Play Date Photos

I wanted to add a link to all the photos but if you click on the title or HERE, it will take you to the June folder where the pics are at the bottom. Not all of them, but the ones I cropped and put online.

Play Date

I'm still a bit tired from our play date today with Andrea and Ava, so this blog entry might not be quite as fluid as they usually are...see, I'm using the word fluid like it's an adjective...anyway...on with the story.

Andrew and I met Andrea and Matt in our lamaze class in 2005. We really hit it off, moreso than we did with any other moms and dads there. It seemed that Andrea and I especially had a lot in common and so we were automatically "drawn" for lack of a better word, together. We've kept in touch ever since. Some months better than others but two years later, here we are! We decided to get together a week or so ago at the mall. Partly for a play date and partly so I could order some scrapbooking stuff from a party that Andrea was having. I called Andrea Sunday (I think) to see if she and Ava wanted to meet us at the pool today. Andrea came up with a better plan. She suggested we meet at her house and have a "pool party." That was a FANTASTIC idea! So that's what we did.

The kids played so so well together! I have a load of photos and video that it took me the majority of 15 minutes to figure out which ones I wanted to feature on the blog. It went from typical 2year old apprehension and timidness to quickly dumping water on each other and splashing. OK Brighton was the dumper and Ava the dumpee but still, they had fun.

It's so interesting seeing other kids and how they're developing in comparison to Brighton. Bright has always been an observer, so it seems that he's just a wee bit behind other kids. But he's really not. Though Ava has quite the vocabulary and is very articulate, she and Brighton seemed to communicate very well! She has the sweetest voice and the cutest way to say things. Some words she says backwards, like instead of "birdfeeder" she said "feederbird" which was as cute as can be. And when Andrea ran inside to get her a snack or a drink, Ava would respond to Andrea's question "do you want to come with me?" with a "Don't move!" in other words, "No mom! I'll stay right here and I won't move!" HAHA It was so darned cute!
Ava told us about her neighbor's dog, Midnight, who came to visit for just a minute. Just long enough to help clean up the grapes that had fallen. She taught us about sharing, by sharing her yellow pitcher and her golf clubs and her other fun toys. She taught Brighton how to "puddle" and then jump into the puddle. They both though it was amazing that their diapers dripped when they stood up after being in the water. They had snacktime where Ava shared her nutrigrain bar and Brighton shared his goldfish crackers.

Naturally, both kids were more than ready for bed by the time it was all said and done. Ava and Andrea walked us out to the car and no sooner did Andrea pick Ava up than her head was too heavy to hold and she rested it on Andrea's shoulder. It took Brighton all of about 20 mintues to fall asleep in the car. He slept until we got home and then for about another hour and a half. But he was ready for "night night" at 8:30, so it worked out great!

Well, tomorrow is another day. I'll be at work trying to get home in time to pick up Andrew at the airport (though he won't know that until he reads this blog I guess). It sure would be fun if Andrea and I were both pregnant with our #2 at the same time...I guess if it's in the cards, it's in the cards. But it still would be fun!

"PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!"

I now understand where Little Caesar's got their ad campaign for PIZZA! PIZZA! Obviously one of the account execs at the advertising agency had a two year old.

After a long day yesterday that ended around 5:30, Brighton and I headed home. Instead of actually cooking dinner (God forbid) I opted to call in a Casey's pizza so it would be ready by the time we got home. Brighton was tired (he woke up on the WRONG side of the bed yesterday morning), Mom was tired, Dad just left for PA and so we were on our own for the night.

Stupid things mom does #1 (create expectation):
In the car, on the way...I asked Brighton, "Do you want pizza?" Vigorously shaking his head 'YES!' "PIZZA PIZZA!!" He patiently waits for oh, 5 minutes, then promptly begins whining. I realize the magnitude of what I've done and attempt to divert his attention with his new favorite song by Paul McCartney, Dance Tonight

Stupid things mom does #2 (attempting to reason):
"We'll be there in a little bit babe, they have to cook it then we have to pick it up, then we'll go home, bring in the groceries, feed the doggies, then we can have pizza! How's that sound?"

"PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!"

I think to myself 'he can't seriously expect me to pull a pizza out of my arse? Does he think I can snap my fingers and a pizza will appear? He's so unreasonable!' (duh, he's 2...)

"PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!"

"OK babe! We'll get pizza as soon as we get home!"

Shakes his head, yes. "Home..."PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZAAAAAAAAA!!!"

We reach Casey's, the pizza isn't quite done. We mill around, grab some vanilla ice cream, a paper and wait. Finally, mercifully, the pizza is ready. We pay, we get out (after much wrangling over a box of tic tacs - thanks Casey's for putting them at eye level for a 2 year old)
Get back in the car, as I'm putting him in his seat, I see his face start to contort..."PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!"

I can feel my blood pressure rising and my head about ready to explode..."Yes babe, Pizza! We'll be home in a sec! We'll feed the puppies then we can have pizza!"

"NOOOO! PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIIIIIIZZAAAAAA!!!"

Stupid things mom does #3 (testing 2 year old' patience):
We get home and I let Bright out of the car seat and grab ALL the groceries, my purse, the pizza and the paper and hope he can make it in the house on his own (which he does). Of course the minute I open the door, the dogs are at the ready and bolt. They haven't gone potty since 9:00 AM, it's now almost 6:15 PM. I put the pizza on the desk, set the groceries on the floor (Brighton quickly grabs the ice cream and drags it down the hallway, through the kitchen and deposits it in the living room) and let the dogs out. As I come back in I hear, "PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!" Brighton is now wailing with tears streaming down his face...

"You're gonna have to wait a sec, I have to feed the puppies. Want to feed Feebee for Mom?" <~~diversion attempt "NO! PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!" diversion failed.

Tears are now streaming down his face as though I've told him "there's no more pizza in the whole world and you're now going to starve to death because we have no other options in our home to eat...sorry. Would you like some dust?"

Like a soldier ready for battle, I plow ahead as planned. I march to the back, get the dog food and cat food prepared while Brighton is following me every step of the way, mustering out between sobs "PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!"

Finally about 6:25 I get him in his high chair, which calms him a little but the wailing has now become habit so he continues a little as though he can't help it, and I grab a monkey plate (I figure that will make him happier than a plain ol' fiesta plate). I grab the smallest piece of "PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!" , dab it with a paper towel (if you've ever had Casey's pizza, you know why), eat most of the pepperoni off and give him his "PIZZA! PIZZA!! PIZZA!!!" which he eats two pieces of...

Mom grabs a beer and a slab of pizza and is done for the night...

Pool Closed

Another disappointing morning this morning. We get up, get all ready to go to the pool. My intention was to go early so that we could beat the crowd and somewhat beat the extreme heat. Now keep in mind, I've not been to a public pool in quite some time. Probably since I was a kid myself. So I have little experience with aquatic parks...

I have it all planned out. We'll go in the morning and beat the heat/crowd, then we'll get home around noon when Bright can take a nap or eat lunch or both, then we'll leave around 2:00 to be at his doctor appointment at 2:45 then off to meet dad and to work I go. Sounds like a great plan right?

We get our suits on, pack the beach bag with towels and such, get in the car and off we go. I first hit Dollar General to get some arm floaties and a tube and some sunscreen. We pick up all those things (and then some), and off we go. I get to the waterpark, armed with floaties, noodles, sunscreen, an innertube, and walk proudly up to the front desk where I'm greeted by a woman who looks at me like I'm a wee bit crazy.

"Do you have an outdoor pool or is it just indoors?"

"It's only 10:00, the outdoor pool doesn't open until 12."

"Ok" So what's the problem? I think to myself as I reach in my purse to get my wallet.

"There's swimming classes right now. Neither pool opens up for 'free swim' until noon."

"oh." I play if off as best I could. I was angry at myself for not calling ahead (like that little glimmer in the back of my head TOLD me to do) so I asked if they had a flyer on swimming lessons for toddlers and left.

Doesn't it figure. Another romantic "orchard view" kind of day.

Did I Birth a Fish?

