Bored...

I am so bored these days. Don't get me wrong - I love spending time with boys (when they are not fighting) but I am at a crossroads trying to think up new things to do. It's not that Landon and Chase need to be exposed to everthing before the ages of 4 and 2, but it is more for my own brain stimulation. I am also realizing that when we keep moving, things just flow a bit better throughout the day. This morning we went to the Y (Andy is also still off for the rest of the week) and let the boys play while we did our workouts. Then we were off for a walk down to the park, and a dig in the sand. Back home, I fed them lunch, put them down for naps and two hours later, we were back in the car headed for the Tar-jay plaza to walk around (it was 65 degrees and sunny today!) We hung out at the fountain for a while, then ventured into Pet Smart and spent quite a bit of time watching all of the many different kinds of fish, before going to dinner (with a stop for ice cream on the way out). Almost time for bed and I am already thinking of playing the Wii tonight and slamming Andy in a tennis match. I can hear him now... upstairs "practicing" so that his wife won't beat him!

Christmas in the south

I have been off for a total of 7 1/2 days and I don't know where the time has gone. I can say that when spending time with family, it just goes by fast. We were lucky to have gorgeous weather for Christmas day and we all enjoyed it "southern style" - running, walking, spending time at the lake, and sipping cocktails on the front porch rockers. Pics to come.

A Night on the Town

We decided that it had been way too long that we have ventured into uptown Charlotte to walk around, admire the lights, and see and be seen. So off we went with the mere purpose of checking out these dancing bears we have heard so much about. We met Andy's friends from highschool who have two little girls about the same age as Landon and Chase. As these robotic bears began to dance and sing Christmas carols, the kids were glued to the little white picket fence, stares unwavering and chewing their gum hard. After a while, boredom set in and the girls began to twirl and dance like princesses all around the floor. My boys thought it was more fun to getting a running start, drop to the floor, and slide a few feet across the slippery marble, which left them each time about an inch from hitting their teeth on the floor and giggling hysterically. We escaped to dinner before they did any real damage to themselves!

Christmas Card Attempt - Take 2

We will not be using any of these pictures either... great setting, couldn't synchronize for a second. We even had the camera on the sports mode setting and had 170 something pictures to choose from. Maybe we won't be mailing out cards this year?

WARNING...

Never, ever allow your 3 1/2 year old to "hang out" in your bathroom for "just a little while". He will use your eye shadow and eat up all of your gum!

Santa Sighting

Santa made a "surprise" appearance at a neighborhood Christmas party. Landon's reaction was not what I had expected. As they announced that Santa was coming in, Landon backed up and covered his eyes with both hands as if he were hiding from the scary parts in a movie - peeking ever so often out of sheer curiousity. Then when he saw him, the grin spread across his face, and all he could do was stare.

Kids were packed in (about 50 total) and sitting in front of Santa waiting ANXIOUSLY for their gifts. As he called each family up (the elves were quite organized this year), Landon and his buddy Michael were inching closer waiting to hear their name called. Growing impatient, they were petting the fur on his pants, and playing with the bells on his shoes. Finally, his name was called.

The Roemer Thanksgiving at the Skinners

Thanks Heather for all of the great food and preparation!

Christmas card attempt...

Between the drool, the gum, and short attention span...

none of the above pictures will be used.

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".

Copy Cat?

We spent the morning on the Greenway - it was such a great day for a hike - and we all needed to get out after a rainy day on Sat. Along the trail, we bumped into shirt eating goats, playful horses, and best of all... inactive cows! We spent a lot of time there - watching them- hoping for the one with the bell on his neck to move so we could hear it ring... instead we were lucky enough to see them walk and pee (never knew they could do that) and make some pretty stinky poop. Which brings me to when we returned home... I was changing Chase's diaper and while I am busy wrapping up the old, getting ready to put on the new, Chase thinks that it is funny to get up and run, thinking I might Chase him. Well, instead I went to the garbage to throw away the old diaper, and was immediately sidetracked (as the laptop sits on the counter).
All of a sudden, Andy says (impressively calm), Beck, did you forget to put a diaper on Chase?!?! Then crying. (Chase not Andy). I walk over to find Chase had pooped on the floor and had tried to catch it? So the scene that I walked into was... piles of poop on the hardwood floor and a crying baby boy with a dripping, poopy hand! I immediately scooped him away from Andy and plopped him into the tub. Andy was left to clean up the floor - with Landon trailing behind, pushing the Swifter.

Grandma and Aunt Sharon Visit

Alex not so happy here....Grandma to the rescue.

Who's pushing who here?
Landon, Sasha, Alex, and Landon at Aunt H's.

The Roemers

Go Bills!

Andy's old Halloween costume - fits... well, maybe a bit too big!

Skinner girls squeeze!

Grandma, Aunt Sharon, Landon, Chase

Chase's first Harley

Thank you Grandma and Aunt Sharon for such a great visit! We miss you so much already!

Warning about chapstick!

Do not apply chapstick this time of year before going out for a run. There will be large groups of gnats in several locations and they will stick to your lips!

Terrible Threes

Landon has been in a funk lately. He wants to wear what he wants whether it be his choice of clothes from the closet (which happens to be hand me down shirts from an 8 year old) or the shoes that were also passed down from his cousin that are many sizes too big. And it just not worth the fight... but I have to say, he is looking pretty rough lately. The boy in "Big Daddy" comes to mind. In addition to his urge to choose his own clothes, he wants to make ALL decisions all-by-himself. Our nights have turned into how to avoid a conflict that could result in a huge tantrum. Tonight did not go so well. We had a great walk down to the park. We packed up snacks and both boys ate and drank and we talked all the way down. They ran. They climbed. They slid. They had a great time and then we ventured home. Then came shower time. Landon decided that a shower was not on his "to do" list. And so it happened - crying...screaming...kicking. Andy had to hold him in the shower and wash him while he proceeded to hit Andy. He was put to bed immediately - no show, no snack, and no bedtime story. I am just wondering if this is going to be a blue print of our days, weeks, even months to come. I pray not.