Yesterday was Family Day. Perhaps our last real Thursday Family Day before we move, so we wanted to do something special. Amber suggested taking the boys to a movie. This idea frightened me quite a bit. The last time we tried anything like this was when we took Daniel to a hockey game when he was about 6 months old, and the last time we went out to a "sit-down restaurant" Josh threw a fit and a glass bottle of juice across the room.
We decided on "Madagascar". Daniel had been seeing the commercials all summer and seemed pretty excited by it. We told both of them we were going to the movie theatre with a huge TV and popcorn and everything, but I'm pretty sure Daniel was thinking it was going to be like Blockbuster.
The boys were good all morning. No crying, no temper tantrums - well, almost none. We got to the movie theatre and as we were walking up, we saw a school bus full of 9-year olds pull up. We rushed in to get in line before them and bought our tickets. The boys both got in free - BONUS!
Then we went to the concession to get our snacks. There were no customers there until we got in line. As I ordered our popcorn and drinks, I had this creepy feeling that I was being watched. I turn around and see an endless sea of little heads with a couple of frazzled-looking leaders trying to get the kids into Coke and non-Coke lines. As I pick up our food, I hear the head wrangler say, "OK, I need 27 Kiddie Combos, 13 with Coke, 5 with..." Poor popcorn dude didn't know what hit him.
By this point Daniel is in sensory overload. He's running from the candy dispensers to the arcade games and back to the lighted posters. Amber and I are weighed down with 3 arm loads of refreshments and a wiggly 22-month old and our loud commands of "Daniel! Red stop!" are making as much of an effect as a bicycle cop in a war zone. I finally get him herded towards the right door. He helps by grabbing a couple booster seats and we head in.
We are the first people in the theatre. Maybe this will be good. Maybe it will just be us. Maybe the pre-teen mob will go see "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". We climb the mountain of stadium-like seating to the summit so we can sit right at the back. (When we were at the hockey game almost 3 years ago we were also in the Mt. Everest of nosebleed seats.) We got the boys set up with their boosters and their little boxes of popcorn. Josh was transfixed. He quickly figured out how to lay back in his chair and watch the ads while absent-mindedly popping popcorn into his mouth and sipping on his juice without looking away.
We realized that unfortunately we were about 20 minutes early. The boys have a hard time focusing on anything other than Veggie Tales for more than 20 minutes, so I took Daniel to the bathroom to give him a little change of scenery, and to avoid any need to get up during the movie. As we were leaving we saw a neon swarm entering the theatre doors. It was a day camp and the leaders and 15 or so preschoolers were all wearing matching yellow shirts (so cute!). This actually made me feel quite a bit better. These adults were outnumbered about 5-7 to 1 and their kids weren't much older than Daniel, so I figured we'd not be the only ones there with sugar-crazed movie viewers.
When we got back, we still had about 15 minutes, so I took Daniel for a walk around the theatre. This was one of the new style theatres with the very steep seating arrangements so you don't have to watch the movie between two heads. We tried out the front row - "That's the biggest TV I've ever seen!" and then kept on moving and we climbed back to the top where Josh was still munching away on his snacks, transfixed by the ads for candy bigger than his house.
The Yellow Pages Daycamp sat a few rows down from us and by the time the show started, only a few other people had come in. I guess the 27 Kiddie Combos went somewhere else. The lights went down and the boys loved it. After about 15 more minutes of ads (our 86 minute experiment is quickly turning into a 2 hour adventure), the movie started. When the Dreamworks studio logo came on, Josh broke his trance and called out "Shrek!"
About 30 minutes in, Daniel decided he had to pee again. Amber took him but no luck. All was good for about another half an hour. Josh and I were eating from his little popcorn box, regularly refilled from Mommy's large bag and I was sipping away on my BladderBuster large Coke. I was actually happy to take Daniel to the bathroom at the one hour mark. We both needed it pretty bad.
They made it to the end of the movie. Josh moved from his booster onto a couple laps for a while. He was actually dancing in the aisle during the credits. He yelled "Bye movie!" when we left, and the two boys fell asleep in the car on the way home.
