All Clear
Daniel's hip has been given a clean bill of health. No wacky-looking frog-leg braces for him!

Labels: babies, healthcare

- posted by Lenise @ 3:03 PM |

 
Adieu, Lucky *Sniff*
Paul suggested to Jay that he find some toys to give to "children who don't have many toys" (i.e. the Goodwill store). He chose Lucky! I felt like crying. He used to take Lucky for walks all the time. He adored that pup. I don't know whether he's really outgrown him (I haven't seen him walking Lucky lately), or if he was doing it because "The kids who don't have many toys will like him." *Sniff*

Now if he asks where Lucky is in a week's time, I guess I'll have to tell him the truth. He's listed on Ebay by somebody trying to make cash from the Goodwill store, no doubt.

Labels: boys, growing up

- posted by Lenise @ 8:55 PM |

 
Tired
It may just be because my knees are swollen again, but I'm exhausted tonight. And it's not yet 8PM...

Anyway, I spoke too soon about Isaac's post-crib sleep success. He's back in the crib at night, though he does fine at naptime (no big brothers to entertain). I suspect his second chance will come upon our return from family visits.

I'm planning a trip to the Homeschool Hub tomorrow if my legs will carry me. I've been poring over the Sonlight catalog, tempted to take the plunge and purchase the 4/5 package. With the age range represented in the household, I'm sure we'd get years of use out of it, and we hardly have any of the books included in the package.

I'd also like to see how I do with a lesson plan. I'm a little concerned that trying to do two pages of a book and then move on would meet with resistance from Jay, who loves to be read to. Obviously, this is a good problem to have, but it might make sticking to a lesson plan difficult.

One of the frog books Jay borrowed from the library had a section about capturing tadpoles and instructions on experiments the child could do, with similarly tedious sections about (sorry) the environment and I don't know what else. I made an executive decision to skip the former, or I would have had to read about sawing off a broom handle, attaching net to a bent wire, etc. Jay would not have stopped me or wandered off.

Meantime, I'm slowly "laminating" the cardstock activities (printed from the Montessori sites linked by Barbara Curtis) with contact paper. The scissors and I are developing a deep and abiding affection for one another.

Anyway, I have a world map/US map 2-pack ($6.95 for both!) and a handwriting book in my Amazon shopping cart, all ready for my next rewards certificate. I'll have to find some way of protecting the maps (probably contact paper!) so we can actually use them. I figure the world map will probably need updating in a few years anyway!
- posted by Lenise @ 7:40 PM |

 
Nineties
Both the temperature and Daniel's weight percentile were in the nineties today. He's a big, round four-month-old. Daniel's official stats today are: 17 lbs, 7 oz and 25.75 inches (though Daniel was not really cooperative for the height measurement). My babies have memories like elephants- as soon as I put Daniel down on the examining table to get him undressed, he started wailing and only stopped when he was being held. When the time came for his immunizations, he screamed (understandably so), but calmed down in a hurry. He must have known it was over.

Unfortunately, he's got a referral to the hospital for an ultrasound of his hip next week. They're worried that his left hip socket is too shallow- no one has told me yet what this will mean if it is true, and I'm not borrowing trouble. Paul arranged for the older boys to stay with a friend during Daniel's appointment (they only do these u/s on Wednesdays, I'm told, so I'll be at work).

This being nothing-is-simple day, we almost didn't make it to the Dr's appointment, since the van's battery was shot when I tried to start it this morning. Thankfully, Paul was home so he could watch the big boys, and he buckled Daniel's car seat into the Taurus, then jump-started the van when we got back so the boys and I could pick up our Lowe's Foods-to-Go order this afternoon. There is some stress involved in getting there within the 30-minute window you chose, but not having to unbuckle the boys is a beautiful thing. There is some advance planning involved (they need 3 hours lead time for orders), and I could always go at night when Paul is here, but lately bedtime is stretching out kind of late, Paul's not always here, and I can always go online at 9:30 or 10 and pick out the groceries I need to be picked up the next day. Plus, as we notice we need things, we can add them to our shopping list so we don't forget by the time we shop.

Labels: babies, convenience, old cars

- posted by Lenise @ 4:50 PM |

 
Four Months Old!



Daniel's check-up is Tuesday morning, so we'll find out then how much he weighs. I suspect he continues to be big for his age. We get a lot of comments like, "He's only 4 months old??"

Labels: babies, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 1:18 PM |

 
Credit Where Credit's Due



Paul took Jay to the "p'ayg'ownd in Chapel He-ill!" (which poor Isaac has been asking to visit all week) this morning, but Isaac was left behind because of a cough. It's not really that bad, but I'd hate to be the ones to infect all of Chapel Hill, or for Isaac to get something worse in his weakened state. Anyway, he was all alone at the table eating his Cars soup with cheese crackers, and when he finished, there was the usual crash as he discarded his tray. I was picturing pasta of all makes and models all over the floor along with carrot cubes and a healthy serving of chicken broth. Distraught (and berating myself for leaving him alone to eat), I headed around the corner to the dining room, asking, "Did you spill your soup?"

He answered "No-oope!" and was mostly telling the truth. At least, he didn't spill it on the floor.

P.S. I think we have crowned a new ham in the house...

