My Sister Ate My Homework

See Hannah. . . See Hannah standing at Mikie's desk. . .


See Hannah grab Mikie's pencil. . .


See Hannah trying to eat Mikie's homework. . .

It's enough of a battle to get Mikie to sit down and focus long enough on his homework, especially since he frequently leaves his homework book at school all week. Icing on the cake will be the day I have to send in a note saying: "Dear Ms. Wooton, Please excuse Mikie from turning in his homework. His little sister ate it."

The two of them definitely keep me on my toes. That is, when they aren't driving me up a wall.

Love, The Trahans

The Trahan Family Christmas Tree

Yes, it is December. Time for the me to search for the largest, fullest Christmas tree in New England, strap it to the roof of the SUV, haul it back to the house where I will do everything in my power to overcome my lack of green thumb to keep the tree alive (or in suspended animation) for at least a month. At which point "Santa" (aka, the trash man) comes to take the tree to retire to the great woods in the sky (aka, become mulch). . .

On November 30th, I drove past the tree stand where we purchase tree #2 last year (see photos of last year's 14 foot tall beast here). And there, freshly delivered, stood the tallest, fullest tree I've seen (well, at least in the last few months). Unfortunately, inclement weather, long hours at work, and my scrooge/invalid of a husband prevented me from picking up the tree that was calling to me that night. Nor did I trust my instinct the next morning when my gut said "Who cares if the kids get to school on time? Stop and get that tree before it's too late." Alas, I drove by after work to find out the tree was purchased earlier that day, and Mikie and I were left to search for an alternate tree. . .Don't get me wrong, this year's tree is lovely. But, you don't buy the first tree you see (unless it is calling to you like the one that got away.) You at least browse all of the aisles and make sure the tree you are thinking of purchasing is definitely the best option. Unfortunately, neither my husband nor my son realized this shopper's rule. So, the first tree I stood up happened to be the tree that came home with us (no thanks to the very skilled salesperson who immediately asked "Mikie, is this the tree for you?")

And so, we are the proud owners of a 9+ foot tall premium Frasier fir Christmas tree, adorned with over 900 white lights and 600 multicolored lights for a grand total of 1500 twinkle lights.Hannah has been well behaved and, so far (knock on wood) has not attempted to pull the tree or any of the ornaments. I think the train tracks have discouraged her from trying (somehow, they seem to act like an invisible fence for babies). We'll see how long this lasts. . .

Merry Christmas.

Love, The Trahans

Sparky's House

Mike and I love the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Any holiday is an excuse to spout random quotes from the movie. "And why is the carpet wet, Todd? I don't know, Margo." "Grace? Grace died thirty years ago. THE BLESSING." And, all time favorite: "Is your house on fire, Clark?"

When you see the video and pictures of our neighbor's Christmas light display, you can understand how excited I get when I see the first tacky lawn ornament go up. Every drive by reminds me of turning on the nuclear back-up at the power plant. Every time I see that Santa flying through the sky, I think of Bethany singing the National Anthem on the front lawn.

A daytime glimpse of all the "lovely" lawn ornaments during setup:Sparky's House during a snowy December evening:

Brings whole new meaning to the question "Is your house on fire?"

Happy Holidays.

Love, The Trahans

The Edge and The Batmobile

When I graduated from college, I wanted just three things in a car. It had to get me from point a to point b. It had to be reliable. And, it had to be affordable. And so, I bought my Civic, "The Edge". Dubbed after one of my favorite bands because it made me feel young and edgy. Sad, I know. But, it was my first car, and it had a spoiler. And, it was a giant step up from "Herbie", the Hyundai Excel come go-cart that I drove in college.When I bought "The Edge", for under $20,000, I hoped to have him for 10 years. Maybe even 15. Heck, at one point I thought I would have it until my kids learned to drive (the dealer may have oversold the longevity piece to me, that or I was naive). And, my beloved car delivered on all counts. Just shy of 10 years old, 170,000 miles, "The Edge" (renamed "Lightening" by Mikie) has gone on to the parking lot in the sky. As his final act, he not only kept my husband safe, he also brought us more money towards a new car than he would have had we traded him into a greedy car dealer.

And so, Mike finally got a new car, as a belated birthday gift. Not exactly what he wanted (cost of school/daycare for two kids makes the $650/month car payment for a BMW unrealistic). But, it met our new requirements: all wheel drive (given the harsh winters and steep driveway), fuel efficient (given Mike's 60 mile commute), and capable of fitting a family of four when "Rocket" (my SUV) is in for service. The winner: a Subaru Impreza.We struggled looking for just the right name for the new car. I was partial to "DJ" or "Boost", since it reminded me of the cars that drive "Mack" off the road in the movie "Cars". Mikie suggested "Cheese Mobile" or "Mouse Mobile" since it was gray and reminded him of a mouse. But, after his test-drive, Mikie thought "Batmobile" was more appropriate.God help me when this kid can actually drive. . .

