our family even though they're not really? And how do I respond to that other than, "Sure." We're hoping to make a trip to Texas to return the visit in the summertime.

-We've known Logan has allergies for a while, but a recent visit to the doctor has added asthma to that. The asthma is aggravated by the allergies and our pediatrician got Logan on an inhaler routine to help relieve the insane amount of coughing he does, especially when he's trying to sleep. That was about a week ago and there's been a huge improvement and so far we're not needing the fast-acting inhaler. The asthma/allergies aren't a huge surprise, given the Ed-ness of Logan so we're rolling with it and doing fine.

-Logan is 78 lbs. and 54" tall; Declan is 70 lbs. and 50" tall.

Logan putting on his gloves.

Declan showing off in line.

Randoms

2011-02-09T18:52:00.005-07:00

-Declan got out of the bathtub and wanted to comb his hair. I stood at the counter and watched him as he swept it this way and that, trying to find that certain je ne sais quoi. He got frustrated and I asked him what the problem was. "I don't like the sprouts." Your guess is as good as mine as to what the sprouts actually are, but they were making him *mad*. He wanted spikes, not sprouts. I told him that because his hair is kind of curly, it won't do straight spikes unless it's a lot shorter. We agreed to get him a haircut this weekend.

For the time being, he wanted to figure out a cool hairstyle, so I gave him a few minutes to figure it out. When I went back, I asked him how it was going and his response was that it still wasn't looking how he wanted it to. I asked what it was in particular he was thinking he could get it to look like. "Like it has fire. Like the tips of my hair are flames of fire." Words failed me; genetics failed him.

-Apparently the bus driver calls Declan "Little Logan" or "Little [Last Name]". For some reason that I can't articulate in any way, every time I think of that, I start giggling to myself. It makes me happy.

-Logan's been chugging along happily in school and doing very well. He's one of two kids in his class who have completed all 25 of his word lists for the year and is rocking the socks off his math progress. He loves school and at the same time loves his days off school. It's a contrast to Declan, who's made a visit to the principal's office two out of three days so far this week. Note: The third day was a snow day.

Things kids say

2011-02-04T08:08:00.003-07:00

Over dinner the other night, Declan was being Declan and relaying every thought that came through his head to the rest of the family. Things like, "Socks go in between shoes and feet" and "Sometimes dogs are brown." When Declan took a bite of his bread and butter and then announced to us, "I like bread," Logan said in a very dry, monotonous manner, "That's a great story."
________

Recently Andrea made french dip sandwiches for Sunday dinner and after Declan was done eating, he walked up to Chris and said proudly (with a fabulous gesture that I wish I could express in words), "I almost barfed, but then I sucked it back up!"
________

DECLAN: I don't like wearing those things.
ME: What things?
DECLAN: Pants and shirts.
(This particular announcement after I found him in the kitchen completely naked.)

Testicles

2011-02-01T18:00:00.002-07:00

A long time ago when Logan was 3ish, he was standing in the kitchen naked from the waist down. I don't remember the reason for the occasion, but if you know my boys at all, that's not a surprise. He was chitchatting with me and absent-mindedly feeling his parts. He then asked one of the funniest questions in my memory of my kids: "Mommy, what are these stripey things between my legs?" I've heard/read/been told the best way to handle these situations is give correct answers to the exact question a child asks - no more, no less. So I responded that they were testicles. After a minute of thought he asked what they were for, and the best answer I could come up with on the spot was something along the lines of: "When you grow up and decide you want to be a daddy, they'll help you make babies." Fine and dandy. Life went on.

Except.

Somewhere in the course of time, Logan relayed this particular information to Declan. Apparently we played a short game of telephone with it because one day recently Declan told me - out of nowhere - that those ball things between his legs were his babies and when he grows up he's going to have two babies because he has two of those. After dropping the 411 on me, he walked away to continue his life and I was left to consider his (and Logan's) interpretation of the issue. I decided it was best to let them continue with this misinformation since it's not hurting anyone, it's close enough to the truth, and they're too young to really have any sort of talk that will actually explain the facts. We're not ready for details.

Fast forward to tonight after dinner. Logan was adjusting himself and I asked him if there was a problem with his wing ding since he was needing to do that near the table? He said, in a voice *dripping* with know-it-all attitude that a 7-year-old can manage as well as a teenager, "Those things that are my babies? They're sticking to my leg and I'm trying to unstick them."

While listening to music in the car...

2011-01-11T13:34:00.001-07:00

Logan: I don't get what "Love Shack" means.
Me: Uh, well, it's a shack where people go to kiss.
Logan: What the...? I'm never going to a love shack.

Randoms

2010-12-09T07:54:00.003-07:00

Logan was the cutest penguin in the bunch at the 1st/2nd grade Christmas program the other night. Also the tallest of the 1st graders.

Declan at dinner, hitting the back of a spoon with his knife: "Look! It's like I'm hitting a bong!" Pretty sure you mean gong, Dex.

When choosing shoes to wear to school, Declan will always, always take the snow boots over the tennis shoes regardless of whether there's snow on the ground or not. He will also insist on shoving his pant legs into the boots because who wants to wear boots if they're just hiding inside your pants?

The Rhode Islandy grandparents came to visit a few weeks ago, and with them came a really freaking sweet pirate advent calendar. Each morning is a little bit of Christmas when they get to open a new box and see what's inside. The other day there was a white cat with black spots (don't ask me what that has to do with pirates) and the kids were all, "Ooooh! Cow-cat!" Like they finally got a toy for that underrepresented species of animal. Also, his name is Henry.

That's so Declan

2010-11-22T07:31:00.004-07:00

A note received on Declan's weekly progress report from Kindergarten:

"Declan still spends a lot of time in the bathroom, and sometimes we can hear him singing while using the bathroom and washing his hands."

My response:

"Welcome to my world."

Grow Up and Blow Away

2010-10-16T19:01:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had a birthday party for Logan and a few of his friends from school. Enough about that.

For the party, I blew up a bunch of balloons. They pretty much migrated into the boys' room that night and have been there ever since. Tonight, while attempting to get the boys to clean said room, they got into some sort of fight over the balloons. I decided it had been long enough and it was time to de-balloon the house. I told them each to pick one balloon to keep and bring me the rest. As I was putting them on the counter, Logan asked me what I was going to do with them. I said, jokingly, that they were going to a balloon farm in the country to run and play with other balloons. Not for a second did I think the boys would believe that. I was very, very wrong.

Crying.

I remember there was crying.

Logan walked back to his room to cry in privacy. Declan just planted his feet next to the kitchen counter and started sobbing. His face was red, tears were streaming. At this point I felt a strange mixture of emotions: relief that I didn't tell them the balloon truth; bemused at their strange attachment to a bunch of balloons - they aren't even helium!; confounded at how to stop the crying.

Logan was worried the balloons wouldn't be safe getting to the balloon farm. I assured them they would be fine since they were all traveling together in a big group.

Declan wanted to know why they had to go to a farm and not live here with us. I said that's what happens when balloons grow up. They go to the balloon farm and meet other balloons from other birthday parties and they play and tell each other about the parties they came from.

I said they would have a happy life. Logan cried some more. He wailed at me, "Why do they get to go be so happy while we're here being so sad?!"

There's a song that we listen to sometimes in the car called "Grow Up and Blow Away" - I told the boys that song was about balloons going to the balloon farm.

As all these balloon farm tales were coming out of my mouth, I marvelled at the fact that the kids were believing every single word.

Finally, finally, the boys calmed down.

We will not speak of the balloons again.

Thankfully I didn't get caught with a pair of scissors at a balloon's neck. Thankfully Chris didn't get caught popping a balloon. We're crossing our fingers that the kids don't find any balloon pieces in the trash.

Conversations

2010-10-05T16:23:00.003-06:00

Every week at some point, Grandpa Tiny goes to the store to pick up some fresh fruit that he feels we need around the house. When he comes home, he usually goes on a bit of a rambling, mild rant about the way prices have changed since the Depression Era. It's really become a highlight of my week. I love to hear him talk about the way things were and his "When I was your age" moments. A few days ago, he somehow got on the subject of how things have changed in the media over the decades. He told me that way back when, if something happened in the world, people wouldn't hear about it for several days. And then he went on to say, "The way it is now, if someone farts in Moscow you can hear about it right away if you want to." Ah, the words of a wise man.
______

Recently at one of our Sunday dinners, we got on the subject of fish. Declan informed us that the only type of fish he likes is the kind that's shaped like a spacebar. I couldn't figure out what in the world he meant. Thankfully, Aunt Andrea was around to translate that into fish sticks for me. Talk about a generation gap - when I was your age, I didn't know what a spacebar was.
______

Declan told me today that when he grows up, he plans on living in my house. I asked what kind of job he was going to have. "I don't think I'll have one." I asked how he planned on getting money. "Okay, I guess I'll have a job." I asked if he was going to have a wife. "Ummmm....I don't know!" Fair enough. I asked if he was going to have kids. At this point I think he got a little exasperated with me, because he sighed and said in a bit of a duh tone, "All grown-ups have kids, Mommy. And you know what? There are these balls inside my weiner and those are my kids." Then he left the kitchen, probably to avoid more questions. I think he's got a fairly age-appropriate understanding of sex education, so I'll let that particular conversation go.

Happy Birthday, Logan!

2010-10-05T15:41:00.002-06:00

Ok, I know I'm several days late on this. It's been months since I posted anything here and I have a million excuses for that. Just ask me. I can whip out a list like nobody's business.

Logan turned 7 last Friday (the 1st of October, for the lazy). If you ask him how he feels, he'll tell you something like, "Not that much different than being 6." He'll probably shrug a little, too.

I've tried to keep up a few birthday traditions with the boys. One is that when we celebrate the birthday as a family, everyone goes around the table and says what they love about that person. (I guess Andrea is a little worn on the tradition because she seemed to think we just did this. Though in my defense, the last time was in May for Declan.) The other is that I put up a post in the blog about the birthday child. Yes, I like my sappy stuff. But the ultimate goal is to be able to go back through this when the kids are grown-er and see what sorts of things have changed about them and what things have stayed as core parts of who they are.

Anyway, on to the show:

Logan has been doing wonderfully in the first grade. He hasn't had any trouble with his reading or spelling or math concepts. He also has a lot of friends - pretty much everyone he talks to he considers his friend. Last weekend he met a new friend who told Logan he was his new best friend. Logan responded to this boy that he was Logan's 31st best friend. The reasoning is that Logan likes all his friends equally and doesn't want to put any one above another. It sounds reasonable from that perspective, but hearing you're 31st in line of best-friendship isn't as pleasant.

Over the summer before the boys left for their trip to Rhode Island, Logan and a couple friends discovered talking on the phone together. Over the nearly 6-weeks of summer that they were gone, this particular art of friendship was lost. However, it's recently been recovered and many days Logan comes home from school just to get on the phone with a friend. He then takes it outside (for privacy?) and they go about planning their upcoming school breaks together. Well, that's what I hear about anyway. It's so very teenage girly and since when do kids talk on the phone like that in first grade? Am I that out of touch? Don't answer that.

Logan is still accepting of affection without being eager to give it back. He seems to understand that people like hugs and it's important to some people to give and receive them. So he'll let you hug him. And he'll patiently wait until you get it out and then move on. Sometimes Grandma Sue hugs him and won't let go for several minutes, and Logan very sweetly waits until she's ready to release him. I love that about him. He likes being *near* people, just not necessarily within touching distance. In this way, he's so very Opposite Declan.

Logan's sense of humor has been developing along the lines of his Dad and Grandpa (and maybe some parts of his Mom). He is starting to get a dry, sarcastic flavor to his jokes and quips. Again, I think he's too young for that stuff, but it pops up here and there. I'm still quite surprised by it when I hear it. However, he is still subject to 7-year-old boy humor - farts, poops, really dumb jokes, etc. He and Declan can laugh until they puke when they get talking about those kinds of things.

