boys love scars

For those of you who have been asking, here's an update on Addy's stitch job. (I had to put the arrow on there so you wouldn't get it confused with his other head bonk--just a bump from a recent failed dive attempt from the nightstand to the bed.) It's healing nicely, thanks to Dr. Dad. There may always be a little scar, but boys love scars, right?

variations on a theme

Our most recent visit to Jetty Island was an eventful one. Leaving only a few minutes later than planned (those who know me know this is rare--it's usually at least a half hour later than planned), we arrived almost in time to catch the 11:00 ferry to the island. The night before I had packed lunches, laid out swimming suits, and packed the beach bag so I could go running with Kay at 8:30 and still be ready when Carly arrived at 10:15. I had even packed breakfast and made the boys wear their swimming suits during the run so there would be no changing when we got home. Just load the bags in the car and go. Here is a short list of the exciting twists and turns the day took:

*As we were about to leave the house: Mom-MEE! Come HERE! I got poo-poo in my swimming suit! Get it out!
*As we arrived at the ferry dock: What, no seats on the ferry available until 12:30? That's an hour and a half, and there's no playground here!
*Shortly after conceding that the 12:30 ferry was better than not going at all: What, no return tickets for the ferry available until 5:15? That's five hours on the island with no fruit snacks!
*While setting up picnic lunch on the grass until ferry left: Addy--stop! You stepped in goose poo! You're getting it all over the beach mat!
*While using the restroom: Guys, PLEASE don't open the door while Mommy is going potty! Seriously!
*Just after cleaning sand off the boys to get back on the ferry: Augh! Addy, no more sand angels--it's time to go!
*In line for the return ferry--Hey, I think your baby just pooped through his diaper. (How can they call those "swim diapers" a diaper? They don't hold anything in!)

Anyone else notice a potty theme going on here? But in between all that fun stuff, we really did have a great day. I sat in the sand and let the water lap my legs while the boys dug holes and did sand angels. The weather was perfect, I got a long-awaited dose of sunshine, and the boys were completely exhausted and ready for bed early. I wish everyday was like this one! Seriously!

running buddies

Last summer I trained for the marathon all by my lonesome. It was hard. I actually had to motivate myself. Who wants to do that? So this year I was smart. I found a running buddy. This is Kay and her darling Lizzy. Kay is one of the most honest, sincere people I have ever met. She makes me laugh. And she's extremely punctual to boot. She's a gem! We have been running two, three, even four times a week together most of the summer, and it has been such a blessing. She gets me out there bright and early, rain or shine (and man has it rained on us--we are hard core!). I think we have been really good for each other. Not only do we get each other out there, we commiserate after being yelled at by a biker, or when we have to side-step horse droppings. We counsel each other in our church callings, and share our family secrets. We push each other. We cheer each other on. And we understand when the other has to stop to pick up an item chucked from the stroller by bored toddler, or dish out crackers, juice, or discipline to a cranky one. Kay always finds a way to distract the boys when they are whining (how great is that?). She keeps me going when I'd normally stop and walk. She always makes me sprint at the end, lately from the first tree instead of the second, and she reminds me there are only three curves left until we see the Moon. Kay is probably the only reason I'll be able to complete the marathon this year. AND SHE IS MOVING TO TAIWAN IN TWO WEEKS! Augh! I still have six weeks of training left! What am I going to do without you, friend?

This morning I secretly slipped my camera in my stroller, and when we passed this cute older couple that we see every time we go (who always smile and talk to the kids), I asked them to take our picture. Kay was horrified, I'm sure, that I would dare record our sweaty selves on film, or worse, post it on the Internet. But seriously, this is US. This is one of the best parts of our friendship. This will be one of my fondest memories of my time in Seattle. How could I NOT record this? At least you can't smell a picture, right?

mom, watch out--something scary's gonna get ya!

James: "Mom, did you hear that sound?"
Me: "I did--it sounded like an airplane."
James: "No, it wasn't an airplane. It sounded like a meteor falling to Earth, and it's gonna hit and pop and make a big hole with lots of fire. Mom, does that creep you out?"

