That Explains It...

Have you ever wondered why Avery has blonde hair and blue eyes, yet no one else in the family does? Well guess who came out of the womb after him:

Yup, it's Baby Hitler in footy PJs.

But really, is it just me... Or is it rude to ask someone if their son is really theirs? Practically every time I go anywhere with all 3 kids, someone asks if they're all 3 mine, or if they all have the same father (yes, really), or how did Avery get that hair? Sometimes people try to be sneaky and just say, "Look at that hair!" I know that's code for "your kids look nothing alike."

But by far, my all-time favorite rude question asked about Avery's hair is this: "What color hair does your mailman have?" Am I the only one who sees a problem with this question - even as a joke?

Advertising Works

Now I know why some parents in the 80's were so against commercials that target children.

My kids used to only watch the Disney channel (I know, it is an advertisement), but over the past few months they've gotten into Nickelodeon more and more. As most parents know, the difference between Disney & Nick is that Nick has commercials, while Disney doesn't (sort of). At first they thought the show was over every commercial break and went to their rooms to play instead of finishing the show. Then they realized that the show comes back after those commercials, and got mad when the commercials came on. Then they realized that those commercials are full of fun toys and junk that they need to have in their rooms!

Abby is certainly a victim of commercial targeting. Just about every time a Barbie commercial comes on, she runs to me and says "You know, there's this new Barbie out there that has wings that pop up!" Just so I know, you see....

I've also always wondered why Nick runs bathroom cleaner commercials during shows like Yo Gabba Gabba and The Wonder Pets. Are they hoping that the kids will run and clean the bathroom after the show? My kids just don't do that. Sure, parents supposedly watch TV with their kids - but what parent just sits there and listens to "snacky-snack-snack snack-snack" for 30 minutes, when they could be washing dishes or starting a load of laundry, or taking a shower while their kids are so engrossed in this show??

Now don't get me wrong, I don't let my kids watch TV all day - but I do take advantage of clever shows like Gabba or The Wonder Pets. They're just too good not to watch, and I do feel that they are not violent or inappropriate in any way, and my kids do learn something each time.

Now back to that bathroom cleaner. Abby came up to me just a minute ago (while watching Gabba), and said "Mommy, can you buy one of those new toilet brushes that cleans under the edge better? Cause our toilet brush is no good, and this one cleans the edge much better." Does advertisement work, or what??

Now if I could just get one of the kids to clean the toilet with that new brush....

It's Cold

Sorry - it's too cold to blog.

Monday Memories

Remember how things were before you had kids?

1. I could go to the grocery store without prior planning, and without hunting for 3 coats, 6 mittens, 3 hats, 6 socks, and 4 shoes!
2. I could go anywhere in 30 minutes or less, and spend less money doing it!
3. I could eat at actual restaurants.
4. I only had to do laundry once a week.
5. I only had to clean my house once a week.
6. I could watch TV shows during the day that did not have Rockets, Tiggers, or Jaguars in them.
7. I could take as long of a shower as I wanted, and at any time I wanted.
8. I went entire days without getting food, snot, or playdough on my clothes.
9. Speaking of clothes, I dared to buy "Dry Clean Only" before I had kids.
10. I also dared to wear black.
11. I spent my days wishing I had kids.
    

A Long Post About Shoes!

I have never in my life thought about shoes as much as I have in the past 5 days. I decided on Monday that Ethan should finally start wearing shoes. We went to church Sunday, and he was the only kid with no shoes. When we go out to eat, he's the only one that seems to defy the "no shirt, no shoes, no service" rule. I've always felt that you should hold off on shoes for as long as possible, and if they never walk outside - then they never need shoes. It is winter, so Ethan has not really walked outside, ever... But on Monday, it was super nice and warm outside (70 degrees!!), and I decided to let the kids play in the yard. I stood Ethan in the yard and realized he needed shoes. Not only did his socks get mulch, grass, and mud all over them - he also looked odd outside without shoes, for some reason.

So, I changed his socks and headed to Payless to have them measure Ethan for shoes. There are no better shoe stores in my town - sad, huh? They said he was a 5 1/2, so I headed to the toddler section and tried on a cute 5 1/2 shoe. Hmm... I couldn't even get his whole foot in there. Maybe he needs a 6? I try a 6. Same problem. A 6 1/2 - same thing. I put a 7 on him, and it fits, but the straps will not close. I took off the 7 and held it up to Ethan's foot upside down (that's how he'll wear it, actually). The 7 is way too long for his foot.

I drove straight home and began researching baby shoes. Turns out I was right, they shouldn't have shoes until they can walk, and then only outside. Well, Ethan has been walking for 2 months... *shhh* I start to feel like a parent that just found out their kid has some sort of disability. Not that I'm comparing this to that - I just felt like Ethan was somehow different all of a sudden. He's normal, but has this one thing that makes him special.

