Chips and Dip

I was going to my mom's for a picnic on the Fourth of July and she had asked me to bring chips and dip. So I sent my husband to the grocery store to get chips and sour cream to make the dip. The chips were buy one, get one so he got a bag of regular and a bag of cheddar and sour cream. I made the dip as soon as he got back and put it in the refrigerator to set. About an hour later I come in to see him and my son scooping up all the dip and gobbling half the bag of chips. Now this is all my mom would let me bring so I can't go there with a half bag of chips and a tablespoon of dip. I grab the food away from them and of course my son starts to cry.

Dad to the rescue....he snatches the other bag of chips and tears into it. When Dylan sees these orange chips he says: "Oh Mom, we don't need the dip anymore, because these chips already have the dip on them! See the orange, that's the dip!"

Of course, he got the usual laugh from mom and dad and continued to eat his "special" chips. Now that was almost 2 weeks ago but he is still talking about these things. He'll randomly bring it up in conversation with people. Today at a restaurant, he leaned over and bragged to the table next to us: "At home, we have chips that already have the dip on them!" I wonder what he would do if he knew there is an assortment of flavors too!!!

Daddy the SuperHero

So I'm fully aware that I'm under appreciated. Let's face it my kids are too young to comprehend exactly what it is I do for them. So I'll spell it out:

Feed them
Clean them
Dress them
Play with them
Comfort them
Teach them
Keep them happy
Keep them safe
Keep them healthy
Make them laugh
Play with them some more
Feed them some more
Undress them
Clean them again
Read to them
Sing to them
Put them to sleep
Repeat....

Not to mention all the things in between. And of course the household chores. But my husband catches a stinking shark and my son thinks he is a SUPERHERO!

Just five minutes of Pilates!

Ok, so it was more like 55 minutes but is that really a lot to ask? Sunday night Dylan asked to relax and watch a movie before bed and I obliged. We had spent the entire weekend outside, so I wasn't feeling guilty about some down time. He was happy watching Toy Story on the couch so I thought I could sneak away and get a little Pilates in. TV doesn't really hold a 15 month old's attention so I brought Camryn downstairs with me and set her up with a plethora of toys. But nothing is more fun than using mommy as a jungle gym. The minute I laid on my mat, she was on me like white on rice. She was happily bouncing up and down on my stomach, with a giggle that is hard to be mad at. I tried to work around her but she was really inhibiting my movements. When she finally did leave me alone it was to turn the TV on and off or to adjust the volume knob on the receiver. She was grabbing at my glasses and hitting me over the head with her brother's toy hammer. I heard her splashing in the dog's bowl as if it was a water table. I figured, no harm, it's almost bathtime anyway. Anything that would keep her busy long enough for me to get my pilates in. But when I saw her pop a piece of kibble into her mouth, I knew there was no hope for a little "me" time. Frustrated and defeated I turned off my video, grabbed Camryn and went upstairs to show her the magic that Disney/Pixar has to offer.

Throwing the Game

Dylan already has a competitive streak. He has to run the fastest, jump the highest and have the biggest half of whatever it may be he and my daughter are splitting. He is overly concerned about winning, even if it is not a contest. And he is not shy about pointing it out to other kids when he indeed has performed well. So I explained to him how it wasn't nice, could hurt feelings, etc. Of course, you can't change a personality trait so now when another kid is involved he'll say something like "We are both the best runner" just to appease me. So even though he was still being competitive, I felt like it was under control!

Well things took a turn for the worst. We are a huge board game family and I'm super excited that there are games that I can play with Dylan. His favorites are Candy Land, Trouble and Cootie. With all the rain we have been getting, we've been playing our fair share.

I'm not one of those parents who let's their kids win. Because really, what does that teach them? It isn't like that out in the real world. You don't always win or get what you want. It's not easy but it's true. And when he is playing with another kid, they aren't going to throw the game for his benefit. So the lesson in losing is inevitable. I thought Dylan understood. Sometimes I would win, sometimes he would win but he was genuinely having fun playing.

I guess he lost one too many times because he freaked out! He was almost to the Candy Castle when he drew the dreaded Gumdrop card, sending him all the way back to the beginning. And send him into a tizzy. He grabbed his gingerbread boy in a screaming fit and ran out of the room. Knowing exactly what the problem was, I played dumb and asked him anyway.

His response: "I wasn't going to win and I always want to be the best."

Not sure if I should be proud of his ambition or scared of it!

I wanna be a big kid

Why is it that kids are so anxious to grow up? Camryn is enamored with her brother. Whatever he is doing she wants to do. And I can already see the "I don't want to include my little sister" thing happening.

