Cookies VS. Blueberries

WHAT:       Cookies VS. Blueberries!!! The showdown!!!

WHO:       Shawn Puri as referee AND judge

WHERE:       At the kitchen table… and then in Shawn’s tummy!

WHEN:       Dessert on the evening of Wednesday, January 19, 2011

WHY:       To see which yummy treat will be crowned as the favorite

HOW:       Shawn’s tummy and tastebuds will make the final decision


And the verdict is in...

BLUEBERRIES WIN!! 
BLUEBERRIES WIN!!
BLUEBERRIES WIN!!

As Opa pointed out, "Unlike the Bears..." But, while the Chicago Bears' defeat in the playoffs definitely hurt, at least the Packers didn't have a landslide victory like the blueberries did!

Restoring the Throne

I have to admit, though I won’t do it very loudly, that mornings like this remind me of how grateful I am not to have a commute any more.  Snow.  Freezing temps.  Icy driveway and roads.  Skies the same color gray as the slush on the ground.  And, a car parked outside because my old classroom stuff has been in my space in the garage since I resigned in May.  (It’s too cold to do anything with all of that stuff now!) 

This morning, I was greeted at the door by Abby, Bill, and their friend Mike, who so helpfully agreed to fix a stuck flush valve (I think that's what it's called) in one of our toilets.  Luckily, the job didn’t require disassembling the whole tank or even placing a special order for a hard to find part.  Bill and Mike were able to find the part they need at Menards and had the toilet in working order all in about an hour.  What a relief!  (Pardon the pun)  They always say that you should know a good plumber!

While Bill and Mike were working a la commode, Shawn and Abby were in the process of waking up.  Though they were both up and moving around, neither seemed very awake.  However, Shawn was tickled pink when Abby offered to hold his sippy cup for him while he leisurely sipped his morning cup of milk.  Should have caught that on camera… sorry.

Bill and Mike finished in plenty of time for us to prepare the troops for Spanish Class.  Today’s lesson was about big (grande) and small (pequeño).  Diego had small rubber spiders with which we acted out a Spanish version of The Itsy Bitsy Spider (La Araña Pequeña).  That happens to be one of Shawn’s favorite tunes right now, so it really caught his attention.  Since we acted it out with motions and props, Abby was also quite the happy girl.  Then, Diego brought out a big spider puppet and had it crawl over the kids as we practiced naming things like shoe, hand, head, nose…  he got lots of giggles and a couple of squirms.  Abby wasn’t a big fan of the spider, but she still smiled and giggled as she scooted away from it.  Snack time had the kids choose between big and little goldfish crackers.  Shawn was beside himself that Lynn and Abby were served before him.  Doing his best to combine Spanish sounds, English words, and even a little sign language, he almost shed a tear when Diego didn’t get to him fast enough.  He certainly had his lower lip quivering and stuck out so that Lynn’s mom even made a whimpering “Awww!” on his behalf.  After we cleaned up our ‘pezes’ and ‘aqua’ and put our ‘platos’ in the ‘basura,’ we made art projects.  Continuing the theme of The Itsy Bitsy Spider, we made spiders out of crayons, paper plates, googly eyes, and eight strips of black paper.  It was a little more of a challenge than what either Shawn or Abby were up for, but with a little team work, Diego and I helped them complete their masterpieces.  We ended class with a new nursery rhyme, See You Tomorrow (Hasta Mañana).  The lyrics were printed on a large poster and as individual take-home handouts.  I’ve listened to it online outside of class.  Still, I haven’t gotten the hang of it.  It feels like there are an awful lot of syllables to pronounce in only a few beats!  I definitely get tongue tied.  Our last nursery rhyme, Stir, Stir, Chocolate (Bate, Bate, Chocolate) was much easier to learn - and articulate!  Aside from learning a foreign language, sometimes moments like these give me a little insight to how Shawn and Abby must feel when they can understand what we say to them, but don’t know how to reply. 

