Bored...

Isobel has a hard time being home all day. She will get very grumpy after spending just a few days in the house. So, I have been very concerned that summer will be very difficult for her.

So far it has not been too bad, but we aren't very far into the summer. She has taken up photography to pass the time. There are about 12 pictures exactly like this one...

Some random pics that I love:

Summer Vacation...

Yesterday was Isobel's first day of her first summer vacation. I realize she was only in preschool, but I have decided it is enough. She did start school in September and finish school in May, which is, technically, a school year. Therefore, in my mind, it counts.


Today Isobel told me that summer vacation is a sad time. She is going to miss all of her friends from school. There are only two other kids from her class going to her grade school. I have tried to explain to her that she will get to make new friends, this makes her sad, which makes me sad...

She has a lot of fun stuff planned for the summer, hopefully it will occupy her.

She has Safety Town next week, my parents are bringing my niece and nephew the following week, cheer camp is the week after and then a couple of weeks later we go on vacation. She will also have tumbling, swimming and gymnastics each week. I don't think she will have much time to dwell... hopefully.

woo-hoo...

Eli spent Friday morning wearing only a shirt, that afternoon we progressed to underwear. He had one accident, which bothered him tremendously. He woke up Sunday morning in a wet diaper, but has not had an accident since. He even woke up in a dry diaper this morning... I am so psyched... I am just hoping I am not jinxing our success by writing this.

He is so cute. After he goes to the bathroom, he comes running up to me and says "Mommy, I went pee-pee in the potty" then he yells "woo-hoo!" and his arms shoot up over his head... he is so proud of himself (as he should be).

He seems to be very surprised that there are potty's other than those at the YMCA and our house. When we are out and he looks like he needs to go, we ask, and he replies with "They have potty's here?" It is refreshing that something like a public restroom can make him happy.

Therefore, we are officially using underwear at home during waking hours, and pull ups at night or if we leave the house... no more "baby" diapers.

Woo-Hoo!!!

Full circle...

I had a horrible habit as a child, one that my parents have never let me forget. I tagged everything I could with my name. Even today, my parents will pull out pieces of furniture and my name will be written all over the back. I just couldn't help myself. Every piece of furniture in my bedroom was tagged, most of the walls in our house... everything had the word Missy written on it.

Yesterday I found this...

Isobel did not want me to take a picture of it...

and to think... I was once concerned that I wouldn't pass anything on to my daughter...

Graduation...

Isobel is now a pre-school graduate...

She had a fantastic year as a Rocket. She made some great friends and learned a lot. We are so lucky to have found Lakeview Preschool when we moved here. If you are looking for a great Pre-K program in the Landen area, I strongly recomend Lakeview.

In fact, Eli will be starting in the two day program next year...

They grow up so fast...

Yesterday Emmy and Eli had their well child visits...

Emmy is 29 1/2 inches tall and 24 pounds. She is so big. She is doing great, and at this point there are no issues with her at all. She had to have three shots, which she took like a pro, a few tears, but she calmed down very easily. In case I haven't mentioned this before... she is the perfect baby...

Eli is 38 inches tall and 32 pounds. He is very healthy, but needs speech therapy, which we already knew. So today I started the process of finding a speech therapist. Of course, our insurance does not have an in-network speech therapy provider within a 100 mile radius, so we have to go through a pre-certification process. The process wouldn't be so annoying, but in order to do it we need to have an appointment. One would think this wouldn't be so difficult, but apparently it is. I have given the speech therapists Eli's information and they will look it over then call me with an appointment. They said they will call the first week of June. So, I have to put all of this on the back burner, which means it runs the risk of being forgotten. Good thing I have this blog to help me remember...

Tonight, Isobel graduates from pre-school. I will post all about it tomorrow, as I am in the process of gathering the tissues for tonight. I have already started crying and don't anticipate stopping until Emmy graduates from high school.

They grow up so fast!

