Recounting the Off Season

We've not moved to Namibia or Neptune, or had the kids repossessed, and I've not had my typing fingers smashed by a meat tenderizer. Simply, we've been scurrying around the house after the blanket that Noelle won't sleep without and striving to feed the dogs at least six times a week. Lo and behold, it's now mid-June and the World Cup is occupying 87% of the parts of my brain not devoted to critical survival instincts. Blogging is one of those tasks stuck between blowing last fall's leaves out of the gutters and gingerly, but with determination, slicing off the tips of the dogs' nails.

Since that monumental day in February, Noelle and Lucas have spoken and swam a few times. I regret not keeping up with their expanding vocabularies, as we'll likely not remember in 2023 that this spring of 2010 Lucas went from "dump cuck" to "dump truck" and Noelle from "deuce" to "juice" to "more juice." (Still neither child can cough out a "please"). Both now walk with a certain level of confidence, and fall with a steady level of frequency. Lucas summons tears with little provocation, yet turns them off like a switch as soon as a binks (binx, for short) appears between his lips. He eats from a much bigger bowl of alphabet soup than Noelle, easily reciting his A's through V's and X's through Z's. Noelle puts out a determined effort but declares the majority of letters either A's or D's. (Since those are enough to spell "dad", why bother with the others?).

Next Friday, the kids board the bus headed for their Terrific Two's. They've given us their share of grief during the Oh Man One's; surely they can't pull more dog tails, draw on more walls and throw more tantrums and noodles than since last June?? I've practiced an angry fist shake, in case they dare get out of line.

In late August, NL pack their bags and head off to school. We've signed them up for twice weekly care taking sessions at the local Baptist church. (We've not discovered the Baptist faith; we simply discovered the baptist church is the closest to our present residence). It's high time they leave their mum's teat (the kids, not the Baptists) and go for dad's wallet instead. We'll expect results, in the form of precise recitals of Frost poems and accurate identification of a good number of Orlando's insects.

I should end with a proper concluding paragraph, but I'll leave it as a run-on sentence with little attention to form while I'm pleased to discover it takes a considerable amount of effort to write an improperly structured sentence considering the late hour and realizing I just traded five minutes of sleep for this. At least I was easy on the commas.

Speaking and Swimming

Noelle and Lucas have just pushed past 20 months. And boy are their arms tired.

Over the last few weeks Noelle has gradually been participating in the talking game. Lucas has been at it for some time, by now accumulating an impressive vocabulary of several dozen words. Noelle, however, was content with "dad", "bubble", and the occasional “muhm”. Of late, she’s ventured further into Enunciation Land, though still needs a guidebook. While Lucas has "snowman" down almost perfectly, to tiny baby Special it’s still a "noh-muh". When asked to identify an object, Lucas hits the mark nine times out of ten; things he doesn't know usually default to "puhtaytoh”.

We are considering signing up Babies A and B for swimming lessons. Last summer NL, and in particular Noelle, exhibited a surprising love of aquatics. It’s evident they miss the hydro-hijinks in the wintertime. They’ve been forced to transfer the sport indoors. Past bath times meant mostly sitting and splashing. Now, both lay on stomachs and kick their legs as if trying to swim out of the tub. They fail at that, but do succeed in splashing a good portion of the tub's water onto the floor, and occasionally land a toe on their partner's face.

Here’s an astute observation: NL are noticeably morphing from babies into kids (some would prefer to say “toddlers”; those people are free to start their own blog). Yes, I noticed some time ago that the kids no longer crawl, have a tooth here and there, and enjoy solid foods. I mean that witnessing their alertness to their world and responsiveness when addressed add up to the flashes of intelligence of maturing individuals. The kids are conscious of themselves, acknowledge their relationship in our family, and are developing preferences in their behaviors. Though from birth it was evident they took comfort in routines, now it’s neat to see them seek their favorite toys and activities. And parents (me; who else?).

For the record I note that my sister Sylvia has equaled our tally of kids by delivering to the world--and notching Canada another warm body--one Alyssa Elizabeth Silvestri. The darling child (I haven't met her yet, but since she's related to me she is doubtless a model specimen) will one day hold the other end of the string while cat's cradling with Noelle, and whisper to Lucas that her brother Ethan smells.

