Mom of Boys here

I was just telling one of my friends last week at the beach that as much as I think I once tried to fight the title, I am clearly a Mom of Boys. All boys. That's me. Not that I don't love my guys more than anything ... but once I saw myself with girls too.

Now? After being a seasoned all boy mom? This is how we roll.

These are the 'pretty mantis' ... as the boys call them. No matter how many times I have said Praying Mantis. It has been 'pretty' since they were small. We ordered two egg sacs a few weeks ago from Insect Lore. Last night one of the eggs started hatching.

Did I mention each sac should hatch between 75 to 200 of these tiny guys?

A mere hours later, the boys were horrified to find they had started eating each other after they woke up this morning. I warned them it would happen, that we would have to release them ... but I didn't think it would happen in just hours ... before they all finished hatching.

The boys said goodbye before we hit the beach today and we released them into our front bushes.

I am so proud of this photo below. I didn't even realize what I had captured until I went to Instagram it. Look closely. They are walking around the top of the container and hopping out!

And of course we have a video...



After the great pretty mantis release, Al went to work and the boys and I hit the beach (for the third time in six days). The waves were so rough this morning that we walked the beach for awhile because I didn't want the kids in the water until it was calmer. The Bunny Bee ran down half the beach clearing out all the seagulls and laughing.

Once we finally picked up the camera I left behind - as we went to walk the other half of the beach - the Bunny Bee decided he was over chasing the birds but the Big Guy and the Doodlebop jumped right in.

Today we had a turn around. Before the boys pulled out their boogie boards, the Big Guy started finding Atlantic Sand Crabs (which now have a name thanks to Liz and her research) on his own. Huge. Since the boys have been small they have me find them and put them in buckets. I'm the girl always digging up the beach on her hands and knees, to fill buckets with sand crabs. But this time the Bunny Bee jumped in with a bucket and the Doodle Bop actually held some for the first time ever.

Except for this one that is. The Big Guy wanted to know what all this 'orange stuff' was.

 

Babies my friend. Eggs that will be babies.

 

 

Shrieks and a round of Ewwwww!s from everyone.

 

That's right. I'm not afraid. Mom of Boys here. I wear that badge proudly.

All things Despicable Me

The boys have been dying to see Despicable Me 2 in the theaters - from the moment they saw the very first commercial. Not only had they loved the first one, but finding out that the second one would come out on the twins birthday sent them over the edge.

I know y'all remember this.



All I have heard for weeks on end is July third Despicable Me 2 comes out. On our birthday! Followed by Can we see it? And something about Purple minions this time!

I entered to win a 4 pack of tickets to see it premiere early ... and we won! Al took the boys as a surprise last week. Today I found them playing the commercial in slow motion and laughing really hard. They wanted to make a video about seeing the movie.



The Bunny Bee and Doodle Bop's sixth birthday is this week. Friend party at the local trampoline park. After not being able to decide on a theme, I asked them if they wanted to have a Despicable Me party. I had already found these online from Cheeky Kitchen and thought it seemed easy enough to make.

With the new movie coming out, I thought that Iparty would be overflowing with minions. I was so wrong. I could not believe how ... empty ... it looked. I had just been there a week and a half ago to get the boys graduation balloons and nothing was out of the ordinary then. Apparently Iparty is being changed over to a Party City and not only did they stop ordering things, they are also clearing out most of their inventory. So disappointing.

And now I'm on a mission.

To create a DIY Despicable Me 2 birthday party from scratch ... in the next few days.

Someone tell me I've got this.

Catching up and moving ahead

So I'm missing the old blogging machine that I was. Before Boston, before life and the end of the school year for the boys ... and so many other small dramas got in the way. Blogging is my outlet and I hate that I have let it go lately. It's been months since I was regularly posting on Buy-Her and lets be real, I only get a post or two a week up here. (And one of them happens to be Wordless Wednesday so that isn't really writing writing.)

