Tolerating Our Day

Today was rough.  It just was plain, old rough.  It was the first day in 20 days that Jip wasn't around for at least part of the day, and RJ was sure to remind me of that fact every few minutes.  I lost track of how many times I heard, "Mom, when's Dad coming home?"  RJ told me a number of times that he was sad because he missed Dad.  Just before 6, Jip still wasn't home, and RJ started telling Ryleigh, who was cranky, that it would be okay because Dad would be home soon.  I knew where I stood today.  Actually, I think I probably stand there quite a bit, but I was painfully aware of my second-class mommyhood status today. 

RJ asking about Dad all day long is nothing new.  I've gotten quite used to it and it doesn't bother me--he loves his Dad and likes him to be around.  When Jip took RJ to Eric's fire station, Jip got to hear the opposite.  "Where's Mom?  I want Mom."  So, I know how my kid rolls.  But, it wasn't the constant inquiry into Jip's whereabouts that made the day barely tolerable.  It was the fact that our mostly potty-trained child decided to untrain himself in the last few days and continued his backslide today. 

While we were in Colorado, we noticed a damp pull-up here and there, but we brushed it off as being excited to see his cousins or being distracted by some serious playing, so no biggie.  Then again on the airplane, more wet pull-ups.  Still no big deal--after all, traveling is hard.  But, then over the weekend, wet pull-up after wet pull-up.  And, RJ wouldn't tell us.  We would discover it when we were helping him button his pants after what we thought was fully going to the potty.  We think he was starting to wet his pull-up and then stop himself and go to the potty, but only sometimes.  Other times, it was a full-on wet experience.  We wondered if the pull-ups were becoming a crutch and he knew he could take advantage of the protection they provided.  So, we decided that it was back to big boy underwear.  I decided I could tolerate washing extra underwear--plus I was hoping that going back to big boy underwear would make RJ take the final plunge and finish off the potty-training once and for all.  Wrong again.

When I thought I could tolerate the extra washing, I was anticipating an extra dirty pair each day.  But today, not only did I have the extra dirty pair, I also had 3 other pair and 4 pair of pants.  By 4 pm, I had had it.  I was so frustrated that I employed a new technique--no underwear.  I was out of clean pants (I didn't want to put RJ to have on shorts today), so RJ went sans underwear until it was time for his bath.  No underwear/pants during the afternoon snack.  No underwear/pants for dinner.  I'm super glad Jip didn't surprise me with a dinner guest, as I'm not sure how I would have explained my son in the polo shirt without anything on his nether regions.  RJ managed to make it to the potty every time, though, so maybe it worked. 

At least I did have a cute moment in all of this self-pity I was feeling today.  Lately, RJ has been telling us about things that scare him--dogs, the dark, etc.  So, I took to saying, "Don't be scared.  I'm here with you."  Today when I was sitting on the steps with my head in my hands after the 3rd or 4th clothing change, RJ said, "Mom, don't be mad.  I'm here with you."  How can I be mad after that?

We'll see how it goes tomorrow.  It's back to underwear in the morning, as his pants will all be clean and ready.  I'm hoping for more than tolerating our day tomorrow.  Maybe only 2 or 3 changes of clothes will happen tomorrow, and I can be content with the day.  And by the end of the week, maybe I can enjoy the day alone with my kids again.

First Solids

Ryleigh turned 6 months while we were in Colorado. But, I didn't want to deal with starting solids while we were visiting and had unpredictable schedules. Plus, I really didn't want to tote along my breast pump. So, we waited to start solids until we returned, and today was the big day! Ryleigh has been acting like she was ready to eat for a few weeks--giving us the stare down while we eat, imitating our chewing, etc.

Granted, rice cereal doesn't sound that appealing to me, but Ryleigh just didn't seem to warm up to her first solids like RJ did.

"Eating with a spoon?  And using a cup?  No problem!"

Then the first bite - As RJ would put it, "Too Yuck."

Dad's luck wasn't much better.

The rice cereal may have been a bust, but the bib sure was tasty!

RJ was very excited for his sister.  He kept asking to help, so we let him help her with the sippy cup.

"Are you sure about this, bro?"