Newport Aquarium

We spent yesterday at Newport on the Levee. We started the afternoon with a picnic overlooking the Ohio River and the Cincinnati skyline.




It was chilly, but occasionally the sun would peak out from behind a cloud and warm us up.


After lunch we went to the Newport Aquarium. Isobel, Eli and Jon had been once before, but this was Emmy and my first visit. The kids had a great time. This aquarium is the perfect size for families with small kids, and they have great exhibits. There are sharks, alligators, all kinds of turtles and a fantastic Jelly Fish display. The best part, however, were the penguins. There were quite a few and they were so very rowdy. The kids really loved watching them dive and leap out of the water. They have an entire habitat which stays on the schedule of the Southern Hemisphere. Allegedly, they are one of the few aquariums to take this approach and it has paid off. Of the 5 King Penguins born in captivity in 2007, three of them were born at this aquarium. Apparently this is a very big deal...

It is always nice to leave any kind of attraction feeling like you got your money’s worth. I definitely felt that way when we left the Newport Aquarium. So, if you are in the Cincinnati metro area and looking for a short, family friendly excursion. This is your place.

Here are some more pics of the day...

New Kids on The Block...

I can now freely admit that I was a New Kids on the Block fan. I spent 7th and 8th grade in love with these boys (I was a Jordan girl). However, on my 14th birthday my sister gave me Pretty Hate Machine (Nine Inch Nails) and the transformation began. It took me some time to completely give up the Kids, but I eventually did. After I came out of my New Kids fog, I was so embarrassed of this obsessive past that I denied it (as my sister predicted I would). However, New Kids have always had a special place in my heart.

After a break the Kids reemerged as NKOTB. I remember driving to Clinton lake one night with my friend Jeff and the DJ on the radio said that NKOTB was playing at Liberty Hall. Tickets were still available. I made a joke that we should blow off the lake and go to the show, he laughed, but didn't change his course... we spent the rest of the drive making fun of New Kids on the Block fans. This solidified the fact that I couldn't share my deep, dark secret.

I remember the first time I admitted that I had been a New Kids on the Block fan. I was 19 and I admitted it to my friend Doug. He just shrugged and said he wasn't surprised. Doug’s response made me realize that the New Kids were a phase most girls my age went through. I was no longer ashamed of my past... in fact I embraced it.

Now, the New Kids on the Block are back. They have recorded a new album, are going on tour and they performed this morning on Today. If you missed it, like I did, you can see footage here.

I was shocked at the number of people in the crowd. However, watching them perform took me back to the innocence of my early teens. It made me realize that this reunion comes at the perfect time. Most New Kids fans have moved beyond the embarrassment and are ready to reminisce about the past.

Welcome back, old friends. It is nice to see you again.

May Weddings...

Over the years I have met a number of people who have anniversaries around the same time as Jon and I. In fact, of my three bridesmaids, one was married on May 17th (2 days after Jon and I), and one was married on May 13th (she just celebrated 2 years... congrats, S!).

Today, a very dear friend of mine will marry the love of her life. I am very happy for both of them and wish I could be there to celebrate their union.

Congratulations J&W!

I will be thinking of you more today than usual.

9 years down, till death to go...

Today Jon and I celebrate 9 years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary, Jon!

And he is three...

Today is Eli's third birthday. He is at the age where he understands that he is a year older, but doesn't really grasp the concept of birthdays. We decided that we would open gifts first thing this morning, so he would have all day to play with his new toys. Unfortunately, Isobel has been sick, so she wasn't a lot of fun today. He has spent most of the day asking people to play with him. Isobel has been obliging for short stints, but hasn't been able to do a full day play-a-thon as Eli would have liked.

Here are some pics of Eli and his favorite gifts...

Tonight we will have pancakes for dinner and a giant chocolate chip cookie with a Diego topper for dessert... I will miss the cake, but Eli doesn't like cake. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that he has any Byrne in him at all.

Happy Birthday, Eli! We love you!

Other Mommy's minds...

