Celebrating our Anniversary

This morning I dropped the kids off at school and then tutored a student at the bookstore. It is finals week so she didn't have class this morning.

After tutoring I went back to Evan and Noah's school to Evan's parent teacher conference. All good things... Evan's teacher said he is doing well, progressing like he should, and getting along well with others. It was good to hear.

I had a little bit of time to go home and have lunch and then turn around and pick up the boys.

Noah wouldn't nap.

Gabby came at 4.

I tutored one student and then met Morry for dinner at Gumbos. We had a nice anniversary dinner. We sat on the covered patio and had a nice, relaxing meal.

We just got home. Gabby was getting the boys ready for bed.

Morry is reading to them now.

Let's hope they go to bed easily tonight. They were both up very late last night.

Happy Anniversary / Evan's Graduation

Today is our 8 year anniversary. Since we had a lot going on today, we decided we'll celebrate tomorrow night. We still wanted to do something today, so we thought going out to lunch would be fun.

I took the boys with me to the gym this morning and then we picked up Morry at work. For lunch we went to Hula Hut. Everything was going well. The boys were behaving, but then all of the sudden Noah had a meltdown. We have no idea why and couldn't figure out what the problem was. He basically ruined our lunch. Morry and I could not eat together. We took turns dealing with the screaming 3 year-old and walking around outside the restaurant. Noah threw a fit just about the whole time we were at Hula Hut. He finally calmed down enough to sit at the table at eat his hot dog.

We dropped Morry off at work and then went home for nap time. Noah did not nap.

Gabby came at 4pm and I met one student for tutoring. I came home and Morry and the kids got in the car.

Evan had his pre-school graduation tonight. It was very cute. Here are some pictures and video.

Evan and Victoria

Star Wars Pancakes

This morning Noah slept late. I let him sleep in so we were a little late to school. I thought he needed his sleep.

Drop off went fine.

While the boys were at school I took a walk with Lizzy and then got some stuff done around the house.

After picking up the boys we went over to Wonders and Worries. They help children who have/had parents with cancer. I know it's been a little while since I finished chemo but I thought they could help with some of the behavioral problems we are having, especially with Noah. I talked to someone while the kids played with the many toys they had there. They have all kinds of classes and group/individual sessions that focus on expressing feelings and dealing with anger etc. We might go back in a few weeks and try it out.

I tried putting Noah down for a nap when we got home but he didn't sleep.

For dinner we had Star Wars pancakes. Melissa and Jordan gave Evan Star Wars pancake molds. Evan has been constantly asking us when we can make them. So, Morry made them tonight for dinner for the kids. We had regular pancakes.

Noah has not been tonight. He wouldn't listen and wouldn't clean up. Once we gave the boys bath we put Noah right to bed. He's been crying/whining ever since. Morry is reading to Evan now.

Second Place

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today was Evan's championship game in tee ball. I was nervous all day, but I don't think Evan was. He knew that the game was the "championship" game but I don't think he really knew what that really meant.

Evan did not get up when I was going to work. It was good because he was still up as I was in bed. You would have thought after his big weekend this weekend he would have gone to sleep earlier.

Rachel and the boys stayed home today. They just took it easy which was a good thing since they needed rest. They were both kind of cranky in the morning. As usual Evan was torturing Noah to get him to whine and cry. Evan got on the phone with me at work to tell me that Noah was a whiner and that he told Noah that Noah was a whiner - which undoubtedly caused Noah to whine more.

When I got home, I heard the boys in their bathroom playing with the faucet. I went upstairs and got them to stop. I also noticed Rachel had been trying to nap but I imagine it was nearly impossible to nap with the boys being so loud.

I got Evan ready and took him to the baseball field for the game. Rachel and Noah got there just as the game was starting.

Unfortunately their team lost in the bottom of the 6th inning. Each half inning is played until 5 runs are scored or 3 outs are made. Heading into the top of the 6th, the Rockies (Evan's team) were leading by 2 runs. If they scored 5 runs in that inning the game would be over. But they were only able to get one run as the Mets recorded three outs, one on a groundout by Evan. In the bottom of the 6th, the Mets scored 4 runs to win the game.

