New York city was a success!
Our computer is getting fixed, so please come back later. In a few days, when our computer is back, I will post pictures and tell about our trip.

Russell received a wonderful surprise in the mail this week (not that all the other mail he has received was not wonderful. Trust me, it is!). All his friends from his preschool class last year wrote him letters and drew him pictures. He remembered all of the kids and the little quirks that went along with each kid. He loved all the pictures and was so happy that they all remembered him. I do think the best part of this surprise was a letter he got from "Mrs. B". She was his preschool teacher and he thought the world of her. My sweet little Russell actually teared up when he read the letter from her. He has been working on a letter and pictures to send back to tell them all about his new home. How great! Pen pals!

Max was really excited to see the pictures too. Some of the kids remember seeing Max each day when I picked Russell up from school, so they asked about him as well. He was excited that one kid actually drew a picture of him.

In case you were ever wondering how Russell stays so slim and trim, well, here is his secret. He dances like a maniac! The boys and I dance almost daily as exercise and just a way to get our wiggles out when it is too cold/rainy/windy (or I just don't want) to go outside. On these days we turn some classic rock up a little louder than usual and dance, dance, dance! Usually during this dance time the shades are pulled down tight so the outside world can not see the craziness that is happening inside our home.

This video does not show me dancing at all (you can thank me later for this), and Max only makes a quick appearance, but Russell, oh Russell...he is unstoppable. If you have 1 minute and 34 seconds, please enjoy my little dance machine...

100 blog postings. 100 postings of crazy kids and (mainly my) complaining. Here's to another 100... It was a beautiful day on Saturday so we took a walk around downtown and along the canal. The boys love to run in this open area and were thrilled to have it all to themselves this day. These are ninja turtles...well...they are the Sayler version of ninja turtles. I made the "headband" (thing that goes over the eyes) out of felt one day and it just so happens that I also had some ribbons that matched the headbands perfectly. Tie a pillow onto your back with a coordinating ribbon and bam! you have yourself a ninja turtle. This last week I have been working on slipping some "surprises" into our everyday food items. I have always been a fan of hiding healthy foods so they aren't scary or rejected just because of the way they look or the sound of their name. Rewind to a day when I was pureeing some squash for baby Maxwell (strange to think about now) and making mac and cheese for little Russell, I thought, "hmmm...the squash and the cheese are the same color. What if I mix them?" I did it and it was a hit. A dose of veggie when the kids least expect it. The first few times I didn't tell anyone that I did this, and no one was the wiser. Finally I let my secret out and Russell was OK with this, he said he really liked it with the squash! That's about where my secrets stop. I have always had a block when it comes to being more creative in my food hiding skills. Sure, I use applesauce in brownies and pancakes instead of oil, and wheat germ and flax seeds in just about EVERYTHING I make, but I have never felt like that was enough. Fast forward to the present. I received a cookbook from Lil that is all about hiding fruits and veggies in ordinary food! Fantastic! Make some purees from fresh fruits and veggies (baby food essentially), throw them in the freezer and pull them out when you need them. A few foods we have enjoyed are: brownies made with carrots and spinach, muffins made with cauliflower, casserole made with carrots, and others that I can't think of right now. It's great! I am straying from the cookbook now and just winging it. My mental cooking block is gone! So long as the veggie or fruit puree is the same color as the food I am preparing, I go ahead and throw it in. Now, this does not mean that I am no longer feeding the boys fruits and veggies in a "normal" way. This is just something that I like to do to give them a little something extra. I hope this does not scare people from eating at our home....

I leave you with a wonderful sunset that I was able to enjoy from my "kitchen" window.

Today, as we were driving, Maxwell informed me that he had a problem. He was obviously very upset. I kept hearing him let out big sighs and he was slapping his knee in annoyance. Even Russell thought something was wrong since Max seemed so annoyed. Finally, after us asking him what was going on several times, he told us. "Sometimes my feet just won't stop dancing!" He was right. He danced his way through the grocery store, stopping only to say hi to another little boy, and his feet moved and tapped all the way home in the car. There was no music playing in the store or in the car, but obviously Max has some great music in his head. Russell joined in on the dancing, but was usually laughing too hard keep any sort of beat. Max took it very serious though. Oh how I hope his feet never stop dancing!

Speechless...

