Jeff and I have a long-running joke that if Jack ever grows up to be anything like us, we better start saving for his bail right now. We always joke that the change jar on our counter is for that purpose - to bail Jack out of jail when that inevitable point does come.
My mom just sent me this picture:
She captioned it with, "I need bail money." He's calling his mommy to come and bail him out of Nana's jail, apparently...
Obviously, I hope this never happens, but I think it's still pretty funny and I'll hang onto the picture as long as this remains just a joke...
Jack turns seventeen months old today. I know that he'll always be my baby, but I don't think he's a baby any more. He even looks like a little boy. There are so many changes, albeit small ones, but he's learning how to become more independent every single day. That's not to say that I'm still not the most important person in his life and I'm not even suggesting that anything he thinks he can do himself doesn't need constant supervision, but he's learning.
This weekend, I went to Target and bought him some stools so he can stand at the sinks in the bathroom and wash his hands. He likes to do this and does it a lot at school. He also stands on his stool and "brushes" his teeth (meaning he sucks the toothpaste off the toothbrush) in the morning and before bed. I also took his high chair down to just a booster seat and bought him his very own place mat so he can eat at the table with the family. We're still working on manners and I'm pretty sure Blue still gets most of whatever is on Jack's plate. I'm hoping that if he starts eating his meals at the table with me and Jeff, he'll get a better understanding that food goes into our mouths and not slyly slid off the tray to the dog.
Even in his interactions, I see him learning how to be a "big boy" and wanting so badly to be a part of things. Grandma Terry bought Jack this amazing tricycle for Easter. It goes from a rocking bike (to use indoors) to a tricycle with a handle so Jack can ride and I can push him. The handle can also come off and turn into a simple tricycle that he can pedal all around. If he so chooses. We took the bike outside when we got home from school on Friday. Jack was actually pretty content just to sit and kind of scoot himself around on the driveway, but when the other kids came out on their scooters and bikes, you could tell that Jack was so proud of himself with his very own bike that he could push around with them. I tried to teach him how to pedal, but he didn't really want to learn, so I gave up. I bet he's tearing around the cul-de-sac by the end of summer though.
I also put together a water table for Jack and put it out on our back deck. Yesterday, when I was cleaning up our back yard and putting out the porch furniture, I figured Jack would be perfectly content to splash around while I could get some work done. I was absolutely right. However, what I didn't count on was the fact that he'd completely soak himself through to the bone. Rookie move - I didn't put him into his swim suit. So, he ended up soaking two outfits completely yesterday, but he had so much fun. The little girls in our neighborhood came over to play with Jack and his water table, and he was just loving every minute of it. He kept looking up at them and smiling - and he would laugh every time they did something funny and then immediately try to mimic it.
So, we had an absolutely gorgeous weekend here in Minnesota. On Friday, the temperature reached over 70 degrees - and for a state that was in the middle of a blizzard just a week ago, the change was absolutely welcome. And needed. It was like someone shot a starting gun off and all Minnesotans poured outside of their homes. You could tell that no one wanted to work last Friday, traffic was backed up at 3:00 in the afternoon, and driving through the neighborhood, I don't think there was a single person that wasn't outside. I had to laugh - on Thursday night, I went for a walk with my neighbor and two of her little girls. They were still wrapped up in their snow boots and winter coats. When I got home on Friday, I saw this:
Only in Minnesota can you go from snow boots to bikinis in less than twenty-four hours. Anyways, Spring Fever bit me hard on Friday and I popped out of work early and went home. I decided to walk up to Jack's school to pick him up. The walk up was pretty easy - but Jack was a little sick of riding in the stroller and made his preferences known. Still, I think I may do this more over this summer.
Anyways, Jeff is out of town - he's at a bachelor party in New Orleans, so it was just me and the little man for the entire weekend. I forgot how nice it is to have an extra set of hands around. I'm almost glad it's Monday so I can just sit at my desk! Anyways, on Saturday morning, we went out to brunch with my family to celebrate my sister's birthday. It was a rather subdued affair as my entire family is pretty much getting over the stomach flu. Afterwards, Jack and I headed up to my friend, Molly's house for a "tree planting" party. Jack went down for a nap almost immediately after we got there, so it was nice to sit outside in the sunshine and relax for a few hours. After he got up, we had a little playtime and then went home. He started running a slight fever when we got home, so I put him to bed early. He woke up in the middle of the night with a terrible cough. I was thinking at, about 3:00 in the morning, that I should either take him to the hospital or call an ambulance, but he didn't have a fever or any other symptoms. I held him and rocked him in his chair with the humidifier going and that seemed to calm the cough down.
