Monday, December 31, 2007

Sometimes He's So Cute I Just Can't Even Hardly Stand It

Let's set the scene: today at noon in a booth at Moe's. It sounded a little something like this...

Him: (Mouth full of taco from his Power Wagon kid's meal.) "Vis is a wily wily yummy donut I have here, 'fanks for gettin' me vis donut!

Me: (Choking back the giggles.) "Honey, that's a taco, what you're eating is called a taco."

Him: "Oh, yeah (taco pieces from from his overstuffed little mouth)...I was being silly."

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Backhanded Praise from my Toddler

"You're doin' a really good job drivin', Mom...it's not your fault the road is so bumpy."

Christmas Day: Sunday Xmas Extension



Yep...still opening gifts today at 2pm...he finally realized that the pile of gifts still under the tree might actually be his. He doesn't rip and tear his way through presents...after opening one, he's done for a good long while. I was planning on re-wrapping everything that was left in birthday wrap...but he opened them all this afternoon. 'Bout time.

Christmas Day: 6:45am-12:00noon


We finally had to peel him off the couch and away from the television to eat some lunch and open some gifts.

Christmas Day: 6:30am

The Xbox has been unwrapped and hooked up...we will not see him again for a while...

Christmas Day: 6:15am



Still bleary, but we have made our way off the couch and have started opening presents.

Christmas Day: 6:00am



No, he doesn't looked please that I already have my camera warmed up and ready to go...but I was not pleased that Christmas morning started at the ungodly hour of 6:00am...so we're even.

Quote of the Day

Me: Come here my sweet baby and give your Mama a kiss!

Lucas: I'm not a BABY! I'm a MAN! And I do MAN THINGS!

Me: Well, Mr. Man, then how 'bout you pick up your toys all over the living room.

Lucas: I can't...I'm just a tired little boy...

Saturday, December 29, 2007

To the Dentist: Episode 2

Lucas had his second ever dentist appointment yesterday...and while he was still quite vocal in his displeasure about it, on the whole, it was a million times better than the first. At the first visit six months ago, I tried to prepare him with long, unnecessary discussions about what to expect...this did neither of us any favors, and just caused him to stress out about it the entire week before. That visit mostly went like this: Crying, then pleading, then snot everywhere, then a bit of screaming, then a toy but no actual cleaning and a teary goodbye. Yeah...not my finest parenting moment. Cut to this year, where I didn't tell him he was going at all until we pulled into the parking lot and he realized where he was. Just a tiny bit of whining, just a tiny bit of snot, and a bit more of the wailing. But much, much better than last time. He got his teeth cleaned and a fluoride treatment to boot, thankyouverymuch! And while it's true he whimpered through his entire cleaning and fluoride treatment, when the dentist said he was all done, he actually sat up and said "thank you"! Which just proves that even in moments of trauma, I have beat those good manners right into him! ;-)

We Made It

We made it through another holiday in one piece. Everything was wonderful. My little brother called around dinner time on Monday night wondering where we were...he thought we were sleeping over and I thought were staying home. He won. We packed up everything and headed over to my Mom's so that we could all wake up together on Christmas morning...which happened to be 6am. That's a painful hour to a girl that works nights. Bleary, tired pictures to follow...

Lucas loved everything that Ben (my little brother) got for Christmas and also the four sets of "Thomas pieces" (legos) that he asked Santa for. Everything else was either unwrapped and played with again hours later, or not unwrapped at all. I do, in fact, have a garbage bag full of unwrapped Christmas gifts from me to him that sit wrapped in all their Christmas glory in the middle of my kitchen floor. He walks by them a hundred times a day and doesn't inquire about them or even try to peak in the bag. This happened last year, too. You'd have thought I would have learned my lesson...but no. So, once again this year, I will sneak down to the basement and rewrap all those presents to be regifted on his birthday. Luckily for me, his birthday is right around the corner.

The boys stayed glued to the xBox all day, except when I pried it out of their little white knuckles to jam out to Guitar Hero III, myself. The whole day was just fun and relaxed and the food was really good and the company was great.

And then we went out on Wednesday like crazies and hit all the sales...I love a little after holiday sale...until I see all of the things I bought on sale in November (all smug and early) on uber clearance Wednesday. It presents a strong argument for holding Christmas on Thursday the 27th every year...just for the cost savings. Oh well...it was still fun!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

I'm Hooked

Okay...beautiful, wonderful Christmas pics are important and all that...but let's take a moment to talk about something else. I am addicted to Guitar Hero III. My brother got an xBox 360 for Christmas, and we rocked out from 6am until noon. Because we are rock stars...especially me. And now I'm sore...but happy. Actual Christmas pictures to follow.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

"Helping"



If I was willing to live off of just Popsicles for the rest of all time, I could send him to the grocery store every week by himself and he would do just fine.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

What We Did Over Christmas Break...

