2008_12_30 Tuesday

Jonathan woke up earlier than usual, but not by a lot. Of course, he yelled out for Opa, Oma, Raj, Shannon, Tino, and daddy, before settling for me. He also had a lovely case of the green boogies, so we had to bail out of our morning playgroup (which ended up inside, so that was ok) and a sing-a-long at the library with Erin and Jake. I tried to keep him really hydrated with juice, clementines, and grapes. He seems to be fine otherwise, and by the afternoon, the green had turned to clear, so I'm hoping that it was a one-day boogie.

We had one plumber come by this afternoon to check out our water issues. Need two more plumbers, and hope this one will give me an estimate by Friday. Tino finished the dining room! It looks amazing. The living room and foyer need one more coat each, which he'll do tomorrow. The den is still a works in progress since the plumber's recommendations will impact Tino's work/progress.

I managed to write nearly all of my (and Jonathan's) thank you notes today. We'll walk those to the mailbox tomorrow.

We're expecting a VA friend and his girlfriend tomorrow. They're coming up to be in Times Square for New Years. More power to 'em; won't catch me there!!! The local area has a First Night, although the plumber said the wx is supposed to be really unpleasant. Better talk to Opa.

2008_12_29 Monday

Gesh, it's been almost a full week since I've updated this, and so much has happened!

Wednesday: we visited Julia and Amanda (and Pio) in the morning. Joe came home early, so we got to see him too. The kiddies played and then we had lunch. We had to motor after that. Shannon and Raj's flight was delayed by a long shot. Oma and Opa actually beat us home since we picked up Dave at the train station. Weather wasn't great, so I didn't want him walking home. We put up and decorated the Christmas tree, finally! We all made and ate dinner; then they finally called from Newark. So, the whole party did make it, just not quite at the times we had expected. We--Jonathan--did open one gift: an incredible rocking chair my uncle made for him. amazing.

Thursday: Christmas day was truly wonderful. Steve/Vicky and gang stopped by on their way south. It was so nice to have the family together. Jonathan really got into opening gifts. It was just so nice to spend time together. We made dinner and hung out. Unfortunately, Dave came back down with the food poisoning problem, making us think that it wasn't actually food poisoning but rather a stomach bug of some sort.

Friday: Dad, Shannon, Raj, and I went to Lowe's to pick up our gift from them and to check out radiators, insulation, etc. a wild and crazy day!

Saturday: What a pleasant surprise that Holly, Kate, and Grandpapa came for the day, to celebrate mom's birthday early. We had a great time mingling with them and telling stories.

Sunday: stinky day: everyone left really early. We had to get S/P back to Newark...and their plane actually took off on time. a miracle. Mom and dad headed out around the same time. That sucked. But, we packed up the car and headed south for the day and got to spend a good amount of time with Grandma Cathy, Grandpa Bob, and Keriann, and Jen/Chad and gang came by in the afternoon. It was really nice to see them; I'm not sure Keri had met Jonathan before! It was a long, but well worth it, day.

Monday: so, here we are again. Dave's back at work again. The house is quiet, although Tino is here working. Jonathan slept until about 11:30, although I definitely heard him a couple of times before he was really up. And, he immediately asked for Opa, Oma, Raj, and Tino. He was disappointed that the first three were unavailable. I've connected with three plumbers to get estimates on some jobs here. My new fridge was delivered!! Poor guys really had to work to get it in the house. Jonathan is napping again. He's pooped, and we need to get him back on track!!

Check out Picasa for the newest pictures and videos!

2008_12_22 Tuesday

Oh Boy! The Hardwick parents were struck by a nasty case of food poisoning. Dave was less affected than I was. I was in baaaad shape: could hardly sit up right, couldn't stomach the smell of food, and was achy and pins/needles everywhere. Poor Jonathan really got screwed yesterday with being confined. We think it must have been the rice and pork that I made, although it could have also been from cold cuts over the weekend. Dave decided against going to wrestling practice last night to give me time to rest.

Jonathan decided to get up around midnight last night. But, by then I was feeling much better. And, today, I'm feeling good. Gesh, I hope it's out of my system by now.

We managed to get to the recycling center this morning. We've accumulated probably a month and a half's worth of recycling since we've missed the pick-up dates for the last 2+ times. So, that was a good thing to get done. Patrick's  parents just came by to pick up gifts (which I brough up from VA). Now, once Jonathan wakes up, we'll hit Target and the grocery store one last time and be ready for everyone tomorrow!! yipppeee!!

2008_12_21 Sunday

The morning was a bit rushed today. Once we all got up, we jumped into the car, ate on the road, and headed to PA for Izzy's birthday party at Bouncetown. It was about 1 3/4 hr drive, which was longer than I had anticipated, so we got there as the party was well underway. Jonathan and Dave got to climb around on the equipment for a little bit while I mingled with the family at took some photos (up shortly). Then, we had the party part with pizza and cupcakes. We headed back home around 2:15, so we arrived just after 4. I took a short nap while the boys played. Then, it was dinner time, bath time, and bed time (for all of us!). We didn't forget Advent; he saw a small package and kept saying "truck," when it was really a bath frog (he's starting to "ribbit"). We watched some TV and called it a night.

2008_12_20 Saturday

We woke up to about a half-foot of ice-covered snow this morning. All the trees, even those without leaves/needles, are weighed down. It's very peaceful looking.

As I was changing his diaper and getting him dressed, he started singing "The Wheels on the Bus"! Of course, he didn't have the words, but he did have the melody...pretty much. That was pretty cool.

We hiked into town to the diner. Jonathan was bundled up in his snowsuit. He looks pretty silly, but it's warm and comfortable for him. It took awhile to unlayer once we got to our table! The coolest thing happened there too: we sat directly under a clock, so Jonathan pointed it out as a ball. Once he understood that it was a clock, he found two others in the diner and pointed to them, saying "clock"! how cool. 

He's going down for a nap in a few minutes. I swung by Sears to pick up his pictures from almost two weeks ago. The mall was insane, and parking was a disaster. And, we've got a holiday party at one of Dave's high school buddy's homes tonight. They apparently got 10+ inches of snow last night.

The party was really nice. It was all families (Tara/Brian, Debi/Bryan, Joey/Lauren, and Liz/Marc), so the kiddies got to mingle too. If you can believe, Jonathan stayed up until 11pm! He did great, exploring the balls on their Christmas tree and playing with all the toys. I drove us home (arrived around 12:30). We were all pooped. Boy, I think we all could have slept for a day!

2008_12_19 Friday

Guess who woke up with Dave this morning at 6am? not me...well, I did too, but it was Jonathan! So, our day got going sort of early today. We snuggled for about an hour, and then I put him back down and got a couple more minutes of shut-eye. That must have been his morning wakeful time, as he slept until after 11am. We missed our library storytime today! Somehow having breakfast at 11:30 felt strange. I, however, got a ton of freelancing done! 

It started snowing...hard...around 8, and Tino called at 9 to say it was too dangerous for him to come (hmmm). He claims he can be done by Tuesday. I don't believe him. It's stopped now, but we're under about 3-4 inches of dust. It looks pretty out there, so we may go for a walk into town later. 

After 'breakfast,' I cleaned up Tino's tarps, etc, vacuumed the dining room up, and we dumped Jonathan's bin of 'tuuuuuuuck' out to play. Now I really wish I had the basement plan finished since we could leave his toys down there. Oh well. The dining room works well for now.

Have a plumber scheduled for an estimate on Monday to snip the pipes in the den. Because of that, we'll have to postpone finishing the den until 2009. boo hiss. was really hoping to have it done for Christmas. Still need to find two more quotes, but the mom's group has a couple of recs. Also leaned on them (and the utl company) for advice on 'weatherizing/winterizing' this old house. I went around this AM with a candle to see if the outlets are leaky, but didn't see any flame movement (and realized that most of the outlets are on internal walls). Considering sealing windows/doors and insulating the attic (maybe via a blower?).

We ventured out in the snow tonight to pick up Dave from the train station. That was not smart on my part. I knew the temps were fine, but I expected the roads and sidewalks to be prestine (eventhough ours are not). Oh what a fool I was. Pushing the stroller with J2 packed in like a snowman was a stupid move. But, I did mail our Blockbuster movie back. By the time I got to the post office, the freezing rain started! So, I called Dave and told him that he'd probably catch up with us since we needed to head home. His train was late, so we beat him back. I had to have Jonathan walk up our driveway b/c the stroller had no traction at all (and I carried it to the garage). Bottom line: it was nice to be outside, although strollers don't work in snow.

2008_12_18 Thursday

Today we participated in a really neat event through the mom's group. We went to the local old folks' home and played for about an hour. The residents all sat in a circle and the kiddies (and moms) played in the middle. They seemed to really enjoy watching all the little kids play. And, Jonathan was a true ham after he warmed up. He was waving and blowing kisses to all the ladies; they ate it up. He offered up his sippy cup to one of the men. I got so many questions about his red hair, it made me laugh. We were only there for about 45 minutes, but it seemed to fly by. And, gosh, what a feel-good thing to do...especially so close to the holidays. I think I'll try to do this event each month going forward. It seemed to make the residents' day to see all the youngsters and interact with them and the moms.

We met up with Iris and Finn in the afternoon. She's a riot. She forgot her wallet, so I paid for her mail to Europe. The boys played at a local playground, but their ramps were still pretty frozen so Jonathan had a tough time maneuvering. Plus, the equipment is intended for slightly older, so there are parts he can fall out of. It was really nice to see Iris though. And, Finn is so sweet with Jonathan, sharing and watching out for him. love it.