The imagination of a 3-year-old is a scary place. In James' world, meteors are crashing down around us, volcanoes are erupting and sending fiery lava rushing toward our house, and king cobras are hiding around every corner, just waiting to spit their venom in our faces. Can you imagine constantly being followed by giant spiders, or trying to keep one step ahead of a flying T-Rex that shoots fire out of his mouth when you look at him? Wouldn't you be terrified to know a vampire bat was hanging out in your room so he could "eat" your blood at night? Well, James isn't scared. Maybe it's because he's the one behind all the lurking and crashing. He is obsessed with danger. Should I be worried?

poor addy

A couple of posts ago I mentioned my theory that my husband is Superman. Today he gave me another reason to believe.

Just after lunch today, I was battling to keep Addy out of the pile of freshly folded laundry I was working on. I thought I might put him down for his nap, but it seemed a little early, and early naps usually do not take. He finally saw something that drew him away from my oh-so-enticing stacks of clothes and took off at full run toward the entertainment center. As I watched, he suddenly tripped, falling and ramming his forehead full force into the sharp corner of the thing. He immediately started howling, which one would expect, but as I rushed over to pick him up and give him a quick kiss "all better," I noticed blood pouring from a small gash in his little head. I took him to the kitchen and applied pressure to stop the bleeding, but I could tell this was a cut that would need a stitch or two. I paged Christian with our "911" code for emergencies (meaning call me NOW!)--the first time I've had to use it. He called back immediately and was probably disappointed that, after 34 hours of taking consults from the ER, now his wife was calling with a consult. He agreed that we did not need another $300 ER bill, and said he'd come home asap and stitch it up himself. He worried about finding Lidocaine to numb it before sewing. I told him I did not think I could get through it if he attempted it without it, never mind Addy. Luckily he was able to locate a vial of Lidocaine, a syringe, and some suture.

After being up for two days, Christian was "as tired as [he's] ever been," admitting to falling asleep on the freeway during his drive home. Now I was asking him to crouch on the bathroom floor and try and sew up a screaming baby who will not hold still. I was not the greatest nurse, and really we could have used three people to hold the kid down, but Christian did manage to get about four stitches in. He was amazing. It was so cool to see him in action. A few minutes later the ordeal was over. Christian saved the day, and Addy had his first stitches. He was fine as soon as we let him go, and I'm sure he was mostly screaming because I was smooshing his face and holding his hands down. Unfortunately he had popped one or two of them before we could get a Band-Aid on him, but hopefully it will still heal up nicely. It wasn't worth going through all that again for one stitch.

James was a great big brother through the whole thing, asking Addy if his blood hurt, and even agreeing to play quietly with his dinos in his room until we were done. He also made sure Addy got a few stickers to feel better. Because Addy kept crying what sounded like "Donald's" (McDonald's) during the stitches, we took him to McDonald's for an ice cream when it was over. Later this evening he was definitely back to his wild self--running around, jumping off things, tackling his brother. This kid is all boy.

This short video proves what a tough kid Ads really is. He's a little hard to understand since he just finished a 20 minute scream-fest, but he does say that he "fell down," that his sticker is "train," and that he's "all better." Today he's been pointing at his owie and telling me, "Daddy fix it." So cute.

Here's to the first of what I'm sure will be many, many stitches from Superdad in the home of the Brothers Sybrowsky. Kanpai!

and now a word from addy. . .

Addy now talks almost as much as James (and that's hard to do!). He knows so many words, and copies the ones you tell him (then remembers them!) Although we don't understand 100% of it, it's so nice to be able to communicate with the little monster! He is happier, too. His tantrums have dropped by about half since he figured out to tell us what he wants. Here are some the phrases we hear from Addy each day.

Daddy, hone! (phone); Daddy, page-o! (pager) --anytime the phone rings or Christian's pager goes off, Addy is quick to make sure we're aware.

Airpwane! See it? Hoe it? I hoed it! --the kid can hear an airplane anywhere we are, even in the house. He also tries to point out hellicopters, but I have no idea how to spell it the way he says it.

