Weekly Weigh-In!!

The Week: Have you ever really just wanted to ship one of your kids somewhere? Far, far, f.a.r. away? That's pretty much how I feel about Elliott. Yeah, she's cute and sweet and funny and such a great little girl. But she's also a gigantic pain in my ass. For the last 2-3 months she's been overly whiny and disagreeable. If she doesn't get her way, she's miserable. Which makes everyone around her miserable, too. Every morning this week I have been rousted from a sound sleep (at 6am) by a screaming, whining Elliott. She wants Gabriel's trains. He gives her some. But not enough. So she throws a fit. He gives her more trains as a "trade" for Barbies. No go. She throws a fit because he has the audacity to even think that he can play with her dolls. She then throws an even larger fit because we make her give back the trains because she can't share. Then it all starts again when we get downstairs. Good times. Don't get me wrong. I realize that two-year-olds are like this. And she's not always being a miserable little cuss. When she's happy, she's HAPPY. But she's a mini-me - she's got more attitude than one little girl needs. And she's got my nasty streak. When she and I are both pissy, stay away.

I also think she has a touch of the "middle-child-syndrome". I'm trying to spend quality one-on-one time with her (sans siblings), but it doesn't help. I get so frustrated with her, and that leads to meltdowns...for both of us. My little get-away with Jennifer is exactly what I need right now. Miss Jennifer has a conference at the hospital my Mommy works at, so we're going "home" for a few days. Janna's coming, too.

Gabriel and Janna have both had pretty great weeks! Gabriel is still in love with pre-school (and his little pal Kyra). He seems so big to me lately. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that he's in a "Big Boy School (that's what he calls the Elementary School)". It's also probably because his size 5 Slim pants are almost all too short for his legs. He's huge!!

My Sweet and Petite started walking this week! She woke up from a nap and took off. She also sprouted three new teeth. She's just growing and growing...and it doesn't seem possible that she's not really a baby anymore.

So the week wasn't great. But it wasn't terrible.

The Weight: I dropped 1.2 pounds this week bringing my total loss to 27.8 pounds. I need new shirts!! All of mine are all stretched out, and they look sloppy. I hate that. So while I'm visiting my Mommy, I'm going to drag her shopping with me. I may even make her go look at Vera Bradley bags, too.

Matchit Johnson

That's what I call people who don't match. Mismatching is one of my largest pet peeves. I hate it. It makes my skin crawl. I want to ask people if they own mirrors. How can you not notice that your clothing is just so...wrong???

While it bothers me when I see kids in various states of mismatch, it doesn't bother me nearly as much as when I see adults all mixed up. Kids are kids. Mine choose their favorite articles of clothing and throw them on. They don't care. Neither does my husband. He very often is the person responsible for laying out their morning running clothing, and I can't stand it. I realize that the kids will be strapped into a running stroller. And that no one is going to be paying attention to them at 6:15 in the morning. But it still makes me insane. Jon doesn't understand my need for matching clothing. He never has. When I met him, he was a huge Matchit Johnson. I was embarrassed to be seen in public with him at times. But, he's a dude. And sometimes dudes just don't get it. He's changed in his "old" age, and he actually comes to me to make sure he matches. It's nice! I just wish that he would accept my need to have the kids match.

My Mom is almost as bad. She dresses impeccably for work, and she always looks nice when we're going out to do something. However, he choice of clothing for hanging out in is questionable. Actually, it's more than questionable. It's downright hideous! She's a huge fan of "cozies" - sweats, pj bottoms, huge long sleeved tops - which is fine. But the outfits that she puts together from all of the mismatched and misshapen cozies is nasty. Thank goodness her teal sweatpants have met their demise. You don't want a picture - trust me. Again, I realize that when she's all shut up in her house it doesn't matter what she's wearing. But sometimes it hurts my eyes to look at her noxious get-up. I love you, Mom. But I hate your worn-out flannel jammie bottoms and your bright orange wooly coat thing.

