He made it through the winter without one. He made it through trips to germ central Lyons Township High School without catching one. He made it through bouts when both his parents had one. He's made it ten months without one. It's finally looking like spring...and Ethan caught a cold! Poor guy. He started with a very mucous-y cough yesterday that was gotten progressively worse. Last night, he was up three times for some comfort after waking up from coughing. Luckily, his naps today were still pretty good, even with some coughing interludes. And he remains in pretty good spirits except when he coughs, which makes his eyes water. :( I'm sad because he's not feeling well, but also because I was hoping he might make it through his first year with zero illnesses. He was so close - two months to go! He did have that rash, but I don't consider it an illness since it really didn't affect him other than the fact that he looked pretty freaky. Of course, if all the illness we have to deal with is a simple cold, that's OK by me.
Besides his first cold, Ethan had another first recently. He's starting standing up on his own, as you'll see in the video. He has started doing this completely on his own. The other day, he got on one of his toys and just let go and stood there. Will and I were right there but I didn't notice what was going on until he had reached for the toy again to hold on to. I said to Will, "Did you just see that? He was totally just standing up on his own!" Now, he does it all the time. Every time he does it, he gets this crazy funny look on his face like, "Hey, I'm standing. How 'bout that?" He looks like a he's on a surf board and he's new to surfing. After 10 seconds or so, he plops down on his butt. Or, as you'll see in the video, falls forward. Oops.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Books for Sale
I haven't been blogging in a while because we have had fantastic weather around here. Last week was gorgeous, and any time I had to myself while Ethan was napping (his sleep is 1000 times better than it was a couple weeks ago - all good again!) has been spent out of doors. Needless to say, since we do not have a laptop and the computer cords will not stretch to the backyard, I have not been on the computer all that much. But I've been meaning to write this post for a while now, so here goes...
Recently, I finished reading a great book Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is the true story of Mr. Mortenson, a mountain climber turned philanthropist. After a failed summit attempt of K2 in Pakistan, Mortenson was separated from his guide and ended up in the small village of Korphe, bordering the mountain. The people there welcomed him warmly and nursed the alititude sick Mortenson back to health. He was so impressed with their hospitality and moved by their generosity that Mortenson vowed to return to build a school in their village. He did so, after writing countless letters asking for donations. He ended up getting a very large donation from one sympathetic millionaire, and, long story short, started an NGO called the Central Asia Institute, which since the first school was built, has built 100's more. Mortenson, who lives with his wife and two kids in Montana, spends half of his time in Pakistan or Afghanistan, overseeing projects of the CAI. If even half of the book is accurate, Greg Mortenson is an amazingly selfless man.
Needless to say, I was very moved by the book and loved the idea that it all started because this man, pretty poor himself, saw a great need to do something to educate the young people, especially females, in Pakistan and other central Asian countries. The book takes you through September 11th and the rise and fall of the Taliban. Mortenson's resolve to keep building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan despite the danger during wartime comes from his belief that education is the only way to combat the terrorism of fundamentalist groups. As an educator, I really connected to this idea. I thought, if only the money we spent on one day of the war could go to these countries in order to build schools where tolerance would be taught. If only...
I was definitely eager to give my support to the Central Asia Institute. Unfortunately, with me staying home this year, money is tighter than usual, and we've already given to our charities of choice this year. So, I decided I would have to raise some money. (I admit that watching Oprah's Big Give inspired me somewhat, as well.) First, I thought maybe I could do a book collection to send to the schools in Pakistan. But then I realized that these kids do not know English (yet) and would not have much use for my copy of Devil in the White City. So...then I decided I would sell books to raise money to donate to the CAI. There is a store near us that buys used books. I took Ethan there the other day and spoke to one of the managers, making sure this was a good option. I wanted to make sure that they would take any and all books, and they do. They will take old college textbooks, old guidebooks, old children's books, you name it. And they NEVER throw anything away. That was a big concern. He said if they cannot sell it in their store, they will recycle it. The books do not go in a landfill.
Yesterday, Will, Ethan, and I took our first load of books to the store. Will brought some old library books from LT that were up for grabs, and I cleaned out my bookshelf. We had about three large boxes of books. They gave us $24 for the whole lot. Not all that much, but actually more than I expected since most of the books were very old and not desirable. Really, the books that fetch a good price are newer books, books that people will actually want to buy, go figure.
This is where you all come in. I'm asking you to clean out your bookshelves and give those books to me (or Will) for us to take to the store and sell. We will then take all proceeds and write a check to the Central Asia Institute for Mortenson to continue educating young people, both boys and girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We will take any book you'd like to give us, so think of it as a time to really clean out your cluttered bookshelf.
