When In Doubt

Lake Geneva

On Thursday night, Andy suggested that we get away over Memorial Day weekend.  So we checked out some rental homes online and found an available house.  We offered significantly less than the asking price and vowed to go only if the home owner would rent the place at a discount.  She did.  So we left on Friday, after taking the car to get an oil change, visiting the pediatrician's walk-in hours (Henry was diagnosed with a double ear infection), swinging by the pharmacy to pick up antibiotics, and attending Miles' end-of-year party.  On the way, we stopped at a walk-in clinic so that Andy could see a doctor and receive a prescription for antibiotics (sinus infection).  We were a mess.

So the trip seemed ideally timed.  We spent a few lazy days at the beach.  And checked out a petting zoo on a rainy morning.  It was fun.  We haven't been to a vacation destination, as a family, since Henry was in utero.  It's been too long.

Lake Geneva is cute.  It's easible accessible from Chicago (~2 hours).  People are friendly.  The beaches are clean and perfect for small kids.

Here are the boys on the front porch (yes, we wore our pajamas outdoors -- what else is vacation for but slobbing out?):

 

It was really, really nice to have a front yard.  The kids ran around, blowing bubbles and chasing each other with sticks.  Henry so loved having a yard that he would run to his shoes at 6am, demanding to go outside.  It just confirmed that we need our own lawn -- but also that once we have one, we might be in it a little too often.

To be honest, I was amazed at how well Henry traveled.  We haven't taken him anywhere overnight since last summer, when we visited Nathan and Gretchen.  But more than that, he's a kid who thrives on routine.  He insists upon it.  For instance, when he wakes up, if we don't immediately feed him a banana, he goes beserk.  And no other fruit or food will substitute for the banana.  And you need to sing a silly banana song while feeding him.  It's ridiculous.

By now, you're probably bored with photos taken of the kids at the beach.  But here are a few more, nonetheless.

Speaking of the beach...

I went away by myself  last weekend.  A trip to Boca Raton to meet old friends, Laura and Shana. 

This was a trip Andy had promised me when I was pregnant with Henry.  I spent a lot of that pregnancy griping about how long it would be before I could have fun again.  9 months of pregnancy, followed by at least 1 year of nursing.  So Andy told me that I should take a ladies' weekend when it was all over.

Laura's in-laws graciously allowed us to descend upon their condo.  And we spent 3 days in a resort, doing a whole lot of nothing.  Waking when we felt like it (8am EST, 7am CST -- isn't that pathetic?), eating at any hour that felt right, going to the beach without armfuls of toys, chatting without interruption.  It was the perfect getaway. 

That said, I missed the boys (Andy included).  It was hard to be away from them.  I felt a little bit off all weekend.

Andy did an awesome job of single-parenting.  Despite the fact that I couldn't wean Henry prior to leaving (he refuses to give up the bedtime feeding -- and insisted upon its resumption when I returned).

I am a lucky lady, indeed.

Beach Afternoons

A few shots from a recent visit to our favorite Evanston beach.

National Train Day

Another year, another train day.  This time we met the Rincons to watch model trains.  The boys were mesmerized:

We also inspected big trains (note: Miles refused to pose for this pic).

After a lunch at Epic Burger, I took the boys on a Metra ride home.  Miles was thrilled.  He insisted on sitting "up top."  Sitting attentively in his chair, he commented on everything.  The kid is a sponge.  When the conductor announced, "The next station is approaching," Miles asked: "What does 'approaching' mean?"  I explained, then Miles spent the rest of the day finding ways to use "approaching."

I'm becoming convinced that 4 is the neatest age.  Miles will regale us with stories that he makes up.  He jokes around.  And when Andy was out of town last week, Miles was super helpful.  As I put Henry down, Miles cleaned up the playroom -- without any prompting from me!  It was remarkable.

Best nickname ever:

chumba-rumby.

