Snippets

This week I'm studying for an exam, preparing for a presentation, and completing a bunch of case studies. In between these things, today I did a lot of shopping. I bought the lion's share of the kids' Christmas presents and  find myself in remarkably good shape on the rest of the family too. I also finally used a gift card I got as a birthday present and some Kohl's cash we got as a result of freshening Ry's business clothes last week.

I love this time of year, because all the fall stuff is on clearance. What this means for me is that I got an interview suit, a pair of dress slacks, 2 sweaters, and 6 tops for a grand total of $46 out of pocket. Woot! Also, I tried on a lot of "fashionable" clothes today. I found a couple of cute things. Mostly, I found a lot of stuff that screamed "I am desperately trying to hang on to my youth", "the 80s doesn't look any better in 2011" and "dear God, my eyes are bleeding".

Tonight when I was putting Cheeky Monkey to bed, he sang with me. Here's how it went:

Me: Summertime, and the living is easy.
Fish are jumping, and the cotton is high.


Monkey: HIGH!!!!!!!!!

Me: Your daddy's rich, and your momma's good looking.
So hush, little baby don't you cry.


Monkey: CRY!!!!!!

Then, for the rest of the time, he would scrunch his little nose and say, "cry" about every 30 seconds. I asked him if he was crying. "Yea," he said, "cry".

Very convincing little Monkey. Very convincing.

Our first Christmas present

Ry has wanted an Xbox 360 since they came out. Since it cost some ungodly amount of money (and he won a Wii that year) we didn't buy one.  This year, however, our Wii is starting to get a little wonky and the Xbox is something in the realm of reasonable. And so we bought one. And then opened it and started playing it an hour later. Sometimes Christmas presents don't wait until Christmas. Plus, now our family has great gift ideas for Ry and Bear!

Bear took to the Kinect like he had been playing it his whole life. He jumped, he giggled, he wiggled and he fell instantly and completely in love. At least he's not sitting on the couch and playing video games, right? I have to say though, that I'm a little creeped out by the fact that I see a little video of myself every time Ry switches games. I about to throw a little Kinect bag over its little Kinect head.

A day late ... but still thankful

Mostly, I'm thankful for these 3 people here. I'll be a little more specific though.

1. I am thankful for Ry, who is unfailingly patient with nursing school and unfailingly loving to me and the boys.
2. I am thankful for Gummy Bear, who has recently morphed into my "easy" kid. His Mummu taught him to play checkers while she was here, and now he wants life to be all board games, all the time. Still, it's better than the video game obsession that preceded it.
3. I am thankful for Cheeky Monkey, who has been adding a new word about once a day lately. Yesterdays? "Pumpkin", which he had not seen since Halloween. He's thinking all the time, even when he doesn't say anything. Truly, I should start calling him the Cookie Monster. After a meal that included cookies a few days ago, he'll randomly scream "COOKIE!!!!" in the middle of a meal.
4. My mother and stepdad. They have made our lives so much easier and more wonderful over the past 4 months. They seem so much a part of our lives now that I can't imagine them not living here anymore.
5. My sister, who is so very smart and interesting. She feels like home to me.
6. My dad and stepmother, who make me laugh. And remind me all the time of what doing the right thing looks like.
7. My in-laws, who have accepted me with complete love since the day I entered their son's life. My life is so much the better for having them in it.
8. Ukuleles. They are the happiest instrument on the planet. There is no such thing as melancholy ukulele playing. Well, I suppose some Hipster might find a way to be depressed and play ukulele, but I certainly couldn't. I'm also slowing converting our friends and family into ukulele players (Peanut, I'm looking at you).
9. Nursing school. Ok, well I'm not exactly grateful for nursing school, but I am grateful for the career I am about to embark upon. Perhaps I'm grateful that there are only 6 months left of nursing school.
10. Our home, which is closing in around me. Still, it's ours and it's bursting at the seams with love, laughter and kids' crap. Mostly kids' crap, but the other stuff too.

So. Stinking. Cute

Right. So I'm kind of avoiding eye contact with the mound of school work I have to do right now. Instead, I thought I'd blog about the extremely high level of cuteness going on in our house right now.

