we have "fun"

Ah, summer. It's the time when kids ride their bikes to the park, play until the sun sets, then come home tired and dirty, ready to fall into their beds after a nice bath. Right? At least, that's what I thought would happen.

The reality was much different. The boys did indeed ride their bikes to the park, and they played, and they came home wiped out. That much is true, but it wasn't quite as bucolic as it sounded up there in the first paragraph. Let's start with Liam. The whole way to the park (yes, all block and a half of it) he would ride up ahead, then stop and wait for Max (and me) to catch up. Then he would ride off again...or would have, if he could have figured out that pedaling backward instead of forward merely engages the brakes. This resulted in tantrums at approximately three-minute intervals, complete with yelling, throwing his arms up in frustration, and sometimes even hitting the bike. He got so he had a nice little rhythm: ride, wait, brake, throw fit, repeat.

And then there was Max. To be fair, he's still in the early stages of learning to ride the trike. The trike we have is a Kettler, and some of them come with a parental pushbar, like this one, that allows the adult to help the kid without constantly bending over, saving untold strain on the back. Unfortunately, we didn't shell out the extra dough to get one of those. Instead, I decided to grab a hoe from the garage and wedge it into the bucket on the back of the trike to help with the pushing. That part worked great, and I think Max may even be getting the hang of pedaling now. The part that didn't work so well was the steering. He got his father's penchant for rubber-necking, and the whole way to the park (again, yes, it was a block and a half; but what I haven't told you yet is that it took 30 minutes each way) he was looking anywhere but the sidewalk. Dog behind a fence? Max drives straight into the road. Mailbox spotted? Max veers off into the grass. And so on. Endlessly.

Needless to say, by the time we got home, I was thoroughly frazzled from all of the fit-throwing, bike-hitting, awful-steering shenanigans. That's one "fun" thing that I may never attempt on my own again, or at least, not until they've both mastered the art of bike riding.

(Sorry, no pictures, although I'm sure you all would have loved to have seen the makeshift hoe pushbar.)

we ride bikes

Nothing says "holiday weekend" quite like a long bike ride! This morning, Mike and I made the trek into Chicago at an incredibly early hour to Bike the Drive. This 30-mile ride goes up and down Lake Shore Drive, which is closed to auto traffic just for this one morning each year. It was really interesting to see how the Loop has changed (most notably with the Trump building) and to revisit my old neighborhood up at Bryn Mawr. And the views going back south toward the Loop were just incredible: Lake Michigan on one side, parks and Lincoln Park Zoo on the other, and the skyline spread out in front of us.




I wish I could say that the ride south of the Loop was as interesting, but I'd by lying. Once we got past the Field Museum and Soldier Field, it was really kind of boring until we got down to the Museum of Science and Industry. The last leg of the ride, north from the Museum of Science and Industry to Grant Park, was the easiest segment (thankfully, because our butts were pretty sore by that point!), and the view got interesting again once we were back in view of the lake. After we finished, we braved the crowds at the post-race festival only long enough to pick up our t-shirts, then we got out of there and started the drive home to pick up the boys, who stayed happily at Yami and Papaw's house, and spent their time shopping, playing, and getting good and dirty helping with the gardening. So far, it's been a great holiday weekend for us all!

[word redacted]* chipmunks!

So I'm quietly working at the computer this morning, while Mike is out in the kitchen making lunch. Suddenly, I hear him say in a low, strangled tone, "Holli, get out here." I rush in, thinking he had hurt himself. But no--I mistook the fury in his voice for pain (thankfully). He pointed out the kitchen window at the two chipmunks sticking their heads out of their hole. "Those [redacted] chipmunks! I've filled in that [redacted] hole a million times, and they [redacted] keep coming back! And I don't just loosely fill in the hole; no, I pound that [redacted] in as hard as I can. But they keep coming back, those [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. [Redacted]!"

The chipmunks were nice enough to say in the same position while I went back to the bedroom to get the camera, then came back out and took a few pictures through the kitchen window.

As I sat here typing, I heard Mike slam out the front door, no doubt scaring those [redacted] away. After a couple of minutes, he slammed back in, and yelled out, "Okay, it's 11:30 and I filled that [redacted] hole again. Let's see how long it takes those [redacted] to get out of this one!"

Anybody got any chipmunk-removal tips? Other than "get a real [redacted] cat that will hunt those [redacted] down," as my husband suggested?

*Editor's Note: Hey, people, this is a family blog! But I will tell you that there was quite a creative variety of redacted terms floating around. While Mike was truly outraged, it took me a long while to stop laughing long enough to report this breaking news.

