Take a Lesson from Me

Today is Jake and I's 10 year anniversary! It has gone by so fast, of course. We were able to celebrate the occasion with a trip to Australia last month, which was incredible. Today has been a great day just hanging out with the family, lunch and a little trip to Target, I know how romantic. We will head to dinner, sans kids, this evening.
So go with me to Target for a moment...It was great. I bought a calendar planner, which if you know me, I just love to get all organized and planned out. This year I will actually need one with going back to school. We also got the boys backpacks for starting school, of course they pick the most obnoxious ones, with "3D Buzz Lightyear" flying off to space plastered all over the back. Anyway, we are checking out and the nice lady checker is helping the boys put their backpacks on after ringing them up. Sweet lady, I am thinking, and then she asks it. That one question I learned a long time ago NEVER TO ASK A WOMAN EVER. Here goes our short exchange...
Sweet Lady, soon to be not so sweet, Checker:(Looks me over with a smile before asking) Are you pregnant?
Me: No
Checker: You're not?
Me: NO
Checker: (to try and make it better, although not sure how it could) Well, you look so skinny...

My now thoughts and internal dialogue as I walk away without responding...
I look so skinny??? You mean except for the obvious girth I carry around my midsection? No, just fat lady. Excuse me as I go consume a shot of high fructose corn syrup in the form of an Icee to accentuate said midsection. Wow, I am feeling extremely beautiful right now, thank you.

This is the third time this has happened while not pregnant. When will people learn? Unless a person is so obviously ready to deliver any moment, NEVER ASK THIS QUESTION!!! And even then, it may be better to do a little investigating before asking. If it is a total stranger, MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS UNLESS YOU ARE TOLD OUTRIGHT. It is never flattering to be asked this question.

Ok, now that I have voiced my opinion on the subject, I will waddle out and enjoy my Anniversary feeling oh so much like the thin bride I obviously no longer am. Time to go change my shirt apparently. Seriously, I am done now, I promise.

Final Trip Update, Homecoming, Jetlag, and Potty Training

We have made it home from our big trip of the summer, it is nice to be back! We had an amazing trip. Townsville really redeemed itself after switching hotels. It was awesome to be able to swim, take walks, lay on a beach and read uninterrupted for days (I made it though 4 1/2 books!). The only bummer was the day that we planned to go diving ended up being a really stormy day, with no very poor visibility in the water so...no diving. BUMMER, especially after lugging our dive stuff all over! Oh well, other than that, it was fantastic.

The last night, Jake's conference had a closing dinner at a wildlife sanctuary. The had private showing with the animals (great for a group of biologist geeks :)). Jake got to hold a huge python and a crocodile, we got to pet a wombat, and I got to hold a koala. The boys favorite story from our trip was the one I told them about holding the koala and it pooping in my hand. Boys... they love the poop stories. We also got to just walk around seeing all the birds, kangaroos jumping around us, and other animals in their enclosures, while drinking a glass of wine. It was lovely.

The next day Jake went to a few more talks, I spent the morning at the beach, and then we flew back to Sydney. Our final night in Sydney was incredible. We stayed at the oldest hotel in Sydney, at the Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel. It was my favorite hotel, it had so much charm (highly recommend!!!!). There was an awesome pub on the bottom floor that was full of life. Lots of people just out watching rugby and enjoying a few beers and dinner. We had an awesome dinner and drinks, and then took a walk around the Rocks area of town. It was a beautiful night in Sydney!

The next day, we had breakfast at the hotel, walked around, and then headed to the airport for the marathon journey home. It was really great to see the boys after being gone so long, I swear they both grew!We then flew home from L.A. yesterday and it is so nice to not be living out of suitcases for awhile. The only downer about being home is the bugs! I am being eaten alive!! My garden seems to have survived, despite the deer chowing my soybean and strawberry plants. The plants are growing like crazy and the eaten ones are already making a comeback. We have had salad from the garden and I can't wait until the rest of the veggies and fruit are ready to eat! It is good to be home!

Jetlag has totally set in. I have had no more than 3 hours of sleep a night the past two nights. I finally start feeling tired around 4 Am and of course with kids who are also a little jacked up with their sleep and schedule were up at 6:30 and 7. Hopefully tonight will be different although it is almost 11 and I feel totally awake! We are all a little out of wack around here.

