Through the looking glass, *CLICK* went the lock...

This COULD have ended badly....

Earlier in the summer, the latch on the screendoor was clicked into a LOCK position and I quickly ran across the front yard and scaled the fence to reach the other screendoor, as calmly as possible, before that, too, COULD have been latched. (At which point our spare key would do us NO GOOD what-so-ever!)

I could have needed to quickly take a mental inventory of all of my neighbors and their cars, checking to see WHO was home and HOW I would be able to get my hands on the spare key for our house.

I could have BEGGED for our 2 year old to attempt to push his big brother out of the way and TRY to unlock the door for me.

Thankfully, things turned out (for me) ... this time!

VISIT AT BETTY'S HOUSE Four and under crowd

The four and under crowd of cousins visit at (Grandma/Aunt) Betty's house.

August 25, 2013

Swimming in Betty's pool.

August 25, 2013

We had a FANTASTIC TIME when we stopped by Aunt Betty's house to visit with cousins Tina & Elana and their families. (We added one hour to our trip HOME, which was SO WORTH IT!!!!!)

As I was downloading the pictures off of the camera, Sydney proclaimed "I sure did have a gWeat time at Aunt Betty's house! I hope we can go swimming there again someday, but NEXT TIME I'm going to jump off of that diving board and you won't need to catch me because I know that my floatie things will POP me back up again! I will do it BY MYSELF!"

Our boys enjoyed freeze-pops on the patio with the kids after our time in the pool. 

- Mom asks Sydney (at bedtime) -  

QUESTION:

"What was your favorite part of today?" 

ANSWER: 

POPSICLES at Aunt Betty's - with all those kids!

Silas most enjoyed to see John's shed/garage of TRACTORS and eating pretzels with dinosaurs!

We had a delightful visit. (After-the-fact, Mike had even wished that we had spent more time there with everybody.) We hope that it would work out to meet up with all of them again someday because it is FUN for the kids to play together and for the adults to visit.

The boys MUST have had fun; they were BOTH SOUND ASLEEP and SNORING in less than five miles from Betty's house. It was a quiet ride home. 

This was Tina & Elana's first time meeting Silas and OUR first time meeting each of their 2nd children, as well. (The last time we met up was 3 years ago, around the time that we discovered we were pregnant with Silas.)

We're really HOPING that we'll be able to convince them to meet us again - someday - at a waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells since it would be approximately equi-distant for all of us to travel to. We think THAT would be A LOT of fun!!!!

TODDLER LOGIC Always/Sometimes...

Our household is a HUGE FAN of PBS Kids on Iowa Public Broadcasting. IF the tv is on during the day, chances are: PBS is ON!

One of the new(er) shows that we're enjoying is Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I believe it made it's debut last fall. It is a friendly spin-off of the beloved Mr. Roger's Neighborhood and has all of the characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe on the new animated show.

Being a kid who grew up watching Mr. Rogers (in a household that also LOVED PBS!) I can appreciate how Daniel Tiger zips his red sweatshirt and takes off/puts on his shoes - just like Fred Rogers did when I was little.

(Looking at the image - below - you'll likely see A LOT that is recognizable from the show that aired 1968-2001.)

Recently, while driving in the car, Sydney offered up a profound statement from his toddler-logic-filled mind:

Daniel Tiger ALWAYS

takes the paper off sometimes.

This is what I remember from MY childhood:

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beautywood,
A neighborly day for a beauty,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?

I have always wanted to have a neighbor just like you,
I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you.

So let's make the most of this beautiful day,
Since we're together, we might as well say,
Would you be mine?
Could you be mine?
Won't you be my neighbor?

Won't you please,
Won't you please,
Please won't you be my neighbor?

Closing down pool season for the summer

Grandpa Lowell joined us in our farewell trip to the pool this summer.

Now, Silas proudly JUMPS off of the wall into the water and Sydney is convinced that he knows how to swim. (Sydney recently started dunking his head under and attempts to flap his arms and feet to "swim" under the water. He comes up wiping the water from his eyes.)

