How Often to Clean the Fridge?

I remember that my mom used to clean out the fridge about once every six months...and I was involved in this process as it was a "chore". When I say "clean out", I mean - take out all the food, throw out some stuff, take out the shelves and drawers, wash them down, and wash out the inside. Very thorough. I also remember thinking this was a royal waste of time because it was never very dirty. Conclusion: 2x a year = too often.

This house is the longest I've lived anywhere since I lived at home. While in college and single, I'd live in a place 2 years - maximum, so this "cleaning the fridge" thing hasn't been a thought in my mind since the days of living at home...it would naturally get cleaned every year or so as I would prepare to move and wanted to be sure to get my deposit back.

This past weekend, I discovered that every 5 years is not often enough. Let me tell you, it was disgusting. There are the spills about which you know - and you clean those up as you see they have occurred. But, there are also spills about which you have no idea. How does something spill and the only evidence you have is under the drawer at the bottom of the fridge? This spill goes undetected for...well, perhaps 5 years. Luckily, it is all food and it isn't too tough to clean up, but still. So, as a part of our weekend of organization, I thoroughly cleaned the fridge and it looks wonderful. I love opening it and seeing everything so neat and clean. At this point, there are no bottles and/or jars that contain inedible yuckies and all the shelves and drawers are spic and span. I really had no idea how disgusting the fridge had become. If you have been to our house and thought, "wow, that is one horribly dirty fridge" - thank you for not saying anything to me about it.

Part of the fun of cleaning the fridge is that I got this groovy thing called the Can Around (canaround) for Christmas. You put it in your fridge and it helps you keep the jars and cans organized around the back and edges of the shelves. I'm thinking about getting some for the pantry (I know, I know - those of you who have seen our pantry can't believe how much food is in there) to help organize the shelves.

In other news from our organization weekend - while LJ was visiting Bri and Me...

We did get the guest closet cleaned out and organized. We took several boxes of clothes to Goodwill - where we were turned away. I was shocked, but they had received lots of stuff recently. I refused to take these boxes home again, so we tried a couple of other places, but they were closed. Finally, the Goodwill store in the adjoining town accepted our donation (it is a new store). Then we took 3 boxes of books (from my English lit. grad school days) to Half-Price Books where they gave us more money than I expected to get. Little did they know - I just wanted to get rid of them, so as long as they didn't tell me I had to take them back home - I would have accepted anything. I might have even paid them something. The stuff we kept was organized more neatly into boxes and RJ built some shelves in the closet on which to put the boxes. Now, you can actually find stuff in there! And, we rearranged some things from the guest room into LJ's room and vice-versa. Now the back part of the house is uncluttered and looks pretty nice. It makes me happy.

We did not get to the garage, but that may not be such a big deal. You'll have to wait for a future post to find out why.

"Nice Ball Mama"

We've finished all of traveling this Christmas - I think it was hardest on me and I am becoming increasingly more uncomfortable. There is no disguising that I am pregnant now and my backside seems to be in a competition with my front to see which can be the most huge. Not a pretty picture.

I was in the shower the other night and looked down and thought - for the first time this pregnancy - "wow, I really look pregnant". After the shower, I went out to show RJ this newly discovered belly and he commented on it in an appropriate way. Then, LJ came in, came up to me, patted my belly and said, "Nice ball Mama"!

In between the travelling, LJ has been enjoying his Christmas gifts very much. RJ likes to put the unwrapped gifts back under the tree, so everyday, LJ has had fun getting them out and playing with them. His biggest gift was a play kitchen...

Reports on the Internet said that it takes 2 hours to put together - of course, RJ did it in a little over an hour. I helped by reading the directions and telling him what to do next and handing him the appropriate fastener. The kitchen resides in our kitchen and LJ has played with it a lot. It came with a baking set...

LJ has spent more time putting those cookies in the refrigerator, taking them out - putting them in the oven, taking them out - putting them in the bowl, taking them out - and starting the whole process over again. This is great!

His Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Grandparents were very generous with him and he has many fun things to play with...he "mows the floors in the house", plays with his "tow car car" (car car = truck), enjoys "cutting and washing his play food", and he received many things Dora and Diego which is ALWAYS a big hit. Plus, he got to see so many relatives and play with many cousins - which he loves in a big way.

We had a most excellent Christmas and hope you did too.

This weekend, LJ is at Bri and Me's as RJ and I have plans to clean out the closets and tackle the garage. We hope to sort into "throw away", "give away", and "try to sell" piles. Then, we will THROW AWAY and GIVE AWAY and store until we have a "garage sale" next month. In general, I don't like to have garage sales, but...why not set the stuff outside and see if someone will buy it and THEN give away the left overs? Maybe we'll make enough money to buy some new stuff to fill our closets?! Just kidding - these closets are being cleaned so that we can switch rooms with LJ in preparation for a new person who will accumulate their own stuff - which we will have to find a place to keep. It is a vicious cycle.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

LJ is napping, RJ is wrapping gifts - after his morning of shopping for "incidentals", I just made peanut brittle and we are all looking forward to Mass later this afternoon. After Mass, we will come home and I'll make dinner - this year, we are having stuffed shells, peas (I'm sure LJ will be thrilled), and apple cobbler. We are hoping LJ realizes this is the last night of chocolate from the "cal" (Advent calendar) and won't be too distraught when there is no chocolate tomorrow night. He has been very good about not opening the presents under the tree, but he talks about them all the time. Tomorrow, he will finally be able to open them - and I hope he isn't too disappointed. I know he'll like most of his gifts, but the potty and pull-ups may not be met with favor. Every time we ask him if he'd like to sit on the potty (we have a seat the fits on the big potty), you'd think we were cutting off his toes with a butter knife. We thought that he might do better with his own potty which sits on the floor - we'll see how he reacts tomorrow.

After Christmas morning here - we are headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas with RJ's family.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LJ's First Trip (Without Ma-Ma & Da-Da)

When I write Ma-Ma and Da-Da it is because LJ calls us what sounds like Ma-Ma (like a little Italian boy would call his mommy) and Da-Da (like "day day") - where he got this pronunciation, I don't know. But, he says a lot of things that I'm not sure from where they come. Like blanket = "gwee" - which sounds a lot like how he says "green"... a word with which "gwee" would make sense. This causes some confusion when we are in the car, stopped at a light and LJ says, "gween" - I often think he is saying "gwee" and I tell him he can't have he blanket in the car. Then I realize he is saying "green" and I kind of feel badly for telling him no to something about which he didn't even ask. But, that is how it goes...

The time had come that I was OK having LJ spend a weekend away from home. He had spent a weekend away from us, but that was at his home and it was out of necessity (RJ and I had to go to a conference for work). RJ had been taking LJ up to "Bri and Me's" (as LJ calls them) one morning a week and LJ had been really enjoying his playtime in the country. So, he is really familiar with that environment and with being around Bri and Me. Plus, LJ is to the point where, when he does something he isn't supposed to do - he pretty much comes and tells you about it. Like if he puts something in his mouth, he comes over to you and shows you what he has in his mouth. When he sees a snake in a book, he shakes his finger and says, "no, no, no". These things make me feel as though he has a small level of accountability, so that - along with the excellent supervision provided by Bri and Me made me feel no qualms whatsoever about LJ spending a weekend at their house. Plus, I knew he would just LOVE it.

RJ and I took him up there after work on Friday, December 1st - Me was a little concerned that LJ would not like it when we left without him after dropping him off, but I really didn't think he'd mind in the least. Sure enough, we got a wave as we were walking out the door and that was it. RJ and I came back to town and went out to eat - it was great...we could talk about whatever we wanted, uninterrupted - and we could take as long as we wanted.

Saturday, we slept late - OK, for me that was 7:30, but when I woke up I didn't have to watch Dora first thing. I actually read the paper and drank coffee without having to say, "be careful, this is mommy's hot coffee". I went to get my hair cut and RJ went to the junk yard to look for parts for a truck on which he's working and then we went Christmas shopping and out to dinner. We did talk to Bri and Me and they said everything was going well. LJ had woken in the night and called for Ma-Ma and Da-Da and Bri went in to comfort him. But, he seemed to want Me, so she came in and that was fine. Me sent us pictures to show what fun they were having playing outside most of the day.

Sunday, we slept late again and then went to brunch where I ate the most delicious migas I've ever had. When pregnant and when not pregnant - I love spicy food and these migas were soooo good. I've been wanting them ever since. I think RJ spent the rest of the day fixing the garage door and I can't remember what I did, but we left around 3:30 to go get LJ. When we arrived, he was playing outside with Bri. When LJ saw our car he started yelling Ma-Ma Da-Da and running toward the car. This is just the reaction to warm our hearts - he is such a compassionate child!

