Sleeping with The Polar Express

As you all know, Nicholas has a "thing" for The Polar Express. Yes, the book. Yes, the movie. We even have two copies of the movie as his godmother gave him a copy last year for Christmas. Well, Nicholas has recently took to sleeping with the book.

No, that's not having the book read to him before he goes to sleep.

Yes, that's sleeping with the book.

We are still trying to get him to sleep in his own bed at night. And he does go to HIS bed and sleep in HIS bed. But we still hear footsteps around 11 pm/midnight and it's a little boy making his way out of his room and into Mommy and Daddy's bedroom.

And now there's a little boy in the bed -- with The Polar Express book. So, Chris van Allsburg, please know that your book has turned into a lovie for an almost-3-year-old little boy. (Thankfully we have the hardcover edition!)

I. Need. Break.

Filling in loose ends...

Last week was madness -- we had at least 3 events running simultaneously on Wednesday night so I told DH I Cannot Do Any. Natalie ended up in bed -- asleep -- by 6:45 pm. She really needs her rest and this transition to Kindergarten -- combined with her listening ear "issues" -- I think are complicated by not enough sleep. So going with the sleep begets more sleep philosophy, we are making conscious efforts to get dinner done earlier and the kids in bed earlier.

On Friday, DH was a chaperone on Natalie's first field trip -- to a local pumpkin patch. He had a great time and I tried not to look green with envy as he was going on the field trip and I wasn't. *sigh* I'm glad that one of us got to go.

Saturday was more wackiness as Natalie had a soccer game and a birthday party scheduled simultaneously. We opted out of soccer (after her dance class) and instead went to the birthday party. She couldn't even stay for cake :-( as she had to get to her soccer team photo. Did that and then she was tired so we headed home so she could take a "cat nap". Three hours later, when she woke up, we headed out to dinner.

Sunday we went out to West Virginia to go to Camp Rim Rock's open house. It was a gorgeous day and a pretty drive -- and really, a gorgeous camp. VERY rustic accommodations. The best quote I can recall from Natalie was, as we were heading down Rt 259 -- "Mommy, where's the mall?" (!!!) The city girl may have some "issues" with the camp!

Monday was back to work and school. DH took Nicholas to the pediatric cardiologist. Nicholas ended up having an echocardiogram done. The doctor says that he has an "innocent heart murmur" and that he does not need to be seen again. I'm not sure if that means his VSD has closed up or not -- the price I pay for not going to the doctor's appointment with DH. *sigh* I just cannot keep going to all these doctor's appointments and missing work.

Next "big thing" up is the related fall festival/pre-Halloween festivities this weekend. DH is covering some with the kids and I'm covering the others.

I'll be honest -- I really think I'm on the losing end of this time/family management battle. I'm doing my best not to take any time off from work until 2007. But I honestly do not know if I'll be able to make it. I'm lucky to get 6 hours sleep a night, and my mind is racing when I try to sleep. But if I took a day off, I'd likely clean my house.

Oh, for DH to get back to work again...

Pretty bus

"Pretty bus." Yes, this is Nicholas' latest "thing". He just loves looking for a "pretty bus". The pretty bus is a WMATA compressed natural gas fueled bus -- see the photo taken by DC Metroblogger.

Let's see -- to even start to fill you in. Nicholas had a raging fever in the middle of the night on Thursday of last week, less than 24 hours after his hearing test. Of course his ears are now infected by Thursday morning, so back on another round of Omnicef. His pediatrician seems pretty set on Nicholas getting tubes. DH was quite kind in telling her that the ENT doc and I didn't really hit it off. Let's just say that I like my most despised member of the US Senate more than I liked that doc. So we have an appointment with Nicholas' cardiologist for next week and then an appointment with a second opinion ENT just after Election Day and then the appointment with The Doc I Have Disdain For the week after Election Day.

Oh, did I mention that Natalie got sick?

Yes, she got sick, too. So she missed her first day of elementary school on Friday. This was the day after I got an email from her teacher saying that Natalie has terrible trouble listening in class, etc., and she's the only one that won't pay attention, etc. Shades of familiarity with soccer and dance, anyone? How about pre-school? So we had LOTS of time to talk about that over the weekend.

Thankfully with the holiday there was no soccer. Natalie had several bouts of bloody noses over the weekend, as did Nicholas. On Sunday Natalie was tired and went to sleep at 4:30 pm. She slept straight through until 8:15 am Monday morning! She felt well enough to go to Cox Farms, so we did manage that.

Today she went back to school and apologized to her teacher. Her teacher emailed me back that Natalie had an excellent listening day. Here's hoping it stays that way!

It's October...

Can you tell that we are all running ragged? :-)

Let's see -- Nicholas went to see the "ear specialist" last week and (no shock here) the doctor recommended ear tubes. It was like DH and the doc had this neat little "pact" that involved getting Nicholas signed up for surgery immediately. I was so unbelievably peeved that I just nodded along, la-de-da-de-da, until DH asked me if I was all set. And I said "I'm absolutely opposed to surgery."

So -- Nicholas will have a hearing test this week (Wednesday) and we go back to see the ear specialist in mid-November.

Natalie went through her Worst Soccer Game Ever on Saturday -- she barely was on the right side of the field for about half the game. I gave up at that point and left with Nicholas. DH stayed to try to get her focused.

Of course this is the day after she walked into a fire extinguisher at school.

How can she walk into a fire extinguisher? By not paying attention to where she is walking and turning around -- straight into a fire extinguisher.

Let's see -- Sunday we planted some bulbs in the garden, with the hopes that the squirrels would not dig them out. We also tossed the plants from the window box and put in winter pansies. That process took a good 3 hours, with assistance from my two helpers. (And please don't say "child labor" -- Nicholas spent most of the time watering the grass and Natalie spent most of the time saying she liked placing bulbs in the "holes" that I dug out.

On my agenda? A haircut and a PTA meeting for me tomorrow and more after-hours work trying to help DH locate some job opportunities. I'm afraid that he's going to be out until well-past Election Day. But we'll get through it. We've been through FAR worse. Next month will be 24 years since we met on an election campaign. *shudder* I'm getting old!