Ok. Back to the mismatching of my kids. For the most part, they actually try to match. Gabriel doesn't like to wear stripes and patterns together. It bothers him. He's happiest in jeans and a long sleeved tee. And there's no matching there. Elliott doesn't care at all. As long as part of the outfit is pink, she's happy. However, she loves to dress her dolls in completely mismatched outfits. As horrible as it is, I think her dolls look homeless or something (yes, I know. I am totally un-PC.) . Her baby dolls and her Snap ' Style dolls aren't much better. Janna is still too little to care about her clothes.

When the Hosers do come down in something that I find less than appealing, I try to let them keep part of the outfit. If it's a busy top, then maybe we can find some plain bottoms. You like the camo or stripey bottoms? Then let's find a plain top. If nothing works (and we aren't dealing with any kind of time constraints), then I dig out the dress-up stuff. They can create their own "pretend" outfit. That usually always heals any hurts. As long as they can wear some of the jewelry out and about. Well, I hate it. But ok.

After some "good dress-up", the kids will pretty much let me change their clothing. The Mardi Gras shirt of The Boy? Hate.

So....why am I blogging about my loathing of mismatching? For a Parent Bloggers Blog Blast, of course. Together with the Polly Pocket Pop 'N Swap, PBN is endeavoring to hear all about the fashion mishaps of our kids. Do you have any pictures of your little Matchit Johnsons?

Walky-Walkerton

It's official. Janna is a bona fide toddling toddler. She's been taking steps here and there for weeks, but today she's full-on walking. By herself. Without holding onto furniture or hands. While I am so glad that she's doing this on her own, I'm still slightly saddened (and when I say "slightly", I mean very slightly.). She's not really a baby baby anymore. She's growing up. And right now she's also making a huge mess. See? Yep. I'm blogging while my kids are playing. Bad Mommy!!

This? Is my new bag. My congratulations-on-losing-20-pounds present to myself. Isn't she super-cute? She's also super-functional. I needed something that was super-easy to grab and super-comfortable to wear. It holds all of my crap and still lays super-nicely on my hip. I am super-pleased with her. Oh - just in case you were wondering...I do refer to all of my Vera bags as "her". They're ladies. I also added all of those "supers" in there just for you, Erin!!

Weekly Weigh-In!!

The Week: While I was very excited to have it end, it was much better than last week. I am still getting used to the kids' schedules, and having to be in more than one place at a time is definitely a struggle. But I am managing, and everyone seems to be adjusting well. Gabriel and Elliott love pre-school, and they are both exhausted when they get home. I was afraid that nap-time would end very quickly for The Boy, but he's still taking a 2.5 hour nap every afternoon. Elliott and Janna are still snoozing for 3+ hours, so I really can't complain at all about their sleeping. They will still go to bed fairly well most of the time, too. Though we've only had one day of quality alone time (which was spent grocery shopping), Janna seems to like the new routine, too.

Jon's going out of town this week, so I have a feeling that things will be a little more than tense around here for a few days. We'll see...

The Weight: I have no idea how I did it, but I lost 4.6 pounds this week! I ate (and drank) more than I should have, and I still managed to lose weight. I am very proud of myself! This week's loss brings the total up to 26.6 pounds!

Essential Necessities

Being a SAHM to three wild kids is tough. I don't get paid and I receive very few thanks. I come from a long line of SAHMs, so I knew it was going to be a rough road. But as tough as most days are, there are a bunch of modern conveniences available that make life just a little easier. I don't know how my Grandmothers (and my Mom) survived without little things like microwaves, disposable diapers (that have elastic sides and leg openings - I was notorious as a baby for leaving "droppings") , cordless phones, the internet, electric coffee makers with timers, coffee grinders, and garbage disposals. Those are just a few of the items that I wouldn't be able to live without on a daily basis. OK, so I could give up the garbage disposal, but then my house would reek due to all of the food that gets thrown away every day (2/3 of my kids are on a food strike right now. We waste a lot of food.). I could also probably live without the coffee grinder, but there are just times when it's so nice to have freshly ground coffee without having to drag three screaming kids into the nearest Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters.