Labels: boys, eating, illness, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 1:06 PM |

 
Research
Jay decided he'd like to borrow a book about frogs from the library. I've been looking up some juvenile books available at our branch of the library in preparation for our (presumed) trip tomorrow, but if anyone has a sure-fire suggestion, I'm always willing to place an order at Amazon. Isaac said he'd like a puppy book, so we'll probably just peruse the nearby shelves for puppy books, which are no doubt plentiful.

Meantime, we need to figure out how serious we are about home schooling. Jay will only be 4 in September, but I know we'll have to be getting some paperwork ready, not to mention minor details like a curriculum, if we want to run his education in-house.

As you might suspect, I have my doubts about attempting any such thing when I'm working 3 days a week. Things may be different by the end of the summer, though, in regard to our job situation, so I'm not giving up.

I'm all ears if you'd like to share homeschool advice/experiences, particularly when it comes to boys.

Labels: books, boys, learning

- posted by Lenise @ 6:49 PM |

 
Speaking of Sarcasm...
We were at a function for my company Saturday when I took the outdoor photos. Paul asked me if I knew everyone there. "Yes," I said, "but they don't like me. That's why they aren't saying hello." Jay, with a frightening lack of astonishment, looked at me and asked, "Because you were mean to them?"

*Wince*

Labels: boy talk, comedy

- posted by Lenise @ 9:48 PM |

 
Speaking of Precocity
Where did Isaac get the idea that my little stoneware votive holder was a coffee mug? Nobody in this house drinks coffee more than once in a blue moon!

Yesterday, he said he needed to use the phone to call a dinosaur. He wanted to use the kitchen phone, but I gave him the cordless. "He'o? Di'osor? Are you eating grass?" [Listens] "OK, bye bye di'osor!"

No, he does not crack me up at all ;)

Labels: baby talk, boys, imaginary friends

- posted by Lenise @ 9:43 PM |

 
Compliments to the Chef
The other week we went to Cici's Pizza after church. Paul and Isaac went for a walk while Jay, Daniel and I held the fort. Or the table anyway. Jay finished the food on his plate and announced to me that he was going to tell someone that he enjoyed his pizza and he'd be right back. I recommended that he tell the ladies behind the counter, so he trotted over and said, "I enjoyed my pizza." The woman right there asked him, "You'd like some more pizza?" "No. I already had some. I enjoyed my pizza!" Whereupon they asked him how old he was and seemed to be marveling in the fact that a 3-year-old could use the word "enjoyed". The couple one table over were watching and seemed to get a kick out of the whole proceeding as well =]

Labels: boy talk, boys, food

- posted by Lenise @ 9:37 PM |

 
Saturday Scenes

Labels: boys, photos, summer

- posted by Lenise @ 8:28 PM |

 
For Grandpa G and the Uncles

Labels: old cars, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 8:30 PM |

 
Zoo Trip

Labels: boys, photos, zoo

- posted by Lenise @ 8:20 PM |

 
The Serious Artist and the Brush Mangler

Labels: art, boys, photos

- posted by Lenise @ 8:16 PM |

 
Falling Behind
Yes, I have fallen way behind on blogging! Last week was a big week around here. We went out Memorial Day afternoon and bought the boys' bunk bed, then went to a nearby restaurant (Ham's in Burlington) where kids' meals were 99 cents (woo hoo!) and include ice cream cups. They also have tremendous potato "chips": about 1/8th inch thick & deep-fried. MMmmmm. With ranch dip. *Sigh*. Then we walked from there to the park across the street, where the big boys rode the carousel and the little train with Paul. Daniel was napping in the stroller, and I was just as happy sitting with him and waving.

The next day was bed day, so we worked on getting some space cleared out for the beds, and then I was sent to WalMart for the mattress protectors, mattress pads, and comforters. The Cars comforters were on sale for less than $30, so I went ahead and bought them. I asked for help getting mattress pads down and the employee I asked was so helpful and nice! I had picked out a pair of cheap ($20) bedspreads and mentioned that I was tempted to pay $40 for the Cars bedspreads, but just didn't want to spend that much. She led me back around the corner to do a price check, just in case, and the rest is history.

Isaac has had much less trouble transitioning to a big boy bed than I expected. Part of it, I think, is that he's not alone, so has less incentive to come downstairs looking for us than Jay did at that point. He's also just older than Jay was when we started trying to move him to the toddler bed. Anyway, one night I ended up leaving him in the crib, but other than that, he's managed to stay more or less in bed all night.

Then there was the bad. Jay closed the van door on a few fingers Friday while I was home working. By the time Paul brought the boys home from the store, Jay was pretty much himself, but we decided better safe than sorry, and so Paul took him to the brand-new urgent care facility here in town. It turned out he was fine, just bruised and a tiny bit scraped up, but they did an x-ray to be sure.

Not the last minor medical emergency we'll have around here, I'm afraid...

Labels: boys, furniture, Mebane

- posted by Lenise @ 8:25 PM |

 
If...
If we decided to move to Durham, this is where I'd like to live.

Labels: Old Houses, real estate

- posted by Lenise @ 8:15 PM |

 
Fame
I'm not sure how much longer it will be up, but the boys and I made the front page of our local paper. We'll miss Mrs. Chrys!!

Labels: Mebane, Singing

- posted by Lenise @ 8:54 AM |