School is IN session!

Ok, we've officially made it through one week of first grade, and so far so good. Kinsey is a star pupil and loves to go to school. I am so happy that she loves it, because otherwise we would NEVER get her out of bed. I have a hard enough time as it is. On the first morning of school, I went in to wake her up at 6:55 with a cheerful, "Kinsey! Aren't you so excited? SCHOOL starts today!!" And, I was promptly met with, "MOOOOOM!! I. AM. TIRED!!!! I. WILL. GET. UP. LAAAAAAAAATER!!!" I am thinking about investing in a DNA test that can tell me her exact age, because this can NOT be the typical behavior of a six year old. I am thinking that she is at least 13!

But, once we get the whole getting-out-bed thing figured out, we are golden. Today was the first day that I actually dropped her off. Meaning, I drove up to the school and she opened the door and ran inside, pausing to turn around and wave at me. *tear* I have walked her into school every day since she started kindergarten, but I thought that we should give this a try. While it gets me home faster, I am sad. She needs to stop growing up, dammit!

Ben doesn't start preschool for 2 more weeks, so I am enjoying my time with my little man. He is also growing way too fast and I don't like it. But, today was the first day that he decided to have an opinion on what he was going to wear. His shirt of choice? The slightly too small Mickey Mouse t-shirt that he wore yesterday. That would be, the slightly too small Mickey Mouse t-shirt that had spaghetti sauce stains on the front that he wore YESTERDAY! He pulled it out of the dirty laundry and put it on in lieu of a super cute, brand new shirt that I was about to dress him in. And, what is he wearing right now, in bed? That slightly too small Mickey Mouse t-shirt that has spaghetti sauce stains on it and now sand and dirt smeared on it that he wore YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!! I don't care if I have to put him in a figure-four leg-lock tomorrow to wrest it from his body, but that thing is going in the washing machine. Ick! How DARE he have an opinion!!!!

So much! TOO MUCH!

Oh where do I begin? I bet you are interested in finding out how Disneyland was, huh? Well, I was right on one point...Ben was SICK! Poor guy. He tried really hard to be a tough guy, but he totally conked out. Our first day was spent at the beach with our friends the Laysons, and he curled up on my lap and slept for two hours. Kinsey and her BFF Kaia wasted no time plunging into the ocean, building "hot tubs" (aka big holes in the sand that got filled when then tide came in) and playing frisbee. My girl is such a beach girl. I can see her living out her college days at some California school, studying at the beach and surfing on the weekends. I shall live vicariously through her!

Our first day at Disney was really fun, but, again, Ben was sick and conked in the stroller. He did man up a bit to go on the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Finding Nemo ride. He did a few things, but preferred to crash. Kinsey and Kaia went hogwild and did it all. I loved watching them! I hope we can go back in a few years and experience it all again.

The second day at Disney started with a hotel-room-doctor-call. I had no idea that the hotel would have a doctor service, but fortunately they did. Ben's diagnosis? Croup and tonsilitis. He had no voice, could barely breathe and coughed like a seal. Poor buddy. The doctor gave him a shot of steriods that woke him up and allowed him to enjoy the day...which he did--thoroughly! Whew! It was really funny, because when he could finally talk, he sounded like Demi Moore (or a little boy with a 2-pack-a-day habit!). So, by the time we finally ventured back to Colorado, Ben was on the mend and the rest of the crew was on the way down.....

We pulled into our driveway at midnight and Doug RAN out of the car, RAN into the house, RAN into the bathroom and blew chunks. Lovely. So, 2 out of four were sick. Then, the next day, Doug is recuperating, Ben is smoking a pack, and Kinsey starts coughing and complaining of a headache. Ugh. DOUBLE UGH! But, as of press time, everybody is A-OK and rarin' to go!

Good thing we are rarin' because tomorrow is the first day of SCHOOL!! I survived the summer! Yahoo! I did it! Go Momma, Go Momma!! Kinsey is currently sleeping like a little angel and she is SO excited. Her first grade class consists of 17 kids--15 of which are returning from kindergarten, so she is going to run into class with no looking back. I am excited to get back into some sort of routine, so that we can harness the chaos that has become our life. The only thing that is stressing me out right now is actually getting her there on time. I was going to "practice" getting up early yesterday and today, but I let her sleep and she got up at NINE o'clock!! School starts at 8:15, so I am seeing a logistical problem here. Her alarm is set for 6:55, so I am sure that she will be nothing but smiles and laughter at that time, right? HAR HAR HAR! I will let you know how that goes. But, her outfit, school supplies, backpack and water bottle are all set out and ready. I can't wait!

