"Ice"land

The other day I was driving the kids to school, listening to NPR. They were talking about a volcano in Iceland that was causing travel delays. WA has recently shown some interest in volcanos and we've been reading books on the topic. After the story was over I told WA that a volcano had erupted in Iceland. He responded that one day he wanted to go to Iceland. I told him that if he wanted to, then he could definitely make that happen. He then paused and said "And Dad too. I think he would like the skating."

Long time no speak

I've been off the blog'osphere for a bit. Summer has kicked off in Ohio with a bang. The kids are enjoying nice long days, and a bedtime that seems to be creeping away from 8 toward it's older brother 9. Ice cream is now in the freezer. I've been tipsy a few times (hey, it happens when neighbors come over with wine!) The bounce house has been out and the water slide in action. It's been fun, but has kept me away from my beloved iPad. So now, get ready to follow Allman summer '11.

Yellow

Today I bought bright yellow nail polish at Target. I may just be losing it...

Game-changer

Don't you love when a positive game-changer is introduced to your domestic life?

Like, say, your mother-in-law showing you how to finally, FINALLY fold the fitted sheet so that your linen closet doesn't look like a war zone. Or when you purchase an upright mini-vac when your kid is already 18 mos old. Perhaps the day you figured out dried strawberries were a fine substitute for the real thing (during the winter). You know the moments I'm talking about. These moments can either make you feel like a genius (wow, that idea is brilliant!) or a dufus (duh, why did I not think of that earlier?!?).

I had another game changer recently. I was at my friend KS house for dinner with the kids. I noticed that on her kitchen table she had a vinyl table cloth. BRILLIANT, I thought excitedly. DUH, I thought densely. Of coarse. Vinyl + kids = no more washing 4 cloth table cloths in a week. Now, ask my why this was such a huge epiphany and my only answer is..."Hey, give momma a break!". I immediately went out and purchased two. Granted one is lime green and the other hot pink (Meijer doesn't carry the widest range of options), but they have changed my life. A little wipe with a cloth and a deep clean at the end of the day and voila! If I knew how to make one of those heart symbols appear [right here]....I would.

Jackpot!

This morning IA took a big 'ol dump on the potty. Exciting, no? I could have written it off as a fluke (as I should have when her brother did the same at 18mos), but there was one reason that gave me hope we are on the right path. She told me she had to go. Hallelujah! Potty training is going a lot easier with this little girl (that is if you don't count the two poops she did in her crib over the past two weeks. Yes. Not in her diaper, in her crib. And let me tell ya, poopie finger painting is just not fun to clean up.). She seems to really relish her successes...she jumps up and down with glee when we cheer for her and will NOT let me rub off the tattoos she gets for going at daycare. Her arm is getting chockfull, leading me to have to explain to her teachers that I do in fact bathe my child. I <i>think</i> we may be at the beginning of the end, but I've been wrong before. So, we'll see.

What IS that smell?

Have you ever walked in to your house after a day, two days, weekend away and hit a wall of stank? Whoa lord, did we hit one this Sunday. After a good 48 hours away we came back late in the day to an unidentified stench. My first thought was trash. Nope. My second, the dishwasher. Wrong. Diaper pail? Nada. Finally I went upstairs to the laundry room. I opened the door and almost dry heaved. The washer could have been a skunk. I had read front load washers can acquire a mildewy smell, but this was beyond. I immediately ran the sanitize cycle with hydrogen peroxide. This helped (and actually cured the mildew smell last time), but did not quite return the "fresh" indoor air smell we're all used to. So now I am using powder detergent (as recommended by many an internet expert) and running regular washes. If anyone has further suggestions please let me know! 'Till then, an air freshener and a prayer is all I got.

Big bro/Little sis

I love watching my kids play together. The collaborative fun kind of play, not the kind where they are at each other and driving their parents insane. This morning I watched my son lead his sister in creating a massive blanket fort. She followed him around like a petty officer executing his every command. He took his rank very seriously and expected nothing but excellence from her:). They ended up making a pretty cool fort, with a little assist from mom, and had a great time playing inside. It really does melt my heart watching them play like that. Like they are actually friends.

In an odd way, watching them makes me love my brother even more. I am sure that we had a similar dynamic...with him leading the charge and me faithfully following his every move. He is great big brother and I can only hope that my kids share the warmth that we do.

Sometimes two kids seem like a lot, but there are many moments, like this morning, where it's soooooo worth it.