Random thoughts including the wisdom of Curious George

This will be a post of bullet points, because they are really just a bunch of random thoughts in my head.

• Carter wants a baby tiger and a toucan.  I've told him that it is Daddy's rule that there are no baby tigers or toucans allowed in the house.  About time he gets to be the bad guy.
• Avery realized she can see her reflection on the top of our lap top.  It is now covered in slobbery kiss marks.
• Today on Curious George the narrator said "If George didn't play golf his score would be zero.  That would make him the best golfer in the world!"  Do you think I can convince Mike of this wisdom?
• George also said "Sometimes monkeys and girls think exactly alike."  I don't know if this is a compliment or not.
• Carter wants to be a dragon or a dinosaur for Halloween.  You know what I cannot find anywhere?  A dragon or a dinosaur.  Maybe I can convince him to be a cowboy instead (we already have the costume!)
•  I think Carter may actually like his sister.  Today when we were leaving to go to preschool, Avery kept running away from me and giggling.  So I yelled "goodbye Avery see you later" and started walking with Carter out to the car.  He looked at me and said "Don't leave her, I miss her."
• Carter has started asking questions about how the baby is going to get out of Mommy.  We responded with an age appropriate explanation including the correct terminology.  Let's hope he dosen't decide to share this with anyone at preschool.

Well, child number one is awake.  Time to go get snack!

Trip Recap

We finally made it back from our trek to Youngstown for the wedding of the Century!  Everything was beautiful, Carter handled being a ring bearer better than I could have ever expected and the boys had a blast.  Unfortunately I have almost no pictures of the weekend because of our sickie girl.  It's hard enough to juggle a three year old and a sick clingy 17 month old let alone take pictures.  So if you have any pictures of our family that you took this weekend, I would appreciate if you would send them to me!

Here is our Cowboy Carter at the wedding rehearsal.

Uncle Jason and the soon-to-be Aunt Tiffany.  Although she has been an honorary Aunt for a long time!

Here is Daddy with our girl. 

I wish I had more pictures to share, but I have absolutely none of our kids in their finery.  Thank you to Grandma and Grandbo who stepped up as honorary helpers with Carter while I took care of Avery.  Even after a trip to Urgent Care between the ceremony and reception, she was still feeling pretty bad.  Also huge thanks to Meme and Bob Bob for taking the kids home from the reception so Mike and I could enjoy ourselves.  Although Mike may have had too good of a time......

It was so nice to see family that we rarely get to see.  But boy, I am glad to be home.  After an additional trip to the doctors office, at least twelve loads of laundry and disciplining one little boy who seems to think that everything is up for debate (it's not) life seems to be getting back to normal.  Or at least our kind of normal.



100.4

Poor sick baby.  Get better soon.

This can't be genetic! Can it?

Carter's Grandfather (whom he calls Bo for Grandbo) has his own quirky language of Bo-isms.  For example:

• RV for SUV
• Cat soup for ketchup
• Mechanical writing utensil for mechanical pencil
• H20 for water
• ka-nife for knife

There are hundreds of other examples.  Mike and I have been brainstorming and these are the first few that popped into our tired brains.  But I'm sure that grandma could add to the list!  So today Carter proved that once again, he is a true Shadle.  He wanted sunbutter toast, but he wanted to spread the sunbutter onto the toast.  So what did he ask me for?  Why a ka-nife of course!  I couldn't help it, I just started laughing.  Are Shadles genetically wired to say ka-nife?  Where in the world did he get that from?  Bo have you been saying ka-nife to Carter?

What a silly boy!  Next thing you know, Bo will be calling a backpack a packpack.

Heard around the house

As I offer a hand to Carter this morning to help him get out of the van:

Carter:  Mommy I love you.  But I do it.  I'm a big boy.

Mommy then inwardly sheds a tear.  And lets him do it himself.

The zoo crew

Yesterday was such a fun day!  We went to the zoo for a class about "Critters and their colors."  Thanks Meme for the birthday gift!  In the picture above Carter got to pet a skink.  They also read the story "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," made a bear and practiced using camouflague with animals.

Then it was zoo time:  right now his absolute favorite animals are the manatees and komono dragon (which he calls the dragon.)  It was an exhausting day but the kids had a ball, and of course were learning in the process.