2008_12_17 Wednesday

Somehow I missed Tino this morning, so he called me as we were finishing off breakfast and came back. I sure didn't hear a doorbell or even a knock, so I don't know what happened. Regardless, he's here and I've spoken to him about our deadlines. I sure hope he can make them!

We've got a playdate at 4 today. So, I ran Jonathan around in the 'snow' in the backyard to tire him out so he could take a good, long nap. He basically swept all the snow off his outside toys and two benches out back. He was awfully cute, too, in his snowpants, parka, skull cap that kept falling over his eyes so he looked like that guy in Fat Albert, and mittens that kept falling off when he swept the snow, and boot that may be a size too big. So my grand plan failed miserably; he's been whining in his bed for a good 90 mins (and I've checked on him twice to be sure he's dry). It sounds like he's down now so he should get a good 2 hrs, but he certainly won't get his ueber-nap today. oh well. I tried. Got the house budget done -- oh joy.

2008_12_16 Tuesday

IT'S SNOWING!!

It's our first real snowfall! Funny, since Jonathan and I were outside earlier today and it sure didn't feel cold enough. Wow. it's so pretty; the flakes are really big and coming down at a decent clip. I'll have to get a shot of it b/c I doubt it will stick. It only lasted for about 30 mins and then melted very quickly. I stand corrected; we have a decent dusting of snow accumulation! not sure when that actually happened (it did stop for awhile), but there's definitely white stuff out there, and it's still falling!

Our morning playgroup was canceled due to the weather, plus the equipment would have been wet and the ground soggy. Instead, w ran a bunch of errands: to the post office, to the bank, and bought a gift for Izzie's birthday party this weekend. Tino isn't coming today (and he wasn't here yesterday) b/c he's sick. I feel badly for him, but I really don't want to be under construction when everyone arrives for Christmas. That will really burn me up. The cleaning ladies came today -- I've had it with all the dust -- and the house smells so clean. I love it. They were a hoot flirting with Jonathan. Too bad they only speak Portuguese; would love to know what they say! ;o)

Dave's due home late b/c of a work meeting. Jonathan failed his second attempt at a nap because of a stinky diaper. When I came in and asked him if he was stinky, he plugged his nose! I nearly fell over (laughing, not from the smell! well...). So, I changed him -- he plugged my nose -- and then he went down...finally. It's dinner time for him right now, though, and he's still zzz-ing away. Guess it's ok since he'll get to see Dave now. He had fish sticks, veggie mix, blueberries, and grapes for dinner. He kept asking for and pointing at more "gips" -- too funny. And, for Advent he got 4 holiday stickers and a small candy cane (probably very unsafe). He drooled the sticky, icky drool and got it all over his fingers (see picture); then, he refused to give it up and tried to hide from me against the wall. Sneaky little guy. Dave got home right in time for bath duty.

I slow cooked a chicken (not one of Oma's!) so we'll be having leftovers tonight! yummy.

2008_12_15 Monday

If you can believe, that kid slept past 10am today! I nearly stormed in to make sure he was breathing. Once we got going, I picked up a Freecycler's toys (a la Christmas) and we passed a grocery store, so I thought we'd better try it out. I really liked it, but it's a bit far for multi-week visits. When we got home, Jonathan napped until after 5, so we didn't get to mail our first Ebay sale. That's first on our to-do's tomorrow. I started up the slow-cooker with a whole chicken (should be ready around 8:30pm). And I got to work on some of my freelance gigs.

We picked up Dave at the train tonight. The wx was gorgeous. Hardly needed a coat! So, we (importantly, Jonathan) walked the entire way there. We only waited a couple of minutes before Dave arrived. Then, it started to drizzle so one of us carried Jonathan home. He was making the funniest, cutest expressions all the way home. He ate dinner and opened his 7th truck for Advent. This time, when he saw the wrapping, he said "tuuuck;" I wonder if he thinks that all gifts are trucks. And, as I got him ready for bed, he was bee-bopping and trying to count (using his thumb as 'one'). It made me laugh out loud. He's such a cool kid.

Dave's off to wrestling practice. Jonathan's in bed. House is quiet. aaaah.

2008_12_14 Sunday

Since we went to the diner yesterday, we had breakfast at home today: McHardwicks and Aunt Jemima blueberry waffles. yummmy. Then we packed up the car and got a Christmas tree. If you can believe, it's the first one we've ever had!! I hope the cats are ok with it. It has very soft needles and pinecones still attached! who needs to decorate it now??! I also got lights for outside for Dave to hang, but that will probably have to wait until next weekend (after we get gutter clips).

2008_12_13 Saturday

We got up late today (given that Jonathan and I hung out around 3am -- ugh) at 10. Once we finally got ourselves together, we went down to the diner for some breakfast. We shared blueberry pancakes, choco chip pancakes, sausages, and fruit salad between us.

Then, we had an adventure. We went into the Bronx to Steve's fire house for their holiday party and to see Santa. I have to say that it still gives me chills to be among these heros who are willing to sacrifice their lives for strangers a la 9-11 (In fact, they got called out during the party.). The guys are such wonderful, generous men. We met up with Steve and Catherine. Bobby is sick so he and Vicky stayed home. They had tons of homemade (or firehouse-made) food, Jonathan chased Catherine around and she watched him like a hawk, and we got to sit in a real fire truck (see photo album)! Then, Santa and an elf arrived. Jonathan, who was second behind Catherine to be called up, freaked out when he and Dave went up to get his gift.

We were invited to our backyard neighbors' Hanukkah party tonight, but we're all a bit beat (Jonathan's nap was in the car on the way home), so we may opt for whatever's on the DVR instead.

2008_12_12 Friday

We're baaaaaaaaack. The trip to VA was nice. We stayed at Chez Brogan and rate it very highly. I saw Willy and Brent (and randomly bumped into a college friend (Jared) from CT!) during the day, Laura/Holly for dinner, and Liz to pick up baby stuff. Missed Marcy, Mo, Megan -- hmmm, seems like I missed the Ms this trip. That was a bummer.
Jonathan did a great job; he slept for 3.5 hrs on the way home. I was shocked. And, he slept in the pack-n-play as well as can be expected. Both nights were tough (15 mins of crying) to get him down, likely b/c everything was unfamiliar. He's pretty funny in the car these days, pointing out every airplane, biiig truck, truck, bus, train, and car he sees and repeating it until I acknowledge him.
He didn't seem to love Pugsley Porter; I think his licking and excitement scared J2. He did get a kick out of the Brogan black cats, who slept for hours after Jonathan chased them around with cat wands.
I saw the old house. It doesn't look like anything has changed, although they seem to park out front, so I wonder what they're doing with the garage. Otherwise, it sure doesn't look like the town has changed all that much. It was a bummer, too, that the weather wasn't very nice. Otherwise, we would have gone to the park during the day. The rain put a damper on things, though.

We played around a bit today until it was time to get Dave. Poor Jonathan was bundled up as though we were going to face a blizzard. Then again, the kid was warm. We continued with our Advent tradition, and it really seems like Jonathan is starting to pick up counting. He loves "twooo" and "teeeeee" if we give him a "one". And, of course, if he gets a truck as a gift, he goes bizerk!

2008_12_09 Tuesday

Well, again, Jonathan was up earlier than usual, but this time it was closer to 9, so I was pleased. We shared blueberry waffles for breakfast. He also had some fruit, while I had coffee. We missed the first half of our weekly playgroup, but there were still some folks there when we showed up at 10:30. I thought it was going to be as cold as it was yesterday, so Jonathan was in a snow suit. A bit overkill once we actually got outside. This was the very first park I went to as an M&M member. Tiffany/Christopher and Erin/Jake stayed with us for awhile. I think we stayed until close to noon. On the way home, we stopped to get some groceries. Then, it was home home home to get someone into bed. Jonathan slept for 4.5 hours!! no joke. He must have been absolutely exhausted from the playground.

That freed me up to do some freelance work. Then, when he finally got up (I was getting a wee bit nervous), we had a linner of toasted raviolis w/ dipping tomato sauce. And, we had to rush out to pick up the cats' food before the vet closed. Then, we came back into town to deposit a check, mail two things, and pick up Dave's drycleaning. And, we met Dave at the trainstation with a few minutes to spare!

Since little one slept so long, we pushed back bedtime until 8:30. The boys played for a bit, then J2 ate, we did the Adventskalendar, and Dave gave him a bath. We'll eat soon and then get back to the freelancing!

Might have radio silence from me for a few days; we're off to VA!!!

p.s. tomorrow is Jonathan's 17 month birthday! huurrraaahhh!

2008_12_08 Monday

Jonathan woke up much earlier than usual today: close to 8am. So, I let him play alone in his room for a bit. I really don't want to encourage an early wake-up like that.

After breakfast, we visited one of the local kiddy boutiques for a singalong with my friend Erin. The place was packed, and they did a really nice job, singing for about 30 mins. It was so cold walking over and back, though. The bank said 29 degrees, but the light wind must have made it much colder.

My friend Iris brought her newborn over around noon. Jonathan was up for a little bit, but luckily it was his naptime. So, he went down, and I focused on Henry. Soon enough, he fell asleep on my chest. Other than Tino pounding away, the house was silent for a good hour. Iris picked up Henry around 2. And Jonathan woke up to say goodbye!