It is apparent that he had a great time and I think it is safe to say that Bri and Me enjoyed their time with LJ as well. Me made a CD of the pictures they took and she called later in the week to inquire when he could come again - they are experiencing withdrawal. We are figuring out when that time will be!

New Title - New Look

I still owe you a post on LJ's first weekend away from home (without Ma-Ma and Da-Da), but I thought I'd give you the "and more" I promised.

So, here it is...we are publicly announcing that there will be another Baby J come April 2007. Now you will have to endure tales of pregnancy and you have no idea what a relief it will be to vent, er...I mean share the joy of all the great changes that occur in these 40 weeks. We are on week 22, so you have 18 to tag along with me.

Such news calls for a new "look" for the blog, but I have to tell you that it was very difficult for me to decide on one that I feel captures the essence of what I try to share. This will do for now. I direct your attention to the picture on the right...I am now so brave as to include a picture of the back of LJ.

Check back often in the next weeks as I have many stories that encapsulate the great fun that it is to have a 2 year old in the house...and much more time in which to craft them.

Thanksgiving, First Weekend without LJ, and More

Busy-ness and laziness ensue! End of the semester = much work to do and a lot of it is on the computer. Yes, I've entered the 21st century and my students now turn in their assignments via the internet. It is great...no paperwork, but it means I spend a lot of time at the computer - which means I like to take a break from the computer - which means the blog went on the back burner. But, I am back and I promise juicy morsel for your blog-ready pleasure! The J's hosted a nice crowd for Thanksgiving 2006! LJ's Uncle RJ and Aunt KJ along with the J'fy cousins, Aunt ML and Uncle CL along with the L'ft cousins and MawMaw...made for a nice crowd and lots of fun. Everyone had arrived by noon on Thanksgiving Day and we first feasted on deli meats and cheeses, chips and dip, deviled eggs, and KJ's cheese ball. Then there was playing outside, visiting, and football watching (and napping for LJ) until the big dinner.

The Menu:
Fried Turkey
Ham
Garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes
Sweet potato casserole
Green bean casserole
Cranberry sauce
Homemade croissants
Pumpkin pie
Pecan Pie
Homemade whipped cream

My Menu Analysis:
Fried Turkey - cooked too long? It was black when it came out of the fryer...but, it didn't taste bad and the dark meat was yummy (I prefer dark and didn't even taste the white).

Ham - regular ol' ham

Garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes - a bit salty, but yummy

Sweet potato casserole - sooo good! I loved it and I will make it again. Yum!

Green bean casserole - made by J*fer and did not disappoint...excellent!

Cranberry sauce - from a can, as requested...what can I say?

Homemade croissants - MawMaw, Aunt ML and I did a great job and they were loved by all. Children snuck them off the baking sheet and one child hid under the table to eat the contraband (yes, it was my child)

Pumpkin pie - a Thanksgiving staple provided by the J'Fys

Pecan Pie - RKJ says she'll never eat it again...now that she knows what goes in it

Homemade whipped cream - light, fluffy and sweet...as always

I was exhausted at the end of the day and declared there would be no more cooking after breakfast the next day...which consisted of Betsy's Beautiful Breakfast (yummy egg casserole), French Toast Casserole and BACON! Friday after the above mentioned breakfast, we commenced with the Annual Thanksgiving Throw Down. The football game between the Jos and the NoJos was as fiercely competitive as ever. RJ painted a field complete with end zones, yard markers, and a turkey in the middle. The cousins had fun painting the end zones for each team...Jos = Anyone with the last name J'Fy and the NoJos = anyone without the last name J'Fy. It was a tough battle, but with LJ's expert distraction and some last minute scoring by the NoJos - the NoJos cinched the victory. This provided a nice prelude to the other exciting victory that college football provided. Due to the "no cooking rule" I enacted, we ate wings from a famous wingery and burritos from a locally famous burrito-torium for lunch. Dinner = Thanksgiving leftovers. Saturday saw the goodbyes of the family guests - after the J'Fys had a bit of car trouble. We rested and I started to feel as though I was for sure coming down with a cold. I am still stopped-up, but I haven't felt badly for about a week.

Sunday, we went to visit RJ's side of the family and partake in their Thanksgiving leftovers - and then we started the last week of classes for the Fall 2006 semester.

The First Weekend without LJ and More will be the topics of posts later this week...I don't want to give you too much to think about at one time!

Happy 2nd Birthday - Nov 14th, 2006

Tomorrow LJ will be 2 years old. I can't believe it. I was putting some things away yesterday and found some leftover newborn diapers...I can't believe LJ was ever small enough to wear them. But, he is growing up - luckily, it happens gradually, so I don't notice it unless something like a birthday or newborn diapers remind me.

We celebrated with RJ's side of the family yesterday. I billed it as "LJ's Birthday Party". Every time I asked LJ what he wanted for his birthday, he'd say, "cake". I'd ask him what else he wanted, he'd say, "cheese". One time I asked him if he wanted cheese cake and he said, "Noooo" - so he didn't think that sounded too good. His daddy made him a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting - it was goooood!

Whenever I'd ask LJ who he wanted to come to his birthday party, he'd say, "Dora" - so I worked hard to collect Dora party supplies. It was no problem as Dora is EVERYWHERE as discussed in previous blog entries. The trick was collecting these things on the sly so they would be a surprise to LJ.

We put LJ down for his nap on Sunday and then continued the preparations for the lunch the adults were going to have while he slept. Hamburgers, brats, baked beans, chips, queso, veggies, dip, potato salad...the works! After a long lunch, we cleared the table and set up for LJ's Dora party. I bought a white plastic table cloth and put Dora stickers all over it. Then set the Dora napkins, Dora plates, Dora party hats, Dora center piece, and Dora cups on the table and hung the Dora party banner over the door. We put the chocolate cake on the table - no Dora decorations on it and went to wake up little LJ. I don't normally wake him from a nap, but he had been sleeping 3 hours and he's been taking long naps lately (growth spurt?) and the guests were anxious to see the birthday boy. LJ was sound asleep, but he finally woke up and was so excited to see everyone - including Dora!

LJ enjoyed the cake and really loved peeling the stickers off the table cloth and putting them on his clothes. He blew out his "2" candle like a professional and did a great job opening his gifts...and then playing with his gifts. He was happy to have people there to play with him! He thanked everyone with a hug and a kiss and was sorry to see them leave. We left the decorations up so when he came out this morning, he was delighted to see Dora, Diego, and Boots all over again. I'm sure he'll have a great day playing with his toys.

Tomorrow, mommy and daddy will give him the birthday gift we found and we'll have to eat more cake!!

Mote, Mote

LJ asks to watch Dora ALL THE TIME. No joke, he talks about her as though he expects her to walk in the room any minute. Now, I'm not that concerned because he doesn't watch Dora THAT much, but it does get tiring to have to talk about her as though she is real. He loves her though. Sometimes, he says, "Dora" and hands me or RJ the remote and says "mote, mote". If we don't seem to be using it correctly (meaning, to turn on Dora) or if we say, "we aren't going to watch Dora right now", he'll try to push the buttons to make it all work. The odds are slim that he'd actually get Dora on the TV.

Last night, he wanted to watch TV and we said, "not now" and he tried to use the remote. When that didn't work, he picked up RJ's fingers and tried to use them to push the buttons...as if LJ doesn't have the "right fingers", but Daddy does! It still didn't work, but this was hilarious. With this new information, I wonder how LJ thinks the remote works now?

1, 2, 3...

Last Sunday was my day to sleep late...which means I slept until 7:30, while RJ got up with our alarm clock (LJ) at 6:15. When I came out at 7:30, RJ told me that he had exciting news...LJ had counted to 8 earlier. It went something like this:

RJ was changing LJ's diaper (we are no where close to showing interest in potty training) and LJ pointed to his PJ top and said, "car". To which RJ said, "there isn't just one car on your shirt, there are three." And then LJ counted all the way from 1 - 8 all on his own! RJ was very impressed and I was too, but since I hadn't heard it myself...well, I guess I didn't show the appropriate amount of jubilation.

Later in the day, I asked LJ if he wanted to count to ten and then I said, "one" and he repeated. I said, "two" and he repeated - and then he took over from there and counted all the way to 10! It was VERY exciting to hear!

