Outside Day

This morning I had planned on taking the boys to the Wildflower Center. Evan started throwing a fit that he didn’t want to go. I didn’t feel like fighting. I didn’t want to go badly enough to fight for it.

Evan and Noah had an early lunch of eggs and ham. The first batch was blue eggs and ham. Then, Evan wanted more and wanted me to make red eggs and ham. Hey, if he’ll eat it I’ll make them any color.

We spent a lot of the afternoon outside. The boys played while I finished planting the rest of the plants. Evan and Noah liked looking at the different bugs I found. First, I found a little earthworm. Then, I found this other weird looking worm. I think maybe it was some kind of centipede. It was about an inch and a half long, thick, and slimy looking. Evan really enjoyed looking at that one. I was looking down planting and he told me he petted it. He said it felt funny. I told him he just look at it, not touch it. I wasn’t sure exactly what it was. Oh, we also saw some rolly pollys. Evan and Noah each held one in their hand. Noah thought it was funny when it was crawling up his arm.

We came in for naps. Noah slept and Evan played in the game room.

For dinner we had spaghetti outside. Evan and Noah played more while Morry and I cleaned up.

Morry just left to get pick up Marilyn from the airport. She’ll be here until Monday.

School and Gardening

This morning Evan gave me a little bit of a hard time going to school, but it wasn’t as bad as last time.

After dropping Evan off at school, Noah and I met Yenis at Starbucks. At Starbucks, I ran into 3 other moms (separately) from the mom’s club. One joined us with her 3 year old daughter. We sat outside. Noah and the little girl enjoyed running around together.

After Starbucks, Noah and I went to HEB. Noah was very good there.

We came home, put away the groceries, and pretty soon after it was time to pick up Evan from school.

When we got back home Noah went down for a nap and Evan and I planted some of the plants in the backyard.

After that we went upstairs so that I could rest and Evan played in the game room.

For dinner I made a planko baked chicken, rice, and soup. The weather was beautiful, so we sat outside for dinner.

I tutored one student tonight while Morry took care of the boys.

I came home a little while ago. Both of the boys were in bed and it seems to be quiet.

Plants for the Garden

This morning around 7:30am the air conditioning guy called to say he’d be over soon. A little after that Evan got up. The guy was here for a while and got everything fixed and working again.

Evan, Noah, and I went to Home Depot to pick out some plants. Last year we grew some herbs and vegetables. The jalapenos and bell peppers grew well. Evan and Noah had a good time picking out plants. I’m trying to remember everything we bought. I think we got basil, thyme, tomatoes, various peppers, strawberries, corn, peas, onions. We’ll see if they all grow. I’ll try to get them all planted tomorrow.

Evan and Noah snacked on a lot of food, but didn’t really have lunch. They were both really tired when we got home. Evan threw a fit when we got home. I’m not really sure why. He wanted to unbuckle his own car seat but was getting frustrated. The chest part is sticky because he spilled slushy on it the other day and the bottom part is hard even for me sometimes. You have to do it just at the right angle. I tried to help him, but he wouldn’t let me. He was whining and crying. I’m not sure what he wanted. He didn’t want my help. While he was being difficult, I unloaded the car and brought everything to the backyard. During this, I managed to sneak in and unbuckle his seat. Then, he threw a fit because he wanted to put the plants outside. I had already finished.

I put Noah down for a nap. Evan stayed downstairs while I ate my lunch. I offered him leftover pizza, but he didn’t want any.

Evan came upstairs with me. I needed to nap. Evan didn’t want a movie on in the game room. He said he only wanted to play in there.

When I woke up a little bit later I went to the game room to check on Evan. He wasn’t in there and I started to get a little worried. I checked his room and the guest bedroom. Then, I looked a little closer in the guest bedroom and he was all the way under the covers and asleep in the bed. He put himself down for a nap.

Blanca came at 4:00 and I tutored 3 students. She had to wake Evan up at 5:00 since he was still sleeping.

Morry took the boys to Evan’s sports class. Evan threw a fit at first on the way there and in the gym, but he calmed down after a little while. Then, Morry took Evan and Noah to Chick Fil A. I met them there when I finished tutoring.

