Oh yeah . . . I have a blog . . .
Vomit is not my area of expertise. I don't do it and I don't understand why other people do either. Since we'd come this far without any stomach bugs, I had hoped that my kids inherited my no-vomit gene. No such luck. This week they both got a stomach bug and I quickly became schooled in The Art of Vomit Detection, Clean-up, and Prevention 101. Gross topic, isn't it? So gross, that it needs to be shared. It was such an awful week . . . Not only because of the overall grossness of the situation, but because I was struck with the realization that this week will probably repeat itself several times before they are old enough to put their vomit where it belongs -- the toilet. Tired of reading about vomit?? Yeah . . . sorry about that.
On to brighter topics!!
Today was a good day for Miss Flora. Lately she's had issues with the nursery at church. She used to love it but in the past few months she has cried every time I've left her. Poor little thing is so cute though. All the way to church she sits in the backseat and says "No cry, Mommy. FloFlo no cry." She totally prepares herself to be a big girl, but ultimately breaks down when the moment of separation arrives. Today she watched me leave the nursery with no tears!! I held my breath as I walked out the door and stood outside listening for the sobs, but they never came. When I picked her up after church her first words were "No cry, Mommy! FloFlo no cry!" She's such a cutie. And she's turning into such a big girl too.
I realize that most people space their kids further apart than mine are, but I often wonder what 2-year-olds do all day without 1-year-old playmates??? Flora and Scout are such good buddies and playmates that I can't imagine entertaining one without the other for an entire day. I know there are benefits to spacing siblings out more, but I like my way. My way is best. My blog = my way is best. :)
They are quite open with their displays of affection for each other now. Scout will hug and kiss Flora while she's watching TV and Flora will rub Scout's head, give him a hug, and say "Oh, so cute! Scout so cute him!" I don't know why she adds the "him" at the end, but I like it. Toddlerese is so cute! Scout says a bunch of little words now too. He says happy, nice, ball, night-night, thank you (ta-tu), bye-bye, more, mama, dada, and brrrmbrrrm. He's going to be a little chatterbox like his daddy. It will be so funny to listen to the things that he and Flora talk about once he can really communicate!!
If I were to order a life from what would surely be a very expensive restaurant, I would order my life "mostly normal with a side of crazy." Some people have very normal lives. Everything is easy and perfect and boring. Some people have very crazy lives. It's all chaos all the time. Neither sounds appealing. I'll take the Combo Plate . . . with a Coke, and no, Pepsi won't do. Right now the kids are our "side of crazy." It's hard to have an easy, perfect, boring life with two toddlers in the picture. Someday they'll be normal and we'll have to become the crazy ones. Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem!!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Christmas Recap
"O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree! Thy leaves are so unchanging." Obviously the author of this carol did not have young children. Our Christmas tree was ALWAYS changing, thanks to my two little elves. (Also, thanks to one of my little elves, my computer is randomly underlining text.)
<---- I posted this picture a few weeks ago to show how Flora and Scout had taken tree decorating to a whole new level. They continued to add interesting ornaments to the tree throughout the Christmas season. Below you will see some of the other unique ornaments with which Flora and/or Scout decorated our Christmas tree. Enjoy!
If this were a real tree I might say it had a future in baseball.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!
Christmas tree cookies, anyone?
"Merry Christmas!" Love, Barbie.
On a toy-themed tree, this duck block might pass for a real ornament.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a bowl of cereal.
<---- I posted this picture a few weeks ago to show how Flora and Scout had taken tree decorating to a whole new level. They continued to add interesting ornaments to the tree throughout the Christmas season. Below you will see some of the other unique ornaments with which Flora and/or Scout decorated our Christmas tree. Enjoy!
If this were a real tree I might say it had a future in baseball.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!
Christmas tree cookies, anyone?
"Merry Christmas!" Love, Barbie.
On a toy-themed tree, this duck block might pass for a real ornament.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a bowl of cereal.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Snipets
~~~Flora was leisurely eating her lunch today when suddenly she yells "Oh! Oh Mommy!" Her little hands raise in a questioning gesture and she asks, "Where Christmas tree go, Mommy?" I told her it went away because Christmas is over, but laughed to myself because the tree has been down for a week and she helped me take it down. This was the first mention she's made of the Christmas tree since it's been gone. It's funny how a two-year-old's mind works.
