Miss R was still warm this morning. Jeff had been up several times in the night to check on her. My parents volunteered to take care of her during the day. Poppy met us in the parking lot of Children's Learning Adventure. I transferred Miss R to his car. Henry was upset that Poppy took Miss R but not him. He said he didn't like school.
Miss R had a fluctuating fever throughout the day. The kids went to bed before 8PM. I got home at 8:10PM.
Jeff made me pizza, and we watched Sunshine Cleaning. While the pizza was cooking, I got a chance to tuck Henry in bed as he was still talking to himself, keeping himself up. He's a funny guy.
With about 1/2 an hour of the film left to go, Jeff checked on Miss R. Her temp was 103.7 under the arm, which means her core temp was probably more like 104.7. I got her a wet washcloth and Tylenol. She was very red in the face. Unlike Henry who tends to get hot in particular areas of the body (e.g., just his forehead but not the top of his head, or just his back), Miss R gets warm all over. The Tylenol has helped bring the fever down, but it acts slowly. We finished watching the movie as Miss R slept on Jeff's chest. He put her to bed about 15 minutes ago. I'm staying up for another 45 minutes and will be checking her before I head to bed.
Jeff commented that he worries more about Henry when he gets sick b/c Miss R just seems to resilient. I think that impression comes from her rebounding from flu and colds when she first joined our family. I tended to think of her as resilient too. But I've been a little more concerned her ever since July when her lungs required the steroids and nebulizing treatments.
In any event, Miss R won't be going to school tomorrow.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Christmas Tree
Sunday morning, Henry and I slept in until 9AM. I didn't go to bed until after 2AM b/c I was coding and creating an exam for my graduate seminar. I suspect that Henry was just sleeping off his illness. He wasn't 100% Henry today, but he was better. He seemed a little hypersensitive. He overreacted, for example, when a drop of syrup got on his tray.
Henry and I read the comics, his favorite Sunday pasttime. He really likes Slylock Fox.
We put up our 3.5 fiber optic Christmas tree and hung ornaments. Henry put up his first Christmas ornament on his own (see Holiday Penguin on left). He had to concentrate to get it on.
Miss R had been in a good mood all morning. She took to putting up Christmas ornaments after she saw Henry do it. She didn't really need any assistance or personalized instruction. She is a Christmas orngament prodigy, I think. Her fine motor skills are truly excellent.
We are missing a box of our ornaments, which makes me sad. Some of my childhood ornaments were in it.
Henry found a bunch of our holiday cards sent by family and friends last year. The first one that he found was from one of my all-time favorite professors, Marty Fishbein, who passed away on Thursday. Marty was a truly exceptional scholar and firstrate mentor. I was glad that Henry found that card.
Henry and Miss R had fun wearing the reindeer headband and Santa hat that we normally put on our iron coyotes outside.
Henry managed to break two of our delicate ornaments. We had fiber glass Mickey and Minnie ornaments. He made them kiss rather hard and their ears shattered, requiring a thorough vacuuming of the area.
Henry decided to spruce up his outfit by putting on my tank top.
After their nap time, which didn't last long as it took forever for them to fall asleep, Jeff took them to my parents around 3:30PM. Around 5:15PM, my mom called to say that Miss R had a fever and was sleeping. Jeff went over there for dinner with medicine and thermometer in tow. Her temp was 102.
The kids were in a great mood when they came home. Miss R still felt warm but not hot. Her temp was 99.2.
After teeth brushing, we put them to bed. Miss R fights bed time, which is frustrating. She wanted blankets, then didn't want them, then cried b/c she wanted them. I finally told her to go to bed and left the room. Then, Henry started yammering. I was in my office, and I could hear them giggle at each other. After 15 minutes, I played "bad cop" and told them to go to bed. Henry wanted to be tucked in again. But he was up a few minutes later. I ended up tucking him in several times.
Henry and I read the comics, his favorite Sunday pasttime. He really likes Slylock Fox.
We put up our 3.5 fiber optic Christmas tree and hung ornaments. Henry put up his first Christmas ornament on his own (see Holiday Penguin on left). He had to concentrate to get it on.Miss R had been in a good mood all morning. She took to putting up Christmas ornaments after she saw Henry do it. She didn't really need any assistance or personalized instruction. She is a Christmas orngament prodigy, I think. Her fine motor skills are truly excellent.
We are missing a box of our ornaments, which makes me sad. Some of my childhood ornaments were in it.
Henry found a bunch of our holiday cards sent by family and friends last year. The first one that he found was from one of my all-time favorite professors, Marty Fishbein, who passed away on Thursday. Marty was a truly exceptional scholar and firstrate mentor. I was glad that Henry found that card.
Henry and Miss R had fun wearing the reindeer headband and Santa hat that we normally put on our iron coyotes outside.Henry managed to break two of our delicate ornaments. We had fiber glass Mickey and Minnie ornaments. He made them kiss rather hard and their ears shattered, requiring a thorough vacuuming of the area.
Henry decided to spruce up his outfit by putting on my tank top.After their nap time, which didn't last long as it took forever for them to fall asleep, Jeff took them to my parents around 3:30PM. Around 5:15PM, my mom called to say that Miss R had a fever and was sleeping. Jeff went over there for dinner with medicine and thermometer in tow. Her temp was 102.
The kids were in a great mood when they came home. Miss R still felt warm but not hot. Her temp was 99.2.
After teeth brushing, we put them to bed. Miss R fights bed time, which is frustrating. She wanted blankets, then didn't want them, then cried b/c she wanted them. I finally told her to go to bed and left the room. Then, Henry started yammering. I was in my office, and I could hear them giggle at each other. After 15 minutes, I played "bad cop" and told them to go to bed. Henry wanted to be tucked in again. But he was up a few minutes later. I ended up tucking him in several times.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Christmas Lights
On Friday, Patty came to clean our house. The kids had fun cleaning windows with her (she gives them water to wipe). Jeff and I took the kids outside and put up Christmas lights. We took down the Halloween Spider and put up reindeer in our entry way. While Jeff hung the blue icicles that frame our door way, I let the kids spread bird seed around the property. We had bought some at Basha's on Thanksgiving and had fun Thursday afternoon spreading it.
