OK, so I realize it has been a while since I last wrote.... Here's the rundown.
Monday
Stellan had a strange swelling in his "nether regions". I was quite worried, freaked out actually. He didn't seem bothered. Bathed him and put on a new diaper. Prayed everything was going to be OK. Didn't want any life long issues; of course I was thinking the worst.
Tuesday
Stellan was better in the morning. Swelling was gone done, now it was only reddish purple. Said he had a bit of pain, not complaining though. His mood was not altered but I was still a bit worried.
Went pumpkin picking. So much fun!! The boys loved the animals and were thrilled with the tractor/hay ride. Jameson was so excited to be there that he didn't want to go to the bathroom. He ended up peeing his pants right outside the porta john. Go figure. Then he insisted on me carrying him to the car (lovely pee residue) to change is clothes. Thankfully I actually, for some strange reason, brought extra clothes. The boys each picked a pumpkin (not physically picked, just picked up a pumpkin that had been placed around a mowed down corn field. Maybe they thought no one would notice?!) and brought it back to the tractor. Jameson must have thought it resembled a basketball because he kept throwing it. Sheesh.
Came home and put the kids to bed and made a call to the local pediatrician's office. I explained the situation to the nurse and she said I could come in at 5. What a novelty, same day visits! I am so impressed!!! I am totally willing to pay the $20 copay for service like that.
James came home to watch Jameson and I took Stellan to see the pediatrician. Stellan was so cute in the waiting room. He brought along his beloved monkey (named "Monkey", what else?) and started giving him a ride in the dump truck. Then he took him to the fish tank and introduced him to the fish. How precious! It was especially cute since he was standing there with his crocs on the wrong feet. What a cute picture.
We got in to see the doctor where I briefly explained the situation. The doctor seemed like such a nice guy and had a great sense of humour. I took of Stellan's diaper and the doctor was relieved that it was the better of two possibilities. The worse case scenario could have resulted in a circumcision. Ouch! He prescribed some oral antibiotics and said he should be better in 48 hours. No known reason why this happened, just did. Poor baby. Glad he didn't seem uncomfortable though. :(
We started him on his antibiotics that night. He loved the medicine. Jameson kept begging to have medicine. So strange!
Wednesday
Stellan was doing much better.
We headed out to Mercer County Park to visit with Trina and Jeremy. The boys love the park, especially the lake where they see Canada Geese and get to throw rocks into the water. The played on the swings for a bit and then decided it was time to throw rocks. Forget the playground equipment; maybe next time I'll just bring them to a nearby pond or something. Anyway, we headed down to the waterfront and realized it was very muddy. Stellan didn't care and just kept mucking his way toward the water. I realized it was just too slippery in that area so we decided to head back up and find a different location. Stellan slipped in the mud on the way up. He thought it was quite funny but didn't like the fact that his hands got dirty. We walked toward the wooded area when Stellan spotted the mother lode, a mud puddle. He looked up at my with his impish grin and said, "Mama, I jump in puddle?". Well, that's exactly what he did. And kept doing. And convinced his brother to do. They were so unbelieveably muddy! Not exactly what I pictured our day turning out like but they were having a ton of fun. Jameson had to pee and I told him he could pee on a tree rather than go in the porta john. He thought this was a great idea. He pulled down his pants and then started looking for a hole in the tree. How priceless. We didn't find one so I told him to aim at the leaf. This was great fun but it took a bit of practice. He was quite pleased with the result.
After a bit more puddle time I took the boys back to the van where I stripped them down to their underwear/diapers. What a mess! I figure it was worth it though because they had a blast! I headed out and drove around trying to find a new way home. Have no idea where I was but I got home!
Jameson and Stellan went to Skipper Club tonight. Jameson always repeats the mantra, "Mommy always comes back". If he says this to himself he has no problem leaving me and going to his group. But then he asked, "Why do you always come back?"
"Because I love you."
"Why do you love me so much mommy?"
