My Little Weirdos

My little weirdos:

Griffin decided to do his best impersonation of Tom Cruise (in Risky Business) yesterday. You probably can't tell but he has his school backpack and his Colts hat on too. That adds a little something to the whole ensemble. Then there is Gray- why does this kid prefer to eat paper towels to any nutritious food I offer him? He can find a stray piece of paper anywhere and just start munching away.

Then this is mostly for the grandparents, but it is a quick video of Gray's latest trick. He is waving "hi" all the time. Tonight he was headed up the steps (yet again) and would go up about one step, stop and wave "hi", then do a few more steps, then stop and wave "hi" again. Kind of cute.

Snacking

I may have been talking a bit too much about what is healthy for Griffin to eat. Today we were walking out of his preschool and he said, "Mommy, I was good today so I get a chocolate donut". So I said that he could have a donut after he ate his lunch. Griffin said, "Good idea. I need some turkey rollups so I can get my protein". Pretty funny. I also cut some veggies (celery, carrots, peppers) and put it in Tupperware in the fridge. As of now Griffin thinks his "healthy snack box" is fun, but I am sure this will wear off soon.

The other funny thing he is doing recently is asking me to call him a specific name. So today it was "Mommy, call me Griffin Running Boy" or "call me Griffin Jumping Skipping Goat". It is sort of weird but I am not sure what to think.

Also just 3 days until Gray turns ONE. I can hardly believe how fast this year has gone by. I need to think of something fun to do for his big day.

What to eat, what to eat

So today at Mom's Group we had a nutrition/wellness/fitness expert as our guest speaker. She was very good, but man, did she make me think about what kinds of food we eat at our house. I think I may be trying to justify things to myself, but I feel like we are somewhere in the middle. We don't eat horribly, but we could do much better. One of the speaker's biggest suggestions was to monitor the amount of sugar you consume. She talked about statistics that were pretty crazy- like how a kid on average eats 5 lbs of sugar in one week. It is hard for me to think about a 5 lb bag of sugar in the grocery store and how that could possibly fit in my kids. She said that first that monitoring sugar was the best way to lose weight but also talked a lot about how it affected your pancreas, etc. Kind of wild. She was very ANTI artificial sweeteners and seemed to focus on eating foods in their most natural state. So we should be eating raw fruits and veggies, brown grains, and use unprocessed sugar and salt in foods. That is easy with Griffin, but doing this with Gray should be a challenge. He is my "all carb" kid who loves to eat anything that is white or yellow. He kind of just spits out anything that looks healthy for you.

On a very random side note, anyone seen the Orbit gum commercial where the two ladies are fighting over the guy in his office? I love it. "Who you calling cootie queen? You lint licker". Followed by "Pickle me, you kumquat". Not sure why I find it funny, but I do.

I Love New York

So I am finally back and we had such a wonderful time. This is likely to be a long post since we had 3 days of fun and never seemed to stop moving. I flew out of Richmond on Thursday evening and made it into LaGuardia around 7:45ish. My friend, Nancy, from Houston was there and we shared a cab into the city. We stayed with my friend, Laura, and her husband, Dan, and their two sweet girls, Abby and Caroline. They have a phenomenal apartment at Columbus Circle and the southwest entrance of Central Park. It is right by the Time Warner building, new Trump building, and the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The views of everything were amazing and it was a great area to be in. On Thursday night Nancy, Laura, and I went to a little fondue tapas restaurant to grab a late dinner. We sat at the bar and had the swiss cheese fondue, a cold tapas plate, and Prosecco champagne.

On Friday morning we woke up to SNOW. (Check out the views from Laura's apartment window-the first one is of Columbus Circle and the Time Warner building and the second is the entrance to Central Park) For most of us southerners, it was a winter wonderland and a departure from our normal winter. I was really glad that I packed boots and a winter hat at the last minute. My packing had started with me trying to find some cool clothes and ended up with my packing a lot of more practical options. I am so glad that I did:) That morning Laura, Nancy, and I walked over to the Time Warner building to have breakfast. We got coffee and pastries (almond chocolate croissant and pain au raisin- yum!) at Bouchon Bakery. We sat at some small bistro tables and just watched it snow outside. This is Laura, Nancy, and I after breakfast.A little later Janet took the train in from Connecticut and we waited to see when everyone else would arrive. We ventured out for lunch and ate at Alice's Tea Cup. It was such a cute restaurant that served sandwiches, salads, soups, and all kinds of tea. We got a pot of apple cinnamon tea with our lunch which was perfect on a snowy day. After lunch we decided we were in need of some pampering that did not include eating. We stopped by a nail shop for a mani pedi and relaxed for awhile.