Luckily, Evan was not disappointed. He got a plaque in a ceremony for the 2nd place. That was all he really wanted anyway. Some kids were crying but Evan seemed fine.

They had a pizza party after the game and Evan and Noah were happy to get pizza. When we got home the boys said they were still hungry. We had left over pizza from Saturday night so they each had another piece of pizza.

They are in bed now.

Until next time...

Chicago Trip

Evan and I had a great time in Chicago for Hanah'a Bat Mitzvah. Evan had a blast playing with his cousins, especially the older boys. Evan followed Benji around everywhere.

The first night we stayed with Jordan, Melissa, and Snickers (their dog). Evan loved Snickers. Last night we stayed at the hotel.

We ate a lot and spent a lot of time hanging out with everyone. The trip was wonderful. I'm glad we went.

It's been a very long day so I'm just going to post some pics and video and then hopefully call it a night.

If you were there, we are so glad we got to see you and hang out. If you weren't there, sorry we missed you.

Rio

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning, Noah woke up around 8:30 or 9. He just came into my room, climbed into bed and went back to sleep. We both got up around 10.

We came downstairs and I got cereal for Noah and did some things around the house. I also had promised Noah we'd go to see Rio. I was trying to figure when and what theater we'd go to see it. I had given Noah a bunch of options for what we could do today and that is what he picked.

I decided where we were going to see the movie. Right before I was going to get him dressed for the day so we could get ready to go, I said he needed to drink some milk. He agreed and went to the fridge to get his milk cup out. I told him that I had to get his milk because I had washed the cup last night. For some reason this set off a meltdown that lasted nearly an hour. He wasn't destructive, he was just whining and crying and he refused to get dressed. We missed the movie due to this.

All of a sudden he got happy so I found a later time movie and put him in the car. I figured we'd stop at Chick-Fil-A or Steak n' Shake for lunch as they were both in the same shopping center. I made the mistake of asking Noah which place he'd prefer as we could see a McDonald's on the opposite side of the road. He saw that and asked to go to McDonald's. We were kind of in a rush, due to the earlier fit, so I said we needed to go somewhere more convenient. That set off another fit. I ended up remembering that in the same shopping center was a Walmart that had a McDonald's in it. We ate there.

Noah was in a good mood for the movie and he seemed to enjoy it. There was a kid sitting behind us laughing at the movie. Whenever the kid would laugh, Noah would turn around and look at him and then start to laugh himself.

After the movie, we drove home and I put Noah down for a nap. He didn't sleep at all.

For dinner, I ordered Papa John's.

I had been waiting to talk to Evan. Rachel called a few times but Evan was very busy the whole time. He was very busy playing with his cousins. Rachel said he was having an absolute blast. One of his cousin's, Benji, is 13 and Evan was having a great time with him. When I eventually talked to Evan, he really was talking a lot about Benji. Rachel said that all the older kids loved having Evan there. She said Evan was the center of attention. She said they were being very physical but she wasn't at all concerned because the older kids were very understanding that Evan is smaller and younger. She thought it was really a lot of fun to watch Evan have so much fun. They'll be coming home tomorrow. The party of the bat mitzvah is going on now. Evan said it was a sports party. I don't know what that means. But he told me he was going to play baseball there so he could practice for his season.

Until next time...

Chicago

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning, Rachel and Evan left for a bat mitzvah in Chicago. I had to drop them off at the airport very early. Rachel got up at 5:30am and we woke Evan up around 6:15 and Noah around 6:20. We left the house around 6:30. Rachel and Evan arrived safely in Chicago a bit before 11am.

Gabby came to the house after Noah and I returned and took care of Noah until lunch time. Blanca took care of Noah in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, he didn't nap today. He was slightly cranky when I got home.

It was Matt's 40th birthday yesterday so they were having a dinner tonight. Noah and I drove up to Matt's. First we needed to get gas. Noah fell asleep as we pulled up to the gas station and slept the rest of the way up to Matt's. He was probably sleeping for about 45 minutes or so, which was good.

