Starbucks Milk

Before I discovered the amazing Smith Brothers (who deliver my milk every Tuesday). I would occasionally run out of milk and not realize it until morning.  In our house, this is a Big problem as the boys have a cup of milk first thing in the morning. 

I could have just run to the store with them on these days, but the thought of getting all of us dressed and taking already hungry one and two-year-olds in and out of carseats, through a store, and then back home, made me want to cry.  Because, did I mention that they like their milk warm?

So, off to Starbucks we would go – through the drive-thru.  Two warm milks (at the same cost as an entire gallon…) and one latte makes for a happy family. 

When Eric went on business trips, I would take the kids to the play-space at the mall until bedtime, then change them into pajamas, get warm Starbucks milk (poured into sippy cups), and drive home.   They boys loved the special treat and I didn’t feel so alone at bedtime with this different routine.

During these Starbucks runs, I have purposely avoided any flavors in the milk, not wanting the monkeys to know that it was an option!  I did finally cave and buy them Vanilla milk when we went to Whistler last summer for vacation, but when the boys asked for it later I simply said, “Oh, that is a vacation drink.”

Today, a quick errand turned into an over-two-hour errand, and Jack and I were out at dinner-time.  I  stopped at Starbucks for a sandwich rather than buy other fast food, and got milk for Jack (he requested it be cold).

I wish I could have taken a photo of Jack’s face when he saw what the barista made for him. A huge cup of chocolate!!! milk with whipped cream on top!

Jack deserved a special treat as we planning on eating dinner with Daddy and Owen at Nana and Doc’s house – and we missed that, but I am foreseeing bad times at Starbucks from now on…

Instead of milk from there being a treat, it will be a denial of something better…

Boogie Monster

My monkeys are not big fans of monsters.  Even the really cute kind that little boys are supposed to love give them the heebie-jeebies.

I bought a pair of pants from Ebay for Owen two years ago and this shirt came in the “set”.  He completely refused to wear it. It hung in the closet until he grew out of it, and Jack grew into it.  The only way I finally got Jack to wear the shirt was to tell him that the picture was a very up-close look at a “sugar-bug” (you know, the little guys digging holes in your teeth that you have to brush away with your toothbrush and spit out?) Jack always wants to see them after he spits.  Voila - two problems solved!

This morning, Jack let me know that he had some boogies.

You know, boogies, as in:

• let me wipe your boogies with this tissue
• don’t eat your boogies, dear
• mom, can you take this boogie (handed over on an outstretched finger from a carseat)

I handed him a tissue from a box on the counter and in good toddler form, he threw a fit because that was not the tissue that he had in mind.  Right…

“I want the boogie monsters,”  he kept saying.  I wasn’t sure if he was still talking about tissues or if we had moved on to a new tantrum…After Jack convinced me that we would find the “boogie monsters” in the cupboard, I discovered that this was what he wanted:

A tissue box that I thought was super cute when I bought it, but that the boys previously had wanted nothing to do with.

Garbage Trucks and Storm Drains

Jack loves garbage trucks!  Every Friday, when we hear them, we run to the windows to watch the garbage get picked up.  If we are REALLY lucky, we hear a truck in the alley and are able to open the garage door in time to get an up-close view.  Several different trucks come (one for garbage, one for recycle, and one for yard waste) and they each have to make a few passes in order to get each side of the street.  This can make for a very exciting Friday morning!

Somehow we missed most of the excitement today, and Jack was sorely disappointed when we saw only the last truck turning out of our street.  Grady, Jack and I ran outside to investigate if any further trucks would come.  We looked in different kinds of garbage cans on different sides of the street (I hope that isn’t some sort of federal offense like messing with mail boxes is –yikes!) Anyway we had no luck; all the cans were empty…so no more trucks were coming.

What else could little boys look at in the neighborhood?  Storm Drains!  For the next fifteen minutes Jack and Grady peered into every drain along a few blocks.  Some were quiet; some had loud splashing water busily streaming through the pipes.  All were engaging.  Grady’s little arms and legs flailed wildly each time we got to a new storm drain, especially if it were loud…It was so exciting for Grady, he proceeded to take a nap that was 3  1/2 hours long!

I just love the interests of my little boys!

Mad

#1 -Last night I hunted around the house for the kids' library books that I wanted to return today.  The books are supposed to stay in the basket downstairs…

#2 -I found a few books in Owen’s room, and when I went into Jack’s room, I found several books including a book that looked like this…

After dropping the boys off with their grandma this morning, I ran into the library to return the books and check out a book on CD that I could listen to while I cleaned. (If you haven’t tried this, I highly recommend it; you get much more done.)