Love, The Trahans

McDonald's Mania

What is the lure of the McDonald's playland? Like moths to light, children are attracted to the McDonald's playland. This is especially problematic in my house because I don't like McDonald's food. Abhor it. I will eat one of only five things off their menu:

1. Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
2. Fruit & Walnut Salad
3. French Fries
4. Orange Juice
5. Coke

We recently traveled to visit friends in New York. In spite of eating before we left, I was hungry. With no rest stops in site, we pulled off at the next exit and stopped at McDonald's. Assuming that Mikie would want a kid's meal the minute we rolled down the window to order, I asked him if he wanted anything to eat. Mistake. . .

Unfortunately, Mikie noticed the playland as we pulled into the drive-thru lane. So, his response was "I want to eat inside and play in the playland." When we informed him we weren't stopping to eat inside, he said, "Okay, then I just want to play in the playland."

Obviously, he didn't react well when we made him understand that we weren't stopping. To avoid another 90 minutes of hysterics, I promised we would stop on the way home.

That's how we ended up spending forty-five minutes at the McDonald's in Southington Connecticut. And, Mikie wasn't the only one who enjoyed himself. At eight months old, Hannah already realized the appeal of McDonald's playland.

Hannah, mesmerized by the possibilities.Mikie, disappointed that Hannah can't climb the treehouse with him.Dancing contentedly.Living vicariously through brother.

If only they got so enthusiastic about dinner at home. Maybe I need to give out toys with dinner and install a treehouse and slide in the living room. . .

Love, The Trahans

Trick or Treat

I recognize that as soon as Hannah can talk, she will be as opinionated as her brother. Honestly, at the rate she is going, she may be more so. As Mikie demands what he wants to be for Halloween in June, so, I'm sure, will Hannah. And, if she is like every other girl I see on Halloween, I'm sure she will want to be Dora the Explorer, Jasmine, Belle, or some other random Disney Princess.

So, I took this as the only opportunity I will have to dress her in a costume of my choosing. Since Mike and Mikie dressed in theme last year, I thought it only fitting to continue the tradition. So, with Mikie dressed as Luke Skywalker, and Mike dressed as his father, Lord Vader, Hannah needed a Star Wars costume too. The obvious choice would have been Leia, but look at how creepy the costume is:While I know she may despise me when she's older for not dressing her as a butterfly or something cute and girly, I didn't need to give her more fuel for the fire. The baby wig is just plain creepy. So, we decided on the cutest thing in the Star Wars movies: an Ewok. The boys were in love with the idea. And, although, Mikie was disappointed her costume didn't come with a spear or other weapon, Hannah seemed to enjoy her fuzzy duds.I wonder if we can find an equally appropriate theme next year. Jessie, Woody, & Andy? Sandy, Spongebob & Patrick? Somehow, I think we will end up with Mikie as the action hero of the moment and Hannah as a princess. But, we'll see. Happy Belated Halloween!

Love, The Trahans

Car Talk

Another entertaining conversation from Mikie during a typical car ride home from school. . .

Mikie: "Mom, I'm still a picky eater."

Mom: puzzled... "Who told you that?"

Mikie: "No one."

Mom: "Then why do you think you're a picky eater?"

Mikie: "Because I just know."

Mom: "Well, how do you know."

Mikie: "Because I still pick my nose. . . "

Gross! I love the implication.

Love, The Trahans

Gourmet Cuisine

On Wednesday, I went to the grocery store to pick up more baby food for Hannah. I was looking for more interesting blends that don't include strawberries (because I don't need another child with hives). And there, on the shelf, I noticed this:Yes, veal for babies. Let's ignore the fact that many people think veal is inhumane. I personally don't care for it. The one time I had veal, I found it to be very tough. I just don't understand who is buying veal for their infant. Are their taste buds really that refined that they notice a difference between veal and beef? I mean, the meat baby foods all basically look and smell like cat food. I couldn't even bring myself to subject Hannah to them until the doctor said I could buy the ones blended with other stuff (chicken and rice, beef and vegetables, etc.). So, who in their right mind is buying these tiny jars of veal? And, what's next. . . lobster? Caviar?

Love, The Trahans

The Dancing Trahans

There isn't anything to say about this video. It is, as the title of this post states, video of the Trahans dancing. Or, three of the four of us (Mike capturing the video in all its chaos). We started by videoing Hannah making silly noises. Then Mikie wanted us to video him being Mikie (which was a combination of bouncing, playing leap frog from the furniture to the trampoline, and dancing). Somehow, Mike ended up breaking out the iPod, and we all started dancing to Scooby Doo.

It is cute to see Hannah dancing and giggling to Mikie's moves.