I love this kid. I love that he's such a good friend. I love that he's fun and kind and compassionate. He loves giving presents as much as he loves getting them. He regularly tells us that he loves whatever has been made for dinner. Most of the time he's willing to try any new food and lately has been developing a bit of a taste for hot and spicy stuff. He's your basic healthy and happy boy and I'm so lucky he's mine.

On hold...

2010-07-22T17:17:00.002-06:00

The boys are in the midst of their forever-long vacation and therefore, I have little mischief to report.

To tide you over until their return:
A few weeks ago, Logan and I were going through some of the apps in my phone. I brought up the Google Translate app and told him he could speak into the microphone of the phone and the program would translate whatever he said into a different language. So he takes the phone, holds it close to his mouth, then loudly says, "BOOBIES!"

From Ed:
"We're watching Roger Rabbit, and the boys are only half paying attention while they play with legos. Jessica Rabbit shows up, singing her song. Logan could care less, but Declan drops everything, hypnotized. "Whooooa... That girl is pretty." He was entranced until she left the screen, then went back to playing."

Growing up?

2010-06-17T19:55:00.003-06:00

Declan seems to have changed recently in regards to how he deals with his anger and frustration. He's somehow gotten it into his head that saying really hurtful things when he's mad (like when he tells me he hates me or he's not going to let me hug or kiss him anymore, etc.) is, well, hurtful. He's turned a corner in that, and I'm happy to see it.

Of course, he being five, he's got a limited ability to express himself and that combined with his control over what he says when he's angry has turned out some funny moments. Like the time when he furiously told me he wasn't going to let me do anything for him anymore. (Me: Fine. I won't do a thing for you. No problem. Declan: NO! Wait! You can do things for me again!) Or the time when he got so angry with me he assured me he was never going to love my lasagna again. (About an hour later after his angry switch had been flipped back to happy, he sought me out to give me a hug and reassure me that he does indeed love my lasagna.)

He tries hard to control himself when he's angry. Instead of hitting, he's moved on to acting like he's going to hit. Sometimes he just stands there and fumes loudly, eyebrows furrowed, nostrils flared, breathing heavily in and out, much like an angry, angry dragon that's about two seconds away from breathing fire. There's definitely some work to do, and he'll probably have to grow up a bit we make more significant strides. But he's trying. And we talk and talk and talk about how to appropriately deal with being angry or frustrated. He knows what to do when we discuss it, but in the moment the emotions run hot and it's not so easy to keep calm. And I'm all, "Believe me. I totally get it."

Sickness, Kindergarten, and other Fun Stories

2010-05-26T13:17:00.003-06:00

Last Friday night I let the boys stay up late watching a movie. Saturday morning, Declan woke up with red, puffy eyes. I assumed it was because he didn't get enough sleep. However, over the next few days the puffiness/redness never went away so we thought maybe it's a random allergy that's showed up all of a sudden and with a vengeance. We've attempted to treat him with Benadryl, but it never really seemed to help more than puffy reduction for a few hours. Last night, he woke up around midnight looking like this, coughing and wheezing. His cheeks and lips had swelled up with his eyes. After wringing my hands about it for about an hour, Chris and I finally decided to take him to the ER for a visit to see what could be done. Once there, he got some chest x-rays, a breathing treatment, some steroids, and we were sent home with a diagnosis of bronchitis and maybe allergies/maybe bacterial infection of the eyes. We've got some meds for him to treat the whole mess and we'll see how it goes. Today he's breathing much better, but still sporting the red, puffy eyes and face. So, not as much improvement as I was hoping, but at least he's not wheezing like ... a ...... wheezy person?

Apparently Declan's not out much late at night because the whole ride there and back was filled with awed comments about how dark it was and how pretty the night was and how much he loved the moon and tomorrow night can we please get on a rocket and go to the moon? Also, the woman who gave Dex the breathing treatment, after attempting to get him to breathe slowly and follow directions and stop giggling through it all, told me I had my hands full. And I was all, "Uh, doy." And then I thought maybe I'd heard that somewhere before.

School will be out officially for Logan on Friday (and not a moment too soon...Declan's ghost friend Gon has been hanging around a lot lately). He had his Kindergarten graduation last week, in which the class performed "Click Clack Moo" and Logan was a narrator and a dog. He did a fabulous job, thankyouverymuch. We got a really sweet photo of Declan giving Logan and Logan's best friend Caleah the double thumbs up for graduating from Kindergarten. (Incidentally, I've been given the "double thumbs up badge" from Declan several times recently for being so nice to him. I asked him once if I was ever not nice to him, and he informed me that in fact, it happens, when I do things like make him go to bed.) I think the picture is awesome for a lot of reasons, but mostly because Logan has his best brother and his best girl right there together.

On a totally random note, I found a picture in an unrelated folder on my computer and sighed with that motherly nostalgia that makes us feel like time is moving too fast. Logan in binky heaven. Stars blanket. Little hands, little legs, little feet.

Gross

2010-05-18T07:05:00.002-06:00

We recently purchased this book for Logan since he pretty much finds gross things funny at any time of day. This morning at the breakfast table, he graced us with this joke:

Why did the kid bring a toilet to the party?
Because he was a party pooper.

Cue delighted, uproarious laughter from both boys.

The other side to the book is things that gross Logan out enough to cause him deep concern for his life. For example, he was reading it last night in bed and after a short while he came to find me, with a terrified look on his face. He asked me to tell him this wasn't true and pointed to a little info box on one of the pages that talked about how mosquitos suck your blood when they bite. I told him it was true and the terror deepened as he discovered that mosquitos do, in fact, reside in this area of the country. I asked him what about it specifically was so scary for him - was he afraid it would hurt, or did he think they'd drink too much blood, or was it just the blood itself that was bothering him? He looked at the floor and said he was scared that they'd bite him and eat so much blood from him that he'd become a vampire. We talked about how 1) vampires don't exist, 2) a mosquito can't possibly drink that much of a person's blood, and 3) vampires really don't exist ("You already said that!" "I know! It's that important!") and a few minutes later he went back to bed feeling better.

So, to sum up: Cheers to gross jokes that make little boys laugh. Jeers to little boys worrying their very lives will be sucked from them until they become unholy minions of the night. [Does anyone read TV Guide anymore?]

Five!

2010-05-05T09:34:00.008-06:00

Go from this:

to this:

in just 5 short years! (He didn't want to do any "smiley" pictures until dinnertime. Incidentally, I feel like this gives me a pretty good glimpse at what the teen Dex will look like.)

About Declan:

He is my mini-me, for better or worse. I love this kid more than I could possibly put into words. There are so many things that make him him, and all of them work together to build this fabulously fabulous boy that I'm usually thrilled to be mother to.

Declan is rarely found without a song. He makes music all.day.long. We were out in the yard a few days ago on a gorgeous spring day, enjoying the sunshine and freshly-mowed-by-Grandpa-Tiny grass and Declan goes, "Did you know it's such a beautiful day I feel a song coming on?" And then he ran and sang a song about beautiful days. Rides in the car and sitting at the dinner table are two of our guaranteed spots to get a performance from Declan. Even if he's not vocalizing, he's bopping his head along to whatever music his mind is creating. When he was a baby, I loved standing outside his door after he was put to bed to listen to him humming himself to sleep.

Dex is still our little lightswitch - ready to flip between his two moods, happy and angry, at any instant. Lucky for us, he's usually in the happy position. He's a snuggler and freely gives hugs all day long. Often he'll walk up to me for no other reason than to tell me he loves me and give me a hug. He'll give you anything he has if you ask nicely for it, or if he thinks you might benefit from it more than he would. Many times he's offered his precious teddy bear pillow, stuffed animals, and blue blanket to the rest of the family at night for various reasons. He'll share the last bites of his treats with Logan just because he's his brother and he loves him.

The other side of the switch is as far in the other extreme as his happy is. That boy can scowl like nobody's business. While he may be willing to give you anything if you ask nicely, if you try and take something from him before he's ready, he will fight to the death for it. He's still under the impression that whining will get him what he wants sometimes, and he will let you have it full force if he thinks there's any chance of you giving in. He's got the emotional blackmail thing down pat and will threaten to never love you or hug you or kiss you again if you make him angry and try to punish him.

When Dex grows up, he's going to be a strong beast of a man. The days of physical matches between the boys haven't really started, but Declan's demonstrated here and there that he can stand his ground against his older brother. When he was about 2 and Logan was 3 1/2 or 4, the boys were wrestling on the living room floor. They got tired and fell into a heap of giggles, Logan settling on Declan's back. After a moment, Declan decided he was ready to stand up...so he did, showing no sign of effort and toppling Logan onto the floor in the process.

As is the case with most mothers I know, I worry that I'll be able to be the mom he needs as he grows up. I hope I can help him learn to temper his temper and get control over the cutting words he uses when he's angry. I hope I can teach him to enjoy his life and be proud and confident in who he is. I hope some day I'll be able to help him understand how lucky I feel to be the one he calls Mom.

Declan's my baby. My fierce, strong, loving, passionate, stubborn baby. He's the fire to Logan's ice - there's a reason he's been symbolized as a dragon in my world.

Happy birthday, buddy. =)

Something to make me feel old:

2010-04-22T07:40:00.001-06:00

A couple days ago, Logan asked if I was born in the one-thousands.

The Dragon

2010-04-20T11:04:00.006-06:00

We have in our home a special sandwich, a culinary anomaly so fierce and bold only one person dares eat it, its very creator: Declan. This is a sandwich that is confident, impulsive, and doesn't listen to the advice of others.

When you ask Declan what he'd like for lunch, and he decides he wants this beast that is only spoken of in whispers by the rest of the household, time stops. He'll respond with a jaw set in stone, eyes ferocious, lip curled as his fist punches the air and his throat growls savagely, "A dragon sandwich, please." Hot wind swirls through the kitchen, rustling papers and curtains and hairstyles that haven't been moussed down or spiked up. Lightning strikes the counters and refrigerator, and you have only moments to gather the materials and put them together for the dragon child.

And then it's there, on the table, plated and sliced in rectangles or triangles as Declan wishes. A feast for the beast, my mind tells me. Two slices of bread work to sandwich together the unholy marriage of peanut butter and cheese. He is pleased. This will do.

Today as I walked away to tidy my hair and wipe down the scorches that had marred the kitchen where lightning struck, I heard an ominous warning from the boy at the table: "One day I'll ask for a Dragon 2." I turned to look at him, my eyes wide with fear. He licked peanut butter off the corner of his mouth as he finished his thought, "Cheese...and jelly."

2010-04-14T07:34:00.003-06:00

Last night as a treat, Grandma Sue and Chris took the boys to get some ice cream. They went to the store and also let them pick out some magazines to look at since we've entered the reading-in-bed-before-they-fall-asleep stage of their lives that I hope will last forever. Declan chose a Disney magazine and Logan chose a comic book. Is he his father's son or what? It's a Muppets comic book (who knew they made those?!), but it surprised me that that of all things was his preference.

I remember Ed telling me a long time ago how he read comic books when he was about Logan's age. I found that to be quite strange since I have never in my life chosen to read a comic book. Comic strips, yes. But a whole book of them? No, thanks. (Incidentally, this reminds me of a time when Ed and I were in Barnes & Noble and he was browsing the Graphic Novels section. I'd never heard such a phrasing as a category of literature and my mind made graphic novels out to be something *entirely different* than they actually were. Therefore I was quite shocked when a) they actually had that section in Barnes & Noble and b) Ed was standing there browsing it for the whole world to see.)

In other news, Declan has taken up "Man!" as his choice phrase of emphasis. This morning alone I heard, "Man! I love this shirt!" and "Man! This granola bar is delicious!" and "Man! What a beautiful day!" I love it. This phase can stick around a while, along with the attempted wink + finger snap combo he throws at you when you say something he really likes or answer one of his questions correctly. Cuteness abounds.