Changes I am making. I am telling myself that by the end of the summer, I will find a way to combine Buy-Her with Cira's Lyrics here and maybe add some other things as well. That's right, I want an entire blog overhaul. A little bit of everything - all of the pieces of me - all in one spot.

The last few weeks have flown by. The week before boys last week of school? Al was on vacation and we took the boys out for a day and played hooky. Their first trip to the Boston Museum of Science. So much fun! Even before we went into the museum, the Doodle Bop was dragging us to the giant dinosaur outside for a photo.

The Bunny Bee wanted to look like he was floating in space. Do you see it?

School ended a week ago. My babies graduated Kindergarten and will advance to first grade. My oldest is now going on to second grade in the fall. That alone deserves an entire blog post or two, but right now I just can't even do it. Having a hard time even thinking about all three boys in full day school after the summer.

We took another trip to the Boston area (can you tell how much we love it?!) and visited Uncle Pete. He took head shots for the boys and it went great. Not only are the photos amazing (and I promise you will get to see them soon), but the boys had a blast.

It took us till the end of June, but we finally made it to the beach for the first time with Laura and the kids. We had to squeeze it in before her surgery - and hopefully in a few weeks there will be many more trips to come.

Last week was also Give and Glam. Me and Li Li below. Love her!

My adorable niece G ... who happens to be getting entirely too big. Look at that tiny ponytail! I can't handle the cuteness.

This one below? Came out smaller than I wanted. A few weeks back I bought the boys a $5 sprinkler at the Christmas Tree Shops. On super sale as I like to call it. An octopus that should have shot water everywhere. But it didn't. Which is what you get when you only spend $5 and I should have known that. We set it up for the kids this weekend and when it didn't work correctly they spent an hour or two chasing poor Captain America with it.

This morning he exacted his revenge. Chewed half of the tentacles off of it and ate them. Take that!

And the Big Guy's first Big summer injury. Had to happen sooner or later, right?

 

He was trying to take the dog for a walk - with help on the way - but the moment he opened the front door Cap went flying out and my poor guy got dragged down the driveway before we could even blink. And he never.let.go.of.the.leash.

 

Two scraped up elbows, a bloody finger, two bloody knees (one that required two giant bandaids). From tears to smiles. Just like that. And now we will look for one of those harness leashes that go around the body for Captain America. The boys can help us hold the leash, but at 2 days shy of only 5 months, this puppy has gotten too big for my littles to try and handle themselves.

 

Call me crazy but I think Cap actually felt bad.

 

And that's what you've missed the last few weeks!

 

Making it my mission to get a post up a day again from here on out. The boys have made their summer list, we have praying mantis (or 'pretty mantis' as the boys still say) egg cases hatching in a few weeks, and so many more fun things going on. I will be posting it all!

Glow Fusion bubbles review

So... we already established how much my kids love bubbles.

But bubbles that GLOW?

Yes. I said bubbles that Glow.

We got the chance to try Super Miracle Solution Glow Fusion bubbles from Imperial Toy and the boys went crazy over it. They had first seen the ads on TV and were begging me, so when the package arrived they were beyond excited. We waited until it was just about dark and brought the kids out in their pj's and sweatshirts. My husband poured the special formulated Infusion Activators (two small packages - A and B) into the bubbles as the kids waited anxiously.

We mistakenly started to shake the pink for a moment. You don't want to shake it. It still glowed, but we didn't get the same effect as the orange - which we stirred as the directions stated. The orange? Lit up brilliantly! Instant oohs and aahs from the boys. Even with just a little bit of daylight left you can see the glow on the bubbles.

Glow Fusion bubbles retail for $4.99 and can be purchased at Target, KMart, Toys R Us and more. While they are recommended for ages 8 and up, I still thought it was still perfect for my guys - at ages 5 and 7 - as long as we did the mixing and supervised the play. Below is the boys' review. Captain America cameos included.



