Mr. Opinionated

Conall is so opinionated -- sometimes it seems like he is a grumpy old man in a little boy's body. Of course, it also reminds me of his daddy.

Here are some of my favorites from the last few days. Add a sick, grumpy, sleep-deprived Conall and sleep-deprived parents and it gets even better.

Me: Conall, come over here and look at me when I'm talking to you. Why do you keep walking off?

Conall: You stink mommy. It stinks over here.

Conall to his daddy "Does the whole room stink or is it just you daddy?"

Conall, as we went outside to play earlier this week "I don't want to play outside" Me: "Why? We just got out here." Conall "It stinks out here. I want to go back inside"

Conall to me "You are fired mommy!"

Conall to me "I didn't have fun on the field trip today. You made me very, very sad since you didn't come."

Conall "I want you to break the door down to the school with a hammer. I'll help you." (he had to throw away his paper lunch sack and water bottle on the field trip today and he was convinced that they both were still at school.)

This is somewhat reminiscent of his daddy when he was little. He walked into Chief's barbershop (his maternal grandfather's) and told the barber "This place is a dump. You should knock it down and build a new one. Chief will help you."

A chip off the old block, don't you think?

Today

Conall slept much better last night. We still had to fight with him about going to sleep and he still woke up in the middle of the night and woke Caitlin up. But, all in all, it was a better night.

We sent him to school this morning because his class has an end-of-the-year field trip to the neighborhood park. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have. He doesn't have a fever, but he still isn't himself and was groggy from the medicines. I'm hoping he does well, but just in case, I have been listening all morning for a call from school.

Usually, I go on the class field trips as a volunteer. I hadn't signed up to do that this time and had thought I'd just go and unofficially help out since it is at our neighborhood park. I decided against it and Caitlin and I slept late this morning. I'm sure Conall will make me pay in guilt for not going, although I never told him I would.

Hopefully my next post will be something funny about the kids or some cute pictures instead of all this illness stuff.

Ear Infection Update

Well, after about 3 hours, Conall finally got to see a doctor. He does have an ear infection and has started an antibiotic. They also bumped up his dose of Tylenol with codeine. They contributed the rest of his symptoms to allergies, poor kid -- just like mom and dad. Please pray that we all get a good night's sleep tonight.
Good news is that he's up to 39 lbs.!

Update

Well, yet another bad day -- the person scheduling Conall's appointment made it for tomorrow at 1:15. So they are trying to fix it, whatever that means. It never fails, does it?

Ear Infection

Looks like Conall has an ear infection. We still haven't been able to get him to sleep.

We've tried numbing drops, cleaning with rubbing alcohol, tylenol with codeine, warm packs, cold packs, etc. and he still claims it is hurting really bad. Right now Stu is set up in his bed with him because he is wanting daddy -- good thing we moved the bigger bed in there.

I guess we'll be going to the dr as soon as they can get us in tomorrow. I wonder what's next?

Latest Caitlinism

Just one this time -- but it is pretty cute.

Caitlin "suckermint"/Real word "peppermint"

Another Holiday Weekend Sick

Just a quick update ... not been a great weekend here. Conall has spent the weekend with cold/allergy symptoms, a mild fever, and of course, puking. Of course, puke! Our lives wouldn't be complete without it.
Caitlin has had a milder case of whatever it is, but of course, complete with puke. I now have similar symptoms, including a fever (hopefully, I won't have the puking -- but I doubt it -- it is just their reactions to drainage).
And, the neighbors are having a party on the deck which is keeping the kids awake ... Needless to say, I'm not in a good mood. Oh well, tomorrow is another day! I hope a better one.

Graduation Slide Show

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Pre-K Graduation Pics

Here are a few pictures from Conall's pre-K graduation today. I'll put more into a slide show later and post them here.

Conall walking in with his class

During their song performance

Getting his "diploma" certificate


Celebration cupcakes that mommy made

Eating celebration cupcakes with buddy Kanton

Congratulations Conall!

Conall had his pre-K graduation this morning. Kindergarten here we come!

Can you believe our baby is already old enough for kindergarten?

Arkansas Strawberries

I haven't been to the River Market yet this year, so we haven't had any Arkansas strawberries yet. Na Na brought us some Sunday when they came to see the kids.

One of Caitlin's favorite foods is strawberries. I think she ate at least 12 of them in one sitting! She just kept saying "want more strawberries" every time she finished the ones I had given her. She was such a cute little strawberry mess when she was done!

Starting Him Early Update

We have the worst luck with gas-powered lawnmowers -- we just can't seem to keep one working. I think we are going to have to break down and buy a new one soon, but until then, Aunt Susan let us borrow her push mower.

Conall was fascinated! He wanted to try it out and thought it was big fun to push the mower. He mowed until he got tired. Then, his friend next door wanted to mow, too. As soon as we got home from school yesterday Conall asked where the push mower was. He wanted to mow again!

Maybe the secret to getting them started early is to use a push mower? I don't know, but I think we'll encourage it regardless.

Oops -- forgot the pics -- here they are!

Caitlin Feeding Scooby Doo

Caitlin loves the graham cracker snacks with Scooby Doo on the package and calls them "Scooby snacks." The other day I noticed she was sitting at the table feeding the Scooby snacks to her Scooby toy and saying "yum yum" and "good." It was so cute!

Zoo Field Trip

Gerald

Conall's class went on a field trip to the zoo today. Grandma watched Caitlin so that I could go with them, which was a good thing since I had 3 kids assigned to me. It was a zoo at the zoo.

Conall says his favorite things were the snakes and the "blue poisonous frogs." He was disappointed that the lions and tigers didn't come out to see him.