Both boys LOVE the water playground AND going down the large waterslides with mom & dad.

It has been a SUMEMR OF FUN and personal growth!

Home Projects - Summer edition, work in progress

The front of our house BEFORE our new roof. (Note: the overuse of monotone browns.)

The NEW front of our house!

(We still need another coat of paint on the upper level trim, but you get where we're going with it.) Our neighbor, Frank, informed us that it will look really nice when we re-side the sunporch to match the color of the upper portion and the color of the window dormers; we hadn't planned on doing that, BUT do agree that it would look nice IF it were all the same color of siding. All in due time... We'll also need to repaint our garage door, too, I'm thinking. Wondering if the dark brown or the savannah wicker would be the better choice?

The yard side of our house... BEFORE

(Note: monotone brown paint. Shingles wrapped around window dormers.)

The yard side of our house... AFTER

(Note: new siding on the window dormers. Also, since the contractor left his ladders and scaffolding up over the weekend, we took advantage and did some PAINTING!!! We changed to a dark brown now and like the contrast! The new siding color is similar to the color of the bonus room, below.)

An ambulance ride can be crossed off The Bucket List

Had a little scare last night while TRYING to get to sleep between 10:30-11:30; resulted in Mike calling 9-1-1 and me being transported to the hospital. (If you ask Mike, he will report "She said she was feeling funny; I don't know what FUNNY means, but that's what was wrong. Maybe another word for a panic attack.")

I felt short of breath. I felt like my heart wasn't pumping enough oxygen. I felt weak. My head felt fuzzy. I had tried a snack, but it didn't seem to help. When my left side of my face began to tingle, I freaked out. (That was when I started to panic; SOMETHING was wrong!)

Of the tests that they did on me, they said everything, but Potassium came back normal. My potassium levels were quite low. Before leaving the hospital, I had to drink a big cup of awful tasting potassium-rich drink and have to follow-up with another Potassium test on Monday. I've been instructed to eat more potassium-rich foods.

We've got FANTASTIC NEIGHBORS! Lisa and Mason stayed at our house while Mike and I were at the hospital. (Mike says the worst part of the night was crawling back into a pre-warmed bed, as Mason and Lisa were sleeping in OUR bed, to hear the boys.) Also, this afternoon, Bev brought me some flowers, hoping I was feeling better. She knew that Mike doesn't bring me flowers. (For the record, he brought me my first bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day/my birthday this year.) *Frank & Bev's son was one of the men in our bedroom last night, tending to me.

I was rather stumped this morning when I googled Potassium deficiency and potassium-rich foods. Turns out, A LOT of the things I eat ALL THE TIME are on that list! (Wondering HOW IN THE WORLD could I be LOW?!?!?) Interested to see how Monday's repeat labwork turns out.

Mike is convinced that we just purchased a $500 ambulance ride; I'm relieved it wasn't more serious! (Before I "panicked", I had asked him to wake me in the morning before he left for work, to make sure that he wasn't leaving our children home alone with a dead mother. He didn't think I was funny and was annoyed that I was interrupting his sleep when he had to wake early in the morning.

We'll see what happens next...

Cute transposition for Silas (FORGOT)

While clearing the dinner table, Silas yelled "Oopsie, don't git-for dis lid for da butter dish!"

Translation: Oopsie, don't forget this lid for the butter dish!

• • • • •

When Mike leaves for work, Silas excitedly shouts:
Don't git-for your bee-belt!

Translation: Don't forget your seatbelt!

• • • • •

While just sitting down to eat dinner, Silas announces "Hey, Mommy! You got-for napkins!"

Translation: Hey, Mommy! You forgot napkins!

• • • • •

Silas was upset after leaving the chiropractor's office because he "got-for tew Docta Schipper my goke."

Translation: Forgot to tell Dr. Schipper my joke.

