&#^$% Happens

Let me begin with an apology for the following post. Those of you with week stomachs should probably stop reading. I just wanted to share he highlights of my day today. Those of you beyond the days of little ones underfoot can read and remember your own 'special' stories. Those of you still with little ones in your houses can go ahead and laugh because it wasn't you. No really, go ahead. Both my mom and Christopher giggled uncontrollably as I relayed the story to them. So what is this all about? Well, let me tell you. It all started after breakfast this morning. Abby was dressed, ready for the day, and playing nicely in her front room while I was upstairs helping the boys. I came down and noticed a strange odor but didn't think too much about it as we do have a diaper-changing area in the front room and sometimes it gets fragrant. However, I did start to wonder a little when I came in to the front room and saw that Abby had managed to get all the diaper changing supplies off the table. She had done this with wipes before (any idea what a mess a full package of wipes can make when strewn across a play room??) and they are now kept out of her room. Unfortunately, I didn't remove everything. Until yesterday... So, she got down the little disposal bags that e keep the dirties in. But she didn't stop there... She managed to open the bag with the dirties in it. (She didn't untie it, she just tore right through the side.) Oh, but she didn't start there... She managed to get INTO one of the dirties. And, boy, did she delight in making a mess with that. Now, I wasn't gone for 30 minutes. She was able to do this in under 5 minutes. Crafty little girl... So, we wiped, we sterilized, we scraped fingernails, we did everything short of bathing in Clorox. I was feeling confident that my day would only get better, and for the most part it did. Until nap time. This time around I was with Abby while the boys were playing in the front room. (Maybe the problem is in the front room. Hmmm...) Getting her ready for her nap and Benjamin comes up to the bathroom right next door. He said he had poop and pee but was going to put it in the toilet. No matter how many times I asked him what was going on and that he please wait for me to help him, he just kept chugging right along with his plan. When I finally got Abby dressed and in to the bathroom, Benj was rinsing his undies in the sink. "They got a little wet in the toilet, Mom." Turns out the mess he was bringing in to the bathroom was already in his pants. Well, except for what he left in the front room AND except for what was all over his legs and socks. So, off for clean-up #2. Now, don't worry. I was indeed thankful that this happened at home and not at school. Or in the car. And how cute was that that he was willing to clean it all up himself. So thoughtful, that Benjamin. Thankfully, the rest of our day was MESS FREE. And, in the words of my always-sympathetic husband, "Well, at least you are getting it all out of the way in one day, right?" Now is that a glass half-full or what??? So, here's hoping your day was much, MUCH cleaner than mine.

Who's Sleeping in There?

Well, if you are asking about our boys' room, the answer is simple. No one. No one is sleeping. Unless it is close to 11:00PM. See, as exciting as potty training is, we decided to move Benjamin into a big boy bed this week also. (Oh, and did we mention we also took away Abby's pacifiers this week? Nothing like doing it ALL at once, right?) Now, Benjamin has been climbing in and out of his crib forever. Usually not so much at bedtime. There was always a lot of chattering and sometimes Noah would get in the crib, but they would eventually settle down and go to sleep. It would appear we are in a while new ballgame now. Everyone is out of bed, or jumping on the beds, laughing, fighting, coming downstairs, going to the bathroom. You name it, they are doing it - except sleeping of course. If anybody has any suggestions on keeping kids in bed OR just going to sleep at a reasonable hour, we are all ears. We are all about them having fun in their bedroom (that's half the reason we have them in the room together) but if they could enjoy their company in half the time, it would be wonderful. And here is another question... how is it they only want to play with each other [nicely] after lights out? They just keep us guessing...

