Laughing (and photos)

Because quite a few of you don't even know that John has a blog as well, here is the video he just posted.



And the link to a flicker set with all our photos from the last three months.

(John actually has two blogs. The second is focused on social media marketing.)

The News

A lot of you know at least some of this already. Here is the whole story of why my husband is amazing. (He would write this himself, but as you'll see by the end, he's pretty busy.)

We've been talking about moving for, what, 2 years now? The thing holding us back was John not being ready to start a job search. After Edward was born, we realized that Heavenly Father had stopped gently nudging and had started shouting. So John started looking around and updating his resume. But until two weeks ago, not applying for anything.

About a month ago, John found a great position in North Carolina. He was excited and made a big push to have his resume ready. After two weeks of rewriting, having others look at it, and rewriting again, it was an incredibly powerful resume. I think my dad even swore (by association) about how good a section was in the last draft. Plus a perfectly tailored cover letter and an email that would get their attention. It really would have been shocking for this company to NOT respond.

Respond they did. Less than twelve hours later they asked for salary requirements and whether or not we would be willing to move. So John took the weekend to research and make sure he asked for the right salary. This was tough. Coming from the Northeast, we worried that they would consider even his current salary too high, but we aren't moving without a raise b/c we plan to buy a house. After agonizing, John felt good about the range he gave them (a range b/c it would depend on benefits, obviously.)

We were stunned when the next morning, they responded that they were going to make someone else an offer. The wording told us that they had been waiting on this other candidate b/c they thought John might be better, but that our salary request ended that. Ouch.

My great husband, not willing to have things end that way, emailed back that he was glad they found someone and asked about what it was they had been looking for from us, so that we could have a better idea when applying to other jobs in the area. We were so glad to hear back that John hadn't asked for too much. They realized after reviewing John's qualifications and the job description, that they had created a job that was a higher level position than they had intended. So they actually changed the job description and John was overqualified. And they offered to be available to answer questions about the area if we do continue to look for work there. Which we are.

It was kind of a roller coaster for about a week with this company (and John didn't even make it to an interview!), and we were sorry that it didn't work out with them. They were clearly a company of good people. But the amazing response has been so motivating for both John and I. He spends every moment he can on his job search and I've started working on getting us ready to move.

You should see us. John is doing only his one big chore (dishes) and childcare when I need him to and spends the rest of his time on the computer. I've been dejunking, working on using up the food in the pantry rather than restocking, and packing. Yes, packing. I've already packed up some of the files we don't use regularly and am heading to the bookshelves next. On top of keeping our house cleaner than usual and the addition of a newborn. Crazy, I know.

So, my husband is amazing. When he finally started his job search, he did it with a bang. And it's helping me accomplish more in a day than I previously did in a week b/c I'm so excited for the change.

Wish us luck! If anyone has any leads for an Internet Marketing Specialist (particularly in the Cary, NC area, but it doesn't have to be) let us know!!

Backseat Driver

Who taught my son to drive??? How did Ethan learn the rules of the road??? I may have answered a few questions without thinking about the consequences.

"Two hands on the wheel! ... Higher...Higher...Good." My hands must be at 10 and 2 at all times.

"Mom. MOOOM! Slow down!" As we approach a red light that I am already slowing down for.

"GO. Green light means GO!!" Apparently I don't hit the gas quickly enough for him.

"Mom, you're driving too fast." or "Can we drive faster? We're going too slow." Usually he's right when he says these.

Aren't Babies Supposed to Sleep?

Edward started out as a fabulous sleeper. He made babies seem so easy. Then, it started to change. Our first thoughts were that it was a gas issue. So I lived without vegetables and chocolate for nearly two months. No chocolate for two months!! But he was still getting worse.

So two weeks ago, I took Edward in to have his ears checked and to discuss formula options. After going over his symptoms, the dr asked a few questions and said he suspected that reflux was the problem, not gas. So we started the boy on Zantac.

Miracle of miracles, it worked! For about a week and a half. Suspecting a few other things that could be keeping him up (earache, hunger, etc...) I took him in again. After I made this appointment, the office called and changed the time b/c our dr was covering the nursery and there were more babies that needed extra attention than usual. The new time was decidedly less convenient. I grumbled. I considered canceling. I could have called and had his zantac dose raised without having to go in and pay the copay.

But I'm so glad I didn't! Not because something was horribly wrong. All we ended up deciding was that he needed a higher dose (surprise, surprise). BUT... because I was concerned that my milk supply has been decreasing already, and the boy will need one of those "special" formulas (read: expensive), the dr gave me some. No, not just some, a CASE! Six whole cans! The twenty dollars for the copay wouldn't buy one! Have I told you I love our pediatrician?

And yes. Edward is sleeping better already. We'll just need to up his dose of Zantac every so often to keep it that way.

Listening to the Man in the Moon

Ethan: I see a circle!

John: That's the moon!

Me: Do you see the man in the moon? His eyes, nose and mouth?

Ethan: Yes... Does he talk?

Me: I don't know

Ethan: Shhhh! Be quiet and listen!

Quiet

John: (in funny voice) Ethan, this is the moon

Ethan: Dad, be quiet and listen!

Quiet

Me: What is the moon saying?

Ethan: He's talking about the prophet. And cars. . . . Be quiet! . . . He's talking about buildings and building houses. And trucks.

(Yes, we know that seeing the moon means we had Ethan out waaaay too late. But we were celebrating my awesome husband. More when we know more!)

What I Did Today

I was going to post about all of the things I accomplished today. The rooms I cleaned, the laundry I did, the kids I bathed, etc. I was very proud of myself. Until I realized that the most important thing I'd done all day wasn't all the things I cleaned, but all the things that Ethan cleaned.