Welcome to the Year of the World Cup

Kelly's last two posts precluded a first entry-less month since the WT blog was born. Her tale of our Chicago trip was an impressively detailed account. Though, it missed in a retelling of the restless body syndrome Noelle exhibited on our flight back. I put up a valiant effort holding on to Tiny Baby Special for the two hour ordeal. She apparently mistook the jet for Gymboree, climbing, dancing, bouncing, and squirming during the seat belt instruction, before, during, and after the beverage service, and culminated the display of her energies while we taxied to the gate. Kel enjoyed a relaxing flight while Lucas snoozed in her arms.

A week ago we unofficially moved in with Marma in Oviedo. This house offers bundles of space. Of particular benefit is the spacious screened patio and wide grassed yard, where we encounter the dogs' surprises only occasionally (at the duplex, not encountering any droppings was the surprise). Here all can retreat to their private quarters following a fight, while in the duplex we were crammed into one room and had to talk things out. On the down side, as this house is one story, the kids' room's proximity to the living room requires a call to action when they nap: hushed footsteps, whispered chatting, escorting Kel's grandma to her own nap (as she had habitually taken to doing dishes the minute they go to sleep, clanging and dinging with abandon), and sequestering the pets in a carpeted room, as their claws on the hardwood floor are like rapid fire rifle shots.

We plan to stay here until our duplex is sold or rented. I recently had to turn down a job offer in Suffolk, Virginia, fearing that a move now, while continuing to pay a mortgage, would be financially risky. (Hopefully this saving period will enable us to shift some cash towards Noelle or Lucas's tuition at the University of Virginia). We plan to survive the heat with a steady prescription of water parks and iced tea.

Yes, this is a World Cup year. Expect few entries for a month starting on June 11th. Lucas won't be writing either.

The twins visit Chicago...

... and returned home just in time for a rather balmy Orlando Christmas.

Karl and I agreed that the trip, their first one to this area of the country, was a success. We stayed with my dad in Grayslake from mid-day Wednesday, 12/16, and arrived at home late night Monday, 12/21, making frequent visits to the western suburbs where Babcia and Dziadek call Carol Stream home. The twins also got to spend QT with their godparents Aunt Sylvia & Uncle Glen. Their 2.5 year old cousin Ethan was very patient with NL, who scattered his toys about and annoyingly interfered with the puzzle-solving process of a 20 piece Sesame Street puzzle we'd brought for him. On a positive note, this bodes well for his upcoming role as big brother to a new baby due March 3.

The reason behind this particular trip was my best friend Joanna's bridal shower, held at a fellow bridesmaid's home in the south suburbs. Joanna and I have been good friends since those early years 'in the trenches', as my dad likes to call them, at Hewitt. We have shared an unbelieveable amount of rich life experiences in those last 7.5 years- love, loss, heartbreak, moving, buying and selling homes, new jobs, marriage and kids (me), going on an awesome work assignment in London and totally succeeding and embracing it (her). I feel as if we've grown together and have always been there for each other, like sisters. So, to sum it up, I didn't even consider not being a part of her special day (her first special day, that is- the BIG day is not until May 2010). We both burst into tears when we saw each other (it had been over 3 years, keep in mind) but it's funny how, when you reconnect with a good friend, everything seems just the same as it was before. Easy conversation, things in common, laughter, memories. She even looked just the same as she had when I last saw her! (Hopefully, she was thinking the same about me ;)
Well, the shower went wonderfully and the time flew so quickly that I didn't realize I should have called Karl so he and the kids would come to get me a little later than planned. So they made a brief appearance at the party, and after all the 'ooohs' and 'aaaahs', I hustled the trio into a guest bedroom, promising food, beer (for Karl), and a quick departure (as soon as she finishes opening her gifts! ;)

I kept my promises, and soon we were off to another Chicago party- this time, a surprise birthday/graduation party for our friend Garron. Unfortunately, we arrived shortly after the 'surprise!!', but poor, shocked Garron was still crying so we did get to join in that moment. This was a rather fancy party- the large house in an upscale Chicago neighborhood was sparkling with Christmas decorations; there was yummy catered food, and bartenders and a wait staff surrounding us. I felt a bit embarrased bringing 1 year old twins into a party of this caliber but thankfully, Garron, Sean, and their family and friends, are some of the sweetest, most down to earth people we know. Garron's sister brought them some toys to keep occupied with, and the staff made sure they were well-fed. Garron was very glad that we'd brought them along since it was her first time meeting them.