Today my nephew, who is the same age as Dylan was over and naturally the boys play well together. I set the kiddie pool up and they had a grand old time splashing each other and such. Camryn was able to play along for the most part. But when the boys decided it was time to drive around the gator, meltdown is an understatement!

Dylan is usually good about taking her on rides, going slow and making sure she is holding on. But him and Matthew tool around on that thing, like it 's the Indy 500. In between sobs, Camryn was trying to chase them around the yard, wanting a ride. So when I asked Matthew if Camryn could have a turn he replied, "Yeah, she can just sit in the dumper!" Which is the back of the gator that has a huge yellow sticker that clearly states children are not permitted to ride back there. Apparently, he didn't want to give up his turn either. But babies with tears always prevail and Camryn got a ride from her big brother.

And when it was time to give the Gator a rest, more tears. Easily fixed....

Don't you long for the days when a popsicle made everything better!!!

Girly Girl

Can girls be born with a fashion sense? Because I seriously think that Camryn was. It is so interesting to me to see the difference between boys and girls right from birth. And Camryn is a stereotypical girly girl. She LOVES accessories!!! Mind you, she is only 14 months old. I often find her dancing around in her twirly dresses and being overly animated in front of the mirror. She puts everything around her neck like a necklace.

Cords to the Wii remotes, belts, ties, strings and anything that she can find. (I know it sounds dangerous but I find it fascinating that she knows what a necklace is already)

I couldn't keep a hat on Dylan even if it tied around his neck. But Camryn willing puts them on herself. The bigger and flashy the brim, the better!


And boy are we in trouble when we have to dish out the cash for her shoe collection!!! She is obsessed with them. If you ask her where her nose is she has no idea, but ask her to point to her shoes and she is spot on! She already slides her feet into my heels and tries to clop around in them. And if you don't put shoes on her, forget it, complete melt-down!!! My husband is hoping that she outgrows the phase, but coming from a girly girl myself, I hope she embraces it!!

Puppy Face

This morning I was going to go for a bike ride by myself when my dog gave me the cutest puppy dog face ever. She was waiting by the door with a face that said "Please take me with you, please, please" Just 5 short years ago, I wouldn't have ever thought to go outside without her!

I was born an animal lover. Every holiday and birthday I BEGGED my parents for a puppy but couldn't have one because my older sister was allergic. I thought the easiest solution was to send my sister packing and bring in the hounds, but I guess my parents were attached to her. So when I was a little girl my father promised me that when I graduated college, he would buy me any puppy I wanted!

So in May 2003, I graduated from Ithaca College donning a graduation cap that read "This was one expensive puppy!"And my dad held true to his word and by June I had Callie, my adorable roly-poly golden retriever!


She was my first born child! I gave her 100% of my attention. She had two hikes through the woods a day. The best dog food money could buy. I groomed her, brushed her teeth and even spent a night on the kitchen floor with her after I cut her nail too short and it bled. I rushed home from work to play with her. If I went anywhere, she came with me and if she wasn't welcome, then I wasn't going.

When I became pregnant with Dylan, people would tease me that this would be the end of Callie's reign over the house. But I knew I would never be one of those people. I loved my dog and nothing was going to change that. If my kid came out allergic, then they better invent infant Claritin because she was here to stay!

When Dylan came home, Callie was just as excited as we were!


But the hustle and bustle of having a baby kicked in and Callie had to share her attention. Her hikes were down to once a day and grooming was only done when necessary. We installed the electric fence in our yard (something I was horrified by only months before) so we could let her outside without having to keep an eye on her. But I still brought her everywhere, she still appeared with Dylan on our Christmas cards and had her spot on the couch!

Camryn's arrival on the other hand, meant 2 kids under the age of three and the house turned into complete chaos. Callie had to whine at the door to go out. I brought her to a groomer only when I noticed that her fur was matted and couldn't stand the smell of her. Her hikes were weather and children's mood permitting. Although her name appeared on the Christmas card, only the kids were pictured. If she was able to find her spot on the couch, it wasn't worth being climbed on and pulled at, so she would resort to the floor!

I could tell that she was being neglected but I still loved her just as much as the day I brought her home. And I kept telling myself that I was enhancing her life with my children. She now had someone to protect, chase after in the yard and go swimming with. She loves to follow the kids around and see what kind of food she can steal from them.

I often watch them interact and have come to realize that although she isn't the spoiled, pampered pup anymore, she gets more attention then I could have ever given her alone. She has more people that love her and is such an important part of our family!

Needless to say, her puppy face worked and I turned my bike ride into a run through the woods and Callie wagged her tail the whole way!!!