Sheesh, why does he need to be so philosophical? Cute though. ;)
Stellan put on quite a show for me. When I dropped him off at his room he started screaming. I know this is all for my sake because I know he loves it and stops as soon as I leave. I put him down and he stomped his feet and screamed, "NO!!". So funny to see. So dramatic. I have no idea where he gets that from. ;)
Thursday
I double booked our day so we had a play date at 10 and a lunch date at 1. No problem. We had a great play date, the two boys are roughly the same ages as Jameson and Stellan. It was so obvious when they had enough, no one wanted to share and the 30 trains that were available to play with just weren't enough. That was our signal to head out.
I headed to the lunch date. I knew where we were going but it was quite difficult to find their apartment. Stellan fell asleep in the van so I put him down when we got inside. He slept the entire time. Ended up peeing through his diaper and literally soaking his pants. Crazy full diaper! Jameson didn't want to eat so he ended up playing the whole time. He was very well behaved so I didn't complain. I enjoyed the Koren food that James' co-workers wife made. So delicious! I had a nice time getting to know the ladies a bit better. So interesting to learn about the different cultures.
Stellan woke up and we headed home where I fed them lunch (at 4:00).
The boys and I have had a great week together and I'm so thankful for their much improved behaviour. I hope this is a trend that continues.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Fall Outing
Well we decided to head to Syracuse for their annual Fall Outing. We were looking forward to the weekend but we definitely were not looking forward to the drive. Our boys have never been good travellers so we figured it would be torture to travel. Oh well, we knew the end result would be worth it.
The boys were as expected, pretty crazy. If they weren't arguing over who got which blanket, they were arguing about which book to read or which stuffed animal to hold. They did have a lot of fun together but it meant that the noise level was at a maximum in the van. They really needed to sleep but had a difficult time winding down. They eventually gave in and James and I had a much needed break in the craziness. Actually, I think I napped too so James had a very quite ride. :)
We got to our hostess' house and got ready for dinner at church. We got there and had a very nice dinner where we were able to see many people that we hadn't seen in years. The boys were quite charming and had a great time playing with their little friends. Jameson found someone new to hang on to and idolize for the weekend. He tends to do that, he picks a boy, usually someone a few years older than himself, and then he follows him around everywhere. Quite cute to watch but probably pretty annoying if you're that little boy.
We went inside for the evening service but didn't get to hear much seeing as the boys still haven't learned how to sit quiet. They will one day....I hope.
We headed back to our hostess' house for the evening. The boys went to bed quite easily and slept through the night, what a relief. They did get up early but what else is new?
We went to Pratts Falls for the Sunday church service. What a beautiful setting! Fall is my favourite season and this proved why. I took Jameson to Sunday School but he was disappointed that he didn't get to play with playdough immediately, he actually had to listen to a lesson. Much crying and protest followed but I eventually convinced him to stay and colour. Once he was comfortable he looked at me and said, "Mommy, leave now". How cute. :)
Jameson followed his new found friend during lunch, insisting on sitting next to him to eat. Eventually we all ate and his friend was able to slip away. We headed outside where Jameson decided he could immitate his new friend and climb the rock wall too. Minor heart attack. He made it safely to the top and, thankfully, there was someone at the top to help him over. We weren't able to make it to the main attraction, the falls, but the kids didn't mind as soon as we put on the video
We headed home with relatively low expectations for the kids behaviour. We were so thankful when they both fell asleep within the first 10 minutes. I tried to sleep too but no luck. :(
The boys were actually quite well behaved for the majority of the trip. We were stuck in traffic for quite some time which ended up testing their limits. Near the end of the trip Stellan was singing "Down by the Station" while Jameson was singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep". Funny but deafening. I caught some of it on video, priceless. It's next to impossible to understand what Stellan was singing but I hear it enough that I can easily interpret it.
We got home and put the kids to be immediately. James and I were able to sit and relax for a bit and then headed to bed. Despite the less than ideal travel companions, we really enjoyed the weekend and were so thankful to enjoy God's beautiful creation.
The boys were as expected, pretty crazy. If they weren't arguing over who got which blanket, they were arguing about which book to read or which stuffed animal to hold. They did have a lot of fun together but it meant that the noise level was at a maximum in the van. They really needed to sleep but had a difficult time winding down. They eventually gave in and James and I had a much needed break in the craziness. Actually, I think I napped too so James had a very quite ride. :)
We got to our hostess' house and got ready for dinner at church. We got there and had a very nice dinner where we were able to see many people that we hadn't seen in years. The boys were quite charming and had a great time playing with their little friends. Jameson found someone new to hang on to and idolize for the weekend. He tends to do that, he picks a boy, usually someone a few years older than himself, and then he follows him around everywhere. Quite cute to watch but probably pretty annoying if you're that little boy.
