movin' on up.

The other day when i told Sheamus i wanted to "wrap him like a present and gobble him up" he looked at me with one part horror, one part disgust and two parts complete confusion, and it donned on me....he is totally ready for Kindergarten.


Recently Sheamus's preschool teacher (who is fantastic in every way) made a very sweet public comment about mine and Adam's parenting style. Since I know it's not polite to deflect such a compliment, Adam and I just laughed to ourselves at what a good job Sheamus has done making people think his total sweetness has anything to do with us. If he were my first child it would be easy to dupe myself into thinking I was doing everything right (teaching manners, empathy, and good nature). A beacon of patience and wisdom if you will. But in reality, I am just feeling lucky i haven't corrupted him with my tarnished soul.

It has been invaluable having him primarily home with me for the last 5 1/2 years. I'm grateful for his late birthday so i could keep him one year longer (hands rubbing greedily together). But now its time for him to move on from the kung fu grip of this adoring mother. If for nothing else than to escape the possibility of this creepshow life. 

Love you face.

team Boo ♥'s you

Conway Twitty sees the light

I like to use the classic "three strikes you're out" policy when it comes to mass email forwarding...

-The first time, assuming the "10 ways to recycle old pantyhose" was merely a knee jerk reaction to watching Inconvenient Truth amidst a dry spell in their Netficks queue, they get the benefit of the doubt. 

-The second one you cock your head to the side, erase without opening, and go back to eating your cereal hoping that they just forgot they had already used their "freebie". 

-The third is like the sick feeling you get when your friend starts a sentence with "believe me I totally get how annoying those multilevel marketing people are, but there's this opportunity..."

And that's the deal breaker my friends.

Unless, of course, you are my mother-in-law. 

...In which case no matter how many home remedies, kittens doing the "darndest things", and musical friendship video clips she sends your way...she is exempt from getting 86ed off the ole contact list. Plus she's sweet. and also she birthed and raised the love of your life...so she could probably shave the magical healing locks of Sonny's hair and i'd have to love her anyway.

Yesterday i received a gem that cannot go unshared (to ensure you are picking up what I'm puttin' down). In sweet pure hearted Jeanine fashion, the disclaimer at the top read "This is truly beautiful! Turn the volume up..."

And before you go thinking what an unbelievable douche i am for mocking a Jesus montage, please know: i did what i was told and turned the volume up...and therefore couldn't help but notice the awesome cowboy giving his two cents in the background. Ready set go...

....

Do i have the blackest heart of all time?...or are you laughing too? I love Jesus. I do! But here at team Boo nothing is safe from a good laugh, not even my own children. Oh who am i kidding...especially not my own children! And much to Sheamus's sweet five year old dismay, some things he's said recently are just too cute NOT to laugh...

 "Mom...How will i ever get big if i don't like gross food?"

 "Elyott, if i were a binky...would you suck on me?"

 "Elyott are you sure you want to go to the gym?...cause you might have to poop at the gym."

Recap: Jesus. Sheamus. Two of the purest people i can think of. Still funny when you add twangy one liners, or (legit) warnings about pooping in public.

team Boo ♥'s you

**Attention team boo enthusiasts**
re-blog this post and tell me about it right here! Through a series of featured posts (this being the third) over the next couple weeks you will have a chance to win a very exclusive (but still very secret) custom team boo gift! No it wasn't be made by me...pshew!! but it is adorable!

tomato tom-A-to

a Sheamus-ism for your thursday...



team Boo ♥'s you

In full bloom.

Today this boy and I walked to preschool (okay so it's only like one block away) We passed the apple orchard at the end of our street, ooed and ahhed at the new blossoms, laughed when we tried to climb them ("fat mom in a little treeee")...and then an animated bluebird landed on my shoulder. 

