Clever Lads

How about a lesson in cunning? Lets call it 'The Small Child's Guide To Getting What You Want'.

1. Make sure you're in a very public place, with lots of people around. Preferably old ladies. A grocery store line up works perfectly.

2. Lock onto the prize. Candy usually works best in these cases, the jumbo size to make it all worth it.

3. Make sure you have your big brother on backup. He's not vital to the operation but it never hurts to ensure victory.

4. Hold out the jumbo size candy to your dad-Skittles in this case-and utter the following sentence:

"Daddy, I want to taste the rainbow" 

And on command:

"Ya dad, we want to taste the rainbow"

Cue "awwws" and smiles from the old ladies in line.

*It's important to have an audience.

5. Wait for the inevitable capitulation. No parent wants to look like the asshole that always says no when you're asking so adorably.

6. Be prepared to have a couple and then hand them over to your mother when you get home. They are, after all, her favorite candy too.

It's much more effective than a temper tantrum at the checkout. Just ask Jeff.

Conversations

Don't tell him I told you, but every once in a while there's a glimpse of the person my teenager will be once the hormones and moodiness have leveled off. 

I'm not saying today was one of those rare days, but the conversation made me smile regardless. That kid is so much like me, it's scary.

Liam: God mom, don't you think you went overboard a bit?

Me: Noooooo. In fact, I think I'll go buy a rug for the front door that says "ho ho ho, Merry Christmas" and then you can look at it every time you come home!

Liam: Ha. Ha. Ha.

Me: You're so ironic Liam.

Liam: I know right?

**Me rolling eyes SO HARD at that phrase, it's the most annoying ever and I have found myself spitting it out on more than one occasion**

Liam: You're weird.

Me: Don't say that! Hey, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to decorate your room while you're at your dads this weekend. Tinsel, lights, a little tree, it'll be FUN. 

Liam: And then I'll tear it down.

Me: And then I'll put it back up and ground you. 

Liam: And then I'll tear it back down.

Me: And then I'll put it back up and take your gifts back.

Liam:...okay, you win.

So, while I'm not actually planning on decorating his room it's nice to know that if I did, he'd suffer through it for the sake of presents. 

Merry Christmas!

Little Big Ears

Conversations with my children are an endless source of amusement lately. They are what makes being a parent totally worth it, my kids are hilarious. Truly.

They also have big ears and even bigger mouths. We really have to watch ourselves around them now.

Example, as we're trudging to school this morning;

Nicky: I need to hold your hand for energy mom.
Me: just walk in front of me for this part. The people who live here are too (fucking, but I didn't say that out loud) lazy to shovel their sidewalk so there's not enough room.
Nicky: Oh they're lazy? That's what daddy called you.
Me: oh REALLY? Why did he say that?
Nicky: because you didn't wash the dishes.
Me: I see. When did he say that?
Nicky: When you were at work.

Of course I immediately texted Jeff and warned him about bitching in front of the kids. The fact that he called me lazy? I'm pretty sure he said that the same night he wrote really this really hard on the fridge pad:

"RINSE THE DISHES BEFORE YOU PUT THEM IN THE DISHWASHER"

(Only reason I knew he wrote that is because I saw them imprint of the words on the paper underneath. He wisely ripped that message up after he got over his fit of pique.)

We all have our limitations. He's a major hothead and I'm A-Okay with leaving a sinkful of dirty dishes for him to clean.

Anyway, point being! We're past the point of being able to talk freely and them not really understanding.

Also, he didn't deny calling me lazy. Shit. My cover has been blown.

Manipulation

I've hit upon parenting gold. I just have to figure out how to make it work for every possible scenario that might come up.

It's simple really; fear. The concept is nothing new, and here's how it played out today while we were waiting for our lemonseed poppy cupcakes to bake.

Nicky: if I have a drink of your coffee, will I DIE??
Me: of course not!
*he brings the mug almost to his lips*
Me: wait! It WILL kill you!
Nicky: what? It will KILL me?
Me: well, no not really. I was just kidding.
Nicky: well what will happen if I drink it?
*thinking quickly*
Me: you'll stop growing. You won't grow as big as Liam or Daddy.
Nicky: are you serious?
Me: I am.

And he slowly put the mug back on the table muttering something about how THAT was not a good thing.

Guys, it was so effective. And I didn't have to yell myself hoarse over him doing something that I didn't want him to do.

Win/win.

Kids are a blessing.

