March 13, 2011
Changed plans on going up north today. I wanted a little more time to hang with Nick and Amy. While Jacob was napping, we spent a bunch of time on Skype wtih the others anyway which made it feel like we were all hanging out.
Jacob has been having such a great time, loving them so much, playing with everyone. really fun to watch. He's entertained by the funniest things, too: Playing with their treadmill, rolling the fake oranges and lemons off it, throwing super balls down the stairway.
He's so cuddly. I just love when he snuggles in my lap and says "Ga-cob love Mommy." I will never get tired of that phrase.
We skyped with Daddy too. Good to see him. Sorry he can't be with us.
At bedtime Jacob says, "Grammy sleep in the bed. grammy sleep in there now." I told him that Grammy would be up soon, after he was sleeping. Lots of transition for this little guy, and he's handling it so well.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Day 167
March 12, 2011
Jacob went to the museum with Grammy and Uncle Nick. Thankfully there is a museum around here. All Jacob could talk about was balls. He wanted there to be balls at the museum. I told him that different museums were different and that I didn't know whether this museum had any balls or not.
I headed off to visit my friend Jamie. I was a little... distracted as I left, still thinking of Jacob and hoping everyone would have a good time. As I was driving out to her house, I was very close to my parents' old house. I hesitated briefly on whether or not to go back and see it but decided to do it. Driving down our old street felt so familiar: the houses, the trees. It felt like coming home. Their old house looked the same. It was very strange to drive past it. There was such a pull to turn into the driveway, walk up to the back door and come in to find everyone hanging out in the kitchen and front room. But it was okay. A little sad, too, but okay.
Driving around these areas for me when I visit is always kind of funny. Once I'm on the road, the places and their locations come back to me overall, but I have the moments of do-I-really-know-where-I'm-going. I hadn't been out to Jamie's in years and figured I knew the way. I couldn't remember the exit to get off on and almost called her but told myself to just trust my memory. Sure enough, I remembered it as soon as I got there.
Visiting with Jamie was so wonderful. I cannot say enough how great it felt to sit with a comfortable old friend who knows me, loves me, listens to me, supports me. To just be able to talk, laugh, sit, listen, be silent, just be in her funny and confident energy. We had lunch, had pie, and just hung out. It. Was. Amazing. I miss that. I miss having a best girlfriend near me to hang out with and just be with. I miss having someone to easily go out with. Moms are important in my friend repitoire but it makes it harder to get together alone. I miss being just me, no barriers or unknowns between me and a friend. Sigh. Life. Good to have this time. So good.
Toward the end I was missing Jacob. I have complete confidence in my family and would've loved to spend the night at Jamie's in some ways. What I've learned, though, is that it's hard to come in and be so excited to see my family but then go off to see friends. Especially when my time with Nick feels so limited this time around due to his job. So, I headed back. Dinner was ready, Jacob was slithering around on the kitchen floor. He had been great for everyone and had loved the museum. And there were balls!! Of course, that was his favourite part.
He has a favourite word - gaboppy. Just a made up word that he uses for.... lots of things. If you ask him a question but he doesn't want to answer, he says, "Gaboppy." Then he uses it in place of things like instead of eating apples he wants gaboppy. It's hilarious.
Jacob was having a good time calling everyone "uncle". Uncle Amy, Uncle Nick, Uncle Grammy, Uncle Mommy. And he thinks it's hilarious. His sense of humour is definitely growing. He's just been so happy, so cooperative, so confident, and so entertaining. Hanging out with everyone, being social, having no qualms about hanging out with everyone. It's been great for all of us.
Jacob went to the museum with Grammy and Uncle Nick. Thankfully there is a museum around here. All Jacob could talk about was balls. He wanted there to be balls at the museum. I told him that different museums were different and that I didn't know whether this museum had any balls or not.
I headed off to visit my friend Jamie. I was a little... distracted as I left, still thinking of Jacob and hoping everyone would have a good time. As I was driving out to her house, I was very close to my parents' old house. I hesitated briefly on whether or not to go back and see it but decided to do it. Driving down our old street felt so familiar: the houses, the trees. It felt like coming home. Their old house looked the same. It was very strange to drive past it. There was such a pull to turn into the driveway, walk up to the back door and come in to find everyone hanging out in the kitchen and front room. But it was okay. A little sad, too, but okay.
Driving around these areas for me when I visit is always kind of funny. Once I'm on the road, the places and their locations come back to me overall, but I have the moments of do-I-really-know-where-I'm-going. I hadn't been out to Jamie's in years and figured I knew the way. I couldn't remember the exit to get off on and almost called her but told myself to just trust my memory. Sure enough, I remembered it as soon as I got there.