Aside from the household appliances listed above, there are a number of things that I couldn't live without. A world without coffee (and fat-free French Vanilla creamer and a large coffee mug) , my "crack" - wintergreen Tic-Tacs (to slightly diminish the coffee breath from the aforementioned necessity). , Bath and Body Works Black Amethst body spray (it works really well to mask any smell that happens to befall my clothing - puke, sweat, poop, you get the idea), hair products, Vera Bradley bags, or men's white v-neck undershirts is a world in which I do not want to dwell. Of course I also require fresh air, food and water, and a roof over my head, but it's the little things that help make my days brighter. And brighter days for me mean brighter days for my kiddos.

If you asked them, I'm sure the Hosers would each be able to give you a list of the things they require to make it through the day. The lists would include various toys (trains for G, Barbies for E, and babies for J) , books of all kinds (Thomas books for G, Golden Books for E, and any book that J can get her hands and mouth on), and food. Aside from the obvious (PB&Js and chips), there are two foods that my kids can't live without. Sprinkle crackers (saltines) and yogurt. We go through a box of sprinkle crackers in 2 weeks, and we go through 2-six packs of yogurt each week. They love the stuff. I bring up their love of bacterially-charged dairy products for this week's Blog Blast from the Parent Bloggers Network and Yoplait Kids (our favorite brand of yogurt - yeah it's because the containers have Dora and Diego on them).

So. What stuff makes your life easier? What can't you live without?

# 100!!

This is my 100th post! It's such a privilege to be able to write such awesome crap - and actually have people (though they are few) read it. Thanks, loyal followers!!

Please bear with me while I add a small section of actual Thank You's here: TY to my Mommy - who has shared with me her love of bitching and her lack of patience. TY to Erin - the jealousy over your gorgeous blog drove me to create my own. TY kids, husband, and MOMS Club - without you I would have little or nothing to blog about.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can focus on more important things. Like the changing of the seasons! Fall is just around the corner (the first official day is Monday, the 22nd), and I am excited. I love the sights, smells, and sounds of the season. I am also very excited for the numerous outings and events we have planned. I'm pretty much of the opinion that you can't pick too many apples or pumpkins!!

Know what else I love about Fall? School!! Today was Elliott's first day of pre-school, and she was in heaven! She has been bugging me to no end for the past few weeks, and finally I could tell her that, yes!! She was going to school today!

We both had a great morning. And to be perfectly honest, I am thrilled to be rid of her for a few hours a week. Bad Mommy? Maybe. But I really don't think so. Elliott will flourish under the tutelage of Mrs. A. and Mrs. O. She will get something from them that I can't give her. I do not feel guilty about the feelings of elation that I have knowing that she will be absent from my house on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

Now that the weather is changing, I am already dreading what will follow. In about 8 weeks (or most likely less than 8) the first real signs of winter will be apparent. No, not the frosts. The first flakes of snow. I hate snow. And I have no idea why I am already worrying about it. Maybe because I hate driving in it, and I am now responsible for carting two kids to pre-school. Maybe because I have never driven my van in snow. Maybe because Jon is driving through the middle of the upstate NY snow belt every stinking day of the week. Maybe because I am already panicked at the thought of being stuck inside with the kids in the event of a major snow storm. Maybe because I hate being cold. Who knows. My point is that I am not looking forward to it. At all.

One of the other nice things about Fall, is the reemergence of some of my beloved television shows. I can't wait!! Wednesdays will once again be heavenly with the return of Pushing Daisies, Private Practice (Jon hates this show!!), and Dirty Sexy Money. (In the winter I will be glued to my seat with the anticipation of Lost's return.)