My teenager did two things on Sunday that guaranteed his life for the next month at least. I say that because the teen years are WAY HARDER than toddlers any day. Teenagers can make you so frustrated that it's a good thing they prefer to shut themselves up in their rooms. Because if they were in your face like a toddler, they'd die.

Maybe that's just my house? My teenager? Is mine weird?

Anyway, he hugged me. Voluntarily. With witnesses! For a boy who was so attached to me that he forced me to carry him well into kindergarten, and who held my hand till at least grade 2, he hates hugs.

And then he thanked me for giving him life. That one came out of left field, even though it was Thanksgiving. You see, usually he lives in a boat named LIAM, floating on the sea of ME, way out on the planet called SELF INDULGENCE.

I had to wipe a tear from my eye.

I kid. He's not THAT bad. Actually he's much the same as I was as a teenager. I'm fond of telling him that too. He LOVES when I tell him that.

Now, if he could only wake up to his damn alarm clock so he didn't spend the whole morning stomping around because he's slept in. If that happened I could maybe see the end of the hell that has been the last 4 years with his moodiness.

(well, the last 13 if I'm being completely honest. That kid was born with WAY more estrogen than I was expecting for a boy)

Of course then we're going to get into smoking and drinking and skipping school and drugs and ohmygod why does anyone have kids.

And then I get to do it all again with pretty much two at the same time.

I'm so glad we stopped at three.

I get no love.

I made my way downstairs because it was FAR too quiet for my liking and already today they had demolished a set of blinds. I can't leave them to their own devices for too long after all.

I was eating my lunch in the next room when the blinds thing happened, incidentally. Not napping, or on another floor, or anything like that. They're quick little buggers.

The basement was immaculate and they were both playing with cars in the playroom. Aw. It was a sweet picture, one of those ones where your heart swells and you feel like maybe you're doing something right.

Me: you guys look cozy, are you having fun?
Nicky: oh ya, oh ya.
Josh: Nicky's my best friend!
Me: that's awesome. Nicky, who is your best friend?
Nicky: it's not you mom. 
Me:....okay?
Nicky: my best friend is Liam.

Wtf? He's not even here and if he WAS, he'd most likely be yelling at his brothers to get out of his room. I'll have to remember this in 5 years when they're beating the hell out of each other for some reason or another.

Not by the hair of MY chinny-chin-chin.

I contemplated taking a picture to illustrate. Only thing is, I also have big pores and wasn't in the mood to highlight them. Another product of the Foote family gene pool.

I'm talking about chin hairs, people. And from what I've been able to tell, it runs in the family.

First was my mom with her mega-long thing that she was trying to grow out like a dreadlock. Seriously. She thought it was hilarious.

Then my sister mentioned she had one. I think. I may just be inventing that to not feel so alone, and I have an awful memory so I'll have to wait and see if she confirms*. But anyway, I'm pretty sure she had one too. She probably cried like a baby plucking it out.

And then a few years ago Jeff started laughing and pointed out that I was the proud new owner of my very own. Blech, was gone super duper fast. I found another one this morning, which is what brought this on. They sprout up a couple times a year. Again, blech.

Thing is, our genes are really strong. Like, mega strong in that you could pick the Footes out of a crowd of 500 people. And I feel a real responsibility to my female Foote cousins, so that they can keep an eye out for this. I betcha my aunts get them. It's a family secret. A revolting, but strangely fascinating, family secret.

Chin hairs, big pores, hairy toes (oops, let another one slip). Something has to balance the bright and sunny Foote smile right?

Consider this my PSA to you Chelsea, Brittany, Melissa, Stephanie, Brooke, Raeanna, and Kayleigh. You're welcome.

*She did NOT, in fact, get a hair on her chin. It was on her arm, and it's called a CALCIUM hair. And OMG please tell her that I DID NOT just write that for 20 people to read on the internet. Yes, I was yelled at and threatened until I cleared that up. She would probably have preferred me not to say she had a long hair on her arm but we're going for entertainment here guys. And I still maintain that she cried like a baby plucking it out.

Countdowns

I posted on yesterday on Facebook that I was starting a countdown for my upcoming trip to Las Vegas. This trip has been in talks for...oh about 10 months or so and the fact that it's 59 days away is super exciting! I should mention that it's a stagette for my oldest (one of them anyway) and closest (again, one of them) friends. Lest anyone think that it's just an excuse to have an uninterrupted 4 days away from my family. Or something like that...;)

The thought of a countdown, and how close we are to ripping it up Hangover style (seriously. Vegas should prepare) reminded me of how I was planning on meeting my weight loss goal by then. I'm really not anywhere near it. And that's taking into account the muscle I've built up from being active and getting in shape.

