Recognition and Imitation

I haven't updated for a little bit. I guess my life is just not as exciting without a two year old in it. I wanted to toot Michael's horn, because I know he won't. A drill a couple weeks ago, he received an Indiana Commendation Medal for his work on state duty during the flood. I believe it's the third highest state award. He really took charge while he was down there and put in extra hours when everyone else was done for the night. Well, it didn't go unnoticed. His commander and first sergeant put in the award for him. And to tell you how modest he is about it, he didn't even want to accept the award in front of the company. He had the first sergeant give it to him on the side. Well, I'm proud of him and I'm going to let everyone know, even if he's not!

Okay, and the imitation part of this entry is Sammy's. Ever since she started hanging around Zeus, she's picked up a few habits. So, she always seems to be marking her territory when we go for walks. However, now, she lifts her leg to pee on poles and trees! Yes, she's a girl, but I guess if Zeus is doing it, then she can do it too. No wonder everyone calls her a boy. Geesh.

The Adventures of Sammy and Zeus Continue

I decided to start walking the dogs twice a day, so this morning when I got up we went out for a little trot. The dogs were ecstatic, not used to morning walks, jumping everywhere. We didn't even make it down the first block before Sammy crosses under Zeus' lead and wraps around his hind leg. So Zeus goes down and I try untangling this mess and I go down. Before I know it, Zeus is walking down the sidewalk dragging his lead, Sammy is running down the sidewalk, and I am kneeling on the sidewalk with her collar in my hands. The dogs walked away unmarked but I got a little scrape of the knuckle against the sidewalk. They calmed down (as much as they were going to) and the rest of the walk was fine. It takes them a minute to remember how to walk--Sammy's on the right and Zeus is to her left, if she crosses then he jumps over the line. It only took that one mess to remind them.

The main reason I decided to start two walks a day is because the great escape artist decided to jump the fence again, straight into the farmer's field and a bush of burs. This time it was much worse than before, he was literally covered in these tiny things from snout to tail. I brushed some of it out last night and again this afternoon. I've gotten the scissors out and started cutting away hair it's so bad. It's a mess. If I had good clippers I would shave him down completely. It's a good thing we went outside when we did (it's a terribly crazy side story that I won't go into too much detail here, let's just say there was water guns and chasing and outside was my only escape route) or who knows how long he would have been roaming in the field.

Michael's Home

Michael came home on Saturday afternoon. He did very well, second in his class. He was upset he didn't make first, missed it by one question. But he got all superiors on his 1059 "report card" and I'm very proud of him. He's home now for a few weeks and then he goes back again in September for another two weeks. The two weeks went by quicker than usual, having Lucas here for half of it, but the couple days before he comes home I always get real anxious and excited and miss him even more.

Saturday we grabbed some lunch and went for a short bike ride before settling in for the night with a movie. Sunday we didn't do much in the morning, just relaxed. On a whim, we decided to take another bike cruise by the river. We rode down to Aurora and stopped at a restaurant by the river. They had a regatta this weekend so we watched a couple races while we ate (outdoor seating is the best). Since we were down by the river, we ventured over to Belterra. We were hoping to run into Stephanie but we didn't see her until we gave up and were walking off the boat. So we chatted with her for a few minutes before heading out. We plugged $5 into the machines and of course didn't win anything. We're too cheap to be big spenders so we'll never be big winners. That's okay though. I get excited winning 40 cents. The ride along the river was beautiful. The water seemed bluer than normal and the ride was so relaxing. The weather couldn't have been better either. It was probably one of my favorite trips on the bike.

Now it's back to the hum drum of life. Michael's back to work and I start school this week. I didn't get everything accomplished that I had hoped to this summer, but it's okay. It was a good summer and I feel ready to get started with school again.

