Meat is Murder. Tasty Murder.

We had to pick up a few things at Wal Mart tonight, so I grabbed a Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken for our dinner. Johnny was at work, and we tend to not eat "real" dinners when we're a single parent family. Although chicken isn't bad, I guess. Eating it at 8:30 was not our norm, but whatever. Usually we eat pancakes or cereal or peanut butter and honey sandwiches (soy butter for Ava); something that my conventional spouse would deem "not a real meal". I was getting Aidan seconds on his chicken when we had the following conversation.

Aidan: So why do they call this "chicken leg"?

Me: Because it is a chicken's leg.

A: What?! You mean someone cut off a chicken's leg from it's body?!

Me: (pointing to rotisserie chicken tray) Aidan, this is a chicken. They cut it's head off, pluck it's feathers, and cook it.

A: Are you telling me that we eat animals?

Me: Yes. Aidan, you know this! We've told you what hamburger is! It's a cow!

A: Okay, Mom. Sure, we eat animals. (laughing, and clearly not believing me.)

(Dialing my mom on the phone.)

Me: Here Aidan, ask Grandma if you don't believe me.

A: Well, I have one question for you guys (looking worried). What animal does a hot dog come from?

M: The good kind comes from cows. We do not eat dogs or cats in this country.

A: Do they eat cats and dogs in Aunt Megan's country?

M: Maybe.

What I'm Reading

It was with great trepidation that I started reading Dr. Randy Pausch's book this week. For those of you that haven't seen him on YouTube or Oprah, he is a professor from Carnegie Mellon who is dying of pancreatic cancer. He is also a husband and the father of 3 small children. I do not like to think about death. It was a normal, rational response, until I had children. Now, just hearing about a parent dying and leaving children makes me cry and feel depressed for days. But this is a very good book, and although I still cry when he talks about his children, it's worth reading. It's thought-provoking, and it's inspiring me to live life differently. He also shares one of my favorite life philosophies: Just suck it up, do the work, and quit complaining. But he words it much more eloquently:

"Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier."

He also shares my love of humor and optimism:

After I learned I had cancer, one of my doctors gave me some advice. "It's important ," he said, "to behave as if you're going to be around for awhile."

I was already way ahead of him.

"Doc, I just bought a new convertible and got a vasectomy. What more do you want from me?"

Dancing Queen

Parents got a sneak peek at our 3-year-old dancers tonight at Sarah's Studio. Don't ask me why she's wearing a yellow tutu. The parents laughing in the background are us. It was so cute that I could hardly stand it. Most of the kids were very shy with the audience. You never know how your child will act in a classroom setting, and I'm happy that at least Ava follows instructions. She takes next week off, and then in two weeks starts her American Girl Doll and Me Dance Class.

The Harsh Truth about Aging

Ava: Mommy, someday when I'm two, can I go with Reese? Please?

Aidan: I'm sorry Ava, but you are three now, and God will never let you be two again!

My Mommy Toy

Sam, the floor manager at Sprint, does not think that I deserve my new Blackberry. He decided right away that I was not worthy because I don't like to text, and I didn't want to buy a bluetooth. Isn't that a huge contradiction? Buy a bluetooth because it frees up your hands so that you can pay attention to the road. Oh, and then text people. I see people driving and checking texts, or trying to text, all of the time. It angers me. I am not a dinosaur. I don't text for many reasons.

#1. I have three small children that I am home with all week. I have no time to text.

#2. When I work, I am not at a desk. I am driving. Not safe to text and drive. And I NEVER have downtime. Downtime in my job means it's time to go home for the day. Hence, back to my kids who demand my attention.

#3. Who would I text? I miss adult conversation all week. I need to hear other adults. Texting would not help me to feel connected. Johnny is the main person that I talk to, and I like to hear his voice.

#4. I think texting is another way of avoiding personal interaction, just like email. Admit it, how many times do you email someone because it's just simpler than having to have a conversation with them. I know I'm guilty of it.

Do you know what else Sam said to me?

I just love big, noisy families!

