This day was much like the previous one. I had 3 hours of sleep, woke up with enough time to get Cosi ready for school, put a confused little boy into his car seat as he woke up, and dropped Cosi off at school.
Trey and I came home, and I did my best to find things to distract him while I put in the last couple of hours of work on my projects that were due at 5pm (not midnight!).
Trey made a good effort to slam shut any computer I had open, but I finally managed to finish, just in time to get ready to get Cosi from school. Getting ready was important, because after picking Cosi up, I had to make sure that all three of us ate lunch and that I had snacks ready for both kids for the afternoon. Cosi had a hearing test down in Orlando, and Trey was going to the Frames' house.
Everything went smoothly. Trey was happy to be with Mrs. Frame, and I'm sure he had a blast that afternoon. Cosi did a good job in the drive to the hospital, though at some point I realized she was expecting to receive surgery at the hospital (after all, what else do they do there?). She was handling those fears with remarkable calm.
The hearing test was preceded by 30 minutes of paperwork, just a foretaste of what's to come, I'm sure. And the audiologist shares office space with a physical therapist, so everyone else arriving was in a walker or wheelchair. This was one of those times that I tense up, knowing Cosi's "socially appropriate question" filter is set to "embarrass dad." Most people found her questions endearing, though, except maybe when she asked for a turn to ride in their chair.
The hearing test itself did not end up as funny or disastrous as I feared- Cosi did a GREAT job following instructions, and the verdict is that she has perfect hearing. I joked with her that now I know she can hear me, she's just choosing to disobey. She thought about that for a second and with a straight face said, "Yeah, I just disobey a lot."
We stopped at the gas station and got a Choco-Taco, which Cosi is now convinced is the greatest food ever invented. We picked up Trey and spent some time with Mrs. Frame, but we had to hurry along because, believe it or not, we had another babysitter on the way.
I had a meeting at church that night. Audra (the babysitter) couldn't arrive until 550pm, but that got me at least to the important parts of the meeting ;-) Around 815, my part of the meeting was done and I headed home. The house was still standing, the kids were still awake, and Audra seemed to have survived. Once she left, a flurry of bedtime activity began. I was ready to sleep myself, so I had to convince the kids that they were sleepier than they really felt. At 915pm, it didn't take much convincing. They were out by 930, and my caffeine wore off at around 11.
Oh, and somewhere during the day each of the kids called April to wish her a happy birthday. She already got her present :)
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Day 4, Addendum
I had thought the account I had written of Monday afternoon was missing something, Surely the kids didn't play nice for 3 hours, right?
Right.
When things got restless in the mid-afternoon, I pulled a page from April's book. We made cookies. And that meant 20 minutes of me prepping all the ingredients in little bowls so everything would be ready for the kids to dump in. They did remarkably well. And the egg-free chocolate chip cookies turned out REALLY well. I modified the recipe, adding flax seed, cranberry bits, and apricot bits.
And it took up a good hour of time and refocused the kids long enough to keep them playing nice :)
Right.
When things got restless in the mid-afternoon, I pulled a page from April's book. We made cookies. And that meant 20 minutes of me prepping all the ingredients in little bowls so everything would be ready for the kids to dump in. They did remarkably well. And the egg-free chocolate chip cookies turned out REALLY well. I modified the recipe, adding flax seed, cranberry bits, and apricot bits.
And it took up a good hour of time and refocused the kids long enough to keep them playing nice :)
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Updates from a Temporarily Single Dad, Day 4
3 hours of sleep. Ugh. At what point is it not even worth it? Well, 3 hours is still worth it in my book, so in bed at 4am, back up at 7am.
It's Monday morning, and Cosi needs to be at school by 830.
At 730, Cosi is awake, eating her Cocoa Wheats and getting dressed. I endeavor to make her hair slightly more presentable than it has been the past few days. I heard at least one comment yesterday that someone could tell that Daddy was doing Cosi's hair.
At 815 I pick Trey up from his slumber and put him in the car. He is confused by this awakening, but that's not unusual for him.
By 840, Cosi is in class and Trey and I are back at the house. We put some sheets in the washer (peed on, again), get breakfast (bread sticks temporarily forgotten, we both eat bagels), and rough house all over the living room. Trey is not willing to let me out of his sight even for a second. If I make a move towards another room, I hear his feet running and I hear him say "NOOO! I have to catch UP!" He then dives head first at the backs of my knees, grips my legs with both of his arms, and tries to pull me to the ground. I guess he figures that, with my butt on the floor, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Despite April's (justifiable) fears, I think this boy may go out for football when he's older.
At some point in the morning, Trey freezes in his steps, spreads his legs, and looks at me with a mixed expression that is part shame, part relief, and part “I've got a funny secret." It's the poop face. But he's being potty trained, and so there's nothing to catch that poop except his PJs. So down the leg of his pants it goes, which is the part he doesn't like. The PJ pants are tight around the ankles, so anything that might theoretically fall down a pant leg gets trapped at the ankle. The problem is, Trey runs away from me whenever this happens. He runs, but he notices something doesn't feel right on one leg.
Ten minutes later, he's all cleaned, and I'm just glad that I didn't have to clean anything off the floor. But then this reminds me that our comforter needs to be dry cleaned, so I prepare Trey to head out. The plan is Dry Cleaner, Playground, Cosi's school. A quick phone call assures me that the dry cleaner takes comforters and cleans them at a reasonable rate. Trey is dressed and ready to go. He shouts, "To...the...GARAGE!" and runs there with conviction.