I decide to google "shoes for baby feet that are too fat". Bingo! I find a nice article about choosing the right shoe for your baby. The shoes all sound awesome, so I look up some of the brands. Umi, Pediped, See Kai Run, L.A.M.B., Roberto Cavalli... The least expensive seems to be around $30, the most expensive around $175.... hmm...

So I e-mail a friend that prefers European shoes, assuming that she would know some of the brands - European or not - and she does. She tells me that Marshall's carries Umi. I immediately (okay, the next day) drive to Marshall's and look at every baby shoe they have. They only have Umi for girls, so I decide to try every boy shoe they have on Ethan. After literally trying on about 15 brands of shoes, each in a size 6 and a size 7, I give up and grab a pair of Converse. I loosen all the laces, pull the tongue back as far as it will go, and squeeze Ethan's foot into the shoe. I tug at the back of the shoe, I slap the bottom, I loosen the laces again, I adjust his sock, check to see if his toes are curled (they are not), pull at the back, loosen the laces, straighten his foot, slap the bottoms, and PRESTO! Ethan is wearing a shoe! I pull them off, and go pay for them.

The shoes sat on his dresser for 2 days before I even tried to put them on his feet again. I went through the same tug, slap, loosen, etc thing to get one of the shoes on his foot. Then I realized that I could fold down the back, thread the laces the wrong way through the eyelets, and possibly, hopefully, get these shoes on Ethan's feet a little easier. The shoes are canvas high tops, by the way, and remind me of 80's punk every time I look at them. I love them.

Yesterday, I put the shoes on Ethan with the backs folded down. It only took me about 5 minutes that way! Progress! I stood him up in his new shoes, and he stares at them for a second, then takes a step. Have you ever seen a dog wearing booties? Daniel and I used to love watching a TV show with funny pet videos, and every episode there would be a dog wearing booties, walking around like each step is into a big puddle of honey. It's hilarious. Please don't tell Daniel that I told you he used to watch that show :o)

So, here is Ethan, walking like a dog with booties on. Then he sits down, unties one shoe, and cries. *sigh* Off to find Pedipeds....

It's Been a Year!

Last year, January 8 was on a Monday. I know exactly what I was doing that day - from 8 am to 12:30 pm I was in labor, and from 12:30 to 12:56 I was pushing a 9 pound, 7 ounce baby out of my... you get what I'm saying... Then for the rest of the day, I was admiring my big baby.

Ethan is one today! He's just so cute and sweet - I'm really, really happy that he surprised us & decided to be born!! It's been a really good year. The third baby leaves you feeling this way, I think. By now I'm a pro and I know how to take care of a baby - finally!

Ethan has just started pointing in the last week, as well. It's the cutest thing. Ask Ethan where mommy is, and he'll look right at me and point. Ask Ethan where Daddy is, and he'll look right at Daniel & point. Ask Ethan where Nana is, and he'll look right at his spinning gear toy and point. Why? I don't know! But it sure is cute.

What a great baby to end my pregnancy days on! (If I do stop here....)

Wonderment

I've been reading Ravi Zacharias' "Recapture the Wonder" for the past couple of days. I know I'm only on the second chapter, but I just had a thought about what I've read so far.

He mentions that wonder is interchangeable with innocence, and specifically describes the wonder that all children are born with. You know that wonder - its what makes a nine-month-old baby stand in front of a window forever, just looking at nothing. Its what makes a four-year-old jump up and down at the mere thought of snow. This is the reason tiny babies become fascinated by their own hands. Its the thing that makes everything new and interesting to kids.

Can you imagine adults feeling the way kids do about anything? We wouldn't be able to get dressed in the morning without admiring our hands and feet for 10 minutes, snapping the elastic on our undergarments for 20 minutes and laughing each time, and teasing our hair with the hairbrush for another 10.

Anyway, if all kids are born with this wonder, do we as parents destroy it in part every time we say "hurry up!" or "clean this mess right now!"? Kids learn through that wonder - why do moms feel the need to burst those bubbles of amazement?

I am definitely not a patient person, and I hate to see a messy room. But my kids are fascinated with things like soap bubbles on the bathroom floor, squishy pudding on the kitchen table, and compacted snow on the carpet. Every time I yell at them, clean their mess, and say "don't do that again!" am I chipping away at their wonder?

Am I killing my kid's innocence?

The Case for a Surefit Slipcover

If you would like to keep your kids busy for an entire hour and get some cleaning done, then buy a Surefit Slipcover. Really, whether you need one or not. The price is justified when it's time to wash the things. Yesterday, I took the slipcovers off both of my couches to wash them, and my kids had so much fun playing with those bare cushions that I actually felt guilty putting the slipcover back on. In the space of an hour those cushions were boats, mountains, water, cars, houses, and planes. No one cried, no one fought, and no one bugged mommy! Amazing....