We are on vacation here at casa de phillips....at casa de phillips. It only makes sense to those people who have two small children as to why we are vacationing at our own home.
Since Tobe is home from work for the next five days, I ran out on my own to tackle a few errands this afternoon...one of which was having my eyebrows waxed (Ah, the things we do for glamour). As I settled myself into the plush chair at the salon, ready for hot wax to be pulled and then ripped off of my eyes, the technician suggested a new method of shaping the eyebrow area.
First, I must explain that this nice lady had a very thick accent...so much so that I had difficulty understanding what she was saying. She begins to explain this new eyebrow shaping technique, which she is calling "threading." Although I did not completely comprehend everything she was saying about this technique, I did catch the part about it being cheaper and that it did not hurt. This was all I needed to hear to decide that threading was the choice for me and my eyebrows.
Threading....well, it involves a very sharp piece of thread (razor sharp) that is drug over the unwanted hairs of one's eyebrow at a sharp rate of speed. I have a high pain tolerance. Eyebrow waxing does not make me flinch. However, eyebrow threading was indeed painful and the technician kept telling me to not be scared--which is difficult when a person is wielding a thin razor over your face. After 45 minutes of this intense procedure, my eyebrows were nicely groomed. Before the technician began this legal form of torture, she told me once I "threaded" my eyebrows, I would never return to waxing again. All I know is that if my only eyebrow shaping option is threading, I am simply going to shave the things off.
Before I could leave this house of pain, the technician told me that I really needed a facial (which she just happened to do). She kept saying that I had many blemishes and then said that I needed the resurfacing facial (AKA microdermabrasion). I am an avid user of Pro-Active Solution and Bare Essentials, both which keep my skin quite clear. I was unsure of exactly what blemishes the lady was referring to, until she suggested I buy a particular lotion to help with my skin issues. The particular lotion was a lightening cream and I finally figured out that the blemishes she was referring to were my freckles.
That was my first...and last...visit to this salon.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tips From the Trenches
Here are a few tips I learned in my neverending role as Mommy today:
Give your toddler a shiny green apple. This will entertain him for at least 30 minutes as he sits on the kitchen floor munching away happily, lost in his thoughts.
Holding your prone-to-spit-up 3 month old above your head five minutes after eating in order to get a giggle out of her will cause her to spit up. Into your mouth.
Trains and small children don’t always result in laughter and fun. As we were out this morning I noticed our local train chugging up ahead of us. Being the savvy Mommy that I am, I pulled a U-turn (not knowing there was a police officer behind me—fortunately he did not seem to notice my traffic violation) in order for us to stop in a parking lot right next to the train tracks. I hurriedly grabbed Isaac from his car seat, anxious to see his utter joy as the train whizzed past us. What I did not expect was the loud screams that would come out of both of my children’s mouths as the train blew its whistle. Loud screams, my friend. Isaac calmed down rather quickly, until the conductor (who was only 10 feet from us by this point) noticed this sweet blonde hair boy watching the train and decided to blow the whistle again. It took five minutes to get them both calmed down and for all screaming and crying to subside. Hopefully they both will not shudder in fear every time we cross a railroad track in the near future.
Two year olds feel like an open sandbox makes the perfect resting spot for a half-eaten Popsicle.
If you watch an EBay auction’s final minutes over the phone with your mother, you most likely will end up bidding on an item in the final 12 seconds out of the sheer excitement of the moment. Then you will do an unfortunate dance of joy while shouting, “I won! I won!” to which your husband will remind you that you actually have to pay for such item.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Going On a Mission
If you happened to be shopping at the lovely Target near casa de phillips this morning, you likely heard a toddler's voice yell out, "Rocket!" repeatedly. That toddler belonged to me.
On a mission to purchase diapers and return a birthday gift that had arrived damaged, the three of us set out for our local Target where we found very few open parking spaces. School starts here on Monday and all of the procrastinators were out in full searching for the much-needed crayolas and mechanical pencils. On our drive to Target I had explained that we were returning the broken birthday present and Isaac could pick out something new as a replacement.....all the while making sure to emphasize the point that we do not just buy toys every time we grace the doors of a store (except for when Mommy and Daddy shop at Target together and can't help themselves).
Target is now a proud distributor of Little Einstein toys, which just happens to be Isaac's very favorite cartoon. It was quite amusing to watch him peruse the selection of toys trying to find the very best one (which actually would have been the large Rocket and four Einstein action figures that cost $40...YIKES!). He opted for the toy that allows you to create your own music. I believe this one was chosen mainly for the fact that we rarely, if ever, buy him electronic toys because: A. They annoy the stuffing out of us and B. Prefer for him to play with things that stimulate his mind and creativity and do not simply require the pushing of a button over..and over..and over again.
We spent the rest of the shopping trip with Isaac repeatedly pushing the buttons on his new toy with joy and yelling "Rocket!" (You have to watch the show to really get why he is yelling "Rocket"). Somehow Evelyn managed to sleep during all of this.
Our shopping list did take us near the school supply section where Moms were frantically searching for the required glue and kids were attempting to choose the perfect backpack from the measly selection that remained. Not being one to procrastinate (in most areas), I find it amusing to see such chaos. These same parents who have waited until three days before school begins to get supplies when the lists have been in the stores for over a month will likely wonder why their child never seems to turn in their homework or hand over a paper that needs to be signed on time.
(Here is a little tip from my former teaching days: Target will clearance out all remaining supplies in a few weeks. Hold onto the list of items needed and buy more once such things go on clearance. Your child will most likely need most of these supplies restocked in January...if not October!)
Here are some random pictures:
On a mission to purchase diapers and return a birthday gift that had arrived damaged, the three of us set out for our local Target where we found very few open parking spaces. School starts here on Monday and all of the procrastinators were out in full searching for the much-needed crayolas and mechanical pencils. On our drive to Target I had explained that we were returning the broken birthday present and Isaac could pick out something new as a replacement.....all the while making sure to emphasize the point that we do not just buy toys every time we grace the doors of a store (except for when Mommy and Daddy shop at Target together and can't help themselves).
Target is now a proud distributor of Little Einstein toys, which just happens to be Isaac's very favorite cartoon. It was quite amusing to watch him peruse the selection of toys trying to find the very best one (which actually would have been the large Rocket and four Einstein action figures that cost $40...YIKES!). He opted for the toy that allows you to create your own music. I believe this one was chosen mainly for the fact that we rarely, if ever, buy him electronic toys because: A. They annoy the stuffing out of us and B. Prefer for him to play with things that stimulate his mind and creativity and do not simply require the pushing of a button over..and over..and over again.
We spent the rest of the shopping trip with Isaac repeatedly pushing the buttons on his new toy with joy and yelling "Rocket!" (You have to watch the show to really get why he is yelling "Rocket"). Somehow Evelyn managed to sleep during all of this.
Our shopping list did take us near the school supply section where Moms were frantically searching for the required glue and kids were attempting to choose the perfect backpack from the measly selection that remained. Not being one to procrastinate (in most areas), I find it amusing to see such chaos. These same parents who have waited until three days before school begins to get supplies when the lists have been in the stores for over a month will likely wonder why their child never seems to turn in their homework or hand over a paper that needs to be signed on time.
(Here is a little tip from my former teaching days: Target will clearance out all remaining supplies in a few weeks. Hold onto the list of items needed and buy more once such things go on clearance. Your child will most likely need most of these supplies restocked in January...if not October!)
Here are some random pictures:
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Perspective
Have you ever looked at a picture or watched a video and suddenly realized that you were starring at yourself? Well, tonight I opened an email from a local indoor play area whose mailing list I am on and saw this picture:
Um...yeah that is me in the far left corner doing crunches with Isaac on my lap. We attended a free Mommies Boot Camp class Tuesday morning at this indoor play area and apparently are now a part of their advertising team. I am just thankful no promotional pictures were taken during the jump rope/jumping jacks cardio session.
***
This afternoon Isaac, Evelyn, and I were coloring in the kitchen on a large poster board (want to save your sanity while cooking? Purchase several sheets of poster board and pull them out on those evenings when the little ones feel the need to be directly under your feet while you cook. Isaac will sit and color on one of these forever and then later they can mysteriously make their way to the trash can and he never knows.). Isaac and I were both drinking chocolate milk and I advised him in a very motherly tone to be careful with his milk so he didn't spill it on his artwork. Guess what I did about a minute and a half later....spilt my milk on his artwork.
***
On a serious note, check out the following blogs and offer up some prayers for these friends. This close friend from college recently lost her father and wrote a beautiful post about her precious daddy. These fellow ACU alumni have become better friends of mine via the blog world. Please lift up the health of their newborn son as he fights a huge fight for a little guy. It is events such as these that provide much needed clarity among my often stilted perspective of everyday life.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Toddler Speak
Here is a conversation I had in the car this morning with Isaac:
I: "Dinosaur?"