At the dry cleaner, Trey is unhappy and wants to go instead to a grocery store. He settles for the playground. While there, he usually enjoys playing with the drinking fountain. He finds leaves and other small things to make them float in his mini waterfall. While he's playing there, April calls. Not being good at multi-tasking, I talk to April and fail to notice that Trey has found a bite-sized piece of bread on the ground. He puts it in the drinking fountain. Unimpressed with how the bread responds to water, (and this is the part I didn't quite see, but I THINK this is what happened) Trey ate the bread. April says she's hanging up so I can focus on Trey. Good move.
We pick up Cosi from school, head home for a quick lunch, and then take Cosi to her occupational therapy session. While she's there, Trey and I head to RTS, so Trey can play on the elevator and Foosball table. We pick Cosi up, head home, and the kids play around in the yard, on the patio, in the house, wherever I'll let them go. As they start to wind down, I make some dinner. My friend Brandon is again coming over to study Greek, the night before his exam. He shows up around 6. The kids are noticeably tired, but I'm letting them make a mess with their toys, so they leave us (mostly) alone for an hour. Trey inexplicably thinks Brandon is his Pawpaw. Brandon is Hispanic and in his mid-20's. Trey's PawPaw is neither.
By the time Brandon leaves the kids need to be fed again. Food, PJs, brush teeth, diapers on...it's now 9pm. In the back of my mind are two thoughts- 1) I slept 3 hours last night, and 2) I have a lot of assignments to finish by tomorrow. So when the kids ask to watch Mickey Mouse before bed, I pull the old, "put them in bed, turn out the lights, and put the show on so quietly that they have to stay still to hear it" trick. They're both out before you can say "Do the hot dog dance!"
Meanwhile, I'm trying to finish my remaining exam and sufficiently caffeinate myself in anticipation of a long night. When I begin to work, I look at my syllabus to make sure I'm doing things right. It is then that I notice that everything is due at 5pm Tuesday, not midnight. I had counted on having Tuesday night to work on stuff.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I may have panicked a bit.
From 930pm-330am, I'm finishing up assignments. I get stuck on a formatting problem, unable to get the document to look the way it is supposed to. Realizing my mind might not be too sharp at the moment, I head to bed. Another 3 hours of sleep. Definitely worth it!
It's Monday morning, and Cosi needs to be at school by 830.
At 730, Cosi is awake, eating her Cocoa Wheats and getting dressed. I endeavor to make her hair slightly more presentable than it has been the past few days. I heard at least one comment yesterday that someone could tell that Daddy was doing Cosi's hair.
At 815 I pick Trey up from his slumber and put him in the car. He is confused by this awakening, but that's not unusual for him.
By 840, Cosi is in class and Trey and I are back at the house. We put some sheets in the washer (peed on, again), get breakfast (bread sticks temporarily forgotten, we both eat bagels), and rough house all over the living room. Trey is not willing to let me out of his sight even for a second. If I make a move towards another room, I hear his feet running and I hear him say "NOOO! I have to catch UP!" He then dives head first at the backs of my knees, grips my legs with both of his arms, and tries to pull me to the ground. I guess he figures that, with my butt on the floor, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Despite April's (justifiable) fears, I think this boy may go out for football when he's older.
At some point in the morning, Trey freezes in his steps, spreads his legs, and looks at me with a mixed expression that is part shame, part relief, and part “I've got a funny secret." It's the poop face. But he's being potty trained, and so there's nothing to catch that poop except his PJs. So down the leg of his pants it goes, which is the part he doesn't like. The PJ pants are tight around the ankles, so anything that might theoretically fall down a pant leg gets trapped at the ankle. The problem is, Trey runs away from me whenever this happens. He runs, but he notices something doesn't feel right on one leg.
Ten minutes later, he's all cleaned, and I'm just glad that I didn't have to clean anything off the floor. But then this reminds me that our comforter needs to be dry cleaned, so I prepare Trey to head out. The plan is Dry Cleaner, Playground, Cosi's school. A quick phone call assures me that the dry cleaner takes comforters and cleans them at a reasonable rate. Trey is dressed and ready to go. He shouts, "To...the...GARAGE!" and runs there with conviction.
At the dry cleaner, Trey is unhappy and wants to go instead to a grocery store. He settles for the playground. While there, he usually enjoys playing with the drinking fountain. He finds leaves and other small things to make them float in his mini waterfall. While he's playing there, April calls. Not being good at multi-tasking, I talk to April and fail to notice that Trey has found a bite-sized piece of bread on the ground. He puts it in the drinking fountain. Unimpressed with how the bread responds to water, (and this is the part I didn't quite see, but I THINK this is what happened) Trey ate the bread. April says she's hanging up so I can focus on Trey. Good move.
We pick up Cosi from school, head home for a quick lunch, and then take Cosi to her occupational therapy session. While she's there, Trey and I head to RTS, so Trey can play on the elevator and Foosball table. We pick Cosi up, head home, and the kids play around in the yard, on the patio, in the house, wherever I'll let them go. As they start to wind down, I make some dinner. My friend Brandon is again coming over to study Greek, the night before his exam. He shows up around 6. The kids are noticeably tired, but I'm letting them make a mess with their toys, so they leave us (mostly) alone for an hour. Trey inexplicably thinks Brandon is his Pawpaw. Brandon is Hispanic and in his mid-20's. Trey's PawPaw is neither.
By the time Brandon leaves the kids need to be fed again. Food, PJs, brush teeth, diapers on...it's now 9pm. In the back of my mind are two thoughts- 1) I slept 3 hours last night, and 2) I have a lot of assignments to finish by tomorrow. So when the kids ask to watch Mickey Mouse before bed, I pull the old, "put them in bed, turn out the lights, and put the show on so quietly that they have to stay still to hear it" trick. They're both out before you can say "Do the hot dog dance!"
