Vacation day - Ice Storm

My work was open despite the ice storm today; I decided to take a vacation day instead of braving the elements in our new CRV. So, today I am home with Kristin and the kids. well worth one tenth of my allotted vacation days. So far, Mo and I got to go out and frolic (more like trudge) through our front yard. We have a slight incline so we took our four-year-old, brand new sled out for a test run. Two times down was enough for Mo. We lasted all of about fifteen minutes out there before we both had enough. Hot Chocolate time (with baby marshmallows, of course.) Right now, it's 11am and the sun is peering out for a bit, snow is gently coming down, and we have Ricki Lee Jones on the stereo. Chuck E. is still in love after all these years! And we are loving the snow day.

Others are not enjoying it as much. My dad is out of power, as are Kristin's parents. I hope they get power soon. Anyone reading this who is in town and out of power, please come by if you can. We have power, hot chocolate and homemade chicken noodle soup. Stay warm, and have a good day if you can. Now for some pictures.

By popular demand...

Equal time for Rowan

January photos #2

The new president

New president

The best thing about our new president is his name (I'm sure that's not the best thing he has going for himself, but he now has to prove himself.) And Mojo knows how to say that name, in a very cute, two-year-old, sing-song way. Up hill with " Barack", slight pause, down hill (slowly) with "O-ba-ma". She can pick him out in a line-up as well, though she is unclear about his stance on unemployment or women's' rights, nor is she clear about the duties of a president (yes, I said "dooties".) Our family is hopeful that the new administration will get the country back on track, but in the meantime, we'll have fun with the name. barACK O-ba-ma.

January photos

Kids say the darnedest things

Maureen has said some really fun things lately that include:

"I'm a princess. I'm going to the ballgame."

"I'll be a dwarf. I'll be Grumpy or Sneezey. No, I'm Snoopy."*


And the favorite of the week - during school on Wednesday, a little boy classmate of Maureen's pushed another little boy in her room. Maureen reproached him sternly with her hands on her hips, "Listen here little man, you’re a naughty naughty boy. I don’t want to see you acting like that!" The teachers were floored.

*Editor's note: to Maureen's credit, she knew Snoopy was not a dwarf, but a dog. It was a word association moment, not an utter confusion moment!

Food frenzy

Developmental update

Rowan is able to sit up for long periods of time unattended. He is also eating rice cereal with banana baby food. Maureen rolled her eyes at daddy for the first time. These kids grow up so fast.

A very happy birthday wish goes out to Uncle Johnny. Sorry we missed your party tonight. We just didn't want to pass along pink eye to the family.

Giggles

Rowan is giggling now. Great fun.

The pacifier jokester

Ever since Maureen turned two, we've managed to limit the use of the pacifier for bedtime use only. Naps (which are becoming a rarity these days) and nighttime. Maureen understands this rule and though it was tough in the beginning for all of us, she now abides (the dude abides!)
Recently, the practical joker in Maureen started to appear. Her "thing" is to try to see how far she can get from bed with the pacifier in her mouth. Daddy falls for it every time; she usually makes it through morning potty time and all the way to the breakfast table before Mom notices. Once she's outed, she give a sly smile and a proud giggle as if she's accomplished some major feat.
Yesterday, Grandpa Paul came over to watch her and Rowan for a couple of hours while we were at work. He was here alone when Maureen awoke from her nap and pulled the joke on him. This time they only made it to the steps before she revealed her elaborate joke she just pulled. She said something to the effect of, "Papa, I made a joke on you", and offered up her pacy. She told him that she makes a joke on Daddy all the time too.
When I came home from work, she had created a sing-song, "I made a joke on Papa!" She was very proud of herself. I had to call Paul to give him hell. My only fear is that the practical jokes will become more elaborate, and it seems I am a prime target. I'll have to wake up early on all April Fool's Days from now on.

Go Cards!

Here are our dear, little cardinal fans. The whole family was decked out in red and black to cheer the cardinals to victory over the wildcats - it barely worked. We were hosted by Uncle Scott, Aunt Kathy and their monkeys and were served some homemade hot wings and seafood etouffee. Maureen watched Tom and Jerry on the computer while Rowan slept, ate and cried. I'm sure they will become interested in the game as they grow, maybe. The highlight was a well crafted cheer, performed by Cousin A, Maureen and Kristin. I've never heard "Go Cards" delivered with such enthusiasm.

