So we're in the car recently and a song comes on the radio. Mitch says "Oh, I know this song." "It's Cecilia and the Satellite". I said that's correct and it's by Andrew McMahon. (I will forever believe that it should be sung by the band Phoenix, but I digress). Anyway, I said the scroll on my radio also says In The Wildnerness.
So naturally, I say that the word wilderness has a bonus letter. Quickly the conversation devolved into a 1st grade (now 2nd grade) grammar conversation about bonus letters, digraphs and the like. I asked what makes a bonus letter and the answer was it has to have a short vowel sound that precedes the double letter f, l, s and sometimes z. So we all took turns thinking of examples of bonus letter words.
The conversation between us went back and forth for a few minutes until Mitch finally says, "you know dad, sometimes I think we're the teachers and you're the student".
I couldn't agree more Mitch.. I couldn't agree more.
Rock Fists
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Monday, July 1, 2013
Relocation
So when I was 12 my parents built a house on the other side of town and we moved. But it wasn't just any ordinary move. To be honest, I really don't even remember packing anything. I don't remember packing up my clothes in bags or suitcases. I don't remember going through my toys seeing what I could donate, take with me or throw out. I really don't remember the house being in disarray from all the boxes, etc.
But what I do remember is that I left my old house to go to school on one school bus and came home to my new house on another school bus. So there I am, walking to the bus stop periodically looking back to the only home I'd ever known knowing I'd never step foot in that house again. (back then they actually had a designated bus stop where kids in the neighborhood would all congregate instead of everyone being picked up at the end of their driveway, but I digress)
The best thing though was that when I was 10 we went to Florida and Cape Canaveral. I was very much into space and I got a Space Shuttle sticker. I put it on my bedroom door as kids tend to do. However, when we sold the house, I tried to scrape it off. Yeah, not so much.. I went to school with the girl whose parents bought the house. She got my room and yelled at me because now she had this partially scratched off space shuttle sticker on her door.. She never spoke to me again. Oh well.
Back to the story. It was really weird. It's still weird to this day to be honest. However it got even weirder, I think when the same type of scenario happened recently. We sold our townhouse and as I'm driving the Twinado to school that last day I reminded them, as I had every day for the previous month that we were going to a different house. We took pictures on the front steps of the house before we left and once we got in the car and went to school, they had already forgotten all about it. They were picked up after school and it was no different than any other day, except they didn't go back to their old house, they went to the new one.
It really is amazing to watch the kids and what phases them and what doesn't. I didn't push, I didn't make a big deal out of it. I just let them deal with it in their own way, which turned out not to be a big deal at all..
But what I do remember is that I left my old house to go to school on one school bus and came home to my new house on another school bus. So there I am, walking to the bus stop periodically looking back to the only home I'd ever known knowing I'd never step foot in that house again. (back then they actually had a designated bus stop where kids in the neighborhood would all congregate instead of everyone being picked up at the end of their driveway, but I digress)
The best thing though was that when I was 10 we went to Florida and Cape Canaveral. I was very much into space and I got a Space Shuttle sticker. I put it on my bedroom door as kids tend to do. However, when we sold the house, I tried to scrape it off. Yeah, not so much.. I went to school with the girl whose parents bought the house. She got my room and yelled at me because now she had this partially scratched off space shuttle sticker on her door.. She never spoke to me again. Oh well.
Back to the story. It was really weird. It's still weird to this day to be honest. However it got even weirder, I think when the same type of scenario happened recently. We sold our townhouse and as I'm driving the Twinado to school that last day I reminded them, as I had every day for the previous month that we were going to a different house. We took pictures on the front steps of the house before we left and once we got in the car and went to school, they had already forgotten all about it. They were picked up after school and it was no different than any other day, except they didn't go back to their old house, they went to the new one.
It really is amazing to watch the kids and what phases them and what doesn't. I didn't push, I didn't make a big deal out of it. I just let them deal with it in their own way, which turned out not to be a big deal at all..
Monday, June 24, 2013
1st Day of Camp
So today was the first day of camp. Since the 1st week of January, 2008 the Twinado has always gone to the same daycare a minimum of 3 times a week, sometimes even 4. During the summer it turns into a de facto camp, but it's limited to certain activities on a smaller scale due to space. But since our move, the hour and a half drive (each way plus another 45 each way to and from work) 3 times a week to bring them to school for the past 5 weeks has been a major strain on my car and my stress level.
It is now almost 5 1/2 years later and today, they start camp. Much closer to the house. The Twinado definitely inherited my sleeping habits (thankfully) but due to that they aren't the easiest to get up in the morning. Not so today. Right out of bed and dressed and downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast, upstairs to brush their teeth and backpacks on. Normally this would be fantastic, but it was only 720a and the bus wasn't coming until 810a! However, as I always tell them "early is on time, on time is late and late is unacceptable." So I will never say being ready 50 minutes early is a bad thing (especially when we have Kindergarten coming in the fall). Oy, seriously?
