Exploration & Adventure

Today we went on a Mom & Tot outing with Mothers & More to Exploration Adventure at Odyssey Fun World.  Because our outing was during the school day, the building was a little tricky to find, and it was bitterly cold and snowy out, our group was the only people in the entire place! We barely even saw any employees! (And we didn't need to pay for it to be a private party!) It was great! (Story with pictures)

“The Exploration Adventure is a 4-story tall, soft-play structure designed for children between 1 - 10 years of age. Each structure is unique; however, they all encompass traditional ball pits, slides, tunnels, mazes, and more!"

Shawn said, "It was too fun! I couldn't stop playing in it!" His favorite parts were the ball pits, a motorcycle ride (that I didn't get tokens for, but he pretended anyway), and going way up high to the top of the towers. Shawn even helped "rescue" a few of the younger kids who got stuck in the high structures and couldn't figure out how to get back down. Afterwards, he proudly announced "Mission accomplished!" Shawn and some of the other preschool aged boys even had fun playing in the baby area, which wasn't supposed to be for big kids, but as long as there weren't any babies using the area, we said it was okay. There was a tree house and creatures like dinosaurs, a frog, and an alligator to climb on. Lilly had fun exploring a ball pit and the babies' area, too.

Our Mothers & More friends had to leave to get older siblings from school, for nap times, or simply because they had been there long enough. So Shawn, Lilly, and I were the only ones left. Though I kept trying to talk Shawn into leaving to get a snack, he was having too much fun playing! I thought it was a bit eerie to be the only ones in the entire play center, but I will admit it was also nice not to have to compete with anyone for space or listen to the extra noise.

It was a fun day!

But why isn't Shawn tired?!?!?

Pajama Day

 Pajama Day! We stayed in today - even Raj. We spent a lot of time packing, but took plenty of breaks, too.

Lilly and her friend

Shawn and his friend from Mom's college days

Lilly would rather stand than crawl

She's ready to drive

While eating green beans at dinner, it really looked like Lilly modified her 'more' sign already. Yesterday, it was simply a clap, but today she used closed fists. It's much closer to the actual sign. She might be getting it!

High 26°F, low 15°F
Windchill in the mid-teens most of the day
3.1" snow accumulation

Snow fell gradually all day. Though flurries were in the air earlier, it actually began to stick around noon and accumulated until around 9 pm.  We thought about going out to play in it, but... maybe tomorrow...

Party, raisins, and restaurant manners

Shawn was able to get himself dressed before Lilly and I were, so he was able to have screen time while I got ready. He thought that was a pretty cool perk. I wonder if it will stick...
Abby's 5th birthday party was this afternoon at Pump It Up in Schaumburg, an indoor bounce house center. Yesterday and this morning, Shawn was concerned and commented that he didn't want her to be 5. I didn't an explanation out of him, but I think he wants them to always be the same age & doesn't like the idea of her not being 4 with him anymore. But, that's just a guess.
Shawn had a great time though the inflatable contraptions make me more than a bit nervous. There were a handful of minor collisions among the kiddy party-ers, but no injuries that'll be visible tomorrow. (Phew!) Shawn jumped, climbed, slid... and most importantly, burned energy. Perhaps he should've saved a little for the rest of the day, but the setting sun shining in his eyes on the way home just knocked him out.
While he napped, Raj had some IDA business to take care of and Lilly and I were anxious to eat. (A late lunch of cake & ice cream, while tasty, wasn't very filling!) I love that Lilly can eat table food without needing it to be liquified first. I still test her/my limits with bite sizes & textures, but I love the food experimentation stage. Anyway, I started her with raisins that I cut... not much larger than a few molecules - they ARE choking hazards! But she handled them with grace and loved them, so I conceded to slightly larger slivers.
Before long, I was giving her carefully selected WHOLE raisins (under a very cautious eye). I've been trying to use the sign language signs for 'more' and 'all done' any time we eat.  Lilly seems to understand what 'all done' means because when I see her turn away from food and I say/make the sign, she gets reeeeally excited. It's still hard to tell if she tries to sign it herself because her arms move so much when she's excited. (If she likes something a lot, her arms flail and her fingers wiggle and she clearly is NOT done!)
Today, she seemed to understand 'more.' I think she tried to sign it to me by clapping. But, clapping is also a new skill that's about a week or two old, so she might have just been excited about the sweet raisins and clapping. Hard to tell.

