Kids and Caterpillars

After driving back from Lex's dance class today, the girls pleaded to stay outside and play.  The thought of having to go inside to referee fights, listen to whining and hungry kids, and prepare dinner was making me cranky so I thought about it.  Since the stupid heat was no longer burning my eyelids, I agreed.  When I was getting Sayer out of the car, some movement by my foot caught my eye.  It was the furriest, fastest caterpillar I've seen in our yard since we moved in.  Of course I called the girls over to investigate.

The two littles spent a good amount of time squealing and pointing while Lex tried to coax the caterpillar onto a leaf.  Sayer was particularly interested in where the bug went and followed his sister everywhere, trying to see. 

At one point, it fell into the garden and I truly thought he was going to go headfirst in after it.

After awhile, Lex got brave... sort of.  She'd let the caterpillar crawl on her hand or arm and then she'd start giggling uncontrollably.

And every time she giggled, the caterpillar would slip off onto the ground again, she'd squeal, and Sayer and Caly would crack up. 

They did it over and over and over, cracking up every. single. time. 

Lex was pretty proud of herself for finally picking up the caterpillar and by the end of the day, she was letting it crawl all over her arm, still giggling, but not flailing anymore. 

I just loved watching my three play together without fighting, arguing, crying, whining, and best of all?   Watching their faces light up like this:

I'm a blessed Mama... no doubt. 

10 Things

1.  My fridge is full but I can't find anything I want to eat.  Rather, I don't want to cook.  So I ate pretzels and hummus for dinner and I'm about to dish out a gigantic bowl of homemade peanut butter chocolate ice cream.  This is the part of being pregnant that I looooove.

2.  In the course of 12 hours the other day, I was coughed on, peed on, snotted on, pooped on, and thrown up on.  And I don't even have a newborn anymore.  I consider that the day I truly became a Real Mother.  I think I could have raised my kids to adulthood without wanting to know what that was like. 

3.  Caly dumped two entire sample sized bottles of shampoo on her head tonight.  In my bed.  Then she rubbed her eyes.  That chaos was unmet in recent history.  But now?  She's fine, sleeping, and bonus?  She smells fantastic. 

4.  While I was trying to rinse the ridiculous amount of suds out of Caly's hair, Sayer got into the cabinet and into a box of cereal. Rather, he got the cereal out of the box and onto the floor.  He was very, very pleased with himself when he presented me with the box.  Upside-down.  And empty. 

5.  I *think* I'm starting to feel this baby move, which I'm splendidly excited about.  (That's another part of pregnancy I love so much).  Of course, those flutters may be the bean burrito I ate, too. 

6.  This might be the funniest blog post I've read in recent memory.  I had to read it out loud to Shaun, (which I rarely, rarely do), and he laughed out loud.  The end is the best part.

7.  I'm fully addicted to Wordfued, (an app on the Android market, similar to Scrabble).  My user name is monsterchew.  Go ahead, challenge me to a game... I dare you.  :)

8.  Tonight, Caly asked me for a pretzel after we had already brushed her teeth and gotten completely ready for bed.  I said no.  She looked and me and started walking away.  I asked her where she was going and she poked her head back in the room and said, "I go get a pretzel."  Um, no, kid.  NO.  So she said ok, walked out, and the next thing I know, she's walking back in the room with her mouth and both fists stuffed with cereal.  Apparently, I said no pretzels and neglected to tell her no snacks at all. Stinker.

9.  I would like a pet chinchilla.  But I want someone else to take care of it.  I just want to pet it and play with it and tell people that we have a chinchilla.  Because it's just fun to say.  

10.  Lex, my normally pacifistic 4 year old, had a stretch of violence today.  She told Caly in a perfectly teacher-like sing-song voice, "If you don't get off of my puzzle board, I'm going to flick you."  Caly, of course, refused to move, and Lexi followed through.  I sent her to the kitchen to sit in time-out while I comforted the indignant Caly, (who really got what was coming to her, considering the amount she tortures her sister on a regular basis). I asked her why she flicked Caly, (not having completely heard the exchange), and she said, "I told her that if she wouldn't get up, I would be mad and then if she would, I would hug her."  I looked straight at her and said, "No, that's not what you said.  That's a lie."  Her eyes got huge and she said, "How did you KNOW?"  And I restored myself as the master of knowledge in this household,

"Because I'm the Mommy, I know everything."