This is not an easy task for an avid reader, which I believe most of my blog readers are. I had a hard time parting with some of my books, but I tried to think if I would ever really be reading or referring to the book again. I admit I still have a pretty large collection of books, but that is because I like to keep a nice classroom library of books to loan. But I did try to pick out a few newer book that I thought would get a higher price at the store. And I admit I had no problem throwing some books on the sell pile, books I did not enjoy all that much.
So, please, let me know if you can help me out with this small fundraiser by giving me some of your used books. I will be happy to come pick up a box or two or you can get some to me next time you see me. Tell your friends and see if they have any books they do not mind parting with for a good cause. And, all you teachers out there, tell your students. I'm sure many of them won't mind bringing in a few books from home. (Maybe you can sweeten the deal with a homework pass or extra credit for book donations made.) And if you work at LT, just bring Will your books.
Thank you in advance for any book donations. If you'd like to learn more about the Central Asia Institute, here is the website:
http://www.ikat.org/
I will keep you updated about the book sales and, of course, give a final grand total. My goal is to raise at least $100. We're almost a quarter of the way!
Recently, I finished reading a great book Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It is the true story of Mr. Mortenson, a mountain climber turned philanthropist. After a failed summit attempt of K2 in Pakistan, Mortenson was separated from his guide and ended up in the small village of Korphe, bordering the mountain. The people there welcomed him warmly and nursed the alititude sick Mortenson back to health. He was so impressed with their hospitality and moved by their generosity that Mortenson vowed to return to build a school in their village. He did so, after writing countless letters asking for donations. He ended up getting a very large donation from one sympathetic millionaire, and, long story short, started an NGO called the Central Asia Institute, which since the first school was built, has built 100's more. Mortenson, who lives with his wife and two kids in Montana, spends half of his time in Pakistan or Afghanistan, overseeing projects of the CAI. If even half of the book is accurate, Greg Mortenson is an amazingly selfless man.
Needless to say, I was very moved by the book and loved the idea that it all started because this man, pretty poor himself, saw a great need to do something to educate the young people, especially females, in Pakistan and other central Asian countries. The book takes you through September 11th and the rise and fall of the Taliban. Mortenson's resolve to keep building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan despite the danger during wartime comes from his belief that education is the only way to combat the terrorism of fundamentalist groups. As an educator, I really connected to this idea. I thought, if only the money we spent on one day of the war could go to these countries in order to build schools where tolerance would be taught. If only...
I was definitely eager to give my support to the Central Asia Institute. Unfortunately, with me staying home this year, money is tighter than usual, and we've already given to our charities of choice this year. So, I decided I would have to raise some money. (I admit that watching Oprah's Big Give inspired me somewhat, as well.) First, I thought maybe I could do a book collection to send to the schools in Pakistan. But then I realized that these kids do not know English (yet) and would not have much use for my copy of Devil in the White City. So...then I decided I would sell books to raise money to donate to the CAI. There is a store near us that buys used books. I took Ethan there the other day and spoke to one of the managers, making sure this was a good option. I wanted to make sure that they would take any and all books, and they do. They will take old college textbooks, old guidebooks, old children's books, you name it. And they NEVER throw anything away. That was a big concern. He said if they cannot sell it in their store, they will recycle it. The books do not go in a landfill.
Yesterday, Will, Ethan, and I took our first load of books to the store. Will brought some old library books from LT that were up for grabs, and I cleaned out my bookshelf. We had about three large boxes of books. They gave us $24 for the whole lot. Not all that much, but actually more than I expected since most of the books were very old and not desirable. Really, the books that fetch a good price are newer books, books that people will actually want to buy, go figure.
This is where you all come in. I'm asking you to clean out your bookshelves and give those books to me (or Will) for us to take to the store and sell. We will then take all proceeds and write a check to the Central Asia Institute for Mortenson to continue educating young people, both boys and girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. We will take any book you'd like to give us, so think of it as a time to really clean out your cluttered bookshelf.
This is not an easy task for an avid reader, which I believe most of my blog readers are. I had a hard time parting with some of my books, but I tried to think if I would ever really be reading or referring to the book again. I admit I still have a pretty large collection of books, but that is because I like to keep a nice classroom library of books to loan. But I did try to pick out a few newer book that I thought would get a higher price at the store. And I admit I had no problem throwing some books on the sell pile, books I did not enjoy all that much.