I was incredibly and pleasantly surprised at how well this went. It looks like there's a theatre in Nakusp. Maybe we'll try this again some time.
Friday, August 19
Saturday, August 13
Phew!
Everyone is fine. Amber's blood pressure came down and the ultra-sound tech found our baby in perfect health. Now we just need to get ready to move in 17 days! Aaaargh!
Friday, August 12
Please let them be okay
I took Amber in for her 15 week appointment yesterday. It should be our last time seeing the doctor before we move. Unfortunately, things are not going well.
The doctor couldn't find the baby's heartbeat, Amber's blood pressure is up where it was when Daniel was born, she's having headaches, back problems, nausea, and a variety of other problems.
Dr. gave Amber a requisition for an ulrasound and told her to stop by the lab to see if they could get her in today. When we got there, the cow at the counter told her that she couldn't make an appointment, she couldn't get in that day, and she had to call some "Bookings" number.
Well, we went home upset, frustrated, and a little scared. Amber is going in this afternoon for the ultrasound. I'm way more scared than I let on. This move is very stressful for all of us and I don't want the pressure to hury Amber or the baby. I'm trying to help out as much as I can, but if Amber gets put on bedrest because of the blood pressure, I don't know what we'll do. I can quit a couple weeks early, but someone is moving into our apartment in 19 days, so we need to get out. And once we get to Nakusp, I have a couple days off, but then Amber will be all alone with 2.5 clingy, needy kids.
I just pray that everyone will be okay. That the baby is fine. That Amber will get better. That the boys will be more calm and easier for her. That everything will be alright.
Now I wait.
The doctor couldn't find the baby's heartbeat, Amber's blood pressure is up where it was when Daniel was born, she's having headaches, back problems, nausea, and a variety of other problems.
Dr. gave Amber a requisition for an ulrasound and told her to stop by the lab to see if they could get her in today. When we got there, the cow at the counter told her that she couldn't make an appointment, she couldn't get in that day, and she had to call some "Bookings" number.
Well, we went home upset, frustrated, and a little scared. Amber is going in this afternoon for the ultrasound. I'm way more scared than I let on. This move is very stressful for all of us and I don't want the pressure to hury Amber or the baby. I'm trying to help out as much as I can, but if Amber gets put on bedrest because of the blood pressure, I don't know what we'll do. I can quit a couple weeks early, but someone is moving into our apartment in 19 days, so we need to get out. And once we get to Nakusp, I have a couple days off, but then Amber will be all alone with 2.5 clingy, needy kids.
I just pray that everyone will be okay. That the baby is fine. That Amber will get better. That the boys will be more calm and easier for her. That everything will be alright.
Now I wait.
Saturday, August 6
Daniel's Sad Ice Cream Cone Story
This is another one of those "break your heart" moments where I realize that my boys are growing up.
Tonight Amber has a "girls' night out" with the ladies from our Bible study. It may be the last time she gets to hang out with them as a group before we move, so it was pretty important that she went.
The boys and I drove her to meet the girls and on the way home we were singing together in the car. I remembered a song my Grandma used to sing to me and without thinking I decided to sing it for the boys.
"Daniel, Josh, do you guys want to hear a new song? This is a song that Daddy's grandma used to sing to him when he was a little boy."
Here it is:
==========================
Chocolate Ice Cream Cone
Author Unknown
My mama said if I'd be good,
She'd send me to the store
She said she'd bake some gingerbread
If I would sweep the floor.
She said if I would make the bed
And watch the telephone
That she would send me out to get
A chocolate ice cream cone.
And so I did the things she said
And then she made me some gingerbread
Then I went out, just me alone
And got my chocolate ice cream cone.
While coming back I stubbed my toe
Upon a big old stone
Now need I tell you that I dropped
My chocolate ice cream cone.
A little puppy came along
And he took a great big lick
And so I hit that mean old dog
With just a little stick.
Then he bit me where I sit down
And he chased me all over town
So, now I'm lost, I can't find my home
And all because of that chocolate ice cream cone
==========================
Now, I know this is a sad song and I've often wondered why my Grandma would sing this song to her kids and grandkids, but she sang about dogs who died, orphans, and mean old neighbourhood men getting stuffed in a meat grinder, so this one seemed pretty tame and safe.
