The Schwartz's vs New Hockey Fans

We are a hockey family.  I know I've said that before.  Chris's parents have season tickets to our local hockey team.  Really nice ones right on the glass!  The rule is as soon as you're potty trained you can start going to hockey games with Grandma and Grandpa Schwartz.  I'm not sure which one of the H's the rule got broken for because Sarah definitely didn't get to go early, but it doesn't matter the rule has been broken so Cody is benefitting and got to go to hockey games early.  They actually went to their first hockey game back in October last year.  I should have already done this post but my phone has a hard time getting picture mail so the pictures my MIL took and sent to me just recently got to my phone.  Yeah, my phone is that awesome.  And the kids just got to go to their second hockey game (still haven't gotten that picture yet but Chris got his already because he has a different phone) so I had him email to me so I could finally sit down and share this.  Because even though it took me a while to post about it, going to hockey games with Grandma and Grandpa is a really special occasion.  And we love hockey! Love it!  Especially when you get to sit in grandma and grandpa's seats.


So even though it was still October when the kids went the first time part of the door give away was the first so many fans through the door got mustaches for No Shave November.

Manly Cody

Oh dear!  Thank goodness we are blondes!

Since their first game Sarah has randomly told people about going to the hockey game.  It is seriously out of no where.  In January we were picking up the baby sitter and Sarah from the back seat starts talking about the big men she saw with big hats hitting each other.  That's her description for hockey.  I think the baby sitter and I were talking about Lord of the Rings because Chris and I were heading out to see The Hobbit.  I'm telling you it's random.  Other times she'll talk about it when Cody is wearing his onesie with ice skates on it that his Aunt Melissa got him (hockey family).  

So last week when Grandma Schwartz called to ask if they could take Sarah and Cody to the hockey game I was pretty excited for them.  However, I didn't want to hear about it for the rest of the week so I waited until it was time to get packed and ready to go to grandma and grandpa's to tell Sarah.  As I was getting Cody dressed in the ice skate onesie I said to Sarah, "I wish you had a hockey shirt.  I'm sorry I don't have one for you."  Then she proceeded to tell me, "Grandpa has a hockey shirt.  It's green and it has a turtle on it.  And the turtle has a stick."  My mouth dropped.  She has not seen anything Riverking related in our house and I would guess hasn't seen anything Riverking related since that last time she went to the game in October!  I couldn't believe she remembered all that detail.  Since I mentioned that to Grandma I guess she thought Sarah needed her own hockey shirt so they picked one up for her at the game.  So now she can wear her pink Riverkings shirt next time they go to the hockey game.

Sarah meeting the Riverthing.

Grandma and Grandpa Schwartz said both the kids liked it.  That Sarah really loved watching the game but right when they got down there someone got checked pretty hard into the glass and that made Cody a little squeamish about it.  But he apparently got over it and enjoyed banging on the glass during the period breaks.  And all this talk about hockey is making me itch to go to a game.  Now the only question is do I take the children or not.  =)

The Schwartz's vs Valentine's 2013

One of my friends posted this year that she is a Valentine's grinch.  And I loved that.  I feel that I am also a valentine's grinch.  Chris and I celebrated Valentine's Day when we were young and dating and even when we were still newlyweds.  Our first Valentine's Chris gave me a small bear named Buttercup and I carefully and lovingly put it away when we got married for our first kid.  Sarah now owns and loves Buttercup.  For our first valentines when we were dating I burnt Chris a plate of cookies.  I'm not kidding.  I'm a horrible cook and I think that was the first time I ever actually baked cookies.  And I didn't even make them from scratch, I scooped the dough out of a plastic bucket and still somehow managed to mess them up.  I kept sticking a toothpick in like you do with cakes.  I didn't know.  It was pretty tragic.  He still managed to chock a couple down.  (That's how you can tell he was a keeper.)

Then one year, I can't even remember which I finally confessed to Chris, "I don't want to do Valentine's Day.  I don't even want a card.  Please just take me out to dinner at some point in February, preferably not on Valentine's day it's too crowded."  He told his friends at work that I said that and they all told him I was lying.  Thankfully, he knows and loves me and didn't fret like the guys tried to convince him to do.

