The Cast is Away!

Well yesterday I went to my Dr and had the 1/2 cast removed from my right arm. Having the arm in the same bent position for almost 10 days was becoming rather uncomfortable. When he removed it the first attempt to straighten it was awful! I have to now work with it slowly and get 100% movement back under that's arms own power. Then Physical Therapy! Yeah!

As the holidays are coming to a close the 2 Year Old is sick and the 6 Year Old is starting to go a little crazy. School starts on Wednesday! Now Back to our regular schedule.

Daily Observation: Driving is always a hassle people complain about, but when you can not drive you really want to.

From the Months of Children: My wife was making Chocolate Milk for the 6 Year Old and he always complains how she does it. I fill up a sippy cup (C-Milk not allowed around the house without a sippy!) and shake it. Wife suggested she stir it first since 6 YO does not like the way she does it. With out missing a beak 6 YO says... "I Like My Chocolate Milk SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED!" The wife and I could not stop laughing...

Holidays, One Arm and Little Time

Well since the operation on the elbow I have had little desire to type. The holidays have also made my time a bit short. The boys had a wonderful Xmas and the house is full of new toys. The arm has made doing even simple things rather difficult. So this is short and I hope to again post everyday once the elbow is a bit better.

The Road To Recovery

Well yesterday was a very long day. I had a scheduled elbow operation at 1:45 to fix a torn tendon. My wife and I did the normal morning routine and put 6yo on the bus for school. My father came out to watch 2yo so we could head out. Wife also scheduled a Dr appointment for that morning so we stopped there on the way to the hospital.

I was worried about the operation and my Dad being left alone with a child in diapers... My mother works at the local High School and they were done early at noon. She then came out to watch the 2yo and get 6yo from afternoon bus.

Well the operation was delayed an hour, but everything went smoothly. The nurse that took my medical history could not stop giggling. I have had a colorful medical history or broken bones, cuts, dislocations...

Finally I was off to the OR. In route I was given the general to knock me out. I arrived in a very cold OR and was greatedd by the OR nurse. The room began to spin then I woke to the recovery nurse asking me how I felt. After a few hours of waking, snacking and general confusion for me it was time to go home. I had a terrible headache and my stomach was rolling like the ocean. It was now 5:30 and rush hour was in full swing. The nurse had given me a large bag incase I got sick. Well the ride home was STOP, GO, PUKE...REPEAT! We ended up stopping at my parents house on the way home so I could rest. It was another 20 minutes to our house. Wife left me there and went to let my mom off the hook with the boys. I rested for over an hour and finally was able to go home. My younger brother drove me home and that ride was much better.

Last night I was restless, but the meds prevented me from having too much pain.

I think the harest part will be not being able to do everything myself and not being able to pick up the boys at all!!!

Another Day...

Another Weekend Without Blogging!

Well this past weekend turned out to be a bit crazier then normal. I had a good friend coming into to to visit, cycle and goof off. So Friday night he came in after dinner to spend the weekend. We had a blast. Friday night another friend came over and we sat around chatting for a few hours catching up. It has been months since we last saw each other. Saturday morning we got up and ran to the bike shop before hitting the trails on our bikes. I wanted to get a new seat along with a back rack and trunk for my Trek 7300. We put the seat on at a friends house near a trail head and went out for a few hours. Since we are in Northern IL the gravel trails were a bit soggy. On any normal day that would not be an issue, but with my elbow hurting from the torn tendon it was a rough ride. About 1/2 way through the ride I go off the trails and hit the road which made it all much easier on the elbow. The slog made the front wheel want to pull causing me to have to hang on that much harder. Well today I am paying for my ride. My elbow is so stiff... After our ride we all went and cleaned up and then went do dinner at my visiting friends favorite Thai resturant. Dinner was great and it was nice to actually eat and talk with adults for a change. Once we returned from dinner we played a few rounds of Settlers of Catan and the ever popular UNO (7, 0, Stacking Defensive Varient) Good times had by all. Sunday I had planned to type up everything on the two blogs, but found myself with a major headache and unable to take pain meds for it. I will be under the knife on Wednesday and it have been instructed to not take ANYTHING! So I had a bit of caffine and spent many hours just laying down. On the plus side I was able to watch my BEARS play... 12-2 Baby!

