Hancock Happenings

Aaaaah. Relief.

2008-10-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, internet. I decided to work with you instead of against you today. I think I'm happy w/the new look. Kind of like getting a makeover without all the expense.

Aaarrrghhhhhgghghhgghh!!!!!

2008-10-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so frustrated w/trying to get a snappier background for this silly blog!! I tried the strawberries for a couple of days but those were just too much on the eyes. Has anybody found a good source of free templates? I wanted to use something from the cutest blog on the block (so sweet they almost give you a cavity), but the HTML just isn't working. So, grr. That's all---just grrr. And back to boring.

Rememberies

2008-10-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was adding a few things to a journal we keep (very infrequently), marking the boys' milestones and funny things they say/do. It's been a while since I updated it and I took a minute to go over some things I'd written last January. Here was a conversation between me and James that I'd forgotten:

James: I'm flying an airplane way high, way up high in the sky! Nnnneeeeooowww!! (airplane noises)

Me: Are you a pilot?

James: No mom, I'm just a kid playing airplanes.

Hee hee.

For All You Halloweeners Out There

2008-10-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Seeing as it's October now, I thought I'd share something that's pretty scary.

Lions and Tigers and Bears oh MY

2008-09-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have the best idea for Halloween and I'm really excited to put costumes together to realize the dream. We're going to be a Wizard of Oz family. How cool is that?? All I need to do is transform yours truly into Dorothy, Dave will be the Tin Man, James can be the Scarecrow, and Andrew's going to be the Cowardly Lion (he's got the perfect little roar for it, too). I went crazy at Joann's yesterday and committed myself financially to this idea by getting the fabric to make Andrew's lion outfit. Pretty brave and ambitious, I know. Especially since I'm the first person to have this idea. Ever. It's going to knock peoples' socks off. Probably start some kind of trend. hmmmm......

Gym Thoughts and Personality Traits

2008-09-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

These blog posts tend to center around the kiddos in the house (what do you expect? they're my full-time job), but for the sake of me talking about me tonight, I'm going to say something about me. Maybe, just possibly something you didn't know. Here's the skinny: among my lesser known talents (besides the ability to parallel park a minivan pretty darn well) is the ability to always find the bright side of a situation. Yep, that's right. I'm a bit like:

Not in the annoying "I walk around everywhere with a dainty Hailey Mills voice, helping all the world smile through their tears by finding something to be glad about, no matter what" way. Nooo. That would be a little freaky. Not to mention annoying. It's more like a knee jerk reaction in my head, a sort of conversation with myself (maybe I should be a coach someday?) when life gets particularly bad. Along the lines of, "Wow. I am so tired and just want to sit down and now I have to clean this [insert disgusting kid-produced thing here] up......ohmygosh that smells rancid. Going to throw up. Ugh. And that voice. How many decibels of screaming before my hearing is damaged? Oh well, at least they're not both screaming at the same time. Ok now they are. Whoooeee. That's really loud. Good thing naptime's in 15 min. I can make it that long. Then I can crash." See how it works? Something that would sound really trite if it was spoken out loud, but in my head it's how I get through the day. Or week. Or lifetime.

So what does this have to do with the gym? I'm wondering why I started along those lines. I guess this ties in because I went to a circuit training class this morning, and for the first time in my life (I think it was the 1st ---having a ROTTEN memory is an entirely different post) I was the loser who had to leave halfway through because finishing all 60 min of the class would have been suicide. I didn't even have the excuse of the childcare center paging me to come fix a stinky mess in Andrew's diaper. (Today was probably the only day I've actually hoped that would happen, ironically enough.) No, it was flat-out being totally not in shape and not willing to kill myself just to say that I finished a class. Oh the shame of it. And I definitely didn't judge anyone in classes I've done in the past, when they had to leave early. It's just that I wasn't in their shoes. Fast forward to this morning. I was dying, I knew I needed to stop. So I did. Because the Pollyanna part of me was thinking, "Pushing myself too far just because I'm worried about what the perfect, tanned, toned people in here will think about me quitting has to be the stupidest reason in the world. At least I made it this far, and I can have the goal of actually getting through the entire class next week." And I stretched a bit and walked out.

There's got to be some nice way of wrapping this all up, but I can't think of anything great right now---other than declaring to the world that I'm grateful for the part of me that looks on the bright side of things. Call it a spiritual gift, call it annoying, but I think I'll call it a blessing.

Say What??

2008-08-29T11:16:00.000-07:00

This one's for posterity. We have a little munchkin in our house who tells us VOLUMES about his life, his day, his interests, favorite activities, what he thinks of politics, hopes for the future, etc. At least I think that's what he's saying. Maybe someone else will have a more accurate interpretation. Good luck.

