It was not Halloween, but...

These are the people I get to live with!!!
What a funny bunch!

Backseat drivers are never fun. I am sure that there is not a single person out there who gets into the drivers seat of their car and hopes that the person sitting directly behind them is going to be a backseat driver. They are the worst! A little guidance is OK from time to time, but to have someone constantly telling you that there is a stop sign ahead, a McDonald's at exit 4, or a road closed 2 blocks ahead, does not make for an enjoyable ride. Usually if a person is driving, it means that they can see and read perfectly well and they do not need to be told what signs say, or what color the light is.

Every time I get into my wonderful little car, I have a (sometimes 2 or 3) backseat driver. That's right...I have a 6 year old, and sometimes 3 years old, back seat driver. Now, Russell does not know all the rules of the road, but he gets the general idea when it comes to driving. Keep to one side of the road, stop on red, go on green, honk if someone cuts you off. What more do you need to know?

I have been driving for 10+ years and have never been pulled over or had an accident (knock on wood), yet Russell feels the need to correct me and instruct me as to how to drive. When stopped at a stop light I am informed that it has turned green and I need to go, even though the cars in front of me are not moving. When driving down the interstate I am made aware of EVERY sign we pass. I am told what is at each exit, which roads are closed, and how many miles to the next town.

Sure, this is good in some ways. He is learning to read and shows that he understands some basic rules of driving. But I wonder if having a sweet little boy yell, "it's green! Go already!!", "honk at that car!", from the back seat is such a good thing.

It makes me laugh though.

A countdown to a Christmas countdown?
That's what they said. People are now counting down the days until they can officially start a Christmas countdown.
Do people really have so much spare time that they can do this?
If people are having trouble coming up with other things to think about, I, along with many others, could give you a list of things to think about and do before a Christmas countdown should begin.
I am just as excited as the next person to sing carols, drink cocoa, and eat candy canes until my teeth hurt, but I can, and will, wait until its due time.
It would be a different story if people were thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. But so far I have heard nothing about a miraculous birth, a manger, or shepherds. It has all been shopping, buying, and getting. blah!

$1.99 for a gallon of gas.
Who would have thought that this would make me so happy?

Max: I love M____(could not make out this last word).
Me: Did you say you love mom?
Max: No.
Me: Well, I love you Maxwell.
Russell: I love you mom.
Me: I love you Russell.
Russell: Max, do you love mom?
Max: No.
Me: WHAT??!!! Come on!!
Max: If my doggie loves you, then I love you.
Russell laughing hysterically...followed by Max laughing just as hard...
Me: Good grief!

I now have to try to "woo" a stuffed dog.

3 years ago today, November 16th, we welcomed little Maxwell Graham into our family. Max gave me no problems while I was carrying him but my doctor decided to induce me 2 weeks early in hopes that I would have a nice 7 pound baby boy. R.C. and I woke up early, greeted Grandma Sayler who was coming to watch Russell while we went to the hospital, and then drove to the hospital on a chilly, misty, November morning. This was my second time being induced so I had some idea of what I was in for. The first few hours were a breeze. I was able to watch the food network in bed and enjoy a very quiet morning in the hospital. Early evening I began to feel awful and soon after that, we were able to hold our, not so little, Max. Up until this point our doctor was sure that Max was around 7 lbs., but she was wrong. I will never forget when she handed Max to the nurse to be cleaned up and weighed, and the nurse was certain that this baby was not 7 lbs., but closer to 9lbs.. She was correct...9lbs. 3oz.! Maxwell is such a great kid!! From the day he was born, Max has been a "go with the flow" kind of guy. I believe he will always be this way...

A few facts about Maxwell Graham:

• Max had really bad jaundice as a baby and we had to spend a few day in the Children's Hospital with him.
• He does not want to be 3 years old. The thought of this makes him very angry.
• Max did not talk for the first 2 years. He was practically silent. He understood everything you told him, he just didn't want to talk. Now he doesn't stop!!
• His favorite books are I Spy.
• He likes to play alone. Often I find him playing in a corner by himself and ask if I can play with him. He usually tells me he wants alone time.
  
• Every time Max eats a banana he makes a monkey noise. It is not always loud or very clear, but I assure you, he ALWAYS does it.
  