Monkey Toes

I hadn't noticed her nice pincer grasp until today! (I always mispronounce it as 'pincher grasp.') I'm sure the sticky raisins helped, but there was definitely a difference in her success when she used her index finger & thumb vs a raisin sticking to the palm of her hand. She'd get frustrated when they'd stick to her hand and she'd give up on them faster when they were harder to coordinate to her mouth. I love watching her figure these things out.

Shawn woke up refreshed and we played around until Raj got home.

When Raj came home, we went out to La Hacienda for dinner. (I was in the mood for Mexican food.) We've had to have a few talks with Shawn regarding appropriate restaurant behavior lately (ie not laying down in the booth, etc.). After our last meal out, I mentioned how people used to stop by our table to compliment how nicely he behaved - and it happened often! Yet, nothing like that has happened for a while. He was able to identify that his behavior probably hasn't been all that remarkable when we've gone out lately. I made sure to point out that we don't expect compliments every time we go out - sometimes people might not be able to stop or might just think it to themselves. Plus, people don't generally give compliments for things that are expected. Daddy and I don't get compliments on our behavior because it's just expected that we know how to act. If we weren't acting like we should, somebody, like the manager, might come over to talk to us instead! I think our talk made an impact because I briefly mentioned it tonight when he started to sway and he quickly straightened up. No one stopped by our table with compliments, but the waiter did bring out fried plantains for 3, rather than just 2 for us to share. (We told Shawn he must have earned his own.) Plus, since it didn't take us an eternity to get through dinner, we even had time to watch Toy Story 2 before bed. Another perk Shawn thought was pretty cool.

Just playing

Lilly has discovered the harp.

Lilly is On.The.Move

Lilly gets (Baron's) toy.

She cracks me up. Her eyes (& brows) are always so expressive. I've been using the sign for "all done" after meals, but her hands move so much, it's going to be hard to tell when she actually uses it! Clearly, she's not meaning "all done" during the video! (Turning her face into the side of her chair is a much more clear sign.)

Peanut Butter toast

My favorite!

Lilly loves spaghetti

Just look at her eyes light up and her hands wiggle! Click here for the video.

On the road again

After my trip down Memory Lane, it was time to head home. We stopped once for Shawn to pee into a corn field. (That's what happens when he doesn't give me enough notice to find an actual bathroom!) It worked out well because we didn't need to wake Lilly in order for him to go. About halfway through the drive, Lilly woke up and made it clear she needed a break.
We stopped in Bloomington for a stretch and a snack. To my surprise, there were no changing tables in the bathroom - there were special shower facilities, but no changing tables?!?! Arg. So, Lilly got a chilly open-air change in the car. Of course, her diaper blow-out (which are so seldom I could probably count on one hand) necessitated a wardrobe change. Sure would've been easier and warmer on a changing table, but we managed to get the job done. Shawn was excited to share a chocolate frosty with me during our late lunch and Lilly ate half a banana and some Cheerios (though it looked like we left half of her container on the floor under her highchair).

Back on the road, we watched an incredible sunset, which seemed to surround us with subtle rainbows. I guess one advantage to having little in terms of landscape, is the 360° of sunset views on evenings like this.
Once it was hard to see much out his window, Shawn entertained me with some original songs 
so I handed him my phone to record it. I wasn't sure if he knew how (that's what the "No, no, nooooo!" was all about in the beginning). Little did I know, he was already recording! Not sure if he can still sing the same songs, but he's really gotten into a singing mood lately - love it!
There was a slight slowdown near Channahon due to construction, but it didn't last long and we were close to home by that point.
When we pulled into our driveway, Shawn couldn't wait to tell Raj how much he missed him. It was sweet to see their massive bear hugs. Raj had done some great staging work throughout the house while we were gone (though it was hard to tell once we got my car unloaded) in preparation for our first showing earlier today. The boys wrestled and played to get out Shawn's pent up energy from the road trip. We  snacked for dinner and cuddled in front of a movie (Toy Story) until we went to bed. It's good to be home.