"Declan, get dressed and go play outside."

2010-04-08T20:19:00.002-06:00

Complete with his "lucky sock"...he only needs one.

Also, how cool is this kid?

2010-03-30T11:28:00.003-06:00

Declan and the Really Big Bowl

2010-03-30T11:21:00.002-06:00

Maybe we need more Q-tips?

2010-03-23T09:42:00.003-06:00

The other night when Chris and I were falling asleep, I said "Husband." Simple, right? He heard, "Hot snuggle."

Our family was watching Shrek 2 together last night and when Shrek said something about buttocks, Logan heard "butt hogs". I don't know why, but even now it's making me laugh and laugh and laugh.

These moments are related to, but not in the category of When They Don't Know the Words. Oh, you want some examples? Enjoy:

Spikes? Pokes.

Big hammer/mace/mallet? Bammer.

Hot dog buns? Closing bread.

Diarrhea? Pee-poop.

Fart? Bum burp. Bum snap. Bum yawn. Bum sneeze.

Unfortunately, they're getting older and better at speaking and understanding language, so these WTDKTW moments are fewer. But man, oh man, there are few things in the world that make me smile the way I do when I remember Logan asking for a hot dog on some closing bread.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T16:47:00.007-06:00

It's that time of year. If you remember our adventures from last year, Declan wasn't all that fond of the idea of leprechauns coming in during the night to play tricks on us. Quite a few times he went around the house making sure the doors were locked and we were safe. It traumatized him.

A few days ago, I mentioned the upcoming event and Declan would furrow his brow every time we talked about it. He was certain he did not want the leprechauns in the house, thank you very much. I would have dropped it if Logan was also concerned - or at least apathetic. But, in true Tag Team Mischief style, they had opposite opinions on the matter, and Logan was excited for things to happen. I wasn't sure how to choose which child to disappoint/traumatize.

Last night at dinner, we were having a talk about the leprechaun possibility and Declan again frowned and started to shake his head. He was not having it. So I asked how he would feel if we built a leprechaun trap to catch them and maybe they'd take us to their pot of gold? Well, *that* changed everything. The over-dinner discussion included all sorts of elaborate trap ideas from the boys, including using hidden cameras and infrared lights.

I went with a mildly lower-tech design: a shoebox propped up with toothpicks and a sign saying "Leprechauns, look in here! (Note: This is NOT a leprechaun trap!)" and a big arrow pointing to the opening. Logan let me know this morning he thought the special note saying it wasn't a leprechaun trap was an absolutely brilliant idea; that was probably what got them inside.

The leprechauns left a little note saying that even though we trapped them, they used their magic to escape. But they left a gold coin for each boy as a reward for their efforts and wished us well in trying again next year. (It's a good thing the kids don't recognize my handwriting.) They also went easy on us with the trickery (probably because of the time spent escaping our fancy trap) and only turned the milk and eggs green. Phew! Personally, I avoided the Irish eggs and treated myself to some Lucky Charms with green milk - St. Patrick's Day Heaven in a Bowl.

We're having homemade pizza tonight with green crust in celebration. It's all for the kids, right?

Boys will be boys

2010-03-16T12:32:00.002-06:00

Declan's current favorite insult/exclamation/swear word: "Butt crack!"

Also, yesterday Logan tried to convince me his fart smelled like fresh apples.

Total Recall

2010-03-07T16:22:00.003-07:00

Along the lines of Ed trying to remember the name of a Chinese restaurant in Rhode Island ("It was called Dragon Something...or Something Dragon"), Declan asked for "those crackers with Club in their name" today.

Mystery solved?

2010-03-07T07:53:00.003-07:00

I think I've figured out the reasoning for the macabre subject matter of some of Declan's songs. When he tells me about them, or sings them to me, he'll ask if I think they're scary. Sometimes I'll ask him if he wants me to think they are. In response his eyes open wide and he nods his head yes while talking about why xyz is scary to talk about. When watching movies with creepy, suspensful parts (the black wolf, Gmork, in The Neverending Story, anyone?), Declan's the kind of kid who shuts his eyes tight or pulls a blanket over his face initially and then can be seen a moment later peeking to watch the action. Logan, on the other hand, shuts and stays shut until it's all over and done with.

I guess the point is that Declan enjoys the thrill of being scared and wants to turn that around on us a bit. What better way to do that than with songs about blood and death?

Little lies

2010-02-23T16:14:00.005-07:00

I think I've mentioned before how the boys are fascinated by teenagers and basically think they are the.coolest.thing.ever. The highest compliment they can receive at this point in their lives is that they look like teenagers. Declan was showing me how cool he looked today in his jeans and sweatshirt, rocking out to a Declan original song instead of doing the super important chore I had asked him to do. So I told him that if he really wanted to be like a teenager, he should do what I said because they *always* do what their moms and dads tell them. Logan piped up saying, "Yeah! Act like a teenager!" Of course, Declan in his ~~stubborn~~ individualistic way, told me he didn't actually want to be a teenager, he just wants to look like one. Somehow, he always finds some fine print.

Along those lines, Declan has created another dead song which includes things like trees being dead, houses being empty and falling apart, grass being so dead that it's just dirt, people and animals being dead and their blood going around and around the earth, and the earth exploding and sending all its parts to other planets. This basically leads me to ask you, people with boys: Is this normal? Because I'm thinking it's a bit macabre for a four year old (though I'm speaking solely of the lyrics, as his tunes are usually quite jubilant and cheerful).

When I grow up

2010-02-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Logan: A police officer. Or maybe a football player.

Declan: A pokemon trainer.

Girls, Girls, Girls

2010-01-25T17:16:00.002-07:00

Logan came home from school today telling me he wanted Reece to come over and play this weekend because she gave him her autograph. I asked to see it, and the autograph was actually her name and phone number. I told him we could probably call her mom and work something out so they can play together. He then says, "I guess it'd have to be on Saturday because on Sunday Caleah wants me to meet her at the park."

So I guess he's getting along fine with the ladies.

The differences between these boys:

2010-01-25T17:10:00.003-07:00

Logan and Declan were arguing over a pair of Lego pieces that they both wanted to use. We tried compromising and giving each of them one piece of the set, but that wasn't good enough for either. I told them they needed to find a solution since they both wanted the pair and they both had equal claim to them. There was some discussion back and forth about what each boy intended to do with the Legos. No agreement could be reached and I told them I was not going to make their decision for them. Frustration. Anger. Whining. More arguing of their cases. Finally, Logan stopped and gave his piece to Declan. I said that was a very nice thing he did and asked him why. "Because I only wanted that piece. I didn't *need* it."

________

Chris made dinner for the boys, grandpa, and himself one night. As they're sitting around the dinner table, Declan starts panting and breathing heavy as he does sometimes when he's playing. Chris looks at him and says, "Workin' hard, huh?" Declan says, "Yeah. It's hard work eating all this crap!"

2009-12-29T09:01:00.002-07:00

Declan: I was playing DS while I was going potty.
Me: That's probably not the best idea.
Declan: Well it is to me.

brothers

2009-12-29T08:53:00.003-07:00

Logan, over breakfast, to Declan: I was just thinking about when we're grown-ups. I think we'll live across the street from each other.
Declan, acting like Logan just stated the insanely obvious: We will!

Declanisms

2009-12-04T13:03:00.003-07:00

Declan: "Can I take my pants off?"
Chris and I: "No, leave them on."
Declan, stepping out from behind the couch: [Pantsless.]
Chris: "Go put them back on."
Declan: [Pouts.]
Declan, several minutes later, still pouting: "You hurt my feelings, telling me to put my pants back on. None of my pants are cool."
Me: "What would make them cool?"
Declan: "If they could talk. Or if they were robot pants. Those are the only things that make pants cool."

Declan, quite nonchalant: "So, when are we going to have another baby?"

Declan, after seeing this commercial: "Mommy, our brownies aren't square, and that's a problem."

Declan's also been heard saying "Oh, SNAP!" when he wants something, and "Damn dogs" when they won't stop barking, both of which are hilarious coming from a 4-year-old.

2009-11-17T15:42:00.003-07:00

Lately, when I give Declan something that he's asked for, he asks if I'm doing it because I love him. Of course I say yes. The thing I tried telling him, and I know he may not understand for a long, long time, is the reason I do just about everything is because I love him (and, of course, Logan).

Boys and Girls

2009-11-06T14:40:00.003-07:00

Declan, on the Cartoon Network website: Mommy, how do you spell Courtney?
Me: Why do you need to spell Courtney?
Declan: Because you're a girl.
Me: Yes?
Declan: It says "email" right here. Emails are girls and males are boys.

...sigh

2009-11-05T07:04:00.002-07:00

Declan: How do you say "wiener" in Spanish?
Me: I have no idea.
Declan: Let's ask Dora. She always knows things in Spanish.

Music is in the air

2009-11-03T09:21:00.003-07:00

I've been trying to get some songs and performances on video lately. We had a burst of creative energy with Halloween. Here's a sampling:

Halloween Song by Declan
(I insisted Declan put on a shirt, so he did and we had to compromise with invisible pants. Also, possibly the best part of this video is the countdown at the beginning.)

Halloween Song by Logan

Little men

2009-10-20T11:36:00.002-06:00

On Saturday, Chris's sister Andrea got married. It was gorgeous. She was gorgeous. Her husband Matt is a great guy and they are wonderful together. They're currently honeymooning the hell out of New Orleans.

Logan and Declan got to be ring bearers in the wedding, and that meant tuxedos for little boys. Everyone's favorite thing? Possibly. We ended up buying both of them for about the price of one rental (!) so now we're owners of two adorably obsolete tuxedos.

Declan got some performance anxiety the day of the wedding and we were all pretty certain he wasn't going to go through it, but when offered a Tootsie Pop at the crucial moment when the wedding party was lining up, he decided he'd do it for Andrea (and candy).

Grandpa Higgins happened to be in town over the weekend, which helped keep the boys happy and entertained. When the reception got a bit too receptiony for 4 and 6 year olds, he sped them happily away and Chris and I stayed a bit longer to celebrate.

Pictures from Logan's birthday + party

2009-10-20T10:52:00.004-06:00

Because Logan's birthday fell on a Thursday this year, we planned his party for the following Saturday. His birthday itself was pretty awesome. He felt special with the phone calls and boxes of presents arriving in the mail. I made the requested lasagna and smashed potatoes (I love both of those foods, but even typing them out as a pair feels wrong) and we had some cupcakes that were lovingly made by Chris.

The party was a superhero party and it was quite a success, especially since last year he told people after his birthday that his party wasn't that fun and he didn't enjoy it very much. Parents of the year, yo. This year we got a heap of kids from his class, played Pin the Shield on Superman, Balloon Sandwich, and some bastardized versions of tag and freeze tag which involved Ironman and Spiderman vs. Venom. Good times, good times.

It turned out to be a beautiful day, a good turnout of kids, and things went quite smoothly (aside from Declan not enjoying not being the center of attention and pouting, saying he quits). Games, pizza, cake & ice cream, and presents later, the kids were ready to go home and everyone was happy. Logan has flourished at school and made quite a few friends, and it was pleasant to see them all together.

Did I mention Logan has a girlfriend? Her name is Reece. She's the little blonde girl clapping behind Logan on his left in the above picture. I've tried to ask questions about her without embarrassing him, and all I can surmise is that it's a typical kindergarten crush where they have no idea why they like each other and they probably don't actually talk or pay attention to each other at school. Chris asked Logan if he thought Reece is cute, and he got this look on his face where it seemed like he wanted to say yes but couldn't quite bring himself to admit it to anyone. We let it drop.

