Mommin' It Up!

April 5, 2011

Sam.

Sam’s birthday was Saturday. I am having a hard time believing he’s three. In some ways it seems like it was yesterday when he was born. In other ways, it seems like he’s always been with us.

Even though he’s only three, he’s got a few great loves in his life. His house (the kid is a total homebody), his sister, and baseball.

Especially baseball.

The day Sam was born, my dad christened him “Sluggin’ Sam.” The next day Dad went to the Reds game and snagged the first fly ball he’d ever caught, after, you know, about 50 years of trying. He brought it to Sam at the hospital.

By Sam’s first birthday, his favorite word was “ball.” He couldn’t walk, but he already loved to play ball. I had the brilliant idea to have a ball motif for his birthday party – we could decorate with all sorts of balls and we could serve melon balls and meat balls and all sorts of things… but his father quickly determined that the theme for his party could not be BALLS.

By his second birthday, he called himself “Baseball Sammy.” He never went anywhere without his baseball cap and “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was his favorite song.

Last weekend, we spent his third birthday at one of his very favorite places in the world – Busch Stadium – watching his beloved Cardinals.

He was SO excited. Random strangers took pictures and video taped him yelling “Go Cardinals, GO!!!!” My facebook page was not the only one featuring Sam that day.

Sam’s interests aren’t particularly diverse or varied – he finds something he likes and sticks with it. But his passion and enthusiasm are inspiring to me, and I learn from him every day.

He is such a great kid.

Happy birthday, Baseball Sammy. I love you more than everything put together.

April 4, 2011April 2, 2011

It’s Electric!

Saturday I took some special time out to spend just with Joshua. I think it’s safe to say that I haven’t had any alone time with Joshua (except for in the doctor’s office) since well before the baby was born! So, I decided to treat us both to an afternoon at our local children’s museum – the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery. (Preceded by lunch and followed by ice cream – holla!) I hadn’t even seen their new zoo that was unveiled in September (plus the otters are going on exchange program to other zoos so I wanted to see them again, they are so funny! But don’t worry, new otters will be coming to replace them), and I really wanted to check out their featured exhibit – It’s Electric! – that runs through the first week of May. The exhibit celebrates 100 years of our local power company, Dayton Power & Light and gives kids the opportunity to explore the history of electricity as well as look at what’s in store for electricity in the future.

The exhibit was really hands-on and fun! There were tons of “Try It” – cause and effect things for Joshua to do that demonstrate electricity’s origins and effects. And, I must say, it explained the phenomenon of “static” way better than I could! He got to make sparks, produce static electricity, and make all kinds of things light up!

He wasn’t as interested in the history as I was but I really enjoyed the period desks with telegraph machines to tap out morse code, photos of electricity used in our area throughout the years, and all kinds of crazy old-fashioned early electric devices (like the “Electrostatic bath” – yikes!).

He was mostly interested in the magnets, the static, the lights, the cranks, the wheels and the fun of learning about what made it all happen. It was a lot of really cool science and learning packed into one exhibit. I was super-impressed and Joshua loved it!

We had a great time at the Boonshoft and especially at the It’s Electric exhibit. If your kiddos have spring break coming up this month or you have a few hours on the weekend, I highly recommend checking it out!

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The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery sponsored this post. I paid our admission to the museum and all opinions about our time there are completely my own.

April 1, 2011

VANtastic!

Yesterday my life as I know it changed for the better. And for the convenient. And I am absolutely giddy with excitement in a totally geeky way that I am now a minivan mom! I suppose these are words that I never thought I’d say, but ever since this shoving-three-kids-in-the-back-of-my-sedan thing started (and immediately got OLD), I have been lusting after a minivan.

Since we are Toyota people, Bobby and I really wanted a Toyota Sienna. We also wanted to pay cash, which meant USED. And, we wanted leather seats (because, really, Joshua has thrown up in my car about 8,000 times and if it didn’t have leather, I’d have to wear a HAZMAT suit just to DRIVE it) and at lease ONE power door. (Whoever invented the power door is a geeeeeeeeenius and should be given the highest honor the country of his or her birth bestows upon civilians. Anyhoo.) Also, we were hoping for a 2004 or newer because that’s when they last changed the Sienna significantly. SO -we were being very picky! We really began searching about a month ago and we called on a couple but they were always sold – these babies go fast!

Then, Tuesday, I saw one that was slightly out of our price range but not too far out. And it was nearby, and had everything we wanted. So Bobby said, “Let’s go look at it!” We pulled into the JANKIEST car lot I have ever seen. The first letter was missing from the company sign, it was about the size of a gas station and the lot was packed FULL of cars! Nevertheless, it has the perfect Sienna. It was pretty dirty on the inside but the outside looked great. Since Bobby is a mechanic, he wanted to take it into work to look at it thoroughly, and the car salesman said that was ok. After looking it over the next day, Bobby thought it was a no-brainer. So we made them an offer, they took it, and yesterday, we brought this baby home!

We are calling her Yoshi. A good Japanese name for a good Japanese car! It’s a 2004, with leather, two power doors, and pretty much every option you could get back then. It’s like, the finest in minivan luxury from 7 years ago!! SCORE! Bobby took it to work today to get it detailed (it really was dirty on the inside – the previous owners left all kinds of stuff in it including several hair bands, some earrings, and an Nintendo DS game!) and tomorrow I will get to click open that power door and put my three kids in it without wanting to shoot myself and go for a spin!! I can’t wait and I’m so thankful to have this new-to-us-car!

Yippee! Minivans rule!