Then I realized that we had a make-up photo shoot at 3, so we boogied over to Sears. Jonathan did a fantastic job this time. There were so many great shots, but I could only have one pose. Then, I treated us to Burger King for a very late lunch. And, on the way back to the car, we passed Gap, which was having a sale and for which we have a gift card burning a hole in my wallet. I got three tops and a pair of pants and still didn't use up the card! By then, though, Jonathan was done. So, we rushed home so he could get his second nap in.

It's unlikely that we'll get to pick up Dave today (due to the cold AND that J2 will likely still be asleep). Oh, and Tino got the drywall up on the ceilings in the living room and dining room, and he's working on the den right now. I think they'll get it done today! yippee!!!

2008_12_07 Sunday

We woke up to a light dusting of snow today! I guess the winter is here. The local bank said it was 39 degrees, so it wasn't all that cold. We walked into town for breakfast, Dave's treat, at the local bagel shop. The town was deserted, but the bagel shop was hopping. The sucky thing about that place is that they don't have highchairs or booster seats, so Jonathan sat on a normal seat and on our laps. It's a little more stressful than necessary. But, the food is good.

Yipeee!! I'm done with Christmas shopping!!! everyone has been accounted for!! yeah!

2008_12_06 Saturday

Oh boy were we good this year! St. Nickolas came and left a lot of loot! Jonathan got a big boy plate, sippy cup, table covers, and a security lock (for cabinets)! Dave got local honey, two types of tea, and some blueberry sticks to share. And, I got a 2009 day calendar! how did he know!?

We rushed over to our diner for a quick breakfast of blueberry pancakes, sausages, applesauce, french toast, and french fries between the three of us. Then, we picked up a trunk-load of flagstones through Freecycle. What a funny experience: the 80+yo wife peered out of her window and yelled at her 80+ yo husband for giving away stuff she wanted. So she came outside to supervise us lugging around these stones. Hubby said something like: "Gesh, you haven't cared about these stones for 15 years! what's the big deal!?" Dave and I could barely contain ourselves. But, we got a bunch of really big, heavy ones. I followed up with hubby to say that if wife changes her mind, we'd love to get the rest of them. We're planning on replacing the front steps (currently wooden) with these (more stable) flagstones.

Oh no! While Dave was putting the flagstones away, Jonathan and I were walking around the back yard. He took a tumble into an azalea bush and literally ate some dirt. Now, he's got a couple of scratches on his face, esp a noticable one down his little nose. Ugh! and we have an appt at Sears for Christmas photos on Monday afternoon!

Maplewood has a tree lighting ceremony at 1:30 today, and the fat man arrives at 4:30. I think we'll miss the tree lighting due to a nap, but we should make it to see Santa's arrival. Jonathan got up in time for us to have a quick slice of pizza (along with 1/2 of the town) and get to the town square. We saw him!! He came in by trolley limo. See pix: http://picasaweb.google.com/hardwicks03/2008_12_06Santa The rest are at home, goofing around. You should be able to see the nose scrape from this morning. :o( Oh, and you'll be able to see a little bit of the new paint job too!

2008_12_05 Friday

I slept horribly last night. I laid there for nearly four hours, wide awake. Was about to pick up my book to read, but my eyes were tired (luckily). Then, my alarm clock didn't go off for some reason; I woke up though. And, Jonathan got up about 20 mins earlier than usual. We had fake blueberry waffles this morning, but he didn't seem to like them very much. I even gave him a dallop of maple syrup. no dice.

Tino hadn't arrived by the time we left for storytime at the library. It was a lot of fun, but it was chaos too. There were easily 50 kids there, and it seemed like no one was watching half of them. Cheryl and Gavin showed up, so that was fun. And, a little girl Jonathan's age seemed infatuated with him. She'd lean over my shoulder and fall into my lap with a huge smile so she could get a closer look at him, and he wasn't having any of it. She was really cute, though.

ugh, and I bumped into Jerry, the first contractor I talked with when we first moved in, at the bank as I was depositing a check. what timing. Oh, and on the walk home, I swear I saw snow flakes!!!

Tino came by around 2 and worked on the purple ceiling in the foyer. It looks so much better in white!! Already the room looks 10xs brighter.

With Jonathan down for a nap, I laid down too. I was so pooped from last night's lack of sleep. Once he was up and fed (circa 3:30/4), we headed out for some quick errands. Then, a carpet guy came by at 6 for the den. Yeah! Install is 12/22 or sooner if Tino can finish off that room faster.

Don't forget to put your shoes out tonight. St. Nickolas comes by to all the good kids.

2008_12_04 Thursday

We started off the day a bit earlier than usual: 8:15! That actually worked out really nicely, since we went to coop-sit Gavin at 9:30. So, J2 was fed and ready to play. We were there until about noon (Cheryl and I gabbed for awhile after she got home).

Then, I had to swing by a Freecycler's home to pick up 3 bags of clothes for J2. It's all stuff that is way too big for him right now, but I can file it away for later. I rushed home to get him into bed. He was exhausted from all the fun of the morning.

After a very short nap, he had lunch. And, we played inside for a long time. At 4, he went back down for a second nap, which lasted until after 6:30. I had to call Dave to beg off from picking him up (besides it was raining too!). We high-fived as I ran out the door to the grocery store to restock on dairy goods while the boys had dinner.

When I got home, we goofed with Jonathan for a little. He actually said something very close to "Par-dough-ne" (which was first taught by Opa months ago) after he burped. We cried laughing. He's really getting the hang of twisting water bottle caps too. Before retiring, we moved PopPop's Adventskalendar and opened yet another truck from the stocking-adventskalendar. He was so excited to see a new truck (his expressions are priceless), and really worked on ripping open the wrapping.

We think he's starting to say two-word phrases, like 'bath time.' We probably wouldn't recognize the phrases out of context, but it was clear as day as he walked into the bathroom. The boys are bathing (well, one is) and then it's off to beddy-by for one.

2008_12_03 Wednesday

Oh boy. not a good start to the day. As I was changing Jonathan out of his PJs, I reached up to get a new diaper, and he flipped off the changing table and landed on the floor. He seemed more shaken than hurt, but I was far more upset. He seemed fine after some hugs and kisses. Me too.

Tino's here. He got the first coat of the living room done yesterday. It looks awesome. I'm not sure what he's planned for today (I try to stay out of his way), but I can't wait to see it. It's looking awesome. He's done the first coat for both the dining room and the living room and touch-ups for both. He's also primed the foyer for tomorrow. Yeah!

When Jonathan gets up from his nap, we're off to buy a 42" plasma tv! yippeee! Got it! it barely fit in my car with the carseat!

I've got a new freelance gig!! I'm writing laymen's explanations of various cancers. They have a detailed template for me to follow; so I just fill in the form with the ones they've assigned me.

2008_12_02 Tuesday

Jonathan is still not feeling well. His nose is quite the faucet, but I suppose that's a good thing. He's just getting tired of me wiping his nose. He had yogurt for breakfast (his appetite is still not 100%), and he kept trying to reach for the Advent calendar from PopPop and Grandma Pat. I think he really likes the movable tree.

Since it's pretty cold outside, we skipped our weekly playgroup. Instead, we rearranged his room back to how we had it. And, we played with some blocks. He's really starting to recognize objects; he showed me many of the words he knows that were images on his blocks. It's so cool to see him learning that sort of thing. Then, we read a 'new' book -- Richard Scary's big trucks book -- that I got at my shower. It's a normal paper page book, so I had to put it away for awhile. He was very gentle with it, and pointed out all the trucks, buses, cars, trains, and other vehicles. Now he's down for a nap.

2008_12_01 Monday

We've had a rough couple of days. Jonathan has a goobie nose, which makes it hard for him to breathe, especially at night. So, he was up 4+ times last night with the last one around 2am. I felt horrible for him. I've tried to give him lots of OJ and fruit, but it sure doesn't seem to be doing much.

Tino started this morning. He's preparing the walls now and will fill in dents and nicks later today; then I guess the painting starts tomorrow. We headed out to Sears to get some holiday pictures taken, and Jonathan was a disaster. He cried and clung to me, as though I was going to leave him there. We tried for about 30 mins, and then I rescheduled for next week.

Yesterday, we spent the day in southern Jersey with Jen and family. Steve/Vicky were there, as was Cathy/Bob. Donna gave us a ton of leftovers, so we had that -- along with a lazagna -- for an early dinner. Worked out well. The kids played around, and we hit the road around 6. I think we got home around 8, which is about normal. I was in bed pretty early, which was probably wise, given that I was up so many times with snotty boy.

So, two funny things just happened...
1. most of the living room is cleaned out for the painting, but my family photo collage is there, and he kept saying "Bob-E" at GG, so I showed him a picture of Bobby and he identified him. Then we went back to GG, and he said something close to "GG." I'm afraid it was more like Ditty, but we'll go with it.
2. Then, as I was sitting on the couch, he came over with his box of graham cracker things, thrust the box at me, and said "peeeeeeaaass". I could barely contain myself.

Since it is the first of December, we are starting an Adventskalendar. Luckily, we actually have two! PopPop and Grandma Pat sent us one, and I had one ready to go. So, take a look at our new pix of Jonathan figuring them out: http://picasaweb.google.com/hardwicks03/2008_12_01Advent#

2008_11_29 Saturday

Well, crapola. I got a call today from my credit card company that someone has been using my card fraudulently. What a fantastic wake-up call! It sounds like upward of $400 worth of charges in the last few days. Their analysts are going to look into it and credit back my account. This stinks. what a great way to wake up.

