Prayers For the Dermatologically Gifted
I asked the boys for whom we should pray during Isaac's naptime prayers. Jay started the list with Uncle Ehren and Aunt Jan, a few more were added, after which Jay popped up, "Yeah, 'cuz vey hav skin!", followed a few names later by, "And arms, too."

Labels: boys, non-sequiturs, prayers

- posted by Gary @ 2:38 PM |

 
"It Looks Like It Was Paved By Angels!"






We got a bit of cheap entertainment today- our block was resurfaced! We saw the tar sprayer come by, followed by the rock spreader, followed by the roller (the roller guy was enjoying the attention and kept waving to the boys, who did their best Pope waves in return: who was obliging whom wasn't clear ;) ), and the big dump truck that kept refilling the rock spreader. The dump truck driver gave a tiny honk for the boys! When we left for Toddler Time at the library, the road looked like the fifth photo, and when we returned (we stayed out for lunch- it seemed like a good excuse!), it looked like the fourth. The boys sat in chairs we have out on the porch in prep for the yard sale on Saturday. Daniel was napping. A good time was had by all!

Labels: boys, heavy machinery, Mebane

- posted by Gary @ 2:18 PM |

 
Closure
I ordered the entertainment center from WalMart last night. No more lost sleep (at least, not over that)! Now, if we can just get this yard sale together this week, I'll be a really happy camper! I did scrub down two more of my new dining room chairs on Saturday with a toothbrush (they were filthy, and still look dirty, but they're vastly improved), so I just have one left to clean, and then we can started on getting the other chairs to sell them. I think we may end up using a chair as a TV stand until the one from WalMart arrives. We have a couple of dining-type chairs I plan on holding onto that aren't part of either set.

Labels: Cleaning (Rah?), furniture

- posted by Gary @ 7:36 AM |

 
Cookies!
I was hungry, and Paul's away, the kids are in bed, so I baked chocolate chip cookies. Honestly, I've made better, but they're cookies, so how bad can they be (assuming, of course, that the proportions of baking soda and sugar aren't switched, which, I'm told, results in a delectable-smelling, utterly inedible batch of cookies)?

I also wanted to mention that I've had a really mild postpartum arthritis adjustment. I usually have knees the size of cantaloupes at some point, but I've had prednisone on hand, and when I've felt the swelling start, I took 5 mg and some ibuprofen, and before too much longer I feel better. It hasn't gotten out of control, for which I am very thankful!!

Labels: arthritis, food

- posted by Gary @ 10:33 PM |

 
Episode II: A New Hope
My good friend Heather just offered to stop by Ikea, so here's the research from there:

Option 1: Seems like it wouldn't take up too much room in the corner, even though it isn't a corner unit. Pros: lots of hidden storage, doors to hide the TV, available in a dark finish Cons: Still a little expensive, kind of austere modern design

Option 2: Claims to be a corner unit, though it doesn't look much like one. Pros: A little more traditional style, price Cons: Comes only in white, needs to fastened into the wall, storage areas are all open, will take up more floor space, possibly partially obscuring the vent.

This will require more thought. It's tempting to go with option one and say the decision has been made. Baby's crying- got to go!

Updated to add:
Option 3: Heather pointed this one out. It's more attractive than either of the others, but it's pretty wide. I'm afraid it'll take up too much room and block the vent. It IS in stock in Woodbridge, though, and the closest Option 1 I could find was in Baltimore. Maybe if we put the big one in on a non-45-degree angle?

*Sigh*

Labels: furniture

- posted by Gary @ 7:48 PM |

 
To Buy, or Not to Buy
I was just about to go ahead and buy the silly thing- I'm tired of the craigslist hassle. Everybody loves this entertainment unit, it fits the space-saving bill (many reviews rave about the compactness), OK, so it doesn't have doors, it's $100. And then I find out the shipping costs. $40!! as in 40% of the sale price. Isn't this sold in a store somewhere?? Why can't Wal-Mart do site-to-store? I will NEVER get rid of the behemoth occupying my living room and obscuring the traffic flow. Hey, it's not like I have small children with big toys clustering around my feet all day, right?

*Sigh* Off to do a little more research.

Labels: furniture

- posted by Gary @ 10:32 PM |

 
Big Baby
Daniel's check-up went about as well as could be expected, given that it culminated in the thrusting of three sharp needles into his chubby infant legs. At two months and 13 lbs, 11.5 oz, Daniel is more than a pound heavier than Isaac or Jay were. They didn't give me a percentile, but he's gotta be in the upper half. I figured he was growing pretty well, since 6-mo size clothes aren't too big. He's 23 inches tall.