Yesterday we spent some time at the YMCA. Just up the street from our home there is a Y that is good for adults, but if we drive 10 minutes to the next town over, we have access to an amazing kids gym. In the first room there is a padded area with soft building items which the kids love to stack up and jump off. In the next room there is a huge (I mean HUGE!!!!) play area (almost like the play areas you sometimes see at McDonalds...only much bigger and better!). All padded and all enclosed so there is no fear of them falling or getting hurt. You can slide, climb, roll and bounce until you can take no more. This thing was so tall that I was a bit nervous going to the very top. Russell, Max and Gali had no problem though. The best part....We were the only ones there (Me and the boys and our friends) so we were able to prop the door open between these 2 areas and let the kids run (and run and run). If only the adult gym was this fun!!

One thing I will never get tired of...going to the beach. No matter what the weather I LOVE the beach. In some ways it's better when it is cold. You don't have to pay for parking and it is, some what, empty. You can put your head down in search of shells and not worry about running into a half naked person.

The temperature was in the 50's yesterday, so R.C. took a break from his work for the afternoon, and we went to the beach to enjoy the nice weather. We usually fill a bucket with rocks and shells that we MUST take home, but we (the boys and I) were banned (by R.C.) from taking a bucket to fill. This was OK since we have more shells and rocks than we know what to do with. I did find some beautiful pieces of sea glass that I was able to sneak into my pocket without someone knowing.

The boys love being free to run as far and fast as their legs can carry them. R.C. helped the boys make a boat out of reeds and other trash found in the rocks. It sailed beautifully until it was bombed by a giant rock and the mast and sail/flag broke off.

The sand is covered with rocks. When we went in the summer it was not rocky at all so they must rake when beach season is in full swing. Max loves to throw rocks in the water. He usually has a rock in each hand so he can always be throwing and making splashes. Of all the "perfect for Maxwell to pick up and throw" rocks, he spotted this big rock that he could not lift. He tried rolling it and kicking it, but could not move it as quickly as he would have liked. He soon convinced R.C. to help him throw it and squealed with excitement at the huge splash.
After so much fun at the beach it was not fun to take R.C. back to his studio so he could continue working. He puts in at least 12 hour days (sometimes more). We were finally able to see what he has been working on for the past weeks when we attended "Open Studios" at RISD on Friday night. If you have not done so already, you should click over to his blog (here) so you can see what he has been up to. He sure works hard!

A cold and rainy day is perfect for a tea party. Or should I say, a "milk-tea party".

Milk-tea definition: A tea pot filled with milk waiting to be poured into tea cups. Originating in Wisconsin and slowly, very slowly, taking the New England area by storm. Due to milk being used as the tea, we use coffee syrup in the creamer pitcher. Coffee syrup (coffee milk), for those of you that don't know, is the official state drink of Rhode Island...That's a whole blog in itself.

Milk-tea has always been a favorite activity of the boys when they visit Wisconsin. Due to not being able to visit Grandpa and Grandma as much as before to enjoy milk tea with them, the boys received a tea set for Christmas. We have had many days when the tea set is used, but for some reason this is the first time I took pictures.

Sure, some of you might be thinking, "you let your BOYS have a tea party?" Of course!! Tea parties aren't just for little curly head girls. Boys can learn to pour and pass tea just like girls (and from the looks of the table it seems we should be working on our pouring a bit more). I mean, come on, I'm sure Prince William and Prince Harry have many tea parties and look at the lady fan base they have. You never know when you may be invited to have tea with the Queen, so you need to be ready, even little boys. Although I am sure Max would raise a few eyebrows with his "sipping the spilled milk out of the saucer" move. We're still working on technique.

Pictures pictures pictures!

That's really all I have for today. I just can't get enough of these little guys smiling faces, so I wanted to share some smiles and silliness from the weekend...




Max is VERY proud of his strength these days. He likes to exhibit his power by carrying the milk. So far, he has not dropped a gallon. R.C. on the other hand....well...maybe he should take milk carrying lessons from Max. :)We are thinking Spring! Yesterday we made caterpillars for our art project in school.

Over a year ago the boys were given our old camera when we decided to replace it with a better one for ourselves. I always find it funny when I see what they find picture worthy. Maxwell loves to take pictures of his stuffed animals and me when I am least expecting it (these will NEVER be seen by others!). Russell likes to turn the camera on himself and capture incredibly close up shots of his face. Russell also loves to use the video option. For a few weeks he would take videos of himself laying on the couch making weird noises or telling CRAZY stories that really made me wonder what was going through this little guys head. Once, when he was supposed to be sleeping, he captured a floating blue light that he was certain was "the ghost light" (from the movie Cars). Turns out it was just the light from the radio in his room, but it took weeks to convince him that it was not "the ghost light".