We packed up the car in the morning and headed to Chadd's Ford for Karl's 40th birthday party. It took us nearly three hours to get there, although it's only 90 mins away. Thanksgiving traffic was heavy! The party was really nice. They had it at their house, which made the event much more kid-friendly. Jonathan enjoyed running around after the older kids and playing with new toys. Donna and I crashed around 10; the boys went out until after 2am! We had breakfast/brunch with them the next morning and headed out to southern NJ.

2008_11_28 Black Friday

As I suspected, I didn't get a chance to post anything last night. We were in southern Jersey for most of the day at Dave's mom's. Jen and her family were there too. We had a nice time, and dinner was wonderful.

Today, we had breakfast at the diner. I felt pretty full from yesterday still! The contractor is due here at 2ish to fill out Dave's bid sheet. I'm on hold with Whirlpool, trying to order at least a fridge, but it's been 30 mins already. ugh. Jonathan is down for a nap; Dave is testing out the insulation of the den. I'm planning on finally getting that oil change and then seeing D/Pat one more time before they head back to VA. Dave is off to NY tonight to see some high school buds (an annual tradition). Then, tomorrow, we're off to PA for a friend's big 4-0 birthday part. I think we'll spend the night and then swing back by southern Jersey for a little bit.

So, the biggest news of all: Shannon is preggers!! Yeah! She's due in early June. I'll have a niece/nephew! Not all that surprised that she saved the news for a holiday; they seem to make all their big life changes over holidays! :o)

2008_11_26 Wednesday

What a day! Danielle came back to hang out with us for most of today! She joined us around 9:45, and we went to the diner. We were there for a loooong time...like, until nearly noon. Then we rushed home so that Jonathan could take a nap. He ended up sleeping for 3 hours, which was nice b/c then D and I had lots of time to catch up!

She left around 2:30, and I got Jonathan ready for our next excursion. We headed back into NYC to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloons being inflated. It was really cool. We met Dave in Penn Station again and jumped on the subway to the Museum of Natural History. The balloons were all around it, and they were huge. I have some pix, but no time to upload them. The only downside was that everyone was there, and most had strollers or little feet. The police seemed to be more of a headache than a help, in that they were stopping up the foot traffic. So, we strolled past one set of balloons; then hightailed it past the second set. After a short subway ride back downtown, we walked past the original Macy's and saw all the Christmas decorations. That was pretty cool too. Once we got into Penn Station, we realized that the trains were all backed-up: we waited in Penn Station (Dave smartly got us dinner there), we waited in the actual train, we waited at various stations, and we waited and waited. So we just got home (at 10:20). Poor Jonathan was a real trooper (or is that "trouper"?).

Probably won't be able to blog tomorrow, as we'll be in southern NJ for most of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!

2008_11_25 Tuesday

It's a grim wintry day. It was drizzling until we got far enough away from home, when it started to pour! just our luck...

Jonathan slept until about 10am today. I think it's so dark in the AM and he's got a runny nose, so it was good for him to sleep as long as possible. As we were coming down to eat, we heard the leaf truck picking up the last of the fallen leaves. We went to the porch and watched them work for a few minutes (until it got too cold for me). He came up with a new word: biii-j'uck (transl. big truck). How cute is that?! He had a decent sized breakfast: McHardwick minus muffin, Cheerios and milk, applesauce, and milk. not bad. D called, so they should be here around 2, in time for a late lunch.

Then, we started our excursion outside, only to be caught in the rain. We mailed off two letters (Sam's belated b'day card and a get-well for Marcy), deposited a check, and got a birthday present for Oma.

Now, I'm going to continue working on getting some freelance opportunities until they arrive or J2 wakes up. Oh, but I just got great news: the Puris have locked in flights for Christmas. I'm so excited!!!!

2008_11_24 Monday

Gooood morning! Our Freecycle effort was wildly successful! In fact, I've got a trade going with one of them to get his leftover flagstones for a W metal monogram we had. Yippee!

Since we didn't have milk left this morning, Jonathan and I had a lovely breakfast at the diner. We split pancakes, sausages, and applesauce, while he had milk and I coffee. It's actually a nice day so far, so we played outside on the swing/slide, train see-saw, and plastic garden set for a bit. Then we moved it inside to the t'ucks. When he started to get grouchy, it was clearly nap-time, so he's down now.

I was supposed to hear today if my freelance gig would be a go. Nothing. I'll call tomorrow. Dave sent out the first bid sheet for the kitchen project last night. Hope the contractor bites on it. We'll swing by the grocery store today. Then, on to Target (they have better prices on milk and cat litter). I got a plastic bin, labled it with a drawing of a hat, scarf, mittens, and a coat so Jonathan knows were to put his winter things. He's embracing it so far!! I also started to accumulate some small Adventskalendar goodies for him (stickers, bath toys, and t'ucks so far).

Plan is to see D/Pat tomorrow after our play group AND for b'fast on Wednesday! She called yesterday, we emailed today, and the plan is to chat tonight! yeah!!! Marcy had shoulder surgery today to test a lump; should have results on Friday. scary.

We picked up Dave and timed it perfectly. We got there no more than 2 minutes before the train. no sense in standing in the cold for too long!

Dinner was Omaha Steak burgers and homemade noodle salad.

2008_11_23 Sunday

The day's already over! Gesh, that flew by quickly.

Jonathan had breakfast around 10, but it had to be quick because Dave had big plans for us today. He and I inhaled McHardwicks (the original plan was to eat them in the car). We were off to see Catherine play her final soccer match; it was the Peachicks against the Flappers. It was pretty cold, so we bundled up as best we could. We stopped by Steve/Vicky's house to say hi to Grandma Cathy (who was off to see her girlfriends) and Grandpa Bob, and then packed back into two cars and headed for the fields. Catherine was great. Her team won by a landslide (although the don't really keep score). Then, we headed back for some QT. Jonathan was very unhappy about having to nap, but he got over it. He had a blast playing with "Bobbb-E" and "Cah-tin." Catherine made us chocolate chip cookies, which were heavenly. Vicky made us some amazing pork chops for an early dinner since Steve had to go to work. We headed out around 4:30 so Dave could get home in time for wrestling practice.
The entire way home, Jonathan kept saying a combination of these three words: "Bobbb-E" and "Cah-tin" and "all gone." It's about a 45 min drive. He really loves his cousins.
We played while Dave coached wresting, and Jonathan had an Omaha Steak hotdog, noodles, and fruit for dinner. I got to give him a bath (don't want him to think it's only a dad's job!). And, Dave read to him and put him down. Then we settled in for dinner around 8. So, it's 9; the day is pretty well over. Gesh, that happened fast.

2008_11_22 Saturday

It's a lovely fall/winter day except for the blustery wind! We took a leisurely stroll to our favorite diner to see our favorite waitress, Donna. Jonathan and I "shared" strawberries and waffles and sausages. He also stole a few bites of Dave's McHardwick-ish sandwich. Then we all goofed around for a bit before Jonathan's morning nap (which seemed to last only an hour today).

We've ordered paint for the whole first floor, and Dave is off to pick it all up now. This way, Tino will have no reason not to get it done asap! Meanwhile, I'm supposed to verify that the cabinet company has the particular cabinets we want. yikes. too much pressure.

I'm also trying to do some 'spring cleaning' of junk (like cheepy curtain rods, rod holders, etc) in the house through Freecycle/Craig's List. Eeewwwy! I am on a roll! I've taken pictures of a ton of things and have posted them on Freecycle. I've already promised a toy car that Sam (previous owner) left; it's probably antique-y or at least a collector's item, but it's not something for Jonathan to play with. I took down the wood bathroom set in the nanny suite and posted that as well. Also posted Sam's monogram that hung at our front door (like we need a W there!?). So, let the feeding frenzy start!!

2008_11_21 Friday

It seems like Jonathan's typical waking time now is between 9 and 9:30. I love it. We had a leasurely breakfast. He tried Cheerios with milk today, and it seemed to go over fairly well. I may keep at that.

Then we moozied to the library where a friend (Erin) has a singing gig. I was in charge of video-ing the performance so they can put some samples on their website...and the librarian also wants copies for their blog! Plus, we bumped into one of Dave's friend's wife (Tracy) and son (Kyle), AND they're good friends with Erin! what a small world. We may try to do a three-way playdate on a Friday.

Jonathan took a marathon nap in the afternoon. It was tough to get him down, but once he gave up, he slept for a long time! Meanwhile, I browsed around for a few more freelance gigs. He ate "lunch" around 4. Then we drove into town (yes, less than .5 miles) to pick up Dave, but we also got flowers for our dinner party, and then drove straight there. We could have walked, but it's cold, we were running late, and I didn't want to delay getting home afterward since it was going to be late anyway. We had a lovely lamb dinner with my two closest friends, their husbands, and kids. Much better than a night out, IMHO. Home by 9, and possible enough time for a short BlockbusterOnline movie! ah, what a night!

2008_11_20 Thursday

Today is Jonathan's 500 day alive! what a big day!!

