Benjamin's superhero party

Sierra, Batman (Benjamin), The Red Knight (Andrew), The Flash (Sammy), and Magic Ducky Guy (Tim) admiring the cool cake.






Although it's been almost 2 weeks, I don't want to forget the details. So, without further ado...

What a great party! This was the first big birthday party I’ve put together. A couple of weeks before his birthday, I asked Benjamin what he wanted, and he said “cousins!” He has 10 cousins, aged 10 years to 8 months, living within this state. I also invited Sierra, our 9-year-old neighbor, who acts like part of the family. I over-planned so no one would get bored. It wasn’t necessary; we met at a park, and the kids played at the playground during the down-times.

As people arrived, I gave them capes I made from a sheet and let them choose a superhero name. While Dominic started grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs, we tested the kids’ super powers: who can throw a bat-a-rang the farthest, jump the farthest, run the fastest. They also played “Bat, Bat, Joker” (duck, duck, goose), and “Simon Says.”

After lunch we played “Tape the Utility Belt on Batman.” Benjamin really wanted a piñata, but I couldn’t find one I liked (aka cheap) so I just threw the candy around, which was still fun and much safer. As people started leaving, Dominic launched a rocket several times until it got lost.

Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without my sister Emily, sister-in-law Marrisse and, of course, Dominic. Emily took charge of the games while I helped Dominic prepare lunch, and Marrisse made the perfect Batman cake. I think everyone had fun, so it was a good party.

My poor computer

Why do I keep having computer problems? This last week I even had a lot to write about. But my pc kept shutting down (or not turning on at all) for no apparent reason. Dominic replaced the CMOS battery, and I was good to go. Then, I couldn't connect to the internet. Without internet this is just a big, expensive paper weight. Again, Dominic took a look, worked his magic, and the world was right again. This is a great computer; 4 years old and still doing great, but the parts are starting to wear out. It may become the kids' computer soon.

We had plans for a trip this week with other family members, but plans fell through. Instead, we did fun things together around here. (We saved a lot on gas.) On Wednesday we all met at a nearby waterpark. We were there long enough to feel worn out and to get properly sunburned; I promise I wore sunscreen, but my shoulders just like to burn. Ok, ok, I'm the only one who got red - my children are more like their dad and tanned, even with sunscreen on. To paraphrase a family friend: some people marry looks, some for money, and some for fame, but my family marries for pigment.

Thursday night we all met at my sister Emily's house for dinner. My children disappeared as soon as we walked in the door, and I only saw them in snatches for the rest of the evening. I don't mind. The adults had time to chat and laugh, and the kids were very happy. Last night as I put Sammy to bed, he told me that Daniel (just 10 months older) is his favorite cousin. When I asked why, he said "He's so funny. He's even funnier than me."

This week Dominic has been working on his graduate school application. Another good reason I'm glad we didn't go on the trip - the place had no internet, so he couldn't have submitted the application in time. They'll let him know on Monday whether or not he's accepted. Cross your fingers!

So much happening

Wow, so much has been happening. I ran in a 5K race, Benjamin turned 3, I'm reading an addictive book, the kids continue to do and say funny things, and I was chosen to test a game. Warning: this is a ridiculously long blog entry. Feel free to read it over a few days.

Before I begin, here's the update on Elisa: her fingers are completely healed. A lingering effect is on her fingernails, which are yellowish with dark spots, probably bruises under the nails. Unfortunately, she still puts her fingers in dangerous places.

The race. I did it! Back in March I decided to run in a 5K, or 3.1 mile race, which I haven't run since high school. I started out very slow: 5 minute warm-up and 5 minute run around the block. Each week I increased my run by 5 minutes until reaching 45. I took Lisy with me in the jogging stroller, and she took her morning nap. On the days Dominic worked, I dropped off the boys at the playground and ran with Lisy around the park.

On the day of the race, the boys went to a pool party. We had to leave early so that I had time to walk to the starting area; I pushed the boys in the double stroller and carried Lisy in the Snugli for about half an hour (it was on Saturday, when Dominic works 6 am to 10 pm and takes our only car). I left the kids with a friend while I ran. The weather was hot, hovering around 100 degrees. I fell in behind some friends and stayed with them. I don't know my official time, but my friends' unofficial time was about 27:30, so mine was, too.

