Danger IS My Middle Name

Finn's Three year photos

2010-03-04T03:43:00.012-05:00

A few months over... but here's my little (big) man, in all his glory! These are the rough/uncut shots, the actual ones are more formatted and nicer, but this should give you an idea-- my boy has gotten SO BIG! Please Enjoy!

Socks and underpants

2010-02-22T13:19:00.002-05:00

Every day my son takes off his socks. No matter how cold it is, he takes them off. He's a barefoot hippie kind of kid, I guess. Yesterday, he made his dad put two pairs of socks on him and he left them on all day. Isn't that strange? I thought so, too.

Finn is really into acrobatics. He can almost do the balance beam with no help, and spends a lot of his day doing sommersaults and flips and sits upside down on the furniture a lot. He's also getting very independent and like to do thing by himself, try his hand at everything, and turn the lights on and off all day long (called 'making the light dark').

We're making some moderate success with potty training, though he responds to daddy much better than mommy. I hope in a few more weeks we'll be all done.

I forgot!

2010-01-17T22:18:00.002-05:00

Here are some videos of Finn and Santa I almost forgot! Enjoy!

Sledding!

2010-01-17T22:06:00.004-05:00

Photo of the year

2010-01-17T22:04:00.002-05:00

nuff said.

Our private Christmas morning

2010-01-17T21:54:00.003-05:00

Bromo needed a nap. :)

Playing with daddy's new silicon oven mitts!

Every toy goes onto Daddy's head eventually.

Finn got pooping animals for Christmas! They don't help too much with the potty, but they are AWESOME toys. :) Because poop is funny.

Picture of the year.

A very Curry Christmas

2010-01-17T21:47:00.003-05:00

Finny helped Poppa open up his presents!!

And he helped Grandma Lynn give them all away!

This one is SO CUTE!

This one, too!

SO CUTE!

Now that is the face of a kid who is happy about his presents!

A very Reid Christmas

2010-01-17T21:27:00.003-05:00

Finn LOVES these Bear Claw gloves!

Finn was in charge of presents. He only broke one.

Here is Auntie Ohney and Jake, newly engaged.

and Uncle Chris and Uncle Cassie, about to be engaged.

A Visit From Santa

2010-01-17T21:15:00.005-05:00

This was the eve of Christmas Eve, about 5 minutes before I ran out to a birth. Santa was AMAZING, and so very jolly, but Finn was less than impressed. We had no tears, but he was very nervous, and distrustful, even after he got presents. After he left, however, Finn talked nonstop about how Santa came to his house, and was going to go down his chimney, and was overall very thrilled by the experience!

SPECIAL THANKS to our friend SANTA who drove out on horrible roads from Chicago in a snowstorm to do this for us! We love you!

Poltergeist?

2010-01-17T21:14:00.003-05:00

or Finn?

You decide.

Cookies at Gramma's house

2010-01-17T21:04:00.002-05:00

Finn liked this, and he was very good at 'helping' and also the eating part! This happened to coincide with his birthday, so we also did a cupcake with a candle, and he smiled ear to ear, proud as can be he's three!

Finn turned THREE!

2010-01-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it. I really can't. He's so big. We haven't done a party for him yet, and were waiting until the holidays passed and work slowed down for Tom and I. But here he is on the FABULOUS gift we got him for his birthday, Thomas the Train! And like the rock stars we are, we got is used for less than a third the retail price, and it's in mint condition, baby!

He's a rock star train conductor, playing his new guitar while he drives the train!

Also, Thomas fits in the frog tent, as an added bonus.

The Bink is gone.

2010-01-17T19:49:00.001-05:00

Praise the lord. Now, if we can only get him potty trained, I might just have a big boy on my hands!

Sword play and head climbing

2010-01-17T19:19:00.003-05:00

My boys are tight, and this is how they play! Rough and rowdy, and CREATIVE! :)

This is an 'S' shaped massager that breaks in half for storage. Finn seems to think they're swords, or hand hooks or something like that. Tom likes to play with them, too!

Go Climb a Tree

2009-12-02T01:25:00.002-05:00

Today I had a meeting in the home of a midwife about some classes I'm going to be teaching for her. She has three kids who were older, but quite excited about Finn coming to play with them, and he was equally thrilled to be playing with new kids.

They chose to play in the backyard, and I was unaware that there was a treehouse up there. It was about 8-10 feet off the ground, and the only way in or out was to use this ramp built with the little 'grippers' people use to learn rock climbing, and a rope. Well, apparently, he just followed them on up there all on his own, and wouldn't get down.

So when Amira came to get me to tell me he was stuck in the treehouse and couldn't get down, I was dumbfounded and worried. When I saw where he was, we both laughed because he was in HEAVEN up there, singing songs to the world about aliens and the such, but I asked Amira again, 'how did he get up there?'. And she told me 'he just climbed'. He just followed the big kids up a ramp that was built with a difficulty level for a kid twice his age and size, and didn't even think about it.

Now, its important to note that I have two broken toes and am having back troubles. Thank god for the pain pills, because I had to climb up there and get him (which was not easy at all and very painful), and then carry him down. All the while thinking he WANTED to get down and play with the older kids.

Well, we got him settled, and not 5 minutes later Amira came back in to tell me he was in the tree again and he wouldn't come down. Again, I asked her how he got up there, and she told me, 'he just climbed up'. I WAS FLABBERGASTED. This kid is a serious athlete. I wish I had pictures to show you what he scaled all by himself TWICE. So I went out to check on him, but he didn't want to come down. So I left him, singing to the 'aliens' and the 'christmas houses' in the neighborhood, and told the kids to come get me if he wanted to get down and not to let him try it himself.

A half an hour later, all four kids came into the house. I asked again, how did he get down???? Puzzled and amazed he could climb down since those climbing stones were spaced as far apart as he is long... and they said, 'oh, he just climbed right down'.

Unbelievable this kid. Unbelievable. I REALLY need to find some serious gymnastics training for him, because he has more than just talent or tenacity, he is fearless, has endless energy, and can absolutely do anything. He blows my mind, really, and I think we might see him on a few Wheaties boxes in our time.

The Lady Who Bit Me

2009-12-02T01:18:00.002-05:00

Here is what Finn says:

I was in the line. And the lady pulled down my pants and she pinched me on my leg and it hurt and I cried!

or...

I was in the line, and there were kids playing, and the lady pulled down my pants and the spider bit me and it hurt and I cried.

What Really Happened:

We stood in line for the H1N1 vaccine last week. We all needed to get it for having pregnant women in the home as a risk for spreading, as well as my being healthcare worker, and Finn under 3. Tom also needed it for his asthma.

So, there was no waiting, but kids playing that he was sad to be kept from while I whisked him through the line. We yanked his trousers, he got a quick shot in his thigh, and he cried quite loudly, but all the while I laughed, because he kept telling me a spider bit him and it hurt. It's been a week, and he keeps telling me about it, and I have to wonder what he thought of the whole thing. It cracks me up to think of what his brain made of the whole situation.

What we're thankful for.