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful.  Lunch.  Stories.  Nap.  Play.  Then it was time for Abby to go home.  Bill actually had the chance to hear Shawn ramble a little this afternoon.  Normally, he gets very timid and barely utters a sound.  Bill even got a, “Bye-bye, Abby-Dadda!”  as they headed out the door. 

(Still haven’t actually used the basket I brought downstairs yesterday… at least not for finishing the laundry!)

To Laundry or Travel? THAT is the Question!

Abby and Shawn started their day together in pajamas, but shortly after breakfast, they were both dressed and ready to play hard!  Though it was snowing outside, it was a bit too chilly for sledding or other winter toddler sports.  Maybe later in the week we’ll go for it again.

I had set a laundry basket by the basement stairs as a reminder to myself to continue a few loads of wash that I had brought down earlier.  Instead, the two opportunists had other things in mind.  After pushing it around the hallway, living room, and dining room, they finally parked it by the kitchen doorway.  I’m not sure if the basket was turned into a car, a boat, a train, or ??? But, they both called out, “Bye-BYYYYYYYEEEEEEE!” as they waved enthusiastically from inside.  I’m fully aware of the fact that this isn’t really possible, but at one point it sure sounded like Shawn even announced, “We’re going to Hawaii!”  as he grinned from ear to ear.  (Notice that Abby even has plastic postcards/envelopes in her hands!)

Bon Voyage!  Don’t forget to write home!

After traveling around the world, or at least around the main floor of our house, the kids were ready for lunch.  The patience to sit through the meal didn’t last very long – there was too much to do than to sit at a table!  So, we jumped into our winter gear and climbed into my car.  We’re off to Gymboree for Open Gym.

Shawn, as usual, loved the rocking horse style ride-upons and climbing onto anything that he could manage.  He even tested his own limits by cautiously walking up a small set of stairs without holding on – to anything!  He was so proud of himself when he made it to the top that he continued to go down the other side no-handed.  What happened to my little boy??

Abby joined Shawn on a two-rider rocking horse for a few gallops, though they didn’t always agree if the horse should be rocking back or forth and had a few near head bonks.  Abby was much more interested in ducking into tunnels and surprising me on the other side.  She also found a few slides that she made sure to polish a few dozen times.

Miss Elizabeth made sure to point out how well the two play together.  (Always a nice thing to hear!)  As Open Gym time was coming to an end, we were running out of steam and in need of some naptime.  Though we made sure to get Gymbo stamps on both hands for both kids before we left, getting back into our coats and things seemed much more challenging as we tried to leave Gymboree.  Our walk to the car was also much more slushy, since the snow was now very wet and mixed with sleet.  Yuck.  Shortly after pulling out of the parking lot, I was serenaded by a duet of snoring babes coming from the back seat.

Somehow, I managed to get both of them into the house without completely waking them up.  Abby woozily opened her eyes as I was unbuckling her, but when I put her into the pack & play, she went right back to sleep.  I was able to get Shawn out of the car and into his room before he woke up, but after a few paces in the rocking chair, he was back to sleep as well.

While they slept, I decided to make cookies.  It just seemed like the thing to do on a cold and snowy day like today… don’t ask me why…  The result was a mix between chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and banana bread.  I made sure to set a bag aside for Abby to take home with her.  As I was taking the last of the cookies out of the oven, Bill called to see if Abby was napping or ready to come home.  After apparently having an event filled weekend, she needed her sleep, so I promised to call him back when she woke.  Luckily, Shawn woke up just a few minutes after Abby did, so he was able to say goodbye.

I had planned to go to Costco today, but the icy weather had a way of reprioritizing another trip outside.  Instead, Shawn and I played with his trains (‘Choo-Choo Train Tommy Woo-Woo,’ aka Thomas the Train)and school bus (‘shoo-bah’) while was dinner was cooking.  Mondays are generally later work nights for Raj, so Shawn started dinner on his own and kept me company as I made a bread to go with dinner.  He had an intermission from his meal when Raj got home and we all sat down in the dining room together.  I didn’t think Shawn would eat much more, but it was as if he hadn’t eaten anything earlier.  He polished off his plate of beef and veggie stew with noodles, a bowl full of pineapple (which he’s able to say pretty clearly now!), and then shared a cookie (‘tootee’) and some ice cream (‘eyesteem’) with me!  Fill up that belly and sleep well tonight – please!