Benjamin is 3! He's getting so big. He idealizes Sammy, and sometimes they play too much at night to sleep. Dominic once commented that "it must feel like a slumber party every night when your brother is your best friend." For some reason Ben-Ben is fascinated with eyebrows. He likes to point out mine, then ask "do I have eyebows?" (he can't say his r's) When I asked what he wanted for his birthday, he said "cousins!" So tomorrow we're holding a party with his local cousins.

Twilight. This is an addictive book. It's a good thing Dominic and I are reading it together or I wouldn't get anything done. We couldn't find any used copies, so we bought it new. Great purchase.

Funny kids. Lisy is so proud of herself. She likes to climb, and whenever she reaches the top (of the coffee table, usually) she exclaims, "ta da!" and then claps. The other day I discovered a mess and asked who did it. Both boys claimed it was Lisy. I asked, " are you just saying that to get out of trouble?" And Benjamin promptly replied, "not this time." Sammy is fascinated with the Olympic games. After watching a volleyball match, he practiced the overhand serve. After watching the swimming and diving competitions, he told me he wants to go to the Olympics. Good luck.

Wrath of the Lich King. Ok, this is going to sound silly, but I'm excited to be selected as a beta tester for the new expansion of World of Warcraft. Beta testers are given access to new computer games before they're released so the company can fix any problems. Dominic signed up both of us, and they chose me! I think I already play the game too much, so I'm a little nervous about this. It'll be so much fun!

First ER visit

It's finally happened. After 4 1/2 years and 3 children, we took our little girl to the emergency room this morning. Lisy likes to poke her fingers between the door and the door jam, and today Sammy closed the door without realizing her fingers were there. The 2 little fingers on her right hand were smashed to the point of transparency.

We hadn't eaten breakfast and nobody was dressed yet. Dominic and I dressed very quickly. He put all the kids in the car while I grabbed my phone and the diaper bag with insurance information. We made it to the hospital in record time.

The triage nurse was nice and calm, which helped us calm down, too. By now the mashed fingers were round again, but they still looked very sore. They took x-rays of her hand and found no broken bones. We then got to re-wrap her hand whenever she pulled off the bandage.

The excitement and adrenaline rush of the morning really wiped out both Dominic and me for the rest of the day. As for Elisa, as long as we gave her the baby Tylenol on schedule, then she was good.

Camping in Yellowstone

Last week we went camping up at Yellowstone National Park with Dominic's brother and his wife. I took a day trip there nine years ago, and I've always wanted to go back.





The children were great in the car; not too much squabbling and lots of sleeping (yea dramamine!). We camped for 3 nights, which was just right.

Wednesday, our first full day, we explored West Yellowstone, MT and bought supplies we had either forgotten or didn't realize we needed. For instance, did you know that even in July the nighttime temperature gets down to the 30's? I didn't know, so we needed to buy some warmer clothes. We also visited a museum - they've had some fascinating natural disasters. There were dozens of buffalo like this one around the town, each painted by a different artist.



Thursday, we stayed in the park. I jogged in the morning, and it was beautiful! We saw geysers and colorful hot springs. We went to a visitor's center and down to Yellowstone Lake. The adults played several games of "Rook," while the kids were happily getting dirty. Everyone took naps in the afternoon, so I took the boys under a nearby bridge. We talked, threw rocks in the stream, and found an elk footprint. That night we roasted marshmallows. Benjamin didn't want to go near the fire, so he ate the untoasted marshmallows off the stick. FYI: when children are covered in sticky marshmallow goo, they collect much more dirt on their faces, hands and clothes, which is a pain to clean off.

Friday, we came home. We passed a field of flowers, so we stopped to give the kids a break and to take cute pictures. Dominic and I were exhausted when we got home. I unloaded the necessities from the trunk, such as clothes, toiletries, and cooking supplies. Hm, I think the tent is still there. I needed to go grocery shopping but was too tired, which is why we had no food last Saturday (see "Party crashers"). Sammy didn't sleep all weekend: he went to sleep after me, woke up before me, and didn't nap. Fortunately he's back to his regular schedule.

Animals we saw: a bald eagle and its nest, coyote, squirrels, some buffalo and a bunch of elk. We saw an osprey and a moose just outside the park. Although the boys wanted to see bears, I'm glad we didn't.

Sammy is now begging us to go camping again.

