Losing my mind

It's really frustrating when you realize your mind is starting to go...especially at the age of 30.  Sad but true...I'm slowly losing it and the kids certainly are to blame.  (Promise I'm not bitter about it...just stating a fact)  Extended sleep deprivation as well as physical exhaustion day in and out will do this to you.

Today as I listened to my bread machine kneading the dough, I thought to myself, "that really doesn't sound right."  And sure enough, I quickly realized I'd forgotten to put the blade in the machine before adding the ingredients.  Not an effective way to make bread...

I've caught myself time and time again forgetting things...went down into the basement pantry 2 times to get meat out of the freezer and both times came up with something else but not the meat.

I've found myself dressing the kids in each other's clothes.

I can't tell you how many times I go to the store with a list of things to buy and somehow manage to leave without buying at least one or two things on my list.

But it's not my fault...really.  You've gotta cut me some slack here because having two kids 20 months apart isn't always as "fun" as you might think.  And being with said children 24/7 does things to your head.  I just need to start doing more "memory-boosting" activities in all my spare time...like learn a new language or something cool like that....yea right...

You'd better watch out...

BEWARE!!!  Lest the vicious pumpkin lion come and eat you in your sleep.  And, if she does decide to spare your life, she will instead eat you out of house and home...ha!  Who says Halloween costumes can only be used on Halloween?

The big chop

If any other parents have a tip on getting your kids to sit still and be quiet for a haircut, I'm all ears!!  I'm frankly quite tired of losing 2-5 years off my hearing every time we give Carter a haircut.  I'm quite sure neighbors a 1/2 mile away could hear the blood-curdling screams last night as we gave him a quick trim. Even with the promise of a "special treat" (marshmallow peeps), the screams just kept on coming.  And then, as soon as we told him he had to get a bath  (picture tears and snot all over his face with hair clippings plastered all over it and all over his body), that brought on a whole new round of screaming.  "I don't want to get a bath!!!!!!"  Yea, like that's an option...sure...

I almost cut bangs but decided against it.

Not loving his haircut!

Reese on the other hand was quiet as a mouse the whole time I trimmed her hair.  I just evened out the back...but in reality, I am guessing it is about as uneven as it could be.  She would NOT hold her head still for even a second and was just whipping her head back and forth and back and forth the entire time.  UGH!!!

Carter had a little Disney Cinderella figurine yesterday that he stuck in his pants pocket.  He then yelled from the other room to me, "There's a lady in my pants!"  Oh I just about died laughing at that...thank goodness we weren't out in public.

Carter really likes pistachios...great since they are $10 a pound now...aka we never buy them.  But anyway he also really likes the word pistachio, so at completely random times he will just pause from what he is doing and yell out, "PISTACHIO!"

Reese's new words: Buckle, Me buckle, washrag, cut

Talking up a storm

Reese has been cranking out the new words this weekend.  She even put three words together today, "My coat, Dadda."  So crazy!  Her other new ones are: teapot, big, fork, pickle, peanut, and bagel.

She has a great new trick when brushing teeth.  She says, "Self!" when I first get her toothbrush ready, meaning she wants to do it herself.  She grabs the toothbrush, sucks the toothpaste off it, then hands it back to me about 5 seconds later and says, "Mamma."  Ugh, being manipulated by the little girl already.

Carter has such enthusiasm about the UPS man still, it's really cute.  He still believes that the UPS man is this really nice guy who brings us packages from time to time, out of the kindness of his heart.  I don't have it in me to explain that these are all things we paid for.  He's always commenting on how nice the UPS man was to bring us this or that...  The UPS man brought us some potatoes, garlic, asparagus and a blueberry bush the other day, so today we had to get planting.  We got outside for a few hours and planted the first blueberry bush as well as a row of asparagus.  The outdoor garden has begun!  Our neighbors must wonder why we are digging holes all over our yard.

I made this bean salad for dinner tonight and it was delish.  Definitely getting added to the recipe box!

Reminders of the passage of time

 After a few nice days when we can get out of the house, it becomes exponentially harder to be stuck inside again when colder weather returns.  On days like these, it's easy to get frustrated with the kids...they're feeling it too!...it's easy to get frustrated with the whole stay-at-home-mom thing to be honest.  When I stop and realize that I've been doing this for almost 3.5 years now...wow, it's really hard to believe.  The days seem long but the years go by fast...someone wise told me that before having children, and it's so true.  Some days just seem to drag on forever and ever...minutes passing by with painful slowness.  But all of a sudden you look at your kids one day and it hits you, they are growing up....FAST!