We went inside for the evening service but didn't get to hear much seeing as the boys still haven't learned how to sit quiet. They will one day....I hope.
We headed back to our hostess' house for the evening. The boys went to bed quite easily and slept through the night, what a relief. They did get up early but what else is new?
We went to Pratts Falls for the Sunday church service. What a beautiful setting! Fall is my favourite season and this proved why. I took Jameson to Sunday School but he was disappointed that he didn't get to play with playdough immediately, he actually had to listen to a lesson. Much crying and protest followed but I eventually convinced him to stay and colour. Once he was comfortable he looked at me and said, "Mommy, leave now". How cute. :)
Jameson followed his new found friend during lunch, insisting on sitting next to him to eat. Eventually we all ate and his friend was able to slip away. We headed outside where Jameson decided he could immitate his new friend and climb the rock wall too. Minor heart attack. He made it safely to the top and, thankfully, there was someone at the top to help him over. We weren't able to make it to the main attraction, the falls, but the kids didn't mind as soon as we put on the video
We headed home with relatively low expectations for the kids behaviour. We were so thankful when they both fell asleep within the first 10 minutes. I tried to sleep too but no luck. :(
The boys were actually quite well behaved for the majority of the trip. We were stuck in traffic for quite some time which ended up testing their limits. Near the end of the trip Stellan was singing "Down by the Station" while Jameson was singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep". Funny but deafening. I caught some of it on video, priceless. It's next to impossible to understand what Stellan was singing but I hear it enough that I can easily interpret it.
We got home and put the kids to be immediately. James and I were able to sit and relax for a bit and then headed to bed. Despite the less than ideal travel companions, we really enjoyed the weekend and were so thankful to enjoy God's beautiful creation.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Poop Patrol
Here's a new one....
Jameson came upstairs and was in the bathroom for quite sometime. Considering he was in there not long before that I figured it was time to check up on him. Needless to say I was quite shocked to find Jameson naked and standing in front of the sink washing his hands. I looked closely at his hands and saw poop. That's right, poop. I FREAKED!! I looked around in a panic and saw that there was no poop in the bathroom. I asked Jameson where the poop was and he very calmly explained it was in the basement. There was a sly smirk on his face when he made this shocking announcement. I asked him why he went in the basement rather than in the toilet and he said, "Because I wanted to".
"But honey, you always use the toilet."
"I didn't want to use the toilet."
Grrrrr
I wiped his bum and rushed to the basement. I found smudges of poop in different areas all over the basement. Angry, understatement. Upset, understatement. Annoyed, understatement. I went upstairs and grabbed a bucket of water and two rags. I turned the tv on for Stellan to watch Go Diego Go. Jameson also wanted to sit and watch but I instructed him that he would be coming downstairs to help me clean the poop. He actually thought this was a good idea and gladly joined me. We each grabbed a rag and went to work. Granted, he was just doing some light rubbing on the carpet but I thought it served as a good lesson. He grew impatient quite quickly and wanted to join his brother on the sofa. Uh, not so fast. He was quite upset when I told him he would be staying with me until everything was cleaned up. Besides, he was also pointing out the different spots where there was poop. Found some on the chair, some more on the train track, and yet more on the train. He then gladly pointed out that there was some poop on the big bouncy ball. Yep, that must have been the main source. By the looks of it, my best guess is that the poop somehow ended up on the ball and then the poop covered ball was bounced all over the basement. Oh my creative darlings.
By the time we finished cleaning up the poop Go Diego Go was all finished. I'm hoping that served a good lesson. We'll have to wait and see whether or not this happens again.
Anyone looking for a three year old houseguest? He's somewhat toilet trained and quite entertaining. Just let me know. He'll definitely keep you on your toes.