As we rocked out to a little ACDC and Incubus while waiting for the bus, I had to make sure they had sunscreen on before getting on the bus. So I brought them out around 8a to spray them down. Then, a few minutes after finishing, the bus came and they were so excited!! Ever since they learned what a yellow school bus was, they have wanted to go on one. It was literally a dream come true for them.
Douglas, being the little guy he is needed some help reaching the first step of the bus. But the bus counselors were great and helped him on and got them to their seats. As we're waiting for the bus to leave, a mother who was there sending her son off asked me if they were twins and I said yes.. First time at camp? Yes.. She also admitted they were watching me spray the boys down and were flabbergasted at how jacked Douglas was (her word, not mine). Yeah well, HGH will do that to a kid, but I just said thanks.. Also not the first time that word has been used to describe him.
She also said her son was curious about the sunscreen because after rubbing it in on their heads (gotta protect the top of the head if there is no hat), ears and face, my hands were going to be all sticky and gross. He was interested to know what I would do and that was when I busted out the bottle of water and shirt from my car to wash them off.. This is not my first rodeo, kid.. I got this shit down..
Of course the Twinado was not on the bus for more than 5 minutes when the bus counselor had to come off and talk to me. Here's how the conversation went:
Bus Counselor: "So you're the twins' dad right?
Me: "Yes".
Bus Counselor: "I asked them if they knew what group they were in and they said no". (Even though we went over it this morning). "So I asked them if they thought their daddy would know and I just got a shoulder shrug".
Me: "Poodles. They're in Poodles."
Bus Counselor: "OK, thanks!"
As the bus pulled away and I'm dreading my still hour long commute, I'm reminded of where they started from 5 and a half years ago when I dropped them off at daycare for the first time and where they are today. It's amazing and exciting and man I hope the the camp is still standing by the end of the week.
It is now almost 5 1/2 years later and today, they start camp. Much closer to the house. The Twinado definitely inherited my sleeping habits (thankfully) but due to that they aren't the easiest to get up in the morning. Not so today. Right out of bed and dressed and downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast, upstairs to brush their teeth and backpacks on. Normally this would be fantastic, but it was only 720a and the bus wasn't coming until 810a! However, as I always tell them "early is on time, on time is late and late is unacceptable." So I will never say being ready 50 minutes early is a bad thing (especially when we have Kindergarten coming in the fall). Oy, seriously?
As we rocked out to a little ACDC and Incubus while waiting for the bus, I had to make sure they had sunscreen on before getting on the bus. So I brought them out around 8a to spray them down. Then, a few minutes after finishing, the bus came and they were so excited!! Ever since they learned what a yellow school bus was, they have wanted to go on one. It was literally a dream come true for them.
Douglas, being the little guy he is needed some help reaching the first step of the bus. But the bus counselors were great and helped him on and got them to their seats. As we're waiting for the bus to leave, a mother who was there sending her son off asked me if they were twins and I said yes.. First time at camp? Yes.. She also admitted they were watching me spray the boys down and were flabbergasted at how jacked Douglas was (her word, not mine). Yeah well, HGH will do that to a kid, but I just said thanks.. Also not the first time that word has been used to describe him.
She also said her son was curious about the sunscreen because after rubbing it in on their heads (gotta protect the top of the head if there is no hat), ears and face, my hands were going to be all sticky and gross. He was interested to know what I would do and that was when I busted out the bottle of water and shirt from my car to wash them off.. This is not my first rodeo, kid.. I got this shit down..
Of course the Twinado was not on the bus for more than 5 minutes when the bus counselor had to come off and talk to me. Here's how the conversation went:
Bus Counselor: "So you're the twins' dad right?
Me: "Yes".
Bus Counselor: "I asked them if they knew what group they were in and they said no". (Even though we went over it this morning). "So I asked them if they thought their daddy would know and I just got a shoulder shrug".
Me: "Poodles. They're in Poodles."
Bus Counselor: "OK, thanks!"
As the bus pulled away and I'm dreading my still hour long commute, I'm reminded of where they started from 5 and a half years ago when I dropped them off at daycare for the first time and where they are today. It's amazing and exciting and man I hope the the camp is still standing by the end of the week.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Spoiled
So my job comes with some perks like sporting event tickets, concerts, restaurant gift certificates, etc.. But this perk I got on my own.
I won a weekend stay at a Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia from a raffle. Coincidentally enough, I happen to know the manager of the hotel. My family and I were heading down to NY for our annual cousins weekend and then we were going to continue on to Philadelphia for a family vacation. We'd do some historical tours in Philly, take in a Phillies game, go to the zoo, etc. But we needed to change the raffle award to weeknights instead of a weekend to accommodate the dates we would be there.
