Nicely done

The last time I cooked with jalapenos, I made the mistake of touching them with wild abandon. I was seeding them, and decided to disregard a friend's trick about putting your hands in sandwich bags, therefore keeping all those piping hot oils from forever contaminating your fingers.

Mind you, this was after I openly mocked a woman for COMING TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM because her fingers were burning from cutting up jalapenos (not to her face, of course, but come on, really? I can read the internet as well as you can...).

Karma, being the *)&*^%$ that she is, subsequently sent my jalapeno laced hands into the firey pits of hell. Blazing fingertips. We are talking rocking-gently-forward-and-back-during-dinner, just shy of moaning kind of burning. "Take THAT you mean mocking doctor!"

So, this weekend, I was not going to be Karma's fool twice. While I seeded my seranos, I had the sandwich bags firmly in place, smug little smile on my face. Just try to hurt me NOW, you pesky little pepper. So clever am I...

Do you know what's worse than having your fingers on fire? That would be having your baby's mouth on fire after you drop one of those little peppers without noticing it. There is Leo, tongue protruding from his mouth, tears streaming, saliva pooling, hands batting at his mouth in an effort to "GET IT OFFA ME!!" 7 minutes of looking at his sad little face, waiting for it to wear off. No interest in the sippy cup of milk that might, just might, make it a bit easier...

So go head, add it to the list of reasons to nominate me for Mother of the Year. I think I'm inching closer and closer to a LOCK!

Silence

If there is one thing I don't get a lot of around here, it's quiet. In fact, I have been known to yell "SILENCE!!" more than once when I appear to be the only one bothered by 4 voices all chattering at me at the same time.

We also have a slight acoustics problem in the new house. The room in which we spend the majority of our time has wood floors, high ceilings and no curtains. You can literally hear the noise reverberate at times. In discussing remodeling, I have considered shag carpet and acoustic tile. Is that wrong from a style standpoint?

So yesterday, as Omar was still fully buried at work with the preparations for Darkness Day, I was on my own with The Monkeys. Thus, I was sitting at the Caribou drive-thru. We were heading to the Meadowbrook school Fall Festival, and I needed fortitude.

Then it happened. Silence. All 4 boys were completely quiet, as was I. The radio happened to be off. It was divine. After ~ 12 seconds...

Spencer: "COME ON GUYS! SOMEBODY SAY SOMETHING!!"

Apparently the trait I am fostering the most fully in my boys is a fear of silence. Awesome.

Hold me closer Tony Danza

Calvin informed me this morning that he and Max were going to go in the other room to play football. He was going to be the quarterback.

"Yep. I'm gonna be Jet Farve"

The Hini

This one goes out to Mary! She hasn't posted in days because:

A) she is working too hard for Omar as the Darkness Day event planner
B) she is being slammed by H1N1 (or as Todd-o has appropriately re-dubbed it "The Hini")
C) she is caring for a sick child with The Hini
D) all of the above

Hang in there sista! I wish there was something I could do. Hopefully the wracking body aches will lighten up enough to feel human again in time to lift a glass Saturday night and weep with joy that both are over!

Brotherly love

I am surrounding by goof balls...

Yes, Max is airborne. And no, no animals were hurt during the making of this picture

Finally happened

The first of the Ansari 4 has hit the ER. Not to visit mom, but as a patient.

After big brother assisted Calvin out of the top bunk with a swift kick in the back, Cal landed flat on his head. He slabbed on the couch in a semi-listless state for ~1 hour after that. Then, when he attempted to get up to go with dad to pick pumpkins, he instead puked his cookies. And that was when we headed to the ER.

One of our newer ER staff was the lucky lady that got to pick up one of her senior staff's kids. She did all the things she was supposed to do, but then turned to me and said "So, do you want a CT?" That's the only reason I was there.

He did great in the scanner, no more puking, and the scan was normal - no blood in the noodle.

Good times, good times. I'm not looking forward to doing this again any time soon....

boys....

So there I am, remembering to film the boys in a precious moment of childhood. I usually either fail to even think of shooting some film, or I don't take the time to grab the video at the right time. I already look at the few videos I managed to take of baby Max, many of which are the grainy, cruddy camera-pretending-to-be-video version. I still wish there were more of those cruddy little clips.

Thus... Spencer and Leo were in the tub. They were having a moment of brotherly love, splashing and giggling. I yell to Omar to bring the video camera. Let the film roll.

Beautiful moment. Lots of splashing. Lots of giggling. I zoom in to get Leo's baby face smiling. Water flying all over the place, Leo's mouth wide open, eyes blinking rapidly.

Pan out. Spencer is now standing in the tub, moving in front of his little brother, flexing the biceps, making a face of "the bad guy" and trying to steal the show. Hilarious little moment of a small boy trying to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Then, he starts in with the Penis Dance. I really should attach the video... but I can't bring myself to do it...Too much jumping, too much jesticulating, too much thrilled joy with the 4-year-old body that is fully inappropriate at our advanced years. Too much risk that my site will be tagged as some sicko site. Really, when all was said and done, just Too much. Of course the soundtrack to this is a blend of giggling and horror of my own. "Spencer... ok... buddy... let's stop..."

And.... cut.

Man! That was fun!

The minute my cute little husband heard the faintest whisper of "Brett Favre" on the lips of the Vikings nation, he bought season's tickets. It was a bummer when #4 announced he was not, in fact, going to join our squad.

Then excitement when he showed up to sign.

Then complete madness last night as we watched the future Hall of Famer beat his beloved Packers in the dome. MAN, what a blast. I've been to many games down there, but I have never seen a crowd stand on their feet the entire game, whooping and hollering like it was the Superbowl.

And to have a few Packer fan friends texting back and forth.... How sweet it is!!

Rainy Day

I got my first taste of what winter mornings are going to be like. We awoke to a rainy, cool day. To walk over to the JCC required boots, raincoats, and sweat shirts and umbrellas. This is in addition to the lunch boxes, and a new supply of diapers, wipes and snacks for Leo.

A quick aside: Thank you Pam for the Surly Sack! It's the only way we survive!

Anyway, I was feeling slightly overwhelmed and the prospect of adding 2 feet of snow to this in a few months, but then I couldn't stop laughing. This is what was standing in front of me.

How can you not love that. Ah, Spence....