As soon as I was finished, Daniel said, "Daddy, that's so sad!"
"What's sad buddy?"
"Umm... when Grandma, when Daddy, when Daddy's grandma, ummm... when I was a little boy, when I was Jon, I went to the store and got a ice cream cone and I dropped it and a puppy licked it."
"Then what happened?"
"I hit him and he chased me."
Awwww... :( The poor guy. I'm amazed that he was able to follow the story and personalize it. He placed himself in the song, but he couldn't verbalize it any way but to say "when I was Jon".
I had to make up a new verse about getting a new ice cream cone and going home to share it with Mommy. Daniel thought that was much happier.
Tonight Amber has a "girls' night out" with the ladies from our Bible study. It may be the last time she gets to hang out with them as a group before we move, so it was pretty important that she went.
The boys and I drove her to meet the girls and on the way home we were singing together in the car. I remembered a song my Grandma used to sing to me and without thinking I decided to sing it for the boys.
"Daniel, Josh, do you guys want to hear a new song? This is a song that Daddy's grandma used to sing to him when he was a little boy."
Here it is:
==========================
Chocolate Ice Cream Cone
Author Unknown
My mama said if I'd be good,
She'd send me to the store
She said she'd bake some gingerbread
If I would sweep the floor.
She said if I would make the bed
And watch the telephone
That she would send me out to get
A chocolate ice cream cone.
And so I did the things she said
And then she made me some gingerbread
Then I went out, just me alone
And got my chocolate ice cream cone.
While coming back I stubbed my toe
Upon a big old stone
Now need I tell you that I dropped
My chocolate ice cream cone.
A little puppy came along
And he took a great big lick
And so I hit that mean old dog
With just a little stick.
Then he bit me where I sit down
And he chased me all over town
So, now I'm lost, I can't find my home
And all because of that chocolate ice cream cone
==========================
Now, I know this is a sad song and I've often wondered why my Grandma would sing this song to her kids and grandkids, but she sang about dogs who died, orphans, and mean old neighbourhood men getting stuffed in a meat grinder, so this one seemed pretty tame and safe.
As soon as I was finished, Daniel said, "Daddy, that's so sad!"
"What's sad buddy?"
"Umm... when Grandma, when Daddy, when Daddy's grandma, ummm... when I was a little boy, when I was Jon, I went to the store and got a ice cream cone and I dropped it and a puppy licked it."
"Then what happened?"
"I hit him and he chased me."
Awwww... :( The poor guy. I'm amazed that he was able to follow the story and personalize it. He placed himself in the song, but he couldn't verbalize it any way but to say "when I was Jon".
I had to make up a new verse about getting a new ice cream cone and going home to share it with Mommy. Daniel thought that was much happier.
Joshua's Sad Ice Cream Cone Story
In a weird turn of events, each of my boys had a very sad situation involving ice cream cones in the past 36 hours.
Thursday has been family day since we moved back to Calgary. This is something that we started in Winnipeg on my day off from the church and we try not to schedule other things on Family Day so we can spend it together going to the zoo, or the park, or shopping. This week it was 32 degrees outside so we decided to take advantage of the wonderful air conditioned mall playground.
After a good time at the playground we stopped in at the food court for lunch. After lunch, Amber and Daniel went to Dairy Queen to pick up an ice cream cone for us to share. Josh had been asking for one all through lunch so I told him that we were all going to share a yummy ice cream cone.
"Daddy will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Daniel will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Mommy will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Joshie will have some"
"Yes please!"
So when Amber and Daniel came back with the biggest DQ cone I've ever seen, Josh was ecstatic. He was squirming to get out of his high chair. We passed it around and everyone had a little lick. When it was Josh's turn, I held it for him and he started to cry. He wanted to hold it. Well, I was pretty sure if he got his hands on this extra-large ice cream, it would be on the floor. So we ended up fighting for control of the cone.