Party crashers

In order to exercise when Dominic works, I drop off the boys at the playground and push Elisa in the jogging stroller around the park. Today there were a bunch of people at the park, and I told the boys it was ok to play with the other kids. Unbeknownst to me, it was a birthday party. Within a couple of laps I saw a clown and a Batman arrive. They put on a magic show, played games, painted faces and made balloon animals. After my run and stretches, I tried to get the boys' attention, but they were having too much fun. So I talked to some of the other moms. They had wondered where the boys came from and were impressed with Sammy's outgoing nature. Eventually I found the mom in charge, apologized for crashing the party and thanked her for the great time. She was very nice and grateful the boys had fun.

Friends of ours came to the park a little later for a picnic lunch and offered to share their food with us. I appreciated it immensely! You see, we have almost no food right now; I didn't know what I was going to feed the children when we got home. (Times like this I wish we had a second car.) I'm glad I let the children stay at the party a little longer so we could all eat lunch.

Not a control freak

Instead of putting the kids to bed, I was hiding in the bathroom reading Parenting magazine. I read "Hungry for Control," an article about the increasing prevalence of eating disorders among mothers. The article contained a list of warning signs, including "You're overly controlling about the way your kids play and eat." HA! Not me! No Wrestling on Sunday is one of our house rules, but the boys were wrestling in the living room, while Lisy was wandering around who-knows-where, and I was stealing a quiet minute for myself.

So the point is that I am not a controlling mother. I don't have an eating disorder, either.

Benjamin napped today, which means he wasn't tired at bedtime. He's really good about going through our nighttime routine with his brother and sister, but then he comes out of his bedroom, saying "Ee-ee a'eep (Lisy asleep). And 'ammy a'eep (Sammy asleep). And I still awake!" What can I do? I let him stay up. He is so sweet at night, when he doesn't have to be the middle child, and he just wants "to be with oo, Mom." I include him in whatever I'm doing, be it cleaning or computer time, and he always goes back to bed without a fuss.

See? I'm not controlling at bedtime either, so I can enjoy these moments with my son.

Impromptu Block Party

We let the kids stay up for the fireworks last night. Their bedtime is usually between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, and last night they went to bed at 10:30. They were incredibly good! Of course there was the excitement of explosions, but Elisa never cried through the loud ones (both boys did at her age). The best part was that no one got hurt. Last year Benjamin grabbed a sparkler right after it burned out, which put a damper on the rest of the night.

We lit a few little fireworks after dinner, and some neighborhood kids showed up to help. Then we got our kids ready for bed and waited until it was good and dark. More neighbors were out by then, and we had a pretty good view of the city's fireworks over the houses and trees.

The night felt like a block party because the families intermingled much more than usual, and someone blasted fun music from their house during the whole thing. We even met neighbors for the first time, even though we walk past their house often. It felt like we should have been grilling hot dogs and hamburgers and eating ice cream cones. It was a fun and celebratory atmosphere for the Fourth of July.

My Bucket List

Last night I watched "The Bucket List," about 2 cancer patients who make a list of things they want to do or accomplish before they die, or "kick the bucket." It got me thinking, which it aimed to do, and so here is my bucket list:

Accomplishments - stay active in my church and strong in my faith; successfully teach my children to live joyfully; complete a half-marathon; earn another degree; become fluent in at least 1 other language

Travel - to the bottom of the Grand Canyon; to Mayan ruins; to Alaska in the summertime; to New York City and see a musical on Broadway; to England to research my ancestors; to Germany and visit my birthplace; to St. Petersburg, Russia

Promised pictures

Here are some pictures I promised from Lisy's first birthday. Chocolate cupcakes (traditional) are much less messy without frosting (because we didn't have any).




And here she's acting coy by trying to hide from the camera. She thinks it is very funny to avoid me and often runs away laughing.






Benjamin is saying "Cheese!" while showing off his dinosaur, which he takes everywhere I'll permit it.







Sammy is excited to watch his "pet" snail. He finds a new snail almost every day.

Real Life - tagged

1) Kitchen sink - obviously I did not do any cleaning before taking the picture. Just so you know, it doesn't usually get this bad.







2) What are the kids doing now? Sleeping! Benjamin fell asleep during dinner, and the other 2 went to bed at the normal time. Even in this heat Sammy insists on wearing his sweatshirt; I don't know why.





3) Laundry room - shared with 2 other tenants in an unfinished basement. Did I mention this building was built in 1941?







4) Toilet - you can see the blue potty seat Benjamin refuses to use, and there are the lotions for my kids, who all inherited my dry skin.