He was very tired and wanted me to hold him for a long time when we go there. Eventually I put him down at the table. And eventually he ate his food.

We had a good time with Matt and Rachael. Ben was really disappointed when Evan wasn't there. We walked in and he said, sounding really upset, "Where's Evan?" and he just was staring, almost as if he was hoping Evan would emerge from behind us. I felt bad.

On the way home, it started to rain and hail. It was really raining hard. Every over pass was filled with cars and there was no room to pull over so I slowly but persistently made my way home. It felt like a very long drive.

We just spoke with Rachel and Evan. Apparently Evan had a great time playing with some kids. He didn't eat much dinner because he was too busy playing with the kids.

Noah is now in his room but not sleeping.

Until next time...

Zoo with Evan's Class

I dropped off Noah at school and went with Evan's class on a field trip to the zoo. The kids had a fun time. We rode the train, walked around, and then had lunch at the picnic tables.

We went back to school to pick up Noah and then went home.

Noah wouldn't nap.

Gabby came at 4pm and I tutored.

Evan had a baseball game. Morry took the boys there and I got there at the end of the game. They won again and will go to the championship on Monday.

It is now almost 11pm and both boys are still awake and goofing around.

Short Post

This will be a short post since it's 8:45pm and I haven't had dinner yet.

Today the boys and I took a walk in the neighborhood and then went shopping at HEB.

Noah is doing a lot better and seems to be feeling better.

Gabby came at 4 and I tutored.

Morry and the boys had pasta tonight.

I got home a little after 8 and helped get the boys tucked in. But, of course, they are both still awake now. Evan was just singing a Black Eyed Peas song over and over in his room - "Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night."

Now, he's singing a REM song. What good taste in music!

The Home Run

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning, as I was backing out of the driveway, I looked up and saw Evan waving to me. He hadn't gotten up with me, so I didn't realize he was up. I guess he must have heard the garage door open and went into the game room to wave to me.

Noah slept until just before they had to go to school. They had to be on time today, because Evan's class had a field trip to the elementary school next door. It's not the elementary school that Evan will be going to though. They went to visit a Kindergarten class there.

Rachel picked me up around 11:40 because we were meeting a nutritionist at noon at a coffee shop. This was actually Rachel's Valentine's Day present as Rachel has really been trying to eat healthy. One of Rachel's obstacles in trying to eat healthy is me, so she and I met with an nutritionist and talked about what our likes and (many) dislikes are. She's going to put together a plan for us after meeting with us for a bit more than an hour.

When we finished up, Rachel didn't have enough time to drop me off at work and go pick up the boys, so I went with Rachel to pick up the boys. I went and got Evan while Rachel picked Noah up. Evan was really excited to see me as he hadn't expected me to come and pick him up. He told me he liked when I picked him up from school. Everyone drove me back to work.

I left work early today because Evan had his next tee ball playoff game. Evan has been listening well and running well. Noah told him that he needed to hit a home run. Evan told Noah that he would. While not as dramatic as Babe Ruth calling his shot, Evan made good on his promise by hitting a home run. The ball traveled about 10 feet. So really it a four-base error, but Evan ran fast around all the bases forcing the poor throws to the bases. I was really proud of Evan for his hustle and listening on the play. That's what made it so good. The ironic thing is it was probably one of Evan's worst hits all year. But it was so exciting. I ran out on the field to congratulate him. Then Evan ran into the dugout and grabbed an older kid by each shoulder and shook him and yelled "I hit a home run!" Earlier Evan had gotten up to bat and smashed the ball past second base and into the outfield, past the outfielder. Again, he hustled well and got a really solid triple. The team came from behind and won the game. Evan got the game ball for hitting and running so well. I was really proud of him. When the coach gave him the game ball, Evan screamed "Yes!" and got up to show it to me. The parents were all laughing.

We came home and made dinner. Then Rachel gave the kids baths while I cleaned up from dinner.