(that last part was a lie) 

When Sheamus was born Adam and I separately got the impression that he would always look after his momma (that's me). Not in an annoying popped collar mommas boy way, but rather a quiet protector. I think this suits him, and actually i think he will bring a confident assurance to many others besides me. It occurred to me last night that he is starting to grow out of wearing his costumes. Not completely. but those days are becoming few and far between. Someone please tell me there are days ahead as sweet as the ones I have now with this 5 year old munch. Is it possible for him to grow up and not turn all teen angsty and cynical? I can take the pimples and dirty bathrooms, but that classic Sheamus sweetness is a trait I will grieve if its ever lost completely. No pressure Sheamus ;) Since i'm his mom, ill probably always see it anyway. As for now...i think we will play dress up, cause Zip-a-dee-do-dah...today he is still five.

team Boo ♥'s you

stuck in the moment.

two unprovoked moments:

(sheamus is his hat over hood "justin Beaver suit")

It seems these days (in our home) that unless a topic of conversation starts with a J and ends with an "ustin Bieber" it doesn't hold up. I have done my best to spare you the posts about the loooong (10 minute) car rides with the ipod on Biebs repeat...or the tiny place in my heart that he has branded his initials with his stupid tiny heart shaped pitch fork. It's not that things haven't been eventful, I just haven't made the time to carve recent memories into stone (the internet counts as "stone" right?...I had a Taiwanese neighbor named Stone a few years ago, and he was legit as the chicken neck bones that floated in the soup his wife often made for us, bless her heart). 

Okay so there may be other reasons for the blogging silence. Getting back to the gym regularly (twice counts?) Reading books that don't have pictures. A clingy teething baby (that still will not put even one ounce of food to his own mouth so that i have to hand feed every morsel into his 5th percentile bones) Not to mention Adam being back in full time school (stealing my laptop on a regular basis)...it reminds me of one of my favorite Jack handy quotes: 

"To me, it's always a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, 'Hey, can you give me a hand?' you can say, 'Sorry, got these sacks.'" 

In other words, when people ask me when i'm gonna blog again, i just shrug my shoulders and say "sorry....got these sacks." Thats when it gets really awkward. Trust me, when i say Jack Handy quotes don't translate well in a literal sense. Still, it's more effective than trying to explain to a group of my very dubious and very non 12 year old friends that the Never Say Never movie was "actually really endearing"

So now you see that this period of silence was really a favor to your brains. I will probably lose 10 followers because of this lame post (those cold hearted snakes with their high reading standards and their "better things to do"). And if you are looking for a reason to blame this potential downward spiral of mine (ie. i actually ate a reheated baggie of Sonny's scrambled eggs today...for dinner!) i am quite confident it can be traced back to that sneaky pouty faced angel we all know...and sing along to. Curse you Justin "Beaver"! Somehow i want to see more you and then none of you. forever.

team Boo ♥'s you

a gif far you.

I am still working tirelessly on my valentines video, but my computer can't seem to handle all the love! ...hopefully by tonight? While you wait, between my computer crashes i will share Sheamus's sweet valentine to his daddy:

"dear dad-

Happy valentines day. I wonder when we are gonna play video games? Help Sonny be safe. Now the Valentines card is almost ready and i wish your wish comes true when you wish upon a star. Don't litter the earth and I hope you be healthy and don't yell at people. And when I'm done with this card make a valentine card for me, ok. I love you. 

love, 

Sheamus"

team Boo ♥'s you

a sweet valentine (re-post)

this is me half "a" blogging.

i am having a love affair with a book i'm reading and since its February i figure you will understand (cause February is about "love"...remember?) Ok that's a stretch, but for now i found this old comic post and i think it is worthy of your eyeballs' time.

If i weren't so lazy i'd make you a 2011 version. maybe about a Sonny who is one year this week, only 17 1/2 pounds, and needs to start eating more high calorie foods (seriously, you can see rib cage) but is too in love with my bosom ("can't quit the sugar tit" as my grandma would have said) but that might be too graphic?? 

i'll spare you.

team Boo ♥'s you

monkey see monkey do.