I am off to go to sleep...school makes me get up early, too!! And, Doug needs to get to work earlier to support Ben's new smoking habit. :)

Cross your fingers and cross 'em good!

So, here's the skinny....we are leaving tomorrow morning, bright and early, to go to DISNEYLAND! Woohoo, right? Well, today, of all days, Ben decided to get sick. He has been complaining of a headache and not eating much all day. Poor little guy! He has been perfectly fine all summer, not even a hint of a runny nose and BAM! Nastiness. So, he is currently snoozing in bed, but when I wake him up at 5:30 in the morning, I hope that I find a healthy, excited little boy. I would be so disappointed if he wasn't able to fully enjoy this trip. He's going to love it!

So, speaking of Ben, I got his registration information for preschool today. SAD! I can't believe that my baby is old enough to go to school! He starts on his 4th birthday--September 7. So, he is going to immediately be the coolest dude in the class when he shows up with treats! Unfortunately, due to allergies, the treats must be store bought, so I guess my super-elaborate, multi-layered fondant cake will not ever come to fruition. sigh. (The teacher actually said that the treats have to be store bought due to allergies, so they must come with a list of ingredients. She said, "Pretzels are good, or rice krispie treats." Seriously? Pretzels? For MY boy's birthday? PSHAW!!! He will be totin' something with sugar as the #1 ingredient on that precious ingredient list, thankyouverymuch!)

I will end with a little commentary on my girl. She is growing up WAY too fast! She has lost her two front teeth, so her lisp is even more pronounced, but she is definitely not a little girl any more. Her best buddy du jour is Caden. Caden, for some reason, watched the commercial for the Eclipse movie and has convinced Kinsey that he is a werewolf. He loves to wear jeans and no shirt and climb trees and run fast. All under the watchful eye of my girl. Yesterday at the park, he was climbing a tree and she said, "Mommy! Caden ith tho thtrong!" (Translation: Caden is so strong!") She is smitten. Until the next werewolf comes along and sweeps her off of her feet, that is!

See you in a few days! Pray that my boy is healthy and we return unscathed and happy!!!

The fair is here!

FYI, my daughter is obsessed with the fair. Seriously. Every year when it arrives, she turns into a freak, and the day it leaves she starts talking about when it will be back. Now I, on the other hand, love the fair as much as she does, but I have to be cool about it. You know, because I am all mature and stuff! So, I see the twinkling lights, the cotton candy swinging from the corn dog stand and hear the blaring music and my inner teenager says, "EEEEEEEE!!! Cotton candy! EEEEEE! Spinny rides! Let's go let's go let's go!!!!" But, my very mature, sophisticated exterior says, "Yes, Kinsey, I know it looks fun, but let's slow down." What an inner struggle. It wipes me out!

But, this year? This year was special! Here's the news....My. girl. loves. spinny. RIDES!!! I got to go on the Tilt-a-whirl! TWICE! I got to go on the go-around-in-a-circle-forwards-and-then-backwards ride...TWICE!! She loved it and my heart was exploding with pride and joy! I thought that I was going to have to live out my existence in kiddie roller coaster land, but NO! Doug and Ben can sit by the sidelines and watch the girls have all the fun!

I can't wait until next year. I have already decided that Kinsey and I are going alone and we are going to go on everything. I think that seven is old enough for the upside-down-spin-you-all-around ride, right? I can't wait! Let's go let's go let's go!!!!!

Sleepover!?!?!?

Am I crazy? I actually told Kinsey that she could have a sleepover tonight and she is currently upstairs in bed with her friend, Sara. They have been super cute all day, but for some reason, I am not anticipating a good night's sleep. This makes me slightly sad, for some reason. My baby girl is growing up! :(

Speaking of growing up, let's talk about Ben's pee, shall we? I was perusing some of my older posts and I saw that potty training wasn't going so well at all. huh. Inneresting. I should have chilled out a bit, because you know what finally worked? Friggin' nothing! He just decided to do it one day. So, all of the stress and pressure and treats and charts and timers and bribes did exactly ZERO! I let him run around pantsless one day and bingo bango bongo....he grabs himself and says, "I'm gonna PEEEEEEEEEE!" We ran to the bathroom, threw him up on the toilet and ta-daaaaaa! He never looked back. He has been on an airplane ride, in 3 different time zones, all over the place and it's done. No accidents. May we take a moment of silence to properly respect this moment?

