Five on Fridays: Party-Pooping Rain, Non-Planets and Lumber Addiction

1. Our huge clean house yard sale scheduled for tomorrow is a NO GO because of the rain. I was looking forward to getting rid of a lot of the stuff just sitting around, to make room for more new stuff! I'm just kidding. We really need to purge, especially Ethan. This whole thing, by the way, was his idea to begin with. He knows that he has $150 of birthday money that he could spend on whatever he wants.... but in order to buy MORE toys, we told him he had to get rid of some. So my brilliant offpsring says:

"Let's have a yard sale so I can sell my toys. Because these toys are for babies, and I'm a big boy. And then, I can get toys for a big boy."

He has actually set aside 2 bins of toys already that he is willing to rid of, including his train table (that he never really used anyway since the Geotrax were always set up on the floor) and his toy kitchen.


2. I've been craving fo sushi all day! Mike wanted to go last night, but we decided to hold off until tonight. There's an AMAZING all-you-can-eat sushi place that we frequent...... and all-you-can-eat is NOT an exaggeration!

3. Work is starting to really pick up, so I'm anticipating some late nights within the next few weeks. Last year was pretty bad....... I think our record was working 30 hours straight! God help me......


4. Did I mention Ethan has been moved to the official big kids preschool class? Their preschool class is split in two, and the second level class is where they put the ones who are more advanced, not necessarily the older kids.

This month, they are learning about outer space. One day, I thought I would proudly recite my planets in order starting with the planet closest to the sun. Remember MVEMJSUNP????

Me: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. See Ethan? I know my planets too!

Mrs Nacion (my kindergarten teacher) would've been so proud..........

Ethan: Ummmmm... mommy? Pluto is not a planet anymore.

Doh.

5. If the rain lets out even just for a little bit this weekend, I would like to start on our next project -- the entertainment center for the upstairs loft. I've got my lumber lists ready and we're itching to get that upstairs finally organized. Mike thinks I'm going crazy.......... I have so much I want to build, but so little time! I actually have a binder (with dividers, haha) of the plans of different things I want to build. At least something's organized..........

My new addiction: Home Depot! :)

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe

Almost 9 months after we moved in....... I think it's about time we furnish the loft. At first, I didn't mind that it has become the catch all for Ethan's toys. As long as they weren't all over the place downstairs, I was ok with it. But it's become such a monster, it's like Santa's workshop and Toys R Us got married and had babies and they threw up in our loft. I have been desperately looking for an entertainment center/shelving unit to hide our own Toys R Us, but haven't had much luck.

So.... hopefully.... with some elbow grease, a brand spanking new nail gun and jigsaw, LOTS of wood glue, and quality hubby/wifey time...... we're going to be building the furniture for upstairs.

I want to build both the media center for one side, and the bankable bookcases on the other. Amibitious, I know! But even if it takes us a few weeks to do..... I think we'll all be happy that room will finally be organized!

Pottery Barn Cameron Media Wall System - $1,790

Land of Nod Bankable Bookcases - $699

The big question of the day is...... which should be build first??? :)

Decisions! Decision!

Ethan's First Year - in Scrapbook pages

I finally ordered Ethan's book of all scrapbook pages I created for his first year. Yes! Finally! Four years later! I knew I was missing some photos..... but I was on a deadline to use the flatrate book sale over at Winkflash. I did put some blank pages towards the end of the book so I could "manually" scrapbook the ones that I missed -- who does that still anyway? :)

Our First Project! Knock-off Pottery Barn Montgomery Upholstered Headboard

So one night, I stumbled into Ana's awesome blog Knock-off Wood, and I was immediately inspired to be a carpenter. No, really.......

No one wanted to believe me. I've always been obsessed with furniture. Ask Mike. I almost had a 3 bedroom house furnished before we even got the house!

The plans sat in my purse for a few days before I finally convinced Mike to go to Home Depot, where he decides, by the way, that this is actually a pretty brilliant idea because he can coerce me to buy power tools. I should've bought the pink nail gun so he can't claim it's his.

We thought we'd start with something easy, so we decided to build Sissy a headboard for her birthday.

Inspiration: Pottery Barn Montgomery Upholstered Headboard - $599 new

Using plans from Knock-off Wood - $100

It took us about 1.5 hours to actually put it together, and maybe another hour to put 2 coats of paint on. The hardest part was setting the fabric-covered panel on because the fabric kept puckering on the sides, but eventually we got it on. It's not perfect, but we're pretty damn proud of ourselves. Overall, the process was a lot easier than we anticipated... so we're debating on what to tackle on next as we speak.