Unlike last time, today, she didn't question that at all.  Momma's back, Jack... Momma's back.

Taken Down a Notch

Lex and I were chatting this afternoon while the little ones slept.  She asked me a question, I answered, and she marveled, "How did you KNOW that!?"

Of course, I replied, "Because I'm the Mama... I know everything!"

Flatly, she retorted, "No you don't."

"I don't?"

"No, you don't know everything....  But Daddy does!"

Well, hmph.

(taken with my phone)

Next To High Maintenence In the Dictionary...

Shaun was putting Caly to bed a few nights ago and she held up her water cup, shook it slightly and said, "Daddy, can you freshen this up for me?"

She's 2.5.  I'm beginning to wonder if we should start stockpiling a substantial dowry for the man that's going to marry that girl. 

Love that kid.  Love 'em all.

Sayer (i.e. The Poor Neglected Third Born)

So, in the course of my summer of sporadic blogging, my little guy turned one.  I just scanned back through his 11 month entry and man, the kid is different.  Amazing what a few months will do.  Because I'm snarfly and don't have the energy for a craftily worded post, I'm going to list out a few things that I want to remember about the little dude at this time in his life.  (Because honestly, people... if I wait until I have the energy to craftily post something, he's going to be 17 before it happens).  And?  Pictures!  (Keeps the family happy)

Thanks Amy for this shot!

The little dude is starting to communicate beyond shrieking like a maniac.  His current list of clear as day words are "ball," "up," "down," "go," "mama," "pa-pa," "dada," and "button."  He also says "a!" "eight," "silly," "more," "dog," "woof," and "night-night."  He'll repeat most things back in a somewhat clear fashion and says some garbled syllables consistently for certain objects so that I know what he means, but to the rest of the world?  Not so much yet.  He's definitely not the talker that his sisters were/are but he does most things on his own program, so... I'm not surprised.

 He loves shoes.  Any shoes.  All shoes.  I have to hide shoes.  Why?  Because the kid is walking.  And albeit more of a walk than a toddle at this point, he's still not that sturdy.  So when he's trying to walk while wearing one of Shaun's shoes?  Yeah, LOTS of tumbles.   You'd think I could solve that by putting him in his own shoes.  But he's never satisfied with one pair.  He wants as many on as he can fit on his fat little feet.  The funniest/sort of saddest part?  He cries like he has a broken heart when I take his shoes off.  Every. Time. 

One other word he's mastered is "OW!"   Not only is it clear as day, but he's figured out how to yell "OW! OW! OWWWW!" at the top of his lungs when one of the girls comes by and he doesn't want them near his coveted toy of the moment.  For awhile, poor C got the brunt of, "Stop trying to take your brother's things!" until I finally witnessed his little scheme.  (Though she does her share of tormenting).  I have Lex to thank for teaching him this through her daily yelling during her hair brushing. 

He still loves his sisters and regularly doses them with slobbery hugs and kisses.  But he and Caly fight.  A lot.  And with physical intensity.  And the mere half pound of weight difference between them is no longer enough to allow Caly to emerge the victor anymore.  (Translation?  She tends to get her behind kicked).  Poor girl...  it's just going to get worse from here. 

He eats most things, but balks at new foods...  if I can manage to get him to open his mouth for a bite, he'll generally try more in his own.  He loves fruit above all things and could eat strawberries and blueberries until he dropped.  He's the first kid I've had that can take carbs or leave them.  I don't know whose kid he is in those moments. 

He adores his Daddy and loves his Mommy.  He's huggable and sweet and snuggles easily.  He's got an epic temper but doesn't often haul off and scream.  He hates being told no and makes the most adorable pouty face I've ever seen.  (It's really hard not to  laugh at him because he works it for a minute or two before letting loose). 

 
14 months old (almost) and on the fast track to big brotherhood.  And...  his hair's getting long.  Shaun wants to cut it... I say no.  (The CURLS! The red! The sweet baby-ness!  The surfer look!)

Anyway, there you have it.  Sayer's 14 month self in a little ole blog entry.  Merry merry :)

Hey Dr. Sears! I've Got a Question For You!

The littlest one has been having a bit of a rough time as of late.  If you peer into his mouth, (which would involve you having to either make him scream, laugh, or cry as he won't willingly open it for anything), you'd notice the halves of three molars poking through, a swollen red lump of a fourth and the tiny white dots that mark the beginning of four eye teeth. 