Adventures with Zeus

I'm sitting at my computer and the door bell rings. It's one of my neighbors letting me know "the big" dog jumped the fence to the farm--she thinks he was chasing after a rabbit. The big dog? Jumped the fence? I knew his joint pills made a difference, but not that much! I thank her and then proceed to panic and throw on some old shoes and run out the door. Sure enough, there he is, well, all you can see is his tail bouncing around through the crops that are growing. I jump the fence meanwhile Sammy is going nuts. I called for him and he came right to me. We had to walk the length of the fence to get back to the other side. I still don't know how he got out, but I guess he really wanted whatever was on the other side.

Night Out With My Girls

Brenda, Jill, and Charlee came into town last night to get together for my birthday. We played some putt-putt before going for some yummy Mexican. Get a bunch of girls together, what's going to happen? Talking. That seems to be all we did all night. We lingered at the restaurant after we ate just talking away. Brenda had to head out (by this time it was after 8 I think) and the rest of us stood in the parking lot, continuing the conversation, until we decided just to head back to my place. There we talked, well forever. Jill finally ended up leaving a bit after 5am and Charlee and I stayed up for maybe another hour. We finally fell asleep on the couch until 9am. Yep, we're wild and crazy girls! It was nice to just sit and get together and have girl talk with no men and no kids! It's not often that happens.

I had my first adjustment at the chiropractor. It was weird. He told me he was going to turn my head and he showed me in slow motion how. Then he did it. It went pop-pop-pop-pop-pop! Then the other side. Well, I'm not paralyzed. I'm going to be going a couple times a week until some of the pain stops and then I'll go less often. Jill (who used to be a physical therapist) isn't too keen on chiropractors, feeling they just try to keep you coming forever so they can always get money instead of trying to really fix it--like by giving you exercises you can do on your own. Charlee's husband has had more improvement with massages, than chiropractic care as well. So we'll just see how this goes. It's funny that insurance covers more massages a year than adjustments!

I finally crawled off the couch. Besides not getting any sleep last night, I've had a major headache all day. It's still there, but I can finally sit up so I'm trying to get a few things done. It's Dad's birthday today so I gave him a call. He's going to be done with this current job in a few weeks and then moving on to Oklahoma for about a week. I hope his next job takes him closer to Indiana. One can wish!

Back to Just Me and the Dogs

Yesterday I dropped Lucas off at Jeremy's parents house. I already miss him. It doesn't help that there's still Lucas stuff all over the house. I can't even go to the bathroom without missing him--his potty seat makes me sad! I know this is rediculous, but I got used to having him around, even if I only had him for a week. I guess it doesn't help when your baby fever is to the millionth exponent.

He woke up at 6am on Sunday, bright eyed and cheery as always. He greets me in the hall and exclaims "I did it" (he climbs out of bed, shuts off the monitor light, and opens the door). We had some breakfast and played for awhile. He only slept less than an hour so he was kind of tired on the way home, but fought sleep. He was excited to see the kitties when he got there and as soon as he entered the house he called for Mamaw. But he clung to me the whole time. He stopped to give JJ a hug and then had to come right back to me. I didn't want to have to put him down and have him cry and me say good-bye (hmm, harder for me?) so I put him to bed. He was tired but not sleeping, just staring at me the whole time as I closed the door. It was so hard, I can't even imagine what Jaime went through when she left and what she's going through now...or Jeremy for that matter. I give you guys so much credit, you really have to be a special kind of strong.

I just got back from my first chiropractor appointment. I've never been, always too scared for some reason. But I keep hearing that it will help with headaches and plus my neck and upper back are constantly hurting, and so I thought I'd give it a try. Wanda recommended Dr. Taulman and he is very nice--and funny. It was just a consultation today. I was amazed at how he could find all my painful spots just by touching. I also got a scan done and my neck and upper back are off the charts for stress points. I have some other stressed area through my mid and lower back, but the levels were about average. I'm going back tomorrow for an adjustment. That's the part that scares me. I always think, what if I tense up right when he's adjusting my neck and it results in paralysis. I know, it's crazy, but that's my thought. After going today, I think it will be fine. I can't wait to start feeling better and live without pain! They had this chart on the wall that displayed points of pain and what it affects. The location of my pain can contribute to headaches, stomach pains, exhaustion, memory loss (that's why I can't remember anything!), and some things I can't think of right now. As I was reading all I could think is yep, I have that and that and that. Well, if there is a connection to all these things, then hopefully regular adjustments will help me feel better all around.

