The Kerpers

Wordle

2012-02-07T12:23:00.002-05:00

I've been having so much fun playing around with Wordle. It creates clouds that display which words appear most frequently on web pages.

I wordled our blog and here's what came up. Of course my eyes went right to: Intense / Ashamed / Scream / Chaos.

But I'm just happy that mixed in with those words our blog also contains: Idea / Appreciate / Dreams / Laughter.

Also I'm happy that the word "pretty" appeared larger than the word "bite" - for some reason this gives me a feeling of parental peace. Try it for yourself and let me know if you have any wordle epiphanies of your own.

One Picture A Day

2012-02-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

When Ryan was born we took a zillion pictures. First bite of solid food. First step. First trip in the big boy car seat. It was pretty intense.

By the time we got to our fourth, life (and diapers) were keeping us from the camera a little bit.

So last year I made a commitment to take a picture every day and post them on Facebook. As I looked back on it, I documented the year plus took a lot of great pics of the kids that could have been otherwise missed.

Since it was such a hit, I've decided to try again in 2012. With one month down I realize that I still love the concept, but need to take less pics with my phone. Maybe I can spin this as an excuse to get the DSLR of my dreams?

The good news is that the themes are still the same. Craziness, chaos, trouble, and laughter...lots of laughter.

Livin' the dream baby!!

The Hills Are Alive

2012-02-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

There’s a right of passage every parent must go through…the glorious children's concerts. At our daycare, they like to fancy it up by calling it the Winter Gala – which I have to say I appreciate because it does make the whole thing feel pretty special.

First up was Dean. I have no pics or video because it was pretty chaotic, plus he kept trying to hit the other kids with his sparkly red top hat. I know this sounds pretty awesome but I felt too ashamed to record it.

So next up came Cha. I only included his grand entrance, which cracked me up because he just lit up when he saw me (it’s not often that I feel this appreciated).

Then the grand finale. Cole channeled his inner Von Trappe child and belted it out for his fans. I’ll spare you the whole song – it feels like it goes on longer than the actual Sound of Music movie - but here’s a little snippet to whet your whistle.

The good news – they all performed much better than years past when we were pretty much boo’d out of the room for our unruly children. And since I didn’t fess up to the crowd that Dean was mine, no one pointed a finger at the mom with the hat-hitting-kid.

Score one for motherhood.

This Is The Story Of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

2012-01-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

Charlie is a classic two-year-old with Jekyll & Hyde syndrome. He can throw a mean tantrum, has been known to take half an hour to pick out the specific clothes he wants, and can scream so loud that the neighbors come running.

On the other hand, he's a major lovebug. He'll dish out sweet cuddly kisses, snuggle on the couch for hours on end, and pet my hair saying, "Momma you look so preeeety."

The other day he was feelin' the love, and I was the lucky recipient. I'm thinking I won't get all of this attention when when he's a teenager so I'm soaking it all in now. MUAH!

Big Fish In A Small Pond

2012-01-24T20:14:00.000-05:00

Last week we bought bunk beds off of Craigslist. It's turned out to be the greatest purchase ever...in addition to saving space they've also turned into a fort, a trampoline, a diving board, and now - a fishing boat.

The boys were running around in circles tonight looking for something to do. For some reason I thought, "Let's stretch wire hangers and make fishing rods so they can fish off the top bunk." Check.

Once that was complete, we needed something for them to catch. So I thought, "What's soft and flexible that we have in large quantities?" Eureka! Underoos.

Best. Idea. Ever.

The Pinewood Derby

2012-01-22T21:25:00.001-05:00

There's this Boy Scout tradition of carving race cars out of wood and racing them on tracks set up in school cafeterias across America. This is known as the Pinewood Derby.

Ry and Phil worked for weeks on his car...it had custom decals and a hand-painted coat as shiny and bright as Ry's hopes for victory.

The night of the Derby came and Ry was excited but nervous at the same time. Before they left Ry took this picture with his car while giving the Boy Scout salute. Can't you just see the eye of the tiger?

So about an hour after they left I received this dreaded text message from Phil: "OMG. He just came in last place 3 times and is currently crying."

I paced the floors trying to rack my brains for how to comfort him when he came home. Things like - "You gave it your best shot" or "Winning isn't everything" or "There's always next year."

In the midst of all this pacing I received another text from Phil: "Some other kid named Ryan won 3rd place. So our Ryan thought they meant him and jumped up and took the award. So pretty much problem solved."

[These are the actual texts - I couldn't make this stuff up].

As a parent I'm torn on many levels. (A) What about poor other-Ryan who has no award? (B) Our Ryan now thinks he's the bomb and is sleeping with the ribbon. (C) The kid needs to learn that sometimes he's going to come in last place.

So now I'm confused. And tired. And dreading next year's Pinewood Derby. And sort of laughing about this whole thing. Then feeling guilty for laughing.

