It's Fun to Play at the...

... Y. M. C. A!! (that was for you, Jason!)

Andrew had Speech at 11 and his hearing evaluation at 2. With speech done at noon, that left us some time to grab lunch before heading back to the hospital. Surprisingly, the boys finished lunch quickly (Noah is usually a very slow eater), which meant we had some extra time to kill. So... I surprised the boys with a quick trip to the Y.

20 minutes to run wild on the giant climber was perfect! They ran off some extra energy and had a blast. Last time we were there, Noah was hesitant and wouldn't go up the climber without me.

Today, he took off right behind Andrew and before I knew it, he was peering down at me from near the top! Both boys had a blast and I had fun watching them. And I was very impressed that when I said they could have one more time down the slide and then we'd have to go, and Andrew took his turn and came right out to get his shoes.

Noah, on the other hand, climbed as high up as he could get and refused to move!! I sent Andrew in to get him and was grateful that worked because I was not looking forward to climbing up there!

(and since you're wondering, Andrew passed his hearing test with flying colors, as we expected he would)

Andrew Dancing

"I got some good moves!"

Scooter

The worst thing about getting a new scooter for Christmas is not being able to ride it until spring because of the snow and ice!

Warmer weather has been teasing us the last few days, which means we've been outside more. And it means Andrew has been thrilled to be on his new scooter! He asks to ride it all the time. Tonight, we walked to the corner to meet Eric, and Andrew rode the scooter. He's still got some coordination to learn on it, but he gets a little better every day. I'm sure it won't be long before he's trying jumps and tricks.

Happy Birthday, Dazie!

Eric had to work today for their annual cleaning day. One Saturday a year and unfortunately, it meant missing the birthday party for my niece, Dazie. So, the boys & I headed north, with a stop at mom's so she, Mimi, Kayla & Memphis could ride with us.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, and I was finally satisfied with the installs on the carseats for the three boys and had them in positions that allowed seating for the grownups, too. Though, any future carseat purchases may look at one of the narrower options on the market. Getting three of the widest ones in there, with room to spare, was no easy chore!

Everyone had a good time at the party and hanging out. The kids played great together and had a fun time. And we got to say goodbye to Uncle Bo, who leaves in a week for training in the Army before finding out where he'll be stationed-- though Georgia is the likely option.

After getting everyone back to their homes, we finally got home a bit after nine. Both boys fell asleep in the car. I managed to get Andrew out of his jeans and into his pajama bottoms, but when I asked if he wanted to sleep in his shirt or put on his jammies, he replied, "I just want to sleep."

Safe to say, we were all worn out from the fun.

Light Entertainment

How do you keep a toddler entertained for quite a while, and at the same time provide a good laugh for the adults?

Put a flashlight in the toddler's hands!

Noah found the flashlight while at mom's and was immediately thrilled. He shined the light at various things around the room, smiling and laughing and pointing at it. However, the best part was when he cradled the light in his arms. He'd spot the beam on the ceiling, but of course, as he would turn to point at it, the beam would move. He looked like a dog chasing its tail. We all enjoyed a laugh every time he did it.

But, I think we better pack extra batteries for the flashlights when we go camping.

My Clown

Noah really is quite the character. Strong-willed, independent, fearless, loving, silly and so much more. One minute he's snuggling, head on my shoulder. The next minute he's tackling Andrew and laughing the entire time. He still doesn't have many words, but he most certainly knows what he wants and won't stop until he gets it.

He loves to laugh and to do things to make those around him laugh right along with him. He is well aware of when he is doing something silly-- spinning in circles til he falls or putting toys in his mouth and making funny noises with them. Tonight, he entertained by trying to fit the glasses for Mr. Potato Head on his face. Way too small, of course, but he thought he was funny and so did we.

I can always count on Noah to make me smile!

Dancin'

The tv screen wouldn't photograph so you could see what was on. Our classic favorite, "Joseph and the Amazing, Technicolor Dreamcoat"! Andrew still enjoys watching it and now has his little brother hooked on it too. At this point, it was Pharaoh's song about his dreams. Noah loves it and gets up to dance every time it comes on. Tonight, Andrew decided to get up and dance along with him.

With any luck, next time I'll be able to get the dancing action on video!

The Polar Express

Christmas may be over, but The Polar Express is still a favorite movie to watch. Just the sight of the opening credits brings squeals and clapping from Noah. I wasn't quite fast enough with he camera to catch him clapping, but trust that he was.