Because I'm actually really proud of myself at how far I've come. I can run for a solid hour, with just a couple 60 second breaks in there. That is MILES from where I started, when even thinking about running for 3 minutes freaked me the hell out. And as anyone who runs can tell you, getting into the zone and feeling that adrenaline rush makes you feel like a rockstar. It's addicting.

But I digress, because my love affair with running is NOT the point of this post. No, the thought of the countdown has prompted me to see if I can give up fast food for the next 59 days. Because as much as I'm eating FAR healthier now, I still have a weakness for Subway, Edo, McDonalds. Wendys. A&W, the list goes on and on. Quick Wok. YUMMO.

It doesn't help that I work evenings in a mall with a foodcourt. You know, evenings...that time of day when you eat dinner? And how many times have I not eaten the dinner I made for my family because I'm working that night and can just grab something there. It's ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the foodcourt is the reason my scale has stalled.

So that's the deal. No more fast food. If we hit up K-Days this year I am going to be in torturous hell. I mean, have you ever smelled fair food? We can see the fireworks and hear the live show from our house, and I'm pretty sure I can smell the mini-donuts too. Should I give myself ONE cheat day? We'll just have to see how it all plays out.

So countdowns:

To Vegas.........59 days
No fast food......2 days

Adventures in Cookie Land

I've gathered all my ingredients, mixed most of them together, and am at the point of pouring the flour mixture into the egg/sugar mixture.

Nicky: What are you doing mom?
Me: (oh shit. COME ON I WAS ALMOST DONE) Just mixing together some stuff to make cookies.
Josh: Can I dooooo ittttttt???
Me: I....guess so. Okay fine, but be careful please.

Reluctantly, I hand Josh a cup of oats to pour into the VERY BIG, hard to miss mixing bowl. Which he promptly pours onto the counter.

Me: (breath. 1..2..3..) Oh no honey, you missed. Here let me clean it up.
Josh: I can dooooo ittttt.

And the oats that were on the counter are now on the floor.

Me: Okay you know what buddy, let mommy do this part.
Nicky: I can get it in mom, let me try.
Me: Here you go, just be very careful-oh, nice save! Amost had another mess! (rolling eyes, *&%#$)

A couple minutes and a few mishaps later, I am dropping blobs of of oatmeal and butterscotch yumminess onto the cookie sheet.

Nicky:(all wide eyes and high-pitched voice) OH HEY. Look at that MOM. It's like a COOKIE on that pan. Are WE making COOKIES????
Josh: I eat it?
Me: Yup guys, that's what we were doing. Making cookies! We can eat them after they've cooled down.

15 minutes later, after dancing around the kitchen and singing about cookies and Tinkerbell, we pull the greatly anticipated cookies out of the oven.

Me: Don't touch! They're hot you'll burn yourself.
Nicky and Josh: Okay mommy.

And what do you think happened next?

Josh: That's HOT! You no say it's HOT!
Nicky: Yes you did mommy, you did tell us it's hot. Josh you are not a good listener.
Me: (muttering to myself) Do I really sound like such a know it all?

....So, I know lots of parents like to bake with their kids. It's a 'bonding' and 'learning' experience. However, I find it to be a big pain in the ass. It takes double the time, creates 4 times the mess, and the little hooligans run off with all my measuring cups and spoons. I still do it though, because I'm a 'good' mom and it makes them happy.

We're creating memories over here, yo.

Oh Mr. Sun!

Nothing makes a mom appreciate summer weather like a rainy day. Or, as I like to call them, the longest days ever.

This morning, still snug in my bed with the little ones talking to their dad as he was getting ready for work, I had no idea what was in store for me beyond the curtains. No idea that I'd be cursing Jeff with every step I took in the pouring rain that he had to remind Nicky that today was a school day. No idea that I'd be giving up my precious umbrella to the kids in the stroller so they could be just that little bit drier. As I got more and more wet.

It was a toss up between listening to Nicholas whine all day about school or walking the ten minutes there and ten minutes back in soggy weather. For me it was a no brainer. I knew I'd have the afternoon to listen to the whining to go outside anyway, and I knew I had to save my sanity. Off we went.

So school time has come and gone, we've had lunch, watched a favorite movie, played hide and seek, drawn a bit, they've played on their own, fights have been broken up...and it's only 2:30. Days like this, I really wish they still napped.

