Ding Dong Goes the Truck

The other night we were out for a nice family walk after dinner.

All of us, including the dog. Who for once wasn't being an ass and was nicely letting RR walk her - opposed to her trying to walk him.

Normally when we go for a walk I carry ERP. In a carrier of course... he's getting heavy... he's gotta be getting close to 24 lbs. Ha!!

But this evening he insisted on walking.

It was slow going to say the least. RR and TT were in the lead and then would stop and wait. Husband stayed "back" with ERP and had running commentary about being passed by turtles, snails and slugs they were going so slow.

We had made it to our turn around point and were headed home playing "Eye Spy"... the boys insist on playing this game on the walk back home.

We're about half way back to the house and RR and TT tell us they hear the Ding Dong Truck; that would be the ice cream truck for all of you not living in the happy valley.

By the time we are two thirds of the way home they insist the truck is close and break into a run. I yell to RR that I have no cash on me, it's all in the house.

The two big boys (and the dog) are gone in a flash. They are seriously running. So I pick up the pace, to make sure they have enough money.

And the truck song keeps playing. Over and over and over again.

I round the corner and I see the truck stopped at the bottom of our street. TT is standing there alone... in his PJs... because the little wears PJs for after dinner walks. He's just staring up at the truck. Alone.

Then RR comes racing down from the house. He grabbed the singles and change and a store coin out of the change dish on from the kitchen. He has maybe four dollars. He needs at least twice as much if he's going to also get ERP an ice cream.

So now I run up to the house to go get a $10 out of my wallet.

And still the truck keeps playing. Hello!! Over and over and over again.

Our poor neighbors.

But they got it. They found the truck and got money (granted not enough) and got their ice cream.

Oh and the dog... she was dropped in the house... leash and all when RR made a mad dash for the cash.

Oh... and of course not but not least..., ERP and Husband made it to the cart by the time I got back with the cash. Of course ERP insisted on Husband carrying him to get back faster. He heard the "Hello!" as well from the tuck.

Mother's Day 2016

Today was a quiet relaxing day... a low key Mother's Day.

Husband has some sort of plague or something, and as such his asthma is kicking his butt; but all said and done he kept up pretty good (aside from the nap this afternoon, but in all fairness the kids were sleeping as well).

This photo pretty much sums up the day:

Today was day #2 of ERP sleeping until 8am. Husband was already downstairs with the other boys so I carried him down and went back to bed. My boys brought me one of my favorite cereals and coffee and bed. They showered me with gifts: tub for soaking my feet, new foot stuff, hand made pictures from school... and Husband got me flowers.

While I ate with my small mooches, RR made desert, He made two... one for us and one for my mom... so I can't tell you what it was since she hasn't gotten her's yet.

Then we all watched Ghostbusters and called our loved ones. The movie was followed by an early lunch and naptime for the boys. I watched my shows and made my feet all soft and pretty. 

The boys woke and we goofed around... did laundry and woke up Husband.

Then the SUN finally came out. After a week of rain the clouds parted and out came the sun.

The boys ran through the yard, laughing and playing and picking me "sunflowers" (dandelions to the rest of us). 

After that we all made dinner together... lobster, corn on the cob and salad (the little boys had chicken nuggets and Husband had shandwiches... so lobster for RR and I). The small boys had been getting a kick out of the lobsters since yesterday. ERP calls them "dinosaurs". I taught RR how to break up lobsters with crackers. TT and ERP wanted nothing to do with them... until dinner was over. TT feel in love with the lobster shells.

He started bringing all the bits and pieces outside to play on the deck with. Then he started carrying around the heads. He kept trying to get ERP to touch them and ERP kept saying "No, thank you" and running away.

It was so sweet to watch. A moment I'd like to remember forever.

The ugliest part of the day is when ERP tried to climb his slide while carrying a beater full of homemade whip cream (part of desert) and took a tumble off the top landing on his shoulder and head. Thankfully he bounced back after a little bit. And promised mommy not to try and use with slide with hands full of beaters. 

