Carrot Poop

Actually, this post has NOTHING to do with poop. I just wanted to see who would read it. :) Carrot poop is one of the many nicknames David has for his little bro (the potty talk phase is in full swing), along with Banana Head and Scooby Doo.
Now that he is 1+, I want to document some current Jack facts. My favorite memory of him, as of late, was about a week ago, when Rich, unbeknowest to me, pulled him out his crib early in the AM because of excessive crying. I peacefully awoke later to discover David and Jack silently staring at me, standing side by side next to my side of the bed. It was a "children of the corn" moment until I noticed Jack casually chomping on an entire piece of pizza. What?! I was equally bewildered and amused, to say the least. I mean, the kid doesn't even have teeth and its not like we keep our leftover pizza in an accessible place.
Jack loves life, learning and exploration. He is fearless and full of energy. When he wants something, he finds a way to get it. He is as determined and ambitious as a baby can be, pushing himself over and through obstacles to his destination. On the flip side, not getting what he wants results in red-faced shrieks, shrills and tight fists. He runs, he climbs, he dances, he observes and imitates. He is aggressive in play and soft in his snuggles. His play is divided into intervals of exploring household objects and tracking mom down for a hug or cuddle, usually accompanied by an "ahhh" from Jack, then he is off again to play. He follows his big brother around giggling, then hides between my legs. Steps or uneven paths no longer slow him down, and he doesn't hesitate to throw himself into a body of water, much unlike his older brother. He requires much more supervision and care than David ever did. Yet, we love his enthusiasm and the enjoyment he finds in simple pleasures, like a new food or object. He is always on the prowl for food and finds it in the most obscure places, keeping us on our toes at all times. He jabbers constantly, with hand gestures and pointing. He definitely has something to say, and we can't wait to find out, in due time, what that is.
Jack is skilled with his tiny fingers, carefully turning book pages, unscrewing lids, using utensils and turning on and off tv's, music players and other electronic devices. He is a stacker and organizer and my best helper when it comes to cleaning up the toys. Now here are some known stats (since we are unsure of height/weight etc. being between pediatricians):



1. Favorite item other than pasaphires: Blue blanket given to him by Jaime when he was born. He carries it around the house, takes it with him in the car and requires it for all naps and bedtimes. Washing it is tricky.

2. Favorite food: Bread... just can't get enough of the stuff or anything that accompanies bread, and ice cream. He screams for ice cream. If he spots it, he seriously goes berserk until it is all consumed as quickly as possible... by him. If not, major tantrum ensues. He also insists on doing everything, especially feeding, himself.

3. Favorite activities: Brushing with David's toothbrush... even though he still has NO teeth to brush (how odd is that?). Kicking David's swim ring into the pool then jumping in after it to retrieve it, so he can throw it out of the pool and begin the process again. But don't try confining him in one. It is only for kicking. He also loves dancing. He puts his whole body into it. If the music is not loud enough, he turns it up himself. If he doesn't like the song, he turns it off. He prefers music with a good beat. Michael Jackson is a favorite and no, he is not merely influenced by all the hype.

4. First words: Mama, Daddy, Day (David), woof woof (dog) and "uh Ja" (a Jack). "A Jack" is his new favorite thing to say. He thinks it is hilarious. He also knows some official signs but has several of his own creation. He never seems to have a problem communicating what he wants.

5. First tooth: still working on it. I take that back. I just checked and two teeth have surfaced the bottom gum. Hurrah!


"Jack feeling his new teeth"