Love, The Trahans

The Blob

Hannah is a little blob. A cute blob, but a blob none the less. At eight months, she has made no attempt to crawl. She is content to sit where she is and enjoy being doted on. And, unfortunately (due to her cuteness and generally pleasant disposition), EVERYONE dotes on her. We bring her toys, food, coddle her when she makes a sad face. It isn't just Mike, Mikie and I who are guilty. Daycare workers, even the other babies in her class. Hannah sits in one place, and I watch the other kids crawl or walk over to her. Someone takes her toy; Hannah looks sad, and either the other child gives it back or the teacher comes to her rescue.

Of course, I end up feeling like a jerk when I don't jump to attention. Because I have to get two kids ready for school each morning (in addition to attempting to make myself look presentable), I have to leave them to play. Some mornings, Hannah has no issue playing with her toys (or watching Mikie play with her toys). However, if she sees me look over at her, the sad face appears, followed shortly thereafter by sobs implying "How could you abandon me, leaving me with this crazy kid?"Forget trying to encourage her to crawl. Lay her on her stomach, and the sobs are accompanied by the pathetic head-into-the-carpet move. "Don't worry. . . I'll be okay. . . I'm sure I won't suffocate even though I can't move and seem to have forgotten to turn my head to the side so I can breath without swallowing carpet fibers." If only she hadn't inherited Mikie's flair for the dramatic. . .

Since encouraging her to crawl appears futile, I try to encourage the one activity she loves. . . walking. She hasn't mastered her footwork and frequently steps on her own feet (she inherited my grace too). Here is a video of Hannah walking to Mike. Before we grabbed the camera, she looked like a pirate, moving one leg and dragging the second behind. After we turned on the camera, she started lifting both legs, in a homage to the tango.

My apologies to my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Only now do I realize how much back pain you must have suffered in an effort to keep me happy. If I didn't fear for her life as it is, I would teach Mikie how to help her walk.

Love, The Trahans

Where is Thumbkin?

We must be the most juvenile parents ever. Mikie came home from school the other week and sang a new song he learned in music class. Every kid learns it: "Where is Thumbkin?" Because we are thirty going on thirteen (or maybe we have too much stress in our lives), Mike and I nearly peed our pants watching Mikie sing this song. I couldn't imagine the music teacher keeping a straight face while eighteen kids waved their middle fingers gleefully in her face. So, we did what any responsible parent would do. We made him sing it two more times until we got a decent video of it for him to enjoy when he is thirty. Other than watching the effort and concentration put into making sure he has the right fingers up, my favorite part is the shout out to Auntie Katie at the end.

Yes, little things amuse me. . .

Love, The Trahans

Tiny Dancer

At daycare, they have a little ballet barre and mirror for the babies in Hannah's class to use to pull themselves up on. And, in Hannah's case, make smiley faces at each other. Hannah LOVES to stand at the barre and smile proudly to anyone who will pay attention, a look that says "Look at me, I can stand by myself. And I'm cute too!"

So, I couldn't help myself when I saw these tutus at Carter's this weekend. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the shirt I intended her to wear with it. So, the outfit may look more reminiscent of Sarah Jessica Parker in "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" than prima ballerina from Julliard. Of course, I've seen women wearing leg warmers and side ponytails recently, along with stirrup pants at Walmart. If the 80s is making a comeback, maybe she is right on trend.

Love, The Trahans

The Three Little Pigs Revisited

Every evening, I ask Mikie what he did at school that day. At five, he already wants to volunteer as little about his life as possible. Begrudgingly, he volunteers five things. Well, volunteers in that he can't watch cartoons until he tells me five things he did. . .

Today, the first story he told me was how they read "The Three Little Pigs". Afterwards, they all made houses that were as strong as they could make it.

Mom: "So, what did you design your house out of?"

Mikie: "Hot lava!"

Mom: confused "No, I mean, one pig built his house of straw, another used twigs. . ."

Mikie: "Yeah, but we didn't have to use the same stuff. We could use ANYTHING."

Mom: "So you used hot lava."

Mikie: "Yeah."

Mom: "But why would you use lava."

Mikie: "Well, I thought about using logs tied together with vines. But than I decided to use lava. Because it's so hot, it's on fire. The wolf won't ever be able to get in the house because he would burn on fire!"

Mom: unable to argue with the logic. . . "But, if the house is made of lava, how would you get inside?"

Mikie: "Through the secret door. It's just a regular door NOT made of lava, but it's hidden in the back. And, you can only open it if you say the secret password. Do you want to know what the secret password is?"

Mom: "Sure, what?"

Mikie: "Open sesame."

Original. Even more amusing than his logic was watching Mike trying to rationalize with Mikie when we retold the story.

Mike: "Mikie, why didn't you use steel, or concrete."

Mom: "Don't try. I already went there. You can't argue with the logic. The wolf wouldn't be able to get in."

Mike: "Mikie, what did the other kids build their houses with."

