The teeth! They're falling out!

There seems to be lots of activity in B's mouth lately.  

Back at the beginning of November he wiggled and wiggled one of his top teeth until he was convinced it was loose enough for me to pull it.

So I did.

Then just the other week Prince Charming and B were rough-housing and there was an unfortunate incident where B's tooth collided with Dad's forehead.  Both were bleeding.  As a result, his remaining top tooth was now loose enough to work on.

I have to say, this kid is quite brave.  He was motivated to have this tooth out.  He kept asking me to try, but it was pretty stuck in there.  Then he said, "Why don't you try twisting it."  Prince Charming might have thrown up a little in his mouth when he heard that.  For me, that was a green light to give it everything I had.  When it really started to hurt him, it popped right out!  Just in time for Christmas.  

This morning he informed me that one of his bottom teeth is loose.  Here we go again.  

Christmas Hangover

I am wondering if we are the only ones wandering around in a wrapping paper fog.  Please excuse me while I go put together the Lego toys that the BOYS asked for.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you Peace, Love, and Joy this Holiday Season!

The Family Dog

We have a dog.  She is a 9-year old English Mastiff.  She loves me.  She drools.  She weighs about 150 pounds.  She is a couch potato.  She is very patient with the kids.  They crawl all over her.  Most of the time she just lays there and takes it.  She doesn't chase our chickens, but she does like their snacks!  I have never heard her growl.  She does not like to have her nails trimmed.  She loves visitors.  Most of the time the visitors get slimed.  The Peach's hair is frequently seen slicked down with slobber.  Despite her size and presence in a room she manages to avoid stepping on the baby.  She has been the best dog.  Even though she drools, sheds, and makes an unbelievable mess with her food, we adore her.

(Any clever captions for this photo?  Leave them in the comments section!)

Holiday Traditions

The above photo is of my parent's cabin in Pinetop, AZ.  I love Pinetop.  So do my boys.  Every summer we head up there to spend the Fourth of July holiday with my parents and sister.  We stay as long as we can and we soak up all of the quiet porch moments.

This weekend we are headed up there to cut down our Christmas tree.  We started this tradition with two other families a few years ago.  We always head up the same weekend in December with the same families and we galavant about the woods searching for the perfect tree.  The rest of the time is spent drinking hot chocolate, playing in the snow (if there is any), eating delicious meals, and perhaps playing games if the mood strikes us.

Preparing for this trip includes buying "snow gear" for the littles.  I love Phoenix winters.  No snow.  No snow gear.  Just a jacket and gloves for our 40 degree mornings and then by the afternoon we get to enjoy 60 degree sunshine.  I really hate buying (and packing) snow gear.  E is set.  He just gets all of the stuff that B has used prior years.  I hate to buy something new because it really will only get worn twice - once by B and then again by E two years later.  This morning I made my way to a local consignment store and lucked out.  I found snow bibs in a size 6 (perhaps too small, but it will work) and snow boots in a size 2-3.  I know the boots are too big, but I am certain that his big warm socks will fill up the extra space.  Bottom line, consignment is the way to go.  For me at least.

I wish our weekend stay in Pinetop could be longer.  Every year I feel like it is too short.  I could spend weeks up there with these families, I love them so much.  Unfortunately, one family isn't going this year.  They just had TWINS last month.  I can see how traveling with two kids and twins to cut down a Christmas tree isn't on the top of this mom's to-do list.  But still, it won't be quite the same.  They will be missed.

You better believe I will be back here with pictures of our Clark Griswold christmas tree next week.  They just look so small in the forest....

I met my Internet Bestie!

This is me with whom I call my Internet Bestie (IB).  Back in the spring of 2009, a mutual friend of ours called me up and told me to check out this gal's blog.  It turns out that IB was down in Tucson just starting out her adventure with chickens and growing tomatoes.  She was me, but living in Tucson.  I promptly contacted her and told her that I was doing the same thing she was doing, but in Phoenix of course, and we were both excited that there was someone else we could talk chickens with.  As the months went by we enjoyed reading each other's blogs, we asked each other weird chicken questions, and we both learned that we were pregnant and expecting in the same month.  We formed a fast friendship, never once speaking on the phone or meeting in person.  


Fast forward to early November 2010, Prince Charming and I found ourselves headed to T-town to attend a friend's wedding.  As soon as I knew we were going, I emailed my Tucson Twin and we scheduled brunch for the day we were headed out of town.  I don't know if I was more excited about going to the wedding and seeing an old friend or going to brunch!  The weekend was fantastic.  No kids, a pedicure, a fun wedding, and the most delicious brunch I had eaten in quite some time.  This place was so tasty that Prince Charming said he would drive down to Tucson just go to there again.  Anyway, the time flew by while we were all sitting there chatting and we eventually had to drive back home.


I am so delighted that I was able to meet her.  She was just as lovely as I knew she would be.  I just wish she lived here.  Oh well.  Now we have another excuse, besides brunch, to head back to Tucson.   

The Midnight Surgery

E comes inside whining, "There is a black thing in my thumb."  The thumb he sucks.  He tells me it hurts.  I take a look and I see a pretty healthy splinter.  From the looks of it, I might be able to grab a tail end and pull it right out.  Upon closer inspection, this thing is in there.  Not one little edge to grab with my magic tweezers.  I ask him if I can try to push it out with my fingers.  He obliges.  "OOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!"  After the ringing in my ears stops, I tell him to go play and we will try again after bath once his skin is real soft.  Fortunately, for him, his thumb doesn't hurt so much that he can't suck on it.  Unfortunately, for us, he doesn't care enough to let us try to remove the splinter.

That evening, Dad is able to convince him to let him try with a needle.  E is terrified, but puts on a brave face, clutches me tightly, and lets Dad go to work.  Our neighbor might think that we were torturing this poor child.  Understandably, needles are scary and his thumb already hurts.  After a few minutes of this torture, his tears break my heart and we decide to stop and try again tomorrow.

With that experience still fresh in his memory, E won't even let us look at it.  He goes about the next day like he doesn't even have a splinter.  That night he lets me look at it after bath and agrees to let me try to push it out.  One try was all he would allow.  I failed.  This sucker was headed towards infection and he didn't really care.

Later that night, when we checked on the boys before bed, my husband tells me to grab a flashlight.  He meets me at E's bed with tweezers and a needle.  E was passed out, his thumb resting comfortably on the bed.  My husband had that splinter out in two minutes.  The kid didn't even flinch.