Meanwhile, I'm trying to finish my remaining exam and sufficiently caffeinate myself in anticipation of a long night. When I begin to work, I look at my syllabus to make sure I'm doing things right. It is then that I notice that everything is due at 5pm Tuesday, not midnight. I had counted on having Tuesday night to work on stuff.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I may have panicked a bit.
From 930pm-330am, I'm finishing up assignments. I get stuck on a formatting problem, unable to get the document to look the way it is supposed to. Realizing my mind might not be too sharp at the moment, I head to bed. Another 3 hours of sleep. Definitely worth it!
Monday, December 9, 2013
Updates from a Temporarily Single Dad, Day 3, Part 2: O, What a Night!
I'll spare you the minute by minute account. Around 1015pm, the kids were still both sound asleep in our bed, and having just finished one take home exam and a Dr. Pepper, I started in on my other take home exam. Five essay questions, 3 hours, open book. As I finished the first question, I heard Trey politely asking into the darkness for a drink of water. I obliged, but soon realized that he was pretty wide awake. After all, who asks politely for things when they're sleepy?
Anyway, after 30 minutes of trying to help him fall asleep, I gave up. I thought if he wanted to come snack and watch a video while I worked on my exam, that would be fine. Two hours later, I've finished 2 more questions, but I've had Trey on my lap the whole time and I have only been able to work in short spurts while he was distracted.
At 130am I decided he HAD to be sleepy. Or maybe I just decided I was too sleepy to care if he was sleepy or not. He objected, I insisted, we ended up back in the bed. Cosi slept through his protests. When he still wasn't asleep by 215, I agreed to set up the computer on the nightstand and let him watch a video while I slept. Cosi woke up and wanted to see the video.
By 3am, I was reawakened by an argument over what to watch next. (Trey wanted Mickey Mouse, Cosi wanted Little Einsteins, Cosi knows how to use the computer mouse to start a video, Trey knows how to hold down the "pause" button to keep the video from playing. When they reach an impasse, they resort to screaming.) In a less than charitable moment, I closed the computer, resulting in volcanic screams as if the end of the world was upon them. Trey apologized profusely for "pushing daddy's buttons," an unintentional double meaning I didn't catch at the time. Cosi just tried to appeal to Mommy, who I was unwilling to call for a judgment.
In the end, Trey fell asleep pretty quickly around 330am. Cosi lasted a little longer and had to calm down enough to sleep. I think she was out by 4. I was, at least.
But hey, I got one and a half exams done. And Cosi has school tomorrow!
Anyway, after 30 minutes of trying to help him fall asleep, I gave up. I thought if he wanted to come snack and watch a video while I worked on my exam, that would be fine. Two hours later, I've finished 2 more questions, but I've had Trey on my lap the whole time and I have only been able to work in short spurts while he was distracted.
At 130am I decided he HAD to be sleepy. Or maybe I just decided I was too sleepy to care if he was sleepy or not. He objected, I insisted, we ended up back in the bed. Cosi slept through his protests. When he still wasn't asleep by 215, I agreed to set up the computer on the nightstand and let him watch a video while I slept. Cosi woke up and wanted to see the video.
By 3am, I was reawakened by an argument over what to watch next. (Trey wanted Mickey Mouse, Cosi wanted Little Einsteins, Cosi knows how to use the computer mouse to start a video, Trey knows how to hold down the "pause" button to keep the video from playing. When they reach an impasse, they resort to screaming.) In a less than charitable moment, I closed the computer, resulting in volcanic screams as if the end of the world was upon them. Trey apologized profusely for "pushing daddy's buttons," an unintentional double meaning I didn't catch at the time. Cosi just tried to appeal to Mommy, who I was unwilling to call for a judgment.
In the end, Trey fell asleep pretty quickly around 330am. Cosi lasted a little longer and had to calm down enough to sleep. I think she was out by 4. I was, at least.
But hey, I got one and a half exams done. And Cosi has school tomorrow!
The Experiment
So I mentioned that the kids did an experiment yesterday. While I was still trying to figure out how to react, I had enough sense to film a few minutes of it. At this point, I still didn't realize that the lid was leaking out the bottom:
Updates from a Temporarily Single Dad, Day 3, Part 1
650am- woke up 10 minutes before my alarm, decided to turn it off so the kids could sleep in a bit. Realized I had never set my alarm. Disaster averted.
720am- blogged on yesterday while munching on Lucky Charms. April made sure I had happy cereal for while she was gone.
730am- Cosi awake, and on my lap, wanting to snuggle.
745am- Cosi's breakfast is ready, my guitar and music is in the car, ready for church, and it's time to wake up Trey. I text a reminder to Randy, my pastor, making sure he knows not to pick me up this morning. I see him sitting outside in is truck, looking at his messages. Oops.
800am- I wake Trey up and put him directly in front of his breakfast bagel and an episode of Little Einsteins. He has nothing to complain about.
801am- Trey wants breadsticks from last night, not bagel.
802am- My intention of teaching my son to eat healthy food this week bends, buckles, and breaks. He gets breadsticks for breakfast.
810am- Time to get Cosi dressed for church. She freaks out at my selection of a dress. Breakdown ensues. She asks for a compromise and is allowed to wear a different dress of my choosing and in return, I allow her to wear her ill-fitting ruby slippers. She's content with my second choice of a dress.
825am- When Trey declares HIS unwillingness to get dressed and enforces that stance with a screaming plea of "Cosi! Help me! Daddy GOT me!!!" Then I start to think I should have taken this week off from work at the church.
845am- 2 crying kids, 2 sippy cups of OJ, 2 packs of fruit snacks and one tired daddy head out to the car.