You will find me stuck to my couch on Thursday nights, too. The Office is returning (I love to start at John Krasinski), and so is Earl. So while I would also love to watch Grey's, I will have to make do with re-runs (or, if you really want to, you can ruin it for me. I promise I won't mind!!). And when I am totally bored with any of the above, I can always find some repeats of my standard faves: Dirty Jobs (Mike Rowe is just so hot. Dirty hot.), Mythbusters, and the Weather Channel (ok, so it's not an actual show, but I watch it constantly). I don't watch many other shows. I love the History Channel, but sometimes it's hit or miss. I hate reality tv, and I'm not too keen on home improvement shows. Show me a cartoon any day! Let's hear a rah, rah, rah for Rocket!! And for, Peep, too!!

Much to my Mom's chagrin, we do not watch any sports. None (the Olympics is the only exception). And I'm not upset about that fact at all. I do have moments of guilt (where else are my kids going to learn about them? Jon didn't play anything - he was a runner and a band geek. I most certainly didn't display my unsportswoman-like attitude [and total klutziness] on a field of any kind.), but they are far outnumbered by the happiness I exude when I can flip past baseball, football, basketball, tennis, or golf without having someone telling me to stop. Sorry Ma, I don't even stop for the Browns.

And I'm spent. I still have a few minutes of quiet-time before the kiddos get up from naps, so I'm going to have a 100-calorie pack of cookies, and veg on my couch.

Weekly Weigh-In!!

The Week: It was an exhausting week. By Wednesday, I was ready for it to be over. No such luck.

I never realized how much of a pain in the ass it was going to be to get Gabriel to and from pre-school. It's a bitch. He has to be there at 9:15. While the hour itself isn't a problem, the getting three kids (plus myself) ready by that time is. Gabriel usually showers with Jon, so he's ready to go around 7. I get ready next, and I'm good to go by 7:30 or so. The Girls are a different matter. Neither one of them really likes getting dressed. Or eating. By 8:30, my patience is a thing of the past. Parking is still horrendous, and standing outside of the school with three kids until the door open is a huge inconvenience. Especially when it's raining. I don't even want to think about how pleasant it's going to be in the dead of winter. But I didn't kill anyone (and you should be very pleased that I didn't. The same woman almost ran me over 4 times this week. She apparently can't read the numerous "Do Not Enter" and "One Way" signs posted all over campus. She also doesn't think that she has to stand in line with the rest of the parents to get her kid. I actually asked her if she was allergic to it. I love myself.). And Gabriel had a great week. He loves school, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. In a few short years, he will probably be fighting with me about not wanting to go.

The Girls had a good week, too. We went to the Apple Farm, shopping (I hate grocery shopping, but Elliott actually makes it a bit more bearable. She was very agreeable for both trips [one to Target and one to Wally-Land]. She needed clothing, and I let her pick out some stuff. She also got to peruse the Barbie stuff in both stores. She's already started her Christmas wish-list.), played Cariboo every day, and basically just enjoyed each other's company. Elliott's getting there with her letter recognition. And she still likes me. Trust me - I'm no fun to play games with, and trying to teach her her letters is extremely frustrating. Janna has started trying to walk more, and she can make it across the living room and into the dining room all by herself!

The Weight: I bought myself a gift this morning!!! I am awaiting the arrival of a Mod Floral Pink Hipster!! I lost 3.2 pounds this week, bringing my weight loss total to 22 pounds even!!

Expansion

Janna's vocabulary is rapidly (and I mean rapidly), expanding. I've heard that babies either walk or talk - and she has very pointedly chosen TALK! The Smallish One can walk, she just doesn't want to. I guess she'd rather spend her energy learning new words. Before I get accused of bragging on my kiddo, let me explain that I do realize that 13+ months is the age where a child's vocabulary and language skills start to increase. However, after having two other exuberant and chatty kids, I'm noticing that Janna is picking up words more rapidly than the other two did. And I am so proud!! She learned 5 new words yesterday! And she uses them properly, too!! Her list of words to date? Huge. A sample? See below.