L: "A dinosaur, really..hmmm" (Confession: I wasn't really paying attention due to the fact I was glaring at someone who took too long to turn, thus making me miss a green light)
I: "I saw a dinosaur"
L: "Cool." (still glaring at the person in front of me)
I: "I saw a dinosaur riding in a car."
I turn to look in the car next to us where a white fluffy dog was hanging out...AKA a dinosaur. We contemplated taking Isaac to see this but then decided he was too young and it was a bit too realistic...especially since he is mistaking the friendly neighborhood dogs for dinosaurs.
I: "Dinosaur?"
L: "A dinosaur, really..hmmm" (Confession: I wasn't really paying attention due to the fact I was glaring at someone who took too long to turn, thus making me miss a green light)
I: "I saw a dinosaur"
L: "Cool." (still glaring at the person in front of me)
I: "I saw a dinosaur riding in a car."
I turn to look in the car next to us where a white fluffy dog was hanging out...AKA a dinosaur. We contemplated taking Isaac to see this but then decided he was too young and it was a bit too realistic...especially since he is mistaking the friendly neighborhood dogs for dinosaurs.
***
Casa de phillips is a cozy home....not too big and nearly not enough closet space, but it fits our family of four nicely (and it was a great buy for our location). However we don't have what is called a split-bedroom house which means all of our bedrooms--including the Master--are in a nice little row down the hall. I can see Isaac's crib while lying in my bed if the doors are open. This means that I try to be quiet as a mouse in the early morning for fear of waking him (and starting my day as "Mommy" too early).
This morning at 6:15am I heard a loud, toddler voice call from his bedroom:
"Mommy, wake up. Change I-ick's di-ter. Change Baby E-vins di-ter."
Cute and all, but I managed to hide in my room cherishing my first cup of coffee attempting to organize my To-do list by the dim light of the bathroom for twenty more minutes of alone time....until the toddler chatter turned to toddler yelling which woke up the 3 month old in the next bedroom. Welcome, Tuesday morning.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Randomosity
Okay, so randomosity isn't really a word, but here are some bits and pieces from casa de phillips:
1.We do our grocery shopping on the weekends. I used to simply go by myself--without anyone under three feet tall accompanying me. Lately we have been tackling this chore as a family. We divide the list, each parent takes a child, and set off to get our food and necessities. Upon arriving back at casa de phillips we all help put everything away...including Isaac. He loves to help take things to the appropriate room and is quite good at stacking or lining things up. Last week he stacked--by size--diapers, wipes, and trash bags in the shelves of Evelyn's changing table and then stacked toiletries in the master bath by size. Impressive, but a bit creepy.
2.Potty training is going nowhere at our house. However, Isaac makes a good faith effort everyday. He removes the necessary garments, sits patiently, reads a book, requests toilet paper, uses the toilet paper, and then asks if he can flush the toilet paper down the "mommy commode." Obviously he has the routine down...except the most important part of actually using the restroom. I told him we would have a party with a cake whenever he actually did something in the toilet. The aspect of a party really excites him, so I hope this encourages some progress. Our diaper bill is outrageous (however, we are racking up the Pampers Points!)
3. Speaking of diapers, we do use Pampers at casa de phillips. I know they are most expensive, but they have never let me down. I believe the extra money is worth not having to change clothes at a public place or pajamas and bedsheets in the middle of the night due to leaks. Pampers teamed up with Sesame Street and have placed these childhood characters on each diaper. During the day we have to discuss what character is on Isaac's diaper and what character is on Evelyn's diaper repeatedly. Currently Isaac is requesting that Evelyn only wear Baby Zoe di-ters (diapers).
4. Friday I was able to speak with a man at animal control regarding the duck situation. Apparently these birds are not mere ducks...they are some sort of duck-goose hybrid. The owner of these lovely animals does not see a problem with letting them run free and is trying to have his feathered friends' ability to roam free grandfathered in under a city ordinance. (Apparently there are lots of people with livestock who have gotten special permission to keep such animals despite living in the city. It has something to do with the fact that our little city used to be quite a bit more rural than it is now.) He has been warned twice and is now facing a fine. The city has called in their lawyer to review pet ordinances and see exactly what rules this man must adhere to. Perhaps this will go all the way to Judge Judy...
5. The Nanny Diaries comes out this weekend. About four and a half months ago I arranged a Girls Night Out to eat dinner and catch this film...only to realize that I was completely wrong about the release date.
6. I have heard about FlyLady for years, have checked out the website a few times, but did not really get (or want to get) the whole concept of "FLYing." However, I thrive on structure, organization, and cleanliness....all three of which are becoming increasingly more difficult to achieve with two babies. So I purchased the Flylady's book, grasped the concept (some of it is a bit corny), and have been running my household using quite a bit of her principals. Despite her awkward acronyms, it really is a good system for getting your house under control.
7. Last week Isaac, Evelyn, and I were at a local indoor play area. I struck up a conversation with another mother after we bonded over forcing our children to share a toy. She inquired as to how far apart Isaac and Evelyn are. Her face became quite sympathetic as I told her "21 months," she patted me on my arm, and said, "You are in hell now but it gets better in a year." A year??? Didn't she read my blog about how I thought after three months things would be peachy keen? Apparently her children are 22 months apart and she said if I could simply survive the first year, then things would start to look up....until the children begin to fight over who gets what toy.
8.Isaac went in for his two year check-up and weighed in at a whooping 25.6 pounds....with his clothes on. I find this amusing, considering he eats more at each meal than I do.
9. Evelyn has been identified as being a "happy spitter" meaning that she spits up...a lot...but doesn't really fuss about it. However our sweet baby girl often smells like sour milk and goes through a few outfits a day on some occasions. I also get the lovely opportunity of walking around with spit-up on me most days.
9. Here are some funny things Isaac has said to me lately:
"Mommy, I woke up!"
"Mommy, take trees and grass bath?" (this was said because I was watering our backyard one morning. He says that someone "takes" his bath but means "give" his bath instead.)
"Mommy, play I-ick just few minutes" (yes, he has the guilt trip thing down to an art)
"Mommy, Baby Ev-in hungry/mad/asleep" (If Evelyn makes the slightest peep, Isaac likes to diagnose the problem immediately.)
"Mommy, one more time?" (Every desired activity is now "one more time" meaning that he wants to do it again...and again...and again.)
"Mommy I see _____ sign." (His new thing is to say that he can see the sign of wherever we are going, such as Target, mall, etc. He says this even if there is no sign for our location and if we are still five miles away.)
"Mommy, I or-nize Mr. Tater Head." (He said this to me tonight after I gave him the chore of putting all of his new Mr. Potato Head toys into clear plastic bins to make them nice and organized.)
"Kiving Room" is Living room and "banas" is bathroom
10. I have a confession: I rock Evelyn to sleep for most of her naps. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but I am an advocate for teaching babies to fall asleep on their own from a very early age. This means that you don't rock the baby to sleep. It was quite easy not to rock Isaac as a baby because he hated to be held. Well, Evelyn was not doing so well in the falling asleep department so I began rocking her so she could nap and our day could stay on pace. Lately she doesn't want to rock, yet she cannot drift off by herself for her little naps. This has lead to the use of the large stability ball. Bouncing on a large stability ball is soothing to babies and makes Evelyn drift off to sleep peacefully. It also is great exercise for one's abs and quads. It took me a few days after starting this new method of getting her to nap to realize why my legs felt as if I had run five miles that day. The positive side of this is that I am two pounds lighter than I was at weigh-in last week---the whole ball-bouncing thing must be working! If you need to shape up your lower body, feel free to stop by at 9:30am, 11am, or 5:15pm to bounce Evelyn to sleep.
11. Twelve years ago this month I headed off for college as an eager little freshman. Twelve years sounds like a really long time, but college feels like it was just yesterday. That might be because Tobe and I rehash college antics at least once a week...if not more. Our children are going to hate the fact that Tobe and I shared our college years together and have a vast collection of stories to tell over and over again.
12. About a year and a half ago I decided to grow my hair out to donate to Locks of Love. I know that sounds glamorous, but the truth is that I wanted to grow my hair out anyway, I do not color it (donations cannot be dyed), and I figured if I decided to do something with the hair after growing it out I would be prevented from chopping it off early. Well seems like Evelyn's favorite thing to grab is Mommy's hair...by the fistfuls. I looked up the other night how much hair one had to cut off to make a useful donation to Locks of Love---10 inches, my friend. I had Tobe help me figure out exactly how short my hair would be should I hack off ten inches now. It was not a flattering length for me (think Posh Spice's hair...not so "major" for me) so I am going to stick with this "growing my hair out thing" for another six months.