So of course, me, being my intelligent, reasonable, rational self, had the bright idea to start potty training Ben. He is three, completely happy to be in diapers, and coming down from the high of ten days with grandparents. Then there is me. Sleep deprived (aka impatient and somewhat grumpy), unpacking and getting settled after three weeks away, laundry... You get the picture. Recipe for success?? I don't think so. It was a battle at times, just to get him to sit on the potty. By 5 o'clock the score is...Car-1, Floor-8, and Toilet- .02 (2 drips). Of course, cleaning up pee accidents every time I turned around, not to mention stopping to take Ben to the bathroom every 20 minutes- a great addition to any day, especially one that needs to be productive. Great idea Rachel! Not a great start. But the evening proved to be much more successful! Jake came home, our neighbors came over for dinner, and something tuned for Ben. He had a couple more accidents but the evening score was...Car-0 (I was smart enough to not leave the house the rest of the day), Floor- 1 1/2, and the Toilet-4! I know what you are thinking, this kid pees a lot! Here is where I share way too much so feel free to skip. :) He was trying so hard to push pee out, then it finally worked, it would come out in short spurts. Finally, before bed, after several short spurts, it started flowing. He was thrilled, "It is coming fast Mommy!!" Hopefully tomorrow will be less battling and more scores for the toilet! I will also enjoy less laundry, unpacking, and sleep deprivation (hopefully).

Australia Update

Well, we made it to Townsville. You can check out Jake's blog at jakekerby.com for the details of our arrival, but in short, it was not what I had in mind. I do not need a luxury hotel by any means, but when I am able to hear the man upstairs peeing quite audibly, I have a problem. The "resort" was a little sketchy and not close to anything. We relocated today to another hotel that s MUCH better. We have a beautiful view of the ocean and Magnetic Island and I can walk, sit and read, or swim (an ideal way to spend the day for me!) and feel totally comfortable being by myself while Jake is in meetings during the day.
Now, I can truly appreciate Townsville!

Cramming it in!

Normally, I am a sit on my butt, read, sleep, eat sort of vacationer with a little activity intermixed. The past three days, however, Jake and I have been the ultimate tourists, cramming in as much of Sydney as we can in our limited time here. I already described mot of our first day so I will pick up where I left off.

Yesterday morning started off with a trip to the Sydney Aquarium, which was "quite nice" as people say often around here. Then we grabbed a train and a bus for Bondi Beach. That was actually one of my favorite spots. It is a beautiful beach and we were able to walk all around to see the views and grabbed some fish and chips to eat on the beach. We then headed back to main part of the city and hit the Australian Museum for some Natural History. I have to say that by that point in the day...I was completely toast! It was a great museum, I think, but mostly, I was just hoping to go take a nap. After some down time, we forced ourselves out for some sushi for dinner. This morning we were the ultimate tourists! We were picked up by a tour bus for a day in the blue mountains. What a beautiful place! We literally saw it all! The best part of the tour though was our bus driver. He literally talked ALL day. I learned a ton about Australia though and much I am sure I didn't need to know about our driver's taste in music, night life, etc. Let's just say he did play "Hungry Eyes" at one point (one ofthe few points that he wasn't talking). THe day ended with a stop at the 2000 Olympic Games Park, which was cool to see. Then it was a ferry ride back into the main part of Sydney and then dinner in The Rocks section of town.
Tomorrow morning we fly to TOwnsville, where I won't have much to blog about, as I plan on reading, sleeping, and eating for a few days!

Planes, Buses, Trains, Ferries, and Feet...Oh My!

