Quote - by Ronnie

Mommy, it's so cold the leaves are shivering on the trees!! -Ronnie 10/12/07

What A Weekend!

Wow! Way to pack a weekend! Our niece got married by the bay close to Atlantic City this weekend. So we made a family trip of the event.

Saturday morning we packed the van with instruments, suitcases, toys, kids and grandparents.
We made our way to PointPleasant to visit the aquarium at Jenkinson's boardwalk.
This was our second time visting the aquarium - it's a great place for kids...small enough to take in without tiring...big enough to have some diversity of species and to make an impression on the kids.
We spent a few minutes with our toes in the ocean and the sand....then we were off again to Galloway Twp - for the wedding rehearsal...Clark and I were scheduled to play some classical tunes for the ceremony.
It was the kids' first time staying in a hotel room - away from their home or G&G's for the night. They did pretty well...

Sunday morning we got up and went to the Cape May Zoo - Our first Zoo outing...that was also really nice! Again not too big, not too small. The big excitement was the Giraffes - the boy giraffe was getting pretty frisky! Then the boys spent some time burning off energy in a park. After Lunch we went back to the hotel so Clark and I could get ready for the wedding....

The Wedding was BEAUTIFUL! The ceremony was on the 2nd green of the golf course among the marsh grasses and overlooking the bay...they had to bus out the bridal party and guests...
The cocktail hour was under an outdoor pavillion and was scrumptious!
For the reception the food was also good - but many of us were pretty full on the appitizers - which were actually better than the main entree...
Over the years as Clark and I have attended the weddings of friends we've come up with the "Perfect" wedding....Yummy appitizers...followed by or interspersed with some dancing...followed by vienese dessert hour.... No sit-down meal...just yummy stuff you don't get very often....
Anyway - it was a very nice wedding and we enjoyed it a lot!

On Monday we packed our bags back into the van and made our way home...to all the tasks that went undone...and to my own wonderful bed...

We learned a lot of lessons to hold onto for the Disney trip coming up in November...
The kids can't go much beyond noon (attention wise or energy wise) unless you want to start seeing some unhappy behavior...
The pause in activity must be accompanied by a nap.
Strollers are GOOD!
When away from home - let the kids eat what they will eat - don't force the issue with "healthier options" - this is especially true if they are TIRED....so Lunch and beyond....Push the healthier options at BREAKFAST or you WILL be sorry.

Daycare Again

Well - I was going to post this last week - or even the week before but time got away from me.

First week at the new daycare center synopsis:
No one "in charge" was there the day to give us our pass codes or introduce us to the center and the routine. Even $$ wise, no one who was there first thing in the morning knew anything about what we needed to do. Found out on the second day that the director works 9-6 every day - so Clark will never meet her.Finally saw the owner at pick-up time on Wednesday.Every day when I ask Ronnie what he did today - he says "nothing".The take-home sheet with lessons indicates that they are learning about the letter "A" and numbers 1-3 this week. No wonder Ronnie thinks he's don nothing.By end-of-week Ronnie has pee'd on himself 3X during nap time. Something that only happens when he's really upset and not talking about it.I've had an uneasy/unhappy feeling all week.

Second week at the new daycare center:
Well, only Ronnie was going during the second week...due to Evan's Pneumonia...Monday - when I picked up Ronnie at 5pm they were watching TV. (I was aware of the TV and not extatic about it, but had been told that it was a 5:30 and beyond activity)Tuesday - Picture day - actually several things happened - Hubby found out when he dropped Ronnie off that Pre-K photos had been taken the day before, when he asked about a re-take since we had been unaware of that the teacher was a bit snippy with him. He also tried to drop off Ronnie's nap pillow that morning and was rudely told that it was NOT ALLOWED.The fact that the center uses only the state minimum employees:child ratio became a problem when several staff called in sick over the course of the week.The director was working in the classrooms daily and no one was "up front" in the office all week.There were several additional incidents as well as continued bed-wetting at naptime....but you get the picture.
By Wednesday last week I was strongly regretting taking the boys out of their old place....so I picked Ronnie up at 4pm and we went visiting - and fishing for information on whether we'd be welcome back there again.

Third week at the new center:
Monday - I called the old center to ask if we could come backTuesday - I met with the new director of the old center to discuss the issues involved etc, and gave notice at the new center.Wednesday - Ronnie's rude teacher was actually nice to Clark this morning and actually took time to talk to him about Ronnie.
Wonders will never cease.

Happy Birthday to EVAN! My little guy is 3!

Months ago, when asked what kind of birthday party he wanted this year, Evan responded DORA! DIEGO!

So, Mommy of course, complied...heck, we've been thru 2 Blue's Clues parties how hard could it be???

HMMM...

So, last Friday I took the day off to get ready for the teaming hoards of young people who would invade on Saturday and wrote the great DORA adventure!

Party highlights:
It was a BEAUTIFUL fall day and the kids played outside a LOT! YAY!

We did go inside to do the big craft event - T-shirt decorating...

Toward the end of the decorating "Swiper the Fox" showed up and stole Backpack, but left "The Map" behind.
Map told us that our BIRTHDAY ADVENTURE would be to go Thru the Bounce House, Rescu Backpack in the Garden, and come To the Canopy to find Evan's Birthday Treasure!

Unfortunately, during the adventure some of the girl party guests had some meltdowns due to fear of Swiper....(Played by Auntie D).

We went back inside when Pizza arrived and had Pizza and Cupcakes...
Then back outside to play...

All-in-All while I wouldn't call it a TOTAL success it was a pretty good day - especially for the BIRTHDAY BOY!

Pneumonia

If it's not one thing - it's another.

I've been home 3 days this week - no - not enjoying the wonderful sunny autum days - nursing a sick boy....

Evan came home sick from the weekend with Gram and Gramp on Sunday. He'd been telling them he didn't feel so good all weekend, and Sunday he started running a fever. He seemed ok overnight Sunday, but I took him to the doc on Monday morning just because he's our sneaky ear-infection boy...and she kept listening to his chest....She sent the nurse in with the nebulizer and did an albuterol treatment in the office. When she re-checked his lungs - they still sounded congested and she sent us for a chest x-ray. Sure enough the little tyke had a touch of pneumonia.

So, Monday was spent in and out of medical establishments. Yesterday and today we've been staying close to home. He's not running a fever any more, but he's still not well either. Poor little guy!

Happy Anniversary!

WOW!
Last Thursday was our 4th anniversary!
We started celebrating at dinner time on Wednesday when Clark got home - each boy got to bring mommy a dozen roses! And daddy brought her sushi (YUMM!).

On Thursday, the actual anniversary day I presented Clark with a yummy fruit basket - did I mention that the traditional gifts for 4 years are fruits and flowers?!?!?
Auntie D babysat for us that evening while we went to dinner on the Lake.

It was a wonderful day!!!!!!!!!
As one of my cards said "To the journey...to the joy...(to the boys...) happy anniversary.

Toxic Synovitis

On August 29 Ronnie woke up and told us he couldn't walk.
After trying to move through the morning in the usual way we ended up at the doctor's office and the lab for blood work.
The doctor asked us - wasn't he sick recently? - to which we answered no.
He said he thought it was Toxic Synovitis, a fairly common virus that causes hip pain, but was sending us for some tests because TS was usually preceeded by a really bad cold virus.
The symptoms in the links below described Ronnie to a T.
And to keep you from worrying unnecessarily - he was walking again by evening and running the next day.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000981.htm
http://www.drgreene.com/21_1212.html
http://www.drhull.com/EncyMaster/S/synovitis_toxic.html
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/special/bone/181.html