MeriBoh

Flying

2012-01-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

Me: Bohdan, I told you to stop throwing things!

Boh: I'm not! I'm helping it fly!

Snowmobile

2012-01-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

(excuse the pink gloves - Boh's were still wet from sledding, so he had to borrow Meri's)

Christmas Day

2012-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

We started the morning by opening stockings and a couple presents

BUGZ!

Then we went to service and came back and opened the rest!

Boh's shaving set!

Spiderman!

Meri got a diaper changing set for her babies!

Now she can really change their continually poopie diapers.

Wiped out!

(look at her cute little foot!)

More Sledding

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2012-01-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

We got to open a couple presents each on Christmas Eve.

In the swimsuit yet again!

Costumes! Cool!

Batman!

Seeing double!

A cupcake! (for bathtime - we gave them a bath with this and they smelled like cupcakes!)

Woooo! My very own camera!

Uncle Ryan & Auntie La got tic-tac-toe, but of course the kids thought it was for them.

Who do you think will win? Batman or....Batman?

(looks like a cat game)

Grandpa needed a superhero backrub

Uncle Jason & Cousin Leah

Snow Fun!

2012-01-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

Brrrrr!

It's fun to climb mountains!

And then slide down them!

Puzzled

2012-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Boh got some sweet floor puzzles for his birthday!

Thanks Uncle Jason, Auntie Kelli, and Cousins Levi & Leah!

Pretty!

2012-01-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

This morning, after getting ready for school - putting shoes and coats on - Meri wanted to go up to her bedroom. Jeremy followed her up there. She stood in the doorway for awhile, just staring into her room. Then all she said was "Pretty!" and was ready to go. Wanna know what she was staring at? Her new swimsuit!

Bathing Beauty

2012-01-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

For some reason, she always wants to hang out in her swimsuit. Maybe she's excited about summer!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2012-01-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

So we had to travel a little bit in order to have a white Christmas. It was worth it!

We went sledding nearly every day!

I wish I was a kid again, so I didn't have to do all the work.

Trudging back to the condo

Another ride to the top!

Again...

Just a short sled down the hill

Uncle Ryan trying to run over Maggie

Back to the top again...

Daddy, Boh, & Meri coming back down

Daddy, Boh, & Meri having fun!

Cute!

Even Auntie La & Cousin Hadley had some fun!

Mommy & Meri

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Daddy wishing he could be pulled back home

Uncle Jason & Cousin Leah

Happy Festivus!

2011-12-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

Nearly everyone loves the annual Santa photos.

Here's ours from the past 5 years.

~2007~

Could this photo be any more precious?!

~2008~

These are the fun years. Doesn't everyone cherish their crying photos?

~2009~

Another banner year!

~2010~

This one makes me laugh in so many ways!
I can't believe we didn't comb Boh's hair.
Or wash his face!
Parenting fail.

~2011~

Still continuing the crying tradition...

until you give her a candy cane!

I figured next year would probably be the last year we would do photos, since I'm sure Meri will happily jump up on Santa's lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. But things are not meant to be. I think this is the last year for photos. (Major sad face).

Christmas Program

2011-12-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Little Drummer Boy

Boh looking everywhere for us

Santa Claus is All Over Town

Batteries

Presents!

2011-12-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

We opened a couple on Sunday morning so he would have all day to play with a new toy.

Musical cards are the BOMB!

Boh is so sweet he let Meri help open them.

Bah! A helmet?! That's no fun!

Ah, but it will be when we go skiing!

Before his party, we opened more presents with Grandpa & Grandma, Auntie La & Uncle Ryan, and Cousin Hadley!

Cool monster truck!

Check out the Spider Man vacuum!

Happy Birthday!

2011-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Four

2011-12-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bohdan,

Today you turned four years old!

This has been an incredibly fun year! We were so busy this spring and early summer with trips to California and Missoula to visit family. Traveling with you is a total breeze now. You're at the age where we can pretty much just jump in the car and go! We will put a movie on when we're on a long drive and you're set. You even do your part to keep your sister entertained, which makes the trip a bit easier for all of us. The only thing that's more difficult is that we're at the "Are we there yet?" stage.

Not only are you a piece of cake to travel with, you're also easy going on the normal day-to-day basis. You listen pretty well, you eat well, you keep yourself entertained for the most part. You say things that make us laugh! Taking care of you is a breeze!

You are an incredibly social person. So much so that you hate to be alone. You won't go down in the basement to play by yourself. You always want Meri down there playing with you. Sometimes though, she has zero interest in being down there, which is extremely upsetting to you. You're fine if we bring the dogs in and have them go down there with you. The problem with them is that they also have no desire to stay down there either! They want to come forage the kitchen floor for goodies. In order to keep you (and in turn, us) happy, we have to put up a baby gate so they can't come upstairs.

You also don't want to be alone when you're sleeping at night. I think a big part of this is that you're still terrified of monsters. Shadows, noises, - whatever - is enough to make you think there's a monster under your bed. We get you to go to sleep in your bed each and every night and invariably, you end up in ours before morning. I'm not exactly sure what time it is you usually come to our bed. Sometimes, it's before midnight. Others, it's 4:00 a.m. If I were to guess, I think 2 a.m. is the average. I don't know because this is something I'm completely oblivious to. I don't even wake up 90% of the time. And the other 10% of the time I'm pretty much out of it and still in a dream state. So, I guess this is the battle I'm not willing (or able) to fight as a parent. This is why Meri is still in a crib.

The only other thing that has been a struggle (besides trying to get you to pick up your toys when you're done playing with them) is the total and complete potty training. In essence, you have been potty trained since you were about 2 1/2 years old. You picked it up within one three day weekend. Sure, you've had some accidents since then, but they are few and far between. Staying dry overnight has been difficult for you though. And this certainly isn't unusual. What is unusual to me is what other parents tell each other when asked the question, "How old was s/he when s/he was potty trained?" Oddly enough, most people will give you the answer of "2". Which is true I suppose. But definitions of "potty training" (or potty learning as they call it now) vary dramatically. I always thought potty training meant no wetting. Not even at night. Apparently, this is innaccurate. Because if I start to get into the specifics of our experiences with you, parents often tell me their kids wet the bed for quite sometime. Age 6 isn't unusual. So I guess what I'm saying is you're right on track. You're doing perfectly fine! In fact, you're doing great! Because the last month or so you have been dry overnight the majority of the time.

While you are incredibly social and dependent on others in that respect, you are also incredibly independent. You want to do everything by yourself and you want to try everything out. You love to help out around the house. You'll help me put dishes away and last weekend, you made pancakes for all of us. I measured out all the ingredients, buy you were the one who mixed them all up just right! Anytime daddy is doing work around the house, you can bet that you will be right there helping him out.

You love cutting stuff up. Any chance you get to handle a knife, you can bet that your dinner is going to be mutilated beyond all recognition. You love to handle scissors as well. You opened a present from your great Aunt Peggy and when you saw that wonderful wrapping paper sitting there, your eyes got big and you looked at me and asked if you could have your scissors. Then you spent the next hour chopping the paper into bits. You loved it so much that you took the paper and scissors to school for show and tell the next day!

Your other current love is chewing gum. Grandma & grandpa introduced you to it quite sometime ago and the newness of it still hasn't worn off. In fact, one of the presents they got you for your birthday was your very own pack of gum. I wish I had a picture of your face when you saw that's what you got. You could barely contain yourself. You love gum so much, in fact, that awhile ago when you & Meri were singing "Old McDonald Had A Farm" you were being silly and said "He had a gum!" Then the two of you were running around singing that. I was worried though that you would end up in trouble at the daycare because it sounds like you're saying "gun" instead of "gum" and oddly enough, the sound effects we were using are remarkably similar. So instead of saying "snap pop" I started just obnoxiously chewing with my mouth. Good thing we weren't having to worry about going through airport security anytime soon.

You don't care for cake. How funny is that?! You'll eat the frosting and leave the cake completely untouched. Want to know what you love? BROWNIES! So for your birthday this year, that's what we had. We got a cake as well - more for us adults to indulge in - but brownies were the birthday cake this year.

You are hilarious! There isn't a day that goes by that you don't have us laughing about something you've done or said. The kick you've been on lately that always gets me giggling is you will say, "Wanna know what? I have a good(er) idea. Let's (do whatever). Isn't that a great idea? Aren't you glad I thought of that?" And you're so serious when you say it. It puts a smile on my face every time.