And... long after the boys went to sleep that night, Al went out to take the dog for a walk and called me outside. The bubble solution was still glowing! While I couldn't quite get the bubbles captured on camera, we could certainly see them... check out the orange glow from the bubble jar.

You can follow up with Glow Fusion bubbles on the Imperial Toy website.


**Disclosure: We were sent 2 bottles of Glow Fusion bubbles from Imperial Toy in exchange for our honest review. Opinions are, as always, all our own.**

Little Tikes Bubble Bellies review

My kids are in love with the Little Tikes Bubble Bellies from Imperial Toy! We were sent the dog on the bottom left, but there are four different animals to choose from.

The Little Tikes Bubble Bellies retail for just $12.99 and come with an 8oz bottle of bubble solution included. Ideally for children ages 2 to 6, my five and seven year olds LOVED this. They are obsessed with bubbles to begin with - we even have a giant supply in our garage of bubble solution they have recently broken out for Spring - so they were thrilled to get this toy.

After opening the mouth of the toy, there is a spot to pour the bubbles in. I did that to minimize the kids mess, snapped shut and let them loose with it. They squeeze the handle for non-stop bubble action. What I really liked was that the toy has a clear tummy so I can easily check the level of bubble solution.

Little Tikes Bubble Bellies is sold at Target, KMart, Toys R Us and more.

Here is the Doodle Bop giving it a try. We did find that the toy works better when held completely upright - the bubbles don't stop coming out when the boys squeeze the handle. If you tilt the toy to the side too much, you will not get the same flow. Here is the boys' review below.



P.S. - They have played with this every.single.day. since it arrived at our house. Total winner!

You can follow up with Bubble Bellies on the Imperial Toy website.


**Disclosure: We were sent the Bubble Bellies from Imperial Toy in exchange for our honest review. Opinions are all our own!**

Thankful Thursday and Boston

Thankful Thursday! Changing it up a little today because there are some things I feel like I need to say first. It has been a week since I posted last. I actually have a few posts in the can ready to go, but was waiting for different reasons. Monday morning I got a post written about the boys and the dog but then Boston happened and it didn't feel right.

In fact, nothing has felt right since then.

It took such a toll. Born and raised in Rhode Island, a piece of my heart has always belonged to Boston - especially with what we have been doing with the boys lately. Red Sox, Fanueil Hall, The Freedom Trail, the North End ... Al and I used to love spending entire weekends there. Something about living in New England, having everything so close, you feel a part of it all. The morning of the Marathon I debated on taking the boys down. I felt braver after all of our recent traveling and thought I could do it OK without Al (who was at work). I then started to think about how much I hate crazy crowds and decided we should just skip. Plus I had work to do. Maybe next year I decided.

I took a break from work and the boys and I met Al on his lunch break, then we were back home again. From my laptop, with the Bunny Bee next to me, I caught a blurb online about a possible bombing at the Marathon. Could not be. I couldn't turn on the news so I started asking my girlfriends what they heard. Once I realized just how serious it was, I put the boys in front of a DVD so they wouldn't see anything by accident and turned on the TV in my room. I was horrified by what I saw. And sick to my stomach. Blinking back tears all I could think was that I had almost taken my kids.

The girls and I were glued to our laptops talking while watching the reports, all of us in disbelief. I was IM'ing Al. This just was.not.happening.

But it was.

While we managed to keep any knowledge of Sandy Hook from our kids, we weren't so lucky with the Marathon coverage. I shielded them from the TV reports, we didn't talk about it in front of them, but I forgot all about radio coverage. (They boys go to sleep with their radios on at night... during Sandy Hook I remembered to put on Cd's... not this time.) I didn't know they knew a thing until we were sitting at the Rhode Island Blood Center the next day. They asked why so many people were donating blood. I simply said that there were lots of people who needed some and they asked people to come in and help.