~~~After going poo-poo in the potty and getting her candy reward, her first thought is to tell Scout. She gets right in his face and says, "Flo-Flo poo-poo potty, Scout!!!" with a jubilant expression on her face. He never gets as excited as she'd like, but he does like the attention so he smiles and tries to hug her like he always does when she's close.
~~~Scout has learned to point to his cute little nose when asked where his nose it. He taps it on the side like he is Santa Claus or communicating some sort of secret. He also blows kisses, except they are more like fish lips that end in a giant smack. He's such a cuddler. Mother was right . . . everyone should have at least one cuddly baby.
And that's all for now. I have some funny pictures I will post and write about later, but this is just a quick update while I'm waiting for Chris!
~~~After going poo-poo in the potty and getting her candy reward, her first thought is to tell Scout. She gets right in his face and says, "Flo-Flo poo-poo potty, Scout!!!" with a jubilant expression on her face. He never gets as excited as she'd like, but he does like the attention so he smiles and tries to hug her like he always does when she's close.
~~~Scout has learned to point to his cute little nose when asked where his nose it. He taps it on the side like he is Santa Claus or communicating some sort of secret. He also blows kisses, except they are more like fish lips that end in a giant smack. He's such a cuddler. Mother was right . . . everyone should have at least one cuddly baby.
And that's all for now. I have some funny pictures I will post and write about later, but this is just a quick update while I'm waiting for Chris!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Flora and Dora
I must confess that I was slightly anti-Dora before I really got to know her.
Dora the Explorer is a cartoon about a bilingual little girl who goes on various adventures with her best friend, Boots (a monkey). Flora LOVES Dora. When Dora says "Wiggle," Flora wiggles. When Dora says, "Jump," Flora jumps. When Dora is not giving specific instructions, Flora usually looks like this:
Or if Dora is being particularly amusing, Flora might look like this:
And if Flora is at a friend's house, she watches Dora like this:
She would probably watch Dora all day if I let her. I try to limit her to one Dora per day . . . sometimes two. I'm okay with Dora now that I've seen how much Flora learns from her Dora shows. For example, I discovered a few days ago that Flora can count to seven in Spanish. She skips the number four, but I don't correct her. She IS counting in Spanish, after all.
However, my FAVORITE Dora story happened last week when Flora grabbed her little purse, went to the door, and said, "Vamonos Mommy! Let's go!"
Dora the Explorer is a cartoon about a bilingual little girl who goes on various adventures with her best friend, Boots (a monkey). Flora LOVES Dora. When Dora says "Wiggle," Flora wiggles. When Dora says, "Jump," Flora jumps. When Dora is not giving specific instructions, Flora usually looks like this:
Or if Dora is being particularly amusing, Flora might look like this:
And if Flora is at a friend's house, she watches Dora like this:
She would probably watch Dora all day if I let her. I try to limit her to one Dora per day . . . sometimes two. I'm okay with Dora now that I've seen how much Flora learns from her Dora shows. For example, I discovered a few days ago that Flora can count to seven in Spanish. She skips the number four, but I don't correct her. She IS counting in Spanish, after all.
However, my FAVORITE Dora story happened last week when Flora grabbed her little purse, went to the door, and said, "Vamonos Mommy! Let's go!"
Saturday, December 12, 2009
A Well-Timed Sucker
We went to get Flora's and Scout's second and final H1N1 shot on Thursday . . .
*cue dramatic, ominous music*
The vaccine is so abundant now that most people are getting it at their doctor's office, but 1) I'm cheap and didn't want to pay the $30 copay (x2) for office visits, and 2) I didn't want to wait for the free H1N1 vaccine clinic our doc is offering on December 31st. So, I packed snacks, books and an extra shirt and hoped for a shorter wait this time.
***Remember, last time we waited 3 hours and then Flora threw up on me after getting her shot. Fun times. So, I was not looking forward to this trip, but I was excited about finally being done with it all.
What a difference four weeks makes!! When we got to the clinic site, there was NO wait!! We filled out our paperwork and went right in to see the nurse. Since most of the "target groups" have been vaccinated, Chris and I were given the option to get the vaccine too. So, Flora and Scout rolled up their sleeves and Chris and I pulled down our pants . . . . wait, reverse that . . . . Chris and I rolled up our sleeves and Flora and Scout pulled down their pants and we all got tiny little dead viruses injected into our bodies. The immune system is such a weird, cool thing.