We made it to Sydney! The adventure began as soon as we hit LAX. Game 7 of the NBA Championship was in its final moments when we had to leave for the airport. Jake, being the committed Laker fan that he is, borrowed his mom's, awesome "walkman" radio to not miss the final moments while I am in line to check our luggage. WE check in and head for security when we are turned away, saying we don't have our visas. Visas? At this point I am ready to kill Jake as we are already cutting it close on time and now we have no visas????!!! FYI, when traveling to Australia, you need a visa. Good news is, we were able to purchase them at the ticket counter (HUGE sigh of relief!). We made it through security and to our gate with no time to spare. We walked right on the plane and took off for our 14 hour flight. I needed the 14 hours to let my blood pressure settle down after an exciting Laker game and the crisis averted at the airport. The flight went really well. I actually slept for probably 8 or 9 hours! I was much needed rest, as we arrived in Sydney at 6 in the morning and would need to be out and about until the afternoon when we could check in to the hotel. Upon arriving in Sydney, we hit the ground running after a bus and train ride to get to our hotel and drop off our luggage. We walked through the beautiful park and botanical gardens down to the Opera house and bridge. From there we walked to The Rocks and toured through the weekend market. We then decided to hit the ferry and head over to Manly Beach for lunch. We just arrived back at the hotel and we are thrilled with our room. It has a beautiful view of an old cathedral and the bay. THe big highlight- white robes! This place is awesome! Looking forward to a fun dinner and the lighting of the sails at the Opera house. Then, finally, we can go to sleep and be more acclimated to Australia time tomorrow. It should be fun!

Tickets Please!

We made it! 3300 plus miles in the car and it was all well worth it! I have to say I was pretty worried about being in the car for so long and I wasn't sure the boys would do so great. Happily, I shouldn't have worried. I did have one magic tool that worked like a charm and it didn't involve alcohol or muzzling children! The tickets. Ticket Time!!! Lucas and Ben both had wallets and for each leg of the trip, I gave them enough tickets for however many hundreds of miles we would be traveling. Every hundred miles, they could trade in a ticket for a surprise. Surprises consisted of small lollipops, a cookie, and an occasional big ticket item- a book, bubbles, small toy. I am telling you, it worked so well! It wasn't until the last day, about 50 miles from home that Ben asked if we were almost home. It was pretty funny too. Jake would yell out, "Tickets Please!" and we would look back and see both boys reaching in their wallets for a ticket. When they gave us their last ticket of the day, Lucas would get all excited because he realized it meant we were close to getting to wherever we were going. I will definitely use this trick on our next long trip.
The trip consisted of lots of visits, all of which were amazing. We left EARLY Saturday morning and stopped off at my aunt and uncle's house in Indiana on the way for a night, which was fun. The boys got to see and feed all the animals and I got to visit with my aunt, uncle and cousin. Then it was off to New Jersey for the Krueger Sibling Trip. We went to my sister's house and spent the week with her family and my brother's family. It was awesome having all 6 cousins together, they are quite entertaining. We then turned around and stopped back in Indiana for the weekend with our friends, the Sensenig's. They have two kids a little older than our boys so our kids were completely entertained. It was wonderful to have the chance to catch up with some of our old Davis friends. Our final stop was Door County, Wisconsin. What a beautiful place! The boys and I spent the day on a beach on Lake Michigan while Jake was out in the field doing research. It was a perfect spot for our kids- the lake is extremely shallow and clear. We literally were in the water ALL day! Then yesterday, Tuesday, we made the final drive back home. A great trip, followed by the thrill of being in our own house again...perfect!


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Waiting for the Flowers

Lucas has definitely changed his tune about Kindergarten. It is amazing, really. A few months ago, he would say, "No thanks, I don't want to go to Kindergarten." This "No thanks" line has been well used throughout preschool, to steer clear of all kinds of crafts, writing, and singing activities with much success. The real harsh world looms ahead, however, "No Thanks" doesn't get you out of Kindergarten.

Jake and I have been trying to decide where to have Lucas go to school next year. Do we keep him at the Catholic school where he has attended preschool so that he is at least familiar with the faces and routine there or do we send him to the public school? There isn't a bad option really but after attending both informational meetings, we have decided to send him to the Catholic school for this year. It was Lucas who really made the decision for us. Some unexpected funds came in making the tuition no longer an issue (it was a big deterrent at first), so then it came down to what would be the best fit. Lucas walked into the Kindergarten Round Up at the Catholic School gripping my hand and feeling very nervous. The teacher came over and put him at ease and i was able to leave for the 2 hours. I came back to a different kid. He was literally bouncing with excitement. He had the best time and has talked about Kindergarten several times since.

