From the Mouths of Babes in April

Eileen:  Statue of the Liberty!  (Eileen runs around the house, holding an object and yelling this, much to her brother's annoyance)

Eileen:  Whinus  (how she pronounces Linus' name and makes me giggle to myself)

Eileen:  Yesterday at school I went potty in a honey bucket and I liked it.

Linus:  Mama, lets just hope you survive...(menacing face and sly smile)

Me:  If you want to learn to ride a bike, you have to try longer than 2 minutes.
Linus: No thanks. I'm more interested in being an American Ninja Warrior.

Tiptoe Through the Traffic

As hard as it may be to believe, I have never been to see the tulips in Skagit County despite living in Puget Sound my entire life.  Some years it's been too wet, other years too busy.  I didn't even know that visiting the tulips was a thing until I was an adult.  I must of missed that episode of Evening Magazine every year.  The gaping hole in my life experience is now filled.  I finally went to see the tulips.

Dave has been working incredibly long days every day.  My father works nights and sleeps during the day.  I decided we were due for another adventure and I invited my mother to come along for the ride.  The kids were ready, enthusiastic, and dressed appropriately without any help.  Things were looking good, and then we attempted to get to Mt Vernon.....

So.much.traffic.  First there was heavy traffic in Everett and then starting a few miles south of Mt. Vernon traffic went from slow to a crawl to a standstill.  At the some point, another car had the idea that all of us trying to take the exit to the tulips should just pull off to the shoulder.  And then we sat and sat and sat.  Having not done my due diligence, I missed that the third weekend of April is the Tulip Festival street fair.  Not only was there traffic to see the tulips, but most of the downtown Mt Vernon streets were closed, parking was insane, and pedestrians were everywhere.  This did not bode well for getting a quick bite to eat.

Once we did make it off the freeway and somehow found parking, we wandered around until we found a diner with a cheap brunch.  And then we were on our way.  Leaving town towards the fields, there was no traffic.  In fact, Tulip Town was not that crowded at all.

Tulip Town is kind of like going to one of the commercial pumpkin patches with decidedly less bling--no cow train rides, tulip chunking with a catapult, or tulip mazes.  It's just a large area of tulips (about the size of a soccer field), many sections with the flowers chopped off.  There is a trolley that you can pay extra to ride that will drive you around this square patch.  You aren't supposed to go in the rows.  Small sections are cut out so you can take the obligatory photo where you look like you are in among the tulips. 

 My mom struggled with using the camera.

Linus picked out a bouquet of flowers to commemorate our trip.

Leaving the tulips proved even more difficult.  The road leading back to town was clogged.  After twenty minutes and not budging, I turned on my route navigation, set it for HOME, and just headed south, ignoring all attempts to get me to the main road.  It took a long time, but we eventually found our way back to the freeway.  My mom and I thought the route we took was quite scenic and lovely.

The kids were not impressed by either the scenic drive or the tulips.  The Dairy Queen in Marysville on the way back went over much better.  Robin couldn't get enough and was moaning as he tried to climb across the table to get at Linus' blizzard.

I finally visited the tulips.  I'm glad I went.  The tulips were pretty and the kids were well-behaved.  I had fun, but I gotta say, the whole thing is a little overrated.  The next time I go (which won't be for a few years), I'll just swing by on a weekday after a fun adventure in Bellingham.  I think I can safely say that no one is going to be receiving a Christmas card from us with a picture of the family nestled in among the tulips.

Easter Eggs and Candy and Cookies and more Candy

My stomach hurts.  Yesterday was Easter.  I woke up this morning and my body wanted to know what I had done to it.  My body apparently can no longer consume mass amounts of candy and sugar with no ill effects.  If I had not had lunch plans, it would have been a pajama pants sort of day.  Despite fighting an urge to detach my stomach from the rest of me,  I can look back fondly over our Easter Holiday.

There was no school Friday.  After lunch, we baked Easter cookies made with robin egg candies.  Then our friends, Colleen, Ari, and Vivian came over to dye Easter eggs.  The brilliant part of this plan was that it meant off loading half the eggs (the kids don't like hard boiled eggs) and some of the cookies.

