Fun If It Kills Us

Our countdown to our flight home has begun. Sam and I are going to the airport early Monday morning. We have one last weekend to play with Grandma and Grandpa and our fun trip will be over.

Grandma Barb isn't thrilled about us leaving. Last night she threw out idea after idea, planning activities for these last two days. I am all for fun - but I'm a little afraid. I like down time, too. We were going to bed and Grandma Barb said, "Now, we are going to make every second of this weekend count."

Cringing a little, I asked what that meant. Jutting out her chin, she repeated, "We are going to make every. second. count."

I don't know if I am going to be blogging this weekend. I will either be too busy having fun...or I will be hiding from my mom.

Sam the Destructor

Sam really is a careful kid. He does not like messes and can spot (and worry about) a piece of lint across the room. However...he IS two. Since being at Grandma Barb's house, I have lost track of all the messes he has made. My mom keeps a VERY CLEAN house, people.

There have been multiple gooey handprints on the table and chairs. He leaves his cars in the middle of the floor. There are puzzle pieces everywhere. The coffee table is covered with dolls that he insists are sleeping and can not be disturbed.

I felt really bad when Sam dropped a juice glass and it shattered on the kitchen floor. He has never broken any of my cheap dishes, and there went one of Grandma's glasses. She wasn't worried about it at all. A few days later, Sam was trying to help clear the table. Carrying a dinner plate (Red Wing, no less), he tripped over his Softie and the plate went flying. It, too, shattered against the floor. That one made me really sick, but again Grandma didn't care. (I didn't see her do it, but I wouldn't be surprised if she saved a shard for Sam's baby book.)

Grandpa Doug has been part of the fun, as well. Sam knocked over a full glass of lemonade and no amount of wiping could get all the stickiness off of the floor. Doug ended up spending most of his morning off mopping. Just this morning, Sam tripped and spilled orange juice on the carpet. Again, Doug was put to work. He got out the carpet cleaner and scrubbed away.

Sam and I are going home soon, and I know both Grandma and Grandpa are sad to see Sam go. But honestly - I shudder to imagine what else Sam could destroy!

Eat?, Part Two

Sam has continued to consume food at an alarming rate. We have been in Denver a little over two weeks and Sam has eaten about four weeks' worth of groceries. It seems like all any of us have done is gone to the store for more food. This morning, Doug said that if he wanted a picture of Sam he'd take it at the kitchen table, because that is where Sam always is.

I truly believe Sam is hungry most of the time, but sometimes I try to distract him when he asks to eat. I don't want him to get into the habit of eating out of boredom (a habit I have perfected into an art). A few times I have been successful in getting Sam started on a project that takes his mind off of food.

However, if Sam is really hungry, he has found a sure-fire way of getting something to eat. If I have ignored his requests for a snack long enough, he plants himself in front of me. Looking up at me through his dark lashes, he asks in a pleading voice, "Bread?" Well, seeing my baby beg for a scrap of bread is just too much for me. We head into the kitchen to find something to eat.

And now...it's time for a snack!

Weekend Recovery

We had the perfect mix of playtime and lounging over the long weekend. On Saturday and Sunday we were running all over. We did errands, played outside, and grilled. By the time Monday rolled around, we were done. Doug had to work and before he left he asked Grandma Barb what our plans were for the day. I froze, waiting for her reply, hoping it wasn't anything too busy. She looked him in the eye and said, "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Hooray!

So, after running and playing non-stop, yesterday we had a lazy day. I'm not going to tell on Grandma Barb, but I feel comfortable admitting that Sam and I were still in our pajamas when Doug came home at dinner time.

Absolutely NO pictures were taken yesterday - but here are some from Sunday.

Sam is holding a bubble gun that blows an unbelievable number of bubbles (usually right into my face).

Happiness - a large rock.

Sidewalk Art

I don't know who is having more fun having a new playmate - Sam or Grandma Barb. It seems like every day Grandma Barb comes up with a new toy or activity for Sam. Yesterday it was beautiful outside and she surprised Sam with sidewalk paint. They had a blast!