Since we outlawed potty talk (as much as humanly possible--although Miles has a relatively free pass with his friend, Mathias), Miles has had to move from calling Henry "diaper head" to "chumba-rumby."  The new nickname makes no sense, but it cracks us up.

Check Up

Two weeks ago, I took both boys for a check up (seemed convenient to get them done in one fell swoop; the reality consisted of two screaming, crying half-naked children).

Miles: 40" tall (44%) and 35lbs (42%)

Henry: 32" tall (74%) and 21lbs, 11oz (12%)

As you can tell, Henry's growth outpaces his weight gain.  That, and his incessant motion, mean that I cannot fill him up.  He has a snack when he wakes up (banana), breakfast, a snack after we drop Miles at school, lunch, a snack after nap, dinner, and usually some form of dessert.  While I'm shocked at how much he can eat, I also feel a little bit better about our nursing schedule a few months ago.  Just around his first birthday, I was still nursing every two hours.  Nearly around the clock.  Because the kid is so overwhelmingly hungry. 

Miles is pretty normal on the Gieraltowski spectrum.  Average height until late middle school then a shocking growth spurt.  Then again, who knows how tall these kids will turn out?

What we're up to

I feel guilty for failing to update this blog.  The kids have been doing all sorts of cool things which I haven't recorded anywhere!

Miles has been growing up.  He sets the table and clears his plate.  Most days, he shares with his brother.  He still loves reading and works to earn a half hour of tv each night.  He's learning to distinguish sarcasm (employed too often in our house) from earnestness (too rare); when he realizes that we're joking (like when I told him today that I must have made a mistake about his birthday because 4-year-olds don't throw fits), he says, "you're teasing me."  He's becoming better at greeting friends and family;  rather than clinging to Andy or I, he'll say "hello."  He and Henry love to chase each other down the hallway, screaming the whole way (this may sound awful, but it's actually quite fun).

Henry has developed quite a personality.  He insists on being fed anytime I'm cooking -- he wants a taste off the spoon.  And says "yum, yum, yum" to indicate how impossibly hungry he is.  He loves cars and balls, and must run to the window every single time a fire truck or ambulance zooms by (even if he's sitting at the table, eating a meal).  Although he has very few words, these include the obscure: "chocolate" and "cake" (so, so proud).  He's much more adventurous than Miles was at this age.  Henry will climb up ladders and stairs (even though he can't get down).  I found him face first, diving into a pond the other day.  And the good news: he's finally sleeping through the night.  It took quite a bit of work, but he's down from 6:45pm to 6am.   

The boys play well together.  And they help each other out.  When Miles has to sit in time out, Henry wants to sit next to his big brother.  And when Henry's crying at my feet to eat dinner (but I'm 20 minutes from serving anything), Miles will incite a game of chase.  They're good to each other -- watching them together makes me so happy (sometimes.  i'd be happy to evacuate the area when they battle over a toy -- or, more likely, a piece of recycling).

4 Years Old!

Today, Miles turns 4 years old.

We had a lovely celebration on Sunday, joined by Grandpa and Grandma; the Vaneks; the Rincons; the Sintes; and Lindsay and Steve. 

We played pin the tail on the dinosaur (a creation enabled by Henry's insistence on getting up at 6am):

 

getting ready for the party:

opening presents:

and blowing out the candle:

Easter 2012

We had an absolutely perfect Easter.  The weather cooperated -- 60 degrees and sunny.  And the kids were happy. 

After an egg search at our apartment, we went to the Rincons' house for lunch.  And we stayed six hours.  The kids played; Henry took a nap; the adults talked and had a drink or two. 

Unusually Warm Weather

For the past two weeks it's been eerily warm in Chicago.  Chicago typically has three seasons: winter, summer, and spring.  Winter usually lasts from mid-November to early June.  In June, we move from 40 degrees and rain to 80 degrees and sun -- overnight.  April and May are the cruellest months.  Usually.

March has been amazing.  So we've gone to the beach on the weekends.  No swimming but lots of digging in the sand, throwing rocks into the water, and laying, spread-eagled, on the beach.