First Lost Tooth

Andrew has been so looking forward to losing teeth since he's heard older kids talk about it. He's had two loose ones in the bottom front for a couple days.



Today, very nonchalantly, he popped out the more loose of the two. I imagine the second can't be far behind.



He's excited about getting a visit from the tooth fairy tonight. I wonder what her going rate is these days. ???

Fathers

Our summer has been off to fantastic start. We started things off with a lovely vacation in Massachusetts with my in-laws over the Memorial Day weekend. And we just spent a week in Ocean City, NJ with my extended family. The neighborhood pool is open and the boys are really enjoying spending time there. Hard to believe June is almost through.

Since we've been away, I was getting behind in my blog reading. As I was catching up this weekend, I noticed a lot of posts written by women honoring their husbands and/or fathers on Father's Day.

Our vacation in Ocean City always coincides with Father's Day. So, I am lucky that I get to spend Father's Day with my father, my Godfather, and Mark. Not to mention a whole slew of other great fathers (my brothers, uncles, and cousins).



Every blog post I read boasted their husband was the best father in the world. I don't think that is possible because, MY husband is the BEST father in the whole world! I could not ask for a better partner with whom to navigate parenting.



And then there's my father. I have been so blessed throughout my life to have a strong relationship with my father. Over the years, I've come to appreciate that more and more as I realize not all daughters have this kind of bond with their fathers. My father was always a great "dad". He coached little league, helped with homework, listened to and comforted his children and most importantly, showed them how much he loved Mom. To have grown up in a such a stable nuclear family is a true blessing and my father was a large part of that.

However, none of that compares to how incredible my father is as a grandfather! He never tires of his grandchildren and their constant demands for time with PopPop. This past week, he was often seen holding hands with two grandkids and jumping little waves along the shoreline, searching for seashells, playing "catch the seagulls", pitching a wiffle ball or reading books. He is like a magnet to whom all of the grandkids are drawn. Just look at this photo. I dare you to tell me he's not an exceptional grandfather!





Did I mention that I also have a wonderful father-in-law?



I am truly blessed. I am related to, no...bonded to, a husband, father and father-in-law, all of whom could vie for the "Best Father in the World" title.

Milestone!

Those of you who know me well, know that I can be...at times...a little bit...competitive. A little. (Thankfully, most people who love me find it endearing rather than obnoxious!) However, I try very hard not to keep track of when the boys hit their milestones in relation to each other. First steps, first word, etc. But, I was very curious recently to see where we would end up with potty-training because, they started at two different ages.

I waited until after an important family wedding in which Andrew was the ring bearer to start his potty training. As a result, he was more than ready and old enough to do it well. He figured it out right away and was potty trained at 2 years, 8 months.

Jay on the other hand, showed interest in toilet learning (this is the phrase used in the "what to expect..." book and I think it's funny) much earlier. However, it has taken much longer for him to truly accomplish complete potty training. But, he has and it was right at 2 years, 8 months.

Isn't that interesting? (sounds of crickets chirping...people deleting my blog from their bookmarks...)

Well, that's not even the milestone I wanted to document here. The important milestone reached last night was:

Andrew and Jay's First PISSING CONTEST!

The boys and I were in their bathroom (which if you've been to our house, you realize has a maximum capacity for 3 people if you stand in just the right spots). First, they were racing to see who could get undressed first. Then, they sat side-by-side on their respective commodes (Andrew on the toilet and Jay on his potty) and commenced with their pre-bath duties. (snicker, snicker) Andrew leaps off of the toilet and declares, "I win!". Jay with all his pride, stands up and says "I win too!". Now, comes the bickering over who peed faster.

Ahhhh...raising boys is going to be so much fun!

Mudder's Day

Recently, Andrew and Jay have started calling me "Mudder". It cracks me up. I'm pretty sure they picked it up from me too. Here's my thinking. I will scold them when they are being rude to me by saying "I am your mother and you can't talk to me that way." They seem to hear "I am your Mudder and you can't talk to me that way." See, what I mean? Evidently, I slip into a New York/Long Island type accent when scolding them about being rude to me, their mudder. What's funnier is that Andrew definitely knows it is incorrect which naturally makes it all the more funny to him.

So, I hope all the mothers out there, especially those who are so near and dear to me had a very special Mudder's Day! I sure did. Thanks in no small part to my wonderful husband who pampered me all weekend. This man sure makes me feel loved and appreciated. I am so blessed.

And being mother to these guys...well, I am really blessed.

Easter Egg Hunt

Our neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was today. You would not believe how excited Andrew was for this.

Here he is scoping out the field before things got started:


Jay in action:

Jay's friend Connor giving an egg to Jay:

Andrew in action:


It was a beautiful sunny Sunday for the annual egg hunt. We had fun.