Momma, Dada, Sissy, Gee (Gabriel), GaGa (Gramma), HaHa (Grampa), Nana, Daa-naa (Janna)

Dog (and she barks when you ask her what a dog says), cat (she meows and says "Ku-ca" [Kuzco]), monkey (and makes monkey noises), duck (and quack), bird (and tweet)

Milk, drink, cracker, eat, cookie, more, all done, this, that, have, no, yes, baby, doll, hi, bye-bye, night-night, nose, tum (tummy), piddies (toes), tickle, drum, choo-choo, car (and she makes car noises)

She also knows where her nose, piggies, and tummy are!!

Watching (and listening) to her grow is amazing. I was amazed with the other two (and of course, I still am), but Janna is just a little bit more amazing at the moment. I think it's because she's so content to sit. She's not as eager to be on the run as Gabriel and Elliott were.

Since I bragged about my Banana Girl, I should post some mini-brags about the Big Hosers. Gabriel is loving pre-school. LOVING it. And I couldn't be happier. He's learning new songs and games, and he's making new friends. He's only been in for 4 days, but he's already learned his left/right stuff, and he's learning to tell time.

Elliott is a pain in the tookus. Thank goodness pre-school starts next week. I need a break from her. I love her to death, but holy crap. That girlie tries my patience. Good thing she's cute. Her new "thing" is games. She loves to play games. My friend, Liz, gave me a great suggestion. Cariboo is awesome!! After only two rounds (one beginner, one advanced), she knows the letters A, B, H, J, M, N, O, S, U, V, W, X, Y, Z. She knew some of them, but now she knows all of them. I'm so proud of her! She can also recognize all of her numbers (and can count to 21), colors, and shapes.

So there you have the expansion of my kiddos' minds. I do what I can. And now I am going to expand my mind with a little reading. I just got "Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife" by Linda Berdoll. It gets pretty shitty reviews, but I love to read trash. I'll let you know how it rates.

Mt. Snack-a-lot

My family loves to snack. It's like their job. Every 10 minutes, someone is asking for a snack. And as you can see, I am prepared for the begging.

Gabriel and Elliott usually don't get to have many snacks because they don't eat their core meals (my policy is that if you don't eat what's on your plate, you most certainly don't get to have a snacky). Janna asks for "ka-kas" (crackers) constantly. Seriously, if it looks anything like a cracker, then she asks for a cracker. Points to her mouth and everything, too. Jon spends a lot of his time rubbing him tummy and asking for a "munch". The man eats constantly (which I guess is normal for a runner). He's fortunate to have a very caring secretary at his office - she actually goes out and buys the guys snacks. Since I started Weight Watchers, I snack a lot less, and almost all of my snacks are fat free (except for those damned Fiber One bars - but they only count for 2 points).

I try to provide healthy snacks for the kids. They love apples and grapes, pretzels and cheerios, any kind of crackers, and of course gummies (which really aren't good for you). Anything that is fruity, chewy, and sticky is a gummy. These are one of their favorite "gummies. They love them. And I feel really good about handing them over. I keep them in the diaper bag or purse, and Jon keeps some in his car. My family is also crazy about rice cakes. I started giving them to the kids when they were about 12 months old, and they have become a favorite snack for everyone.

While I do honestly try to get the kids to eat primarily healthy snacks, I also provide them with total garbage. They love anything sweet. Chocolate covered raisins, Oreos, and Whoppers are their all-time favorite snacks. Jon?? Yeah he'll eat carrots and rice cakes. But what he really prefers are crunchy, salty snacks which I try to discourage due to the fact that both of my parents have heart disease. Combos are his downfall. The picture to the left? That would be my Combo-drunk husband. That bag? Empty. 7 servings (worth 21 WW points) of Combos downed in one sitting. I have a ginormous sweet tooth. Chocolate is my friend (and enemy). Good thing those aforementioned Fiber One bars come in chocolate!!

I'm always on the lookout of new, and obviously healthier snacks for my family. When I got this weeks Blog Blast message, I was thrilled to find a potential new snack for us. So, we'll give 'em a try!!

"This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as an entry for a contest sponsored by Brothers-All-Natural."