Mikie: "Lots of stuff. Chris used lava too."

I can't wait until Mikie's in college and they are arguing/debating over Thanksgiving Dinner about some new design project Mikie is working on. . .

Love, The Trahans

Snow Bunny

As the "signs of fall are all around " (to quote Trouble) and the thermometer is dropping, it is time to break out the jackets and hats. Especially if you are tiny with a newly developing immune system.

So, Nibbles and I went to Old Navy in search of a fleece jacket for her afternoon walks. Jacket selection was slim, but this hat made the trip worth while:

Maybe I'm biased. . . I didn't think it was possible to make this face any cuter, until I put this hat on her head.

While I'm bragging about how cute she is, we entered Hannah in the Gap Casting Call. She can win a $1,000 gift card or a vacation. If you want to vote for her, click here.

Love, The Trahans

May the Force Be With You

Halloween is fast approaching. And, being that Mikie is obsessed with Star Wars, he insisted on being "Luke Skywalker". More specifically, Luke Skywalker in his flight costume with a blue lightsaber (or lightsaVer as Mikie calls it). Anticipating that Mike would decide he needed to get dressed up to take the kids trick-or-treating, I ordered him a costume also. Mike is going to be Darth Vader (taking the "Luke, I am your father" line to a whole new level). And, to finish out the Star Wars theme, Hannah is going to be an Ewok.

While I have had concerns that Hannah will despise me when she is older because I made her an Ewok instead of a Princess, I am now concerned that she would rather have been a Jedi like her brother:Mikie wanted someone to place Star Wars with, and he got his wish. Unfortunately, the lightsaber is bigger than she is, so it makes it difficult for her to "fight back". And, since Mikie has a fight scene choreographed in his head that includes pulling out your lightsaber and flicking it open, playtime included a lot of panic attacks on my part.

Days later, Mikie wanted to know if Hannah's costume came with a stick like in the movie. I told him, "No, and we aren't going to get her one either. She's just a baby." His response (in true Mikie fashion), "Well, we can get her a little gun instead." The kid has an answer for everything. . .

Love, The Trahans

Lady's Man

It's fall, and with the changing seasons comes our battle with croup. Last season, our pediatrician was kind enough to give us some prednisone to give him if he comes down with it at night to prevent having to go to the ER. So, when Mikie came home barking like a seal yesterday, we tried to give him the steroid. Unfortunately, he had such a bad outbreak that we drove to the ER anyway.

After a long night in the ER, Mike agreed to stay home with Trouble while I went to work to "relax" (note the sarcasm).

At lunch time, Mike called to let me know how the patient was doing. Instead of "hello", he started the conversation with "Your son is such a flirt." Yeah, cause he gets that from me. . . I naively ask, "Why, what did he do now?" convinced the answer would have something to do with a girl in the waiting room. The real answer: "He asked the doctor for her phone number and then invited her to his birthday party."

Someone should tell Hannah because he told her he was going to marry her when he grows up.

Love, The Trahans

Mommy's Little Helper

Cuteness alert. Hannah helped me do laundry recently. Somehow, I kept her from eating/drooling on Mikie's pajamas. Instead, she decided to show me her newest trick. . . Peek-a-boo. Cutest video ever.

Love, The Trahans

Moving Away

Mikie frequently threatens to "move to a different neighborhood." So, Mike was not surprised when Mikie got mad and threatened to move away. . .

Mikie: "I'm going to move to a different neighborhood."

Mike: "How are you going to get there."

Mikie: "I'll call a taxi."

Note: the irony here is that we don't have taxis near our house.

Mike: "Do you know the phone number?"

Mikie: "Yeah."

Mike: "What is it?"

Mikie: "Well, I'm not going to tell you!"

Mike: "What are you going to wear for clothes?"

Mikie: "I'm going to wear MY clothes."

Mike: "So you're going to take those with you?"

Mikie: "Yeah, I'm going to take my drawers. I'm going to take ALL my clothes. And, I'm going to take all my toys too."

Mike: "Well, then you better get a U-Haul instead of a taxi."

The logic here is priceless. I don't know which one of them was worse.

Love, The Trahans

Hannah Highlights

When Mike and I first got married, we planned on having two kids, three years apart. Then, Mikie turned one. And the thought of voluntarily giving him a sidekick to recruit in his plot to overrule the household had very little appeal. When I became pregnant with Hannah, Mike and I both said that we already had one troublemaker, so it was only fair to get an easy child. Actually, I think our exact words were "God owes us an easy one." Although she made life miserable while in utero, she has been a blessing. She sleeps through the night, she eats her food, she's generally happy, especially if Mikie's around.

