Happy Birthday, Beany!

Today is my wife's birthday! As a special present to her, I will not post any embarrassing anecdotes, photos, limericks, haikus, songs, films, etc. about her (I have saved those for the homemade cards that are a Meagher tradition).

To honor her as a wonderful wife and terrific mom, the boys and I got together and made this video - though I should've filmed the rehearsals (yes, I made Lochlain rehearse) and put together a "The Making Of...." documentary. Without further ado, I give you:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!!

Ein Gelber Ballon

(with apologies to Nena)
Ein gelber Ballon
Schwimmen in mein Wohnzimmer
Ging mit den Jungen
Und wir erhielten ihnen Spielwaren nicht
Wir erhielten heraus Nahrung
Und sie waren ziemlich gut
Als verließen wir, es verfingen ihr Auge
Als ein gelber Ballon vorbei ging

The inspiration for that song (that was the refrain, by the way):


This is just a quick update. Halloween is in the air, and thoughts on the boys' costumes have become a topic of interest b/w myself and the Bean. We were thinking of a Batman and Robin combo, and today I saw Loch in his Aquaman PJs (an orange shirt and green sweatpants).

Of course, we have asked Loch want he wants to be - and his answer is almost always the same: A clown. A friggin' clown, can you believe it? I have no idea where he got that from. Once in a blue moon he might mention Diego as a possibility, but he mostly goes with the clown. Seanie will be whatever we want him to be - as a 1 year old who still doesn't talk much (yet understands just about everything said to him) he has no say. There was talk of him being Yoda - we'll see. Loch says that Seanie wants to be a clown as well. How does this kid even know what a clown is? I think I'll have him watch Poltergeist with me - that'll cure him of his love of clowns.

We've started a new nighttime ritual - storytime in Loch's crib for both boys before bed. It seems well received by the lads and can be somewhat interactive depending on the story (Trashy Town and Where Is The Green Sheep? work especially well from Daddy's point of view). Tonight was Mommy's turn:

POTTY TRAINING UPDATE: Loch goes pishy on the potty fairly well at home - not as well at school yet. Going poopy is nowhere on the horizon - which makes for interesting messes to clean up. He did great this weekend with the pishes, so he got to open up the Little Einstein Pat-Pat Rocket set - which he loves. I think in hindsight it may have been a bit too early, but the bright side is that it is one more thing that we can hold over his head to take away for bad behavior.

THINGS MY KIDS SAID TO ME THIS WEEKEND: Loch has uttered the following phrases to me this weekend: "No way, Jose", "What's your problem?", and "Poor little Daddy - you need a hug?" I also taught Loch to say this when he sees his Mommy: "Woo-hoo! Hubba, hubba!" (the "woo-hoo" is him not being able to do a wolf whistle). Seanie said "Hi", "Shoes" and "Juice" this weekend.

The Thing Bean Wants You To Know:

Happy Anniversary!!

We are in the midst of a couple of anniversaries:

Our 8th Wedding AnniversarySept. 11th

Our First Year In North Carolina


Here are the boys a year ago - and then here they are this past weekend.

Plus, Bean's birthday is coming up so I sent her off to AC with some old college buddies while I watched the boys this past weekend. It went fairly well, though Saturday was easier BY FAR. It helped that I broke out and assembled the "clubhouse" (NO MOMMIES ALLOWED!!). I also gave Seanie a new hairstyle:

I wish Loch had been as helpful as he had been on Friday night when I made chicken stir-fry for dinner - though he did try to help his brother out a couple of times. In fact on Sunday, as I bathed them separately (one hung out in their crib while the other bathed), Seanie got a little upset and was fussing. I decided to dress Loch in Seanie's room, and Loch asked if he could go in and keep Seanie company. When I agreed, Loch cried over to Seanie: "Don't worry, Seanie! Lochlain is ON THE WAY!" Did I mention he's only 2?

I am still playing around with the video feature on the camera - it is really freaky with light. But we had an impromptu Monday Night Football game break out here early this evening, so here it is:

My Two Sons

We've all been sick lately (thankfully at varying times), so there's been little time to post - couple that with the fact that our trusty camera has given up the ghost, and there hasn't been anything TO post even if I had the time.

But, Bean's birthday is coming up, so she got a new camera for her birthday and we have once again have photos and video to go along with the amusing anecdotes....

Lochlain is potty training right now. It is not going as well as we could've hoped. Loch at some points fears the toilet (all toilets in general) in the same way that he feared the corner of the bathtub. Most times, he just does not want to go. So we have to use a combination of various things to get him to go:

1) Potty Pills (aka Reese Pieces): I give him the yellow ones to make the pishes (urine) come out, and the brown ones for poop (feces). Orange is to keep him on the potty. He will only get 6 maximum in a sitting, but we keep it to about 3 or 4.
2) Bathroom Cars: We have a sleeve of toy Hot Wheels cars in the bathroom - Loch gets a new car each time he goes to the bathroom successfully and doesn't get a different reward (e.g. Potty Pills, no beatings with a wooden spoon, etc)
3) Little Einsteins Pat-Pat Rocket: This is sitting on the dining room table. Still in the box. I point it out to Lochlain all the time. All he has to do is go on the potty - without Mommy and Daddy prompting. It has been there for weeks. It will be there for weeks going forward.

Here is a recent potty session I got on video:



Sean (and Loch) has a The Little Gym class every Saturday morning he goes to with Bean. Turns out he is quite the gifted gymnast (for a 1 year old). He is still not talking (he makes noise) very well yet. He will answer with head nods if you ask him if he is hungry, thirsty, or ready for a nap / bedtime. He makes the "more" sign in sign language when he wants more. And he is fascinated with his brother's potty. So much so, that he stuck his head in it once after Loch went pishes. I'm glad I was not home at the time.

CANDY OF THE WEEK: ...is the REESE'S Peanut Butter BIG CUP. I love this thing - it's like 2 cups in 1! A double dose of creamy peanut butter surrounded by rich milk chocolate - and washed down with a big glass of ice cold whole milk - not the skim or 2% crap. But I have to always buy two, to duplicate the experience of regular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. In fact, they should get rid of the old cups and just package the BIG CUP as the new standard.

The Thing Bean Wants You to Know: That Lochlain loves The Sound of Music. Especially that Do-Re-Mi song.