Part A A few days after we got back from Mackinac Island we were going to make an 8 hour trek back to Northern Michigan (8 hours away from home) to visit my husband's grandmother, Nana Grace. It had been almost two years since she was able to see Henrik and she's never had the opportunity to meet Theodor. We wanted to make sure that she got that chance, so Eric asked if I'd make the trek with the boys to the U.P. to visit her. Of course I said yes, and so my mother-in-law and I were going to drive up there with the kids. BUT, I had a sneaky plan! It had been 43 days since we had seen Eric. And it was a LONG 43 days at that. The boys were starting to ask about Eric more often, they were starting to get upset that he wasn't able to be there for them. So, Eric and I booked a flight for Eric so he'd arrive at midnight on the night (or day) we'd leave for Marquette. I was all wiggly inside. I knew how surprised my boys would be and to me, this was the best surpri...

When I was a little girl we'd spend at least one weekend a year at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, MI for a Speech Tournament. I have attended the Grand every year for 20 years. And I've taken my boys as babies twice. This time though, they would remember it and I could not wait. I fondly remember the days where my sisters and I would spend an hour or so primping for dinner. It was such an ordeal to us: we were treated like princesses, welcomed home and even seated near the front because we'd been there so many times. It was wonderful, magical and special. I wanted my boys to have the same memories I did there, so when the opportunity came, I made it happen. I shopped for little boy dress clothes, got color matching outfits for all of us (yes, I did it) and took pride in the fact that these boys would finally have the chance to remember this place. But when I started packing, I realized that I was more than a little stressed out. Wait. I have a three and one year o...

Henrik 5/2/10 A few days days before Mother's Day, at dinner, Henrik announced "Mom's the favorite mom in the world". Theodor then said, "wanna kiss you" and wouldn't take no for an answer. I was proud. I was happy. I know my boys are young and I'm usually the one who makes the cute holiday cards with hand and foot prints, but I wasn't going to do that myself for Mother's Day. So when my boys gave me a surprise compliment, I was thrilled and took that as my gift.  Later that night, my mom pulled Hank into her bedroom and showed him what he was going to get me for Mother's Day. He came back into the kitchen a few minutes later and we had this cute little exchange: H: Hey Mom? A: Yeah, Buddy? H: We shouldn't tell you you have a necklace on Sunday. A: OK, don't tell me. H: I won't. Theodor 1/21/12 We have been struggling for months to get this kid to do his business on the potty but without a lot of hope, ...

Most of my days are easy. Most of the days I create a lesson plan, come up with some activities for the boys to do and on a normal day I only have to issue stern warnings to "behave" or to "be nice". Today was one of those easy days as a mom. It helped that it was 80 degrees outside, that the boys could run around in their underwear, carefree as the grass tickled their bare toes.  And then, just like that, the world collapsed as we raced back inside to avoid a thunderstorm. In the five or so minutes that it took me to gather everyone into the house, run back out to get the beloved forgotten toys, come back in and take my shoes off, you would have thought we were having a horrible, no good, very bad day.    In an instant my children and dog took over my life and I didn't have an exit strategy. With Henrik asking "WHY?" over and over again, I found my self going crazy. "Henrik, why don't you understand? Why do you keep asking me the same quest...

I, having two sisters, have never understood the excitement of the penis until I had sons. I do have a brother, but he mostly lived with his mom while we were growing up, so I never got to be around what I believe to be the potty-talk humor that has become my life. Once my boys found it, it's been a constant in our daily discussions. I was never really fond of using other words for the genitals and while my Munga called it "tinkling" I prefer to just call it pee. So, when Henrik and Theodor first discovered their penis, we called it what it was. No reason to hide it, I didn't want to shame it, I didn't want to discourage the touching of or playing with it. But never, NEVER did I think I'd have to talk about them all day long.  From being naked, to potty training, to getting Henrik to poop on the potty, these boys have completely changed my outlook on the penis and being naked. They are matter of fact, so I try to give truthful, factual responses and since Er...

On May 2nd my oldest son turned three. *Gulp* Yes. Three. I don't even know where to begin. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I remember being in labor for 13 hours then finally being told to push. I remember his cry as he called out to me while they weighed him. That cry tugged at my heart and there was this unexplainable pull or exchange the two of us had. I remember holding him close to my chest as he nestled into my breasts. His first walk, his first tooth, his first word, all clear as the day they happened in my memories. On his birthday, when I watched him play, I realized he was no longer a baby. When did it happen that this kid could ride a scooter or climb a tree? I swear, I turned my head away for a second and BAM he's a boy! I've noticed over the past week that his L's no longer sound like the W he was making before. Slide was no longer "swide" and Left wasn't "weft". He self corrected, no one said anything, he...

I distinctly remember the night I told Eric that I wanted to be a mom. We had just come home from a wedding and were oohing and ahhing over one another, drunk on being in love. We were sitting on the couch discussing our lives and our life together when Eric asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I replied, "be a mom". He kind of rolled his eyes in a 'Well duh' kind of way and said, "but what else do you want to do?" Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to be a mother. And a teacher. When I was older I wanted to be a mother, teacher, lawyer and work for the International Criminal Court, and work for an orphanage and be a foster parent and.... the list goes on. As long as it was something to do with children, I wanted to do it. I went to college and thought I'd enter into early childhood education but I decided it wasn't for me. So I worked towards a secondary education degree and specialized in History, Geography, Communications and Politica...