Happy Birthday, Will!

As with every October 21st...I greet the day with happiness and just a hint of sadness.
It's my older son's 8th birthday, and I'm thrilled that "his day" has arrived.

I love the person that he is becoming.  He loves learning about things, and has a ridiculously strong memory like his  Mom.  He's really creative, and loves to draw and build things.  He is curious about how things "work" and loves conversations with Dad about these things.   He's a voracious reader, now that he's discovered a genre of books focusing on magic and fantasy.  He has a great sense of humor, and some of the things that he comes up with leave me in stitches for days.  He is a kind soul and really goes out of his way for his friends and family.  Although there is definitely some of that "brotherly love" present and they bicker sometimes, he really includes his brother when playing with friends and loves to hang out with him.

The sadness for his birthday is what all Moms face.  My baby, my first-born, is growing up.  Which is of course what I want, but it's hard.  He's still affectionate, still gives bone-crushing hugs and isn't (yet) afraid to be seen in public with his old Mom.

Tonight my parents are coming over for his favorite dinner (cheese ravioli!) followed by chocolate cake and presents.  We're having a Pokemon-themed birthday party this weekend.

Happiest of Birthdays, Bubby.  Your dad and I, plus Sean, love you to the moon and back.

Three

And now a bright spot in winter:  Sean turns three today!

He woke up this morning kind of like the day he was born with a big healthy screech.  Only this time it wasn't about the cold, bright place, but not wanting to get out of bed.  So I guess it IS kind of the same thing.  Upon wishing him a happy birthday, my "baby" rolled over sleepily and informed me that it wasn't his birthday yet.

Now he's watching "Princess Week" with Bubby on Disney Jr. and enjoying the donuts I bought on the way home from knitting last night.  Tonight, in family Tradition, dinner is whatever he wants.  So we're having chicken, french fries and birthday cake per his request.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!  Mommy, Daddy and Bubby love you more and more every day!

Hats Off

Just one of those random "Grab the Camera!" for a few candid shots.

If Will tells Sean to put on a hat, he puts on the hat!  I've been trying to get him to wear this hat for some time now...and now it's going to be too small pretty soon.  They are pretty cute, huh?  Will's hat is a hand-me-down from Papa.

Wake-Up Call

Nothing good comes out of a morning that had you going to bed late the night before, because you couldn't fall asleep.  Adding a toddler crying outside your bedroom door at 4AM, bringing the toddler back to his bed, only to have his older brother fly into your room a few minutes later and crash the bedroom door against the wall, causing you to jump and strain your neck?  Pure chaos. 

We finally got the Big Kid settled, on our bedroom floor.  When he comes in like that and is scared because of nightmares, there's no successful "putting him back to bed."  I know that this phase won't last forever.  (I'm repeating "This too shall pass" right now at this morning hour, at the ungodly 4AM rush I was likely thinking something along the lines of four letter words)  

No sooner do we have him settled, I hear a little cough.  Brian sighs and says "Who's coughing?"  He was really hoping that it was me, but alas, it was not.  I open the bedroom door and there's Sean, lockedin a staring contest with the door.  This is a losing battle, and I need some more sleep, we all do!  I get his little blankie and bring him back, settling him down on the floor next to his brother.  He bursts into tears and I point to his brother and say "Look!  Bubby is sleeping right next to you."  He glances over and, reassured by the presence of his big brother, puts his fingers in his mouth and falls fast asleep.

Brian and I were like the walking dead today, neither one of us could get out of our own way.  It was definitely a "more than two cups of coffee" kind of morning.  But when I woke up and stepped over two sleeping boys, they looked so precious.  And THAT is what I choose to remember about the whole ordeal.  :)

Little Boy Bed!

As you can see, someone was VERY excited for his "little boy bed!"  Last night was Sean's first night both in a toddler bed and sharing a room with his Bubby.  Will even made a "Welcome Sean!" sign so that Sean would feel at home in his new bed.  (Never mind he can't read....he did enjoy kicking it like crazy.)  

