Happy (belated) Forced Affection Day!

Ok,  I promise I'm really not one to say "bah humbug" to romance.   For me though, really, the whole V-day thing is just too much.  It seems too pressured, too forced...and the idea of trying to make dinner reservations on the same night as every single other couple in town...ugh...why can't we just go there next Thursday??? 

I don't need a holiday to enjoy canoodling with my hubby and I've always thought the idea of extravagant gift giving was confusing when you have a joint bank account. 

Truth be told, last week I received the best gift a gal could ask for.  While sitting with my boys watching TV, a commercial for a jewelry store came on.  In this ad a guy is shown gifting some fancy bauble to his lady friend. Sonu leans over to his daddy and whispers..."let's get that for mommy!".  Better than diamonds.

Now, I'm not totally against the idea of Valentine's day...I will go along with pretty much any excuse to have fun and show appreciation for the ones I love.  I just prefer to celebrate it the way I used to when it required decorating a shoe box the night before.

So... here's how I roll on what I very lovingly have termed the annual F.A.D. (Forced Affection Day!)

Gifts for the kiddos...

Breakfast:  Heart-shaped raspberry pancakes and PINK milk!!

Making Valentines!!

Baking cookies...with a few helpers...

After enjoying some delicious ribeye steaks for dinner, we put the munchkins to bed. 
Then, it was time for relaxing with daddy...and this tasty treat...

 

Perfect.  Happy (belated) F. A. D.!!

Half Time!! Sonu -- 3 years, 6 months

Today marks Mr. Sonu's half birthday!!  I don't usually make a big deal out of acknowledging half birthdays, but it seemed like a good excuse for an update on what The Noon is into these days...


Batman.  Whether dressing up in his Batman costume, spending hours (literally!) rearranging the pieces in his ImagiNext Bat Cave, or making "Bat Houses" out of cardboard boxes, this boy has bats on the brain.  The best part is the pure innocence of his super hero play.  In his world the Joker and Penguin just hang out with B-man and Robin deciding which snacks to eat and getting ready for parties.  He understands who the villains are, but as he has informed me, "when they're in the Bat Cave, they're all friends." 

The iPad.  He pretty much owns the thing, as most of the apps on there are somehow Sonu-related.  Whether it's Angry Birds, Super Why, or Team Umi Zumi, I'm amazed at how fast he figures it all out.  Sonu loves to veg out and lounge on the couch with his games (like father like son, I suppose)...and lucky for him I can justify it by telling myself that most of these activities have some educational value and are at least a little more interactive than a cartoon. 

Underwear.  If it were up to him it's all he'd wear, all the time.  He likes to maintain a pants optional policy at home...and usually he opts out.  Apparently clothes are just too "sweaty" to wear inside the house. 

"Naughty" drinks.  Most mornings begin with a request for "kid coffee" -- a little concoction consisting of coffee creamer, a splash of mommy's coffee, and a whole lot of skim milk.  Besides this "legal" drink, he also loves SNEAKING sips of Pepsi Max or Arnold Palmer (iced tea and lemonade) when mommy and daddy aren't looking---partly because he likes the taste...mostly because he LOVES getting caught!

Family Togetherness.  Guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree on this one as Sonu clearly shares his parents' love for cohabitation.  He clearly is happiest when ALL of us are just hanging out at home.  He's king of the family hug and the best welcoming committee you could ask for after a long day at work.  It amazes me every day that a little guy I love so much can, in turn, make me feel so genuinely loved. 

And although this Half Time post didn't feature a performance by Madonna or Cee Lo, I'm hoping the second half of Sonu's third year will be even more exciting and fun to watch than last night's Super Bowl game.

Happy (Half) Birthday Snuggle Bug!

Snow Day!!!



Ever since the term snow day quit being an excuse to skip school and instead became the reason why it would take twice as long to get to work in the morning, I'd have to say I haven't been a huge fan of the white stuff.  So, in the midst of what has been an unusually temperate (amazing!) winter, I was not excited when the buzz among my patients' parents (my main source of news...) was the crazy snow storm coming this weekend.

Well, snow it did.  But, instead of being a total drag, today was a snow day to rival all others.

The day was complete with a snow man, hot chocolate, and my hunky hubby blowin' snow. 
With no where to go, nothing to do, we battened down the hatches and cozied up for a great day in.



It seemed like a good day to spend some time in the kitchen.  Noonie helped me grate veggies and we slow cooked ourselves a meaty marinara sauce.  I made homemade granola bars that the kiddos (and me!) can snack on all week.



We PLAYED --- hide and seek, Sponge Bob Yahtzee, Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  The munchkins splish splashed in the bath 'til they were good and pruney.  And the boys set up a race car ramp in my kitchen. 



We finished the day with movie night --- Mr. Popper's Penguins.  A real cute flick that Sonu absolutely LOVED.  Pretty much the perfect ending to a perfect day.

I guess the snow did succeed in slowing us down... but sometimes that's just what you need.  Although a snow day no longer means I get a free day to lay around the house and do nothing, it seems sometimes the snow can do a good job of whiting out the rest of the world and offer up an opportunity to just focus on being a family...and that's even better than missing a history test.


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Shaan- 13 months

It's hard to believe our baby is already 13 months old!  He is getting big so fast and his little personality is shining through more and more each day.  He is a man on the move, loves an audience and has a grin that can light up the whole room! 

As he completes his thirteenth month, here are a few of Shaanie's favorite things:

Vacuuming.  His latest obsession is definitely his new Dyson.  He vacuums incessantly and occasionally even appears to get frustrated by this never ending self-appointed assignment.   If he hears the actual vacuum turn on, he's front and center trying to take over the job!

Blueberries.  He's not the chow hound his older brother was at this age, as evidenced by his very un-Sonu-like growth parameters (18 % for weight and 78 % for height!).  A finger food fella, he does not want to be fed by mommy.  Although he's certainly not a picky eater, he tends to eat just a few bites before he's begging to be released from his high chair. 

The exception? Berries...particularly, blueberries --he will eat as many of these little gems as he can find.  At least he picked a Super Food--- so I will keep buying these little guys by the case!





Tunes.  He's got the moves like Jagger, and he doesn't mind showing them off.  His fave beats are I Wanna Rock with You by M. Jackson and the Hot Dog Dance by M. Mouse.  We always listen to the Playhouse Disney CD when we're getting the boys ready for bed, and he will definitely let you know if you fail to get the dance party started on time.

 

Talking.  Given the verbosity of his older bro, I thought Shaan may be my quiet child.   Wrong.  Although his repertoire of understandable utterances is mainly limited to "Mama", "Dada", "Papa", "Did it", "Ta-da!", and "This", his little lips are always moving and he is clearly telling us things we just can't decipher.  He can sign "all done" and shakes his head "no".  He waves "bye bye", points to what he wants, claps, and loves to give high fives! 

Dental Hygiene.  Man loves to brush his teeth.  He prefers to do this by himself but will usually let mama take a few swipes at those 7 little chompers.  He will gripe until I turn on the sink so he can rinse his brush and (sometimes) will even put his brush away in the drawer.  If he sees you brushing without him, he will throw a fit until he gets to join in. 

Whatever Sonu is Doing.  The little monkey is constantly interested in the activities of his big brother.  This occasionally leads to a tug of war over a toy or a frustrated Sonu as Shaanie destroys a block tower or swipes a car off the race track.  But, more and more, they have been spotted actually "playing" together.  They love to pull the cushions off the couch and climb all over their home made obstacle course together.  Rarely, he's even invited to touch the beloved Bat Cave (though this usually ends with Shaanie running away with the Joker!).