OUR LIFE IN 3D

Gotcha!

Does everyone’s child love to have you chase them? I find this in each of our kids. They run and laugh and there is usually some type of fun consequence for them when I catch them; like a harsh tickling or being thrown over my shoulder to be deposited on the sofa in the next room, or a good ‘whacking of bottoms’, something that brings a similar result to the tickling penalty.

So the request, “Whack my bottom!” is now similar to the phrase  “on your mark, get set, go”. ~ Although Dylan likes to say, “Get your mark, get your set, gooooo”. Her variation to this song  is, “You can’t whack my bottom!” and off she goes. These are all extensions to the boast, “You can’t catch me!”, as outlined in the chase sequence above. ~will she ever learn? I always catch her.

So last night we were getting our oldest ready for bed. We were putting her PJ’s on her in the living room as her sister was already (supposedly) asleep in her room. Dylan was disrobed when she started shaking her naked bottom.

This time she changes the challenge a bit singing, “You don’t wanna whack my bottom! You don’t wanna whack my bottom!”

Drawing ever closer to prove her wrong, I asked, “Oh yea? Why not?”

Dylan gets a big ‘I gotcha’ smile and tells me, “Your hand will get dirty!”

Well mommy laughs out loud as it appears I was set up (again), looking at me like “She gotcha!”. However, I rationalize, all that potty-training training is working as she is catching the concept of germs. I smile to myself thinking, We’ve got her trained pretty good.

Or is it the other way around?

This morning I thought I would take a picture of our living room to offer what kind of creative writing environment I sit in. It is usually the castle being a disaster, Disney Princesses laying in various forms of distress, the costume cabinet being stormed, books spewed on the floor, Legos in various stages of getting completed into walls, an empty bag of apples and two empty chocolate milk sippies laying in unnatural positions.

Today, however, they tricked me again. The floors are relatively clear, certainly not worth uploading a picture for. I have wiped bottoms, distributed snacks, broken up fights, peeled numerous stickers off my hand, and wiped all the spilled milk off the counter, all while I have typed this up. But no pictures to prove my predicament. They are both fed and dressed already. They are ready to go and I sit her in my PJ’s waiting for a good shower.

I think they have me trained just where they want me….

 
So before I post this I check one more thing, the closed door to their room….

Gotcha!

(Sigh)

Let the mud slinging begin!

This weekend is shaping up to be another fun-filled blockbuster, since the holidays are over. Its the time of the year where all the waiting is over and we can find out who has the best stuff. When all the tailgating is over and its time to put up or shut up….Its time for Leaf Bowl 2012!

Yes our backyard is getting rather unsightly again, since it was neglected so much over the holidays. I would like to blame it on the weather but this year that excuse doesn’t fly. But this year was the year I was going to stop making excuses. I pledged to take ownership in my actions for good this year.

Always a helping hand

So, in getting back to our interview from Friday…. LeeAnne can you help me out? Please? Please? Please?

You see LeeAnne used to rake the leaves inbetween our houses when they started to pile up. She’d rake ’em, bag ’em and take ’em to the curb. She would even groom our driveway if it looked unsettling to her. Do we ever miss her! I just found a small toy of Skylar’s underneath the carpet of leaves on our driveway this week. LeeAnne, when ya coming back?

My begging almost has me feeling guilty when I think of some of the things that occurred when she wasn’t around.  You know, boys will be boys! There are somethings you can only do when you ‘other wife’ isn’t around. And sometimes things can get a little out of hand when a wife is not around. You know what I mean!

Yesterday we left when I asked her about some encouragement about the prospects of me being a Dad.  Today we pick up at the idea that maybe my being a Dad isn’t such a good idea:

7) When we first met our families became instant friends. Shortly there after we babysat Drayton, when he was about 3, while you and Troy went out for the night. I introduced Drayton to raspberries on his belly that night. He laughed and laughed. Later that night you came home and asked Drayton how everything went. He instantly jumps on his back on the sofa, pulls up his shirt and hollers “look what Andy can do for me!” (OMG!) Was there anything else you ever noticed that might have raised “concerns” about me being a Dad?

OMG this is so easy.  Prepare yourself because the whole world is about to know that you thought a three year old could go into a bathroom by himself, get up on the toilet, poop, then wipe, get down, pull up his pants and come on out.  How did that turn out Andy? J  Let’s go back.  You and Sabrina took Drayton to Chuck E. Cheese while I was at the hospital with my Dad.  Drayton had to potty so you sent him in the bathroom.  A few minutes go by and you come out the bathroom (according to Troy) with a look of panic on your face.  Oh how I wish I could have seen it.  Anyway, Troy goes in there and Drayton is covered in poop.  He obviously couldn’t get up on the seat so just went potty right where he was standing and tried to “clean it up”.  Luckily I never went anywhere without a few changes of clothes for him.  That was another secret I let you in on.  Always Always Always have extra clothes.  You never know when your neighbor might take your child to the bathroom.  Love ya Andy!  I think Troy and I even said after that incident, “his poor kid”.  Seven years later we are still laughing about that.  It is a moment that we will never forget.

~ Its true. I was helpless. Poor Drayton made it to the “pulling his pants down” stage. And that is it. It was like a Big, daddy-size ball of chocolate sitting on the floor, covered in gravy from the back of his legs, through his underwear and all over the floor. I was NEVER going to have kids at that point!