LJ has books that reinforce counting and Dora is always counting things on her adventures, so we are perplexed as to where he learned this. But...he has always said, "two, two, three" when 'counting' so for him to go all the way to 10...well, we just had no idea he had that in his head! Who knows what else is up there that he just won't share?

Cuspids

LJ is finally getting his cuspids...all 4 of them at once it seems. If you refer to the teething chart posted much earlier, you will find that LJ *should* have gotten them between 16 and 18 months. I believe the bottom 2 are supposed to precede the top 2. But, here he is - 23 months old and just now getting his cuspids. According to the chart, he should have gotten his 2nd molars in by now, but I'd imagine those will be late too...surely you must have cuspids first? He has gotten his teeth in the correct order, just no where near the correct time frame.

He is handling it all very well - if you count waking up way too early (5:45 this morning) and being a bit more cranky than usual.

Happy Bithday Daddy!

Today is Daddy's birthday! I'm so excited because Mommy made chocolate cake. It is sitting on the kitchen counter right now. I want to touch it, but I've been a good boy and I haven't tried...yet. Mommy also made Rice Krispy Treats - yummy! We went out yesterday and bought Daddy 2 presents. Mommy let me pick out one all by myself. I hope Daddy likes it. I would like it. This morning, Mommy got out the crayons and paper and let me color a picture for Daddy while she got ready for work. Then, when it was time to wake-up Daddy - I took him my picture. He loved it! Now, I just have to wait for dinner time so I can have some of that chocolate cake!!!!

Love,

LJ

Hi - from LJ

Mommy says that I need to get on here and tell you what is going on with me. We have all been sick. Daddy and I had colds that lasted a while, but Mommy had a cold and a stomach virus. She was really sick for lots of days. She was very sad and begged Daddy to just drop her off at the hospital. Daddy didn't do it though. Instead, he made her eat ice even when she didn't want to eat it. I love ice, so it is strange that Mommy didn't want it. We are all better now, but Mommy and Daddy seem to be working all the time to catch up from the time that Mommy was so sick. I got to watch a lot of Dora, Diego, and Blue's Clues. I like Blue's Clues. My cousins and Aunt KJ and Uncle RJ came to visit. That was fun. They are fun to play with. I am talking more, but I don't sleep as much as I used to. I have to go play now.

Love,

Little Baby J - LJ

4:30 am Playfest

I know some of you out there have experienced this, so I need you to tell me that there is nothing to worry about, no irreversible bad habits are forming, and that this will pass - got it?! Or, you can tell me the truth ;-)

The past 2 nights, LJ has woken up and played at about 4:30. He has the Ocean Wonders Aquarium thingy attached to his crib and he plays it non-stop. He turns it on and on and on and on. The big blue button activates the music, bubbles and lights. If you hit the blue button again, it goes off...or it goes off after 5 minutes - which is when LJ hits the blue button again, and again, and again.


We can hear it, but we have the volume low enough that we can go back to sleep. Anyway, he doesn't call for us and he doesn't cry - he just plays. Come 6:30 - he does call out...that is our normal awake time anyway. I suppose I should just be grateful that he doesn't demand our attention at this time! He seems in a fine mood all day, so he isn't a crank for getting less sleep. He goes down for his nap ok, but he hasn't been sleeping as long as usual (2 hours instead of 3) AND today, he slept about an hour before I started to hear the tell-tale sounds of the aquarium.
I'm starting to have dreams with that freakin' music!

Should we take action or let it ride?

No Boundaries

First, thank you for your patience. School started this week and we are adjusting to our new routine. As always, it'll be fine, but it always takes time to get into the groove.

LJ opens doors now. He has been demonstrating this ability for about a month. He's very proficient at doing it. Oh, and he can unlock them too. Really, this leaves us with 2 choices: 1) figure out a way to reconfigure the knobs so that he can't open them, or 2) discipline and an every-watchful eye. So far, we're going with #2...and it works, pretty well.

The first time the opening of doors was alarming was when we'd just returned from our camping trip. We had tuned into "Dora" and thought LJ would be engrossed (as he always is) enough that RJ and I could go unpack the trailer. As RJ and I are gathering the various items in the trailer, LJ appears in the doorway. This means that he, opened the door to the garage, foraged his way through the garage (not a task just anyone can tackle), and luckily, checked in at the trailer before heading off to some undesirable location. He had broken Dora's spell. With a chorus of "no, no"s, we corralled him back into the house with admonitions concerning the opening of doors.

Since then, we've had to be on our toes so far as the doors go. Blink and LJ is through the hall door and into his room trying to coax blanket and paci through the slats in his crib. There have been only a handful of sessions in the naughty chair that have resulted from door-opening behavior.

Last week, I was blow-drying my hair and LJ was curiously not wreaking havoc in the bathroom. I went to check on him and he was playing with his Legos - what a sweet child. About 3 minutes later, LJ appeared at the bathroom door with a laser level in his hands - offering it to me in hopes that I could "make it work". I knew that he must have been in the garage - AND, I had LOCKED the door. I walk into the kitchen to find the door wide open (such a newbie to this game - he didn't even try to cover his tracks) and there were several glass jars with various fasteners in them neatly lined up on the floor. I'm sure LJ had a great time arranging all of this and I hope he thought of it fondly as he subsequently spent time in the naughty chair.

He hasn't opened the door to the garage since.

We're Back...

We've been out and about for the last week, but we are back and I'm back to work for the Fall 2006 Semester.

Last Saturday, August 5th, we went to visit some moms and toddlers from my online "mommy message board". There are several of us who live within 3 hours of each other, so we get together every so often. It was a lot of fun and LJ had a great time playing with the other kids his age. The message board is for moms of kids born in November 2004, so all the kids are LJ's age. There were lots of toys and there was lots of room, so the kids had a really fun time playing together and the mommies had a fun time talking with each other.

After that we headed down to spend the rest of the weekend with SJ (our niece and LJ's cousin and first "Friday Companion"). She was kind enough to keep LJ for us while RJ and I celebrated our anniversary. We had a nice visit, swam in SJ's pool, ate out, watched Dora, named her frogs and fish (although I don't know if she'll keep the names), and other fun and relaxing things. Monday, we headed home to get reading for phase 2 of vacation.

Tuesday, we got the travel trailer out of storage and spent the rest of the day packing it for our trek to Mount Nebo State Park in Arkansas. We chose this location in hopes that the weather would be a tad bit cooler than it is here. According to the literature, "the temperature at the top of Mount Nebo is ten degrees cooler than Dardanelle (the city at the bottom of the mountain)". It must have been boiling hot in Dardanelle. While it was hot, it wasn't humid and there were no mosquitoes, so we felt pretty good. It took us a bit (say 3 hours) longer to get there than we thought it would, so it is a bit (say 3 hours) too far to go, but we liked it very much so we might just have to put up with a drive that is a bit too far.

We were 1 of 3 families at the campsite, so we pretty much had the park to ourselves. One was in a tent and one was in a pop-up. It is likely that there are more trailers there because you are warned not to take a trailer more than 24 feet long up the mountain. Our trailer is 21 feet long - and warning bells were going off in my head as we were going up the mountain. There are several switchbacks and "hair pin turns" that are rather steep in grade. At one point, they were one right after another and it was a bit scary. RJ had a great time analyzing our ascent and how he would do it differently next time. At 2 points, we lost traction on the back tires of his truck and (he tells me this later...I mean, I realized we lost traction, but I didn't know what he was thinking until he told me) he wasn't sure we would make it up. RJ says if it had rained or been wet at all, we wouldn't have made it. I guess it is a good thing we arrived on Wednesday because it did rain enough to wet the road on Thursday and Friday.

We spent our time relaxing, swimming at the pool, and riding bikes. We bought a bike trailer for LJ - one that RJ attaches to his bike and LJ sits in it as RJ rides him around. We weren't sure the LJ would like it, but he climbed right in and stared chanting, "CHOO CHOO" over and over again. I think he liked it just fine!

And, here we are back to the grind...laundry, grocery store, work, etc.

We Be Chillin'

The title, while grammatically incorrect, is a reference to 80s rap - but, I think it should be You Be Illin'? Anyway...

August 1, 2006 - a day that will live forever in the memory of the J family - the day the central AC was powered up! Get excited people - this is a MAJOR milestone for this house. Do you have any idea how nice it is not to have the window units making their horrible racket? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to hear the TV without having to decide between TV and AC after LJ has gone to bed? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to sit on the back porch in the afternoon and not feel as though the sun in boring through your skin? Do you have any idea how nice it is to be able to turn on the oven and not think about how many degrees this is going to set you back? Do you???