Yes. I said Ethan cleaned. I was in a "need to clean" state of mind, and Edward was napping well, but I realized that a bored or mischievous Ethan could be a stumbling block. One that trips me up many a well-intentioned day. So I knew I needed a better plan.

I'm not sure I can remember how I did it, but I got Ethan excited about cleaning with me. He helped pick up and vacuum the living room. He cleaned up his room with only minimal direction from me. He wiped down the kitchen chairs. He even "swept" and "mopped" the kitchen!

All that I managed to accomplish around the house today pales in comparison to what I was able to accomplish with my son. I couldn't be happier.

For some great advice on teaching your kids to work with you, see Lara's series of articles. I am truly amazed by what she has accomplished with her children.

He is a Poop Ma-chine. Poop Ma-chine.

Yes, that would be Edward. He's the poop machine in the factory of messes and gross smells that is our home.

Can anyone name the reference? (Besides my husband, of course.)

Update: I'm not surprised that no one knows the reference. It's from "Can't Hardly Wait", one of John's favorite movies. It's a teen comedy thats still funny and cute all these years later. And no, Olaf, the non-english speaking exchange student, did not say "poop".

Need a Little Spring

I don't know that I've ever been so sick of winter. I've even stopped wearing a coat in protest. (When it's not below freezing, of course. I'm not that crazy.) I'm dreaming of the day that it will break 40 degrees for more than an hour or two. And when the wind dies down so that it doesn't make that 40 feel like 32. Once it hits the 50s, I'm breaking out the shorts. Who's with me!

So, for anyone else here in the northeast who just needs a little spring, go here and click away.

What Quirky Boys I Have

All the better to love them.

We all know that Ethan is quirky. Some days, he's downright weird.

Our favorite oddball behavior is talking about himself in the third person. "Ethan wants his cuppy." It makes me want to laugh every time. I just love it.

He also insists on picking his own clothes. When he was first learning to dress himself, I didn't mind the bizarre clothing choices because I didn't have to put them on him. Now I realize that I missed a teaching opportunity somewhere b/c he only ever wears t-shirts and sweatpants, and they NEVER match. Except for sundays when he insists on a shirt and tie like dad. (The first week this popped up, my son wore an orange plaid shirt and a bright red infant sized tie that barely came to his belly-button. In public! He now has a nice white shirt and several ties in the right size, and the offending orange and red ensemble has been packed away.)

The most disgusting quirk of Ethan's involves poop. (Skip this paragraph if you're squeamish!) He likes to see it so that he can tell us how gross it is. I think saying "eeeeeewwwwwwwwww" gives him the giggles. He even thinks its hilarious when Edward poops because you can hear it from the next room. Today, he pushed me a little too far with this obsession. He called out "Mooom. My fingers are dirty..." Those words combined with his 'enticing' tone of voice gave away the surprise. He didn't have a nice mommy during the cleanup.

Edward's little quirks are still just cute.

He would much rather be upright than laying down, and he reminds us very clearly when we forget. We have to hold him so that he's sitting or looking over our shoulders. I've even had to learn how to keep him sitting up in the sling while he's still inside it. This probably started before we discovered and began treating his reflux, but it has definitely continued b/c he want to be able to see better. He's incredibly social and can't stand to be left out.

He also loves to be naked. He takes after his namesake that way.

And my personal favorite, you can relax him by rubbing the bottoms of his feet. Cute and useful.

I'd list John's quirks, but that might push him to name some of mine. And no one wants that.

How to get AAA to come in 10 minutes or less!!

The magic words are "There are kids locked in the car!"

So, we've been having some car trouble. (It's all Grandma J's fault!) The battery had been dying, so we took it in to be replaced. (It's just too cold outside to do it ourselves.) Our shop is great and they checked the battery before pulling it out. It wasn't having any trouble holding a charge, so they did a little more investigating and found that the light-box, a ridiculously expensive bunch of relays, was constantly drawing power. It took a few days to get the new box, so I had to pull out a fuse every time the car was parked. Friday, it was replaced.

We didn't drive the car at all yesterday. When John got in to drive to church this morning, it was dead. Again. I was already gone, so our neighbor gave him a jump. Once John made it, I told him how to pull out the fuse.

Jump to after church. John loaded both kids into the car and started it to check the battery before replacing the fuse. It was fine, so John hopped out and popped the hood. Because it was cold, he closed the car door. Not a problem b/c the doors were all unlocked. EXCEPT that when the fuse is replaced, it locks the doors. Don't ask me why, it just does. And yes, we really should have a duplicate made of the key.

John tried to get Ethan to unbuckle himself and unlock the door, but he's never done it before and I'm not sure he has the hand strength yet. He did manage to wiggle his arms out and reach his lock, but he couldn't pull it up. Both John and I tried the unlock code on the door (it has those buttons above the handle), but that stopped working ages ago and we didn't really expect it to work. Edward, of course, started screaming only moments after we realized we couldn't get in.

AAA responds REALLY fast when kids are locked in cars. That was the first thing I said and the woman on the phone immediately asked for our location, had her supervisor start calling the closest place, and promised they'd be there in less than 10min before she even verified that we were members. It was pretty impressive.

The most amazing thing to me was that I wasn't even worried. I think John was much more worked up, and I knew that the appropriate reaction was freaking out, but it just didn't seem like that big of a deal. Edward would survive crying for a few minutes, Ethan would be a trouper, and we'd be able to comfort them both when we got in. Maybe I'm a little too laid back about my kids.

Field Trip to the Aquarium

Last week our little preschool took a field trip to the Boston Aquarium. Grandma J happened to be out, so she helped us with the kids and acted as photographer. (Thanks again!!)

Watching the penguins.

All four in one shot! This never happens.

Holding a starfish.

The stroller brigade

And Edward slept through it all