We spent many an evening in December, cuddled up in bed after dinner, watching this or that Christmas special or movie (thank you ABCFamily and their 25 Days of Christmas). We all enjoyed it... Andrew got to where he would ask at dinner what show was on that night.... and the boys were usually asleep long before the movie would end.

Now, Andrew still sometimes requests movie time after dinner. Some nights we play Wii. Some nights we get on jammies and crawl in bed for a movie. Some nights we play and then have bedtime. Whatever our after dinner time brings, the four of us enjoy it together...... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tea Party Picnic

Andrew fixed us a tea party today, and it quickly turned into quite the picnic. Always so much fun seeing what he comes up with!

He was pretending to eat the fish, and I suggested I could fix him some real fish for lunch. (fish sticks) he eagerly accepted my offer, so I put some in the oven, the whole time doubting he would eat them. His eating is slowly getting back to normal, after his sensory issues took over with being sick, and he even asked for seconds of my fried chicken Saturday night, but he's still far from 100%.

He proved me WRONG! He gobbled up all his fish sticks, even before eating his French fries!! I don't think he's eaten fish sticks since his food aversions really took hold and certainly not since his therapy sessions started last spring. I was SO proud and shocked... And I guarantee fish sticks will be on the menu again very soon, so we can encourage this new variety in Andrew's diet.

Joyful Noise

The preschool choir at church, Joyful Noise, made their fall debut today... with Andrew loud & proud in the front row!

This time, the video camera was charged properly and ready to go. AND... after having the thing for 4 years, I finally took the time to figure out how to get a video clip from the camera onto the computer. It took me all afternoon, was a total pain to do, and has me thinking we should invest in a newer, more user-friendly model. But... here is the choir (as long as I do this part right) for all to enjoy:

And, since I didn't want to risk messing up the choir video before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed an old disk to try first. I discovered this little clip of Andrew... singing & conducting at 19 months old. He's always been my little "Music Man!"

Jesus said what??

Andrew singing earlier today:

"Zaccheus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the Savior passed that way He looked up in the tree, and He said...



...NO MORE MONKIES JUMPING ON THE BED!"

Dolphin

Yes, I realize I am pathetically behind on the blog. If anyone wants to come entertain the boys for a day, run my errands, and shuttle Andrew to multiple therapies... maybe then I could get caught up. :)

So... we'll go from here forward, and hope that, in time, I can get to the back stuff.

We visited the zoo today for their annual ZooBoo event. Andrew was VERY excited to get to wear his costume and go trick-or-treating at the zoo! And Noah, as is typical, figured if Andrew thought it was cool, than it really must be. Although, since we were up early for church this morning, Noah fell asleep on the way to the zoo and continued sleeping in the Ergo for the first 30 minutes or so that we were there.

The entire afternoon was quite fun for all of us, though I think the highlight for everyone came when we were in the underwater viewing dome, checking out the dolphins. I was watching Noah laugh at a dolphin, then turned to see this:

Eric had the camera in his pocket, and I didn't want to spook the dolphin by running up to grab it, so I pulled out my phone and snapped pictures with it. Not the best pictures, since it is a little dark in the dome, but I'm not sure the regular camera would have done any better since the flash would have been off.

The dolphin stayed around for several minutes, nodding, turning & twisting, and basically putting on it's own little show. When it took off, a second dolphin came over and continued the show with more of the same antics. Absolutely amazing to see!! And makes you realize how fun the zoo can be when it is less crowded. It was near closing time when we were in the dome, and there was only one other family in there with us (that would be who the little fairy in the photos belonged to) ... so it was a much quieter place than it is on a Saturday afternoon!

The boys in their costumes, Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat:

And a trip to the zoo wouldn't be complete without a ride on the carousel!

Vacation, Day 16

16 days, 1748 miles, 760+ pictures and we are finally back home!!!

Last night was LONG.  Went to bed late after being at Mel's, getting boys to bed, then finishing getting our bed & stuff set.  Noah was up just over an hour after I'd gone to sleep.  Even in bed with us, he tossed and turned and was very restless. 

The wind picked up early this morning and we could hear distant storms, which kept us up, wondering if they'd come our way?  would we get much rain? would they be severe and require us to wake the boys and seek shelter? would we have to pack up wet?

An hour or so after that, we heard a raccoon getting into our neighbor's stuff.  Or at least, attempting to.  He got shoo'd off and spent the next 10 minutes in a tree just outside our tent, very loudly voicing his displeasure and not getting the treat he was hoping for.

