What was I thinking???

The Potty Stories

2012-01-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

Since Tommy has become potty trained it has led to all sorts of new discoveries and curiosities. On Friday night after John played baseball on an Indoor League I get everyone loaded into the car and Tommy announces he has to go pee. Instead of lugging everyone back into the building I pull out my trusty "pee in the bottle" bottle for these such emergencies. Tommy takes care of business and then James from the back seat says "hey, let me see your pee" so Tommy proudly shows him the bottle! Every morning I encourage Tommy to go to the bathroom immediately after he wakes up. On Saturday Patrick says "Do you hear what I hear?" I said "No". He said it's Tommy peeing! Yippe! Today coming home from a park program for Tommy he says "Do you know that Army guys sometimes pee in the woods?" I said "I had no idea who told you this?" He replied "James". Great information to pass along to your brother I suppose! Oh yes I forgot to mention James is now showering instead of taking a bath which is a real nice change of pace for me. You definitely know when he cleans his privates. He giggles like a little school girl. Out of control!

No more babies in my house!

2011-12-01T17:05:00.001-05:00

It looks like it is official. The day I have been waiting for to announce to the world. Tommy is finally potty trained. A couple weeks ago I hated life as a stay at home mom. I was at my wits end. Tommy was stubborn and I was trying to be just as stubborn. I was making him sit on the potty until he would use it. A couple times he said he was finished only later to go in his pants. Finally on Friday, November 18th, I made him wear underwear. By his reaction I knew it was the right move. He had no more excuses. He had to use the potty. He has had a few accidents here and there but more times then not he uses the potty! In fact today he had to go just before it was time for us to pick up Patrick. He would not get off the potty until he went. Luckily, I know another mother in the class who could bring Patrick home otherwise we would have been in a pickle. I am extremely happy that my diaper and wipes buying days are over. I will miss getting the bonus fuel perks from Giant Eagle. We haven't officially ditched rather burnt the diaper pail but I see that happening in the near future. Next week Patrick turns 5! It is so hard to believe! He will be star student for his class in a couple weeks so I had to look back at pictures from the past to print. It seemed like an eternity since he was a baby. It made me look at all the kids as babies. We also watched some videos of when they were little. Watching the videos of the babies made James ask for another one. He asked me yesterday how babies come out of my belly. I said it was magic. He then asked if the baby was cut out. I decided to go with it because its true even if it didn't happen to me. He then responded he was glad he was a man. Boy he doesn't know the half of it! LOL! The kids are still driving me absolutely bonkers at times. Don't they know they are supposed to be good at all times because Santa's elves are watching?? Maybe we should get an elf!

Dreams and Aspirations

2011-11-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

Everyone has dreams whether they are realistic or not. I love that my kids have dreams and I have dreams for them. For example, I aspire that one day we will be a diaper free house! I'm truly hoping this will happen sooner than later. I am making Tommy aware of his choices but he chooses to be stubborn. So my dream is not yet a reality. Matt told me last week that John is still dreaming about becoming a Major League Baseball player. I love this dream. I hope he can hold on to it for a while. John was telling Matt "I know I am going to North High School, but it would be really cool if I could play baseball at St. Ed's." Matt was laughing because he was wondering where did the talk of St. Ed's came from. We only talk about two high schools in our house, Lake Catholic and Eastlake North. Matt was saying "What happened to Lake Catholic?" While I was saying "What part of 'he is going to North High doesn't he get??" as I don't even want to know what that tuition bill looks like. A month from today Patrick will be turning 5 years old. This really seems hard to believe. He is so independent and happy go lucky that I can't wait to see how he continues to grow. I think back at when he was one years old throwing a tantrum at 5:30 in the morning because he was the one not to get the waffle out of the freezer and he didn't get lifted up to put it in the toaster. So I asked Patrick what he wanted for his birthday and Christmas. His reply was "Wii games, Wii games, Wii games" with a giggle. I said yes I know that but realistically you will not get to play on the Wii 24/7. I could not get a straight answer out of him. So hopefully I choose wisely. I need to figure this one out soon. Yes I have the Wii games. James dreams are changing daily. I thought I had him all figured out for Christmas and now he saw a new catalog and now that is all out of the window. Too bad I already made a few purchases. Yesterday he rode a bicycle without training wheels for the first time. It does not surprise me he did this. He has such great balance on his scooter that I knew he would master this accomplishment. Matt was the one that got to witness this accomplishment. I'm so happy he did. James is also dreaming about going hunting for turkey. I'm guessing he chose to hunt for turkey because it is a small animal compared to a deer or bear. He will have to wait until he gets a little older but for now he can dream about it.