Hopefully tomorrow will be a little better and the ratio of food in the tummy versus food on the bib will improve!

Jet lag sucks!

Not much to report here today other than jet lag sucks!  It's bad enough when you understand why you are feeling tired and irritable, but the kiddos have no clue and they are really suffering.

We woke up this morning and decided that the best way to get breakfast and not have to eat pop tarts or canned fruit was to make a run to McDonald's.  We'd done a pretty good job of eating anything that could spoil prior to our trip and neither of us really wanted to try the milk (Amy's is rice milk.  Mine is skim.) even though the expiration dates were not until May.  So fast food (again) it was. 

RJ went down hard for a nap at 1100 and had to be awakened at 1300 so we could get some lunch and go to the grocery store.  I watched the kids at the playground while Amy shopped (Thanks, Aim!) and "had to" put up with the beautiful weather in the mid seventies with only a couple clouds in the sky.  I actually think that my arms turned a tiny, tiny bit pink while playing hide-and-seek and being the stroller driver. 

This evening was not fun.  Although Ryleigh is probably adjusting better than RJ is, she's been having some tummy troubles and was not easy to deal with most of the afternoon.  RJ wouldn't eat dinner and then pretty much cried/screamed his way through a bath and into bed.  I think that tonight was one of the fastest times for him to fall asleep, though.  He said, "I love you, Dad," rolled over, and was asleep instantly.

So besides tummy troubles, severe confusion on the time of day and why we're eating, and lots of crying, we're doing just fine.  Give us a few days and we'll be back into our routine.  At least there are no trains here blasting their whistles at all hours of the night!

I'm sitting here nodding my head as I write this, so I'd better sign off, get a shower, and get some rest myself.  I'm willing to bet that I'll hear "Dad, I'm hungry" at about 0400 again tomorrow morning.

Get a good night's rest.
-Jip

Long Day (or Night or Whatever It Is)

Many thanks to my Dad for all the rides in the last few hours of our Colorado time. He helped Jip fetch his car from the detail place and deliver it to its storage place, ferried us to dinner last night, and took us to the airport this morning.

Our flight from Denver to LAX was uneventful. RJ slept the entire flight. Ryleigh fussed some just before she fell asleep, but the fussing didn't live up to all the eye rolling and self-pitying looks people around us gave when they discovered they would be hanging with 2 kids under 3. See you doubting Thomases? Flying while sitting near young kids is NOT the end of the world after all!

We were reminded today why people hate LAX. It is sooooo stupid to not be able to transfer to a different concourse without exiting the building and then having to resubject yourself and your kids to the TSA sideshow all over again. At least kids don't have to remove their shoes anymore. And, the second time through security in four hours was much calmer for RJ since he was more mentally prepared for having "to have a picture taken" of his backpack.

As for the flight to Tokyo, poor Jip ended up with not one, but two drinks in his lap within 30 minutes of takeoff. The first was his own fault, the second was Ryleigh's. But, after dinner, the boys got to enjoy a few minutes with their personal video monitors.

Ryleigh had a good time, too--but, she didn't care too much about all of the good movies Mom was dying to watch.

It has been a long time since Mom and Dad got to watch a movie. It took us several nights to get through the last Harry Potter. Jip and I were hoping to each get though a movie of our choosing (again--love Singapore Air and their on-demand movies) and get some sleep. You would think with an almost 11 hour flight, with a good part of that being nighttime in Colorado, that we could make that happen. Dream on!! It took about 6 hours, but Jip and I each got a movie in, 10 minutes at a time. I watched Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Jip watched Warhorse. I did manage an hour or so of sleep. Jip not so much.

Anytime Ryleigh and RJ were awake, the flight attendants were glued to our row. Ryleigh got a tour of the entire plane. They managed to get RJ up the stairs on the A380, but he didn't walk the length of the top deck--he got scared and needed his Mom. The flight attendants brought lots of presents for the kids: magnetic "stickers", decks of cards, a Kung Fu Panda activity set, a King Fu Panda scarf, bibs, diapers, and wipes. RJ and Ryleigh had a great time, but they are exhausted. We are hoping for sleep until 6 am, but preparing ourselves for being ready to play at 3 am.

