The Past Month

Gosh, it's been almost an entire month since my last blog post. I've got a good excuse though, kind of. I spent the last week of February down and out with the flu. Miserable. And of course a few days later, Hayley came down with the same said flu. Even more miserable. Wouldn't you know we both were infected just in time for a visit from my parents and Brian's brother's wedding! The morning of the wedding, I got up (at 2:45am, I'd like to add) to drive up to Tampa to participate in the Gasparilla Marathon with my fellow IronMommies. We ran the marathon relay where we divided into teams of 4 and each member ran a portion of the marathon course. As luck would have it, I was set to run the third leg, the longest leg with an 8 mile distance. Since we were the third leg, I had plenty of time to fret, pysche myself out, and completely lose confidence that I could survive 8 miles while still recovering from and fighting the plague. I also had plenty of time to watch as storm clouds, torrential rains, and high winds rolled into the bay area. Oh, it was a miserable run. And I'm pretty sure at about mile 6 I saw the grim reaper. But, thanks to the encouragement of my fellow IronMommies, I made it through the trecherous, soaking wet eight miles. I like to tell myself that it's the painful, tough runs that really build character and improve my running ability. Because the alternative belief is that I'm certifiably nuts and need to be locked up.

After the race, I drove back home to get myself, and my little angels ready for their big day. Hayley was the flower girl for the wedding and I was pretty nervous. Hayley has a mind of her own and I was concerned about what that mind would feel like it wanted to do walking down the wedding aisle. She pleasantly surprised me though and did a fantastic job sprinkling petals along the aisle. She still did not feel good though and I'm ashamed to admit that might have been part of her willingness to cooperate... she just didn't have the energy to be honery!

After the wedding, we had a wonderful week with my parents in town! Dad seems to be recovering well and even got to hit a few golf balls while he was here. At this point, he is electing not to do any Interferon (chemotherapy) treatment and will just be monitored like a hawk. Please, please continue to pray that cancer will stay away.

We've spent the last two weeks just trying to get back to a normal daily routine. Brian has a few weeks off from work (I'll explain more about that in another blog post) and we're enjoying some time with him.


Best Man and Flower Girl at the wedding
The Cousins
Todd's new favorite place to hangout
Cheering on the Baylor Basketball Team
Our first pool trip this year

Glass Houses

It was an interesting trip to the park this weekend. Unfortunately for Todd and Hayley, one innocent trip to the park pretty much sealed their destiny of never being allowed to leave the house until the age of 30 without their Mommy. Upon arriving at the playground, we couldn't help but notice a young girl and a hairy young boy, um, well... getting to know each other better on the very top of the playground. After Brian and I acted like the old grouchy parents we've become and shot looks of disgust at the approximately 14 year old couple, Hayley dragged Brian out to the slide while I sat with Todd. I then noticed that indeed, it was all three of The Jonas Brothers there at our playground.

And as I shook my head, wondering what is wrong with kids today and how on earth do they find this "ridiculous amount of hair" hairstyle appealing, I turned to my son and began to tell him that he'd better never....

Hmmm... perhaps people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I think it might be time for that first haircut before Todd decides to act his image out and join a hairband (or worse yet, The Jonas Brothers).

I mean see... he's already starting to rebel and act naughty. Not only is he climbing on my furniture, but he's flashing people too!

13.1 Miles... DONE!

A year ago, Brian, Hayley and I drove out to Lido Key for a day at the beach. I was pregnant and feeling huge and a little bit disappointed that I wasn't able to complete my goal of participating in the Sarasota Half Marathon. I vowed that I would force myself to participate in 2009, even if it meant crawling across the finish line. Luckily, it didn't come to that.

For the most part, my reasons for running have been pretty shallow. After all, what better way to burn baby fat than running? Of course it's always been a dream of mine to run a marathon, but it was one of those dreams that I felt was completely unreachable and pretty much a pipe dream. But back in August, God brought an amazing group of women into my life. Because he knew that I would need running, and their strength to get me through the challenges that lay ahead.