Or the week before Christmas, to be more precise...


Looks like a happy little house, huh? Lucas *glued* every single sweettart in place with his own two little hands. Good enough to eat!

Party Like It's 1999

We had our first annual Holiday party last night at a very fancy hotel by the hospital. Apparently in years past the unit has had parties, but hasn't in several years, and a couple of our nurses decided to organize one this year. Oh. My. Goodness. I've never wanted to go to work parties before, and now I never want to miss one. Let's just say fun was had by all and we closed the place down at 12:30am when the (good-lookin') waitstaff kicked us out. I woke up this morning feeling just fine but by noon, I felt like I had been hit by a mack truck. This means I either need to forgo dancing for the rest of all time, OR start going out dancing more often. Hmmm, let me think, let me think...time to dust off the old dancing shoes and start shaking my groove thing on a more regular basis. I had the best time. I knew this was a great group of people, but I had no idea they were so much fun! I laughed so hard and for so long that I woke up with a hoarse throat and if that's not a sign of good party, I don't what is.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Far Too Excited For My Own Good

SO! I just bought Go Diego, Go Live tickets for Lucas and myself for February. My heart started beating fast as I reserved our tickets online...'cause, you know...the masses out there in the little New England town where I live are probably all at their computers, typing in their credit card numbers as fast as they possibly can to beat me and my kid to the good seats...for a show two months away. (Our seats are in the third row...I TOTALLY TYPE FASTER! Ha!) I know, I know...my face is red. It's a little embarrassing how excited I got about idea of going to a two hour long live kids show. BUT I AM! So there! My life is not that exciting as you can probably tell, so this is a big deal. I have never been to a Broadway show before, or an off Broadway show, or anything that isn't shown at my local movie theater. (Well maybe I have, but it's been several years, so it hardly counts) And this will be a first for Lucas...so it's something to look forward to.

Also, the tickets were expensive, I mean, not Kid Rock featuring Run DMC expensive...but still! He had better be on his best behavior and make this a fun day for me...um...I mean him.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Quote of the Day

Don't touch my hair! I'll have to take a bath next week!

Just Keep Shoveling

I got some great photos today of Lucas next to the snow piles...piles that soar several feet above his head, several feet above my head if we're talking about the pile outside my living room windows. It's a lovely view, really. The folks that plow the driveways in my neighborhood were nice enough to wait until almost 2:30pm this afternoon to actually plow us out...because you know, it's Monday...who has any place to be? But then today? Today was beautiful. Really cold but with clear blue skies, bare roads, sun shining. I would take a nighttime blizzard anytime when you wake up to day as pretty as this.

Any survivor fans out there? I was so so so so so happy that the producers gave Denise the Lunch Lady that surprise $50,000...can you believe all she wanted to do was go back to work as the lunch lady and the school she worked for fired her because she was considered a distraction? I mean, come on, how many people are banging down their door for the lunch lady job? Pure craziness! I applaud you Mark Burnett...a small drop in the bucket for you changed her entire life.

Just one more day 'til the work week is over...yippee! One day closer to Christmas...hooray!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Snow Day!

It's official...we are buried in the white stuff with no end in site. Everyone at work is freaking out about the drive home and getting back to work in the morning. I could really care less. My mom lives close enough to walk home if I have to...I've got boots and mittens...and I'll just crash on her couch.

On a different note...Lucas made me dinner today. All by himself. Tuna sandwiches and cookies. My little love! I am positive that tuna will have never tasted so good. Plus I watched him put a good amount of salt in it, and I do love me some salt...so, how could it be bad? He LOVES to cook in the kitchen, and he wants to be part of every step. Of course, he's still only three, so his efforts do have limits, but he is a scrambled egg and mashed potato professional. Sometimes both of those things at a single meal. Every day. Yes, I know, we do eat fancy around here when left on our own.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Hey Mr. DJ, Turn the Music UP!

No pictures, please!