It was a long road and a tough one to travel. It turns out there is a lot more to installing central AC then I ever imagined. There is a lot of electrical work that has to be done. City Code says that there has to be all kinds of things that we didn't have, receptacles in the attic, lights in the attic, drains from this to that, etc. There are all kinds of calculations to be performed, checked, and rechecked before you go ahead and drill holes in your ceiling and in the side of your house. Never mind that the HVAC industry seems to be operating in the Stone Age (I noticed this and RJ informed me just how un-21st century the industry is)...for example, you use tape to secure the ducts to the vents. Tape! The same technology I use to wrap Christmas presents (ok, ok...that RJ uses to wrap Christmas presents) is the technology used to hold this whole AC system together. Granted, it is advanced tape, but it is still tape. Oh, and you think you are buying the AC unit and that is all you need - ha! If you think that, you are a rookie (as was I). Sure, you need vents and ducts you say. True, but you also have to construct many many many boxes out of fiber glass board-like stuff and you have to TAPE all these boxes together and make all kinds of things poke out of these boxes. Make boxes? Crazy, if you ask me.

But, you know what the most amazing part of this whole process has been...how unbelievable smart and capable RJ really is. He did it all - with help from his brothers and his father - and he knew how to do it. There is some serious electrical and plumbing work involved...RJ figured out what he had to do and then knew how to do it. Then, there is the whole HVAC component - RJ knew how to do it. He and his brothers would talk about this, that, and the other - and I'd be so impressed at how much they know about something that is not their occupation...not even close to their occupation. It is just so amazing how much LJ's father knows - I hope that LJ will take an interest in learning from his father.

Next order of business - take the window units out of the windows and look at a view we've not seen!

New Toys

LJ and I had a little extra money to spend, so we took a trip to the toy store. First of all, LJ can spot Dora and Diego from a mile away. He was saying "Dora" and over and over, so I'd look around and there would be a tiny key chain with Dora on it...how he spotted it I'll never know. Later, he says "Dora" again...I look around and can't find her anywhere. He keeps saying it, so I look harder this time - she is on an old, half-deflated, Mylar balloon wedged in a light on the ceiling. Wow! I've gotta hand it to LJ and his super-Dora vision.

I was happy to see that they now have a selection, albeit very limited, of Diego things...backpack, lunch box, action figure, animal rescue center - but, we did not buy any Diego paraphernalia. I went with a purpose and only got side-tracked by one thing.

My purpose

To buy a wooden train set like the one LJ played with and Aunt ML's house. LJ seems to really like trains lately and I thought he might enjoy having a set with which to play. We brought it home, but waited until he went to bed to set it up. This morning, we told him he had a surprise in the playroom, so he ran out, saw the set and yelled "choo choo" with much excitement!



The Side-tracker
I thought LJ might enjoy a Viewmaster, so that he could see Dora, Diego, and other cool things in 3-D. Have you tried to find a regular, run-of-the-mill, plain-ol' Viewmaster lately? It is impossible. They are all projectors or you insert some thing in it make it animated - really high tech stuff. I found a "gift set" which includes a plain Viewmaster, but has some extra disks...and, it is Dora. Can't go wrong, right? Well, there is only one and from the looks of the box, it has been submerged in water and tossed around the storeroom a few times. But, I decide to buy it anyway. I get to the register and say, "I don't know what happened to this" - she rings it up and it costs 1 cent! Fantastic! I was so excited...1 cent. LJ kind of gets what he's supposed to do, but this morning, he realized you can take the disk out. He disappeared with it for a while...I found it in the DVD player, but I think that is pretty smart actually.


Water Babies - he didn't get upset on Tuesday...until I put him underwater. He only stayed upset until I got the water out of his eyes. The rest of the class, he had a great time. RJ took him today and they played in the baby pool. From what I hear, LJ liked that - he could walk the whole time, but he did fall as he walked to the deeper water and became more buoyant.

Water Babies 2006

Today was the first day of Water Babies for the 2006 summer season. As you might recall, LJ was a regular fish in the water last summer. He enjoyed our classes so much. Knowing how much he also enjoys his bath, this summer looked to be rather enjoyable.

LJ didn't care for it too much - at first. We have the same teacher as last summer and she did recognize LJ...who could forget his adorable face? We have a 16-month old boy and a girl who is 2 1/2 in our class as well. The other 2 kids loved it from the first minute in the water. LJ clung to me like never before and shook is head saying, "nooo, nooo" for quite a while. We started out by singing some songs which at some point involve splishing, splashing, blowing bubbles, and/or jumping into the water. When the singing began, LJ started to cry. The only way LJ would not cry is if I did not sing, did not move, did not participate in any way. If I stood perfectly still, he wouldn't cry...he'd just say, "nooo" every so often.

Once singing was over, the teacher got out the toys. The 16-month old and LJ played together...LJ would throw the ball; the other boy would get it and would throw it back. You realize that we mommies are holding the babies at all times, right? This game of catch seemed to loosen LJ's tensions, so I tried to turn him around so that he would be facing out. After prying his hands off my neck, we managed to get it done and...LJ discovered it wasn't so bad. Then, I threw the ball way out and told LJ we needed to go get it. I put him on his belly and skimmed him through the water to get the ball. He enjoyed this very much. Eventually, he even put his face in and blew bubbles like he does in the tub.

So, it ended on a positive note, but I expect that tomorrow there will still be some misgivings at the beginning.

8 1/2

LJ outgrew his shoes in fewer than 3 months. This is depressing as his shoes are rather expensive. He now wears an 8 1/2 - ok, 8, but we bought 8 1/2 to try to get an extra bit of life out of these new shoes. We decided on one pair of sandals to get him through the summer...

I hear that when kids outgrow their shoes quicky it is a sign that they are about to have a growth spurt as they grow from bottom to top. I'll let you know.

This is all I have time to update today - RJ and I are about to blow insulation into the attic. I will be feeding insulation into the machine while RJ is in the attic (whew, I'm glad that I'm not in the attic - it is hot up there) directing the insulation where he wants it to go. This is a VERY good thing as we are 1) getting closer to finishing all the prep work and about to install the central AC, and 2) it is VERY hot in July and we could really use the insulation. We're not sure how cooperative LJ will be, but we always have Go, Diego! Go! to entertain him...LJ doesn't really care to pay much attention to TV, but if Go, Diego! Go! is on - is holds his attention for the full 30 minutes. I have several recorded for times just like these!

Fun, Work, Sick

LJ and I went to visit my sister and her family (the Ls) for a long weekend while RJ, his brother, and his parents had a long work weekend.

LJ and I had a great time! He got to play with his cousins and his aunt and uncle, go to a fun park, walk 1/2 a mile, "play on" the slip-n-slide (it took him a while to warm up to it), play with the dog, play in the backyard, etc. He was a very good boy and didn't get into any trouble while he was in this new environment. I got to "play with" my sister and hang out with my niece and nephew. I even got to listen to the High School Musical Soundtrack about 4 times and I spent our last afternoon watching High School Musical. It made listening to the soundtrack a whole new experience for me. The best part is that my niece acts out the dialogue and dance scenes - complete with costume changes.

You would have to ask RJ for the details of his weekend. I'm not sure I'd understand it all if I heard it all, but we have our 1949 electricity updated and this is a good thing.

Today, LJ is sick. Runny nose and a likely low-grade fever - we haven't gotten the thermometer out. I've been trying to get the humidifier to work all day and LJ is in a foul mood.

Why does it seem we always have to pay when the routine is altered at all???

The Naughty Chair

You may call it "time out", but those of us who've watched The Suppernanny call it the "naughty spot" - we call ours the "naughty chair". I cannot take credit for this, RJ came up with it and I have to admit, I never thought it would work. I figured LJ was still too young to sit somewhere if he didn't want to sit there, but I was wrong.

Things were getting exasperating for a while...LJ climbing onto the dining room table...LJ climbing up to where the M&Ms are...LJ using the piano bench to grab things on top of the piano...LJ climbing onto the computer chair and up onto the desk...LJ opening the refrigerator for "sheese"...you get the idea. Figuring he was too young for a "naughty spot", I could see spanking in our future - not that I'm against spanking as a remedy for naughtiness, but I don't want it to come to that if something else is effective. And, the naughty chair is effective - so far.

This morning LJ wanted more milk. I was in the middle of spooning oatmeal into a bowl, so I said, "just a second." LJ did not care to wait "just a second," so he took matters into his own hands and opened the refrigerator himself. He does this one time a day, so he knows the consequence, but sometimes I see that look in his eye that tells me that he is just going to make sure that is still the consequence. Sometimes I don't see that look and I guess his young mind has forgotten there is a consequence? Whatever the reason...off to the naughty chair he goes.