The kids got very dirty from climbing up and down the latter (with Jeff's help of course). We wiped them clean before lunch and then it was nap time.
Around 3:30PM, Jeff took the kids to Grammy and Poppy's house. Jeff hit some golf balls. I worked. We returned to my parents around 6:15PM for Thanksgiving leftovers.
Then, my parents, Jeff, the Twins, and I went to Tohono Chul Park's holiday light display. Over 1/2 a million lights in the park. Live music in the different gardens. The kids had a great time. Henry, unfortunately, was a bit too loud to listen to the choir, so I walked around with him. We ran into Frosty the Snowman a couple times. Henry didn't realize that we'd walked in a circle. He thought that he'd come across a second snowman.
The kids enjoyed the desserts...Miss R especially. We didn't watch the Tucson Ballet's scenes from the Nutcracker b/c Henry was again a bit too loud.
As we headed toward the exit of the park, we ran into a family with two little boys. Henry was fascinated by Andrew, the 4 year old. He walked right up to him and said "Hi!" As Andrew walked backward, Henry would walk forward. Within 30 seconds, Henry gave Andrew a hug...he hasn't yet learned about personal space. Andrew's dad joked with Jeff: "You really need to work on that. He needs to come out of his shell."
Within a couple minutes, Henry was running around and Andrew was having fun chasing him. And Andrew's two year old brother also got in on the action.
I think that Henry would like for us to have a big family. I suspect that he would have loved to have older siblings.
On a parental note, as we entered the park, a kid who was about 7 was leaving the park with his family. He pointed at Henry, and in a very snide voice said, "Look, he has glasses!" Henry didn't hear or care of course. And if every there was a kid who will be able to let snide remarks bounce off him, it is Henry. He doesn't really internalize criticism and is self-directed. Nevertheless, I pretty much wanted to smack the 7 year old upside the head. He was too old to pick on a toddler.
When we got home, the kids played near the reindeer. Then, it was time for bed.
This morning, Henry started feeling hot. He had a low grade fever that slowly crept to over 101 throughout the day. In the morning, he started crawling around instead of walking. His balance was clearly off, and he wanted to be held a lot. So it was a quiet day at home. Lots of reading. Some TV. Henry liked the former and loved the latter.
Jeff made pizza for dinner. Henry loved it. Despite not feeling well today, he was very pleasant and his appetite was fine. We are now headed to the bathroom for a much needed bath.
The kids got very dirty from climbing up and down the latter (with Jeff's help of course). We wiped them clean before lunch and then it was nap time.
Around 3:30PM, Jeff took the kids to Grammy and Poppy's house. Jeff hit some golf balls. I worked. We returned to my parents around 6:15PM for Thanksgiving leftovers.
Then, my parents, Jeff, the Twins, and I went to Tohono Chul Park's holiday light display. Over 1/2 a million lights in the park. Live music in the different gardens. The kids had a great time. Henry, unfortunately, was a bit too loud to listen to the choir, so I walked around with him. We ran into Frosty the Snowman a couple times. Henry didn't realize that we'd walked in a circle. He thought that he'd come across a second snowman.The kids enjoyed the desserts...Miss R especially. We didn't watch the Tucson Ballet's scenes from the Nutcracker b/c Henry was again a bit too loud.
As we headed toward the exit of the park, we ran into a family with two little boys. Henry was fascinated by Andrew, the 4 year old. He walked right up to him and said "Hi!" As Andrew walked backward, Henry would walk forward. Within 30 seconds, Henry gave Andrew a hug...he hasn't yet learned about personal space. Andrew's dad joked with Jeff: "You really need to work on that. He needs to come out of his shell."
Within a couple minutes, Henry was running around and Andrew was having fun chasing him. And Andrew's two year old brother also got in on the action.
I think that Henry would like for us to have a big family. I suspect that he would have loved to have older siblings.
On a parental note, as we entered the park, a kid who was about 7 was leaving the park with his family. He pointed at Henry, and in a very snide voice said, "Look, he has glasses!" Henry didn't hear or care of course. And if every there was a kid who will be able to let snide remarks bounce off him, it is Henry. He doesn't really internalize criticism and is self-directed. Nevertheless, I pretty much wanted to smack the 7 year old upside the head. He was too old to pick on a toddler.
When we got home, the kids played near the reindeer. Then, it was time for bed.This morning, Henry started feeling hot. He had a low grade fever that slowly crept to over 101 throughout the day. In the morning, he started crawling around instead of walking. His balance was clearly off, and he wanted to be held a lot. So it was a quiet day at home. Lots of reading. Some TV. Henry liked the former and loved the latter.
Jeff made pizza for dinner. Henry loved it. Despite not feeling well today, he was very pleasant and his appetite was fine. We are now headed to the bathroom for a much needed bath.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
On Wednesday, Henry and Miss R were taken to school early so that I could make it to school by 8AM to teach my grad seminar (as it was the day before Thanksgiving, the class wanted to meet early). The kids were fine at drop off.
Grammy and Poppy picked up the kids in the afternoon and took them to Barnes and Noble. The kids had a great time as usual. Jeff and I went to see "New Moon" (which was hilarious...unintentionally). Then, Jeff picked up dinner while I got the kids. Henry didn't want to leave Grammy's house. He wanted to watch Peanuts...the scene where Charlie Brown gives the little red headed girl a kiss. Henry insisted that we read a book before leaving. That ended when he thought he heard Uncle Brian's voice and ran to back door. Turned out it was Poppy. We then headed home. We stopped by the gas station to fill up the car. When I was done, Henry announced that he wanted to "go to the gas station again." Not sure what the appeal is with the gas station.