2009-11-24T19:54:00.002-05:00

Today I am thankful for my family. My wonderful, patient, kind husband, and our beautiful, spirited little boy. I am thankful for Tom's support, his selflessness, his work ethic, his intelligence, and his sense of humor, and I am thankful for Finn's tenacity, persistence, creativity, and endless joy. I am thankful for our health, for having a warm home to live in, and plenty of food and fresh water to eat and drink. I am thankful for indoor plumbing.

I am thankful for my mother, for giving me life, trying to teach me things I didn't want to hear about, and for her good health. I am thankful I had a father to raise me and love me, even though I don't have him any longer. I am thankful for my Gram, who had strong hands, great cookies, and silly names for all her furniture, even though she has left us as well.

I am thankful for my sister, for being my best friend, beautiful, strong, and compassionate. I am thankful she has found the man to spend the rest of her life with, and I am also thankful for him. I am thankful for my brother, who is disciplined, and selfless. I am thankful for his happiness and good health.

I am thankful for my inlaws, for loving me from the moment they 'got me', and for their support. I am thankful for Grandma and Poppa and how much Finn adores them and his cousin Soupie. I am thankful for my cousins, aunts, uncles, and other family members as well, even though I don't see them all nearly enough, and sometimes we don't get along.

I am thankful that I still have two healthy dogs, and that we have the technology to keep Murrey alive with minimal effort.

I am thankful for those that have reached out to us, and who help us. You know who you are, and you have changed our lives. Thank you for such amazing opportunities.

I am thankful for my friends. They support us, they love us despite our flaws, they listen to our bad jokes, and cry with us when we need consoling. I am thankful for the deepness and the strength of the bonds we have, and with so many. I am thankful for each person in my life, their health, and their good fortune. I am thankful that all of our victories are shared.

I am thankful we live in a country where speech and thought and free, and I am thankful to those in our government and military who work to keep it that way. I am thankful for fireman and local law enforcement, and all their work to keep everyone safe. I don't always agree with many of the decisions my government makes, but I am thankful to live here, and to know that I have an opportunity for my voice to be heard. I am thankful that change is possible, and I am thankful for democracy. I am thankful for Barack Obama, and the change he inspires.

I am thankful that we live in a country that is not war torn, or so corrupt that people are sick or starving, and I am hopeful that the future will show us a healthcare reform to change the lives of those in our country who do suffer. I would like all our citizens to have the access to care that my diabetic dog has.

I am thankful for medicine, and medical technology, and for all the lives it improves and saves. I am thankful for healthy babies, innocent smiles, and big, round, pregnant bellies. I am thankful to have an awesome job that allows me to touch people in very big, significant ways. I am thankful to those who have supported my studies and work to get me here. I am thankful for the opportunity to get here, and the people who let me scrub their toilets to pay my way.

I am thankful that our country tolerates all religions, and the lackthereof, and that our lawmakers will support our right to diversity, since many of us have questions, and few of us have answers. I am thankful that people in my country are learning to tolerate homosexuality and same sex adoption, and I hope there is more to be thankful for in the near future.

I am thankful for our oceans, and the vast beautiful wildlife on this planet. I am thankful for those working to research, conserve, and defend our natural resources and wildlife habitats.

I am thankful people are going green.

I am thankful for so much more.... and hope for more to be thankful for next year.

The story of the toybox

2009-11-23T23:43:00.002-05:00

Well, you already knew we had an AWESOME train table, which was much more complicated and yielded no injuries. BUT... this cute little cubed toybox with the cloth boxes for toys did me in.

Murrey, as it turns out, is diabetic. And we learned this because he was having accidents. Everywhere. Even on Finn's toys. So, despite Tom's pleas (thanfully) to WAIT A LITTLE LONGER so he can make something, there came a need to get the toys off the ground PRONTO. So I marched right over to Target to get the very toybox I had been dreaming of, AND it was on sale. SWEET.

Well it sat in the foyer in it's very heavy unassembled pressboard box for all of a day and a half, before it happened. I was cleaning for a client, and managed to drop the CORNER of the box on my foot, breaking two toes. It hurt A LOT. I've been wrapping it and icing it for about two weeks now, and it's improving, but MAN was it ugly and MAN did it hurt. It looked like a corpse toe, all gnarly and purple and black. THANKFULLY, this happened while Finn was asleep so I could crawl around and curse as needed until he woke up. :)

Now it hurts when he STEPS on it (which happens a lot) and at the end of the day, but other than a limp and some swelling her and there, it's quite manageable.

BUT, I did manage to build the toybox. 'Mom, you buildin' in. You MOM the Builder!' 'Can Finny have turn, can Finny use hammer?' LOL-- he 'helped' but now we put away the toys every night and it's a glorious thing to see the floor every day-- you sort of forget what it looks like otherwise! LOL

HALLOWEEN!

2009-11-23T23:32:00.003-05:00

We're not going to have much trouble with stranger-danger from this one, who was very excited about Halloween, but not as excited about talking to strange people all over town. We didn't trick or treat for long, because it wasn't much fun, but he did love his costume, and getting his pumpkin filled with candy-- and lucky for us, when we switched the candy to a bowl, he forgot all about it, so we didn't have too many sugar highs to deal with either!

This may remind you....

2009-11-23T23:30:00.001-05:00

This may remind you of another picture, but let me reassure you that this is BREAD and NOT a real dog biscuit!!! We had a halloween party with lots of ghoulishly themed dishes, including boney garlic bread! I couldn't resist posting this!

A Day at the Riverwalk

2009-11-23T22:54:00.005-05:00

This was also taken while Tom was on vacation, and it was another glorious day. The weather was nice, and Finn SO enjoyed our picnic, he's been 'playing picnic' with his animals ever since! He also really liked feeding the ducks!

A Day at the Zoo

2009-11-23T22:43:00.005-05:00

Finn's Favorite Place to be. :) It was the PERFECT day at the zoo. Tim had the day off and it was the middle of the week, and it was beautiful fall weather. We were all smitten. :)

Here is tom proving everybody wrong. These are real birds folks, no photoshop here!

He also REALLY likes to stick his head into things. So we did a lot of that, too.

We bought him a 'snakey' because one of the stores had clearance stuff (I struck up quite a deal of a few Christmas gifts), but we had to give him this one now. They're BFFs.

What can I say, mommy has to join in the fun, too. :)

Tumbling and Periscopes

2009-11-23T22:24:00.002-05:00

OK, it's been FOREVER. Sorry, I'm doing my best! Finn and I just had a sweet evening and I thought I'd tell you about it.

He told me 'you're the best mommy ever!' and it was so sweet I almost cried. Then in the tub, he put his helicopter under the water and told me it had a PERISCOPE. I made him say it again, but he sure said, it and he knows they're on submarines. I almost fell over.

This is coming off of his pooping in the tub yesterday which was SO GROSS-- I totally thought he'd grown out of that!

He tells us about animals all day, and asks when we're going to the zoo, or the ZOOT (depending what day it is). And he always wants to 'play animals', where he tells you what to be, and you play appropriately. He also sings a few songs, and likes to 'mashup' the songs so they'er all one big mess.

He's doing well in tumbling, and can almost do the balance beam with no help at all, which is advanced for his age. The teacher says there's only one other girl in class who can do it, and she's 4! I really think I have a little track star/soccer player/base jumper on my hands, lol! I want to encourage it as much as possible, but am having trouble looking for classes for kids his age that meet more than once a week and will be more challenging than the park district. In another year or so, we'll do some martial arts, and maybe Irish Dancing, and then we'll be moving into the years of t-ball and soccer!