I'm so thankful for these years I've been able to spend at home with them.  They have been, by far, some of the most difficult, tiring, challenging years of my life, but also some of the most rewarding.  As my kids grow, so do I...raising them forces you to grow in so many ways you never imagined.  And so I'm trying to be thankful for the slower days, the days I'm stuck inside watching the minutes pass by, realizing that these times are precious, taking in my beautiful children, and realizing that it won't last forever...

Season of Trials

The speaker at our Bible Study this morning shared an amazingly tragic story...a friend of a friend situation.  About 12 years ago a woman and her husband boarded  SwissAir Flight 111.  The woman was expecting a baby.  This flight went down and all 229 passengers died on impact.  This couple also had 2 year old twins that were safe at home but were then left as orphans.  I guess the woman talking has a friend who adopted the twins, who are now 14 years old.  In addition, since then, the deceased woman's two sisters have both been diagnosed with breast cancer.  And just recently, one of the twin boys was diagnosed with a very serious form of leukemia.  Enough is enough, you might say...how could so many terrible things happen to one poor family?  An interesting twist to the story was that shortly after the crash, where most of the wreckage was blown to unrecognizable bits, the woman's Bible was found completely intact and unharmed on the bottom of the ocean floor.  Weeks later, her husband's Bible was also found, intact, on the ocean floor.  So both of their twin boys have a copy of the Bible from their parents.   What a lasting legacy.

 Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever."


Our pastor preached an excellent sermon on why there is evil in the world a few weeks back.  Click on Date, then February 2011 and the sermon title is "Thriving in Thrashing Time."  There is a great analogy, if you start listening around minute 5, about a snake.  Satan is defeated already, according to Scriptures and based on Christ's sacrifice on the cross, but he is still allowed to exist on this earth and do his evil work, in spite of that fact, until the final battle.  We live in a world where men can choose evil or righteousness.  Satan does not yet realize that he is dead, and so he continues to thrash about and inflict harm on the inhabitants of the earth.  Free will has gotten us in this mess...we've done it to ourselves, and yet we want to blame it all on God when life takes us on a bumpy ride.  God's promises are not negated when bad times hit...if anything they are reinforced as our faith is strengthened and we turn to God for help and strength.

I've heard story after story after story just recently, friends we know who are going through incredibly difficult situations.  It would be very easy to question God, and ask Him why.  In my pastor's words, "When the world doesn't look like it's under Jesus' authority, faith marvels at His ways, rather than questioning His power."

When there seems to be no hope, when times get tough...we need not become angry or consumed with worry.  We need to remember that the Word of the Lord stands forever.  

Farmy Family

I wanna be a farmer when I grow up!

 We visited the Science Center again today since it was supposed to rain all day.  The kids love it there and actually behaved better than any other trip I think!  Hallelujah!  They do still fight all the time, but ever so slowly, I think they are becoming more like friends.  Yesterday I had them at the indoor play area at the mall.  There was a little bully there who was hitting everyone and even took a few good swings at Reese.  Carter yelled at him whenever he got near her and said more than once, "Hey that's my little sister!"  Very protective...so sweet....there is still hope!!!

The kids are in love with the little play farm area at the Science Center.  Does this tell you how much time we spend outside digging and prepping for our veggie garden?  Poor children!  Did I mention Derrick now added raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, artichokes and asparagus to our crop this year?  My question at this point is...where are we going to plant it all?  Did you know artichokes can grow 5 feet tall?  I'll bet they are super attractive too!  (please note sarcasm)  And I think one of the berry bushes he purchased can grow 12 feet tall.  Oh won't our neighbors love that.  We are going to a Farm to Table convention at the Convention Center this weekend and I was almost embarrassed to tell a neighbor that...do I sound like a nerd to say I'm excited to go to a farming convention???  This is what happens when you start working as a blueberry picker at age 12...it really gets to your head I guess.

There's a critter in the stump.

 We got some killer hail here today...it was by far the most I have ever seen fall at once.  These shots were from the first round that went through.  There was actually a second storm after this that dropped about 10x as much and even larger than the hailstones we brought inside below.  We were all standing at the window watching, little knowing there was a tornado warning...not the smartest, I know.  Oh well, it was quite a sight to see (and hear!)

Big hail!

 Some decent size stones!  Carter got a kick out of it and wanted to go out and shovel it off the deck.  Our deck was completely covered in it after the second storm passed through.