Another hour ro so and the rain started.  Some thunder rumblings, but not many and nothing that sounded severe or made us feel we weren't safe where we were.  I finally got into a good sleep around 7:30 our time, after the rain started.  I woke around 9 since Noah was stirring and was surprised to find both boys still sleeping and unfortunately, to find the rain was still falling.

Needless to say.... after such a rough night, packing up a wet tent, knowing it would be followed by several hours in the car, was not pleasant.  The rain had stopped by the time we were packing, but the tent & ground were soaked.

The rain meant no trail hiking or playground time this morning, so we headed to get breakfast at McD's as soon as we were packed.  Noah ate an entire order of hotcakes (3), the rest of us enjoyed our meals and then we hit the road.  Noah slept for much of the trip.  Andrew talked, sang, and did everything he could to keep from sleeping.

Construction traffic in southern Wisconsin.  Normal traffic backups in Chicago.  Noah decided to wake and start screaming that he wanted out of his carseat, while we were on the skyway with no good place to stop.  As soon as we got to Merrillville, we were all ready for a break.  It was late and we had dinner plans, so we got a light lunch then were back on our way.

We got to see the giant wind farm by daylight.  On the way up, it was still very dark and all you could see were these bright, red lights flashing in the sky, which was a very eerie sight.  All the behemoth windmills by daylight were a bit eerie looking, too, but it was still really neat to see.  There are tons of windmills on both sides of the highway and we clocked that it stretches for about 10 miles.  When you're driving through them, it just seems like they're never going to end!

We finally made it to town around 6:45.  Mom had invited us to their place for dinner so we wouldn't have to go to the store and cook after 7+ hours in the car.  A VERY welcomed invitation and it was nice to be able to relax after the long trip.

Finally got to our house around 9:30PM.  We unloaded a few neccesities and decided to leave the rest for morning.  Put the boys in theri jammies.  Andrew asked to snuggle in our bed for a while, so we let him and he fell asleep there.  He did so great going to sleep on his own in Copper Harbor, but insisted on us being right there with him tonight.  It didn't take either of the boys long to fall asleep and they're both snoozing away in their own beds now.  I know I'm looking forward to a peaceful night in my own bed and I think we're all happy to be home!

Wind farm.

In the car.  Andrew was being silly about having his picture taken.

Back asleep in their own beds.  The way things started 16 days ago.

Vacation, Day 15

Up early and had breakfast at Grandma's.  The boys stayed to play while Eric & I packed.  It took a while to get it all done and loaded, but we managed, then we all went to shower-- Andrew with Eric and Noah with me.  We were in the van and leaving the campground just after 11AM.

The Copperman Triathalon was going on, so instead of the lake drive we usually take out, they were sending all the cars up Brockway Mountain so they would avoid the cyclists on the road.  An unexpected delay, but it was nice to see it one last time (though Eric says the cyclists should be sent up the mountain on their ride out, then the lake drive on the way back, so they're only taking up one side of the road instead of both).  There was a big boat out on the lake, so Eric got Andrew out and took him to look at it.  We made it down the other side of the mountain, stopped at the Jampot for cookies for the road, then we were really on our way.

Noah fell asleep on the down side of Brockway.  Andrew was asleep a little before Calumet.  Both of them slep until the "dead road" just before Crystal Falls and the only reason Andrew woke up is because Noah was screaming so loudly.  We were all ready for a stretch and lunch, and had planned to stop sooner, but since the boys were sleeping we kept driving.  Once the woke, there was no good place to stop.  We made a potty stop for Andrew, but didn't get lunch until the McD's in Iron Mountain.  There were much happier moods for all after full bellies and a good stretch.

We stopped in Lena for a potty break and to buy some cheese to take home.  We almost made it to Sheboygan, but a few miles out had to stop on the side of the road for Andrew.  Not as easy to do on the interstate as it was on the 2 lane roads in the U.P.

We're staying at Kohler-Andrae State Park in Wisconsin tonight.  With kids, the trip home is better if we do it in 2 days, rather than one long one.  I have a friend I met online a few years ago who lives just a few minutes from here, so we aranged to spend the night here and meet up with her & her family.  They met us at our campsite and let the kids play while we put up the tent.  I think it was the fastest we've ever set the thing up.  Then we went to dinner with Mel & her family.

