First tooth, go away momma, Touch a Truck, new freckle

well...it surely has been an interesting week.


I have been feeling a tooth in Jack's mouth for awhile and I finally saw it and was able to grab a picture of it (double click the pic to see it in a better fashion). It completely reminds me of when Eban had his first tooth but Eban got his around 6 months. Jack will be 9 months old on July 2.

This weekend, grandpa Bob came up and Eban, Jack, grandpa and I hit the Louisville Recreation Center's Touch a Truck Day. I had no idea what to expect and told grandpa that there could be 3 or 10 people there...that I had no idea. As we arrived, it was a parking lot!! Cars were parked two blocks away, there were cops directing traffic and we could see a TON of people with kids. The cops directed us into the immediate parking lot and we got a great spot. As we were driving in, we saw fire trucks (big hit), an oil tanker, a tractor, an ambulance, a dairy truck, a bus, a mini-bus, a forest ranger car, police cars, etc. All the kids could touch all of these vehicles and get in the driver's seat and pretend to drive. It was crazy crazy crazy....and I loved it! But Eban loved it more!



Since Eban can't say grandpa, he calls grandpa "Bob" and he wanted Bob to go everywhere so he could touch everything. He loved the fire trucks...he needed assistance to get into some huge steamroller type of vehicle and he even had his first glass of chocolate milk which he devoured while sitting on the front of a fire truck. He was so happy...at one point, I told him we needed to stay in the shade and take it easy...and I told him it was because Jack couldn't be in the sun. Well...he was practically crawling in the stroller so he could pull on Jack's outfit or arm and was telling Jack that they needed to go see the fire truck. Check out the video below-

Eban has also learned a new phrase. It's "go away momma" and it kills me. He's just so lucky I love him so much! Anyway, we have a routine at night and in the morning. In the morning after I pick him up out of his crib, he walks downstairs all by himself like a big boy. Well, he usually holds onto my fingers or at least two fingers while he does this task, but earlier this week, he looked up at me and insisted that I go away. He even said "Go away momma" as he gave me a stiff arm. I couldn't believe it. So as I was watching him I asked him where he learned this new sentence. I asked him if he learned this at school. He happily said no. I asked him if he learned it from Nani...again, the answer was no. So then I asked him if he learned if from Jack and the reply was an, "OH YAH!" So as I was washing Eban this week, I noticed a little brown spot smack dab in the middle of his right butt cheek. As I was scrubbing...and then continuing to scrub as I couldn't believe I was unsuccessful with my cleaning duties, I realized after a while (after Eban said Ow-EEEE) that it was his first freckle.

ARGH...Jack got pink eye

So...as luck would have it...the darned pink eye went from the older kid to the younger one in less than three days. Now, Nani, Ryan and I all think we will get it as we think our eyes are itchy or what have you. I swear...poor kids...so when we went to the doctor (again) he took one look at Jack and said he had it and then looked at Eban and said he still had it. So here we are giving both boys two drops every four hours or so. They love it so much...(I wish they did!).

Let's do some quickies:

1. Eban loves the guitar and cries when daddy puts it away.

2. Eban and Jack loved the community pool so much that they both cried when we left today.

3. Nani, Jack, Eban and I went to Chris' 38th birthday party and Eban got to ride in the boat around the lake and LOVED the boat. He wanted "more boat" all night and would yell louder and use his sign language in a more fierce manner to get his point across.

Dennis accidentally hit Eban in the head with a picture frame and Eban was screaming at the top of his lungs, "NO DENNY" and couldn't understand why his friend would hit him. It was sweet and cute and sad all at the same time.

I just can't believe Eban is turning two at the end of the month...I really can't.

Hotlanta Recap

So I heard a story and read a book that really rejuvenated me and my spirit. I had just started reading "Leaving Microsoft to Change the World," by John Wood. I thought it was an interesting concept because Ryan works there but I had no idea how inspiring it would be. The basic premise is that a very successful Microsoft marketing employee for the Asian region left the corporate world to "help" others via his own nonprofit organization. The words were very moving and he changed his whole life by taking a trip to the Himalayas (Nepal) and while he was hiking...met a little school along one of the routes he wasn't going to take. Well, it ended up that these children crave to learn and crave books. He always reflected on how important books were to him and his family while growing up. It made me think about Eban and how much he LOVES books. While he can't read yet, he loves books.

So while John Wood was visiting this little school house in the middle of Nepal, he realized their library was under lock and key. He asked why and the principal (for a lack of a better term) said that the library was so sacred because they had so few books. And the books they had were some awful English romance novel, another European book in another language and one other. The principal asked him to promise to come back with books and a year later he kept his promise and returned with books (on a yak) and helped this school. Well...anyway...the story continues about his quest to help school-aged kids all over and it was truly a inspiring story which I'm now making Ryan read!