Dinner was followed by a failed bath for ERP and showers for the big boys. Then a failed bedtime for ERP. Thankfully TT was all about bedtime, him and I snuggled and chatted about the day. He told me the blue and pink in the sky looked like they were fighting... and he thought the purple would win.

Oh and some point during today, ERP got himself dressed. Already!! I am not ready. That said I can barely convince TT to dress himself most days.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone.

"Your My Favorite Smallest Baby"

ERP is sick; day two of a 103 fever. 

Popsicles are one of the few things we've gotten him to eat.

The rest of us were trying to eat dinner. But ERP was objecting, so we were playing "pass the baby". First he sat on Husband's lap, then my lap. Then I needed to pass him off to get something, so I asked who wanted ERP. Everyone volunteered, but he wanted to sit with TT.

As soon as he sat with TT, TT said "Your my favorite smallest baby".

And then I had to run quick and get my phone to capture the moment. This is what I got.

Not Surgery Day

Today was suppose to be "surgery day".

Thankfully it is not.

Because it's too darn hot to be all miserable from surgery.

And because we're still learning about how to best deal with Husband's diabetes.

And because ERP is teething. Ergo he's miserable and surgery while he's miserable would have sucked.

Surgery was cancelled due to finding out that my thyroid cyst was benign. Woo Hoo!!

And... and this is a big and... the cyst shrank. It went from over 5cm to around 4cm. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but it was enough for it not to be putting pressure on my windpipe anymore. Seriously this change was life altering. Ok, so draining the cyst and it refilling was super painful. I couldn't talk to days, move my head or drive. I had pain in my jaw and ears. I was miserable. I would have given anything to have had my thyroid removed those days. But then the pain lessened. The neck pain I had been having for months and months went away. My doctor did another "look see" and was able to get good samples to test... and here were are.

Happy No Surgery Day!!

I do go back in six months to have it looked at again for more growths. But for now we celebrate.

I spent the day silently reflecting on how amazing the news of it being benign was. When I got word on Friday last week... I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

But today I kept thinking... "at this time we would be heading to the hospital"... when in fact I was eating breakfast with my family and my mom.

"at this time we would be going in to the operating room"... as I was cleaning my floors.

"at this time I would be coming out of the operating room"... as I was playing at the park with the little kids.

"at this time I would probably be heading home".... as I was playing in the pool with RR.

It was a good day...

A day I am thankful for. A blessed day....

Easter 2015

Silent Saturday

Wise Protector & Christmas

Raymond means "wise protector".

So Christmas Day RR and I served at the 9:15am Mass. "Thankfully" the boys were up at 6am on Christmas morning and TT had no interest in unwrapping presents; he would rather play with each gift before opening another one, so we were all able to get dressed and fed and out the door on time for Mass.

Husband and the little ones were seated in the second row of the church. He seemed to have a rough start to Mass, getting ERP to settle and all that. But once ERP was settled the little ones seemed to be behaving well for Husband.

And then, there we are; during the Eucharist, all of the Eucharistic ministers, myself and the alter servers lined up to receive the Host and TT falls in the pew. He took some sort of tumble, and his cries soared out over a quiet church. Husband worked as fast as he could to comfort and quiet TT. But in RR's book it wasn't fast enough. Several times he had to pull himself back in line; as he was about to dash into the church and rush to his brother's aide.

It was a good Christmas. Full of love and memories and really good food. But RR wanting to rush to take care of his brother is what I will always remember from that day.

And now some photos... to share some of our other memories with you.

Friday 5

1) Learning that ERP likes rocking out to Cyprus Hill - because dancing to Cyprus Hill is good "clean" fun

2) Watching Grown Ups 2 with Husband

3) Family game night - playing Thomas and Friends Memory - need I say more.

4) a $5 Halloween costume for TT - a big green dragon. Not he can't grow a single inch or gain a single ounce before Halloween otherwise it will not fit.