Longest day ever.

Different stuff.

What can possibly have kept me from this blog for so long? It's not like my life has been boring (any more than usual anyway) and I like to think I'm witty enough to make even the most mundane topic semi-interesting.

Let's see, we've got the kids. I always write about the kids though. And you know what? They're textbook perfect kids, for their ages. The two year old is tempermental and is prone to giving us shit and throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat. The four year old is tempermental and is prone to being sassy and bursting into tears at the first sign of trouble. The thirteen year old is prone to periods of moodiness and can never seem to talk loud enough, thereby earning the nickname Mumbles.

If you didn't know me and my family, you'd be shocked to learn they're all boys.

Then there's my friends. Both the ones that are right here in my real life that I can touch with my two hands, and the ones that live only in my computer. I've had the opportunity to meet a handful of those mythical 'online friends' and I can tell you, they're real! And not psyco-murderers!

This weekend I got to go wedding dress shopping with some of my closest 'in real life' friends and it was lovely. I got to be there as my best friend found The Dress, and then for dinner as we all got pumped up about the upcoming Vegas stagette. It was awesome to be able to connect with friends again, especially since I really don't do much during the week except take care of children, work a bit to get away from said children, and run.

Oh ya, running! One of my friends-in-the-computer really made me start to get serious about it. I won't say that she put the thought in my head, because it's been about 2 years that I've started and stopped running, over and over. But she's the one that really made me push through the part of my running program where I would have just given up and not bothered anymore. Where she is now, is where I'll be in another 6 months. And that's the definition of inspirational.

It's just in the last few weeks that I've started to feel like a real runner and not like someone just playing at it. I can run almost 30 minutes at a time, which is uh-mazing when I think back to starting the program and not being able to imagine lasting for 90 seconds. And I remember freaking the eff out when I realised I had to jump from running 9 minutes straight to 20. Now, 20 minutes in is when I'm in the middle of my huge adrenaline rush.

On my Saturday run, I kept getting the thumbs up and smiles from people I passed in the neighborhood. Sure, 90% of them were from elderly people...like the old lady power walking or the dude riding his bike. It was still encouragment!

So there's me at the moment. A running obsessed mom who's finally starting to get out a little more and enjoying socializing with friends. And one who is going to make the promise (for the 20th time) to try updating a little more. 

p.s. I really need to start having definite topics for these posts instead of being all over the map like I am today. There's only so many ways you can make a blog title of 'This and That' or 'A Bunch of Random' or 'Let's Recap the Last Month'. Sheesh.

Adventures in potty training.

I avoided posting or making any big announcements about it. After all, I jinxed myself at LEAST twice on these very pages, bragging about how I was going to tackle potty training Josh and how smart I was going to be in figuring out timing and blah blah blah. No, this time I kept my damn mouth shut.

Monday night we were doing our weekly grocery shopping and Jeff asked if we were picking up pull-ups for Josh since the stash was getting low. Now, I hate buying diapers and pull-ups. I'm cheap when it comes to those, that's why I loved cloth diapers. So I decided right then that we were going to try potty training. Again.

Tuesday morning he stayed in a pull-up until after we picked Nicky up from school. Mostly because he usually takes his poo sometime in the morning and I was only interested in tackling one thing at a time. Come lunch time, poop out of the way, we pulled out the undies! We were very excited! This was going to be so much fun!

Pee everywhere. Pee on the couch. Pee on the kitchen chairs. Pee on the rug in their playroom. Pee. Pee. Peeeeee. But in the midst of that, he went on the potty unassisted and unprompted. I swear to god, that one pee was the only thing that gave me a ray of hope that day.

So Wednesday. Wednesday looked very much like Tuesday, but with a little more sitting on the potty and a little less pee all over my house. It was progress.

Yesterday was even better. Sure we had a bunch more pairs of wet undies BUT he was catching himself after the first few dribbles and going and sitting on his potty. All by himself.

Today he woke up and immediately banged on the bathroom door for Jeff to let him in to do his thang. And so far this morning, no pee accidents. That's not to say it's been a total success because now that he has the hang of peeing, we're doing the poop part. So there was that. That was fun. But hey, at least it stayed in the underwear and not all over his hands and my walls. Yippee!

...oh God, it's true. I'm sorry. After all this, I just realised that maybe you're not as interested in hearing about my kid's bodily functions as I am in writing about them? Yup it's true about moms, because THIS, this right here? It's the highlight of my week. Sadness. I used to be cool.

For real this time.