Weekly Weigh-In!!

I love Sundays! They are so calm (well, as calm as a day can be when all three kids are awake at the crack of ass - 5:30). And BONUS!!! I got to sleep in! Jonny P. got up with the raging hosers, and I stayed in my cozy bed til 8:18. I would have stayed in longer, but Elliott was whining about Barbies, and I figured that it was my duty to play with her. I really don't think Jon understands the wonderfulness of Barbie and her many friends (and accessories, and dresses, and shoes). When I came down the steps, Gabriel, Elliott, and Janna were swimming in a hot pink sea of polyester. They were all sharing so nicely. Before anyone asks, no, I don't care that my 4.5-year-old son plays with dolls. He loves them. He also loves to play dress-up and have tea parties. I'm not worried that I am ruining his masculinity.

I have decided to start a "Weekly Weigh-In" concept on my blog. Each Sunday I weigh in (meaning I check my weight to see how I'm doing), and I thought that I would also weigh in with my thoughts about the week. Sound good? I think so!!

The Week: Holy crap!!! We had a great week! Ok, so the lice fiasco of Labor Day wasn't so much fun, but we are all still totally lice free! School started, we had a few MOMS Club events, and the weekend has been fantastic. Yesterday Jennifer and I walked in our first race!! We walked 2 miles in 25.12 minutes!! When we first started walking, we were walking 1.25 miles in 28 minutes. Imagine our surprise and total elation to know that our hard work is totally paying off! And I realize that walking 2 miles in 25 minutes might not be a huge deal to a lot of people. But to my fat (though getting smaller!!!) ass, it is so awesome!! Yesterday was also our first HUGE fund-raiser for MOMS, and we raised close to $200!! In the rain!! I am so proud of our Club. I am so grateful that I joined. I've been a member for 2 years, and I love it. Granted I could live without all of the "drama" that occurs when you put a group of women together, but overall my experience has been totally positive. I have lots of awesome friends. I have a life!!

The Weight: I'm so proud of myself!! I lost 2 lbs. this week! That makes a grand total of 18.8 lbs!!! When I reach 20, I am buying myself some sort of gift - probably a new piece of Vera (I am dying to own an All-In-One Wristlet in Night Owl). Maybe that will be next week...

My Little Pre-Schooler

Elliott's pre-school orientation was this morning, and she loved it! She was so excited to put on her very awesome backpack and head out. She was annoyed that first we had to do the whole "morning" thing. You know - shower, get dressed, eat, make the curly/frizzy hair a little tamer, wait for Mommy to get herself all ready, etc. She was also very annoyed that before we could go to her "white 'chool" we had to drop Gabriel off at his school. She wanted nothing to do with him this morning. He was "bovvering" her. Oh well, Little Lady. He'll be bovvering you for the rest of your life. Get used to it now.

After we dropped Gabey off (which was once again nothing short of a disaster), we headed to Elliott's school. She chattered the whole way there about her new friends, her skirt, her hair clips, and Emily (she knew that Emily was going to be in her class, and she loooooooooves Emily). Once we got there, she totally clammed up. I was actually surprised. She's usually very outgoing and mouthy. She didn't want to talk to her teachers, or to any of her new (and old - there are 3 other MOMS Club kids in her class) friends. Once she realized that the playdoh was out for her use, she warmed up. Craft-time and snack-time came next, and then she went back to the playdoh. She was very sad when it was time to leave. I thought she was going to throw herself on the floor and start screaming!

She came home to tell Daddy all about her day. She can't wait to go back! And I honestly can't wait to have her go. I know that's not a very Mom-like thing to say - or is it?? I love my kids. Very much. But sometimes three kids is just too much. I am so excited to get to spend some time alone with Janna. And I think Elliott will benefit so much from being in pre-school. Gabriel absolutely flourished in the school. And speaking of The Boy, I'm so glad that Gabriel got into UPK, too. He desperately needs the attention and education that the school system can supply. And the fact that he goes to school every day doesn't hurt!!