When we came home we put the boys to bed, but Evan came out of his room and sat on the stairs until Morry went upstairs for bed. That’s what happens when he ends up napping. He fights going to sleep at night.

End of the Party Weekend

This morning Evan was up early and hung out with Grandma and Papa. When Papa got Noah out of bed, Noah pointed out to Papa that he had had a blowout. Papa cleaned up Noah, but he still needed a bath. Grandma gave Noah a bath while I got Noah’s room cleaned up and put new sheets on his bed. What a mess! He seemed to be feeling ok though.

Aunt Susan came over this morning and we ate breakfast here.

Grandma, Papa, and Bubbe drove back to Dallas around noon. Morry and I finished cleaning up from the party. There wasn’t much left inside, but there was still a lot in the backyard to clean up.

I made sandwiches for the boys, but they didn’t eat much.

At nap time, Noah slept and Evan played quietly in the gameroom.

For dinner we all ate leftover pizza, even Noah. Noah has never really eaten pizza before. We tried, but he didn’t want it. Tonight he ate a whole piece that we had cut into thirds.

After dinner Morry talked to Grandmom/Marilyn while I folded laundry and got Evan’s Easter eggs ready for school. Evan helped me fill the eggs with candy.

Morry and the boys are cleaning up and then we’ll go upstairs to put them to bed.

Here’s a video from earlier today of Evan and Noah playing with their new doctor’s sets that Grandmom got them.

The Birthday Party

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today was the big day - the boys' birthday party. It started off very well. Evan slept until about 8:45. He didn't even come in our room when he got up. He went into the bathroom where Grandma was and then Papa got him breakfast.

When everyone was up, we started preparing for the birthday party. Grandma and Papa cut up fruit. I went in the backyard and set up all the sports equipment - soccer net, tee-ball, and basketball hoop. I also set up tables and chairs. Rachel started getting balloons ready. Papa also found time to make french toast for everyone.

After that, I went to HEB to get the cakes and Rachel ordered the pizza for the party.

The party started at 12:30. Evan didn't seem super excited until his buddies from school came. Once they all came he was running around with them, playing sports, playing super heroes. At one point, I saw him put on his Power Rangers mask that he had gotten for his birthday last year. Noah was enjoying all the attention he was receiving.

About six weeks ago, I set up a train to come to the party. I've been very excited about this. Both Evan and Noah love trains. We didn't tell the boys. We wanted to keep it a secret and see their faces when it came. It was scheduled to come between 1:30 and 2pm. Around 1pm, the guy called to say the train broke down. He offered a fire engine which I accepted. The fire engine came around 1:30 or so. Evan and Noah seemed excited. I think they would have enjoyed a train, but this worked for the most part.

All in all the party seemed liked a very good success. It seemed like all the kids had a great time. The adults seemed to enjoy it and it was a beautiful day - sunny and 80 degrees. Here is a link to pictures of the party:

http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelkbelkin/20100327#

After everyone left, the boys opened their presents. Evan brought the GeoTrax that Aunt Fran got for Evan and Noah up to the gameroom to play with, while Noah took a nap.

For dinner, we went to the Salt Lick for dinner with Rachel's aunts and uncle and several cousins. We ended up having to wait for more than an hour to be seated and nearly two hours from the time we got there to the point we got our food. Evan had a meltdown in the meantime. Rachel and Lauren took Evan and Noahoutside to run around for a bit and that put Evan in a better mood.

When we got home, we discovered our air conditioning upstairs had broken...again. I think it's the same problem as we had last August when an animal chewed through a wire in the outside unit, causing a short in the line which burned out a piece in the furnace. I have a call into the AC place and we're just waiting for a call back to schedule and appointment at this point.

The boys are asleep now. Evan went to bed easily.

Until next time...

Let the Wild Rumpus Start

This morning we stayed at home. I was feeling a lot better, but not good enough to go out. We were supposed to go to playgroup, but I let her know we wouldn’t be able to come.

I did more cleaning around the house. Evan helped me mop the floor.

Around lunch time I took the boys to Sonic. I wanted to get an icy drink and I thought Sonic would be good since I wouldn’t have to get the boys in and out of the car. Evan, Noah, and I all got slushes.

