Blah

Sleep deprivation does not lead to good parenting. Our kids have been down and out with another pesky bug this week. This particular bug leads to sleepless nights and lots of whining. Ryan was working nights at the beginning of the week so I was on my own. After two sleepless nights with Liam he started to get better, but then Gavin got it. Thankfully at that point Ryan was done with his night shifts and was able to help out, this was good timing because I seemed to have run out of sympathy by then. So now after two more sleepless nights with Gavin we have been able to muster up some sympathy for him, but no left over patience for Liam. Ugh, this parenting thing is a tough gig.

After this winter full of colds and flu I might be ready to move to the desert, I have this idea that they do not get sick as often there. It is very good timing for my mom to get here tomorrow. I think the first thing I will do is take an all day nap.

Preschool

This year we have been a part of another co-op preschool for Liam. It has been a lot of fun. It definitely gets crazy sometimes taking care of Gavin and trying to teach these four kids something, I've found it is a lot more difficult to manage in a bigger house with more places for kids to disappear to. But I love getting to watch Liam interact with his friends and trying to provide some productive fun for them. Next year we are sending Liam to preschool instead of doing one here and I am actually sad I won't get to be a part of it anymore. So here are some of the fun things we've been up to.


The aftermath. Yes I helped five kiddos in and out of all of these snow clothes!


Watching a bulldozer do some work on a house across the street.

We have our basement set up as our indoor backyard for winter. All of our bikes and trikes are down there and we even pull out the sidewalk chalk.

We also had a lot of fun with these cardboard boxes that we turned into a tunnel.

The Gav Man

Gavin is...

-A snuggler. One of the sweetest things he does is when you pick him up he likes to nuzzle into your shoulder. It is particularly sweet that he does that every time he sees Ryan after work. He nuzzles right in and stays there for a few minutes.
-A bruiser. He started trying to join in on wrestling time as soon as he could crawl. One thing is for sure, this little guy will not be letting his older brother push him around.
-A smiler. He just smiles A LOT at anyone who looks at him. He is the grocery store charmer.
-A fast learner. You only have to show him something once and he's got it figured out.

His favorites are...

-Flipping through books.
-Stacking blocks.
-His dog, and the feeling is mutual.
-Climbing up and down stairs.
-Chasing his big brother.
-Playing the piano and singing.
-Bananas and peas.

He dislikes...

-When you close the gate or door to keep him from the stairs.
-When you walk away from him with his bottle in your hand.
-Sleeping past 5 AM.
-When mommy tries to cook dinner (this is when he sits between my legs and cries and follows me around the kitchen).

He says...

-Dah Duh (all done and signs it).
-Mama, dada
-Dog
-Nooow (snow)
-Ball
-A-boo (peek a boo)
-Bubble fingers
-Squawk!!!! (he does this a lot)

Gavin is definitely his own little person, so different in so many ways from his big brother which makes it equally fascinating to get to know him.

So even though I already miss this baby...

Look at that fat squishy face!











I am so looking forward to getting to know this toddler.

They say it's my birthday!

This darling little man is now a bigger little man!




Liam in a sweet little voice "Can you take a picture of me too?"

He actually loved doting Gavin with attention all day. He made this shirt for Gavin for his birthday, he wanted Gavin to have a shirt that matched one that his friend Amos gave him for his birthday. Liam chose the design and all.

It was another fun birthday in our house. I just love spending a day celebrating these sweet little ones. Gavin is such a sweetheart and a real blessing in our lives.

Oh Canada!

Ryan had a vacation week last week, we did not have plans to go anywhere, but I could not stand the idea of wasting a vacation week in February by STAYING in Rochester. So at the last minute we invited some of our friends to join us for a quick trip to Toronto. Toronto is the closest big big city to us, it is only about 2 1/2 hours away. Foreign travel used to be a part of our lives, but it hasn't been since Ryan started medical school and probably won't be again for a few more years, at least until residency is done. I have the occasional moment of extreme yearning to travel to a different country so I can be absorbed in their culture for a little while. Surprisingly, going to Canada really did feel like going to a different country and here are five reasons why.
1.They travel in kilometers.
2.They go to movies at the "theatRE" and use the toilet in the "washroom".
3.Some people recognized our American accents.
4.We got roaming charges on our phone.
5.I swear the landscape really did change the moment we crossed the boarder, which DID require a passport by the way.

Vacationing with kids is such a different experience. By "different" I mean, utterly exhausting! Babies don't sleep well when traveling which of course means that no one sleeps well. Also, the experiences that you find fun and joy in are not what you would expect.

For example, hanging out in the hotel room ie. jumping on the bed.


Discovering an old Mater car.

Watching the magic happen.


Do I get some?

Spending the day at Toronto's central park, called High Park that has an ice rink, a free petting zoo, miles and miles of walking trails and this cool castle park designed by kids!






It's so rare to get a genuine smiling picture of Liam!

This little guy was such a trooper on the whole trip. There were many missed naps and much time spent bundled up on walks in the cold and he was fairly patient for most of it.

Of course the other perks of this trip were eating some delicious Indian, Greek and Thai food and taking a nice trip to Ikea.

I love the energy and diversity of big cities. I'm not sure how it happened but I have become a city girl, I grew up in more of a country setting and loved it, but as a stay at home mom I think I actually prefer cities. I like being able to walk to most things, I like being surrounded by parks and playgrounds and I like the people watching. Unfortunately, Ryan, who grew up in busy San Diego has decided he is a country boy. Hopefully we can find a good middle ground:) Any medium sized cities you can recommend for us?

Favorite Things

For Christmas Ryan did a sweet thing, he browsed Craigslist for about a month and a half looking for a good cheap piano to surprise me with so I would have a place to sit down to sing. It has been so nice to have and has provided some good therapy sessions for me, singing makes me feel happy and helps me to forget my worries.

Every once in a while Gavin will disappear from sight and get really quiet, right at the moment when I decide to go see what he is up to I hear a plunk plunk plunk on the piano. He does this on a daily basis and sings along with his playing. It makes us happy to see the boys enjoying it too.

Bored

Ryan and I were talking today and came to a realization, we're bored. When you are eating healthy and not spending money (that happens quite naturally when you don't have it) and you no longer live in D.C. where everything is FREE FREE FREE and there is always a new museum to check out or a cute street to go for a walk on (sorry, I'm going through major withdrawals)! What is there to look forward to? You can't go out to eat as that is forbidden by both pacts to eat healthy and not spend money, you can't make delicious desserts, you can't go to movies, you can't buy new clothes or go shopping at all, you can't go to shows, you can't do almost anything. We are restricted to spending hours at the Museum of Play, going swimming and exercising at the gym, and trying to make fun at home. All good things of course, but it's just same ol same ol.

It might just be that it is February/Blahuary and we are in need of some spring weather so we can hike and bike and kayak. But any tips for ways to bring some spice and excitement into our lives again without spending? We are going a little stir crazy I think.

Even Gavin is feeling it. Swimming? Again?

Sorry for being a Debbie Downer. February has never been my favorite month of the year.

Update: I just spent an hour pretend shopping online and found some really cute pretend summer church outfits for the boys and I'm feeling much better now:) I have determined that this is indeed a case of the Blahuarys as I have also been daydreaming about long days where the sun doesn't go down until after 9 and my cute little boys running around in shorts and their Keens. Strangely enough, this is actually part of what I like about living somewhere with seasons, that yearning for summer and subsequent yearning for snow. But still, any tips on free fun would be appreciated.