Today starts my rush to get things done before I spend a couple months recovering. The next couple of weeks will be crazy with my elbow and the holidays so I made sure to get some shopping done as well as doing EVERY bit of laundry in the house. Tomorrow night the only dirty laundry I want around is what we wore on Tuesday!

So today there will be no less then 2 entries and probably a third...

Daily Observation:

Wind, Cold, Sloppy Gravel may be tough to ride in, but a few hours bicycling with friends is fantastic..

So Tired I fell asleep...

Well last night I guess I was pretty tired. I was going to watch a little Tivo'd TV with WIFE and then blog before I went to bed. Well I have been pretty busy this week so I actually had a few other things to watch. Wife went to sleep and I thought I would catch up... Thirty minutes later I realized I had missed most of the show. Time to go to sleep! So yesterday I missed my blogging.

A Few Comments...

First off "Famous" People need to just go away...

Lindsey you have not had a drink in a week... You Are Not Even 21!

Paris & Brittany... Go Away

Tank Johnson... What Were You Thinking!

Now that is enough for today on that subject.

Yesterday was one of those days that proves it is work to be at home. I am not supposed to take any medication at all until after the 20th and my operation. I woke with a MONSTER headache and had to take some something. My elbow was throbbing and 2yo was up way too early. We had some errands to run. TRADER JOE'S!!! So off we went. Normally 2yo enjoys TJ's, but he was rather cranky. I spent the afternoon trying to get him to relax and nap, but he would not. I still had other errands to do that the time was wasted trying to get a cranky 2yo to nap. So I decided to pick up 6yo from school and finish the errands. Well that just frustrated me to no end.

My Trip to Meijer...

I honestly think every stupid person in the area was at the store. (Including me for being stupid enough to be there with the boys) I walk in and there is a group standing around the carts. I practically have to push people over to get to a cart and place 2yo in it. This is a bad start... even the greeter seemed frustrated. Going through the isles it seemed everyone thought it was a good idea to leave their cart ACROSS the isle! We only needed a hand full of things, but of course that leads to other things. After nearly getting hit multiple times, getting stuck behind a group in a isle chatting in front of the items I needed and of course getting "the Look" when I asked them to move I decided it was time to go. Getting to the registers I noticed the lanes were pretty packed. I get into one and get followed by at least 3 other people. Now the fun begins... I had 2 people in front of me with maybe half filled carts. I thought this should be quick... YEAH! Well the first lady had to not just check the prices rung up, but double check and ask "Are you sure that is right" over and over again. This was compounded by the fact that the checker was slow...NO EXTREMELY SLOW!!! I honestly have no clue haw she could move that slow... Beep..Wait, Wait, Scratch her @$ Wait... Beep. So this lady finally gets out of line and more fun begins. The second lady did not complain about every items, but was writing a check. If you are going to write a check at least have your checkbook READY!!! She gets her total and says she wants to write it for over. OK... 50 CENTS!!! So she writes out the check while the checker plays with some coupons stuck together... Check is done...Checker still plays with coupons and plays with coupons and plays with coupons... UNREAL!!! Finally it is time for me... She goes back to playing with the coupons!!! Finally she starts scanning...SLOWLY!!! I was actually one step away from scanning everything myself. I am not joking when I say it sometimes took her 4 passes to get the bar code on the correct side!! finally after 25 minutes in line we were done!!! I have never been so frustrated with a checker at that store.

The rest of the evening went rather quick since I was getting a bunch of stuff for work finished.

Daily Observation:
No matter what checkout I pick at the store it will always be the slowest!

Truly, Madly, Deeply...Crazy...