After last week's ra-ra post on losing weight I sort of fell flat on my face. I lack discipline, and I got really lazy about my running program.

Today I found myself on the Weight Watchers site for the first time in almost 2 years. I watched myself with amazement as I typed in my old username and password and decisively signed myself up again.

I'm a rule follower. I'm not a rebel, I can't make shit up as I go along. I need to be told how to do things, how much I'm allowed to do, and I need a nice big pat on the back when I've done a good job. Fireworks are optional, but appreciated.

So a program like WW is perfect for me. I might resist a little and sneak a treat here or there without recording it, but when I'm on WW that little treat would be more like 2 snack-sized kit kats. When I'm free-styling a treat is more like melted cheese on toast, a bag of chips WITH DIP, and some ice cream. Way over the top.

You can go ahead and figure out what that means about my personality.

So, NOW you can all sit back and witness the incredible melting girl. Last time I lost 30 pounds in 5 months by only dieting. This time we're adding in some fitness so I'm expecting to be ready for my 'after' picture a bit more quickly than that.

Oh ya, that's right. I took a disgusting 'before' picture of myself last week. It's so scary that even Jeff hasn't seen it. In fact, I didn't even tell him about it. That's how embarrassing it is. But I will be thankful in a couple months that I did it. And who knows, once I've reached my goal I may even do one of those side-by-side pictures and we can all ooh and ah over it.

Then you can set off fireworks and give me some high-fives, k?

Call me vain.

Hair.

As a woman it's our crowning glory, no? We spend SO MUCH money on it, obsess over it, critique it (and everyone else's). Hair is what we use to hide behind or make ourselves stand out in a crowd, depending on your personality.

I luuuurve my hair. I love that I was gutsy enough to go through with chopping it all off. I'm growing it out right now just so I can chop it all off again. I'm a fan of grand gestures.

What I don't love is something that I spied in the mirror today. Every woman that's ever spent any time at all in front of a mirror scanning the top of their head knows exactly what I'm about to say. Gray hair.

Okay, not a lot. But not just one or two. They're interspersed all.over.my.head. Prior to 30 minutes ago, I was totally A-OK with having a natural hair color while I was growing out my hair.
Not anymore. Oh hell no, the only thing I have to decide on now is color. Hi-lites? One color? Decisions.

The only that is certain is that 32 is far too young to worry about this shit, and I am so glad that hair dye was invented!

Let's do this again.

Two years ago I started documenting a weight loss journey on this 'ol blog. I was 159 pounds and had just had a baby a couple months earlier and could be forgiven for carrying an few (or 35) extra pounds.

So I joined Weight Watchers, started counting my calories, and lost a grand total of 31 pounds. Success! I was SO CLOSE to my goal of 125 pounds and I promptly declared myself cured of the fat. And went straight back to the horrible eating habits that got me into trouble in the first place.

Which brings me to today and my current fat-ass weight of 153 pounds. Almost smack dab right back at where I was before. EXCEPT last time I had just had a baby 3 months earlier. I do not have that excuse this time.

I got lazy, I NEVER got into the regular habit of working out, and then when I stopped to think about how far I had let myself go I got depressed and would eat more crap. Vicious cycle.

So new plan. Back to counting calories, which I KNOW to be effective. But besides just that, I'm also taking up running. Indoors for now since HAVE YOU SEEN IT OUT THERE? Once the white crap melts, it'll be outdoors.

The ultimate goal with this running is to enter a 5K. I'm going to get halfway through my program and then book myself into one. No excuses.

I have a long-term goal but it's EXTREMELY unrealistic at this point so I think I'll keep it to myself. Suffice it to say, it's over a year away and totally bad-ass. It's so beyond my scope of even imagining that most people would giggle to themselves if I told them.

I'll do it though.

Boo-hoo.

These days I feel like a salmon swimming upriver. I don't know what it is about the age of 2 that makes parents feel absolutely unprepared to deal with toddlers, but I do know it's a common theme.

At least I hope so. Maybe everyone else has it together and I'm the only one that has no grip on reality?

Because my youngest kids are effing animals. Although once I think about it, when Nicky went through this destructive phase, Josh was too young to mimic. Now that Josh is there, it's like Nicky is reverting.

The result is I want to hurl myself off the High Level Bridge.

This past week has been especially trying. They're fighting, with fists. They yell at each other. Josh gives Nicky shit every 5 minutes. They tattle on each other constantly. They are breaking things and wrecking things at record speeds.