Welcome to my world!

Yes, I Realize These Videos Are Proof That I Have The Maturity Level Of A 6 & 4 Year Old...

2012-01-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

...because I think these are pretty darn funny.

'Till Death To Us Part

2012-01-16T13:47:00.000-05:00

My conversation with my dear sweet lovebug Cole last night:

Cole: Mommy, will you love me forever?
Me: Of course – I’ll always love you.
Cole: Even when you die and go to heaven?
Me: I’ll even love you then.
Cole: Will you live in my heart when you’re in heaven?
Me: Yes, I’ll live in your heart when I'm not with you.
Cole [Changing topics, or so I thought]: How old you have to be to get married?
Me: 18
Cole: Will you marry me when I turn 18?
Me: I can’t – you’re not allowed to marry people you’re related to.
Cole: But I love you so much. I think we should get married and be together forever.

And so it went on…and on...and on. We were in the car on the way home from Philly so luckily he had over an hour to continue this line of questioning.

Ever since he was a baby our Coley has loved with all of his soul…he’s going to make someone very happy one day!!

Photo Download

2012-01-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

In a world of smartphone cameras it's just too easy to take shots of my lovelies. I'm way backed up on posting so I'm just going to throw some old shots into a post. Write your own captions and let me know what you come up with!!

Oh What A Tangled Web We Weave

2012-01-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

Every year for Christmas, Aunt Lori buys the boys matching PJs. This year was a Spidey theme and the boys were killin' the lewk.

Here's how I imagine this conversation going:
Dean: Okay...quick conference...so I'm thinking about just messing around when she's trying to take our picture
Charlie: Shh, shh, here she comes...act natural...

Cole was right on point as he warmed up for our annual PJ shoot:

Right before we took this picture Ry stubbed his toe. We told them they could get an extra dessert if they smiled - so here you see Ryan gritting his teeth and taking it like a man.

And the always popular raising the roof shot.

I don't know how many more years we'll be able to convince them to wear matching clothes...so for now I'll just take what I can get. These boys will always be super heroes in my book. *SHAZAAM!*

5...4...3...2...1... HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

2012-01-02T18:22:00.001-05:00

New Year's Eve was memorable this year...I think...at least what I can remember. Ba dum dum ching. Well at least I wasn't as bad off as this guy.

Every year we have a neighborhood party. Seeing how this was the first time since we moved in (5 years ago) that I wasn't pregnant or nursing, I figured it was our turn to host.

Joining us this year was a new friend...Mr. Jello Shot...he was kind to all.

At 10:00 pm we celebrated St. John's New Years for those kiddos that needed to crash. Between the sparklers, the snaps, the horns, and the screaming...we were just as bad as our college student neighbors.

Again...the details are fuzzy...but at some point we started an Irish sing along in the kitchen thanks to our guests from across the pond.

Phil gave everyone a piece of paper and had them write down a word that will be meaningful for them in 2012. This turned out to be quite the hit and we got some very interesting responses.

By the end of the night my boys were completely kicked. They threw everyone out of their room and posted this sign out the door. Ba humbug.

They say that your year is determined by what you're doing at midnight on New Year's - here's hoping that 2012 turns out to be as much fun as that night (minus the dizziness).

Christmas 2011 Top 10

2012-01-02T11:16:00.001-05:00

10. Santa came! He came!

9. Presents galore

8. Keeping the boys entertained/distracted with new toys for all of 5 minutes

7. All the boys in cute fuzzy pajamas with feet

6. No words needed for this one

5. Cole's look of complete shock to learn that he was on the "Nice" list

4. Family time 'round the tree

3. Knowing that Santa brought exactly what the boys wanted and seeing their faces light up with each gift

2. Listening to Charlie walking around saying, "Ho ho ho"

1. Wearing Dean out to the point of exhaustion. We win!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-27T09:52:00.000-05:00

Ahh, Christmas Eve. That magical evening of childhood innocence, dancing sugar plums, homecooked deliciousness...

Okay time for a reality check...instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, the kids went bonkers from excitement and cookie overload. But I guess that's what Christmas is all about?

Dean chose to eat the whipped cream off of his cookie by dipping a Christmas card into the cream and licking it off. I figured...he wasn't crying...so have at it kid.

Time for the obligatory pose around the Christmas tree shot...we had 1 out of 4 kids cooperating (thanks Cha!)

Then we worked our way up to 2 out of 4 kids cooperating - a Christmas miracle.

The church service was beautiful...luminaries lined all of the walkways and we all lit candles and sang Silent Night at the end. Cole was particulary impressed that the minister asked us to light the chalice at the start of the service...a 4 year old's version of his 15 minutes of fame.

After the service everyone brought something sweet to eat...Dean decided to skip the cookies and cake and went right for the shoe.

