Friday, October 31, 2008

Trevor's Forehead

I want to tell you about Trevor's forehead. It's beautiful! All of the skin on his face is soft like silk, but his forehead is my favorite part of his face. He's got a big, round forehead with silky skin and lots of tiny little freckles. And, the best part...he lets me touch his forehead, and even his cheeks and chin, and tell him how much I like like his big, round forehead and silky soft skin. And, every now and then, he'll crawl into bed with me and fall asleep, and I get to look at at his pretty face and think about how lucky I am to have Trevor in my life.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Book Review



I just want to review this book. I picked it up at a Garage Sale without reading it. It was just 25 cents, and I was a madwoman picking up books like we didn't already have 1 million books at home.

Well, the boys like this book. Devin sleeps with it.

But, I don't like it.

It's about a penguin who is so cuddly that all of his siblings are always accosting him for the sole purpose of cuddling. He has several siblings. Maybe even 100. Penguins lay one or two eggs per couple per breeding season. It's just not possible for Dudley to have more than one sibling in his age group.

And, Dudley, instead of being called Cuddly, really ought to be called Fuddly! He doesn't like all that attention. He complains about it so much that he runs away from his unlikely family. He finds a cabin and moves in to play all by himself. Finally, the owner of the cabin comes home, and he's dressed like an Eskimo.

Well, Penguins don't exist in the Arctic where Eskimos live. Puffins do. But, this is a book about a penguin, not about a Puffin.

I wouldn't care about this craziness if I didn't know it was crazy! But, I do. I know because I bought a book about penguins for Trevor and Devin, and I read it to them. And, now Cuddly Dudley comes along and tries to invalidate what they've learned! It's a fairy tale, I get that. I'm not complaining about penguins who talk even though I know that they can't. But, it could be made accurate, right? Couldn't it??

So, anyway. If you're reading this and considering buying this book at a garage sale, you can if want. But, please correct the inaccuracies when you read it to your child.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Great Aspirations

I took the boys to the doctor this morning. By myself. No, no... it was OK. Don't feel too sorry for me. They got a little loud, but it was a reasonably respectable showing for me and my children. We all smelled a little smoky from being near a firepit last night, and I think that made the doctor sneeze. But, other than that, it was OK. Devin got 3 shots and cried. Trevor cried and balked at the idea of 2 shots, but then he was actually quite brave while receiving the actual shots. Then, he forgot how cried at the thought of shots and declared that he had been very brave.

Anyway.

On the way to the doctor's office, Devin was talking about what he wants to be when he grows up. Here's the list, in order.

1. A Doctor
2. A sign maker
3. A McDonald's Worker
4. A lifeguard

He's funny.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Ballot Box For President

We went to a Halloween festival today. There was a guy dressed like a ballot box. And, he was actually allowing people to vote. Even kids! He said that you could vote for anyone. Didn't have to be an actual candidate or even an actual person, but my kids were a little shy about voting.

He asked Trevor if he knew who our current president is. I waited anxiously for him to come up with the right answer. And, I would have to argue that though not technically correct, it still was the "right" answer.

"Barack Obama."

That's what he said!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Vikki and other news

I called Vikki tonight. Trevor was getting antsy because I'd been on the phone too long. So, I tried the old "you wanna talk to Vikki" trick? He fell for it. Then, Vikki tried the old, "I'm gonna ask my five year old nephew for advice on getting my baby not to eat crayons" trick.

He hemmed and hawed, but he eventually came up with some excellent advice.

"Vikki," he announced boldly. "You have to tell Jena to stop eating crayons."

Isn't he smart?

In another news, yesterday, my neighbor's 9 month old grandson fell out a second story window right across the street from me. AND HE'S FINE. I'm pretty happy about that last part. He landed on his tummy and missed the air conditioner.

If Opie likes Obama...

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Friday, October 24, 2008

ummm...The Backyardigans rock!...

