Ahoy there, Bottomless Matey.

It has been a while, so I thought I would post a video.  It is cute, short, and could have been much better had he not seen me with the camera.  The stuff before I took the video is MUCH more exciting and quite hilarious.  I promise to be more stealth-like in the future.

 

Arrrrgh from farfromca on Vimeo.

Portland inspired bathroom

Actually, Portland fabric inspired bathroom... On my recent trip to Portland, OR, I brought along two washcloths so I could match them at one of the many fabric stores we went to... I had no luck in VA, so figured I'd try my luck elsewhere.  And, wouldn't you know it, I was lucky.  I found some good fabric, packed it in my suitcase and came home to conjure up this:

Sorry, the bathroom is really small and it is difficult to take pictures of it.  But, you get the idea, right?. 

How is it going?

Well, pretty well, actually.  We are on day 3 with all of our hair and some amount of patience left... which is good.  They boys are getting used to being in the same room together and we also have the room divider in place. Knock on wood, things are moving along.  Squeaker is on his fourth round of antibiotics (yeh, ear infections, woo hoo) and feeling much better.  So, for the moment, there is a lull that we are taking full advantage of!  

So, how are you doing???  

Operation: Consolidation - Day 2

Here is the latest update on the boys sharing a room:

Naptime, put both boys to bed at 1:30 and at 3:00 both were asleep.  During that hour and a half, there were a few threats and fewer niceties shared between parent and child.  Needless to say, Mommy is fully aware that there may be no naptime to enjoy tomorrow when Daddy goes back to work.  We had jury-rigged a room divider with some shelving components from Ikea and draped a sheet over them... and, although this eliminated the Little Man's need to complain (for the 300th time) that he didn't want to see Squeaker, they managed quite a squeal-fest instead... egging each other on for quite some time.   

Unfortunately, I must have opened my big mouth at some point this last week and mentioned that we were all healthy, because Squeaker woke up after an hour with lots of snot and in the most foul mood.  He didn't improve all evening and as soon as I write this post, I am looking into the cost of an otoscope.  

Bedtime is staggered tonight, and hopefully Squeaker is sound asleep which will deter the Little Man (who is currently in the bath) from causing a ruckus tonight.  Wouldn't that be nice. 

Of all the dumb ideas...

...this one might be the dumbest!  So, after some back and forth on the topic, the decision was made to put the boys in the same room.  I won't bore you with the details, but in the end, we thought it was the best plan.  We need more space and since it appears that we won't be moving any time soon, we are making our own space.  So, Squeaker moved into Little Man's room today.  We rearranged the room to accommodate a crib and wha-la, looks like we can fit another kid... um, but we won't be any time soon :). 

So, just past naptime, to ensure both kids were tired, we set them both down for a long winter's nap.  LM decided it would be fun to rile Squeaker up, so they both fed off each other for about an hour and a half.  Then, we came up with the great idea to put Squeaker down first, keep LM up until he was asleep... which ended up being all of 5 minutes.  Then, after a buffer of about 5 minutes, we allowed LM to head back to his bed to rest his weary eyes. After about 30 seconds, we hear, "Squeaker, wake up... hey Squeaker... Squeeeeeaaaaakeeeerrrrrrr."  So, we hurriedly went to the room to nip that one.  After about 30 minutes of listening to bouncing, talking (not too quietly) and all sorts of random noises coming from LM, we hauled him outta there and into the living room.  Unfortunately, we didn't think it would take 2 hours (plus) for them to both go to sleep so we had no back-up back-up plan.  Daddy was going to take LM on an errand with him, but LM refused to get dressed, so his only other choice was to go to sleep, since it was naptime and not playtime.  So, 2.5 hours later, they are both asleep, and all we accomplished was switching the boys' rooms.  LM is sound asleep in the sleeping bag on the floor of Squeaker's room.  Hmmm... wonder how tonight will go?

