Head Shoulders Knees and Toes...I think?

We had just spent 10 minutes trying to get Salla to do Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes for the camera. Instead, this is what we got...

What a nut! But we love him...

It's been about a year

It's been just about a year since I started this blog. Looking back it was ALL about my kids sleeping habits! I've tried hard not to bring the subject up anymore so as not to seem too obsessive, but seeing as it's been a year, a little sleep ranting couldn't hurt. Here goes...

In general, we are doing well. There is no more night nursing for Salla. Ethan is sleeping well in his big boy bed. Both kids are typically asleep by 7 and sleep 10-12 hours per night (depending on the night and the child!). My issues now stand with early morning wake-ups and nap times. Salla still wakes up before 5:30 or 6 every morning. The last 4 nights she's woken up around 4:15, but I think she's teething or may have an ear infection because Motrin seems to work at that time, and then she falls back asleep until 5:30 or so. Then, you'd think she'd be so tired during the day that she would need a nice long nap. Not this child. Most days I get 1 45-60 min nap. After that, I can't keep her up much later than 6:30 or 7pm and the whole cycle starts over! Is it possible I have a child that just doesn't require as much sleep as all the experts say?? No fair! I wouldn't be quite as worried about her if her disposition was a little better. But she always seems so spooled up and can throw some royal tantrums. I guess I just want to make sure she's getting the rest she really needs, but I am not sure what else I can do besides put her to bed at the appropriate times. What's that saying? You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink? That's where I'm at with Salla.

Ethan is doing great. It's me who has issues. He's giving up his naps. And he's 3 1/2 which is a totally normal age for that to occur. I just can't let go! In the past few weeks I have been more accepting of it and not sent him to his room every day to "try for a nap". The good news is, now I have another tool in my pocket when he's acting up! I just say "Oh, Ethan. Mommy thinks you aren't being nice because you are tired. If I think you are too tired, than you are going to have to take a nap today, so you might want to be nicer..."

So that's my update. Not horrible, but not ideal either. I always like to tell myself that there will be a day when I can't get them OUT of bed...

What the heck are "Icktions"?

Ethan came out of his bedroom this afternoon and out of nowhere says "Mom, I'm scared of the little icktions in my room." The what? He must be saying something else. I spent the next 10 minutes of this conversation trying to figure out what he was really talking about.

Me: "The what? The itches?"
Ethan: "No,not the itches, the icktions."
Me: "The icktions?"
Ethan: "Ya. the icktions"
Me: "Why are you scared of them?"
Ethan (in his deepest voice): "Because they are very bad"
Me: "Why are they bad?"
Ethan: "Because they are bad because they make a scary noise."
Me: "What kind of noise?"
Ethan demonstrates a clicking sound on a toy.
Me: "That's not a scary noise"
Ethan: "Yes, it is. The icktions fly around and make a scary noise and the power goes out."
Me: "The power goes out?"
Ethan: "Ya, the power goes out."
Me: "Can you show them to me?"
I follow Ethan into his room
Me: "Where are the icktions? Show Mommy"
Ethan points to his comforter on his bed.
Ethan: "See? They are right there and they fly up and around on the track"
Ethan draws the track through the air
Ethan: "And they go down down down into the dark hole."
Ethan follows the track under his bed.
I have him explain this to me 2 more times, each with the same story.
Me: "Wow, interesting."
Ethan: "Ya"
Ethan proceeds to leave his room to go play.

And that's all I've heard of the fearsome icktions since. What an imagination...

Reason enough to get out of Pace, FL (aka Southern AL)

I was driving home tonight from dinner at a friend's house when I saw a sign outside an office that read "Sarah Palin's Glasses Sold Here!". Umm, ya, I don't belong here...

This one's for Amber...

Ethan was sitting naked (post-bath) on the sofa the other night while I got Salla into bed. When I came into the living room he smiled at me and said "Look Mom, my penis is an airplane!". Made me think of Tate's Taco quote:)

The Proud Wife

I'm sitting here tonight wondering how I feel such mixed emotions about my husband's career. I'm so proud of him for being dedicated, hard working, responsible, and so good at his job. Last week we found out he ranked #2 in the squadron for the fiscal year out of over 50 instructor pilots. That's amazing! I'm so proud...but wait. They rank them based on flight hours. So out of over 50 other guys, he was at work the most? That's not cool! Why couldn't he fall somewhere nicely in the middle and give me a few extra hours a week with him home? So now I'm a little ticked that he's so good at his job! This is supposed to be our "shore" tour. I'm supposed to see him more now than I did in Whidbey. Between him being such a great pilot and such a dedicated student (did I mention he's taking classes for his MBA at UWF too?) I'm feeling short changed. But those qualities that make him so good at his job are the same ones that make him a great husband and a great father and are the reason I married him in the first place. So let me just grit my teeth and say "Good job, honey! I'm so proud of you!" because I truly am...

Why I'm drinking alone tonight...

It figures. My husband left this morning for a cross country to Cincinnati. (For those none-military ladies, a cross country is a voluntary trip where an instructor pilot and student fly out of the area to get hours and practice in other parts of the country and, of course, to have a fun vacation full of great food, fun bars, and lots of beer, or so I hear. Oh, and don't forget SLEEPING IN.) So he left and my kids get sick. I'm talking diarrhea/vomit sick. Salla, was no surprise. I've been changing poopy diapers on the hour for the last 2 days. She's handling it pretty well, except for the ferocious diaper rash which I've resorted to giving her meds for the pain. Ethan seemed great! He was fine at school and didn't nap, as usual, had a snack and played this afternoon. By the end of dinner I was wiping his bottom and, eventually dodging vomit in the garage as I tried to get them into the double stroller for a soothing walk around the block. After what seemed like hours of bathing, diapering, reading, nursing, brushing teeth, etc...both kids are finally in bed. What do I get to do? Go outside and clean up the garage. So, yes, I'm having a beer. I might even have 2...