The Munhollands

Sunday, April 15, 2012

March Madness (there will be no basketball references in this blog)

March came and went - a month of birthdays, visitors, sickness and finally some time outdoors.

I think Dexter was sick the entire month, plus some: strep throat (undiagnosed after 5 days & 2 doctor visits), 3 day flu, then a cold, now we've realized he's getting his 2 year molars. He was pathetic. Including being pregnant with Kellan, I'm going on 9 years without sleep (I know Jim agrees) and honestly, it's showing big time all over my face. Now, when Kellan makes any "old" references about me, I tell him he's done this to me. He looks very confused. I don't explain. I'd rather him think long and hard about that and maybe provide money for a good surgeon in the future once he takes responsibility.

Uncle Mike came out to celebrate the March month of b-days (Papa Frankie's, G-Ma Chloe's and his). We had a great old time. The kids love the physical attention which Jim refuses to give them as it never ends well. Well, let's just say him and Kellan are both competitive and neither one likes to lose. Zoe got to practice a lot of gymnastics on Mike's shoulders. I think Mike had one of the three of them in the air 50% of his stay.

SPORTS! We couldn't have been more excited for the month of televised spring training games. One of these years we'll make it out to AZ to watch the Roxs. It seems so long ago now, but Tebow, oh Tim Tebow. We were sad to see him go, though there's a lot of hysteria here now over a guy named Peyton Manning. Within hours of the trade - "Can I get a number 18 jersey?" - Kellan. So much for loyalty.

My Aunt Sheila (mom's younger, in much better shape, sister :) ) came into town for two weeks to stay with mom while we went to CA. We got to spend some time with her before and after our trip. It was the first time we had seen her since our wedding. She got to meet the kids and witness the "pre-trip anxiety kids" as well as the "post-trip exhausted kids" - makes for great first impressions. I'm not sure if we will ever see her again, but we sure hope so (more about her time here, next blog).

Kellan and Zoe had parent-teacher conferences before their break. Our thoughts go something like this - Zoe will most likely be at the top of her class, but we get worried about her attitude, and Kellan, well, we worry about Kellan, not for his attitude (we know he's mastered being good at school), but his grades & grasping things. If doing his homework is any indication of how he's fairing in school, we didn't have high expectations it would be a good conference. Not to mention, right before we left for the conference I noticed he had his pants on backwards - his conference was at 7:45 p.m., that was a good 12 hours of his pants being on backwards (he had school that day). Zoe's conference went as expected, thankfully. She's ready for 1st grade and is reading and spelling beyond kindergarten level. She's moved on to cursive writing to compete with Kellan. The teacher says she's as sweet as can be, helps with the kids that need extra help, doesn't tattle, etc. Kellan, I was more than pleasantly surprised by. His teacher says he's just the greatest kid ever AND he's doing fine academically, in some areas, better than fine. He even led the class that day in fractions (granted G-ma worked with him for a good 1.5 hours the night before).

We'll continue to worry, fret and at times want to strangle our children & hopefully continue to be reassured they are different people, we don't know, outside of our home. Hopefully some day we get to meet those kids. I'm willing to wait and continue to love them (I won't answer for Jim)...I guess it's better than them being sweet at home & hellions in public

Zoe and "Top Banana" from school. Top Banana was hungry and loved Munson's dog food

Finally some warm weather, G-ma in the tree house with Zoes

Dexter wearing Kellan's baseball camp shirt - all his clothes are "too small"

The bombs in the backyard - a few months of not picking up dog poop (and I believe Jim had picked up some)

Finally it was warm and for the first time D wanted to dress in snow clothes. They were on him until he stepped outside.

With Uncle Mike

The neighbor kids were even sad to see Mike leave

G-ma's birthday Guiness

From 2 different accidents, one involving the dog, one involving walking down to school

The players in Zoe's school circus musical

Zoe was a pony - brown skirt & pink leotard

Zoe with her teacher

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Cabin Fever

CHAOS

Wow, I've gone to post this update half a dozen times to no avail. It's not getting any better, no new content, nothing else to really say, yet it's taking me forever.

