Heat Wave

It's been kind of brutally cold here the past few days. Although I think it's been like that everywhere, so it's not really shocking news to anyone. And we can't really complain about it all that much because John's mom emailed the other day and said that schools on Monday were on a two hour delay because the weather for the morning was forecasted to be 20 to 40 degrees BELOW ZERO. So, while it was cold here, our eight degrees was downright balmy compared to the Arctic Circle.

Anyway, we had some more snow here on Friday, but Dex never got to go play in it because it was far too cold. Until today, when we had a heat wave of like 35 degrees. Woo-hoo! Break out the swim suits, baby! We're goin' outside!

NOTE - the cold did NOT deter the sun, which was shining through the window so bright yesterday afternoon that Dex, I kid you not, had a pink arm after snack time. From a little sun burn. THROUGH THE WINDOW. Damn.

Dexter continues to talk up a storm. John told him tonight that he wasn't sure that he could get any cuter, and then he went ahead and did it anyway. The whole walking, giggling, and talking with his hands thing was cute. But the actual TALKING thing? OMG. Even cuter. As is his recent appreciation for dancing, as he spins circles on the kitchen floor and then falls down with a flourish. And then calls the dog over so he can lick his face.

When we're stuck inside, due to cold or darkness, we tend to do a whole lot of the following. Usually it involves one person chasing Dexter and his baby stroller, with Dex occasionally accidentally-on-purpose banging in to the wall, or the chair, or the dog crate, trying to get his baby to fall out. If he's not successful, he just tosses the baby out of the stroller. And then picks her up by her neck, kisses her owie, and tosses her back in the stroller. Usually upside-down and backwards. Anyway - today we mixed it up a bit and went different directions, because I was getting dizzy. Initial protest by the small child was soon met with giggles of glee every time the stroller and the shopping cart met.

We need a taller shopping cart...

After peeking around the corner and giggling when seeing Daddy... it's all business going through the kitchen

Hi Dexter! Hi Daddy! We've been working hard on "hi" and "bye" and I think he's finally got them down.

And they're off to do the loop again. And again. And again. It's a back-buster, this game...

The 365 Project

I read about a cool thing in the beginning of January - a project where you take and post a picture every day, and then at the end of a year you have a nice little reminder of things that happened that year. Take a picture of the same thing every day, or a theme, or just things that are happening with your life. Which is about all I can manage, unless you would count "Dexter" as a theme.

So why do it, you ask? Don't you take ENOUGH pictures already, woman? Dear Lord! You feel the need to take MORE?

Well, yes. I like taking pictures. I like capturing moments. Or artsy pieces of everyday life. Or fun expressions. And my goal with this project is to use the manual settings of my camera, try for no flash if I can (mostly because I am too dumb to figure out manual settings AND flash), and to not edit pictures before I post. No adjusting the lighting. No cropping. Just... what you see is what I took. How good can I be today? What has inspired me today? And hopefully along the way I figure out my camera a little bit more, and become more confident in the manual settings. I am all fine and good with them when things are standing still. But when you have, say, a VERY QUICKLY MOVING CHILD... all hell breaks loose and I freak out and just go back to auto mode. So, not everything is manual right now. Not yet.

Anyway - here's where we stand right now. I haven't taken anything yet today. We'll have to see what inspires me later, when the child finally wakes up (I do believe he is making up for his "I'm riding in the car looking at cars and stop lights, so I am not going to nap" day yesterday, as we drove home from New York. Thank the lord he's good in the car.)

New Years Day

Jan 3 - Giggling at the Flash

Jan 4 - Hess Truck

Jan 5 - Heading Up for a Bath

Jan 6 - Fruit (hey, it was late. John was like "Why the hell are you taking pictures of FRUIT?")

Jan 7 - Star Beads (another it was late, John saying what the hell, kind of night)

Jan 8 - Slinky. One of my faves so far.

Jan 9 - Trapped in the Moon Bounce. With flash, and on auto mode. It was the only decent picture I had from that day, though, so it was the big winner.

Jan 10 - Cooking with Mama. Yeah, ok. I didn't take this one. I'm cheating.

Jan 11 - Red Sky in Morning

Jan 12 - Snowy Nose

Jan 14 - Stupid Cat (I think I used flash and auto mode on this one. Not enough light at Mom and Dad's house)

Jan 15 - Small Hand and Beads

Jan 16 - Hiking Boots Playing

SCIENCE!

