Look Mommy...a Wind-A-Mill!!!!!

All day long, as we drove across West Texas I heard over and over "LOOK MOMMY!!!! A WIND-A-MILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". The boys love seeing the big Electricty generating windmills (I am sure there is some technical name for them, but it escapes me right now). For more than 30 minutes today we were driving through windmill heaven... A Windmill Farm

Multiply that picture by those 30 minutes and you might get an idea of the number of thinks I got to hear their cries of delight at seeing yet another windmill (Sorry to all the people on the interstate with me while I was trying to take this picture....80 mph+ high speed winds+ me trying to take a picture out the passenger window= the drivers of I-20 thinking there was a crazy drunk Rhode Islander on their road).

As to why I was driving across West Texas with my three babies in the back seat...Stop by tomorrow for the tale of our Journy from the last month (as well as an explanation as to why I have not blogged for 2 months...beware pathetics excuses will abound ;)

Pirates and Plymouth Rock

As our move to a new home (location still unknown) seems to be moving closer and closer we are trying to get as many New Englandie activites fit in before we go. Today on a spur of the moment whim I decided that we needed to go to Plymouth Rock. It would have been just wrong for us to live 90 minutes away for 2 years and never go. So we loaded the kids up and headed out.

Now for those of you who don't know, when traveling with 3 kids you NEVER get there in the amount of time you have planned. We ended up spending almost 25 minutes...YES 25 MINUTES in New Bedford. Why you ask?? Was everyone hungry?? NO...Was there something wrong with the car?? No to that one as well... The reason we spent all that time there (in CVS parking lot) is because Clay had to use the potty. This may be too much information for some, so if you don't like potty talk, scroll down and continue reading about once we finally got to Plymouth...

Still with me?? Ok...maybe it's gross, but I keep a potty in the back of my station wagon. We are on the go (no pun intended) a lot and sepnd a lot of time at parks without bathrooms, and with two potty trainers I never know when we will have a potty emergency. So 15 minutes into the trip we had to stop. I got him on the potty (he won't use public toilet...so we could just walk into the CVS) and we sat and sat and sat....AND SAT waiting for him to finally finish...and then of course Caleb wouldn't be left out of the fun so he had to sit too!! He didn't take long (using his favorite potty line "s'not workin' momma") so we then got back on the road...but of course not before momma got a shot of Caleb hanging out in the back of the car :)

When we got to Plymouth we discovered the there was a festival and parking was hard to find. We have gone to Plymouth before, only to turn around because it was too busy...not this time..I was determined ...there was no turning around!! I perservered and we did eventually find a city parking lot with a spot open WOOHOO. When the boys saw the MayFlower II in the distance they got sooo excited!! The boys LOVE pirates...they have already decided they want to be pirates for Halloween and it is one of their most common make believe games at home. So when they saw a "real" pirate ship they got excited...really excited!! How could a momma say no?? She couldn't...I sent Joseph off with Addie for some ice cream and a bottle (respectively) and I headed onto the ship with the boys.

They had so much fun running around in the ship. When I showed them the pirate's beds (no I didn't try to explain the pilrims, we talked about pirates the WHOLE time) they were just TOO excited and had to sit in the beds themselves.
Ignore the looks on their faces...they were just annoyed because I made them pose for so many pictures here before I finally remembered to turn on the flash...they were indeed very excited when they first got on.

The boys are very well versed in pirate talk. They can often be heard running though the house yell "ARGH" (as I have mentioned before...but it happens so often it is worth mentioning again). Anyway, Caleb astounded me with a term I didn't even know he knew. As we were walking back out on to the deck from viewing the pirate beds there was a rope laying on the ground, Caleb grabbed hold of it with both his little hands and started dragging it yelling "HEAVE....HO.....HEAVE...HO" at the top of his lungs. This had everyone in our vicinity laughing hysterically. It was just about the cutest thing I have ever seen!.. and of course I couldn't get my stupid camera to work so sad...that's what a get for breaking my nice camera. So here is a picture of him admiring another rope (while Clay is fascinated with the tiny pirate ship is that water below (I think it was a pilgrims dingy if there is such a thing))and one of him and Clay working together to "HEAVE...HO" on a rope in at of the hands-on displays at the museum.