With the encourgament of the group, I signed up and committed to this race back in November. And for the past three months I've been training with this day in mind. But in the past three weeks, this race and my training unfortunately took on new meaning. On January 27th, my Dad was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on his neck which had spread to his lymph nodes. This diagnosis was absolutely devestating and shocking to me and my family. So far 2009 has been a series of struggles and challenges for me personally, and this trial has most definitely been one of the lowest points of my life. I've struggled with getting out of bed each day and keeping myself composed, much less just trying to mother a ten month old and a two year old. Because suddenly, everything that seemed important a month ago, just wasn't. All that mattered was life, and knowing that there would be many more memories made with the people I care about most in this world.

And in the midst of my emotional upheaval I had an incredible group of women calling and emailing and lending their support. I'd made a committment to myself and to them, and with their help, I kept running and the road became my therapist. I spent the better part of our two and a half hour long runs on Saturday mornings examining the meaning of life and pleading with God. It was at that point that this race no longer became about me. I was running for my Dad. Because 13.1 miles was nothing compared to the challenge that he would overcome.

On February 9th, Dad underwent a Modified Radical Neck Dissection which removed 28 lymph nodes, a muscle, and an artery from his neck. Yes, it sounds as bad as it was and the fear and anxiety leading up to the surgery were near unbearable for me... I can only imagine what my Dad was going through. We spent another three agonizing days waiting for the pathology to come back. Just last Thursday we found out that the cancer had not spread!! Praise God!! I know that Dad will still face challenges as a result of all this, but I'm confident that God will see us all through.

So today, at mile eight, when my feet were on fire and I felt the pain from a nagging blister, I kept running. At mile eleven, when my energy began to falter and I had to dig deep for the strength to keep on, I kept running. Because I was running for Dad, and I wasn't going to stop. And I spent 13.1 miles, praising God, and thanking him for the gift of life that he has given us and the wonderful people he places in our lives at just the right time. Don't get me wrong, there were quiet a few "Lord, have mercys" mixed in there as well, but I ran. I gratefully ran.

And so Dad, this medal is yours. I love you.
Don't worry, I have my own little race souvenier.

I know, not want any of my blog readers wanted to see. But no worthy warrier comes through battle unscathed. And despite the nasty toe, I've got my eyes set on a full marathon. Me and God have lots more to talk about...

I heart U!

Hayley had quite a day at school yesterday. Not only was it the school's Valentine's party day, but it was also the Trike-a-Thon benefiting St. Jude's Children's Hospital. All the kids got to bring their trikes and bikes and head out for some laps of the parking lot. There were a few collisions and some tears shed, but overall the kids had a great time!

Todd was excited to spend the day with Nana and Papa
Revving their engines
And... they're off!
Having conquered the trike, Hayley is triathalon ready!
Refueling after all that exertion!
Sharing their Valentines

Proud Moments in Parenting

We've had a lot going on that I will eventually blog about, but felt it appropriate to share the joyous trip we took to Target today to allow Hayley to pick out any toy her heart desired. The occasion? A completely full Potty Sticker Chart!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!! Just as I'd given up all hope that Hayley would ever wear big girl pants, she surprised me and took a strong liking to the potty. We've spent the past week accident free in big girl underpants. Now I definitely know not to count my chickens with this child, so I expect some bumps before we completely hit a diaper free road, but I'm feeling more confident that perhaps I won't have to figure the cost of Huggies into Hayley's college education savings.

And so, with the world as her oyster, we embarked upon the Target toy aisle. Her attention was first captured by a Hannah Montana microphone, followed by a Winnie the Pooh camera. I tried to peak her interest with a Little People Boat, to which she politely told me, "no sank ew." As Brian, Todd and I pressured Hayley to make her decision, she surprised us with a decisive grab for a tub of dinosaurs. Her decision was absolutely final.

I am...

...NOT pregnant. (Are you panicking yet Mimi??) Just to confirm. Since I know there are some of you out there in blog stalker land that seem to correlate a lack of blogging on my part with a bun in the oven. Nope, no way, forget it. I am NOT pregnant.

I will admit, that my absence from blogging is linked to pregnancy though. My previous pregnancy to be exact. Pretty much overnight, my sweet, little, innocent boy has turned into "Mr. Destructo" as he sneaks his way through the house leaving nothing but a trail of destruction behind him. I guess this is my formal welcome to the world of boys! In the past week I've also learned exactly why they put straps in grocery shopping carts. I don't understand how a 9 month old can be so freakishly strong! It's a pretty safe assumption that Hayley's ridiculous endurance and Todd's superbaby strength did not genetically come from me.