Uh, Sam? You do work on commission, don't you? I know this because you're nagging me to buy a bluetooth, a memory card, and a car charger. So please keep your opinions about my offspring to yourself.

Pop Fly

T-Ball season ended tonight. Our ballplayer was very cute. His fave things were getting the participation medal that the Y gives out to all of the kids, and the juice boxes passed out at the end of each game. Johnny yelled at the Coach tonight. We're not those parents, though, I promise. She would not let the kids field the ball like the other coaches. In T-Ball, there is usually lots of cute mistakes and silliness, and the whole team chasing down the ball, etc. Not with this lady. She's a professor at KU, and was all about order. She would not let the kids field the ball unless she called their name and deemed it their "turn". Aidan is a kid who likes to please people. Therefore, instead of just playing and having a great time, he's worrying whether it's his "turn" to go after the ball. He was miserable, and Johnny let her know that she was ruining the game for our son. So if he doesn't go pro someday, I'm pretty sure we know whose fault it is. Ha. But he did great, and I'm proud of him. We love you, Aid!

My Little Hobby

Behold! My first vegetable from my very own garden! I should have put a ruler in this pic because this cucumber is a MONSTER. I think I missed my calling. I am a gardening person. I have this urge to show up at a County Fair and brag about my cucumber. Why didn't I join 4H in high school? (Probably because they didn't serve beer at meetings.) Wow, I feel so wholesome. We even ate it. I picked it while the kids were playing in their pool at lunchtime.

Me: "Ava! Aidan! Look what I grew!"

Ava: "Yea Mommy!" (jumping up and down)

Aidan: "Good job, Mom."

Me: "And for lunch we're going to cut it into strips and eat it with Ranch dressing." (Because like any good American, I cannot eat a vegetable without a side of fat.)

Ava: "But that is a vegetable Mom!"

Me: "Yes, Ava, that is the point."


I have a confession to make. When I cut it open I kept waiting for something to be wrong with it. I think I expected it to be hollow or something. Imagine my delight when it tasted better than the ones I buy at the store. My citified spouse kept asking, "Did you wash it? I can't believe you're eating that." Seriously. Sometimes I have to remind him that I'm the girl.

To the Left....

I heard the most disturbing song at the YMCA the other day. It was from the '80s, as most of my fave music is. It was called "Nobody" by Sylvia. I can't bring myself to type the embarrasing lyrics, but here's the basic premise of the song. A woman knows that her husband is cheating on her. He's distracted and working late with "nobody". Then at the end she decides to win him over in the bedroom. I have to type this part, just so you, too, can taste vomit in the back of your throat.

We came back home, got ready for bed

I said to myself, 'I've got one shot left',

You're still mine, and I won't stand in line behind

nobody,

Nobody.

This was a #1 song in 1982.

I just can't even type I'm so astounded and disguisted.

Hmmmm.

Yes, women of 1982, let's chase a man who is a cheating dog, and clearly doesn't deserve us. We'll win him over because we are SEXY! We'll show that tramp that she can't have our "prize". I hope Sylvia made a fortune selling out her feminist soul, because I'd like to think someone else wrote this song, but nope. Wikipedia reports that she wrote it herself. I sure hope that she doesn't have a daughter.

Here's what I'd like to impart to my daughter about men.