Now on to the big boy bed. We took Benjamin and Abby to Nebraska Furniture Mart to buy a new mattress. He never once asked what we were buying it for. (Noah wasn't even in the car yet when he asked about it. Just another of their obvious differences...) We finally told them after dinner that we were taking down the crib. They were so excited. Everybody grabbed tools and went to work. There are not any more pictures until everyone was in bed because it took all the hands to had to keep people from getting hurt. We asked them to stay out of the room and off the piles of mattresses because someone was going to get hurt, yet everytime we turned around there they were. Somehow, we made it through with only one bloody nose. (And it was not the one we were worried about sleeping in the new bed, if you must know...) The boys really wanted to sleep side by side. We humored them the first noght while we had a few apprehensions. The boys are sleeping in Christopher's old beds and the frames are so big there is a giant gap in between the mattresses. We were a little leary about someone jumping down the hole. We tried to have a swearing in ceremony for the new bed. The rule was to stop jumping long enough for to ceremony AND to not jump from bed to bed. This is how well that went.
Eventually, they went to sleep. While they seemed pleased with the arrangements, we thought it took up too much of their floor space so the next night we switched it up a bit. (So Noah has never slept with an animal - perhaps there is no room with all of his nite-nites. Benjamin seems to find someone new each day that he adds to his collection.) Now it is just one long jumping bed - still with the giant hole between mattresses. So far, no accidents. No sleeping either... But no accidents. Gotta find some positive, right? Oh, and Abby was entertaining herself in her room while we worked. She cleaned out her book basket and made herself a new seat. Very inventive, this one.

It's Been One Week -

since Benjamin wore diapers!!! We could not be more pleased with how easily this transition has seem to go - for all parties involved. I think the fact that we were not working against any clock this time (like Noah's starting preschool) took the pressure off everyone and we just did followed Banjamin's lead. (A real shock that it worked to our advantage, right? Live and learn. Noah is our very patient guinea pig...) We actually started/attempted this process on Memorial Day. We figured we were around for the whole weekend, we were going to be outside, why not? He was really not ready. So we'd put it all away and try again. 4th of July at Grandma's. Labor Day at the lake. None of these ventures ever really seemed to take hold. But this time was different. He just got it. We use the "no pants" theory. As long as he was pants-less, he was accident free. Even in the carpeted areas of the house, he never had an accident. It took about three weeks to carry over to wearing pants. Pull-ups didn't do the trick but the first time I sent him to school in big boy undies he made it all the way through with no accidents. And he has been diaper-free ever since. Hoo-ray.

That said, I have to share these funny pitures. The first is due to the fact that he naps in my bed. While he generally wakes up dry, I still put him in a pull-up for sleeping. On is particular day he fell asleep in the car in the way home from Noah's music class. I didn't want to wake him to change his pants, so I just put a diap on over his pants. When he got up, he actually didn't ask to take it off for quite a while.

Secondly, this is what happens when your very independent [almost] three-yar-old wants to dress himself and you forget to check the direction of his clothes before leaving the house. We had actually been out and run some errands before I caught this. Just love it.

And Working on Her Animal Sounds...

While Abby had perfected her meowing before Halloween (hence the kitty costume), requesting her to make the sound got us nowhere. Until now. She recently learned that cows say, "Moooo." This has become her answer to everything. She knows that lions roar and elephants trumpet and will make the sounds if reminded, she just answers "Moooo" to every question. I guess she figures more often than not she will be right. She is very pleased with herself for knowing an answer and being able to share it with us.
Her sign language is also picking up (not sure why or from where because we are not actively working on it with her) but she now knows 'milk', 'more', 'eat', 'all done', and 'bird'. Daddy is actually working on 'please' because we agree it would be nicer than her screaching at us with a frown when she decides she needs something that we have. Abby also says, "Nite-nite." and blows kisses. The boys love listening to her talk, as do we. She just keeps getting cuter!!!

She's Walking!