On Sunday, he woke up in a much better mood. However, in light of the previous night's events, I decided we'd stay close to home. He was pretty hungry for breakfast and really wanted to watch a "Mickey" so I decided that would be just fine on a Sunday morning...
Afterwards, we did a little cleaning around the house and ran some errands...
He fell asleep in the car on the way home, and I didn't have the heart to wake him up and I managed to transition him from car to crib without waking him up. This never happens, so he must have been worn out. Poor pumpkin. I decided that I'd get our porch furniture set up and tackle the massive amount of dog poop that had accumulated in our backyard this past winter. Worst job ever. I also discovered two dead fish in our pond, although I would suspect that there are more...I think we had twelve fish at one point and now I only count five or six...
So, not only did I get to pick up dog poop, I also got to clean up two dead goldfish. Gross. What's even worse - I didn't fish this out of the pond. Blue did. I was in our yard and turned around to see the dead fish hanging out of his mouth. Yuck.
I had a girlfriend come over yesterday and after Jack woke up from his nap, we took a walk up to the park and Jack had some playtime. This is another reason I can tell he's getting to be a big boy - he can play on the park equipment more independently. Last summer he couldn't walk (or barely could), and needed me to hold him going down the slides and to carry him from play thing to play thing. Yesterday, he could do it all by himself. And he loved every minute of it.
Afterwards, Jack played at his water table while I finished cleaning up outside. We then went inside for a little snack and a "Mickey" and I really needed a break. I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes and I opened them about a half hour later, after the "Mickey" ended. I guess I needed the rest more than Jack did. I should note - a "Mickey" is an episode of Mickey's Clubhouse. Jack loves this show and laughs hysterically every time Mickey comes on the television show or does the "hot dog" dance. You'd have to watch it to know what I'm talking about, I guess.
Anyways, he had a total meltdown at dinner last night, so we had an early bath and bedtime. After Jack was down, I promptly went to bed. The day wore me out - I forgot how draining the sunshine can be!
Jeff gets home from New Orleans late tonight and I will be so happy to have him back. I think that Jack really does miss his daddy. I know that I do. The weather is supposed to stay relatively beautiful this week, so I'm hoping we can get outside a few more times and practice our tricycle riding!
I have been so wrapped up in finishing up an appellate brief, that the minute I push work aside for the day, the last thing I want to do is write some more! So, I apologize for not getting an update out earlier this week, but I'm glad I waited - we've got some stuff to share.
So, as anyone who's kept up with Jack knows that we have been fighting what seems to be a never-ending battle with ear infections. And we seem to be on the losing end of these fights. Our last ENT really didn't have much to offer us by way of additional treatments or remedies, and basically said we just needed to learn how to "live" with these chronic infections. Obviously, this is completely unacceptable to me. If you haven’t really dealt with chronic
ear infections, you have no idea how time consuming and expensive they can
be. It requires time off from work because Jack can’t go to school.
We have to go to the doctor, and then pay for antibiotics and ear drops.
And, the ear drops Jack uses are $50.00 a pop - with insurance - so it’s quite
costly, especially when you’re shelling out that kind of money every two
weeks. To say nothing of the fact that my poor buddy is in pain, he’s
lost momentum with his speech and I've had serious concerns that he
will develop permanent hearing damage. So, the fact that we just had to
live with it wasn't really acceptable.
One of my girlfriends gave me the name of her pediatric ENT. This doctor only works on kids with ear problems. It took us a month to get in to see him,
which I think is a good thing. It means he’s a really good doctor and in
high demand! So, we went in for our appointment yesterday. First off, they ran Jack through a
hearing test. He did okay, but he’s definitely got some hearing
loss. He sat on my lap in a sound proof room and they play noises on
either side of the room to get him to turn his head so they can evaluate his ears individually. He was so patient and calm when they were running the test,
but it was so hard for me not to point and tell him to turn his head, especially
when I can hear the noise and I know he's unable to.