Ava, I heard Dr. Randy Pausch say, "Never listen to a thing they say, but watch everything that they do. A man's actions will tell you about his character." Robin McGraw (wife of Dr. Phil) also had a quote that I liked. Someone told her once that she was lucky to have a man with such values and morals as the father of her children. She replied, "No, I'm not lucky that he has those qualities. Those qualities are why he got to be the father of my children." Picking your spouse is the most important decision you will make in life. It affects everything forever. If your brothers hate him, dump him. Men aren't bitchy like women, so if your brothers don't like him, he's probably defective. (Your dad won't like any of them, so don't ask him. Come to think of it, don't ask me either. I'll never think anyone is good enough for you.) Date him for at least two years before you decide to spend your life with him. I think it takes that long to really know everything about someone. If he drinks more than you're comfortable with, dump him. Defective. If he ever abuses you, dump him. Defective. And then tell a brother. We're not exactly Mafia, but you know, sometimes people disappear....we can't help that. I'm thinking no one will miss him anyway. (Gosh, every couple of months I find myself writing things that I just know will be read back to me someday, while I sit in the witness stand.) Now, I've tried not to be all schmalzy, but I just have to end with this. Pick a guy like your Daddy. He would do anything for his family. He's respectful. He teaches his boys to open doors for women, even at the age of four. He wants to be with us every night. He works overtime so that we can have the best of everything. He dances in his underwear to make Aidan laugh. (I'm going to hear about this one for sure. Invoking my first amendment rights.) Now, I've said enough. Oh, and don't listen to bad '80s music. Beyonce. There's a girl with a message.

Cooper Speaks Out

Dear Aunt Megan,

Tomorrow is the big 5-Month Bday! I'm sitting up now, eating veggies, eating cereal, and playing with toys. I started wearing a few 12mo outfits this week. I'm big-boned, you know. I must taste good, too, because Tyson likes to lick me. I have a temper. Sometimes the mere act of chewing on a toy makes me so mad that I end up screaming and holding my breath. I've started getting up about 6:30am this week. That Daddy of mine is great. He always picks me up and takes me downstairs. Mommy just says things like, "Go to sleep Cooper. We don't get up this early." By "we", I think she means herself and Ava, because all of us boys were up eating pancakes this morning before they ever stumbled into the kitchen.

I miss you and love you,

Your nephew,

Cooper, aka: Coop, HeliCoopter, Coop de ville

The Adventures of Batman & Superman

Aidan and Ava are tight. It is hard to punish either of them, because the other one will get so distressed that you feel guilty. One night I took Ava's tiara away, and Aidan cried for her. Today I had Cooper laying on a blanket playing while I put clothes in the dryer, and I heard him start to cry.

"What happened to Cooper?"

"Oh, Ava stepped on him with her Sleeping Beauty heels."

"Ava, give Mommy the shoes. We do not step on Coop. You will have to play with something else for a while." (Ava starts to cry.)

"Oh Mom, I was just kidding you. Ava didn't step on Cooper."

"Then what happened to him, Aidan?"

"I don't know. He just started crying."

"Aidan Ingram, don't you ever lie to me. Now are you changing your story so that I won't take Ava's princess shoes?"

"Yes. I don't want her to be sad."

How sweet is that? Yes, he's lying... but to protect his sister. I'm all for that. I grew up with those kind of sibling relationships, and I don't want anything less for my kids. However, I want Cooper to be included in their schemes and deceptions. I don't want anyone to be left out (or stepped on). Hopefully, when he gets bigger, he'll be in on the mischief, too. I wouldn't care if the world thought they were wild and ornery as hell, as long as they said, "Those Ingram kids are always together. They'd do anything for each other." There are more important things than being good all of the time. (If I sound defensive, it's because I have heard my kids described at times as "active" and "high-spirited". I can read between those not-so-subtle lines. But at least they didn't call them boring.)

I Think it's Man's Work.

Since Johnny and I got married there has been one consistent battleground; who cleans the bathrooms. I find cleaning the bathroom about as appealing as amputating a limb. I have never been one to clean bathrooms as many roommates can attest to. But at least I wasn't sharing those bathrooms with a man. In high school, one of my chores was to clean a bathroom that I shared with one of my brothers. I think that's when the hatred for it began. Men make disguisting bathroom mates. They get urine EVERYWHERE. How? How does that happen? I just don't think I should have to clean up after that. And so the fight begins with me and Johnny. Once I decided to wait him out. I told him that I was not cleaning our bathroom ever again and that he would have to. He just laughed. We are stubborn people. That bathroom went uncleaned for FOUR MONTHS!!! I can't believe I'm admitting this. I finally caved. I should probably mention that it was a master bath. We do clean the one that company uses regularly, but only because we have to. It's the kids' bathroom and I won't subject them to the filth that their father and I can tolerate when trying to make a point. Their immune systems are so young. But I have found a friend in the fight:I love the Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner. It keeps the shower sparkling. Seriously. And if you don't clean your bathroom prior to installing it, it will even clean your old grime, it just takes a couple of weeks. This is a lazy girl's dream. I loved it so much, I bought one for the kids' shower, too. I'm on the lookout for an Automatic Toilet Cleaner, but nothing with blue water.