So *, the first week of school has been great! Now, if the weather would only hold out through tomorrow...(Our MOMS Club is setting up a table at a local event, and I really don't want to sit there in the rain.)

* Apparently I start every "story" with the word "so"...and now so do my kids.

The Boy's First Day!

Gabey's first day of school was today! He had a great time! So did I, I might add. Today was more of an orientation than an actual school day, but it was still the first day. He picked out his clothes, and had a very yummy breakfast (waffles, bacon, and banana). His backpack has been ready to go for weeks now (though I did have to take out approximately 600 Thomas and Friends books). He's been dying to carry the thing.

The drive to school was seemingly endless (in reality, it takes about 7 minutes to get there). But because Gabriel is Gabriel, the questions were non-stop. He wanted to know why we had to stop at red lights, why there were no trains on the tracks, why we weren't going super-fast through town, why I wasn't parking in the lot closest to the school. For the most part the answers I gave were satisfactory. The only question I couldn't answer well was the parking question. Due to the fact that today was the first day of school for the entire school (meaning that the kindergartner's were also there with parents in tow), the lot was full. When I say full, I mean F.U.L.L. Because I had to drive around for a while looking for someplace safe to park, Gabe was insane with anticipation. He literally asked me to drop him off at the doors.

When I finally managed to park (I made my own spot like a bunch of other parents were doing), we made it to the doors. His classroom was very nice, and he was able to find his name tag and cubby-hole without help. Mrs. E. introduced herself (and apologized for the parking fiasco), and started getting to know the kiddos. She sang a welcome song, and then read a story. Gabriel was so excited!! She read "The Kissing Hand", which is a favorite in our house. Then she had the kids do a scavenger hunt to get acquainted with their new surroundings. They had to find the bathroom and the nurse's office, have a yummy snack of pretzel goldfish, dig a letter out of a bowl of rice (and then say a word that begins with that letter), pick out a book to read with parents (Gabriel chose his favorite cars and trucks book), re-find their cubby-hole (which is probably going to be one of the best parts of Gabe's day), give Mrs. T. (the "helper") a special "hello", make a Kissing Hand craft, and find their name on the wall. They finished their first day with a final circle-time and a good-bye song. Gabriel was sad to have to leave.

The school is so lovely and kid-friendly. There are murals all over (Gabe and I both loved the giant paintings of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"), the bathrooms are close to the classrooms, and the classroom itself looks like a small version of kid heaven. Gabriel was thrilled with everything - the drive to school, the classroom, his teacher, his new "friends", everything. He can't wait to go tomorrow! As soon as we got in the car he asked if he could go back after his nap.

Tomorrow is Elliott's preschool orientation!! I'll post some pics of her cute self, too!

Labor Day Festivities

Every Labor Day we go home. By home I mean to PA - where both Jon and I grew up. We typically spend most of our time at my Mom's house, and we have as good of a time as you would expect to have with three busy kids. The kids love being there, and Jon tolerates it.

Friday was pretty tame. We got to my Mom's around 5, and spent the evening with my Mom, Zak (my brother), Trisha (his fiancee), and Connor (their son). It was nice. Quiet and a bit rainy, but very nice.

Saturday was beautiful. The plan was for Jon to take the hosers to his Mom's for a while, and my Mommy and I would go yard sale-ing (which is seriously my idea of an awesomely good time). Mom and I left, and I eventually called Jonny to see how his morning was going. Turns out that he didn't make it to his Mom's after all. He wouldn't say why over the phone. If you're a Mom, then you know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you think something is wrong. I could hear the kids in the background, and no one was screaming in pain. But I still figured that something was up. Mom and I went home shortly after that phone call. The conversation between Jon and I went something like this:

