The last...for now

This is, hopefully, the last of today's updates. Last week, while Chad was studying for and taking finals we went to Newport with my best friend Jess and her two kiddos. We had such delusions of grandeur, we were going to get scrapbooks done, go on long walks on the beach, eat great food, and get all kinds of relaxing sleep. And then even when we realized that we would have our kids with us, the dreams got only slightly smaller. Which was a mistake.

We only got a few things done, and sleep (arguably the most important) was not one of them. Jess' kids got sick, mine decided not to sleep. If you look past all of that though, I had a great time. And I would do it again. Jess? No?

At the Marine Science Center, a free aquarium. The octopus tank. Right before Rachel (Jess' daughter) puked.

My Cousin Kay and her kids (yes the ones that just moved away from Bend) joined us, Cade and Isaac spent some quality time together.

And I love this one, Come here often?

Number three, and counting

The photo edition:


A few weeks ago or so we went to the Children's Museum in Portland. Cade LOVED it, I think it was one of the best days of his life so far...

Luke Rolls Over! And has rolls. And Buns! Oh my...

And an adorable face to go with the junk in the trunk:

He sleeps...

Cade, feeding his girlfriend Alyssa:

Cade and his cousin Isaac. They just moved away. I am trying not to cry looking at this photo!

Ok, then more later!

Update Number 2--Video Blog Edition for the Grammas

I don't really expect anyone but the Grammas to sit through videos of kids doing...nothing. But here they are, just for you.

Cade singing pattycake. Kind of. He has the important parts down.

Luke likes to talk. And I am a good cinematographer. Filmer. Cameraman. It's probably a good thing that I don't know the word since I obviously won't get a job there soon.

Actually, I just realized I uploaded the wrong video, and Luke doesn't actually "say" anything here. No matter. The right one was only slightly more entertaining.

Cade and his moves. And his physique. We turned down an underwear campagin the other day...cause he still don't like the "panties" and also we don't want that 6-pack making the other boys jealous. Or the girls swoon.

And then this one. Well, it is what it is.

And I am realizing that this only really counts as an update "blitz" if we are talking about snails...these videos are NOT fast.

Update Blitz--1 of ?

So, Backtrack to the 14th of March. Cade is TWO!!

We have been working for the last month to get the kid to say "two", but so far he refuses to do it consistently--especially not when you ask him how old he is. He does have a habit of coming up to me while I am fixing breakfast and doing his best to hold up two fingers and say two. And that's not related to how many pancakes he wants. Just another way that he lets us know that EVERYTHING is on his terms.

Anyways, despite the fact that he won't tell you how old he is, we had a great party with some of his little friends and family. Cade loves cars--or more accurately anything with wheels, so we had a car birthday, and most of his gifts were....cars.

The Birthday Boy!!

Brother of the Birthday Boy

Cade and the loot. He still doesn't understand the whole opening presents thing, which is so odd. He opened the first one and then continued to play with that car while his little buddies opened the rest of his presents for him. Aren't they nice friends?

Trenton helping Cade with the presents

And Dominick helping Cade break them in

Cade is not too good at sharing the loot--with Gaby---

Or with Isaac

The Cake--which I am OH SO PROUD OF

It was a great day, great party--and I can't believe he is TWO.

And we're off! Or not...

As an early birthday present Chad's parents got Cade some new undies. His mom tried to call them panties, which clearly shows how long it has been since she has bought manly undergarments or tried to tell a boy about underwear in general, but anyways. Because they are so cute and because I am getting seriously tired of changing the diapers of two kids I thought we would experiment a little this morning.

I sat with naked Cade in the bathroom for about 30 minutes this morning. He sat on his little potty, we talked about the potty, it even seemed like he likes his potty. Or at least he liked the ridiculous clapping, grinning and shouting his praises I did every time he sat down. I swear, I was amped up enough to make the insane asylum jealous.

Then, out of nowhere he sprinted his naked little butt out of the bathroom and off into my closet, which is his favorite place to do business. I quickly wrangled him up and brought him back to the potty, resuming the monkey dance that he liked so well earlier. It did not do the trick. He was not amused. He was shreiking and crying and wrestling his way off the potty. THE VERY SECOND he made his way off his little throne, he peed on the floor. Five inches from his potty.

Needless to say, the diaper is back on.

SOOO

I am finally trying to lose the weight that I accumulated by being pregnant twice in the last two years, and as a little carrot to help motivate my large and in charge butt, my mom has promised a shopping spree!!!!

So today, instead of going running, I am doing a little pre-shopping online. Now, I should preface this by saying that I haven't been shopping in about a million years. The last clothes I bought (that were not maternity) were from Costco...so it might go without saying that I clearly have no fashion sense or awareness whatsoever. But seriously...

THESE PANTS

AND THESE ARE FROM BCBG, not WE ARE UGLY.COM

This shopping spree might be harder than I thought, because if this is fashionable, then I don't want new clothes. And also, no matter how much weight I loose, I can never pull this off. I don't think this MODEL is pulling it off. Sheesh.

Why yes, I AM available

So I have been dating lately.

And I hate dating. In fact, I think one of the best things about being married is that dates (rare as they are lately) are actually fun. But, I am once again venturing out onto the dating scene. And oh, it is rough. The boys and I had a playdate with a new friend last Friday, and before you start thinking that doesn't really count as a date, wait. We showed up, sat through some awkward silences, and left not really knowing how it went, or if we'd ever get another call. I think it counts.

You see the kids and I have several friends that we get together with regularly to play. And they all get along great. Cade is a typical two year old boy: by that I mean that he runs, screams, throws stuff, doesn't like to share, and throws tantrums sometimes. At least I hope that is all typical. Anyways, Cade did all of these typical things, but the other little boy, he did not. He does not scream a lot, does not throw things that are not balls, sits and plays QUIETLY with play-dough and does NOT eat it, and understands what it means when his mommy says "give Cade that toy now". Wow. Talk about advanced.

Anyways, Cade made the boy cry on four separate occasions WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING HIM. He threw food all over their kitchen, almost broke this beautiful glass tray that they had on their coffee table (that is how advanced their son is, we don't have a glass anything), would not share, would not conceal his screaming excitement over their toys, woke up her other son, and climbed on their furniture. At someone else's house, the things that I would consider typical and even good behavior started to look like naughtiness REAL quick. The glimmer of hope is that at the very end of our date, the boys started laughing together, but most of it was spent trying to shield them from the loudness that is my son.

Yes, me and the boys are putting the 'date' back into play date. We are just sitting by the phone, wondering if they'll call, or if I should call, do I give them three days? Who should call who first? If she says they are all "sick" does that mean that they don't want to get together? Should we just play it cool, like, "yeah we enjoyed ourselves, maybe we'll run into each other again...." I tell ya, I don't remember the "rules" for dating, and I am not really sure how to handle this one.