Memory lane

We slept in this morning. (There's a showing at our house late this afternoon, so there's no point in getting home before that.) When we were slowly waking up, I felt the sharp edge of Lilly's first tooth that's poked its way through - I'm sure that didn't help her mood the last few days!
Shawn wanted to see my old neighborhood, so I took him on a tour of O'Fallon. We saw:

• 305 Nancy Dr. - had a new front door & mailbox, a baby swing in the backyard magnolia tree, a small in-ground swimming pool where our vegetable garden was, a small pergola with a fan(??), and a basketball hoop over my old parking space. The porch that Dad helped build still looked great. The grape vine still creeps along the fence. I didn't recognize a Willow-type tree in the area where the honeysuckle grew. It was already a pretty mature yard when we lived there, so it was hard to tell if there were any other landscape changes. Shawn said, "That looks like a very lovely home, Mom!" I thought so too. 
• There's a new park on Nancy Dr. on the way towards Amy Dr. It had a playground, picnic area, and walking paths. It looked really nice. (I think it was farm land before.) 334 Amy Dr. - I drove right passed the street! The trees are enormous, so I didn't recognize which street was ours! The twig in our front yard is a full grown tree and the yews, which were individual bushes around the front of the house, have practically grown into a hedge. There's also a fence around the backyard. The most startling was the maturity of the trees and plants throughout the neighborhood. I guess that's what happens after 20+ years! 
•  Laverna Evans Elementary School looked pretty unchanged from the outside, other than new playground equipment. 
• Marie Schaefer is no longer a junior high, but the building looked pretty much the same. It also had a playground built, which wasn't needed when it was for 7-8th graders. 
• O'Fallon Township High School - Oh. My. It's a monstrosity! The Panther Dome has taken over a large portion of the parking that was in front of the building. It housed a bronze statue of a panther in its front windows. GEESH! There's a new entrance, which is close to the original front, but... Bigger. The side of the building that used to house a courtyard, the library, and foreign language classes is completely filled in and almost reaches the street. The circle driveway by the band and chorus rooms and the girls' gym is now a very tiny parking lot, and the circle driveway is now swallowed by the building. I remember the area around the library and foreign language rooms and some construction by the circle drive, but I'm pretty sure they've done even more in those areas since I graduated. 
• O'Fallon Community Park - We drove around the park where my cross country team used to practice. I had forgotten how big it was! Shawn was impressed when I told him I used to go running all around the park and we used to have races there. He liked it even more when I told him there were two carnivals a year there, too. 
•  Ice Cream Haven - I was relieved to see that it looked EXACTLY the same as it did 20+ years ago - down to the picnic tables out front and the ice cream posters in the windows! Shawn's heard stories about Pierce walking with us to the outdoor ice cream shop. He thought it was funny that our dog would be treated with broken cones and even got a few licks of vanilla ice cream. He was most impressed that we could just walk down the street from our house (or even on the way home from school) to get there. Unfortunately, he was disappointed that the shop was closed for the season.

Dan "Big Dan," "Spoon" Wagner

12-12-1976

11-05-2013

Having known him well before his shift at Outback Steakhouse that earned his iconic nickname, I knew him as Dan. He may have been the baby of his family, but I saw him as my Big Brother. He made a point to say Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy Mother's Day, and just, "How are you?" He was always there for me: befriending my awkward freshman self in the high school cafeteria; looking out for me when I needed a big brother to keep a watchful eye on me; finding smiles and even laughter when they were shrouded by a broken heart or overwhelmed by final exams. He had a subtle way of letting me know if he supported a decision I made - his opinion was clear, but he let me choose my own path. Regardless, he was there for me no matter what happened along the way.





There were countless times Dan made me laugh until I cried. Now, I cry until I laugh because all the memories that have been flooding back to me are rooted in good times.  I can't help but smile when I think about them: like when he found green shoes just to match my Homecoming dress or when he grudgingly agreed to speak at my wedding. The Dan I know wouldn't want to be cause for heartache and sorrow - he'd be on a mission to create laughter during moments of silence!





While I was growing up, Dan was one of the very few friends, not to mention boys, that my parents liked. He spoke with respect - not in an Eddie Haskell sort of way. He was easily trusted, honest, dependable, hard working, and true-to-heart from the moment you met him. Long after high school graduation, when the miles grew between us,and when other friendships drifted apart, my parents continued to ask how Dan was doing and if any visits were planned.

