A Responsible Mother Probably Would Have Called a Stop to it Instead of Running Inside for a Camera

My son has found his people. He, like most little boys, is in awe of the big boys. We have a fair number of them in our apartment complex and they let him run in their pack. There's one particular boy who's sort of the pack leader, and Lucas idolizes him. In return, BigKid lets Lucas be his shadow, his team mate, and he protects him from the rougher games. Yesterday the boys decided to play some insane version of leapfrog and basketball. BidKid was leaping over boys, even boys who were standing straight up. It blew my mind. And I ran inside for my camera instead of making them stop. Bad parent.

And I let him do it Lucas, after I'd seen him jump over much taller kids. It made Luke's day.

And he let Lucas "jump" over him, because he's a really sweet kid.

Gettin' the Digits

I was lucky enough to show up for work on Saturday and be told we were overstaffed. Which meant that I got to GO HOME and yet still GET PAID for a 12hr shift. It also meant I had a Saturday night off for the first time in over a year. DOUBLE YEAH! Since Lucas usually sleeps overnight at my Mom's on Saturdays, it was shaping up to be a childless Saturday night off. TRIPLE YEAH! Except, as I called my friends, one by one, they all had plans. I finally found a friend and her husband and baby who were about to go to dinner and took pity on me invited us to join them. I scooped up Lucas and we headed off.

The place was packed full of people. I don't mean to sound totally lame, but I'm just not used to that kind of a crowd. Working an off shift like I do means that when I go out to dinner on my "weekend", it's a Wednesday night and there's generally very few other people out and about. (Total side note: I just used "out and about" in a sentence like an old lady. Gah!)

Our waiter seemed kind of stressed out and I totally don't blame him. He was seriously busy. Another server came to our table to say hello. We (the adults at the table) knew who she was but Lucas did not. We were talking about what movies anyone had seen lately (me=none) and Lucas piped right up and asked her to go to the movies with us. So cute right?! Well hold on to your hats, 'cause it gets even cuter. "Well", he says, as he leans towards her, "maybe I could get your phone number and I'll call you to go to the movies." And then she totally wrote her cell phone number on a piece of scrap paper and handed it to him. He folded it up again and again and tucked it into his pocket.

My son is not yet five years old and I totally got a front row seat as he picked up his first chick. Smooth moves, little man. Smooth moves. Your mama's proud...but you're not going anywhere unchaperoned.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, we've successfully stuffed ourselves to the gills at my mom's house, and now we're back home resting up for round two at the home of a friend. We are indeed lucky and blessed. And also very full. Hope you're all having a wonderful day with family and friends! If you need us, we'll be the two sacked out on the couch in the corner...

Same Old

I tweaked my back yesterday...again. Because apparently I'm old and decrepit and I have a completely unconditioned core. It happens to me every few months and can be brought on by any number of things like hauling the boy around or turning quickly or breathing. It stinks because I finally get a few days off and I'm couch bound and without good snacks or diet Pepsi. Grrr.

However, Lucas has been keeping me entertained by working on his Oscar nomination. He walks around the house bellowing "Just ask me, Mom! I'll do anything for you! ANYTHING!" Unfortunately all I want from him are BBQ chips and ice cold soda, but since we have neither in house and there's no way I'm going to the store, I'm sort of out of luck. By morning I should be suffering from caffeine withdrawals and it won't be pretty. Pray for me, would 'ya?
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SWEET!!! The second I posted this my friend Becky showed up on my doorstep with cheesecake. That's what you call an awesome snack...and an answered prayer! Thanks Becky! My mouth is full of strawberry cheescake as we speak type.

X Marks the Spot

We took a trip through our local farm's corn maze yesterday and it was loooooooooong. Even the smaller half of the maze was loooooooooong, so when we came upon this X drawn in the dirt I exclaimed that "X MARKS THE SPOT! We won! We finished the maze!!"

And all the little kids bought it and headed for the exit and the cider donuts. And fudge. Ummmm...fudge.

Road Trip!

Shot Gun! What? Wait a minute...I'm always the only adult on road trips...guess that guarantees me a front seat. Oh well! Good enough!

We, the boy and I, are going to visit a friend tomorrow in another state. And while we're there we'll also visit my best-buddy Target and my BFF Coldstone. For the record, it is HIGHLY unfair that I need to travel out of state to see any of them: Jenn, Target OR Coldstone. But, that's okay, it gives us a good reason to get out dodge for a day or two.

ALSO? I'm looking for ideas on a birthday gift for my mom. Throw me anything ya' got...I'm at a loss and she does SO MUCH FOR ME (and even the words SO MUCH FOR ME are an understatement...trust me.) She's not into girlie things...no spa days for her. She loves to garden but I get her a gift card to our local greenhouse for every holiday so I'd like to try for something else this time around. Any ideas? Anyone?