We recently discussed trying to hire someone to clean our bathrooms and nothing else, but I think it embarrassed me. "Hi, I'm Cori. I'll be downstairs blogging about saving money while you clean our toilets. Call when you're finished and I'll inspect your work."

I Like to Sleep...A lot.

I have messed up with Cooper. He wants to fall asleep in my bed every night. Prior to this, I had two kids, who from the age of about one, could be layed in their beds without a bottle or any other device, and put themselves to sleep. I am/was very proud of this. I am a schedule nazi. Everyone in my world knows that my kids nap every afternoon. (And I often do, too.) People know not to call my house, and they know not to ask me to do something between the hours of 1pm and 4pm. A regular sleeping schedule benefits our family in too many ways to count, including happier children in the evening and a recharged mommy. Once in a while one of them will not be tired, but they know that they better not let their feet hit the floor until I come and get them. I need a break from them, and I'm not shy about saying so. Anyway, Cooper still sleeps in the Pack'n'Play in our room. When he wakes up to nurse at night, I tend to put him in bed with me, and then I fall asleep, so he gets to stay. Yes, I know he's 5 months old, but here's the deal. I used to actually get up and feed him, go to the family room, watch Jon & Kate, then put him back in his own bed..... but 5 months of chronic sleep deprivation has caught up with me, and now I am starting to resemble the Cori who had to drop Chem 180-something because I could not drag my sorry self out of bed for an 8:30 class. So Cooper has become our roomie. Another issue is that he and Aidan share a room (in theory). If he wakes Aidan up, I'll have two kids to deal with in the wee hours of the morning. And his room seems very far from our's because it's on another level of the house. I just have this crazy idea that he'll be safer if I can make sure he's breathing any time I want. And because he's our youngest, there is the temptation to baby him as long as possible, but that's not fair to Cooper, to raise him to be more dependent on us than Aidan or Ava. I cannot and will not treat Cooper differently than the other two. So someday soon I'm going to have to evict him. And even if I don't evict him from our room yet, he at least needs to get out of our bed after that feeding. This is the week. Jon & Kate and I have a date in the family room tonight.

How eerily insightful.

I've been on call this weekend. So in addition to seeing patients, I carry a pager, and any patient that has an issue can call our answering service and page me anytime, night or day. Fun. I'm not required to take call, but we've been short-staffed lately, and I feel very loyal to my employers. They have been extremely good to me. So if they ask, I will almost always say yes. With quiet interest, Ava has listened to me field a few calls this weekend. One involved someone vomiting blood. I think I've found my child who may go into the medical field. (It certainly won't be Aidan. He's scared of band-aids.) We had this discussion in the car tonight, and she was very, very serious.

Hey Mommy?

Yes, Ava?

You're a nurse?

Yes.

It just happens you know.

What happens Ava?

Blood.

Uh, okay.

It was the creepiest thing to here her say in her little detached, babyish voice. Kind of like the opening to a bad movie. It made me laugh, though. She's right, and that's the kind of weekend I had.

I Don't Sew, I Staple.

One of the neighbors called me a Soccer Mom the other day. I guess I am. I have the 3 kids, the minivan, I stay home during the week, and my son has played soccer and now t-ball. But tonight I became a Dance Mom. Do you know what's expected of Dance Mom's? Sewing. There's a reason that I did so well in a college prep school that did not offer Home Ec.

I HATE SEWING.