Afterwards,
we met with a nurse, and she asked us a whole bunch of questions about the
problems we've had over the past year with his ears. Then, the doctor came
in and examined Jack. First off, his current tubes are completely plugged
up and he has another double ear infection. I had no clue, which makes me feel absolutely terrible. Anyways, the doctor also told me that his current tubes are basically non-functioning. He
also said that his adenoids are completely rotten and were really
swollen. So, he recommended another surgery. He’s
going to place another kind of tube in Jack’s ears – different from the ones he
has now. Apparently, they’re a bit larger, which would allow for
better draining, and they’re more permanent so they won’t fall out or shift as
easily. Additionally, the doctor recommended taking out Jack’s adenoids to allow for more space around the Eustachian tube and his mastoids,
which again allows things to drain better. The doctor also put him on a
course of antibiotics for the next month. After he finishes up the
antibiotics, he goes in for the surgery. The doctor told us it’s really
important to have the surgery soon as possible after finishing the antibiotics so as to
prevent another infection from developing.
So, we've got the surgery scheduled for the end of next month at Children’s Hospital
in St. Paul. Jack will stay overnight and I’ll stay with him, of
course. I’m really nervous, obviously, but I’m hopeful that this will
help. After the surgery, he has to stay out of daycare for about a week, as I guess removing the adenoids creates some kind of disequilibrium, and it will take a while for him to readjust. But, he should be just fine after that. I really liked this doctor. He laid out a wonderful plan for
me yesterday, telling me that even if this surgery doesn't work, we don’t have to
just “live” with it – there are other things we can do. The fact that
there are options makes me feel a lot better. Jack's hearing and speech should also drastically improve and hopefully return to normal after the surgery as well.
Anyways, on to better things! The weather here has been terrible - it's been cold and we actually had not one, but TWO, blizzards over the past ten days. It's like Mother Nature forgot that spring was supposed to happen. I took this picture from our kitchen on Tuesday - yes, the snow is beautiful, but enough already!
Fortunately, it's an absolutely beautiful day here - not a cloud in the sky - and it's going to warm up throughout the day. We're also supposed to have a stellar weekend. I'm going to lock us out of the house so we can be outside. I dropped Jeff off at the airport this morning - he's going to a bachelor party in New Orleans this weekend, so it's just me and Jack flying solo.
Jack has been adjusting well to his new classroom. He still has his moments though where he doesn't want me to leave, but for the most part, he's excited to get to school and play every day. There's something to be said about a "mob mentality" at his school. For example, he naps for about two hours every day on a cot. There is no possible way I could ever get him to do that at home. He also sits at a table to eat his meals, and again, there's no way he would ever do this for me. Jack makes art projects too - something he has no interest in doing outside of school. Last week, I was the proud recipient of my first macaroni and glitter art.
Last weekend, we were busy in spite of the weather. On Saturday morning, we woke up and went over to St. Paul to have breakfast with all my girlfriends. Jack was pretty proud of the fact that he was the only guy there, and was quite the ladies man...
Can you spot him at the end of the table? On Saturday night, we went up to Maple Grove to have dinner with some friends of ours. It took a while to get a table, so we did a little shopping. Jack really seemed to get into the delicates at Victoria's Secret!
On Sunday, Jeff had a birthday. He requested that he be allowed to go to the gym, so Jack and I went to church. Afterwards, we got home and spent some time cooking and getting things ready for Jeff's birthday party. We had a really great time celebrating with family and friends. At Jeff's request, my mom made him a carrot cake and even brought candles for Jeff to blow out and make a wish.
And that's about it - like I said, I've been so consumed with finishing this appellate brief that I feel like I haven't had much time to do anything else. Fortunately, that got filed yesterday, so it feels really good to get that off my plate. And I'll just leave you with these two pictures of my little funny man...
I can't believe that I'm writing another update like this - and for so many reasons.
In looking back over the past sixteen months or so, Jack's relatively young life has been peppered with random acts of violence. And yesterday was another unfortunate example when two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. I have been both a participant and a spectator when it comes to marathons. I may or may not run one ever again, but I can tell you first hand the kind of joy and elation you feel when you cross that finish line. Even if it wasn't a job well done. Unfortunately, I can also tell you first hand about the kind of terror that grips you when you realize your loved ones are missing in the midst of an attack like this. It's hard to describe, but it doesn't abate, even after you've held your family in your arms and realized that they are safe. Reading some of the accounts of yesterday's tragedy really brings up my father's account of his first few minutes after escaping from the World Trade Centers almost twelve years ago.