Tomorrow we need to restock the food, unpack, pay some bills, and continue the readjustment to Japan Time.

Our trip was great, and despite the long travel time, it was a great experience for everyone. In fact, we're already discussing what's next on the travel agenda. Mt. Fuji Safari Park is on the agenda sometime in the next month, before it gets too hot. Passport-required travel may happen again in October with a true vaca for us--I'm thinking Singapore or Thailand for beach-type fun. As always, we'll keep ya posted about that.

It's my turn to drive since my hour of sleep was more than Jip's few minutes. More tomorrow night.

The Mad Dash

Yesterday was the start of a mad dash to make sure everything that needs to be accomplished in the States actually gets done. First thing first, we went to one of those cheapie-type photo studios to get 6-month portraits for Ryleigh and decided to shoot some pics of RJ, too. RJ was melty for the first 10 minutes, then Ryleigh became the melty one. Those photographers were super patient and must have had some skills, given the challenges our children presented and how they still managed to get some good pics.

Then it was on to Carter's for jammies, lunch, Ram Book Store for some CSU gear, and back home. Playtime with Maggie and Mackenzie, dinner with Grandma and the Linnenburgers, and a 9:30 pm trip by Jip to King Soopers for those things we can't find in Japan rounded out our day. Today we are having the car super washed before it goes back into storage, and we'll fit in a business meeting, a pedicure for Amy, a post office trip to send back all our goodies, and more time with the cousins. I'm tired just thinking about it--or maybe I'm thinking about our long day of travel tomorrow.

Random Post for a Random Day

This morning, Linda and Mary came over to the condo for a bit. It was nice to catch up, as we didn't have much of a chance yesterday. Then Amber came over and we all headed downtown so Amber could show off The Cupboard. Linda and Mary stocked up on a few things and RJ stocked up on some Swedish Fish Aqua Life (smaller than the original, but more shapes and flavors). We then sent the ladies on their way back to Lincoln and Amb joined us on a trip to The Clothes Pony. I found some Baby Legs (leg warmers to protect chubby, yummy knees while learning to crawl in summer clothes) for Ryleigh and a fire truck for RJ.

We then returned to the condo for naps and lunch. I enjoyed a haircut with the fabulous Clayton. Then, it was time for more shopping. We went to the ultimate FoCo store--Jax. While we were there, RJ kept asking about our friends Jack and Maggie. That darn English language and its homonyms! Jack's, Jax. Poor RJ just couldn't figure out what his playmates had to do with shopping for some emergency kit supplies (I'm putting together 72-hour kits for our family, but that's a post unto itself for another day), new water bottles, and a camping mat. Then it was on to Old Navy for Jip and dinner at Olive Garden.

While at Olive Garden, Ryleigh entertained us and a few tables around us with her playing with RJ's empty lemonade cup.

It was a nice day!

I forgot to mention yesterday that we took the kids for a drive yesterday morning after breakfast with my parents and the Linnenburgers. RJ is up to his old tricks and waking up too early, and he was ready for a nap by 10:00. So, Jip and I took it upon ourselves to take advantage of some quiet time/naps in the car and add a state to the kids' list of states they've been in. Forty minutes after finishing breakfast at Vern's, we saw this.

And this how RJ took the news that he has another state knocked out.

As always, more tomorrow (or the next day).

More Family and More Park

Ryleigh got to meet her Great Aunt Linda and Mary today. They drove all the way from Lincoln to meet our little girl and see RJ again as well as meet Mackenzie and Maggie. Here are the ladies meeting Ryleigh.

Amber and Eric made a fabulous lunch (or in farm-speak, dinner), taking great pains to ensure dairy-free and soy-free for me. Thanks, you two!!

Before the festivities began, we enjoyed some time in the backyard.

After lunch, Maggie disappeared and Miss Muffet joined us. She was generous enough to share her bonnet with Ryleigh.

After Linda, Mary, and my parents headed out, the Linnenburgers and the Mosmans went to Spring Canyon Park. What a great park!! As Eric told us, it was truly a "destination park."

