Santa

Jay asked for Aqua Sand and Owen asked for Moon Dough

To Grow a Beard...

Owen + Magic Marker

If You Don't Have Pockets

Two flashlights, two toy guns, a walkie talkie, and one Owen

Toy Story

Woody and Owen

Halloween

The boys trick-or-treated for over an hour and a half this year. They had so much candy in their buckets they gave up carrying them because they were too heavy. I got stuck carrying them. I kept asking the boys if they were ready to go home yet but Owen informed me that you are supposed to trick-or-treat until it is dark, "That's how it's done, mommy."

In our town, trick-or-treating is done the night before Halloween because on Halloween night they host a parade downtown. Halloween morning, I found Owen outside taking down the lights and decorations. I asked him what he was doing. He said, "I'm helping you mommy. Halloween is over." I explained to him that it was Halloween and I wanted to turn on the lights one last time that night. Later that night Owen asked to go trick-or-treating. I told him that he went the night before and he said, "But Mommy, you said it was Halloween."

Another Use for Toothpicks

Tonight for fun the boys decided cut toothpicks with butter knives.

Name Change

The boys have decided to change their names. Owen now wants to be called Spencer. Jay wants to be known as Coolis.

Good Cop Bad Cop

What happens when a grandma buys two four year olds a policeman's play set complete with guns, whistles, badges and handcuffs? Their mother finds them in the middle of the street trying to direct traffic.

Wake Up and Smell the Sunscreen

I woke up Sunday to the smell of sunscreen. I asked the boys what they were doing. Owen told me they were playing tag and the bottle of sunscreen was empty.

Bun Bun By Any Other Name

After finding out from the vet that our pet rabbit is a boy not a girl like we thought, Owen stated "We have to change Bun Bun's name." To which I replied, "Owen, Bun Bun can be either a girls or boys name." Jay joined in, "Yeah Owen, Bun Bun is a boys name, Bunny is a girls name." So we will keep the name Bun Bun.

Keep Flushing

What is worse than two four year olds sticking a whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet and flushing it? Two four year olds flushing it the second time, the third time...you get the picture.

The Writing's On the Wall...

...and the counter, and the floor, and my car's door panel. Owen has become quite an artist, graffiti artist that is.

Good Morning

When I got up this morning, I walked into the kitchen to find a steak knife in the middle of the floor, Jay skating across the floor on can cozies and Owen chasing the 13 year old dog shouting, "We're playing a shooting game." They had let the dog out of his crate but not outside so he had wet the floor. I made them swear to stay in their room so I could take a shower before church, a very quick shower. During that time, they tried to catch the beta fish in their bowls. At least this time they didn't put them in the same bowl like the last time. They also tattooed themselves up so they would look nice for church. On the way to church, I actually had to pull the car over because they were throwing trash out the window. I had managed to close Owen's window but not Jay's completely when I locked it. Jay holds the button so that I can't put the window up. This was all before 11:00 am and very typical behavior for them lately.

How do you play tag with a caterpillar?

The boys brought a caterpillar home from Grandma and Grandpa's house. If I had been there it would have never have made the trip. They put it in a bug house with some leaves. I protested its presence in the house because after 4 1/2 years of raising Owen and Jay I know this will not end well. The boys went to there bedroom and the caterpillar which they named Sammy stayed in the kitchen. The boys would not go to sleep. At eleven o'clock I went into their room to tell them to get to sleep. Owen was sitting on the floor of his room in the dark holding an empty bug house. He says, "I lost Sammy." "How do you lose a caterpillar?" I ask. Owen says, "We were playing tag."

We could not find Sammy that night but he showed up the next afternoon, enticed by a fresh plate of leaves placed on the floor of the boys room.

Farkles

Owen pointing to a freckle, "Mommy look. I have a farkle."

When I Became Mean

Owen: Mommy, I want to do the monkey bars.
Me: No Owen.
Owen: Mommy you are mean.
Me: Yes Owen I am mean.
Owen: When did you become mean.
Me: When I became a mother.