Jameson came upstairs and was in the bathroom for quite sometime. Considering he was in there not long before that I figured it was time to check up on him. Needless to say I was quite shocked to find Jameson naked and standing in front of the sink washing his hands. I looked closely at his hands and saw poop. That's right, poop. I FREAKED!! I looked around in a panic and saw that there was no poop in the bathroom. I asked Jameson where the poop was and he very calmly explained it was in the basement. There was a sly smirk on his face when he made this shocking announcement. I asked him why he went in the basement rather than in the toilet and he said, "Because I wanted to".
"But honey, you always use the toilet."
"I didn't want to use the toilet."
Grrrrr
I wiped his bum and rushed to the basement. I found smudges of poop in different areas all over the basement. Angry, understatement. Upset, understatement. Annoyed, understatement. I went upstairs and grabbed a bucket of water and two rags. I turned the tv on for Stellan to watch Go Diego Go. Jameson also wanted to sit and watch but I instructed him that he would be coming downstairs to help me clean the poop. He actually thought this was a good idea and gladly joined me. We each grabbed a rag and went to work. Granted, he was just doing some light rubbing on the carpet but I thought it served as a good lesson. He grew impatient quite quickly and wanted to join his brother on the sofa. Uh, not so fast. He was quite upset when I told him he would be staying with me until everything was cleaned up. Besides, he was also pointing out the different spots where there was poop. Found some on the chair, some more on the train track, and yet more on the train. He then gladly pointed out that there was some poop on the big bouncy ball. Yep, that must have been the main source. By the looks of it, my best guess is that the poop somehow ended up on the ball and then the poop covered ball was bounced all over the basement. Oh my creative darlings.
By the time we finished cleaning up the poop Go Diego Go was all finished. I'm hoping that served a good lesson. We'll have to wait and see whether or not this happens again.
Anyone looking for a three year old houseguest? He's somewhat toilet trained and quite entertaining. Just let me know. He'll definitely keep you on your toes.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Buying a Van
So we did it, we bought a minivan. We've been searching the net and we've also been in contact with a dealer in nearby Langhorne PA. James finally found one located in Old Bridge NJ (no, we'd never heard of it either). We packed up the kids and headed out there. After an interesting drive out there through many different backroads, we ended up at the dealership. We headed inside and talked to David. He took us to the lot and showed us the van. The kids thought it was a playground. They loved crawling all over the van turning the lights on and off. We installed the car seats and headed out for a test drive. The kids thought it was great. They said how much they loved their new van. (A bit presumptuous.) We both really liked the van and decided to take the plunge.
We headed back to the dealership where James started the process of filling out the paperwork to buy the car. It was my job to keep the kids entertained. Thankfully there was an area with a tv and some toys, ancient dirty toys but toys nonetheless. The kids gladly played for a while but were obviously anxious to leave. At one point Jameson was lying on the floor looking under the toy box. He stood up and exclaimed that he was now chewing gum. YUCK! GROSS! I ran over and told him to spit it out. He was a bit surprised but spit out the half chewed stick into my hand. I truly wanted to puke! I threw it in the garbage and wiped my hands on an empty paper bag. Jameson still didn't see what the problem was and was now upset that he didn't get to chew a piece of gum. Didn't see the big deal?!?! Who knows how old it was? Who knows who dropped it on the floor and how long it was on the floor? Sick!!!
The boys were quickly losing it so I took them into the car to listen to CDs. Thankfully James was done the long process shortly thereafter and we were able to head home. We tried to follow the directions home but made several wrong turns before finally finding our way. Even though I keep getting lost, I still believe I have a good sense of direction. :)
We pick up our new-to-us Honda Odyssey tomorrow morning and have the DVD player installed tomorrow afternoon. Gotta keep the kids entertained on our trip to Syracuse this weekend.
We headed back to the dealership where James started the process of filling out the paperwork to buy the car. It was my job to keep the kids entertained. Thankfully there was an area with a tv and some toys, ancient dirty toys but toys nonetheless. The kids gladly played for a while but were obviously anxious to leave. At one point Jameson was lying on the floor looking under the toy box. He stood up and exclaimed that he was now chewing gum. YUCK! GROSS! I ran over and told him to spit it out. He was a bit surprised but spit out the half chewed stick into my hand. I truly wanted to puke! I threw it in the garbage and wiped my hands on an empty paper bag. Jameson still didn't see what the problem was and was now upset that he didn't get to chew a piece of gum. Didn't see the big deal?!?! Who knows how old it was? Who knows who dropped it on the floor and how long it was on the floor? Sick!!!
