Misery

My littlest guy is MISERABLE.  A trip to the doctor confirmed it- an ear infection and pneumonia.  First dose of antibiotics given and he is sleeping soundly at 5:38 as I write this.  Considering he goes to bed at 6:30, this could be problematic, but I can't bear to wake him. 

Please get better.

My Weekend

I feel a little guilty- I had a nice break from parenting this weekend, and I wasn't even productive.  I didn't do laundry, clean, or iron. I didn't finish a single project.  I went out with my husband to a great function Saturday night-black dress and sparkly shoes to boot.  We left at 6 and rolled in after midnight (thanks mom for spending the night).  Crazy, I know.  I read a book.  Tom got up with Tommy at 6:30 Sunday morning and let me sleep in until NINE.  I read some more while the kids napped this afternoon.  Tom made dinner both Saturday and Sunday night (I did clean up the kitchen today). Thanks, honey.

Life is good.  Ready to tackle this week and have fun with the kids.  Tommy may be coming down with something, but keeping optimistic.  Hoping for no snow.

Good night.

Tommy is One!

Tuesday, we hit the town to celebrate Tommy's first birthday.  We started at the Science Center (thanks mom for the membership!) and Tommy could have spent all day at the water tables, which we had all to ourselves.  We tried to move on to some other exhibits, but as soon as I pulled him away, he just cried and crawled right back over.  The other little boy with us in the photos is our neighbor, Ben, and it just so happens that Ben also shares a birthday with Tommy.

 

After we had sufficiently exhausted the water, we decided on an impromptu lunch with Daddy and took the new subway, which has a station at the Science Center, to within a block of Tom's office. Patrick was a little apprehensive, but thanks to an episode of "Caillou" where Caillou rides the subway to visit a friend, he was a willing passenger. 

Wednesday Tommy had his one-year well check with our friend, Dr. Mary.  She wanted to know if we had any exceptional height in our family because Tommy is now measuring in at 32" (96th percentile) and 21.1 lbs (26th).  Oddly, he has a small head (4th), but he doesn't have to be smart if he can pound all the other kids into the ground.

I switched Tommy to whole milk about two weeks before his birthday and he had no problems adapting.  The kid will eat anything and is already eating more than his big brother in a sitting.  I wish this were an exaggeration, but it it isn't.  He continues to sleep 7-6:30 and is walking in spurts with a whole lot of crawling mixed in.  Tommy has said two words aside from the standard "momma", "dadda" and "Baba": the first has been a very inconsistent "night,night".  He would usually say it out of context, but is now saying it more frequently when he is tired.  The second was an isolated incident of "nana" when I held up a banana and asked if he wanted it.  He said "nana" clear as day, then twice more as he waited impatiently for me to cut it up.  I haven't been able to get him to say it since.

Just like his brother, Tommy is shaping up into a good shopper and he is a great car traveler.  His new car seat should be here in the next day or so, which is good since he is 15 oz short of the maximum limit for his infant car seat, as well as the max height.  He seems to have outgrown the biting phase, at least for now.  I love that he is now a hugger - good, long hugs when he does decide to dish one out.  And curls.  He still has these soft curls in  the back that I adore.  He may wind up with a permanent mullet because I just can't bear to cut them.   

So much more I coul dwrite, but off  to bed for this mom. Happy Birthday, Tommy!

Somewhere

Somewhere around here is a tiny little video camera cord that will allow me to download a video of Tommy walking just in time for his actual one-year birthday tomorrow.
Somewhere.
But not where I have already looked.

This is somewhat ironic considering all my organization projects lately.

Wouldn't you agree?

Secrets to a Successful Party

I did get the house tidied up and presentable in time for Tommy's party. Mostly. I gave Tom strict instructions to be sure the guest room door was kept CLOSED.

and for good reason.
The good news is, all these clothes are clean.

Tommy's First Birthday Party

Although this guy doesn't actually turn one until tomorrow, we celebrated with our family yesterday. Perfect 80 degree weather to boot! At church that morning, Tommy took what I would count as first collective steps, about 7 or 8 total. He had been taking 2 or 3 steps over the last two weeks or so, but these were mostly lunges towards someone or something.

I picked an easy theme and copied most of my ideas from the Pottery Barn Kids "Parties and Celebrations tab.

These invitations I found at the Etsy shop ( http://www.etsy.com/shop/BloomingEvents?ref=ss_profile) Blooming Events. I loved them so much I contacted the owner to see if she would consider doing up a Busy Town invite for Patrick's party and she created one the next day!

The cake pops were good, but I don't know if they were worth the effort. Patrick liked them. Followed the PBK tutorial video and aside from my lollipop sticks sliding through the cake dough on a few, they turned out pretty much like they were supposed to.

The Grill Master

Tommy crawled right past all the bags, tissue paper and ribbons and just wanted to play the piano.

This is Tommy's new weed-wacker, but Patrick gave it a good test run. He didn't want to take the goggles off. Our only glitch to the whole weekend was Patrick was up a lot last night sick with a fever. He seems absolutely fine this morning.

Party Prep

Everyone pitched in to help get ready for Tommy's party yesterday - P volunteered to help clean up the whisk, of course.

Tom and I make a great team. I come up with the project, and he perfectly executes for me. We needed something on this wall to help control the array of crayons, wonder markers and other craft items that we have accrued. In the past the crayons and markers usually sat out on top of P's table, but that had to end when Tommy started pulling up on things and eating them. Pottery Barn Kids had an awesome cubby shelf, but even on sale it was $79. No way.