5) Snuggles in bed with my baby, after a late afternoon nap due to being sick... not to thankful for the sickness, but thankful for the nap and the snuggle.

Friday 5

1) WINE.  All the wine.

2) Knowing I have a movie and some alone time planned with Husband this evening

3) Knowing I have another, yes ANOTHER, date night planned with Husband tomororw

4) I am thankful the work week is over.  It was an insane one. One that made me want to pull out my hair and drink wine (see item #1 on this list).

5) Happy boys that are thrilled to see me when I get home and are eager to hug and kiss and nurse (if they are of the nursing age).

Friday Five

5 things from this week....

1) Co-workers who bring me chocolate. Specifically Chunky candy bars, the giant size.

2) Dinner date with Husband, first one since before ERP was born (YES!!!)

3) A very cool new babysitter, seeing as our last sitter "left" us when she went away to college and is now a graduate of a 4 year nursing program and working on her Masters.

4) The cool new babysitter's mom, who is teaching HIM, yes our new sitter is a HIM (good role model for RR) the ins and outs of babysitting.

5) Sushi lunch at work, paid for by work

It has been a good week.... because ERP also won the baby contest and RR won the youth cake award....

Judge's Choice Award

Every September our little town has a fair. I've mentioned it a time or two in this blog.  It's little, it's cute, it's family friendly. Aside from all the games, and vendors, and craft fairs every year they have a "Baby Contest". I had entered TT in said contest when he was a wee one; it's open to babies under the age of 1 year, and he didn't place. Husband decided the whole contest was rigged. I mean, how could they not see that out of the 50 or so babies gathered under the tent and sitting on hey bales with their parents that HE was the cutest.

So fast forward to this year and I tell Husband that I am entering ERP. He reminds me the contest is rigged and he makes plans to check out the fair with the Big Boys and his brother while ERP and I go to the Baby Contest.

We get a seat in the second row, but the judges ask to only have babies and a parent seated with them so a stop in the front opens up and ERP and I slip in. We fill out a card with his info, and place it on the backpack. When your baby gets selected for an award they take your card. Awards are offered - 1st, 2nd and 3rd for Best Personality, Youngest, Twins, Chubbiest, Handsomest and Prettiest and then Judge's Choice (the overall winner).

ERP and I are having a blast. We are seated between two little girls. One about 6 weeks old, her mom and I chatted about pumping and nursing and all that fun stuff. And the other girl was about 5.5 months old. ERP took a shine to her and kept hugging her and petting her soft jacket (and trying to eat her mom's long hair). He was standing on my lap. He was jumping up and down. He played with his toys and kept making judges pick them up for him. He was laughing and smiling. He was eating up all of the attention.

First the judges took the cards for the youngest - there was a three way tie for 3rd - all three were born on the same day. Then you heard rumors about them taking cards for other categories. While rumor had it they were taking cards for chubbiest they took ERP's card. Now I KNOW Mr-5-Percent-for-Weight was not chosen for chubbiest. So I thought maybe best dressed... which wasn't even a category... shows what I know. I sent Husband and brother-in-law a text that he placed and hope they would get the hint and come back to see him. (I should have been more blunt, but in their defense TT was being a total pill... he was All. Day. Long.)

They started calling prized and I kept wondering when they were going to call his name. The judges were running out of categories to award prizes for and I started thinking it was a mistake and he hasn't won anything. And then they announced the Judge's Choice. And sure enough ERP won.  I was shocked.

He won the biggest ribbon and got a cute little trophy. I was over the moon happy. So proud of my cute little guy. Husband was more shocked than I was when he got there.

We pinned his ribbon to him on the ring sling and happy wore him and his award around the fair for the rest of the day.  And we treated him to his first chocolate chip cookie - his first cookie - some of his first grains in fact - for a job well done.

ERP my beauty contest winner.

And no, he will NOT be the next Honey-Boo-Boo.  Can I just admit that RR and I get sucked into watching Toddlers and Tiaras?  Yup, it's true.