On Thursday, we went for a family walk in the morning. Henry convinced me to hold him a good part of the way. I'm not used to Henry asking for so many much Mommy holding...it was nice. We took a family trip to Basha's to pick up some last minute groceries. As we passed the blood pressure machine, Henry insisted that I take my blood pressure. Then he wanted Daddy to "take blood pressure."
After lunch, we gave the kids a bath. We have to put plugs in Henry's ears while he has the tubes in them. He did better with them than anticipated. The kids had fun "swimming." They took a long nap while I got some cooking done. Jeff got the kids dressed while I got ready. Then, it was off to Grammy and Poppy's house for Thanksgiving dinner.
My Aunt Gloria (my dad's sister) got to meet Miss R for the first time. Our dinner party consisted of Grammy, Poppy, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Brian, Aunt Erin, Jeff, me, and the kids. Miss R was in a rejection mood. I managed to get a spoonful of potatoes in her mouth, however, at which point she realized that the dinner was pretty good. Miss R found Henry's dump truck. She put her Mickey and Minnie toys in it and pushed them around the house. I don't think that I've ever seen her move so much. Henry joined in with his bike. The kids loved the pie. They wanted second helpings. Of course, once I brought them to the kids, Henry announced that he didn't like pie, having stuffed his face 2 minutes earlier. He did, however, managed a couple more bites of the second piece.
I think that it would be fitting to end today's post with a list of things for which I am thankful.
1. Henry is amazing. He continues to dazzle us with his quick wit and verbal prowess.
2. Miss R is very loving. We began our year with a strong feeling that it was important to use the skills that we'd gained being the parents of a child with special needs for other children. We put that feeling into action by going through foster parent training and getting licensed. We are thankful that Miss R melded so seamlessly into our family and that she has thrived with us. Being Miss R's mom has been very rewarding. And I confess that it is nice to have one child in the house who is slightly more mommy-centric than Henry who is a complete daddy's boy.
3. Jeff is a fantastic father and fabulous husband. I simply couldn't keep up with my work without him. The kids adore him.
4. My parents are wonderful grandparents. It is a joy seeing how much our kids love them and want to spend time with them.
5. I am thankful for the support that we've been given by our family and friends. Jeff's sister Jennifer has been supportive through calls and emails to Jeff throughout the NICU ordeal to the present. We are lucky to have several gems of friends too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Grammy and Poppy picked up the kids in the afternoon and took them to Barnes and Noble. The kids had a great time as usual. Jeff and I went to see "New Moon" (which was hilarious...unintentionally). Then, Jeff picked up dinner while I got the kids. Henry didn't want to leave Grammy's house. He wanted to watch Peanuts...the scene where Charlie Brown gives the little red headed girl a kiss. Henry insisted that we read a book before leaving. That ended when he thought he heard Uncle Brian's voice and ran to back door. Turned out it was Poppy. We then headed home. We stopped by the gas station to fill up the car. When I was done, Henry announced that he wanted to "go to the gas station again." Not sure what the appeal is with the gas station.
On Thursday, we went for a family walk in the morning. Henry convinced me to hold him a good part of the way. I'm not used to Henry asking for so many much Mommy holding...it was nice. We took a family trip to Basha's to pick up some last minute groceries. As we passed the blood pressure machine, Henry insisted that I take my blood pressure. Then he wanted Daddy to "take blood pressure."
After lunch, we gave the kids a bath. We have to put plugs in Henry's ears while he has the tubes in them. He did better with them than anticipated. The kids had fun "swimming." They took a long nap while I got some cooking done. Jeff got the kids dressed while I got ready. Then, it was off to Grammy and Poppy's house for Thanksgiving dinner.
My Aunt Gloria (my dad's sister) got to meet Miss R for the first time. Our dinner party consisted of Grammy, Poppy, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Brian, Aunt Erin, Jeff, me, and the kids. Miss R was in a rejection mood. I managed to get a spoonful of potatoes in her mouth, however, at which point she realized that the dinner was pretty good. Miss R found Henry's dump truck. She put her Mickey and Minnie toys in it and pushed them around the house. I don't think that I've ever seen her move so much. Henry joined in with his bike. The kids loved the pie. They wanted second helpings. Of course, once I brought them to the kids, Henry announced that he didn't like pie, having stuffed his face 2 minutes earlier. He did, however, managed a couple more bites of the second piece.
I think that it would be fitting to end today's post with a list of things for which I am thankful.
1. Henry is amazing. He continues to dazzle us with his quick wit and verbal prowess.
2. Miss R is very loving. We began our year with a strong feeling that it was important to use the skills that we'd gained being the parents of a child with special needs for other children. We put that feeling into action by going through foster parent training and getting licensed. We are thankful that Miss R melded so seamlessly into our family and that she has thrived with us. Being Miss R's mom has been very rewarding. And I confess that it is nice to have one child in the house who is slightly more mommy-centric than Henry who is a complete daddy's boy.
3. Jeff is a fantastic father and fabulous husband. I simply couldn't keep up with my work without him. The kids adore him.
4. My parents are wonderful grandparents. It is a joy seeing how much our kids love them and want to spend time with them.
5. I am thankful for the support that we've been given by our family and friends. Jeff's sister Jennifer has been supportive through calls and emails to Jeff throughout the NICU ordeal to the present. We are lucky to have several gems of friends too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
"Help! I'm being robbed! I'm being robbed!"
Jeff woke up Henry at 5PM. He would have slept longer had Jeff let him. I had a 4PM meeting at school. Then, I had to post something for my grad students. Miss R came home from her sibling visitation around 6PM. They've been dropping her home early. My understanding was that the visitation was supposed to be 2 hours, but they've been cutting it short. One of Miss R's siblings sent her home with a photo of himself. I'm planning to tape it near her bed. We were too rushed this morning, but I had wanted to send a couple pictures of Miss R on her visitation. We'll try to get our acts together next time. A couple weeks ago, Miss R named her bio siblings to me when I asked her who she saw on her visit. It was a first. The sibling who sent along the picture gave Miss R a very nice outfit for her birthday. It may be a little big on her right now b/c she's running a little small for her age. But I'm sure that she'll be big enough in a few months, and it is really cute.
