Can I say how good it feels to have my hair really short again, especially in this 90+ weather. I still can't believe Ken told me I should let it get longer, he's not the one who has to put up with it.
Ken was aking me questions the other day. Like was I as tempermental as Alex when I was a kid. I said no, I was petty laid back though things did have to be in a certain order but when I was upset I would just blow up and then it was over andI'd be a happy kid. I still do that, go along not let things get to me then I just explode and I'm all calm again. Quin is a lot like that. Then he decided Alex got it from his grandfather. The main difference is my FIL has the imperialness of the Dragon backing him up while Alex has the nervous energy of the Monkey. They both just lose it at the drop of a hat.
Quin is such an earthy personality. He loves food and animals and just hanging out outside. He absolutely loved the tofu dish at the chinese resturant we took my FIL to Saturday. It is so different how he reacts to animals compaired to Alex.
Alex would rather go to animals on his own terms. He's very cautious about dogs and hates it when they jump on him or lick him. And cats he loves to chase and scare. Quin on the other hand start giggling when a dog licks his face or hand. And wants to pet any furry creature that comes in range. The cat loves to just lay next to him and hang out. Guess who is going to be the kid to bring home all the strays.
random thought for the day: I wish Xena (Lucy Lawless)had the same birthday as me not Celine Dion. I couldn't stand her music before I found out we shared a birthday, so knowing this some how makes me dislike her music even more. Xena on the other hand is cool. She's what I wanted to be when I grew up. Heh the sad thing is I was an adult when the show came out.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
Observations
Alex is so funny sometimes. Last night he got mad at us because we wouldn't let him have his way. I gave him a choice about a half hour before dinner, he didn't answer, so I decided for him. It wasn't what he wanted and I wasn't making anything else at that point. Anyway he's crying and sobbing and putting on his little drama show and sobs "I want Grandma, I want Grandma." I just had to laugh because he thinks grandma is such a great lady and she is, but she's a tough lady too and I know she wouldn't put up with his flip flopping either. His cousins know the rules at grandma's house are probably a bit stricter than at home and they've learned they can't always get away with stuff there that they can at home. I'm sure Alex will realize this eventually too.
Quin has figured out how to blow rasberries, so he does that all the time now. Well when he's not chewing on something. I hope his love of trying new things in terms of food lasts and I don't end up with another ultra picky eater. It's kinda fun having to share some of my dinner or lunch with him. He likes baked turkey, and he really liked the inside of the burritos I made the other day. He liked the pasta sauce we had yesterday, couldn't give him the actual pasta, penne just doesn't cook down super soft easily. Let's see oh yeah he like the fried catfish we made Monday. I'm still giving him the pureed fruits and veggies. He's funny though even when he's not realy sure of a taste, hell make a face as he eats it but his mouth is wide open for the next bite. Likes yogurt a lot, need to find a store close by that has tofu, the store I usually go to doesn't.
I have one more week of my photoshop class. I have to put together the last two frames for my display on the art wall at B&N. I also need to print out credits for some of the graphics I used in what's going to be displayed. That has to go up July 1. We drive to TN to my dad's lake house the next day for a week. My sister and her kids will be there. We may be bringing the kids back with us and the following weekend my mom would come down and pick them up.
Quin has figured out how to blow rasberries, so he does that all the time now. Well when he's not chewing on something. I hope his love of trying new things in terms of food lasts and I don't end up with another ultra picky eater. It's kinda fun having to share some of my dinner or lunch with him. He likes baked turkey, and he really liked the inside of the burritos I made the other day. He liked the pasta sauce we had yesterday, couldn't give him the actual pasta, penne just doesn't cook down super soft easily. Let's see oh yeah he like the fried catfish we made Monday. I'm still giving him the pureed fruits and veggies. He's funny though even when he's not realy sure of a taste, hell make a face as he eats it but his mouth is wide open for the next bite. Likes yogurt a lot, need to find a store close by that has tofu, the store I usually go to doesn't.
I have one more week of my photoshop class. I have to put together the last two frames for my display on the art wall at B&N. I also need to print out credits for some of the graphics I used in what's going to be displayed. That has to go up July 1. We drive to TN to my dad's lake house the next day for a week. My sister and her kids will be there. We may be bringing the kids back with us and the following weekend my mom would come down and pick them up.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Geez I don't know what with me lately, I guess I feel like i don't have much to say. Well some days things happen and I think I should write it down but by the time I get to the computer the moment has passed.
anyway to day was a rough morning. I had all of three hours sleep last night. I've had a sore throat since Friday. The last couple days it's been putting pressure on my right ear making it ache. Not real condusive to sleeping. So Alex woke at 5:30 crying because his blanket was dirty. I go in and it looks like at sometime in the night he had another nose bleed. It must have stopped as quickly as it started because he never woke. The little bit of blood on his blanket and pillow case was dry. I dabbed it off his blanket with a cold damp cloth and told him I'd wash it in the morning. As soon as I got him settled Quin woke. So I fed him and put him back down. An hour later Alex is up at his normal morning hour. The last couple days Ken has been taking him downstairs before he leaves for work to let me sleep a bit more. Today that didn't work.
Do you know how hard it is to explain to a three year old that some of his favorite trains have to be taken away because they could make him sick?
[URL="http://rc2corp.com/company/recalls_Wood_0607.asp"]RC2 recall[/URL]
I told him they had to go away for a while to be fixed. It'll be 6-8 weeks before the replacements arrive. So I get the tears dried and he understands enough that for now they are gone but he'll get them back just like new. It's a little after 7 at this point and Quin wakes up. Doesn't want to feed because he's more interested in what's on TV. I turn it off and he's still looking around because he can hear Alex on the other side of the room playing. I snatch a 45 minute nap on the couch around 7:30.
Get everyone fed and around 9:30 take Quin up for his morning nap. He's cranky and running a low grade fever. I gave him some Tylenol before I took him upstairs. He normally sleeps for two hours in the morning. Not today, I'm bringing him back downstair 45 minutes later. Then Alex want me to entertain him with the hand puppets. This lack of sleep and all the whiney crankiness from both boys is making me even crankier.
Finally noon arrives and I take Alex up for his nap. A half hour later I get Quin settled into another nap. At 1:30 Alex calls down that he is done. He hasn't slept at all I could hear him singing the entire time. So I go up and explain that he can't come downstairs yet because Quin is sleeping. I even told him. "I love you dearly but you are not a quiet boy, the baby isn't feeling well and needs sleep. So I need you to stay up here until the clock says 3, you can read, you can sing, you can play, but you have to stay in your room." He's still up there singing though the silence between songs is getting longer. I'm betting he falls a sleep at quarter of three.
anyway to day was a rough morning. I had all of three hours sleep last night. I've had a sore throat since Friday. The last couple days it's been putting pressure on my right ear making it ache. Not real condusive to sleeping. So Alex woke at 5:30 crying because his blanket was dirty. I go in and it looks like at sometime in the night he had another nose bleed. It must have stopped as quickly as it started because he never woke. The little bit of blood on his blanket and pillow case was dry. I dabbed it off his blanket with a cold damp cloth and told him I'd wash it in the morning. As soon as I got him settled Quin woke. So I fed him and put him back down. An hour later Alex is up at his normal morning hour. The last couple days Ken has been taking him downstairs before he leaves for work to let me sleep a bit more. Today that didn't work.
Do you know how hard it is to explain to a three year old that some of his favorite trains have to be taken away because they could make him sick?
[URL="http://rc2corp.com/company/recalls_Wood_0607.asp"]RC2 recall[/URL]
I told him they had to go away for a while to be fixed. It'll be 6-8 weeks before the replacements arrive. So I get the tears dried and he understands enough that for now they are gone but he'll get them back just like new. It's a little after 7 at this point and Quin wakes up. Doesn't want to feed because he's more interested in what's on TV. I turn it off and he's still looking around because he can hear Alex on the other side of the room playing. I snatch a 45 minute nap on the couch around 7:30.
Get everyone fed and around 9:30 take Quin up for his morning nap. He's cranky and running a low grade fever. I gave him some Tylenol before I took him upstairs. He normally sleeps for two hours in the morning. Not today, I'm bringing him back downstair 45 minutes later. Then Alex want me to entertain him with the hand puppets. This lack of sleep and all the whiney crankiness from both boys is making me even crankier.
Finally noon arrives and I take Alex up for his nap. A half hour later I get Quin settled into another nap. At 1:30 Alex calls down that he is done. He hasn't slept at all I could hear him singing the entire time. So I go up and explain that he can't come downstairs yet because Quin is sleeping. I even told him. "I love you dearly but you are not a quiet boy, the baby isn't feeling well and needs sleep. So I need you to stay up here until the clock says 3, you can read, you can sing, you can play, but you have to stay in your room." He's still up there singing though the silence between songs is getting longer. I'm betting he falls a sleep at quarter of three.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Lord, the boy can get himself hysterical. I heard him all the way out on the deck. Wednesday I planned on putting him to bed early because it was a no nap day. So around 5:45 I started the bedtime warnings. Well by 6:15 he was crashed out on the couch. I took his stuff up then I carried him up. He was in that semi-sleep state when I laid him down. I asked him if he wanted to get in his PJs and he shook his head and curled up under his blanket, thumb in mouth. I thought yay me. Husband out of town both kids asleep, nice cool evening after the hot day. I grab a book and a glass of wine and go hang out on the deck.
A half hour later I hear crying. At first I thought it was the baby then I come in the house and the monitor it's coming from is Alex's. I bring everything in and go upstairs. He's standing in the middle of his bed tears streaming down his face screaming at the top of his lungs. He's usually incoherent or at the very least nonsensical, when he's like this. First thing I do is get him in a hug and calm him down. Ask if he wants to get in his PJs now and brush his teeth. He nods between the slowly dying sobs. We take care of all that and he lays back down, I go to ask if he wants a story and he's out again already.
Now this was the second day he'd done this. He got hysterical the day before when I wouldn't let him get up from his nap after he'd been up there 45 minutes playing. His delay tactics were so silly, he asked for stuff he knew I'd say no to but it was like he had to try because you never know.
Has anyone out there seen Max & Ruby on Nick Jr? Well Max gets this sly mischeiveous look on his face when ever Ruby tells him he can't do something or he has to play somewhere else. You know he's going to do the opposite. How is it possible that someone who can just barely roll over, topples over after sitting for a minute and can't crawl can have this look already?
He's found his feet, he takes the spoon from me when I feed him and he growls when he's chewing on a toy. The last one tells me he was definately born in the year of the Dog. He had the neighbor kid who mows our lawn cracking up because he rolls his wrists and growls and it looks like he's pretending he's on a motorcycle.
Last week we watched Butterfly Effect. It's not what I thought it was. At least not what I remember the trailers being about when it was in the theaters a couple/few years back. It was actually a pretty good movie. Very psychologically mind bending. Ken and I were talking about it for a good hour afterwards.
Now much going on right now. I should actually be working on my photoshop assignment, we have another lesson released tomorrow. The guy came and fixed our AC. Good thing it hadn't been unbearably hot the few days it was out. It was fixed just in time, the next day it was in the 90's.
I now know who keeps the band aid companies in profits. Three year olds, Alex wants band aids for the smallest scratch or bruise lately. And he'd go through an entire box of band aids in three days if I let him. I literally have to limit him to two band aids a day.
Why is it the nights I actually go to bed early both my kids contrive to make sure I still don't get any sleep? Last night first it was Quin, though at least once he let out a huge burp all was well and he went back to sleep. Alex then woke up at 4:30 in the morning, Ken got up to check on him since I took care of Quin earlier. Well Alex had another bloody nose and was of course hysterical. It took the two of us to get him calm enough for Ken to put into practice what his parents used to do for him when he got them. Basically tilt the head back, cold compresses on the forhead, and direct pressure if needed. Last time Alex had a nose bleed he was already awake and didn't even really know what was happening because I came in just as it started. He didn't have a chance to loose it.
Quin is going to be my eater. He loves tasing anything from my plate he can get. Well anything I can break up into small enough chunks for him to work on. So roast turkey, catfish, potatoes, biscuits, pork chop. And he seemsto like any type of sauce we have on our food. He loved chewing on my fingers the day Ken made BBQ ribs. Speaking of which I thought it was the top two teeth he was cutting this time. Nope, he's getting in two more bottom teeth.
A half hour later I hear crying. At first I thought it was the baby then I come in the house and the monitor it's coming from is Alex's. I bring everything in and go upstairs. He's standing in the middle of his bed tears streaming down his face screaming at the top of his lungs. He's usually incoherent or at the very least nonsensical, when he's like this. First thing I do is get him in a hug and calm him down. Ask if he wants to get in his PJs now and brush his teeth. He nods between the slowly dying sobs. We take care of all that and he lays back down, I go to ask if he wants a story and he's out again already.
Now this was the second day he'd done this. He got hysterical the day before when I wouldn't let him get up from his nap after he'd been up there 45 minutes playing. His delay tactics were so silly, he asked for stuff he knew I'd say no to but it was like he had to try because you never know.
Has anyone out there seen Max & Ruby on Nick Jr? Well Max gets this sly mischeiveous look on his face when ever Ruby tells him he can't do something or he has to play somewhere else. You know he's going to do the opposite. How is it possible that someone who can just barely roll over, topples over after sitting for a minute and can't crawl can have this look already?
He's found his feet, he takes the spoon from me when I feed him and he growls when he's chewing on a toy. The last one tells me he was definately born in the year of the Dog. He had the neighbor kid who mows our lawn cracking up because he rolls his wrists and growls and it looks like he's pretending he's on a motorcycle.
Last week we watched Butterfly Effect. It's not what I thought it was. At least not what I remember the trailers being about when it was in the theaters a couple/few years back. It was actually a pretty good movie. Very psychologically mind bending. Ken and I were talking about it for a good hour afterwards.
Now much going on right now. I should actually be working on my photoshop assignment, we have another lesson released tomorrow. The guy came and fixed our AC. Good thing it hadn't been unbearably hot the few days it was out. It was fixed just in time, the next day it was in the 90's.
I now know who keeps the band aid companies in profits. Three year olds, Alex wants band aids for the smallest scratch or bruise lately. And he'd go through an entire box of band aids in three days if I let him. I literally have to limit him to two band aids a day.
Why is it the nights I actually go to bed early both my kids contrive to make sure I still don't get any sleep? Last night first it was Quin, though at least once he let out a huge burp all was well and he went back to sleep. Alex then woke up at 4:30 in the morning, Ken got up to check on him since I took care of Quin earlier. Well Alex had another bloody nose and was of course hysterical. It took the two of us to get him calm enough for Ken to put into practice what his parents used to do for him when he got them. Basically tilt the head back, cold compresses on the forhead, and direct pressure if needed. Last time Alex had a nose bleed he was already awake and didn't even really know what was happening because I came in just as it started. He didn't have a chance to loose it.