Ghost friends

2009-10-20T10:29:00.004-06:00

A few months ago, Declan decided he wanted to be called John. I learned this when he was being stubborn in soccer practice and his coach tried to guide him to the end of the line with the other kids. I was sitting in my chair on the sideline at the other end of the field, watching Declan's little cooperation switch turn on and off throughout practice. I saw his coach lean down and gently turn Dex in the direction he needed to go and then I watched Declan furiously turn back around, face his coach, and demand in a voice that carried over to me, "My name is JOHN!" I'm not sure exactly what happened after that because my eyes were covered by my hand in a classic Jean Luc Picard facepalm.

Since that day, I've heard requests from Declan to call him John on several occasions, most of them being when he's in a moment of mischief or stubbornness or being chastised for misbehavior. I consulted some friends of mine who said that he would grow out of it, and it was probably his way of deflecting either embarrassment from being in trouble or responsibility for his actions. When I asked Declan why he picked John as the name he wanted to be called, he responded that it was the coolest name he knows. Someone else surmised that Dex equates mischief with being cool and when I thought about that, I realized it was something I'd always known but never really put into words - a total lightbulb moment for me in parenting that kid.

As time has moved on, the requests to be called John have diminished and John himself has morphed into a ghost friend (I think I've mentioned before that the boys refer to their imaginary friends as ghost friends) that regularly visits our household. John most frequently shows up when Logan's in school. We've had quite a few moments of similar exchanges such as: "Mommy, say hi to John." "Hi, John!" "No! [exasperated] He's not here yet. I meant say hi when he gets inside!" Good times, good times.

This weekend, Declan channeled the spirit of "Arrested Development" when he wanted me to write John's name down on something. "I'll spell it for you. G-O-N."

Damn

2009-10-18T14:48:00.001-06:00

I have a lot of other things to write about but for now, a quick conversation between Chris and Declan.

Chris: [mumbles something about the damn Kansas City Chiefs]
Declan: [mumbles something else]
Declan: You didn't hear me, but I said very quietly that "damn" is a bad word.
Chris: It's not ok to say "damn" even when you're saying it's a bad word.
Declan: But I was just saying that it's bad!
Chris: Yes, it is. I'm sorry I said it. Please don't say it again, even if it's to tell someone that it's bad. Grown ups can sometimes say things that kids can't.
Declan, happily: When I grow up, I'm going to say a LOT of "damn, damn, damn, damn, damn!"

Happy Birthday, Logan!

2009-10-01T09:51:00.003-06:00

When he got up this morning, I said, "Who turned 6 today?!" And Logan grinned from ear to ear, then told me he's actually both 5 and 6 today. Not sure how that works, but ooooooook!

He was hap-hap-happy about life today. I guess the birthday kid gets to be the special helper all day at school, which includes important duties such as Line Leader. I plan on surprising him at school with treats for the class (muddy Rice Krispies, which means that it has chocolate chips melted in).

I asked what special dinner he wants and for the fourth year in a row, he piped up with "smashed potatoes!" When I told him we needed something to go with the mashed potatoes, he decided lasagna was a good pairing for that. So, starch is on the menu.

Back at the beginning of the year when Logan got his tonsils out, he laid on the couch watching TV and kept seeing commercials for the Snuggie. Finally he got my attention by waving his hands, then carefully signed with the bits of sign language he remembers, "I want blue." A brand new blue Snuggie awaits him today. Also, since he loves my mp3 player, we decided to get him his very own and I'm in the midst of loading it with songs selected for him by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and close family friends that are important to Logan. I'm super excited for this because it's giving him a big, eclectic selection of music and it'll make him feel good that everyone he loves was a part of it.

About Logan:

This kid is awesome. I feel lucky to be his mom. His sense of humor has developed quite a bit recently, and I find him making jokes that are hinting at sarcasm and a perspective that seems older than a 6 year old. He is a really kind and loving big brother to Dex, and they continue to be best buddies. Logan's imagination is very active, which makes for humorous stories and drawings he brings home from school. Grandma Sue thinks he's going to grow up to be a writer, and I wouldn't be surprised if that came true. :)

I'll post pictures tonight.

Be Still My Heart

2009-09-24T19:22:00.002-06:00

Logan just read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" as a bedtime story to Declan.

A Visit

2009-09-23T17:45:00.003-06:00

Paul and Robin were here through the weekend, reinforcing their places in the boys' hearts and simultaneously charming Chris's family into developing crushes on them (Grandpa Tiny included). They got to spend some quality time with the kids at the Renaissance Fair, take in a soccer game of Logan's, catch a movie with Dex, and take Logan to the Royals-Red Sox game (I can't be sure, but I think the Red Sox lost that one).

The highlight of the visit (from my perspective) was when Paul and Robin brought Declan home after spending the day with him and Paul proceeded to show us what he taught Declan, which went a little like this:

Paul: "Declan, why are you so cute?"
At which point Declan's supposed to answer: "Because I look like my Grandpa!" And Paul beams at how clever and handsome he is.

What really happened was:

Paul: "Declan, why are you so cute?"
Declan: "Because I look like my mommy!"

HA! Take that, Gramps!

Chris and I play a game like this with the kids and call it "Mask." This is just Paul being a jerk.

I have a horrible confession to make. I think I ruined Logan for life because one morning a long time ago I was taking pictures of him and it was the time of year where the days are short, so when we were getting ready to leave the house it was still dark outside. Every time the flash went off, Logan blinked and the picture came out with his eyes closed. Every.freaking.time. And we tried probably 15-20 pictures and I kept getting frustrated and telling him to open his eyes. So finally we got a decent one (after a few attempts where he physically pried and held his eyes open with his fingers) but ever since that day he's been super conscious of blinking in pictures. This is one of those photos that show how I've ruined my kid, because he's smiling there with his eyes wide open like that runaway bride that looked like a deer in headlights in every photo the media showed of her.

Songwriting

2009-09-17T10:36:00.003-06:00

The boys put on a performance last night. The type where they gather everyone together and sing songs they've made up. Good times, right?

Here is a sampling of lyrics that Declan came up with, after warning me that this was going to be a song that's about "something not very nice."

"Do you like being dead?
You're going to be dead forever!
You're going to be dead for the rest of your life!
Even when you're driving, you're going to be dead."

All the while Logan's standing to the side of the "stage" and saying, absolutely incensed, that someone who's alive can't be dead and how can someone who's dead be driving?!

Now, I know this song sounds like it's toeing the line of viciousness, but it had a nice little tempo and was rather upbeat. I'm just saying, given his love of "Dragula" and "Crazy Train" I think we've definitely got a metal future on the horizon.

Daddy

2009-08-30T13:30:00.003-06:00

We're conveniently located on the way to Ed's triumphant return to Rhode Island, so the boys have been enjoying some time with him this weekend. The number one place they wanted to take him is Pappi's Pizza (previously pronounced as PeePee's). I don't know why Logan is so ghostly white-washed in these pictures.

An introduction to prayer

2009-08-27T19:29:00.004-06:00

Grandpa Tiny says the prayer every night at dinner time. Declan picked up from somewhere the somewhat traditional pose of hands smooshed together, perpendicular to his arms, and fingers straight up in the air. He closes his eyes and sometimes furrows his brow in concentration. The other night he decided he wanted to offer the prayer over dinner. This is where we learned he's thankful for three things: the day, the food, and Super Mario Brothers.

Logan will also sit quietly with his eyes closed. He's a bit less reverent in that he often ends the prayer by proudly, vigorously jinxing anyone who happens to say amen at the same time as him and then cackling about how he got us. We've learned to stagger our amen-ing.

Too cool for school

2009-08-18T07:55:00.002-06:00

Logan started Kindergarten today. He seems much older than a Kindergartener to me, but whatever. This summer, we've repeatedly asked him if he's ready for school and tried to give him an idea of what to expect. He was always nervous about it. Last week we went to Meet the Teacher night and before we left, Logan was about as anxious as I've seen him. He did everything he could to stall, and seemed on the verge of tears as we shuffled him out the door. After actually meeting his teacher, playing with Play-doh at school, and walking around the gym and cafeteria a bit, he felt much better about the whole thing.

The next day was Kindergarten transition day, which is a half day of school where the 5 year olds go by themselves and get an idea of what it's like to ride the bus, find their classrooms, sit in class, have recess, etc. Logan was pretty happy with the idea of going, and Chris, Declan, and I walked him to the bus stop together. While we were waiting for the bus, Logan asked me why I couldn't go with him and why just Chris was going. I told him that no one was going with him to school; he had to go by himself. His eyes got wide with fear and he panicked at the idea. When the bus rolled around, he didn't want to get on, and Chris had to guide him to the steps and sort of gently push him up. As it drove away, Logan was crying in the window, waving at us in an attempt to get us to go with him. However, by the time the bus brought him back, he came happily bounding off, saying emphatically that he actually liked it!

So today he's officially off for a full day of school. He was pretty excited to go. I'm taking bets on how many days that lasts before I'm having to drag him out of bed and carry him to the bus stop. They do full day Kindergarten here, which seems like a long time to me as Mom. We've got soccer practice tonight, so I guess we're officially in busy family mode.

And now for the pictures! (As always, click on the picture if you want to see the full size

On the phone with Daddy on our way to the bus stop.

Brothers.

Handsome devils.

Aren't these the cutest freaking pants ever? Between the shirt and the pants, Dex is in pirate heaven! (Thanks again, Grandpa!)

Camping and Soccer

2009-07-30T13:34:00.003-06:00

One of Declan's birthday presents way back when was a tent. This past weekend we put it up in the backyard for them to play in.

Soccer season starts next week. We went to the store and got them outfitted in proper soccer gear and they came home to model their shinguard socks. Apparently they're the best things ever and I've been informed by each kid that he wants to wear them forever. I guess before today they didn't realize how vulnerable their shins are.

Declan, in proper Declan style, stripped down to his unders because one can't properly model anything fully clothed.

(ETA: I'm trying to fix the settings so the full post will show in readers, but I can't tell if it's working.)

Lost in translation

2009-07-29T12:41:00.002-06:00

Declan, in his quest for snuggles today, is being held like a baby by Chris. Chris was teasing him a little and saying he's going to rock the baby.

Declan: "Rock me."
Me: "Tell Chris to rock you like a hurricane."
Declan, with feeling: "Rock me like a Burger King!"

Funeral

2009-04-18T07:29:00.003-06:00

I don't think I've posted since we got to Missouri, meaning it's been a while and lots of things have happened/are happening. Our lives have changed a lot for the better, and we're still adjusting but overall things are going well.

This past Sunday (Easter), Chris's brother Stephen passed away. Since this is a blog about the boys, I won't even attempt to go into how that has affected anyone else, which is fine because it's near impossible to articulate that anyway. On the drive out here, Chris and I did our best to explain to the kids that Stephen was sick and tell them what they could expect from living in the house with him. We were worried they'd be nervous about it. But they are some pretty easy-going kids and it turned out to be a non issue for them. In the first few days, there were some curious questions about Stephen and his care, but other than that it didn't affect their lives in any way.

When Stephen went into the hospital, we again did our best to explain what was happening mostly because it meant Grandma Sue and Auntie Andrea weren't around the house like usual. And then a few days later, we had to explain to them that Stephen wasn't going to come home and everyone around the house was going to be sad for a little while and the best things they could do were give lots of hugs and say nice things to people. The boys were sitting on Declan's bed playing Nintendo at the moment, and they sat there listening while we explained what we could. They each got these really sad, heartbreaking looks on their faces - Logan looked down at his lap solemnly and Declan pushed out his bottom lip. And about 30 seconds later it was over and they were on to thinking about the Mario race game.

