Parenting Fail: Premature Vacation Buildup

We leave in a couple weeks for a family vacation in the Grand Cayman's (aka "Pops' Island" as the boys have coined it, ha!). I'm getting really excited so we started watching some YouTube videos about the locale and picked up a snorkel set.

Um... Apparently a little too soon! Ethan won't take the gear off and they are ready to get on the plane...NOW!

Ethan practiced snorkeling in a dish in the living room!

Then...Gavin realized we aren't going...TODAY!

Well that took a minute.

Luckily he moved on to putting on his police uniform and "going to work" by the time we had milk and an evening show. Ethan on the other hand is a committed snorkeler.

Now I know why parents spring the Disney vacation on kids the morning of!

Oops.

 

Brothers' Bedtime Shenanigans

Tonight the boys started their (recent) ritual of snuggling tight under Ethan's covers for bedtime story.

The favorite selection for the last two weeks has been this book. Every. Single. Night.

Gavin yells, "ight!!" [fight!!]

And Ethan asks a bazillion questions about the specimens' anatomy and the how's and why's of how everything works.

But tonight they got extra silly and turned book reading into ticklefest.

I had to pull the boys apart at the end to send Gavin to bed as they didn't want to part.

When I went to bed later that night, I found Gavin OFF the bed. You can see the bed rail on the bed he must have gone around.

Had he rolled off? Scooted off to go somewhere and gave up?

Your guess is as good as mine...but I'm suspicious he was trying to get to his brother.

Consciously or not.

(And you know I must find this adorable if I'm willing to share evidence of my laundry on the floor for all the internets to see.)

 

Where's my baby?!

I don't know where he went because my son Gavin just peed on the potty TWICE today! Who is this big boy that took his place?!

 

He was so proud of himself he wouldn't put his diaper back on and carried the toilet to every room to try again.

 

Our little red-headed fish!

Thanks to Pops' generous fourth birthday gift, Ethan is starting real swimming lessons this summer!

I captured the beginning of his lessons so we can look back on his progress later this summer. Right now the focus is safety, with the child being able to flip over in the water and float on their own. Today he earned his first ribbon ever, for achieving the goal of floating on his own!

He's also learning to put his head under the water, which he is now regularly doing in the bathtub trying to give me a heart attack.

He's working hard to make his Aunt Tina proud!!

Did you catch that little gem of a word he dropped while looking for the uh.. right word? Ugh.

 

If you are reading this post via email, make sure to visit www.livingingear@blogspot.com to watch all the videos!

 

Thanks again Pops!!!!

 

 

View videos, photos, and more on our family blog:www.livingingear.bl

 

This land is your land!

 

Santa's Helper... or Christmas Jingle Writer

9 days until Christmas.

1 unassembled kitchen.

2 boys a-sleeping.

1 husband working.

1 mother a-drilling.

11th page of assembly directions.

2/3rds completed.

2 "extra" pieces found.

1 complete DISassembly.

1 reassembly started.

1 crying baby.

1 tending mommy.

1 sleeping baby.

7 more pieces drilled.

1 kitchen assembled.

2 unused screws found remaining.

3 hours later.

And 1 present ready for under the treeeeeeeeeee.

 

 

California Dreamin': Surf's Up!

Gavin's toes have felt the sand and surf for the first time!

Here are some favorite shots from the first day of our family vacation to visit my Dad in San Diego.

I think more sand got in his plumber's crack than the buckets!

Then big bro had some big boy fun in the water while Gavin laid out.

And when I say laid out, I mean took his morning nap in his sunscreen bodysuit.

Perfect first day for a pretty phenomenal trip. Stay tuned for more!

 

Splashing Streamlined!

I've finally found the courage to bathe the brothers together! Was much more successful, and fun, than any of the three of us expected!

#1 Reason a Mom of Young Children Shouldn't Be Allowed to Get Sick

Without the power of smell...

you don't know one pooped until you SEE it.

Posted with Blogsy

Eavesdropping on Ethan: "I don't like nuts..."

Ethan: "I don't like nuts! I like that peanut butter! I neeeeeeeeed the creamy one!"

Just like his mother, sigh. I think it was just last week I said, "I don't like tomatoes, thank you though. Oh! Can I see some of that ketchup please?"

 

#71 and #72 things I forgot about babies

Since having Gavin I've realized all the things I've forgotten about having a newborn in the two and a half years since having one.  How do people recall how it all works when their kids are 10 years apart in age!

Today's edition covers diaper lessons I forgot.  Sorry non-parents, I know this falls under the category of "please keep that to yourself!".

#71 thing I forgot about babies... Our baby boys pee on themselves EVERY single diaper change.  EVERY time.  With Ethan we were so amazed at this ability we asked the pediatrician if she had any magical tips.  She looked at us like we were idiots for asking, that clearly was not part of her medical school's curriculum or residency rounds.  We bought pee-pee tee-pees, hoping they would be more useful than a gag gift.  They are not.  We finally had to resign ourselves to changing the diaper changing pad cover every diaper change and washing the washcloths used to protect our son's (and our own) faces from the splash!  Gavin follows right in his brother's footsteps.  Today, at the pediatrician, I warned the nurse that he pees EVERY time the diaper is removed.  She laughed, showed me her "foolproof trick" of placing a tissue over his manhood to keep it warm and the safety on his trigger per say.  Well let's just say that tissue didn't stay in place... or dry!

#72 thing I forgot about babies... When is the best time for a diaper change?  Breastfed babies poop.  Yes, all babies poop.  But breastmilk is apparently so easily digested it just flows right through them!  And that leaves us with a quandary.  When on earth is he done pooping enough that it's safe for a diaper change?  He poops before eating, while eating, and after eating, and between.  Inevitably when I think he's done, he either poops in the new diaper right in front of me before I close it, or once I button up all of his little footie buttons. 

One thing I do remember about babies is this... they will grow out of this.  And they will grow FAST!  So this time I remember not to bug out about these little details, as they will be over  very soon and he'll be in a new phase before I know it!