Quin is going to be my eater. He loves tasing anything from my plate he can get. Well anything I can break up into small enough chunks for him to work on. So roast turkey, catfish, potatoes, biscuits, pork chop. And he seemsto like any type of sauce we have on our food. He loved chewing on my fingers the day Ken made BBQ ribs. Speaking of which I thought it was the top two teeth he was cutting this time. Nope, he's getting in two more bottom teeth.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tangents, that seems to be my normal thought process. I think about one thing then it reminds me of something else, sometimes randomly, so I leave off the one thought and follow the other. I’ve gotten better about not talking when my brain does this mostly because it confuses the hell out of Ken. SO yesterday in the shower I was shaving my legs and wishing it was winter and I didn’t need to shave so often. This made me think about how when I’m pregnant the rate of leg hair growth for the entire pregnancy seems to be determined by the time of year I get pregnant. I got pregnant in spring with Alex so I needed to shave a moderate amount, every two or three days. With Quin I got pregnant in winter so only needed to shave once or twice a week. If I get pregnant in August or September (hoping for a spring baby) that means I’ll have to shave every other day, so depressing.
Baby reminds me of family which lead to thinking about my parents wedding pictures which I recently scanned. This in turn got me thinking about their divorce and how it didn’t affect me in a typical way. Most kids go through a stage where the hope their parents will get back together. I didn’t, maybe it was my age. I was 16 when they separated. All I felt was relief; most of the tension in the house was gone once my dad moved out. My sister on the other hand did go through that stage briefly. But she’s 2 ½ years younger and her personality is such that she hates surprises. She likes things predictable and stable.
I think it dawned on her pretty quickly that it was a good thing not to have dad around, hounding on her about grades and chores. Now I wouldn’t say my dad was verbally abusive, but he might have been considered so now days. I think he was typical of when he grew up and the way to encourage your kids to get better grades was through backhanded compliments and nagging. “You’re smart enough why didn’t you get A’s instead of B’s. Apply yourself, study more.” Usually in a voice just below a yell. He also would yell about nonsensical things. Both parents work so after a certain age part of our chores became light house cleaning; vacuuming and dusting and such. (Must be why I can’t stand dusting to this day, I really should do it more. Especially with Ken’s and now Alex’s allergies) see another tangent, more on that later.
I usually took care of the dining/family room every week. My mom would come home and thank me; my dad would see the one spot that was still messy. And would you like to know why it was messy. It was his stack of magazines, papers and torn out articles. If I straightened it up I’d get yelled at because he couldn’t find what he was looking for. If I left it he’d yell because the room was a mess (you can see the exaggeration here). No win situation for me. It was easier to no straighten it up and get the sympathetic pat on the shoulder from my mom and let my dad yelling roll off my back.
So on to the kids, Quin is rolling and starting to babble words, mostly Mamamama and aweh, aweh. The later he does when Alex is around so I’m assuming he’s trying to get his brother’s attention. They’re starting to play more together. Alex’s cars seem to be motivation Quin to want to crawl. I asked Alex if Quin could play with some of his cars. I got this semi-horrified look and he started reaching for his matchbox sized cars. I told him no not those; Quin is too small for those. You should have seen the huge look of relief on his face. I asked for some of the playschool rubber/plastic ones. He was happy to share those.
Alex had a cold right after we got back from my mom’s. Well even now almost a month later he still had a cough whenever he woke up and itchy eyes and a mildly runny nose. Since Ken has allergies and eczema and I have eczema, this means our kids are 80% likely to develop allergies. I already know Quin has eczema. Looks like Alex has hay fever type allergies. I took him to the doctor Tuesday because Ken had conjunctivitis and he thought Alex might too. Three weeks ago I might have said yes but not now. The doctor thinks it is allergies as well. Told us to try Claritin first and if that doesn’t have any affect, a prescription of Zyrtec was given to me for him. The Claritin seems to be helping he’s no longer rubbing his eyes, still has the post nasal drip cough when he wakes though.
My poor little munchkin, I think Quin is cutting a couple more teeth. He’s waking up in the middle of the night and takes a while to settle down afterwards. He’s cranky and constantly wanting to chew. I hope they come in quickly.
I already knew I needed a hair cut but the hot humid weather has confirmed it. Ken told me I needed to let it grow longer. I of course looked at him like he was nuts. First of all when it’s long I have to wear it so it’s off my face. If I don’t my face looks fat. I’d rather have it short and not have to deal with the extra time it would take to put my hair up. I barely have time to brush my teeth, how am I going to have time to put it in a French braid. Second of all my hair is really thick and wavy, so humidity makes it worse, it then sticks to my neck, ears and forehead all of which drives me nuts. Having the hair stick to my ears actually kind of freaks me out because I think it’s a bug crawling on me. Ken gave a big sigh when I explained why. I then told him that if I ever got on What Not to Wear, that the stylist Nick would agree with me, that it looks better shorter. So Now I have to figure out when to get an appointment. Michelle works Monday, Tuesday and Friday evening and Saturday morning. I doubt she’s working this Monday with the holiday but I’ll call and see if I can get in Tuesday. Friday is out, I work and Saturday Ken has a wedding. If I don’t get in this week I’ll have to wait until next Monday. Bleh
Baby reminds me of family which lead to thinking about my parents wedding pictures which I recently scanned. This in turn got me thinking about their divorce and how it didn’t affect me in a typical way. Most kids go through a stage where the hope their parents will get back together. I didn’t, maybe it was my age. I was 16 when they separated. All I felt was relief; most of the tension in the house was gone once my dad moved out. My sister on the other hand did go through that stage briefly. But she’s 2 ½ years younger and her personality is such that she hates surprises. She likes things predictable and stable.
I think it dawned on her pretty quickly that it was a good thing not to have dad around, hounding on her about grades and chores. Now I wouldn’t say my dad was verbally abusive, but he might have been considered so now days. I think he was typical of when he grew up and the way to encourage your kids to get better grades was through backhanded compliments and nagging. “You’re smart enough why didn’t you get A’s instead of B’s. Apply yourself, study more.” Usually in a voice just below a yell. He also would yell about nonsensical things. Both parents work so after a certain age part of our chores became light house cleaning; vacuuming and dusting and such. (Must be why I can’t stand dusting to this day, I really should do it more. Especially with Ken’s and now Alex’s allergies) see another tangent, more on that later.
I usually took care of the dining/family room every week. My mom would come home and thank me; my dad would see the one spot that was still messy. And would you like to know why it was messy. It was his stack of magazines, papers and torn out articles. If I straightened it up I’d get yelled at because he couldn’t find what he was looking for. If I left it he’d yell because the room was a mess (you can see the exaggeration here). No win situation for me. It was easier to no straighten it up and get the sympathetic pat on the shoulder from my mom and let my dad yelling roll off my back.
So on to the kids, Quin is rolling and starting to babble words, mostly Mamamama and aweh, aweh. The later he does when Alex is around so I’m assuming he’s trying to get his brother’s attention. They’re starting to play more together. Alex’s cars seem to be motivation Quin to want to crawl. I asked Alex if Quin could play with some of his cars. I got this semi-horrified look and he started reaching for his matchbox sized cars. I told him no not those; Quin is too small for those. You should have seen the huge look of relief on his face. I asked for some of the playschool rubber/plastic ones. He was happy to share those.
Alex had a cold right after we got back from my mom’s. Well even now almost a month later he still had a cough whenever he woke up and itchy eyes and a mildly runny nose. Since Ken has allergies and eczema and I have eczema, this means our kids are 80% likely to develop allergies. I already know Quin has eczema. Looks like Alex has hay fever type allergies. I took him to the doctor Tuesday because Ken had conjunctivitis and he thought Alex might too. Three weeks ago I might have said yes but not now. The doctor thinks it is allergies as well. Told us to try Claritin first and if that doesn’t have any affect, a prescription of Zyrtec was given to me for him. The Claritin seems to be helping he’s no longer rubbing his eyes, still has the post nasal drip cough when he wakes though.
My poor little munchkin, I think Quin is cutting a couple more teeth. He’s waking up in the middle of the night and takes a while to settle down afterwards. He’s cranky and constantly wanting to chew. I hope they come in quickly.
I already knew I needed a hair cut but the hot humid weather has confirmed it. Ken told me I needed to let it grow longer. I of course looked at him like he was nuts. First of all when it’s long I have to wear it so it’s off my face. If I don’t my face looks fat. I’d rather have it short and not have to deal with the extra time it would take to put my hair up. I barely have time to brush my teeth, how am I going to have time to put it in a French braid. Second of all my hair is really thick and wavy, so humidity makes it worse, it then sticks to my neck, ears and forehead all of which drives me nuts. Having the hair stick to my ears actually kind of freaks me out because I think it’s a bug crawling on me. Ken gave a big sigh when I explained why. I then told him that if I ever got on What Not to Wear, that the stylist Nick would agree with me, that it looks better shorter. So Now I have to figure out when to get an appointment. Michelle works Monday, Tuesday and Friday evening and Saturday morning. I doubt she’s working this Monday with the holiday but I’ll call and see if I can get in Tuesday. Friday is out, I work and Saturday Ken has a wedding. If I don’t get in this week I’ll have to wait until next Monday. Bleh
Sunday, May 06, 2007
catching up (monster post)
Okay I know I could have posted while I was at my mom's, but I didn't want to hog my mom's computer. Last week I was playing catch up with everything. We left friday after Alex finished school and went to my uncles in Cumberland. The kids love Chris and Cindy, Chris because he can be silly and play games and Cindy because she reads to them. My Aunt Pat on the other hand, well Alex likes her well enough but Quin started crying everytime she held him, he'd stop as soon as Chris or I took him. When I told my mom this the next day she laughed.
I got to my mom's Saturday around 2:30. Between the 40 minute stop for lunch and the 20 minutes while I got written up for a speeding ticket, in WV of all places. It took me a bit longer than planned. Though the trip home was actually not so bad only took 8 1/2 hours with stops. Not too bad with two small kids. And it would have ben shorter if I hadn't hit 695 at rush hour. What normally takes 40 minutes took over and hour. And a miserable hour it was both kids crying off and on, no place to stop and I just wanted to get home, the exit to 95 was just 16 miles away.
When we got to my mom's my Aunt Bonnie was there with her husband Jim. I haven't seen Jim in a long time. It's nice that they're both in Cleveland now, instead of out in Vegas. Only an hour and a half from my mom. I think even though Bonnie drives my mom nuts sometimes she likes that at least one of her siblings is willing to visit her. Though Katie comes to visit as well, Pat and Chris haven't been to Erie since my sister got married 14 years ago. They didn't even go up after my mom had her masectomy. Which has really pissed Bill off, he'd perfer my mom have as little to do with them as possible. I know Katie wanted to go up but she has to little girls and was a complete wreck about the whole thing herself so her visit would have been more work not less during my mom's recovery.
Quin charmed everyone once more. Alex was being shy and went in the front room to play. We had Bill's BBQ ribs and home made applesauce. Bonnie was feeding baked potato mixed in with the applesauce, he was loving it. After dinner they had to go, it was a nice visit but short. I did get the impression that Bonnie thinks Jason should have paid the extra 800-900 dollars and had Ken shoot his wedding. I guess the photographer they got hardly took any pictures of the John side of the family. Including Bonnie and Jim with the bride and groom. She's the mother of the groom for pete's sake. I still couldn't have gone since I was on travel restriction and ended up having Quin three weeks later.
I have to say it's pretty rough sleeping in the same room as both kids. Alex wakes several times a night and Quin usually wakes early in the am for a feed. The first night it meant they woke each other, to top it off Alex had a cold and was miserable. (I now have this cold, I caught it the day I drove home, lots o fun). By the next night giving him a tiny bit of Tylenol took away the worst of the aches and scratch throat so that he slept through the night much better.
Sunday afternoon I went over and visited my sister. I planned on taking both kids with me to dinner with friends but Alex wanted to stay and be with his cousins. And my sister's dog is both jealous and afraid of Quin. Alex on the other hand she enjoys giving kisses, must be because Alex hates it. Dinner with Patty and Sherri was nice. Quin flirted with them and with just about anyone else close by.
Monday was my massage. Can I say how much I needed this. Ken said i wasallowed a monthly massage and then he goes and starts travel nearly every week Tuesday to Thursday. I work Friday and Sunday. So Saturday and Monday evening are about the only times we can spend together. So I guess until this project is done it'll end up being quarterly.
Tuesday I picked up Jessie after school and we went over to the covered bridge close by. I had heard last summer that there was talk about it being torn down. I wanted pictures of it again before that happened. I found out later that the talk is about building a second bridge for traffic and restoring the covered bridge.
Wednesday was shopping day. Nothing for me and Alex this time, well nothing planned. He did get a couple pair of sunglasses from Children's Place. Ken needed polos and Quin needed pants, he's out grown them yet again. I hope the warm up continues because I have plenty of shorts in larger sizes for him.
I also took Karen's kids because Penny's was having a sale on South Pole and Brandon wanted shorts and tees. Jessie always likes new clothes.
NowI've been thinking about a new laptop since I was up visiting my dad. He let me borrow his a couple days. And I started thinking it would be nice to have my own stuff to take with me when I travel. That and there are a couple things this summer I want to particiapte in and if I had a laptop it would help. One is a photoshop seminar the other is called a Laptop scrap at a scrapbook convention in VA.
Nothing much else going on. I did order some seed mats last week and they came in yesterday. I'm going to have flowers this year. Well in addition to the ones Ken planeted while I was out of town. He said they were an anniversary gift. I got him a peach pie. He planted lillies near the shrubs out front on the right. That part of the house is in almost full shade all summer. I'm going to plant snapdragons on the other side because it gets full sun at least part of the time. Then a victorian garden collection next to the garage. Ken liked the pie so much he had a second piece, almost every night we had it.
There were points Tuesday, last week that were just hellish, . I'm trying to figure out if Alex is acting out because of Quin or because Ken is out of town so much lately. I know he pulls his delay tactic games at potty time just so he has my undivided attention for longer. I've been making sure I spend time alone with each kid several times a day. I guess Alex thinks I should spend all my time with him, but I didn't do that before Quin so not sure why he expects it now.
Anyway he has this yellow bin that he puts toys in to take up to his room every naptime and night. He almost never actually plays with the toys in the bin but he needs it to go upstairs and sit on the foot of his bed. Now he's onlt been doing this since Jan-Feb. I give a warning count down starting at thirty minutes because he transitions better with warnings that it's coming up. Usually at the 10 minute swarning and definately by the 5 minute one he's put the toys he wants to go up in the bin. At nap time he ignored my warnings so we went up to naptime without the bin. This caused a full meltdown. And I wouldn't let him leave his room to go back down and get it, I've told him I only bring it upstairs if it's in the bin, nothing in the bin nothing upstairs.
When he's upset he avoids looking me in the eye. Once I got him mostly calmed down I tried and go over the rules again but he wouldn't look at me and I know when he doesn't look at me he's not going to listen to me. He ended up taking a three hour nap. At bed time we almost had an exact repeat. He ignored my warnings until the last minute. And he only had half the toys he wanted in the bin when I picked it up. I sat it on the kitchen table when I went to fill his cup with watered down juice. He was running back and forth from the family room to the kitchen trying to get the last of the toys in the bin before I carry it up stairs. He was all panicked and crying the entire time. We get upstairs and he started the delay tactics, playing with his blocks instead of getting into pjs. Though I think he got the message this time, bedtime not playtime.