Chris loves me 365 days a year and shows me he loves me 365 days a year.  I don't need one day in February for him to prove it.  You know how I know he loves me.  He does the grocery shopping.  Every Saturday.  I hate to grocery shop.  HATE IT!  And many times he even takes one or both kids with him to the store, by himself, while I relax.  Who needs a Valentine's card when you have a husband who does that!  So I have turned into a Valentine's grinch.  Then I noticed a bunch of similar status updates about how this person doesn't need valentines bla bla bla and all of a sudden I realized how pretentious I was being.  A friend of mine shared with me their Valentine's tradition of getting some Gigi's Cupcakes  so on Tuesday since I was out in that area I decided that would be a nice tradition to steal so I pre-ordered the Love Box to share with Chris.  (1 red velvet, 1 wedding cake, 1 midnight magic, and 1 strawberry).  And since Chris was working late on Valentine's I had already decided to bring the kids up to have dinner with him.  However, after seeing all the anti-valentine's post and realizing I was being a schmuck I decided to Valentine's it up.  We ran to Walmart and got a $0.98 tablecloth and some $0.98 heart napkins, and I looked for confetti to sprinkle on the table but it was gone.  Then instead of making the meal from the calendar I called in an order to Jim and Nicks for Chris's favorite spare ribs and mac and cheese to surprise him with.

He was surprised at the details I put into the dinner and was thrilled with what I brought instead of the planned meal.  And it was a nice way to show him how much the kids and I love him.  Sarah even picked out a card for him while we were at Walmart (she saw the crowded card section and asked, "mommy what's that over there?" I said, that's a bunch of schmucks who waited until the last second to pick out cards for their loved ones." Her reply, "I want to pick a card!"  And I caved.)  I still don't want to go out for Valentine's day.  And I still definitely don't want a card or a gift.  But maybe a box of cupcakes to share with my family and a special meal somewhere NOT crowded (like home or his work) will do for now.  And who knows, perhaps my Valentine's feelings will evolve again when the kids are older and finally out of our house.  Then maybe I will want cards and presents.  Watch out!



P.S.  Best Valentine's gift ever!  I got hit on while I was waiting to pick up our to go order at Jim and Nicks.  Totally made my year.  =)  I can't actually think of anytime when some random stranger has hit on me.  Ha!

The Schwartz's vs Long Winter Blues

Yes, it has been a while since I've posted about us doing anything.  And I feel like it's been FOREVER since we've done ANYTHING!  This winter is dragging on with a few random days of warmth.  About 2 weeks ago we were actually able to go to the park.  Of course the next day it as 30 degrees.  Ah well!  It's almost over.  We should be moving into our warm and wet season pretty soon and then into the burning hot summer.  =)

Anyway, to combat some of the long winter blues we finally decided to buy a Children's Museum of Memphis membership.  Now, as you know, we have a zoo membership and we wear that thing out in the nicer months.  We'll go at least once, normally twice a month, during the spring and fall.  We can go and spend hours there and love it.  But I was hesitant to buy a Children's Museum membership.  I just didn't know if we'd get as much use out of it.  I don't remember going as a kid.  We always went to the zoo.  But Chris and I have set some home improvement goals and so to help him not feel guilty about working upstairs while I'm trying to wrangle the kids we thought getting a membership might help. It means that even when it's cold and raining I can still take the kids somewhere to do something fun.  So back in January we joined and I am just now posting about it.  (Can you tell how excited I must be about this museum.  City Museum in St. Louis it definitely is NOT.)  Auntie Susan came with me to help corral the kids and yet I still managed to lose sight of Sarah.  Thankfully the museum is well staffed and she was quickly found and threatened with death if she disappeared again.

Cody got arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct.

Sarah enjoyed pretending to be a dentist.  I really headed over to that area for Cody.  He is obsessed with brushing his teeth.  But he did not like the big muppet looking patient.  Aunt Susan had to carry him out and he happily watched Sarah play through the window.

This is on the imagination stage.  Sarah dressed up like a pirate princess and ran around dancing.  Cody had a hard hat that he enjoyed.  However there was another little boy there his size and age that had a hard hat too and both of them thought they should have the other person's hat so me and the other mom spent a lot of time making sure each boy only had one hat.

They also have a river the kids can fish in.  Aunt Susan and I kept finding fish to toss back in the river for the kids to catch.  (Aunt Susan, you actually were in the picture but I cropped you out because your eyes were closed.  I normally don't take time to crop pictures so you're welcome.)

Alright, so as I actually look at these pictures and write about the trip I'm a little more enthusiastic about our membership.  There is also a big Fed Ex plane that has a slide and you can load cargo on that the kids enjoyed, and an entire tree house section that we didn't even get to play on yet.  Plus there is a nice little tot lot area that was just the right size for Cody.  So maybe I shouldn't knock the Children's Museum, especially since we'll be spending a lot of time there.  (We need to go 4 times to make the membership worth it.)

