More Cousin Fun and the Funniest Thing Today

We had a jammed-packed day (I took almost 200 pictures, love that new camera, just need a tutorial from Jonathon). Steve and Rachel were off with the ponies so I got to have the Kuhtz kids. School pick-up, karate, more school pick-up, pizza, bath, abbreviated movie night. We had lots of fun. I won't post the bath pictures since they aren't all my kids in the tub but know that one of the kids (who did not happen to be a boy) was doing his or her best Ariel impression (as suggested by her mother) for me. Funnier than that was this exchange between Jack, Patrick and me on the way home this afternoon.

Jack: Will Ben be at your house?
Aunt Lindsay: No.
Jack: I like Ben.... No, actually I like Katy.
Patrick: Katy is at our house with Keith right now.
Jack (to Patrick in a low voice): Are you going to tell her I said I like her? Will you tell her I like her?

Hilarious.

Abby made Marley her mascot. He wasn't allowed out of the playhouse

Patrick and Abby

Keith to Jack: Can I have my seat back?

Keith and Abby
Keith cleaning up after he spilled his popcorn for the 23rd time.

The Silky Loophole

I know this picture of Keith is blurry but look at the face he is making. Crazy eyebrow boy.

Keith is exploiting a silky loophole big enough to sail a yacht through. Although he insists otherwise, the silkies are not allowed out of his crib. Remember? He definitely knows who is an unwitting accomplice, Uncle Jon, Jessica the Babysitter, Katy, Mommy when she feels sorry for the baby with a sore throat....

On the days he doesn't get his way he has found a way around it: SILKY-IZE ANYTHING. He is particularly fond of things with tags, silky tags that is. Lately he'll snatch a bib out of the drawer, snuggle up with a pillow, anything to feed the need. These pictures are all from this morning. Three silkies in less than 45 minutes.
1. Patrick's napping pillow
2. The dog blanket
3. A bib



The one consistent in these pictures is his pointer finger in his mouth. You see, the silky is just an excuse to suck on his finger.

When I picked him up after spin class today he tried to commandeer my sweaty gym towel. If you ask me, he needs to be a little more discriminating.

It is hard to argue against the power of the silky and finger. He is one content and self-soothed little boy. Wait until I tell you about the head massage........

Daddy Daycare

I absolutely love this picture of Kevin and Keith. I am going to wallpaper my house with it.

During the week, Kevin works hard at home while I head off to work to play around on Facebook. Patrick is at school most of the week, so Kevin is in charge of pick-up and drop-off. Kevin is also in charge of keeping us all fed during the week (on Wednesday during lunch time I got: why don't you eat some real food?)

I keep telling Kevin that he can quit and be a stay-at-home dad full-time but he isn't biting. This week Kevin started his classes, lots of reading, tons of writing... It has been an adjustment for us. Kevin has been staying up working on the computer later than I have most nights. He has also been trying to use every spare minute he has to work on his coursework. Luckily the first two classes are interesting, it makes the possibility of finding some balance a little more feasible.

In the meantime, Kevin is kicking butt on the weekend at work, taking care of all of us during the week and keeping his nose in his books whenever he gets a second. I'm just glad that I don't have homework! More Facebook time.

Cousin Fun

Tylee and Taleen on the slide. Patrick getting ready to jump (yeah right). Keith is back there bossing Pop-Pop around.

When girl cousins meet boy cousins we all have our hands full. We got together with Kevin's family for dinner tonight. It was a great time. Kevin brings the boys, Katie supplies the girls and we all watch them have a blast.

UNCLE KEVIN!!!

Kevin and Taleen

Grandma Callahan and Tayler

Aunt Katie with Keith and Taleen. Pop-Pop catching everyone.

You know you are the mother of boys if.....

You know how to respond to a lightsaber coming toward your head AND you make your kids laugh at the same time.

It was Keith (off-screen) wielding the lightsaber (one of the super-sized, spring loaded beauties Patrick got for his birthday), Patrick is taking the picture. I was hamming it up in a must-protect-the-skull kind of a way.... three words: mother of boys.

Video games and a haircut... four bits, plus a tip.

This morning I was officially over the hair. The poll was overwhelmingly in support of haircuts for the boys (with the exception of Aunt Devre). One day this week Kevin painstakingly coiffed Patrick's hair before school. His hair is finally long enough to curl up perfectly. Patrick came into my office whining that his hair was "sticking up" when he wanted it to "lay down". While Patrick's hair seemed to finally be manageable, Keith's hair has only growing increasingly unmanageable.

We went to the special kids haircut place because this was our first ever haircut at a salon. As Patrick says, "we take our haircuts at home, by my daddy." I was a little nervous about the boys not cooperating and thought it best to go to the place with the extras to make it easier. The kids can pick a movie, play a videogame and sit in a special chair. It is designed to be a no tantrum zone.

We got there early, predicting a Saturday morning crush. That was well-advised, we didn't wait at all. Patrick thought he was obligated to throw the attitude. Patrick felt obligated to scowl whenever I came over to check on him. The rest of the time he watched the Incredibles and played the Indiana Jones game. His hair and his pickiness had his stylist earning her money. In the end he was at least half-way satisfied with the cut. She tamed the patch on the top of his head that has been driving me crazy for a month.


Keith was in better spirits and happily sat and jabbered while watching Elmo. The stylists kept commenting about how well he was handling the haircut. I had a silky in my bag as back-up but he was really good. Since Patrick was willing to go first, this made it easier for Keith to just do what his brother was doing. He started squirming toward the end but he was a good sport overall.

You know I love a good before and after (A LOT). So here it is.....

The best dollar I have spent in a long time

At Serenity, Scholastic book order time is serious business. Patrick and I agree upon a dollar amount to spend and begin the book ordering negotiations. I love books so it is exciting for me to see Patrick seriously considering how he will spend his $5, $20, or $39 (depending on what point I am trying to prove).

The last round of orders needed a bit more restraint. Patrick ordered every movie and cartoon book offered by Scholastic. Fortunately, I haven't been tortured with the tales of Kung Fu Panda (sorry Mom) because I am too busy reading the book I ordered for Keith....for a dollar. CORDUROY

In case you don't remember the story of Corduroy (1968).... Corduroy is a bear who lives in a department store. Nobody wants to buy him because he is missing a button. Lucky bear, Lisa comes to buy him anyway. She takes him home and fixes his button.

We have pretty much read our dollars worth and then some. I estimate that we are currently clocking in at 5 cents per reading. Patrick really enjoys a book with a storyline these days. Keith appreciates my accents (for Corduroy). I am glad it isn't the Transformers story. So we read it every night, some nights twice and the boys are rapt.

I suspect the concept of a bear who talks/thinks, rides the escalator and hopes some little girl will take him home is compelling for my imaginative four-year old. It is still kind of compelling to me.

Our nightly reading habit is the perfect end to almost everyday. Now Patrick wants to read Charlotte's Web. I don't know if he is ready for a chapter book but maybe we'll give it a shot in a couple of months.