Even something as small as sewing a button on a shirt irritates me. I just have no patience for it. I have a sewing machine. I even know how to use it. I just haven't made friends with it yet. Maybe I wouldn't hate it if I were better at it, but I sewed curtains for our kitchen in Beloit, and I've never wanted to take on a project since. I remember I chewed a whole pack of gum and swore like a sailor the whole time I struggled with those stupid cafe curtains. My mom sews though, and so does my stepmom. So anytime that I've ever needed anything, I just dial the telephone. My kids don't even pretend that I can sew. They'll see a Halloween costume and say, "Hey, let's ask Grandma to make me that!" Works for me. Anyway, there is a required leotard in the Fall at the Dance Studio, so I went ahead and bought it even though it was waaay too big for Ava. She is just a very petite little person. Not that short, but she just has a small frame. So the Dance Instructor's mom took the leotard home, shrunk it, and it was still too big. So she says, "You'll have to cut the straps and reattach them," like I do this everyday. Simple enough for some. Two hour project for others who took electives in high school like French, Spanish, and Painting. I did it, though. But I'd never let my mom inspect my work. It's ugly. But from a distance she looks like all of the other ballerinas.

Kind of Busy for a Thursday....

Yes, you could definitely eat them. They look like little pink cupcakes. Barbie and Me started tonight at Sarah's Studio of Dance. All of the little girls were 3 and 4 years old, so this was scary for some. But not Ava and Reese. Rachel and I didn't even get a kiss goodbye from them. The girls ran in and claimed their "carpet" the minute the doors opened, and never looked back. Oh well, let's hear it for independence! I guess Ava had a good time. They wouldn't let the parents watch, so I left and came back an hour later. I learned she decorated a Barbie wand, and "fluffed" her toes, whatever that means. She wants to go back, so it must have been fun.


Cooper also had a big night. He ate his first vegetable (sweet potatoes) just one week shy of his 5-month birthday. It's definitely the earliest that I've ever fed a baby vegetables. He's just such a big baby, and he's been so interested in everything that I put into my mouth. (He actually tried to take food out of my hand today.) He ate quite a bit, and loved every spoonful. He kept grunting and opening his mouth, and if I wasn't quick enough he would have a crying fit until the spoon was at his lips. I've never seen such excitement. Aidan and Ava were very uninterested in food, kind of like, 'Oh, okay Mommy, I'll eat it for you.' Cooper acts like I've been starving him for the last 4 months, which is definitely not the case. I'm actually going to have to dig out 12-month baby clothes before long. The 6-9 months won't last all summer. It's nice that he's my 2nd boy. I have all Aidan's clothes in clear plastic tubs, marked by age, and I just go shopping in the sub-basement.

Too many severe weather warnings tonight. Not fun. A tornado warning sent us to the sub-basement for a while. I used to love bad weather, back in my carefree single girl days. I thought about taking a Weather Spotter class that my dad completed. Now it's all about the babies. I found myself looking around the sub-basement, trying to figure out the best way to shelter their little bodies in case of real emergency. I even made them practice how to lay in case of a tornado, and explained to them that Mommy would probably lay on top of them, and they'd feel squished, but not to be scared. That made them giggle. But then Aidan said, "Mommy, if a tornado picks me up and blows me in the air, will you come with me?" Oh, I could have cried. I told him, "Buddy, I will not leave you or let go of you no matter what. You don't even worry about that." And as unrealistic as that statement might be, I totally meant it. I cannot believe how much I love these little people. It is absolutely frightening. A couple of weeks ago, I saw the SATC movie. I had been looking forward to it forever. Charlotte said something to the effect of, "I finally have everything I want, and I'm terrified that something bad will happen." I think all mothers must feel that way. The vulnerability starts the day the test comes up positive, and it's yet to go away. All I can do is put them in God's hands.

Our Mom is a Serious Multi-tasker.

Since I don't have 1/4 of the energy that The Blessings have, bathtime tonight was an experiment in time management. It went okay. Cooper just wanted to eat the Baby Einstein Bath book. Aidan did have concerns over Cooper's anatomy. (Not going to blog about it. They would never forgive me when they were grown.)