Trip to Target

We've been held up in the house since Wednesday afternoon and finally, yesterday, I got to get out and stretch my legs with a quick trip to Target. I had to take back all my well meaning, but slightly off-the-mark presents I bought for Kristin for Christmas (to be fair, it wasn't all the presents, and I was told exactly what to get - I just didn't quite take in all the details.) Maureen went with me and she was a great companion for this trip.

I've never been one to return anything before I got married, or at least it was very, very rare. I'm starting to get more used to the process, though I always feel like I am caught in the opening scene of the movie Midnight Express, trying to smuggle hashish past Turkish customs. There was only one item we did not have a receipt for - a shirt for Rowan that did not fit him. The Target Lady asked if there was "something wrong" with the shirt, and I replied, "It doesn't fit, I wear a Large." She gave me a critical smirk and we were on our way.

I forgot that I was supposed to look for a replacement shirt for Rowan; my sights were focused on replacing the defective Karaoke machine that Santa Claus tried to pass off on us. We took a chance by selecting the same brand, hoping we made it back to the electronics department shelf before the Target Lady did with our return (that's what they do, it's a vicious circle.) Success!

As Maureen's reward for being a good girl, we went to McDonald's for some nuggets and fries. We had a lot of fun. She was excited about her food, the toys with her meal, and with being with Daddy. It was tender - we definitely could have been on one of those touching McDonald's commercials. No whining, no crying - just some great conversation (as good as it gets with a two-year-old) and bonding daddy-daughter time! It doesn't take much.

Happy New Year 2009

I can't really complain too much about the past year, when I realize that a few very important milestones took place. The best possible milestone during the year was the birth of Rowan Patrick. What a joy. His little smile is all it takes to get me up and going again. It's been a bit tough watching him as he muddles through his illness this week, but he is bouncing back like a champ and will be back to normal soon.

Maureen has grown so much in the past year - I am truly amazed by her transformation. Her verbal skills are advanced for a two-year-old, as are her reasoning skills. Right now, she is pushing her independence as far as it will go, testing to see where the boundaries are. Sometimes it's amusing, sometimes it's a major pain in the ass. I am learning so much about being a parent, but realize there's much more to learn.

One area that needs attention is spending more quality time with Kristin. We get so wrapped up in the kids that we don't get many chances to go out on dates or have conversations that do not revolve around the kids. This means more babysitting opportunities for any interested parties out there. Give me a call!

I have great hopes for 2009. Goals are to work on quality of life, relationships with family and friends, a whole lotta work on my professional path, and I'm going to try not to dwell on things too much. On that note, I will sign off. Happy New Year, y'all.

Recap for the last week

Hello, anyone out there? I have been sick, as has my whole family. Rowan is the last to be ailing - he has RSV (not restless leg syndrome) and has really been sick for the last six days. Unfortunately we all were under the weather through Christmas, and spread it to both extended families. We did, however, manage to have some fun during the holidays. Here are some snaps:

Free raspberries

Looking Snazzy

Big day for the Ro-boy

Here's a video of Rowan enjoying his first taste of solid food - he got some rice cereal tonight for dinner.

Happy Birthday to the Greatest Wife EVER!!!

Props go out to my lady on this special day. I'm not sure if you know this or not, but after a career in chemistry, Kristin served for Americorps for a couple of years, and then spent some time in Asia with a group called Youth International. There, she spent time helping those less privileged than herself. She met Mother Teresa and worked with her nuns at a leper orphanage, met the Dahlia Lama, and did some really good, caring deeds across the continent. All those good deeds did not come close to preparing her for the challenges she accepted on June 4, 2005. She had no idea how much she had to sacrifice, how much pain she had to endure, how much of her time and nurturing had to go into her newly accepted role as my wife. She is a strong, loving and dedicated wife and mother. She deserves a lot more than I've been able to provide her, but accepts me for the slightly neurotic guy I am. I guess my sense of humor goes a long way. A really, really long way (I thought my brother was the funny one!)
But seriously, I truly do appreciate and adore Kristin and can't wait to not only spend the whole day with her today on her birthday, but the rest of my life with her. She is an amazing person indeed.