When we got home the boys played for a little while and then I put Noah down for a nap. Then, as I was getting Evan set up in the game room we looked out the window and saw Grandma, Papa, and Bubbie pulling up in the driveway.

Evan and Lizzy were very excited. We went outside to meet them.

Noah was still making noises and talking so I took him out of his room to see everyone.

We all went out to the backyard for a little bit. The weather was really nice. Then, I put Noah down for a nap again.

Papa went to HEB to pick up some food for the party.

For dinner, we went to Cypress Grill. Evan fell asleep on the way there and slept on Morry some of the time in the restaurant.

When we got home we gave Evan and Noah showers and put them to bed.

More Evan

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Evan slept very well in the other bedroom last night. However, he still got up with me. There's no way he heard me. I think he just happened to get up.

As we were leaving the bedroom, and it was pitch black, I stepped on Lizzy's paw. Lizzy was sitting in the hallway with her paws in the threshold of the door. I stepped down and felt her paw and before I could put my weight on her paw, I tried to throw my weight differently and I just went down in a big heap on the floor. Luckily Rachel didn't wake up and neither did Noah. Lizzy was fine since I never put my weight down.

At 9:30am, I got a call at work from Rachel. She said she was at Evan's school. Apparently Evan was very very bad this morning. He didn't want to get dressed for school upstairs. He wanted to go downstairs. It's much easier for Rachel to get Evan dressed first and then Noah so she needed to do it upstairs. Well, this set Evan off to the point that he threw such a fit that lasted all the way to school. She couldn't get him fully strapped into his car seat (with his pajama top still on) but she drove him anyway. When she got to school, he refused to get out. She had to bring Noah in, lock the car, ask the teacher to watch Noah, go back out to the car and get Evan who held onto the things in the car with all his might. He continued to throw a fit at school but the teachers were able to calm him down. The rest of the day for him, amazingly was normal. Actually, Evan is normally pretty good. He gets upset, gets over it and moves on. He rarely stays upset for a long time. So the fact he was able to have a normal day was no surprise. The surprise was how long that he threw that fit. His fits normally are relatively short. I think he was probably over tired.

Rachel began to feel nauseous after she left Evan. She dropped Noah off at Alena's so she could get food for the party on Saturday and clean the house. Unfortunately she was not able to do much because she didn't feel well.

She got Evan and Noah and put Noah down for a nap and set Evan up in the gameroom and laid down herself. But she started feeling really sick.

When I got home, Noah and Evan were playing the gameroom. She just picked Noah up out of his crib and laid back down and hoped they would play well in the gameroom. They did.

Before Rachel got sick, she started a corned beef in the crock pot. I came home and carved it and the boys and I had dinner. Noah ate a ton of corned beef but Evan didn't have any.

After dinner, I vacuumed, cleaned up and put the boys to bed. Rachel came downstairs for a little bit after having vomited twice and watched a little tv with me while I folded laundry. She went back upstairs and I cleaned the downstairs office. Rachel definitely seems to have Evan's stomach virus. It only lasted 24 hours for Evan, let's hope it lasts that way for Rachel as well.

The boys went to sleep easily. Evan seems completely comfortable in the new room.

Until next time...

Dentist

Today I had a dentist appointment. It was just for a cleaning and check-up. Things look good considering everything I have been through the last few months. Gabby was here taking care of the boys while I had my appointment. On the way home I stopped and got a few more things for the party at Target.

Evan, Noah, and I ate lunch and then it was nap time. Noah slept and Evan watched TV.

At 4:15 Blanca came and I went to tutor 2 kids.

Morry got dinner ready (pizza) so that when I came home we could eat.

Morry had the idea of maybe moving Evan’s bedroom to another room in the house. Right now, his room is right next to our bathroom and slightly over the garage. We think maybe the noises are waking him up in the morning. We asked Evan if he would like to move into the guest bedroom upstairs at some point. I think he misunderstood or was excited. He wanted to sleep in there tonight. So, tonight he’s sleeping in the queen bed in that room. We’ll see how it goes. We told him he’d have to move back to his room this weekend when Grandma and Papa come.

Evan seems to be quiet, but Noah is talking away in his room right now.