Unfortunately for her sake, Hannah is so pleasant, it is easy to neglect her in the chaos that is her brother. I spend such a large amount of time arguing with Mikie, catering to Mikie, working with Mikie on homework, trying to multitask and feed or entertain Hannah at the same time. She doesn't seem bothered by this (unless I stop feeding her breakfast in order to help Mikie with something. . . this girl is serious about eating). But, looking at the blog, I realize how little attention is given to our super sidekick. And, so I devote this post to Nibbles and her amazing new personal eccentricities that light up my day.

Like me, Hannah loves to sing in the car. Also like me, Hannah doesn't seem to know all the lyrics (although it may have something to do with the fact that she can't talk yet). When I turn on the radio (instead of books on CD), Hannah starts "singing" along. I managed to record her one night on my iPhone. Unfortunately, Blogger does not support audio. So I made a slide show of Hannah photos with her singing in the background.

In her effort to be as independent as Mikie, Hannah is desperately trying to walk. She has tried pulling herself up on toys (unfortunately, since they weigh less than she does, she typically succeeds in pulling the toy down on herself). I started putting her in Mikie's old walker. As you can see in the video, she succeeded in walking, albeit backwards.

Occasionally, she will attempt to crawl, usually when we have left her to her own devices and she is desperate to move to a new location. Alas, I have not succeeded in capturing this on video. Mostly, because I find her so pitiful, I run to rescue her. She looks like a sad little inchworm, scooting her legs up underneath her, then flailing around until she has succeeded in pushing her face forward along the carpet (a task which usually involves whimpering for added effect).

To take after Mikie, she has also learned my least favorite trick. . . splashing mom during bath time. I have to admit, I have a slightly higher tolerance for splashing when it's Hannah because she is so amused by it (and, while she is always happy, it is difficult to make her giggle). The amusement stops when my sleeves are completely soaked.

And, her quirky characteristic: she eats with one leg in the air. Like a puppy peeing on a tree. It's like she is demonstrating her flexibility. Between this and her love of the little ballet barre at school, maybe she'll be a dancer. Assuming she didn't get my coordination and grace. Ha ha.

Love, The Trahans

Chaos and Cake

I got in a very bad habit of throwing multiple parties to celebrate Mikie's birthday. I don't even know how it happened. We started out innocently enough. Having spent much of his first year dining out with his working parents, we feared that he wouldn't understand it was his birthday unless people came out singing to him. So, the day before his birthday, we took him to TGI Friday's the day before his birthday so that the entire wait staff could sing to him. Then there was the obligatory birthday cupcake for breakfast on his actual birthday (Mike was leaving town on business, so we couldn't have it at dinner). And, one party, with all our family and friends in attendance.

By Mikie's second birthday, we were trying to sell our house and move to New England. So, we had one combined birthday/goodbye party with anyone who was available.

The third birthday started to get out of hand. First was a party with my mom and sister on Labor Day weekend. Second, a party with Mike's mom's family, Mikie's friends from daycare, and our neighbors. At that party, one of the kids took chalk to our new television while his older brother threw Mikie's $80 toy piano down the stairs. The third party had Mike's dad's family, my dad, plus our friends from college. Three parties. Three cakes. Three days of cooking and cleaning.

Evidently, we didn't learn our lesson by Mikie's fourth birthday. In keeping with the trend, four years old = four parties. One party in Connecticut at the daycare, for the convenience of Mikie's school friends. Thankfully, the staff came to man the party, planning games and art activities, and decorating. So, all I had to do was bring the food and goodie bags. One party with my parents on Labor Day weekend. One party with Mike's mom's family and our neighbors. And, the last party with Mike's dad's family and our friends. Four parties. Four cakes. You basically spend an entire month celebrating one child's birthday.

With two kids, I saw the handwriting on the wall. If I continued throwing four birthday parties per child, we would be having eight parties for two kids. At risk: loss of money, sanity, and an increased chance of spoiled children. And so I convinced myself it would be easier to invite everyone over for one big party, forgetting that there was a reason we switched to having multiple parties in the first place.

Exhibit A: The chaos

The party was SUPPOSED to be a Transformer themed water party. We bought kiddie pools, water balloons, water guns, water slide. And then, it rained. So our outdoor party was forced to move indoors, and with it, the chaos. Two hundred and fifty balls later, and one of the kiddie pools was converted to a ball pit. I think it was the highlight of the party, and the biggest mess ever.Exhibit B: The cake

Mikie doesn't eat actual cake, and store bought ice cream cakes aren't large enough to feed the number of people in attendance. So, working mother who feels the need to overcompensate for the fact that she isn't home during the day spends her evenings making an ice cream caking from scratch.On the plus side: everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, Mikie and Hannah slept fabulously, and we only had to clean up once. And, as an added bonus, our TV escaped unscathed.Happy Belated Birthday, Trouble.

Love, The Trahans

Labor Day

Labor Day weekend has become more and more chaotic since we moved North. Yes, there is Mikie's birthday (which I think is more labor intensive now than it was five years ago when I was IN LABOR!). But, there is also the pride and joy of Woodstock, Connecticut: The Woodstock Fair.

