That title isn't indicative of one train of thought… but three. 1.) Holidays and vacation are over, and we are now back to our normal weekly activities – work, school, etc. 2.) I am shocked to report that MacKay now weighs more than Oscar. Up until recently they have never been more than a pound apart in weight, though Oscar was always the heavier of the two. Those of you that know my boys well will probably all attest to the fact that everyone thinks, upon viewing and picking up, that Oscar has always been MUCH heavier than MacKay. He just plain looks it – he looks like a bruiser, but after people would pick up the two of them they always commented that Oscar just HAD to be tons heavier than Oscar… which he was heavier, but not tons. Always under a pound difference…… UNTIL NOW. Now MacKay (37.5 lbs) weighs a whole pound (or more possibly) more than Oscar (36.5 lbs). And lastly, 3.) No no no no no…. this is Evie’s new favorite word. NO. You pose any question to her, and she will answer with “No” regardless of what she actually wants. NO. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get her to say “Yes” … which is always found to be humorous by the boys who go into fits of laughter at Evie constantly saying No to me over and over and over and over again. No. And she has different variations of “Nos” …. The adamant “NO!” (while angrily yelling – usually at the boys when they have done her wrong). The snotty self-assured “Nooo” that she barks out when she just wants to be contrary. And, the comedic “Noooooo” that she gives when trying to get a rise out of us and the boys. They each have their own inflection, volume and tone. No!
Well, like I said we are back to the old routine we had before the chaotic holiday season came upon us. The boys are back at school and did quite well, as if they never missed a beat … or say a couple weeks. I thought they would have a hard time getting back into the groove but they were ready and rearing to go. Only hiccup …. MacKay wanting to bring Diesel 10 to school (and everywhere else. … we’ll touch on that later) and almost having a meltdown when I told him Diesel 10 had to stay home. While we were at class Tuesday, just prior to us splitting for adult time/kids snack time, Oscar came over to me telling me he wanted to use the potty. WHAT? We haven’t even attempted this at home for about a month or so and again, he wants to attempt it at school. What is with this kid? So we went into the bathroom and got him on the potty, where he proceeded to push and push and push. I kept telling him just to relax and not try so hard… to which he kept asking me for help – not quite sure what he was wanting me to do to “help”, but…. Then while he was grunting and pushing he tooted quite a few times. He was quite amused and started giggling so loud I am sure the whole room heard. I was so sure he was going to go poop with the way he kept grunting and pushing, but apparently all he had in him was a little gas. After that he wanted his pants back up and wanted to flush the [empty] toilet.
I am finally done De-Christmas-ify the house as of last night. Those of you on Facebook have probably caught most of the play by play… but essentially I've taken the long and drawn out approach to cleaning up the holiday mess. Day by day I've removed a few more articles from the tree …. Personalized/hallmark ornaments one day, Xmas ball ornaments the next, followed by Garland and icicles… etc. This past Monday I took down all the lights and got them all (yes, I am anal) back into their original packaging. So all that was left last night were two Xmas trees that we had to fully break down and put back in their boxes … and a ton of other Xmas-y paraphernalia strewn about the house that found its home in a few big bins. It saddens me actually, because I like the house decorated like this …. I haven’t done it up like this since I moved up here to Brainerd (Jan 2005), so I wanted to enjoy it a little longer …. But it is was time. Not to mention we had to quicken up the pace as I got a call from Lake Country Journal and they want to come out early next week to photograph the inside of the house for the article they are doing about our renovations/remodeling. So last night we put a rush on everything, found out that our sectional sofa is in and going to be delivered Thursday…. So called ChemDry and was able to be squeezed in to have the carpet cleaned prior to its arrival (wow the carpet looks brand spankin’ new) and I've begun to organize the MANY cluttered areas in our house. This weekend the REAL cleaning will commence.