Visiting with Jamie was so wonderful. I cannot say enough how great it felt to sit with a comfortable old friend who knows me, loves me, listens to me, supports me. To just be able to talk, laugh, sit, listen, be silent, just be in her funny and confident energy. We had lunch, had pie, and just hung out. It. Was. Amazing. I miss that. I miss having a best girlfriend near me to hang out with and just be with. I miss having someone to easily go out with. Moms are important in my friend repitoire but it makes it harder to get together alone. I miss being just me, no barriers or unknowns between me and a friend. Sigh. Life. Good to have this time. So good.
Toward the end I was missing Jacob. I have complete confidence in my family and would've loved to spend the night at Jamie's in some ways. What I've learned, though, is that it's hard to come in and be so excited to see my family but then go off to see friends. Especially when my time with Nick feels so limited this time around due to his job. So, I headed back. Dinner was ready, Jacob was slithering around on the kitchen floor. He had been great for everyone and had loved the museum. And there were balls!! Of course, that was his favourite part.
He has a favourite word - gaboppy. Just a made up word that he uses for.... lots of things. If you ask him a question but he doesn't want to answer, he says, "Gaboppy." Then he uses it in place of things like instead of eating apples he wants gaboppy. It's hilarious.
Jacob was having a good time calling everyone "uncle". Uncle Amy, Uncle Nick, Uncle Grammy, Uncle Mommy. And he thinks it's hilarious. His sense of humour is definitely growing. He's just been so happy, so cooperative, so confident, and so entertaining. Hanging out with everyone, being social, having no qualms about hanging out with everyone. It's been great for all of us.
Day 166
March 11, 2011
Got up this morning and tried to make to a Kindermusik class with Beth and Jackson. Jacob was fighting getting dressed and I asked him if he wanted to go to this class. He said no so we stayed at their house instead. Had some quiet time with the toys and books and each other. Probably good for him to have a little "down" time. He asked to go to his house this morning. I told him that we weren't going back for a while. I asked is he missed his house. He said yes. I know that feeling.
Beth drove us back to Nick's place after their class. As we were driving back, Jacob said, "Go to Uncle Amy's house. Ga-cob love it." Nick and Jacob were excited to see each other. Uncle Nick brought him his own, smaller cheesehead hat from Green Bay. It is adorable! I will definitely be getting pictures once we're up north (where my parents' camera is).
Jacob likes to roll things off Nick and Amy's treadmill and bounce superballs down the stairway. It's the little things in life that fascinate a curious child, and I love watching him explore. When it was nap time, he said he wanted to have the superballs with him. "Ga-cob have sleepover with superballs." Hahaha!! That's awesome.
I put my feet up, read a bit and took a nap. I'm feeling like I'm on vacation!
Got to hang out with Nick and Amy in the evening. Jacob got to stay up a bit later so that he could hang out with his Aunt Amy and then Grammy. Then the grownups got to hang out and play some Yahtzee, watch the Wings win and stay up way too late. It's vacation alright.
Got up this morning and tried to make to a Kindermusik class with Beth and Jackson. Jacob was fighting getting dressed and I asked him if he wanted to go to this class. He said no so we stayed at their house instead. Had some quiet time with the toys and books and each other. Probably good for him to have a little "down" time. He asked to go to his house this morning. I told him that we weren't going back for a while. I asked is he missed his house. He said yes. I know that feeling.
Beth drove us back to Nick's place after their class. As we were driving back, Jacob said, "Go to Uncle Amy's house. Ga-cob love it." Nick and Jacob were excited to see each other. Uncle Nick brought him his own, smaller cheesehead hat from Green Bay. It is adorable! I will definitely be getting pictures once we're up north (where my parents' camera is).
Jacob likes to roll things off Nick and Amy's treadmill and bounce superballs down the stairway. It's the little things in life that fascinate a curious child, and I love watching him explore. When it was nap time, he said he wanted to have the superballs with him. "Ga-cob have sleepover with superballs." Hahaha!! That's awesome.
I put my feet up, read a bit and took a nap. I'm feeling like I'm on vacation!