• He once wanted to be called Klondike. This lasted only a short while.
• Max loves to take baths. He will take a bath 4 times a day if you let him. They don't have to be bubble baths either. Just a bit of water and some toys and he's happy for hours.
• He has a hole in his lip. At least this is my theory. He cannot drink anything, and I mean ANYTHING, without having a HUGE dribble down his chin and shirt.
  
• Max is very content. He never asks for anything. He is happy to look at a toy or book in the store, but doesn't ask for it.
• He loves to listen to any type of music. Jazz and Tom Waits are among his favorites. He likes something he can dance to.
  
• He likes to help clean the toilet. He has enjoyed this for about 2 years now. I didn't force him to do this either!
• He love his "squirrel buddies".
• Max likes to give mommy and daddy things to sleep with. Each night when climbing into bed I have to move stuffed toys, blankets, crayons, socks, anything that he can find that he thinks would help us sleep well at night, gets puts on our bed. Very sweet, but it's a pain to get into bed when you are exhausted and find a vacuum attachment tucked neatly under your pillow.
  

Max has really opened up and developed a fantastic personality in just the last few months. We look forward to what the years ahead bring for this silly boy.

Happy (shhhhhh!!!) 3rd birthday Maxwell!!

How could I forget to tell you all that we have 2 new additions to our family!? We finally gave in and got the boys a pet. Each of the boys got a pet, so that makes 2 pets for our small little apartment. It could get crowded in the months to come if they grow at all. Two pets that the boys need to care for and water. Water? That's right...water. Russell and Maxwell are now the proud owners of their very own Venus Fly Traps. It's their little pet and they love them! I do think they are scared of the boys (if a plant can in fact be scared of humans) since each time they get close to the plant, they close up. Russell stuck his finger in his yesterday and found that the inside is very sticky, and he gave his pet/plant a scolding for getting him dirty. They have yet to be named, but like our other houseplants, they will soon be referred to by a proper first name.

After our science lessons on plant growth, and caring for plants, we found it only fitting for the boys to try out their own green thumb. Hopefully their thumbs will be green enough to help us do some planting in the summer months. We hope to get a plot at a community garden down the street and will need their little thumbs to help pull weeds.

We have a new little newsie in the house. Maxwell finally got to try out the suspenders and he loves them! Most little boys fight over legos, cars, or action figures. Our boys fight over suspenders and hats. Now I can send them out in the streets to sell some newspapers as a team and earn their keep. At least help out in paying for the gallons of milk they drink each week.


(Really folks, I am not going to send these sweet little boys out to earn money. I am only kidding...)

Last night I was able to go to Target alone. Yes, you read that right, ALONE.
I know what you're thinking..."if she complains about never seeing R.C. then why did she go alone if R.C. was home for the evening? Why didn't he go with her?"
Well, the answer is that I would not have been able to pick up Maxwell's birthday gift if everyone was along. R.C. is a great husband who understands that I need alone time once in awhile and the boys were thrilled to have a night without mom around.

It did my mind/heart good to listen to music that I chose and sing as loud as I want without having to worry about fragile little ears in the backseat. I spent well over an hour looking around Target and I didn't even get a cart! I had no baggies of snacks to hand out, and no need for the potty once we got to the back of the store (the farthest point from the restroom). I was able to look at "girl stuff" (clothing/shoes/kitchen items/hair products) without having Russell tell me he is allergic to those things. I found Maxwell's gift and called home to announce that the mission was completed.

As I was making my way home, I was, very rudely, cut off and then forced off on an exit that I had not taken before, by a HUGE truck. Obviously, I knew I needed to just get back on the interstate and continue on my way, but it was not that simple. Every street was a one way and I could not get turned around. The street signs had all been spray painted so I couldn't read the names to know where I was. I got to the point where I had no idea where I was or how to get out. I witnessed several fights, real fights with fists swinging and feet kicking, as I locked my doors and wanted to fly through every stop sign I came too. Huge groups (20-30 in each group) of men were hanging out on each corner, and starred as I drove by in my little "birdman" car. I was the only car on the streets and soon realized that this was not an area to drive around in at night, probably not during the day time either. I frantically called R.C. and he helped me get my mind off the scary people outside and I was able to concentrate and get back on track. For other people, this might not have been so bad, but I have NO (and I mean NO!) sense of direction and know that if I get lost, I get REALLY lost. It also didn't help that it was completely dark, hardly any street lights, and obviously a very rough area.

