Victorian Fest, Carnival Fun

We had a fest-fun-filled time at Grammy Renee's this Labor Day weekend. It was our first road trip with the new babe, and he did pretty well...not as well as his big brother, who slept through all but the last 20 minutes or so of the trip, but we stopped for two two-hour breaks, which gave us time to empty our bladders, fill our gas tank, and stretch our legs a bit.
This weekend was the Bethalto Homecoming, a carnival that features some pretty nice rides and tons of carnie food. I, of course, was on a quest for the perfect lemon shake-up, my favorite carnival treat. I have fond childhood memories of going to the state fair and procuring these lemony delights. They have to be made with real, juice-producing lemons, water, sugar, and ice, or they're simply not official lemon shake-ups.You'd be surprised at how many people can actually get these delightfully simple drinks wrong, but my, oh my, do they get them wrong. Eric bought a shake-up for me at this really official, fancy-looking lemon shake-up cart. I had my doubts, just because the signage looked too fancy. Yep, it was a phony shake-up. I should have lookd more closely at the cart, because instead of lemons stacked at the window, there were bottles of ReaLemon on ice. Yuck. The carnival food experience was somewhat redeemed when I bought a big bag of cotton candy. Who can get that wrong, really?
While I was getting sufficiently sugared up, Logan rode some of his first carnie rides. Luckily, this was a pretty upscale outfit, and I didn't fear for my son's life as he stepped into the little thrill-inducing carts. Eric decided to start with the scariest one (a bold move, but what else would you expect from Eric?) and hop on the kiddie roller coaster. The carts sped jerkily along the track fro what seemed an interminable amount of times, and each time the carts passed, we saw Logan look down at us with a very concerned look on his face. Eric was with him in the cart, persuading him that this was actually fun, and as Logan saw our smiles and applause as he exited the ride, he finally believed his dad--his look of anxiety turned to a smile of relief. On we went to the tamer rides. His favorite was a helicopter ride, which turned around like a carousel, and you could pull a lever to make the helicopter ascend or descend as you wished. Our personal favorite to witness, though, was the giant slide that Papa George took Logan down. First, it was pretty hilarious watching my dad lug Logan up the stories-high staircase that became progressively narrower as he climbed higher. Then watching him try to figure out how he was going to get Logan on his lap without making an early solo descent...priceless. I'm just glad it wasn't me who had to figure all that out.
The next day, we went to Jersey County's Victorian Festival, which is hosted by my cousin's in-laws, who own this Civil-War-era house. They have steam-powered threshing and plowing machines doing their things, a Civil War reenactment and embalming demonstration (yikes!), tours through the house, and Victorian-era crafters (metalsmiths, coopers, weavers, potters, etc.) making and selling their wares. While we had a great time walking around the grounds, I was most impressed by the authentic Lemon shake-ups. I bought two--just about enough for one for each hour we were there. The most exciting thing that happened to us, though, was parking. They use the farm fields on their property for parking, and thanks to the recent heavy rains, the ground was a bit soft, even terribly muddy in some small areas. Of course, Eric found that area in the lot where we were searching for a space. "Oh, there's a spot behind that car," I said, thinking Eric would avoid the massive muddy sinkhole that was in the corner behind the parking spot I pointed out. Nope. Eric drove in, and sank the wheels in pretty good. "It's front-wheel drive! We'll be able to rock it out," Eric said with confidence. I just groaned, remarking how similar this event was to the time he managed to get our rental car (a station wagon) stuck on the beach in New Zealand (It's a long story...). Luckily, a posse of four men working the parking lots, Eric, my brother, and my dad managed to push the car out of the mud. For the record, it was all my fault that Eric got us stuck in the mud because when I yelled, "Eric, don't drive into the mud!" I scared him and he hesitated. That moment of hesitation, according to Eric, was what caused all the troubles. Good thing I have big shoulders to carry this burden of guilt around.
Anyway, it was a fun weekend, and Eric's back to work again. A long week for him--Open House is tomorrow night, which means he'll be at school until 9:30 or so. No fun. But Logan, Auden, and I have been outside enjoying the wonderful weather. We braved the windstorm today and played on the playground, which was nice. I'm loving this fall-like weather, and I know I'll have to make the most of it because the winters are always so long and cold. Well, I'm off to bed for now so I can avoid being a zombie tomorrow!

