What's been going on...

Shirtless super heroes. Aunt Ann and Uncle Mike got Cal a super hero kit last year for xmas and it's still a big hit. Isaac's cape is actually an old scarf of my mom's.

Cal made this by himself.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Mom! Thanks for being such an amazing mom and grandma! Here are some pictures that capture how hands-on and loving you are to my boys.

We love you!

Goodbye, McCowen Family

The Brown Family helped host a huge open house for Shae, Lisa, Hannah and Matthew today (48 people came!). They are leaving for India in a couple weeks with Target and we are SOO sad to see them go. They promise us that they will be back in a couple years, but I am dreading living life without Lisa. Even though we haven't seen as much of them this school year (only once a week!), I will miss them so much. Lisa has been a complete inspiration and a source of information for me regarding cooking, baking, substitutions (anything in the kitchen, really), organization, child-rearing, spirituality, wifery (is that a word?), language ("the root of that is actually Latin meaning 'to hear', which is really cool because ... blah blah" you get the idea"), books, learning, joy, perseverance and practicality. I love her. Hannah and Matthew have been such good friends to my boys. Hannah is always willing to play "sleep over" and "dress-up" while Matthew has such a good time playing by himself (gasp!) with all our toys and even willing to share! I also love his songs. I don't see much of Shae since he brings home the bacon, but I see his love for his family, his job, new adventures and humor. It's been a privilege knowing them.

Here are some pictures from the party. I don't want to tell you the names of everyone because you probably don't care.

Also, I forgot to take pictures of all the kids in the basement. It was insane. There were toys and kids everywhere. There was not one spat between any two kids. A miracle!

New Stuff

Calvin: Cal is a very talkative, sensitive, imaginitive, logical kid. He's in his second year of preschool and will be doing pre-k next year since his birthday is in late September. He's been reading lots of words that have short vowel sounds (e.g. "hands," "drum," "pot") and loves to play games (although not the correct way). Cal is an amazing big brother and is teaching Isaac how to treat people in a nice way. It's a joy to be his mom.

Isaac: Ike is a strong-willed, independant, talkative (as of recent), train-loving (as of forever), defiant, daddy-loving kid. He has been potty-training this week and is doing great! He loves to take off his own pants but hates the cold seat. :) If I want him to go, he usually won't and I shake m&ms in his face to get him to cooperate. He hates when other kids try to make him play a certain way, but if I remind him how to be nice, he will almost always share- especially with Cal. He likes to give Cal treats. He also loves to find lotion to put all over his body. I am daily challenged and amused by Isaac.

Just an update. No pictures right now. I've been slacking.

Bad Parent Award

We were at Caribou this weekend in a mall and were going through the line. Cal was A.D.D.ish and wouldn't keep his hands off of the merchandise, coffee, etc, whenever we passed a new shelf. We kept asking him to stop touching things and he was disobeying by not really paying attention and acting a little spaztic.

Then this conversation happened, which I did not hear...

Old, cranky man behind us: You know, that's the best way to spread germs. You shouldn't let your kids touch the caps to the juice bottles because if they are sick then others can get sick.
Eric: Calvin, stop touching those.
Man: That's the best way to spread germs.
Eric: Sir, I asked them to stop touching the bottles. What else would you like me to do?
Man: I would like you to control your children. If you can't get your kids to obey you in simple things like not touching stuff, then you two need to go to parenting school.

I heard that last line, and since I have no self-control, I yelled, "Well, if you can't mind your own business!..." (Yes, I realize the irony here... I wasn't really minding my own business.)
Man: This IS my business.
Then Eric says very quietly and calmly: Sir. You think we are bad parents. I get it. You made your point.

That was it. I was so mad at the cranky man. Eric and I talked about it and decided that his point was valid but that he was an a-hole. He doesn't know us and doesn't know our kids and said that we need parenting school.

So, tell me. Have YOU ever had a stranger tell you that you stink as parents?

When I grow up....

We were walking with Laura and Mado...

Laura: Mado, tell Cal what you want to be when you grow up.
Mado: An astronaut!
Cal: I want to be a clown when I grow up!

Isaac did this and said, "Choo Choo."

And then Isaac did this and said, "Choo Choo." I used to do this all the time as a kid, whenever my mom cleaned our kitchen and moved the chairs into the other room. I'm glad that Isaac does it now. And Cal has joined in, too, demanding to be in the caboose.

Since we were in Chicago for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we didn't really have the time or energy to get a tree or set up decorations. So.... (yes, that's baby Jesus drawn in under the tree).

Isaac got a little crazy with the lotion.

Isaac got a little crazy with the hand soap. (He also puts anti-bacterial hand gel in his hair when I'm not looking...)

Peppers

I was bringing in the groceries. When I finally got done, both kids had a yellow pepper and had done this to them: Really?

Drawing

Cal drew this the other day. Apparently, it is NOT a person. It's a camera on a camera stand. Eric said, "Oh. This camera looks like a person with a funny head." Cal responded, "Yeah, I know. But this is the button to take the picture, and this is the hole you look through..." Then he added, "And I just decided to add hair to make it funny." When I saw this picture, I could not stop laughing. Cal looked at me with a little smile but mostly in confusion. Poor kid. I was dying laughing. I still can't help but laugh when I look at it. See the camera stand? It's down here.