Sam proudly displaying their work. I'm pretty sure the flowers were done by Grandma Barb, but I was proud of him nonetheless.

Blurry and happy! Can you see the pink paint on Sam's right eyelid?

The painting duo!

Slow Motion Sam

Last night Grandma Barb and I dragged Sam to a few stores, dangerously close to dinner time. He was so hungry when we got home Grandma Barb just kept throwing food at him. Every time I turned around, Sam had a new little bowl or bite to eat.

All of that food gave Sam a huge burst of energy. He was laughing and running back and forth, terrifying the dogs. I asked him to slow down a few times and he didn't. Finally, I made him look me in the eye (a sign that I am not messing around) and told him to stop running.

Ever the dutiful son, Sam slowed down to a ridiculous degree. He sloooowly took each step like he was imitating a slow-motion shot. It took him a minute or two to walk the two feet out of the kitchen.

Why do I have the sneaking suspicion Sam was being a wise guy?

Blame It On the Ain

It is safe to say that Aiden is Sam's best friend. They have little say regarding when and where they will play together, but they are always happy to see each other. Being able to talk to Karen, uninterrupted, while the boys play happily together is one of my favorite things to do.

Recently I noticed that Sam was thinking about Aiden even when he wasn't around. I was folding laundry and there was one small, grey sock left over. I knew it was one of Sam's old socks, but he didn't recognize it. He held it up, confused. Then he smiled knowingly. "Ain," he said, giving it to me to give back to his friend.

Around the same time, I bought a different brand of diapers. Sam was surprised to see a new design on his diapers, and tried to pass them off. "Ain," he said to me, pushing the package at me. "Are these Aiden's diapers?" I asked him. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Ain." And that was that.

It was all very cute until the night I was getting Sam undressed for his bath. He noticed a stain on his shirt, which always bugs him. He pointed at it and said sadly, "Ain." Appalled, I told him that Aiden did NOT make that stain on his shirt.

Best friend or not - I am quite sure Aiden isn't interested in taking the fall for Sam!

A Little of Each

When I was pregnant with Sam, I of course hoped and prayed for a healthy baby. But, assuming the baby was healthy, I also hoped that he would have Eric's dark hair and blue eyes. Is there anything more attractive than dark hair and blue eyes?

Sam was born with dark hair and I crossed my fingers that his baby eyes would turn blue. However, genetics were against them. My dominant brown eyes came through. Now, when Sam is looking up at me with those big brown eyes, I have to admit he is still pretty cute.

He started out looking much more like Eric (except for those eyes). But the chubbier Sam got, the more he looked like me! And then his smiles started to look familiar. When he is really smiling, his eyes disappear into half-moons just like mine do. His mouth has remained all Eric. Sam has the same lips with the perfect cupid's bow.

There are times I catch Sam with the right expression on his face and I feel like I am looking into a mirror. More often, I look at him and think I'm looking at Eric's little clone.

Eric's hair, my eyes, Eric's mouth, my chubby cheeks...it has all added up to make a face I love!

Eat?

Sam has always been a great eater. From infancy on, he has eaten what is offered to him with no question or complaint. Since arriving in Denver, however, it has gotten out of hand.

The kid is a bottomless pit! No matter how much I give him to eat or drink, he is asking for more. "Eat?" he'll ask, hanging from the refrigerator handles. "Eat?" he'll say, pointing at my breakfast when his is hardly chewed and swallowed.

A few days ago Grandma Barb and I took him to Old Navy. As I was checking out, Sam looked up at the cashier. "Eat?" he asked him. Yes, he was ordering food - at Old Navy!

There is really no stopping it. All I can do is offer the healthiest snacks I can - and then stand back.

Zoo Day

On Saturday Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doug took us to the Denver Zoo. We went to the zoo last Christmas to see the light displays, but this time it was all about the animals!

Sam was just beside himself. We saw lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants, leopards, flamingos, snakes, monkeys, penguins, and more. Much to my dismay, geese walk freely around the zoo, so I was on edge all day. But Sam loved it! We rode a carousel and a train and got snacks - he couldn't have asked for a better day.