Now the kids are up but in their rooms. Evan is still excited about his big day.

Until next time...

Taking it Somewhat Easy

Noah slept in today. We he woke up he came in our bed and slept there until almost 11am.

I'm not sure if he had a fever. He didn't feel hot to me, but he looked and acted sick.

I took everyone for a walk in the neighborhood. Noah sat in the stroller pretty much the whole time. Evan walked a little. On our way home we saw Gabriela and Santiago in their driveway. We stopped to talk for a little bit.

Evan made "Evan Bot" today. He made his own little paper robot today all by himself. It was really cute. He cut out parts of the body and taped them together.

Noah took a nap today.

I got dinner mostly ready so that it just needed to be put in the oven.

Gabby was here at 3:45 and I tutored.

When I got home Morry and I ate pasta casserole and the boys had pizza.

We are going to get the boys ready for bed now.

Neighborhood Party

This morning Morry made me breakfast and then I had a massage and facial.

While I was gone Morry and the boys went to Sams Club.

When I got home Noah was asleep on the couch.

This afternoon we were invited to a pot luck dinner with some neighbors. We only knew one of the families beforehand. Evan was the oldest of all of the kids. There were a few babies. We were outside the whole time. Evan and Noah had a good time, but didn't eat much. There wasn't much food that they normally eat except for the fruit.

Noah fell asleep on the couch again when we got home. He hasn't been feeling well today.

We'll put the boys to bed soon.

Tball Playoffs

This morning we were able to sleep in. The boys got up earlier, but played well in the game room.

We took a walk around the lake. Evan and Noah ate their lunch in the stroller. They walked just a little bit of the way around the lake.

We had just enough time for Morry and I to eat lunch at home and then it was time to go to Evan's tball game. It was the first game of the playoffs.

It was a close game. Evan played really well and listened well. Here is video from the game. You can see Evan (#2) make his way around the bases twice. The first time he ran home, he almost got out. You can see the other kid coming from the other direction trying to get him out.



At home, Evan fell asleep on the floor at Morry's feet. Morry put on Despicable Me for them and when I came downstairs Evan was asleep on the floor.

For dinner we ate at the Texican.

The boys are in bed now. It's been a long day. I hope they both get some sleep soon.

Professional picture from a few weeks ago

Yesterday and Today

Yesterday, Blogger was down and we couldn't write the blog. I'm sure there were some really upset bloggers out there yesterday. It was down for almost 24 hours.

Anyway, yesterday Evan wore his Woody (from Toy Story) costume to school. They had a cowboy/cowgirl day. When we dropped Noah off in his classroom all the little kids were gathered around Evan staring at his costume.

Gabby babysit while I tutored.

For dinner last night we made pizza and let the boys put on their own toppings.

Today, we took a walk and then stayed at home. Oh, and I gave the boys haircuts today.

A little before 5pm I took the boys to the Wildflower park and Morry met us there after work.

For dinner we went to Red Robin. Then, I went purse shopping in the same shopping center while Evan, Noah, and Morry played in Petsmart. I came and met them when I was done.

Now it's time to get the boys ready for bed.

Fixing the House

Morry worked from home this morning. A handyman came over around 7:30am to do some projects around the house.

The boys and I went to get the oil changed and then did some shopping. Evan needed clothes for our Chicago trip.

Evan and Noah were very good while we were doing our errands.

While I was making lunch the boys were outside in the backyard. Evan came in very excited and said something about a bird smiling at him. I wasn't sure what he was talking about. Then, he said he very carefully petted the bird with 2 fingers. That's when I ran outside. Lizzy was straddling a little bird. She wasn't playing with it, just watching. It was just sitting there. I gave the boys a talk about touching wild animals and then we thoroughly washed hands.

Morry said Gabby knew exactly what kind of bird it was. She said it is a baby dove. She could tell because it didn't have it's head feather. The bird can only fly a little because it's so young. So, I guess now we need to keep an eye on it and hope the mother bird will take care of it.

Today was my late night of tutoring.

Morry and the boys had dinner at home together.