Our Last Full Day Together

Writing this entry finds me really quite sad this evening. I just put him down for the night and the house is quiet yet again, and as it will be for the rest of the week, days included. Now look it, I'm going to make myself cry. I've had a lot of fun with Lucas and although it's only been a week and I know I'll see him again, it still makes me sad. The things I'll miss: seeing him first thing in the morning, there is nothing like that smile right from the start; stopping to smell the flowers (literally) on walks--who does that? Lucas does; dancing around the table; shouting hooray and clapping for the most mundane of things--with a two year old, everything is worth rewarding. He's taught me to enjoy the simplest of things and I'm glad I had the opportunity to spend real quality time with him this week. I know there will be many more visits to come, and I will cherish each and every one. Haha, I guess I'm being a little sentimental here. Note, never write blogs when emotions are running on the surface!

Today was another adventure, starting again with the usual routine. I wanted to highlight on some funny stories from today. At breakfast we were talking and I got the hiccups in the middle of one of my words. Lucas thought this was hilarious and started laughing, which always makes me laugh. So I laughed into my arms on the table. He copied this and continued doing it every time he laughed during breakfast. At lunch I was giving him his medicine and a bit of it dropped on the ground. I didn't even have a chance to turn and get a washcloth and he exclaims 'I got it Beckie!' I turn and look and the spill is gone. He shows my his sock and there's a pink spot on the bottom. He stomped on the spill! While we were upstairs, he was putting babies into Sammy's crate, telling them to go to bed, etc etc. I went into my bedroom to put something away and I heard plastic hitting plastic. I knew right away that it was the humidifier in that room, as we were playing with it the other day. As I was walking towards the room, I asked him what he was doing. I caught him quickly going back over to the crate and he told me 'babies bed.' Do they really start covering up their actions at two years old!?! I couldn't help but to laugh.

We went to the park again today. This time we went up to Franklin and met Jill, Ali, and Abby up there. They all had a really good time playing. Now whenever they go anywhere, they hold hands while walking. It is just the cutest thing. I'm going to start planning their wedding. :) We were there for about 2 hours. They climbed and slid down slides and ran and just about everything one can do at a park. It was slightly cooler today, but still hot when the sun poked out from behind the clouds, so we decided to get some ice cream from Ritters. I got Lucas the "worm and dirt" cup which is just chocolate ice cream with cookie bits and gummy worms. Of course as soon as he saw the worms he had to start eating them. And that's about all he ate. He had a couple bites of the cookie but wasn't really into the ice cream. He did eat my cherry off my sundae of course. Then he and Abby played 'ring around the rosy' while Jill and I finished our ice cream. Ritters has big windows and the kids stood up to the windows and watched them make the ice cream treats. Lucas thought it was so neat to see inside. And, as his timing is always perfect, as we're getting ready to go he says 'poop, Beckie.' This time I had to change him in the car. Not the easiest to do now that he's 2 and too tall to really lie down on the seat.

Tonight we ate dinner and played with toys for awhile. We got a special treat before bath, a call from Daddy. He said a few words, but he usually gets really quiet on the phone, almost like he's shy sometimes. It was so good to talk to Jeremy, especially at home and not at drill. At this point Lucas was getting pretty tired so he just curled up on my lap and listened to Jeremy and I talk (I had Jeremy on speaker phone). I think sometimes he just likes hearing his daddy's voice, even if he doesn't seem responsive. I show him pictures everyday of Jaime and Jeremy and he always squeals with excitement, "mommy and daddy!" He was so tired after his bath he said baby and just wanted to be held. I took advantage of this and held him for awhile. Those are some of my favorite moments. It's rare when he's cuddly. But he had to get dressed and so we got his pj's on and went to bed. Hmm, now I'm sad again.