I should also note – we’re starting to get everything together for the boys’ new room. Just before Xmas we ordered up the boys’ new mattresses – which I just found out are in and available to be delivered as well. We decided to scratch the original idea of using a built in shelf made and installed half way up the wall to split the room… and instead are going to go more simple and just use a chair rail to accomplish the same thing. And we've picked out the colors for their room as well. The bottom half (or so) will be a royal/navy blue color, and the top will be a lighter/smoky blue, with the chair rail being painted white/eggshell. We’re getting new doors and frames stained and finished (as well as all the trim we will need) by the same guy who did our locker and entertainment system(s) a while back. I think eventually we will have him do some free hanging corner shelves, but for now we’re just going to get the basics done in the room. But before we can get to all that other stuff we are going to have their walls and ceiling texturized. I cannot WAIT to see how this all turns out – I hope they are as excited as I am about it. Will definitely post pictures.
Well I thought since it was a new year I would just try to quickly sum up where each of the kids are at… some details about how they are doing, interests etc. We’ll start with our eldest, MacKay. MacKay, as stated before, has now surpassed Oscar in weight at a whoppin’ 37.5 lbs. I guess I shouldn't be shocked because for the most part MacKay is our better eater of the two….. unless it involves bread or mac n cheese, then Oscar wins hands down. We always used to wonder…. “Where is he PUTTING it?” And now we know. Both the boys are wearing the same size clothes …. 4T tops, a mix of 3T and 4T bottoms, and 4T and 5T PJs. I don’t know why they always end up needing bigger PJs…. But they do (same with Evie). MacKay LOVES to sing … so the Karaoke machine that Gma Chris got them has been a big hit for him. He’s already learned a few more songs since he got it (Alphabet Soup, B-I-N-G-O, and Jack n Jill). The boy will NOT part with his Diesel 10 train he got from Santa either. At times he will put it down to do something else quickly and will come running to me all dramatic like the sky is falling begging me to find his Diesel 10. So we've been working on empowering him to find it HIMSELF. We back track where he has been and it is found again very quickly. Since he got it he has slept with it almost every night (exception was when he slept with Buzz Lightyear on Xmas Eve night). He’s quite obsessed with Diesel 10 now… demanding for me to play or find shows that have Diesel 10 in them – which there aren't many. I was SO excited to find an online article stating that they are working on yet another new Thomas CGI movie that will star Diesel 10 – I think it is called “Day of the Diesels.” MacKay is going to go NUTS after that one. He loves going to school and loves the cutting table … he really wants to master those scissors. He’s getting a little better on his defiance and talking back as I've upgraded my reaction to it. Before I was just calmly saying (at least trying to calmly say) “That’s not nice to say.” But it seems that wasn't working. So on a few occasions I have gotten right in his face and told him that I don’t want to hear him say that anymore, that it isn’t nice and it hurts my feelings, and that if he does it anymore he is going on the naughty bench. I tried hard to leave the naughty bench (consequence) out of it as it is just lipping off, but I need to nip this in the bud before it gets any further out of hand. So far, it’s going better…. Though I get told “Mommy, Stop Talking to Me” (being shouted) a few times a day still.