After having our nails done, it was time to head out to stand in line for theater tickets. We got some Starbucks hot chocolate while we waited and tried to keep warm. Once we found out what shows were available we decided on seeing Young Frankenstein. We had heard good reviews from two different sets of people so it seemed like a good choice. By this time Amy (from Indy) made it into the city from Hoboken. We got ready and had dinner at Becco. They had a great dinner that included an antipasto tray, Caesar salad, and three different pastas of the day that can be made to order. Here is a pic of all of us (Laura, Nancy, Janet, me, and Amy) at dinner.

Then it was onto the show. Young Frankenstein was amazing. It was a Mel Brooks production and had some great people in it. Meghan Mullally (Karen from Will and Grace) and a guy from Desperate Housewives (the creepy pharmacist that dated Bree) were two of the leads. It was very funny and the special effects were incredible. Everyone enjoyed it.

On Saturday morning we were excited because Julie and Alexis were also going to make it into town. Poor Julie got stuck in Atlanta and was unable to make it into the city by Friday night. So on Saturday we finally got everyone together. We all met up at Laura's apartment before we headed to lunch. We hit Dylan's Candy Bar to get some our sugar fix.
We ate lunch at a cute place called Serendipity that has all kinds of huge desserts. We kept passing tables with these huge ice cream sundaes that had twizzlers sticking out of the glass bowl. The desserts looked amazing, but we were too full to try any that day. I ordered a chili cheese hot dog and was a little surprised at what arrived at the table. Check this out:)

We did a little window shopping and picked up some fabulous cupcakes at Crumbs. Then it was back to the apartment to get ready for dinner. We had dinner in the meat packing district at a restaurant at Pastis. It was a fun place with French food. We got on the bus to find a good dessert place (because after all we needed to eat again:).

After dessert we said goodbye to Janet, Alexis, and Amy. Then Laura, Julie, Nancy, and I met two of Laura's friends for drinks. We met up with her friend, Stacy, who was in town from LA and Andrea for drinks at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel bar. What a great view of the city at night! We drank some champagne and just had a great time chatting. It was a nice way to end the night.

Sunday was beautiful but I was exhausted from the trip. We were out late every night- much later than my normal 10 PM bedtime (yes, I am lame). We never stopped moving. I thought I was going to fall asleep in the airport on Sunday. I split a cab with Nancy so I got there super early. After getting there with plenty of time, I almost managed to miss my flight. The announcements were not very loud from our gate. I kept getting up to check and they were never boarding. Then all of the sudden, I heard them calling my name to come and board immediately. I felt pretty stupid, but at least I made it home. The best part of my trip was my nice welcome from the boys. Griffin was jumping up and down and Gray's face lit up when he saw me in the airport. Of course, today they are back to normal...shouldn't this last longer?

Early to bed

After tonight I am really ready for my trip. Griffin was in bed by 6:45 PM. That was teeth-brushed, lights off, door shut in bed. I couldn't take it anymore. I think that says it all. New York here I come. Of course, I will feel guilty about all of this tomorrow.

Getting Excited

Tomorrow I am headed for a Ladies Weekend in NYC with some friends. All of our husbands went to grad school together at Duke. We have a lot of fun things planned and I am ready to have a few days off. I will miss my boys, but it will be a fun trip. It is supposed to be really cold so I will have to adjust to that:0

Pop Goes the Weasel

All day long I have been fielding the question, "Mom, what is a weasel?" from Griffin. I guess this is all tied in with the "Pop Goes the Weasel" song.

I guess we may have to start using Wikipedia to explain things. I could not really come up with a satisfactory definition of a weasel. I started out by saying "a rodent" but he didn't know what that meant. It was a long conversation with a 3-year-old. Weasels are kind of cute though- check out this pic.

Time for the gate

Tonight I ran upstairs to put a laundry basket full of clothes in the guest bedroom (not ready to put any clothes away today). Anyway I was gone all of 4 minutes. I walked past our stairs and there is Gray about 2 steps away from the top of our staircase doing his little tongue-out smile and having a huge giggling fit. I about died for a minute. He has done a few steps before, but tonight he did the 8 steps up to the landing, hung a left, and went up another 5 all by himself. So now we are definitely going to use the gate at the bottom of the steps again.

Gray is pretty mischievous. It should be interesting to see what he is like one day. When Griffin was his age, I could say, "no no", and Griffin would just look and me and cry. With Gray, he just grins and starts to laugh like it is hysterical. I think we may be in trouble. Gray is changing so much every day. I feel like he is really close to talking. I swear some days that he says, "yeah", and tonight I think he imitated the word, "cereal". He is waving at us all the time and trying to sign a bit. It is such a change to learn more about what is going on in his cute little head.