Aarrrgh! Grrrr!

2008-08-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Oooooooh the pressure! Haven't blogged for so long! Must. keep. fingers. going. Have to write something intelligible and worth reading.

Argh. Can't do it. Tune in later.

There, you ninnies! All those people who were lovingly nagging me to post something. I did.

Ok for the sake of proving that I'm still alive I'll include a little picture series from our fun family excursion to Cunningham Falls. It's called

Do enough of this (galloping, and scrambling all over rocks---not shown)

And you'll end up with this:

Sweet payoff.

James and the Supertower

2008-05-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to a boy. A boy named James. A boy named James who built a supertower out of blocks and was so proud that he requested photos. That's it---nothing earth shattering. Just a post about a tower. But considering the other thing he's immensely proud of showing us lately (hint: think child potties and sticker charts), which we obviously don't take pictures of to commemorate, we'll go with the tower.

HDssssphppgpgghgttth

2008-05-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

Last night while I was driving home from the church I was listening to NPR, which is now being broadcast in Hi-def. And I was struck with the impression (which I've had every time I've listened to this format in the last few days) that while hi-definition TV might be an amazing improvement in picture quality, I can't say it transfers over to radio. Yes, peoples' voices sound richer (do they? I just started listening), but now you can hear EVERY glob of spittle or particle of lunch that's swirling around in their mouths when they talk. Do I really want to hear how well hydrated a person is, just by listening to them in hi def? Predictably, no. Think I'll stick to AM.

Springtime Pics

2008-05-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

So our little Andrewbug hit his ONE YEAR mark just over 3 weeks ago. Too late to post pictures? I don't think so. Considering how late it is and the fact that I'm sleepy, I won't bother with explanations. We had a picnic, he ate a cupcake......there you go. And I don't have any pictures of him trying to open presents for the simple reason that he didn't have any. I know, I know, bad parents!! But when you don't even know what presents are, and you've got gorgeous weather and the banks of the Potomac to play on............who needs gifts? Oh, and I'm including one of our attempts at getting a family picture to mark the occasion. I'd say it's a pretty accurate portrait of our life right now.

Billions of continent children and adults CAN'T be wrong

2008-05-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this post's heading. This is my mantra. Lately, I've started saying it to myself several times each day. Any guesses why?? Yep. You were right.

Sunday night half-baked apologies and ramblingness

2008-05-11T18:59:00.000-07:00

I've been a total slacker when it comes to keeping up on this blog. And posting pictures. And I've come to be okay with that notion. That said, I'll be posting more pics soon. Things like Andrew's 1st birthday---just a minor milestone there that I compeletely neglected to blog about. Great job, I know. But at least we took pictures of some cupcake smashing/eating/schmearing that went on. Also, for any Anne of Green Gables fans out there, I finally figured out the fascination with puffed sleeves. It hits me like a ton of bricks everytime I wear my new aqua/bluey shirt that has a puff on the sleeves that is ever so slight. But it's enough. I don't know what it is about the power of the puff, but there's something about those sleeves that makes me feel girly and feminine, yet spunky and take-on-the-world all at once. I find myself strutting somewhat while walking around (and when I say walking around we're talking about running errands in a minivan for pete's sake---that's gotta be some powerful puff magic going on). So maybe that's what Anne was trying to convey to Matthew when she kept sighing about "Puffed sleeves......" and it just took me 15 years (and a full fashion cycle long enough for horrible 80's styles to creep their way back into clothing again) to fully understand.

The Big M Day

2008-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms and future moms out there! I hope your day was as wonderful as mine, and that you were served waffles in bed---which you were obliged to dole out in tiny pieces to the little people who were scrambling all over you. Ahh. Relaxing breakfasts in bed. I'm sure I'll look back fondly at this time in my life, once the kids are all able to feed and take care of themselves. I'll wish they would use me as a human jungle gym once again while I try to take sips of orange juice w/out spilling everywhere. Will I look back on these days with a bit of wistfulness? I think I will.

Speedy

2008-05-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today's question is: how long can I make this post before Andrew (currently seated on the floor behind me) manages to get into something else he's not supposed to get into? Judging from the gleeful toilet splashing of 10 minutes ago, I'd say my chances aren't very good. At least, my chances of posting anything gripping and/or entertaining. Ack! Hard drive!! More later..