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Thank you!

The only downside to the whole diaper free living thing is the easy access to his junk. He is constantly rooting around in his pants and giggling. Great. I get to deal with this now for the next 15 years until he leaves for college! Oh! And there is his use of the word "penis" CONSTANTLY! "Mommy, sorry I ran into your penis." "Mommy, does Erik have a penis? Does Erik's daddy have a penis? Does Erik's mommy have a penis?" "GOOK! That dog has a PENIS!!!!"

lovely.

I'm not making any promises....

I, again, am attempting to keep up with this darn thing. I haven't yet decided why I am finding it so difficult. The time consumption? Nah. The impossible task of coming up with witty things to say? Hardly. I am just going to go with pure, utter head-in-the-clouds-itude. I keep forgetting about it! I seem to be more interested in my facebook status that this old thing. But, I forget that I have many fans out there, waiting with bated breath, to see what is happening with me and mine. Shame on me. SHAME! So, here is yet another half-hearted attempt to update the world on my ever so exciting and multi-faceted life!

Summer. What do you think of? I think of sleep. Lots of it. Sun. Pool. Sunburns. Barbeques. Patios. Sunscreen. Fairs.

Aaaah, what a perfect season, right? Well, what has this summer entailed? PAIN!!!! PAIN!!! I had a headache all summer. It started in early May and it ended last week. Last Tuesday to be exact. So, for me, Summer has sucked. Big time. And, I am realizing that I sucked. Big time. My poor kids duck and cover when they see me coming. The big old grouchy pants lady that snaps and them and makes them eat their vegetables. Oooooh! Scary! But, thanks to lots of drugs and an ambitious dentist who worked a small miracle (after I sat in his office and cried and yelled at him and made him do SOMETHING!) I am ready for the summer to begin!

But, alas. The summer is nearly over. And, while we have done some really fun things....visiting Yaya and Papa, visiting the family in Indiana, having Eddie here, taking a train to the top of Pike's Peak, lots of pool days, lots of play dates, it's time to have some REAL fun. And ,where is the REAL fun? You guessed it! DISNEYLAND!!! How better to recoup the loss of a summer? Hopping on a plane and chilling with Mickey and friends. We leave on Saturday and I can't wait! My kids are going to crap themselves when we get there! And, the best part? My friend Tammy and her daughter Kaia are joining us! I can't wait to get the girls together again and see the excitement on their faces. My fancy new camera will be at the ready!

So, I will leave my update at that. There is excitement to come. School starts in 14 days and those days will be filled with SUMMER!!!

ps...Ben is potty trained! woop woop! But, that deserves a post of it's own, so stay tuned!!

Now what?

The olympics are over. Sad. SAD!! Now what am I supposed to do with my dreary, dreary life?

Oh, hey! I got an idea? I'm going to Vegas, baby! Woo-hoo! I've got a couple of friends who need a fourth chick and they called me and said, "Um, Lori? Do you want to go? I mean, if not, it's ok, but we, um, need another person, but if you are busy, it's totally understanda...." "YES!!!!!!!"

See ya suckers! After 16 days of Olympic filled chaos, I am blowing off this popstand and rolling into sin city. What shall I do while I am there, you wonder? Well, numero uno on my agenda is take a nap! Numero Dos? Eh. Read a book? A magazine? Catch up on world events? I mean, what else is there to do????

So, enough of that. Let me fill you in on the last few days....

We moved Ben into his big boy bed! While I was extremely sad about this turn of events, he has done very well. He stays in there for bedtime and naps, even when he isn't sleeping. I hope that this remains the case for a while, but my expectations are very low.

My parents went on a CRUISE! This qualifies as news because they have not been on a "real" vacation since Kinsey was born. And, they have never been on an all-inclusive, and from what I have heard, my dad might need to break out the elastic waist pants! Ice Cream + All you can Eat = Trouble!

I had a Pampered Chef party and successfully cleaned my entire house. So well that my husband thinks that it is time for me to ditch my cleaning lady. When will I ever learn??

I signed up for a 10k on Mother's Day. That's in 2 months. That's 6 miles. (6.2 to be exact). I ran 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday and I thought that my lungs were going to shoot out of my throat. Should be a fun race, eh?