After the park, RJ was exhausted. So, we grabbed Sonic and brought it home. Then it was bath and beds for kids. While we were getting RJ's bath ready, I heard some grunting and a weird sound. Ryleigh, who has become quite the scooter while we've been here, managed to pull herself under the stroller and back out. She's going to be crawling within days, I'm sure!

Tomorrow it's more time with Linda and Mary, haircut for me (yaaaaaaay!!!!!), and some more stocking-up to contribute to our expensive trip to the Post Office on Wednesday to ship all our acquired treasures back to Yokosuka.

Time is flying by, and I'm already getting sad about leaving. But, we still have a few more days to pack in the fun, so more good times to be had tomorrow.

Prom night at Red Robin.

We, the Mosman side of the family, got together this afternoon and evening for some visiting and dinner. RJ and Ryleigh thoroughly enjoyed being around Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Stacy, and Uncle Peter. RJ got to go play in a park while the little miss slept. After that adventure, RJ spent a lot of time being his fun self pretending to be an airplane and also trying to wear out his aunt. I think that both RJ and Stacy will sleep well tonight :)

We decided to try to go to the Centerra area for dinner because my parents needed to do some shopping in one of the stores there. I called several restaurants and the average waiting time was 1.5 to 2 hours because of the local prom. One place that didn't have much of a wait was Red Robin. I thought this was because it was, well, Red Robin, a family/friendly place usually filled with birthday parties and loud kids. I mean, who would pay hundreds of dollars to rent or buy tuxedos and dresses and then go get a $20 meal, right? Well, wrong. There were actually quite a few prom dates in Red Robin. Maybe I'm a little more traditional? Amy and I were joking that if Red Robin was too busy, we could always try Hooters--I'm sure that not many self-respecting guys would take their dates there...unless they really like chicken wings!

As it turns out, we hardly had to wait at all at Red Robin and had a very enjoyable dinner with some good food and good company. Thanks to all my family members for taking the time to visit with us and entertain our children.

Below are some photos from the day. First is Ryleigh with her Aunt Stacy.

The outdoor picnic during which our son finally ate his lunch...about four hours after we did. He has an excuse, though, because he was sound asleep in the back seat while Amy and I ate our lunch from Panera in the front seats.

I lucked out and got a great shot of Miss Ryleigh. I'm not sure how this resized photo looks on your device, but the original is fantastic--yes, I'm proud of my amateur photog skills on this one.

RJ, Mom, and Ryleigh enjoying a beautiful moment on a beautiful day.

Here's RJ being mischievous about something near Grandma.

Here's RJ helping Grandpa look under the hood of the car at something.

Good night to all and have a safe trip home.

-Jip

Trip to the mountains

RJ and I took off on Thursday to drive up into the mountains and visit the Mosman side of the family while Amy and Ryleigh stayed in Ft. Collins to spend some mom and daughter shopping time (starting her a young age) and some time with Amy's sister.

RJ and I had a great visit with my parents and he even got to play with some toys that I had played with when I was his age. Here he is playing with a needle point train that was once my brother's and mine.

We had an enjoyable dinner with my parents last night and then got some rest. This morning, RJ, my mom, and I drove over Berthoud pass and then through Denver on our way back to Ft. Collins. Along the way, we stopped at Uncle Eric's (my brother-in-law) fire station to look at the real fire trucks. For some reason, RJ got a case of "I want Mom" and refused to really enjoy the visit. We were able to get a couple photos of him, though, with the truck.

After getting to Ft. Collins, my mom got to meet her granddaughter for the first time. Here's a cute photo of the two of them.

RJ had been given a toy fire helmet so I felt compelled to let Ryleigh try it on. Here's the cutey with her brother's helmet on.

After a great trip down memory lane, it was nice to be back with the rest of the family making some new memories!

Here's to a refreshing trip to the mountains...
-Jip

Driver Says...

Today we broke out the Volvo's GPS for the first time on this trip to head to our friends the McGuires' home in Akron. We've used the GPS many times around RJ, but obviously it has been awhile since he has heard the car talk to us. As we were preparing to turn onto Highway 36 outside of Kirk, the GPS barked its order to turn left. RJ then said in a much sweeter voice than the GPS, "Dad, driver said to turn left." And so it went. For the rest of the trip, RJ would repeat the directions, being sure to insert "driver" for each direction.

