He's worth it.

I'm a procrastinator. I have ADD. Sometimes, these two diagnoses come crashing together and the result isn't pretty. Case in point: the Friday before Father's Day. My friend Elizabeth graciously agreed to take some photos to create a gift for B. The following is a moment-by-moment recap of that day. I couldn't make this up if I tried.

8:00 Tell myself I cannot! be! late! because every single time Elizabeth and I have met up for a playdate/yoga class/church event I am running in apologizing for whatever went wrong this time. This is my ever-tardy life. I swear I have Time Dysmorphic Disorder. Or something.

8:30 Finish preparing L and G's breakfasts (gluten-free french toast sticks which L announced "Doze smell dewicious!" upon my opening the oven, and bananas and gluten-free pancakes, respectively).

8:33 Sit down at my computer to eat my own oatmeal, telling myself I have seven minutes to eat it, and check in with my Tweeps.

8:58 Realize that once again I have fallen into the time suck vortex that is TweetDeck and jump up, looking longingly at my laptop, knowing I will miss the cutest Twitpic/funniest RT ever...but oh, yeah, the pictures.

9:02 Explain to L why exactly he can't wear his faded, misshapen and favorite tee for photos. Put four choices of "button shirts"(aka polos) on his bed. Know he's going to choose the Superman logo one before he even glances at them.

9:04 Attempt to find a shirt for G that is neither matchy-matchy nor clashy-clashy with the Superman polo.

9:05 Sigh over my lack of fashion know-how.

9:06 Start to wrestle G into a cute outfit. Realize he hasn't had a bath in a day and a half. Consider the time. Sniff his head. Look around for yummy lotion. Shrug, sigh,and continue wrestling match, hoping no one else sniffs too deeply or too long.

9:10 Find L in front of the tv, dialed into the kiddie crack that is Curious George, donned in his Superman polo....and nothing else. Throw khaki shorts at him and move on to my own closet.

9:15 After holding L and G in front of me in the full-length mirror, decide on a shirt that hopefully works with theirs, and is one of B's favorites. Sigh again at my lack of fashion sense.

9:17 Start to do my hair and makeup, allowing G to rifle under the sink, happily emptying boxes of tampons and attempting to eat paper towels. Consider taking a photo of my messy bathroom floor and baby with paper towels in his mouth. For Twitter. Say, aloud, "G. Focus."

9:19 Thank my lucky stars that B likes my hair the best in a ponytail because I am such a hot mess right now that there is no other option.

9:23 Ask L to look at Daddy's clock and tell me what numbers he sees. Have a mini heart attack when he responds with "Nine....five...two." (He knows his numbers full well. I think the Curious George got to his brain for a minute.)

9:33 Get the boys in the car, pull out of the driveway, and pat myself on the back for leaving within 5 minutes of my goal time, with everything I needed.

9:34 Drive back home to check to make sure I closed the garage door. Like every other freaking day, roll my eyes at myself when I realize that of course, it's closed.

10:02 Pull into Elizabeth's driveway and say a silent prayer of thanks that the rain hasn't started yet.

10:15 Pictures are done. Elizabeth is a genius. Let the boys start to play and have a friendly debate with Elizabeth over whether the overly sensitive or overly tough boy is the bigger difficulty. Wonder how on God's green earth I can teach L not to cry at every little thing considering I burst into tears on a regular basis.

10:37 Bring the boys inside as a storm threatens to roll over. Tell L he has five minutes; that we don't want to take all of Elizabeth's day, even though I am tempted to pitch a tent in her living room due to the fact that the adult conversation is so satisfying. Nurse G on the couch as Elizabeth brings the 2398 toys inside. Feel guilty and send L out to help. Feel only minimally less guilty.

10:45 Allow the boys to negotiate us downstairs into the playroom. Again, give a five minute warning.

11:00 End up in costume as a Roman guard and begin giving orders, all of which involve various yoga poses to the boys, who are in superhero costumes.

11:20 Exchange glances with Elizabeth as a deafening clap of thunder sounds.

11:25 The lights go out. Feel around to find G, and bring the boys upstairs. Give L another five minute warning. Agree with Elizabeth when she suggests that perhaps I need to stay longer than five minutes, considering the severe storm.

11:30 The lights come back on. The rain is still pouring. Laugh at the boys who are still running around in their costumes.

12:30 After countless five-minute warnings (mom fail say what?) get everyone packed up. L realizes he left his beloved green car at Elizabeth's. Consider going back in, think twice, and send her a text to ask her to look for it.

12:31-1:00 Listen to L whine about his green car all the way home. Wonder how he even knows he has a green car when he has 20396583 stupid matchbox cars. Marvel at the fact that my girl parts take away all understanding of anything car-related.

1:01 Get home and count silently to ten when L says, "Oh! It was in my pocket da whole time! Dat was silly!" Send Elizabeth an apologetic text.

1:03 Get a random inspirational idea for Father's Day gifts and call the pottery painting place to see if I can talk them into firing the pieces we paint today for Father's Day. Cheer loudly when they say yes, likely scaring the girl into thinking a wack-job is about to grace her presence.

1:03-1:25 Run, literally, around the kitchen, making a gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free pizza for L (that pizza deserves its own post), throwing together a lunch for G, eating pizza while I change my wet clothes, G's diaper, and pray that skipping naps won't bite me in the butt later.

1:40 Arrive at the pottery center, pick out gifts for my dad and B. Argue momentarily with L over making a gecko for my father, then choose to pick my battles and go with said gecko.