A well-timed sucker resulted in a VERY short crying spell and we all left the building smiling and amazed at how easy this trip was.
And, WHEW, we're DONE!! This has been the season of the flu shot for the Borkert family. Poor Scout has taken the brunt of it. He leads the family with 4 flu shots, Flora is right behind with 3 shots, and Chris and I are tied with 1 shot each. I'm sure all the anti-vaccine people are gasping in horror . . . but I'm okay with that. Have a sucker . . . it will make you feel better.
*cue dramatic, ominous music*
The vaccine is so abundant now that most people are getting it at their doctor's office, but 1) I'm cheap and didn't want to pay the $30 copay (x2) for office visits, and 2) I didn't want to wait for the free H1N1 vaccine clinic our doc is offering on December 31st. So, I packed snacks, books and an extra shirt and hoped for a shorter wait this time.
***Remember, last time we waited 3 hours and then Flora threw up on me after getting her shot. Fun times. So, I was not looking forward to this trip, but I was excited about finally being done with it all.
What a difference four weeks makes!! When we got to the clinic site, there was NO wait!! We filled out our paperwork and went right in to see the nurse. Since most of the "target groups" have been vaccinated, Chris and I were given the option to get the vaccine too. So, Flora and Scout rolled up their sleeves and Chris and I pulled down our pants . . . . wait, reverse that . . . . Chris and I rolled up our sleeves and Flora and Scout pulled down their pants and we all got tiny little dead viruses injected into our bodies. The immune system is such a weird, cool thing.
A well-timed sucker resulted in a VERY short crying spell and we all left the building smiling and amazed at how easy this trip was.
And, WHEW, we're DONE!! This has been the season of the flu shot for the Borkert family. Poor Scout has taken the brunt of it. He leads the family with 4 flu shots, Flora is right behind with 3 shots, and Chris and I are tied with 1 shot each. I'm sure all the anti-vaccine people are gasping in horror . . . but I'm okay with that. Have a sucker . . . it will make you feel better.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Right Now
Right now, Flora is sitting on the couch, wearing only her diaper (because she can), eating a chocolate chip cookie, sipping on her milk, and staring into space. Occasionally she will look around and comment on whatever Scout or I am doing. Toby just whined from his crate and now Flora is fiddling with the crate door. "Toby outside," she tells me. She's a bossy little thing.
Right now, Scout is alternating between taunting Toby at the door of his crate and irritating Flora by nibbling on her bare toes. When these activities don't provide enough of a thrill for him, he will balance precariously on top of a laundry basket or walk back and forth on the hearth . . . just because he can. He's a joker and a daredevil who has already had more bumps on his head in his one year of life than Flora has had in her two years. Of course, Flora has provided some of those bumps for him . . .
Right now, there are two humidifiers in the kitchen and it is still too dry in here. My lips are chapped, Flora's hair is standing straight up with static, and Scout gives a shock every time he touches us. There are several inches of snow on the ground outside and a layer of dust inside. I think I just heard a chunk of ice fall off our window . . .
Later, we will clean, eat, get dressed, and go get our FINAL flu shots of the season, but right now, I am enjoying this calm before the storm!
Right now, Scout is alternating between taunting Toby at the door of his crate and irritating Flora by nibbling on her bare toes. When these activities don't provide enough of a thrill for him, he will balance precariously on top of a laundry basket or walk back and forth on the hearth . . . just because he can. He's a joker and a daredevil who has already had more bumps on his head in his one year of life than Flora has had in her two years. Of course, Flora has provided some of those bumps for him . . .
Right now, there are two humidifiers in the kitchen and it is still too dry in here. My lips are chapped, Flora's hair is standing straight up with static, and Scout gives a shock every time he touches us. There are several inches of snow on the ground outside and a layer of dust inside. I think I just heard a chunk of ice fall off our window . . .
Later, we will clean, eat, get dressed, and go get our FINAL flu shots of the season, but right now, I am enjoying this calm before the storm!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Mommy's Helpers
The Christmas Tree Elves Strike Again!!
Two doggies and a snowman......why didn't I think of that???
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Christmas Tree!!!
Christmas is perfect. I cannot think of any part of Christmas that is not perfect.
I am so excited about decorating for Christmas this year!! There have been tiny babies putting a cramp in my Christmas style for the past two years, but this year I have two little "helpers" to assist with the decorating.
