Day 5 - What you love to hate about them

When I first read this assignment I knew there was only one thing I could post about. The tooth.

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When Thomas was 22 months old he broke his front tooth. This wasn't a cute little chip that could be overlooked, it was a huge C-shaped chip out of the left corner of his right tooth. It left a point on the bottom that I thought for sure would puncture his lip before we had the chance to repair it.

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There is a lot of debate as to how his tooth actually broke. Both things happened within minutes of each other. It could either by my fault or Steve's fault - or a combination of the two. Thomas was sitting on the edge of our kitchen table next to Steve. For some reason he fell off the table - with a perfectly capable adult sitting right next to him! About 10 minutes after he had calmed down he was playing with my large exercise ball. For some reason, as I walked by I kicked it. I did not realize the moment I kicked the ball was the same moment my darling, perfect son decided to do a face plant into the ball. Me kicking the ball + Him doing a face plant into the ball = A face first fall onto the wood floor. I scooped him up and held him. I felt so bad. When he finally calmed down he looked at me and smiled. At that moment I about lost my lunch. I am abnormally squeamish about broken teeth.

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He had the tooth fixed the next morning and all was well with the world once again. Then the temporary fell off about 6 months later leaving him with the same C-shaped chip. We saw a dentist once again and they said they could place a cap over the tooth. They said it would look great. For some reason I believed them. I will never forget the morning that Steve brought him home from the dentist. I was laying on the couch trying to talk myself out of morning sickness. Thomas came walking over to me with a smile on his face so he could show me the new tooth. He had this fluorescent white billboard with a silver back as a replacement for his tooth. It looked awful. I had a really hard time getting use to it. I HATED it.

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That was 3 1/2 years ago. Since then it has blended in. You can still tell that it is a fake tooth, but he works it. I have gotten use to it - it's a part of him that I love. It's part of his smile, and what's not to love about his smile? I know the life of the tooth is coming to an end. He is 6, the prime age for losing teeth. It's going to be a sad day when that little thing falls out.

Day 4 - What they wear

This project has been so much fun. Granted we are only on the 4th day, but each assignment is so easy to work with. Today's assignment was What They Wear. One of the things I have been focusing on a lot is catch lights. For those of you who don't dabble in photography, a catch light is light reflection in your subjects eyes. When I attended the Blue Lily GoPro Workshop in November it was one of the first things they emphasised. A good catch light = an interesting photo.

Anyway...back to the assignment.

What they wear. My kids wear clothes. 33% of the time they are clean, 33% I know they are dirty, but I know they will pass and 34% of the time I'm not sure. Laundry is an issue here. This pictures was easy to set up.

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1. Go to any room - I picked the room with the best light for the time of day.

2. Dump out laundry basket that is guaranteed to be overflowing.

3. Let kids play in clothes.

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Clara loves a big pile of clothes to snuggle in. It doesn't matter if they are clean or dirty. Many times I have found her curled up in our dry cleaning basket playing her leapster. Other times I have yelled firmly told her to stop messing around in the clean laundry piled all over the couches. If there is a big pile of clothes she will gravitate towards it.

Joy of Love

One of the blogs I read recently posted about an online photo class. I clicked on the link and was thrilled to find out it was free. Hot digity!!! Ever day during the month of February, Willette sends a photo assignment to complete. I have not had the chance to post, so I am posting 3 days worth of assignments.

The idea of the class is to take a picture of someone or something you love everyday. Each day they assign a theme. Follow the theme, take the picture - pretty easy (Jenn D - do it). The pictures do not have to be the same person or the same thing everyday, it can be various things. There is still time to sign up. Click here to play along.

Assignment Day 3: Show how they have changed.

There are few things in life as sad as baby shoes. Don't get me wrong, baby shoes are adorable and so much fun when babies are around. But babies grow up. Then 6 years later you pull the baby shoes out of your secret drawer and you cry. The first question that always comes to my mind is "How did they ever fit into these?"

Assignment Day 2: What they look like.

I don't know how many people stop me and comment on the color of my kids' hair. When I have one of them, it happens. When I have both of them together, I can't walk into a store without some cute little old lady stopping to talk to me and tell me about her grandbaby who has red hair, but not "that" color red. Then the questions start, "Who has red hair in your family?" I've learned not to say, "My husband had red hair" because someone once thought he must be dead because I used the word had. When I say had I say it meaning that he was a red-head up until his late 20's, then it started to morph into something else - more of a brown. Now that he has entered his 40's, it's beginning to morph into another color - I think it looks pretty hot.

For this picture I wanted the sun to be shining directly on Thomas' hair so that it would accentuate the color. I often think it looks like I've crushed up a bunch of pennies and rubbed them all over his head.