So, how did he sleep?  Eh.....it could have been better.  For one thing, he's not used to having so much freedom.  He must've jumped out of bed and ran around the kitchen about fifty times!  Will came out a few times too, to let us know that Sean had climbed into bed with him.  Both boys didn't go to sleep til about midnight last night, so I see naps in the day today.  I'm really glad that we decided to try this on a weekend.  

Cookie Time is Here Again!!

It's that time again.......Christmas Cookies!  I came home from work on Friday and thought it would be a fun activity for Will and I to make some cookies together.  I'll be the first to say that this wasn't one of my "better" ideas!

Let's start with the traditional Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies!  Why those first?  Because the dough has to chill out in the fridge for a while and you can make something else while that occurs.  Though just reading that last sentence, I have to laugh.  Making more cookies while the dough is chilling.....HA HA HA HA HA!!!  What a chore when a toddler is helping!  Will added extra salt, and poured an entire cup of flour onto the kitchen floor.  Luckily, I was able to remove most of the additional salt with the help of a spoon.   By the time we mixed up the dough in the Kitchenaid and put it in the fridge, two hours of chilling put it way past bedtime.  I made the executive decision  to let the dough chill overnight and I would bake the cookies on Saturday morning.

Saturday morning....no go.  Instead, I had a hair appointment and knocked out most of the rest of my Christmas shopping.  (Made record time in Target with getting ALL my gifts and getting checked out in less than an hour, thankyouverymuch!)  I finally got around to cutting out the cookies and baking them Saturday evening in time for Bubby to go to bed.  On to Sunday....

Sunday we had a birthday party to go to about forty miles away.  We had intentions of going out to dinner, but Will fell asleep in the car and there was NO way I was waking him up and taking his grumpy alter-ego into an eating establishment.  It just wouldn't be fair to the other patrons, not to mention terrible for us.  :)  So here we are.....mixing up frosting and decorating cookies at 7pm on Sunday.  And then....cookie-decorating lost out in the toddler popularity contest to the Dora the Explorer Holiday Special!  Ahhh.......I managed to stretch out ONE batch of cookie-making into three days!  Well, I did say that we were cutting back on the baking this year, and it's more enjoyable to stretch it out, right?

Tomorrow....Brian's favorite:  Coconut Macaroons!

(cross-posted at Blue Plate Special)

Happy Birthday to my "Baby"

Today is Will's second birthday! I can't believe two years have passed since he was born. I can't even believe that it's been a year already since his first birthday! Time doesn't fly, it ZOOMS!

Happy Birthday to my sweet, silly, independent little boy! I know you're no longer a baby, but you'll always be MY baby!!!

"Batteries Not Included"

Know what's cool about having an almost-two year old? He's still young enough not to realize that you are buying his birthday present while you guys are out shopping! Sure, he wants whatever it is while he's in the store, but he's still at an age when he's easily distractable. Now next year---that'll be another story!

Will has this little table and chair set that he's starting to outgrow. Well, it only has one chair because the other one broke....practically right out of the box! (Cheapies...I tell ya!) So while at BJ's last week I spotted a "Cars" themed table and chair set that I knew he'd love. It's kind of like an easel/desk style table, and it's pictured with a red chair to go with it. Brian put it together tonight so it would be a surprise in the morning. Imagine our surprise when we had a "Batteries Not Included???" moment.....there's no chair!! In tiny miniscule print on the bottom of the box......"chair not included." Humph. Oh well! It pulls up to the futon nicely, I dare say. :)

Apple, Apple

Right now Will's favorite word is apple. He's also in a phase where he likes to carry things around with him. This morning, I was packing my lunch for work and he was watching when I put an apple in the bag. He started yelling "Apple! Apple!" I said, "Yes, Good Boy! That is an apple." Then I closed the bag and put it by the front door. Five minutes later, I'm in the bathroom drying my hair, and he comes in, struggling to drag the lunch bag behind him. He drops it at my feet with a grunt and starts yelling for the apple. I decided that if he's this excited about a piece of fruit, he should have it. So he carried it around with him in the house, willingly got into the car while holding it, and happily went to daycare without any tears. When I picked him up, the daycare provider told me that he proudly carried his apple all day today, and was very happy when she sliced it for him and fed him bits and pieces.