Oh my time has gone by!

2011-10-24T13:39:00.005-04:00

Needless to say it has been a busy Summer and Fall with the boys. Also with Facebook and Twitter now available it is easier to type a quick thought or a funny story. John, James and Patrick are doing well in school. James is a lot more sociable in school than he was in last year. Patrick handled the transition to a new school that offered a Pre-K that was perfect for our schedule very well. John continues to excel and even has received an award for showing Respect for other people. As you can see Tommy's name should be included in this bragging about my kid in school thought however this child is stubborn beyond reason. I have taken away Wii, watching Wii, the computer - everything I can think of to not give him an excuse as to not use the potty. He is just refusing. People have bribed the child with money and still nothing. I have decided that James and Tommy will take care of me in my old age. After all they both dragged their feet at potty training so it is only fair! To top it off he is outgrowing naps so this makes what do I do with him while Patrick takes advantage of his Wii time. Right now he is in his bedroom playing. I guess this is the way it will have to be. Maybe this will help him get the message. I'm ready to send him away to potty training camp. If only there was such a thing!

As I'm typing I'm uploading pictures to Shutterfly to make the year in review book. I usually make it around now so I have a few extra copies made for Christmas presents and then I make one up after Christmas to include Patrick's birthday! It will be funny if I go way over 20 pages because we really haven't taken a lot of pictures. Hopefully the cell phone pictures turn out well in the book. Crazy technology. I should look to see if they have an app that uploads the pics from your cell phone. Man would that save time!

I would like to dedicate this post to my mother who misses these fun blog entries!

Birthday Fun!

2011-03-23T13:40:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday and the kids are very excited. I encouraged them to sleep in because let's face it the more peace and quiet in the morning for me the better! They did not take my advice and were up early. It was ok because before you know it breakfast was over and we were snuggled on the couch watching morning cartoons. Then the "hey Mom, I'm still hungry" statements started. I think I am going to make them go to Snackers Anonymous!

So last month was Tommy's birthday, mine today and in 2 weeks is John's. I usually don't make a cake for my birthday but instead look for a delicious pie or cheesecake. I found a pie at the store that looks so delicious. Its still in the freezer because my neighbor made me a cake! It looks very tasty too! I had my neighbor watch the boys a few times yesterday while I dealt with taking the car in and out of being repaired. The boys being excited shared the news I'm a little older today. In fact Patrick was kind enough this morning to ask me what my number is! He probably won't remember though which is fine!

I took Patrick and Tommy to the mall. It was great to have them run around and look at a few stores we haven't been to in awhile. We also got an Auntie's Anne's treat because I had a coupon for a free pretzel! Birthday treats all around!

And now for the rest of the story

2011-03-10T13:00:00.002-05:00

So you remember how I said James has a door on his heart to let God and Jesus in? Well apparently that changed by the end of the day. First of all he was not at all thrilled when he was told he was going to mass for Ash Wednesday. Matt was holding his hand to get ashes and when it was there turn James let go and ran off. He was afraid to get ashes.

I also forgot to share another story from this week. I asked James about indoor recess on Tuesday and if he talked to some of his classmates. He said no we can only talk a little as the teacher has a video camera on us so we can't misbehave. John wasn't buying this and let James no he didn't believe she had a camera. James said she really does. I think it is in the closet!

The kids survived their first day of Lent and no Wii. We are asking they give it up only one day a week during Lent. Patrick used the time to catch up on some sleep as he didn't feel good. He has had a runny nose for almost a week. I sure enjoyed the peace and no fighting over who's turn it is and what game is being played.

We have had 5 snow days already this year and they are calling for more snow tonight and tomorrow. I really hope the school stay open so we can continue to look forward to our day off at the end of the month rather than have it a make up day!

Stories to warm your heart

2011-03-09T13:41:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged in a long long time. So I have a few stories to share that I wanted to capture in my blog. Lucky for you it wasn't how I kept waking up with poor Tommy the other night when he had the stomach flu. Actually these are about James. That young man is growing leaps and bounds. It brings tears to my eyes how proud of him I am.