Most of the following procedure is what RJ developed and then shared with me so that there is consistency. I've added my own flair where appropriate...

I lead him over by the hand, lift him up and tell him to sit. He fusses at first. Sometimes he full-on cries. I leave the room because we think he should sit in the naughty chair in solitary. Then he starts saying, "no, no, no" to himself and I stand in the other room smiling and trying not to laugh. It is so cute to hear him reprimanding himself. After 2 minutes or so, I go back in, ask him if he's ready to be a good boy - he usually nods and says, “yes.” Then I tell him "only mommy and daddy open the refrigerator. LJ should not open the refrigerator. Do you understand?" To which he usually nods and says, “yes.” Then I say, "let me give you a kiss" and he moves forward to kiss me and then I say, "I love you" and give him a hug.

For the next few minutes, my heart melts as LJ makes amends. He either follows me around and pats my leg every so often as he talks to me in words I don't understand, but that he says with great inflection...it sounds loving - OR - he goes and plays by himself as if to put some space between us so we can all just forget about the action that led to the naughty chair. Either way, he is a very good boy for a few hours following a naughty chair episode.

I can't believe how easily the naughty chair works. There really isn't any big fuss - sometimes he'll whimper a little the first few seconds he sits in the naughty chair, but that transitions to, "no, no, no" and then he just sits there quietly (or talking to himself) until I come get him. After that, he doesn't open the refrigerator anymore - that day. I'm sure the naughty chair will cease to be as effective at some point, but for now - I have to give props to daddy.

Flew the Coop

The baby cardinal flew the coop on Thursday. We saw the mama and daddy showing the baby how to fly and flying cover as the baby flew from tree to tree in our backyard. I haven't seen any of them since. This was the day after the BigBro and his family flew the coop. They stayed with us for several days last week while J*fer attended her freshman conference and registered for her fall classes. We are glad that she arranged her schedule so that she can be LJ's new Friday companion.

LJ had a WONDERFUL time playing with his cousins, but I'm sure his cousins were glad to get home and not have to wake up at 6:00 every morning! We had a nice Father's Day which we celebrated by grilling enough food to last us for most of their visit. We ate ice cream, rented a movie, went to a movie, and I got a pedicure - since I had cousins here to baby sit and all.

Now we are back to our normal routine, I have one more week of school and RJ is back to working on the AC!

Baby Cardinal and The Tomato Plant That Ate The Js

There has been a flurry of activity outside our dining room window. About 4 weeks ago, we noticed a nest in our bush. We were delighted to discover that it is a cardinal nest and not the nest of a boring sparrow or mourning dove like we usually get in our hanging baskets. The was only one egg and the momma cardinal is a big scared-y cat - she flies off if anyone so much as walks through the dining room. The egg hatched earlier this week, so now when the momma comes to the nest we see a little beak open up and chirp in hopes of food. Every now and then, the daddy cardinal comes to visit and he is brilliant red and very handsome. LJ doesn't care too much about these birds, but RJ and I are enjoying them.

Also about a month ago, we noticed a "weed" in our bed of Lantana (this bed also holds the bush that is currently hosting the cardinal family). Being the lazy gardener that I am, this weed continued to grow until we started to think it resembles a tomato plant (as it has little yellow flowers). We scratched our heads and wondered how a tomato plant could take root in our lantana bed - perhaps a bird brought a seed to this location? We certainly didn't plant it - I don't even like tomatoes! Well, this plant has grown and grown and grown - it has taken over the lantana bed. It is huge - it has lopped over the edge of the bed and is about to start climbing up our dining room window. It produces tons of grape-sized tomatoes that RJ and LJ pick and eat on a daily basis. Production has outpaced their consumption.

I'm hoping that Aunt KJ will enjoy these tomatoes during their visit this week...I know Uncle RJ doth detest tomatoes as much as I, but KJ loves all things fruit and vegetable.

The New "It" Fashion Accessory

In case you didn't get the memo...

Wearing a bib around your neck all day is the newest hip thing to do.

LJ likes to rummage through his diaper bag (which we should call his diversion bag - we rarely change his diaper when out, but this bag holds all the toys and books that we hope will divert his attention while in church or at a restaurant). To be truthful, he now likes to throw the diaper bag off the side chair, thus clearing this chair. Then he climbs up onto this chair and sits there acting as though he has no other plans. Sooner or later, the wheels start turning in his head, he starts to look like someone looks when an idea pops into their head, then he quickly stands, leans onto the side table next to the side chair, whips the lid off of the glass dish that holds the Almond M&Ms and shoves as many M&Ms in his mouth as he possibly can. I've secretly watched him do this. Lucky for me, there are enough distinguishable noises associated with this operation that I can usually get there before he gets the lid off the M&M dish. It is pretty funny to watch a child look at you as you enter the room and move so quickly to shove as many pieces of candy in his mouth as he possible can.

Ok, back to Bib as Fashion Accessory. In rummaging through his diaper bag, he's found his travel bib. He now demands to wear this bib all day. He picks it up and tries to put it around his neck, but he can't fasten it, so it won't stay. This causes him to say "uh-oh" and to continue saying "uh-oh" until you fasten it around his neck. So...he does wear this bib around the house all day. When it is time to eat, he takes the bib that we keep on the high chair and wants that to be around his neck in addition to fashion-accessory bib. This is really pretty funny. He insisted on wearing fashion-accessory bib while on our walk yesterday. So, I'm walking the neighborhood, pushing a stroller which contains a child wearing his bib. Now, when I see parents with kids wearing strange clothes, I'll think differently as to why that may be. RJ said that LJ wanted to wear his bib to story time yesterday, but RJ said, "you can either wear your bib or go in the truck". LJ chose the truck - he has his priorities. He also chose going outside over wearing his bib, so I'm just going to have to make the bib an indoor fashion-accessory.

Say My Name

LJ has said his first name other than mommy or daddy and it is...Unka Wich-ad. Yep, his first name to say was that of Bigbro and LJ has said it several times. We think he's also tried to say Unka Bwi-un, but that one wasn't so clear. We're pretty sure though. Needless to say we've clapped and praised every time and LJ revels in the glory. He's still pretty stingy with his words though.

We had a very enjoyable Memorial Day weekend visiting Unka Wich-ad and his family. J*fer did graduate - good job! I haven't been to a graduation that finished so quickly...1 hour was all it took from start to finish and yes, they called everyone's name. It is so nice to visit cousins because they do such a good job playing with LJ that it is like a vacation for me and RJ. We can relax because there are many people who will help occupy LJ's attention.

And, let me tell you - LJ is getting to be some kind of climber. I was blow drying my hair and I keep the bathroom door open so LJ can run back and forth (he likes to check in every so often). Well, it was awfully quiet for a while, so I peeked out into the living room. LJ was on the dining room table having a ball. He had pulled out the chair, climbed onto the table and apparently knew better than to make any squeals of joy lest he lose his position. I'm sure he was very proud of himself. Since then, he's been climbing his way into many a mess.

We spent Memorial Day itself with Unka Bri-un and Aunt MJ. There was work done on the AC!

Summer school started this week, so I'm busy again, but only until the end of June. We've signed LJ up for water babies again this summer and we have plans to take him to toddler story time at the library starting next week!

Busy, Busy, Busy

For someone on "vacation", I sure have been busy. Of course, LJ keeps himself - and me- busy as it is!

Last week, J*fer came to stay with us for a few days. That was great fun as she went on many walks with us and stayed home with LJ two of the 3 nights she was here. The first night, RJ and I went to see a movie...we decided to see RV in light of our travel trailer. If you like potty humor, you'll love this movie. I'm not a big fan of potty humor, so it wasn't the type of hilarity and hijinks that make me laugh, but it was nice to get out. The second night, Uncle R was here and he and J*fer stayed home while we went to a "work" picnic. It was really nice to have visitors and LJ got to spend time with his future Friday companion.

LJ had a well-visit to the dr. today. No shots - he's current until he's 2. He weighs...35 pounds and is 34 inches tall. I'm waiting for the day that he stops gaining weight and just gets taller. He has been sleeping a lot lately, so I'm thinking...growth spurt. Oh, and he has all 4 of his molars poking through (refer to teething chart if you'd like an illustration). All-in-all a super-healthy little boy.