It wasn't until we were in the truck on the way home that they asked about it again - and mentioned that they had 'heard things' on the radio about people getting hurt badly at a race. I struggled with what to say. I told them I hadn't wanted to talk about it, that I didn't want them to be scared of anything. I told them at the Marathon someone exploded some things (I could not say 'bomb' to my little kids) and lots of people got hurt. A few died. Mommy donated blood to help the people who got hurt get better.

They nodded their heads. I explained that this does not happen all the time and again, I didn't want them to be scared. That they could ask me anything. They told me they would not ever be scared, because whoever did that was the 'baddest person ever' and once the police catch him no one will ever do bad things like that again because he will be in prison forever.

My heart.

We went into Dunkin Donuts and right at their eye level sat the stack of newspapers with the photos from the day before splashed across them. The Bunny Bee's mouth opened. I just grabbed him and moved him along. I don't want you to look at those things I told them. I don't want you to watch it on TV either. Promise me that if you are changing channels and see something you change it right away. Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network only - do you hear me? Again they nodded. I hate that I even have to talk to them like this. The Big Guy often turns on the news (we have had chats about this) because he likes to see them do the weather. I explained that I do not want them talking about this at school because we wouldn't want to scare kids who may not know or understand.

And I made it my mission to make sure the boys got their mind off all of it. Easier said then done. They have talked about it daily. They want to know if all the people are better and if they have caught the bad guy. All I can say is they are all getting better and they think they will have the bad guy soon.

Yesterday we went to the beach. Today we had a family day. I still can't wrap my head around Boston and I don't think I ever will. I am running my first 5K in a year next weekend and the thought of the boys at the finish line scares me. But I know that that is no way to live. They are excited to come watch and watch they will.

I know this post doesn't exactly fit into the usual Thankful Thursday, but trust me when I say I am beyond thankful for everything that I have ... this week has really hit that home. I am thankful that we were not at the Marathon on Monday and that my kids don't have the images of being there and the panic in their heads. I am thankful that my babies are not scared, and that they still believe there are not more people out there in the world who would do things like this (when the rest of us sadly know different). I am thankful I can hug my husband and boys. I am thankful for April beach days.

I am thankful for crazy kids. Chaos as usual. An insane puppy. Every last bit of it.

And even if we are technically Rhode Islanders, I still consider us Boston Strong.

I am thankful for it all.

Denizen: My latest obsession

Did you wear Levi's as a kid? I sure did! I have to say it has been years since I bought a pair. Their new dENiZEN® brand is about to change all that for me. dENiZEN is high-quality jeanswear for men, women and kids sold exclusively at Target® stores and on Target.com. Y'all know how much I love Target!!! 

dENizEN is priced at under $30 for fashionable, high-quality denim that the whole family will love - making it so affordable for my family of five! When dENiZEN reached out to me about trying some items from their line, I was thrilled.

Not only did they take the sizes of my husband and boys, but they sent a pair of jeans and shorts for me! Unfortunately they were out of stock at the time for the Big Guy's size but that didn't matter. The same day the jeans arrived I ran over to my local Target and purchased a pair of Skinny Jeans in his size.

How freaking cute do these boys look? They fit the Big Guy perfectly but run just a tad big on the twins. That is the only problem that I could find. We use a belt for them, but they still fall down just a bit. It does lead me to think that the twins may be in between sizes though, because I know that the size below would be too tight. And I don't mind them having something to grow into a little, rather than grow out of immediately.

The boys like the jeans because they are comfortable and my oldest says they just "feel good". I like that I was able to get the jeans in some different colors. With twins it is sometimes hard to figure out whose clothes is whose - a different shade makes it so much easier on me.

I was sent the Essential Stretch Modern Boot Cut in Stiletto. And they are amazing! Beyond comfortable. They don't feel tight or rough like other pairs of jeans I have purchased before. I'm not the only one who loved them, these jeans are even a People Style Watch favorite in the “Best Jeans Under $50” category! The Editors loved this jean so much they were featured on the Today Show as a “lead style in denim at a low price point - with a stretch that will hug your curves!” I totally agree.