We had Cheeky Monkey's non-family party on Sunday. We had a costume party, and so I thought it only appropriate that we make monster cupcakes. I did the icing, and the boys' Mummu did all the monster faces. I have to say that the angry birds ones were the best.

 They looked great for a while. And then their little monster faces started sliding off their little monster cupcake bodies and I almost cried. Happily, only 4 or 5 of them were unsalvageable, and more happily, 2-year-olds don't care what the icing looks like.


Ry and I dressed up our 1960s selves.

And the boys wore their Halloween costumes. Unfortunately, in the 2 weeks between Halloween and the party, the Monkey grew an inch and we couldn't button his pants. Sad. Also, somehow appropriate.

Hurrah cupcakes!!


This was just one of my favorite pictures from the party. Seriously, could she be more excited about the juicebox?

See the unbuttoned pants? The hat and beard didn't last long either.

Gummy Bear had a great time ... and lots of sugar.

It was a really great party.

Monkey turned two and someone switched his "2" button. Stuff he's been doing this week:

1. Refusing to eat dinner (unless he damn well decides he wants it or there is a cookie involved).
2. Adding a new word or two every day. Favorite: "hot bum" when he's sporting a loaded diaper.
3. Stringing together 2 or 3 word sentences like he's been doing it for months.
4. Identifying colors. "Lellow!"
5. Destroying everything his brother builds, touches, or thinks about.
6. Opening the fridge and getting his own apple slices.
7. Singing along when I sing him to sleep.
8. Playing Pat-A-Cake.

The Monkey turned 2

Cheeky Monkey turned 2 about a week ago. While he's still a sweet-natured, laid back little man, he is also most definitely 2. He and his brother antagonize each other nonstop. He has also decided to exert his will in various and sundry ways (like refusing to open his mouth to brush teeth).

He is also a really easy smile. While he wants to pester his brother, he also wants to do whatever he does.

He is also big pretend-player. When Ry and I had a weekend away, we got him a long kitty. They have been inseparable ever since. Where Long Kitty goes, Cheeky Monkey goes. Long Kitty gets the first bite of cheese.

 And then Monkey.

 And then Long Kitty again.

 Long Kitty goes to school with Monkey. Long Kitty goes to bed with Monkey. Long Kitty has to snuggle on my other shoulder when we're snuggling before bed. And I have to take turns petting Long Kitty's back and petting Monkey's back.


He's just staring to put two words together a lot (Mama's cup, more ice, butter please). He also hums along when I sing to him at bedtime. Maybe he'll be a musical boy.

He had his 2 year check up yesterday. He weighed 33 pounds, 11 ounces and was 36 inches tall. That puts him in the 80-85 percentile for both. Gummy Bear at 2 was just over 36 inches, but only 30 pounds, 6 ounces. Monkey is going to be our linebacker (except that I'm never going to let him play football).

He loves to Fred Flintstone the tricycle around the patio. He's also pretty good with a fork and can drink out of an open cup.

I'm completely in love. Happy Birthday little Monkey.

Good morning!

Scene: Our bedroom, 8 am. Ry has just gone to the nursery to get Cheeky Monkey. I hear Gummy Bear come running up the stairs and burst into our room.


Gummy Bear: Mom! I made you something!

Me: You did? What is it?

Gummy Bear: I'll go get it!

Me: Oh Bear, thank you so much! That's a terrific heart.

Ry from the other room: OH MY GOD! Don't touch it!

Cheeky Monkey from the other room: HAHAHAHAHA

Gummy Bear: Look Mommy, I used a marker that writes on both sides!

Me: So you did. Where did you get this marker?

Ry from the other room: Sit still!

Gummy Bear: I took it out of the cup by the door.

Me: And what did you put the paper on when you drew it?

Gummy Bear: The stool in the hallway!

Cheeky Monkey comes running into the bedroom, clad only in his diaper: Mommy!!

Me: Hi Cheeky! Gummy, please don't take the markers out of the cup by the back door anymore, OK? I think you probably wrote on the stool too.

Gummy Bear: I did!

Ryan comes into the bedroom, carrying a very large diaper: This thing has to weigh 5 pounds.

We all walk downstairs. Cheeky Monkey insists on having his kitty "hold" the stair railing, making it a 10 minute process. I go into the hall to inspect the damage.

It's no house carved on the dining room table with a fork, but it's not going anywhere.