Hard to believe I grew up in Florida

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have issues with the heat. I hate being hot. I hate feeling sticky and sweating is something I do my best to avoid at all costs. Unless of course, I am at the gym where ironically, I crave working up a good sweat.

I despise weather above 75 degrees and desperately require a body of water nearby in order to tolerate being outdoors. Being outside longer than the couple of minutes it takes to walk from the air conditioned car to an air conditioned building is not for me. I am the first one to complain about how hot it is and my friends can count on me saying some of my more favorite, familiar sayings; "Air. Me. Now." when getting into a friend's hot car and I have no control on how fast they are turning it on. Or quoting one of my favorite all-time movie lines; "This is like Africa hot. Did you know it was going to be this hot?!!??!"

I love Winter and count down the dog days of summer for its glorious return. It can never get cold enough for me and wearing hats, gloves and scarves makes me a happy camper. You can always add layers to get warmer, but you can only take off so much clothing (without getting arrested) trying to get cooler.

Now that you have a sense of how much I hate the heat, you'll understand what a big deal it was to take the kids blueberry picking today. We've gone every year and it's become a bit of a tradition with me, the kids and our friends. Unfortunately I have no say on when the blueberries are ripe for the picking and the end of June is always the best time to go. We found an awesome farm where the blueberries are a beautiful shade of blue and as big as grapes ready to be picked from the bushes. Ian loves our annual trek to Amissivile, VA (about an hour a way) and we make a great day trip out of it, complete with a stop at Panera Bread for lunch on the way home. I love my kids too much not to give them this experience. We live in such a fabulous area and it would be a shame to not take advantage of what is just a short drive away to get to.

To my dismay, today was one of the hottest days we've had so far. The temp hit 92 degrees and by the time we were ready to get back in the car, we were drenched in sweat. Ugh! We filled up half a jug of beautiful blueberries to bring back. Fortunately they don't weigh the kids before we go picking and don't weigh them again when we are done. We only have to pay for what manages to go into the containers, not their tummies while picking.

I am now going into hibernation mode for the rest of the summer. I am done doing any activities outside unless I am in a bathing suit (and everyone else is too!). Crank up the air conditioning and let's all pay homage to Willis Carrier, who invented AC and is my personal hero.

The funny thing is, I don't even like blueberries!

Louder than thunder

I've gotten really good at ignoring my son when he is throwing a temper tantrum in public. In fact, I've gotten embarrassingly good at it.

We had a fun outing planned yesterday afternoon to the local bowling alley with friends. Ian LOVES to bowl. Actually, he loves the whole experience; from getting bowling shoes to picking out a ball, to cheering on his fellow friends when they take their turn. Everything was going great until Ian realized he took his last turn and it was time to put his crocs on and call it a day. Looking back, I should've given him the "this is your last turn Ian" warning so that he could savor it, rather than hitting him blindsided after the fact. But I was having a great time myself hanging with mommy friends and before you knew it, all 5 kids were at the end of the round. We've gotten to the point where the kids can follow the game by themselves and take turns appropriately. It was super cute how they helped each other get a ball and then gather as a small crowd next to the bowler rooting each other on.

Fortunately our lane was located at the far end of the building and nowhere near the other, more serious bowlers. The guy behind the counter must have seen us coming and knew just where to put us.

When Ian was told it was time to go, he promptly asked if he could play one more time. When I said "no, it is getting late and we need to go", his screaming escalated nicely until he had the attention of everyone in the bowling alley. You know you've got a loud kid on your hands when he can manage to top the noise level above bowling balls rolling down the lanes and hitting pins down. Refusing to give into his demands, Ian kept at it. I was not thrown in the least by his behavior and went about my business gathering our stuff and making our way to the bathroom before getting in the car.

I am sure the reason behind Ian's outburst wasn't because he was dying to stay and bowl some more, but that he was tired. He had a full day at camp and gave up taking an afternoon nap long ago. The more tired he gets, the crankier he is. Anyone can see the writing on the wall that he is worn out and needs some downtime. But when he crashes in his bed by 7:00pm each night, I feel like I've taken one for the team by keeping him entertained for most of the day. I just feel bad for others (especially those without kids) who have to also suffer when Ian gets like this. My fingers are crossed these outbursts get less and less frequent when he realizes he won't get his way. Fortunately we tend to only go to kid friendly environments and lively noise from children is to be expected. Who defines what 'lively' means depends on if you have a headache or not at the time.

