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.