Giggles, Good Luck - Here's a backpack!

 Friday, February 22, 2013: Got an email from United to check-in online, confirm our seat selection(s) and print our tickets. Turns out, our first flight has us scattered in random seats throughout the front of the plane: 2D, 3D, 4B and 5A.

(All of our other flights, we occupy an entire row - such as 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D.) I tried to select alternate seating, but was given no options. So, naturally, I did what any mother would do... freak out for a brief second before acknowledging that they HAVE TO fix it; obviously, they wouldn't let minors fly alone.

OR... would they?

I called the phone number for United and waited on hold.

Immediately, my mind turns my thoughts into a relaxing scene... clutching an exotic drink in my left hand while twirling the toothpick of the miniature paper umbrella between my thumb and index fingers of my right hand. I bring the glass close to my lips to take a drink, watching the tide roll in on the white, sandy beach. My legs look much more tone (and tanned) in my dream sequence.

 Got a case of the giggles when telling Mike and my mom about the online check-in, indicating "this flight might be REALLY RELAXING... for US!"

Mike said "Can you imagine the look of COMPLETE HORROR on the seat-mate's face as we drop off our one and three year old, saying Well, Good Luck!"

"Or giving them the backpack and saying Everything you'll need to entertain them SHOULD be in here."

When I connected with the United worker, she was overhearing our joking. I later apologized and explained what we were saying to the polite foreign voice that was assisting me. She, too, got a case of the giggles and assured me that we will have to check-in at the airport and that they WILL have to fix it.

"So, I can't really do ANY of this online?"

"I don't believe so, but perhaps the online division may be able to help you. We will try; I will connect you now. Thank you for choosing United."

A non-foreign voice answered the phone and I explained our situation. She, too, laughed with us. The online division confirmed that we ARE occupying an entire row for our other three flights of our trip and indicated that there was nothing that SHE could do with our seating assignment. "You'll have to do it at the airport and they WILL be moving A LOT of people around. Don't worry... it'll all work out."

And so... our child-free flight that lived for a few brief moments in my mind comes to a screeching hault and I breathe easier knowing that WE will be with our children on our first Family of Four vacation. (Right where we belong!)

Silas is Chatty Cathy in the car!

After dropping Sydney off at school, Silas and I headed to Target in hopes of them fixing our bottle of Amoxicillin (after I accidentally snapped off the tip of the syringe in the bottle of medicine)  and/or them giving us a new syringe. As it turns out, the plastic end had already fallen into the bottle of medicine before the pharmacy technician attempted to get it out for us.

While I was driving, my Chatty Cathy (Silas) talked and talked in the backseat almost nonstop. Here is a sampling of Silas in action:

"Recycle BIN goes ZOOM!" (He proudly announced when he saw a recycle truck stopped along the side of the road.)

"Buggage day today?"  (buggage = Garbage)

"MOMMY! Coo-buzz! Coo-buzz!" (schoolbus)

"Red light. Stop! Green light. GO!"

"Digger! Digger!"

"Mommy, mommy... LOOK, airplane!"

"See moon now, mommy? Don't see it. Silas keep looking."

"Don't see it either. Maybe later. Not dark 'nuff now."

"Eyes on road, mommy? Have glasses on?"

"Need sunglasses on. Can't reach 'em. Mommy get (for) me! Please?"

"Too sunny?"

"Mommy! Saw digger!"

"Go library?"

"Mommy! LOOK! Target!"

"Go Sam's Club? Get samples."

"Mommy have money?"

"Daddy home? Daddy at work? Go see Daddy?"

"Where's Sydney? At school? Sydney at school now? Pick 'em up later?"

"Silas help you. Silas helper."

While shopping, he did NOT do well today. (He's normally quite good, but was demonstrating A LOT of temper tantrums today and being very sassy; he's learning A LOT from having an older brother.) I was relieved when he fell asleep in the car while I was pumping gas. Drove home to grab my book and we ventured to Sydney's school (early) but at least I could let him nap in the car for AN HOUR!!! (He woke up MUCH HAPPIER!)

Up, up and away...

Sydney has NO (previous) RECOLLECTION of flying. (He was about 9 months old when he first flew.) Needless to say, he has been THRILLED with anticipation of flying again.

We've been talking about it... explaining that our airplane ride(s) will be on small(er) planes - where there will be 2 seats and then, an aisle and another 2 seats. The boys keep changing their minds if they want to sit next to Mommy or Daddy. Silas can technically still fly FREE until age 2, but he's got his own seat - just in case we need it.

