Random Bits

This past Saturday, Tom took Ellie to Monster Jam with my two brothers and brother in law and their kids. Tom is really not a fan of Monster Jam. It just isn't his scene. I am not sure it is Ellie's scene either, but she was happy to be with her daddy and her cousins.
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I ran out of gas on the way to work yesterday morning. The last time I ran out of gas, I was 20 years old and had just purchased my first car. I don't remember it being as stressful of an experience as it was yesterday when I found myself on the side of a busy road, in the dark, with two small children. I was there for 45 minutes before Tom arrived with a gas can. In that time, not a single person stopped to offer help or ask if I was okay.
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Ellie informs me this morning that a boy in her class, Cody, is so handsome. All the girls in her class love Cody because he is so handsome. She says he has straight blond hair and skin the same color as hers. But in the next breath she tells me that Jayden B. is her boyfriend. Jayden B. has "curly hair and brown skin." I ask her how he can be her boyfriend when she keeps talking about how handsome Cody is. She replies, "Well, I don't tell Jayden that I think Cody is handsome!" I ask her what she and Jayden do that makes him her boyfriend (with just a little fear of what her response will be). Apparently, she pushes him on the swing at recess. Also, sometimes he gets hurt and she helps him feel better. Whew. I can get behind that kind of relationship.

Vomit and New Shoes (but not vomit on the new shoes)

Here it is, already Friday, and I am just now getting around to writing about LAST weekend. My poor, neglected blog. So....last weekend. I had Monday off so I decided to take Ellie to see Beauty and the Beast 3D. I invited her cousins, Kinleigh and Olivia, to join us. When I picked up Olivia, Sabrina informed me that Kolby had been throwing up all morning and I might not want to take Olivia. As if I would leave her at home when she was all dressed up in her Belle slippers and carrying a rose and a Belle figurine! I figured that since she hadn't thrown up all morning she was probably fine. Famous last words. As soon as we were seated and the theater darkened, Olivia threw up. I took her and cleaned her up and told her to vomit in her clear, plastic purse if she felt sick again. What? She still wanted to watch the movie and so did the other girls! By the next morning, both Kinleigh and Ellie were throwing up.

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I also took Ellie to buy a new pair of Twinkle Toe Sketchers last weekend. Remember how conflicted I was about those shoes? Heehee. Now Ellie's thing is that she wants an iTouch because her cousins have them. On this, I am standing firm because Ellie loses everything. Oh, and she is 5. She kept begging and pleading until I told her she could have one when she is 8. I am sure technology won't have changed at all by then, right?

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When Ellie was getting dressed for school this morning, she pulled out her old, ugly Montessori t-shirt. I think she had worn it like twice for field trips back in the day. I tried to push her towards a different outfit, but apparently it is twin day at school and she and her little friend (who also used to go to her daycare) had planned this whole outfit together...right down to their matching Twinkle Toe Sketchers.

Just Jack

He can count to 10 in English and Spanish

He loves to wear hats and sunglasses. But mostly hats.

When we put him to bed, he will keep saying "I love you" as we walk out of the room. We respond with "I love you, too" and just keep repeating until we have walked far enough away that he can't hear us anymore.

He likes to repeat everything Ellie says, immediately after she says it.

He loves, loves, loves to color.

He also likes reading books, playing with Legos, throwing/kicking balls, and teasing his sister.

He stills calls cars and trucks "beep-beeps."

The threat of time-out can usually cut short a tantrum and bring out some serious sweetness. "O-tay, Mommy. I sorry. I love you."

*Had to add this cute little story from this morning: Jack walked up to Ellie and hit her with a ball he was holding. I told him "no hitting" so he turned to the wall and hit it in defiance. I then asked him if he needed to go to time-out. He turned to Ellie and said in his sweet, high-pitched voice, "I sorry, Ellie." Then he turned to the wall and said, "I sorry, wall." Both Ellie and the wall got his head-hugs, as well.

This will never be a food blog

In the month of December, I gained ten pounds. Ten. Who does that? So, with the start of the new year, along with millions of others, Tom and I have decided to eat more healthy. We all know that "eat more healthy" means diet, right? So, last night I made grilled balsamic marinated chicken that I had marinated overnight. It was delicious. And I made a spinach caprese salad. I have never bought fresh mozzarella or fresh basil before. I actually had to Google how to chop fresh basil. How did people cook before the internet? Anyway, I was pretty proud of my little salad. So proud, in fact, that I became one of those people who takes pictures of their food.

I have also recruited a few teacher friends to walk laps around the school with me. I think I have enough people recruited that I should have a walking partner every day. I remember when I was in high school and I would see the older teachers walking around school in their dress clothes and running shoes. And now I have become one of them. I am not sure how I feel about that.

Weekend recap: Farewell to 2011 edition

Happy (almost) New Year! Everyone is outside lighting fireworks, but Jack and I are inside watching Sesame Street because he burned his hand on this sparkler:

I thought I would take advantage of the free time to do one final blog entry for 2011. I noticed on the side bar in my archives that the number of blog posts has dwindled considerably each year. I wish I could wax poetic about something profound to end the year, but I have nothing. Looks like it's just going to be a weekend recap!

Yesterday, I took the kids to the zoo. Ellie immediately asked if there were elevators at the zoo. When I responded in the negative, she became much more excited about the trip. Tom had to stay home to wait for our new TV to be delivered (a new TV! After 10 years of the same old one, we finally got a fancy, flat screen thanks to some generous Christmas monies from our parents). We met up with Daniel and Sabrina and some friends and spent a good 4 hours checking out the animals. The kids had fun imitating the animals they saw.

Their favorite was petting the goats at the Children's Zoo. There weren't many goats in the enclosure this year. Seems like they used to have a lot more goats along with an assortment of other animals. Oh well, the kids didn't notice as they happily brushed every goat they could find. After the zoo, we went over to Tara's house to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. Usually, Ellie insists on helping blow out the candles, but this year she had company. All in all, it was a fun night.

Aside from the little sparkler incident, we ended the year on a high note. 2011 has been good to us. Here's to an even better 2012!