The Great Escape!

For those of you who don't know, we have 2 corn snakes as pets. Their names are Chocolate and Viper. I've had Chocolate pretty much since he hatched and I got Viper as an afterthought. They're brothers (yes I've had them checked and I'm positive there will be no babies). They were my mom's snakes' babies. She had gotten 2 corn snakes herself and thought they were both the same sex. She had no intention of breeding snakes.


Viper was given to a friend of my sisters. He was very hand shy and skittish. One of her roommates left the tank open and he got out. (so he's kind of experienced with escape) He was only a few months old. She gave him back to my mom. Mom didn't really want him so she offered him and a bigger tank to me, saying that Joe and Deg each needed a pet. Whatever.


Fast forward to our trip to Wisconsin Dells. The snakes turned a year old back in August (or somewhere around there) so they are now both about 3 feet long and an inch around. Ed was snake sitting while we were gone (which was hysterical because he hates them and keeps asking when they'll be big enough to be belts). Monday evening when we got home I checked the tank and they were both there. I went to visit my Grampa in the hospital on Tuesday and when I got home Viper was gone.


So, I had to make time to clean the office (it's a train wreck) because that's the warmest room in the house and I figured he'd be there because that's also where the tank is. So I moved an empty shoe box that I use to separate them when feeding and there he was. He was cold but alive. Joe was so happy. He told me last night that he missed Viper.


This is Viper.

This is Chocolate.

This is where I found Viper.

This is where I found Viper in relation to the tank.

Reunited.

Wisconsin Dells

The Sullivans went on their second annual trip to the Wilderness Resort at fabulous Wisconsin Dells. The boys had a blast! There isn't too much to tell just some great pictures of the kids.


Ricky went down his first water slide and LOVED it!

Joe and Deaglan getting ready to wreak havoc on the water park.

Mommy and Ricky... Awwwww

The most effective way to move luggage and kids.

Lunch at the Moosejaw.

Whew..... It's over.

The Holidays have come and gone. So much has happened and in Bear's (Deaglan) case so much has been said. Let's start with the Sunday before Christmas. We were lucky enough for Chris's brother Manuel and his family to be with us from Italy for Christmas. We had dinner at my brother-in-law's house with his family that evening. As we were getting ready to leave, I put Bear's hat on his head. He looked at me, kind of rolled his eyes and yelled "You'll never catch me alive!" and ran away from me.

Christmas Eve is all mine. About 2 weeks ago (when we had that bad snow) I got the van stuck in the alley to the garage. Our alley makes a T. There's an alley that goes past our garage door and another one that intersects the first almost in front of our garage door. I got stuck in the trunk of the T right at the bottom. A kind man walking his dog and a neighbor helped get me out. Well, Christmas Eve, we went to Grandma's for dinner and presents. Ricky started running a temperature and wasn't feeling well, so I called Ed and asked if he would watch him. I left Joe and Bear at Gram's and took Ricky home. I took his temperature, gave him some Motrin, and a nebulizer treatment. I kissed his head and left. I pulled out of the garage and decided to go down the trunk of the T. Big mistake. I got stuck a quarter of the way down the alley. Chris was supposed to meet us at Gram's after work. So I called him and he and Ed unstuck the van. Chris looked at me and told me that I was lucky I'm cute because he'd have left me to the wolves years ago.

Bear learned that music gets the girls. He found this guitar and wouldn't stop "playing" it.

Christmas Day we bounced all over. We opened presents from Santa at home. The family got a Wii. Let me tell you, there is nothing funnier than watching Bear play any driving game! Then we went to my parent's house to open presents. Then we went to Chris's brother's house for dinner.

Ricky was finally kicked out of the crib a few weeks ago. He loves sleeping in his bed, well sort of. He likes the freedom of being able to choose what bed to sleep in. His favorite is Bear's. Unfortunately, when he moved into the big boy bed, he decided he's not a baby anymore and is spurning his blankie, he's kept his pacifier and puppy but blankie is a no go. (sorry Auntie Mia). Here's his empty bed.


And the blankets he had to take with him to Bear's bed. Don't they look sooooo cute?! He does occasionally sleep in his own bed too.

Why is the Lego man headless?

