Disney Dump

So I promised a Disney post but I don't really have time to write about it. Instead, I am just dumping all my pics into this blog without tying them up with a bow. 

Well, I will say this: Disney was FUN. We did Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. On this trip (with Leo at age 7 and Gus at 4) we were all adrenaline junkies. We wanted rides, rides, and more rides! And the boys were fearless. Since it was Disney, they could also ride almost everything, despite being being vertically challenged. We ALL rode the Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios. Let's just say its name describes it perfectly. Yet I was the only one scared! 

As you'll see in the pics, Leo was chosen (second time!) to be in the pirate show at Magic Kingdom and got to fight Jack Sparrow. At the end they let all the kids come on stage to be honorary pirates; that is why Gus is up there. 

A highlight was the Jedi Training at Hollywood Studios. They fought some random character from the Dark Side and LOVED it. 

Okay, so maybe I did write a little. I couldn't resist. But with that, I leave you with just a bunch of pictures! 

Leo and Friend's Got Talent

We moms were nervous when these three boys wanted to do a magic act for their school's talent show. And we were even more nervous when we practiced with them. But, as you can see from the video below, they nailed it! They had the whole package--charisma, confidence and of course, major magic skills. 

I don't think I'm being biased when I say that Leo, John and Aiden were the hit of the show! Now we moms are only somewhat dreading it for next year. 

Gus on two wheels!

Gus traded his training wheels for a Balance Buddy and after a few weeks of practice and falling, he is a biker! It really is so true about "once you learn, you never forget." We took this pic and the first video last Wednesday, then went to Disney World (more pics to come on that), and Gus didn't have a chance to ride for a week. We tried again today and he took off easily! He does seem to think that the Balance Buddy (the contraption on the back that we held onto while he learned) is still an essential part of his bike-riding ability. But that's okay, it made it easier to decorate for the upcoming neighborhood Easter parade! 

Leo the Musical

The first grade put on a little musical called "Weather the Weather." Or was it "Whether the Weather?"

Either way, it was cute and Leo actually sang some of the words this year. (Last year he just did the old "watermelon"trick).

Be sure to watch Leo's featured performance in "Get out your umbrella." Oh, and sometimes I am panning over to our friend Aiden, since we had a good view of him too.

Gus says (and does) the Darndest Things

Gus is in a fun phase--at least I hope it's a phase--where he is disgusted by the sound of our chewing. So much so, that he prefers to eat at different times or in other rooms from the rest of the family. This concerns me, because I read a scientific research study that said that kids who come from families who have dinners together at least five nights a week are more likely to not be serial killers. (Okay, I just read that on Facebook and I don't think it said serial killers...maybe more likely not to work in the mall food court as a career). 

So in the above pic we are trying a new strategy--letting him wear headphones at the table. If this does end up being a short phase (please let it be faster than potty training!) then I suspect that one day I will look at this picture and just think Gus was trying to look like a kid who really shouldn't be at Lollapalooza but whose parents at least were responsible enough to not let the loud music damage his ears. 

And here are a few more of Gus' quirky/funny statements lately: 

"I have new tennis ball shoes!" 

(Pause)

"Hey...why do I have tennis ball shoes if I don't play tennis?' 

After asking about my wedding ring, Gus said, "I am really nice to you. And I love you. So why are we not married?" 

Frank dropped me off at Kroger to run in and get the Redbox movie we had ordered. In the car Leo said, "What movie is she getting?" to which Gus replied, "It's a grown-up movie. It's probably House Hunters." 

We were at Gus' G.I. ("the poop doctor") and I was making his next appt. for June. I commented that we would be coming back around his birthday and he said, "What?? It's my birthday?!!" And I said, "No, no, today is not your birthday. We are just coming back in June when it's your birthday." Then he said, "I'm having my birthday party here?!!" (I think he was excited about it.) 

I just want to add to the above anecdote that I think it is funny how often my kids will ask towards the end of a regular day if it's their birthday. I'll reply with something like, "Yep. It's your birthday. And we decided to come get the free stale cookie at the grocery store." Obviously they have low expectations of their birthdays. 

And lastly, today Gus got on the scale and demanded to know, "HOW OLD AM I?" 

Leo on the Map

Leo really hit the teacher jackpot this year in first grade. No only does he have his main teacher who he says is "The Queen of First Grade," but there are all of these helper teachers that come to his class that he really likes. 

And they did the CUTEST project recently. I had to post it on the blog so I would have it documented. I mean, this is something I won't even throw away but still, it's hard to dig through a memory box and find it. Actually Leo gets out his memory box about once a week. He once sat in our foyer and greeted guests with it. "Do you want to see some artwork I did in preschool? Did you know I donated money to service dogs for my birthday?" 