On Monday John came off the bus upset. This was unusual because it is usually James I'm trying to get into the house because it is always "woe is me". I forgot even though its not my responsibility, to put John's library books in his bag for Library Day. This means he was not allowed to take any books out. Apparently he was disappointed. So as we were doing homework I asked John if he cried. He said no. Then I asked James if he cried at school. He said "Yes 2 times!" He then went on to explain how he was frustrated with a Cat in the Hat project they needed to complete. I didn't laugh out loud but I was sure laughing at the inside because he always has something that is "too hard" or "it takes too long". Two excuses I can't wait to leave his vocabulary but I'm not sure will.

Then Tuesday when James came home I made the mistake of asking if anyone is sick. Since they can't tell me anything funny or sad that happened at school I want to see if he knows who the kids are in his class. He then proceeded to tell me how one kid got sick and was throwing up in the garbage can. James was nervous because the kid wears glasses and he was afraid they would fall in the garbage can. Of course he went on to exaggerate that the kid was standing at the garbage can for a half hour.

Its only Wednesday but this is the best story. We were talking about Lent and going to church today. James said that God and Jesus are in his heart but he was confused on how they got there. I said - we let them in. He said "how? Oh I know they go through the door". Then he kept repeating how he has a door on his heart. I hope he keeps them in his heart forever.

Ok this story is about Patrick. The boys always go to communion with us when we are at Mass. We first did this because we didn't feel comfortable leaving them alone to get into trouble. But then later we just took the little one's leaving James and John. When John started to prepare for 1st Communion the priest suggested the children accompany us so they will know what to expect and what to do when they receive Communion. So when I go to Communion I always receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Two weeks ago I had Patrick & Tommy with me. Before I received the Body of Christ Patrick held Tommy's hand so we could stay together. I think it is so cute when the little one's hold hands. Then just as I bowed to receive the Blood of Christ I caught Patrick out of the corner of my eye bowing just like I bow before I received the wine. As we walked back to the pew I saw a lot of smiling faces from the other parishioners that saw Patrick.

Well I'm starting to get excited for Tommy. I think the little guy is starting to want to try to be potty trained. We have had some good days and we have had some accidents. He definitely understands the benefits of going the bathroom on the potty. It is really helpful that James is encouraging him too. Two weeks ago when the boys had a snow day James and Patrick gave a demonstration that started in the living room and then I made them go into the bathroom on how to pee standing up. Then we saw a remote control car that Tommy said he wanted. James said it would make a great "pooping prize!" Love it!

I survived the holidays!

2011-01-05T12:08:00.002-05:00

I survived the baking, shopping, wrapping and a few kids and myself getting sick. We had a great Christmas. I think everyone was happy with their presents. James was reluctant about going back to school but when the time came he didn't put up much of a fuss. We are getting back into routine which is nice.

I have to laugh the kids TV station we normally watch is showing more commercials for Huggies Pull Ups. They have a catchy little tune called "The Potty Dance" When I say "Tommy this is your song" he says "No". I guess that is not his New Year's Resolution. I guess my New Year's Resolution to have my bra not be a handle bar is going to have to wait.

The new car

2010-11-15T12:38:00.003-05:00

So last week before Matt left for Las Vegas the check engine light went on in the Malibu. When I found out what the code was for the light we knew it was time to get a new car. So while Matt was in Vegas I checked the internet to find out what might be one of the best cars available with great gas mileage on the highway under $20,000. It turned out to be the Honda Civic. So Saturday after Matt confirmed my research he set out to make a deal on some new wheels.

In the meantime it was such a beautiful day I couldn't let it go to waste and decided it was a perfect day to put the Christmas lights on our front tree. I got out the big big steel ladder that I swear is going to kill me one day because it is so heavy to push it straight up. I finally got it near the top of the tree so I could start there. John and James were available to help out a little while Tommy and Patrick rested. When I got up there I was wondering how am I going to get the lights to go around to the sides without having to move the ladder 3 or 4 times. So I remembered that we have one of those grabber things with the suction cups at the end in the van so when on trips I can pass drinks and snacks to the back seat. John went & fetched that. In no time at all the top part was finished and it was time to put away the big ladder and get out the 6 foot step ladder. Around the tree the ground is not level so it is key to find a good spot to put the ladder. I still needed to go pretty high on the ladder. So when I was nervous about going to the next step I told John and James "Ok, here is the deal. John if I fall and my eyes aren't open go across the street and get the neighbor. Then I made the boys pray "Please do not let Mom fall". We successfully put the rest of the lights on without me falling. It turns out the tree grew and we needed some more lights on the bottom. I bought some a while ago at BJ's. It turns out they were size C6 and I needed C9. James proudly pointed out that if I turned the box upside down it makes a 9. If only I could do that with the lights.

