September 2007
Gone To The Beach
This month was the boys' first trip to the beach. Each found different things to interest them. For Andrew, it was chasing birds on the beach, on the street, on the boardwalk, on the driveway
...pretty much anywhere a bird can be, and there are lots of places at the shore. He would taunt them with GoldFish, then hide the bag. One day he filled a water bottle with sand (oh my what expensive beach toys we have) and then walked along the beach shaking it out attracting about 40 sea gulls. The Gulls have good memories, because later that night on the boardwalk they pooped on his Ocean City shirt the first time he wore it. Good thing he did not have a funnel cake, or they would have snatched that too.
James chose to spend most of his time on the beach eating sand, atte
mpting to eat broken shells and miscellaneous washed up sea life, and crawling several beach blocks down the wet sand on the beach. Once he made it 2 or 3 blocks, he would just sit and wait to be carried back. This made for quiet a tiring day for the little fella, but he still had enough energy left to hold up the kitchen table at night.
...pretty much anywhere a bird can be, and there are lots of places at the shore. He would taunt them with GoldFish, then hide the bag. One day he filled a water bottle with sand (oh my what expensive beach toys we have) and then walked along the beach shaking it out attracting about 40 sea gulls. The Gulls have good memories, because later that night on the boardwalk they pooped on his Ocean City shirt the first time he wore it. Good thing he did not have a funnel cake, or they would have snatched that too.James chose to spend most of his time on the beach eating sand, atte
mpting to eat broken shells and miscellaneous washed up sea life, and crawling several beach blocks down the wet sand on the beach. Once he made it 2 or 3 blocks, he would just sit and wait to be carried back. This made for quiet a tiring day for the little fella, but he still had enough energy left to hold up the kitchen table at night.Noxious Fumes
After the beach one morning we went back to the hou
se for lunch: hot dogs and baked beans. After a full plate of beans, Andrew rises from the table, walks around the table and pauses by the window to look out at the bay. Next thing I hear is high pitched chirping that would make make your ears bleed. You got it! My boy set off the carbon monoxide sensor with his hind quarters. I didn't think it could happen, but Andrew is walking proof. It's bark was worse than it's bite, but Bush Baked Beans are off the menu for a while.
se for lunch: hot dogs and baked beans. After a full plate of beans, Andrew rises from the table, walks around the table and pauses by the window to look out at the bay. Next thing I hear is high pitched chirping that would make make your ears bleed. You got it! My boy set off the carbon monoxide sensor with his hind quarters. I didn't think it could happen, but Andrew is walking proof. It's bark was worse than it's bite, but Bush Baked Beans are off the menu for a while. Aside from Baked Beans Andrew did find enough to eat.
One night we went out and he got Grilled Cheese, which he enjoyed so much he had to eat it double fisted. Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Cheese, and not that orange junk, it was made the way the Good Lord intended Grilled Cheese-- with white American cheese.The Cow Strikes Back
For the past couple months we have been trying to figure out what makes
Andrew's tummy into a (chocolate) milk shake factory. After several controlled experiments, we determined it was milk. He's ok with ice cream, yogurt, cheese and pretty much any dairy product except for normal liquid moo milk. Perhaps Andrew should have thought twice before punching out that stuffed animal cow. I checked with the doctor and she said "oh yes, his bowel flora has been altered". It makes it sound like a bouquet of roses you would send to someone who just had a colonoscopy, but it smells like anything but roses. Hopefully in a couple months he'll be off the Moo Cow Disabled List. James does not care for the 'milk' aroma, so he ends up holding his breath.
Andrew's tummy into a (chocolate) milk shake factory. After several controlled experiments, we determined it was milk. He's ok with ice cream, yogurt, cheese and pretty much any dairy product except for normal liquid moo milk. Perhaps Andrew should have thought twice before punching out that stuffed animal cow. I checked with the doctor and she said "oh yes, his bowel flora has been altered". It makes it sound like a bouquet of roses you would send to someone who just had a colonoscopy, but it smells like anything but roses. Hopefully in a couple months he'll be off the Moo Cow Disabled List. James does not care for the 'milk' aroma, so he ends up holding his breath.Rough & tumble Kazakh
A sleeping Daddy on the beach is no match for an energetic 2-year old Kazakh. Rob had visions of sleeping on the beach on vacation, but those visions quick
ly disparated in seconds. 
Andrew and Rob spent quite a while playing "see what happens when you wake up Daddy on the beach".
ly disparated in seconds. 
Andrew and Rob spent quite a while playing "see what happens when you wake up Daddy on the beach".Andrew tried making some friends on the beach, mostly by casing out the toys of the other kids and pouncing on the toys when they went to the water. Andrew was also making friends.....He walked up to an overly amorous young couple sharing a single towel on the beach (they were 'stacked' on each other) and stared at them until the young woman looked up and said "Hello" after what seemed an eternity. I am sure we have many embarrassing moments ahead of us.