The boys were quickly losing it so I took them into the car to listen to CDs. Thankfully James was done the long process shortly thereafter and we were able to head home. We tried to follow the directions home but made several wrong turns before finally finding our way. Even though I keep getting lost, I still believe I have a good sense of direction. :)
We pick up our new-to-us Honda Odyssey tomorrow morning and have the DVD player installed tomorrow afternoon. Gotta keep the kids entertained on our trip to Syracuse this weekend.
Sweetest Thing
How cute!?
Jameson and I were having a conversation today that went as follows:
Mommy: "That's because Daddy is a good man."
Jameson: "No he's not."
Mommy: "Why not?"
Jameson: "Daddy's a great daddy."
So simple and clear to him.
Jameson and I were having a conversation today that went as follows:
Mommy: "That's because Daddy is a good man."
Jameson: "No he's not."
Mommy: "Why not?"
Jameson: "Daddy's a great daddy."
So simple and clear to him.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Dinner
When we got home from church James got a phone call from his co-worker Jong asking if we'd like to join the gang in Palmer Square in downtown Princeton. Sounded like a better alternative to scrounging around in the fridge for whatever I could dig up. There would be one couple from Amsterdam, a guy from Germany and a couple from Korea with their 18 month son. I was quite excited for this adventure, relishing the fact that we actually got to go out and get to know James' co-workers a bit better. A promising sign, Jameson didn't even complain about the clothes I wanted him to wear. :)
We were fortunate enough to find an ideal parking spot on the street, less than a block from the determined meeting place. We hauled the behemoth stroller out of the trunk and strapped the kids in. A rather large tantrum followed when Jameson realized that Stellan got a steering wheel but he didn't. (Who designs a stroller like that anyway? Obviously they've never heard of sibling rivalry.) Ignoring the glares of everyone around us, we tried to calm him down while heading to the restaurant. We were pleased to see the group at a table on the patio. What a quaint setting. We steered the monstrosity of a stroller (is it obvious that I'm not a fan of the double stroller?!?!) onto the patio, unloaded the kids and parked the now folded up stroller in a corner. We were a bit tight but it would do. We promptly ordered the kids apple juice and then helped ourselves to the bread.
The kids noticed the large fountain at the entrance of the restaurant and wanted to see it. (Well, Stellan calls it a mountain but it's close enough, we know what he means.) We took our turns entertaining the kids and even managed to keep them dry.
Our pokey waiter, who was very nice despite the fact that he was so slow, took our order for the boys and brought it back relatively quickly. (Afterall, how difficult is it to make pasta with marinara sauce?) But then it took him FOREVER to take our orders. The boys finished their meal before we even placed our orders. Lovely. What to do now? Well, back to the fountain we went. A woman came up with her two boys and we started chatting. Now I have another person to call for playdates! I'm so glad I meet such nice people. Looking forward to getting together with her soon.
I headed back to the table to place our order while James played with the kids. James came back long enough to tell the waiter what he wanted and then headed back to the fountain. We both ordered salads, we really weren't that hungry.
Unfortunately for James he wasn't able to spend much time actually sitting and talking. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful husband who let me sit and talk to his co-workers. (A bit ironic, I get it.) I really liked everyone and had a great time learning more about them and their countries. (Did you know that they never take "doggie bags" home in Europe? A new experience for them and one that they don't expect to adopt while living here.)
Our meals came and I choked when I saw James'. He had the smallest salad I thought it was an appetizer. No wonder he's so skinny! A short while later James came over and said that he needed to change Stellan's diaper, he pooped. I asked if it could wait long enough for us to eat our salads (afterall, two bites and he'd be done).
"Uh, no honey, it's pretty bad."
"It can't wait 5 minutes?"
"I think it's a blow out."
"Oh."
