Well...

I was going to post about our Christmas (it was great!), but I haven't had a chance to. And then, tonight, I had something happen that I just HAD to post about. Keith went to bed around 8 tonight, and then at 8:30 or so he was back downstairs. I was talking to him about how he had to go back to bed, and he said "hey, mom, my tooth is loose!" And don't you know, it is. And then, upon further inspection, we find out he has a grown up tooth behind said loose tooth! My baby boy is growing up faster than ever!!! We had to call Grandma & Grandpa to tell them, and to find out if Uncle Adam had had a tooth fairy pillow. I had one, but I don't know if they're appropriate for boys. And if they're not, what do boys do???? All I know is that my tooth fairy pillow was pink, so there's no handing it down. So, feel free to tell me what to do - I have no clue!

And on the tooth note, Caroline got the best Christmas present... a tooth. And a 2 day after Christmas present... another tooth. And the way she's been acting, she'll get a New Year's present, too.

Friday Five

Here you go! I'm thankful that...

1. Keith actually WASN'T sick after my last post. I don't know how that happened, but I'll take it.
2. I found a first edition of a really expensive book that I really wanted but couldn't justify spending $100+ on on Ebay for less than $10 including shipping.
3. I'm going to be a step grandmother.
4. My house has stayed relatively clean with Ed and the kids home all the time.
5. Friends are coming for dinner tomorrow night! I love having friends over for dinner!

Siblings

Or maybe the title of this post should be "Why Santa will NOT be coming to this house if some kids don't straighten up." Keith is in a funk today - the tiniest things set him off and he ends up crying about them for 20 minutes. THAT means that he's going to be sick. I'll bet $5 that he's home from school tomorrow. Hell, make that $10. Anyways, one of the things setting him off is Henry. Yeah - big surprise there. Henry is running around yelling, which makes Keith cry because "he's too loud," which makes Henry yell louder. See the evil circle? I'd tell him to stop but I'm hiding in my office. Fun times.

Wednesday Whine

You know, I don't really have too much to whine about. But here's a few things.

1. I almost killed myself trying to get Ed and the little guys in the car to see Keith's Christmas concert, and don't you know - we missed the Kindergarteners singing. Saw the REST of the grades, but missed my little guy. DON'T TELL HIM!!!
2. I have to update my checkbook register. I hate updating my checkbook.
3. I need to clean up my office. That ranks right up there with the checkbook.

Saturday's Song

Four months old!

Caroline is four months old today! She still looks the same to me though - a little more hair, but generally the same. Heck, she's still in 0-3 months clothes! Who would have thought that my 9lb7oz newborn would be wearing 0-3 month clothes at 4 months old? She can roll over like a champ now - it made me realize how rarely we put her down when I put her in her crib for a minute a few weeks ago and she was flipping back and forth like nobody's business. She loves her brothers - they can always make her smile. And she is just too darn cute, surprise surprise. So happy 4 months Caroline!!!

Friday Five

I'm thankful that...

1. I have a working fireplace for the first time EVER!
2. My MIL is getting out of the hospital today.
3. My son is interested in math and reading and all that good stuff.
4. All of my Christmas shopping is done.
5. Unemployment benefits exist.

Faces of Caroline

Keith reading...

My camera can take videos!

Of course, Caroline refuses to laugh now that I could take a video of it. But, here's Henry!

Best of friends

I really think I'm in for it when Caroline is mobile. I have a feeling these two are going to conspire against me as much as they can.



Yes, she had his hair in a death grip and was not letting go. I was laughing too hard to take any more pictures of her beating Henry up though.

My little helper

Last night we were running a little behind when it came to dinner. A guy came to inspect our chimney so we could use it, and he arrived around 5pm so dinner got pushed back a little. Oh, but our chimney is GREAT. Get this - we live in a relatively old house - maybe 80 years old or so - and the chimney HAS NEVER BEEN USED! Go figure! We're about to change that, though. So anyways, dinner. After the chimney guy left, we started on dinner. I was dealing with Caroline, and Keith was busy in the kitchen. I thought he was coloring, but instead he set the table! Complete with placemats, mugs, even got the silverware right! He was so proud - it was too cute. He told me I had to take a picture looking down on it because "that's how it is in magazines" - I have no idea what home decorating magazines he's been checking out, but I was happy to oblige.

What do you think?

I've got a new look! Like it? Thanks to The Cutest Blog on the Block for making free templates available - there were so many choices!

Wednesday Whine

So, for a few weeks now I've been thinking of adding a Wednesday Whine to my blog. I'm kind of tired of always being chipper and looking on the bright side, and while I have a lot to be thankful for I still have one or two things to bitch about. So, my rules are simple. Only three things are allowed on the Wednesday Whine. And it can only be posted on, well, Wednesday. And man, if there wasn't a better day to start than today! So here goes...
I'm whiny because...
1. Every time during the past week or two that I've needed to go out to my office it's been either freezing, raining, or snowing.
2. I'm kind of sick of the emergency room. Especially when it starts off with "Name? Henry."
3. Ed was laid off. I know - LAST week I was thankful that he was going to be getting overtime... I don't know WHERE exactly overtime is synonymous with unemployment, but hey, you learn something new all the time, huh?
So, that's it. Now I'll be back to my chipper self, until next Wednesday.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

So yesterday we put the Christmas trees up. Yes, I have two. One is in the living room and one is in the dining room. I have two big windows in the front of the house, and they just needed two trees. So yesterday was the day. We got them up, got the lights on, and decorated. Decorating with Henry is an experience. Keith was so excited - he did most of the decorating...

And Henry "helped"...

