Mo What?

First, let me start by saying that I love, love, love our sitters. Currently, I have two nursing students from the University who stay with the boys so I can work. Like right now - I'm being very productive. Anyway, they are both very smart, very attentive and very creative with the boys. They teach them all sorts of new things.

One of the most recent tidbits involves telling Ben that he had a faux-hawk instead of a mohawk. Ben really liked this. He now has one whenever his hair is wet. The other night, Ben was messing with Travis' hair and sculpting it to get the desired effect - a nice looking faux-hawk. And, like most things Ben says right now, he was turning it into a song. "Mohawk, mohawk, faux-hawk, faux-hawk". Then, just to mix it up, he added "mo-faux-hawk". Go ahead, say it aloud. Then, do as we instructed Ben and never say it again.

Okay, really going to get to work now.

Just Like this Picture

All About the Accessories

When it's too hot for clothes, it's important to play up what you've got.

Splish Splash

Ry No Eat Dog

But he will eat a sausage, wrapped in a bun, more commonly known as a "hot dog." Also, just for the record, Ry also no eat Monkey.

Baby Steps

Ry's never been a huge fan of the water. He doesn't particularly care for getting his face wet. I'm quietly reminded of this every time I wash his hair. He was pushed over the edge by the heat this weekend and finally embraced the summer goodness that is the pool.

Step One: Examine the pool - from the outside. Make sure toys are waterproof. Don't get swim trunks or shoes wet.

Step Two: Go to stranger's house and soak feet in their pool. No pics of this event, but apparently a pool at someone else's house is okay, especially when it's only 3" deep (it had a slow leak). Note: we attended a birthday party at the house of someone Travis works with, whom he does know, so it wasn't a random stranger.

Step Three: Building on improvements made in step two, check out home pool - from the inside this time. Again, inspect toys to make sure waterproof. Don't get too comfortable, and leave on your shirt. Offer up lots of different concoctions. House specialty - daddy coffee with nilla.

Step Four: Throw caution to wind and wear just swimtrunks in the pool. Walk around the pool without holding onto sides. Splash a little. Fall in face first. Cry, because after all, your face did get wet. Suck it up and make some more daddy coffee.

Step Five: Ask to go in pool at 9:30 in the morning.

Step Six: Ask to go in pool when it's raining and 60 degrees outside.

Step Seven: Still yell when your hair is washed just to remind people you don't like to get your face wet.

You're Cured!

Like a sweat dripper ...

This past weekend was really great in that the sun was shining for consecutive days. It was warm enough to wear shorts to school, so Ben was especially happy. It was, however, a tad on the hot side. We have since been punished for our complaining about the heat with a good dose of rain to remind us that it is still May in Oregon.

In the midst of all this heat, Ben commented, "I'm dripping sweat, like a, like a, like a sweat dripper!" Although admittedly a little odd, it certainly summed up how we were all feeling. We managed to survive with the help of a little pool and some frozen treats.

Red Letter Day

Update: Ben is much better. He spent the day snuggling with Daddy, who needed to stay home from work to keep him company. And, he got to watch the live-action Scooby Doo movie (thank you Netflix - excellent timing). Unfortunately, this movie is only slightly better than Evan Almighty. If that movie is in your queue, remove it quickly before the badness spreads to other movies.

Ry took a two and a half hour nap, in his crib. Very nice. Hopefully it's just a sign of his active days catching up with him and not him catching something.

I worked on a tax return - and it's not even due for two days. The laundry is done and the dishwasher is full of clean dishes.

Amazing day all around.

Scarlet What?

Leave it to me and my internet searches to get a little freaked out.

Ben, as noted below, has been under the weather for a few days. He's had a high fever and a sore throat. Since we were around his friends who were dealing with a hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak (sounds great, doesn't it?) I spent most of the weekend looking in Ben's mouth, waiting for the tell tale signs to appear. They never did.

But, when he started to develop a rash on his body and a furry white coat on his tongue (was that an overshare?), I turned to the trusty web and the less than helpful nurse advice line. My scientific approach led me to the conclusion that he had Scarlet Fever. What?!? That still exists? I thought that was something that went by the wayside with Little Women and Little House on the Prairie.

