Arn't eggs for eating?

So when I think of eggs, I think of something you eat. Deviled eggs, a ham and cheese omelet, egg salad sandwich, scrambled eggs with hash browns...you get the picture. Anyways...I went outside this afternoon and found some of those oh so consumable eggs splattered all along my nice white car. Um, don't people realize that cars can't eat eggs. What would my car want with a bunch of eggs? Oh...that's right, someone just threw eggs at my car as a fun thing to do, since there's obviously nothing better to do. Well wasn't that fun for them.

Same ol' genes

Growing up I told myself, when I became a mom, I would make it a goal to not freak out about the same things my mom used to, and sometimes still does. Like choking for example. My mother could "sense" a choking person 3 miles away, and she was always right there to make sure they were okay. We all used to laugh at her and tell her to relax, it's no big deal. I was going to be different. I was going to be mellow and calm in those situations!!!

Of course I felt that way until I had a choking child of my own. Just the other day Kallen was eating a carrot, and began to choke. I was across the room, and heard the whole event unfold. To my dismay, I was the only person (other than my mom of course, bless her heart) who seemed to think it was a big deal. I began acting like an animal, climbing over anything and everyone to get to my "almost dying" son. He was obviously choking and gagging, while everyone stood there and watched, telling me "he'll cough it out." Oh, is that why he's all red, his eyes are watering, and no sound is coming out of his mouth? And that's when it hit me ........................ I've become my mother.

How long is a year, really?

365 days to be exact...I know. People keep telling me that a year isn't that long, and it will pass before I know it. Yeah...okay, so the last year has flown by, but so much has changed in that year too. It isn't just a passing of time, it's a changing of time as well. Here's the deal...My sister, brother in law, and little nephew left today for a year in Morocco. A year...did you catch that. I wont see my sister until this time next year. It's not like I wont ever be able to talk to her, or email her, or see her with the wonderful technology of the web cam...but I can't just pick up the phone and call her any time I want. I won't get to see Josiah as he reaches some of the biggest milestones of his life. So the question is...Are pictures really the same? I guess they'll have to be!

Here are the cousin's 4 days before Josiah's departure. Can't wait to take this same picture a year from now...Then we'll really see how long a year has been!

Refreshing...not daunting!

When we first moved into our new house, I went a little crazy with the cleaning routine. I had scheduled days that I did certain things, and even wrote them all down on note cards. Purple cards were the things I did daily, Yellow were weekly, blue bi-monthly, pink were monthly, and the plain old white cards were chores I had scheduled to do seasonally. Everything was going great. Bathrooms got cleaned on Wednesdays, Laundry on Tuesdays, mop the floors on Friday and so on and so forth. By cleaning one or two things each day, the house always stayed relatively clean, and I didn't feel like I had been working for hours to get it that way. Well everything is hunky dory until you bring another little kiddo into the mix, or until plans change on the scheduled bathroom cleaning day, and you can't get around to them until the next day which runs into kitchen appliance day...and yadda yadda yadda. I've watched Dawson a few different days now, and although it hasn't been a challenge to be with him and Kallen...cleaning everything has been. So...this week I decided that last night (Sunday that is) I was going to do all the cleaning at once. I thought I would hate it because I would feel like I had been cleaning for hours...but I didn't. I'm so glad I did that. I woke up this morning, the house was bright and sparkly, and it was an all around refreshing way to start the week. I was chipper when Dawson got here this morning, and I'm still chipper at 3:30 as I'm typing this. Who knew those note cards would get thrown away just a few months after I'd made them. Okay...so everyone but me...but still. I guess Sunday evening cleanings is the new thing for me!

Diapers...or whatever!

Okay, so maybe he's not such a little helper!!! We've taught Kallen to put his diapers in the diaper pail after I've wrapped them all up, so he can be a part of it all, and learn to help out a little bit. So great...good for us...our little man helps out. Well, is it still helping out when you begin to find clothes and miscellaneous other things in the diaper pail? You see...the wonderfully fool proof diaper pale that we have, the "Diaper Champ", is apparently really fun for a 14 month old to operate. Here's what it looks like, in case you're not familiar with what I'm talking about:

You see...on the top there is a hole, you put the diaper in, pull the lever over, there's a heavy ball type thing that pushes the diaper down into the pail, and then the hole is on the other side. So basically you can sit and move the lever back and forth and this little ball thing goes back and forth. Rather amusing I guess!

So amusing that I've found balls, dominos, a pair of socks or two, and just this morning he was trying to stuff one of his shirts down the hole. I had tried putting a diaper in there a little while before, and it was kind of hard...huh that got my mind going. If he's trying to put a shirt in there now...I bet he's already done it once or twice. I opened up the pale, and sure enough there was a shirt, a plastic bag and a pair of socks. Huh...what else has gone in that diaper pail unnoticed, and then taken out to the trash? Maybe that's where the remote went???

