Boy Fishing Day

While Caitlin and I enjoyed a girlie day of shopping and playing at Na Na's, the boys went fishing at Petit Jean Mountain at Cedar Falls. Conall was so excited that he was up at 5:30 a.m. ready to go! It took a little longer to get daddy out of bed and all of us ready to go!

At the bait shop and ready to fish!

We woke Caitlin up, put her in the car, and headed to the bait shop to get worms. From there, we went to Na Na's, where Po Po was waiting with his truck and the fishing equipment. The boys headed off to Petit Jean and had a great day. Apparently, Conall even caught two catfish at once! They also caught Bluegills and a Pumpkinseed fish.

Such a happy boy!

I believe Conall named these rocks, but you'd have to ask daddy what he named them

The boys came home later in the day, exhausted, but happy. Even Conall was speechless for part of the hike back up the mountain, and then, the ride home.

Po Po and Conall fishing

Conall with a fish on the line

Po Po throwing the fish back

Caitlin LOVES Her Aunt Mimi

My best friend, Amy, is Caitlin's godmother and they have been close since Caitlin was an infant. Caitlin used to call her "Mimi" because she couldn't say Aunt Amy. She has since changed the name to "Aunt Mimi". She loves spending time with Aunt Amy, going on girl shopping and dinner dates, getting her toenails painted, rubber stamping, etc.

This morning, I called Amy to double-check that everything was okay with her and her house after last night's storms (we talked to her briefly earlier in the night after the tornado warning/watches). I told Caitlin, who had been worried about Aunt Mimi, that I had just talked to Aunt Mimi and she was fine.

Caitlin looked at me and said "Is she coming over tonight?" I told her no, I didn't think so. Tearing up, she said "Why not?" I told her I thought Aunt Mimi had other plans. Really tearing up, pouting and giving me angry looks, Caitlin said "Why not? I miss her!" I tried to console her and was met with "Mommy don't say that!" and then she stomped down the hall to her room and slammed the door.

I tried not to bust out laughing ...

Caitlin came out of her room long enough to yell at me "Mommy, Aunt Mimi come over tonight, come every day!"

Later, when I thought she had gotten over it Caitlin said "Mommy, it isn't fair."
Me -- "What isn't fair?"
Caitlin -- "That you are here and not Aunt Mimi."

I told her tough, she was stuck with me. A few minutes later, after thinking it over, Caitlin looked at me and said "Mommy?" (I was wondering what was coming this time.) "I LOVE you!"

What a funny morning!

Snow Days

Conall catching snow on his tongue

Caitlin "cheesing" as she calls it

Caitlin making a snowball

Conall, Kanton and August working on Conall's "snow penguin"

Conall and Kanton working on Conall's "snow penguin"

Conall playing at the back playground at his school -- he's carrying what the boys were calling a "shatterbomb"

Mommy, Caitlin, and Kanton at the back playground

Caitlin telling Daddy to look at her "pawprints" in the snow on the walking track at school

I Pretty

Caitlin asked me to put her Tinkerbell robe on her and a hat that goes with one of her dresses. As I finished tying the hat, she looked at me and said "I pretty mommy." I laughed and told her that she's always pretty. Then, she said "I go show daddy now."

100th Day of School

Today is the 100th day of school at Conall's elementary. The class has been counting down for weeks to this day and they have lots of activities planned that involve counting.

Sometime last week, they sent home a note that we needed to help our child decorate something to wear with 100 things. Of course, I was busy with his party, so we didn't do it until last night. That, and I kept wracking my brain to figure out 100 things that would fit on a shirt, stay on a shirt and be big enough and easy enough for him to count to 100.

We got a shirt (it had to be red) and paint and foam stamps at the craft store. The whole exercise was very frustrating for all of us. Stu had to keep Caitlin away so she didn't mess it up or get paint everywhere. She kept screaming for mommy and throwing tantrums about being left out.

Conall got bored with the counting thing pretty early on and wanted to just decorate the shirt without any regard for how many things it would have on it. When told he couldn't do this, he wanted to quit and wanted to do other things while I decorated his shirt. Ugh! I made him stay at the table and at the shirt until it was done. He kept saying "100 is a lot!" When it looked like it might be midnight before we got 100 stamps on it, I started helping stamp.

He was pretty excited when it was done and woke up at 5 this morning because he was so excited about wearing it. He is really proud of it. He picked out the shirt, paint, and stamps. He keeps saying he wants to wear it different places. I'm not sure I'll let him out of the house in it again. Here are the pictures.

