Thunder Island

Finally! We made it to the (small) water park 20 minutes away from us. It was very, very small (4 adult water slides, 1 kiddie pool w/ 2 kiddie slides), but it was cheap, close by, and not crowded. We had a really good time. Owen LOVED the adult water slides. He could do them by himself and Emmett spent the first two hours hanging on to my leg (I think I've mentioned before....NOT a water kid). But after I took him down the slide twice (NOT a great idea in my current...pregnant...condition) and being bored for about an hour after I wouldn't go down anymore he decided he could tackle it. Then, he didn't want to stop. He had a great time. We went w/ my good friends, Sheila and Amy. They each have two boys (it must be contagious!). We're hoping to head to an indoor water park this winter. I think the boys (and new baby?) would have a great time!

Does This Look Like Fun?

I had grand intentions for this week w/ Eddie being gone. The boys and I were going to do lots of fun things w/ no steadfast agenda. Owen had no camps. I didn't have to work. FUN! FUN!! However, I forgot about Syracuse weather. The weather foiled our plans to go to a water park this week and today was the start of the "Great" NY State Fair. The weather looked good. We were all set. We got there at 1:30 and planned to stay the day and eat dinner there. They had a special today. Unlimited rides for 20.00 per child. The kids were thrilled. But, once again, Syracuse weather intervened (did I mention how much I don't like it here?). It started raining at 2:00 and we sat under a tent waiting patiently for it to let up until 4:00 at which point we decided to head to the car. We arrived at the car SOAKING WET and FREEZING (it was 68 degrees) and 96.00 poorer (40$ - rides, 6$ - my ticket, 4$ race car game, 5$ parking, 41$ 2 lemonades, 2 corn dogs, chicken nuggets, funnel cake, and 2 ice creams). The kids rode a grand total of 3 rides!!! And, to add to our misery, it stopped raining and cleared up just as we got to the car. Owen wanted to turn around and go back for more, but Emmett was shivering. We voted to go home. I'm praying that I don't get talked into going back this year!

I couldn't resist taking this picture of my sweet boys. It's so nice when they are both asleep :). Owen has been scared of EVERYTHING lately. His current focus is fires and earthquakes. He said to me last night, "Mom, do you know why I'm so scared of everything?" "It's because I dont want to die." I've been trying to explain to him that there are certain things in life that we can't control and we shouldn't spend our energy worrying about things we can't control. It seems to be helping.....a little bit. But, what seems to be helping even more is sleeping w/ his little brother.
PS What you can't see in this photo is me moving both boys to my bed about an hour later when I go to sleep. Since Eddie has been gone, I've let them sleep w/ me once I go to sleep. They sleep good. I, well....not so much.
PPS Check out Owen's crazy hair. He won't let me cut it, because soccer players have long hair, you know?

I've Changed My Mind

I've always told Eddie that I don't want to move again unless we can go to St. Louis, Fort Collins, Columbus, or Atlanta. He has mentioned numerous times going to Jacksonville, FL. And, I've always said NO! But, after our fourth day of 60 degree/rain/cloudy weather (it is still the middle of August, right???) I called him in Atlanta and said, "Let's go to Jacksonville!". There's nothing available there now, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. There was a lot of jobs open there a few months ago. Who would come visit me?? Only 2 hours from Orlando! Christa.....what was that article you read about Jville being the number one place to live?

Project: Redo the boy's rooms

So, before Eddie left for Atlanta he got Owen's room painted! Holy GREEN!!!! It is LIME GREEN!!! I tried to convice Owen into picking a blue for his room, but he did not want blue. He wanted green. Anyway, at first it looked like someone green slimed his room, but after the second coat it darkened a little (this is the darkened version, believe it or not) and now I really, really like it!!
This all started because I decided to move Emmett into the guest bedroom and put the baby in his room. I'm leaving Emmett's twin bed in the same room as the crib (in his old room) and giving Emmett the queen bed in the guest room. We have lots of out of town visitors and I didn't want to have to move the queen bed in the basement. So, now when we have visitors they can have Emmett's queen bed and Emmett can sleep in Owen's top bunk or in our bed (as he does most of the time now). And, we have three sets of visitors coming in September!!! Yahoo! My good high school friend, Amy, is coming from NYC w/ her hubby and new baby. Then, my other good friend (and Owen's godmom) from high school, Amy, is coming from E'ville. Then my mom, sister in law, niece (Evelyn) and niece (Josephine - who we haven't met yet) is coming. I want the rooms done before everyone arrives.
OK...back to the plans, I was digressing. We started moving Emmett into the guest room and got him a new "sports" quilt and supplies, and then Owen mentioned that Emmett wasn't even that into sports yet and he would sure like new bedding. After thinking about it, we decided he had a valid argument. His bedding was still the original fire engine bedding he got at 2 1/2 and we've never painted his room since we've moved in. We painted Em's room when we moved in and he hasn't really outgrown his old (dog) bedding yet. So, we're redoing both boys rooms......Owen's is a soccer room. His fave items are the soccer sheets and pillows. I've yet to get stuff to hang on the wall. Eddie flies back on Friday and then he's going to finish Em's room over the weekend. I'll send those pics next. Progress.....a nice thing :)

Beaver Lake

One of my pics from Beaver Lake. Read the last post to find out how to view some more.

