Dagwood Sandwich!

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Seen and Heard

• That Puppy Is So Cute! Just Like Me. (picture big grin on Harry's face as he sits atop Kevin's shoulders on the streets of Charleston).
• Is Uncle Kris stopping by for my birt-day? (circa two weeks ago).
• Harry requesting another birthday party, if not for himself, for Dominic or Belle.
• Dirt is fun? (while hiking at Great Falls. After first telling Harry it was okay to get dirty and then later shouting "Eew! No! The water is dirty!" I could understand the confusion.)
• Dirt is fun. (Harry's short lived mantra, prior to falling into a pile of dirt).
• Mack driving Lightning M'Queen to "The Big Race"
• The King Flipping Over, and Lightning M'Queen pushing him over the finish line (so glad this helpfulness is what he's gained from The Movie).
• Harry wearing big boy underpants all weekend.
• Harry on his scooter with TJ
• When asked if Zoe was his new girlfriend at the beach: "No, Mommy is!"
• Harry reaching the front door handle finally and being able to open it...to bring his car collection to the front porch, one by one by one...
• Harry calling Mimo "Milk"
• Long winded, very excited explanations of the two brown and white deer that were in Arlington at Menike's friday.
• Me longing off to finish watching Desparate Housewives and fold laundry.

Jon and Kate Plus 8

Further proof that I am not weird. Kate. She is a very rare normal mom of 2 six year olds and 6 two year olds. She is also very organized. She uses lots of post its.
She cooks though.
This has served to remind me that if they can manage to cook healthy meals with 8 kids, Kevin can, too. I have not been to McDonald's in 2 weeks!
"What's do you need Kevin to make?"
Jon has crazy hair and Polo shirts and is messy like Kevin. And he carries stuff.
And so, this show about little people may have replaced my other reality show: Little People (Big World). That show's main character was an Ewok. And he also has some quirks. Like Jon and Kevin.
Anyway, the show Tivo Tivo'd for me (Ten Little Pumpkins) discussed the importance of traditions. As I readied myself to "Check" Harry and sing "Linger" I realized that we have a few ourselves. But first, I keep hearing Harry's little voice in my head asking "You check me?" Do you think he'll ask that his first day at hockey camp? Just wondering. This is what Kevin refers to as thinking in circles.
And so, traditions... There are the daily traditions. I am the morning person, Kevin is the nighttime person (this was a good idea when Harry was an infant). Since I miss all of the fun bedtime stories, we also have check me time where I, well, check on Harry to see if he is asleep. Of course, he is never asleep because he waits for me to check him. And sing. "You sing me a song?" I sometimes refill his water bottle.
I dress Harry in the morning, Kevin puts his shoes and jacket on. Kevin takes Harry to school, I pick him up. I stop at the park on the way home (The Blue Park, The Tree Park, The Library Park, The Chinquapin park...). Kevin cooks, I do dishes. We alternate bathing and pajama dressing nights. Beyond this, we have our annual traditions. In early winter we go to the Poconos. We go to the dog park for Bailey's birthday. We go somewhere for Spring Break. We go to Cape May for Memorial Day. We BBQ over the summer. We've started a week at the beach with Grandma Patty and family in summer. In Fall we go to the Rennaisance Festival in Annapolis (Crownsville) and we do some pumpkin picking. Thanksgiving we drive to Philly and listen to Alice's Restaurant on WMMR. We go to PA for SHrimp Fest. We meet up with Christian and Lisa at the park. We go to Jersey Christmas day. I used to like movie night on Christmas night. In the theatre. Maybe we will get back to that one day.

***Meghan just pointed out Fall races (okay, marathons) are a tradition. Harry has been to a marathon every year in October.

Small is the new big.

Sully may need to put his McDermott-Home-Building-Plans on hold for a while...

Skewed Results.

I'm just saying.

What's That?

