Christmas Coal

Owen came to me before Christmas and said, "I don't really care if I'm on the naughty list. I can do anything with that coal, paint on it, play with it. The only think I want for Christmas is lots of coal so I can make a snowman."

My Kid Eats Paste

Owen's homework involved coloring, cutting, and pasting. He ate the glue stick instead.

Elf On A Shelf

We debated trying the Elf on a Shelf to encourage the boys to behave until Christmas. We decided against it. Owen still managed to convince Jay that there was an Elf on the shelf in their closet. This led to sightings by Jay of a "bloody man" and a declaration that the Christmas tree ornaments were staring at him. Needless to say, their behavior did not improve and they had trouble sleeping.

Baby Sister?

Owen came to me the other day and told me he and Jay had discussed this. They want us to adopt them a baby sister. When I asked why, he said, "Because we don't have one."

Children Should Not Play Ball in the House

Jay was told not to kick the soccer ball inside the house. His excuse for breaking the vase: Owen embarrassed him into dropping the ball.

Why Children Should Not Play

Bead Communicators

Here is another use for Mardi Gras beads. Owen has them hanging on his ears to receive the message Jay is sending.

Owen Ties His Shoes

October 15th was the date that Owen learned to tie his shoes. He fought learning for so long but it only took him a couple tries to get it once he decided it was time.

I Am So Mad...

Owen: I am so mad I could kick two boxes and a dresser.

Iron Man Pooh

We got a free trial weekend of Epix in October. I told the boys that Iron Man 2 was going to be on if they wanted to watch it. Owen asked, "Is that the movie where Winnie-the-Pooh wears an Iron Man suit?" My response was, "Huh?" Owen explained, "You said Iron Man Pooh was coming on." The boy must have had too much Disney World.

Wheezy

One of Jay's souvenirs from Disney World is a stuffed Wheezy from Toys Story 2. It squeaks when you squeeze his belly. We were taking turns squeaking him when Jay got upset. He yelled, "Stop squeaking! You'll use up the batteries." I guess he didn't know that not all toys that make noise need batteries to do so.

The Maid

While in Disney World, the boys each got a lightsaber from the gift shop at their favorite ride, Star Tours. One night while we were in the hotel room, I told the boys pick their lightsabers up off the floor so the maid doesn't step on them and break them. Owen asked, "Why, does she wear spiky shoes?"

The Bunk Beds

We took our first big family vacation to Disney World September 17. We stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The boys loved the bunk beds but Owen was too frightened to sleep on the top bunk. He thought he might fall out by the ladder opening at the foot of the bed. Jay slept on the top bunk each night. After some kid (not mine) pulled a fire alarm in the hotel and we had to evacuate at 9:30 pm one night, Owen refused to sleep in the bunk bed at all, so I got the bottom bunk.

Socks Cut Up

Owen likes to cut with scissors. This used to be a pair of socks. He cut up about 5 pairs and hid them under his mattress along with several pairs of Star Wars underwear he did not want his brother to wear. Thankfully, he did not cut up the underwear.

How Twins Sleep

Blue and More Blue

Owen colored himself blue. Jay helped with the areas he could not reach.

Second Day of School for Owen

Owen made it to the second day of school before we got the call from his teacher. Owen had been standing in line. When it was his turn to move forward he didn't. The boy behind him tried to go around and may or may not have bumped Owen. Owen responded by blowing him a raspberry. His punishment at school was a missed recess which he was not concerned about since in kindergarten they get 3 recesses.

Hair Cut

Owen gave himself a hair cut. He removed his bangs and created two bald spots above each ear. Michelle fixed it the next day by buzzing his head with the clippers. He was so upset that he cried until he vomited. Then he sounded wheezy afterwards so he was given a nebulizer treatment. He also felt warm so he got a dose of ibuprofen as well. I hope his hair grows back before school pictures. I also hope he is done cutting his own hair.

