Recently we went over to a friend's house for dinner and they have a year and a half old boy. While my boys were playing in 1 room, the other 3 adults were cooking and I was on toddler duty.
Man, that kid was all over the place.. Climbing on chairs, playing with this, going into the other room, wanting to play with that.. It was like he had new batteries in him and was fully charged, ready to go!
Then finally we settled on stacking blocks. We sat there for about 30 minutes just stacking blocks, but he was having so much fun. (And to be honest, so was I). It had been a long time since I just sat there and stacked blocks. He was doing really well too. I started remembering all the times we sat there and played with blocks, etc with the boys and how much fun it was.. Did I miss this time? Did I miss it enough to want to have another child?
To quote one of my favorite movies, A Bronx Tale: "Thanks, but we're good where we are".
Rock Fists
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2015
Thursday, February 13, 2014
I keep forgetting..
You started to sing that Michael McDonald song, didn't you? Go on, admit it.. Sorry about that..
Anyway, remember in Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery where Austin sleeps with the Italian bird Alotta, Alotta Fagina? And when he tells Vanessa she explains to him he's going to be very lonely. Austin then spends the entire night drinking Tab so he can stay awake and tries to figure out everything he's missed in the last 30 years.. He's missed a lot including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid and the US putting a man on the moon.
Well, that's where this post comes in. One of the boys is keeping a Night Sky Journal and at the end of the month each child will compare their Night Sky Journal to what they see in the sky during the day. Cool idea. I just wish it was the fall or spring so it wasn't so damn cold out when we're standing out there looking at the sky.. But I digress..
We're charting the phases of the moon so he can see how they change as the month progresses.. And we look at some of the constellations and talk about what he sees. Currently the most notable fascination is with Orion the Hunter and his infamous belt. So we go back in and draw, color and write down what we see.
As we're looking up at the sky the other night, I hear "I'm going go to the moon one day". I said ok, you can become an astronaut. Did you know we've actually walked on the moon? They must have gotten whiplash with how quickly their heads spun around and like a minion asked "whaaaaaat?" I said yeah, on July 20th, 1969 (and no I did not have to look that up; Mr. Macini, my Space and Astronomy teacher in 9th grade did a really good job) Neil Armstrong became the first human being ever to walk on the moon. And after him there were 11 other people who walked on the moon. They thought that was the coolest thing ever. (Another cool fun fact is that my uncle was one of the engineers who worked on the guidance system of the Saturn V rocket that took Apollo 11 to the moon. True story)
But as parents we need to remember that our kids don't know everything we know (contrary to what they think). There are the obvious things like walking, feeding themselves, potty training, etc that we clearly need to teach them (see previous blog called Blank Slate).. But the other cool stuff like we've walked on the moon that we take that knowledge for granted, they have no idea. You just never know what information about which subject is going to pique their interest. And then you never know where that may lead. Information is power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f_DPrSEOEo
Anyway, remember in Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery where Austin sleeps with the Italian bird Alotta, Alotta Fagina? And when he tells Vanessa she explains to him he's going to be very lonely. Austin then spends the entire night drinking Tab so he can stay awake and tries to figure out everything he's missed in the last 30 years.. He's missed a lot including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid and the US putting a man on the moon.
Well, that's where this post comes in. One of the boys is keeping a Night Sky Journal and at the end of the month each child will compare their Night Sky Journal to what they see in the sky during the day. Cool idea. I just wish it was the fall or spring so it wasn't so damn cold out when we're standing out there looking at the sky.. But I digress..
We're charting the phases of the moon so he can see how they change as the month progresses.. And we look at some of the constellations and talk about what he sees. Currently the most notable fascination is with Orion the Hunter and his infamous belt. So we go back in and draw, color and write down what we see.
As we're looking up at the sky the other night, I hear "I'm going go to the moon one day". I said ok, you can become an astronaut. Did you know we've actually walked on the moon? They must have gotten whiplash with how quickly their heads spun around and like a minion asked "whaaaaaat?" I said yeah, on July 20th, 1969 (and no I did not have to look that up; Mr. Macini, my Space and Astronomy teacher in 9th grade did a really good job) Neil Armstrong became the first human being ever to walk on the moon. And after him there were 11 other people who walked on the moon. They thought that was the coolest thing ever. (Another cool fun fact is that my uncle was one of the engineers who worked on the guidance system of the Saturn V rocket that took Apollo 11 to the moon. True story)
But as parents we need to remember that our kids don't know everything we know (contrary to what they think). There are the obvious things like walking, feeding themselves, potty training, etc that we clearly need to teach them (see previous blog called Blank Slate).. But the other cool stuff like we've walked on the moon that we take that knowledge for granted, they have no idea. You just never know what information about which subject is going to pique their interest. And then you never know where that may lead. Information is power. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-f_DPrSEOEo
Friday, January 10, 2014
Müzik, Μουσική, Musiikki
It doesn't matter what language you say it in, whether it be Turkish, Greek or Finnish, I truly believe that music has magical properties.. The type of music is also irrelevant, it just needs to be the type of music that appeals to you. Whether it's listening to Enya while you have a migraine (I know someone who does that) or listening to heavy metal while you study (I know people who did that too) there's something about music that resonates with everyone.
Think about your life. When a song comes on the radio many people have an association with an event, a person or something in their life that is traced back to that song. It could have been that first dance at your middle school dance or the popular song that summer you lived in the city or your wedding song or even that time on that college road trip when.. hmm, better leave that one out..
But you get the point. Music has that ability to somehow transcend the aural and manages to connect directly to your emotions. And that is what I am hoping happens with boys. At a very early age we wanted to make sure they listened to music. (You can listen to Jimi, but you can't hear him- White Men Can't Jump, anyone?) Ok, moving on..
They had the mobiles in their cribs when they were babies, until one of them tore it down and that was the end of that one. But we then discovered Rock A Bye Baby, which is rock music of all different bands (Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Green Day, U2, Zeppelin, Beatles, etc) all played like lullaby's. It is very cool, very soothing and they liked it a lot as did we. They still listen to it to this day.
But we also said to ourselves that we will not be beholden to the kids music when we're driving. I'll admit, we had the 40th Anniversary CD's of Sesame Street and we would listen to them in the car. The boys liked it and calmed them down on long road trips. It was also nostalgic for us hearing the songs that we remember from watching Sesame Street as kids. (See, it all comes back to music association) But when they were old enough, we started making them listen to our music. Hey, if we were going to be in the car with them for a while and they could keep themselves busy by looking out the window and playing games, we were going to listen to what we wanted. So they started enjoying some of our music.
I go old school and make them mix CD's. I have an ipod which I could create playlists, but it's not connecting in my car for some reason so it's just easier this way.. Plus, the boys look forward to when daddy creates a new CD..