Grandma Barb took the pictures. Yes, Sam is wearing an enormous camouflage hat. He had to borrow it from Grandpa Doug as I didn't want his little face or ears to get sunburned.

This is a look of shock - he's thinking, "Um, Grandma, are you SEEING what is inside this fence?"

Sam enjoyed waiting for the train as much as he enjoyed riding it. He likes lines. (He is in the middle of a blink in this picture - he really wasn't that bored.)

He could have watched the monkeys for hours. He formed a sort of relationship with the monkey in the upper left corner of the picture.

True happiness - Sam and Pa on the carousel!

Chilling out, eating a hot dog bun. What a great day!

All Food Is Good

We don't buy cantaloupe very often. I like it, but Eric hates it. I don't like it enough to want to eat an entire melon, so they rarely find their way into my shopping cart.

Last Sunday we went to a Mother's Day buffet. There were so many choices - including a large fruit display. Someone at our table got cantaloupe and it found its way to Sam.

Jackie took the pictures of Sam's stages of acceptance.

Well, now, what in the fresh hell is this?

Dad keeps shoving it in my mouth...

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Rabid Geese

Yesterday Sam and I went for a short walk. There is a duck pond just across the street from the house and we went over there to take a look.

There were a few ducks, but there were a lot of geese. Sam and I walked around, looking at them and talking about them. When we were almost all the way around, I noticed a goose walking up the sidewalk toward us.

It was a bizarre sight. His dead, black eyes were on Sam as his webbed feet slap-slapped along the sidewalk. I thought we would just walk around him. As we got closer, the goose sped up and started spreading its wings.

Yes, it was just a goose, but I was terrified! It was obviously planning on attacking Sam, and it was as big as he was. I swept Sam up into my arms and moved to the edge of the sidewalk. As soon as I was holding Sam, the goose turned, pretending nothing had happened, and walked onto the grass.

After going a few feet I set Sam back down (he is a heavy little guy). Within a few seconds, there was the slap-slap on the sidewalk behind us. That horrible bird was running after Sam again! I scooped Sam up and didn't put him back down until the pond was far behind us.

Sam, of course, was thrilled by the whole experience. He has talked about the geese fondly ever since we got back. Little does he know - we will not be going to the duck pond again!

Pa and Ba

Sam is lucky to have four sets of grandparents. He has a photo book with pictures of all of them, and he goes through it pointing them out. It's easy to remember their names - they are all (grand)ma and (grand)pa. Until recently, the only exception has been Grandpa Wally, who is Papa. "Pa...Ma...Papa...Ma...Ma...Pa...Pa...Ma!"

On Monday we noticed that Sam had stopped calling Grandma Barb "Ma". Every time he saw her, he'd cry, "Bay!" excitedly. Since then it has alternated between Bay or Bah, but never Ma. We wondered if he was trying to say Barb, but I don't know if he has ever heard me calling her by her name. Grandma Barb thinks he might be trying to call her a babe.

This morning at 5:30, Sam was standing next to my bed. I opened my eyes and he smiled. "Pa?" he asked. I tried to ignore him. "Ba?" he persisted.

Sam is loving his Pa and Ba time!

We Made It!

Sam is officially the nicest kid I have ever met.

We left Red Wing at 6:30 Monday morning. He was really excited to get in the car (he's a big fan of anything involving "go") and remained happy the rest of the day. It was a long day. We stopped a few times for gas, and did stop for lunch, but we pretty much drove straight through until 4:30 that afternoon. Ten hours in the car is a long time for anyone, and Sam handled it beautifully.

He chattered happily about every truck we passed. We sang every song we know and read books. He took a nap and did puzzles. We had a DVD player from Uncle Bryce and Aunt Pat and Sam was just amazed by it! We were waiting to use it as a last resort and did end up using it for about an hour Monday afternoon. He didn't care for the headphones, so he watched Finding Nemo with no sound.