I tend to procrastinate by reading random mommy blogs. I typically find them reassuring. It helps to know that some of my kid’s quirky behaviors are simply because they are kids, not because they have some horrifying mental deficiency. There are so many intelligent, well written blogs in the mommy realm that they always make me think, and often make me re-evaluate my own mommy mind.

As most of you (hopefully all of you) know, Mother's Day occurred recently. It seems in the mommy blog world there is a trend of mother's who find mother's day to be unnecessary. It seems the most rampant reason for this theory is that we should respect mothers year round and we shouldn't need someone to tell us that a mom deserves recognition. While I agree 100% with these statements, it made me think about my relationship with my mom. One of the great things about family is that, although you should appreciate the things they do, it is okay to expect them to be there for you and help you when help is needed. With this dynamic, it is easy to take them for granted, almost inevitable. As a mother, I am not sure I would want it any other way. I want my children to expect me to be there for them no matter what.

However, I find that I enjoyed Mother's Day more as a daughter then as a Mother. I don't need a day to tell me I am a good mom and my kids love me, but perhaps my kids need a day to show me that I am special to them. Is it possible that by diminishing the importance of this day, we are taking something away from our kids? As women and mothers, we tend to take care of our families needs without demand or thought. Perhaps we don't allow them to reciprocate as much as they would like. Perhaps Mother's Day is the one day they can pamper us and show us how much they appreciate what we do for them.

So, my official stance on Mother's Day is that as long as my children want to do something for me, I will be excited to participate in the events of the day. After all, as a mother, I am most comfortable making sure my children are happy, and if pampering me makes them happy, who am I to complain...

Happy Mother's Day!

My mother is perhaps one of the most amazing people I know. She is one of those people who loves unconditionally and will always put people first. However, she is also strong and is more than capable of sticking up for herself when it is necessary. I know that I can call my mom at 3:00 in the morning and she will be there to listen and I know that she will always find a way to help me no matter what it takes. She is amazing.

A couple of years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was one of the hardest things to ever happen to me, so I can't imagine how hard it was for her and my dad (and my sister, who was there to help mom through it). I consider myself lucky that I didn't have to see her daily struggles; I think it probably would have killed me. Of course, as she is my mother, she knew this and kept most of her pain from me, she was very brave for my sake and I thank her for that.

Today is Mother's Day and today Major League Baseball is covered in pink to raise money for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. So, if you feel like today is a good day for baseball, head out to your local MLB game and see all the players use pink bats and run pink ribbon bases. It is the third year of the event and is sure to be another success. Remember, most of the items used in the games will be auctioned off here. If you are interested, you can get some great sports memorabilia and help some amazing people, like my mom.

So, Happy Mother's Day to all of you! Especially to my mom who I love more than she will ever know.

I also want to say Happy Mother's Day to my sister. Although we may never see eye to eye (and she didn’t call Isobel back to share her favorite princess), she is an amazing mother and has made a difference in so many lives. She is able to handle an immense amount of stress while still maintaining her composure. I will always be grateful that she was strong enough to be there for our mom, when I wasn't.

Twilight...

I am a book whore. I will read anything that is put in front of me. With this book weakness, I have been lucky to have a husband who was a book buyer for a major book retailer and is now in publishing. I tend to salivate when my husband tells me he is going to Borders on his way home from work. All I have to do is ask him to bring me a book and he always obliges. The fun of this method is that I never know what he is going to bring home and it is often a book I never would have picked out for myself.

One Friday night, about a month ago, the above scenario occurred and my wonderful husband came home with a copy of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, one would think being the book whore that I am, I would have heard of this book…I had not. I started reading at about 9:00 pm and could not bring myself to stop. I finally finished around 4:00 am and collapsed into bed. The next morning my slightly surprised, but not shocked, husband confirmed that the second book (of which book 1 contained a fantastic preview), New Moon, was available for my reading pleasure. I got a much earlier start on that book and was able to finish it by dinner, and guess what... there was another teaser at the end. Yes, there was yet a third book in the series, Eclipse, beckoning me. However, my husband was unwilling to make a second trip to Borders that Saturday (third for the weekend), so I was forced to go and get my own book. I have to say it was well worth the trip. I did not read all night, as I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, but I was able to finish it on Sunday.

