On the Eve of December

I neglected to report that Kel's aunt Barbara and grandma Barbara (coincidence?) arrived a couple of weeks ago. Aunt Barbie has since left, but BarMa remains until spring. Both were enchanted by the children, the weather, and the views of the Little Dipper from Florida's angle of the night sky (I still can't make it out).

JimPa arrived a week ago and departed this morning. He had met NL in early October, and since longed to re-unite. Re-unite he did, in a big way: he introduced the kids to Pop Goes The Weasel, time and again simulating with vigor the release of jack from his box, accompanied by a purple plastic centipede that played the timeless tune when the "P" leg was pressed.

Jeff and Liz said their adioses last week and pointed their tightly packed but fuel-conscious import sedan westward. A new life, and a peculiar late afternoon start for Monday Night Football, awaits.


Latest photos, hot off the USB:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gros.islet/LateNovember2008#

givingThanks*

As we approach Thanksgiving, Noelle and Lucas are nearing five months of age. Just a sliver of time within their and our lifetimes, but it's been packed with emotions, activities, and memories. That's a fairly cheesy and lazy statement to make, but I'm in a rush as my blogging time is nearing it's end (I'm writing this paragraph last). My remaining note indicates that I should write about NL acquiring the skill of daily sucking their thumbs, indeed their whole hands. Apparently this is a sign of teething. Well, that's about all one can say on that topic.

There is a daily or nearly-daily bath-in-kitchen-sink habit, where we--you'll never guess--give the kids a bath in the kitchen sink. Not simultaneously, mind you; who does that? We discovered within their first three weeks that the blue plastic purpose-built tub just doesn't do. Well, it does do, but bathing in the kitchen saves us the walk upstairs and nearly two pints of water. What it doesn't save is my back; lousy to start with, it is forced into an unforgiving angle and caused me no minor pain in the first month. I've adjusted by now, but before long the kids' weight will compel us to resume with the blue tub.

MarMa has dutifully and impressively aligned NL into a military-like regimen: they awake at 7AM, watch Kel and I leave for work, go for a stroller ride, nap 9AM to Noon, get hungry in time for our arrival home for lunch, then bottle, play time, nap 3PM to 430PM, and again get hungry in time for our arrival home. So after a full day at work we begin our second shift at five, lasting until bedtime around ten. MarMa leaves us on the weekends, and to date we've had a miserable record of trying to replicate their weekday routine on Saturday and Sunday. Until today: for the first time NL agreed to take their morning and early-afternoon naps and allowed this blog to resume.


*Though we won't be formally Giving Thanks until Thursday, I have to take this opportunity to acknowledge a holiday as my next one may not come until Boxing Day.

Time To Go To Sleepy

I'm proud to report that our little monkeys have discovered the joys of a full night's sleep. So have, coincidentally, Noelle and Lucas. Since June 25th, when their bedtime was in the 1AM-2AM range, the kids have progressively slapped high-fives with Mr. Sandman earlier and earlier. These days, they hit the crib at 10:30PM and slumber peacefully 'til seven.

Sorry for the abrupt conclusion, but kid duty calls.

Long delayed photos from Halloween, plus, for a limited time only, bonus Gray BBQ pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/gros.islet/HalloweenEarlyNovember2008#

Halloween, et cetera

It's the first of November, so the monthly entry tally resets to zero and I get to struggle my way up to two or three over the next four weeks. It's also the first day of the last month on our Wekiva Springs annual pass. What better way to celebrate the arrival of the daytime-high mid-70s than a stroll in the woods while a pleasant breeze sways the pines? Why, there is no better way! So off we went, with the kids in the bjorns while Roxie, Hana, and her dog-bro Milo pranced about the shaded winding path and caught some ticks dislodged from said pines by said breeze.

Last night the Wieleckis celebrated Halloween. Noelle donned a pumpkin costume, while Lucas was a bumblebee. Really, though, these were not costumes per se---just long sleeved hooded zip-up outfits, one orange with a green stem element, the other black with some yellow stripes and atop the hood two antenna lacking self-confidence. So what. The kids know nothing of what's going on and it'd be just overboard to stuff one into a multi-appendaged red lobster costume complete with goofy eye stalks and the other into a Batman getup with eye-holed mask, cape, and utility belt. All that extra weight to lug around the neighborhood, and they'd still fall asleep four homes into the expedition. We left during daylight carrying our calm kids, hoping to complete a short neighborhood circuit and score a sufficient quantity of peanut M&Ms before sundown descended and/or NL erupted. It was a success.

Last Monday NL once again exchanged greetings with their pediatrician at their four-month appointment. Noelle is still outpacing lil' L on the scale, 15lb 14oz to 15lb 6oz, but both measure 24.5 in. head to foot, and have a well-sized head, nearly approaching a large un-ripe grapefruit in shape and squeeze-ability. They again suffered the sting of four vaccine shots. Lucas was unimpressed--his face morphed from neutral to frown to pained wail and not until he was handed to KelMa did his anguish diminish to a teary-eyed whimper. Poor guy. He's in for a few more blasted shots at their six-month visit, and some more at a few future visits.


Latest photos, not including Halloween: (those come at the next entry)
http://picasaweb.google.com/gros.islet/October2008#

It's Me Again

I've a few minutes to spare, while the group is strolling outside, to put into the record the latest familial development: in a matter of weeks Jeff and Liz will cancel their utilities, alert the postman, load up a rusty U-Haul, and stare down the setting sun--they are moving to San Francisco. That's right, the real city of brotherly love, Levi Strauss, Ghirardelli, squawking seagulls, steamy crab cakes on the Wharf, and seismometers in every living room. God bless 'em, they embark on a life-changing adventure of untold proportions. All this comes as a result of Jeff's recent acceptance of a plum job offer with a techie firm (I can't really describe what they do...just like I can't really describe what I do). They are anticipating a mid-November departure.

How does this news tie to NL? Perhaps it's file-able under "Other Happenings" or perhaps it's quite relevant: the kids are saying adieu to an uncle and soon-to-be godfather and godmother (and prospective aunt; I'll let Jeff blog about that). Though, surely the parting isn't permanent. What infant/toddler doesn't beg for a 5.5 hour flight, and what parent doesn't beg to escort them on one? Oh, I kid. No one can say what the future holds...perhaps in a few years the Wieleckis will crave a change of scenery and tire going sweater-less in June, load up another rusty U-Haul*, and set up shop in the Shaky City. I'm not saying, I'm just saying...


*The two mentions of U-Haul in this entry are by no means an endorsement. My experiences with UH left the kind of taste in my mouth that you get when you accidentally ingest Dawn** dish washing detergent.

**The one mention of Dawn dish washing detergent is by all means an endorsement. Go ahead, get dirty, and get Dawn.*** (To clean with, not eat).

***For the record, Dawn is not an official sponsor of this blog. But I'll consider any offers.