By Any Other Name...

We were driving in the car to my Mom's house today to drop Lucas off on my way to work and he asked me, "Sometimes I call you Anna and sometimes I call you Mom, right"? And I spent a few minutes explaining to him that no, you really shouldn't call me Anna unless you are introducing me to a friend or asking a police officer for help, in which case you tell him you are Lucas Benjamin Lastname and that your mom's name is Anna Ellen Lastname (both of which he already knows.) And then the conversation took a hard left he started sputtering that that was the most ridiculous name he ever heard, and wouldn't Fish-paste be a better choice...for both of us. Dude...I don't even like fish, so I'm thinking Anna Ellen Fish-paste doesn't have quite the right ring to it...don't think I'll switch my checks over just yet. And also, what on earth? Thank heavens I poured over baby books and accepted hundreds of helpful suggestions (imagine helpful suggestions in air quotes) to find just the right name for my child, one that he could be proud of for decades to come. And he'd rather be Fish-paste. Ingrate.

Our Trip to the Science Center

Ugh! I want to pinch that little booty every time it spins around!

My Last Week Off...

We're baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Well, that's it. I have just finished my fifth and final week off for the summer. We spent this past week at the fair, which used to seem so sparkly and exciting, but now seems much more like a place in need of a good scrubbing. My good friend Pam gave us passes, so going to the fair was free! And not budget busting! Like I thought it would be!

We really did have a great time, and my little scaredy cat boy was really coming out of his shell and trying out the rides...

Awwww...good times.

This sand sculpture made Lucas decide that he wanted to be a banana, no a pirate, no a gorilla holding a banana, no a banana, no Spiderman, no Batman for Halloween. Needless to say, I won't start sewing anything until the night before Halloween...less time for him to change his mind.

The kid-sized roller coaster he wouldn't get on...

(Taken with my cell phone.) This apron wants to be mine, but I refuse to pay $38 bucks when I know I could make it for so much less...even if it did win a yellow ribbon.

This little fella greeted us on the steps. He's lucky he didn't get stepped on.

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.

Why...It's Practically on SALE!

Making the Houseboy Earn His Keep

And for the record, yes, that is a disco ball he's polishing...it's been hanging there since a housewarming party six years ago. Ha.

How to Pass the Day Without Leaving the Couch

Luckily we have a very large couch, which means I don't have to get up from my sprawled out position on the other end in order for him to play trains.

From the Mouths of Babes Budding Med School Students Future Broadway Stars

Lucas: (Doubled over.) (Clutching his side.) Ohhh. Arghhhh! The pain! I think I ruptured my spleen!

Me: (Completely unimpressed.) Wow. Really? Your spleen, huh?

Lucas: (Gasping for breath.) I think I know what would make it feel better...

Me: (Grasping for remote to turn up the volume.) You do?

Lucas: (Dragging his right leg behind him as he inches towards the kitchen...) I think an ice pop might be the cure. (Big smile.) Don't you?

Making History

I just watched Michael Phelps go eight-for-eight in Beijing, smashing Mark Spitz's single-Games record. Incredible.

Passing the Torch...and the Popcorn

So, I've been away for a week, and I have SO MUCH bloggy reading to catch up on...and I have to say...I've MISSED you ladies!

Anyway. We had a lovely guest this week and she was super excited to watch the Olympics. Honestly, I could take it or leave it in previous years. Something about being a single mama perhaps. I mean, we're running that marathon every day and yet, where's our gold medal? But this year, with a friend who was excited about the Olympics, Lucas and I got hooked on everything Beijing was dishing out.

Can I start with my four year old's interest in this year's games? He would pick a team for each competition to cheer for, and it was rarely an American team. Take, for instance, a beach volleyball match up where he continually called the 6ft tall amazonians playing for Norway his "girls". "My girls are doing so good", he'd say. "I sure do like my girl's red bikinis...I'm sure they're gonna win...'cause my girl's are CHAMPIONS!"