Fortunately, Jack is still too young to comprehend what happened yesterday, and obviously has no idea what a "bomb" actually is. But he won't always be small. And the sad comment is that this isn't going to stop happening. It terrifies me and I try so hard not to let the fear control me. Otherwise, my family would have been sequestered in our house long ago. I often think that Minnesota is a relatively safe place to be - not much happens here, I guess. But I can think back to August when a man shot up his former place of employment. I remember when high school was cancelled - for me - because of bomb threats and a "kill list" that was circulated in the weeks following Columbine.
How can I deal with this as a parent? Oftentimes, I marvel at the amount of trust I put into other people to care for my child. I trust babysitters, relatives, and the teachers at his school. As Jack grows, I'll put my faith in his bus drivers, his schoolteachers, and his coaches. I trust every single one of these people with my most precious thing. There's a quote making its way around the Internet today - it's from Mr. Rodgers, supposedly, but it talks about when tragedy strikes, you should always look for the helpers. Because they're always there. The photos and accounts I've read from yesterday's tragedy show people helping each other - and running into the face of danger. I think, when it boils down to it, there is only a small sliver of this world that is truly evil. The overwhelming population is good and will overcome in tragedy.
Anyways, last Thursday, Minnesota was hit by a blizzard. Yes, a blizzard. A big, flipping blizzard. I had to fly out to Chicago on Thursday morning and my flight was delayed by almost three hours. I hate flying to begin with - and guess what? I hate flying even more when there's a blizzard going on outside my window. Still, I made it to Chicago safe and sound and there were no problems on my return flight either. I made it home in time to pick Jack up from school and I actually stayed awake long enough to watch Lincoln with Jeff.
Unfortunately, it's still flipping freezing here, so we really didn't get to do anything outside - and this mama is going stir-crazy! I would give anything to open up our windows and let some fresh air in the house. Or to take Jack and Blue for a walk when we get home. But, I still have to bundle up every day in my winter jacket and the heat is still blowing, full force, in my car. On Saturday, I met up with my family for some breakfast and making good on our Christmas present to my mom, while Jack and Jeff went down to the Children's Museum. When I got home, Jeff couldn't stop talking about the museum - calling it "the best babysitter ever." So, Jack and I did some chores while Jeff went to the gym and then we all went out to eat at the Macaroni Grille. Jeff had commented that Jack hadn't really napped all that well earlier in the day, and you could see the cracks starting to show when we were at the restaurant. On top of it, Jack absolutely did not want to eat - which is unheard of. He actually fell asleep in the car on the way home from the restaurant, and Jeff was able to put him down quickly when we got home. In any case, about forty-five minutes after Jack went to sleep, he woke up and was screaming his head off. I went upstairs only to find that he had puked all over his crib and himself. Poor pumpkin. I picked him up from his crib, and he threw up all over me. Poor mommy.
Anyways, Jeff and I did some quick work - Jeff stripped the bed and washed the sheets while I got Jack into the tub for a bath. You could just tell he wasn't feeling well and all he wanted was his mommy. Eventually, we got him to sleep in the Pack 'n Play in our room. Jeff slept downstairs with the dog while I kept a vigil over Jack. Fortunately, we didn't have any more puking incidents - from him, at least. On Sunday, I could tell he wasn't feeling his best. He really just wanted to sit on his tricycle and push it around the house - so we stayed close to home. However, Jeff came back from work and suggested a little trip to the mall. Jack had slept for about three hours and seemed up to his old tricks again, so off we went! However, at dinner, I started to get a terrible headache and then I ended up getting sick later that night.
So, I spent yesterday in bed, watching the news coverage from Boston. Jeff did the drop-off and pick-up from Grammy Camp. And, when he got home, he promptly got sick. I always think that every time I catch one of Jack's bugs that I've never been more sick in my life. Until the next time I get sick. At my worst, I was seriously considering running out in traffic or stabbing myself in the hand with a fork just so I could think about something else. Fortunately, I think we're all on the mend in our house, if a little bit peckish still.
