Ten on Tuesday

1. I realized the other day after looking at Cam's birth certificate that my birth date is wrong on his certificate. I am a year younger on his birth certificate. Something tells me that I should probably get this changed and something else tells me that it is not going to be an easy process.

2. Camism for today....He had to take his medicine last night. He fusses and complains every time so I told him that he had to have it, no exceptions. He turned to me and said, "Come on mom, cut me some slack."

3. My throat still hurts. It's a different kind of hurt though. I don't feel sick. My head is not stuffy. My throat just hurts. It's better during the day but by late evening, it hurts all the way up to my ears and I have a headache. I would like to go back to the doctor but I am assuming that since I have no other symptoms, they will run blood work. That being said, I can't go to the Dr. with a kid in tow because I always pass out when they take blood. It's just something I have come to expect. I can't have Cam there with me while they are picking me up off the floor. Guess I'll just see if my throat gets better or worse over the next few days.

4. Colin was still his same old grumpy self after school yesterday It wears off around 6pm. That just makes for a long two hours.

5. I got to take a shower AND get dressed all by myself on Saturday. Everyone was gone so it was quite easy. I almost had time to shower and dress by myself the other days of the week too. If I would have just cut my shower/dress time by 15 minutes. I would have had complete privacy. Oh wait, it only takes me 15 minutes to shower and get dressed.

6. We did get some snow over the weekend. It's very dry and powdery snow. It's too cold for the kids to go outside so I'm not sure the snow was exactly what I asked for.

7. Steve and I went out to dinner on Sunday afternoon. We have not been out since, oh goodness, October, I think. That's when we went to Las Vegas and my mom watched the kids. I kind of miss my husband.

8. It's a really good feeling to be recycling more than we throw away. Our recycle bin is more full each week than our garbage bin. Yeah us.

9. I baked cookies today. Something about being cooped up when it is cold outside just makes me want to bake. I don't necessarily want to eat what I bake, so come on over and help me out.

10. Steve and I have decided to keep our summer vacation close to home. We want to plan a few long weekends to Colorado destinations. Any suggestions of fun places in the state to go with kids? We have considered Steamboat, Glenwood Springs, Royal Gorge and/or Silverton train.

More "Cam"isms and an Ah Ha Moment

Camden is just a crack up. This things that come out of that 5 year old little brain. He sounds so wise and so funny at the same time.

He was eating a fudge pop for dessert the other day. He was sitting at the table and said, "Mom, this tastes like a slice of the moon. A little bit of chocolaty heaven goodness." He is so stinking cute.

More from Cam....

"I know who our first President was (notice the past tense). Obama. He rules the world." I tried to clarify with Camden that Obama is our current President but he just could not wrap his head around it.

"I want to go to Egypt. It's full of booby traps. I can see them from our house."

"Don't forget to pray for Brandon (our beloved dog) in heaven. I need to seem him again. I really really miss him." (Cam was a year old when we put Brandon down but he really really misses him.)

"I am allergic to dogs and cats and cottonwood. I wonder if I am allergic to mom. But I don't sneeze around any of them."

And the ah ha moment that I learned this week about Colin. I kept trying to figure out what magical piece of Christmas break allowed the boys to get along so well. It was a like a little fairy came down and sprinkled happy smiles and kindness in our house for two weeks. The boys played so well together. They shared, they plotted, they built forts...it was wonderful. I had so much fun doing all sorts of different activities with them because we were all so happy.

Yesterday after school Colin just ripped into Camden. He was yelling at him. He did not want to be around him. Colin was crying. Camden was crying. And I had an ah ha moment.

Everyday when Colin gets home from school he is in an awful mood. It breaks my heart because I know his teacher gets the best of him at school and we get the worst of him at home. (He's still a good kid, I just hate seeing him so sad.) I realized that he is just totally worn out. He is mentally exhausted. I have to go back to the days when he was a toddler. We avoided noisy places and crowds with him because he would end up crying if he got too agitated.

Cue in school. Noise and chaos is a constant. His teacher is WONDERFUL (and that is with ALL CAPS!!!)! The classroom itself is organized and his day is structured. But, the class is full of kids, the lunchroom is crowded. The arrival and dismissal process is noisy and crowded. I imagine every day when he gets on the bus to come home, his heart skips a beat. I am sure that he is on edge wondering if I'll be there to pick him up. He still asks me to promise him everyday that I will be at the bus stop waiting for him. I have never given him any reason to indicate that I would not be there. And we have a plan set up with neighbors if for some emergency reason I am not there. The kid just worries. (Wonder where he gets that from?)

