Helping Hands

This is what we get when Ethan is around during dishwasher unloading time...

Not so helpful...but oh, so cute!

You walk like a girl!

Warning...total rambling ahead. Nothing of importance, so feel free to skip this post altogether!

I have a confession. I fully appreciate cute shoes...but have never gotten past the flip-flop stage myself. I admire all my friends whose feet are always clad in cute, stylish footwear...but I have NEVER been able to walk in heels and gave up even trying about 7 years ago.

Okay...fast forward to a few months ago when I was browsing a clearance rack at Famous Footwear - yeah, can you tell that I'm not lying about my non-quality shoe habits when I admit to my shopping locale?!?!? I spied some semi-cute shoes though (read: super cute for me...but I don't know if may others would completely rave as I have...but when you're comparing them to the $2.50 flip flops that I've worn for years, they're SUPER CUTE!!!) I bought these little beauties feeling quite proud of myself, especially considering the crazy bargain I got on them...but then have been too sick to even think about wearing them much. Besides, most of my outings have been to the school, hospitals or doctor's offices and no one there would really appreciate my cute foot style. Who in their right mind would be coming out of anesthesia and walk out in any shoe with a heel...regardless of how minuscule that heel may be!?!?!?

Anyway, I finally got around to wearing them yesterday and as I was prancing around the house when I was getting ready to leave, my boys were very excited for me! Garrett and Ethan each took turns wearing the shoes (though maybe I shouldn't admit that!) and Steve, looking on exclaimed "Ahhhhh, you're walking like a girl!" Hmmm...not quite sure what to think of that...do I usually trudge around like a neanderthal??? While I don't think I quite have the caveman strut, the fact that my poor husband has never seen me in anything cuter than an pretty flip-flop, sneakers or an occasional semi-cute (but flat) church shoe, I'll have to let that one slide!!!

Just like Dad

Pockets

I am discovering as a mother that POCKETS are something I need to take more seriously.

The other day while at the park after school, Garrett proceeded to empty out his pockets to show me something he had made in school. Before we got to his paper craft that he had oh-so-carefully folded into a tiny rectangle...he pulled out 2 sticks, 3 rocks, a piece of yarn, a wrapper from some sort of snack, a sticker from his craft time and a lego. A different day, he came home from school and pulled out a cookie that I had packed in his lunch that he had saved for me (sweet, huh?) AND a duck feather. Hmmm...not so appetizing since I have this thing where I think that feathers are the germiest, dirtiest and grossest things on the planet - when not attached to a bird of course! Don't tell him, but both the cookie and the feather went straight to the trash! Needless to say, laundry these days is quite interesting as I am still not in the habit of checking the boys pockets on a regular basis before throwing their clothes in the washer!

Today though, Ethan proved to be following in his brother's footsteps in the whole 'utilizing one's pockets' thing. I told him that we were going to go to the grocery store and that I was going into the kitchen to get him some snacks. The next thing I know, Ethan had gathered up a bowl of candy (where he got it from, I still don't know) and was proceeding to stuff every single piece into his pocket. He was so intent on his task and was muttering 'poppet...caddy...poppet...caddy' during the whole thing. It was so funny to see him packing his pockets full of candy!

The sad thing about it was that as soon as he was done (and I had packed a few more nutritious snacks in my purse) I swept him up - candy and all - and buckled him in his carseat! Don't think less of me...if you have ever gone to the store with Ethan, you know you need all the help you can get. A pocket full of candy that would most likely keep him entertained for at least an aisle or two seemed like a good idea to me!

Big Boy!

So yesterday, Ethan followed Garrett up to his room after breakfast when Garrett finally headed up to get dressed for the day...got to love those lazy no-school mornings! :) The next thing I know, Garrett is giggling hysterically and Ethan is walking down the stairs as proud as can be! He had stripped himself out of his shorts and t-shirt and had put on a pair of Garrett's underwear over his diaper. He was so pleased with himself and wore them all day, pulling them back on after every diaper change. He even asked to go potty whenever he'd strut past the bathroom!

Now, before any of you start thinking that my child is anywhere near being potty trained soon...I am telling you that we are FOREVER away from that milestone and anything otherwise would only be wishful thinking on my part! So here's my boy...undies, diaper and all! May this lead to good things in our future!!!

Weekend Fun

We finally did it...something we've been wanting to do for years but never made the time for. We went camping! I know...slightly anti-climatic after that intro...but nonetheless, we finally took the boys camping and we all had the greatest time! (And don't expect any pics with this post...heaven forbid I pack the camera along with everything else!!!) The boys LOVED it...especially since we went with a bunch of their friends...so they just played non-stop for 3 days! So after about 100 smores, 10 games of tent hide-and-seek, digging in the sand at the beach, a bit of fishing and hours of chatting around the campfire...we're convinced that our family can camp and we can't wait to go again! :)

He just said what???

So tonight over dinner, Garrett said a few things that made me laugh...

Here's conversation #1:

Ethan: Peas hot...peas hot...peas hot! (no worries....they were only warm, nothing hot enough to burn his little fingers!)

Garrett: (Starting his musings out loud) Hmmm, I wonder what 'hot' Ethan means. There's hot like it feels hot. There's hot like it's spicy hot. And there are other 'hots'.

Me: (thinking to myself) What other 'hot' could my kindergartner know?

Garrett: (continuing...) Then there's the hot like on the Chipmunk Movie when Alvin says that Claire is HOT.

Me: (Again thinking to myself) Yep, that's the hot I didn't think he knew about yet! Do 6 year-olds really know that phrase???

Garrett: Hey Mom...what does that hot mean?

Me: (in my head once more) Whew...at least he doesn't know exactly!!!



Conversation #2:

Tonight at dinner, my little six year old started spelling out words in the conversation so that Ethan wouldn't understand what he was saying! I thought it was so funny! How does he know to do that? Steve and I haven't been able to do that for a very long time now since Garrett could sound out most words pretty early on, much to our conversational dismay...I didn't even think Garrett remembered our sneaky methods! But no, there he was, spelling out whole sentences to try and pull a quick one over his little brother! :) How quickly they learn!