I could so enjoy the pool if it weren't for other people.

My kids are fish.  Strip had the advantage of spending a couple of years literally in the water year round because we lived in FL.  Nugget was also a water baby, but because he was much smaller, he really didn't remember swimming.  So the first time we hit the pool, he had a death grip on me.  We played and splashed and sure enough, he was all about the water in no time.  Still not as comfy in the water as Strip was at his age, but getting there.  Here's Strip the fish at 15 months:

Whoa.  And yeah, you can call me mother of the year.  There she is, middle of the pool in nothing but a swim diaper.  Klassy.

Anyway, earlier in the summer we met a buddy at her pool.  As Strip is swimming laps (for real) across the pool, Nugget is happily playing on the steps.  I knew if I could wrestle him into a manlier version of the float pictured above, he could kick it in the middle of the pool and I could help Strip if she needed it, seeing as the two lifeguards who were being PAID to watch the pool were too busy texting/flirting/checking out the other high school eye-candy.  I managed to get him into the float and was trying to get him to see that if he stepped off the step, he would be fine.  But he's strong willed.  And because I'm his mother and know him, I looked at him and said, "You're fine.  I'm right here, go!" and plopped him about 5 feet from the steps.

Cue the screaming child and death stares from other mothers.  Nugget is screaming, "No, Momma!  No, Momma!"  AS he is kicking and float swimming to the steps. Meanwhile all the other mothers who were reading their magazines or chatting on their phones while their kids were wrapped in swimmies and life vests allowing them to be totally ignored by their parent, were now dialing DFACS as fast as their manicured fingers would let them.  Nugget makes it to the step and says, "No, momma, no mom...I DID IT!"  and jumps off the steps to kick in the pool some more.

Fast forward to yesterday.  We head to the pool for one last swim before summer is officially over.  We walk in the gate, and Nugget walks right up to the steps.  A month ago, he just took off his float and has just been swimming with no assistance.  He is 2 however, so he doesn't look like he can swim.  I am putting our stuff down a step and a dive away from the pool and tell him to come over and take his shoes off.  Strip has stripped and jumped in already.  Nugget sheds his shoes and walks back over to the steps.  He looks over at me and says, "Momma.  I et eeeen?"  [Nugget speak for, Mother would it be alright if I got in the pool now?]  I reply, "Yes, just remember that you can't really swim."

My mistake.  I watch as he takes two steps in and sits down to splash.  I turn to face the chair and spread out the towel.  I look back to see him stand up and walk to one end of the c curved steps.  I spread out Strip's towel.  I turn back and see him jump under water, swimming along the steps which he is fine to do on his own because he can always just stand up.  Apparently, it was my bad for not informing the entire pool of his swimming abilities.  As I am smiling at my little fish and thinking how far he's come, I see a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye and hear hysterical screaming.  (Remember, I am standing RIGHT by the steps).  I look up and there is a woman (another mom) SPRINTING toward me screaming, "He's under water!  He's under water!!" and she is taking her swim cover up off.  I get a little scared for her thinking her kid fell in or something, and since the lifeguard is at the other end of the pool, and I'm right there, I look to the pool ready to save her kid for her.  But the only kid I see is mine, happily swimming on the steps. So I'm confused and look back at the Great Blue Blur who is still screaming hysterically, and has now gotten right up to me and is pointing to Nugget screaming, "He's under water!!!!"  Nugget stands up with a big wet grin on his face, and I look back at BBB finally putting 2 and 2 together and say, "Ohhhhh!  No, it's ok! He can swim!"  BBB apologizes and walks back over to her seat (at the edge of the pool near the deep end) and I call back, "No, thank you for being concerned!"  

She kind of continues to give me the stink eye like she really doesn't think Nugget can swim and I just got lucky that time.  I glance over at her kids, the youngest I'm guessing is about 7, who are clad in so many flotation devices (all three of them) I'm surprised they weren't walking on water.  I get in the water and Nemo Nugget counts down, jumps off the steps and swims halfway across the pool to me.  BBB kinda shrugs like "Oh I guess he CAN swim," and goes back to watching her bubble kids.  