I finally made it home to my wonderful little family, and laughed about my "oops" with them all. The boys went to bed without a single problem (they turned their light off and got in bed all by themselves without us saying a thing) and R.C. and I were able to relax for the evening.

Side note: Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away and all Fall/Thanksgiving items were on clearance at Target! Obviously to make way for the trees and wrapping paper which were filling practically half the store already!! I will spare you my thoughts on this...for today...

I need more sleep.
It's that simple.

With R.C. working in his studio until well after midnight each night and the boys waking up early each and every morning, I am not sure how I should handle my time. The past weeks (months) I have been trying to stay up and see R.C. when he gets home from the studio since this is usually the only time I get to see him each day. That means I stay awake until after midnight. Then I also have the boys who wake up early and need breakfast, so obviously I need to get up and be with them.

I thought I had been doing quite well with pretending I was well rested and keeping myself going through each day, but today I was told differently. Russell asked me how I got a black eye. He wondered, in fact, how I got 2 black eyes. I couldn't think of any time in the past days when I may have been bumped or hit in the eyes, so I went to the mirror to investigate. Sure enough, the bags and dark circles around my eyes are very bad. They can no longer be hidden away by a few dabs of makeup and a smile. As we go into the season of glitter and lights, I look like a creepy left over Halloween decoration. Thank you Russell for pointing this out for me. I have realized that I can no longer do it all. I can't please everyone at all hours of the day/night.

So from this night forth, I am going to go to bed at a decent time. Since I have to pick between the boys in the morning, or R.C. late at night, it's a no brainer that the boys take priority (since in some areas they are not self sufficient yet). Sorry R.C. for not even trying to wait up for you. I will see you when I am rested and you have a day off.

R.C. got home VERY late last night (actually Sunday morning). Since the boys had not caught a glimpse of him since Thursday we had to come up with something fun to do as a family. After lunch we headed to the boys new favorite park and then we made our way to the beach. It was chilly walking along the beach, but it was beautiful, as always. The boys enjoyed finding the biggest rocks they could lift and throwing them into the ocean. Maxwell was taunting the ocean waves by yelling, "come and get me", and then running to safety just before the water got to his shoes.

We usually fill our pockets with various types of shells, but today we found about a dozen "mermaid purses". These are the egg cases of the skates, sharks or rays, that have dried up and washed on shore. When they have washed up on shore they have turned to a black color, but have a really neat shape with tendrils coming off each of the 4 corners. A few were brought home so we could take a closer look at them.

We had one final "summer time" treat as we were heading home. A few miles from the beach is a GREAT ice cream stand where we had our (I assume to be) final ice cream cone of the season. The last time we stopped here we had ice cream dripping everywhere within 3 minutes of them handing us our cones. Today we opted to sit in the car with the heater going while we ate our cones. Good-bye summer!

Hello winter. We passed a Christmas tree farm along our drive today. I was shocked to see a dozen cars parked outside and people walking in the field of trees looking for the perfect one to take home. I was also shocked to find that there are 3, yes 3, radio stations who are now playing Christmas music nonstop. I am not too thrilled with all this, but the boys love Christmas music and R.C. felt the need to please them and let them listen to it. I must admit thought, that when the Mannheim Steamrollers came on I could not suppress my Christmas spirit any longer. I admitted to R.C. that I could not be upset when I hear that song, and he seemed pleased. Admitting this was a big step for me. I will not, I repeat WILL NOT, be purchasing a tree before Thanksgiving though!

As I sit here typing R.C. is whistling a Christmas tune. I guess it has finally entered our home. I have been beat.

Today R.C. headed to NYC for his class again. He is usually gone for the day, but this time he is going to stay the night (possibly 2) with a friend since another of his classes is meeting in NYC on Saturday. My thoughts on this...yuck. I am happy he gets to spend time in the city, but don't like not having him around a little on the weekend. I'm being selfish, I know.

I have had many questions as to what we are doing in "school" now. Here's a little update:

The boys and I have been keeping busy learning about Christopher Columbus. Russell is on his way to being an expert already. Lets just hope he doesn't forget all the information by Monday.
A few facts he can tell you about Columbus:

• He set sail in 1492
• King Ferdinand is from Spain and gave him ships and supplies
• The ships were named the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria
• Looking for Asia to get silk and spices
• Found North America instead
• Named the Native Americans that greeted him Indians because he thought he was in the Indies.
  