I'll post some pics later tonight since Tom is working late. Let me put my boy to sleep, now. Night!

Fall festivities

2009-10-25T00:29:00.010-04:00

Rock and Roll

2009-09-29T21:24:00.003-04:00

Finn just told me 'Rock and Roll!' in response to a question. Fan-freaking-tastic. No clue where he learned it.

Adventures in Today

2009-09-23T19:43:00.002-04:00

Today (so far):

-Finn asked to talk to Daddy on the phone and talked to him for a good 10 minutes.

- Finn cried all the way through out 'school' class, and begged to go home. When will he get the hang of this whole singing and dancing thing??

- Finn snuck out of bed and went out in the backyard at nap time. I have no idea how long he was out there before I caught him. Apparently the little lock on the screen door means nothing to him anymore.

- I was at the store buying dinner fixins, when I realized there were things in my cart I hadn't paid for... and that Finn was reaching over (from the basket of the cart) to the next self check out lane and 'stealing' cookie mixes from the man next to me that he had already paid for.

Thankfully, I realized this BEFORE I got home, or anyone got mad. But even as I put them back on the man's belt, Finn reached over and threw them back in the cart. This kid is unbelievable. The people at the Jewel were cracking up as I tried to keep up with him and told him to stop stealing. He is SO MUCH faster than I am.

Yesterday:

- Finn told me his penis was a volcano and it was 'gonna blow' at diaper time. Then he proceeded to make motions like it was a fire hose, complete with 'pssshhhhht' sound.

WHERE DOES HE LEARN THIS STUFF??? And seriously, with boys, it's ALL ABOUT the downstairs from a very young age... this explains so much I never understood about my teenage boyfriends! LOL. I sincerely hope the next one is a girl. :)

My little Student

2009-09-22T18:08:00.006-04:00

Well, I have enrolled Finn in a few classes at the park district. Tumbling (which he TOTALLY NEEDS to burn off some energy), and a 'play with me' type of class with preschool type themes. He adores tumbling-- I drop him off and he doesn't even notice I'm gone. The first day was too funny, he learned to roll, and do the balance beam, and worked on obstacle courses, and did summersaults.

I stayed for the first class, and he CRACKED ME UP the whole time. He is by far, the most energetic kid in the class. He also has NO CONCEPT of waiting his turn. So, as the other kids did their obstacle course, Finn could be spotted taking off, running in front of them, behind them, and all around. It was SO FUNNY to see that it's not just me, he's like this with everyone. I took some pics and vids with my phone and will post them if I can, but the quality won't be great.

We are also taking a preschool kind of class to teach him how to play with other kids, and the importance of structure and following directions. So far, he is not a big fan, and asks to go home the whole time, but I hope he will learn to love it soon.

Catching up

2009-09-22T17:43:00.004-04:00

This is part of his train set, and it's about 5 feet off the ground with no furniture near it. I have N IDEA how he got it in there, but I really respect his creativity and resourcefulness. :)

Now that I have finished my final, and the event I was planning is behind me, I hope to have time to get back on and post things time and again-- sorry for my absence! I hope to hear back soon and get more business once I'm official. My final exam was 28 pages (single spaced), so it was no small feat. PHEW! GLAD that is over!

Finn is changing so fast-- my little baby is now wearing a 3T, and is really grown into kid-hood. My baby is gone... *sigh*. He plays with such imagination now, and is always telling us 'you be ___', and then we role play like certain animals, or like we're in outer space (his new favorite thing). It's so awesome to see him embrace his creativity and imagination! I love watching him manipulate his toys and his world to be better suited to whatever game he is playing.

We talk a lot about trains, dinosaurs, and outer space. I think I invented the best game ever when I invented the Kiss-asaurus, because he will just kiss you and kiss you all over your face and it's SO CUTE. He also really loves going to see the animals. We have a zoo membership this year (compliments of a client-- yay!) and he loves it SO MUCH. It's so exciting that he has finally 'grown into' the zoo. He tells us all about the animals, and what they do, and recaps his trips to the zoo for weeks on end.

His energy level is still VERY high, and I find I can hardly keep up with him! He's such a physical player, that I need to take breaks or I can't play with him that long! He is always jumping and 'flying' and rolling and doing summersaults! He's my little gymnast!

He has done some adventuring lately as well! He went on a weekend 'safari' with Poppa and Grandma and Sammy, and he just loved it. He didn't miss us at all, and really had a great time! I missed him~ I was sort of lost without him because its not often I get a break~ but the husband time was nice! It's too easy to forget what that is like!

I swear those two could pass for siblings. Did my genetic contribution mean nothing??

He also went to the Lincoln Park Zoo with Grandma (my mom) and apparently had an exciting 'monkey encounter' through the glass, and still tells us about it. I'm telling you, those monkeys knew he was one of them and wanted to know how he got out. He also tells us that grandma ate his hot dog-- but that was just a misunderstanding. :)

Train Table (dun dun DONE)

2009-08-10T17:41:00.007-04:00

We finished it!!! Poppa and Grandma went out of town with Sammy and Finn, which gave me the time what finish what Tom so lovingly crafted all those months ago for Finn's birthday! We designed it together, and Tom built it all himself. Then I did the painting, finishing, and gluing down of the tracks. The only thing we bought was the actual train set because I wanted one that was magnetic. It has two tracks, three trains, zoo animals it can carry, two train stations and some other accessories.

He should be home any minute, I hope he likes it!

I think this is a Finn's eye view.
Some detail, with my trees, grass, and fluffy clouds.

Doesn't it look fun????

iA birds eye view of the whole set.

I even included an airplane for good measure!

And a picket fence with a horse out to pasture, as well!

Here is the train station with peeps waiting for a ride. They fit in the cars, too.

another train I affixed to the side for show.

These are good shots of the 'topographical' look I was going for with the water and the trees and the sand.

I bought him a Finn train! Isn't it awesome!?

a birds eye view of the whole scene.

one of the sides.

Because I am a dork, the bricks matched up on each side.

Putting on the finishing touches!

Peg Leg Pirate Finn

2009-08-07T17:30:00.005-04:00

Who knew cardboard tubes were so fun??? Two year olds, that's who.

Here is Finn getting 'stuck' and telling me about it.

And here he is showing me how it all works.

And here he is playing quietly with breaks for Scooby.

Then, he moved on to putting other things in the tube, like his sippy cup. Which he smashed, and eventaully just sat and drank out of, which was awesome.

Fun around the house

2009-08-07T16:58:00.005-04:00

Here is Finn in a red hat.

Here is Finn in some milk crates.

Here is Finn listening 'to the radio' (which was his idea and he called it that)

Here is Finn drinking a Corona.

Just kidding, he picked it up off the counter when we had a BBQ, but it made for some good pics. Boy that last one really brings out the belligerent Irishman in him. :)

Circus fun!!!

2009-08-07T16:41:00.004-04:00

We went to the Circus, and had SO MUCH FUN (me included)! My friend Colleen gave us a pass for Finn and a BOGO adult ticket, so I made a friend in line and got us both in for $11. It was SUCH FUN!

