Just Piddling Around

Here's our Pops looking absolutely smug after teaching Tadpole how to pee pee like a big boy. He was so proud that he busted out a potty treat for himself while rewarding Tadpole (yes those are baby dinosaur undies!).

I don't know that we are actually going for it, but we allow Tadpole to hang out in his undies from time to time. Probably not the best way to go about properly training the boy to use the potty. But, I am pretty non-committal so what are you going to do?

After changing Tad's diaper for the night, he approached me 10 minutes later and said, "I don't want pee pee in my bed. Will you change my diaper please?" Sure enough, he was wet. Looks like his window is open for potty training. With just over a month to go before a new baby around here, the question is, is mine?

The Results Aren't (officially) In!

Missed us? Well, at least it has been for a good cause. We have been wrapped up in the 8th Annual Feed the Need 5K race! It is crazy to me that we are now more than 7 years into this. As I was trying to squeeze in to a Feed the Need T-shirt for today's festivities I was reflecting on how just a day before the first FTN race 7 years ago I found out that I was pregnant with Superkid. Here we are 7 years later, FTN races have spread to 5 different communities in New England, well over 100,000 canned goods have been distributed to families in need, and the Toads are expecting their 4th little racer. Not a bad way to pass time.

I was too wrapped up in the hoopla of the event to get many pics, but I did manage to snap a few of the kid's races where some of my favorite racers gave it their best shot.

Abizella has been insisting all week that she was just going to be Superkid's cheerleader, but when she caught the scent of competition in the air she just couldn't resist.

As for Superkid, we have heard a lot of bravado around here about who is faster than fast. When it came time to put his money where his mouth is... well, let's just say at least he didn't have a false start. This group was pretty jumpy and when the officials were explaining the course and what the official start would be they kept saying, "And we'll say, 'On your mark, get set, GO!' " This group would spring into action every time. When the official start FINALLY came, Superkid was desensitized to the phrase altogether. Can you see him standing at the start line wondering why the other kids haven't been corralled back to the start line?

Well, he finally got a move on. His late start didn't extinguish his enthusiasm. He gave it his all and even received a few high fives as he cruised down the course (okay, they were from his mother, but I am just proud of his good sportsmanship!).

I got into the action for the diaper dash. Tadpole selected his lumbering mother to be his race companion. I thought Pops would be a better racer, but Tadpole and I eeked out a victory. After the big race Tadpole kept saying, "On your mark, get set, GO!" and then would sprint off with delight.

What is this Feed the Need, you may be asking? Well, my friend Jenn Ashley had this idea 7 years ago. Why not host a running event where the entry fee is canned goods? Participants would know that 100% of their entry fee actually went to the cause they came to support. What makes the races great is seeing the runners lug in their 25 cans of food to participate. When I went shopping for our family's entry fee this week, I had to pat myself on the back as I mentally calculated how many meals I could make with the food we were donating. Choosing, handling and hefting the food as a family is a great opportunity to make a difference and teach the wee ones something about what we can do for our community along the way.

As for the unofficial results.... this is the information I am privy to thus far:

9460 cans of food collected so far. 1 more elementary school still to report the results of their food drive. Amazing.

Just goes to show what a single idea of one person can become. Go Jenn!

Next week is Feed the Need Connecticut. Join us if you CAN! (get it? "CAN" he he he)

...but we will recuperate first...

That Slippery Little Leprechaun!

We have been working on the perfect contraption to lure in our little Leprechaun intruder and trap him so we can get him to grant us 3 wishes before we let him go. This is serious work. Of course a Leprechaun is enticed by rainbows and pots of gold, throw in a few shamrocks and we figured that we had him! Superkid also added a little element of fun for the Leprechaun, a cardboard tube slide with a little soft bed at the bottom. No feisty little Leprechaun could resist a little shut eye after a night of looting pots of gold and sliding down slides! Fool Proof! We were so satisfied with our contraption we made our wish lists for our soon to be captive:

Superkid:
#1 Motorcycle
#2 Rocket ship
#3 Little Transformer

Abizella:
#1 Candy in bed every day
#2 Pet Leprechaun
#3 Pet Leprechaun will trip and fall and be goofy every day

Missletoes
#1 A huge stack of COOOKIES
#2 Sleep
#3 My own Leprechaun to make dinner

Pops
#1 Let the Leprechaun go and take the pot of gold for himself

Tadpole was the first to emerge this morning. In disbelief he said, "Who made this mess!" Pops explained it was that rascal of a Leprechaun to which Tadpole replied, "Oh, it's beautiful!" Super Messy Girl was un-phased by the chaos. When Superkid emerged he shook his head and said, "Will we ever catch that Leprechaun?" and then dropped to his knees to shove marshmallows in his face.

At least the Leprechaun leaves a yummy breakfast!

Superkid is already musing over possible designs for next year's trap, including gold glitter and a boiled Irish dinner. We had said dinner tonight, complete with Bampa's "green-berry muffins" (remember those?) so maybe if the Leprechaun in still lurking around we can catch of glimpse of him nibbling on the left-overs in the fridge and chugging down some of the green milk he left us.

Don't Tell Me Why, Just Let Me Eat My Pie

... That is chocolate banana cream pie! To celebrate Pi day of course!

The kids barely humored me as I lectured them about the mysteries of pi. I need to work on my presentation, because somehow the magic of a circle having a circumference 3X (and a little bit more) the diameter didn't dazzle the kiddos.

But they really did enjoy all of the circles out there in the world. Here is a list of some of our observations:

Our favorite category FOOD: pancakes (our favorite circle breakfast), cookies, cake, pie, pizza, donuts, cheerios, english muffins... with a list this good, not sure how we ended up with this ridiculous meatloaf with a pi symbol for dinner...

On the way to church... traffic lights, wheels, signs

Then Superkid flexed his brain muscles and noted that some things are circles if you cut them (that's my little mathlete) so here is our list of things that have circle cross-sections... trees, sausage, carrots, and my stomach (thanks for noticing Superkid!)

And I have that round stomach to thank for the contortionist act I got to perform for the kids as I tried to fasten the straps on THESE shoes (that made circles around my ankles). But I did it! One was WAY too tight and the other ridiculously loose, but I did it! Pops was already at church, so unless I teach the kids how to buckle my shoes this will be their last outing until after the baby.

Being the accomplished artist that Abz is, she spent the day drawing pictures of pies for us, even my favorite, BLUEBERRY PIE! Mmmmmm! While Abz isn't such a blueberry fan herself, she observed that blueberries ARE circles and she said they taste better in a pie (doesn't everything?).

And what is my favorite perfect circle? Tadpole's little ROUND face!

ENJOY YOUR PI!

It's Warm at Last!!!

Yesterday was a sweltering 59°!!!! We didn't waste one minute of it cooped up in the house. Come on SPRING!!!!

Doctors Aren't All Bad... Well, at Least the Donuts are Good

After being startled at the touch of a stethoscope on my thigh, I turned to find Doctor Tadpole who assured me, “Don’t worry Mom. I’m a doctor. I’ll be gentle.” He continued to poke me, all the time reassuring me that everything will be fine. So maybe Tadpole will be okay about doctors after all. Or maybe he likes being the one in the power position (much better to be the "poke-er" than the "poke-ee"). Either way, I am not worried. As long as there is a Dunkin' Donuts in the lobby of the doctor's office we are "all set" with the doctor.

These kids think it is all worth it. Previously I have tried to keep the post-Dunkin Donuts visit a secret from the doctor and her staff (with threats of NO DONUT if you spill the beans about the bribery). However, this pic was taken after I lined the kids up for their 4th round of vaccinations for the season. When we got downstairs, we noted every single kid in from the vaccination clinic downstairs snarfing down a donut.

*Note to self, open donut shop next to thriving pediatrician's office, and cross my fingers for a monster flu season.*

Yummmmmm... Doctor's office!

History Belongs To Those Who Keep It...

...And since I bare the title of "Happy Homemaker" for this crowd, I thought I would put out a little propaganda.