Friday, June 27, 2008

that's my boy!

Emily: Mom, when will I be old enough to start drinking coffee?

Me: Oh, I don't know...probably when you're at least 16.

Emily: But that's a long time!

And then Jack pipes up from the other room...

Jack: Mom, when I grow up can I drink beer?

102 weeks in the making

After almost two years of working "in my spare time," I finally finished my first attempt at a blanket, giving all of us something to snuggle under and giving me hope that I am actually capable of finishing something I start. Watch out, cookbook...you're next!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

normal bodily functions

Me: Jackson, what was that noise?

Jack: Oh, my bottom just burped all by itself!

Monday, June 23, 2008

laughter is the best medicine

We got the news last week than Ainsley's ears aren't doing any better, so she's going to have her tubes replaced on Wednesday. We were hoping that we could make it until her other surgery in August so we wouldn't have to put her under anesthesia an additional time, but the tube in her left ear is halfway out and her ear drum is bulging. Even though I know it's best that we do this now and make sure her ears are okay before her next surgery, I was still a little bummed about it all. And just as I was about to beg my darling husband to drive the 54 seconds to SuperTarget to pick up a pint or two of Ben & Jerry's so I could drown my sorrows, we started our Friday Night Movie. We try to do this every Friday...we usually have pizza and then watch whatever movie we've chosen the geniuses at Netflix to deliver. (Really, Netflix, one of the greatest ideas EVER! Rent as many movies as you want without ever leaving your house!! Brilliant!!!) So this week was The Best of Looney Tunes, Volume 1 Disc 1. Over 90 minutes of classic Bugs Bunny and friends. I knew it would be a hit, because over the past month we've downloaded a few episodes on iTunes to watch on the computer and the kids loved them. But I was never in the same room when they were all watching at the same time. Ryan and Emily laugh, but I'd be hard pressed to be able to fully describe what Jack does. It starts as a giggle and ends up with him rolling on the floor hysterically laughing and he doesn't even stop for a breath. That in and of itself is such a fabulous sound, but all 4 of them laughing at the same time? (Ainsley, of course, is just laughing because everyone else is laughing.) I can only think of one sound that is better and that's the sound of my children saying, "Hey Mom, you look a little tired. Why don't you go upstairs take a little nap while we finish cleaning things up down here." And the only reason that sounds better is because when I hear that, I know I must be dreaming and therefore must be asleep. Ah, sleep...

Anyway, I suggest you run right out and rent 4 kids and a Looney Tunes DVD of your own for a night and you'll see what I mean. It's better than Prozac, Ben & Jerry's AND sipping margaritas on the beach. Seriously. It's that good. In fact, you can just rent my kids. $20 an hour. Best money you'll ever spend. And I could really use the sleep.

Monday, June 16, 2008

ready for the pool




***

***Is it just me, or does Jack totally look like Owen in this picture??

ainsley's summer reading




manners

We have to put the gate up at the bottom of the stairs all of the time now, because if we don't, Ainsley will sense it with her gate-radar (gatedar?) and within 5 seconds, no matter where she was in the house, we will find her here:
The big kids don't really have a problem hopping over the gate, but Jack's little legs can't quite make it over. And so the third most-heard sentence at our house right now is, "Mom, can you lift me over the gate?" (The first being, "Mom, Ainsley just put ______ in her mouth!" and the second being, "Mom! Ryan and/or Emily is being mean at me!") But lately, Jack has been going through a very "me-centered" stage (at least I hope it's a stage!) and I just can't do anything fast enough to suit him. So I'll say, "Just a minute, Jack..." and he'll scream, "I want you to do it now!" Which I thoroughly enjoy hearing, as you can imagine. And yesterday, Doug and I had heard just about enough of that kind of thing, so when Jack started yelling for one of us to lift him over the gate, we decided we would wait to hear that certain word that would actually make it seem as though he was asking us to help and not telling us to help. And so after we heard, "Mom! Lift me over the gate now!" Doug said, "Jackson, we are waiting to hear the magic word." To which Jack, completely exasperated, replied, "Uugghh! Hocus Pocus!"

breakfast



And Jack says, "Mom, if we grow tall to the ceiling, then our house will pop and we will be giants!"