JOKE: 
Question:
Why was the broom late for school?
Answer:
Because he over-swept!

(Silas follows it up with laughter, announcing "Dat was a good one!")

• • • • •

While hustling out the door to go on a fire station tour, I put Silas into his carseat barefoot. As I hopped into my seat, Silas announed "Mommy, you got-for my shoes!"

I announced "I didn't get for your shoes, honey."

He asked "You got em?"

"I got 'em!" I replied.

"Oh, OK. Good. Thanks, Mommy!"

Original Translation: Mommy, you forgot my shoes!

Forgot = got-for, git-for or get-for.
Depending upon level of excitement and speed of conversation.

Blasts from the Past

Grandpa Lowell was nice enough to bring me some pictures to use for some of my scrapbooking projects, as I participate in the online class HELLO Story from Big Picture classes. I had hoped for a photo of Lowell holding Mike as a baby, as I similarly found a picture of my mom, holding ME as a baby. (My grandma was nice enough to mail me a photo of HER, holding my mom.) This morning, while flipping through one of the albums, I happened to find THESE pictures! (PERFECT! Thanks, Grandpa Lowell!)

Now, the one thing that REALLY caught my eye was the fact that Mike at age 2 looks remarkably like Silas does now. (Their stance is different, but their facial expression is similar in my opinion.) I'm pretty well convinced that Silas will grow up to be quite handsome... just like his Daddy.

Perhaps this one is labeled with a date on the back, but I didn't want to risk tearing anything while attempting to get it out of the album so, I carefully set the album on my scanner instead and just worked with it, as is. I would guess that Mike is a year old, assuming it to be 1972.

Mike, July 1973

July 1973

August is BF Awareness Month and WE were advocates (PIC)

Late last night, I saw a pop-up in Facebook, stating that the Breastfeeding Awareness Walk was going to be TODAY. (Mike was so disappointed* that he missed it; "DARN IT! I have to work!" he said. *Note the sarcasm.)

This morning, I made some signs for our stroller and for US to wear.

One of the other mothers was nice enough to take our picture (and share it with us!)

Sydney nursed for 15 months.
Silas nursed for 17 months.
___________________________
That's 32 months of AWESOME!!!

The Latch On

BREASTFEEDING

AWARENESS WALK

August 3, 2013

FLASHBACK:

Our Breastfeeding Graduation(s)

Silas graduated in May 2012.

Sydney graduated in 2010.

BOO! Sickness strikes again

Sydney complained of a headache this morning. He commented on his belly felt hot and perhaps he had a fever; I thought he was just imitating his baby brother being sick over the weekend - with a fever. A short time later, without eating any breakfast, he got gaggy. Soon, he threw up his juice. After Teacher Patty left, he climbed into Daddy's recliner, asked for a blanket and fell asleep. He stayed there for MOST of the day; although, he DID declare that he needed a nap in his own bed this afternoon.

Mommy and Silas made a FUN LUNCH with Cheese-Its Scrabble edition. (Leftover from our February vacation.) Sydney refused to eat (or drink) anything today. FINALLY, I convinced him to have some lemonade.

Silas and Mommy ran down to the Where's Waldo party and then, to Fareway for some Blue Cheese. On the way into the parking lot, Silas stopped and stared at our shadows. Once we had moved onto the sidewalk, I reached into my bag and pulled out my camera to take a picture. CUTE!

Inside the store, Silas announced "Stinky Cheese! Where are you?" as we walked towards the dairy case in the back. (We managed to get a few smiles along the way.) He proudly told our cashier that we were buying stinky blue cheese for Daddy.

Sydney SMILED when Mommy came home with popscicles!!! FINALLY he agreed to eat SOMETHING! (He got a purple beard and stripes down his chest from the popscicle, but that was NOTHING that a mild bath couldn't take care of afterwards.) He took some Tylenol at bedtime tonight. HOPING for a good night of sleep (for everyone)!