Drew--the Big Red Dog

The teachers at Drew's preschool are brillant. Each week they chose a theme for the week--and this past week was Clifford the Big Red Dog. Clifford happens to be Drew's favorite fictional dog--so of course, it is his favorite stuffed animal, favorite cartoon, favorite book, etc. Needless to say, the ended the week with a big bang. The kids were asked to wear red. Drew picked out his red shirt the night before (which has never happened before) and to get all geared up for the next day--he watched a Clifford cartoon (he has the whole set on DVD) and had us read a Clifford book at bedtime. When I came to pick him up on Thursday, he proudly the displayed the brown make-up they put on his nose and his dog ears--that he had cut himself. He said that he got to be Clifford that day. Nothing could be better than that. I had to document his joy in pictures.

The ineffectiveness of a timeout

Our method of punishment (at least the first warning) for Drew is the timeout--which involves standing in the corner with his face to the wall. It used to be somewhat effective. It would involve him standing in the corner from anywhere to a minute to 20 minutes (the 20 minute one only happened once and it was because he used a permanent black marker to literally decorate our entire guest room). After his timeout, we would ask him why he got punished and if he learned from it. Well, as of a few days ago, it is no longer effective. When Drew is in the corner, Claire likes to join him there. Drew finds this very funny and he usually ends up laughing with Claire. The attached photo sums it up quite well. I swear one of these days the kids are going to go to overthrow their parents and take control of the house. But, any ideas for effective methods of punishment are always welcome!

Happy Birthday Aaron!

With the craziness of my brother and Matthew's visit, I did not get an opportunity to wish my husband, Aaron a proper happy birthday on our blog. His birthday fell smack dab in the middle of their visit. I took Aaron out to dinner at PF Changs on the Saturday evening prior to their visit (thanks again to Amy and Jim for watching the kids). We also enjoyed coffee and cheesecake at Barnes and Noble after dinner. It was so nice to have some quiet time as a couple! On his birthday, my brother treated everyone to Quaker Steak and Lube. The boys were tempted to try the hottest wings on the menu--the Atomic chicken wings--but wimped out and went with a more milder flavored wing. I will never understand a man's desire to eat chicken wing that is so hot that makes you sweat and your eyes water. We finished the evening with a decorated chocolate chip cookie from Giant Eagle. Happy 36th Birthday Aaron--cheers!

Matthew and his shadow

My brother and his son, Matthew recently visited us from California. It was good to see them and we were grateful that they made the trip out to Columbus. Drew was extremely happy to see his older cousin and to spend hours playing with him. Claire tried her best to fit in. It was a short visit, but we tried to fit in as much as possible in the few days that they were here. Whatever Matthew wanted to do, Drew wanted to do as well. Being from California, Matthew loved the snow and playing in it. Aaron, Drew and he built a snow fort (well, it looked more like an igloo). Aaron treated the boys to video games at Magic Mountain and we all spent the afternoon at COSI. They boys seemed to really enjoy the Ocean and Gadgets exhibits at the museum. Matthew also participated in one of the live science shows as well. With all the fun he had, he told my brother that he didn't want to leave. As you can see in the pictures, Drew was literally Matthew's little shadow. They thought it would be funny to have a picture of their backsides (don't ask) and of course, their funny faces.

Happy belated Anniversary

I just realized yesterday that I completely forgot my parents 41st wedding anniversary. With my mom's health and everything else, I just forgot. I used to be very good at remembering special dates--but my memory has really gone downhill since having two kids. Ugh.

Anyway, this picture was taken in my grandparents living room after my parents got married at the Minneapolis City Hall on January 13, 1968. They were both so young--my mom was 21 and my dad was 23. Both of them look a little unsure about what lied ahead of them. But, I must say that my mom looked beautiful in her very simple, but elegant dress. With them in this photo are my aunt, Joyce (sitting next to my dad) and my mom's friend--I have no idea what her name is, but I dig the glasses!

Happy belated anniversary to my parents!

The magic of Calliou

Who would have ever guessed a bald four year old boy would be the cure all when Claire wakes up in the middle of the night? Calliou is a cartoon on PBS--it is about a little boy, his family and all of their adventures. The kid sometimes gets on my nerves, as he can be a little on the whiny side. But, hey, if it pacifies Claire when nothing else will--then we are happy to watch it--even at 3 a.m. in the morning. Luckily, we haven't had one of those nights in a couple of weeks. We not sure what Claire finds so calming--it may be the gentle voice of the narrator or the bright white background. We are still a little puzzled why they don't give the poor kid any hair. Oh yes, Claire also likes to dance to the music at the beginning and end of the show!

Olga and Vladamir

A couple days ago, the kids thought it would be fun to put on one of my winter hats. When Aaron saw the pictures, he said the kids looked like Russian orphans. So, I have officially re-named them Olga and Vladamir (when they have the hat on that is!)