Yes, every Labor Day weekend, the local fairgrounds in Woodstock become overrun with carnies, rides, animals, tractors, go carts, music, and the scent of fried food. The question on everyone's lips is not "Are you going to the Fair" as much as "What day are you going to the Fair." Because, just as most civilized people recognize that there is only one "City", to locals, there is only one "Fair".

And so, in spite of last year's debacle, I agreed to go back for more. And, it was well worth the money. Mikie has grown a lot in the last year, and was now tall enough to ride more rides. So, while Mike and Mikie ran from ride to ride, Hannah and I had a fabulous time people watching. Well, Hannah's concept of people watching is really smiling/flirting at her adoring fans. And, oh the fans she has. Random children from town came running towards us yelling "NIBBLES" followed by "Where's Mikie?" I'm not sure which of my children is most popular. . .

Unfortunately, we didn't bring the camera or video phone (which would have been one more thing I had to lug around). So, the only picture we have is of Mikie mugging it up in the fun house:

At 7am on Sunday morning, Trouble woke up, happy to inform us that it was his birthday and demand his presents. Hannah graciously allowed us to interrupt her beauty sleep to bear witness to the craziness. And, for our family members who weren't able to travel to celebrate with us in person, we video taped the entire event. I know, try and contain your enthusiasm. The video is ten minutes long. However, if you survive all the way to the 7 minute mark, you are rewarded with an amusing royal wave to Grand Da (whom he originally thought was sleeping in the next room) in thanks for his present.

Immediately after filming this video, Mike had to begin construction on the Temple of Doom Lego set. Two hours and fifteen minutes later, he had completed his masterpiece. Unfortunately, I can't show you a picture of the finished product, because Mikie decided it needed to be disassembled fifteen minutes after it was complete. Lucky for Mikie, it was his birthday. Otherwise, I think Mike would might thrown him out of the house in frustration. . .

The combination of Fair and presents, coupled with party hopping in Rhode Island and swimming with friends in New Hampshire was enough activity to make Mike and I long for a vacation from our vacation. Sadly, every weekend this month is occupied with as much activity, so we're not sure when we will get a break. Maybe October. . .

Love, The Trahans

Bust a Move

Since Hannah's arrival, it is more difficult to take Mikie to the movies. Primarily because if I am paying for a babysitter, I feel I should get my money's worth and go out with my husband, not my five year old (no offense, Mikie). Mikie doesn't seem bothered by this. In fact, I think he enjoys "making a movie theater" at home more than going out. We pop popcorn (we each have our own bowl), turn down the lights, and stay up past our bedtime watching a movie, just the three of us.

On Labor Day weekend, the feature presentation was "Underdog". Fabulous live action movie based on the cartoon, featuring Jim Belushi and Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog. Mikie loved it because he seems to love all live action movies with animals (Stuart Little, Hotel for Dogs, etc.). Mike and I liked it because, as family movies go, it was amusing.

At the end, Mikie was on a high (Underdog having saved the day). As the music blared and credits rolled, he couldn't sit still. He started dancing around, in the amusing way a five year old does that reminds me of a cross between "Kung Fu Panda" meets Elaine Benes dancing on "Seinfeld". In his free time (the five seconds it took us to start video taping him), he invented a new move called "The Twistie". Check out the video below. . . I promise it is very entertaining.



I can't wait to show him this when he's in college. I'm SURE he will appreciate it.

Love, The Trahans

The Big Day

Today was the big day. Or at least it was a big day for me. Mikie's first day of school. Mikie and I weren't on different wavelengths, because, as you can see from the video, he seemed to think this was no different than any other day. He would go to school (albeit different from where he usually goes), Hannah would go to daycare, and Mom would go to work.

I of course was (am) a sappy emotional mess. I waited at school to take pictures of him getting on the bus. Then, I drove to the school to take pictures and video of him getting off the bus. I admit, I did cry. Although, I managed to keep from crying until AFTER Mikie was in school so I didn't have to deal with the exasperated look he would give me.

On my drive from the school to work, I remembered sending him to daycare for the first time. He was eight weeks old, and everyone told me I would cry when I left him. He and I were both fine, neither of us crying. I told people that we appreciated each other more having our time apart. So, I never would have guessed that kindergarten would be my emotional downfall.

I attempted to load this video twice. The original video was set to Natalie Merchant (yes, I know, it was sappy and cheesey, and when you are a mom, you can mock me). After two failed attempts uploading to YouTube, I finally succeeded, only to get a message from YouTube that portions of the video were copywrited. So, back to the drawing board. No Natalie Merchant. This time the audio is Mikie detailing his first day's activities.

Love, The Trahans

What's Wrong With This Picture?

I like to say that absent-mindedness is a sign of intelligence. Mostly because I can't blame my forgetfulness on other things (old age, pregnancy, etc.). . .

