Spring planting, Take I

It's not even Mother's Day and I've already started the spring planting. I know, I'm shocked too. Year's past have seen me buy my plants nice and early only to have them sit around and wait until June to get in the ground. Not this year buddy! No way.

Okay, so I've only gotten the three new planters done so far. But, in my defense, I did a really good job on them if I do say so myself. We've always had a set of mismatched planters on our front walk, and Wifey's always hated having them take up a big chunk of the sidewalk. So this year I got a set of three nice new round planters from Costco and I put some concrete blocks into the grass to set them on. And, to really top it all off, I did some research on how to design a really good planter. This is what I found:

• How to Design a Container Garden
• Thrillers, Fillers & Spillers
• Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers in Garden Pots

Although these articles did a good job giving some advice, and even pointed out a few good plants in each of the thriller, filler and spiller categories, I found that the number of plants they pointed out was fairly limited and most were way too exotic for my local Home Depot. I was getting kind of discouraged until I found this awesome PDF - Container Gardening Plants: Thrillers, Fillers And Spillers

With all this research in my pocket, and the PDF printed out, I went to both HD and Lowes and compared prices. I found that my HD was about 20-25% cheaper than Lowes which surprised me for some reason. During nap time yesterday, with my Dad along for moral support, I took a trip to HD and loaded up on all the supplies I'd need for my planters and planting beds this year. I took a while to lay out a number of different options for my planters and this is what I came up with:

looks like -

looks like -

looks like -

Altogether they look like this -

And of course the little ones had to get into the action. It was nice having them outside, showing an interest in what I was doing. I found a few nice sized worms while I was digging up the grass to place the blocks and I threw them into the new planters. With Wifey's latest foray into project work with the kids, their study of worms, Red was absolutely amazing when Wifey picked up a nice juicy one and placed it in Red's palm. I don't even like to hold worms very much (too much like snakes I guess) but Red was just fine, looking intently at it as it wiggled around in her hand. Both she and Pudge were fascinated when I moved a bag of peat moss in the woods and we found 13 worms underneath. These kids are a lot of fun, and summer is going to be a blast around here with their inquisitiveness running rampant.

Here they are, hamming it up...

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I'm planning on getting the planting beds done next weekend. We'll see how that plan works out but I'm optimistic!!!

Happy day to the Pudge

My smallest man turns two today. And as Wifey has learned to her dismay all the family pics are stuck on our hard drive which happens to be sitting in my office at work so I can't even post the obligatory baby pic of the Pudgey goodness. I suck at life, my apologies.

In typical parent-of-the-year fashion we're not doing a whole heck of a lot today. After Wifey's blowout last weekend we're just about tapped out - in every sense of the word. Does every kid need a huge party each year? Where do you think we're from, Westchester? We started the day off with a fun filled present opening session - soon to be followed by a huge meltdown on the part of Red who just couldn't get the whole "that's Pudge's new toy and no, you may not grab it from him" thing.

Witness:

I love watching little kids open presents. After all the thought that goes into them, the staying up late to wrap them, the hoping that they're just the right thing... it is so funny to watch them tear into the package, ohh and ahh for a minute then drop them in search for the next thing to unwrap. Too funny.

Things got better after a while when we got the kids outside for the first time in a very rainy four days or so. They played in the front while I got a bit further along on my preparations for winter - I cut up 5 pallets for kindling and put the Rubbermaid woodshed back together.

During nap I got to take JAM to see a movie down at our historic local movie theater - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I thought it was brilliant, and we both had a blast eating ourselves silly on popcorn and laughing our heads off. Except for the whole needless love interest smoochy-face thing it was a perfectly funny kids movie.

So now nap is almost over, and when the babies wake up we're headed down to the lake to meet up with some other families to play and picnic for a while until the sun goes down. Then hopefully a few of them will be interested in joining us back here for some cake and ice cream to put a nice touch on Pudge's day.

Let's hear it for quiet weekends!

All dressed up...

...and nowhere to go was my little lady when I came home from work today. Weren't she purdy?

And, not wanting to be left out, Pudge rocking the shades too. "Nonner icture Daddy?" he asked? How could I say no to that?

The truth is finally revealed

Red, Pudge and I found ourselves in the house without JAM and Wifey this afternoon (see explanation below). Since it was a pretty dismal rainy day and they had just gotten up from nap the TV was still on. Who am I kidding, the TV would have probably been on anyway this being college football season and all. :)

Anyhow, we found ourselves switching back and forth between the Yankee-Red Sox game and the Miami-Virginia Tech football game. As I was changing his diaper Pudge pointed to the TV at the crowd of people they were showing and said something about the people. Red looked and said "Yes Pudge, look at the people! Hey! I saw my Daddy on that show!" I laughed and said "No Red, your Daddy is right here." She giggled a little bit and then said, with a totally straight face, "No, my real Daddy!" No joke! She even walked over and said "Let me show you."

