Saturday, June 29, 2013

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

It's probably because I'm a terrible person, but one of my favorite parts about parenting with Martin is how time and again he expects Aubrey to reason like an adult and is then completely derailed when she acts like a two year old.
 
Recently, there's been a few instances when I've gone into work early and Martin has been left to get the girls ready and off to my mom's in the morning.
 
Martin: I don't know how you get them ready so quickly. This morning, Aubrey woke up and she was so happy and she was carrying (something I can't remember what) down the stairs for me and she was so proud of herself she had a huge smile on her face like she had just graduated from high school. So I asked her if she could grab her cup. And then she started going back up the stairs for it at a snail's pace. So, I eventually just went upstairs to get the cup. That ended in a half hour meltdown because she wanted to get the cup! I also need to stop telling her what I'm going to do before I do it. I accidentally told her I was going to get her shoes which resulted in her crying because 'she wanted to get her shoes' and then when I stopped and told her to go get them 'but she doesn't want to get her shoes!'
 
 
The other day we went for ice cream and Martin was in complete awe because I was so utterly unphased  by the amount of ice cream Aubrey managed to get ALL OVER HERSELF. But honestly, some baby wipes on the body, whip the shirt off and no one cares about a shirtless toddler and you'd never know she had ice cream. Also, watching her run around the ice cream stand singing Row Your Boat like a gremlin while rubbing her bare belly with her arms was completely worth any mess. 
 

And Aubrey, remembering the time when Grandma and Papa had taken her for ice cream AND to the playground continued to ask beg for the playground throughout the already late evening.

Martin: Well, how close is the playground to the road? We can probably just wheel in there quickly.
Me: Martin, it's after nine. Do you think she's going to go down the slide once and be satisfied? She's two. She has no concept of moderation or time constraints.
Martin: Yeah. I guess you're probably right.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Flowers from my Fave



My favorite guy picked me flowers the other day!

Martin: I saw them growing in the bunk and picked them. But they don't smell very good so I think they're weeds.


Needless to say, I'll take weeds any day of the week!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Sisters




Is it coincidence that some of my best photos are of these two together?

I think not.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Zac Brown! Take Two!


We love going to at least one concert at Darien Lake each year. Last year we went to see Zac Brown. The year before that we went Goo Goo Dolls and the year before that to Brad Paisley.
  This past weekend we returned to see Zac Brown again!


The highlight of all concerts (for me) is the tailgating and this year's tailgating did not fail to impress. Complete with lots of flip cup and beer pong. Venison hotdogs and ribs. A survivor style game of flip cup. Tom fixing bringing someone's truck back to life. A kid I took to calling Nick Lachey (who doesn't love a boy band?).   


 Some highlights included watching Natalie's beer foam over as she attempted to pour from a beer pong cup into her bottle because two drinks is too many to manage.



Tristan, brush your hair out of your eyes.

Jenna, pull your belt down.

It's important to note these are not statement made by critical friends, just friends that want you to look your best at all times.


Looking forward to many more summer nights with this crew!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Watch Out, Fall 2026


This girl thinks she can drive like nobody's business. I'm already nervous for when she turns sixteen. Her approach to obstacles is 'keep moving until they either A. get pushed out of my way or B. my Dad comes to turn the tractor for me because the wall is not moving.'


Tables, balls, Sylvia, the grill, the wall - nothing deters her from her route!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Fathers

(UGH. I can't get this picture to rotate!)
 Happy Father's Day to the man who set the gold standard for fathers.


And also, the one who showed me he could live up to it.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Conversations with a Toddler

Me: We're going to have to pick up some of those sticks that blew off the tree tomorrow.
Aubrey: Yeah. We have to pick up sticks. But Grandma can't pick up sticks. Grandma is too old to pick up sticks. Her arms will get sore.

..

Me: Aubrey, can you pick some of these toys up please?
Aubrey: Yeah. I have to pick up. It's my job.
Me: It's your job, huh? Well it seems to me like you do a much better job making messes than cleaning them up.
Aubrey: Yeah. I got to make messes. It's my job.

...

Aubrey: (running in circles and singing at a bridal shower) I don't know why Sylvia cries. I don't know why Sylvia cries.

