There was a ducky floating in it...

I like to think that I am fairly safety conscious, especially given where I work, but every once in awhile I have some serious challenges.  The other morning was like that.  I left the upstairs three times, each time thinking it was the last.  The first time I was very careful... closed the toilet seat, closed all the doors, closed the baby gate, etc.  By the last time, I apparently was not so careful.  Angela had a little story for me when I got home from work.

Edward was secure in the crib in the twins room, Benjamin was sleeping on the mattress in Lexi's room when I left.  Apparently I didn't close the door all the way.  Angela heard some rustling aroun out in the hallway.  She got up to find Benjamin trying to get into the twins room, to play with his brother, and the bathroom door open.  She hoped, that maybe he had gone directly to the bedroom door, and not gone through the bathroom.  However, when she peeked into the bathroom, she found the toilet seat up and a ducky floating in it.  She was pretty sure I hadn't done that.  Good grief.

How to roller skate

A conversation with Lexi this afternoon:

(for clarification, Ginger is a family friend who Lexi, obviously, adores.  Ginger plays roller derby, which Lexi almost watched with Kelly a couple of weeks ago.)

Lexi:  Mama, do you know why I love Ginger sooo much?
Me: Why is that?
Lexi: Because she rollerskates.  That's why I love her so much.
Me: Oh.
Lexi: heavy sigh...     Mama, do you know the only way I can roller skate?
Me: How is that?
Lexi:  I can roller skate if I put finger paints on my feet, and skate on the paper.  That's the only way I can roller skate.  (she knows this because she has done it - she's not making this up)
Me: Oh.
long pause
Me: You know, we could ask for roller skates for Christmas, and maybe you could learn how to roller skate.
Lexi: REALLY!?!?!?  KIDS CAN ROLLER SKATE ??????
Me: Yes.
Lexi:  I saw once on this movie, about a little boy.  His name was Caillou.  He learned how to roller skate.
Me: Yes, next summer you will be 4, just like Caillou.  You could learn to skate.
Lexi:  No, next year, I will be 6.
Me: Oh yeah?  Well how old are you now?
Lexi:  I'm 5, silly.  Of course I am.
Me: ::crickets chirp as I sit looking baffled::


I'm not sure whether to groan that she wants to skate on paints again (that was a MESSY project), be excited that she wants roller skates, be concerned that she doesn't seem to know her own age, or be thrilled that she seems to realize that in order to be 6 next summer she'd have to be 5 now.  

How did I find myself out on this roof...

That's what I was thinking the other day, after climbing out Lexi's window in an attempt to break into my OWN GUEST ROOM to rescue Edward. 

Apparently he had crawled into the guest room and knocked over a folding chair that someone (coughKellycough)  had put behind the door.  The chair then got wedged between the wall and the door and the door was completely wedged shut.  I couldn't open it an inch.  Also, the hinges are on the inside, I couldn't get it off that way either.   Thankfully my porch roof runs underneath the guest room window and Lexi's window, so I was able to climb out her window, shimmy open the guest window, and stage a rescue. 

But seriously, I should not have to climb on a roof to rescue a 10 month old.

The Great Pumpkin

Angela's uncle Dave grows pumpkins every year that often compete in the Oswego Pumpkin Festival.  We stopped by to say hi and pick up some hand me downs (thank you Darlene!!) and posed the boys in front of this years contender.  Lexi is not pictured because she was being grumpy that day and did not wish to participate.

Ed (left) and Ben

Ed's face and Ben's butt as they mad dash away

Playing on the beach 8/11

Everyone in my family loves to play on the beach and in the sand.

Ben (blue and green) and Ed (red) wrestling over a water bottle.  You'll note there's another one right behind them, so they shouldn't need to fight over the same one.  Why do I feel like this will be a recurring theme...  :-)

Ben, coming after the camera

Ed, hamming it up

Papa and Lexi trying to fly kites

More boys in the sand

Lexi and a tangle of kits

Everybody playing in the shade.

Boys 10 month check up - 9/8/2011

The boys had their 10 month doctor's appointment a week and a half ago, and it went great.  She was really impressed with how big they are.  For once they didn't both get a huge diaper rash right before the appointment (seriously, I swear they do it almost every time.  It must be a stress diaper rash).  They also excellently showed off all of their mad pulling up and cruising skills.  The only activity they "should" be doing and aren't very much is sitting, but that's because they never stay still long enough to sit.  They just keep going until they flop out asleep.

Their length and weight numbers are as follows (note: these %s do not take into account that they were preemies):

Boy                  Length        %       Weight      %
Edward            30 in        ~75       22 lbs     ~75
Benjamin          30.5 in    ~75        25 lbs     ~98 (big boy)

Adventures at Camp 8/7-8/14

After Grace's wedding Angela and the kids stayed in Plattsburgh, and I had to go back home and go to work for the week.  I missed the family like crazy, but I got soooo much done!!  Cleaned house, did laundry, mowed the lawn, cut down some trees using my chainsaw, so much fun.  Anyhow, then I joined the family just in time to move in Camp on Lake Champlaign.

Lexi got to go back to the deer feeding place, and this time the deer were calmer and Lexi was braver.

Lexi petting the deer.  She loves the big antlers

Lexi and Petpet on the ferry to Burlington.

Me and Ben on the boys' first ferry ride

Me, the boys, and a sleeping Lexi with Champy in Burlington

Everybody swimming in the lake

Ben - kick, kick, kick

Me and the boys (you can't see it, but I have a death grip on the floaties to keep them from flipping into the water)

Lexi "driving" Papa's boat

Lexi and Mama "marshing mellows" at the campfire.  Lexi liked to marsh mellows for everyone.