Play day

Yesterday we had a playdate with our friends, Joey, Kaleigh, and Meghan. We just went up to a mall and let the kids mess around. And of course we topped it off with the "kids lunch" which always means CHIK FIL A. Anyway the kids had a great time and played well together. Gray really got into the play area and it was fun to see him explore everything. And just for Aunt Ali, the boys were wearing their matching Elvis tshirts that you got them for Christmas.

Griffin must have had too much fun at the mall. He woke up with a fever after his nap and proceeded to get sick later last night. He woke up feeling much better today, but we are still taking a sick day from school to help him recuperate.

Lions and tigers and motorcycles, oh my!

On Saturday we went to the Ringling Brothers circus as a family. It was fun and more entertaining than I thought it would be. There were the clowns, animals, trapeze artists, but the coolest act by far, was the motorcycles. There was a steel caged ball in the center of the ring. And they had 6 motorcycles driving all over the inside of the cage. I didn't get video of that but it was very cool (and a little crazy). I put a few video clips of different acts that we saw. It was a bit easier than doing still shots. So what was Griffin's favorite part of the circus? And I quote, "Looking at the candy". That must have been the $12 cotton candy that we refused to buy him. The prices at the circus were unreal- $9 snowcones and $25 spinny light-up toys. Our poor underpriviledged kids just got popcorn. But they inhaled it and had a fun time. I think it would be nice to take Gray back next year when he can get it more.

Double Date

Tonight we met Julie and her son, Mason, for a double Valentine's Day date. We went to the Northside Grill (very kid friendly which is key) and had a great time. We had a nice booth in the back of the restaurant next to a little kid's area with table and chairs and legos. There was also a foozball table and a chalkboard. So the older boys were able to play a little while they waited for their food and get to spend some time together. Griffin LOVED Mason. Anyway the food was good and the company was even better. We were the two ladies with the cutest little dates in the Northside. Of course Griffin had a meltdown tantrum when we came home, but that is a story for another day....I need to remember how sweet he was LAST week, right?

Candy humor

Griffin and I were sharing some candy hearts a minute ago, and I started reading the messages aloud to him. His said, "my hero". I had two white ones (my favorite) and mine said, "U Go Girl", and "Dare ya". Griffin looked at me with a funny face and asked, "Why does it say diarrhea?". Can't blame him for wanting to know.

Funny Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day! I have two of the cutest little dates for Valentine's Day that I have ever seen:) I gave the boys their gifts this morning. Griffin got a light saber and a Matchbox monster truck. Gray got this weird little dancing singing monkey. He has been loving it. Brent was not with us today, but he gave me some yummy Godiva chocolates. Yes, Griffin finally gave them to me (he's been talking about it for days). And the boys gave me a new cellphone that does way too much stuff. I am going to have to study to figure out how to use all the features. Pretty soon I will download some music and use it as an MP3 at the gym. It does make me a feel a little cooler.

And for a few last-minute pics of the boys as my naked little Cupids. This is from the bath last night. Why is Gray's tongue always sticking out?

Here is a video of Gray playing with his monkey this morning.

Personality Test- Hmmm, I hope you "get" me

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed.Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections.Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down.You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting.However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential.You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's" Your Personality Type?

High tea

On Sunday I went to a high tea at the Jefferson with some girlfriends. It was really nice. We sat in the Palm Court area of the hotel and just got to have some time to chat. There were two choices of tea. One was called the Richmond and it was a sort of orange cinnamon spice. Very good. Then there were all sorts of finger sandwiches- cucumber dill, tomato watercress, and chicken salad. And lots of treats. Mmm, chocolate chip scones, banana nut scones, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate chip cannolis. It was all so good. There were nine of us and we didn't even eat it all (I can't believe it). I made the plans for the tea awhile ago, but it turned out to be perfect since Brent went out of town this week for work. So I got some time to myself before being a single parent for 5 days and nights. (Yeah, I am whining) Brent went to Utah and won't get back until Friday night. It may be a long week. Gray seems to be cutting another tooth so he is just shrieking every now and then. Nothing really helps him calm down. Griffin has been very helpful though. He helped Brent pick out my Valentine's Day gift. It is supposed to be a "secret", but he has told me four times already that my "special chocolates are in the drawer" and he will give me my surprise on Thursday. I can't wait:)

High in the sky

Here is some video of Griffin "flying" at gymnastics.

A Turn-Around?

Griffin continued his mannerly behavior today. Not sure if we are finally turning the corner on the terrible 3s or what. This morning he said, "Thanks for my breakfast, Mom. Give me a high five". Kind of funny. I am just happy that he is being so sweet for a change.