Though I know him as Dan, and as my Big Brother, the more I think about it, the nickname "Spoon" fit him well. 

He knew just how to scoop you up when you were feeling down. He had a gift for comforting and compassion, always kind and considerate. While Dan made everyone feel like part of his family, he gently carried those he loved close to his heart.

He had a sharp wit and a quick sense of humor that could brighten anyone's day, there was nothing cutting about his personality. There was nothing piercing, dangerous, or scary about being close to Dan. When Dan was around, I was more than safe - I was protected, taken care of, and, no matter what was going on, I knew things were going to be okay.







Dan was not a flashy guy. Platinum and gold are too brazen for him. But man, did he shine! He had a sparkle in his eye that said, "I'm here to have a good time!" Fun with Dan had no age limits: he brought out the light hearted child in all of us. He always had a bright outlook and could put a positive spin on any situation. While jeans and a t-shirt were his preferred attire, he was a refined gentleman who reflected a polished upbringing: manners, charisma, and an incredible charm.

Dan
My Big Brother
My Silver Spoon
A treasure I'll always carry in my heart.

Obituary

Daniel Ryan “Spoon” Wagner, age 36, of Belleville, born December 12, 1976 to Donald “Red” and Linda, nee Missey, Wagner, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

“Spoon” was employed as a title researcher for RedVision Title Co., and worked at the county courthouse. He also was a cook at Outback Steakhouse. He grew up in Shiloh and graduated from OTHS in 1995.

He was the youngest of 8 children, spoiled by his older siblings. He was a big kid who still loved his Legos, super-heroes comic books, fantasy football, zombie runs, and the hit-tv shows “Duck Dynasty” and “Big Bang Theory.” He was a loyal New England Patriots fan; he enjoyed grilling, mud runs, and being with his friends and listening to music. Spoon was an honest and dependable friend, a loving son and brother, a crazy fun uncle, and a good friend. His sudden loss will be felt by his family, friends, and co-workers.

Dan was preceded in death by his father, Donald J. “Red” Wagner; and his brother, Dean Wagner.

Surviving are his mother Linda Wagner of Shiloh, siblings Curtis (Vicky), Karen, Cindy Barnett, Doug, Bonnie, and Kerry; his girlfriend whom he loved dearly and who thought the world of him, Tiffany Folk, and her daughter Bella; nieces and nephews, Rhianon, Sara, Sean, Travis, Joliene, Diana, Deanne, Adam, Alex, and Grace.

Memorial donations are suggested to American Diabetes Association.

Visitation: Friends may call from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m., Friday, November 8, 2013, and after 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 9, 2013 at the funeral home.

Funeral: 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 9, 2013, at Wolfersberger Funeral Home, 102 W. Washington St., O’Fallon, with Rev. James Deiters officiating.

Burial at Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Shiloh, Ill.

I found this posted by one of his sisters explaining what happened:
He had a cold that developed into pneumonia...fluid in his lungs complicated by his diabetes...when they tried to put him on a ventilator he went into cardiac arrest...he was revived but arrested again 90 min later...his condition deteriorated after that and passed away about 520 pm.

London Bridge is falling down

At dinner, Shawn was suddenly overcome with concern.

Shawn: I hope Zibby stays safe in her new home and doesn't fall in the water!
Me: I think she's really enjoying her new home [in England]. Why would she fall into water?
Shawn: Because of the bridge!
Me: ???
Shawn: The one that keeps falling down!
Me: [palm-face]

It took an extensive conversation for me to convince him that the London Bridge is not a danger to his good friend.

(On a side note, I'm pretty proud that my 4 yr old knows that London is in England!)

Shawn's Halloween Salute

We're donating some of our Halloween candy to the troops. I was tempted to sort through Shawn's stash 'for him' when he wasn't around just to avoid the stress of parting with the treats. (Honestly, there's no reason for 1 child to have this much!!) But, I decided to involve him in it instead. I'm so glad I did! He carefully divided his loot, giving away not just the kind he doesn't like, but divvying up the candy he enjoys, too. He was really excited about giving candy to soldiers! (And there's still more than enough for Raj and me to 'share' with him!)