When we get out the vacuum, to clean up the dining room rug, we lay out our chairs like our airplane seats. We also demonstrated how we will put our backpacks under the seat in front of us. Silas, too, is excited to carry his own backpack.

At bedtime and naptime, Sydney informs Mommy that he's planning to "dream about what the airplane will look like". Mommy hypothesized that the seats will be BLUE; Sydney believes the seats will be RED.

I'm a little sad to hear from my cousin, Holly, that airlines will give you a flying certificate for a child's first flight. (I didn't know they did such a thing; Sydney missed out on getting one. Sydney's first was a Delta flight – Madison to Detroit on February 22, 2010.) We'll have to ask so that we can get one for Silas. (His first official flight being on United Airlines – Milwaukee to Chicago on February 23, 2013.) 

I'm wondering if Sydney will be able to fly without his new Superman sweatshirt on. He LOVES to wear it and even asked if we could get Silas a Superman shirt, too. So, now, they are "Super Sydney" and "Super Silas" and are darned cute - especially together! (Daddy claims that HIS Superman shirt isn't the most comfortable, but they sure do look ADORABLE when they all wear them together.)

"Up, up and away..." Sydney proclaims, just like Super Grover:

We checked out a fun book from the library. The boys have much of it memorized already and ask for us to read it every day (at least once). 

Checked out this library book: AIRPORT by Byron Barton

Good Night Lulu is another library book that we are reading (and enjoying) A LOT lately!

Another LOVED library book:
Goodnight Lulu by Paulette Bogan

Good Night Lulu is starting to grow in popularity, much like The Cow Loves Cookies!

The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
is a favorite book to read with Papa Olson
(checked out from the library regularly).

I should have known how things would turn out

I should have known how things would turn out...
Dad can hardly contain his giggles as I tell him about my shopping trip.

"Come on, boys! Let's get ready to go shopping. We need shoes on."

"NO!" Sydney yelled. "I don't want to go shopping!"

"Little boys need shoes to shop. I'm leaving in a few minutes. The car is started."

Sydney emptied out the three kid-friendly drawers in the closet: Hats & Gloves, Silas Shoes, and Sydney shoes. He proceeded to attempt to stack the drawers together and play with various shoes.

"The brown ones would look nice with your brown pants." I declared.

"I don't want those!" he protested, picking out a pair of strappy summer sandals instead.

(I see how this is going to go...)

Eventually, we were all dressed and ready to go.

• • • • •
Scene: Walmart parking lot, parked next to a cart return. Blue skies, near cloudless. No wind. 21°F.
Mom opts to get Sydney out of the car first, since he normally chants "Me first! Me first!"

Mom opens the car door.
SYDNEY: "NOoooooo! I don't want to go shopping!!!! I don't want to be first!!!!!"

Mom pauses for a second and proceeds to unbuckle him.

SYDNEY: (screaming) "NOooooo! It's too cold outside!!! We can't go shopping!!!!!"

Mom moves around the car to get Silas out from the other side.

SILAS: "Me first! Me first! Me first!"
Clearly, he doesn't know what FIRST means.

Carrying Silas and holding Sydney by the hand, we walk towards the entrance door. Sydney howls about how cold he is and how it is "too cold to go shopping".

MOM: "Would you like your hood up?"

SYDNEY: in his screechy whining voice "Yah! It's too cold!"

Mom pulls his hood up over his head.
MOM:  "There you go."

SYDNEY: In an Oscar-worthy dramatic performance "My hands are F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G! It's SO  C-O-L-D   O-U-T!"

Mom stops partway across the lot, lifting Sydney into the back of a shopping cart since his legs have suddenly become broken and he is unwilling to walk. Sydney starts to howl, sounding like a wolf-pup.

SYDNEY: "NOoooooo! I wanted to walk!"

Silas also starts to protest having to ride in the cart. Mom buckles him into his seat to keep him safe.

SILAS: "NO! Want walk! short pause NO! Belt off! short pause NO! short pause NO, No shopping!"

MOM: cheerfully "So, who will find the bananas first?"

Sydney and Silas proceed to howl because they don't want to be in the shopping cart. Mom pretends not to notice them being upset and continues with the shopping trip, sticking strictly to the list and moving quickly throughout the store.

• • • •
MOM: "Who wants to pick out yogurt?"

SYDNEY: "ME!"

SILAS: "NO, Me!"

SYDNEY: "NO, ME!"

SILAS: "NO, Me!"

