The Weatherman

Well, a lot has gone on over the last few weeks.  For myself, work basically ended on Thursday the 17th at 3pm with a team dinner followed by a huge potluck on Friday.  I actually did work a fair bit on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from home.  Anyway, On Saturday morning (the 19th), I flew down to Eugene early in the morning and drove back to Seattle with Mike.

Why?  I needed 196 miles to bump up my status on Delta to Silver Medallion.  :-)

Lin arrived on Tuesday morning so at that point we had a full house with Jan, Mike, and Lin.  Wednesday evening was our first meal – NY Strip Roast done on the Big Green Egg, potatoes, and vegetables.  I had two friends from work over and he had an excellent dinner with lots of martinis and champagne.  Yep, I had a headache the next morning.

Thursday was meal number 2 which consisted of meatballs, honeybaked ham, pea salad, lasagne, and carrots.  Another great feast and we had plenty of left-overs.  Steph spent 40 minutes in line at the honey baked ham store waiting for our main course. So far so good.

Finally, Christmas Day.  The boys were very excited when they woke up to a bunch of gifts from Santa and family.  They loved opening the gifts more than what they got – at least that’s how it seemed.  We spent the better part of the day playing with toys and eating left overs.  Oh, and a few drinks were had here and there.

I’ve had the boys at home this week while Steph and Jan work.  Lin was here through Tuesday.  We took them to the aquarium on Monday – that really tired them out.  Today I took them to mom’s work where we got a tour of the offices, the police department, and the judge’s chambers.  They even got to see a real live criminal in holding cell.  Fortunately they didn’t do anything obnoxious like stick their tongue out.  For the remainder of the day it’s been up and down…some crying, some laughing, some playing.  Tomorrow I’m taking them to the museum of flight – oh boy.

Posing with Santa.  They were both good for Santa.

Local West Seattle home with tons of lights.

A happy Zach.

A happy Nate.

Got Mom dropped off at the airport to cries of “GWANDMA!”  Nate was fine on the way home and we stopped to get gas.  Paul had taken Zach to speech therapy.  I got the report from Paul as the kids were being loud so not 100% sure of the accuracy.  Paul said that Zach did well.  He was focused much more than the last time (two weeks ago when I took him.)  They went through several activities – book working on S sounds, asking questions via a pizza game, doing “firsts”, having him describe pictures on the view master, and one more thing I can’t remember.  Katie is concerned that he will not be caught up before Kindergarten.  Thus, there is some discussion about him going twice a week.  Finding time that works in our schedules (mine, Paul, and Katie’s) could be an issue.  At the same time, I feel the need to make the time for the well-being of Zach.  Maybe she has a time in the morning on Thursdays or Fridays.  Not sure how early she can do it – but that could possibly work.

Once home, Paul went running.  Jan walked to Rite Aid.  I played with the boys for only a bit before they wanted dinner.  Dinner was interesting.  We had quesadilla, carrots (for Zach) celery (for Nate) and string cheese.  Zach ate well except for his carrots.  He was still chewing when he held up his plate to say all done.  I said he had to eat another carrot to get yogurt.  So he just shoved it in his already full mouth.  This caused him to gag and he eventually threw up his dinner onto his plate.  Yuck.  Of course, once I got him settled down from crying and cleaned up, he wanted yogurt.  Nate got one too at that point since he was in the way as I was trying to soothe Zach.

Paul got home and he made us steak and potatoes for dinner.  YUM.  While he cooked, I took the ornaments off our completely dead tree.  Zach and Nate tried to help, but failed miserably.  As I put an ornament in the box, they would take it out and look at it.  They got in the way a lot. I yelled a lot.  Eventually, Jan came up to help by distracting them so I could finish up.  So the tree is down but we haven’t done the rest of the decorations in the house.

After dinner, I read and the boys settled fairly easily.  Nate went to bed around 8:15.  Zach went to bed a little after 9.  Both were still sound asleep in their beds when I left this morning.

Paul is thinking of bringing the kids to work for lunch today.  That would be fun.  Paul is hopeful that we can tour the police department and get the kids a ride in a squad car (with Paul, of course).  That may be arranged depending on who is around in the police dept.

Note from Paul: Christmas photos and post will be up soon.

Daycare reports that the boys were getting into it yesterday.  Lots of pushing of each other as well as other kids.  (Do they not know that Santa is watching?)  I am sure everyone is looking forward to a break there.

