At his age I was this addicted to reading, too

Nathaniel and Nicholas share a bedroom and a queen-size bed. Nicholas has long seemed to consider it his personal mission to annoy Nathaniel to the point of distraction while he's reading or trying to go to sleep.

So lately, Nathaniel has started retreating to their closet to read at night. He just takes his pillow in there and reads until he's sleepy, then goes to bed.

A few nights ago, he got so sleepy he just keeled over and sacked out right there in the closet.

He was bunched up like a roly poly in there, because the closet is barely wider than he is. When we discovered him in there about 10:30, I woke him up to see if he wanted to move to the bed. The answer was "Yes."

I don't think he opened his eyes between the closet and the bed, though. Reminds me of the time when I was his age and my dad heard me get up to use the bathroom around 10 or 11:00 at night. He thought it sounded a little strange, though, and when he walked in to check on me, I was sitting on the trash can with my eyes closed, peeing.

You are so very welcome for that mental image.

It's the little things

This is a weak post, but I'm sick in the bed and wanted to give you SOMEthing today. This is what you get. (Aren't you glad you came?)

This corner of our kitchen is plenty bright during daylight hours, but it gets no light at night. Our house was built in the '80s, and we don't have under-cabinet lighting.

And even though it's not that big of a stretch of counter space, I do about half of my prep work there. I make sandwiches and stuff on the island, but this counter space here is right between the sink and the stove, so it sees its fair share of just-washed fruits and veggies and lots of other stuff.

And prepping food there for supper during the winter months, when it's already dark outside by the time we get home, is kind of a pain because the lighting is just horrible in that corner.

Enter my solution this week: a small table lamp.

Now you know I would typically give you apples-to-apples pictures. I would shoot both the before and the after pictures at night so you could really see the difference, because quite frankly, the after looks DARKER in this case.

However, the fever and chills are keeping me from getting you that Perfect Comparison Picture right now. So you're just going to have to trust me that this is, in fact, a big improvement, already given the stamp of approval by Grayson.

Added bonus, I'm loving the cozy little amount of light it gives off when it's the only thing on in the kitchen (as in these pictures) after I've cleaned the kitchen for the night and am just coming and going from the room occasionally.

P.S. Blogger just gave me a warning that the pictures might disappear from this post within 24 hours. All of a sudden I feel like one of Charlie's Angels or something. So if this posts without pictures, just be aware that the speed with which I re-post them will be completely dependent on how close to death I feel on a moment-to-moment basis.

A great way to spend a Saturday

While we are racing our Pinewood Derby car for Cub Scouts today, I hope you will find some time to read some of the adoption stories over at Kelly's Korner from yesterday.

Her friend Catherine's story, which begins it all, is incredibly touching and reminded me that many (most?) times, God's timing is not our own. I was completely taken by the stories that are posted there, and I hope you are, too.

How to 'help' your kids pick up their toys

In our house, toward the end of the evening most stretches of the floor look similar to this:

Sometimes much worse, but you can rest assured that there will be at least three LEGO men, assorted balls and several pieces of weaponry strewn about.

And we can't forget about the DSs and the DS games, which multiply like rabbits around here ... and then somehow get lost like Oceanic flight 815 every other day.

I'm sorry, but all that crap totally spoils the look of my Pottery Barn apothecary chests.

The boys, of course, act like we're pulling their toenails out with pliers when we ask them to pick up their toys. So we designated a box -- now know as "The Box" -- that holds everything that Grayson and I are left to pick up at the end of the night.

When the boys go to bed, anything that's left on the floor or the ottoman gets swept into The Box. See? It stays nice and full.

Right now it's got two swords, several Wii and DS games ...

Nick's beloved piggy ...

Nick's Alabama cap ...

And hundreds of tiny little things like Zhu Zhu Pets, Wii remotes, Transformers, books, LEGO men and those blasted Might Beanz.

The deal is, every Saturday (based on good behavior), each of the buys gets to choose ONE item to pull back out of the box. They often have their item in mind well before Saturday, but sometimes nothing they really care about is still in there and they'll just pull something out almost at random.

I'll tell you, this is the single most effective thing we've done to get them to clean up after themselves. The box is nondescript (I'm sure you crafty types can pimp it up nicely, but I'm OK with this one the way it is.)

It sits on top of the shelves that hold my scrapbooking supplies, and the boys can't reach it.

Like anything else, I'm sure the novelty of this "management technique" will someday wear off, but we're enjoying it while it lasts.