13. I just made a Posh Spice and "major" reference in my blog...seriously I need to get out more.
14. Sometimes I feel like Isaac, Evelyn, and I are kid-magnets. Perhaps we look interesting to other children or they feel sorry for us....whatever it is, we seem to attract the children whose parents are oblivious. At the library story time, the rowdy children like to plop down next to us. At the picture studio on Friday, the children who were climbing the couches chose to come talk to us rather than play with the nifty Lego table. We often have random children tag along with us at the park as we set out to check on the fish pond. The play area at the mall typically generates one or two children who feel the need to tell me the intricacies of their life. I hate to be rude to children, but this seriously bugs me. Perhaps I should pretend as if we don't speak English...
15. Apparently Isaac knows how to set the alarm on my travel clock because it just started chirping in my bedside drawer. Fortunately he set if for 9:24pm rather than 2:25 am.
16. In this month's issue of Cookie magazine, they printed the result of some survey they had taken regarding families of different sizes (in relation to the number of children, not waist size). Tobe hates such surveys because they are not statistically sound and fail to mention that "correlation is not causation". I gleefully read the survey "findings" to him the other night, being sure to show him that families with two children reported higher marital satisfaction than families with one, three, or four+ children. It was then that I noticed the part of the survey that showed parents of two children tended to drink more than the other parents...hmmm.
17. Each week when we got to the library, Isaac gets to choose some books that look interesting to him (I throw some into the pile that I know he will actually enjoy because he sometimes grabs some random stuff). This past week he chose a children's book called "Dance By the Light of the Moon" where various farm animals (all girls) get ready to go to a dance in the barn to "dance by the light of the moon." The premise of the book is based on the old song "Buffalo Gals Won't Ya Come out Tonight". Tobe tells me that this song is referring to "women of the night" when it speaks of Buffalo gals....do you think the authors of this children's book understood the real meaning of the song?
Have a great week!
1.We do our grocery shopping on the weekends. I used to simply go by myself--without anyone under three feet tall accompanying me. Lately we have been tackling this chore as a family. We divide the list, each parent takes a child, and set off to get our food and necessities. Upon arriving back at casa de phillips we all help put everything away...including Isaac. He loves to help take things to the appropriate room and is quite good at stacking or lining things up. Last week he stacked--by size--diapers, wipes, and trash bags in the shelves of Evelyn's changing table and then stacked toiletries in the master bath by size. Impressive, but a bit creepy.
2.Potty training is going nowhere at our house. However, Isaac makes a good faith effort everyday. He removes the necessary garments, sits patiently, reads a book, requests toilet paper, uses the toilet paper, and then asks if he can flush the toilet paper down the "mommy commode." Obviously he has the routine down...except the most important part of actually using the restroom. I told him we would have a party with a cake whenever he actually did something in the toilet. The aspect of a party really excites him, so I hope this encourages some progress. Our diaper bill is outrageous (however, we are racking up the Pampers Points!)
3. Speaking of diapers, we do use Pampers at casa de phillips. I know they are most expensive, but they have never let me down. I believe the extra money is worth not having to change clothes at a public place or pajamas and bedsheets in the middle of the night due to leaks. Pampers teamed up with Sesame Street and have placed these childhood characters on each diaper. During the day we have to discuss what character is on Isaac's diaper and what character is on Evelyn's diaper repeatedly. Currently Isaac is requesting that Evelyn only wear Baby Zoe di-ters (diapers).
4. Friday I was able to speak with a man at animal control regarding the duck situation. Apparently these birds are not mere ducks...they are some sort of duck-goose hybrid. The owner of these lovely animals does not see a problem with letting them run free and is trying to have his feathered friends' ability to roam free grandfathered in under a city ordinance. (Apparently there are lots of people with livestock who have gotten special permission to keep such animals despite living in the city. It has something to do with the fact that our little city used to be quite a bit more rural than it is now.) He has been warned twice and is now facing a fine. The city has called in their lawyer to review pet ordinances and see exactly what rules this man must adhere to. Perhaps this will go all the way to Judge Judy...
5. The Nanny Diaries comes out this weekend. About four and a half months ago I arranged a Girls Night Out to eat dinner and catch this film...only to realize that I was completely wrong about the release date.
6. I have heard about FlyLady for years, have checked out the website a few times, but did not really get (or want to get) the whole concept of "FLYing." However, I thrive on structure, organization, and cleanliness....all three of which are becoming increasingly more difficult to achieve with two babies. So I purchased the Flylady's book, grasped the concept (some of it is a bit corny), and have been running my household using quite a bit of her principals. Despite her awkward acronyms, it really is a good system for getting your house under control.
7. Last week Isaac, Evelyn, and I were at a local indoor play area. I struck up a conversation with another mother after we bonded over forcing our children to share a toy. She inquired as to how far apart Isaac and Evelyn are. Her face became quite sympathetic as I told her "21 months," she patted me on my arm, and said, "You are in hell now but it gets better in a year." A year??? Didn't she read my blog about how I thought after three months things would be peachy keen? Apparently her children are 22 months apart and she said if I could simply survive the first year, then things would start to look up....until the children begin to fight over who gets what toy.
8.Isaac went in for his two year check-up and weighed in at a whooping 25.6 pounds....with his clothes on. I find this amusing, considering he eats more at each meal than I do.
9. Evelyn has been identified as being a "happy spitter" meaning that she spits up...a lot...but doesn't really fuss about it. However our sweet baby girl often smells like sour milk and goes through a few outfits a day on some occasions. I also get the lovely opportunity of walking around with spit-up on me most days.
9. Here are some funny things Isaac has said to me lately:
"Mommy, I woke up!"
"Mommy, take trees and grass bath?" (this was said because I was watering our backyard one morning. He says that someone "takes" his bath but means "give" his bath instead.)
"Mommy, play I-ick just few minutes" (yes, he has the guilt trip thing down to an art)
"Mommy, Baby Ev-in hungry/mad/asleep" (If Evelyn makes the slightest peep, Isaac likes to diagnose the problem immediately.)
"Mommy, one more time?" (Every desired activity is now "one more time" meaning that he wants to do it again...and again...and again.)
"Mommy I see _____ sign." (His new thing is to say that he can see the sign of wherever we are going, such as Target, mall, etc. He says this even if there is no sign for our location and if we are still five miles away.)
"Mommy, I or-nize Mr. Tater Head." (He said this to me tonight after I gave him the chore of putting all of his new Mr. Potato Head toys into clear plastic bins to make them nice and organized.)
"Kiving Room" is Living room and "banas" is bathroom
10. I have a confession: I rock Evelyn to sleep for most of her naps. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but I am an advocate for teaching babies to fall asleep on their own from a very early age. This means that you don't rock the baby to sleep. It was quite easy not to rock Isaac as a baby because he hated to be held. Well, Evelyn was not doing so well in the falling asleep department so I began rocking her so she could nap and our day could stay on pace. Lately she doesn't want to rock, yet she cannot drift off by herself for her little naps. This has lead to the use of the large stability ball. Bouncing on a large stability ball is soothing to babies and makes Evelyn drift off to sleep peacefully. It also is great exercise for one's abs and quads. It took me a few days after starting this new method of getting her to nap to realize why my legs felt as if I had run five miles that day. The positive side of this is that I am two pounds lighter than I was at weigh-in last week---the whole ball-bouncing thing must be working! If you need to shape up your lower body, feel free to stop by at 9:30am, 11am, or 5:15pm to bounce Evelyn to sleep.
11. Twelve years ago this month I headed off for college as an eager little freshman. Twelve years sounds like a really long time, but college feels like it was just yesterday. That might be because Tobe and I rehash college antics at least once a week...if not more. Our children are going to hate the fact that Tobe and I shared our college years together and have a vast collection of stories to tell over and over again.
12. About a year and a half ago I decided to grow my hair out to donate to Locks of Love. I know that sounds glamorous, but the truth is that I wanted to grow my hair out anyway, I do not color it (donations cannot be dyed), and I figured if I decided to do something with the hair after growing it out I would be prevented from chopping it off early. Well seems like Evelyn's favorite thing to grab is Mommy's hair...by the fistfuls. I looked up the other night how much hair one had to cut off to make a useful donation to Locks of Love---10 inches, my friend. I had Tobe help me figure out exactly how short my hair would be should I hack off ten inches now. It was not a flattering length for me (think Posh Spice's hair...not so "major" for me) so I am going to stick with this "growing my hair out thing" for another six months.