Eight teeth, dude.  EIGHT. 

I can usually distract him during the day with munchies and noise and general chaos.  Nights are a tad bit of a different story. 

I can time his wakings with the wearing off of his Motrin doses.  When he wakes, he sticks both hands in his mouth, screams, and says "nananannanananan" over and over, (this loosely translates to "PICK ME UP NOW, WOMAN AND COMFORT ME!  But do NOT think of sitting down, rocking me, or otherwise doing anything that I might deem undesirable at that exact moment and time.  Those things are subject to change without notice.  NOW ON WITH THE COMFORTING!"

Ahem.  Yes.  Anyway, some days I can get him back to sleep fairly easily.  Others, it's a long wait until the next dose of ibuprophen kicks in.  I hate seeing the kid so miserable. 

But we're plowing along and trying to keep him comfortable as possibly while also trying to catch snatches of sleep.  It's quite the dance.

It's funny...  with Sayer especially, we've been a lot more attachment parenting minded.  It's what works with us, and more importantly, it's what worked for Sayer, (a definitively more high needs baby than the girls).  A friend lent me Dr. Sears' The Attachment Parenting Book and as I was reading through it, one line stuck out to me:

    "If you resent it, change it!"  

I resent it all right.  I resent the heck out teething.  Hear that?  I RESENT YOU, TEETHING!

So, Dr. Sears...  if you manage to come up with a solution to help me change that, I'm all ears.

In the meantime, I'm off to buy stock in teething tablets, motrin and frozen bagels. 

Sick Days - A Comparative View

Sick Days When You're a Sick Kid - Cartoons for you for as long as you can stay awake
Sick Days When You're a Sick Parent - Cartoons for the kids as long as they'll stay still.

Sick Days When You're a Sick Kid - Naps under your favorite blanket while Mom or Dad brings you cool drinks for when you wake up. 
Sick Days When You're a Sick Adult -Flopping on the couch trying to close your eyes while little people pester you to get them a drink.


Sick Days When You're a Sick Kid - A possible trip to the doctor to be sure it's nothing serious.
Sick Days When You're a Sick Parent - You gauge whether you're urge to keel over and die is greater than the hassle of finding a babysitter so you can go to the doctor's.

Sick Days When You're a Sick Kid - Sympathy, comfort, and some doctoring from Mom and Dad.
Sick Days When You're a Sick Parent -Being "doctored" by your concerned kids.  Generally involves being poked in the eyes, ears and mouth, being stepped on, crawled over, and smooshed.

I think the greatest thing Obamacare should have included was a sick day plan for parents. 

Here and There and Everywhere

I'm here!  And there.  Two places where I've shown up recently that you might want to check out:

Learning a Latte - I guest posted here yesterday about how we incorporate Montessori concepts in our daily play/homeschooling.  It was fun to write!  She has had guest posts all week with a different style highlighted each day, so be sure to head over if you're interested in homeschooling at all.  Fun reads. 

Just Make it a Double - We're baaaaaack! Remember how Amy and I posted a picture a day and then we fell off of the planet during the summer and you had to look at the same picture every day since June 22nd?  *and inhaaaaale!*  Well, we're back!  And we'll be posting every day barring loss of limb or internet service ;)

And of course, I'm back here on a sporadic basis.  Check out the giveaway from Tuesday and enter already.  Otherwise, gear up for a fall full of fun. (Check out that alliteration!  uh huh!)  'Cause fun is my middle name.  Or not.  But my kids are funny, so I'll write about that. 

Sparklehearts Girls' Natural Beauty Products Review and Giveaway!

Ecomom generously provided me another product to review and the means for a great giveaway on their site!  This time around, we received Sparklehearts Sweet Hearts Sparkly Body Lotion.  Do you even need to read further than the product name to know it was a hit with my uber-girly 4 year old?  Nope.  But I'll elaborate anyway!

As soon as I opened the package, Lex spotted the lotion and made a grab for it.  Seems the packaging did exactly what it intended to do and grabbed our girl's eye immediately.  I read her the label and she asked if she could use it right away.  Why not?