He put up such a fuss that I let him hold it with my hands real close by to guard against any sudden droppage. When his turn was over and I had to take it away, you'd think I had pulled off a couple fingers with it. He screamed and screamed and cried. I realized that usually when we go for ice cream, the boys each get their own cone and Josh wasn't understanding this whole "sharing" thing. We tried a spoon and a litte dish but that wasn't good enough - this was his ice cream and no one should take it.
When it made its way back to Josh again, he started screaming and pushing my hands away. I tried to calm him down using logic.
"Joshie, do you want the ice cream?"
"YEEEAAAAAAAH! Waaaaah!"
"What do you say?"
"PLEEEEEEEASE!!!!! Waaaaah"
Okay, here you go
Through tears, a hoarse voice, full of emotion says, "Thank you. Gracias."
Well, this put me over the edge. I am laughing out loud at this situation. Josh is going through the worst trauma he could imagine and still managed to remember his manners. In two languages.
The dozens of people around us are all smiling and laughing but I know I need to get the cone away from Josh so Daniel, who has been very patient and accomodating through this whole ordeal, can have his turn. I reach for the cone and with goalie reflexes, Josh bats my hand away. I try again and he grabs my wrist and gives me this "Don't you even think about it" look. I burst out laughing again.
We eventually finish the cone but each time I had to take it away was like a whole new betrayal for Josh.
From now on we'll each get our own.
Thursday has been family day since we moved back to Calgary. This is something that we started in Winnipeg on my day off from the church and we try not to schedule other things on Family Day so we can spend it together going to the zoo, or the park, or shopping. This week it was 32 degrees outside so we decided to take advantage of the wonderful air conditioned mall playground.
After a good time at the playground we stopped in at the food court for lunch. After lunch, Amber and Daniel went to Dairy Queen to pick up an ice cream cone for us to share. Josh had been asking for one all through lunch so I told him that we were all going to share a yummy ice cream cone.
"Daddy will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Daniel will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Mommy will have some"
"Yup!"
"And Joshie will have some"
"Yes please!"
So when Amber and Daniel came back with the biggest DQ cone I've ever seen, Josh was ecstatic. He was squirming to get out of his high chair. We passed it around and everyone had a little lick. When it was Josh's turn, I held it for him and he started to cry. He wanted to hold it. Well, I was pretty sure if he got his hands on this extra-large ice cream, it would be on the floor. So we ended up fighting for control of the cone.
He put up such a fuss that I let him hold it with my hands real close by to guard against any sudden droppage. When his turn was over and I had to take it away, you'd think I had pulled off a couple fingers with it. He screamed and screamed and cried. I realized that usually when we go for ice cream, the boys each get their own cone and Josh wasn't understanding this whole "sharing" thing. We tried a spoon and a litte dish but that wasn't good enough - this was his ice cream and no one should take it.
When it made its way back to Josh again, he started screaming and pushing my hands away. I tried to calm him down using logic.
"Joshie, do you want the ice cream?"
"YEEEAAAAAAAH! Waaaaah!"
"What do you say?"
"PLEEEEEEEASE!!!!! Waaaaah"
Okay, here you go
Through tears, a hoarse voice, full of emotion says, "Thank you. Gracias."
Well, this put me over the edge. I am laughing out loud at this situation. Josh is going through the worst trauma he could imagine and still managed to remember his manners. In two languages.
The dozens of people around us are all smiling and laughing but I know I need to get the cone away from Josh so Daniel, who has been very patient and accomodating through this whole ordeal, can have his turn. I reach for the cone and with goalie reflexes, Josh bats my hand away. I try again and he grabs my wrist and gives me this "Don't you even think about it" look. I burst out laughing again.
We eventually finish the cone but each time I had to take it away was like a whole new betrayal for Josh.
From now on we'll each get our own.
Thursday, August 4
Toilet Talk
People without little kids don't talk about toilets as much as those of us with babies. I can't say I remember ever having a conversation about poop with one of my friends before Daniel was born. Perhaps this is a good thing.
