Friday, February 29, 2008

more brotherly love

As many of you know, Tagg likes to talk. . .a whole lot. He is almost constantly talking, or more like gibbering away. As many nearly-two year olds do, he already asks TONS of questions (although you don't always understand him)

Last night, as the boys were falling asleep, Tagg kept asking his brother the same question over and over again. Poor Cooper, he could not get Tagg to stop asking him this question (which was not English, that's for sure)

Tagg: "Coopa, schleshin beeka beoui?"

Cooper: "um, yes Taggart"

Tagg: "Coopa, schleshin beeka beoui?"

Cooper: "sure Tagg, yes"

Tagg: "Coopa, schleshin beeka beoui?"

Cooper: "YES Tagg, what do you want me to say?"

Tagg: "Coopa, schleshin beeka beoui?"

Cooper: "YES TAGG!"

Tagg: "Coopa, schleshin beeka beoui?"

Cooper: "ALRIGHT TAGGART, SURE, YES, WHATEVER!"

I ran to get the video camera, just to record this conversation, it was priceless. However, as it usually happens, all the cuteness stopped the moment I hit record. Really a shame, it was so funny!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

a face only a mother could love

Not unlike so many people- we've got a pretty hardy sickness (flu?) going on in our house. Tagg and I have been sick since February 1st, with a few days off in the middle of the month (such a tease) Cooper is fine now, and of course, Aaron only gets sick for two or three days.

Sleeping has been difficult, as this cold comes with a terriably sore throat, which loves to strike at all hours of the night. Between the kids being sick, and myself, no one is sleeping much around here (ok, just a tiny bit bitter that Aaron sleeps right through all the midnight medications, and rocking back to sleep of two sick kids)

Tagg, being the everlasting trooper that he is, is taking the cold the best out of all of us, even though he is getting slammed awfully hard. A few nights ago, while the kids were sleeping upstairs (both in their beds- that is right, not pack and play- but I don't want to mention it too much and jinx it) Aaron and I were downstairs watching TV before bed, when I heard that sound I am all too familiar with. . . the sound of a barking seal in my son's big-boy-bed.

For those not familiar with that sound, it's the cough of a kid with croup. Tagg gets croup almost every time he gets a cold, so we've gotten pretty good at treating it. So off to bed I go, and prepare my room for a night filled with sick kids.

2am or so - here he comes. Little footie pajamas shuffling down the hallway, and through the bathroom, barking all the way to my side of the bed. Poor little man. His nose had been completely sealed over with boogies, and boogies have been smeared (and dried) all over his cheeks, and the side of his neck. To top it all off, he's also acquired his brother's conjunctivitis, so his left eye was completely crusted over. He was so pitiful. Talk about a face only a mother could love.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

grampa's list

This morning, my mother drove Cooper to preschool. On the way there, they were talking about Grampa (David) and the things that are important to him (it started with a conversation about cough drops, which Cooper thinks are about the best things in the world) Babi asked Cooper what he though were the things important to Grampa, this is what Cooper said:

1. You (meaning my mother)

2. His tools

3. The things he makes (currently, my father is turning wood bowls like there is no tomorrow)

4. His House

5. not to break the things he makes

6. not to loose the things he makes


The last two echo loudly of Grampa telling Cooper to be careful with his things.

Isn't Cooper something? You never know what he is going to say. :)

Monday, February 18, 2008

crazy driver

First off, let me say that whomever invented the grocery carts, with the firetruck underneath for little ones to sit (surely you've all seen these "kids carts") has my utmost respect. I speak for mothers everywhere when I say that they are a real lifesaver- no one likes to drag their cranky kids around the grocery store. Heck, I wish there was a fun cart for ME to sit it, I really hate shopping for groceries.

A few days ago, Tagg and I were shopping (thanx Babi for taking Coop, it's so much easier to shop with half my kids) me steering the cart, Tagg sitting beneath, steering his fire truck. We play a game called "crazy driver." Nothing really much to it, when Tagg turns his wheel back and forth fast, I join in by driving the cart side to side, as if he's operating the whole shebang. Tagg laughs his head off, the whole time shouting CRAZY DRIVER, I get my shopping done just the same. Simple pleasure of a toddler.