Anyways, I didn't really take that many pictures of Jack this week, if you can believe it! His latest thing is to tell Blue to "get down" when he tries to steal food from his tray. It's pretty cute...
We also continue to work on our feeding skills - mostly, Jack will absolutely not let anyone assist him any longer in putting food in his mouth. He must do it all by himself. This is oftentimes an epic fail.
Finally, he also learned a new "trick" while Daddy was manning the home front. When we moved into our current house, my parents gave us this gorgeous coffee table that we keep in our living room. It has drawers on it that Jack likes to pull out. Apparently, while under Daddy's watch, he decided that he was going to start climbing into the drawers...
The problem is, that once he gets in there, he can't figure out how to get himself out. Which results in screaming until someone forcibly removes him.
And that's about it. Like I said, it sounds like my post was on repeat - blah blah weather, blah blah, we're sick. It's Daddy's birthday this weekend and we're so excited to celebrate. We're going out to dinner with our friends on Saturday night (actually they were in the Boston Marathon - they're fine, don't worry) so I can't wait to hear their story. On Sunday, Jeff has requested that he be allowed to go to the gym and then the rest of the day is his to decide what we do. So, hopefully I'll remember to take some good pictures!
Much like his mama, Jack does not deal with change all that well. And I really can't blame him. I'm not so good at adapting either. And Jack is his mother's son. We have a routine that really never wavers because we always need to know what's coming next. I've written a lot about the fact that Jack was to be moving up to a new classroom last week. I was nervous for him, even if he didn't know what was coming. He's only ever known the infant classroom and with those teachers. So, on Tuesday when we got to school, I held his little hand and we walked past his old classroom to his new one. As we walked down the hallway, his grip on my hand got tighter and tighter. When we got into the new classroom, his bottom lip started sticking out. By the time I got his coat off and hung up, he was just wailing. Which made me start to cry. I tried to get him interested in story time with his friends, but he wasn't having it. Eventually, one of the center owners came over and gently pried Jack's arms off from around my neck and she took my crying child away from me. Now here's the thing... Objectively, I know that he calmed down a few minutes after I left and had a great day playing and exploring. But it doesn't do me any good to leave him sobbing for his mom every day.
The center called a while later to tell me that he calmed down as soon as he knew that he was going to eat breakfast. Figures.
Still, the trend continued throughout the week. When we'd get home, he turned into some kind of little psychopath. I'm not joking. He was a total maniac. He would get into everything he could, pull and climb on anything and everything, and he would scream hysterically every time he wanted something, which was all the time. With Jack, the more tired he becomes, the more hyperactive he is. So, I know that he played hard at school every day last week just based on his behavior when we'd get home from school. That, and the fact that he wouldn't move a muscle every night when I laid him down to go to bed. So yes, he was tired. At one point, he locked himself in Blue's crate (with Blue) and refused to come out. After about thirty seconds of cajoling from me, I decided that if he wanted to stay in there, he could! At least he wasn't going to cause any more damage...
I'm hoping that things are better this week, at least in terms of the morning drop-offs. I always have a better day when I know things get off on the right foot. There was one night last week that, after I got Jack off to bed, all I could do was just stare at the television. I couldn't even muster up enough energy to lift the remote control to change the channel.
Anyways, we sort of hit the "reset button" on our weekend. Part of me was scared that we'd entered the "terrible twos" eight months early, and maybe we're seeing early flashes of it, I don't know. But I always want to make sure we have a good weekend, since that's really the only time I have to spend with Jack.
On Saturday, we woke up and did our regular errand and got things ready for the week. I also took Jack to get another hair cut since he had started to get wings (a la hockey haircut) behind his ears. He was, predictably, not a fan, and again he cried the whole time.
Afterwards, we went down to the Children's Museum with my sister and Wim. They have a new Dora & Diego (Dora the Explorer) exhibit that I really wanted to see. They both had the best time and they really wore themselves out. At one point, Wim fell over and just stayed down. He actually laid his head on the ground and didn't move. Afterwards, we met Jeff at Rojo for some Mexican food.