After dinner, it was time to get ready for bed.  Where did the evening go??  Shawn’s starting to participate more actively when I’m getting him dressed and undressed.  He hasn’t had a lot of practice with zippers, snaps, or buttons yet, but he’s starting to realize that he can play a role in getting changed too.  He’s been able to bring his arms in and out of sleeves for months, but now he’s starting to do more.  If I start lifting his shirt over his head and let go, he’ll try to get it off the rest of the way.  He’ll also try to get his legs into his pants.  Socks are still a little tricky for him, though he knows very well where they go.

Shawn’s also getting really good at brushing his teeth now.  Rather than simply biting on the bristles, he’s actually starting to move the brush around a little on his own.  We still do a once-over ourselves, but even that is becoming easier.  Shawn’s much more willing to hold his mouth open and doesn’t push the brush out of his mouth with his tongue anymore.  Then he runs out of the bathroom to say (with a little coaching), “Night-night, Dadda!  Ah vah ooo, Dadda!” or “Night-night, Dadda!  I love you, Dadda!”  Then, it’s off to his room where he picks a book to read from his shelves, not always the same ones surprisingly!  We cuddle in the rocking chair for a story, or sometimes two.  (This is one of my favorite times of the whole day.)  Even I can get in a chapter or two in my own book as he drifts off.  The tough part is not falling asleep in the rocking chair myself!

Music at Gymboree

I have to remember to write my blog (or at least jot down notes for it) the day things happen, otherwise my memory gets a bit sketchy… I’ll try to remember that in the future.

Anyway, Friday morning I was finally able to capture a moment on camera that I’ve been trying to get since Abby and Shawn started playing together a long time ago.

(I feel like I should have set this to the music of Chariots of Fire... or maybe Romeo and Juliet!)

Abby, Shawn, and I attended our first Music II class at Gymboree today. Shawn reverted to a lot of people watching and not much actual involvement. The teacher, Miss Elizabeth, said that it’s really common for newcomers to be standoff-ish since it can be an overwhelming class due to the noise level and the size of the class. Meanwhile, Abby warmed up to the new class within minutes. Though both kids were squeezed onto my lap while we sat on the floor during the opening activities, Abby was eagerly up, dancing, and exploring the instruments as if she had been coming for weeks. She especially liked the songs that had choreographed motions - she performed like a star on stage. Even Miss Elizabeth commented how impressed she was with Abby’s “moves”! (Abby, remember us little people when you’re famous!)

We came home with just enough time for lunch before Bill came to get Abby. Shawn was very disappointed that she only stayed half the day today. To distract him from his heartache, we made it back to Gymboree in time for Family Gym and some Open Gym time, too. I didn’t think we’d make it to either, not to mention both of them, but it was nice to see his friend, Anna, in class again. Miss Elizabeth joked that Shawn and I had been there almost as long as she had today! Then, she offered me a job! At first I thought she was kidding around, but she handed me the job description for one of their teachers, the owner’s contact information, and an information sheet about a group interview session. I explained that I wasn’t really looking for a job right now, but she insisted that I consider it and assured me that the schedule can be flexible and part-time. “Even if you’re not interested in a job right now, keep us in mind for the future…” It could be fun! We’ll see.

Shawn fell fast asleep on the way home. For only having Abby with us half the day, it turned out to be a very busy day!

Library Day

Shawn woke up early this morning, even before Abby arrived, which is very out of character for him.  He was even dressed and playing in the living room when Bill and Abby came to the door.  I can’t say he was fully awake though.  He was still looking pretty dazed from his early rising. 