13. I just made a Posh Spice and "major" reference in my blog...seriously I need to get out more.
14. Sometimes I feel like Isaac, Evelyn, and I are kid-magnets. Perhaps we look interesting to other children or they feel sorry for us....whatever it is, we seem to attract the children whose parents are oblivious. At the library story time, the rowdy children like to plop down next to us. At the picture studio on Friday, the children who were climbing the couches chose to come talk to us rather than play with the nifty Lego table. We often have random children tag along with us at the park as we set out to check on the fish pond. The play area at the mall typically generates one or two children who feel the need to tell me the intricacies of their life. I hate to be rude to children, but this seriously bugs me. Perhaps I should pretend as if we don't speak English...
15. Apparently Isaac knows how to set the alarm on my travel clock because it just started chirping in my bedside drawer. Fortunately he set if for 9:24pm rather than 2:25 am.
16. In this month's issue of Cookie magazine, they printed the result of some survey they had taken regarding families of different sizes (in relation to the number of children, not waist size). Tobe hates such surveys because they are not statistically sound and fail to mention that "correlation is not causation". I gleefully read the survey "findings" to him the other night, being sure to show him that families with two children reported higher marital satisfaction than families with one, three, or four+ children. It was then that I noticed the part of the survey that showed parents of two children tended to drink more than the other parents...hmmm.
17. Each week when we got to the library, Isaac gets to choose some books that look interesting to him (I throw some into the pile that I know he will actually enjoy because he sometimes grabs some random stuff). This past week he chose a children's book called "Dance By the Light of the Moon" where various farm animals (all girls) get ready to go to a dance in the barn to "dance by the light of the moon." The premise of the book is based on the old song "Buffalo Gals Won't Ya Come out Tonight". Tobe tells me that this song is referring to "women of the night" when it speaks of Buffalo gals....do you think the authors of this children's book understood the real meaning of the song?
Have a great week!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Help!
The world's largest double stroller has to go.....soon. Seriously, it is a moment away from completely dying on me and leaving me stranded (possibly in front of the duck's house) with two babies to haul home in the 100 degree heat (actually we walk early in the morning when it is a cool 92 degrees).
The problem is that I need a double jogging stroller that:
1.folds easy and fits in the trunk of my car
2. fits through doorways of stores
3.Has a car seat adaptable bar for Evelyn's car seat (I am super paranoid about jolting Evelyn's neck around and want her in the car seat while in the jogging stroller until she is at the very least six months old. When you pay big bucks to strengthen one child's neck muscles you hate to ruin the other child's neck by bouncing her along in a jogging stroller too early)
Add these three things together and you come up with a double stroller that costs approximately the same as a small country. The sweet husband here at casa de phillips keeps telling me to buy what I need, especially since I use a stroller ALL THE TIME. However, I feel a bit guilty about plunking down such a large chunk of change when I bring no income into our lovely home. I am trying to look at every possible way to find the stroller I want at a cheap, reasonable price before running off to our local specialty shop and buying the Cadillac of all double jogging strollers. I have searched Ebay, where used strollers are going for as much as new ones, and have read page after page of items for sale on Craigslist (and fought the urge to buy tons of stuff I don't need just because the seller is so close)....only to come up with nothing.
I have now resorted to my blog. Here is a picture of the jogging stroller I am looking at:
It is the BOB Revolution Duallie Jogging Stroller. Dear readers, if you or someone you know has a double jogging stroller by BOB and are wanting to rid themselves of it, please let me know.
Otherwise I might sell a kidney to offset the cost of my purchase...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Duck Tales
I have a confession to make. If you are an extreme animal lover, it will likely be best that you click over to the next blog you read and skip mine for today.
Yesterday, I kicked the duck. I feel slightly horrible for doing so, but the duck has declared war on my family and I had take action.
When we last left the duck saga, I had contacted animal control to report this angry bird and his cohort. I had to leave a message...which I did in great detail and left my name and phone number. I heard nothing back.
Yesterday morning we ventured out on our daily walk. We had to take what I now call "The Duck Route" because of the extreme heat and this particular route provides the most shade and breeze. As we walked along on the opposite side of the street from the duck's house, both duck and his cohort ran across the street--dodging traffic--and started to come after me. I know many of you might have this image of a duck waddling up to us simply trying to make a gesture of friendship. This image is quite wrong my friend. The duck RUNS and is flapping it's wings in an angry gesture.
The ducks approach me, running and flapping their wings, and are about a foot from the stroller. I calmly attempt to scare them off in a way that does not panic Isaac nor make him fear birds for the rest of his life. The ducks are not intimidated by this tactic and are at my feet. So I kicked one. Not a hard kick...more of a nudge with my New Balances. I also made sure that Isaac couldn't see what I was doing because the last thing I want our toddler to learn is cruelty to animals. My nudge sent the duck rolling backwards, feet over his head, and knocked him into the other duck. Think that stopped him? Nope. He got up and started running after us again. Fortunately we were able to break ahead in the time it took for him to get up and "escape."
I called animal control again as soon as we got home. This time someone answered, who knew exactly what house and what duck I was speaking of. Apparently animal control has visited the duck's owners already on a few occasions. The man promised to take action against the duck. Tobe is stopping by animal control after work to have a one-on-one talk with animal control to make sure the duck's reign of terror comes to an end soon.
I'll let you know what happens. Until then, if you happen to live near casa de phillips and see us out walking...don't be shocked to see me armed with a tennis racket and perhaps a nerf gun.
Yesterday, I kicked the duck. I feel slightly horrible for doing so, but the duck has declared war on my family and I had take action.
When we last left the duck saga, I had contacted animal control to report this angry bird and his cohort. I had to leave a message...which I did in great detail and left my name and phone number. I heard nothing back.
Yesterday morning we ventured out on our daily walk. We had to take what I now call "The Duck Route" because of the extreme heat and this particular route provides the most shade and breeze. As we walked along on the opposite side of the street from the duck's house, both duck and his cohort ran across the street--dodging traffic--and started to come after me. I know many of you might have this image of a duck waddling up to us simply trying to make a gesture of friendship. This image is quite wrong my friend. The duck RUNS and is flapping it's wings in an angry gesture.
The ducks approach me, running and flapping their wings, and are about a foot from the stroller. I calmly attempt to scare them off in a way that does not panic Isaac nor make him fear birds for the rest of his life. The ducks are not intimidated by this tactic and are at my feet. So I kicked one. Not a hard kick...more of a nudge with my New Balances. I also made sure that Isaac couldn't see what I was doing because the last thing I want our toddler to learn is cruelty to animals. My nudge sent the duck rolling backwards, feet over his head, and knocked him into the other duck. Think that stopped him? Nope. He got up and started running after us again. Fortunately we were able to break ahead in the time it took for him to get up and "escape."
I called animal control again as soon as we got home. This time someone answered, who knew exactly what house and what duck I was speaking of. Apparently animal control has visited the duck's owners already on a few occasions. The man promised to take action against the duck. Tobe is stopping by animal control after work to have a one-on-one talk with animal control to make sure the duck's reign of terror comes to an end soon.
I'll let you know what happens. Until then, if you happen to live near casa de phillips and see us out walking...don't be shocked to see me armed with a tennis racket and perhaps a nerf gun.
Goal!
In the early morning hours of Evelyn’s first week of life, I set a goal for myself. I decided that if I could hang on and survive the ride of mothering two babies until Evelyn turned three months old, then I would be okay. I figured by three months of age sleeping and eating patterns would be established, schedules would be almost kink-free, and the fog of parenting a newborn might have lifted. This goal was my little secret…my glimmer of hope as I attempted to make our family of four function.
Saturday marked that three month goal and I am happy to report that I am still in this game called mommyhood. In fact, Evelyn’s first three months have been much smoother than Isaac’s were. She has been smiling since day one (seriously, she came out looking quite pleasant), rarely cries, eats well, laughs when you put her legs on her tummy, and simply enjoys just hanging out. Her hands are constantly grabbing at whatever they can find so she can immediately place such object in her mouth. Her legs with their rolls of chub are always kicking in excitement. Her eyes—still blue—are always twinkling with happiness, especially when I place a big, beautiful bow on top of her head. These three months have passed quickly…and not in the way time does when one has a newborn and days and nights meld together in a sleep-deprived haze…and have been filled with love, laughter, exhaustion, frustration, contemplation, and joy.
This mommy of two thing isn’t as bad as I once thought it might be. This morning as I listened to both my children giggle uncontrollably as I made a funny noise, I knew that life at casa de Phillips is pretty darn great.