Russell can also sing a great Columbus song while Max hums along. Maxwell on the other hand is enjoying a workbook I picked up for him the other day. He is now interested in sitting during school time and doing some worksheets along with Russell. He is doing mazes, big and little exercises, and number recognition. It makes me thrilled that he can identify the numbers 1-5 correctly and is learning to count higher and higher. Russell is also still working on addition along with his daily reading. Russell is a whiz at reading and spelling! Maxwell loves to listen to Russell read and I hope this will encourage him to read also. We also spread some grass seeds in a few pots last week to watch them grow. They have been watering them daily and making sure they have proper light. Today we had to "mow the grass" as it has really taken off and was beginning to look messy.

They also have chores to do each day. Russell "makes" his bed and they both help set the table. Russell even helped me take out the trash today!

We do art 3 times a week. Crayons and pencils are always out during the day for drawing, but during art time we can get out paints, clay, scissors, glue, glitter, anything really. It's usually a mess, but they LOVE art (Hmmm...I wonder where they get that from?). They also love when there is an art opening at RISD. R.C. lets us know when they will be, and we meet him downtown for an evening of art. I could be wrong, but I think the boys are mainly after the snacks provided.

We have also started doing yoga together. Now this is really funny to watch! Russell has always been interested in what I am doing when I do my exercises, so I thought he would enjoy joining me. Russell loves it and one day he even said, "I need a haircut! My hair gets in my eyes when I do my yoga." What!? But so far, no haircut for him. He is doing a great job, and it might just be my imagination, but after he is done he is much calmer for the rest of the afternoon. It's great really! Maxwell has tried to join in a few times but would rather sit on the couch with a book and glance at Russell once in awhile.

We keep busy.

Every kid makes an inventory of their Halloween candy, right?
I found Russell making this list of everything he picked up trick or treating. He is very good at sharing and allows R.C. and I to have a piece of his candy if, and only if, we "order" it off this list.

A great Halloween was had yesterday. We started the day by decorating our trick or treat bags. I forgot until the last minute that, before our move, we sold everything (how could I forget this?) including our cute little jack-o-lantern buckets for trick or treating. So I found some giant paper grocery bags from Whole Foods and we sat down with our glue sticks, construction paper and scissors and decorated bags with pumpkins, ghosts, spiders and skeletons. They served the purpose and even got a few complements along the way. I plan on making it a Halloween tradition that we will decorate our own used bags. Recycle! Why hadn't I thought of this before?

I had to get a few groceries yesterday and the boys, I mean Spiderman and Peter Pan, had a great time showing off their costumes to everyone in the stores. We had to stop many times for the ladies along the way to giggle and chat with the boys. Other people just starred and pointed, in a good way though.

We met up with some friends later that afternoon to do some trick or treating. Spiderman, Superman, Peter Pan and a chicken made up our group. The boys were so excited to get to see their friends again and Russell was even more excited that Galli was Superman. Another superhero to help him (Spiderman) keep us all safe from crime. We got a good amount of candy, had people ooooh and ahhhh at the costumes and then headed home to pick up R.C. from school and have some supper. We finished off the evening with a few pieces of candy and some apple cider. Maxwell slept until 9:45 this morning so maybe we need to start giving him candy and cider every night before bed....
(blurry pictures, I know...)

OK. So our computer is stubborn and will only let us use the super old camera that takes really blurry pictures. For some reason it still will not work with our good camera. But anyways, here are a few trial pictures to see if this will really work. Art today was paints and pastels. Maxwell also perfected the skill of rolling his tongue. A huge milestone, I know.



And the new bunk bed. They love it. It took Russell a few nights to get used to the top, but he loves it now. Maxwell likes his little nook on the bottom. He has been sleeping later than usual too. I have laid with them both and they really are cozy little spots. I do, however, HATE making beds now!! The bottom isn't bad, but the top...FORGET ABOUT IT!

