Bittersweet

Mike finally found a job -- in Columbus, OH.  It's a bittersweet ending to 2010 to know that I have a short time left here in Albuquerque, but I'm getting excited about our new adventure. I really haven't been able to wrap my mind around it, though. I thought we were here to stay after eight years of roaming around on the other side of the country.  My cousin Sherrie called the other day and mentioned the lack of news on this blog and was wondering if it was true that we were moving.  It will be good to live close to her family in Michigan.  We'll also live close to Mike's family in Tennessee, Indiana, and Michigan.

I'm so proud of Mike, though.  He weathered through a tough year and we made it to the other side.

Mike started work this week and will be able to come visit once a month until we leave in June. Before he left last week we sang "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow".  He stopped in St. Louis and took advantage of going up to the arch the day the tornadoes swept through Arkansas.  Just as my dad called me with concern about Mike's whereabouts, I received a text message from Mike telling me that he was on top of the arch but that they were being instructed to go back to the bottom because it was swaying.  "Because there's a tornado headed your way!!!" I wanted to shout.  In the meantime, the Weather Channel was saying that a tornado watch was in effect in St. Louis until 3:00 PM.  But he was able to leave quickly before the city was shut down and head east to Indiana ahead of the storm as it continued northeast.

I feel like everything is whirling by so fast like a twister -- the children are growing so fast and I rarely have a video camera handy to capture their voices, their songs, their sweetness through the lens.  I feel the clock ticking and I worry that I will miss too much.  I want more time.  Time stands still when I focus on the now.

Time stands still

I'm not looking back

But I want to look around me now

See more of the people

And the places that surround me now.

Freeze this moment

A little bit longer

Make each sensation

A little bit stronger

Experience slips away.

I turn my face to the sun

Close my eyes

Let my defenses down

All those wounds

That I can't get unwound.

I let my past go too fast

No time to pause

If I could slow it all down

Like some captain

Whose ship runs aground

I can wait until the tide

Comes around.

-Rush

Time Stands Still

Here's One for the Boys

The other day I took the boys to the library. Christian got his own card so he can play on the computers.  Then we lugged home a bunch of books and a 'Flushed Away' DVD that Gaby was craving.  I guess the theme was potty humor.  Christian and Gabriel are into superheroes, and Christian checked out several 'Captain Underpants' comic-books-within-chapter-books while Gaby found a Spider Man comic book with the green goblin.  Jojo ran around wildly in the library touching everything and removing books from the shelves as the librarian who was re-shelving politely glared in our direction. 

I was not familiar with 'Captain Underpants'.  I once told my friend Michelle that she has the soul of a teenage boy because she tries to get away with teaching the kids how to do 'wet willies' behind my back and other nefarious acts that she has taught her nephews. The author of this series of 'Captain Underpants', too, has the soul of a teenage boy.

So tonight we began 'Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People'.  I had planned on reading only a couple chapters and call it a night, but 60 pages and nine chapters later we had to stop laughing and put the book down.

The two protagonists/antagonists are George and Harold who write their own comic strip about Captain Underpants, aka their Principal Mr. Krupp.  They are naughty, dislike school, and the teachers are not very bright.  For instance, the two friends changed the sign on the teacher's lounge from 'Push Button to Open Door' to 'Push on Butt to Open Door' and the illustration of the teachers doing just that is, well, preposterous.  George and Harold go into the Purple Potty time machine and end up in opposite land where they meet their evil twins.

A few weeks ago I had forgotten to send Christian's lunch with him to school and on that infamous day my picky eater had to consume cafeteria food.  He told me he cried when he was told by the duty, "You have to eat everything on your plate."  He missed recess "and everything" he informed me.  Even the chocolate milk did not taste like chocolate milk! Christian never wants to eat cafeteria food again. We laughed until we cried at the following excerpt:

The two friends walked to the cafeteria and took a whiff.

"That's weird," said Harold. "It doesn't smell like dirty diapers, greasy dishwater, and moldy tennis shoes in here anymore. It smells like -- like food!" (p. 44)

Michelle would be oh so proud that I am reading this book to the boys.

Faster than a Rolling 'O'

Christian: You're not allowed to wear the Darth Vader mask at the Balloon Fiesta.


Gaby: Yes I am, but you're not allowed to wear that cape at the Balloon Fiesta.



Nana and Papa came for the Balloon Fiesta in October. We saw the Glo-deo one evening and then came for the Mass Ascension one weekend.

The boys dressed up in their new Halloween costumes to see the Storm Troopers with the Darth Vader balloon.

The latter half of the month Gaby stayed home from preschool because he had his tonsils and adenoids removed.  He got to stay one night at the UNM Children's Hospital, which is a very nice place for children.  They have a special family room and a rooftop playground.  Plus, Mother Goose came round to read a story to Gaby who was very groggy and sore after the surgery.

Gaby gives tonsilloadenoidectomy surgery a one thumb rating.

One thing that was stressed to me by the numerous nurses and doctors:  make sure Gaby drinks plenty of fluids!  That first weekend home he hardly ate more than a bite of a popsicle or taste of yogurt or sip of juice.  We resorted to feeding him fluids with a medicine dropper.  The second item stressed:  keep ahead of the pain by giving him medicine every 4 hours the first few days.  The worst part was right after the surgery when Gaby came out from under anesthesia and I had to calm him as he kept waking/crying and passing out.  Although Mike stayed with him before surgery, he was unable to be there afterwards and Gaby remembered!  "Where's Daddy?  I want Daddy!" he would ask before he'd pass out.  It was the same scenario when he had his ear tube surgery a few years ago at the age of 17 months.  Only this time, I was prepared and not pregnant or hormonal when I had to see him like that. 