Got to hang out with Nick and Amy in the evening. Jacob got to stay up a bit later so that he could hang out with his Aunt Amy and then Grammy. Then the grownups got to hang out and play some Yahtzee, watch the Wings win and stay up way too late. It's vacation alright.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Day 165: Jacob's first sleepover
March 10, 2011
Jacob got up this morning at 9. Of course, after going to bed at 11, I'm not surprised. He woke up just talking to himself upstairs in his bed. Once I brought him downstairs, he asked, "Aunt Amy come downstairs. Gammy come downstairs." I had to tell him that they were already off working today but that we'd see them again. We played together for awhile before my friend Bats (actually, the name in an acronym for Beth Across The Street, differentiating this Beth from my other friend Beth) came over with her little boy, Jackson. Jackson is a year younger than Jacob. He and Jacob felt each other out a bit, Jackson a bit more cautious, Jacob a bit more rambunctious.
I told Jacob were going to their house to have a sleepover. When we got there, it was toy city! Jacob was beside himself. So many new and different toys to play with. Jackson was great about Jacob taking over some of his toys but definitely was concerned about it at a few points. I also had to explain to Jacob several times that these toys belonged to Jackson and that he was sharing them with us. We had to share with him too.
"No Jackson play with that!" was something I heard a few times. There were also lots of good sharing moments between them, though. It was pretty cute. They both love books and when one would bring me a book, the other soon came over also and sit in my lap. So sweet!
Once Beth's husband Jason came home, I definitely missed Fraser. Apparently Jacob did too. During his bath, he was talking about Jackson's daddy and then said, "My daddy?" I explained that he wasn't with us on this trip. "Daddy put you to bed," he said. Oh! "I'm sorry, baby, but Daddy can't put you to bed tonight. We'll try to talk to him soon."
As I was putting him to bed, he wanted to be sure I was going to come back to the same room as him.
"I'm going to sleep right in this bed tonight. Right next to your bed."
"Mommy sleep here now."
"I'm going to just be out in the house for now while you go to sleep, but I'll come in in a little bit."
"Ga-cob watch Mommy leave."
It occurred to me that I had just taken him on a long trip across the country, had him sleep at one house for a night, then brought him to a whole new house for the next day and night. No wonder he just wanted to be sure of things.
Beth and I got to have some nice, childless time before bedtime for ourselves.
"It's been a long time since we've had a sleepover," I said as we were getting ready to head to bed.
"Yes," she said. "I remember them lasting longer."
True. They are very different now. But still nice to have when possible.
Jacob got up this morning at 9. Of course, after going to bed at 11, I'm not surprised. He woke up just talking to himself upstairs in his bed. Once I brought him downstairs, he asked, "Aunt Amy come downstairs. Gammy come downstairs." I had to tell him that they were already off working today but that we'd see them again. We played together for awhile before my friend Bats (actually, the name in an acronym for Beth Across The Street, differentiating this Beth from my other friend Beth) came over with her little boy, Jackson. Jackson is a year younger than Jacob. He and Jacob felt each other out a bit, Jackson a bit more cautious, Jacob a bit more rambunctious.
I told Jacob were going to their house to have a sleepover. When we got there, it was toy city! Jacob was beside himself. So many new and different toys to play with. Jackson was great about Jacob taking over some of his toys but definitely was concerned about it at a few points. I also had to explain to Jacob several times that these toys belonged to Jackson and that he was sharing them with us. We had to share with him too.
"No Jackson play with that!" was something I heard a few times. There were also lots of good sharing moments between them, though. It was pretty cute. They both love books and when one would bring me a book, the other soon came over also and sit in my lap. So sweet!
Once Beth's husband Jason came home, I definitely missed Fraser. Apparently Jacob did too. During his bath, he was talking about Jackson's daddy and then said, "My daddy?" I explained that he wasn't with us on this trip. "Daddy put you to bed," he said. Oh! "I'm sorry, baby, but Daddy can't put you to bed tonight. We'll try to talk to him soon."
As I was putting him to bed, he wanted to be sure I was going to come back to the same room as him.
"I'm going to sleep right in this bed tonight. Right next to your bed."
"Mommy sleep here now."
"I'm going to just be out in the house for now while you go to sleep, but I'll come in in a little bit."
"Ga-cob watch Mommy leave."
It occurred to me that I had just taken him on a long trip across the country, had him sleep at one house for a night, then brought him to a whole new house for the next day and night. No wonder he just wanted to be sure of things.
Beth and I got to have some nice, childless time before bedtime for ourselves.
"It's been a long time since we've had a sleepover," I said as we were getting ready to head to bed.
"Yes," she said. "I remember them lasting longer."
True. They are very different now. But still nice to have when possible.