A few days ago I heard Max and Russell start laughing hysterically from their bedroom. When I went to investigate what was going on they both got really quiet and would not share with me what was so funny. Come to find out Max has a dance that he likes to do when no one is watching. The video may not be the best (Russell is not the most steady camera man) but it's funny to see what they do when no one is around.

After a nice walk to the library, the boys sat on the couch to have some books read to them by R.C.. I thought this was a safe activity, but when I came into the room I found 2 little boys with chocolate on their mouths, shirts and pants, not to mention melted chocolate covering their hands. Dad scored major points with the boys by giving them chocolate!

R.C. did however receive his payback when he was wanting to take a nap and the boys, who were now hopped up on sugar, decided it was time to wrestle. They did not want him to rest, and I was not going to rescue him from these little bouncing sugar balls he created. I figure, if you give them sugar, you deal with the consequences...
When I asked the boys how many pieces of chocolate they had Russell immediately said, "just one. Just one!"
But, Max looked at Russell with a confused look at said, "and two and three...."
I am leaning towards believing Maxwell. The truth may never be known though.

(aside from a nasty cough in Max, people are feeling better! HOORAY!!!)

A few pictures from last week:

Russell is working on making a volcano out of clay, and Max is making a snake.

Russell working hard on sentence writing...Maxwell...not working too hard at all...

The nurse at the hospital gave Maxwell a tattoo that he did not want to wash off in the bath.

Russell enjoying one of the perks of being sick - the T.V. stays on so the whining stays away.

Even cartoons couldn't cheer little Maxie. He is one miserable little guy right now!

Hopefully we will have something fun to tell about once the fevers go down and the coughing stops. Until then we are living a boring life.

(BIGGER SIGH!!)

Maxwell had his first trip to the ER this morning! Max was laying on the floor and Russell accidentally fell on Max's arm really hard. Max proceeded to cry for 45 minutes as I tried everything to calm him. Sugary treats didn't help, T.V. didn't help, and an ice pack didn't help. He would scream in pain if he moved it just slightly or if I moved the ice pack just a little. The only time I had ever heard a child scream like this was when Russell broke his arm. After I exhausted all my options I called R.C., who had taken the car downtown to his studio, and told him it was probably best if he came and we got Max to see a doctor.

After 2 1/2 hours in the ER we are happy (oh, so very happy!) to have Max feeling better with no broken arm!

Now, let's get back to kicking the sickness!

(BIG SIGH...)

Well, it has happened once again. Sickness has invaded our home and seems to be sticking around longer this time. Last week I was not feeling well. When I get sick, I tend to ignore all signs of sickness hoping that this technique will make it impossible for sickness to settle in me for too long. It seemed to work....some what anyways. I spent the week ignoring the chills, aches and headaches. Which was quite exhausting to do, but, I feel I came out victorious, since on Friday I was feeling much better and I did not have to spend a day in bed or on the couch feeling sorry for myself.

R.C. has been lucky so far (spending so much time away from the home has it's advantages!). He mentioned last week, as he was leaving for school, that he was not feeling well, but I have not heard any more complaints of sickness. Lets hope the feeling passed and he is happily/healthily working in his studio as I type.

The boys on the other hand are taking a beating from this sickness. Last week I had to cancel play time with our friends due to myself not feeling well and the boys having runny noses. I am willing to bet this week we will have to cancel also. During the day they are happy, coughing, drippy nosed children. By early evening they are cranky, tired, coughing, drippy nosed children. Last night I listened to dueling coughing until 10:30 pm when Maxwell finally fell (quietly) asleep. Russell then took center stage for a coughing solo until almost 2:00 am!

Today we are staying in our pj's all day. I am hoping that a day in pj's, lots of juice, and too much t.v. watching will kick this unwanted visitor to the curb!


Also...

If you haven't checked R.C.'s blog, you should. We had another art show in our living room last Friday night. I'm not sure how many people showed up, but it was a full house. The boys and I looked at the art a bit and chatted with some of the guests, but we excused ourselves early to go do a Spiderman puzzle, and just hang out, in their room. From the sounds that we heard coming from the living room, it sounded like everyone had a great time. Now, once again, we need to try to put our home back together.