Does this look familiar?

We set up the bouncy swing for Rowan yesterday. He seemed to enjoy it, though we probably shouldn't let him bounce until a 1/2 hour after he's eaten. It was a good weekend - I'm sorry it's already over.

Highlights this week: Kristin's birthday on Thursday. I'm taking the day off work to be with her, while we begin Christmas shopping.

The kids are doing well, though we are having a hard time convincing Rowan to sleep in his own bed. This is a deadly path to go down, I know (deadly is too strong, I know.) I realize we need to just let him cry, but we are taking the easy way out for now, where we can all get a little sleep.

12-7-08 photos

Another adorable video

Saturday after Thanksgiving

Annual Thanksgiving Family picture

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

This was our "on" year - the bi-annual (once every two years, not twice a year) Thanksgiving marathon tour. We treked up to Indianapolis to my Aunt Nancy's house for a early afternoon feast, then trek back to my in-laws to warm up the leftovers from their feast. Pie is involved in both on both ends of our journey. I have to say, thanks in great part to our new purchase of the CRV (still need a nickname - the White Wonder?) the trip was smooth sailing. Rowan slept the entire way up and both kids slept the entire way back. Kristin and I got some time to actually communicate. It was a fantastic trip.
It was great to meet yet one more cousin (once removed?) Quinn; daughter of my Cousin Michael. She is just a couple of months younger than Rowan and very pretty - delicate features. Maureen had a blast chasing Elizabeth and being chased by Liam (both Cousin Jennifer's kids). It's nice to see a new wave of youngsters running and screaming through the hallways again.
Back at the in-laws, we were able to spend some QT with some good folks, eat some good food, and watch two versions of the Nutcracker on TV - a new found love for Maureen. Both kids, not to mention their parents, were worn out by the end of the day. I am so glad my boss gave us Friday off. Now, to tackle those leaves!!

Sorry, no photos - we forgot our camera. If anyone from either party has some shots to share, please email me and I'll post em!

Mess on the dancefloor

We went to my cousin Dan's wedding - a beautiful wedding indeed - with the kids last Saturday. Maureen was having fun on the dance floor, running, playing and dancing (of course). She got knocked down at some point, cried, then got back out there and started playing again. Then, when Kristin went out to dance with Mo, it happened - large amounts of reprocessed mac n' cheese came spewing from her little body. Kristin quickly swooped her up and rushed her to the ladies' room, sister in-law Mickey and I transitioned into the cleaning crew, and we swiftly escorted our family unit out the door abruptly. Kristin was covered in vomit. I tried to breath through my mouth the whole trip home to keep from gagging. Maureen was weepy.

The next couple of days were filled with poor little Maureen throwing up and feeling really, really awful. I wound up taking her to the emergency room on Sunday, remembering that she got down prior to her episode and perhaps a bump on the head may have been the cause. But no, it was only a bug.

Maureen is feeling much better now. Thanks go out to Mickey and Chrissy, and other relative who helped us at the reception, and to GPP for watching Mo and Ro at a moment's notice through this week.

The latest thing is that I noticed a little bump on Maureen's stomach (under her breastbone) last night. Could be a hernia from vomiting? Anyone know anything about hernias in little kids? It doesn't seem to bother her, but we need to get it looked at today.

Not Hot. NOT HOT!

GPP (El Cuerta) came over last night and he and I took the kids to the Bonnycastle Club for chicken wing night. Maureen was delighted, though she did have one of her "NOT HOT" fits. This is where we bring her hot food, tell her to wait until it cools down, and she gets upset because her desire to eat outweighs the probability that she will get hurt doing so. She argues with reason, stating "Not Hot, NOT HOT." This has been a battle since she's been able to talk - and I would venture to say "Not" and "Hot" were two of the first ten words she first learned.

I know what you are saying - don't put hot food in front of her. Again, easier said than done. But she is learning, slowly, that heat hurts. We tell her she is in charge of the situation; if we tell her it's hot, and she feels that it's hot, it's up to her which path she takes. Some times you gotta get burned.

Once again, Rowan slept through the whole experience.

ps: Happy Birthday Betty (Owl's Pine Tree!)