This whole drama led to a very early morning for me. Quin woke at 4 for a feeding and I brought him into bed with me. Alex woke at 5:30. We got him a clock a couple months ago and he knows that once the 6 turns to a 7 he can call to get up. So why he's trying this at 5:30 I don't know. 15 minutes later he's crying because his sheriff's badge dropped down between the bed and the wall. I told him I'd get it in the morning but I wasn't going to move his bed right then. Then he shows me he wet his bed. I ask him why he didn't say anything when I came in the first time. Then at 6:30 he's calling because his books fell off the bed. I crack open the door and tel him if he wants his books he can get out of bed and get them himself I am not his maid. He was quiet until 7:15 when I hear "I'm done" meaning he wants out of bed. Luckily the rest of today went much better, almost no whining and bed time he had his bin filled. And actually repeated the "bedtime not playtime" from the night before.
oh but the boy is trying my last nerve lately, good think he does at least one sweet thing a day to make up for it.
My big question is how can there be so much snot in such a small place. I'm sure Quin thinks the asperator bulb is a torture device. He had the cold Alex had the week before and was having a hard time eating and nursing in the mornings so I had to clean him out. He was screaming the entire time. I'd finish and he'd scream a minute more then realize he could breathe. We offically have a tooth coming through. Both Ken and I felt the sharp edge on Friday when he was chewing on fingers.
This morning was pretty nice. Ken was going through more boxes downstairs. I guess in one way the flood was a good thing. Got him getting rid of stuff, that and he needs more room in the shop so he wanted stuff either moved up in the garage or just gone. We have a box of stuff for the yard sale next Saturday, a bunch of stuff for recycling and some stuff ws just trash. Anyway this morning he found a harmonica came upstairs and gave it to Alex. Who was having a great time playing with it. Then he was saying he wanted his Katar so I pointed to where the fireplace bellows were on the table (that's his katar) He's like "nononono big katar" meanign he wanted to play with Ken's guitar. I told him he had to ask daddy first if he wanted to play it. It happens Ken was just coming up the stairs then. So he went to get it out but then Alex told him to play it and he ran and got the harmonica. It was so cute. He even went up to his nap a happy camper a half hour later.
We were talking about getting Alex his own guitar for his birthday next year. He loves pretending to play one all the time. Though if we do I want him to take lessons as well but I want to find someone who knows how to teach young kids and make it fun. I don't want this to be a chore for him, I want it to be something he enjoys and takes with him as he grows.
I got to my mom's Saturday around 2:30. Between the 40 minute stop for lunch and the 20 minutes while I got written up for a speeding ticket, in WV of all places. It took me a bit longer than planned. Though the trip home was actually not so bad only took 8 1/2 hours with stops. Not too bad with two small kids. And it would have ben shorter if I hadn't hit 695 at rush hour. What normally takes 40 minutes took over and hour. And a miserable hour it was both kids crying off and on, no place to stop and I just wanted to get home, the exit to 95 was just 16 miles away.
When we got to my mom's my Aunt Bonnie was there with her husband Jim. I haven't seen Jim in a long time. It's nice that they're both in Cleveland now, instead of out in Vegas. Only an hour and a half from my mom. I think even though Bonnie drives my mom nuts sometimes she likes that at least one of her siblings is willing to visit her. Though Katie comes to visit as well, Pat and Chris haven't been to Erie since my sister got married 14 years ago. They didn't even go up after my mom had her masectomy. Which has really pissed Bill off, he'd perfer my mom have as little to do with them as possible. I know Katie wanted to go up but she has to little girls and was a complete wreck about the whole thing herself so her visit would have been more work not less during my mom's recovery.
Quin charmed everyone once more. Alex was being shy and went in the front room to play. We had Bill's BBQ ribs and home made applesauce. Bonnie was feeding baked potato mixed in with the applesauce, he was loving it. After dinner they had to go, it was a nice visit but short. I did get the impression that Bonnie thinks Jason should have paid the extra 800-900 dollars and had Ken shoot his wedding. I guess the photographer they got hardly took any pictures of the John side of the family. Including Bonnie and Jim with the bride and groom. She's the mother of the groom for pete's sake. I still couldn't have gone since I was on travel restriction and ended up having Quin three weeks later.
I have to say it's pretty rough sleeping in the same room as both kids. Alex wakes several times a night and Quin usually wakes early in the am for a feed. The first night it meant they woke each other, to top it off Alex had a cold and was miserable. (I now have this cold, I caught it the day I drove home, lots o fun). By the next night giving him a tiny bit of Tylenol took away the worst of the aches and scratch throat so that he slept through the night much better.
Sunday afternoon I went over and visited my sister. I planned on taking both kids with me to dinner with friends but Alex wanted to stay and be with his cousins. And my sister's dog is both jealous and afraid of Quin. Alex on the other hand she enjoys giving kisses, must be because Alex hates it. Dinner with Patty and Sherri was nice. Quin flirted with them and with just about anyone else close by.
Monday was my massage. Can I say how much I needed this. Ken said i wasallowed a monthly massage and then he goes and starts travel nearly every week Tuesday to Thursday. I work Friday and Sunday. So Saturday and Monday evening are about the only times we can spend together. So I guess until this project is done it'll end up being quarterly.
Tuesday I picked up Jessie after school and we went over to the covered bridge close by. I had heard last summer that there was talk about it being torn down. I wanted pictures of it again before that happened. I found out later that the talk is about building a second bridge for traffic and restoring the covered bridge.
Wednesday was shopping day. Nothing for me and Alex this time, well nothing planned. He did get a couple pair of sunglasses from Children's Place. Ken needed polos and Quin needed pants, he's out grown them yet again. I hope the warm up continues because I have plenty of shorts in larger sizes for him.
I also took Karen's kids because Penny's was having a sale on South Pole and Brandon wanted shorts and tees. Jessie always likes new clothes.
NowI've been thinking about a new laptop since I was up visiting my dad. He let me borrow his a couple days. And I started thinking it would be nice to have my own stuff to take with me when I travel. That and there are a couple things this summer I want to particiapte in and if I had a laptop it would help. One is a photoshop seminar the other is called a Laptop scrap at a scrapbook convention in VA.
Nothing much else going on. I did order some seed mats last week and they came in yesterday. I'm going to have flowers this year. Well in addition to the ones Ken planeted while I was out of town. He said they were an anniversary gift. I got him a peach pie. He planted lillies near the shrubs out front on the right. That part of the house is in almost full shade all summer. I'm going to plant snapdragons on the other side because it gets full sun at least part of the time. Then a victorian garden collection next to the garage. Ken liked the pie so much he had a second piece, almost every night we had it.
There were points Tuesday, last week that were just hellish, . I'm trying to figure out if Alex is acting out because of Quin or because Ken is out of town so much lately. I know he pulls his delay tactic games at potty time just so he has my undivided attention for longer. I've been making sure I spend time alone with each kid several times a day. I guess Alex thinks I should spend all my time with him, but I didn't do that before Quin so not sure why he expects it now.
Anyway he has this yellow bin that he puts toys in to take up to his room every naptime and night. He almost never actually plays with the toys in the bin but he needs it to go upstairs and sit on the foot of his bed. Now he's onlt been doing this since Jan-Feb. I give a warning count down starting at thirty minutes because he transitions better with warnings that it's coming up. Usually at the 10 minute swarning and definately by the 5 minute one he's put the toys he wants to go up in the bin. At nap time he ignored my warnings so we went up to naptime without the bin. This caused a full meltdown. And I wouldn't let him leave his room to go back down and get it, I've told him I only bring it upstairs if it's in the bin, nothing in the bin nothing upstairs.
When he's upset he avoids looking me in the eye. Once I got him mostly calmed down I tried and go over the rules again but he wouldn't look at me and I know when he doesn't look at me he's not going to listen to me. He ended up taking a three hour nap. At bed time we almost had an exact repeat. He ignored my warnings until the last minute. And he only had half the toys he wanted in the bin when I picked it up. I sat it on the kitchen table when I went to fill his cup with watered down juice. He was running back and forth from the family room to the kitchen trying to get the last of the toys in the bin before I carry it up stairs. He was all panicked and crying the entire time. We get upstairs and he started the delay tactics, playing with his blocks instead of getting into pjs. Though I think he got the message this time, bedtime not playtime.
This whole drama led to a very early morning for me. Quin woke at 4 for a feeding and I brought him into bed with me. Alex woke at 5:30. We got him a clock a couple months ago and he knows that once the 6 turns to a 7 he can call to get up. So why he's trying this at 5:30 I don't know. 15 minutes later he's crying because his sheriff's badge dropped down between the bed and the wall. I told him I'd get it in the morning but I wasn't going to move his bed right then. Then he shows me he wet his bed. I ask him why he didn't say anything when I came in the first time. Then at 6:30 he's calling because his books fell off the bed. I crack open the door and tel him if he wants his books he can get out of bed and get them himself I am not his maid. He was quiet until 7:15 when I hear "I'm done" meaning he wants out of bed. Luckily the rest of today went much better, almost no whining and bed time he had his bin filled. And actually repeated the "bedtime not playtime" from the night before.
oh but the boy is trying my last nerve lately, good think he does at least one sweet thing a day to make up for it.
My big question is how can there be so much snot in such a small place. I'm sure Quin thinks the asperator bulb is a torture device. He had the cold Alex had the week before and was having a hard time eating and nursing in the mornings so I had to clean him out. He was screaming the entire time. I'd finish and he'd scream a minute more then realize he could breathe. We offically have a tooth coming through. Both Ken and I felt the sharp edge on Friday when he was chewing on fingers.
This morning was pretty nice. Ken was going through more boxes downstairs. I guess in one way the flood was a good thing. Got him getting rid of stuff, that and he needs more room in the shop so he wanted stuff either moved up in the garage or just gone. We have a box of stuff for the yard sale next Saturday, a bunch of stuff for recycling and some stuff ws just trash. Anyway this morning he found a harmonica came upstairs and gave it to Alex. Who was having a great time playing with it. Then he was saying he wanted his Katar so I pointed to where the fireplace bellows were on the table (that's his katar) He's like "nononono big katar" meanign he wanted to play with Ken's guitar. I told him he had to ask daddy first if he wanted to play it. It happens Ken was just coming up the stairs then. So he went to get it out but then Alex told him to play it and he ran and got the harmonica. It was so cute. He even went up to his nap a happy camper a half hour later.
We were talking about getting Alex his own guitar for his birthday next year. He loves pretending to play one all the time. Though if we do I want him to take lessons as well but I want to find someone who knows how to teach young kids and make it fun. I don't want this to be a chore for him, I want it to be something he enjoys and takes with him as he grows.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Video
The munchkin is awake and content for the moment so I'll drop off a video clip. I did this because I wanted to show how Quin growls. He'll coo and laugh but mostly he grunts and growls with the occasional (what I call the bird of prey) shriek. Of course Alex is acting silly in the background playing with the cardboard tube from the papertowels.
[URL="
"][/URL]
Friday the 13th is a lucky day for me. The cat decided to find a comfy place to sleep under my printer table. (He doesn't normally nap there) I was trying to figure out what he was doing and what do I spot between my table and my harddrive? The video camera we lost 4 months ago. I've been using my old fuji digital camera to shoot video. I've been recently reminded that our 4th anniversary is coming up. I had to tell Ken too, so we're both trying to figure out what to do. It looks like he'll becomeing back from travel that day. Usually he's back on a Thursday but this trip is bigger than most of the others. At least all next week he's home. He's even experimenting with the rib roast in the crockpot today. Decided to add granny smith apples, instead of his normal vegetables. It's really starting to smell good.
[URL="
"][/URL]Friday the 13th is a lucky day for me. The cat decided to find a comfy place to sleep under my printer table. (He doesn't normally nap there) I was trying to figure out what he was doing and what do I spot between my table and my harddrive? The video camera we lost 4 months ago. I've been using my old fuji digital camera to shoot video. I've been recently reminded that our 4th anniversary is coming up. I had to tell Ken too, so we're both trying to figure out what to do. It looks like he'll becomeing back from travel that day. Usually he's back on a Thursday but this trip is bigger than most of the others. At least all next week he's home. He's even experimenting with the rib roast in the crockpot today. Decided to add granny smith apples, instead of his normal vegetables. It's really starting to smell good.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter Revelations
Working on Easter Sunday, isn't the best thing but because it was so slow I got zone maintenence in Law and Cultural Studies done as well as the entire kids section straightened by 8pm. This left me time to look at books always a bad thing. I've found two i knwo have to get. The first is very sappy and wonderful and makes me cry.
The second is just cute
I also learned that easter egg hunts with three year olds are funny. You can tell them exactly where and egg is and they still don't see it. It could be right out in the open too. We had it inside this morning just for Alex because it was too cold to be outside.
The song Please by Chris Isaak takes one a whole new meaning when you have a curious child.
What's the problem?
What's the question?
What's the answer?
Where's this heading?
You keep talking.
Where's it going?
If there's an answer
I don't know it...
Please
You're killing me.
Please
You're killing me with all these questions.
The second is just cute
I also learned that easter egg hunts with three year olds are funny. You can tell them exactly where and egg is and they still don't see it. It could be right out in the open too. We had it inside this morning just for Alex because it was too cold to be outside.
The song Please by Chris Isaak takes one a whole new meaning when you have a curious child.
What's the problem?
What's the question?
What's the answer?
Where's this heading?
You keep talking.
Where's it going?
If there's an answer
I don't know it...
Please
You're killing me.
Please
You're killing me with all these questions.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Birthdays and such
The question of the day Friday for both me and JM was "if it's your birthday why are you at work?" Mostly because both of us had our birthday plans for Saturday. I did take in a cake, and got compliments on it.
We hung out mostly on Saturday though we did have a guy come in and look at our mold problem that has been developing since the flood a few weeks ago. He looked everything over and because the cause was a pipe that broke inside the house he thinks our homeowners insurance should cover it. He also gave us a few tips to make sure the couldn't throw out the claim. I guess insurance companies will use anything they can even if it didn't have anything to do with what caused the mold, to say no. He took a couple air samples and sent them out to a lab in AZ. The claims adjuster comes to look thinkgs over tomorrow.
Ken went to Lowe's to pick up a few things and also started figuring out how to hang the ceiling fan we got for the family room. It's just about the hottest room in the house in the summer even with the AC on, mostly becuase there isn't a lot of air circulation. The fan will help, because it helps in the bedrooms upstairs.
We went to Sakura for my birthday dinner. It was the most amazing thing in the world to see the look on Alex's face when the grill went up in flames. I wish I had caught it on camera. After way too much food and a glass of Merlot we went home. We did a quick candle blow out before Alex went to bed. Didn't actually have the cake until a couple hours later. Ken had stopped at the Cheesecake Factory on the way home from the airport Thursday. That's why I love the man.