The plans for the Montgomery Headboard (inspired by Pottery Barn) is here.


PS. I think Sissy needs more pillows.... lol

T-Ball Mama

I'm SUPER excited that Ethan will be starting T-ball in March. I just got a call from the coach last night that said Ethan will be with the Cubs -- which didn't sit too well with Mike at first.. he started rambling on about the Cubs having some kind of a curse?

But who cares!

I imagine Ethan will probably be one of the youngest ones, since he just turned 4. But he's very good with following instructions, and he has a lot of interest in baseball, so I hope he doesn't end up being the kid that sits on first base and eats grasshoppers (see Raymond clip to understand the reference).

So here's my crash course on the differences between baseball and T-ball:

Baseball - 9 innings (or more); T-ball - 3 innings

Baseball - runs add up as each player crosses the plate; T-ball - no scoring

Baseball - clear winner, clear loser; T-ball - no winners or losers. Everybody gets ice cream


Not sure I like the whole no scoring part. I'll probably be one of those psycho moms who keep score and give the slacking kids a dirty look or 1 less of a goodie snack. Ok. maybe I won't be that bad.

Can't wait to see Mike blow up like Raymond! LOL
Link (if the embedding doesn't work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeukHLf1V0Q

Facelift

So I decided to change things around again, I was getting kind of tired of the simple layout, so I tried out the other one for a while, but got tired of that one too. I was looking for a particular post that I had a few years ago and I realized I didn't have a search feature! That and I had only started labeling my posts about a year ago, so at some point I want to go back and label the rest so I could find posts when I want to. Hopefully, this format will work out for a while (at least until I get bored again, lol).

I've also added a new feature below each post that links to other similar entries.

With that said, good night!

Five on Fridays: Chickens, Knock off Furniture and Future Vacation Plans

My thoughts are on shambles. I have so much to think about... talk about... write about, but not enough time to do it. Days later I recall a fond memory I meant to blog about but never did, and I wonder how many times that happens.

So in a desperate attempt to organize my thoughts, I'm going to try another ploy to self-motivate chronicling my life. Here's five things I probably would've told you about if I had all the time in the world to tell you about it (in a shortened version, of course)

1. This weekend will be a rest weekend (sort of) after a few days really long and tiring (but fun) last weekend. Mike has a class all day tomorrow (he's back to school getting his Master in Psychology). Ethan and I will probably spend an hour or two yardsaling because we both enjoy searching for "treasure". But the rest of the weekend will probably be chill. If we feel up to it, and if I ever catch up on laundry, maybe we could squeeze in a few hours at the zoo on Sunday.

2. For the first time in a long time, I chickened out of a risky recreational sport. A bunch of us went to Snow Summit last Saturday, and aside from Ethan, I was the only one who didn't snowboard. Last year, I shattered my thumb from snowboarding and it took me more than 6 months to get my dominant hand back. Up to this date, I feel pain whenever I use it for anything strenuous (like swining a plastic bat), and the doc almost reluctantly promised I would suffer from arthritis because of the injury. So this time around, I opted out of sliding down the hill at 40 mph on a piece of fiber board and instead spent the whole day sledding with Ethan. I had more fun with Ethan than I probably would have worrying about not getting hurt again!

3. Mike and I finished our first project together -- Joana's headboard. Somewhere, somehow, I got tired of stalking the furniture section on Craigslist and decided to find a way to build our own, and I ran into knockoffwood.blogspot.com. This blog is AMAZING. Ana posts plans on how to build furniture from Pottery Barn and the likes, without spending an arm and a leg for it. I'll post more on the headboard we just built, but I'm excited to move on to our next project! Hmm.... entertainment center? Our loft is DYING to be organized!

4. My mom and my dad are coming back home from spending a little over a week in the Philippines (my birth country). I have to admit, I have been longing to go back since the last time I visited close to a decade ago. I want to bring Mike and Ethan there so bad so they could see where I grew up, went to school, meet all my ever growing family (that even I have a hard time keeping up with who's having which kid), everything that is innately me that I probably would never be able to explain. Yes, it's a third world country. Yes, I probably wouldn't choose to raise Ethan there -- only because he'll obviously have more opportunities here in the US. But the Philippines is still my home, my birthplace, my history. Hopefully, sometime this year, we'll be able to finally make that trip. Fingers crossed.