You are also incredibly competitive. You always want to win. Whether it's running up and down the hall with Meri or racing your bike and her car outside, you are always in it for the win. Thankfully, she doesn't understand it just yet. You'll yell, "I won!" and she comes trudging along behind you yelling "I won!" too. That makes you mad though and you are always trying to tell her, "No, I won, Meri." I try to make a point to beat you sometimes and you just really don't care for it. Ah, the joys of teaching you how to lose. I simply cannot wait until Meri gets what it means to win...

It's hard to believe that four years ago, our lives were irrevocably changed. Four years ago we thought we were just having a baby. What we didn't know is that we were starting a new life. Not just a new life as in your new life, but a new life as a family. A new life where thoughts that are selfish and short sighted are virtually non-existant. And if they do exist, they are fleeting. As in "I hope I can go poop in private this time!"

Thank you for that. Not for the lack of privacy per se, but for showing us how to live life. How to value simple things. How to find joy when going through a construction zone. How to watch in amazement as a building is erected. How to be silly and stupid and have you and your sister belly laughing at us!

Happy Birthday Bohdan!

love, momma

For Grandma Pam

2011-12-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the Hallmark commercial where the soldier opens a care package and it's a book from and read to him by his son? These books are SO COOL!

So if you're trying to think of something neat to get a kid for Christmas, get one of these.

We had a couple of these. About a month ago, I was wondering to myself what had happened to them. I still can't find one of them (where on earth would I have put this book?!) Well, the other one turned up in our Christmas stuff, because it's a Christmas book! Grandma Pam recorded one last year for Boh and right now it's his favorite book. He listens to it at least 5 times a day.

The end of the book is what is particularly cute:

Also, Bohdan is brilliant. I just have to share that fact with you. These books only work properly if there's enough light to trigger the recording. When he brought this book to bed with him for bedtime stories, I opened it up and it wasn't going to work because the small lamp in his bedroom doesn't emit enough light to start the recording. I told him I was just going to read it to him. He looks at me and says, "Wait! I have my flashlight!" Pulled it out from under his pillow and shined the light on the book so it would work. Brilliant.

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

Hearing and Teething

2011-12-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I was trying to get Boh's attention while he was watching tv. Finally, he looked my direction and I said, "Are you hard of hearing?" and he said, "No I'm not teething!"

Mommy Must Have - Nerves of Steel

2011-12-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Kids need to play. They need to push boundaries. They need to climb higher, go faster, go further, seek danger! It's all a part of healthy development. And you're going to be there to witness a fair amount of it. Sometimes, you'll just have to bite your tongue and let them face the natural consequences and hope there's no broken bones.

The first time she jumped, I had encouraged her to step down to the second stair. She looked at me and with a look of sheer determined defiance took a flying leap into space...

This video is her third jump (that's why I'm egging her on), which I think had a bit of a harder landing than the previous two.

She wouldn't jump from the third stair again. She downgraded herself to step two:

Turkey Weekend

2011-12-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

I would have had a lot more pictures, but forgot my camera at Tom's. Oops! Mommy fail!

Daddy having fun with an RC chopper

Everyone watching daddy play pilot

Nana B says "Gotcha!"

Hanging with the fam

Racing cars with Grandma Pam

We got to meet cousin Liam! Isn't he the cutest?

Meri no longer wanted her picture taken...

Boh wrestling with uncle Jesse

He WINS!

Boh hurt uncle Jesse, so he helped give him a shoulder rub.

Awesome

2011-11-30T19:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, we started off the day on a bit of a difficult note. Bohdan has started feigning illness in order to avoid going to daycare. I can't believe I'm dealing with this at age 3. Isn't this something that parents of 10 year olds have to confront?!

He told me his tummy hurt. I thought I could call his bluff by telling him that if he wasn't feeling good, he had to go lay in bed and sleep until he felt better. No books, no movies, nothing. Nada. The kid didn't even bat an eye. He said, "Okay" and moped up to his room. Me being the sucker that I am started to think that maybe he really was sick! I made a point to go and check on him a couple times as I was getting myself & Meri ready to go for the day. He was just laying in bed covered up. Maybe he really is sick! Right?! Well, I finally went upstairs one last time before the necessary call into work that I wouldn't be making it in. I asked him if this was all because he didn't want to go to school. He finally fessed up. He said he didn't want to go to school because Wyatt said he wasn't going to be there and Boh didn't want to be there if he wasn't there.

So as I brought him downstairs to get his shoes and coat on we had to have a discussion about 1. being honest about being sick and 2. everyone having to do things they don't want to do.

Stinker.

Then when I went to pick him up at the end of the day, here's the note I got from his teacher:

Awesome!

Mommy Must Have - Books

2011-11-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love books?!

Want to know one of the biggest ways to have a lasting impact on your child and their capability to learn? Read to them. Tell them stories. And listen to the stories they have to tell.

Here's some of our favorites:

The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland. I love to give each animal their own accent. The lion is quite snooty according to moi.
The Library Lion by Michelle Knudson. I think every library should have a lion.
Sylvester & The Magic Pebble by William Steig. This was one of our favorites as a kid.
Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel. Another childhood favorite of mine. This summer, as we were walking home from the park, there was a yard that had a decorative well in the front yard. Boh saw it and immediately said to me, "That's just like in the Tikki Tikki book!"
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Another wonderful childhood favorite. I don't know what it is about this book, but I remember it so vividly. I hope my kids love it as much as I did.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. There's lots of roaring in this one.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Let's find the mouse!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. We like to make all the animal sounds.
Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. This is a wonderful before bedtime book. Once again, we get to look for a mouse. And a balloon!
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. I wish I could sound like George Strait when I read this book.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. Really, shouldn't we own every book by Shel Silverstein?!
No, David! by David Shannon. Boh used to read this book cover to cover before he was two.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen. Who doesn't love dinosaurs?!
The Napping House by Audrey Wood. Sound effects are a plus.
Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss, who is another person to own the full library of.
Pretty much anything by Sandra Boynton and Boh has really been liking the Richard Scarry books.
I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont.We don't have this one yet, but Boh loves it. It was in his 2-3 classroom at Daycare.

One year for Christmas, Grandpa Mike & Nana B bought some Scholastic Videos. The kids love these too! And that's where we ended up buying some of the books that were videos the kids loved.

Really, the list is endless. The kids love books. We read every night before bed. At least two books each night, and that usually isn't enough to satisfy them.

I'm also of the camp that books for kids should be old fashioned paper books. (I can't believe I just wrote "old fashioned" before books). Books are an experience for kids. And I don't want my kid dropping my Kindle in the toilet. So, CHEERS! to new libraries! I hope you have a great library near you. I hope they host story time and other events. I hope your community supports your library. And I hope you and your kids will use it.

What are your favorite children's books?

Candy!

2011-11-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

A week or so ago, near lunchtime, I was sitting in a chair reading while the kids played in the living room. Meri came over by me, so I looked at her and asked her if she was getting hungry for lunch. "Yeah." Then I asked her what she wanted for lunch. She gave me the most mischevious little grin as she clasped her hands together and uttered the word "Candy!"

Mommy Must Have - Toys!

2011-11-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Since Christmas is quickly approaching, I thought I would give a quick rundown of some of our household's favorite toys. Toys that have been completely worth every penny we have paid for them. Toys that have held the kids' interest for more than the first hour after they received them.