3 Year Old FHE Wisdom

2008-04-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

This actually happened last week during family home evening and I've been meaning to jot it down. David did a lesson on forgiveness, complete w/an example involving a canvas bag and several cans of food. His point: when we can't forgive other people, our hearts get weighed down and heavy, like a full bag (James couldn't even lift the thing). Then when we forgive (and take the "cans" out of our bags) our hearts feel lighter and we're happy. Your question now would be: did this message sink into the three year old head?? Here's an answer, taken from the end of David's lesson:

David: So James, the next time someone is mean to you or does something that makes you feel bad, what should you do?

James: Um...throw cans at them?

Yep, that's right. If you ever decide to not be so nice to my little guy, just look out! Pretty soon you'll find a can of Fiesta Corn flying straight at your head. Actually, I could see his face when he was answering his dad's question and judging from the mischevious little smile, the kid knew exactly what he was saying---on all levels. All I can say is hooray for Monday nights.

Spring Break

2008-03-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

We were down in Williamsburg VA last week with some wonderful friends, visiting Yorktown, Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg. Ever wondered what happens when you visit places of historical interest w/munchkins in tow? Do you learn about history? Maybe a little, but more importantly you learn about

CANNONS!!!!!

They are big, they are neat, and lightning comes out of the end and makes a sound that goes Pcheeoooghghow. Also, cannons come in Big Brother size, and Baby Brother size:

Forget cruising along park benches. Andrew proved he'd rather have help standing up from 18th century artillery. And on the Yorktown battlefield we learned a new way of administering time-outs:

Should Andrew be afraid of how much fun his pseudo-Aunt Heather is having? Probably.

What else did we learn on our trip? Andrew's list would have to include learning that those adorable baby-sized tri corner hats at Colonial Williamsburg are NOT his thing.

And the sand along the Chesapeake Bay makes a tasty snack.
Is there so much more to tell? Of course. But there can always be future posts about history lessons and vacation time. We all came back from our trip with some bug that made everybody sick so Easter was kind of a bust, but hey--that's one less post I have to write! Maybe next year will be virus free.

Time Lapse

2008-03-07T20:07:00.001-08:00

The other day James asked me out of the blue if he could hold Andrew on his lap (either he respects the rule of "mom and dad are the only ones allowed to pick baby brother up", or he has a good eye for girth and realizes it'd be a tall order for him to pick up the chunkerkins). And as soon as I positioned the two on the couch I realized we had a picture chain in the making. I guess the title of this progression could be:

Same couch, same kidlets, different continent. What a difference 10 months makes!

Blessings

2008-03-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

We had a major scare over the weekend and I know I need to write about it. And it actually makes me a bit peeved that all the Hallmark cards and cliches (sorry I haven't figured out how to put an accent on that yet) about tragedy making you realize what matters most, blah blah, are SO true. I don't know why, it just does. Maybe because they're boiling down some primal human emotions into jingly phrases, and I don't like discovering that something so cheesy is applicable to me. ANYWAY....enough rambling. There is a story behind all this.

On Friday our little Andrewbug was feeling pretty miserable; feverish, not eating, the whole nine yards. He was drinking juice/water out of his sippy cup like a little pro, so I wasn't too worried about him because he was still so hydrated. However, around 3:30 his fever suddenly spiked and it triggered a febrile seizure. So there I was with Andrew in convulsions on my lap for 5 minutes, on the phone with the lovely people at 911, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Poor little thing. During part of the seizure he had this terrified look on his face, like, "What's happening to me??" Probably the longest five minutes of both our lives.

Thankfully, everything turned out fine thanks to zippy ambulances and modern health care. The paramedics gave him a dose of Tylenol when they arrived and by the time we'd been in the ER a while and he'd had a dose of Motrin too, his temp was just about normal. He has a viral infection which gave him the fever in the first place that should run its course in a few days. And maybe thanks to the fact that this virus is contractable through oral contact and our baby gives the SLOBBERIEST kisses in the world, his older brother was throwing up last night and burning up today. Needless to say, I am now obsessed with treating fevers, so James got some Motrin whether he wanted it or not (he didn't).

So where are the blessings in this out-of-the-blue Hancock medical drama? All over the place! The fact that we had prompt and professional first aid from the EMTs, the fact that David was able to give Andrew a blessing in the hospital, the fact that febrile seizures---while being very scary---don't cause any damage, and most of all the fact that it brought us closer together as a family. Luckily Andrew will never remember this experience (which is good because they did some things to him in the hospital that he wouldn't want to remember), but I think there's a good chance James will. He was there in the ER with us the whole time, watching Andrew get examined and treated, and talking to us about how we love our baby. The time spent in the hospital showed him more than anything we could say that we're a family. And whenever one of us needs help, ALL the others will be there.