Friend (who is now pregnant, YAY!) gets to the pool and comments on what a great swimmer Nugget has become since that first float incident at the pool.  I fill her in on the BBB.

Me:  So three months ago, I'm getting the stink eye because I'm making my kid swim, and now I'm getting the stink I because he CAN swim!

Pregnant friend:  You can't win!

Me:  Welcome to motherhood!

Separation Anxiety

We were at the preschool where both kiddos will be in preschool.  I know who Nugget's teachers are, but had not received Strip's info yet.  I popped my head in the office to say hello and ask for her room number.  We walked down and introduced ourselves, chatted for a bit, then we were about to leave.

We were all ready to hit the library when I ran into one of my good buddies who happens to be one of Nuggets teachers.  She said that the other teacher was in the room if we wanted to stop by and say hello.  Since Nugget had not met her yet, we headed on over.  

I said, "Remember Nugget.  This is where you are going to be in school starting in a couple of weeks!  Let's go meet your other teacher!" 

We walked in the door and Nugget said hello to his other teacher.  Then he spotted this:

He walked right over to the car and transporter truck, sat in the floor, looked up at me and said,

"Bye, Mom!  Love you!  Muuuwwah (blowing a kiss)"

and went back to playing with the cars.

Looks like adjusting to his first year of "school" is going to be really tough for my little Nugget.  At least he said he loved me, right?

Christmas in August! Almost....

:: DISCLAIMER::  Santa is real. This post should in no way question the validity of that statement.  We love the big guy in red.

Because I'm a thinking ahead kind of gal, I started brainstorming about the kids' big Christmas presents, oh in, January.  Nugget is going to ask for a train table and Strip is probably going to ask for a doll house.

As I was walking through Target, I spotted a train table that looked AWESOME.  Nugget got a ton of track and trains for his birthday, so we really only need the table.  And although I fell in love with this table from land of nod:

I told myself that it doesn't have an edge to it, so Thomas and friends would be falling off the side constantly, and even though it was a grow-with-me piece, by the time my kids were done distressing it with trains and track, it wouldn't be so hot to look at when the table was ready to be adjusted up.  And it was almost $500.

So I tell Hubs about my find, show him the picture, and he thinks it looks good too.  Sunday morning, he just decide to go ahead and buy it.  I thought, "Well good for him!!  He's thinking ahead and wants to get it before they are all gone, and this will give us time to set it up and see how we like it!"

After church, I keep the kids for an extra hour doing more Sunday school stuff, and he scoots to Target before going home to mow the lawn.  The kids and I get home, eat lunch and I put them BOTH in their rooms for a nap/quiet rest so I could go shopping because they were exhausted.  I told Hubs I was off to spend some birthday money, and headed to get some coffee and skinny jeans (yes, I did it, don't hate on my attempt to be "in style," even if the "style" is SUPER 80's).

Three hours later, I was scooting over to Gymboree to get the kids' their glow-in-the-dark skeleton pjs and Hubs called.

Hubs: You on the way home?

Me:  Yup.

Hubs:  Good because Nugget is going to wake up any minute now.

Me:  Uhhh.  Ok.  Did you need to go somewhere or something?

Hubs:  No, why?

Me:  Well, why do I need to be home when he wakes up?

Hubs:  You don't need to be home, but I didn't want you to miss him.

Me: [confused.  I spend all day every day with the kids.  I think I'll be ok (and so will he) if I'm not there when he wakes up]  Why would I "miss him?"

Hubs:  When he sees his train table!

Me: [swerving off the road]  WHAT?!?!?!  That's supposed to be a CHRISTMAS present!!  That's the big Santa gift!!!

Hubs:  WHAT?!?  I just spent 2 hours putting it together so it would be ready when he woke up!

Me:  Did Strip see it?!

Hubs:  No, she's sleeping.

Me:  Great!  Toss a sheet over that bad boy and drag it into the storage room.

Hubs:  [whiney humph sound]

Me:  I'm glad you put it together, though.  I wanted to check out the quality.  And don't take it apart yet, because I want to see how the track fits on and if we need to get him more.

Hubs:  The track is set up.

Me:  What?!   

Hubs: I had it all ready.  All the track was set up and the trains.  It was all ready to go....