Jeff made the kids pancakes for dinner at Henry's request. Pretty much Henry has gotten whatever his heart desires today.
At one point, I was trying to distract Henry while Jeff got the laptops out of the living room. I asked Henry to dance. He did his "Maniac" dance with singing.
A little later, he decided to push the new cat food case out of the pantry. It's 9 lbs. He actually picked up the box and carried it a little ways before putting it down. That's over 1/3 his body weight.
He and Miss R went wild in the kitchen. Dancing. Moving. Yelling. Chanting. Singing. Giggling. Henry announced that he was "tap dancing" as he tapped his hands against the cat food box. He then sat down and "played the piano" like Schroeder from Peanuts.
We had to wrangle him on the bed to put the special and required ear drops in his ears. Incidentally, Henry can count to 9 in 2 seconds flat when pressed. Whenever I ask him to count, he says "No." We had him on the bed and were holding him down for the ear drops to settle. He was squirming and fighting us. I said, "We'll let you up if you can count to 10." He rattled off those numbers super fast. Can't say that I'm surprised that he's been holding out on us. Erin did the same thing to my mom when she was a child. My mom was concerned that Erin didn't know how to write her ABCs. Erin refused to do it at home when asked. We were at an ice cream social that had tables of butcher paper and crayons. My mom caught Erin in the act of writing them out.
He and Miss R went into Lily's kennel in Jeff's and my bedroom. Henry got mad at Lily for joining them. He announced that they were "going to Costco." It was then time to brush teeth, but the kids wouldn't budge from the kennel. I warned them in a stern voice. They ignored me. So I said, "OK. That's it." I grabbed Henry and carried him to the bathroom. He started yelling, "Help! Help! I'm being robbed! I'm being robbed!" Of course my stern attitude went out the window b/c I busted up laughing. I'm not sure where he gets half the things he says. I believe that it was yesterday that he told me that he was putting himself in time out. Kind of hard not to laugh when he makes such pronouncements.
Miss R has been very hard to get to sleep these days. She gets very silly by 8PM. I think that we are going to try to put them to bed earlier. It's difficult though. We do enjoy spending time with the kids after dinner.
Jeff made the kids pancakes for dinner at Henry's request. Pretty much Henry has gotten whatever his heart desires today.
At one point, I was trying to distract Henry while Jeff got the laptops out of the living room. I asked Henry to dance. He did his "Maniac" dance with singing.
A little later, he decided to push the new cat food case out of the pantry. It's 9 lbs. He actually picked up the box and carried it a little ways before putting it down. That's over 1/3 his body weight.
He and Miss R went wild in the kitchen. Dancing. Moving. Yelling. Chanting. Singing. Giggling. Henry announced that he was "tap dancing" as he tapped his hands against the cat food box. He then sat down and "played the piano" like Schroeder from Peanuts.
We had to wrangle him on the bed to put the special and required ear drops in his ears. Incidentally, Henry can count to 9 in 2 seconds flat when pressed. Whenever I ask him to count, he says "No." We had him on the bed and were holding him down for the ear drops to settle. He was squirming and fighting us. I said, "We'll let you up if you can count to 10." He rattled off those numbers super fast. Can't say that I'm surprised that he's been holding out on us. Erin did the same thing to my mom when she was a child. My mom was concerned that Erin didn't know how to write her ABCs. Erin refused to do it at home when asked. We were at an ice cream social that had tables of butcher paper and crayons. My mom caught Erin in the act of writing them out.
He and Miss R went into Lily's kennel in Jeff's and my bedroom. Henry got mad at Lily for joining them. He announced that they were "going to Costco." It was then time to brush teeth, but the kids wouldn't budge from the kennel. I warned them in a stern voice. They ignored me. So I said, "OK. That's it." I grabbed Henry and carried him to the bathroom. He started yelling, "Help! Help! I'm being robbed! I'm being robbed!" Of course my stern attitude went out the window b/c I busted up laughing. I'm not sure where he gets half the things he says. I believe that it was yesterday that he told me that he was putting himself in time out. Kind of hard not to laugh when he makes such pronouncements.
Miss R has been very hard to get to sleep these days. She gets very silly by 8PM. I think that we are going to try to put them to bed earlier. It's difficult though. We do enjoy spending time with the kids after dinner.
Quick Update: Henry is Doing Well
Henry had tubes put in his ears this morning. The surgery required anesthesia. Both Jeff and I weren't excited about knowing that he'd be put under. We got the kids out of bed at 5:50AM this morning. There was much crying and protest. We arrived at the surgery center at 6:30AM. Henry liked playing with the toys in the waiting room. Miss R enjoyed coloring the white board walls.
Jeff went with Henry to the back when his name was called. I attempted to braid Miss R's crazy hair while she colored. We were then called back to be with Henry. Henry looked super cute in his tiger hospital gown.
The hardest part was watching Henry be wheeled off in the gurney. He had the look of a child whose parents had abandoned him.
The surgery was quick. About 10-15 minutes later, Dr. Dean came to see us. He said that it went well. There was a lot of fluid behind the right ear.
About 5-10 minutes later, we headed around the back. Jeff went through the back entrance. The nurse said to follow the screams. Henry didn't like waking up with strangers around him.
We then headed to their school and dropped off Miss R. It was about 8:15AM at this point. Henry was super hungry having not eaten. We took him to the glass onion where he enjoyed bites of Jeff's "A Hard Eggs Night" and my "No Yoko" breakfast.
Henry and I watched Thomas videos on the couch. He had a big lunch. He was perhaps a bit less active than his normal self, but as active than the average toddler. Then it was nap time.
Jeff went with Henry to the back when his name was called. I attempted to braid Miss R's crazy hair while she colored. We were then called back to be with Henry. Henry looked super cute in his tiger hospital gown.