Don't! Bop! Bop! --i.e. stop, usually yelled when James is attacking him in some way, or trying to give him a love. Both are annoying to Ads.

Mom! Bugs! Show ya, show ya. Gid it! (stomp, stomp) I got it! --he thinks small specks of dirt are bugs and he loves to show me and then "squish" them. He's usually shrieking like a girl--okay, like me--when he stomps on them.

Shoe! Shoe! --I hear this on the running trail, in the grocery store, at the park--basically anywhere his shoe can fall off, and it often does. At least he's telling me so I can go back and pick it up!

Want some moke (milk) --he'll grab a sippy cup and follow me around until I get him something to drink.

Aaaa-dddy! --he still calls James Addy all the time. He'll go to the top of the stairs and call for him. Sometimes he'll call him Jeesh or Jame, too.

Git down! --I'm sure he says this because he hears it so often. But he doesn't let James get away with anything! If he can't climb, neither can big brother.

I did it! Hooway! --whether it's taking a big dino bite of food or jumping off James's toddler bed, he's always very proud of himself

Diap-o. Don't touch. --he likes to remind ME that he shouldn't touch while I'm changing his dirty diaper.

Daddy, Daddy, wo-wo wa-bo! --this is his attempt to copy James saying, "Daddy, peanut butter water!" (This is one of their silly, nonsensical sayings that they love to say over and over.) He then laughs hysterically, just like Jeesh. What a couple of goofs.

Whas wron? (what's wrong?) --he's so sweet. He'll ask what's wrong if he sees any of us upset.

Watch me! See dat? --he's becoming quite the little show-off! Coupled with his daredevil ways, this trait can be quite alarming.

Why? --this is perhaps the most frustrating of all the words my children know. Addy hears James ask me this all day long, so now when I ask Addy to get down, give something back to me, etc., he asks Why? At least he doesn't really wait for (or challenge) my answers like another Sybrowsky brother I know.

Clean up, clean up --he sings this little song from nursery when he feels it's time to clean something up. Don't ask him to clean something up, but if he thinks it's messy, he'll take care of it, singing his little song.

A few other noteworthy words & phrases I want to remember him saying between 18 and 22 months:
Da-wn it! (darn it)
Pita (pizza)
Sta-bewy (strawberry)
Wash hands
Bankie (blanket)
White, green, bue, ya-wo, wed, purple, pink
One, two, fwee, four, five, six seben, eight, nine, ten
Apple, apple, a-a-a; baby, baby, b-b-b
Canny! (candy)
Pease! (please)
Bean-beans (green beans)
Streen cheese (string cheese)
Gwapes (grapes)
Twuck (truck)
Foke (fork)
Cheese! (meaning my camera)
Puck (cup)
Dino!
Here (when he hands something to me)
Taint tu (thank you)
Bwo kiss (blow kisses)
Umm. . . (he says this when you ask him a question)
Oh. (he says this when you answer his question)
Uh buh-bye (I want to go bye-bye)
Pano (piano)
Pawk (park)
C-on (crayon)
Coe-wer (color)
Mickey (as in Mouse)
Bacon
Peanut
Penny
Funny
Money
Donald's (McDonald's)
All wight!
Oh man!
Mine!
Pie-dur (spider)
Daddy's Home
House
Mouse
Dita (Aunt Rita, aka Ereka)
Dordan (Uncle Jordan)
Peen (Aunt Peen, aka Paige)
Bee-u (Uncle Boy, aka Adam)
Dan (Uncle Dan)
Ham (cousin Sam)
Abbie (cousin Abbie)
Sa-wa (Aunt Sara)
Ear
Eye
Head
Cheek
Chin
Mouf (mouth)
Teeth
Toes
Hand
Elbow
Nose
Gogurt
Taste
Dink (drink)
Bonnie (Aunt Bonnie Rains)
Bunny
Seat
Doughnut
Dun it (open this--I know, it doesn't sound like it, but it's what he means!)
All done
Back (as in put it away, put it back)
Sammich (sandwich)
Elmo (no more Bobo!)
And my all-time favorite, Seeya! Bye! Seeya!

a note on our new piano

So I married Superman. After working 34 hours straight, Christian met me in Renton (about a half hour away) to pick up a piano and move it to our house. And this thing is one heck of a piano. It's an upright grand circa 1910 and it is a heavy sucker! I was floored that after all that heavy lifting Christian stayed awake to watch the kids while I returned the Uhaul, have dinner with us, and then bathe the kids for me. He may not fly, but I say close enough.