Cutest Caitlinism

This is by far the cutest, and my favorite, Caitlinism.

Caitlin "Mommy I want to hold you" = mommy I want you to hold me

I love it!

Love

Earlier tonight:

Me: I love you baby
Caitlin: love you mommy, mommy loves me

Cute, huh?

Fever

Conall, Caitlin, and I now have a fever. Luckily, it isn't over 100 for any of us. I'm not sure what we have this time ...

Earrings for Mommy

Most of you know that four hasn't been an easy age for us. But, every once in awhile my sweet little boy reminds me that four isn't as bad as I think it is.

While playing at Grandma's, Conall saw her making earrings. He came up to her and told her that he wanted to make a pair of earrings for mommy. So, Conall made me a pair of earrings. How sweet -- how many 4-year-olds would make their mommy a pair of earrings?

Unfortunately, I let my ears grow back together due to so many allergic reactions to earrings and Conall trying to pull them out when he was a baby. It almost makes me want to get them pierced again. Does anyone know of a safe place to do that? I don't want to catch something horrible in the process.

My earrings aren't perfect, but I think I'll keep them forever. They are already in my special keepsake box.

Parental Rewards

This is the thank you note that Conall's class made for me to thank me for helping them make applesauce.


Isn't that neat? I'll have to put it with other special mementos.

If you look really closely, you can make out Conall's signature -- kinda like the "I Spy" books.

Apple Pie

Conall has been wanting to make apple pie since we came home with the apples. Of course, by the time I get everything out to make the pie, his friend from next door comes over and asks if he can play. Or, Conall asks to make the apple pie at bedtime, before school, at dinnertime, etc. So, we're just now getting around to making the pie.

We made it through rolling out the dough for the crust, putting the crust in the bottom of the pan, peeling, coring and slicing apples and mixing the apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and flour this time before Kanton came to ask Conall to play.

Caitlin was really frustrated with me at this point because she hadn't been able to help with the peeling and cutting of the apples. She really enjoyed eating some of the Fuji's as we were slicing them, but she wanted to do something! So, while Conall was outside playing, Caitlin and I finished up the pie.

Family Week at School

Conall's class is celebrating and learning about their families this week. Last week, they asked us to send a photo of our family and to identify the family members in the photos by their full names. The teacher said they'd leave the photos up in the classroom all year.



We sent the latest family photo we have -- from Easter (some of the moms today were talking about how their most recent family photos were over a year old, so I no longer feel bad). We took the photo at Pop Pop's (my dad's) on the front steps. I showed Conall what photo we were sending and he and I talked a little bit about where we were, what we were doing that day, etc. before he took the photo to school.



At his school's Open House tonight, we saw the photo along with the information they'd transcribed from Conall. Here's what he told them about the photo (pictured below) "This is a picture of us at Pop Pop's. His last name is Leo. It is mommy, daddy, me and my sister, who is only a little big." Stu and I laughed and laughed at his comments. It was just so Conall.

The Daddys

Caitlin and I really enjoyed our mommy/bug time this morning. She brought me a Wiggles CD to play and we were having fun dancing and singing. The funniest thing, though, is that when Caitlin sees "The Wiggles" picture or hears their voices, she calls them "The Daddys." Isn't that cute?

Mean Mommy

Stu and I decided to try giving Caitlin a shower instead of a bath tonight. I wonder why? Anyway, she was of course, horrified and cried and screamed. She kept pulling the shower curtain and liner back and trying to climb out. So, since I was already as wet as she was, and I wanted to avoid an emergency room visit and stitches, I got in with her. She soon stopped screaming and seemed to enjoy her shower.

Caitlin grabbed the only bath marker that had survived the poop bath and was drawing away on the walls. I let her have it as we got out and I got her into a towel. I then handed her off to daddy and took the marker away since she was trying to draw on herself. She had a death grip on it, but I managed to get it away. She cried all the way to her room and then while daddy held her, she kept saying "Mommmmmmy. Mean. Mine. Mean. Mine. Mommmmy. Mean. Mine" over and over. Boy, she's learned early, hasn't she?

What Is It About Water?

Conall and I were enjoying a nice evening trip to the library tonight to pick up some books related to what he is learning in school this week. We had some great mommy and Bear bonding time.

On the way home, Stu called me to tell me how his last hour or so had gone for him and Caitlin. Stu was giving Caitlin a bath when he realized that she'd done it again! She'd pooped in the tub.

