Looney Tunes

Hello out there! Hello? (echo, echo, echo echo)

I think this must officially be the longest I've ever gone between posts! Holy cow! Aside from my regularly scheduled excuses for not getting to my blog lately I've been afflicted with a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad cold. In the middle of summer! I've had the darn thing for over two weeks now, it just keeps dragging out. And actually both Travis and Noah have had it too, making us all very sniffly, sneezy, throat-achey and crabby. Not to mention the Olympics started. So, being somewhat of an Olympics fanatic I have been sitting around, nursing my cold and watching as many events as I can. I don't know why, but for some reason I find the whole thing fascinating, even the sports I never watch at any other time... I mean, I think I'd watch Olympic nose-picking if that were on too! (Well, maybe not on second thought.) On top of all that, add in two frisky kittens running amok all over the house, a teething toddler, and an opinionated preschooler and you're starting to get the picture.

Between Noah and Brianna both, they're just so active that these two kids are driving me nuts!

(Get it? DRIVING me nuts? he he he)

Noah got that little car for his birthday, (he was always trying to ride his sister's and she didn't really appreciate it), and they have enjoyed cruising around together.

Ahhh, see how nicely they're sharing too?

Seriously though, with all the illness and hectic lifestyle lately, the kids just being, well kids, has made me feel a bit looney tunes lately. For starters, in addition to being sick, Noah is also teething again. Yep, beside his two bottom front teeth, now he's got one of the top ones with the other one looking like it'll be breaking through the gums any time. Which, makes the kid pretty cranky. On top of that I think he's decided to started his terrible two's early. He's very emotional and dramatic lately, and has even started having tiny tantrums, pushing objects away if what you're offering is not what he wanted or, even worse, sticking out his lower lip in a full pout, sobbing, and throwing himself face down onto the floor in response to being told no. He's even actually smacked his mom, and once his grandma, on the cheek for telling him no. And he gets told no a lot in regards to the kittens especially, like when he hoisted one up by the tail.

Meanwhile Bree seems to be growing up a little bit in the past few weeks. I mean, we still butt heads quite frequently, like when she got in trouble for stuffing a kitten into a large jar and sealing it in, (but don't worry, no kittens were harmed in the making of this blog). However, she's also been answering, "Yes Mom," more and more when asked to do something. In fact, when I asked her to pick up her blocks today she immediately started to pick them up and said, "This is my 'sponsibility." The thing is, the kid keeps up a constant, and I mean constant, string of chatter that I find a bit overwhelming and hard to keep up with, especially when I'm trying to focus on something else. Here's a sample of a typical conversation lately:

(in the car, on the way to the store)
Bree: Hey Mom, who's in that car right there?
Me: I don't know.
Bree: Well what's their name?
Me: I don't know who that is kiddo.
Bree: Why don't you know Mom?
Me: I don't know everyone who lives in town silly.
Bree: Why don't you know everyone?
Me: Because I don't.
(passing through an intersection)
Bree: Hey Mom, you ran a red light!
Me: No I didn't. Our light was green, don't worry. (It was the light for the cross traffic she was looking at.)
Bree: Yes you did Mom! I saw it!
Me: No I didn't. Just let me drive.
Bree: Mom, turn on some music!!
(I turn on the radio.)
Bree: Mom! Not that song a GIRL song! I need a girl song Mom!
Me: Well, it's the radio babe, I can't pick the song, they just play what they're playing.
Bree: Why Mom?
Me: That's just the way it is.
Bree: Mom, what store are we going to? What are we going to buy there?
Me: Milk and cheese and bread...
Bree: And fruit snacks Mom? Can we get a kid's meal for lunch too?
Me: We'll see. Hey, tell you what, if you and your brother act nice in the store we'll go play at the park for awhile okay?
Bree: Which park, the big park, the little park or the medium park?
Me: It's a different one than those.
Bree: Why Mom, which one is it?
Me: A new park okay?
Bree: The big one?
Me: No, I said a different one, a new one.
Bree: Well which one Mom?
Me: I don't know the name of it okay?
(arrive at the store, less than a mile from my house)

I mean, don't get me wrong, I think it's great the kid is verbal and asks a lot of questions and stuff, but believe it or not, I don't know the answers to everything and it's kind of exhausting after awhile to be explaining why and how you're doing every little thing. Of course, all that chatter makes for some pretty amusing moments as well. Take the other day when I was cleaning the bathroom, Bree popped her head in the door and said, "What are you doing Mom?" "Cleaning the bathroom," I answered. She observed for a minute and crinkled up her nose, turned on her heel and as she was headed back out the door said over her shoulder, "Well, good luck with that!" Later, as she was telling a rather involved story she got sidetracked, then jumped back in with, "Anywhoozle...." (Something I say a lot as a rather inept transition between topics.)

Yep, they do make me a little crazy but they are awfully cute....


Finally, (in closing this rather, long, rambling, and somewhat haphazard post), in the spirit of the Olympics, I leave you with ideas for some future Olympic events:

How 'bout Olympic stroller races? You can't really tell their speed from the picture, but this is my baby sister racing around super fast with the stroller. Obviously, Noah thinks that's a horrible idea, hated every minute of it.

Here's Bree practicing for the good old traditional Olympic event, the high jump...
Note the Michael Jordan-esque hanging out of tongue that indicates her concentration.

Pretty high off the ground for a squirt huh?

Or what about Olympic bubble blowing? I'm a real champ at that one.

And here I am demonstrating another of my strengths, dorky adult riding kids' tricycle improperly. I'm either a true tricycle athlete or it could also be that due to all the craziness in my life this summer, I'm reverting back to my childhood and blowing bubbles and riding trikes and stuff.

Well, just thought I'd check in and let you all know I'm still alive and everything.