Here's the story of our piano. We are poor. We know we're poor and we're okay with poor. But sometimes we want things that cost lots of money. Like a piano. Maybe I wanted to give one to Christian more than he actually wanted it, but I miss hearing him play. And I miss seeing him totally relaxed and in his own world while he's playing (some of you know the look I'm talking about--he looks at you but won't respond no matter what you say--yes, it can be annoying, but I know he's happy when I see it). I've been searching Craigslist for months--MONTHS-- looking for a free piano in good shape. I keep hearing about people who have found them. But the stars were not aligning. All I was finding was junk. Either the people wanted to con someone into picking it up so they wouldn't have to haul it to dump (and it looked like it should be there), or it needed $800 in work to sound decent.
Then I came across an odd ad. Everyone thinks I'm a little nutty for doing this, but really, it felt right to me. This woman had moved from a large home to a condo on the waterfront and didn't have room for her piano. It is an antique that has been in her family forever, and she wasn't ready to part with it, so she posted an ad on Craigslist for someone to "borrow" her piano for free, longterm. Well hey, I'm looking for free and semi-longterm, so why not? We don't have to pay for a piano that works and she doesn't have to pay to store it. Granted, getting the thing here was more than a little stressful (I had no idea what I was doing when I rented the Uhaul, which caused a few problems), and I had to call upon a few friends in the ward to give up their Saturday afternoon (which I so did not want to do), but we now have a fully functional, not bad-looking antique piano in our front room. Hooray! We've cleaned it up since these pictures were taken and it looks pretty good for almost 100 years old. Thank you to Gary and Ryan for your muscles and senses of humor. We love you guys. Here's a little sampling of our new instrument. . .

not having fun? really?

Addy loves to throw stuff. Toys, food, rocks, and sand. This sand happened to be mud. Of course he had to find the muddiest spot on the beach to practice shoveling (it wasn't all this goopy and slimey). He must have misunderstood my question, though, because this is his perfect idea of fun.

if this isn't fun, i don't know what is

This was taken a couple of weeks ago, but I just figured out how to post videos! I have an awesome one of Addy, too, but I'm having trouble uploading it. Anyway, this was at a fun park called Forest Park. We had been there last year, but they didn't have this cool water park then! I had no idea and didn't bring the kids swim suits. I was busy chatting with the girls from playgroup when out of the corner of my eye I saw a child skidding along with his pants around his ankles. What mother lets her child run through the sprinklers fully dressed? Oh that would be me. I could hardly record this I was laughing so hard.

beautiful bellevue

Sybrowsky quote of the week: "Is the watermelon the aunt of the cantaloupe?" -James, while studying a slice of juicy cantaloupe at dinner.

This past weekend we went to the Bellevue Arts Festival with our friend Carly and her Cole-baby. Besides all the gorgeous art and intriguing creations, there was the food. We took a sampling that included garlic french fries, English scones with jam, and strawberry lemonade. The kids didn't care much for the art, and they were only moderately excited about the food, so we stopped by a little park on the lake on the way home. Gorgeous! James spent most of his time looking for spiders, and Adam spent most of his trying to escape to the lake, but at least they had a chance to get out of the stroller. We also stopped by an estate sale in the area where I purchased a fabulous long-reach handle for my roller brush (so I can paint the boys' room). Not the amazing find I was hoping for, but not bad. By the time we stopped at Costco on the way home, they were both OUT in the backseat. (James still maintains that he does not need a nap because he is big--you be the judge.)