I think we are going to try to put the Little Man to sleep first, then Squeaker and see how it goes.  This whole experience is very reminiscent of camping with the boys over the summer... in one tent and no room divider.

Oooo, that is another idea... a room divider.  That should be easy to make, right?  That will be our back up plan.  Now we just need to think of a back-up back-up plan, as it appears that our boys are too smart for us.

Last Days in PDX

Here is the Day 3 recap:

An early morning jaunt back to the Fabric Depot yielded some wonderful purchases.  

And some great ideas for future sewing projects were hatched.  The MLK sale was great and we are glad we returned since we had missed like half the store the first time we visited.  Then, we headed back to the hotel where my aunt, cousin, and second cousin (??--cousin's adorable little girl) had come up from Corvallis for a short visit.  

We stopped by Voodoo doughnuts again and then back to 23rd St for some lunch and eclairs.  Then back to the hotel for wine hour.  We decided to try out the hotel restaurant for dinner then off to pack and turn in early for our early departure this morning.  So, we are off and have had a wonderful trip and are making plans for our next trip.  I can't wait to see my boys, I hope the plane trip goes quickly!

I love my boys

You have to check out this comment Daddy left earlier... while I am away.

And these pictures from playing without Mommy.

Girl Weekend - Day 2

Day 2 is a Sunday, so most places we wanted to visit weren't open until 11am or 12 noon.  That gave us plenty of time to sleep (or read, as my case may be), find breakfast, and still get in a shop/wander-fest before the wine reception at 5.  We started out in search of breakfast with no particular restaurant in mind.  Today's destinations included the Fiber District and the Pearl District. Both of which were walkable from the hotel, so we headed out.  Along the way, in the Pearl District, we came across Everett Street Bistro.  It was a jazzy bistro indeed.  Our food was beautiful and delicious, however it would appear that if you aren't a big fan of runny eggs, do not order the breakfast panini.  And, even if you do like them, pull your hair back and drape yourself in napkins.  The mocha they brought me was almost too beautiful to consume, but the caffeine draw was inevitable.

    

After breakfast, it was time to head out in search of some fun places to shop.  First we hit the Pearl District.  There we found so many adorable little shops.  Very fun to walk around aimlessly and see what you come across.  

Next stop, Fiber District.  Small area of town which includes a handful of fabric, needlepoint, and other craft related shops. Along the way, I found a street vendor selling crepes and as I was not at all hungry from our very yummy breakfast, I decided that I also needed a nutella and strawberry crepe --yummmm...  

And, as we were ahead of 'schedule' for those without a schedule, we were able to take the streetcar to NW 23rd to walk around and consume the best pizza-by-the slice I have ever had.  We made it back to the hotel in time for wine and conversing with fellow hotel patrons and watching the most adorable little two year old girl EVER.  After wine, we headed to Powell's bookstore before I felt the need to turn in early (but not as early as yesterday).  Arriving back at the hotel,  I felt the need to finish my almost completed book so that I could start my recent purchase (recommended by a friend) on Monday. 

No boys allowed!

So, I did it... I decided it was time to adventure out on my own for a 'girls only' weekend with my best friend.  Leaving wasn't too bad, because Daddy is quite competent (and wonderful), Squeaker had no idea what was in store for him, and Little Man adores his daddy so I was sure they would all be fine.  I was a bit sad because this was the first time I had ever left Squeaker.  And, as we are getting ready for the airport, LM pulls this one on me, "Mommy, (with tears welling in his eyes, about to overflow) I think I am really gonna miss you when you are gone (sniff sniff.)" Come ON! Now that is just not fair.  Who paid you to say that???  Seriously, I am sure they are all fine (including me). 

Day 1 Recap

Flew Southwest to Portland, OR (random city of choice due to cheap tix at the last minute).  I had the best flight since I didn't have to struggle dragging 2 kids through security, hauling all their 'wonderful and totally necessary' things with me. I had a peaceful flight (which included a layover) on two totally full flights with no problems!  I even got to read about half of a book.  