Oscar relinquished his lead in the weight department (maybe cuz he eats like a bird) and now weighs 36.5 lbs, just a pound under MacKay. I should have known this was going to happen because for a long time Oscar always wore the pants that weren't quite as cinched (the adjustable waist) as MacKay’s were … but slowly MacKay’s tummy started surpassing Oscar’s and I noticed Oscar’s needed to be cinched tighter. I chalked it up to the fact that Oscar has no butt (like his Mom)…. Flat as heck, so his pants were always sagging down or falling off… hence needing to be cinched more. Guess it was more than that. He still looks like he’s got 5+ lbs on MacKay though. He too is wearing the same size clothes as MacKay – I hope that lasts for a while as it makes it really easy to dress them daily. Since Xmas Oscar has become a little bit obsessed with Diesel 10 as well. Sometimes MacKay will let him play with him, and Oscar has a hard time giving him back. He’s his normally chatty self and loves to show you how he completely understands the world around him. Reiterating things you say to show you he heard it and understands… trying to reason with you about why things are a certain way. Telling me what various things are called and what they do, why we use them etc. For example the other day I told him we needed to clean up the house because someone was coming to take pictures. Well after the carpet cleaner came and left today, Oscar was very concerned and told me “Mommm, he didn't take any pictures.” He doesn't miss a beat. Just the other day we were watching Spiderman (which they both love, although Oscar doesn't like Doctor Octopus – he’s scary and mean) and after a scene where Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson were talking about their feelings for each other he looked at Chris and said “What love mean, Daddy?” We tell them we love them NUMEROUS times a day, and they say it to us as well ….. but for some reason he heard it on TV and needed an explanation. Chris was struggling and asked for some help so I just told him “Love is a feeling, like being happy or sad…. But love is how you feel about someone you REALLY REALLY REALLY like and want to be with all the time.” He nodded like he totally understood it. He also has been talking a lot about favorites … his favorite friends, his favorite color (green), his favorite shirts/toys etc. Though pretty much everything ends up being his favorite. Oscar also (as well as MacKay) especially likes playing with Evie’s new toys …. Namely, her dolls. Every time Evie and I play with her Little Mommy dolls, Oscar comes over and wants to join in, or wants their outfits changed out, or wants to push them around in their stroller. It’s quite cute. Even the Snap n Style dolls. He has certain outfits he wants them to wear and won’t tolerate us changing them and likes being involved. Meanwhile, Evie get’s uninterested easily and can be found in the corner chewing on a Matchbox car or playing with the boys’ trains or remote control cars. Love it.
I need to make mention of this too, cuz this is applicable for both boys. They are total gamers. They LOVE all their new board games they got for Xmas and their latest birthday. We are constantly playing games. Just the other day they woke wanting to play a game, and when I told them we needed to wait until Evie went down for a nap they told me Evie needed to go down for a nap NOW – which was 10am, a bit early. I think their favorite so far is Uno Moo – they will come to me carrying the little barn carrying case begging to play. They really grasped that one quickly and get that they can match either the color or animals. And they are starting to show more excitement when they win. We've also played a round or two of Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, Cootie, Old McDonald Pop Up and a variety of matching games they've gotten.
Evie is our little peanut. I don’t remember the boys ever being so petite and scrawny. And she EATS. Man does she eat. Sometimes she eats more than the boys as she’s more willing to try new things. She’s my little human version of a garbage disposal. So I am shocked she’s not a little more porky … but I’m fine with her being my scrawny little peanut too. She’s currently weighing in at 22.5 lbs and wearing anywhere between 12 and 2T clothes. Mostly 12 month pants (with some 18 months), 24 month and 2T shirts (though she can still fit in some of her 18 month shirts), and mainly 2T PJs. She’s starting to help with dressing herself too. I just hold out her pants or socks and she shoves her feet right in and pushes through… and with her shirts I put it over her head and she pretty much does the rest with threading her hands/arms through to the arm holes. She’s very good at getting her needs known…. Saying “Up.. Up.. Up” or “Joooz” (Juice). When we can’t understand what she’s trying to say she will point. She LOVES leading us places. When she beckons to us we will hold out our hands and she excitedly grabs and starts leading us places….. sometimes I think there is no point to the leading, just that she enjoys being in control and being empowered. She’s been a little cranky at times…. Usually pointing at her mouth and chewing on her fingers. I think she’s having a doozie of a time getting those cuspids/canines to finally pop out. She is usually easily calmed by the “kittying” I've mentioned in earlier posts…. She’s a total sucker for having her back or tummy lightly scratched – she seriously freezes in whatever pose she is in and just takes it all in. And she’s quite the pistol too…. You should hear her yell at MacKay and Oscar, though usually MacKay. When they take something from her or are too rough with her, she will get right in their faces and just start screaming and barking at them. She’s getting tougher and tougher. And one of Evie’s favorite things…. The shower. She loves the shower. She spends most of her time, circling around me like she is running through a sprinkler when the water hits her as she comes around and around and around. She looks straight up into the shower stream with her eyes wide open and doesn't mind the water in her face or eyes (MacKay FREAKS out over it) and just dances around in there the entire time. I can barely even wrangle her up long enough to wash her up. She stands outside the shower door looking in on me showering up the boys, waiting her turn and getting impatient. And when she gets undressed and is ready to come in she’s just all smiles.