Our first event for the day wasn’t until 10:00 am, so we had plenty of time for breakfast, playing, and even a diaper change before it was time to go.  Again, neither Abby nor Shawn was very interested in eating this morning, but they nibbled for a little while.  A little before 9:30 am, we started to put toys away and get the wheels in motion for our outing.  Luckily, I didn’t have to bundle the kids from head to toe, so it wasn’t as exhausting (or traumatic) as yesterday.  We piled into the car and headed to the Roselle Public Library for the Morning Drop-In Story Time. 

The half-hour story time is a weekly event for kids of all ages and their adults.  The theme for this six week session is "Winter's Arctic Chill."  The woman who leads the group reads aloud stories, shares various books, teaches a short song and a sign from American Sign Language (ASL), and does a quick activity using a felt board and cut out figures based on the theme.  There’s a similar group that meets on Tuesday mornings that’s more focused on specific age groups, but that’s also while we’re in Spanish, so this non-age specific group works just fine instead. 

Today’s activities were all about polar bears.  The woman read four stories and was sure to let us know where they could be found in the youth section of the library in case we wanted to take them home later.  (She read Mom and Me by Melia Ford, Polar Bear Night by Lauren Thompson, My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda, and A Polar Bear Can Swim by Harriet Ziefert.)  There was only one other family there today, so it wasn’t a big deal when Abby or Shawn got a little antsy, which is exactly what happened sometime during the second story!  She taught us the ASL sign for polar bear, which looks like this.  The woman also had old gift tags that were cut out shapes of polar bears on white glittery paper.  She handed each of us a bear to stick onto her felt board.  Then we counted them and moved them around on the board.  She also had us play a mini-version of hide & seek with them while we sang a modified version of, “Oh, Where Has My Little Dog Gone?”  We also acted out a rhyme about a polar bear staying warm even in a snow storm or icy water.  Shawn was much more of a spectator for this event, but Abby followed along really well.  As soon as she realized there were motions that she could do too, she was on her feet and performing.  The last line of the rhyme was, “His heavy coat keeps him warm,” and we wrapped our arms around ourselves like a big self-hug.  Then, she surprised me with a kiss!  It was the only logical thing to do after giving hugs, I guess!  XOXOXO  As everyone left the group, the woman handed each of the kids a sheet of paper listing the books and the songs that we did today.  Shawn and Abby were very excited to have their own sheets to hold.  They looked so big carrying their papers and carefully stepping down the stairs while holding onto the railing in single-file.  I stayed between them, but off to the side a little in case either wanted help and so I could be there to catch them if one miss-stepped. 

Before heading home, we stopped at Jewel to pick up a few groceries.  Unfortunately, Jewel’s shopping carts aren’t designed to hold two kids, unlike the giant carts at Costco.  Nevertheless, we managed with Shawn in the seat and Abby in the cart.  (I tried putting Shawn in the cart before, but he found the excitement of standing while the cart was moving too much to resist.  As expected, that ride ended in tears after he bumped his head when he lost his balance.)  Abby listened really well when I asked her to stay sitting so she wouldn’t get hurt.  She sat the whole time.  While in the cart, she held on to the things I picked up.  (I was sure to put the eggs and the easy open bag of grapes on the rack underneath the cart, since I didn’t think they’d be very safe anywhere else.  Then, I kept my fingers crossed that they wouldn’t fall through the gaps between the wire rack!)  We were getting close to lunch and Shawn was making it clear that looking at the food on the shelves was not what he had in mind.  He was ready to go home and eat.  (I think he was also a little jealous that Abby got to hold on to all of the goods in the back.  I tried to give him something to hold too, but he wanted whatever Abby happened to have in her hands at the moment.)  It was time to go.  At the checkout counter, Abby helped unload the cart and onto the conveyor belt.  What a helper!  The cashier commented, “Oh, you have one blue eyed and one brown eyed!  How nice!”  Obviously, she thought they were siblings, but I’m not really sure why their eye color mattered…  I explained that they were actually friends, but that it was a lot of fun to have them together.