The Schwartz's vs Conversations with Sarah

I've decided to type up funny things Sarah says as they occur and then publish the post when I get a handful of funny things.  So I guess I'll need to date them.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

There is no privacy when potty training.  I was using the bathroom while Cody was napping and Sarah came in to get up in my business.

Sarah: What are you doing mommy?
Me: Well, mommy is being a big girl and using the potty.
Sarah: Oh, you pooping?  I want to see.
Me: Seriously.  Fine.
Sarah: Oh!  Look!  It's a poopie.  It's cuuuuuute.   Good job mommy.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

The kids were in the bath tub
Sarah: You're the best mommy ever!
Me: Aww!  Thanks Sarah!
Sarah: Not you mom.  I was talking to the duckie mommy.

....Ouch...burn.

Just realized this post never got published and Sarah has since had a few more gems.


Sometime in January 2013

Sarah: Mommy am I your best friend?
Me: Yes, Sarah.  You are my best friend and I love you.
Sarah: Well...mommy you aren't my best friend.  My best friend is Jessie.

Seriously!  It starts at 3!  I thought I'd be cooler than her friends at least until she was 8 or 9.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

We took dinner up to daddy at work.  He's working late 3 nights a week this semester and the kids seem to miss him so we thought we'd go visit.  After dinner Chris was heading back into the building after loading us into the car.

Me: I sure love that daddy.
Sarah: I really really love that daddy too.  He's my handsome man.
Me: Daddy is my handsome man!
Sarah: No mommy, daddy is my handsome man.  Your handsome man can be Cody.

At least she let me have one handsome man.

The Schwartz's vs Cody's First Hair Cut

Little boys' first hair cuts I think are harder to time then little girls'.  Sarah had great hair when she was born and as it grew it grew straight and stuff.  No biggie, when it got long we took her and got it cut.  Tada!  But Cody's hair is different.  I kept waiting for it to grow everywhere like the sides and stuff and I thought it would eventually start to look like a girl's hair and then I'd know it was time to get it cut.  Instead, it didn't really grow in the front or sides, it just grew in the back.  And grew.  And grew.  And he had a bit of a mullet forming.  And I didn't know what to do with it because I kept thinking surely the rest of his hair will start to grow and then I will take him to get it cut.  To hide the mullet I would just give him like a Donald Trump combover and could sweep it all the way across the back of his neck and up the side of his head towards the top.  I'm sorry there's no pictures of it because it was pretty comical.  So finally I realized his hair apparently wouldn't start growing all over the place evenly like a girls and figured it was time to take him for his first hair cut.  Upon the suggestion of Annie we took him to Frenchy's Barbershop in Millington.  It was comically vintage.  I walk in, there are 3 old school barber chairs that face the people waiting and lots of old men sitting around waiting.  While we waited our turn I saw two men get the good ol' boy flat top and laughed because the lady who did it had a sign at her station that read, "flat top specialist".  It apparently was not a joke.  I started to worry that she was going to give Cody a flat top.  The kids were good and waited patiently for an hour for it to be our turn.  (Crazy!  Next time I'm just taking him to sweet and sassy with Sarah.  I don't care if he does come out smelling pretty.)  

The woman who cut his hair was very nice.  She asked what I would like, I had no clue.  I said, just the standard little boy hair cut without the mullet.  So that was the first thing to go.

 Good bye mullet!

Cody was a really good sport.  He didn't cry, but he complained a little bit.  At first he was wanted to get down but then she gave him a sucker and all was well!  Sarah did a good job keeping him entertained.  And the lady gave him different things to hold and play with when he got a little squirmy.  He was so funny.  Anytime she asked him a question or offered him something he would shake his head no.  When she would grab something else to use, like the clippers, scissors, or comb Cody would look at her with an expression like, "what do you think you're doing lady" and then shake his head no at her.  But he never fought it.  He's such a good boy.

Playing with the brush trying to get some hair off himself while Sarah talked to him.

Oh what a lucky kid!  You know Sarah didn't get her first sucker until she was almost 3.  I hate suckers.  They are sticky and they are gross.  I loathe them.  But I figured it was the only way to keep him happy and it seemed to work.  And the woman was very smart and nice and picked a flavor that would drool clear and wiped him up real good afterwards.  

Here's my handsome man with his first big boy hair cut.  What do you think?

Cody's First Hair Cut

February 1, 2013

Frenchy's Barber Shop

Millington, TN