Crazy 8

Today is our eighth wedding anniversary. We have now spent just as many married years with kids as without. Nicholas was born about a week before our fourth anniversary. So we can break down this anniversary as BK (Before Kid) and AK (After Kid) down the middle.
The first four years we spent working on our house. Painting rooms, landscaping, attempting to have mostly grass in our lawn, remodeling a kitchen and a half bath, buying furniture, etc. We also had season tickets to the local amphitheater and went to just about every show. Live music is a passion of ours. We're talking a lot of shows and a lot of late nights. We almost always had plans for every Friday and Saturday night.
Then comes the second four years. I think I managed to paint one room but the effort was interrupted to deal with an ear infection. We haven't gone to any concerts that I can recall, but I'm excited that we have one next weekend (it's going to feel weird after so long). And if we've gone out with friends it has almost always been individually. We have gotten sitters and have gotten out to enjoy ourselves, it's a rarity though. Or else we invite friends over for after the kids have gone to bed. Friday and Saturday nights we catch up on shows or movies and sometimes stay up until the 11 pm news.
I wouldn't trade the changes for anything. I think it's been great to have a partner for the stages of our marriage. There's plenty more stages to come. Like the school years, teenagers, college, and empty nest. Oh what will we do when we have the house to ourselves again. Maybe we'll go to concerts or travel. I'm planning to sleep in.

Checking Up on 4 Years

I took Nicholas for his 4 year old check up today. We had to change our primary physician. The one we had since he was born left the practice. For whatever reason, they do not disclose why or where. So I just picked another doctor he had seen for a couple of sick visits and that Travis had seen too. Nicholas really didn't seem to mind at all.
He weighed in around 33-34 lbs and 41 inches tall (that's 25th and 50th percentile, for those tracking at home). He passed the vision test. It took longer because he kept getting distracted and generally not paying attention.
I had some concerns on behavior, speech, and lactose intolerance to discuss. My failure to read up on 4 year old development became clear. The doctor gave me a paper "Normal Development: 4 Years Old" and it's divided into physical, emotional, social, and mental. It was all spot on and I actually got a good laugh reading it. Nicholas is off-the-walls goofy but yet completely normal.
My favorites on the list:

• Accident prone
• Enjoys making loud noises, but is frightened by unexpected sounds
• Has a penchant for silliness
• Fancies funny, exaggerated stories
• Asks endless "why" questions
• Believes the only viewpoint is his or her own

That pretty much sums up a 4 year old. A loud, non-stop talking, stubborn, silly person.
Additionally, we got a referral for a free speech evaluation. Not as in first amendment, but as in no cost. He doesn't have serious problems and it may go away on its own as he continues to talk more and more and more and more. Double L words like yellow, words with m and n together like lemonade and animal, and some uses of the s sound. We're not stressing about it because he isn't. We'll continue to correct him or have him repeat words to practice.
And he can keep right on with soy milk, it's no big deal. He enjoys the occasional serving of string cheese and ice cream. Those aren't enough to bother him currently.
I took our healthy normal kid to school and went to work.

Raleigh Rocks, and So Do I

A couple months ago I agreed to run the Raleigh Rocks 5K with my friend Theresa. I kept my word, even if I didn't train as much as I planned. I blame the weather mostly. We met up near the starting line ready to go as hard as we could.
We started off behind the fit-looking pack. I spotted an easy-to-recognize pacer. Bright blue shorts, salt and pepper mullet, you get the idea. The first mile marker came up faster than I expected. T and I looked at each other with a sigh of confidence and kept trucking. Shortly after her heart rate was uncomfortably high and she insisted I keep going. I promised to wait for her at the end.
Once on my own, with mullet pacer in my sights, I kept on moving. Following the pack. Some street corners had spectators and that was nice. The second mile was definitely a lot longer than the first. I was sure someone had made a mistake because it was taking forever. I took a small walking break for about 30 seconds and started off again.
I got to a familiar street that I thought was near the finishing street. Figures there was going to be a few more turns before actually getting there. I lost my mullet pacer. Dang. I ran past a live band in a parking lot. I liked the song but I had to keep going. That final mile wasn't bad, I had to finish.
Finally I knew the street with the finish line was just a few blocks away. I turned that last corner and saw the finish line. Then there were all of these people. Runners' family and friends cheering. Cow bells, drums, applause. I even heard little kids yelling, "Go Mommy." It was emotional to hear all of that. They don't know every runner but they continue to encourage all of them through the finish line. I crossed the finish line without checking the clock. A little girl took the chip off my shoelaces. Whenever they post the chip times, I'll know how I really did timewise. I was finished! I did it! And I want to do it again. And again.
T did end up finishing just a couple minutes behind me. We were so happy with ourselves for finishing what we set out to do.

