"Sail To Mamaland!"

So says Tyler, as we play a little game he called, "Pirate Pets." He's so stinking cute, it kills me.

It's easy to get totally wrapped up with a sick kid, that the other one ends up with less attention, or constantly gets told to stay out of the way, while the sick one is being tended to. I tried to avoid doing this to Tyler by taking him upstairs and spending a little time with him. David hung out with Vincent, who is doing better, but not by much. At least, he's eating and drinking a bit now. Well, no, right this moment, he's asleep on his and Tyler's old crib mattress on our bedroom floor.

This is what Tyler and I did:

Tyler and I started off playing a game about pets. I really wasn't sure exactly how to play this. He sort of did his own thing, while I watched. Mr. Potato Head made an appearance and caused lots and lots of giggles for Tyler. Then, Mr. P.H. was put away, and Ty started in on another adventure. The lights got turned off, a flashlight turned on, and he went looking of a treasure. It was his pirate box, shaped like a treasure chest. Inside is a hook, a hat, a map, another map, and a bandana. Usually, there are also a telescope and a pouch of gold doubloons, but not today. He quickly put on the hat, had me wrap the bandana around his waist, and pretty much played on his own. I sat on the rocking chair, and chimed in here and there, but he was so content telling the "pets" what to do. BTW, the pets were his tiny little black doggie, an Oregon beaver, and Perry The Platypus. At one point, he shouted out, "Sail to Mamaland!", and hopped on to his bed with all the pets and their vehicles (a seaplane and a garbage truck), and started sailing. I was amazed with his imagination, and ability to orchestrate this little adventure he was on. 

Here's our fearless pirate captain.

Sick Kid Update - It's Not Pretty

Vincent made a huge mess last night. He had gone with his dad to karate. When that was over, he said he was very thirsty. They got home, and he grabbed himself a glass of milk. He also said his stomach hurt a bit, but he went to bed just fine.

At 10:45pm he got up. He was pretty out of it. He said he had to use the potty, but nothing happened. He said his stomach hurt, again. We asked if he felt like he had to throw up, and he nonchalantly said, "I already did in my bed."

WHAT??!! I never saw the whole thing, but it was apparently quite the mess. David took care of it all. I tried to help, but found myself gagging over the little bit I experienced. Pregnancy makes heightens my sense of smell!!

I believe we all made it to bed some time after midnight, and were up again just after 1am. We stayed up until 3:30am, adding diarrhea to the mix. I swear, I think Vincent was up every 10-15 minutes during that 2.5 hours of time. Things calmed down enough for us to all fall asleep for a few hours, until about 6am.

OH, and just before we went to bed, Tyler completely wet his bed! We had also run out of waterproof mattress covers. Luckily, we still had one set of sheets for Tyler, so we just put him in an overnight diaper. We ended up putting Vincent in a diaper, too, as we lost 2 or 3 pairs of underwear...

Vincent has been puke free since about 11am, and has been able to keep down a small amount of water and Pedialyte. He has a low grade fever and is taking a nap. He has watched a few T.V. shows this morning, but isn't even that interested in them. I know he's hungry and thirsty, too. Poor kid.

Now, we cross our fingers and hope that the rest of the family doesn't follow in his sickly footsteps.

And, Another Sick Child

Vomit. Lots. Poor Vincent.

David is the best dad/husband there is.

Glucose Test

I had my glucose test today. This is the one where I have to drink this really sweet liquid. It tastes like flat orange soda, only sweeter, I imagine. Then, I have to sit for an hour, then get a blood draw. I kept dosing off during my hour wait. The gal who drew my blood was in training, so she struggled a little, since I have tiny veins. Not fun. At least, they didn't have to poke me a second time. This reminds me that when I do go into labor, I have to get one of those I.V. needles stuck in me (just in case). Now, those are not fun.

The Amazing Spider Man

David rented 'The Amazing Spider Man' from the library this weekend. The boys were excited to watch it, but with our late night last night, we didn't get to it. We had nothing on our calender for this morning, so we decided to have a "movie morning." Exciting, huh?

But, first! The boys had to go upstairs to do a "battle."

The movie was fun, and the boys were pretty good about not asking too many questions. Tyler was a bit scared at one point, but got through that. I had forgotten that we had to take them to swim lessons at 1pm, and the movie ended around 12:15pm. Oops! Rush, rush, rush!

Bellevue, Enya, Wurst

Today was a major Bellevue day for us. We dropped Vincent off at Chinese school, then headed to Home Depot with Tyler. We bought a gallon of paint and some supplies to paint the baby's room. Ooh, and a rubber mallet! Exciting, huh? We then headed to Arnold's to check out refrigerators. 

David had looked a few weeks ago and had his mind set on a certain brand and model. Of course, they show me the more expensive one first, then take me over to the one he was thinking of getting us. Still nice, but not as nice. But, then, there was this other brand that he hadn't considered...Well, of course, I liked that even better, and it's the more expensive one. In my defense, it wasn't the most expensive in the store, by far. Anyway, we didn't make a decision, and David's doing a bit of research.

We then took Tyler to the nearby mall to let him ride the 25cent coin operated rides. These are total old school rides. I love them, and I'm so happy Tyler does to. Before we knew it, it was time to go get Vincent.

We went back towards where we were earlier. We let Vincent pick the lunch spot, then, took the boys to the Lego store for Vincent to pick out a reward for a good test score a few weeks ago. He had a $10 budget, and he reluctantly picked this Ninjago mini "mech" thing. After he put it together at home, he was so excited and proclaimed that he loves it.

