Happy Christmas Eve!

Brrrrrr! Baby, it's cold outside! I hope all of you are staying warm!

Nicholas is so excited about Christmas! It's been so much fun talking with him about Santa and watching him get more and more excited about everything. He is a bit confused about the whole idea of it being Jesus' birthday. He asked how old Jesus was going to be and I said that he has been around for forever, so very old. But then he asked why he was still a baby. Hmmmm....I had no idea. So I went with my, now standard, answer. Because God made it that way and God is magic. It works for anything! :)

Michael is almost walking. He stands on his own and will attempt to take a step every once in awhile. And he can sprint crawl amazingly quickly. And fit under anything. That baby has amazing skills! He is pretty easy though. He is laid back and generally always happy. And he actually listens when you tell him know, which is astounding to me. :) He loves playing ball, with cars, and loves listening to music.

Being a single mom keeps getting better. I can dance around the house and sing and the kids will join me and we aren't annoying anyone. I can be somewhat messy, hyper, goofy, or quiet and no one really minds. I am thinking it's not such a bad thing. And it keeps getting easier and more manageable. Well, as long as a second job or holiday isn't thrown in there. Day to day life is very manageable now, and even fun. :)

So, guess what?!?!?? Thanks to Emily being so kind and watching the boys for a ridiculously long time last night, I did my final long training run for the marathon! I ran 20.7 miles in 4 hours and 20 minutes. For all of you runners who would be interested, that is a 12:34/mile pace. So, I was ecstatic just to have completed it, but then, the pace was surprisingly good news. It was about 25 degrees so I had at least 5-7 lbs of clothes on, not counting my shoes and I was half frozen. And the route I run is very hilly. So, now I am thinking...can I break 5 hours? I will have summer running clothes, no hills, and I won't be frozen. I would be so excited! But really, I will be just so excited to be there and running it and to start and finish with no injuries. And it's on my birthday, 1/11! I couldn't think of a better way to begin a new year.

2008....I am against it. It was a very bad year for lots of reasons, but mainly one. I am excited to start 2009 doing something happy and positive and hope that the rest of the year will get the idea and follow. :)

So...things I learned this month:

Glitter never dies, ever. If someone should dump it, not matter how many times you sweep it or mop it, it will always be there. Like germs of the art supply world.

And if glitter is somehow poured on a baby, it apparently becomes a permanent part of their skin. No matter how many baths happen, you will still be able to find glitter on the baby.

The average parent does not call poison control 15 times. I know, I did a survey. And if that weren't enough, the poison control nurse kindly informed me I was over-achieving in this area.

A 3 and a half year old weighing approximately 35 lbs can drink 3/4 of a bottle of children's tylenol and be okay. And a tube of toothpaste too. But I already knew about the toothpaste from a previous call from poison control.

When the poison control nurse points out that when some kids can open child proof containers and scale upper level cabinets to reach things a lock box is in order, don't ask if it isn't illegal to put your child in a lock box in PA. They will not be amused.

Playdoh does not melt. Nick experimented by putting clumps of playdoh on the rug, tables, counters, and toys and watered it with a bottle of water as science experiment to find out if it would melt. It does not. It does turn into a sticky gloopy substance though. Not recommended.

The stomach flu is evil.

Your 3 year old will decide whatever he ate right before he had the stomach flu was the evil that caused it and refuse to eat carrots based on his life experience.

3 year olds can reach ANYTHING

Kids learn to imitate each others screams and cries and think it's hilarious to see mama run to rescue the wrong kid. Both of them. Seriously.

Kids will do anything if you call it a party! It's a cleaning up party! It's a scrubbing the bathroom party! It's a staying in line party! WOOHOO! And if you add music, it's even better!

Some people will continue to be jerks no matter how nice you are to them. Stay away from them as much as possible.

Some people will love and adore you no matter how imperfect and terrible you are at staying in touch. True friends are amazing. :)

If you are determined, you can do anything. If it doesn't seem possible, it probably is.

Dating sucks. And it only gets weirder as you get older. It is fantastic for stories to entertain friends though. :)

And last, but not least, babies do not and can not fly. Nick experimented. We both agreed that babies can't fly, bounce like balls, even if they are baby Batman in disguise as baby brother Michael.

Happy December! :)

Good Morning, Poison Control!

So, apparently we are frequent flyers at the Poison Control Center. I wonder if they have reward points?

Nick woke up at 4:52 this morning, before I had the chance to get a shower. So I sent him downstairs to go play so I could get a quick shower. 5 minutes later I am out of the shower and Nick comes upstairs with a sticky film covering him telling me he needs to wash his hands. And I ask WHAT is all over him. He tells me toothpaste....and red medicine. But no, I am thinking, it can't be. That bottle is in the kitchen on a high shelf where he couldn't possible reach. But I go downstairs and discover that I am incorrect. With a chair and some good climbing, he certainly can reach it apparently. And apparently also can unscrew child proof caps. Seriously!?!??? At 4:59 in the morning!????

So visions of an ER trip started dancing though my head as I call Poison Control, again. Sandy, the nurse did some crazy math calculation to figure out what three quarters of a bottle of 4 oz Tylenol with about 5 teaspoons spilled on the counter could do do a 35 pound boy and....we are safe. I don't even mention that he also ate most of a tube of toothpaste, since I have already consulted them about this in the past and know that this won't make you seriously ill either if it's kid's toothpaste. She suggests a lock box. And I am wondering, for the medicine or for Nick?

HAPPY FRIDAY! :)