First Day of School for Jay

Jay started his first day of kindergarten on August 15, 2011. His teacher is out for the first few weeks on medical leave so he started out with a substitute teacher. He was very nervous to talk to the new kids. It was a chaotic drop off in the morning since Owen and Jay's teachers lined up on opposite sides of the parking lot.

First Day of School for Owen

Owen started his first day of kindergarten on August 15, 2011. At recess, he fell off the play gym but suffered only a small scrape. The lunchroom cook called home to say that the corndog he ordered at lunch had soy in it, which he is allergic to. I gave her permission to give it to him since the type of soy in the corndog has not produced a reaction in him before. He was upset when he got home that the teacher had given him someone else's folder. He was very excited about a bus shaped cake his teacher had baked. He said it was the best part of his day. Then I read a letter his teacher sent home apologizing about putting almond extract in the cake. Owen is allergic to all nuts. She did not let him have a piece.

Night Fright

The boys do not like bedtime and because of this neither do I. They come out of their room often after being put to bed to tell me their "scary thoughts."

Jay: "I can't stop thinking about dead things."
Me: "Why can't you?"
Jay: "Because I can't stop uncontrolling my mind."

Owen: "I'm scared I might be buried alive near a pipe and a snake might come out."

Testing Boundaries

I have been trying to give the boys more independence. They have been trusted to stay in the yard with me checking on them every 10-15 minutes. The couple of weeks before school started, they decided to test the boundaries. They asked to go to a neighbors house and were given permission. The neighbor was not home so they returned and asked to visit another neighbor and again were granted permission. After 10-15 minutes I went to check on the boys. They were not at the neighbors, instead I found them playing in the creek across the street behind a row of houses. They were both soaked. Owen had pockets stuffed with rocks and each boy had a dollar bill. Apparently, they had sold some rocks but neither boy could tell me who it was that they sold the rocks to. After that they were no longer trusted to be out of doors without very close supervision. A couple of days later, Michelle took the boys out to do yard work. I warned her to not let them out of her sight but somehow Owen managed to slip away. I got a call from a friend who lives on the next block. She told me that Owen showed up at her door to tell her that he was going away for a long time. By the time she grabbed the phone to call me he at taken off again. We soon found him heading towards home. He said he just wanted to tell her about our vacation that we would be taking in a couple of months.

Balloons

The boys and I watched a huge bouquet of balloons descend from the sky and drop into the neighbors back yard. The boys were out the door in their pj's before I could stop them. They ran to the neighbors house and asked if they could have the balloons that landed in his yard. He told them they could. They were so excited!

Ouch!

Owen jumped off the couch into a pile of stuffed animals. Unfortunately, he had left an open 3 ring binder at the bottom of the pile. He ended up gouging his leg just below the knee. It was only a small gouge about an inch in length but Owen was convinced he was going to die from it. After he calmed down and was well enough to play, he got into a fight over a puzzle with his brother. Jay ended up cutting Owen's other knee with a puzzle piece. This time though, Jay did all the crying when I used one of his Star Wars bandaids to fix Owen's knee.

Blue

I woke up Sunday morning and found Owen cleaning my kitchen with a sponge and a bottle of blue food coloring.

Zombies

The boys made zombies out of rubber stretchy toys by cutting off their heads, arms, and legs. By the appearance of the guns, I would assume the zombies are armed and dangerous.

Baseball

The boys attended their first baseball game (minor league) July 28. The Davenport River Bandits played the Peoria Chiefs. Owen loved climbing on top of the dugout. Both boys seemed more interested in playing on the playground equipment and bouncy houses and eating cotton candy and hotdogs than watching the game. We left during the seventh inning. The Bandits won 3-1 by scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth.

In the Deep Freeze

I came down stairs to check on the boys. I do that whenever they get quiet. I followed their hushed voices into our storage room to find Owen standing in the deep freezer. I yelled at him to get out. I looked into the freezer and found it caked with mud. I asked Owen where the mud came from. Jay said, "Owen's shoes." Owen said, "The cat." According to Owen, the cat was hot so he put him in the freezer to cool him off. The mud did come from Owen's shoes and on a more careful inspection I found cat hair also embedded in the ice of the freezer. No animals were harmed in the making of this blog entry.