As excruciating as it is to see my facial expressions on camera (although the quality here is ridiculously terrible), it still makes me laugh to watch this. Adam used to always do this to me when we were dating when i got mad about something, and it would always make me laugh (he knows better than to do this to me after 10 years together ;) But he still does it to the kids every now and then...they think its funnoying (funny and mostly annoying) but that's what parents are for, right?

team Boo ♥'s you


p.s. Isn't it weird to see blog friends on camera?? I think it is...especially when they sound deaf. Like i do here. (promise that isn't how i talk...not that there is anything wrong with that!)

Fudgesicle.

Sheamus got a "famous fudge" making kit for christmas and was beyond thrilled because, incase you have been reading his name wrong all along, "famous" rhymes with his name ;) (This is a subject that is always in the foreground of his thoughts..."mom does 'cheese' rhyme with 'shmeeze'?...does 'iron man' rhyme with 'pi-ron pan'?...does 'blanket' rhyme with 'sp-lanket'?") 

He is sometimes anxious and fairly particular about his belongings (for example: he saves all the garbage packaging and "constructions" to all his new toys, so at any moment they might be displayed as originally purchased) So when he decided to do a "seller" stand of his famous sheamus fudge, i was curious as to how it would play out. 

Maybe it was the frigid air, but he was a bit stressed at all the children staying gathered around his booth putting their greedy little fingers on his product, so he'd sometimes forget to say thank you when someone paid him $5 for a watered down cup of cocoa (in his defense the concept of money is as clear as speaking chinese is to me)...and he gave absolutely NO freebies (not even a family discount to Elyott). So like a savvy/anal retentive little business man, he came out about 15 dollars ahead! 

Even though he is the cutest salesman I know, we may have to teach him a little customer service 101 ;)

team Boo ♥'s you

santa baby

When my kids are babies, even though i want them to stay babies forever (minus the pooping in the pants part) I am always so anxious for the day they will learn to talk. 

This is exactly why...

it's part adorable and part sad when they ask for impossible things. Luckily all sheamus wants is a ten dollar toy and for his teeth to either rot or be sharpened...

team Boo ♥'s you

The last dandelion.

Sheamus is such a face melter. And he really doesn't even try. He has no ulterior motives, and is so very thoughtful...he's kinda like a Winnie the Pooh movie personified. For example, yesterday we went to the park to take our minds off a particularly serious "brain injury" of his. After his brain "healed", he played a little in the grass and a few minutes later brought me what he described as the "last dandelion of the season." It was sweet enough in itself to offer to me, but then before we blew it out together, he wished for "mom for a new camera"...and that's when the total face meltdown was complete. (This can only be something he has overheard and remembered how much i long for) Where did this kid come from?

team Boo ♥'s you

breakfast of champions.

...all mornings should begin in dress up.

Last night's conversaysh with my boy:

me: "Hey you sweet boy, you smell like....a hotdog!!"

Sheamus: "no silly, Daddy is just cooking a hotdog!"

me: "oh duh, i guess you're right ;)"

Sheamus: "mom, wanna know what your smell like?" then coyly whispers in my ear ..."beautiful"

(melted)

team Boo ♥'s you


i know this is getting lame, but if you are down with teamBoo vote here :)

turning tricks.

When Elyott turned "5" my in-laws happened to be going to peter piper pizza while up north visiting the grandparents. I still hadn't gotten around to throwing her an official party, so I quickly scrambled and got the word out that we should make that outing her "birthday party"...only it was July...her birthday is in January. oopsie. BUT, she was thrilled! HA Hah, kids are so easy to trick. 

I miss the days when I could make their birthdays whenever I wanted. Now with an older sister (who is on to my game ;) as his personal informant (2nd graders don't let anything slide) we had to do Sheamus's birthday within an appropriate time frame, but that didn't keep me from keeping our white trash 5th birthday tradition alive.

-at a dog park

-with two ballons (??)

-a power ranger at his own "spider (man)" themed party

-serve yourself water jugs for drinks.

-a cousin-on-party-guest gang style beat down

-white (spider webbing) streamers that just looked like the gazebo got T.P'd

...a gazebo!!

