These ordinary days

I'm just trying to record some of the day-to-day happenings around here before our routines change. Here's a glimpse at our yesterday and today:

Gabe barely slept the night before last. We're not sure why, maybe he couldn't get comfortable with his cold. But the crying started when we got in bed at 11 and didn't end, except for a few short "naps" until 6am. Just about the time I sat down at my computer with some coffee he passed out on the living room floor. At least I had time to enjoy a little coffee before Zach woke up.


It's been rainy, as usual. Some days it is just so gray! Temps are just above freezing, but at least we don't have to deal with snow.


I went to the clinic for a checkup...and took a photo.


Our gardener is working on the yard...which is money very well spent. This is the time of year that everything is cut back to almost nothing, but we've enjoyed the lovely flowers during the summers.


Zach is desperately exerting his independence. I'm starting to learn when I can trust him to do things himself (or at least start) and a lot of the time he will ask for my help at points when I'd like to step in anyway. Everything from getting dressed and undressed to making his own taquitos and oatmeal in the microwave.


I found one of our/Zach's favorite books behind Gabe's dresser...it had been missing for like a year or two.


I worked on a rather complicate scrapbook layout with about 30 photos from the the holidays. I'm sure it will be up on the blog eventually. I am really embracing digital scrapbooking, which is good considering all my paper will be in storage for a little while.


Frank tried to take a nap...(this always happens when he lays on the couch).


Zach requested to use his "Zachary" mug at dinner tonight, and then informed us all that he was drinking coffee. Too funny! But then when I got the camera and questioned him about it he insisted it was just milk.


I made meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans for dinner last night, and tonight was hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.

We listened to Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway" multiple time on the way to daycare, because Zach really loves to hear "Car movie song!"

And last, but not least, yesterday Jen had an ultrasound. Today I talked to her, and they are having a girl--Congratulations!

We love it

I don't know what we'd have done without our CBeebies.

The boys are watching it right now, as I type this, and I think of how many fewer blog posts there might have been if we didn't have this television to occupy them.

They've learned singing, dancing, counting, ABCs, manners, a little sign language, and who knows how many other things from these wholesome, imaginative shows.

Zach currently favors a lot of the shows on the Disney channel, but he still really likes some of his old CBeebies favorites: Timmy Time, Balamory, Charlie and Lola, Postman Pat, Bob the Builder, Show Me Show Me. Right now Gabe really likes Waybaloo and In the Night Garden.

CBeebies fits in perfectly with our bedtime routine. We've come to love "The Bedtime Hour," with In the Night Garden being one of the last shows, and then a bedtime story and singing the bedtime song.

(His performance is not as robust as it sometimes is...both boys are just getting over colds. But still very cute, huh?)

Documenting the little (Belgian) things

journaling reads:
Most stores have self-scan checkouts these days, but our local Belgian grocery store has scanners that you take with you while you shop. I thought it was a little unusual at first, but it's been very quick and convenient for us. First you sign up and get a barcode keychain. When you shop, you go to the rack where all the scanners sit and scan your barcode. One of the scanners will light up, and you take that one with you. The shopping carts even have holders for the scanners. As you pick items you scan them, and you can fill your shopping bags knowing that you won't have to pull everything back out at the end. When you're done you go to the self-scan checkouts, put the scanner back in another rack, and scan your barcode. The checkout machine lists out everything you've scanned and asks you how you want to pay, and you proceed like normal. Depending on how often you shop, an attendant will sometimes come over and scan a few items just to make sure that you haven't snuck something in without scanning it...but for the most part it is an honor system. It was simple for me to shop with Zach in the stroller and the shopping bag in the stroller basket (which fit perfectly) and just scan and go! Photographed and remembered January 2011

(click to view larger)

Since we returned home

Since we got back home, we've had pretty full days. We were either recovering from jetlag (Frank and the boys), cleaning and organizing (me), or making plans (mostly Frank). We have a lot to do before our stuff gets packed up in approximately one month.

Zach put this puzzle together about a dozen times in the couple days right after we got back. So far we're glad there's been no crying (or even asking) about any of their Christmas gift toys left at relatives' houses.


Zach is proving to still be a picky eater, but we got him to eat a little mac 'n' cheese for the first time in a really long time. Can you tell that those are Woody and Buzz?


Little Gabe turned 15 months old. He loves any attention from Zach and also bananas, unless he's full. He says "choo choo" and "uh oh" ...this is one of his "uh oh" moments--the accidently on purpose food drop.


I'm trying to capture some of the things that Frank and I comment on about our life here that maybe we don't have pictures of yet. This is a great example of Belgian tree pruning, definitely too extreme for our taste.


The boys are going to daycare a couple days a week for the next few weeks so I can get us move-ready. On this day it was unusual that they didn't run to me immediately, and I was able to sneak in for some pictures. See Zach back in the corner at the computer?


Zach is assisting us a bit in our cleaning efforts:


We thought it was about time we checked out the attic, to see if we needed to air it out or clean or whatever. I was surprised at how big and nice it is...I guess I'd always assumed it was exposed insulation and unfinished floors. We totally could have stored stuff up there. Frank reminded me, though, that it would have meant one more room to clean out.


We've been spending our down time on the big comfy couch. We're going to miss it when it goes into storage.


Oh, and Monkey accidently got left at daycare. Zach was okay with it during the day yesterday, because he had plenty of other "friends" to play with. But at bedtime he was pretty upset. I explained that we would get him back when we go in a few days, and it seemed to calm him down after a bit. We have the backup if things get desperate, but once we play that card there's no going back...so, we're just waiting to see how the next few days go...

Zach's new (old) favorite

At Katie's house on Christmas morning I was telling everyone how Zach just loves Chip and Dale lately. Emily brought up "Chip 'n' Dale Rescue Rangers," a show that I had completely forgotten about, and we listened to the theme song online. Well, while using up our Best Buy gift cards in El Paso I came across the motherlode: 27 episodes on DVD for only $15. Needless to say he's been watching and cracking up ever since...

Sunrises

It is absolutely crazy to me that we experienced two consecutive sunrises while in airplanes. Pretty, yes...

...but not the ideal length of a "travel day" with two crazy little monkeys.

Thinking about the sunrises while Zach napped on top of me during the flight, our whole day seemed symbolic of what are lives will be like over the next several months: a series of new beginnings with relatively little rest in between. I'm going to try to focus more on the beauty of these "sunrises" and less on how unprepared we feel for their arrival.

We brought it with us

...the snow, that is. We were anticipating somewhat warmer weather down here in El Paso, but nope, just more snow and chilly temps. The boys are still having fun, though. Happy 2011 :)