I've made 4 or 5 of them. While there are still a few of the artists below that they haven't heard yet, here is a list of the artists that have been on these mix CD's:
Green Day, Foo Fighters, Dropkick Murphy's, John Cougar, AFI, Incubus, Dazz Band, Dave Matthews Band, Big & Rich, Of Monsters & Men, The Police, Beastie Boys, Airborne Toxic Event, The Beatles, Elvis, Cheap Trick, Fratellis, The Libertines, Imagine Dragons, Zeppelin, Toby Keith, The Black Crowes, Ben E. King, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Run DMC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tears For Fears, Clapton, The Lumineers, Metallica, Van Halen, Neon Trees, Puscifer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Twisted Sister, Queen, Black Keys, MGMT, ACDC, Nirvana, KISS, The Ramones, Bruno Mars, Blues Traveler, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REM, Talking Heads, Blur.
Now obviously some of these artists have a particular popular song that is more than likely the song I put on the CD. But others are not what you may think. It was not always the popular song for a well known band we played for them. We want them to appreciate the band/artist for their music and not just have them know the "popular, mainstream" song for which the band may be known. But the goal here, as you can see is to broaden their musical horizons with old, new, blues, rock, alternative, rap, 80s, punk and everything in between. Just giving them a taste of whatever we can find and see what they like and don't like. They are really taking it all in and want more. They're kind of like Neo with the training simulation in The Matrix.
My ultimate goal with this project? That "a-ha" moment. We've all seen those Top 100 "Fill in the Blank" shows on VH1 or some network that counts down the top 100 greatest rock songs or guitar riffs, etc. There's invariably one critic or artist that says "I remember the first time I heard _____. I said to myself, what the hell is that?" I want at least one, if not both of my kids to have that kind of moment when they hear something.. Whether it be a guitar riff, a song or drum solo, it doesn't matter.. It will make it all worthwhile.
PS - It happened. With the Kraken. And Metallica. Is anyone really that surprised?
Think about your life. When a song comes on the radio many people have an association with an event, a person or something in their life that is traced back to that song. It could have been that first dance at your middle school dance or the popular song that summer you lived in the city or your wedding song or even that time on that college road trip when.. hmm, better leave that one out..
But you get the point. Music has that ability to somehow transcend the aural and manages to connect directly to your emotions. And that is what I am hoping happens with boys. At a very early age we wanted to make sure they listened to music. (You can listen to Jimi, but you can't hear him- White Men Can't Jump, anyone?) Ok, moving on..
They had the mobiles in their cribs when they were babies, until one of them tore it down and that was the end of that one. But we then discovered Rock A Bye Baby, which is rock music of all different bands (Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Green Day, U2, Zeppelin, Beatles, etc) all played like lullaby's. It is very cool, very soothing and they liked it a lot as did we. They still listen to it to this day.
But we also said to ourselves that we will not be beholden to the kids music when we're driving. I'll admit, we had the 40th Anniversary CD's of Sesame Street and we would listen to them in the car. The boys liked it and calmed them down on long road trips. It was also nostalgic for us hearing the songs that we remember from watching Sesame Street as kids. (See, it all comes back to music association) But when they were old enough, we started making them listen to our music. Hey, if we were going to be in the car with them for a while and they could keep themselves busy by looking out the window and playing games, we were going to listen to what we wanted. So they started enjoying some of our music.
I go old school and make them mix CD's. I have an ipod which I could create playlists, but it's not connecting in my car for some reason so it's just easier this way.. Plus, the boys look forward to when daddy creates a new CD..
I've made 4 or 5 of them. While there are still a few of the artists below that they haven't heard yet, here is a list of the artists that have been on these mix CD's:
Green Day, Foo Fighters, Dropkick Murphy's, John Cougar, AFI, Incubus, Dazz Band, Dave Matthews Band, Big & Rich, Of Monsters & Men, The Police, Beastie Boys, Airborne Toxic Event, The Beatles, Elvis, Cheap Trick, Fratellis, The Libertines, Imagine Dragons, Zeppelin, Toby Keith, The Black Crowes, Ben E. King, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Run DMC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tears For Fears, Clapton, The Lumineers, Metallica, Van Halen, Neon Trees, Puscifer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Twisted Sister, Queen, Black Keys, MGMT, ACDC, Nirvana, KISS, The Ramones, Bruno Mars, Blues Traveler, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REM, Talking Heads, Blur.
Now obviously some of these artists have a particular popular song that is more than likely the song I put on the CD. But others are not what you may think. It was not always the popular song for a well known band we played for them. We want them to appreciate the band/artist for their music and not just have them know the "popular, mainstream" song for which the band may be known. But the goal here, as you can see is to broaden their musical horizons with old, new, blues, rock, alternative, rap, 80s, punk and everything in between. Just giving them a taste of whatever we can find and see what they like and don't like. They are really taking it all in and want more. They're kind of like Neo with the training simulation in The Matrix.
My ultimate goal with this project? That "a-ha" moment. We've all seen those Top 100 "Fill in the Blank" shows on VH1 or some network that counts down the top 100 greatest rock songs or guitar riffs, etc. There's invariably one critic or artist that says "I remember the first time I heard _____. I said to myself, what the hell is that?" I want at least one, if not both of my kids to have that kind of moment when they hear something.. Whether it be a guitar riff, a song or drum solo, it doesn't matter.. It will make it all worthwhile.
PS - It happened. With the Kraken. And Metallica. Is anyone really that surprised?
Monday, June 24, 2013
Blank Slate
For lack of a better term, kids are blank slates. They may have some innate talent or intelligence passed down that is hereditary, but otherwise, pretty much blank slates.
We can make these children into anything we want them to be. We can teach them manners, or we can teach them to be rude. We can teach them to read so they can learn, or we can teach them to watch TV so they can zone out. We can teach them to try new foods and expand their taste buds, or we can just feed them processed food which is bad for them, but we know they like just so they eat.
Whitney Houston had it right when she said that the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Jesus, did I just quote Whitney Houston from memory? Ugh, don't worry I'll show myself out of man town.
But seriously, when our kids grow up, they are going to be the next leaders of our country. The next teachers, the next architects, the next programmers, the next pro athletes, the next everything. So don't we want to give them the best head start we can?
I'm not saying it's going to be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. To quote one of my favorite movies, Road Trip: "That's why they call it a shortcut. If it was easy, it would just be the way". Don't take any shortcuts. it'll be worth it in the end.
We can make these children into anything we want them to be. We can teach them manners, or we can teach them to be rude. We can teach them to read so they can learn, or we can teach them to watch TV so they can zone out. We can teach them to try new foods and expand their taste buds, or we can just feed them processed food which is bad for them, but we know they like just so they eat.
Whitney Houston had it right when she said that the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Jesus, did I just quote Whitney Houston from memory? Ugh, don't worry I'll show myself out of man town.
But seriously, when our kids grow up, they are going to be the next leaders of our country. The next teachers, the next architects, the next programmers, the next pro athletes, the next everything. So don't we want to give them the best head start we can?
I'm not saying it's going to be easy. Nothing worth doing ever is. To quote one of my favorite movies, Road Trip: "That's why they call it a shortcut. If it was easy, it would just be the way". Don't take any shortcuts. it'll be worth it in the end.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Twinny Twin Twin!!
