I Are Smart

My intelligence was dealt a serious blow earlier today when a five year old had to give me instructions on how to put a bouncy seat together. I thought I could get away without a bouncy seat but Claire has been fussy as of late and I threw my old one away because it was covered in Luke's spit up. We didn't call him Lukey Pukey for nothing.

I need to side bar here for a second and say that I resent that marketers know that they can charge more for pink things and I further resent that I bought into it. I saw a brown bouncy seat for $26 and it was a bit masculine and then I saw the exact same bouncy seat only it was pink and it was $34. Why? Tell me, is pink dye more expensive? No!! Further tell me, why did I buy the pink one? That is actually Tim's fault because I called him on the phone to have him check the Internet and see if the seat was cheaper somewhere else and I presented the color dilemma and he said, "Oh, buy the pink one!" I see where his loyalties lay. Somewhere Fisher Price's Marketing Executive is smiling. I hope he chokes on my extra 8 bucks.

Anyway, back to my intelligence. I don't know why bouncy seats are so much harder to put together than my last bouncy seat but it had about 10 pages of instructions. Usually I leave anything with instructions for Tim to put together but I was feeling adventurous so I sent Gage to the garage to get the "star shaped screwdriver" even though I really know that it is called a Phillips. Star-shaped sounds so much better....who is Phillip and what did he have to do with screwdrivers anyway? So I decided to put it all together before I put in the 4 screws that it required to keep it together. It is a good thing I did this because I had one piece on backwards. So once that was straightened out I got to the screwing part. That sounded bad...you know what mean. I was having such a hard time and it wouldn't tighten and Gage says, "Mom you are using the wrong screw." I informed him I wasn't. But he said, "Yes you are....look at the instructions." Well I'll be, he was right! How embarrassing. Then the stupid thing I was screwing it into was on backwards and how did I discover this little fact. Gage again. He said you need to turn that around...look at the box. I would never think to look at the box but sure enough once I had the the thing turned around and the right screw everything worked just fine. He showed me were the other two screws went and again pointed to the instructions...which I swear I read. I'm not lying that if Gage had not been there to help me, that stupid bouncy seat would still be sitting on the kitchen counter. I went to college and everything but somehow instructions are beyond me.

I guess Claire is enjoying it because she has been sitting in her seat while I've written this post and I haven't heard so much as a peep. She looks funny in this picture so I included the one below so you could see that she really is cute.

A Plea for Decorating Help

I have no sense for decorating. I know what I like and what I don't like but somehow lack the ability to pull it all together. I want to decorate Claire's room and I want it to have a shabby chic/vintage feel. I don't want it to be overwhelmingly girly....like pepto everywhere. Will you help blog readers? I am seriously deficient.

This is a box from Gymboree. I love all these colors but obviously I can't just put all of these in one room....or can I? The walls right now are white so I was thinking maybe the light green color for the walls or a neutral color...more like the brown and go from there.

This is an old window that has been distressed and turned into a magnet board. Isn't it cute? I bought it at a garage sale for $10. I'm going to make some more magnets with buttons. Probably pink buttons. It only came with 3 vintage button magnets.

I also bought these knobs at the garage sale as well for $3 each. They have been distressed as well but it is hard to see in these photos.

This is a hamper that Rach gave me. I love the color of pink on this hamper because it isn't too intense. This concludes the things I have that I like....now onto how to make it all work with the furniture.

This is a rocker I rescued from the DI and repainted red when Gage was born. His nursery was blue, red, and tan. Super cute for a boy but it needs to be another color for Claire's room.



I bought this dresser at another garage sale. It is solid wood and was a super good deal. Too bad the lady has painted it black and my camera can't pick up the details. I'm going to use it as a changing table but I need to strip off the black paint and paint it what color I have no idea?



This is the crib. Luke is still sleeping in it but I don't know whether to paint it to match the dresser and the rocker or just leave it. Tim says it will be a lot of work to repaint but I'm not afraid of the work just picking the colors.

Claire Update

Claire is growing and changing already. She is such a doll and starting to recognize me which makes me happy. On the 4th of July we were with some neighbors having a BBQ and doing illegal fireworks and someone else was holding her, but the second she heard my voice she was looking for me and it just melts my heart. Her eye is better and it is nice to see her beautiful eyes instead of a green swollen mess. She is starting to coo...just a little...and she coo'ed her first coo at my mom. Thankfully I got to hear it though. She's been so smiley since she was born but today I think I got her first, "I know what I'm doing smile." She has a dimple in one cheek that is so adorable. She is working hard putting on her pudge so she can officially fit in with us other pudges. At her two week appointment she had gained 1 pound and grown 2 inches.

