Lazy Livin'

Just because I haven't posted in a while, doesn't mean I'm not snappin' away. Here's a running photo illustration titled "LAZY LIVIN'."


Dad doesn't have to shave, and the boys can enjoy taking turns making Indian noises.


There's plenty of time to read the comics. (If only that dog could find another path to the front room...) You may have also noticed Patrick's little hand with a ripped corner of "Peanuts" in the foreground. Trouble brewing??



Nah. It just happens to be time for some good ole fashioned Brother Wrestling!

While Elliott gets used to his school schedule, Patrick has time to explore his future options. Here, with no encouragement, he explores sanitation and waste management.

Lazy Livin' leaves plenty of time for sports enthusiasts, including these two, following the "look tough!" photographer direction. (Obviously. What'd you think? Elliott was pooping??)

The boys thank Aunt Chris and Uncle Milton for the matching hats, but Elliott's still struggling with what facial expressions are best for tough sportsmen like those pictured here.

The aftermath of Ike (75 mph winds that left more than a million Ohioans without power for days and closed schools for most of the week) left us with one alternative: indoor play. Here the Couch Cushion Playground by Mom.

Climbing, crawling through tunnels, ...

...sophisticated (if not all that slippery) slides...

...provide hours of fun... er, um... well... In the boys' defense, Mom did think she had crafted a genius play area, one that allowed her to steal a few minutes to do work e-mails from the kitchen. Alas, someone -- clearly NOT Elliott -- had other plans for the playground.

Oh, just in case you thought you missed a growth spurt from Patrick, don't worry. He's still one-third (literally!) the size of Riley!

Still, he continues to dine heavily on high-fat, high-calorie foods, like corn, watermelon and crackers. (HOW do we have one kid who can eat me under the table and one who has next-to-no interest in food??)

Monday morning: The Bus Adventure Begins! (We lost almost a full week of school with Ike's power outages, but I JUST got off the phone with Elliott's new bus driver!!! Keep your eyes peeled for Bus 178, people!)

A Big Kid, His Backpack & No Bus

Pete kept asking if I was going to cry, but Elliott's first day of school really wasn't traumatic in any way!

Elliott woke up at 7:30, immediately asking me if it was time to go to school. As soon as he was dressed, he stationed himself on the couch, backpack firmly on both shoulders. When Pete went downstairs to get the dogs out of their beds, Elliott headed outside, thinking his ride had left. (It took A LOT of convincing to get him back inside for a few minutes!)

I pumped him for details of his two-and-a-half hour-day when I picked him up, but I got limited info. Every answer had an automatically generated conclusion, like so:

Me: Did you have a fun day at school?

Elliott: Yes, but I really want to ride the school bus.

Me: I know, buddy. Soon! Next week, okay?

E: Okay, but I really, really want to ride it.

Me: [Distract him! Change the subject!] Well, what did you do today? Did you play, make friends, have a snack?

E: Yeah... [He goes on to tell me about the activities and how he didn't drink the apple juice because he drinks pomegranate juice -- please don't let me kid get beaten up because of the juice we serve him] ... but I really want to ride the school bus.

One-track mind?

We fight the bus battle until Monday since this week is technically his evaluation period. But Miss Susie reported that he had a great first day!

The Bus & Brotherly Feeding

I get it. I realize not everyone can be happy all the time. (But that the moods would probably be dramatically improved if I would just update this blog regularly!!!)


On the upside, Patrick's walkin' around like an old drunken pro! (Even though I declared success on this topic weeks ago, I was sort of fibbing. He's finally actually preferring to walk. Seriously. What are baby knees made of??? Who could like crawling on this floor?)


In other big news, Elliott had meet-the-teacher day at the school he'll start 9/08/08! Here, Elliott tidies the classroom kitchen with a girl named Lisa. (He told Miss Dayna they were "really good friends" after they exchanged six words. Total.)


Stop my beating heart! My three-year-old will ride a BUS!!! (And he is thrilled beyond words.) If you have concern as I did/still do, I'll tell you it's a little bus, with seat belts, a thoroughly trained driver and an aide. And it's about a five-minute ride. And the kid only cares about school IF it means he can get some kind of guarantee that he'll be on the bus to and from. Wow, they do grow up FAST!)

Just look. He's already the trouble-maker at the back of the bus.

Okay, I realize I'm pretty far from objective on this subject, but dinner tonight was quite possibly the Cutest Moment in All of Parenting. Patrick discovered my fork and was giggling like a fool, trying to use it!

Here comes the airplane...

You may have noticed the plate is completely gone at this point, but they were both so entertained by this little charade! I only wish I had video and sound of the laughter and "good job, Patrick!" from Elliott, who decided he patently hates peas, but thought this was a useful exercise for his little brother.