Logan Wanted To Do A Video Too

My floor is not really that filthy. We did a craft project with pain that day.

Next up Logan wants to make some Angry Birds videos, so stay tuned.

We Had a Pretty Good Day (except for the Taco Bell and Gymboree)

Logan had a dentist appointment today for his semi-annual checkup and cleaning. We have really gotten it together on his dental care. We thought we did good before, but at the very first appointment, we learned how much we sucked. Did you know you are supposed to hold your kid down and brush their teeth until they are like 9? Me either. If you don't do that, the kiddie dentist and his perky assistant will make you feel like the worst parents in the world. They will tell you that your child will get cavities, and since they have crowded teeth, require surgery to have them repaired/removed.

After a few stressful days, Logan and Hunter finally resigned themselves to the parental power brush and it has become quite easy. Well, as easy as brushing the teeth of a giant preschooler with what could possibly the boniest elbows EVER. I digress.

So anyway, the boy had some good looking teeth and the dentist said I did a good job! He even gave me a sticker. Actually he didn't, but wouldn't that be funny?

The only part that bummed me out was when he gave him a fluoride treatment after I specifically told everyone (but the dentist) that we are not doing fluoride because I consider it unsafe. I even had to pay $30 for the fluoride I did not want. Damn, the man.

As a reward for good behavior, I took the boys to the mall to ride a beautiful carousel. We had packed a lunch and ate it at the food court. I brought a salad (I LOVE salad), but I felt like I needed some protein, so I got me a potato soft taco from Taco Bell (What? Potato is not protein? Details, details).

Logan was begging for a smoothie from Panera, so I figured why not. I made the mistake of browsing Gymboree and they were having a "sale" (goodbye $40) and we passed about 9 places that also sell smoothies just to find that Panera's smoothies are $4 a piece. Damn!

After Logan thew a fit because he didn't want to share a smoothie with Hunter (I had it split into two cups) and I pondered why I ever try to do anything nice for my children, we loaded up the van and drive the hour home. Then I fixed a lovely dinner in which my children proclaimed "disgusting", followed by sitting my fat ass on the couch while my hubby reads the guys a story.

Boxcar Boys

We live in a "train" town, so our background music is the soothing rumble of the wheels and warning whistles as trains pass through the multitude of crossings. The sound of coming and going, past and future, hello and goodbye. Sounds that are like the knock of the woodpecker that you hear and feel to the marrow of your bones, but don't always, see.  

There is no Thomas the Train on these tracks. These boys are loud. They are covered with the filth collected from the thousands of miles traveled so we can have our lumber, coal, and the containers shipped from factories on the other side of the world. The crimson rust is camouflaged by the masterpieces created by the underworld artists fueled by adrenalin and armed with propelled paint. 

To a certain little boy, there is nothing more magical then a train (unless it is a helicopter, dump truck, or an airplane). When he hears the soft, distant call of the train riding in, he makes sure we all know what it is: "TWAIN!"

The benefit of living in a train town is you may just find a couple 

of cars parked back on a forgotten piece of track. 

The behemoths beckon you. 

Thrill you. 

Frighten you. 

The weathered and worn shells appear ready to swallow those longing to get a closer look, but without the powerful engine, they will carry no boys away on this day. 

Today, they are gentile giants. 

Peaceful partners in play.

Larger than life. 

"If God had meant for us to fly, he wouldn't have given us the railways." -- Unknown

Budding Camera Artist

While at a Military Appreciation Ceremony on Sunday, I decided to let Hunter to play with the camera to keep him entertained. This is what a 2 year old is inspired by:

His shoe:

  

A professional photographer:

Back fat.

We have monkey see, monkey do syndrome around here, so of course, Logan wanted in on the camera fun.

After a few clicks, my boy was hooked and referring to himself as a Camera Artist. 

Here are a few of my favorite shots:

Hunter is annoyed that Logan now has the camera.

A lid.

My heart necklace.

2 hearts.

1 for Logan.

1 for Hunter.

A tent pole.

A tent stake.

A lid of a different kind.

And, he has taken about 900 more since then.

I kid you not.

I have created a monster.

Or

A Camera Artist.

One of THOSE Days

Today is one of those days where

....the dirty laundry baskets are over flowing

It's one of those days where

....the boy's bathroom smells like the camp outhouse. 

The kind of day where

....the trash cans are filled with poopie diapers & pee soaked Pull-Ups.

So....

We went to the park. 