We had to leave before too long (missing the magician, unfortunately), since it was way beyond the twins' bedtime and they'd had a busy day.

Uncle Jeff arrives/weekend in Clearwater

While catching up on a friend's blog recently, I realized with embarrassment that I have not blogged in nearly 3 months. She, on the other hand, manages to blog on a fairly regular basis while holding a rather demanding full-time job, caring for a very active 9-month-old, and running a household (in addition to numerous other hobbies and activities). I try not to compare myself to others, but I can't help but feel a bit of shame for not doing my part to chronicle the lives of our rapidly growing twins. Especially now that I am not working outside the house (for now). I should have all the time in the world to blog, right? Well, not really. This 'job' actually keeps me busier on a daily basis than my old one ever did. And I have to say it's more stressful, demanding, and certainly less structured (and personally, I thrive on structure- so do the twins).

But this job is also so much more meaningful, rewarding, and fun. I am gradually getting used to my new role as a SAHM, and even coming to embrace it. I know many moms who'd jump at the chance without any ambivalence and I'm not saying I'm not grateful for the opportunity. But keep in mind, we're talking about someone who has enjoyed success and satisfaction in a (structured!) corporate environment since the month following my college graduation. And of course, in this environment, it surely is not an easy decision to give up a fairly secure job.

In any event, I am once again pledging a renewed commitment to blogging (as well as doing a better job keeping up with cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping, etc..)

Ok, back to the initial post title...Jeff's much anticipated visit began late Friday night, after the twins were in bed. On Saturday morning, after completing some furious packing and filling the van with a fresh tank of gas, we headed to Clearwater Beach for the night. Marma, Great-Gram, and Uncle Jeff drove separately since Jeff had plans to head to the Tampa Bay Bucks/NJ Jets game the next day.

The twins slept the entire way and woke refreshed and ready to hit the surf. They had a blast frolicking in the sand and helping Dad dig out a large hole in the sand and attempt to build a castle. The Gulf, at 62 degrees, was a bit less inviting, especially to Lucas, who, like Dad, prefers a warmer swim. Noelle, Mom, and Uncle Jeff enjoyed the refreshingly cool water.

Later, we walked to a nice playground near the beach where the twins climbed, slid, swung, and played in the sand. Noelle had an interesting conversation with a boy at least 4 years her senior. We couldn't make out either end of the conversation, but it was a funny exchange indeed.

Despite all of the day's activities, little Special and Buddy did not sleep well at all when put to bed in their pack-n-play back at the hotel. They slept soundly for the first 2 hours, but it was downhill after that. Lucas woke up first, wailing for an unknown reason. Noelle started in as soon as I picked him up several minutes later. Eventually, Dad tried to get Noelle to sleep in one bed, where she stood up, chatted, and would not settle down. Marma and I took Lucas in another bed, and he did drift off to sleep and slept rather well for the remainder of the night.

Not used to having a tot in my bed, I was unable to sleep so I went into the adjoining room to rescue Karl. Finally, after much walking and rocking, Noelle was back to sleep in the pack-n-play. Needless to say, we were all exhausted the next day, even solo sleepers Gram and Jeff.

I am not quite sure what the problem was except that the twins do tend not to sleep as well when away from home. Also, we did suspect that Noelle had a sore throat since her voice was even raspier than usual (how do you really ever know if a baby has a sore throat?!), and Lucas may have a molar coming in (supposedly the most painful ones of all).

On Wednesday, the W's head to the Chicago area for 5 nights. Hopefully, the sleep situation will somehow work itself out. Sufficient quantities of Tylenol and Motrin will be on hand just in case.