I really don't know when it started, but Kellan drives me crazy (I'll say Jim too because I think he will agree). I don't know if it's night after night of sitting in our family room (see video for a one minute glance at what goes on for hours & hours). I don't know if it's lack of sports (he does hitting classes on Saturdays). Or if everyday before he leaves school his teacher gives him sugar. Regardless the kid is on fire. I've tried to talk to him about it, I tell him he's going to make me cry & he just smiles. I'm ready to beat him (hopefully that comment will not be used against me someday). Nothing we say or do calms him down, unfortunately he's rubbing off on my sweet, little Dexter. Only a small part of me is joking as I type this, he's still a good kid and I'm glad we only hear great things from his teacher.

Click for a typical day in our family room

Have I mentioned Kellan's obsessed with me turning 40? - not in that "can't wait to wish you a happy birthday mom" way but in that "you are old" way. That's been a lot of fun too. He's not very nice about it either. He constantly reminds me I'm old and I'm not getting any younger. His feet are officially bigger than mine and grew a size in just the last month. I remind him I can still take him down anytime. Granted he has hurt me. Last night - "Mom, do people's faces get dry skin?" I told him yes, that's what happens to mine, and he answers "Oh, is that why you have all those wrinkles because your skin is dry?" I hope he reads this one day & feels bad :)

WE cannot wait until Spring, that is as long as it brings time outside. We've had more snow than I ever remember having in the almost 5 years we've lived here (still can't believe it's been that long).

What else? All three kids are so into music (I feel like I mention this a lot). Dexter will just start singing a song on the radio or from a commercial - how little we realize how much he pays attention. I try and make a point to turn on music every night when we eat. One of their favorites songs is "Blackout" (Breathe Carolina). It's one CD we don't own, so I pulled it up on YouTube the other night for them to listen to, while I filmed Dexter singing it, I glanced over at the monitor (maybe 2 minutes in) - Holy Crap, wonder why Kellan's jaw was dropped open. At least it kept him quiet for a moment, lead to numerous questions later. I should have learned after the Lady Gaga YouTube video...

Click for misc Dexter video

Grandma Chloe's been visiting for awhile. She's had a tough year and we're hoping to nurse her back to health. Though at times I think Kellan's behavior is going to push her over the edge. She's been helping the kids with homework, something I can't do. We're really happy she's here.

Dexter's been talking more and more. He's obseesed with the iPod - still goes on the computer non-stop too. He knows how to do things Zoe and Kellan don't. He'll still watch them for hours. I've never seen such a patient 2.5 yr old. The other night while I was doing dishes & listening to iTunes, the songs kept stopping. Dexter was on the computer. I'd walk over, maximize the window, push play, minimize it and walk away. On the 3rd time, I asked Dexter if he was doing it and to show me. He showed me, repeated exactly what I did then started laughing hilariously- I'm still not sure how he knew to do it in the first place. He won't let me call him any nicknames anymore - "No, I Dexta" It's almost worth calling him something else just to hear him say it, though he gets a bit annoyed.

Zoe's still into cheer leading. She danced at a high school basketball game similar to what she did at the high school football game. She's now in a "beginning flight" class (which scares the crap out of me). It's pretty much what it sounds like - she's learning to throw people in the air and be thrown in the air. Good times - she was very excited about the mouth guard. She's also come around to playing T-ball. Jim's going to be the coach and there are 5 girls she knows that are signed up to play on the team - the "Wildcats". I really wanted to be the coach, but she wanted her dad. I get a lot of that these days. Ok, this is starting to sound like a bitter post, I should just move on. I do get to be the sub-coach when Jim's out of town one weekend. Video below isn't the greatest, I was holding Dexter and trying to balance on a very narrow bleacher with lots of people around.

Zoe basketball cheer leading

Munson's officially bigger than Duke. He no longer fits in Duke's old kennel. I'm pretty sure he's sick of the snow too. He's a good dog. Jim made the mistake of letting him get into bed with him every a.m. (he knows better than to come near me), the dog insists on putting his head on Jim's pillow.

I feel so much has happened, yet so little.

The bowl of ice cream wasn't enough.

The dog has yet to see grass.

There's probably been another foot since this picture

Jim didn't let the snow stop him from cooking a Super Bowl feast of all my favorite things - wings, etoufelle, stuffed crab mushrooms, chips/dip, nachos. I've been on a diet ever since.