I got home a little after 8pm. Morry had put the boys to bed, but of course they are still awake and playing right now.

Another Baseball Game

This morning Evan and Noah were both up early.

Drop off at school went well.

I went to HEB and then lunch at Mandola's for the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls.

Both boys were in good moods when I picked them up from school.

Noah actually napped today, on the floor by his gate.

Evan had a baseball game at 5:45 today. He played well, but could have run faster. I left a little bit early so that I could come home and get dinner started.

Morry and the kids had pasta. I had leftovers from Verde's.

Morry is reading to Evan and Noah is downstairs with me. We are about to put them to bed.

Hat Hero

This morning it took us a long time to leave the house. I had everything in the car ready for our walk around the lake, but we didn't leave until about an hour after that. The whole morning Noah was acting like he needed to go to the bathroom, but he wouldn't go. I didn't want to get in the car and have him throw a fit because he needed to potty. I also didn't want to have him pee on the side of the trail like he does sometimes. I told him we would not be leaving until he went potty. He wouldn't go, so finally I told him we would just drop him off at Clubhouse for kids and then we would go to the lake without him. He still wouldn't potty. He threw a fit and I got him in the car. As we go tot he corner of our street he finally decided he would go potty. I had to quickly get him back in the house and to the restroom while Evan and Lizzy waited in the car.

At the lake the little Zilker Park train passed in front of us. On the train, a woman's hat flew off and I could see it was a hat decorated by a kid that said "Mom" on it. I quickly parked the stroller. Ran and got the hat and somehow caught up with the back of the train. It wasn't going that fast, but still at a pretty good pace. I handed the hat to the people sitting in the very back of the train so they could give it to the woman. Lots of people around were making comments about how fast I sprinted.

I was going to let Lizzy swim at one point, but saw the snake again. We went to a different part of the trail so she could swim.

This afternoon Gabby came and I tutored.

For dinner we had chicken in the crock pot.

The boys are playing upstairs now and we'll get them ready for bed soon.

Mother's Day

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning, apparently, Evan got up early and was in the game room watching TV. He didn't wake us up or anything.

I came downstairs around 9:15. Evan was drawing a heart on some construction paper and coloring it in for Rachel. He went up and delivered it to her. Grandma and Papa had cut up fruit for the boys.

At 10:30 we were about ready to go out to lunch. We were planning on going to Verde's Mexican Parilla. This is the place we went to a few weeks ago. They have a field where they put a bunch of balls (footballs, soccer balls, etc..) for the kids to play with. I had tried to make reservations a few days ago but they said they didn't take reservations, just call ahead seating. We said we'd be there at 11:15. Rachel's cousin's Lauren and Aaron, and Aaron's girlfriend Mandy met us there. Aunt Susan was at our house helping Bubbe get ready.

When we got out there Aaron, Lauren and Mandy were already there. They seated us right away outside. I'm guessing that people were having a later lunch and were still at church. It was a good lunch and everyone seemed to have a good time. Evan was tired by the end, and therefore in a cranky mood. When he crumpled up his menu and threw it, I took him out to the car and waited there until everyone was done.

At home, Rachel and Noah napped while I did some work. While I was doing work, Dax, Quin, Rachel and Lennon called us on Skype. Evan was very happy to see Quin and talk to him. Lennon was so funny. She didn't stop making noise the whole time.

For dinner, we just had leftovers.

The boys are in their rooms but not sleeping, of course.

Until next time...

Sports Saturday

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

This morning I set the alarm because Evan had a baseball game. It was also our turn to bring snacks for after the game. We decided to bring Gatorade, popsicles and chips. I needed to run to HEB to get ice for the cooler so we could bring the snacks.

When I got up, Evan was in the game room watching TV. We went downstairs and I got some breakfast together for him. Later, Papa cut up fruit for Evan which made him happy.

At the game, Evan did well hitting the ball. He had two solid hits, both to the right side. However, he was not running very fast. I think he does better in afternoon games.

Evan was very excited about the snacks after the game and happy that there were extra for Noah.

