Thursday, January 26, 2012

Sharing Girl Things

Ok... so part of this post might be a little too much information, but it's so funny, I have to share... even at the expense of my pride.
Dom is 3 years old, almost 4... and after a bit of a speech delay, I am finally now able to enjoy all the funny things that kids say when they are younger because he is finally using great sentences. I am laughing at his funny quotes all day long.
So, a few days ago I was combing Dominic's hair on my bathroom countertop as we were getting him ready for school. He noticed a package of pantyliners I had just bought, sitting on top of the countertop.

Dom: Mom, what are those?
Me: Oh, those are called pantyliners.
Dom: Why they for?
Me: Well, they help Mommy so she doesn't pee her pants. (Okay, that's the embarassing part... this is my 3rd pregnancy and... oh gosh, I pee. When I cough, laugh, jump, run, etc. So let's move on...)
Dom: Ohhhhhh. (said in a very thoughtful-enlightened tone) I want one!
Me: Nope, sorry. They're just for girls.
Dom: Awwwww!
Me: Sorry.
15 seconds later...
Dom: Mo-ooom, I want one.
Me: Sorry Dom, they're just for girls. Look, they're wrapped in PINK... pink is for girls. (Just my way of explaining it to a 3-year old. Nothing against boys and pink.)
Dom: Awwwwwww!
Me: Sorry, bud.
Then, having perfected his combover... I hefted him off the countertop. He looked at me, then at the package of coveted pantyliners... and then he snatched two of them out of the pack and ran like the wind away from me and out of the bathroom with the stolen goods.
I heard his little footsteps tear across the living room and head down the stairs, so I followed him at a distance, to see what he would do with his loot. I made it 1/2 way down the stairs when I heard him talking, breathlessly, to Damon who was playing downstairs with the train table.
Dom: Here you go, Dame! It's kinda like a diaper. It helps you so you don't pee your pants. Here... hold it on your pe*is, like this.
Dame: Uh-kay Dom. Here... hole it on yah pe*is, yike isss!
(Oh-that's a little embarassing too... my boys use the anatomically correct name for their parts. I accidently told Dom what it was once when he was really little and not really committing much to memory... he asked me what it was and I was caught off guard at his directness...and, well... he totally committed it to memory. So there you have it. When I try and tell Damon it's his "private part", Dom promptly corrects me. Whatever.)
At this point, I'm like, "Okay, I've got to see this." So I walk around the corner, laughing, and reveal myself. Dominic and Damon are playing trains with one hand, and both of them are holding a fully wrapped pantyliner to their crotch on the outside of their pants in the other hand. Business as usual.
Me: Dominic! What are you guys doing?
Dominic: (Giving me a stern look and talking to me in a disapproving tone...) Mom, you have to SHARE girl things! We don't want to pee our pants either!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Art of Having Fun

The last time I painted ceramics was 11 years ago. My roomates at college and I held Wednesday nights sacred (we were seriously not even the artsy type either) and never planned any dates or other activities on that night so that we could all drive an hour up to Elk Ridge to some lady's basement-transformed-workshop and paint ceramics together. I mentioned that we weren't, any of us, particularly talented in the art/painting arena... but for some reason, it was soooo much fun and I looked forward to it every week.
So jump forward 11 years and deja-vu... except with my totally amazing sisters-and-mother-in-law. This is what us gals did on New Years Eve...
It was a little stressful getting started... there were so many options and so many ways of doing things. And we were already behind schedule after having been late to (a fabulous) lunch and chatting it up while our hubbies braved all of the kiddies at Nana's house.
But I finally settled on a "Birthday Plate" for my kids. And tried not to pay attention to what Angela was up to... she's artsy... and reeeally talented. Psshh.
Here are said amazing sisters-in-law...
Angela and Leslie
Me and Amy
Miss Amber, and my beautiful MIL - JoAnn.
We painted and talked...
...and painted
...and painted
...and talked and talked.
And after... like, 4 hours...
We finished!They still needed to be fired... which will darken them and ton (the blue on my plate is actually dark blue) and make them glossy and shiny. They all look pastel here. And I wish I could show you my finished product (after the firing) but I had to return back to AZ before we could pick them up... so I am awaiting Miss Amy's visit to AZ - she'll come bearing a "birthday plate".
Thanks girls!!! I had so much fun with all of you and I'm more than a little jealous that you all live so close to each other. :(
So what's on the agenda for next time... BINGO?

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Very "Innes" Christmas... and a Happy New Year!

Old news, I know... it's mid-January. And I'm just posting our Christmas trip to Utah. My lack of time to do anything besides barely hold myself together as I try to get back into real-life and off vacation-mode is the culprit. Man, I am reeeaally scared to have 3 kids. I am barely functioning as it is! My blog has necessarily taken a back seat... until today! :) Here are some pictures of our annual trip to Utah for Christmas...
..."Bumpa" spent some time outside outside with Dom practicing throwing, catching, and kicking the soccer ball.

So cute.This picture makes my heart happy. Dom will love this one when he gets older.Here is a picture of the Innes family's stocking assortment. There are a couple of stockings hidden behind others because there are so many of us now...it's hard to fit them all in! We are the toy soldiers. :)
...watching our traditional "Mr. Magoo's Christmas" on Christmas Eve.
...making gingerbread houses (and picking our nose, I guess). Thanks Mom and Dad, for supplying all the goods!
The finished product... Dominic did all the little balls on the windows and door. He was really into decorating the house this year.
A few nights later, I let the boys binge on the houses. Dominic polished off our house...
...and Damon made off with someone else's.
...scrumptious.
It's always great to get the boys reaquainted with their aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's really hard to live so far away from all our family. Damon really warmed up to Aunt Amber.
You can't really tell... but there are about 5 or 6 kids under all those blankets. The boys had so much fun with their cousins.
Nana and Bumpa bought all the grandkids monkey pajamas. This isn't nearly the entire brood, we didn't even attempt a cousin-shot this year...too many wiggly ones. But you get the picture.The guys all played their usual "Age of Empires"......and the girls went out to lunch on New Year's Eve, and then we went to a fun little ceramic shop and painted ceramics while the men stayed home with all the kiddoes. It was so fun. I'll detail that little outing next post.

Our kiddoes almost made it 'til New Year's. But their mean Mama made them go to bed at 10 so she could salvage any sanity left in her weary body.
Our drive home went pretty smoothly, thanks to our new double DVD player and headphones... h-h-h-heaven! (Unless you count the instances where Dominic is threatened within one inch of his life because he is asked to use a public restroom.) I think they watched the Polar Express, like, 4 times.
Whew! Finally, done with Christmas until next year. Man, I need to stop taking so many flippin' pictures. ;)