This weekend we decided to go cold turkey on potty training Alex. We're getting no where with the pull ups. He'll sit on the potty no problem he just won't go in it. I picked up some training pants, they're a bit thicker than normal underware. I think this is going to be a long couple of weeks with lots of laundry. It did dawn on me tonight as was talking to Ken, that the issue may not be the underware or pull ups, because he goes in them too. Today at school he had training pants on all morning, and stayed dry all morning. The teacher had said she'd taken him to the bathroom about twenty minutes before I got there but he didn't go. So when we got home I had him sit on the potty again, which he did for a good 10 minutes, playing with his cars. Not two minutes after I helped him pull up his pants he went in them. He did that every single time today, I have him go to the potty and nothing but as soon as he was dressed again he'd go. Very frustrating, anyway as I was saying, i noticed the only time he didn't go in his underware was when I didn't let him put a new pair of pants on after I took the wet ones down to the washer. So I think that's what I may do when we're at home. If he goes in his underwear, he doesn't get his pants back. This of course won't work when we're out, so just at home.
The other thing he pulled today was to wipe his nose on my sweater. He gave me a hug then he says "mommy there a booger on your shirt. I need a tissue." Needless to say my sweater was added to the pile of laundry collecting downstairs.
I'm gonna try and post a few pictures before bed tonight. Sometimes I amaze myself, I swear it feels like luck, when I go through my photos at the end of the day and see one that is just fabulous. I wish I could do it more often.
We hung out mostly on Saturday though we did have a guy come in and look at our mold problem that has been developing since the flood a few weeks ago. He looked everything over and because the cause was a pipe that broke inside the house he thinks our homeowners insurance should cover it. He also gave us a few tips to make sure the couldn't throw out the claim. I guess insurance companies will use anything they can even if it didn't have anything to do with what caused the mold, to say no. He took a couple air samples and sent them out to a lab in AZ. The claims adjuster comes to look thinkgs over tomorrow.
Ken went to Lowe's to pick up a few things and also started figuring out how to hang the ceiling fan we got for the family room. It's just about the hottest room in the house in the summer even with the AC on, mostly becuase there isn't a lot of air circulation. The fan will help, because it helps in the bedrooms upstairs.
We went to Sakura for my birthday dinner. It was the most amazing thing in the world to see the look on Alex's face when the grill went up in flames. I wish I had caught it on camera. After way too much food and a glass of Merlot we went home. We did a quick candle blow out before Alex went to bed. Didn't actually have the cake until a couple hours later. Ken had stopped at the Cheesecake Factory on the way home from the airport Thursday. That's why I love the man.
This weekend we decided to go cold turkey on potty training Alex. We're getting no where with the pull ups. He'll sit on the potty no problem he just won't go in it. I picked up some training pants, they're a bit thicker than normal underware. I think this is going to be a long couple of weeks with lots of laundry. It did dawn on me tonight as was talking to Ken, that the issue may not be the underware or pull ups, because he goes in them too. Today at school he had training pants on all morning, and stayed dry all morning. The teacher had said she'd taken him to the bathroom about twenty minutes before I got there but he didn't go. So when we got home I had him sit on the potty again, which he did for a good 10 minutes, playing with his cars. Not two minutes after I helped him pull up his pants he went in them. He did that every single time today, I have him go to the potty and nothing but as soon as he was dressed again he'd go. Very frustrating, anyway as I was saying, i noticed the only time he didn't go in his underware was when I didn't let him put a new pair of pants on after I took the wet ones down to the washer. So I think that's what I may do when we're at home. If he goes in his underwear, he doesn't get his pants back. This of course won't work when we're out, so just at home.
The other thing he pulled today was to wipe his nose on my sweater. He gave me a hug then he says "mommy there a booger on your shirt. I need a tissue." Needless to say my sweater was added to the pile of laundry collecting downstairs.
I'm gonna try and post a few pictures before bed tonight. Sometimes I amaze myself, I swear it feels like luck, when I go through my photos at the end of the day and see one that is just fabulous. I wish I could do it more often.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Too much to do
I guess I’m not doing so well posting lately. I guess it’s because I’ve limited time and I know how long it’ll take me to compose a post and it’s easier to read along with everyone else and make a short post than it is to go over everything here. So Alex was out of school Friday as well as Wednesday. He had gotten most of his energy back though he was still taking breaks, and running a slight fever (100-101). That Friday was crappy weather anyway, the whole weekend we stayed in mostly. It made it easier to make sure Alex took a nap, he may be out growing them but when he’s sick he desperately needs one because he doesn’t sleep well at night. I even went home early Friday from work. Lovely freezing rain and sleet made the roads crap.
I got to round two in the competition but I did not make it to the final round. The work turned in was so good. I’ll try again in the fall. I have been submitting to magazine calls as well. We’ll see if that gets me anywhere.
Last week was pretty quiet; everyone was feeling healthy once again. Quin was more than willing to try new foods. At this point it looks like he’ll be our eater. He can finish a full container of fruit or veggie plus some in one sitting. With Alex, when we started him on solids we were lucky to get him to eat half a container. Not that it matters too much, this could all change when he hits 15-18 months like it did with Alex and he’ll be picky and not eat anything, though maybe not who knows. Monday I was feeding him at the same time taking a few bites of my own dinner. He was eyeing my chicken, looked like he was thinking “that looks so much better than what you’re feeding me.” It was pretty tender so I gave him a couple of teeny tiny pieces. I guess we may be pureeing dinner for him sooner than I thought.
Babies are such amazing creatures. There is wonder in their eyes as they see new things. The concentration as they realize their hands can grab and move things. And to hear the pure joy in their laughter is more than enough to make you laugh yourself.
I’m so glad spring weather has arrived we’ve been to various parks a couple times in the last week. I love it because my kids sleep so much better. Alex tires himself out running around like a maniac and I think the fresh air just makes Quin sleepy. Thursday we went to a place called Annie’s Playground. I’m sure I won’t want to go during the summer when all the older kids are there. That’s one thing I remember from last summer. Seven, eight and nine year olds don’t pay much attention to younger kids when they run around. I know I picked Alex up and dusted him off a lot because he got knocked over by older kids racing by. At least in the spring and fall the older kids are in school on weekdays, so preschoolers can play with out being knocked over as much.
Friday while Alex was in school Quin and I went to Target. I needed a bunch of stuff for the dining room. We invited a couple over for dinner, Ken shot their wedding. But as he got to know the groom he found out they had a lot in common, including growing up in Brooklyn. Eddie grew up in the Brooklyn China town and Ken in Bensonhurst, but they were both really familiar with the area. We’ve met up with them several times and finally decided we wanted to make it a bit more than a casual aquaintenship. So we invited them over to dinner. It’s funny how having guests motivates you to put the finishing touches on rooms. I needed a spring/summer table cloth, everything I have that fits the table is fall/ winter. While I was there I found a curtain rod long enough to go across our triple window. My stepmom had left us sheers when they visited in November; I just had nothing to hang them on. I wasn’t willing to spend $80-100 for a custom rod which is what I would have had to get from Lowe’s or Home Depot. I knew Target carried ones that extended to 120” but they were never in stock. They were Friday. So we hung the rod and the sheers Saturday morning after I mopped the floor. Then I went in for my cut and color. I took Quin because Michelle hadn’t seen him yet except for photos. He was so good and flirted with all the ladies there. I think between the two boys I’m in trouble when they’re teens. I got home with an hour to spare for the final dinner prep.
We made planked salmon and grilled asparagus. I tried a new wine, well for me anyway. I like Shiraz but this one from Rosemount estates was a Shiraz Grenache. It had a bit more of a fruity flavor than a Shiraz usually has. I figured it would go well with the salmon. Actually I bout three bottles of wine because I couldn’t decide. I got a pinot noir from Robert Mondavi because I like it and a blush from a local winery. Just couldn’t decide what I wanted until we sat down for dinner and that’s the one I opened. Dinner went really well. Alex was a bundle of energy but in a good way, no whiney break downs. Eddie and Soli brought dessert, a fruit tart. The fresh strawberries and blueberries on top more than made up for the custard. The custard wasn’t so custardy, it was more like pudding, guess that’s why there was a thin layer of dark chocolate between it and the crust. If the chocolate hadn’t been there the crust would have been soaked and wouldn’t have held together.
We plan on getting together again for dim sum in a few weeks. And maybe try to get together for some Mah Jong at some point. Sunday was quiet we did make a trip out to look at washers and dryers. The ones we have are about ready to peter out. I have to run everything through the dryer twice to get it dry and last week one load I ran had items of clothes that were dry coming out of the washer. That says to me it isn’t agitating right. They are 15 years old so we knew it was coming. I do want a larger capacity washer, especially if we’re talking about trying for a third. A bigger dryer isn’t as important because not everything goes in the dryer any way.
That brings us to this week, which has been pretty much same old same old. Tuesday we did go up to Havre de Grace to the park there right on the bay. Just too hard to resist when you have such a gorgeous warm gift of a day. Ken gets back late tomorrow afternoon. He was down in GA again this week. He even went over to say hi to my dad. They went out to dinner at a little Mexican place my dad likes. Friday I have to work, though I think I’m taking a cake in because one of the girls who works Friday has her birthday that day too. Then the boys are taking me out to dinner on Saturday.
The only excitement next week is Quin’s 6 month appointment. Can’t believe it’s been six months already. Where does the time go? I’ll try and get more pictures posted this weekend. It all depends on how quickly I do my assignment for my Photoshop class. I’ll get nothing done tomorrow we have a birthday party at build-a-bear. The next lesson is released Friday; I’m hoping it won’t take too long. The one today I got through, with interruptions, in about 3 hours.
I got to round two in the competition but I did not make it to the final round. The work turned in was so good. I’ll try again in the fall. I have been submitting to magazine calls as well. We’ll see if that gets me anywhere.
Last week was pretty quiet; everyone was feeling healthy once again. Quin was more than willing to try new foods. At this point it looks like he’ll be our eater. He can finish a full container of fruit or veggie plus some in one sitting. With Alex, when we started him on solids we were lucky to get him to eat half a container. Not that it matters too much, this could all change when he hits 15-18 months like it did with Alex and he’ll be picky and not eat anything, though maybe not who knows. Monday I was feeding him at the same time taking a few bites of my own dinner. He was eyeing my chicken, looked like he was thinking “that looks so much better than what you’re feeding me.” It was pretty tender so I gave him a couple of teeny tiny pieces. I guess we may be pureeing dinner for him sooner than I thought.
Babies are such amazing creatures. There is wonder in their eyes as they see new things. The concentration as they realize their hands can grab and move things. And to hear the pure joy in their laughter is more than enough to make you laugh yourself.
I’m so glad spring weather has arrived we’ve been to various parks a couple times in the last week. I love it because my kids sleep so much better. Alex tires himself out running around like a maniac and I think the fresh air just makes Quin sleepy. Thursday we went to a place called Annie’s Playground. I’m sure I won’t want to go during the summer when all the older kids are there. That’s one thing I remember from last summer. Seven, eight and nine year olds don’t pay much attention to younger kids when they run around. I know I picked Alex up and dusted him off a lot because he got knocked over by older kids racing by. At least in the spring and fall the older kids are in school on weekdays, so preschoolers can play with out being knocked over as much.
Friday while Alex was in school Quin and I went to Target. I needed a bunch of stuff for the dining room. We invited a couple over for dinner, Ken shot their wedding. But as he got to know the groom he found out they had a lot in common, including growing up in Brooklyn. Eddie grew up in the Brooklyn China town and Ken in Bensonhurst, but they were both really familiar with the area. We’ve met up with them several times and finally decided we wanted to make it a bit more than a casual aquaintenship. So we invited them over to dinner. It’s funny how having guests motivates you to put the finishing touches on rooms. I needed a spring/summer table cloth, everything I have that fits the table is fall/ winter. While I was there I found a curtain rod long enough to go across our triple window. My stepmom had left us sheers when they visited in November; I just had nothing to hang them on. I wasn’t willing to spend $80-100 for a custom rod which is what I would have had to get from Lowe’s or Home Depot. I knew Target carried ones that extended to 120” but they were never in stock. They were Friday. So we hung the rod and the sheers Saturday morning after I mopped the floor. Then I went in for my cut and color. I took Quin because Michelle hadn’t seen him yet except for photos. He was so good and flirted with all the ladies there. I think between the two boys I’m in trouble when they’re teens. I got home with an hour to spare for the final dinner prep.
We made planked salmon and grilled asparagus. I tried a new wine, well for me anyway. I like Shiraz but this one from Rosemount estates was a Shiraz Grenache. It had a bit more of a fruity flavor than a Shiraz usually has. I figured it would go well with the salmon. Actually I bout three bottles of wine because I couldn’t decide. I got a pinot noir from Robert Mondavi because I like it and a blush from a local winery. Just couldn’t decide what I wanted until we sat down for dinner and that’s the one I opened. Dinner went really well. Alex was a bundle of energy but in a good way, no whiney break downs. Eddie and Soli brought dessert, a fruit tart. The fresh strawberries and blueberries on top more than made up for the custard. The custard wasn’t so custardy, it was more like pudding, guess that’s why there was a thin layer of dark chocolate between it and the crust. If the chocolate hadn’t been there the crust would have been soaked and wouldn’t have held together.
We plan on getting together again for dim sum in a few weeks. And maybe try to get together for some Mah Jong at some point. Sunday was quiet we did make a trip out to look at washers and dryers. The ones we have are about ready to peter out. I have to run everything through the dryer twice to get it dry and last week one load I ran had items of clothes that were dry coming out of the washer. That says to me it isn’t agitating right. They are 15 years old so we knew it was coming. I do want a larger capacity washer, especially if we’re talking about trying for a third. A bigger dryer isn’t as important because not everything goes in the dryer any way.
That brings us to this week, which has been pretty much same old same old. Tuesday we did go up to Havre de Grace to the park there right on the bay. Just too hard to resist when you have such a gorgeous warm gift of a day. Ken gets back late tomorrow afternoon. He was down in GA again this week. He even went over to say hi to my dad. They went out to dinner at a little Mexican place my dad likes. Friday I have to work, though I think I’m taking a cake in because one of the girls who works Friday has her birthday that day too. Then the boys are taking me out to dinner on Saturday.
The only excitement next week is Quin’s 6 month appointment. Can’t believe it’s been six months already. Where does the time go? I’ll try and get more pictures posted this weekend. It all depends on how quickly I do my assignment for my Photoshop class. I’ll get nothing done tomorrow we have a birthday party at build-a-bear. The next lesson is released Friday; I’m hoping it won’t take too long. The one today I got through, with interruptions, in about 3 hours.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Don’t know what it is with me lately. I have stuff to say I just never come and put it down. Then things get backed up and weeks go by. The only way I can get everything down is to do it in word. Hmmm maybe I’ll just start a weekly word file and type in my thoughts every night and post at the end of the week. I wonder if this whole thing has to do with the creative flow I seem to be in right now. I’ve been very focused on photography and making digi pages.