I was not only able to get a great deal on 3 nights at the hotel, but got upgraded to a suite. So when we finally got to the hotel, we walk in and to the right was a small kitchen, to the left an enormous bathroom and a King size bed. There were couches, chairs and a work area as well. Then, we took the boys to the adjoining room which was to be theirs. They found a TV, a bathroom and a queen size bed all for them! Needless to say they were super psyched. That was also the weekend that Douglas started pooping in the potty.. I doubt there's any correlation, but you never know.
The reason for the back story is because that was the first time they had ever been to a hotel. Just like the first time they ever gone to a Red Sox game, they were in a luxury box. (They're first Bruins game was in a box too). They literally ate their way through 4 innings of the game and we practically had to roll them out to the car. I hope they don't think that every sporting event is like that..
So we were in NY recently for my twin cousins' Bat Mitzvah and we were staying in a hotel. We opened up the door to the room which was just a standard room with 2 queen beds, etc, nothing fancy. Immediately, we hear:
Daniel: "Where are you guys sleeping"?
Douglas: "Where's the kitchen"?
Ugh.. Looks like I have some un-spoiling to do..
I won a weekend stay at a Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia from a raffle. Coincidentally enough, I happen to know the manager of the hotel. My family and I were heading down to NY for our annual cousins weekend and then we were going to continue on to Philadelphia for a family vacation. We'd do some historical tours in Philly, take in a Phillies game, go to the zoo, etc. But we needed to change the raffle award to weeknights instead of a weekend to accommodate the dates we would be there.
I was not only able to get a great deal on 3 nights at the hotel, but got upgraded to a suite. So when we finally got to the hotel, we walk in and to the right was a small kitchen, to the left an enormous bathroom and a King size bed. There were couches, chairs and a work area as well. Then, we took the boys to the adjoining room which was to be theirs. They found a TV, a bathroom and a queen size bed all for them! Needless to say they were super psyched. That was also the weekend that Douglas started pooping in the potty.. I doubt there's any correlation, but you never know.
The reason for the back story is because that was the first time they had ever been to a hotel. Just like the first time they ever gone to a Red Sox game, they were in a luxury box. (They're first Bruins game was in a box too). They literally ate their way through 4 innings of the game and we practically had to roll them out to the car. I hope they don't think that every sporting event is like that..
So we were in NY recently for my twin cousins' Bat Mitzvah and we were staying in a hotel. We opened up the door to the room which was just a standard room with 2 queen beds, etc, nothing fancy. Immediately, we hear:
Daniel: "Where are you guys sleeping"?
Douglas: "Where's the kitchen"?
Ugh.. Looks like I have some un-spoiling to do..
Monday, February 25, 2013
Bottles for daycare
If you're sending your kids to daycare like we did, they need to have all the bottles made and ready for the entire day. This meant 2 kids, 6 bottles/day while at school = 12 bottles to make. Every day. Just for school.
So don't kill yourself making each bottle individually. Go get yourself a couple of pitchers. You can get them anywhere. You used to make strawberry daiquiris in them before you had twins, remember?
Make sure each child has his own pitcher and write his name on it so there is no confusion. The last thing you want to do is mix up the formulas. We had 1 child with a milk protein allergy so he was on Neutramegin, which was one of the most foul smelling odors I've ever smelled. I still can't even believe he drank it, but he did. The other one was on Enfamil AR, which is pretty common.
Mix the right amount of formula with water so there is enough for all 6 bottles. Do this the night before and put it in the fridge for the morning. Pour the bottles in the morning and you're good to go. Before going to bed that night (obviously after washing all 12 bottles and the pitcher), make the pitchers again and put in the fridge.
While it doesn't seem like much time is saved, believe it or not making the pitchers and not the individual bottles saved enough time for us to maybe eat breakfast in the morning or perhaps snooze once or twice.
And in the world of having children, not just twins, those two things are gold.
So don't kill yourself making each bottle individually. Go get yourself a couple of pitchers. You can get them anywhere. You used to make strawberry daiquiris in them before you had twins, remember?
Make sure each child has his own pitcher and write his name on it so there is no confusion. The last thing you want to do is mix up the formulas. We had 1 child with a milk protein allergy so he was on Neutramegin, which was one of the most foul smelling odors I've ever smelled. I still can't even believe he drank it, but he did. The other one was on Enfamil AR, which is pretty common.
Mix the right amount of formula with water so there is enough for all 6 bottles. Do this the night before and put it in the fridge for the morning. Pour the bottles in the morning and you're good to go. Before going to bed that night (obviously after washing all 12 bottles and the pitcher), make the pitchers again and put in the fridge.
While it doesn't seem like much time is saved, believe it or not making the pitchers and not the individual bottles saved enough time for us to maybe eat breakfast in the morning or perhaps snooze once or twice.