We told them what to expect at the wake and the funeral, and gave them the choice of going or staying home with me, and they chose to go. At the wake they hung out in the back for a while and slowly worked their way up to viewing Stephen. Logan was shy about it and wouldn't ever walk up to him - he'd just walk by and glance at the casket surreptitiously. Declan, however, kept walking up and standing next to people, and he'd look at Stephen a minute. When Chris was there with Stephen, Declan looked up and grinned hugely at him, completely unphased by all that was going on as usual. The funeral itself was long and boring for them, but the best part was the police escort to the cemetery. The boys watched intently while the cops held up the traffic for the procession and they squealed with excitement each time one of them zoomed past us to get ahead to the next intersection. They were completely impressed by the motorcycles.

Ed, like a good father, has been asking how the boys are handling it emotionally, and all I can tell him is that they're doing fine. They're both too young to really understand the gravity of the situation. They know it's sad and they know the basics of what's going on, but it's not affecting their moods or lives. I think the best way to describe it is they're sad for us, but they themselves aren't sad.

Chris's family has told us a few times how nice it's been to have them around, even in such a difficult time. No one can dwell too long in the sadness of a moment because it gets broken by a loud laugh down the hall or one of them zooming into the kitchen asking for a treat or Declan yelling from the bathroom for someone to wipe his butt, please. Meals need to be made, bodies need to be dressed, hands and faces need to be washed, and through all the things that go into caring for the boys, a sense of normal is brought back into the home.

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T12:38:00.003-06:00

Last night, before the boys went to bed, we had a chat with them about leprechauns and how mischievous they are and how they like to play fun tricks on people on St. Patrick's Day. This morning, the kids woke up to things like our milk and chicken salad in the fridge turned green. We had green scrambled eggs for breakfast (with regular-colored bacon). And the boys are loving it all. For good measure, here's a short video of the boys talking about the morning. And Logan being a boy.

Logan posing so elegantly; Declan with a green milk moustache.

I love the look Declan's giving Logan here. (You can click on these photos to see a larger version of them.)

Music

2009-03-11T00:06:00.003-06:00

I used to say that Logan had an ear for music, and people would be like, "Duh, all kids like music." He's now five and I still think there's something special in him when it comes down to it. I don't know what it is, exactly. He picks up new songs really quickly, and has been known to add his own special soundtrack to his life, like he's writing a movie score to the movie that is Logan.

I don't know if it's the shared genetics of the boys or the shared environment, but Declan is also very musical and makes his own songs that are along the same lines of Logan's - sometimes nothing less than epic accompaniment while he climbs the stairs, dead man walking to time out. Since he was quite young, he's been known to sing himself to sleep in bed. And today, while I was getting his bath ready, he stood in the hallway naked, with a Guitar Hero guitar slung over his shoulder, and sang (loudly) a song to me requesting that I please find him a washcloth. (Of course, my camera is never to be found in those moments.) Even naked in the hallway, Dex looked so natural there with the guitar.

Teenagers

2009-03-05T18:20:00.002-07:00

...they think they know everything.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the mom of teenagers already. I can't put my finger on anything specific, it's just a general feel of attitude and teeny-bop things like Hannah Montana, which they've strangely taken a liking to.

Logan lately has taken quite a liking to my mp3 player. He uses it every night to fall asleep, and most days is pestering me to just wear it around the house. I've got a fairly eclectic mix of music on there and he periodically goes listening for new songs he's not familiar with. He's so much like his dad and grandpa in this way - they're always interested in new music and will give just about anything a chance. Quite often I hear him wandering around the house without the mp3 player, singing songs I didn't know he knew. But when he has it in his possession, he totally cranks the volume up and rocks out. I took this picture of him last week before he went to bed, and I think he looks so much older than 5.

Declan, being the carbon copy of me that he is, has all the emotional control of a teenage girl most days. That kid can crumble into tears like nobody's business. The other day I bought them some Peeps since it's the season of the Peep and the kids piss down both legs for marshmallows (I can't stand them, p.s.). [Sidenote: That phrase "piss down both legs" also comes from my friend Char's house. Her dear sweet daughter said it at the ripe old age of four when she saw something at the toy store she just knew her little brother would be thrilled about. It is *the* phrase to use in such context. End sidenote.] So, the Peeps. Declan ate one, and then started in on the next, biting its head off. Before I knew it, his heartbreaking pouty face had formed (the one where he's squinting as he attempts to hold back the tears and his lips form this beak-like protrusion as he attempts to hold back the sobs) and he was crying big huge tears about it. I asked him what in the world was making him cry since I assumed a Peeps treat would have the opposite effect. He told me between his jagged, sobbing breaths that he wanted to have a pet chick of his own. From then until the time the boys finished eating them, Declan teetered between the complete thrill he gets from being allowed sweets and the depths of heartache over eating baby chicks. Who knew Peeps could be such an emotional roller coaster?

A boy and his dinner

2009-02-11T10:33:00.003-07:00

Last night we had corndogs and tater tots for dinner. Yes, the foods of the gods.

Declan, as hard as he tried, could not keep from calling them teeter totters. And boy, did he love those teeters. He also reminded me of the fact that I'm surrounded by boys when he absentmindedly (while listening to Logan talk about something) held his corndog horizontally and quietly made the sounds of cocking and shooting a gun. I mean, he was fairly enthralled in whatever Logan was telling him, but he still managed to hold the little part of his subconscious open that makes corndogs weapons.

The Mommy Dot

2009-02-07T21:46:00.001-07:00

When we moved to Utah, my friend Char had two kids that were about 4 and 1 at the time. She's since doubled her brood and is contemplating insanity by adding #5, but that's neither here nor there.

Char taught me a little trick way back when that I thought was a stroke of parenting genius (geniouse) and has been filed away in my mind for the stage of parenting I'm in now. That is, dealing with young folks who break lamps and then lie about it to avoid trouble. When Char's kid would lie about something and Char knew (or had a significant hunch) that she was being sold a houseboat in the Sahara, she said she could see the Mommy Dot. The Mommy Dot itself shows up on an unsuspecting, lying child's forehead. It's angry red in color, revealing the indignation and frustration of a parent being lied to. (OK, I may have self-projected there.) It's supposed to be seen only by parents but Logan has sworn up and down that he can see it on Dex. Technically that would mean a dot should be appearing on Logan's forehead as well, but I'm pretty sure the deal is that he and Dex get into trouble together and Logan knows the whole story so I let it slide.

Anyway, by telling a particular child that the Mommy Dot is showing and it's showing because Mommy knows the kid is lying, an amazing thing comes out: the truth. The kid, believing he is caught in a lie all of a sudden wants to come clean and reveal all. Seriously, this is parenting *magic*.

My kids believe in the Mommy Dot as desperately as they believe in Santa. The best part is they give themselves away, sometimes when I'm not even suspecting a lie. I've had conversations with them about mysterious events around the house that have a question and answer session ending in, "Can you see my dot?" Declan has been known to clap his hand to his forehead while talking to me about whether or not he drank milk in the living room. Once when I asked him if it was true that he hit Logan, he said no and immediately sighed heavily, slouched his shoulders and said, "You can see my dot, can't you?"

It's a miracle, folks.

Our latest foray in to the world of dots came the other night when Ed realized the boys had done something to his TV though he'd asked him repeatedly not to touch it. The two of them adamantly promised that they did nothing to it! No way would they touch the TV after Daddy had told them not to! How could we even think such a thing?!

After Ed left the room, each boy asked me quietly if I could see dots on either of them. Clearly, they were both involved. Together. Helping each other. Tag team mischief in action. And the story came out.

Now - if Char could get to work and please invent some parenting magic that will make kids think twice before getting into trouble, that would be awesome.

A pretty good sum-up of parenting these boys

2009-02-01T23:58:00.005-07:00

I was searching through my email for something, and I came across a conversation between Ed and I that occured a few months back. Here it is, in its entirety:

Ed: Did Declan cut himself shaving?
Me: Yes, on Saturday.

(No explanation asked. None needed.)

Heroism

2009-01-30T07:54:00.002-07:00

This morning, as I was getting out of bed, my foot got caught in the sheets (quiet, you) and I yelped. Declan, hearing my cry, yelled from the living room, "I'll save you, Mommy!" We heard his little feet coming running at Declan speed and in a second, he appeared in our room, climbed up on the bed, and tackled Chris who was still laying there. At that point, he did his best to wrestle Chris down for hurting me while Chris laughed and protested that he hadn't done a thing to me. (Of course, Chris did give me the what-for because I was singing the Planet of the Apes musical (from the Simpsons) in bed which he didn't appreciate. Frankly, I consider that tackle-and-wrestle worthy.)

In other news, Logan calls his *ahem* region coconuts. We got in Chris's car yesterday and as we drove off, Logan quite pleasantly exclaimed, "Ooh! This car is vibrating my coconuts!"

Also, Declan calls lasagna masanga, and that's amusing in its own right.

What's that noise?

2009-01-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, as Chris was walking to bed past Logan's room, Logan stopped him and asked him what that noise was. Chris, confused because he hadn't heard any odd noises, asked what noise Logan was talking about. Logan's response: "Like an apple screaming."

Logan also decided tonight that when Aldin (the "bad kid" at school) grows up, he's going to be a car salesman because car salesmen are liars. (Ed? Was that you?)

Haircuts and things

2009-01-18T18:45:00.006-07:00

We've had some craziness around the house for the past couple weeks, and I've gotten out of my routine. The posting has obviously been scarce. That may not change immediately, either.

On a more amusing note, Logan, Chris, and I were watching "Return of the Jedi" the other night after Declan was in bed. At the end, after the Emporer was destroyed by Vader (sorry if I'm giving away the ending) and Luke and Vader were having their final chat, Logan looked up at me and said, "Did Darth Vader go back to the bright side?"

We did haircuts for the boys yesterday. Chris has been harrassing me for Declan's hippiness. The boy's hair has gotten long and unruly and I've been resistant to cutting it because of the curls. But I think I got it out of my system and we'll keep his hair short and under control until he's old enough to take care of it himself. Here's a picture of him before it was cut (well, the curls in the back while he was looking for "circle cheese" in the fridge). [Crappy photo, but you get the idea, right?]

And here's one of the boys together after getting buzzed down. They were quite excited about life at the moment.

See ya in hell, tonsils

2009-01-08T17:10:00.003-07:00

A few months back, during our visit to the family doctor, we decided that given Logan's age and consistent struggle with the s and z sounds, it was probably time to see a speech therapist. The speech therapist said that for those specific sounds Logan was jamming all the air through his nose, but for the rest of his speech, not enough air was getting through. She recommended we take him to see an ENT. Good thing we already had an appointment made, because the doctor who recommended the speech therapist had gasped something that sounded strangely similar to "For crying out loud!" and, "Look at the size of those bastards!" when Logan said "aaah" and showed him his tonsils. He'd also suggested the ENT.

Enter Dr. Peterson, the guy who put tubes in Logan's ears last March. Even way back then, he was impressed at the sheer girth of the tonsils in Logan but figured he was going to be going through enough with the tubes in his ears and the biopsy on the lump in his neck and decided we'd come back another time for the rest. Last month after checking Logan out and talking to me about Logan's sleeping habits (snoring like a chainsaw, tossing and turning all night, beast to wake up in the morning), he figured the tonsils and adenoids were prime for removal. They were obviously causing speech problems and it was very likely they were causing sleep apnea as well, forcing Logan to wake himself up and roll over so he could breathe.

So the -ectomies were scheduled. Chris stayed home to keep Declan fat and happy while Logan and I met Ed and Amy at the surgical center. Logan was clearly nervous, and I had him call Grandpa on the drive. They chit chatted about the things those two mischievous boys chit chat about and Logan's mind was beautifully distracted. Once there, the nurse got Logan changed into his hospital gown and explained everything he could expect. We all watched Monsters, Inc. while we waited for his turn and he seemed to relax a little - until the anesthesiologist came to take him one direction while Mom, Dad and Amy went another. He started crying and Ed did his best to reassure him things would be fine but there wasn't much we could do other than let him go.