And earlier today....

Aidan and Ava had lunch at "Applebee's" today as "husband and wife". They drove there in their green gator and then called me outside to take their order. They had Grilled Cheese sandwiches, Sunchips, and yogurt. After they finished, Aidan came inside and said, "My wife and I would like to order a Fudgsicle, please." So I handed him two Fudgsicles and a bill that I scribbled on a post-it, and he was so pleased. I love preschoolers. Their imaginations never cease to entertain me.

The girl's got spunk.

I love my daughter. She is hysterical. Tonight I came downstairs, Aidan and Ava had been in bed for at least 45 minutes, and I saw a glow coming from her room. I stuck my head in her room to find her propped up in bed reading Dr. Seuss with her table lamp on. She didn't even act like, "Oh crap, I'm busted!" She just glanced at me like I was disturbing her and very seriously turned the page. It was so funny I laughed out loud. I ran upstairs to make Johnny come down and look at her. After he left her room the lights were off. We're standing in the kitchen and he's explaining to me how he hugged and kissed her, told her it was nighttime, and shut off her lamp. She wasn't mad, he said, she just told him, "Okay, Daddy." As he's relaying this story to me, we both hear a click, and look down the hall to see the glow again. No one tells Ava what to do, unfortunately. The girl's got her own agenda. She reminds me so much of my sister that it's frightening.

This Consumer Reports...

Johnny does not believe in using sunscreen on himself. Is it a man thing? I don't know. But last week he got burnt when he was working outdoors all day. This week his shoulders are peeling. Aidan and Ava are freaked out, to put it mildly. Wow, times change. I spent most of the '80s with skin peeling off of my nose. But thanks to our ever-depleting ozone, my kids do not understand what it is to go outdoors without spf 30. They had never seen skin peel, and they act like he has leprosy. "Is Daddy falling apart?" "Will he grow new skin?" And tonight Aidan actually prayed about it at bedtime. "Please God, help Daddy's skin to hurry up and finish falling off." Poor kids. Yet another parental induced trauma to relive someday with their therapists.

Now for my product plugs.

My friend Joleene sells Arbonne. I like the products, but find them a little pricey for my budget. But like all good pushers, she gave me the ABC Baby line when Cooper was born. (She knew I'd be back for more, I imagine.) I can justify any indulgence for my kids. At first I didn't know how often I'd use it because it is scentless, and I love babies to smell, well, like babies. Kind of a powdery, johnson & johnson's lotion smell. This is why I can't use some of the Baby Fresh line by Johnson & Johnson's. I thought it smelled a little perfumey when I tried it on an infant Aidan. Johnny confirmed this by saying, "He smells like a french whore." Opinionated, isn't he? Anyway, I digress. I started using the Arbonne Baby Lotion on Cooper's tummy where he had some mild eczema. It cleared it up within days. The same thing happened with Ava. We have used countless prescription and over the counter products on her eczema patches. Our doctor gets annoyed with me for not using the steroid cream, but seriously, who wants to use steroids on their child's skin on a daily basis? Arbonne cleared her up, too. We have been trying to clear up Ava's eczema for 2 1/2 years. Impressive.
And in my ongoing "Oh-my-gosh-gas-is-$4-a-gallon-I-must-slash-our-spending" frame of mind, I tried Target brand diapers. They were $7 cheaper than our usual. I'm a Pamper's mom, or occasionally a Huggies' mom. But I love Target, and thought I'd give them a chance. I've been pretty wordy tonight, so I'll be concise....Target diapers suck. Cooper soaks through them EVERY night. He has twice peed out the side of them onto my clothes. And he's developed a mild rash because I don't think they pull the moisture away from his skin. So, it seems the budget cuts will be affecting only the parents in our house. The kids are safe.
One of my fave new green products is Clorox Greenworks Glass & Surface Cleaner. It is only like $2.30 a bottle. It cleans anything. It is 100% natural, no chemicals. And it smells nice. Try it. You might love it. I can even use it on the surface of our stove. We have one of those flat surface stoves that the salesman said needed a special cleanser. Not true. It works like a charm and has not hurt the integrity of the stove surface. That's good because I am too lazy to hunt down special cleaning products that are not multipurpose.

