Oh ______!

Joshy is currently experimenting with those sayings you insert when something doesn't go your way. It started out with "Oh Man!". A clear pickup from Swiper the Fox. From a boy at school, he inherited geez. A few days ago, he started using tarnation and tonight, when he missed the balloon I hit at him, he said "blast". He knows that an exclamation of some sort belongs to that scenario and like any good consumer, he seems to be giving a few a test drive before adopting one as his own.

This morning, he came up the stairs to find Benjamin playing with his little alarm clock and took it away (of course, resulting in crying from Ben) because, as he asserted, Ben might break it. John told him that if Ben broke it, he would buy Joshy a new one. Joshy thinks and then says "You will buy me a cooler one?". John, more focused on getting dressed than the conversation, said "Yes". I am in the bathroom working on my hair and after Joshy scurries back to his room, I hear him telling Ben to "throw it down" and then showing him how. I am like, "I can hear you J0shua". The alarm clock destruction goes quiet.

This morning I woke up to find the tiger claw thing on my stomach. You know, the tiger's head on a stick and a trigger at the end that makes him open and close his mouth. The next thing I know, Joshy had jumped into the bed next to me with the dinosaur version and I am spending my first waking moments having an all out war: dinosaur vs. tiger. The endeavor is littered with random questions from Joshua about how something works or how to say chocolate milk in Spanish but his curiosity is refreshing. Excepting, of course, those occasions where his "why"s drill down further than my expertise. We all thought we would never use the "because that's the way it is" but sometimes...well...that is just the way it is.

I still can't believe he's 2

Ben has officially used the toilet...twice! He is getting in the habit of telling us each time he has to (or just went to) the bathroom. Most of the time it is right after, but a few times it has been before and 2 times a success. He sort of just started this on his own, as opposed to us sitting down and deciding to potty train and making the commitment to take him to the toilet every hour or so. It is hard for me to believe that he is at the age to start potty training. I remember Joshy seeming so much older. By 2 1/2 he was potty trained and sleeping in a big boy bed and Ben just still seems too small for any of that. Perhaps I am just clutching tighter because he is my baby. For me personally, the first year feels like FOREVER but after they hit one, it just seems to fly by. You no longer have to choose between them and sleep and are not so mortally tired that it feels like a toss up. They walk. They have a personality. They say "brother hit me" right after they, in fact, hit brother. I love his hugs and how he buries his head in your shoulder. How he'll surprise me by answering a question of Diego's rescue pack that I wouldn't expect him to know. Can Diego use a zip line to get to cloud forest? "Yes." *head turn* How do you know zip line? "Wa wonder pets?" No Ben, mama is sick of Wonder Pets. "Wa wonder pets?" I am going to kill that caterpillar just so I don't have to see them save it. But children's programming aside, I suppose it is happening whether or not I am quite ready for it too. My baby boy is growing up. He is a big boy on the big boy potty and we all know that it's toilet today, Wall Street Journal delivery to his crib tomorrow.

Category: Unexpected Wake Up Calls

You're clue:

Diaper bag.

(do, do, do, do, do, do, do...do, do, do, do, DO, do, do, do, do, do...)

What is the object found in the middle of the street this morning by the cop who rang our doorbell at 5:30 to tell us that our car had been broken in to?

That's right Jane. Tell her what she's won.

Last night a thief, which to his/her credit, managed to break into several cars up and down the street without tripping any alarms, made a run through our neighborhood. Fastforward to the doorbell at 5:30 and John running down the stairs and back up again in search of pants. Joshy is walking out of his room saying "Is it wake-up time?" and I am shoving John my pajama pants so he can answer the door. It wasn't till I had gotten my discombobulated self to the window and saw John and the cop talking near the cars that it hit me what happened. Thankfully they had been able to get in our cars without breaking windows (the same can't be said of the hummer across the street) and we have nothing of value for them to take. The most promising thing was a black diaper bag that was quickly tossed when found to contain...diapers. The pack and play and car seats would have hindered the fast getaway and John's fast food wrappers, well, they chose not to do us the favor of removing those. Still, having a car rustled through, although unnerving, beats having it stolen in its entirety. John's car was stolen when we were on vacation several years ago and by the time we came back, it had been crashed and impounded and because we hadn't filed a report prior to the impounding, they wanted us to pay a several hundred dollar fee to reclaim it. Yeah. Ridiculous. I know. But, through that lens, I'd much prefer the rustled contents. I am sure our sweet neighbor with the window to replace would say the same.