Living in this city I can imagine it is like most other cities across the U.S.. Too many cars, too many buildings, too many people. There are so many choices though. On any given day you can have any type of food you could think of, shop at a variety of grocery stores, and pick from a number of leisure activities. You can even choose a different Dunkin Doughnuts each weekend, since there is one on every corner. So far in my time here in Providence, I have never thought, "boy, wouldn't it be nice if I could go/get/do ________ a little closer to home?"
The one thing that I think Providence could work on would be selection on the radio. Sure they have our beloved NPR (the boys LOVE "car talk"), but if you stray from NPR you are in for quite a time trip.
Phil Collins
Bon Jovi
Mariah Carey
Boys to Men
Oasis
Hootie and the Blowfish
Seal
Just to name a few.
Each and everytime I am driving in the car I have traveled back in time to the early 1990's. If you see me driving in the car, I am most definaly going to be singing along to The Crash Test Dummies, or something equal to them. It drives me crazy that this is all they play, but at the same time I feel compelled to listen. I could easily put in a number of CD's, but then I would miss out on a fun little game the boys and I play.
They hear a song come on the radio.
"Do you know THIS song mom?"
"You bet I do." I proceed to sing it for them (how, after all these years, do I still remember all the words to Kiss From A Rose?) and then I get a few claps and giggles from the backseat. It's great fun!

Does anyone see a theme here? I feel like all I do is write about things the boys say. I can't help it though. I have 2 kids who speak their mind to anyone and everyone. (I love it!)

This morning I dropped a contact. If you have experienced this, I am sure you can sympathize with me. It all happens in slow motion. One second you have it in your fingers, rinsing it off, the next second, it drops and disappears. I sometimes wonder if once a contact hits the hard surface of the sink, it instantly turns to vapor and is gone forever. If it does not turn to vapor, then I usually find it a week later in a very obscure place, such as dried up stuck between 2 cereal boxes.

I was determined to find it this morning before it dried and became useless. I was in the bathroom, squinting as hard as I could, trying to located this small item when Russell walks in. He just stands in the doorway starring at me. I look up and he asks me what I am doing. "Looking for my contact that I dropped" is my response.
"Maybe if you would put things where they belong, you would know where they are when you need them." Thanks for the fantastic advise, Russell. Obviously he has been told this several times. I didn't feel like arguing with him and telling him that it was, in fact, in the right place, I just had slippery fingers. He probably would have had some come back that would make me once again shake my head and sigh.

I hope this doesn't make me lose my spot at the top of his "people who know everything" list.

Believe it or not, I once fought and argued with my sisters. We were typical siblings who fought over very serious issues like who got the front seat in the car, who got to dust the cupboard with the teapots in the kitchen, and who had to clean the upstairs bathroom. At the time these were incredibly important. We would yell (we didn't scream, but we would yell), stomp off, and on occasion, pinch. My mothers solution to bickering and general not getting along with one another, was to make us spend nonstop time together so we were forced to either work it out, or just drop the whole thing. (There was once an incident that happened with my 2 sisters and a jump rope. Let's just say they had to spend A LOT of time together, in VERY close quarters. They seemed to learn their lesson, at least for that week. haha) I feel this theory worked since I don't recall any long term grudges or feuds between the 3 of us. (Please sisters, correct me if I'm wrong....)

There are days when I can imagine how my mother felt during these arguments. These are the days when I say the same things over and over to the boys.
"Come on guys. Please get along."
"Stop arguing about everything."
"You're brothers, you should like each other and want to get along."

On these particular days, I want to scream and hide in the bathroom with a carton of ice cream for 5 minutes of alone time. Don't get me wrong, I do believe the boys get along well for the most part, but when these "bad days" hit, they hit hard! These are the days when I feel my sweet little boys will never get along again. They will go through life not caring what is happening with each other and never call to check up on one another. These are the days when I brainstorm, trying to figure out a way that I can make them realize that someday, maybe not now, but someday, they will enjoy each other. They will call semi-daily to chat and genuinely care for one another.

Which brings me to my funny/cute story.

Once again these little boys have made me smile and laugh. Yesterday we went to the park. R.C. and I were sitting on a bench watching the boys play when another little boy came over to play with them. Russell decided to play a game of tag with the new boy, and began running. The new boy chased Russell. Maxwell chased the new boy while yelling, "don't get my brother" in a very serious tone. Maxwell seemed genuinely concerned for Russell's well being. The tables turned and Maxwell was on the "being chased" end, with Russell yelling, "leave my brother alone." This new boy was very nice and was only playing, but it was nice to see that when it comes down to it, my boys have each others back even though they do argue at times. I can keep the jump ropes for jumping and not use them for tying them together. Yet.

I will no longer worry about their "brotherly bond". It is there and it shows itself when it is needed. I will continue to keep just a bit of chocolate in house for the "bad days" that will inevitably come for the next 15 years.