Day 164: "Ga-cob love airport"
March 9, 2011
Loooong travel day. No surprise there, I suppose. Traveling from Portland, Oregon to Detroit, Michigan is going to be long.
I was up before 4am, getting a call on my phone telling me that my second flight (out of Chicago) was cancelled and that we were rebooked on a later flight out, making what had been a two hour layover into a four hour one.
Jacob woke up at 5:30 and the first words out of his mouth were, "Ga-cob ride airplane now." Perfect. He barely had any breakfast, he was so excited. We got out of the house without a problem and to the airport. After a sad goodbye to Fraser, Jacob and I were off on our own.
The flight to Chicago, even though still long, was shorter than expected. Only three hours and fifteen minutes instead of four hours. I sound like a pansy compared to other people I know who have traveled overseas with their young children. Any amount of time over an hour is asking something of a small child. Jacob really liked his own seat. I really liked him having it too. So much more room! We read books, ate lunch, looked out at the beautiful snowy mountains (how I miss them!), coloured pictures and played with sponge puppets. He was awesome.
Once in Chicago I looked at the departures board to see if my next flight information was up yet. I saw that the original flight we had been on was on the board, "on time". I went to an agent and asked if we could get back on that one. I'd been trying to meet up with a friend in the airport and the delay would've made that a perfect plan. But having been up since four and being exhausted, I really didn't want to spend an extra two hours at this airport. Fortunately, we were able to get on the earlier flight.
Of course, now there were pickup issues. Things back in Detroit were getting complicated. My mom had gone to the doctor at the spur of a moment so coming in earlier was actually worse for anyone else to pick us up. After trying to figure out several different plans (while trying to find some food, feed and watch Jacob, give him a diaper change and go to the bathroom myself), my mom called and said that everything was okay for her to come, as originally scheduled. Feeling stressed but also relieved that we would indeed have a ride once we finally got in, we raced off to our next plane.
Jacob fell asleep within five minutes on the secon plane and slept almost all the way to Detroit. He missed a beautiful sunset up above the clouds. We were just above the clouds and circled around a few times as we got close to Detroit. The cottony landscape of the clouds stretched out as far as I could see, the distant clouds coloured pink and purple and rising up like the Rocky Mountains. Closer to us, the resemblance of the clouds to cottonballs was quite uncanny. We sailed down through them finally into a "foggy tunnel" as Jacob called it. The ground was right there and we landed within seconds.
The last fiasco of the day was the luggage which, naturally, hadn't come. I checked it at the gate when I thought I'd be in Chicago for four hours. Two hours between flights seemed like enough time to get my bags onto my own plane but apparently that hadn't worked out. Alas. I filled out my address and was told someone would deliver the bag once it arrived. Moral of the story: Don't ever pack something absolutely necessary in your checked bag. Even at this point, Jacob said, "Ga-cob love airport."
After a dark and foggy (and long) drive to my brother and his fiance's place, we finally arrived at 9pm. I was very glad to not have stayed in Chicago for the extra two hours. Jacob was all lit up, though, He was excited to my mom, let her put him in his carseat, talked and laughed at things all the way to Nick and Amy's and was running around like crazy when we got there. He gave Amy a huge hug, too. Adorable. I told him so many times how proud of him I was for all his hard work being patient and cooperative today. What a great traveler!
Loooong travel day. No surprise there, I suppose. Traveling from Portland, Oregon to Detroit, Michigan is going to be long.
I was up before 4am, getting a call on my phone telling me that my second flight (out of Chicago) was cancelled and that we were rebooked on a later flight out, making what had been a two hour layover into a four hour one.
Jacob woke up at 5:30 and the first words out of his mouth were, "Ga-cob ride airplane now." Perfect. He barely had any breakfast, he was so excited. We got out of the house without a problem and to the airport. After a sad goodbye to Fraser, Jacob and I were off on our own.
The flight to Chicago, even though still long, was shorter than expected. Only three hours and fifteen minutes instead of four hours. I sound like a pansy compared to other people I know who have traveled overseas with their young children. Any amount of time over an hour is asking something of a small child. Jacob really liked his own seat. I really liked him having it too. So much more room! We read books, ate lunch, looked out at the beautiful snowy mountains (how I miss them!), coloured pictures and played with sponge puppets. He was awesome.
Once in Chicago I looked at the departures board to see if my next flight information was up yet. I saw that the original flight we had been on was on the board, "on time". I went to an agent and asked if we could get back on that one. I'd been trying to meet up with a friend in the airport and the delay would've made that a perfect plan. But having been up since four and being exhausted, I really didn't want to spend an extra two hours at this airport. Fortunately, we were able to get on the earlier flight.