Assignment Day 1: What they do.

I think I have already established that this is what Clara does every time I pull out the camera to get a picture of her. So when I read the assignment and saw that I was to shoot a picture of what they do - I let her do her thing. No bribing involved.

Clara's Picture

This is Clara's picture she drew of our family. Notice who is wearing the princess crown?

History Repeated

Remember this?

She did it again.

Friday afternoon I was frantically getting ready for Thomas' birthday party. Clara was playing upstairs and she was quiet. I wasn't too worried about her. After all, I had a lot to do and she was occupied, things were getting done. When the boys started to arrive, I called her several times to come downstairs. She wasn't coming right away. That is not normal. I should have known she was up to no good.

When she came finally did come down she started to participate in the festivities. About 10 minutes later I noticed that her hair was a shiny. My best friend was there and smelled it for me. My nose hasn't been working for the past 2 weeks, so it's a good thing she was there to assess. She said it smelled kind of "mediciny." I figured she had just put a bunch of gel in her hair or maybe vicks?

After that party I went upstairs and found my tub o' Vaseline had a couple big dips taken out with tiny fingers. I asked her why she put Vaseline in her hair and she just said, "it's so I can be beautiful." I tried to explain to her that we can put other stuff in our hair, just not Vaseline.

Lucky for me I knew the remedy. She slept with cornstarch in her hair and then in the morning we washed it with coke and an egg. It worked like a charm. I think I can officially call my self an expert when it comes to removing Vaseline from hair. I wonder if there is a way I can get certified?

11 things in 11 years

Steve and I celebrated our 11th anniversary on Saturday. Well, by writing Celebrated I mean we spent the day with our kids at Costco. When we got home he played with Thomas at the park while Clara and I took a 2 hour nap. It was a perfect day. Our original plans didn't include stocking up the pantry. Plan A was to head to St. George and spend the weekend together. Plan B was to see a movie and eat sushi. Neither plan happened because I can't seem to kick this cold.

Eleven years - it seems like forever. I look at pictures of us when we were just married and we look like kids. So much has happened over those years. We have grown stronger and happier. We have learned a lot.

like....

1. It drives me nuts that Steve can't put the dishes in the dishwasher and it drives him nuts that I can't remember to start the dishwasher.

2. He has learned how to fall asleep with the TV on. It's a horrible habit that I brought into the marriage.

3. I have learned how to do laundry. Believe it or not, he had to teach me when we got married. I was spoiled. We still have "laundry inservices" when he finds his church socks have been washed with the dish towels. (What? It's not like I was washing reds with whites. Isn't that the only mandatory laundry rule?)

4. We know how to end an argument. If either one of us is getting too upset, we just have to say, "Do you want to get a pizza?" This doesn't mean we are really going to get a pizza, it just means step back and shut up. It just sounds nicer, doesn't it?

5. We have decided that it is best that Steve wears the pants in the family. I am totally fine with that. I like that he is man of the house.

6. We have learned that a TIVO can change your life.

7. I have learned to love sushi. He has learned to love my cooking.

8. We have both learned how to be homebodies since having kids. Before they came a long we would go out all the time. Now we are happy just being at home with the kids, eating a pizza and watching our kids laugh at Wipeout.

9. We have learned that we really didn't know each other that well when we got engaged after 6 weeks. It's a good thing everything stuck and we really did end up liking each other in the long run.

10. We have learned that we don't know how to keep our garage clean. Maybe we'll figure that one out eventually.

11. We have learned how lucky we truly are. We are happy, healthy and have lots of love in our home.

January 20, 2011

It's painful to think that this little guy....

Is now this boy. No longer little boy. Just boy.

We started out the all-day celebration eating a traditional donut breakfast, with a side of shredded wheat.

Then it was off to his classroom to deliver treats. If you know me, you know I try to be Martha Stewart when it comes to stuff - well, some stuff. Thomas wasn't going for it this year. I searched the Internets for cute cupcake ideas, one that would wow the teachers and anybody I passed in the hallway heading to his room. Two days before his birthday, he decided he wanted Ding-Dongs brought to his classroom. As in my-mom-phones-it-in-ding-dongs. So I had to walk down the hallway in his school with a Wal-Mart sack full of Ding-Dongs. Oh the shame.

He couldn't have been more happy when Clara and I arrived. He was thrilled to have us visit, and beyond happy to pass out Ding Dongs to his classmates.

When we arrived, Clara went and sat with him at his desk. Thomas then gave her his birthday pencil his teacher had given him. He also gave her is Capri Sun.