Another Christmas miracle...when we got home the boys asked to go to bed. Huh?!? So we willingly obliged and went to our neighbors for drinks.

After settling into their kitchen stools with wine glass firmly planted in hand, I realized what Christmas means to me (besides the alcohol). Sitting with your friends and laughing about our crazy life. Making the kid's favorite foods and hearing them say thank you. Seeing their excitement about Santa coming to town. Hearing hundreds of people at church sing together by candlelight.

When you strip away the chaos it really was a fantastic day. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Tis The Season

2011-11-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

Ahh, the joy of family traditions. When we say it out loud it sounds so nice: "We go to a farm every year to cut down our own Christmas Tree."

The reality of this adventure includes 4 crazy boys, a maze of trees to get lost in, old dull saws, and an unfortunate situation of having to go uphill both ways (still haven't figured that one out).

Before we even made it out to the field, Cole got put in time out for fighting with Ry over who would pull the cart.

He snapped out of it quickly since it was his year to pick the tree. He chose this beaut which didn't seem so big out in the field...until we brought it home and realized it was taller than the ceiling.

Charlie was truly trying to help...

...Ry was not.

And here she is all decorated and lit up in the front window.

These videos are so classic Kerper - chaos and whining mixed in with laughter and love. Wishing you the latter as you celebrate your own holiday traditions.

Coley, Defined.

2011-11-25T21:01:00.001-05:00

My dear, sweet, headstrong Cole. No one's going to tell him how to have his fun.

Exhibit A: At the end of a recent Cub Scout hayride, there was a big bonfire. Everyone gathered round to toast marshmallows and have a Coombaya kinda night. Cole, instead, sat on this here log.

Exhibit B: During a recent trip to the zoo the lion was feeling photogenic and plopped himself right in front of the viewing window. Charlie, Ryan, and Dean were understandably glued to the glass. Cole, on the other hand, was too busy reading the zoo map to notice.

Exhibit C: Tonight he had a choice: let me cut his nails or sit in Time Out. He chose to sit in time out for almost an hour, and finally relented with: "Oh fine - I'll let you cut my nails now."

Raising this child takes lots of deep breaths...but his nails are cut. Oh yes, his nails are cut (a.k.a. I won.)

Boo To The Flu

2011-11-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of the summer we started going to a new church. It's been a great experience for the family and we really like the modern twists of the congregation (i.e. the sermons are all available on podcast and the minister likes to use 80's movie references in his sermons.)

This weekend we volunteered with a few other families at The Clinic in Phoenixville to disinfect from top to bottom as they prepare for flu season.

I brought Ryan and Cole, and was so proud of them for rolling up their sleeves and helping. I think they may have just been excited for the opportunity to wear rubber gloves, but they also asked a lot of smart questions like, "Why do people have to come here instead of a regular doctor's office?"

When we left Cole gave a hug to the Director of the Clinic and said, "I hope everyone feels better soon!" My little charmer strikes again.

Sugar High

2011-11-20T20:55:00.000-05:00

I've decided that Halloween is officially my favorite holiday. Seeing kids dressed up is as cute, scary, or hilarious as it gets. People give you free candy, and it's a great excuse to get out and re-connect with the neighborhood.

We kicked off the holiday extravaganza with a parade at daycare. I kept telling people that Cole's scraggly hair was part of his costume.

Next adventure: get a picture of the boys all together in costume looking somewhat cute. I'd say mission is slightly accomplished.

How cool is this pic? Here's Harry Potter flying on his broomstick on the front porch.

Before we went trick or treating we went to our friend's annual pre-party. Apparently Dean took this concept very seriously and found the backup supply. Luckily we caught him before he busted out the corkscrew.

Aaaaand....they're off. Cha hung the whole time, and even went back out with Phil after they stopped home to drop off the first round of goodies.

Here's Cole inspecting the loot. We're still working through all of their hard-earned treasure, including nightly negotations and trade agreements. I allow the nonsense because I figure it's good training for their future political careers. Or law school. Or I'm just numb to the fighting. Hmm...

Hockey & Wine

2011-11-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

Ryan and Cole asked to try out floor hockey this season. Things we've learned:

1. Setting ground rules for boys and hockey sticks is always a good thing
2. Cole would rather slide on the floor with his pads than actually play floor hockey
3. An empty racquetball court is the best place to kill time with 2 toddlers while waiting for their older brother's games to finish

And the best lesson of all that was a total "duh" when I learned it: When giving water to a kid wearing a hockey mask, use a straw

After their final game, we went to a party at our friends house during a freak October snow storm. There was lots of food and lots of wine, which led to lots of laughs and a quick stumble home to snuggle with the family.

Looks like it's going to be a long winter...good thing we live near a discount liquor store. Cheers!