Nate was then a TOTAL TERROR once I picked him up.  He screamed and cried getting into his car seat.  He screamed and cried the whole ride home.  He screamed and cried getting out of the car seat. He screamed and cried going into the house.  He continued this behavior as he got a time out, would not take his jacket off, etc. etc. etc.  This lasted about 45 minutes.  I was ready to tear my hair out.  Of course, he calmed down once it was time to go to Dominic’s house for PEPs.  Zach was just quietly playing with his trains and ignoring Nate through all this. (So glad they were not ganging up on me.)

Paul got home and we were off to Christmas PEPs.  It started off normal with playing and pizza.  The kids were being good. Finally, once everyone was done eating, it was PRESENTS TIME.  We wanted to institute the taking turns rule, so I offered the youngest-to-oldest used in our household.  (Which then caused us have to figure out what time Zach and Matthew were born to figure out who was older.  Zach is by about 7 hours.)  I ordered the kids to sit down and they actually listened. One of the other parents called me the baby whisperer.  I said since I was controlling who was getting the presents, they had motivation to listen to me.

Baby Adam went first.  (Nate got him the present).  Heidi had to help him open.  As soon as she started to help him open, all the other kids surrounded him like a pack of wolves. Paper was flying everywhere.  They were ravenous to open a present. It was chaos.  I tried to settle them down for Ella’s turn next.  She is perfectly capable of opening her gift by herself, but the pack of wolves wanted to help.  At one point, she picked up her present and tried to run away but the wolves chased her down.  She did get to open most of it by herself.  We got things a little more controlled for the rest of the kids.  (Nate, then Andrew, then Matthew, then Zach, then Dom, and finally Jacob.)  Nate got a Handy Manny flashlight, which Zach used to go to sleep last night.  Zach got a couple Cars games.  One is like a fishing game where you fish the tired out as they open and close.  The other I have not looked at closely, but it is some sort of sand art thing involving Cars.  I will check it out when I get a moment.

We left PEPs a little after 8 and I put Paul in charge of the kids so I can wrap.  (Paul is going out after work tonight for his holiday party.  This will involve a cab ride home.  Thus, I needed some time last night to wrap.)  I wrapped from about 8:30 to 10:30.  I am still not done with everything.  It is going to take us years to open everything.  Zach was still up around 10 and I put him to bed then. Nate had already fallen asleep in our bed with Paul.  (I have no idea what time, but it should be early given how exhausted he must have been from tantruming forever.)  When I put Nate into his bed around 10:45, Zach woke up.  Thus, I doubt Zach got a super good night’s sleep.  Nate woke up this morning around 6:30, turned on his room light, and came looking for me downstairs.  Zach was not happy the light was on in his room so early.  I got Nate settled watching TV with Paul before I left for work.  (Only two more days of work!!!!!)

I picked up the kids from daycare yesterday.  The report was that the boys were wound up, talking back, and acting sassy.  I guess living with Auntie Jan is finally rubbing off on them.  Got home and let them watch Polar Express while I made dinner.  They had hot dogs, cheese, pasta, bananas, and oranges.  They chowed down and neither wanted yogurt or ice cream after.  (That was a shocker.)  After dinner, Zach and I read a book.  Nate and I did a puzzle.  We played some. Zach continues to love his new bed and pretends to sleep in it.

Jan looked at a house that she loved.  She can’t wait for Mike to see it this weekend.  It is close to us, so that makes me happy. Paul made yummy steak for dinner.  (And as grandma would say, he then ruined it by serving corn on the side. But I liked it.)  I did some more wrapping but still have stuff to wrap.  Grandma – I may need to clarify from you some gifts you sent as to whether they go to Jan or Mike.

Eventually, I went downstairs to enjoy the new TV sensation “The Sing Off.”  Jan was working hard on a transcript but found time to laugh at my nerdiness in liking this show.  Paul played with the kids some upstairs.  Nate was reluctant to go to bed and kept wandering downstairs.  Not sure if Paul tried to get him down or not.  I went up with Nate at 9:15 and put him to bed.  I laid down (lied down?) with him for about 2 minutes and he was good and went to sleep.  Zach went to bed at 10 with a book and a flashlight.  He fell asleep quickly.

Nate woke up coughing about 2:30.  I went to check on him and his body was up on his pillows and his head was down on the mattress.  Thus, he was facing downhill.  I got him situated with his head on his pillow and he was back asleep and good to go for the night. Of course, then I could fall back asleep for awhile.  Thus, I got up a little late this morning in order to spend more quality time with Jan in the bathroom.

Paul states that the boys were really good this morning.  I guess Nate was whiny and unhappy yesterday morning.  I think part of that is him still getting over a cold.  I guess he is better now because they were their happy selves.  They walked with Paul to get coffee in the morning.  Maybe this will cut down on the sass and back talking at daycare?

