Table and Chairs...

Who knew a table and chairs could be so much fun! Recently I have been wanting to do several activities with Xander (and James, but mostly Xander) that really require sitting at a table. I thought I'd be brave and try some painting but I also wanted to start working on some writing and schooling type activities. I bought Xander this book to help him start working on learning to write his letters. They also have one for numbers but first things first. Anyway I didn't really want to use my dining room table for painting and play dough etc and Xander never seems to want to sit at the dining room table- he is constantly trying to stand in his chair and usually ends up kneeling after we tell him to sit. Every time we have gone to a friend's house that has a child size table and chairs he immediately goes and sits and even James is drawn to a table his size. I have been trolling craigslist and used baby stores for a decent, sturdy table and chairs but haven't found anything worth my time to drive and get it. So when we were at BRU yesterday Xander kept going to this table set and sitting and playing at it. Then when I went over to the aisle where they have the tables he asked repeatedly for his own table and chair. So we splurged a bit and I bought him his very own table and chairs. I really liked this set b/c the price was quite reasonable and it was very sturdy. I also liked that fact that it came in a cherry color so it can blend with most of our other furniture and it looks like real furniture not cheap kiddy stuff. I only wish I could buy more chairs for it b/c when we have friends over we don't have extra chairs! It was pretty funny b/c when we left the store Xander was very concerned about where his table was and made me show it to him to make sure we were bringing it home. So last night I put it all together- all by myself I might add- and it was the very first thing that Xander saw when he came down the stairs this morning. He was pretty ecstatic. He and James have been playing with it all morning. Xander insisted on eating all his meals at "his" table and he has already designated which chair is his and which chair is James'. I like it b/c I can sit on the chair and not feel like I am falling on the floor or it is going to collapse under me and the table has not wobbled an iota despite 2 little boys climbing on it! So far they have played cars on it, made valentines, eaten at it, and colored. We still haven't attempted painting yet but that may have to be on the agenda for next week!

Shopping in Nashua...

So today the boys and I went to Nashua for "picture day" as it is known to the men in my family. This time I actually needed to go to the dentist and since we were going to be in Nashua I figured I would take the boys to get their pictures done since it James' is basically 18 months old. So we met my mom at the dentist so she could watch them while I had my teeth cleaned. I swear having babies has totally destroyed my teeth! I have never had a cavity in my entire life and since I got pregnant the first time I have had 2. So now I have 1 that needs a filling and 2 other "spots" that they are going to watch and make sure they don't develop into cavities. I don't really mind the dentist all that much it is just somehow disconcerting to have someone drilling into your teeth- yuck! So after the dentist we headed to the mall to have the boys pictured done at Picture People.

The boys did really great with pictures- Xander has realized that he can say "cheese" and people will take his picture. he mostly enjoys looking at the picture in the viewfinder afterwards though. After pics we had lunch in the food court and did some window shopping while we waited for the pictures to be ready. We got some really fabulous pics of Xander, some great ones of James and some good ones of them together. James wasn't being the most cooperative. You can see them here.

After the mall we headed over to Babies R Us for the "Great Trade In Event" James has finally outgrown his infant seat and needs a new car seat. So we traded in an old car seat we had for 25% off a new one. We decided (ok I decided) that instead of getting James a new convertible seat we'd get Xander a booster seat and move James into Xander's convertible. That way we won't have to buy Xander a new car seat in the nearish future when he outgrows his current convertible seat. So after much debate I decided to purchase a Britax Frontier 85. It has really good safety rating and will grow with Xander hopefully until he doesn't need to be in a car seat any longer (you know when he is in high school peanut that he is...). Originally the plan was to put it in the truck but Xander really likes his Recaro so we thought he might throw a fit if we gave his favored throne to his brother so now I think we'll put it in my car and move his convertible from my car into the truck. When I pulled it out of the box at home though, James was much more interested in sitting in it than Xander! Too bad he doesn't meet the weight, age or height requirements to actually use it! We also got them a table and chairs at BRU and I put them together when we got home so hopefully I will have pics of that to post.

The Joys of Brotherly Love...

This is what happens when your almost 3 y/o gets ahold of a marker! Luckily it was dry erase... What surprises me most is that James happily allowed the painting of his face.

Happy Feet

Every little kid has their own cute and adorable way of dancing but James has been so funny recently. He does this little feet stomping thing that is adorable- he was kinda doing it before but we watched the movie Happy Feet recently and he has been doing it a lot more recently. He'll even do it now if you ask him to show you his Happy Feet!

Skating Party

Today we had a very busy day! I took the boys to swim class in the morning at the YMCA while Frank attended the town deliberative session for 2011. Then we headed over to the seacoast to attend the annual alumni skating party at PEA. We have gone the last several years and it has always been a good time. Skating, pizza, cookies, cider, and hot chocolate- where can you go wrong?!? This year we met my mom, my brothers, my sister-in-law, and all my nieces and nephews there. For Xander, May and George it was their first time on skates. We decided James was too young to give it a go this year! My mom found Xander these itty bitty tiny skates- they are so stinking cute! He managed to master walking around on them on solid ground but once he got onto the ice he just kept saying "it's too slippy." We tried to get him to do it on his own a bit but mostly we held him up or pushed him around on milk cartons. He had a blast though and didn't want to leave the ice- even to eat pizza and cookies! May did awesome, after an hour or so she was skating around without the aid of milk cartons. George had a bit more trouble but we're blaming the lack of toe picks on his skates! James spent quite a bit of time riding around in the stroller on the ice and being held by everyone. He managed to make time for pizza and cookies! In the past we've spent the night after the party at my mom's but this time we came home b/c we have a lot to get done tomorrow- pigs and steer need to get to the butcher and then there is the Super Bowl of course! but next year we are definitely staying over at my mom's. The ride home was SO long and Frank and I were spent by the time we got home. How is it that there never seem to be enough hours to sleep in the day....