Straight From The Art History Books

2011-10-25T12:50:00.001-04:00

Phil took the boys to Ridley Creek State Park on a recent Daddy Day. I'm not sure what they did there, but based on the pictures he downloaded I can assume that it involved a lot standing on picnic tables and screaming.

Apparently riding on this thing-a-ma-jig takes a lot of concentration - the boys had their tongues hanging out as they rode the day away.

Posing as an old retired man in his windbreaker and white sneaks, Dean strolled around the park looking for trouble.

This picture cracked me up. I couldn't put my finger on why I thought it was so funny, then I realized it reminded me of the American Gothic painting.

May they grow old together like these other crazy cats!

The Worst Morning Of His Life

2011-10-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

Cole wanted to bring his stuffed dog (Winston) to school for naptime. When we pulled out of the driveway he realized he had forgotten the poor pup, which of course was cause for a major freak out attack.

I’m talking the ENTIRE RIDE TO SCHOOL he screamed about the dang dog. He cried. He foamed at the mouth. He wailed, “This is the worst morning of my life.” He wept.

Then we pulled into the school parking lot and he said, “Oh, there’s Winston. He’s on the chair next to me.”

So the little bugger grabbed the dog, hopped out of the car, and strolled into school. The end.

Sigh.

You'll Probably Only Appreciate This Post If You Know Harry Potter. Sorry.

2011-10-18T12:47:00.001-04:00

It was quite an eventful couple of days for us Muggles. Chestnut Hill held their Annual Harry Potter weekend complete with Quidditch Training, Defense Against The Dark Arts classes, and a Wizarding Chess Match.

Of course all our boys wanted to do was eat candy and buy Potter paraphernalia (they were particularly impressed when Daddy ate a barf-flavored Bertie Bott's Bean), but they did get a kick out of the sorting hat.

We were standing in line for a few minutes, and Ry started to get stressed. Really stressed. "I better get picked for Gryffindor" led to "I better not get picked for Hufflepuff" which led to "I don't want to do this."

By the time we got to the front of the line I could actually see the panic on his face. As I hollered, "I'm SURE you'll get into Gryffindor" while staring at Dumbledore with a threatening face, he reluctantly stepped up to the plate. Low and behold, GRRRRRRYFFINDOR!

Cole hopped right up and said to Dumbledore, "I hope I get into Slytherin." The sorting hat agreed, and I have to say that there's something to Cole getting into the house associated with "ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness."

After all of this excitement the boys were begging for Hogwarts robes. And with a flip of our magic wand (i.e. wallet) their wish came true.

Happy early Halloween to all you witches, wizards, and Muggles out there in blogland!

Apple Of My Eye

2011-10-11T09:24:00.001-04:00

The boys went to the orchard to pick apples yesterday. A quote from Ry: "When I'm in heaven, I'm going to thank God for planting apple trees - 'cause I really love apples."

Amen my man!

I Wanna Donut

2011-10-11T08:54:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love 2 year olds. They're finally out of the baby stage, their personalities really start to come out, they start talking, and you know that you still have a solid year before the terror of the 3's begins.

My favorite part about Charlie's 2 year old transition is how he talks. It sounds like he has a French accent the way he says "Bay-geul" or "Coco Pebbeuls" (that one's the best).

Here he tells Dad that he wants a donut. Yes all of my references have to do with food...those that know Cha are well aware that he's no stranger to eating well and thoroughly speaking his mind (as evidenced below).

Daddy Day Gone Wild

2011-10-10T20:52:00.001-04:00

We all have our own approaches to parenting. Some go with the "Let them use their imaginations and explore the world" approach.

Others choose the "Foster their creativity by any means possible" approach.

Then there's those who choose the "Let your 1 year old run around in a room filled with paint, then photograph him lying on the floor wearing 2 different shoes, and finally take off half his clothes in a public museum so he can splash in the water" approach.

Luckily for our boys, Phil chooses all three of the above. I don't think there's any right or wrong way to do this parenting thing - but I do know that some fun along the way should definitely be part of the equation.

The One In The Middle Is The Green Kangaroo

2011-09-28T15:48:00.000-04:00

I had classic middle-child syndrome growing up. Although Cole isn't officially the middle child, I still sympathize with his situation and try to give him the special attention that he so desparately craves.

His favorite thing to do is sit with me and have me write out words for him to read. Yesterday he asked if he could also write his own words - I dare you to find his version of "Ferris Wheel" or "Water" or "Ghost Ship" - love the way a 4 year old's mind works.

He's in the Pre-K class at school and is luh-uhving all of the projects. He feels extremely old and important now that he's doing "big kid" crafts.

What can I say...he's a fellow ham after my own heart...

The infamous balloon incident of 2011...one of his balloons flew away and as Cole put it, "That was the worst day of my life." I figure if that's as bad as it gets, then the kid has it pretty good.