Well, I’m sure I've forgotten something ….. I think this all through prior to each post, telling myself “Now remember to cover this topic and that topic”…. I need to start writing these little notes down somewhere. Not many pictures… but just a few of the kiddos playing with some of their new toys.
Well, like I said we are back to the old routine we had before the chaotic holiday season came upon us. The boys are back at school and did quite well, as if they never missed a beat … or say a couple weeks. I thought they would have a hard time getting back into the groove but they were ready and rearing to go. Only hiccup …. MacKay wanting to bring Diesel 10 to school (and everywhere else. … we’ll touch on that later) and almost having a meltdown when I told him Diesel 10 had to stay home. While we were at class Tuesday, just prior to us splitting for adult time/kids snack time, Oscar came over to me telling me he wanted to use the potty. WHAT? We haven’t even attempted this at home for about a month or so and again, he wants to attempt it at school. What is with this kid? So we went into the bathroom and got him on the potty, where he proceeded to push and push and push. I kept telling him just to relax and not try so hard… to which he kept asking me for help – not quite sure what he was wanting me to do to “help”, but…. Then while he was grunting and pushing he tooted quite a few times. He was quite amused and started giggling so loud I am sure the whole room heard. I was so sure he was going to go poop with the way he kept grunting and pushing, but apparently all he had in him was a little gas. After that he wanted his pants back up and wanted to flush the [empty] toilet.
I am finally done De-Christmas-ify the house as of last night. Those of you on Facebook have probably caught most of the play by play… but essentially I've taken the long and drawn out approach to cleaning up the holiday mess. Day by day I've removed a few more articles from the tree …. Personalized/hallmark ornaments one day, Xmas ball ornaments the next, followed by Garland and icicles… etc. This past Monday I took down all the lights and got them all (yes, I am anal) back into their original packaging. So all that was left last night were two Xmas trees that we had to fully break down and put back in their boxes … and a ton of other Xmas-y paraphernalia strewn about the house that found its home in a few big bins. It saddens me actually, because I like the house decorated like this …. I haven’t done it up like this since I moved up here to Brainerd (Jan 2005), so I wanted to enjoy it a little longer …. But it is was time. Not to mention we had to quicken up the pace as I got a call from Lake Country Journal and they want to come out early next week to photograph the inside of the house for the article they are doing about our renovations/remodeling. So last night we put a rush on everything, found out that our sectional sofa is in and going to be delivered Thursday…. So called ChemDry and was able to be squeezed in to have the carpet cleaned prior to its arrival (wow the carpet looks brand spankin’ new) and I've begun to organize the MANY cluttered areas in our house. This weekend the REAL cleaning will commence.
I should also note – we’re starting to get everything together for the boys’ new room. Just before Xmas we ordered up the boys’ new mattresses – which I just found out are in and available to be delivered as well. We decided to scratch the original idea of using a built in shelf made and installed half way up the wall to split the room… and instead are going to go more simple and just use a chair rail to accomplish the same thing. And we've picked out the colors for their room as well. The bottom half (or so) will be a royal/navy blue color, and the top will be a lighter/smoky blue, with the chair rail being painted white/eggshell. We’re getting new doors and frames stained and finished (as well as all the trim we will need) by the same guy who did our locker and entertainment system(s) a while back. I think eventually we will have him do some free hanging corner shelves, but for now we’re just going to get the basics done in the room. But before we can get to all that other stuff we are going to have their walls and ceiling texturized. I cannot WAIT to see how this all turns out – I hope they are as excited as I am about it. Will definitely post pictures.