Things That Make You Go Awww...

Conversation tonight with my husband:

A: [Name withheld] was not in the office today. He had to take his girlfriend to the dentist. She had a root canal done and developed an abscess.

Me: Wow. I went to the dentist all by myself when I had my abscess.

A: You've given birth.

Me: Oh, so I get a free pass on all future pain?

A: Uh, yeah. We've seen your pain threshold.

That's real love right there. Yes, it is.

If Internet Was in Heaven

Happy Birthday Daddy! I know you would have figured out surfing the web and bookmarking my blog. You would be a regular commenter, and a very funny and loving one at that. Who knows, you probably would have started your own blog. I imagine it would be hilarious.


**My apologies to my family if they are embarrassed by the photo. It was the only one readily available in digital format. And I love that no one coordinated their outfits with me in advance and then placed me in the middle.

Days of Grace: Nicholas's Birthday

1. Thank goodness moms don't have to go through labor every year to honor their kid's birthday.
2. Watching Nicholas's face light up as he opened each gift that was not an item of clothing. And thanks to everyone for making him so happy! And another thank you to GranDebbie for flying in for the weekend!
   
3. Taking Nicholas on a mom date to Shelley Lake. We walked 2 miles...really slow. Vacuumed one centipede, inspected it through the magnifying glass, and set it free. He carried his backpack for 1 3/4 miles. But he still had the energy to play on the playground.
   
4. Taking Travis on a mom date around the neighborhood. He rode in the stroller happily for a whole hour. Unlike his big brother, he's not much of a conversationalist. I spent a lot of time thinking and making comments - positive and negative - in my head about people's yards and homes. (This allowed Nicholas to have a dad date and watch Wall-E)
5. Dubbing him "Sir Talks a Lot" when he wears his new knight costume. If you've met him in person, you'd know how fitting a title it is.
   

3 to 4 Overnight

This photo was taken Friday night before the weekend festivities began.
















And this photo is from this morning. He is now officially 4 years old. Doesn't he look older compared to just a few days ago?

We're at midday of the birthday and I'm tired. We all got dressed. Nicholas opened more presents. Then we went to Chick Fil A, the breakfast of champions, Target and Starbucks. Travis is taking a nap already. And Nicholas is watching Kung Fu Panda for the third time since he opened it on Saturday. And in case you're wondering...he is wearing a knight costume and his new Kung Fu Panda watch with interchangable face plates. It enhances the viewing pleasure.

Celebration Time

Ahoy Matey. Nicholas had some friends over to celebrate his 4th birthday. It was sunny and a little chilly in the shade. I wish it had been warmer but at least it didn't rain. We had a treasure hunt in the front yard. They got a little lost and needed assistance to find the booty of dollar bin Target toys. Then there was a very stubborn pinata. I made it myself and it was almost indestructible. Oops. A lot of beating and stomping took care of it. In the end they all had cupfuls of candy. Finally, chocolate-chocolate cake with a Batman candle.