Trying to stay awake......Part 2

Working night shift again. It's 5:30 AM, so not much longer to go....yahoo! Eddie's leaving for Atlanta tomorrow for work (tear) and my oldest, dearest friend, Jaya, is getting married today in San Francisco. Eddie and I couldn't go to the wedding, because he had to be in Atlanta and I couldn't quite figure out how to get the boys to St. Louis (so my mom could watch them) by myself and then on to San Fran. I'm feeling terrible about missing it. Hopefully, she'll send me lots of great pics. Oh, that reminds me. My friend, Amy, took pics of the boys on Friday. If you want to see them, click on her website to the left of my blog, (the smugmug one) click on the pictures of Owen and Emmett, and you can see the proofs. Thee are some pretty good ones, but they weren't being particularly cooperative. She's going to take some more soon. Oh...the benefits of having a photographer as a good friend!!!!

The poll is closed........Jose?

Thanks for voting everyone. I think it helped. Over 25 people voted and the big winner is Henry. That's already Eddie's fave. It's just me that can't quite decide.....In second place were Leo, Mitchell, and Isaac. Leo is my fave. So...I guess we'll have to see what he looks like. If he's blond hair, blue eyes then maybe he's Henry. But if he's dark like Emmett, I don't think he's Henry. 14 weeks to go......Owen has come into the name Jose'! I'm trying to explain that it doesn't quite go w/ Bauer, but he doesn't get it.
So, Emmett is turing 4 in three short weeks (tear). And, I am COMPLETELY stumped as what to get him. There is nothing he likes for his own. Everything he enjoys doing, he does w/ Owen. I need help! Please respond to this if you have a boy around the same age and can think of something that he really enjoys. Desperately looking for ideas.....

Tooth Fairy....Close Call!

So, I got off of work early Saturday morn and got home by 5:30 Am. Emmett was waking up as I walked in the front door and so I layed down w/ him in the guest bed (soon to be his bed) hoping he would go back to sleep. No such luck. At 6:30 AM, I woke Eddie up (Owen was in our bed next to him) and had him get up w/ Emmett. At 7 AM Owen rolls over and says to me, "Mom, I lost another tooth (his 8th) last night. I have to go see what the tooth fairy left me." PANIC!! The tooth fairy has never visited our house when I haven't been home (wink, wink). Owen came running back in, "Mom, the tooth fairy left me four quarters. Usually she only leaves me a dollar bill. She must have finally figured out that I like quarters better! They fit in my piggy bank better." Close call!!!!!

Trying to stay awake

I'm writing this post at 230 AM from work. Somehow I got roped into working 14.5 hours tonight, 5 pm - 730 AM. And while it feels like torture now, I'll be thankful when I get my paycheck. We are redoing all three boys bedrooms. The baby is going into Emmett's room and Emmett is going into the guest room. So....extra money is a good thing!
I took the boys to see Hairspray at the theatre yesterday. They were stir crazy from being sick all week, but I didn't want them around a bunch of other kids yet. So....to the movie we went. And, they LOVED it!!! When it ended they both asked, "When can we see it again?" They have NEVER been so excited about a Disney movie (except for maybe High School Musical). I love that they love musicals. I must admit that the movie brought up all sorts of questions from Owen about segregation and integration. Questions I'm not sure I was prepared to answer. On the other hand, it was a good way to bring up a difficult conversation. Even if the boys grow up to be "sports kids", I hope they never lose their love for singing, dancing, and musicals.

In sickness and in health....

Eddie and I celebrated our 9th anniversary yesterday w/ our good friends: Singular, Zyrtec, Nasonex, Tylenol, Motrin, Zithromax, Albuterol, Pulmicort, and Valium (in case of seizure). Not exactly what we had planned....
The boys and I are sick w/ "bronchitis". Eddie isn't sick, yet. That could be as Owen explained to his asthma doc, "That's because he's at work all the time." Out of the mouth of babes.
Emmett was confirmed as a true asthmatic yesterday. It has been suspected for a long while, but until they can do the "loop" lung function test you can't be sure. So, he was able to do the test for the first time yesterday (they usually can't do it until they're older because they have to be able to inhale and exhale for a certain amount of time and on command.) And while his lung capacity numbers weren't horrible, after an Albuterol treatment they improved by 53%. So, that confirms asthma. Big, big bummer! Now, even when he's not sick he will need to do the pulmicort turboinhaler (like Owen) and Singular on a daily basis. That goodness for insurance! After a day spent at the asthma doc's office, we came home and watched our wedding video. Wow! Were we young!!! Emmett was completely bothered by the video though. He kept asking, "But who was babysitting Owen and me?" And, "Why didn't you bring us to the party (reception)?" I guess he's a little young to wrap his brain around the idea of a pre-Owen and Emmett day!