Speaking of love, Tyler apparently loves Enya. Yes, as in the singer of "Far And Away." 

I had put an old Enya CD in the car a few months ago, and forgotten it was there. On our drive to school this morning, the CD came on after a children's one ended, and Tyler wanted to listen to it. When it was done, he asked for it, again. And, then, again. Finally, Vincent asked for something different. But, Tyler actually said, "I love Enya." He kept asking which track each song was, too. The cool part was that both boys related different songs to different feelings or thoughts they'd get from listen to it. Like track 4, Vincent said sounded scary and serious, but he liked it. Track 1, Tyler said it made him think of Stanley's funeral. Wow.

Dinner tonight was at The Wurst Place. It's a sausage joint. We met up with a big group of friends, several with kids. We thought we'd be the only ones with kids there so we allowed Vincent to bring his Leapster to play with. There ended up being two other boys about Tyler's age there, and they were totally into watching Vincent play. Vincent even shared it a little with them. At one point, I could see Vincent getting overwhelmed with them crowding him. He tried to get his space, but, like Tyler, they're still a little young to understand personal space. Heck, Vincent's still figuring that out. I felt bad punishing Vincent for something he couldn't help, but they'd all be watching that thing for a long time, anyway.

Verge of Tears, Errands, Nesting Urges

David called me after dropping Vincent off at school saying that Vincent was a wreck and on the verge of tears. David simply asked him if he was excited for the weekend, and Vincent got upset. He asked why he is the only kid that has to go to school everyday, and said that he never gets a break. Wow.

He has Mandarin on Saturdays, which is sort of long (3 hours), and swimming on Sundays for 30 minutes. He's doing really well in Mandarin, even if he doesn't enjoy it. He's struggling with swimming a bit. He feels like he wants to "delete something" from his weekends. 

Unfortunately, these two are tough to delete. We feel the swimming is important for his safety. He's old enough now that we want to make sure he can swim. He doesn't need to be Michael Phelps. Just safe. And, the Mandarin...well, it's important in ways I cannot explain very well to him. He doesn't get it at this age why it means so much to me. Part of it is the culture and community, and the other part is that he's just beneficial for him down the road. 

So, after school, as we were walking home, I said to Vincent that his dad and I have discussed how we'd like to get him a prize for the test he took a few weeks ago. He had gotten a 92% on the test, and I don't think I made a big enough deal about how good of a score that was. I was happy, etc., but he got that score after not being in school for about 3 weeks (maybe even 4). He did all his homework during break, and studied very hard. I told him that we realized how hard he had worked and wanted to reward him for his hard work. Yes, it's totally manipulative and bribery, BUT!!! I'm hoping this will get him excited about continuing. 

Tyler and I had a great little morning together. We went to the gym, where he was one of the only kids there. He was so happy with the snack I packed him, and excitedly told me he ate it all. Then, we ran errands. I used that word, "errands," with him, and now he's into it (I think). I wanted to get some clams for dinner. We went to a fish place that seemed to scare him a little, but they only took cash, which I had none. Instead, we found our clams at Uwajimaya, along with another $55 worth of food. I bought some other fish for dinner, too, and several Asian snacks. That place is like Trader Joe's for me. I always buy more than intended. 

Next stop, Big Mario's for pizza. It's sort of a whole in the wall, hipster pizza joint. Looks like a bar inside, but there are two small tables across from the take-out counter where minors can eat. Yay! I was unsure if Tyler would like his pizza, since they didn't have his exact toppings. He ordered a pepperoni. The slices are huge. I had his sliced in half, and he ate both halves.

After a while, he said to me, "I'm tired of sitting so high." We were on bar stools. I told him to eat standing up. He did.

Such a cutie.

Our next stop was Cupcake Royale to pick up some gift cards that they are donating to the upcoming Montlake Elementary auction. And, since we were there, and I've been craving their cupcakes for weeks now, we ordered a few to take home. Tyler requested a scoop of ice cream, too. Vanilla with sprinkles. He did a little happy dance while eating.

Finally, tonight, after the boys went to bed, David and I moved some furniture (and stuff) down to the basement. Afterwards, we hung out in the future nursery and talked about where this and that will go. David said something to the degree of being excited to get this set up in there. I said it sounds like he has some nesting urges himself. Fine by me. We're going to buy paint tomorrow while Vincent's in Chinese class. Woohoo!

The School Bus

Vincent was invited to a play date at a friend's house this afternoon. The friend normally rides the school bus home. I asked Vincent if this was something he'd like to do with Henry, and he said, "yes." We had to let the office know with a note, and they send a "green card" to his teacher. She gives that to Vincent to give to the bus driver. We were pretty excited for him, but he seemed indifferent when asked how it was.

Nonetheless, he had a good time at his friend's, although, he told me it was too short when I picked him up. And, even though the boys were a little wild while I was gathering him up to go, Henry's mom said he did very well there. She said he's a kind person. This was his second behavior compliment today, actually.

I had volunteered in Vincent's classroom earlier in the day. When the kids went out to recess, I asked his teacher a little about his focus, etc., in class. She said that he has "endurance and follow through," and that he is aware of how friendships should be. 

28 Weeks - Officially The Third Tri-mester

Good-bye Little Toaster

Alas, my 'little toaster that could' died on us this morning.

