From Playground slide to Pool slide

Happy Boys Enjoying Summer

Double Date!

It was supposed to be Turner and Jagger's music class. But, with the big kids off from school it turned into a full day outing complete with pizza, ice cream, and lollipops!!

Turner's first roller coaster

We took the boys to Ocean City the other night. While Chase and Ryder hit up all of their favorite rides Turner had to watch from his stroller. No Fair!!! So, I took him on his first roller coaster while Todd had the big boys on the bumper cars. He loved it. A lot! Too much? Here are photos of my thrill seeker taken with my phone while on the ride:

My 3 Favorite B's!

My 3 Favorite B's. Boys playing Baseball on the Beach.....does it get any better?

Brotherly Stroll Part Two

This is how the stroll ended!

Brotherly Stroll

Early morning walk at the shore.
Ryder wanted to ride in the stroller until he realized he could push Turner. That's Chase - running ahead!

A Letter to my Son on his 17th Month Birthday!

Dear Turner,

Happy 17th month birthday! It doesn't matter if you have raised toddlers before, it seems that you forget what toddlerhood actually means until you are in the midst of raising another one. You, my dear son, are everything a toddler should be, and all the adorableness and exhaustion that comes along with it. Bowls must be dumped, juice boxes must be squirted, and buttons must be pushed! In our house, lights are on and off like a disco club and the TV's is turned off at every climactic moment of any given show. You have to touch everything that comes in your contact and, like Ryder, you seem to have a fascination for lids and can spend some time attempting to screw one on. You've taken on the eating habits of a choosy toddler and eat randomly and in spurts. You rarely sit for a meal and, instead, take a bite, run around, come back for a bite, and so on. You prefer noodles, soft pretzels, and pizza. You are your daddy's boy!
You've begun talking, to a degree. Included in your list of words are: Ball, Balloon, Bubble, Ba-Ba, which I believe is how you ask for Barney.   Though he makes you smile you have yet to sit through a show.  You say outside, and down, and just started saying cracker and sishy, which is fishy, meaning the goldfish snack.  You say, of course, NO, perfectly clear and to everything, even if you mea n yes.  You still say "Ry-yer" for Ryder and have begun, occasionally, saying "Sayse," as in the Spanish number six,  for Chase.  You say mommy, dadddy, mom-mom, pop-pop and can sign for "more" and for "milk," though you don't always want milk.  You squeeze your hand like you are wringing an udder and say "ma ma ma" with determination.  You can also say, "bye-bye," which is most often sung, as in "bye-bye bubbles, until next time" just like we learned at the Little Gym!  We often hear thank you, and down, and cracker. Everyday you add more words, soon we will be having conversations.
You are very active, you do not sit still, and everything must be touched.  Everything.  You get a kick out of putting something that does not belong into your mouth just to hear me say no.  You laugh,  Out loud. It's cute, even if it is a choking hazard.
You've learned to run and to climb with ease. You are fearless. You love the pool and dive right in, all too literally.  Your sense of humor seems to be developing and you love to laugh and make us laugh.  You can laugh out loud, with absolute hysterics, or just smile and chuckle sweetly. Either way,  I want to laugh along with you!
We've been going to the beach and you absolutely love it.  Unlike your brothers, you do not eat sand by the handful, but you do enjoy being covered head to toe in it. Perfect for diaper changing.
Your curls are getting curlier, and blonder in the summer sun.  Your eyes are stormy.  Your smile is dimpled and bright and lights up the world. My world.

I know that time is passing quickly.  Today you are 17 months, tomorrow you are 4.  That's what it feels like.  You and I spend so much time together.  Even though it is often running errands or doing something, you should know I love the one on one time I have you with you.  You should know how you make errand running more fun.  You should know how you make a moment sweeter, a day brighter, a life better.  You should know how much I love you so.!!

All of my love,
Mommy

An Advantage to Having Boys!

This weekend we drove to Cleveland. We went to spend time with the Sperlings and a great time was had by all. Our boys played with their boys and it was nice to watch a forming friendship. The seven hour car ride was really not that bad considering the boys were, nearly, on their best behavior. I stayed awake the whole time. In both directions. This is an unbelievable feat if you know my history of sleeping, head back, tongue hanging, quickly and soundly in more car rides than not.
I've always loved little boys and though I would have loved a daughter, there are many reasons I love having only sons. The mischief, the energy, and the laughter of little boys certainly top the list. But, this weekend I learned a real advantage to road tripping with a car full of boys.

The ability to pee in a cup!!!

That's right. A 435 mile journey West with three kids 3 and under can be long and torturous enough without lengthening it with potty breaks. So we didn't. Not totally. When the boys had to pee at inopportune times, which was always, and there were no rest stops in sight as we curved down the mountainous road, a used Starbucks cup became the perfect receptacle.

Ryder loved this, and kept his aim on target. Chase was a little more gun-shy and showed some signs of urinal stage-fright but managed to use it when absolutely necessary.
Lucky for me I am not a big water drinker and managed to hold that coffee within my bladder until the obligatory get-out-and-stretch stop that we had allotted for.

The Need for a Ryder Clause!