I love when kids surprise us! Such a big, patriotic heart.

Lilly loves food (4)

...but not peas.

Mom's copilots

Lilly's 6 month wellness checkup

Head size

Height vs Age

Height: 26.25 inches (74%ile)

Weight: 14.88 pounds (32%ile)

Head Circumference: 16.75 inches (67%ile)

Temperature: 96.7°F

Pulse Rate: 116 beats/minute

Respiration Rate: 26 breaths/minute

Milestones

Lilly can roll from her back to her front & from her front to her back. (She's not mobile yet, but soon!) She reaches / rakes for things she wants, moves things from one hand to the other, and brings things (EVERYTHING) to her mouth. 

Lilly smiles and laughs and even "talks" and "sings." (When she's trying to go to sleep, she often sings or hums herself a lullaby until she drifts off!) She is drooling a LOT and showing possible early signs of teething.

Lilly's pretty interested in food. She loves oatmeal and sucking on apples and peaches the most.

Lilly loves to stand and bounce.

She tracks with her eyes & moves her head up /down / left / right to follow an object. 

She enjoys playing peek-a-boo, "hole in the road," laying down and watching a parachute or blankets go up / down / spin over her, looking in mirrors, and grabbing at bubbles.

Since she's beginning to sit unassisted, we can start introducing meat and small bits of table food (start to move away from purees). Dr. Lin also suggested introducing a sippy cup of water.

No dairy or honey, but other allergen foods are ok to try now. (They no longer recommend holding off on the common allergy foods as long as they did when Shawn was at this stage.)

We are slowly working on baby signs, when we remember to use them! Lilly gets very excited when we show her "all done" after meals, but she hasn't produced any signs of her own yet (that we've recognized).

She's developed small, spotty red marks on the back of her neck / base of her head. Sometimes they are bright, while other times they've practically vanished. Dr. Lin said they're just "Stork bites" and they're birthmarks that'll go away on their own. (I didn't realize children could develop birthmarks months AFTER birth!)

Lilly's sleeping approximately a total of 16 hrs a day including 1-3 naps. She still wakes to nurse at night, but goes back to sleep easily. I co-sleep with her, so neither of us need to wake fully in the night. Many times, I'm able to spend the first part of the night in my own bed and go to hers for the last few hours. It works so well for the whole family! I don't feel like the walking zombie I was when Shawn was little!

Lilly has an internal clock that Raj has, but Shawn & I do not. It's amazing how much easier life is with this ingrained!  In spite of my lifelong struggles with time management, she has a very predictable schedule. In general, she wakes around 8 am, naps around 10 am... hungry at 5:00 pm, sleep around 7 pm. It has a little variation and she adapts well when things throw off her routine. I carry a Moby Wrap baby carrier with us wherever we go. If she needs to nap, she snuggles in the wrap and there's no need to rush back home.

She is nursing well, on demand

Vaccines

Pediarix (DTaP-HepB-IPV)

HEMOPHILUS INFLUENZA B (she has to go back in 1 month for a 2nd dose) PNEUMOCOCCAL CONJ VACCINE (PREVNAR) ROTAVIRUS VACCINE (oral drops)

Lilly loved the oral vaccine (she was pretty hungry during her appointment), but her face turned bright red as she cried and screamed about the shots. She recovered almost immediately when I nursed her. She even drifted off to sleep for a few minutes, but boy, was she chatty on the drive home!

Luckily, she didn't seem to be bothered by the shots, longer than their initial pokes. Perhaps she was a little tired from crying, but her legs didn't seem sore like they were after her 4 month vaccines. She didn't show a fever, cold symptoms, irritability, or any of the other typical side effects of shots. Phew!

Later that evening, the kids and I had an early dinner and went to the Wood Dale Public Library for a Halloween Harvest Magic Show.

"Get your little ghosts and goblins laughing and applauding with a magic show created especially to help celebrate Halloween at library family events. You will enjoy cool Halloween magic tricks, hilarious comedy and spooktacular audience participation."

The magician was fun and silly. Shawn was really disappointed that he wasn't chosen to assist in any of the tricks, but he understood that not everyone got a turn this time and that his luck may be different next time.

I'm ready for bed!