And in the world of having children, not just twins, those two things are gold.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Turkey for you..
So, Thanksgiving is over. I can honestly say I did not over eat. I guess I did something wrong then. But I did eat. I've been eating differently since my last kidney stone episode, but Thanksgiving is different. It's ok to let yourself go every once in a while.
Something I have always wanted to do as well, I did. I played football outside on Thanksgiving with my son. Daniel and I played for about half an hour and it was so much fun. My brother in law and his two kids were there too and everyone had a great time. Not to mention, the kid has quite an arm! And accurate too, somewhat.. While he did catch a few, we have to work on that. Maybe he'll just be a quarterback.
But what was missing was my wife and my other son. After the surgery, he needs to recuperate and can't do too much. Being with his brother and his cousins would have been too much stimulation for him. There is no way we would have been able to keep him grounded, literally. He would have been running and jumping and that would have been extremely detrimental to his recovery. So he had to stay home.
It was no fun celebrating Thanksgiving without my entire family. while I don't wish to do that again, I know that they were only 1 hour away. They were not half a world away. Please, everyone let's put our differences aside for just a minute to realize what we have.
Whenever we go to Children's Hospital, it is always the most humbling experience. Not only is it the best hospital in the world, but it always manages to put things in perspective. You literally are there in the lobby and you look to the left of you and see a child who is worse off than yours. Then you look to the right and you see another child worse off than the other one. Then you look at yours and you don't feel happy, you don't feel sad. You just feel thankful.
Let's all take a moment and be thankful for whatever it is you wish to be thankful for. But let's remember that for all our differences and for all its faults, we live in the greatest country that has ever existed. Let's be thankful for that.
Something I have always wanted to do as well, I did. I played football outside on Thanksgiving with my son. Daniel and I played for about half an hour and it was so much fun. My brother in law and his two kids were there too and everyone had a great time. Not to mention, the kid has quite an arm! And accurate too, somewhat.. While he did catch a few, we have to work on that. Maybe he'll just be a quarterback.
But what was missing was my wife and my other son. After the surgery, he needs to recuperate and can't do too much. Being with his brother and his cousins would have been too much stimulation for him. There is no way we would have been able to keep him grounded, literally. He would have been running and jumping and that would have been extremely detrimental to his recovery. So he had to stay home.
It was no fun celebrating Thanksgiving without my entire family. while I don't wish to do that again, I know that they were only 1 hour away. They were not half a world away. Please, everyone let's put our differences aside for just a minute to realize what we have.
Whenever we go to Children's Hospital, it is always the most humbling experience. Not only is it the best hospital in the world, but it always manages to put things in perspective. You literally are there in the lobby and you look to the left of you and see a child who is worse off than yours. Then you look to the right and you see another child worse off than the other one. Then you look at yours and you don't feel happy, you don't feel sad. You just feel thankful.
Let's all take a moment and be thankful for whatever it is you wish to be thankful for. But let's remember that for all our differences and for all its faults, we live in the greatest country that has ever existed. Let's be thankful for that.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
One Tooth, Two Teeth
Summer of 1983 is when I lost my first tooth. I had just turned 7 and my family was on vacation in Vermont. (Coincidentally enough Amy and I are going to that same resort for a long weekend in October. Weird, I know) Anyway, my tooth was so loose before we left I was worried that the tooth fairy wouldn't know where to find us if it fell out.. So I wrote the tooth fairy a letter telling her the address of where my family and I would be staying so in case my tooth did fall out, she could find us. Lo and behold, my tooth fell out while we were in Vermont and the tooth fairy was able to find me and leave me something under my pillow. And yes, I do still have the letter.
Well, history seemed to almost repeat itself almost 30 years later. My wife and I were on vacation with the twinado visiting relatives in NY and NJ and making a stop in between to go to Philly. One of Douglas's bottom teeth was very loose when we left for vacation and we had a feeling it would fall out while we were away. So before leaving we made sure to get some Sacagawea coins from the bank. Hey, no one wants to carry those things around and a shiny new coin is the equivalent of giving a baby a box to play with.
Towards the end of the week we were visiting my wife's grandmother in Southern Jersey and took a day to head to Sesame Place, which was only about 40 minutes away. The boys had a great time and were doing so well until Douglas got a little scared while just about to go on one of the water rides. It's a really good thing we didn't wait in line for 45 minutes to go on this ride, because then it would have been a total waste. (Yes, that was sarcasm).
However, on the way down to the bottom of the stairs, Douglas says "Mommy look" and points to the newly formed hole in his mouth.. So excited, Amy asked him where the tooth went and of course, got the 4 year old shrug of "I don't know".. So she did what any good mother would do and started looking all around on the ground for a tooth the size of a grain of rice in a crowd of 50 people. Numerous bystanders started asking if was she ok or if she had lost a contact lens. As soon as she told them her 4 year old son just lost his first tooth, immediately she had 5 mothers on the ground all looking for his tooth. Unfortunately, after some time it was evident that the tooth was lost and we were going to have to figure something out.