They had trapeze artists, clowns, trampolines, silk rope artists, contortionists, animals, and motorcycles on ropes. Finny and I had so much fun, and he kept yelling. 'oh no, mommy! She's in trouble! we need to help!' when people would flip upside-down and do dangerous things!

It was horribly hot and the bleachers weer quite bad for my back, but we had a marvelous time, filling up on blue cotton candy and coke, and screaming and clapping as the acts required. He would clap and yell, 'good job!' when people were done, which also cracked me up!

Anyway, we were all so disappointed Daddy couldn't come, that we're going again when it comes back to Aurora in a few weeks. I can't wait-- I had such fun and it was such a good family adventure!

Complexity

2009-08-07T16:03:00.002-04:00

As time goes on, I realize these posts are going to be more narrated by me, and less by photos. The times are changing.... my boy is getting bigger!

I also won't be able to post as much as I once did. With my business, my website, teaching, and births, I am barely able to keep my head above water. Not to mention that Finn is more difficult to wrangle and requires more interaction from me every day!

For example:

Yesterday he woke me up by putting a sheep in my face and telling me he had a sheep and it was sleeping. Then he handed me my phone and told me call daddy, which I did. And they talked for a good 10 minutes on Tom's way to work. When Tom told him he loved him, Finn said, "you too daddy!'. He's getting so sweet and so expressive.

He's never been as interested in talking to us as he has been with playing with us, but he does have the skills when he chooses to use them. Also, yesterday, he walked up to me with his plastic shark, and said, "Mommy! Look! It's a scary shark!' then he pulled his leg out from under him and yelled 'ouch, my leg!' (as if it bit him) and then got bored and walked away. He's a riot. Don't ask me how he knew it was shark week, because we don't let him watch it!

Then, I had 4 peaches in a bag on the kitchen table to get ripe. I came upstairs to 'Mommy! I found yummy peaches! They're so yummy!' and bites were taken out of ALL of them.

Then, as I prepared for class on Thursday, I told him he had to put the pillows down because they were for 'mommy's ladies'. And he put his hands out like he had a round belly and said, 'mommy's ladies have babies in bellies'. I almost fell over. I have never told him that or taught him that specifically, and it amazes me what he can pick up.

Because we go to La Leche League meetings, he sees that babies drink milk and will tell me about babies and milk, and even goes so far as to call my coffee 'mommy's milk'. It's sweet. He will tell people 'babies need milk from their mommies'. I love it.

Here's another story: Lunch was at 1pm. As I work doing my course evaluation/review for this week, he played. At 3 he came up to me like he had something in his mouth. It was 3 pieces of un-chewed hot dog. He was sucking on them! FOR THREE HOURS! It's SO GROSS but he thought it was really funny. Anyway, it took like 10 minutes to convince him to chew them and swallow because he would not give them back to me! Now he has nasty hot dog breath.... but he sure keeps me on my toes...

We have a new babysitter, and she brought over some hard plastic animal figures. Elephant, reindeer, pig, horse, cow, lion, cheetah, panda, etc. He calls them 'his guys', and will make them bounce when they talk, and they will say, 'hello lion, hello pig', and then make the appropriate animal sound. Then he will make them stand on one another to look for daddy 'where's daddy? I don't see him', or go to sleep and then they snore. He cracks me up, and the details he is interacting with his world with amaze me. The point where I was 'in charge' of teaching him how to engage his world is passed, and now he learns for everything and everyone and I am contstantly amazed at where and how he must learn these things.

On the physical front, he can now climb up slides, and all sorts of other advanced scaling maneuvers. I think I have a future base jumper on my hands.... :)

Have I mentioned that bath bubbles are 'hot snow'. Another hilarious example of his logic skills in action.

The 'P' Word

2009-06-15T23:37:00.003-04:00

We're potty training. Again.

Finn can hold his bladder well, but the aggravation of this process makes me want to quit again.

I HATE this part, and would rather change diapers. Such a battle of wills.

Good thing his tush looks so freaking cute in his big boy undies, or I might go wild.

Wish me luck!

Dinosaurs and Monkeys

2009-06-15T23:28:00.006-04:00

We took Finn to the Field Museum this week-- man was that a hit! It has been well over a decade since either Tom or I was there, and we were surprised at how much we LOVED it. Especially the evolution exhibit-- since the stupid New Lenox school district didn't teach that.

Well, Finn really liked Sue, the big Tyranasaurus (I don't know how to spell that). He was really a big fan of all of the dinosaurs, and so Tom (being a kid inside, himself) bought Finn THREE mold-a-ramas of dinosaurs. He was thrilled, brings them in the bathtub, puts them to bed, and plays with them to no end. Here he is playing with Daddy, showing how scary the T-Rex is!

And on a side note-- the Dino exhibit at Brookfield Zoo was neat, but very disappointing for a kid as small as Finn-- another year, and I think he would have flipped his lid! But the zoo, as always, was a huge success, and we owe a shout out to Colleen and Dan for such a great gift!!

Oh, and also at the Field Museum, Finn liked the dioramas of the animals, which were really quite impressive. I don't remember ever seeing them before, but they have obviously been there for years. There were a lot of monkeys from all over the world, and Finn showed his kinship by hoppping all over the floor yelling, 'OOH OOH EEH EEH' like he was among friends. It was really funny, and I didn't care who stared.

This is a shot of him 'going ape'.

Ghosts and Hot Snow

2009-06-15T23:23:00.002-04:00

Finn likes Scooby Doo. Check that, he LOVES Scooby Doo. He asks for Scooby all the time, and yells and hollers and jumps around when it's on. It's funny, but kind of odd.

Anyway, Scooby almost always has ghouls or ghosts of some kind, which don't scare him at all (this will surprise you when you read the next post). He often yells at dark areas of the house, 'GHOST!' and then runs away laughing. This must have been a scene in one of the Scoobys on my mom's on-demand thingy.

Well, Auntie Eriney taught him to put a sheet or blanket over his head and yell GHOST, until you find him, or he finds you, and he screams and squeals with joy. It's an awesome game. Loud, but awesome.

On a side note, today, when he was in the tub, he told me the bubbles were snow. Then he corrected himself, saying, 'It's hot snow'. It was too good not to pass on.

Fish Monsters

2009-06-15T23:17:00.004-04:00

We were on vacation at my mom's house last week. We did the 'Chicago Tourist' thing with Finn. The weather was SO CRAPPY, and put a damper on our plans, but it was still nice to get away (from the dogs). My mum was gracious enough to put us up in her humble abode, and even let us have her bedroom and kick-ass bathroom. It was a sweet deal for us, and very nice of her.

One of the places we went to was the Shedd Aquarium, a long time favorite of Tom and mine. We LOVE the sharks, and the new oceanarium was fantastic. Finn, though, was less impressed. This was surprising, as he always points out fish, dolphins, whales, sharks, frogs, and turtles when he sees them. I really thought he'd be a pretty sea-faring kid. So far, no dice.

He was frustrated and not as interested in the fish as we'd hoped. He was happy to be out and playing, but it could have been Fuddruckers for all he cared! When we got to the Lake fish, though-- the big, gnarly, ugly ones, he hid his face and cried 'monsters' until we took him away. We thought nothing of it and moved on-- until that night.