We put up our tree a few days ago. Flora was introduced to the magic of the Christmas tree the previous weekend at "PoppyGigiShane house" (her words, not mine), so she knew the drill. We put on festive clothes and said "pleeeeeeeeease" to convince Chris to bring up all the Christmas boxes. It worked!! Once we got started with the Christmas tree, Flora worked tirelessly, intent on putting HER Christmas tree branch in exactly the right spot.
Scout was more interested in eating the Christmas lights than being helpful, but he was easily distracted (like most men) by a project that tested his brute strength and wits.......I jammed a Christmas stocking onto his head. It was stuck on there pretty good, so trying to get it off occupied him for quite a while. He looked so cute in it though! I didn't feel bad about it.
We ended up with a simple, but perfect Christmas tree with only soft ornaments that cannot be destroyed by little hands. Well, actually I'm sure that those little hands COULD destroy any or all of the ornaments if they so chose, but at least the ornaments can't destroy the little hands. Of course, my little Christmas angels politely posed next to the tree.......HA! After many failed attempts at a cute picture, we finally got this one.
Yes, that's right.....Scout's still got the stocking stuck on his head.
So, we're done, right? No, apparently not. The very next day, Flora and Scout decided that our Christmas tree was missing something......something.......hmmm.......WHAT could it be missing??? Never fear! My little Christmas elves are on the case!! Working, working, working.
And the finished product.........
Ah, yes. Perfection.
I am so excited about decorating for Christmas this year!! There have been tiny babies putting a cramp in my Christmas style for the past two years, but this year I have two little "helpers" to assist with the decorating.
We put up our tree a few days ago. Flora was introduced to the magic of the Christmas tree the previous weekend at "PoppyGigiShane house" (her words, not mine), so she knew the drill. We put on festive clothes and said "pleeeeeeeeease" to convince Chris to bring up all the Christmas boxes. It worked!! Once we got started with the Christmas tree, Flora worked tirelessly, intent on putting HER Christmas tree branch in exactly the right spot.
Scout was more interested in eating the Christmas lights than being helpful, but he was easily distracted (like most men) by a project that tested his brute strength and wits.......I jammed a Christmas stocking onto his head. It was stuck on there pretty good, so trying to get it off occupied him for quite a while. He looked so cute in it though! I didn't feel bad about it.
We ended up with a simple, but perfect Christmas tree with only soft ornaments that cannot be destroyed by little hands. Well, actually I'm sure that those little hands COULD destroy any or all of the ornaments if they so chose, but at least the ornaments can't destroy the little hands. Of course, my little Christmas angels politely posed next to the tree.......HA! After many failed attempts at a cute picture, we finally got this one.
Yes, that's right.....Scout's still got the stocking stuck on his head.So, we're done, right? No, apparently not. The very next day, Flora and Scout decided that our Christmas tree was missing something......something.......hmmm.......WHAT could it be missing??? Never fear! My little Christmas elves are on the case!! Working, working, working.
And the finished product.........
Ah, yes. Perfection.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Badge of Honor
Flu shots today!!! After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to get my kids vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. Clay county was holding a clinic today at a huge local church from 10am to 7pm, so I packed some snacks, books, and diapers and headed into the unknown. I had no idea how long the wait would be or how many shots they had available, but off we went.
As I rolled our monster double stroller into the church foyer at about 10:15am, I was handed two little tags with the numbers 653 and 654 written on them. Hmm.....well, that's not encouraging. I looked up to see a river of chairs that flowed as far as I could see down the foyer and around the corner. This is NOT a small church, so we're not talking about a small foyer here. I pushed the stroller down the aisle, looking for a seat.......still pushing.......still pushing......around the corner.....still pushing.......THERE! A seat with enough room for the stroller!! Hooray!! At this point, I am thankful for small victories!! I later found out that people had begun lining up outside the church at 4:30am!!!! Crazy......if I'm going to wait for several hours I'm going to do it indoors.
Alright, now we are going to fast-forward THREE HOURS to the moment right before the shots. I will say that the three hours really did fly by and my kids were SO GOOD. No fussing, no whining. If I must wait in line for three hours with two kids, I'm glad I got stuck with these two!!! Also, the church provided cookies and Veggie Tales movies!! Woohoo!!