Well I thought since it was a new year I would just try to quickly sum up where each of the kids are at… some details about how they are doing, interests etc. We’ll start with our eldest, MacKay. MacKay, as stated before, has now surpassed Oscar in weight at a whoppin’ 37.5 lbs. I guess I shouldn't be shocked because for the most part MacKay is our better eater of the two….. unless it involves bread or mac n cheese, then Oscar wins hands down. We always used to wonder…. “Where is he PUTTING it?” And now we know. Both the boys are wearing the same size clothes …. 4T tops, a mix of 3T and 4T bottoms, and 4T and 5T PJs. I don’t know why they always end up needing bigger PJs…. But they do (same with Evie). MacKay LOVES to sing … so the Karaoke machine that Gma Chris got them has been a big hit for him. He’s already learned a few more songs since he got it (Alphabet Soup, B-I-N-G-O, and Jack n Jill). The boy will NOT part with his Diesel 10 train he got from Santa either. At times he will put it down to do something else quickly and will come running to me all dramatic like the sky is falling begging me to find his Diesel 10. So we've been working on empowering him to find it HIMSELF. We back track where he has been and it is found again very quickly. Since he got it he has slept with it almost every night (exception was when he slept with Buzz Lightyear on Xmas Eve night). He’s quite obsessed with Diesel 10 now… demanding for me to play or find shows that have Diesel 10 in them – which there aren't many. I was SO excited to find an online article stating that they are working on yet another new Thomas CGI movie that will star Diesel 10 – I think it is called “Day of the Diesels.” MacKay is going to go NUTS after that one. He loves going to school and loves the cutting table … he really wants to master those scissors. He’s getting a little better on his defiance and talking back as I've upgraded my reaction to it. Before I was just calmly saying (at least trying to calmly say) “That’s not nice to say.” But it seems that wasn't working. So on a few occasions I have gotten right in his face and told him that I don’t want to hear him say that anymore, that it isn’t nice and it hurts my feelings, and that if he does it anymore he is going on the naughty bench. I tried hard to leave the naughty bench (consequence) out of it as it is just lipping off, but I need to nip this in the bud before it gets any further out of hand. So far, it’s going better…. Though I get told “Mommy, Stop Talking to Me” (being shouted) a few times a day still.
Oscar relinquished his lead in the weight department (maybe cuz he eats like a bird) and now weighs 36.5 lbs, just a pound under MacKay. I should have known this was going to happen because for a long time Oscar always wore the pants that weren't quite as cinched (the adjustable waist) as MacKay’s were … but slowly MacKay’s tummy started surpassing Oscar’s and I noticed Oscar’s needed to be cinched tighter. I chalked it up to the fact that Oscar has no butt (like his Mom)…. Flat as heck, so his pants were always sagging down or falling off… hence needing to be cinched more. Guess it was more than that. He still looks like he’s got 5+ lbs on MacKay though. He too is wearing the same size clothes as MacKay – I hope that lasts for a while as it makes it really easy to dress them daily. Since Xmas Oscar has become a little bit obsessed with Diesel 10 as well. Sometimes MacKay will let him play with him, and Oscar has a hard time giving him back. He’s his normally chatty self and loves to show you how he completely understands the world around him. Reiterating things you say to show you he heard it and understands… trying to reason with you about why things are a certain way. Telling me what various things are called and what they do, why we use them etc. For example the other day I told him we needed to clean up the house because someone was coming to take pictures. Well after the carpet cleaner came and left today, Oscar was very concerned and told me “Mommm, he didn't take any pictures.” He doesn't miss a beat. Just the other day we were watching Spiderman (which they both love, although Oscar doesn't like Doctor Octopus – he’s scary and mean) and after a scene where Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson were talking about their feelings for each other he looked at Chris and said “What love mean, Daddy?” We tell them we love them NUMEROUS times a day, and they say it to us as well ….. but for some reason he heard it on TV and needed an explanation. Chris was struggling and asked for some help so I just told him “Love is a feeling, like being happy or sad…. But love is how you feel about someone you REALLY REALLY REALLY like and want to be with all the time.” He nodded like he totally understood it. He also has been talking a lot about favorites … his favorite friends, his favorite color (green), his favorite shirts/toys etc. Though pretty much everything ends up being his favorite. Oscar also (as well as MacKay) especially likes playing with Evie’s new toys …. Namely, her dolls. Every time Evie and I play with her Little Mommy dolls, Oscar comes over and wants to join in, or wants their outfits changed out, or wants to push them around in their stroller. It’s quite cute. Even the Snap n Style dolls. He has certain outfits he wants them to wear and won’t tolerate us changing them and likes being involved. Meanwhile, Evie get’s uninterested easily and can be found in the corner chewing on a Matchbox car or playing with the boys’ trains or remote control cars. Love it.