Me:  Sorry.  But it was good practice for putting it together when he destroys it, right.  

Hubs:  :-(  I'll see you when you get home...

THAT was a close one.

Daddy's going to LOVE you in a few years

I took the kiddos to Nords yesterday for some therapeutic birthday shopping, and my only goal was to pick up a new pair of Uggs. Go ahead and leave now all you Ugg haters. I got my first pair a GOOD 15 years ago, way before they were cool, and I'm going to keep rockin' my uggs now because I love them and they are comfy.

Anyway, I was trying to decide between the chestnut and chocolate in either the tall or the classic boot. At one point, I had classic chestnut, classic chocolate, tall chestnut, tall light greenish pair (they didn't have the tall chocolates in stock), a pair of delicious moccasins and a random pair of green suede flats that the shoe man insisted I try. As I was trying to pick which pair of boots to get, I asked Strip which ones she liked and which ones I should get.

Her response? "Just get them all! Then you'll have a pair for every day!"

I like where your head is, girly! I resisted and only got one pair, but put a second on my Santa list. However, I'm afraid I might have a little impluse shopper on my hands!

Perfect Timing

A couple of Sundays ago, I decided that I spend too much time peeking into everyone else's personal lives on Facebook, so I've decided to take a break.  For one month, I will not log into Facebook, and I've even deleted the app on my phone so I won't be tempted.

My house has never been cleaner.

However, as timing would have it, a few days after I started my hiatus, I get an email notification from my buddies at Facebook alerting me "Alyssa tagged a photo of you in the album "some more old ones!!"."

In the words of Tony the Tiger, "Grrrrreat."   Why is this great?  Because before my hiatus started, I had the privilege of peeking at Alyssa's photo album, "Some more old ones," only to discover pictures of her in our high school's production of "Grease!," so I can only conclude that there are now pictures of me as Sandy in pleather pants on Facebook.  Awesome.

The good news?  Brother's girlfriend just got a mac, and I was trying to teach her how to right click with a touch pad mouse via IM a couple of nights ago.  So I emailed her to give her some homework:  Practice your copy and paste skills by checking out whatever photos are added to my tagged pics and email them to me.

This ought to be interesting.... 

Does not sleep well with others.

They play well, just don't sleep well together.  Last week, the kids had the great idea to bunk up together, and I figured, why not, they are exhausted.  Sure enough, by the time I finished my blog post and crept back upstairs, they were snoozing big time.

However, sometime around 2:30 am, Strip woke up and remembered that she is 4 and is also a princess.  I hear moaning/crying, so I stumble out of bed and into Nugget's room. to find Strip, sitting up, whining/crying while Nugget is still (somehow) asleep next to her. I hold out my arms to pick her up and she reaches back to me, only to open her eyes and remember, once again, she is 4 and she is a princess.  

"NooooOOOOoooOOO!  I want DAAAAADDDDDDDDYYYyyyYYYyyyyYY!"

Seriously?!  It's 2:30 and there's nothing wrong with you!  I am offering you the chance to come snuggle in the king sized bed and you are insisting on daddy?!  And no I'm not going to go back to my room, wake him up so that he can come in here and get you.  Two choices Strip:  1. Grab whatever you want to snuggle with and come with me or 2. I'm counting to 2 and am picking you up.

We went with 2.  More screaming went on after I took her in the bathroom to cry/scream/complain/pee and I hear Nugget awake.  Awesome, 2 for 2.  I sneak back in his room while Strip is scream-peeing and he looks up at me with those sweet, giant eyes and says, "I want Sue!" 

Awe, melt my heart so sweet, he wants his big sister.  "Awe, Buddy, you want Sue?"  Nugget sits up in bed, "No.  I want JUICE."  Ahh nice.

Everyone gets settled in nicely somewhere around 3 am, but for some reason, I thought it would be fine to let them try it again Sunday night (another all day at the pool kind of tired day).  Again, things started out ok, although Hubs had to move them before we went to bed -- Strip was stretched out quite comfy on top of Nugget.  But, once again, at 3:30 am, I hear crying.  I stumble in and she is just babbling like a maniac.