The hardest part was watching Henry be wheeled off in the gurney. He had the look of a child whose parents had abandoned him.
The surgery was quick. About 10-15 minutes later, Dr. Dean came to see us. He said that it went well. There was a lot of fluid behind the right ear.
About 5-10 minutes later, we headed around the back. Jeff went through the back entrance. The nurse said to follow the screams. Henry didn't like waking up with strangers around him.
We then headed to their school and dropped off Miss R. It was about 8:15AM at this point. Henry was super hungry having not eaten. We took him to the glass onion where he enjoyed bites of Jeff's "A Hard Eggs Night" and my "No Yoko" breakfast.
Henry and I watched Thomas videos on the couch. He had a big lunch. He was perhaps a bit less active than his normal self, but as active than the average toddler. Then it was nap time.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Mangled Glasses, Singing and a Mega Tantrum
Kate was off to Chicago again Thursday through Saturday. When I dropped the kids off at daycare, Henry was happy to go off and play with the "bicycles," which are little scooting toys. Miss R cried. They then reversed on Friday, and Miss R was content to join her class while Henry cried. It's still sad to see them cry, even though I'm pretty sure they stop as soon as I'm out of earshot.
Grandma and Grandpa took the kids Thursday afternoon. Henry had mangled his glasses. Friday afternoon Grandma and Grandpa took him to the opticians, and they were able to fix the glasses.
I then joined them and we headed out to dinner. The first choice had a 45 minute wait so we went to Coco's. That was actually a great place to take them. It wasn't too busy, we got a booth, and service was pretty quick. Henry rummaged through Grandma's purse until he found her cash. He hasn't learned the power of the credit card yet. She gave them both a dollar for their piggy banks.
On Saturday we went to Costco with with the Grandparents. Miss R decided to stay with me rather than share a cart with Henry. We were about halfway through the store when I realized I hadn't given her any sample food. We backtracked, and she enjoyed the snacks. For someone her size, it is probably like having a bunch of appetizers.
They went home with their Grandparents leaving me free to hit some golf balls and clean the house. At one point, Grandma had to leave Grandpa alone with them for a while. I think that is a first. They timed it so they were napping at that time. When they got up, they went outside and watered the plants. It's nice that they are still at an age when they want to help, even though they may not be the most helpful.
Again Henry did not want to leave their house to come home. I feel like he is a little resentful when we leave him with others. Miss R is quite different; she always lights up and runs and gives us big hugs when we pick her up.
Kate arrived home late Saturday night so we spent some time together on Sunday. We all slept in rather late. The kids enjoyed a breakfast of french toast. They then found their underwear drawer and had a great time running around with underwear on their heads. It's brand new underwear, nothing they have worn yet. At one point Henry got his face stuck in the leg hole and asked for help to get it out. What a character.
We went grocery shopping and picked up things for Thanksgiving. It was nice to have the two of us there so we could have two carts and one kid per cart. Then it was back home for lunch and nap time.
After nap we went for family walk with the dogs. We ran into our neighbor Yvonne. She had a friend along, Ava who is the grandaughter of one of our other neighbors. She looked like she was probably five or six. She enjoys the dogs so she joined us for the walk holding the leash for Yvonne's dog Chocolate. Henry saw Ava and got a big smile on his face. He loves older women. He of course wanted to do what she was doing so we tried to put Lily on the leash, but she's so energetic it didn't work out. He ended up just carrying the leash.
Just before bath time, Kate had to go back to her office. She left the door open, and Henry saw her in there and immediately made a nuisance of himself wanting to watch YouTube videos. I removed him, and he went into the worst tantrum I've ever seen. Usually he is such a bad actor that you can kind of laugh off his tantrums. This time he was truly upset and on the verge of out of control, flopping, flailing and putting his fingers in his mouth in an odd sort of way, kind of pulling down on his jaw. I'd never seen him like that before.
Today Kate had something to do at 8am so we pried the kids out of bed kicking and screaming to get out the door on time. Both kids cried when Kate dropped them off despite being offered pancakes.
This evening was nice. We walked the dogs, had some dinner, read books, and took a bath. Henry was very cute at dinner. He looked at me straight in the eyes and smiled and I was wondering what was up. He started to talk, and I made out some verses to "Hark the Herald." He has been singing that because it is at the end of the book "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which we read often. He has also been doing a funny walk where he kicks his legs out behind him. I finally asked him what he was doing and he said, "Skating on the pond." Again, emulating "A Charlie Brown Christmas." He has been insisting lately that he is a girl, Miss R is a boy. We'll see where that takes us. We won't break out the dvd of "Transamerica" just yet. When we were getting out of the car, he found some coins and held them and said "Money, money, money." This time a reference to "Mamma Mia!"
Miss R has been having fun pushing her nose into my nose. She pushes pretty hard, and it isn't comfortable. She will even say "Ouch" but keep on doing it, giggling the entire time. She has also been rather tough at bed time, which is new. She seems to get really energetic and giggly at night. The last few nights trying to get her to sleep has been a challenge.
Tomorrow Henry gets tubes put in his ears. We have to be at the surgery center at 6:30am with surgery at 7:30am and no food or drink after midnight. I'm not looking forward to having to get him up early or having him put under for surgery. It's very routine but there is always some risk. He's been put under before for his hernia surgery so hopefully this will go just as smoothly.
Grandma and Grandpa took the kids Thursday afternoon. Henry had mangled his glasses. Friday afternoon Grandma and Grandpa took him to the opticians, and they were able to fix the glasses.
I then joined them and we headed out to dinner. The first choice had a 45 minute wait so we went to Coco's. That was actually a great place to take them. It wasn't too busy, we got a booth, and service was pretty quick. Henry rummaged through Grandma's purse until he found her cash. He hasn't learned the power of the credit card yet. She gave them both a dollar for their piggy banks.