Yup, she walked right over and pointed to a Virginia Tech player running on the field. Now, ever since she was born with this mop of bright orange hair we've (I've) been making poor jokes about not being quite sure about her lineage but for some strange reason I'm pretty sure this young man had very little to do with her creation.

Either that or someone in this house has some serious explainin' to do.

So much for Twinkle Twinkle I guess

Typically, when I put Pudge to bed our time includes a few songs after we've read our story and the lights are out. We usually go through the old standards - Row, Row, Row Your Boat, The ABC's Song, All Around the Mulberry Bush, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star... you know, the songs adults usually sing to children. Tonight was a little bit different apparently. Tonight I snuggled in with Red while Wifey had the joy of putting Pudge down. As I walked out of Red's room I heard the usual singing coming out of Pudge's room but I was amused by the choice of tune. I think this might be the first time I've ever heard a song about a bank robbery being sung to a 22 month old. But, when you marry a woman who would much rather be married to a bare naked lady, what do you expect?

The Sap needs someone to hug!

Ever since the kids came along I've turned into such a sap. Not for kittens and babies in cute outfits or anything like that, but when a story turns to a father and a child the water works turn on as sure as the sun comes up. I've been a mess in movies, while reading books (ever read The Road? If you have, you'll remember the moment that the main characters came upon that fire cooking on the side of the road. Or, how about the moment in The Pillars of the Earth where the main character has to decide what to do with his newborn son?) and sometimes even watching TV.

It happened again just now. I'm sitting here, adhered to the couch due to my bum knee, watching the memorial service for Sen. Ted Kennedy. I tuned in just in time to hear his eldest son, also Ted Kennedy, speak about his father through a choked up voice and a sea of tears in the audience. I just about lost it.

What was worse was that Pudge was sitting on the couch next to me playing with some toys, totally oblivious to what was on the screen. I just grabbed him and hugged him tight - which he is NOT a fan of. Both Red and even JAM are far more snuggly, both at least put up with my hugs on a regular basis but Pudge just isn't interested in snuggling of any kind really. He even refuses to come into bed with the rest of us in the morning! Goofy kid. :)

So, I'm a sap who needs to give hugs and I've got a kid who could just care less. Good thing I'm still like 4x his size. Before my knee gave out I could even chase him down when I wanted to.

I'm going to need to get a net or something.

Sometimes the best laid plans

It was all planned out. Wifey was going to kidnap Red for a girls day out down in DC with her friend and her daughter at the Natural History Museum. I was going to grab the boys and borrow the DaB's bike and trailer again and we were going to head up to BWI airport and ride around the perimeter trail there. We've done it a few times before, but it had been a while (2005) and I thought both JAM and Pudge would have fun with it. There's a nice little playground at the jumping off point and some 7-11's along the way for drinks. Lots of planes coming and going and some cool views of the airport from the north side. We packed a lunch, and I was taking JAM's bike out of the shed, and this happened...

Yup, the weather dude yesterday said no rain until the afternoon, then this is what we see in the morning. Nice huh? I hate weather people. 80's and blue sky? Maybe... or it could snow. They don't have any idea.

So after Wifey and Red were safely dropped off at the Metro us boys came back to the homestead and did what all red blooded American males will do when presented with hours of unplanned time...

We built Thomas train tracks of course!

JAM and I teamed up and built this great track for Pudge, who immediately ignored it. Oh well, at least we had fun building it!

**Update**

I was a little sad thinking that it wasn't going to keep raining and I had cancelled our bike trip needlessly. I thought that after looking at the radar image above. Notice that big blank area after the line of rain? I was worried that the rain had come and gone and we were going to be stuck in the house when we didn't have to be.

I was worried. Then this happened...

It was a good choice to stay home. JAM, Pudge, and I went out and sat on the front porch for a few minutes during the heavy downpour and they had fun sticking their hands out into the rain and spashing each other, themselves, me. If it's going to rain you might as well enjoy it right?

Happy rain day everyone! Wishing I lived in San Diego....

Closer...

Closer and closer to normalcy, or whatever it is that passes for normalcy around here.

- Furniture back in the dining room? Oh yes, it's true!

- Pudge helping Mommy put the dining room table back together. He's so helpful.

- His big sister on the other hand... she just enjoys the fruits of our labor. A true middle manager at heart.

- The Momster getting our table put back together. What? No more 5 of us eating at the little table in the kitchen? It was so cozy though!

- The dining room again.