Hopped up on sugar, the kids were feeling the need to become the Easter bunny.  Eileen has taken to walking around the house at all times with a basket full of plastic eggs (which of course is a source of conflict with her brother).  Linus and Robin claimed the bunny ears.  Inspired, Linus took it a step further and used markers all over his face when I wasn't looking.

The hospital scrubs are from the previous activity of animal hospital.

Saturday meant more Easter candy and cookies.  Thanks to attending Catholic school, Linus has been very aware of the religious aspects of Easter.  The Stations of the Cross seem to be weighing very heavily on him.  Linus has taken it upon himself to educate the rest of us.

The kids woke up Easter Sunday ready.  The Easter Bunny brought the kids garden stuff.  Linus tried to argue that the Easter Bunny had really meant for Robin's shovel to be for the whole family.  Right.  It only took moments for Robin to figure out the wonder and joy of unwrapped candy in baskets. 

We managed to snap a few pictures before mass.  It's never an easy task.

We got to mass way too early.  Robin was none too impressed.  Having discovered a joy of hats, he claimed Linus' as his own.

Mass wasn't too bad.  I did not love the music, but who doesn't appreciate a homily about zombies?  After mass was another church organized egg hunt, so more candy!

We came home.  I prepared a yummy fancy brunch--lemon brioche french toast with raspberries, maple sausages, frittata, oj.  My mother and brother joined us.  The kids were eerily well behaved and quiet during brunch.  I think it was because I let them use the good china.  Maybe I should break it out more often......

Settlers of Catan followed brunch.  After being denied a win that was mine, I took a nap before starting dinner.  The kids and Dave took advantage of the beautiful weather.  Linus and Dave created some sort of game while Eileen wandered around.

Grandma spent the afternoon playing with Robin.  He is finally starting to really like her, or at least not cry at her mere presence.

After an afternoon of snacking on candy and cookies, I prepared a delicious dinner--honey balsamic roasted brussel sprouts, carrot souffles, red wine and cranberry glazed roast over mashed potatoes.  My younger sister had arrived by then. 

Dinner was followed by more candy and cookies.  It was actually a very chill Easter.  I've managed to throw out some of the candy gotten through egg hunts.  The baskets are up out of reach due to the sugar crazed children that woke up this morning.   I think this is the last year I can get away with just eating all the kids' candy while they sleep.   All I know is that right now my stomach is begging me to take a break from the sweets.  The hard part is trying to listen.

18 months

My little baby Robin bird is 18 months old today.  I love this boy so much.

Robin has been through so much over the last year and a half.  He is deathly afraid of scales at this point, crying the moment he sees one.  However, he is fine being poked and prodded.  He likes his therapist which is great.  Robin is fine being around bigger kids, but he gets overwhelmed and scared when around other toddlers.  He recently discovered the cuteness that is little babies.  His therapist and neurodevelopmental doctor have both suggested he get more playdates with peers. Poor third child, I need to focus on his social calendar more.

Books are one of Robin's favorite things.  Linus is happy to read to him.  In the morning I frequently find Linus in the crib reading to Robin, either his favorite board books or Calvin and Hobbes.  He and Linus are developing a special bond.  Robin gets so excited when Linus hops in the bath with him.  Linus invented a game called "Wild Waves."  All Linus has to do is say the words and Robin gets into position.

More than books, Robin loves music.  He perks up when he hears music and rocks his body back and forth.  We've started taking him to library storytimes.  Robin breaks into the biggest smile as soon as the singing and movement starts.  We are both sad that Nurturing Pathways is on break right now between sessions.

What Robin loves most of all (besides his mama), is being outside.  It's hard since he can't walk to just let him go play in the backyard.  We have to be careful when we say the word "outside" around him.  On rainy days, he points longingly through the window at his swing.  His word for outside is "atch-chai."

