Life is Beautiful

I’m sad that my blogging has become less frequent because I really did mean for this to be my record of Ethan and life. My backside is slowly getting better, though, so I hope to start blogging more frequently. Plus, I’m teaching the same course again so the teaching gig is a lot smoother now and not as time consuming.

I find that I have a hard time not kissing Ethan a lot. The other day, we were in downtown LaGrange, picking up a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks (don’t tell Will!), and when we left, we walked across the street, where we met a beautiful golden retriever. Ethan pet the dog for a while while I chatted with the owner, and then Santa came up on a bike and told me, “Now, he is really cute. And that’s an expert opinion.” He then proceeded to tell me not to let his “summer cut” fool me, but he is Santa all winter. In fact, Ethan visited him at our library this past December. Bike riding Santa has told me many times how cute Ethan is. And although I imagine he tells a lot of mothers how cute their children are, I love to hear it just the same. Back the kissing. So, when we walked back to the car on this bright, beautiful day, I picked Ethan up and just kissed him and kissed him on the head. I find myself doing it all the time in moments like this because I’m just so happy to be with him. He’s darn cute, folks, and I just feel so lucky sometimes to be home with him. And, lately, I’ve had many moments just like this one where I’ve thought, How awesome is this? I big factor is the weather no doubt, since we’re able to be outside a lot more now. (Although it’s been raining here on and off for days!)

So what makes Ethan so cute? Well, he’s talking a lot more now and he’s become a little parrot. I really can’t get away with swearing anymore, that’s for sure. Not that I ever did, Mom. He says, “I love Mama and Dadda.” And he communicates so much more in the last few weeks. He has started using three or four word phrases, typically something like, “Hold this milk, Mama” or “Ee-Ee go downstairs.” Ee-Ee is something new, too. It’s his name. He can’t quite say Ethan, so he says Ee-Ee. And he speaks in the third person. I’m hoping this is normal and that he won’t grow up to be very pompous. Besides his real words, Ethan is still holding on to a lot of nonsense words, but more on that later. Oh, and he also abbreviates everything. The other morning I said to him, “Guess who’s coming over today? Kristin Spooner!” He responded with “No Kis Spoo!” (Another thing to mention is that in the morning, Ethan says no to EVERYTHING. “No milk! No wawa (waffle)! No cake!” - the last one shows you how unreasonable it is.)

One of the most fun things lately is watching him play, alone and with his best friend Derek. We recently got a giant train table and all kinds of Thomas the Train accessories. Ethan really likes it and plays a lot more independently now, which is awesome for me. I can fold laundry, do school work, etc. while he plays. And he also plays really well with Derek. (Derek is my friend Catherine’s son, and they live 4 blocks east of us. Since Catherine and I both only have one child, we hang out a lot. By a lot, I mean pretty much every day. Catherine is a phenomenal friend, by the way, and she, along with the other moms of my playgroup, have made this year so fun. I heart Catherine. And so does Ethan. He talks about her ALL the time (Derek Mama) and every time I say we’re going anywhere, Ethan asks if Derek Mama will be there.) It is hilarious being around when Ethan and Derek are together. Their most favorite pastime is playing chase. Due to the circular floor plans of both our homes, this game can last a loooong time. Catherine and I will try to carry on a conversation while our two rambunctious boys chase each other around, oftentimes while pushing or pulling some kind of toy. They also like to yell out nonsense words to each other and laugh maniacally. Derek is a great talker. I like to joke that Ethan is making Derek less smart by making him use all these non-words. They are just so funny together. Today, Ethan was feeding Derek his snack. They’ve been caught making out, too. We don’t judge. It’s fun for us to think that they will grow up together and be in school together since they’re just two months apart.

There’s so much more I could say about Ethan and his recent antics (including tonight’s naked run around the house that culminated in peeing on our chair which then led to lots of tears after both Will and I yelled out in shock, thus scaring naked peeing Ethan and likely traumatizing him for life…he’ll be potty trained by 4 maybe), but I have to get off this chair. I hope to be better about keeping up from now on.

Ethan's holding our first strawberry! I've decided to keep track of all produce that comes from our garden this year. On the board so far - Strawberry: 1

Grandma Mary gave Ethan this great wagon as an early birthday present. He loves it. Here are his cousins taking a ride. Little Matthew turns 1 on the 17th of June.
Drew's pushing Matthew.

Ethan being a goof at dinner.

This is Ethan before Will's big hula dance in front of his students and some faculty.

Will during his hula, which was the result of a bet his students made. They asked Will if he'd do a hula dance for him if they raised $1,000.00 for Doctors Without Borders. Will said sure, thinking they wouldn't do it. Guess what?