I just wish I could remember...

So I've discovered that I really like being pregnant. Well, I knew that the last time as well, but this time just confirms it. I've had relatively no morning sickness, no weird cravings, and for the most part no uncomfortable pains or swelling. I know I'm still in the beginning (the last week of the 1st trimester to be exact)...But if this pregnancy goes anything like it did with Kallen, this will last throughout!!! One can hope right??? Anyways...The most enjoyable part about being pregnant (right now at least), is bed time. I am sleeping so well, I don't ever want to get out of bed. I've always been a deep sleeper, but nothing like it is now. I have very vivid, and detailed dreams almost every night, I just wish I could remember them in the morning. All I know when I wake up, is that I dreamed about something, and I've only got bits and pieces of it to remind me. I read something once that said you should wake up in the middle of the night after you've had a dream, and write it down...since that's when it's the most fresh in your mind. Okay, great idea, now how do I accomplish that. Where do they sell the alarm clock that wakes you up when your dream is over. Anyone? Anyone? Huh...when someone finds that clock, will you let me know!

Our little helper

One thing that I've tried to do with Kallen is treat him like a little boy, not a baby. I know he can understand us, and is more than capable of following directions. I've started asking him to help me when I'm doing things around the house. Not only do I get to spend time with him while getting things done, but he's also gaining valuable skills. When I'm doing laundry, he helps me put the clothes in the washer, and then into the dryer. When I'm folding...he folds too. Okay, so it's more like a wad than a fold, but he's helping none the less. If I'm dusting, or wiping down the cabinets and furniture, he wants his own rag to dust as well. When vacuuming...he's right there with one hand on the vacuum, telling me where to go. When cooking or washing dishes, Kallen is right there standing on a chair seeing what I'm doing, and every once in a while he even gets to stir.



Okay, so I think you get the picture. He's our little helper. Well, On Monday night, Kevin and I were out in the living room picking up after the long weekend. Kallen was in and out of the room, trying to help us on one hand, and making more of a mess on the other hand (what's new)? We noticed he hadn't been in the room for a while, so Kevin went to find him. There he was taking his already folded clothes out of his dresser, and one by one putting them in the washer (we have a front loading washer and dryer if you're wondering how he could manage this feet without standing on stilts or climbing a ladder). Anyways, after he'd get a few in, he'd shut the door, wait a second or so, open the door, and take the clothes one at a time, back to his dresser. Such a good little student of mine! Doing his own laundry, at 14 months...who knew???

We need more arms

So here I am, getting my first reality check about the new baby! My friend Brandy needed a favor today, and asked me to watch her 4 month old son Dawson.




Isn't he the cutest!!! Anyways...of course I said yes, not exactly sure what the day would have in store for me. I was most pleasantly surprised, but did get a little taste of what it will be like when the new baby arrives!!! For 14 months now, Kallen has been the only one. All my attention is focused on him, and my arms are always available for that precious hug he needs every now and then...or just to hold him. He hasn't had to face the problem of me holding another baby in my arms, trying to get lunch ready, and having him tug on my legs to get up. It would sure be nice to have four arms. One to hold each child, and the other two to get things done. I might send a memo up to God to share my suggestions with him. Four or more arms is the way to go, especially for moms and dads! Anyways...today Kallen was faced with that, and it was pretty interesting. Kallen reverted to being a little baby, which was much to be expected. When Dawson was in the swing, Kallen would walk over, and try to pull him out, so he could get in the swing himself. If Dawson was laying on a blanket playing with a rattle or something, Kallen wanted to lay on the blanket and play (with the exact same toy D had of course!) It was pretty comical actually.

I will say that having two little ones around will definitely help keep me skinny. I've done more acrobatic moves today than I've done since I was a little tyke myself. Holding D in my arms, and pushing Kallen around on his little truck with one foot, while hopping on the other foot must have been a hilarious sight for the neighbors!!!

All in all, we had a good day, and things went off without a hitch. Not too many jealous tears were shed from either child, and D's face is still in tack. (Kallen tends to try and rip other babies faces off). We all took naps at the same time, and took turns in mommy and auntie Kati's arms!

The only thing that got neglected was the house work. Today was laundry day, so I guess I'll start that when Kallen goes to bed, and I might take a real quick grocery trip in between loads. If that's all that didn't get done, I guess I did pretty good for my first day with two little munchkins. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it with more and more practice.

So...can I be ready for two little ones after only one day of practice. Huh...maybe Brandy will let me borrow Dawson a few more days before baby number two comes!!!