I bought this very generic toaster at Rite-Aid soon after I moved into my Belltown apartment in Seattle, 10.5 year ago. I was probably $10, at most. It's out-lasted our Cuisineart coffee maker, our DeLongi espresso machine, and our toaster oven. Well, we just got rid of that last one, but it was in working condition. And, it even had the consideration to putz out on us with no fuss. There wasn't a scary "POP!" sound, or any sparks, or smoke, or anything. It just simply didn't turn on when we plugged it in and pressed down this morning. Luckily, our bagels were still fresh, so the toasting was just a bonus. The kids didn't even notice the difference.

We are now in the market for a new toaster. Funny thing is, I gave it no thought when I bought that one. It was the cheapest one, I was poor, and I had no expectations of it lasting more than a year or so. Now, I don't know what to get! I'm pickier, too. Sheesh.

I was at Target this morning looking at toasters, and I've narrowed it down to two choices: A Black and Decker 4-slice machine, with large slots for bagels, or an Oaster 2-slice, with extra long slots, that can also accommodate bagels. Both the same price. I'm leaning towards the latter, cuz it's sleeker looking. Stay tuned!

Homework & New Year's Resolution

One of Vincent's homework assignments this week is this.

 

It's been challenging for me to work with Vincent on homework. At first, it was figuring out the best time to do it. Then, it was Mandarin homework, and my own shortcomings with that. Now, it's kindergarten homework, and helping Vincent sound out his letters. As I mentioned in yesterday's post about his speech, he is behind in his phonological awareness. I'm no pro at teaching phonics, so it's a bit of a struggle for me to help him without giving him the answers.

But, I was pretty proud of his hard work with this assignment. It was frustrating, but we both pushed on, and I feel like this will suffice. Sentence #3 was actually his easiest.

Finally, I wanted to say something about my new year's resolution. It would seem like it was to post on this blog daily, but that's not it. I am fully aware that I will not make it through the full 2013 to post daily, since we'll have busy with baby in April. I figured with my mushy brain these days, it's best I record what I can while I can.

My real resolution for 2013 is to eat more fruit. Yup, I lack fruit in my diet. So, these days, we are eating lots of oranges, apples, and some pear. I look forward to spring and summer when we'll have more choices. 

Re-check Day & Speech Update

This morning was very busy. Vincent didn't have school due to MLK Jr. Day. But, Tyler had gymnastics class. Vincent came along, and while there, he did a little bit of his Mandarin homework. 

After gymnastics, we had to trek across town to get the boys' heads re-checked for lice. Or, better yet, lack of lice. Woohoo! No lice! 

And, since we were in the neighborhood, I went ahead and scheduled Vincent to get a re-check on his speech therapy. 

We had a little time to kill and the boys complained they didn't have enough snack, so I took them to an early lunch. They had settled on cheeseburgers from Dick's, but once Vincent found out they come with ketchup and mustard, he rejected his. I offered to buy him a quesadilla from Taco Time, which he agreed, too. Man, lucky for me, there were two quick lunch stops in the area.

So, here's the update on Vincent's speech. 

I had him re-checked because a) it has been almost a year since he first had the referral submitted and it is good for 1 year. I didn't want to have to get him another referral if I could help it, as it's a bit of a pain in the ass. And, b) I have been wondering where he stands, now that he's started kindergarten. He still mispronounces a couple of works with "th" in the middle or the end, such as "with." Actually, "with" is one of the main ones he uses a lot and mispronounces a lot. Of course, not today during his evaluation.

Basically, he falls in the range of normal, although he speaks at the level of a 5.5 year old. Again, normal. He was normal when we first had him seen last year, but had enough delays that she recommended therapy. He has improved this time, and she no longer feels he needs to return for sessions. At least, not for now. The couple of other delays he has, such as properly making the "r" sound, she said should develop in the next year or two. We talked about his phonological awareness, and she gave me a few tips to help him improve that. And, of course, it makes a difference having a second language added to the mix.

Pizza! & Swimming

Okay, I think I've gotten my pizza making process figured out. I think.

I had made a dough yesterday and let it sit overnight. David took the boys to the playground this morning, so I had a little time to myself. I was determined to make pizza for lunch. 

At 11am, I turned the oven on to 500F, and set my pizza stone on the bottom rack. I pulled the dough out to proof, thinking that I can get all the other stuff ready while I wait. As long as I get them in the oven by 12pm, we should be able to eat and be out the door in time for swim lessons at 1pm. 

David called me around 11:15 and said they're on their way back, are all cold, and wanting hot chocolate. So, I got that set up for them, too. David dropped the boys off to warm up, grabbed his wallet, and headed back out to get marshmallows. So nice.

They each had a cocoa, though Vincent ended up not finishing his. At 12pm, I started sliding pizzas into the oven. Tyler's was first. Each kid got to top theirs with their favorites. Tyler had olives, Vincent had salami, and David and I each made olives and salami. We were all done eating by 12:25pm, and drove off to the pool by 12:45pm. We even arrived at the pool with a few minutes to spare. Not bad, eh?

At swimming, Vincent struggled. He tried so hard, but when he got out to change, David said he seemed really discouraged, and was a little weepy. Poor guy. Tyler had a blast, but at his age, it's mostly learning to kick and love the water.

Tape & Waffle Tips

I had secretly made the decision in my head earlier today that I was going to give Vincent a whole roll of Scotch tape. I believe it was at 4:30am, when I couldn't sleep, that I came up with this. I have no idea how it popped in my head.

At about 5pm today, while making dinner, Vincent asked me for a piece of tape. I just so happened to have a dispenser on the kitchen counter, which was still full. I grabbed it, and said, "Vincent, I'm giving you (and Tyler) this whole thing to share." His eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. I pulled out a Sharpie and wrote 'kids' on it. He was SO happy, I felt like a little hero.