So last week we got a highchair for Quin. A real one that is separate from the table. I thought about getting another like Alex’s that turns into a booster seat as he gets older but we have the room and if we have a third it’ll be used then too. The first night we had Quin in it while we ate dinner. He was thrilled he could see us at dinner time. The next night I made wet burritos. I turned to entertain Quin he grabbed my hand and started chewing on my finger, which probably had a bit of burrito on it. He was chomping down pretty good. I had picked up some cereal earlier in the week because we were planning on trying solids when we got back from my dad’s. We decided to try a little that night. He loved it. It certainly made things easier for Ken the nights I worked, he can feed him instead of fight with getting to take a bottle.
We left Monday morning for GA, by the time we actually got on the road it was twenty after 9:00, almost an hour after we planned. Though even with stops we made it there by a little after 8pm, so not too bad. My dad got to feed Quin that evening. They both had fun. They also have a new puppy, she’s actually about as old as Quin. Alex had fun all week chasing her around the yard and house. It certainly gave their older dog a break from being pestered by the puppy.
Ken left early Tuesday morning for TN, that’s where his job was last week. Left me with out transport until my dad got off work around 1pm most days. Donna was sick all week, and didn’t get close to the kids because of it. She found out Wednesday that what ever she had progressed into Bronchitis. Then she really kept her distance.
Quin caught the cold we’ve been passing around this time. He’s been pretty lucky. Lately it’s been Alex, then me then Ken, and a few days after ken starts feeling better Alex has a runny nose once again. Anyway it had been gumming up Quin’s right eye. I thought at first he might have pink eye but it never swelled up or got really bad. Just a little bit in the corners when he woke or cried. It got worse by mid week, luckily Donna had an unopened bottle of Little Noses (she uses it for her dogs). That helped a lot especially the one night Quin woke screaming I couldn’t figure out why at first then I realized he was trying to breathe through his nose and couldn’t. A drop in each nostril and a few minutes later he was clear enough to sleep.
I think the days of afternoon naps for Alex are numbered. If anything on the days he doesn’t got to school, he gets sleepy around 10:30-11:00am. If he naps then he’ll sleep three hours. It seems like every third day when he’s exhausted he’ll take a nap after school around 2pm. Of course last Friday he fell asleep next to the couch around three, this after he convinced me not to make him take a nap. Then yesterday he fell asleep on the couch around 4pm, next thing I know its 6:30 and he’s still asleep. He didn’t even protest when I carried him upstairs and wrestled him into his pjs.
We got back from GA Sunday around 8:30. After unloading the car, we found the laundry room flooded. As far as we can tell it happen earlier Sunday. The laundry room was flooded; the carpet in the finished portion is soaked in the areas closest to the laundry room. Funny thing is none of the boxes sitting on the carpet got wet. Looks like it soaked up the water and drew it down into the padding so nothing on top was touched. Now the boxes in the laundry room closet were waterlogged. That’s where the pipe was that caused the flood. Ken said it was the pipe leading to the outside spout. It somehow came unscrewed; Ken got it back together then spent until 2am with the shop vac sucking up the water. Luckily the boxes held china and glassware, so nothing that could be hurt by water. I spent yesterday afternoon repacking them. I think Ken’s project next winter is going to be making a China cabinet. I want to be able to display and use the china I got from my grandmother.
It dawned on me this morning as I folded the last of the laundry I did yesterday, that we’ll have to tear the wall out in the closet. I don’t want mold to get a foot hold inside the walls. I know this house had a problem with it before we moved in. It was upstairs in the linen closet, they had hook ups for a washer dryer up there. The previous owner had done it. I think it was a combo of that and the enormous pine tree we took down that caused the mold there. It was professionally cleaned out. I just don’t want to have it happen again.
My projects while I was at my dad’s was to scan old photos of that side of the family, I think I have about 60 scans. I even went through my dad’s slides. He has a Nikon negative scanner made it easier to get the slides scanned. The other was to have my dad shoot a family portrait of us. I guess I should just give it up at this point there is no way I’ll get both boys looking at the camera at the same time for a few years. There are a couple I like even though they aren’t perfect. In every photo someone is not looking at the camera.
I swear sometimes I’d like to strangle that boy. He’ll take children’s Tylenol or Motrin when he’s in the early stages of an illness but as soon as he feels really bad and is running a real fever he refuses. And if I make him take it he starts gagging to throw it up. He is so frustrating.
Quin is going to be my quiet charmer, I’m almost positive he’s gotten the John family gene. All three of his grandfathers have been completely fascinated with him. I guess part of it is he loves to be held where as Alex as soon as he was mobile he was off and exploring, a lot like him mother there. It’s really hard to hold and get close to someone who is constantly on the move. Alex also was pretty stand offish last year when we visited.
I think I’m going to try one day to count how many times Alex asks me “What’s that noise mommy?” Or “What’s that mommy?” The only problem is he’ll repeat it 3-5 times for a single item or sound. I stop answering after the second or third, no point in saying the same thing over and over, though he seems to enjoy it. He is also repeating everything we say. We have to be careful now more than ever what we say in front of him. I think the quarter jar is gonna start getting full.
I got a call today from the guy Ken sometimes works for doing weddings. He’s sending me the software he uses along with a site where I can watch video of how it’s used. Once I’m up to speed he said my base pay will be per 8pg/16 side album. If the album has more I get additional pay for every page. If I can knock them out in 20 minutes to a half hour I should end up making pretty good money.
I know there was something else I wanted to mention but it’s gone for now. If I follow through with the Word idea I’ll write it down when it comes to me.
So last week we got a highchair for Quin. A real one that is separate from the table. I thought about getting another like Alex’s that turns into a booster seat as he gets older but we have the room and if we have a third it’ll be used then too. The first night we had Quin in it while we ate dinner. He was thrilled he could see us at dinner time. The next night I made wet burritos. I turned to entertain Quin he grabbed my hand and started chewing on my finger, which probably had a bit of burrito on it. He was chomping down pretty good. I had picked up some cereal earlier in the week because we were planning on trying solids when we got back from my dad’s. We decided to try a little that night. He loved it. It certainly made things easier for Ken the nights I worked, he can feed him instead of fight with getting to take a bottle.
We left Monday morning for GA, by the time we actually got on the road it was twenty after 9:00, almost an hour after we planned. Though even with stops we made it there by a little after 8pm, so not too bad. My dad got to feed Quin that evening. They both had fun. They also have a new puppy, she’s actually about as old as Quin. Alex had fun all week chasing her around the yard and house. It certainly gave their older dog a break from being pestered by the puppy.
Ken left early Tuesday morning for TN, that’s where his job was last week. Left me with out transport until my dad got off work around 1pm most days. Donna was sick all week, and didn’t get close to the kids because of it. She found out Wednesday that what ever she had progressed into Bronchitis. Then she really kept her distance.
Quin caught the cold we’ve been passing around this time. He’s been pretty lucky. Lately it’s been Alex, then me then Ken, and a few days after ken starts feeling better Alex has a runny nose once again. Anyway it had been gumming up Quin’s right eye. I thought at first he might have pink eye but it never swelled up or got really bad. Just a little bit in the corners when he woke or cried. It got worse by mid week, luckily Donna had an unopened bottle of Little Noses (she uses it for her dogs). That helped a lot especially the one night Quin woke screaming I couldn’t figure out why at first then I realized he was trying to breathe through his nose and couldn’t. A drop in each nostril and a few minutes later he was clear enough to sleep.
I think the days of afternoon naps for Alex are numbered. If anything on the days he doesn’t got to school, he gets sleepy around 10:30-11:00am. If he naps then he’ll sleep three hours. It seems like every third day when he’s exhausted he’ll take a nap after school around 2pm. Of course last Friday he fell asleep next to the couch around three, this after he convinced me not to make him take a nap. Then yesterday he fell asleep on the couch around 4pm, next thing I know its 6:30 and he’s still asleep. He didn’t even protest when I carried him upstairs and wrestled him into his pjs.
We got back from GA Sunday around 8:30. After unloading the car, we found the laundry room flooded. As far as we can tell it happen earlier Sunday. The laundry room was flooded; the carpet in the finished portion is soaked in the areas closest to the laundry room. Funny thing is none of the boxes sitting on the carpet got wet. Looks like it soaked up the water and drew it down into the padding so nothing on top was touched. Now the boxes in the laundry room closet were waterlogged. That’s where the pipe was that caused the flood. Ken said it was the pipe leading to the outside spout. It somehow came unscrewed; Ken got it back together then spent until 2am with the shop vac sucking up the water. Luckily the boxes held china and glassware, so nothing that could be hurt by water. I spent yesterday afternoon repacking them. I think Ken’s project next winter is going to be making a China cabinet. I want to be able to display and use the china I got from my grandmother.
It dawned on me this morning as I folded the last of the laundry I did yesterday, that we’ll have to tear the wall out in the closet. I don’t want mold to get a foot hold inside the walls. I know this house had a problem with it before we moved in. It was upstairs in the linen closet, they had hook ups for a washer dryer up there. The previous owner had done it. I think it was a combo of that and the enormous pine tree we took down that caused the mold there. It was professionally cleaned out. I just don’t want to have it happen again.
My projects while I was at my dad’s was to scan old photos of that side of the family, I think I have about 60 scans. I even went through my dad’s slides. He has a Nikon negative scanner made it easier to get the slides scanned. The other was to have my dad shoot a family portrait of us. I guess I should just give it up at this point there is no way I’ll get both boys looking at the camera at the same time for a few years. There are a couple I like even though they aren’t perfect. In every photo someone is not looking at the camera.
I swear sometimes I’d like to strangle that boy. He’ll take children’s Tylenol or Motrin when he’s in the early stages of an illness but as soon as he feels really bad and is running a real fever he refuses. And if I make him take it he starts gagging to throw it up. He is so frustrating.
Quin is going to be my quiet charmer, I’m almost positive he’s gotten the John family gene. All three of his grandfathers have been completely fascinated with him. I guess part of it is he loves to be held where as Alex as soon as he was mobile he was off and exploring, a lot like him mother there. It’s really hard to hold and get close to someone who is constantly on the move. Alex also was pretty stand offish last year when we visited.
I think I’m going to try one day to count how many times Alex asks me “What’s that noise mommy?” Or “What’s that mommy?” The only problem is he’ll repeat it 3-5 times for a single item or sound. I stop answering after the second or third, no point in saying the same thing over and over, though he seems to enjoy it. He is also repeating everything we say. We have to be careful now more than ever what we say in front of him. I think the quarter jar is gonna start getting full.
I got a call today from the guy Ken sometimes works for doing weddings. He’s sending me the software he uses along with a site where I can watch video of how it’s used. Once I’m up to speed he said my base pay will be per 8pg/16 side album. If the album has more I get additional pay for every page. If I can knock them out in 20 minutes to a half hour I should end up making pretty good money.
I know there was something else I wanted to mention but it’s gone for now. If I follow through with the Word idea I’ll write it down when it comes to me.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
No Pants
Today was supposed to be no pants day. I was going to have Alex in no pants, no pull-ups, hoping he'd get the connection between the urge to go and using the potty instead of his pull-up. Well Ken stayed home sick. he got the same cold I hd last week and of course because he's male it's ten times worse than what I had. (yeah sure, you get to be lazy and sleep half the day when you're sick I don't)I had planned it for a Tuesday because that is the one day all week we're usually not doing anything. No school, no work, no playgroup, so I hole up in the house and spend the morning in my PJs, cleaning house, until the kids take their afternoon name then I go shower and get dressed.
Now I have to put this off until we get back from my Dad's house. We're going down there next week, a week earlier than planned, because Ken has a trip to SC the following week. This whole month is going to suck. Ken has travel every week, even though he's home weekends. It means I get no break from the kids Monday-Thursday one week Friday. He did promise to take me out to dinner, sans kids, for my birthday the last weekend in March. I'm just glad I'll be at my dad's while he's working next week. He'll be in TN about an hour and a half from my dad's in GA. He'll come back Thursday night and hang with us until we drive home. I hope I can get my dad to do a family portrait of us. I'm figuring we're not at home maybe, just maybe Alex will sit still for a few shots.I also want a casual portrait of just me and Ken. (another page idea, it's funny sometimes I get page ideas and have to go out and shoot photos for them instead of the usual making pages from existing photos)
I start a CS2 class online the 18th and have another more advanced one in May. The guy Ken will be doing weddings for this year is sending me his design software, so once I get used to that they'll start sending me design work. I'll try and get on again before we go and post photos for the last week or so. I've got a lot of pages too. I guess I've come out of my creative slump.
Now I have to put this off until we get back from my Dad's house. We're going down there next week, a week earlier than planned, because Ken has a trip to SC the following week. This whole month is going to suck. Ken has travel every week, even though he's home weekends. It means I get no break from the kids Monday-Thursday one week Friday. He did promise to take me out to dinner, sans kids, for my birthday the last weekend in March. I'm just glad I'll be at my dad's while he's working next week. He'll be in TN about an hour and a half from my dad's in GA. He'll come back Thursday night and hang with us until we drive home. I hope I can get my dad to do a family portrait of us. I'm figuring we're not at home maybe, just maybe Alex will sit still for a few shots.I also want a casual portrait of just me and Ken. (another page idea, it's funny sometimes I get page ideas and have to go out and shoot photos for them instead of the usual making pages from existing photos)
I start a CS2 class online the 18th and have another more advanced one in May. The guy Ken will be doing weddings for this year is sending me his design software, so once I get used to that they'll start sending me design work. I'll try and get on again before we go and post photos for the last week or so. I've got a lot of pages too. I guess I've come out of my creative slump.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Chinese New Year
Gong Hay Fat Choy
I meant to come in and post that earlier. welcome to the Year of the Pig or Boar depending on which you prefer. We had our New Years Dinner a day late because I had to work Sunday night. Ken and I both agree it'll be a couple more years before he has this down pat and it's as tasty as his dad's. The chicken was good the si fun (cellophane noodles) stuck to the pan because he was chopping the chicken, they still tasted fine but they weren't super long like they're supposed to be. Not sure what the bean curd soup needed. Extra salt helped some but it was missing that something that gives it a bit more flavor.
me and the boys have colds. I've been miserable since Saturday. Alex picked it up Sunday and now Quin has it. Alex went to school yesterday, because when asked him he got all excited. So he's feeling well enough and he's eating and drinking fine, his nose is just running like a faucet. Today he's picked up a cough. I picked him up from school and we went to the grocery store, so his nap got put off even later than normal for a school day. He went down at 3:00 but I could hear him up there playing until 3:30. He woke up a little after 5 crying, snot dripping out of his nose. I helped him clean up and he lay right back down. I left his door open and told him when he was ready he could come down. I went up to check on him right before dinner and he was sleeping so hard he was snoring. I covered him again with his blankets and went down stairs. He didn't wake again until 1:30 so i got him into his pjs and got him some OJ and he went right back to bed. Well actually I could hear him in there singing at around 3 but then it was silent again. At 6 he wanted to get up and go down stairs. I was able to get another 45 minutes from him by convincing him to play in his room.
