Thanksgiving 2008, Volume 4

We avoided the insanity that is the El Dorado Walmart at 5am on Black Friday and instead, Bill dropped Vicki and I off on the square so we could check out the sales at Expressions, the baby boutique where Cousin Ashley works. Grammy got Alex some really cute clothes that he will be able to wear next fall, and I got some random baby toys that I have no need for. I guess I should think about getting a baby to go with them. Anyway, Alex was still sleeping when we left, so he stayed at the house with his daddy while Bill, Vicki, and I ran around town. It was really nice to have some fun grown-up time and not have to worry about what Alex was doing, although I was also looking forward to getting back home to see him.

A was a little moody, as to be expected since he was up three hours past his bedtime, but he quickly perked up when Poppa helped him saddle up Wonderhorse.

It was going to be a busy afternoon because we had planned on hosting the annual Eldo Alum reunion since the Cheshiers and the Primms were going to be in town, and if you know Vicki, you know she likes to do things up right. Since our lives all revolve around our kids' schedules, we suggested that everyone come over after naptimes, around 3:30 or 4. Of course, my child who was making up for the previous night's lack of sleep, napped for over three and a half hours and was "fashionably late" for the party. And by "fashionably", I mean it took him an extra ten minutes of rolling around in his pack 'n' play to create a realistic-looking "bedhead" hairdo.

This year's turn out wasn't quite as good as last year's (in terms of quantity, not quality), but we were so excited to see the Cheshiers and the Primms and the new additions to their families.

The kids had a great time playing together, with the exception of when we stuck poor Sadie in the rocking horse with Alex. I told you he can come on a little strong, and some girls just don't appreciate such bravado.

She was much happier when she got to ride the horse without that icky boy cramping her style.

We haven't seen "little" Sullivan since he was born, so we were psyched to get to play with him. What a sweet baby with the sweetest disposition. In fact, I think if I had to describe Sullivan in two words, they would be "sweet" and "squishy". And while Sullivan might not appreciate having been described as "squishy" years from now, when he is an athletic and fit teenager, I think that is one of the best qualities a baby can have.

Even mom-to-be Amber got her baby fix with Sullivan. She's a natural!

Grrr, I'm kicking myself for having gotten this picture...

...without getting one of Oliver, Alex, and Ethan together. Hindsight is 20/20, isn't it? We did get one of everyone, however. Sigh, sniff, why can't we all live closer to each other?

To be continued...

Thanksgiving 2008, Volume 3

Before dinner Thursday night, we had a surprise baby shower for Timothy's cousin Amber (pictured w/her husband Brad), who is due in early January. Isn't she cute?

We ate hors d'oeuvres and played shower games, which were especially fun because all of the boys somehow got selected to to play while the girls looked on and laughed at them. Er, with them.

I guess little kids have an instinct for recognizing big kids as opposed to adults because every time "big kids" are around, Alex is immediately drawn to them. For example, Alex (pictured with Vicki's cousin Renee) couldn't take his eyes off of Colton while he was playing shower games.

And when it comes to girls, big or little, fuh-get about it. Alex will invade a girl's personal space in a matter of seconds and will stick to her like white on rice. Poor Macy was his target this time, and he followed her around the whole night. He kept insisting that she pick him up and carry him around, which was not an easy task considering he probably weighs as much as he does. But she was such a good sport and seemed to enjoy babying him.

Of course, Alex loved that she was willing to cater to his whims and was so smitten Eventually we had to break it to him that Macy was his cousin, and that now that he lives in Texas and not Arkansas, having a crush on one's cousin is not acceptable.

When Alex wasn't attached to Macy, he joined the rest of the party, played with the balloons, and hung with Uncle Danny.

It was time to head over to Mamaw Meador's for dinner, so we all packed up and drove the 300 yards to her house. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious. Mamaw is pretty good at that sort of thing.

Alex didn't eat much as he was more interested in playing with Mamaw's really real-looking fake fruit. Surprisingly, he didn't try to take a bite out of it.

Before long, he found Colton and Macy again, and all three of them found Mamaw's TV.

We had brought Alex's pack 'n' play and had planned on putting him to bed as close to his normal bedtime as possible, knowing good and well that our plan would inevitably fail. It was ten o'clock by the time we were ready to head home, which is the latest we've let Alex stay up since...camp. He still woke up at 6:30 the next morning and was a bit of a booger until naptime, but it was totally worth it because it was another great Thanksgiving with the fam.

To be continued...

Thanksgiving 2008, Volume 2

As per Evans Family Tradition, the plan for Thanksgiving Day was to have lunch with Mamaw Evans' family, then head to Mamaw Meador's for dinner with the rest of the Meador crew. This year, lunch was especially fun now that Alex is old enough to run around with Aidan with another dozen or so cousins or second cousins or third cousins twice-removed.

It didn't take long for the boys to discover the gaggle of plastic geese that had congregated in the front yard. It took even less time for Alex to discover the joys of "goose tipping".

Goose tipping was put on hold when Timothy's cousin Brooke showed up with her Yorkie, Sophie, and Alex immediately confiscated her leash and proceeded to drag her - and Brooke - around the yard.