Seriously, the Children's Museum is like the best place on earth. There's so much for kids of all ages to get into, touch, and play with. They even have a little play area called "Habi-tot" for kids that are three and under. My sister and I were in there while the boys played around and there were, predictably, children that were WAY too old to be in there, running around like maniacs. My sister turned to me and said, "I really don't like other people's children." Frankly, I couldn't agree more. There was one boy that kept coming up to Jack and screaming (literally) in his face, "ARE YOU A BABY?" Fortunately, Jack didn't seem to be too bothered by it, but by the end of the playtime, I started calling this kid a future child molester because he wouldn't leave Jack alone. Seriously. He was also like eight years old.
I can appreciate the fact that parents have children that are appropriately aged to be in these rooms, yet have other children who are too old to be running around the toddler play rooms. And let them play anyways. Some day, I'll probably be that parent, and I probably shouldn't judge, but I do. Seriously, though. I probably won't ever let Jack scream in some kid's face.
So, on Sunday, Jack and I had a "date day." We started off with breakfast at Perkins before church. That kid put away a ton of food. He ate three silver dollar pancakes, two scrambled eggs, a piece of bacon and a bowl of fruit. Way more food than I had.
Afterwards, we went to a new church recommended by our neighbors. It was big, but friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately, I don't know that we'll be invited back. Jack tried "singing" at all possible opportunities, which mostly involved him screaming at the top of his lungs, "BAHHHH!!!" And then trying to run away from me. We spent the entire service out in the greeting area, where there were chairs set up for parents with more "animated" children, but I find it hard to believe that no one could hear Jack's singing.
We came home, and Jack had a snack and went down for a nap. After he got up, we went up to the Maple Grove Community Center where he played, hard, for like two hours. Seriously, he had so much fun. It's also really fun to see how much he's developed and all the new things he can do. I can't wait until it's nice enough to take him to the park!
After our playtime, we met Jeff for pizza. Both of us were totally spent, so we went home, thinking it'd be nice to get into bed and have a family movie night. But, Jack wasn't really having it and just wanted to get down and run around. Which brings me full circle. I messed with the routine. I knew he was tired and I didn't follow bedtime protocol, so I paid the price.
This week, I am going to Chicago for work on Thursday and Friday, which leaves Jeff to tend to the home fires. He'll do fine, I just know it, and I'll be home before bedtime on Friday. I'm looking forward to a little alone time, to be perfectly honest. It's far too infrequent. Even if it is for work, I'm excited to read my book in bed on Thursday night without falling asleep two pages into the chapter.
Brace yourselves, I have a feeling that this is going to be a long post! We have a lot of ground to cover, and a lot of pictures and videos to share. So, if any of you have been feeling like you're in withdrawal of all that is Jack, you can rest easy - you will get more than your fill in this post!
Alright - now the question is where to begin... a little update on Jack's ears is in order, I think. I'm so happy to report that the antibiotics seem to be working and he's feeling so much better. One of my biggest concerns with the recurrent ear infections was that he'd lose momentum with his speech due to his difficulty hearing. We're already a bit behind in terms of language development (at least according to the pediatrician) but we'd been making progress in recent weeks. I know Jack's ears are clear now and that he can hear. Mostly because I look in them obsessively and he's chattering away like a bird in springtime.
See? He's feeling much better. And, you can tell that he's learning how to feed himself - although this is a constant learning skill. Half of the time, food ends up all over the kitchen (much to Blue's delight) or all over Jack. And he does not like to get his face cleaned off. You'd think I was torturing him or something with the fight he puts up when the washcloth comes out.
In terms of his speech, we've got a few new words here and there - I don't know if he actually knows what he's saying or if he's just mimicking sounds. He's got the basics down pat though. The latest word in his arsenal is "baby" and part of me thinks he's referring to himself. Occasionally, it comes out sounding like "me-me" or "wee-wee" so who knows? He's gotten pretty good at sign language as well - he asks for something by signing "please" and can sign "thank you" when prompted. He also may think he's blowing kisses, but whatever - that's thanks enough to anyone who's on the receiving end! My mom just called to tell me that he's started saying "circle" but I couldn't clarify if he was actually identifying and saying "circle" or if a bunch of noise came out of his mouth that just sounded like he had said "circle" instead.
On Friday, I left work a little after noon and went to church for Good Friday services. It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside and so I grabbed Jack afterwards, and we went home to play outside. Last summer, we spent every single day after work outside with the neighbors, playing in the street. I've been seeing glimpses of our neighbors over the winter, and we've all remarked about how we can't wait until it's warmer outside so we can all get together and play.