David & the Dunking She-Devil

I was so excited! It was more than I had hoped for. I had dragged David to his first swim lesson and countlessly reassured him that it would be FUN and that he would not get water in his eyes. He didn't want water on his body either. "We'll just start with you LOOKING at the water," I finally consented. But when angelic teacher Katie swam towards him donning a warm smile and cool red sunglasses, David reached right into her arms and allowed himself to be pulled into the water. I almost burst from shock and joy. For those that know our cautious little guy well, he is afraid of nearly everything but especially WATER. He still screams every time we wash his hair. This has happened since birth. We've tried every trick in the book a.k.a. world wide web but the panic prevails. Like I've said before, water in the eyes means certain death to David. So we sought the help of a professional, giving her sufficient background to prepare her strategy. She was amazing. At first he clung to her and spewed every reason he could think of as to why he shouldn't swim, such as, "I'm a Transformer and too heavy to swim. I turn into a road vehicle." But she worked her magic, referring often to his Transformer status, and within minutes had Davey kicking his legs and blowing bubbles in the water. She even got him to lay on her shoulder on his back, a definite first. He had an enormous smile on his face the entire time, especially when she pulled out the superhero water toys to play with as a reward. The next lesson went just as smoothly with small progressions. Katie knew just how to build him up and coax him into performing. There were no tantrums, no screaming. There was no going under the water either, which was fine with me. At least he was in the water and happy. He couldn't wait until his next lesson.
On Day Three, everything changed. Apparently, Katie was only the sub while the real teacher was on vacation. Who switches teachers on a fearful new student after the first week? Really?! The new teacher didn't share Katie's enthusiasm for teaching, nor Katie's expertise with fearful new swimmers. In an annoyed tone, she told David to get in the pool. When he didn't, she sighed and grabbed him, never greeting him or even using his name. When he asked if she knew about Transformers, she said, "No." She made no effort to connect with him. I mean, REALLY?! He was terrified. After a minute of leg kickers and carrying him across the pool, she said, "Time to go underwater." He said, "I don't want to." So she DUNKED him! Then she did it again! He was screaming and crying and clawing at his eyes. REALLY?!!! All my hopes of David learning to enjoy the water were dashed. He was traumatized. For the remainder of the lesson, he cried and screamed at her every suggestion, throwing tantrums of epic proportion that could only be the product of absolute terror and the survival instinct. She became stern. There were no games and no superhero toys. At the end of the lesson, she lifted his arms and plopped them on the side on the scorchingly hot ground next to the pool. He yelped. I dashed to his rescue, hoisting him out of the pool and into my arms. We then had an interesting conversation, where the teacher claimed she didn't know David was scared and thought he just didn't want to do what she asked. REALLY?!!!!! I gave her another chance. David didn't want to go saying, "But teacher doesn't listen to me." Ouch. I convinced him that she would this time. She didn't. The lesson was worse as each suggestion was met with screams of protest, then she would do it anyway. That afternoon, the swim school got a phone call from a disgruntled mom, who had previously made it quite clear that the intentions were for David to become COMFORTABLE in the water and enjoy himself, not to be traumatized beyond repair. At this rate, I knew he would never go near a pool again. I could have done that for free. Actually, I didn't have to say any of those things. The head swim lady had been in the pool teaching during David's lesson and had witnessed "it." She immediately suggested that we switch our lessons to a different day and time, so that Katie could continue to teach David. I enthusiastically agreed. So here we are. To our detriment, David is still terrified to go but relieved every time he sees teacher Katie. She is disappointed to see the renewed fear in him and has patiently resorted to sticking with the basics of the first lesson, as David refuses to try anything new. Hopefully, time and encouragement will undo the damage of the Dunking She-Devil.

Birthday Bot

My Rock-Bot (the Transformer name I came up with for him because we ran out of real names; every day he asks me what Transformer he should be called for the day and the names are never to be reused again... thanks to Internet searches, we have used them all) turned 4 years old on Tuesday! I asked him what he wanted to do and gave several suggestions. He said, "Go to the gym." He really loves that place, even more than me. So we went to the gym. Then we played games, toys and did puzzles all day and had a Transformer party that night. I was planning on making him a cake, but eons ago, when he saw the cakes at the grocery story and wanted one, I dissuaded him by saying they were for birthdays. Unfortunately, he remembered that. When I told him his birthday was coming, he quickly replied, brimming with excitement, "So I get to go the grocery store and buy a cake!!" What could I do? Luckily, Safeway had a Transformer one, as well as Optimus Prime plates and cups, so we were set! Even though his buddies Lydia and Silas were out of town, as well as his grandparents, we had 20 friends and family show up for our last minute shindig. All the time Rich and I spent blowing up a roomful of balloons was not in vain. The balloons, combined with the bubble machine our next door neighbor Lori brought produced the perfect Transformer battle arena. Kids, toddlers, teenagers and adults alike joined in the melee. It was a sight to behold. Thanks to Grandma K and Jared & Ally, Rock-Bot had the perfect Bumblebee gear. Thanks for everyone who made his birthday special and for humoring us in our crazy birthday party activities. It was a blast!

Baby to Boy

I can't believe that what started as the "peanut" in my tummy is now a full grown boy, with an endless stream of questions that keep me on my toes and a creative imagination that keeps me entertained. Thanks David Rocky for all the good times we've had these last four years. There has never been a dull moment. You are definitely your dad's boy! I love you.

Continuation...

Let me finish yesterday's "noun" account:

Toys. Playtime. Music. Dance. Boys. Giggle. Chase. Giggle. Dinner. Pot. Stove. Water. Burn. Leg. Can. Lid. Hand. Bruise. Failure. Pain. Blood Vessel. Pop. Truck. Rich. Home. Can. Lid. Success. Dinner. David. Jodi. Toy Store. Money. Birthday. Toys. Indecision. Transformer. Bat-mobile. Glee. Home. Rich. Bowl. Jodi. Dance Show. Kids. Bed. Darkness.

Fun and Challenging!

