Happiness is...

...enjoying fruit loops and peanut butter waffles during a rousing episode of Clifford the Big Red Dog, from inside your new Thomas the Train tent. Living the good life, I'd say.

Interesting day...

Whew, it's been a humdinger around here today! Talk about stressed out! However, the details will remain mum, and I'll leave it at the fact that I no longer have a part time job. I feel a mix of relief and a tinge of regret at the same time. But such is the way of life. On another note, my blog is no longer anonymous, as my sister has discovered me (Hello , Benny, and yes, now I'll have to censor because of you, you bitty!- Ha, just kidding- you know I love ya! Thankfully I didn't have to edit anything about you-yet- hurray!)
The boys had some friends over to play this morning, and when Jackson came into my room at 7 this morning, he immediately said
"Mom, I wanna go down and wait for Connow to come and pway."
"Jack, it's too early."
(Sam) "Wook, Mommy, it's mownin time outside!" (Pulling up the blinds they are not supposed to touch)
I ended up calling my poor neighbor at 8:30 and saying "How soon can you get here? They're driving me crazy. I mean, no pressure or anything. But seriously, get over here NOW!"
After their playdate and naptime, they spent the afternoon entertaining themselves and cramming packets of fruit snacks down their gullets while I spent the afternoon dealing with my work "minicrisis." They so know to take advantage of me on the fruit snack issue while I'm on the phone because they know to keep them quiet so I can hear I'll just keep the tooth rot flowing! Sneaky kids!
Oh, and this bit of cuteness from Livi. Yesterday while she snuggled in bed with us during the first light of morning, she started pushing her pacifier toward Ryan and laughing. So we would prod her and say "Where's Daddy's paci? Can he have it? Will you share?" And she would push it towards him again and giggle. We were convinced for a few moments that these were just the first glimpses of her obvious genius, when we started to think maybe she was just reacting to our smiles and not really understanding our request, being that she turned only 7 months old yesterday.
BUT today, and in the presence of a witness (my neighbor), I asked her to share a puzzle piece with me that she was holding and playing with and she immediately offered it up with a big toothless grin. So, officially she's gorgeous AND smart. Of course. Heehee.
Thank goodness I'm headed out for drinks tomorrow night. I NEEEEEEED it!
Hogknobber (this is a test!)

Many unrelated thoughts/events

So, has it really been over a week since I last posted here? YIKES! Here's the latest:
We had Sam's Nemo birthday party on Saturday here at the house- went very well, will post pics when I get them. He loved it all and the kids had a blast- mostly he wanted cake, and he made that clear from the get-go!
I am still working at my small part time job, although I tried to call and quit Friday and my weenie self ended up working on Sunday. The owner called today and basically said I can make my own schedule and offered me a pay increase, so now I'm even more weenied out so my friends are going to get me liquored up this weekend so I can find the inner strength to quit ;-)
In other news, Jackson had a great day at school today, and Mrs. Ray said he was especially good during "circle time." I have absolutely no idea what that means, and Jackson claims they read a story about "Clibbord, the big red dog and sledding," but I have no clue. Sammy has been his usual boisterous self and the boys have taken to teaming up against me at naptime, causing my blood pressure to rise to unsafe levels and my poor mommy head to bang uncontrollably. Olivia, however, continues to be the absolute epitomy of perfect baby, and couldn't be sweeter if she tried. Aaah, girls. Looks like they really are easier at THIS age than boys. We'll see in a few years when I am forced to eat those words.

I was wondering...

We hit the ol' faithful Chick-fil-A for dinner last night to use up some coupons before they expire. As we were getting out of the van, I heard Jackson say to Ryan,
"Dad, I was wonderin about sompin last night."
Ryan couldn't remember by the time I asked him inside what exactly Jackson had been wondering about, but I'm sure I'll never forget hearing him say it.
Suddenly we had a 12 year old, instead of a 3 year old.