One more....

Tonight was a very telling night. I had a total "flash-forward" moment and I didn't like it one bit! Picture this, my daugher, wearing pajamas and a super messy ponytail, standing with her feet apart, hands on hips, saying, "MOM!!! YOU. ARE. OVER. REACTING!!!!!!" Oh dear. What on earth have I gotten myself into?

I shall leave you with a couple of pictures. Please note my boy and his blue hair. He found Kinsey's super cool hair paint and decided that he wanted blue hair. It was the cutest thing ever. He went to church like that (my mothers of preschoolers class thingy) and then we brought Doug lunch. Ben marched right up to the president of the company and said, "HEY! Gook at my hay-uh! It's BYOOOOOO!" (translation: HEY! Look at my hair! It's blue!)

what the heck is going on? Where have I been?

I don't have much time, I just wanted to stop by and give y'all an update. I just can't sleep at night because I know that my many followers are worried sick regarding my whereabouts! But, alas, all is well in the Kaczmarek house. But, the Olympics are on, for Pete's sake! I am a devout Olympic viewer and I will NOT sacrifice them for any man or child. NO! I will watch my Apolo Ohno and my Linday Vonn until I pass out from exhaustion. (which, by the way, is where I am at today. *yawn*)

So, I don't have time to update a piddly little blog, when there is tv to be watched and Americans to be cheered on! And, for those of you who are reading this, go get your arse on the couch where it belongs!

See you soon! The commercial is over!

The best weekend ever!

Hello people. I am now 36 years old. My big day was on Friday and I actually woke up feeling older! How does that happen? My back hurts, I've got wrinkles. sheesh! I guess I'm no spring chicken!

But, I do have one saving grace....Doug! He will always be MUCH older than me! :)

For my birthday weekend, he rented an awesome house for us in Estes Park. We took the kids up there on Friday afternoon and had a fabulous weekend. We all played and laughed and ate together. (Emphasis on the eating. ugh) And, the best part of the weekend was the Olympic Opening ceremonies! Woo-hoo! It was easily the BEST WEEKEND EVER!

I did learn a few things over the weekend...

1. Doug is awesome. He is so good to me and spoils me rotten. Sometimes he doesn't get the credit that he deserves. Sorry about that! :)

2. Kinsey does not feel cold. She and Doug went sledding and frolicking the snow while Ben and I hung out in the car. Apparantly he got his mom's "cold genes"!

3. Ben is capable of falling out of a bed and not feeling it. I guess he didn't get his mom's "pain genes"!

4. I wish I could be an Olympic athlete. Think there is any room for me on the old ladies curling team? I have my own broom!

5. Estes Park, and Colorado in general, is absolutely beautiful. I feel like I take it for granted sometimes. I am lucky to live in such a gorgeous place.

6. Microbrews at 7000 feet will do you in.

That is ENOUGH learning for one weekend. I am too old for life lessons!

Back to the silly side o' things!

Ok, enough of being serious. Whew! That kind of thing wears me out! I would much rather chuckle at the nonsense that comprises my daily life.

Case in point: Today, Ben and I were playing with Doug's poker chips. (Doug had a poker party over the weekend, so my lovely dining room table, that I waited 8 years for, is now covered in green felt. Sigh.) Anyway, I though that Ben just wanted to build things with the chips. So, I was all into making my cool tower until I glanced over at him. He had 4 smaller stacks of chips in front of him and he was looking at me. When I saw him, he got a HUGE grin, and shoved all of the chips forward. He said, "Mommy! I'm all in!!!" Hahahaha! I believe that my husband has been spending a little too much time with Ben when I am not around!

So, the latest development that I am trying to ignore is that Ben wants to give up his naps. I throw him in his cage every afternoon, but he just hangs out and throws crap all over his room. (You would think that I would stop giving him crap, but I suppose I haven't yet learned that lesson.) What am I going to do if he stops napping? Hello?? I will have zero free time. ZERO!! I knew that he would give up his naps when we moved him to his big bed, but that was MY choice. Not his! Why on earth am I raising a child to make his own decisions. Bad Mommy!

I feel the need to throw in a tidbit about my girl. She and I have been spending a lot of time together lately talking about her behavior and how we can get that under control. I am not naive enough to think that we have a handle on her hysteria, but perhaps we have made a little progress? At least now, when she is flipping out having a major meltdown, I can haul her ass upstairs and throw her in her room with no guilt. It is one of her pre-determined "calming places"!