The funniest part of our bowling excursion came when one of my mommy friends asked how camp was going for Ian. "10 straight weeks, from 9:30am to 1:30pm, all 5 days a week -- how do you think it is going?" was my reply. Guess who started clapping and had a big smile on her face as I gave my answer? You got it, Sam! Even at just having turned one year old, she gets it.

You can never have too many

Less than a month ago, Ian celebrated his birthday and was showered with presents by his family and friends. The other day we were in the car discussing what we could do to make Father's day special for daddy today. After tossing around a few ideas, Ian then asks "When is it going to be Kid's day? Because I could sure use a new toy."

All my life I've been surrounded by amazing fathers. My first experience came from my own father, Jeff Mazer. No topic was off limits on what we would discuss and time and time again, he came through on always being there for me. I never questioned who would be the first parent to show up if they needed to come to our rescue. My dad may think he has a tough exterior, but my two sisters and I know that he is a huge softie in the inside. He is the first one to go to bat for us and will not stop checking in if something or someone is causing you pain. My dad has a wonderfully wicked sense of humor and enjoys a good laugh. He gave me my first American Express Card (age 15!) and will do his best to give you the moon if that is what you desire. I couldn't have asked for a better childhood and half of that is due to my dad being my father.

About 6 years ago, another father came into my life and that is my father-in-law, Harold Toppall. The love Dad Toppall has for his family runs deep. I've seen his sensitive side and his ability to tell a story that keeps you interested until the end. Dad Toppall is an incredibly warm and caring man and makes you feel like you've always been a part of the family. You don't just marry the guy, you get the whole kit and caboodle, I got very lucky.

My husband is the latest version of what it means to be a father. I've never seen a more passionate or proud daddy when it comes to his kids. When he is spending time with Ian and Sam, he gives 200% of himself and nothing else in the world going on at the moment matters. He is a big kid at heart and wants more than anything to do the best by them. Jeff has achieved a great work-life balance and makes sure he is home each night to have dinner as a family and put the kids to bed. As Forrest Gump says in the movie, "Mama said life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what your going to get." I had no idea what kind of father Jeff would be and my expectations have been far, far exceeded. He is good guy through and through and an excellent father. If anything ever happened to me, I know the kids will do well being raised by their father. However, I hope for Samantha's sake, she would know how to dress herself by then, because Jeff has this knack for putting all her clothes on backwards and not realizing anything is wrong.

Happy Father's day to all the amazing dads. I feel fortunate to have you in my life and love you very much.

Baby Steps

Every parent has a running list of things to worry about. Is my child getting enough vegetables in his diet? Is he behaving himself when he is at school? Are his writing skills where they should be? Why can't he throw a ball? And what is on one parent's list might never see the light of day on someone else's list. Furthermore, a mother's list might be very different than the father's list.

It doesn't matter the age of the child, the list of worries can easily transform to what is appropriately going on at that stage, specific to who the child is....Will my child get into a good college? Is he is drinking when he goes out with friends on the weekends? Is the girl he is dating good enough for him?

There are an infinite number of items on my worry list. Some days the items on the bottom of the list can find themselves in the top position of importance and other days, the list and what is on it doesn't seem so necessary to give two shits about.

Today my concern of Samantha never getting beyond the crawling stage of moving is no longer a worry. Slowly, but surely, Sam has learned to pull herself up to a standing position and actually took a step or two holding onto the couch to cruise this morning. It doesn't seem like a big thing to most people, but to me, my husband and her brother this was a very big deal. Given that most babies, on average, take their first steps unassisted on their first birthday, it seemed like Sam was never going to realize her role model for moving shouldn't be the dog on all fours.