Nothing Is Safe From a Five-Year-Old

Owen likes to draw. Usually his canvas is paper but sometimes he chooses the wall, floor, carpet, clothing, or furniture. The other day he showed me his latest creation... on the ceiling! He stacked up boxes of toys, scaled the stack with the skills of a mountain climber/ 5 year-old daredevil, and drew on the white ceiling with a red pencil. I might not have even noticed for quite a while but he was so proud of his art work that he tattled on himself.

Down the Stairs

Owen climbed into this tub and Jay assisted him in rolling down the stairs in it.

A Team of Thieves

Over the past month or so, the boys have developed sticky fingers. They've come home from day care and play dates with stolen goods. I've found wooden play food, Pokemon cards, a Nintendo stylus, $2.08 in change, cars, a toy gun, magnets, play money, a makeup compact, blocks, a sword, and a foam letter J just to name a few items. They have told me they rescued some toys from being left outside without their owner. Other times they have left a worthless trinket in exchange for a coveted toy but without informing the owner. If one boy is without pockets to hide his stolen treasures, he will ask his brother to put them in his pants pockets. They truly are quite a team of thieves.

It Sounds Like What?

Thump!
Me: Quiet, I heard something.
Owen: Mommy, did it sound like an Indian playing a flute?
Me: huh?

He Ties

I took Jay shopping for new sneakers June 25. He picked out a pair with laces. I told him he would have to learn how to tie his shoes. He didn't back down. I showed him how to tie his shoes when we got home. Within 15 minutes he was doing it by himself without any help at all. Now if only I can get his brother interested.

Another Name Change

Owen: Does it cost a lot of money to change your name?
Me: I don't know how much it costs. But we can just call you the new name if you like.
Owen: I want you to call me Goldamark.
Me: Are you sure you're done with the name Spencer?

When They Sleep

Two sleeping boys and 68 hotwheels in a single bed.

You Love Me How Much?

Owen said to me the other day, "Mommy, every time I come home from work or go to the store, I am going to stop at the cemetery and put a flower on your sign because I love you so much." Apparently, he loves me to death.

For the Love of Tape

Owen loves tape. He tapes papers to his bedroom wall. I've found pipe cleaners taped to my kitchen wall, cds taped to the living room walls, and mardi gras beads taped to my couch.

How to Raise a Nerd

Jay likes to play chess. He likes the computer. He also wears black socks with shorts and hikes the waistband of his pants up to his armpits.

Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum

When I picked up the kids from daycare the other day, Jay was a little annoyed. "Mommy, Owen got a song stuck in my head." I, of course, had to ask what song that was. "Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish, how many pieces do you wish." So it is not just an adult thing to get a song stuck in your head. It happens to kids too.

A Funeral For a Fish...

...because everyone with kids should have to endure at least one. Owen's beta, Scary Skull Pirate, died the day before we returned from vacation. No burial at sea for him. You'll find him in our back yard about 6 inches down in a bed of lilies with his own grave marker.

He Dresses to Impress

Owen likes to wear suits to church and a shirt and tie to preschool. Next year he won't be able to because ties are not part of the dress code, not even for Catholic school.

Mr. Green

Owen's class had a competition for St. Patrick's Day to see who could wear the most green. Owen won. He even wore green socks and underwear.

Now It's Owen's Turn

May 12, 2011 Owen lost his first tooth.

The Way They Express Their Excitement

Owen: "I am so excited I can't get my head on tight." Jay: "I am so excited my eyes are going to fall out."

The Easter Bunny Lays Easter Eggs

I was kidding around the other day and told the boys that the Easter Bunny lays Easter Eggs. Today on our walk, Jay spotted a rabbit. The boys chased it under a bush. Jay came running back to me proclaiming that he could see its nest with eggs in it.

