21st century!!!!

Well we bit the bullet and finally bought a laptop...I'm really excited about it, but I think Drew is too. We also bought a new Sony SLR camara which is REALLY nice. It took 24 pics in seconds and the batteries didn't die! Amazing. So this will be a very brief post as I have lots of playing to do tonight and it's already 9.

I'm going to take a shower and shave...

TGIF and a long weekend to boot. The weather should be great and Mike & I are going out for date night. I guess it may be date night for Drew too. Mike just called me here at work to let me know they are getting in the shower. Drew gets on the phone and says, Mom, I'm going to take a shower and shave. Why is that - maybe because Julie is coming over to babysit? Yeahhhhh! he says. He's got a great little shave kit, I think I may have blogged about. The razor looks like a disposable with several ridges for the "blade". He gets the shaving cream out, lathers up and goes to town. It's pretty funny how precise he really is with it...very little cream on face when he's done.

He sure can whine!

With all his little perfections, my now big bundle of joy sure can whine! I think since Mike has had to work nights this week, it's been hard for Drew, except Drew doesn't realize that's what's bugging him. Last night after dinner we sat down to play. Drew really wanted to play a game which is too hard for him because he's still to young for it. So I told him no - mind you he's already told me he's tired and it's 7pm. I thought - good, I'll be able to get him to bed early - yeah right, should have known better! He starts crying - I tell him I don't want to hear it so go somewhere else if you are going to cry about this. He does, then comes back. I'm not caving so I get up to go to the bathroom. He comes barging in, still crying, maybe even a little louder at this point, and I say to him - LISTEN, I don't want to hear that, if you want to cry about this, go somewhere else! As cute as can be, he cries his way out, shutting the door behind him. I go into the bedroom, fold some clothes and starting putting them away when he FINALLY stops crying.
So then I say, American Idol is coming on, let's put on your pj's and you can watch some of it. NO, MOM, sobbing again, I no wanna watch American Idol, I want to watch Big Brother! WHAT?!?! Drew, big brother isn't on anymore, sorry dude. But mom... Drew, I'm sorry but it's not. As a diversion, we went outside for a few minutes - it was freezing, windy, and about to rain. I said, you're going to get cold. No, I'm not. OK... And sure enough, Mom, look at me, I'm windy! and two secs later, and COLD, burrrrr!!! :) I think, at least he's not whining. So we go back in, put on pjs, read 10 books and finally start watching Idol at 8:30 when I realize it's a two hour show. So after 15 minutes, I say it's over. He says, are all my friends in their pjs mom? Yep! and are they all in bed? YEP! So they can go to school tomorrow? YES, Drew! Oh, ok. And about 15 minutes and lots of "it's quiet time" later, he fell asleep!

First Camping Trip 2008

Well besides mom getting a stomach bug Saturday night and weather more like October than May, our first camping trip of 2008 was a success. We left Thursday late morning and stopped for a quick lunch so we could get there. Of course after the first stop we had to stop about 5 miles later at a rest area so Drew could go to the bathroom again, but we were glad it didn't come up as we were in the middle of Detroit. It was sunny and in the 50s and 60s with the rain visiting us mainly at night. Our site budded up next to some woods with a path that led to Lake Huron. We had lots of fun 'sploring in the woods looking for branches and other items that would burn in the fire. The beach was beautiful. A bit rocky but perfect for throwing rocks and keeping us occupied instead of wanting to get in the water. There was a fun camp store which the kids wanted to visit several times a day. Quite an eclectic mix if trinkets, toys, candy and camp items...candy and toys were the big hit of course. They also had a great play structure which became overrun with tweens at different parts of the day. At night we roasted marshmallows and tried to get the kids to tell stories. Haley told the quiet story of the princess, her castle while Drew told the story of a little boy named fire who knocked it over, broked it and made a bigger fire...hmmm, ya think there's a difference between boys and girls? It was quite funny. We also noticed Haley loved to be next to Drew and follow him around but Drew was quite happy to move his chair away and not want to be too close. Saturday morning Drew slept in until 9:30 after having no nap the day before and running all day outside, we had one tired boy. He also figured out how to make it bike go really fast and amazed us with his petalling skills. While we were packing up on Sunday, Mindy took the kids for a walk and Drew rode his bike. Apparently, she had a hard time keeping up with Drew even while she jogged but Drew used all his energy up by the time they had gotten to the farthest point away and Mindy had to push all three kids in the stroller while dragging his bike behind...good Aunt, I'd say! Anyway, we had a great time and are still recooperating from all the fresh air.