On the drive home, Shawn munched on some goldfish crackers to hold him over until he got a real lunch and Abby chanted, “Go, car! GO!”  You’re right, Abby, let’s go!

Lunch was well received, though it did get messy.  Abby enjoyed all of the toppings off of her mini-pizza and then left the bread licked clean.  She also found her orange Jello cup very tasty – at least the few jiggley spoonfuls that made it into her mouth!  Shawn’s meal wasn’t messy, but when he decided he had had his fill, he flailed his arms, which sent any of the food that he still had on his tray flying.  Lunchtime is over!  I had him help me pick up the big pieces of food from the floor and then I sent both kids to play in the other room while I cleaned up the rest.  Then, it was diaper changes and naptime.  Abby had a really hard time settling down to sleep today.  Normally, she might fuss for a few minutes, but not today.  She got really upset at the sight of her napping spot in the pack & play.  By the time she calmed down, started simply chatting to herself, and then eventually drifted off to sleep, it was after 2:15 pm.  When Bill came to pick her up, both kids were still asleep.  When I woke her up and brought her downstairs, she made it pretty clear she wasn’t ready to be awake yet.  Poor kid. 

Shawn woke up about ten minutes after Abby left.  He looked really disappointed that she was already gone.  When Raj got home, Shawn perked up again.  The two Puri boys played in the basement, while I made dinner.  When they came up to eat, Raj excitedly told me about the various words Shawn was able to echo pretty clearly:  Thomas, Percy, chips, sour cream… and about seven others that escape me right now.  It’s time to be careful about what we say around little ears!

A Day of Books and Snow

Today felt like a busy day – and we didn’t even go anywhere!  After breakfast, which neither Abby nor Shawn were very interested in, the kids jumped right into playing without wasting any time.  (I didn’t even bother trying to get Shawn changed from his pajamas first!  I figured I may as well let him get a little “Abby fix” before interrupting them and tearing him away for the inconvenience of a diaper change and clothes.)  The two jumped between the window into the backyard and toys in the middle of the room.  Here’s a glimpse into their morning energy:

http://www.flipshare.com/login.aspx?nRecipient=QTc4NENDQzAtRkQ4Qy00Q0NCLUI0QUItMEVDQjk2M0EyOTIz&nFrame=MUE4QUI3QzktQzBCRi00QjlBLUI2NzYtOTA1RjlDMjVEMTZD&nMethod=ZW1haWw=&nMedia=NkEwNEE3NDYtN0JGRC00NzczLThERTUtQTIxM0M5NDk1Rjg5&emt=ac1a232e-4ef7-45cd-929e-4fe382d6ff17

(Sorry, I had trouble getting it to upload directly.)

We did have to revisit our lesson of sharing from yesterday.  Abby and Shawn found a small toy basketball that they couldn’t stand to see the other play with.  At one point Abby tried to push Shawn away as she clung protectively to the ball.  Soon after, Shawn thought that snatching the ball away from Abby meant that he could have possession.  So, both ended up removed from play time (and the beloved ball) for a few moments to have a 1:1 refresher on sharing with me.  Rather than tempting fate by leaving the ball out for more battles over domain, I distracted them while I put it out of sight and out of reach.  They didn’t seem to notice that the ball was missing for the rest of the afternoon.  Shawn finally found it after dinner, when sharing with a playmate wasn’t an issue anymore. 

When there was a brief lull in their play, I brought them upstairs to get Shawn changed and dressed for the day.  It looked like they were ready for a change in scenery anyway.  Afterwards, we played in Shawn’s room.  I let them play on their own while I grabbed their drinks from the kitchen and returned to find them completely engrossed in various literary selections and periodicals, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, My Big Truck Book, Counting Kisses, Barnyard Dance, Snuggle Puppy, First Concepts: Shapes (A Lift-the-Flap Book), The Little House, Tonka: Book of Trucks, Guess How Much I Love You, and Highlights: Hive Five just to name a few from the stacks that were distributed about the floor.  (Notice the now stripped bookshelves in the background of their Book Club.)