Miracle Grow

Well, another week has passed us by, and so far, no more unfortunate incidents with markers--phew! Auden continues to be a good sport. He's still a very mellow baby, and what a chow hound! He's three weeks old and now weighs in at just shy of two pounds past his birth weight, 10 lbs, 5 oz. While he's usually quite content, we have noticed his temper developing--that's how I know he's mine--ha! Of course, his temper rears its ugly head when he's hungry or when he's having his clothes or diaper changed. And boy is his cry strange sounding. He definitely has a wind-up that sounds like a normal enough cry, but then when he's really upset, he breaks into, for lack of a better word, chatter--like he's part chipmunk or something. And with the chubby cheeks he's getting, he might start resembling that cute little rodent in another way. Oh, and this kid snorts...like all the time.

In brother news, I've learned Logan can be quite the precocious child when it comes to put-downs. The other day, I was rather grumpy, being short on sleep, and Logan was being a little challenging, jumping all over the couch. I angrily told him if he couldn't stop jumping on the couch, he would have to sit on the floor. "Mommy, why don't you go to work, too!" He huffed at me. Wha?!? I wasn't sure I heard him right...but yes, I had. How did my two year old become possessed with the abrasive angst of a teenager?

Today, we drove to Grammy and Papa Hill's, and as Eric drove us up a steep-ish hill, the engine revved up a bit. "Hey! Slow down, Daddy-O! You're going too fast!" Having a two-year old as a backseat driver isn't the most intimidating thing in the world, I suppose, but I'm sure Eric isn't happy to know that he has another person watching that lead foot of his. For the record, though, Eric is a pretty decent driver.

So, it's been two weeks of being a mom-at-home, and I think it's time to take stock of the experience thus far. I am absolutely loving this chance to stay home with my boys. As much as it can be a challenge to remain patient with my headstrong two-year old's antics while my newbie is spitting regurgitated milk all over me, I am rewarded by Logan's hilarious witticisms and Auden's gas-bubble smile. I have to admit, I felt a bit displaced as my colleagues and my husband began their school year and I remained at home, ultimately ignorant as to how much I would be learning from this adventure. My perspectives are still shifting. Instead of measuring my productivity by how many papers I've graded at the end of the day, I'm counting the funny stories and sometimes patting myself on the back that at least one disaster was averted.

I do yearn for a little more structure to my days, though. I think I'll try to give my days certain themes, like art or music day, just to make sure I've helped foster some chances for fun and creativity for Logan and me. And I do need to hook up with the local mom's group soon, but all in all, I feel so fortunate I'm able to stay home with my boys. Hopefully they feel the same way...at least most of the time :)

Jurassic Fort and the Sharpee Incident

Well, it's day three of being home with the boys. Eric is back to work, and we miss our Daddy-O being home, but we're finding ways to have fun. Yesterday, Logan and I built his very first fort in the living room. I remember my brother and I made some monster forts in our days, complete with fan-powered wind tunnels and several rooms, so the one I engineered in our living room was rather unimpressive by comparison. Still, it suited a toddler just fine. Knowing how sensitive our boy is to spookiness, I decided to keep it light by using the cloud patterned sheets we had in the linen closet. Auden was taking his morning nap, so I put him to bed while Logan and I tried out his hiding place.

He climbed in, wide-eyed and full of giggles. Of course, he said there were dinosaurs roaming outside, so we had to be quiet. I decided we should draw some of the dinosaurs he saw--some pretty interesting pictures were created, including the dinosaur's claws. Of course, I should have predicted what would be the result of this make-believe adventure. Logan woke up around 3AM today, crying over a nightmare about dinosaurs. Though he has scary dreams, at least he's starting to realize they're not real. As I was putting him back to bed and trying to reassure him everything was OK, he said, "Scary dreams aren't real."

Ok, I know childproofing is important, and I think Eric and I have done a decent job of it. At least I did until today. I was in our room getting dressed this morning, after having changed Auden, and Logan was in the living room playing quietly. The "quietly" should have tipped me off. Pretty soon, Logan comes in proudly wielding a Sharpee marker and says, "Mommy, I did it!" "Did what?" was all I could manage to say as I speed walked to the living room. Turns out "it" was a massive Sharpee scribble project all over our couch cushion. "Logan, WHY did you think this was a good idea?!" He starts crying. I give him a time-out, and for once he doesn't get up the second I put him there. In fact, he doesn't get up at all for the entire 2 minutes--an unbelievable feat these days. I used the 2 minutes of time like a champ, thinking to myself, "Ok, it's permanent marker, but it's still fresh, so maybe I have a chance of getting it out." I started with Simple Green's carpet and upholstery cleaner, and that made a small dent. So, I dialed it up and used Simple Green's multipurpose cleaner. Amazingly, that did the trick. I swear, I worship at the altar of Simple Green cleaning products. Oh, and I went through all the drawers and removed any pens, markers, and sharp stuff I could find and put them out of reach. Guess I should have really done that before...