Reese is quite the little character.  She really likes to dress...and undress...herself.  If I have any kind of clothing out, she will take something she is wearing off and put that on.  Today she took off her pants and put on a necklace and her cow boots.  Quite the little ensemble!  Can we say future blackmail???

New words for Reese: yellow, pasta, cado (avocado), Night Mama (at bedtime), sorry, please, thank you.  (We are learning manners!!!)  She also roars like a lion, neighs like a horse, meows like a cat, and baaas like a sheep.

The Eating Anomaly

 There is one parenting mystery that I feel I will never solve.  Perhaps some of you more seasoned parents can clue me in to the solution.  Why is it that nearly EVERY day I fight tooth and nail with my kids to get them to eat at meal time, but the minute we leave the house they are instantly hungry?  This morning was a perfect example...I was planning to take them to the library and trying my darnedest to get them to eat before we left.  Reese ate a decent breakfast but Carter barely ate anything.  And as is always the case, the moment we pulled out of the driveway he asked me, "What did you bring to eat?"  REALLY?  I've learned this lesson the hard way one too many times...don't even attempt to go out anywhere without a full arsenal of snacks.  Fortunately today, I was well equipped.  But you'd think I hadn't fed either of my kids for like a week the way they were chowing down on pretzels, animal crackers and grahams.  They were eating a steady stream of snacks the entire time we were out, then sat down to a full lunch when we got home.  Ugh...at least they ate some healthy things upon arriving home, but seriously?  What is it about the car that makes them instantly hungry??  And if they were that hungry when we left the house, why didn't they just eat the nice breakfast I made for them...it was pancakes and eggs for goodness sakes...not like I'm feeding them mush!

 Now that it's warmer we've opened up a whole new can of worms...the sandbox.  It's a love-hate relationship I have with that sandbox. I love that the kids play in it together semi-harmoniously for almost an hour at a time.  However, the disastrous mess it makes of their clothes...well we won't even go there.  Let kids be kids I guess, right?  Off to do laundry now...

Being a "REAL" Housewife

I've had it wrong all this time. Apparently I'm not a "Real Housewife."  Derrick showed me the cover of last week's TV guide with a photo of the "Real Housewives" on the cover and man, I've got the look all wrong.




I laughed at the picture, similar to these group shots from the popular TV shows...I don't think these women could be any less real if they tried.  Seriously...how many housewives have you met who look and dress like this on a daily basis...whose kids drive a Mercedes or Lexus to school and never have to get a job....who spend all their time shopping, doing yoga and getting their nails done?  Must be nice, right?  Well, I don't know about that.  My life is crazy and hectic and about as non-glamorous as it gets, but I'm happy with it this way.  I may not be a double D, stiletto-wearing bombshell with a killer tan jetting around in a sleek convertible every day....but my minivan with crumbs in the seats, and comfy tennis shoes suit me just fine.

To me, being a housewife is a very sacrificial "job" if you will and involves a lot of time spent putting the needs of others before your own.  In some ways, I hope I can be a role model of sorts for other new moms and show them that it can be fun to be a mom, that it is rewarding, that the sacrifices you make for your kids and family are well worth it.

Cooking with Children...LIVE!

As I was struggling to get dinner wrapped up last night while a co-worker of Derrick's chatted with us, he laughed at my kids' antics.  There was nearly non-stop bickering over toys, pushing and shoving, and both kids hanging on my legs and crying while I tried to check the chicken in the oven and stir the veggies on the stove top.  He joked with me that this was great content for a new reality TV show about parents trying to make meals with kids in tow.  And yes, it was quite a hilarious scene if you were the one watching, I am sure!  But maybe I should call up the Food Network and see what they think.  I mean, something like this could really boost ratings.  Give 5 frazzled mom's 1 hr and a list of ingredients and put them to work in a kitchen full of crabby kids. It's a recipe for disaster.

Some recipes I've enjoyed over the past few weeks are, Chicken with Mushrooms, these mound bars I made for our Bible Study last night were positively decadent.  I sprinkled the coconut on top of the cooked crust and then poured the sweetened condensed milk over that as other reviewers suggested.  For a healthy grain dish, I really enjoyed this Barley Bake...used walnuts instead of the ridiculously expensive pine nuts.  The kids LOVED it....were just chowing down on it...I'm telling you, you can get them to eat healthy foods if you try!  Speaking of that...rarely does a meal go by now that Reese isn't requesting grapefruit.  I know, it's so weird, but that is her food of choice.  "Poot poot" she calls it.  My only question is, how many grapefruits a day can a toddler eat before getting a stomach ulcer?  She usually eats at least one full grapefruit a day.