The boys are home from school today, so we've hired the TV and the video games on the little computer to keep an eye on them. I got in touch with the Backyardigans and asked them to keep all 4 sets of their eyes on Devin. They were cool with that. I also asked them to make sure he kept his hands out of his pants, but they assured me they were too cool for that.

Anyway, trying to work from my home office with its close proximity to the Backyardigans and their shenanigans, I can't help but think that the Backyardigans rock!

Go ahead and groove to the Backyardigans!

Guess who called me last night at 11:30? Admittedly, it was 10:30 her time. It was Jacey! My great-niece! But, when my plain old niece, Stephanie, discovered her daughter with the phone, she just said, "Give me my phone!" and disconnected. So, I didn't actually get to talk to Jacey. Or, even to Stephanie. Call me again sometime, Jacey! I would post a picture of her if I had one. Oh, wait, maybe I do. Let me check mom's photobucket...


It's an old picture, but there she is!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Our New Tree

Our new tree arrived today.

Devin looked at the window as the gardeners were planting it and declared to all who would listen that he and Trevor now had "a new plant buddy!"

Isn't that sweet?

He never called the choppy oak his buddy...

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Bruce Springsteen

For my whole life, I was never a fan of Bruce Springsteen. For my whole life, I never knew why. Then one day, I realized it was because during the ninth year of my life, Ronald Reagan used "Born in the USA" as a campaign song.

I was a bleeding heart liberal, even as a child. How can that be? Even after the Iran Hostage Crisis, which I'm pretty sure I followed with intense interest every night on the national news, if I could have voted, I would have voted for Jimmy Carter.

In hindsight, I scoff at the liberal bleeding heart that I was in 1980. Because Ronald Reagan was the right president at the right time. His policies ended the cold war that imprinted my childhood with fear. Jimmy Carter wouldn't have done that. In hindsight, Ronald Reagan is my hero. And, Bruce Springsteen rocks, but seriously, Ronald Reagan shouldn't have used that song in his campaign without listening to it first.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Sometimes, he gets a little sensible

We can tell when Trevor is getting sick because he gets bloody noses and he has frequent and unexplained meltdowns.

We've made note of this pattern in his presence. So, he's taken note of our notes. And, the other day he told his dad that he's probably getting sick because he's been feeling a little "sensible" lately.

(instead of sensitive, if that didn't make any sense to you).

Monday, October 20, 2008

Another Classic Devin Moment, brought to you by the Montessori School

We had a big birthday party for Devin last weekend. I'll post pics soon.

On Monday, one of his teachers teased him saying, "Devin, I heard you had a big birthday party this weekend. Why didn't you invite me?"

His response was, "I did! Why didn't you come?"

let me tell you about my tree

We had a tree. Every day, I looked out my window and saw this tree. And, it didn't bother me. But one day, someone came along and chopped off part of the tree in a horrible act of pruning. It was probably the only thing that could save the life of that little tree, but it was such a bad cut, I couldn't stand to look at that little tree any longer.

It's not my tree, though. It belongs to the city.

So, one day, I called the city and left a voicemail detailing the sad story of the little oak tree that couldn't. He had been eaten alive by gypsy moths at that point. One terrible blow after another...

I got a call back. The city manager, or whatever his title is, told me it did look pretty chopped and promised they would come and replace it in the fall which is apparently the best time to replace a tree.

I felt good about all this. A little sad that I'd given the tree a death sentence, but happy that the view out my window would be improved.

So, we waited and waited and finally fall arrived along with tree removal season.

Some one came out one day and painted green lines showing the sanitary sewer on the road and sidewalk.

Another person came out and tied a white ribbon (signifying tree sadness, I think) around the lower branch of the tree and painted a line around the tree on the ground.

Another person came out and painted blue lines showing us where the water lines are.

Today, a big truck came and yanked the little tree out of the ground. Good-bye tree. He was never happy here as he came out so easily. He never took root. I hope someone plants him in a field of trees and gives him a shot. I'll pretend that's the plan.