While he was not too sad about losing the tooth, he was more curious how we were going to let the tooth fairy know where he was. So the idea was that we would write a letter to the tooth fairy letting her know we were on vacation in NJ and giving the address of where we were staying. However, there is this little problem of how does she find the tooth? So, thankfully we still had a map of Sesame Place. We circled the ride and the area that it fell out and included it in the letter. Douglas signed his name to it and we placed it in an envelope under his pillow.
Now, you're saying wait a minute.. How does the tooth fairy know that he even lost a tooth? How does she know to come to the house if the address and where to find the tooth is in the letter? There are so many holes to this story.. But thankfully we are dealing with a 4 year old who thinks the tooth fairy has orange skin, blue hair and red eyes. So I think we're safe with this one.
We put him to bed with the envelope under his pillow but the kid would just NOT GO TO SLEEP! I'm thinking of calling in Samuel L Jackson at this point because seriously, it was past 1030p, we had had a very long day and I was tired.. If I, er the tooth fairy, was going to put the coin under his pillow, he needed to be asleep!! So finally at some point past 11p when I can barely keep my eyes open he falls asleep. I carefully exchange an envelope with the coin in it for the envelope with the letter and map. All is right with the world.
Fast forward to the next morning when he wakes up, early of course because it's vacation. He comes into our room and says that there's nothing under his pillow. Now, I know for a fact there was because I did it, but obviously I couldn't tell him that. So I told him it had to be there all the while he is inconsolably balling because he didn't get anything from the tooth fairy (I blame society for this). Thankfully, the envelope had just fallen behind the bed from under his pillow while he flailed around during the night. He was extremely happy with his shiny, new gold coin and was very excited to put it in his piggy bank when we got home. So excited in fact that he wanted to carry it around with him for the rest of the trip to make sure he didn't lose it. While you would think that would have disaster written all over it (his nickname is The Kracken after all), believe it or not he kept that coin with him for 2 more days and did not lose it. So I have to give him credit for that.
Since this episode, he has since lost the tooth next to the other one so he now has a gaping hole on the bottom of his mouth. Now you're saying "hmm, 4 seems to be a little young to be losing teeth". And you'd be correct. However, in terms of doing things first between his brother and him, let's just say the scales are not tipping in his favor. So while it may be early, at least he lays claim doing something first.
Well, history seemed to almost repeat itself almost 30 years later. My wife and I were on vacation with the twinado visiting relatives in NY and NJ and making a stop in between to go to Philly. One of Douglas's bottom teeth was very loose when we left for vacation and we had a feeling it would fall out while we were away. So before leaving we made sure to get some Sacagawea coins from the bank. Hey, no one wants to carry those things around and a shiny new coin is the equivalent of giving a baby a box to play with.
Towards the end of the week we were visiting my wife's grandmother in Southern Jersey and took a day to head to Sesame Place, which was only about 40 minutes away. The boys had a great time and were doing so well until Douglas got a little scared while just about to go on one of the water rides. It's a really good thing we didn't wait in line for 45 minutes to go on this ride, because then it would have been a total waste. (Yes, that was sarcasm).
However, on the way down to the bottom of the stairs, Douglas says "Mommy look" and points to the newly formed hole in his mouth.. So excited, Amy asked him where the tooth went and of course, got the 4 year old shrug of "I don't know".. So she did what any good mother would do and started looking all around on the ground for a tooth the size of a grain of rice in a crowd of 50 people. Numerous bystanders started asking if was she ok or if she had lost a contact lens. As soon as she told them her 4 year old son just lost his first tooth, immediately she had 5 mothers on the ground all looking for his tooth. Unfortunately, after some time it was evident that the tooth was lost and we were going to have to figure something out.
While he was not too sad about losing the tooth, he was more curious how we were going to let the tooth fairy know where he was. So the idea was that we would write a letter to the tooth fairy letting her know we were on vacation in NJ and giving the address of where we were staying. However, there is this little problem of how does she find the tooth? So, thankfully we still had a map of Sesame Place. We circled the ride and the area that it fell out and included it in the letter. Douglas signed his name to it and we placed it in an envelope under his pillow.
Now, you're saying wait a minute.. How does the tooth fairy know that he even lost a tooth? How does she know to come to the house if the address and where to find the tooth is in the letter? There are so many holes to this story.. But thankfully we are dealing with a 4 year old who thinks the tooth fairy has orange skin, blue hair and red eyes. So I think we're safe with this one.