Wednesday the boys and I drove to the airport to wait for the arrival of Grandpa and Grandma Polka (Soman). We were to meet them at 12:45 but after listening to the boys ask over and over when we were going to leave to pick Grandpa and Grandma up, I decided that we would leave early and spend some time exploring the airport. We were able to see airplanes fly over preparing to land, and the Starbucks man wheel 10 gallons of milk down a long corridor. Little did he know he had 2 milk loving boys following close behind, I suppose waiting for him to drop something. Finally, in the middle of our 4th mini dance party at the end of the baggage claim, we saw Grandpa and Grandma coming down the stairs. Cheers and hugs greeted them to the great state of Rhode Island.

We had a very nice visit. Here are a few of the highlights:

• A RISD tour from a great tour guide named R.C..
• Lobster and stuffed clams for supper.
• Spending time in R.C.'s studio veiwing his art.
  
• Finding beautiful beaches and picking up lovely shells and drift wood.
• Watching R.C. get incredibly exciting to drive an awesome rental SUV.
• Bunkbeds for the boys. They have much more room to play now and it's not a high bed at all. I could get onto the top bunk without a boost or a step. They LOVE it!
  
• Watching the boys run along the beach.
• Point Judith lighthouse.
• The "wrap shack" and the wonderful calamari and fish and chips wraps we had for lunch there.
• Making new curtains for Russell and Max.
• Grandpa and Grandma being woken up first by the boys each morning.

I am sure I have forgotten things, but you get the idea. A great time was had and I hope that more of you will come to visit.
Thanks for a great time Grandpa and Grandma Polka (aka Mom and Dad).

It is so easy for a perfectly good day to be ruined by a night of too little sleep. This morning was one of those mornings. I felt cranky, cold and tired the minute I woke up. Over a bowl of honeycomb cereal, Russell and I were discussing the 5 senses. As we were going over the topics of taste buds and colorblindness, Russell succeeded in turning a soon-to-be bad day into a great day, in the matter of seconds. "You are the smartest person I know", was all he said. I guess I never saw myself as an expert on taste buds and colorblindness, but he seems to think I am, and who I am to correct him? What mother doesn't want to be thought of as a genius in the eyes of her child?

Yesterday was Russell's birthday, and he had a good day (hopefully).

Yesterday was also a good day for R.C. and I because we were able to enjoy a delicious lobster dinner in the comfort of our own home. Lobster was on sale at the store yesterday so it was impossible to pass up. The boys and I picked up 2 live lobsters and some ABC shaped tater tots (it was Russell's day and this is what he wanted. I know, not the most glamorous side dish) and headed home to put some fire under the pots of water. The boys tried it, but didn't care for it too much(too bad! more for us!). They did, however, enjoy dipping their tater tots in the melted butter.

If I could, I would now show you some pictures. Please imagine, if you will:
2 young boys holding 2 live lobsters with eyes bulging(the boys eyes, not the lobsters. Well, now that I think about it, if lobster eyes could bulge, they probably would have after the ordeal the boys put them through!)
2 lobsters being pushed together in a "lobster fight" while boys smile ear to ear.
R.C. giving a lesson in the parts of a lobster.
And finally, a bright yellow plate, with 2 bright red lobsters sitting quietly, while steam rolls off their shells.
(Thanks for the nutcracker Jake and Lil. It works great on lobster claws as well as walnuts. Maybe you don't remember, but you brought it to our house years ago and forgot it. We remembered it, but have never got around to giving it back. We would not have been able to have this meal without your contribution.)

Russell then decided he wanted to go to Build-A-Bear in the mall. We get there and Russell was no longer interested, so Max got his and we headed home. They do share it surprisingly well, so maybe it wasn't a bad idea to only get one. We (I) had been told before we left, by Russell, that we didn't get to look at any "girl stuff". Not even just a look. I'm glad he only gets to make the rules for one day out of the year!

We spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing. By relaxing I mean R.C. fell asleep on the couch, I did dishes and cleaned up and the boys played until supper time. Haha! We had delicious pizza for supper with root beer followed by a dinosaur shaped cake. The cake portion of the cake didn't turn out too well, but I found that if you put extra frosting on, you can't tell. So really it was frosting in the shape of a dinosaur, with a few cake pieces thrown in. See, I do let my kids have treats! Root beer and cake all in one day!
I would now show you pictures of: Russell and his cake, me covering Maxwell's mouth as he was trying to blow out Russell's candles for the 3rd time, and finally, Maxwell giving Russell a nice birthday hug.

