Monday, August 24, 2009
Bunk Beds
They have been ordered and should be here within a week. Now, painting and crib storage need to be done. Fun time.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tae Kwon Do
We signed Jack up for Tae Kwon Do. The instructor says kids his age usually only last 20 minutes. Jack has stayed for 2 full lessons. He runs around and acts silly, which is pretty much all it is at this point. But, he did sit and meditate and has been listening fairly well.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Precious Gape...
Our boys LOVE grapes - in particular, green grapes. Jack calls them 'aw, gapes!'
Ben eats them by the gross; Jack likes to test the volume capacity of his cheeks & shovels in one grape after another.
Yesterday he was enjoying quite the handful of grapes. As he was down to his last grape and plodding along towards the couch, he jammed his toes very awkwardly against/into/on one of his toy cars left haphazardly on the floor (by him no less a few minutes before consuming said grapes). He let out a high, angry shrill.
I knew right away the kind of pain he was in. It was the equivalent to banging your toes against the foot of the bed, or against a door jam, or against the foot of the couch, the kitchen table, the bookcase...you get the painful picture.
Alex went to pick him up right away and set him on his lap to console our little guy. Jack was hysterical in pain and tears. His entire body turned red in pain and anger at the toy car that had injured his toe. Tears streamed down his face, his mouth open to the fullest extent...and to add insult to injury, the last grape he had just managed to smuggle into his mouth fell out onto the couch.
What made Alex and I explode into the 'silent' parent cackle was the fact that Jack, in the midst of all that pain and suffering and hysteria, quickly ascertained the grape situation, and shoveled it right back into his mouth - still in 'hysterics' over his stubbed toes.
The Jack-O-Meter. If he's still eating through mad, mad tears, that's just how much he loves that food.
Ben eats them by the gross; Jack likes to test the volume capacity of his cheeks & shovels in one grape after another.
Yesterday he was enjoying quite the handful of grapes. As he was down to his last grape and plodding along towards the couch, he jammed his toes very awkwardly against/into/on one of his toy cars left haphazardly on the floor (by him no less a few minutes before consuming said grapes). He let out a high, angry shrill.
I knew right away the kind of pain he was in. It was the equivalent to banging your toes against the foot of the bed, or against a door jam, or against the foot of the couch, the kitchen table, the bookcase...you get the painful picture.
Alex went to pick him up right away and set him on his lap to console our little guy. Jack was hysterical in pain and tears. His entire body turned red in pain and anger at the toy car that had injured his toe. Tears streamed down his face, his mouth open to the fullest extent...and to add insult to injury, the last grape he had just managed to smuggle into his mouth fell out onto the couch.
What made Alex and I explode into the 'silent' parent cackle was the fact that Jack, in the midst of all that pain and suffering and hysteria, quickly ascertained the grape situation, and shoveled it right back into his mouth - still in 'hysterics' over his stubbed toes.
The Jack-O-Meter. If he's still eating through mad, mad tears, that's just how much he loves that food.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Bunkie Bull
On a whim, Alex and I discussed possibly getting a bunk bed for the boys. Now before you gasp and/or scratch your head and go, "Aren't the boys a little too young for a bunk bed?" I'd like to share the following:
1)Their room could use space saving arrangement/tactic. Bunk beds are a perfect way to save space!
2)What kid doesn't want a bunk bed? It can be so much more than a bed! All you have to do is put a sheet over from the top bunk to the lower bunk and you've got a tent!
3)For those safety concerned parents wagging a finger and going, "tsk, tsk, tsk", I've got 2 words - toddler bed rails! Oh wait, that's 3 words. Shoot.
The bunk beds come apart so one day, when they are old enough to realize they'd rather not share a room with their stinky, annoying, meddling older/little brother, each will already have his own twin bed.
Also, if Jack decided he was too scared to sleep in the top bunk, there is also the trundle bed option. It's a large/deep dresser drawer type of module that sits below the lower bed & pulls out as a space for a 3rd mattress/bed - Jack/Ben could certainly use the lower level beds till one of them decides he is ready to sleep in the top bunk. I love the idea of a trundle all around. It's good for sleep overs, or when/if I need to sleep in there with a sick kid, or for my mom to sleep in after a long babysitting night instead of having to drive home late...etc.
We made a quick visit to a kids furniture store this afternoon and Jack was all over the bunk bed idea. There was one that had stairs leading to the top bunk instead of a ladder. The stairs also doubled as storage drawers (this MUST have been made for someone with ME in mind).