Passing Things On

Today I finally took a bag of baby items to the package store. I collected some items that my boys loved and that saved my sanity many times over. My brother-in-law's sister, or sister's sister-in-law, whichever way you look at it, is having a baby soon. I have a lot of baby things lying around that need to go somewhere due to serious lack of storage space. But the thought of some of them going to a stranger and just being gone is hard. Will their baby like it? Or will they just toss the item out when they're done with it? Instead, I keep putting off that intended yard sale or Goodwill drop-off. By giving some things to Anilia I can check her blog and smile when I see her baby in my old sling, onesie, jumper, etc. It will make me smile so big. And I will know that her baby is enjoying them. Even better I will be hoping that she is getting a break by having that baby bounce in the doorway jumper so she can sew or cook dinner. So as Nicholas and I said farewell to the items, some memories went with them and maybe some crumbs or stains. Be forewarned Anilia, I will be watching the blog to make sure you're using that sling. I even included an adjustable one that Senor might be able to use! Good luck and best wishes.

Happy Not Yet 4th Birthday

Now that Nicholas is old enough to be keenly aware of his birthday and the awesomeness of celebrating it. Especially when it can be extended beyond just one day. Party planning leading up to the party which is 2 days before the actual birthday is getting him very excited.

Yesterday, St. Patrick's Day, marked the 4th anniversary of Nicholas's due date. I can remember exactly what I did that day when I was trying to encourage him to go ahead and make his entrance. It was a rainy day and a little cool. I went to the OB, not much was going on. It seemed he was a happy little camper hanging out in the baby house. They scheduled an ultrasound for the following week. I thought, really - you think I'm going to be like this for at least a week. I had tried almost every old wives' tale, moving furniture, eating spicy food, etc.

I was painting our guest room with all the windows open. I was told he was "fully cooked" and the fumes wouldn't be an issue. So anyways, Adrian was at work. I was painting away having a grand old time. Then a cop showed up at my door. He told me I had dialed 911. Surely, I would know if I had done that. He kept asking if I was sure I was okay.

I probably looked a little strange with a tie dye shirt stretched over my belly, shorts barely able to stay on, and paint splatters all over and clearly very, very pregnant. We concluded one of the cats had dialed 911. Yeah, sure thing officer. He made his way back to the patrol car. I went to look for a phone. There was no dial tone! I checked every extension in the house. Nothing was off the hook. I checked out the front door and the officer as driving off. Acck. Panic.

Why do I have no dial tone and cops are checking on me? I went straight to my car and called the phone company from my cell phone. According to them, when a phone line is cut at the street it dials 911. Some sort of Freddy Kruegger, Michael Myers, serial killer emergency system is my guess.

I totally decided that someone, a very bad and desperate person, wanted my fully cooked baby and they knew I was home alone and wanted to cut me open and take my baby. It's happened before, I saw it on the news. Really. I swear. The lady attacked her and tried to cut her open. And it was on CSI and the killer gave the baby to his sister to keep which she didn't question the origin of the baby because why would you question your psychopathic murdering brother about something like that.

What pregnant woman doesn't have paranoid delusions? It could totally have been true.

I called Adrian and kept him on the line while I searched the entire house, including closets and the crawlspace. Then I locked all doors and waited for him to come home. The phone company restored our connection at the street. It probably was just a dumb squirrel chewing on wires because they are dumb enough to eat things that aren't nuts.

In the end, those doctors were pretty much right. With threats of petocin, Nicholas decided to go ahead and make his way into the world on his own - 6 days later.

Yeah, I Know

I love this blog template. It is so pretty. But posting pictures and text together isn't cooperating. And I can't make a lot of changes with a template to make things lay out right. Ugh. Bear with me and my lack of technical skills. One day when I have time (hah - right) I will mess around with it and tweak it. Either that or stop posting photos. You wouldn't like that very much, would you?

Clearly I Need An Intervention

Some lucky gal is receiving a belated birthday present. I hope she likes them.













































What do you mean other moms don't hand-sew and screen print drawstring goodie bags for their kid's birthday party? Really? The lady at the Jo-Ann's told me every pirate would have a muslin bag with black jute rope. I hope she wasn't secretly making fun of me in her head because that just isn't nice.





