See the bowling pin in the tree? The one right above the child picking his nose? That was Henry's contribution.

Henry's other contribution was to try to eat the lights. The child thinks EVERYTHING is food.

Caroline thought all the decorating and eating of lights was great fun...

Henry did not like other people decorating the tree though. I wish I had a video camera - this picture was taken during one of his famous "NO NO NO" rants complete with fingers. As parents we're trying to nip this "no" crap in the bud, but the little exorcist child is kind of funny.

And to finish off our day of holiday decorating was the perfect ending... snow!

Saturday's Song

Santa's in town!

Last Sunday was the annual Kennett Square Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. However, it was a MISERABLE day, so the good powers in charge rescheduled for last night. So I got the kids dressed, piled them in the van, and set out to Kennett. On one of the coldest nights this winter. We met Ed out there at Adam's house, and then walked up town to get a bite to eat before the big parade. While I was driving into town I was thinking that it didn't LOOK like they were going to have a parade. There were no signs, no road closures... While we walked to town from Adam's house, half an hour before the parade was supposed to START, I was REALLY thinking it wasn't looking like there was going to be a parade. So I called my mom, who said to call one of her friends who was a local merchant. Instead we ran into someone who used to work with my dad, and she said there was no parade. Santa and tree lighting, yes, but parade, no. Oh well. It was cold, and the kids (read: Keith) just wanted to see Santa. So we went and grabbed some dinner, and got back to the town Christmas tree about 2 minutes after they lit it. Oh well, the kids (Keith) really just wanted to see Santa. Screw the festivities. Besides, as anyone in Kennett knows, the best part about tree lighting is seeing what happens when they try to light the tree. Will nothing work? Will only half of the tree light? Will it fall over? Will it spontaneously combust? And this year, it lit. On the first try. COME ON PEOPLE!! Kennett has a TRADITION! Don't ruin it!!! So we hightailed it to where Santa was going to be. The rule in Kennett is as soon as the tree is lit/parade is over you should run like hell to see Santa so you're one of the first in line. And we were! Well, in the top twenty. So we got all of the coats off, bribed Henry to sit on the big man's lap (I promised him a candy cane), gave Mrs. Claus Caroline, and got the family picture.

It is REALLY difficult to get three kids on Santa's lap to all look at the camera at the same time to take a picture. ESPECIALLY when one is 3 months old, one is two and only wants his candy cane, and one is six and has a grocery list of toys he has to ask for in less than a minute. REALLY hard.

I have NO idea how Heather got all six of her munchkins to look so cute. I swear, she's supermom. But, I got a pretty good picture, considering. And I got the one that I have of both of the boys of Caroline...

So Keith got to tell Santa everything he wanted in 30 seconds or less, Henry got his candy cane (which he ate half of, and then tried to give to dad. Unfortunately, not HIS dad. Just a random dad he found.), and Caroline got, well, to be held. Which is all a 3 month old really wants for Christmas, anyways.

Friday Five

I'm thankful that...

1. My daughter is finally legit - her birth certificate AND social security number both arrived!
2. My husband is getting crazy overtime for the next few weeks, just in time for Christmas.
3. That Santa Claus is coming to town - for real - tonight so we don't have to go to hell, er, the mall, to see him.
4. That I can buy all of the gifts I need to buy online or at stores which are not found in hell. Er, the mall.
5. That I don't work retail.

Some cute kids

So. Poison Control.

I've never needed the number for poison control before in my life, until this week. Of course, with Henry, you would think I'd be prepared and have it on speed dial. Well, now I do. On Thanksgiving morning we were getting some food ready to take to my mom's, and Henry was playing in the dining room. The room NEXT TO the kitchen. Approximately 5 feet away. Of course, it got too quiet. So I go to check on him, and he's pointing to his mouth with the look of "I don't like what I'm eating and I'm going to spit it out so you better stick a hand under my mouth pronto or it'll hit the floor." So, being the good mother I am, I stick my hand under his mouth. And he spits. And spits. And spits. But, there's no food. Then, I realize he's smelling awfully, I don't know, rosy. And I look on the window sill (the high ones, above the breakfast bar), and my little jar of fragrance oil with the sticks (I have no idea what the technical name would be) is not where it's supposed to be. Instead, there's a puddle on the breakfast bar, a dining room chair, and the floor. And I guess a puddle in Henry's mouth, which he's trying his damnedest to spit out. So I go and hit up google and get poison control's number, call them up, explain what happened and they say "Oh, he should be fine." Praise the Lord. I was NOT feeling an emergency room trip on a holiday.
So, fast forward to today. Everyone was up bright and early at 4am this morning (yes, THAT'S a whole other story), so at about 10am I put Henry down for a nap. He, apparently, had other ideas, and proceeded to find the little jar of Vicks Vaporub which was on his changing table (yes, *I* know that's a stupid place for it. Key word there *I*), open it, and eat it. And rub it in his hair. And in his eye. And then proceed to scream bloody murder. I'm thinking menthol stuff in the eye hurts. So I get him, notice the minty smell about him and the bright red eye and the greasy mouth. And go look up the number of poison control again. Apparently, eating Vicks Vaporub won't kill you (at least if it's less than a couple tablespoons), but rubbing it in your eye can seriously mess your eye up. So they told me to flush Henry's eye out with water for fifteen minutes (TWO YEAR OLD. SCARED OF RUNNING WATER. Fun, I tell you.) and then take him to the emergency room. So we do that, wait for a couple of hours to see a doctor, and Henry gets some dye in his eye to check for a chemical burn. Fortunately there was no sign of a chemical burn, but he looked pretty funny with his dyed eye.