Matt came home shortly after with a sporty looking Honda Civic LX. It is really nice and we now don't have to worry about him getting to and from work.

Yesterday at the kids religion class they talked about prayer. In James class when it was his turn to say what he prays for he said "that my mom does not fall off the ladder when putting up the Christmas lights". My friend who was in the class with her son said it was really sweet. I'm impressed he wasn't praying for Star Wars Legos!

The Business Trip

2010-11-09T13:18:00.003-05:00

So this week Matt is on a business trip to Las Vegas for work. Because his car's "check engine" light went on we decided that I would drive and pick him up from the airport. So yesterday afternoon Tommy, Patrick, Matt and I headed out to the airport. Patrick was complaining about the sun being in his eyes so we told him to go to sleep even though we know he hasn't been taking naps lately. We weren't even to the freeway and he was out and not much longer Tommy was out. We ran into some traffic which made us crawl for a bit but eventually got Matt to the airport in plenty of time. When we get to the airport Patrick wakes up for some reason and not far from home Tommy woke up too. Ok so if your doing math at home that is not a long nap for Patrick which is ok but even shorter for Tommy which could make things crazy later. I was most concerned about keeping them entertained so I could focus on homework with John and James. When we got home Tommy said "Where's Daddy?" Umm we just took him to the airport while you were sleeping?? When the boys got home from school we called Matt who was still waiting for his flight so the boys would have a chance to say goodnight. I guess that went well but our boys are not much talkers when it comes to the phone. We made it through the evening without too many more questions about where is Daddy.

So this morning the boys actually sleep in since this time change took effect. I was pleased. Then they come down and start asking "Where's Daddy?" me - in Las Vegas. Patrick in Downtown Cleveland? No Las Vegas. James - did he sleep in his car? Me no in a hotel. I then showed them on the weather map in the newspaper where Matt was compared to where we are.

When we return from picking Patrick up we pull the car in the garage. Matt's car is there. Patrick says "Daddy's Home" Nope Las Vegas. Remember we took him to the airport yesterday because his car is broke and he will probably get a new one this weekend? Patrick - he should get purple, Tommy - no black.

Sometimes I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog's Day.

Halloween Fun

2010-11-02T18:16:00.002-04:00

So as the week built up to Halloween the boys were excited but still a little nervous. I bought glow sticks so they wouldn't be afraid of the dark. I offered to take them for a walk so they could see our neighbors houses in the daylight. Costumes were ready. Finally Halloween arrived. It is 6:30am still pitch black out. Patrick is already requesting to go to the neighbors house across the street. I say sure, if they are home. He immediately opens our shutters and looks across the street for any light on. We come home from church. The questions begin - is it time yet?? no. After nap. Is it time yet? no we still need to eat. Finally it is 5:25pm and it is time to start to get layered up. We snap a few pictures in the front yard and the kids cooperated fairly well. They already ditched their masks so they could see ok. We went to the neighbors across the street before Trick or Treat began so we didn't have to try and cross with the extra Halloween traffic of imports coming from other cities. We come back after a nice visit and we light the glow sticks. The kids are running around the yard. Is it time yet? Tommy goes back inside claiming he is already cold. The wind was brutal. Finally it is time. We start at the house across from us. Then we go down the street one house with lights on at a time. When the kids were nervous we just skipped the house. Patrick had no fear on most houses and was first in line. Tommy was usually last and near the end the bag was so heavy that I was carrying it along with the masks. We made our way back up to our house. With bags full of goodies and cold hands. The boys are excited to see Matt again and to begin their duty of shouting out and inviting anyone and everyone to our house for candy. Patrick and Tommy immediately wanted to go in the house to warm up and start eating the candy. After I checked their bags they had a few pieces. It is tradition for the fire trucks / ambulance / or police cars to come around the neighborhood with candy for the kids. John and James announced that the fire truck was making its way down our street. I got Tommy and Patrick bundled up again and we waited on our tree lawn for the truck to come. Finally I realized it was our mayor and a fire fighter on the bumper of the truck with a sucker. The boys all got a good look at the truck and a sucker. The truck left and Tommy was very disappointed. He was crying and crying as he went into the house. Apparently he thought a ride came along with the candy. Sorry buddy that is not the case. We got in our jammies and watched Scared Shrekless for the 10th time in 24 hours and the boys were off to bed with sweet candy filled dreams. The highlight of my night was when John said "I never thought it would be so much fun!"