And these cute onesies are going to a very cute set of twins who turned two last week. Every boy needs construction equipment, transportation, and dinosaurs in their wardrobe.

Umm...and I don't have pictures of the basketball onesie for Travis, the Batman shirt for another birthday party, the firetruck shirt for Nicholas, or the Celtic knot design for myself. And all of these were done within the last two weeks. Yeah, really, not joking. Is someone sending that intervention? I might check myself in...just as soon as I paint the other three goodie bags. Then I will step away from the exacto knife and freezer paper. I promise. Because my next project is hand drawn treasure maps and painting treasure chests. So there. Hah. I can restrain myself after all.

A Whirlwind

The last 48 hours or so have been a whirlwind. As Nicholas put it, "Captain Chaos to the rescue!". On Thursday I found out that my job has been reclassified. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, I should be paid for every hour I work based on the type of work I do. I am switching to a non-exempt status but maintaining all of my existing vacation, sick time, and benefits eligibility. This also means going from a monthly paycheck to a weekly paycheck. That'll be an adjustment to get used to in regards to paying bills and balancing budgets. And to top it off, any overtime I do work has to be approved by management and currently there is no budget for overtime. So no more evenings and weekends logged on at home. Hooray! Of course this means deliverables will not be met and they'll be forced to pay me time and a half or hire someone to help.
When I came home to share this news with Adrian, we found the furnace had decided to stop working. It was only 67 in the house and we could deal with it for the night. Nicholas and I finalized a theme for his birthday next weekend and went to buy invitations. I worked until midnight - the no more OT starts next week.
By morning our house was down to 57 and it was a chilly start. Adrian came home to meet the HVAC guy. He said the part we need is in Fayetteville and he can fix our furnace on Saturday. The house was only getting colder and Adrian could hardly stand watching TV covered in blankets. We decided to take a mini-vacation less than a mile away. He said it would be an adventure for the boys. Hah. Adventure, not vacation is more like it. He made the dinner and hotel reservations and packed a bag for us.
We went to a nice Italian place for dinner. And then checked into the new hotel that just opened down the road. It's a classy place with fancy soaps and down comforters. We had a lovely view of the beltline. The boys ran wild around in the soundproof-but-not-really room. Eventually we got Travis settled down to sleep, he was so uneasy with his surroundings. Shortly after we turned off the TV and all went to sleep. Travis awoke a couple of times during the night seeking comfort and quickly returned to sleep. Finally at 8 am Nicholas announced he was all done sleeping and that translates to - everyone is all done sleeping.
Breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant. We all ate very well. Fresh fruit, yogurt, eggs, and pancakes. Adrian and Nicholas watched cartoons. Travis and I went to Target to pass the time. He was not coping with the confined space of the hotel room.
We checked out just in time to go back to the house to wrap a present and get directions to a birthday party. Adrian stayed to wait for the HVAC guy. I took the boys. The little boy's mom was crazy or kind enough to let parents drop off their kids for the party. So Travis and I ran some errands. Bagels, fabric store, auto parts store - for that long needed headlight. In the meantime, the furnace was fixed and the house was warming up. Perfect timing. Travis was in dire need of a nap. I dropped him off with Adrian at the house just in time to go get Nicholas from the party. Now we're home and it's 72. The boys are happy to be home and so are we. We're a little poorer for the experience - hotel, meals out, HVAC repair; but richer for appreciating the comfort and spaciousness of home.

No Ideas

I haven't been able to come up with a good blog topic lately. You know the kind that will give me a good deal to write about or something really worth sharing. So as not to leave you readers bored and feeling neglected, you will get some randomness today.