I found this sidewalk paint the other day and got it for my kids.  We've enjoyed two warm sunny days here and spent hours painting our front step and walkway and today the deck.  They LOVE it, and thank heavens it is washable because they both get it all over themselves.

Carterisms

I was getting the kids ready to go outside today and after they were all set to go out, Carter turned to me and said, "Let's roll, yo!"  Priceless...

While I was pushing Carter on the swing, he said.  "When Reese and I are all grown up we won't need you anymore."  He said it very sweetly...just stating a fact...I thought this rather perceptive for a three year old.  Sniff sniff...

Reese's new words this week:  Jeep (the power wheels), garbage, muffin (which sounds more like muppet)

Arm casts and zombies

After being on the go for the last 4 days, arriving back home to rainy weather can make passing the time seem more challenging.  Fortunately, the basement, which has been a 2+ year project for poor Derrick is nearing completion in the kids playroom area.  We rolled out a rug last week and set up a soccer net for them to play with...they LOVE it!  It's like having a theme park in the basement...they are just so excited.  Can't wait till it's fully completed...so lucky my hubby has the patience and knowledge to do a project like this!!

My kids are pretty creative when it comes to entertaining themselves.  You can see how they put the cylinder blocks in their building block set to use.  Oh doesn't having double arm casts look like so much fun to you?  Well, they sure thought it was great.

 Once we were upstairs again, I was helping Carter wash his hands.  When I stepped out of the bathroom I was greeted by this walking zombie, face fully covered by Derrick's ski hat.  I don't even know where she found the gloves and hat but it sure made me laugh.

Our traveling zoo

We've had a busy long weekend with a trip to New Jersey and lots of fun activities all crammed into 3.5 days.  Today around noon we arrived back in Pittsburgh to a much more welcome 45 degrees and light rain...more welcome than the 30 degrees and 8 inches of snow we were in the process of getting on Friday when we left!  So driving out of the snow into sun and mid-50's on Friday was heavenly.  We stopped on the way at the Philly Zoo which the kids really enjoyed and Mom and Dad met us there.

On Saturday we took the kids to a playground since it was both sunny and warm at the same time...imagine!  They really liked running around.  We also visited with my Grandmom...their Great Grandmom for the afternoon and Uncle Bob and Aunt Rose stopped by in the evening to say hello.  Carter allowed Bob to have a short turn on the PS3 in 3D, which is a lot harder than you'd think.  After Bob crashed a few times, Carter said, "I'm a much better driver than you."

On Sunday I got to visit some college friends Michelle and Chris and see their lovely home!  We had an amazing pancake breakfast together and rushed back just in time for Derrick to leave again to see the Harlem Globetrotters in Philly with Carter and Bob.  Carter loved it...it was so cute hearing him describe the game when he got home.

On Monday Auntie V came down for a visit.  She was treated to one of Carter's full contact "soccer" games in which he was touching or jumping on top of the ball every 10 seconds or so.  She was sure a good sport with his wacky version of the sport.  He also treated her to looking through our new family photo book (about 160 pages long) with full narration, by Carter, of each page.  His comment to me when he saw a wedding picture of Derrick and I was, "What are you all dressed up as."  Priceless.

After a long drive home during which Reese screamed for at least half the time, we were VERY glad to pile out of the car.  Gotta love long trips with young children.  We had a great weekend though!

Appreciate the small things

If there's one thing I've learned as a stay-at-home mom, it's to appreciate every small victory, every small accomplishment, and every step forward.  There are too many things to get frustrated with when it comes to raising kids...too many reasons to let them get under your skin and get you down.

Today I am thankful that both kids have eaten their meals without complaint, and that most of it stayed on their plates rather than being spread all over the table, their clothes or the floor.

Today I am thankful that we made it out of the house for not just one but two different functions, that we arrived on time, that no one had a temper tantrum or crying fit, and that the rain waited till we were safely inside to start pouring down again.

Today I am thankful for Velcro shoes, Clorox wipes, and microwaves, and neighbors who are willing to babysit.

Today I am thankful for my little guy's interest in art, in creating things with his hands, for his great imagination and creativity, for his curiosity about life.

Today I am thankful for my kids smiles, for the cute things they do and say, and for their hugs and snuggles.

Always a laugh...