9am- We arrive at church and a blessed angel (Holly C.) is waiting in the nursery to watch the kids. I head over to band rehearsal.
915am- My tuner and capos are not in my guitar case. That will require some adjustment...
915-1015am- Worship team practice. So peaceful. They sounded great today.
1030am-12noon- Sunday worship. Oh, the tranquility. Pianos could have fallen from the ceiling and I would still find it more peaceful than how the morning had been going at home.
1205pm- Gather the kids. Cosi is trying to have John Frame teach her how to wind up a yo-yo. Trey thinks the art project in Cosi's classroom looks like cookies.
1220pm- Wee-wee-wee, all the way home. I heat up leftover pizza for Cosi and me. Trey gets chicken and sweet potato fries.
1235pm- Trey wants breadsticks instead. I hold firm. He eventually eats chicken.
1255pm- Last second look at my fantasy football team.
1pm- The kids are tearing down and rebuilding their "Christmas tree," though with slightly less cooperation than they used the other night.
2pm- While I'm doing dishes and other housework, the kids are playing nice. Then they get quiet. The I hear water running. I go into their room and they have the lid to their doctor kit overturned on the floor and filled with water. They're seeing what toys float and what toys sink. They call it "an experiment." I don't know how to react. Pride and frustration battle for expression.
2-3pm- I spend almost an hour cleaning up the experiment. The lid wasn't water tight, which is why they had to keep adding water. Which is why their floor was soaked.
3pm- Kids are playing outside, so I head out to the patio to keep an eye on them. I end up shelling pistachios with help from Trey. I catch a lizard in a bucket for Cosi- the crowd goes wild.
330pm- Trey insists he wants apple juice, but we're fresh out. He doesn't want orange juice. But we DO have a bag of apples and a blender. By the time I'm done, Trey has changed his mind, now he only wants orange juice. Cosi, however, enjoys the homemade applesauce.
430pm- Trey declares that he wants a bath- a flimsy excuse to continue the experiment of floating toys.
5pm- Cosi wants a bath, and Trey informs me that he wants to brush his teeth and go to sleep. Say WHAT?
515pm- Getting Trey into his PJs, I notice large bumps all over his legs. Bug bites? Hives? Benadryll!
550pm- Trey fills up his belly and falls asleep as I brush his teeth.
600pm- Trey is asleep. Choirs of angles sing.
620pm- Cosi disappears from the dinner table while I'm refilling her drink. I find her curled up in the bed, almost asleep. All she needs is her stuffed rabbit and then she's out. Were people praying that the kids would fall asleep early so I could take an exam?
7-10pm- Took an exam and had dinner. Kids slept through it all.
to be continued...
720am- blogged on yesterday while munching on Lucky Charms. April made sure I had happy cereal for while she was gone.
730am- Cosi awake, and on my lap, wanting to snuggle.
745am- Cosi's breakfast is ready, my guitar and music is in the car, ready for church, and it's time to wake up Trey. I text a reminder to Randy, my pastor, making sure he knows not to pick me up this morning. I see him sitting outside in is truck, looking at his messages. Oops.
800am- I wake Trey up and put him directly in front of his breakfast bagel and an episode of Little Einsteins. He has nothing to complain about.
801am- Trey wants breadsticks from last night, not bagel.
802am- My intention of teaching my son to eat healthy food this week bends, buckles, and breaks. He gets breadsticks for breakfast.
810am- Time to get Cosi dressed for church. She freaks out at my selection of a dress. Breakdown ensues. She asks for a compromise and is allowed to wear a different dress of my choosing and in return, I allow her to wear her ill-fitting ruby slippers. She's content with my second choice of a dress.
825am- When Trey declares HIS unwillingness to get dressed and enforces that stance with a screaming plea of "Cosi! Help me! Daddy GOT me!!!" Then I start to think I should have taken this week off from work at the church.
845am- 2 crying kids, 2 sippy cups of OJ, 2 packs of fruit snacks and one tired daddy head out to the car.
9am- We arrive at church and a blessed angel (Holly C.) is waiting in the nursery to watch the kids. I head over to band rehearsal.
915am- My tuner and capos are not in my guitar case. That will require some adjustment...
915-1015am- Worship team practice. So peaceful. They sounded great today.
1030am-12noon- Sunday worship. Oh, the tranquility. Pianos could have fallen from the ceiling and I would still find it more peaceful than how the morning had been going at home.
1205pm- Gather the kids. Cosi is trying to have John Frame teach her how to wind up a yo-yo. Trey thinks the art project in Cosi's classroom looks like cookies.
1220pm- Wee-wee-wee, all the way home. I heat up leftover pizza for Cosi and me. Trey gets chicken and sweet potato fries.
1235pm- Trey wants breadsticks instead. I hold firm. He eventually eats chicken.
1255pm- Last second look at my fantasy football team.
1pm- The kids are tearing down and rebuilding their "Christmas tree," though with slightly less cooperation than they used the other night.
2pm- While I'm doing dishes and other housework, the kids are playing nice. Then they get quiet. The I hear water running. I go into their room and they have the lid to their doctor kit overturned on the floor and filled with water. They're seeing what toys float and what toys sink. They call it "an experiment." I don't know how to react. Pride and frustration battle for expression.
2-3pm- I spend almost an hour cleaning up the experiment. The lid wasn't water tight, which is why they had to keep adding water. Which is why their floor was soaked.
3pm- Kids are playing outside, so I head out to the patio to keep an eye on them. I end up shelling pistachios with help from Trey. I catch a lizard in a bucket for Cosi- the crowd goes wild.
