For Mommy

This year I really wanted to get the kids involved in Mother's Day presents. They are old enough now that they should have some say in what they want to give their mommy. We talked about it a few days ago and Dede decided that Mommy needed some new slippers. So off we went to Target to find some slippers. We found some slippers, but lost Alex (only for a minute), went to the potty twice (once was a false alarm), and stopped by the candy isle for a quick treat. I think the kids knew they were with a rookie shopper.

The other major present was of the home made variety. Rather than buy Tara a bunch of stuff she may or may not want I decided to make something that she may or may want. We made a little movie of our family - Best of, So Far. My favorite part of the movie is the voiceover work by Kennedy and Alex. Each of them took a turn narrating their part of the movie and telling their mommy how much she means to them. Happy Mother's Day Tara....

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Under the Sea

For the past few weeks we've been looking to take the kids to the planetarium to see one of their 3D movies. I knew that Alex would really like it if we rode Trax, so he could say he was on the train. Now, I don't mind Trax, but a stroller on Trax is never easy. Still, it was for the kids. So, we packed up the kids, added a few cousins and grandparents, and off we went on a downtown adventure.

If you haven't been to the planetarium lately, it is really fun. We got there about an hour before the movie started and no one cared. They played on all the different exhibits which included the moon and mars scapes and everyone loved the weather station where they could see themselves on TV. We even piled everyone on the giant scale to test our weight on other planets. Funny, but we didn't take a picture of that one! Still, it was fun to watch the kids as they just kept running from station to station to see the cool stuff.


The movie we saw was called Under the Sea, about a 45 minute show detailing life along the Great Barrier Reef. It was awesome! The 3D allowed the kids to get up close and personal with all the different creatures and plants along the ocean floor. For Alex it was his first 3D experience and he kept reaching out to touch the "fishies". Once he couldn't grab them he kept taking off his glasses to figure out what was wrong...

Two big thumbs up from our family about the Clark Planetarium and Under the Sea.

In the Doghouse

A couple of days ago we got into an interesting discussion in the office. The topic: Mother's Day. I was curious what a man's obligations are for Mother's Day. I know I'm going to help the kids buy a present for Tara, I'm going to buy a present for my mom, but how many other presents do I need to buy?

"You should only help your kids buy their mom a present," came the first response. One guy said that he buys a present for his wife from each of his children and then he buys a present from him. Another said that I need to buy three presents, two for Tara - one from me and one from the kids, and one for my mom. He then added, "What are you doing for your mother-in-law?" What?! I have never bought my mother-in-law a present. It's not that I don't care about her. It's just - she's not my mother. I let Tara take care of that one. Is this wrong? Should I be buying a present for my Mother-in Law? After all, she's directly responsible for Tara.

I still haven't figured out the proper etiquette on Mother's Day presents. I just want to make the day a nice one for Tara, my mom, and yes - my mother-in-law. If all the women in my life have a great Sunday perhaps I can avoid the doghouse.

It's the Dreaded RSV

We made it through the first two babies without having to deal with RSV. Unfortunately, Dylan now has two older siblings who are both kinda sick and neither is very good at covering their mouths when they cough. This led to Dylan getting a "cold" at the end of last week. No big deal we thought, "We've had kids with colds before." Still, a couple of days passed and Dylan wasn't getting any better. We decided it was time for a trip to the InstaCare.

After a few minutes with the doctor the diagnosis wasn't a cold, it was RSV. "Your son is going to need to go to Primary's, immediately!" This wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. In fact, the doctor wanted Dylan to go to the hospital in an ambulance. Fortunately, Tara talked him into letting her drive to Primary's - saving us the $200 buck an ER ride in the ambulance would have cost.

We've never taken a child to the ER before. Truthfully, beyond the occasional cold, our kids have been incredibly healthy. It's a different experience to have to sit on the sidelines and watch doctors shove tubes down your baby's throat. It was the only way to clear out his lungs and help him breathe. Even though it makes sense, it doesn't make it any easier to watch.

After a few hours Dylan was back home and sleeping. His cold still isn't completely gone, but we've been a lot better at sucking out the mucus and he's breathing a lot better. Now, we just need to convince Alex not to "share the love" with Dylan in the form of a snotty, wet kiss...

5 Things I Never thought I'd Say

I love the way this minivan handles.

Just spit it out into my hand.

I'd love some more asparagus (insert most vegetables here).

Does this smell like poo?

I'm kinda tired. Can we just go to sleep?