My cousin gave us a MP3 player that Old Navy was giving away on Black Friday if you were crazy enough...um...AWESOME enough to go there at 5am and buy something. It came preloaded with a few of Old Navy's favorites, and Lucas has found a new love for sugar pop music in the form of a teeny tiny white plastic stick. The ear buds keep falling out of his ears but I switched them out for an old pair of headphones that I used to use...back in the day when I actually went to gym and lost weight instead of sitting on the couch gaining weight...oops...I got off track...ROCK ON!


I'm Back!

I must say...although my job isn't really fun or glamorous, I get to work a lot of hours in a short space of time, and then I get a lot of days off...and we had ourselves some FUN in all of our days off this week.

Let's start with the fancy schmancy dinner party we got invited to on Tuesday. I think YUM! sums it up. We were all served a delicious salad as the first course, and I wondered if Lucas would touch it...not being a big bowl of iceberg lettuce and all. But he dug right in and ate his endive and well as some of mine. He was a little disappointed that the potatoes weren't mashed until he tried them...so tasty! He raised his glass and toasted the table to good behavior at dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed many, many, many glasses of ice water out of some very fancy crystal. I was so incredibly proud of him at the party. I think he did a very good job keeping all of his energy in check, the food could not be beat, the other party guests were wonderful and the hostess outdid herself with food and drinks and decorating. We do not often...lets say never...get invited to such grownup occasions, and we loved it!

I got all of our Christmas cards done and mailed...this is a very big deal for me. There have been years past where I've gotten everything written and stamped and then never mailed, so...yeah! Done!

My Christmas shopping is all done...but not wrapped...and is currently sitting all over my kitchen in a gazillion store bags...even the ones for Lucas...because he is not a snooper, something he definitely did NOT get from me! *wink*

I went to a cookie party in a blizzard on Thursday night, and even though my poor old car couldn't make it up a very steep drive covered in very deep snow, I had a blast and came home with some seriously yummy cookies.

I made a killing on Friday at the mall cashing in the rest of my Black Friday $10 free gift cards. I got Lucas a pair of Vans sneakers, the only brand that really fits his wide feet well, for the low low price of just $2.00 with tax. You can't beat that...really, I'd like to see you try! ;-) Also, three free Disney cars...brand new hard to find ones...'cause the eleventy million we already have just aren't enough...no sir...must buy more.

AND...the best, most awesome moment...I was walking through the lobby of the hospital with Lucas and he saw Santa. Apparently we have a volunteer on staff that looks like the best Santa in whole wide world. He was sitting behind the reception desk with a red sweater on and snow white hair and gold rimmed glasses (and a volunteers vest) and as we walked by Lucas caught sight of him and stopped dead in his tracks. The man said "Ho, Ho, Ho young man, have you been a good boy this year?" All Lucas could do was whisper, "I want Thomas pieces." over and over again. Poor child. He was starstruck. He has never let me take him up to the mall Santa, or the mall Easter bunny for that matter...so it was big deal to see this man so close after watching a string of Christmas specials this week. So fun!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Quote of the Day

Me: "We have been invited to a lovely dinner tomorrow night, and I want you to be on your best behavior."

Him: "I don't like being on my best behavior!"

Typical Male

We live in New England. It's been snowing for a least a couple of weeks now. Yet, everytime we get in the car to go anywhere, Lucas looks out the window and says, "Hey! I think it snowed here!" All shocked and suprised. I'm not sure what clues him in, really. It could be the mountains of snow that are currently everywhere. Or maybe the fact that it's actually snowing as he says it. Who knows. It's terribly cute.

He also announced today that his birthday is March 1st, and he wants a new car, because ours goes bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. I agree with him completely, both that he should get a brand new car for his 4th birthday, and that ours go bump, bump, bump, bump, bump. I mean, I only got a banana seat bike for my 4th birthday, but the times are changing, I guess. And if a car is indeed his birthday present, I think that gets me off the hook of buying him anything else, wouldn't you agree?

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Do People Really Not Have Anything Better to Do?

So...some bozo posted this reeeeeeaaaallllly long comment on yesterday's post...in Spanish...'cause you know, this LOOKS like a Spanish speaking blog. Um...what is the point of that? I get that there are a gazillion spammers out there, but really, why leave a comment full of links longer than my post in a language I clearly don't speak? The kicker was the last line where the "commenter" asked me to add them to my blogroll in English? Yeah sure, why not, I'd love to. And while we're at it maybe I could write you a check for some fictitious charity...or maybe you could just have my ATM card if that's easier for you.

It's easy enough to delete those sorts of comments without actually using the moderation feature...but geeeeze, leave my poor little blog alone.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

I See London, I See France!

