Thursday, June 5, 2014

One Way Ticket to Crazytown

Did you know there was a holiday dedicated solely to trains?  I know, right?!  It was National Train Day and, of course, we had to take W to see some trains.  Actually, our little N is turning out to be quite the train enthusiast himself.  Before any words, he was copying his big brother and making choochoo sounds.  It sounds more like "Hmmmm! Hmmmm!" but you can definitely tell it's a train. So cute!

We headed to Union Station.  It was the first time for all of us.  It's across the street from Olivera street where Cinco de Mayo celebrations were in full swing.  So I knew traffic would be bad.  But I had no idea that Union Station would be just as crazy, if not worse!!  Who knew so many people are as crazy about trains as our W is?!  

Now, it's no secret that we try our best as parents to expose our kids to as many new experiences as possible.  Since W was a baby, we went everywhere.  And remember his gnarly stranger anxiety?  So, you know this was no easy feat.  It's so exciting to have children because you get to play ambassador to these most adorable and willing little people who are almost always overjoyed at whatever it is you put in front of them.  Emphasis on the word "almost."  Lately, W has been horrible.  I mean, really just wanna-punch-you-in-the-face bad.  I never know I could love someone so much and yet want to kick at the same time.

P and I were really excited about taking W to Union Station.  Hello!!! National Train Day?  It's gotta be awesome, right?  Well, W was in a funk from the get go.  We napped him on the way and he woke up with a stick up his ass about something.  I guess you have to be 3 years old to know what exactly that is.  Excuse me!  He would be excited then pissed off all in the same minute.  I'm exhausted just writing about it.  Bascially, it was kind of okay, and he kind of had fun.  But mostly I just wanted to kind of leave him there… forever.

By the end, he was so done and got in so much trouble that he now refers to the train station as "we're not going to take you to train station anymore!!"  place.  Yup.  We're not.

W. On a mission.

It was jam packed with train lovers of all ages.
The ceilings were more interesting than the walls!
It's like they knew my boys were coming!!

Arches.  Architecturally simple yet elegant.







I gave him a luggage tag and told him it was a train ticket. 
So shiny and pretty.  I can understand the obsession.
They were offering a tour of the inside.  I think he was scared it would start moving.

I think I know what our next vacation is going to be.








This guy just ate pretty much the whole time.  He's so awesome.













Brass windows.  So fancy, I felt underdressed.


N, appreciating his surroundings.  So young yet so wise.

Even the tiles were stylish! Love this place!

Good Intentions

It's no secret I LOVE Pinterest.  I'm on it everyday, scrolling for new ideas and recipes.  If I have an issue with my kids?  Pinterest.  A home repair?  Pinterest.  Need to make the perfect scone?  Pinterest.   Got ants?  Pinterest!!!  I look forward to going online to browse Pinterest more than checking email, Facebook, or anything else for that matter.  Maybe I'm just artsy fartsy but it's so refreshing to see so many talented and creative people putting their ideas and work out there.  Not to mention knowledge.  My kind of knowledge.  Not world affairs or politics.  That shit bores me to death.  But how to make the perfect crochet edging for the baby blanket I'm never going to finish kind of knowledge.  I've used Pinterest so much, I don't know how I've survived without for so long!  Now.  Having said that, I will admit that not all of my Pinterest attempts have been successful.  I'll give it an 80 percent success rate.  I think that pretty good, right?

Moving on.  Bathtime at our house can be…. stressful.  It's always a challenge getting the water temp right.  Although I don't think the boys are that particular, we're still pretty paranoid about it being too hot or too cold.  Then we've got to make bath time fun.  We have the toys and the water beads.  Then came the bubbles.  Sometimes it's all three!  But I'm always seeing such cool bath time ideas on Pinterest, so I thought I'd try one.  You've gotta change things up sometimes, just to break out of the routine.  As a stay-at-home mom… routine can be both your best friend and your worst enemy.  I saw this recipe for colored bath foam.  It's just food coloring mixed with shaving cream.  I couldn't wait to let the boys play with it!!!

W was loving it!!!

He used Nick's tub as his rinse cup.  Sigh.

Looks like candy.

Psychadelic colors

Look at his fingers!  Purple!!!

My water baby.  

Isn't it pretty?  I've gotta try to making icing like this.

There's just one thing.  I didn't know it would stain the grout!! Sigh.  Why didn't anyone tell me this would happen?  My triceps got a good workout trying to scrub this stuff out.  Now it just looks like dirty grout.

Skittles mold.