My husband got to try the plaid Cargo shorts. He is a huge fan of cargos to begin with, but he could not stop talking about how much he really liked these. Fan for life now.

And here I am with my oldest, in the Dakota Shorts in Calypso Coral. I was totally surprised how comfortable I felt in them. And definitely ready for spring and summer. Struggling with my weight the last few years, shorts have become something I do.not.buy. Capri's all summer, that is OK - not shorts... unless I happen to be at the beach. You know what? I am so running out to buy a few more pairs of these! I really am that much in love.

The next time you are at Target, I highly recommend that you check out dENizEN. In addition to their website, you can also follow up with dENiZEN on Facebook.


***Disclosure: My family was sent a pair of adult cargo shorts, a essential stretch modern boot cut, a dakota short and 2 pairs of boys skinny jeans free of charge, in exchange for my honest review. Opinions are all our own.***

Preparing for the puppy

I have so many things I want to write about lately... but only so much I can say. Which is when I stop writing as much. And I hate that. I get sidetracked by what I want to talk about but can't, and forget to focus on the stuff I can.

The twins inspired today's post.

In case you missed last week's Facebook announcement, we are bringing home a puppy in a few weeks. Surprising the boys and everything. A friend of ours has two purebred American Bulldogs - that had two puppies last month. Al and I spent some time talking it over and I picked one out.

How freaking cute is he!!! They are BOTH adorable. And so small right now that two of them fit into a laundry basket with extra room. Which one to pick was not the easiest choice. I fell in love with the little gray spots on the side and back on this guy in the front and that was it. He was mine. (Did I mention he let me hold him like a little baby too?)

Right now his name is Champ. Al thought we would leave it up to the boys whether we keep the name or change it. I told him no way could we do that, they will come up with Poop ... or Cuddles ... or something else crazy.

Want to know how well I know my kids?

Over the weekend Al told the boys he was thinking of changing his name and he was taking suggestions. The Doodle Bop told him he should change it to Poop.

This morning I was at Target with just the twins (the Big Guy was at school) and the boys happened to spot the aisle with dog food as I drove the cart by. We have NOT talked about the puppy while the boys are awake. Out of nowhere they point to the dog food and start asking when we can get a puppy.

What does Mommy say? I asked.

We know. When we get a new house. They even answered together (because of course).

From there they went on and on about how they were going to get a puppy - a boy puppy - so there will be FIVE BOYS in Mommy's house and no other girls. And then? They started in on names. All without a word from me. I was pushing the cart and wondering where this all came from.

Want to hear the list?

Poopie
Mr. Poopie
Steak
Hulk
Thor
Captain Puppy
Dog
Cuddles (what did I tell y'all!)
Buttercup (yes for a boy dog)

And then they came up with it. The perfect name for their puppy.

Butterscotch Beef Jerky.

Butterscotch would be his first name, Beef jerky his middle name. Obviously.

Oh.my.gah.

Insistent too. They laughed over dinner while telling Daddy and the Big Guy their story. The Big Guy decided he loved the name too. You know, for the puppy they don't even know that they are getting.

I have a few weeks left to do some damage control. Throw your names at me!

Vacation spot for February break? Hasbro Children's Hospital!

What a mess this week turned out to be.

Just when I was starting to think that Al was right, that maybe I could turn this into a funny blog post... like how when the Bunny Bee got sick at the start of the week he shook his head at me while he was getting sick and said so seriously
The stomach bug? Is PAIN.
Or how when the Big Guy was getting sick the first time he turned to me and blamed it on his brother. The B-b-bunny bee! He k-k-kissed me. On the cheek! Not what did it buddy.
The Doodle Bop yelling This is the worst day EVER! EVER! as he got sick. But things went downhill so fast yesterday it didn't seem like it could be funny anymore.