Have I mentioned how much I love our neighborhood? Seriously, we are so lucky to have the neighbors that we do. We all watch out and take care of each other. Right now, I'm house-sitting for two of our neighbors. At least three of them have the code to our house, and I wouldn't think twice if one of them popped in while we were gone to borrow a cup of sugar or something like that. One of them dropped off a homemade "puppy basket" the other day for Blue and all the kids wander around from house to house or yard to yard. I just love it. So anyways, after I got home, Jack and I took Blue outside to play ball, hoping to get in a little playtime with the neighbors.
I call Blue my "reluctant retriever" because he would clearly rather be Jeff's dog, but is resigned to the fact that he's my dog. I'm the one that feeds him, lets him outside, and plays ball with him. But, when Jeff is around, Blue only has eyes for him. Still, Blue is a good, loyal, and loving dog. I can't say that enough. My sister commented yesterday that Blue is the type of dog that only exists in books or they make a movie about - you don't really believe he actually exists. The other day, I locked Jack in our bedroom while I ran downstairs to throw a load of clothes in the washing machine. Jack typically stays in the bedroom, playing with his toys, but this time, he decided to follow me - and managed to somehow unlock and open our bedroom door. I was in the laundry room and I could hear his feet thunder down the hallway. I knew I wasn't going to get to the stairs in time to help him down, so I started screaming, "How do we go down the stairs? How do we go down the stairs?" That usually prompts him to lay down on his belly to slide down the stairs. Anyways, I come tearing around the corner, thinking I'm going to see him tumble down the stairs, and I look up to see Jack on his belly and Blue blocking the staircase with his body so Jack couldn't get down. Yesterday, at my parents' house, Blue blocked Jack from going up the stairs as well. That dog is simply amazing.
So, I digress. Anyways, one of the other reasons Blue is my "reluctant retriever" is that he doesn't really care to play fetch all that much. He'd much rather wrestle with the other dogs in the neighborhood or run around with the kids on their bikes and scooters. So, on Friday, I tried to get Blue to fetch the ball, but he was more interested in smelling everything that had been uncovered by the snow. Oh yeah - spring in Minnesota is MESSY. There are puddles and mud piles everywhere. This delights Jack to no end. He loves splashing around in the puddles and kicking clumps of snow:
And, of course, Jack turned sixteen months old on Friday as well. When we were getting ready to take his monthly picture, he knew just what to do! I grabbed his stuffed dog from the floor and put it in his rocking chair. He climbed right on up, turned around, sat down and gave me this big, cheesy grin. So, I started snapping away. He only stayed still for a few seconds, of course, because he became distracted by Blue, who was sitting directly behind me.
When Jeff got home, we all went out for a celebratory dinner. I can now reveal that Jeff was asked to become a partner with his law firm a few weeks ago - on St. Patrick's Day, actually. His partnership became effective today.
I am so proud of him. Jeff works hard. I mean, really hard. The concept of being a "hard worker" gets thrown around quite a bit and I think gets used too much and too casually. And, I think that its a misconception that hard work eventually ends - which it shouldn't - even if it does pay off. But, I grew up in a household where hard work was not only a value, but expected. My mom worked really hard to raise me and my sister, and my dad worked hard to support us. I saw, first hand, the sacrifices that both of them had to make. Now, we're living it. I know - and feel - the sacrifices that Jeff has to make. I know the choices he's faced with. And they're big choices and big sacrifices. To see him rewarded for his tireless efforts just fills me with pride. I can't stop looking at him and thinking, "That's MY man - that's Jack's daddy." Now, this doesn't mean that Jeff gets a break, mind you. If anything, Jeff is redoubling his efforts and has moved forward with more focus and even bigger dreams and goals. When he sat down to talk about the partnership with my dad, his only piece of advice was to make sure Jeff didn't rest on his laurels. And it would seem Jeff has taken that piece of advice to heart. One day, I hope that Jack appreciates and learns from Jeff's efforts and becomes as hard-working and passionate as his daddy.