On the way home from shopping the other day, I had to slam on my breaks (ok, and my horn...ok, and I screamed) to avoid getting slammed by another car. When it was all over, I had to pull over on the side of the road to compose myself. Thirty seconds or so of silence went by, before little Tagg said (in such an awe struck voice)

"Woah. Crazy Driver."

Sunday, February 17, 2008

drive by bageling. . .?

While putting around this morning, doing our Sunday morning stuff, I noticed a bag of cinnamon bagels on our deck. I brought them in and asked Aaron if they were his (it sounded even more stupid at the time, but I didn't know what else to say) to which of course he said, why would I put a bag of bagels outside? True.

This peaked my curiosity, so I called my mother, in-laws (who were just visiting) and a neighbor to double check that none of them put, or know who put, the bagels on our deck. Of course, they all the same reaction that Aaron did. . .it really was a ridiculous question.

So, apparently we've been victims of a drive by bageling. Someone has got a heck of an arm if they threw it from the road. Actually, Aaron doesn't believe it's possible for someone to have thrown said bag of bagels from the road (always suspicious, Aaron believe that someone snuck up onto our yard to litter our deck with cinnamon bagels)

Aaron just proved his theory by tossing the bagels from the deck, seeing if he can hit the road. Hmm, he can't. I guess there is someone in town, sneaking up to peoples houses, depositing full bags of bagels. Lock your doors.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

to Cooper, his father will always be an "Army Guy"

I love, love, love this drawing. This is how Cooper sees his father (notice the camouflage shirt)

Photobucket

the joy of freedom

We've been having problems with Cooper ending up in our bed at some point in the night. Sometimes they are nightmare, sometimes he tells us that he just likes our bed better. Either way, it is a huge disruption to my sleep, because somehow my 50lb four and a half hear old takes up considerably more space in bed then Aaron or I (and those with kids are surely nodding while they read this)

In an attempt to reclaim my side of the bed (really, don't think that Cooper sleeps next to his father) I told Cooper that he could fall asleep in my bed, and come back into bed when Aaron gets up to go to work. This seemed like a satisfactory plan to Cooper, so off to sleep he went in our bed, easily transferred when he was sound asleep.

Somewhere around 4am, I hear the tell tale sound of the little running feet of a scared Cooper, fresh from a bad dream. Still dark, as my eyes adjust to the light, the little figure struggles onto the bed. I said:

"Aww buddy, you almost made it all night."

Then, the little figure tells me:

"Mommy, esh bleikme geebee, Daddy bed."

Yes- Cooper did in fact make it through the night, it was Taggart that escaped his room, and slid in bed next to me. I clearly remember the first time that Cooper wandered into my bed, fresh into the same fire truck big-boy-bed. Such a rite of passage out of baby-hood, and into the big boy world.

Monday, February 11, 2008

they keep me on my toes, they certainly do

As I lay in bed last night, preparing to drift off, it dawned on me that it was the very first night that both the boys fell right asleep in their beds, no problem (like, we didn't have to go put Tagg back in his big-boy-bed over, and over, and over again) So- I close my eyes with a smile, marveling a little at how perseverance and patience has finally worked. I stuck with it, and it happened- big-boy-bed success!

No sooner are my chickens counted then I hear:

"No Coopie, NO!"

Tagg generally calls his brother "Coopa", but when he is feeling especially loving, or especially annoyed, he'll cal him "Coopie"

So, I charge out of bed and head towards the boys room, assuming I'll see the big brother culprit in the little fire truck bed, sticking his finger in Taggart's ear or something. What I see is that the book Taggart was "reading" before bed has fallen on top of him, and in his sleep, he is flailing underneath it, arms waving above his head in a "sissy girl fight" style- the whole time shouting NO COOPIE NO!