They did. And this got to be a pretty serious bet. The father of a student (the same man who gave $500 of the $1000) drew up a contract for Will to sign, basically saying he would make good on the bet. And, oh, he did. There was a live band, props, and a little peep show even when the hula skirt fell off my skinny husband.

Here we are after the dance.

Will's sister Laura, and her new husband Chris, bought a beautiful home in Palatine. This is at their first bbq. Yummy...pie.

The sisters-in-law love to pose with food.

A Month + in Pictures

My new teaching position, along with my aversion to sitting, and finally clinched by the fact that Ethan "hid" our camera cord, I have been neglecting this blog. There have been plenty of things to write about but finding the time has been difficult. I hope this story in pictures will make up for my absence.

Here's Ethan (and friends) at his buddy Erin's birthday party. Erin's in the crown. Derek, Ethan's best bud, is across from him.
Feeding Daddy cake.

Yum...cake!

The next day was Easter, so here is Jake and Ethan during their Easter egg hunt at Gram and Pop Pop's.

The kids didn't really want to stop the hunt to pose!

Proud Auntie "La La" and Uncle "Kiss"

We celebrated the March/April birthdays that day as well.

Both Jake and Ethan got a wheelbarrow (literally) full of loot from the Easter bunny!

Daddy reads to Ethan before bed. Recently, Ethan has started requested Daddy read every night by saying, "Dadda dooks! Dadda dooks!" Fine with me.

At the end of April, Ethan came down with a strange bug that really knocked him down. We did a lot of cuddling.

So sad, yet so cute.

Here are the best buds playing on a rainy day. My good friend, Catherine, is Derek's mom. Ethan is a little in love with her. He talks about her non-stop. Whenever I say we're going anywhere, Ethan asks, "Derek Mama?"

The boys' favorite thing to do is to push their little push toys from our garage to our neighbors and repeat the process over and over.

Ethan and I made blueberry lemon almond muffins on Mother's Day. Ethan tried to eat the peeled lemon rind. He did not like it.

Two pacifiers! That's so silly!

More reading. This kid is definitely the product of two teachers.

Ethan with his rake, helping Daddy. One of Will's students gave him an Empire Guy bobblehead that Will has now given to Ethan. Super.

We don't get tired of giving him a mohawk.

Here are Will and I at a friend's wedding. Congratulations Marty and Debbie. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of you two!

My best college girlfriends, Annie and Susie, and loyal followers of the blog. This is your shout out!

We went to see the dinosaur exhibit at the zoo over Memorial Day weekend. Despite this face, Ethan really liked it. He was not scared at all!

Here we are in the dolphin underwater viewing area.

And this is Ethan watching for sea lions, his favorite. Every time they come near him, he backs away from the glass. It's hilarious.

Here is a far away picture of one of two window boxes now up on the house - and filled. Part of my Mother's Day present is that Will put them up and I got to fill them. My mom helped.

Here's a view of another one, along with the front porch, which is also filled with red geraniums. I just love it!!!

And a closeup.

Teaching Again

Awhile ago, I wrote about going through training to be an adjunct professor for Ashford University's online program. I made it through the training and was thrown into the hiring pool. Last week, I received an email from the scheduler, asking me if I'd like to take an Introduction to Literature course that would start April 28th. I said yes. So, back to teaching I go!

It's a larger class and one that actually comes with a TA of sorts. There is another person assigned to grade the essays in this course. I'm thrilled for two reasons: 1. I will teach English without grading essays, and 2. I will not have to SIT down to read all the essays and comment on the computer, something I was afraid of when I took on the teaching assignment. But, while it will be nice to not have to be grading essays all the time, it will likely make instructional duties a little more difficult since I will not be seeing all the work of my students'. I imagine I will have access to the essays or at least be able to discuss common issues with the person assigned to grade them. If not, how will I know how to better my instruction? As time consuming as grading essays can be, it is a chance to see how my students are progressing and also see where they could use more thorough instruction. I just want to get through this first class so I know a little more what I'm doing. Going through a class the first time is always going to be the most difficult because everything is so new.

I'm really pretty excited about being back in the classroom again, albeit a non-traditional one. The course itself seems pretty challenging with a good amount of reading every week. Fortunately, I am familiar with a lot of the stories, poems, and plays. Some I do not know, though, so I am looking forward to the anthology arriving. I pulled out some old college anthologies today, as well as my Seagull Reader from a class I taught, which have some of the stories and poems I need to read. I read three short stories and some poems just now during Ethan's nap. I want to get a handle on the reading so that I can focus on my "lectures" next week.