Finally, Congratulations to Boeing for the first flight of the brand new 787!

Boys were hyper last night.  I think being kept in so much with this cold weather has made them both stir crazy.  They were running from a pretend tiger and doing laps throughout the house.  I think the LOVE the new beds.  Especially Zach.  Anytime it is mentioned that Nate needs to go to bed, Zach calls out “Nate on the bottom, Zach on top!”  When I checked on them this morning before leaving for work, Zach was sound asleep with his little face in the space by the ladder. Nate was sideways next to his pillows.  Paul had to lay down with them last night to get them to go to sleep (and probably to prevent Nate from just wandering out of bed?)  But they were down and good by like 9:15 or so.   We borrowed Polar Express from the Alessi’s and Zach loves that movie.  He has watched it a ton.  He talks about needing his ticket for the train.

Yesterday was an odd day at work.  There were no cops around.  We joked that if you wanted to commit a crime in WA, then yesterday would be the day to do it.  I was able to watch some of the funeral on TV and heard a lot of it on the radio.  I know Jan watched once she got home (and cried, of course, because it is sad and she is a big softie.)

I took Zach to speech therapy yesterday.  Katie pointed out how when he slows down, the words and sounds come out better and easier.  But we he rushes, then he loses it.  Too bad Zach is a fast talker like me, so he needs to slow down.  We put coins and buttons in play-doh and he used pinchers to grab them out.  He is working on the phrase “Grabbing the money.  [or]  Grabbing the button.”  He tends to say gramming instead of grabBING.  So that is part of his homework.  He needs to put it in a phrase because that is when it gets jumbled.  When you just ask him to say the word, he tends to get it right.  The other homework is the phrase, “Mom, where is it (or you) hiding?”  You can hide or we can hide toys.  Need to get him to use the “where” question and also say “hiDING” correctly.

Once home, I read the Thomas book with Zach.  He almost has that one down as well as the Cars book.  He only needs help with one or two words on the Cars book.  There are still about 10-15 in the Thomas book he needs help with.  He is going to love when Santa brings him so many new books.  (I am also glad because I am SICK OF THOSE TWO BOOKS!  I almost pulled a new one out, but waited.)  Nate worked on puzzles.

Both ate dinner well.  We had quesadillas, lima beans (curtesey of Jan’s leftovers), and banana.  Both earned yogurt and Zach also had ice cream.  Paul gave them a bath last night and got them ready for bed.  I went to bed early.  Nate cuddled with me a little but willingly went in his crib around 9:15.  Zach said how he wants a new bed.  I told him that one was being delievered and should arrive soon.  He said that he wanted to go to the store to get one.

Guess that is all I have.  It is freezing here. It was 20 at our house when I left this morning and the car temp read down to 18 during part of my drive.

If I get a chance, I will attempt to put some of this report on the blog.  No one cares what I have to say, though.  All they want are pictures. 

What is this?  Steph’s writes a morning report on most mornings and sends it via email.  I’m going to start including it on the blog (maybe she’ll start posting it herself).  Unfortunately, this mornings is a boring report – so I’ll add to it.

From Steph:

Very odd commute this morning.  There were probably about 17 police cars from all around that passed me in the carpool lane on their way to the funeral for the Lakewood officers.  When I arrived at work, there is a big empty parking lot next to City Hall, it was full of police cars here starting the staging process to go down to Lakewood.

From Paul:

When I walked out of the bathroom after showering and brushing my teeth, Zach was already up and taking off his jammies.  Nate was completely naked in his crib.  No sign of the diaper!  Hopefully he put it in the diaper champ otherwise it could be hiding under the crib.  Both were good at getting dressed and putting on two jackets.

For those who don’t know, the mornings have been in the high teens (ie, 19 degrees) and the daytime high is at or below freezing.  So a bit chilly in these parts.

Don’t blame me…blame Steph.  She’s been writing these excellent daily updates via email – I keep telling her to post them and she won’t.  I don’t know why not.

I don’t think I can update on everything that has gone on.  Quickly, I’ll say that Halloween was fun (pictures to follow) with the PEPS kids, Jan moved up (not so fun…just kidding), and Thanksgiving occurred (lots of fun except Uncle Mike was sick).  Work has been very busy as this is our ‘all hands on deck’ time of year.  As for weather, it’s cold now – which is cool but no snow.

I’ll little tiger and zebra for Halloween.

All of the little monsters.

Ummm, chocolate.

I like chocolate too.

Getting into the Christmas spirit.

Yeah, OK, I’ll wear the hat too.