The only thing I could not get over when asking for information about the bunk beds was how much the trundle accessory costs! $198! And the sales guy was insisting this was a steal. Stealing infers someone is practically getting something for nothing. In this case, it would be the sales guy getting a whole lot of something for what probably cost him nothing and me getting ripped off!
I cannot see spending what is essentially $200 for one large/deep dresser drawer. I thought about Kramer's large dresser drawer and having the boys claim a drawer for themselves like those Japanese businessmen from that episode of Seinfeld instead.
I really liked that bunk set though. Sigh.
1)Their room could use space saving arrangement/tactic. Bunk beds are a perfect way to save space!
2)What kid doesn't want a bunk bed? It can be so much more than a bed! All you have to do is put a sheet over from the top bunk to the lower bunk and you've got a tent!
3)For those safety concerned parents wagging a finger and going, "tsk, tsk, tsk", I've got 2 words - toddler bed rails! Oh wait, that's 3 words. Shoot.
The bunk beds come apart so one day, when they are old enough to realize they'd rather not share a room with their stinky, annoying, meddling older/little brother, each will already have his own twin bed.
Also, if Jack decided he was too scared to sleep in the top bunk, there is also the trundle bed option. It's a large/deep dresser drawer type of module that sits below the lower bed & pulls out as a space for a 3rd mattress/bed - Jack/Ben could certainly use the lower level beds till one of them decides he is ready to sleep in the top bunk. I love the idea of a trundle all around. It's good for sleep overs, or when/if I need to sleep in there with a sick kid, or for my mom to sleep in after a long babysitting night instead of having to drive home late...etc.
We made a quick visit to a kids furniture store this afternoon and Jack was all over the bunk bed idea. There was one that had stairs leading to the top bunk instead of a ladder. The stairs also doubled as storage drawers (this MUST have been made for someone with ME in mind).
The only thing I could not get over when asking for information about the bunk beds was how much the trundle accessory costs! $198! And the sales guy was insisting this was a steal. Stealing infers someone is practically getting something for nothing. In this case, it would be the sales guy getting a whole lot of something for what probably cost him nothing and me getting ripped off!
I cannot see spending what is essentially $200 for one large/deep dresser drawer. I thought about Kramer's large dresser drawer and having the boys claim a drawer for themselves like those Japanese businessmen from that episode of Seinfeld instead.
I really liked that bunk set though. Sigh.
Florida Imports
Last year the Chicago Maidy's obtained a 'gently' used, but albeit fully functioning 1989 model Gomoh XLS from Florida. Though a certain amount of 'breaking in' or 'getting used to' was required (mostly on my part b/c I am lame do not adjust well or quickly to change), at present day, am more than happy with the results. Also, Gomoh seems to prefer the Chicago seasonal weather as well as enjoy the smaller fellow occupants of the Chicago Maidy residence despite it's 'cozy' habitat.
The Chicago Maidy's, have on occasion, "rented" other models from South Florida such as Grannie, Pop-pop, and Mom-Mom with much satisfaction and was always sad to return these models after the determined rental time.
The other week, I was rattling off a list of places and things we'd like to do before the end of Summer - specifically, things we wanted to do for/with the little Maidys. One of these such items on the list was a trip to the zoo. To this, the older little Maidy chimed in quickly with a "no, Mommy, I go to zoo with Pop-pop."
Jack has a very specific memory tied to his grandfather and a trip to the zoo we took almost 3 months ago while visiting in Florida.
I'm not sure if this was strategic on his part, but we called Pop-pop that very instant to:
a)relay how much Jack would like another trip to the zoo with his grandfather b)display his ability to recall a specific memory from what equates in child years as a life time ago
c)to tug at the heart strings of the Florida Maidys to make the move back to Chicago so that these trips could be made possible any old time instead of a couple of times a year (as from the Three Stooges - nyack, nyack, nyack, nyack)!
On a more sober note, the whole event prompted a bit of melancholy in me.
The whole experience made me wish my dad was around to enjoy the boys too - made me wish my dad were around to join the trips to the zoo, or the casual walks around the block or breaks to the playground. I miss him.
The Chicago Maidy's, have on occasion, "rented" other models from South Florida such as Grannie, Pop-pop, and Mom-Mom with much satisfaction and was always sad to return these models after the determined rental time.