- Wifey has been waiting for a long time to clean the rugs and holy crow, they were nasty! I'm actually kind of happy I didn't take any pictures of the waste water after she was done. Um, maybe I shouldn't have shared that?

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Now, something not exactly related to the whole home improvement project. You know how every once in a while you hear a sentence uttered and you just stop in your tracks and make note that you never, in a million years, thought you would hear that said in your home? How's this one?

Wifey: "Hey [JAM]! You know that giant turtle? Can you toss it down the stairs please?"

Seriously, some of the strangest things get said around here.

Let me explain. We've wanted to find some new pillows for the couch to let the kids have the old red ones that we used so they can use them to roll around with on the floor. The old red pillow color doesn't so much work anymore with the new green palatte. So in addition to looking for new pillows for the couch, we were trying to think of some more floor-type soft things for the kids to use. This made me think of the giant turtle my grandmother made for us before she passed. We had one of these when I was growing up and I loved it as a kid. I thought the giant sized nature of it made it so cool, so when she asked me if she could make anything for JAM when he was still a baby I immediately thought of the turtle (I'm not sure if my brother or my sister has the original). Something you should know though... my wacky old grandmother never met a color she didn't like. We would get baskets of very interesting knitted Christmas tree ornaments and other odds and ends every year. We still have some of the more acceptable ones. :)

Without further ado...

- The turtle.

- Apparently, the turtle has been adopted.

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Does this mean I officially need help?

They say the first step toward recovery is admitting you've got a problem. Well, I'm not sure I have a problem, but if my lovely children have anything to say about it, I'm due at Dr. Drew's rehab house tomorrow.

Example #1 - JAM was invited out for the day with a friend and her Mom on a trip to the Air and Space Museum out at Dulles. Apparently a good time was had by all, and a funny story came home with them. Have you ever heard the song "Down by the Bay?" The version we know is sung by Raffi.

Witness...

So JAM comes home and tells us that the three of them were waiting in line for something and ended up singing this song but making up silly lyrics to go with it. "Have you ever seen a moose, kissing a goose" and stuff like that. What could possibly make this story fit in with my intro and my impending committal? One of JAM's lines? "Have you ever seen a notch, drinking some scotch?" Oh lordy. How proud were we that we taught him that line from Anchorman? You know the one... "Lamp! I love lamp!" We twisted that a bit and the joke around the house became "What does Daddy like? Scotch!" Oh yes, we're so proud. And JAM has decided to spread it for all the world to hear.



Example #2 -
I'm out on our back patio, doin' man stuff - you know, grillin' some meat for dinner - when Wifey asks me what I would like to drink for dinner. After the whole ceiling debacle, I thought a beer might hit the spot. So, as my lovely bride is taking a beautiful, refreshing cold Killians out of the fridge for me my little man Pudge points to it and with a huge smile on his face yells - "Dada!"

Yes, my one year old beautiful, innocent little boy has now associated his father with the tall bottle of the Gods.

I've got my bags packed. Feel free to call child services whenever you want.

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It's settled. She nuts.

Oh yeah, as if we weren't sure yet, tonight proved it. My poor sweet little Red. Honest to God, she's possessed. And stubborn is the name of the game. Let's see, what set her off tonight? Cleaning up the three things she had out in the living room after dinner before going up for tub. No, really. Like three things. And did she howl! For practically the whole 30 minutes of bathtime! As I had Pudge in the tub there she sat in the hallway whooping up a storm. I knew giving her any attention would only feed it so I paid extra attention to the little man in the tub and we had a blast. And I made sure little miss thunderstorm heard it all. I played it all up, laughing with Pudge, singing songs, just trying to get Red to hear us and want to stop her shenanigans and join in.

Did she? Nope, not all the way. I heard the lame attempt at banging on the gate we have at the top of the stairs get softer and softer. She banged on the wall and bathroom door a bit but I ignored that too. She was just trying to get my attention, not doing any damage, so I just let it go. (At this point, if you really know me, you should be picking yourself up off the floor. He let something like that go??? I know, I'm trying my best to keep it all in perspective and it even works, sometimes.) A few times I saw her little fingers poking through under the door and I almost lost it. She was trying so hard to get my attention. Finally, she opened the door just a little bit and then closed it right away. About a minute later she opened it again and poked her head in. I asked her if she'd like to jump in the tub and she actually slammed the door! Well, as much as a little two-year-old can slam the door while trying not to get me too mad. I laughed at that as well. Half-assed defiance is always funny.

Stubborn, stubborn little girl. Doesn't she know that this Mom and Dad don't play that game? Can't wait until she's 15!!!!!

*maniacal laughter echoing in the distance*

He speaks!