Mommy, I Was Done Swinging

Two weekends ago, I decided to take the boys to the park. Jay wanted me to push him on the swing. He was having a great time on the swing. A couple of times I stopped him because I thought he wanted off but he said no he wanted to keep swinging. While the swing was at the highest point, maybe 6 feet or so from the ground he lets go and falls backwards landing on his neck/upper back with his head bent. He was in a lot of pain. He was able to move everything. He has a very low tolerance for pain so I wasn't sure whether to take him to the hospital or not. I decided it was better safe than sorry so we went with Owen coming along as well, yelling at me the whole time that I was a "bad mommy" because he wanted to stay at the park. The x-rays were clear but the doctor made us stay overnight for observation because Jay was grunting when he breathed. His breathing improved as soon as they gave him some Tylenol. They released him the next morning. The boys made a pact after that. If Owen has to go to the hospital, Jay is supposed to tell the doctors not to hurt his brother and if Jay goes to the hospital, Owen tells the doctor not to hurt his brother. I suggested they make a pact not to end up in the hospital again.

Snack Patterns

Owen says, "Mommy, I ate a popcorn then took a drink then ate a popcorn then took a drink. That's a snack pattern!"

Mommy's Know Because...

Owen asked me the other day if wrestlers were allowed to punch. I told him no but he didn't believe me. We started the "yes they do" "no they don't" exchange until I finally told him to listen to me because, "I have been on this planet a lot longer than you have." So for the rest of the day, when I answered Owen's other questions, he responded with, "You know mommy because you have been on this planet longer than me."

I Don't Speak English

I told Owen to stop playing around and get dressed. He told me, "Mommy, I don't speak English."

Church

Owen sunk to a new low at church. The boys usually act up in church for the 15 minutes they are there before going downstairs to church school. Owen couldn't sit still during the "time for all ages" at the front of the church, so the Reverend had him sit on her lap during that time.

The Pillow

I chanced a trip to Kohl's with the boys by myself. They had been pretty good that day so I just went for it. Jay found a Cars video game and assumed he was getting it even though I told him no. While I was looking at new pillows for the living room Owen found a striped pillow he liked. I told him we weren't getting it. He started crying. He kept telling me he loved the pillow and couldn't leave without it. He said if he didn't get the pillow he would have dreams about it. He didn't want anyone else to take his pillow. It was all very dramatic. Of course Jay got upset at the checkout counter over the Cars game so I had two crying kids. Jay got over it after we got into the car but Owen cried for the pillow all the way home.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Owen: an evil scientist
Jay: spiderman

A Conversation

Me: Since you boys didn't behave in church, you don't get to make Valentine cookies.
Owen: I don't care about that.
Me: Why don't you care about that?
Owen: Mommy, I like it when you are mad.
Me: Why?
Owen: Because that's how our family works.

Why Children Should Clean Their Rooms

Yesterday the boys and I cleaned their room. This morning, I congratulated Owen for sleeping in his own bed all night long. He told me, "It's because my room is clean and I wasn't scared of something on the floor coming alive."

Soccer

The boys started indoor soccer last weekend. Jay liked it. Owen didn't. Owen complained of being tired, thirsty, and his foot hurting.

Jay

Owen

Christmas

Jay, Vicki, Michelle, Owen

The boys spent their birthday at Happy Joe's and to our surprise, Santa was there.

The boys played "Santa" for about a month. They would load their toys in a sled (laundry basket) and push it around the house. We had to close our eyes and when we opened them, Santa had left us a present.

New Puppy

Michelle got her graduation present early. His name is Charlie Brown. He is 6 months old and a rescue.

Birthday

The boys had their fourth birthday December 16.

Owen's Collection

Owen has decided he wants to collect skeletons. So far he has a set of skeleton lights, a skeleton pirate, and rubber skeletons that stick to the walls and ceiling.

He Named His Ice Cream

The boys each had a scoop of ice cream last night. Jay decided to name his "bally."
Jay: Oh no, Bally's melting.
Owen: That's okay you can get another Bally.
Jay: I miss Bally.

An Interview

I thought I would ask the boys some questions to get an idea of their opinion of how I am doing as a mom.

1. What is something I always say to you?
O: Go to bed
J: Go to time out
2. What makes me happy?
O: Doing nice things
J: Being nice
3. What makes me sad?
O: Doing naughty things
J: We wreck stuff
4. What do I do when you are not around?
O: Get a new child
J: Go to work
5. What am I really good at?
O: Hugging
J: Throwing froggies in the pool
6. What am I not very good at?
O: Running
J: You miss
7. What do I do for a job?
O: Pick up
J: You do something
8. What do you and I do together?
O: Play
J: We play together
9. How do I make you laugh?
O: Funny stuff
J: Do funny stuff
10. How do you know I love you?
O: You give me hugs
J: You give hugs.