But the recent cute project is called "Me on the Map" and it shows Leo's world, starting with his room and ending with his continent. This little person on the string is supposed to be Leo. Gus has gotten to it so it's not attached anymore but the idea is you can put Leo in each of these places. Here are a few highlights: 

It was Christmastime when he did this so there is a Christmas tree (on his floor?)

He sort of got the placement of our house right. We are on the other side of the cul de sac.

This one is my FAVORITE--his city. Target ("Targite"), church and Kroger. That is our little bubble!

And this one is funny because he thinks his state is North America!

So that is a glimpse into Leo's perspective. His teacher may be the Queen of First Grade, but he is the King of his own little world, Targite and all.

Too Much Tuesday

An unusual thing happened this week. I got to hang out with Leo--just the two of us. See, usually it's Leo, me and Gus. Or Gus and me. Or Frank and Leo. But rarely is it Leo and me (at least since 2011). 

But Gus started back to school after Christmas break a day earlier than Leo so that left just us. We had been invited to play at Carrey's house and then I planned to take Leo to the mall to get new shoes. I told him we could do other fun things at the mall too. Leo suggested Build a Bear. I was thinking things that didn't cost hundreds of dollars like, look at the Lego store, go on the merry go round, maybe even take a ride on the overpriced train (it's $4 for a FIVE MINUTE ride!! They even charge the parents!!) just for old time's sake. 

I told Leo, "It'll be a date!" 

He said, "Ew!! I don't want to marry you!!" 

I said, "Fine. What do you want to call it?" 

He said, "Too Much Tuesday." 

Loved it. Way better than a date with your mom. 

So after we gladly dropped off a tantrum-throwing Gus ("I want to bring my sword in the car!!!") we headed to Carrey's for the play date. It was heavenly. I got to talk with the other moms, sip coffee, eat a delicious quiche. If Gus had been there, I would have had to hover around him, making sure he didn't tackle all the kids. And not long ago, I would have been doing the same thing with Leo. 

Then we set out for the mall. He walked beside me with such ease. Walking with him anywhere used to be such a struggle (as it is now with Gus). I used to compare it to pushing a grocery cart with a bad wheel. 

And he was agreeable and cooperative! He even (albeit reluctantly) came with me to peek in the American Girl doll store for about thirty seconds. Buying shoes (a Star Wars pair with Kylo Ren from Episode 7) was fun and easy. Browsing the Disney store, the Lego store...all calm and peaceful. This is such a contrast to how he is when he is with his brother (both wild and crazy, like caged animals). 

We then made our way to the food court and had a lovely lunch while Leo played with the little Lego people he had purchased. When I let him get ice cream at Chick Fila he said, "This really IS Too Much Tuesday!" 

I told him, "I like hanging out with you. When we divide up kids, I should get you more often, even though I know you like to hang out with daddy." 

Leo said, "I don't mind which one of you I hang out with. Some kids like one parent more than the other but I don't feel that way." 

He didn't add, "You're both equally awesome" but I think that's what he meant ;) 

The best thing that happened to us on our Too Much Tuesday was that I accidentally left my phone in the car. Sure, I never knew what time it was and I had to keep asking store clerks but it also meant I didn't check texts or emails and I didn't take pictures of our outing and post them to Facebook (even though I so badly wanted to write #toomuchtuesday). Leo had my undivided attention. 

So I have no photo evidence of this fun day with Leo. And that's okay. I do have this selfie we took two days before. I was trying to show him that we look alike. He wasn't buying it. Just like he didn't let me buy anything at the American Girl store. 

#toomuchtuesday 

Christmas Video Highlights

7 and 4. Those have GOT to be the peak ages for Christmas. They understand that it's Jesus' birthday. They want presents that are still fun, cute and affordable. They are fans of Santa. They are easily impressed. They're still cute.

So, just in case it's all downhill from here, I captured some pretty memorable videos from Christmas morning. I think what I will remember most about this Christmas was that this was the year that Gus received a stuffed animal in the shape of poop.  Ah, it's so fitting given we've spent about two years potty training him. (Now that's a memory I'd like to forget. At least I hope I can call it a memory now.)

Cuteness Overload

If you haven't been to a preschool program or recital, I suggest you go to one. Well, only if you know a kid in the show, otherwise you would look a little creepy. 

These things are beyond cute--starting with the kids waving to their families as soon as they get on stage. And if the cuteness wasn't enough, there are always moments of comic relief. Like the little boy who kept clapping and the girl next to him who put her hands over his to stop him. And the little boy who kept dancing and the girl next to him who kept telling him to stop. (These little girls are bossy!) 