"Mommy.  Remember that giant sucker that I got from Chuck E. Cheese when I was at PaPa and Ma's?  Well I ate the whole thing and now I'm sad because it was really good, and I really liked it, and do you think that maybe we could go back to Chuck E. Cheese the next time we go to PaPa's and Ma's because I think I'd like another one of those suckers?"

"Umm  Ok.  Can we talk about it in the morning?  Because the sun's not up yet and mommy's still really tired."

"0k."

Nugget slept through the whole thing, so even though 3/4 people are NOT sleeping well, it's really helping make him a heavier sleeper!

Hmmm this should be interesting

Hubs is out for the evening.  He has a work meeting (aka nice dinner), so the kids and I planned a lazy morning, followed by three hours at the pool, a trip to B&N for a cookie, N.N. pressed apple juice (YUM!) and some coffee.  Next stop was booster seat shopping for my freakishly tall children who are 1/4" away from outgrowing their current seats then home for leftovers.  As we were getting all pj'd up, I asked Strip if she wanted to read Nugget his story, which of course, she did.  This would normally allow me to get something else done in the house, but I just sit outside the door (I can't be in there because "I can do this, I don't need you") and giggle as she "reads" to him.  Tonight was a Backyardigan's hidden picture book.  Adorable.

So after she closed the door and said, "Don't worry, I read him his story, said his prayers.  He's good," I asked if I could kiss him goodnight and she said "sure."  As I was asking him about his day and what his favorite thing was, Strip was hanging out because she needed to shut the door.  Then she insisted on having one more hug from him.  Then the great idea.

We could sleep together!  I know that they are both so tired, they will be asleep before I can finish this post, so I'm not too worried.  BUT, Nugget is a super light sleeper and Strip likes to imitate a helicopter, so I foresee a bloody nose and not much sleep in our house tonight!  We'll see how it goes!. 

Holding my breath!

I am living in fear. I have been living in fear since last Wed. That's when a friend of mine dropped off a tank full of phobia:

AHHHHHHH!!!

Ok, not really scared of fish, especially these tiny guys. I'm scared of KILLING fish. Because you don't know something's wrong until they are belly up. And to make matters worse, the are consolation for a dog dying fish. That's right. These poor kids' pup had to be put to sleep, so they got 6 guppies to ease the pain. And now I am looking after them. Ugh.

Next week can't get here soon enough!!

I have ADHD

Always Distracted  Huh Didyousaysomething (or didyouseethat)?

Hubs and I went to a concert this weekend.  One of our favorite bands, and we hadn't been to a show in a while.  I was a little apprehensive, wondering if we would look like someone's chaperone, but we pulled up in the mom-mobile and we ready to tailgate.  We pulled out the rival collegiate chairs and quickly made friends with the car next to us (they had ladder ball!).  Hubs had the windows down, so we were all rocking out to the band's latest cd.  Car next to us invites us to play a round of ladder ball, so we stand up to show off our mad skills.  About 1/2 way through the game, the cd changes, and we both hear the unmistakable first six chords of the Wicked soundtrack blare through the speakers.  Whoops!  I giggled as Hubs nonchalantly turned the band's cd back on and reminded him that we could have been rocking out to Toddler Classic Favorites.

And while we were the only car I spotted in the parking lot with car seats in the back, I thought we were playing the part of "cool old people" pretty well.  Then we got inside, and I was totally validated.  

But first, lets play name that infomercial!

A bumpit!

And a not-s0-perfect Perfect Strap!

Had it been 10 degrees cooler, I'm convinced I would have spotted a snuggie.  But back to the real reason we were there the band!  Oh wait!  Look at that guy!

Yup.  THAT is what I had standing right in front of me.  An he had some stellar moves.  And I guess every song was his favorite song because he was rockin' out like he owned the place.  The only thing better than this guy was this guy:

This guy was standing next to Every-song's-my-favorite guy.  When Guy #1 left to go to the bathroom, Perfect Strap, and her friend started making fun of his stellar moves.  That's when the this guy turns around and says, "Hey!  That's my dad!"  and I realized the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  WOW.  I was so wishing I had the updated iphone so I could have taken a video.

Oh yeah!  And there was a band there, too, and they rocked!  Oh look!  Bright colors!