Dex and I are in New York as I type, keeping Grandma entertained as she recovers from knee replacement surgery. Sometimes, though, Grandma needs a break from our entertainment, and we need a little change of scenery. So we ventured out to the Ithaca ScienceCenter. Cute little place - Dex saw maybe 1/2 of it because we got so caught up in looking through colored blocks and playing with cars and train sets that we didn't have time to see everything.

We took Grandpa along with us, so he got to play with balls and play with blocks and watch Dex for a little bit while I went to the bathroom. That, apparently, went swimmingly.

Dex is definitely showing some of the tendencies that qualified him for early intervention services. Not in speech, mind you. No, Mr. I've Learned Ten New Words in the Past Three Seconds didn't qualify in the speech department. He did, however, qualify in the Social Development category. Which, I think, means "cries when left in a cool place with his Grandpa" and also "terrified of kick-ass ball tower thingy til he was convinced to come sit on Mom's lap, after which we couldn't tear him away from the damn thing."

We haven't yet decided if we're going to accept the (free) services. Part of us thinks "what harm could it do" while part of us wonders if we're just being paranoid parents. Because, sure, he's a little bit shy and timid. But he's pretty stinkin cute, and we both were shy kids and, hey, we turned out ok. Right? Right???

We're heading back home tomorrow to see Daddy, who has been hard at work doing fun things like replacing a hot water heater motor, and replacing a toilet valve. Nice relaxing weekend for John.

I know he misses us, although perhaps doesn't miss having to get up at 6:30AM every morning. But he'd have liked to ask Dex what color Mama was, and hear him say "saaahPP."

Oh - Grandpa got us a new sled. It's color? "Poo-poo." Ridiculously cute, this whole talking thing...

Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law states that any time you have somewhere you want to go after a child's nap, the child will nap for long long that you either A) miss the event you were planning on attending, or B) feel like a bad mom for opening the child's door, turning off his ocean, and slamming doors upstairs so you can wake him up without really being the one to blame for waking him up.

It also states that any time you have absolutely NOTHING planned for the afternoon, and you'd really like to take a nap yourself, the child will nap for exactly 37 minutes and five seconds. And then will wake up screaming and in a crappy mood. And then you shall both glare at each other, bored to tears, for the rest of the afternoon.

Murphy's Law states that any time you make a sick visit to the doctor, the 101 degree fever you recorded JUST before leaving the house will have dropped to about 97 degrees by the time you reach the nurse's station.

Murphy's Law states that immediately after calling Early Intervention services to set up an appointment with a social worker for a small child's speech delay, said small child will pick up four new words.

It also states that in the week and a half between the social worker's visit and the actual evaluation meeting, the small child will begin saying like three new words A DAY. So that when the evaluation finally rolls around on Thursday, the therapists will look at your speaking child and wonder what your problem is - DUDE, he's talking JUST FINE.

Finally, Murphy's Law states that when you have a well visit appointment with the doctor that you REALLY want to go to, so you can maybe get some sound advice about your small child's persistent cough and how to make the damn thing GO AWAY, ALREADY... it will snow 3 - 6 inches the night before. Meaning the doctor's office will call you on Tuesday and say "hey, if we're closed tomorrow we'll call ya." Gee, thanks. Thanks a whole lot. C'mon. We live in PA now. Things aren't supposed to close for 3 - 6 inches of snow. That's what happens to sissies in Maryland. (Note - the doctor's office was open and on time. The nice doctor basically said "Get thee to an allergist" and gave us a list of names.)

What's that they say about "Red Sky in morning?" This is the sunrise Tuesday morning. Tuesday night, as I type this? Snowing like a sumbitch.

Dexter and Buddy, panting at each other. Nah, this child doesn't need special help. Not at all...

Pointing to all the basketball hoops in the gym at the YMCA on Sunday - we were there for a birthday party. Because, OMG, Mama! There's THREE basketball hoops! And a whole lot of balls! Also, he had a death grip on this balloon the entire time we were there. Except when he was finally convinced to go jump in the moon bounce, and I told him he had to leave the balloon outside.

Today we went to the Y after Dexter FINALLY woke up from his nap (with a little help from Mama) and he walked down the hallway saying "ball, ball, ball" the entire time. Because he really really wanted to go in to the gym to see all the damn basketball hoops again.

We have this much snow here Wednesday morning. Not a lot. John had to shovel the driveway. But our road was plowed by the time I got up, so that was cool. School here? Two hours late. School in Havre de Grace? CLOSED. Bunch of sissies...