Alex and his daddy posed well for the camera, as did Alex by himself.

But for some reason, when mama enters the picture, good pics are harder to come by. I guess that's because I am the best at making him smile when I am behind the camera. Yeah, that's it. Nonetheless, we attempted to get a family pic before we left, and this is as good as it gets.

To be continued...

Thanksgiving 2008, Volume 1

Here we go again, trying to blog about things that happened more than a week ago. Sigh, someday I will get caught up, and then I won't have to make up interesting details and pretend like they really happened. Just kidding. I never do that. Or do I...?

Well, here's Thanksgiving, Volume 1, as best as I remember it. We arrived in Eldo Wednesday night and Alex got some time on his dad's old Wonderhorse before heading to bed.

The rest of us stayed up for a while and played dominoes, "us" being Timothy, Mamaw Evans, Aunt Susan, me, Uncle Steve, Vicki, and Bill (not pictured).

The next morning, the boys watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on TV while the girls slaved away in the kitchen.

Alex had pancakes and blueberries for breakfast. It appears that one of those blueberries made a break for it and ran straight into his forehead. That, or Alex isn't as adept with a fork as he'd like to think.

After breakfast, A took another ride on Wonderhorse before getting ready for the day.

To be continued...

Progress

Today was Day 2 of the M.D.O. Experience, and I am pleased to report that things went much better today than they did on Tuesday.

We got to the church a few minutes early, so Alex was able to wander the halls a bit and warm up to the building, say "hi" to the fish, climb the stairs, ride the elevator...Despite his "traumatic" experience earlier in the week, it was by no means one of those situations like when you take a dog to the vet, and before you even walk in the door, the dog recognizes where he is, freaks out, and attempts to claw his way back to the car. He didn't mind being in the hallway, but he did panic a little when I tried to usher him into his classroom, like he finally understood that I was planning on leaving him there. I casually mentioned Tuesday's milk situation to his teacher, and long story short, she assured me that he would get his milk today. The teacher scooped Alex up so I could run away without him following me, and he cried, as expected, although not as hysterically as he had the day before.

I left and ran a bunch of errands, the five hours between nine and two flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to go back and pick Alex up. I'll admit, my stomach was in knots during the ride to the church and I just couldn't get there fast enough. I speedwalked to his classroom, trying not to look too anxious, and when I peeked in the window, his teacher opened the door and invited me in. Weird. Normally, when it's time to pick your kid up, you just flash your security card in the window and they bring the kid out. However, it seems that Alex had such a good time that he was still napping, and when I say "napping", I mean he was completely passed out in the middle of the floor, tangled in his blanket, with his face smooshed into the carpet. There were only two kids playing in the front of the room, which means that he slept as the rest of the kids woke up, played, and then left with their parents, one-by-one. He's a good napper at home, rarely sleeps less than a full two hours, and it seems he would sleep for two hours on the classroom floor if they would let him.

So as he continued to lie there, I chatted with his teacher about how his day went, and she said that he had done so much better, that he cried for a little while when he first got there, but then he calmed down, had fun the rest of the day, ate a good lunch, and went down for his nap. Yay! What a relief! I knew it would get better, or at least hoped so, but didn't know how long it would take. He still has a little way to go, in terms of being happy when I drop him off, but any progress is good enough for me. It would be nice if, as suggested, I could send him with something that would comfort him while I'm gone, but the kid doesn't seem to be attached to anything other than me. It's funny, I don't really think of him as a mama's boy because whenever I take him anywhere where there are other people, he could care less about what I am doing. In fact, he will take care to go the opposite direction from where I am because I'm not nearly as interesting as new stuff and new people. It's just when I leave and he no longer has the option to be with me that upsets him. I guess it's one of those "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" situations...

Anyway, I had to pull out the ol' bullhorn to rouse Alex from his slumber because, seriously, the kid was virtually comatose when I tried to shake him awake. When I gently tapped him on the shoulder and whispered his name, he whined and turned his head the other direction, obviously hoping I would go away and let him sleep. I swear, I would not have been surprised if he had reached up and slapped me in the head like a snooze button. I finally picked him up and tried to get him to the car while he was still sleeping, which, of course, woke him up. He was more confused than happy to see me, but whatever, I was just happy that he had had a better day.

Don't you love how I ramble on and on about something that could be summed up in two sentences? You know, something like, "Alex did much better at school today. He cried a little at the beginning, but then he calmed down and had so much fun playing that he was still asleep when I picked him up." Yeah, that pretty much covers it. Next time, I'll just start with the abbreviated version, then if anyone wants more details, they can read on. It's like Cliff's Notes for babyevansblog. Hmm, I may be onto something...

Mama's Boy

Alex had his first day of school yesterday! Technically, it was just Mother's Day Out at our church, but they have a curriculum they have to follow, they have to bring a backpack, and they have to pack a lunch. Sounds like school to me!