We then caught back up with Daddy and Addie and headed to THE ROCK. Which for those of you who have never been there is utterly unimpressive looking, albeit still neat to see (and added proof that Addie was indeed on the trip with us)

This may not see like a lot, but it took us almost 2 hours!!! (the occassionally tantrum and naigating crowds and the boys refusing to forget that I promised them ballons and hving to go hunt some down added a lot of time to all our pilgrim schenanigans. After finaly dragging to very worn out boys back to the car we headed back home, with only one potty break and they crashed nice and early...which is why I had the time to write this and add all the pretty pictures :)

This week in Pictures

Just a few pictures from the last week I thought you might enjoy :)

Here is my sweet little Addie playing with her puppy (she is sitting on her knees and bouncing around...I still can't get over how much she is moving)

Here's Clay, for some reason he insists on wearing is "race car" hat really tight under his nose like this...shortly after tightening it, he slams the visor down and "takes off "on his motorcycle :)

And last, but of course not least...Caleb...Wearing Mommy's shirt and growling like a bear...ummm...no I don't know why...but it sure was cute

Attack of the B-2 Bomber

Last night at about 12:20, I was feeling very relieved that It looked like Addie was finally going to have a good night (after two nights of being up every 20 minutes) She was snoring away peacefully in her bassinet. It looked like I was going to get some much needed sleep…and I drifted off…

12:45 am a scream pierces the night…not a little “having a nightmare” kind of scream that we hear every few nights…but a terrifying, something very, very bad is happening kind of scream. I bolt out of bed and run into the boys’ room. Clay is cowering in the corner at the head of his bed. In between screams he is shouting “IT’S GONNA EEEAAAATTTTT MEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!”.

It is nothing new for Clay to have nightmares; in fact he often isn’t even awake when he cries out at night. All you usually have to do is touch him and he calms down and falls back asleep. But this time he was very obviously awake and was pointing at something. As I get closer to his bed I realize he is pointing at the Matchbox B-2 Bomber* that he had insisted on sleeping with that night.

(Cuddly looking isn’t it)

I picked it up and said “Look baby..It’s just your ‘Spy Plane’. Do you want Mommy to put it on the floor or take it to the playroom? “

Clay responded, wiping tears from his face, “No it’s my spy plane.”

So I hand it back to him and he lies down and pulls his blanket back over him. So I head out of the room, just as I am on the verge of closing the door Caleb cries out (oh crap, I guess it was too much to hope that blood curdling scream hadn’t woken him up) and begs me to turn the light. I go over and turn it on. Clay starts crying that the light is too bright. *Sigh* This is a fight we have ALL the time. Which is one of the many reasons I wish they each had their own room. I go over to Clay and pull his covers up higher and promise him that I will come in and turn the light off as soon as Bubba is back asleep. Shockingly, he accepts this answer and closes his eyes.

I pat myself on the back a bit, having handled it all so quickly and head back to bed. As I open the door to our room it squeaks a tiny and I do mean tiny bit. The baby wakes up…see what happens when you don’t knock on wood. Yes, all that ruckus and it’s a tiny squeak that wakes her up. So I scoop her up from her bassinet and climb into bed hoping to get her back to sleep before she wakes up too much…And still hoping to get a decent amount of sleep.

About 10 minutes later Clay is screaming again, this time it’s “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy”. But as I have the baby I send Joseph in to the rescue. 9 times out of 10 Daddy would be allowed to solve the problem…not tonight though. Clay starts chanting “No I need Mommy, No I neeeeeeed Mommy”.

I sigh and climb out of bed, hand the baby to Joseph and head in to save the day.

“Mommy, it’s too scary, it’s toooo scary!” Clay cries out when he sees me.

“What’s too scary baby?” I ask as I scoop him up and sit on the edge of his bed.

“The snakes on the floor!”

“There are snakes?” He nods. “Do you want Mommy to make them go away?” Another nod.

“Snakes.” I state very firmly. “You go away. You leave my Clay alone. You aren’t allowed to come back!” (This monster banishing trick usually works beautifully)

“Did the snakes go away?” Yet another nod. “Ok, lie back down and go to sleep. I love you”

“No, Mommy. Sleeeeep on the cooouuucccchhhhhhh!!!. It’s just too scary!!!” Uh-oh uncharted waters here…sleeping on the couch…all the mischief he can get into out there while everyone sleeps starts running through my head.

“Ummmm…how about you come sleep in Mommy and Daddy’s bed?” (Good-bye sleep)

“No Mommy…the couch.”

“Ummm…uhhh… let me go talk to Daddy. Stay in your bed.” I head back to our room and talk to Joseph. He is sitting up in the bed playing with Addie (Oh yes…GOODBYE SLEEP!). We finally decided to go ahead and let him try it in the hopes that we can all get back to sleep before that alarm goes off.

I head back into the boys’ room, gather up Clay and all his blankets and settle him on the couch (spy plane in hand) and head back to close the door to their room before climbing back into bed. But as I try to close the door, Caleb starts crying (and me just a bit too…ohh sleep…where are you?)

“What’s wrong baby?”

“Wanna go watch TV with Bubba”…ohhh crap…what did I just start.

“No, baby, Bubba isn’t watching TV, he is sleeping.”

“I wanna sleep there too!!!”

Thinking frantically…how do I get out of this…”Ummm…ummmm…Bubba is sleeping out there because it is dark, he doesn’t like the light on. Do you want to do sleep in the dark?”