Six years ago, on October 18th we got a call from our doctor telling us to come to the hospital so we could have a baby. I was 2 weeks over due and our wonderful doctor decided today was going to be the day that baby Sayler was born. Jennifer, soon-to-be Grandma Sayler, and Carol came to the hospital and waited with us. We waited forever! This baby was a stubborn one. After being in labor for 20 some odd hours hours, Russell Cleveland was finally here, making his birthday October 19, 2002. Weighing in at 8 lbs 15 oz he was a very large first baby. It seems like just yesterday we called all our friends and family and told them the news. Russell has been a joy since we first held him, swaddled in a little hospital blanket.

A few facts about Russell:

• He once renamed himself Doody Dot. This confused the preschool screener who, when asking what Russell's name was, got the answer, "I go by Doody Dot". This name has stuck for quite some time.
• Russell has been to the emergency room 3 times. First he had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic. Second he fell and hit his head and needed stitches over his eye. Finally he fell again and broke his arm. Really, I am not as horrible of a mother as this makes me sound! He is a boy, he has accidents.
• He always enjoys wearing a blazer and suspenders.
• When he was a newborn, Russell would nap with/on R.C. daily.
  
• Dinosaurs have been a part of Russell since he was 2. We thought that the interest in them would pass, like most other things, but they have stuck with him. He is determined to be a paleontologist and travel to The Gobi Desert/Patagonia to dig for dino bones.
• Russell still has 2 of his blankets he received when he was first born. They are worn and tattered, repaired and patched, but they still need to be coving him each night in the say order. Silky first, then Blankie, topped off by any other blanket that is on his bed.
  
• He talks nonstop. I'm NOT exaggerating.
• Russell can spell really well.
  
• Still, after 6 years, he hates to have his hair washed. Each bath starts out fun and pleasant, but soon takes a turn for the worst when the shampoo is brought out.
  
• When he was 3, he announced to a table full of grown ups that David Bowie was his favorite musician.
  
• Russell is a very early riser. Except when I get up early, then he sleeps until 10:00am.
• Russell was not pleased with the name Grandpa and Grandma Soman. He renamed them Grandpa and Grandma Polka (because they used to dance the polka with him when he was a baby) and it is still the name of choice (even for Maxwell).
• Russell once sold a 2 week old newspaper to a woman for $0.25. He was dressed as a newsie and I guess she couldn't resist.

A few pictures to recap Russell (again I must complain about our computer. A few years of our lives, in picture form, have been lost. This is the reason for the gap between age 3 and now. All the others I was able to scan in using a real photograph and scanner. It felt so old fashioned to do it this way):

So, Russell, Happy 6th Birthday!

This could be a very lengthy post, but I will keep it short and sweet.

Today in Target Russell pointed out that there were Christmas items out to be purchased already. I looked and sure enough, tucked behind the Halloween candy and costumes, were Christmas trees and ornaments waiting to take over the aisles. I quickly turned our cart and tried to get away from the glitter of the ornaments when I ran right into (literally, I was so worked up over seeing Christmas things I ran into the end cap) an aisle FILLED with Christmas cards. The Halloween costumes and candy will soon be pushed aside and maybe, if we are lucky, we will catch a quick glimpse of a turkey table cloth, but don't hold your breath. Glitter and lights will soon take over. 

 

I am a firm believer in celebrating the season you are in and not jumping holidays. I HATE how Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays) gets lost and people forget to be thankful. I don't discuss Christmas ideas/plans willingly before the last Thursday of November. Everyone always makes the comment, "Oh, boy, Christmas comes earlier each year." It doesn't have to. If you boycott the Christmas aisle until it's due time maybe other holidays would stand a chance. We could turn into a country of perpetual Christmas if we aren't careful. Let's enjoy the beauty of autumn, the smell of hot cider and pumpkins, yummy apples and the color orange. Red and Green, glitter and lights, and ho ho ho will come soon enough.

Disclaimer:

I don't want anyone to think that I believe glitter and lights are what Christmas is about. I think the true meaning of Christmas should be thought about year round. I am purely talking about commercialized Christmas.

side note-- our computer is going downhill quickly. If you come here purely looking for pictures of cute little boys, you will not find any. We are no longer able to upload pictures. We are trying to fix the computer, but it seems to be a bleak future for our beloved Apple. I am holding on to the hope that R.C. can fix it in the next few days. He can fix anything. Right?!! 