Saving the Planet

The boys took the power wheels out for a spin today. They drive ahead of me, sometimes far ahead of me, and I follow them on foot. Today for the first trip around the block, Owen drove and chased his brother. They both seemed to enjoy it and no one was getting hurt so I let them. When we got back to the house, Owen said he had picked up a lot of trash. Sure enough the passenger seat was loaded with trash. I asked him what he was doing with all that trash. He told me, "I want to keep the world clean." I guess, by the looks of my house, he is referring to the "outside" world.

Mail

The boys like to bring in the mail when we get home from daycare. They used to fight over the job. If they are out when the mail carrier pulls up, she will divide it into two piles and give each one. Now they will split it up themselves so no fighting, unless there is a package on the doorstep. The last couple of days I had asked Owen to go out for the mail just because it has been arriving late and he was the one available to get it. He must have thought it was now his job. Yesterday when I went out to get the mail myself, I was met by Owen when I got back in the house. "Mommy, why did you get the mail? Am I fired?"

More Love

Over the last couple of weeks, Owen has been expressing his love for me.

"Mommy, I just can't unstop loving you."

"I just love you really bad."

"Mommy, I just love you too much."

"Mommy, I love you. You are so pretty."

"Mommy, you are a princess."

Love

Owen said to me today, "Mommy, I love you more than candy."

Blizzard Feb 1-2, 2011

Jay and Owen and the record snowfall 18.6 inches

Look what the snowplow driver left us!

Christmas Carols

The boys love Christmas carols and sing them all year long. Owen is especially fond of "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." He doesn't always get the lyrics right--"perhaps me and Grandpa wiggly."

The Smell of Money

I took the boys to Monkey Joe's today. It is a place filled with inflatable bouncy houses and slides. Jay found a token on the floor. He looks for and usually finds money on the floor when we go to the store or out to eat. I noticed he was putting it up to his nose and asked him what he was doing. He explained that he was smelling money. He showed me how he sniffs the money then sniffs the air to catch the scent of the money.

What Happened To the Ceiling Fan?

Last night while the boys were supposed to be getting their pj's on for bed, I heard the sound of breaking glass coming from their room. I ran in to their dark room and looked up to see a tee shirt hanging from the ceiling fan. The ceiling fan light would not turn on but I could still make out broken glass on the floor and a busted light bulb shade. Apparently, Jay threw his tee shirt and it got stuck on a blade of the fan. Rather than asking for help, Owen tried to retrieve the shirt for Jay by throwing a metal lunch box at the fan.

Conversation At Dinner

Jay: Mommy can you die on your birthday? I would really like to talk about this now.
Mommy: Yes Jay you can.
Jay: How can you die on your birthday?
Mommy: Sickness, old age, getting hit by a truck...
Owen: You could get shot.
Mommy: Yes you could get shot.
Owen: Mommy lets talk about Christmas.
Mommy: Yes Owen let talk about something else.
Owen: Can you die on Christmas?

Five Year Checkup

The boys had their 5-year-old check up today. Owen weighs 45.8 lbs and is 44 inches tall. Jay weighs 43.8 lbs and is 45 inches tall. They each got two booster shots, one in each leg, and Jay got the nasal mist flu vaccine. It took three of us to hold Jay down for the nasal mist. He screamed for a long time afterwards. After he got the two shots in his legs, he claimed to no longer be able to walk. He crawled out of the doctors office dragging his legs behind him, he crawled to the elevator and probably would have crawled through the parking lot if I let him. I carried him to the car. This is a picture of Jay dragging himself into the elevator.

First Tooth Lost

Jay lost his first tooth today. He discovered it was loose yesterday and guarded it all day by covering it with a paper towel. It came out by itself today without any real drama. Now we just have to wait for the tooth fairy.

Franken Claus

Owen decided the day after Halloween that he wanted to be Frankenstein for next year's Halloween. Then right before Christmas he started asking for a Santa suit and kept asking even after Christmas was over. I told him he could be Santa for Halloween. He told me he wanted to be Franken Claus... Frankenstein in a Santa suit. I told him I didn't think he would have to worry about anyone else wearing the same costume.