He woke up around 9:30, and he had yogurt and cheese for breakfast. Then our adventure began! We took the 10:57 train into New York and then the subway to meet up with Sarah in Manhattan for lunch. While the journey wasn't outragiously relaxing for me, we had a great time. Jonathan pointed out all the vehicles he saw on the train, and he did remarkably well about being as quiet as possible. We had an unexpected train change in Newark, but the next one took us right into Penn Station (not sure why we had to change, but we rolled with it). I had to carry him much of the way b/c the trains and subways actually have a lot of stairs, and he's still too little to walk on his own, especially with so many people around. He was brilliant through it all: no squirming or acting up (then again, that angel never has, right?!?!). Lunch went well. I didn't get to eat much b/c the place we went didn't have highchairs or boosters. So, Jonathan ended up sitting like a big boy, but I held onto a limb so he didn't go careening onto the floor. I guess I fed him too much on the train b/c he wasn't all that interested in eating lunch. But, after about 90 mins of hanging out with Sarah, it was time to go again.

Rather than taking the subway back, we hoofed it through Time's Square. There was an awful lot for Jonathan to look at -- maybe too much! Luckily, the sidewalks weren't too busy. We missed the train I had tried to make by a long shot, but there was another one 30 mins later that I didn't know about. We got on that one, and he read a couple of books I had packed and watched the scenery fly by. We were home in no time...although he got stinkier and stinkier as we got closer to home. Some nice man insisted on carrying the stroller for me, which was very nice, but that precluded me from changing his diaper at the train station. Luckily, we're really close so I took care of it at home.

He went down for a later-than-usual nap and is working on about 3 hrs now. I woke him up so that he'd actually go to bed for the night at a reasonable time. We played with his farms for a bit; check out: http://picasaweb.google.com/hardwicks03/20081120500DaysAlive#. Dave came home a bit later than usual, so that worked out perfectly! He fed and bathed him, while I made dinner for us: St College sirloin, sweet potatoes, and cheesy peas.

Happy Birthday to Sam too!!!!!

2008_11_19 Wednesday

What a disaster last night was! Jonathan had a terrible time falling asleep, then woke up twice with poopy diapers, and then woke up again at 2am for no good reason. He didn't seem to actually be awake, then, either. Just crying. So, I snuggled with/comforted him for about 20 mins in the rocking chair, before putting him back down. That seemed to work. He slept until about 9:30, which was nice, but I could have used a little more.

Over breakfast, he used his own spoon to feed himself yogurt. It wasn't the prettiest I've ever seen, but he got most of it in. And, he kept pointing between his spoon, milk, and bowl, so I kept naming each one. He'd change the pattern and giggle. Pretty funny.

We played in his room with his ever growing farm, his blocks, balls, and other toys for a bit. He made the 'vrumm' sound again as he drove his wooden animals w/ wheels around his room. I guess his imagination is developing. We also read Harry the Dirty Dog, and he pointed out all of the things he knew. very cute. So, he's down for a nap now. I'm going to get the laundry going and take a little rest!

2008_11_18 Tuesday

Our contractor came by this morning to leave the cabinet brochure. This is excellent; now we can go through it to make sure we have all the right parts based on our drawing from Home Depot. He also said that we still could be done before Christmas if we get moving asap. The only concern is getting the cabinets, although he thought that they'd get delivered about a week after we ordered them. that's awesome news.

Jonathan woke up after 9:30, so delayed us getting to our Tuesday playgroup. By the time we arrived (11am!), they were all gone. I did bump into a dad who I had met before, though. So, we stayed until about noon, when J2's hands were finger-cicles. He couldn't wear his mittens AND get around on the equipment. He also bonked his head against one of the metal railings, so he's got a bit of a red spot on his forehead now. When we got home, the ladies were working, but I put J2 down anyway. He was getting very cranky (probably b/c his hands hurt too).

Dave stayed in The City late tonight b/c a buddy from VA is in town. If so, it's tomato pizza night for the JDHs!! ;o) We went to the grocery store for the pizza and got a couple other things. Then, we played with the t'uuuuucks and stacked boxes for about 45 mins before dinner. I forgot to mention a new discovery at dinner: Jonathan was pretending his sausages were trucks/cars, making the 'vrumm' sound and driving them across his tray! That's a first.

Going to bed has been a headache. Jonathan has gotten poopy about an hour after we put him down for the last couple of days. Plus, he just doesn't seem to go down as easily as he used to. I can hear him clanking away and occasionally chatting to himself, nearly 90 mins after I put him down tonight. Maybe he needs to get more energy out during the day.

2008_11_17 Monday

Oops, I forgot to write yesterday. It was a quiet day for us; we visited the ladies at the diner, and we (mostly Dave) raked.

Today is a gorgeous fall day. Jonathan slept until 9ish, and once he woke up, we played a little. I had rearranged his room a little yesterday, thinking that things would fit better. I realized Jonathan had woken up when he started banging on a piano that apparently is within arm's reach now! So, we may have to go back to the original layout.

After a yummy oatmeal and blueberry breakfast, we headed out. We went searching for some jewels for a Catherine, but I may bail on that, depending on what Vicky says. We got Dave his pills from GNC. I stopped in the $1 store to see if I could find anything for Jonathan's advent calendar, but nothing really jumped out at me. Then we hit Omaha Steaks; they're having a great sale. The freezer is ueber-packed now!! He's down now for a nap. I have a possible freelance gig in the works; just have to get the details, which I'm hoping for today. And, I've made J2's 18-mo doctor's appointment for 1/2009. Gesh, am I organized! ;o)

Jonathan had a Omaha Steak hotdog for lunch. Looks like he's got 3 more to go, since Dave can't eat those. And, I had one of four baked potatoes that Dave can't have either. But, we have so many steaks now, it's awesome!

After dinner, our handyman, Tino, came by to tell us how much paint to buy to get the first floor done. He's going to start on December 1 (or the week after T'giving). I cannot wait to have that all done!!! We'll probably have him come back after the kitchen is done to paint it rather than doing it immediately after the demo (before floor goes in). I guess it will all depend on timing and availability.

2008_11_15 Saturday

Ah, what a morning. We woke up to the plastic recycling guys at about 6 and then the normal garbage guys around 8. Then Jonathan woke up around 9. So much for sleeping in...or maybe that is for parents!

While Dave entertained Jonathan with a Little People video, I scurried down stairs to make breakfast for everyone: custom McHardwicks for all. Jonathan also got his 'bu-bay-Es,' 1/2 of a banana, and some toast. Dave got a honey water. And, I had my McHardwick, tea, and J2's leftovers.

I had the best intentions of getting some leaves up, but every time I went out, it seemed to pour harder. Guess it wasn't meant to be. I only managed to get the back porch and the front walkway. The Seton Hall Habitat for Humanity was supposed to come today, but the weather is too crappy.

We were playing with a bunch of balls in his room, and he was putting them into a glass jar (I think a roasted red pepper jar). It was pretty neat to watch him figure out which ones would fit and which ones needed to be poured out because his fist was too big to pull them out. It only took him a couple of tries. I also put a headband on his head. I cried laughing (mean, mommy): he couldn't figure out where it was in order to pull it off. Much unlike his hats, a headband is much harder to locate.

I lead the charge to get outside and rake up the leaves. All three of us were out there. Jonathan wasn't as helpful as I had hoped, but he explored around the property while I raked the front and Dave leaf-blew (?) and raked the back. Poor guy has the blisters to prove it.

Now, it's on to Omaha Steaks as a reward for our hard work today. Dave even offered to grill them! I'll happily wash dishes for that!

2008_11_14 Friday

(ugh, blogger is doing strange things and just deleted my entire entry!)

Ouch, not feeling so great this morning. How sad; I only had 2 glasses of wine and 1 beer all night. I am such a lightweight these days. I woke up with Dave this morning (6am) for a bottle of water and some aspirin. Then I got up again at 8 to get the recycling out. Of course, the cardboard people came at 10, and the plastic/metal guys have yet to show up (nearly 1). Just my luck.

Jonathan got up at 9:30 and had a very light breakfast (not even a whole McHardwick). Then we headed out to the vet to pick up the cats' food. We stopped by Home Depot to check out pricing for wood and tiles. Marginally successful, since they didn't carry the exact type of wood I was looking for. Then, we checked out a relatively new mom/pop market and got blueberries and bananas for lunch. I had wanted to visit the Benjamin Moore store to check out the paint recommendations for the kitchen, but Jonathan started to melt down. Instead, we headed home. He napped for about 2 hrs. I was able to call a few stores about the wood floors. Not too successful, though.

The weather completely fell apart; it's been rainy and ugly out. So, we couldn't really do much outside. Check out the picture I took over lunch. It's Jonathan showing where his cheeks are. He can now pull his highchair over to where we eat and return it afterward. He's even tried to climb up, but that's not such a good idea yet. Afterward, we chased each other around and played with trucks and blocks. He's napping again. This time, with much less success.

I got him up (if he ever actually slept) just after 6. In talking to Dave, he suggested we do dinner at our local Irish pub. Gesh, don't gotta ask me twice. Jonathan had a kiddy burger and did really well, although he ended up wearing an awful lot of katchup. And, he had a lot of katchup sandwich. He charmed all the ladies around us. He's fun.

2008_11_13 Thursday

It's nearly 10 and Jonathan is still asleep. I suspect, though, it's because he was up very, very late last night. I heard stirrings and a couple of whimpers until about 11! I heard some movement awhile ago, but nothing since.

