Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Hello Fall...


Oh, how I've missed you!  While I am sad that the pools days are over, I relish this time of open windows and snuggling under the blankets.  Today is the first day that Ethan has worn pants to school in a loooong time.  Fortunately, Aunt RaRa got him a few pairs of pants a couple of weeks ago.  Unfortunately, these are a 4T and the length is perfect.  I only say that it's unfortunate because I was really hoping that these pants would get him through the season, and now I'm just not sure!  This was taken on our way to school this morning.  Looks like we will also be retiring the dino hoodie which I know he will not be happy about.



Speaking of growing, we think Ethan just went threw a spell of growing pains.  For a few nights in a row, he woke up complaining that his legs hurt.  Not to mention he has been eating like a bottomless pit!!  A few weeks ago he ate 2 foot-long corn dogs in a matter of 30 minutes and said he was still hungry!  Looks like it's time to measure him again.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Football Fun



After being stuck inside for more days than I care to think about, the rain finally stopped, the sun came out, and we were able to go outside and play with our friends.  Ethan was so excited!!!  Carter, Ethan, and Joey enjoyed a game of football in the mud.





And Colby wore some baseball gear that was just a little too big for him. 



We live in such a great neighborhood and we truly love our neighbors.  Every day when we turn into the neighborhood Ethan immediately starts asking if he can go outside when we get home and play with his friends.  When we turn the corner onto our street he gets so happy if he sees the boys (and Emerson) outside.  Luckily we don't live on the main road so the kids can play in the street without having to worry about too many cars. 

On a side note, so people have asked me if we were affected by the rain and how things are in our area.  Monday was a little crazy to say the least.  Marc and I went to work and Ethan went to school.  I heard from Nancy that the police were closing streets right near our house and then that portions of Hwy 92 were closing.  Since this was my way home, my boss let me leave early.  I picked up Ethan and we headed home without a problem.  Marc wasn't so lucky.  He had to turn around twice on his way home and finally found a back way that wasn't closed.  One report said that our area got almost 20" of rain in 3 days!!  Thankfully, our house and neighborhood were not damaged by the rain and everyone is safe.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Always Remember...

And never forget.  I just hope and pray that our children never have to experience an event like this.  Godspeed to those still out there fighting and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Two Birds

I'm going to kill two birds with one stone in this post!  The first and most important part of this post is to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated to Ethan's Mini-March for Cystic Fibrosis.  He raised over $200!!!
The second item on the agenda is Ethan's new haircut!  We went to American Haircuts on Saturday and Ms. Cindy cut Ethan's hair.  I was a little skeptical when she came to get us and had a bright pink cast on her arm, but she did a GREAT job especially considering my (lack of) instructions.  I told her that we loved it long, but it was a little too long.  We loved the curl, but realized that would probably have to go.  Well, she knew exactly what I was talking about and gave him a great cut!  He is no longer having to sweep hair out of his eyes every 5 minutes.
Here's Ethan with Sabo
And a close-up of the hair

Thursday, September 03, 2009

The Noodle

According to http://www.wikipedia.com/ a noodle is "food made from unleavened dough that is cooked in a boiling liquid.  Depending on the type, noodles may be dried or refrigerated before cooking."  I must politely dissagree with the writers at Wikipedia...they must not have kids.

According to Amanda Spector, noodle is "the standard move amoung all toddlers where the arms and entire body go limp while a parent is trying to maneuver said child in a manor they do not condone at that time." 

Every parent knows (and loathes) this move.  Ethan demonstrated the noodle perfectly last week after school.  We were at the car and after some debate about where he was going to sit, I informed him that there was no choice in the matter and he needed to get in the car.  In true toddler fashion, he fell dramatically to the ground and started the pout.  I put my hands under his armpits and then it happened.  The arms went up and the body went limp.

One would think that it would be easy to put 35 pounds of absolutely dead weight into the car, but not so much.  Getting him off the ground was the tricky part since it now required me to grab him around the torso and the waist.  I have a fear of lifting him by his arms after I read a story of a child whose arms were dislocated after being lifted by the arms.  OUCH!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Redecorating

With fall swiftly approaching, I thought it was time to do some blog redecorating!  Hope you enjoy it!

It's Time

After this disaster of a haircut, we've been a little hesitant to have Ethan's hair cut...and this was done in January!!! Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad, but we just love the shag and the curls.

But it's time. Here is where we are now, after two overall trims at the salon and a few bang trims by yours truly. Thank you to my neighbor who gave me the instructions on how to cut the bangs! And forgive the lip-poke. Ethan fell at school the other day and bit his lip.


We are now at the point that Ethan is actually asking for a haircut. Poor kid is forever sweeping the front out of his eyes. When his hair is wet, the back goes past his shoulders.


Saturday we will be going to American Haircuts for a trim.


And Cindy will be cutting his hair



I have taken him to American Haircuts once before and I really loved the place (although a bit pricey). They coin themselves as the New American Barbershop and only cut men's hair. I love this warning that appears on their website:

WARNING:
AMERICAN HAIRCUTS® is NOT politically correct. If you are easily offended, there is a good possibility that you will be offended here. In our barbershop, the conversation is real and our barbers and clients don't hold their tongues. So, if someone says something that rhymes with "other trucker" don't be surprised.

We are also an "Idiot Free" Zone. We don't put up with people who are rude, pushy, arrogant, or those who can't loosen up and have a little fun. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, especially if we think you're a great big jerk. We strive to keep our shop an "Idiot Free" Zone at all times, so if you're acting like an idiot, we'll be sure to let you know, right before we throw your ass out.
Stay tuned for pictures. Ethan says he doesn't want to shave his head like Daddy's, but you never know!!

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Think, Wonder, Question

Last night, Marc and I were talking about Ethan and the kind of person he'll turn out to be. It's a little daunting to know that we will be held responsible for the adult he becomes. Makes me think back to being pregnant and not knowing if we were having a boy or a girl. I used to listen to this song by Marc Cohen called The Things We've Handed Down from my Mad About You soundtrack

Will you laugh just like your mother
Will you sigh like your old man
Will some things skip a generation
Like I've heard they often can
Are you a poet or a dancer
A devil or a clown
Or a strange new combination of
The things we've handed down
As I was driving I would contemplate what this little person in my belly was going to look like and act like. Lots of wishing and hoping going on then, and I think we got the best combination of us in Ethan!

Anyway, back to my conversation with Marc...I think kids rebel when their parents have an ideal and are unwilling to bend, regardless of what might be best for the kiddo. It's kind of like putting peas on the plate even though you know kiddo won't eat them. Why not just switch it up for another veggie?? It's that whole "adapt and overcome" mentality.

Marc and I aren't afraid to change up the game plan whenever necessary. No written plays here...we go with the flow, and it seems to be working for us (have I just jinxed myself??!!)

We talked about the difference between teaching him what is right and wrong versus teaching how to decide what is right and wrong. I think the answer lies in the second choice. Life is all about making the right choice at any given moment. Create a thinker, wonderer, questioner...that's our goal.

When your child asks you "why" how often do you say "because" and leave it at that? I'm totally guilty. I once challenged myself to NOT use "because" in my answers to him. I know what you are thinking, and yes, it's just as hard as you think! Try looking up "because" in the thesaurus and you don't get a whole lot of choices that would make any sense to a toddler.

I have to remind myself that it's fantastic that he's asking the questions and not just taking our word for it. Marc is great at this and answering his questions. Shows we are creating that thinker, wonderer, questioner. Don't believe everything you hear and always ask questions...ALWAYS!!