Two weeks ago, I took Mikie for a haircut. The "salon" (I don't know that you can call the kiddy equivalent of Hair Cuttery a "salon") looks you up in the system based on the last four digits of your phone number. One small problem: I could not remember the last four digits of my phone number. After 30 seconds, I succeeded in blurting out four digits. As the girl struggled to find us in the system, I realized my mistake and said "Wait, no, those are the last four digits of my social security number." So, now everyone knows I have memory issues. Instead of pulling out my cell phone to look up my phone number, I stare at Mikie, as if my five year old knows the answer. He didn't. But, eventually, I did come up with the number, and we succeeded in getting Mikie's haircut.

I thought that was bad. I can remember every ingredient in every one of the thirty-five formulas I have launching this fall, but I can't remember my phone number. However, today trumped all previous not-so-senior moments. . .

Today was Mikie's kindergarten orientation. Mike took the afternoon off and drove an hour and a half to attend. As Mikie dragged us around every inch of the crowded, un-air conditioned classroom, Mike comments "They have Hannah's birthday." Not sure what he meant, I walked over to the birthday board to see this:What's wrong with this picture? Mikie was born on September 6th; HANNAH was born on February 19th. Why would the teacher put the wrong birthday down? Because Mikie's mom cannot accurately fill out simple school enrollment forms correctly.

And so, I made a GREAT first impression on Mikie's teacher. My first time meeting her and I had to say, "Hi, I'm Lauren Trahan, Mikie's mom. I don't know my kid's birthday."

Small consolation: if I'm bad for writing down the wrong birthday, how bad is the administrative office that didn't think to question why they were admitting a kindergartner born in 2009?

Love, The Trahans

The Pick-Up Line

Because Hurricane Bill was wreaking havoc on our favorite beach, we spent this weekend cooling off at a water park near our house. It was very relaxing. Hannah enjoyed floating around the lake, watching Mikie demonstrate his swimming moves. Mike and Mikie enjoyed the water slides. And, Grandma Pookie and I enjoyed relaxing.

Right before we left, Mikie, chick magnet extraordinaire, attracted the attention of a three year old girl, Zoe. Zoe "swam" by a few times, trying to attract Mikie's attention (to no avail). When we complemented her on her swimming skills, Mikie came over to regale Zoe's parents with his ability to blow bubbles in the water. To which Zoe responded, "I can blow bubbles with my butt." Ah, love in bloom. . .

Even more amusing than Zoe's pick-up line was Mikie's. At one point he yelled "Come meet your Destiny!" Don Juan? No. Just a five year old quoting lines from Star Wars. Until we enlightened Zoe's parents, they were pretty amused with his pick-up line.

God help us when he actually has interest in girls. . .

Love, The Trahans

Major Milestones

Six months, slightly over 16 pounds, and Hannah sits up! She still has her moments. If brother runs by, and she turns her head, down she goes. But, if she has something directly in front of her to occupy her attention, she is pretty good at keeping her balance: Which brings me to Hannah's next talent: impersonating a cat. Her new favorite toy is a cage type ball with another mirrored ball inside. Not unlike a big cat toy. It reminds me of that old Saturday Night Live skit where Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn are cat toy salesmen who need to "road test" all of the new products. If you haven't seen the skit, you can find it here. If you have, then you can further appreciate Hannah playing with her new toy (click on the picture below to see the video).Love, The Trahans

Picture Day

Since Mikie is fast approaching the big 0-5, and Hannah is now six months old, we decided to take them both to have their pictures taken. We arrived at 10:30 am and were finished around lunch time. I don't know which was more exhausting, getting Hannah to smile, getting Mikie to smile normally (ie, not a cheese plastered on smile), or selecting what to order. While we were immersed in the chaos , I was expecting the shoot to yield a bunch of horrible pictures. However, I am impressed with the results:

HannahTrouble & Super NibblesAnd then there was Mikie:

This picture of Mikie makes me cry. Because, when I look at him every day, I don't notice how big he has gotten (although I tease him anytime he makes me lift him that he must have gotten bigger while I was at work). Then, I see these pictures and realize he is not a baby anymore. . . tall and lanky. . . just under four feet tall. . . 45 pounds. . . starting kindergarten on Wednesday. It seems like only yesterday he was blonde and chubby and looked like this: If I am this sentimental on Saturday, wait until my first day of school post on Wednesday. . .

Love, The Trahans

Another Mikie Moment

Last week, I had to get my car inspected, a task made all the more interesting (challenging) having the kids with me.

At 5pm, we pulled into the gas station. I love this gas station because it is a) located on my way home from work, b) is full serve only, c) participates in the discount gas program with the grocery store, and d) will inspect my car while I wait. . . something my car dealership doesn't do. Unfortunately, they are a gas station with a convenience store that is smaller than my closet (no lie). So, while my car is on a riser in a garage, I'm forced to stand outside and wait. Normally, I wouldn't mind. But, it happened to be 86 degrees outside and I had two tired children with me. . .

