Laaazy, I wanna be laaaazy

Quick, name the movie.

I'll give you a bit, few people have memorized as many old show tunes as I have. Probably just as well. I often wonder how much smarter I would be if the majority of my brain capacity was spent storing important facts and not the lyrics to SO many songs, most of them terrible.

I have been trying to lay low and not do too much to allow myself to heal. You know what, it is really boring. I changed the whole layout to this blog and made lots of lists of things I want to do/get done. I am really hoping in a few more days I won't have to be so lazy. It doesn't suit me at all.

Did you guess yet?? Comments should be working now, I'll look for your guesses.

Lesson Learned

Ah, so the cold I was complaining about. Truth be told, I am not done complaining about it and since your role as reader is quite passive (especially since blogger doesn't like people commenting on this blog despite my best efforts) you will be forced to hear more of the March cold saga. So, back to the cold, it all started the day my mom and I headed down to see her mom, great-grandma Hope to the kids. I felt fine when we left but soon starting sneezing, then a runny nose... it was all down hill from there. We did however have a great time visiting with my grandmother. The kids were very well behaved and we even survived lunch with both of them in the dining room without incident. SUCCESS! It was a beautiful day so we took my grandmother out for a stroll to a near by park where the kids could run off some energy and she could enjoy the spring.

Despite being in carseats for 6+ hours in one day, they were quite happy. Mette was a bit antsy in the car but overall was quite a trooper. Otto was his usual amazing traveler. By the time we got home I had a bad sore throat and wanted to go to bed. Since eric was still in L.A. I got the kids to bed as quick as I could and followed suit. Over the next few days we entertained ourselves in the great spring weather we were lucky enough to be having and counted the days to Daddy getting home.

On Tuesday we were hosting playschool at our house which meant going and getting snacks etc... Since the previous weekend was the official start of spring I wanted to do some special spring activities with the kids. I hard boiled some eggs and painted some of them metallic colors and left some white. I found some great glitter glue as well as fun bits of string to glue on the eggs. Some markers and we were all set to make some Spring Eggs. We don't celebrate Easter but painting eggs is not a tradition I want to give up on. Luckily it really doesn't have much to do with Christ, it is really about spring and I am all in favor of celebrating spring!!!! It was a bit success. And by that I mean the kids were totally into it for about 10 minutes and then they dispersed to play with other toys. Really, you can't ask for too much more than that from a group of 2.5 and 3 year olds.

Otto was not drooling, that is silver glitter glue I busted him trying to eat.

Masterpieces

Mette gets to attend playschool by default every other week when I am one of the mom's in charge. She actually loves it despite being the baby. When they play dress-up, she wants to as well. Here is fireman Mette to the rescue.

As the week progressed my cold led into more of a cough with a ton of nose blowing. Back to the cold??, yes, I told you I wasn't done complaining yet. Wednesday after playgroup Rachel and I took the kids to a local farmstand for lunch where the kids can run around outside. I was lifting them up and down off things and feeling really lame because my abs were so sore from coughing and blowing my nose. I know I have two kids, but I do some sit-ups and I walk everywhere, I can't be THIS out of shape. That afternoon during naptime I couldn't even stand to make dinner I just had to lay down. By the time we were putting the kids to bed I was in so much pain it was getting hard to breathe. That was when I noticed the bump above my belly button. At once I had an idea of what it was, a hernia. I called our doctor's office and they connected me to the doctor on call. I told him my symptoms and explained that I really did not want to go to the ER but was I foolish to wait?? He said if I could handle the pain I could stay home but if it got worse I should really go in. I opted to stay home since Mette still nurses at night I couldn't figure out how I could logistically go anywhere in the night. First thing in the morning I called the doctor. I got an 8:45 apt and was on my way. Little did I know that they would send my straight to the surgeon for a consult and that he would try to schedule me for surgery that afternoon. It turned out that I couldn't get in that afternoon and would have to wait until friday morning but still, it was a whirlwind of appointments I was not expecting. And you know what cause all of this nonsense??? That's right, coughing and the stupid March cold. UGH.

I had the surgery on friday and it went quite well. I spent a lot of the day in a somewhat quiet bed at the hospital reading the New Yorker which I will admit was quite luxurious. The recovery is not a joy, but not too bad either. I feel much better each day and the soreness is getting better all the time. The swelling that makes me look like I just had a baby again is quite demoralizing I'll admit, but other than that it isn't too bad.

In an attempt to do something fun that wouldn't be too stressful we took the kids to the Whitaker Science center in Harrisburg yesterday. It is a nice car ride which is totally my speed and once we were there I could pretty much just sit down and watch the kids play. It was a lot of fun and it felt good to get out of the house.