I bet he is stressed and on edge most of the day. When he comes home, he is just exhausted. We don't have much time between him getting home and bedtime. He gets home at 4pm. We try to have them upstairs by 6:30pm for a bath and bedtime between 7:30-7:45pm. If he has a boyscouts thing that gets pushed to 8pm which I do not like but we just have to deal with it.

I really want to get him involved in karate after school but he is just so tired. I wonder if he had an activity right after school if it would make things better or worse. Does anyone out there have an experience with this? I just keep thinking that if he had a way to release this anxiety, our nights might go better.

I don't get "happy Colin" after school. Sure, he bounces home and runs to greet the bus driver on the other side of the block. But the minute we walk in the door he is either pouting, yelling at Camden, whining about not having something, complaining about having to go to boyscouts, the grocery store, the moon. Seriously, it almost seems like his way of processing things is just to be in a sour mood for 2 hours.

Usually, by dinner, he has turned the corner and he is happy and smiling. But those two hours are brutal. I have to admit, I think a "schedule" after school would be a good idea. We have taken him out of all of his activities after school except Boyscouts. That keeps us plenty busy. But I almost feel like he needs a physical release. It's been hard to establish a routine after school because there are always so many different variables. I might need to run to the store with them. We might need to catch up on homework or a boyscout project. Lately we have made a lot of after school trips to Walgreens for meds for Cam. We go to the library some days. I like to take them with me when I return books so they have a chance to check out new books. It has just been really hard to get into a routine after school.

I'm not sure which way to go with this. Do I schedule something after school as a "release" for Colin or do I establish a routine at home where he has some time to himself? He's going to see that as a punishment but it might do him some good to not have to interact with Cam the moment he walks in the door. Cam is so excited to see Colin and tell him about his day. I'm just not sure how to turn after school time into that joyous occasion that I always felt after school. How do you all handle after school time? Routine, classes, activities, cookies and milk?

Just so I don't end this blog on a down note, here are some pictures of last weeks snow. It's all melted now but we are supposed to get more on Sunday night. The low on Sunday is -14. Now that's cold people.

Ten on Thursday (Because I Did Not Get To It On Tues.)

My Ten on Tuesday posts did not last very long. I am a few days behind. So here goes....

1. Camden is still using words that are way to big for him. It cracks me up. Yesterday he was putting together a Lego. I noticed that he was not following the exact directions. When I asked him why he used a different piece he said, "Mom, I am improvising." Wow. Excuse me. I shouldn't question a 5 year old.

2. Colin has decided that he wants to have his 7 year birthday party at the Humane Society. When he found out that the payment for the party went directly back to the animals and their care, he chose the Humane Society over a party at the Lego Store. I love his heart.

3. Steve continues to work weird and long hours. He has worked so many night shifts along with his regular day shift that I do not know how he can function. I've been trying to take care of things at home so he can do what he needs to do at work but it's hard when there's no clear schedule. He should be getting a review within the month so hopefully all of his hard work will pay off.

4. Facebook is the coolest thing ever. When I was in middle school we hosted an exchange student from Iceland. She was a wonderful friend and I have tried to find her on facebook a few times but could not figure out the spelling of her last name. Yesterday she contacted me via facebook. So cool!

5. I am having a hard time not putting my name in the running for full time positions opening up at the Charter School. I know there is no way that I can work full time and juggle the kids' school and activities like I do now. Steve works so many hours that I just can not commit to a full time job. I want to work but I don't want to leave my kids with someone else. I want to work but Cam is just starting Kindergarten next year. I want to work and a job at the school would be perfect. But not right now. I have to wait for God's timing and not try to fit it into my own timing.

6. Cam is going back on antibiotics. His sinus infection is not quite gone. He still has a gooey nose so it's back to a 10 day dose of antibiotics for him. I hate putting him on meds but I just can't seem to get him well.

7. My sis is moving from Charleston, SC in March. This is kind of a bummer because I thought we would be able to go out to Charleston one last time this summer. They were supposed to be moving to Rhode Island in July. Things changed and now they have orders to move to St. Louis. Bummer.

8. Colin lost his 3rd front tooth last week. It was loose already but it was knocked out by Cam when they were wrestling. I have given up on the "No Wrestling" rule. It's a constant battle so I just told them that if they got hurt, it was not my fault. Karma baby. Karma.

9. Colin had a "Go See Em' with Boyscouts last night. Steve took both Colin and Cam to the Police Station for a tour because we thought Cam might enjoy it too. Turns out the police officer did not know much about how to handle a group of 6 year olds. The kids got lectures on sexual predators, murders, bodies being dumped in fields, drunk drivers.... not the kind of information that I expected for a tour with 6 year olds. Nice. Really nice.

