Keeping Track of Lauren & Jack » December 2007 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Sun, Dec 30, 2007 6:08 PM
So we're back! I tried to write an update from OKC, but it was lost on the computer somehow, and I didn't have the energy to re-write it just then. Our trip out was uneventful and we had the good fortune to have play areas right next to the gates for both flights which was incredibly helpful! I was a bit worried about the sleeping arrangements, but they really did fine. Jack was in a single bed with one bed rail since it was against the wall. Lauren was in a full-sized futon which was also against the wall. The first night they were so exhausted from the trip and not napping enough that they fell right to sleep. On subsequent nights, however, they needed a couple of reprimands before they would settle down. And naps were impossible, I had to seperate them and put Lauren in our bed in another room. Jack was the main culprit, stirring up trouble at any opportunity.

Otherwise we had fun visiting with Grandma Irene, Uncle Donald, Uncle Mark, Cousins Angie, Tyler and Trevor, and of course our hosts Auntie Rosalee and Uncle Billy (or Uncle Biwee according to Jack). The day after we arrived it starting getting colder, and the day after that we had snow! We donned all the snow gear and ran outside for some frolicking, snow-man and snow angel making. Just in time too, because it all melted by the end of the day! Then we had a few warmer days, but then it snowed again a day or two before we left. I felt very gratified to get a chance to use all the stuff, even so briefly!

More soon. . .

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Wed, Dec 19, 2007 10:44 PM
Today was sort of a wash, just trying to get packed up and out the door tomorrw to OKC. I have done about 18 loads of laundry, not to pack, but so I won't have to face it when we get home. Luckily our clothing options to pack for colder weather are sort of limited as I am slowly learning that we don't really need much of a winter wardrobe here. And apparently the snow from last week has already melted, so all my hysteria of getting snow gear may be completely unnecessary. Oh well. You just know if I didn't have it there would have been a blizzard!

Jack has been a good sport about just hanging around the house all day. He kept asking "Where are we going today? And I had to say, "Nowhere sweetheart, we have to get packed and ready to go tomorrow." He gets excited talking about the airport, and keeps asking "Can I go too?", as if we're going to leave him behind or something!

I picked up Lauren from preschool with Sadie already in the car and we set straight off together to drop her off at the dog kennel. Lauren was asking "Can I go to the Kennel?" I said "Yes, You're coming with me." "Why?" "Because I missed you today and I wanted to be with you." "Why?" "Because I love you." (Brief pause for thought) "I love you too, Mommy." At this point I'm almost at the point of tears when she asks "Why do you love me Mommy?" For a moment I was speechless, I didn't quite know how to put ALL the many, many reasons into a way she could understand, so I just said "Because you're silly and you make me laugh and you make me happy to be with you." That seemed to satisfy her. She laughed then, and fell into a contented silence. At least I didn't have anymore why's (for a short while). I'm just amazed to be having these little conversations with her. She uses the word love so freely, it never occured to me that she's not entirely clear on what it means. I'm supposed to have all the answers, and sometimes I am just stumped!

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Tue, Dec 18, 2007 11:16 PM
Monday Jack had another Music Together class which was extra since the class session is officially over. But it was free, and right at our community center, so I figured what the heck! Lauren was in school, so shhe missed out on this one. The funniest thing was that Jack was the oldest one there, so he sort of stood out as the instigator of all the mischief. That's why I don't want to do the class there next session, despite the convenience. The room just has too many distractions. But even though Jack doesn't seem to be paying atention a lot of the time, I think a lot of it sinks in, and his listening skills are improving slightly. He actually really like clean-up, and he was very helpful yesterday when class was over, picking up the floor mats. He was very detail-oriented and tried to get them straight and lined up in a pile. (I think he gets that from Mike)I should really enlist him more at home! I actually have been trying to get them to do little chores, like putting their plates in the sink and throwing things away and wiping the table with a sponge. They seem to like to be useful. Now if I could just get them to do laundry. . . .