Having all of the books out and Abby and Shawn quite familiar with the selections, we shifted smoothly and logically to some read aloud time and then to naps.  It was a bit of a challenge to get both toddlers to help cleanup before naptime, but eventually (and luckily) they bought into the game of “Clean Up” and the books found their way back onto the shelves.  (I am so relieved that they didn’t decide to investigate the second set of bookshelves in Shawn’s room!  Fortunately for me, a bin of toys, humidifier, and space heater may have been enough to block their access… or view.  )

Both naps were about an hour and a half.  It was a nice to have some quiet time to recharge.  When the troops awoke, they were desperate for “fooddrink,” as Shawn says it.  After not having much of an appetite at breakfast, they certainly had a change of heart, or stomach, at lunch!  They played hard all morning and worked up quite the hunger. 

Before getting into another round of toys (or bookshelves), I got the kids bundled into their winter gear.  It was time to go outside!  With the snow fall we had yesterday, this was the perfect opportunity to test Shawn’s new sled.  Both kids have their own bins where their coats, shoes, hats, etc. are stored so they have access to them and (more importantly) they can be responsible for putting them away when we come inside.  (Credit for this idea goes directly to my sister!)  Though Shawn sometimes needs help remembering to pull out his gloves or getting boots versus shoes, he knows exactly where his things are and loves to put them away on his own.  (Woohooo!)  Abby is new to this system, but knows where her bin is and is quickly catching on to what it’s all about.  I got Shawn suited up first…gloves, hat, one-piece full-body snowsuit, boots.  Done.  (When I saw him stagger around in all of his winter gear, I kept thinking of the movie A Christmas Story and the little brother who could barely move in his snowsuit.)  Then it was Abby’s turn.  She had no problem with me helping her into her snow pants or slipping her arms into her jacket.  On the other hand, she wanted nothing to do with gloves or her hat.  (Sorry, kiddo, it’s cold outside!)  Once they were one, she was fine.  But, then I made her resistance to being bundled worse.  As I zipped up the inner layer of her coat, she wriggled at just the wrong moment and I accidentally zipped her up.  Literally.  As I pulled the zipper to the top, it pinched her neck.  Ouch!  That hurt!  She was not a happy camper.  I felt terrible. 

After dozens of apologies and lots of hugs, Abby stopped crying and was ready to move on.  She marched to the door as if to say, “Why are we all bundled up like this anyway?!  Let’s go!  This better be worth it!”  Now that both kids were finally dressed in snow suits, hats, gloves, and boots, I was ready for a nap!  (Thank goodness no one was potty training, because inevitably it would be time for someone to go by now!)

At first Shawn toddled to my car, ready to be lifted into his car seat.  When he saw me pull his sled out of the garage, he realized that we wouldn’t be needing Mommy’s car after all.  He was first in line to jump into the seat of the sled and go for a ride.  (Until now, he’d only ridden it on the living room rug inside.)  Abby was a little hesitant to get in the snow at first.  I’m sure she was still a little sore (physically and emotionally) from the zipper incident.  But, it didn’t take very long after watching Shawn going for a ride that she wanted to join in the fun too.  They (reluctantly) took turns while I worked up a sweat schlepping them around dizzying laps in our front yard.  When I needed to catch my breath and regain my sense of equilibrium, we trekked to the untrampled side-yard of our cul de sac to play in the untouched snow.

Shawn's Sledding Video

Abby's Sledding Video:

http://www.flipshare.com/login.aspx?nRecipient=QTc4NENDQzAtRkQ4Qy00Q0NCLUI0QUItMEVDQjk2M0EyOTIz&nFrame=MUE4QUI3QzktQzBCRi00QjlBLUI2NzYtOTA1RjlDMjVEMTZD&nMethod=ZW1haWw=&nMedia=OEREQTlEQzAtNzAxQy00MDRGLUIxMUQtMDJDQ0ExNkQ0Njg2&emt=ac1a232e-4ef7-45cd-929e-4fe382d6ff17

(Sorry, I had trouble getting Abby's sledding video to upload directly.)

