Friday, July 24, 2009

Time Flies

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com
So much for my promise to post once a week, huh? There are several posts I've written, but not published. They are deep thought kind of posts and I'm not sure they will ever see the light of day, but I just had some stuff I needed to get off my mind.
I started to keep notes (on a napkin) this week of things I want to remember and pass along to R & N when they are older. Here they are:
This week I found myself saying things I never thought I'd say. Like, "Nolan, do not put Bert's (as in Bert & Ernie) hair in the fan!"
I'm noticing some huge developmental milestones for twinadoes. They are playing so well together for the most part. They are still siblings and Reagan is still very much in charge, but their giggles when they are playing happily just melt my heart. It literally brings me to tears. It is just the sweetest sound.
Nolan fell in the upstairs hallway this week, nothing serious. He told me he "needed to go to the hospital." When I told him I didn't think he needed to do that, he replied, "I need to go to the nursing home!"
We had some storms this week and neither kid has ever paid much attention to it, but Reagan has begun developing some fears so I was thinking she might not like the thunder. I was correct. Bill was playing with them and I was in the shower when the storm hit. I came downstairs and Reagan looked up at me sheepishly and said, "I'm scared to it." I asked her what she was afraid of and she answered, "I'm scared to the thunder." She is also "scared to" sharks and snakes. So much so that I had to remove a picture of a shark from her animal photo album I put together.
Nolan has become a power eater. When he is hungry, look out. The other day for breakfast I put his plate down which had 2 scrambled eggs, toast, apple pieces and some cheerios. He said, "Mmmm, egg dinner. Thank you Mommy!" (Every meal is dinner to Nolan.)
Grammy started this thing with Reagan and Nolan where she would hold their hands and dance to "I Got You Babe." They started holding each others hands and doing it, but Nolan tripped once and fell. He thought it was hysterical, so now that is the game. A couple of sways and then he flops down. Reagan helps him up and they start over. My mom called them "topsy turvy" which Reagan can't remember so she calls it "Tiki Toki."
Friday morning Reagan and I were doing flashcards and she called the skunk a "stunk." So true!
We were at the park and Nolan made friends with a little girl who was pushing her baby doll in a stroller. As she was walking she fell. Nolan didn't want her to feel bad, so he fell down next to her and told her it ok. They got up together and pushed the baby stroller down the sidewalk together. I say it everyday, but he is SUCH a sweet soul. He often needs to "cuddle Mommy" or "cuddle Daddy" and when you pick him up, he pats you on the arm and makes little moaning noises like a puppy or says, "awwww.: More heart melting.
In an effort to get them to share in more of the toy clean-up duties, I have introduced an imaginary fairy named Esmeralda. She pays a visit and brings a big bag to collect any toys that are left out when it is nap/bed time and then gives them to other children. IT WORKS. They are both picking up their toys, with reminders about Essie paying a visit. Essie also lurks around watching for good/bad behavior. If they do something we really want them to do, I've decided that she will leave them a toy at night instead of taking it away. Kind of a good way to reinforce good behavior. For example, if they go running with Daddy and don't give him any trouble about getting into the stroller when it is time to leave the park CONSISTENTLY then she will leave them something. Essie and I shopped the bargain aisle at Marc's today to stock up on "stuff." Not hard to do as Nolan is starting to get into Hotwheels/Matchbox and Reagan loves Little People. All cheap and easy "bribes." Yes, I will call a spade a spade, it is a bribe.
OK-I've crossed everything off my napkin for the week and I'll close with a promise to get back here more often.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Last Week

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com It seems I'm only going to get to post about once a week this summer. We are just too busy. The minute the kids wake up, they want to know what their day is going to be about and it is always filled with fun. In the past week the kids have visited a fire station, gone to the spray park with Grammy for a playdate with the Balabans, swam in our pool & Aunt Cookie's pool, had breakfast with Old MacDonald, had dinner with Uncle Sam & Aunt Deb at the Flying Burrito Cantina (not as good as it used to be, sadly) and enjoyed some music on the deck, gone running with Rickshaw Daddy, had dinner and got filmed a bit for a network TV show, loads of exploring, and are headed to ride the rails today. As I said, their days are always filled with fun. I'm not sure how I keep up somedays. The one thing that keeps me going is when we get in the car after doing something fun and Nolan says "It's a beautiful day!" For Full Farmpark fun & Flying Burrito: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27758&id=1418118548&l=859388f771 My new fave pic
Miss Cool
Chillin' at the Flying Burrito Cantina
Hat fight with Uncle Sam
Do you think they like each other just a little bit?
Getting ready to plant some flowers at the Farmpark
After the rain
Just one of the kids
Scalp massage
"Awwww....nice sheep"
Nolan was eating off my plate, Reagans and his own. Hungry boy.
Fire Chief Reagan
Fire station visit
When Grammy asked Reagan what she did at the fire station, she responded with "Put the water from the hose up in the sky!"
Who is having more fun, Nolan or Grammy?
Warming up after a dip in Aunt Cookies pool

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Framily (Friends that are family) 4th of July Picnic

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com Food, wine, jello shots, fun, food, wine, jello shots, fun, food, wine, jello shots, fun...... Get the picture? brisket vin jell-o shots waiting patiently for a sucker Chase showing his off All the kids hanging out in the woods
Grammy & Aunt Mary
Reagan and her new pooch, Dotters
Mary, Kevin, Deb, Diane, Bobabooey, Sam , Gary
How many men does it take to take meat off of the smoker?