March

March was a fun month.

There was a visit from Oma and Opa (technically this was in the last week of February).

A sign Andrew made to welcome Oma and Opa.

Andrew and Oma freshly squeezing Florida oranges.

Opa reading to Jay.


There was a visit from my brother Chris, my nieces Samantha and Sara, and my nephew Nathaniel.

Samantha and Andrew on the Metro.


Jay and Sara on the Metro.


Nathaniel on the Metro.

Chris and his kids at the Washington Monument (note the White House in the background.)


It also rained a fair amount so the boys have been having fun playing in the mud puddles that form in our side yard.







Seems like there was something else...Oh, right! There was a little trip to....Walt Disney World. It was a Holland Family Grand Gathering. All 16 members of the Holland family met in Orlando for a week together at Walt Disney World. It was awesome!

This is all 16 of us at the Polynesian Resort.

A Walk in the Woods

I have a friend who lives in Maine. Last week, she wrote something on her blog that came back to me this morning as I was lying in bed wrestling with the notion that I would have to get out of bed soon.

I've been dealing with a sinus infection all week. The way I've dealt with this sinus infection was to let the boys watch more tv than usual so I could rest. When I was lying in bed this morning, thinking about how cooped up we've been, and how unfair it has been to the boys, these words from Maine Momma's blog came back to me.

"i have not gone out just because. today i see i need to. i must. a walk in the woods or maybe a climb over that snow bank to reach the beach. something, anything. i need some sun on my face and fresh air in my lungs and to walk off a bit of this cabin fever that has set in my bones and in my head."

All three of us needed to walk off some cabin fever. Of this I was sure. Andrew confirmed this notion for me when he came in to wake me up saying, "Mommy, it's a great day to go outside. It's sunny and beautiful."

So, with every intention of getting some fresh air, clearing the cobwebs, and soaking in some sunshine we headed to Huntley Meadows Park for a nature walk. Bucket in hand we walked along the path searching for nature. Andrew and Jay collected pine cones, sticks, rocks and other things. I collected some much needed fresh air and vitamin D!







Thanks for the inspiration, MaineMomma! This photo is for you:

As promised...a recap of my birthday

It seems to have become a tradition on my mother’s side of the family to celebrate birthdays multiple times. You celebrate once with your immediate family, then maybe again when more members of your extended family can be together. We have come to call this celebrating your birthday “McDevitt” style. In this fashion, you can celebrate your birthday for a week or a month instead of just one day. It’s great!

For example, when Andrew turned 3 we had a birthday party here with some of his friends, we celebrated with dinner on his actual birthday and he had a party at MomMom and PopPop’s house with his cousins. That’s three separate parties to celebrate one birth-day. Understand?

Well, for my birthday...

We (Mark, Andrew, Jay and I) celebrated my birthday on the Sunday before my birthday. It’s much more convenient (and fun) to celebrate on a weekend instead of a weeknight. Mark coined a new phrase for the celebrating of one’s birthday multiple times, “false birthday”. And what a great false birthday it was…

8:30 – 9:30 – church

10:00 – breakfast at Evening Star Cafe

11:00 – 4:00 – putting on puppet shows (Andrew), playing with cars (Jay), crafting and mending projects (me), cooking (Mark)

4:30 – birthday dinner of roasted chicken, stuffing, roasted potatoes and creamed spinach

5:30 - presents

6:30 – birthday cake with our dear friends, the Sprungs

Andrew had planned my birthday cake weeks in advance. And he even managed to keep it a surprise. He was very excited about it. It was so adorable. He absolutely loves birthdays. And he has come to be quite the party planner. He was so sweet in his general excitement for me to enjoy my birthday. The cake was great, there were special animal plates picked out for the cake, and I got lots of birthday hugs and kisses. It was wonderful!

Two awesome gifts:

A pair of crocs from Andrew & Jay along with two jibbitz (a heart from Andrew b/c he loves me, and Mater from Jay b/c he loves Mater)

A single cup coffee maker from Mark. What a cool little machine. It’s awesome!

I’m one lucky lady to have three guys who love and pamper me so.

On my actual birthday, I got the kids to bed early and Mark ran out for some sushi takeout. We had a nice quiet evening in front of the tv with sushi and Netflix.

Having remembered the time when he got to celebrate his birthday more than once, Andrew kindly suggested to my mom that we celebrate Mommy's birthday again when we were visiting my parents this past week. So, one whole week after my actual birthday, I was "surprised" with a birthday cake that Andrew and MomMom made.

I highly recommend the multiple birthday celebrating...it's wonderful! Especially, because it will remind you just how much you are loved.

