Ahhhhhh...

That was me sighing contentedly. Did you hear it? Today has been such a wonderful day.

We spent the earlier part of the morning (my kids didn't wake up until 7 that's very late for them) playing inside with all of Gramma's cool toys. I don't think there is a single piece of new Fisher-Price anything in this house - all of it is from circa 1970. And the kids love the stuff. I have a few older items at my house that the kids are allowed to play with, but it's nothing compared with what Gramma's house (and Nana's, too) is filled with. And because they are allowed to play with the vintage toys (not only F-P, but also lots of Raggedy Ann & Andy stuff and other toys, books, and games), my children are already gaining an appreciation for antiques. I love that.

After breakfast and a few falls on the sidewalks (Gabriel was the first kid to get a scraped knee on this vacation), we went to Kidsburg in Bloomsburg. The kids were in heaven. They were so well behaved, too. There was no time-out, no yelling, no nothing. Jon, Gabriel, and Elliott played on the equipment while Janna and I took a walk. I haven't walked up and down the streets of Bloomsburg since I was in college, so it was a nice change from all of the trail walking I do at home. Janna liked it, too. After our walk, we went back to the park and played with Big Brother and Sister. Everyone took turns on the swings (including me), and then we had a picnic. Everyone ate, then we played some more. When it was time to leave, everyone piled in the van with no complaining.

My afternoon was spent being idle. Jon was working on his laptop, the kids were sleeping soundly, and Devin was mowing the lawn. I literally had nothing to do. No dishes, no laundry, no cooking - it was so peaceful. I finally dragged myself away from the computer (damn that eBay with their tens of thousands of Vera Bradley listings) and forced myself to sit in the sun and crochet.

The kids got up from naps after 4, and each kid had their own "afternoon event": Jon took Gabriel running, Elliott went to the grocery store with me, and Janna chatted with Gramma. So when everyone reconvened on the back porch, each kid had their own exciting stories to tell about their afternoons. While Gabriel and Jon were running they saw a rattlesnake in a tree! I was freaked out just hearing about it, but everyone else thought it was cool (I hate snakes - HATE them. I am so afraid of them that just thinking about them makes me want to pull my feet up underneath me.). Jon pointed it out to Gabe, and thinking it was a black snake, poked it with a stick (it was at head level in the tree). It started rattling, and Jon made sure to tell The Boy to never, ever poke snakes with sticks!! Elliott was very excited to let everyone know that she saw a huge, big truck carrying lots and lots of hay. She was pretty sure it was going to find some hungry horses and cows. And Janna was just chattering up a storm to anyone who would listen.

The only bad part of the late afternoon/evening was when Gabriel pushed Elliott over in a lawn chair. She smashed her head on the sidewalk (she's just fine), and of course he had to be sent to time-out. Gramma also decided that since Gabriel didn't know how to be nice with the chair (a very cool Thomas chair), that the chair got to go to the garbage. We'll see if it comes out...

Dinner-time was totally uneventful. The kids ate their steak, rice, broccoli, and watermelon without whining. Gabriel entertained everyone with his stories about tornadoes. The kid has never seen a tornado. But he knows an awful lot about them. I guess I need to monitor how much Weather Channel he watches.

Jon and I decided that since it was such a beautiful evening (and because the kids had been so good all day), we would let them chase fireflies. It was a first for the kids, and they loved it. Elliott kept running through the yard screaming, "I got one!! I got one!!" When you asked if she had really caught one, she replied, "Nope. But I'm tryin'!!" It was hilarious. Gabriel was much more calm about the whole thing. He would look for one bug, and then spin in circles trying to find it after its light went out. And when he wasn't looking for bugs, he was singing about goin' on a bug hunt (sung to the tune of "Goin' On a Bear Hunt)A neighbor girl, Allie, was helping the kids catch a bunch. She was so sweet and patient (she was probably 8 or so), and Elliott thought she was very cool. By the end of the "Bug Hunt", the kids had about 20 lightning bugs in a ball jar. Yes, I let them go!!