So yes, my party planning has seen better days, but you know what the best thing about about 5 year olds?? You could probably throw their birthday party atop a giant mound of manure and they would still think it was the best party ever! Which is what sheamus told me later his was...booyah.

...well, minus the manure.

team Boo ♥'s you

my face is 5!

I just realized I never posted when he turned 4...oops (get used to it middle child ;) We did have a party but I think i was just coming out of my "sick coma" with my sonny pregnancy. Excuses, excuses...what i'm trying to say is my Sheamus is 5 and I am gonna celebrate like its nobody's business! (that's a lie. we are actually just going to the park to eat cake...this is a product of too many kids, and him having a birthday in my month from hell)

Fun sheamus facts:

-a typical nightly prayer these days..."dear heavy fodder, please bless sonny to not get smashed by a monster truck, and help us to not say 'ew' at moms food. help me to have lots of toys i like. and help Jesus to be safe. amen." ...You know, only the really important stuff ;)

-sheamus is a master at watching a movie with his eyes locked on the screen and his body flailing and flipping upside down and inside out. He's like a freak of nature. Ok...maybe he's just 5, but still. I have never seen such distraction and dedication all at once.

-still snuggly and sweet. some common phrases "are you pondering what i'm pondering?" "So, how's your day going so far?" He's also turning into quite a little jokester (his laugh is infectious).

-Still wears costumes daily, but now he prefers the ones with no muscles so he can wear regular clothes over the top as his "secret identity"

-will, totally unprompted, clean the entire basement toy room and actually organize every toy in its correct bin. It's amazing the focus of this kid when he wants to do a "good deed"...now all i gotta do is show him how to clean toilets and we are set.


-It's a guarantee that this kid will fall at least 10 times a day. sitting in a stationary chair? crash. walking calmly down a hallway? bang. buckled securely in his straightjacket? thwack. maybe he has an inner ear issue?? If i were more responsible, i'd get that checked out. On second thought...i'm pretty certain he's just a spaz.

Happy birthday Face! you are my best big boy!!

team Boo ♥'s you

i believe in yesterday.

yesterday i swear i almost got hit by lightning. it was so close it basically blew out my eardrums right when it hit (in what looked like our back yard). i scary. i like to think God spared me since i just got finished babysitting my friends kids, and that kind of a follow up would be messed up, especially for God.

yesterday Sheamus DID get hit by a cousin with...a light saber. really hard :( but it turned out fine cause it just looked like a "smooch" from his momma, and not like he needed physical protection from his momma by the state.

yesterday i ran 13 miles.

yesterday I make a mini quilt (12 x12?) start to finish. AND made dinner!! 

believe me, i'm just as shocked as you are.

so that's why yesterday i didn't post. 

also my internet went out. i guess thats the main reason.

team Boo ♥'s you


(haven't you heard?  tooting your own horn is the new "black". Toot toot!)

look how amazing i am, i'm playing with my kid...

 (okay, that title sounds bitter. I promise i'm not. K maybe a little. Just kidding, that would be lame. Even if i were bitter, I wouldn't tell you. Actually i probably would....shut up, your face is bitter!)


I've seen this project like a bajillion times, so i thought we'd give it a go.
Don't be fooled by the pretty colors...cause it may not be all its cracked up to be (hint: it's not). I think it caught on because people probably want to look all artsy and hands on, but what they're not telling you is you will most likely get stuck at the counter peeling 95% of the 200 broken crayons cause your kid is being a spaz about having "yucky hands."  Your thumb will be throbbing for three days from the rainbow of wax jammed under your thumb nail...it will also ruin your cute little heart rubber ice trays. 


It was, however, a good way to get this kid to stop changing his clothes 27 times a day, stop flipping off the furniture like a maniac, and just kick it with his ma. So i guess it was a success after all :)

this weekend:

high: I ran 12 miles on Saturday, hooray!