330pm- Trey insists he wants apple juice, but we're fresh out. He doesn't want orange juice. But we DO have a bag of apples and a blender. By the time I'm done, Trey has changed his mind, now he only wants orange juice. Cosi, however, enjoys the homemade applesauce.
430pm- Trey declares that he wants a bath- a flimsy excuse to continue the experiment of floating toys.
5pm- Cosi wants a bath, and Trey informs me that he wants to brush his teeth and go to sleep. Say WHAT?
515pm- Getting Trey into his PJs, I notice large bumps all over his legs. Bug bites? Hives? Benadryll!
550pm- Trey fills up his belly and falls asleep as I brush his teeth.
600pm- Trey is asleep. Choirs of angles sing.
620pm- Cosi disappears from the dinner table while I'm refilling her drink. I find her curled up in the bed, almost asleep. All she needs is her stuffed rabbit and then she's out. Were people praying that the kids would fall asleep early so I could take an exam?
7-10pm- Took an exam and had dinner. Kids slept through it all.
to be continued...
Sunday, December 8, 2013
O Lego Tree, O Lego Tree...
It's 630pm on Sunday night, and, I'm not joking, the kids are both asleep. more on that in tomorrow's blog post. I'm withholding judgment until I see what time they wake up (1am? 3?).
Anyway, I mentioned the "Christmas Tree" that they built yesterday evening. Here they are, posing with it. For some reason, it was very important to them that they both were holding their cups of OJ in the picture.
Anyway, I mentioned the "Christmas Tree" that they built yesterday evening. Here they are, posing with it. For some reason, it was very important to them that they both were holding their cups of OJ in the picture.
Updates from a Temporarily Single Dad, Day 2
6am: Wakey, wakey. Cosi has a blood test this morning, and she needs to have fasted for at least 8 hours. The only reasonable way to do that is by going as soon as the lab opens- at 7am. I feed myself and get all sorts of edible and entertaining incentives in the car for after the blood tests.
630am: Wake Cosi up. She immediately asks, "Is my mommy home?" No kiddo. Not yet.
645am: I get a text from our dear friend Agnes, who is coming to watch Trey while we're at the lab. She is on her way and bringing her dog.
645-655am: Cosi and I try to clean all the toys off the floor.
7am: Agnes and her dog arrive, Trey is still asleep. Cosi and I get in the car.
710am: We sign in at the lab. We've been getting Cosi ready for this for 2 days now. We're not sure how it's going to go, but I'm ready for the worst- screaming, thrashing, biting, yanking...But Cosi seems eager...for now, at least.
715am: Cosi charms the lab technician with her questions and commentary. When we're given an empty jar for a urine sample, Cosi asks, "Is this for an experiment?" Glad I didn't make her use the potty before we left.
7:20am: Urine sample complete, head over to the blood-drawing room. Cosi needs a lot of tests to help determine how we can best help her development. They need so much blood, we're supposed to have two appointments.
7:40am: Cosi was a champ, didn't even complain or cry. She was fascinated the whole time and even asked if she could hold one of the vials ("uh...no"). The technician (phlebotomist?) offered her stickers. She said she'd rather have some of those nice purple rubber gloves. She got two pair of gloves and a LOT of stickers. And the bonus is, they got all the blood in one appointment, no need to come back on Monday!
8am: We arrive home, Trey is still asleep, Cosi gets to play with Agnes's dog.
815am: Agnes leaves, I reluctantly wake Trey up. I don't like being outnumbered, but if I don't wake him, he'll sleep till 930am and then not fall asleep again until super late. And I have work to do tonight!
815-1000am: Breakfast, getting dressed, running around the house using our imaginations
1000-1030am: We go to Lowe's so I can get some drywall anchors to fix the baby gate at our kitchen door. Trey tears down baby gates, and he's quite dangerous in a kitchen. While in Lowe's, I notice I'm not the only dad there with kids in tow. I can picture the conversations at home, "Sure, honey, you can go to Lowe's on your day off...as long as you take the kids with you."
1030-1115am: Having done very well at Lowe's, the kids are rewarded with a trip to the pet store. The pet store, it turns out, usually doesn't have dogs and cats. But it's a special weekend promoting cat adoption, so we gets to pet some cats. Hooray for us. So sorry for the cats.
1130am-1230pm: Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig. Lunch is PBJ with a side of sweet potato fries for my picky boy and carrots and hummus for my herbivore girl.
1230-230pm: Kids play inside and outside the house. Adventures ensue, some involving dirt. Cosi catches a slug in her bedroom, happy screams ensue. Around 130pm I am flat on the couch. The kids continue to play, trying to involve me, but I'm trying to get a cat nap.
230-250pm- I must have actually dozed off- time to get Cosi to dance practice for the church's Christmas program.
3-4pm- Cosi dances, Trey and I wander around the parking lot, re-enacting Little Einsteins adventures. I pre-order a pizza for dinner.
430pm- Practice went late, but we get the pizza and head home. If you were in Oviedo around that time, the scream you heard echoing throughout town was me, when Trey fell asleep in the back seat. If he naps, especially this late in the afternoon, he'll be up until midnight.
445pm- The kids are huuuungry. Me too. Trey is groggy until he sees the breadsticks. The kids eat and watch Curious George while I blog yesterday's adventures.
530pm- A friend comes over for Greek tutoring. We talk for an hour, then study. Good conversation- thank you kids for being well-behaved and playing together.
730pm- My friend leaves. The kids have built a 2-foot tall lego tower in the dining room. They put a shiny bracelet on the top. Cosi gets her camera and photographs Trey standing next to it. Trey tells Cosi, "I'm so proud of you Cosi, you did a good job." I ask what they built, and they tell me it's our Christmas tree. Cutest moment ever.
830pm- Kids are fed again, dressed, and ready for bed.