While Grandma Bonnie was hear last week, Abby turned the corner on walking. She had finally decided that walking was way more fun than crawling. And while she still falls quite a bit, he gets right back up and tries again. It took me a while to get the video because each time she would see the camera, she'd shoot down to her knees to come check it out. That is still her fastest mode of transportation, after all, and she is not too proud to admit that. Fortunately, we got to go to baby Erin's house for her first birthday. She has such a fun basement, I was sure that Abby would be distracted enough by other things that I could get a video. She did not disappoint. And... AND... This is her longest walk yet! And I got it on video!! Those of you with video cameras know this NEVER happens. I was greatly pleased. Don't mind the tights. Turns out she can walk in socks that are two times too long. Also, sorry that she disappers behind the ping pong table. I really wasn't expecting her to go that far. How is that for a positive attitude? Anyhoo, hope you enjoy our TODDLER!!

Doorbusters

I admit - I am a sucker for sales. Just the way I was raised, I suppose. (My husband did not inherit this same gene, I'm sad to say.) When I still lived at home, we would usually go to Chicago the day after Thanksgiving to shop. (Not necessarily for Christmas presents, but rather to spend all the money I had saved over the year.) When I moved away but would make it home for Thanksgiving, my mom and I would hit a couple of sales on Black Friday. We weren't the crazy type of people that you see on the news, we just really had fun. There is just a special joy in getting that 'good deal', you know? The first Thanksgiving I spent with Christopher in Kansas, he humored me by making the effort to Black Friday with me. We looked through all the ads and he picked out a number of items he was interested in. I explained the stores opened early and people might line up early for the really good deals, what time would he like to go? He thought 7:00AM would be good. I was jst pleased to have company so I said nothing. However, by the third store and third employee laughing out loud when Christopher told him what we were looking for, he had had enough and decided he would really rather be home in bed. I haven't again talked him in to it. Now he has the excuse, "Someone has to stay home with the kids..." I mean really... How lame, right? Well, last year his sister went with me. This was huge as she is anything but a morning person. We've never done very much together, so this was really fun for me. This year I was by myself, though. I went back and forth on whether or not I really wanted to go out but I saw some great deals AND with the new shopping hours starting at midnight, I decided to give it a go. I am usually still up at that time so it would be no big deal. Well, what I didn't think about is that my mom and I would usually hit Kohl's and the like. This year I had my sights set on Toys R Us, and I didn't consider what all that meant. Do you have any idea how crazy toy store shoppers are in the middle of the night? Well, I do. NOW! I decided to give myself about an hour in line. It was quite long when I got there and that hour seemed to last for-e-ver. Yet, the last 20 minutes were the longest. A large group of people started congregating across the street from the doors - and all the people waiting in line. The people who had been waiting in line were not very happy with this development. And they were not afraid to let the congregatng-group know this. (By the way, have I ever mentioned that I do NOT like confrontation - with me or anyone around me???) Well, the 'cheating' group got bigger and the chatter got a little louder. One of the women standing near me would periodically walk up to the front to get the scoop. She found out that those waiting in line had called the police and the store would not open until the cops were in place and had the crowds under control. Within the next 5-10 minutes, about 6 police cars showed up. With each officer that walked by, the line-waiters gave out a rousing cheer and jeered the crowd on the opposite side of the drive. The store finally opened, about 10 minutes late, and as people got closer to the door, they felt really brave behind a solid row of cop cars and officers and used the opportunity to chide the folks who thought they could beat the 'system'. While I really just wanted everyone to hush and shop already, I did get a little entertainment out of the responses from the group that had been shpt down at the last minute. I'm not even sure what the lady in front of me said, but the wanting-to-be-really-cool-young-adult male on the other side of the police car something to the effect of, "What?!? We aren't here to do any shopping. We're just here to watch." Really? Cause if you really have nothing better to do than drive around looking for a place to watch a line go shopping? I have to think the guy needs a hobby... So, back to shopping. I am happy to report that the gift I was after was the very first item in the store and there were still plenty of them on the shelf when I went through. I was back home and in bed by 12:30. I'm pretty certain the boys are going to LOVE it, so, yes. It was all worth it. Now, ask if I am going to try it again next year? Maybe not without a babysitter to stay with my children while my husband joins me on the front lines.