I ran back to my room as fast as I could, so I could burst out into laughter. So shame on me for immediately blaming Cooper. Boy, Tagg has got the little brother role down pat. He knows how to blame his brother, even in his sleep.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Oh dear- I'm knitting!

As many of you know, I cloth diaper Taggart. We do good old fashiond cloth diapers (kindly referred as, fold-em-your-damn-self diapers by my friend Andrea) pins, and wool covers. Wool makes an excellent water barrier, as the lanolin in it has waterproof and antibacterial qualities. I like buying wool pants, as it saves a step- just throw the pants over the diaper. However, these pants are very expensive.

So my logical mind tells me- come on now, how hard can it be to buy the wool, and knit these pants myself?

Ah ha- NOW I know why these pants cost so much, they take F O R E V E R to knit up. Goodness, I hope Taggart doesn't grow out of his current size before I finish these babies!

So, feel free to email me if you know how to knit, and have any advice for me. As a tried and true stubborn Maine woman, I refuse to give up. But really, any advice would be appreciated. :)

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

adventures of the big-boy-bed

So, while moving Tagg into Cooper's room (now lovingly called "the boy's" room) I striped a screw trying to put the crib back together. . .couldn't it have just gone through the door assembled? Anyhow, I decided it was an omen to take the plunge, and get the fire truck big-boy-bed out of storage. Cooper was 18 months or so when we moved him into the big-boy-bed, so I figured at Tagg's ripe old age of 21 months, that he is more then ready.

So, here we go- line up the beds, Cooper's twin bed, and Tagg's new big-boy-bed. Everyone is very excited, Cooper can't wait to share a room, and Tagg is enjoying crawling/jumping/jumping OFF his new big-boy-bed, wich he calls his "bee bouy bead" Bedtime comes, books are read together on the floor, everyone gets tucked into their respective beds. Nightlight and soft music get turned on, and both boys get kisses goodnight from Mom and Dad. Shut the door, tiptoe downstairs. Ahh.

Not four, maybe five seconds go by before little feet are dancing upstairs. We knew this would happen, the new found freedom of a great big room without bars would take some getting used to. For the next half an hour or so, Aaron and I took turns RE tucking Taggart into his big-boy-bed. The cute part? Every single time we went upstairs to put him back in his bed, we found him snuggled up at the end of Cooper's bed. :)

Finally, both boys passed out from excitement and exhaustion in their own beds. The next night, I caved, and put the pack-and-play in their room. We gave him two or three bed escapes before confining him to his make shift crib. So, we try every night putting him in his bed first, but nearly every night (and nap time) he ends up back in his pack-and-play. I figure he'll get it eventually, I shouldn't have to send him off to college with his pack-and-play :)

Monday, February 4, 2008

five month milestone

I am super proud to announce that it has been five months today of sobriety for Aaron. We are all very, very proud of him! We've been told that the first year will be the hardest, and like Aaron says, we've made it through all the holidays, and now the Super Bowl (even with the Pats loosing!)

So, keep positive vibes coming to Aaron :)

Sunday, February 3, 2008

the worm adventure begins

I held off as long as I could, but the call of composting worms finally got to me :) My sister, as well as friends of our have these composting red worms, and we've always heard rave reviews. Since we had a good size box to use already, and my sister divided her worms for us, there was no start up cost (hey, can't argue with free worms, right?)

Aaron and I will have a regular outside composter once spring arrives (will it ever?) but for now, it is super easy to just take veggie scraps down into the basement everyday. We'll see- apparently in a few months, we'll have tons of "castings" (worm poop) that make beautiful compost.

Cross your fingers, I'll update how it is going!

Friday, February 1, 2008

my news man

The boys are upstairs playing in their room (I still can't get over the fact that they choose to share a room) I hear giggling, and running around, or more likely jumping off the bed. . .boys. Anyhow, I just heard Cooper shout down to me:

"MOM, afternoon Kindergarten is canceled!"

Can you believe that my kid is listening to New Hampshire Public Radio? We've got nasty weather coming this afternoon, and now, thanks to my four year old, I know that Kindergarten is closed.