I was pretty proud of myself for staying so calm after Logan's outpouring of artistic expression. Maybe my reaction was due to the fact that I know our couch is dying a slow death. When we bought it, we certainly weren't thinking "Kids." First, it's a single, solid color: tan; second, it's that suede-esque microfiber stuff, which cleans up nicely, true, but they don't tell you that it also shows every single water mark or whatever else so that it's constantly looking...I don't know, like a toddler spends a lot of time on it. Ah well.

Tonight, we put Logan in his big-boy bed. He went to sleep not without some tears and protests, but fall asleep he did. We got an assist by the fact that he missed his nap today, thanks to the noisy tree-trimming crew (we like to call them the "tree munchers") that was trimming up the trees on our parkway. Of course, they have to do it while my son is trying to take a nap. Couldn't they schedule around that or something? Geez. I guess I can feel better about it knowing we are now less likely to have a tree limb come through our living room windows during our next big storm. I know I'll sleep better tonight knowing that.

Last Day of Summer

It's back to school for me (eric) tomorrow. I can hardly believe that the summer is done. I don't really feel like getting into teacher-mode with the arrival of Auden, but ready or not the school year approaches. I am excited about teaching in my own classroom this year, and I feel like I have a good handle on the new curriculum we are using, but I feel funny going off to work and leaving Carly, Logan, and Auden. I imagine that is how Carly felt when I was staying at home with Logan. Time moves quickly in this here life. Logan is nearly two and a half and becoming such a big lil' boy. He is so full of energy and enthusiasm. And Auden...he is nearly two weeks old already. Where does the time go? Auden has been an angel...he is a very laid back baby and hardly fusses. He is becoming so alert during the day and I'm sad that I am not going to be around to witness it. I know we all have to make a living, but it hardly seems right that we have to sacrifice time with our kids. I am taking a lot of comfort in the fact that Carly gets to experience the rhythms of the stay-at-home life with our two boys. I hope she loves it like I did. And hey, I'll be home for dinner and the evenings so it's not like I'll be gone the entire day. Plus, the teacher-ly life has a lot of breaks in it. Anyway, today I officially hand-off the blog to Carly. She's now Mommy at Home and may find some time to blog. I'm looking forward to hearing about her adventures with the boys.

Welcome, Auden Henry!

Well, he's finally here! Our late arrival came into the world at 2:23AM on Wednesday, August 11 at Kishwaukee Hospital. I had him sans medication, though not necessarily by choice--I was about ready to beg for an epidural when, lo and behold, Auden was ready to make a quick entrance, so I missed the last call for nerve blockers. Sigh. He was 8lbs. 8oz. and 21 inches long; he earned an unheard of 10 on his APGAR score--a very healthy boy. And he continues to impress us--so very different from Logan as a baby, who was rather fussy, though I think Logan was probably reacting to our (or my) general apprehension about being a new parent. While Logan dropped weight like crazy after birth, Auden eats just about every hour to two hours, which is kind of maddening, but he's already gained 3 ounces beyond his birth weight. But aside from his being reassuringly healthy, he just seems to radiate this peacefulness, like he's some tiny yogi or something. And the fears I had, wondering how the baby would fit into our family, which seemed pretty complete with just Logan, wondering how I could possibly love another little person the way I love Logan, have been obliterated and I'm left feeling fascinated at the overwhelming capacity for love we humans have.

Happily, Logan is being a stellar big brother thus far. Expecting tears and fury, we have been pleasantly surprised to see that Logan is proud to look out for his little brother. I was burping the baby yesterday, and Logan was sitting with me, watching me carefully. With a concerned look, he said, "Mommy, don't hit Baby Auden." Eric and I then had to explain what burping is, and he had a good laugh over that phenomenon after he realized that I was certainly not abusing Auden. Logan has also learned that babies aren't always easy, however. Auden hates having his diaper changed. Unlike his big brother, he thinks nakedness is not a fun experience, and he was putting up a rare boisterous demonstration of his discontent. Logan, again watching over the baby, looked at me with a distasteful expression and said, "I no like this baby." Then he ran out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Oh, if only I could have heard Auden's opinions of his big brother this morning when Logan had meltdown after meltdown.