And here is Gus who did not get in trouble with the adorable little girl next to him. Their class sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "The Waiting Song." 

I'm sorry you didn't get to see the cuteness explosion in person, but here are some pictures and yes, even videos! 

Dyson Diva

I have been a loyal Dyson customer for seven years, ever since Thea told me about the Dyson DC15 

I still have that one and I use it on carpets and rugs but a couple of years ago, at the suggestion of Granny Jo, I also invested in a cordless Dyson. 

Both of these tools are life-changing! The cordless is great for hardwood floors and tile and can transform into a dust buster for the car. It pivots in a way that makes it easy to get under furniture and around corners. 

Ah, it is glorious! 

But it sort of fell apart on me when we moved here. Hold on. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it and I still ADORE my Dysons. It was user error. This little strip of material started to come off and I decided to just toss it. What did I need that little strip for anyway? 

Well, apparently I did need it. It kept the vacuum from scratching up the floors. So then I had to suffer through vacuuming with those hair-collecting sticky pads Frank puts on everything. It was like declawing a cat--my beloved Dyson became practically useless in attacking dust and crumbs. And it wouldn't work when it went backwards. 

And another reason it is not Dyson's fault--they probably didn't intend for me to use it five times a day for three years. 

We felt like we got our money's worth out of it so we decided it was time to replace it. We found a deal at Target, ordered it online and it arrived yesterday. Frank immediately put it together and let me take it for a test drive. Gus tried to grab it from me and I screamed, "NO!! THIS IS MOMMY'S NEW TOY!!" 

Y'all, I didn't think I could love anything more than the DC15 and then I didn't think I could love anything more than the cordless Dyson. But this, new and improved cordless Dyson is UNBELIEVABLE. It works on the carpet too! I vacuumed the basement stairs with ease and then I ended up vacuuming the entire basement. I sucked up two dead roaches! 

I told Frank, "This thing is the bomb!" 

Oh, and I am keeping the other two Dysons--DC15 works better on rugs and the old cordless Dyson is in our laundry room upstairs so I can suck up the hair in my bathroom more regularly. (It's like tumbleweeds in there!) 

And did you see that my new Dyson is pink? 

I love the color and I hope it might just repel the boys. 

Merry Christmas to me! #DysonDivaForever 

PIY-er

I painted a wall. That may not be a big deal to some of you but my experience with paint has been limited to watercolors and fingerprints. I realized through this experience, though, that I am not a DIY-er. I am a PIY-er--a Pay it Yourselfer.

I have always known that home improvement projects weren't my strong suit. But they make it sound so easy on House Hunters:

"I really don't like the paint color in this room."

"Nothing a can of paint can't fix!"

I even find myself yelling at the hunters when they say things like that: "Come on, you can easily paint over that! Just grab a bucket of paint, a paint brush and go to town. And while you're at it, you can change the carpet to hardwoods, add a bathroom and knock down that wall that makes the house not open enough for your taste."

So when my neighbor said that she had painted her whole house AND her kitchen cabinets, I thought, "Surely, I could paint one wall. How hard could it be?"

And this wall really begged to be painted. It's in our guest bedroom which was formerly a child's room. It has stripes on the wall so I thought the room must have been a circus theme. But luckily the former owners left all the paint in the basement (it's like a paint store in there; you should come shop!) and I found the paint--or paints I should say--from that wall. Apparently it was a baseball themed room according to the notes on the paint can. (I DO love the notes; they help me figure out what paint goes where!) You be the judge:

Usually I delegate these projects to Popsy. He painted our entire kitchen in Frisco and Leo's room here. (From one painter to another, Popsy, much respect.) But he refused to paint this wall. Why? Because HE LIKES IT! Frank and Leo agree. But I didn't and I'm pretty sure nobody else who toured our house did either. So I tackled the job of painting the entire wall the same color as that middle stripe. I thought it was the color of the rest of the walls. But alas, it was not. They were a lighter tan. Still, I stuck with that darker tan and hoped it would come across as an accent wall. That's a thing, right? 

This next paragraph is a shout out to Ace Hardware (for which I am not being paid): I went to Ace Hardware to get supplies and a kind, older man helped me. He didn't pressure me into a lot of fancy painting tools; I walked out with a roller on an extended pole and a square edger kind of paint thing-a-ma-jiggy. When I left he said, "Let me know how it goes!" I said, "I'm not in here much but I live close so I'll come by!" I mean, can you imagine someone at Lowe's or Home Depot saying that? 

