What the kids are doing and saying

Alright, week two of blogging is underway.  I am not counting my Dolce Dishes in the blogging goal, just FYI.  So, what has happened this week that is blog worthy?  It seems like every time something happens and I think, oh, I should go blog that right now, I don’t.  So, I will try to remember. 

First off, I got my house cleaned.  It is amazing to have your entire house cleaned at one time.  That hasn’t happened in a long time.  I can maybe get one room done a day and then by the time the entire house is done I have to start over!  So, this is such a treat.  However, it also reminds me out grossly inadequate I am as a housekeeper.  I will use the kids as an excuse.  I just don’t have the time to really deep clean anything.  Someone needs a diaper, or a snack, or a band aid, etc etc.  Or it could be that it just isn’t my forte.  Probably a combination of both.  So, the house is clean and I am happy.  We also were able to buy a new carpet steam cleaner for Joe’s office and test it out here.  It works really well!  Not as great as a professional cleaning of course, but it gets the spots up and cleans the high traffic areas really well, which is all I wanted in the end.  So, for now my house is like a brand new home.  Well, almost.  Nicolas promptly spilled an entire glass of lemonade on my freshly cleaned kitchen floor the day the house was cleaned.  And you know how sticky that is, and how hard it to get it all up.  I am still finding sticky spots.  Oh well.  It was nice while it lasted.

On to the kids.  Anthony has started a new program at school where they bring home a book each day and they can only return it after they have read the entire thing.  The teacher helps them pick a book that is at or slightly above their reading level, so Anthony’s books have been kind of lengthy.  He has read each book in a day so he can return it the following day and get a new one.  He is really enjoying this system.  Before it was hard to get him to do his at home reading, I think because he has already read all the books we have, so this is much more interesting for him.  We have learned about Spy Tools and Dangerous Jobs, and of course, Sharks!  He is doing so well in school and really loves it.  He comes home every day with a smile and a ton of stories. 

Dom is loving school too and it is exciting to think about how much he will excel in Kindergarten next year after being in the program he is this year.  He will go to Anthony’s school and he can’t wait.  We are gearing up for spring sports, namely soccer at the YMCA.  They will do the spring league and hopefully after that we will know better if that is a sport either of them really like or if something else might be better for them.  I also plan on signing them up for karate again and also putting them in an art class.  They both have the “gift” as Joe calls it.  With a grandma and two uncles who are artists it isn’t a surprise, but they both spend a lot of time drawing and coloring and really enjoy creating. 

Nicolas, Nicky, little devil, what have you.  The kid has officially entered the two’s, even though in 2 months he will be 3!  He is by far our most stubborn and I don’t think potty training is helping anything.  I know this too shall pass but it is rough going, especially when you are in Target and he has thrown himself on the floor in a fit and you are kind of frozen as to what to do.  Now, he is still adorable and smart and wonderful too. This morning we were getting dressed and he has started caring about what he wears.  Neither of the other two were ever like that.  So, I picked out his pants and he wanted to pick his shirt.  He walks to the closet and pulls down a nice button down shirt and brought it to me and said “I want to wear church, mommy”.  So, he looks super dapper today in his “church” shirt.  Also this morning we took him potty and had to take off all his jammies and diaper so he was naked at the end of it all.  We put his pull up on and then I asked him where his jammies were.  His response, “I don’t really know.”  Such a comedian. 

It is a busy, crazy, wonderful life we lead here in San Diego.  more to come…

New years resolutions

Joe and I make a list of resolutions each year.  We have yet to keep any of them, so this year we didn’t make a list.  However, I have made a few personal goals that I would like to meet this year.  The first was learning how to knit.  For those who might be confused with the things I already make, I crochet.  Knitting scared me, so it was my goal to conquer it this year.  My mom and dad were there for the initial portion of this goal.  It wasn’t pretty.  I was cranky and annoyed and wanted to give up almost immediately.  But then I remembered how I felt about crocheting at first; the same way.  So I stuck it out.  First was a small, and slightly irregular, washcloth, but I finished it.  Then I started a baby blanket which was just one stitch over and over, I figured that was easy enough.  I am still working on that.  Then I discovered that I could make cute little neck warmers really fast if  used thicker yarn and bigger needles.  Hallalujah!!  I could finish a project in one night, just like crocheting.  So, here are the first examples of my knitting capabilities as of January 23rd, 2010.  While I have sort of achieved my goal of learning to knit, I would really like to get good at it, good enough to say I am a knitter.  So, there you have it.  My first goal of 2010 is met.  my other personal goal was to blog once a week.  I feel like our lives are moving so fast and the kids are saying and doing so many amazing, hilarious, and important things that if I don’t document them they will forever be lost.  The funniest thing that comes to mind right now is about Nicolas.  He gets a lot of press, but that is because he is still in that adorable stage of learning to communicate.  So, we are potty training.  So far things are going well.  He will pee in the potty no problem.  Of course it is getting him to do “the other” that is proving difficult.  For those of you who know my children, you remember that Anthony had a “poop fish” (a toy fish that swam on it’s own) on top of our entertainment center for almost a year before he decided pooping in the potty was ok.  So, Nico as an entire Hershey’s chocolate bar (he will get a few pieces the first time he poops).  It is up on the counter in the bathroom so he can see if every time he goes.  The other day after he had successfully gone #1 I asked if he wanted to try going #2.  He said yes, then promptly got off the potty.  Then he saw the chocolate bar.  He wanted some, of course.  I reminded him that he had to poop in the potty to get the candy.  Then I asked him, “what do you have to do to get that candybar?”  His response, “get a ladder.”  The candy has been moved into the medicine cabinet and out of site. 