In other news, since I know Jaime is not updating her blog while she is gone (she barely does it when she's home), she is doing really well in school. She's learning all about carpentry and she's been cutting wood with saws and other power tools. I'll have to put her to some use when she comes home and have her build me a deck! Michael is doing well too. No news yet on the car issue, but hopefully it gets resolved. Sammy and Zeus are doing well. Noisy, especially when babies are sleeping (on a side story, when Sammy barks, I'll hear Lucas say 'quiet Sammy' on the monitor--it cracks me up every time). I think Sammy is really glad to have Zeus here. I'm going to try and get them into this air conditioning as much as I can next week before I shampoo the carpets. Then they're banned from the house!

In some bad news, I just found out (this is why I hate not having my phone!) that on Monday, Christy, Michael's sister, was out riding her horse when some Harleys rode by and spooked her horse. It took off running, and then bucked her off. She hit its leg on the way down and landed on her head. She was knocked out cold. Her two oldest girls and husband were also riding and so they saw it. The girls were pretty freaked out. Chad took Christy to the emergency room. She's okay, no serious injuries, just cuts and bruises and a lot of soreness. We're really glad she's okay but it's still pretty scary. I don't think she'll be riding that one again soon. She just got it not too long ago and it was pretty broken in, but I guess the noise just got to it. So if you ride a motorcycle and you see someone on a horse, go another way.

I'm 28 on 08/08/08!

Yep, it's my birthday today. How crazy is this birthday, so many 8's! And how am I 28 already!?! It's just crazy how time flies. I don't feel like I'm in my late 20's. Well, on most days. As most of you know, I am spending this birthday alone, well, except for Lucas. My two special people are going for military training at the same time. It's okay though. We did early celebrations and I surprisingly woke up very cheerful. The day can only be what I make of it, right? So when Lucas woke up I told him to say happy birthday, so he was the first one to technically tell me happy birthday today. Michael called me early, to be the first to tell me. I received a lot of calls, emails, messages from people, which made me feel good. Thank you everybody. Today just Lucas and I hung out. We played around the house all morning, doing the usual (toys, babies, bike rides, etc.). He also took a bath this morning. He was in the bathroom and said bubbles and I thought why not? He usually gets a bath before bed but I think he just wanted to play in the water. This afternoon we were playing outside and I thought we'd have more fun at a real park, so we headed down to Mill Race Park. He had a blast. He spent the most time on the tallest, twirly slide and these big seat swings. He did not want to go, but we were there for 2 hours and thought we should head home. He fussed a little but gave in. He usually tries to get his way but when he realizes it's not going to happen he's okay. We picked up a few items at the store and then went home. He rode his bike for a little bit, helped me pick some weeds, and repot a plant. Then we went inside to make the birthday cake. He's the best little helper, just loves doing everything. We had McDonald's for dinner. I didn't feel like cooking and I can do what I want, it's my birthday. :) After dinner we sang happy birthday and ate cake. I recorded it on video and put it on the computer and Lucas had to watch it about 20 times, over and over, clapping at the end every time. I think he was just so amused that he blew out the candles. Bathtime went well, until he noticed an ouwy on his hand and knee. Then he was done, almost inconsolable. Same thing happened last night too. I wonder if he's just so tired from so much activity each day, everday, that by the end he's done. He probably needs a good break. I guess that will come next week, because I think he's going to be playing with Abby again tomorrow. He misses her already. When we were in the store he kept calling her name. I told him she was at home and he'd tell me no, and continue calling out for her. He's funny. Well, I'm sure I'm missing some details from today, but I'm pretty tired myself. This birthday girl is ready for bed.