Mister Manners

Today was a beautiful 70 degree sunny day, and we spent much of the afternoon outside. I was grilling chicken and apple sausage (latest Costco buy- yum) kebabs with onions and peppers, and Griffin taught himself how to ride his tricycle finally. Poor kid never really gets a good chance to practice. With living in the city, we have no driveway or patio. The sidewalks are all bumpy, so he learned on our back deck today while trying to navigate around two sets of steps. He is very proud of himself. Here is a little video footage.

Anyway for some reason, Griffin has turned into little Mister Manners today. (NOT that I am complaining) As we were walking in the door from playing outside, I told him that I was very proud of him. To which he replied, "thanks, Mom, I really appreciate it". Then he ate some dinner and said, "Mom, this is the best sausage in the whole wide world. Thank you for being so generous to me". Is there something in the water? I almost felt like someone else had taken over my normally challenging 3-year-old's body.

This morning I worked out at the gym with a personal trainer. I am going to start doing this from time to time. I am in so much trouble tomorrow. I was so sore from the workout right afterwards that my arms felt sore just driving home from the gym. Since the day after is usually worse, I am hoping that I can walk tomorrow. I guess the point of a trainer is to work your butt off anyway.

Weekend with Daddy

The boys had a nice quality weekend with Daddy. The downside was that Griffin and I were having some not-so-fun stomach issues all weekend. To his credit, Griffin didn't seem to mind at all, but I was kind of miserable most of the time. Not sure what is going around this year, but our family keeps picking it up. This is the 3rd time this winter that I have had some sort of stomach virus. It had been a few years before this season. I am hoping we are wrapping it up. At least Brent was home to take care of the kids when I was down and out.

For some updates on the kiddos, Gray is trying to walk with his little push toy. Not very coordinated or fast, but he is trying and having fun with it. He is also starting to like reading books with us. I feel HUGELY guilty that it took a babysitter mentioning it to me for me to figure this out. I guess we just didn't think he had the attention span for it. Griffin never wanted to sit still and be read to until he was older. Gray does seem to like it and even sat for most of a big boy book reading by Daddy. And last but not least, Gray is "flying" in the air with Daddy. We THINK that he likes this. Not sure. Sometimes his face is pure terror, and other times, it is pure joy. This shot seemed more joyful.

Other than that the only main excursion I took was to look at some open houses to see what was out there. I did this when I foolishly thought that I was feeling much better. So I got out of the house for a few hours in this beautiful weather before I got reminded that I needed to slow down again. Anyway I went to three open houses for homes in neighborhoods that we are interested in. I knew ahead of time that we would not want these particular houses, but I wanted to see what you got for the money and just get a feel for the neighborhoods. I expected to find homes that needed a lot of cosmetic work for the price tag, but I thought that the main features of the houses (floor plans, size) would be fine. I was very disappointed. All three had really weird floor plans, and I had a hard time picturing us living in them. The best candidate was in a great neighborhood, had a ton of space, but the space wasn't allocated well. So the family room was super huge, but the bedrooms were small. And the garage was attached but you still had to walk outside to access it. And if you were to connect it to the house, you would have a door going right into your dining room or living room. Kind of weird. There was a ton of cosmetic work to be done too- we are talking lots of light blue trim in all the rooms, outdated kitchens and bathrooms, and tons of 1960s wallpaper in every bedroom. And all this can be yours for the low price of....half a million dollars. What a deal, right? Searching for our next home if we stay in Richmond may end up being harder than we thought. Not psyched about this at all.

WARNING: Grumpy mommy

Just a warning to those who read this, I am going to complain....Man, am I tired! What is it with kids that won't let their parents sleep? Our boys seem to have cornered the market in this area lately. Gray has been waking up way too early the past two mornings- yesterday it was 5:45 AM and this morning was 4:30 AM. It took me an hour and a half to get him back to sleep today. It is not easy to rock a 21 lb linebacker baby when he is throwing a fit. He was not exactly wanting to be cuddled this morning. Normally he wakes up close to 7 AM so this is not a welcome trend in our household. It makes for one grumpy mommy. He did have an ear infection last week but he has taken all the antibiotics so I am not sure what is going on.

Then Griffin has woken us up the past few nights too. Everything from wanting his breakfast at 4 AM to asking me to read him a book at 2:30 AM. What is up with this? I guess he is just waking up in the middle of the night and having trouble putting himself back to sleep.

The worst part is that I am feeling kind of nauseous today. Not sure if it is the lack of sleep or the stomach bug for the 3rd time this winter. I am supposed to do a Habitat for Humanity build tomorrow for our church, so I hope I pull myself together today.