Friday, June 13, 2008

may pictures

May was a busy month with a very busy Ainsley...walking, climbing, learning to eat like a "big girl." Busy month for everyone else too...soccer, lots of company, school dance, playing at a state park, birthdays! Click here to see all the fun!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

omg - part 2 (which is not my first choice for a title, but this is a family website)

Nothing quite gets your adrenaline pumping like seeing this little guy coiled around your front door handle!




Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of that, because by the time I grabbed my camera, he was already looking for another way in. Perhaps he heard that The Snake Wrangler lived here and wanted to come play.

Funny, I was reading a story online earlier this week about a woman in New York who heard her baby crying in the middle of the night and went in to find a 12 inch snake wrapped around the baby's leg. In the crib. She picked up her baby and the snake fell off of the baby's leg and then she went to call Animal Control. And I thought, Duh! Why didn't I think to call Animal Control when a snake was wrapped around my daughter's arm?

And so who did we call tonight when we found King Cobra on our door? Not Animal Control! Our neighbor, Terry! The snake slithered into the bushes in front of the house and hung out there for about 20 minutes or so until Doug and Terry were able to chase him out by spraying him with the hose and then chased him back into the woods down by the creek. Where he had better stay. Or else he can forget about the whole "good for the local ecosystem" crap. Because if he comes up here again, I'll have myself a new wallet.

Consider yourself warned, snake.

i love you, you love me

First day of summer vacation and Jackson is watching Ernie on PBS. You know, Ernie? The big, purple dinosaur? Oh, right...you probably know him as Barney. And I've tried telling Jack that his name is Barney, but he will have none of it. It's Ernie. Period. End of discussion. I'm not a big fan of Ernie/Barney and my dislike for him probably has more to do with overexposure than actual show content because when Ryan was young, he was a Barney junkie. Which he will vehemently deny. Because he seems to have totally blocked that time period in his life where he worshiped the ground that Barney happily danced across. He seems to have forgotten all the videos we owned and watched daily, the many books we checked out at the library, the cassette tape we had to throw away because we wore it out listening to cheerful song after song. And so every time Ryan even hears the name Barney he does this dramatic act where he either pretends to choke and die or he runs away screaming. Which is what he did yesterday when Jack was watching Ernie/Barney. Except Jack thought he was doing it because he was scared and said, "It's okay, Ryan, he's just a happy dinosaur!"

Friday, June 6, 2008

being pollyanna

Shots are over! Good news...Ainsley's nasal congestion seems to be clearing up. Bad news...the medicine she's taking for her reflux actually makes her have reflux. (Let me just go off on a little rant here and ask how ridiculous is it to give an infant meltaway tabs? I mean, it says right on the package not to chew. And have you ever known an infant to not try to chew something that's placed in her mouth? And have you ever known an infant who when told, "Sweetie, don't chew this. Just let it melt in your mouth!" says, "Sure Mom, no problem, whatever you say!" Yeah, that's what I thought.) She's spit up more in the past 3 days while taking the medication than she has in the three months prior to taking it. Good news...the medicine she's taking now is not the medicine she used to take for reflux, so I would imagine that once we switch her medicine, she'll be just fine. Bad news...I have to go back to Target to fill yet another prescription. Wait...I get to go to Target! That's more good news! The good news wins!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

one down, two to go

Ainsley had her first shot today and she took it like a champ. Just about broke my heart when I laid her down on the table so the nurse could give her the shot in her leg and she started shaking her head "No!" Girl has a mind like a steel trap...does not forget a thing. I don't think I'm going to be able to get her back there tomorrow for #2 without her punching me in the face.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

and the hits just keep on coming

Ha! I almost forgot we were waiting for the results of the bacteria culture!! Silly me!

Very large amount of some scary-sounding bacteria growing in her nasal cavity. Bacteria which can sometimes be found in stomach or intestines...but not nose. Treatment is a shot of an antibiotic (administered at the doctor's office 30 minutes away) once a day for the next three days. Oh, and back on reflux medicine so no more of this bacteria makes it's way back up to her nose before her surgery. Or into her eustachian tubes, causing another ear infection. Which I didn't even know was possible before now. Learn something new every day with this daughter of mine.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I think I need a margarita IV. Stat.

Monday, June 2, 2008

next time i choose the music

Hey, know what's even more fun than spending 6 hours cleaning and organizing Emily's room? Spending 6 hours cleaning and organizing Emily's room while listening to the Alvin & The Chipmunks movie soundtrack.

Excedrin, anyone?