SYDNEY: "NO, ME!"

Mom wants to pull her winter stocking cap down over her eyes to hide.

• • • •
While riding in the cart, Silas starts to open his yogurt.

MOM: "Don't open it. We have to go buy it."

SILAS: "Buy it first."

Silas continues to open his yogurt. Mom stops the cart.

MOM: "Silas, we have to buy it. Then, we can open it."

SILAS: "Need money."

MOM: "We have money. We'll buy it. Then, you can open it."

SILAS: "OK."

Silas starts to open his yogurt.

MOM: "Silas, can't open it yet. Mommy will take it. Leave it closed."

SILAS: "NO! MINE!"

MOM: "If you open it, I have to take it."

SILAS: "Buy it. Then, open."

MOM: "Good. Yes!"

Silas starts to open his yogurt (again). Mom takes yogurt.

SILAS: "NO! GIVE BACK! GIVE YOGURT BACK!"
Cries all the way to the check-out.
• • • •
By the time we reach the check-out, Sydney has no shoes on. He is laying in the cart as if we have been shopping for HOURS. (Sadly, we've quickly picked up NINE items from five areas of the store.)

MOM: "Please put your shoes on."

SYDNEY: "NO! I don't want to."

• • • •
The boys are excited to unload the contents of the cart onto the belt, but don't want their towers to fall down.

CASHIER: "How are you today?"

MOM: "I've had better shopping trips. My helpers forgot how to be good listeners."

CASHIER: "That's too bad."

MOM: "It's sadder for them. They can't ride on the yellow car if they aren't being good listeners."

Cashier rings up our few items and bags them.

CASHIER: "Excuse me, buddy. I'm going to put some bags in behind you."

SYDNEY: rudely snaps "I don't want those in my cart!"

Mom is embarrassed by this behavior. We finish up.

MOM: "Say thank you, everybody."

SILAS and SYDNEY: "NO!" yelled in unison.

MOM: "Thank you. Have a nice day!"

SILAS: "Have nice day."

• • • •
Mom walks PAST the yellow car. The boys start howling.

MOM: "Maybe next time. Good listeners get to do fun things."

The boys fuss and carry on about wanting to ride on the yellow car. (For the record, we never put money into it; they have no idea that it turns on. Instead, we sing ABC's for each child to take a turn... when the song is over, so is the "ride".

• • • •
SCENE: At the car, parked next to cart return.

MOM: "We won't be going to Sam's Club. We have to go home now since we can't be good listeners."  Sydney gives Silas a high-five. 

Mom puts the boys in the car first. Then, unloads the groceries. (You know, because it was ARCTIC for the "Drama Queen".)

SYDNEY: "Good Job, Si-was (Silas)! Keep up the good work on being bad so we can just go home!"

MOM: mutters under her breath "Nice."

• • • •

As we are driving home, I ask "So, you don't like to run errands with mom anymore? Why not?"

SYDNEY: "Um, because it is too cold outside to shop and because I just don't wike (like) it."

Dad can hardly contain his giggles as I tell him about the high-FIVE and the Sydney's praise to Silas for them being naughty enough to just go home.

DAD: "I'm sorry you've got such smart kids!"

MOM: "YES, we do!"

• • • •
Thankfully, after lunch, we got ready for naptime. Silas, who normally settles right down immediately, yelled for a while that he wanted to go downstairs now. Sydney, who sometimes goes down easily did just that. We read one book and I tucked him into his bed.

YAY for naptime! Now, I'm going to go pick up my trashed house and hope to grab a glass of water and a few short minutes to read.

Porcupine vs. Cactus (3 year old mind)

Scene: Wild child Sydney runs over to mom and screams *SOMETHING* inaudible at her while she sits on the couch.

MOM: "WHAT???? I have NO IDEA what you just said."

SYDNEY: (calmly and at an appropriate decibel)
I said "I am a porcupine!"

MOM: (laughs) Oh, I see. Do you even KNOW what a porcupine is?

SYDNEY: "It's kind of like a cactus."

Mom and Dad look at each other and smile in unison. It really IS kind of like a cactus.
Great observation from the mind of our 3-year-old.

For the record, there IS "a very deserving porcupine" in our Harold and the purple crayon book so, he has seen one there. (I think he recently saw one on tv, as well.)

The cake will (have to) wait

Mike worked the early shift today. When he got home, the house was surprisingly clean (his birthday gift from me) and I was nearly ready to have lunch with him. The boys were both napping, dressed in Iowa State Cyclone gear. After lunch, Mike enjoyed a relaxing bath.