3-5

It's official now...I am in my mid-30's. I don't really mind this ... well, that's not entirely true. I've come to realize recently that I am no longer considered a young person. ..or a recent grad...or even a young mother. I am a mother of young children, I graduated many years ago and well, (as a friend pointed out) I must start checking a new age group box on survey forms.

But to be honest, I am so blessed and so happy with my life, I really don't mind this birthday nor dread any ones coming after this one.

Still...I think I'll pretend to mind it so I can have this for breakfast...




Mmm...chocolate cake and coffee. Life is good!

PS - I will have to post a picture of my birthday cake later today. Andrew & Mark made me an absolutely awesome cake this past weekend. I will be sure to post a picture and recap my lovely day celebrating my "false birthday".

Here's to a New Year...

Every January the blogosphere is always flooded with posts about New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t typically make resolutions. But, I have set two goals for myself for 2011. And I’m proud to say that I got working on these goals before January 1.

This summer I finally found out why my knees have been bothering me so much for the past two years. Possibly due to many years of playing basketball, the cushioning around my knee cap has deteriorated so that my bones are rubbing against each other causing early-onset arthritis. The condition was technically diagnosed as chondromalacia. This meant I would need to forego running and find other cardio workouts to strengthen my leg muscles specifically my quad muscles. I am thrilled to have finally tried spinning. I joined a new gym in October and I’ve been to several classes in addition to working out on my own. Spinning has proven to be a fantastic workout. I’m very excited about it.

So, that is goal number one – get in better shape, regain core fitness and improve leg strength.

Goal number two was to find a way to bring some income into our household. For some time now, I’ve been mulling selling my handmade crafts. For a couple years now, I’ve been making stenciled tee-shirts and onesies as gifts for my nieces, nephews and friends’ babies. As I was ruminating on what I might sell, my mind kept coming back to these. So, in November, I finally took the plunge and opened an online store through Etsy.

The store is called Brush & Paint. I hope you’ll take a look. Initially, I have been stocking it with my hand-stenciled t-shirts and onesies. Last week, I added some stationery for Valentine’s Day. I’m very excited to finally be underway with this idea that has been in the back of mind ever since I became a stay-at-home mom in 2006. I have had some early success selling my t-shirts and onesies to family and friends. I hope to gain some traction in the online marketplace over the next year.

A snowflake tee:

A lobster lovenote:

Who knows what 2011 will have in store for me? Come 2012, I hope to be looking back at 2011 proud of the work I put into these two goals. Sitting here, right now, I’m feeling optimistic and I’m very excited by the possibilities.

Wishing you a fulfilling and satisfying new year! xoxo, Reen

ah...what fun!

So, I don't think this counts as one of the "joys of motherhood" but, it is one of those moments that can define motherhood (or really any caretaker of small children's 'hood). Let me set the scene for you.

Warning: the rest of this post may not be suitable for everyone (as it deals with p-o-o-h.)

Jay started taking a true interest in potty training last week. I was thrilled since it was his idea and it seemed to come to him out of the blue. He's been doing really well but, as is normal, I've been living in a perpetual state of anxiety about when he might have an accident.

Andrew has been under the weather for over a week with a cough and runny nose. So, it's just been one of those weeks where I felt like I was bouncing back and forth from the bathroom to the tissue box to the fridge for more juice etc. Yesterday, Andrew started having diarrhea. Hoping this was just a result of something he had eaten I figured it would just run its course. And towards the end of yesterday I was feeling really confident in my prediction. Well, this morning he had two more bouts of it.

Here's where the defining moment occurs.

This morning, while I was researching causes for diarrhea online (and choking back my gag reflex at the detailed information concerning such a topic), Andrew appears by my side and says, "Mom, Jay has something in his hand and it smells like poop." I rush downstairs to see Jay holding a large amount of poop in his hand. I wish I hadn't said this but, I said, "Oh, Jay!" at which he turned and immediately dropped the turd to the carpet so as not to get in trouble for having it in the first place.

I think this is one of those times where you need to either laugh or cry. So, I laughed...much later...once I had cleaned the child, my hands, the carpet, the toys that were on the carpet and my hands again!

And to think earlier this week I was saying that I was tired of wiping runny noses. Oh, how I long for the days of runny noses!

First snow of the season...

We had our first snowfall yesterday. We enjoyed somewhere between 1.5 adn 2 inches. I say first because I am so hopeful that we will have more snowfalls this winter. Andrew absolutely loves being out in the snow. Saying he was thrilled to see the snow falling yesterday doesn't even come close to describing his reaction. What's better is I think he might actually think I planned it/ created it for him! (Although, that might backfire when I can't reproduce another snowstorm. Hmmm...)