After the game, we went back to the house and had lunch. Rachel, Grandma and Bubbe had to go to a baby shower for Lauren. While they did that, Papa and I took Evan and Noah to the driving range.

Evan really improved both from the last time he was hitting as well as during the course of the time we were there. He discovered how to really get do a back swing and his last two swings were really good and he hit the ball far. Noah enjoyed hitting the golf balls but he really enjoyed hitting the balls when we went on the putting green.

Papa and I took the boys after that to Smoothie King.

When we got home, the boys who were acting tired, went right back outside where they had spent almost the entire day. They played some golf in the backyard, they played football, played baseball and went on the swings. It was unbelievable to me that they had any energy.

When Rachel got home, we left because it was our date night. We went to the Melting Pot in North Austin. Before we went out, we stopped at Matt and Rachael's because it was Tristian's 15th birthday.

Grandma and Papa took Evan and Noah to Waterloo. Evan had a jelly sandwich and Noah had mini corn dogs. They both ate a ton of fruit there.

Apparently they went to sleep fairly easily after Papa and Grandma scrubbed them down in the bath.

Until next time...

Instant Winner

This morning I got some stuff done around the house and the boys played outside some.

We went to HEB. HEB gives kids Buddy Bucks that they put in a machine with a spinner. The spinner determines how many points the kids get. Points can be saved up for prizes. Well, today Noah landed on "Instant Winner". That has never happened before. You would have thought we won the lottery or something. The boys were jumping up and down. I asked an employee and they said we needed to go to customer service to claim the prize. Noah got to pick between a few little toys and he chose Silly Bandz (those rubber band bracelets). As we were going to the car Evan started throwing a fit because he wanted to be an instant winner and get a prize too. As much as I tried to reason with him, it didn't seem to help. It took a while to leave the parking lot. Evan was still throwing a fit when we got home. He was being so bad I had to put him in his room for a while.

Grandma, Papa, and Bubbe got here around 2:30. The boys were so excited to see them. They spent most of the afternoon outside in the backyard.

For dinner we ate at Mandola's.

I got the boys ready for bed while Morry and Papa/Lenny/Dad went to Home Depot.

Mother's Day at School

This morning both boys had Mother's Day parties at school. I could only stay for a few minutes because I had a 9:30 doctors appointment. In Noah's class they had donuts, some type of berry cake, and orange juice. Evan's room had muffins and they were making their own orange juice. Noah gave me a hand print picture and a photo magnet of him. Evan gave me bath salts and soap that I believe the class made together.

When I picked the boys up from school they were both in really good moods.

Gabby came at 4 and I tutored.

For dinner we went to Panera and ate outside.

The boys are in bed now.

Snake Sighting

The boys were up early this morning.

Around lunch time we went to the lake with Lizzy. I packed lunches for the boys to eat while we went around the lake. At one point we stopped to let Lizzy swim and fetch the ball. Evan noticed a snake under a bush. I didn't see it at first, it wasn't that close to us and not somewhere we would have gone. I looked a little bit closer and was pretty sure it was a rattlesnake. I didn't see the rattle, but it looked like the few other rattlesnakes I have seen. It was curled up and probably sleeping. We got out of there pretty quickly.

Gabby was supposed to come at 2:00. I signed up for a 2:30 focus group. Somehow there was a misunderstanding. I'm not sure if I said the wrong time or maybe she heard that I had something at 2:30, but needed her to come at 2 and got the times mixed up. Anyway, about 10 after 2:00 I called Gabby's house and her mom said she left already and would be there at 2:30. I called Blanca to come over. Luckily she was home. I still couldn't get to the focus group in time. I hit every light and they said they wouldn't accept anyone past 2:30. A little before 2:30 I decided just to turn around and not waste my time trying to get there. I knew I wouldn't make it. I ended up getting some stuff done around the house and then shopping at Target while Gabby was babysitting.

I tutored at 4:30, but my second student canceled.

Morry ordered pizza for dinner and I got home right before the delivery guy showed up.