New York City, 6p. Wendy Smith is boiling some water for dinner and accidentally burns her right hand. At the same time, across the country in Los Angeles, Wendy's twin sister Bonnie feels a sudden and sharp pain in her right hand. Coincidence?
Remember those? Whether you believe them or not, there is no doubt that twins is an interesting thing. There is absolutely an innate connection. While mine are fraternal (two separate eggs fertilized), they are still as close as identical. We saw 3D ultrasound pictures of them in the womb where they would be rubbing heads. And very often, after they came home, if we put them in the same crib to nap, they would end up with their heads touching, even though they didn't start that way. It also happens on the couch. They'll be sitting on the couch watching a movie, separated by maybe 1/3 of the couch. Sooner or later you just see them drift towards each other until they are right next to each and don't even realize it.
Sometimes I equate them to the aliens in one of my favorite 80s' movies, "Just One of the Guys". (I highly recommend it). There are these alien twins who appear at the school and cannot be separated. Check out this clip. Fast forward to about the 1 minute mark to see what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I'm not saying it's always like this, but there are points where they need to be together. I swear there's nothing cuter than going into my twins' room and finding they are sleeping in the same bed. Only they don't always start that way. Clearly at some point one goes into the other's bed. Daniel has a full size bed and Douglas a twin. For a while they were sleeping in Daniel's bed and that was fine because there was enough room for both and as long as they slept, we didn't care. But lately, they've been wanting to sleep in Douglas's bed, which remember is only a twin. Now we all know how much room there is in a twin bed. More likely than not, many of you reading this have slept in one. Sometimes even with company. We all know it's not the most comfortable of night's sleep.
But really, who is it hurting? Well, I guess it's hurting Douglas because he woke up with a bloody nose the other morning. You know why? Because Daniel had hit him in the face while he flailed around in his sleep because there's NO ROOM FOR TWO PEOPLE IN A TWIN BED!
But we figure it's easier to let them grow out of the stage where they want to sleep in the same bed then force them to do anything that will produce the sound from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Remember those? Whether you believe them or not, there is no doubt that twins is an interesting thing. There is absolutely an innate connection. While mine are fraternal (two separate eggs fertilized), they are still as close as identical. We saw 3D ultrasound pictures of them in the womb where they would be rubbing heads. And very often, after they came home, if we put them in the same crib to nap, they would end up with their heads touching, even though they didn't start that way. It also happens on the couch. They'll be sitting on the couch watching a movie, separated by maybe 1/3 of the couch. Sooner or later you just see them drift towards each other until they are right next to each and don't even realize it.
Sometimes I equate them to the aliens in one of my favorite 80s' movies, "Just One of the Guys". (I highly recommend it). There are these alien twins who appear at the school and cannot be separated. Check out this clip. Fast forward to about the 1 minute mark to see what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
I'm not saying it's always like this, but there are points where they need to be together. I swear there's nothing cuter than going into my twins' room and finding they are sleeping in the same bed. Only they don't always start that way. Clearly at some point one goes into the other's bed. Daniel has a full size bed and Douglas a twin. For a while they were sleeping in Daniel's bed and that was fine because there was enough room for both and as long as they slept, we didn't care. But lately, they've been wanting to sleep in Douglas's bed, which remember is only a twin. Now we all know how much room there is in a twin bed. More likely than not, many of you reading this have slept in one. Sometimes even with company. We all know it's not the most comfortable of night's sleep.
But really, who is it hurting? Well, I guess it's hurting Douglas because he woke up with a bloody nose the other morning. You know why? Because Daniel had hit him in the face while he flailed around in his sleep because there's NO ROOM FOR TWO PEOPLE IN A TWIN BED!
But we figure it's easier to let them grow out of the stage where they want to sleep in the same bed then force them to do anything that will produce the sound from this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Monday, November 5, 2012
The Beach
No, not that awful movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, the real beach. You know the one I'm talking about.. No, not that one.. The one that appears inside your children's sneakers from daycare.
I never thought it would be possible to have a pound of sand in each shoe when they didn't really go to the beach. (While I didn't actually weigh it, by the amount that ends up in the dust buster, I can only imagine it's that much). Plus, their shoes aren't even that big! They are wearing sizes 9 and 9.5 in kids! How do they even have room for their feet with so much sand?! Yet, every day when they come home and rip off their sneakers, there they are on the tile in front of the door, piles of sand. It's kind of a running joke between many of the parents because we all know what we're talking about when we say "the beach". "Oh did you go to the beach today?" "No, the beach came to us!"
The good thing about the winter is the lack of sand in their shoes. However, then there's the snow. I guess the beach isn't so bad after all.
I never thought it would be possible to have a pound of sand in each shoe when they didn't really go to the beach. (While I didn't actually weigh it, by the amount that ends up in the dust buster, I can only imagine it's that much). Plus, their shoes aren't even that big! They are wearing sizes 9 and 9.5 in kids! How do they even have room for their feet with so much sand?! Yet, every day when they come home and rip off their sneakers, there they are on the tile in front of the door, piles of sand. It's kind of a running joke between many of the parents because we all know what we're talking about when we say "the beach". "Oh did you go to the beach today?" "No, the beach came to us!"
The good thing about the winter is the lack of sand in their shoes. However, then there's the snow. I guess the beach isn't so bad after all.
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Day
For anyone who knows me, I have pretty much been the same weight since I
graduated college.. There was this uptick of about 10 pounds my senior
year from 150 to 160, but I honestly have no idea why.. Must have just
been a fluke; you know, one of those things..
Anyway, I've been hovering around 150 for the better part of almost 15 years now (ugh, has it really been almost 15 years since I graduated college?) and I've been able to eat pretty much anything I wanted.. It's a gift you know? It's like I can't control it. (Anyone who's seen The Girl Next Door knows that line). My metabolism, thanks to my grandfather, helped me out with that.. Truth be told, I've always been pretty active, but I've slowed down a bit in recent years.. With a full time job and the Twinado, my nights of playing indoor soccer have disappeared and my days of pick up hoop games with friends have waned into non-existence. Don't get me wrong, chasing the boys around, playing at the park with them or even taking the dog for a walk is good exercise, just not to the level I'm used to.
However I had an epiphany recently, or maybe it was a hallucination from the excruciating pain I was feeling while enduring my third kidney stone in the last 8 years.. I have no idea why God picked me to have these, but oh I am so thankful!! I used to think that you're never given anything you can't handle (see previous blogs), but seriously this isn't even funny. My first one was in 2004 when living in Smallbany, NY. I would write a blog about that, but we weren't even there long enough for anything interesting to happen.. Oh, except for all of our belongings being stolen by the movers, but that's another blog for another day I guess..
So, the real point of this blog (if you're still reading) is that for the first time in my life, I'm on a diet.Well, it's not really a diet I guess, just trying to cut sodium. You would not believe the sodium content in some things.. I'm not saying that too much sodium will kill you, but there are lots of things that we eat that can have lasting effects on our health I'm not here to preach don't worry. But my point is in addition to the fact I have no want at all to relive the pain of another kidney stone, I do have the want to see my sons grow up. . These last 5 years have totally changed me. But it doesn't have to be just kids. It can be parents, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, whomever. It doesn't matter who as long as it's someone. I'm not saying don't enjoy life, I'm just saying make sure you make it last a long time. And while I don't want to go too crazy, I will if I have to. Because I think it's worth it.