Well some weeks are good others tend to be crazy. I think this week falls into the crazy catagory. With being gone over the weekend and trying to catch up all week it feels like it should be next Wednesday already. 2yo is done with Preschool until January so I thought today would be a good day to get a few errands done for two reasons. First is to get out of the house for a while and second has to do with trying to stay out of the way when the housekeeper is around. Every Other Wednesday she comes by and does the major cleaning. I figured about an hour and a half so off to Drug Store, Post Office, Library and the Market Day (school fundraiser) in the afternoon. Well 2yo was so cranky the entire time. While coming back from the library he passed out. It was not time to get home yet so we went for a little drive while I listened to sports radio. (Go Bears!) His nap today was basically a 30 minute car nap. tonight he was happy to go to be since he was so tired.

On the Elbow Front there are less then 7 days now before I get the repair job done. I am a little nervous, but it will be nice to no longer be in constant pain. Right now however it is a little tough since I can not take anything for the pain for 10 days. So soon enough I will be getting a tune up.

Daily Observation: Time Stands Still in the Lobby of the Post Office. Being 3rd in line could take you an hour to get to the counter...

The Day After!

Well yesterday was an extremely long day of travelling anf then the bos got really worked up. They both were up at least two hours past their bedtime and woke up extra early this morning. Today was also Breakfast with Santa at my sons school so we had to get up and moving this morning. The drama started early with 6yo complaining he was tired and wanted to sleep. He got out of bed BEFORE 6:00 and I had tried to get him to go back to bed then. We made it to breakfast and the boys saw Santa and each got a candy cane. Today was also the last day of 2yo's Tot Play class. When we first walked in he was having a meltdown, but soon forgot. After playing and getting home he was wiped out. He went from the Van right into bed. Unfortunatly he took a long nap and is still up at 9:30!!! Wife and I are really tired and I will probably be asleep within the next thirty minutes. It is funny how when you travel it really hits you the Day After. I had kind of forgotten about that. In another life I used to travel a lot more, but now I fly maybe once a year.

So today I spent some time working and trying to stay awake. I can not nap... If I would have napped today Iwould never get to sleep.

Today is also WIFES Birthday... 29 Again...

So another day is coming to an end and tomorrow is another day and another adventure.

Daily Observation:
Airplane Seats were made for middle school kids, not adults!

Getaway Weekend, Delayed Flight and Excited Kids.

Well the wife and I went to Burbank CA, over the weekend for my office holiday party. The trip out on Saturday morning was pretty uneventful except for an hour and a half delay. While we were out there we had dinner with my boss (president of co) the VP and spouses. We had a fantastic dinner at a resturant on the ocean in Ventura CA. Sunday morning we went for a drive and did a few touristy things including Hollywood Blvd, Sunset and of course driving in Beverly Hills. Sunday night was the party that was a ton of fun.

The boys were home with my folks. They both stayed here to keep them on schedule as well as watch the dogs. I think they all had a very good time.

Well today was REALLLLLLYYYY!!!! long. We left Burbank at 8:30 (10:30 home time) and had a flight to Denver. The connection from Denver to Chicago was a little delayed. We unfortunatly through some mix up when the tickets we set up by the company did not have assigend seats until the day of the flight. We were in the VERY LAST inside row of a 777!!! 43rd ROW!!! Now I am not a small person and my legs were really jammed in. We everything looks good we are about 30 minutes delayed do to weather in Chicago... Taxi Out... Delay, Delay Delay!!! More then 2 hours later we finally take off. An EXTRA 2 hours on the PLANE!!! OUCH!!!

When we finally got home both boys were so excited it took HOURS to finally settle them down! Now it is almost midnight and time for bed!

Until Tomorrow!!!

Short and Sweat

Well today was a very LONG day and tomorrow morning the Wife and I fly to Los Angeles for my works office party! They fly us out and wine and dine us for two days. We will be back Monday late afternoon so I had a bunch of work to do to prepare. My parents are going to stay here at the house for the weekend so the Boys and the Beasts (2 Dogs) do not go to nuts. So this is a short and sweat post so I can finish up some stuff and get some rest.