Links. These things are great! I bought ours at Target. They came in a bag and there were probably 50 of them. They contained a couple soft rubbery covered ones for teething. The rest were different colors and had different textures. I don't really care too much about that part. Why I like them is because they can be used to attach random toys to carseats or to the overhead handle in your car so you can have a toy dangle and entertain baby. We've also used some to jerry-rig a child safety latch to keep some cupboards closed. Specifically, the cupboards in their bathroom. The same cupboards that I thought, "Aw, there's nothing dangerous in here, just toilet paper and soap." Well, want to know how many rolls of Charmin it takes to soak up all the water in the toilet bowl? Yeah, make sure those cupboards are secured.
A Balance Bike. Boh spends hours on his. He loves it. Meri is still a little too small to really get going on hers. I'm betting this spring, she'll totally be into it.
A Plasma Car. While Meri isn't into the bike just yet, she absolutely loves the plasma car. Boh still loves it too. In fact, they fight over it. Want to know what else is great about it? We can ride on it! It holds quite a bit of weight, but only if you're on a smooth surface. I think I nearly broke ours because I was riding it on our back patio. The relief cracks in the cement were just enough to give it some good jostling. Thankfully, I realized in time and got my fat ass off it.
Melissa & Doug Cutting Food Set. The kids love this. They love having a knife and chopping it all up. What they're not so great at? Putting it all back together again. I think the Sandwich Set looks pretty darn cool too.
Hot Wheels Die-Cast Monster Truck. Obviously, I don't think this is something that every kid will love, but this is something Boh received for his birthday two years ago. TWO YEARS. And it held up pretty well. Eventually, the metal truck fell off the rest of the toy. He loved that thing so much that we went and bought another one, hoping to replace the broken one. Instead, he kept both of them. Sometimes he puts the top on the broken one. Other times, he zooms around with just the wheels and suspension. So if your kid starts liking Monster Trucks, get 'em one of these.
A Baby Doll. Meri loves her babies. She loves to carry them around and hug them and find owies for us to put bandages on. She also likes to throw them. Then tell me they're crying. Then she will console them again. She sleeps with one of her babies every night. And we have to make sure they're covered up too. Once again, I don't know if every kid is going to love having a baby doll, but I think it's a pretty safe bet with little girls.

Money

2011-11-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

Boh keeps asking when we're going to get on a plane and go visit cousin Levi again. Grandma & Grandpa just got back from visiting Levi & Leah. As we were going to the airport to pick them up, Boh again said that he wanted to go on a plane to visit Levi. We let him know that it takes a lot of money to buy plane tickets. Boh says, "Mommy and Daddy, the next time you go to work, I want you to get lots of money so we can go on a plane!"

Monsters

2011-11-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

Boh has been terrified of monsters lately. He thinks they're poking the bottom of his bed, he thinks they're down in the basement when the lights are off. He pretty much thinks they're everywhere. We are always telling him there's no such thing as monsters, but it doesn't seem to do much good. The other day, Jeremy was reasoning with him. Explaining once again that there's nothing to be afraid of and there's no such thing as monsters. Boh says, "But if I see some eyes in the basement, I'm gonna run away!" Damn right Boh, if you see eyes in the basement, RUN!

The Batmobile!

2011-11-17T18:30:00.000-08:00

Going out for Grandma's Birthday!

2011-11-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Coloring requires the involvement of the entire body

Boh got to help blow out the candles

playing with uncle Ryan!

Boh telling auntie La it's ridiculous how much cousin Hadley sleeps.

butterfly kisses

Going for a Stroll

2011-11-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Mommy Must Have - a trusted sitter

2011-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Respite care is a must! Find someone you trust with your life and hire them to be your babysitter. Bonus if your parents live in the same town as you, because not only do they want to spend time with the kid, you usually don't have to pay them! If your parents or another relative don't live in town, find a good friend fast! Preferrably, one with kids near the same age as yours. Then maybe you can switch off kid duty and not have an added cost.

Svan

2011-11-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Zulily has the Svan highchair today. $80 off. Plus you'd have to get a seat cushion. They have them too for about $10 off. Still not as good of a deal as what Mamabargains had when I got mine, but a deal's a deal's a deal. Maybe this would be a good Christmas gift from grandpa & grandma? Hint Hint. (Not for us - although I have been tempted to get another one for Meri. Really, they're that great!)

Mommy Must Have - down suit

2011-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

I searched and searched for great cold weather get-up when Bohdan was little. The first year, the babes are bundled up so snug in their carseats that there isn't much to worry about. Once they're mobile though, the worry sets in that maybe they aren't warm enough. Patagonia had some nice buntings as did Columbia, but the reviews on those said the same things - the suits didn't "grow" with the baby. And in the case of the Patagonia bunting, you would have to sell the child in order to buy the suit. Once again, REI pulled through with shining colors!

If you live in an area where you ~~suffer through~~ enjoy frigid, snowy winters, get the REI Down Infant Suit. Not only is their suit made with toasty down insulation, but it has foldover cuffs on both the sleeves and feet. So buy big the first year and keep that toddler bundled, then the following year it still fits! While it's not waterproof, it is super warm and light enough that the toddling toddler can walk around in it without faceplanting in all that wonderfully cold white stuff. Pair it with some fleece underclothes, wool socks & hat, Kamik Infant Tickle Pac Boots and that kid is ready for whatever winter wants to throw at 'em.

Take it from Meri (both this year and last) & Boh - it's a wonderful suit!

On Spanking

2011-11-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

Do you think that using corporal punishment on children is okay?

I don't. And I'll judge you if you use it.

Spanking might cause the child to comply with the parent's immediate request, but the overall effect is a negative one. Spanking leads to more aggressive kids. It may even make kids dumber. Did you know that it's illegal in 24 countries?

I certainly would never take advice from someone who recommends using a switch on a child as young as 6 months. Where is the line?

Aside from all that, my hang up is this: How do you teach a child that it isn't okay to hit, yet you hit your child?

What do you think?

ETA: Another great article on the subject

First Snow of the Year!

2011-11-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

Leaves are endless fun!

2011-11-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

This one little pile of leaves kept them entertained for DAYS!

Hair!

2011-11-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

A Day at the Park

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a beautiful fall day!

He insisted I take this picture of him.

Checking out the stream

She always looks a little pained when she says "Cheese"

Playing a game of "chicken"!

Kidding, she really thinks that she's big enough for him to fit underneath.

Who made Batman Cry?

2011-11-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

More Halloween

2011-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

Boh & his class went trick-or-treating downtown during the day too. He wore his new costume for that, but can't stand to wear the mask because it impedes his vision. The news station was there filming, and luckily, Boh was matched up with the camera man's kid. So here's some (kind of blurry) video stills of Boh & Ryland getting some candy! Hopefully, I can snag the video and get it up here too!

Halloween

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Darn it! It's a bit blurry...

Meri totally fit the part of the chicken. Every now and then, she'd say "Buk buk bukaaaaw!"

Mommy Must Have - A Thick Skin

2011-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry, once again this isn't something that can be purchased.

Once you become a mommy, you have opened a whole new world of judgement.

Did you give birth naturally? Did you breastfeed? If so, for how long? Was it not long enough? Was it for too long? Did you use regular diapers or cloth? Did you make your own babyfood? Did you stay home with your children? Do you only use sustainable, environmentally friendly, recycled, BPA free, homemade products? The list goes on and on and on.

Really, no matter what it is, you did it wrong. Let's just make that clear. You messed something up. Probably repeatedly. And even if you did absolutely everything by the book, I can guarantee that in 20 years, some discovery will completely change everything about parenthood and you will reflect back on how you did something completely wrong back in your day. For example, our parents were advised to put us to sleep on our tummies. Now? We are advised to put our kids to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS. Want another example? Of something I've already done wrong? Carseats should remain facing backwards until the child's second birthday. When I had kids, the recommendation was age one and twenty pounds.

So, toughen up buttercup. Someone is going to judge you for everything you do.

Being a Parent

2011-10-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

"On Parenthood"

Lou's house

2011-10-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

Auntie La has a cool wash machine. We can watch the clothes getting clean!

Whatever you do, DO NOT take photos without prior approval!

Meeting Cousin Hadley!

2011-10-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

Isn't she cute?! And tiny!

We're jammin!

2011-10-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Wedding

2011-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the reception to begin

hamming it up!

Let's dance!

At this point in the evening, the kids were wandering all over the reception hall. One of Margo's (the bride) guests thought they were cute and started taking some pictures of them. Boh, of course, was a total cheeseball for the guy. Meridian, on the other hand, got pissed and would walk over to me & Jeremy and point behind her and say in a stern voice, "Picture!" She did not think it was okay for someone else to be taking her picture!

We found some golf balls!

Hiding from a little boy that kept "roaring" in Boh's face.

"I don't like that" is what he said about it.

Boh didn't want wedding cake. Instead, he wanted an apple from the centerpiece.

They were delicious apples!

Meri ate some apple too.

But this girl likes cake!

Dancing is an upper body workout.

See the moon?

Digging!

2011-10-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Boh thought this was AWESOME!

Meri didn't like it. It was too bumpy!

Broken

2011-10-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

I think that everyone should read "You just broke your child. Congratulations." There is no greater impact that we have in this world than the influence we have over our children. We set the example. They honour us, they love us, they look up to us, they want to be just like us. So shouldn't we be the shining example that we want them to be? All the time? Shouldn't we step in when we see unfairness, disrespect, abuse?