This series is one of those guilty pleasures for me, much along the lines of Harry Potter and Stephanie Plum. The books you are not sure you should be reading, but can't help yourself. It is the story of a young, forbidden love that can't be denied. I have fallen in love with these characters and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, to be released in August.

So, my friends, if you have a few minutes and want a light hearted read about a teenage girl and her much older, vampire boyfriend, look no further than the saga of Bella and Edward. I hope you will read them and enjoy them as much as I did. Oh, and let me know what you think. I would like to know if you fall in love as easily as I do...

UPDATE

Although I still recommend the first three books of the series, I was utterly disappointed in Breaking Dawn. It feels as if this book was rushed to publication and was desperate for another revision. I don't expect anyone who has read the first three books of the series to not read this book... I just recommend borrowing it from some poor sap who already bought it or checking it out at the library.

I have decided to pretend the series ended with Eclipse.

lions and tigers and bears...

Today we went to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. It was a beautiful day. The weather was fantastic. It was sunny, in the upper 60's and Curious George and Max were at the zoo meeting kids. Isobel and Eli were so excited to see both of them, although Isobel didn't understand why Max was traveling without Ruby. It was our first visit to the zoo and we loved it, at first.

About 45 minutes after we got to the zoo Eli started refusing to get out of the stroller. He just sat there saying he wanted to go home. We assumed that he was just scared of the bigger animals (we were in the wolf habitat when this started), so we let him stay in the stroller and told him not to be afraid. At this point it was about 11:30 and he wasn't getting any better, so we decided he must be hungry. We asked him if he wanted to eat lunch and he said yes. So, we went to the Rhino Cafe for lunch. That is when we realized that it was more than just hunger or fear. He wouldn't eat or drink, he was crying and just wanted to be held and he felt a little warm. So, Jon took Eli and Emmy to the car and Isobel and I stood in line to see Max. Below you can see Eli's zoo progression... poor baby...

He fell back to sleep the second we got in the car and took a short nap. When he woke up he seemed to be feeling better, so we decided we would make a quick pit stop at Babies-R-Us. As we pulled into the parking space, I heard that noise... you know, the noise all moms dread, the one that means your child just threw up all over themselves in their car seat...

Eli was so shocked by this event. I don't even think he realized it happened. He just stared at his hands and said "Mommy, I need a wipe." After I told him that he was sick he turned to Isobel and said "Bel, I'm sick" and Isobel said "I know, sweetie, I am so sorry." I don't know how many times on the drive home she asked him if he was okay. It was very sweet... It made me realize that some of my posts about Isobel may seem a little harsh. She really is a sweet girl and she loves her brother very much. In fact, when we got home she watched Blue's Clues without complaint... a sweet shock for all who know her.

Here is Isobel with Max... she was very happy to meet him!

TV or no TV...

As I have mentioned before one of the negatives of being a work at home mom is that I allow my children to watch more TV than I should. I have spent more than a little time researching the negative effect of excessive TV watching, and I know I should be stricter. However, it does occupy them well when I have work that needs to be done, so I let it slide.

I do feel guilty, so I have spent some time trying to rationalize it. I have decided that my kids do learn some things from TV. Isobel learned how to make a number of different colors from Blue's Clues. Both Isobel and Eli can count to 10 in Spanish thanks to Dora and Diego. Eli has actually started trying different foods at meals because the characters on Yo Gabba Gabba told him he may like it. Is it possible that there are some positives to TV watching? Is it possible that there is such a thing as educational TV?

UPDATE

My friend Kara has a similar post on her Little Corner of the Web. It is an interesting look at Scooby Doo and the positive impact it may have on a young viewers mind. Let me know what you think...

I think it may be time...