And it would also appear that Todd has taken after his father in the food consumption department as well. At his 9 month well baby check, what I thought was my BIG boy, had dropped clear down to the 10% for weight while remaining in the 75% for length. Todd, like Hayley, and like Brian can (and do) eat all day long. And LOSE weight. It's positively maddening. Now that Todd has been introduced to the wonderful world of finger food and the Cheerios, green bean, and chunky goodness that comes with it, the boy cannot seem to ever get himself full. He may ONLY be 17 pounds, but it certainly isn't for lack of eating.

Which has in turn brought about the most vehement bout of sibling rivarly that I've seen yet. For weeks, Hayley's snacktime went like this: Hayley climbs in snack chair and rapidly begins consuming Cheerios. Chloe, a seasoned veteran to the game, waits in the wing for the first ting of a Cheerio to hit the floor before swooping in. Todd becomes aware of feeding action in the kitchen and crawls his way over to Chloe with the "What's happenin' buddy?" look on his face. Chloe, annoyed says, "bring it." And the wrestling match over each Cheerio begins. But the wheels begin turning in Todd's little head and he soon figures that he can cut Chloe off at the pass by just TAKING a Cheerio off the table. Little does he know the dangers of an irrate sister that lurk in these unchartered waters.

Exhibit A: Take special note of the foot on his head

No Fear

Hayley does her best to keep up with the eight year old boys at the playground. Nevermind the children her age, or even the older girls at the playground. It's the big boys that Hayley wants to run with. And of course these "big" boys want nothing to do with a two year old girl. But apparently Hayley missed that memo, and so she chases them relentlessly all over the playground. The boys? The do their best to get away from her. The routine generally goes like this.

The boys scamper up this, thinking Hayley will turn away and go find someone else to play with. Undetoured, she's right on their heels.
Then they try the short ladder. Hayley just chuckles.
Logically they jump to the next hurdle. This one is quite intimidating as it requires endurance, concentration, and balance. But of course, Hayley's life motto is "No Fear" and away she goes.
And the last resort is always this. And Hayley scampers up the rock wall with the skill and grace of a seasoned mountain climber.


Meanwhile, Todd takes in the playground festivities from the comfort of the swing. He sees this as valuable time to study his sister's playbook so he can come up with his own ways to outsmart her. She is a wiley opponent after all and Todd needs to be at the top of his game.


Speaking of games, Todd has been busy preparing for the Super Bowl. He's been doing his pullups in my pantry.


And practicing his touchdown dance.

Mommy's Dictionary: Trouble

trou⋅ble [truhb-uhl]
verb, -bled, -bling, noun
–verb (used with object)

Definition:

Accepting Work

Todd? He is definitely a different child than his sister. Unlike Hayley, Todd LOVES the camera. And the camera loves Todd. In fact it's hard for me to get any "spontaneous" shots of Todd because the second he sees the camera lens, he starts posing and "flirting" with the camera. His favorite pose is the "open mouth" pose.

Here is Todd's modeling portfolio so far:

The picture Todd sent to Little Tykes in the hope of becoming the spokesbaby for their ball pit products.
The picture Todd sent to Gerber. He calls this the "If I eat one more bite of that delicious baby food I'll pop" shot.
The picture Todd sent in for the "Dracula Baby" movie audition.
Here's the picture Todd sent to Johnson and Johnson. This one he calls the "I'm clean, naked, and refreshed" shot.
Todd's hoping to pick up a St. Patrick's Day advertisement with this shot.
And then this morning, Todd knocked over his new ball popper toy only to discover that it created the perfect wind machine to blow his long, luscious locks. We'll definitely be adding these to the "sexy" section of his portfolio. He's thinking this "look" would be best suited to a baby cologne company or perhaps a diaper manufacturer.

Looking deep and seductive
And of course, the trademark "Open Mouth" pose

Todd's Paternity

Yes, I'm well aware that it definitely is not in question. But at last, I have proof that he is mine too. I mean, if he looks this good in blue and orange, he must be mine!