Our behavior and the words we speak have a profound impact on those around us, but that impact is multiplied by hundreds? thousands? millions? when we direct our actions toward children.

“Someday, maybe, there will exist a well-informed, well considered and yet fervent public conviction that the most deadly of all possible sins is the mutilation of a child’s spirit; for such mutilation undercuts the life principle of trust, without which every human act, may it feel ever so good and seem ever so right is prone to perversion by destructive forms of conscientiousness.” ~ Erik Erikson

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." ~Frederick Douglass

Rules for Dads of Daughters

2011-10-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a great post of 50 Rules for Dads of Daughters. Guys, you need to read this!

Like Cats & Dogs

2011-10-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Cozy Bed

2011-10-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Boh takes such good care of Meri that he builds her cozy beds on the floor and covers her up!

(she's a kitty in case you're wondering what's on her face)

Mommy Must Have - wool socks

2011-10-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

These are good for you too! Who doesn't love wool socks?!

I hated all those baby socks that I ended up with for the first year or so. I swear that no one is capable of designing a sock that will remain on a kicking babe's foot. They even sell socks that have straps. I'm doubtful those even work.

Want to know which ones I love? Smartwool. Not the booties though. Those little newborn ones are worthless as well. Buy at least the 6-12 month size. They were pretty good at staying on and keeping those little tootsies warm in our frigid cold Montana winters. Plus, when we bought the socks that were too big, they lasted a good year or more. Boh just wore out about 4 pairs of his Smartwools that I bought him when he was probably a year old. Once again, watch for sales at REI. Stock up at the end of winter.

Smartwool also makes some awesome kids' hats! That are wonderful and stretchy and also last for more than one year!

Superheroes of Kindness

2011-10-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

How beautiful is this?

Fall Means Football

2011-10-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Today is a good day for a birthday!

2011-10-12T06:56:00.000-07:00

Within the last month, our extended family has grown by three!

First up was Liam on September 29th - giving Boh & Meri another cousin! He is ridiculously cute and I can't wait to squeeze the little bugger. Of course, we won't be seeing him until Thanksgiving, so he'll probably be a butterball by then! Ha! (Yup, that was bad. I know. But I couldn't resist!)

Next was Jedidiah on October 5th. Second cousins are so much fun! And I can't believe my cousin is a granny! Eeeeeep!

Then early today, Auntie La & Uncle Ryan had their sweet baby girl. We're still waiting to hear what wonderful name they have bestowed upon her, but we've seen pictures and she's adorable!

Next at bat is Amanda. When we were talking to Boh & Meri about Liam's impending arrival, we kept telling them they were going to have a new cousin. Bohdan asked me if Amanda's baby was going to be his cousin. So, no pressure Amanda, but we're expecting a cousin out of you too!

Mommy Must Have - a blog

2011-10-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

You need one of these. Why? Because if you want to keep track of all the memories and happenings of your kid's life, the best way to do it is online. I bought baby books with every intention to sit down and fill them out. I think I managed the first three months while I was home with each child. Writing takes a long time. Typing? Not so much.
A few years down the road, you can turn your blog into a book! Tada! Baby book complete! Then all you need is a small keepsake box with some printed photos, hand & foot prints, a lock of their hair, their first lost tooth. You are now mother of the decade!

If you're worried about privacy and don't want the whole world to see what you're putting on your blog, you can toggle the privacy settings and have it so only permitted users can view it. This is something I consider on a regular basis. I haven't made this blog private. Yet.

I love you no matter what

2011-10-06T06:43:00.000-07:00

"Amelia" has so beautifully written what our jobs as parents are: to love our children no matter what. To protect our children to the best of our ability, to lead by example, to be tolerant and respectful, caring, inclusive. Love is all we need. And "hate is the virus we need to be worried about".

Marriage

2011-10-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding last weekend of a childhood friend of mine. I was explaining to Bohdan what marriage was and why my friend was getting married. He asked me when he could get married. I told him that when a person finds someone that they love a lot and want to be with forever, then they decide if they want to get married. He said, "Well, I love Devon a lot!"

Just getting some milk

2011-10-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mommy Must Have - infinite patience

2011-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

You know how they say being a parent is the most difficult and rewarding thing you will ever do? Well, that last sentence is a vast understatement. You have no idea just how difficult things can be. And you have no idea what it's like to love someone so much that you would gleefully give your life in exchange for theirs. What it's like to just sit and stare at this little babe and memorize every feature and listen to every whimper and sigh and just have this *swoon* feeling all the time. Seriously, that love thing they talk about? That love thing you think you knew? Just. Wait. Have a kid. That is love. Undeniable, unconditional, complete, I would do anything for you, love.

I don't think I need to go into the details of loving a child. I think that anyone that has one knows just how amazing and funny and wonderful kids are. They are an absolute delight.

Want to know what else they are? A pain. And newborns come with the innate ability to systematically torture you. They don't know what they're doing, but by gol they are great at it! Where do you think governments come up with torture processes? Welp, they've had kids. Want to bring someone to their breaking point? Sleep deprivation does the trick. Newborns are masterful at it. Who would have thought that your job as a parent was to teach a baby how to sleep. Why oh why can't it be that we have to teach them to stay awake?! Of course, that task might be much more difficult than sleep...

The trick as a parent is to keep your cool. To keep your cool after a month of minimal broken up sleep. To keep your cool after hours of nonstop crying. To keep your cool after you have done everything known to the universe to try and calm that little baby and get it to sleep and that baby is still crying inconsolably.

Did you know babies cry? I mean, everyone knows they cry. But did you know they cry?! For no reason. None at all. They've conducted extensive studies on this. Did you know that a lot of animal species go through this same period of crying? And that it follows basically the same cycle as us? The CDC has begun a new educational campaign to inform parents and caregivers about babies' crying. It's called The Period of PURPLE Crying.

For us, the crying starts at about 2 weeks and will peak at about the second month before typically tapering off by the end of the third month. Severe crying cases are labeled "colic" and unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot that can be done. As parents, we do our best to soothe the baby and try to figure out what we're doing wrong. But guess what. We aren't doing anything wrong. We just get to deal with it.

I remember Bohdan crying quite a bit off and on. Not sustained, thank God, but crying and not going to sleep unless I rocked him or unless he slept on us or in a swing. With Meridian though, there was one hour everyday - from 9 to 10 o-clock at night where she would inconsolably cry. One hour. I called it the witching hour. It was awful. And still not severe enough to even be considered colic. The way Jeremy & I coped with it was to hope and pray that she wouldn't wake Bohdan (I can't remember if she ever did) and one of us would take her and walk in circles around our bedroom, pat and shush her and tell her "I know I know, it's okay, you're okay." I think there's a path permanently worn in the carpet. The lucky one who didn't have her that night would take the night off and go outside and soak in the hot tub during the duration of the crying spell. This way, we were able to keep our wits about us. (You have no idea the amount of satisfaction you feel when you have been able to finally successfully lull your child to sleep.)

I have the utmost respect for parents who have had a child with colic. Those people are invincible. They cannot be broken.

The sad thing about this educational campaign is the reason for it. People shake their babies. We are all human after all and everyone has a breaking point. And until you've had a child and been horrendously sleep deprived and dealing with this child who has been crying for what feels like forever, you don't know what it's like to have your patience pushed beyond your limits. It is at this point that you gently put the baby down in the crib, turn around and walk out of the room and go cry. Cry because you feel like a failure as a parent. Cry because you think you can't handle it. Regardless of whether or why we cry, we put that baby down. Because that baby is going to be okay. Crying, but okay. And more people need to know to do this. More people need to know that babies cry a lot and for no reason. More people need to know that they can lay their baby down crying in the crib and walk away. That they can call a relative or friend or neighbor when it's been too much. That historically, people never used to do this parenting thing alone, so why should we now? We are social creatures. We live together. We like to help each other. Take advantage of that.

Then, when you've made it through infancy and on to toddler-dom and that kid begins communicating with you, you will realize why whining is the most annoying sound ever.

I'm only into 4 years of this parenthood thing. I have no idea what form of torture is coming for me next...