His excitement about his "girls" was outdone only by my fascination with Michael Phelps. I mean, come on...that kid is a fish. He has a 6-foot-7-inch wingspan. Let that sink in for a second. His wingspan is three inches longer than his height. Of course he wins every race...he's perfectly tailored to cut through the water like a knife. Also, the fact that he is so accomplished at these Olympics but was born in 1985 makes me feel like a very old lady.

I did put down the popcorn bowl long enough to make Lucas his very own gold medal...it reads "CHAMPION LUCAS" and it hangs on a pale blue ribbon...and if I thought he might appreciate my gesture he corrected me by saying, "If I'm the champion...that means you 'woozed!" Love the team spirit, son.

Rough Bunch

My son is covered in mosquito bites (of which he is allergic, doncha' know) and I, once again, have tweaked my neck. I also have the next 5 days off. I have offered him a nice long list of fun activities we can do together this week, most of which involve napping, because DUDE, MY NECK HURTS! Hope all you lovely ladies are having a nice weekend...and if any of you have any suggestions for fun things to do this week (that don't involve napping but can also be done with a very swollen child) please pass 'em along!

Make a List. Check.

I am sitting here writing out a list of things to do tomorrow, and it's already longer than I have hours in the day, but still, my list writing is not done. If the length of this list wasn't my own fault, I might feel a little grumpy, but as I exercise extreme laziness for long stretches, the universe demands that it will eventually all catch up to me. You know...the day before my company arrives. Truth be told, I won't get half of it done...and I won't feel bad about the other half because I'm just not wired that way. If I don't get around to scrubbing the tub before people arrive at my doorstep and expect to bathe in it, the sky won't fall. (Hi Jenn! Sorry...my tub might be dirty! But I'll have plenty of toilet paper...and really? Isn't that more important? I thought so!)

Lucas is excited about my list because I have assigned him the task of checking each thing off as we complete it. Wish us luck, as we shall need it.

Show of Hands

If you can count the number of hours of sleep you got last night on two fingers, please raise your hand and step forward...you are my people.

Lucas is so incredibly good about letting me crash on the couch for an extra hour of sleep on the nights I work late, and today was no exception. HOWEVER...he (and I say this with all of the love in my heart because he is a sweet, sweet boy) kept peppering me with kisses up and down my arm at every commercial break while clasping my hand in his and telling me I was a good, good Mommy. And that is so sweet, right? EXCEPT...I got home from work at 4am and it was now 6:30am and it took every ounce of willpower in my old tired bones not to shake him off me. I would like to redeem my horrible self by reassuring you all that I didn't shake him off...not even once. A day will come when I'd give my kingdom for those sweet wet kisses up and down my arm, so I hugged him tight each time and told him he's my favorite son. Heh. It was really hard not to shake him off, though. Like...really hard.

Waiting to Be...

...a fresh batch of pesto. Yum.

No Shortage of Self-Esteem

Imagine walking into a room and hearing this kid singing "I'm a beautiful geeenius!" over and over. It's hard not to laugh, let me tell you. I have no idea where he's learned it, but he sings it with feeling.

**********

In other news, we got a surprise in the mail yesterday. About a week ago a lovely lady named Elizabeth over at Brighter Minds Media offered to send us a Thomas & Friends: Special Delivery computer game to try out and plug if we thought it was worth the mention. I was excited because the only other person who has ever ask me to product test anything is my four year old. *wink*

It arrived on our door step yesterday and Lucas ripped it right open. Despite the fact that my son refuses to hold a mouse correctly and instead "right-clicks" with his right thumb, he is enamoured with his new computer game. He loves it, and at four years old, he can play both levels well, although the "easy level" is understandably, well, easier. He even woke up crying this afternoon because he thought I had forgotten to pack it in his overnight bag for Grandma's house. So thank you, Elizabeth! We love the game!