9pm- We all snuggle into bed, the kids fall asleep pretty easily. Trey's 15 minute nap makes him a little reluctant to sleep, but getting to lie down next to Cosi is very motivating for him.
10pm- I wake back up and start working, getting music and slides ready for church tomorrow. No time to work on any exams, though. I'm done at 1am and finally head to bed.
I'm developing a strong appreciation and sympathy for single parents. How do they do this every day? This strikes me as one area where a church could develop a great ministry- reaching out to single moms who need to balance work and family and who have no time to themselves.
Tomorrow- church. And maybe we'll go to the YMCA so I can put the kids in child care while I work on a take-home final exam...
630am: Wake Cosi up. She immediately asks, "Is my mommy home?" No kiddo. Not yet.
645am: I get a text from our dear friend Agnes, who is coming to watch Trey while we're at the lab. She is on her way and bringing her dog.
645-655am: Cosi and I try to clean all the toys off the floor.
7am: Agnes and her dog arrive, Trey is still asleep. Cosi and I get in the car.
710am: We sign in at the lab. We've been getting Cosi ready for this for 2 days now. We're not sure how it's going to go, but I'm ready for the worst- screaming, thrashing, biting, yanking...But Cosi seems eager...for now, at least.
715am: Cosi charms the lab technician with her questions and commentary. When we're given an empty jar for a urine sample, Cosi asks, "Is this for an experiment?" Glad I didn't make her use the potty before we left.
7:20am: Urine sample complete, head over to the blood-drawing room. Cosi needs a lot of tests to help determine how we can best help her development. They need so much blood, we're supposed to have two appointments.
7:40am: Cosi was a champ, didn't even complain or cry. She was fascinated the whole time and even asked if she could hold one of the vials ("uh...no"). The technician (phlebotomist?) offered her stickers. She said she'd rather have some of those nice purple rubber gloves. She got two pair of gloves and a LOT of stickers. And the bonus is, they got all the blood in one appointment, no need to come back on Monday!
8am: We arrive home, Trey is still asleep, Cosi gets to play with Agnes's dog.
815am: Agnes leaves, I reluctantly wake Trey up. I don't like being outnumbered, but if I don't wake him, he'll sleep till 930am and then not fall asleep again until super late. And I have work to do tonight!
815-1000am: Breakfast, getting dressed, running around the house using our imaginations
1000-1030am: We go to Lowe's so I can get some drywall anchors to fix the baby gate at our kitchen door. Trey tears down baby gates, and he's quite dangerous in a kitchen. While in Lowe's, I notice I'm not the only dad there with kids in tow. I can picture the conversations at home, "Sure, honey, you can go to Lowe's on your day off...as long as you take the kids with you."
1030-1115am: Having done very well at Lowe's, the kids are rewarded with a trip to the pet store. The pet store, it turns out, usually doesn't have dogs and cats. But it's a special weekend promoting cat adoption, so we gets to pet some cats. Hooray for us. So sorry for the cats.
1130am-1230pm: Home again, home again, jiggedy-jig. Lunch is PBJ with a side of sweet potato fries for my picky boy and carrots and hummus for my herbivore girl.
1230-230pm: Kids play inside and outside the house. Adventures ensue, some involving dirt. Cosi catches a slug in her bedroom, happy screams ensue. Around 130pm I am flat on the couch. The kids continue to play, trying to involve me, but I'm trying to get a cat nap.
230-250pm- I must have actually dozed off- time to get Cosi to dance practice for the church's Christmas program.
3-4pm- Cosi dances, Trey and I wander around the parking lot, re-enacting Little Einsteins adventures. I pre-order a pizza for dinner.
430pm- Practice went late, but we get the pizza and head home. If you were in Oviedo around that time, the scream you heard echoing throughout town was me, when Trey fell asleep in the back seat. If he naps, especially this late in the afternoon, he'll be up until midnight.
445pm- The kids are huuuungry. Me too. Trey is groggy until he sees the breadsticks. The kids eat and watch Curious George while I blog yesterday's adventures.
530pm- A friend comes over for Greek tutoring. We talk for an hour, then study. Good conversation- thank you kids for being well-behaved and playing together.
730pm- My friend leaves. The kids have built a 2-foot tall lego tower in the dining room. They put a shiny bracelet on the top. Cosi gets her camera and photographs Trey standing next to it. Trey tells Cosi, "I'm so proud of you Cosi, you did a good job." I ask what they built, and they tell me it's our Christmas tree. Cutest moment ever.
830pm- Kids are fed again, dressed, and ready for bed.
9pm- We all snuggle into bed, the kids fall asleep pretty easily. Trey's 15 minute nap makes him a little reluctant to sleep, but getting to lie down next to Cosi is very motivating for him.
10pm- I wake back up and start working, getting music and slides ready for church tomorrow. No time to work on any exams, though. I'm done at 1am and finally head to bed.
I'm developing a strong appreciation and sympathy for single parents. How do they do this every day? This strikes me as one area where a church could develop a great ministry- reaching out to single moms who need to balance work and family and who have no time to themselves.
Tomorrow- church. And maybe we'll go to the YMCA so I can put the kids in child care while I work on a take-home final exam...
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Updates from a Temporarily Single Dad, Day 1
Alone. Outnumbered. Bring it on...
As you may know, April is busy this week. As her birthday/Christmas present, Rob is watching the kids for a week. During exam week at seminary.