Lucas and I were at a indoor playground/pizza place yesterday (hello germs!) and he yelled across the room to me that he had to use the potty...our little playgroup were really the only people in the place...so no big deal. I turned around just in time to see him drop his pants and his unders and trot bare-bunned to the bathroom. HELLO! WE ARE IN PUBLIC! I was laughing so hard I almost peed my own pants. I scooped up his discarded clothing and chased his cute little buns right to the bathroom. Thank heavens it was in the middle of the day and not during the dinner rush. Ahhh...the joys of toddlerhood!

I'm Thankful For...

You know, there are times throughout the day when I have the urge to send my son right outside and lock the door behind him, lucky for him it's winter my conscience gets the better of me. But...there are also times when he is so sweet and kind that I could just eat him right up!

We were at a bagel shop for lunch on Thursday and we ordered our bagels and drinks and sat down at the only available both. It only took a second to figure out why it was available when the shop itself was quite busy...a couple of homeless men were sitting in the window and the smell was really quite something. Please don't think that this is going to be some wonderful post about how Lucas and I went and fed them and had a wonderful teaching experience about how we are all the same...blah, blah, blah. That would have been lovely, I'm sure. However, as soon as sat down I realized that their conversation was as foul as their odor. I have never in my life heard two people speak so lewdly in public...or quite possibly anywhere...ever. I looked up just in time to see another booth open up far, far away and I scooped us up and grabbed it quick.

All settled in to our new warm-bagel-smelling-obscenity-free booth, Lucas and I dug into our lunch. We always get the same thing, olive cream cheese bagels and BBQ chips, and every time he asked me a question my mouth was full and I covered it with my hand to answer him. After a few minutes, I noticed he kept covering his own mouth every time he took a bite of bagel and I asked him if everything was okay. He told me "I'm just like you, Mom, I do everything just like you...right?" Oh! I love this child of mine. He's right. He is just like me. And I couldn't be happier. I'm lucky for my life. I am blessed, and it seems silly that something little like that could have made me get all emotional, but I got choked up. He is a great kid, and even though his whining can sometimes pierce my brain with it's fierceness, I need to remember how lucky I am to have him. Not just today, or just during the holidays, but everyday.

I asked him that night as I snuggled him on my lap, "Why do I love you so much?" And he said, "Cause I'm your boy." That's right...your my boy, and I wouldn't have life any other way.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

TGIF

It's FRIDAY! Well, it is if you're ME! Man I love Tuesdays...or to be more specific...I love Tuesdays at 11pm. I have a wonderful weekend planned full of dinners out with friends, last minute Christmas shopping (I'm almost finished...so it's last minute for me...also, you couldn't pay me to go out the week before Christmas with a three year old. Well...maybe you could pay me.) and dentist appointments, 'cause who doesn't love handing over a twenty dollar copay to a surly dental receptionist for the pleasure of them making your gums bleed. Super fun!

AND! After the dinner out with friends portion of the evening on Friday, I get to go shopping. By myself. As in alone! No small boy in tow bent on using every public bathroom in the county. Can 'ya hear the angels singing? Can 'ya? It's like a gift from the baby Jesus. I am very excited.

I'm hoping my next post will include our Christmas picture, because that will mean I have actually done it, and also that it might actually get mailed to others in a timely fashion, like by Christmas...this year.

Monday, December 3, 2007

He Gives a Good Compliment

My Mother got Lucas all bundled up this afternoon in his snowsuit and boots and hat and mittens to go shovel out her drive, and then put on her own Carhartt jumpsuit to keep warm along with her hat and mittens. Lucas looked up at her and exclaimed, "Oh 'Amma! You look so handsome!"

HA! Sometimes he just comes out with the sweetest things!

Saturday, December 1, 2007

The View From Our Porch


I jokingly call our street the snow belt...because even when it isn't snowing ANYWHERE else in the state, it looks like this at our house. Winter has officially begun!

Our Tree is Up

This is the first time in my entire life that I've used a fake tree. It makes me a little sad...but this one given to us for free...which, you know, is right in our budget so...fake is the new real at our house. Lucas doesn't know the difference...he's just super excited that his train runs along the base of the tree. We put it up together on Thanksgiving night, and he read the directions and handed me all the color coded branches while I broke a sweat shoving them all in. When we (finally!) finished he threw up his arms and squealed "Let's do it again!" Yeah...maybe next year.

A Week in Pictures...and Yes...All We've Done is Shovel.






Winter is finally here, and Lucas couldn't be happier. Shoveling is apparently his life's passion.