5 Hours Sleep + Coffee= Substandard Parenting

6:00pm. Mommy laying on couch. Kids yelling, playing, jumping on couch (& Mommy)

Mommy: Aidan! Seriously. You are way too loud, and Mommy is not in the mood. You need to cut your volume in half.

Aidan: You can't tell me to cut my head off!
(What??)

7:00pm. Walking the floor with a teething Cooper. Crying for...oh, about an hour solid. (Cooper's crying, not Mommy. Yet.) He reaches up and scratches my face with the little talons attached to his chubby fingers.
Mommy (under her breath): Dammit Cooper. That really hurt.

Ava (profanity police): Mommy! We don't say dammit.

Mommy: Yes, thank you Ava. I remember that now.

(Note to self: Must read Christian parenting book. Living with little sponges.)

Wrapping up the weekend...

Well Meg, sorry it took a few days to get pics up. This mother/wife/nurse thing is quite time-consuming on the weekends. I'm so exhausted that I just made Aidan and Ava the junk-foodiest dinner ever; hot dogs, chips and guacamole, and grapes. Just looking at that in print makes me realize how disguisting it sounds. Neither of them wanted to try the "green dip", so I told them that it was Dora's favorite food. I think that might be the most politically incorrect thing that I've ever said to them. But it worked. They ate it, and then kept yelling, "Arriba!"

My Ava turned three on Friday. Her party was very pink, and very princess-y. The cake was an all-time fave for me.

Ava got lots of nice gifts. Dress-up clothes, princess coloring books, crayons, paint, make-up, dolls, barbies, clothes, a purse, a stuffed kitty, a Dora the Explorer tricycle, and a Dora hopsplash sprinkler. And a special thanks to her childless aunt and uncles for the very large presents that they bought her. (You'll notice that Bub and Erin got her a doll. That's because they're parents. Megan and Adam just like to torment us.)

Exhibit A (The perch is actually one of my sea creature-loving daughter's fave presents.)

Exhibit B (Wow, a gigantic castle from Singapore. If only it was bigger....oh, wait, it comes with a 7 foot tunnel, too? Yea!!!!)Ava's BFF, Reese, was at the party. They start dance camp this week, "Barbie and Me," at Sarah's Dance Studio in Basehor. Each girl takes a Barbie to class. They dance, make a craft, and learn a routine with Barbie. Rachel and I are probably as excited as the girls. Johnny took the week off prior to the party, and then worked nonstop at home. He cleaned and detailed both cars (even shampooed the carpets!), he mowed, he powerwashed and restained the deck, he drove clear across town for the Princess Castle balloon his daughter wanted, he cleaned and helped set up for the party, he installed a new light fixture, he helped me rearrange furniture and move the desk downstairs, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. Then, today while I was at work, he invented a creative outdoor game for Aidan and Ava to play. (I'm always a fan of anything not related to TV vegging.) They drove the Gator around the backyard, and then used the hose to play carwash with it. And the winner of this week's MVP in our house goes to ....................my darling husband. We love you, and we would be a mess without you.

Sibling Rivalry

Cooper is being discriminated against. I overheard Aidan tell him, "Cooper, you have such a cute, happy face! But your head is ugly." I immediately intercepted to spare my baby's feelings. Cooper is beautiful! But there is a reason that his Daddy calls him "Cue Ball". He's follicularly-challenged. This is a trait he got from me. I was a bald baby. Johnny was a hairy baby. Our offspring have been 2/3 hairy so far, and the hairy kids are now mocking my little Cue Ball. I think he's absolutely perfect without hair!