But today, I sure am paying for it.  I was picking up Carter and Avery all day long (and Carter is a 37 pound three year old!)  At many points I was pushing a stroller and carrying him at the same time.  Now my back is sooooooo sore.  Luckily I can rest today and take a little tylenol too :)

A New Pengos on the block

We all know how our Carter boy LOVES penguins.  So this weekend Meme became number one in his book by getting him a THREE FOOT STUFFED PENGUIN.  I kid you not.  (By the way, that makes Meme number LAST in my book.  Stuffed animals are the bane of my existence.  Maybe that's a little bit dramatic but I really do hate them.)

To get off topic even more, I think that my family has issues with large stuffed animals.  There is still a 5 foot Kermit the frog doll and pink panther doll sitting at my parents house from my youth.  In fact, the pink panther doll was a birthday gift for me when I was a teenager (I know, what teenager wants a life size pink panther doll for her birthday?)  Anyways stuffed animals are nothing more than dust collectors.  There it is, I said it.  Wow, come to think of it maybe I'm the one that has issues with stuffed animals!

Carter has cuddled and loved and squeezed and named him King Pengos. 

I even caught Daddy cuddling with King Pengos.

I think they would be really upset if King Pengos happened to land in the donate pile.  But to the 20+ stuffed animals that are crammed under Carter's bed because I have no where else to put them, I'm coming for you.  Soon.

Allergy update, take two

Our kids are such stinkers.

As many of you know, Avery has been having episodes with hives.  We got her bloodwork done and today we went to see the allergist.  After a skin prick test, they confirmed that she is indeed allergic to eggs, both egg whites and yolk.  The good news is that her primary doctor believed she could potentially be allergic to dairy, wheat, soy and peanuts based on the blood results.  But the allergist said this is not true.  YEAH!!

Just a point of reference:  Carter's blood test for peanuts at one year was a 10, and at 2.5 years was a 100.  Avery's blood test showed a 1 point 16.  The allergist believes that she will grow out of this allergy in the next 2 years.  

So where do we go from here?  Obviously no eggs or french toast.  The allergist said that many children can tolerate items like bread, certain cookies and crackers that contain small amounts of eggs.  We will have to watch cookies closely because some cookies have given her a reaction while others have not.  Avery obviously can because we have been feeding her these items without a reaction for months.  We do not need to take these items out of her diet.

Oh, and she also needs an epi-pen!  It looks like Benadryl and epi-pen(s) are going to be a staple of my diaper bag/purse for many years to come.

It is just so crazy to me that my kids have these allergies.  I'm just so lucky that these are just minor irritations in my everyday life.

Seriously, my kids are huge stinkers.  I think I'll keep them though.

 

The Princess Birthday Party

This weekend was Riley girl's 5th birthday party.  Only one word describes this girl:  princess.  So it made perfect sense for her to have a princess birthday party.

Bob Bob holding our little princess in training.

Carter and Daddy getting ready for the festivities.

Princesses two.

Don't let Brendan fool you, he has such a soft sweet heart.

What good would a princess party be without princess bracelets and necklaces?

Every princess needs pink satin gloves.

My sister felt the need to one up my monkey cupcakes with her princess castle birthday cake.  Touche.

Believe it or not, even the boys had a good time with the princesses.  (Check out Carter in the foreground licking his frosting lips.)

This is the worst picture, but it makes me laugh every time.  What were you guys doing?

Ok, that's better.

Happy Birthday Riley!

Our Dancing Princess

Happy 5th Birthday Princess Riley!

I happened to catch Riley out in the grass dancing.  Give a girl a princess wand and a good spinning skirt and this is what happens.  Little girls are so much fun!

More pictures from the princess birthday party to come!

Heard around the house

Another funny conversation that only a mother (or grandparent) could love:

Carter:  Fish live in water
Me:  Yup, you're right.
Carter:  Fish are brave.  I'm brave and my Dad too.

An Unfavorite

Have I ever mentioned that I hate it when toddlers are learning to feed themselves?  I know it's necessary because I don't want to be spoon feeding my kindergartener, but sheesh.

By the way, this picture does not show the yogurt that was rubbed into her hair and on the table and chair.

How Quickly the years pass

August 2007

August 2008

August 2009

August 2010

The First Day of Preschool

 

Today was Carter's first day of preschool!  He did very well, even though I could tell that he was nervous.  At one point he fell down and bumped his head (before we had left) and he started crying to stay at home, no go to my preschool.  I started getting worried at this point.  But, after about 5-10 minutes I  had him calmed down and ready to go.  The funny thing is little Miss A was very apprehensive about being left with Aunt Tiff.  (Thanks so much for watching her Aunt Tiff!) 

