Thanksgiving...

Another Thanksgiving... another year of the flu passing through three families from three different states as fast as you can say "turkey".

Christmas Shopping

So today I began shopping for the boys. I went up and down all of the aisles in Target trying to figure out what toys they would really enjoy. What I found was no big surprise... animals that talk and sing, a gigantic dinasaur that roars and stomps, any hot wheels car you could imagine, dolls galore, and Leapster has their entire line on display. And that is where I spent a good bit of my time. I was looking at every product they have. They have a new (well, new to me) book called Tag - it has story books that can snap into it and has a pen to go along with it. The pen will read to you if you press the words, and also will ask you questions such as finding words on a page, it will make up rhymes, and so much more! (ages 4 up if you are interested). But I couldn't help thinking about where my part comes in. If the book is taking place of a parent/adult, when do parents/child interact with each other? Which also made me think about our generation and how far we have advanced in technology... for better or for worse. I walked away from that computerized book (for now anyway). I am choosing to cuddle up on the couch with Landon and Chase, read to them, and ask them the questions that these amazing books now do. Pretty soon they may even take showers for them (that I would sign up for!)

Bribery...so bitter sweet

No voice for 5 days had sent me into the dr.'s office today. Not to mention that I just haven't been feeling great. And the mom guilt crept in and so I said I would keep the boys with me today. My thought was that I will take them to the doctor's with me, and then we can just hang out here and rest. The morning began with Landon up at 5 a.m., the boys fighting and then Landon crying saying he wanted to stay at home with daddy (who was not even working from home today). I bribed them with juice cups, and arrived at the dr.'s just before 8:00. The boys, happy with their juice and granola bars decided that it would be fun to play "chase" around the chairs at the office while I am signing in. I persuaded them to pick up a magazine (you know the ones that are on the table in the office and aren't even appealing to adults?) It worked for a moment anyway. Finally we got called into the office and Chase decided to push around the cart that has those glass containers filled with tongue depressors and q-tips. I put a stop to that in a hurry. Landon was fascinated with the curtain and the area behind it, so he spent his time in there playing peek a boo with Chase. Finally the doctor arrives, Chase gets checked out first and we find out he has an ear infection. I have an upper respitory infection and off we go with our perscriptions and to the pharmacy across the street. The boys are running up and down the aisles (I still have no voice to yell, although I am trying) and I evenually bribe them with gum, pick up our meds, and away we go. I know these acts of bribery will come back to haunt me.

Negotiator

It used to be that whatever I said, goes. And it is still that way but not without a protest from Landon who is learning quite early the art of negotiation. If I tell him that we can stay at the playground for 5 minutes, he will say, "How about 10 minutes?" Not that he really knows the difference, he just wants to be the one to make the decision. I have learned quickly that my five minutes can be "labeled" ten and everyone stays happy.

Exchange King?

Andy is the king of returning/exchaning things that don't work or he is just plain unsatisfied with. He is also a sucker for a "deal" or anything free. To name a few... we purchased an in home air filter system so he could get the free portable vacuum that came with it. He was unsatisfied, sent back the filter system, but was able to keep the vacuum. We have bought steaks through the mail because they have a special offer where you buy two, and then get two free. He also was persuaded into a timeshare where we stayed in Hilton Head for a very cheap rate (which ended up being fantastic) if we agreed to sit through a 90 minute presentation. If an item has gone on sale, it would not be out of the ordinary for Andy to dig up the old receipt, go back to the store, and get that price adjustment. With all of that said, Andy topped his list today... He had planted a tree purchased from Home Depot (back in March? or maybe April.) The tree never took and ended up dying. Andy dug up the receipt, and the tree, and took the whole dead tree/receipt combo back - so seven or so months later, he returns a tree. And they accepted it - in case you are wondering, it is part of their policy. So forty dollars later, which paid for a new tree, we have a live tree once again and a satisfied Andy!

Update

The weeks seem to slip away and I wonder why I ever complained about having too much time on my hands. But at the same time I love being back at work and don't miss the days that I would count down the hours and minutes until Andy came home or the weekend was here.

And so it is Sunday night and we accomplished a ton this weekend. Yesterday we took the boys to two stores that I would never recommend taking a 1 and 3 year old - Bath and Body Works and then Crate and Barrel. While in Bath and Body, Chase realized that they had bins designed for his height and as he took every travel size gel and sanitizer out of the bin, he would look at me, smile, and then would run around to the other side and dump it into a different bin. And while Landon is carrying over a very breakable candle for me to smell, the lady behind the counter came out, smiling, with two pieces of paper and a handful of markers the boys could draw on - clever on her part. While they excitedly worked on their picture, I could successfully shop.

Off to Crate and Barrel where everything is breakable and within reach for kids under the age of 3. Andy was returning a few dishes (did I mention that these dishes we received as a wedding gift, 6 years ago and we are still able to exchange them when/if they chip) and I was on kid patrol. We did make it out of there without having to purchase any broken items.

Edisto Island

I am back tracking, but wanted to show pics of our beach trip - we had a blast!

Home Again

I convinced myself to go the South Carolina Ed Tech conference and while it was a fantastic experience I am so glad to be back home with my boys. I realized very quickly that I could never travel full time (or at all) for work. And even though I escaped the beautiful beach and came back to crying boys... I know it just "fits".