The other week, I was rattling off a list of places and things we'd like to do before the end of Summer - specifically, things we wanted to do for/with the little Maidys. One of these such items on the list was a trip to the zoo. To this, the older little Maidy chimed in quickly with a "no, Mommy, I go to zoo with Pop-pop."
Jack has a very specific memory tied to his grandfather and a trip to the zoo we took almost 3 months ago while visiting in Florida.
I'm not sure if this was strategic on his part, but we called Pop-pop that very instant to:
a)relay how much Jack would like another trip to the zoo with his grandfather b)display his ability to recall a specific memory from what equates in child years as a life time ago
c)to tug at the heart strings of the Florida Maidys to make the move back to Chicago so that these trips could be made possible any old time instead of a couple of times a year (as from the Three Stooges - nyack, nyack, nyack, nyack)!
On a more sober note, the whole event prompted a bit of melancholy in me.
The whole experience made me wish my dad was around to enjoy the boys too - made me wish my dad were around to join the trips to the zoo, or the casual walks around the block or breaks to the playground. I miss him.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
The Selfish Gene - The Vacuum & Sippy Cup Synopsis
I am a moron to the nth degree with a capital 'N'.
I was sitting on the couch with Jack while Alex was vacuuming around the house. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the kids' bedroom door moving as if it was being moved by a cross breeze in the house. The problem was, we had the air conditioning on, therefore no windows open, and no cross breeze to speak of....so then, what the heck was making that door move?
Jack has never liked the vacuum. And today, though he knows what it's for and that the loud noise coming from it is okay, he still jumps onto the couch in half fun, half real fright whenever the vacuum in turned on.
Ben on the other hand, seems to hold a fascination with the machine. He does not run, or is even frightened by it at all. He actually follows it around the house the entire time Alex is using it. It's pretty funny/cute.
So the above about Ben being the case, I knew it couldn't have been Ben moving the door back and forth and his head just outside my line of vision b/c he's still so short, but I had to ask and confirm with Alex anyway.
"Is Ben with you in the kitchen?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh my God!!!" I jump out of my seat and quickly run over to the other side of the living room.
"What?! What? What happened? What's wrong?" Alex freaks out along with me, reacting to my behavior.
"Th..the door! Something is moving that door!" I manage to say.
Then with a look of total disbelief and disgust, Alex says, "you're such an idiot! It's the cord! The vacuum cord is plugged in their room behind the door and moving as I was moving it back and forth all the way in the kitchen!"
A minute later, we laughed. I laughed at myself for being such a poodle. I feel incredibly stupid, idiotic and embarrassed.
But there was a comical yet dark aspect to my behavior.
In my mind, I had actually perceived and believed something or someone else was moving that door back and forth and that I was in imminent danger. While I managed to 'save' myself from getting in harm's way, I had committed the unthinkable, the unmistakable, unforgivable of 'motherhood' crimes.
I saved myself, but left poor little 2 yr. old Jack on the couch to fend for himself against God only knew what was lurking behind that door to their room.
Jack became frightened...not b/c he also saw the door move by itself, but b/c he was reacting to my reaction/behavior. He looked back and forth from his bedroom door to my face, then Alex's face and back to the door again. After about 30 seconds of this and Alex adding, "you're such a dope, look what you've done to him" I rushed back to Jack's side on the couch. Jack began crying. He was clearly scared/frightened by my leaping out of my seat and tone of panic in my voice. He was consoled and we continued watching an Animal Planet special on honey bees (Jack is showing a curiosity about insects now).
"I'm sure that somewhere in your head you knew there was no real danger and that's probably why/how you didn't think to grab him. I'm sure had there been a real danger, it would have been the first thing you did." Alex tried to ease my now broken and shamed sense of self.
Would I? Would I have done the correct thing? Or would I have been selfish again? Would I have acted differently, or obeyed my selfish gene again? Would I succumb to the same selfish gene responsible for making Ben hang onto his sippy cup of milk even as he is tripping and falling to what will undoubtedly be an injury sustaining collapse (most likely to the head or face) b/c he is too greedy and selfish for food/drink to let go and save his giant Charlie Brown head from striking the floor?
Only the next vacuuming will tell. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Hanbok & Toljabee
Per Korean custom, Ben wore his hanbok and chose his items for the toljabee. He chose thread (long life), a pen (wisdom), and left the money (wealth). Jack did the same. Sigh. Poor and smart.
He did not want to wear it very long, either.
He did not want to wear it very long, either.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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