Another Day of Swimming

No new pictures today, sorry. It was just another day here, as I think Lucas gets more and more used to staying here. After breakfast this morning we took a bike ride around the neighborhood (this means me walking behind Lucas as he rides his bat mobile). At one house he saw a flag on a pole and kept saying 'flag flying' and then 'good-bye flag.' We were there forever staring at the flag--he made sure I was looking. Finally we could move on. We played a little in the house, the usual balls and block and money. We also got all the stuffed monkeys down and played with them. I set the laundry basket upside down in my room so Lucas could turn on the light and he decided this would be his jumping platform. Then he made the babies (stuffed monkeys) jump off the basket as well. I put him down for a nap a little early since we were going to the pool this afternoon and I wanted him to be up in time to eat lunch before we left. Well, he laid in bed for close to an hour before finally falling asleep. No Jaime, I didn't let him cry for an hour, in fact, he didn't cry at all. He went right to bed but continued to talk to his babies. I listened on the monitor. I can't remember everything but a couple things he said was once 'quiet Sammy' when she was barking outside and 'no crying, Beckie' and then he pretended to cry like a baby. It was hysterical. Those babies must laugh at him to keep him going so long. Oh, and he counted for jumping (1, 2, 3, go!) and sang Ring Around the Rosy. He woke up after about an hour and a half, with a little crabbiness. He didn't want to talk to Abby or play. He just wanted his hot dog and then it was too hot, which set him off. When he finally woke up he was ready to go.

We had a good time at the pool today. We did a lot of jumping into the water again. We practiced his swimming. When I let go and he was all on his own floating and kicking he was so proud. I think he really liked the feeling of floating in water on his own and not being held. So we practiced some swimming and he was getting to the point where he can start to swim on his own (with his floaties on). His kick isn't strong enough yet to really propel him, but I can put him a couple feet from the edge and he'll swim to it. He gets so very proud when he reaches the side. I also did a modified version of rocket. Instead of throwing him across the pool, I bounced him on my thighs and then threw him into the air, catching him in the water on the way down. He absolutely loved it and kept saying 'rocket!' Then Abby had to do "rocket" so Jill had to play it with her. Abby's a little less fearless in the water though, and doesn't let go to jump. Difference between boys and girls? We got a little more sun than last time, even though we were there about the same amount of time. It even felt cooler today than last time too. So now I'm a pretty red, but just on my front, my lower back and back of my legs don't match the front at all. It's cute.

When we came home Abby and Lucas played in the backyard for a little bit before she and Jill needed to head home. Lucas and I played with the play-doh before dinner. The dogs were in the house and at one point Lucas dropped the whole batch of blue on the ground and Zeus grabbed it. I had to take the slobbery mess out of his mouth and wipe it off. It was disgusting. If you want to see Zeus move quickly, drop play-doh. After dinner, Lucas turned the toy buckets upside down and used those for jumping platforms. He would jump off of them onto the couch. He's so cute when he jumps; 1-2-3-go! He wanted to jump from the couch to the buckets but I put a quick stop to that one. We also played with the stuffed monkey babies again. He would grab a monkey and say mine. I would grab it back, tickle him, and say ours. He would grab it back and it'd start all over again. The bath tonight lasted a total of maybe 3 minutes. I found an ouwy from earlier and started crying. I knew he was pretty tired, but it was still a little too early to go down. So we put on the pj's (the only ones he'll wear now are the doggie ones) and he said 'boom' which he usually does, and this time I said okay (boom means the stairs, he sits on them and goes boom all the way down, so if he says boom he wants to go downstairs). I think he was surprised that I said okay, he's used to hearing a flat no. We went down and read a few books. It was close enough to bedtime by the time we were done so I told him bed, he told me no, and then turned around and put his head on my shoulder and his thumb in his mouth. He was ready. He went straight down and I haven't heard a peep from him since. He's gotta be tired. Every day's a big day so far, although his energy never fails to amaze me.

I also talked to Michael. Things are as good as can be. He's doing really well; he got a 100 on his first test. After chow last night he went back to the classroom to help some other people that were struggling. This stuff seems to come naturally to him and I knew he'd have no problem. An update on the car: the kid that hit the car wasn't insured (like he said he was) but luckily we have uninsured motorist coverage because we don't have collision, only liability. I've been keeping so busy with Lucas it hasn't given me that chance to feel really lonely like I normally do when he's gone. Now I'll have less than a week to get everything done around the house before he comes home (it's my time to deep-deep clean while he's not around to get in the way). I still miss him though, but it's only another week and some odd days. Not too bad.

