What in tarnation?!

This will be one of those posts that people without children might be bored by. Or even people with children that are not mine. LOL

Anyhow, the boys are at that age (4) where their expressive language and vocabulary is taking off. It is really cute to hear one of them say when asked if they painted at school that day, "I sure did!" Or in response to asking if they want a Spongebob waffle for breakfast, one of them shoots back "Well of course I do!". When this happens I always think to myself where they get this stuff. Of course, it is from listening to all the conversations around them and how adults are speaking with them now that they aren't "babies" anymore. I know that I use more sarcasm with them now that they understand the difference of me being serious vs. joking with them.

Another thing which is funny to experience is there burdgeoning understanding of how the world works. For instance, I picked them up from school the other day and their teacher happened to be getting into her car as I buckled my crew into ours. "I wonder where she is going?" asked Gavin. I mentioned that maybe she was going home. He sort of huffed and said "Teachers don't go home". If he was a little older he probably would have added a two syllable "Duh" to the end of that sentence.

And just this morning, while Aidan was looking for a toy in the toybox and pulled out a pair of underwear he exclaimed "What in tarnation?!".

That one we can credit to good ol' Spongebob.

Random thoughts for the day

Why is it that the kids on the Moon Sand commercial are able to keep all that moon sand in the little blowup sandbox? Yet my kids seem to think that little sandbox is simply for storing the moon sand not actually play with it in there.

And washable markers...they are really only washable to a certain extent. Then your child is stuck with a light blue arm for a few days. Coincidentally one of those days will be the day they have a doctor's appointment. And you will have to work into the conversation with the doctor how those markers really aren't all that washable even after several baths just so he will not think you haven't bathed your child in a while.

That's all for today...

The sea and me

Wordless Wednesday

The cutest little girl in a hospital gown

Ciara had surgery for a blocked tear duct last Thursday. The eye is still a little runny but the doctor said to give it a week. We shall see.

Now, I am not usually one to extol the cuteness of my children but isn't she so adorable in her little hospital gown?

And here is another photo with a mark over her eye lest the surgeon forget why she was there.

Fall?

Yesterday we took the kids to one of our favorite fall activities: apple picking. Well, we actually don't pick the apples per se. I think the kids are a little young still but hopefully next year.
Anyway, every year we visit an apple orchard to get some cider and apples, have a hayride, pet some goats and consume large amounts of cider donuts and apple crisp. Autumn is my very favorite season and I look forward to it all year.

Except when it is 82 degrees outside at the end of September. Global warming anyone?

So despite feeling most unFallish (yes, I am aware that probably isn't a word), the kids had a blast jumping on a maze of hay bales, eating cider donuts and picking out a few pumpkins .

And a gourd for Gavin.

Jump!

Wordless Wednesday

All roads lead to Stride Rite

All three of my kiddos have wide feet. I have no idea where they got them from as neither my husband nor I have them. This makes for expensive shoe shopping and basically we are limited to one place. Stride Rite. The cadillac of shoes for children. The average pair of shoes or sneakers there run around $54. I don't like paying that much for my shoes never mind shoes that will most likely be trudged through the nearest mud puddle 20 minutes after wearing them for the first time. Not to mention the fact that said shoes will most likely need to be replaced within a few months due to the rapid foot growth of small children.

My mother always makes the same remark after she finds out how much the kids' new shoes cost. "Well, you wouldn't see your (notoriously frugal) sister-in-law spending that amount on her kids' shoes". Well, her kids don't have wide gargantuan feet either.

Just to appease my mother, I have done countless searches on the internet to find out who else might possibly carry wide widths in children's shoes. I have typed in every possible combination of "toddler", "shoes", "wide widths", and "discount". I do get dozens of hits for online shoe stores who claim to carry wide widths for children. At a discount no less. I excitedly click on the link and discover.....they are Stride Rite shoes.

Offered at a 20% discount.

But factor in shipping and I might as well just go to the damn store and buy them myself. Seriously, there has got to be another brand of not-so-expensive wide width children's shoes. I will make this my highest priority.

Until I find them I guess I will have to just shell out the cash and stick my fingers in my ears to drown out my mother's comments.

Sunlight on water

I took these two photos in the late afternoon sun at the beach. My very favorite time of day.

More interesting light photos at Crazy Hip Blog Mamas

School is now in session

My Wordless Wednesday post was actually a photo from last year--their first day of school ever. Here is a picture from this year's first day.And then of course Ciara, who must do every single thing her brothers do, jumped in.
So, this year was so much more relaxed and anticlimactic than last year. Last year there was a big unknown of what 'preschool' was and all that it entailed. This year they knew what to expect and were chomping at the bit to get back. Sean and I hung around for a bit just in case but the boys really paid us no mind once they were at the table and playing Mr. Potatohead with their friends.
After their drop-off it was time to take Ciara to her Creative Movement class which I was so looking forward to. It is fun to do an activity like this with only one child to focus on. I never had that with the boys and it is such a different experience. No double stroller to lug out of the car, unbuckle and then buckle two kids in, make my way to the door and hope that the stroller fits through. Nope. Just unbuckled Ciara, grabbed my bag and was int he door in 30 seconds.
The class was not as good as I expected. First off the teacher didn't even introduce herself and secondly she didn't ask the kids any of their names. As a former teacher, I think that is such an important part of any type of class. But, all Ciara really cared about was running around the room with the 'twirling ribbons' so I guess it's all good.

That time of year...

Wordless Wednesday

I bought my son a Barbie

Ok, so it is not a Barbie. I was just going for shock value there. What it is is a Corbin Bleu doll. You know, Corbin Bleu? From High School Musical fame? You don't? Just where have you been living?
Anyway, we were at the store and we passed by the huge display of High School Musical merchandise and my 4 year old son just had to have the Corbin Bleu doll. Oh excuse me, action figure. The Corbin Bleu action figure as he calls it.Now, the movie is most definitely not geared for 4 year olds but Disney does put snippets of the music from the movie on during prime preschool viewing hours. Very smart. Aidan loves to dance and whenever the songs came on he just bops away. I must admit the tunes are quite catchy.

So there you go. Aidan's first "Barbie". LOL

How can you tell it is Autumn in New England?

Well, besides the telltale color change of the leaves, the chill in the air in the morning when you awake, and the sun setting earlier and earlier each evening.

For me the arrival of Fall is marked by:

Apple Cider Donuts!!

Yes, nothing says "Fall" to me more than a warm apple cider donut fresh from the fryer and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Mmmm mmmm good. Ciara and I had our first donuts of the season at Wilson Farm on Monday (Labor Day). The boys chose to stay home and play their new video game. Their loss. More donuts for us.

As if it would be anything else...

Your Inner European is Irish!

Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's Your Inner European?

However, I definitely do not see myself as "boisterous" and I most certainly could not drink anyone under the table. And yet, based on the food I like to eat and the activities I like to do, I am Irish. (My mother would roll her eyes if she saw this...I look just like her --Italian--yet I am fascinated with my father's Irish/English roots. Drives her nuts.)

Joy

Wordless Wednesday

The workings of a 4 year old mind

I was flipping through a Parents magazine recently and Gavin was next to me. We came to a page that had an ad for a Fisher Price bouncy seat and Gavin wanted to get it for Ciara.

Me: Ciara is too big for that seat now.
Gavin: Well, we can save it for when she gets little again.
Me: No, that’s not how it works. Babies grow bigger, not littler.
Gavin: Well, we can just not feed her and then she will get little.

There you go. Problem solved.