April left the house Friday at 430am. Trey woke up at 440am. It usually takes a quick snuggle from Mommy to get him back to sleep for another 4 hours, but lacking that, he was up. I was already up (seeing April off), but had hoped to study for a few hours, since I had a final exam at 9am. Instead, I spent the next 2 1/2 hours with a 2-year-old clinging to my arm. I wrote a haiku:
Watching eyelids droop
Please, oh please, oh please just sleep
Lullabies in vain
Around 7am I started making breakfast and packing school lunches. Around 715 Cosi, who had made her way into our bed during the night, came out to find me. Her arms were over her head and she was waddling. I thought she was being silly, but then she said, "I'm wet." She was covered from neck to ankles in urine. Added to my morning to do list: wash sheets, put Cosi in the shower.
730-830am: Breakfasts, packed lunches, showered Cosi, dressed kids, loaded car, grabbed flashcards so I could study at stoplights, off to school.
9-10am: This was my only chance to take an exam, since both kids were in school, so I flipped through flashcards for 10 minutes, then hoped for the best.
1030am-12noon: Studied for and took another (online) exam while eating lunch. Savored my last few solitary moments of the week.
1230pm: picked Cosi up from school early so she could go to a rescheduled occupational therapy appointment. As I strapped her in to the car, the therapist called to cancel. Re-routed us to the playground for 20 minutes to eat lunch and play on slides. I know, that's usually a bad combo, but no problems this time.
1pm: Picked Trey up from school and took Cosi to her speech therapy.
1:15pm: Knowing that Trey was a nap waiting to happen, I tried to keep him awake with promises of hot tea (caffiene...), because if he naps, he doesn't go to bed until after 11pm.
1:20pm: Trey is asleep. I rush in the house and heat up some tea. Trey wakes up long enough to drink the whole cup full, and then falls back asleep.
2:00pm: Pick Cosi up from speech therapy, Trey sleeps through the whole thing
2:15-3:45pm: Cosi watches Lion King, I do laundry (remember those sheets?), pick up toys, clean kitchen floor (small ant problem lately). Trey sleeps.
3:45-4:45pm: Cosi helps me chop vegetable for dinner. If this sentence had been "I chop vegetables for dinner," it would only have lasted 15 minutes. Trey sleeps regardless.
4:45-5:15pm: Cosi plays dress-up, I finish making dinner (pasta with a meat and veggie sauce), Trey still sleeps.
5:15pm: After trying to wake him up every hour since 2pm, I finally succeed in waking Trey up. Cosi starts looking sleepy. I feed Cosi, I eat, I try to convince Trey to try the pasta. He only wants brownie.
6:00pm: Trey asks for a compromise (and he actually uses the word "compromise")- can he have a PBJ sandwich instead? I tell him he can have a PBJ, a brownie, AND a trip to see animals at the pet store if he'll just eat 3 bites of pasta. He refuses.
6-7pm: Cosi and Trey play around the house, needing parental arbitration every 3-4 minutes. Mostly, I am playing the role of an ambiguously "bad giant," which involves roaring, chasing, and sometimes hiding. And if they pretend to lock me up or (pretend, hopefully) to spray me with water, I am incapacitated.
7pm: Cosi and I are very sleepy. Trey is stubbornly hungry. He eats 2 bites of Cosi's pre-bedtime yogurt. I tell him one more bite gets him a PBJ and a brownie. He politely refuses.
8pm: Cosi is dressed for bed, teeth brushed, etc. Bible story read, prayers said, and all snuggled in. She's nodding off.
"SURPRISE!!!" Yells her brother, bursting into the room. I ask him to be quiet. He says OK. He says it very loudly. I realize Trey doesn't know how to whisper. This process is repeated 3 or 4 times. Finally Trey asks for some chicken nuggets. I remember that we have some leftover in the fridge and convince Cosi to wait a minute while I heat up Trey's dinner. This is clutch- if he'll eat, she might fall asleep. But if she gets scared while I'm heating up food, she'll be up and out of bed for a while. I make it back just as she is climbing out of bed. She lies back down, songs recommence, her breathing gets heavy...
"SWPWISE!!!" That's what 'surprise' sounds like when you have a mouthful of chicken nuggets.
8:30pm: An angry Cosi mutters something best left unintelligible. I remind Trey that if he can't be quiet, he has to leave the room. Trey lies on my lap, and says (loudly) "I'm being quiet now so Cosi can sleep." He says this 3 times until I tell him that he needs to leave. With his hand over his mouth he yells "SORRY DADDY." He keeps yelling this as I shush him, but he says "You need to say, 'I forgive you'." After I forgive him, he sits quietly, but restlessly until Cosi finally falls asleep
9-10pm: Trey keeps eating all the bagels and sweet potato fries I'll give him. Around 10:30, I realize I'm done for the day. I get Trey ready for bed, bring the computer into the bedroom, pop him on the bed with me and let him watch a tv show while I fall asleep.
10-11pm: I get some naps in while Trey hops around the bed. At 11 he tells me he needs to use the potty. As soon as we get back, I hear Cosi coming towards the room. I shut the computer just as Cosi shows up. I put her in the toddler bed and go to get her blanket. When I get back, she and trey are cuddled up together. Cosi is out. Trey is ready to lie down with me. I'm asleep in seconds.
midnight: I wake up to the sound of Trey snoring. I'm not sure when he fell asleep, but thank God he did. That 4 hour nap could have been disastrous.
Tomorrow morning: Cosi gets blood drawn before breakfast, afternoon dance practice, will I manage to finish another exam?
As you may know, April is busy this week. As her birthday/Christmas present, Rob is watching the kids for a week. During exam week at seminary.