...

at the doctor.
Aubrey: Oh no. I better sit on this chair before Dr. Julie (Maguilli) steps on me.
Aubrey: Dr. Julie - this is my baby sister. Her name is Sylvia. And this is my mom. And I Aubrey. You need to listen to my sister's heart. You need to check her out. She is my baby sister. I love my baby sister.
Dr. Maguilli: How old are you, Aubrey?
Aubrey:  I two!
Dr. Maguilli: Good job. Can you hold up two fingers on your hand.
Aubrey: (starts to count Sylvia's fingers) One. two. three.
Dr. Maguilli: You can count too! You're smart, Aubrey
Aubrey: I know. I count Sylvia's fingers. She's my baby sister.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Conversations in Marriage

Me: So, I have to work late on Monday. But I was thinking if I ask your mom to do swimming at 7 maybe you could bring Aubrey?
Martin: I can't really handle going any farther than home with both of them on my own.

Point taken.

Martin: Whoa! Look at you! You got groceries!
Me: Yeah. I didn't really go too crazy. I just spent $42.
Martin: Wow. You got a lot more with $40 than I would. If I went to the grocery store with $40, I'd come home with eggs and have a bunch of beef jerky hidden under my truck seat so you couldn't see it.

Me: Okay, how about we each put a kid to bed and then we can reconvene and watch Arrested Development.
Martin: That sounds like an idea.
Me: Okay. You take Sylvia and I'll take Aubrey. Make sure you change her diaper before you put her down.
Martin: Oh really?? I want Aubrey.
Me: Really??? Ok fine..
.....minutes later, Sylvia is in her crib and Aubrey is crying that she wants to bring her potty seat to the upstairs bathroom and she doesn't want Martin to come downstairs with her to help her get it and she thinks she needs to go poopy and she wants to read stories.
Martin: Ok, I was wrong. Can you do Aubrey.....PLEASE!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Not In There

Have you seen this Clorox commercial?


It was clearly written by a parent. They know their target audience.

We recently had an uncannily similar incident in our home

Aubrey: Hey everybody! I went poopy!
Martin: Oh yeah! Good job! (starts to walk towards bathroom)
Aubrey: (with a smirk in her voice) Not in there.....

We found it.....

In the playroom

Friday, June 7, 2013

'Round Here

I inadvertently took a hiatus from updating for the past three weeks so I apologize to all of you who kept logging on here just to find the same picture of Aubrey on the toilet over and over again (she'll kill me for that someday)

Things have been pretty chaotic around here lately, both with work and at home, so I'm going to do a quick update and then *fingers crossed* resume with the typical hilarious family banter you come here to see.



 
Lilacs are done for the season, but when they were around we had a lot of fun taking cuttings to decorate our house. 
  Sylvia went from getting so tired in an attempt to roll over she actually fell asleep....


To rolling over - overnight!


I thought I was being really smart purchasing avocados for $.49 and pitting them, wrapping in plastic warap and freezing. I've since discovered I'm having issues with the thawing. Can anyone shed light on this?


Aubrey's been playing hard and sleeping harder.

I killed the pretty shower favor from Kerri's wedding shower, but I've been enjoying the mug it was planted in!


My sister-in-law, Ingrid, visited for 10 days! We made a trip to the mall.


And Ingrid taught me that the best way to get a toddler through a mall is with a stick of gum in an outstretched hand.


We had an Arrested Development Party! It was a ton of fun. Martin and I are still trying to make it through all the episodes.




We've been doing a lot of airplane around here. Complete with a little rhyme I made up that I think is pretty good. Fly, fly, fly like a bird in the sky. Fly, fly, fly like a butterfly. Fly, fly, fly like a bumblebee. Fly, fly, fly like an airplane I see.

 
We also went out for a siblings dinner while Ingrid was in town.

 
Our cupboards got really barren.

 
I finally satisfied a Chinese takeout craving.

 
I made tie-dye with me niece.

 
We've wasted way too many hours watching bunnies hop around our yard.
After being about two weeks late on the mowing process due to a broken mower, we've become mildly obsessive about mowing the lawn at every opportunity. I've also become mildly obsessive about making my own iced coffee which I'm enjoying here as Martin mows.

After a few rough lessons, Aubrey learned to swim! Thanks solely due to my mother-in-law for teaching her!

We went to the wedding of a close friend from growing up (Nate and Megan! yay!). I danced my face off and loved every minute of it!

That's what we've been up to around here!