Today was a bit adventure day for us all. I had an event in Greenwich Village tonight. So, I took Jonathan on the train with me (I screwed up and bought two one-ways into the city, but that's ok b/c I'll need one next week); we found Dave in Penn Station, and he pointed me in the right direction for the subway; Jonathan and Dave came home (with the help of a former Lehigh mom who lives a couple of blocks from us and has twins) on one of the busiest commuter trains. I, then, took the subway and walked a block to a coffee house where my friend was having his book debut. It was awesome. His poems are really kookie, but I also got to see 5 Waldsee folks that I haven't seen in ages. I was in charge of selling his book afterward (and after 2 glasses of wine, that may not have been a great idea). We hit some Korean bar afterward too. Then, around 9:15, I backtracked: walk, tab, train home. I was nervous about the return trip, mostly b/c I had to make the train home or be stuck (well, the trains run every hour or so, so not really "stuck") in NYC at night. And, as my luck would have it, the time that I had written down for the train wasn't when it came, so I called Dave to confirm. My instincts were right. I got home close to 11. It was really an awesome night. I had a blast. It was the first night I've been out w/o Jonathan.

2008_11_12 Wednesday

Happy birthday to Marcy!!

Today's been a pretty quiet day so far. We had breakfast of toast, McHardwicks, peaches, and reconstituted blueberries. Then we played in the porch while I transfered the cardboard recycling to a box; our recycling is overflowing. Jonathan drew a bit on his chalk easel, but that got boring (and chilly) pretty quickly. We drove some trucks around, chased the cats a bit (and gave them treats), and played in his room before his nap.

Meanwhile, I thought we'd have our flooring estimate by now, so I've left a msg with our first guy today. So far, nothing. The second guy, who came by yesterday, seemed a bit strange, but he had good reviews on Angie's List. The third guy, who speaks little English but also comes highly recommended, will be by later tonight. I talked with our general contractor who said we could still get the whole kitchen done in time for Christmas! wahooo!!

We had a playgroup today at 3-4:30 that we attended. Saw some familiar faces and met some new ones. He would not leave the plastic house there; at one point, there were 4 toddlers inside it! J2 went down at 4, since his first nap wasn't too long and he yawned on the way home. The second and third floor guys came by this evening. So, now we're just waiting on the first guy's quote. We couldn't pick up Dave for two reasons: 1) J2 was asleep, and 2) the floor guys were expected between 5-6 and showed up at about 5:50.

The Hardwick men are watching a Little People DVD (that's with Eddie and Frankie), and Jonathan is actually into it! I can hear him pointing out the t'ucks, balls, and woofs! hmmmm, what's for dinner........

Well, our little angel managed to stay awake until OUR bedtime (circa 10:30). I popped in once to find that he had thrown his pacifiers out; when I returned them, he settled down, but that was around 9:30. He was still chatting to himself when our lights went out!

2008_11_11 Tuesday

Our little angel woke up at 5am today...for no good reason. I wonder if the heater is clanging too much and bothers him. I'll look into that.

Today is St. Martin's Tag, a celebration in our part of Germany in which kids parade through town with home-made lanterns, giving pretzels to the poor, and ending up at a huge bonfire. I was planning on making a "Laterne" today. I found a small gift bag that Jonathan is going to color with his new crayons, then I'll cut out a couple of windows, I found a battery-operated candle in our Halloween box, and he carry it around. Today is also the start of Fasching. And, it's Danielle's birthday. Clearly, a busy day!!

Jonathan slept until 10:30, so we missed our morning playgroup today. He is getting really good at 'bowl' and 'spoon' although they sound more like 'boh' (not to be confused with 'ball') and 'sbuh.' I had tea, and he kept yelling out 'hot' and pointing to it and saying 'mama.' not bad, eh?! After a lengthy breakfast, we played downstairs with some trucks. He wandered over to the garbage can, opened in, and put a piece of fuzz in. Typically, I don't let him touch the garbage, but that was pretty neat to see. He's also sliding down the stairs forward on his butt; each step makes him giggle louder. We're going back and forth between sliding down forward and stepping down backward; not sure which way is safer/easier.

I really want to take my car in for an oil change, but the places around here seem to want the car for over an hour and during J2's nap time (p.s. Jonathan is pushing 4.5 hours now.). This is very inconvenient. So, that's probably not happening againg today. Instead, our #2 floor estimate guy did show up today. He's going to bring me some samples tomorrow...and hopefully a quote too. And, #3 should come by tomorrow evening. We are moving along nicely!

The house feels icy today. I've already had 2 cups of tea and have 3 layers on. My fingers are really cold. Somehow outside doesn't feel as cold.

Alas, the prince is waking up...it's lunch time (at 5pm). After a quick and light lunch, we made his first Laterne for St Martin's Tag. See the pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/hardwicks03/20081111StMartin#. We picked up Dave and then walked up and down our dark street (sorry if the pix are a bit dark!), so you could really see the glow.

Dave and J2 have spent some QT together. Time for the prince to eat and head to bed (no bath tonight). He's only been up for about 5 hrs today........

2008_11_10 Monday -- 16 Months!!

It's been a busy morning!! Jonathan actually woke up at 8 today. I've gotta figure out a way to keep the morning rays out of his window (they leak in on the sides of his black-out shades)! After a yummy breakfast of yogurt and peaches, we headed out. First stop was gas! $2.21/gallon for credit cards: amazing!! Then, a Freecycler's house for three boxes of crayons. As it turned out, a floor store was supposed to be one block away, but the address I had was a home. So, I left a msg there to see if we can get a second quote for the kitchen floor. Yeah, floor guy is coming this afternoon to take a look. Booo, he never showed.

We browsed through Target (needed diapers, wipes, etc), and I bumped into a friend who's having trouble with her twins' nap schedule, so we chatted a bit. At home, we played outside on J2's new slide and swing (from the NY Hardwicks). Jonathan LOVES it. We had an appointment for a desparately needed oil change this afternoon (after J2 wakes up and has lunch) in South Orange, but it didn't happen. We'll try again tomorrow. In the meantime, I worked on/finished off a couple of projects while he napped (lavender satchels, b'day cards, laundry, kitchen appliances, etc). He ate an entire frozen meal -- BBQ chicken w/ corn and potatoes -- for lunch! Is that a bad thing for kids?

We walked to pick up Dave today. Jonathan walked/ran a good section of it. He kept pointing to the full moon, screaming out "ball"! And, he was even more adamant about it when we tried to correct him. Pick your battles, eh? So, he's having chicken fingers, noodles w/ broccoli and cheese, and peaches for dinner.

After our dinner, I spent some time searching for kitchen appliances. I think I've found all the major players, so now it's a matter of getting a good deal on the floor...and then getting going!!!

2008_11_09 Sunday

Once we were all up and fed, we headed up to the NY Hardwicks to cheer for Catherine at her soccer game. Catherine did great; she was MVP for the first half! Dave and Jonathan explored a nearby (unused) hockey rink to get some energy out. Then, we got to spend the day with PopPop, Vicki, and Samantha, along with the NY Hardwicks. Jonathan took a nap in Bobby's bed, but it wasn't a very good or long nap. Batgirl and Supergirl made a brief appearance, although we never did get the show they promised. Next time, I hope. Jonathan raided Bobby's toy chest for 'tucks' and various animals. PopPop noticed that Jonathan does have object permanence, in that a Matchbox car slid under the coffee table so he couldn't see it, but he hunkered down and grabbed for it anyway. We had Chinese for lunch; Jonathan didn't seem to love it, although maybe he just wasn't hungry. He definitely can identify Bobby with a "Bub-E" and Catherine with a three-syllable jumble of her name too. We saw the southerners and Steve off, and then headed home. The whole way home, he was chatting to himself and yelling out "moooohn" and "tuck" and "all gone." They also generously gave us an outdoor slide and swing. When we got home, Dave and Jonathan explored it a bit. He seems to like it...Jonathan, that is! He just had dinner (fish sticks, veggies, peaches, and black olives) and a bath, and now he's off to bed. I'm pretty sure he knows the difference between a fork and a spoon, and he seems to follow lots of directions and understand what we say to him, even if he can't say the words.

2008_11_08 Saturday

I can't tell that I did any raking yesterday! All the leaves are back. Well, more leaves have fallen, I suppose. ugh.

We had breakfast at the diner this morning. Jonathan and I "shared" strawberry waffles. He got the strawberries, and I got the waffles with strawberry juice. I think his was much better! ;o) He gave us another masterpiece; I'll try to add that shortly. We stopped at the pumpkins again on the way home. I don't expect them to be there much longer.

Dave is off to Home Depot now because he's going to fix the runner in our hall closet. It seems to have jumped the track. Once he's back and Jonathan has napped, we'll head to Phily (north of I-676) for the day. One of Dave's buddies (plus family) is moving to Cleveland, so today is their going-away party. Of course, the weather couldn't be uglier: rain, rain, and more rain. Our little raskal hasn't woken up yet; it's been nearly 2.5 hrs. The party may be over by the time we get going.

So, we got going around 2 (the party started at 3), so we got there closer to 4. It was great to see them. Their son is just 2 months older than Jonathan, and while they look about the same size, Jonathan is significantly lighter. They had a lovely German Pointer who was just great with all the people (and kids). No other familiar faces, but we had a really nice time. And, we headed home around 7 or 8. Jonathan didn't sleep a wink in the car; that was frustrating. He doesn't seem to sleep in Dave's car; could be the car itself or the car seat. But, he fell asleep instantly once we got home.

2008_11_07 Friday

What a day! Jonathan slept unil 9:30, so we missed the last outdoor Stroller Rollers of the year. Instead, we strolled to the local diner for breakfast. Jonathan waved and blew kisses to all his favorite ladies...and patrons. We went to the grocery store for milk (sorry, dad!). And, then home for a nap.

