Christmas Joys

Mike and his bear, which came all the way from Tennessee, thanks to Jenny Ausili's parents!

Nick and his giant penguin!

Jay with his new bow!
What a wonderful christmas we had. Even I was spoiled this year. My mom surprised my sister and I with UGG boots. We were thrilled but I still feel guilty my mother spent so much on us. The boys were spoiled rotten. Jay got a bow and arrow set, a car sketching kit with a light table and a new set of colored pencils. Nick got a giant penguin (he named him Jake), a remote control garbage truck and an airplane. Mike's parent bought us a Wii, which Jay LOVES. He boxed and played so much tennis yesterday that he complained his shoulders hurt this morning. An interactive game, truly one of the best gifts for a very active almost 8 year old boy!

I'm truly blessed this christmas. I have healthy, happy boys and Mike and I are both employed. It doesn't get much better than that!

My Dirty Job

There are times I seriously question why the lord thought it was a good idea to bless me with two boys. There are times I feel completely inadquate to mother them. Now before I go any further, let me say for the record I wouldn't trade my boys and I love them dearly but quite frankly, I don't like to do the things that they like to do which puts me at a serious disadvantage. Lately, it has really bothered me. I question if I'm giving them everything they need from me. Sure they get it from Mike but I am the mother the lord intended me to be for my boys? I've noticed it more with Jay than Nick. Nick is only 3 and clearly still "needs" me. But I can almost feel Jay gravitating more and more towards his dad which I realize is completely normal but as that natural transition happens, I don't want my relationship with Jay to grow apart.
I ran errands after work tonight so I didn't get home until late. I walked in the door and I heard a loud "Mommy" from one of the boys. I decided it must be Nick as I figured Jay would not have missed me. Around the corner, Jay runs to me with open arms and sweeps me up in a hug. It was exactly what I needed. Later in the evening he wanted me to watch the T.V. show, "Dirty Jobs" with him. It occurred to me that I spent so much time focusing on what I wasn't good at that I was ignoring the simple things I enjoy with the boys. I love watching "Dirty Jobs." Jay and I sat and watched the show tonight and we laughed over Mike Rowe sticking his hands into a cow's stomach. I guess I'm not as "girly" as I thought.

My Snow "Adventure"

When we woke up this morning we had snow on the ground, something that always excites the boys but makes me moan in agony! Almost immediately the boys started asking when we could take them outside. Normally this is Mike's job but he was busy working on our fireplace (and I didn't want to interrupt that) so I tried to put a smile on my face as I got the snow gear on me and the boys and out we went. Now before I proceed any further I'd like to point out that everything and I do mean everything I do with my boys turns into a major ordeal. How could a walk in the snow turn into an ordeal? The walk started out okay except Nick insisted on driving his John Deere tractor & Jay wanted to ride his bike. Not wanting to appear as cranky as I felt I agreed. We walked to the beach and the boys played on the ice. Everything up to that point went well. Then it went down hill. Jay wanted to walk all the way around the lake. Sometimes I feel like the boys have way more fun with their dad so not wanting to appear like the "dud" parent once again I agreed, choosing to ignore my gut feeling that it was a bad idea. Once we got out on a county road (which is part of the walk around the lake) Nick's tractor died and I had no cell phone to call Mike and have him pick us up. I admit, my crankiness was coming through at this point. Jay agreed to push the tractor up the hills for me but when he'd complain I was quick to say......"It was your bright idea to walk around the lake," of course sounding bitchy as ever. Nick then proceeded to lose his boot, not once but twice. He cried the second time because his sock got wet, all the while I was pushing his stinking tractor up and down hills, trying desperately to make it home without turning into the wicked witch of the west. Somehow we made it home but I walked pulling that tractor 30 minutes! I was hoping my rear end would be smaller when I got home but no such luck!

Nick & the Abominable Snowman

While in Disney one evening Nick sat down to watch Rudolph. Rudolph is a classic cartoon and most of us remember the Abominable Snowman who comes up from the ground beating his chest and making obnoxious noises. Nick was happily enthralled with Rudolph until Mr. Abominable appeared. He ordered my mom and I to turn the T.V. off because "that snowman scares me." When I didn't immediately comply, his order turned into a frantic plea. I turned the cartoon off but my mom and I shared a chuckle. I'm not use to my boys being afraid of anything, honestly. For example, Nick rode all kinds of rides in Disney that would have been scary to any other 3 year old. He rode adult rollar coasters, took a ride on splash mountain and went through the haunted mansion which is down right dark and creepy. Nick never made a peep on those rides to indicate he was the least bit scared. In fact, he jumped off of all the rides and promptly proclaimed, "I wanna do that again." But yet, he couldn't quite take the likes of the abominable snowman! Go figure!

Disney Pix

This picture is classic. This is Nick and his "mood" on Wednesday, our first day in Disney. However, to be fair to Nick.......he had been up for 18 hours at this point and he had had it! He was ready for bed.