Shortly after the boys woke, they were excited to show Daddy his presents:

Leinenkugal's Canoe Paddler beer sounded promising.
And a bag of the DELICIOUS dried cherries from Target.
(Daddy was sad last week when he discovered that we
had eaten them all so, we bought him some for his birthday.)

He got a little help opening his present from Nana & Papa Olson from these adorable Cyclone fans:



Nana is coming TOMORROW (Wednesday) to entertain the boys while I take Grandpa Lowell in for surgery. She is bringing a birthday cake for Mike so, we decided NOT to make one for him for today since we really don't eat that much cake and certainly don't NEED two of them. (Nana is taking a Tuesday night cake decorating class and was eager to let US be her guinea pigs.)

Hopefully, Mike doesn't mind too much that the cake will have to wait until tomorrow.

Sydney and Silas were excited to make birthday cards for Daddy. On a dry erase board, I wrote the word 'DAD' for Sydney to copy onto the front of his card. A few minutes later, he spelled out the word DAD from memory onto the envelope. (I was quite proud of him for that!) Silas was proud to make a card, too. We traced handprints onto each card - to capture the year. (For a little while, Sydney's card had turned into a card - telling Silas to STOP writing on the walls with markers and color ONLY on paper, despite having "Happy Birthday Dad" written on the front of it. I believe the back cover is his STOP sign and warning to his baby brother.) I'm sure that Mike will cherish these cards forever.

Honey, we hope you had a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We can't wait to celebrate many more years with you! We love you!

In other news, Mike made it ALMOST 42 years before ever getting a subpoena. The sherif knocked on the door late last night and handed it to me. (Looks like the dog owner is in a trial against the City.)

Sleep, as of late, is downright TERRIBLE

Sleep in our house has been, as of late, downright TERRIBLE for much of this past week. Silas came down with a cold and has been waking himself often with a cough. Adding the excitement of a big boy bed and he continues to come to the gate, announcing "Mommy, UP NOW!" at all hours of the night.

Sigh.

Sydney has had a fever at bedtime for the past two nights. He has also been waking up to go to the bathroom AND waking up DRY in the morning! YAY!!!! (A step in the right direction, but still a little tiring none-the-less.)

"Drippy nose, Mommy!" is announced often. (I have resorted to keeping a small pile of Kleenex in the corner of the bed for Silas - right next to his cup of water.)r

Sydney now has the cold, too. You can tell that he coughs a lot of phlegm and then starts to gag on it. (He already has a remarkably high gag reflex.)

This morning, Sydney, Silas and I were snuggled together in the recliner watching Iowa Public Television (PBS). Suddenly, Silas started to cough... harder and harder... and then, he threw up half of his juice all over my shirt and hand, as well as himself. Thankfully, Sydney escaped from the chair untouched, but that only sent him into a gagging fit so, I instructed him to run and wait for us in the kitchen instead. Silas coughed a little more and managed to toss the remainder of his juice up, too.

He obviously feels just fine - other than the phlegm, runny nose and cough - because he immediately asked for "something to eat".

HOPING to kick this cold virus out of our house, sooner rather than later.

ICE SKATING

Sydney was the first one with skates on and soon discovered that it is HARD to walk in ice skates.

Sydney was the first one to remove his skates (and go play in the stands). Silas was NOT interested in taking his skates off. He wanted to "GO 'GAIN. GO MORE. GO FAST!" and he didn't care WHO took him back out onto the ice.

Silas LOVED being out on the ice – where all the action is at. Dressed in two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks and three shirts, we think he was warm (except for his cold little hands, but he is NOT a fan of mittens.)

Mike took the skates off of Silas and immediately, he started signing and yelling "MORE! MORE SKATES. SKATES ON!"

Silas cried. He grabbed the skates from Daddy, announcing "SKATES BACK ON. PUT SKATES BACK ON!" and tried to do it himself. (He was SO DISAPPOINTED that public free skating was over and we had to go home.)

Evidence of our first time ice skating together.

We're still here...

It seems that I have been neglecting my blog. Truth is, we're still here!

I have been ATTEMPTING to stay (reasonably) caught up with my Project Life album, documenting each week of our lives in Sunday through Saturday format. I absolutely love, Love, LOVE doing Project Life. The boys LOVE to look at it, too whenever they see it sitting out. (Mike is rather indifferent to it all, but I think that's just men for ya.)