Backyard Picnic

2011-10-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

Mommy Must Have - Bulb Syringes & Sitz Baths

2011-09-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Babies are snot factories. The hospital is kind enough to give you one great bulb syringe while you're there (I use the term "give" loosely because I'm sure they charge an arm and a leg for it). While you're enjoying your stay at the hospital, do your best to snag at least two more of these suckers. Then you'll have one for your home, one for your diaper bag and one for the daycare. Because I could never find anyplace that sold the good quality hospital ones.

Another thing to do while you're forking over all your money to the hospital: take as many Sitz Baths as you're allowed to have. They are worth the tortuous walk to the room. (I am, of course, assuming that you are not getting a c-section.)

Mer at the Park

2011-09-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Flag Football

2011-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be fun to put Bohdan in an activity this fall, so we signed up for family flag football. His buddy, Devon, is also in it!

Wanna know what they're talking about here? How fast their shoes are.

Practicing throwing and catching

Now we learn what the flags are for

Huddle up!

Mommy Must Have - Blue Dawn Dish Soap

2011-09-19T06:16:00.000-07:00

Go to the grocery store and buy yourself a container of the blue Dawn dishsoap. This stuff is a miracle worker when it comes to getting stains out of poo-soiled clothing. Actually, maybe go see if Costco carries this stuff. You're gonna need it.

Mystical

2011-09-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

At the trailhead

(is that pack big enough?!)

On our way!

oofta!

phew! We're nearly there!

Two deer wandered right into camp

looking for the salty sunflower seeds Angie was munching on

She scared her off, but not until after the doe had slobbered all over Ang's bowl.

The kids loved gorp. In fact, that's just about all they wanted to eat!

How cute are these two kids?

Sawing some more firewood.

We had a stream running right by our camp.

Going fishin!

Adam decided to take a bath

Gathering up the courage...

Splash!

Brrrrrr!

View of our camp from the stream

Kieran, Meri, & Boh all loved to just wander around and shake out the sleeping mats.

They also liked the horsey rides Adam gave them on the log by the fire.

And Kieran & Meri just loved running amock around camp.

Daddy caught a great trout!

Then they learned how to clean it.

Hiking back down - almost to the trailhead.

We finally let Meri out at the trailhead. She was exhausted and hot and really REALLY wanted to walk.

Schoolwork

2011-09-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

First, Bohdan's work

He can write his own name!

A Dragon

Meri's works of art:

Computer Geek

2011-09-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Taking after dad

Chopsticks

2011-09-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Look what we got for free!

We're starting to learn "Chopsticks"

Me & the Munchkins

2011-09-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

Mommy Must Have - drugs

2011-09-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since you may be about ready to go deliver a small human, take this advice from me:

Even if you are planning a fully natural birth, with no epidural, no pitocin, no drugs of any other kind, whatever you do, when they offer you the painkiller prescription following the delivery, tell them yes.* Yes you want it.* Even if you don't plan to use them in the weeks following delivery because you don't want to run any risk of mucking up your breastmilk. Fill that 'script.* You never know when you will have that killer headache or some other wacked out pain where acetaminophen and ibuprofen just aren't cutting it. It's like wishing you always had your own personal stash of codeine cough syrup or an epi-pen. Because you never know when you're going to need it.

There, I'm done sounding like a junkie now.

*For anyone reading this, I am not a doctor and do not follow my advice because I'm full of crap and what I say will probably kill you.

Swimming Pool

2011-09-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

What's more fun than a swimming pool? An empty swimming pool! No need to worry about small children drowning when there's no water in there!

(wow that's a full diaper!)

He's such a cheeseball!

You are full of Awesome!

2011-09-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you have or haven't seen this blog post at pigtailpals, but I think it's something that everyone should read. Keep your awesome and make sure others know how awesome they are.

Mommy Must Have - Little Giraffe

2011-09-05T06:49:00.000-07:00

Little Giraffe has THE. BEST. baby blankets. Their Luxe blankets are pure heaven. And easy to care for - I just wash on cold delicate cycle and hang dry. I think this blanket comes with a guarantee that it will be the favorite blanket of all time. Because no one can resist that cuddly softness. They are, however, obscenely expensive. Another time for you to allow a ~~schmuck~~ loved one buy it for you. That loved one is probably going to be me. I just hope and pray that they will be a featured product on one of those bargain sites. Then I can look like a very generous loved one, when in reality, I'm a very cheap schmuck. But I'm still giving you a gift, so you can just shut it!

The County Fair

2011-09-01T19:14:00.000-07:00

The pigs were Meri's favorite animal. There was one being hosed down outside and every time the water would hit its back, it would squeeeee SO LOUD it sounded like it was dying. Meri was obviously distressed about the pig, so Jeremy tried to walk away. Then she would freak out because she wanted to go look at the pig! We were barely able to move on from the pig section!

She liked the cows too, but wasn't upset when we left them like she was with the pigs. (Maybe she takes after great aunt Sherry and her peculiar love of swine - no offense Don).

The sheep were interesting and they were able to see one sheared and feel the wool.

Boh went on some rides all by himself! He wasn't too sure about this one at first, because it whips around the corners so fast. With a bunch of cheering on our part, he came around and thought it was a lot of fun! I wish I would have caught the look on his face the first time he went around the corner though!

Meri didn't care for the carousel again. I think it's the up and down motion she isn't fond of. She was fine as long as she wasn't sitting on the horse.

She also didn't like the hot air balloons. We had to take her off the ride. Boh loved it!

They both loved the train. Boh was so determined to ride on the engine that he sat out a round so he could be at the front of the line. Then he rang the bell throughout the entire ride.

The bouncy house

The helicopters! Meri went on these later and didn't like them. Because they also go up and down. Thankfully, her classmate Rylee was also on them and Rylee's mom & dad were watching and kept waving at Meri. This kept her freak out to a minimum.

Boh also loved the barrel airplanes!

A couple days later, we had free tickets to the rodeo. We watched for a little while, but the kids were way more interested in the grasshoppers bouncing around the stands than the show, so we left.

Our little cowgirl!

Opening Presents!

2011-08-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Month Twenty-Four

2011-08-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

Meridian,

Today you turned twenty-four months old! That's two whole years!

Two whole years ago I turbo-birthed you into this world. You had no intention of waiting for anything - no waiting on the doctor, almost no waiting on even making it to the hospital. Wow we could have had a hell of a birth story! Thankfully, we didn't.

Two years later and you're still living life like that. You don't wait for anything. You're hungry? Well, you're going to climb right up into your highchair. You want something? You're going to march right on over and take it! Someone has something you want? You're going to cry until they give in and give it to you! In fact, you've perfected the throw-your-body-to-the-floor-and-wail trick:

Just so you know, I have to work really hard to not bust out laughing when you do this! Yesterday, when we were getting you ready for bed, I had you say goodnight to everyone. You were SO CRANKY! When I got over to daddy, you looked at him and spit out your tongue. It was so unexpected and something that you have never done before and I pretty much couldn't hold it in. I hope you didn't notice. You're such a stinker!

The other day, Boh was sitting in time out for misbehaving and like usual, you went over and sat down in time out as well. I was releasing him from time out and asking him to explain to me why he had to take a time out, he told me it was because he was spitting and made that "pbbbblllt" sound with his tongue and you busted out laughing! Totally ruining a serious teaching moment. Because Boh looked at you and I could see the look in his eyes. He knew you thought he was funny!

You and Boh play together so well! He loves to boss you around and you are perfectly happy to follow along. He certainly isn't able to bully you though, as you have a mind of your own. If he ever tries to take something away from you or make you do something you don't want to do, you let him know it's not okay. It seems like a good amount of the time, it's Bohdan that ends up in tears and not you! You love to torment that kid! Just this morning, on the way to school, Bohdan had brought one of your musical cards into the truck with us (he has so kindly adopted nearly every single one of your toys you received for your birthday). We told him that the two of you needed to take turns with the card and also made sure to explain to him that it was, in fact, your card. Things were okay until you held the card out towards him, seeming to indicate that you were going to let him have a turn with it. But when he went to grab it, you snatched it away! And then thought it was funny. It was a lengthy drive to work this morning...

You continue to accessorize your outfits. Sometimes with hats. More recently with the dress up jewelry we have around the house. You went camping this weekend with grandma & grandpa Reinhardt and I couldn't get you to leave your little necklace here. You absolutely had to have it! So you went camping in a pearl necklace. There was also a day when we were heading to school and you had to wear your sneakers. Your sneakers that were now a size too small and when I put them on you said multiple times "Owie" and "Hurts" but you freaked when I took them off and told you that we had to wear something else. You insisted on wearing them and when I put them back on, you said "There, all better!" and then spent the rest of the day limping around in them. You suffer for fashion! We went and bought you a new pair of sneakers that weekend.