Aunt Grace's Wedding

So many weddings, so little time.  We had a great time at Grace and Bonnie's wedding (though it made us happy we did not choose to have a big reception ourselves.  Just being guests is still a lot of work with our three littles.  Later, we promise to have a vow renewal and big party or something, we promise.  Anyhow...)

Amma, Papa, and Ed (I think.  Ed has skinnier feet)

Corrine, Lexi, and Kelsey preparing to dance down the aisle

Its hard work to be this cute.  By the way, does anyone need to rent a flower girl?  Guaranteed to be adorable, real reasonable rates.

Ethan the ring bearer and his grandma, Caron

Papa and Big Ben

Lexi and Aunt Ellen

Mr Ed

Mr Ed (left) and Big Ben fighting over a spoon at dinner

A Night for the Record Books 9/3

So labor day weekend I drove all the kids to Buffalo by myself to stay with Angela's aunt, uncle, and cousins over the holiday weekend.  We were returning Maggie (one of the cousins) to her house after she had stayed with us for the week, and trying to stay out of Ang's hair so she could work on the front porch renovation.  Our plan had been to drive out Saturday and come home Monday, however that was not quite how it worked out.

They day was fun, we met the Gelen's for pizza and then went to the zoo, which Lexi loved!!  Got back to their house and grilled for dinner.  During dinner, Maggie (the 14 year old, not one of my littles) managed to knock an entire glass of milk into my lap.  In the process of scootching away from the milk, Ben, who was in my lap, managed to send a butter dish and entire stick of melty butter flying.  This should have been my indication of the night to come.

Lexi and Edward went right to sleep as soon as I put them to bed.  Ben, under napped, over tired, and probably teething, was an absolute wreck.  He sobbed for hours, and nothing helped.  And of course, I needed to stay in the vicinity of the bedrooms, in case one of the other two woke up and needed something.  I'm sure Mike and Ellen loved the sobbing baby right outside their bedroom until 1 am.  It was around 1 that Ellen managed to get Ben to sleep in the crib.  Still not sure how she did it, but boy was I glad.  I climbed into the bed I was sharing with Lexi, who has been very restless all night, though she hasn't woken up even with Ben's crying.  But not 5 minutes later, she rolls out of bed and onto the floor, and this was a fairly tall bed.  She wakes up sobbing, Mike and Ellen run back in... oi vey.

I settle Lexi down, we get back into bed, she tries to go back to sleep, but keeps waking up upset and uncomfortable about every 20 minutes.  I finally figure out why... about 2 in the morning, she sits up, makes some funny noises, and proceeds to get sick, all over the sheets, herself, and my lap.  I rush her to the bathroom, and Ellen again comes to my rescue, changing the sheets on the bed.  Lexi and I spend the next couple hours going back and forth to the bathroom, and snuggling a bowl when we are in bed.

She finally falls asleep around 5.  At 6:30, Edward, who has only squeaked once during all of this when he wanted his middle of the night bottle, wakes up, raring to go and ready to party.  Mike takes Edward downstairs.  Half hour later, Lexi and Ben are both awake, and I give up trying to sleep.

All 3 children were perfectly fine the next day, though Lexi was a bit whiny due to being tired.  I owe much thanks to Mike and Ellen, I would not have survived the night without them.  And they were even hoping we would stay a second night with them (they are clearly either crazy or masochistic).  However, Lexi was insistent that we return home, and I can't blame her. 

Incidentally, Maggie and Patrick slept through the whole night, and their bedrooms are right next to where all the insanity was happening.

Ah, good times. 

Porch Renovation Part 2

So far everybody but one likes the green.  What do you think???

Niagara Falls pre-wedding Adventures 8/24/2011

So one of the nice things about having someone else plan your whole wedding and all you have to do is show up, is that you get to play the day before.  We had a blast at Niagara Falls!!

The three of us at the Cave of Winds



Sunset at Niagara Falls with the whole family (note the boy on my back) on 9/23.  With Ed on my back and Lexi on my shoulders, I became a bit of a tourist attraction myself, haha.



The boys chilling on the floor of the hotel room (Ben = blue, Ed = red)

Angela and the boys taking in the sights.

Lexi, Maggie (Lexi's new BFF), and Patrick at the falls.

Amma, Papa, Lexi, and Mommy on Maid of the Mist boat ride.  Lexi LOVED it!!

Lexi and Maggie people watching.

Lexi and Gelen's from viewing tower.

Don't you just love the free sandals that come with the Cave of Winds tickets (they don't make them Lexi sized)

Lexi and Maggie prepping for the Cave of Winds

Visiting the Farm Sanctuary July 16

So we visited this vegan farm santuary that rescues animal.  It was pretty cool, they had lots of nice animals that we could pet.  Lexi decided that we need to have a pet cow.

Lexi and the Lacey family with a goat.

Emma and Lexi holding hands as we walked around.

Mommy and Lexi petting the cows

Lexi petting a goat.

Watkins Glen July 15

This weekend, we headed down to hunting camp down near Watkins Glen with our friends the Lacey's.  We visited Watkins Glen State Park, where we had a great hiking adventure.

Lexi and Emma jumping on the beds at camp.

The whole crew (except me) hiking at Watkins Glen State Park.  We took the trolley up, and hiked all the way down.

Lexi and Emma resting on some steps at the State Park.  It was hard work walking all that way down hill.

Ice cream after hiking the state park.

Me and the kids on the bridge at the State Park (Caleb, Lexi, and Emma)

Angela and the brothers in their matching glow in the dark Alaska onesies.  Ed on left, Ben on right.