Perfect Day

Oh, this sweet boy does tug at the old heart strings, sitting there in the sunshine.
( I seriously need to do something about his hair.)
The view from my lawn chair at my friend Wendy's house. What's not in the picture is her BEAUTIFUL and GIANT aqua blue pool where I am trying my best to invite myself over every day teach Lucas to swim. This swimming business is no easy task, let me tell you. You would think that such a delightfully squishy boy might be a bit more buoyant, but alas, it's not to be. He sinks like a stone...like all other four year olds that have not yet mastered the art of swimming...but still. He is just, just, just tall enough to step off the stairs and still keep his smiling face above the water. Just tall enough unless someone jumps into the deep end and the ripple of waves makes it's way over to where he is precariously tip toeing back and forth before the stairs. I fished him out and guided him to the steps, but I will be perfectly honest here and admit that I was laughing at him, poor little drowned cat. At the same time howling about the injustice of getting wet (shock! you're in a pool!) while also asking me over and over if I'm proud of his courage, and proud of his bravery in the water. And if anyone is wondering, the answer is YES! I couldn't be more proud of his courage or of his bravery. He is my brave little toaster. (And he hates it when I tell him that.)

He also asked me today if my pedicure was flawless, so clearly his vocabulary is coming right along, as is the "swimming".
This would be the toad that tried to make me pee my pants by jumping across my bare foot on the way to the car.

Who Knew?

We had some buddies over today! Some four year old buddies and some not-quite-yet-two year old buddies...to the tune of five kids running through our apartment playing and chasing and generally having a grand 'ole time. And I realized something. Five kids wouldn't be so bad. (Don't read anything into that, Aunt Mary...I know your heart has only just recovered! I'm not secretly yearning for four more children!) But I can completely see why some people do. They not only entertain each other, but they all genuinely like to play with trains and video games and water tables (unlike me who gets so over it after just the littlest while), and the more I thought about it...it seemed like less work. I know there would be more dishes and laundry and bath times, but the in-between-times must be pretty sweet. Although I'm not sure I could afford keep them all in ice pops...we were flying through the ice pops at record speeds. Good times! ;-)

Week at a Glance

We have a very busy week planned, and if all the stars align just right, it won't rain every single day that I have off. It would be lovely to use that fancy new camera of mine...but I can't take it anywhere in a downpour. So we have the next five days or so filled with play dates, play dates, more play dates, company (Hi AUNT MARY!) and parties. I'm tired just thinking about it. But we'll have fun. We seem to have fun no matter where we go or who we're with...

And in a completely unrelated but very funny note...

(I am blushing even as I write this)

I was getting ready for work yesterday, fresh out of the shower to be exact, blow drying my hair bare nakey in front of the mirror when I realized my bestest friend was laughing her ass off at me from the bottom of the stairs. Lucky me that the front door is at the base of the stairs and the bathroom is located directly at the top! I never forget to lock the door before I go upstairs to hop in the shower because I know that Lucas, friendly little bugger that he is, will let in anyone that knocks. It just figures that the one day I forget we get company! Hehehehe! She got quite an eyeful, I'm sure...poor girl.

Buddies

Is It Monday Already?!

So, Saturday is the start of my work week, and it comes 'round awfully fast, let me tell you. We have had company all week long which has been wonderful, but it does cut into my nap time, don't you know? A friend of mine from Denver (Hi, Melinda!) made a stop in our town on her way to Ireland and Scotland. Because, hey! Ireland and Scotland are fun and all...but not as much fun as me and my four year old right here in rainy New England.

Anyway...we were at Costco with our company, and Lucas was swinging his legs in the shopping cart chowing down on the world's largest vanilla frozen yogurt, when he glanced up at my friend and told her she was pretty. And my heart melted into a puddle right there in the concession line...because Oh My Heavens, could he be any sweeter?

Then he kept asking her if she would like to sleep in his bed...with him. Of course, he's thinking she's a sleepover buddy like his other little sleepover buddies...but as smooth as he was, even with the telling her she's pretty, he couldn't convince her to sleep in his bed with him. Luckily for her, our couch is comfy.

Then, this morning, as I'm standing in the kitchen I hear him saying "Oh my God, oh my God!" from the living room. "Oh my God that looks da-wicious! (Let me just add here that I always correct him about saying "Oh my God"...that it's really much more appropriate to say goodness or gosh or barnacles...but I digress...) His favorite cooking gal on the food network was making pureed fruit smoothies for a champagne cocktail, and he was apparently right on board with it all. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked me. "Well, I don't know buddy, what are you thinking?" "I'm thinking we need to go to the grocery store for some fruit." What on earth am I gonna do with this kid? On the other hand...he didn't expect me to also pick him up some champagne and he did let me get in a good nap today...so I guess I'll keep him around a little longer.