Feliz Navidad

We've had such a busy past few weeks preparing for Christmas, that I haven't had much time to blog. Hayley has been REALLY into Christmas songs though and I think a lot of her interest had to do with the Christmas program her preschool put on a week ago. This was the program that Hayley spent 75% of the program with her dress over her head. (It definitely deserves a spot at the front of my "Proudest Moments in Parenting" book.) Perhaps I've mentioned before... at the ripe age of two and a half, Hayley knows everything and you can't tell her any different. Hayley did a super job learning the words to Frosty the Snowman for her Christmas program, except this Frosty has two eyes made out of CORN. Not coal. Because Hayley says so.

Hayley also took a liking to the Christmas song Feliz Navidad. Her lyrics go like this:

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y YUMMY TODD.

And then there has been Simon. I'll preface this by saying that Brian and I have never been ones for pretend, make believe, fairytales, etc. Even when we were children, we were both realists and couldn't buy into most of the fad books, movies and toys. We've both agreed that most likely neither of us would have had anything to do with Harry Potter or the new Twilight. I mean, come on... wizards and vampires?? Much too unrealistic. So I guess we were thinking that perhaps two realists would cancel each other out and our offspring would be a dreamer. Well, that philosophy is out the window now. After hearing all our friends rave about the behavior success they've had with the Elf on the Shelf, we bought the creepy little guy. The "Elf" comes with a storybook and the premise is that each night while the kids are sleeping the elf flies back to Santa at the North Pole and reports on each child's behavior. The hope is that children will be on their best behavior because they know the elf is watching. And I note, our friends have all had WILD success with the "Elf." But we should've known, a measly elf is no match for a Hurricane.

Shortly after Thanksgiving we placed our elf in Hayley's room and settled into bed to read the story. She immediately noticed the elf. She was pretty suspicious of the elf but listened to the story. When we got to the point in the book that explained how the elf would fly to Santa and report on her behavior, Hayley broke out into tears and kept yelling, "Take em, I don't want da elf." It took several days, but eventually Hayley became okay with the fact that "elf" was around and she even named him Simon. She was NOT intimidated by Simon however and despite our rules that she must not touch Simon or he'd lose his magic, I'm pretty sure she must have pulled Simon aside and let him know how things were gonna go. You see, Hayley was not the least concerned that Simon was going to actually give Santa a bad report. For awhile we chalked it up to short-term, two year old, memory. Last Sunday, we learned the real reason why she didn't feel the need to be on her best behavior around Simon. As we were getting Hayley ready for bed and saying our goodnights, Brian told Hayley to say goodnight to Simon. She looked at him, pointed at him, and said, "Simon... he just a toy." Ah, the magic of Christmas.

We're really not quite sure that Hayley even grasps the whole Santa concept yet. She does seem to understand that it is Baby Jesus' birthday and she thinks that last night's Christmas Eve service was his birthday party (which explains why she saw no need to be quiet... it's a celebration, right?) She was very happy to see her tricycle under the tree this morning and is adamant that it is not for Todd. And Todd seems very happy with his new race track. Simon must have told Santa good stuff!

Merry Christmas From The Roberts

The Roberts would like to wish all our blog readers a special Merry Christmas! (Yes, we probably need to find a hobby!)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

And for Brian's kin, a special Merry Christmas!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Prison Break

Look who recently escaped from a North Pole prison!

There Should be a Warning Label on Fruit

Today, I earned the "Embarassed to Tears" badge for my Mommy vest. Seeing as how the birth of Todd coincided with Hayley turning two, I've been racking up badges at an alarming pace in the past nine months. Unfortunately for me, today's award ceremony took the cake. We were sitting in the chiropractor's waiting room (because with Todd's reflux I'm trying everything imaginable to reduce the number of "I Got Spit Up On" badges I receive each day). Hayley was sitting in the umbrella stroller, innocently playing with a puzzle, until... the bodily functions of a two year old took over. At first, I though a Blackhawk was landing on the roof (boy, wouldn't that have been a relief). Finally, the "helicopter" landed. And in case there was any doubt of what had just occurred, my little darling said, "eh-cuse me." Because otherwise she would be impolite. Of course I had Todd strapped to me in the Baby Bjorn so I was unable to crawl under the nearest chair. Despite that every person's eyes in the VERY crowded waiting room were practically bugging out of their heads, I pretended to play it cool, like I hadn't heard anything. Perhaps in about ten years I'll be able to unpack my dignity from the little box in my drawer where it's been stuffed for the past two and a half years.