Stu tried to get her out in time, but wasn't able to, so he ended up holding her over the edge of the tub while she pooped. Isn't that such a lovely mental image? Anyway, not knowing what to do with a wet, naked pooping Caitlin, Stu took her to her room to put a diaper on. She then grabbed for the window, leaped out of his arms and face planted.

Daddy couldn't clean the tub while Caitlin was running around (been there, who could?), so he drained it, thinking it would make it easier to clean! Note to anyone who ever goes through this -- DO NOT DRAIN THE TUB WITH POOP IN IT! This makes it much harder to clean as the poop smears as the water drains and it then clings to everything. Always leave the water in the tub, then you can just scoop the poop. Can you tell I've done this before?

After sanitizing the now cleanest tub in the world, Conall is taking a bath. Caitlin is screaming at the top of her lungs because she doesn't want to go to sleep. I wonder if we'll get to clean puke tonight, too?

Mommy I Need Help!

Conall says "mommy I need help" probably a dozen or so times a day. As you can imagine, "help" doesn't have the true impact on me that the word usually carries.

So, when Conall yelled "mommy I need help" this afternoon, I didn't come running. I usually don't.
Me "Conall what do you need?"
Conall "I need your help"
Me "With what?"
Conall "Caitlin's poopy"

With the urgency with which Conall said this, I rushed into the living room. Conall was sitting on the floor dumping his shoe out like he had got something in it. Caitlin was climbing on the couch. Then, I saw it. Several dark, roundish things on the floor. I, of course horrified, said "Oh my gosh, what did you do Caitlin?" Stu came running. But, Caitlin still had her diaper on. I looked closer and realized that the roundish things were raisins. The kids had gotten into the raisins while I was in the other room talking to Stu. We nearly died laughing!

Caitlin was poopy and I changed her diaper. I still have no idea what was in Conall's shoe. The reason he really had yelled for my help was that Caitlin had climbed up on the couch and grabbed his juice box.

Done

Caitlin spent most of her nap time today yelling "Mommy! Mommmmmmy! Mommy?" Once she gave up on that, she started howling. I went in to get her, hoping that she wasn't old enough to give up her naps yet. She looked at me and said "done." She was done with being in her crib awake. Of course, just like Conall used to do, she had pooped, which kept her from sleeping.

Beetle and Sword Rackcophagus

Conall was drawing at his art table this afternoon and drew a really cool picture of a beetle. I asked him if it was for me and he said no, but showed me another one that was "just for you". I asked what it was and he told me it was a "sword rackcophagus". Not sure what that means, but it was just for me.

Beetle

Sword Rackcophagus

Bread and Ketchup Sandwiches

Sounds disgusting, doesn't it? In the last few days, Conall has started requesting "bread and ketchup" sandwiches. I'm not quite sure how he came up with it -- maybe from a hot dog bun with ketchup since he takes the hot dog out and won't eat it? I have no idea, just like any of his other inventions.

I really didn't think he'd eat one, so I made him one with half a slice of bread folded over. You know, Conall asks for all kinds of good food that he won't eat. Well, he ended up eating 3 slices of whole wheat bread with ketchup yesterday.

I really thought that was a fluke. You know, maybe he was testing mommy to see if she'd really serve him something that weird. Well, I should stop thinking when Conall is concerned. He ate 2 slices of bread that way at lunch today and then asked for another "sandwich" at dinner. I figure it is whole wheat bread and at least he's eating something slightly healthy.

On another note, I made the Seinfeld cookbook recipe for spinach pita pizzas tonight. You spread spinach puree on a pita, then top with spaghetti sauce, then with mozzarella slices to hide the spinach. I even added pepperoni. You then let it cool so the cheese doesn't slide off and expose the spinach. I did all of this while he was outside playing, hoping Conall wouldn't suspect anything.

Conall took one look at it, found the tiny speck of green he saw and refused to eat it.

Conall -- "It has broccoli in it."

Me --"No, it doesn't, it is just part of the seasoning in the pizza sauce."

Conall -- "It has spicy stuff in it. Take it away, bring me some good pizza."

What exactly qualifies as "good pizza" when you think bread and ketchup sandwiches taste good? Who knows, because then he requested another bread and ketchup sandwich.

Helping Mommy Make the Bed

Here are some cute photos of Caitlin helping mommy make the bed this morning.

The helping begins ...

Little Miss Curly Top

Looking out the window was more interesting ...

Doing that pointing thing that Conall does ...

Inkspot, Inkspot, kitty cat, kitty cat

That was fun. The bed is made, the cat is on his heating pad, all is right with the world, I'm done now.