I will post again Monday Night. Maybe even have some pictures...

Be Well

The Good, The Bad and the Cranky!

Well this morning I woke up a bit more rested then usual, but the elbow was still tender. (12 days and counting) I was up at about 6:15 and had to get everyone ready for the day. I made the 6yo his lunch and got his bag all packed. The 2yo and I played a while and then it was time to get 6yo out of bed. He has always been a challenge when it comes to eating anything. I asked him what he wanted and the Cranky Drama Began! I have learned to stop and let the wife attempt, but he had he go nuts two. He asked for a Yogurt and then REFUSED to eat it! Finally he ended up eating some Sharp Cheddar Cheese. He and the Wife leave at about 7:50 and 2yo and I have a day of doing nothing but some basic house stuff. All of a sudden he starts getting really CRANKY!!! I look at the clock and it is 9:30... Let's see he ate a Yogurt, A Sandwich, Crackers, Fruit snacks and some cranberry juice. (Mind you he is skinny) Someone is GROWING!!! He was happy to go to bed and then slept for about 2 hours. At lunch he just wanted to snack so I gave in and let him just do what he wanted. At 1:00 I get a call from 6yo's Eye Doctor his corrected lenses are in. Just got glasses a few weeks ago and they are having trouble getting it just right. He has a bit of a lazy eye and is very farsighted. The doctor after a week of him still not happy and having issues found she would need to add a prism to the glasses. So we get to give it another week to adjust and see where we are at. I ended up picking 6yo up from school so we could get the glasses changed right away and get home before it got too late. Since we were running so late dinner was PIZZA!!! Of courses the one issue I have with Pizza is I tend to eat way too much. THE BAD... Now I have a bit o indigestion...

The boys got a bit of a second wind tonight and were running around like their pants were on fire. This was fun until I was standing in the middle of the family room just returning from getting the pizza and 2yo runs, looks away and hit me square in the leg...He bounced off me and then the floor. I was not even moving, but at 2 it is easy I guess to misjudge time and distance... After a hug from mom he shook it off.

It is now rather late and time for me to attempt to get some rest. Saturday and Sunday the wife and I will be in Burbank, CA... Coming back on Monday. So tomorrow will be the last Blog for a couple days.

Be Well

Impressing the mommies and a day of headaches

Well today was 2yo Christmas Party at preschool. We were asked to bring in treats or something for each of the other 11 students. While I was out shopping on Monday I had found Marshmellow Peep Snowmen. I decided to create some cute little gifts for the kids. I found some snowman wrapping paper and little bows to go along with the snowman peeps. I wrapped all of them and brought them in today. When those went out and the mommies saw them they were rather shocked at what I had done. And then when they found out I did everything and not my wife the jaws began to drop. Yes a man can do something creative for kids...

After class 2yo and I did our regular Wednesday thing of a 7-11 stop and a slice of pizza from the local pizza joint. I refilled my Big Gulp and 2yo got a tiny slurpee. Lunch started well and 2yo was happy eating pizza and drinking his slurpee. I was doing all sorts of things around the kitchen when I turn to see 2yo smiling and then DUMP the slurpee on him and the floor!!! Clean Up Time!!!

After lunch we had some errands to run and I have one thing to say. SELF CHECK OUTS are fantastic. For one with the small amounts it is so quick and secocond and most important there is NO CANDY at the self check!!!! With a 2yo that additional distraction is never needed.

After school when 6yo got home the boys wanted some yogurt. They chowed on Trix yogurt and had fun making faces at each other. I then began to get a few things prepared for dinner. Both boys ate all their yogurt and I said they could each have a piece of candy. (Life Savers.) Both were so happy. THEN IT HAPPENED!!! 2yo standing next to me starts to choke!!! He has never had troubles before. I lean over to come to his aid when BARFFFFFF!!!! Blue Yogurt all over the kitchen floor!!!! It got all over his shirt as well. So that went to the wash and I got to clean up barf and mop. I though the session was over...Was I wrong!!! Wife comes home and we get to sit down and eat. After words we let them try again in the candy front. 2yo has a starburst and 2 seconds after putting it in his month sitting on mommies lap he BARFFFFFS again!!! Clean up again and this time BATHTIME!!!