As an update to my physical therapy situation, I am looking into going to the therapist my orthopedic surgeon originally recommended. This therapist, of course, is not in network for our insurance, but with a discount, it shouldn't be too much out of pocket. I called yesterday, got her contact information, and actually emailed her with my history. I didn't want to have to make an appointment only to find out she was not really going to be able to help. I am awaiting her reply anxiously. I also put a call in to a friend, Waqas, who is an orthopedic resident. It's my way of getting a second opinion from another surgeon. We'll see what he has to say. My recent surge of activity on the PT front comes mostly from my frustration at still being in pain a lot and my terror at the thought of having to sit at the computer a lot more when my class starts. I really need to get on the road to recovery!

Happy Easter

I'll post Easter pictures later, but here's the great picture we had taken of Ethan and his cousins Ben, Drew, and Matthew. We think it turned out pretty cute!

Andrew, Matthew, Ethan, and Ben

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

All in all, I am a very lucky mother of one. Ethan is so good in many ways. He is a terrific sleeper and napper. He goes to bed with no argument every night and takes about a two hour (often longer) nap daily. (If you're reading this, please, please knock on wood.) It took us some time to get to this point, but he's been a great sleeper for a long time.

Ethan is also a very good eater. If I put chicken nuggets, strawberries, and green beans on his plate, he will eat the fruits and veggies first. Then he'll ask for more of those. Maybe then he'll eat the nuggets. Last night, he ate brocolli, aspargus, and Asian rice noodles for dinner. Today, he ate a swiss chard and cheddar quesadilla for lunch. Not many kids I know eat greens willingly. I hope his habits could change as he gets older, but I have a feeling he will not be a very picky eater.

Along with being a great sleeper and eater, Ethan is also pretty dang smart. At least I think so. He LOVES to read books, and, in fact, it's the only thing he'll focus on for longer than a few minutes. I often catch him in his room reading. He knows most of the letters of the alphabet and can count up to 10, though not always in the right order. He has more and more words every day. This morning he said, "Oh man," which I think he may have picked up from me.

In general, Ethan is a pretty happy kid, too. He can have his tantrums, of course, but he is content most of the day, it seems, and he is usually pretty distractable. He gives great hugs and kisses, when he's so inclined, too! I love when he's in the mood to snuggle.

The Bad

***Grandparents: You may wish to skip this section since you may take issue with the idea of your precious grandson being anything but perfect.***

To be honest, Ethan is a bit of a bully. Just this morning, his friend Derek came over while his mother went to an appointment. Within seconds of Derek entering the house, Ethan shoved him. And I'm not talking a one handed how's-it-going-pat-gone-wrong-kind-of-shove. I'm talking a two-handed-full-force-knock-him-to-the-ground-shove. Okay, maybe it was just the excitement. Well, a few minutes later, Ethan shoved him down again, causing Derek to start crying for his mother. Ethan's reaction: laughter. Things escalated when Ethan started throwing matchbox cars at Derek's head. (Derek has a red spot now.) When I reprimanded Ethan, he gave his typical, diabolical little laugh. Eventually, I locked Ethan in my room to keep him away from Derek. He doesn't always act this way, but it is getting worse. And it's completely unprompted. Poor Derek was just sitting there being attacked.

To make matters worse, he really does not in any way respond to my discipline. While he's a little young for time outs, I do try it (often) and end up having to literally hold him in the time out place. When he's out of time out, he does whatever got him into time out again. And then he laughs. He also laughs when he pulls my hair and I tell him sternly to stop. He really seems to like being reprimanded. I have really been tested in moments like these. While I completely believe that hitting a child while telling them not to hit is ridiculous (or pulling their hair), I will not say I haven't tried it. The other day, I tugged on Ethan's hair and said, "You see how this hurts?" When he laughed - again - I knew it was silly of me to even do that, but you just get so fed up.

Another really annoying habit of Ethan's right now is his need to shut doors. When we leave the house, he has to shut the door. Not allowing him to do so creates a big scene sometimes. But if I let him, he shuts it only to open it again and keep opening/shutting over and over. Yesterday, we had lunch at an old friend's house, and when we got there, he insisted on shutting the door. It's cute at first because he says, "I shut" very clearly, but his idea of shutting the door is standing inside the door as if he's going out. I had to pry him away kicking and screaming. It seems like a small thing, but it's really a very trying thing for us right now.