On our pre-kid vacations we would make it to the beach around 10ish,
but when you have kids who wake up at 6am, you are on the beach by 8:30......before the lifeguards get there. Andrew spent a while climbing the lifeguard stand. He tried to get all the way to the top, but I pulled him down before he made it that far. Top 10 Ways Vacation Are Different Now
10. Sleeping in on vacation means 6 o'clock
9. Afternoon naps no longer make you feel guilty
8. Packing the car to the gills and still forgetting things
7. 2 hours of "Greatest Hits Of Bear In The Big Blue House CD"
6. Thankful they are too young to ask "Are we there yet?"
5. Ocean waves are noisy and children without volume dials are the norm
4. Good Excuse to dig in the sand for hours
3. Someone else is more afraid of the sea weed than me
2. Did someone say they wanted ice cream?
1. Watching their amazed faces the first time they see and hear the ocean
One night after getting a couple of tuckered out kids fed, bathed and into bed, Rob went 
out onto the dock to fish (which Andrew called his Fishy Pole). I think he might have caught one fish during a couple fishing attempts, but at least we did one one really nice sunset to watch. My friend from high school, Cheryl, owns the house and she said there were amazing sunsets, but I didn't realize it would look like this.
out onto the dock to fish (which Andrew called his Fishy Pole). I think he might have caught one fish during a couple fishing attempts, but at least we did one one really nice sunset to watch. My friend from high school, Cheryl, owns the house and she said there were amazing sunsets, but I didn't realize it would look like this.Back From The Beach
After a week of vacation, Andrew had a rough time 
getti
ng back into the swing of things. If you think you ever had a bad hair day, check out this 'doo. And once we got the hair straightened out and Andrew dressed, he proudly came over with his shoes on, which he did all by himself. Do you see something a bit askew?
getti
ng back into the swing of things. If you think you ever had a bad hair day, check out this 'doo. And once we got the hair straightened out and Andrew dressed, he proudly came over with his shoes on, which he did all by himself. Do you see something a bit askew? After a week at the beach it was back to 
daycare for a couple days. As usual, Mommy was running late and Andrew stood in the garage doorway waiting for me with the "come on!" look. Meanwhile, James was playing "Catch the crawling baby" as I chased him around the kitchen trying to scoop him up.
daycare for a couple days. As usual, Mommy was running late and Andrew stood in the garage doorway waiting for me with the "come on!" look. Meanwhile, James was playing "Catch the crawling baby" as I chased him around the kitchen trying to scoop him up.
Chop Chop
The month ended out with James' getting his 'manly' oepration after many rounds with the insurance company. He was a trooper and didn't really mind too much...of course the Motrin might have helped. We hope he likes, it, because there's no give backs with this operation.
Ma Hhhhat
Andrew has developed an odd attachment to Rob's baseball hat. He wears it from sun up to sun down and the ladies at his daycare thought it was attached to his head. They tried to take it away at nap time but he protested so much them let him hug it like a teddy
bear. One day I showed up at DayCare to pick up Andrew and he immediately led me the coat room, where his hat was stowed for safety (apparently the daycare ladies pried it from his sleeping hands). He pointed to the hat, then turned around to his friends and gave them a proud look, and they came scurring over. As I reached for the hat they "ohhhhed" and when Andrew snatched it from my hands they went "ahhhhhh". Andrew proceeded to strut around the room while his little buddies followed him like mice followed the Pied Piper. It reminded me of the scene from Sixteen Candle when Farmer Ted herds all of the geeks into the boys bathroom to proudly present Molly Ringwold's undergarments. The next day his daycare friend who was in awe of the hat, proudly presented me with an Ant, to which Andrew graciously ohh'd and ahhh'd.
bear. One day I showed up at DayCare to pick up Andrew and he immediately led me the coat room, where his hat was stowed for safety (apparently the daycare ladies pried it from his sleeping hands). He pointed to the hat, then turned around to his friends and gave them a proud look, and they came scurring over. As I reached for the hat they "ohhhhed" and when Andrew snatched it from my hands they went "ahhhhhh". Andrew proceeded to strut around the room while his little buddies followed him like mice followed the Pied Piper. It reminded me of the scene from Sixteen Candle when Farmer Ted herds all of the geeks into the boys bathroom to proudly present Molly Ringwold's undergarments. The next day his daycare friend who was in awe of the hat, proudly presented me with an Ant, to which Andrew graciously ohh'd and ahhh'd.James And The Temple Of Food
James is quite a hefty youngster, but he often fights his food. We have long since given up on feeding him against his will since he does tip the scales. He seems to miss our feeding fury and now when we load up the spoon he will happily takes several spoons and woofs them down.....then at the 4th or 5th spoon he starting flailing his arms in a chopping motion that goes first up and down, then side ways and dares us to feed his open mouth, giggling the whole time. It's like he has booby trapped his mouth. Then if that's just not challenging enough he will quickly, and I mean quickly shake his head left to right, as if saying no, with an open mouth as we attempt to slip a spoon into the moving target. If you miss, he ends up with peaches from ear to ear and looks like the Joker.
Habby Bih-ay
This month i had a birthday and at teh dinner table mentioned it was Mommy's Birthday to Andrew. He sat there confused for a couple seconds then said "Habby Bih-ay" which is Andrew-speak for Happy Birthday. I am now as old as my mother was then she had me....but she had 4 kids to chase around and I am busy enough with 2.
Father Words Of Wisdom
Every once in a while I will remember some words of wisdom from my Dad. One came screaming back at me this week as I picked up 50 feet of toilet paper: "With kids in the house, always put the toilet paper on the roll so it rolls off the back and not the front". At the time the tidbit went in one adolescent ear and out the other, but now I know why he said it. When a kid slaps the toilet paper roll silly, it rolls off the front faster than if the roll was reversed, creating enormous fun. Most of the toilet paper rolls have been removed, but James entetained himself in the lone bathroomo still with toilet paper in tact.
Where Did Daddy Go?
Every morning when Rob leaves for work Andrew asks "Where did Daddy Go ?". I tell him he went to work and Andrew replies "No, Daddy in car." Then mid-day I'll ask "Where's Daddy?" and Andrew proudly tells me "In his car". So apparently Rob leaves the house every morning before 7am to go sit in his car somewhere all day and then returns home by 5. Won't Andrew be let down when he realizes that he actually goes to a job.
posted by Jennifer @ 7:36 PM
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