5) Closet - our actual closet is small and difficult to use, so I hang my clothes and Lisy's dresses on a shelf behind the door. Not shown: pregnancy clothes piled on the floor.





6) Favorite room - more like a favorite corner of the living room, it's perfect for reading.











7) Fridge - nice and big, but it's still leaking. arg!












8) Favorite shoes - shoes?! What shoes? This is summer! (and I just painted my toenails) Ask again in 6 months when there's snow on the ground.








9) Self-portrait - my hair used to be blonde and now it's light brown. I might have to change that.








10) Dream vacation - this one is difficult for me. I know what Dominic wants to do, and I love to travel. However, the best 2-hour vacation that I want to repeat was clothes shopping without the kids; it was so peaceful and fun.

Now I tag Jen! The only person I know who's a blogger and reads my blog and hasn't already been tagged.

Busy, busy, busy

And this is why my journals are so short: I get busy and stop writing in them. But because I have an audience, I'll update you on our life.

Weeks and weeks ago (well, only 2) was Memorial day. After 6 1/2 years of marriage, we finally bought our own grill. Thus we barbecued despite the scattered showers. We finally went inside once we all ate and the rain remained constant. Then we went to see "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull." I liked it! Sammy has been wearing hats and looking for treasure ever since.

3 days later we celebrated Elisa's first birthday! This is such a fun age. She obviously has big brothers, because she is an intrepid climber, loves to wrestle, and prefers cars to dolls. Yesterday she toddled around with a ferocious T-Rex in each hand and growled. It was especially funny because she looks so dainty. She does like getting her hair combed; she watches in the mirror and is all smiles.

We had a little scare (everyone is safe) when Sammy and the neighbor girl disappeared. The kids were playing in the apartment behind us. The woman saw the kids playing outside and invited them in. First, only scary people invite little kids in (remember Hansel and Gretel?), so what was she thinking? Second, Sammy always asks before going into his friends' home, so how could he forget this time? And third, her car was gone, so we didn't look there immediately. Neither Sammy nor his friend were allowed outside for a couple of days.

Which reminds me, does anyone need an apartment? Both the family below and the woman behind us moved, leaving us alone in the building. Bad timing for our new landlord. By the way, the building finally sold!

Finally, we went to the zoo. Our "must-see" animals: for me, the albino alligator; Sammy insisted on snakes; Benjamin asked for the bears; Lisy loves cats, so we took her to see the big kitties. The zoo only had 3 degus (we have 7), so I suggested we donate some of ours, but Dominic said no. We all had a good time and wore ourselves out. Sammy fell asleep on the way home and woke up the next morning.

Now you're all caught up. I'll post pictures later.

Chocolate syrup

Benjamin usually wakes up first. He's the reason we put a lock on the fridge last summer: he kept scattering the condiments around the living room. Now he can open the locked fridge, and he only takes out what he wants to drink, usually milk. This morning, however, Benjamin poured himself a cup of chocolate syrup. I found out about it when Elisa happily discovered the cup of chocolate. She was covered in chocolate from nose to feet and couldn't stop smiling. And then there was the couch. It's a good thing we have a carpet and upholstery cleaner.

Kid Quirks

We went to Golden Corral, and one of the chefs made these "fishing" balloon hats for the boys. Benjamin popped his hat in the car, so Dominic taped the "fish" to my hat. And how can I post pictures and not include Lisy? So here she is playing with the flowers (well, dandelions) that Sammy gave me.

Sammy loves toast, especially making toast. This morning while I was out running, Dominic fell asleep on the couch and woke up to the smell of toast. Sammy had toasted an entire loaf of bread. He was very proud of himself. I made eggs and bacon to go with it, and the kids snacked on toast all day long. There are still 4 pieces left.

Benjamin can't pronounce the letter S yet. He also tends to hurt himself a lot. At least once a day we here him cry, "I 'urt my 'elf." That poor little "elf" is always getting hurt. Dominic says we should name the "elf" Unlucky.

Elisa likes to play peek-a-boo while I change her diaper. But the other day she couldn't find a blanket to play with. So she covered her eyes with her feet. Ah, the flexibility of a baby.

The Drive-in

Last night we saw 2 movies at the drive-in: Prince Caspian and Nim's Island. Prince Caspian was great; it was on par with the first one. Sammy liked the centaurs - he's been half a horse all day.