Harry had his 3 year check up today and he's no longer short! He's made it to average. Height is 50th percentile and weight is about the same. He is either 37 or 39 inches (the paper is downstairs) and is 35 pounds. Harry was very into getting measured today (we had to re-measure several times, as he walked around the busy office in his spider man pull-ups- luckily Kevin wasn't with us). While waiting for the doctor, Harry perfected his bubble blowing with the mini bubble ring he coerced the nurse into giving him. He had his blood pressure taken, which was something new for a check up but something he'd experienced at Children's last year. Another new activity was the eye chart. It has shapes instead of letters. Harry was slightly cooperative, but a little shy. We lucked out with the first symbol being his favorite shape, "A Circle!" The "+" was "an X like Pablo found (on the desert island- his pirate bounty)." The sailboat was a pirate ship of course...and the coffee mug was "what daddies drink." Upon further clarification, "coffee."
After Harry volunteered that the light (opthalmoscope) the doctor looked into his eyes with was "a telescope," she stopped questioning his vocabulary. He also told her he had "one of those" (a stethoscope---his came with an Elmo doll) "to listen to your heart." Before leaving he zoom zoomed around the office with a dump truck sticker. Quite an adventure.
And so, Mr. #3 year old has made more neighborhood friends this week. He likes to ride Scooters with TJ who is 4 and explains to me he will always be older than Harry.
He still likes to sing my old sorority song before bed "Mmmm-mmm I want to linger...".
He still likes his Mimo and we need to cut him back to 3 cups a day. Fun.
And I am happy to say his favorite birthday card was from me! Yaaay! The Hallmark store has new singing birthday cards. I picked up "I will survive" for Kelly last week. Harry got the Mickey Mouse Club theme song and loves it. I love to hear him giggle. Kevin would prefer he eat his dinner. I picked up a cool one for Kris...we may have to send it early...

Guess who's been bed-rail free for 5 days and counting?

Tips For Surviving a Toddler Tailgate Party

1. Avoid pigtails, unless you want "helmet head."
2. If you are over 15, and particularly if you are female, and you want to moonbounce, wear a jog bra.
3. If you can't handle your juice box, bring a clean shirt.
4. If you have knee problems, remain on the lookout for a 3 year old in a battery operated race car.
5. Valium will not be provided.
6. If you wear a hearing aid, turn the volume to low.
7. When it comes to opening or not opening presents, go with the flow.
8. Cake will be served. I cannot guarantee that it will be served after solid food. This is known as the High Maintenance Harry Act of 2006.
9. Children on sugar binges will not be permitted to remain in our care after the termination of the party.
10. Spectators in the front row may get wet/sticky. Do not wear your best party clothes.

I KNEW IT WAS CHEECH!

CAST OF CARS:
DOC HUDSON - Paul Newman
SALLY - Bonnie Hunt
LIGHTNING McQUEEN - Owen Wilson
MATER - Larry the Cable Guy
THE KING - Richard Petty
RAMONE - Cheech Marin
LUIGI - Tony Shalhoub
FLO - Jenifer Lewis
SARGE - Paul Dooley
THE SHERIFF - Michael Wallis
FILLMORE - George Carlin
LIZZIE - Katherine Helmond
MACK - John Ratzenberger
CHICK HICKS - Michael Keaton

oh and by the way...

the point of the whole trip to the Low Country?

Aunt Meg & Uncle Ian's WEDDING!!!

Pics should be up sooner rather than later

Congrats to them both!

Folly Beach may just be the new summer destination

33 Dead in Blacksburg

8 years ago I worked at IBH and was driving around Rockville with Claudia on our way to Tower Records. We were listening to a man on the radio discuss his whereabouts when he heard what had happened. He was at Walmart. "I like Walmart" he said. A quote I will for some reason always remember. He was in the TV section, and was still waiting to hear about his kids. Claudia and I were closer to the age of the students at that point, and I more easily identified with them than their parents.
I wasn't alive during the Kent State shootings, and that was a different situation, but Neil Young's "4 Dead in O-Hi-O" lyrics always ring in my head during situations like this.
I was newly married after 9-11, but much more sympathetic to the cause of parents dashing out of work early and stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on the way to pick up their kids and make sure they were safe.
Harry is still so little now, but already the words that are ringing in my head are "how do you talk to your kids about this?"

too much time in the car

So how was that drive back from South Carolina?

while we're congratulating...

That's how it works when you're big time.

Congrats to Nate & Audrey! Can't wait for Brooks & Harry to meet up

Congratulations L&J!

In case you have found a moment to read this...I just saw the pictures of the new little guy! Can't wait to meet him! And his big brother couldn't look sweeter!