Not surprising with our kids, the water table was a huge hit.

As were the fish....

Seriously??

Who gets a cold when we are having a long stretch of the nicest weather you could ask for in March? Me, that's who. It all started yesterday on the drive down to my grandmother's with my mom and the kids. It was innocent at first, a few sneezes, runny nose... but by the way home my head hurt, I had a sore throat, it was hitting me hard. I can handle most things about being sick but I really hate sore throats. All I really feel like doing is sleeping in bed and blowing my nose which under normal circumstances I could have done for at least a little this morning. But as it is, eric is in L.A.. Has been since wednesday morning and won't be home until after the kids go to bed tomorrow. They did nap today so I got to rest then, but I could really use someone to make me tea and feel sorry for me. So wah, wah, wah, I will just have to whine here.

With any luck I will feel much better tomorrow. The kids and I are going to the neighbors for brunch tomorrow where they have older children and a dog to entertain otto and mette. I am looking forward to sitting and having juice and coffee without getting small people countless spoons, drinks, forks, new bowls etc... for one meal.

Really the kids and I have been having a great time and other than the fact that I have to take out the trash and unload and load the dishwasher things are pretty much the same. That being said it will be really nice to have eric home tomorrow night. Even if it means I can't sleep diagonal across the bed which really is how I would like to sleep all the time.

The Great North and Ducks

This past weekend we headed to the cabin for a little Mud Fest 2010. Things are one sloppy mess up there and we have a certain little boy who is especially fond of mud. He went and did some serious mud puddle hunting with Grandpa and Daddy. We have some good video and I have evidence of the mud soaked clothes to prove it. We have a few videos in fact currently held up on post production (hint, hint...) which I hope to have for you soon. In addition to wanting to let small people run wild in the mud, it was also my chance to have my birthday dinner from my mom. It was a feast to end all feasts. We had veggie curry with udon noodles, not traditional but fun for the kids and super yummy. Then since my mom wanted to try out her new fryer we made shrimp and sweet potato tempura. It was out of this world. We all ate way too much of it. Or at least I did and I think others did as well. Then we had homemade apple tart with homemade ice cream and homemade butterscotch sauce. It is good to be me and have birthdays. I also got the coolest pair of boots ever which really make me too cool to talk to. I'll have to snag a pic of them. This whole turning 29 thing is working out pretty well. I did remember to bring our camera, but I didn't remember to bring it in from the car. These pics were all taken with my camera but they are too cute not to share.

Mette and Grandmom reading stories

Puppy love. We also wanted to come and visit Hugo on his own home turf. He proved to be quite adorable and bad, as all puppies are. The kids are a little unsure of him but really warmed up to him as the weekend wore on.

Mette loves the Retro Rocket and rides it all over pushing the buttons.

There was some serious banjo playing that happened this weekend. Here she is studying the craft and thinking deep thoughts.

Strumming a little tune.

She also seems quite fond of tractors.

I can't resist taking pictures of Otto where he is wearing his green jammies standing in front of the picture of him wearing the green jammies. We really need to look into more Hannah Anderson jammies so there are plenty to keep passing along....

These are not from the cabin but I thought I would post them as well. The weather has been beyond beautiful here. I took both the kids to the park after naptime today. It is a "all hands on deck" job having the two of them there by yourself. Another mom or two that I knew would have been ace. But we did have a great time. We took the bike and bike trailer there. I should have taken pictures of the two of them sitting in the bike trailer but I didn't think of it until now. When Mette was Otto's age it scared him a bit but I think having him there to sit next to her made her not scared at all. She really seemed to like it. They shared a bowl of snacks and watched the world go by while I rode us to the park.

You can see Otto about to enter the frame in the back.

Weeee

The mighty duck hunter lurks in the shadows. Mette loves ducks. In the bath they are her favorite toy. She can say duck. She looks for them in books and today she got to see them close up in person. She was transfixed.


You may remember a certain video from a little over two years ago (click here)...

Otto's Restaurant

As a joint birthday gift Grandmom and Grandpa got the kids a kitchen, complete with a custom built prep table to match as Grandpa put it so well, "they just got this kitchen and already they need more counter space." We have been cooking up a storm. Don't get me wrong, I love having hot wheel races and while I may not be as good as eric, I build a mean train track, but cooking, that I am good at. We have a table and four chairs just out of these pictures where Otto's serves up his fare. It is so much fun. I am going to look to see if I still have some old menu's from the Bleu Plate for them to have. I made them tea towels to match and we even have a table cloth for fancy meals.