Things that have made me feel old in the last week

It's become a joke among my friends that whenever someone asks me how old someone is, I always say, "Um, probably mid-30s." It's true. That's how old I think everybody is. Sometimes I'll switch it up and say, "Um, I think he's mid-30s, but he looks older than that."

Seriously. I bet I use one of those phrases at least once a week. My friends have come to understand that I am absolutely NO judge of age. (So why do they keep asking me? I have no idea.)

Anyway, in just the last week alone, three things have happened that have made me feel ancient. Here they are, in no particular order:

My friend Lisa's son DJ is in first grade. His teacher is married, just had her first baby, has a master's degree and has been teaching for a few years already. Seems like she'd be about 30, but no. Guess when she was born. WAIT FOR IT. 1984. When Lisa told me that, I almost cried. What had I done by the time I was 27? Gotten married and been working at the phone company for five years. ACES.

I met the adorable Kelley of The Eclectic Owl at the Lisa Leonard event in Birmingham a couple of months ago. I took one look at her and thought, "Oh my GOSH. She is CUTE as a BUTTON. I'm sure she's in her mid-30s, but she looks REALLY young for her age." Come to find out when I got to know her a little bit, she's 25. Twenty-five. She doesn't look young for her age. SHE'S JUST YOUNG.

And the final slap in the face: On the radio the other morning, the DJs were talking with their interns about the dating world. One DJ asked the 23-year-old intern if he would date a Cougar, and the intern said, "I think so, yeah." And then the DJ asked him what constituted a Cougar in his mind. And he answered, "Oh, ya know, over 30."

OVER 30? Hold me.

Slices of Life, Vol. 34

Have you heard Taio Cruz's hit song Dynamite? Our boys love it.

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes
Saying ay-oh, gotta let go.
I wanna celebrate and live my life
Saying ay-oh, baby let's go.
Cause we gon rock this club
We gon' go all night
We gon' light it up
Like it's dynamite.
Cause I told you once
Now I told you twice
We gon light it up
Like it's dynamite

The other night they were singing it in the car on the way home in Grayson's car. They were still singing it in the garage, and as they walked in the house, Nicholas said, "That song really makes sense!" I'm sure Taio would be happy to know he's got the 6-year-olds in his back pocket.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Me: "Jake, let's go change your diaper."

Jake: "No, I wanna stay down here."

Me: "Jakey, we need to go upstairs and change it. Then you can come right back down."

Jake: "I don't wanna. I don't need to. I'm okay."

Me:  [pick him up and start to carry him upstairs]

Jake: "YOU'RE A STINKER."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The boys campaigned for a couple of weeks prior to Christmas to open some of their gifts before Christmas Day. Their main argument was that they needed "something new to play with on the drive to Aunt Debbie's house." I was what they considered to be completely unsympathetic, unwavering in my position that they must wait until Christmas morning. The week of Christmas, Nicholas kicked it up a notch:

Nicholas: "Mommy, why CAN'T we open just one DS game tonight?"

Me: "First of all, I don't even know that there are any DS games under the tree. Second of all, Christmas gifts are for CHRISTMAS. Not December 18th. We exchange them in a celebration of Jesus' birth."

Nicholas: "Well. FIRST OF ALL, no one really even knows that Jesus was born on December 25th. They didn't keep track back then, so they pretty much just picked that date. He COULD HAVE been born on December 18th."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When we were in South Carolina for Christmas, Jake received a Nintendo DSiXL from my parents. He was DELIRIOUS with pleasure over finally having a handheld game system to call his very own. So much so that he played it until his eyeballs almost bled the day after Christmas. A sign that he had played too much MarioKart in one day:

Back at the hotel late that night, he was trying unsuccessfully to climb into the bed. He finally shouted to me: "Mommy! I can't get in this bed! It's too high! WHAT LEVEL IS THIS?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While sitting on the couch close to bedtime recently, a time when I will say No to any request other than, "Mommy, can I go brush my own teeth, put my own PJs on and put myself to bed?":

Nathaniel: "Mommy, can I have a drink?"

Me: "Hmm."

Nathaniel: "I'll take that as a 'Yes.' LEMONADE, PLEASE."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jake continues to amaze me with his use of grown-up phrases. He's big on talking just like the rest of us do, and that includes incorporating phrases that I use, like "whether or not," and using them correctly in context. For example, just recently as we were choosing clothes for the day:

Me: "Which shirt do you want to wear today?"

Jake: "Is Elmo duhty? If it is, then I choose cement twuck."

Me: "Yes, Elmo is dirty so let's wear this one. Which pants do you want to wear? Oops. We only have navy blue; everything else is in the washer right now."