At the Waterfront...

I Want One of These in My Yard

A friend found this great wood shop/train maker so we went on a field trip on Wednesday. It was absolutely beautiful out so the kids got to run around the front yard and play on this fantastic wooden train. That is, until Lucas put his newly purchased train down the funnel on the engine. And then freaked out because it only has a hole in the top...not in the bottom. Would you like to know how difficult it is to pull a train back out of a hole 3 feet deep that's only 2 inches across? Yeah. Luckily my bestest buddy Yvette likes a challenge and dug away at that little train until she coaxed to the surface. (Strong work Yvette!)

Snuggled With His Honey!

Home Again...*UPDATED*

Our trip to Target went well...with a couple of big highlights:

Lucas puked EVERYWHERE in the back of my friend Jenn's very fancy minivan...and then Jenn had an actual heart attack and fell to the ground and we had to call an ambulance to revive her. Kidding. But she did scream..."OHMYGODMYVAAAAAAAN!!!" while my poor kid was covering himself in his own vomit and trying really hard to catch his breath. Which I thought was quite thoughtful of her! (We love you Jenn!) (I'm not a total loser...I did pay to have to have it professionally cleaned...after she informed me that Lysol wipes were not gonna cut it!) I guess we have different levels of clean...and hers doesn't involve the car smelling like some kid's vomit all summer...crazy, I know.
***edited to add: And it was FUNNY, and I do not mean for anybody to be OFFENDED. And if the tables were turned, I too, would think about the car upholstery versus a kid that can easily be thrown in a tub. The end.***

The second, of course, was my trip to Target. Oh, how I wish I had one near me. And an IKEA. And a Coldstone. And Panera. On the other hand, all of those places would probably lose their appeal if they were readily available to me on a daily basis. And I'd be broke and in a dairy coma, so you know...it's all for the best.

I think the greatest part for Lucas was Thursday. That child spent the better part of the day outside, barefoot, chasing kids around her huge backyard. Unsupervised. And not in that I'm not paying attention to my kid kind of way...but the their safe and fenced in and let's just let them play and be kids without getting all up their face demanding that they share and use good manners kind of way...like the good 'ole days. I'm not sure he's ever been happier. Or more exhausted. I put his poor little self in the car at 5:15pm and by 5:20pm he was out cold...for the night! Which meant that I didn't have to drive home for 2.5 hours listening to the Naked Brother's Band crone on and on about how much they don't wanna go to school...heaven, I tell you...it was heaven!

A Trip to the Science Center

Thanks to Aunt Marcy, Lucas and I have a season pass to our local science center...which we LOVE! (Thank you, Marcy!) We never seem to make it passed the entrance of this place without getting drenched in the rock and slate waterfall...but it is sort of the funnest (is that a word?) part of the whole day, so, what are gonna do?
Lucas and one of his very bestest buddies. Whenever they see each other it starts with a hug so fierce that one or both of them ends up on the floor.
A quick change of clothes since he was soaked. Also, I am not a big fan of the various examples of giant fish that are swimming around in our lake. (A lake I may never swim in again, thankyouverymuch.)
Coloring little pictures of mosquitoes and ticks to tape on a life-sized backyard mural, as this months special exhibit is "Bloodsuckers". Yuck.
Taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. Coming soon will be his own special bloggy feature of "The View from Three Feet", a collection of his very own pictures from his very camera. Truthfully, they're not much clearer than a cell phone picture, but the things he finds interesting do make me laugh...so, stay tuned...

Birthday Breakfast

That's Lucas and his buddy having breakfast at our local bagel joint. Lucas LOVES the olive cream cheese and usually just eats it with a spoon while I try and sneak little bits for my own bagel while he's not looking.
This is proof that I am a awesome Mom...I sweetly picked every last speck of olive and pimento off the cream cheese on his bagel. Apparently the olive cream cheese is delicious on it's own but completely inedible once it's spread on an actual bagel. Go figure.

Quote of the Day

Lucas: (Sitting on a friend's bed, surveying his room) "Hey! This is a real nice place you got here!"

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!

He's Growing Up!

Oh! My son is growing up! He had his first sleepover. Well, he had a friend sleep over at our house for the very first time, which totally counts! Lucas is 3 1/2 and his buddy is a whole 4 years old...it made for a very fun night. To say Lucas was excited for this sleepover would do it an injustice. He was over the moon that his little buddy would be spending the night...in his Thomas the Train bed! He kept skipping around the apartment, going in circles. Those little party animals managed to see the very late hour of 8:30pm...wild, I know...well, Lucas fell asleep at 8:30pm...his buddy took a little longer to fall asleep...though to his credit, he never made a peep.

They played trains, and ate toast and watched Winnie the Pooh...does life get any better?