I am really glad that Jay enjoyed being out in the snow yesterday too. Playing outside last year was a total disaster with Jay. He was too small to walk well in his snowbibs, jacket and snowboots, etc. He wouldn't keep his gloves on and it only took one faceplant in the snow for him to be completely in tears and wanting to go inside. And when I had just spent 30 minutes getting him ready to go out, I was a bit annoyed to be going back inside with him to disrobe. So, I was thrilled that he wanted to go out and play after he saw how much fun Andrew was having in the snow.


Andrew picked up where he left off doing his favorite snow activities: eating snow, demanding we build a snowman, and wiping snow off of the car. Andrew & Jay have also come to enjoy a game where Mommy makes a snowball and hands it to them and then they throw it at Mommy. Jay calls this game "ball". And he very sweetly asked today when we were getting dressed to go out..."play ball with you?" How can I resist? Andrew figured out how to make his own snowballs today and he had great fun throwing them at me.

What a nice surprise this snow was for us.



Happy winter!

If you’ll pardon the cliché…it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here! I have not been feeling the Christmas spirit or whatever you want to call it at all this year. I have felt no great desire to decorate or bake or listen to Christmas music. And yet, with a 4 year old who is growing very excited about Christmas, well, I have had no choice but to fake it! (I cannot believe I just revealed that secret!)

We’ve put out our decorations around the house and we have put lights up outside. Mark and the boys picked out and bought our Christmas tree on Sunday. It is a beautiful tree. They did a fabulous job! On Monday, I put the lights on the tree and Andrew put the ornaments on the tree. (Jay had no interest in putting his or any ornaments on the tree.) It is the most adorable clumping of ornaments I have ever seen. All of his and Jay’s ornaments are hanging on the lowest branches. There is a specific cluster that faces the fireplace. Andrew remarked that he put those specific ornaments there so that Santa will see them as soon as he comes down our chimney! How cute is that?

Yesterday, we baked some cookies. We made Spritz (which were always my favorite growing up) and chocolate chip cookies. Now, I’d be lying if I said the boys were a huge help. But, they were very cute in their excitement about making cookies for Santa. Well, Andrew is looking forward to leaving some out for Santa. Jay just wants to eat them now! Forget what’s-his-face.

We made cinnamon ornaments last week. And we have been listening to Christmas music, namely John Denver and the Muppets and the albums my brother Mike made in 2000 and 2001.


All of this combined has made our house look, smell and feel Christmas-y. Yet, I still don’t feel it. It all seems kind of like a giant to-do list of things I must do to make sure this Christmas is special for Andrew & Jay. And I guess that’s what it means to be Mommy. Your job is to make Christmas special for your children. And if I can only do that half as well as my Mom did, well then I’ll be glad.

As I do each of these tasks on my Christmas to-do list: I can’t help but reminisce about the Christmases of my childhood. My mother always made our house look so nice. She would pick out special craft ornaments for us to do each year and it is fun to look back at those now remembering sitting at the kitchen table with my brothers designing them. I have hung eucalyptus on my front door because my mother always had a eucalyptus wreath on our front door. Every time I open my storm door and smell it, I am reminded of my mother. Baking cookies, reminded me of the cookie tins that were always filled with our favorite cookies. I realize now that my mother must have made several trips to the grocery store for more eggs, sugar and butter to make sure when we got home from school that there would be cookies in the tins. I don’t know when she made them…I just know they were always there. Thanks, Mom! Thanks for these warm memories. I hope Andrew & Jay will be able to think back on their childhood Christmases with similar affection.

I will say there is one thing that I have really been enjoying this Christmas season. And that is Andrew’s ability to patiently open one door each day on the Advent calendar. My parents gave us a beautiful Advent calendar that they picked up on their recent trip to Germany. Andrew has been very good about only opening the specific door for today and no others. He is eager each morning and asks Mark or me “what number is today?” I’ve been impressed with his ability to find the numbers on his own and open the doors himself. He seems to thoroughly enjoy finding out what picture is waiting behind the door. I cannot believe the self-control he has shown with this. It makes me happy. Like everything else, Jay is oblivious to the calendar. He likes to look at the picture if Andrew shows it to him…but, I don’t think the calendar is even registering on his radar screen.

Along with his enjoyment of the advent calendar, I’ve enjoyed watching how Andrew can appreciate the special prayers we say each night at dinnertime when I light the candles in our advent wreath. Andrew closes his eyes and folds his hands in front of his face. It makes me feel very warm and content inside. He and Jay have been offering grace before our meals for a couple months now. Usually, they say “Thank you for this family. Amen.” Sometimes, they will add a thank you for an activity or toy. But, the other night, Andrew said “Thank you for my family and thank you for God. Amen.” Now, I realize these are just words to him…but, I found I was bowled over by it. After all isn’t that the message of Advent and Christmas? I love it.

Merry Christmas!