A-hunting We Did Go

The day after Thanksgiving means... Christmas tree shopping! We want to be sure we are able to get all the enjoyment out of our tree that we can so we try to get it up as soon as possible. Last year we found a tree farm that we really liked, so we headed back. Unlike last year, however, it was almost too hot to shop for Christmas trees. Have you ever heard of such a thing? Seriously, it was 70 degrees and I was sweating. NEVER have I had this experience - kind of liked it, though. I can listen to John Denver and the Muppets in short sleeves... Anyway, back to the tree. Noah picked out his own accessories and even brought his own tools. He had saws for the boys and a screwdriver for Abby. (Plastic, of course, but how cute is that?!?) We ran in to some friends there and he told them he was looking for a tree that was 7 inches. They double checked his height requirement but he was very set on 7 inches. Luckily, daddy let him carry the tape measure so he was able to get an accurate measurement. He actually came pretty close to his 7 inches. Benjamin also picked a favorite right off the bat.Luckily, we were able to persuade them both to keep looking. I'm sorry, let me rephrase that. We were able to persuade them to let US keep looking. They were busy doing... other things.
Noah also had some time for hide-and-seek with Abby.

He even picked a flower for her hair. (Have I ever mentioned how much he loves his sister?)

Somehow, amidst all this fun, we were able to find the perfect tree.

(Yes, we did walk the entire tree farm and end up picking a pre-cut shipped in from elsewhere. And, yes, I realize that we could get this same tree at Home Depot for a fraction of the price. But miss out on all this fun? No way...) Once we were done with the tree business, it was on to the really fun stuff. Hot cider and cookies in the barn. A Christmas egg hunt? I don't get it, but the boys liked climbing through the hay. And a train ride. And. lest you think that was all the fun for the day, check out Big Kid after lunch. For some reason, the Chicken House is giving out postal stamp stickers in their kid's meals. I'm not sure why, but Noah knew right what to do with them. The perfect end to a perfect outing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is upon us. I saw this cute cookie recipe and the boys even humored me by making them. I was quite surprised at how well they did placing the candy corns. (Mom and dad were in charge of the frosting placement.) Now if only we had had a few (hundred) extras, as it was "one for the cookie, two for me." But somehow we ended up with just enough for all our cookies. And even had some to sample before the actual celebration.For the big meal, all the Campbells gathered at Grandpa & Grandma's. Their kitchen is just large enough to hold all of us comfortably. (But if any more family members are added, it is going to be a tight squeeze.) I struggle with Thanksigiving because I want it to be so much more than 'just eating'. I read about many ideas to help your children acknowledge and be able to express their thankfulness but I really feel our immediate family is a little young for this still. When I have tried to incorporate such things in the past, it usually turns into a major fiasco as I get my hopes up too high and my children can't possibly perform to my expectations. So, for now, I just keep reading and making lists of possible projects to try in the future. Oh, and I remain ever-thankful for the gifts I/we already have: life, love, health, happiness, and three beautiful children.