On Saturday we went to Costco with with the Grandparents. Miss R decided to stay with me rather than share a cart with Henry. We were about halfway through the store when I realized I hadn't given her any sample food. We backtracked, and she enjoyed the snacks. For someone her size, it is probably like having a bunch of appetizers.
They went home with their Grandparents leaving me free to hit some golf balls and clean the house. At one point, Grandma had to leave Grandpa alone with them for a while. I think that is a first. They timed it so they were napping at that time. When they got up, they went outside and watered the plants. It's nice that they are still at an age when they want to help, even though they may not be the most helpful.
Again Henry did not want to leave their house to come home. I feel like he is a little resentful when we leave him with others. Miss R is quite different; she always lights up and runs and gives us big hugs when we pick her up.
Kate arrived home late Saturday night so we spent some time together on Sunday. We all slept in rather late. The kids enjoyed a breakfast of french toast. They then found their underwear drawer and had a great time running around with underwear on their heads. It's brand new underwear, nothing they have worn yet. At one point Henry got his face stuck in the leg hole and asked for help to get it out. What a character.
We went grocery shopping and picked up things for Thanksgiving. It was nice to have the two of us there so we could have two carts and one kid per cart. Then it was back home for lunch and nap time.
After nap we went for family walk with the dogs. We ran into our neighbor Yvonne. She had a friend along, Ava who is the grandaughter of one of our other neighbors. She looked like she was probably five or six. She enjoys the dogs so she joined us for the walk holding the leash for Yvonne's dog Chocolate. Henry saw Ava and got a big smile on his face. He loves older women. He of course wanted to do what she was doing so we tried to put Lily on the leash, but she's so energetic it didn't work out. He ended up just carrying the leash.
Just before bath time, Kate had to go back to her office. She left the door open, and Henry saw her in there and immediately made a nuisance of himself wanting to watch YouTube videos. I removed him, and he went into the worst tantrum I've ever seen. Usually he is such a bad actor that you can kind of laugh off his tantrums. This time he was truly upset and on the verge of out of control, flopping, flailing and putting his fingers in his mouth in an odd sort of way, kind of pulling down on his jaw. I'd never seen him like that before.
Today Kate had something to do at 8am so we pried the kids out of bed kicking and screaming to get out the door on time. Both kids cried when Kate dropped them off despite being offered pancakes.
This evening was nice. We walked the dogs, had some dinner, read books, and took a bath. Henry was very cute at dinner. He looked at me straight in the eyes and smiled and I was wondering what was up. He started to talk, and I made out some verses to "Hark the Herald." He has been singing that because it is at the end of the book "A Charlie Brown Christmas," which we read often. He has also been doing a funny walk where he kicks his legs out behind him. I finally asked him what he was doing and he said, "Skating on the pond." Again, emulating "A Charlie Brown Christmas." He has been insisting lately that he is a girl, Miss R is a boy. We'll see where that takes us. We won't break out the dvd of "Transamerica" just yet. When we were getting out of the car, he found some coins and held them and said "Money, money, money." This time a reference to "Mamma Mia!"
Miss R has been having fun pushing her nose into my nose. She pushes pretty hard, and it isn't comfortable. She will even say "Ouch" but keep on doing it, giggling the entire time. She has also been rather tough at bed time, which is new. She seems to get really energetic and giggly at night. The last few nights trying to get her to sleep has been a challenge.
Tomorrow Henry gets tubes put in his ears. We have to be at the surgery center at 6:30am with surgery at 7:30am and no food or drink after midnight. I'm not looking forward to having to get him up early or having him put under for surgery. It's very routine but there is always some risk. He's been put under before for his hernia surgery so hopefully this will go just as smoothly.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Maniac
On Wednesday morning, Jeff went to a CFT. I got the kids out the door, but they took FOREVER to move. Miss R is much more responsive to Jeff than me when it comes to getting dressed or putting shoes on, etc. She threw a huge fit in the parking lot b/c I wouldn't let her take her flowered headband into school as she wasn't wearing it.
Henry wore his glasses and received many compliments. I asked Henry who he looked like. He said, "Harry Potter!" Jeff reported that lots of people commented on how good he looked in glasses as they left the building in the afternoon.
Jeff learned at the CFT that one of Miss R's older siblings has been in email contact with another sibling who supposedly lives with an aunt in another state. That aunt and sister are apparently visiting Tucson at the moment and will be moving here permanently. We don't know how that will affect the case. Our family specialist seems optimistic about our situation. But I think that Jeff and I are inclined not to assume anything about the future right now.
We had a visit at 6PM from Alison, our family specialist, from A Place to Call Home. Henry and Miss R had a couple of toddler tantrums while she visited. They keep taking each others toys. Henry wasn't wearing pants (but he was wearing his Little Mermaid pullups) when she arrived. According to Jeff, Henry had just had the biggest output ever.
The kids had some dried mango after the visit. While in the kitchen, Henry put Miss R's headband on. She had thrown it aside, but then had a fit when he touched it. I said, "Henry's so goofy!" And she giggled. Henry danced in front of us, and that made her laugh even more. I decided to teach him "She's a Maniac" from Flashdance. He picked up on the moves quickly.
The Twins played on the slide. Miss R learned that she could go down the slide on her stomach. They were both bears to get to bed. Talking. Complaining. Singing.
I'm off to Chicago tomorrow. Jeff will have the kids all to himself again!
Henry wore his glasses and received many compliments. I asked Henry who he looked like. He said, "Harry Potter!" Jeff reported that lots of people commented on how good he looked in glasses as they left the building in the afternoon.
Jeff learned at the CFT that one of Miss R's older siblings has been in email contact with another sibling who supposedly lives with an aunt in another state. That aunt and sister are apparently visiting Tucson at the moment and will be moving here permanently. We don't know how that will affect the case. Our family specialist seems optimistic about our situation. But I think that Jeff and I are inclined not to assume anything about the future right now.