While we waited, Ed, Amy and I learned about making pilgrims out of urine hats (seriously) and talked about Amy's childhood experiment with biking + roller skating. It was only about a half hour before the doctor came to tell us the tonsils were out, and Logan was fine and starting to wake up. He said he was amazed at the size of the tonsils and adenoids - they were in the top 5 largest he'd ever seen and they were bringing in doctors and nurses from around the area to gawk and awe at them. Ed said he felt like he won some sort of contest.

Logan had a rough time coming out of the anesthesia. He fell asleep mid-cry a few times, which completely broke my heart. The three of us parents did our best to comfort him and encourage him to drink juice or eat an ice pop so we could go home. Logan was desperate to get the IV out (they put it in his foot so he wouldn't be pawing at it) and that turned out to be his popsicle-eating motivation. Once the popsicle and medicine were down, the IV was removed and we were cleared to go.

I expected him to sleep all day and put up a fight about eating anything, given his reluctance at the hospital. But once we got here, he went to town eating several popsicles, a bowl of ice cream, a bowl of jello, some grapple juice, and even mashed potatoes for dinner. He asked Chris to order him a pizza (denied!) and kept wanting to get up and play.

Now that it's over, Logan sounds younger and doesn't have the hot potato quality to his voice anymore. Once he heals up, we'll get him into speech therapy regularly to help him learn to make the s's and z's properly. But for the moment, he's doing great. Another childhood milestone completed.

Crazy Train

2009-01-04T17:30:00.003-07:00

Today I hooked my mp3 player (thanks, Chris!) to my speakers and started playing Crazy Train. The starting shouts and laughter by Ozzy startled the crud out of the kids. But when the music cut in, Declan slowly took a few steps over to me with eyes wide, mouth hanging open in a half smile like he just could not believe the awesome he was hearing. He stood, sort of dazed, next to me while the song played and before long his little body was totally getting down. Then the headbanging started.

Chris was in his chair next to me watching Declan out of the corner of his eye, like he was afraid that if he paid too much attention, Declan would get shy and stop his performance. I, knowing Dex a little better than that, openly stared. The kid was into it. During the instrumental part, the boy played air guitar, shook his legs to the beat as if he was actually playing a guitar, closed his eyes, and banged his head like you would not believe. During this time, Logan was doing some twirls and dancing that reminded me a bit of a cheerleader, but that's neither here nor there.

Considering that Declan's most requested song around our house is Dragula, I think we may have a metalhead on our hands. In light of these preferences Dex has set forth, Chris has happily volunteered to help shape Declan's musical tastes. Though, the kids did just come off a week with Grandpa in which they fell in love with Planet Claire ("Mommy, they don't have any heads there!").

The Christmas Wrap-up

2008-12-26T18:05:00.004-07:00

It is finished.

I think things went pretty well. The boys have been happily playing with all manner of Christmas crap for the past couple days. They're stuffed full of chocolates and other assorted treats. Chris and I have been enjoying our presents as well, and really happy having our time off of work with each other and the boys.

We made sure the boys had a hand in picking out gifts for the family this year. Logan chose a present for Declan, and vice versa. Each boy chose something for me and Chris and Ed and Amy. We did our best to remind them to keep the person they were buying the gift for in mind. I think it worked, though I'm not I want to think too hard about what the boys think of me (more on that later).

I think Logan ended up choosing Declan's favorite present, which is a Batman sword that makes combat sword sounds when it swings through the air. We didn't realize there was a utility belt that came with it, on which a scabbard can be connected to hang the sword. No matter, Declan found the perfect scabbard in his underwear. He was not at all interested in cooperating for a picture of it, so this is the best I got.

Ed helped the boys pick out presents for Chris and I. Word is that he gave them no guidance and let them choose whatever they thought we'd like. So Chris ended up with a basketball from Logan (not bad at all) and from Dex, some super sweet red sunglasses that possibly travelled through time from the 1980s to get here (pretty much like these, except not Ray-Bans). I ended up with a pair of reading glasses (just in case I turn 60 and lose my near-sighted vision soon?) and a beautiful hair bow/pin.

'Tis the Season

2008-12-17T10:27:00.002-07:00

Some Christmas music:

Decorating the tree may have been the most amazing moment of either of the boys' entire lives. Seriously. I love this photo of Logan even though his eyes are closed...or maybe because of that.

"Call me Hooks" and other Randomness

2008-12-15T09:18:00.003-07:00

Declan, for the better part of the day yesterday, walked around the house with a couple of hangers pulled up over his knees. When I woke up from my nap (thanks, Chris!), he strode up to me, hands on hips and said, "Call me Hooks!" Unfortunately, he refused - REFUSED - to let me take a picture of him all hooky.
Declan thinks it's hilarious to jump out of his room and roar at me in the mornings. He likes to scare me and it's pretty funny to hear his little roar in his scratchy, just-woke-up voice. (Just between you and me, he's never actually scared me. But I'm good at pretending.)
Declan: "What kills dogs?"
Logan: "Dinosaurs."
On Saturday, Ed brought the boys over and there was Christmas talk, as usual. The kids know it's coming and of course want it to be tomorrow. Somehow Logan got it in his head that Christmas actually was tomorrow (meaning Sunday morning) and went to bed with that thought on his mind, unbeknownst to us.

Sunday morning, Declan woke up well before Logan, as he is wont to do. After a while, in an attempt to shut their bedroom door quietly after retrieving a book, he didn't know to turn the handle so it could latch gently and ended up sort of banging it closed all the way.

A few seconds later, Logan came bolting out of the bedroom, a look on his face of anticipation and excitement. He stopped short behind Declan and I assumed he was upset that Dex had woken him up and was about to give Dex the old what for. Instead, Logan turned to me, tears forming in his eyes, and said in possibly the saddest voice ever, "Daddy was wrong. Santa didn't come. It's not Christmas."

Heartbreaking, I tell ya. I hugged him tight and assured him that Santa would come when it was the right day.

Diabolical

2008-12-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

We have a fireplace in our apartment, complete with ceramic logs and a switch on the wall that turns it on and off. It works like magic, possibly of the black variety, though I'm not entirely sure on that. What I *do* know is that flipping a switch to start a fire is nothing like the uphill-both-ways stuff I had to go through when my family wanted a fire in the fireplace at home growing up. Back in those days, we kept piles of wood stacked on the side of the house no one ventured unless they were getting firewood. Whoever was assigned with the getting of the wood had to truck on back there with our red wagon that had been left out in the rain a few too many times and was rusted and dented with years of use. Retrieving wood during the day was generally no big deal, though it was advised to wear gloves because logs are pokey and sure to be infested with spiders or other assorted creepy-crawlies.

Sometimes we were sent out at night, though. The lights in the backyard only lit up the grass and pool area. That left a whole chunk of yard on the way to the creepy side of the house with no lighting. So you'd go back there with the rusty, creaky wagon and load it full of wood by the light of the moon while trying not to envision spiders crawling up your arms or over your shoes into your pant legs. After the wagon was loaded, it was a race back to the porch because by that time you had had it with the dark and cold and you just wanted to get in front of that damn fire. Also, there was always the potential for mischief-making brothers to be hiding in the dark corners, waiting to jump out and scare the crap out of you just to see how loud you could scream and if they could make you dump the wagon full of wood over on your way back to the house. Pleasant memories, indeed.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the switch which lights the fire in our apartment. So no one has to go adventuring to get wood, and no one has to check and make sure the flue is open before the fire is started. It's simply switching on and off and that's it. Brilliant. However, that also makes it simple for small, mischievous hands to turn fires on and off (probably mostly on).

Chris and I decided early on that we didn't want the kids to know how simple it was and we planned to flip the switch whenever they're not looking or out of the room somehow. Here's where the diabolical comes in. Instead of hoping for a moment when the kids are distracted, we have them come over to us, stand in front of the fireplace, close their eyes, and wish with all their mights for the fire to come on or turn off. This means that they aren't aware of us flipping a switch, nor do they have any idea that a switch can be flipped for fire purposes. Many mornings on the way out of the house, we have them wish the fire off and many chilly nights have included a moment of wishing the fire on. Really, there's something so satisfying in outsmarting the 3-5 year old set.

Catching Up

2008-12-07T10:26:00.003-07:00

I haven't posted in for-ev-er because we've been sick, sick, sick around here. All last week, Chris and I were miserable in bed, praying for mercy. The boys came home last weekend and each had their turn throwing up and feeling lethargic. So I blame them. Or Ed. The really tragic part of it is that before they came to our house and felt sick, Ed took them to Cafe Rio where they enjoyed some quesadillas. However, Declan is convinced the quesadilla made him sick, and if you offer to take him to Cafe Rio, he'll tell you he just wants a drink, please. Sad, right? One of the best restaurants in Utah and the boy just wants a drink. I think we'll ease up on mentioning that place for a while and hopefully the memory will fade.

Logan has been trying out a new laugh lately. I don't know why, or where he got it from, or what he's getting out of it, but whatever. He forces all the air out of his lungs and does a breathy, deep-voiced laughing sound. Creepy, honestly.

Both the boys are making huge strides in the reading and writing department. Logan's trying to read a lot, and he loves to write. He made a paper for me that said "I LOV MOMMY" over and over again (awwww). And because Logan does it, Declan is making his own attempts and doing quite well. Dex doesn't try to read as much as he tries to write, but he can actually write words if you spell them out for him. I think because they're so close in age, Declan's going to be standing on Logan's shoulders when it comes to a lot of the stuff they learn. He hears us encouraging and correcting Logan on the reading and writing and wants to get in on the action as well.

Personality

2008-11-25T08:58:00.005-07:00

Last week, as the doctor was walking out of the room after the boys' checkups, Logan was pretending to be a dog and sitting next to me with his tongue out and paws at his chest while Declan was pretending to be a superhero (that owns a dog) and talking in his grown up man voice to Logan-the-dog with his brows furrowed. The doctor glanced at them, looked at me, and laughed while he said, "You've got your hands full with those two." And I just thought to myself something along the lines of how he ain't seen nothing yet.

Yes, hands are full. But that's not a bad thing. Around our house, it's usually a fun thing because it means also that my kids have personality. Maybe I should have sat them in chairs with arms folded until we were out of the doctor's office, but the reality is that they're young boys brimming with energy (that is, until they have to do something they don't want to and they start walking very slowly with their shoulders hunched over saying they're out of energy) and they were being fairly quiet in their play. Of course there are days when the imaginations get to be too much and too loud and us grown ups get a bit overwhelmed and impatient with it all, as I'm sure Chris, Ed, and Amy can verify. The benefit is that if nothing else, the kids provide some good entertainment. Who needs TV?

Video of the boys doing their impressions of Wall-E

Along with the personality comes the imaginations, which I know I've mentioned once or twice before. The boys are pretty boy-like in their love of superheroes, and they're frequently telling me about new guys they've made up. I have a few pages of notes on these characters and have intentions to Do Things With Them. Part of my quest to capture their childhood includes making videos of them talking about their superheroes.

Logan talking about Doctor Professor and his sidekick Doy Doy
Logan talking about Bug and Punkin Scary (two of the villains)
Declan talking about Strong Mega, a guy who is super strong and super (to the 43rd power, by my count) fast

Growin'

2008-11-21T10:41:00.002-07:00

Some of this stuff is mostly for my personal records of the future, so ignore what you must.

The boys had a couple of well-child checks yesterday, and it has been determined that all is well - though that was never really the question. My questions tend to be more about whether all is normal. Like Declan's near obsession with chocolate oranges, or Logan's never-ending singing of the epic movie scores he makes up as we go about our day. The point is, they're healthy, if a little strange.