He ate fine latter and I thing the candy just gave him some issues with his gag reflex...

Another Day...

Daily Observation

If you want to shock a Stay At Home Mom...Prove to them you are a capable Stay At Home Dad!

Tot Playtime and Dad's Adult Talk Time

Well on Tuesdays my 2yo is in a hour long "Tot Playtime" 15 minutes of free play, 30 minutes of organized songs and activities and then a final 15 minutes of free play. There are multiple session for this class and I am in one that only has about 8 kids. The instructor runs all the classes so if we miss a day we can make it up at any of the other class time without any type of call or permission. She say you want to come to the class at a different time that's fine.

Well today after class my son and two little girls were still having a good time playing. The instructor said we could stay a while since there were no other classes. So the two moms, the instructor and I chatted while the kids played a little longer. The kids had a blast and we were able to chat a little bit. The one thing about being an at home dad is the isolation. I can go days without actually talking to an adult other then my wife in person. I also find it very difficult to actually find moms willing to just chat with me. I am a very forward person and have no issues with talking to others. Between the two classes my son is in and over 20 parents I think a total of 5 are comfortable talking to me and actually STARTING the conversation. It does get rather annoying and I feel my son gets left out a bit because they will not even think about a play date for the kids. The moms will have no problems talking about the play dates their kids have in front of me, but NOT A ONE has talked to me about the play dates even when a group gets together. I guess that is the price I pay for being a Dad that is the primary caregiver.

I was given some insight to the reasons why I am not invited and to some they may seem valid, but to me the reasons are crazy. That is for another time...

Daily Observation:

4 out 0f 5 At Home Moms think Stay at Home Dads have the plague!

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When a 6 Year Olds word find is difficult

Well I guess I must be a bit tired. My 6yo boy had some homework and it was a word find. One of the words was BAT and I could not find it!!! It was not even that difficult of a puzzle, but I guess for me it was. Today was another cold one, but I had a bunch to do since work is slow for the next few weeks. The 2yo and I went off to the store for some much needed restocking of the pantry shelves. As we were getting ready I made the attempt to put his hat and mittens on. I think wrestling a Crocodile would have been easier. Hat on, One Mitten on, Hat off, Second mitten on, First Mitten off, Hat, Mitten, Mitten, Hat, Mitten, Hat, Mitten... Finally I was able to get all three on and get into the van. He only screamed for about 5 minutes in the van. While at the store I went through my normal routine, however I was tired and did not have a list. I forgot a whole bunch of things!!! DOH!!! Shopping Tired without a list... Not good... The afternoon seemed to go well with 2yo napping a bit late and then we had to pick 6yo up from school after his After School Spanish Class... From there we went to the store and picked up the items I had forgotten to pick up... Nothing like two trips in the cold.

This evening turned out a bit odd. Since 2yo did not nap early he took almost an hour to get to sleep. He demanded mom to stay in and settle him. So instead of relaxing or working out she sat on his bed and got him to relax and sleep.

I have been playing with a few features of the New Blogger Beta and have made some changes. Unfortunately after the last update to the Blogger Beta software my FireFox does not work correctly. I am forced to use IE7 to blog now... My next addition will be a good hit counter.

Daily Observation:

Putting a hat and mittens on a determined 2yo is a test of Patients, Skill and Professional Wrestling.