Sentimental Mommy Moment

We went to the Legends after dinner. The Legends is a beautiful, plaza-like, outdoor shopping center, with beautiful grounds. Johnny and I sat on a bench, Cooper was in his stroller, and Aidan and Ava just danced and spun in circles in a little patch of perfectly manicured grass. They were so happy, and laughing, and they just had that carefree look that children should always have. You could not look at them without smiling. Moments like that always take my breath away. It makes me remember that 6 years ago, Johnny and I were living far from home, and I was undergoing tests to determine why I wasn't getting pregnant. I was scared, depressed, and at times I was clinging to my faith, but losing hope. I can't believe how quickly my whole life turned around. I'm so grateful to God, but I don't feel worthy of any of it. Every day I try to be everything to everyone; my husband, Aidan, Ava, and Cooper. It's the best way that I know how to show them how much I love them. I don't measure up to my own standards very often, but I keep trying. When I'm old, and my kids have all grown, I know I will close my eyes and remember how my little people looked tonight, running like maniacs all around the grass, laughing, and singing, and I'll know that I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Thank you God.
On the way home, there was more singing in the car. At first it was a jazzy version of the ABC song that Aidan learned on SuperWhy. That was cute. Then I asked Aidan if he knew any other songs that I might not know. And from the backseat, a little voice belts out, "Hit me Baby, One More Time!" Britney would be so proud. I am quite sure that he picked that up on a TV show, because I feel compelled to go on record, defending myself, and say that I do not play Britney Spears' CDs. That's how it rolls around here. Touching, spiritual, close-to-God moments, followed by "Where in the hell did that come from?"

My Girls

Johnny and I do not play favorites with the kids. Our kids, however, have no such qualms about hurting our feelings. Aidan and Cooper are both Daddy's boys. Aidan has preferred Johnny to me since he was a baby. He loves me, but he's always seeking Daddy's approval, likes to go places alone with his Dad, and he loves wrestling with him. He wants me when he needs comfort. Mommy's the soft touch. Now that Cooper is coming out of his baby vegetative state, he seems to be on the Daddy track as well. Daddy gets the biggest smiles, and Mommy is only a fave at mealtimes. I might be exaggerating a little, but it definitely feels this way at times. (Actually, Aidan and Cooper are extremely similar in every way so far, but that's another blog.) Ava, on the other hand, has been Mommy's girl since birth. If she could attach herself to me physically, she would. This is a source of great frustration to my poor husband lately. Ava will throw a crying tantrum that can last for an hour over something as simple as "I wanted my mommy to unbuckle me" (from the carseat). Lately she will simply not let Johnny do anything for her. Johnny has been very sad about it. He is working so hard to win her over, and it's kind of amusing. If I'd only known that the key to controlling my husband was to treat him badly. Oh, the time I've wasted....Kidding babe. I'm not naive. I know that Ava will probably go through periods of love/hate with both of us. It's nice to be needed, though. I'm storing up all of these memories so that when she's 13, and she hates me, I can look back and say, "Remember when Ava would only let me hold her hand in the parking lot?"

Proud Sister Alert: So I was talking to my sister tonight, and she put her wedding dance on YouTube. I know I've told several of you about it, so I'm going to post the link. It's very cute, but you have to be patient through the first minute or two. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgcS6jbxm74

We Built a Turtle!

I have waited my whole adult life to have an excuse to go to Build-a-Bear Workshop. And today was the day! Ava's early birthday present was a trip to Build-a-Bear, where she constructed a new friend she named Turtle Boy. It was a surprisingly tomboyish choice for my frou-frou girl. She dressed him in leather boots, jeans, and a dinosaur t-shirt. We had so much fun! I think she likes the box as much as the stuffed animal. He is currently "sleeping" in his cub condo (that's what the Bear Builder associates call it). He has also changed into a pair of Cooper's jammies. We didn't seriously expect him to sleep in his jeans and boots, did we?Sunflower Broadband temporarily shut down our cable TV, our internet, and our landline today. I felt like I was Laura Ingalls. Isn't that sad? I could probably do without any one of those things quite easily, but to lose all three at once? It was painful. Johnny called and asked that we be prorated for the time our service was down. I'm calling it compensation for pain and suffering. I think he just did it to entertain me, and it worked.