Once we got to school, Carter was such a brave little boy.  I brought him in and sat him down for his work job.  Then I told him I was going to the muscle room, he gave me a high five and everything was good!

His teacher told me he was apprehensive but followed directions well and sat for circle and story times.  Carter told me that he did "lots of things," and that a little girl talked to him and he "ran away." 

Good boy, keep running away from girls for the next twenty years, ok?

A wonderful start to a great school year!

The Apple Farm

On Saturday we took a trip to the Apple Farm.  For whatever reason I got it in my pregnant brain that I wanted the kids to pick their own apples.  Then I was going to make applesauce.  Which is a pretty funny thought being that I can barely boil water.  But off to the apple farm we went.

The kids had their own little kid sized apple bags.  Too cute!

Carter had a great time picking apples.  I was worried that it would be hard for him to reach the apples, but I'm pretty sure they had apple bushes instead of apple trees.

Ava, on the other hand, really wanted to pick apples but she had a hard time picking them off the tree bush.  So she resorted to picking up decaying apples off the ground instead.

But she looked so adorable carrying around her apple bag.

As for my next adventure:  I've got some applesauce to make!

The many faces of Carter boy

Here are some pictures I took for his third birthday.

The smirk

Pensive

Hmmmm.  Not sure what to call this one.

The pout

Our Happy boy.

By the way, many more pictures from Carter's birthday photo shoot to come.

And Tuesday is his first day of preschool.  The day is shortened to one hour and I'll be in the gym for the whole time.  But I'm sure I'll have plenty to come about this.

Happy Birthday Carter Boy!

Happy Birthday Carter Owen!

I know that every mother in the history of the world has said this, but I can't believe that it's already been three years since we got to meet you, our little boy.  Three years old seems so old to me, in fact I used to teach children your age.  But I don't care how old you are, you'll always be our beautiful, hilarious, sweet little boy.

At your three year check up you weighed 37 lbs and were 37.4 inches long.  That puts you into the 93rd percentile for weight and the 39th percentile for height.  You are a big boy!

Right now your favorite foods are spaghetti, grilled cheese, grapes, pizza and bagels.  You love to play with diggers, cars and trucks.  Outside is your very favorite place to be, especially with your Daddy.  Nearly every evening you are out playing on the swingset, digging in the sand, watering plants and running around.  Lately you have been all about art.  You are coloring with purpose, cutting along lines and writing the letters "C" "T" and "R."  

Some of the fun things you have done this year are:  Mommy and Me preschool class (called Mighty Max), library story times, music classes, Wee Wednesdays at the Art Museum and of course just spending time with your baby sister.  Carter, you are a loving big brother and it just melts my heart when you spontaneously give her kisses or hugs.  I know you are going to be an excellent big brother to our newest addition.  We are still working on sharing toys, but you have such a kind heart that I know you will come around.

Animals are your favorite!  Especially penguins, dogs, cats and monkeys.  Right now you currently are sleeping with pengos (your penguin), bingo (your dog) and mingo (your monkey.)  I know that you would love to have a pet and one of these days we may have to break down and get you one.  (But give us some time, we are about to have three kids under three ok?)  Trips to the zoo are always a hit with you. 

I'm sure I could go on and on about you.  But just know that we are so so proud of you.  Mommy and Daddy love you more than you will ever know!

She coulda been a contender

Kind of hard to see in this picture but our little Roo is sporting a black and blue mark on her cheek.  Yesterday she had a little collision with a door.  Such is the life of an almost seventeen month old.

Our Divided House

This morning I let Avery pick out what she wanted to wear for the day.  And to my great suprise she picked out her Steelers jersey!

Her Bob Bob would be so proud.

Although I knew immediately that this was going to cause issues because of course, Carter would want to wear a jersey also.  But the only jersey he has is size 2T.  Currently he is wearing 4T.  So I said a quick prayer that I could squeeze him into his jersey.

Today must be my lucky day because it barely fit!!  Needless to say I got quite a few strange looks and comments carrying around my daughter in a Steelers jersey, my son in a Browns Jersey and to top it off we are in Cincinnati after all.

I guess it's that time of year again though, with football season on a few short weeks away.

The strange thing about all this is that Carter and Avery's jersey were both size 2T!