A First Date at the Movies

Lucas and I met Jill and Abby for the free Wednesday morning movie in Franklin. Today Horton Hears a Who was the featured film. This was Lucas' first time to the movie theatre and he really enjoyed it. He ate all of his popcorn and still wanted more. He was amazed at the big "tv" and just seemed beside himself with excitement. He almost made it almost all of the way through the movie too. I had to take him out, not because he was crying, but because he got up and started singing ring around the rosey. He did really well though for not having his morning nap and waiting for 30 minutes before the show even started. We just went out in the lobby and pretended to play driving games and he danced a little to the music.

We went to Jill's afterwards for lunch and playtime. We ate lunch and then the kids played for a little bit. I don't think Lucas is used to so many "girl"toys and he really liked feeding the baby a bottle. he would hold the baby in his arms and rock it while feeding it the bottle. It was so precious. They played in Abby's tent and with her other toys. When Lucas wanted me to hold him like a baby and he wanted his blanket I knew his was tired and ready for a nap so we headed home. He didn't even last 5 minutes and he was out. When we got home I carried him up to bed and he didn't wake once. In fact, he probably would have slept longer than the 2 hours I let him sleep, but I kinda woke him up. Well, I didn't want him to sleep all afternoon and then not sleep tonight and I wanted to play for a little bit.

After he got up we played games. We danced around the kitchen table singing abc's and Lucas invented another game with the remote. I would dance to the music on the show and he would turn the tv off. I would flop on the couch and then run over and tickle him and then he'd turn it back on. We went into town to pick up a few things and he helped me push the cart around Walmart and put the items in the cart. He also thought I needed some additional items, like tinfoil and pancake mix! The things he was grabbing were so random, but he really felt I needed them. We came home and had some dinner. He didn't have a big appetite, but he ate so much during the day and I fed him again before his bath. After dinner we played with some play-doh. He kept smelling it and didn't really like it when it stuck on his fingers. He hates when his hands are dirty. But he had fun making stacks of play-doh on top of the containers and knocking them over. He also liked sqooshing it and using the cookie cutters to make little people. I was impressed that he made sure to put the right color lids on the containers when he was done playing. After that we played outside. He rode his bike for a little bit, but has become so terribly afraid of bees and he kept seeing bugs fly around that he didn't ride around for long. But he did insist on going into the backyard to play on the swing set. I feel like I pushed him on the swing forever. He never wanted to stop. He had such a good time, just squeeling with enjoyment. He slid down the slide once, but was done after that because it was still wet from the rain. After his bath he grabbed his babies and blanket and wanted to sleep on the couch. This is where he starts getting comfortable in my home. I told him no, laid him down in the bed, and with no more arguments, he went to sleep. He was pretty tired today. He was slightly crabby and needy than usual. He got frustrated easily and let me know he was frustrated. Hopefully he sleeps well tonight. He slept well last night but did call out my name once around 10:30. He never did get up so I don't know if he was sleeping or just went back to sleep. We'll probably have another big day tomorrow so he needs his rest. I can't believe tomorrow is already Thurday!

Bouncertown Bliss

Lucas slept through the night last night. At breakfast I got out Apple Jacks and he said no the other one. So I had to give him Lucky Charms again. He ate the marshmallows first but did eat some of the good stuff too. He had a whole spoonful of yogurt before he was done with that. But he ate more today than yesterday. He likes to sit on my lap so he can see into the living room and watch tv while he eats. I guess that's a start, he's not eating in the living room. It's raining today so we couldn't go outside this morning to play. We played inside, with the dogs (yes, they came inside too) and watched a little Elmo before nap time. He went down for his nap without argument, putting all his babies in the bed before he got in. He's been so good about going to bed. Tonight, again after his bath, he went right to bed. He had another long day though.

