One Hooligan in the Rain and More

Where the heck have we been!? It has been 2 weeks since we Hooligans checked in with our blog fans. Life just seems to get so busy that keeping up with one's email inbox becomes a feat! Anyway...

Notice the super cute little guy in rain gear to the right here.......

The potty training is mostly done. Patrick is a pro. Potty training is like voting in Chicago, visit the potty early and often! We are bribing him with chocolate milk if he wakes up from a nap or in the morning with a dry pull-up. We're thinking about braving a night with undies only (no pull up).

My grandfather, Frank Huber, passed away last week. This was my dad's dad. Grandpa had been gone for quite a while mentally speaking and he has been failing health wise for a few years. It was sad to see my dad lose his father, but it was a relief to them it seemed.

Here is a pic of my dear husband...also known as "dad of the year." Last night we went for a walk, something he isn't really crazy about doing in the first place. We broke out the double stroller the other day, and Sam was willing to push it...all the way around the neighborhood. It's sort of like driving an ocean liner!

Sam has been busy getting the PBPA Treasuer position up to speed and I've been working on the YWCA Women of Distinction Luncheon. Emily and I have also been working on the PBPA Policeman's Ball. To say that May is going to be busy would be a heck of an understatment.

Eva and Patrick have been spending more time at home with me and Sam. Eva is no longer going to daycare and Patrick is going 3 days a week. The money just wasn't there. The plan is to keep this schedule until Patrick starts preschool in the fall and then little E can go to daycare 3 days a week. I won't lie, the days at home alone with the two of them are long and trying, but I'm learning to slow down and enjoy the tiny little things with them. Patrick is learning to buckle his car seatbelt. This takes time, but it was cool to watch him "learn." We have also been working in his tracing book and playing old school "Memory." Since the weather's been nice, we've also been playing outside in the backyard.

Eva is doing well: she's almost able to sit up on her own and she's rolling all over the place. She is more beautiful and sweet and smart everyday!

I'll try to be more diligent about posting...

Potty Training Progress

I haven't reported on Patrick's progress in the Potty Training Department for a while, so here ya go: he is doing GREAT! He is in big boy underwear full time now. He has had a few pee accidents, but that's it. All poopy is now done on the potty with much excitement and announcement. Naps are usually dry, but we're still working on nights. Sam and I are very proud of him. Yay for no more poopy toddler diapers!

Pureed Veggies Hiding in the Spaghetti

Ok, so a tough weekend at the Riney household. Saturday was a rough morning at swim class... Patrick just wasn't feeling the underwater thing. Then we spent the afternoon and evening at home. We had a not so great dinner...I tried this new cookbook called "Deceptively Delicious." The idea is you hide all manner of pureed fruits and vegetables in regular dishes. I made baked spaghetti with pureed carrot in the sauce and meatballs with broccoli. It wasn't terrible, but there was A LOT left over and we were hungry for the rest of the evening. We won't give up on this idea of "hiding" healthy stuff in regular food, but I hope for better results next time.

One good thing that came out of this was that I learned how to steam vegetables and use the food processor. We will definitely be making Eva's baby food from scratch. YAY! I felt very "Mother Earth" working with fresh veggies and such.

Work is getting a bit discouraging. Lots of open houses and showings and phone calls, but no pending transactions.

Anyway, today was mostly laundry, feeding kids, going potty,and not going crazy. Sam and I are now frazzled shells of our once aimiable, reasonable selves.

Chapstick in America

The other day Sam and I were at Target buying all the stuff you buy at Target when you're the parents of two mini-Hooligans. There we were in the "have a cold or prevent a cold" aisle when I noticed the chapstick.Now as you can see, there are at least 30 different choices. Seriously, how many different ways can you do chapsitck? This trend in American retail "over-selection" was plainly obvious when I lived in Spain/Europe. For the most part, your retail needs are still met in specialty shops: you buy meat at the butcher shop, fish at the fish market, fruits and veggies at the stand down the street, chapstick, cough suppresant, toilet paper, etc. at the pharmacy. I only saw one big box store the entire time I was there. It was on the edge of town and there was almost no one there.

Don't get me wrong, I love selection. Somedays you're in the mood for flavored, tinted lip balm and others you just want medicated, get the job done chapstick. I haven't been even close to everywhere, but of the places that I have been, the United States is the only place you can choose between 45 different ice cream options at the grocery store.

Totally unrelated, but interesting point of note: today we took Libby and Moo to the veterinarian for their annual check up. While waiting for the doc I thought, isn't it crazy how pets in the United States get better medical care than billions of humans on this planet? I'm by no means begrudging my sweet furry friends their vet visits, but just noted the irony of the situation.

Ok, so now we're all caught up on canine health care and lip balm selection in America!