We put him to bed with the envelope under his pillow but the kid would just NOT GO TO SLEEP! I'm thinking of calling in Samuel L Jackson at this point because seriously, it was past 1030p, we had had a very long day and I was tired.. If I, er the tooth fairy, was going to put the coin under his pillow, he needed to be asleep!! So finally at some point past 11p when I can barely keep my eyes open he falls asleep. I carefully exchange an envelope with the coin in it for the envelope with the letter and map. All is right with the world.
Fast forward to the next morning when he wakes up, early of course because it's vacation. He comes into our room and says that there's nothing under his pillow. Now, I know for a fact there was because I did it, but obviously I couldn't tell him that. So I told him it had to be there all the while he is inconsolably balling because he didn't get anything from the tooth fairy (I blame society for this). Thankfully, the envelope had just fallen behind the bed from under his pillow while he flailed around during the night. He was extremely happy with his shiny, new gold coin and was very excited to put it in his piggy bank when we got home. So excited in fact that he wanted to carry it around with him for the rest of the trip to make sure he didn't lose it. While you would think that would have disaster written all over it (his nickname is The Kracken after all), believe it or not he kept that coin with him for 2 more days and did not lose it. So I have to give him credit for that.
Since this episode, he has since lost the tooth next to the other one so he now has a gaping hole on the bottom of his mouth. Now you're saying "hmm, 4 seems to be a little young to be losing teeth". And you'd be correct. However, in terms of doing things first between his brother and him, let's just say the scales are not tipping in his favor. So while it may be early, at least he lays claim doing something first.
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.
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 12, 2012
Hummala Bebhuhla
In honor of Van Halen's semi-reunion (it can't really be a full reunion without Michael Anthony), I thought I'd tell a little story I had forgotten about until someone accidentally brought it out of me.
The Twinado was about 18 months old or so and we were taking a car trip up to the edge of nowhere, otherwise known as Maine. And we're not talking about Portland, either.. It was about 5 hours north of Portland, at least.. Ok, maybe only 2-3, but it sure felt like it..
Anyway, neither of the boys was talking yet.. They were making sounds yeah, but talking was far off.. Hell, one of them wasn't even standing on his own so them speaking was the furthest thing from our minds.
We're driving along and listening to the radio, sometimes singing along. Sure enough, Panama comes on the radio. This song is perfect for the boys.. It's not like Roth doesn't repeat the word Panama about a billion times (well, really only 15 if you can believe that; seems like so much more). So in addition to him saying it, we're saying it. And wouldn't you know it, from the backseat we hear "panama".
Even though I was driving I have never whipped my head around to the backseat so fast.. We know that we heard it. It was crystal clear. One of sons had just said their first word and it was the name of a Van Halen song.
For some reason, I didn't mind the rest of ride.
The Twinado was about 18 months old or so and we were taking a car trip up to the edge of nowhere, otherwise known as Maine. And we're not talking about Portland, either.. It was about 5 hours north of Portland, at least.. Ok, maybe only 2-3, but it sure felt like it..
Anyway, neither of the boys was talking yet.. They were making sounds yeah, but talking was far off.. Hell, one of them wasn't even standing on his own so them speaking was the furthest thing from our minds.
We're driving along and listening to the radio, sometimes singing along. Sure enough, Panama comes on the radio. This song is perfect for the boys.. It's not like Roth doesn't repeat the word Panama about a billion times (well, really only 15 if you can believe that; seems like so much more). So in addition to him saying it, we're saying it. And wouldn't you know it, from the backseat we hear "panama".
Even though I was driving I have never whipped my head around to the backseat so fast.. We know that we heard it. It was crystal clear. One of sons had just said their first word and it was the name of a Van Halen song.
For some reason, I didn't mind the rest of ride.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Da Dun.. Da Dun..
The boys have been asking to go to a Bruins game since about the middle of last season.. It was about the time when they started really noticing sports, being able to recall logos and such. While tickets are not as easy to come by as they used to be, I still managed to get us 4 tickets so the boys could go to a Bruins game. However I thought it might be a good idea to take them to a Worcester Sharks game at the DCU Center in Worcester as a primer. It's not that far from us and this past Sunday just happened to be Pucks and Paws day. That's right, minor league hockey AND you got to bring your dog! Half the cost of the dog ticket went towards the Worcester Animal Rescue League so it was for a good cause. And we got to take Cadi to a hockey game. How often does that chance come around?
So off we went all bundled up and got into the car. I had to lift Cadi into the back of Amy's car (not happy about continually having to do that, but that's another blog for another day). We got to the arena in plenty of time and walked around a bit to see all the different dog-related booths, activities for kids, etc. So far, so good. Cadi made some friends with some new dogs as only dogs can (why isn't it that easy for humans I will never know).
