From the Mouths of Babes in June

Linus: "I'm baptizing Eileen."  Linus putting water on Eileen's forehead after playing in the turtle and frog fountains at U Village.

Linus:  "Who's going to babysit me?"
Me:   "Mommy and Daddy's friend, Erica. We're going on a date."
Linus: "What are you going to do?"
Me:  "I don't know. What do you think we should do?"
Linus: "Go to Barnes and Noble."
Me:  "Why?"
Linus:  "You can buy me a book."

Linus: "Charlotte! Charlotte!"
Me: "Please call me Mommy or Mama."
        5 minutes later
Linus:  "Hey Mom."
Me:  "I'm not Mom.  I'm Mama or Mommy."
Linus: "Mom."


Linus: "I need some cookies to make my tummy feel all better."

Me:  "Are you going to have a good nap today?"
Linus:  "No.  I am going to have a sad nap."
Me:  "Why? How about a happy nap?"
Linus:  "No. Sad."

Linus:  "Dial by name!"  Linus trying to use the voice activation blue tooth feature on the van.

Linus:  "Baton down tatches!"  (baton down the hatches) 

Linus: "I want a story.  The oviraptor didn't want to stay inside.  He wanted to go outside.  The oviraptor wanted to water his blueberry bush outside.  That's my story.  The end."

A Father's Day Gone Wrong

I had great plans for this Father's Day.  I bought Dave a new four person tent--the REI Hobitat with the special hobitat "garage" addition.  Despite my supposed outdoorsy-ness, I dislike being wet or dirty and have an irrational fear of bears and cougars.  Because I love my husband, I thought that one of the most loving things to do would be to buy him a tent and plan a camping trip for Father's Day weekend.  I even bought a new Coleman stove so we could cook in style.

I had it all planned out.  I reserved a campsite at Penrose State Park.  Penrose has both trails and a beach, our spot was near both the bathrooms and a water source.  The s'more fixings were purchased.  I then watched as the weather report got worse and worse, by Saturday morning it was raining with a forecast of rain all weekend except between 2 and 4 am Saturday night.  Dave and I decided that camping in the cold and rain with a baby and toddler would not be fun and opted to instead go swimming at the Mountlake Terrace pool on Saturday (totally good family fun) and a hike on Sunday.

Sunday morning I made Dave the obligatory breakfast in bed and then we proceeded to get the family out the door and headed to Cougar Mountain State Park for a little hiking.  We hadn't been to Cougar Mountain in a few years, but an article in the Seattle Metropolitan magazine mentioned an easy to follow trail so we thought we would give it a shot. 

If you have never been, Cougar Mountain is easy to moderate hiking, with a massive tangle of trails.  It has waterfalls, abandoned mine shafts, a rusted out railway car, viewpoints, just about everything (if you can find it).  Did I mention that it is a massive tangle of trails? Or that not all trails are marked and others are incredibly misleading?  Our short little hike with the kids turned into a very long hike, accentuated by wrong turns, turning around multiple times, and eventually waiting for someone to run by and tell us how to get back to the parking lot. In short, we got very lost. 

Before the hike --so full of optimism

Both kids gave up and slept for most of the hike, which meant we never stopped to rest, lest they wake up.

 Today I learned that if you are going to Cougar Mountain bring a map, compass, and GPS (cellphone GPS won't cut it). 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Where the Wild Things Are

I fear that Maurice Sendak is becoming a negative influence on Linus.  It all started innocently enough.  Linus would just randomly quote In the Night Kitchen. No big deal, kind of cute.  Then he started using the quotes in context, usually when baking or asking for milk.  My child's a genius I tell you.

Then Linus developed an affinity for Pierre.  Suddenly, I was spending half my day living with a lion, lots of roaring.  At meals, he would repeatedly inform me that he had eaten Pierre.   A little disturbing.  Thanks to Pierre, Linus has a new saying, "I don't care."  Personally, I don't care for this new saying.

And then for some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to read Linus, Outside Over There.  If you aren't familiar with the plot, a big sister isn't paying attention so goblins come and take her baby sister away and leave an ice baby in its place. It's very creepy. Of course, Linus felt the need to internalize this story as well and now likes to threaten to take my baby away.

This afternoon Linus decided to combine all these violent acts while playing dress up.

Feeling an impending sense of doom, Eileen already has Dr. Moscovitz on the phone.

Shark Attack!

I realize that in Maurice Sendak books adults are portrayed in less than friendly terms--Wild Things were inspired by his aunts and uncles,  adults in stories don't pay much attention to the children.  I love Maurice Sendak, but I think we may have to stick to Chicken Soup with Rice and Alligators All Around until Linus gets some of this aggression out.

Alumni Camp 2011

I started going to CYO Summer Camp when I was 15 at the urging of my middle school English teacher.  I had always wanted to go. As a child,  each spring I watched the CYO slideshow presentation and dreamed of summers spent away from my parents, playing in the woods.  At 15, I took financial matters into my own hands and went to camp.  The summer of 1995 was the beginning of a personal transformation.

Camp made me feel special, lovable, and worthwhile.  No one cared that I was a socially awkward nerd in school.  At camp, I was funny, outgoing, and willing to try anything.  I started working at Don Bosco in 1997 as a lowly dishwasher, perhaps the worst dishwasher ever.  I continued working until 2001, then again in 2005 and 2007.  Camp is where I met my best friends, including my husband.  Despite the many ups and downs of my relationship with CYO, camp has always been a huge part of my life.

This weekend, I got to share a little bit of camp with my children at Alumni Camp.  We took Linus when he was a baby.  It was so nice to just hang out at camp.  Eileen napped, I sat in a chair with my Nook, Dave got to go for a run, and Linus played himself into exhaustion.

