In the last hour

~ I pulled a toddler from the bathtub because he wouldn't stop drinking the bathwater.
~ I read the same toddler a book about dinosaurs eleventy billion times.
~ I snuggled a wet preschooler because he was "so cold."
~ Laughed as a toddler made beautiful ukulele music with my husband
~ The toddler then fell on me.
          ~ Sat on my head
          ~ Pulled my hair
          ~ And farted in my face
~ The preschooler requested a song on the piano.
          ~ And accompanied me by banging a microphone on the keys.
          ~ Repeatedly
          ~ Even when he was asked to stop
~ So I threw the microphone across the room (not one of my proudest moments)
~ And stalked into the bathroom to cool down
~ Where the toddler tried to walk in on me
~ I received and requested forgiveness
~ Got toddler snuggles
~ Read a couple of books to the preschooler
~ And watched him fall asleep
~ I went to get out his bed and he said, "Mama, I need snarfle blah Raffe yeggle foo."
~ So I went and got Raffe and tucked him in with my sleeping boy.

Just another evening in the T household.

"I'll be outside with my spoon"

And other things Gummy Bear said today.

Now THAT'S a cucumber

I've had a vegetable garden for 5 summers now, but this is the first time I've seen one of my vegetables growing through the fence. Over, around, yes. When I walked out to check and see what needed to be harvested, this was the sight that met my eyes. Um. Nature finds a way?

Well, hello there.

It was so unbelievable I had to get pictures from all angles.

An interesting predicament you've gotten yourself into. 

And then there was the comic value.

That can't be comfortable.

It turns out that a cucumber can grow through the fence, but cannot be harvested the same way.

Poor little guy.

I was ignoring myself

If you've been around my oldest son at all in the past year, you know that he has a constant, running monologue. We've really been working with him on waiting to talk until other people have finished speaking. The other night, we were all sitting to dinner and the adults were having a conversation. Gummy Bear was practically coming out of his skin to say something. When we acknowledged him he looked at us blankly. "What did you want, Gummy Bear?" I asked. "Um," he said, "I don't remember. I was ignoring myself."

Cheeky Monkey, on the other hand, is the strong, silent type. He doesn't have many words. Truth be told, it's something I worry about. Last night, I began to suspect he's been holding out on us. We had some friends over for dinner, and the kids were riding their bikes around the patio. Gummy Bear stopped to talk to us while Cheeky Monkey scooted up behind him. He sat for a moment and then yelled "Go!" When all the adults died laughing he started going round and round the patio, shouting "Go, go, go, go, go, go!"

My baby boy also tried to give me a heart attack last night. He was sitting on one of our patio chairs when he went over backwards and into one of our stone patio stairs. I was well and truly freaked out when I saw a tuft of his blond hair on the edge of the step. Luckily, it was a glancing blow and barely bled.

It looked a lot worse last night.

Still, I got out my flashlight, checked his pupillary response and called the pediatrician. She said to wake him once or twice during the night and check for unusual sleepiness or vomiting. He was happy because in order to keep him still and apply ice he got two ice pops. When I woke him at midnight he looked up at me like "What?" Then he put his head back down and went back to sleep. I think he's OK.

And as cute as ever.

In case you've been living in a hole this week, it's been really hot here. Yesterday it was 119 F with the heat index. When it's that hot, I limit outside time to water activities and push water and juice on the kids. We didn't even venture outside yesterday until 6 pm. The boys seem to really be enjoying our new splash pool though. Gummy Bear has been using it as a slip n' slide.

Cowabunga!

And Cheeky Monkey digs the slide.

We got a watermelon in our share this week, and I was looking forward to chilling it in the fridge, cutting it up and serving it as a nice outside snack this weekend. And then it rolled out of the truck and smashed itself on the driveway.

Sad

Thankfully, the boys didn't seem to mind. We still had watermelon. It just wasn't so pretty.

They even got to spit seeds!

Summer win!

Eskimo Hugs

I'll save all the "I'm a bad blogger" nonsense. I'm a bad blogger. There.

I can't say there's been any one reason that I haven't been blogging. There have been lots of reasons.

1. My mom and stepdad are here and I'd rather hang out with them than spend time on my computer.
2. My mom and stepdad are here and they've been watching the kiddos so that Ry and I can go out and do things other than spend time on my computer.

Mom's new house. Cute, right?

3. I'm playing the ukulele. So much that the calluses on my hands have all peeled off and (I guess?) are regrowing.
4. Also, I'm playing piano. My mom had my piano for the past however many years and since she's moved here, guess what? Piano! And I'm really bad now. I have to decide if I'm going to take ukulele or piano lessons since there's just no way I can handle both.

Oooh, look at all the hard notes!

5. Um, it's summer.

And the pool is open!