Let it snow

Getting out on the roads Christmas Day, it was the strangest thing. I don't have a picture of the volume on the main streets, but driving down the road, I was weaving in and out of cars lodged and abandoned in the snow. There were few drivers out on the road which made for an eery quiet. The thought nagging in my mind was "Where did all these people go?". We must have passed 40 plus cars. They couldn't have all walked home late in the night, could they? It wasn't until we got out of the city and onto the back roads that we thought to get the camera out. There was much less traffic but you can see the drifts on the side of the road that were car door high. This road was wide enough to accommodate two cars but at one point, we entered a plowed path that was just one lane. A half mile in, we were met with four cars coming the other direction. Their car tried to turn and got stuck in a snow bank. John hopped out to help push it free and we were then left with the task of backing out of the slalom path we had just navigated into. I was so tense holding on the steering wheel as we bumped around in the uneven divots littering the packed snow and ice that I found myself sore the next morning. If it wasn't for the 4 wheel drive in the truck, we wouldn't have gone out at all.

Below is the picture of my parent's car that got stuck on Christmas Eve and was shovelled out Christmas Day shortly after this picture was snapped. Fortunately the snow was not near as high as other drifts around the city had been and the snow had melted several inches from the night before but it was just high enough that the tires couldn't spin their way out. Oh how I wish that I had a picture of May. It felt like I was driving in a zombie movie or world ending event. Cars scattered about. Abandoned. These three cars don't do it justice.

From the sky, we received 14 inches. From the plows, many cars received much more. Ones that were just stuck tire deep, like my parents, awoke the next morning to find their car wedged in three feet of snow. Good for those of us driving. Bad for those who'll be shoveling their way free. I stole a few pics from the news site to show what I mean. It doesn't capture zombie-esque, but is does capture attack of the snow plows and the sight of passing mail trucks and even a city bus motionless in the snow.

I am certain that all those dreaming of a white Christmas, didn't dream of this. Probably more like fires and cocoa and carolers in red bonnets and fuzzy gloves. Snow men and sledding and giggles. Not shovels and frame repairs. I guess it rings true. Be careful what you ask for. Even at Christmas, the most magical season of all.

You know it is time for haircuts when...

Nothing beats ponytail wars, while inside, staying warm and out of the blizzard. We were Samurai. And yes, note the sweater vest.

Winter Wonderland

We officially have a White Christmas on our hands. I knew some freezing rain was coming, but wasn't really planning on the blizzard warnings based on the 40mph winds tossing snow about. In fact, as I type, my parents are stuck on the side of the road 2 miles from their house, waiting for my Uncle to come and save them because it would be quite a hike home in calf deep snow. Why are they out? Tina had to work. Apparently animals at the vet still have to eat, even if in zero visibility snow. I am not an animal person, so I'll plead the fifth.

Joshy and Ben have been chomping at the bit all morning, wanting to get out and play in the thickening white blanket covering our lawn. With the wind whipping about, we figured if we bundled them up and took them out they would be begging to come back in. Yes, we are that dumb. They loved it which makes me think that they are not their mother's child. I don't mind snow and I love wind but not wet wind that gives me frostbite. I much prefer the woods and leaves and sun that speckles the ground to slowly losing feeling in my toes. Still, the boys and John had a blast as I stood in the door way, snapping pictures. There were snowballs thrown and laughs traded and tears when they finally had to come inside. I expect much more time out tomorrow when the sun has reemerged to replace the bone chilling wind.

Merry Christmas from three snow covered boys and one sensible, warm girl.

Christmas Program

Joshy's preschool class had their Christmas program this past week. It was rather adorable, them singing Rudolph and We Wish you a Merry Christmas, reindeer hats and Joshy making up motions that I don't believe to be planned. During We Wish you a Merry Christmas, him and the little boy to his right were doing that arm motion you equate with blokes singing in a bar with mug in hand on each We Wish. He had a good time and was so proud of his sweater vest. In fact, he has worn it every moment he can since and is wearing it as I type. I think he slept in it last night. Who knew that all he wanted for Christmas was a sweater vest?