After the tree came out of the ground, another person came out and painted yellow lines on the grass and road. I'm not sure why. He even went across the street to the neighbor's house and maybe did a little painting. None of that made sense. After the man in the bright green shirt with the yellow paint took his pictures and left, a nice young man showed up and painted red lines besides the yellow lines. He seemed to be smiling as he took his pictures as if to say, "I can't believe I get paid for this!" Then, Verizon came out and painted orange lines in pretty close proximity to the yellow and red lines. I think his was a lesson in colors because Yellow and Red do make orange! If not that, I'm not sure what function he served.

Now, there's a hole in the ground where the sad little tree was. But, not a big hole.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Happy 2nd Birthday Trevor!

We were experiencing a LOT right around Trevor's second birthday. Devin was a new addition to the household having arrived just about 2 and half months before. We traveled from our somewhat new house in Waukegan (new since March of 2004) to Pennsylvania for Christmas. And, my niece, Jena, arrived the day before Trevor turned 2.

I'm going to have to say those are the reasons why I only have 4 pictures of Trevor on his 2nd birthday. Can I add that I think I'm learning some memorable lessons here?


Those bowls moo'd and baa'd (or barked?) until the batteries died. Oh, and they aren't dishwasher safe. Oh, and who loves mashed potatoes and corn on their birthday??


Trevor, that's who loves corn and mashed potatoes on his second birthday!


Here, Trevor and I delve into the topic of what might have killed the dinosaurs!
(Just kidding, those conversations didn't happen for another 2 or 3 months, at least)


Doesn't he look like a Christmas ornament with that red hair and enormous blue eyes??


I think we let Daddy pick out the cake, but Grandma Roth provided the candles!

And, just to fill out this post...

This is my first day back to work and Trevor's first day back to daycare and Devin's first day of daycare ever.


Just look at this beautiful 2 year old boy!

Blogworthy...

If I talk to you, I'll tell you that Devin is something else. I'll tell you that I don't know what to do with him. In fact, if you're Devin, I'm liable to tell you straight out that I don't know what to do with you. I did that just yesterday. He took my comment in stride with a comment of his own.

"I know that. You told me that already."

Maybe, I should stop telling him that I don't know what to do with him. He's taken note.

Later in the evening, I was telling the boys that I loved them and asked them if they knew why. Trevor waited for me to tell him that I loved him because I'm lucky enough to get to, because he's smart, because he's handsome, because I'm his mom. Devin didn't wait for my list. He just guessed.

"Is it because I'm funny?"

Seriously, I don't know what to do with this kid!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Happy Birthday, Trevor!

(I am not sure how this happened. I didn't blog Trevor's first birthday because I wasn't blogging back then, and I missed his second birthday for the same reason. I got his third birthday on video, but I completely blew off his 4th and 5th birthdays. I am working on making amends for this hugely gross oversight!)

You have to know that our one year old baby was pretty tired on his first birthday!


We invested in birthday hats! What a lovely Dining Room we had in that 1890 house in downtown Waukegan. Boy, it was cold in the winter, though!


Mad Cake Skillz


Like, uh, didn't we just do this yesterday or something??!


Look at the Happiness!


Maybe the hats weren't a good investment:


We didn't do any of that smushing. It was all Trevor.


Look at those HUGE BLUE EYES! I tell him he looks like a Christmas ornament with those eyes, that hair, those cheeks! He loves this (for now).


Here's where the party got out of control!


Oh my goodness, he was a pretty 1 year old!

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Sweet, Sweet Devin

I was cuddling Devin this morning.

He asked if it was a "Stay at Home" day. I said no.

Then, he asked if it was a "Flick and slap day."

He just made that up. I think because he likes to both Flick and Slap things. And, by things, I mean me or Trevor.

He is just as sweet as honey drizzled on sugar, isn't he?