This Week vs. Last Week

Last week Thursday felt like Friday, and the real Friday felt like deja vu all over again. Today is Wednesday, and it feels like Tuesday for some strange reason. . . .

Conquered another continent, blog map-/flag-wise today. Peru, how cool is that?

Today was Micah's last day of ESY (extended school year) today. Yesterday his nap blanket came home, today the rest of the stuff from his cupboard was stuffed in a bag and sent home. And Micah got to see Dr. Bross for his pre-op check-up. The same day my assistant comes today to me to say that Micah's surgeon's office called to see if he had an appointment scheduled for his pre-op. Way to crawl up my backside. I sent my assistant back to the phone with a message that I had made an appointment on August 4th, which was canceled because Steve took the kids to the beach, so the appointment was made for TODAY. Circumstances beyond my control. . .and considering the level of detail on the form is "Breathing, yes or no? Yes? OK, you're cleared," I don't know why everyone's panties are getting into a knot.

I think Meghan went back to the parked call and told the caller that it was being handled, but without all the gory details.

Meanwhile Micah blew through his physical: he's in the 75th percentile for height now, and the 50th for weight (which is where he's been for the past two years). All that's needed now is blood work - got to go to Quest Diagnostics web site to schedule it. (Done. . .11 am, Saturday.)

Thea and Lucas

This is Thea with her friend Lucas, who is moving to the Chicago area this month. They went to Pre-K and Kindergarten at YingHua together.

We're going to have a playdate on Sunday as a "Chicaogo is so lucky / Happy Birthday" event. Lucas's 5th birthday last year was when he forever endeared himself to me by telling his mother that the party favors for girls would probably not work for Thea. Simone set aside a Matchbox car for her and she was thrilled.

He further endeared himself to me by coming in to our house when he and his mother were dropping Thea off from a playdate last week (where these photos were take), and instead of commenting on the state of disarray in our living room, he just said, "Wow!" when looking at all the toys and stuff. How could you not love a kid like that?

Thea got a new bike on Friday. Her old one was bought at a consignment shop two years ago and is just way to small - and her brother is using it more than his tricycles. She wanted one with training wheels, and the Star Wars bike was looking pretty good, but it was "too wobbly", so Spiderman got the nod. She loves it - and since we bought it already assembled, all it needs is a slight seat adjustment and it will be perfect.

Go Away Week, I'm Done With You

If yesterday felt like Thursday, then today should have been Friday. I just want this week over and done with. And despite having a half day tomorrow, at 5 pm or so I will be on call through Monday at 8 am, and I have to work Saturday. Not fun. It's supposed to rain on Saturday, so everyone will be home contemplating their aches and pains rather than heading for the Shore.

Today I found out that one of Thea's best pals at school will be moving to Chicago in two weeks or so. Nuts. They're so cute together, they love Pokemon cards, knights (and running around with swords and shields), and just play so nicely together.

Micah is talking, talking, and cracking people up - today he came to the office andwhen I found him, he said "Hello, Daddy" knowing full well that he was being funny. Two days ago, he was sitting at my desk, drawing a picture and when Sarah asked him what he was drawing, he replied "Kitties." Except that he put a "T" at the front of the word and dropped the "K". So Sarah said, something to the effect of, "Oh, you're drawing a CAT." And he corrected her by saying, "No, I am NOT drawing a CAT, I am drawing KITTIES." Except with the T for K substitution, again. And more loudly than the first time, because she clearly didn't understand him, in his mind. He might have perfect diction by the time he reaches kindergarten or first grade, but he's not going to be living that one down for awhile.

Snarl. . .

My remote access into the electronic medical record system we use at work is not available. I am ready to spit nails, especially when I called the software company's help desk (which was ever so UN-helpful when I was trying to install the software on our previous home PC) and the twit on the other end of the line asked me in an ever so supercilious tone, "Did I know that your company's customer service hours ended three hours ago?" Well, no, since I am calling now looking for help, Duh, duh and double duh. I then had to call the office manager to find out if something or someone took the system down (Yes) and to confess that I smart-mouthed the help desk lady and when I said I didn't know that customer service hours were over three hours ago and that she was as useless as the software her company produces.

Pool Party

The weather didn't look too promising today: at noon the TV was sending out a severe thunder storm warning and tornado warning alert. And we had a date to visit a friend, one of those friends to love because they have a swimming pool and I have children who are part fish.

For once, rather than crumble and cancel, we decided to go forward despite the weather and make the hour drive to Monique's house. After having lunch, the weather was still overcast, but nothing else was going on so the kids suited up, we suited up and everyone was in the pool. It rained briefly after we were already wet, but otherwise the only tragedy was Micah's knocking over a really nice margarita as he was charging around the pool.

Thea can swim the width of Monique's pool on one breath and without floaties or other devicesYWCA have done some good. Micah was in a swim ring and was ready to stay in until he was completely waterlogged. And thanks to the pool's heater, no little blue-lipped child. When Thea came in to get dried off and changed, the first words out of her mouth were "this pool is AWESOME!"

My friend hasn't seen or heard Micah for quite a while, so it was nice to hear that she was impressed with his progress. Always nice to get comments like that.

Micah passed out in the car, and is still sleeping on the sofa. Thea's having a little dinner and then will be put to bed.

NY Times Blog on Ben Franklin

An interesting piece cribbed from a NY Times blogger:

http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/can-do/?em

Too tired to write much, wrangled a large plastic toddler bed upstairs on my own, got the crib disassembled (after having a minor panic attack about where the tool was that takes out the eight screws that held the thing together until I remembered that once upon an August 2007 afternoon I was smart enough to put the ZipLoc bag with the tool and directions under the mattress; I remembered that it might be there just as I was falling asleep last night), then putting the room back together again so that Micah could try to sleep in his new bed tonight. Four containers of stuffed animals. Four LARGE containers of stuffed animals, A to Z, including a unicorn.

I realize that if Micah starts sleeping in his room again, I may gain reading in bed, but I'm going to loose the bathroom that's in his room, which has become the one room in the house that's almost all mine.

Oh well, there's an up-side and down-side to everything.

Go Fly a Kite

This is Micah at school "flying" a paperbag kite he made this week. He was so excited about it - it's nice that his teacher, Miss Margie, sent us a photo. His buddy Ava is in the background with her kite. Today was Sports Day at school, his teacher already emailed that he had a blast and was super active. I'm hoping he'll be tired enough to sleep part of the way up to Haskell; we're going to pick up a race car toddler bed frame. $12.95 on eBay. This weekend the crib comes down, end of an era around here.