  When we finally came inside, cheeks were rosy and noses were runny.  We had just enough time for a much needed snack and drink before Bill came for Abby.  (I hope these afternoon snacks aren't interfering with Abby's dinner!)  I confessed to Bill that if she was hesitant to put her coat on, I’m to blame and her little pink bruise was her justification.

Spanish class

I think Shawn was so worn out from all of yesterday's excitement with Abby that he was over-tired last night.  When he finally did fall asleep, it was for short intervals at a time, though he'd go back to sleep fairly easily. 

I woke to see a dusting of snow out my window.  It was hard to tell exactly how much there was, but it wasn't enough to have the snow plows out... yet! 

Abby arrived this morning at about 7:45 am.  I remembered to plan my morning routine better than I did yesterday, so I stayed in bed an extra few minutes (which was nice considering Shawn's aforementioned restlessness).  Like yesterday, within moments of her arrival, Shawn woke up and was ready to play albeit both were a little less rambunctious than yesterday.  There were a few episodes of taking each other's toys and stubbornness, but they were quickly resolved and the playing continued.  I tried to make a big fuss when one of them would initiate sharing or when they'd respond appropriately when I'd mention the word.  I doubt it was the last time I'll need to teach this lesson, but it was a relatively smooth one today!

After breakfast and some playtime, we bundled up to go to Language Stars for Spanish class.  It's been snowing steadily all morning.  Luckily, it didn't take very long to clear the light and fluffy snow off my car and Shawn and Abby waited patiently in the garage... occasionally took a few shuffling steps into the snow on the driveway.  I will say that I'm looking forward to when they are able to get in and out of their car seats on their own!  That will make the process of going somewhere so much easier!  Once we got going, the roads were a bit slippery in our neighborhood, but the bigger, more traveled streets were just slushy.  Great timing for bad weather and our first outing together!

Abby's first time in Spanish class with us went well.  We listened to our Spanish songs CD on the drive there to help get us in the mode.  The center director, Craig, and our teacher, Diego, greeted us right away.  Abby was very shy and timid at first, which is not how I'm used to seeing her at all, but it was also a bit of a relief to have someone besides Shawn be a little clingy.  Diego did a great job helping Abby feel comfortable and get involved.  It didn't take very long before she was standing up front trying to help him attach paper winter clothes to a snow man poster.  (The curriculum theme for the last two classes has been winter clothing - certainly appropriate for today's weather.)  Though she wasn't very vocal, Abby did participate and show that she understood what was going on, regardless of not knowing the Spanish words.  Shawn, on the other hand, was incredibly lethargic and passive in class today.  This was really frustrating since he has started to echo Diego when prompted to say something in Spanish.  Last week, Shawn was repeating and participating throughout the class period.  I had to remind myself that he didn't sleep well last night and probably just wasn't feeling up to the challenge today.  He did show that he was interested in snack time, but he did so silently.  Rats.  We'll try again next week. 

Official snow accumulation reported at O'Hare International Airport at 11:30 am:  2.1 inches

As of the Noon hour, flights making it in to O'Hare are arriving an average of three hours late. 

Shawn fell asleep on the way home, so Abby kept me company and watched the other cars on the street battling the snow with us.  When we got home, I almost threw a fit because our Christmas tree was still sitting at our curb waiting for the village's recycling service to haul it away.  (It's been sitting at our curb since last week when we thought the recycling service was going to take it.  Instead, a neighbor said he saw the guys come to our house, look at the tree, move it around a little, and then left it.  We removed all of the decorations, the lights, the tree stand - everything and left it at the curb next to our trash and recycling, just like we were instructed and that we had done in years past.  Still, our sad, frozen, dried out Christmas tree waited at the curb for its new life as garden mulch or paving hiking trails or composting or whatever it is that happens when a Christmas tree is recycled. 