Recently, we received a wonderful, and unnecessary, thank you gift from an acquaintance.  In it was a delicious bottle of red wine for Todd and I, and a few items for the boys.  Amongst them, a Sports Illustrated Kids magazine, a book for Turner, and two Crayola No Drip Watercolor Paint Sets, which are advertised as "Mess Free!"  These two words together are something out of a dream for mom's of youngsters everywhere.  Only, for me, to my boy, these words do not apply.  It seems that such products need a Ryder Clause.  A clause which indicates that, despite best design attempts, the nimble fingers and creative mind of a young Ryder Tovsky are exempt from all claims of mess free.  The above picture is evidence of this clause. 

Yesterday we took a 7 hour car ride to visit out the Sperlings in Cleveland.  All three boys were, surprisingly, on their best behavior.  After a two hour nap and a two hour viewing of The Karate Kid (their first viewing of a favorite of Todd and I,) the boys did some coloring, much to our delight.  It was their first time using these new paints and they were very excited when I opened up the packaging.   They were quiet, we were quiet, and making good time.  About 20 minutes later Ryder says, "I am ready to go out for Halloween!"  When I turned and looked I saw the painted body of my son.  Head to toe, arms and legs, combinations of colors swirled upon his body.  Who knew I did not need to pack coloring books?  His body was a perfectly acceptable canvas!

But, this is not the only "mess-free" item he has overcome.  When he was a toddler, he was the only one I knew who could open, and there make a mess, with the mess-free snack cups.  And, he has opened child-proofed Tylenol bottles, and child proofed door knobs, not to mention the bottles of oil he once spilled on our floor.

Yes, it seems, all "Mess-Free" items must come with a Ryder Clause!

PS: In addition to these paints being advertised as mess, they were also advertised as washable.  I am happy to report that much is true, as it washed right off of his body.

LETS GO FLYERS!!!!!!!!

The Flyers made history!! After clawing their way into the playoffs on the last game of the season, against the Rangers, in an overtime shoot-out, and being ceded the 7th ranking out of 8, they made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. This is their first appearance in hockey's championship since 1997 when they lost (got swept) to the Detroit Redwings. This may sound astonishing, but this is not why they made history. History was made when in the second of the four series it takes to be the champs the Flyers became the 3rd team in NHL history to come back and win from a three game deficit. The Bruins had no idea what they were in for when Peter Laviolette, the Flyers mid-season replacement coach, called a time-out when his team was down 3-0 in both the game and the series. You have one time-out to use and coach used it in the first period. And it worked. History was made.

This morning, the morning of game 6 of the finals.  The morning of the game that the Flyers would fight for their life since they were down 3-2, I wanted to get the boys Flyer'd up. And, more inportantly, I wanted to document this historical sporting event because I know that, and as I told the boys, they could be men before we see our team vying for the cup again.

So, we geared up and snapped a shot! The Let's Go Flyers chant just before the cheese!!!


Before I finished typing this post, the Blackhawks scored in overtime to become the Stanley Cup Champions. Maybe next time, Flyers.  You played well!!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

    
We spend most Tuesday nights at the ball field. Todd has returned to the game he loves and is playing softball for Ohev Shalom. At first, he just wanted to start playing ball again. But, after being asked to verbally state his softball resume, successes, failures, batting average, world championships (wink, wink) Todd knew he was in for some serious ball. And, he is. His team, the former back to back champions, is currently undefeated and they are hoping to hoist another trophy. Or, at least claim some bragging rights.
So, by the demand of the boys we go to the games on Tuesday nights. I love the ball field, and I love the game, so it is always a thrill for me to spend summer nights watching Todd play. Only I don't watch. Not much anyway, and not because I do not want to. I will focus my attention when Todd is up to bat, but most of the time I am trying to manage the chaos to a somewhat respectable level. Turner, who now runs, does so at full speed towards the field, either chasing a ball or Todd or both. My goal is to get him before he crosses the threshold of "in play," but since he is too heavy and far too active to hold the whole time, I seem to run a lot of laps. Chase and Ryder are pretty good but insist on throwing a ball back and forth.  And since they are too young and still too unskilled to do this with each other, I must play . So, between sprints through the dugout retrieving my toddler I toss a ball around with them. Then they want the food. It does not matter that we eat dinner, either there or before hand, nor that we have gotten into the bad habit of bringing milk shakes to the game, they want the seeds, the twizzlers, the pretzels, the gum!! I suppose we are lucky it is not a beer league.  We always have to take at least one pee break, and by that I mean a walk to the trees below the hill!  And, no matter how many times I say not to the boys insist on picking up the big metal bats and attempting to swing them.
But, still, it is fun.  The guys are all so nice to the boys and answer their questions and will toss them a ball.  And, as it turns out, they are paying attention to the things we tell them and they are learning a thing or two about the game we love.  Like not to put your fingers inside the chains of the fence to protect from foul balls, and why Ross wears black make-up under his eyes.
Tonight I was able to get these cute pictures of Ryder and Turner.  The picture of Chase, who spent a good portion of the evening dumping dirt onto his once clean legs and shorts, did not come out.
We left before the final out because it was getting late, but they won.  Again. We will see them all next week.