where is the time going?

I can't keep up!

Monday was, yet again, more rain. We went to the library to get Tyler signed up for the summer reading program. He was quite excited, especially since he got a few more Magic Tree House books, his new obsession!

That evening we took a trip to the bridge to skip stones. Apparently I'm not a good stone skipper. He's bringing his pop-pop next time.

The next day it was back to the library for a special program. Tyler really has grown up a lot this year, as evidenced by him walking right over to the group and sitting down (without me) and later volunteering to help out on "stage". That certainly never would have happened 6 months ago!

That night we were back for another Chick-Fil-A kids night. That night's craft was creating a summer beach scene with stickers. Tyler loved it.

On Wednesday we finally had enough sun to hit the beach. A good time was had by all.

Even though it doesn't seem like we were too busy, I can assure you we were constantly doing stuff. Jason is in a rough stage where apparently he just does not feel the need to sleep anymore, unless being held. Even if I hold him until he's sound, he wakes the second I try to move him. So many days just consisted of 3 minute naps in my arms. Bedtime was a disaster. Ugh.

party time!

This past weekend was full of activity. Honestly I can't remember all of it, but I can tell you it was busy.

Saturday Tyler had a party to attend for his friend Scarlett. It was a princess party, which was adapted to be a "pirate & princess" party to reflect the fact that there was a boy there. We almost didnt' make it because Jason and I were both feeling sick, but i was glad we did because there was only one other guest who showed up. Tyler had a ball, and would have been perfectly happy with a princess party. In fact he picked a tinkerbell cupcake over a pirate one. He did get a kick out of his pirate hook and other assorted pirate goodies in his goodie bag. The hit of the party was the face painting...or in Tyler's case, hand painting. He got a tarantula on one hand a skeleton on the other, and then later a web on his arm. Very cute, but left some nasty paint mess on his brand new carseat.

After a rough afternoon with the hyper sugar boy, we went over to AT&T to look at phones. My mom and I decided to get iPhones, and while we waited on them we met my dad and brother at Panera bread. Jason gnawed on some bread, but of course didn't truly eat anything.

Sunday was Father's Day. I eventually let Tyler work on his craft that I had gotten at a garage sale the day prior. It was a cookie and milk plate set that you could decorate with paint. He had fun.

That evening we ordered pizza and my grandparents and brother Jim and Cara came over. Tyler was a happy little boy, and Cara was quickly his new playmate.

yep, back in the swing of things

I posted the other day that I was right back in our regular routine. That certainly was the case on Thursday, because we got to fit in a doctor's appointment! Jason had been grabbing his ear a ton and was really cranky, especially at night. Being that he just got over an ear infection, I wanted to at least have it looked at. Wednesday night I logged lots of time on the phone with Tricare and managed to speed along the process to get our insurance in NJ approved, so Thursday I was able to make an appointment to have Jason seen by his new doctor here (the same practice I went to as a child). He turned on his charm and had the staff all smiling, all the while grabbing his ear. Apparently the ear is just a new fun toy and he does NOT have an ear infection. Actually his teeth are really shifting so they said it could be causing pressure/pain in his ear, but it's not infected. So, apparently it's just those darn teeth still! He had his stats taken though, and weighed in at 21lbs 15.5oz and 27.5 inches long. Apparently his growth has slowed down, which is pretty normal since he's crawling. In fact, despite all the rolls you can see on his chubby little body, I knew he was slimming down based on how his diapers have been fitting. So the crawling, in combo with the lack of eating, is causing a little dip in HIS growth chart. Apparently they thought he was very healthy though.

Last night I let him have his first bit of juice. He's been really constipated, which is unlike him. I had tried to feed him peaches and pears, and that went as well as all foods go (which means he ate a few bites, if any) so I figured I'd try some pear juice. He had a few sips. In case your curious, he still has not pooped. LOL.