April left the house Friday at 430am. Trey woke up at 440am. It usually takes a quick snuggle from Mommy to get him back to sleep for another 4 hours, but lacking that, he was up. I was already up (seeing April off), but had hoped to study for a few hours, since I had a final exam at 9am. Instead, I spent the next 2 1/2 hours with a 2-year-old clinging to my arm. I wrote a haiku:
Watching eyelids droop
Please, oh please, oh please just sleep
Lullabies in vain
Around 7am I started making breakfast and packing school lunches. Around 715 Cosi, who had made her way into our bed during the night, came out to find me. Her arms were over her head and she was waddling. I thought she was being silly, but then she said, "I'm wet." She was covered from neck to ankles in urine. Added to my morning to do list: wash sheets, put Cosi in the shower.
730-830am: Breakfasts, packed lunches, showered Cosi, dressed kids, loaded car, grabbed flashcards so I could study at stoplights, off to school.
9-10am: This was my only chance to take an exam, since both kids were in school, so I flipped through flashcards for 10 minutes, then hoped for the best.
1030am-12noon: Studied for and took another (online) exam while eating lunch. Savored my last few solitary moments of the week.
1230pm: picked Cosi up from school early so she could go to a rescheduled occupational therapy appointment. As I strapped her in to the car, the therapist called to cancel. Re-routed us to the playground for 20 minutes to eat lunch and play on slides. I know, that's usually a bad combo, but no problems this time.
1pm: Picked Trey up from school and took Cosi to her speech therapy.
1:15pm: Knowing that Trey was a nap waiting to happen, I tried to keep him awake with promises of hot tea (caffiene...), because if he naps, he doesn't go to bed until after 11pm.
1:20pm: Trey is asleep. I rush in the house and heat up some tea. Trey wakes up long enough to drink the whole cup full, and then falls back asleep.
2:00pm: Pick Cosi up from speech therapy, Trey sleeps through the whole thing
2:15-3:45pm: Cosi watches Lion King, I do laundry (remember those sheets?), pick up toys, clean kitchen floor (small ant problem lately). Trey sleeps.
3:45-4:45pm: Cosi helps me chop vegetable for dinner. If this sentence had been "I chop vegetables for dinner," it would only have lasted 15 minutes. Trey sleeps regardless.
4:45-5:15pm: Cosi plays dress-up, I finish making dinner (pasta with a meat and veggie sauce), Trey still sleeps.
5:15pm: After trying to wake him up every hour since 2pm, I finally succeed in waking Trey up. Cosi starts looking sleepy. I feed Cosi, I eat, I try to convince Trey to try the pasta. He only wants brownie.
6:00pm: Trey asks for a compromise (and he actually uses the word "compromise")- can he have a PBJ sandwich instead? I tell him he can have a PBJ, a brownie, AND a trip to see animals at the pet store if he'll just eat 3 bites of pasta. He refuses.
6-7pm: Cosi and Trey play around the house, needing parental arbitration every 3-4 minutes. Mostly, I am playing the role of an ambiguously "bad giant," which involves roaring, chasing, and sometimes hiding. And if they pretend to lock me up or (pretend, hopefully) to spray me with water, I am incapacitated.
7pm: Cosi and I are very sleepy. Trey is stubbornly hungry. He eats 2 bites of Cosi's pre-bedtime yogurt. I tell him one more bite gets him a PBJ and a brownie. He politely refuses.
8pm: Cosi is dressed for bed, teeth brushed, etc. Bible story read, prayers said, and all snuggled in. She's nodding off.
"SURPRISE!!!" Yells her brother, bursting into the room. I ask him to be quiet. He says OK. He says it very loudly. I realize Trey doesn't know how to whisper. This process is repeated 3 or 4 times. Finally Trey asks for some chicken nuggets. I remember that we have some leftover in the fridge and convince Cosi to wait a minute while I heat up Trey's dinner. This is clutch- if he'll eat, she might fall asleep. But if she gets scared while I'm heating up food, she'll be up and out of bed for a while. I make it back just as she is climbing out of bed. She lies back down, songs recommence, her breathing gets heavy...
"SWPWISE!!!" That's what 'surprise' sounds like when you have a mouthful of chicken nuggets.
8:30pm: An angry Cosi mutters something best left unintelligible. I remind Trey that if he can't be quiet, he has to leave the room. Trey lies on my lap, and says (loudly) "I'm being quiet now so Cosi can sleep." He says this 3 times until I tell him that he needs to leave. With his hand over his mouth he yells "SORRY DADDY." He keeps yelling this as I shush him, but he says "You need to say, 'I forgive you'." After I forgive him, he sits quietly, but restlessly until Cosi finally falls asleep
9-10pm: Trey keeps eating all the bagels and sweet potato fries I'll give him. Around 10:30, I realize I'm done for the day. I get Trey ready for bed, bring the computer into the bedroom, pop him on the bed with me and let him watch a tv show while I fall asleep.
10-11pm: I get some naps in while Trey hops around the bed. At 11 he tells me he needs to use the potty. As soon as we get back, I hear Cosi coming towards the room. I shut the computer just as Cosi shows up. I put her in the toddler bed and go to get her blanket. When I get back, she and trey are cuddled up together. Cosi is out. Trey is ready to lie down with me. I'm asleep in seconds.
midnight: I wake up to the sound of Trey snoring. I'm not sure when he fell asleep, but thank God he did. That 4 hour nap could have been disastrous.
Tomorrow morning: Cosi gets blood drawn before breakfast, afternoon dance practice, will I manage to finish another exam?
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Where we're at
It's 2am and I'm in the living room helping a wide-awake 2 year old build towers with wooden blocks. I think our little boy has some sleep issues.
And maybe that partly explains why we haven't posted much lately. Blogging takes a back seat to rare opportunities to catch some zzzzzzzs.
And maybe that partly explains why we haven't posted much lately. Blogging takes a back seat to rare opportunities to catch some zzzzzzzs.
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