HOLY CRAP!

He screamed bloody murder for over an hour, telling me there was monsters, and he was scared. This was presumably preempted by a nightmare about those stupid fish, but needless to say we were quite shocked by the whole thing, and will wait a little longer before we go to the Shedd again...

The new Mommy and Daddy

2009-06-15T23:11:00.003-04:00

Finn recognizes people in pictures, and he has for some time now. He will now point out and name every person in the picture.

He's also started some 'social recognition', for lack of a better term. He sees things of different sizes, and tells me the big one is daddy, the medium one is mommy, and the small one is Finny. Then he makes them all kiss. It's quite funny.

I don't know where he learned it, since I am actually taller than Tom, and girth-wise, we're a close race. This is why I'm calling it social recognition. It's a normal thing, I suppose, but it illustrated to me how little control I have over how he's going to see gender identity and roles, and what a hard, long road it will be to raise an egalitarian, respectful young man.

I plan on talking to him, about the world and everything in it-- and I hope I can follow through as I plan to. But I'm no fool, and I know my words will only hold his audience for a short time-- then his own voice will be more important. This is the challenge before me, and some days it seems greater than others.

I'll try to stop getting ahead of myself now...

Carey? Or Soprano?

2009-06-15T23:08:00.003-04:00

Drew Carey?

Harry Carey?

'Junior' Corrado Soprano?

You decide.

AWESOME. Either way.

The new Garage

2009-06-15T23:02:00.003-04:00

These get parked 'outside' my printer here, and in the 'garage' by closing up the tray that catches the papers when they come out, and messing up all my print jobs. D-OH!

A Bug's Life

2009-06-15T22:53:00.005-04:00

This is Finn and his new fascination with bugs. He's been into them for a while now, but here you can hear him saying 'Bumblebee'.

For the record, any old bug is a bumblebee, especially ladybugs. I think the whole idea of a bug being a bee, and starting with a B (phoenetically) got him mixed up. He used to say bee when he saw pictures of flowers, too. It's amazing how he associates things.

He says everything from, 'where'd bumblebee go', 'tiny bumblebee, cute baby bumblebee', 'did you see my bumblebee mommy', to 'I don't know where Bumblebee is'. It's nuts how fast his language is moving, and it's hilarious how focused he gets on a few things at a time-- I'd say he's a little obsessive!

The only bug that is NOT a Bumblebee, is an ant. Ant is a character on a show we watch called Word World, where there are also characters called Bug and Bee, ironically. When Finn sees an ant, he screams 'ANT ANT ANT' and jumps and dances around. It's a riot.

The other day one of them was on the front porch and it went from the top to walking on the side (defying gravity), and Finn went CRAZY!!! He yelled 'DAD! DAD! The ant fall down!! DAD! ANT! DAD!". It was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing. He was SO impressed with that Ant for walking on walls. As he should have been. He;s such an awesome kid.

Ribbit, Meow, Bumblebee

2009-06-05T18:59:00.009-04:00

Finn has entered an animal phase. I LOVE it. Here he is acting like a frog, yelling RIBBIT! with each hop, and MEOW as he stealthily crawls around like a kitty. And just to note, kitty seems to ALWAYS be followed kitty. And I don't know why.

You also get a bit more 'bumblebee' action in this one.

Captain Kitty (Captain Kangaroo is SOOOO old school)

2009-06-05T18:52:00.004-04:00

One word: MEOW.

This isn't a good shot because I'm filming myself while being mauled by a kitty-- but he walks around on all fours purring and mewing and then rubs up against your legs and climbs up on to your lap to rub your face like a kitty cat. It's so cute!

I just LOVE this animal phase he is in!

The kitty is the main show these days, but he's also a frog, and a rabbit, and a dog. The dog Hoooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwlllllllllllls and licks your hands and face whether you want him to or not. It's funny, but a little weird.

Danging Queen, I mean King

2009-06-05T18:42:00.003-04:00

Finn learned how to turn on my IPOD while on the docking station, and also how to change the song. He will change the song until one with a good beat comes on, stand in the corned and dance his little heart out!

It's the CUTEST! He will dance with you for a little while, but gets camera shy, so this is the best I could capture. It's just delightfully adorable to watch him dance, and it kills me that he can work my IPOD already. By the time he's 8, I expect him to fixing my computer!

It's so awesomely fun to dance with him, we're going to have Curry family dance party nights (when Tom gets home at a reasonable hour) and dance dance dance until we're all exhausted!!! It should be so fun! I already made a playlist so he wont' have to keep changing to song.

2009-06-05T18:33:00.003-04:00

This is a short clip of Finn acting like a puppy. Of course, I couldn't get him barking or wagging his 'tail', but this will have to do!

I'm also hoping for some video of him acting like a monkey soon, which is QUITE the riot, I assure you.

Today's news

2009-05-28T16:18:00.002-04:00

1. When I turned on Blue Planet for Finn, he looked at me and said, "Oh wow, Mom. A whale."

2. When I got my haircut today (something I don't often attempt with him in tow) he put his firetruck in the chair next to me, and gave it a 'haircut'. Then he told me it looked pretty.

3. While preparing for my class tonight, he took one of my babies, and walked around rocking it, saying, "baby cry, mom. baby sad." Then he asked me to sing to the baby, which I did. Then he sang to the baby, and put it 'na-night', and told me 'baby sleep'.

Yesterday, he took three of my babies and layed them all out head to foot on a body pillow, and went down the line snuggling with them, tucking them in, and kissing them until they were all na-night. Too cute.

4. As I vacuumed and swept today, he ran and found the mini-broom my mom found in the garage and gave to him last week (new fave toy, btw), and 'helped' me clean the floors. Then, when I was vacuuming stairs with the hose, he took the stick part of the vaccum, and went downstairs to vacuum his toys.

HE GETS CUTER EVERY MOMENT, I'M NOT SURE I CAN STAND ANYMORE!!!! LOL

Daddy Tricks

2009-05-25T17:00:00.002-04:00

Finn often picks something up, as if to drink it, and says 'Mmm, it's good!'.

Today, Tom taught him to say, "Mmm, it's good Whiskey!'.

At the grocery store.

Heaven help me.

More fun around the house

2009-05-24T18:51:00.003-04:00

Finn is sillier and more skilled than ever. Here are some thing I found photoworthy.

These days Finn's language is blowing up as well as his creativity. He calls everything that goes either a bike or a racecar, calls to people by name, and has gotten very adept at finding and crawling into small spaces.

He repeats what you say, acts like a dog (including licking your face), and tells my dogs to 'be quiet' when they bark, and to 'sit down' when he wants to hug them. As I type this he has crawled under my desk and licked all of my toes. That's new, and I don't know why, but he thinks it's hilarious, and admittedly, so do I.

We've taken to putting tape over any small crevice in the house, because if they fit, there are matchbox cars (sorry, racecars) in there. This includes our speakers, file cabinets, computers, fireplace, and more. He's a creative kid, and he really likes to hide those cars.

Well, I'm lost on details to share for now, so enjoy these and I'll post again when things calm down around here.

Pulling a Perrin

2009-05-24T18:45:00.002-04:00

We call this pulling a Perrin for a reason.

read here.