And some Tyler news...well, kinda "news". He can buckle his own carseat now. I still have to make sure he does it properly, and I still have to have him unbuckle, but it's some progress.

the many faces of my teething boy

So, as I've mentioned, Jason is teething. He's becoming increasingly aware of his mouth, tongue, and teeth. Consequently he's always making funny faces, drooling, and/or showing fingers/fists in his mouth. Here's a brief example of my cutie's many faces. In the last picture you can see a little bit of the tooth that came through, as well as the swelling under the other tooth he's working on.

just another day

Today was pretty typical for me, or at least how things used to be. It started off with a trip to the library for storytime. Storytime here includes a craft, which is pretty cool. Today's "craft" included candy, which meant my day included sugar-hyped boy.

From there it was off to the playground for some playtime and a little picnic lunch.

Apparently Jason REALLY likes swings now, and Tyler likes to be the pusher.

Mid-day included lots of carrying Jason (those stinkin teeth) and time on the phone trying to straighten out Tricare issues to get the boys medical care. After "rest time" we took a trip to my dad's school so I could use the fax machine to attempt to complete the Tricare application process. Came home, ate dinner, and finished up the rainy evening with "movie night", featuring popcorn and the movie "Babe".

cranky pants

Jason is having a rough time with these darn teeth. He's been quite miserable at night. In fact on Sunday night I heard him screaming and found that he had pulled himself to stand in his crib and was just there protesting (loudly). He hasn't been sleeping well, to say the least, and the crib transition is making steps backwards. Last night I just couldn't get him to bed at all. In fact he had only slept about an hour since 7:30 that morning, so by 9:30pm I put him in the stroller for a walk. We are having a bit of a cold front these last couple of weeks, so this is what he looked like when we left. It was too cute not to get a picture. Even at his most miserable he'll still smile for the camera (or cell phone in this case). My little love.

Chick-Fil-A, I love you more everyday

After a relatively low-key Monday (walmart errands in the AM, trip to library for a craft/story, and evening trip to the beach), we had a yucky Tuesday. By the evening we needed an outing, so my mom and I decided to take the boys to Chick-Fil-A. I knew Tyler could use some play area time, and I really can't pass up a meal at Chick-Fil-A. My local Chick-Fil-A (Marlton, NJ) is always clean and the staff is really courteous. Tuesday was no exception, with them bringing our food to our table, coming and picking up trash, etc. However we got an extra bonus when we arrived, when we saw a sign posted that every Tuesday is Kid's Night from 6-8. So after our meal and a lot of play time, Tyler was able to do a craft (that evening's craft was a Father's Day magnet)...

And he got a balloon, as did Jason, who apparently thought that balloons were very fun.

The evening was topped off with a free ice cream for Tyler.

Earth Fair, 2009

On Sunday my parents, myself, the boys, and my brother went on over to the Earth Fair. We went last year, and enjoyed ourselves, despite the heat. This year it was much cooler, and we had a great time. Tyler got to pot a marigold (in a bucket and shovel) to bring home, and we got lots of other great freebies like organic seed packets, "green" bags, etc. Tyler really enjoyed some recycled crafts, especially making his own paper. As for the adults, we were most impressed with some good food (fried oreos, yummy). All in all, a nice day.

busy, busy, busy

I last posted about Sunday. Since then we've been BUSY. Let's see...

Monday: I believe we had rain, again. My grandparents did come for a visit that evening.

Tuesday: We met my sister-in-law, Dottie, at Chick-fil-A. We had things to catch up on, and the kids worked up a sweat (literally) in the play area. Jason was pretty well behaved. I was impressed. That evening myself and my mom (in one of those electric scooters) tackled Shoprite (the grocery store). Tyler harrassed us for food and begged to go in Scrunchies, which unfortunately was closed. Scrunchies is actually a play area within the grocery store. Kids 3-8 can get signed in by a parent and can stay and play while the parent(s) shop. How freakin cool. I listened to him whine for Scrunchies the next couple of days. Jason made eye contact with whomever he pleased and managed to get many smiles.