Daniel is officially potty trained now. He's been wearing "big boy underwear" during the day for months and pull-ups at night. Every morning that he wakes up and his "bed time underwear" is dry, he gets to put a star sticker on the calendar. If he's dry this morning, that means he's completed a whole week of stars, so that means he gets to sleep in his "regular big boy underwear" for the first time tonight. A scary thought but I'm so proud of him. Even if I have to change a few sheets in the next weeks, I'm really proud of him.
Josh is starting to get excited about the potty too. Once a day or more, he will run to us and say, through grunting teeth, "Poop! Potty! Poop!" So, we'll take him to the bathroom and put him down on his little potty. The times he actually goes, he is so proud of himself. Everyone in the house will clap for him and say "Yay Joshie!" and he loves it. I don't think we'll push the full-on potty training until after we move. He'll be two in a few months and once we're settled in our new house, I think he might be ready.
Our little McBean is a hungry little guy too. Amber is constantly eating now. She is normally a very slow eater and doesn't eat much at all, but now she's keeping up to me. She wants the baby to be as healthy as possible, so she's trying to eat good food, drink lots of water, and take her multitude of vitamins. I know he'll be a terrific, wonderful little guy - even if he's a she.
Daniel is officially potty trained now. He's been wearing "big boy underwear" during the day for months and pull-ups at night. Every morning that he wakes up and his "bed time underwear" is dry, he gets to put a star sticker on the calendar. If he's dry this morning, that means he's completed a whole week of stars, so that means he gets to sleep in his "regular big boy underwear" for the first time tonight. A scary thought but I'm so proud of him. Even if I have to change a few sheets in the next weeks, I'm really proud of him.
Josh is starting to get excited about the potty too. Once a day or more, he will run to us and say, through grunting teeth, "Poop! Potty! Poop!" So, we'll take him to the bathroom and put him down on his little potty. The times he actually goes, he is so proud of himself. Everyone in the house will clap for him and say "Yay Joshie!" and he loves it. I don't think we'll push the full-on potty training until after we move. He'll be two in a few months and once we're settled in our new house, I think he might be ready.
Our little McBean is a hungry little guy too. Amber is constantly eating now. She is normally a very slow eater and doesn't eat much at all, but now she's keeping up to me. She wants the baby to be as healthy as possible, so she's trying to eat good food, drink lots of water, and take her multitude of vitamins. I know he'll be a terrific, wonderful little guy - even if he's a she.
Wednesday, August 3
Hi Everybody!
So, people are actually reading this.
It's kind of strange. I started writing this for myself and for Amber, but knowing that we would likely make it public eventually. Now that everyone knows about the whole pregnancy thing, Amber has been telling her friends and linking to me in various websites, forums, boards, and email lists.
Recently I've heard from people I know, and people I don't know (through Amber) that they enjoy my blog and appreciate hearing "A Dad's View" on some of these topics. The strange part is that I've never considered myself a writer. I was always very good in school and loved to read, but English was one of my least favorite (and most skipped) subjects in high school. I actually almost got kicked out of school in my grade 12 year because I stopped going to my English class.
Most of these posts are made in the wee hours of the morning, when I can't sleep. Maybe this adds to the more open and casual nature.
I don't know what's going on, but Blogger has cut the last paragraph of this entry twice now. Maybe it's a sign that 4:30 is no time to be up and I should be going back to bed.
It's kind of strange. I started writing this for myself and for Amber, but knowing that we would likely make it public eventually. Now that everyone knows about the whole pregnancy thing, Amber has been telling her friends and linking to me in various websites, forums, boards, and email lists.
Recently I've heard from people I know, and people I don't know (through Amber) that they enjoy my blog and appreciate hearing "A Dad's View" on some of these topics. The strange part is that I've never considered myself a writer. I was always very good in school and loved to read, but English was one of my least favorite (and most skipped) subjects in high school. I actually almost got kicked out of school in my grade 12 year because I stopped going to my English class.
Most of these posts are made in the wee hours of the morning, when I can't sleep. Maybe this adds to the more open and casual nature.
I don't know what's going on, but Blogger has cut the last paragraph of this entry twice now. Maybe it's a sign that 4:30 is no time to be up and I should be going back to bed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)