Are we there yet?

I find myself feeling like I am counting time to the next activity, destination, trip, etc. We wake up and I buy time until breakfast. Then I fill the time before we go some place or have lunch. Then I fill the time before nap. Oh, blessed naptime. The time between lunch and nap seems like an eternity sometimes. After nap, the day seems like it is done. Generally speaking, I am always counting the days until we have an activity or play group or the weeks or months before a big trip or holiday. Cole is as impatient as I am when it comes to going and doing. We are still battling the regular requests to go to Grandma's house. I live an endless road trip where the voice in my head is echoed by the voice of my child. "Are we there yet?"

Name that tune

As a general update; the two big boys are still sick. Cole needs medication to keep the cough under control and Chris is down for the count. I encouraged him to take NyQuil during the day and just sleep...that is where he is. Cole is also taking a good nap and I hope that when he gets up tomorrow morning, he will be better. If not, we will be going to the doctor. Rhys is pulling at his ears but it could be that he just thinks they are interesting. We will see how he is by morning too. I, on the other hand, am just fine and dandy. I was out until about 2 this morning sitting for my friend and then Cole was up just after 6. I tackled some house projects and am getting the germs out as quickly as I can. I still need to change Cole's and Rhys' bedding but otherwise, feel good about the purge.
Aside from the general stuff, I wanted to share a recent revelation that I have had. As the mother of a toddler, I knew a long time ago that I understand what he is saying when no one else does. Cole's language is so good now, I seldom have to translate even for strangers. There are some exceptions: he calls things by his own labels. Some are more obvious than others. He calls crayons, colors and he calls Second Hand Lions, the dog movie (since there are a lot of dogs in it). The pig movie is either Charlotte's Web or Babe and he thinks that Christmas is a person who is coming soon...he often asks when we are going to see Christmas.
My most recent challenges are fulfilling song requests. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am my aunt's niece and I can find song lyrics in normal conversation which prompts a spontaneous mini-karaoke episode. Recently, Cole asked me what I was cooking. Obviously, I started singing, "Hey, Good lookin' watcha got cookin' how 'bout cookin' somethin' up with me? Hey, hey, sweet baby, dontcha think maybe we could find a brand new recipe?" Well, the next day, Cole requested the recipe song. Are you kidding me? The recipe song?! I finally realized what he meant. I also started reciting "The Grand Old Duke of York". He refers to this as "The brando song." Honestly, I could be translating an ancient language without a Rosetta Stone.

This is a conversation that took place this morning. Cole asks to go to Grandma's house almost every day.
Chris: "Cole, how are you feeling today?"
Cole: "I am feeling sad."
Chris: "Why are you feeling sad?"
Cole: (sighing) "Because we aren't going to Grandma's house today"

Saturday night live

Well, I am drafting this blog before I head over to Amber's house to keep her son while they go to a party. I am not sure what time I will be home so I am creating my entry now. I was up early this morning because Cole had a bad cough. I went to the 24 hour pharmacy to get him some medicine for him and Chris. I seem to be doing much better today and have not suffered nearly as badly as Chris has. Rhys is also doing much better and only has the trouble with his teeth.
I went to a vendor event at a friend's house and knocked out a couple of gifts on my Christmas list. It was nice to know that I am getting nice gifts and supporting my friends' home-based businesses.
After I got home, we all went out to pick up a new Christmas tree. Our current tree works okay. Some of the lights are out but we can turn that part to the wall. The bigger issue is the sheer size of it. The tree is huge! It takes up the entire part of the basement that is now the play area. Last year it wasn't a big deal because we could move some things around but this year, it just won't work. We picked out a thinner tree and this one has multi-colored lights. Now, there are people with strong opinions about multi-color versus clear lights on trees. I grew up with multi-colored lights and when clear lights were introduced, I thought they looked bland. Now, I think they look classy but still remember feeling like colored lights are for children. Now that I have children, I was not only okay with getting colored lights, I felt good about having a tree that will delight both of my children and will be for them. The ornaments won't be fragile, rather, they will include thumbprint reindeer on babyfood jar bottle caps, multi-colored paper chains, and glitter covered glue globs on hand cut snowflakes. Bring it on.