Since he's had the surgery, he no longer snores at night and sleeps well.  And he seems to have so much more energy and is less cranky, too.  He'll have another sleep study in January to see if the apnea has disappeared.  Gaby had an ear infection soon after the surgery, so he'll have his ears checked next month.  Only this time, he didn't have a sore throat and that was a relief.

Teacher's Pet(s)

Last week, Jojo and Gaby started their first year of preschool.  Jojo is with the two-year-olds and Gaby is with the four/five-year-olds.

They have backpacks, snack bags, and lunch boxes to bring each day.  I'm glad they only go twice a week. 

When I dropped them off at their classrooms, Gaby looked at me wide-eyed and said, "But I don't have any friends."  By the end of the day he had made some friends.

I dropped off Jojo at his classroom next, and while he was distracted playing with toys I left.  One poor mother was sobbing as she left.  I felt like crying, too.  But I also had a "party in my tummy" (as my nephew Anthony would say) -- I had time to breathe and get things done at home.  I now have a few free hours to study, clean house, or have a chat with a friend. 

Mike, Christian and I picked up the kids later.  Gabriel came running out and said excitedly to all within earshot, "Mommy! Mommy!  I was good today; I didn't say bad words and I didn't have to go to the principal's office!"  Christian had had a serious talk with Gabriel earlier at the bus stop; he let Gaby know what to expect at school and went over some of the rules with him.  I think Daddy had also given Gaby a stern warning, too.  When we picked up Jojo, we found him standing by the doorway, glaring at us.  He said, "You. Left. Me. He-ah."  His teacher told us he had been happy earlier, though.

Today was their second day and Jojo didn't even blink when I left.  I told him goodbye and said I'd be back soon to pick him up.  Then he ran off to play with toys.  Gaby also had a good day at school.  He tried to make a boomerang (this month they're studying Australia), but it really doesn't look like one.  He must have inherited my artistic abilities.  Gaby decided it's a truck without wheels instead and that's a pretty accurate description. Today Jojo's teacher said that Jojo covered his ears when a little girl in his class was crying.  He does not like loud noises (like Gaby).  She asked me to warn him about music class as the teacher will be playing the piano on Wednesday.  We're going to try pullups and potty training soon, and I'm so glad his teachers will help. Oh, the agony!

Blase big brother at little brother's game.

They learned how to throw the ball in.

He learned to aim for the goal.

Gaby and Christian also started soccer last week.  Gaby had his first practice and game on Saturday.  I love when they play soccer at his age! Sometimes goals are made for the other team, and the kids all run in clumps.  One thing they practiced is spacing, but it didn't always translate on the field.  Gaby was excited by the cheering and waved at Daddy while he was running on the field. Gaby's team is the Dragons and Christian plays on the Blue Magic team. 

You Spin Me Right Round

Customize your own picture collage

In Other Important News....

Christian lost both of his front teeth last week one day apart; The first one fell out when he was at school.  The school bus driver, George, teases him and calls him Toothless, which is fine with Christian because Toothless was also his favorite dragon from the movie 'How to Train a Dragon'. 

Christian is enjoying first grade thus far.  When asked if he likes it as much as kindergarten, he said, "Well, kindergarten was more fun. But in first grade our teacher says we have to do 'important' work.  But recess is fun."

Christian's Big Week

Yoda and the gang helped celebrate Christian's 7th birthday.  He received many new Wii and DS games related to Star Wars, Mario Bros., Despicable Me, and Harry Potter.  Christian's time spent on such games has to be severely limited, though.

I can't believe he's 7 already!  Christian, what a special boy you are.  As a baby, he did not play with toys.  He did not like stuffed animals, noisy toys, trucks or cars. Cars and blocks were for lining up by color or shape.  But we discovered he liked puzzles, and so he started working on them at the age of 2. We also started reading to all the boys when they were babies, and now he reads to Gaby at night before going to bed.  Christian received some pretty terrific level 1 Star Wars books to read.  I like listening to him read to Gaby because if Christian can't decode a word, he makes it up as he goes along.  He's still reading and using his imagination, and that's good in my book!

Today was Christian's first day of first grade.  He slept with his Star Wars backpack near him, and as soon as the alarm went off, he and Gaby got out of bed and dressed themselves.  "Come on, Mom! I don't want to miss a thing at school!"  He enjoys being responsible, but Gaby is responsible for turning off the alarm clock (Christian still hates loud, buzzing noises).  Here he is (above) at his desk with his birthday rice krispy treats to give out to his classmates later. 

Last night we went over the rules -- and I stressed on thing:  If you do not understand what the teacher says, raise your hand and tell her to please repeat the instructions. Christian also informed me that in first grade they no longer have sticks to move when they do not listen: Mrs. B. told the kindergarteners last year that first graders go straight to the principal's office if they are bad.  Christian is on the lookout for those stamps, too.

"The bell is going to ring and I have to go in!"  Chill out, Christian, we still have five minutes for a few photos before I start to bawl. You're growing up too fast and I want these moments to last -- the ones where you actually want me to be around and when you still need me.

Things are going to get busy around here.  In the next couple of weeks Gaby and Christian begin soccer, and this will be Gaby's first year playing.  Christian will also start religious ed. at church (what we Catholics used to call CCD). Gaby and Jojo will begin preschool in September, and my classes start next week.  Busy days are ahead, but at least not everything is happening at once!  And after months of completing computer certification classes, Mike started an internship today, and hopefully this will lead to a permanent (paid) position.