We Love The Little Gym, Part 1

I Suppose We Can Call Him... Spirited

The Terrible Two's have hit our house in full force. In fact, I actually took Junior to the pediatrician today to rule out any ear/mouth problems before laying down a more consistent pattern of discipline. He will not stay in the time out corner anymore. (I am fully aware of SuperNanny's method... just can't commit that kind of time to chase him and drag him back by the front door every time he scoots away.) If I spank him every time he hits me, we just end up in a back and forth smack-fest. (He hits me because I spanked him because he hit me.) It felt good to ask for help... let a few tears out in front of our favorite physician's assistant... and brainstorm a few ways to improve behavior and punish terrible-ness. Because I've been so worn out lately I can't even think straight!

Here are a few of the things I deal with on a very regular basis:

• Taking away a book I am looking at (or reading to Mister Man), carrying it to the other side of the room and throwing it in the corner.
• Running away when I ask him to do something (get shoes on, get in the car), then hit/bite/claw me when I chase him down.
• Standing as close to his brother as possible while waiting on a negative reaction.
• Swinging his blanket in our faces, closer and closer until somebody gets smacked.
• Throwing himself on the ground after a nap demanding cheese puffs. For about 30 minutes straight.
• Waking up every hour or two at night to cry for Mom-Mom, to ask to go downstairs, etc.
• Pretending he doesn't hear me when I tell him to apologize.
• Putting a toy down then attacking the person who takes the next turn.

I've read plenty of James Dobson and Tedd Tripp. And I'm not really writing this to whine... just for family documentation. I know that in a year this phase will have passed and we will probably have entered a new one. It has just been a long week.

To balance out the negativity in this post, I will list a few things he is really good at. He pretends better than his brother did at this age. He is an amazing two-footed-jumper. He does most of his poops on the potty. He is great at helping clean up. It's pretty easy to get him to taste new foods. And he gets super excited when it's time to play Hide and Seek. 

So there. I ended on a positive. ;)

Hidden Hills Farm & Saddle Club

Yesterday I took the boys to a small family-owned farm in Ooltewah to try out its twice-a-month Play Day. Once we finally got there (I got lost and ended up in Cleveland), it was well worth the $15 to stay for a few hours. Of course the first thing they wanted to do was jump in the sand box, which is funny because we have basically this exact sandbox at home (but not these exact trucks!). Each child got a cup of feed to offer to chickens wandering the property. There were a few farm kittens getting passed around. Mister Man helped paint a chicken's feet then watched it fly around a bin, inevitably making "art" with its footprints. He also rode a horse without an ounce of fear. And both kids took turns on some really cool tree swings. It was warm, overcast and not crowded at all. We will definitely be going back.

Done, and Done.

For a few months now, we've been forming a list of things around the house that need fixing or replacing. This week, we knocked it out with the help of one friend and one handyman.

1. Ceiling fans installed in the two upstairs bedrooms. (Hopefully it will keep the air conditioning from working overtime over the summer.)
2. Caulking done around windows, countertops, showers and fireplace. (Hopefully it will keep out the ants.)
3. Warped board on the back porch cut out and replaced.
4. Fence posts replaced and re-cemented into the gound; gates re-hung, higher so they don't get stuck in the mud. (Handyman said he had never in his life seen that much standing water underground. Not surprised, as we have realized our neighborhood was basically built on swampland.)
5. Loose siding on the arches outside our front door tacked down.
6. Broken gutter pipes (that route water into our sump pump) replaced.

The only other "project" on our radar is to fix the puckering drywall tape in our bonus room, but I doubt we'll get to it this year. We also signed a contract with a yard maintenance company to try and knock out the weeds/dry patches, which were never too much of a problem until the last few months. And we are gearing up to move Mister Man into a twin bed. 

So needless to say the "rainy day" cash we've had sitting in our safe is now gone. Put to good use though!

The Library

We have started taking weekly trips to the library! I remember trying this when Mister Man was younger, and he just wasn't on board. But now we are keeping anywhere from 20-30 library books in our home at a time, and reading them eats up a solid hour of every day.

The best thing about the library has been story time. They don't just read a pile of books. They read one book... then have a dance break... watch a projector video/book... do a craft... do a felt board story (each child gets to hold one piece of felt and wait for his or her part of the story to put it on the board). Confession: what I like best about the downtown library is that it takes longer to get there. We pay for parking. Walk through the parking deck. See a few statues. By the time we exchange our books, sit for story time and head home, the entire morning is gone.

If you want any recommendations, here is a pile of our favorites so far:

Only a few of the books have been disappointing. You can imagine my surprise when I saw this image of a robot literally leaning over and pooping out another robot:

I had to change the words on the fly. I am pretty sure my kids didn't really realize what was happening. Gonna return that one behind their backs!

In other news, I totally chickened out on selling my double jogging stroller. I decided that even if the boys' kicking and fighting keeps me from using it for running, I still want it around for vacations, trips to the zoo, maybe an amusement park (if we get that brave). If it gets in the way, I can loan it out to a friend. When the kids have completely outgrown it, I will let it go. I feel bad for the girl who had set up a time to meet me and take it off my hands. She was disappointed I cancelled on her. Lesson learned.

Five Things That Rocked About My Birthday Weekend

1. I found $20 on the side of the road while jogging.
2. Daniel let me mow... and I started the mower by myself.
3. We went to Big River for my birthday dinner, and both sets of college friends who joined us brought me flowers.
4. We stayed at a hotel downtown and slept 10 hours straight.
5. I nearly threw away a birthday check my grandpa sent me but saw it in the envelope at the last minute. (Currently being spent on a handyman, Terminex (ants!) and possibly a weed service for our front yard. How grown up of me.)

In other financial news, there is a chance I have a buyer for my double jogging stroller. This is bittersweet for me. But every time we contemplate a walk, I chicken out for fear the kiddos will just kick and claw at each other the entire time. Part of me hopes the girl backs out so I can hold onto it "just in case." Or maybe for nostalgia's sake. Part of me says "ditch it and use the money for the weed man!" We'll see what happens tomorrow night.

Sometimes When It's Raining...

... you just have to cover the floor in couch cushions and pretend to be pirates searching for candy treasure.

Such Soft Words During an Emergency

Today my three year old informed me of the following:

One day when I am a big daddy and there is a fire at my house and I am trying to call 911 but my babies won't stop talking to me, I will look at them and say, "JUST A MINUTE."

The Mountain

My extended family owns, through a trust, a piece of property in rural Alabama. We love to take the boys there to visit with second (third?) cousins, aunts, grandparents, etc. Some family members bring horses, most bring dogs. They pick up rocks, run down hills, hike on paths, explore the cabins and dance on the family-built pavilion. Last week we had the chance to introduce my mother-in-law to the land. It was colder than we anticipated, but we still managed to stick around about two and a half hours. The apple trees were starting to bloom. I can't wait until blackberry season! My brother joined us for breakfast after he finished turkey hunting. And Mia rolled in some horse poop, earning her a trip to the shower.

My second cousin, Frank, after a turkey hunt with my brother. Mister Man got to ride in the back of the truck with him up the hill.

My brother and somebody's dog (there are so many!).

Momma Lynn and Mister Man relax on the pavilion.

Uncle D is their favorite!

The bug jacket, which made him cry the first time he ever wore it because he thought the bugs were real.

He likes to sing, "Hiking in the woods. We're hiking in the woods."