He will be going on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9am to 2pm and will be in a class with nine other kids his age. He has been on the waiting list to get into the program for about three months, so we were really excited when we finally got the call that there was a space available. We're happy that he will be spending time with kids his age on a regular basis, that he will be able to continue into the preschool program when he turns three without getting wait-listed, and that all of this will be happening at our church, which we love and where we would like to get more involved.

Not to mention, I will be getting a couple of kid-free days per week so that I can attempt to rehab my injured brain, assuming it's not too late to do so. I'm not expecting to make a full recovery, but a 50% improvement would be nice. Seriously, I'm at a point where I get excited about things that no sane person should look forward to. I had a dentist appointment yesterday, and as the doc poked needles into my gums and burrowed holes into my teeth, I was thinking, Aaah, it's so nice to be able to just relaaax. Have you ever heard of someone who thought of getting root canals as a vacation? Sheesh.

So when I got Alex dressed for school yesterday, I had mixed feelings. Sad that my little guy was growing up, sad that I would have to leave him with a bunch of strangers, worried that he would be upset when I handed him over, but happy to have some time to myself, happy that he was where I wanted him to be, and happy that he would be making some friends. Things started out well enough, although Alex wasn't crazy about having to lug his own stuff around in his backpack.

We got to his classroom at 9, where I filled out a sign-in sheet, handed over his backpack, handed over his lunch, got him a name tag, got my security card, spoke to the teachers, and answered some questions, all while trying to pry an already crying Alex from my body so I could hand him over to the teacher. When the teacher had him, I said a quick goodbye and ran away, hoping that he would calm down once I was out of sight. Also because I really didn't want his teachers or the other moms to see me blubbering like a big baby.

I called Timothy for some reassurance, and he listened patiently as I continued to blubber about how I didn't really get to say goodbye to Alex, to give him kisses and tell him I loved him, how he was crying for me and I wasn't able to hug him and cuddle him and make him feel better, just abandoned him with a bunch of strangers and booked it down the hallway, never to return, for all he knew...

I hung up with Tim and got in the car, and I was halfway down the block before it suddenly occurred to me that I had dropped Alex off at the wrong room. Yes, the wrong room. As a force of habit, I took him to the nursery room where he goes on Sunday mornings instead of his new classroom. When I had dropped him off, I didn't see the teachers I had met before, and none of the kids seemed familiar...I guess a red flag (or two) should have gone up, but I was already stressed and frazzled about having to leave him, and apparently I wasn't thinking straight. Remember what I said about my brain? I wasn't exaggerating.

I hightailed it back to the room and peeked through the window, where I saw that the teacher was still holding Alex, who was still crying. I told her what happened, took Alex from her, and thought, P.U., what the heck is that smell? Turns out, in the ten minutes I had been gone, Alex got so worked up that he threw up on himself. So I had to take him to the other room, reeking of vomit, and explain the situation to his "real" teachers. He had calmed down completely while I was holding him, so I felt really bad about handing him over, again, when it was clear that he thought he was going home with me. This time, however, I made sure to give him lots of hugs and kisses before I passed him off to the teacher, so I felt a little better this time as I headed down the hall and back to the car.

I had about a million chores and errands planned for the five hours that Alex would be gone, and man, did that time fly. Relaxing was not on the agenda, at least not this week, and even if it had been, I wouldn't have had time for it. Hopefully Friday will be a little less hectic and I will be able to enjoy some time doing nothing.

Yesterday, however, I was just looking forward to picking Alex up and seeing how the rest of his day went. I was certain that he had spent the first few minutes upset, then quickly realized how much fun there was to be had and enjoyed the rest of the day playing with the other kids because that's what usually happens when he stays in the nursery on Sundays. But as I walked up to his classroom, I overheard his teacher tell another mom that the "new boy" had had a rough day. Ugh. Alex was the only "new boy", so I knew she was talking about him. I said, "Oh man, Alex had a bad day?" She proceeded to tell me that he had basically cried all day long, with the exception of a couple minutes here and there and when he was napping. I was upset about the crying but glad to hear that he had napped, because that was actually the one thing I was really anxious about. Needless to say, he was happy to see me, and even happier when I took him out to the van instead of taking him to another classroom.

When we got home, I opened his lunch bag and discovered that his milk had not been touched. Umm, yeah, that could've been part of the problem. I've got a kid who loves his milk, and if he don't get his milk, he ain't happy. His sippy cup tends to leak if it's flopping around in a lunch bag, so I had sent an unopened pint of milk and an empty sippy cup, assuming that the teacher would open the pint and put the milk in his cup so he could drink it at lunchtime. Maybe that's against the rules or something, I don't know, but the fact that he didn't get his milk probably irked him a little. When I did give it to him, he sucked all of it down in record time and whined for more. I made an exception and gave him another half cup, which he also slurped down. Hmm, if only he'd gotten his milk a few hours before...

He goes back on Friday, and I am just praying that he will get acclimated quickly so that I don't have to worry about him so much. I plan on mentioning yesterday's milk situation to his teacher, and hopefully, getting his milk fix will improve his mood. Otherwise, we might have to implement Plan B - see if they can make room in the Mother's Day Out program for Alex's mother.