Arrived in Portland, met friend at airport, traveled by train to hotel, and slept like I have never slept before.  We both thought that I would wake up pretty early, being on East Coast time and all... but nope.  Daddy called around 9:30am and we were both sound asleep (He was getting the boys ready for a nap -- holy cow, I slept ALL morning!!!!!).  So, after leaving the hotel mid-morning, we headed out in search of sustenance.

Our first destination was Voodoo Doughnut.  I had a very very very yummy Butterfinger Doughnut and my friend had a Lemon Chiffon one.  We also got an apple fritter to go.  After that, we hopped on a bus and headed out in search of fabric and crafty stores.  (you know, all the things girls do without their husbands -- okay, maybe we are the only ones).  We first came here.  Then we traveled a bit further to this store, which might be better than G Street, but I am not sure yet.  Here are a couple shots of the store... we may come back on Monday because they are having MLK Day sale!  Sale, woo hoo!

   

After the fabric stores, we headed out for Alberta Street (scroll down for shopping places).  Our favorites were Grasshopper and Onda Art Gallery, where my friend found the most awesome children's handmade children's sweater... with owls, yes owls on it!  So cute!  Anyway, since all we had eaten by that time was doughnuts, we decided to head back to the hotel for the evening wine reception then to dinner.  We ate dinner at Mother's Bistro and Bar just a few blocks away from the hotel.  Just as you would imagine, it was good home cooking.  I ordered chicken and dumplings and my friend ordered pot roast.  The bread, oohhhh the bread, was the best part of my meal, however.  After dinner, we parted ways... me to bed (it was getting late by east coast standards) and my friend headed to Powell's books. 

So, now, at 6am, I have already been up for about an hour and am going to enjoy another hour or so of quiet reading before heading out on more adventures.  

Bedtime

It is bedtime at our house.  Daddy and I were busy changing sheets before bed (to get rid of any remaining germs) and gave the Little Man the task of reading bedtime stories to his little brother.  Isn't this the cutest thing ever --

Squeaker looks especially tired -- he got to enjoy his first full-on romp in the snow!

Hot Dogs and Haircuts

So, on the note of 'musings'... the Little Man came out with a doozie today.  Since being sick, he has become quite familiar with the whole diarrhea thing (yes, i am officially a mommy, talking about diarrhea on a blog).  Just before nap time, he went to the potty while I was changing Squeaker's diaper.  Little Man shouts to me, "Hey, Mommy... Come here... Check this out, I did it!  It wasn't diarrhea, it was regular poopie, like a hot dog.  Isn't that cool?!"  Um, yah, cool!  I wish I was that enthusiastic about going potty.  :)

And, totally unrelated, but equally as exciting, Squeaker got his haircut this weekend.  I would have posted pictures, but it took me a while to dig the camera out from under all the junk piled in my car.  When LM got his first cut, I was so excited to do it myself.  I set him in the middle of our only non-carpeted floor (kitchen) and snipped away, for 45 minutes, procuring approximately 50 hairs to be inserted into the baby book.  Well, since then, I have decided that there is a reason that barbers open up shops around town... so kids aren't subjected to a nervous mom's haircutting episode for 45 minutes.  And, since I was pretty sure that Squeaker would be less patient than his older brother, we headed straight for Cartoon Cuts.  (Extra bonus: cartoons for big brother and lollipops for all!) 

More Musings and such

Here a couple of random comments by Little Man from the past couple days:

"Last night, when I was asleep for a really long time waiting for Santa to come, I really, really needed my nails cut."

(in the car) "My tummy is about to growl in 3 minutes.  You have to hurry up and drive us home so I can eat!"

Me: Who drew on 'Squeaker's' face?

LM: Another kid did.  Another kid came to our house and accidentally drew on his cheek.  I think it was Gavin.  

Me: Um, I don't think so... I am pretty sure you are the only other kid around. 