C: "Why didn't you go to your Mom's?"
J: "She wasn't home. But Steve called." Steve is one of Jon's brothers.
C: "Yeah? So?"
J: "They all have lice."
C: "Haha!! Dirty f***ers!!"
J: "No. They have LICE. They've had it for weeks."
C: "Exactly how many weeks are we talking about?" If you'll recall, one of my previous posts gave Steve et al's visit a 6 out of 10.
J: "Angela's had it for over 2 weeks. They had it at our house."
C: "Are you f***ing kidding me? How did they not know? When did they find out? What the hell is wrong with your family? Are they all too f***ing stupid to be alive? What the f*** am I going to do now? Did you check the kids? Do they have lice, too? Do I?? UNF***ING BELIEVABLE!!"
J: "Calm down, Courtney. It's not such a big deal. They said they found out last week. I already looked at the kids' heads. I can't find anything."
C: "Last f***ing week? Do they not own a f***ing phone? What the f*** is wrong with your family? Do you realize that I allowed our possibly lice-infested kids to play with lots of other kids last week? What the f*** am I supposed to do now? They wrestled with Emily. In her bed. Jesus f***ing Christ! I hate your f***ing family!!"
J: "It will be ok. Let's just get some shampoo stuff to be safe, and I'll check the kids after they get up from naps."
C: "I seriously hate your family. Adam and his kid gave us all pink eye, and now Steve and his kids give us lice. What are Jamie and Riley going to give us? Where are my f***ing keys?"

(I have a slight problem with turning the smallest issue into a HUGE deal - I'm a drama queen. If you can't tell from the above narration, I was PISSED OFF. I was ready to kill Jon's brother and his family. )

My Mom and I went to CVS and bought all the lice stuff I could find. Better to be safe than sorry, I guess. We brought it home, and since Gabriel was still awake, we started going through his hair. Nothing. Just nice, clean, pink scalp. Good sign. I handed Jon the comb and ordered him to go through my hair. He and my Mom thought this was hilarious - I hate having my hair messed up. Honestly, I was petrified that they were going to find something, too. But nothing was there. Just pink skin. Another good sign. I dug through Jon's hair and found nothing on him either. He said the girls' heads looked clean, too. I re-checked them after they woke up from naps, and yep. Clean. I must have checked the kids' heads at least 50 times for lice over the weekend. I found nothing. Everyone I talked to said I would have noticed something if they had lice. I spent the rest of the day fuming over the cootie-issue. In fact, I'm still fuming over it.

Sunday was also very nice. Devin (my other brother), Andrea (his girlfriend), Breanna and Alexis (her daughters) came over for lunch. Andrea's girls are older than my kids, but they play so nicely with them. It was a great afternoon. Everyone ate, my kids went to bed, and I got to go shopping alone!!

Monday we hung out with my Mom in the morning and then went to see Jon's family for a picnic lunch. As soon as we got to the picnic grove, I asked Steve and Lisa exactly when they found out that they all had lice.

S: "Oh, Sunday."
C: "As in 8 days ago, Sunday? Thanks for the phone call. Didn't you think it was important to tell us that you all had friggin' cooties??"
S: "We got busy. We had to clean and stuff. And I had to shave my head and Colby's. We just forgot to call you."
C: "Gee, thanks. I appreciate that."

Lisa, knowing exactly what to look for, went over my kids' heads twice. Nothing. Thank goodness. Had my kids been crawling with lice and cooties and things, I just might have beaten my in-laws.

Aside from the lice, we had a great weekend. The kids had a wonderful time playing in Gramma's yard. I had a great time being able to hang out with my Mom. Jon got to run up and down hills (there aren't very many of them here). The ride home was uneventful. Once we got home, Jon and I commenced with cleaning. I knew that lice can't live without a human host, but I wanted to make sure that we got everything cleaned. All of the bedding needed to be washed, everything needed to be vacuumed, and I sprayed everything with lots of lice-killing spray. Jon and I finally went to bed around midnight. I'm still working on the massive amount of laundry. It's just about done now. Stupid lice.

On a postive note - my still lice-free kids start school this week! Gabriel's UPK orientation is tomorrow, and his first official day is Friday. Elliott's pre-school orientation is Friday (she officially starts on the 16th). I can't wait!!