Our Disney High-Lights

I'm back!!! We returned from our Disney trip today and what a trip it was. We truly enjoyed ourselves. The boys are napping as I write this blog as they are just as exhausted as I am. Here are a few high lights from our trip:

• One night my mom, Nick and I were on a boat to go to downtown Disney. Downtown Disney was new to my mom and she had no idea what to expect. I think I must have told her we were going to downtown Disney 5 different times. When we got on the boat she asked me (like an 80 year old woman)........"Where are we going, Amy, Gap-Town?" I busted out in laughter and wished my sister was there so we could make fun of mom together. Mom had a good laugh over it too and me writing this blog poking fun at her is all meant in good fun. I love ya mom and I'm so glad you joined us on this trip. My mom was also great to keep me company during the trip. Eighty-percent of the time Mike and Jay did their own thing so me, Nick and mom hung out a lot.
• Nick's reaction to Disney was mixed. As his mother I either wanted to strangle him or hug him. The first two days we were there he was kind of a royal pain and complained a lot. He expressed several times he just wanted to go home. But the last two days we were there he really came out of his shell and seemed to have a good time. He even rode his first "adult" rollar coaster and loved it. One night while riding home on the mono-rail, we struck up a conversation with gentleman and told him we were from Illinois. He asked Nick, "Do you have snow in Illinois?" Nick boomed back........"No, but we have tractors."
• Disney was a pure delight for Jay. He was the perfect age. He has his dad's stamina. He and Mike would be the first people at the parks when they opened and they usually wouldn't get home until 9:30 or 10:00. Jay is always the perfect child when he is doing exactly what he wants to do, however the "schedule" that he ran on did catch up with him. He was meaner than a snake today on the flight home. He's napping now and I can count on one hand how many times Jay has taken an afternoon nap since he was 3 so needless to say he was literally wiped out from all the Disney adventures. His favorite rides were: Rock 'n Roll Rollar Coaster (Mike's fav too), Space Mountain and Expedition Everest - all fast coasters. Jay also loved Epcot, something that surprised me. During the week days, Jay was continually asking me what he would be doing at school at that particular hour. It was a crack-up. He was glad to be away from school but yet it was still on his mind.
• My mom and I loved the ride "Soarin." A friend of mine had told me the that waiting in line was worth the wait and that proved to be true. It was an awesome experience. I could "sore" all day.
• My mom gave me something to laugh about but I also gave her something to laugh about. One night as we were leaving Magic Kingdom and I was exhausted (but happy) I commented to my mother in my most nieve tone......."Gee, mom, Disney is a whole lot different when you're going as a parent." My mom broke out in gales of laughter. What I meant by that comment was waiting in lines never bothered me when I went with Mike 10 years ago but the crowds and the lines bothered me more this time but probably because I had two little kids to contend with. My mom and I commented several times how nice it was to go in December as we didn't have the heat to deal with but yet it was still nice. We wore shorts most of our days.
• My final comment about Disney is the transportation system.......Buses & Scooters = Royal pain in the ass! Anyone reading who has been to Disney will know what I'm talking about.

I'll post pictures from the trip tomorrow night, stay tuned.

R.I.P. Kitty

It's official, Kitty died! Her suspicious behavior started late last week. By Saturday, Jay knew she wasn't feeling well but we were all hoping she would turn the corner.
When I checked on Kitty this morning (before I woke Jay up) it was evident she had passed during the night. I didn't want Jay to discover his turtle had died before he went to school so I positioned her her tank to look like she had been moving. To my advantage she died with one eye open and one shut so I made sure when I positioned her, her "good" eye was facing outward, towards Jay's room.
After work and school today I broke the bad news to Jay. He cried but handled it quite well. He and Mike dug a hole in the frozen ground tonight and buried her. Mike said Jay was very particular in how he wanted her positioned in the hole.
In trying to see the positive from all this...........she could have died while we were in Disney, making a "lovely" smell for us to come home to.

Rest in peace, Kitty!

Is she or Isn't she?

Kitty, Jay's russian box turtle has been a part of our family since September 2008. I have to be honest, Mike and I are not animal lovers but Mike's dad, Jay's Grandpa John is a huge animal lover which must be where Jay gets it from. Jay has been really good about feeding and watering her. Granted, I have to remind him but overall when I remind him he promptly feeds her. During the summer, he takes her outside to wander around the yard and frequently gives her baths. He included a picture of her this week when Jay was featured as the "Star of the Week." He truly does love his Kitty!

Last night, however, Mike and I became a little suspicious. First of all, Kitty hasn't eaten in 2 weeks. During the winter this isn't so unusual but 2 weeks is a little long, even for a cold blooded half hibernated turtle. When Jay was happily watching "Polar Express" last night I found Kitty sunny-side up and literally gasped. Turns out she was still alive but I didn't feel good about the situation. While Jay continued to watch his movie, Mike and I seized the opportunity to investigate. No matter what we did, Kitty continued to turn herself over on her back - Weird! I got up at 5:15 this morning and found Kitty on her back in her water bowl. My plan of attack is to wake Jay up this morning, distracting him from checking on Kitty then I will access the situation..................Stay tuned............if I have a turtle that has gone sunny side up, I'm going to have a very upset little boy.

Boys vs. Girls

My visit with good friend, Melissa, provided me with yet another topic for my blog. When we returned from our dinner, her mother was giving her two girls a bath. As we were walking upstairs to join her mom and see her girls, I heard her older daughter singing the cutest song about a zoo. I noticed I didn't hear any obnoxious yelling, no farting or burping, just a nice melody in a cute toddler voice! We got to the bathroom and Mel's mom commented to me that it must be different for me to see two girls taking a bath instead of two boys, meaning the anatomy is different! But it wasn't the anatomy that was so "different" to me especially since I give my niece plenty of baths but it was the undeniable fact that the girls weren't trying to drown each other, make obscene noises or have the bathroom so wet that it looked like the parting of the red sea. But I suppose the differences between boys and girls is what makes the world go around. Certainly, as an adult I appreciate the differnces between Mike and I. Children in general give their parents lots to smile, worry, laugh and stress about and that is something every parent can agree on whether they have boys or girls!