So today it's 45 out, which is normal for this time of year. What a relief maybe some of the ice will go away. Though it is a grey cloudy day, so we're all still in our PJs. I have some new photos up at smugmug if you feel like checking things out. As soon as I figure out how to get Hello to work with the updated blogger I may start posting pictures again.
Friday, February 16, 2007
someone needs attention
I think I figured out why I'm not posting much lately. It's really hard to type one handed. So I lurk. Quin has gotten to the age where he needs to be entertained. He does play by himself pretty well but those ten-fifteen minutes I tend to use for things like eating, light chores, showers. So even on the mornings Alex is in school it seems I can read but not post because as soon as I start to type someone starts fussing.
Valentines day wasn't bad even with all the ice and snow. I had gotten Ken's gift Monday. So we open cards and gifts after dinner then had the coldstone ice cream I picked up for dessert.
I hve figured out for every good day Alex has he'll have 2-3 bad days after that. We are trying something new. I have a job chart for him with 5 jobs, he gets a star for each one he does a day and when he gets 25 stars he'll get a prize. This first round it's DJ from[I] Cars[/I]. We started with Brushing Teeth, using the Potty, Clean up your Mess, No Whining and try new foods. He's not doing too bad most days he gets 2 or 3 stars. Tuesday was a bad day no stars at all. And DJ is sitting up on the top of the fridge as a reminder. Next round I think I'm going to change out Brushing Teeth, for Please and Thank you. I'm getting tired of the demands for things. Though lately just reminding him seems to work.
Valentines day wasn't bad even with all the ice and snow. I had gotten Ken's gift Monday. So we open cards and gifts after dinner then had the coldstone ice cream I picked up for dessert.
I hve figured out for every good day Alex has he'll have 2-3 bad days after that. We are trying something new. I have a job chart for him with 5 jobs, he gets a star for each one he does a day and when he gets 25 stars he'll get a prize. This first round it's DJ from[I] Cars[/I]. We started with Brushing Teeth, using the Potty, Clean up your Mess, No Whining and try new foods. He's not doing too bad most days he gets 2 or 3 stars. Tuesday was a bad day no stars at all. And DJ is sitting up on the top of the fridge as a reminder. Next round I think I'm going to change out Brushing Teeth, for Please and Thank you. I'm getting tired of the demands for things. Though lately just reminding him seems to work.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
talking trash
So I didn't make it in here yesterday. Seems a certain someone decided he didn't want to sleep and even though I put him to bed at 9:30 like normal he was up a half hour later. Took me until 11 to get him down for the night so I had some tea and went to bed myself after that.
This is a little weirdness that happened Monday. We put our trash out for pick up in the morning. Around ten I heard what I thought was a truck go by so I check and see if trash was picked up so I could bring the can in. I noticed the lid was missing so I go out and it's halfway down the cul de sac. I get it and bring it back at first thinking nothing of it, it was windy and I didn't put it on tightly. As I put it back on I notice a trash bag in there that wasn't one of ours and the bag below it was torn. The can itself wasn't lying on it's side so I don't think a dog got to it. But why would some random person throw their trash in our can, and I'm not talking about someone cleaning a few fast food bags out of the car, I'm talking about a kitchen bag of trash. I know it wasn't a neighbor because they all had their own cans out. Just weird, was someone trying to steal trash, our bag tore and didn't have anything useful in it so they dumped the bag from the last house in too? Who knows, it's just I feel like I now have to watch my trash when I put it out. Not that they'll find anything but food scraps and diapers. We recycle all paper and cans and anything important is shredded before being recycled.
This is a little weirdness that happened Monday. We put our trash out for pick up in the morning. Around ten I heard what I thought was a truck go by so I check and see if trash was picked up so I could bring the can in. I noticed the lid was missing so I go out and it's halfway down the cul de sac. I get it and bring it back at first thinking nothing of it, it was windy and I didn't put it on tightly. As I put it back on I notice a trash bag in there that wasn't one of ours and the bag below it was torn. The can itself wasn't lying on it's side so I don't think a dog got to it. But why would some random person throw their trash in our can, and I'm not talking about someone cleaning a few fast food bags out of the car, I'm talking about a kitchen bag of trash. I know it wasn't a neighbor because they all had their own cans out. Just weird, was someone trying to steal trash, our bag tore and didn't have anything useful in it so they dumped the bag from the last house in too? Who knows, it's just I feel like I now have to watch my trash when I put it out. Not that they'll find anything but food scraps and diapers. We recycle all paper and cans and anything important is shredded before being recycled.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Funny Creatures
Babies are funny creatures. I mentioned Monday how Quin would only sleep if I was holding him and within minutes of setting him down he'd wake up screaming. Wednesday was the opposite. I was bouncing him on my knee reading e-mail about 20 minutes before we had to get ready to go pick up Alex. I look down his head is flopped to the side and he's asleep. I wrestled him into his coat and strapped him into the carrier and the only reaction I got was a single whine. He didn't even crack open his eyes like he normally does to see what was going on. Of course he also slept ten hours that night. Most nights lately he sleeps 8 hours waking around 5am for a feeding before going back to sleep for another 2-3 hours. I had to get him up at 7:30 to feed and dress him, then let him go back to sleep while I got the house ready for Alex's birthday party.
The party went really well. The big issue with 2 1/2-3 year olds is sharing. We had a little crying and a time out at the begining of the party. There are some kids he has no problem sharing with and others he won't share with. He's know these kids since he was 8-9 months old. This one little girl in particular must just push his buttons because anytime she sits in any of his "chairs" he pitches a fit.
School is going well. He tells me in the morning he's staying home but as soon as we get there he's all excited. He's participating in class really well this week and this morning he gave me a hug and a kiss and told me to go home.
Today I'm gonna do a little house cleaning, tomorrow afternoon my ILs will all be here for a birthday dinner. Sunday at work I'll have to notify them of a schedule change. Ken doesn't want me to have to leave work because he sees how much better I do if I get out away from the kids for a few hours a week. He's all worried about how things will be with all the travel he has for work between Feb and July. He doesn't want to come home and find us one child short. It looks like Monday is his travel day and most weeks he'll be back Thursday night or Friday afternoon. So I can still work Sundays but it looks like I need to change Mondays for Fridays.
New picture in my gallery.
The party went really well. The big issue with 2 1/2-3 year olds is sharing. We had a little crying and a time out at the begining of the party. There are some kids he has no problem sharing with and others he won't share with. He's know these kids since he was 8-9 months old. This one little girl in particular must just push his buttons because anytime she sits in any of his "chairs" he pitches a fit.
School is going well. He tells me in the morning he's staying home but as soon as we get there he's all excited. He's participating in class really well this week and this morning he gave me a hug and a kiss and told me to go home.
Today I'm gonna do a little house cleaning, tomorrow afternoon my ILs will all be here for a birthday dinner. Sunday at work I'll have to notify them of a schedule change. Ken doesn't want me to have to leave work because he sees how much better I do if I get out away from the kids for a few hours a week. He's all worried about how things will be with all the travel he has for work between Feb and July. He doesn't want to come home and find us one child short. It looks like Monday is his travel day and most weeks he'll be back Thursday night or Friday afternoon. So I can still work Sundays but it looks like I need to change Mondays for Fridays.
New picture in my gallery.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Ghostlight and Life
okay I think I figured out the reason for the freak out. The plug in vaporizer I bought had a little night light on it. The light was blue. In Cars the character Mater is always talking about the ghostlight, which is blue. So I think the blue light in his room scared him. As soon as I took it out of his room, no more random crying at night, no more fighting nap and bedtime.
Their imaginations really do run wild at this age don't they. I think Alex is starting to like school. He was actually talking on Friday and today he was participating in activities and playing with the other kids. I give him an hour once we get home to wind down and he goes right up for a nap.
This was a huge relief today because Quin was being a pistol. It was just one of those days. Once he got up this morning he wouldn't sleep for more than ten minutes at a time unless I was holding him. So if I needed to do anything like eat, use the bathroom, shower, it was to the sound of Quin screaming at the top of his lungs. This also meant he was nursing a lot more than normal so that I had almost no recovery time. Needless to say I was happy I was going to work tonight, even if I did forget my dinner.
Busy week getting ready for Alex's birthday. We'll have a party for playgroup on Thursday, then I'm making something for him to take to school Friday and Saturday his actual birthday I've invited Ken's family over for dinner. I found a chicken parmasan recipe a couple weeks ago and tried it out. So that's what I'm making. It's funny I rememeber my mom making it when I was a kid but it always seemed like a lot of work for her so I'd never actually made it myself. This recipe is baked so I drop the frying step. It was really nice.
I always make the cake for the family dinner but I decided to make his cake for playgroup this year too. I just don't feel like spending $25 on a cake. I know a couple of the grocery stores around here have pretty good cakes, oh I don't know, I'm just feeling cheap I guess. I rather spend the money on a book for him.
The travel Ken's been talking about having to do for work is looking like a lot. He gave me worse case scenario. From end of Feb to July he might be gone 3 weeks each month. He did say that, it hopefully won't be that bad because there are now three teams to do the work instead of two. We'll see. If it's that bad I'll have to quit working. With Alex going to school we can't afford daycare for Quin and I would have to work full time to make it worth while. That's not something I want to do. It does look like I will get album design work from the photographer that Ken freelances for from time to time so if I can get two-three albums a week, I'll earn what I was getting at the store. (Though I do lose my discount, which was mostly why I was staying, that and my sanity, getting out of the house a few hours a week, without kids, is definately a need.)And I'll put in a quarter of the time.
Their imaginations really do run wild at this age don't they. I think Alex is starting to like school. He was actually talking on Friday and today he was participating in activities and playing with the other kids. I give him an hour once we get home to wind down and he goes right up for a nap.
This was a huge relief today because Quin was being a pistol. It was just one of those days. Once he got up this morning he wouldn't sleep for more than ten minutes at a time unless I was holding him. So if I needed to do anything like eat, use the bathroom, shower, it was to the sound of Quin screaming at the top of his lungs. This also meant he was nursing a lot more than normal so that I had almost no recovery time. Needless to say I was happy I was going to work tonight, even if I did forget my dinner.
Busy week getting ready for Alex's birthday. We'll have a party for playgroup on Thursday, then I'm making something for him to take to school Friday and Saturday his actual birthday I've invited Ken's family over for dinner. I found a chicken parmasan recipe a couple weeks ago and tried it out. So that's what I'm making. It's funny I rememeber my mom making it when I was a kid but it always seemed like a lot of work for her so I'd never actually made it myself. This recipe is baked so I drop the frying step. It was really nice.
I always make the cake for the family dinner but I decided to make his cake for playgroup this year too. I just don't feel like spending $25 on a cake. I know a couple of the grocery stores around here have pretty good cakes, oh I don't know, I'm just feeling cheap I guess. I rather spend the money on a book for him.
The travel Ken's been talking about having to do for work is looking like a lot. He gave me worse case scenario. From end of Feb to July he might be gone 3 weeks each month. He did say that, it hopefully won't be that bad because there are now three teams to do the work instead of two. We'll see. If it's that bad I'll have to quit working. With Alex going to school we can't afford daycare for Quin and I would have to work full time to make it worth while. That's not something I want to do. It does look like I will get album design work from the photographer that Ken freelances for from time to time so if I can get two-three albums a week, I'll earn what I was getting at the store. (Though I do lose my discount, which was mostly why I was staying, that and my sanity, getting out of the house a few hours a week, without kids, is definately a need.)And I'll put in a quarter of the time.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Meldowns
Not sure where to start maybe I'll work backwards. Not sure if Alex is leaving two with a bang or giving me a view of what three will be these last couple week. Today was a doozie. He had fun all morning with his playgroup friends. And even though I was frustrated this morning he was just being typical and moving on toddler time. That I think is just par for the course. let's just say before Quin I usually gave us a 15 minute lead time to get out of the house. I'm finding that doubling it to deal with two kids isn't enough, at least right now it's not. Looks like I have to quadruple it. I fed Quin, got socks and shoes on Alex and me, bundled Quin up and got him strapped in the infant carrier. Just as I'm going to get coats for Alex and me, he tells me "diaper change" now this doesn't nessecarily mean what he's saying any more. Some about half the time he says it before he goes. So I get him in the batheroom to the potty. He'll sit there 5-10 minutes then say he's done, even though he hasn't gone. Then he'll go in his diaper. So he's getting closer. So he did that this morning. We ended up leaving the house 5 minute before we were supposed to be at playgroup, which was being held a twenty minute drive away.
Because of all this I forgot my coffee which was sitting in a travel mug on the counter, my cell phone which was sitting in the charger, and the dish from the last dinner made for us by one of the playgroup moms. No coffee meant by the time we left playgroup I had a migraine. The ride back I kept telling Alex it was nap time once we got home. Usually if I give enough warning he protests but goes up and lays down with out too much trouble. Not today, it was nuclear meltdown. One good thing is he seems to have gotten past the "make myself sick" part of meltdowns. He was literally just sitting in the middle of his bed screaming at the top of his lungs and nothing would calm him down. I left went down stairs took three advil gathered his "cars" and brought them up he's calmed dow to the uncontrollable sniffle stage. I read to him a little and tucked him in. Usually after that he sleeps like the dead.
Quinton hadn't woken from the drive, so I left him in the carrier and lay down on the couch for a nap myself. An hour and a half later Alex is screaming at the top of his lungs once more. I get upstairs and he stops just as I open his door. He won't tell me what's wrong, won't let me comfort him, screams a few mre times, then pulls his blanket over his head and turns away. But as soon as I go to close his door he starts screaming again. I leave it open with the gate still up and go back downstairs. I hear the occasional scream over the next 10 minutes then silence. Ken calls around 4:15 saying he'll be late. I let Alex get up at 4:30 just after Quin woke up.
I get dinner started and both boys are being pretty good. Ken got home just in time to entertain Quin as he got fussy. I feed him a little before we sit down to eat but he still fusses most of dinner. As we're eating I give Alex his bedtime announcements. He needed to go to be early because I'm pretty sure he didn't really nap today. We got the presents from my mom and sister today and I let him open them while dinner cooked. The one from my mom was a set of pajamas with Cars on them. So at bedtime I asked if he wanted to wear those or his Thomas Pjs. He said "Cars" We're trying to get everyone upstairs, Quin needed a bath. So as Ken is ushering Alex to get what he wants to take with him. he freaks and throws his pjs at Ken. He told him he can't wear them now and carries him upstairs. Meltdown commences. I get Quin settled in his bath as Ken gets Alex dressed for bed, crying and screaming the entire time. He closes the door to Alex's room and comes into the bathroom and takes over with Quin. By that time Alex has calmed enough for me to read the rest of his book to him, sing our songs and tuck him in.
Maybe it's his cold maybe he's still in the terrible twos or maybe three is going to be worse than two. Though I have heard if two is bad three is better but the reverse is also true, if twos are good threes are horrendous. And of course I've been back at work three weeks now and he started school last week so everyone but Ken has a cold. Fun fun fun, noses leaking everywhere. I shouldn't complain too much usually at this point in the year I've already had a couple colds.