2:00 When L declares "I'm all done, I don't wanna paint anymore," bribe him with a cherry limeade if he'll just please finish Daddy's gift. Tell myself that not all parenting moments are proud ones.

2:15 Drive through Sonic's line and order myself a medium Dr. Pepper due to the gigantic headache that has begun behind my left eye.

2:17 Wish I had ordered a large Dr. Pepper as I consider licking the ice for caffeine remnants.

2:33 Try not to cry as L announces that he has to go potty right now. Pull into Walgreens, thinking that at least I can print the photos that Elizabeth took.

2:34 Really try not to cry when I realize that G has fallen asleep and I must carry his extraordinarily heavy seat into Walgreens and attempt to not wake him.

2:55 Forcibly unclench my teeth as L is still on the potty, underwear and shorts on the ground. At least we have made some progress in the fact that he no longer removes his shoes and socks in public restrooms. Sigh. Continue to rock G's carseat, shushing and shushing and whispering to L to please hurry.

2:56 Come thisclose to losing it as a woman walks in to the bathroom, accidentally wakes up G, and he begins to wail at the realization that he is sleeping in a Walgreens bathroom with a strange (in many senses of the word) woman staring at him.

2:57 Finally leave the Walgreens bathroom. FINALLY.

3:03 After painstakingly picking out Father's Day cards, make it to the photo kiosk and ask the man if this is the machine that prints photos immediately. Consider throat-punching him when he says that they don't have that feature; they'll take at least an hour. Decide to drive to the Walgreens that is only 4 minutes from my house rather than driving past two to pick up these prints later.

3:15 Arrive at other Walgreens to realize that the photo CD is nowhere to be found. Remember that I remarked on it to the woman in the checkout line when I bought the Father's Day cards. Call her, voice breaking, asking if it is still on the counter. Die a little inside when she says no.

3:16 Begin driving back to other Walgreens, instructing L to pray that we find the CD, for surely children's prayers are more powerful. Say my own prayer that no one has run over it in the parking lot.

3:25 FIND THE CD, dirty but seemingly unharmed, in the parking lot. L and I pray, "Thank you, God" aloud.

3:35 Make it back to the other Walgreens, attempting to ignore my desperately-needing-to-be-emptied tatas.

3:40 Stand at photo kiosk and tell L that he will have to wait to go potty till we get home, because this mommy can only take one Walgreens potty trip per day. Ignore the crotch holding pee-pee dance.

3:45 Hustle boys outside and into car, wishing that the Dr. Pepper I bought earlier had actually been a Route 44.

4:00 Get home, thankful that L made it to the potty. Tell L in no uncertain terms that he should not tell Daddy about any of the surprises from today.

4:13 Remind L again not to tell Daddy the secrets about the presents. L agrees emphatically.

4:38 Ask L if he's going to tell Daddy about the gifts. L shakes his head and says, "No way, Mommy."

4:50 Give one more reminder about the gifts. Feel pretty confident that L will keep his mouth shut.

5:00 B gets home, early for the first time ever!

5:02 L announces, "Daddy! I painted you a bowl for Fadder's Day!"

5:03 Attempt a desperate cover-up to throw B off track, then go in the other room and force self to laugh, thinking that at least today was blogworthy.

I am happy to report that B LOVED his Father's Day gifts, and I'll post about them soon. Luckily, he's a pretty phenomenal dad, and without a doubt, he's worth it. Even so, I'm starting to plan early for next year and Starbucks will be included on the agenda.

There is a season......

I've been stalking following a great new blog called Greening Sam and Avery.

Every day, Abbie posts a cute kids' project to teach them about the environment. Sometimes they go on outings and sometimes she posts great art activities. She even has a list of books on her blog that she recommends. L has loved them all so far (Little Green was his favorite).

Abbie's projects are always cute. And fun. And sometimes reading her blog makes me feel inferior, but then I brush that thought off and just steal her idea and feel like a really super creative mom too.

Today was no exception. We had plans to go swimming with L's cousins, but an enormous thunderstorm had other plans.

So we stayed home in our jammies and recreated this activity that Abbie posted this week. L really got into it.

We talked about the four seasons...the weather...the holidays in them...and what the leaves on the trees look like.

First, I painted very crude representations of trees on blue paper. (I initially tried to cut trees out of paper like Abbie but my lack of cutting skills could make its own post. Really. How I passed kindergarten is beyond me.)

Then L and I looked outside and at photos on the internet to determine what color our trees' leaves should be. And then we went to town with paint, a sponge brush, and q-tips.


I think they turned out pretty darn cute. We talked a lot about fall, and looked up pictures on the internet. L really liked painting the leaves falling off of the tree. I got a bit of a workout making sure the leaves stayed on the paper.


Winter was snowy, created with q-tips and complemented with the discussion of sledding and Santa.

(please excuse the blur...by this point, L was beyond done.)

We did spring, with flowers on the trees. So L decided the flowers belonged on the trunk. Kinda looks like pollen to me, but hey, what better picture of spring than a pollen-covered tree?


Finally, we present our summer tree. This one was done with two different greens and a sponge brush. I couldn't figure out how to paint the St. Louis humidity on the tree. Maybe next time.



I actually think these would look really cute displayed in the nature-themed nursery. I just need to figure out where and how to display them. Too bad I didn't think of that before we started...I could have made them a lot smaller and they'd easily fit in there. Maybe I could bribe talk L into making another small set for his little brother's room.

Thanks again for the idea, Abbie! You saved me from locking myself in my room and eating chocolate due to rainy day frustration...I owe you one!