10. I am ready for more snow or spring. Not sure which.

Those Were the Days

Remember the days when you used to be able to to a long hot shower every morning? All by yourself? Without being interrupted by dire emergency? And by emergency I mean someone can't get a Lego apart. Someone needs their milk refilled. Someone can't find their favorite shirt in the closet (because they never actually put it in the dirty clothes basket to begin with). Someone can't get the toothpaste out of the container.

It seems that every morning is the same. I just get in the shower or just get out of the shower and am greeted by a small person needing something. I tell them I am going upstairs to take a shower. Two minutes later, they decided that it is the EXACT moment that they desperately need something. Huh, sorry about your luck kiddos. Can't help you right now.

It is a rare occasion that I can shower AND get dressed without a small person walking in on me. I close my bedroom door. I have not gone as far as to lock it. Our master bathroom is "open concept" and does not have a door. The best I can do is shower fast and have my clothes ready for me when I get out. Now, some of you are wondering why I wouldn't just take my time and let me kids deal with their issues. It's because my kids have this weird habit of hanging out wherever I am. It's unnerving.

We have four bedrooms, a playroom, a family room, a formal room and a finished basement. Nope, all that space just won't do. Often times the boys can be seen sitting at my feet playing legos while I am working. By work, I actually mean work. I have a part-time job (usually from home) and I can work some while the kids are playing. But they can't seem to be in a different room for very long. Last night I even moved upstairs to our bedroom to work. Nope, here come two kids with their new models.

Yesterday, I was trying to make dinner. Guess it was a good time to play with bouncy balls on the kitchen floor. And, if I am showering that is a wonderful opportunity for the boys to pretend they are taking a bath in the soaker tub and get out all of their bath toys. Funny thing is, most nights they complain about having to take a bath.

So, there I stand, in the shower with two boys waiting desperately for me to get out and get on with my day.

This brings me to my first option for a New Year's Resolution. Shower as little as possible in 2011. What do you think?

From 2000 and Beyond

2000 - Got married to my Best Friend. No really, I've known him since 7th grade.

2001- Moved to Chicago and started a new job as Principal.

2002 - Worked at said job from dawn until dusk.

2003 - Moved back to KS.

2004 - Had Baby # 1 (Colin). Lived in CA for 6 months.

2005 - Had Baby # 2 (Camden)

2006 - Moved to Colorado Springs without ever seeing our new house. Steve and my dad bought it without me.

2007 - Moved to Erie, Colorado in a blizzard after spending 2 weeks in a hotel. Thanks for your help Grandma and Grandpa.

2008 - Tried to not have a nervous breakdown with two young kids at home.

2009 - Remained status quo and did not move.

2010 - Ended the year with the worst cold I have had in many, many years.

2011 - Not planning on moving, or having more kids, or starting a new job. Huh. Not sure what to do with myself.

A Merry Christmas Was Had By All

Without a doubt everyone in the Silva house had a Merry Christmas. Colin awoke at 11:00pm, 1:30am, 3:30am and was up for the day at 5:30am. All of our gifts were unwrapped by 6:30am and we were done with breakfast too. It was a very early morning and things were in such a state of chaos and hurry (from the kids) that I didn't even get the traditional photo of both kids sitting in front of the Christmas tree surrounded by presents. I had to settle for individual pictures of the kids.

Both kids got a DSi XL from Santa. They have been played a lot in the last few days but I am sure the newness will wear off at some point in the next few weeks. Colin informed me that he was the only kid in his class that had a DS on their Christmas list because EVERYONE else in the class already had one. My poor deprived child. Somehow I doubt that every kid in the class already has one and he has so many other toys it is ridiculous. Next year I need to remember some sage advice from a friend; "SIMPLICITY".


Needless to say, we all had fun but I am glad the holiday is over. I came down with a bad cold and Christmas day and the day after seemed to be the worst of the cold. That is, until I woke up and could not open my eye.

Yes folks, eye infections are not just for kids anymore. Yes, this is me in all my eye infection glory. I know I look hideous. The kids would not look at me. I told them that the next time they had pink eye that they needed to let me put eye drops in without complaining or they would turn out to look like this. To be honest though, when I went to bed that night I was fine. I woke up in the morning and my eye was swollen shut. Very nice.

Both kids have had pink eye in the last month. Colin got pink eye back after two weeks and Cam ended up with a sinus infection which produced an eye infection. We were a sad looking family for a few days. And by sad I mean that no one would have wanted to come near us.

I missed Christmas Mass and did not do much of the cooking Christmas Day. Steve took over with the kids and mom muddled her way through the kitchen. Dad even pitched when he was needed. For some reason that meal tasted fantastic! It must have something to do with letting everyone else cook for me.