Perrin is still the master of taking off his clothes, and we don't have to put his footie jammies on backwards yet, but this still cracked me up because he had no idea how to get his shirt off of him like this!

Cream cone

2009-05-24T18:41:00.003-04:00

This is Finn's newest fascination. A cream cone. He made this one himself and walks around pretending to lick it, and making you lick it.

Creative Problem Solving

2009-05-24T18:37:00.002-04:00

This is Jackson's playroom. Finn likes it there.

I would like to note that they are in a cabinet. Jackson is FOUR YEARS OLD and has never crawled into this cabinet.

Finn, however, took all the toys out, and crawled right in in no time, and then taught Jackson how. My son has a special gift for Danger and Mischief. And Climbing.

It's hard to see, but this cabinet is like 3 feet off the ground.

Here they are, with sister Stella, winding down after a long day of climbing at Auntie Amber's house. That night, he slept well.

Pink Eye

2009-05-24T18:30:00.003-04:00

So, it's hard to see in these pictures, but Finn has looked like some kind of rabid beast for days. His eyes were raw and red swollen so you couldn't see the lids. He's been crying nonstop, and I haven't been able to take him outside, or even in the car at all. It's been rough. I thought pink eye was no big deal, but I guess I was wrong. This was a real show-stopper.

Just today it started looking a little more normal, though he's still not sleeping well and very clingy. I can't wait until this is out of his system!

Hopefully, he will look like this again soon!

Today

2009-05-20T22:25:00.003-04:00

Sorry, things have been crazy. At the end of last month I had 3 births in one week, and then 3 post-partum checkups, and the list goes on.... so I've been away. :)

A short little news bit is that Finn has pink eye. He's been very upset, and I've been just as upset when I give him the eye drops. But when I ask him, he tells me he still loves me each time, so I guess it's OK even if he does keep his distance for a while after I hold him down and squirt stuff in his eyes...

Here's a recap of the last 48 hours or so...

In the morning, he woke early and climber into our bed to harrass us into waking up like he usually does. I coaxed him back to sleep for a little but, and when he awoke, Daddy had left for work already. Finn woke up and said, "where's my bink?", which he still gets at bedtime and had left in his room. He then got out of bed, went and got it, and then made me help him put it away because 'Its not night night time, mom'. Then he went back into my room, looked at me very seriously and said "Daddy far away. He at work." It was very cute.

I knew he wasn't feeling well when we went for a wagon walk to the park (two of his favorite things) and he had his hands over his eyes and whimpered the whole time, and then wouldn't play on the slides at all. Then I took him for his first ice cream cone (because he tells me about ice cream cones all the time), and he hardly ate any. He DID, however, eat a bunch of potato chips, instead. His menu choices continue to baffle me. By the time we got home he had rubbed his eyes raw, and they were so swollen you could hardly see his lids. Poor kid. And I had to close all the blinds in the house because the light hurt his eyes.

So, we made a doctors appt the next day. On the way he kept on crying because it was 'too bwight'. But when we hit a patch of construction with tons of weaving and traffic cones, he felt well enough to exclaim, "Mommy has a RACECAR!" which was hilarious.

Then, after our pink eye diagnosis, on the way home, he started paraphrasing the movie Tarzan. It's one of his faves, but it's been over a month since we put it in. His favorite part (click to view) is where Tarzan (after a wild baboon chase) are introducing themselves. Finn said to me "No, no, no (throat clear) I'm Jane." Clear as day, and with hand movements. It proves that he has really been paying attention, and it was so cute.

Then once we got home, I tried to put him down for a nap, but he was too miserable to sleep. I left him up there for a while, to at least play quietly in his room, and I picked up the house. As is my habit, I set some things that needed to be put away outside his door, to take care of them when he woke up. When I went back upstairs a while later, a mischevious little monkey had taken all the things I left outside his door onto his changing table, and taken all the blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals from his room and put them there instead. It was so adorable, I laughed out loud and took him downstairs for more eyedrops and a little Tarzan.

I hope this pink eye goes away soon! And I will post some more updates in teh next few days, since all my plans have been cancelled until this clears up!!!

Daddy's Videos

2009-04-23T19:17:00.001-04:00

These videos are from Tom's phone, and too cute for me not to post-- especially the last three!

This one is of Finn 'playing puppy' for the first few seconds, and then running about like he does when Daddy's home.

This video is of Finn deciding he wanted to read a story to us at bedtime.

Here are a few of Daddy and Finn at the park. Finn has recently become fascinated with bakpacks, and hit hat, and once Daddy put them on him, he wouldn't take them off! I had to peel them off of him as he slept-- so cute. He's such a Daddy's boy.

Here is Finn showing Daddy how awesome the slides are and his overall mastery of the playground.

And here is a shorter one of Finn showing Daddy the 'BIG' slide.

'Scenes from a park'

Hard Core Playing with Daddy

2009-04-13T20:27:00.005-04:00

Daddy the Ferris Wheel.

Daddy with a Bucket head.

Tilt a Whirl Daddy Games!

Easter Day Videos

2009-04-13T18:30:00.009-04:00

Here is his first look at the Easter basket, and he only has one thing on his mind!

And so then he just lined up the cars all day....

Here he is asking for 'cakes', which are what he calls reese's PB cups, because they look like cupcakes!

Here is some more lining up of the cars... he's so organized (he gets that from me!)

And then the BUBBLES at Grandma Mo's house! My were these fun!

And lastly, here is Auntie Eriney, a blue car, and Grandma Mo all playing with the bubbles.

And that's all for Easter!

Easter Videos

2009-04-13T17:51:00.006-04:00

Here are Finn and Daddy playing like men. You can tell because Finn has his shirt off.

Actually, Finn had just decided to bury Daddy with all those pillows and then climb inside with him. It was cute.

Here is Finn playing with a moses basket I bought at a garage sale for baby #2, and got out for a couple coming to my last class that delivered early and had a newborn. He mostly thought it was great to put his toys in there, but I caught him in there a few times as well.

When he saw the baby he was eager to show me and tell me what it was, and then to try to get into it's baby seat! When I asked him if he liked babies he said yes, and when I asked if he wanted mommy to have a baby, he gave a resounding NO-- and I'm pretty sure he meant it!

CHEESE! He saw the camera, so we had to have a ham session.

Caught him trying to get out! I can't believe he fits!

Super Cooking Day

2009-04-13T17:46:00.002-04:00

Tom gets husband of the year again for cooking 30 meals in two days so I don't have to. Not only is the food WAY better for you than I would cook, but it's better for you and has much more variety. If I recall, this stash (which you can see fills almost the whole freezer) includes two types of enchiladas, chicken curry, Turkey Tetrazini, Burgundy Beef, veggie stuffed zucchini-- and a few other things, all made in doulbe batches with 3-4 meals for both of us each. I tell you, he's my hero!

Easter Pics

2009-04-13T16:49:00.009-04:00

Our poor hand-painted bunnies had no eggs to hold-- we ran out of time to color eggs. I guess it's just as well, since I dont' think he would have looked for them once he saw his basket anyhow.

Finn's Easter Basket!

Finn's Easter Beanbag chair since he broke his favorite stool. Also, I love monsters.

Finn has smashed a hole in and nearly destroyed the lawn decor squirrel from the backyard, so this seemed like a good gift. He likes to give him rides on all his toys. The weather hasn't been nice enough to test this one out yet, though.