Today was a perfect summer day. Watching my children enjoy the things that I loved as a child is so awesome. I loved my Fisher-Price toys. I loved going to the playground (but only when my Mother didn't shove me out the door at 8am every week day during the summer). I loved eating drippy watermelon outside. I loved spending time with my Gramma. Catching lightning bugs with my Mom was one of the best things to do on a summer evening.

Some of the most memorable summer moments of my childhood were played out in front of me by my children today. And it was sweet.

So Lucky!

I am feeling like the luckiest girl in the world today. Today is my 7th Anniversary (isn't 7 a lucky number??). Jon and I met almost 11 years ago, and it's kind of surreal to me. When I first met him (if you want to know how we "really" met, ask), I wasn't really interested. I mean, come on. He was such a dork. Yeah he was kind of cute. My Mom was instantly planning our future together - she thought he was perfect. But I just wasn't feeling it. Thank goodness I stopped smoking whatever crack I was on!! I also consider myself so lucky to have my kiddos. The three of them are amazing. And aggravating. My life obviously wouldn't be the same without them.

I am also so lucky to have a great group of friends. My "besties" (I feel like such a 13th grader for using that word) keep me sane. Keelie, Ang, Jennifer, Katie, Amanda, and Erin are seriously some of the greatest women on the face of the planet. Each one is so different, yet they all have the same exact traits - boisterousness, intelligence, and compassion.

Totally unrelated to the above is yet another reason for feeling lucky. As you are all probably very well aware, I have a slight problem with Vera Bradley items. And my problem I mean addiction. They are my crack. I don't bother counting the items anymore (let's just say that I can change bags every day for over two months and not carry the same bag twice) - I just count the patterns (I have over 35 different patterns at this point). Today my "collection" grew. I WON a brand new tote in one of the new fall patterns!! Last week I went to a fall preview and signed up to win one. I never thought I would win, so when the lady called this afternoon, I was floored! I woke the kids up a half hour early so I could make sure I got the bag I wanted (there are four new colors, and I really only like one of them - Puccini). Here she is. Isn't she beautiful??

I know I posted a picture of bag instead of pictures of my divine hubby, wonderful kids, and awesome pals. Oh well. It's my blog, and I'll blog how I want to!! The hubby and I are off to dinner sans children...maybe we'll manage to squeeze in some dessert, too!

Wee-little Vacation!

Today officially began our summer "vacation". Every year spend the week of our anniversary at home (as in PA) hanging out with family and friends. It's free (with the exception of the massive amounts of money required to fill my Hog with gas), and the kids get waaaaay more out of being with their cousins and buddies than they would if we paid to stay in a hotel or resort somewhere.

The kids waiting patiently for the "festivities" to begin!!

Sometimes I forget that we live so close to sandy beaches. Less than 10 miles away are the beautiful, pale sandy beaches of Canandaigua Lake, and about 25 miles away are the very pretty beaches of Lake Ontario. The lake sometimes isn't so pretty (zebra mussels and seaweed cause some cleanliness issues, as do beer bottles/cups), but the beach is great. While Jon and the kiddos ran a 10K, Janna and I walked all along the boardwalk. It was so peaceful, and the morning sun made the water glisten. It was absolutely gorgeous.

The beach was teeming with stupid seagulls.

I had mentioned that while Janna and I were strolling, Jon and the Big Hosers were running a race. They did awesome!! They placed 24th out of 260 - and Jon placed third in his age group with a time of 41:51. The course went all along the lake, and it finished on the beach. Jon said it pretty much sucked trying to push a double-jogger filled with toddlers through the sand. But he finished (and he was very happy with his time), and people went nuts when he crossed the finish line. They are amazed that he runs races with the kids. And the "regular racers" - people he sees at most of the races he participates in - always check in to see which kids he has with him. It's pretty cool!

Jon and the kids are the red speck at the beginning of the blue fencing marking the finish line.

So today was a great start to our vacation. Tomorrow is our 7th Anniversary!! It should be a great day, as well!!