We took you to the fair again this year and you had the time of your life! You still are not particularly fond of a lot of the rides. Pretty much anything that's bumpy needs to be scratched off the list. However, you did love the train and the fun house. Your favorite by far though was the bouncy house. When we first put you in there, you really weren't sure about the whole deal. You just stood there for a bit and looked lost and maybe a little scared. Pretty soon though, we got you over to the side where you could hold on and we talked you into jumping around. Before long, you were jumping around and falling over and loving every minute! We left the fair in tears, because you did not want to leave that place!

first trip to Softies!

You have been speaking in sentences for awhile now. They started as two words and you're easily up to three word sentences now - or more! Of course you're not using sentences when you want something. Then you resort to a lot of grunting and pointing and crying. We've been working on you asking nicely for things. You're sentences usually consist of "There all better!" and "Where blankie/elephant/monkey/whatever?" The other day we were driving in the truck and you took your little lovie blankie and stuck it behind your head, looked at me, threw your arms up over your head and said, "Where'd blankie go?!" three or four times and then laughed hysterically when you pulled it out from behind your head.

Your language is becoming more understandable as well. There have been a few words that you've said for a long time that are incoherent to anyone who doesn't speak fluent Meridian. The most noticable one is probably grandma. You've said "Monga" forever, but within the last week it has switched to grandma! Of course, now grandma is trying to get you to say "Monga" again. It's a fun little game for the two of you.

You've got this birthday thing down! It's like you've done this three or four times in the last day. I do think that there has been a few birthdays at school in the past month or so. You're in the 2-3 room at daycare now and they seem to sing songs a lot more often. You have spent the last week or so singing "Happy Birthday" all the time. And when we put the cupcake in front of you with the candles on it, you sat there and sang happy birthday along with all of us then promptly blew out the candles!

We moved over to presents and you knew exactly what needed to be done and got to work. Of course, I'm not sure who was more excited about all this, because your brother was bouncing circles around you and telling you what to do. You loved everything that you got and every time you opened up a gift, you would say "ooooOOOOOOoooo!" like you always do whenever you're in awe of something.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl! I love you so much!

love,
momma

Happy Birthday to Meri!

2011-08-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mommy Must Have - Odds & Ends

2011-08-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

You know you can trust what I say here, because I'm not paid a dime for featuring a single one of these products. Don't you think all these companies should fork over some serious dough? Because there's maybe 10 mommas out there reading these lists of "must haves" I've been making. And those 10 mommas are buying random crap I told them to... Kidding. It's not crap. It's necessity!

So I'm going to try to hit on some random things that I haven't mentioned yet. Because Kristin's due date is getting CLOSE! EEEEEEEEEE!

Kristin, you need some waterproof pads. Sure, you probably already have the waterproof crib mattress liner. That's not what I'm talking about (although you certainly need those too). You need to go buy some lap sized ones. I think they're even called lap pads the majority of the time. Or get a crib liner and cut it into smaller sized ones that are about bassinet sized. Because those Conner boys....Hooo BOY! They shart right up the backside and no matter what you do, it cannot be contained. You will try bigger diapers. You will try smaller diapers. You will try using an extra wipe to create a dam at the top backside of the diaper. None of this will work. He will blow out of that diaper every. single. time. And you'll have a giant mess on your hands. Those waterproof pads at least limit the mess to the kid, diaper, and any and all clothing the kid is wearing.

I'm not sure if this is something that all boys cause. I know that my boy did and so did my coworker's. All I can figure out is their scrotum creates a dam at the front side of the diaper and that poo has nowhere else to go but up and out the backside of the diaper. So good luck with that.

Also: get a lot of onesies. You're going to need them with all those clothes changes you're going to have to do. And keep an extra shirt in the diaper bag for yourself.

For everyone else, those waterproof lap pads are great for all of you too. Because if your kid doesn't poo everywhere, s/he will probably puke everywhere. I just want all of you to realize right now that your child is going to create millions of filthy messes. Whatever you can do to strategically contain the size and scope of the damage is vitally important.

Continuing on the "end" area, you'll need a rectal thermometer. They're the only ones that are super accurate. Babies are too small to take an oral thermometer, too wiggly to take an ear thermometer, and I haven't heard very many positive things about the temporal thermometers yet. I know the hospitals have great accurate ones, but I'm not sure about the home ones yet. If you find one with great reviews, give it a shot.

Get a good diaper pail. We have the Genie and it works well. It does its job...for the most part. There certainly are malfunctions after four years of usage and now and again I get an odiferous whiff of that toxic concoction. Thankfully, I've remained on my feet each and every time and am here to tell you about it. I'm not sure which pail is better than the other, but no matter what, you're going to want one. Don't worry about using it if your baby is exclusively breast fed. Their poops are like unicorn farts. I'm surprised there aren't sparkles in their poo. There's virtually no smell. As long as you empty your garbage on a regular basis, you're set. At least until you start with formula or introducing solids. Then you need a hazmat suit.

Want to know what you don't need? A diaper stacker. At least I didn't. I just put all the diapers in a basket on the changing table. Voila. $15 saved. Another thing you don't need? A bathrobe for the baby. Who on Earth puts their infant child in a bathrobe?! Want to know what I do? I dry them off and get them dressed right away. Another ridiculous "need"? Baby laundry detergent. Don't buy it. It's a scam. There, another $20-$30 I've saved you. You're welcome.

Get a good night light. This isn't for the baby being terrified of the darkness. They're still too young for that. That won't set in until about age 2 to 4. At the infancy stage, it's for you. So you can creep into their room and see if they're still alive and breathing without having to shine a flashlight in their face. I like the turtle night lights we have. Don't buy that one I linked to though. The price is obscene! Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and I'm sure they'll have one for less than $20. The kids love them! They even give them hugs good night. I like them because the lighting is soft and minimal, but if I need it to be brighter, I just lift the shell off.

Get a good set of nail clippers and a very fine toothed comb. The comb, during infancy, is for when cradle cap takes over your precious child's sweet smelling, perfect little head and turns it into a scaly flaky mess. You'll want to wash that kid's head and comb over it with that little comb and take off as many flakes as you can. Then hopefully, it will clear up and it won't look like you've neglected your child anymore and you do, in fact, bathe him now and again. Then, hang onto that comb for the school years. Because you never know if you'll be one of the lucky ones that has head lice.

My favorite shampoo/body wash for the kiddos is California Baby. It smells fantastic! They rock on the eco front and don't test their products on animals. What more could you ask for?! I know! A housekeeper!

Pet Shop

2011-08-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

Boh went and got another haircut. His favorite part of these outings is the stop at the petstore.

Camping

2011-08-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Mer's first camping trip. It went alright. The dog whined too much and Meri woke up in the middle of the night and refused to stay covered up, so I had to use my arm to warm her up until she fell asleep. Then I was able to put her back inside her sleeping bag. The kids had fun digging around in the dirt, sitting by the fire, and Boh caught a huge fish at Wild Bill Lake! So big that everyone was asking him and daddy what kind of lure they were using. I just wish we had a picture!

Ookami thrilled to be going for a ride!

smores!

I think Reily was so tired because he kept us awake for a good portion of the night.

Mommy Must Have - Costco

2011-08-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

You need a Costco membership. Because you'll be buying A LOT of diapers (they sell GroVia!), wipes (their Kirkland brand is great!), formula, toys, and books. They even have some pretty neat looking convertible furniture. Not to mention all the other goodies they sell. You might as well be getting this stuff at a discount! Plus, they have a great photo department for those Christmas cards you better be sending me.

See you at the carwash

2011-08-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Boating at Cooney

2011-08-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tried it again. Meri was less than thrilled.

So we went to shore and she threw rocks while Boh drove the boat around.

Then we all threw rocks while the boat was loaded up.