Despite being of small stature, Robin is trying to prove that he is a big boy too.  He likes to help empty the dishwasher, handing you things one by one.  He knows when and where to throw garbage.  He will crawl over to the sink and wait for you to open the cabinet so he can put stuff in the garbage himself.  Robin is always a big help when it comes to loading the washer and dryer.

I can't stress how much I love this one.  He is such a happy baby.  He loves to joke and giggle and wrestle.  And the snuggles, oh the snuggles.  He is the best snuggler and I love how he twirls the hair at the back of my neck.  Sometimes he just crawls over to give me a kiss.  Even on the longest, hardest days everything seems okay when it's just him and me in a rocking chair, snuggling and singing before bed. 

18 months.  He won't be a baby for long, but I am determined to soak up every second of it.  There are many more doctor's appointments in Robin's future.  No matter what happens, he is still the perfect addition to our family.

Gone Huntin'

The benefit to having a few years under my parenting belt is I am starting to figure out which public family events to avoid and which to attend.  Bunny Bounce at the zoo?  No thanks, never again.  Way too crazy.  Community Centers around town?  Not too shabby.  Ballard Commons and hosted by the candy shoppe?  Pretty good.  But after 6 years, far and away the best egg hunt is at CYO Camp Don Bosco.  We've been a couple of times and this year did not disappoint.

The kids had zero interest in the crafts or camp tours.  They were willing to eat the cookies.  Linus only had one thing on his mind, the hunt.  It made it a little hard to talk to old camp friends.

All business

The hunt was really well organized.  The staff did a great job. I had to smile as the staff frolicked around, playing with the kids.  I used to have that sort of energy.  Oh to be young again....

Linus and Eileen did a great job helping Robin until he figured things out.

The Animal Encounters was a big hit.  Robin was too scared to pet most of the animals, but found it fascinating to stand in the middle as the pig, wallaby, and goats ran around him.  He didn't want to hold one, but excitedly pet a baby bunny.  I really liked how kids weren't rushed out and had lots of opportunities to hold multiple animals.  Seriously, more than 10 kids could hold animals at a time, there was very little waiting.

Eileen was braver.  That bunny was seriously so cute and tiny.

Once we got home the kids happily examined their loot.  I then confiscated all the candy and put it in a safe place and let them play with the eggs.  Linus commandeered all the camo eggs and gold coins for himself.

Another bonus is the fun swag you get for carrying your eggs.  We are starting to get a little collection of CYO gear this way.  This year the kids each came away with a pretty sweet CYO lunch sack that held a surprisingly large amount of eggs.

With the hunt now out of the way, I'm wondering if I will get to skip egg dying this year.

Robin's Week at Children's Hospital

It's been a big week for Robin.  We randomly ended up having two of his specialist follow-up appointments the same week and then ear tube surgery was scheduled too.  I'm glad Children's is such a nice place, only a short drive away, and has a well-stocked Starbucks on site.

Monday

We visited endocrinology.  It was a hard visit.  We learned that Robin's length had fallen further off the growth chart.  While he did grow, it was not very much and the gap compared to where he should be grew larger.  I was surprised to learn he hadn't really gained weight either.  While it's a small dip in the curve, the endocrinologist found it mildly concerning.  If Robin suffered from a regular growth hormone problem, you would only expect his length to continue to fall off the chart.  Depending on how things go, we may be referred to a nutritionist.  Perhaps his body is not absorbing something?  Given the lack of growth, combined with his low energy and need for more sleep (compared to those his age), the endocrinologist decided to take the next step and do further testing.  In a few weeks Robin will undergo a hormone stimulation test.  This involves giving Robin an IV and drawing blood in regular intervals over the course of several hours.  Sounds fun.  I've started trying to get Robin interested in screen time with no luck.  I've also introduced Pediasure into his diet.  He's a fan.
 
Tuesday and Wednesday

Consisted of kicking butt and taking names.  I crossed a ton of stuff off my to-do list and cleaned house.