So I spread some on her arms and was delighted by the faint shimmer and the fruity smell.  (What little girl doesn't like glimmer?)  I was delighted in knowing that the product was natural and didn't have a bunch of questionable ingredients like many other products on the market.  No artificial anything, no parabens, sulfates, or phlatelets.  And made here in the USA! 

The scent is a little cloying for me to use it personally, but it's a great, kid-friendly scent and my daughters both say it smells like candy.  I love how the scent doesn't remain strong on the skin after it's applied, much like the faint shimmer.  I don't exactly want my daughter going out to play every day looking like she's headed to a Lady Gaga show, so this was a perfect, subtle amount. 

I loved the lotion so much that I purchased the Sparklehearts Soft Conditioner and my expectations have been easily met.  I'm totally in love with the packaging and what's inside doesn't disappoint.  My oldest has long, thick hair and this softens and conditions it enough that I can comb out tangles without  tears.  Like their other products, it's packaged in a pump bottle, which makes doling out the right amount easy for me and my daughter alike. 

We're obviously Sparkleheart fans and look forward to trying their whole gamut of products.  And since we've had such great experiences, we'll definitely be purchasing through the EcoMom site.  Specializing in Eco-Friendly Baby Products, EcoMom offers products that run from food, toys, baby care products, clothing and more.  The site is certainly more than just a retail site.

Ecomom is still running their EcoPass program.  For $99, you can purchase an annual membership which gives you 15% off of every order and free shipping with no minimum order requirement.  If you're going to purchase frequently, I can imagine this would pay for itself quickly.

And now, the part you've been waiting for... the giveaway!  EcoMom has graciously offered to give away $20 towards any product in the Ecomom store!

To enter, comment on this post by September 12, 2010 at 10pm EST.

For additional entries, you can do the following.  Please comment separately for each additional thing you do. 

• Like EcoMom on Facebook. 
• Follow EcoMom on Twitter. 
• Subscribe to their Newsletter.
• Visit the EcoMom page and pick out one non-food product that you'd be interested in buying.
• Visit my page on Twitter and retweet this giveaway.  (Post link of your retweet).

Good luck everyone!  This was totally a review and giveaway that I loved doing.  Thanks for the opportunity, EcoMom!

**The Nitty Gritty:  The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.  The sample of the Sparklehearts Lotion mentioned above was provided by EcoMom. The Sparklehearts Conditioner was purchased by me, soley because the product is so darn awesome. 

Caspar Babypants - A Music Review

It's not often that I find kids' music that doesn't make me want to stab myself in the eardrums with a pencil.  The first discovery was Laurie Berkner, a woman who sings silly themed kids' songs that sound GOOD.  (And be forewarned... they'll stick in your head...  but better a Laurie Berkner ear worm than one in the tune of "There's a Hole in My Bucket, Dear Liza"...  that song makes me want to turn on some vuvuzuelas instead).

Anyway, as great as Laurie Berkner is, dare I say I found someone better?

Yup, I think I do.  Caspar Babypants. 

My fellow grunge rock fans of the 90's will be interested to know that he's the former lead singer in The Presidents of the United States of America, Chris Ballew.  ("Peaches" anyone?)

The music is super catchy, blending all sorts of instruments from the standard guitar to a banjo, harmonica, drum set, whistle, synthesizer, keyboard, and more.  I don't mind catching a tune in my head and often find myself muttering the lyrics as I putter around the house.

Speaking of the lyrics, they're generally light-hearted and silly, but they make enough sense for the kids to follow.  (Though, my husband thinks "Dust Bunnies" is the saddest song he's ever heard...  he's kind of right). 

Some songs are remakes of classics but done in such a way to create a new song entirely, (check out "Mary and Her Friends," a remake of "Mary Had a Little Lamb")

Our personal favorites vary.  I love "Little Broken Truck" and "Bold Little Bird"  Lex loves "The Island Hop"`and "Run Baby Run."  Caly loves "Fuzzy Wuzzy"  Sayer?  He dances to them all.

I can't put much a label on his style...  all I know is that the whole family loves it.  And CD's that we all can listen to?  A+ in my book.

Check out Caspar Babypants on itunes.  Both albums More Please and Here I Am available there and on his website.  (You can also preview the music on his site, too... so don't take my word for how good it is, grab your kids, turn it on, and check it out there or on the video below!)



** I did not receive anything for this review. Both albums were purchased by me for my family. And based on their awesomeness, I decided to review them.