After school we picked up Grandma and ate lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Thomas feasted on a plate of cheese, olives, jello, and a baked potato. I wish I would have taken my camera. Grandma made him the most awesome wooden doghouse to keep all his stuffed dogs in. He has a thing for dogs right now. I wish we could get him a real dog, but 1/2 of our family has been cursed with allergies.

When we got home, I started decorating his cake - a dog cake. I was working on the crumb coat when he came down and asked if he could help. At first I said that it was kind of hard and that he could watch, then I caught myself being a perfectionist and handed him the decorating bag. I was so proud of myself for giving up control. Him and I had a great time decorating HIS cake and talking while he created. I think those 30 minutes were the best 30 minutes of the entire day.

Then Clara joined us.

Is this not the BEST cake ever? I love it more than words can express.

Daddy got off work early and we went to In-and-Out Burger for dinner. After dinner we came home, opened presents and then ate some cake.

It was a perfect day for a perfect little boy.

The Apprentice

On Monday the kids and I drove out to Nelson, NV. My cute friend and I are doing a swap. I took her family pictures and she in turn is doing some graphic design for me. Nelson, NV is a really cool ghost town, so she told me to bring the kids with us.

The kids were great. They explored the area, kept within reach and held my reflector when I needed them to. What more can you ask for in an assistant? Thomas brought his own camera and went around taking pictures of things he liked. I was quite impressed when I dumped his card on the computer.

I asked him to tell me why he took the pictures.

1. The barn at the top- He told me he took this pictures because it was a farm and it had my favorite drink on it.

2. The windmill - "I liked it because it was a fan, and a windmill."

3. The truck - "I just thought it was cool."

His shadow picture is one of my favorites.

I made them pose for a couple pictures while we were there. This one was my favorite. I told Thomas to put his arm around his sister, but she did it too. They love each other so much.

Winter Wonderland Photo Challenge

When I saw the theme for this week's photo challenge over at I Heart Faces I decided I needed to enter this picture of Thomas. Who would have ever thought that I could get a snow picture in Las Vegas!

For many more amazing photos, click the camera.

Just so you know...

Thomas often asks me to turn the "Cowboy Station" on the radio. I am not a fan of country music. I think there was a brief period in time that I did like it, but that was in college. Most likely I only pretended to like it because some boy I was interested in drove a truck and had a wrangler butt. When Thomas asks me to tune in I usually tell him I don't know where the station is. It's not a lie, I really don't know where that station is. Ignorance is bliss.

Thanks to my hot husband who does not have a wrangler butt, Thomas likes to listen to country. The two boys will often tune in when they are outside working in the garage or doing other manly duties.

The other day Thomas was listening to his radio and messing around with the controls. He stumbled upon a country station. The whole house knew he had found the station. Gee-tar music was being blasted and the kids were loving it. I pretended to love it.

About 5 minutes later Thomas brought me this picture. He wanted me to know what the call numbers were for the station so I wouldn't forget. It looks like I am going to need a new excuse.

*Please be sure to notice my favorite part of the picture, the toothpick hanging out of his mouth.

Sunrise / Sunset ????

tap tap tap tap tap....tap tap tap tap tap

That is how I woke up this morning. Thomas tapping on my hand. At 6:20. Normally I would be up, but that little cough/cold that I posted about last week turned into a real doozy. I have spent the past week moving from my bedroom, to the chair downstairs, to the couch trying to get into a position where I didn't feel the need to hack up a lung. Thanks to a drug cocktail of benadryl, mucinex and codeine cough syrup, I finally slept. In my bed. In a horizontal position. It was pure bliss.

Until the tapping.

What was so important at 6:20 am? The sunrise, or sunset, according to Thomas (I guess I need to teach him the difference). My sweet boy woke me up so I could see the "beautiful sunset." I wish I would have been coherent enough to get myself out of bed. It would have been nice to spend those few moments together enjoying the beauty of a sunrise. Instead he grabbed his camera and took some pictures so I could see it when I wasn't stoned. He was right, it was beautiful.

I love him.

My Clara Jane

I have been sick the past few days. Nothing serious, just a bronchial cough that came out of nowhere. Lucky for me the holidays are over, family pictures wrapped up and the visitors are gone. I can actually allow myself to be sick.

Yesterday afternoon I parked myself on the couch in a nice pair of mismatched sweats and caught up with The Bachelor. While Thomas was upstairs playing with his hot wheels, Clara was downstairs taking care of me. She rubbed my head, kissed my cheek, brought me water and fed me fruit snacks with a spoon.

What more can a mom ask for?

Educational Neglect?

It snowed in Las Vegas yesterday.

