I'll take that coffee to go

I did one of the dumbest things yesterday morning at Starbucks and had to write about it because it is just plain hilarious!  Our group of friends made copious amounts of fun of Patrick last year during Movember when he grew a huge mustache.  We took to calling it his PSM, or his porn-star mustache.  (think 70s cop)  

At any rate, after spending a few hours awake with Liam in the middle of the night, I wasn't thinking too clearly when we hit Starbucks on the way to preschool/work.  When I saw this sign:

I decided to have a PSL (pumpkin spice latte), one of my favorite fall treats.  However, I walked up to the counter and ended up telling the barista that I would have "a venti porn-star latte."  I then turned bright red, corrected myself and sat in the corner and hid while they all laughed at me and made me a PSL.

I definitely need more sleep!  And a new Starbucks, at least for a few weeks until I get over the embarrassment.  

Halloween cupcakes with chef Liam

Liam picked up this Hello Kitty cupcake mix from my mom today while he was at her house. When we got home he desperately wanted to make cupcakes. I looked on the box and told him we didn't have the right ingredients and we would have to go to the store. Minutes later he came back out of the pantry with another box and announced "yes we do we have ingredients, we can just use Wheat Thins!"  Oh Liam!

Kitchen helpers

Can you tell that we were making chocolate cupcakes today?  My helpers make baking extra sweet!

Potty time

Patrick and I potty trained Liam during the week of 4th of July while the 4 of us were in Tahoe.  It was a grueling week trying to get him over his fear of the toilet in general (due to the flushing noise it makes), and then of pooping in the toilet.  He was convinced the toilet would suck him down the drain and would really only approach the commode holding an adult's hand at first.  Potty training him to pee in the toilet proved to be fairly easy as all little boys seem to enjoy spraying their pee around like a fireman with a hose.  However, we spent one hideous day of that trip trying to convince him to poop in the toilet and not his undies.  Finally after literally 5 hours of crying and whining, and Patrick and I tag-teaming in and out of the bathroom,  he pooped and announced:  "that was easy!"

Fast forward to today, and Liam pretty much manages his bathroom business himself.  He still needs help to reach the sink to wash his hands, as well as wiping himself.  This week he discovered that he can get his own undies and pants pulled up and down.  That made him really proud!

Well, today I had a meeting for the Village Connection at his preschool.  I had him bring a bunch of trains to play with just outside the conference room in an empty classroom.  It was very quiet outside the room as I chatted with our Associate Pastor, the Director of the Preschool, and the Director of Children's Ministries.  Suddenly the door to our conference room swung open and the first thing I could see was toilet paper.  A big streamer of toilet paper festooned my son's hands, complete with poop marks on it.  I popped up to grab him and realized that his pants were down around his ankles as well.  So to recap, my preschooler entered my business-like meeting (in which I had dressed nicely and put makeup on for) nude from the waist down holding poop-covered toilet paper he had wiped his butt with.  Classy!  Everyone in the meeting was howling with laughter as I picked him up and he announced that he had done a huge log of poop and I really needed to see it.  Fantastic!  Thanks for making me look professional honey!

At least he cleaned himself up and pooped in an actual toilet.  That was a huge accomplishment for a 2 year old, and I am proud even though I re-entered my meeting a little red in the face.  Oh Liam!

Liam the philosopher

We have a nice ritual of reading books together in either Liam or Laney's bed each night before bedtime.  The kids climb under the covers together and we read 3 books, one that each of them picks, and one that I pick.  As we got ready for bed 2 nights ago, Liam made it to his bed first and settled in to wait for Laney to finish brushing her teeth.  My little boy looked at me with a very serious look on his face and said, "Where did we come from?  Where did we all come from?"  He punctuated this sentence by throwing his hands up in frustration and furrowed his brows to bring home the point.  It took me a minute to decide what to say to him, since he isn't even 3 yet and really has a hard time understanding things that aren't concrete.  This is what I told him:  "God made us all.  He made you and then he put you in my tummy and then the doctor took you out."  Then he wanted to know how Laney, Patrick and I were made, and I had to explain to him that God made us all the same way, and that we were all babies once.  This is hard for him to believe and I know that he doesn't really understand that people are babies before they grow up.  He seemed to accept my answer though, and went happily to bed.  However, he began asking me today in the car where things he was seeing came from.  "Where is that tree from?  Where did that cat come from?  Where did that building come from?"  I told him that God makes everything and that really satisfied his curiosity.  Perhaps my son should pursue philosophy as an undergrad!

Kindergarten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was Laney's first day as a kindergartener!  Where did the time go?  It seems like just yesterday we were holding our precious 5lb baby and kindergarten seemed like a far off dream.  At any rate, the day finally arrived and I am thrilled to announce that it went great.

I have been talking up kindergarten throughout the summer with Laney, telling her stories about my time in kindergarten and reading her books about it (such as Kindergarten Rocks!, and The Night Before Kindergarten).  Thankfully her school had the foresight to schedule a kindergarten meet-and-greet last week, and she was able to peruse the classroom and meet Mrs. Shmeiser before the big day.  That really did the most to calm her jitters about the first day of school.

Last night I got a little emotional as I read her this:  http://momastery.com/blog/2013/08/14/it-gets-better/

But it was hard to be too tearful because she was just so excited for school to start today.  She woke up in a great mood, requesting cheesy eggs and sprinkle toast for breakfast (served on her red "you are special today" plate).  She picked out her own outfit, and requested a ponytail with the front pieces braided into it.  All 4 of us piled into the car after taking a few quick pictures on the front porch.  I have to note that she picked out her own backpack, and although I think it is pretty hideous, she thinks it is just gorgeous!

Pretty sure this backpack is more than half her size!

Waiting outside the kinder playground.

Waiting in line with Mrs. Shmeiser

We dropped our big girl off with her teacher on the kinder playground.  She found a hook for her backpack and got in line on her assigned shape.  She blew us a kiss and didn't really look back after the parents were dismissed.  Although tissue packets were thoughtfully handed out to all of the parents, I am happy to report that I did not need mine.  Going to school is a big step for my girl, but an inevitable one and I am looking forward to all that she will discover about herself this year in school.

She was all smiles when I pulled up in the pickup line, and as her teacher helped her into the car, she said to me, "Laney is just an angel!  I wish I had 30 just like her in class!!"  That just made my day!  We came home for lunch, since kindergarten is just half day in San Marcos.  She requested her favorite, turkey and cheese with mayonnaise, and then said the cutest thing to me as we ate.  She told me that she was glad that Patrick and I had talked to her so much about kindergarten because she knew what to expect when she was there today, and that made her feel good.  She also wore her special kindergarten name tag all day, only taking it off at bedtime to put on her pj's.  Laney told us tonight that she is really excited to go back to school tomorrow.  I truly don't think this day could have gone any better than it did!

Liam sees something special

I was having lunch with Liam at Panera just now. He turned the lady at the table next to us and told her "I saw a titty in the bushes."

She actually choked on her coffee, so he clarified by saying "I saw a titty tat in the bushes at my house." I smothered a laugh and told her he meant a cat.  She did not look amused.  She changed tables less than a minute later...

She probably won't report me to CPS.  (We left quickly anyway.)