Ok, so, keep my honest about blogging weekly.   

Oh, here is some video of what the storms did to our yard.

Happy New Year

New year, new me. That is my goal. I am not sure what that means exactly, except that I am currently trying out the Atkins diet. For those unfamiliar, it is low carb, hugh protein. Now, I am not a sweet tooth by any means, but after two weeks ALL I WANT IS A CANDY BAR! But I am sticking to it. I feel like regardless I am eating less and that has to be bett for me anyway. Luckily Joe is doing it with me so that makes it a little easier. And not to worry, I am not making the kids follow this diet. They are eating all the goldfish and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches they want.

Speaking of the kids. I am feeling so lucky to be the mother of three boys. Just in the last few weeks I have seen all 3 of them grow up so much. Nicolas is trying to learn how to use the potty. He knows that if he finally poops in the potty he will get a chocolate candy bar. But he is willing and trying and that is all we can ask for at this point. In addition to learning the basics of the bathroom Nicolas is just a riot to be around. He is communicating so much and learning so much and I have this sneaky feeling the kid is going to be on TV someday. So many of the things he says sound just like a commercial. Part of that is the wording, but it is also his inflection. He has always been really expressive and it is becoming more and more apparent the older he gets. For instance, this morning he was eating an orange and said, "wow mommy, this is juicy!" while he held up the orange to show me. Now, he certainly has his two year old moments. It seems like all the toys in the house belong to him and should you mistakenly try to play with one you will suffer his wrath. And it isn't just toys, he finds cell phones, keys, cameras, you name it, if he finds it, it is his. The kid lives by the creedo "finders keepers, losers weepers." But mostly he is just so much fun to be around. His laugh and sense of humor are infectious and if you know him then you know he has that look, the look that says I am thinking things you can't even imagine, and I ain't tellin any of you what they are!

That brings me to my other two amazing boys. I get asked a lot by other mothers of two boys or two girls, how doyour boys play together? Well, the truth is, they play together so well that I often forget to encourage them to invite other friends over! They have a built in play date everyday. And Nicolas is even getting in on that action now too, which is fun to watch. Of course they have their moments, as all siblings do, but for the most part they are best buddies and find it difficult to be apart sometimes. If I do plan a playdate it has to be here or else one or the other gets really sad and feels left out. The other night Anthony fell asleep downstairs because he wasn't feeling well so we just let him stay there until we went upstairs and Dom could not fall asleep in their room without Anthony there. It was really sweet. They take care of each other, teach each other new things, and encourage each other. They are also really into this new kids show called "Big Time Rush" which is about a group of guy friends from MN who form a band and move to CA. They sing a song the boys LOVE! They sing it all the time and Joe and I keep having visions of our three being on stage someday as a band of their own. Speaking of singing, we got Nicolas a kids' MP3 player for Christmas. It is like a radio so they can carry it around. Originally I put some songs for Nicolas but then the boys had the great idea of putting theme songs to their shows on it, and themes to Star Wars and Indiana Jones, stuff like that. So we have all sorts of TV show themes on there and they run around the house singing them all day long. It is so hilarious.

To end, here is the funniest thing any of the kids have said lately. The other day we were eating lunch and Joe asked Anthony a question about something. Anthony answered and asked if he was right. Daddy said yes and Anthony's response was "my brain was right! thank you brain!"

It's Christmas, everyone's miserable

Well, not everyone, but it was close. So, what started out with Nico on Tuesday has now spread to me, Anthony, Dom, and Grandma and who knows where it may end up. As if getting the stomach flu isn't bad enough, but getting it at Christmas, well, it isn't what I asked for that is for sure. However, by some miracle no one was sick this morning for presents. Thankfully those who needed to be sick waited until after nap time. I have done more loads of sheets and laundry in the last 4 days than I care to count, cleaned up more than my share of messes on carpets and pillows, and definitely done my time in the super gross diaper department.

But to say it was a terrible Christmas wouldn't be true. The family was together, the kids laughed and smiled and are still playing with their gifts into the evening, and as of 4 or so no one has gotten sick, so things could be worse. I just feel bad that the kids weren't really feeling perfect for the day, but they soldiered through like they always do. They definitely handled it better than I did!

So, I am praying this super bug, whatever it may be, is on its way out of our home and off to terrorize some other unsuspecting family because it has overstayed its unwelcome!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and could find the blessings amid the rubble that often clouds our lives. Christ was born, Praise the Lord!