Sam really flipped out when we got to the hotel. He did not walk - he ran. Into the hotel, down the hallway, back and forth across the room. He couldn't stop laughing. It must have felt so good to be out of the carseat! Grandma Barb took him for a walk outside and then we all went to dinner. I could tell Sam was hovering on the edge of a breakdown but he held it together. He was so tired and overwhelmed but he continued to listen and use his manners all through dinner. As soon as we got back to the hotel he happily took a bath and happily went to bed.

Tuesday was a much better day. We got back on the road around 7:30 and made it to Denver by 1:30 (Central time). Again, Sam was a trooper the whole time. We were all tired and punchy and Sam remained well-behaved. We stopped for lunch right outside of Denver and Grandma Barb bought Sam a stick horse. Sam was delighted and immediately named it Apple. He has been galloping on that horse non-stop.

And so - we are here! We have no major plans for our visit. Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doug have to work, so Sam and I will pretty much do what we usually do. The only difference is every morning, afternoon/evening, and weekend, we will be spoiled rotten.

It's going to be a perfect vacation!

He's A Travelling Man

Tomorrow, Eric, Sam, and I are going to Red Wing to spend Mother's Day with my family. Eric will then return home, but Sam and I are staying the night. Monday morning, Sam and I are hitching a ride with Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doug back to Colorado.

I am frantically trying to pack and clean the house before our trip. Once we leave, we won't have internet access for several days. There will be no new posts until Wednesday, May 14th. I'd imagine that after spending two days in a car with Sam I'll have something interesting to report.

Until next week...

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Sam and I have been running non-stop for the last two days. We've been coloring on the driveway, helping Eric in the yard, and going on walks. We have been outside more than we've been inside! By the time we say goodbye to the backyard, eat dinner, and get Sam to bed, I've been wiped out. As soon as I wake up in the morning, Sam is standing next to my bed, saying, "Go!" He doesn't care where we go or what we do - he just wants to GO. That has left little time for blogging.

Sam and the sunshine are calling my name - this is it for today!

Best Job Ever

Being a stay-at-home-mom can be hard, just like any other job. Sam and I have had our fair share of bad days. But always, from out of nowhere, comes a day like today. I know I have the greatest job in the world!

Everything just came so easily this afternoon. Sam woke up from his nap. It was beautiful outside and we had no plans. We live less than 10 miles from the zoo, so I decided that's where we'd go. Just like that - without any planning - Sam and I can hop in the car and go on an adventure.

We had the best time! Sam, of course, screamed as soon as his eyes adjusted inside every building. We talked about the gorillas (and laughed at their butts). Sam told me that flamingo starts with "f". He barked and clapped at the seals. He frantically signed "lion" as the lion stared at him lazily. We stopped and shared a cup of ice cream. Sam signed giraffe and told the zebra that he started with "z".

On our way out, we walked through the gift shop. He was so good! He gently touched all of the stuffed animals, ooohing and aaaahing over them, but didn't ask for anything. Anything he took off the shelf was carefully put back. He did not need another stuffed animal, but I couldn't stand how nice he was being. I let him pick out a little stuffed lion. We went to the counter and Sam reached on his tiptoes to give it to the cashier. "Please?" Sam said to her. I paid, and she handed it down to Sam. "Thank you," he said.

Days like today are what life is all about - and there is NOTHING I would rather be doing.

Bubble Basher

On Sunday Jackie gave Sam a bubble wand. It looks like a sword - a long, narrow bubble maker fits into a long, narrow container of bubble solution. Yesterday morning Sam and I went out to play and I took the bubble wand with.

Sam was so excited! The wand is way too big to make bubbles by blowing on it, so I would load it up and then spin. Sam screamed and chased them all over the yard. After a while, I figured out I could make bubbles by just gently shaking the wand. When Sam saw that, he wanted to try.

I handed the wand over to Sam. He shook it and was thrilled to see all of the bubbles he made. As several bubbles settled in the grass around us, Sam got a determined look on his face. He rushed at the bubbles and used the wand to beat every last one of them out. And that was the game! I'd help Sam load the wand, he'd make bubbles, and then not rest until he had pounded each one into the ground.