Sometimes you need a good assistant

Some things are best done alone. Enjoying a bath (for the first time since we moved in) in your enormous bath tub - best done alone. Well, not technically alone. A good magazine and a glass of Bailey's on the rocks joined me, too. Peeing - best done alone. I can't remember the last time that happened when the child was actually awake, though. Napping on the couch - more comfy when done alone, but I usually don't mind sharing the couch with a cute husband, who will actually stay awake to watch the whole National Championship football game, while I snooze through the entire second half, to be awoken late in the game by some sort of "What the HELL?" utterances by said cute husband. I don't remember exactly what happened in the game that made such yelling necessary. But it was fine. I got to watch the last two minutes, which was all I really needed to do anyway.

Some things are fine when done alone, and may well get done fast if done alone. But they are far cuter and more entertaining if a small child helps out. Case in point:

Tremendously helpful child assists in making Shepard's Pie for dinner last night. For the record, I really kind of hate Shepard's Pie. But this stuff that Dex and I made? Not too shabby.

Need help making your own dinner? I can provide an assistant. I cannot, however, promise that his little fingers won't end up in the ketchup.

Do you need someone to help push your baby stroller? Maybe you have a bad back, or you're tired, or you just don't feel like pushing your baby in endless circles around the house? Have I got the assistant for you!

That is, assuming you don't mind if your baby strolls with some animal crackers, a cup of water, a giraffe from our train set, and a plastic stop light (can't see it here - buried under baby)

Hey, I never promised that your baby would be safe. Or even comfortable. I am simply promising a very cute assistant.

Also available - baby fire truck rides. Sure to thrill your little one!

Do you need some help drawing on your Magnadoodle? Perhaps you need someone to make suggestions as to what to draw? Or where, exactly, to draw it? I've got just the assistant for you!

Also potentially available - this really very helpful black mutt. He could be your PERMANENT helper if you really want him. He's cute. He hasn't peed in the house in a good month. He usually comes back when you call him, from his forays to the neighbor's yard - ACROSS THE STREET. And John is becoming more and more convinced that Dexter's continual coughing, even while on the max dose of allergy medicine, is caused by said black mutt. We'll see if Buddy's days are numbered - peds visit tomorrow (if the snow doesn't close down the world), and hopefully a recommendation to see an allergist.

Bath time's a drag, I know. It's really hard to dump water on your head. It's tedious. But with THIS ASSISTANT, bath time becomes twice as fast, and seventeen times the FUN!

On a mildly related note - Dex started swim lessons at the Y last week. Our first lesson was unimpressive, and I seriously considered just sticking it out through this session and then going back to our old place, even though it's more expensive and more than twice as far away. But this week we got a new instructor who actually knows what she is doing. And our lesson was a billion times better. So maybe we'll keep going back after all. Know what we're for certain going to do? Take advantage of the rec swimming time at the pool. Because this small child. LOVES. IT. THERE.

Seriously. Give me a call if you're in need of some help. I can provide the assistant you need. He doesn't even eat very much. Unless you offer him a pear. Or some mac and cheese. Or, heaven forbid, a white pizza from Aurora Pizza in Jennersville. In which case you'd better get an extra pizza just for you...

We now return to your regularly scheduled programming. BUT FIRST, these words...

It's Wednesday. It's 2011, which is kind of mind-boggling to me. I never write checks any more, so I don't write dates much any more. So I might start remembering what year it is in, oh, about 2012.

Anyway, we're back to our normal daily routine. John went back to work yesterday (what's up with slacker Gore peeps having Monday off, while the poor little children had to get up to go to school?) and Dex and I are back to entertaining ourselves with play dates, swimming lessons, library story time, and, FINALLY, walking the dog. Which we haven't done for about a month. Which my legs reminded me of while we were walking. But DAMN, the child still knew where every single goddamned basketball hoop was, before we got there. And also every stop sign.

It's not quite back to normal yet for my parents, as my mom had knee replacement surgery on Monday and is in the hospital for the week. Dad's there with her pretty much most of the time. He said she's doing well. Some whining, which is to be expected as she is the world's biggest sissy. But the surgery site looks good, and she's been up and walking during PT, and they hope to send her butt home on Friday.

SO, as the Grandmas are really the only people who read this anyway, and Grandma needs something to do to pass the time away in the hospital, and I am SURE she'll show the nurses and anyone else who will look how ridiculously cute her grandson is... You get to look at 28 billion pictures of our whirlwind trip to New York for the holidays. Which was a nice trip. But, seriously - why does everyone live SO FAR AWAY? Our trip went something like this:

Drive - sleep - presents - eat - drive - sleep - presents - eat - sleep - sled - eat - eat - sleep - play with stop signs - drive - eat - sleep - zoo - eat - sleep - sled - eat - drive - sleep in own beds YAY!