LM: No, it was another kid.

(since when did he learn that trick of blaming others???)

There was another fun quote, but we forgot the word he used, making the quote really unfunny.  If we ever remember, I promise to post it asap.

Oto...what?

What in the world happened to ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctors?  Apparently they changed their name to Otolaryngologists... who knew?  Certainly not me as I scoured the Blue Cross Blue Shield website for coverage information. ENT was no where to be found in our list of approved providers.  But, Otolaryngologists are!  

Busy 2008

We started off the year with a bang.  Ga-Mommy arrived in from CA on New Year's Morning.  The Little Man was up bright and early (6:30 am) and wandered out into the living room, found the flashlight, and started scanning the room for trouble.  We hurried him back to his bed until there was a match*, then tried to resume our sleep.  Ga-Mommy had arrived at 5:30 that morning so we were hoping she could get a little more sleep before being bombarded by two wild things.  That lasted for an hour, at most. Uncle Sean arrived the next day and that was the last relaxing day on their visit.  Uncle Sean is applying to colleges and wanted to visit a couple while he was here.  Here is our 4 day itinerary:

Thursday:  LM had preschool.  We fed Squeaker, loaded up the car, and picked up LM on our way to visit UPenn.   It is about a 3 hour drive.  And, we forgot to bring a warm jacket for Squeaker, so a random stop at a mall in Delaware to buy a snowsuit made the trip a bit longer. We toured the deserted campus (it is winter break, no students) and ate dinner, then hopped back in the car for a trip back home.  Quick visit and extremely cold.  I think the high in Philadelphia was 25 degrees that day. brrrrrr

Friday: Decided that LM and Squeaker needed a break so we went to the grocery store and took naps while Daddy, Ga-Mommy, and Uncle Sean headed into DC to visit the Spy Museum and the Building Museum.  They enjoyed themselves.  

Saturday: We piled back in the car for a trip down to UVA.  We met Grandma and Grandpa C. at the Boar's Head Inn for brunch (soooo delicious), then walked around campus in the warm(ish) weather... high was 56... better than 25 for sure!  We ate at the Downtown Mall and then headed back home.

Sunday: Had the family Christmas portrait taken (a bit late) and decided to have Ga-Mommy take a shot with her grandsons for fun.  Then, we played airport shuttle so Uncle Sean and Ga-Mommy could head back home for some peace and quiet. 

The house was so quiet yesterday (Monday) without the extra adults around.  The Little Man asks if he can go visit his "friends" (that would be Ga-Mommy and Uncle Sean) soon.  We'll have to plan our next trip out to CA, I guess.  

Oh, the weather was gorgeous yesterday and today.  I took the boys to the coolest park ever.  They had a great time, but I was exhausted.  We met some friends there, and without them, I am certain that one or both of my boys would have found other families to go home with before I found them... the place was HUGE!  Quite challenging to keep track of two (quick) little boys. It was an exhausting trip but how often do you get 70 degree days in the middle of winter???  In Virginia, that is...?

Today started the onslaught of doctor visits for our family.  Squeaker had a follow up for his GI issues.  We are weaning him from his medicine and hope that he is able to manage all his bodily functions on his own when we are done.  :)  Little Man had a visit with a pediatric surgeon to discuss his potential hernia.  As it turns out, he has what they call, hydrocele.  It is a precursor to a hernia.  So, we are going to schedule an outpatient surgery in the near future.  

Okay, off to get the kids to bed.  Long post, but that is what I get for not posting in a week!!!  

*Little Man is not supposed to get out of bed until his clock matches the "7" taped on the inside of his bed rail.  We have the minutes blocked out on his clock so he is allowed to get up at 7:00 am, no earlier! :)

New Year's Resolution

My new year's resolution is to not use up our flexible spending account money before August. That means that we really need to buckle down and get healthy -- hear that kids... HEALTHY!

Wishing you all a happy 2008!