Et trois

For Cole, this is sick day number 3. He seems to be the same. His nose is running like mad and he is so stuffy. Rhys isn't quite as bad but his eyes are puffy and he is stuffy too. To add to the discomfort, his teething is bothering him and he has a sore throat. I too joined the family in a "if you can't beat them" sort of way today. My throat is also sore and I am really run down. Chris stayed at home and worked again today. He took Cole for a lunch time hair cut while Rhys slept. Hopefully we will all be feeling tip top by Monday.
I am planning on going out tomorrow morning to a vendor event and then am going to keep my friend's son tomorrow night so they can go to a party. I am a bit lost because my laptop died and with it my calendar and some documents and pictures. I am hopeful that they can be retrieved soon and I can move on without a computer for a while. I hate to lose anything.
My Fridays seem to be a bit on the mundane side so I will leave with yet another Haiku:

Treating Sick Children
Orange Juice and Hot Chicken Soup
What else can you do

Sick Day - Part Deux

Cole is still a snot factory today and Chris joined his production line. Rhys is stuffy too but not nearly producing the volume that Cole is managing. YUCK! I have the pleasure of experiencing, probably for the first time in my life, what it is like to be the one who is well. Chris credits my exercise. I just think I am a late bloomer and will be coughing up a lung on the long drive to SC next week. Let's hope not.
Anyway, Chris stayed home today and worked from here while I tried to keep Cole from running around too much. He had a really good nap and we ended up going out for dinner tonight because I wasn't really in the mood to cook and since Chris was home already, we got to the restaurant early and then after a quick stop at the drug store for some supplies, we were home early too.
Rhys is really struggling with his teeth and I feel so sorry that I can't do much to help him get through this. I felt helpless when Cole was going through it too but, thankfully, it passes quickly and he will have a nice set of pearly whites soon enough.
I got a double dose of sad news today. Firstly, my best friend's cousin was arrested for passing bad checks for jewelry at 8 different jewelry stores. It was shocking and sad. She is in jail tonight awaiting a bail hearing. I am very sad for her children and hope that she gets the treatment that she so needs. Something isn't quite right with the situation which leads us to believe that she is not a stable individual. I pray for strength for her family and for her children.
Secondly, I learned from a friend that my ex-father-in-law died suddenly yesterday. I am sad for the family and empathize with each of them. I remember all three boys' individual relationships with their father and know that they will all miss him for similar and yet very different reasons. I also can only imagine how shocking it was for his wife to find him "asleep" on the couch when she got home from work only to discover that he was, in fact, dead. What a tragic thing to experience. Conversely, when I am to go, I would really appreciate just passing away on my couch. I want to think that he was tired - not realizing something was wrong - and just laid down and drifted away. There is something comforting in believing that the person who has died didn't know it was happening. I want that and am certainly comforted that he probably went that way.
There has been so much sadness today and, although neither of these issues directly affects me, I feel for those closer to the pain and wish only the very best for them.

sick day

I decided to take a sick day. No, I didn't have a day off. I just took advantage of Cole's head cold and decided we would all stay in comfy clothes and veg on the couch all day. The boys were good for it and when Rhys woke up from his first nap, I realized his nose was stuffy too. By the end of the day, they both are doing fine. Cole still is a bit snotty but Rhys seems to be no worse for the wear.
I am enjoying a glass of wine and hoping to have a relaxing evening with Chris. It seems like forever since we actually spent some time together. I always feel like we are ships passing in the night...passing children between us. Maybe sometime soon we can have a date night. I have some friends who are in similar situations and we are all co-oping babysitting. I am off to Amber's house on Saturday night to keep her son and she will watch our boys in December when we go to a birthday party.
I am excited to have friends who are available for this and am actually looking forward to getting some reading done after Amber's son goes to sleep on Saturday night. It will be nice to be in a quiet house where there is nothing for me to do - laundry, dishes, etc.
Rhys is doing okay with his sleeping but last night he was up a lot because of those pesky teeth. Cole did beautifully with the potty today...no accidents, no diapers. I am so pleased!

What a day!