Wednesday: I drove out to Riverside to meet up with my friend Melinda so that Tyler and her daughter Scarlett could play. That afternoon we went for a long walk through the neighborhood and I showed Tyler his soon-to-be school for Kindergarten. That evening, after my dad successfuly got Jason to take a nap in the stroller, the boys and I met my high school friends at the Red Lion Inn for an "early" dinner. I use the term "early" very loosely, because that's what my childless friends considered our 7:00 reservations to be. LOL. I was a little nervous about the boys behavior, but they did wonderfully. I was pleasantly surprised, and really enjoyed our get-together with Tracy, Jen, Veronica, her daughter Gianna, and Tracy's friend Christine. Other than a minor incident with Jason's crashing his head into the highchair, we had a lovely looooonnnnngggg evening.

On Thursday we spent the morning recovering from our late night (we didn't get home until around 10:30 the night prior). A little before lunchtime I took Tyler down to the local elementary school to get him registered for Kindergarten. Can you believe it? Aside from still needing proof that I do in fact reside here, he's all set! They will call me later to set up his Kindergarten Screening (we missed them by a week) and for a tour. Saw a few old co-workers. That evening we went to my mother-in-law's for playtime and dinner. The boys both had a lot of fun, except for Jason managing to smack his head on a pot lip that he was playing with. Tyler's grandmother had given him a small stuffed sheep, which we packed to take home. We ended up staying a bit longer to wait out the downpour, and consequently left the sheep. Had I known how much crying would have later ensued, I would have turned right back around to get it. Instead I heard lots of tears before bed.

On Friday I decided to humor Tyler and brought him back to Shoprite so he could play at Scrunchies. Truth be told, I truly didn't NEED anything at the grocery store, but Tyler and I certainly needed some sort of "activity" for him. The boy is used to the routine and activity of school..I am used to a 3 hour break a day. LOL. Anyway, it gave me a chance to read labels, and peruse in peace adn quiet. Well, except for Jason of course. He was good though, and was pretty happy with his first ever teething biscuit. From there we picked my mom up at PT and then went to a community yardsale. Managed to get a few name-brand clothes for Tyler, the game "Guess Who" and a kids puzzle. From there we went to Salad Works (oh how I miss it while I'm not in NJ). They refused to make Tyler a kid's salad. How can a salad place not have a salad on the menu? Seriously though, humor the kid and make him a darn salad. Ugh. I was ticked. My mom was ticked. Had the manager actually been polite, my mom might not have felt the need to call the corporate office. It was necessary. After restime we enjoyed NUMEROUS games of "Guess Who". Tyler is pretty good at it. After dinner I made a 32 minute detour to get the previously mentioned sheep. The things you do to keep your kids from screaming... Meanwhile, after I had strapped the kids in their carseats, my mom had taken the boys to my grandparents house. I later met them there and we had a nice visit. Jason learned to "dance" to the music of Elmo. It was adorable, despite Elmo. LOL.

Bedtime was a disaster for Jason lastnight. I learned for sure that his first tooth finally broke through. He was pretty uncomfortable, and we had another long night.

Today we hit a few garage sales, which were not even cool enough to warrant getting out of the car. From there we spent some time at the library and then maybe 15 minutes at the playground before the rain started.

So, that about sums it up. The rest of my days were spent relocating Jason out of harm's way, picking up Jason after he toppled over or somehow hit his head, administering Tylenol to a teething Jason, and endless amounts of time trying to get Jason in his crib. The time has come...he NEEDS to be there. I'm thinking that teething-time is probably not the best time for this, but his safety is in question now that he crawls so well and could easily fall out of my bed. Wish us luck!

Great Adventure

To be honest, I'm not feeling the blog love these days. Just not enough time and I'm still consumed with the move, but I did want to share these pictures. My parents got themselves, myself, and Tyler passes to Great Adventure. On Sunday we decided to go and activate our passes. It was pretty nice weather, not to crowded, and we had a really nice time. Tyler finally did a mid-sized ferris wheel (not sure why ferris wheels are his biggest fear as far as "rides" go) and a pretty big roller coaster. He is limited by his height (barely 41 inches) but there was a TON for him to do. He can't wait to go back, so I'm sure this won't be the last of the Great Adventure pictures this summer!