So life is exceptionally good. We feel great and are so thankful for our new baby boy, our big boy, our good health, and our wonderful, supportive families.

Baby Sandwich

It's August 3, and we're still anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby #2. The official due date is August 7, and, though I was hoping this baby would also have inherited Eric's urgent need for punctuality (Eric's always the first one to a party; Logan was born exactly one week early), it looks like he might have instead inherited my poor time management skills ("I'll get there when I get there--what's the rush?"). So I guess we--and everyone else--will be held in suspense for a while longer.

Just as our impatience is mounting, Logan is becoming increasingly excited about the baby's arrival, too. Today, on our walk to the library, Logan and I passed by a new playground the city is building. Logan asked if "baby Auden [would] play on playground?" When I explained that, for quite a while, baby Auden wouldn't be able to do all the cool things Logan can do, he gave me a somewhat disinterested "huh."

I next asked Logan what he wanted for lunch. He replied, "A baby Auden sandwich!" Weird. Brought me back to Swift's "A Modest Proposal," that and fairy tales about ogres and such. Although maybe his idea was sparked from our "Logan sandwich," a big sandwich hug Eric and I often give Logan, which he loves. Pretty funny in any case.

While we're on the topic of eating, Logan has been knocking me out with his new willingness to eat veggies of late. Yesterday, I served him couscous with shredded carrot for lunch. "Carrot?" he asked. "Yep," I replied. "Hmm." Then he happily ate it. He also ate the carrot coins and dip I served with dinner. AND asked for seconds. Score. Tonight, he ate zucchini orzo and took some bites of daddy-o's tomato slices. He was so happy about the tomatoes, he repeated "toe-may-toe" about five times just for laughs.

Maybe his new affection for veggies was inspired by our trip to Heritage Prairie Market Farm this morning. Eric and I have been inspired by Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and are looking into ways to buy more local produce, so we visited this farm, which operates a CSA. They have a cute little shop, and we had a nice time meeting the man who runs the farm operations and the woman who operates the cash register :) Unfortunately, our timing was a bit off. We were going to take Logan to see the goats, but it started raining, and the goats high-tailed it into the barn. Darn them for being so sensible. Still, we bought some produce and honey at the store, found out more about their CSA program, and Logan got the rare treat of eating chocolate before 10AM. All in all, it was a nice, albeit speedy jaunt to the farm.

Our last swim class was also tonight. We were wondering how Logan would handle it (or, more honestly, how we would handle Logan) since he neglected to take a nap today. Surprisingly, he had a great time--he actually asked to dunk under water with daddy-o several times, and he "surfed" on a little turtle-shaped boogie board. Understandably, he was happy to hit the hay tonight. He even went to sleep without hearing a story first--a phenomenal feat! And, I think I'm rather ready to hit the hay myself, so tah for now!

Shabbona Fun

Today Eric and I decided to take a little trip to a nearby state park, Shabbona Lake, which is, apparently, the Muskie capital of the state. The playground we discovered had an alarmingly tall old school metal slide, and Eric decided to take Logan down it. Wow, you can really get up some speed on those old things. Now I know why all the slides are plastic these days. Eric's landing was priceless--he skipped across the ground like a stone with Logan still on his lap. Luckily, the two of them arose unscathed. And, luckily, Eric didn't squish the baby toad he found when he got off the ground.

We then noticed some horses in a neighboring field. Logan was "too scared" to pet them, but they were friendly. Our little trip ended with a leisurely boat ride around Shabbona Lake, followed by a walk along the dam. I've never seen so many butterflies in one place--they were all over the wildflowers that lined the walk. Gorgeous!

Anyway, despite it being overcast, it was a beautiful day!

And, I noticed a couple more favorite words/phrases he said today, so here's an addendum to my previous list.

"Beautiful!" He says this about the butterflies today, which makes sense, but sometimes he says "beautiful" when he gets a fresh cup of milk or what have you. It's perhaps cuter when used for the latter occasion.

"Booger"--he says this often. It's usually followed by his showing me his finger, where the booger should be. Today was especially amusing when he stuck both of his fingers up his nose.

"Sometimes, ________ goes in da water!" Be it an alligator or a panda bear, the animals always go in the water...only sometimes, though.