We went up to Bouncertown in Greenwood. We stopped in Franklin to get the girls and they played at the house for a few minutes before he left. It took Lucas no time at all to make himself at home. He started playing with the toys in the living room and then without hesitation made his way into Abby's room and took some toys from there to play with. We met Charlee and Grace and their boys and convoyed up there. Bouncertown is a big room with those blow up bouncy houses and slides. There's also games to play that spit out tickets for prizes, like a Chucky Cheese. Lucas is a jumper anyway, so this was his heaven. He jumped and jumped and jumped some more. I kept him in the 3 and under area first but again, it wasn't long before he needed to move on. He did well amongst the bigger kids, even getting trampled a couple times. He really enjoyed climbing up and sliding down on the big dragon. The only thing he didn't go on were the big slides. Just a little too much for him right now I think. He was having so much fun and often got caught up in the moment. He would hug other little kids, often knocking them down. He would fall down with them and just laugh and laugh. Some of the kids (and their parents) didn't appreciate the hugs as much as Lucas did and I had to tell him to stop a few times. I just want to interject one thought here: to those parents that looked at my little nephew with disgust because he knocked down your precious boy, don't come to Bouncertown. He meant no harm and was innocent. I understand your concern for your child, but the looks have got to go. He's two. Okay, I'm done. We had a pizza while we were there, and since we stayed so long (about 4 hours) we also got an ice cream cone too. The nice man put sprinkles on his cone and of course, he at off all the sprinkles. It was a yummy, sticky mess. He was really cute playing with Abby today too. They would jump and play together. They even held hands walking around looking at the games once. If they were separated, I would tell Lucas where Abby was and he would go run to her or Jill would tell Abby where Lucas was. At one point they were wrestling around so much if they were any older it would have been inappropriate in public! They're so cute and I'm glad they get along. They still have their little tiffs as any toddlers would, but for the most part they have fun. Lucas did really well when it was time to stop bouncing to eat and to go home. I thought I would have a struggle but he went without argument.

We got home and started dinner. I had Lucas stand on the chair and pour all the food into the pan and stir it. Then we went and looked at the pictures and videos from today. He thought the videos were just the funniest thing ever. We barely made it through the videos and he was telling me nigh-nigh. We did manage to get through dinner, which turned into a game without me realizing it. I was saying yummy and and moving my head around and Lucas started saying "my turn" and then he would take a bite and say yummy and move is head around. Then I would have to do it and so on. It was a good way to keep him eating. We didn't even have the tv on! He did really well at lunch and dinner and actually snacked on Teddy Grahams the whole way home. I didn't think he'd eat a bit of dinner but he did and a good amount too.

He poo-poo'd 3 times, telling me each time. The first time was just a little bit in his diaper by the time I got him to the toilet. Then he said it again after dinner but it was already too late and so I just changed his diaper. Not even 10 minutes later he poo'd again. It's probably good that it wasn't all in one diaper, would have been a very full load! It was a good time to start a bath and so he had his dinosaur pooping again in the tub. I guess it was a night for #2's! The house is so quiet when he's in bed. I enjoy the time to catch up on housework and computer time, but I kinda miss him. I don't know what I'll do when he leaves, it'll really be quiet.

Swimming at the Pool

Since I have Lucas this week, I'm going to try and record as many details as I can, so Jaime can read about our daily adventures. So if you don't like reading about kids and little details, then these blog entries this week will probably bore you to death.

Last night was the first night I had Lucas. I brought the dogs in, even Zeus against my better judgement, and sure enough around 11pm he was staring at me across the bed, ready to go back out. Sammy, of course, was content on the now roomy side of the bed. Around 2am Lucas started crying. It sounded like a bad dream and I rocked him back to sleep. It didn't take long and all was well. He even slept in until almost 8am. We had Lucky Charms for breakfast, which he picked out all the marshmallow pieces and we had to say the color of each before he ate them. Then the rest of our morning consisted of playing in the playpen (he likes to climb out and climb back in), play with the balls, and ride his bike outside. Since we were going to the pool later, I wanted to put him down for a nap before we went. He went right down, talking to his babies for a little bit and only calling for me once, because I forgot to shut the blinds.