So, back to the shot.....Flora was a little bit nervous, but the nurse was really nice and comforting. However, nice and comforting flew out the window once she poked Flora with the needle.....
Flora cried!!
Flora coughed!!
Flora gagged!!
Flora vomited her chocolate chip cookie all over Mommy's shirt!!
Ugh!!
The nurse was quick to hand me a wad of Kleenex, but this job was too big for Kleenex alone. Luckily, we had planned it so Chris arrived just before our number was called so that I wouldn't have to comfort two kids at the same time and good thing!! Flora and I sped to the bathroom to wipe ourselves clean while Scout got his shot. We returned just as the nurse was finishing up with Scout. She looked at my shirt, laughed, and said, "Looks like you got the badge of honor!"
My kids are not vomiters, so this was my first time wearing this particular "badge of honor." I tried to enjoy it, but, well, it was gross. Next time we go for shots, I think we'll pass on the cookies.
As I rolled our monster double stroller into the church foyer at about 10:15am, I was handed two little tags with the numbers 653 and 654 written on them. Hmm.....well, that's not encouraging. I looked up to see a river of chairs that flowed as far as I could see down the foyer and around the corner. This is NOT a small church, so we're not talking about a small foyer here. I pushed the stroller down the aisle, looking for a seat.......still pushing.......still pushing......around the corner.....still pushing.......THERE! A seat with enough room for the stroller!! Hooray!! At this point, I am thankful for small victories!! I later found out that people had begun lining up outside the church at 4:30am!!!! Crazy......if I'm going to wait for several hours I'm going to do it indoors.
Alright, now we are going to fast-forward THREE HOURS to the moment right before the shots. I will say that the three hours really did fly by and my kids were SO GOOD. No fussing, no whining. If I must wait in line for three hours with two kids, I'm glad I got stuck with these two!!! Also, the church provided cookies and Veggie Tales movies!! Woohoo!!
So, back to the shot.....Flora was a little bit nervous, but the nurse was really nice and comforting. However, nice and comforting flew out the window once she poked Flora with the needle.....
Flora cried!!
Flora coughed!!
Flora gagged!!
Flora vomited her chocolate chip cookie all over Mommy's shirt!!
Ugh!!
The nurse was quick to hand me a wad of Kleenex, but this job was too big for Kleenex alone. Luckily, we had planned it so Chris arrived just before our number was called so that I wouldn't have to comfort two kids at the same time and good thing!! Flora and I sped to the bathroom to wipe ourselves clean while Scout got his shot. We returned just as the nurse was finishing up with Scout. She looked at my shirt, laughed, and said, "Looks like you got the badge of honor!"
My kids are not vomiters, so this was my first time wearing this particular "badge of honor." I tried to enjoy it, but, well, it was gross. Next time we go for shots, I think we'll pass on the cookies.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Fashionista
Ok, giving into peer pressure...... :)
Flora has a pair of boots that are still a bit too big for her, but she LOVES to put them on. Almost every day, she wakes up from her nap and puts on her boots......sometimes she even puts the boots on before she falls asleep.
Sometimes she even puts on panties.......but the point is that she loves her boots. Now you are ready to hear the funny story. :)
We were at Walmart and Flora was perched in the cart observing our fellow shoppers. A dad with two young girls was walking towards us and one of the girls caught Flora's attention. She was probably 6- or 7-years-old and wearing bright pink boots. As they passed us, Flora leaned over the cart, pointing and nodding enthusiastically, and told the girl, "Cute boots!"
The little girl just gave Flora a dirty look and kept walking. I guess she wasn't happy about her cool, big-girl boots being complimented by a 2-year-old.
Flora has a pair of boots that are still a bit too big for her, but she LOVES to put them on. Almost every day, she wakes up from her nap and puts on her boots......sometimes she even puts the boots on before she falls asleep.
Sometimes she even puts on panties.......but the point is that she loves her boots. Now you are ready to hear the funny story. :)We were at Walmart and Flora was perched in the cart observing our fellow shoppers. A dad with two young girls was walking towards us and one of the girls caught Flora's attention. She was probably 6- or 7-years-old and wearing bright pink boots. As they passed us, Flora leaned over the cart, pointing and nodding enthusiastically, and told the girl, "Cute boots!"
The little girl just gave Flora a dirty look and kept walking. I guess she wasn't happy about her cool, big-girl boots being complimented by a 2-year-old.
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