My mind was racing this morning at 6 so I drug myself out of bed. I actually chanted to myself over and over in my head like a group of cheerleaders were encouraging me along. "Go, Jenny, You can do it! Get out of bed!" I needed those inner voices yelling at me because it was below freezing and the bed was so warm and snugly. I managed to get into the bathroom and brush my teeth. I took it one step at a time...get clothes, change clothes, find gloves, put on gloves - take off gloves to put harness on dog, put on gloves - take off gloves to lace shoes. Finally, put on gloves and head out the door. The sun was coming up and the air was COLD! The leaves were matted with a fine powdery frost and they crunched under my feet and Sasha's paws. We were both glad that the cheerleaders worked today. Maybe I will have a hard time silencing them tomorrow too. Hopefully so.
After the 1.5 mile walk, I was welcomed home by silence. No one was stirring and I was able to get about 5 minutes of reading in before Cole announced that it wasn't "dark again." This is his way of saying that it isn't dark anymore. The Fios installation tech came at 9am and he was here until 2pm. It was exhausting and Cole wasn't at all interested in taking a nap while he was here. Cole did go down for a nap but I had to wake him up to go to the Preschool Preview Night. I had volunteered to help set up but was so glad that my absence didn't make a difference since the people who work at the preschool at the church set up the room before we got there. Phew! Chris and I walked around and narrowed the group down to 3 and now I will make calls and set up dates to visit our top 2. Hopefully, we will get Cole enrolled in the one we want and he will be all set to go for September.
We got home and had supper and I discovered that my beloved laptop has finally bit the dust. Over the past 4 months, it has had trouble starting up. We actually have to tap the bottom to get it to respond. Today, it didn't do anything. Chris, bless him, took the time to remove all of the tiny screws and clean it out, tighten up the innards, and put it all back together again. Unfortunately, his hard work was not rewarded with the familiar log-in screen...still nothing. It is flat-lining. We are lucky to also have a desktop so I have now made myself at home and, once again, we are sharing computer time. Oh well.
Tomorrow will be busy too so I must turn in for now.

Important Rhys update: We have the very first pins and needles that indicate that his bottom teeth are breaking the surface of his gums! TEETH!

No worse for the pancakes

I am happy to say that the Saturday morning pancake tradition is securely intact at the Harding house. I managed to NOT gain the usual weekend 3 pounds. I am not sure what was different this time because I certainly ate my share of tasty bad stuff throughout the weekend but somehow managed to stave off the gain. Maybe further study is required. I will keep you posted.
Today we had a MOMS Club activity and right before we went, Cole pooped on the potty. Once again, I apologize for all of the potty talk but this is noteworthy stuff. The end of diaperdom is a HUGE step in a person's life and we are celebrating the heck out of it around here. All day, he took himself to the bathroom when the urge struck and he had a full day without diapers and without accidents. Inside, I am doing a little pee-pee dance of my own...and not because I have to go but because I am so proud of him :) Just now, he took himself in the bathroom and Chris stuck his fingers under the door. Cole shouted, "I am going pee, leave me alone!" Chris said, "I am sticking my fingers under the door like you do." Cole shouted back, "Chill out!" We are both giggling about that.
So, I learned today about a fabulous new website/web group called freecycle.org. I registered to become a member of the Pasadena, MD group and am so excited about posting things and getting free stuff! My friend, Jessica uses it and got a whole bag of boy toys that she generously shared with us today. I got three Christmas gift worthy toys for Cole and couldn't be happier about the fact that they are free and used! Purchasing items from thrift stores and consignment shops is my way of stretching the budget and reducing our impact on the environment. I try to reuse as much as possible, recycle what I can't, and generally reduce our waste. Gently used toys are the best because there is no assembly or pesky twist tie packaging to impede your ability to start playing right away!
As an incentive for Cole to poo on the potty, I bought him a matchbox car track with a car. I bought it new from the grocery store because I needed something right away. After he was successful, I pulled it out and started the assembly process that included a full page of stickers and small bits of street signs and light posts. There was even a sticker that was destined to wrap around the caution cone! Honestly, "some assembly required" is usually not an issue for me because someone else paid full price for the pleasure of assembling the toys that we ultimately get a great deal on.
I have some really impressive thrifty friends and we find ourselves sharing our most memorable great deal stories. From coupons and rebates to thrift stores and yard sales, we all have our special tricks to surviving the budget constraints of being stay at home moms. Maybe the next Secretary of Treasury should consult us on the budget. We can pinch a penny until it screams and then toss it in a piggy bank for a rainy day.
Well, that is it for the day. I am three gifts heavier and not three pounds heavier and my purse hasn't been touched!