5. Mike finally got his lasik surgery on Monday. By the grace of God, so far, so good. No complications... and Mike seems to be very excited about not having to worry about glasses or wearing contacts ever again. His eyes are still eerily bloodshot.... it's normal, I suppose (it's only been a few days), but he was so worried the other night, that he went out of his way to divert away from a DUI checkpoint because he was worried the cops wouldn't believe him if they told him his eyes weren't red because of alcohol. In a few weeks, his eyes should be back to normal. For now, he has to wear protective goggles when he sleeps and I have to get used to sleeping next to Michael Phelps.

That's it for now!

Hope to post some this weekend!

How can I stand here with you, and not be moved by you?

As part of my Valentine's Day gift to Mike, we're going to see Lifehouse live in May (they're opening for Chris Daughtry, but we're really going for Lifehouse).

It'll be a departure from our usual Linkin Park/Korn concerts, but our first dance at our wedding was to "Everything" by Lifehouse, and I've been dying to hear them play it live! I get goosebumps every time I hear that song...... :)

Lifehouse performing live at the Winter Olympics

The Interview

These questions were posted by someone I knew on Facebook. I had always meant to ask Ethan all the questions but it always seemed to stay in my draft folder. I finally got him to answer them all tonight (inbetween playing Break the Ice) and I have to say, I was incredibly impressed!


**Answered by Ethan, age 4



1. What is something mommy always says to you?
"Don't run away from me"


2. What makes mommy happy?
"When I give you a flower"


3. What makes mommy sad?
"When I do something bad"


4. How does mommy make you laugh?
"You tickle me"


5. What was mommy like as a little girl?
"You take a picture"


6. How old is mommy?
"5"


7. How tall is mommy?
"Like Daddy"


8. What is mommy's favorite thing to do?
"Work"


9. What does mommy do when you're not around?
"You do work when I'm gone"


10. If mommy become famous, what will it be for?
"You gotta be a star"


11. What is mommy really good at?
"Dancing"


12. What is mommy not very good at?
"You're not good with spinning"



13. Where does mommy work at?
"Your job"



14.What is mommy favorite food?
"Burritos"



15. What makes mommy proud of you?
"When I'm being good at school"



16. If mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be?
"Little Einstein"



17. What do you and mommy do together?
"We stay home and do everything we need to do, like play with toys"



18. How are you and mommy the same?
"I saw a girl today with the same color of your hair"


19. How are you and mommy different?
"Girls doesn't have a penis"


20. How do you know mommy loves you?
Starts singing to the tune of You are my Sunshine: "I love you mommy, my only mommy. You make me happy... everyday. You are my mommy, because I love you. Please don't take my mommy away...."


21. What does mommy like most about daddy?
"He gave you a big heart. When you get married, he gave you a heart"


22. Where is mommy favorite place to go?
"Home, because you live at home"

Happy Valentine's!

F-O-U-R!!!!!! (and we're not talking about golf)

I know I still need to post details about his birthday party, but I couldn't resist posting this one. I've been scrapbooking like crazy the past week (Winkflash has a flat rate book sale and I want to make one for his first year at least) -- I'll post those too when I get a chance.

Envy of the Office (Again)

I don't understand why some women get embarassed when they get flowers at work..... I absolutely love it! Mike has sporadically sent me flowers since I started here, and every time, I enjoy hearing everybody coo about how great of a husband he is for being thoughtful.

I used to get mad about it. These suckers are not cheap! But it's the thought that really gets me, every time. Cliche? Who cares.

I spend 8 hours a day (some days, more) at work. That's more hours awake than I do at home during the week. I don't mind a constant reminder that someone is thinking of me, and I certainly don't care that people look at me with their jealous eyes.

Happy Valentines!

Growing Pains

There's no worse feeling than not being able to comfort your child whent they're in pain. Most days, my hugs and kisses are plenty enough to get him through. But last night, I was at a loss.

It's happened before. He wakes up in the middle of the night screaming bloody hell like someone's cutting him to pieces. It started about a year ago, and at first, we thought they were night tremors. We started becoming more conscious about not letting him watch anything that could potentially give him any "bad dreams". We tried getting him to sleep earlier after a long, warm bath. Some days, it seemed like it worked. But every once in a while, the screaming would come back.