These 2 little mustached men somehow made it into our home recently. 

I would love to know where they came up with the idea to make mustaches out of paper and tape them to their faces. Russell's mustache is fantastically curly, and Maxwell's looks more like a bull ring. Some days I don't know about these 2. If this picture (umm...mainly Russell's face) does not make you laugh then I am certain nothing will. Oh how these boys make me smile...and wonder. 

I don't have too many complaints about Providence. Providence is a fine city to live in. Not too big. Not too small. Easily walkable. Fairly friendly people. Great accents.

There is one thing that I just have to complain about though. Pot holes. The pot holes in this city are so big you could lose a child in one for days. Each time I get into my car I have to Mario Cart my way through the city trying to avoid having to buy a new set of tires. Sometimes it is impossible to miss them. If traffic is on both sides of you and there is no way to swerve, then you must brace for impact. It doesn't stop with pot holes though. Man holes are another issue. There are more man hole covers in the streets than asphalt and each man hole cover seems to be 6 inches below the asphalt.

There are some pot holes that have been repaired. I don't know who's great idea this was, but, when they repair a pot hole, they mound them up so high that you now have a speed bump...which makes the drop into the next un-repaired pot hole seem like you are falling into the Grand Canyon.

A man hole cover every 3 feet + each cover 6 inches below the asphalt + a pot hole the size of Kentucky every 15 feet + repaired pot holes turned into speed bumps + pedestrians that expect you to stop on a dime so they can cross when they aren't supposed to = a very angry/stressed driver who longs for country roads where you can drive slow and stop for the occasional deer or raccoon.

Needless to say, if driving with a nice cup of coffee, expect to wear 3/4 of the coffee on your coat.

I think somewhere in there my "one complaint" turned into 5.

(All measurements are an estimate. No, I have not been out to measure the distance between man hole covers and pot holes. Maybe in the Spring...)

This is The Thinker. Everyone recognizes it.

Supposedly, The Thinker depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a powerful internal struggle. Maybe, just maybe, The Thinker is not struggling with anything. Maybe he is just admiring a job well done on a puzzle...much like a mini Thinker I found in my living room.

Where have we been this week and what have we done? We have been here doing nothing too interesting.
R.C. is back in full swing at school, and the boys and I are, once again, trying to get used to having R.C. gone all day and night. It's hard to get used to this after having so much "daddy time" for a few weeks.
Russell has been working very hard on his math skills the past week. He does 60+ math problems each day and is doing so well! He is able to do an entire worksheet (60+ problems) without getting any wrong. After each successful worksheet he does a fantastic little happy dance. Next week I will make the problems a little harder. Get ready Russell...
Max has moved up on the toothpaste ladder this past week. He is no longer using the "swallow all the toothpaste you want because it tastes great and will not harm you" toothpaste. He is now using the "must spit or get a sore tummy" toothpaste (also known as normal kid toothpaste...not baby toothpaste). He is doing great with this, but has to work on his spitting. He showers the entire bathroom in blue sparkly spots when he should be aiming for the sink.
Some other highlights from our week:

• Some friends came over for play time/paint party.
• We got a new bathroom rug.
• The weather has been good so we have been able to go out and play everyday.
• Maxwell got new train cars for his train set. (See picture below)
• Russell and Max have learned how to whisper and tell secrets to each other. It's really cute, but I do wonder what they have to whisper about and why they seem to laugh in my direction after a whisper...

There really is no reason for my lack of blogging this week. I wish I could say I have been busy, but in reality I have just been lazy. I did have many things that happened through the week when I thought, "Oh boy, this is going to make a great blog." But alas, those thoughts and funny moments have passed. I found myself curled up on the couch under a nice warm quilt, that had been warming on the radiator all day, watching reruns of The Cosby show, instead of posting wonderful pictures like these....

We had some dry ice left from the show Friday night, so Saturday was an experiment day. We spent a good part of the afternoon at the kitchen table playing with the dry ice. We all were aware of the danger of touching the ice and everyone followed the safety rules very well. The smokey affect was very entertaining to the boys, but we found that adding a few drops of dish soap to the water and dry ice mixture was even better! We had bubbles running all over the table as the boys tried to pop them and release the gas that was trapped inside. We also tried adding food coloring, boiling water, and different sized containers. Enjoy...

Mad scientists in the making? I think so!