(buuuut...now my toenails are falling off)

high: My hair is finally starting to stop falling out in clumps. super nast. (hair in everything. you can't hide from it. its a post pregnancy nightmare)

(but...also, someone left me a comment to let me know i looked like "FLO the progressive insurance lady". sweet. I used to cringe when I got "Amanda Bynes" who isn't bad but all i hear is "hi, you have chubby cheeks". Sorry "Mr. Apricot"...this is worse)

"bitterness on aisle three"

team boo ♥'s you

today is not a dress rehersal...it is your life.

(i am trying to be better about inserting myself into my life exploitation/blog...I'm pretty uncomfortable posting pictures of myself. It makes me feel vain. or like you'd imagine i was all "ooh this is an awesome picture of me" and you'd be all "meh" But seriously there aren't many days when i am not a total dirty slob, so its slim pickin's. This one is in disneyland on the POTC ride. The first two sheamus smiled and i looked like a tranny. The third I looked fine but sheamus's "cheese" face was lacking enthusiasm. But guess what? I am the teamBoo captain so MY normal picture wins. booyah) 

moving on to less lame tangents....

Today sheamus talked to the garbage can. Actually he does this on occasion. "hang on" he said "I'll get your other tooth soon.....My food (garbage) is your candy, huh"

Today Elyott had the "BEST day EVER!" She had the same snack at school as her friend Hope. I love this.

Today Sonny pooped on my lap.

Today Adams crustache was off the hook. He went to the gym with it unshaved, and a cutoff t-shirt with his own face printed on the front. Hows that for confidence!?

Today i realized I could "fit" into an pre-pregnancy pair of pants. Translation: it fit over my butt without giving me a giant camel toe. (...buuuuut I still have to tie the top button with a hair thing).

Almost. almost.

What happended in your "today"?

team boo ♥'s you

this train don't stop.

So I know I talk tough here and there, but I must admit i am a wee bit achy to send these little munchkins to school. Just a reminder that i can't slow life down.

(figurative group hug?)

(photo inspiration)

I am really trying hard to let Elyott own her independence and not manipulate "persuade" her to wear things that I think are cute....but did i really let elyott go to school looking like such a raggamuffin??

geez.

team boo ♥'s you

staying grounded.

The thing I always forget about punishments is that you actually have to carry them out. 

And sometimes that can be a lot of work :/ If you go so far as to ground them for the day, you must be fully committed to the possibility of having to entertain them....like, all day. Unless you're prepared to listen to 24 hr whining, which could always lead to more grounding ;) So think twice before you say the words, cause you may be in for a long day my friend.

But could it also be the smartest thing I've done all summer?? Cause after a day like this, I ultimately have nothing but gratitude for this undivided time I've had to love on my kids. Forget the chores, online browsing (eghm showering)...cause clearly what i didn't know was that a full day committed to nothing else but these little turds was just what I needed. A day to slow it down and appreciate their sweet little spirits, one on one, just as they are today. After all, these kids are the the greatest gift i will ever know...so if it takes a little mischief on their part to get my attention, bring on the "punishments"

*also, if you need answers as to what is going on with Sheamus....

It's ridiculous how charming this movie is

meet my little "Ash" 

he's nothing short of obsessed.

team boo ♥'s you

proof you can't reason with a 3 year old...

last week sheamus covered himself from head to toe in green marker...

"i am Hulk sthmash!" he said proudly.

"oh yeah, looks like you'll be hulk for a while" i smirked.

then sheamus carries on throwing every item of laundry off my bed and pillow in the house onto the floor. But it is only later...after his third man dump (in one morning) that this mom reaches her max in patience.

me:  "Sheamus do you think Hulk poops in a diaper!?"

S:      "no"

me:   "so does he poop in the toilet like a big boy?" (armed with his fantasy, i am poised to manipulate and drive it home...)

S:      "no" he quickly answers again.

me:   (wait, what?) "sooooo, where does he go?"

S:      "Hulk just poops in the STREET." he says without a moments hesitation.

touché my dear. Hulk is SO unpredictable ;)

3 year old......1

(4 if you count the dirty diapers)

mom............0