It's CHRISTMAS!

It has been rainy here in southern CA and I LOVE IT! It makes it feel ever so slightly more like Christmases that I remember. The fire is going, the slippers are donned, and the coffee is hot all day long. Did I mention that I love Christmas? I do, even the shopping. Although I do most of my shopping online in the comfort of my own slippers. I am not even sick of Christmas music quite yet.

Speaking of Christmas music, the kids have been learning songs at school and from family and friends and singing them all the time. Of course Dom has trouble figuring out the words sometimes, especially when his cousin Gavin is the one teaching him the song, so he has been running around singing "Deck the halls with all the trollies." And Nico's favorite is "We wish you a hairy Christmas." And speaking of the kids and learning things, they are learning all kinds of things at school this time of year. Dom's teacher is jewish and so in addition to talking about Christmas traditions she has been teaching them about Hannukah and even made them latkes last week. Dom didn't care for them but he did try it so he wouldn't "make the teacher sad" he said.

Both boys will be having Christmas parties in their classes and I am going to have to perform some sort of super hero feat in order to be in two places at once, but by golly I am going to be at both parties! I think there is a 15 minute window where I can get from one to the other. Wish me luck!

I am not sure how much of this Nico gets, and to be honest I hope he stay kind of clueless for a little bit longer. He will enjoy opening gifts, but I think he will enjoy having family around even more. We are trying hard to remind the boys of what this time of year is really about. We have a box that we are filling with change and we will "open" it on Christmas and see how much we have and then decide as a family what to do with the money as a gift to someone else. It is cute, however, to hear the boys talk about Jesus and God in such matter of fact ways. For instance, yesterday Anthony was talking about something and said, "but Jesus could just do that because he is so cool". And on a slightly different note, Dom has been saying his prayers extra loud lately, I guess to make sure God hears them, but last night he started yelling in the middle of the night. I went in to see what was wrong and he was dead asleep yelling a prayer.

I hope you are all enjoying this season and can find the blessings amidst the madness. If we are going to see you this holiday season please know how much your time with us means and how much we look forward to spending time with family and friends. That is the best gift of all. If we won't see you we wish you happiness and joy.

Merry Christmas!

What the kids are saying

Just wanted to share a few more things the kids have said recently. I really need to start recording the entire day so I can capture all their words of wisdom.

Ok, so Thanksgiving we had our friends RJ and Hailey and their three kids over for the meal. Their oldest, Maddy, is 1 year younger than Dom. They really like each other and were flirting and being super cute all afternoon. Then it came time to eat and Dom asked Maddy to sit by him and she said, of course! So Maddy's daddy, in jest, said "keep your distance" to Dom. In response Dom said, "Keep your dignity!" Not sure where he got that but we all had a good laugh.

A few days later we had a big rain storm and while we were eating lunch and watching the rain and hail Dom noticed the trees blowing in the wind. His response was "the trees are cheering for us!"

There was one other funny things Dom said on the list and Anthony was reading it today and asked, "what do I have to do to get on this list, say something funny?" Needless to say, he is now on the list.

Nicolas says things all the time that are hilarious but our favorite right now is when he goes to bed instead of being tucked in he wants to be tucked up. "Mommy, tuck me up!" So cute.

Tis the season...

It's Christmas and I love this time of year! The lights, the music, the food! However, this Christmas I have been really struck by how many people are struggling this holiday season to just survive, let alone make any sort of Christmas happen for their families. It seems that this time in history is testing so many of us in ways we never imagined. While that is trying and oftentimes disheartening at the same time trials build character and show us who we truly are. While putting our Christmas letter together this year I tried to think back to some of my favorite Christmases assuming the big ones would be where I got my doll house (a great Christmas, but not my fave) or some other great gift. Instead the first Christmas that popped into mind was one where things were tight, so tight in fact that we couldn't afford a tree that year so instead we decorated a plant we had in the house. The pic of my brother and I sitting next to our Christmas plant is still one of my favorites! I remember really liking the plant because it was at my level, I could decorate the entire thing, not just the bottom. Our small smattering of presents were scattered underneath and if I remember correctly I am gazing fondly at our improvised tree with a huge smile. I can only imagine the dismay my parents must have felt that year when they realized that we couldn't afford to buy a real tree and probably sat down once my brother and I were in bed to try and figure out if there was any way at all they could make that happen for us. Little did they know that that Christmas was one of my favorites, the one that sticks in my mind more than any others. I don't remember any of the gifts I got, but I do remember loving how special our family was. It didn't matter what we put the gifts under, or if there were even gifts at all! What mattered was that we were together, that we made the best of not the best situation, and we were happy. It is easy to stress about gifts, especially if you enjoy giving like I do, but in the end the gifts and wrappings will be forgotten, but the special memories that are made will last forever. Sometimes the more we are tested the more we pull together. The Christmas plant year will forever live in my memory as a great Christmas. I hope you all can find your Christmas plant among the madness of this season. And as corny as it sounds, it isn't the presents under the tree that matter but the presence of Christ that makes Christmas special. Happy Holidays to you all!