Speaking of dinner, I made breakfast for dinner. We had waffles, bacon, sausage, and satsuma oranges. I used the Bob's Red Mill mix. My little tips to you: 1) use milk instead of water, if you can, 2) separate your eggs, and whip the egg whites until stiff peaks, then fold into the batter. 

I've Been Cooking

Go check out what I've been cookin' up this week.

http://ourfamilymeal.blogspot.com/2013/01/cookin-not-much-reportin.html

Making Changes For Penguin & Pink Elephant

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind us, and just a whole-lotta birthdays to think about, we can now focus on getting the house ready for Baby Hunt #3, aka 'Penguin.' 

Oh yeah, have I mentioned that's his nickname? Before we knew he was a he, David and I were calling him 'Babs.' I guess that's more feminine, but we thought of it more like short for baby. Then, the kids got to asking about a name for Baby. We were sitting around the dinner table, and I jokingly said to them that we can come up with a nickname. They can shout out their ideas, and if I feel baby kick, then that's what we'll call him for now. 

There were some interesting names, mostly those of Ninjago characters. Then, Tyler suggested Penguin, and that's when I said I felt the kick. And, funny enough, it's kind of stuck. They mostly just call him baby, but Vincent will tell people that we are calling him Penguin for now. Tyler may, too, but I can't quite remember.

What kinds of changes have happened so far? Tonight, we started in on our big change: relocating the television. Yeah, we can't have a big-ol T.V. in a baby's room. I mean, I suppose some people may, which I'm not judging. But, not us. 

Actually, I take it back, we started prepping for this move a few days ago. David hung our Gerber Daisy painting, which had been sitting on the fireplace mantel the last 2 years. Now, the mantel houses our main form of visual entertainment in our home. It's not bad. David thought we'd feel less cozy, but we watched an episode of 'Nashville' in there tonight, and it was nice. Our sofa in there is a small sectional, so David got to lounge with his feet propped up.

As for the pink elephant, I'm referring to Elephant Car Wash. I decided to drop by there after the gym with Tyler on our way to Cost Plus and lunch for a quick wash. An hour later...I received a disapproving head shaker and "tisk tisk" from the guy who worked on it, and finally got to load Tyler and the car seats back in. Apparently, our car must've been too dirty for his liking. First of all, he's not one to complain, considering his job is to clean DIRTY cars, not clean ones. And, secondly, I watched our car sit in that lot, unattended to, for probably 30 minutes. Did I give him a scowl? Well, yeah, I guess I kind of did after he "tisk'd" me. But, I still gave him his tip.

Looking around at the other patrons of Elephant, I get the feeling they get more downtown business people than moms. There were quite a few luxury cars on that lot. Well, sir, it had been a while since I've had even enough time to drive through Costco's $7.99 wash.

Treated

Step one of the lice treatment this morning. Followed by about 30 minutes each of thorough combing through the hair.

Followed by going home and washing their hair with dish soap, then lice prevention shampoo, while David pulled everything off their beds and washed them. Stuffed animals just went into the dry for 30 minutes.

Rechecks are scheduled for Monday morning.

Forgot This One!

Too cute not to post...while at home with me, Tyler and I made cookies. First, we had to make a quick trip to QFC to buy pretzels. We only made a simple version of the cookies, without all the extra chocolate, butterscotch, and Heath chips. So, basically, it was a chocolate chip cookie with a pretzel pressed to the top. Still, so tasty. Anyway, here's my baby!

Dirty 4-Letter Word

Any guesses? L-I-C-E Ewwwwww!!!! Turns out, my boys have it. It's not severe, but it's head lice. Vincent has nits and babies, while Tyler has nits. Obviously, Tyler got it from Vincent, and unfortunately, he got it at school. 

Let me back track a little...

Tyler had a fever yesterday afternoon. By this morning, he was 99F, but school policy is 24-hours of under 100F. I kept him home with me. Thankfully, aside from a minor belly ache, he hasn't had any other symptoms. And, my morning was free, so we mostly just chilled at home. 

David had to go into work early this morning for a workshop. He usually walks Vincent to school. With Ty's fever, I didn't want to shuffle him out of the house this morning, especially with the morning we had today. I had called my friend, Erin, who's daughter is a good friend of Vincent's and in his class, if they could swing by our house in the morning and walk Vincent to school on their way. She was happy to help.

When her husband showed up alone, I asked where his daughter was. He said she had lice. Bummer. But, he walked Vincent to school anyway. So nice. I guess it was a good thing, too, because Erin and I texted each other about the status of their lice situation, and she told me she was taking Scarlett to "Lice Knowing You" at 3pm. This prompted me to check Vincent's head when I picked him up from school. It looked suspicious.

I decided that I'll call that "Lice Knowing You" place, too. They got us in at 4:30pm. All three of us got checked. I'm clear. They didn't have time to treat the boys, so we're going back in the morning with David, as he needs to get checked, too.

Damn Winter

At least, it was sunny today. That helps, but it's still pretty cold. I'm especially mad at winter because I'm constantly sick, and this afternoon, Tyler got a fever. He was acting whiny when we picked Vincent up from school, and didn't want a snack. Totally out of character. Then, I found him sitting in front of a heat vent. He told me he felt cold. I bent over to comfort him, and he actually felt hot to me. So, I took his temperature. 102 F. Bummer.

I changed him into lighter clothing, and he asked if he could get back into bed. Oh, sweetie.