Roxanna, Ron, Jenni, Larissa and Nathanael came to CO on Monday from KS. Although I was still not feeling well, it was nice to have them around. Of course the boys are quite smitten with Nathanael. Any "big kid" that will play video games, nerf guns and run around in the backyard is a big hit in their book. Colin looked longingly at the picture of the two of them that was taken at Chuckee Cheese and stated that he missed him already. They had to leave early due to a snow storm coming our way. Said snow storm dumped and entire 1/2 inch of snow in our yard. I hope there is more to come or I am going to have some really disappointed boys.

The boys went out to play in the snow and managed to stay outside for almost an hour. Now you might think that would mean that I could get some things done or have time to relax. If you think that, then you don't have kids. Or boys. Or live in Colorado. About every two minutes the boys were at the door because they needed something. A Tupperware container, a spoon, a snow shovel, mitten adjusted, hat adjusted, spray bottles..... I pretty much ran up and down the stairs between folding laundry and sat by the back door as they played.

And so things are nearly back to normal. I'm just a little bit sick. Steve is feeling rotten now. The Christmas decorations are still up and will probably stay up until the kids go back to school some time in the next month. Seriously. They are out of school until Jan. 4th or 5th. But you know what, I'll take it. I really am enjoying my time with them. Just us hanging out. Camden keeps crawling up in my lap and saying, "Mommy, you are so soft." I am hoping he is referring to the constant state of fleece that I have worn the past few days and not the constant state of chocolate that I have eaten over the last few days.

Oh, and one more thing. Our garage door broke. We get to spend a grand getting that replaced today. So to recap. We spent a boatload on the cat. We spent a boatload on Christmas gifts. We get to spent a boatload on a new garage door. I am sick. Steve is sick. Camden is sick. Colin was so cranky yesterday that he took a two hour nap. We were supposed to get 8-10 inches of snow so my family left a day early. We have half an inch.

I feel like I am in a very bad version of a Christmas movie gone wrong. Maybe I need to to make a New Year's Resolution to lower my expectations for next Christmas. Bah Hum Bug. Bet you never thought you'd hear me say that.

Sharing the Christmas Spirit (and more)!

At the Silva house we love to share our Christmas spirit! We share our cookies, breads, gifts and carols with those we love. Yes, we have shared with our neighbors, friends and family. We have been holding back a bit though. We did not share everything with them. So, if anyone out there would like pink eye, a nasty head cold, or a sinus infection, our door is open. Come on in. Bring your cough drops. And Kleenax. And Tylenol. And eye drops.

Soooo....today was spent at home. We made more goodies. Don't worry friends, these goodies will not be shared with anyone but Santa and his reindeer. Sorry dude. We have to share with someone. I'm pretty sure Santa has some sort of magical shield that allows him to bounce colds and flu right off his belly.

Our plan was to make gingerbread cookies for Santa. Little did I know that spreading flour would turn out to be the best part of the day. I just let the boys go. Throwing flour was off limits but they managed to be covered in it within five minutes anyway. Here's a simple progression in pictures. And before you go all, "You are the best mom in the world because you let your kids do so many fun things as home and you don't even yell at them for making a mess" on me...let me assure you, if I would have had a voice to yell at them with, I would have yelled. At this point, I just gave up because they were occupied without me and they were getting along with each other. Choose your battles moms. Choose your battles.

I made the kids change out of their floured clothes. It got a little crazy. I'm not sure why boys find it so fascinating to run around the house with no clothes on, or clothes on backwards, or clothes on silly. But it seems like the best thing since sliced bread when I tell them to go upstairs to change clothes.

But the above finally turned into the below. We had a great time decorating the cookies. Something about kids, candy and frosting. You just can't go wrong there.

After the gingerbread cookies, we moved on to graham cracker houses. Or maybe it was the other way around. I can't remember. My head was in a fog and I have basically lost my voice.

We also made crafts. Before the night is over we will be making reindeer food. That's just how we roll around here. I am soaking up every spare minute that I can with my boys. They are smiling and happy. We played legos and board games today in between the baking. Who says you can't spend a day inside with two boys. Oh, I guess that was between a trip to the doctor and a trip to Walgreens.

My blog would not be complete without an update on Little Miss Kitty. Looks like she's doing pretty good, huh? Yes, she is back to being her hissy prissy self. This is Scooby the Wonder dog's kennel. Scooby was not allowed back in her kennel on this night. Snicks took over. Hissing and all. Glad she's feeling better.

Wonder what tomorrow has in store for us?