He doesn't even seem awake when he does it. He just screams and screams and screams. It wasn't a scream for attention, he was screaming because of pain. I've thought about running him to the Emergency room a few times, just because I didn't know how else to help him.

For the past six months or so, he's finally been able to point at what's hurting him... and every time, he points at his legs... both legs. Sometimes, the knees. Other times, his shins. Most times, it's all over. I thought maybe he just lays on them wrong (he moves around a lot) and gets a "charlie horse" or his legs fall asleep. Massaging it helps very little, and he would scream for at least half and hour if not longer until he finally gets tired. The next morning, everything is back to normal. We can't even ask him when he's lucid about where the pain was, because he doesn't even remember he'd been up for hours crying the night before.

So it happened again last night. At 11pm. 12am. 3am. 4am. Mike and I took turns trying to comfort him but nothing seemed to work. He lays there and kicks, sits up and cries with his eyes closed, lay back down to do the some cycle over. I finally gave him some tylenol around midnight, which helped him (all of us, really) get a little more sleep before the next episode.

I've been told that they're probably "growing pains". A simple google search for "toddler leg pains" reigned hundreds of threads from same worried moms with the same problems. They all suggest warm baths before bed, massage with bengay, warm blankets, more bananas. But I'm not one to take chances when it comes to my son's health, so I'm taking him to his pediatrician on Friday.

I hope we find something that works soon though. I can't stand just watching him cry himself back to sleep.

My Favorite Kind of Conversations

I haven't written much about it, but Ethan seemed to have grown overnight. All of a sudden, he's holding his own in our conversations ranging from extraterrestrial beings, homework, and well, poop.

My favorite kind of conversations happen mostly in the car. I love our drive to school every morning because that's my 30-minute one-on-one with Ethan. We sing, we laugh, we drive up next to Mike or perfect strangers and wave or make funny faces, we blast the Kids Place Live channel on Sirius and put the Chipmunk or Spongebob song on repeat 5x or until we find something else to obsess about. Most importantly, we talk.

Yesterday, we were on our way home from my mom's house, it was pushing 9pm and I didn't expect to get much out of my usual "How was your day?" conversation starter, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Me: How was school?

Ethan: Good...

Me: Did you learn anything new today?

Ethan: No.

Me: Are you still learning about dinosaurs?

Ethan: No. We're learning about outer space now.

Me: Oh that sounds cool. What did you learn about.... [interupted]

Ethan: Mommy, why are there hearts in my classroom?

Me: Those are for Valentine's Day.

Ethan: What's Valentine's Day?

Me: Valentine's Day is a day of love......

Ethan: What's love?

I had to pause for a minute. How exactly do you explain love to a 4-year-old?

Me: Mommy loves Ethan. Daddy loves mommy. It's when you care for someone, or when you are nice..... [interupted again]

Ethan: Is love like kissing and getting married?

Me: [chuckling] That's part of love, yes, like mommy and daddy. But you don't have to kiss someone to love them.....

Ethan: Kara kissed me today.

Me: What?!?!?!? Who kissed you?

Ethan: Kara did. I was going down the slide... and I got down. She kissed me then she ran away.

Me: Did she kiss you on the lips?!?!?

Ethan: No. Just on the cheek.

Me: Does that mean she loves you, Ethan?

Ethan: No. [pausing for a second] It just means........ it just means she likes me, and not Jacob.

Curious... I started to ask Ethan about the preceding moments before the "kiss". Was it provoked? Did she kiss any other kids? Did she say anything before she ran away? Is she older or younger?

At this point, I realize my voice started to raise a little (pure excitement on my silly part) but may have been miscontrude as aggressive or lecturing even. As I quickly reached for my phone to call Mike and tell him about this very important news, Ethan started to retract and blush (4 year olds blush?!?!?!) and explicitly said, "No! Don't tell daddy!"

Poor thing. I thought it was the cutest thing in the world, and I didn't realize I was barraging him with so many questions like I was interrogating a terrorist. He thought he had done something wrong......

Me: It's ok that Kara kissed you Ethan. Maybe she's just trying to be your friend (I ommitted the "girl" part. I didn't want to implant the notion. After all, he's not allowed to date until after college.)

Ethan: Ok, you can tell daddy Kara kissed me.

He chuckled.