The Ugly

Okay, so I don't have anything to put in this category. While some of the "bad" behaviors may seem "ugly," I can't, as Ethan's mommy, bring myself to categorize them in this way. I know that all of these behaviors are likely age appropriate and that he will, hopefully, grow out of them. That doesn't make them any less bad or frustrating as his parent. I am grateful, though, that most of his behaviors do not seem purposefully aggressive. This may be the naive parent speaking, but I really don't think he is trying to hurt Derek when he shoves him but is just expressing himself in a naughty way. And he never gets angry and then hits me or pulls my hair. He only does it when he's in a good mood. That's got to count for something, right?

And, really, he's just so darn cute. When he gives me a great big smile, it makes all those bad moments easier to handle. Thank goodness he's not an ugly kid, right? :)

We're getting some good smiles for pictures now that he has started saying "CHEESE" every time he sees a camera. Add that to the good list.

Posing with Uncle Brian.

This is our new computer background. Cracks us up.

Will (and Ethan, sort of) made two snowmen Sunday.

Sunday was March 30th, Will's last day of SPRING break. Go figure.

Tail of Woe

One day shy of a month of no posting here, I thought it was time. It's not that I've been too busy or that Ethan has not been performing any blog-worthy antics. One major thing has hindered me from blogging: my butt. It hurts. I'm not sure I've posted about my "tail feathers," but I know most of you know I've been dealing with this since the summer and in therapy since the fall.

The basic story is that this summer I noticed tailbone pain while sitting but chalked it up to a long day of sitting at jury duty. Come fall, when the pain seemed to be getting worse, I went to an orthopedic surgeon who took x-rays, told me my hips were out of alignment and that I had a slight scoliosis, and gave me a prescription for physical therapy. She recommended a specific therapist and told me I'd be cured after one or two visits. Well, of course the therapist she recommended was not "in network" and therefore not covered by our insurance, so I found another therapist. She put me back in alignment, but I did not in any way have a miraculous recovery. My therapist started to suspect that the problem stemmed from a tightening in the pelvic floor. An exam confirmed that this was, in fact, the case. At the risk of getting too graphic, basically the muscles in my pelvic floor are tightened for some reason, mostly on the left side, and this causes my coccyx (tailbone) to pull to the left, resulting in pain from sitting.

At this point, I switched therapists so that I could see a woman who specialized in women's health. She was helping me slowly. The process for any kind of coccyx pain is a long one, apparently. I wasn't sure how much my new therapist was helping, though, until I had to stop going to her for a few weeks. (Another insurance thing, of course.) I've been therapy-less for a few weeks, and I've been getting worse and worse. I cannot sit for long at all, and my hamstrings get so tight every time I sit at the desk chair for some reason. I workout and stretch, but nothing helps. Also, my lower spine always hurts in the morning. Essentially, I'm a mess.

I did find a new therapist who is in network and specializes in women's health, and I will see her Thursday. Today, I had to go back to my orthopedic surgeon because my new therapist wanted a current prescription for therapy from the expert. The O.S. gave me one and also did some acupuncture on me today, which was interesting to say the least.

I am hoping this new therapist will help me because this has been a very frustrating process for me. I'm a fairly fit person, so it's very annoying to be in pain all the time. The silver lining is that my last few weeks of pain inspired me to rejoin the gym and also sign up for a triathlon this summer. I'm doing the same one I did a few years ago, which is a sprint distance with a little longer run (perfect for me since that's my strong leg of the race anyway). My hope is that getting back into good shape will help with my recovery, especially being in the pool. And I just feel better being sore for a good reason (like I was running or biking) other than just being in pain for no reason at all. It feels good to be earning my showers these days. I've run, swum, or biked 6 out of the last 8 days, and I just feel happier to be moving again.

If therapy/training doesn't work, my last resort is to get pregnant. My old therapist is pretty sure my pain will go away when I get pregnant again because the hormones will relax the muscles "down under". Will claims that tailbone pain is not a reason to get pregnant, but he's also not the one in pain!

I have so much more to write about (i.e. Ethan's sudden talking burst, my new obsession with local food/gardening, etc.), but it will have to wait for now. I need to stand up and give my bum a rest. Until next time, here are some recent pictures of Ethan, pre and post haircut.

Blueberries, anyone?

Nap time often makes for some pretty funny hairdos.

Biker baby.

I love that he's pointing just like Babe Ruth.

We put sand in the sandbox for the first time. There's a lot on our grass now, so we moved it to the patio so we can at least use the spilled sand to fill in the cracks.
Ethan gets his third haircut. He's keeping busy with the spray bottle (a lifesaver!) while Will snips after using the clippers.

Handsome boy.