Note to self: Apparently there is a downside to feeding your child a diet that consists of lots of raw fruits and vegetables.

So long phlegm

For what I hope to be an unfleeting moment, we are all well. Physically I mean. Mentally? Well, that would be asking for a little much. Hayley was the sickest I had ever seen her for several days, but by Thursday she seemed to be back to her usual, nap-skipping self. So we're back to the daily not so quiet, quiet time ritual. Lately, Hayley has been using quiet time as an opportunity to work on her singing skills. Friday I was serenaded with a top of her lungs concert consisting of Happy Birthday to You (because we had the "Christmas is Jesus' birthday discussion"), Twinkle, Twinkle, Old MacDonald, and Frosty the Snowman (because the girl has holiday spirit).

Lucky for me, while Hayley was sick Todd discovered the Christmas tree. So now I have a seven month old who is obsessed with pulling every ball off the lower half of the tree and I've also got a two year old who throws a fit if every ball is not on the lower half of the tree where "she" put it. If I hear Hayley scream, "Mommy, Todd broken the tree" one more time...

Speaking of Todd. I've been deeply troubled lately because for months now I've been wrestling with the prospect that my son may be choosing a lifestyle that I'm not entirely comfortable with. I'm afraid that I'm seeing increasing signs that Todd is... a nudist. For months I have been wrestling with this little boy over diaper changes. And it isn't the diaper removal that's the problem. It the re-diapering. It takes every ounce of physical strength that I have to get pants back on the boy and I'm going to have to start wearing ear plugs because I'm pretty sure that every dog in the neighborhood can hear him scream when he feels diaper up against his buns again. Just to set the record straight... he absolutely must have gotten this "preference" from his father's side of the family.

Condemned

Our residence that is. Because apparently it is unfit for "healthy" human existence. Unfortunately for us, it is the opposite of condemned for the lovely viruses that seem to have moved in and invited all their friends. I know I talked a good game, but I'm officially out of ammunition to use on those little terrorists that Hayley seems to repeatedly bring home from preschool.

An explanation? Somebody in this house has been sick since July. According to Chinese astrology, 2008 is "Year of the Rat." Apparently according to Roberts' astrology, 2008 is "Year of the Hack." In the last half of this year, Brian can attest to 2 sinus infections, shoulder surgery, and several assorted head colds. I can personally vouch for 1 case of tonsilitis (which included fever and required antibiotics... unheard of for me), numerous head colds, and a 3 week long coughing episode. Todd accounts for one phlegmy chest and goopy nose to boot. And our little germ vessel? Well, lets just say that her nose has been running non-stop since July. Her latest shenanigans caused us a trip to the pediatrician this morning which resulted in a negative flu test and dashed hope for a cure all antibiotic. In case you're wondering, all I really want for Christmas is for my house to be tented with Lysol.

And so once again I sit, drowning my worries in repeated glasses of Emergen C, cursing the immune system gods, and fighting off the "I have to run today" anxiety attacks that keep plaguing me. Oh yes, the thought of missed runs creates boat loads of stress for me, particularly now since I've committed to running the Sarasota Half Marathon in February. And although I must have been feverish and dilusional when I registered, I'm pretty sure delusions of grandeur isn't a defense to get my registration fee returned. It's okay, I'm secure enough in my cheapness to admit that it's pretty apparent that I'm a tight wad when it comes to money. I'd pretty much have to be on my death bed to walk away from the $65 registration fee. So I'm RUNNING. And I prefer to be well trained and not require CPR along the course route. And therefore, I'm getting really stressed about these constant illnesses! Wouldn't you know I end up with the kid that will eat anything she finds off the floor??!! I'm doomed!

I'm afraid the kids are starting to worry as well. I've secretly been catching them practicing their EMT skills. They must be worried they're gonna have to scoop Mommy up off the half marathon route.