I Used My Brain--And it still works!

I have a friend that had an extra ticket to an author lecture series at Denver University. So we headed up to Denver last night, ate Korean food, went to hear an amazing author speak, and got home late. All that and my brain could handle it! So even though today I was back to laundry, dentist appointments, cereal, and playing with Matchbox cars, it's nice to know my brain is still functioning when I really need it.

And in other news, Zinabu has hit rock-bottom with socks. We figured out he'll wear Lily's socks if they're inside out. They still bother him, but if we tell him to just try it for 5 minutes then he usually gives it a go and moves on. Another friend of mine who is a teacher told me that kids who have issues with tags on clothes or difficulty with the way clothes feel are often gifted and talented. So maybe if we muddle through the socks issue, Z will wind up at Harvard someday. Brilliant.

Target, Thy Name is Evil!

Don't you hate when you go into Target for just one thing and come out $100 poorer? I actually went in to return something and still managed to drop a chunk of change! It's because I had no kids with me so I could actually wander around slowly. I guess that was my downfall right there... the wandering... slowly.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Three years ago, I was frantic over what my kids ate on Thanksgiving. It's the kind of holiday where the soda flows freely and there are sweets within reach no matter where you turn. So I learned to chill out, throw caution to the wind, and let my kids eat whatever. Today Carver had white food: a piece of white meat, bread, and Sprite. Oh, and a sugar cookie. Lily and Z did much better. Z had green bean casserole for the first time and pronounced it "Yummy!' Zinabu also had an entire can of orange soda (be still my heart).

I had a fantastic day with my family, my cousins, and all the significant others. My cousin Casey even dressed up as Santa and surprised the kids. We managed to wrestle the tired lumps I call children into bed after a long day and I am happy to say I'm right behind them.

Let's Hear It For...Corn!

I don't know about your neighborhood, but around here we are seeing Christmas trees in living rooms and inflatable snowmen on lawns.

What the heck happened to Thanksgiving????

I feel more strongly than ever--after seeing the first Christmas commercial on TV the day after Halloween!--that we need to preserve Thanksgiving and hold off on the red and green decor until December. Carver and Lily had school today and I baked cornbread, brought cornmeal in bags for them to look at, popped popcorn, and gave a very inspiring talk to a class of 6-year-olds about the Pilgrim's first feast. Perhaps I changed a life today and made, in some small way, Thanksgiving more meaningful to someone. (sigh)

On another note, Zinabu has stinky feet. He is going through what we hope is a very short phase of not liking socks... or shoes... or tight pants... or sleeves... or clothes in general. (Mindy, help!) He is refusing to put on shoes but will submit to Crocs when we go outside. We'll see how that works out in the snow tomorrow. So he keeps wearing rubber shoes and no socks and I smell things growing.

What Doesn't Belong?

So I found THIS in the backyard this afternoon--2 kids, one rabbit, one umbrella, and a box of glittery makeup. I didn't know what to say!

My Sanity

Because we have had the most gorgeous fall EVER, I have been able to remain sane with the aid of a baby jogger. I love Z dearly, and I spend a lot of time laughing with him--but the kid does not ever, ever stop talking. So usually around 1:00 in the afternoon, when I need a little quiet, I strap Z in and off we go. I can walk for an hour, and so far Z has remained happy. I admit to using bribery at times, but mostly he just likes to look at the scenery. He's really fond of finding sticks to stick in the spokes of the wheels, but he hasn't lost a finger yet.

I am SO looking forward to Thanksgiving. A big hurrah always meets us at my Uncle Jim's house. It's threatening to snow (so much for the weather) next week, and I will be beside myself with anger if it ruins our plans to drive to his house. I might need to stock up with a little extra food in case our feast day is a snow day.

Proof of a Good Time

Are you tired of watching Z dance? More video of his "activeness." Someone find this kid a mosh pit.

Look at that face! And he hasn't even EATEN the cake yet!

Happy 4th Birthday, Z!
Today Zinabu is 4. I am grieving that I will never (unless he## freezes over!) have another 3 year old. And we only had him at 3 for half of the year. But Z is beside himself with excitement, so I can't be gloomy for too long. He's watched Carver and David have birthdays recently, so he knows what this is all about. David took him out for a cinnamon roll breakfast, and Z is bouncing around the house like a freak pogo stick. It's a loooooooooonnnng wait till 5:30 tonight when David will be home and we can open presents. I'll post lots of photos later.

Girls Night Out
While David took the boys to a college hockey game (by the way--it was Zinabu's first and he loved it), Lily and I spent a little girl time together. I can usually tell when she needs it. She starts saying things like, "I don't want to live in this house anymore!" or "I am sick of brothers!" You know, small clues like that.

So we hit Starbucks, where we indulged in Peppermint Hot Chocolate (seriously people, it's really good!), and we played a few mean rounds of Go Fish. Then we were off to a nail salon, where for the sum of $3, she got to have her nails painted. The hardest part of the evening was choosing between lime green nail polish or silver sparkles. She went with the sparkles and I have to agree, it's a winner.

I think the toughest part of having 3 kids is making sure I spread myself 3 ways and spend enough time with each child. Hands down, Z gets the most of me. So I try to make sure I'm investing quality time with C and L. And this is the biggest reason we are not adopting any more children. I don't think I am capable of being a good mom to 4 or 5 kids. I applaud those who can.

Just when I thought his English was so impressive! What a goofball.

Zinabu Rules

Other than a freak snowstorm, we have had a gorgeous fall. Yesterday it was almost 80 degrees so the kids got to play outside in shorts--reminiscent of summer. Lily, when she's in the right mood, is Zinabu's best friend. She was feeling especially generous (must be all the Halloween sugar) and she drew this picture.


It's a lion with a crown on it's head, and above it you can see "Zinabu rools." I know Lily was just being nice, but as far as Zinabu is concerned, she got it right. In his 3 and a half year old mind, he rules the house, the neighborhood, the city--heck, the world! He'd like to announce his bid for president.

Snnnooooooooore!

Welcome to my boring life. Why haven't I posted? Well, let's see. What do you want to hear about first? How about cleaning up the rabbit poop? Or what about the 6 thousand loads of laundry I did? No, no. Wait--how about the snotty nose I wiped? Yeah. Good stuff.

The Obligatory Halloween Post!

We survived! I, especially, had the longest day of my life as I had a tummy bug and was stuck home all day with Zinabu--who was bouncing off the walls and asking every 2 minutes if it was time to go get candy. Really... the concept that you ring someone's doorbell and say the magic words "Trick or Treat" and they hand you candy!!!!! It was like it was too good to be true for him. He had to see it to believe it. At the end of the day, he was very impressed and I think he has a new respect for our neighbors.

Z's costume has a very long tail behind it, and he liked whipping it around. Lily was a hula dancer--with a fleece and gloves, too. Carver, obviously, was a Ninja Turtle. He will dress up for Halloween until he's 23.

And now I am home with 3 huge buckets of candy and I'm trying to stay busy so I don't eat it. Help!