We played a lot of baseball, soccer, and hula hoop.

Linus made fast friends with Seamus Dunn.

Relaxing with Eileen.

Campfire. 

Linus took this pic.

Handsome hubby

We took up two cabins of Glacier Lodge.  I led songs at campfire, even managing to remember the chords to Puff the Magic Dragon on the guitar.  It was so much fun hanging out with old CYO folk, even though it was my first time meeting some of them.  The best part was being able to look over at Linus from time to time and see the pure elation in his face.  I'm am so glad the my children will grow up knowing summer camp.

Just getting a little taste of camp was so satisfying.  I need to figure out a way to get back this summer.  Anyone want to come spend a week at camp with me and help watch the kids?

Change of Identity

I finally made a decision.  I am not returning to work next school year.  Gulp.  I put my letter to the district in the mailbox today.  I admit that I almost chased the mailman down when he picked it up.  Now that the letter is in the hands of the United States Postal Service, it's too late to change my mind. 

This has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make.  I am taking a leap of faith and praying that it all works out.  The last time I made a huge leap, I quit my first teaching job without another one waiting.  As scary as that was, it was the right move.  I hope this works out just as well.

I really appreciate all the the amazing women who helped me reach this decision.  In the end,  even if things are going to be tighter financially, I am so lucky that we can potentially afford for me to not have to work.  If I look into the future, I think I would regret not taking advantage of the opportunity.

I never ever pictured myself as a stay-at-home mom.  I was going to be the mom who perfectly balanced work and kids.  Maybe my balance will be more of kids and then work?  I am already mourning the loss of my identity as a middle school math teacher.  You can imagine the sympathy I get when I tell people what I do.  Goodbye Mrs. Dimock -- international award winning teacher, mean disciplinarian who makes kids do their homework, and getting the satisfaction of seeing a struggling student succeed.  Goodbye lesson planner extraordinaire, sometimes cross country coach, and district rabble rouser, .

Luckily, I get to say good bye to pointless and frustrating staff meetings, morning supervision,crazy parents, high stakes testing, limited photocopying, paying for my classroom out of pocket, and super naughty children.

I need to practice saying hello.  Hello to more Gymboree classes, preschool, sleeping in until 7 am, naps, playdates, and housework.

If this doesn't work out, maybe I'll begin a career at Starbucks.  I am a fan of their product and might actually save money by working for them.  In the meantime, bring on more playdates!

These two better get used to having their mama around!

Sleep

Sleep has been interesting the past week or two.  I thought it would be a good idea to try to night wean Eileen.  She's big, she started solids, she is 6 months old, and doesn't need to eat in the middle of the night.  We moved her to our closet so that we would stop disturbing her so much. First night it went great.  Second night was fine.  Third night she pooped in the middle of the night.  After that, Eileen decided the middle of the night was a good time for pooping and thus needed to be nursed back to sleep since a full diaper change with the lights on was rather stimulating.

I really wanted Eileen night weaned so that I could move her downstairs into her crib in the room she shares with Linus.  Eileen is already past the weight limit for the co-sleeper. I don't really want to move the pack n' play from the basement where she takes a nap.  After a week of attempted night weaning, I decided that maybe just getting her to share a room with her brother was more important.  We are staying in a one room cabin at camp in less than two weeks, as well as a hotel room when we go to Hawaii.  They need to learn to sleep in the same room if we want our vacations to be relaxing. So, Monday night we decided to let them try sharing a room.

People have assured me that kids will learn to adjust.  Eileen went to bed no problem in the crib.  We did Linus' bedtime routine in the living room.  Shadow puppet time, of course, had to be abandoned.  Dave took Linus into the room and whisper sang him one more song and that was that.  About an hour later we heard Linus talking to Eileen from across the room.  "Go to sleep Eileen.  I love this song.  Daddy sings it to me." Linus then sang Eileen "Spider Lullaby" followed by attempts at "Rockabye Baby."  Eileen learned to ignore him and went to sleep.  Linus eventually fell asleep.  Dave had to go in once in the middle of the night to resettle them both for about 2 minutes when Eileen woke up crying.  Aside from a 4 am nursing, that was that. We were feeling cautiously optimistic.

The optimism is quickly fading.  Since Monday night, Linus has been less than enthusiastic about sleepovers with Eileen.  He has informed us that Eileen wants to sleep in the pack n play.  There is lots more crying in the night.  Linus is not handling the wake ups in the middle of the night well.  He has become a troll during the day, a very unpleasant, loud, and aggressive troll. Eileen for her part, is having trouble taking naps.

I have given up on night weaning for the moment.  Now that they are sharing a room, I may just pray that she gives it up on her own.  I just keep repeating to myself, "They will learn to adjust, they will learn to adjust."

I swear these two still love each despite their forced sleeping situation.

From the Mouths of Babes in May

(While Metallica's Enter Sandman was playing on the i-pod)
Linus: "What's Neverland?"
Me: "Uh, it's where Peter Pan lives.  The man in the song wants to go live with the lost boys."

Linus: "I'm going to eat you up in my whale tummy Mommy."
Me: "Oh no! How will I get out?"
Linus: "Through my mouth."

(While sitting on my lap)
Linus: Ow! You hurted me a little bit Mommy.  I get off."  (Linus' response to my legs 3 days post-shave)

Linus: "I'm a butterfly.  I'm gonna land on you!"

Linus:  "Captain Hook not need some help."  (protesting my helping him into his carseat)

Linus: "I love you Mommy Bird (or dinosaur, or crocodile)."  (followed by snuggling)

Linus: "I potty trained.  You're welcome."