This morning we took a walk to our little playground just down the street and they met up with their new pal Manny, who lives in the townhouses right next door. They all play well together and they were running around in circles and going down the slide head first! I almost had a heart attack the first time I saw that, but the slide slows them down so much, there really isn't any danger of them falling on their face at the bottom. They also love to walk along the edge of the playground as if it's a balance beam. Jack can't decide if he wants help or not. First he say's "Let me do it!", then two seconds later when he wobbles, he's demanding my hand to steady him. I can't win! I'm always doing the wrong thing, as far as he's concerned. (Yeah, get used to it, right?)

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Sun, Dec 16, 2007 7:50 PM
We survived the weekend of birthday parties. Well, I should say I survived because I'm the only one who went to all three. I somehow neglected to realized that Mike had to attend graduation on Saturday, so I had to take Jack along to the Birthday party for Doiminick, our next door neighbor who is turning 5. The party was 1-3PM, basically right through nap time. I'm glad I gave them lunch before we left, so at least I knew they'd had something substantial before all the treats. They had a craft project when we first got there, but that lasted about 10 minutes and then they were all running around like crazed monkies. There was a lot of screaming going on. They did try to play a game later on, but it was very disorganized. My epiphany is that if you don't provide kids with an activity or entertainment, then they will provide it themselves! Lauren and Jack took to crawling under the food table which had a long tablecloth over it. I guess they decided it made for a good fort. Jack got mowed over a few times by the older boys. I found out later that they had planned on a magician, but he had cancelled at the last minute. At one point i did get Jack to drink his milk laying down in the stroller, but he was not about to fall asleep with all the mayhem going on, even though he was obviously tired and overwhelmed. Oh well, we came home and they both had late naps. Then we went out for pizza for dinner at a very casual place. Maybe in retrospect that wasn't the best idea after the party, but I was too wiped out mysef to resist the idea.

This morning I took Jack to his playgroup pal Scott's party at Gymboree. My plan was for Mike to take Lauren to see "Enchanted" I thought it would be the perfect father-daughter activity, but Mike wasn't feeling well so he refused to go. (I'm not sure why, all he had to do was sit in the dark for an hour and a half.) I felt bad because I had promised Lauren, and she had her heart set on it. Oh well, some things just don't happen like you plan.

Jack's party was fun and it was nice to just be able to concentrate on him. He gets so few opportuites for my full attention, and he had a really good time. He especially like the parachute and the bubbles. And he really enjoyed the homemade chocolate layer cake. I enjoyed eating what was left (well, I could't let it go to waste, could I?) I got him home and down for his nap and had what felt like two minutes before Lauren was up from her "short nap" as she calls it which means she probably didn't sleep at all. I was in a quandry how to dress her, becuase it was in the 70's, but the temperature was supposed to drop as the afternoon progressed. I went with lots of light layers and it did actually cool down, so she was fine.

Lauren's party was for her friend Maria from school and also from Mom's Club. It was a Princess party and was a stark contrast from the chaos of yesterday. When we arrived she was invited to choose a princess dress. Then they were doodling on princess coloring pages. Then they sat down and did a game where they had to guess which princess movie the song was from. Then they put stickers on paper crown and then put the crown on. Then there was a scavenger hunt outside for treasures. Then there was a tea party with all sorts of goodies. Then there was a dance party where they were playing freeze tag with the music. Then there was cake which was made up of cup-cakes, (like what we're planning for Lauren's party) and I have to say it worked very well. Then there was musical chairs, and when they were out of the game they got their goody bag. Then Maria opened her presents, which is the first time Lauren's seen that at a party, and I was wondering how she would react, but she understood, and was just excited to see everything and didn't seem jealous or anything. I think she was in too good a mood from all the sugar! But I was impressed at how well it all went, how there was always an activity going on so there wasn't any opportunity for the kids to get up to too much trouble. Phew! I am exhausted and must go collapse now. . .