While I took care of Tyler, Vincent worked on his Chinese homework. He was able to go through it on his own, and even said it was easy. Nice. I mean, it was pretty self-explanatory. He was just tracing and then writing what he traced in boxes. Still, he got through his whole homework packet today. This means all we need to do the rest of the week is work on his kindergarten work and practice reading Chinese.

Tyler did not fall back to sleep, but he rested, and when he came back downstairs, his spirits were up. I made chicken noodle soup (intended for tomorrow night), so I offered him that for dinner. He ended up eating what we had for dinner (grilled steak, roasted fingerling potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts) on top of that, too, so it's reassuring he got his appetite back.

He will be staying home with me tomorrow. Good thing I have no appointments or any plans other than "nesting".

Too Many Olives?

Tyler LOVES olives. He even has a favorite: Castelvetrano. They are also my favorite. I buy them for both of us, but he consumes most of what I buy. He'll see them at the store and request them. This weekend, we ordered pizza, and I cut some up and put them in a side dish for him to top his slices. The next day, we had leftover pizzas, and David gave them to him whole in a dish with another little dish to put his pits. He saw the container sitting on the counter and helped himself to one. He loves olives.

Today, however, I packed the remainder of my last purchase into his snack. There were probably about 10 olives, more than I've ever given to him. He sat down for his snack, and started to eat them. Halfway through he said, "Mama, you packed me too many olives." 

WHAT?! I did not know that was possible. Lucky for him, the 3 other toddlers with us were happy to help him with them. And, I was proud of him for sharing so well.

He's So Stubborn

Vincent, that is. The thing that keeps Vincent from moving forward in certain skills is his stubbornness. I wouldn't say it's intentional. It's just that he gets set in his head in doing something and can't get out of it, even if it is wrong. And, of course, like the meany that I am, I'm the one who will challenge him the most. Or, more like crap on his parade.

For example, when we went roller skating for my birthday, he came up with some ridiculous way of skating with just one foot forward, and one arm out, and just sort of scooting along. I tried, and tried to coach him on left, right, left, right, but he would not budge.

And, today, at swim lessons, he was learning actual swimming skills, but he just kept doing the same thing of doggy paddling throw the water. He was told to keep his arms tightly together and kick. Nope. And, they were learning to make "arm circles." Yeah, he doggie paddled. I hope he gets it and actually learns to swim. He's trying very hard, at least.

Young Moms

I'm realizing more & more that I'm no longer a young mom. Don't get me wrong. I don't think I'm old. Just not young anymore. I look around me, and I see the other moms. I'd say, even David's no longer a young dad. I think I'm okay with all this. I mean, it's life. And, we not-so-young parents have it pretty good. Like, I can compose this post on my smart phone, while my youngest kid (for now) sits & feeds himself a snack. Pretty sweet.

Parents' Night Out & My Morning With Tyler

On Monday, the karate studio put out a notice/sign up sheet for 'Parents Night Out.' This is where they take care of our kids (feed them pizza, play games, watch a movie), while parents get to go out and have a good time. It's really a great deal, as it cost $30 for both our kids for 3 hours.

Unfortunately, David forgot (after I signed up our kids) that he had to work late tonight. So, I made plans with girlfriends for dinner, but one got the flu and the other couldn't get a sitter. Darn! 

When I dropped the boys off, which they were SO excited for, I ran into Sam, another dad dropping his kids off, too. We were chatting about our evening plans, and since mine fell through, he invited me out with him, his wife, and another friend for dinner. Since I wasn't going to be the third wheel, I accepted. It was great! We had Japanese food, and great conversation. As Michael Scott would say, "Win, win, win."

When I picked the boys up, they were super happy and chatty. Amazingly, or maybe not cuz it was so late, they fell asleep without a fight.

As for my morning with Tyler, it's been a while since we've had a morning to hang out together. On Monday, it was just us, but he had gymnastics, and then we went to Pro Club. Today, we went to the gym, but afterwards, we had a couple hours. I had to pick up something from Mt. Townsend Creamery at the market, and Target. 

Tyler knows how Pike Place Market works now. This is a place where he can walk along and get samples! We were actually on a little bit of a time constraint, so I didn't let him try too much. He got a slice of pear, an apple chip, and of course, cheese. Julia, my ex-manager, loves seeing him. He likes seeing her, too, and hams it up for her. Next stop was a quick stop to Target, then a bite to eat.

Piroshky Piroshky was the stop. Tyler got a beef and cheese piroshky, I got a potato cheese piroshky, and I picked up a cheddar cheese roll for Vincent. 

Since we parked at Cost Plus, we stopped there, too. We walked out of there with 3 types of candies and a bag of cookies. Funny thing is that none of it was eaten today, nor was there a fuss for them. Tyler was very excited to tell Vincent about them, though.

And, at one point today, guess who I found in a box?

 She's not a very photogenic cat. Tyler went in for a snuggle.

Bits Of Snow & Ikea

There was snow up in Shoreline this morning as I drove Tyler to school. Kind of weird, as there was sunshine in Seattle as we left our place. Unfortunately, the sun didn't hang around long, even if it didn't snow downtown. It's a good thing, because my plan was to go to Ikea this morning, and I didn't want bad weather to get in my way.

I say, I think I need to allow myself half a day to go to Ikea. I felt so rushed. Still, I managed to spend over $110, with barely anything. I did get this cool chair for Vincent.

It doesn't match the rest of the table, but now he can sit up nicely and reach better. There's also not much room for him to slouch, and he has a nice foot rest. Looks comfy to me.