I think Alex is going to be a bit shy in school for a few weeks. His first day, last Monday they said he cried a couple times, just for a couple minutes, when he realized he wasn't at home. Wednesday he participated in class and seemed to do well. Friday he just stood back and watched everything. This week he didn't go Monday. I mean when Quin wakes up before Alex it means he's not feeling well. Sunday he ran a slight fever but the doctor told me last time we were in that they tend to run a small one the first day or two of a cold. Alex didn't wake up until 8:30, I called the school at ten of eight to say he wouldn't be in. He was himself except for the runny nose all day Monday and Tuesday. So Wednesday he was back in school. The one teacher made a comment when I picked him up because he was chattering away to me about his day. "That's the most I've heard him say all day" I guess he's still being shy. She did say he went up to the other teacher at the end of story time and said "Uhoh" when Goldilocks ran into the woods.
Must remember to bring in a G item for show and tell tomorrow.
Thursday is my usual talk with mom night and we were talking about schedules. Seems my kids are a lot like my sister and I were. I was up at 6am and Karen between 8 and 9. My mom said she never wanted to force us to be something other than we were so she worked around two very different schedules at least until we went to school. She did just what I do now. I let Alex get up and go downstairs around 6:30-7:00 am get him dressed and settled with some cereal and Playhouse Disney. Depending on the day I either get dressed or lay down on the couch. If it's a school day, I get Quin up after I'm dressed, get him changed and fed. Get Alex's backpack and lunch together (he takes his cars to school). By 8:00 am everyone is bundled and in the car ready to go.Other days I let Quin sleep until he's ready to get up. Like this week Tuesday was almost a lounge around in pjs all day for all of us.
My mom told me she did something similar with my sister and I. She let me get up at 6am got me a bowl of cereal and turnedon the TV, which I watched with the volume so quiet you could only hear it if you were sitting a foot away. Mom said she had some long mornings because she had to start all over when Karen woke 2-3 hours later. We didn't turn out so bad so I guess things will turn out right for my boys.
Because of all this I forgot my coffee which was sitting in a travel mug on the counter, my cell phone which was sitting in the charger, and the dish from the last dinner made for us by one of the playgroup moms. No coffee meant by the time we left playgroup I had a migraine. The ride back I kept telling Alex it was nap time once we got home. Usually if I give enough warning he protests but goes up and lays down with out too much trouble. Not today, it was nuclear meltdown. One good thing is he seems to have gotten past the "make myself sick" part of meltdowns. He was literally just sitting in the middle of his bed screaming at the top of his lungs and nothing would calm him down. I left went down stairs took three advil gathered his "cars" and brought them up he's calmed dow to the uncontrollable sniffle stage. I read to him a little and tucked him in. Usually after that he sleeps like the dead.
Quinton hadn't woken from the drive, so I left him in the carrier and lay down on the couch for a nap myself. An hour and a half later Alex is screaming at the top of his lungs once more. I get upstairs and he stops just as I open his door. He won't tell me what's wrong, won't let me comfort him, screams a few mre times, then pulls his blanket over his head and turns away. But as soon as I go to close his door he starts screaming again. I leave it open with the gate still up and go back downstairs. I hear the occasional scream over the next 10 minutes then silence. Ken calls around 4:15 saying he'll be late. I let Alex get up at 4:30 just after Quin woke up.
I get dinner started and both boys are being pretty good. Ken got home just in time to entertain Quin as he got fussy. I feed him a little before we sit down to eat but he still fusses most of dinner. As we're eating I give Alex his bedtime announcements. He needed to go to be early because I'm pretty sure he didn't really nap today. We got the presents from my mom and sister today and I let him open them while dinner cooked. The one from my mom was a set of pajamas with Cars on them. So at bedtime I asked if he wanted to wear those or his Thomas Pjs. He said "Cars" We're trying to get everyone upstairs, Quin needed a bath. So as Ken is ushering Alex to get what he wants to take with him. he freaks and throws his pjs at Ken. He told him he can't wear them now and carries him upstairs. Meltdown commences. I get Quin settled in his bath as Ken gets Alex dressed for bed, crying and screaming the entire time. He closes the door to Alex's room and comes into the bathroom and takes over with Quin. By that time Alex has calmed enough for me to read the rest of his book to him, sing our songs and tuck him in.
Maybe it's his cold maybe he's still in the terrible twos or maybe three is going to be worse than two. Though I have heard if two is bad three is better but the reverse is also true, if twos are good threes are horrendous. And of course I've been back at work three weeks now and he started school last week so everyone but Ken has a cold. Fun fun fun, noses leaking everywhere. I shouldn't complain too much usually at this point in the year I've already had a couple colds.
I think Alex is going to be a bit shy in school for a few weeks. His first day, last Monday they said he cried a couple times, just for a couple minutes, when he realized he wasn't at home. Wednesday he participated in class and seemed to do well. Friday he just stood back and watched everything. This week he didn't go Monday. I mean when Quin wakes up before Alex it means he's not feeling well. Sunday he ran a slight fever but the doctor told me last time we were in that they tend to run a small one the first day or two of a cold. Alex didn't wake up until 8:30, I called the school at ten of eight to say he wouldn't be in. He was himself except for the runny nose all day Monday and Tuesday. So Wednesday he was back in school. The one teacher made a comment when I picked him up because he was chattering away to me about his day. "That's the most I've heard him say all day" I guess he's still being shy. She did say he went up to the other teacher at the end of story time and said "Uhoh" when Goldilocks ran into the woods.
Must remember to bring in a G item for show and tell tomorrow.
Thursday is my usual talk with mom night and we were talking about schedules. Seems my kids are a lot like my sister and I were. I was up at 6am and Karen between 8 and 9. My mom said she never wanted to force us to be something other than we were so she worked around two very different schedules at least until we went to school. She did just what I do now. I let Alex get up and go downstairs around 6:30-7:00 am get him dressed and settled with some cereal and Playhouse Disney. Depending on the day I either get dressed or lay down on the couch. If it's a school day, I get Quin up after I'm dressed, get him changed and fed. Get Alex's backpack and lunch together (he takes his cars to school). By 8:00 am everyone is bundled and in the car ready to go.Other days I let Quin sleep until he's ready to get up. Like this week Tuesday was almost a lounge around in pjs all day for all of us.
My mom told me she did something similar with my sister and I. She let me get up at 6am got me a bowl of cereal and turnedon the TV, which I watched with the volume so quiet you could only hear it if you were sitting a foot away. Mom said she had some long mornings because she had to start all over when Karen woke 2-3 hours later. We didn't turn out so bad so I guess things will turn out right for my boys.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Well I’ve been in lurker mode lately mostly because my cuddle bug is making things difficult. SO I did this offline in Word last night. Mostly because we’ve had no internet the last two days. They’re laying new cable, or finishing what they started in September, one or the other. Anyway this will be long.
Quin got really spoiled with all the family visits. The munchkin is more than happy to fall asleep on any warm shoulder presented too him. This makes trouble the next day when there is only me and Ken. Ken had been spending a lot of time in his workshop. He was trying to finish a project he was working on before going back to work on the 2nd (ended up being the 3rd) Quin wants to be held 24/7 I can do that. I have things to do as well. I know some stuff he can be in the carrier but when I’m cooking or folding laundry it’s not a good idea. I’m hoping by next week I get break him of this expectation. It’s killing me I can’t get any work done on the computer either because he doesn’t want to be held in my lap he wants to be held upright on my shoulder. The other reason this causes trouble is that I get what I call “touched out” I get to a point where I want everyone to give me ten foot radius of space and not touch me for and hour or so. I know this happened a little with Alex but honestly once he could hold himself up in a sitting position and definitely once he was crawling he didn’t want to be held. He had better things to see and do. Quin is looking to be the opposite.
That’s the other thing the boy loves to stand, hates tummy time but loves to stand. We may skip crawling this time and have to deal with a cruiser. I was pretty much done by the 22nd. I think I had to go out Saturday for groceries that was a huge fiasco. Ken also asked me to stop and get a certain size gift bag. There is a card store a few doors down from the grocery store. They of course were nearly cleaned out. He ended up going out himself in Sunday because he forgot something for his parents, and we’d be seeing them Christmas day.
This Christmas has had me thinking about family traditions. Neither Ken nor I really had any as kids. There are a couple; I think we’ll start next year just because I didn’t hear these ideas until after the fact. One lady I was talking with said the kids open one present on Christmas Eve. And it’s always new pajamas so that every one looks nice the next morning in picture. Then they watch a movie and read a book before everyone goes to bed. That just sound like a nice way to spend an evening with your family. Someone else has this little pickle ornament that she hides on the tree and whoever finds it gets a prize. I guess I’m just looking for fun little things that my kids will remember when they grow up.
I have to say I’m actually pretty grateful my in laws tend to mostly give clothes to the kids at Christmas. We weren’t inundated with toys. I put art supplies in Alex’s stocking; he got several books and a couple videos from us. The big his was the Cars bath set, he carries around the bubble bath because it’s shaped like Lightning McQueen. Once it’s empty he’ll probably keep it because it has working wheels. A couple of trains were the only real toys he got from us. My dad and step mom got him his own tool chest and set of tools. They’re toys but pretty realistic looking. I was able to hide the actual tools he’s been trying to carry around once he got this.
Like I said my in-laws got him mostly clothes, there was one car (it looks a bit like a PT Cruiser) a couple more Thomas the Train videos, each of those came with an engine. But I’m not really worried about him getting more of those they stay on the train table. Two more books one being the Polar Express. I’m so happy Su got him this. I was thinking about picking it up myself. Both boys got a couple more stuffed animals. I really wish people wouldn’t do that. Unless they become favorites these will eventually make it to the donation bag. My FIL always gets the boys savings bonds, which I prefer even more than cash. We just put those in the safety deposit box at the bank and let them mature. Cash sits in one of our accounts until we remember to write a check to put it in the college fund.
Christmas day this year went a bit smoother than last year, though it was hard getting Alex to open all his presents. He’d open one and then want to go off with it and play it o read it or whatever and we’d have to coax him back to open more. This is where another tradition might come in handy. My aunt started one this year at her house. The girls open about half their gifts then she makes waffles and everyone sits down for breakfast before going back and finishing the present opening. She said it helped Alena wind down a bit because she gets so excited. I can see how this might come in handy next year with Alex.
So we hung out the rest of the morning. Once the boys were down for naps, I made a sweet potato casserole to take with us to Dave and Carol’s. Then I took a shower. Around three we got the car loaded then the boys buckled in and headed out. We’re almost to Dave’s when Ken realizes he left the casserole on the stove. His plan is to drop us off and go back for it. Once we get in and tell carol what happened she said not to worry and just sent us downstairs. The guys were playing poker so Ken joined in. Carol had a box with a plastic train track that her boys used to play with out for Alex. Quin was unbuckled and so started the spoiling as he was held by one person after the other. When Su arrive with the parents everyone moved upstairs and the mah jong table was brought out. I eventually took over Alan’s spot after he lost everything. So the fact that I ended up with about 4 dollars is good since I really did start with nothing unlike everyone else.
Dinner was nice, everyone was asking me how I made our Christmas card this year as well as the photo stamps I put on the family cards. At the other end Dave was trying to explain Bush’s options for the war to Koon and not getting very far. The boys were talking about college, and Josh his job. After dinner poker was set up again, as was mah jong. I played until Quin needed to be fed again. Soon after dessert was laid, out then presents were opened before everyone had pie.
The next day was a lazy day. But as I mentioned Quin get real used to being held all the time so expected us to do that. Wednesday I took Quin and went out to Westminster for my cousin Kerrie’s baby shower. She’s only about 5 months along, but I think the reason they had it this early was because both families on her side are concentrated in Maryland, and they would be up here for her grandfather’s birthday. This way family could come, where as if they’d had it in either Louisiana, where her mom lives or Georgia where she lives, almost no family would have been there.
My other cousin Justin and his wife were there. They brought their little girl. Abby is 5 months old but Quin is nearly as big as she is. Of course he’s bigger than Alex was at that age too. Alex didn’t hit thirteen pounds until his 4 month appointment. So obviously the breastfeeding is going well. It’s funny he’s solid not pudgy. He does have the little fat rolls on his thighs but that’s about it. Anyway we received Justin and Denise’s wedding album in the week before Christmas. I talked to them and found out they were coming so I brought the album with me for them. They were really happy with it.
Thursday was playgroup and because it was such a nice day we took the opportunity to go to the park. The kids played for about an hour, it was still pretty cool. Then we headed over to a mall nearby for lunch. The restaurant is right by the train garden the mall has set up. All the kids had their noses pressed to the glass looking at the model trains going by. The place we had lunch is so popular it was hard for us to get a table big enough for all of us. Its funny you don’t really see Brooklyn style pizza much outside of NYC any more, but this place had it.
Friday I caught up on laundry because Saturday we were going up to Cumberland. My aunt and uncle hadn’t met Quin yet. So here was round three of him being spoiled. It was a nice day as well so Ken went with my aunts and uncle and the kids for a walk. I stayed at Patty’s and tried to get Quin to nap. We got home around 11 and right went to bed.
Sunday was my first day back to work. It was a short day which was probably a good thing. Quin still isn’t really taking a bottle. He’ll drink like half an ounce then start fussing, which then leads to screaming. I called around noon and he was screaming. When I got off an hour and a half later and called, he’d gotten him to sleep so I stopped at the grocery store for a few things. I was supposed to work New Years Day as well but they told me they’d call if they needed me. They didn’t call; it was a pretty yucky rainy day so I can see why they weren’t busy. I ran over to Target for diapers while the boys napped. I actually can’t wait until Quin gets to size three, then at least I can buy the big box at BJ’s. They don’t sell size two by itself. All the cases are 1-2 and even though they say up to 16 lbs they’re on the small size and I’d rather not deal with the blow outs. At least Target runs some pretty good specials and you can use coupons.
Tuesday was a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. I had to give Alex some rules before we went. He’s been really bad about answering when I ask him a question as well as listening when I ask him to do something. We’ve had to put him in time out a few times a week for both, lately. The other thing we’ve been doing to deal with it has been to take things away and put them in time out until he does as we request. I know all kids develop selective hearing, I know I had it. I just never realized it started this young.
Ken made a comment the other day how our kids reminded him of My name is Earl.
The older brother Earl is always getting into trouble, instigating stuff. The younger, bigger brother kind of tags along and gets caught up in it. Alex is going to be Earl, Quin of course the younger brother (the name escapes me). It’s funny I never fully realized how high maintenance Alex was until Quin came along, because as long as he’s fed and held he’s pretty easy going. I think he’s going to be my video gamer. This from watching his concentration while he’s in the bouncy seat. It’s the Oceans of Wonder one we got Alex when he was a baby. I’ve been putting it on the baby setting, so that if he kicks the toys either the bubbles go off or the music does. For a good fifteen minutes he’s there trying to get the thing to make noise. I hear these little gurgles and squeaks when he gets a good kick in, and it does what he wants. Alex never really cared, he’d listen to the music but pretty much ignored the toys hanging from the bottom.
