Maybe not so alike...

Reactions to the second snow day this week (meaning the kiddos have gone to school only 1 out of the last 8 days due to other planned days off school and a sick day).

Mom: What do we think guys? Another snow day!
Monster #1: (with fist up on in the air) Woo hooooo!
Monster #2: Mom, it's a blizzard day. It's not a snow day. And they better let me go to school this weekend instead.
Monster #1: (silence...just a looking at me frightfully for a response confirming he wouldn't be required to go to school on the weekend).
Mom: No way dude. No school on the weekend.
Monster #1: (with fist up in the air again) YYEEEESSSSSSS!
Monster #2: Then somebody better let me see my friends. And if I have another blizzard day tomorrow I'm going to be SO mad! This is so not fair!

I'm sure you can guess who is who...if you know these boys well at all :)

And So It Begins...

(Tanner and I are laying on his bed on our tummies...looking at his yearbook from last year...he's giving me the run down of which class all the kids ended up in this year)

Tanner: So this is my friend Logan. He is Luke's BFF.
Mom: What does BFF mean?
Tanner: It's like...best friends forever...you know.
Mom: Ok - got it.
Tanner: And this is (blank). She is evil.
Mom: Why is she evil?
Tanner: Well, that's what her brother says anyway. I don't really know why.
Mom: Well, sometimes brothers and sisters don't get along. It doesn't mean she is evil.
Tanner: Mom - let's not fight about it, ok? It's just what we like to call her.
Mom: Ok - got it.
Tanner: And this is XXX. She is totally cute.
Mom: (quizical look...thinking to myself...did I just hear that right?)
Tanner: And this is...
Mom: Hold up. Back up to XXX. You think she is cute?
Tanner: Well Mom, did you look at her?
Mom: (smiling)
Tanner: Isn't she totally cute?
Mom: I guess so. Why do you think she is cute?
Tanner: Did you see her big eyes?
Mom: Yes, she does have very pretty eyes. Why else do you think she is cute?
Tanner: I like her kind of hair.
Mom: And what kind of hair is that?
Tanner: You know...like light color. Doesn't she just look happy?
Mom: Yes, she looks happy.
Tanner: She's just little and adorable. Ok - now - this is Max...
(several minutes later as I get up to leave)
Tanner: Thanks for snuggling with me Mom. I love you.
Mom: I love you too buddy.

And so...I think I just had my first conversation with my little dude about a girl. "Totally cute"...to use his words :) For now, I'm happy to remain his #1 girl...but clearly he has a wandering eye now. It's only a matter of time .

There's Nothing Better...

I just extracted myself from a snuggle nap with the dudes. We all piled in Mom's bed on Friday afternoon to read books and all nodded off...covered in favorite blankies. I woke up to sweaty and not-so-little snugglebugs snoozing on each side of me. Perfect start to the weekend. :)

I feel so bad for all the parent out there that have kids that gave up naps at a young age. My nearly-approaching-eight year olds still love the afternoon zzzzzzs. And me too!

Every January

Alex came running off the bus last week announcing excitedly, "Ashley, I met Dr. Martin Luther King!". Ashley is such a good sport. She stands among the other parents trying to figure out how to contain Alex's excitement. When he makes it off the bus she asks him to explain, and he points to his substitute bus driver (African American) and announced, "Look - right there - our substitute bus driver is Dr. Martin Luther King!".

Thumbs up to Pine Ridge Elementary for the history lesson! Now, it's my turn to get into Alex's head and more appropriately generalize what he has learned (something that many kids on the autism spectrum struggle with). So...I've had my annual diversity training this week from my children who eagerly embrace the story of Dr. King each January. I've done my best to generalize it to the world we live in today. BUT...a new twist from Tanner offered very matter-of-factly, "Well Mom, since you are a girl, you know you should probably be pretty thankful for Susan B Anthony, because without her you wouldn't be able to drive a car."

What the...? Where did that one come from? Crap. MLK Day lessons I totally get and can keep up with, but I don't know a thing about Susan B Anthony. Yes - gasp, shake your head, be appalled and dumbfounded. Listen - I hate history. I got a D in History in 4th grade and it soured me for life. I just tune it all out. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don't like things I'm not good at (hello - golf!). I'd better leave this blog post and start surfing the web for a Susan B Anthony bio. I might hate history...but I hate being outsmarted by a 2nd grader even more!

Hello Blogging World!

It's been such a long time and I've missed you! Nearly every week something hysterical happens that I think to myself (or sometimes say to Jim) - "I HAVE to put this one out on the blog!". Frankly, it's just plain embarrassing to make this first post after nearly a year hiatus. Yikes! I think the whole idea of posting pictures with every post had me a little hesitant to start up again...but to heck with it...I'll just post without pictures mostly. I just need some way of capturing/documenting all the little morsels of humor these buddies infuse into our everyday life.

And so...on to Volume 2 of 'Another Day, Another Laugh...'

At Home Workout

Gym fees required to stay in shape? Nope! Case in point.

50lb bench press

100lb bench press

I'll do my part if need be and offer the next weight increment :)

Snow Day - Perfect Timing!

We had a whole lot of Valentines to address...so today's snow day couldn't have come at a better time! Wolverine Valentines from Tanner...Spiderman Valentines from Alex. So funny how the characters change over the years. Their first year of preschool it was Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. Thomas the Train and Bob the Builder one year. I suppose that superheroes are the last in the progression of cartoon characters before becoming big(ger) boys...sigh.