Mette is unbelievably aware and interested in mimicking what we do. She has started feeding herself yogurt with great success and totally understands what to do with the tea pot. She got out the tea pot and cup here and started pouring all on her own.

Getting something out of the fridge is perhaps her favorite part.

Dude Quotes

While walking to the University to pick up eric from work.

"Mommy, I want to see some Bucknell girls. I want a whole pile of them. I like the ones with ponytails."

We are in so much trouble with that one!

Birthday Visitors

This past weekend we had some out of town guests in for birthday celebration. Yia-Yia and Papou came along with Uncle Matt to celebrate Mette's, Otto's, Dee's and my birthdays. We had a fun filled weekend with gorgeous weather. We spent most of both days when not napping outside. It was glorious. Since they drove in from Chicago they arrived Friday night. No sooner did they get here and they were handing out some presents.

Otto is still a bit tentative about wrapping paper and usually asks me to do it. Mette on the other hand jumps right in. Even when what she is opening is my present :)

Otto and Papou reading his new book together.

Day one of park visits. Otto got to take his "motorcycle" as he calls it out for a spin. He is fearless and fast and he loves it. Not too surprising!
He is also so much bigger this year. It is amazing how much he has grown since the fall when we were last at the park. He can do so many more things than he could before, which is both awesome and terrifying.

Mette was a bit unsure of the whole park thing at first, but she has taken to it quite well now.

Here she is in her element. Mette would like nothing more than to have you read her stories all day. She will go to the bookshelf, pick out a book, bring it to you and demand it be read. I am loving this stage and hope it lasts for many years to come. Good thing we have a lot of books because I might go batty otherwise.

Me watching Otto tear it up, ready to catch him as he goes flying by.

Uncle Matt, there should be a special prize for uncles. He was amazing. I think Otto was so tired after last weekend he went to bed early two nights in a row and it is all from playing with Matt and Papou. Matt was fine with Otto waking him up when he got up and played with him and Mette all day. It was like a spa vacation for me!

Mette likes to snuggle on the doll bed.

She also fell in love with Papou. She would just about fall over smiling at him when he would enter the room and loved being tossed and twirled about.

Yia-Yia and Mette swinging.

It was a fabulous weekend. I even made homemade pizza and pie for my birthday dinner which was very festive. By Monday morning everyone was headed home and it was just the kids and me in a quiet house. With any luck the warm spring weather will bring them back again.

Otto is Three!

Ok, so slowest and lamest mom blogger award goes to me this past week and a half. Things were such a whirlwind leading up to Otto's birthday, then after we had fun week playing with new toys and being sick and now this weather is just too gorgeous to want to look at the computer. I am however feeling terribly guilty about not getting pictures up so I am beginning to hack away at the overflowing folder of pictures I want to post. Otto's birthday was sunday the 28th and we had a great day. In the morning he opened a few presents from us and we played and generally had a good morning. His friends were scheduled to come later in the morning for a little party so we were puttering around getting ready for that. Otto was pretty clued in to the fact that it was his birthday this year. He came into my bed in the morning and when I asked how the birthday boy was he got SO EXCITED. He did manage to walk by his presents on the dining room table on his way to the kitchen where I had promised him a pancake breakfast. He scarfed down the pancakes in no time and went on to present time.

There really isn't anything that compares to watching a little kid open presents.

He is mastering a big fat cheesy smile for photos. I love it and request it whenever possible.
Few things make Otto happier than new Hot Wheels but he is really into puzzles at the moment. Grandma Bah sent one that came in a carrying case.
Once Rachel and company were here we headed up to the third floor where we had Otto's big present waiting for him. We got him a big GeoTrax set-up. He calls them Metro Trains and has played with them a bunch at friends houses. As soon as he saw them upstairs he broke into a full sprint. They have been a huge hit.
After Otto's two buddies and their families were here we had a pizza lunch. I decided to not stress over the day and just order out pizza. It was quite lovely to not have to be cooking all morning and actually be able to enjoy the day. Mette, who does usually eat pizza was her usual skeptical self when it was offered to her.
I did make a fun race track cake that we somehow managed to not take a picture of before it was demolished. We did however get some great video of it which eric just said he will edit together soon. I covered a small table with paper and wrote Happy Birthday on it for the boys.
All in all it was a wonderful birthday. There was no crazy big party or too much confusion beyond a normal day with 5 small children running around and we all seemed to have a really good time. By naptime we were all ready for a break and we crashed hard.

So there it is, in the blink of an eye he is three. There is much more to come from the past week but for now this makes a dent in the pictures I have to upload.