Anyway, I've been hovering around 150 for the better part of almost 15 years now (ugh, has it really been almost 15 years since I graduated college?) and I've been able to eat pretty much anything I wanted.. It's a gift you know? It's like I can't control it. (Anyone who's seen The Girl Next Door knows that line). My metabolism, thanks to my grandfather, helped me out with that.. Truth be told, I've always been pretty active, but I've slowed down a bit in recent years.. With a full time job and the Twinado, my nights of playing indoor soccer have disappeared and my days of pick up hoop games with friends have waned into non-existence. Don't get me wrong, chasing the boys around, playing at the park with them or even taking the dog for a walk is good exercise, just not to the level I'm used to.
However I had an epiphany recently, or maybe it was a hallucination from the excruciating pain I was feeling while enduring my third kidney stone in the last 8 years.. I have no idea why God picked me to have these, but oh I am so thankful!! I used to think that you're never given anything you can't handle (see previous blogs), but seriously this isn't even funny. My first one was in 2004 when living in Smallbany, NY. I would write a blog about that, but we weren't even there long enough for anything interesting to happen.. Oh, except for all of our belongings being stolen by the movers, but that's another blog for another day I guess..
It was in the middle of the night and it was pain unlike I had
ever experienced before.. I had never really had any type of pain
experience like that so I wasn't sure what to expect. Of course, Amy
wasn't feeling well that night so she had taken the red devil (NyQuil)
so she could sleep. So there she is in her NyQuil coma and I am
writhing around in pain on the floor thinking something is going to
burst through my side like in Alien (yes, I know, that was his chest but
your kidney's aren't in your chest now are they?)
Thankfully my wailing eventually woke her with
obviously no clue as to what was happening. Not knowing the area too
well, or really what was going on, 911 was the best course of action.
While the ambulance is on its way I thought I could make it to the
door. It is the middle of the night, in February, in Albany so it's not
exactly balmy out. Somehow I have clothes on when the paramedics
arrive. I thought I could crawl the length of the hallway from our
bedroom in the back of the apartment to the front door, which in
retrospect isn't that long, but seemed like one of those never-ending
hallways. Well, I didn't make it.. I collapsed somewhere between the
end of our bedroom and the beginning of the kitchen, which was probably a
total of 5 feet. They had to put me on one of those chairs that keeps
you in a tuck position because the pain of having to straighten my body
was unbearable. Amy followed along in her car while the ambulance drove
to the hospital which was about 5-10 minutes away. I do remember them
hooking me up to the IV and giving me morphine for the pain. I remember
them saying "
OK 5 cc's of morphine" and administering it. Then they ask you, if
you've never been in an ER or ambulance for a pain-related emergency,
"describe the pain from 1-10?" So I said 20! OK, I'll let you in on a
little secret here.. I don't deal with pain well.. I mean, a cut on my
finger, or s stub on the toe, big deal.. but real, actual pain? Nope..
So they gave me another 5 cc's of morphine. After a minute or two, they
asked me again and I think I said 15. So yes, they gave me 5 more cc's
of morphine and then I was floating. I was done. No more pain. No
more anything really.. The relief was the best thing I had ever felt..
Until it wore off at some point in the hospital so they gave me a prescription for Vicodin. While at CVS filling
my prescription for Vicodin, the pharmacist asked me what it was for as
it was heavy medication. I told her it was for a kidney stone and she
said, and I quote" I have had 3 children by vaginal birth and I
have had 1 kidney stone. I would gladly have 3 more children by vaginal
birth than have another kidney stone." Fan-tas-tic. Now make with the
Vicodin before the one I took wears of..
Unfortunately, I did not pass it so I had to sit on
the couch for a few days and in between popping Vicodin drink those 24
oz sport bottles of Poland Spring and pee every 5 minutes into a
strainer to hopefully pass a stone that was about half the size of a
grain of rice, if that.. Tons of fun let me tell you..
The second one, of course in the middle of the night
again was not as bad as before the ambulance even arrived I was already
starting to feel better.. It didn't mean I wasn't in pain and didn't
gladly accept the morphine they were giving me, it just didn't hurt as
much for as long the second time. However, circumstances had changed
because we had 2 very young children and in the middle of the night, it
just wasn't going to be possible to have Amy and the boys follow me. So
after I was released, the ER called me a cab and yes, I took a cab home
from the hospital. Only, I didn't have any money and had to plead with
the guy to take me home explaining my situation. I was praying that we
had some cash at home to give him and thankfully, we had just enough.
Sorry dude, no tip this time.. Maybe next time..
And yes, there was a next time.. For the kidney
stone, not the cab thankfully.. But of course, the middle of the night
(there has to be something to this) and there it is again.. Agony.. After already having had two of them, I knew exactly what the pain was. So we
pack up the boys in the car and drive to the ER. Toridal and Dilaudid
this time around, which did the trick.. We were only there for a few
hours and still was able to get a few more hours sleep on Saturday
morning.. However, we were planning on going with some friends to Davis
Farmland which had already been postponed once for the weather. It was
the boys' birthday weekend and I didn't want to miss it. So I perc'd
up and it was pretty fun actually..
So, the real point of this blog (if you're still reading) is that for the first time in my life, I'm on a diet.Well, it's not really a diet I guess, just trying to cut sodium. You would not believe the sodium content in some things.. I'm not saying that too much sodium will kill you, but there are lots of things that we eat that can have lasting effects on our health I'm not here to preach don't worry. But my point is in addition to the fact I have no want at all to relive the pain of another kidney stone, I do have the want to see my sons grow up. . These last 5 years have totally changed me. But it doesn't have to be just kids. It can be parents, grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, whomever. It doesn't matter who as long as it's someone. I'm not saying don't enjoy life, I'm just saying make sure you make it last a long time. And while I don't want to go too crazy, I will if I have to. Because I think it's worth it.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Back In My Day...
Wow.. I'm only 36 and I'm already saying it.. I didn't think that was going to happen for a while.. Kinda like receding hairline and going to bed consistently before 10p, but I digress.
Now that my boys are almost 5 (Jesus), I can say I've been to my fair share of kids' birthday parties.. I've been everywhere from the local Discovery Museum to Jump On In.
Wow, those bounce houses are pretty much the greatest thing to happen to kids birthday parties since, well ever. I don't even really remember the birthday parties I went to to be honest. I believe for the most part we just went to McDonald's and played in the ball pits. Or maybe Papa Gino's where we got to watch the birthday child stand behind the counter and flip the dough while making their own pizza. I do remember, amazingly enough during the Blizzard of '78 (yes I was 4 months shy of 2) standing in the front door with it open just staring out into nothing because the entire door was blocked with snow. You couldn't even open it there was so much snow. Maybe I recall that because it was so memorable, unlike the birthday parties.
