Just go to the Fire Station

Today started out pretty okay. Isabelle climbed into bed with me this morning and whispered in my ear, "I just had a dream about sparkly toilet paper." After breakfast Henry drew a picture of a person who transforms into a bathroom plunger as his superpower. I was optimistic about the day.

Then, Isabelle barfed in the car after we dropped Henry off at school. I was calm and reassuring, I think. I got her home and inside where I changed her clothes into too small for her pajamas and got her set up on the sofa. She immediately started singing and dancing, clearly not too sick. I figured she was fine and I went outside to remove the car seat. I removed the belt and one of the clips. The seat didn't budge. Starting to panic I dialed up Nick, who was traveling to Des Moines with two other people for work. He explained that there are two metal clips on each side of the seat that have to be removed. I gave them a try, but no luck. I had hung up the phone at this point to try to get some leverage without falling into the puke covered seat. No luck. I started crying. That didn't  help. I started bawling. That didn't help. I called Nick and yelled at him while in the car with coworkers. That really didn't help.

Finally, I decide to go inside to cool down. Moments later, Nick calls to check in and says, "Firefighters can help in these situations. You sound pretty stressed, just go to the fire station and ask them to help you. Or, cut the seat out."

I considered my options and whether Isabelle would puke again and decide I better just go. To be clear, I am totally freaking out so you should not be surprised to learn that I leave Isabelle in pants that are capri length, allow her to wear open toe sandals and a spring coat. It's 35 degrees outside so that's pretty cool. I put her in Henry's car seat with a bowl and drive one block to the fire station. We get out, ring the bell, and wait. Two firefighters come to the door and they are super handsome, of course. I'm sure glad I took the time to brush my hair before getting out of the car. Not that it matters. As soon as I open my mouth to explain why I am there, I start crying. Again. The two awesome firefighters help me out and remove the barf covered seat. They had to use a tool so it was totally worth it. But really, firefighters are rad and helped me restore some sanity.

Until I went to target. I figured there was a small possibility I might not be able to reinstall the seat once it was clean so I drove over to target to buy one of those low back boosters. We've been meaning to get one and I couldn't really take on any more stress. I took one look at Isabelle as I took her out of the seat and knew she wasn't dressed for the weather. I went in anyway, hoping people would grant me a little grace. Nope. I grabbed up a 20 dollar booster and was headed for the milk because I had concluded that the milk in our fridge had made Isabelle sick. What? Probably not. As I was  heading toward the correct aisle a woman looked at Isabelle and said to her, "oh, you must be so cold!" I quickly turned the cart to run away because I was about to start crying. Isabelle, still looking at the woman, did not notice I'd changed directions. She turned around and ran her face into the cart. Now she's sick, hurt and bawling. And I'm crying. Again.

Luckily, we made it back home without further problems. One of my fav pals Kelly stopped by for lunch and helped everyone (me) calm down, provided some top notch car seat cleaning tips, and brought me candy. Thank goodness for good friends and firefighters. I truly hope you are having a better day than myself. I'm optimistic about tomorrow.

--maggie

A Bit Cheesy

October 26th marked 11 years of marriage for Nick and I. We decided to stay in for the evening this year and Nick took charge of the planning. We put the kids to bed and exchanged gifts. The gift I received was rad and contained our evening activities. Nick made a puzzle out of photos from our summer cabin trip and included a new Miles Davis record for our listening pleasure. 

He also included a bottle of Moët Chandon champaign. This is not because we are fancy. It's because we really value hilarious things and think that the bit on SNL is too much. You know, the two ex porn stars who make commercials to get free stuff? The one about Moët Chandon is hysterical and you should look it up. It really was the perfect addition to the gift and evening. 

Before all of this took place we spent a lovely day as a fam. Henry is a wee bit obsessed with the footballs so he watched a few games on and off and spent the rest of his time doing this:

This is a game he created (redskins vs. rams) and then played out on paper, counting up by touchdowns and field goals to get the final score. I mean, he's using some serious math skills. So, I may hate on the sports, but I really love this math work he does and all for fun. He also wanted to do math problems at the restaurant on our anniversary evening: 

Things are pretty great. Sure, we complain-- our house is too small, we don't have fancy cars, funds can get a bit tight, the kids make us feel crazed. But, you know what? We hang out together and are close. In our spare time we imagine up football matches complete with scores, dress up as ballerinas multiple times a day, play baseball in the backyard, and put together puzzles on our anniversary. I think we have just what we need. 

--maggie 

Hicabog

Nick has a rather solid memory of watching The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad circa 1950 something. I do not have any memory of this flick.  So, Nick went online and ordered that baby up so as to pass on this great tradition to our offspring. We watched it last night. If you don't know the story I'm not going to give you any real information except for this: a guy with no head rides around on a horse at the end. Easy with the judgy, judgy now. We probably should have just put a puzzle together. But, we didn't and this was the fascinating result: 

Also, both kids call the Ichabod character hicabog, which I think is awesome. Have a lovely evening. 

--maggie

Not About the Kids. Just Kidding.

Today on the way to school Henry attempted to figure out how long I've known Nick. He thought Nick was an adult when I was born. We worked through this issue and got to the time in life when Henry was born. He was talking about being in my belly and how he knew  how great it was in there. When we were just about to the school he asked how he got out. I told him the truth. I figure I better always answer such questions with truth as he will eventually stop asking me. I'll spare you the deets, but I am not sure right before school was the ideal time for this conversation. A lot of first graders may be getting some new information right about now. Kind of a parent fail. 