I bought awesome Frog shaped eggs because I'm a cool mom!

Here's the goods, all laid out.

He got some books and a movie as well. We tried to go easy on the candy.

He, however, did not.

He also got a handful of matchbox cars from Daddy (we must have 30 of them, by now), and of course, they were his favorite toys.

He had to line them all up,

and then hold on to them all at one time to move them about. For the record, he brought some to bed with him.

Here is at Grandma Mo's house playing bubbles with her. He LIKES bubbles.

He even tries to catch them with small wooden yellow helicopters.

and as Grandma blows....

He also blows into the car she got him for Easter, hoping for the same result.

Auntie Eriney is a rock star.

Easter Busket Numero Dos.

He likes to climb the bar at Gram's house. He sits and waits for his food. What a good little pre-drunk.

Grandma had an EXCITING Box.

And an exciting pillow!

And blue peeps!

Uncle Chris didn't want any. Jake ate one of the pre-chewed ones, though. Brave man.

Some more blue peep action.

Some sticky blue peep hands.

They look at one another and say -- Wanna get int he box?

Then they both do.

Here we are at Williamson's Restaurant for Curry Easter with Poppa, and Sammy and Grandma Lynne. He asks for Sammy by name now several times a day, and then tells me she's at Poppa's house. It's so cute.

Exchanging a few kisses.

And a few hugs.

Some heckling from Uncle Bob,

while all the while sitting on the same chair.

So cute!

It was a good day-- thanks for the presents, food, and good times offered by all!!!

Phone Videos

2009-04-09T16:10:00.006-04:00

These are videos taken from my phone, so the quality is poor and the sound does crazy things sometimes, but I thought the videos were worth posting. As Cecil says, It sounds like I'm fighting a giant Cyborg, and I can't disagree. It can be loud, too, so consider yourself warned-- turn the volume down!

I seem to only be able to get certain things on my phone because it's much handier than my camera, and because he just yells 'CHEESE' and sticks his face in the camera when he sees it, so I suppose you may get more videos with poor sound and video quality for a while!

This is Finn and the triplets dancing like CRAZY to Peanut Butter Jelly Time, (click for link) which was a RIOT. They all stood on the plastic mat for the desk chair and stomped their feet like crazy. I did this with them for like an hour and laughed my arse off the whole time! Those kids kill me.

Who knew you could tame throngs of toddlers with Youtube? Babysitting sure has changed since I did it! Oh, and in case you're wondering, the trips are really into hats, and I bought those hats for them and apparently they don't ever take them off! The silly hats just add to the humor of the scene for me. I hope for you, too!

Here is more dancing at home with Daddy, who looks like a Leprochaun, which is also funny. I LOVE when Finn dances, it's hilarious. He had been doing it for a good half hour by the time I got this, so he was tired and more slow. You should have seen him when he first started!

This is just a funny one of Finn eating bubbles in the bathtub. It's a little old, as I have given up on the tub and just bring him in the shower with me now to save time, but still funny. He used to eat the bubbles like crazy!

And lastly, this is Matteo, a baby I helped deliver a week or so ago. Isn't he CUTE? This is the best part of my job-- holding babies who are only minutes old. He was sweet little man. I should be seeing him again today, which will be nice.

Saint Patrick's Day Celebration

2009-04-09T15:44:00.005-04:00

Fun with the Couch

2009-04-09T15:42:00.002-04:00

Male Bonding

2009-04-09T15:37:00.002-04:00

Here is Uncle Cecil loving on Finn at a party. It was so sweet.

Super Silly Pillow Fighting Kiddo

2009-04-09T15:10:00.008-04:00

Around the House

2009-04-09T14:46:00.005-04:00

Some more new things

2009-04-09T14:33:00.005-04:00

Finn is starting the mimicking phase, and repeats a lot of what we say, and what he hears on TV. Now those Preschool Prep videos are really helping out a lot! He also says, 'gimme a sandwich', 'share the pie, don't eat the pie', and 'I can't fly', among several other things.

This morning, he joined me in bed to beat me about the head and neck as my usual wake up call, and he said, 'where's dad? It's okay mom. Dad's at work'. Then he said (and he does this often), 'where's Sammy? Where's Poppa? At Poppa's house.'

So, he's obviously starting to talk in sentence-like structures, and still counts, but not necessarily in order anymore. Now numbers just make him excited.

He also takes like items and lines them up. So, if your shoes are out, they're often all in a line, perfectly straight. He also takes the 3 N's from his name which is carved into a stool and lines them up all over the house. I find them in the tub, the kitchen, under the couch, on the fireplace, etc. He still hides things a lot, which is VERY frustrating since I always seem to be in such a hurry.... which is why it's been over a month since my last post. What can I say? Starting a business, teaching a class, and managing a family are hard work!

Another Example of his stacking abilities.

We were going to start potty training, but Tom is a little nervous. Having watched my mom potty train two younger siblings, and countless cousins, and talking to other moms and dads, I have a pretty good idea of where to start, but Tom doesn't have this experience. I tried to explain my plan to him, but he still asks lots of questions and wanted to get a book. He's reading it now. It says a few things I didn't know, but for the most part, seems to say all of the things I wanted to try-- but maybe it's just better at explaining them!

Either way, Finn is showing some signs of being ready for pee, but not poop, and we will be starting sometime soon. I'll keep you posted!

...And the countdown begins

2009-03-14T13:25:00.002-04:00

Finn can count to ten. He counts a lot, sometimes just for fun, but in the last few days has been counting letters, toes, etc. very deliberately. He gets to 5 each times and sometimes stops, but sometimes goes on to 9 or 10!

We didn't really do anything to facilitate this (other than watching sesame street and a few counting books), but count the stairs as we went up and down them. Amazingly, he just sort of figured it out. He's so amazing, and so interesting and such a neat little experience in human development. I love watching him learn and grow on his own. I think we all underrate kids, they're so much more than we give them credit for!

Calling Daddy

2009-03-09T18:55:00.003-04:00

This was so cute, and it went on for a long time. I LOVE that he talks to daddy on the phone now, and I think it makes Tom's days much more tolerable now, too.

The Cousins from SoCal

2009-03-09T18:42:00.006-04:00

Help me Daddy,I tried to fit in here, but I don't think I do!

Gram's services were this weekend, and while it was a sad day, it was really good to see everyone, and Finn had a great time playing with them all.

The eulogy was beautiful and with the exception of a torrential downpour at the cemetary, the day had a great turnout and was a nice tribute.

This is video of Finn and his girlfriend Cassie playing Wii. Finn got his own remote, and ONLY played when Cassie played, illustrating to everyone the depth of his crush on her.

He loves the Wii, and thinks he is really playing every time it's out, which is hilarious.

He also felt her up so much I had to loan her a shirt to wear! That poor girl.... and what am I to do with such a sexually charged toddler? We all agreed it is an actual and legitimate crush, and that it has all the markings of your average physical attraction. I'm glad I'm not the only one to see it!

Here are some photos of my cousins and my sis playing with my birth class props-- really good conversation pieces with the drunk-- lol.

Erin liked the birth balls, though she used them incorrectly.