After the excitement died down and we went back to our regular morning routine, I noticed Sam was following me out of the playroom. Lo and behold, my girl on the move started climbing up the steps after me. She made it up halfway and then decided to take a break by going into a sitting position. It doesn't take a brain scientist to realize that wouldn't have been a good idea. Before she was able to tumble backwards down 3 steps, I caught her. We have baby gates at the top of the steps to keep her from falling down them, now I guess we need to put another set of baby gates to keep her from falling up them!

Never one to keep the list of worries from getting shorter, Sam learning how to walk is now being replaced with "hoping she doesn't crack her head open or break her neck if I can't get there quick enough to catch her from falling."

Only if you call it a 'trim'

Let the negotiations begin! The conditions needed to be met for Ian to agree to get his haircut was a mile long and completely out of control. It all started harmlessly by telling Ian he could have a lollipop. Then he'd ask for two. Give an inch and he'd take a mile.

Before you knew it, this is what had to happen before Ian would get anywhere near a Cartoon Cuts:

1. 2 lollipops (and one of them better be blue!)
2. No robe will be worn or even a towel around his neck
3. Do not call it a haircut, only a 'trim'
4. No scissors can be used, only the electric razor
5. Thomas the Tank Engine (specifically "Calling All Engines") had be on the tv
6. One hand held the lollipop, the other must be holding trains
7. Directly afterwards going to the candy store Fair Oaks Mall opened for specially chosen colored m&m's
8. Only Abby can do the cut
9. Must be sitting on mommy or daddy's lap

It's surprising to learn that we'd go through this ridiculous exercise on average once every 2 months, since Ian was 12 months old. Seriously. And, even with all the conditions met, it wouldn't guarantee that Ian would sit still and be a well-behaved boy. Oh no! Either me or my husband (usually me because I was the lucky one to take him during the week) would have to use our arms and legs to wrap around his body and try to keep him still. All the while, the haircut was occurring, Ian would scream "NOOOOOOOOOO", "It's over", "We're done" Or, "Time to go" at the top of his lungs while crying and working his way out of our hold. Abbey is a pro and amazingly was able to work her magic fast and get us out of there in under 10 minutes, with his head looking completely even.

Somewhere about 3 haircuts ago, Ian all of sudden stopped asking for his list of demands when the mention of getting a haircut came up. It was a Saturday and tears came to my eyes watching Ian (who announced he could sit in the chair all on his own) doing his absolute best trying to sit still with a robe on and a towel around his neck. I never thought I would see the day that Ian became mature enough to handle the haircut experience like every other little boy and girl out there.

I guess no one knows Ian better than he knows himself. He knew when he'd be ready to do it on his own and not need a list of bribes to be met. Ian still only wants Abbey to cut his hair, but I have to agree with him on this one. She and Binh are the best stylists at Cartoon Cuts. And, now believe it or not, during the last visit, Abbey was even able to pull out her scissors. This is great news for someone like me, who is dying to give Ian a real style to his hair. We are currently a work in progress on creating something very cute.

After what we've been through, it's hard to imagine we are now at the point where Ian is requesting to get his haircut. As I was saying good-bye to him at camp this morning, he didn't ask to go to the pool when I come to pick him up or to go to Chuck E. Cheese or go bowling. He said, "Mommy, can Abbey cut my hair today after lunch bunch?"

We've come a long way baby!

Down they go...

Ian has named him "Beary". He is white, soft and about half the size of Ian. "Beary" is the stuffed animal his school (or better known as camp if you are attending during the month of June) gives to kids who get hurt and need a little extra TLC. Apparently Ian was the recipient of such a gesture today.

I discovered this oversized bear in Ian's cubby when picking him up at the end of lunch bunch. Both Sam and I were surprised to see such a thing coming out of his cubby as it took up the entire space. I inquired who this new addition was and why did we get so lucky to have it. The teacher who stayed to run the lunch bunch group explained that Ian fell down and this bear was given to him to make him feel better. He can take the bear home and bring him back to camp tomorrow.

Since I could visibly see that Ian was ok and nothing seemed broken or required a band-aid (plus, I know the school well enough to know they would immediately call me if such was the case), I asked how this fall happened. Ms. Dori fell on Ian and Mitchell (a boy a little older than Ian) fell on Ms. Dori. So if I am doing the math correctly, Ian had about 250 pounds (if not more!) on top of him at one point during the day. All I could think of was, "Ian, were you able to breathe?" His answer was, "A little." Then he added, "Eliza put my helmet back for me." I am guessing that Ian was on his way to put his helmet back and this domino effect of bodies falling on my son happened. It was very sweet of Eliza to complete Ian's task.