I went to a party the other day (not a birthday party, but mostly for kids) where there was a bouncy house. But not just any bouncy house; this one was a water slide bouncy house where you slide down and land in a pool of water! I mean seriously WHERE WAS THIS WHEN I WAS A KID?!?!?! I mean, come on..
My boys, once they got going were on that thing for a good 2 hours.. To tell the truth, I really wanted to go on it myself.. They actually came over to me at one point and said "Daddy, this is awesome!" It really was..
I can't even imagine what the birthday parties are going to be like when our grand kids go to them. Are they going to have hover boards like in Back to the Future? Really, what could possibly top a bouncy house water slide at this point?
Well, whatever the kids are doing at birthday parties 30 years from now, I'm hoping that I'm able to take part.. You're never to old to act like a kid.
Now that my boys are almost 5 (Jesus), I can say I've been to my fair share of kids' birthday parties.. I've been everywhere from the local Discovery Museum to Jump On In.
Wow, those bounce houses are pretty much the greatest thing to happen to kids birthday parties since, well ever. I don't even really remember the birthday parties I went to to be honest. I believe for the most part we just went to McDonald's and played in the ball pits. Or maybe Papa Gino's where we got to watch the birthday child stand behind the counter and flip the dough while making their own pizza. I do remember, amazingly enough during the Blizzard of '78 (yes I was 4 months shy of 2) standing in the front door with it open just staring out into nothing because the entire door was blocked with snow. You couldn't even open it there was so much snow. Maybe I recall that because it was so memorable, unlike the birthday parties.
I went to a party the other day (not a birthday party, but mostly for kids) where there was a bouncy house. But not just any bouncy house; this one was a water slide bouncy house where you slide down and land in a pool of water! I mean seriously WHERE WAS THIS WHEN I WAS A KID?!?!?! I mean, come on..
My boys, once they got going were on that thing for a good 2 hours.. To tell the truth, I really wanted to go on it myself.. They actually came over to me at one point and said "Daddy, this is awesome!" It really was..
I can't even imagine what the birthday parties are going to be like when our grand kids go to them. Are they going to have hover boards like in Back to the Future? Really, what could possibly top a bouncy house water slide at this point?
Well, whatever the kids are doing at birthday parties 30 years from now, I'm hoping that I'm able to take part.. You're never to old to act like a kid.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Best of You
We made a conscious decision when we had the boys (at some point when we were conscious, but I'm not quite sure I remember when that was) that the one place we had that was sacred was our cars. No kids music in our cars. Period. We were going to listen to what we liked and they were going to deal with it. And it actually worked. That decision has paid enormous dividends already as our kids go around singing Foo Fighters, Green Day, Beastie Boys (you gotta hear that shit, it's pretty funny). It makes long car rides that much more enjoyable when instead of Sesame Street we're listening to Marilyn Manson covering "This is Halloween" from Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas. For whatever reason, they're not scared.
So one day while on the way to school and listening to Foo Fighters, I told them that mommy and daddy have seen the Foo Fighters twice in concert. So naturally, the next question is "Can we go see the Foo Fighters?" Now, of course, these are the kids who used to go screaming from the vacuum cleaner because it was too loud.. They're supposed to sit through 3 hours of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and company?
So naturally I said, "well, when you're older". But why? Do we shield our kids from certain things just because of their age too much? What if my boys were 10? Would it be ok then? Does everyone's first concert have to James Taylor or the Moody Blues? My first concert wasn't until I was 16 (Steve Miller Band on the lawn at Great Woods). But since there's no lawn anymore as well as it not being called Great Woods for many years, I don't go too often).
When I was 10 years old there was this huge pop star named Michael Jackson. You might have heard of him. He was kind of a big deal. He was coming to the Boston Garden on tour and my sister and I wanted to go. We were told no. Sorry mom, but looking back that would have been the most kick-ass show to say my first concert was Michael Jackson in the mid-80s. I'm over it, but I digress. The reason was because I was too young. But I think that an experience like that could shape people. What if going to that show at 10 years old brought out some love of music I didn't know I had. Maybe then I wouldn't have had to fake play the clarinet later that year in my elementary school concert because I had no idea what I was doing. We just don't know.
Life is all about experiences and what you take from them and make from them. So while taking my 4 year olds to see the Foo Fighters would probably be a little irresponsible, I'd say the show is quite possibly in their near future. Because you never know, maybe it'll open up something inside of them that makes them the next Dave Grohl. (Oh that would be so awesome).
So one day while on the way to school and listening to Foo Fighters, I told them that mommy and daddy have seen the Foo Fighters twice in concert. So naturally, the next question is "Can we go see the Foo Fighters?" Now, of course, these are the kids who used to go screaming from the vacuum cleaner because it was too loud.. They're supposed to sit through 3 hours of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins and company?
So naturally I said, "well, when you're older". But why? Do we shield our kids from certain things just because of their age too much? What if my boys were 10? Would it be ok then? Does everyone's first concert have to James Taylor or the Moody Blues? My first concert wasn't until I was 16 (Steve Miller Band on the lawn at Great Woods). But since there's no lawn anymore as well as it not being called Great Woods for many years, I don't go too often).
When I was 10 years old there was this huge pop star named Michael Jackson. You might have heard of him. He was kind of a big deal. He was coming to the Boston Garden on tour and my sister and I wanted to go. We were told no. Sorry mom, but looking back that would have been the most kick-ass show to say my first concert was Michael Jackson in the mid-80s. I'm over it, but I digress. The reason was because I was too young. But I think that an experience like that could shape people. What if going to that show at 10 years old brought out some love of music I didn't know I had. Maybe then I wouldn't have had to fake play the clarinet later that year in my elementary school concert because I had no idea what I was doing. We just don't know.
Life is all about experiences and what you take from them and make from them. So while taking my 4 year olds to see the Foo Fighters would probably be a little irresponsible, I'd say the show is quite possibly in their near future. Because you never know, maybe it'll open up something inside of them that makes them the next Dave Grohl. (Oh that would be so awesome).
Monday, June 18, 2012
Used Car Amenities
So a long time ago, somewhere around 1998 I graduated college.. I had gotten a job and needed a car. However, not just any car. I didn't want another used car with those used car amenities. I wanted a new car. You know, one that started when you turned the key and and when you turned on the AC cold air blew in instead of hot air.. I was stupid as all college graduates really are and I got a car with "new car amenities"..
However one thing I still could not have, regardless of the car I bought was the ability to listen to a song anytime I wanted. Or, better yet, be able to see what the song title was and who was singing it. I mean, that was futuristic stuff in the late 90s! (This was just starting to come out and was a top option in available models)
Fast forward 14 years and we have satellite radio, ipods and in many cars the text button. Press this and on some stations it will tell you what song is playing and who the artist is. This feature is standard for my children. They will never know what it is like not to know the title and/or artist of the song currently playing. And, for some reason if you are not blessed with this feature, yup there's an app for that. I have an app on my phone as a lot of people do where if you launch it and hold it up to the speaker, it will not only tell you what the name of the song is and who is singing it, but the title of the album, it will scroll the lyrics for you and you can also download the song to your itunes with the touch of a button. And, if you are so inclined to want to tell people what you are listening to, you can post it to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Crazy.. I love it.