Update: By 4:00, the hole was back. Probably sooner, but that's the first time I checked.

king of the hills

Max is getting really into climbing lately. The other day he ran out to the farthest corner of the yard to climb the stump out there, then came back to climb the remains of the stump my dad chopped up, then ran out to the driveway to climb our small hill of mulch (we're still working on getting the rocks out of the flowerbeds so we can put the mulch in).

we get dirty

The boys "helped" us plant the rest of the geraniums, along with some seeds, including basil. Mike and I are really looking forward to some homemade pesto in the weeks ahead!

liam gets tickled

At the drive-thru at DQ while we were getting their post-program ice cream (otherwise known as the pre-program bribe offer), Liam suddenly exclaimed, "Look, Mom! That dog is driving the car!" And sure enough, the dog was also ordering some frozen treats. Liam thought it was the funniest thing he'd seen in a long time, and insisted that I take a picture so we could share the fun with his dad later.

spring program!

As I mentioned, the boys had their spring program at school on Tuesday night. It was so exciting! They got all dressed up in their little suits (which they wanted to wear) and off we went for an evening of entertainment, joined by my mom and Loni. First up was Max's class. All of the kids are under three, and it was the first time the school had a group that young perform. I have to say, they did very well. Max didn't sing at all, which was kind of a bummer because he'd been constantly practicing their three songs (ABCs, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)at home for a couple of weeks. But he sat there happily and watched as his classmates sang, and he applauded politely at the end of every song.



Liam, on the other hand, had a total turnaround from the last program, when he sulked, sucked on his finger, and refused to participate. This time, he sang with gusto, did all the motions enthusiastically, and grinned widely when he spotted us in the audience during the first number. You can see it in a couple of the videos (ABCs added to the album, by the way) -- he'll be paying attention to the teacher who's directing them, then all of the sudden, he'll turn toward us and give a big smile.


After the singing part was done, we all adjourned to the brand-new Fellowship Hall. It's a new addition to the Wesleyan Church, and it's really nice. Plenty of tables and chairs and banquet areas for the adults, and for the kids, not one but two slides built into the walls. The slides go from one floor down to the next. It's very cool. The boys enjoyed several slide rides, and Loni even took a turn on one of them (which she reported was "very dark and curvy").



It was a busy night for the boys. Despite the fact that they had dinner before the program, they were happy to join us at a new pizza joint in town. They each had a couple of pieces of pizza, and Liam commandeered about half of Loni's sandwich and chips (we suspect that he's getting ready for a big growth spurt). Then we topped the evening off with a quick stop at DQ for ice cream, which we ate on the floor at home while the boys watched Little Einsteins. As soon as the program ended, I hustled them up to bed, where they were asleep as soon as their tired little heads hit their pillows.

technical difficulties

Posts are forthcoming on some outdoor fun and the boys' spring program, which was last night and was great fun. The problem is that the computer overheats and crashes whenever I ask it to do too much, like, say, upload photos. Or videos. Or let me edit a Word file and check something online at the same time. We're hoping that a new fan will fix the problem, otherwise we'll have to invest in some newer technology. In the meantime, here are some videos of the boys at the spring program. More to come tomorrow, including Liam's class doing a rendition of the ABCs both verbally and in sign language. Enjoy!

you've got to make your own fun

It's a little off-topic, but Loni and I were sitting here tonight, reading quietly (a book for her, proofreading for me) when the sound of a thousand lawnmowers filled our ears. Upon further inspection, we discovered that it was only three lawnmowers, but they were souped-up NASCAR style so that three teenage boys could RACE them around our neighborhood! Loni went on a stealth mission to obtain pictures, but before she could get the camera, the boys had retreated into the driveway of Hidden Valley Ranch (our pet name for the neighbors across the street) to further pimp their rides. Dear readers, this is one aspect of small-town life that I could have never envisioned. But I guess if your options are hanging out at the local Wal-Mart (where Lon's boyfriend is currently ensconced) or enjoying a meal at Penguin Point, racing down the street on a lawn tractor looks more appealing each day.

trains and fat quarters

Tonight, the boys were treated to a special visit with Yami. They piled into the car for a visit to Yami's church (commonly known as the local fabric store), where they browsed happily. As a reward for their good behavior, Yam took them to Dairy Queen for some delicious ice cream. The boys had never been inside our DQ before, and were reportedly entranced by the train that ran on a track along the ceiling. They were perfect little angels -- until they got home. Liam pitched a fit because he wanted to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse instead of listening to Yami read bedtime stories, so she and Max went up and had some one-on-one story time. Eventually, they settled down to go to sleep, but Max, for reasons known only to himself, insisted tearfully, loudly, and at great length that he should be allowed to wear his shoes to bed. In the interest of them actually getting some sleep tonight, I eventually gave in. Isn't he just the cutest (and most infuriating) little boy?