Ma Ma

Livi said her first OFFICIAL words today- MAMA, as it should be. Now she has been saying Mama for some time now, but today I confirmed she was actually calling for me and she did it in front of me this afternoon and in front of hubby this evening during her bath. I can't believe she's old enough for that, but at the same time it seems like she's been around forever and I can't believe she's not 30 or so. Wonder what words will follow...I'm guessing perhaps "eat," and then "No," or "Stop" projected at Sam. We'll see- always an adventure!
On another note, we introduced the boys to "Chutes and Ladders" after dinner, but as we discussed the game choice while we ate, it went something like this:
Jackson: I wanna pway a game aftew dinnew.
Me: Okay, you wanna play Chutes and Ladders?
Jackson: Yeah, chutes and wetters.
Me: No, it's chutes and LADders.
Jackson: Yeah, chutes and wetters.
Me: No, chutes and LADDERS.
Jackson: Chutes and letters.
Me: No, CHUTES and LADDERS.
Ryan: Jackson, say LAD.......DERS.
Jackson: Chutes and labbers.
Me and Ryan: No, CHUTES AND LADDERS.
Jackson: Yeah, Let's play chutes and letters! Woohoo!
Me: Sigh (puckering my lips and swallowing more delicious wine)
Sammy: HAHAHAHAHAHA! Jashon so siddy! Yah! Wets pway a game!

The heartbreak of the drop-off line

So Connor didn't go to school today. And that means I had to take Jackson to school myself. And of course it was the first morning I had decided to just stay in my Pjs until after Tammy picked him up, and then take a luxurious shower while Livi took her morning nap and Sam watched tv. Not so much.
Instead, I spent the morning running around like a crazy person trying to get myself and all three kids ready to go in about a 45 minute window. Showering, dressing myself and the kids, making breakfast and them actually eating it, feeding baby sister, packing Jack's bag, and getting all 3 kids loaded into "the silver rocket" just isn't intended to occur in 45 minutes. But we made it, and no one suffered too greatly. (Nevermind the fact that Livi rode in the car in baby food covered pjs again. So much for good intentions!)
Jack warned me on the way that he was planning to cry, and he delivered. I almost wish he would just throw a good old fashioned tantrum so I could drive away thinking "Ha, those sucker teachers have to deal with him this morning! See you in three hours! Hahahaha!"
Unfortunately, he just does this sad tearful eye thing while he watches me drive away and I glimpse big tears spilling over and splashing on his cold, pink cheeks in my rear view mirror. Ouch. Good thing I stayed up all night to get him in next year, seeing how much he loves it and all. Heh.

Recovering from insanity, preschool style, '08

So I did my second annual all-nighter to secure a spot in preschool on Sunday night. Yep, I am one of "those Moms" now, and there's just no hiding from it anymore. I thought I had turned over my soul with the minivan, but apparently that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now I am so crazy about the PREschool I will allow my kids to attend that I will stay up all night in freezing cold weather to secure a spot for my precious spawn. What has the world come to? My friend Em and I arrived at 12:15 am for the 7:30 am registration, mugs of Wawa hot chocolate in hand, determined to "GO BIG" and be the first moms there. HA! We're such suckers. Wanna know what number I was? THIRTEEN! That's right, folks...there were 12 parents ahead of me, arriving as early as 9 pm the night before to sit outside of a dark locked building in freezing weather for 10 hours for a spot in preschool. Bottom line, I got the spots I wanted so there was no need for life threats or bloodshed. And really at the end of the day, I mean night, all I really lost was my dignity! I'm a true soccer mom now, baby, and there's no turning back.
On a sweeter note, I did FINALLY give Livi finger foods today (at least if Gerber wagons wheels actually qualify as food and not just a styrofoam-turning to paste-like substance we feed our babies). And I did take pictures and camcord. And okay, as a confession it was really only because she had a rare fussy afternoon and after trying everything else, I really needed to make dinner and she was having none of it. So I gave her finger foods. We'll call it an appetizer. Anywhoodle, once the camcorder came out, the attention competition I predicted between the boys began, and I managed to capture the world's cutest renditions of the "ABC's" by Jackson and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" by Sam. I know someday when they leave for college I will be clutching their Lambie and Bear, watching the videos of those songs while I sob and rock back and forth on the couch. At least they provided some comic relief at the end when they tried to outsing each other with their own songs and the fighting began. Sigh. Love them, mean it!