He was the delight of the nurses at the drs. office. See, we don't let LJ hang out in the waiting room with all the sick people. No, RJ let's him run around outside while I wait with all the sick people. Once they call LJ, I poke my head out and call them in and then we go straight back to the room. Well, today when I called them in the nurse said, "oh, he is the little boy playing outside - he's soooo cute." Then, when the dr. came in the room, she said, "the nurses came and got me and told me that I had to look outside at this cute little boy playing and once I saw him I said, 'I know that little boy', so you had the whole staff admiring your child today."

Wherever we go, LJ provides happiness...aren't you glad you know him ;-)

Word Count

I had a GREAT Mother's Day and I hope that all you mothers and Godmothers out there had a great one too. It was cool and rainy with rumbles of thunder and lightening, so when LJ took his nap (and RJ took one too), I curled up on the couch, opened the window and read my book. Pure heaven! The guys treated me to some nice gifts and an afternoon of window shopping at the kitchen and bath stores. A delightful day.

LJ is not much of a talker, which is odd because I'm sure he is extraverted. But, he's been stingy with the words. He has to have 3 words by the time he's 18 months (which he was yesterday) so that "the state" doesn't worry - and he does have 3 words. He has more actually. His words have to do with labeling right now - no 2 word sentences or anything like that. If he sees something that he knows the word for, he'll say it.

In alphabetical order, LJ's words are:
Cheese
Church
Dada
Dog
Duck
Gogi - we don't know what this is
No
Shh - and he puts his finger up to his lips
Shoe
Truck
Yes

If I forgot some, I'll add them in the comments section.

Summer Draws Near

The last 2 weeks have been kind of busy. Here it is - the end of the semester again! With the end of the semester comes lots of work, but it is over now. I'm off (except for a meeting here and there) for about 3 weeks...until summer school starts. That means more time at home with LJ. Hopefully, that means getting into a routine where we walk in the mornings! LJ loves our walks, but it has been getting a smidge too hot in the afternoons, so transferring those walks to the mornings should suit all involved.

Summer Project: Central AC! I know, I know - we've been saying this for years now. But, we have the unit (keep quiet all you who know we also have another unit that we bought, oh....3 years ago, but decided that unit is not the way to go) AND work has started. I try not to think about all the little details that go along with this project and plan to just smile and be thankful when it is installed. I'm imaging the day we turn it on for the first time...this will be the same day that we program the thermostat. That seems like it is going to be a really great day. Imagine, we can come home from being out of town this summer - and we can have programmed the thermostat to crank up the AC hours before our arrival. The house won't be 90 degrees...if that isn't heaven on earth, I don't know what is.


MJ, LJ, and RJ (after RJ installs the central AC):

Getting Taller

LJ can now reach door knobs - and can grip them with his whole hand. He also has advanced fine-motor skills. We know this because RJ and I have both been locked in the garage in the past 10 days. The garage is really no place for LJ to go (our garage is not one that holds cars...it holds everything needed to fix cars, houses, etc.), so whenever one of us has to go into the garage (to put laundry in the washing machine, for example) we say "I'll be right back" and we go take car of our garage business.

Last week, RJ told me that LJ had locked him in the garage. This means that LJ reached up and turned the little locky-knob on the door. To my knowledge, we do not own a key to the door that separates the garage from the kitchen, but this is not a problem because you can just open the garage door and walk around to the front, unlock the front door and come inside. It worked just this way for RJ because he had his keys in his pocket.

It did not work this way for me. I went out to switch the laundry and LJ locked me out. I did not have my keys in my pocket. I could hear LJ in there turning the door knob back and forth. So, I am pleading and encouraging him to turn the little knob. He keeps trying, but he isn't having much luck. I'm beginning to search my brain for what I will do. Should I go to the neighbor's house to call RJ? But, that means I'm leaving LJ unlistened to for several minutes. Should I try to open a window somewhere? I doubt there are any unlocked. And, if LJ sees me outside, he'll probably throw a fit that I'm outside and I didn't take him with me. Plus, this will lure him away from the door and I'm not sure that is a good idea. I'm in a garage full of screw drivers, saws, and other such supplies...should I try to pick the lock? Saw through the door? All the while, I'm mindlessly saying, "turn the little knob, the little knob - turn it." Finally, I say, "turn the little knob toward the TV" and VIOLA! LJ unlocks the door and I walk in.

RJ thinks it was probably a coincidence. I think LJ totally understood me and followed my directions. Don't doubt for a minute that he doesn't know where the TV is!

Oh, and we now have a remedy for this predicament. I can't tell you what it is - this is the internet you know!

Driving

LJ's first car - the Little Tykes Cozy Coupe - courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa! Of course, LJ loves it. It has taken him a while to decide that moving in the car is ok. Up until yesterday, he'd keep one leg out the door just to be sure it wouldn't start moving. Now, he's all about getting in and holding his feet up so that someone can push him.

We had a very eventful weekend. Saturday, RJ's family came for a day trip and LJ enjoyed (as did we) having Grandma, Grandpa, and his uncles and aunt here. Sunday, we went to visit CP and AP who are at CP's parents' en route to their new home town. That was great fun also as LJ got to play with AP - well, mostly he played with her toys and enjoyed chasing the cat around. Now, we are settling in to the last week of school and trying to get back into the normal napping routine.

In teething news, you'll be happy to know that LJ is cutting both #4s on the top. These are his "first molars" and according to the chart (see post dated Thursday, March 23) he should have cut these at 14 months. Really, he should have all his teeth except for his second molars (which come in, coincidentally at 24 months) and his first permanent molars (which come in at 6 years). Why do I obsess about this? Because this is a lot of teething left to do!

Shopping

LJ is always ready to go somewhere in the car. Which is nice because we can say, "let's go in the car" and he walks right back to the door to the garage and tries to open the knob. It will be a matter of 2 months before he can actually open doors by himself, but that will be the subject of another post. Back to shopping...he will sit in the cart at the grocery store or the hardware store or wherever and is perfectly content to look around and babble about things. He especially loves to see other kids and if there is a baby in a cart and we get close enough, he'll reach out to touch the baby and say, "ooohhh". At the grocery store, he wants to hold and inspect everything before I put it in the cart, but once he's finished, he reaches back and drops it into the cart. So, with some strategic item placing, I can get home without smooshed bread. He's even gotten very good at entertaining himself (ok, I turn the TV on, but ssshhh...don't tell anyone) while I unload the car and put away the groceries.

LJ also LOVES to put things in and on top of things that have wheels and he likes to then wheel this stuff around. So, I've been thinking he would like one of those pretend shopping carts. With a mere mention to his Aunt MJ, he is now the proud owner of a shopping cart and he is enjoying it very much!

Some "Firsts"...

Tap Tap - is this thing on? Is anyone still out there? I know, I know - it has been 2 weeks since the last post and I fear LJ has lost his readership? But as his mother, I'll find a way to lure you back!

Saturday, March 25th marked a first for us - and one I never thought we'd (by we, I mean I) do. LJ and I met up with some of the moms and babies on my message board. A mom who lives a little under 2 hours from us offered to host a gathering and, in total 8 moms and 8 babies born in November 2004 showed up. There are about 150 moms on my message board, but we live all over, so to have 8 make the drive was really neat. The kids played outside (I can't say with each other, but around each other) and then ate lunch and played inside. It was nice to find out that these people really exist and that this message board isn't some elaborate plan to steal my identity.

Friday, March 31 marked yet another first for us...RJ and I left LJ for the weekend. We had a conference that we had to attend (as we are on the planning committee for said conference), so this dilemma has been looming large all year. My mom and my sister came down (along with LJ's cousin CL - my sister's daughter) to spend the weekend with LJ. I wasn't worried about his safety or about him missing us...I knew he was in good hands. Nonetheless, when RJ and I pulled out of the driveway, I had to fight back the tears. Luckily, we were so busy most of the weekend, that I didn't have time to think about it and every time I called the report was that LJ was having a great time! So, that hurdle is over...I don't imagine sending LJ off to spend the weekend somewhere else for a while. Mostly because of all the stuff we'd have to pack up to take to that place...right now, it is much easier to leave him at home - where all his stuff is.

I have come down with a cold...a pesky cold with low-grade fever. RJ was taking the day off to finish working on his truck (we've been a 1-car family for over a month now), so he took LJ up to Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ's for the day (as this is where he's working on the truck). I haven't had a whole day alone in the house in over a year. I've taken a 2 hour nap and am starting to feel better - and that is why you are getting this update!