But I feel like the boys are missing out. They'll never know what it's like only to have 5 or 6 channels. They'll never know what it's like to actually BE the remote control for someone (raise your hand if you ever sat close to the TV for the sole purpose of being close enough so when your parent or older sibling told you to change the channel, you didn't have to move that much). Keep em up.. That's right..
They'll never know what it's like to think "Argh, I forgot to set the VCR"! Or worse, you remembered to set the VCR, but forgot to rewind the tape! now not only do many people have DVR's, but you can set it from a computer and even your phone! They'll never know what it's like to sit in front of your boombox for half an hour because the DJ said that coming up was your favorite song. And while you're waiting you set up the cassette in the boombox all ready to hit play and record together so you can record your favorite song. And then when you want to play it, you can just hit rewind and then stop. Then play. Realize you still have about half the song to go and then rewind some more, stop. Play. Almost there. Rewind and stop. Play. Rewind stop! Rewind stop! Yeah you remember doing that..
Now my 4 year olds just go to the ipod, hit itunes and play (they even have their own playlist of songs and artists they like). For example, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys and Green Day are in heavy rotation. Or, take the ipad, turn on Pandora, choose a station and hit play. When they want to watch something? On mand (On Demand to the rest of us). For other shows and movies not on mand? Sure, why not. There's Netflix. Hit a few buttons on the remote and there you go! Instant Gratification.
I have a feeling that on the way to school on Tuesday, I just might not tell them who is singing the song on the radio. I gotta have a little fun right?
However one thing I still could not have, regardless of the car I bought was the ability to listen to a song anytime I wanted. Or, better yet, be able to see what the song title was and who was singing it. I mean, that was futuristic stuff in the late 90s! (This was just starting to come out and was a top option in available models)
Fast forward 14 years and we have satellite radio, ipods and in many cars the text button. Press this and on some stations it will tell you what song is playing and who the artist is. This feature is standard for my children. They will never know what it is like not to know the title and/or artist of the song currently playing. And, for some reason if you are not blessed with this feature, yup there's an app for that. I have an app on my phone as a lot of people do where if you launch it and hold it up to the speaker, it will not only tell you what the name of the song is and who is singing it, but the title of the album, it will scroll the lyrics for you and you can also download the song to your itunes with the touch of a button. And, if you are so inclined to want to tell people what you are listening to, you can post it to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. Crazy.. I love it.
But I feel like the boys are missing out. They'll never know what it's like only to have 5 or 6 channels. They'll never know what it's like to actually BE the remote control for someone (raise your hand if you ever sat close to the TV for the sole purpose of being close enough so when your parent or older sibling told you to change the channel, you didn't have to move that much). Keep em up.. That's right..
They'll never know what it's like to think "Argh, I forgot to set the VCR"! Or worse, you remembered to set the VCR, but forgot to rewind the tape! now not only do many people have DVR's, but you can set it from a computer and even your phone! They'll never know what it's like to sit in front of your boombox for half an hour because the DJ said that coming up was your favorite song. And while you're waiting you set up the cassette in the boombox all ready to hit play and record together so you can record your favorite song. And then when you want to play it, you can just hit rewind and then stop. Then play. Realize you still have about half the song to go and then rewind some more, stop. Play. Almost there. Rewind and stop. Play. Rewind stop! Rewind stop! Yeah you remember doing that..
Now my 4 year olds just go to the ipod, hit itunes and play (they even have their own playlist of songs and artists they like). For example, Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys and Green Day are in heavy rotation. Or, take the ipad, turn on Pandora, choose a station and hit play. When they want to watch something? On mand (On Demand to the rest of us). For other shows and movies not on mand? Sure, why not. There's Netflix. Hit a few buttons on the remote and there you go! Instant Gratification.
I have a feeling that on the way to school on Tuesday, I just might not tell them who is singing the song on the radio. I gotta have a little fun right?
Monday, March 19, 2012
Swimming With the Goldfishes
I guess it's my own fault.. I know I shouldn't let the boys eat food in my bed, but sometimes, it's just unavoidable..
They don't nap anymore at home. Once they started climbing out of their cribs, that was it. Daniel had fallen out around 18 months or so and Douglas wasn't even walking yet much less climbing out of his crib. So we got a crib tent for Daniel and that seemed to solve the problem for the time being. About 6 months later, we are downstairs watching TV and hear talking from their room, which is normal. What is not normal is how close it sounded. So we went upstairs to check and when we opened the door, Douglas goes, "Hi momma" and runs zooming past.. That night we decided it was probably time for toddler beds.
Ever since that day we broke down the cribs and put in toddler beds they have not napped once in their beds. Our bed however is a different story. We call it "down-time". It's usually around 1-130p and they are whiny, cranky and just overall exhausted. So we put them in our room and put on a movie. Many times they will fall asleep and take good naps which is the goal. Other times, they will watch the entire movie, but at least they are calm and resting which is sometimes just as good. However, it's when they wake up and want a snack that is gets dicey. We'll often times give them small snacks like goldfish in a bowl in our bed so they can continue to relax and finish the movie.
But while I don't mind them having quiet time, napping or even snacking in my bed, I really don't need to get into my bed and hear the crunching of goldfish crumbs underneath me.. But like I said, I guess it's my own fault.
They don't nap anymore at home. Once they started climbing out of their cribs, that was it. Daniel had fallen out around 18 months or so and Douglas wasn't even walking yet much less climbing out of his crib. So we got a crib tent for Daniel and that seemed to solve the problem for the time being. About 6 months later, we are downstairs watching TV and hear talking from their room, which is normal. What is not normal is how close it sounded. So we went upstairs to check and when we opened the door, Douglas goes, "Hi momma" and runs zooming past.. That night we decided it was probably time for toddler beds.
Ever since that day we broke down the cribs and put in toddler beds they have not napped once in their beds. Our bed however is a different story. We call it "down-time". It's usually around 1-130p and they are whiny, cranky and just overall exhausted. So we put them in our room and put on a movie. Many times they will fall asleep and take good naps which is the goal. Other times, they will watch the entire movie, but at least they are calm and resting which is sometimes just as good. However, it's when they wake up and want a snack that is gets dicey. We'll often times give them small snacks like goldfish in a bowl in our bed so they can continue to relax and finish the movie.
But while I don't mind them having quiet time, napping or even snacking in my bed, I really don't need to get into my bed and hear the crunching of goldfish crumbs underneath me.. But like I said, I guess it's my own fault.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Name Game
Sitting in the pediatrician's office the other day I was reading a magazine. You know one of those magazines that says they're for parents but really the only time they mention a dad is when they are telling them what to get the mom as a gift for what a wonderful job she does raising their child all by herself with no help from him.. But I digress, that's a blog for another day..
