What to do with ourselves?

This coming three day weekend might be the first three day weekend in 9 years where we are not traveling.

Y'know you're a mom when...

...you keep catching yourself walking down the hall in step with the Itsy Bitsy Spider song playing in your head.

Reunion and Rainy Day

This weekend we made the long drive to Ohio.  “Long drive?” you say.  It’s only 4 hours.  Yes…. four LONG hours that make us NEVER want to travel again.   But wait.  Come Sunday, we got to pack back up and make that long drive again.  Lucky us.  

Actually the weekend itself was pretty good.  Both boys got spoiled.  AJ via lots of cuddles and baby talk.  Andrew via new shoes and sugar.   Lots of sugar.  If Papa is good for one thing … it’s giving Andrew sugar.  I don’t think he could have gotten much more wound up Saturday evening.

On Saturday night, I had my 10-year high school reunion.  And my husband deserves a great big fat gold star for going with me.  I wasn’t really sure what to expect and ended up really enjoying myself.  I caught myself chatting it up all evening with my girlfriends from high school, which just left Marc kind of just hanging there.  There was another husband there that he did get to chat with for a while, but I know that it wasn’t an evening he wishes to relive anytime soon.  But he was sweet and let me stay as long as I wished and didn’t give me too hard of a time about it (it didn’t help that other wives came without their husbands).  

Sunday morning, Dad and Marc went fishing.  Then we all met up for an open house for my cousin in the Navy.  From there we headed back up to Michigan.

Over the weekend, Andrew developed a slight cough.  Nothing major, but we did give him cough medicine in the middle of the night last night when he was having trouble sleeping.  This morning he acted just fine and I didn’t give it another thought.   However, once we got to daycare, he wouldn’t let me go and actually cried when I left to the point where his teacher had to kindly pry him away so I could go (I hated it).  I got called into the downtown campus today, so I worked a longer day and the kids where in daycare even longer.  When I left at the end of the day, I found out I had a voicemail from daycare.  They had moved Andrew to Rainy Day less than an hour after I dropped him off.  He was coughing constantly (some sneezing, not eating and feeling crummy).  Great.   But this evening, he seemed fine.  We gave him some more cough medicine and sent him to bed early.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

This week is looking a little busy.  Lots to do.  Ok… time to go to bed.

You're lookin' at her.

While covering the phones today, the Culligan man came in and asked me, "Did that girl that works here have her baby, yet?"

I was that mom with the crying baby in a restaurant that I used to get frustrated with.

The week is almost over!   Monday, as soon as Marc got home we packed up a dinner (a pan of enchiladas) and took it to a family from church with a 3wk old baby boy.   Then we met up with some friends of ours who are building a home.  We got to go through the home and visit with them and Andrew got to run with their boy through the spacious empty rooms.    We then cheated and picked up Wendy's for our dinner since it was plenty late by that time to actually go home and make something.

 

Tuesday, we did have our own enchiladas for dinner and just worked around the house.  Wednesday, we were just at home, had leftover enchiladas and worked around the house... packing up for Thursday since I worked all day.  It's amazing how much stuff I need to pull together for myself and the kiddos on those days.   Last night, Ryan was in town and crashed at our place.  He also took us out to dinner, which was so very nice!  We went to Logan's which is a great place, but by the time we got there, and got seated and got our food, it was 8pm.  So I had one hungry toddler (who did very well considering) and a very cranky baby.    So I ended up walking with him in the lobby while the guys ate.  Then Marc held him while I ate a little bit, but I ended up taking most of my food home since it was really time to get the boys down.  Needless to say, I am having a mighty fine lunch today. 

 

Once we got home, and got the kids down, the three of us got sucked into watching 3 episodes of "The Office".  (I love that show).  So I didn't even start packing for today (daycare/work) or for this weekend in Ohio (my 10 year reunion and a family thing) until around 10.  So it was a late night.    Of course, Andrew decided that he would get up at 6:45 this morning, with AJ right on his heels.  But, I really needed to get up anyway since I still had packing to do and I came into work early today with the hopes of getting out early also.  However, only 4 requests have come in so far, which means it could be a light day (good thing), or they could all be waiting until later when I want to leave (bad thing).  So, my fingers are crossed.

 

Have a fabulous weekend!

 

Fastest START button pusher in the west!

My department surprised me today by all coming to the office (even my supervisor from downtown) to present me with a WOW (my company's form of recognition). It says:

Congratulations Kelli Dykstra
For setting a new record at the XXXXX Campus.
On August 14, she received requests for 27 chart copies.
The most ever received and completed in one day.
Kelli completed them all in a timely manner.
Nice Work Kelli.

And they all signed it. Even the head of the deparment. Plus I got a chocolate Wow. (It's like a large chocolate coin that says "Wow"). And everyone was saying how thankful they are I am here, and what would they do without me, blah, blah, blah... It was a nice surprise...I think I even blushed a little.

Fire Engine Number Four

Fire Engine Number Four was going around our neighborhood this morning, checking all the hydrants, hooking them up to thier hose and spraying water everywhere to clean the hydrant out.  Of course, Andrew, AJ and myself were right there on the sidewalk watching.  Andrew even followed them to the next hydrant to watch again.  The firemen were very nice and waved to him and even offered to let him sit in the engine.  To this offer, Andrew said yes, right up to the point of actually lifting him up to the door.  Then he refused.  Oh well.  It was interesting to watch.  

 

Later when we were back inside I asked Andrew what the firemen were doing outside fully expect an answer such as "spraying water", or "cleaning the hydrant" or even "riding the engine".  But instead he said that they were "keeping Andrew safe and keeping baby AJ safe and keeping Mommy safe" as he pointed to each of us.  Kinda surprised, I went along with it and we had a nice little talk about fire and how he should try to get to the mailbox if there were a fire, etc... 

 

Ironically enough, as we were heading to work/school this morning, we saw Fire Engine Number Four driving back to the FireHouse.  There, Andrew promptly told me that the the fireman where going back to take a nap because they were tired.

What it's all about

The New Cuts

HAPPY














SURPRISED















MAD

That guy that lives with his mom.

These past few days…. AJ has fallen in love with his Daddy.  Up until then, I’m not sure that he really knew him.  He was really little, then Marc was gone for while.   But now… those little eyes seek his daddy out and if Marc even looks in his direction, AJ lights up and smiles ear to ear.  And just between you and me… I think Daddy is in love with AJ, too.