The Christmas County Spelling Bee

Well, this was it. We've been rehearsing every Sunday night since August. Listening to the CD in the car (practically nonstop). Sometimes practicing inside the house, and talking about it ALL the time. This past Friday was Noah's 'Christmas County Spelling Bee' - his choir's Christmas musical.The play itself was very cute. Noah really did practice very hard and he knew all the words, which was not easy for a 4-year-old. I had been to a few practices and knew that what we saw at home was not necessarily what was happening at choir. Turns out there were too many distractions. He had plenty of little friends in his own choir to chat with, and when they added in the 200 older kids? For-gid-abowd-dit... He really had the best time just watching everybody else. Grandma Bonnie was also able to come down and Noah was very excited about that. (I can only think of one other time that I have spent any time with just my mom, so it was a special treat for me, too.) Grandma and I took Noah to his dress rehearsal and that was pretty entertaining. He spent 98.7% of his time biting his fingernails, but a few of his friends found a piece of the carpet that they could pull and unravel the carpet.Luckily, Noah did not find this until the end of the rehearsal. (I am pretty certain that every kid looked for that string very first thing when they arrived for the actual show. And every parent hoped the directors cut it off.) So Friday, there was less nail-biting. There was, however, a lot of observation and place changing. (Grandma Bonnie says she was kept busy just trying to keep an eye on where he might turn up next.) So, that was our first big show. But, you know what? Noah loved every minute of it. And really, we couldn't ask for any more than that. Now that doesn't mean I don't hope that at some point he will actually participate in the program. But for now, we will just take pride in the fact that he is willing to get up there and be a part of the show.Here is a video highlight: Somehow Grandma happened to catch practically all his dancing all in one song. Noah is the first child on the left in the second row.

You know, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered, how many of us are just like that? We show up every week, do all the background work, know all the right words, but when the opportunity finally arises we balk. I know I have done it on plenty of occasions. Have you? Think about it. And I challenge all of us to step it up a little. Don't be preoccupied by all that is going on around you. Do what you were made to do. Ok... getting off my soap box now. :)

Our Halloween Activities

Last year, we out-did ourselves a little on Halloween activities. This year we tried to limit it a little more. This post includes all we did to celebrate. Try to keep up...

Cuddling up to watch 'The Great Pumpkin':

Noah's music class:

The annual play group party. Of the now 11 kids, 3 of the 6 girls were kitties, and 4 of the 5 boys were Transformers. NOT easy to get all the kids together for a picture:

Noah's school party. Festivities included a school-wide parade in the gym: Then each class got to sing a couple of songs.

Benjamin's music class:

Trick-or-treating at Shear Madness: Our good friend Eric got sick on Thursday and couldn't go to school on Friday. (He was feeling better but it hadn't been 24 hours yet.) He was very sad that he was going to miss out on fun so we met him at the 'Hair Cut House'. They teamed up with the neighboring businesses in their little strip mall. It was VERY cold outside but, surprisingly, the boys let me put their coats on under their costumes and away they went.

Finally, it was the REAL HALLOWEEN. Noah invited ourselves over to Eric's in Lee's Summit. He and Eric started planning it sometime in August, so we were all glad it all worked out. (Our nighborhood has been very disappointing the last few years, so we were actually thrilled to have some place else to go.) And lucky for us, Eric had no real problem with Noah's need to be the first one at every door. Benjamin just followed right along as quickly as his little legs would carry him.

Counting their spoils: No, your eyes do not deceive you. Benjamin did get about 10x what Noah got. Turns out Benjamin hit Grandpa and Grandma Campbell's candy dish pretty hard before we left their house. Noah must not have noticed r there would have been a good chance we would have left them with no candy at all.

Abby picked up a box of Nerds somewhere along the line. She was quite content to just sit in the stroller and shake it while the big boys went to all the houses. We decided afterwards that she should get to find out that there was actually something edible inside the fun little box. She was not disappointed.

And now we get a full 51 weeks to rest up for next year. Noah already has the next three years' worth of costumes picked out. Can't wait to see how close he actually comes to his predictions.

Happy Halloween!

I held to my word and let the boys pick out their own costumes this year. I tried my darndest to help Benjamin choose his own theme. For the longest time he was going to be a ghost but as the day got closer, he opted to follow in his big brother's footsteps. So, Happy Halloween from:

From our sweet kitty:From Megatron and Bumblebee: Kitty liked tickling Transformer faces through their mask holes.And, somehow, we managed to get all three sitting together outside as well. On the steps. A small miracle, really.Although, big brothers did have a hard time keeping hands off little kitty. They were scared she was going to fall off the step. How cute is that?