So there I am reading letters that parents (moms) have written in with stories about how their wonderful child's name came to be.. I mean some of these were ridiculous.. One person wrote about how they named their son Reef because they were avid scuba divers and loved the ocean. Another couple named their daughter Azure because she was conceived on a picnic blanket underneath a clear azure sky..
Really people? What ever happened to naming your child the old conventional way? After movie characters.. When we were told we might be having 2 boys and not a boy and a girl we quickly had to come up with a second boy name.. At this point we were both dazed and confused about everything going on and since that's one of our favorite movies, we decided a name from that movie would work well. And it's even more fitting he's got this creepy Wooderson laugh.. Alright, alright, alright...
So there I am reading letters that parents (moms) have written in with stories about how their wonderful child's name came to be.. I mean some of these were ridiculous.. One person wrote about how they named their son Reef because they were avid scuba divers and loved the ocean. Another couple named their daughter Azure because she was conceived on a picnic blanket underneath a clear azure sky..
Really people? What ever happened to naming your child the old conventional way? After movie characters.. When we were told we might be having 2 boys and not a boy and a girl we quickly had to come up with a second boy name.. At this point we were both dazed and confused about everything going on and since that's one of our favorite movies, we decided a name from that movie would work well. And it's even more fitting he's got this creepy Wooderson laugh.. Alright, alright, alright...
Friday, October 21, 2011
Weekend at Thaler's
It's an All Testosterone weekend here at Casa de Thaler.. Amy is off with Cadi (our beloved 4 legged friend) to Maine for the weekend to visit friends for her birthday. A nice getaway she desperately needs and deserves..
Surprisingly enough the boys were in a great mood.. Usually by the end of the week they are so exhausted Friday nights are easy.. They're in bed pretty early and asleep not long after laying their cute little heads down on the Spiderman pillow cases.. However this week has been a little different..
Mitch had been running a high fever off and on since Sunday evening.. It would go up to 102 and then back down to 97. Max had a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning so when I went to drop him off, daycare told me that Mitch wasn't feeling well. They took his temp and it was 101.8. Looks like I was working from home. He slept for the afternoon and woke up drenched like one of those hot summer nights with no air conditioning. I figured his fever broke so he'd be good to go.
Unfortunately, he woke up Wednesday morning and his back could have lit a camp fire it was so hot.. I decided it was time to see what was up.. We sent Max to school and took Mitch to the doctor. He was such a rock star! Normally he's pretty good, but this was different. He was pleasant and courteous, he did everything the doctor asked him to and when it came time for the strep test, he just stuck out his tongue and said "ahh".. I was beginning to think this wasn't Mitch at all and he had been switched with some other kid.. But I digress.. It came back positive so he wasn't going anywhere for the rest of the day. Naturally, I was working from home again. This time, he did not sleep. He was eating, playing, jumping, had so much energy I didn't understand it.. Yes, he had a fever but he had all the energy of a normal 4 year old. Thankfully, he still allowed me to get work done because he plays well on his own. Had no problem also just chilling and watching a movie either. And then, he crashed.. Right in his SpongeBob Mac and Cheese.. Just passed out mid forkful while watching The Backyardigans. I didn't have the heart to move him (the fork was no longer in his mouth) so I just let him sleep for a bit..
Naturally, the phone rings and it's school. Max has a temp of 102 and needs to go home.. Well, I know where he's going instead; straight to the doctor for a rapid strep test. If Mitch has strep and his only symptom is a high fever, I can guarantee you that Max has strep too. I was more sure of this than I was the Patriots were going to cover the 14 point spread in the 02 Super Bowl.. (I even put $35 on it I was so sure).. Yes, I know.. lame..
So when Mitch woke up we went to pick up Max.. Sure enough, he comes bounding down the hallway, all excited, shows me the artwork he made and has no idea he's even sick.. We go to the doctor's office and while we're waiting I hear "Daddy, I gotta go pee". Ugh, OK. So the three of us cram into this little bathroom that an adult would have trouble fitting into never mind an adult and two 4 year olds.. So Mitch goes pee, which I guess I should just be happy he told me.. And we walk out and sure enough, they had called our name. So Max immediately says "I don't want a shot!".. I had to reassure him he wasn't getting a shot, he was just going to have a couple of large Q Tips shoved down this throat.. Hmm.. I wonder if the shot wasn't a better option..
Anyway, while waiting for the results, yes of course, Max says he has go to potty. Once again we cram into the bathroom the size of an apartment in the East Village and he does his business. Finally, the nurse comes out and says "Positive!" and I literally threw my arms up in the air in delight.. Listen, I don't want my kids to be sick, but if I have to be home anyway with one, it's only a matter of time before the other one gets it. I'd rather them be sick at the same time and start them on meds at the same time so they can be done at the same time. It just makes life easier. Like when parents send their kids to chicken pox parties.. Do parents still do that anymore?
Knowing I'd be home with Max all day Thursday, I let them sleep a little later hoping they would feel well when they woke up. We sent Mitch to school because it had almost been 24 hours since he started the meds and he had already had 3 doses by the time he went. Max however had to stay in the car because he had to stay away from school during his "contagious" period. You would have thought the world was ending.. Remember the scene in Just One of the Guys where the two aliens are picked to be on separate teams for gym dodge ball? Remember the awful nails on a blackboard, ear-drum puncturing screech they made while being pulled apart? Yeah, it was something like that.. They have absolutely zero separation anxiety from us (which I love), but from each other is a different story. Cute, yet sometimes a little annoying..
I had 2 RFP's (Request For Proposal) and a client pitch to work on while my boss is on vacation so at least there was nothing going on. Max for some reason wanted to watch the show Chuck. Not that prime program on NBC, this was a show about a truck named Chuck and his adventures with his friends. GENIUS! Just add that to another list of great ideas I didn't have. However since there was only 1 Chuck episode On Demand (or On Mand as they like to call it) he watched it 5 times in a row.. I thought of sticking a pen in my ears so I didn't have to hear the theme song anymore..
By the time Amy came home from picking Mitch up I was lying on the floor almost passed out while Max watched some movie I didn't know we owned. The Reef? Kind of like a budget Finding Nemo I think.. Never seen it before. They both went to school today and were totally fine. No problems at all. I completed my portion of 1 RFP and went to the client presentation. Just 1 more RFP to go.
And now, we get to tonight.. After work Amy drove to Maine with Cadi and it was chicken patties and homemade pizza bagels for dinner. Of course served with a healthy does of Super Hero Squad.
Surprisingly enough the boys were in a great mood.. Usually by the end of the week they are so exhausted Friday nights are easy.. They're in bed pretty early and asleep not long after laying their cute little heads down on the Spiderman pillow cases.. However this week has been a little different..
Mitch had been running a high fever off and on since Sunday evening.. It would go up to 102 and then back down to 97. Max had a doctor's appointment Tuesday morning so when I went to drop him off, daycare told me that Mitch wasn't feeling well. They took his temp and it was 101.8. Looks like I was working from home. He slept for the afternoon and woke up drenched like one of those hot summer nights with no air conditioning. I figured his fever broke so he'd be good to go.