A Second Post Today

Well today has just been strange and oddly short. With being gone all morning have breakfast with a friend about 45 minutes away and the football game the day went by too quickly. It was really nice to have some me time especially since 2yo napped for most of the football game!!! 6yo was a bit of a handful today and when he acts like he has today it typically means he is coming down with something. 2yo as well has been acting a bit off and not eating as well as he normally does and actually wanting to go to bed. He went to bed, but was restless so I layed down with him for about 20 minutes as he fell asleep. It has been difficult for me to lay down with him with the elbow, but I need to truly Cherish these moments because soon enough he will be in dependant. Now that the boys are in bed, wife asleep and dogs off sleeping the house is quiet except for the load of laundry going... (Laundry... The Never Ending Torture!) I am not that tired even though I should be, but I think that has to do with the severe soreness in the elbow. I took aleeve and iced it, but the pain is still rather uncomfortable. Not to mention my jaw is still sore from 1 1/2 hours of dental work yesterday...

Second Daily Observation:
Pain is better then a caffeine jolt at keeping you awake!

MY NEW TOY....I broke down and finally bought a Snow Blower. Since I am getting knifed on the 20th it would be better then having the Wife have to shovel the snow.











The Brand is Yard Machine...
Here are the Stats...
Push Button electric start is easy and dependable, eliminates pull starts, 21 In. clearing width and 11 In. intake height make quick work of clearing driveways, sidewalks, steps and patios; easy to maneuver, self pulling rubber-edged auger propels the snow thrower and provides positive traction to reduce operator effort, leaves a clean path. Auger/clutch control system keeps the engine running when bail is released; elimantes frustrating restarts. Reversible / replaceable scraper blade extends life of part and increases user satisfaction. Rugged 5 In. quick adjust polymer chute resists clogging, rusting or freezing; reduces snow sticking to chute. Folding handles save space for off-season storage. Chute rotation allows for quick and precise snow throwing directional control; with 180 degree chute rotation. 2 cycle oil included in carton. 2 quart fuel capacity. 2 year Limited Warranty

I spent the morning visiting with a good friend and mentor. He is retired and we do a breakfast every few months to catch up and chat. It was really nice to see him and he will probably come down to visit me when I am the " One Armed Man." After getting back I was able to watch the BEARS game and kind of relax... (Best I can watching Football) After the game we all went for a ride and bought the new toy and a few more strings of X-mas lights.



Daily Observation:

No matter how fast you drive some idiot will need to go faster...

A friendly little reminder on how snow looks for those of you that do not get snow.

Well today was fun (not really) I had to have an hour and a half of dental work done so I have been a bit grumpy. I got away from the boys for a while only to have my faced drilled... OUCH!

Even with a local it is sore...

The boys have been a bit stir crazy today because they have been couped up. It has been really cold and 2yo will not wear his hat or mittens... He pulls them off and screams... He will learn one day.

Daily Observation:

As a child snow is a wonderful thing, As an adult SNOW IS EVIL!!!

December 1st plus more then a foot of Snow!!!

Well this Friday turned out to be a very long one. I normally get up between 6:30 and 7:00 pack my older sons lunch and work on breakfast. Well I have not slept well in a over a month and I was extremely tired. I wake up and look at the clock...7:21... Oh No! I get up look outside and it is a bit of a Blizzard outside. I make my way downstairs to see my wife laying in a chair while the 2yo plays and watches cartoons. She gets up early and works a little from home so she can go in later. Well she was not going anywhere, school was cancelled and I was still tired. I looked around and decided to go back to bed for about another hour.

My elbow has been giving me extra grief and the snow was wet and heavy. My wife went out to shovel and after 2 hours was only about a 3rd done. I went out and tracked down a snowblower to borrow. It took my another 2 + hours to finish off the snow removal with the snow blower. Since I am getting my elbow repaired on the 20th we decided it might be time to get a snowblower so my wife can easily shovel even the deep snow. With our luck it will not snow again until next December. We researched the snowblowers and will probably pick one up tomorrow afternoon.

Now the kids are in bed it is time to relax a while.

Daily Observation
The Snow Plow does not plow the streets until after you finish your drive. Then it puts a giant pile of snow at the end of the drive you just shoveled!!!