Books Brunch and Booze

We had a great day. I took Rhys with me to Silver Spring to meet up with the DC girls for Books, Brunch, and Booze. Basically, we swapped books, ate yummy brunch food, and drank Mimosas and Bloody Marys. It was a lovely time and wonderful to see everyone again. Rhys was a gem as usual and seemed to enjoy the stimulation of all of the women doting on him. He was so keyed up that he didn't sleep for the drive home and crashed when we got home. He slept for over 2 hours!
Cole did "bloke stuff" with Chris and they seemed to have had a good time too. Cole is on a television diet so we did a lot of game playing and book reading today. I hope to get time to start reading the books that I picked up at the swap today. I roasted a chicken and we had that for dinner and after the boys went to bed, Chris and I watched Casino Royale.
Tomorrow we head out for an activity in the morning so I am going to head to bed.

Another full Saturday

We started the day with pancakes and then went to Chuck E Cheese for Cole's potty training celebration. He was in under pants all day without any pee accidents. Unfortunately, he is still having a hard time committing to pooing on the potty but I have patience and he will get it within a few days. I am so excited for him and proud of him.
We came home for a break and lunch after a little light shopping and then went back out to Baltimore for the Brit Meetup.
I walked the dog when we got home and am settling down for the night. It was a full day and we had a lot of fun. I am looking forward to tomorrow and some time with the girls.

Happy Saturday!

It is so hard to be good

I believe that my scale will agree that I continue to gain and lose the same three pounds. On Friday, I am three pounds lighter than I am on Monday morning. There is a pattern here and I believe it has something to do with Pancake Saturday, fast food lunch on Saturday, and - insert bad food here - Sunday. Now, this is purely a theory and one I will test after I indulge again this weekend. Maybe I will be able to get some good exercise in when the rain clears out. Hopefully I will be able to bundle the boys up and get a long walk in after Pancakes...maybe.
We went to a MOMS Club activity today. We took our drum and instruments and the kids played with the music a little but Cole found all of the Thomas train pieces and we lost him after that. We got home just after noon and the boys ate lunch and went down for a nap while I had a work call. The call went okay but I feel like we are in a holding pattern until we have assigned tasks and deadlines. I do feel like it is the calm before the storm but I am ready when the storm hits and we are all committed to making this work.
Anyway, that is it for our Friday. Once again, this one wasn't thrilling so I will end with another Haiku:

Boys have energy
Man, they make a lot of noise
Is it nap time yet?

When can we say he is potty trained?

So, Rhys was up at 5 this morning and I brought him downstairs to avoid waking up Cole and to let Chris get another hour of sleep. Cole woke up around 6 and I heard him go into the bathroom upstairs. I called up to him to let him know where I was and he came down moments later. He told me that he went pee-pee. I asked him if he took his diaper off and he said no. I assumed that he had and when I went upstairs, I mentioned to Chris that there is probably a diaper laying around since Cole must have taken it off. Chris realized that he hadn't put one on him the night before! Cole went all night without wetting the bed and took himself to the potty as soon as he got up. Is it safe to say that he is potty trained now and any time he has an accident, it is just that? I am going to say, "yes." I am proud of him and glad to know that we are well on our way to less accidents. Cole did have an accident with poo today but I think that he will soon want to avoid the discomfort and embarrassment and will poop on the potty regularly. I will be glad when my blog isn't full of potty talk.
I am hosting an at-home sales party tonight for Close to My Heart, a scrapbooking and stamp supply company. My friend, Kate, is a consultant and I hope she gets lots of sales. Chris should be home just in time to help me get the room set up. I am planning on making some pumpkin muffins and veggies with hummus dip.
I am posting this blog entry now because I am not sure if I will be up for it after the party and wanted to take this opportunity while the boys were napping.