I need to make mention of this too, cuz this is applicable for both boys. They are total gamers. They LOVE all their new board games they got for Xmas and their latest birthday. We are constantly playing games. Just the other day they woke wanting to play a game, and when I told them we needed to wait until Evie went down for a nap they told me Evie needed to go down for a nap NOW – which was 10am, a bit early. I think their favorite so far is Uno Moo – they will come to me carrying the little barn carrying case begging to play. They really grasped that one quickly and get that they can match either the color or animals. And they are starting to show more excitement when they win. We've also played a round or two of Hi-Ho-Cherry-O, Cootie, Old McDonald Pop Up and a variety of matching games they've gotten.
Evie is our little peanut. I don’t remember the boys ever being so petite and scrawny. And she EATS. Man does she eat. Sometimes she eats more than the boys as she’s more willing to try new things. She’s my little human version of a garbage disposal. So I am shocked she’s not a little more porky … but I’m fine with her being my scrawny little peanut too. She’s currently weighing in at 22.5 lbs and wearing anywhere between 12 and 2T clothes. Mostly 12 month pants (with some 18 months), 24 month and 2T shirts (though she can still fit in some of her 18 month shirts), and mainly 2T PJs. She’s starting to help with dressing herself too. I just hold out her pants or socks and she shoves her feet right in and pushes through… and with her shirts I put it over her head and she pretty much does the rest with threading her hands/arms through to the arm holes. She’s very good at getting her needs known…. Saying “Up.. Up.. Up” or “Joooz” (Juice). When we can’t understand what she’s trying to say she will point. She LOVES leading us places. When she beckons to us we will hold out our hands and she excitedly grabs and starts leading us places….. sometimes I think there is no point to the leading, just that she enjoys being in control and being empowered. She’s been a little cranky at times…. Usually pointing at her mouth and chewing on her fingers. I think she’s having a doozie of a time getting those cuspids/canines to finally pop out. She is usually easily calmed by the “kittying” I've mentioned in earlier posts…. She’s a total sucker for having her back or tummy lightly scratched – she seriously freezes in whatever pose she is in and just takes it all in. And she’s quite the pistol too…. You should hear her yell at MacKay and Oscar, though usually MacKay. When they take something from her or are too rough with her, she will get right in their faces and just start screaming and barking at them. She’s getting tougher and tougher. And one of Evie’s favorite things…. The shower. She loves the shower. She spends most of her time, circling around me like she is running through a sprinkler when the water hits her as she comes around and around and around. She looks straight up into the shower stream with her eyes wide open and doesn't mind the water in her face or eyes (MacKay FREAKS out over it) and just dances around in there the entire time. I can barely even wrangle her up long enough to wash her up. She stands outside the shower door looking in on me showering up the boys, waiting her turn and getting impatient. And when she gets undressed and is ready to come in she’s just all smiles.
Well, I’m sure I've forgotten something ….. I think this all through prior to each post, telling myself “Now remember to cover this topic and that topic”…. I need to start writing these little notes down somewhere. Not many pictures… but just a few of the kiddos playing with some of their new toys.
Daddy and the boys playing with their new Sponge Bob Square Pants pinball game from Gma Diane
Evie wanting a picture taken of her too .... posing by our halfway undecorated Xmas tree
The boys playing with Evie's Lego Princess Castle .... while Evie has more fun sitting on (or rather, IN) her throne, which happens to be the container for the Lego Castle pieces
The boys showing off their Cooties they made during their first game of Cootie ... (mine was in the middle, and of course Oscar's is the GREEN one)
Evie thoroughly enjoying her chocolate pudding ... which she insisted upon eating ALL by herself. Threw a fit if I came within two feet of her.
Hope to see you again soon. Happy 2011
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