We had a visit at 6PM from Alison, our family specialist, from A Place to Call Home. Henry and Miss R had a couple of toddler tantrums while she visited. They keep taking each others toys. Henry wasn't wearing pants (but he was wearing his Little Mermaid pullups) when she arrived. According to Jeff, Henry had just had the biggest output ever.
The kids had some dried mango after the visit. While in the kitchen, Henry put Miss R's headband on. She had thrown it aside, but then had a fit when he touched it. I said, "Henry's so goofy!" And she giggled. Henry danced in front of us, and that made her laugh even more. I decided to teach him "She's a Maniac" from Flashdance. He picked up on the moves quickly.
The Twins played on the slide. Miss R learned that she could go down the slide on her stomach. They were both bears to get to bed. Talking. Complaining. Singing.
I'm off to Chicago tomorrow. Jeff will have the kids all to himself again!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Severance: The First Steps
On Tuesday morning, the kids were still asleep at 8AM. We got out the door around 8:45AM. Jeff had Miss R's hair in a headband that looked pretty good. As we walked down the hall of the daycare, a woman with a car seat was coming in the opposite direction on Henry's side of the walkway. When she was a couple inches from him, he yelled "Oww!" She found this very funny. Indeed, Henry would make a much better comedian than a serious dramatic actor. He's lacking in realism. Both Henry and Miss R were reluctant about going into their classrooms, but the promise of snacks made the transition slightly less troubling for them.
My parents really wanted to pick up the kids today. We agreed as we had a 4:30PM hearing for Miss R. At the last hearing, the court planned to switch case plans from reunification to severance/adoption. Today was the hearing that confirmed that switch. Miss R's case will move from CPS' hands to another agency. That agency will decide who gets to adopt Miss R (with the judge's approval of course). As far as we understand it, Miss R is officially a ward of the state now. But that doesn't mean that the severance has been finalized yet. We have yet another hearing on March 15 that will finalize the severance. In the meantime, the new agency will be vetting candidates for Miss R's future "forever home." For whatever reasons, it will take a month for Miss R's case to switch from CPS to the other agency. Prior to the hearing, the CASA was informed by the CPS caseworker that the aunt is a possible candidate. In the hearing, she was not mentioned however. At the hearing, the CPS attorney and the CASA both said that we were an appropriate permanent placement for Miss R. Miss R's CASA said that she would love to see Miss R placed with us permanently. The judge asked us if we wanted to add anything. Jeff reiterated that Miss R is doing very well.
Jeff and I had planned to go to dinner and then pick up the kids. We got a call from my mom, however, when we were near her side of town. She and Poppy had picked up Henry and were headed to our house. Apparently, much to our surprise, Miss R had been picked up by CPS for a visitation. That surprised us b/c we had assumed that the visitation was canceled due to the hearing. My parents and Henry made it to our house about 20 minutes before Miss R arrived. The driver decided it was OK to leave Miss R with my parents when Miss R yelled out for "Grammy!" and went running to her. The driver was a little bit worried about Miss R in the car b/c Miss R had been very quiet. I think that she was relieved that Miss R perked up upon seeing my mom.
The kids were rowdy this evening. We watched part of The Incredibles while eating dinner in the living room owing to Lily making a mess near the kitchen. That dog has been nothing but trouble. Henry enjoyed pasta salad and potato salad. Miss R enjoyed bread. We think that she'd already eaten some McDonald's during her visit with her siblings.
Henry read books with Jeff. Miss R snuggled with me. I attempted to take pictures of Henry with his glasses on. He didn't make it easy. Then, it was teeth brushing and bed.
My parents really wanted to pick up the kids today. We agreed as we had a 4:30PM hearing for Miss R. At the last hearing, the court planned to switch case plans from reunification to severance/adoption. Today was the hearing that confirmed that switch. Miss R's case will move from CPS' hands to another agency. That agency will decide who gets to adopt Miss R (with the judge's approval of course). As far as we understand it, Miss R is officially a ward of the state now. But that doesn't mean that the severance has been finalized yet. We have yet another hearing on March 15 that will finalize the severance. In the meantime, the new agency will be vetting candidates for Miss R's future "forever home." For whatever reasons, it will take a month for Miss R's case to switch from CPS to the other agency. Prior to the hearing, the CASA was informed by the CPS caseworker that the aunt is a possible candidate. In the hearing, she was not mentioned however. At the hearing, the CPS attorney and the CASA both said that we were an appropriate permanent placement for Miss R. Miss R's CASA said that she would love to see Miss R placed with us permanently. The judge asked us if we wanted to add anything. Jeff reiterated that Miss R is doing very well.
Jeff and I had planned to go to dinner and then pick up the kids. We got a call from my mom, however, when we were near her side of town. She and Poppy had picked up Henry and were headed to our house. Apparently, much to our surprise, Miss R had been picked up by CPS for a visitation. That surprised us b/c we had assumed that the visitation was canceled due to the hearing. My parents and Henry made it to our house about 20 minutes before Miss R arrived. The driver decided it was OK to leave Miss R with my parents when Miss R yelled out for "Grammy!" and went running to her. The driver was a little bit worried about Miss R in the car b/c Miss R had been very quiet. I think that she was relieved that Miss R perked up upon seeing my mom.
The kids were rowdy this evening. We watched part of The Incredibles while eating dinner in the living room owing to Lily making a mess near the kitchen. That dog has been nothing but trouble. Henry enjoyed pasta salad and potato salad. Miss R enjoyed bread. We think that she'd already eaten some McDonald's during her visit with her siblings.Henry read books with Jeff. Miss R snuggled with me. I attempted to take pictures of Henry with his glasses on. He didn't make it easy. Then, it was teeth brushing and bed.
Monday, November 16, 2009
104 degrees
On Sunday, Jeff took the kids to the park. Henry was not as active as he normally is. When Jeff made lunch for the kids, Henry didn't eat. Jeff noticed that Henry was warm.