Nicky has taken to acting like a frill-necked lizard. If you don't know what that is, google image it because I can't for the life of me figure out how to link properly. But, when he feels threatened by Josh he'll hiss at him and you can just picture, if he had a frill it would be WAY up there scaring Josh off.

And it's effective, 95% of the time Josh runs away. It's also the only levity in a really annoying situation.

Because I swear, I discipline. I don't let them get away with awful behavior. They go for time outs, they get spankings, they get toys taken away. They get yelled at, talked to nicely, bargained with. They're loved, they're not ignored, I'm engaged with them. I'm definitely not a perfect parent but I care about how they turn out.

And still. I feel like I'm raising future hood rats.

So that's why I feel like a salmon. I know eventually I'll be successful but damn is it hard on the way there. And I know it's not even the hardest part yet because I'm going through THAT with the oldest one. Although one could say that it's not necessarily harder, it's just a different kind of hard.

I meant to turn out a light-hearted, jokey post. Instead I spiraled down into mommy-whine. Honestly though, lately I've been aching to have the same stomp-your-feet, bawl-your-eyes-out, red-faced tantrums they've been having. But someone has to act like the adult.

It's about me this time!

How about another round of 'Random Things'. But this time about me!

-My energy level has tanked. Like, I could fall asleep right now as I type and my mouth is in a permanent yawn. There are probably many different reasons for this but I'm betting the biggest one is that I find it impossible to fall asleep before midnight every night.

-I have finally, and for the last time ever, quit smoking. It only took almost 17 years after I first started to be able to say it and mean it. And over the last week I've been tested, let me tell you. Probably the worst. time. ever. to quit but we can't predict what life throws at us.

-I'm going back and forth between saving up to buy a treadmill and trying to find a gym buddy and joining Spa Lady. The treadmill would probably be more cost effective but the gym! They have Zumba classes! That I'd probably never attend but still!

(This is where Jeff pipes in and reminds me that a) where the fuck would we put a treadmill? and b) I couldn't find the time to go to the gym before so what's changed? And I would say: Darling, I let you babble on about all your crap. Let me do the same.)

(But I am serious about wanting to do one of those 2 things. I've got it all planned out.)

-I'm in the process of growing out my hair. I'm an idiot and assumed that all I'd have to do is not go to my hair stylist. A word of warning to anyone trying to grow out a pixie cut, you still need to have your hair looked after or else it'll look like a big 'ol poofball. That, or you'll look like a sheepdog with all that damn hair in your eyes. It's not very attractive. Luckily I have an appointment this evening and I can go back to being stunning. Phew.

-One more thing, and you knew I wouldn't be able to not mention my kids right? This whole no-energy thing is making for one not very fun house right now. Because in addition to me being exhausted, the kids are no longer napping which means they are extra lovable and charming come about 2:30 in the afternoon. It makes it hard to keep tempers even and the yelling to a minimum. And that goes for EVERYONE in the house. We're all bitchy lately. I'm really wishing for one of those 'Easy' buttons about now.

On that note, I've got one child (I'll give you one guess who) whining and pointing at the fridge for some YOOOOGURRRRT. I've been told.

Hello again.

I've been in a blog rut lately. Can't think of anything interesting enough to write about so I've been silent for...a couple weeks? A month?

So how about some random crap? Yay!

-Nicky is majorly whiny lately. Like, make your brain bleed whiny. Apparently I've commented on this enough that when I give him the warning "Nicholas..." he responds with "I'm making your brain bleed?". Huh.

-Josh has a soundtrack to his life lately. It goes something like this: "Boom-boom, cha. Boom-boom, cha". All day, as he's playing with his cars, as he's eating his breakfast, as he's watching tv. We've all found ourselves making these sounds under our breath, it's quite catchy.

-After a serious talk with my eldest about respect, in which I told him he needed to look up the definition if he couldn't figure it out, life has been very attitude-free for the past 5ish days. I'm savoring it, who knows when it'll end? Also, he's going to be 13 in exactly 2 months. Thir-effing-teen. Where did my life go?

-Oh, and about Liam too. And this makes me roll my eyes and in some sneaky way be proud too (because he obviously got his looks from me). Amongst his friends, according to him, he's got the best hair. The guys are all trying to grow theirs out to look like his, and the girls think it's "so sexy". There's something that doesn't feel...right....about 12 year old girls thinking my kids hair is 'sexy, but unfortunately I can't control what comes out of other peoples mouths so I'm just going with it.

Oh look! A whole blog post! Who knew my kids were so damn interesting?