Hims and Hers

Luke is at such a cute age and he is saying so many things that I don't want to forget. He still has Claire's gender confusion and it just makes me smile. He is trying to sort it out though. I can't help but laugh out loud when he exclaims,

"Him lost her Bink!"

He is making some attempts at potty training. Mainly just telling me at random times that he needs to go pee. Then he'll sit on the toilet and say,

"Come out pee!"

He says the sweetest little prayers. This was last night's,

"Heavenly Father, thank you for my band aids. I fell down on the ground. I went to work. I'm done!" - we're working on the amen part.

Every time he sees Claire he tries to hug her....more like squash the life out of her and she sometimes cries. This afternoon when she started to cry after her bear hug Luke said,

"Him not like meeee!" To which I have to declare, "Tis impossible for anyone not to like Luke."

ER Visit...Again

Apparently it had been too long since we had been to the emergency room and so an accident was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Yesterday the kids and I were at Old Navy and Gage was climbing on a 3 foot retaining wall that had flowers in the middle. I told him I would go around the other side and meet him. I was about half way there when I heard what I thought was Gage jumping off the wall, but it was taking him a long time to come around to my side so I started walking faster to see what was keeping him. As I was walking I started to get the sick feeling that the sound I heard was him falling not him jumping. When I came around the corner he was laying on the cement totally lifeless with some good samaritan asking him if he was okay. He was unconscious and I was totally freaked but somehow calm knowing that if I freaked out that it wasn't going to help him. I really need a first aid class because I just keep thinking what am I supposed to do. He started coming around and he instantly grabbed his head. I told him not to move, in case his neck was broken or something. The fact that he wasn't crying made me more concerned than if he had been screaming his head off. He was totally dazed and he had a huge goose egg that was starting to bleed underneath the surface. A random guy came out of the Barnes and Noble to tell me that he thought I should take him to the hospital because he had fallen such a distance. Gage didn't start crying until we got into the car and he was so pale....poor little dear. His pediatrician said to take him to Primary's for a CT Scan since he was knocked out it was best to have him looked at. He was so irritable it was really scary and he kept trying to go to sleep and then he would get so mad at me when I woke him. I had to wait for someone to come watch my Luke and Claire so it was awhile before we got to the hospital but he was already much better by the time we got there. Long story short he has a mild concussion and when they handed Gage something to puke in I told them he wasn't nauseous but I sure was. It just made my stomach clench seeing him laying there like that.

He has a bad headache today but other than that he is doing well. He even went to swimming lessons today and he is excited because he has a "boy teacher" who is super cute with him and he is the only kid in the class.

Gage Is Five

Yesterday Gage turned five. It is so hard for me to believe that he has grown up so fast. Like an idiot I planned a party for him and I was super stressed all day and Gage and I fought most of the day. Not only did Gage turn five but he also received his first spanking, which he laughed through, and made my blood boil. The day started out great with me thinking what a kind and great kid he is and somewhere around lunch it spiraled into me thinking I was losing my mind. Pam called right at the climax and I told her, around my tears, it wasn't normal to want to kill your kid on their birthday. Claire has had a plugged tear duct since she was born and yesterday it blossomed into a full blown eye infection and between trying to pick up her prescription and pick up the cake Gage dropped at the store I was more than a little frazzled. So if you called Gage yesterday and we didn't answer (Rach and Todd) or if we failed to call my nephew (Brandon) who shares Gage's birthday, or if you called and we did answer and I seemed like aunt Cindy (Nate) please accept my deepest apologies. Three kids is as hard as they say and I thought people were just exaggerating!

My sissy in law writes on her blog things she likes about her kids for their birthdays and I think I'll do the same. Heavens knows I could use a refresher course!

Five Things I LOVE About Gage

1. He is so fun and imaginative.

2. He has a testimony. Nothing is better than hearing him tell Luke that Heavenly Father has asked us not to do something. Or better yet when he told me I didn't have to worry about Claire's eye because he had already talked to Jesus and told him it needed to be better tomorrow.

3. He is enthusiastic about everything.

4. He is kind to his siblings and easily forgives.

5. I love to hear him laugh out loud at the TV...particularly Tom and Jerry.

Gage's party turned out great. We went to the park with his cousins who are just as fanatical about Star Wars as Gage and I think Gage had a great time. Tim, like the great dad he is, had light saber duels with the boys so of course they loved that. Gage packed a Jedi backpack with all the Jedi essentials for his friends and they just plain make me laugh. Gage I love you buddy! Sorry about the spanking....you really deserved it....since you laughed I guess I didn't spank that hard.

What a great Dad. Love the action shot of Gage...really shows his dedication to all things Jedi.

Nathan, Gage, and Zach