One more thing...Kinsey had her 6 year checkup on Friday. Have I mentioned that? (Note--the "calming place" is a suggestion from the doctor, I am not smart enough to come up with that geniusness! (I know it's not a word, but I'm going with it!)) Back to the appointment...my girl is 51.5 inches tall, 55 pounds. The doctor just said, "You know that she is totally off of the growth charts, right?" I'm like, "DUH!" So, if I am doing my math correctly, which of course I am, she has grown 28.5 inches in her 6 years of life. That averages out to 4.75 inches a year! Sheesh!!! No wonder I can't find any friggin' pants to fit this kid. Thank goodness that spring is coming--capris and shorts and skirts from here on out!

(Not that weather plays any part in what she wears on a regular basis. Since she gets to pick out her own clothes on the weekends, please lay your eyes on the ensemble that she assembled for the Super Bowl Party. Sigh.)

"Through God all things are IMpossible!"

This is a direct quote from my son. At first, I was like, "Holy moly! You just said a bible verse!" And then, I was like, "Wait! HUH?" I totally cracked up laughing at him, which immediately turned him into Mr. Comedian, so he had to repeat it a zillion times. "IMpossible! IMpossible!"

So, can I get serious for a minute with you? Lately, I have kind of been feeling like that. Things are impossible. Everyone I know has a sick kid, a sick relative, a sick pet. There have been deaths in the family. Sudden and not so sudden. The loss of a pet is devastating. The loss of a father--you are changed forever. A sick parent, a sick child. It's everywhere right now. It feels as though things are impossible.

So, in a time like this, where I feel like the world is pressing on me from every side. I have to stop. STOP! Take a breath and really think about my life. What do I have to be stressed out about really? I mean, REALLY?!?! In the grand scheme of things, I am one lucky gal. So, I would like to take this time to count a few of my blessings. Are you cool with that? Good.

1. My kids. My #1 priority. They are both sick. They both have vile things coming from all of their orifices. VILE! Ben and I spent the morning in urgent care with what turned out to be a nasty ear infection. But, regardless of all of that, they are not SICK. You know? My mom told me that she recently saw a family at a restaurant with a child who obviously was undergoing chemo. She was bald, weak and sick. And for that family, I send them prayers. For my family, I give thanks that, while they are sick, they are not SICK and i can deal with the snot, the poop and the antibiotics (which require hog-tying my son to force down his throat, by the way). My kids are healthy. They are beautiful and smart and strong. How lucky can I be?

2. My husband. He drives me bananas. But, what would I do without him? Who else "gets" me? Who else would let me buy Coach purses and leave piles of laundry to fester? Who else cracks me up and laughs at all of my jokes? (ok, everyone laughs at my jokes because i am hilarious, but you know what i mean!) I know he loves me and I love him. How lucky can I be?

3. My home. I love my house, my neighborhood, my town. It took a very long time for me to love this town, but I eventually did. I love my rec center and my boot camp class that kicks my arse twice a week. I love my Sundance girls and my bunco night! I love my babysitting co-op girls and the fact that I have a list of people I could choose from to be my "in case of emergency" numbers! How lucky can I be?

5. My parents! I am stressing out with cabin fever. I choose a time that I want to go on a trip, and they say they will come watch my kids. They don't hesitate. They have always been there for me and love my kids more than I ever thought possible. They bring me Christmas presents through a blizzard and get up with my kids in the night so I can sleep in. They buy donuts for breakfast and feed the ducks, they are the grandparents that I wish every kid could have. How lucky can I be?

4. My friends! At the top is my #1 girl, Chrissy. One year ago she lost her father. This year she is going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is the strongest girl I know. She is the best girl I know. She is my sister and my confidant. Even though we live different lives, she is the one who will always be there when I call. How lucky can I be?

I could go on and on and on. I am blessed. That is the bottom line. At a crazy time in my life, when I am being pulled in all directions, I am happy that I have this list to remind me that my life is good. It's real good.

How lucky can I be?

Basketball scholarship...here we come!!

Here I am, as promised, with details and pictures from Ben's first sporting venture. And can I say, HE ROCKS! He loved it! I am bursting with pride! This was his first "real" class and he did great. It is more of a class and less of a basketball game, so they are teaching the kids about dribbling, passing, shooting, etc.

