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!