One day I spied a set of simple white shelves at TJ Maxx for $15. At Michaels I found simple acrylic containers in three different sizes. Not super cheap with the big ones ringing in at $3.50 each, but still a lot cheaper than the cubbie shelf.

So up went my shelves Saturday and here is our new art wall, safely tucked out of the way of Tommy's reach.

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick

No, I am not referring to my biological clock.. It the countdown to Tommy's small, immediate-family-only, birthday party this Sunday that I have done NOTHING to prepare for. I feel completely disorganized and behind the curve. I am still weighed down with allergies and just don't feel like doing anything. I feel an all-nighter coming on Saturday. Tom probably thinks there isn't that much to do, but I need to clean the house just as well for 15 people as I would for 40, right?

The Meaning of Easter

I ashamedly admit that I did a poor job fasting this Lenten season and my good deeds could have been more numerous. Thank goodness for God's grace...
I am not sure how I never saw the Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom until this Easter (it is simply and beautifully written), so I thought I would share. Happy Easter to all...


If any be a devout lover of God,
let him partake with gladness from this fair and radiant feast.
If any be a faithful servant,
let him enter rejoicing into the joy of his Lord.
If any have wearied himself with fasting,
let him now enjoy his reward.
If any have laboured from the first hour,
let him receive today his rightful due.
If any have come after the third,
let him celebrate the feast with thankfulness.
If any have come after the sixth,
let him not be in doubt, for he will suffer no loss.
If any have delayed until the ninth,
let him not hesitate but draw near.
If any have arrived only at the eleventh,
let him not be afraid because he comes so late.

For the Master is generous and accepts the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him who comes at the eleventh hour
in the same was as him who has laboured from the first.
He accepts the deed, and commends the intention.

Enter then, all of you, into the joy of our Lord.
First and last, receive alike your reward.
Rich and poor, dance together.
You who fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice together.
The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it.
The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.

Let none lament his poverty;
for the universal Kingdom is revealed.
Let none bewail his transgressions;
for the light of forgiveness has risen from the tomb.
Let none fear death;
for death of the Saviour has set us free.

He has destroyed death by undergoing death.
He has despoiled hell by descending into hell.
He vexed it even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he cried:
Hell was filled with bitterness when it met Thee face to face below;
filled with bitterness, for it was brought to nothing;
filled with bitterness, for it was mocked;
filled with bitterness, for it was overthrown;
filled with bitterness, for it was put in chains.
Hell received a body, and encountered God. It received earth, and confronted heaven.
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?

Christ is risen! And you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is risen! And the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is risen! And the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen! And life is liberated!
Christ is risen! And the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power, now and forever, and from all ages to all ages.
Amen!

Easter 2012

We were muddling through the non-routine of a newborn last Easter, so this Easter was a much different experience with the boys. Minus the allergy symptoms that hit Tom and me, it was a joy-filled weekend. Both boys reasonably cooperated at the Good Friday Liturgy (I was solo with them), and Saturday we attended a birthday party down the street then spent the rest of the day at home getting ready for Easter. Tom worked ALL day Saturday in the basement, nearly finishing (oh so close) the carpet squares (can't wait to post the "after" pictures!).

On Easter morning, Patrick was up by 7:15 and quickly found his brother's Easter basket (in western Pennsylvania, the Easter Bunny hides the Easter baskets by tradition), but needed some help locating his - next year the bunny will have to pick a better spot. I couldn't stop myself - I put both boys in matching bunny pajamas with bunny feet. Sorry, boys. Luckily for them, I didn't get a good picture.

A little Easter morning romp...

An Easter tradition: Patrick specifically asked the Easter Bunny for yellow Peeps and delved right into the marshmallowey goodness.

A little joint Easter egg hunt between our backyard and that of our neighbors after church-the girls spend the entire summer at the beach so their Easter baskets are always beach pails that they take with them to the shore.

Our Easter photo with church clothes still intact. We had to wake up this sweet man to snag the photo:

After church, the kids and I snagged naps while one amazing husband cleaned up the aftermath of the morning downstairs. When we headed over to Tom's parent's house, we left a clean, tidy kitchen and family room which was a perfect gift when we all returned exhausted at 7pm.

hhUncle Mike, his tractor and two happy boys.

Aunt L, Baba, T, Daddy, P, Me, Grampy, and Uncle M

Easter Egg Express

We waited until Saturday to dye eggs (just as Tommy was ready to go down for his AM nap).

Check out the concentration on this one's face-

Big Day

Thursday was a big day around the 'Burgh-my Godson (see the handsome fellow below) made his 1st Communion! He is such a good kid and you can tell how proud his parents were. Patrick especially loves to buddy around with his older cousin.

Beaming parents...
and little brother Jack showing off his latest losses :)

Silence Is (Never) Golden

I was thinking about that phrase yesterday and realized when it pertains to a 3 and 1-year-old, it is not a good thing. I am now programmed to check on my kids when I am just out of eye-shot and I can't hear them for more than 30 seconds. It usually means they are up to no good and have gone into super-stealth-ninja mode. Tommy is probably eating a piece of lint he pulled off the rug, or Patrick is likely sticking the 25 Post-it tabs he got got a hold of all over the furniture. It is rarely ever good.

So noise, my friends, is a welcome sound in these parts.