My mother-in-law told me today that if you give a kid some water, they'll be entertained for hours. She's right. She raised 4 of her own and 2 in day care, so I guess if anyone would know...Brighton got a watertable from Nana Sally and Papa Tom for his birthday. It hasn't been warm enough to use it until today. It was my intention to water the garden then haul the sprinkler out for him to run through, but I figured he wouldn't do that because he cries every time he sees the sprinkler...so then I thought "WATERTABLE!" DUH. He had a blast. He played with it for a solid hour while I sat in the lounger and tossed the ball to Feebee while I listened to a naturally depressing Fresh Air podcast. Nonetheless, I got a little sun, got some sort of quiet time and my boy had a lot of fun. And we cooled off after our long hot bike ride. Another great morning. I sure miss being home as much with my little guy. But that's for another blog.

I had to chuckle today because while Brighton was playing in his table, Feebee came up and got a drink - it's just a big waterdish right? Brighton got this look on his face, much like the one in the photo, gently pushed her face away and said "No no peepee! No no!" Poor Feebee. She really gets the raw end of most deals around here. At least the cat can hide, but he get's his fair share too. But he deserves it, waking us all up at 3 AM with incessant "meow"ing. But I digress...

FLASHBACK TO SATURDAY
I came home Saturday after work (at the clinic) with quite a load that I hadn't started out with. Jennifer told me about city wide garage sales in North Liberty. I'd hoped I could stop at one or two on my way out of town, but really didn't plan on buying anything. I'd no sooner gotten in my car and headed towards corridor coffee when my phone rang. "I found a book bag full of Thomas Tracks for $12 and a case with a handle for $4, do you want it?" "THOMAS" I thought to myself, (it's almost more of an obsession now for me than for Brighton...) "MUST HAVE THOMAS FOR $16!" "Do you want it?! I'll just get it, we have to get going." "Ahhh....yeah ok sure!" So I stopped and got my white mocha (or mocha bianca) got some cash and met her at Mary's house. It turned out to be a great deal! the bag was full of plastic tracks (bright has the wood ones) but there were some trains in the back pack too. Some wood, some plastic, some battery powered, most diecast. All in all, it was a pretty good haul and it made my son very happy!

Then they told me about a sale that had a train table. Have you ever felt the need so strongly to have something that if you were to give up on it, you would obsess over it for days or weeks? That was the case with this table. Even if I decided NOT to get it, I had to give it a chance. I searched high and low until I found this sale. I must have passed the place 10 times before I stopped. I didn't end up getting the table, but they did have a Thomas play board that fits inside the table for $15 (regularly resales for around $85) so I figured even if it was used and a little banged up, it was a good deal and saving me $65! Side note: It's a sad day when the sales clerk at Von Maur Boys section (where we buy a lot of Thomas stuff or Bright goes to play with the toot toot set up) starts calling you by your first name and has a good idea of what things you've purchased...

Finally, I made it home, almost $50 poorer, with lots of new clothes that I'd found, a thomas table board, a bag full of toot toots, a stuffed pooh bear and eyore and a handy little knapford shed storage case. Only to find that the two things (a hand made sock puppy and a hand made wool coffee sleeve) I ordered from Etsy.com had arrived as well. One of those things was for Brighton. So he made out like a bandit on Saturday, but was a bit overwhelmed by all his goodies. I need to learn "little at a time." or "little dab'l do ya."

He Can't BE!

He can't be ready to potty train yet...right? I get a phone call early yesterday morning while on my way to work from Dad telling me that Brighton went potty on his potty...WHAT? Dad was sitting on the pot and usually Brighton likes to sit on his potty too. We don't discourage this at this point for potty training purposes. We want him to feel as comfortable as possible on his big boy potty and if that means we sacrifice our toilet time privacy, so be it. It's not like we've ever had privacy anyway, with two dogs a cat and a kid. But I digress. Anyway, Brighton wanted to sit on his potty, so Dad took his diaper off (Brighton's not Dad's) and sat him in his potty. Dad flushed, left the room to get a new diaper and when he came back and lifted Brighton up, Bright had peed on his potty! YAY! He told dad "I POOP" *giggle giggle* I'm not sure it was deliberate, but he is getting really good at telling us when he poops or pees. But "I Poop" can also mean flatulance or urine. So we're working on distiguishing which is which. But it's a good start!

PS. I have been obsessed with etsy.com lately. The gal at the coffee shop, Fuel, told me about this onesie, and even though Brighton is too big for onesies, I still want one for Brighton...because, well, just look at it!! You can find it at Mamamonkey's shop along with a whole host of other cool stuff!!