I have decided it may be time to start really potty training Eli. He will be three in a couple of weeks and he has been showing some signs of being ready. We have been casually potty training (yes, that exists in my world) for about a month now and I have discovered an interesting fact about my darling son... the YMCA stimulates the need to use the potty. Every time Eli has been at the Y over the last 6 weeks he has used the potty. Now, having said that, he has yet to use his potty chair at home... WHY?

So, starting tomorrow... I am going to put a pair of painties (okay, underwear, I guess he is a boy) on him in the morning and ask him non-stop if he has to use the potty. I have 8 pair of Diego underwear, we will see how long it lasts... wish me luck!

UPDATE

I tried. I made valiant effort to let my son go through all of his underwear, but by pair three (in just 45 minutes) I decided he wasn't ready. So, we are going to wait a week and try again.

sweet, sweet Eli...

Last night Eli and I were lying on the couch watching The Office (Emmy's birthday cake pushed bed times back a bit). Isobel came downstairs whining about being cold. My sweet, sweet Eli held up his blanket so Isobel could join him. Now, when I say blanket, I mean blankie. It is not very big and he cannot function without it (or one of its many siblings). Isobel climbed up onto the couch next to him and they cuddled under this little blankie. It was almost the cutest thing I have ever seen them do...

Of course, my darling Isobel then wrapped herself up in Eli's blankie pulling it completely off of him. He started to cry and she just shrugged and said "I'm cold!”

This made me realize that I am quite a bit like Eli. I always assume people are intrinsically good and always going to do the right thing. I am usually proven wrong. How do I teach him that there should be limitations to his kindness? How do I teach him something that I never learned myself? How does one teach a child that people will take advantage of his kindness and most likely hurt him in the process? Is it something that should be taught or is it one of those lessons he should learn the "hard way"?

one and counting...

Today is Emmy's first birthday.

I was lying in bed at about 2:00 this morning thinking that one year before, at about that time, I was in my hospital bed willing my epidural away so I could be with Emmy in the NICU. They rushed her out of the room so quickly that I didn't even get to see her. I finally met her at about 5:00 am, 3 weeks and 1 day before I should have. It was a long night followed by a long day.

The needles, the tube feeding, the pumping, the C-Pap, I remember it all as if it were yesterday. I remember looking at her little blue toes and being so afraid that they would never be pink. In fact, I can honestly say that the best birthday gift I ever received was Emmy's pink toes. Once every part of her was nice and pink, I knew she was going to be okay.

I am very lucky, that she only spent a week in the hospital. Whenever I think about how scared I was, I think about the other parents in the NICU. There was a little boy who stopped breathing every time he slept, a little girl who was born at 26 weeks and a set of twins that had been there for 2 months and weren't going home anytime soon. All of the babies on her unit were there when she got there and there when she left. I think about them often.

The last night we were in general peds Emmy got a new roomie, an adorable little baby boy. During his four week check up the doctor felt something in his abdomen. A sonogram later confirmed a mass in his colon. He was immediately admitted to the hospital for further testing. His parents were fantastic. They tried for so long to have a baby and were finally blessed with this wonderful little boy. They were so kind and optimistic. I will always remember how genuinely happy they were when Emmy was released from the hospital. I would have liked to have known more about them and learned the outcome of their son’s tests. I often think about that little boy and hope that he is better and was able to celebrate his first birthday with his parents.

Although I sometimes complain about my children (and often offer to give them away), I know how lucky I am. Eli and Emmy both spent a little time in the NICU, but they both recovered nicely and quickly. They are currently healthy children and I am a better person for knowing them.

It is days like today, when my baby girl is turning one, that I realize how important friends and family really are. So, take a moment and think about the last time that you hugged someone you loved for no reason. If you can't remember, now is a good time, because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

If I were...

Today Isobel told me the sweetest thing...

"I will love you always mommy, even if you turn into a zombie."

Of course, she followed that with...

"I can say that because zombies only live in your imagination."