6. Gummy Bear has had swimming lessons every morning. While the lesson is only 30 minutes, it disrupts the flow of the morning and changes the rhythm of my day. There have been no lazy mornings on the couch while the kids watch a show and I drink a cup of coffee with my computer.
7. Uncle Lance came to visit us last week. We had lots of fun. And then, in the evenings when I'd be on the computer we were instead on the patio, drinking and playing ukulele. It rocked.

We went to a festival in one of the most liberal towns in the area where Gummy Bear chose camouflage face paint. Awesome.

Also, we went to the Jersey Shore and played carnival games and won some gawd-awful dirty cows.

8. This has nothing to do with why I haven't been blogging, but it's too cute not to share. Every night at bedtime, Gummy Bear gives me Eskimo kisses. I'm sure you're familiar with them. You rub noses. About a week ago, he insisted that he give me an Eskimo hug. I told him I didn't know what that was and that he would have to show me. Eskimo hugs? They're one-armed hugs. Silly kid.

Um, that's a lot of kids

As I go about my daily life, I don't often stop to reflect on how it's changing. It's just my life, and since it gradually morphs everyday, I don't notice any big shifts.

Then, every once in a while something strikes me and reminds me how very much my life has changed in the last 8 years. Something like this picture:

And there was a baby on the floor

We went to a friend's house for a BBQ last weekend and when we got home I looked at this picture and thought, Holy cow, that's a lot of kids. Five or 6 short years ago our get-togethers would have started at dinner time, included much merry-making and ended quite late and possibly, quite tipsy. Now when we all get together we bring sippy cups, lawn toys and pajamas for many small bodies. Parties start after naptime and usually wrap up when we all bundle our kids into their PJs and tuck them in their carseats for the bedtime ride home. Our conversations revolve around preschools, playdates and sibling rivalry. We split our attention between adult interaction and making sure no little fingers have been squished or feelings hurt.

Eight years ago, I might have looked at my life and given an involuntary shudder. Now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ukulele = Happiness

And a partridge in a pear tree

I've sort of dropped off the edge of the earth the past few days, but there's a good reason, I swear! My mom came into town Monday and since then we've been going to swimming and soccer lessons, buying stuff for her new house and cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I realized today that I haven't actually gotten any proper pictures of the house, but here are a few of the cleaning in process.

Cheeky Monkey is ever so helpful.

She has a lovely sunroom that has windows on 3 sides. Lots and lots of windows!

Tomorrow I'll try to post some pictures that weren't taken by my 4-year-old. Honest.

Cathy Wins

I've been talking about learning to play the guitar for more than a year now. Ultimately, what I really wanted to do was learn to play the ukulele. So, we bought a ukulele. And I'm playing it. And it makes me happy. Even though I still suck. Because it's the happiest instrument in the world.

What have I been doing?

To abuse my fingers so?

4th Fun

Yes, I realize that it isn't technically the 4th of July yet. Our city's fireworks were Friday night, so we loaded up the boys and joined thousands of our fellow residents to celebrate. The boys were thrilled of course, because they got to stay up late, eat lots of sugar, and watch loud stuff go boom.

Gummy Bear decided on a sugar bomb shaved ice thing with no fewer than 6 flavors. He and Cheeky Monkey dug it. The adults passed.

Eat this!!!

Of course, the sugar bomb didn't keep either of the boys from eating their share of our ice cream.

Sugar, Sugar SUGAR!!!!!

 As the evening wore on, they decided they were hungry for more dinner. And so we had meat on a stick.

Huzzah, meat on a stick!

We bought the boys overpriced glowing necklaces. They found many amusing uses for them.

More amusing for me than Ry, perhaps.

And because we had been sitting there for nearly 2 hours, we got creative.

But then, the fireworks started, and held the boys' complete attention. Gummy Bear "oooh"ed and "aaah"ed in unison with the kids sitting behind us, and Cheeky Monkey echoed them a few seconds later. It made for a kind of a cheers in the round.

It was pushing 11 pm by the time we got home, so the boys were pretty wiped out. Not surprisingly, neither of them slept the next morning and both were insanely cranky by the end of the day. Still, it was totally worth it. Happy 4th of July, ya'll!

I've never been so proud to live in New Jersey

A Baboon escaped from our local Six Flags a few days ago. These guys found it. I'm so proud.

Pesto, brought to you by Gummy Bear

Take one large bunch of basil. Rinse and remove leaves.

Use a salad spinner to spin, spin spin!

Put it all into a food processor.

Add
~ 1/4 cup of shaved parmesean cheese
~ 1/4 cup of pinenuts
~ one swirl of olive oil
~ one garlic clove, minced
~ salt and pepper to taste

Take a moment to admire the impending yumminess.

Put the lid on. Ask your Mommy to finish putting the lid on.

Process until smooth and creamy looking.

Like such.

Freeze for later.

Or eat and enjoy with your favorite pasta, sandwich or veggie.

Teppen Novices

I was looking through old pictures of Gummy Bear and found this one, at one of his first Japanese Steakhouse experiences. They are within a month of the same ages here. Apparently he liked it almost as much as Cheeky Monkey.

Almost.