Jill and her girls (Abby and Ali) came over for lunch before we went up to Atterbury to go swimming. We made pb & jelly sandwiches. I don't think Lucas likes jelly because he peeled his sandwich apart and picked the peanut butter off the bread. The kids were a little hesitant of the water at first, both Abby and Lucas clinging to Jill and I. But it didn't take long and Lucas was jumping into the pool and splashing around. The kiddie pool is only 2ft deep so he was able to stand in it. We went into the big pool for a little bit, he really got some big splashes from jumping in that pool. We stopped for a little bit for snacks and then swam for a little bit more. Jaime warned that I might have a difficult time getting him to leave, but he was fine. I forgot a dry pair of shorts so he had to ride home in just his diaper, but he didn't even seem to mind that.

We came home and I put on Noggin while I got dinner ready. We ate some dinner, which he didn't eat much of course (he had string cheese for a bedtime snack) and we went for a walk. When we came back he rode his bike and played on the swing set in the backyard. We put all the toys up for the night and came in and watched about 10 minutes of Dora and he was ready for his bath--he let me know so telling me bubbles and heading up the stairs. He has a little dinosaur bath toy (like a rubber ducky) and it has a hole in the bottom. Well, it got water in it tonight and Lucas thought it was hilarious. He'd put the dinosaur over the cup and say poop in cup. So we had a good time making the dinosaur "poop" in the cup over and over. When he was done with his bath he pulled the drain and said all done. I didn't even have to tell him it was time to be done. I put him in his pj's, brushed his teeth, and he climbed into bed. No arguments, no fussing, I didn't even have to tell him. He just had to make sure his babies were close to him. I knew he'd be tired tonight after the long day but I didn't expect him to run the show tonight. I can handle that though.

So the first day with Lucas was wonderful. He's so cute and funny and he was super well behaved. Michael called tonight and said things were as good as they could be, I guess they really couldn't get any worse. Now it's my turn to wash this chlorine out of my hair and get things ready for tomorrow. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and Wednesday so we might go up to Bouncertown tomorrow.

Some Time with Friends

Not long after Michael left yesterday Jill called, which was good, because I always already extremely bored. Not that I don't have a thousand things to do around the house, I just didn't feel like doing any of them. She came down and we ate a little Taco Bell and then went over to the outlet mall to do a little shopping. They were having amazing deals (back to school shopping is the best time to shop) and we picked up a few things. I got a shirt from Gap for $4! I also got Lucas a few outfits and Jill got Abby and the new baby some clothes. I can't wait until she has her. Shopping for those itty bitty baby clothes makes me anxious for her birth and increases my baby fever. After that, I came home and got into my pj's around 5pm and just got comfortable on the couch to watch a movie and Wanda calls. She was just shopping at the outlet mall with Brittney and wanted to stop by. So they came over and we chatted until 9pm or so. So my first day home alone wasn't really so bad. I did some shopping and saw a couple of my very good friends.

Unfortunately, Michael's first day up in Michigan didn't go as well. He wasn't even there 10 minutes when some Private hit his car in the parking lot. He walked out there and the kid tells him he hit it and it's okay, because it's just a little scratch. Well, Michael can't even open the door (passenger side). The rooms are very small and there's no air conditioning, so he's going to be hot and miserable (he called this morning again and said he barely slept). The chow hall food is disgusting and he thinks he's going to starve for the next two weeks. I feel so bad for him. I'm so glad the government takes such good care of its soldiers.

Home Alone

Michael left this morning. I was fine until I had to say good-bye. I know it's only two weeks, but I'll miss him. I feel silly even saying it, as long as Jeremy's been gone. It's always the hardest to say good-bye, but I know I'll get into my routine and enjoy some me time. Since he'll be gone on my birthday, we celebrated it last night. We enjoyed some delicious steaks at Longhorn's and did a little shopping. It was nice. Jaime is bringing Lucas up tomorrow so it won't be just me and Sammy for long. It will be me and Sammy and Lucas and Zeus. So we'll each have a buddy to play with. I'm really looking forward to spending some quality time with Lucas. I miss him and I don't get to do stuff with him as often as I'd like. Especially just us, like when I took care of him when he was a baby. Should be a lot of fun and we're supposed to have good weather next week too. Swimming pool, here we come!