I want to say drat that Hallmark for being right, but I'm also glad at the same time. I thought I loved my children. I realize now that I was only scratching the surface.

Whatchamacallit meme

2008-02-28T10:26:00.000-08:00

So I've been mulling over doing a "meme" that actually reflects who I am, not just whether I prefer diamonds or pearls (neither of which I ever wear--if you don't count my wedding ring). And by the way, is it pronounced Me-Me, or Meeme? I used the first prounuciation the other day and I think I made myself sound like a total and utter rube.

The reason for this rebellion? To be frank, I think the other ones are just pretty dumb--although I do read other peoples' all the way through to see their likes and dislikes (what a hypocrite). SO. Here's a real-life glimpse at the Me that is Cassandra Hancock, and I won't be tagging anyone else to follow suit but if you're brave, answer these questions too and then let me know 'cause I'll want to read them. ALSO, I don't promise that this will be the one and only time I'll do this. I might think of random additions in the future. So stay tuned. But for now........

1. What are you listening to right now that's so distracting? "Henehene Kou' Aka" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. It has me doing the hula in my chair.
2. Is your previous answer supposed to sound pretentious and make other people feel like losers because they don't have amazing hawaiian artists on their playlists? Definitely.
3. Are you being serious? No. I'm just compiling music for our Young Women program tonight. Here's a secret: I don't really listen to music all that much. I don't even own an ipod. Nor do I ever plan on buying one.
4. What time do you wish you woke up in the morning? Somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00 would be perfect.
5. Do you believe in having cookies for breakfast dessert? Absolutely.
6. What child-produced bodily fluids are currently found on your clothing? Today I'm clear but yesterday I had two patches of Andrew snot on my left arm. Got me twice, the little snick. Dark-toned shirts are just a bad idea during cold and flu season, with small children in the house.
7. Name your grossest sensation in the past 48 hours: It's a tie between "flying" Andrew over my head and having a thread of drool drop at precisely the right moment to fall DIRECTLY into my shirt, or trying to give him a kiss on his chubby cheek and he turned his head at just the right moment for my puckered lips to land on the river of running nose above his mouth. Yeah. That felt pretty great.
8. Have you ever lied to your child? I cheated at Candyland last week (thanks Princess Frostine card!),because I was just SICK of losing to a 3 year old. I've got the weirdest luck. So, the cards were a little stacked in my favor. I didn't rub it in or anything; we celebrated the fact that we BOTH got to Candy Castle (but maybe mom was adding under her breath that she really got there first).
9. Have you ever eaten anything that you found in your child's high chair/carseat? If so, what? I will be the brave first one to admit that I've noshed on Fishie crackers that are lurking in Andrew's high chair, or James' car seat. But, I do have my standards. They can't have been sucked on and discarded. They have to be crunchy.
10. Favorite sound: baby laughter, the sound of the boys playing together or playing with their dad, the sound of David saying "You stay snuggled in bed for awhile longer---I'll go get the baby out of bed and take him downstairs." This does happen (and it's wonderful) but in David's defense I don't think he says "snuggle". I was paraphrasing.
11. Sounds I hate/could do without hearing: screaming, whining. The phrase "Fix it" which around here sounds like "FIX iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!" and makes my skin crawl. Why? Because a cheap toy company made an awesome product that little boys love,but keeps falling apart. So my little son can't tear himself away from this toy,but that means I have to put it back together about 19,000 times everytime he plays with it. And the best part is that the construction design makes it practically impossible for fumbling 3 year old fingers to take care of the problem. It has to be the parent. Argh.
12. Number of times you've pretended to be asleep so your husband would go get the baby when he woke up: umm.....2? Ok. More like 5.
13. Weird superpowers you've gained since becoming a parent: trauma doesn't bother me. I click into this robot-mom mode of ASSESS SITUATION......SCOOP UP AND COMFORT SCREAMING CHILD.....APPLY PRESSURE......or whatever the situation calls for. Kind of nice to not be exacerbating the problem by freaking out myself, but another parent watching might think I'm some kind of heartless harpie and want to yell "Look at the pain your child is in! Aren't you at least going to get a little teary eyed?!" Sorry, I'm too busy rocking and soothing to cry myself.
14. If you could have any other superpower, what would it be? The obvious, flying. But in addition to that, I have two other superpowers I think would be awesome.
1. Say you're in a traffic jam and you're wondering why the road is bumper to bumper crawling. Is it an accident? Construction? You have no way of knowing. Well, in that situation, I would know. So that's the power: just knowing random bits of pertinent information when necessary. I know it sounds a bit like being omniscient, but that's not what I'm aiming for. I'm talking about only knowing certain pieces of information, in the moment. Not everything all the time. I'm not that ambitious. Yet.
2. Also, I would want the power to rid the roads of horrible drivers. If someone was a jerk to me or ran me off the road (like what happened the other night----ooooooo east coast drivers), I would wiggle my nose or whatever, and the next time that person tried to get behind the wheel, he or she would be violently ill and unable to operate a vehicle. And not just that time, but every time. And seeing this now in print makes it sound a bit malicious, but I'm really just trying to give people a choice between ruining their upholstery and driving. The end result? Safer roads and a more pleasant trip for everyone! (The barfers would still be able to take public transportation.)
15. If you suddenly received a billion dollars, what would you spend it on? All the usual things that everybody else says (buy a house/houses for all your family, travel....). I would also pay a professional dancer to watch Singin' In The Rain a bazillion times, and chart out the "Moses Supposes" dance routine, and teach it to me. It's seriously a dream of mine to dance like that someday.
16. Anything about yourself you'd like to change: my time management skills----or lack thereof. Case in point: how long have I been working on this post while precious nap time has been slipping away, and the munchkin will be waking up any minute??? At least his older brother is guaranteed to sleep till 3:30. Oh, and somehow I'd like to make myself like doing housework. I like the result, just not the process.
17. Things I'm afraid of: the end of naptime. And now, thanks to a most random incident this morning involving some carniverous bug hiding in my shoe and taking a chunk out of my flesh (arent' these things supposed to be dead in February????), I'm afraid to put my clogs on.