The only problem that Ben seems to have is the whole "standing in line" thing. I am guessing that, since he isn't in preschool, he doesn't have a good grasp of that whole concept. So, they keep telling him to go to the end of the line and he runs all the way to the other side of the gym! But, if that is his only problem, I will take it! (well, that and the fact that he is going to be the only professional basketball player to wear diapers!)

Check out the skills of my boy...

Needless to say, his Daddy is bursting with pride. We shall see how week #2 goes. You never know with my kids!

I shall wrap up today's entry with Ben's Quote O' the Day:

Ben: "Mommy, do you see the booger on my finger?"

Me: "Yes, Ben. Let's wipe that off!"

Ben: "No! Watch me EAT IT!!!!"

barf.

I am SO over this illness nonsense.

Seriously. Does it ever end? Today, the day of the 100 Day Party, I took Ben to the doctor. Poor guy is hacking up a lung and I wanted to make sure that all of his insides were still attached. Fortunately, his lungs, ears, etc look good, so I just have to watch him and make sure that it doesn't evolve into something nastier. Here is my little sick boy in his favorite Krabby Patty shirt. (And if you don't know what a Krabby Patty is, you are a lame-o!)

After I got home from the doctor, I made him lunch and then Kinsey's school called saying she wasn't feeling well and could I go get her. Annoying! I get there and she is fine. A little pale, a lot pathetic, but fine. I think that she played her "I'm sick" card one too many times. Tomorrow, I told her that I am going to tell her teachers that I am not coming to get her, so let's pray that nothing really bad happens! Oh, and I should add that she turned into a pony tail girl! She loves having her hair in a ponytail, but hates having her picture taken. So, I took a couple when she got home from school yesterday, so it's a mess and she is NOT happy!

But, back to the 100 Day Party...let me run down the checklist of things that we had to create for today:

1. A t-shirt with 100 things attached to it:

2. A 10x10 poster board with 100 things attached to it.

3. A bag with 100 things in it that they can count

4. A snack consisting of 10 pieces of 10 different food items.

Sheesh! Is that a little overkill? They can friggin' count to 100 for Pete's sake! I get it!

But, she looked adorable in her shirt and of course would not let me take her picture. So, jsut think about her in this shirt (that she designed!):

Cute, right?

So, the party is over. the illness is still present and I am hanging on by a thread. I am thinking about calling in sick tomorrow. BWA HAHAHAHAHAHA! As if!

Stay tuned for tomorrow--even though Ben is hacking up his innards, he is going to start his basketball class! I will be armed with my camera and a juice box!

I need to figure out how to carry a bathtub...

I got it! I finally figured it out! The key to unlocking the mystery that has become Ben's resistance to potty training--the bathtub!!! Seriously! EVERY SINGLE TIME that boy has a bath--instant pee. I can strip him, plop him on the potty, and nothing happens. But, as soon as his feet hit the water--lookout!

So, if I can just give him 4-5 baths a day, maybe we can forget about the diapers altogether! So far, that's the best idea that I have come up with. I am going to have the cleanest 3 year old boy on earth! :)

So, other than that, shall I update you on the health situation in my house? Ok. Kinsey is MUCH better. She will be going to school fo sho tomorrow. She still has a fairly nasty cough, but she is otherwise fine and dandy. But, since Ben has inherited the nasties, I will be watching him very closely. He makes me nervous when he has upper respiratory stuff. Ever since the RSV incident when he was a tiny baby, I have been nervous. So, I won't hesitate to whisk him off to the doctor, where I can pay $25 for the doc to listen to his chest and tell me that he is fine.

Doug got home tonight from his journey to Indiana. All is well in the midwest. Everyone was healthy and kicking. That's always good to hear!

So, Tuesday is Kinsey's 100 day party at school. Before this year, I had never heard of such a thing, but apparently, it's a big deal. We have a whole list of crap that we have to do for the party. Why is it that "parties" seem to equal "a bunch of crap for your mother to do"? Well, we did step one today--create a shirt with 100 things glued to it. Tomorrow I will take a picture of it. It's pretty cute, if I do say so myself! I just hope that the stuff doesn't fall off! Since I am not a seamstress (who knew?), we glued it on. Apparently, I'm not a very good gluestress either! I will give you a full rundown of the 100 day extravaganza tomorrow. I don't want to spoil everything in one sitting!!!

Potty training? Not so much!