Travis hasn't been taught baby sign language. We never got into the whole concept and we really just like to use plain old words around here to communicate. So in lieu of having a sign for "all done", Travis has a more direct approach of just throwing everything (plate, cup, utensils, uneaten or partially chewed food) on the floor. It used to be a windshield wiper effect of pushing the remains of his meal on to the floor. Then he began just picking things up and chucking them. A peach slice can make it all the way across the kitchen - FYI. We've been trying to tell him that it's not polite and we take the whole tray away as soon as the "all done" game starts.
This was all well and good in a kitchen. The game has now started in the car. I give the boys snacks when I pick them up from school. It's usually 5:30 and we have a 30 minute commute home which means they are hungry and feisty. Travis is chilling with a banana and Nicholas has some fruit snacks. We're cruising along the outer beltline when half a banana goes flying by my head and lands on the floorboard. I guess he was all done with it.

Every morning as I surf the web I eat a bowl of cereal with skim milk. I always set the bowl down for the cats. They now have a habit of sitting next to my chair waiting for it. Sometimes (like when I'm too lazy to go to the fridge in the garage) I use Nicholas's soy milk in my cereal. Cats do not like it when you set down your cereal bowl for them and they find it is soy milk. They walk away in disgust and curse you for the rest of the day while they snooze away in a sunny corner.

Nicholas told me that he is a grown-up on the inside.

Notes from Today

• I went for a run mid-day. It was in the mid 70s and sunny. I didn't make it nearly as far as in recent runs. I think it's due to the weather. I am not used to running in daylight and warmth. What other reason could there be? You can't get worse if you're training, right?
• During the run I saw a guy working the neighborhood. He came to our house while I was out and I saw him talking to a neighbor. He was asking to do yard work. His car is also for sale. It's sad. Here's a guy trying to make an honest buck because he probably needs it. And has resorted to going around looking for work. There are so many others who bypass that and go other more criminal routes to get that buck. In hindsight we probably could have come up with something for him to do for a little money.
  
• The boys' school hosted a spring carnival, complete with games, prizes, hot dogs, cotton candy. We started out splitting up so each boy could do the age appropriate and desired stuff. Travis got a blue paw print (a la Blue's Clues) painted on his cheek. Nicholas scored some candy and small prizes at the games. They both learned how to eat cotton candy, a totally new concept for them. They finished out the carnival by playing in the bouncy castle.
• I went to Target and Harris Teeter all by myself! I pushed the cart at my own pace. I selected only the items on my list or that I wanted spontaneously. That's not to say that Adrian didn't call my cell several times with suggestions.
• Tonight's dinner theme: food inside carbs. The boys had PB&J Uncrustables. And Adrian and I had spinach calzones.
  

Link of the Day

I have been known to be sarcastic. Sometimes it just falls out of my mouth, or my fingertips. I can't help it. Plus I avoid confrontation when I can. You could say I tend to be passive aggressive at times. I love this website where they show off public displays of passive aggression. Some of them are too obnoxious to be real. The ones in office settings I can totally sympathize with. I have felt the urge to leave similar notes by printers, refrigerators, bathroom stalls, etc.
Follow this link. <--Yes, click on the word link over there.

Yeah for Visitors

My sister Erica made her East Coast road trip with her husband Jack and son Kent. They worked in a day for us and we were thrilled to get them to ourselves for that long. A day starting with Dunkin Donuts coffee and munchkins can never go wrong. While Travis napped, Nicholas and Kent demolished what was left of the snowman built on Monday. Boys and destruction - such a combo. Then lunch at our new favorite pizza place (full of cops and EMTs - so we were very, very safe). After post-lunch naptime we went to Marbles Kids Museum for the afternoon. It was such a blast and we didn't get through the whole place. We'll just have to go back again, I guess.















Travis hanging out in a tube.
















Nicholas playing hockey (in socks). I caved after he had a meltdown and let him play after they announced the place was getting ready to close.
















The ball pit was entitled peas and carrots.
















Can you find my child in the ball pit?
















Cousin Kent driving the city bus. It's the front of a bus with a sliding board out the back. It was his favorite part of the museum. He is all about some city and school buses.

















Travis completely soaked himself and didn't care, of course.
















Nicholas and Travis in the safari section.
















Nicholas driving the ambulance dressed as a fireman.

Snow Day