We had dinner at a restaurant on the boardwalk.  After we ate, we went for a walk on it for a bit, but it was getting dark so we went back to Mel's to visit.  We've been in an online group together for a couple of years, have bought/sold/traded diapers back & forth between our kids and it was so great to finally meet in person!  Her oldest, Miles, is just 2 months older than Andrew so they instantly hit it off and had a great time playing.

We got back to camp a little after 10pm local (11 home).  Noah was exhausted and screaming like mad so I quickly got him changed and nursed him to sleep.  Andrew was asleep about 30 seconds after hitting the pillow, so once both boys were down, Eric & I finished getting our bed made and getting ready for bed.  The campground is huge, so we're hoping to check it out in the morning and spend some time playing before we have to put the boys back in the car for the drive home.

Andrew often insisted that Eric wear the "Captain's hat" while driving.

On the side of I-43... just north of Sheboygan.

My view of Noah.

On the boardwalk.  Unfortunately, after taking this first picture of it, the batteries in the camera died and the replacements were packed somewhere in the van, so I didn't get any others.

Vacation, Day 14

Our last day in Copper Harbor. Since we'll be in the car so much the next 2 days, we agreed it would be best to not make the boys be in the car today for anything more than a drive to town.

We walked through the fort to the playground, figuring the boys could play for a while. There were a lot of older kids being crazy there though, so we didn't stay long. We stopped at the Ft store on our way back to camp and picked out a patch for Andrew's jacket. Going back through the fort, Andrew asked to go in several of the buildins to look around, so we spent time doing that.

We had lunch then went to town. Got patches for both boys and a lollipop for Andrew. Stopeed to say bye to Leslie. Andrew picked out a small mug and tiny bowl. He says they're for hot chocolate and the ketchup for his chicken nuggets, respectively. He was thrilled to get them and upset he couldn't use them at dinner tonight.

I was talking to Leslie about different pieces we have from Dennis, how the different glazes hold up to various foods, etc. Learned that one glaze we have doesn't take well to lemon juice-- it takes the sheen off. I mentioned I had one mug that popped when I poured some hot water in it. She knew immediately what color it was and said they'd had a bad batch of glaze in that color a few years ago and to pick out a new mug to replace it. I guess others had the same problem with the stuff popping (cracking), too, and they were happy to replace any items if you told them about it. And I was happy to have a new mug.

We said goodbye and headed back to camp to start packing things up. I got clothes all packed while Noah napped. Then we packed up the kitchen stuff and took down the dining fly.

Our last night for ice cream, so we got some of the dairy-free sorbet for Noah to try. His first ice cream cone and he pushed it away and refused to try it. This from the boy who'll eat most anything! We offered him some on a spoon and it was still no. but, when he got to hold the spoon, he finally, willingly took a bite. He didn't like the cold and made a face about it. Only tried 1-2 more bites, but had fun playing with the spoon and cone.

Took a walk when we got back. The boys rode their bikes. Andrew was upset it was too dark to do a second lap. Then we sat around the campfire to wait for the stars, figuring if Andrew was up late tonight, hopefully he'll sleep in the car tomorrow. We didn't make it to full darkness. Noah fell asleep on my lap and Andrew was aking to go to bed because he was so tired, so we took a walk to the bathrooms, then put him to bed.

Last breakfast at our site.  We'll be eating at Grandma's tomorrow.

Andrew, 2007

Andrew, 2010.  He's screaming because he didn't want to stand by the big canon... still scared of them from Battery D.  We explained these aren't the same canons and don't work, but that didn't matter to him.

Noah, 2010.

We managed a little playground fun before the big kids got too crazy and scared us off.

Walking the "balance beams."

Some of the role players at the Fort.

Working in the bakery.

A final stop to play the drums.

More role players.

Andrew in jail.

Noah quickly learned that food was kept in the back of the van.  Anytime we'd walk near it, he'd run to the back signing cracker and wait for us to get him a snack.

Chocolate pudding.  He insisted on eating it with his shirt off, since that's how he eats it at therapy, even though it was a chilly day.

On the big chair.

Nothing beats a lollipop while riding on Daddy's shoulders!

Last dinner by the campfire.

Playing checkers with Uncle Jared at the ice cream store.

Of course, Noah wanted to play too.

Noah's first ice cream cone.  Every other night when we've gotten ice cream, he's gotten one of his Mum-mums as a special treat.  I think he was against the ice cream at first because he wanted his usual snack.