Boys are so much fun!

Fun With The Fam

Yesterday, Papa Wally and Grandma Susan hosted a party at their house to celebrate Eric and Amy's birthdays. We spent the entire day there and we are wiped out!

We brought the Wii and Sam was again jumping and cheering, especially when he saw Papa and Grandma try it. We had a big lunch off of the grill and then Sam (and maybe Eric) took a little nap. When he woke up, he found the party still going strong. Eric's sisters, Shannan and Amy, were there with their families. But Sam didn't know that Jackie, Mike, Miranda and James were going to show up, too!

It was such a beautiful day. We played bean bag toss and Sam and Sean got in our way. Papa threatened his yapping dogs with a squirt gun. Sam and Papa played football, and again Papa's "hut hut!"s made Sam dissolve with laughter. And through it all, there was food, food, food!

Eric and I got to go inside and play cards while Papa entertained Sam and Sean in the backyard. My kid wasn't even wearing shoes - Papa's yard, Papa's rules. Shoes are an option! They were literally out there for hours. Every so often Sam would run inside, breathless, and grab a handful of Chex mix. Then he'd be back out the door!

We left close to Sam's bedtime and he managed to stay awake until we were about 10 minutes from home. We skipped his bath (though it was surely needed) and got right into jammies. I put him to bed and talked to him about his day. "Papa...Papa...Papa...Dada...Papa!" Sam kept repeating.

I think it's safe to say Papa was Sam's favorite part of the day!

Wii

Eric borrowed a Wii from one of his co-workers this weekend. It's the video game that requires the player's actual motion to play. Eric and I played tennis (I stink) and bowled (I was surprisingly okay).

The whole time we were playing, Sam was running around us cheering. He threw his hands over his head and yelled, "YAY!" every time we knocked down pins. Eric let Sam help him bowl. Sam was very serious about it, and incredibly proud of himself.

Sam and I then watched Eric play a game of baseball and box. It is hilarious to watch! Sam and I couldn't stop laughing. During the boxing, Sam was swinging his fists and grunting.

I don't know how long we'll have the game - but we'll be working up a sweat until it is gone!

In The Thick Of Things

Sam had a blast at storytime again!

He loves sitting on the floor with all of the other kids. He sang along with every song and laughed at the funny stories. The few times he wriggled and got up on his knees I caught his eye and motioned for him to sit down. Each time, he put his finger to his lips and shushed me - just like I do to him when we're at the library!

Sam did Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes along with the rest of the group. When it got really fast, he ran in place. He willingly went into a crush of kids to get a music shaker. He followed all of the directions using it - shaking it fast, shaking it slow, shaking it in a circle, and shaking it up and down. He had a moment of panic when he had to give it back but quickly recovered.

After hearing several stories about turtles, and singing silly turtle songs, he got a stamp on the back of his hand of a big lazy turtle. He is amazed by it. He just woke up from his nap and noticed it. "Ohhh...tuttuh!" he said.

I have no idea why or how my kid turned out so sociable - but it makes me very happy.

Go, Sam, Go!

I have lived to regret introducing Sam to Starfall. It is an interactive website that teaches letters and the sounds they can make. Sam is addicted to it. I am happy he is enjoying an educational tool, but he doesn't run the mouse on the computer. That means that I have to sit next to him, clicking through every single feature in every single letter.

After watching and repeating sounds for a few days, Sam surprised me by beating the computer. The word "go" appeared on the screen, and Sam said, "Go!" I was impressed, but assumed he had simply memorized that screen. I wrote 'go' on a piece of paper and he said, "G...O..." but did not say go. I assumed it was a fluke and forgot about it.

Today Eric, Sam and I went out to lunch and I saw the word 'go' on a big sign. This sign was written in uppercase letters, and not the lowercase letters used on Starfall. I called Sam over. "Sam, what does this say?" I asked.

He looked at it for a moment. "G...O...," he began. Then he smiled. "Go!" he said happily.

I think I was more excited than he was!