Doc says the spitting up may be because he's eating more than his tummy can handle at once (he's obviously keeping plenty down, said the kind physician), and his crying jags at night are probably colic, which he should outgrow over the next month. I had to break out the baby tylenol for Daniel, because he was not happy for most of the afternoon. Poor guy!

Labels: babies, boys, bragging

- posted by Gary @ 5:48 AM |

 
Gender Confusion
Yesterday, my big boy told me "You don't want to go up there, big fella" when I was fetching Isaac post-nap (often the case when confronting a recently-napping Isaac, though yesterday he was in good spirits). Then last night, Isaac pleaded, "Come'ere, wittel Mama guy!" (interspersed with "come'ere Daddy" and "Com'ere, wittel Daddy guy!"s). I'm trying not to take it personally, though Jay informed me today that I am a "sir".

*Sigh*

Labels: baby talk, boys

- posted by Gary @ 7:51 PM |

 
Daniel Update
Last night, I tickled his chin and got Daniel to laugh- a few times!

So, so sweet =]

Labels: babies, boys, bragging

- posted by Gary @ 9:03 AM |

 
Daniel the Two-Month-Old


Daniel keeps getting bigger and more interactive. He's pretty much left behind his 0-3 months sized clothes now. He hasn't repeated his feat of sleeping for a six-hour stretch yet, but he's been doing a pretty good job some nights of sleeping from 8 PM or so until after the big boys get up (with a few interruptions). Other nights, he doesn't want to go to bed 'til 10 or 11. He's a little unpredictable that way. He's still Vyera's darling for now, and she even gave Isaac a second glance today(!) His two-month check-up is next Tuesday, so we'll have to wait until then to get the numbers.

Labels: babies, boys

- posted by Gary @ 4:20 PM |

 
You Are Gonna Creep Me Out
Yesterday, Jay answered something I said with, "That's right, girlfriend." Rah?? This is not a line from VeggieTales, Cars, or Monsters, Inc. It may have shown up in Enchanted, which we saw at my parents' house. I don't know where else he got it. It really made me laugh. Jay's been asking us things like, "You're my friend, right?" which I don't really know how to answer. Paul came up with a good answer (I think) about how friends are not usually people in your family- we may have to stick with that one.

Isaac, meantime, generally answers the question "Are you alright?" after he takes a tumble with, "I'm all right. Heh heh." I think this goes back to the time I saw him sliding off the couch and started laughing at him before he fell, and then asked him if he was all right (knowing full well that he was), since that's the first time I noticed him appending the most transparent fake laugh to his normal macho response. Sometimes Isaac is like a Keystone Kop. He just has not figured out gravity or something, and he's trying to keep up with Jay. He's a brave little lad.

Now Daniel is popular with Vyera. She has rubbed her head on his head, rubbed her head on his hand, and even licked his hair a number of times. Today he swatted her away from his ear. I know the day is coming when he will be much more interested in her than she is in him, but it's pretty funny to see her getting close to a youngster, let alone being affectionate.

Labels: boys, cats

- posted by Lenise @ 9:36 PM |

 
De Ja Vu
This house could make a nice vacation cottage. It's about a block north of the other one I noticed last year, which was subsequently purchased and demolished. The lot is still empty, so there's no telling what will be going up in its place.

Right around the corner from the first house, this house is still on the market- it has been for sale for over a year, and should come down a bit more. They could be the beginning of my Mebane real estate empire.

The house two doors down from us is on the market as well. It looks like it's been spruced up on the inside as well as outside.

The forecast for last Saturday was for thunderstorms, so we still have two houses worth of stuff. Of course, we don't have two houses worth of income. I knew there was something wrong with my cunning plan.

Labels: Mebane, Old Houses, real estate, sickness

- posted by Gary @ 8:05 PM |

 
Six Hours?
Last night, it took roughly six hours (OK, about five) to put Daniel to bed. Good thing I started at 6:30.

Labels: babies, sleep

- posted by Gary @ 9:13 AM |

 
Six Hours
I put Daniel in the Co-Sleeper about 11 last night, and he didn't require anything more until 5 AM!! Hooray, Daniel!!

On the down side, he doesn't seem to realize that the milk is a gift, and is not supposed to be returned in original condition. I never had much need for burp cloths with Jay or Isaac, and the habit is a difficult one to pick up!

Labels: babies, bragging, eating, sleep

- posted by Gary @ 6:29 PM |