Friday, July 3, 2009

Boom

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com
HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!!!
We talked up the fireworks after nap time. And then we waited. Patiently.
Didn't matter.
They were only interested for as long as a 2 year old could be.
About 2 minutes.
I must say, someone in Chardon was asleep at the switch. The finale came in the middle and when the real end came everyone just looked around at each other.....waiting.....and waiting.....for a grand finale that never came.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

They Are Not Real

www.nolanpchak@blogspot.com There have always been things in my life that I don't want to believe are true. George Michael being gay, for example. There are also things from my childhood that certain people (not to mention any names, but it rhymes with Dill), like to make up stories about. Mean, awful stories that stick in your head and question all you held sacred as a child. Bad things about Bert and Ernie and nasty ideas about Ken & Barbie.
My love affair with the zoo suffered a little setback today. As we were walking through the rainforest a habitat was closed so a gentlemen could paint the trees. That is right folks, they are not real. For my kids sake, I'll still pretend we are deep into the forest, but really my heart won't be in it now that I know the "moss" on the tree is compliments of Sherwin Williams SW6193.
On another "they are not real" note, we visited the dinosaur exhibit. Reagan took one look at the first dinosaur and said, "They are NOT real." She also said she was "a little afraid of them", but then in the car on the way home she said they were her favorite thing.
The Pchaks & The Doerner offspring. Come here often?
All in all it was a fun day with Uncle Sam, Aunt Deb, Bill, and the Doerners. 5 adults, 4 kids meant that I got to play a little with the camera. (Only a little since I left my memory card in my PC and my backup that I keep in the bag doesn't hold that much.)

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Week In Review

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com Wow, a week and I haven't updated. Sorry. Here's the scoop. Me. Blood work results came (via mail--yeah, not too happy about that), all normal. They will refer me to a neurologist, if I want and if symptoms continue. They have not, although I'm pretty sure I have a pinched nerve in my left arm/shoulder. For now, I'll watch and see if the symptoms return and then I'll take them up on the referral. Grandpa. The news for him is not so good. His test showed that, even if they could successfully repair the pouch in his esophagus, the muscles in the rest of the throat are so weak from lack of proper use that it wouldn't matter. The decision he and my mom need to make is to either leave the feeding tube in and continue on without eating any food by mouth or have the tube removed and try to eat. The risk is that he will aspirate fluid into his lungs and develop pneumonia again. Also eating is not providing him with any weight gaining nutrition so he will begin to lose weight again. He will be told this news today, so keep him in your thoughts. He knows he will never be strong enough to go home, but still tough to come to terms with. The kids are anxious to get into their new (well, new to them) pool. We just need the weather to cooperate. These are a few shots from last weekend. Reagan being silly Nolan found a "big stick." Playing at the lake with Uncle Sam & Aunt Deb. Girls day out to celebrate Deb's b-day (very belatedly.....hmmm is that a word?) The above punch turns you into Gene Simmons if you drink too much ;-) Fun times. Bill is on vacation as of this afternoon (I'll let you know when I'll be needing one.) We hope to take the kids to the zoo tomorrow and then get ready for our VERY low-key 4th of July party. Gone are the days of invite-everyone-you-know bashes and drink-until-you-pass-out-on-the-front-lawn-and-get-rolled-up-in-an-oriental-rug-parties. Maybe next year, but for this year it will be a small dinner party with some smoked meat, sides brought by our friends, and perhaps a wheel or two of jello shots. Happy Independence Day!!!!!!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Gone Fishin'

www.nolanpchak.blogspot.com I signed us up in advance (there is no way I would voluntarily have gone to a story/craft/hike program outside today) for the Fish Follies at the Metroparks today. It was hot. Really hot. But the kids, Aunt Deb, and I had fun doing something they have never done before, fishing! Granted it was with a home-made fishing "pole" made from a pop can, fishing line, and a paper clip, but that didn't matter. They had a great time. A boy that was fishing on the pier had a large bass in a bucket and he was showing it to all the kids. When Reagan looked in the bucket, she yelled, "He needs help!" We might have a future PETA member on our hands here people.