So, there you go. I just looked at how long this ridiculous post is, and decided it's time to take a break and bake some brownies for tonight. Speaking of brownies, I think that's another reason I skipped the traditional meme format; do you really NEED to ask me if I prefer chocolate?? Come on, who wrote that question?

Flumbingos!!

2008-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

Did YOU know this was a flumbingo?? Well, it is.

p.s. if you ever have any other vocabulary questions, just ask my 3 year old----he'll set you straight

Funeral Service

2008-02-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

Thank you for joining me today, on what is a sad, and somber occasion. As the mom of the house, I've been asked to say a few words.

When I woke up this morning, I felt pretty good. The sun was coming up, I felt refreshed after catching a bit more sleep than usual (thanks Andrewbug!), and everything seemed to be rosy. Then I walked into James' room and after talking to him for a moment, realized that our lives had changed forever. James told me, "Mom, I want some breakafst. Breakafssstt. Break-faaasst. Breakfast." Yes friends, I was there to witness the passing of our dear friend Breakafst. It was calm, it was quick. But it's true that we'll never hear Breakafst in this home again.

Sometimes when we lose a friend like Breakafst, we're tempted to wonder where they've gone. Well, I like to think there was a happy reunion this morning, way off in the peaceful place where baby words go when they're no longer needed. Breakafst got to see old friends like haddacopter, conburpbable, conumber, and the rest. He's probably run into some old phrases like cank-ooo, and wub-ooo, expressions of politeness and affection. He's in good company.

And now all that's left for us to do is mourn together, and support each other. We reach out to those who are still with us; hostibul and canola bar are both going strong and look to be around for a long while to come. Let's take solace in the fact that there's still some creative diction being employed around here. And let's not forget that even as our old friends are leaving one by one, new adjectives are being born all the time. What would our lives be like without being able to rate a movie's patooiness? Would they be half as fun? No, they would not.

So again, another thanks for joining me in a moment of mourning. It may seem like a trivial event to mark, but there is a sense of passing on whenever this happens; the movement towards having a small child in the house to raising a bonafide Kid. A kid who has lost all of his babyness in both speech and stature. And I'm not sure that I'm ready for that to happen. But, in the end, are we ever ready for things like this?

[ please join me in the kitchen afterward for some light refreshments: waffle strips and juice will be served ]

Another You Decide

2008-02-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

So what do we have in our bathtub lately? An Andrewbug, or a classic children's toy? I personally have never thought Kewpie dolls were that cute, until we had one making splashes and waves in our bathroom.

Bike buggies and mushroom heads

2008-02-21T07:33:00.000-08:00

Being a 1 car family, we recently bought a bike trailer so the kiddos and I could have some increased mobility (i.e. get out of the house!!!!!) when David has the van at work. And despite the freezing temperatures lately, I set it up the other day and was determined to try it out. Or at least see if the munchkins could both fit. So far we're 50% go for launch. James thinks it's great but Andrew's not so sure. That, and he's not sold on the idea of a helmet----but I think it makes him look like a cutie little mushroom head. Or a muffin head. Whatever. At least his little noggin's protected. Now we just need some warmer weather and VVVRROOOOOOOOOM! Hancocks on the road! Playing at the park! Running to the market down the street! Riding around aimlessly with no particular destination, just wanting to enjoy the fresh air! Ahhh. I can't wait. If anybody wants to come vrroooom around with us this spring, just look for the little red muffin head, and we'll all have some good times together.