Dance parties ain't what they used to be

We hosted a dance party as a MOMS Club activity today. It was fun but amounted to us playing some They Might Be Giants kids music and letting the kids play with toys. Cole was the only boy and I am sure he didn't mind one bit. I was happy to keep my friend's daughter while she got some studying in and she stayed with us through lunch. It was so nice for Cole to have a friend over and he was glad that she stayed after the other children were gone. He always hates to see his friends leave.
I feel like we are making great strides with Rhys and his sleeping and with Cole and his potty training. He stays out of diapers when we are home and has gotten into the swing of things pretty well. Today, he even pooped on the potty. I only mention this here because we have struggled with getting him to do that and this is only the third time ever he has done it and he took himself upstairs and did it all on his own. I am proud of him and he was proud of himself. The funny thing is that he insists that it looked like a pine cone. He came down and said, "I pooped and made it a pine cone!" That is noteworthy because it just is.
As for Rhys, he only woke up once last night and it was just before 2am. He went down at 8pm and finally woke around 7am. This is also noteworthy because we have struggled so long to get him to do it. For both of these things, I have concluded that we did little to influence the behavior. Cole will be potty trained when he is ready and Rhys will sleep through the night when he is ready.
Admittedly, I am a control freak and leaving these milestones up to my children has been hard. We read loads of books and seek advice from "experts" and fellow moms but, at the end of the day, our children will lead us and they will do things in their own time. Our job is to make sure that when they are ready, they are given the guidance to do it right and to be safe. Being a parent is both a journey and a destination. I am enjoying my ride and the view is beautiful from where I sit.

Walks and coffee, aches and pains

I have had a pain in my abdomen for a while now and it seems to be getting worse rather than better. I am not sure if it warrants a call to a doctor but I will monitor it and if it continues to get worse or simply doesn't get better, I will make an appointment. I have had fibromyalgia since college and muscle pain can so frequently be mistaken for something else so I hesitate to be alarmed since it could just be that. Anyway, I mention that here for documentation sake and in case there is a pattern of activity or schedule that makes it worse.
In spite of my pain - and maybe resulting in it - I took the boys to a nearby park that is also a farm. We walked the perimeter path which is 2.4 miles long and we also walked around the barns and looked at the animals. Rhys and Cole were both really bundled up since it was about 40 degrees when we set off. I struggled to get back up the hill to the car after the walking. I was huffing and puffing and Cole turned around and asked, "What is that noise?" I laughed and said, "I am just breathing!"
We got home and had lunch and the boys took turns napping which meant that I didn't really get down time. I cooked chicken enchiladas for supper and Cole ate some chicken and all of the guacamole. After we ate supper, we headed out to Starbucks for a coffee and a bite of dessert. We had a nice evening and I will cap it off with a soak in a warm tub. My side really hurts!

Prevention is the best medicine

Well, today Rhys had his second flu shot and I decided to make soup. Now, I have made soup many times before but never completely from scratch. I used the carcass from yesterday's chicken and simmered it all day with some veggies and herbs. I strained it and added some chicken veggies and noodles. I blended up the carrots and some celery, peas, chicken and broth for Rhys. He seemed to enjoy it and, once again, I was glad to know what he was eating and to be able to share a meal with him. Cole drank some soup through a straw and ate his grilled cheese. At least we use whole grain bread!
I am really tired and don't think I will make it out for a walk tonight. I will take the boys to a park tomorrow for a walk and some playing. There is ALWAYS tomorrow. The weather is really cool now and the soup really hit the spot tonight. I am hopeful that we all stay healthy during the winter and at least the boys have had flu shots.

"You are getting heavy." (Comment I overheard Cole making to his bear while he was carrying him down stairs today)

Diesels and Steamies

I got up with Rhys around 6:00 and decided to just stay up so I took Sasha for an early walk. We went about 1.5 miles. Mid-morning we headed over to Leakin Park to check out the trains that run as part of the Chesapeake & Allegheny Steam Preservation Society http://calslivesteam.org/. Several members of the society have steamers and diesels running on the second Sunday of every month from April through November. We only learned about it recently and decided to go out today to let Cole have a ride. They are impressive little engines that amount to an adult size model train. It got quite busy and they didn't allow babies to be held so I stayed at the station while Chris took Cole. One of Chris' co-workers came with his wife and daughter so they all rode together. The rides are free and last about 10 minutes. They have picnic tables and a play ground nearby so you could really make a day of it. It was bitterly cold and I was under prepared for the temperature so we only stayed for an hour and then grabbed lunch at Panera Bread before heading home.
When we got home, I ventured out on my own to Target for some Christmas shopping and general browsing and then on to the grocery store for food shopping. I believe that I was able to get enough food for two weeks - time will tell. I roasted a chicken, some acorn squash and potatoes, and sauteed some green beans for supper. Cole had some of everything and Rhys even had some roasted acorn squash that I blended in the food processor. It warms my heart to be able to cook one meal that everyone enjoys. There were no arguments and Cole gobbled up his chicken, ate the beans inside the green bean shells, and had a couple bites of squash and potato.
I took Sasha out for another walk after dinner and actually ran half of it. Now I sit, drinking a cup of coffee and blogging in front of a football game while Chris does the bedtime routine with Cole.
Life is really good. Really, truly, I am blessed.