Today

Molly and Emily have done this on their blogs, and I think it's cool. You describe your day using only nouns. Here goes:

Jack. Cry. 5:00. Jack. Sleep. Jodi. Morning. Insomnia. Textbook. Online class. Park. Run. Sunrise. Breeze. Peace. Tranquility. Breakfast. Zoo. Yogurt. Fruit. Kids. Leftover pizza. Jodi. Messes. Cleaning. Game. David. Winner. Preschool lesson. Jack. Markers. Face. Laugh. Mess. Bath time. David. Cry. Jack. Splash. Jack. Finish. Towel. David. Shampoo. Cry. Jack. Poop. Bathroom floor. Scoop. Potty. David. Towel. Jack. Shoe. Throw. Tub. Markers. Tub. Jack. Nap. David. Cartoons. Jodi. Textbook. Online quiz. Cleaning. Jodi. Tornado. Gym Bag. Diaper bag. Snacks. Race. Clock. Swim lesson. New Teacher. Satan. Dunk. David. David. Scream. Cry. Teacher. Fear. Hate. Loathing. Lesson. Disaster. David. Trauma. Jodi. Hug. David. Gym. Kid Center. Exercise. Relaxation. Home. Boys. Naps. Jodi. Phone call. Swim school. Discussion. Teacher. Satan. Dismissal. New lessons. Old Teacher. Resolution.

That's it so far. The day is half-over, but I think this will suffice. More on swim lessons later. It's quite a story. David's birthday was yesterday, so more on that later too.

A Good Lie

As you can see from the pic at the top of the blog, Jack's nose is cut and bruised. He looks like he lost a boxing match... lost it bad. Considering his big bro is Rocky, I have my suspicions. The day it happened, I was doing major housecleaning with the world's loudest vacuum, commonly referred to as "the cyclone." It emits a shrieking roar at such a volume to strike fear in the hearts of even the bravest of children. Jack and Rocky were playing in their room (cowering in fear more likely). When they reappeared, Jack's nose was cut, puffy and deeply bruised, but he seemed unaware of it as he was not crying. I was perplexed. So I asked Rocky what happened. He explained in great detail how Jack had lunged at Rocky's miniature wooden chair thrusting his head into the edge. I might have believed it except that the story incorporated an invasion of Decepticon robots, whose mission was thwarted by the butting of Jack's hard cranium.
When the story had ended, I asked, "Is that what really happened?"
"No," he said. "I made it up."
"Ok," I responded calmly. "Will you tell me what really happened? I want to know what happened to Jack's face."
"Sure," he said. Then he began to tell an even more elaborate tale involving a daring swoop of Jack from the sky as he was engaged in a rescue mission of some kind. Rocky included in his story every object he saw in the room, like Kevin Spacey's character in the movie "Usual Suspects."
When he finished, I asked, "Is that what really happened?"
"No," he said. "I made that up too."
"So you told a lie?" I asked.
"Yeah, but it was a good lie. It was a really good story."
Hmm....
So what really happened to Jack... we will never know.

Back in Business

Our desperate flight to Utah in search of a cure for David resulted in the birth of a new boy, figuratively speaking that is. We returned home just as hastily to take care of another sick boy, Rich. He doesn't do well without us. I guess we're just that great. Making the 12 hour drive alone was tough, to say the least, but empowering to have survived... there were moments that I doubted we would. After the McDonald's stop where I had to rescue a panicked David by quickly squeezing my way up the tunnels to the top of the playcenter while Jack screamed unattended below, I determined not to stop again, so we barreled through the next 6 hours. The pivotal moment came on a busy, winding mountain road, when I was sandwiched between a wall and a line of semi's. Jack began to scream, so I threw David's half-eaten sandwich at him, which seemed to appease him for the time being and set the system I employed for the remainder of the trip. If the kids complained, I threw food at them. Either they were really hungry or just enjoyed the spontaneity of it all, but it seemed to do the trick, about every couple minutes or so. Of course, cleaning the SUV the next day was not pleasant. Just ask Rich. It was a good thing I drove home when I did though, because a tire blew out the very next day. Apparently all four tires were the originals from 1997! How is that even possible? Big O-mazing!



So it's been a while since I have updated this blog. I could blame it on busy boys, endless housework, or the fact that Rich's Xbox is temporarily out of order and the time I had to myself is no longer existent. I'm not complaining. The truth is that the boys and I have been having far too much summer fun to spend any time at the computer. Since David regained his health and Jack can do, well, just about anything now, we have been on the go. The last few weeks have been jam-packed with trips to parks, trips to the gym, preschool lessons, camping trips in the living room, costume creating, trike and wagon rides, swim lessons (more on that when I have pictures) and my attempts at keeping the house clean and the boys fed. There have also been bowling league nights (to our fellow leaguers amusement or dismay), daytime dance parties (kid collisions to music mostly), backyard weeding, episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, and online course studies. Needless to say, it's been busy and wonderful. All is well when all are healthy.