From the brains of babes

2008-02-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

What would I give to spend just a few minutes in James' brain......
Here's a snippet from this morning---getting him dressed.

James: Mom, what's this called?
Me: That's your armpit.
James: Oh. Does it go "pitpitpitpitpitpit...." all the way?

Just some silliness for your Thursday morning. And please let me know if there's anybody out there who has an armpit that really does go pitpitpitpitpit.

Welcome to my world

2008-02-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you out there who are wondering what it's like to have a newly mobile baby around, here's a look at the point of view I enjoy for a good portion of each day:
We had a little photo shoot of sorts this afternoon, and I decided to capture the attempts at climbing the stairs. Good thing he has such a cutie bum---and little twinkletoes. And in case there's someone out there just dying for proof that little Thunderchunks really can crawl (swim), here you go:

Day of Luhv

2008-02-14T17:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day world! I'm not the biggest V-day zealot out there, but I have been known to get all excited on mornings (like this morning) when I wake up and find something like this waiting for me downstairs. Note the lovely ghetto vase made from hacking a 2 liter container apart w/a knife. (That was my special touch---we really need to get some vases in this house.)

Cutest cutie boy--that's all I can say. I love his homemade cards most of all; that's an example of one on the table. They're always hilarious. Today's poem-complete with matching pictures swiped from an obliging magazine-went like this:

LOVE...wanders like a strolling pet...is delicious, like a tasty dish....excites, like a fighter jet....is really nothing like a fish. (Followed by sweet comments that I have no desire to splash all over the internet for mass sharing.)

Move over, Hallmark! And happy day of love to all, and to all a good night.

Politics

2008-02-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Is it an election year in your house too??

I had no idea that our conversations about current political issues were not just between me and David. Case in point, a little sing-songy something that I overheard from James yesterday, as he was playing with his trucks:

They go over the river,
And over the stream,
And over some cars,
And over some beans.....
And over some Barack Obamas,
And that will be nice for everything!

We happen to have a wager going over who will get the Democratic nomination (David will have to watch Hairspray with me when I win---or maybe I'll change it to accompanying me to water aerobics). Who knew the little squirt was listening?

You decide

2008-02-10T17:28:00.001-08:00

The scene: we're standing in the checkout line at the commissary yesterday, and James is playing with the package of cheapo plastic airplane cake topper things I let him hold and love all through the store, as a bribe to get him to behave. He's asking me (again) if we can open them.

Me: Well, I think that since you've been such a good boy while we were here in the store, that we should get them and we'll open them up in the car. What do you think?

James: I think you'll be a good mommy.

So what do I have on my hands here? A particularly clairvoyant 3 year old who recognizes the wealth of good parenting skills in lavishing dirt cheap cake toppers on your child as a bribe? Or maybe he's just greasing the wheels to encourage future airplane acquisitions. Either way, I thought it was a sweet thing to say and yes, my heart melted. I'm trying to be a good mommy, and maybe this was one of those moments to treasure and look back on in later years, remembering that for a few minutes on a Saturday afternoon, I got at least part of it right.

Favorite Quote

2008-02-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

For some reason I feel inspired to share this quote today---it's one of my favorite quotes ever and it's going to go up by my profile (as soon as I get around to figuring out how to do that). And thanks to the wonders of the internet I just learned that it's not a quote by George Eliot (as is widely believed), but from a novel by Dinah Craik, published in 1859. So to stay true to my literary studies roots, I'm posting it with credits going to the actual author:

Oh, the comfort--

The inexpressible comfort of feeling

safe with a person,

Having neither to weigh thoughts,

Nor measure words--but pouring them

All right out--just as they are--

Chaff and grain together--

Certain that a faithful hand will

Take and sift them--

Keep what is worth keeping--

And with the breath of kindness

Blow the rest away.

Still going strong...

2008-02-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

I wish I had some recent shots but they're still on the camera and I'll just settle for our attempts at capturing a Christmas picture of the boys in December. Truth be told, I'm actually a little shy about posting pics that are so obviously amateur----either that, or I should stop reading the blogs of friends who are professional photographers. That's probably it. So, new resolution: I will not read So and so's blog EVER again, minutes before I post a picture. She takes the most amazing shots. They're all just beautiful. Then again, maybe she'd like to have a few lessons from yours truly on how to capture that perfect moment when one child is out of focus and the other is a little drooling ghostie, lunging for the camera (and who looks like he has a giant wreath growing out of his head, to boot). Maybe people would pay me the big bucks for this style.....