Jake: "I hasn't worn doze in a while. I not sure wedder or not day gonna fitt."

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nicholas is famous for his temper. The other night he got mad at Grayson for something and stomped upstairs. While heading up the steps, he emphasized each word with a stomp: "I. WILL. NOT. LISTEN. TO. ANYTHING. ELSE. YOU. SAY. UNLESS. IT. IS. IMPORTANT."

He and Nathaniel brushed their teeth, put on their PJs and got into bed, and then Grayson went into their room to tuck them in.

Nicholas: [dramatically sticking his index fingers in his ears] "I AM STILL NOT LISTENING TO YOU UNLESS YOU ARE SAYING SOMETHING IMPORTANT."

Grayson: "That's fine. Nathaniel, are you going to read for a little while?"

Nathaniel: "Yes. Can you get me a cup of water?"


Garyson: [gets Nathaniel a cup of water and brings it back to him] "Do you need anything else? Did you put your things back in your backpack? I'll go down and pack your snack before I go to bed."


Nicholas: [still with his fingers jammed in his ears and a scowl on his face] "Are you saying anything important? ARE YOU SAYING ANYTHING IMPORTANT? ARE. YOU. SAYING. ANYTHING. IMPORTANT?"

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nathaniel has started reading the Harry Potter series and is in the middle of the Chamber of Secrets. All along, he's been keeping me abreast of every difference between the books and the movies. Apparently there are many. Just last night:

"One MAY-JAH difference I've noticed is that in the books, the scar on Harry's forehead is shaped like a lightning bolt. But in the MOVIES, it's sideways so it looks more like an N. I guess they had to settle for that kid who plays him because maybe he was the only one who had a scar on his forehead."

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Me: "Boys. You left two bowls of cereal with milk in them on the kitchen table this morning. I think Scout drank the milk and that's why he had diarrhea this afternoon. I mean,  you just have to be more careful. You absolutely CANNOT leave milk where Scout can get it!"

Nicholas: "So what are you saying?"

In which you decide I must have one foot in the grave

I have my fourth dermatologist appointment of the last 12 months this morning, and as I was planning my day last night, I started thinking about how much time I spend in doctors' offices. Between me, the boys and Scout, as well as the one doctor's appointment a year for which I am Grayson's chauffeur, I am annually held captive in more waiting rooms than you can shake a stick at.

I'm more intimately familiar with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Accent Health than you even want to know.

Here's what I've tallied up for 2009, just to give you an idea:

ME
Dentist: 2
Dermatologist: 3
Neurologist: 4
OB/GYN: 1
GP: 3
Ophthalmologist: 1 (And who besides me always wants to spell that "Opthamologist"?)

TOTAL FOR ME: 14


BOYS
Dentist: 2
Pediatrician: 2 well visits (just Jake and Nick), 4 sick visits (Jake only, croup and RSV) = 6
Dermatologist: 2 (just Jake and Nick)

TOTAL FOR BOYS: 10

Grayson handled half the boys' visits, but then I have to add back the appointment I take him to. Plus Scout's vet appointment. So I end up with 14 + 5 + 1 + 1 = a grand total of  21 doctors' appointments in one year.

ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME.

That doesn't count four trips to the ER -- FOUR! -- in 2009. Two for Jake with RSV, one for myself with weird joint pain and one for my sister with the stomach bug. (No, it was not your average joint pain or stomach bug. You're just going to have to trust me.)

Quite frankly, it's amazing I have time to blog, read, scrapbook and watch TV, much LESS go to work.

Railroad Park on a cold Sunday afternoon

Yesterday afternoon my friend Lisa called to ask if we wanted to meet her and her boys downtown at Railroad Park to skateboard and see what there was to see.

Our boys, of course, were all about it, so we loaded up and headed down there with our gear. The sun was (sort of) out when we left the house, but it had gone behind the clouds by the time we arrived at the park. Forty-four degrees feels different in the sun vs. in the shadows, by the way.

Didn't bother Josh. He hopped on his board and got right down to business.

I was surprised how quickly Nathaniel traipsed up the hill to try it, simply because he and Nick have struggled some with skateboarding in our driveway and I didn't expect him to be quite so brave. But he went right up and came right down. (That's Grayson looking kind of like a thug there.)

Josh and Nathaniel went up and down, up and down. I don't know how I managed not to get a picture of Josh's brother DJ, but somehow I missed him.

Josh has some skillz.

Nathaniel was not about to be left behind.

Nicholas did it several times, too, but he mostly tried testing his skills on the flat surface, where he could get a running start, push off and fly along the straight path.

Meanwhile, Jake busied himself in the playground area.