Oh, in other news: Dex has been hacking up a lung for about forever. For a while we thought it was because of the lung infection he had in November. But it's been a while since that was an issue. So we thought maybe allergies? He's on Zyrtec now, which improved his night time sleep. And today we did half the dose PM and half the dose AM, which (TOTALLY KNOCKING ON WOOD RIGHT NOW) seems to have allowed him to nap without coughing for the first time in about seventeen billion years. Also, we started swim lessons at the Y. Not sure I like them compared to our lessons at Kids First, but they are paid for, so we'll do them for 2 months. Also, I have a pork roast in the crock pot right now that smells AMAZING and is totally making me hungry.

OK, so enough babbling. 28 billion pictures:

We've gotta go ALLLLLL the way back to Thursday the 23rd, when we went to the Brandywine River Museum to look at trains.

It's a very impressive train room, with one freight train with like 146 cars behind it.

Dex was fascinated, and we stayed for two hours, but it kind of wore his little butt out.

He bounced back in time to see the train crossing go down one more time. He now has a healthy appreciation for train crossings, and talks about them ALL THE TIME. Eating Cream of Wheat? All the sudden he's talking about how when the train crossing goes down, cars will "stop" and when the train crossing goes "up" (new word!!) cars will "goooooo."

Friday night many people in the neighborhood put out luminaria, which made for a pretty drive down our road.

SANTA CAME! At like 7:30 PM on Friday night. He's FAST!

John tries to convince Dex that his bike helmet is cool. Dex will have none of it. He enjoys his bike, hates his helmet. We're going to have to try the cool helmet Aunt Jeanne gave him. Maybe he'll like that one better.

Do you know how hard it is to find 1) a blue baby stroller and 2) a baby doll that doesn't cry, poop, drink from a bottle, or have hair that grows?

Skyping with the fam on Saturday morning. It was nice to be able to see everyone, while still enjoying a totally relaxed Christmas morning in our own house.

A vast majority of the morning was spent doing this...

And this, with a wide assortment of cars, trucks, and trains.

Sunday morning in Lansing. Santa came again!

Most time between playing with cars was spent watching snow fall. Mesmerizing. Don't ask the child if he wants music, though. HEAVEN FORBID you turn on the music...

Horse car = pure awesome. Dex is saying horse here. "ppbbbblllllttttt"

Grandpa's fave gift? 5 pounds of root beer barrels.

A Slinky, a Slinky, oh what a wonderful toy! Also of note - oblivious old dog who can't hear. Bless her heart.

Aunt Jeanne was none too thrilled at getting up at 0'dark-thirty. But a few Dexter snuggles brought her around.

Dex made some killer artwork for the grandmas and the aunts.

What's with the face?

And we, of course, made more "saaaah gookies." Because it's far too cute to watch.

In Massena. One of multiple child/bird stare-downs. Dex thought Wiley Bird was the Coolest. Thing. With. Two. Wings.

More work from the artiste

There's that face again!

OMG, Nonna. COOLEST. STOP SIGN. EVER!!

Buddy was, remarkably, pretty well behaved. I mean, he's a pain in the ass. But he's a fairly cute and easy to tolerate pain in the ass. Unless you're my sister's cat. In which case he is simply a scary black pain in the ass.

Already showed you pictures from Massena sledding excursion...

Many an hour was passed at Nonna house arranging his stop sign JUST SO, then walking around the chair, arranging again, walking around the chair, peeking back around to be sure Daddy didn't accidentally on purpose move the stop sign from its arranged spot, walking around the chair...

In Syracuse, the boys watch football, as all good boys do.

Dex and Grampa play with cars

Somehow our only decent family shots seem to have an upside-down child in them

This one's ok, too

As is this one with Aunt Jeanne

We went to the zoo, where the biggest hit was the penguins

Much giggling here

Cute penguins!

Dex pet the tiger on the nose. Also fed it some of his cheese. Which was far too cute. Hopefully he doesn't try this if he ever comes face to face with a REAL tiger.

While we were off doing fun stuff, John and Dad were doing, ummmmm - this. John spent a few hours in this position putting insulation under Jeanne's porch floor. I thought he kinda looked like the Wicked Witch of the East, smooshed under Dorothy's house. Right?

OH! We went sledding at Aunt Jeanne's house. Prepared Dex by "sledding" in the house, and then just tossed his butt on when we got to the hill.

I'm not sure he was super excited about it. But he didn't cry. So that's something, right?

And this here video just goes to show you that's there's absolutely no dignity in parenting... I am a total dork.

Hope you all had a lovely holiday!