I'm Such A Nerd!!

Of course most of you already knew that, but I really do think I add to my "nerd status" daily. It doesn't help that I am married to a super-nerd engineer, either.

So here's my latest bout of nerdliness. We have a smallish backyard - we only live in a townhouse, so the yard is as wide as our house. And in said backyard there are three bird feeders. My kids love feeding the birds, and for $3.50 a bag, they can fill all the damned feeders they want to. They just like to see the birds. I do, too. But I can't just look at them. I have to know what they are. I already know a lot of them by name (Yes, I know. Nerd.), but sometimes I need a reference check. So I either get out my Audubon bird book (the thing is totally dog-eared), or I check here.

After the kids went to bed, I re-filled the feeders alone. The kids will live without helping this one time. About 15 minutes after I filled them, there was a commotion of sorts at one of the larger feeders. I went to the door, and three of the most beautiful yellow birds were fighting over a perch on the feeder, and over a smaller olivey-colored bird. I was pretty sure they were goldfinches, and I was right (doesn't it feel so good when you know you're right??) ! They were gorgeous. And they're breeding in the pine tree in my yard.

Just wanted to share the nerdiness that is me, and the loveliness that is my backyard. I'll go back to looking at Vera Bradley bags on eBay now.

Who Needs An Alarm Clock?

Certainly not me. I have three human alarm clocks - Gabriel, Elliott, and Janna. Most days all three are awake at what I lovingly refer to as "the crack of ass" - meaning somewhere around 5:45. Way too early if you ask me. My hubby doesn't complain because he wakes up at 5:30 to go for a morning run. This is between you and me, so I won't feel bad saying that part of the reason my kiddos wake up so early is that they hear Daddy wandering around, flushing toilets, etc., but Daddy doesn't seem to realize that his noises are disrupting. Yeah, I know. DUH!! He's very much a morning person. I, on the other hand, am not. I need to wake up slowly (preferably closer to 7am). Then I need a shower (it would be nice if it were at least luke-warm) and a nice, big cup of coffee (1/2 the Caff with FF French Vanilla creamer, please).

If you're following along (or if you've read this Blog before), then you have probably guessed that mornings in my house are fairly chaotic. From the moment their little feet hit the floor, the kids are screaming. Gabriel screaming because he has been touched by his sister (or because he can't have PopTarts). Elliott screaming because she doesn't want to go potty (or because she can't have PopTarts). Janna screaming simply because the other two are screaming (and because she can't have PopTarts, either). And because the kids start the morning out screaming, I tend to also start my day in the same manner. I don't even want to think about what it's going to be like when I have to get three kids ready for school. The thought of having to get two kids ready for preschool in the Fall (which is only 2 or 3 days a week) gives me chills.

The main "thing" that makes the morning mayhem in our house even slightly tolerable is Jon. When he realizes that the kids are awake, he will take at least one (though very often he'll take two) kids running with him. Thank heaven for the double jogger. I can deal with one screaming kid without my morning shower or cup of coffee. Two is iffy. Three?? No way. And Jon understands my need for a quick shower and at least 3 swallows of coffee. He gets the kids fed, cleaned up, and then tries to distract them until my caffeine kicks in.

One other thing that makes the morning tolerable is simple breakfasts. My kids live on cereal and bananas. And it's not because one of us is too lazy/busy to make them breakfast. They are offered a number of choices (Jon offers to make pancakes and eggs), and cereal is almost always the winner. And PopTarts (which we try to limit to one breakfast a week). The reason I am bothering to tell you this? This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as a part of a contest sponsored by KRAFT BAGEL-FULS. These look really yummy, and EASY! Check them out - you can find them in your grocer's freezer. They're on my grocery list this for this week. I think the kids need to try something different (and frankly, I'm sick of cleaning cereal off the floor), and they're pretty good for them, too.

What're mornings like at your house?

When Does School Start?