We did not make it to Monster Jam. The Doodle Bop and I spent yesterday afternoon and most of the night in the hospital instead.

While it seemed like he was starting to get better Thursday, he was really going downhill from the moment he woke up Friday morning. Three bites of a bagel? Sick. Two sips of a Gatorade water mix? Sick. A few showers and two loads of laundry later I convinced him to take a nap. He really fought me on it but he was asleep in minutes. And then he kept sleeping... and I debated on waking him up or letting him sleep. The Big Guy? I would have let sleep without question. The twins on the other hand have an occasional blood sugar issue and I was starting to worry it might become an issue again.

Just under three hours into his nap, I heard little feet running down the hall. And lots of tears. Sick again. Cleaned him up, he took a sip of water and he instantly got sick. Right then and there I knew we had to go to the hospital. He was crying without tears, lying on his bed with his arms out and not moving. Terrified me. I called Al at work, threw the boys in the car and dropped the Big Guy and the Bunny Bee off with him. The Doodle Bop and I went to Hasbro. They gave us his own room in the ER (where amazingly enough Joanna was right on the other side with her little girl) and I got him changed and into bed.

He was so dehydrated it took them several minutes to get his IV in. For a moment there I thought I was going to pass out. He was screaming and crying and trying to squeeze my hand (though he was barely holding on) and I felt so helpless. I was so glad I thought enough to bring his Iron Man and his giraffe at least, because it made him feel a little better after.

Disney channel on the TV (thank god for that), a few video chats with Daddy and his brothers and an entire IV bag later and he was starting to perk up just enough to get mad that he couldn't eat anything. At that point they were still telling us we might have to stay the night. After another half of an IV bag (that's right, he needed two of them) he was able to eat a Popsicle.

Best.thing.ever. Can you tell? Totally put a smile on his face. Then he wanted to send Daddy pictures.

By 10pm they finally let us go home... and that kid was still awake. Let me just say, this is my baby that could crash out anywhere at anytime. He was adamant that he was not sleeping in the hospital, no matter how many times I told him I would not leave him. No, he wanted to be home in his own 'comfy bed' with the Bunny Bee there. And to keep the hospital pj's. Which I am pleading the fifth on.

Today he looks pale and kind of swollen but he has his spunk back. And he can eat without a problem, though we are taking things slow. I am so thankful to all the awesome nurses we saw at Hasbro last night, they were all so sweet to the Doodle Bop and he loved them. He's a celebrity today at home telling his brothers all about his hospital stay last night and they are all excited to go back to school and talk about how the Doodle Bop was in the hospital over vacation.

On another note, Joanna got to go home before us (which was great news) so we didn't actually get to see each other in the ER - and just a day or so prior Liz was there with her son getting stitches. I'm thinking we need a Rhody Blogger vacation week discount. Who's with me?

Wordless Wednesday - Hockey Sticks edition

The boys are not just learning to skate any longer! Tonight was the first night with their new hockey sticks at practice. They were so excited to get on the ice!

And oh so sweaty when they got off the ice. Here the are proudly posing just before we left the rink.

Check out that hair!

Wordless Wednesday - Backwards Baby Doll Edition

I am behind and all over the place this week - my apologies.

Wordless Wednesday is OUT OF ORDER!

I'm calling this one the Backwards Baby Doll Edition. This one needs a little explanation first. When the Bunny Bee was just 3, he and the Doodle Bop were in a 2 day a week daycare/pre pre-school program just to get out and play with other kids. Each time I would drop the boys off, I would notice as I was leaving that the Bunny Bee would go to this one baby doll in the class and pick her up. He would pat her back gently and walk her around as I left and it just melted my heart.

While Al just about had a heart attack, I took the boys to Target and we got three of the same little baby dolls (in pink outfits because it was all they had) and for a little while, the Bunny Bee loved her more than anything. The other two? Not so much.