Logan:
47" tall (98th percentile), 52 lbs. (94th percentile)

Declan:
42" tall (89th percentile), 42 lbs. (94th percentile) The nurse asked him if he's a square. He, not knowing what she was talking about, giggled maniacally in response, which is generally what he does when the conversation goes over his head.

In short, they're very tall-sized. (See what I did there?) And thick.

Not that this has to do with anything, but in the car this morning, Dex and Logan got into quite the brotherly arguement which possibly would have led to blows if they weren't buckled in over how to sing the Flash Gordon music. Declan was happily singing the intro part and Logan, with his fierce sense of order and justice, was getting annoyed as hell because Declan was leaving out the cymbal crash after they sing "FLASH!" Seriously, it was intense.

Logan's also been walking around singing Bohemian Rhapsody and Another One Bites the Dust. Evidently, Ed's been playing Queen lately.

Grandpaul

2008-11-10T15:31:00.006-07:00

So, Ed's dad swore to me possibly on the very day of Logan's birth that if I taught the kids to call him Grandpaul, he'd teach them to call me Ass Face (which isn't as mean-spirited as it sounds, since it stems from a line in Waiting for Guffman that made me laugh for approximately a half hour straight when I first heard it [Sidenote: I just watched that clip for the first time in forever, and it still gets me going. End sidenote.]). However, he never said anything about me teaching other people to call him that, which I now urge all of you to do. Especially since it fits perfectly into that thing I love which is smashing two words together into something new. Grandpa? Paul? COME ON! IT WRITES ITSELF!

Anyway, dear Grandpa was here for a visit this weekend which made my kids piss down both legs (copyright Char's kid) in anticipation. They did lots of fun stuff together like go to Park City and eat ice cream, visit the bird ~~museum~~ zoo ["These ones are live, Courtney"], and possibly some cow-tipping. Grandpa went home likely worn out and exhaustedly patting himself on the back for spacing his two boys 11 years apart instead of the 19 month grace period we ended up with. Having the kids so close together has its definite advantages (built-in best friends, for one), but they certainly can wear you out fast.

Chris and I met the boys, Ed, and Ed's dad for a birthday breakfast that morning. The boys were super excited to wish me a happy birthday, and they gave me a card in which they both signed their own names and made my cold, black heart melt to a puddle. This collection of men sang "Happy Birthday" to me twice, Logan and Declan grinning wide the entire time. After the second rendition before we left, Logan stood close to me and sang it once more softly in my ear and I think he's in the running for Sweetest Kid Ever. (But don't call him sweet, because he thinks that word can only describe girls.)

As requested by Declan...

2008-11-05T07:12:00.003-07:00

A picture of Declan looking at the snow. And when I say "as requested," I really mean "as demanded mightily."

Election Day

2008-11-04T18:47:00.005-07:00

Logan very excitedly told me today is a special day because we get to vote. He asked me if I voted. He asked Chris if he voted. He asked our next door neighbor if she voted. When he called Grandpa to wish him a happy birthday, he asked him if he voted. Logan proudly told me tonight that when he's 18, he'll get to vote, too.

Earlier in the year (and possibly still?), Amy had an Obama sign in her yard. The boys fell in love with that name. Sometimes I'll hear them whisper it to themselves, relishing the way it rolls around in their mouths. "Obamaaaaaahhhh."

There have been talks about what the election is and what it's about (in the most basic terms). I explained that Obama and McCain were men who wanted to lead our country, and we looked at pictures of both of them online. We talked about how they had different ideas of how to run things and the people of the country will get to vote and that will determine who wins.

Politically informed, those boys. Hopefully when they're of age, they'll still be informed and excited about participating.

In other unrelated news, filed under When They Don't Know the Words: Logan refers to hail as "rock rain."

Neologisms

2008-10-31T07:11:00.006-06:00

We finally got the boys Halloween costumes last night (don't judge me by my procrastinatory ways). Logan will be ninja'ing it up, while Declan is pirating the hell out of everyone. We got home and let them try the costumes on to make sure we had everything they needed and it all fit and blahblahblahfishcakes. The boys are at the perfect ages for holidays. Everything about holidays is special and exciting and filtered through the imagination of youth.

I told them to go look in the mirror in my room, which is full-length, and check themselves out. Squeals of delight followed.

Logan came back to the living room and said, "Mom, I have a new catchprase when I'm dressed up as a ninja. Want to hear it?" Of course I did. With big blue eyes wide, he said emphatically, "I look good." And boy, did he.

Declan followed Logan, attempting to tell me he looked fabulous, only the word came out as "bajabulous" (it rhymes with fabulous, people). At which point Logan said, "No. You're piralous! And I'm ninjalous!"

I was so happy when I heard those boys make up those words. Words are like my favorite thing ever, and making up words is a good time had by all. There's something to be said for creating a brand new word like cromulent or embiggens. But more than that, I love the words that form themselves out of specific situations. Like "milktastical" in reference to the fantasicness of milk. Or "fuckle" when the urge to fart and the urge to chuckle express themselves at the same time.

So, my boys are making up their own words, jamming things together for the amusement and benefit of all. My mom-pride is showing.

Randoms

2008-10-26T20:34:00.002-06:00

Declan needed a tissue today. He told me there was sauce coming out his nose.

Last week when I was outside with the kids, I pointed out how the leaves were changing colors. I showed them a tree with leaves that had turned a deep red color and said I thought those were my favorite. The next day, Logan came home from school with a pocket full of leaves that same color which he picked because he knew they were my favorite.

I found some of those cheap plastic bracelets that are the same kind that were popular when I was a kid. (Think Jellies, but in bracelet form.) I bought a stack of black ones, and Chris calls them my Madonna bracelets. I know they're dorky. They make me happy.

Chris finally gave in to a request I've been making for a long, long time and wore an earring this weekend. That also made me happy. I think I might be stuck in the 80s.

"Declan, why are you so quiet?"
"I don't have the talking feeling."

Thanks, kids

2008-10-24T22:09:00.002-06:00

I went to put on a flip-flop and my toes discovered a fallen ramen noodle - cold, wet, and sticky.

Ew.

We all have days like this

2008-10-21T12:44:00.005-06:00

This pretty much sums up how I feel today. And how I felt yesterday. And probably how I'll feel tomorrow.

I have much more to say, but I'm having a hard time expressing myself. Really, I need a hug. And the ability to solve my own problems without having to lean on anyone else. That's what I want my superpower to be.

Things That Make Me Happy (Aside From the Obvious)

2008-10-17T17:43:00.007-06:00

On Monday, my bags were stolen out of my car. The biggest loss was the camera that I had used moments before to take my daily picture of each boy, a project I've been working on for a short time, but that means much to me. So until we can afford a replacement camera, there will be a lack of pictures 'round these parts. Incidentally, this is a Thing That Makes Me Cry.

The boys are with Ed until tomorrow evening, and I'm missing them as I often do. When they're gone, I forget the stubborn, shrieking parts of the kids. I end up longing for their laughs and hugs and energy. This is sometimes another Thing That Makes Me Cry.

There are specific things in my life, guaranteed pick-me-ups, that I turn to when I feel down. And since I need a little boost tonight I'm listing them here. Enjoy, and link me some of your own goodies. :)

Free Hugs Campaign
Where the Hell is Matt?
Float On ("Well we'll float on, good news is on the way")
Top That
One Gallon Axe
Hooked on a Feeling, the Hasselhoff version (seriously...wtf?)
White and Nerdy
How is babby formed? (Accompanying "explanation")
Feeling Good
Obama in a bumper car
Einstein on a bike
Cerberus as a puppy
Vonnegut

And what would a post really be without The Obvious?

October Snow

2008-10-13T10:14:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we had our first snow of the season. I'm not really one to check the weather forecast under pretty much any circumstance; I like to be surprised. It's sort of the way some people might call me lazy - I prefer to refer to myself as efficient. Anyway, surprised I was.

Poor Ed had some car problems and needed us to pick up the boys from the parking lot where he had pulled over to let his radiator cool off (that is, wait until it stopped spewing smoke and making him run in circles saying, "Firefirefirefire!"). So Chris and I bundled up and picked up the boys who were thrilled at the sight of snowfall. Declan was sure to explain to us that even though it was snowing, it was not Christmas. Just in case we were getting our hopes up, I guess.

When we got home, the kids wanted to play outside so we got them mildly bundled up. This is where the surprise of the snow really comes in to play. I hadn't dug out any of our warm coats or gloves, hats, boots, etc. Logan came from Ed's prepared with a pair of knit gloves [Sidenote: Logan spent some time later in the day standing in the kitchen wearing said blue gloves, sunglasses, his long-sleeved shirt, and underwear...I told him he looked awesome and he responded oh-so-seriously, "I know. That's because I'm a ninja." End sidenote.], but Declan was out of luck in the glove department (pronounced "glub"). So I improvised. The only thing I could find that might be an acceptable substitute was a pair of my socks that had toes. We tried to play up the fact that they were special gloves (not socks), but the boy was not fooled. He very cutely attempted to be happy about them, but it didn't last.

He sort of looks like he's got webbed hands there.

And once they got soaked through and started slipping off his hands, he told me he didn't want to wear the special gloves anymore. Of course, by that time both the boys were pretty wet and cold since they did some sledding down the hill without sleds, so we went inside for hot chocolate. In all, a pretty good first snow. But I'm thinking I better stock up on some non-special gloves for next time.

Tag Team Husband

2008-10-09T15:03:00.003-06:00

So I've got it pretty good when it comes my husband sharing the chores around the house. I love that in the mornings, when the house is busy getting ready for the day, I can pick out clothes for the boys and then go dry my hair while Chris supervises them getting dressed. This usually consists of making jokes with them while they get clothed and put the dirties away properly. Though it also involves acting as an obstruction for when they inevitably get distracted and want to go play GI Joe in their bedroom wearing nothing more than their underwear. Chris often has to catch them, physically turn them the other direction, and send them back to whatever forgotten items of clothes are left to be put on.

When we make lunches in the morning, I love that he'll make the sandwiches while I dig out the pretzels, fig newtons, trail mix, or whatever other accessories we have around to pack. This morning he went to town chopping vegetables for the beef stew while I got the other items ready in the crock pot.

The boys love him. He's a great "daddy at Mommy's house"...though it's certainly had its time of adjustments. He does a pretty good job of stepping in with some humor to ease the tension a bit when I reach the end of my patience rope with the kids. And there's nothing better than piling on the couch as a family to watch a movie or play a game and just enjoy some time together.

One of the best things about Chris? When he sings Lots of Bots to the boys at bedtime.

Randoms

2008-10-08T09:40:00.004-06:00

So it's been a week since Logan's birthday and I haven't posted because we've been busybusybusy. I'm trying to get a side project going and doing that after work is taking up some time. Plus, there's the parenting, and that ain't easy.

A few things to note:

Dex told me this morning that he was going to count to 100. He did one through ten fine, then bounced around in the teens for a bit (including numbers like oneteen, twoteen, and twenty-sixteen) before he boldly announced 100, followed by the proud exclamations of, "I did it! I counted to 100!" A for effort, buddy.
Declan used my favorite expression ("Suck a rock!") this morning.
Apparently Grandpa Higgins told them that we can't drive with the windows down on the highway. So there's been some constant asking lately if we're on the highway because the boys are kind of like dogs in that there's really nothing better than flying along with the windows down. I'm sure if they weren't strapped into carseats, they'd be out the windows with tongues hanging out. Also, if you're not on the highway, you're on the "downway"...just an FYI.
Logan told me last night that some kids in his class were calling him Chicken Noodle and it was hurting his feelings. We talked a bit about how to handle it when kids tease him and what he was going to do about it today, and then I told him I thought Chicken Noodle was really cute and would it hurt his feelings if I called him that? He looked at me like he was about to cry and said yes. So, despite how adorable I think it is, I will refrain from the Chicken Noodle nickname. Poop.
My particular brand of wit and charm is not appreciated by Chris in the middle of the night.