He loved it, even though the play equipment was for "little kids," which he usually scoffs at.

Nope. No complaints today!

About this time, I was starting to lose all feeling in my fingers and toes. But Jakey refused to wear his coat.

I don't know how kids can just ignore the cold like that.

But who am I to argue with this face?

Nicholas finally dropped his skateboard and came over to play with us, luring Jakey over to the jungle gym.

It really IS cool. I can't blame them for loving it.

When I said it was time to go, before we all succumbed to frostbite, this grinning face turned to a crying, slobbering, snotty mess. I'll spare you.

But the sun was starting to go down and -- while our winter weather doesn't hold a candle to that of the Northeast -- it was coooooooooooooooold. Time to go.

Sources of enjoyment this week

I don't have a wood-burning fireplace, but if I did, I'd love for my woodpile to look like this (via Failblog Wins):

You know we're big Star Wars and LEGO fans around here. We're not beer drinkers, but if we were, I'd probably print this out and hang it above our imaginary home keg (via 22 Words):

I don't fly often, but I really enjoy it. I know a lot of people don't like it, but I've always found it fascinating. As comedian Louis CK says when he's explaining his incredulity about people who complain about flying in his bit "Everything's amazing and nobody's happy":

People ... act like their flight was a cattle car in the '40s in Germany ... It was the Worst Day of my LIFE. First of all, we didn't board for 20 minutes. And then we get on the plane and they made us SIT there. On the RUNWAY. For 40 MINUTES.

Oh REALLY? And what happened next? Did you FLY? Through the AIR? Incredibly, like a BIRD, did you partake in the MIRACLE OF HUMAN FLIGHT, you non-contributing ZERO? ... You're sitting in a chair, in the SKY.

Which, by the way, if you've never watched that clip in its entirety, please take this opportunity to do so. It is so incredibly on-the-mark.

Yes, there are many reasons that flying can "go wrong," but please take a minute and hop over to read about an airline pilot doing a great thing. What a great way to end the week!

Coffee punch FTW!

I've seen more complex recipes for Coffee Punch ... recipes that call for Cool Whip, coffee liqueur, sugar and other things. But I'm here to tell you: PLAIN coffee punch is one of the best things you can serve at any gathering, and most everyone will love it.

Here's how you make it:

Put a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream and a half-gallon of chocolate ice cream in a punch bowl. Cut them into large chunks with a knife. Pour a brewed pot of coffee over them. (I like French Vanilla or a caramel coffee blend of some kind.) TA-DAH!

And if you generally keep ice cream in your freezer, you can do a single serving by putting two small scoops of ice cream in your coffee cup, then pouring coffee over that.

It looks sort of like this one, from MommyTopics, but their recipe is more complicated than mine.

If it's a baby shower, you can make it with decaf coffee so the guest of honor can drink it. Guaranteed crowd pleaser, either way. Enjoy!

A perfectly lovely evening

** There are links in this post that don't seem to be showing up as a different color of text. But the Lisa Leonard references at the bottom have links attached to them.  **

Last night I attended a baby shower for a dear friend who adopted a little girl five months ago. The theme was "diamonds and denim," and although I don't own any diamonds and I came straight from work so I wasn't in denim, I went anyway. It was beautifully done!

Doran, the homeowner and co-hostess, made some beautiful blue martinis. She said her secret ingredient was white grape juice. WHO KNEW? Well, if you drink martinis (I'd never had one before), maybe you knew. But I didn't. They were so pretty!

Doran warmed up the room with a roaring fire in the fireplace, which made the setting so cozy.

The two most stylish members of our Bunko group, Laura and Doran, co-hosted the shower. Laura was in sequins, fur and zippered jeggings. See? STYLISH.

Our whole group ... our Bunko group has been together for 10 years, and although people have come and gone, the majority of the group was there in the very beginning.

Holli got some wonderful gifts ranging from the practical (wipes) to the pretty (clothes) to the keepsake (a Lisa Leonard necklace).

Do you guys know about Lisa Leonard's jewelry and accessories? We gave my mom and our babysitter each an LL keychain for Christmas, and they loved them. For Holli, I thought that this necklace featuring each of their family member's names and a heart was really symbolic of their journey to adopt Leighton.

I wish I wore jewelry, because I would love to have one of these or a similar one. But I just don't wear jewelry! I don't even have pierced ears.

But seeing their family encapsulated here, like this, might make me reconsider. I met Lisa at an event several months ago when she came to Birmingham, and she is so sweet and humble. If you'd like to know more about her and her designs, you can visit her blog and her shop.