Saturday marked that three month goal and I am happy to report that I am still in this game called mommyhood. In fact, Evelyn’s first three months have been much smoother than Isaac’s were. She has been smiling since day one (seriously, she came out looking quite pleasant), rarely cries, eats well, laughs when you put her legs on her tummy, and simply enjoys just hanging out. Her hands are constantly grabbing at whatever they can find so she can immediately place such object in her mouth. Her legs with their rolls of chub are always kicking in excitement. Her eyes—still blue—are always twinkling with happiness, especially when I place a big, beautiful bow on top of her head. These three months have passed quickly…and not in the way time does when one has a newborn and days and nights meld together in a sleep-deprived haze…and have been filled with love, laughter, exhaustion, frustration, contemplation, and joy.
This mommy of two thing isn’t as bad as I once thought it might be. This morning as I listened to both my children giggle uncontrollably as I made a funny noise, I knew that life at casa de Phillips is pretty darn great.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Old Lady Phillips
So I might not be old, nor have a front porch to sit on and yell at the neighbors on a daily basis....however I have succumbed to taking action against the duck. After the duck---and it's new cohort---braved traffic yet again to cross a busy street simply to chase me, I called animal control on it's little duck bootie. Some people have told me the duck might have a nest it is guarding or perhaps it is protecting the residents of the house....whatever. I live in the city, not the country, my friends. This duck is going to have to learn to abide by city rules, one being that it cannot chase poor innocent mothers and their children.
I called animal control and left a very detailed message of my duck drama and am hoping for a return call soon. By the way, I managed to take a picture of the duck and his partner chasing us this morning but have yet to download it from my camera. Hopefully it won't be too blurred as I was running and pushing the world's largest double stroller as I attempted to photo these two wild birds in attack mode. Check back later for the picture!
I called animal control and left a very detailed message of my duck drama and am hoping for a return call soon. By the way, I managed to take a picture of the duck and his partner chasing us this morning but have yet to download it from my camera. Hopefully it won't be too blurred as I was running and pushing the world's largest double stroller as I attempted to photo these two wild birds in attack mode. Check back later for the picture!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
A Day on the Farm
Saturday was filled with lots of down on the farm fun as we celebrated Isaac's second birthday with a tractor party. Hoping to make this experience fun and void of stress, we chose to hold the party at our local community center (thus avoiding the space issues we have at casa de phillips) and to invite only family and two friends of Isaac's. Tobe and I are quite happy with how the party went and Isaac had a great time.
Favorite Activity at the Party---Chasing each other around a table
Isaac's "Happy Day" has officially come to an end....now we must find the space to store all the new toys.
Family Portrait in our John Deere shirts
Favorite Activity at the Party---Chasing each other around a table(Notice Morgan's adorable John Deere dress)
Isaac sat happily and ate his cake while the other kids played. We had to bribe him with the chance to finish his cake at a later time so he would stop eating and open presents
The party happened to coincide with Evelyn's morning nap time....poor second child was drug out and forced to sleep in various people's arms. She doesn't look terribly thrilled in any of the pictures.
After Christmas this year when we realized that Tobe was in NONE of the pictures, I made sure to get a few shots of him at the party. I love this picture of him and Isaac.
Finally....the Tractor cake.
This took quite the time to create, but Isaac loved it which made the hard work worthwhile. The stones on the sides are actually chocolate candy made to look like pebbles. It broke my heart a little bit to cut into this cake, but it would have been a bit silly to have a cake which no one is allowed to eat (don't think I didn't contemplate that for a second though)
Isaac's "Happy Day" has officially come to an end....now we must find the space to store all the new toys.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Happy Day!
This morning at 6am we heard a little voice singing, "Happy Day...Happy Day." Yes, today is Isaac's birthday. We have been practicing for a few days what it means to have a birthday and the festivities that go along with such an occasion. Apparently these lessons were well heard because Isaac told everyone he came into contact with today that it was his "happy day."
Evelyn is quite excited about Isaac's birthday as well because special occasions call for hair bows!
Mommy and Isaac at his birthday lunch
Isaac and his PopPop watching the "Rhino Movie"
This morning Tobe and I entered Isaac's room with a donut hole with a candle. That boy loves donut holes, as you can see in the following pictures:
Evelyn is quite excited about Isaac's birthday as well because special occasions call for hair bows!
Mommy and Isaac at his birthday lunch
Isaac and his PopPop watching the "Rhino Movie"
I write a letter to each of the children on their birthday....here is Isaac's two year letter.
Who Said Two was so Terrible?
Here it is….the so-called terrible twos. Although it hasn’t been quite so terrible yet. I thought you changed a lot between those initial seconds of life and 1 year, yet as I reflect back on these past twelve months I think you have changed the most in your second year of life.
This was the year you learned to walk, learned to talk, developed a love for “fresh” apple juice, welcomed a baby sister, and really grew into your personality. Those big blues eyes and that smile as wide as the Grand Canyon manage to melt my heart every single morning when I enter your room to scoop you from your crib. These days you like for me to place your green basket of books into bed and let you peruse the selection for a while before getting up for the day. Your favorite things to watch on television are Little Einstein’s, Curious George, and Wonder Pets. Any book is enjoyed by you, however you especially like Moon Plane, How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?, Bounce, and Berenstein Bears Go on Vacation….you can recite these books almost word for word. Toys that receive the most attention from you include your massive amount of Little People, your tool box, and Lego’s. A day does not go by where you don’t stand at the coffee table and work your numerous puzzles (which you call “puz”). Currently you are able to do 48 piece jigsaw puzzles with no assistance. Favorite foods include turkey hot dogs, honey crackers (Graham crackers), the beloved corn, and donut holes (a rare treat). Every night you crawl into bed with Raffes, Lil InkInk, Big InkInk, Ike the Dog, and Green blankie. You flash us one final sleepy grin for the day before saying “luv lu” and rolling over to go to sleep.
As we have come to know these preferences, we have come to know our sweet Isaac better. Gone is our little baby Isaac Michael. He has been replaced by a running, giggling little boy with long legs and bleach blond hair. We are amazed by your intelligence, impressed with your memory, inspired by your curiosity, and proud of your tender heart. Daddy and I often lay in bed at night giggling over the cute things you have said or the sweet antics you have performed that day.
So we say good-bye to another year –with a certain amount of disbelief that 24 months have passed so quickly and with a strong desire to see what the next year holds for you. Keep that head high, Tiny Tiger, and those eyes filled with wonder because I know there is a world just waiting for you to discover all it holds.
Love,
Mommy
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Brother + Sister = Love (Some days...) *UPDATED
We found out that Evelyn was a girl right before Christmas 2006. Already having a sweet little boy, we were quite thrilled to add a dainty girl to our little family. The day of that gender-telling ultrasound I immediately ran out and purchased these t-shirts:
Some days, Big Brother hearts lil sis....except for when she has to be fed or rocked during prime play time. He often asks if she is sleeping or many times suggests that perhaps Baby Evelyn should take a nap. Yet, Isaac greets her with a "Good Morning Baby Evelyn" at the beginning of each day and wants to kiss her head before bedtime at the close of our evening. Lil' Sis hearts Big Brother...except for when he takes her rattle or when he energetically swings the toys that hang from the toy bar on her bouncy seat. She smiles biggest for him and follows him with her eyes as he darts around the living room. Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
UPDATE: Okay, so perhaps Big Brother doesn't heart Lil Sister as much as we thought. Earlier today, Isaac noticed a bib of Evelyn's lying on the floor. Being one that cannot stand things out of place (wonder where he gets that), he said, "Oh No, Mommy, baby's bib." I asked him to pick it up and place it where it belongs, to which he replied "Sures." I thought nothing more of the incident until I found the bib in the trash later this afternoon. Hmmm. Tonight as I was washing Evelyn's bottles, I was one bottle short. I asked Tobe if he had seen the stray bottle. He said that Isaac had taken it to the kitchen for him earlier in the evening and made it "crash" (Isaac will take anything to the sink, as long as he gets to make a crash sound effect. Whatever works, my friend.). There was no bottle in the sink. I looked all around the kitchen until I thought of one final place to search.....the trash can. Buried beneath the piles of junk mail and coffee grinds I found the missing bottle. Hmmmm.
Some days, Big Brother hearts lil sis....except for when she has to be fed or rocked during prime play time. He often asks if she is sleeping or many times suggests that perhaps Baby Evelyn should take a nap. Yet, Isaac greets her with a "Good Morning Baby Evelyn" at the beginning of each day and wants to kiss her head before bedtime at the close of our evening. Lil' Sis hearts Big Brother...except for when he takes her rattle or when he energetically swings the toys that hang from the toy bar on her bouncy seat. She smiles biggest for him and follows him with her eyes as he darts around the living room. Hopefully this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...