Pic of the Day #2: Future Vacation Spot

2008-02-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Sigh. This is where my parents spent the past week, basking in the sun (my dad), relaxing in the shade (my mom), and having a glorious time. I resolve that we will go there someday. Soon. Next week sounds good.

Aaaargh I'm addicted!!!

2008-02-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

Ok just one more picture today and then I'll stop. And start up again tomorrow. These are my color coordinated cuties! David's coat isn't so visible in this shot but they all happened to be wearing red one day and I thought they looked rather snappy all together. Sidenote: What is it with babies and getting that "What? Where? Duh?" look on their face when you pull out a camera and they're supposed to be smiling? Don't they know that all of our family pictures are supposed to make it look like we were always smiling, happy, relaxed, and in vacation getaway resorts?

Slice of Life

2008-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

I know I'm the first person on earth to think of this concept, so if anyone wants to copy me I won't be upset; I'm going to celebrate February by posting a picture a day. I know, it's original. Unique. Cutting edge. And it's a way to ensure that I post at least something every day.

Today's post will include a few photographic gems, seeing as I might as well start with a bang. That, and I'm terrible at making up my mind. I wanted to post a picture of James' 3rd birthday cake for all the world to see, because I was just so dang proud of the thing.

It's a construction site (in case you couldn't tell). Amazing, no? And the best part about it was I hand-carved the construction vehicles out of homemade marzipan and spun sugar, then air-brushed them the perfect shade of yellow. Took me 14 hours but hey, kids are worth it, right?

Don't you love how you can say anything you want on the internet?? Actually, the cake was homemade but maybe the toys came from the dollar store. Ok, they did.

And in following the slice of life theme for today, here's a glimpse of what goes on when you present a newly 3 year old with his own cake but his little 8 month old brother wants to get in on the action, too:

Note how James never takes his eyes off the prize while smacking the annoying little mosquito away. That's a true older brother for you.

We celebrated James' b-day while visiting David's parents in Boise over Christmas. And I had every intention of writing novels and novels about all the fun we had (it was a blast) but in the end, here we are with a couple of cake pics. So all those other blogs with novels and novels about their Christmas vacations? Just read those and insert our names.

Saving Private Andrew

2008-01-27T16:54:00.001-08:00

While I was pregnant with Andrew, of course I had all kinds of "What if" scenarios running through my head, knowing that we had a 2nd little boy on the way. What if he didn't get along with James? What if they were completely different and I wouldn't have any clue how to raise this one? What if they got along SO well, our house became a disaster area of running monkey brother chaos?? I was also preoccupied with questions about how he'd develop. And so far, he's mirrored his older brother in the few milestones that have come along in his short 9 month life: smiling, around the same time. First tooth, check. Also, this past week has seen Andrew start on the road to crawling. CRAWLING! Our little Andrewbug (or, as we affectionately call him when his diaper's off and you can see just how rolly his thighs are, Thunderchunks)! And as it turns out, he's doing it almost the same way that James got his little self from Point A to Point B. They say that all babies carve out their own signature style and whatever works for them.....so apparently James had some fantasies about being G.I. Joe. He never got up on his knees w/the classic crawling motion; it was all elbows and dragging himself across the carpet like some kind of grunt at boot camp. And it worked surprisingly well---got the job done, and he was pretty fast. So I have to laugh now, seeing Andrew do almost the same motion (without any coaching by James), except he seems to be aiming for a mortally wounded GI Joe who's dragging himself across the battlefield with only two working limbs. He uses his right leg to propel himself forward while dragging with his left arm (usually reaching and straining for the toy he's trying to get to), while the other limbs hang lifeless. Dead weight that he's pulling along the carpet, so this kiddo must be developing some serious muscle tone. Anyway, if a blog is all about recording memories and milestones, I thought I really should let it be known that Thunderchunks is on the move. Now you know! And knowing is half the battle.

Woo har and Happy New Year!

2008-01-23T10:51:00.000-08:00

Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Oh well, I don't care if it is. Hooray for 2008! Year of big things to come in our little Hancock family. Preschool! Potty training! Soccer! (for James) Maybe a couple of molars! (for Andrew) Here's to new beginnings and more posts from the blogging mom! Who, by the way, happens to be a tap tap tapping mom, too. My biggie favorite christmas present was getting enrolled in a tap dancing class offered through the parks and rec dept. I went to the first class the other night, and let me just say.......look out broadway, here I come!!! Well, maybe just to see a show and get some inspiration, not to actually dance in one.