It's amazing that this apple kept him so happy all day. Perhaps it is a magic apple! :)

Root Beer!

Y'know....coming from a 22-month old, "love you" sounds an awful lot like "Root Beer!" It's so sweet either way and I know that's what he's trying to say, it just gives me a giggle. :)

Lots of Playtime

Having dinner with Ella Rose

Trying to sneak up on a resting Daddy

Yay! I built the tower and then I knocked it down!

It's been a great couple of days. Will's had plenty of playtime! On Thursday night, we had people over for dinner, and my friend Joyelle brought her daughter, Ella. She was very affectionate with Will, kept grabbing him and trying to give him a kiss. She loved Joey too, and would chase him around the house. Ella and Will had dinner together, grilled cheese sandwiches and milk. They sat at a little table and kept switching and drinking/eating each other's sandwiches and milk. It was the most I'd seen Will eat in a while, he's been pretty picky lately. He just kept exclaiming "YUM YUM YUM!!!"

On Friday Will stayed home with Mommy and in the afternoon we headed to my friend Rochelle's house to play with her and her son, Toby. Toby is five months older than Will, and they have played together many times. They had a great time playing in Toby's kitchen, eating bananas, yelling up to the "Cat" up the stairs, and finally, chasing each other and squealing. That was the best part, seeing the two of them really interact. :)

Saturday we had a very special treat: Mommy took Will to his first movie! One of the local movie theatres was showing Diego episodes, and it was only $6 for me and free for Will. The volume was unnecessarily high, but my little Diego fan was totally enraptured by his idol on the big screen! One funny thing to point out is that Will is not quite heavy enough to sit in his own seat at the movies. I put him in a seat, but it wouldn't fold down enough for him to be able to sit properly! So he watched the movie from my lap, which was fine. Later on, we finally were able to get some time to play outside! The weather has been so crappy lately with all this rain. But we got a good 45 minutes outside drawing with chalk and trying to ride our tricycle.

We head off on vacation on Friday. It's a big one this year: we're going to the Outer Banks of North Carolina! Our biggest vacation as a family thus far, and my parents are coming as well. I started making our packing list yesterday, and it's mind-boggling! I can't wait to see Will playing on the beach by our resort!

Tuesday Meme

Thanks, Karen!
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My name is.​.​.Ginny

I love.​.​.​ the fact that our Outer Banks vacation is coming up!

Last night​ I.​.​.​vegged with my husband on the couch, watching the Olympics

My ex.​.​.​ is married and lives in Virginia. I wish him well.

When I sing.​.​.​dogs bark. I kid only slightly...I can't carry a tune in a bucket!

My last kiss.​.​.​.​ was from Hubby when he went to get our son at daycare

I belie​ve in.​.​.​ loyalty, politeness and clothes that fit and look good!

I am feeli​ng.​.​.pretty good these days!

I'm tired​ of.​.​.​ all of this New England rain! This has got to be one of the wettest summers I have ever experienced, if not THE wettest!

I plan on.​.​.​ spending as much time playing with Bubby now, 'cause he won't be this young forever!

One day I will.​.​.​ figure out how someday I will perfect the perfect "juggling" act.

Last time I swam was.​.​. at my parent's cottage in Connecticut.

If I could​ go back in time,​ I would​.​.​. have gotten to know my grandparents better.

Last time I laugh​ed was.​.​.​ today, though I can't for the life of me remember what I was laughing at.

Best frien​d(​s)​.​.​.​ are rare. When you find a friend that can be made into a best, hold onto it!

I find mysel​f.​.​.​ killing time too often.

My life.​.​.​ is organized chaos. Sometimes I really take on too much, but I love the way things are going.

This summe​r.​.​. has a fork in it. Bring on the fall!!!! (It's my favorite, after all)

Last time I cried​ was becau​se.​.​.​ I had a fever over the weekend. Will brought home a great bug from the daycare, and he finished with it sooner than I did. I always cry when I have a fever, it's like an automatic reaction that I cannot control.

Life is.​.​.​ short.