We started to rake the crazy leaves, me with a rake and him with a beach rake. Mine was a bit more successful. So, when he started to melt down, I took him inside for a nap, and I came back out to finish off the leaves. To my dismay, our neighbor had her hired leaf blowers over and they finished two houses and a siesta by the time I finished our driveway and walkway. ugh. However, they were kind enough to blow one pass of the driveway and under some trees on our property line. I got some exercise in, and the weater was perfect for it. Of course, my hands are killing me now, and my feet hurt (didn't wear the right shoes for that). Not sure when the city's leaf people are scheduled to pick them up, but we could use it now.

Once Jonathan woke up, he had a late lunch. Then, we packed up to go see Iris again, this time with a double stroller in tow to see if her German car seat would fit it. Her stroller is getting repaired so she wanted to borrow ours. So, we strapped her kids in and headed off to a nearby park for a bit. We bumped into a German friend of hers too. We played until it got dark (circa 5). But, alas, the stroller is too cumbersome for her, so she opted to make a sling work. We tried.

So, back home we went to play with our Craig's List toys from yesterday. And, we picked up Dave from the train. Now we can't get in touch with the NY Hardwicks or PopPop or Vicki, so we bagged dinner with them. It was probably too late anyway. Oh well. The boys are playing, but once Jonathan is down, we might watch another movie and call it a night. Boy, my body is achin' from all that rakin'!!

2008_11_06 Thursday

I got up extra early today b/c the electrician and his team came to finish off our electrical work. That was a great thing to check off our box!! The guys were so nice and worked quickly. I really like them. Unfortunately, though, they had to do a lot of drilling and hammering, and I guess they have to yell at each other to make sure they're pulling the right wires or whatever. I was really nervous about that waking Jonathan up. Ha, silly mom. Jonathan slept right through it...all of it! I was stunned.

He finally got up around 9:30 to have some fruit yogurt that I made for him. Then we hauled over to our last story time. He was so cute. The librarian read a pop-up book, and he was in a trance. Afterward, we hung out a little to play with the puzzles and read some "t'uck" boardbooks. I also found some German kiddy books, but they aren't stories; they're picture books. So, we left around 11. Of course, we got stuck in a rain storm about halfway home. Didn't really need that second shower. I cannot believe how many leaves are still falling. We have already raked up two weekends! It's hard to tell that we have a hill in the front and where the driveway is because of all the leaves. I've got the 'kids' from Seton Hall's Habitat for Humanity club coming next weekend to rake to raise $. Gesh, maybe I need them both weekends!

Then we had a quick snack, played with the new Fisher Price farm, read about the hungry catepiller, and off to Z-land he went.

When he finally woke up, we inhaled a grilled cheese and chicken sandwich, some mandarins and strawberries, and mixed veggies. Then we drove to Florham Park to pick up some awesome Craig's List stuff for Jonathan (tons of t'ucks!!), then stopped by Home Depot to look at kitchen pulls, then by a house in Maplewood for a project I'm working on (homemade lavendar satchels), and finally to visit our German friend who just had a baby. He's adorable...and TINY! We lost track of time, so I had to book it out of there to pick up Dave.

So, now we're all home; we've played with some of the new trucks. Dave had to take a call, so I got to finish off dinner (noodles w/ tomato sauce, chicken, and veggies), give Jonathan a bath, read a book (PopPop and Grandma Pat's nursery rhymes book), and tuck him in. Haven't done that in a long time! He blew me kisses as I left. awwww!

2008_11_05 Wednesday

This morning, we had a last minute visit from our potential floor guy. He came to measure and to leave three different samples for us. We're meeting with our designer tonight, so now we've got all the parts we need to make a decision on the kitchen. So exciting.

Jonathan and I were goofing around in our office room, and I crawled under my desk to retrieve a ball, ramming my head into the corner of my own @(@#$)*(#$#( desk. Man, that hurt. I was proud, though, as I refrained from yelling out colorful obscenities. As I sat on the floor rubbing my noggin' with my particularly pouty face, Jonathan came over, with a sad face himself, and gave me a long hug. If that doesn't just make you well up!?!? I guess kids this age do understand sympathy!

Then, we booked it over to Sparkhouse Kids, a local toystore, for story time. It's actually more like music appreciation, but whatever. Jonathan seems so much more interested in the ones at the library for some reason; maybe it's because the toystore has so many more cool things to look at and touch. He's very into their easel and oversized stuffed animals. Plus, the lady isn't the most organized (or maybe she's more spontaneous than the librarian), so it doens't hold his attention as well. I've noticed, too, that he seems more shy in this setting than in the library; not sure if it's unfamiliar or what is going on in his head. Today, though, we made rattles out of plastic bottles and rice, with stickers as decorations. He didn't seem to care, but it was a cute project anyway. Then again, maybe it's bad timing for us; he does seem to wind down quickly toward the end. Regardless, I managed to knock out another store for my freelance gig. We may try again next week with Alanya and Aylin.

We had a potential afternoon date today with the 1s&2s or with Alanya/Aylin, depending on the weather. And, while it seems to be sprinkling now, frankly, Jonathan is still asleep (that's nearly 4 hrs if you're counting). But, more pressing is: When will we finally eat lunch?! So he finally woke up, and we ate. But it was raining too much to go outside, so we played in his room.

Around 6:30, we had an appointment with our interior designer to finalize the kitchen. We made lots of decisions, and we're very excited to move forward. We've got the floor, cabinetry, granite, backsplash, and paint decided on! Now, we need to move forward with quotes. I feel like we accomplished a lot in just an hour with her. yeah!

2008_11_04 Election Tuesday!

What a fine day! Jonathan is back to his 9am wake-ups, and all is right in the world. Breakfast was blueberry oatmeal, and he seemed like he was trying to say "blueberry," although it came out more like "bl'be'eee." Good try, good try. We got off to a late start today, but still managed to make an appearance at the 1s&2s playgroup this morning. There were only a couple of people, but it was gorgeous out, so we stayed until 11:30. He spent most of the time in the swing, calling out trucks, cars, airplanes, and trains as they went by. He even picked up "bus" from one of the girls. So, we may have added two new words to his growing vocabulary.

He's down for his nap now. I had his white noise machine up high to drown out the cleaning ladies' vacuuming, cleaning, and Portuguese. Once he wakes up, we'll head out to vote and have lunch. In the meantime, I need to look up who the New Jersey politicians are and what they stand for -- probably should have done that awhile ago. ugh. I hear Starbucks, Ben and Jerry's, Chik-fil-A, and Krispy Kreme are offering freebies to voters; why are none of them nearby!?!?!

We voted around 2:30. It took me no more than 10 minutes; I was amazed. But, our polling station didn't offer those "I Voted!" stickers; instead I took a couple of self-portraits to commemorate the day. I voted last year in VA with Jonathan, although I don't remember what it was even for then. But, this was a momentous election (either way), so I wanted him to have it documented. See photo (the rest are in our photo gallery). On the way home, we stopped by our local elementary school park to get some energy out, and we bumped into some friends. So, instead of the second nap, we played.

We picked up Dave from the train station. And, Jonathan was exhausted. Dinner wasn't so much fun, and he had a hard time falling asleep. overtired, I suppose. We watched BBC's coverage of the election. They were so entertaining to watch. But, by about 10pm, we fell asleep.

2008_11_03 Monday

What the?! Jonathan woke up at 8am today. Stupid Daylight Savings. ugh.

It's a pretty drab day so he's dressed in his cammo sweats. We had hearty breakfast of milk, cheese, strawberries, kiwis, fruit yogurt, sunflower seeds, dried blueberries, and maybe a Cheerio/Kix or two. Gesh, he was ready to party this morning! After I got my shot of coffee, we hit the road to pick up a Fisher Price farm set, courtesy of Grandma Cathy for Halloween. We've got all the parts, and the farm itself has sections that make animal noises and sing. Jonathan is loving it. See picture. Plus, we also got tractor that doesn't really go with the set, but we'll pretend.

I got confirmation today that Seton Hall University's Habitat for Humanity will come on Nov 8 to rake our yard for a donation (I shared that nugget with my mom's group too). Hurrah! They're checking to see if it's tax deductable, but either way, a good cause.

He went down for a nap around 11ish and it sounds like he's waking up slowly (it's just after 1). Oh how wrong I was...he got up at 2. We did a warm lunch, and then we got onto my ToDo list. We stopped at one of my freelance gig store reports in town, mailed some letters, deposited a check, got Jonathan into story time again at the library, and picked up a couple of groceries (hoping for homemade soup tonight).

He's back down now for his second nap, albeit a bit later than usual, and he's not off in slumberland yet. Hard to tell if he really slept much for this nap. But, we made it to the train station to pick up Dave. We showed dad our awesome new toy, banged on dad's birthday balloon, and threw some balls around. Jonathan ate dinner (fish sticks, fruit salad, cheese, noodles, black olives, and peas/carrots), and took a bath with dad's supervision, and now is back off to bed (after a book or two).

2008_11_02 Sunday

Happy Fall Behind Day!