Now one of the videos Alex got was Cars. We’ve now watched this at least 4-5 times a day since he opened it. Everyone in the house except Quin can quote sections of dialog now. I’ve been reading the Cars book he got as well, nearly every single night before bed. Though the last few days I lucked out and get to read the Thomas book Su got him instead. (It’s much shorter)
Wednesday night was playgroup mommies’ night. It was also a goodbye dinner for one of the moms. Jamie’s husband found a new job and they’re moving to Michigan. This is actually good for Jamie since she has family there. She’s the one that came and hung out with me for the afternoon I was laboring and Ken was shooting a wedding. I’m really going miss her. She’s one of those people who if you ever need help all you have to do is call and she’ll be there. It could be something as little as just needing a sounding board or something as big as watch your kids during an emergency. I also learned how good I have it with Ken. He helps out a lot more than some of the other dads. I also don’t have to remind him to do things. He pretty much knows Alex’s schedule, can put him to bed when I work at night. And doesn’t forget things like changing diapers when he takes Alex with him on errands. I guess I trained him well early on. Or it could be he really wanted to help out and listened when I asked. I also let him do things his way.
We’re getting closer to success with Alex and potty training. He’s been telling us “diaper change” when he hasn’t gone yet. The only problem is he has gone by the time we’ve gotten him to the potty. The other day when we were on our way to Cumberland, he was getting really frantic and we were trying to get to a gas station as fast as we could. I thought he’d pooped, I know he hates sitting in it. I get him to a bathroom and his diaper has nothing in it but he’s still frantic. As I’m trying to get him over to the toilet he pees. He was so upset; I comforted him and told him what a good job he was doing. And I apologized for not getting him to a bathroom faster. I guess from now on we’ll have to travel with his potty.
Monday he starts school three mornings a week. I’m kind of sad but I’m looking forward to the break. I’m hoping to work out a schedule for Quin. I’ve been complaining to Ken about him taking such short naps lately. A couple weeks a go he was taking longer ones, I figured it was the holidays that messed him up. Then I read somewhere babies his age sleep about 14 hours. He’s doing about 11-12 hours at night with feedings. So I guess expecting more than an hour nap at a time is much. He goes to bed around 9:30-10:00, wakes between 3:00 and 4:00 for a feeding, again between 5:30 and 6:00. I’ve been feeding him again after I get Alex settled downstairs at 7:00 and he’ll sleep until 9:00.
He takes a 45 minute nap late morning and a half hour one after dinner. Most days I can get him to take a long nap in the afternoon while Alex is napping. This is the one that hasn’t really been happening lately and frustrating me. I got used to taking a break from both kids at this point. You know getting some lunch, doing laundry, reading my e-mail.
Ah well no kid stays on any sleep schedule for too long until they get school age.
So my dad sent me a GC for Amazon to split between Ken, Quin and I. We ended up ordering Alex a booster seat. He’s getting too tall for his current seat and I thing we’ve got maybe a month left with Quin in the infant carrier. We got a snuggle nest for Quin. He sleeps really well either in the carrier or between us in bed. I think he like things close. So we’re going to try this in his crib and start getting him in his room all the time instead of just that first long stretch at night. We had a bout $20 left so I got Pirates of the Caribbean- Dead Man’s Chest.
The community college is now offering an online intermediate Photoshop class. I think I’m going to take that in March. I think that pretty much has me caught up. And if you read through this whole thing I applaud you.
Quin got really spoiled with all the family visits. The munchkin is more than happy to fall asleep on any warm shoulder presented too him. This makes trouble the next day when there is only me and Ken. Ken had been spending a lot of time in his workshop. He was trying to finish a project he was working on before going back to work on the 2nd (ended up being the 3rd) Quin wants to be held 24/7 I can do that. I have things to do as well. I know some stuff he can be in the carrier but when I’m cooking or folding laundry it’s not a good idea. I’m hoping by next week I get break him of this expectation. It’s killing me I can’t get any work done on the computer either because he doesn’t want to be held in my lap he wants to be held upright on my shoulder. The other reason this causes trouble is that I get what I call “touched out” I get to a point where I want everyone to give me ten foot radius of space and not touch me for and hour or so. I know this happened a little with Alex but honestly once he could hold himself up in a sitting position and definitely once he was crawling he didn’t want to be held. He had better things to see and do. Quin is looking to be the opposite.
That’s the other thing the boy loves to stand, hates tummy time but loves to stand. We may skip crawling this time and have to deal with a cruiser. I was pretty much done by the 22nd. I think I had to go out Saturday for groceries that was a huge fiasco. Ken also asked me to stop and get a certain size gift bag. There is a card store a few doors down from the grocery store. They of course were nearly cleaned out. He ended up going out himself in Sunday because he forgot something for his parents, and we’d be seeing them Christmas day.
This Christmas has had me thinking about family traditions. Neither Ken nor I really had any as kids. There are a couple; I think we’ll start next year just because I didn’t hear these ideas until after the fact. One lady I was talking with said the kids open one present on Christmas Eve. And it’s always new pajamas so that every one looks nice the next morning in picture. Then they watch a movie and read a book before everyone goes to bed. That just sound like a nice way to spend an evening with your family. Someone else has this little pickle ornament that she hides on the tree and whoever finds it gets a prize. I guess I’m just looking for fun little things that my kids will remember when they grow up.
I have to say I’m actually pretty grateful my in laws tend to mostly give clothes to the kids at Christmas. We weren’t inundated with toys. I put art supplies in Alex’s stocking; he got several books and a couple videos from us. The big his was the Cars bath set, he carries around the bubble bath because it’s shaped like Lightning McQueen. Once it’s empty he’ll probably keep it because it has working wheels. A couple of trains were the only real toys he got from us. My dad and step mom got him his own tool chest and set of tools. They’re toys but pretty realistic looking. I was able to hide the actual tools he’s been trying to carry around once he got this.
Like I said my in-laws got him mostly clothes, there was one car (it looks a bit like a PT Cruiser) a couple more Thomas the Train videos, each of those came with an engine. But I’m not really worried about him getting more of those they stay on the train table. Two more books one being the Polar Express. I’m so happy Su got him this. I was thinking about picking it up myself. Both boys got a couple more stuffed animals. I really wish people wouldn’t do that. Unless they become favorites these will eventually make it to the donation bag. My FIL always gets the boys savings bonds, which I prefer even more than cash. We just put those in the safety deposit box at the bank and let them mature. Cash sits in one of our accounts until we remember to write a check to put it in the college fund.
Christmas day this year went a bit smoother than last year, though it was hard getting Alex to open all his presents. He’d open one and then want to go off with it and play it o read it or whatever and we’d have to coax him back to open more. This is where another tradition might come in handy. My aunt started one this year at her house. The girls open about half their gifts then she makes waffles and everyone sits down for breakfast before going back and finishing the present opening. She said it helped Alena wind down a bit because she gets so excited. I can see how this might come in handy next year with Alex.
So we hung out the rest of the morning. Once the boys were down for naps, I made a sweet potato casserole to take with us to Dave and Carol’s. Then I took a shower. Around three we got the car loaded then the boys buckled in and headed out. We’re almost to Dave’s when Ken realizes he left the casserole on the stove. His plan is to drop us off and go back for it. Once we get in and tell carol what happened she said not to worry and just sent us downstairs. The guys were playing poker so Ken joined in. Carol had a box with a plastic train track that her boys used to play with out for Alex. Quin was unbuckled and so started the spoiling as he was held by one person after the other. When Su arrive with the parents everyone moved upstairs and the mah jong table was brought out. I eventually took over Alan’s spot after he lost everything. So the fact that I ended up with about 4 dollars is good since I really did start with nothing unlike everyone else.
Dinner was nice, everyone was asking me how I made our Christmas card this year as well as the photo stamps I put on the family cards. At the other end Dave was trying to explain Bush’s options for the war to Koon and not getting very far. The boys were talking about college, and Josh his job. After dinner poker was set up again, as was mah jong. I played until Quin needed to be fed again. Soon after dessert was laid, out then presents were opened before everyone had pie.
The next day was a lazy day. But as I mentioned Quin get real used to being held all the time so expected us to do that. Wednesday I took Quin and went out to Westminster for my cousin Kerrie’s baby shower. She’s only about 5 months along, but I think the reason they had it this early was because both families on her side are concentrated in Maryland, and they would be up here for her grandfather’s birthday. This way family could come, where as if they’d had it in either Louisiana, where her mom lives or Georgia where she lives, almost no family would have been there.
My other cousin Justin and his wife were there. They brought their little girl. Abby is 5 months old but Quin is nearly as big as she is. Of course he’s bigger than Alex was at that age too. Alex didn’t hit thirteen pounds until his 4 month appointment. So obviously the breastfeeding is going well. It’s funny he’s solid not pudgy. He does have the little fat rolls on his thighs but that’s about it. Anyway we received Justin and Denise’s wedding album in the week before Christmas. I talked to them and found out they were coming so I brought the album with me for them. They were really happy with it.
Thursday was playgroup and because it was such a nice day we took the opportunity to go to the park. The kids played for about an hour, it was still pretty cool. Then we headed over to a mall nearby for lunch. The restaurant is right by the train garden the mall has set up. All the kids had their noses pressed to the glass looking at the model trains going by. The place we had lunch is so popular it was hard for us to get a table big enough for all of us. Its funny you don’t really see Brooklyn style pizza much outside of NYC any more, but this place had it.
Friday I caught up on laundry because Saturday we were going up to Cumberland. My aunt and uncle hadn’t met Quin yet. So here was round three of him being spoiled. It was a nice day as well so Ken went with my aunts and uncle and the kids for a walk. I stayed at Patty’s and tried to get Quin to nap. We got home around 11 and right went to bed.
Sunday was my first day back to work. It was a short day which was probably a good thing. Quin still isn’t really taking a bottle. He’ll drink like half an ounce then start fussing, which then leads to screaming. I called around noon and he was screaming. When I got off an hour and a half later and called, he’d gotten him to sleep so I stopped at the grocery store for a few things. I was supposed to work New Years Day as well but they told me they’d call if they needed me. They didn’t call; it was a pretty yucky rainy day so I can see why they weren’t busy. I ran over to Target for diapers while the boys napped. I actually can’t wait until Quin gets to size three, then at least I can buy the big box at BJ’s. They don’t sell size two by itself. All the cases are 1-2 and even though they say up to 16 lbs they’re on the small size and I’d rather not deal with the blow outs. At least Target runs some pretty good specials and you can use coupons.
Tuesday was a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. I had to give Alex some rules before we went. He’s been really bad about answering when I ask him a question as well as listening when I ask him to do something. We’ve had to put him in time out a few times a week for both, lately. The other thing we’ve been doing to deal with it has been to take things away and put them in time out until he does as we request. I know all kids develop selective hearing, I know I had it. I just never realized it started this young.
Ken made a comment the other day how our kids reminded him of My name is Earl.
The older brother Earl is always getting into trouble, instigating stuff. The younger, bigger brother kind of tags along and gets caught up in it. Alex is going to be Earl, Quin of course the younger brother (the name escapes me). It’s funny I never fully realized how high maintenance Alex was until Quin came along, because as long as he’s fed and held he’s pretty easy going. I think he’s going to be my video gamer. This from watching his concentration while he’s in the bouncy seat. It’s the Oceans of Wonder one we got Alex when he was a baby. I’ve been putting it on the baby setting, so that if he kicks the toys either the bubbles go off or the music does. For a good fifteen minutes he’s there trying to get the thing to make noise. I hear these little gurgles and squeaks when he gets a good kick in, and it does what he wants. Alex never really cared, he’d listen to the music but pretty much ignored the toys hanging from the bottom.
Now one of the videos Alex got was Cars. We’ve now watched this at least 4-5 times a day since he opened it. Everyone in the house except Quin can quote sections of dialog now. I’ve been reading the Cars book he got as well, nearly every single night before bed. Though the last few days I lucked out and get to read the Thomas book Su got him instead. (It’s much shorter)
Wednesday night was playgroup mommies’ night. It was also a goodbye dinner for one of the moms. Jamie’s husband found a new job and they’re moving to Michigan. This is actually good for Jamie since she has family there. She’s the one that came and hung out with me for the afternoon I was laboring and Ken was shooting a wedding. I’m really going miss her. She’s one of those people who if you ever need help all you have to do is call and she’ll be there. It could be something as little as just needing a sounding board or something as big as watch your kids during an emergency. I also learned how good I have it with Ken. He helps out a lot more than some of the other dads. I also don’t have to remind him to do things. He pretty much knows Alex’s schedule, can put him to bed when I work at night. And doesn’t forget things like changing diapers when he takes Alex with him on errands. I guess I trained him well early on. Or it could be he really wanted to help out and listened when I asked. I also let him do things his way.
We’re getting closer to success with Alex and potty training. He’s been telling us “diaper change” when he hasn’t gone yet. The only problem is he has gone by the time we’ve gotten him to the potty. The other day when we were on our way to Cumberland, he was getting really frantic and we were trying to get to a gas station as fast as we could. I thought he’d pooped, I know he hates sitting in it. I get him to a bathroom and his diaper has nothing in it but he’s still frantic. As I’m trying to get him over to the toilet he pees. He was so upset; I comforted him and told him what a good job he was doing. And I apologized for not getting him to a bathroom faster. I guess from now on we’ll have to travel with his potty.
Monday he starts school three mornings a week. I’m kind of sad but I’m looking forward to the break. I’m hoping to work out a schedule for Quin. I’ve been complaining to Ken about him taking such short naps lately. A couple weeks a go he was taking longer ones, I figured it was the holidays that messed him up. Then I read somewhere babies his age sleep about 14 hours. He’s doing about 11-12 hours at night with feedings. So I guess expecting more than an hour nap at a time is much. He goes to bed around 9:30-10:00, wakes between 3:00 and 4:00 for a feeding, again between 5:30 and 6:00. I’ve been feeding him again after I get Alex settled downstairs at 7:00 and he’ll sleep until 9:00.
He takes a 45 minute nap late morning and a half hour one after dinner. Most days I can get him to take a long nap in the afternoon while Alex is napping. This is the one that hasn’t really been happening lately and frustrating me. I got used to taking a break from both kids at this point. You know getting some lunch, doing laundry, reading my e-mail.
Ah well no kid stays on any sleep schedule for too long until they get school age.
So my dad sent me a GC for Amazon to split between Ken, Quin and I. We ended up ordering Alex a booster seat. He’s getting too tall for his current seat and I thing we’ve got maybe a month left with Quin in the infant carrier. We got a snuggle nest for Quin. He sleeps really well either in the carrier or between us in bed. I think he like things close. So we’re going to try this in his crib and start getting him in his room all the time instead of just that first long stretch at night. We had a bout $20 left so I got Pirates of the Caribbean- Dead Man’s Chest.
The community college is now offering an online intermediate Photoshop class. I think I’m going to take that in March. I think that pretty much has me caught up. And if you read through this whole thing I applaud you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)