We headed down to our seats and they were great! 2nd row from the glass right near the face off circle! The boys were going to be so excited they were so close to the ice! They had designated certain sections for dogs only so you were assured not to be bothering people with your dog. However they said nothing about bothering other people with your children!
We got down to our seats and Max settled right in and was raring to go.. I took Cadi with me, walked around a bit, sniffed some dogs, etc.. As I headed back I see (and hear) Douglas having a meltdown. He was just beside himself. Wailing, screaming almost, didn't want to take off his jacket and he wanted to sit on my lap. So he sat on my lap and then the music came on and he freaked even more! He covered his ears and at this point was almost inconsolable. He wanted to go to the top row of the arena. I told him we could only go as high as this section so he said ok. We went to those seats and he was still crying and didn't want to be there. He wanted to go outside (onto the concourse thankfully because it was about 10 degrees out). So I took him out onto the concourse and as we walked he started to settle down. We got a frisbee for Cadi (more than likely to be broken the first time she plays with it), some nerds in a box for him and he seemed to be ok. Amy texted and said Max was requesting a pretzel. I could have gone for a pretzel too. So of course as I said this to Mitch, he wanted pizza. Of course you did.
So there I was trying to juggle 2 pretzels, ketchup (for Daniel) and mustard (for me), 2 waters and a piece of pizza all the while trying to hold Douglas's hand so he didn't run off.. And before you ask, no Amy didn't want anything. I made sure to ask..
We somehow made it back to our seats with everything intact and gave Daniel his pretzel, ketchup and water. We sat down and we were in our seats no more than 5 seconds before Douglas started up again.. So I took Douglas , my pretzel and mustard along with my water and headed back up to the top row of the section. This time I needed to know what his deal was.
I asked him, "Mitch are you scared"? He told me he was and I asked of what?
He said "the sharks". I said what shar.. Ohhhhh.. For some reason, Douglas was under the impression that there would be REAL sharks on the ice and he was afraid of sharks apparently so he kind of freaked out.. Trying to keep my composure and not laugh out loud (or LOL as the kids say) I told him they aren't real sharks and explained what team nicknames and mascots were. He seemed to understand and realized they weren't real sharks, but the music and PA announcer were loud anyway so he wanted to walk again.
I said that's fine, but I wanted to finish my pretzel first. The words weren't even out of mouth before he was stuffing the pretzel into my mouth, making me eat it so we could leave.. I have to admit, the kid is funny..
By now, the 1st period has ended and we have been there for a total of about 1 hour and in my seat for about 5 minutes. After I got a text from Amy telling me that Daniel was asking when it was going to be over, we decided it was time to pack it up and head home.
While the Pucks and Paws Worcester Sharks game might have been a failed experiment, I'm hoping for a much better result at the Bruins game. As long as Douglas doesn't find out what a Bruin is..
So off we went all bundled up and got into the car. I had to lift Cadi into the back of Amy's car (not happy about continually having to do that, but that's another blog for another day). We got to the arena in plenty of time and walked around a bit to see all the different dog-related booths, activities for kids, etc. So far, so good. Cadi made some friends with some new dogs as only dogs can (why isn't it that easy for humans I will never know).
We headed down to our seats and they were great! 2nd row from the glass right near the face off circle! The boys were going to be so excited they were so close to the ice! They had designated certain sections for dogs only so you were assured not to be bothering people with your dog. However they said nothing about bothering other people with your children!
We got down to our seats and Max settled right in and was raring to go.. I took Cadi with me, walked around a bit, sniffed some dogs, etc.. As I headed back I see (and hear) Douglas having a meltdown. He was just beside himself. Wailing, screaming almost, didn't want to take off his jacket and he wanted to sit on my lap. So he sat on my lap and then the music came on and he freaked even more! He covered his ears and at this point was almost inconsolable. He wanted to go to the top row of the arena. I told him we could only go as high as this section so he said ok. We went to those seats and he was still crying and didn't want to be there. He wanted to go outside (onto the concourse thankfully because it was about 10 degrees out). So I took him out onto the concourse and as we walked he started to settle down. We got a frisbee for Cadi (more than likely to be broken the first time she plays with it), some nerds in a box for him and he seemed to be ok. Amy texted and said Max was requesting a pretzel. I could have gone for a pretzel too. So of course as I said this to Mitch, he wanted pizza. Of course you did.
So there I was trying to juggle 2 pretzels, ketchup (for Daniel) and mustard (for me), 2 waters and a piece of pizza all the while trying to hold Douglas's hand so he didn't run off.. And before you ask, no Amy didn't want anything. I made sure to ask..
We somehow made it back to our seats with everything intact and gave Daniel his pretzel, ketchup and water. We sat down and we were in our seats no more than 5 seconds before Douglas started up again.. So I took Douglas , my pretzel and mustard along with my water and headed back up to the top row of the section. This time I needed to know what his deal was.