So, please, let me know if you can help me out with this small fundraiser by giving me some of your used books. I will be happy to come pick up a box or two or you can get some to me next time you see me. Tell your friends and see if they have any books they do not mind parting with for a good cause. And, all you teachers out there, tell your students. I'm sure many of them won't mind bringing in a few books from home. (Maybe you can sweeten the deal with a homework pass or extra credit for book donations made.) And if you work at LT, just bring Will your books.
Thank you in advance for any book donations. If you'd like to learn more about the Central Asia Institute, here is the website:
http://www.ikat.org/
I will keep you updated about the book sales and, of course, give a final grand total. My goal is to raise at least $100. We're almost a quarter of the way!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Fun with Video
Code Red...or should I say Code Brown?
We always take a gamble when we undress Ethan before his bath right in the bathroom. This time, we gambled and lost.
Not Bananas for Bananas
I gave Ethan some fresh banana today, mashed up. He eats them from a jar, but for some reason didn't seem to find the fresh stuff as tasty. I think it's more of a texture thing than taste since it was a bit chunkier than he's used to. He ate it all, making a face the whole time.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I Need a Vacation
And I'm getting one...in July, that is. I would certainly love one right now, but I'll just have to wait. I haven't blogged in a while because, quite frankly, it would have been a very depressing entry. I have had one of the most trying weeks since Ethan was a newborn. I could go on and on with what was happening, but the bottom line is that my amazing sleeper of a baby who sleeps all night and takes two good naps a day was replaced by this cuckoo kid who was up for hours on end in the middle of the night, refused to nap or would not nap for over 30 minutes. My entire week was spent trying everything -- and when I say everything I am including a drive to Dekalb this past Friday to extend a nap in his carseat -- to get him to sleep and feeling so overwhelmed when what I was doing wasn't working. It was not fun. So, what's changed? Well, yesterday, he went down for both naps easily and one went for a record breaking (for this week) 55 minutes. His night sleep is much improved, and while he was still up at 5:15 or so this morning, he slept through the night until that point, and every night he has been sleeping in a little later. The other thing that has changed is perspective. As bad as this week has been for me, I know that things could always be worse and I'm grateful for a healthy child. We know a family whose baby is recovering from his second open-heart surgery right now. He's only 2 months old. So...I'm doing my best to suck it up, calm down, and just take things as they come. Not so easy for a control freak mom like me.
What I really wanted to blog about is my big success of the week: planning our Colorado vacation for this coming July. I called this week and booked our flight using points I've accumlated on my credit card. (Short rant: I had to spend $50,000.00 in order to earn these two tickets but we will have to pay $50 each to redeem them and then an extra fee for having a child on our laps. I looked up the flight we're on and it's only $239 round trip, which isn't bad at all! Now I'm wondering if I should have used my points to rent a car instead...) We leave on July 14th and will return on the 22nd. The most difficult part of all of this has been finding lodging at an affordable price. I would rather stay in smaller, family owned places than a Holiday Inn or Best Western. Plus, I wanted a place to stay with more than one room so that when Ethan goes to sleep at 7PM, Will and I don't have to go to bed, too. And I wanted a kitchenette so we could do our own meals sometimes, saving time and money. The problem is that lodging in the summer in CO is expensive because it's the tourist season and you pay more then. I do think, though, that the places I've found are not only pretty affordable but pretty awesome, too.
Our first lodging will be in a place called Timber Lodge in Colorado Springs. We have our own cabin with one bedroom/bathroom, a kitchenette, a living room, and our own patio. There's an outdoor pool as well, which will be fun for Ethan. Here's a link to this place:
http://timberlodge.pikes-peak.com/
We'll be staying in Cabin #1. I spoke to the owner the other day and she could not have been sweeter. I love staying places where you can meet the owners. It always seems more "homey." The greatest thing about this place is its location. It's literally across the street from Garden of the Gods, one of the places we'd like to hike around:
http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm
The owner says she walks her dogs there every day. It's also close to Pikes Peak, another place we'll be visiting:
http://www.cograilway.com/
We'll probably be taking this Cog Railway up, which I've done before and it's beautiful. Downtown Colorado Springs is also a cute area, so I'm sure we'll spend some time there as well. Our main objective on this trip is to be hiking around as much as we can, soaking in the mountain scenery.
And, for this reason, our second major destination is going to be Estes Park, a town bordering Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll be staying at the Swiftcurrent Lodge on the 19th through the 22nd:
http://www.swiftcurrentlodge.com/
Another family owned place, this one is along the Big Thompson River. Our cabin (#9) has a back patio that backs up to the river, so I'm super excited about that. We can also walk right into Rocky Mountain National Park from the lodge property so it couldn't be any more convenient. I'm sure we'll spend sometime in downtown Estes, too, which is full of fun little shops. I've also been here a couple of times, but Will has never been to Colorado. He's going to love it.