Five

2008-10-01T21:30:00.004-06:00

I think this is my favorite picture of Logan to date. I love the way he's standing, and the look on his face. He's got a bit of a Mona Lisa smile - just a hint of one there.

Logan is an awesome, special kid. He has a sense of humor that is wonderfully goofy, and he has an ability to be tender and compassionate beyond his age. Sometimes, we'll lay down together and talk about things, and he'll reach up and softly touch my cheek. He makes us laugh with words and songs he thinks up. He's a great big brother. His imagination amazes me and I hope he never loses it. I find myself feeling really lucky to know him.

My most favorite memory of Logan, and possibly the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me: Last year, when Ed and I were separated and I was feeling so miserable about myself and life in general, I was on the floor talking and playing with the boys. All of a sudden, Logan stopped what he was doing and scooted close to me. He took my face in his hands, looked me in the eye and said, "Mommy, you are awesome! And you are beautiful!"

Smashed potatoes and peas

2008-09-30T10:38:00.006-06:00

For the second year in a row, Logan has requested "smashed" potatoes and peas for his birthday dinner. I think I'll file that under Not Normal, and also Adorable. I expected a request for pizza, or perhaps McD's (Big Ron's Steakhouse), but nope...potatoes and peas is what we're having.

Last year, I asked him about his birthday request a few days before his birthday, and that night I made green beans with dinner. When he saw his plate, he protested, "I wanted circle peas, not rectangle peas!" (Also filed under Adorable, p.s.)

Even though his birthday's not until tomorrow, we'll be celebrating at our house tonight since he'll be at Ed's tomorrow night. I took him to pick out his cake from the store last week and he chose a spider cake, which I'm not thrilled about since it comes with a ginormous plastic spider on top. But I did tell him to pick what he wanted so I couldn't really say no. Next year, I'll add a "no creepies" clause.

"Five years ago today" (and all that crap)...

We were spending the day in the hospital, having an amnio done (unpleasant watching that long, long needle poke into your belly, btw), and preparing for the impending arrival of LP. I really wanted to have an October baby so I felt ok about being admitted the night of the 30th with the plan of Logan removal the next morning. Little did we know things wouldn't go as anticipated and instead of having a leisurely birth the next morning (ha!), it was to be a middle-of-the-night affair in which Logan was pulled out in the wee hours of the morning, barely an October boy.

The conversation with the nurse before we went to the operating room went a little something like this (I'll sum up for time, and please keep in mind that I was heavily sedated) -

Nurse: So, every time you're having a contraction, the baby's heart rate is dropping. That's not good. We're going to have to do a c-section instead of following through with the induction as planned. Your doctor has been notified.
Me: Oooookaaaay, so what time will he be here in the morning?
Nurse, giving me a confused look: Um, he's on his way. He'll be here in about 10 minutes.
Me, all of a sudden noticing the flurry of hospital staff doing various things to and around me: Oh.

About that time, Ed walked up to me, dressed in the scrubs they'd given him. The shirt was about 2 sizes too small, so he had the uncanny look of a stuffed sausage and was moving fairly stiffly. The nurse took a glance at him and quickly went to get him a more comfortably sized top. We didn't really have time to panic or worry too much, because we were off to the OR shortly after. The c-section itself was fairly uneventful except for the fact that the doctors spent their time talking about golf or cars or Things Doctors Talk About Other Than Doctoring which gave me the distinct sensation that my c-section was not nearly as big a deal to them as it was to me, and when they pulled Logan out of my body, they loudly counted one...two...three as they unwrapped the umbilical cord from around his neck. As it turns out a cord around your neck three times can inhibit your breathing during contractions.

After he was born, Ed went to see Logan get cleaned up and came back to me on the operating table, excitedly telling me that the boy was just perfect with ten fingers and ten toes and red hair (which I was not expecting). Unfortunately I was pretty drugged up, focused mostly on how Ed looked with the surgical mask on his face and how it made a perfect tent over his mouth because of how it unfolded, so my first words after the birth of Logan were to Ed saying, "You look like a duck."

People talking on bananas...

2008-09-26T11:26:00.003-06:00

One of the writers I work with runs the People Talking on Bananas blog. Today, the boys were featured.

Randoms

2008-09-26T09:51:00.007-06:00

Logan yesterday told me he didn't want to go to school anymore. I asked him why, and he said, "They make me learn things. And I don't think I need to learn anything else."

Last night Logan was adjusting his crotchal region, and I asked if he needed to use the bathroom. His response: "No, these just keep sticking to my legs. Chris is a boy, he knows what that's about." I looked at Chris, who shrugged and said the kid's got a point.

This morning the boys had baths before we left for school and such. Declan got out, and shivered his way down the hall, saying, "I'm so cold. The wind keeps getting me!" While he was getting dressed, he gave me a recap of last night: "I ate my dinner, and then I had PIE! It was bananas and cream. It was AWESOME!"

Maclaine and me boys

2008-09-23T21:14:00.001-06:00

(This is repost. I put it up about a week ago and had an error in the coding, so I deleted it and have just now gotten around to getting it back up.)

I think one of the greatest compliments a parent can receive is that other people like your kids. I have a lot of mom friends, and our general consensus is - embarassingly enough - that we don't like other people's children. My theory is that the closer you are to the parent, the better their kids look to you. Because when I'm out and about, random kids at grocery stores and in restaurants annoy the crap out of me. And boy, oh boy, have we been that loud, screechy, annoying family at times.

Anyway, over the past weekend, my BFF Maclaine was here for one of her beloved and not-frequent-enough visits. My boys adore her, and they were so excited that she was going to stay at our house. (Incidentally, she has a priceless blackmail-worthy photo from last year's visit of Logan wearing nothing but a mismatched pair of my socks while Dex is on the couch laughing and giving the thumbs up.)

Declan of course struggles with the pronunciation of her name. He calls her "Baquain" or maybe "Baqueen" and I can't quite tell the difference, but I'm sure it's the same thing he calls Lightning McQueen. [Sidenote: Logan had the same pronunciation problem for a while, and not long after she visited us last year, I giggled when I heard him patting his legs and calling Maclaine to come play with him. And then I felt hilariously foolish when I realized he was calling his McQueen boombox (that he was pretending to be a dog) to come play with him. Declan, ever the obedient little brother, played the stagehand for the boombox and trotted it down the hall for Logan. End sidenote.] This year, however, Logan had his pronunciation of Maclaine down pat and was sure to explain the difference between Maclaine and McQueen to Declan, who then kept on keepin' on with the Baquain/Baqueenness of his 3 year old tongue.

ANYWAY, Maclaine came to visit. And we loved it. And we loved her. And when it was all said and done she loves my kids. She listened to them sing along (loudly) to various Barenaked Ladies songs. Declan greeted her the first morning with an excited, "Are you leaving today?!" Declan sat on the other end of the couch she was sleeping on, stole her blanket, and pushed her out of the way with his feet because she was too close to his relaxation station. Logan woke her up (and the rest of the house) with his midnight vomiting travels. She heard them throw little tantrums about who the heck knows what, saw them make the messes they make, heard some whining and laughing and everything in between. And through it all, she still loves them. That makes me feel happy.

Is it a guy thing?

2008-09-18T16:31:00.004-06:00

Logan has been going through a rough patch lately, with a few changes and struggles happening in his life. We've spent some time talking about things, and a couple of times he's started crying in the middle of telling me what's up. He's said to me, "I don't like this water that's coming from my eyes" as he's wiped his tears away and made a visible effort to stop crying. (Talk about heartbreaking Mom moments.)

I don't think there's anyone in his life who would have made him feel like crying is an inappropriate way to deal with his feelings. I'm sure he'll pick up on plenty of that in time, with the macho man world in which we live. We talk sometimes about how he doesn't need to cry about certain things, like when Dex takes the crayon Logan wants or if Logan drops a Chalupa on the floor. But when it comes to physical pain or hurt feelings, there is no one who would think of telling him to suck it up and not cry. So it's interesting to me to see him try to hold it back, or make such an effort to stop it after it starts.

Of course, crying in and of itself is not pleasant. And maybe all it is, rather than any desire on his part to be more masculine, is a desire to not be a goopy mess. But I guess that's the really interesting thing to me – he just doesn't like to do it, and I suspect that before he gets too much older he'll have trained himself to not cry as an emotional response. That thought makes me a little sad. The image of the stoic, incapable-of-crying man is so cold and … lacking something. Not that Logan is necessarily headed in that direction specifically.

Perhaps I just don't understand what boys go through in their childhood, adolescence, ascent to manhood? Alright, there's really no "perhaps" about it. Logan is my first observation of baby to toddler to boy (and in time, beyond), and maybe he's just reaching an age where he recognizes crying as crying rather than a way to get what he wants. Declan's certainly not there yet. By the sound of it, he's regularly dropping Chalupas.

I'd ask Chris and Ed about this, but my hunch is that both of them will claim they've never cried a day in their lives. Wieners.

Things I Want to Remember

2008-09-09T13:50:00.005-06:00

(Alissa, I totally started a draft of this before I saw your exact same post. I'm not copying! I promise!)

Logan dances by moving his shoulders; Declan dances by moving his hips.

Fingers are thingers.

"[Gasp!] We need a grab-nabber!" - Declan, trying to provide a solution to a problem, after perhaps too many episodes of Little Einsteins (called Rocket around here)

Declan wears "slip slops" and a "slimming suit". His favorite Backyardigan is "Plablo". He and Logan are "bludders".

[Chris was serving milkshakes he made as a special treat for the family on Sunday.]
Logan: Why are you full of ice cream?
Chris, confused: What?! I'm not.
Logan: But Mommy said you were full of it!

My kids are singers. Since Declan was teeny tiny, he has sung himself to sleep. He'll sing a song if you ask (and he's not grumpass at the moment). He will make anything into a song, if it suits the moment (I've heard songs about making sandwiches, or getting blankets, or bathtime, etc.). Sometimes Logan joins in with his own musical version of Declan's lyrics, or with the instrumental part while Dex sings the words. Logan has also been known to make up theme songs for his various superhero creations, or sometimes a soundtrack while we're driving around on errands.

Yesterday I overheard Logan tell Declan that it was ok to tell Mommy when you have an accident because she'll just say it's ok and help you take care of it.
(Honestly, that made me feel so good to know that he feels he can come to me with his current biggest problem instead of needing to hide it. I've tried to reinforce the idea that he can talk to me about anything and we'll figure it out, and I guess it's working.)

The other night before bed, I checked on the boys. I leaned in over Declan to whisper the things I usually whisper to them in the middle of the night and in his sleep he reached up, grabbed me around my neck with one arm, and pulled me down to lay my head on his pillow with him.

As I was tucking Logan in bed a few nights ago, I told him he made my heart happy and he asked for what? I said that it was just because I love who he is and I'm glad he's my son. He smiled this big smile, closed his eyes, and did a little dance as I walked out of the room. I will never forget the way he looked in that moment and the way I felt, as I was walking away, that I filled his little heart with happiness.

Chris overheard at dinner

2008-09-05T12:52:00.005-06:00

"Use your mouth for eating, not talking.
[giggling]
Or laughing.
[other giggling]
Or making your brother laugh."

"Stop looking at each other and eat."

"Get your feet off that chair.
The chair is not a toy.
Do I have to come sit on that chair between you guys so you won't play with it?
[sound of the chair being knocked back and forth]
[sound of Chris trying to sit threateningly in the chair]
Fine, now eat."

When Logan asked how much more he had to eat to earn some ice cream:
"Everything on your plate. No more of this 'how many bites stuff'...you've riled up Chris now, the big dog. You're not playing with Mom anymore! In fact, I'm gonna set this timer right here and you better start eating and finish up before the time runs out or you're not getting any ice cream.
[pause]
Don't choke."