Jeff and the kids picked me up at the airport. The kids were groggy. Henry was quite warm when we got home. He wanted to watch TV, and we let him. We gave him Tylenol. At one point, his temperature was 104 or so. The Tylenol would drop it a couple of tenths. Henry didn't move around much. Most of the time, he snuggled against me. His hands and feet were cold, but his head was hot. I told him that if he wanted to watch TV, he had to wear his glasses and he did.
Henry looks super cute in his glasses. He makes glasses look good.
I ended up calling the nurse hotline for our insurance. Then, I ended up talking to a nurse from the call line of our pediatrician's office. They both recommended baths to bring the fever down a little. His feet looked a little bluish. He got mad at Miss R b/c she put her feet on his back in the tub. Miss R had lots of energy for whatever reason.
Henry's temperature came down a little but was still high. By morning, it had gone away. We had to keep him home b/c the school policy is that kids need not have had a fever w/i 24 hours in order to attend.
Henry was still asleep when I left with Miss R around 8:30AM. Miss R was in a good mood. She'd slept in a little too. She got mad at me at the parking lot of school b/c I wouldn't let her bring the pumpkin light into school and made her keep it in the car. Jeff called to say that Henry had a 9:30AM appointment at Dr. Bianchi's office. I met them there. Henry weights 26 lbs 12 ozs. Basically, we are just supposed to monitor the situation for now. Henry's pulse-ox was 94.
I watched Henry when I returned. Didn't get much done, which wasn't great. Henry wanted to watch movies on the laptop NOT the TV. I got my old laptop and set him up next to me with it. I worked on my laptop. He would look over and request that I pull up pictures of him.
HENRY: I want to see pictures of Henry.
KATE: How do you know that I have pictures of Henry on here?
HENRY: Because I know.
I did of course have pictures of Henry on the computer.
Henry had two bursts of hungry during our viewing of Monsters, Inc. He was quite keen on eating dried fruit. He also had pancakes and soy bacon. Later, he had Indian food for lunch.
I decided it was time to add to his collection of political names. I haven't given him any challenges in awhile. I decided that he should know that Kathleen Hall Jamieson is the nation's expert on political advertising. He is having some problems saying such a long name. At one point, his response to the question of "Who is the nation's expert on political advertising?" elicited something that sounded like Jamieson "and Snow White."
At 1PM, he went down for his nap. Jeff took care of Henry in the afternoon. Then, my parents brought Miss R home. Today was my long teaching day.
Jeff said he and the kids had a good evening, although Henry and Miss R were getting on each other's nerves. When I got home, Jeff's cough sounded terrible. Currently, Miss R is coughing. If it keeps up, I'll have to pull out the nebulizer. And Henry feels warm, although I don't think his temperature is in the high range. Sigh.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone has to stay home tomorrow, but I really need some time in the morning to get work done.
In the late afternoon, Jeff and I have Miss R's permanency hearing to attend. I am of the opinion that we should be taking a taxi or renting a car so that the parents won't know what kind of car we drive. Maybe that's overkill. But I think that it is important for them to NOT know who we are or where we live.
Jeff and the kids picked me up at the airport. The kids were groggy. Henry was quite warm when we got home. He wanted to watch TV, and we let him. We gave him Tylenol. At one point, his temperature was 104 or so. The Tylenol would drop it a couple of tenths. Henry didn't move around much. Most of the time, he snuggled against me. His hands and feet were cold, but his head was hot. I told him that if he wanted to watch TV, he had to wear his glasses and he did.
Henry looks super cute in his glasses. He makes glasses look good.
I ended up calling the nurse hotline for our insurance. Then, I ended up talking to a nurse from the call line of our pediatrician's office. They both recommended baths to bring the fever down a little. His feet looked a little bluish. He got mad at Miss R b/c she put her feet on his back in the tub. Miss R had lots of energy for whatever reason.
Henry's temperature came down a little but was still high. By morning, it had gone away. We had to keep him home b/c the school policy is that kids need not have had a fever w/i 24 hours in order to attend.
Henry was still asleep when I left with Miss R around 8:30AM. Miss R was in a good mood. She'd slept in a little too. She got mad at me at the parking lot of school b/c I wouldn't let her bring the pumpkin light into school and made her keep it in the car. Jeff called to say that Henry had a 9:30AM appointment at Dr. Bianchi's office. I met them there. Henry weights 26 lbs 12 ozs. Basically, we are just supposed to monitor the situation for now. Henry's pulse-ox was 94.
I watched Henry when I returned. Didn't get much done, which wasn't great. Henry wanted to watch movies on the laptop NOT the TV. I got my old laptop and set him up next to me with it. I worked on my laptop. He would look over and request that I pull up pictures of him.
HENRY: I want to see pictures of Henry.
KATE: How do you know that I have pictures of Henry on here?
HENRY: Because I know.
I did of course have pictures of Henry on the computer.
Henry had two bursts of hungry during our viewing of Monsters, Inc. He was quite keen on eating dried fruit. He also had pancakes and soy bacon. Later, he had Indian food for lunch.
I decided it was time to add to his collection of political names. I haven't given him any challenges in awhile. I decided that he should know that Kathleen Hall Jamieson is the nation's expert on political advertising. He is having some problems saying such a long name. At one point, his response to the question of "Who is the nation's expert on political advertising?" elicited something that sounded like Jamieson "and Snow White."
At 1PM, he went down for his nap. Jeff took care of Henry in the afternoon. Then, my parents brought Miss R home. Today was my long teaching day.
Jeff said he and the kids had a good evening, although Henry and Miss R were getting on each other's nerves. When I got home, Jeff's cough sounded terrible. Currently, Miss R is coughing. If it keeps up, I'll have to pull out the nebulizer. And Henry feels warm, although I don't think his temperature is in the high range. Sigh.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone has to stay home tomorrow, but I really need some time in the morning to get work done.
In the late afternoon, Jeff and I have Miss R's permanency hearing to attend. I am of the opinion that we should be taking a taxi or renting a car so that the parents won't know what kind of car we drive. Maybe that's overkill. But I think that it is important for them to NOT know who we are or where we live.
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