Drive-in pros: front row seats, no crowds, we can talk without bothering others, first run movies at 1/4th the price, feels more like a date once the kids fall asleep

Drive-in cons: movies ended at 1:30 am, Sammy stayed awake through both movies, everyone was tired today, popcorn all over the car

Dinner

I know that I'm not the best cook in the world. However, I do try to make something my family will eat. Last night Sammy only ate the chicken, Benjamin might have taken a bite, and Elisa licked the bottom of her foot. So, she is a baby, but still - she would rather lick her foot than eat my cooking? At least Dominic and I liked it.

P.S. We found the Underdog disc, which means we didn't have to buy it. Shwew!

Haircuts and Mother's day

Lisy was amused to walk in elephant slippers (but no haircut)












Sammy and Benjamin, with their spikey pre-haircut 'dos








This weekend I cut the boy's hair. I'm not the best haircutter, but now their hair is nice and short for the summer, if the warm weather ever arrives.

For Mother's day, Dominic worked. Instead we celebrated today. I told Dominic that I didn't want to cook but wanted to go to Olive Garden for dinner. And we did! So although I wasn't pampered like a lot of moms (we're still recovering from that nasty cold), I did get a yummy meal with no prep or clean up. I also made brownies. Perfect.

"Iron Man"

What a great movie! Good music, great special effects, likable characters, awesome outfit, need I go on? The bad guy was really bad, too; he oozed badness. Not for children, but it didn't have the graphic violence like the Spiderman movies (I was disappointed that they advertised it as a kids film, then they had fight scenes that even I couldn't watch). Whenever it looked like I wouldn't want to watch a scene, they stopped just in time (sigh of relief). Halfway through the movie, Dominic said he couldn't wait to see the next one. I told him to finish watching this movie first.

Speaking of movies, I haven't written a review in awhile. Here are a few:

Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was cute, but the best part was Benjamin's reaction. Every few minutes he would laugh and say, "chipmunks!"

Underdog. A big improvement on the cartoon. It had a few really funny lines, too. The kids lost the dvd, but I don't think it's worth owning.

Cloverfield. Dominic enjoyed watching "a good monster movie." I spent half the movie hiding my eyes.

Bee Movie. The kids loved it, but all the inaccuracies annoyed me. I know I know - it's just a cartoon, so I'll stop.

Beowulf. Have I already mentioned this one? I have mixed feelings about it. It resembled the epic poem. Some of the changes gave it continuity that the poem lacks. Other changes, like Grendel's mother, made it feel too hollywoodized. I don't recommend it.

Hoped-for memories

I am not much of a housekeeper. Cleaning is not one of my favorite activities. And I have finally come to terms with that. But I hope my children remember the things I'm doing with them instead, such as:

-blowing bubbles on the front porch
-"helping" me cook (mostly just stirring)
-playing Stuck Monster
-tickling/wrestling and laughing
-evening walks
-snuggling after naps
-snuggling during scary parts of movies
-reading
-visiting museums
-water games (in the summer)

Adventures in the Kitchen (not all protein is good)

It all started with this cold. The entire family has a nasty cold, and we are all cranky. This afternoon I tried to take a nap on the living room couch (well, futon). Random things (ok, the kids) kept waking me up, and I finally got up feeling unrested and still cranky. So I made cookies.

For dinner I tried to make macaroni and cheese. I like to add whole wheat macaroni to the boxed noodles for a healthy boost. Apparently it's been awhile since I used the whole wheat noodles. While checking the noodle doneness (is that a real word?), I saw a bug! I shrieked and dropped the test noodle. I almost ate the bug! EWW! My reaction worried Sammy, who was also test-eating a noodle. They were cooked, so they couldn't be that bad, right? I attempted to separate the contaminated noodles, but I was too grossed out. I finally threw out the whole pot of noodles.

Now it was dinner time and we had no dinner. I heated up a frozen pizza. It wasn't quite enough for us, so we filled up on the cookies. Half way through dinner I realized I was still very cranky, and I took an Excedrin. I was much nicer the rest of the evening.

P.S. Speaking of kitchen adventures, did I ever mention the melted ship? While making dinner one evening, Benjamin kept knocking over Elisa with his pirate ship. I took it away from him and placed it on the nearest surface so I could finish meal preparations. Something smelled funny, and I realized that the plastic ship was on the burner I'd just turned off (and thus still hot). On a positive note, we finally got out the potato chips Sammy had crammed in the cargo hold.