Because Deaglan put it up his nose. I went to Target on my lunch today and when I got back to work it was almost 2pm (still nap time). As I turn the corner towards my classroom, my co-worker is walking down the hall with Deaglan. She stops in front of me and asks what is different about my son...... then I see his nose. I thought I was going to pee!

I almost couldn't keep the laughter in to ask what happened. So our custodian saw me with Deg, came over, saw the foreign object up his nose, and asked if I needed a pair of tweezers. I told him yes and this is what he comes back with....

yes a pair of needle nose pliers and an adjustable wrench. He thought he was being funny with the big wrench but I told him not to show Deg. After a few minutes and a few good tugs the head came out and I threw it in the garbage. When asked how it got in his nose he said, "I was laying on my cot and it was on the floor and then it got stuck in my nose."

Is that from the Old Testament?

I start work at 6:30 on Monday and Friday mornings, so Chris and Ed take turns bringing the boys to school. Fridays are usually Ed's day. Driving to school this past Friday, the boys saw a VW microbus.

Joey: Gunga how old is that car?
Ed: Probably as old as me.
Joey: (pause) Is that from the Old Testament?

So Ed called me and told me after he dropped the kids off at school. Knowing how much my sister Jamie would get a kick out of it, I called her to tell her. She then started a text conversation with Ed.

Jamie: I don't remember reading about the Great Gunga in the Bible.
Ed: It's in the book of Sullivan
Jamie: I must have missed that one.

So I called him Methuselah all weekend. But, it doesn't end there. Joey was not Ed's favorite kid this weekend. Joe spent the night at Jamie's house on Saturday. They went to Taco Bell for dinner and when they were getting ready to order Jamie called me to tell me what Joey wanted to eat.

Jamie: Joey what do you want to eat?
Joey: 10 tacos please.
Jamie: Joey I don't think you can eat that many.
Joey: I ate 97 pieces of pizza once and another time I ate 10 tacos.
Jamie: Sweetheart, Uncle John weighs like 4 times more than you and he can't eat that much.
Joey: Well, Gunga weighs like 300 pounds.

So when I told Ed, he said "Great so not I'm not just old, I'm fat and old. Just call me Homer". In Joey's defense, I think he was trying to defend Ed's honor, the bigger the number the better the man, right?

Conversations from the top of the stairs

So Chris thinks I need to start a second blog titled "Conversations from the top of the stairs", because Deaglan keeps us in stitches. So here goes the first test, if you like this one I'll keep posting the conversations.


Deaglan isn't feeling well this evening. He finally gave in and threw up. Well every time his tummy turns he yells and runs crying into the bathroom to no avail, scaring the snot out of Padric. So I run upstairs to sit with him in the bathroom and tell Padric that it's OK and I'll be in by him in a minute. So on his third such run he asked why he was sick. I told him there was a little bug in his tummy and the only way to get it out was to throw up, thinking it would help.


(this whole conversation takes place sitting in front of the toilet in a very small bathroom)

Deaglan: There's a bug in my tummy!? (spits into the toilet)
Me: Yes baby a very tiny little bug.
D: In my tummy? What does it look like?
M: I don't know baby I've never seen one they're too small.
D: Did you have tiny bugs in your tummy when you were a little girl?(spits again)
M: Yes baby I did and sometimes I get them even as a grown up.
D: Oh. I think I'm ready to go back to bed.
M: OK you need to be quiet. I know it's scary when you need to throw up but you can't yell. When you yell you scare Ricky and then he cries. So when you have to throw up just come into the bathroom and I will hear you and come to sit with you.
D: OK mommy I won't yell but it is scary.


Well Padric, not to be out done in the neediness department decided that the tube top look was back in for the Holiday Season. He somehow managed to put both of his arms out the neck of his pajama top. Yes, I am an evil mommy. My baby is crying asking me to "fik it mommy fik it" and I stood there laughing looking for the camera.

Christmas Carols..... According to Deaglan

Chris sent me this video of Deggy singing Jingle Bells. (sorry it's sideways)



Interpretation:

"Jingo bewls, jingo bewls, jingo awl de way...(swallow, breath)
oh what fun it is so why ina one sit down an pway.
HEY!"

Repeat (ad nauseum)