Dave treated us to breakfast at our local bagel shop. The owner sat with us for a bit, comparing Jonathan's cheeks to his (is "rotund" polite?) belly. And, on the way home, we stopped again to play with the remaining pumpkins. A few had disappeared and others have been cracked open. But, Jonathan got to push a couple around. It's cool and crisp now: nice to be outside if you're dressed appropriately. So, how do we keep a hat on that kid's head?! Plus, he rides in the stroller with his hands wide out, almost like he's catching the wind. I've tried to put his hands in his pockets, but that only lasts until I get the other hand in. ugh.

Today should be a pretty quiet day...or so I'm hoping. Did lots of weekend work yesterday. Dave put Jonathan down for a nap, so the house quite literally is silent. He got up, we snuggled, we played, and ate. Then he and Dave watered the plants; Jonathan ran around with the watering can. He actually did pretty well. And, he's back down again, and I've wasted the better part of today between Facebook and Craig's List. Gesh, they're addicting! I did get some crayons, pantyhose (to make lavendar satchels, a farm w/ animals and tracker, and a big wheel (I think) all to be picked up tomorrow for a total of $5! Dave's off to asst. coach HS wrestling practice in Millburn soon.

2008_11_01 Saturday

Good Morning!! We just got back from our local diner. Jonathan was up around 9 again today. We could see remnants of the street party in Maplewood on our walk into town; lots of candy wrappers and Halloween decorations throughout the downtown area. We saw police barracades in place in the afternoon, so it must have been a goooood party! Breakfast was nice and relaxing, as always. We stopped on the way home to play with (ie roll, push, and sit on) some abandoned pumpkins (see photo).


Jonathan went down for a nap, so Dave went outside with the leafblower and I grabbed the rake. We got another tarp-full for the leaf collection. Jonathan got up after about 2.5 hours and had a late lunch. He's figured out that he can put black olives on his fingers...so now he does the same with noodles, too.

I called the floor guy to schedule a measurement. We have to get the kitchen plan together so we can start getting bids on the renovation work. Can't wait to have it finished!

Progress! The boys went off to the mall to get Dave a new cell phone. Dave's cell phone died overnight. We think that Jonathan may have had something to do with it; he loves to play with (read: drop) daddy's phone. This may well be the first time that they've ventured out without me. Honestly, it feels strange! I ran over to the local grocery store ALONE. what a strange feeling. We've got another Halloween party this evening with my babysitting coop moms. It's potluck, so I thought I'd be cute and make spme Halloween cookies (plus they were on sale). Well, I managed to burn them all. Maybe I'm just not meant to cook. So, I did a pasta salad with pepperoni; it seemed to be a big hit. Thank you, Betty Crocker! The party was a blast, though. Jonathan saw lots of his buddies, and it was nice for us to meet some new people too. Dave got to meet a couple of the husbands as well. Our network is growing!

The boys just fed the cats, and Dave's giving him a bath now (it's been 2 stinky days). Then it's off to slumberland for one of us!

2008_10_31 Halloween Friday!

This morning started out "early" with Jonathan waking up at the ungodly time of 9am! It actually worked out perfectly since we had a date with a friend for story time today. We had breakfast, and I got him dressed in a monkey costume (thanks to Cousin Bobby!). He'll keep the hands on when we're outside, but the hat isn't as easy. See picture. A friend with her adorable bumble bee daughter came by, toured the house, and then we grabbed some hot chocolate and tea before hitting the library. Story time was good; there were a bunch of other creatures there today (2 chicks, a dinosaur, 2 Supermen, a spider, a hot pepper, a mermaid, a princess...), and it went longer than usual. Unfortunately, as Jonathan wandered away, I chased after him, and my necklace from Jordan broke, spilling beads all over the room. Thankfully, my friend helped corral Jonathan and gather up as many beads as we could find. What a bummer, though. Maybe I can get Sarah to restring them like she did for another necklace.

Jonathan went down for a 3 hr+ nap after chatting and clanging away for a bit. We needed him to nap so that he could trick or treat with Uncle Steve, Aunt Vicky, and Cousins Bobby (Thomas the Train) and Catherine (Batgirl) later that evening. He tried fish sticks for lunch and seemed to like them, even though lunch was a bit rushed so we could get to NY in time. Their town opens all the stores for kids rather than going house-to-house. The town center was chaos, but the kids were adorable and had a great time. We also stopped by a local park to get some energy out and to take a couple of photos. Jonathan refused to keep his monkey hat on throughout, so it was a bit hard to tell what he was. But, it didn't really matter; he seemed so confused by the whole event anyway!! We stayed for pizza dinner (Jonathan actually ate an entire slice of pizza by himself!), playing (the kids ran around the house like crazy, and Jonathan chased after them), and grown-up socializing and then made our way home around 9:30.

Check out our photo gallery for tons of pix and videos!

2008_10_30 Thursday

Today is a beautiful fall day (finally!!). The air is nippy, but it's not bitter cold. We woke up, had McHardwicks for breakfast, and then moozied to the library for storytime. I've got to figure out a way to keep a hat and gloves on this kid; he particularly hates hats, but he'll tolerate mittens since he can't get traction to pull them off when his fingers are stuck inside!

So, storytime is only 30 mins long, so they squeeze in a couple of songs and a story or two. It's cute, though. Today's theme was Halloween, of course. He was quick on the draw for the black cats, yelling out "meow!" any time he saw one. Afterward, Jonathan completed his second masterpiece. And, we explored the kiddy section of the library, to include its puzzles, train set, and fish tank. On the way home, he gave me the sign for milk (a rare one for him to do), and of course I didn't have any, so we improvised with juice. close enough. And, it seemed like anyone who has a dog in Maplewood was out, so there were lots of "woofs" coming from the stroller. At home, we had a little snack, chased a balloon, read part of a book, and he went down for his nap.

He slept for 4hr 15 min! Boy, that kid can nap! Jonathan got a Halloween card in the mail today from Danielle and Pat. We ate a quick linner (lunch/dinner), swung by the local playground at the elementary school (where we saw lots of airplanes), and then picked up Dave at the train station. They've fed the cats and played out any residual energy. Dinner was cheesy noodles from last night and fruit, and Sir Jonathan is tucked into bed.

I've also uploaded a handful of pictures from the last few days, including a video. Feel free to browse Picasa if you have some time. Plus, you can now subscribe to this blog!!!

2008_10_29 Wednesday

Today could be a busy day for us. Of course, all this is weather dependent...and assumes Jonathan gets up in the near future. He woke up at 10 and has been pretty cranky.

I think a local toy store (Sparkhouse Kids) has a jam session (ie sing along) at 11:30, although their website is still in progress and has no details. We went; Jonathan was a disaster. He wasn't paying any attention to the singer/performer, so we stuck it out for about 20 minutes, but I didn't want to torture her or the other kids for much longer. They have just started with this 'jam session' so we'll try again next week.

He's down for a nap now (at 12). I have some time to work on my freelance gigs, but I'm just not very motivated or inspired today (that makes it very tough to write inspiring articles). Maybe we're in the same funk. Hopefully he'll be in a better mood after a good nap. I'd love to hit the grocery store this afternoon if the weather holds.

We have our normal afternoon playgroup at 3:30-4:30, but we skipped it today. It was just too cold, and with him out of sorts, I figured we'd be better off playing alone at home. And, there's a Fall Fest costume parade in South Orange from 4-6. We missed that too.

We did pick up daddy at the train station; train was late, but he brought popcorn for Jonathan. I cannot believe how stinkin' cold it is here. We completely bypassed fall and are heading into winter full force. Although we raked and collected the fallen leaves last weekend, it's hardly noticable now with a fresh covering of wet ones. We'll go back out the weekend before the town collects them again, I'm sure. My neighbor was picking up her husband (we walked together, with two strollers) and said that surrounding towns did get trace snow falls. egads. So long, fall!

Everyone's home now. Jonathan had dinner of cheesy noodles and veggies with chicken fingers. Then he and Dave will have some QT time (ie bath and winding down play) before bed. Mommy and daddy have Indiana Jones, part 100 (?) tonight...surely with popcorn.

Oh, and Happy Birthday, Aunt Clair!

2008_10_28 Here we go!

Well, hi there. We've officially joined the 21st century with our own family blog. My intention is to track Jonathan's life and milestones along with notionally interesting nuggets from me.

David just read him a book about a dirty dog, and he's been pointing out all the trucks (tu'ck), trains (whohoo), dogs (woof), and cats (meow) throughout the book to me as I write. He's about to take a bath, a daily fav, and then head off to bed. Today was a bit of a strange day, in that it was rainy and dark all day, so Jonathan didn't wake up until 10:30 this morning. Of course, that threw his nap schedule off. He had breakfast/lunch. We headed off to the local mall for some inside play, stopping off at Old Navy for me. On the way there, I saw freezing rain, and folks claimed to see snow (I can't confirm that!). I'm not ready for winter yet. We were just raving about the beautiful weather yesterday! what happened!? So, we did play at the indoor playground for about 30 mins. That's all I could stomach. A video in our photo album is him in a car there.

We also bumped into two M&M moms, so that was a nice surprise. Then we swung by Omaha Steaks in Livingston (what a cute town) to cash in a gift cert from David's birthday. I hightailed it home so that Jonathan could nap from around 3 until about 5:30. I was able to get a little freelancing work in during that time. And, then we picked up Dave at the train station at 6:15 since it was still raining...and we're soo thoughtful.

We're about to have dinner. Omaha Steaks from Grandma Cathy, veggies (green beans?), and couscous, me thinks.

Short and sweet for now. Will continue during the naps.

P.S. It's Aunt Shannon and Uncle Raj's wedding anniversary!!