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Fri, Dec 14, 2007 11:42 PM
Jack was doing much better this morning but I decided not to take him to MyGym class just to be sure. As it turns out, it was cancelled anyway because Mark the instructor is sick too. I ran some errands and Jack was a very good sport about coming along. First we had to get some more info postcards from Pump It Up, the bouncy -house party space where we're having Lauren's party. It happens to be across the street from a huge consignment store where I found (Yay!) snow pants for both kids. I also got Lauren some waterproof mittens and I couldn't resist the Little Tikes ride-in truck for Jack, it was such a good deal. Somehow he didn't realize what was going on. I managed to get him in his car seat and then I pulled the car up to the front of the car to lead it into the back of my station wagon. Jack can't really see back there, and when we got home I unloaded it later on when he was napping. But that's another Christmas present I can't take with us to Oklahoma, so I'm still in a bind about what we can bring with us.

Lauren's theme this week at school was the story of the gingerbread man. Today they made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and frosting around a small milk container, which I thought was a good idea. Lauren brought hers home and ate half of it right away! Talk about a sugar rush!

This afternoon during nap time I finally found Jack some Thomas the train snowboots at the Burlington Coat Factory, which met all my criteria (cute& warm, but cheap!)along with mittens and scarves, so I think we're actually prepared for snow now. None of Lauren's stuff matches, but I'll try to live with that, as long as she's warm and dry! I also got some more Dora invitations from the party store, so I can finally get those in the mail tomorrow.

Something I've been meaning to mention is that Jack is becoming sort of a taskmaster, if that's the right word. Whenever we're heading out the door, he always reminds me that I need my glasses, or sunglasses, (even though usually they're sitting right there on my head). And today when I was driving he kept telling me to keep both hands on the wheel! I think he likes the thought that he's more on top of these things than I am, that he needs to remind me of them. It cracks me up! And I mean, he's right, I should have both hands on the wheel. That is, of course, until he drops his matchbox car and wants me to contort myself around (while driving) to pick it up for him!

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Thu, Dec 13, 2007 11:41 PM
Jack had a bad night, he was up at 5AM with a sort of rattle-y cough and a crusted over nose. I tried saline and suctioning his nostrils out and he was VERY upset with me, he just wailed and wailed. I kept trying to tell him it will help him feel better, but he was not at all convinced. He did seem better after that though, and he slept until his usual 7:30AM. I was dismayed when I called the doctor to realize they didn't open until 10AM today. By that time Jack seemed to be a bit better. He certainly perked up when he saw the train, but his congestion continued to be really bad, so I took him anyway. Good thing too, because he was running a slight fever of 100.3 and had a double ear infection brewing. We're catching it early, so hopefully it won't get too bad. So he's on Amoxicillan for the next 10 days. I'm already worried how we're supposed to transport it when we fly, because it requires refridgeration.

Getting to the doctor and getting the prescription filled got us home sort of late, so naps were about an hour overdue. I was wondering if maybe we'd missed the window of opportunity when they both quieted down. Two hours later I had to wake Lauren up, and I reluctantly woke Jack at 5:45PM! I hated to wake him, but he really needed to have dinner since he didn't have much lunch, and I was worried he'd never go to sleep later on for the night if he slept too long. He did seem a bit better, so maybe the antibiotics are already working their magic,although I'm thinking it was more the sleep that did him good.

So. . . I didn't get anything else accomplished today. Well, I did order some stuff for Lauren's treat boxes online. What would I do without the internet? It's not just the free shipping, it's also the fact that I can shop after the kids go to sleep!

