Is anything more efficient than a parent with an hour alone? Everyday at lunch I marvel at the number of things I can accomplish during lunch. I used to think lunch was about “me time”, but since I’ve given up on my current life involving any “me-time”, lunchtime is all about getting things done. Typically you can find me doing at least two of the following:

Shopping for kids clothes ... Shopping for mommy’s clothes ... Grocery shopping ... Running to the bank ... Purchasing gifts for yet another upcoming birthday party ... Lunch with Scott (We try to do this at least every couple weeks. Heck, we’re already paying for the daycare and lunch is cheaper than dinner out anyway…)... Lunch with a friend (some co-workers I’d really never see otherwise)... Laundry ... Vacuuming (Really, when do you do this otherwise? Nolan likes to try and ride the vacuum if he’s awake, and vacuuming after the kids go to bed risks one of parenting’s few simple rewards: kids sleeping.) ... Cleaning bathrooms ... Cleaning the kitchen ... Mopping (I love cleaning at lunch because I know it will stay clean for at least four more hours. Nevermind that no one is home during those four hours – I know it’s still clean!)... Changing sheets ... Getting a haircut ... Consigning clothes ... Toys to Goodwill (A favorite activity for me!) ...then I come back to my desk and eat.

The funny part is no matter how many things I try and cram into that hour, it still feels relaxing to be doing it all alone. So I guess maybe I’ve just redefined “me-time” more than anything else – which is at least half of parenting in general:)

We spent the entire afternoon at Great-Grandma's house today with Uncle Rob, Aunt Vicki, Melissa and her six-month old daughter, Stella. The boys destroyed pretty much the entire house, but secretly I think Great-Grandma enjoys the challenge of trying to locate all of her things and remember where they go... so she's fine with it overall. Twice the boys retired to Great-Grandma's room to watch a short movie they like on her bed, which was supposed to be "resting" time, but really looked more like this. Oh well! Thanks for the fun afternoon everyone!

 

Ahhhh....

You spend so much time trying to get your kids to stop doing some things that eventually you just have to stop and document the behavior... and so it is that we now have these pictures of Nolan a.k.a. the butter monster. If he's missing, and you hear the refrigerator open, you can bet he's trying to sneak butter. Apparently I used to hide in the closet and eat butter when I was a child. Based on this I blame the nasty habit on some genetic nutrient deprivation... rather than the more obvious complete lack of taste!

There are some advantages to playing in the backyard at home - like not having to get dressed! And it takes a true Oregonian to run outside between rainstorms, dry off the swing and play 'til the drops start to fall again.

Here are the boys putting glow-stars up on the walls in Carson's room... I'm a little jealous - I didn't do this until college!

It seems like blog posts always dwindle during the first few weeks of January as holiday events wind down and fewer things appear on the calendar to write about. It always takes me until about this time to remember that for 11 months out of the year, the blog is about everyday life. So here’s a “catch-up” on the last few weeks.

Nolan is into everything. He enjoys announcing he’s done with a meal by throwing whatever he’s been eating and he's about 1-2 days from finally getting his second set of molars through. A month ago he was trying to figure out how to jump, but thanks to Santa and a trampoline, he's got that down now. He's also noticed most people use words to indicate preferences – not grunting and pointing.
His vocabulary now includes the following:
   *sit down (he hears this a lot)
   *thank you (that’s what he means at least… sounds a little different in reality)
   *light (generally heard after Carson turns it off and runs away laughing)
   *wow (as in “wow – when you crawl to the edge of the couch and lean over you fall… every time!”)
   *Ouch (usually accompanied by patting some part of his body - frequently when nothing has happened, but he knows you’ll come over and check)
   *uh-oh (his first “word”)

Carson is loving life – especially the new trampoline. He spends an amazing amount of time getting “hot and sweaty”. To the point that I think it helps him think. Need to make a decision about which pants to wear: jump on the trampoline while you think about it! Should I play with the red truck or the green truck? Trampoline time! One of his favorite activities is jumping while holding onto my hands (so he can go higher) which has helped me discover muscles that apparently don’t get used during my normal work-out routine. Carson may be the one who is “hot and sweaty”, but mommy has some SORE shoulders at the end of the day.

Carson is also embracing his dairy-free life, which makes things considerably easier for Scott and I. He even stopped the teacher in Sunday School last week when she was giving him a cupcake and asked if it had milk. Sure did! And he was happy to settle for some animal cookies instead. Mommy has been on an email writing campaign to area restaurants and now has a pretty good idea of what he can (and can’t) eat at a variety of establishments (just say “no” to the Olive Garden!) so we’re happily adjusting to a life with less dairy.

Other than that, everyday life keeps us busy. I have HFH meetings... Scott’s Spanish classes have started again. Oh, and did we mention we both work? :)

Happy 2010 to everyone who reads, stumbles upon or occasionally remembers the blog!

Carson had a great week so tonight I told him he could choose a 'special treat' after daycare. He chose "...Old McDonald's with a park!" ('Old McDonald's' because he thinks the song is about the restaurant...) which means we ended up driving all the way to Newberg just to find a McDonald's with a playland. Good grief. Even worse? We had a great time:)

Ironically, while one of my kids can't have dairy, the other one loves few things more than a bowl of Parmesan cheese. Hmmm... sounds like his mother.

News from the doctor following Carson's four-year appointment: he needs to gain more weight. Specifically, he wants him to eat more fat.

Question: What high-fat foods do you feed a kid who can't have dairy?? He's going to get tired of eggs and peanut butter!