My parents have always named their GPS systems, but we've just never done it. The closest we came probably was "Whozit." But now, thanks to RJ, I guess the GPS has a name now--Driver.

Lions, Tigers, and Chickens? Oh My!

Yesterday we continued the RJ farm tour. Grandma, Grandpa, Jip, and RJ went out to a farm that had chickens and pigs. Ryleigh I stayed at the house to get a nap in, but from what I heard, RJ wasn't too impressed with either of these types of farm animals. The chickens were molting, so they weren't exactly pleasant to look at, and the pigs were a lot larger than he thought they would be.

I'm so glad we were able to give RJ those experiences on my family's farm and the other farms we went to. He probably won't remember them, but we have the pictures to prove he came face to face with the cows, sheep, chickens, and pigs and he drove and rode in some awesome farm equipment.

In the afternoon, we added some other animals to the mix. We visited one of my favorite places in the world--the Kit Carson County Carousel. I spent 6 summers in high school and college as a tour guide then manager at the carousel. I love the history. I love the art. I love that something so simple continues to exist to bring my children as much joy as it brought me.

We handed the camera over to my Dad to get a pic of the four of us on the "couch" (RJ's word for the chariot). The best pic he got was the one below. By no means was it the photographer's fault--it was the fault of squirmy children and 2 out of 4 who close their eyes in nearly every pic.

The animals were a bit dusty, but that's the Plains for ya. The animals, paintings, band organ, and even the couches were still beautiful. Many thanks to my Mom for the personal showing--it's great to know a lady with her own set of keys!!

Prairie Home Companions

The title is my mom's--clever, huh?!

On Sunday, after a fun breakfast with my Dad, we headed south to visit the Hossfeld Family. We had a great time with Torrie, Scott, Anna, and Tyler! We attended Anna's basketball game in the afternoon, and followed that with a drive in SNOW (gotta love that Colorado weather!) to the golf club for appetizers and drinks. We watched the snow until it stopped and the kids munched on popcorn. Then it was back to the Hossfeld residence for dinner and a very pleasant evening. RJ had a great time with all of the toys Anna and Tyler have outgrown, and even some toys that they haven't outgrown. RJ even learned some Jedi tricks to go with his Jedi mind tricks from potty training. I think Tyler his channeling his Obi Wan here.

And here's Anna Banana and Ryleigh having some girl time.

On Monday, we headed east to Stratton. After lunch in town, RJ hopped in the pick-up with Grandpa and Grandma, and Jip, Ryleigh, and I followed in the Volvo. On our way to the farm, we saw a herd of white tail deer.

My Dad is retiring from farming after this year's wheat harvest, so this trip to the farm might be the last one for Jip, RJ, Ryleigh, and I--at least for a good long while. So, I wanted to take some farm pics as well as pics of the kids enjoying the farm.

Here's the farm.

After we got to the farm, RJ, Jip, and my Uncle Ron took out the combine, sans header.

While they rode around, Grandpa and Ryleigh took one of the semis out for a spin.

Then the boys joined in.

Then it was tractor time.

RJ was overwhelmed with all of the farming stuff. Ryleigh napped, ate, and walked around with the grandparents or me. Grandma and Grandpa tried to give Ryleigh a ride on an old wagon--she was not a big fan.

After RJ got his fill of the equipment (well, he didn't really get his fill, but the adults were done), we went to a neighboring farm for a baby animal experience. Over the years, Downey Farms has had animals, but several years ago, the Downey Boys got rid of the last of the cattle--and they were so glad to do so. But, that meant that grandkids didn't get the animal experience. So, to help RJ fulfill his wishes of "cows, horses, sheep, and pigs," we went to a neighbor's farm. The Mills Family were so generous in letting RJ get up close and personal with their sheep and cows. They had a lamb that was part of a set of triplets, but since the ewe could only produce milk for 2 lambs, one was bottle-fed. They also had three calves that had been orphaned, so they were kept in separate pens.

We've seen lots of horses as we've been driving, but we still need to work on the pigs part. Maybe today?

Before I go, I need to throw in another picture of Ryleigh.

We're enjoying our prairie home and our prairie companions!