For the things a man is good for....

And now I hear her sayin'



Babe I still need a man for the things a man is good for


You know how it is raisin' crops



and raisin' kids







Demands a man at least as fit as you are







So come on git on home there's hay that needs a mowin'





A boy that needs a whippin'





and a hundred things to do









If you want to know my mind leave that rodeo (beach) bum behind



Don't waste our time I'm waitin' here for you

John's Present for Father's Day - a week long sailing trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina (he just has to make sure 12 boys scouts don't drown too)

Thank you, Chris LeDoux and Silence on the Line, for putting into words my daily thoughts.

Hurry home Dada. We love and need you.

A Baby Big Enough to.....

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Happy Birthday to Natey

Nathan had a rocking birthday party two and a half weeks ago. We only had 13 adults and 16 kids so it was just a little party. As we were rushing around getting ready John tried to make me admit that the party was really for me not Nathan but I wouldn't. Nathan talked about going camping, fishing and having a "burst-day paw-ty" for days before hand. Just look at these pictures and try to tell me this kid wasn't excited.

One of the highlights of the evening were these electronic helicopters this dad brought. He let the kids all take turns flying them and it made Nathan's night. He's been a little obsessed with "heli-cock-ers" and airplanes for almost a year now. He can find the smallest dot of an airplane in the sky and screams "AIRPLANE!!! AIRPLANE!!" till we all acknowledge the streak in the sky.

The fun didn't even stop when they landed in the trees and the big boys (ie dads) had to climb the trees to get them out.

Of course, what party would be complete without a little fireworks? Luckily, it doesn't take much to impress a 3 yr old so the lame snakes satisfied him and his little friends. They were even happy with the hotdogs, chips and soda while we fed their parents potatoes and bratwursts.

I couldn't come up with a theme for the whole party, let alone the cake so we settled on all things boy. I made the cups with bugs and all manner of construction vehicles and I have to say, they were a big hit with the birthday boy.

He had a tough time picking which one he wanted.

But he thought they all were pretty cool. Literally since they had ice cream in them too.

Eventually I made him settle on one because in his excitement he started licking it.

By three, they definitely know how to blow out candles. We had to relight them a time or two to get any pictures.

We even let the goat babies in on the fun. We brought them out and they chased the kids around. I tell you, if you ever want a cheap entertainment source, get a goat baby. Who needs a clown or blow up bouncer when you have these guys around?

Nathan had the honor of naming the little dark brown one - it's Lighting, after Lighting McQueen. I'm not sure why every little boy in the 2-4 age range I know is obsessed with Lighting McQueen, but they all are. Lighting proved to be a little too fast for Nathan last Sunday when Nathan tried to race him and Lighting cut him off. Nathan's head bit the pavement dust but don't worry - a little superglue and he's good as new.

For his birthday Nathan got the movie Cars, a Lighting water bottle, a cool toy that spins disks into the air, an action figure that bends all sorts of ways, the CandyLand game, and lots of little cars and airplanes. He was in hog heaven and keeps asking me if we can get this or that for "his burst-day paw-ty yesterday night".

But all good things must come to an end and with all those little kids we never did make it fishing or camping that night. He didn't mind too much since he was bushed with all the excitement. He wouldn't take a nap that day although I tried to make him for almost an hour and half. Finally in frustration I told him to "Get up, now you're gonna have a yucky, yucky birthday party." He cried about that forever and kept telling me he didn't want a "yucky, yucky birthday party cause he wants a nice birthday party". Oh, the things we do to traumatize our kids. I think it actually turned out fine with no grumpy meltdowns so I had to eat my own words.

John kept the fun going the next morning by letting him drive the tractor. Driving tractors = pure heaven for little boys. Every time we happen to go behind the office where the tractors are parked he begs to go sit in them for "Juss a men-et, Mama". Even though he gives me the most endearing look I never give in cause I'm so mean.

They did a little demolition work and took out the mismatched, straggly boxwoods on the front steps. Thank goodness.

Lias did not appreciate the tractor or the demolition work.

Nathan cranked and cranked on that wheel while John did the real work on the backhoe. I think someday soon John's gonna have a real surprise when Nathan figures out how to actually move this thing while he's pulling and pushing on all the levers.

Yep, I think a 3 yr old is definitely big enough to start learning to work around here. Just as long as we let him take a little time off here and there for things like naps and riding bikes and giving his Mama hugs and kisses.

--HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BOY--

Poor Sweet Baby

Our poor sweet baby had to have surgery today.

Let me tell you, it was one of the scariest things to walk away from the operating room, knowing darn well that your baby is in good hands but that he is about to be intentionally "cut open", for lack of better words. It's like having your heart taken out, looked over and then someone carefully walks away with it, telling you you'll have it back in a few hours and everything will be fine.

Luckily, everything did go just fine and they were able to fix his inguinal hernia (when tissue or part of an organ, such as the intestine, protrudes through from the abdomen into the inguinal canal in the groin), which is a fairly common type of hernia that affects up to 1 in 20 kids. He was a complete doll baby before, during and after the surgery, which pretty much sums up Lias anyway. He's seriously the nicest baby ever. And the sweetest. Oh, and, of course, the cutest too.

We thought his surgery would be first thing in the morning but it ended being scheduled for 3:30 in the afternoon. All fine and dandy for an adult but you try telling a baby that he can't eat anything after midnight. I snuck him some crackers that morning and fed him jello and I was allowed to nurse him till noon so he made it without too much fuss.

He thoroughly entertained the entire staff with his deep throated constant chuckles (seriously, this kid laughs all the time) and his bum scooting around in his little hospital gown. He decided gowns are not for him, since they gape open in the back and show off his diaper. He even scored a cool balloon and some sweet socks that he wouldn't leave on.

By the way, a dad is the absolute best toy you can bring to entertain a baby that has to wait in the PreOp room for over an hour.

Eventually, 3 anesthesiologists and 4 doctors came and gave him something that made him really woozy. It must have been training day at the hospital because there were at least 10 people in the OR with him and most of them were interns. Check out those heavy eyes.

His head got way too heavy to hold so we had to help him keep it up as we walked him into the OR. When Lias is tired, he gets pretty giddy so it was kinda funny to watch him get woozy and slap happy.

They put the mask on him, he looked around and fell asleep. Not a peep out of him, although I did almost cry. We kissed him goodbye and were escorted out to the waiting room, where we filled up on the free WIFI and trashy magazines for 2 hours. They did all the IVs and stuff after he was asleep and we were gone. They told us that the only complication they had was trying to find a vein for the IV since he was so chunky.

After it was over they came and got us to go back to him and I almost lost it again when I saw this poor little baby all wrapped up in a blanket looking so lost and just wanting his mama. They let me hold and nurse him right away and he slowly came awake and realized he was hungry.

We decided to use the food as a bribe to get him through the hour ride home quietly so we left him to just eat his hand until we got on the road. Note: babies and IVs don't mix - way too many things they can pull out.

He's sleeping it off upstairs now and should be no worse for the wear within a few days. Thank goodness for modern medicine and cute, cute healthy, safe and happy chubby babies.