Trying to be a good citizen, I brought the ripped book to the librarian and asked if they used special tape or if I should just use regular tape to fix the page.  She responded with furrowed eyebrows saying that the book was ruined and that they don’t fix “that kind of damage.”  Now I have definitely checked out books from the library with pages that have been taped back together.  I reminisced about this experience with the librarian who proceeded to give me a dirty look and tell me that they can’t “check up” on every returned book.  (Apparently you have to turn yourself in, like I did).

#3 - I had to pay $17 for the darned thing!  (The book wasn’t really even that good either!)

#4 – I began to think if I could claim that I didn’t know for sure if my child even tore it…I didn’t see Jack do it… It could be for any reason that he looked hugely guilty when he saw me pick the book up, right?  And his dropped eyes and lame response of “Oh” to my (probably unheard) lecture on treating books with respect surely was akin to him denying that it was him, right??  His generally destructive nature and the fact that he often ends coloring activities or gifts of drawings from others by ripping up the paper, probably doesn’t apply here, right? I wasn’t convincing myself. I moved on to pay for the book.

#5 – After adding the fee to my account, the sweet librarian handed the book back to me and said, “It’s all yours now.  You can tape it up however you want.”  (huh?!)  Right.  Like I am going to take the book home and tell Jack that he ripped it, so I had to buy it, and now we get to keep a library book.  I am pretty sure that would pose a problem the next time we went to the library or Target…

#6 – When I went to check out the book on CD, my account was over $10 due, so I couldn’t check anything else out.  

Curious George

Both Owen and Jack have their own curious George books with different stories that they ask me to read to them, but not Daddy.   Daddy has his very own compilation of the original Curious George stories that has a special place on the office bookshelf.  When each of the boys turned three, Eric started reading this special book to them before bed.  Owen can tell you the names of all of the stories in the book and a brief (or not-so-brief) synopsis of each story, in order of appearance in the book!

I love this sweet tradition. I love what a good Daddy my husband is.

PS  (I haven’t dared to try, but I am sure that it would not be taken well if I were to read from this book – and you can make your own guesses as to who would not take it well…)

Valentine Playdough

Owen gets to bring in home-made play dough for his class this month.  I remembered a parent from last year put in glitter and it turned out really well.  I thought it might be fun to add some heart-shaped confetti.  I was worried that the confetti might clump or disappear, but the dough turned out soooooo cute!

Owen and Jack help measure and mix.

Jack taste-tests spilled ingredients and then spreads out the mess. Ready for school tomorrow! It is hard to see, but the little dots are heart shapes in two different sizes.

I think we need to make some for our house!

Recipe

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3 cups water (I added an entire tube of  red food color)

1. Mix ingredients together and cook in a pan over medium/low until playdough lumps together.
2. Continue to heat until playdough is no longer sticky. (basically until your arm feels like it is going to fall off!)
3. Knead until smooth.  (I added the confetti while I kneaded the dough after it had cooled off a little.)

Grady’s First Day

Things I learned:

• Owen loves Grady.
• Jack loves Grady.
• I am no longer the person that Owen and Jack show things to.
• Making Grady smile while feeding him a bottle ends with milk running out of his mouth.  Every time. 
• I can still do my dishes even with three kids at my house.
• I still have Mad Skills with babies (that’s mad=good, not mad=angry)
• Grady loves to laugh and smile.
• Jack can make Grady laugh.
• My body automatically goes into sway mode when I have a baby in my arms.
• I pay more attention to Jack when Grady is here because I don’t want Jack to be jealous.
• Bridget loves Grady.
• If Grady cries, the kids think the only option is feeding him.
• I still don’t get to drink my tea, I just reheat it more times.
• Grady likes the Bjorn.
• Grady gets a HUGE smile on his face when he hears his Mama’s voice.
• I am still really good at doing things with one hand while the other holds a baby.
• Apparently a common conversation I am going to have is, “Who’s this guy?”  “He is Grady, my friend’s baby.”  “How long are you watching him?” “A month.” "(jaw drop) “A Month!?!”   (Don’t worry Kris, it will probably be longer, it is just too complicated to explain to people…)
• Three car-seats barely fit into my car.
• Trader Joes is doable with three kids.
• My bathrooms still don’t miraculously clean themselves!
• 15 pounds is incredibly light!
• Setting up the pack-n-play before Grady falls asleep is a good idea.
• A gymnastics mat works for a baby bed in a pinch.
• Owen loves the idea of Grady having something that used to be Owens.
• Jack loves the idea of Grading knowing that something used to be Jacks.
• I can fold laundry with Grady around because he does know how to jump and roll in it yet.
• I feel like a superstar when I can make Grady laugh.
• 15 pounds is really heavy at the end of the day.
• Jack likes formula.