Of course, now there were pickup issues. Things back in Detroit were getting complicated. My mom had gone to the doctor at the spur of a moment so coming in earlier was actually worse for anyone else to pick us up. After trying to figure out several different plans (while trying to find some food, feed and watch Jacob, give him a diaper change and go to the bathroom myself), my mom called and said that everything was okay for her to come, as originally scheduled. Feeling stressed but also relieved that we would indeed have a ride once we finally got in, we raced off to our next plane.
Jacob fell asleep within five minutes on the secon plane and slept almost all the way to Detroit. He missed a beautiful sunset up above the clouds. We were just above the clouds and circled around a few times as we got close to Detroit. The cottony landscape of the clouds stretched out as far as I could see, the distant clouds coloured pink and purple and rising up like the Rocky Mountains. Closer to us, the resemblance of the clouds to cottonballs was quite uncanny. We sailed down through them finally into a "foggy tunnel" as Jacob called it. The ground was right there and we landed within seconds.
The last fiasco of the day was the luggage which, naturally, hadn't come. I checked it at the gate when I thought I'd be in Chicago for four hours. Two hours between flights seemed like enough time to get my bags onto my own plane but apparently that hadn't worked out. Alas. I filled out my address and was told someone would deliver the bag once it arrived. Moral of the story: Don't ever pack something absolutely necessary in your checked bag. Even at this point, Jacob said, "Ga-cob love airport."
After a dark and foggy (and long) drive to my brother and his fiance's place, we finally arrived at 9pm. I was very glad to not have stayed in Chicago for the extra two hours. Jacob was all lit up, though, He was excited to my mom, let her put him in his carseat, talked and laughed at things all the way to Nick and Amy's and was running around like crazy when we got there. He gave Amy a huge hug, too. Adorable. I told him so many times how proud of him I was for all his hard work being patient and cooperative today. What a great traveler!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Day 163
March 8, 2011
Finishing all the preparations for tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to the traveling part, especially coming from farther away than we used to. That added hour on an airplane with a toddler does not strike joy in my heart. However, Jacob is excited and is usually good on planes so, I'm hoping for the best. I have lots of books, the sponge puppets, some colouring things and a bunch of food. Lots to entertain.
Jacob is ready. He keeps saying, "Go on plane now." Soon, buddy, soon.
This evening, he was hanging out on in the backyard again when Fraser came home. Fraser went out with him, and they were playing around in the leaves for awhile and in the mud puddles. I headed out to join them. It was a pretty warm day - maybe in the mid fifties. There had been lots of sun, and now the last of the colours were fading in the sky. We were watching jet trails. "Ga-cob love 'em. Ga-cob love airplanes." It was quite and nice, that eveningtime calm when the birds are getting a bit less chatty, you might hear a frog or two and the last wisps of clouds are still tinged with pink. It makes me appreciate that are backyard is right next to a swath of open space. A relaxing last evening together which was very nice.
Finishing all the preparations for tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to the traveling part, especially coming from farther away than we used to. That added hour on an airplane with a toddler does not strike joy in my heart. However, Jacob is excited and is usually good on planes so, I'm hoping for the best. I have lots of books, the sponge puppets, some colouring things and a bunch of food. Lots to entertain.
Jacob is ready. He keeps saying, "Go on plane now." Soon, buddy, soon.
This evening, he was hanging out on in the backyard again when Fraser came home. Fraser went out with him, and they were playing around in the leaves for awhile and in the mud puddles. I headed out to join them. It was a pretty warm day - maybe in the mid fifties. There had been lots of sun, and now the last of the colours were fading in the sky. We were watching jet trails. "Ga-cob love 'em. Ga-cob love airplanes." It was quite and nice, that eveningtime calm when the birds are getting a bit less chatty, you might hear a frog or two and the last wisps of clouds are still tinged with pink. It makes me appreciate that are backyard is right next to a swath of open space. A relaxing last evening together which was very nice.
Day 162
March 7, 2011
Jacob makes song requests a lot.
"Mommy sing a little song."
Today, it was Found a Peanut.
"It was rotten, it was rotten," he said. Then, "Ate it anyway, ate it anyway".
I filled in the rest for him.
Jacob makes song requests a lot.
"Mommy sing a little song."
Today, it was Found a Peanut.
"It was rotten, it was rotten," he said. Then, "Ate it anyway, ate it anyway".
I filled in the rest for him.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)