So as I was reading this book (I didn't do it justice), a man came on stage at the Carter Center for a session on service learning and college activities. He shared a story about how he was in Nepal and a grandmother emerged from a barn carrying a little girl and lifted this little baby up and said, "Will you take my grandchild to America for a good education?" This man, a member of the board of directors for the Corporation for National and Community Service, retorted with, "Nothing can replace a grandmother's love." She then said, "It is with the greatest amount of love that I ask you this." It was something like that. There was more talk about people here and kids here who take for granted what they have. This week really solidified my sincere desire to instill a strong foundation on teaching the boys how to give back and to give my boys a good worldview.

Anyway...sorry for the long story, but it really moved me. (The picture of the flowers and the art are from the Carter Library which was really fascinating).

Upon my return to Denver....I found that Jack has a tooth coming in and it hasn't yet breached the gums. Eban has learned how to say, "What's happening?" And then last night, after yet another visit to the medical clinic, Nani told me she was bored all day hanging out with me and the boys. I must be seriously lame in my old age! :) I'm just giving her a hard time as she's reading over my shoulder.
Anyway, yesterday we noticed that Eban's right eye was very red. As the day progressed, it got more "sleep" in it and then the other eye started doing the same thing. So at 6pm, I load him in the car for another visit to the clinic as this is happening after hours. Of course it was with our luck! So it ends up he has pink eye (conjunctivitis) in both eyes and it's VERY contagious until 24 hours after the eye drops have been used. SO here we go again hoping that he doesn't give it to the rest of the household...especially Jack. The doctor said don't let him play with Jack and I looked at him and then he smiled knowingly back at me and said, "Good luck with that!"
So Eban woke up this morning with a ton of goop on his eyes (double click the above photo for a good close up) and he yelled "NO DADDY" as Ryan applied the two drops per eye. It was heart-wrenching to hear him scream that with such sadness in his voice like daddy was intentionally hurting him.Anyway...enjoy your week...and enjoy these couple of videos - one of the beluga whales from the Atlanta Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium in the world! OOOOhhh...and I took a picture of the Octopus as I was with a staff member of the Governor's Commission on Community Service and he told me a story about a time he was hunting Octopus outside Yap Island in Micronesia. He served in the Peace Corps there and other places near Guam. Anyway, he told me that Octopi are very smart and after his friend speared one, the Octopus' tentacle immediately searched out this man's mask and removed it while sliding his tentacle down his throat. I know this is scary story, but the man quickly swam to the surface and cut the tentacle off and removed it from his esophagus/throat. So I took a picture of the Octopus in the aquarium and Mark told me the Octopus that did this was half the size of the one here. Anyway...for those of you who are planning Octopus hunting trips....BE careful!

Check out "Grumpy Bear" when he doesn't get his food right away...

What a sweet moment...

I love his (sitting) dance moves and the fact that he'll dance with Jack too!

See you tomorrow

Those were the words Nani said to us as she left this past weekend to go to a friend's house for a party on Saturday night. At 1:30 in the morning, the screeching house alarm awakened us (and the entire neighborhood) and I immediately ran downstairs in a sleepy stupor. I expected it was her but then again, if it wasn't, I figured I had Seamus as my wing man.

Anyway, as I groggily took the stairs three at a time, I found her calming putting the numbers in the alarm system and I'm sure I mumbled, "I thought you'd be home tomorrow morning." And she cheerily said, "It is tomorrow." So I stumbled back up to the stairs to Ryan frantically yelling, "IS IT NANI?!" I loudly whispered yes and looked up to see him storming out of the room commando style with a shot gun in his arm and fully naked!! I simply passed him and thought wouldn't Nani have loved to see that!
Anyway...the boys are playing so well with one another. Jack grabs Eban's ears and doesn't let go. Eban shoves him all around. But the thing is, even though they are rough with one another, they are also incredibly tender. Eban will always kiss Jack before me, he hates it when he hears Jack crying on the baby monitor and Jack always smiles when he sees Eban doing something silly - which is most of the time these days.

Eban still loves - I mean LOVES - fire trucks. Every day he wants to watch a fire truck video on YouTube or watch the boring instructional fire safety video. I swear this kid is going to be a fire man with all his passion and zest for it!

I'm off to HOT-lanta, I mean Atlanta, this Saturday for the 2008 National Volunteer Conference. I'll be there until Tuesday night! I hope this crazy family misses me...I know I'll miss them...very much.

The below two pics are of Eban and Jackson at the same age...you can check out their similarities and their differences. Eban also had two teeth at this time...I think Jackson's first tooth will appear in the next couple of weeks or so!

DANCE REVOLUTION



GETTING DIZZY IS FUN

This last video is one that Nani took when she was home with the boys...I love how Eban always imitates Jack.