Practice Makes Perfect

Tyler skipped his nap today. At least, I'm pretty sure he did. I sent him upstairs about 1:15pm, and at about 1:45pm, he came down stairs, all bright-eyed, loud, and happy. I knew he couldn't have slept. I sent him back upstairs, and checked on his 30 minutes later. Still awake. By this time, he just needed to get up, because I'd have to wake him soon to go pick up Vincent.

So, he got up and we tooled around a bit until it was time to get Vincent. I actually lost track of time, and almost forgot to go get him!

Tonight, while David went to karate, I had each boy take a bath. Tyler went first, and as he bathed, Vincent and I sat in the bathroom with him, practicing Taiwanese phonics. I thought he did pretty well, actually. Then, I sent Tyler upstairs to get ready for bed while Vincent took a bath. I had Tyler go to bed early since he didn't nap. 

As I was helping Vincent after his bath, I asked him if he's excited for another baby brother. This was our conversation:

Vincent: "I don't know. It's going to be pretty crazy. Like, when the baby turns Tyler's age right now, he'll be so crazy." (I guess, he thinks Tyler's pretty crazy right now.)

Me: "Well, it will be pretty crazy around the house as soon as the baby is born."

Vincent: "I can help you with the baby."

Me: "Yeah? What kind of things do you think you can help us do?"

Vincent: "Oh, like help you feed baby, hold him, or whatever else you want. You just tell me what you want me to do."

Me: "Baby will be a little too small for you to hold right away. You may need to practice a bit by holding Buster or Stella."

And, so, Vincent practiced holding Stella tonight. He was trying to figure out how to pick her up, but I placed her on his lap. She was tense at first, but settled in quickly.

 

Guess Which Hunt This Is

Heeheehee! This one wanted me to take a picture of his nose. What a cute nose it is.

Back To It

Woop woop! School is back in session. For Vincent, at least. Tyler spent his day with me. He had gymnastics at 9:30am, which he was pretty excited for. I also signed him up for the daycare at the gym so I can try to get back to exercising a little more consistently. Since he started his gymnastics class, I've only been going once a week, and it's just not enough. I figured even a 30 minute, light workout is better than nothing.

Ty apparently spent the whole hour eating his snack. I had packed him a pretty large snack, knowing we'd be at the gym up until lunch time. This is what he ate: 1/2 cup of pretzel sticks, 2 tablespoons of hummus, 6 green olives, a small apple, a satsuma orange, and a bag of veggie sticks. He said he was still hungry, and was looking forward to lunch on our way home. He requested chicken (which I actually had). He never got it. He dosed off on the ride home, and allowed me to carry him up to bed. When he got up from his nap, I taught him to make a cheese quesadilla. He loved it, and enjoyed eating it, too.

As for Vincent, he was happy when I picked him up from school. He told me that he borrowed a ninja book from the library. "It's the second book of the ninja book I have," he said. Tyler was so excited to see Vincent, and told Vincent about a dream he had during nap. Vincent didn't realize Tyler was talking to him until I said something. He said, "Tyler, I can't hear you because you're too far away." I moved Tyler over next to Vincent and they held hands as they walked home, and Tyler recalled his dream to us. It was so sweet and cute, the two of them. After a quick snack for Vincent, they both ran upstairs to play together before karate. Vincent even took the initiative to get dressed on his own.

Karate went well. The studio is hosting a "Parents Night Out" on Friday. I went ahead and signed the boys up for it. When Vincent was done with class, he ran up to me with the flyer, asking if they could attend the event. I loved being able to tell him that they are already signed up. As I drove home, Vincent thanked me. That felt good.

David went to karate tonight, too. After I cleaned up from dinner, I went upstairs to see what the boys were up to. They had built this Angry Birds game with the stuffies Uncle Peter had given them for Christmas and some Mega Bloks. They were so proud! And, when it was time to clean up, they made no fuss. I let them sit in a bubble bath and play for about 30 minutes before ending the night with a little T.V.

Last Day of Winter Break

Vincent's holiday break is at it's close today. I guess it's all of ours, but Tyler's been going to school here and there the past 2 weeks. Nonetheless, it's bittersweet. 

I've enjoyed the extra time I've had with Vincent, especially the few one-on-one times together. I've also enjoyed seeing the boys bond and play together. It progressively got better, nicer and sweeter as the holiday went on. David and I feel we can truly say that our boys are best friends (for now).

I am happy to get back on a regular schedule. The boys do well with routine, and Vincent loves going to school and being around his friends. He's so social. Tyler can get back to his activities as well.

Speaking of activities, swim lessons started back up today! Vincent is now in, what I call, "big kid" swim class. It's a mixed age of 6-16 years old. Of course, they divide them up by skill level. Vincent jumped into the pool with his buddy, Julian, but was quickly moved over to the less skilled group after a quick "test." He tried so hard, and I'm so proud of him for that.

Both boys did well in class today, and were nice and hungry afterwards (even though they did have lunch).

Let me back track slightly...this morning, even though I no longer work at the creamery, I found myself down at Pike Place Market bright and early for a breakfast date with Andrea. It great, actually. We had crumpets and chai tea. Yum. While I was away, David decided to take the kids to U Village. They walked there! I was very impressed. He got them to go there by saying they were going to the Apple store. Clever man. I met them there, and we had a bite to eat, then headed to swim.

The rest of our day was pretty standard. Rest, play, dinner, wind down for the night. We did give the kids each a shower and let them finish "Captain America" that we started the last night. Tyler opted not to finish, so I took him upstairs and we played and read together. 