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Wed, Dec 12, 2007 11:10 PM
Jack got a haircut this morning and he looks quite dapper now, despite the fact that he has uneven sideburns. I made a point to his stylist about not wanting it to be a straight line over his ear, and she cut one too short anyway! I only noticed later when we were in the store. I almost went back, except that the only thing she could do would be to cut the correct one shorter. That's what we get for not making an appointment with our usual guy, David. (Will I ever learn?)

Jack now has the congestion that Lauren had two days ago, and his seems even a bit worse. But that might be because he's better about letting it run out and blowing it into a tissue. Lauren is a real sniffler. And Lauren had some diarrhea today, but we only noticed around dinner-time. So I'm afraid that they both are getting sick, with our big Oklahoma trip just a week away. Yikes! Let's hope they're feeling better by then!

I bought a train to go around under the tree today. I just couldn't resist. Mike and I set it up tonight after they were both in bed, but I am predicting that Jack is going to flip when he sees it!

I also panicked seeing the ice-storms hitting the Midwest, so I got them some snow boots and some polyester water-resistent sweats in case they want to run around outside. They didn't have any actual snow boots for boys so I got Jack rubber boots. They're not very insulated but they are waterproof. I don't really know where to go for that stuff!

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Tue, Dec 11, 2007 11:35 PM
Today I finally went back into party mode for Lauren's birthday in January. We took a pilgrimmage down to the big party store and bought invitations and tablecloths and treat boxes, (as I've also decided it was madness to think about making little back-pack party favor bags.) I have to say, the kids were very well behaved. Lauren tried to talk me in to buying her "just one thing" which is what I usually say, but I held firm and we got out of there without breaking anything or buying any extra junk!

Later on I ordered her cake. I decided to try the cupcake break-away kind this year. They put all the cupcakes together in a rectangle so it looks like a cake that you can put a candle on to present to the birthday girl, but then you can easily break it apart to serve. We've been to a few parties where cupcakes were a big hit, so I think we'll try it out. I also ordered the helium ballons. So I think I just need to get the stuff for the treat boxes and I'll be done! Now if I can just get my invite list together. . . .

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Mon, Dec 10, 2007 8:10 PM
This morning I was walking by the potty in the corner of the bathroom and I saw it had pee in it. I asked Lauren if she did that, but she said, "No, Jack did it." It must have been from before bathtime last night. Daddy was in charge and they were both streaking around the house naked, but I guess somehwere in there Jack managed to pee in the potty! We had a big celebration and made a big deal about him getting a jelly bean, and then I had him help me throw it in the toilet and wave bye-bye as we flushed it down. And he loves washing his hands, so the whole thing was reallly fun for him. We also have a new treat board for good behavior, so we put "going potty" up there with a star next to it. I still have yet to actually witness any potty action, so I will be a little more excited when I see it for myself. But this is a very big first step!

Lauren had the sniffles this morning, and she said she didn't want to go to school, but she really was fine and it seemed ridiculous that I kept her home later in the day. Oh well, I'm glad that she's not really feeling poorly. Since it was just sniffles and the occaisional sneeze, I'm wondering if it's allergies. There's a lot of stuff blowing around out there. It realy does not feel like holiday weather while it's still in the 80's!

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Sat, Dec 8, 2007 7:54 PM
This morning I managed to get both kids dressed and breakfasted and out the door on time. In fact we were early, so I decided to give Mike a break and take Jack with me. There was a new substitute for Lauren's ballet class but she went right in and followed directions, so I was proud of her for going with the flow.

