One Crazy Night

So here's how my evening went:

6:20--Pick Ethan up at daycare

6:45--Arrive home and get E a snack, change clothes, clean off jogging stroller, play a couple of games of "trumpet" with E.

7:15--Leave for a jog with E in the jogging stroller. Discover (too far from home to turn back) that the tires are all flat and that I might as well be pushing the rickety cart with the wonky wheel at the grocery store, yet I am still jogging (just started a couple of weeks ago and this was my first attempt at incorporating the stroller).

7:40--arrive back home and get a good laugh while Ethan tries to imitate my stretches with me. "Frog" was especially funny as we laid nose to nose, wish someone had been here to take a picture. Start timer for bath. Play and sing until timer goes off.

8:05--Timer sounds, Ethan shouts "time for bath!" We begin to get ready for the tub (me too, since E wants me to get in with him and I'm sweaty from the run anyway).

8:10--Just as I'm naked, the phone rings. It is "Sir." He needs help downloading pictures from his camera and attaching them to emails (NOTE: He has never downloaded anything or even just SENT a regular email). Find a towel to cover up with (because talking to your dad on the phone while naked is just, well, weird). Occupy Ethan by searching for notebooks and crayons while walking "Sir" through downloading the pictures.

8:30--Begin helping "Sir" to create emails with attachments when Ethan has a breakdown. Give up with "Sir" for the time being and start to get E in the tub. He wants to take off his pants, but not his shoes. He refuses to accept that the shoes must go first. Take the, "let him find out for himself" approach and let him try to pull the pants off over the shows--funny for me--BREAKDOWN for him. Rick comes home in the middle of this and offers to take over which gets a very loud round of "NOT DADDY!"s.

8:40--Take all E's clothes off despite the screaming fit and plop him in the tub with me. Survive the screaming and crying until he realizes he can put soap on a washcloth and was his hair and body "All by self!"
8:50--Start to get out of the tub, get E into the bedroom and survive another round of crying while Rick takes over (E gets into to Caillou pretty fast and settles down).

8:55--Pick up crayon mess from earlier, set up E's room for storytime, reheat Chick-Fil-A that Rick brought home.

9:10--Sit down at the computer with food, call "Sir" back and go through the email thing again. First try--too many pictures attached. 2nd try (with multiple emails)--probably go through to mom (we hope) but don't make it to me because "Sir" spelled Thomson with a "p" in my email address. Tell him I don't need the pictures, or that mom can forward them to me. (Faintly overhearing Ethan shout "Time for stories" from the other room, and a bit of a fit as Rick explains that Mommy is talking to "Sir" and she'll join us in a bit.)

9:30--Finish with eating, check Spurs score (they're winning so far)--go to read stories (put on socks, get more snack).

10:00--Finish stories and songs--check Spurs again and sit with Rick while he calls Verizon (AGAIN) to see why our new phones aren't working.

10:15--Now the phones work! A little more basketball and then in here to blog (with one stop between posts to check out the new furniture arrangement in the front room).

10:59--Did the Spurs win yet? Can I find out who got voted off Dancing with the Stars now? Without falling asleep first?

WHEW!

The Order of Ethan

You might have heard me talk about how obsessed Ethan is with order. Everything must always be the same. From the side of the bed Mommy and Daddy are on when it is time to say goodnight, to the square on the carpet you must sit on while playing "Jumps." Here is a nightly example:

While reading stories with Mommy (not Daddy) Ethan stands behind the footstool in his room, snack in front of him in a purple bowl, milk next to that, Blue Dog next to that, his blanket on Mommy's lap.

Step 1: Ethan opens book
Step 2: Ethan turns the first page.
Step 3: Mommy reads the title page (no skipping this) and Ethan recites the illustrator by memory--seriously.
Step 4: Mommy says, "page please" to indicate it is time for Ethan to come and turn the page (Mommy is not allowed, but she sometimes can sneak one in when his back is turned, depending on how well he knows the book).
Step 5: Ethan takes a bite of snack, a sip of milk, and rubs Blue Dog's tail between his thumb and forefinger (sometimes an ear is substitued)--IN THAT ORDER.
Step 6: Ethan comes over to Mommy and turns the page.
Step 7: Ethan returns to his original spot by the footstool.

Repeat above steps for each page of book, for 4 books nightly.

Luckily he does not seem to require this regimen from babysitters. Can you imagine the detailed notes we'd have to leave?

Zoo Trip

A few weeks ago we took our first trip to the zoo this spring. Ethan had a great time riding on Rick's shoulders and playing in the kids' area. Unfortunately he can get up into the "Hay Loft" but is scared to go down the tunnel slide and doesn't want to climb down the way he came. So, after he was up there for like 20 minutes (and had just retreated up against the wall, rather than standing at the window calling for us), we had to distract the worker so that Rick could climb up in there and get him. Rick pushed him down the slide (which Ethan thought was great fun after all). We'll have to get a little more climbing practice before we let him in there again.

We rode the train, which Ethan loved, especially holding the tickets. We were very close to the longhorn scratching his ear on the post when we boarded the train, but Ethan was much more interested in the water tower and windmill. I kept saying, "Look at the big longhorn, E!" and he would just point and say, "See the windmill, see the windmill!"

Opening Day

I'm a little late getting this posted, but on April 8th, my department and a few others participated in the Opening Day festivities at the Ballpark in Arlington for the Texas Rangers. We got to unfurl a 100ft. by 300 ft. flag on the field and stand there for most of the opening stuff (National Anthem, jet flyover, eagle soaring, etc.). It was a beautiful day and an amazing experience. Here are a few pictures.

It's a Texas Tradition, Man!

Pulling off the highway somewhere to take pictures of your kid in the bluebonnets that is. These were taken on Hwy. 287 on our way to Houston a couple of weeks ago.

Hoopin' It Up

Rick plays in a church basketball league. Ethan LOVES attending the games and cheering for Daddy and all his friends. He will sit still on the bench the whole game--mesmerized by the buzzer, whistles, balls, and baskets. Last week when Rick was getting ready, Ethan said, "I want to wear jersey too!" So, we dug in the back of the closet for a little throwback jersey--one of Rick's from childhood. Ethan now wears it to every game.

Full Names

M: "What's your name?"
E: "Ethan Waters."
M: "What's my name?"
E: "Mommy Waters."
M: "What's his name?" (pointing to Rick)
E: "Daddy Waters."

Do we need legal papers for these name changes to be official? Because I really don't want to stand in line at Social Security EVER again.

Texas Has a New State Flower

Mommy: "Ethan, look, the bluebonnets are blooming."
Ethan: "No. Purplebonnets."

My Sunshine

As our last song before bed I always sing "You are My Sunshine" to Ethan. Tonight, as we were winding down, he beat me to it. He put one hand on my face and sang our (shortened, with "and I love you more everyday" in place of "please don't take my sunshine away") version of the song to me. Couldn't hug him tight enough!