That's right folks, Pudge has spoken. His first sentence! Wifey and I have been a bit worried, but not wanting to say so, you know, fear of being "those parents." You know them. The ones that you meet in the grocery store or at the kid's birthday party, or where ever, that are always talking about when your kid did that or when their kid did this.


"OMG! He walked at 8 months? Ours didn't walk until 8 months 3 days!!!! We need to get him tested!"


This whole conversation is being had in light of our most recent experience with Red, who started conjugating verbs at like 10 months (wicked strange to have a less than one year old throwing out full sentences let me tell you). With her bizarre early development foremost in our minds, Wifey and I have been wondering in our collective heads whether we should be thinking about starting to wonder if we should be getting worried (that's us, real conclusive) that Pudge hasn't really taken to this whole speaking thing. Don't get me wrong, he does have some words going on. Milk, Mama, Dada, his favorite - NO!, move (we're working on excuse me to some success), more, nose, hair, hat, ears, etc. But, aside from our translation services, not many other people have any idea what he says and his vocab list isn't winning any awards.

So, imagine our surprise tonight as Pudge put his official first sentence together! Two whole words in a logical order to express a complete thought! My only regret happened to be him screaming "NO Dada!" at me after I put him in his highchair after having to remove him from running across our couch for the 8th time. It doesn't matter, he delivered his first sentence!!!! He's a genius, far smarter than those other parent's kids anyway.

Random pics

While JAM was at school and I was at work yesterday, Wifey got out the camera during the day and snapped some new pics of the babies.

Some of messy Pudge.

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And here's goofy Red.

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And yes, I know... I'm in trouble. If you can look past the peanut butter on her face, this little girl is going to break some poor boy's heart one day. I'm pretty sure that day will be right after she drives him bat$&*% crazy. Just like her Daddy.

I'm not a bad father, really I'm not!

No seriously, I'm not a bad father. Let me explain!!! This past Saturday was Pudge's first birthday. Normally I try to post at least a happy birthday announcement or something of the sort to at least immortalize the moment. And to make it look like I care. Because I do. Really.

But this time, I had a different idea. I knew Wifey would post something, which she did, and it was a wonderful account that will no doubt serve as birth control to all young ladies who read it. But, I had something different in mind. You see, as our good friend Geoff was taking pictures so I could actually be involved in the singing to Pudge, I couldn't help but reminisce about JAM and Red's first birthdays and their mandatory cake-all-over-the-place pictures. So, that was the post I wanted to write. But, I couldn't for a few days because actually remembering all the requisite pieces, such as time, availability, having the hard drive available to get to the old pics, etc., is tough to do when you suffer from CRS. Oh, that's Can't Remember S&$t for those of you who don't know.

Moving on.... The party was a huge success, thanks to Wifey's tireless planning and preparation that took three days. Seriously, three days. Well, when you have 16 people in a house made for 4 it takes a lot of doing. Especially when you're dumb enough to have kids in a cold month, and then it rains all day so the attendees can't go outside and play like Daddy had hoped. Yes, I was very nervous that everyone would be miserably crammed into our teeny little home. In the end it worked out wonderfully and everyone at least said they had a good time. Thank goodness our friends are such bold-faced liars. :)

The strangest think about the party though... Pudge decided he wasn't a fan of chocolate cake. Didn't want to have anything to do with actually eating it. Playing with it? Smushing it? Throwing it around our dining room? Oh, he's fine with all of that, certainly. But putting some in his mouth? Like Sarah Palin, thanks but no thanks. At this point I'd normally make a joke about wanting to get him tested to see if he is really mine but if we could track the cake-eating addition in our household I would venture to say that Wifey takes the prize and I can attest to the fact Pudge did indeed arrive along traditional means from said woman. So who knows why, maybe he is just one of those wacky kids who doesn't like cake. Better for him I'd say. I've seen what his mom does to people who stand in her way of cake.

So, without further ado, here ya go....

My three amigos...

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The little one? Not so little anymore!

My little Pudge is trying his hardest to become my big Pudge. He's launched himself into full crawling mode. Two or three days ago this was cute, even a cause for celebration. We were cheering his every movement, clapping with his each "step." See what I mean---

Now? Not so much. Dude has found his wheels. He is cruising around the living room now and we have a lot of fear in our hearts. You see, when the good gentlemen who built our house decided to put in a wood burning stove they obviously weren't thinking about young children. There is this nice wooden and ceramic tile platform and step up to our dining room that is just the kiss of death for little crawling and new walking babies. When Red was this age we padded everything with the cushions from our old couch. But, with that being our old couch we don't have those cushions anymore. We are left with the ledge of doom. Little man is in trouble. And we need some bubble wrap. Lots of bubble wrap. :)