Thursday

We woke up super early for Robin's 6:15 am surgery check-in time.  Eileen was confused about why we were waking her up in the middle of the night.  Robin did fine until it came time to put on a gown.  He then was alright until I had to pass him off to the anesthesiologist.  They don't let you go into the ER while putting kids under like they do at the Polyclinic. It was so hard.  I knew that everything was going to be fine, and putting in tubes only takes 10 minutes, but I still found myself choking back tears. Luckily, I had Eileen to distract me.  She was a rockstar through the whole thing.

We brought several of his favorite board books to distract him.

Did I mention he is cutting 4 teeth right now? So much drool and so very chewy.

After surgery, the ENT doctor told us that Robin had a massive double ear infection.  That goes to show what a trooper Robin is.  He never complained, although I'm thinking it's probably what caused him to have a fever last week.  His ear canals were very inflamed.  The doctor said that stuff burst open with the first cut.  Ewww.  Poor little guy.  The doctor also noted that Robin had a very small left ear canal.

Robin had a really hard time waking up in recovery.  He was beside himself.  I think he really disliked the taste in his mouth left by the anesthesia.  Luckily, nursing helped, but at this point there is not a whole lot of milk so then we were back to inconsolable crying. After a while he saw Eileen sipping juice and eating goldfish (thanks awesome nurse) and he decided he would join her.  Robin then slowly returned to his happy self.  Eileen was so awesome the whole time.  She really tried hard to comfort and reassure Robin before and after his surgery.

Since getting in ear tubes, Robin has been babbling up a storm (he previously didn't babble much).  He is so happy and responsive.  He seems much more alert and laughs when he hears sounds that he was unable to before.  I know that tubes are going to make a huge difference in his life.

Today (Friday)

While Eileen went to the childcare at Children's, Robin had a check-up in the neurodevelopmental clinic.  Our doctor noticed a new audiology test hadn't been ordered so she put one in.  Now that he has ears tubes, we want to see if he still has hearing loss. I've always thought Robin had weaker hearing in his left ear so I will be interested to see what the results are now that I know his left ear has a small canal.

His language, social/emotional, fine motor, and adaptive skills are doing really, coming in around 16/17 months (he'll be 18 months next week).  However, his gross motor is still lagging behind.  He scores at the level of an 11 month old.  The doctor put in a referral for additional physical therapy.  One of our homework goals is to work on his functional play.  Functional play is stuff like if he has a hairbrush, he tries to brush hair. 

I really appreciated the doctor's thoroughness and validation of my concerns when I wondered about possible chromosonal growth disorders.  Robin has low tone. Since Robin is already getting blood drawn in the near future for the growth hormone test, she went ahead and ordered some additional tests to rule out some conditions to save him a few extra pokes.  She plans to talk with the endocrinologist about testing for some specific growth disorders.  Throughout the hour long appointment, Robin was content taking apart my wallet and allowed himself to be examined as necessary.

All these appointments have wreaked havoc on his nap schedule.  He passed out on the drive home.

Robin has made huge gains in the last three months.  It's very encouraging to see progress.  I'm determined to do right by him.  I would love to know if there is an underlying cause for his issues, but in the meantime I just want to get him all the help he needs so he can live his life to the fullest.  There has been a lot to process this week.  I'm so grateful that Eileen has been patient during all of these trips to Children's.  I know I've been asking a lot of her.  While we still don't have answers, we do have progress and an awesome care team.  We also have a happy baby and that is good enough for now.

From the Mouths of Babes in March

Linus:  This is where my extension cord used to be (points to belly button).

Linus walks out in karate uniform with no shirt underneath
Me:  Where's your shirt?
Linus:  I'm becoming a man now.

Linus:  Do all old people wear glasses?
Me: No, but many do.
Eileen:  If you get boobs do you have to wear glasses?

Eileen:  (mad and screaming) You are a mean mommy! You messed up my day.  No laundry for you! NO LAUNDRY FOR MAMA!!!!

Yes.  That's right.  Not getting to do the laundry is a punishment according to Eileen.  It's so hard not to laugh when she gets really mad.