I can't tell you how many times I heard the above muttered (or screamed or pleaded for) by my mother. And now I can totally commiserate - even though my kids are only entering preschool. It's only June 11 and I am ready for school to be open. I've been ready since May 23 - the day after Gabriel's first year of preschool came to an end.

One of the other statements that I heard on a regular basis was, "I wasn't put here for your entertainment." Again - I can commiserate. Boredom has set in. And I don't have a clue how the older kids could possibly be bored - they're 2 and 4. We have more toys than a toy store, more books than a library, there are crayons in every corner of this house, our backyard is full of stuff, and we have various outings every week. I am more than willing to play with them, read to them, color with them, ride bikes with them, take them places...you get the idea. But I am exhausted. Nothing is curing their restlessness, and I am finding it hard to entertain any further.

Gabriel is used to being in school, so I can understand part of his "boredom". Summer Rec. starts at the end of the month, so he'll finally have something to occupy his time. But until then, I am stuck with his aimless wandering. He'll ride a bike for 5 minutes, then want to go in. Once we're in, he wants back out to ride...in, out...in, out...in, out. He just can't seem to settle down and do something. He's also starting to outgrow his afternoon nap. He's tired and I think he needs the nap, but he fights it. I insist that he stay in his room and at least rest, but his "resting" slowly gets louder and louder - thus waking up his sleeping sisters. When he officially does outgrow the afternoon nap, I think I'm going to cry.

Elliott is 2...and she has embodied the stereotypical "Terrible 2". If you Google that phrase, you just might see a picture of my Girl. She's nasty, whiny, and annoying. Her temper tantrums get worse as the days go by - she just might wear out the corner and/or her naughty rug. She picks at her sister constantly, and she's almost as bad as Gabriel when it comes to aimless wandering. In her defense, she's the middle child. She sees her brother and sister receiving special (or negative in Gabey's case) attention, and it's taking a toll. I have been trying to spend some time with her one-on-one, but with two other kids demanding attention, it's tough.

Even Janna is incapable of being pacified. She's miserable - and I have no clue as to why. Could be teething, could be the heat, could be the "picking" from her siblings...I just don't know.

So, I'm trying. And so are they...they're trying my patience (which is pitifully lacking to begin with). Right now the only things that are keeping me sane are Disney movies (while I don't want them parked in front of the TV all day, they do keep them quiet for at least 30 minutes), crayons, nap-time, blogging (reading and posting), and walking 10 or so miles a week.

Any suggestions on how I can further entertain my kids while keeping my small bit of patience?

It's HOT!

I apologize for my absence - I think my brain is fried from all of this heat. It's been in the 90s here for a number of days. And if you know me, then you know that I loathe extreme temps (both hot and cold). Well, it's not so much the heat that I hate - but rather the humidity. It's just not for me. Thank goodness for central air! However, since it's so frickin' hot out the air never turns off (I have it set between 75 and 80). I'm sure my energy bills will soar this summer. Oh well. There is one downside (kind of) to the running of the AC - out playroom is in the basement, and the basement is actually quite frigid. It's about 10 degrees cooler down there than it is in the living room. The kids hate it. Therefore they are up here making a mess out of my living space.

So here's how we spent the weekend (Janna only got to have her feet sprinkled on, but she liked it, too).

And yesterday we spent our morning in a similar fashion. We went to Erin's house for a playgroup, and the kids (5 of them) played for a good long time in a kiddie pool. I was amazed that 5 toddlers were able to play for that long in a very confined space without any friction. It was nice. And Erin's patio was like a small version of summer heaven - it was warm, but it was also shaded. And the breeze was delightful. I could live on Erin's porch and be content. Even the babies had a good time (my Smallish One is a few weeks shy of 11 months and her Smallish One is a few days shy of 11 months). Our little "Nurses" - Gabriel got a boo-boo, so the little girls had to come over and make sure he was ok. They also had to taste the chair.

The weather is supposed to "break" this week - today's high is 87, tomorrow's is 82, and the rest of the week looks pretty similar. Highs in the low 80s, lows in the 60s. I suppose I can live with that. At least the AC will get a rest.