Night Waking - Teeth

LJ has been waking up a couple of times throughout the night (which has become unusual unless illness is involved) AND he's been waking for the day very early again. The later I attribute to the fact that the time change is looming ahead of us. Whoever invented daylight-savings time did not have young children. Actually, the time change should help...it is getting lighter earlier and I think that is why LJ has been waking up earlier. When we "spring forward" that should take care of that AND when he wakes at 5:45 - it'll be 6:45.

We finally got our explanation for the waking throughout the night as LJ is sprouting a new tooth. It is about time...he's had the same 6 teeth for a long time now. Currently, LJ has both of his central incisors (#1) on the top, both of his lateral incisors (#2) on the top, both of his central incisors (#1) on the bottom and is cutting the right central incisor (#2) on the bottom. According to this chart LJ *should* additionally have his left lateral incisor (#2), the cuspids (#3) and first molars (#4) on the bottom and the first molars (#4) on the top. But, he didn't cut his first tooth until he was 9 months old, so he's slow to cut his teeth. There is no reason to be concerned, but he still has over half his teeth to get, so more teething bouts are in our future!

Honey, Sandy, and the Frog Chair

LJ has had a very nice Spring Break because, with the exception of Wednesday, both RJ and I have been home this week. This means lots of play time and lots of time outside. He loves outside – so much so that one of his words is “shoe” (it sounds like “shh”, but we are pretty sure he is saying “shoe”). Shoes mean he is going outside - in the house he goes barefoot – so he is fascinated with shoes. He puts them on his hands and walks around with them…doesn’t matter whose shoes they are. He brings you your shoes when you want to put them on (it is not always your shoe and it is not always a matching pair). He tries to put his own shoes on and when he gets frustrated, he brings them to one of us.

One of the highlights of Spring Break 2006 was a visit from Grandma, Grandpa, Mom Mom (LJ’s great grandmother), Aunt H (LJ’s great aunt) and Uncle B. They came over for the day on Thursday. LJ went down for a nap around 11:00 that morning and slept until 2:00…this was a rather long nap, but that was OK with me. The family visitors arrived around noon, so they had to wait two agonizingly long hours to see little LJ. He seemed happy to see them all, especially because Uncle B brought him two dogs! No, not real live dogs (thank you for not bringing him a real dog Uncle B!), but two stuffed animal dogs. Blond Labradors – just like the one in LJ’s favorite commercial. We named the bigger dog Honey and the little puppy Sandy. LJ already knows them by name and will go find whichever one you ask him to find. He hugs them and lies on the floor with them. These dogs have been a big hit. LJ was also very excited to see Mom Mom’s walker. He wanted to push it all around – and he did. Mom Mom has a cool flashlight hanging from one handle and Grandma showed LJ how to use his thumb to turn it on and off, on and off, on and off…! There is a basket on the front of Mom Mom’s walker and LJ enjoyed putting things in that basket. I’m telling you, LJ LOVED this visit.

I’ll report one final favorite of LJ’s…he has a new chair with a frog on it. We bought it around Christmas, but “some assembly” was required, so it has been sitting in “the playroom” since then. RJ decided to assemble it and, of course, it is a hunk of junk and required so sanding, gluing, and additional screwing to make it sturdy enough. LJ was interested in all the tools RJ used to assemble the chair and this slowed the process a bit. Once RJ finished it, LJ sat right down on it and has been the king of the living room ever since. LJ usually finishes his dinner before RJ and I, so we take him out of his high chair and tell him to go play. This works with varying success, but usually ends up with him begging for us to pick him up and then he lunges at whatever he sees on the table. Since the new chair has been assembled – I turn on Wheel of Fortune or Lingo and LJ sits in his chair and enjoys the sounds and the clapping…he claps right along! This chair is great!

Who Barks Like a Seal?

...LJ - and it is sad to hear. Sunday morning I was awakened by what sounded like a barking seal. Turned out it was LJ, in his crib, barking and gasping for air. He sounded congested, but no runny nose and he seemed to act pretty normal, so...?

RJ got home in the early afternoon (he'd been out of town celebrating the end of MK's bachelor-hood). Knowing that MK is LJ's Godfather, I am certain that nothing inappropriate happened! I suppose we all have different definitions of "inappropriate"…but we chose the Godfather of our child with the idea that we shared a similar definition of "inappropriate"?! But, I digress...

LJ got worse as the week wore on with the depths of his illness hitting him on Wednesday and Wednesday night. Runny nose, congestion, coughing (which he doesn't know how to do, so it just hits him sometimes and it is very sad to see), and what must be a sore throat. He would not eat or drink much at all. He wouldn’t even take Tylenol – which he usually loves. We were starting to get concerned that he might get dehydrated so we were seriously looking for tears each time he cried (as the lack of tears means you need to get to the hospital).

The dawn of Thursday (after RJ had been up with LJ all night) showered LJ with a thirst that had been lacking as LJ drank 6 ounces of milk and I sighed with relief. LJ then took a 3 hour nap and woke in much better spirits. His nose was significantly less runny and he had a much better appetite.

What really lifted his spirits was a visit from his Aunt MJ and Uncle BJ. They came over for lunch and Aunt MJ brought LJ a new "house" she had made for him. A while back, she made a house out of a cardboard box and LJ loves that thing - even though he is getting too big for it. So, she built him a new house out of a slightly bigger cardboard box, but she went all out decorating this thing. She put a door with a handle in and she printed out pictures of LJ, family, and animals and hung them all around inside. Man, this kid LOVES this house!

New Shoes

LJ got new shoes today. This was kind of emotional for me as he has outgrown his first pair of shoes. Anything that reminds me that he is growing up is an emotional thing for me. I’ve decided that I have to get over this though…I mean this will continue to happen for the rest of his life, so I need to learn to cope with it now. I tried to cope by using my favorite coping mechanism – denial, but I was, shall we say, denied (ha, ha, ha). I thought, “We’ll just buy the same shoe, but in a bigger size and then it’ll be like his foot never grew at all.” Smart, huh? Turns out, his first pair of shoes was a “cruiser” and they only go up to a certain size. His size only comes in “walker” shoes, so I guess the manufacturer decided that, by the time your feet are as big as LJ’s, you really should be walking.

Perhaps you remember seeing his first pair of shoes in an earlier blog, but in case you don’t remember…
Here is his new pair. They are size 6 ½ W. The W stands for wide and this accounts for our inability to find shoes at a place like Target or Wal-Mart. No, LJ’s feet are wide and we have to go to THE shoe store to buy them (READ: they cost more than you think a shoe of this size should cost). His feet kind of look like miniature Paw Paw (my father) feet.
We think a pair of sandals are in order for the upcoming (who am I kidding, it was pretty warm on our walk today) warm weather. This pair seems nice, but we have decided it is better not to buy two pairs of shoes at one time. We need time to recover from the shock.



Sandals or not, you will all be glad to know that LJ’s feet are in well-made shoes and that we are making sure that he has no impediment in his motor development.

Must Love Dogs

LJ is fascinated with dogs. Seriously. Every time he hears a dog bark, he points his finger in the air and says, "wha". He does the same thing with the train and other loud noises. The difference is, when he sees a dog he goes crazy pointing and babbling. When he sees a train, he cries. There is a commercial on TV, I'll call it his new favorite, that comes on right after the opening credits of 90210.

Which reminds me, it seems Kelly Taylor aka "Jenny Garth" has been replaced by Gina Kincaid aka "Vanessa Marcil" as the 90210 girl who gets the most smiles during the opening credits. For those of you unfamiliar with Gina, I present the following...











Now, back to the dogs.

This is a commercial for ordering your dog's heartworm medicine over the phone and having it delivered right to your door. The commercial stars a golden lab that looks up at the phone number on the screen at the end the commercial. This sends LJ right over the edge...he is giddy with happiness every time he sees this dog. Sometimes, he comes over and hugs me when it is over.

I can only imagine what would happen if we actually gave him a dog.

I rented Benji for him to watch...just because there is a dog in practically ever scene...LJ wasn't that interested in Benji.

Does anyone know when the next dog show is on TV? I think that would entertain LJ for a while.

15 Months

Today marks 15 months that LJ has been a part of our lives! In celebration...

LJ had the well-visit to the doctor that most 15-month-old children seem to have. He weighs 31 pounds and some-odd ounces and, the first time around, he measured 31 inches. We watched the nurse measure LJ and it was obvious that she did a haphazard job, so we measured him again once she left the room. They keep the measuring tape in the top drawer, so we do this all the time. According to our measurements…which are taken the same way (lay LJ down on the table, mark the top of his head, stretch out leg, mark bottom of foot, pick LJ up, measure between the lines), LJ is 33 inches. This is a rather big difference and moves him from the 50th percentile to the 97th percentile. He needs credit for these inches as his weight puts him in the 97th percentile. He is starting to look a little leaner in the belly area. LJ received 4 shots at this visit…one of them the dreaded DTP…which includes tetanus. This is the one that causes crankiness for a couple of days and it did not disappoint.