Unfortunately, he woke up Wednesday morning and his back could have lit a camp fire it was so hot.. I decided it was time to see what was up.. We sent Max to school and took Mitch to the doctor. He was such a rock star! Normally he's pretty good, but this was different. He was pleasant and courteous, he did everything the doctor asked him to and when it came time for the strep test, he just stuck out his tongue and said "ahh".. I was beginning to think this wasn't Mitch at all and he had been switched with some other kid.. But I digress.. It came back positive so he wasn't going anywhere for the rest of the day. Naturally, I was working from home again. This time, he did not sleep. He was eating, playing, jumping, had so much energy I didn't understand it.. Yes, he had a fever but he had all the energy of a normal 4 year old. Thankfully, he still allowed me to get work done because he plays well on his own. Had no problem also just chilling and watching a movie either. And then, he crashed.. Right in his SpongeBob Mac and Cheese.. Just passed out mid forkful while watching The Backyardigans. I didn't have the heart to move him (the fork was no longer in his mouth) so I just let him sleep for a bit..
Naturally, the phone rings and it's school. Max has a temp of 102 and needs to go home.. Well, I know where he's going instead; straight to the doctor for a rapid strep test. If Mitch has strep and his only symptom is a high fever, I can guarantee you that Max has strep too. I was more sure of this than I was the Patriots were going to cover the 14 point spread in the 02 Super Bowl.. (I even put $35 on it I was so sure).. Yes, I know.. lame..
So when Mitch woke up we went to pick up Max.. Sure enough, he comes bounding down the hallway, all excited, shows me the artwork he made and has no idea he's even sick.. We go to the doctor's office and while we're waiting I hear "Daddy, I gotta go pee". Ugh, OK. So the three of us cram into this little bathroom that an adult would have trouble fitting into never mind an adult and two 4 year olds.. So Mitch goes pee, which I guess I should just be happy he told me.. And we walk out and sure enough, they had called our name. So Max immediately says "I don't want a shot!".. I had to reassure him he wasn't getting a shot, he was just going to have a couple of large Q Tips shoved down this throat.. Hmm.. I wonder if the shot wasn't a better option..
Anyway, while waiting for the results, yes of course, Max says he has go to potty. Once again we cram into the bathroom the size of an apartment in the East Village and he does his business. Finally, the nurse comes out and says "Positive!" and I literally threw my arms up in the air in delight.. Listen, I don't want my kids to be sick, but if I have to be home anyway with one, it's only a matter of time before the other one gets it. I'd rather them be sick at the same time and start them on meds at the same time so they can be done at the same time. It just makes life easier. Like when parents send their kids to chicken pox parties.. Do parents still do that anymore?
Knowing I'd be home with Max all day Thursday, I let them sleep a little later hoping they would feel well when they woke up. We sent Mitch to school because it had almost been 24 hours since he started the meds and he had already had 3 doses by the time he went. Max however had to stay in the car because he had to stay away from school during his "contagious" period. You would have thought the world was ending.. Remember the scene in Just One of the Guys where the two aliens are picked to be on separate teams for gym dodge ball? Remember the awful nails on a blackboard, ear-drum puncturing screech they made while being pulled apart? Yeah, it was something like that.. They have absolutely zero separation anxiety from us (which I love), but from each other is a different story. Cute, yet sometimes a little annoying..
I had 2 RFP's (Request For Proposal) and a client pitch to work on while my boss is on vacation so at least there was nothing going on. Max for some reason wanted to watch the show Chuck. Not that prime program on NBC, this was a show about a truck named Chuck and his adventures with his friends. GENIUS! Just add that to another list of great ideas I didn't have. However since there was only 1 Chuck episode On Demand (or On Mand as they like to call it) he watched it 5 times in a row.. I thought of sticking a pen in my ears so I didn't have to hear the theme song anymore..
By the time Amy came home from picking Mitch up I was lying on the floor almost passed out while Max watched some movie I didn't know we owned. The Reef? Kind of like a budget Finding Nemo I think.. Never seen it before. They both went to school today and were totally fine. No problems at all. I completed my portion of 1 RFP and went to the client presentation. Just 1 more RFP to go.
And now, we get to tonight.. After work Amy drove to Maine with Cadi and it was chicken patties and homemade pizza bagels for dinner. Of course served with a healthy does of Super Hero Squad.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Ka-Chow!
So for awhile now we've been promising the boys they could go see Cars 2 when it came out.. We would take them to this place called the movie theater and they would sit in their own special seats and they would watch a movie on the biggest TV screen they have ever seen.. We have a couple of pretty big TV's in our house, but I think this one would win..
For months now the entire extended family has been prepping them:
Fill in name of adult here: "What do you do at the movies?"
Boys: "We sit in our seats."
Adult: "And do we talk in the movie theater?"
Boys: "No we are quiet and we listen and watch."
What could go wrong? These are the Twins of Anarchy after all...
Answer? Surprisingly, not much.. We went to the movie theater for an 1130a showing. We got there in plenty of time to get some popcorn for them. I mean, come on.. How could they go to the movies for the first time and not have popcorn? That would be like going to a casino for the first time and not playing a hand of blackjack or betting your favorite number on the roulette wheel.
Then, we took our seats to experience the one thing that could derail this entire excursion, the previews.. People, this is a kids movie.. They have the attention span of, well a toddler! Do we have to have 10 previews before the movie starts?! And they were loud.. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it was even a little loud for me, I can't imagine how it was for them.. And to top it all off, they throw in a 5 minute vignette about Buzz and Woody which means the boys now want to watch Toy Story!
Thank God, finally the movie starts.. and they are mesmerized.. For almost 2 hours they sat there reacting to every bang, crash, etc there was until finally it was over..
Boys: "Mommy, Daddy can we see Ka-Chow Car again?"
Verdict: I think we have a winner. But, let's wait till it comes out on DVD
For months now the entire extended family has been prepping them:
Fill in name of adult here: "What do you do at the movies?"
Boys: "We sit in our seats."
Adult: "And do we talk in the movie theater?"
Boys: "No we are quiet and we listen and watch."
What could go wrong? These are the Twins of Anarchy after all...
Answer? Surprisingly, not much.. We went to the movie theater for an 1130a showing. We got there in plenty of time to get some popcorn for them. I mean, come on.. How could they go to the movies for the first time and not have popcorn? That would be like going to a casino for the first time and not playing a hand of blackjack or betting your favorite number on the roulette wheel.
Then, we took our seats to experience the one thing that could derail this entire excursion, the previews.. People, this is a kids movie.. They have the attention span of, well a toddler! Do we have to have 10 previews before the movie starts?! And they were loud.. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it was even a little loud for me, I can't imagine how it was for them.. And to top it all off, they throw in a 5 minute vignette about Buzz and Woody which means the boys now want to watch Toy Story!
Thank God, finally the movie starts.. and they are mesmerized.. For almost 2 hours they sat there reacting to every bang, crash, etc there was until finally it was over..
Boys: "Mommy, Daddy can we see Ka-Chow Car again?"
Verdict: I think we have a winner. But, let's wait till it comes out on DVD
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