When the nurse advice line confirmed this diagnosis, a sheepish call to the pediatrician (on Mother's Day! argh! bad patient!) got us an appointment first thing this morning, where both boys were swabbed for strep throat. Ben passed the test with flying colors - no doubt there. Turns out Scarlet Fever is just strep throat with a rash. Who knew? Why didn't my search results say that clearly? Anyway, two huge bottles of amoxicillin later, and Ben is on the road to recovery. Ry has thus far avoided it. I'm hoping the girls that kissed Ben at school the day before he got sick were as lucky.

Happy Mother's Day!

I think my Mother's Day morning should be in a commercial of some sort. Hallmark, maybe. Or one of those cheesy coffee commercials they show during the holidays when the son comes home from far away and wakes up the mom with some tasty Foldgers coffee. Those always get me choked up a little.

For my commercial, the camera zooms out from a clock showing 6:00 am to a little boy leaning over his mom, smiling happily. The boys says "Happy Mother's Day, Mama" and gently kisses her cheek. The mama says, "Oh, thank you! You're so sweet." Then the boy says "Uh-Oh!", turns around and throws up. Priceless, eh?

Officially ...

Caught Up.


I will try to be more consistent from here forward, barring crazy deadlines and other annoyances.


Hopefully, someone is still reading (hi Tiffany).

Where's Ry?

Waterfront Fun

Ben and his friend Jackson headed down to the Cinco de Mayo Festival with assorted mothers and brothers. I was hoping for a little culture, but Ben was really more interested in the rides. We did enjoy mango on a stick and watermelon with hot sauce. Ben ordered in Spanish and made me look really ignorant. I was hoping him being smarter than me was still a few years out ... oh well. Ben did win a prize at the carnival when he popped two balloons with one dart. Tricky, eh?

The Boots Make the Man

No Agua Ry Home

After we toured the aquarium and stopped at Rogue for a little lunch and brew, we headed to the beach for some fun in the sand and surf. Ben really enjoyed the waves, and was tough, even when he went for a little swim. It was sunny, but still April at the Oregon coast, so not warm. He stuck it out until we forced him back to the car to change. Luckily, I brought two shirts for Ry and one of them fit Ben. Go figure. The saga of the dunking grew quite a bit by the time we made it home, where he told Zuzu and Grampa that the ocean tried to suck him in. Gee, I wonder where he learned to exaggerate?

Unfortunately, Ry didn't find the waves as enjoyable. Hence, the title of this post. Luckily, the beach was littered with rocks. This is a good thing for Ry. He does like a good rock and there were all kinds - pretty, heavy, orangey and purple.

Escape to the Coast

Over dinner one night, Travis proposed a trip to the beach on the weekend. Since we hadn't discussed it previously, and we do feed the children when we eat, it was a done deal. You can't mention going to the aquarium and then change your mind - inconceivable! So, we loaded up the car, broke into the kid's college funds to fill up the tank, and off we went. One good thing about boys who awaken at dawn, we're never late. One bad thing, our favorite coffee shops aren't open. No worries, I know where all the drive-thru Starbucks are located.

We started at the aquarium, which as you can see both boys enjoyed.

2008 Latino Festival at TIS

Ben and his classmates put on two performances of a traditional Colombian dance at this year's Latino Festival at his school. I was able to attend both days, and have put together this little montage. The pictures at the end show what was supposed to happen in the video - Ben's first drum solo! Alas, no one put the drum on stage on the second day. As you'll see in the video, Ben dances with two girls. In the final picture, however, you'll see he's with his normal dance partner, the lovely Miss E.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

What Did I Do?

I must have done something. It must have been really, really bad. I clearly angered the tax gods. Otherwise they would have never cursed me with a gorgeous, summer-like day on the weekend before the end of tax season. I spent most of the day toiling away in the basement, but I did manage to escape for a little while. The boys and I decided that the sidewalk was a rather unappealing shade of gray. We fixed it. Apparently, this made Ry hungry.

Long Haired Hippies No More

I finally managed to drag the boys to their much needed haircuts. Apparently, they were pleased with the results.

Cheeky Monkeys

There's just something about a laundry basket. It can become so many different things. Turn it upside down and it's a fort. Push it around the living room and it's a car. On this day, it turned into a stage for my two silly boys.