It was a fun trip, but I can't deny the fact that I am worn out. I'm also hoarse from trying to keep all of the kids together and not lose anyone.

In the reptile house -- Conall's favorite

Posing for a picture with the giraffes

The train ride

Being silly at "the farm"

Too bad this one is blurry -- at the reptile house

With buddy Adison

Gorgeous

We went after school today to get Conall a haircut at his favorite place, Pigtails and Crewcuts. On the way home I was telling him how much I like his haircut.

Me "Your new haircut looks really nice. You looked nice before but the new haircut looks even better."
Conall "I'm gorgeous."

He said this very matter-of-factly, with a straight face, and no hint of boasting. He said it with utmost confidence and as if he was just stating a fact. I busted out laughing. Conall wanted to know what was so funny about him being gorgeous and then he got a case of the giggles.

Playing in Water

On one of the afternoons last week that was rain free for a few hours, our next door neighbor invited the kids over to play in their kiddie pool. Of course, none of the kids played in the pool. They were having too much fun transferring the water to the empty sandbox, adding rocks and dirt, etc.

The rain reprieve didn't last long -- we ended up running for the house only to find it had stopped raining by the time the kids had changed clothes!

The boys fishing


Fishing again

Studying what the boys are doing

Puke, Mother's Day, More Puke

Caitlin woke me at 3 a.m. this morning puking. At first, I thought it was reflux, then the dry heaves started. About an hour later she puked again and had dry heaves again. By then, it was thundering every few minutes and there was no getting her back to bed.

When Conall woke up, Stu got up with the kids and let me go back to sleep. Caitlin managed to keep everything down all day and we gradually stepped her up to more normal foods and thoughts of a virus soon passed. She didn't have a fever or diarrhea, and as the day wore on she ate better and better. She napped and played normally and it was a really wonderful day.

Then, on the way to grandma's she puked a little in the car. We didn't think too much of it -- a child puking around here at least once a week seems to be the norm. She ate a big dinner, which concerned me, because reflux can make you feel hungry and make you eat too much to try to make the burn go away. At the same time, I hated to stop her since she hasn't eaten too well the last few days.

Caitlin went to bed really well, but then it hit! After being in bed about 15 minutes, she puked every last drop of her dinner. Now I'm wondering if she has a virus or if her reflux is suddenly out of control, you know, since Conall's is better.

Can't have both kids eating well and not puking at the same time, can we?

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

Here is something funny that Conall made for me at school for Mother's Day.






BTW: We think the comment about missing mommy is about when daddy watches him the few times I go anywhere without him

Caitlinisms

Caitlin's word/real word

tic toc = crocodile

castles = sandals

"Inkspot Clean My Foot"

When Stu puts Caitlin to bed, Inkspot always comes and sits in Stu's lap with Caitlin. I think Inkspot is supervising since he doesn't do this with me. While they were sitting in the glider tonight at bedtime, Caitlin kept putting her finger at Inkspot's mouth and telling him to "clean my finger." When he licked her finger, she'd giggle and laugh.

Eventually, Caitlin put her foot toward Inkspot and said "clean my foot." Stu says Inkspot took his paw and pushed Caitlin's foot away. Then, the two of them glared at each other for a little while. Stu tried to explain to Caitlin that Inkspot didn't want to clean her stinky feet and was met with a glare as if to say "my feet don't stink." Either way, Inkspot didn't want to clean her foot.

Prints in the Park or Smudges in the Park?

Our neighborhood park had an event today to help raise money to complete the fence that borders the street. They poured cement (Amy I know I probably got the word wrong -- I can't ever remember if it is concrete or cement) in sections and let the kids put their hand prints in the wet cement.

Conall loved it and loved watching the truck pouring the cement. Caitlin, on the other hand, freaked when her hands touched the wet cement. Her prints are smudged and you can't really tell they are even hand prints. She kept saying "hands dirty" and "clean my hands." After I took the photos, I went back and put each of their initials next to their prints (and Conall's name).

Waiting to put their hands in

Conall's is toward the middle and Caitlin's are the smudges to the left

Kiss My Feet

Between Caitlin puking from her reflux and the thunderstorms waking kids up, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. At different points throughout the night, each of the kids ended up in bed with us.

When Caitlin was in bed with us, I kept waking up and going back to sleep. At first, it didn't wake me up enough for me to register what was waking me. Then, movement and something hitting my face registered. Then I woke up enough to realize that Caitlin was reaching as far over as she could with her foot, sticking it on my mouth and saying "kiss my foot, kiss my foot" and giggling.

Ordering Shoes

Conall has outgrown yet another pair of shoes -- this time he went up 2 sizes since the last pair I bought about 3 weeks or so ago! I believe his next pair will have to be in the "boy" sizes instead of toddler!

After I picked him up from school today, we went shopping for shoes. We went to Penney's because they always seem to have the best selection and prices for him. Conall knows where in the store the shoe department is and where in the shoe department his sizes are. He went right to his size of shoes, picked out the style/color he wanted, and showed them to me to make sure they were ok with me. Then, he marched up to the cashier's desk. This is where the story gets funny.

Because they appeared to be having a sale, the shoe department was super-crowded. Conall walked right past everyone in both cashier's lines and "ordered" his shoes. He really "ordered" them! He looked straight at the woman checking out a customer and said "I need these in a size 11 please." (turns out we needed a 12). At least he said "please," right?

The woman with two kids, who'd obviously been waiting too long to get shoes to try on, looked really peeved and glared at him, and in turn, me. I grabbed him and pulled him to the end of the line where Caitlin and I and the cart were. I had to explain to him that we had to wait our turn.

After a short pause, he looked at me with complete innocence and said "you mean I cutted?" Although it was embarrassing, it was hilarious!