Finally an update for the month of May!!

Wow-

Talk about a busy several weeks. Nani went off to Mexico, Tutu (my mom's name from Eban, which means grandma in Hawaiian) came in, sick kids, graduation at school which kept me busy, a new boss for me...well, it's been busy!! Plus...cleaning up after Eban painted everything with sticky oatmeal...was...um... CRAZY!

When Nani was in Mexico, she lost her wallet and they only used under a hundred of dollars on her check card, but they did use her sister's credit card and racked up $90.00 of goods...I think at a gas station. She loved the beach and of course, we knew she would. She also loved swimming with the dolphins...who wouldn't?!

While she was out, Tutu was a hit with Eban. He loved having her around to play with and talk to. We went to the zoo and had a GREAT time saying hi to every animal. We had a great time watching Eban feed a "fake animal! The highlight of the zoo trip was when Eban heard the approaching sirens of a fire truck and he went bonkers yelling "FIRE TRUCK!" After it passed he signed "more" to us and then frantically signed "please." Talk about cute. Well, then his attention was quickly averted to the train whistle as the zoo has a little train and he heard the whistle so he immediately wanted the train. So Tutu bought us rides on the train and he was happy! Whew! Talk about span off attention!

One of my favorite stories is that Eban was invited to go with Ryan somewhere in the car and he was walking away and suddenly stopped. He returned to Tutu, who was sitting on the couch and grabbed her finger and lovingly looked up at Ryan and said, "Tutu go?" I guess Tutu said she was going to stay home with Jack but talk about being wrapped around someone's finger!! Tutu will be a yes woman to that boy for the rest of his life for that crafty move! :)

Jack is now finally out of the rough patch where he was sick all the time. He certainly is a smiley boy and has a great disposition but yesterday, he got clocked in the eye when Eban accidentally threw a big, blue truck at his head. We feel terrible that our almost 8 month old son has he first shiner at this age due to his brother. Of course, Eban had no clue what he had done...but I'm sure this won't be the last black eye we see out of the two of them. It's not really black, but it's red and getting bruised.

Since I last wrote, I also went on my first girl's weekend get away which was fun until Jack didn't sleep at all the second night...so I had to leave Estes Park at 4 or 5 in the morning to drive back

home as the other girls weren't getting any sleep thanks to my little monster. His friend, Morgan, was also there but maybe he pretended to be sick because of all the estrogen in the house! But it was fun...we played cards, games and just took it easy. Click on this link and you can see Morgan when she visited Jack in the hospital after he was born!

We also had our Spring Fling event at JWU in which Eban had his first snow cone, cotton candy and other carnival crap! Nani climbed a rock wall and wasn't scared...Nani and I both tried to this this jumpy thing where you can twirl in the air. Ryan just hung out and didn't do anything! Maybe next year? Well, after I did the twirly thing, I felt awful (check out the pic of my first twirl and my hat is flying off). I used to be able to twirl around and not get sick, but now, my body just doesn't allow me to do it. Middle age stinks as far as this is concerned. I'll make Ryan go on all the dizzy rides at the Six Flags when the boys get old enough to do that!

My favorite update is that Eban went to his first professional baseball game and loved it! He had a lemonade, french fries that he stole from Annick (a student at JWU) and received a "fan" in the section where we were with AmeriCorps and he promptly danced to the loud music using his "fan" as a prop. Check out the video of him whacking some poor lady in the head with it...she was a trooper about it! His favorite thing about the game was probably the walk back to the minivan when we encountered a nice Denver policewoman who let Eban see her lights and play with them.

This morning, we took a walk around 8:30am and headed over to the fire station. As we headed over the hill, we saw that the fire fighters were checking all the equipment and lights and sirens. Eban was tickled to say the least. There were loud "His" and "Hiyas" and frantic waving until we reached the station. Fireman Scott was nice enough to give us a tour of the one big rig and Eban was in heaven. As a side note, there's a bronze fire fighter statue outside of the station and Seamus was SO scared of it! He hair was bristled and low growling was heard...he's so brave!! We tied him up while we went with Eban as Scott placed him in the driver's seat and Seamus cried like a baby. So manic...but we love him anyway! Jack...well...he just sat there and eventually fell asleep.

That's it for now...I'm pretty pooped but hope to do a better job now that it's summer!

The first video is of one of our walks down to the fire station and we were lucky enough to bring the camera and catch sight of an ambulance leaving...it was very exciting for Eban. Not so much for Jack.

The second video is the crazy world of changing topics with an almost two year old. The third video is Tutu teaching him to open wide...great manners, huh? The fourth and fifth are baseball game ones...I love how he calls the police car a fire truck. I'm sure the police woman loved that!