As he stood on his stool in the bathroom, washing his hands today, Carter was staring into his reflection and said very seriously to me, "There's something wrong with my eyes, Mamma."  "What's wrong with your eyes?" I asked him.  "There's something wrong with them.  They just won't stay shut when we pray."

Reese managed to climb up on the bench at my kitchen table and fall off again today...something she does just about every day (you'd think she'd learn??)  But today she did it with a little extra flair.  She managed to get her foot stuck in the rungs on the back of the bench before she took her tumble so not only did she fall but she was stuck hanging upside-down from the bench....sigh...

Friends?

We have reached a milestone...at long last, after 20 long months of thinking my children would never be friends...FINALLY Carter is starting to like Reese.  Dare I even utter the words.  She is so cute these days, following him around like a little puppy and calls him "Tah-tuh".  She always wants to be where he is, even if it means he is going down the biggest slide at the playground...she's right there behind him.  Even when he's learning to ride his bike, she has to take a turn right after he's done because she wants to be like her big brother Carter.  And he is getting along with her...he wants to do things for her, asks for her when he doesn't know where she is, and they play together for more than 10 minutes at a time without fighting...be still my heart!

Dressed up for a Gala on Saturday

Beer Bread

3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbs. Sugar

1 Tb baking powder

1 1/2 tsps salt

12 oz. beer

1 egg, beaten

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat over to 375 degrees.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Add beer (no sips!) and stir with a fork until just combined.  Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead quickly to form a ball.  Place break on a baking sheet and confidently slit an X on top with a serrated or very sharp knife.  Brush loaf with egg wash.  Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield 12

Per serving: 163 calories

32 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber

I baked up a loaf of this bread yesterday with Carter's "help." It is super easy, very quick and really tasty.  Give it a try if you have 5 minutes and a bottle of beer!

Dear Reese

Dear Reese...

Why, oh why, do you test me so?  I always thought a girl would be easier to handle than a little boy...but boy was I wrong.  Why is it that every time we go out somewhere in the car you must always remove both of your shoes, your hair barrettes and ties, and sometimes both of your socks?   Why is it that at 20 months you are already starting to give up your nap 2 or 3 times a week?  Why is it that at every meal you insist on eating Cheese.  "Cheeeeese!" in your own words.  Cheese for Breakfast, Cheese for Lunch and Cheese for Dinner.  How is it that you figured out how to undo buckles so early on, enabling yourself to escape from your swing last summer and to half-way unbuckle your car seat seatbelt?  When I make chicken pot pie for dinner, why do you so meticulously pick through the chicken, the golden pie crust, the creamy sauce, the juicy carrots and only eat the green peas?  You rip tissues out of tissue boxes like you're a contestant on "Minute to Win It."  You love "trying on" dirty laundry when I'm trying to sort it out and somehow always end up with a pair of Carter's dirty underwear on.  You are my crazy, enthusiastic little girl and I love you!


Last night after another no-nap day I sighed out loud, "I can't wait to get rid of Reese." (meaning I just couldn't wait till she was in bed)  Carter overheard me and misunderstood my meaning and said right away, "But Momma, Reese is my little sister!"

Today I took the kids, over to the mall to a new play area that they absolutely loved.  We played hard for a good 2 hours and it was worth every penny.  There was a bounce house, 2 ball pits and all kinds of other fun things for them to do. Afterwards my friend told me I had to see this amazing family restroom, and she was so right, it was amazing.  There was a nursing room, a long bench seat, plenty of room for multiple large strollers and two separate bathrooms with tiny potties and those wall seats that you can strap unruly toddlers into (REESE!).  But the best part was in the main "lobby" was a flat screen TV with Toy Story 3 playing and 5 little plastic chairs for the kids to sit on.  Carter was in heaven and didn't want to leave!  Can you imagine...going to the mall so we could hang out in a public restroom.  Hahaha

Sweet dress

My genius friend Deb came up with this simple dress pattern that we made in our sewing group on Monday.  It isn't perfect but was very easy to make and turned out pretty cute for my first attempt.  Helps I have someone cute to model it for me too.

Flowers, family, and chocolate cake

Trains

 We took a field trip to Phipp's Conservatory today with Derrick's parents.  It was nice to see some green for a change and the kids enjoyed seeing the flowers and fountains and the miniature train display.

 Reese was being her "enthusiastic" self as usual, especially since we skipped her nap to go there.  She insisted on pushing her own stroller around for about half the time we were there...meaning we crept through at a snail's pace with Reese crashing into walls and falling off the path into the dirt numerous times.  Sigh....