UPDATE: Okay, so perhaps Big Brother doesn't heart Lil Sister as much as we thought. Earlier today, Isaac noticed a bib of Evelyn's lying on the floor. Being one that cannot stand things out of place (wonder where he gets that), he said, "Oh No, Mommy, baby's bib." I asked him to pick it up and place it where it belongs, to which he replied "Sures." I thought nothing more of the incident until I found the bib in the trash later this afternoon. Hmmm. Tonight as I was washing Evelyn's bottles, I was one bottle short. I asked Tobe if he had seen the stray bottle. He said that Isaac had taken it to the kitchen for him earlier in the evening and made it "crash" (Isaac will take anything to the sink, as long as he gets to make a crash sound effect. Whatever works, my friend.). There was no bottle in the sink. I looked all around the kitchen until I thought of one final place to search.....the trash can. Buried beneath the piles of junk mail and coffee grinds I found the missing bottle. Hmmmm.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Life at Casa de Phillips
As always, casa de phillips is bursting with activity. Here are some highlights and interesting tidbits from our little family of four:
Evelyn is sleeping through the night almost every night....well, perhaps I should say that Evelyn WAS sleeping through the night almost every night until I removed the bumper on her crib. Many "child experts" say technically you should not put a bumper on a child's bed because it could pose a suffocation hazard. I never worried about this with Isaac because he was swaddled (this rendered him immobile) until about five months old when he slept. I figured by five months he was able to move around enough, thus preventing suffocation. Evelyn is swaddled as well, however that girl has the ability to move all over her bed when she sleeps. Yesterday I found her during two different naps with her little face right up against the bumper while she was sleeping. Her bumper--although adorable--is quite thick and I fear she will get her face caught in it so I sadly took it off yesterday. Her pretty pink and green bumper now resides under her bed. During the middle of the night when she woke up twice I came to the conclusion that she must have liked sleeping with her face close to the bumper. Both times she woke up her little head was pressed against the hard slats of her crib...and she was none too thrilled about it.
Evelyn is sleeping through the night almost every night....well, perhaps I should say that Evelyn WAS sleeping through the night almost every night until I removed the bumper on her crib. Many "child experts" say technically you should not put a bumper on a child's bed because it could pose a suffocation hazard. I never worried about this with Isaac because he was swaddled (this rendered him immobile) until about five months old when he slept. I figured by five months he was able to move around enough, thus preventing suffocation. Evelyn is swaddled as well, however that girl has the ability to move all over her bed when she sleeps. Yesterday I found her during two different naps with her little face right up against the bumper while she was sleeping. Her bumper--although adorable--is quite thick and I fear she will get her face caught in it so I sadly took it off yesterday. Her pretty pink and green bumper now resides under her bed. During the middle of the night when she woke up twice I came to the conclusion that she must have liked sleeping with her face close to the bumper. Both times she woke up her little head was pressed against the hard slats of her crib...and she was none too thrilled about it.
*****
I have come to the conclusion that Isaac is the slowest eater in the history of toddlers. He friend "Mornin" (Morgan) came to play on Tuesday. Alison and I let the kids make their own pizza and bake them for lunch. Morgan ate her lunch in about ten minutes. Isaac was still munching away at his meal 30 minutes later. At dinner, he usually starts eating his meal before Tobe and I sit down at the table and is still eating while we are cleaning up the kitchen. I fear he is going to be the lone child sitting in the school cafeteria, happily munching away on his lunch, while all of his friends are playing outside.
***
Saturday morning we all went on a walk and braved trekking down the sidewalk that runs in front of the duck's house. Tobe promised that he would scare the duck away should it come near us. It did chase us and Tobe did have to scare it off. On the way back to our house, we stayed on the opposite sidewalk across the street in order to avoid another confrontation with the duck. Despite the fact that the street separating the two sidewalks is quite the busy thoroughfare, the duck crossed the street--dodging cars--and tried to chase us again. I do not know why the duck has a vendetta against our family but I am tempted to call animal control. Can you even own a duck in the city limits? Don't we have leash laws?
***
Tobe witnessed a small drug bust on Wednesday evening....as he was taking out our trash. Yes, the upstanding teenager who lives across the street from us was arrested for drugs. We had been suspicious of the fact that a single man owns the home yet teenagers and young adults come and go at all hours of the day. Hopefully this little operation has been shut down. Just in case you are wondering: no, we do not live in the ghetto or in a questionable neighborhood. We live in normal, middle class suburbia where most people in our neighborhood are either young families or retired. However, whenever we sell this house we will not be mentioning this tiny little detail of potential drug dealing on the "Take One" flyer.
***
Speaking of our house, we moved in five years ago yesterday. Being the well-educated people that Tobe and I are, we chose the hottest day of the year in 2002 to move. Nice.
***
Wednesday, Evelyn was lying on her changing table after I finished changing her diaper, happily holding a toy rattle. Isaac walked up and began to remove the rattle from her hand before I reprimanded him. However, there really wasn't a need for me to tell him "No" because the moment he attempted to take the rattle from Evelyn, she let out the biggest wail. I didn't think the whole sibling fighting thing would start quite so early....
***
Isaac woke up early Thursday morning with a fever and has been battling a temperature on and off since then. He acts happy as can be, until the "feber" (fever) returns and then he just gets still. He has been fever-free all morning until noontime today. I had left the kitchen while he was eating lunch to use the restroom and when I returned I found him with his little head lying on the table. We cleaned up lunch and then I put him down for his nap on his big boy bed with an Elmo washcloth on his forehead and a sippy cup of apple juice in his hand (normally he naps in his crib and we never allow him to take drinks to bed...but everyone deserves a little special treatment when they are sick).
Have a great weekend!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Because it is Monday...
..here are some latest pictures to brighten your week (assuming that pictures of other people's children brighten your week)
I caved and purchased some bows for Evelyn. I just thought she might look even sweeter with a gigantic bow perched atop her head. This one is a bit too big for now, but I love the expression on her face in this shot. Perhaps she is trying to figure out how to keep her head up with such a large piece of fabric attached to it?
I did take the two month "block picture"....just a few days late
Our almost two year old!
His new favorite place to sit and read is the rocking chair in Evelyn's room. You might wonder what book he is reading....it is the Parent's Play Guide by Baby Einstein. For some reason it is one of his favorites!
Isaac's vocabulary has exploded in the past month and I haven't really posted much about the hilarious phrases he uses. He has gone from 2-3 word sentences to 5-7 word sentences in a short time. Here are some funny things he has said lately:
I did take the two month "block picture"....just a few days late
Our almost two year old!
His new favorite place to sit and read is the rocking chair in Evelyn's room. You might wonder what book he is reading....it is the Parent's Play Guide by Baby Einstein. For some reason it is one of his favorites!
Isaac's vocabulary has exploded in the past month and I haven't really posted much about the hilarious phrases he uses. He has gone from 2-3 word sentences to 5-7 word sentences in a short time. Here are some funny things he has said lately:
*"Mommy, email Al-son." (wanting me to email Alison so Morgan can come play)
*"I-ick hook clip. Mommy close door." (He knows how to hook his car seat clip, but likes to do so in the privacy of the backseat. I put him in the seat, stick his arms through the straps, then close the door....he hooks everything by himself. However, I still have to make sure the straps are tight and secure. This has been a lifesaver during all our rainy days.)
*"Happy Day...Happy Day" (He came through the kitchen singing this on Saturday. I asked him if he was singing the "Happy Birthday Song" to which he replied, "Yes." Guess he is gearing up for his party.)
*"Lets Go! Let's Go! Let's Go!" (said as he runs through the house)
* "Mommy find sailboat, train, airplane" (We live in a little boy's paradise. There is a lake, train depot, airport, and numerous construction sites five minutes from our house. Last week we went on an impromptu sailboat hunting expedition that involved driving around "Road Closed" barricades and attempting to sneak down to temporarily shut down boat ramps. Risking possible arrest was worth showing Isaac a real sailboat.)
*"Mommy, I-ick watch horse movie at I-ick's house" (Isaac has recently become obsessed with three Baby Einstein videos and talks about them CONSTANTLY! Seriously, come over to casa de phillips and you will hear the phrases "horse movie, cow movie, and elephant movie" about 50 times in five minutes. Julie Aigner-Clark is starting to become our worst enemy.)
I know I have not mentioned much about my Weight Watchers progress. I have been doing the program for seven weeks now and hit my pre-Evelyn pregnancy weight this morning! Yeah! Tobe bought me some new clothes at Banana Republic this weekend as a reward for working so hard at getting this baby weight off. That being said, I still have some pounds to lose to get to my pre-Isaac pregnancy weight, which is my end goal.
Happy Monday!
Thursday, July 19, 2007
This Child....
....slept from 8:00pm until 5:30am last night (which means that I slept from 10pm until 5:30am, which is a full nights sleep for me!). WOW! After all that rest, she must have been full of energy because today she rolled from back to tummy. Baby Olympics, here we come!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Flying the Friendly Skies...