2 in one day. I know, it's hard to handle so much Sayler excitement, but our computer was down for days (please don't let this be the last days with our computer!!) so I am finally able to use it. We finally got it up and running, but it has lost a lot of our "things". But, anyway, now I can fill you in on our past days. 

Over the weekend we went to a RISD alumni art sale. First of all the boys were able to take turns riding the bus with R.C.. Why this is such a thrill for them I will never understand. Russell and I met up with R.C. and Max awhile later, and found Max listening to some great music, dancing and tapping his foot. He did not want to leave. This boy LOVES music. I find it funny that in one moment Max can go from dancing to Gwen Stefani (loud, hip hoppy stuff) to being completely chilled out, with just a toe tapping, while listening to jazz. 

We then found that the nature lab had a meet and greet with a turtle and a drawing table set up for kids inside. The nature lab is a favorite place for the boys to visit. We also found a sculpture down by the canal that we have seen in a Rhode Island tourist book we check out at the library.

We finished the night off by enjoying WaterFire one last time. It was a beautiful fall evening and we walked around a bit more than usual taking in the sites and huge crowd. 

This is Max and his long hair. Both boys have been trying to grow their hair out for some unknown reason, but Max has had enough. 

We finally found some good (inexpensive) clippers and Max got his wish of a haircut. He looks and acts like a whole new boy.

Russell's favorite saying right now..."Let's hit the campaign!" (as in campaign trail) I guess he has heard talk of the campaign trail a bit too much. He uses this anytime it is time to go somewhere. For instance:
Me: "OK, boys, lets get shoes on and go to the library."
Russell: "come on Max, let's hit the campaign."
He says it with such enthusiasm too. I hope Obama and McCain are as excited for their campaign as Russell is for his.


Maxwell has been using the word imagine in a new way:
Maxwell: "mommy, could you imagine if I had a drink of juice right now? Could you imagine it?" (with a very questioning look on his face)
Me: "would you like a drink Max?"
Maxwell: "Sure. Could you imagine if I had some carrots right now?"
Me: "would you like some carrots Max?"
Maxwell: "Sure. Could you imagine that?"
And on and on his imagining goes. It's really a clever and cute way for him to get what he wants. I could tell him that, no, I in fact cannot imagine you having some carrots right now, but who could say no to a child and his "imagining mind"?

Yesterday (Saturday) we spent the day going on a field trip for school. We found that the Audubon Society of Rhode Island had a family weekend so we headed there for the day. We did a scavenger hunt in the display area where kids were to find a bird, turtle, crab, sea star, etc.... Russell did a great job and found everything on the list with very little help from anyone else. We did a craft and enjoyed a nice walk outside with plenty of stops for Russell who wanted to stop and draw everything he saw.

This is R.C. teaching the boys how a sail works on a sailboat.

After our walk we enjoyed a picnic lunch we had packed, and then went back inside for another look at the animals on display. This time we were able to talk with one of the workers. She allowed us to touch the animals that were in the "tide pool". Russell and Max each were able to touch and hold a sea urchin, a crab, fish egg sacks, sea stars and snails. We then went to a classroom where they had a barred owl "meet and greet". A man spoke about the owl and the boys were intrigued to see the owl up close since this is the owl we had in our backyard and would call to in Greenville. As we were leaving we had the crazy idea to drive to Cape Cod since we were already in the car and had the camera along. It was a beautiful drive with the trees starting to change. We decided to try to find some seafood on this trip since we have been in The Ocean State for a month now and have had NO seafood. A shame I know. So we found a little "seafood shack" and ordered fish and chips and a lobster roll to share. SO GOOD!! Russell was put to work as we were waiting for our food. The owner was showing the boys lobsters from the tank and when he took them out, he would ask Russell to pick them up and carry them to a different tank. A group of men standing behind us got a good laugh out of Russell carrying live lobsters around the store. Max was offered the job also, but was a bit nervous of the claws. We continued driving until we came to a beautiful beach just as the sun was setting. We walked along the beach, dug holes and found seashells and seaweed until we were all frozen. There were huge houses all around and we joked that one had to be the Seinfeld's house. They vacation in Cape Cod and so we thought maybe they would be there. It was cold though, so maybe they were at their home in Malibu. Someday...someday.