Picture addict? ME??

2007-11-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

1. I'm thankful for digital cameras (and the fact that we finally dumped the pics off ours so I could have a little photo shoot yesterday w/Andrewboo).

2. I'm thankful for a sweet little baby who loves everybody and everything.

3. I'm thankful to be a mom.

We need some pictures on this thing

2007-11-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

These shots were taken last month by my dad, at the park near their house.

Naptime Musings

2007-11-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

1. I'm thankful for naptime!! Need I say more?

2. I'm thankful for modern day baby hygiene supplies (Pampers, wipes, etc) because I'm smelling something in Andrew's nether region that needs attention and thanks to disposable diapers, all I have to do is clean up the mess and then throw it away. Swooosh! I can't even imagine me using cloth diapers.

3. I'm thankful for the way my body works and responds to healthy habits and efforts at being whipped into shape. I'm not wonder woman yet, but I was very happy that I dragged the kiddos with me to Old Navy today and was able to buy some new jeans in the happy size of (ahem) rather than (cough cough).

Attitude of Gratitude Catch Up

2007-11-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

So my cute friend Chloe included me in the "Attitude of Gratitude" challenge for the month of November, and so far I'm lagging a little bit. The idea of the experience is to list 3 things per day for which you are thankful. Each and every day of November. And the week of Thanksgiving you have to think of 5 things each day. Or people, memories, doctrines, appliances......you name it. I've fallen behind a little bit, so here's a post that covers Saturday, Sunday and today.
I'm thankful for:

1. Close friends from college who remain good friends in spite of distance and time. Our friends Becca and Sarge managed to swing by for a quick visit while they were in the area and it was SO fun to see them. I figured out afterwards that part of why I loved talking to them was because they don't have kiddos yet, so the majority of our conversation wasn't devoted to toilet habits, one-upping each other on disgusting memories, or any of the stuff that inevitably comes up when you're hanging out w/other parents of small children. It's not that I don't like to talk about that---you give me 5 minutes and I can guarantee I've got a story or two that would win the "Ewww" prize---but it's nice to take a breather now and then. And to stay up way too late talking and not worrying about getting the kids home to bed, because you're already home and your friends end up sleeping on your floor anyway, just like in your college days.

2. I'm thankful for hayrides and bonfires and crisp beautiful fall weather. The parks and rec dept. organized a hayride/bonfire activity in our city's riverfront park on Friday night, and we went, and it was a blast. It was fabulous, and really, does it get any better than a clear starry sky, free hot chocolate and goodies, and a roaring fire w/live acoustic music?? I don't think it does.

3. Ok maybe the next morning it did because (and I'm leading into bullet #3 here) we went to the Temple. I'm thankful for the temple! The Washington DC temple is beautiful and it was great to be able to go together and feel the spirit there. We left the munchkins with my parents who live not far away and they had a great time, playing and playing and playing so......

4. I'm thankful for my parents. Hmm these all seem to be ending up being interrelated. Anyway, it's really been wonderful, living so close to my family again. Thanks to military craziness and my choice of university I haven't lived this close to my parents in years. Pretty much since I moved out of the house. And it's been really nice to be able to see them on a regular basis since we moved here, and have the kids get to know their Nana and Papi. Not to mention the babysitting so we can go on dates and be regular temple patrons again.

5. I'm thankful for primary songs. When we were driving along the beltway on Saturday we came to the spot where the temple seems to suddenly jump out from behind the trees and we pointed it out to James and he got all excited saying, "Look there's the temple! I'm going there someday!"

6. I'm thankful for that James. He is my little helper and an absolute source of Joy in my life. He's an ample source of frustration too (given that he's 2, about to turn 3), but I love his personality, his hugs, and the million and one ways he makes me laugh, and want to be a better mom.

7. I'm thankful for easy blog programs, which make all this blabbering on and on possible.

8. I'm thankful for people who hold doors open for me when they can see that I've got my arms full w/a baby in one arm, a toddler holding the other hand, and two bags thrown into the mix.

9. I'm thankful that our kidlets have an early bedtime, and that Andrew pretty much slept through the night last night!! When I got up this morning I felt like I could have run a marathon or two.

Historic 1st Blog Entry

2007-11-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

We're here! Online! In the blogoshpere! After seeing friend after friend create their own blogs, I decided that it was time to jump on the creative bandwagon and see how these computer things work. And even though I find the name of the whole thing ("blog, blogging") to be one of the ugliest sounding words imaginable, I'm going to ignore that hangup and try my best to keep the world up to date on our wacky lives. So......here we go!