When it rains it pours

2010-10-14T14:12:00.004-04:00

The stomach flu has hit our house this week. It was one of those things where you hope it was just one child and maybe yourself out of sympathy and that was enough suffering. Turns out we were not so lucky. Yesterday after dinner, Tommy became the next victim and then later in the evening it was Patrick. Right now John and Matt are the lucky ones and hopefully with them not being around it as much as I have they will escape this nasty bug. Yesterday I was lucky enough to clean more of Tommy's room in preparation for my parents visit next Monday. When Patrick went down ill, I pulled down a cot mattress and made Tommy's room a medical ward that way I didn't have to keep running up and down the stairs if Patrick got sick again. Needless to say it was not a restful night for me. It was nice that we did not have to be anywhere so I could rest on the couch and then get up to take care of things here and there. I would like to think we are almost out of the woods but I'm not so sure. Tommy hasn't had much of an appetite and I think James' appetite is coming back.

Yesterday John came home from school with a big grin on his face. You would think he won the lottery or something. Turns out he did in a way as he lost another tooth. I'm so glad a few more are starting to drop because it front teeth are looking a little funny and they need the two next to them to grow in so they can be pushed closer together. I'm not sure if John is OCD or just very detail oriented. He made not to us this morning that the tooth fairy put the dollar bill in the top right corner and not in the center like normal. Also the dollar was folded differently than before. I told him it must have been a substitute. I'm also thinking this under the pillow thing is for the birds and he should leave his tooth out on the kitchen table so we don't have to worry about such details.

Good Times Good Times

2010-10-05T12:40:00.002-04:00

Yes I am quickly realizing that I no longer have little babies but little boys who don't even think twice about jumping into mud puddles when they are playing a soccer game. Boys that start playing a pickup football game not caring about falling on the wet ground therefore having wet muddy knees and muddy coat. Boys who really want to buy a school lunch and apparently did one day without my knowing - lucky for him the cashier was not the normal one who would question why he wasn't buying milk like he has done several days in a row. Boys who tell me they know their penis is "the best part" (don't ask me how they know this) but would still like it cut off so they don't get pee on their leg or on their toes. Boys who like to ask a question and then constantly follow it up with "why?" Boys constantly telling me they need a snack. Boys who think we can just go see Dancing With the Stars like its in Downtown Cleveland.

At least the boys are still little enough to think its fun to dance together or give their mommy kisses and tell her that they love her. At least they still little enough to sit on my lap and warm up under a blanket. Yes - these are good times!

School Memories

2010-09-20T13:29:00.003-04:00

Last week was a great week for the kids with school. James did not complain once about going to school and John came home with school work that made me laugh. Tuesday John came home with a paper that was testing their comprehension of a story. Apparently the story had something to do with rules and following them. The last question was to think of rules you have at home and list one of them. John's response was "Do not use bad words". The very next day John had a paper that had a list of words that had the ending -all. You had to fill in the blanks with these words. When John gets something wrong I look at it to see if I can explain what went wrong and also to see if I can understand his thinking. He got two sentences wrong. The first sentence that was wrong that I looked at was "That man had a lot of ________" John selected the words balls. At this point I'm laughing hard on the inside then I look up to see the word he should have used. The correct answer was gall. I knew he didn't know what gall meant. When I asked him, he said - Mom, "That man has a lot of ball" doesn't make sense, I don't get it. I said the correct answer is gall. He said I didn't know what that meant, I thought it was a fish (like seagull). Now I understand why he put gall in the sentence "That man kicked the ______ in the net". Part of me wants to know what the teacher thought when she read his paper especially how John wrote not to use bad words at home the day before.

Having Fun

2010-09-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

I don't know who is enjoying Patrick being in school more - me or him. It has been so nice to have just Tommy around. What is really great is Tommy is not at all clinging to me like I thought he would. He is a happy little guy playing by himself and using his imagination. Just like I figured he doesn't complain when I want to go to a store to look.