When the boys were off to sleep, David and I settled down for the Season 3 premiere of "Downton Abby." Two hours long. Whew!

Woops! No Chinese School Today...

This morning, David set us an alarm. We all worked hard to get us out of the house quickly. For the first time since September, we were not rushed. Class starts at 9am, and I pulled up to the school at 8:36am. So proud...and disappointed to see that the parking lot was completely empty, and the lights of the buildings were all off. Surely people would be here already if there was class, right?

Wrong. I thought for sure that Vincent had to go back to Chinese school this morning. I think I may have even glanced at the schedule last night, but it didn't quite register to me that the "1/5" was part of the winter break dates, and I just assumed that it was when he'd go back. I should have glanced further to see the part about "1/12". I've spent the last 3 days catching Vincent up on his homework, and trying to refresh his memory on the phonics and such.

Okay, improvise. I was giving David the morning off, so it would suck of I brought the kids back home. I decided to take them to Bellevue Square, figuring it would be a ghost town at this hour. It was pretty quiet, but upstairs in the play area, there were already kids running about. And, more showing up every few minutes. Nonetheless, the boys played and got to blow off a little energy. We ate a small snack, and then I took them shopping. A pair of new sneakers for each them from Puma, a pair of "uniform" pants for Vincent for Chinese school, and a pair of "comfy" pants for Vincent. I promised Vincent a stop into the Microsoft store, which we did, and then we stopped at Lego to see the new sets that just came out this week.

When we got home, David was making us all lunch. Sweet.

This afternoon, David had the good idea of taking the kids to the pool. They did great! Both boys now seems to enjoy jumping into the water, especially Vincent. It's surprising how hesitant they've been about this. And, Tyler can now, just barely, touch the bottom on the pool with his feet! Vincent loves to wear his goggles and stick his head in the water. Neither can really swim, yet, but Vincent is getting close. He hasn't figured out coordinating swimming with breathing, yet.

Dinner tonight was a lasagna I made with kale, truffled formage blanc, pork ragu, and shredded jack cheese. It was dee-lish!

Another movie night after dinner. We started "Captain America." Seemed like the least intense of the superhero movies...sort of. Not really. 

Finally, here's me at 25 weeks...brushing my teeth.

Me & My Boys

I took the boys to the gym this morning. Tyler was so excited to go there with Vincent. The were one of the few kids there this morning, but certainly not the calmest. Our all-time favorite caretaker, Nicole, has recently left. She's gone to the Bellevue location as it works better for her schedule. I'm so bummed. She and I were pregnant together 4 years ago. She's a wonderful lady. She's been replaced with a gal named, Laura. She's alright, but today was our first day meeting her. We'll see. She's not as warm as Nicole, but seems nice enough.

After the gym, I decided to fatten us all up with lunch at Lunchbox Laboratory. David met us there. It was our first time ever going there. The place has been around a few years now, but truthfully, I've been a bit hesitant to eat there because they're known for some crazy burgers...and messy. I like a good, basic cheeseburger. Sometimes with mushrooms, sometimes with bacon, but mostly just cheese, ketchup, maybe a pickle...lettuce and tomato make it on my burger sometimes, too. David ordered their most standard, but even that was more than I wanted. So, I built my own: bun, meat, sauteed onions. I went out on a limb with those onions, and skipped cheese. I felt like I should still be able to get a good sense of what their basic burger's like with this combination. 

It was okay. The sauteed onions were flavorless. The meat was dry. The bun was very nice, though. They do have some yummy skinny fries and tater tots. I also ordered truffled mayo on the side. That was okay, too. Quinn's burger is still my top burger in Seattle. And, by mid-afternoon, I had some pretty bad heartburn.

After I got over my heartburn and the kids had rested a bit, I needed to give boys something to do. Vincent didn't want to go out. (Oh, by the way, Vincent woke Tyler from his nap. Amazingly, Tyler didn't make a fuss like he normally does for me or David.) I decided that they needed to get outside a little, or I suggested Tyler put on his jacket and shoes and play in the sandbox. He loved the idea!

It didn't take long for Vincent to decide he wanted to join him. Thank goodness. They made a bit of a mess, but were happy. After a while, they decided to run around the yard a bit. Even better! It didn't last too long, but all this allowed me to get some of dinner made. 

They both came bustling in when they were done, complaining about being wet and dirty. This called for a bath! I drew them a bubble bath, gave them each these plastic margarita shakers I got from Chili's years ago (and never used) when I used to work there, and let them play. They were, again, so happy together. I loved it.

When they were done, I was still working on dinner, so I put a movie on for them. Toy Story. Funny thing is that I did all this because I needed to keep them busy so I could make dinner. But, to them, I might have been pretty nice today. Or, at least, I like to think that they're thinking that of me.

Tonight's dinner was chicken Marsala and butternut squash risotto. Yum, and yum.

 

The boys didn't finish the movie earlier, so we let them watch the rest after dinner. Immediately, Tyler shouts, "Okay! I'll help make the popcorn!" Okay, then.

Free 1st Thursday: MOHAI

The Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) used to be near our house. It closed some time last year (2012), and reopened this past Saturday. We had free tickets to go, but ended up sledding. Vincent and I had this morning free together. I originally thought I'd take him to the King Tut exhibit that he and I have been wanting to go to for the longest time. It's been in Seattle since May of 2012, and it ends this weekend. We had all this time, and didn't go, and now tickets are almost sold out. The best time I could find is Saturday at 8:15pm. Nope. Not for me.