Anyway, I parked in Raj's spot in the garage - 1) so the snow plow people could clear our driveway, 2) so I could try to bring Shawn inside without waking him up, and 3) because it was easier than navigating a minivan around the trash can and Christmas tree still sitting at our curb in order to get to my side of the driveway.  The plan worked.  Abby played in the living room while I transitioned my sleeping prince from the car to his crib.  He was conked out!  I was able to not only lift him from his car seat without waking him, but even take off his boots, hat, and winter coat once I laid him down!  While he slept, Abby and I ate lunch before it was her turn to nap as well.  She talked to herself in the pack & play for a few minutes before falling asleep, too.  Ahhhhhhh...

Official snow accumulation reported at O'Hare International Airport at 1:00 pm:  3.1 inches

1:30 pm

Surface reports confirm what the radar here at the WGN Weather Center is showing with visibility down to 1/4 of a mile in Waukegan and Wheeling... This band [of moderate to heavy snow] is sitting directly over O'Hare Airport where the snow's falling at the rate of at least one inch per hour.

While both kids snoozed, I heard rumblings outside. I figured it was another passing of the local snowplows coming through the cul-de-sac. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. (Well, not really, but it sounds better than, "I looked out the window.") The sun on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below (which makes sense since it was about 2:30 pm). When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer - no wait! It's even better! A man is here to take the Christmas tree! He was by himself and had a regular pick-up truck (that had the emblem of wither the village or of the recycling group - I couldn't see which). After rearranging some containers in his truck bed and talking to someone on a very loud walkie-talkie, he managed to haul away our tree. I do believe in miracles! And, I'm sure our association will be pleased that we don't have it hanging out in the front yard anymore! (Oh, wait! Shelley's our association president! Thanks for understanding and being patient, Shelley!)

2:00 pm Heavy snow at O'Hare; over 450 flights cancelled

After about an hour and 45 minutes, I heard Abby chatting away to herself again. When I opened the door to get her, I was greeted with a big "HI!" (pronounced: hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiyeee!). Though she was laying down, she was grinning from ear to ear - what a way to wake up! We came downstairs for a snack and worked on coloring the worksheet we got at Language Stars today. Abby really likes to color. We practiced naming the different crayons she was using, to which she identified all as pink (her favorite color).

Before long, Bill was knocking on the door to take Abby home. As I was relaying the day's activities to Bill, we heard Shawn starting to stir on the baby monitor. (NOTE: Little Sir Sleeping Beauty's nap was almost FOUR HOURS long today!!! I guess he really didn't sleep much last night... though now I'm a little nervous about tonight...) Bill and Abby waited for me to get Shawn out of bed so they could say goodbye. Well rested, though still slightly groggy from his hibernation, Shawn was very interested in seeing what Abby was up to. Again, he got concerned when Bill started getting her ready to leave. On the other hand, Abby was suddenly distressed about leaving Shawn too. She may not like putting a hat and gloves on, but Bill said she's usually pretty cooperative about putting her coat and boots on. Not this time. I'd like to think that we've just had so much fun together that Abby simply didn't want it to end! But, I think she probably just didn't want to put on a heavy coat and go out in the cold again.

Once Abby left, I had to reassure Shawn that she'd be back in the morning. He stood at the front window waving and yelling, "Bye-bye, Abby! Bye-bye, Abby-Dada!" for a few minutes after she and Bill were gone. I distracted him from his perch with the offer of some food - I figured he must have been pretty hungry, since it was almost dinner time and he slept through lunch and snacks. He was just finishing a bowl of veggies and noodles (aka 'noo-noos') and some slices of bread when Raj got home from work. Tonight is Boys' Night, so Raj and Shawn have plans to go to Open Gym time at Gymboree. I sure hope they run and climb and jump and throw a LOT so he's tired tonight!

Official snow accumulation reported at O'Hare International Airport at 4:50 pm:  4.5 inches

Official snow accumulation reported at O'Hare International Airport at 7:51 pm:  5.2 inches

Note:  all information in blue italics is from http://blog.chicagoweathercenter.com/