The boys were pretty good today. Let's hope they are good tomorrow too.

Where Butterflies Go

This morning we all went to Kindergarten Round Up. We turned in the forms and got a tour of the building. Evan was not at all intimidated. As we walked through one kindergarten class he started heading toward the carpet area where they had stuff going on. Morry had to pull him back. It is a nice school and everyone seemed friendly.

After that we dropped the boys off at school. Victoria was happy to see Evan when he entered the classroom.

I did some cleaning around the house while they were at school.

In Noah's class they released butterflies and then asked the kids where butterflies go. They had a list of what all the kids said. Some said up in the sky, a few said Disney World. Noah said Lego Land in Dallas.

Evan was helping clean up a puzzle when I picked him up. Both Evan and Noah were in good moods.

I tried to get Noah to nap, but he didn't sleep.

Blanca came at 4;45. I tutored and then met everyone at Evan's baseball game. Noah and I left during the middle of the game so I could get dinner started.

For dinner I made a chicken noodle casserole.

Now, we are about to put Evan and Noah to bed.

Winter in May

It felt like winter here today. It was cold and rainy. We mostly stayed indoors. Around noon we went to Clayton Elementary, where Evan will go to kindergarten, to pick up his registration packet. Kindergarten registration is tomorrow.

For lunch the boys ate really well. I was surprised. They ate all of their food.

Noah actually took a nap today. I think a few things helped. It was dark outside and he didn't have any toys in his room to distract him.

Gabby came at 3:45.

I tutored one student.

For dinner we had soup and fried matzoh.

We just gave the boys a bath and now Morry is reading to them.

Birthday Party Times Two

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

As a follow-up to last night's post, Noah threw a fit in his room for an hour last night and finally fell asleep. I went upstairs around 11-ish. I saw a bunch of stuff on Noah's floor but it was dark. I decided I'd deal with it in the morning. Unfortunately, Noah had underwear on (backwards) and he really needed his pull-up on. So I very carefully pulled Noah's underwear off and put his pull-up on. He didn't wake up but I guess that got him from a deep sleep. About fifteen minutes later, I heard Noah crying. He didn't want to tell me why he was upset so I just closed the door to his room and went back to my room. A few minutes after that, I heard banging. Noah was punching the door. I went in his room and turned on the light and then the full extent of the mess became apparent. Noah had yanked his alarm clock/CD player off of his dresser and out of the wall and thrown it onto the ground. He had pulled his lamp out of the wall and must have smacked it on something and shattered the CFC light bulb. He had thrown the DVD player that we keep in his room to keep him occupied at night on to the floor. Rachel and I cleaned up; Rachel vacuumed while I picked up things and we took everything out of his room except for the dresser and bed essentially.

This morning, however, was much better. Noah was in a very good mood as was Evan. We had two birthday parties to go to, back-to-back at the same place. One went from 10:30 to 12:30, the other from 1pm to 3pm. Noah was invited to both as well. The first party was for Evan's friend Victoria. Actually she's more of Evan's girlfriend. They spend a lot of time together at school. It's very cute. The party was at this inflatable place called Hoppin' House. Both boys had a great time running around and playing. At one point, Evan and Victoria were walking around together. Victoria had her arm around Evan and she was steering him where she wanted to go. Evan's friend Cayden yelled for him to come over to be with the "guys". Victoria wanted him to go with her. He paused trying to decide where to go. He ended up going with Victoria. I think that girl vs buddies dilemma will keep popping up in his life.

The second party was Cayden's party. They continued having fun. Ella, a girl from Noah's class, was invited to that party. Noah enjoyed seeing Ella. At one point they hugged. When did my little boys start being such ladykillers? At the end, Evan looked really tired and was really cranky. But all-in-all they had a good time.

Noah actually took a nap in his now-empty room.

For dinner, we had pizza. They had an entire extra pie at the first party which they let us take home. That saved us from having to cook tonight.

After dinner, Evan and Noah cleaned downstairs and the game room. Neither complained. They were very good.

They are supposed to be in bed but both are down here now.

Until next time...