“Not the dark mommy…the couch!”

“Well it’s dark by the couch, why don’t you stay in here with the light?”

“The light?” thinking hard, “Ok mommy”

WHAT!?!...it worked…WOW!!!!

“Ok, night-night bubs…I love you”

“Night Mommy.”

I head back to our room …again… And take the happy, smiling, giggly baby (at 1:30am…ohhh sleep…how I miss you) back from Joseph, who by the way is back asleep in 2.7 seconds…grrrrr…and settle back into bed a pray Addie falls asleep quickly.

Surprisingly, Clay slept soundly all night long and didn’t get into anything.

I just hope he doesn’t get the idea to make this a regular event.

*Why is Clay sleeping with a B-2 Bomber?? Because he wanted to sleep with the new fire truck they got at the store that day which makes very, very loud siren sounds. Yes..I broke my own rule and bought them a toy that makes noise..stupid…stupid. Anyway, I was finally able to get him to agree to the “Spy Plane” after 20 minutes of crying.

Firetruck People

[The sound of sirens passing our house, Caleb cups his hand over his ear as if to hear them better]

Me: What was that?

Caleb: A Firetruck [BIG grin on his face]

Me: and who is on the firetruck?

Caleb: People.

Me: (hehehe) What kind of people?

Caleb: [thinking hard] Firetruck people.

Me (hehehehe...firetruck people)...like firefighters??

Caleb: Yep.

Me: and what do firefighters do?

Caleb: They spray water from their hoses.



He smiles at me, decides the conversation is over and walks off.

Sometimes these boys just make me smile.

A night of Angry and Happy Monsters

4:45 AM Last night...

Caleb: Mommy a monster is in my room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me (very groggy): A monster?

Caleb: Yes! An ANGEE (angry) monster!!! The monster angee at ME!!!!!

Me:ummm...Why is that monster angry at you? (rubbing my eyes...still trying to figure out what is going on)

Caleb: Yes!

Me: What did the angry monster do?

Caleb: I run!

Me: You ran from the angry monster (head nod from Caleb) Are you ok now? ( I am starting to smile a bit at all this now)

Caleb: Yea momma...the happy monsters are under mommy's bed (said very matter of factly)

Me:( heeheehee...ok that was cute)...happy monsters??

Caleb: yea...so I sleep in mommy's bed (notice it was not a question, he was just letting me know...with a huge smile on his face)

Me: (see what I get for thinking it was funny) *sigh*... You can sleep in mommy's bed if you sleep.

Caleb: ok mommy...(mmmhmmmI believe that)


He climbed into bed with us, wiggled around and talked and kicked, woke the baby (who was in her normal sleeping spot...my arms). Finally about 5:15 I just gave up and got up with him so that Joseph could get a little bit of sleep. I put the baby is the swing, turned on Miss Spider, wrapped a quilt around me and the boy and tried to get a tiny bit more sleep (wishful thinking).

Now I feel like a zombie and Caleb is bright eyed and bushy-tailed...it's gonna be a LONG day!!

Life Lessons by Caleb

Today I took the kids on a cross island search for an allusive clamp for our bed. When we moved into our house the movers lost the clamps for one side of the bed and now eighteen months later it has really started to bug me. So I loaded up the kids and we headed out. Turns out the part simply doesn't not exist on the island...but the only way to discover this was to drive around the island for 2 hours dragging the kids into I can't remember how many store (ok it was 3...but it sounds so much more harrowing the other way). Don't tell me I could have just called....that thought finally popped into my head as we left the 3rd store...sigh...mommy brain strikes again

Anyway, the whole time the boys were absolutely wonderful. They stayed close to me in the stores and talked quietly (ok..not quiet per se...but it was nice) I wasn't really listening to everything they were saying, but at one point I tuned in to hear Caleb passing on some advice to his baby sister.

I looked back, he was leaned toward Addie holding her foot, and I hear these words.."Addie, poop in diaper?? Poop in diaper and take diaper off...mommy angry"

Ahhh, yes...Truer words have never been spoken...Yes Addie, if you do indeed poop in your diaper and then take that diaper off, Mommy will be very angry.

I think Caleb chose to pass on this advice because it is something he and his brother had to learn the hard way. There is a 6 month period around their second birthday that for the most part I work to suppress. It included many many incidents of entering their nursery to a scene similar to the one in Daddy Day Care where Eddie Murphy looks around in horror at the bathroom. Hands... crib rails...bedding...pillows...hair...arms...legs...and yes once even mouth....suppress suppress suppress...hang on I need a moment


Ok...[breathing deeply...long slow exhale] the memory is sufficiently hidden in the back of my mind where it should remain. I can only hope that Addie took this little life lesson from Caleb seriously and chooses never to test it herself.