Fast forward a few years and we have 3 naked baby dolls - defaced in some places with permanent marker. And when the boys do pick them up? It's to do this.

Turn their heads backwards and laugh.

Boys...

Wordless Wednesday - Ice time

The Doodle Bop's terrible horrible no good very bad week

My poor Doodle Bop has had a pretty tough week for a 5 year old. 

Nightmares here and there. Last night he came into the room crying around 2am, but could not say what was so scary. School didn't go that well according to him either.

A few days ago his twin brother got his first 'shark ticket' for picking up books in the classroom. But MOMMY! I pushed in all the chairs after snack like I do every day and I didn't get a shark ticket! 

Shark tickets can be traded for little snacks or prizes each week in the 1st grade and my oldest gets them daily for being good. This is new to Kindergarten and apparently not given out very often... so the twins tell me anyway. The day the Bunny Bee finally got one, the Doodle Bop was devastated. He told all the moms on the playground he would never get one.

The very next afternoon he came out of school yelling MOMMY! I GOT A SHARK TICKET! Best part is he claimed he couldn't remember what he even did to get one. 

Fast forward to today. Stomping his feet because now the Bunny Bee had TWO shark tickets and he still only had one. And something about a tally starting Monday. The poor thing complained about it the whole walk home. I thought I had calmed him down when we got into the house. 

I was wrong.

MOMMY! Do you know that NOT GETTING a shark ticket STINKS! he yelled as he threw his hands up in the air for emphasis. Hilarious, adorable and yet I felt so bad for him. He is the kid that keeps it all bottled up till he snaps. This was him snapping.

For the rest of the afternoon he whined from the couch or clung to my arm. During dinner he looked at me and half yelled out of nowhere MOMMY! When I was in the coat closet before school with all my friends - except for the Bunny Bee - he was not there.  I was in the closet and I asked every single one if they had the new mini gas car 3 on DVD.  And they all said YES! All of them!  But NOT ME!  Cue the pout and folded arms.

"Mini gas car 3" is Madagascar 3 by the way. I know I wasn't supposed to laugh, but I laughed so freaking hard. It took everything I had to stifle it. And the night went on from there. At bedtime I got MOMMY! Tuck me into bed!  Mommy I had a very bad day.  All week. 

I tucked my little guy in and gave him kisses. I told him that I knew he had a bad week but tomorrow would be better. And that child was out cold within minutes.

Oh the drama of being five.

Adjusting. Maybe.

I thought this adjustment would be so much easier. 

My first grader has actually done better than expected.  I still hear the daily complaint that he doesn't want to go to school, but by the time we have walked over he can't seem to wipe the smile from his face so I have to guess that things really are not so bad.

The twins on the other hand... one of them is taking the change so so... and the other lets me know every.chance.he.gets. that he is not happy.  Right down to sprawling across my bed the moment I opened my laptop to write this morning, just to tell me he 'isn't feeling so happy' and he just wanted me to know.

Color me not surprised.  Even my grandmother noticed his pout yesterday (and it wasn't even a school day).  The Doodle Bop is not feeling so happy because of Kindergarten.  He claims he is bored.  Things are not fun.  I did happen to see him several times Friday as I worked the school book fair and he looked like he was having a ball each time I saw him.  To which he tells me it was just because he saw me.  I don't know what to believe.

I don't like the change I am seeing in my child, but I also remember him going through this at the beginning of pre-K before he settled in.  This time around it is harder because the school is new AND his class meets in the afternoon (the time of day he needs to zone and now has to pay attention).  I'm happy to be working the book fair again today and tomorrow so I can see what his mood is like in school again. 

All I know is that I can't take a minute more of this little one balled up on the couch in his dinosaur blanket.

Now to figure out how to handle the changes to my own schedule.  I have always done my writing in the morning, and a little at naptime.  And some again at night if I needed to.  Now that my morning is completely thrown into chaos with the boys home I need to figure out a new way to do things.  It used to be able to write with them here, but since school started (and their moods have changed), I am finding I need to settle into an entirely new schedule...which I have yet to come up with.