Here's another from last night. About a year ago Henry and Isabelle were upstairs fighting about a puzzle. It's a Melissa and Doug alphabet train floor puzzle. I'm sure you've seen it. Instead of helping them resolve the issue I just marched upstairs, packed the puzzle up and threw it under my bed. It has been under there for a year. Isabelle found it last night and asked if we could get it out. I dusted it off and helped her put it together. She was so dang proud of herself as she talked about the letters and animals. What the heck? Of all things to take away (sword, light saber, figures that promote body image issues) I took away a puzzle. Not to mention, I taught them nothing by just taking away the puzzle. 

Here's the upside to both stories: the puzzle is back and Henry knows where babies come from. Parenting is hard. We learn lessons at their expense and have to admit we are wrong way more than we admit we are right. 

It's going to be okay though. Henry gave me a hug and a kiss this morning after getting out of the car. He was almost to the school door when he ran back for a second hug. He's a good boy. 

Lastly, and not so related to the topic, Henry told me the Vikings lost last night. He wasn't mad though because he said our loss gave the other team (?) their first win. Like I said, he's a good boy. 

--maggie 

Fall

Fall is a great time of year and is one of my favorites. I have a few reasons. Settle in. 

1. It's dang beautiful. Seriously. Sometimes I forget to enjoy it because I know what follows is a frozen version of hell for many, many months. But, this year I'm making sure to enjoy all of its glory. One Albert Camus said, "autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower." Preach! 

2. Every October 26th I get to celebrate my marriage to Nick. This year marks 11 years. He is seriously rad and I hope you know him. Nick gives everything to our family and he never thinks twice about helping a friend. If you want to know a real good person, know Nick. 

3. MEA- Two days off of school in mid-October. When I was teaching it was a great break and now that the kids are school age it is such a nice treat. Yesterday we went to the Minnesota zoo. A few things to note. One, I bought the kids three 59 cent animals each. They were seriously jacked up and couldn't believe their good fortune. It was like they won the lottery. I think I cracked the code: never buy your kids anything cool so that they think 59 cent plastic animals are the bomb. Keep that one in your back pocket, parents. You're welcome. Second, I overheard a woman use the phrase, "too blessed to be stressed." I've heard rumors of this phrase, but never heard it used. She was the most interesting animal I saw that morning. 

Today we are going to an indoor play structure with some friends. I hope they will be occupied for hours so I can dish with my girlfriend. Lastly, MEA is great because you can take time to make breakfast together. We made chocolate chip pancakes. Isabelle got down on those cakes and noticed she got chocolate all over the table. She said, "it's okay, mom. I'll just lick it up." No you won't. I will. 

4. Mini pumpkins and gourds. If you have visited my home lately you have likely left with multiple mini pumpkins. I'm obsessed. Trader Joes has the best mini pumpkins, if you're in the market. I drive by this store to take Henry to school and I stop most days to pick a few (20) up. When children are little it is surprisingly easy to get them to like what you like. Isabelle is totally on board. If we are going to visit a friend, she suggests we get some minis. If we are going to the gym, better get some! Catch the fever, Isabelle! 

See, fall is great. I hope you a have a wonderful day and that you get out and enjoy this short, but lovely time of year. 

--maggie 

Girlfriends.

Today is Wednesday which means I'm headed to volunteer in Henry's classroom a little later. Henry knows this and thought he should prep me with some information. The following conversation happened while driving to school:

Henry: you know what, mom? I already have two girlfriends.

Giggles 

Me: oh yeah. Who? 

Henry: Sidney is one, but she doesn't know. The other is Nayla. 

Me: how do you know you are her boyfriend? Do you hang out together?

Henry: I don't go anywhere near her. 

Giggles

Me: okay. So how do you know she's your girlfriend?

Henry: she told me. 

Me: what did you do?

Henry: I said, "oh great!" And then I smacked myself in the face. 

What? 

On an unrelated note, a wild turkey tried to give me a heart attack by jumping in front of my car. On Lexington Parkway. 

Hope your day is wonderful and full of great stories. I'm enjoying coffee at a bookstore while listening to Simon and Garfunkel's "America." I can think of very little to complain about and that is peaceful. 

--maggie 

Facebook

This morning I posted something about my kids on Facebook. Again. It's a habit I can't shake. I'm pretty sure I have been unfriended or hidden based on my posts, as charming as I believe my kid stories to be. So, I'm starting a blog. I don't know what I will use it for at this point. I am thinking it will be a great spot to post funny, sad, frustrating, endearing stories from my family. I think they are just great. Maybe I'll post some dope recipes I try or fun crafts. But then again, maybe I'll just write about my kids as that seems to be all I can do at this point. My name is Maggie, and I'm a kid oversharer.

Here goes one:
Last night we had some friends over for dinner. They have two children and Isabelle refuses to go anywhere near them. During dinner she pushed one of the boys as she was generally annoyed that he was in her space. Nick placed Isabelle upstairs on a timeout. Instead of crying or carrying on, she pissed all over the carpet. For real.

Some days my kids bring me undeniable joy and make me feel like I am the greatest mom that ever walked the earth. Other days I feel like I am being defeated by a 6 and 3 year old. Over and over. Balance would be great. Until then, I think I will write. And post pictures. And tell jokes. Have a good one, friends.

-Maggie