James took him to the car while I persuaded/bribed Jameson to sit long enough for me to eat my salad (large enough for a meal and very delicious!!). James was gone for quite some time, I was a bit concerned. He came back carrying Stellan who was now clad only in a t-shirt, a diaper, socks and shoes. How embarrassing!! (For me, not for him. He couldn't care less!) Apparently it was a blow out indeed. The shirt should have come off too but I'm sure there was a sign somewhere that said "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". At least we had those covered! Unfortunately, due to the soiled shirt, there was now a noticeable smell that followed Stellan. Needless to say, this was the end of our evening. James quickly finished his two bite salad, paid the bill and away we went.
We promised to get together with his co-workers again once we find a reliable babysitter.
We were fortunate enough to find an ideal parking spot on the street, less than a block from the determined meeting place. We hauled the behemoth stroller out of the trunk and strapped the kids in. A rather large tantrum followed when Jameson realized that Stellan got a steering wheel but he didn't. (Who designs a stroller like that anyway? Obviously they've never heard of sibling rivalry.) Ignoring the glares of everyone around us, we tried to calm him down while heading to the restaurant. We were pleased to see the group at a table on the patio. What a quaint setting. We steered the monstrosity of a stroller (is it obvious that I'm not a fan of the double stroller?!?!) onto the patio, unloaded the kids and parked the now folded up stroller in a corner. We were a bit tight but it would do. We promptly ordered the kids apple juice and then helped ourselves to the bread.
The kids noticed the large fountain at the entrance of the restaurant and wanted to see it. (Well, Stellan calls it a mountain but it's close enough, we know what he means.) We took our turns entertaining the kids and even managed to keep them dry.
Our pokey waiter, who was very nice despite the fact that he was so slow, took our order for the boys and brought it back relatively quickly. (Afterall, how difficult is it to make pasta with marinara sauce?) But then it took him FOREVER to take our orders. The boys finished their meal before we even placed our orders. Lovely. What to do now? Well, back to the fountain we went. A woman came up with her two boys and we started chatting. Now I have another person to call for playdates! I'm so glad I meet such nice people. Looking forward to getting together with her soon.
I headed back to the table to place our order while James played with the kids. James came back long enough to tell the waiter what he wanted and then headed back to the fountain. We both ordered salads, we really weren't that hungry.
Unfortunately for James he wasn't able to spend much time actually sitting and talking. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful husband who let me sit and talk to his co-workers. (A bit ironic, I get it.) I really liked everyone and had a great time learning more about them and their countries. (Did you know that they never take "doggie bags" home in Europe? A new experience for them and one that they don't expect to adopt while living here.)
Our meals came and I choked when I saw James'. He had the smallest salad I thought it was an appetizer. No wonder he's so skinny! A short while later James came over and said that he needed to change Stellan's diaper, he pooped. I asked if it could wait long enough for us to eat our salads (afterall, two bites and he'd be done).
"Uh, no honey, it's pretty bad."
"It can't wait 5 minutes?"
"I think it's a blow out."
"Oh."
James took him to the car while I persuaded/bribed Jameson to sit long enough for me to eat my salad (large enough for a meal and very delicious!!). James was gone for quite some time, I was a bit concerned. He came back carrying Stellan who was now clad only in a t-shirt, a diaper, socks and shoes. How embarrassing!! (For me, not for him. He couldn't care less!) Apparently it was a blow out indeed. The shirt should have come off too but I'm sure there was a sign somewhere that said "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service". At least we had those covered! Unfortunately, due to the soiled shirt, there was now a noticeable smell that followed Stellan. Needless to say, this was the end of our evening. James quickly finished his two bite salad, paid the bill and away we went.
We promised to get together with his co-workers again once we find a reliable babysitter.
Sunday School
So cute! This is what we heard in our back seat on the way to church this morning.
Jameson: "Stellan, want to go to Sunday school with me?"
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "We sing about Jesus and stay in Jesus' house."
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "Stellan, you gonna come with me to Sunday school?"
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "OK, good."
Makes me so proud. :)
Jameson: "Stellan, want to go to Sunday school with me?"
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "We sing about Jesus and stay in Jesus' house."
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "Stellan, you gonna come with me to Sunday school?"
Stellan: "Yep"
Jameson: "OK, good."
Makes me so proud. :)
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