So anyway, I taped (my least favorite part), I rolled (maybe my favorite part) and then there was a lot of moving a tarp around and making sure I didn't drip paint anywhere. That's the main thing I didn't like--all of the potential damage I could do to the rest of the room. Like I dripped a little paint on the comforter, on the other walls, on the baseboards and on the outlet covers. (That might be because I abandoned the taping process midway.) 

I started on Monday and I went in to finish today, thinking I just had some touch ups and I ended up doing more harm than good. Now I'm totally discouraged and ready to just wait until Popsy comes in December to undo the damage I have done. Here are some pics to explain the situation: 

Day one-Hey, this is not so bad. I just roll some paint on there. I'll get to those edges later. I don't need tape there, right? I've got the cool edger thing-a-ma-jiggy. 

Day 2: Ooh, that side dried pretty nicely and thank you, Frank, for getting the edges.

Day 2, afternoon: The other side is coming along but it was a pain to move this ladder and the tarp and all of my supplies without making a mess.

Day 3: I think I'm pretty much done. Just need to do a few touch ups! Surely I don't need to tape for that, right?

Oops, maybe I should have taped.

Missed a spot.

What color was this part of the wall before? No one will ever know!

The pictures don't do it justice. It is pretty awful! And I'm dreading the part where I have to go clean up all those brushes and pans and the tarp. I realize that the reason I don't like to paint is not because I'm lazy. I know I'm not lazy because I love to clean. I clean hard core. 

No, I don't like painting because of two P words that I don't have: 

PATIENCE: I just want it done! I am the type of person who fast forwards through home improvement shows to the big reveal! 

PRECISENESS: I prefer cooking over baking. I don't like to measure or make things exact. That's why I liked the rolling part. It was more of a free for all. 

I don't know how much it would cost to have someone come paint a wall but I would guess that it would be worth every penny. Because this thing took me a lot of time and it was just one wall! And my time is too valuable for that. (Except I don't actually have a job so I guess that argument doesn't work.) 

But hey, if you need some help purging your closet, making a Mexican meal or writing a snarky blog, I'm your girl.  Just don't give me a paint brush or a drill or a hammer or any tool whatsoever. 

I will say, though, that the entire time I was painting I looked EXACTLY like this girl: 

Cold Case

It's starting to get chilly (at least it is here in Atlanta. Sorry, Texas friends) and you know what that means: all the mommies are going to start forcing their kids to wear jackets and coats less they "catch cold."

I CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER SEASON OF IT! So I am putting it very clearly here in a PSA-style blog:

YOU DO NOT CATCH A COLD FROM BEING COLD

I know; it's really hard to wrap your brain around that if you've grown up thinking that stepping outside into cold weather leads you to contract a virus. Also, it's understandable that there is some confusion given that the disease is called a "cold" and the temperature is called "cold." 

Why oh why do they call it a cold? Because think about it: if they called it "a hot" you would probably worry that your sweaty children would catch it in the summer. And if they called it "a broccoli" you would for sure fear that consuming too much of that green vegetable would lead to a majorly runny nose. 

But it's just a coincidence. The two have nothing to do with each other. 

"Then why do more people catch colds in the winter?" you ask. 

Good question. Let me clear that up too. It's because we're all inside more, passing germs. The truth is, if we would spend more time outside (with or without a jacket), we would be LESS LIKELY to catch a broccoli. 

I put out this PSA for my own protection, really. See, the weather is in the 50s and 60s here and most people (myself included) are sporting jackets and hoodies. My kids don't care to do that--or wear pants for that matter. And I am sure many moms are thinking, "Those poor kids. Where are their jackets? And their pants? They're going to catch cold!" 

I try to get them to wear more suitable fall clothing--not because I fear for their health, but because I worry about the glares and public ridicule. And even I admit, they do look a little ridiculous. 

But then I think, if they are comfortable then what do I care? As Leo says, "It's my body!" And he has heard me say "you don't catch a cold from being cold" enough to throw that back at me.  Sure, if it were below freezing they could be at risk for hypothermia or frost bite. But we're not there yet. 

Like Jimmy Kimmel said about the anti-vaccine people: "You probably aren't going to take medical advice from a talk show host," (or in my case, a freelance writer/blogger/spin instructor) but "I would expect you to take medical advice from almost every doctor in the world!" 

And what they tell you to do is wash your hands, don't touch your nose and eyes a lot if your hands aren't clean and stay away from people who are sick. They say nothing about staying warm.

So this fall and winter, wear a jacket. Or don't. And definitely eat your broccoli. But don't eat broccoli after someone with a runny nose because that, my friends, is how you really catch a cold.