Yo Mama's on Crack Rock!

Not my Mama!

I picked out a darling shade of baby pink for the nursery.

Except it was more like CRACK-baby pink.

(This is Logan's crack-baby face)

But we kept painting, 

because,

you know,

paint always looks different after it has dried.

It just looked worse after it dried.

And the consistency of the paint was just not right.

So I went where I should have gone to begin with:

LOWE'S!

I grabbed a can of the low VOC Olympic paint in

PLEASING pink.

I am well, PLEASED, with my decision.

Pleasing Pink / Crack-baby Pink

I think I've made the right decision.

Now to summon up the energy to roll another coat and cut in at the top.

Crack-baby pink is not going down with out a fight.

Sickish

Turns out that just after midnight, hours after I wondered if Logan was really sick or not, he woke up with a full pull up of some really disgusting stuff. The pull up was so full, that it did not actually....uuuuhhhhhhh.......contain?.....everything. He was a mess up the front and back of his skinny little 4 year old body and since I had just put clean sheets his bed, they, of course, were hit as well.

When we moved into our new house, I insisted that AgentAnime install on of those hand held/removable shower heads in the boys bathroom for times like this. For times when nothing short of a fire hose would do the job. I got him scrubbed down and hosed off and bravely allowed him to sleep on my bed. The rest of the night (not that there was much left of it) was uneventful, and he had a few more "instances" of "unpleasantness" that day, but nothing we could handle!

He had a pretty good week and only complained about not feeling well around bedtime, so I suspect he was just tired those times.

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts about my little buddy!

Sick or not?

A few weeks ago Logan had a nasty virus. He had a high fever and complained that his knees and feet hurt. I took him into the doctor and he had a low white blood count that indicated a virus, but other than the fever and the body aches, he had no other symptoms. 


Fast forward a few weeks: Dad is deployed and Logan is having obvious separation issues, but seems to be handling thing well, considering he is a sensitive soul (aka: crybaby, wienie, pansy). 


The issue has been, even before my husband left, that he is complaining on a daily basis that he doesn't "feel well" and he generally says his stomach hurts. When there is something he doesn't want to eat, he can't because he doesn't "feel well". When he needs to wash his hair, he can't because he doesn't "feel well". You get the picture. That seems to be his excuse for everything and in those moments, I call BS. 


Here is the catch: In the past few days he has twice been running and suddenly started crying because his knee hurts. He doesn't seem to have fallen or hit anything either. He says it just hurts. Again with the stomach, it his biggest complaint/excuse, but he's had significant diarrhea at least twice in the past few weeks. Once at the same time as Hunter and I think it was something they may have eaten. 


So my dilemma is, do I take him to the doctor? And if so for what? 


Part of me thinks this is stress, but he had sneaky strep throat that manifested itself as a stomach ache just late last year. I waited over a week before I finally took him in and only did so because Hunter had a fever and cold symptoms. I am also concerned about his knee complaint, but he could very well just be saying that for attention. 


I hate to see my little boy in real or imagined pain.

3 is enough

My baby is 4 today!

I thought he would be happier about it.

He tells me he wants to stay 3.

He likes 3.

3 is good enough.

Must be school picture time! Warning: Graphic Description

I know with each pregnancy I get a little "treat"

With Logan,

it was the itchy "pregnancy rash"

that cleared up 2 days before my appointment

with the dermatologist.

In the future they told totake a picture before it clears up.

Right.

With Hunter,

it was the massive vomiting each day from 4-7 pm

in the 1st trimester

and the horribly blotchy skin

in the 3rd trimester

and in the weeks after

having him ripped through my abdomen

giving bith.

Hunter was also lucky enough to get the face frenzy as well.

Cute.

I am currently experiencing an ailment

unlike the previous two.

Acne.

Sigh.

And not even acne.

A rash-like smattering of

tiny,

large,

random,

bright red,

well ok,

acne.

It's like I'm in high school

and

pictures are on 

Monday.

Except,

I don't even get the satisfaction

of sitting on the bathroom sink

and 

popping these badboys

until the mirror is splattered 

with 

zit juice.

Yes,

these sorry excuses for "zits"

have.

no.

heads.

The nerve.

I am all for the pregnancy "glow"

but 

my face has the glow

of 

hot

MOLTEN

LAVA.

Not the look I was going for.

Is this what the girl hormones are doing to me?

I guess if this is my penance for having a girl,

I'll take it.

As if my fat ass wasn't enough.