LJ says, “Will you be my Valentine?”

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Camping

The Js embarked on the first camping trip in their travel trailer. It has taken us a while to prioritize this trip – and this is the first weekend we have had it planned and no one got sick (thus, preventing us from going). We decided to go to a state park that is about an hour from our house and we decided to make this our destination whenever we are just going away for a weekend trip. This way, we can get there quickly after work, know what to expect when we arrive, set everything up, enjoy ourselves and get home in time to get everything put away on Sunday. This just sounds smart, doesn’t it?

Friday, we left the house around 5:30 and LJ pretty much fell asleep within 20 minutes. A nap at 6:00 pm just won’t do…so, we stopped to pick up dinner and wake him up. This seemed to work well, but we didn’t end up getting to our campsite until about 7:15. Once we got everything set up it was 8:30 and this is a good hour past LJ’s bedtime. He was tired and went to sleep rather quickly…

...and then woke up every hour from 9:00 – 3:00 that night. This was not desirable. Whenever RJ would go to him, he’d pick LJ up and he’d go back to sleep right away, but still – this was not desirable! Sure, LJ was in a new environment and I’m sure this contributed to the insanity, but I think it was mostly a function of his not going to bed at his normal time. Anytime we try to get him to stay up a little later…it always comes with the consequence of a terrible night of sleep. It is just not worth it. I think people think I’m crazy to be so religious about his bedtime, but a parent knows these things and strives to avoid terrible nights of sleep.

Needless to say, we were all exhausted on Saturday. LJ would not nap in this strange environment, so resting was not an option. LJ wasn’t too grumpy with his lack of sleep, but I can’t say that RJ and I weren’t! Actually, tempers were rather subdued considering…! We went for a hike – about 3 miles…half of that I carried LJ (all 30 pounds of him) on MY back in the backpack. It wasn’t so bad and LJ seemed to love it. Then we got an ice cream bar from the park store and LJ had a good time getting bites of that. He thoroughly inspected every inch of our campsite and loved it whenever he’d hear a dog bark.

We decided to go into town to have dinner…I didn’t feel like cooking and LJ was starting to get grumpy at that point. Within 1 minute of leaving the park, LJ was asleep. So, we drove around for 20 minutes to let him get a cat nap and then we woke him to go into the restaurant. He woke up in a fine mood and that cat nap made him pleasant while we ate dinner. We got back to the campsite and everyone was in bed my 7:30. LJ slept fine that night and RJ and I were happy to get almost 12 hours of sleep ourselves! Actually, RJ had a tummy ache in the middle of the night AND he had to go outside to switch propane tanks. It got rather cold because the heater had stopped heating…it was out of propane.

Sunday, we got up, ate breakfast, and packed up. We were home by 11:30 and LJ slept the whole way home. This gave us time to unpack everything and take the trailer back to storage, and still have time to get everything in order for this week.

All-in-all, I give the weekend a 60% on the enjoyable scale. It was our maiden voyage, so we learned a lot about what the processes are, etc. That information is very valuable, so a 95% on the value scale. I think the next camping weekend should earn a higher percentage on the enjoyable scale!

Fear of Trains...

Through effective communication and thoughtful consideration, RJ and I have figured out why LJ is so disturbed by the train all of the sudden. The “all of the sudden” part is what is so puzzling. If you’ve been to our house, you know that a train blows its whistle at least 10 times a day and throughout the night…so, LJ has to have heard the train before this week. Now, whenever he hears the train, he points his finger in the air and gets a very concerned look on his face. The other night he actually buried his head in my lap until that train passed. Last night, he heard the train while he was in the bath tub. He grabbed my arms and wanted to get out…making me very wet in the process.

Turns out, RJ took LJ with him to an auto shop last week. This auto shop is right next to the train tracks. While there and while outside (I think) a train came by…blowing its whistle and looking all big and scary. Now LJ has a visual (way up close) of what it is that makes this noise that he hears. According to RJ, he did not like it and started to cry. This explains why the sound is frightening him “all of the sudden”.

He’s going to have to get used to it because there are few, if any, places to live in this town where you can’t hear the train…and we aren’t planning to move! Surely, with enough instances where the train does not come roaring by so closely…he’ll figure out that there is nothing of which to be afraid?!

Popper Proficient

This one's for you KJ!

As I sat making the grocery list, LJ was playing in the dining room. He likes to look out the window in hopes of seeing the "stray" dog that roams our neighborhood. This dog has been picked up by animal control several times (twice due to my call), but within a couple of days is back on the streets. I can only assume the dog has an owner who picks him up when called, but obviously has no fence. This pleases LJ very much.

Ok, I'm off topic.

LJ likes to carry things around as he wanders around the house and yesterday he was carrying the popper that the Jfys gave him for his first birthday. He carries this toy around a lot, but he doesn't use it for the manufacturer's intended purpose. Sometimes he tries, but he holds it too upright and then it doesn't push well or make the noise. Like I said, I was in the "playroom" making the grocery list and I heard the popping noises that are the tell-tale sign that the popper is being used for the manufacturer's intended purpose. WOW! This is a big deal, so I run to the dining room and there's little LJ pushing that popper. Of course, I gave him more praise then Einstein probably got from anyone in his life, but it was a red-letter day for us.

Later, when talking to LJ's Aunt M, who spent Saturday with LJ while RJ and I both had to work - I found out that she had worked very hard with him...trying to teach him to use the popper. It worked...LJ did not master it on his own, so instead of this being a demonstration of his ingenuity, it is a demonstration of how well he learns and takes direction.

Face Forward

Yesterday marked the first day that LJ has faced forward in his car seat. I believe the "rules" are that the child must: be 1 year old, weigh 20 pounds or more, AND must be 29 inches tall. LJ met all of these on November 14th (his first birthday), but as you recall - he and T-Bone had just been in an accident and LJ didn't seem to mind riding facing the rear. "They" say rear-facing is safer and you should keep them that way as long as you can. This makes me wonder why everyone (minus the driver) doesn't have their seats facing the rear of the vehicle...if it is safer and all? Anyway, LJ wears shoes with increasing frequency and that was making things a little too cramped for his legs when facing the rear. So, I switched him...yesterday.

He seems to lean back a little more this way - which should prove better for car napping. He appears to enjoy being able to see the driver so well...just turn your head at a stop light and there he is...smiling at you. At first he had his legs crossed, but once he realized he had room he reached his little feet out and started rubbing them on the seat in front of him. I wonder how long it will be before he starts kicking it?

Our Weekend

Well, we were supposed to take down Christmas decorations and, in general, find a place for all the stuff that seems to come into this house, but...

RJ got sick :-(

We think he had the flu...but we don't know. He's feeling better now, but Saturday and Sunday, LJ and I had to entertain ourselves (and take care of daddy). In fact, LJ started to miss his daddy so much that he wrote him a note on his new Magna Doodle (you know, the one he sat on...)




Yes, the Christmas decorations are still up. But, we stopped turning on the outside lights on January 6th.

Sit On It

LJ is a big fan of sitting on anything that he thinks looks like it can be sat upon.

Sometimes he makes an error in judgment.

It was understandable when RJ bought attic stairs and housed the box in the living room (we won't say for how long)...I mean, that was a big box and LJ was able to climb on top of it and crawl around. Then, he started to do this with smaller boxes...and yesterday, he sat on his Magna Doodle. It is the travel size. We just got it yesterday.

So, it appears that LJ is moving away from tasting everything as his means of exploration... and is now testing said things for their ability to be sat upon.

LJ's New Year's Resolutions

LJ rang in the New Year with some of his many cousins...actually, LJ did not stay up until midnight, but his parents did! This is an improvement over last year, I believe. I didn't think I'd be able to make it until J*fer volunteered to watch LJ while we continued sleeping - if we'd stay up until midnight. How could we refuse an offer like that?! So, we played games and then flipped between Dick Clark and Regis. I must be getting old because the music on both these shows was terrible...and I think it is the currently-hip music.

LJ has several resolutions this year:

Start talking
Get rid of the crawling callouses on his feet
Grow taller and not just wider (from front-to-back, not side-to-side)
Get Mommy to go for a walk more days than she doesn't
Go to the park more often
Learn to use a fork and spoon
Continue to be a happy boy!