alarm clock catastrophe

Mother's Day started off with a little excitement. Mike, being the thoughtful husband that he is, set his alarm clock so he could get up with the boys and give me a chance to sleep in. The alarm clock in question is the old-fashioned kind, not digital, the kind that rings a shrill and extremely loud bell. The alarm went off at the appointed time (6:30 a.m.), and that's when the trouble began. Mike couldn't get the darned thing to shut off. It blared for five minutes straight! He tried holding it as tightly as he could to muffle the sound, which reduced it to loud ticking that actually shook Mike (and in turn, shook the bed). There was much thrashing and groping around, and finally, Mike (who was mostly still asleep) jumped up, ran over to my dresser, yanked the cord out of the baby monitor, and proceeded to bang the monitor on the dresser top. I asked him why he did that, and he replied, "I thought it would help." Sigh. He finally shut the alarm off by hitting it repeatedly as hard as he could on the edge of the dresser. By this time, we both had headaches, and Mike laid back down, "just to rest [his] head." Yeah, right. I, of course, was up for the next 90 minutes, while Mike went back to sleep. Doesn't that just figure?

After that, the day proceeded on a more even keel. Mike and the boys presented me with a pot of violets they had dug out of our yard (sweet!), along with hugs, kisses, and cards. Later in the morning, I headed out to my family's traditional mother-daughter brunch while Mike and the boys hung out at home. We all took nice long naps in the afternoon, then went to my mom's house for a Mother's Day cookout. My dad, brother, and Joe were working on installing a new flowerbed at the front of the house (we were all supposed to pitch in, but the plans got cancelled due to rain -- except that those three decided to trudge on and do it anyway). The boys did their part by riding along on the tractor, getting load after load of edgers for the bed. Whee! We had a feast of burgers, brats, potato salad, brownies, and ice cream, then eventually brought two very tired boys home for bed.

another surprise

I expected Avalon to come over tonight; I didn't expect my dad to show up with a chainsaw, an axe, and a truck full of other tree-removal tools. But don't worry, he didn't roam around the yard looking for a tree to chop down like some latter-day George Washington -- instead, he attacked a stump that Mike has been slowly removing with hand tools. Even better, J and Steve showed up to help with some of the shoveling and axe-hefting! Mike will be so surprised when he gets home tonight to see that the project is done (or nearly so). Well, if he even notices that it's gone when he stumbles home at 2 a.m. after working his full shift plus two hours of mandatory overtime. He'll definitely notice it in the morning, though. Thanks, Dad!

Confidential to J and Steve: We're definitely even. Next time you need a paper edited or some sort of photo invitation designed, I've got your backs.

sibling rivalry

Not to be outdone by her brother, Avalon came over tonight and constructed a ramp using every single block in the box. The boys are in heaven!

forgot to mention...

Two boys got their hair cut on Sunday. Liam really wanted his cut, so I buzzed him with the clippers, and then I just "had" to do Max's hair too. Which kind of made me sad, because his hair was so adorable. Now that it's short, he looks too much like a boy and not enough like a toddler anymore. They're still both very handsome, of course...

surprise visit: uncle j!

Last night, my brother, J, and his friend Steve came over. Steve, that nice boy, brought me a thank-you card for helping him with his freshman English paper. Then the two boys took off, but J came back later and spent some time with the boys. They watched Liam's new favorite show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (which I don't mind so much because the show's music is performed by They Might Be Giants). Then the real fun started: the boys showed J their new blocks (which are actually Mike's old blocks) and then they commenced building. As you can see, the ramp J made for the boys' cars had a humble beginning, but he added elements until it was super fancy. The boys (all three of them!) spent an excited half-hour or more seeing which cars would travel the fastest/farthest after being sent down the ramp.

The story has a sad ending, however: after J left, Max went on a mission of destruction and totally obliterated the ramp. Eventually, I gave in to their pleas and built them a new ramp, but it was totally not as good as the one J built. What's a poor mom to do?

prom night!

Avalon's a junior this year, and you know what that means: prom! We arrived in time to see the final stages of preparation and to take a few pictures to document this momentous occasion. Also, I thought I'd take this opportunity to recount a conversation between my mom and uncle Greg earlier in the day:

Marlene: I've got to go home and get ready for the prom.

Greg: Who's going to prom? Not Loni -- she's only ten!

Marlene: I'll tell her you said that.

Greg: Good. While you're at it, tell her I'll kick her ass next time I see her driving too.

I totally agree -- my little brother and sister have grown up so fast! Speaking of "little" brothers, J went to prom this year too, even though he's a freshman in college (his girlfriend is still a high-school senior) so I've included some pictures of them as well.