Patrick seems like he is enjoying school. I think he likes interacting with the other children. Because of school he seems to have fun playing with other children when we go to parks and is not shy.

I know he LOVES playing on his soccer team. Yesterday when we were walking to his game he was skipping down the street singing and being happy in his super large soccer uniform. It was so cute to watch. He is doing very well too. He hasn't scored a goal on his own where he kicks it in. He kicked a ball last night and another girl on his team pushed it in the goal with her hands. Either way he skips back to the middle of the field to get ready to play again.

Letting go

2010-09-08T13:20:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day in our house. Patrick will be starting 3 year old preschool. It's hard to believe his social and school career is starting. Patrick is very much happy about being a big kid. He has been asking "When is it my turn to start school/" just about every day for the last two weeks. We met his teachers and dropped off supplies on Tuesday. The teacher had the kids listen to a story about going to preschool. It was so fun to observe Patrick sitting and listening to someone else read a story and answer their questions.

This weekend we watched movies of when James and Patrick were babies just learning to either crawl or walk. It seems like a lifetime ago when they were babies. I have very much enjoyed this new stage in our lives without strollers and 3 different sizes of diapers in the diaper bags. A little of me is sad too. Thank goodness Tommy still loves to cuddle with me.

Tommy will have some adjusting to do. I'm pretty sure he thinks he and Patrick are twins and whatever Patrick gets to do, so does Tommy. It will be nice having some time with just Tommy to run errands and hopefully do a few fun things before the weather gets cold. When I go out with just Patrick and Tommy now it feels like they are my 2nd family with John and James being my 1st family.

We are now letting go of summer and beginning Fall. I am now wondering if the jeans I have fit everyone not only in the waist but in length too. Oh yea and do I have enough. I love shorts - have enough of them and I don't have to worry about length!

Summer is winding down

2010-08-19T13:09:00.004-04:00

It is hard to believe we will be meeting John's teacher tonight and dropping off his school supplies. The 8 weeks of swimming lessons went by so fast. I don't think I ever had the feeling like we have been doing this forever - maybe because this year I did not have to get a stroller out of the trunk! John passed to level 4 in swimming and James and Patrick know how to swim the front float and some back float. They both are not afraid of jumping in the water. Tommy isn't either and he hasn't been to a lesson yet.

Last week John and James went to Bible School. They enjoyed it very much. As always the closing concert on Friday evening was jammed pack with family members watching their loved ones sing songs they learned from the week. I'm actually enjoying the post concert as we continue to play the CD in the car. I hear both boys sing the songs.

This being the last week of summer, I've jammed pack the week with fun for one last time. Monday we went to the Farmpark and Captains game at night. Tuesday James had bus safety class at school and in the evening I took them to Cleveland Browns Training Camp. They seemed to enjoy watching it. I was a little disappointed we couldn't be a little closer to the action. We ran into two areas of heavy traffic and that delayed us. Not to mention I needed to stop and put gas in the car and then we needed a potty break at a gas station. We finally parked the car and walked down the street to the practice field. I can't believe Tommy never complained because I know I was walking fast trying to get to the practice. He was probably happy to be out of the car after being in it for over an hour. Yesterday I took the boys to the Zoo in the morning and the Lake County Fair last night. They enjoyed looking at most of what the fair had to offer. Patrick did not appreciate getting to close to the cows that were laying down. They did like the caged birds - turkey and chicken. Of course they loved the rides. We were lucky one ride worker was in a generous mood because he let the boys ride 2 rides for free (without giving up our tickets) The last ride was very cool. It was a line of trucks linked together like a train. The lady let the kids ride for 3 or 4 minutes. They all wanted to do a fast pitch game which I nixed because I didn't want to blow all the $ I brought with me. Today was "get ready for school" day. The boys got haircuts, we bought jeans for John and James, and everyone got tennis shoes. They probably can start the school year in their old shoes but the store had buy one get one half off and then I had a 20% coupon to use on top of it. So I got 4 pairs of tennis shoes for $60. James talked me into some non-tying shoes which then led to John getting some non-tying shoes. They have elastic shoe laces. Both promised to continue to practice tying shoe laces. James' are pretty cool as they are Star Wars. John used to not untie his shoes half the time so I figured might as well be able to get the non-tying ones too. I'm not sure what is on tap for tomorrow in the morning. I am thinking Penitentiary Glen and then in the evening we have another Captains game.