As soon as I realized it was snowing - which sadly enough happened via facebook (thank you to all my friends for updating their status to say that it was snowing) - I ran upstairs to wake up the kids. Actually, first I ran outside in my pajamas to make sure I wasn't getting punked, then I ran upstairs to get the kids.

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Thomas popped right out of bed and looked out the window. Clara - well she has a bit of her Daddy's DNA in her and got very upset with me for waking her up. Instead of running to the window, she ran into our room and snuggled up with Steve in bed. When she finally decided that she needed to check out the excitement, she made it downstairs to see for herself.

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What's a mom to do? Do I send him back to school knowing there is a 99.9% chance the snow would be melted by the time he got out, or do I let him stay home and play with his sister? I knew the first day back after break would be spent reviewing procedures and relearning how to hold a pencil. I felt comfortable that Thomas was going to be okay if he missed that. Plus, Steve and I have both been sick with a cold / cough and we are trying really hard to prevent the kids from getting it. Keeping him home from school and away from germy kids was a sure-fire way of preventing illness. (Is that enough justification, or do I need more?)

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So I let them play outside.

Clara kept on taking the snow in her hands and examining it. She is obsessed with water and ice (if you don't believe me, check the floor by the refrigerator where she constantly plays with the icemaker and water spout) and this new stuff seemed to be right up her alley.

Thomas was our taste tester.

Thomas taught Clara how to make and throw snowballs. When she got tired of throwing them at Thomas, she turned on me. Like I said in a previous post, I have lightning fast reflexes and was able to get the shot of her throwing the snowball at me and my camera and move just in time.

Am I proud of myself for teaching Thomas how to play hooky? Umm...not sure. But I am very happy that we got to experience the fun morning together.

Christmas Post - 2010

Christmas - it came, it went, it was great.

Every Christmas season the same thing happens. Life gets so busy that I don't have time to document the great things that happened. So, one of my goals for 2011 is to start documenting my kids antics again. In order to do that, I must put up a Christmas post.

Done.

Let life resume.

Fieldtrip

{Leaf and Bark Rubbing, December 10, 2010}

I vividly remember the last time I went on a school field trip. I was 8 months pregnant and riding on a big yellow bus to the Palms Hotel. (we only do high class field trips here in sin city). I was big, uncomfortable and in charge of 23 8-9 year olds. We were taking them to see the Polar Express at the only theater in town with an 11 am showing - The Palms. If you have ever had the privilege of watching MTV or any other classy reality show, you know this is a very family friendly place.

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I remember sitting on the bus with my back to the window. My legs were stretched out on the bus seat and I was trying to ignore the screaming children and the smell of bus fumes. All I kept thinking was, " What the he*l am I doing here?" (yes,sometimes I swear in my mind, and lets face it - out loud) I was done.

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We saw the movie, none of the children got lost or drunk, and we made our way back on the bus. Success. Until one of the kids read a billboard on the freeway and asked me what Jello Wrestling was. At that moment, I was really done. I reached into my book bag, pulled out my bible, and swore on it...No more field trips for me. No more teaching once this baby came out. I wanted out. I wanted to be a full-time mom.
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Today I had to go back on my promise. I went on another field trip. I'll have to admit I was having second thoughts after I wrote the teacher a little note telling her I would love to accompany them on their "walking field trip." However, I was willing to break my promise to myself so I could spend time with Thomas.
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The field trip was fun. We walked to the park, fed overly zealous ducks and geese, and went on a nature scavenger hunt. I helped the kids dodge horse, dog, duck, peacock and goose poop, kept them from swimming in the slimy pond and zipped up a few jackets. I was having a good time - go figure. I even chuckled to myself as I watched the teacher count the kids several times to make sure everyone was there, only to count them again - just to be on the safe side. It was at that moment I remembered the feeling, the stress of being in charge of so many little bodies and making sure nobody was misplaced.

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As that memory was beginning to take over my body, I grabbed my son's hand and gave it a little squeeze. The warmth of his hand brought me back to present time. Don't get me wrong, I loved being a teacher. I had wonderful students, an incredible team teacher who taught me so much, and co-workers I enjoyed spending time with. I was a good teacher who loved the kids, and loved spending time with them (until I had gained 40 lbs and was trying to come up with an appropriate answer to the jello wrestling question). But I enjoy the time as a stay at home mom so much more. I am SO grateful for Steve. He works hard so I won't have to be in charge of field trips anymore. Maybe one day when the kids are much older I'll have the desire to go back. Until then, I get to be a full-time mom and I only have to ride on a bus if I want to. And you can bet your Lucky Charms If Thomas or Clara want me on that bus, I'll be there.