In my infinite wisdom, I decided to buy Mikie a snack in the convenience store. Unfortunately, they don't sell perishable items. . . including milk. While most kids would HAPPILY drink a soda or juice, Mikie is NOT most kids. If he can't drink milk, he will begrudgingly drink water. As I reached for a water and small bag of Oreos, Mikie picked up a bag of Oreo Cakesters. Conversation ensued:

Mom: "Those aren't real Oreos."

Mikie: "I know. They're Cakesters."

So, either he learned how to read, or he had Oreo Cakesters at school. The second option seemed more plausible, so I gave in. While I paid, Mikie struck up a conversation with the cashier (who happened to be the owner):

Mikie: "Hey! What do you think of my sister?"

Owner: looking at me "What did he say?"

Mikie: "Do you like my sister? Don't you think she's cute?"

Mom: embarrassed, "Mikie, come outside."

Of course, Mikie quickly realized that he does NOT like Cakesters, and that he needs to feed them to an ant. And, since he has given his snack to an insect, he needs real Oreos. As he gets up to go inside and help himself, I inform him that he will not be buying more cookies because I was out of money.

Finally, the car was ready. As I loaded the brood into the car, Mikie yells to the owner: "Hey, guy. Next time, get some milk, or we're never going to come here again."

I don't know where he gets his attitude from. Must be Mike. . .

Love, The Trahan

Bathtime

Working late means the kids and I don't get home until close to 7pm. Since they both go to bed at 8pm, I have a little over an hour to make dinner for Mikie, feed Hannah (solid food plus juice plus a bottle of formula), and bathe both kids before it's time for bed. And (in an ideal world) I have time to eat and play with them.

Unfortunately, this doesn't leave me with enough free time to perfect cloning myself. So, I am forced to find other ways to accomplish all of these tasks. The simplest solution: bathe both kids at the same time.

This is easier said then done. The easiest solution would be to bathe Hannah in her baby tub in my bathroom while Mikie takes a shower. But, Mikie LOVES baths. And Hannah LOVES anything related to Mikie: him or his toys. So, I struggle to hold Hannah in a sitting (or standing) position in the tub while Mikie splashes around her. It gets particularly hairy when soap is involved, as soapy wet babies are as slippery as greased pigs (so I would imagine, having never actually held a greased pig). I am slowly perfecting the routine: fill tub, put both kids in tub, clean Hannah while she is entertained by toys/Mikie, remove Hannah from the tub, dry her off and put a diaper on her, shampoo and condition Mikie's hair, entertain Hannah while Mikie cleans himself/splashes/floats/swims in the tub, drain the tub.

And now for the embarrassing naked pictures: As you can see, Hannah spends most of her time biting the basketball hoop, which is why all of her photos are of her wrinkly bum. Mikie doesn't sit still for long. Actually, Mikie doesn't SIT (preferring to completely immerse himself in water), so this is the closest we came to getting a picture of them together:

It probably isn't faster, but it does "save water for the fish" (a concept Mikie has recently become concerned about), and, if nothing else, is amusing.

Love, The Trahans

The Burger Drama

Mikie's daycare has a hot lunch program in conjunction with one of the local restaurants. For $5, you can sign up for a sandwich, hotdog, hamburger, or daily special, along with a drink, and side (typically fruit and chips). Very convenient for those mornings where I lack motivation to make Mikie a lunch (usually because I am racing out the door at the last minute). Mikie is VERY picky about what he will eat: turkey on white bread (in spite of the fact that he doesn't eat the bread) with mustard (he won't eat it without) or a hotdog with ketchup, mustard, and NO bun. If I don't get the order right, I typically get a lecture on how I should "always make him a lunch from home."

Monday ended up being a school lunch day for the Trahans. And, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have SWORN that I checked hotdog on the lunch menu. But, when I dropped Mikie off on Tuesday morning, the teacher informed me that I had made a mistake and they ordered him a hamburger. Since Mikie hadn't mentioned it, I assumed it was no big deal.

On Tuesday evening, a second teacher asked me if anyone told me about the "Burger Drama". Evidently, as the teacher was passing out the lunches, she noticed Mikie stand up, walk over to the trash can, and throw his ENTIRE lunch bag in the trash. Confused, she went over, took the lunch out of the trash and opened the bag to find his hamburger and sides, completely untouched. When she questioned him, he told her he didn't like anything and would just eat ketchup.

Thankfully, they had some extra hotdogs from the camp cook-out and made him a hotdog for lunch, so he didn't have to go on a hunger strike.

He wouldn't survive a day in catholic school. I can still hear the nuns lecturing me because I didn't finish eating all of my peanut butter sandwich. . .

Love, The Trahans