Aunt Ellen Rocks!

My dear friend Ellen came to play with us today. She came packing a transformer action figure and a sleeve full of kid-friendly tricks. She got here around noon and we took her downtown for lunch and a walk in the harbor where we checked out a visiting Norwegian tall ship. She taught Cole some fun new tricks including climbing into newspaper boxes for photo ops (see above). It was great fun and I am sure no lasting damage done :) I miss her and all of my pre-baby friends so much and hope to bridge the gap between my old life and my new one. The fault is mine alone if I don't see my friends and I am going to make more of an effort to spend quality time with the people who mean so much to me. What a great day we had!

Cabin Fever

It is Friday again and we had grand plans to get out of the house and it was a no-starter. Rhys had an appointment to get his second round of flu shot (they get two shots when it is their first) and then we were going to a MOMS Club activity - searching for circles and other shapes. I started getting our things together and realized that I had left my keys in the car last night when we went to dinner. When we got out of the car, Chris locked it with his keys and neither of us realized that mine were on the console. Needless to say, we were house bound today. I rescheduled the doctor and called to let my friend know that we would not be at the activity. It was a bit frustrating but forced me to do some house work and that is never a bad thing.
I am really tired now and think I will skip a walk today. I have a "faceache" and I think it has something to do with sinuses but I have had a lot of headaches lately. This is a pretty boring post so I will leave it there. Perhaps a Haiku will make it more interesting:

Raising little boys
It takes a lot of hard work
It also takes soap

Impromptu fun

I was super slack and didn't RSVP for an activity in time and it was cancelled due to lack of participation. So, I was left with nothing planned and an itch to get out. I called my friend Kim and she graciously agreed to host an impromptu play date with Cole and her daughter, Dalaney. They had great fun playing together and around each other. Rhys also enjoyed watching them. He is so eager to get in there. I am sure once he is up and going there will be no stopping him. He sits up so well now and even takes a bath with his big brother.
Today, I found him up on his hands and knees rocking back and forth! Does this mean that he could be crawling to the Christmas tree? Alas, I am afraid that should, and will be the case. Cole was walking at 10 months. For Rhys, that will be February. I don't expect him to be like Cole because he really is nothing like him so far but I know his will is strong and as soon as his muscles are strong too, he will be up and running.
After Cole woke up from his nap, I took them in the stroller down to the wharf near our house. I let Cole run around a bit and yell at the ducks. He shouted, "Find your own food, we didn't bring anything for you this time." I had to laugh. As we were coming home, our neighbor Randy was getting home too. He drives a Coca Cola truck and Cole asked me who it was. I said that it was Mr. Randy. Cole said, "Daddy drinks Brandy." It took me a minute to realize that he was asking about the truck and that Daddy drinks Coca Cola. I was wondering what he has witnessed Chris doing while I am not at home :)
I called Chris to suggest a family night out so we are heading out for BBQ tonight. What a great day of impromptu fun. I feel so spontaneous!

The day after

So, we have a President-elect. Barack Obama was elected the country's first African American President last night and will serve as our 44th President. We watched with white wine in hand as the results came in. I feel like I have a lot to say about this but every time I am ready to put fingers to keys, I can't get my thoughts together. First, let me say that I am thrilled that he won the election. So many people are so passionate about their candidate and I, for the most part, don't engage in political conversations. For me, Obama, is an energetic breath of fresh air. I believe that he will surround himself with brilliant people and will be honest with us. Perhaps I am too trusting but I appreciated his high road during the campaign and I just believe that his plans are what is best for our country at this time. I don't pretend to agree with all of his plans nor do I think that there is a candidate who could please us all. At the end of the day, we have a new leader (elect) and now is the time for EVERYONE to start getting excited about change. Isn't that what both candidates were promising?
I took the boys to the mall this morning to get a walk in and just generally hang out. Cole played on the coin-operated cars and when the toy store opened, we went in and browsed the aisles. He was really good and didn't pull toys off the shelves or anything. He just rode around on a little ride-on toy and looked. After that, we went to the play area for him to run around. He met a little girl who he chased, pushed, and tried to kiss...I am not ready for that yet! Anyway, when he was ready to go, I put his shoes back on and he walked back to the car. I let him play in a puddle next to the car while I put the stroller and baby in. He had fun and didn't get too wet. It has been a good day and I feel like I have control of my life, my children, and my destiny. I am not sure where this new-found confidence comes from but I am going to run with it.