I asked him, "Mitch are you scared"? He told me he was and I asked of what?
He said "the sharks". I said what shar.. Ohhhhh.. For some reason, Douglas was under the impression that there would be REAL sharks on the ice and he was afraid of sharks apparently so he kind of freaked out.. Trying to keep my composure and not laugh out loud (or LOL as the kids say) I told him they aren't real sharks and explained what team nicknames and mascots were. He seemed to understand and realized they weren't real sharks, but the music and PA announcer were loud anyway so he wanted to walk again.
I said that's fine, but I wanted to finish my pretzel first. The words weren't even out of mouth before he was stuffing the pretzel into my mouth, making me eat it so we could leave.. I have to admit, the kid is funny..
By now, the 1st period has ended and we have been there for a total of about 1 hour and in my seat for about 5 minutes. After I got a text from Amy telling me that Daniel was asking when it was going to be over, we decided it was time to pack it up and head home.
While the Pucks and Paws Worcester Sharks game might have been a failed experiment, I'm hoping for a much better result at the Bruins game. As long as Douglas doesn't find out what a Bruin is..
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Cheng Du Conundrum
So recently I went to go visit my friend Terrence who was in from the west coast.. It was a last minute decision to go as my wife had an appointment after work and I was going to be home with the boys.. I thought, why not.. I'll just pick them up from school and take them to the restaurant. He's never met them before and would love to meet them..
Now, let's back up and refresh.. Max is completely potty trained.. I mean, this kid is 1 step away from wiping his own butt.. It is truly a miracle, and not one of those "I saw Jesus in my grilled cheese" kind of miracles.. But we were seriously starting to believe that Max was going to be the first child in the history of the world to graduate high school still wearing pull ups.. And then, one day, it clicked.. Thank God..
Now, Mitch on the other hand is a different story.. He peed in the potty first and has been doing that consistently pretty well without too many accidents for over a year now.. It's the pooping he has a slight problem with.. Sometimes he'll tell us he has to poop, sometimes he doesn't. More often than not he just seems to slide away out of view and we don't notice what's going on until Max comes over and says "Mommy/Daddy (one word) Mitch is pooping".. And sure enough, he is.. I don't know if it's a twin thing or what, but more often than not he's right..
Fast forward to after work.. I pick up the boys from school and head to the restaurant. Now, since I came directly from work and this was a spur of the moment thing, I do not have the diaper bag. Repeat, do NOT have the diaper bag.. This would normally have such items as, oh, I don't know, extra pull ups and wipes.. These are two very important items to have when one of your children is not fully potty trained. He had already pooped twice that day however so I wasn't too concerned about him pooping again..
What's that old law from that guy Murphy? Yes, that one..
Inevitably, Mitch has to go potty while we are in the restaurant. I figure, great he told me, we'll go, he'll be fine.. Yeah well, he told me had to go potty, which he did.. But he neglected to tell me that he had already pooped.. What do I do? I have no extra pull ups, I have no wipes, I have no extra underwear..
So I wet a bunch of paper towels and wiped him till he's clean. And then Mitch learned a new phrase to add to his already extensive language: Going Commando
Now, let's back up and refresh.. Max is completely potty trained.. I mean, this kid is 1 step away from wiping his own butt.. It is truly a miracle, and not one of those "I saw Jesus in my grilled cheese" kind of miracles.. But we were seriously starting to believe that Max was going to be the first child in the history of the world to graduate high school still wearing pull ups.. And then, one day, it clicked.. Thank God..
Now, Mitch on the other hand is a different story.. He peed in the potty first and has been doing that consistently pretty well without too many accidents for over a year now.. It's the pooping he has a slight problem with.. Sometimes he'll tell us he has to poop, sometimes he doesn't. More often than not he just seems to slide away out of view and we don't notice what's going on until Max comes over and says "Mommy/Daddy (one word) Mitch is pooping".. And sure enough, he is.. I don't know if it's a twin thing or what, but more often than not he's right..
Fast forward to after work.. I pick up the boys from school and head to the restaurant. Now, since I came directly from work and this was a spur of the moment thing, I do not have the diaper bag. Repeat, do NOT have the diaper bag.. This would normally have such items as, oh, I don't know, extra pull ups and wipes.. These are two very important items to have when one of your children is not fully potty trained. He had already pooped twice that day however so I wasn't too concerned about him pooping again..
What's that old law from that guy Murphy? Yes, that one..
Inevitably, Mitch has to go potty while we are in the restaurant. I figure, great he told me, we'll go, he'll be fine.. Yeah well, he told me had to go potty, which he did.. But he neglected to tell me that he had already pooped.. What do I do? I have no extra pull ups, I have no wipes, I have no extra underwear..
So I wet a bunch of paper towels and wiped him till he's clean. And then Mitch learned a new phrase to add to his already extensive language: Going Commando
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