Right now I'm going to work on some 5 Minutes for Mom posts due this week.  Check back here tomorrow for a Chuck E Cheese giveaway (for THREE readers) ... and I am making it my mission to get back to regular Buy-Her posting if it's the last thing I do.  So many things in the works I need to get cracking!

But first the Bunny Bee needs me to put together his transformer Dinosaur.  Leg came off.  And the Doodle Bop has again moved his spot to mope from the couch to my bed.  And spell check is not working!  Doesn't blogger know how much I need spell check?!

Chuck E Cheese - giveaway - tomorrow - be here!!! 

The Big Five times 2

So OK wow we have been busy.  I know it seems like I disappeared, but I promise you I am still here. 

Last week my husband's great aunt passed away, which I will write about another time.  And since then the boys and I have been flying through the summer list...and just like that its been an entire week.  Every single night I sat down to write.  I just didn't manage to finish a complete post.  Today is catch up day and I'm starting with the boys turning 5.

Monday night was the last time I could tease the twins that I was banning them from the big 5.  They would have to stay four forever! (Which was a joke that started with the Big Guy when he was turning 5.)  The boys found it hilarious and begged me to ban them too.  After they were asleep we snuck in and put up signs and streamers all over their room.  I hope they never tire of that tradition.

Sitting in the living room in the morning they boys asked when they were 'officially' 5.  I looked at the clock and it happened to be 8:02am.  I told the Bunny Bee he turned 5 one minute ago and the Doodle Bop was still 4...only for one more minute.  Which they thought was so funny of course.  Al ran up the stairs and told them he was going to stop time just as it hit 8:03am but it was too late, the Doodle Bop was now 5 as well. 

I tried to pack the day with as many fun things as possible since the boys party is not until Saturday.  After Al went to work, the boys and I met Becca and B at Wright's Dairy Farm for the morning.  We came back to find the first butterfly had come out of the chrysalis.  We spent the afternoon at the Budlong Pool swimming.  Back at home we were able to watch the second butterfly 'be born' and the twins found it amazing they were sharing a birthday with them. 

For dinner that night the boys chose Chelo's Waterfront. 

It was a beautiful night and after dinner the wait staff came and sang Happy Birthday to the twins. Cutest thing ever. I watched their eyes get wide at they heard the clapping get closer, then they were beyond shy turning in to Al and I. But I could tell they loved every second of it too.

We stopped by my parents house to get the pinata for Saturday my mom made and then I sent the boys out into the yard (after 8pm) at home so Al and I could get the cake and presents ready.  Singing Happy Birthday was one of the best things I have ever seen in my entire life.  I was so choked up I could barely sing.  Before we lit the two sets of candles the Bunny Bee put his arm around the Doodle Bop and said that we could sing to him first, because he always goes first...so it was the Doodle Bop's turn.  I had always done it by age (the whole two minutes) and had never given it a thought.  Watching how excited that made the Doodle Bop was so sweet. 

So Al lit the candles and as we sang the twins swayed back and forth with the biggest smiles, sang as well and put their arms around each other at one point.  The photos are so blurry because I was snapping as fast as I could and they were not sitting still, but I feel like you can see how happy they were.  I will remember that for the rest of my life.

Those kids didn't even want their cake, just the presents.  Since it was the big 5 they opened the mp3 players they had been waiting for (though somehow didn't realize they were actually getting).  Adorable how excited they were.  They told us it was the best birthday ever.  And suddenly they looked all too grown up to me.

The night ended after we yanked them all out of bed in just shirts and super hero undies and let them stand outside in the driveway clutching their stuffed animals watching fireworks. Which was beyond huge...because just 2 hours before they were still screaming and crying over the noise. This time they were cheering.

Five. My babies are Five. And I don't know where the time is going.

How did THIS

become THIS