After dinner on Friday, Jeff went out with some of his buddies, and Jack and I stayed home. We had kind of a rough night. There was a thunderstorm, which woke Jack up and scared the blazes out of him, so I spent about an hour, rocking and singing to him to try and get him to go back to sleep. It worked - at around 5:00 in the morning - and he was up an hour later. So, we got up and had a dance party in the kitchen while I made breakfast. Later that day, we went up to the club to see the Easter bunny and have lunch. Jack was absolutely enthralled by the Easter bunny and kept trying to give him a high five or pull off his bow tie:
There was also an Easter egg hunt. I was surprised that Jack actually got the hang of it - although, I think in his mind he was "cleaning up" as opposed to actually searching for eggs.
After the hunt and the visit with the Easter bunny, we had lunch and Jack opened up some of his eggs at the table. We were bumping up against nap time, so he was somewhat subdued, but really enjoyed opening up the plastic eggs. All the surprises in the eggs were totally inappropriate for his age. But, he really didn't seem to mind since he preferred opening and closing the eggs instead of playing with whatever was inside. I had also bought a pair of bunny ears in the dollar aisle at Target before we went up to the club. My thought was that I would put them on Blue, but Jack loved them and loved putting them on himself.
Seriously, look at those rosy cheeks, the blue eyes and his expressions. My sweet boy.
After brunch, Jack went down for his nap and I took Blue outside to play ball. He was, predictably, more interested in rolling around with the kids and the neighbor's dog. He was soaking wet by the time we went inside. I toweled him off and realized he was absolutely filthy, so I gave him a bath. And I am so glad that I did - he had enough sand in his coat to fill a sandbox.
On Saturday night, we went over to Uncle Brendan and Aunt Lindsay's for some pizza and play time. They have a little girl, Juliet, who is about five months old and just as cute as can be.
Jack had fun playing with her toys, showing her how to build towers, and how to knock them down. He also enjoyed rocking her in her chair. In fact, he liked it so much that he decided that he should get in and rock himself:
This was, of course, great fun. Jack was quite pleased with himself, seeing as how he could get in and out of the rocking chair without any adult assistance. He may also have thought that he was just being silly...
We knew Uncle Brendan and Aunt Lindsay before either of us had kids. We used to have some pretty wild nights out together. And now, how times have changed! A wild night out before kids usually ended sometime in the wee morning hours of the next day. As we were getting ready to leave on Saturday night, Brendan remarked that now, a good night out meant we were home and asleep well before midnight. But still, we had a great time - good food, great friends and conversation, and time with our kids. Add in a glass or two of red wine, and that's a perfect evening in my book. And one I would trade for any of my old, crazy Saturday nights!
Sunday was, of course, Easter. And no Easter is complete in the Storms' house without a little seersucker.
We went to church on Sunday morning, and everyone just giggled at my little man, walking down the aisle in all his seersucker glory. And how could you not help but smile? Look at how cute he looks! And, between you and me, he knew it too.
After church, Jack went home with Nana and Papa. Jeff and I went home to change clothes and grab Blue. We blackmailed my parents into having Blue over for Easter, saying we could stay at their house longer because we wouldn't have to go home to feed him or let him out.
Secretly (or maybe not so secretly) though, I think they love Blue. He's a good dog. What's not to love?
Jack went down for his nap and we had Easter dinner. When he got up, he had discovered that the Easter bunny had visited Nana and Papa's house. Jack went on his little hunt and did a pretty good job at finding eggs, although they weren't really hidden well. I had filled a few with Jelly Bellies (his favorite candy) and my mom had a few large, empty plastic eggs. Jack would find an egg, shake it, and if it rattled, he would hand it to me and ask for a jelly bean. If the egg was empty, he'd simply throw it. It was like training one of Pavlov's dogs. My grandpa also put on the bunny ears, much to Jack's delight.
My sister and Wim came over after everyone had left and we all had a little play time. Jack invented this game which involved running into her outstretched arms for some kind of helicopter or plane ride. He kept backing up further and further away so he could run as fast as possible to her. This was, of course, great fun for all.
And, I think that's it. Like I said, there was a lot of ground to cover this week. Tomorrow, he starts full time in his new classroom at school. I'm anxious about this, and I will miss his old teachers tremendously. They were all like surrogate grandmothers to Jack. I know we'll see them around, but I hope he likes his new teachers. We've got an appointment with Jack's pediatrician on Thursday to see if we can find a reason as to why he's getting these persistent ear infections. I'm hopeful there's an answer that doesn't involve another surgery. I'm also hopeful that the weather continues to improve and we can get some more time outside this week!