We decided at the last minute to go to their "Sugar Plum Fairy" tea. First we went home and changed into party clothes. We even tried to give Lauren lunch first becuase she's so unpredictable with food. Jack stayed home with Daddy since it was right during nap time. When we got back to the ballet studios, all the older girls were in full costume and make-up for their upcoming production of the Nutcracker. We have gone to see them every year but this year we're going to be in Oklahoma, so it was nice to get a little preview. We browsed thier "boutique" and I told Lauren I would buy her one thing only. At first she wanted a wand, but we have about 5 of those at home that she doesn't play with all that much. Finally she decided on a jewellery box with a little ballerina that spins around. I think I had one of those when I was little too. Then we went in and sat down for the light lunch. There was a tiered plate with all sorts of goodies. Lauren's favorite was the chocolate dipped strawberries and I couldn't blame her! When we were done they had cookies for each girl to decorate, Lauren had a blast doing that, especially the sprinkles. Then they took all the girls into their main studio and taught them a dance which was really a bit beyond what Lauren was capapble of- she was one of the yooungest girls there after all. But she had fun twirling around and pretending like she was following along! Then they had a performance of a few pieces of the Nutcracker, and Lauren really enjoyed that, especially because all the girls sat on the floor in front and they had such a good view of everything.

So, if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, we decided to go out to dinner. We just went to Chilies. We're starting to try using booster seats for both of them which enables us to sit in a booth. It's sort of a challenge not to be able to strap Jack in, but he's learning. They actually both ate fairly well for once, so I didn't feel as worried as I usually do. It sure beats cooking and cleaning!

Something cute that was happening this morning I forgot to mention is that the kids were sitting on the couch together in the playroom and they were each taking care of a baby doll. It was so cute, because they were having an entire discussion about it. (Where is the video camera when I need it?)

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Fri, Dec 7, 2007 10:37 PM
Today was a little crazy. Getting Lauren off to school was fine, I even remembered to bring her an appropriate book about transportation (this week's theme) for show and tell. Jack's MyGym class definitely had it's trying moments, but was still fun. I really don't think he's ready to move up even though he's officially 2 1/2 years old today.

Then, just as I was putting Jack down for his nap, I hear both the house phone and my cell phone ringing. It turns out that Sara was going to be late because both the back tires on her car were flat. I decided right then and there (2PM) to put Jack in the car and go pick up Lauren form preschool a bit early, because I had my professional organizer Trish coming to the house at 3PM to work on the disaster that is our shared office. Luckily both kids went down for naps once we got home, so I had some time to work with her. Once Lauren made an appearence, I moved her little armchair and the portable dvd player into the area just off the office, and she happily sat there and entertained herself with a bunch of stickers. A short while later Jack woke up too, and he was in a sort of sleepy mood that took him a while to wake up from, so he happily sat there too until Sara finally arived about 4:30. I'm actually amazed at how much we got done considering all that. I guess since we were challenged we were forced to focus and I didn't waste as much time talking too much!

Sara then took the kids for a walk, and they apparently picked up Taylor on the way, and they came back pretty happy and jumping around. Dinner was sort of a disaster, and I'm thinking I need to change my entire approach with them. I just read on ParentCenter.com that you should give them thier food and not discuss with them how much they should eat etc. Then clear away the food at the end of the meal, and always have dessert, but vary what you offer, sometimes fruit, other times pudding or something else sweet. I've also read somewhere else that you should let them help themselves their own servings so that they are more a part of the process. These are both things I want to try. I also bought this book called "Deceptively Delicious" which I saw on Oprah and I think it will be a good incentive for me to cook more and try out new recipes.

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Thu, Dec 6, 2007 7:49 PM
Today we hosted Lauren's playground at a different park. It was a small group, but the kids from the elementary school also use that park, so there was plenty going on. I think the moral of today is that the more running around they do, the better they eat and sleep! They also took a walk after naps and were running around in circles for about an hour and I'm not exaggerating!

I had planned to make Lauren's birthday party invitations, but I think I'd better give up on that idea. Otherwise they will never get done!

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Wed, Dec 5, 2007 11:06 PM
Today was Jack's playgroup at the park. It was a wonderfully non-eventfull playgroup and I was just thankful there was no falling down stairs. Jack spent half an hour pursuing his new pal Conner's big sand truck, and then once he had an opportunity to play with it, he shunned it in favor of a small dump truck. Fickle, fickle kid!