Mommy Must Have - Carseats & Play Yards

2011-08-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

If you plan on getting the baby home from the hospital, you're going to need a carseat. Don't want to keep the kid? Just don't get a carseat! Seriously, they won't let you leave the hospital unless you have a carseat. Of course no one really checks any of the following days. Just that first one. I know this because last week we were at the salon and there was a carload of kids in the parking lot. Not a parent in sight. And there definitely wasn't a carseat anywhere in that car. Not only that, but there were 6 kids there and the car only seated 6. I can guarantee you at least one person doesn't wear a seatbelt while they're driving around. Well, unless one of those kids was driving... Sometimes, I just wanna smack people around.

You're going to need a carseat. It's up to you if you want to get an infant carseat. They certainly aren't necessary, since you could just buy a convertible seat, which will last a kid from infancy through 70 pounds (if you buy the right one). Those infant seats are handy though, because you don't have to run the risk of waking the sleeping babe up every time you get to your destination. Although, I have heard some people make the argument that it's wise to move kids around while they're sleeping so they get used to it and don't wake up. Because, you know, I want to make sure my kids sleep through an earthquake.

The infant seats are also nice during the winter because you can cozy them up in their little cocoon and not worry about the below zero weather. Plus, you're not supposed to have heavy, thick clothing on them when you buckle them into their carseats, so those cocoons become real lifesavers.

The downside to the infant carseats is that they cost quite a bit of money and you use them for such a short time period. At least I did. I know they're good for about the first year, but I would say the kids were about 9 months by the time we moved them out of the infant seat. Because carrying those bulky seats with 15 pounds of wriggling flesh is really hard on the arms and back. It's so much easier to just take the kid out and carry them.

My advice to you: don't spend a fortune on an infant carseat. Just get one that has a high safety rating and looks like it would be easy to clean off. Because those babies sure spit up a lot.

Now, once you move the kid onto a bigger carseat, my advice to you is to get the Britax Marathon. These have the highest safety rating, are super easy to install (and get it right!), and easy to get kids in and out of. And hey! If you're reading this on the publish date, then Diapers.com is having their Britax sale and you can get the seat for $50.00 less! And probably free shipping!

On to play yards. Do you like how they've changed the name from "playpen" to "play yard"? Is this so my child doesn't feel so restricted by the open topped cage I'm putting them in?

Don't go all gung-ho on the play yard. The first one we bought was the Rainforest Play Yard, which was promptly recalled about 9 months later due to a suffocation risk. That one had all the bells and whistles - including a mobile that played music (which we never used) and a changing table attachment (also rarely used). When I got my money back from the recall, I went out and bought a more basic model. We didn't use it enough to justify having all that excess stuff. I think this Phil & Ted's one looks pretty damn cool though!

We did use the play yard as a substitute for a bassinet for Meri in the first three months of her life. Since we had space at the side of the bed, it was nice to have the play yard right next to the bed with the changing table attachment for those middle of the night feedings and changings. And now, even though they are both probably a bit too big for the play yard, we'll be hanging onto it for quite some time. You have no idea how nice it is to go visit someone when they already have a play yard at their house. Because packing those things into a vehicle for a weekend when space is at a premium is not fun.

Fourth of July Weekend

2011-08-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Flathead Lake for the Fourth of July weekend! It was a lot of fun!

The Mission Mountains

Checking out the cabin.

Kai on the kayak

Jon & Kendrick swam out to the dock - even though the water was freezing!

Bright!

view of the cabin from the lake

Boh & me on the kayak

Pam getting the hose out for the kids to play with

Jon was in charge of the pyrotechnics

Mer & Kieran are partners in crime raiding the cooler of food and ice

Kendrick wrapped Kai up in the hammock. It was fun watching these two and how they got along and played together. They're about as far apart in age as Boh & Meri. I hope my kids get along as well as these two!

Kai & Adam

Meri & Boh. He spent all of his time running over that little white foam truck right in front of his tire.

It was great! Pam had all kinds of toys at the cabin for the kids!

Angie & Jeremy making tuna sliders

How cute are these two?!

Looking for fishies!

Don't drink my juice!

Kieran trying on Jeremy's hat

Hours were spent throwing rocks into the water

FLY!

The neighbors were totally awesome and had grandkids close in age to Boh & Meri. Jalen had not one, but TWO of these little vehicles. Jalen drove the truck around and Boh was in the Mustang. We had to stop them after a little while because it was about to become bumper cars. You should see Jalen drive this thing. He peels out!

This little girl is Kieran's second cousin, Brooklyn. She was a tough little chick! And cute too!

Meri raiding the crackers

Boh's bike proved to be very popular. We should have brought Meri's too.

Water fight! The guys on the kayas were armed with super soakers.

The razor.

Getting ready to start the firework show

Of course there's sparklers for the kiddos!

That's a bonfire!

Throwing rocks again...

Kai and Angie going out for a spin.

El Camino

2011-08-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Boh thought this was a pretty cool car!

Mommy Must Have - Sanity Keepers

2011-08-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

Right now, before you forget, call and make an appointment for a massage about one month after your due date. Put the reminder on your calendar in your phone. Make your significant other promise to watch the baby no matter what during this time. I'm not sure what time you'll want to schedule this for, but if your kids end up being anything like my kids, then feedings were every three hours. Usually 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, etc. I would schedule around the feedings if possible, but that's just me. I didn't want to pump if I didn't have to. If you aren't breastfeeding though, no worries! Schedule it for whenever you want and for however long you want! The longer the better, I say.

You're going to need a massage. At least one. And you'll want them to focus all their attention right between your shoulder blades all the way up your neck. Because the first few months are hard on a mommy's back, neck, and arms. Really hard! So much holding baby and rocking baby and nursing/feeding baby. And of course when you're holding that baby, all you want to do is stare at that beautiful face. Feel free to stare, but make sure that every now and then, you look up and stretch out that neck. Stretch out those arms. Particularly your forearms, wrists, etc. You have no idea how much holding that little 7-ish pound cherub will end up straining every muscle in your upper body. And you have no idea how quickly that 7-ish pounds swells up to 15-ish pounds (still talking about the baby here).

If you're a cheapskate and won't pay for a massage ever, then go buy this massager. I realize the upfront cost might be a lot, but after a few months, you'll realize that it was worth it. Maybe this is something that should be included in every baby registry!

Another luxury: a housekeeper. If this is your first kid, it isn't so much of a necessity. As long as there are two of you in the relationship, then there's always one person there to keep the kid entertained while the other one can frantically clean the house. But if this is your second kid and both of you work outside the home, than get yourself a housekeeper! Consider it as part of the cost of raising a child - kind of like daycare. You'll also be doing your part to support your local economy! Don't feel guilty about it! I will freely admit that we have recently hired a company to come clean our house once a month. Granted, I feel a bit stupid when I tell people, even though I shouldn't. I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO CLEAN THE TOILETS OR TILE FLOORS! Or the energy. They only come once a month and you have no idea how happy I am when I walk in the door after a day at work and that house is spotless. I can't put a price on that feeling. If we had more money, they would be coming every single week. In fact, if I was super wealthy, I would hire out a permanent housekeeper as well as groundskeeper. And I would pay them well. They are worth every penny!

Remember: If momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Monster Trucks!

2011-08-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

We found my buddy, Ryland, and watched the show with him!

Mommy Must Have - Bouncer

2011-08-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

I don't care if you don't get anything else. Get a bouncer. Spend a lot. Spend a little. Just make sure it bounces. (I'm kidding about that "a lot" one. Who would buy that? REALLY?!) When that kid is crying its head off and you're exhausted, plunk him/her into this thing, sit down on your chair, lean back, and let your feet do the work.

Month Twenty-Three

2011-07-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

Meridian,

Today you turned twenty-three months old! Only one more month of being one!

We started off the month by celebrating the 4th of July at Flathead Lake with the Dockters. We were all packed into a camper and initially, we were worried about you and Kieren and whether or not you two would wake each other up. But the two of you kept pretty similar schedules and things worked out much better than we anticipated.

We had so much fun there! You loved throwing rocks into the lake with Kieran and riding around on your car. I even took you out for a ride on the paddle boat! There were always snacks around so you guys just became little grazers, which suited you just fine. Every night we were there, we put you to bed and you were asleep before any of the fireworks started. On the last night though, we didn't get you to bed early enough and you were still awake when the show started. You were quite unsure about what was going on. Eventually, I decided to bring you outside so you could see what fireworks were all about. You still weren't sure about the whole thing.

It's been a hot July and we've spent a good amount of time having water fights in the back yard. You and your brother love to play with water. And you are such a good sport - he's constantly spraying you and half the time it doesn't even phase you.