During his time there, the kids planted seeds in a cup and the teacher told them that after their plants had flowers on them, it would be time to come to Kindergarten. I totally ate that up. I don't know why but it was just such a simple thing that made my heart melt. I know this whole Kindergarten thing is way more emotional for me than him, and that plant growing in our windowsill is a symbol to me of the growing he is doing now and the blooming he will continue to show as he starts this new stage. It is also a reminder to me that my time with Lucas at home with me all the time is quickly coming to a close. There are days I don't want that plant to grow, I want to stop watering it or hide it from the sun to slow down time (when you put it that way, it sounds abusive, oops). I would be lying if I didn't have moments that i want to add a ton of manure and build a greenhouse for it to speed up the process. But, as with Lucas, it will bloom when it is time, and all I can do is enjoy the days as we prepare for this new season of life...school.

Let Spring Begin!!!

I can not begin to tell you how much this change of weather has improved my demeanor. Weeks of gray skies and cold weather really took a toll and I didn't totally realize it until the sun showed up and it was like someone slipped me a happy pill. There is just something amazingly therapeutic about being able to work out in the garden and play with the boys outside. It even looks like we will have sunshine for Easter!

I have been dying to get outside and start planting!! This year, it looks like I will be going just as crazy and planting anything and everything. Here is the plan for this year's garden:
In the main garden, we will have
Strawberries
Garlic
Onions (red, yellow, and white)
Asparagus
soy beans
peppers
tomatoes
lettuce
carrots
In the extra garden:
seedless watermelon
gigantic pumpkins
lemon cucumbers
red and yukon gold potatoes
New to the flower beds around the house:
lavender
salvia
iris
zinnias
poppies
asters
I am sure I will add to the list after going to the garden sale, but I am really looking forward to seeing if all this will grow and how all the new plants around the house will look. Seeing that we had NO plants whatsoever when we moved in, I am just throwing whatever I can get my hands on in the ground and will see what grows and what I like. We may have a jungle in the end, but at least it will be green! I am tired of all the bareness and rocks.

So, let Spring begin!! I am heading outside!

Prayers and Meditation with Young Boys.

We have been talking about meditation a bit at church, looking at the Buddhist practices and how we can find great insight into our own meditation practices. The kids have been learning a great little chant to sing and everything. Anyway, Lucas decided to give it a try the other night. He went into our guest room, rang a bell (not a calming meditation bell like our pastor uses at church), and turned on our classy electrical candle. He came running back in to me and says, "Nothing happened, it's not working" (it must have been the subpar bell and artificial light, right?). I told him to try again and this time, take some deep breaths. I explained that it is just a time to be silent and relax. It helps us to be calm. So, he runs off again, I hear the loud bell clanging away and then some silence. Practice makes better, right?

Sometimes I wonder what exactly toddlers are thinking when you pray with them. Ben's prayers tonight are as follows:
Ir Digis (Dear Jesus, I think),
then he launches into a play by play of his day, followed by a "Help us to be kind".
The prayer finishes with me saying a little prayer for him. Tonight I mentioned something about God helping Ben learn to go peepee in the potty (since we are on week 2 plus and still no pee has made it to the potty). Ben stops me and says, "No, help Ben to have Potty Power".

Well Ben, may the force be with you and your bodily fluids. God help us all.

Potty Training Update

Day 4... No action in the potty yet but he will sit on the potty for the most part. I think he is just waiting until nap time when I put a diaper or pull up on him to go. He hasn't had that many accidents so I will keep going with it and see if something will click for him. Thanks for all the comments, it is nice to know there are others on the same ride right now. I guess there is one good thing about all these snow days- we can be home A LOT for this potty stuff.

Glutton for Punishment

Let it begin...
I have decided to start potty training with Ben. A big part of me feels I need to throw in the towel and just wait until he is three. The problem is he turns three in May and we have way too many trips and things to interrupt any potty training. Right now, we are home for days on end with this weather being so bad. It seems like a better time to try. Ben is not so into the idea. I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle. Is that just what potty training is??? I am so not a fan. I am pulling out all the stops though. We keep reading this book, You Can Go To The Potty, we went to the store and picked out a potty and underwear, I have him sit on the potty every 30 minutes, and he gets a chocolate chip (I know, so generous of me, a WHOLE chocolate chip) when he sits on the potty.
I am going to give it the old college try for the weekend and then reevaluate things. Hopefully, he will start thinking it is cool to not pee himself. One can dream!
Any ideas or advice? It was a totally different ball game with Lucas!