Derrick, Grammie & Reese

Orchids!  Color!  Gorgeous!

I told him to make a silly face!

One of the few shots where her fingers weren't in her nose.

 I made a birthday cake for Derrick's mom and we shared it after dinner tonight.  Carter got the biggest smile on his face after taking a few bites and said, "This is the bestest cake I have ever heard of!!"  Thank you, Betty Crocker.

The "bestest cake" ever!

What's in a Name

A name is a fascinating thing.  Once you start a family, you realize how significant names are and choosing a name can be one of the toughest decisions you make before having your child.  I became obsessed with the Baby Name Wizard, thanks to my sister-in-law, with both of my kids.  It is an amazing tool to discovering the popularity and history of names.


I could not be convinced at this point that there is a more perfect name out there for Reese.  I think I got her name perfect and let me tell you why.  The definition of her name is:


Reese \re(e)-se\ as a girl's name is of Welsh origin, and the meaning of Reese is "enthusiasm".


Ever since I was pregnant with Reese she was a little ball of enthusiasm.  Even in the womb she was constantly kicking and squirming and moving ALL the time.  I seriously couldn't believe how active she was, and it has only increased after her birth.  She is the most energetic and enthusiastic child you could imagine.  She never sits still, and never stops moving. She just goes and goes and goes and seems to require less and less and less sleep.  Yesterday, even after running the kids ragged at the museum all morning, we came home and she refused to take a nap.  Again today, I had the kids out all morning...took them to the playground...and Reese is up there whining in her crib and shaking the rail to get out.  


The moral of my story is...be careful what you name your kids...they may very well live up to that name.  (And drive you crazy in the process!!)

A Marathon...of sorts

Taking the kids on any kind of outing is such a daunting task.  I don't mean to sound like a total wuss, but I really do struggle to get out of the house with them most of the time.  Those of you with three or four kids reading this, you have my permission to laugh right now...I know I still have it easy.  But to me, it does seem a bit like training for and competing in a marathon.  Ok, ok ok...I know, I know, a marathon is ridiculously taxing both physically and mentally...but a morning of getting the kids up, dressed, fed and out the door with all their gear, then lugging everything and everyone around for several hours....well, let me tell you it is a workout unto itself.  It too, is challenging physically and mentally, as well as emotionally.  I didn't cry at any point during our trip today...so proud of myself!

The day starts with me applying my "war paint" to get psyched up for the day...i.e. under-eye concealer to cover the ever growing black circles under my eyes from sleep deprivation.

I then round up some energy boosters for those moments during our outing when the troops hit the wall....snacks for the kids, and water cups.

Appropriate attire is always an essential to running a competitive marathon, so I dress everyone in comfortable clothes and of course bring changes of clothes for the inevitable leaks, spills or the water play areas.

Don't let the "war paint" fool you into thinking I'm well-rested and on top of my game.  I managed to drive to the wrong place, even though I was following a neighbor the entire way down.  As I was unloading the stroller at the Aviary, she called my cell and asked me, very politely, "Um why did you keep going straight when I turned at the light back there?"  Wow, I really am losing my mind!  Fortunately it is 2 minutes past the museum.  When I did arrive at the proper destination, she asked me if I was pregnant...oh my gosh you know it's bad when people start asking you that.

Digging in the seed box

Is he a ham or what?

 Today's outing happened to be the Pittsburgh Children's Museum.  This is a GREAT place for kids, and they didn't want to leave, even after 3 solid hours of playing.  We started our course at Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, then ventured through the toddler area where there is a "sandbox" filled with birdseed.

Back on the first floor, both kids enjoyed playing with a real Smart Car.  Carter was pumping gas, changing the oil and washing it, inside and out.  He is his father!

Fill 'er up!

 But the best was yet to come. Both kids went completely crazy when we entered the "Wind Room."  Everything in this room has something to do with wind.  There was a wind tunnel with colorful scarves blowing in circles and Carter must have played in it for at least 40 minutes straight.  It was hilarious!

We ended with the bubble table, where both kids loved taking the plastic tubes and making bubbles on the color-changing table.

As we crossed the finish line, er..I mean loaded all our gear back into the car and pulled away, I breathed a sigh of relief.  I finished the race in one piece and we had a good time.

The wind tunnel - focus on the scarves!

Reese and Carter in the wind tunnel

Feel the breeze?

Bubble table

Bubbles!  Reese fell off the seat right after I took this.  Ugh!