Well Done, Sister Suffragettes!

"We're clearly soldiers in petty coats, Dauntless crusaders for women's votes. Though we adore men individually, We agree that as a group they're rather stupid. Cast off the shackles of yesterday, Shoulder to shoulder into the fray, Our daughter's daughters will adore us And they'll sing in grateful chorus: Well done sister suffragettes. From Kensington to Billingsgate one hears the restless cry from every corner of the land womankind arise! Political equality and equal rights with men, Take heart for Mrs. Pankhurst has been clapped in irons again. No more the meek and mild subservience we, We're fighting for our rights militantly, Never you fear! Cast of the shackles of yesterday, Shoulder to shoulder into the fray, Our daughter's daughters will adore us, And they'll sing in grateful chorus: Well done, Well done, Well done Sister Suffragettes"
I was singing this classic Mary Poppins song as I walked home from voting with Cole and Rhys in tow. I also attempted to explain to Cole what voting meant and how important it is. I think I might write a story for him to better understand the term and what it means. I am excited about this election and the historic significance it brings. I even took a picture of Rhys and Cole with their stickers on to mark the event. One day, they will look at that picture and know that they participated in the election that made a difference for minorities - either blacks or women. The only other two times in my life when I knew that I was witnessing history was being made were in 1986 when Challenger crashed after liftoff and in 2001 when terrorists hijacked and crashed airplanes full of people into buildings full of people. It is nice to know that I am witnessing a positive change in our society and not a dark day in history.

Rhys is growing so fast

This morning, Rhys was sitting up and watching his big brother sticking his tongue out. Rhys thought this was hilarious and we were all laughing before long. He was so tickled. All day, he has been hamming it up and gets really frustrated if he is left to entertain himself for anytime at all. He is very affectionate and enjoys a cuddle and nuzzles his face in my neck when he is tired. He is such a little love. Needless to say, it has been a challenge for me to get the laundry done. I am also trying to sort through summer clothes and replace them with winter clothes for myself and the kids.
When Chris got home, I took Sasha for a walk but got a stitch in my side. I am so tired and know that has something to do with it. I am feeling worn down again and am struggling to be terribly enthusiastic about anything. I am sure it is just because I am tired. I am hoping for energy tomorrow.

I love a parade!

Today we participated with MOMS Club in the local annual parade. We sat on a trailer pulled by a SUV on hay bales. We threw candy to children along the route and waved to everyone we passed. Some moms walked and gave out fliers and the dads (bless them) pushed infants in strollers behind us. We had a great time and I am sorry to say, I didn't walk at all! I passed up a great opportunity to get some exercise but needed to sit with the children on the trailer. Hopefully tomorrow I will get back into it. Tonight, I need to do some work. I am learning about Search Engine Optimization and hopefully I will be able to make some good suggestions on how we (The World Benefits) can improve our website to get more traffic from search engines. If you are interested: http://www.theworldbenefits.com/ I am excited about learning something new that can be applied to work. By the way - is it REALLY already November?!

Beautiful day at the zoo

We decided to make the most of the beautiful weather today and took the boys to the zoo. We have a friend who is a volunteer zoo keeper and we found her mucking out the Giraffe enclosure and decided to meet up later for lunch. We had a lovely time walking between the exhibits with Cole and Rhys. Cole was particularly excited and enthusiastic about his new-found freedom from the stroller. Rhys was a trooper as always and was just happy to be along for the ride. I skipped a walk at home because of the walking we did at the zoo but, honestly, no amount of walking can offset the amount of chocolate that I have consumed in the last 24 hours. We have to work out a way to get the Halloween candy OUT of the house!