My little climber

Ever since Hudson has started walking I have come to understand that not all kids are as cautious as Gunner was / is...Hudson is my climber. It started innocent enough, he got in the children's chair to play w/ Gunner's Diego rescue center....

...then he realized he could get into the dining chairs....

The other day I was pushing Gunner on the swings and Hudson was playing behind me with a dump truck and a hula hoop (I love how little kids make up their own games by the way). Then I hear Gunner say "look Mommy, Hudson is going to go down the slide" and I turn back around to find him 1/2 way up the ladder to the slide. I run over and he scrambles the rest of the way up, laughing hysterically at me frantically diving after him. I am imagining the interview w/ social services when I have to take him to the emergency room w/ a concussion...."I only took my eyes off of him for a minute..."

Yesterday we hit the point of no return, I go to the bathroom and leave them playing in the playroom (for goodness sakes I have to pee sometime!) and I come back out to find.....

Yes, he has now figured out how to get up on the dining room table. To make matters worse, if I leave him out of my sight for literally 1 minute he will run full speed to climb up on the table ...if I am unloading the dishwasher or going to the bathroom or loading laundry, the first place I check for him when I turn around or come rushing back, is the top of the dining room table...and no matter how mad I act, he immediately starts laughing hysterically when he sees me. Nice to be taken seriously by your children...I guess it doesn't help that I have to stop myself from laughing in return or that I am taking his picture up there...ok, so maybe I am sending the wrong message!

Well, at least if he gets in trouble Spiderman Gunner can save him (note the return of Gunner's costume obsession!).

Funny story & not about my kids!

I realized I NEVER do posts about anything except stuff about my husband & kids. Granted, they are a lot funnier than I am, and they create most of the drama and much of the joy in my life, but I like to think that one or two days a month I have my own life independent of them. So this is one of those stories.

I met my new girlfriend, Sarah, out for drinks last Saturday night at a restaurant / bar in our neighborhood. I was really psyched because she is from Bergen County, NJ (a short commute from NYC) and had lived and gone out in Hoboken, NJ back in the day, just like me. Anyway, we sat at the bar, and were deep in good conversation when I hear "you girls look like you are empty, can we buy you a drink?". I turn around and there are two smiling, twenty-something guys pulling out their wallets. One has a perma-tan and looks like he stepped out of a Gold's Gym ad and the other is a goateed hipster in a baseball cap, it took all of my self control not to burst out laughing.

Now I should premise this by saying that back in my bar hopping hey day I was known as the "terminator" for how quickly I could get rid of unwanted attention (after I got engaged, one of my guy friends supplied me with business cards that read "beat it", that was always effective if nothing else worked). However I haven't had to pull out that expertise in a VERY long time.

So I said "We are very flattered but we are having a Girls Night Out and we are married, so no thank you". Unfortunately, being married is apparently not considered a good reason to not be picked up in a bar, because they continued talking to us. "Well, where are your husbands..why are you out without them...". So my friend says "They are home watching our KIDS, so we can go out". Apparently kids IS a good reason to not get picked up in a bar because the gym rat says "KIDS!" as if we just told him we had mad cow disease. My friend says "Yep...two each".

Now this is my favorite part of the story....gym rats reply "well next time you should really get a table, when you sit at the bar you put out the wrong signal". So I say "well I thought the bling on our fingers spoke for itself" , "well I couldn't see that from across the bar" "Ok, well I will keep in mind how I can make it easier for you next time...why don't you go down the street to the Parrot, there are lots of available women there". To which they finally went away!

As if our first consideration when going out should be how to not look available to men trolling for a good time...and like the fact that we were in deep conversation was not a sign that we were not looking to get picked up...that and the cowl neck sweater I was wearing!

Oh well, at least I still got it...I think!

Hand, Foot, Mouth....ugh

Well, we are living proof why the parents of those kids in Grant and & Tate's class should have been quarantined!
I noticed blisters on Gunner's hand after school on Friday, and, sure enough, he has hand, foot, mouth disease! Luckily he only got blisters on his hands and one foot and no temperature. He does not really seem bothered by it, which is good for him, but hard to convince him that he is sick and can't go to school.

The worst part is that he gave it to me and Hudson. Hudson has a big rash on his diaper area, and (of course) I am the one that got the 'mouth' symptoms! That said, I would rather it be me who is finding it uncomfortable to eat (and honestly I only have a couple sore spots, so it could certainly be A LOT worse).

I should be thanking my lucky stars that none of us got a high fever, or severe blisters; but I have to admit I am feeling sorry for myself anyway!

Lenny is in San Diego this week at a meeting, and I am stuck in the house with the two of them during the coldest week in Virginia this season. This is day 3, and I am already wondering why I am too nice to take them out and expose our contaminated selves to other people. My children are officially driving me batty!

Hudson is really cranky; either because he has not had the break from Gunner he SO looks forward to when Gunner is at preschool; or because his tush is sore & itchy, or a combo of both. Considering he is usually an absolute angel, I don't know how to handle it. So I end up holding him constantly, then making Gunner completely jealous!

Gunner is so full of energy I can't keep him entertained for more than 5 minutes, and both of them can't stand it when I am giving attention to the other one....I had to read every story with both of them on my lap and give equal hugs and kisses or pandemonium would ensue!

I did manage to rake up some piles of leaves today and let Gunner get out some energy playing in them...Hudson was not a fan of the freezing cold weather or his bulky winter coat, so the fun didn't last for long, but at least it was a 1/2 hour spent out of the house. I also watched Gunner shoot hoops through the storm door so that he could go outside while Hudson stayed inside by himself. Tomorrow I am planning some fun with paint; but I am just not crafty enough, and my kids aren't artsy enough, to be housebound this long...especially when I can't leave the house to get supplies! Well, enough complaining...one day I will wish I had a week straight with just my boys!

I wish I could get this much joy out of throwing leaves! Thank god he got some of that energy out!

Hudson is not so sure this is the fun he had in mind....

I admit it, I used some Sesame Street & popsicles to keep them in their seperate corners & end the day w/out anymore squabbles!