So, I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that today MOHAI would be having their first "First Thursday" free admission day. Woohoo! Of course, since school's still not back in session, many others had the same fabulous plan as I did. Nonetheless, it was a good time. I look forward to going back on another day when it's less crowded to really explore the exhibits. I tried to read him some of the stuff, but he had a hard time following. I think he must've been overwhelmed by the crowd. I know I was. He was amazed at what he saw when we first walked in, as the foyer is pretty grand. We ate a nice little snack we packed together in the cafe, then headed for Pike Place Market.

I found a great 30 minute spot in front of Starbucks, which was about all the time we'd have anyway. I tell you, though, tourists are pretty clueless. I know, I would be, too, in a different place, but c'mon, does the guy need to have his suitcases on the street, in a prime parking spot, rather than on the sidewalk? And, when he saw my car backing up feet from him, could he move? Oh well. At least, I got a spot. 

When we got out of the car, Vincent asked, "Mmmmm, what is that yummy smell?" Well, my friend, that would be Piroshky Piroshky. I first had one of their tasty treats 4 years ago when David and I took a "babymoon" before Tyler was born. I was very excited to introduce Vincent to it. I told him we'd swing back around after we pick up the money from his raffle tickets sales to my (ex)manager at Mt. Townsend Creamery. Right after we left the creamery, he immediately said, "Mommy, let's just go get one of those yummy smelling things now." Alrighty then! He got a cheese roll, and I got a beef and cheese piroshky. Oh man it was good. Piping hot! We found some public seating inside and enjoyed. I also got each boy a puff pastry stick with powdered sugar. 

Vincent was very excited to give Tyler all his "surprises" when we picked him up from school: a MOHAI sticker, the last couple pieces of dried mango we had, and the puff stick. Tyler was so happy we remembered to bring him something.

We dropped Vincent off at his friend, Jack's house for a play date, while Ty and I went home to rest.

After Vincent came home, Tyler was excited to show him the new Lego catalog that arrived in the mail today. They both sat down at the table to look through it together. Then, both boys played with their Leapsters for a short while, then started in on setting up a Lego battle. They played quietly and pretty nicely while I made dinner. When David got home, they stayed calm, as per my request, and asked if he'd battle with them. David agreed to do it after dinner.

And, so the battle commenced when we were done eating. It was sweet to see all three of them playing together and so happy.

David and I agreed last night that we would try to start bathing the kids daily. Yup, we don't bathe them daily still. I've been feeling more and more like it's necessary, especially with school now, but our evenings get so busy. Now, I want to make a real effort to get it done. I figured if we get in the habit now, we won't forget to do it at all after the baby is born! 

David took Tyler upstairs for a bath while Vincent and I worked on his Chinese homework. Then, I got Vincent in for a quick shower. He only protested slightly. More like wondered why he was getting another shower if he had one yesterday. I explained to him our reason, which he seemed fine with. We also talked about how he has to learn to take of his own body, including his eczema. His doctor said last week that if hasn't outgrown it by age 6, it'll likely be something he'll have to deal with even as an adult. I told him that he'll have to help us remember to lotion up after bathing, especially after baby arrives, since we'll have little sleep and be very busy. Sweet Vincent replied, "And, I can help you with the baby, too."

Not So Lovin' Soccer Camp

The boys were so excited when we picked them up from soccer the other day. Tyler, who wasn't sure if he wanted to go in the first place, said that he'd go back. Well, he changed his mind this morning.

David called me and said that there were way more children today, and Tyler would be separated from Vincent more than on Monday. Because of these two factors, he would not participate in camp. I got on the phone with him and just said that Daddy had to go to work and that he'll get to be with Vincent later. It apparently worked, but I'm not sure why. 

I'm still feeling under the weather, but with the boys taken care of, and my first day all alone in almost 2 weeks, I needed to get stuff done. Plus, I'd been cooped up in the house all day yesterday. I went to Costco. 

Vincent started back at karate this afternoon. He seemed to do alright. We even got a little bit of his Chinese homework done. It's been nice to spend extra time with both boys, but I'll be happy to get us back on a routine next week.

David let Vincent go with him to karate tonight, too. Between the soccer and two karate sessions, he was pretty tired wiped out. Tyler and I waited for him to get home, and shower, to watch T.V. It was 9pm by the time they finished their show. Tyler mentioned that he had hot cocoa with two marshmallows while Vincent was gone. Vincent got totally bent out of shape and cried...and cried. He was so obviously tired. I felt bad for him, but he needed to get to bed, not have dessert. He continued to lose it a couple more times over this and that, and finally fell asleep.

It's 2013!

Happy New Year!

I'm terribly sick with a head cold, but the rest of the family feels pretty good. David let me sleep in, while he cooked the kids the breakfast I had intended on making everyone. Thank you, wonderful, wonderful husband. Unfortunately, he overcooked the eggs when he had to go break up a fight between the boys. Oops!

Before lunch, the sun was out (but it was about 36 degrees F), so David took the boys on a nature walk. They ended up in the arboretum, and skipped rocks on the frozen lake. I had lunch ready for them when the got home.

After quiet/nap time, I woke to the sound of Buster puking in our room. Nice. I also heard crying from Tyler. He apparently did not want to get up from his nap, and was very, very cranky. He finally calmed down after I convinced him to take a nice, soothing bath.

Vincent has been working on his big Ninjago set for several days now. 

David made us dinner of cashew chicken. Yum. We then watched the Curious George movie, and it was off to bed for the boys. David and I started a puzzle last night, and we finally completed it around 9pm tonight. Woohoo!