Best buds from the beginning

8) You were around when we brought Dylan home and you were one of the first ones to meet Skylar when we brought her home. What do you think the biggest difference was between the two? Or us, one child to the next?

As for the girls, Dylan was so petite and had a little bit of hair.  Skylar on the other hand was a round butterball with hair, hair, and more hair!  She had more hair at one week old than I had when I was two!  When Skylar came home you and Sabrina were definitely more prepared.  You had been there and done that so I think it was a much easier transition the second time around.  I wasn’t needed.

~ There were still so many times that we wanted to call! But thought we ought to figure things out for ourselves….and were embarrassed to ask for help….again.

"OUR" Motley Crew

9)  Do you have any confessions to tell us?

Yes.  When Dylan turned one you and Sabrina expressed that you did not want her to get in the bad habit of eating only chicken nuggets, fries, mac n cheese and typical kids snack stuff.  You wanted her to eat healthy.  Well I may not have listened as well as you thought.  When I would keep her she may have went to McDonald’s on more than one occasion and had a happy meal.  I will say the look on her face was pure enjoyment!  Troy, Drayton and I would grin from ear to ear watching how much she enjoyed it.  We had to give her a good lunch because we knew for dinner she would have to endure quiche, tomatoes or zucchini.   I would always tell Drayton, “don’t tell Mr. Andy or Ms. Sabrina that Dylan had this”.  I am so proud that he actually kept the secret.

So THAT’S why she always asks for the macaroni and cheese when we go out.  You are are a wicked woman! 😛

FINAL THOUGHT:

I think that both of us have learned over the years that family is not defined by the blood in your veins but by love.  Not only did you bring those two girls into your family but you brought in Troy, Drayton and I.  The seven years that we spent as neighbors will forever be cherished.  The memories of going to the beach, eating at Yokoso every year for my birthday, making smores when it actually got cold enough to make a fire, house projects that were worked on together, the list could go on and on.  We love the four of you more than words can say.  Miles may separate us now but we will always be as close as family can get.          

Hey LeeAnne, we love and miss you guys too. It was like were losing part of our family. A divorce! How would we survive without our Go-To Girl? And Guy! And Dylan still asks if she can go next door and play with Drayton. She’s still in denial I guess. Hurry home! Lets hook up on the Messenger. And remember our conversations at the Boathouse! Kinda the carrot on the end of ths stick

Oh, and our 3 year old can go poppy by herself already ~ na-na-nanna!  xoxo

Spending time with a Little Mermaid…

First, I want to ask for some help from all you bloggers. The Spam Man has found me. My Askimets picking up several every 30 minutes. It caught 42 from the time I went to bed until the time I woke up. It appears the spammer is hiding the spam mostly on image pages. Has anyone ever run into this? How might I find a ‘text box’ to only find the human ‘commenters’ from the computer ‘commenters’? Any and all help here is appreciated!

I didn’t want to detract from a very special day here in 3D as we have a special guest to talk with. Ariel, from the Little Mermaid has agreed to an interview today. Ariel has been the best friend of my 3 year old for over two years now. In fact, they go practically everywhere together, from running errands to going to bed.

Dylan is blessed to have Ariel’s posse, or tag-along friends too, Prince Eric and King Triton. Before they all became such good friends they were actually known as ‘Doll’, ‘Bunny’, and’ Bear’, favorites from back when they used to “hang at her crib”. I find the cast doesn’t always talk to me so I may have to use Dylan as middle ‘mer-person’. OK?

Meet, Eric, Ariel, and King Triton respectively

First I wanted to ask Ariel, do you like it better living on land or in the water?

“In the water”

Why do you prefer the water.?

“Because. No, wait…because Eric lives on a boat.”

Well if you live in the water Ariel, and Eric lives on a boat, how do you get to spend time together?

The Mer-Matchmaker

“They are getting married!”

I see. How do you feel about that Eric?

“It’s OK”.        

Hmmm. Well Eric, what’s it like having a wife that lives in the water and you live on a ship? Doesn’t that make it hard on a marriage? Wouldn’t it be better if she lived with you on the ship?

“Oh, yes, yes, yes!”
King Triton, dad, do you enjoy having Ariel living in the water with you?

“Yes, I like Ariel the best!”

Aren’t you worried about something bad happening to Ariel, like Ursula taking Ariel again?

“No, because Ursula doesn’t like King Triton. And he dropped his sword in the ocean.”

That helps?

“It’s his ocean.”

Ariel, when was the last time you got a chance to see Sebastian?

“On TV!”

Can you tell me what is so special about being a mermaid?

“I get to swim in the sea with Eric and King Triton!”

So that ends our interview with our celebrity guest star. ~ they ALL just moved closer to the TV as Scooby Doo is coming on. Thanks for the interview everyone!

I am sorry it was not more interactive but it was still very early here and I don’t think the sugar has kicked in yet (in all of us). It is a brief look at mornings here in Daddy’s Day Dare. I am slowly tip-toeing further and further away from reality I am afraid!

If YOU would like to pose a question to one of our in-house celebrities please do and I will be happy to ask one of them. If you have a special character at your house maybe this would be a good way for them to ask Ariel a question too, being the Disney Princess that she is.

Ask as yourself, or for the cartoon character at your home. Just please be a real person and not a computer, trying to feed us some more spam! Or Peggy with Discover….

Ariel, how do you feel about spam?

“Oh I just give it to Eric.”

She’s learning, isn’t she?