My husband says that I laugh at the most inappropriate times. There must be something wired in me a little different than the normal, compassionate person next to me, but harmless injuries, slips and falls can bring tears to my eyes (from laughing so hard) just even thinking about it, much less witnessing it.

Picturing the events of today (and fortunately no one was hurt) has been the best laugh I've had in a long time. I know, this is soooooo wrong.

Feeling at home at the Zoo

We tackled the National Zoo today. It was a great time and since we only had one major temper tantrum, I'd say it was a huge success too.

We got to the zoo right when they opened at 10:00am. Our strategy was to park at the bottom, and start off at the top, working our way back down. This way, we'd knock out the big, ugly hill (almost a mile in length) at the beginning when we'd be most up to the challenge. We have a sit-n-stand stroller that we pull out on these exact occasions to move both children from point A to B to C to D to E and so forth. Normally, Ian is not big on using a stroller, but the minute he knows walking is involved (and a hill no less), all of a sudden his legs don't work. We instantly cut off any potential whining from the get-go and make everyone happier all around that he has a place to rest his feet while enjoying our outing.

That screaming you heard at 11:45am wasn't a new wild animal exhibit on display, it was our 4 year old son being convinced he needed to eat the other half of his peanut butter sandwich before getting any treats he had his eye on. We packed a picnic lunch and around 11:30am Ian said he was getting hungry. We made our way to some park benches and began eating. We already promised Ian we'd get ice cream on our way out, as a last stop before getting back into the car. In our walk up the hill, he noticed popcorn being popped at one of the many food vendors the zoo offers. Ian asked if he could get popcorn and we both said, if you eat the entire peanut butter sandwich, we will get popcorn. Getting Ian to eat peanut butter sandwiches has been a bit of a battle for us. Usually for lunch he'll ask for pizza bagels, or noodles or a hot dog; not really the type of food you can easily pack in a picnic setting. And, now that he is going to camp and then pre-k for 5 days a week, it would sure make things easier to be able to include a peanut butter sandwich every now and then. We've successfully gotten to the point where he'll eat half of it without an argument, but then he'll finish eating the other stuff in his lunch (goldfish, cheez-its, etc.) or drink his juice/water mix until he feels full.

As Ian is throwing his screaming fit, Jeff and I did nothing to stop him. I mean, if you can't scream at the top of your lungs at the zoo, then where can you? We completely ignored him and continued eating our lunch as if nothing unusual was going down. Every mom and dad walking by smiled and nodded in our direction giving us a silent thumbs up. The screaming lasted about 5 minutes and Ian finally realized he wasn't getting his way and said he'd finish the other half. Score one for mommy and daddy!

Of course, our plan to start at the top and work our way back down the hill backfired and we had to go right back up and get the popcorn. At which point we pass the Panda exhibit for a 2nd time and asked Ian again if he wanted to go see the Pandas. No, was his answer. Apparently Ian wanted to see EVERYTHING except the pandas.

The mood seemed to lift and Ian was in great spirits again having gotten his popcorn and Jeff & I were feeling pretty good too having won the food battle. Sam was her amazing self and quite the trooper. She totally skipped her morning nap and you'd never know. In fact, she made it all the way until we got home at 2:45pm, had her bottle and went down for a 1.5 hour nap.

We saw the lions, tigers, cheetahs, gazelles, emus, apes, small mammals, zebras, elephants, rhinos, visited the kids' petting zoo, and of course, got ice cream on the way out. It was a full day and Jeff & I are exhausted from conquering the hill not once, but twice (actually there was a 3rd time we had to back track up the hill again trying to find the outdoor elephant exhibit - but we won't go into too much detail about that) while pushing two kids (combined weight of kids = 63 pounds, stroller = 15 lbs, diaper bag and cooler = 10 lbs) in a double stroller.

As we were leaving the zoo and driving home, Ian says, "I wish we saw the pandas."