Now, you may notice that we have no place to stay on the 18th. Unfortunately, the Swiftcurrent lodge could not accommodate us that night, so we have to find someplace to stay the night inbetween Colorado Springs and Estes Park. We will probably go to a typical hotel since it's just one night. We're just trying to find an interesting place for a brief visit. Any suggestions?
What I really wanted to blog about is my big success of the week: planning our Colorado vacation for this coming July. I called this week and booked our flight using points I've accumlated on my credit card. (Short rant: I had to spend $50,000.00 in order to earn these two tickets but we will have to pay $50 each to redeem them and then an extra fee for having a child on our laps. I looked up the flight we're on and it's only $239 round trip, which isn't bad at all! Now I'm wondering if I should have used my points to rent a car instead...) We leave on July 14th and will return on the 22nd. The most difficult part of all of this has been finding lodging at an affordable price. I would rather stay in smaller, family owned places than a Holiday Inn or Best Western. Plus, I wanted a place to stay with more than one room so that when Ethan goes to sleep at 7PM, Will and I don't have to go to bed, too. And I wanted a kitchenette so we could do our own meals sometimes, saving time and money. The problem is that lodging in the summer in CO is expensive because it's the tourist season and you pay more then. I do think, though, that the places I've found are not only pretty affordable but pretty awesome, too.
Our first lodging will be in a place called Timber Lodge in Colorado Springs. We have our own cabin with one bedroom/bathroom, a kitchenette, a living room, and our own patio. There's an outdoor pool as well, which will be fun for Ethan. Here's a link to this place:
http://timberlodge.pikes-peak.com/
We'll be staying in Cabin #1. I spoke to the owner the other day and she could not have been sweeter. I love staying places where you can meet the owners. It always seems more "homey." The greatest thing about this place is its location. It's literally across the street from Garden of the Gods, one of the places we'd like to hike around:
http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm
The owner says she walks her dogs there every day. It's also close to Pikes Peak, another place we'll be visiting:
http://www.cograilway.com/
We'll probably be taking this Cog Railway up, which I've done before and it's beautiful. Downtown Colorado Springs is also a cute area, so I'm sure we'll spend some time there as well. Our main objective on this trip is to be hiking around as much as we can, soaking in the mountain scenery.
And, for this reason, our second major destination is going to be Estes Park, a town bordering Rocky Mountain National Park. We'll be staying at the Swiftcurrent Lodge on the 19th through the 22nd:
http://www.swiftcurrentlodge.com/
Another family owned place, this one is along the Big Thompson River. Our cabin (#9) has a back patio that backs up to the river, so I'm super excited about that. We can also walk right into Rocky Mountain National Park from the lodge property so it couldn't be any more convenient. I'm sure we'll spend sometime in downtown Estes, too, which is full of fun little shops. I've also been here a couple of times, but Will has never been to Colorado. He's going to love it.
Now, you may notice that we have no place to stay on the 18th. Unfortunately, the Swiftcurrent lodge could not accommodate us that night, so we have to find someplace to stay the night inbetween Colorado Springs and Estes Park. We will probably go to a typical hotel since it's just one night. We're just trying to find an interesting place for a brief visit. Any suggestions?
Saturday, April 5, 2008
A Step in the Right Direction
Here is the latest video of Ethan, walking out in the driveway with his walker toy. He's getting very good. Last week, he couldn't do it without somebody providing a kind of brake for him so it wouldn't go too fast and fall. Then, earlier this week, he pulled himself up and walked across our play area no problem. He does seem to drag his left foot a bit and turn it out to the side. We're going to have his physical therapist take a look. It could very likely just be a balance thing for him.
We also went to the doctor this week for his 9 month appointment. He weighs 20 pounds and is 28 inches. He continues to be in the 90th percentile for height, but he's moved to the 50th for weight. Both Will and I were surprised to find he had only gained 2 pounds in the past three months. It sure feels like he's gained a lot more! It makes sense, though, since now he's crawling and walking around so much. He's slimmed down.
And his sleeping is slowly but surely getting better again. I've had to let him cry at night, which hasn't been easy but last night he finally slept 11.5 hours with no waking! Unfortunately, his wake up time these days is around 5. But he seems to be resisting his naps lately and taking very short ones, making him tired very early in the evening. It's all a trial and error game. Quite frankly, I'm tired (literally) of playing.
Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
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