Our Fall is going to be another busy sports filled time. James and Patrick are in soccer. Both have enjoyed practices so far. They should be starting games in 2 weeks. John is going to play Fall Baseball. Games so far look to be Saturday mornings. He will play double headers. First game at 9am and the next at 11am. I hope he doesn't get too burned out but he has had a month off. I'm not sure how long they will play. I'm guessing maybe to the beginning of Oct? That will put a wrinkle into their leisurely Saturday mornings.

Patrick will start school the Tuesday after Labor Day. I think he is anxious to go and see his classroom. They moved the location of the preschool to be in the same building as the K-8 kids. I'm anxious to see how drop off will go. I just got the bus schedules for John and James and they moved up their pick up time by 3 minutes. I'm definitely going to have to have my act together 3 days a week.

This is one HOT Summer!

2010-07-24T14:30:00.002-04:00

We hit the pool or splash park a lot this week because it has been so hot. Poor James had a terrible accident at swim lessons on Thursday. His swim teacher wraps him & Patrick up in their towels. When they get close to me they get excited and started to run. I just finished saying walk when James lost his balance and fell face first. His hands were under his towel so he couldn't use them to break the fall. He face is pretty scratched up. Because we are going to the pool it seems to be healing fairly quickly.

I can't get over how well all the boys are doing in their swimming lessons. James & Patrick both can do the front float and they are now working on their back float. In the beginning of summer they were afraid to jump in but now there is no fear of that. Tommy still has no fear of jumping in but likes me to catch him. John is just amazing to watch when he does the front crawl or elementary backstroke. Two more weeks and lessons are over. Its hard to believe!

John is going to be in the city's Swim Show again. James said he didn't want to and I wouldn't let Patrick. Its a long night so I'm fine with their decisions.

Apparently size matters

2010-07-08T13:58:00.004-04:00

Well - at least to Patrick. For the past month he keeps asking me either before or after him using the bathroom or the tub if he has a big penis. I tell him its the perfect size for a little boy now leave it alone! He has even bragged to his brothers that he has a big penis. Gosh, can't wait till he hits puberty!

In other news.. Baseball season is wrapping up. James had his last game last night and John is almost finished with their season ending tournament. John's team made it to the championship where they will play at Captains Stadium. I think more than anything he is really excited about playing on their field. I regret not asking for a new coach for James this year. Not once did they play catch before a game. She really didn't have much control over the kids. I don't think James got to be the home run hitter once but he got to play first base almost every game. I really have to think about putting Patrick in t-ball. I think he will enjoy the social aspect but hope that he will learn a little bit about the game. James is to move up to baseball next year and I'm not sure how ready he is. It will definitely be a learning experience for him.

John going off the dive

2010-06-19T14:54:00.002-04:00

He did this on Wednesday and then Thursday when I didn't have my phone he did a cannon ball! Friday he wouldn't do the cannon ball again so I couldn't film it.

The joy of raising boys - not!

2010-06-17T13:32:00.003-04:00

Let me tell you how much summer fun I was having yesterday. After swimming lessons Patrick & James inform me they both have to go the bathroom before I know it they are running into the boys room which was great for me. They both finish and because they had on a wet suit they came out with their pants around their ankles just like they would if they were at home looking for some help. I had to explain that not everyone wants to see their privates. So then we headed to the other park in the city that has the Splash Park. We have fun and before we leave Patrick has to use the bathroom again. Before I know it he is in the boys room again. Fine. I open the door - Patrick anyone in hear with you? No. What's this? he asks me. Don't touch it. He continues to ask so at this point I need to be in there with him so he doesn't touch it - too late. Patrick its something to make it not stink in here. He pees and wants to touch it AGAIN!! No Patrick don't touch. Let's wash our hands. Yea me!

The good news from this week is John gained enough courage to jump off the low dive in 12 feet of water. It took 3 days but he did it. He is doing amazing at swimming the pool. I'm quite impressed with his backstroke. James & Patrick are actually getting along great. They have a different teacher than James had last year and I can see they are enjoying it a lot. She is getting them to go under water a lot of times. Tommy has become more attached to me. He won't put anything in the garbage can for me. I think he would rather be with his brothers but for now he's my baby.