Oprah ah ha moment...not what you think

Yesterday we watched the few minutes of Oprah and they had on Amazing, Talented Children of all ages. They had a few 7 year olds who could play piano, guitar and ball room dance. Then they should a 3 year old boy who was amazing on the drums. I thought, gee, what a slacker parent I am. And yes, these kids think this is really fun, but is it because it's all they know and do? Oh well, what is, is. I didn't realize Drew was really paying attention until he said, hey mom, I can count to 35 - watch...and proceeds to count. See, I can! he said. Then I realize my little amazing talented boy is paying attention and is feeling the need to let me know he can do special things!

But I was serious first!

Dad is in Cleveland again for the first part of the week before our first camping trip of the season, yay! Well, not that he's gone but that we are going camping. So last night, Drew and I played some Wii then decided to make an effort to get in his "room" - more like sty - to clean it up. It started with, Who made this mess? Um, Julie (the babysitter) did. I don't think so Drew. Oh, that's right, I did, mom. But Haley made this mess right here. Talking about 1 puzzle on the floor. I laughed.

First, we got a tote for camping toys. {Oh, speaking of toys, I had the best present for mother's day...besides the beautiful jewelry I got...Drew came up to me and said T.O.Y. that spells toy mom! Yes, I was excited about that little piece of information. We are starting to spell!!!!...good and bad I guess...not sure how we are going to talk about things if he's figuring out what we are spelling.} Back to the room - then I got a box for "baby" toys we don't need anymore. And there we sat, sorting toys. Drew was quite a helper. I don't need this, mom, it's for babies, I'm going to put it in the box. Cool. How 'bout this one, Drew? No, I still play with that, let's leave that here. And so it went. Enter the camping tote...mom, I think we need this camping, and this and this. He quickly filled a tote with stuff we "need" for camping. It is quite the eclectic mix, let me tell you. Then he says, dad is going to be REALLY HAPPY with us, right? Yes, he is Drew, and thanks for your help.

After cleaning up around 8:30pm, he found a fire extinguisher which NEEDED water in it and NEEDED to be sprayed outside. I'm just going to fill it up and squirt it outside, 'K? I said, DREW in a voice which prompted...but Mom, I'm serious! Yes, and so am I darlin'! But mom, I was serious FIRST! But Drew, I am the mom. But Mom, I am DREW! I giggled and made one of our infamous "deals" - ok, bud, I'll make ya a deal. If you give it to me, I'll put it up on the counter, right next to the sink and tomorrow after school I promise we will fill it up with water and you can squirt it outside. (now I'm thinking, is this going to work?) He says, ok, mom that sounds like a really good idea! HOLY SH**, I can't believe it - to myself OF COURSE! Great dude, let me have it. And with that it was time for bed, books and sleep.

I can't tell you what your prize is...it's a secret!

Mike was out of town this week and talked to Drew on the phone last night. He must have asked what Drew did at school because Drew responded, we made a picture frame for mommy for Mother's day. Secret #1 exposed! Then Mike told Drew they were going to go shopping this weekend for a present for me for Mother's day. To which, Drew looks at me...mom, we are going shopping for you, but it's a secret, just me and dad, not you mom. Mom, we are going to shop for a present. BUT MOM, I'm not going to tell you what your prize is because it is a secret! Darn, secret #2 still secret...although I really think it's a secret because neither one know what the "prize" is yet!

Then he tells dad that mom got a new game for Wii...MarioKart, it's really cool, dad, and we are really good at it! What he didn't tell dad, is that mom couldn't figure out how to set it up for 2 player. So mom played the game because Drew's idea of playing was driving around in a circle on the edge of the race track. And when he finally decided he wanted to race, he couldn't figure out how to get on the track. He asked for my help, so I got him back to the track, he then decided he just wanted me to play and he would watch. After the first race, he decided to help me. Mom, this is really cool! He sat on my lap and held the steering wheel but didn't do much else. It was "tricky". Then, he wanted to push the gas but ended up pushing the brake, and that was the last of his "help". Watching and just holding the wheel were good enough to have a great time! "We" must have played 8 races, each one a bit "trickier". And after each he'd say, mom, maybe we can find one that's "just a little bit trickier, 'k mom"?