When the boys and I ventured to Walgreens to pick up our most recent batch of pictures, the woman at the photo counter said "Sarah, let me grab your pictures. You know, I just gotta tell you, I just LOVE to see your pictures." (Perhaps that is a breach in confidentiality or something, but I wasn't offended; just pleased that someone else noticed my efforts.) Project Life creator Becky Higgins' mantra is: CULTIVATE A GOOD LIFE AND RECORD IT.... yeah, I think SHE would be proud of me, too!)

I have also been TRYING to read more. (Now, if only I could make find time to exercise, too... that would be almost perfect.) This morning, I JUST finished another read... The Fault in our Stars... and liked it A LOT!

I've written a few hand-written letters lately.... HAPPY MAIL as Stacy Julian likes to call it. Even got a letter back from someone (my great-aunt); it DID feel good to send AND receive.

The boys keep us busy.

Silas has been sleeping in a big boy bed AND (some days) attempting to potty train. He's got a BONK (as he likes to call it) on his forehead. (He fell last week and caught it just right. I've since noticed that his goose-egg and bruise keep growing in the same spot and discovered that as he hurriedly attempts to climb onto our dining chairs, he often hits it in the same spot.) He talks A LOT right now!!! (WAY MORE than Sydney ever did at this age, but it IS NOT FAIR to compare kids, really.) My favorite thing he says right now is: buggage. "Put buggage." he says often. (That's GARBAGE, by the way.) My favorite is when he grabs the lintball(s) from the laundry-area counter (I save them from the dryer to show a sense of accomplishment, proving that I did something that day.) and proudly runs them over to the BUGGAGE for me.

Sydney continues to play games at bedtime. (If he STAYS IN HIS BED once a month, I think we're lucky.) Last night, I had a very non-relaxing bath after the kids were in bed. Sydney continued to climb over the baby gate; he "kept me company" during my bath. Sweetly, he announced "Mommy, I noticed that you did not wash your back yet so, I will help you with that." and he proceeded to get his tiny hand wet with my hot bath water and touched my shoulder. He kept attempting to point to the pages of my book, asking "what's this say?" as well as asking a million other questions. "Did you do your shot yet?" ... "Can I help you do your shot?"... "Does your shot hurt?" ... "When I was a baby, how did I get inside your belly?" ... "Did I ever live in Wisconsin, too?" ... "Mommy, is this fresh water that we drink from this pipe right here?" ... "So," (long pause, for thinking) "how is your BASS, mommy?" (bath) ... etc, etc, etc.

Calmly, when I had finished my non-relaxing bath, I told him "I will talk to you in the morning when the clock says SEVEN."

During bedtime routine and snuggle time, I told Sydney that I really LOVED to snuggle with him. I reminded us (both) that someday he won't want to snuggle anymore.

"No, mommy! I really WILL always want to snuggle, especially with YOU... because I Wove (love) you."

"Buddy, someday, you will just be too big to snuggle." I replied.

"No, silly..." he rejected "then, we will just snuggle in a big person bed instead of the chair. We'll ALWAYS be able to snuggle." (Some girl will be THRILLED to have a snuggler someday; although, not so thrilled that he wants to ALWAYS snuggle with HIS MOM! I'm quite certain he WILL change his mind on this... sooner, rather than later.)

He really IS such a sweet little boy. "It's just.... I can't sWeep (sleep) because I want to be by you... because I Wove (love) you so much!" he declares. "I think I would be able to sWeep much better in a big person bed - with YOU and daddy." (Ah, yes... we both LOVE to sleep with a flailing fish and waking up to a sudden th-WACK across the face. Nice try.)

I laugh at how he sometimes stands at the closed babygate, yelling desperately to "get out" - knowing good-and-well that he CAN (and DOES) escape with ease (repeatedly) each night... even closes the bedroom door behind him in the process!

As I type this, Sydney watches Iowa Public Television and Silas brushes his teeth.

"Bye-bye, mommy! See ya later,  (pause) Gator." announces Silas, while smiling. (Silas kisses his hand and waves in my direction. "Blow kiss!" he waves and closes the bathroom door behind him.

Suddenly especially quiet in the bathroom, I peek in to find Silas sitting on the floor - geared with HIS toothbrush (and Daddy's in HIS mouth.) "Brush teeth. Daddy's toothbrush." (We'll have to disinfect that one, for sure... since Silas has a "drippy nose, Mommy!" and a gagging cough today.)

Hard to believe how much LOVE and JOY one can have, simply from being a parent. I LOVE this pajama-wearing life!