James, James, James

2010-05-21T14:38:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned earlier this week, James turned 5. He had a wonderful birthday full of presents and love. On Tuesday I sat him down to start writing thank you notes an idea he rejected. So I said we only have to one a day to help ease the pain. I want him to practice both capital and lower letters but I was getting a lot of resistence so I said fine write in all caps. That helped move things along for us. I am here to write things I noticed. First, James will write with either his left or right hand. His right hand writing is much better. Hopefully this left hand habit will leave or come in handy should he break his right hand. Second, he thinks of a story for EVERY letter you tell him to write. L – Luke from school, O – Owen from school, V – Olivia from school, E – Just like me. Then he would throw in a few jokes when I would tell him to write a “u” he would reply “no you”. When he focused on writing and not associating a letter with something we were moving and grooving otherwise it was like I had to hit him upside the head to refocus his attention. Luckily he has his 5 year old check up Tuesday so I can talk to the Doctor about it. Not sure if this is a sign of ADHD or just a 5 year old’s mind wandering. He doesn’t know yet about the doctors appointment. I don’t want him to start fretting about the shots he is about to get. There will be plenty of time for that later. I am planning on James and John doing some sort of school related thing during the summer. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week so they retain what they learned and continue to improve.

It's been a long time

2010-05-17T13:37:00.005-04:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I had an entry. I have been microblogging with Twitter. Sometimes its just easier to write down a few thoughts on the go rather than finding time to sit down at the computer to type.

Today is James' 5th birthday! He was up at 4:50am with birthday excitement and the need to use the bathroom. I remember the adrenaline rush I felt after he was born after spending the whole night in labor. Needless to say I wasn’t feeling the same rush especially after Patrick was up at 5am .
I can’t believe I’m about to type this but I think Patrick decided he wants to be a big boy. It started off last week by him using the bathroom more and more. He has been in underwear for just one day and he has had no accidents. I signed him up for swimming lessons that start in July but if this keeps up I think I will see if they have room for him when the lessons start in June!
John had Opening Day for his baseball league on Saturday. The league had everyone go to Classic Park for player introductions, the National Anthem, and a baloon launch. It was a very neat experience. We then had his first game at the ballfield in our city.
Tommy is making a funny noise that we are not sure what prompted it but it cracks us up. Matt got it on video. Speaking of videos I was looking at some old ones when James was a baby and John was 2 or 3. I was tearing up at how cute they were and how I miss having a little baby. I don’t miss it enough to have another one but it was nice to enjoy them when they were little. It was also funny to see Patrick and Tommy’s reaction when they weren’t there!

A good quote

2010-02-02T17:16:00.002-05:00

This was too funny not to mention - While I was doing the dishes tonight and John was eating dinner he said when I get older I'm going to be hurt alot. I said not if you take care of your body. He said - well look at the Keough's - their knees and this house. Tommy caught his hands on fire. No John he burnt his hands on something that was hot - but I could see how he would think this. I'm still laughing on the inside.

A light at the end of the tunnel??

2010-02-02T14:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday - Patrick had his BEST potty training day ever. He was so close to a perfect day. I even had him on the potty one more time before he went to bed. He had one accident after he went upstairs but told Matt he pooped his pants and can't go to school yet. Today again another great day but he didn't tell me he had to go and pooped his pants. I'm so encouraged that he is getting it. On Sunday I finally got the kid a pooping prize one that he could cherish and I take away when he doesn't comply. Today he doesn't seem to be missing it that much but he sure enjoyed it yesterday!

Today was a lot of fighting. Tommy is getting older and wanting to do what the kids do and now Wii is one of those things. It makes it difficult because he doesn't have the skills to do anything but shake the remote. I'm so enjoying the peace that nap time brings. John had an early release day and is over a friends house so it is quiet.

Speaking of John, ever since I got a Cavs jersey he has been wanting one. I got him one on Sunday and he was so excited he wanted to know when he could wear it. I said let's see when the Cavs play again & you can wear it on that day. It turned out they play tonight so it gave me a chance to wash it. Last night John asked me if he could get dressed after he got up and went the bathroom - something he never does! I said - yes. It must have felt like Christmas eve for him as he was up around 5:30am and he was dressed shortly there after. He can't wait until he can wear it again. The Cavs play Thursday but he'll have to wait until Saturday (their next game after that)!

This afternoon I had the boys work on signing their names on their Valentine cards for their class. Poor James - you think his name was a mile long - he can't fit it into the little spot and every letter is capitalized - I think I'll end writing his name for him!