When we go to daycare, there is always something you bring with you from home. All month long it has been various stuffed animals and blankets. More recently, it has been little toys that we have in the car with us. The last couple days, you have been wanting to wear your down puffer vest. In July. Today, you put on your winter hat and refused to take it off. I think all of this is just you learning how to accessorize your outfits.

You have been jumping everywhere this month. At the beginning of the month, you would hold my hand and tell me you wanted to jump. Then you would bend your knees, straighten up, and that would be it. There was no leaving the ground. Now though? You jump and actually get a little bit of air!

You are such a goofy little girl! You are always doing things for a laugh! Just this morning, you were running in between daddy and me and every time you got to each of us, you would give us a big cheesy grin and laugh hard through your clenched teeth. You will put things on your head and then go out of your way to make sure we notice. You'll rock back and forth from one foot to the other. You'll "sneak" up on me with this silly look on your face. The entertainment you provide is endless!

You are talking all the time and each and every day the things you say become more and more clear. Every morning when we leave the house, you'll wave and say "Bye Riley! Bye Ookami!" The last couple days, you've also been trying to say "See you later alligator!" but it comes out more like "See alluslaameebogater!" You'll also try to say "Home again home again jiggity-jog" but it's a pretty garbled up mumbo jumbo. I'll hear a little bit of "jiggity" and "jog" mixed in there somewhere. You are always looking around at people and look at me and say "Doing?" and wait for me to explain what's going on. I try to get you to say complete sentences all the time just because I get a kick out of what the sentence sounds like coming out of your mouth.

You have quite the temper! Lately, you've been taking it out on nearby objects so I've been comparing you to the Hulk. You'll get mad because I've taken something away that you're not supposed to have. You'll look at me, then turn and walk a couple feet over, grab something and throw it on the ground. When we were camping last weekend, you got mad, marched right over to Bohdan's bike, and heaved it up and over. I had to conceal my laughter with that one.

Speaking of camping - we took you camping for the first time! We went up near Red Lodge and only stayed one night. Which was a good thing, because between you kids and the dogs, daddy & I didn't get a whole lot of sleep. You absolutely refused to cover up while falling asleep. This was fine at the beginning of the night. It took forever to get you to go to sleep, but it was still warm enough outside that it didn't matter if you were thrashing about outside of the covers. Once you fell asleep, I covered you up with the sleeping bag and a blanket. You woke up in the middle of the night though and you would not let me cover you back up! And I think the whole reason you woke up is because you were cold! You laid there and cried/moaned "moooommmmmeeeeeee" for probably a good half hour. I finally managed to get you to fall asleep by putting my arm over you. I think my body heat was enough to warm you and lull you back to sleep. Then I covered you up again and you were fine for the rest of the night.

Other than the rough night, you loved camping! You and Bohdan spent so much time digging around in the dirt and playing in a tiny mud puddle. Daddy had bought worms to fish with and we had those out for awhile and the two of you thought they were the coolest! You ate all kinds of chocolate and marshmallows and part of a cracker, but I was never able to make you an actual s'more.

You love to ham it up and have recently started to say "Cheese!" when I want to take your picture. The problem is that I will ask you to say cheese, you'll turn your head towards me and quickly say it, and then immediately turn away. This all happens so fast that I can't get a picture of your face half the time. Thankfully, for this last picture, you were getting a kick out of me taking pictures and I managed to take quite a few - including this super cute one where you look like the little angel you are!

love,

momma

Great Grandpa Reuben

2011-07-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

We lost another great yesterday.

Great Grandpa Reuben passed away yesterday morning.

While his death did not come as a surprise, I think it's a bit unfortunate that you two won't get to grow up around him and develop the same irrational fear that I have because of him: washing machines.

You see, he's missing part of some of his fingers and when I was a kid I was told it was due to a washing machine. Of course, no one ever clarified to me that it wasn't a modern washing machine that did this to him. I think this was my parent's way of keeping me from sticking my hands into a running washing machine. Or maybe we still didn't have a modern washing machine and they were worried I would lose a finger as well.

Maybe you guys can explain this to me a little better? Because I'm still afraid to put my hands anywhere near a running washing machine.

Anyway, whenever I hear polka music, or play this marble game, or ~~eat~~ see Circus Peanuts (blech!), I'll think of him. And hopefully, these things will all become a part of your lives as well.

Artwork

2011-07-28T18:56:00.000-07:00

Old Chico Footage

2011-07-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Found this one and I don't think I ever uploaded it...

Mommy Must Have - Strollers

2011-07-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Chariot has been worth every penny. Make sure you get the double. Even if you only end up having one kid, it's nice to have the extra space. Get it at REI and use your member coupon for 20% off that they hand out a couple times every year and also use your dividend. Don't forget that you have to purchase at least one kit to make it work. We have both the jogging and cycling kits. They also have a cross-country ski kit!

I'm not a big stroller user. I don't shop at malls or anything like that. When we were in San Francisco though, we borrowed Jason & Kelli's Phil & Ted's stroller. I loved it! It's quite a bit better than a double-wide stroller for getting around in crowds. And when we were in a torrential downpour, at least the kid sitting on the bottom seat managed to stay dry!

Also: an umbrella stroller. Surprisingly enough, we still don't have one of these. We should though. They're cheap, fold up small, and quite useful. Because carrying kids is a lot of work.

Grandma Pam's!

2011-07-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

checking out the birds

ready for dinner!

strolling through the garden

I know I've put this one up before, but it's just so darn cute - you have to see it again!

playing dolls with grandma

watching a silly video

Thumbnail

2011-07-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

While we were in Missoula, Bohdan finally lost his thumbnail. He injured it at the Spring Program at school in April. He was looking for his buddy, Devon, and found him. Then he left the room. He was still standing by the door though as it closed right on his thumb! Thankfully, Devon's mom was standing there and was able to free him before it totally crushed his thumb.

We had to apply bandages when it first happened and then again for the last month or so as the nail started to fall off.

Daddy had been trying for quite sometime to get the fingernail off, but Boh would have none of it. In fact, the night before it fell off, daddy was so sure he would be able to just take it right off! But the tears put a stop to that.

The next day, daddy went golfing and I casually mentioned to Bohdan that he could pull on it and if it started hurting, he could stop. No harm done. He blew me off, then wandered away eyeing his thumb. Sure enough, he grabbed that sucker and yanked it off!

Mommy Must Have - Deals

2011-07-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this one is kind of for everyone, because who doesn't love a great deal?

We're a very materialistic society. So how do we get all these goodies without having to pay full price? Bargain websites, that's how. Have some patience, check daily, and eventually you will get what you want.

Mamabargains - this is mainly kidstuff
Totsy - again - kids
Zulily - this has stuff for kids as well as mamas!
The Mini Social - mostly kids
Baby Steals - I think this one speaks for itself
Kid Steals - once again...
Kids Woot - entirely kids
Ideeli - Mostly designer stuff. I've noticed that they've recently included a men's, kid's, and travel tab.
Woot - the guys will love all the gadgets
Shirt Woot - guys also love silly shirts
Steep and Cheap - because we love our outdoor gear
Chain Love - if you're into bicycles
Groupon - for deals in your city

I haven't personally ordered from all of these, but the ones that I have ordered from have been fantastic. They have clear return policies and I've been pleased with the products I've ordered. For example, I bought our Svan highchair for half price on Mamabargains. They've also carried some awesome strollers and carseats. I love to order baby shower gifts off these sites too!

Another helpful site? Craigslist. You can find all kinds of used stuff that normally costs an arm and a leg - like Deuter kid carriers, Chariot strollers, cribs, toys, etc. Ebay was great for us for finding used kids skis.

I'm going to mention one more site, even though it isn't a bargain site. Etsy is an amazing site filled with all kinds of great stuff! If you want something handmade, unique, whatever - Etsy probably has it.

Cousin Amy visits Missoula!

2011-07-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

got in a ride on the lawn mower

and a couple games of horseshoes

we made sure to wear lots of Bobcat gear!

but that's okay, because I'm too cute for them to be mad.

flew airplanes until we broke them

Great Grandpa

We LOVED blowing dandelion seeds on Cousin Amy!

Building a fire

Can you tell he's a Conner boy?

Reading stories

Cheese!

Let's play Nana B!

Where'd Meri go?

Here I am!

Imaginarium

2011-07-13T19:35:00.000-07:00