We arrived back at casa de phillips on Sunday after a quick trip to Arkansas for a surprise birthday party for my grandfather. As always, we had an excellent time and I was able to see cousins who I haven't talked with in years. Evelyn was the perfect traveler and did not really seem to notice that we were somewhere else. Isaac did fine, but had some issues with being over-stimulated by all the people, toys, and changes. I am hoping he will back to normal today.
Many of you wondered about our aviation experiences, hoping for a funny story here or a cute tale there. I did make it to Arkansas with both children, two suitcases, two car seats, two carry-ons,the world's largest double stroller, and there was no need to take two muscle relaxers. Here are some tidbits from our flying experience:
*The night before we left Tobe and I had a 45 minute discussion on how exactly we were going to get everything from the car into the airport with just two adults. We figured out a system that made us look like Sherpas loaded down for a trek up Everest.
*Two days before we flew, I called the airline and secured a pass for Tobe to escort the children and me to the gate. This required proving that my husband was in no way involved in terrorist activity or has any desire to become a terrorist in the near future. The morning we checked in at the ticket counter, the employee helping us began talking in low, hushed tones to her coworker next to her. We were then questioned as to how we got the pass for Tobe to go through security and then proceeded to tell us we were breaking the law. I explained how I was traveling alone with two children under two and that her airline had granted my husband permission to escort me to the gate. She said she would allow it this time (Gracious, huh? Considering if she had not allowed it I would have immediately asked for her supervisor.) but then made the comment, "You take them to the grocery store by yourself, don't you?" We chose to smile and let this comment pass. However I wanted to tell her that although I do take my children many places by myself, the grocery store is not one of them. Once you put your toddler in the front of the cart and the baby carrier in the buggy, you have no room for the food.
*At security I was holding Evelyn trying to get our things as they came off the conveyor belt. The world's largest double stroller came shooting out of the x-ray machine and bonked her in the head. Nice.
*Tobe escorted me to the gate and was able to walk Isaac around before we boarded the plane. A nice airline employee carried the car seat onto the plane for me and a flight attendant held my bags for 0.7 seconds while I attempted to get Isaac into our aisle. The ever-friendly flight attendant shoved my bags at me and said, "Let me know if you need any help." before running off down the aisle away from us. I was then faced with the task of hooking the airplane seat belt through the car seat while preventing Isaac from roaming the aisles. Evelyn was attached to me in her sling during this process, which prevents me from bending over thus making the easy task of hooking a seat belt quite difficult. On airplanes, car seats must be placed next to the window (so luggage cannot fall on your child from overhead bins and kill them) which meant that it was almost impossible to buckle the seat belt due to the odd angle. I finally got it, plopped Isaac in the seat, and we sailed into the sky. The actual flight was uneventful...Evelyn slept in her sling, Isaac colored and read books, and I developed a strategy for exiting the plane upon arrival.
*Upon landing in Arkansas, we waited to deplane until most of the passengers exited the aircraft. I then had to lug the carseat, Isaac, two carry-ons, and Evelyn (still in her sling and thankfully still asleep) off the plane. Men: When you see a lady struggling with massive amounts of junk and traveling alone with children, offer her a hand. I have had complete strangers offer assistance in the past when traveling alone, but apparently no one seemed to notice my situation this time (or perhaps they thought I was a hired Sherpa and simply figured I was doing my job...)
*Tobe arrived in Arkansas on Thursday so we were able to fly back together as a family on Sunday. The TSA agents at the Little Rock airport are never in a hurry and security is always backed up, regardless of time of day. The one man checking boarding passes at the entrance to the security checkpoint felt the need to read each boarding card front and back. He was seriously taking about 45 seconds for each passenger before waving them through to security. Apparently TSA had also assigned three men to stand and converse about their weekend rather than actually work. Nice. Upon finally arriving at security, we were now faced with the fact that we might not make it for preboarding (VERY important when traveling with small children). Although the world's largest double stroller had fit through the x-ray machine before, the TSA agent did not think it would fit this time and called for a hand-check of the stroller. Ten minutes later we were still waiting for a hand check, when another agent folded the stroller up (in an incorrect fashion) and shoved it through the machine. Fortunately no explosive devices were found in the stroller and we were allowed to continue on to the gate, barely making it in time for preboard.
*Once the four of us were settled onto the plane (Isaac in his carseat by the window, Tobe in the middle, and me on the end with Evelyn in her sling) the flight attendant came over and told me I was not allowed to wear Evelyn during take-off and landing. Tobe and I questioned her, considering I had done it a few times when Isaac was a baby and had also placed Evelyn in the sling on Wednesday when we flew. The flight attendant said it was FAA policy and her reasoning was that if something happened during take-off or landing and I was killed (Nothing perks up a family trip like speaking of potential death) they would be unable to easily remove the baby from my body. Um, if something happens during take-off or landing that kills me and I am holding the baby, I don't think that sounds like the safest situation either. After "discussing" the situation with the flight attendant for a bit, we complied in fear of being banned from flying the friendly skies in the future.
*As we approached our fair city, we noticed that the airplane seemed to be much too high to land. Seems that the control tower never sent our plane landing coordinates which made us miss the airport. We spent several minutes circling our city and surrounding areas before being able to land safely.
*My favorite (note the sarcasm) part about our entire experience flying the friendly skies with two small children was that not one airline employee checked either child's identification. Children are allowed to fly with either birth certificates or shot records to prove who they are and how old they are. No one asked us to see any form of paperwork proving who these children were and if we even had a connection to them. Granted Isaac would not have been gleefully traveling along with kidnappers, but we were flying with an infant who had no way of letting others know if she was being carted around by black market baby sellers. Shoe bombers, terrorists in rural Arkansas, and deadly 4oz bottles of liquids don't scare me......the ability for people to fly with young children without having to show any paperwork frightens me silly.
Many of you wondered about our aviation experiences, hoping for a funny story here or a cute tale there. I did make it to Arkansas with both children, two suitcases, two car seats, two carry-ons,the world's largest double stroller, and there was no need to take two muscle relaxers. Here are some tidbits from our flying experience:
*The night before we left Tobe and I had a 45 minute discussion on how exactly we were going to get everything from the car into the airport with just two adults. We figured out a system that made us look like Sherpas loaded down for a trek up Everest.
*Two days before we flew, I called the airline and secured a pass for Tobe to escort the children and me to the gate. This required proving that my husband was in no way involved in terrorist activity or has any desire to become a terrorist in the near future. The morning we checked in at the ticket counter, the employee helping us began talking in low, hushed tones to her coworker next to her. We were then questioned as to how we got the pass for Tobe to go through security and then proceeded to tell us we were breaking the law. I explained how I was traveling alone with two children under two and that her airline had granted my husband permission to escort me to the gate. She said she would allow it this time (Gracious, huh? Considering if she had not allowed it I would have immediately asked for her supervisor.) but then made the comment, "You take them to the grocery store by yourself, don't you?" We chose to smile and let this comment pass. However I wanted to tell her that although I do take my children many places by myself, the grocery store is not one of them. Once you put your toddler in the front of the cart and the baby carrier in the buggy, you have no room for the food.
*At security I was holding Evelyn trying to get our things as they came off the conveyor belt. The world's largest double stroller came shooting out of the x-ray machine and bonked her in the head. Nice.
*Tobe escorted me to the gate and was able to walk Isaac around before we boarded the plane. A nice airline employee carried the car seat onto the plane for me and a flight attendant held my bags for 0.7 seconds while I attempted to get Isaac into our aisle. The ever-friendly flight attendant shoved my bags at me and said, "Let me know if you need any help." before running off down the aisle away from us. I was then faced with the task of hooking the airplane seat belt through the car seat while preventing Isaac from roaming the aisles. Evelyn was attached to me in her sling during this process, which prevents me from bending over thus making the easy task of hooking a seat belt quite difficult. On airplanes, car seats must be placed next to the window (so luggage cannot fall on your child from overhead bins and kill them) which meant that it was almost impossible to buckle the seat belt due to the odd angle. I finally got it, plopped Isaac in the seat, and we sailed into the sky. The actual flight was uneventful...Evelyn slept in her sling, Isaac colored and read books, and I developed a strategy for exiting the plane upon arrival.
*Upon landing in Arkansas, we waited to deplane until most of the passengers exited the aircraft. I then had to lug the carseat, Isaac, two carry-ons, and Evelyn (still in her sling and thankfully still asleep) off the plane. Men: When you see a lady struggling with massive amounts of junk and traveling alone with children, offer her a hand. I have had complete strangers offer assistance in the past when traveling alone, but apparently no one seemed to notice my situation this time (or perhaps they thought I was a hired Sherpa and simply figured I was doing my job...)