Favor​ite color​ is.​.​.​ blues and purples

My job is.​.​. looking up, after a slow year! I'm about to become busier than I have ever been and I'm really going to like it!

I am.​.​. many things

Truth​ is.​.​.​ not always the best policy. Sometimes a little white lie is a good thing

My overu​sed sayin​g is.​.​.​ "Come on Will....eat!"

My last misse​d call was.​.​.​ Pete, while I was at work yesterday

My best featu​re.​.​.​ I'm a very generous person. Or in toddler terms..."I'm a good sharer." :)

The thing​ I hate about​ mysel​f.​.​.​ I have a hefty guilt complex. I can feel guilty about something 20 years ago!

Rainy-Day Music Man

Will and I are hanging out at home the next couple of days, as our daycare provider is on vacation. Today I brought out a music set to have something different to play with. My boy plays a mean maraca! The set has a snare drum too, but sadly, we can't find the sticks. Maybe not SO sadly!

We're stuck in the house the next couple of days unfortunately. It's going to rain quite a bit, and also we have a contractor coming in to insulate our attic. There's not a whole lot of insulation up there, and that makes for not only chilly winters, but really hot and humid summers. Oftentimes, it can be bearable outside and totally unbearable inside because the heat doesn't really have anywhere to go. I've learned a bit in the past few weeks about insulation and energy savings. Hoping this job makes our oil bill just a little more tolerable during the winter months!!

This Friday is going to be a lot of fun! I'm meeting some college girlfriends for a "Salve Girls Night" in Providence. Good food, good drinks, good times! I haven't seen a couple of them in a few years!

Sleepy Music Man. I LOVE how he's holding onto the toy dangling from his crib mirror!

Boo-Boo Bubby

Will has a lot of tumbles, now that he loves to run so much. Usually, he trips and falls, and bangs his head and cries a little. Most of the time he just rubs his head and keeps on running, or if I scoop him up, is mad that he's not doing what he wants. Today is a different story. Brian was talking to me as I was getting out of the shower, and Will came running with his toy cars. He tripped over Daddy's foot and WHAM! went headfirst into the towel cabinet. So he has a bump and big cut over his left eye. He was really, really upset! We rushed around, trying to soothe him, putting a band-aid on and icing the bump. He's doing better now, nothing some couch time with Daddy couldn't fix. He hates the band-aid, so maybe the Curious George ones I bought will make it easier. :) Now we just finished with some kiddie pool time and are sharing popcorn while watching "Cars." Now, THAT'S the thing that will make it all better!

In other news, Will now knows how to talk on the phone. I put Daddy on the phone with him the other night and he said Hi, Car, Daddy BUBYE!!! It's the cutest thing ever. He has also taken to saying "Hi, George!" to Curious George in his books. That boy.....I love him so much, a little more every day!!

Playtimes

Tomorrow, I have the day off from work and Will and I are joining a playgroup outing. I have been working part-time of the past year near home, and I've had the opportunity to pick up some more hours at a family housing site a couple of towns away. But I do realize that Will isn't going to be this young forever, so I want to try to play now, too! Last week we tried a beach outing, but the bacteria level in the water at the state park was high, so there was no swimming. So we played in the sand for about an hour, and then it was really apparent that it's not much of a beach day without going into the water! We stopped at Dairy Queen on the way home, where Will refused to have any vanilla ice cream. ?????

Tomorrow is a trip to a cool indoor playplace not too far from the house. And next week, we're going to try a beach trip again, this time to a different place. I'm grateful for playgroups, it makes it easier for a working mom to meet kiddoes for Will to play with!

VROOM!

Folks, what we have here is an all-out obsession. We got the Disney/Pixar movie "Cars" from Netflix a couple of weeks ago. Will loves it! In fact, he loves it so much that he wants to watch it all day, every day! He starts to cry and stomp his feet when the credits roll. He also won't watch it by himself, he wants Mama to watch it too! So needless to say, I've seen a lot of "Cars" this weekend. It's a pretty cool movie though. Pixar is working on a "Cars" sequel, it will be out in 2012. Will will be six years old when that hits the theatres. Think he'll still be totally obsessed? Absolutely!!