Lauren came home from school and laid on the couch for an hour or two, she was wiped out. She didn't even want to go for a walk, which was a shame because it's beautiful outside right now. (It's "cooled" into the 60/70's!) But would she go take a nap in her bed? Absolutley not. I think she's still on a sleep deficit from yesterday. She did rally enough energy to help me trim the tree tonight though. It was fun, I put on Christmas music and let the kids put on all the unbreakable ornaments. Well, the wooden ones anyway. It turns out they are still breakable, but we're finding Superglue is coming in very handy!

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Tue, Dec 4, 2007 9:57 PM
Today we had a tour of Publix which is our local grocery store. They did a demonstration in the bakery and the kids all got cookies. They showed them how they grind up the beef in the meat department. We all had to wear hair nets which was fairly hilarious. Then we saw how they samsh up the boxes in the giant compacter, which was quite thrilling, there was a lot of jumping up and down. Then they got to walk into the freezer for a few seconds, which they also excited about. Next we went to the fruit section and they showed us how they core a pinapple and then we got little samples on a toothpick. Jack had the funniest look on his face when he ate his, but he seemed to like it, he ate another piece. Afterwards I was worried that he was having an allergic reaction, (even though he's had it before(, becuase he said his tongue hurt and his teeth hurt. His tongue did not actually seem swollen, and he didn't have any other symptoms, but I gave him some Benedryl anyway. He seemed fine afterwards, so my best guess is that maybe he stuck his tongue with the toothpick, and maybe some of the fibers from the pinapple got stuck in his teeth. Other than that, it was fun to go "behind the scenes" in a store that we shop at all the time.

Then tonight we had our Mom's Club Holiday Party at a nearby country club. The usual chaos ensued. Mike had to teach, so Sara came with us which was a little weird because it was all families, but I don't think I could have made it without her! There was a craft which included glitter glue which got everywhere. Then trying to get them to eat something was extremely challenging. Lauren likes rolls, but only the soft part, not the crust. She hollowed out 2 of thoses things completely! I did manage to get her to eat some broccoli and salad, but after a while I gave up and they had cupcakes and cookies and candy canes, and then Santa came and gave them each a book. They were actually pretty good about talking to him and posing for pictures. They liked thier books, and that kept them busy for a while, until they just starting running around in circles and screaming, with the rest of the kids in tow. It was like a parade of sugar-induced hysteria! They were having so much fun they did NOT want to leave. I think we have two party animals on our hands!

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Sat, Dec 1, 2007 9:03 PM
Wow, this was a big day. It started out with ballet class for Lauren. I'm trying to decide if she should perform in their Spring show. It's a really big production, but she seemed to enjoy it last time, so we'll probably do it again. Then we met Jack and Mike at our community clubhouse for the Holiday party. It was rather hectic - there were crafts, games, balloon animals, temperary tattoos, a train ride on what looked like a Thomas trian, and finally posing with Santa. The kids did not seem very trusting of the old guy, so it became a family shot!

We stopped home for a quick lunch and then Lauren and I raced downtown to see the Nutcraker at the Performing Arts Center. We met some pals from the Mom's Club; Cameron and her mom Jen, and also sisters Julia and Katelyn and their mom Michelle. The girls were just thrilled to be with each other and after numerous hugs proceeded to walk everywhere holding hands. The ballet was almost secondary to them! But it's always a bit tricky doing something right through nap time. Something about the fact that we're sitting in the dark makes Lauren sleepy and cranky. But she did pretty well considering all the circumstances. I am just really pooped, so I'm going to go collapse now!

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Elizabeth: Sounds like life is very busy....I hope you take some time for yourself, Lisa. Too bad about the acting job....by now you must have made a decision.....we just had a few inches of snow, so it looks like winter here. I am busy making plans for our Great Chefs Night that benefits Anna Jacques Hospital (in the spring). Talk to you soon.

Love, Elizabeth

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