*Tobe arrived in Arkansas on Thursday so we were able to fly back together as a family on Sunday. The TSA agents at the Little Rock airport are never in a hurry and security is always backed up, regardless of time of day. The one man checking boarding passes at the entrance to the security checkpoint felt the need to read each boarding card front and back. He was seriously taking about 45 seconds for each passenger before waving them through to security. Apparently TSA had also assigned three men to stand and converse about their weekend rather than actually work. Nice. Upon finally arriving at security, we were now faced with the fact that we might not make it for preboarding (VERY important when traveling with small children). Although the world's largest double stroller had fit through the x-ray machine before, the TSA agent did not think it would fit this time and called for a hand-check of the stroller. Ten minutes later we were still waiting for a hand check, when another agent folded the stroller up (in an incorrect fashion) and shoved it through the machine. Fortunately no explosive devices were found in the stroller and we were allowed to continue on to the gate, barely making it in time for preboard.
*Once the four of us were settled onto the plane (Isaac in his carseat by the window, Tobe in the middle, and me on the end with Evelyn in her sling) the flight attendant came over and told me I was not allowed to wear Evelyn during take-off and landing. Tobe and I questioned her, considering I had done it a few times when Isaac was a baby and had also placed Evelyn in the sling on Wednesday when we flew. The flight attendant said it was FAA policy and her reasoning was that if something happened during take-off or landing and I was killed (Nothing perks up a family trip like speaking of potential death) they would be unable to easily remove the baby from my body. Um, if something happens during take-off or landing that kills me and I am holding the baby, I don't think that sounds like the safest situation either. After "discussing" the situation with the flight attendant for a bit, we complied in fear of being banned from flying the friendly skies in the future.
*As we approached our fair city, we noticed that the airplane seemed to be much too high to land. Seems that the control tower never sent our plane landing coordinates which made us miss the airport. We spent several minutes circling our city and surrounding areas before being able to land safely.
*My favorite (note the sarcasm) part about our entire experience flying the friendly skies with two small children was that not one airline employee checked either child's identification. Children are allowed to fly with either birth certificates or shot records to prove who they are and how old they are. No one asked us to see any form of paperwork proving who these children were and if we even had a connection to them. Granted Isaac would not have been gleefully traveling along with kidnappers, but we were flying with an infant who had no way of letting others know if she was being carted around by black market baby sellers. Shoe bombers, terrorists in rural Arkansas, and deadly 4oz bottles of liquids don't scare me......the ability for people to fly with young children without having to show any paperwork frightens me silly.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
In Case You Were Wondering...
...I am still here and have not been abducted by the duck. (I have avoided such areas on walks though).
In the morning we are heading out to Arkansas to visit the family. Here are the things Isaac told me at breakfast he was taking to Nanny and PopPop's house:
1. Baby Evelyn
2. Raffes (his giraffe blanket)
3.InkInk
4.Ike (stuffed dog...who actually is staying behind due to size)
4. Blankies (all four)
5.Fresh Apple Juice (he has gone from calling all juice "Green Apple Juice" to "Fresh Apple Juice")
6.Toast
7.Horse Movie
8. Cow Movie
Sounds like a great packing list to me! Tomorrow I am flying alone with the world's largest double stroller, two children under two, two carseats, two diaper bags, two suitcases...and two Xanax.
Fortunately I was able to convince the nice people at Southwest that my husband is not a terrorist and have secured him a pass to escort us to the gate.
In my absence, enjoy some latest pictures from life at casa de phillips:
Cartoons are best enjoyed wearing PJ's and a bucket hat.
Two Months Old!
Two Months Old!(oops...I already forgot to take her monthly block picture)
A few from our professional photo shoot which turned out okay
A few from our professional photo shoot which turned out okay
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Just Ducky
Okay, here's a little secret....I am not a big animal person. By this I do not mean that I hate animals or do not appreciate them, rather that I am not the type to tear up over a "Missing Cat" poster or feel the need to stop at a Pet Adoption Fair. Animals are great and all....I am just not that into them.
However, Isaac loves animals. He gets giddy over chasing black birds at the park. We have yet to take him to the zoo (I know, we are horrible parents. But we seriously don't live terribly close to the zoo and I have issues with caging wild animals...I will save that soapbox for another post.) where I fear he might pass out from excitement over spotting real, live animals.
This morning as we were trucking along on our daily walk, we came upon a house that has a very small duck pond. By very small, I mean the size of a baby pool. There were three ducks mingling in the yard and I pointed them out to Isaac. He became ecstatic and started yelling, "Hi Duck!" One of the ducks waddles over to us (we had stopped at this point so Isaac could view the animals) in what appeared to be a friendly manner. We greeted the duck and started making our way down the sidewalk again.
It was then that I heard the sound of webbed feet on the pavement behind us and turned to notice the duck chasing us at quite the rapid pace and was almost at my heels. Seriously. I did not know ducks could move so rapidly, nor their bills look quite fierce. The image some people saw on their commute this morning was of me, running from a duck while pushing the world's most massive double stroller while attempting to pull the shade of the stroller over Evelyn to protect her and grab the bag of dry cereal from Isaac's hands to throw at the duck as a weapon. Fortunately, I was able to outrun the duck. However, we will not be taking the sidewalk tomorrow.
Right before Easter I bought Isaac and Evelyn coordinating Fourth of July outfits. I have been dying for Independence Day to arrive so they could look quite cute in their brother/sister ensemble. Apparently no one told Isaac how important such an event was to me and he was not the happy participant in the photo shoot I had planned.
However, Isaac loves animals. He gets giddy over chasing black birds at the park. We have yet to take him to the zoo (I know, we are horrible parents. But we seriously don't live terribly close to the zoo and I have issues with caging wild animals...I will save that soapbox for another post.) where I fear he might pass out from excitement over spotting real, live animals.
This morning as we were trucking along on our daily walk, we came upon a house that has a very small duck pond. By very small, I mean the size of a baby pool. There were three ducks mingling in the yard and I pointed them out to Isaac. He became ecstatic and started yelling, "Hi Duck!" One of the ducks waddles over to us (we had stopped at this point so Isaac could view the animals) in what appeared to be a friendly manner. We greeted the duck and started making our way down the sidewalk again.
It was then that I heard the sound of webbed feet on the pavement behind us and turned to notice the duck chasing us at quite the rapid pace and was almost at my heels. Seriously. I did not know ducks could move so rapidly, nor their bills look quite fierce. The image some people saw on their commute this morning was of me, running from a duck while pushing the world's most massive double stroller while attempting to pull the shade of the stroller over Evelyn to protect her and grab the bag of dry cereal from Isaac's hands to throw at the duck as a weapon. Fortunately, I was able to outrun the duck. However, we will not be taking the sidewalk tomorrow.
***
Right before Easter I bought Isaac and Evelyn coordinating Fourth of July outfits. I have been dying for Independence Day to arrive so they could look quite cute in their brother/sister ensemble. Apparently no one told Isaac how important such an event was to me and he was not the happy participant in the photo shoot I had planned.
We bribed him with a trip outside if he would simply act interested in Evelyn....this lasted 3.4 seconds.
Getting your picture taken is exhausting
We realized yesterday that we do not have a single picture of the four of us together yet. I now Know why. Getting these pictures taken was quite the experience because Isaac wanted no part of being in our family portrait. We are having professional pictures taken on Saturday and have very low expectations for this experience.
This is the famous "InkInk" who somehow ended up in the pictures
Tuesday morning Isaac and I baked Tobe's birthday cake. Isaac had a great time helping in this endeavor and made his own small cake in a cupcake holder. The plan was for him to decorate his small cake after his nap that day---but before I knew it he was eating the cake. We think this is the first time the child has eaten cake (he would not eat it at his one year birthday party) and he loved the fruit of his labors!
I am off to hang out with the husband before bedtime....where I hopefully won't have nightmares about rapid ducks chasing me.
Getting your picture taken is exhaustingWe realized yesterday that we do not have a single picture of the four of us together yet. I now Know why. Getting these pictures taken was quite the experience because Isaac wanted no part of being in our family portrait. We are having professional pictures taken on Saturday and have very low expectations for this experience.
This is the famous "InkInk" who somehow ended up in the pictures
Tuesday morning Isaac and I baked Tobe's birthday cake. Isaac had a great time helping in this endeavor and made his own small cake in a cupcake holder. The plan was for him to decorate his small cake after his nap that day---but before I knew it he was eating the cake. We think this is the first time the child has eaten cake (he would not eat it at his one year birthday party) and he loved the fruit of his labors!
I am off to hang out with the husband before bedtime....where I hopefully won't have nightmares about rapid ducks chasing me.
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