Nap strike is quelled!

The nap strike that has kept me in a fog for the past week has apparently abated for the time being. Thank goodness, because Mommy without downtime is a frightening thing. Just ask my children.

Is winter almost over? Come on, snow, you can go somewhere else. This is why I don't want to live in "Alaska" with my parents. I don't do snow very well. I like it for Christmas, and by New Years I want it to be spring. Reminds me of my former job, the greenhouse. Oh, how I loved working in the greenhouses. I remember one spring break that I worked the entire week, and only left the greenhouse to eat. It was amazing. Potting soil smells great after a winter of bleach and red, green, pink and white (Christmas and Valentine's Day in the same season? Come on!).

Ooh! Big news! I'm going to start teaching Aiden to read! I was talking to his speech therapist, and told her about all the words that he can spell. She said to go ahead and get him started reading the correct way, because his interest level is so high that it might be easier to do it now. I'm so excited! (Can you tell by all the exclamation marks in this paragraph?) Move over, Einstein, my sweet, handsome and brilliant son is moving on up!

Ok, now that I've bragged on him enough for this post, I can tell you that Parker is starting to talk! (Warning: More exclamation marks ahead.) He says mama, dada, papa (Parker) schlah (nice) mo (more or milk) and ball! I think he is frequently trying to imitate what I say, also, but it's not quite as consistent. But my baby is talking! I can't believe how grown up he is already!

Enough rambling. Cleaning now. Bleah.

A "Bad Day"

Today was an example of what you could call a "bad day" of parenting. The little guy wanted to be held all day long, when he wasn't doing nosedives off my couch and getting into the garbage can. The big one spent most of the day helping the little one do those nosedives. And knocking him over. And not sharing toys. And generally just being a typical almost-three-year-old-big-brother.

Oops, excuse me. The big one just took his diaper off and is parading around the dining room table half naked.

Where was I? Was I complaining? Probably. Sorry. The fact of the matter is that even the "bad day" had its good moments. Parker and I took a nap snuggled on the couch together (albeit a brief one). Aiden enjoyed the wheat-free brownies I baked for him, even though he's still asking for the candy I have stashed on top of the hutch. And he gave me a big hug without being asked when I was upset with something I was reading earlier.

So having a "bad day" doesn't mean it has to be awful from beginning to end. It could just be a general sense of frustration that you feel like you're not getting anything done. Which is what I've been feeling. But just now, I looked at my sweet boys, and realized that I did get something done today. I fed them and changed their diapers. And that's enough.

Excuse me please. The little guy is about to start flying practice off the living room couch. I need to get the medkit.

Snips, Snails, Puppy Dog Tails and a Messy Kitchen

So. A blog. What are we supposed to do with this again?

Oh yeah. Write.

I love to write. Most of what I say may not make sense to anyone outside my head. But that's alright. At least I have voices to keep me company ;)

I have two boys, and they most definitely are. Boys, that is. Aiden is a (most of the time) quiet, focused, intelligent little man that is learning to get his point across using words. Yay Aiden! Parker is a moving, shaking, climbing, falling, bruising little spitfire that is learning how to listen to Mommy and Daddy. Yay Parker! But they are both boys, through and through.

I'm sort of a home-maker. I dislike most things housework, although I love the way the house looks when it's clean. I wish I could do something once and have it done. I hate re-doing things multiple times over. Those of you with kids know that this is sadly not a possibility. Until they come out with the touch-free child, things move. And fall. And break. And move some more. And hide. You should have seen me looking for the matches today. I actually called my mom six hours away to ask if she remembered where they had been placed on Sunday. Go Mom, I found them while we were on the phone. Used to be she'd have to walk into the room for me to find something, now I guess I just have to call her. Progress.

Anyway, housework. Ick. My favorite part of being a stay-at-home-mom is the mom part. My kids are such a joy. Even when they're giving me gray hair at age 27 (am I really that old?) and pulling kitchen chairs down on themselves, or tipping over the full garbage can and testing out the splatter radius of half a box of cheerios on the dining room floor that I just swept. They're just that great that they can get away with all this stuff. Must be nice. I wish I could get away with half the stuff they do. Of course, if you listen to my mother for any length of time, you'll hear about how some friends and I dumped flour all over her kitchen floor. But we got punished for that :P

Wow, ramble much? Guess this thing might just get some use after all. :)