Jason and Adam played with my crocheted boobs, but they were pretty deflated and needed new balloons. Can you say, gynecomastia?

Scooby Snacks Part 2

2009-03-04T12:30:00.003-05:00

I put them in a cabinet. That we never use.

This morning, Finn found the cabinet.
He pulled the box out (that was really crammed in there),
and helped himself AND THE DOGS to more.

Then he pulled the dog food container across the house and it's in the dining room (ironic).

Then he got lonely and crawled into my bed with a gooey, nasty, half eaten milkbone in his mouth.

Bromo followed him, thinking he'd get some, because it turns out he brought a fresh one just for me. It would be sweet if not so repugnant.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

SOOOOO, now I've thrown the whole box away, and am thoroughly disgusted and have to hold him down to brush his teeth again.

I tell ya, that kid is resourceful.

From start to Finish

2009-03-04T01:00:00.004-05:00

Clean House. Morning Time.

Dirty House. Night Time.

No amount of straightening I do can prevent this.

Except maybe the DVDs, but I was teaching and he knew he could get away with it then, so he did. He's getting smart.

These pictures validate my life. Every moment of it. And though it goes against every fiber of who I am, but I am learning to live with the mess. A creative child is worth the chaos in my house for a few years..... just keep telling me that. :)

Scooby Snacks

2009-03-03T20:27:00.002-05:00

I'm not really sure I need to say anything else.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I suppose I should!
Well, I caught him with the FIRST milkbone (you heard me) in the bathroom upstairs, half eaten. He was angry when I took it away.

I commenced packing for Tom's stupid business trip for bitches, and when I came back downstairs (less than 10 minutes--I should have known, it was too quiet), I saw that he had fed half of the GINORMOUS box to the dogs, who now won't touch another one. They're going to get sooooo sick. Looking forward to it.

Then I came downstairs (the other stairs) to email the incident to Tom, only to see him walk past me toward the toys with ANOTHER ONE hanging out of his mouth, sucking on it like a lollipop!!!! That time, I got the camera. Too good to pass up.

I AM SO DISGUSTED I DON'T THINK I CAN KISS HIM GOODNIGHT.

I also cannot stop laughing.

He totally gets this from Tom. I take NO responsibility, here.

Today's News

2009-02-28T00:06:00.000-05:00

I am officially certified as a La Leche League Leader. I think I get more letters after my name, too, but am too excited to look it up. At least I will take the title!!! Though I think I am going to start collecting letters.

I'm sure this will turn into a CLC, IBCLC, or IBCLE, or even a PC. Either way, more letters, more credentials, more fancy book learnin', and more BENJAMINS. But all in good time.... I need to finish up what I started first-- and then there is the business of locating, starting, and marketing a new group. It's still a lot ahead of me-- but I'm happiest with the validation of my hard work and time.

Go me. Two down and one to go. It's a big one that's left, but I'll get there!

This is a video of Finn mimicking mommy screaming and screeching with delight when she got the news. I think he was more excited than I was initially. Also, he didn't cry, which I did.

Polly wants a Cracker

2009-02-27T18:55:00.002-05:00

Finn has started parroting (so watch your mouth!). This morning while watching word world, his face character Pig (who is a chef) kept eating all the pies he made. The characters would yell, 'SHARE the pies, don't EAT the pies!!!!' And all day long finn has been yelling Don't Eat the Pies! It was so funny, I even got him to yell it at Erin on the phone.

He also asks for his favorite shows by name now, and knows most barnyard animals and their sounds, as well as letters, numbers, and sometimes counting. It's awesome to watch him learn! It's SO FAST. I had no idea.

Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!

2009-02-27T18:52:00.002-05:00

These are Finn's new shoes. First I bought them because I loved them. Now HE loves them. He wears them all day, and brings them to bed to sleep with, and tells you all day about his cars.

Some Growth

2009-02-24T02:00:00.015-05:00

Now, this is a feeble attempt to get video of him SCREAMING the words he knows at the top of his lungs to prove to you amazingly his vocab has grown.... but it's really just a shot of him talking to himself, I think. Enjoy anyhow.

On another note, Finn has grown into his 2T's (though still too skinny and need the waist cincher kinds), and his shirts are a 3T.

He looks and acts and talks much more like a boy now, and I find myself mourning the loss of my little munchkin despite the many new glories ahead of me.

He also has racecar shoes now, which are the BEST.

The time truly does go too fast.

Behold, the Power of Cheese. I mean, Asparagus.

2009-02-24T01:34:00.013-05:00

Something amazing happens when you give a boy a long shaped vegetable.

It becomes a sword.

In this case, an Asparagus sword.

This went on for SO MUCH longer than you think, and it was SO DAMNED FUNNY.
With Tom working so much, it's good to see them bonding when he gets home, but just to keep the dogs a little less pukey (ie Bromo, the fat one), I bought them some foam swords today from the dollar bin at Target.

Ironically, Finn has already taken a bite out of it.

Note: If you look closely, you can see Gram on kitchen table watching it all from her box.

The Beating of the Butt Asparagus is next.

And then the slow down from maniac mode.

Leading eventually into a fit of the sh-sh-sh-sh-sh!

Boobah

2009-02-18T19:32:00.012-05:00

This is the Boobah. It's a weird toy that has a TV show that I saw once (that looks like what tripping on Peyote must feel like), and The Kennedy's had a yellow one at their house that said 'Boooooobaaaaah' very cryptically.

It was a thrift store purchase made by Mev's mom, I think, and it cracked me up to no end. We don't get the boobah show (click link for the spooky intro), but I tell you, it's insane.

This is MY Boobah.

Finn really loves the color hot pink, and when I saw it at Once Upon a Child, it was a must have at $3.25. He loves it, though arguably not as much as I do. Please make sure you play video so you really get a taste of the toy and all it's uncircumcised weirdness. The best part is that it's horribly phallic, and it scares Tom to death.

So, naturally, I hid it for him to find. Which was awesome.

Until he did it back to me. I almost fell on the floor laughing.
This thing sat in the freezer all day until after 11pm when I found it.

It was all messed up and frozen and super funny.

I can't wait to get him back. I'll keep you posted.

A few words

2009-02-18T19:01:00.003-05:00

This was a half wasted attempt to get Finn to tell me what he saw while watching Tarzan. He's gotten so many new words it's really exciting and will now tell you, 'I okay' when he falls down, and 'take off' when he's hot and needs his sweater taken off.

He's getting so smart, and it's so exciting to watch! Not to mention the relief we feel with how long it was taking him to move forward with his learning-- now it seems to non-stop (as predicted by Meva and Chuck alike).

The other day we counted the tree pigs (he doesn't ever say pig he SCREAMS pig) 1-2-3 and he yelled 4-5-6! He hasn't done it since, but it was exciting no less!

Wrestling Frogs & Baseball

2009-02-18T18:37:00.003-05:00

This is an unfortunate demonstration of both his wrestling, throwing and hitting abilities.

We're working on the hitting/throwing thing, but it's a slow process so far!

Chris and Erin get Hammered

2009-02-18T17:49:00.005-05:00

Ironically, and sadly, these were taken the night my Gram passed.

These were wonderful moments of stress release and emotional venting with her favorite great grandson. We are a ridiculous family, and I love that I have these on tape!