Ok, so I woke up today all gung ho to get this diaper-free living started. I got Ben up and fed and was about to put the sponge-pants on him when I got a call from my friend, Melissa. She wanted to take the kids to the park. I hesitate for about a half a second and then say SURE! Aaaaaand, the potty training plan goes out the window. There was no way I was taking my little pee machine to a park with no plan to deal with drenched clothes.

So, off to the park we went and it was a huge success. All the kids were red-cheeked and runny nosed, and most importantly--tired! Sweet! I actually had about an hour of silence this afternoon. And that, my friends, seems to mean more to me than changing diapers for one more day!

I should also mention that Kinsey is feeling much better. Whew! But, Ben started coughing tonight. So, if he gets what we had, we could be in for another snot parade. yay. my favorite.

she's still sick...and slowly losing my mind!

So, today marks day #4 of Kinsey being "sick". When I picked her up from school on Tuesday, the teacher said that she hadn't felt well all day, but didn't want to go home. Kept her home on Wednesday. Sent her on Thursday, only to have the office call me an hour later to come get her. Kept her home today. The problem is that I don't think that she is really all that sick. Am I being snowed here? I can't tell! She is super congested, and has a bad cough, but it doesn't stop her from terrorizing her brother AND her mother!

On top of that, Doug is in Indiana visiting Eddie, so I am here all. by. myself. To deal with the craziness. I could be going a little nuts, but I need to get away! ARRRRGGH! I've had it with snot!

DOWN WITH SNOT!

So, get this....I told Ben that we are NOT wearing diapers tomorrow. How do you think that is going to work? He has a rash on his butt from pooping in the middle of the night and then wearing it until morning. (sorry, is that too much information?) Anyway, I thought that it might feel better if he was bare booty, so we are going for it tomorrow. He hates wearing underwear. Even the super cool boxer briefs that I got him, so he will be going commando. I wish someone would make pants out of a sponge! (or socks for that matter, that's wear the pee usually collects!)

So, cross your fingers, pray, send good vibes or whatever you do for the following two things:

1. That Ben will eventually "get it" and decide that peeing in his pants is not the best option

2. That Ben does not poop whilst going commando

ok, am I ever going to get it together?

Every time I get hassled by Karen, I make a promise to myself that I am going to do better about writing on my blog! Well, guess what happened? That's right---hassle! So, here I am. Actually, this is a good time to update all of my many, many followers on what is going on with me. My life is a three ring circus--can you handle it???

So, in the first ring we have a kindergartner!! woop woop! Kinsey rocks at school. She is BRILLIANT!! AMAZING!! OUTSTANDING! She will amaze you with her reading skills! She will blow your mind with her vocabulary and penmanship. She is truly, one of a kind!

But, of course there has to be a downside. Right? Here it is---my AMAZING kindergartner makes my life a living HELL in the mornings! I simply cannot believe that she is only six years old, yet she is unable to wake up for school. She has been the recipient of a lovely Hello Kitty alarm clock that gives her plenty of time to ease out of her peaceful slumber into some semblance of consciousness, but that is not enough. Oh no. It requires a minimum of ten minutes of "MOMMY!! IT IS TOOOOOOOOO EARLY!!! WHY DID YOU WAKE ME UP?? I AM TIIIIIIIIIIRED!!" Are you 16? NO! You are SIX! Get out of bed! sheesh! But, as soon as she gathers her wits and her blankets and hauls herself downstairs for breakfast, she is generally becoming human again. But, those ten minutes? PURE HELL!

Ok, in ring number two we have a little boy who refuses to pee on the potty! You will be amazed as you watch him kick and scream and run away from his poor mother who is merely trying to put underwear on him. You will tell your friends about the little guy who looks like an angel, but can pee on the floor the second you turn your back!

What am I going to do with this guy? Seriously!!! He is 3 years and 4 months old. That is plenty old to not sit around in your own pee for hours on end. It is plenty old to tell me that he has to pee and then go do it! I have been changing diapers for 6 years straight and I am over it!!

Please check out the below picture. Don't they both look like a handful? How I am surviving this Mommy thing is beyond me!

In the center ring....we have DOUG!!! I don't really have a lot of drama with him, but I thought that he deserved the center ring! Isn't that nice of me? He has been traveling a lot lately, so I feel like a single mom, but what are you gonna do?

So, that is my update. Stay tuned to follow the hugely successful potty training journey that I am about to embark upon. (I have decided that if I can't do it, I am outsourcing the job! Any takers?)