Soooo Big

Here is the new skill in action. Do you like the outfit? I had yet to unpack all our stuff, including the kids PJs. I thought everyone might appreciate the blast from the past, considering these could have been YOUR pajamas. Purple sleeper, circa early 80s????

beach day

On Saturday, after a few days of nasty rain, my mom and I walked the boys down to the beach. We intended on just playing on the playground and swinging on the swings. Tyler played for a few minutes, we watched Tyler's amazement over caterpillars, and Jason got assaulted by a way too touchy 2nd grader who should have known better. Then I couldn't contain him any longer and let Tyler in the water, fully clothed. I eventually decided to let Jason in too. He was fascinated with the water, but really wanted to crawl into it. He spend most of the time showing off the new skill he had just learned the day prior...if you say "how big is Jason" he'll throw his hands up in the air. He does it now, constantly, and is so proud of himself. Anyway, it was an enjoyable afternoon.

moving day

On Wednesday, after maybe an hour and a half of sleep, we were up to start our day. It was a wirlwind of activity, including the new renters showing up around 8:00. By 9:00 we were done (or as done as we were going to be) so we head to the airport. Al dropped myself, the boys, 4 suitcases, and 2 carryons off at the airport. Shortly afterwards he picked up my dad from the airport. My dad had originally offered to fly in to FL so that he could drive with me and the minivan to NJ. If you've ever heard Jason scream in his carseat you'd realize he was doing us all a favor when he offered to drive the minivan himself while the boys and I flew. I'll be forever greatful.

After a few hours Al started his drive to GA (for jump school), my dad started his drive with the minivan to NJ, and the boys and I boarded our plane. They did pretty good. Jason was pretty cranky, but he nursed to sleep under the nursing cover maybe 30 minutes in the flight, where I left him to sleep for the next hour or so. Tyler was anxious for our arrival, but very good.

My mom drove to the airport to pick us up. She got a very big "running hug" from Tyler. We arrived at the house and Tyler was very excited to see his new bedroom. VERY excited.

Shortly afterwards we visited my grandparents for dinner (Riviera Pizza, yum). Then it was time for bed. Very early to bed. We all needed it.

Graduation Day

After a very restless night on a small Aerobed (and sleeping bag for Tyler) we sent Tyler off to his last day of preschool on Tuesday. He loaded up on sweets and junk all day long, and of course had a fun time. Meanwhile I got Jason to nap so I could scrub and seal more grout, clean the tub, and did some other general cleaning. From there I picked Tyler up to go visit my friend Gineen one last time. Tyler played with her daughter and Jason and her son tried to poke each other in the face repeatedly. Good stuff.

That afternoon was full of more and more and more cleaning. We rushed to get ready for graduation, but I did get Tyler to cooperate for some pictures outside before it started raining. I can't believe my baby is so grown up looking!




The graduation ceremony was cute. Each class did 2 songs. I believe each child started the song at a different point. It was impossible to hear what was going on. I spared you the details of the video. It's actually painful to watch. From there they each got to walk up on stage for their diploma, and even more importantly, a bag of goodies (like stickers, pencil, small candies). The evening was of course topped off with some cookies and juice.

I apologize, these pictures alone could justify my need to get a better camera. So sad.






When we got home I did get Tyler to sing my favorite of their 2 class songs, which turned out pretty cute.

So, by 9:00 Tyler was in bed, and our night of stressful getting ready had only begun. Just when I thought it couldnt' get worse, Tyler woke up puking all over his clothes, the rug, and his bedding...and later the freshly cleaned bathroom. This is normally bad anyway, but coupled with the move the next day, our need to be doing other things, and the general stress level it wasn't good. Did I mention that Al had spent the day shampooing carpets and had already returned the Rug Doctor? Or the fact that we had no washer and drier nor additional bedding. Yep, can you say STRESS!!!

Anyway though, I can't believe my baby has graduated preschool. In September (or August, depending on our location) he will be starting Kindergarten. I can hardly wrap my little head around it.