Here you have Baby James and Big James!

A visit to the ENT

So as many of you know Xander has been having issues with his ears pretty much since he was a baby. He often seemed to have ear infections and we attributed his speech delay to chronic fluid in his ears. So on August 31, 2010 he has PE tubes placed in both ears. After the surgery all went well for a bit- he saw massive gains in his speech. It wasn't overnight but the explosion in language has been truly impressive. So all in all I felt pretty vindicated that the decision to place tubes was the right one. Obviously the chronic fluid had been affecting his ability to acquire language so despite the fact that his gross hearing tests were all within the acceptable range (albeit on the lower end of normal) I think it is safe to say that his hearing was definitely affected.

What hasn't been going so well is the amount of ear infections. What were frequent ear infections became pretty much constant ear infections. He always seemed to have pus or fluid draining from his ears, but at least it was draining. He never had a fever and he seemed more discomforted by the antibiotic ear drops than the infection itself. We didn't have to do oral antibiotics which was a blessing b/c they just tear up his stomach. But in the last month that picture has unfortunately changed. Xander has now had 2 ear infections where he was febrile, did not have fluid draining from his ears, and he seemed bothered and in pain from his ears constantly tugged and pulling at them, especially the left. So after his ninth (yes NINE, 9th) ear infection since the surgery my mom took him to his PCP last week where he said he did indeed have an ear infection but the tube was still present in the ear (the same picture as the time before that) of course while at the Dr office he did not have a fever! But anyway they sent him for a tympanogram after which we we referred back to ENT. My suspicion at that point was that his typanogram hadn't been very good but the NP at our regular dr office would only say that the "results were hard to read." AKA he failed miserably! I have to be honest and say I wasn't that impressed with the new NP in my dealings with her over the phone but my mom said she was good in person so I am trying to give her the benefit of the doubt.

So on Tuesday I took him back to the ENT, an appointment for which we were terribly late due to heavy snow..again, but we made it. Dr Wilson looked in his ears and guess what he had an ear infection... maybe the same on or a new one who knows at this point! But the tube in his left ear is no longer in and based on Dr Wilson examination and the typanogram his eardrum is now intact with a fluid collection behind it. The right tube does still seem to be partially patent at least. So based on the number of ear infections that he has had since the tube placement (and Dr Wilson was the first one to agree with me that given the sheer number of post tube infections he was probably having more infections pre-tubes than we realized!) the recommendation would be to replace the tubes and remove his adenoids at the same time. Apparently the adenoids can become colonized with bacteria and since the Eustachian tubes exit near the adenoids it is easy for the bacteria to cause ear infections. I think it's just because Xander has such a pin head! So March 8th we head back to the OR for PE tubes and an adenoidectomy. Hopefully this will be the last time, luckily though e now have new insurance b/c I am still working on paying the bill for the last round! With Frank's new job though we have much better benefits and Xander's surgery will be free this time around- thank goodness! Now if only we can manage to stay relatively ear infection free until then....

Dear Deniz

Today I find myself thinking of you, not surprising since it's your birthday! I'm finding it hard to believe that it's been 6 whole years since you've been gone. They say that time heals all wounds and I guess in a way it does but I still catch myself thinking I've got to tell Deniz about this, and then I remember. I remember that you never got to meet Frank or sing at my wedding like we planned or meet my boys. How is it that my boys are going to grow up not knowing you! We never did get to take that trip to California or go back to Istanbul together. I feel like I never got the chance to say goodbye. Once I get pst the remembering comes the anger- why didn't you get the chance to meet Frank or sing at my wedding or meet my boys? Why didn't we have the time to go back to Istanbul or take that trip to CA? Why were you taken from us so young? I don't have the answers... but today on your birthday I was there as we brought 4 new lives into this world. And I'd like to think that each one of them has even a fraction of your spirit!

Do you know that everytime I read a Mercedes Lackey book I think of you. I still remember the very first time we met- me hiding in a corner with a book and you stopping to say hello and "I love that book." Everytime I watch the X-Files I remember those Sunday nights spent in the students lounge. I remember you and Brenda fighting for a solo in glee club singing for like an hour and Mr S still not being able to decide so you had to split it. Lighting firecrackers on the roof of your apartment in Montreal. You greeting me on crutches and saying Surprise! Touring the Botanical gardens. Hanging out in the library. Skiing in those horrible hot pink snowsuits- what were we thinking?!?!? Your smile. Trapeze school. Shopping in the covered bazaar. Singing.

After the sadness and the anger come the good memories, still tempered by sadness, but I find myself smiling as I think of our teenage selves. God we were so young! On the way to work tonight I listened to the Concert Choir cd that you made our senior year and I like to think that I can pick your voice out. We were so proud of you when you finished your engineering degree but I will always remember you best singing. And I know that even if my boys never get to meet you in person they can meet you through my memories and through your voice recorded on that cd.

Punxsutawney Phil says spring is going to come early this year- I'm taking it as a message from you! I miss you so much my love. Good Night, spoons.

In loving memory of Deniz Sarikaya, 1978-2005