O Tannenbaum

Wie treu sind deine Blätter...

We found out that our favorite Xmas tree place has been sold to the town so we only have 2 (maybe 3) more years to purchase our trees here. I’m bummed, we really love the quality of tree we get from these folks.

Or maybe I’m bummed for another reason

Bummed isn't the right word...nostalgic. 

Because now I've got this

No matter what his age...I'll keep him

Dear Spotty Chop you are 120 months old

Well, almost 120 months old - we have to wait for 5:03pm. But I can say it a bit early. 

This is what an almost double digit boy looks like

This is how an almost double digit boy gets to school today

You are the best kid ever. You have no idea how proud of you I am, especially in dealing with my recent surprise hospitalization on Saturday. Your dad was a mess, he really can't deal with anything bad happening to me. You kept him grounded and sane. You have been so sweet and careful of me. I can't get off the couch or go to the bathroom without your help. You insist that I hold onto  your shoulders whenever I walk anywhere. You are especially great at giving me kisses that other folks have been sending to help me recover. You are extremely superb at making sure that my furry friends kisses are translated well to me. 

I hope you  have a great day at school and you enjoy the treats we sent you in your lunch!

I hope someday you decide to have kids so that you can be as in love as I am with you.

love
mama

This

seems to be my most favorite photo of Spotty Chop. I just can't stop enjoying it. He looks like a 70's hockey player

and no, he doesn't play for Milton - it's a hand me down - but it shure as heck made a few of my cousins giggle (they played lacross)

Happy Halloween!

What? Halloween was a month ago? You don’t say?

We got the party started with Moo, Freak Show, Hippy Chick & Cheese Please on our 1,0000000000000 annual pumpkin carve. Freak Show made us the BEST sausage in the world cuz he uses a cast iron skillet.

Spotty Chop had a lot of fun playing with the puppy.

We carved our hearts out

(even if hippy chick abandoned us to take photos on OUR OWN ).

This was Spotty Chop's first all by himself with no help (well, maybe Boy Toy helped cut the top off, that's always the hardest.) - Frankenstein!

This was my favorite - Cheese Please did it

So hippy chick abandoned us, but luckily CIS was there to save the day!

For more adventures of the Cheese-It Sister

But the most fun was watching Moo & Spotty. Moo was feeling super shitty, and yet she allowed “this” to happen.

Hmmm that reminds me of something…but what? 

Dear Spotty Chop you are 112 months old

Start of Summer addition

You seem to be enjoying summer explorer camp this year. So far you have gone to:

• Nantasket Beach
• Hopkinton State Park
• Scussett Beach
• Dinosaur Exhibit
• Goddard State Park

Papa has taken you to:

• Lego Land – you had fun
• Heritage Museum & Gardens – you LOVED this – they had 2 exhibits you couldn’t stop talking about. The first was “Wicked Plants”, detailing all sorts of plants that can kill you Papa said you read EVERY description – hahaha – welcome to our world. There was also a “Big Bug” exhibit, you had to search the grounds for all of the man made, wooden bugs.

You and J-Man have swam and made sugar cookies at our place (there is a water balloon fight, tie dying and rice crispy treats in your futures too!)

You have been camping twice with another trip this weekend AND we had the extra crunchie bonus of having my favorite godson, his sister and their parents (my uncle & aunt) here for the week. We got to see them once, you were SOO disappointed that you didn’t get to spend a week with GO, but you guys made the most of the time you had.

Movies you have watched:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – it was insane watching you watch this – you at times were dancing you were so excited, well sometimes with glee, but often you did the dance of annoyance-  any time we had to pause the movie)
• The Spy Next Door (you were extremely nervous that you wouldn’t like this, but we explained that Jackie Chan has done a lot of funny movies) – you loved it
• Free Birds  - you were happy
• And something else that for the life of me I can’t remember

You have added several things to your mealtime adventures:

• Hamburger (both burgers and just hamburger in stuff – TACOS!!!! YOU LOVE TOACOSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssss)
• Sausage (you have been eating breakfast sausage for awhile, but now you do sweet Italian – in fact the other night Boy Toy was grilling sausage for our supper and I had him grill two packages 1 for dinner and 1 that I would throw into a spaghetti sauce the next day. You ate 7 sausages, you would have eaten more, but I refused. I had 2…
• Piquant pork chops  - this is a recipe that your great-grandmother (Nannie’s mom) used to make. To be honest with you I was expecting you to dislike it and I had BIG plans on having the leftovers for lunch today, but guess who loved it….well, you didn’t care for the red peppers and I didn’t understand when you kept saying “it has too much ketchup”  what you really meant was peppers – once I explained and we moved the peppers away you went to town. Yet another recipe that will soon need to be doubled (hold the peppers)  

Summer Reading:

I took you and J-man to the library’s summer reading kick off – they had a magician Peter Boie that was really cool, “Peter started learning magic at age 11 from a magic book he checked out of his local library.  That interest turned into a career as a professional magician which takes him around the country performing for people in all walks of life.”

The neat thing about the program this summer is that not only do you fill out periodic table for every 30 mins they read (we can’t help loving the elements  - http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/theymightbegiants/meettheelements.html), but they are also given an optional science experiment  to do (for more changes of prizes). This will be great for kids like J-man who find reading challenging/boring.  You are super excited about it (last year’s theme was pirates and doubloons).   I get kind of bummed when we go to events at the library when there are very few kids your age or older. Why aren’t more people at the Library? BOOOOOKSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Our town is often an odd town.

We are also doing the Barns & Noble  summer reading program where you read 8 books and then you get a free book. Who doesn’t love FREE!!!??

Books read: (or in the midst of reading, which I really don’t get as I don’t have multiple books going at the same time, I find your reading style an abomination, not that I would say such a thing, get a book, read book, move to the next. THAT is the order of things):

• BIG NATE AND FRIENDS
• OPHELIA AND THE MARVELOUS BOY
• GAME OVER, PETE WATSON
• Dragon Keepers #3: The Dragon in the Library

At least these are the ones I know about…I may be missing a few as you sometimes just read and I don’t notice and then I say “Spotty, why don’t you read “xxx” and you go “I read that awhile ago”.  Or the stuff you read in school. Your teacher let you all take home a book and a couple of magazines if you wanted the last day of school. You brought home “Fudgeamania” by Judy Blume. I said “oh are you going to read that?” And you replied “I already read this. In fact this was maybe my most favorite book I have read.” Really? It’s one of your most favorite and I had no idea. YOU are growing up far too fast my boy.  We are also listening to the Hobbit on CD and I am reading you The Familiars #3: Circle of Heroes.

Well two weeks into Summer and you are really into the swing of things. I couldn’t be happier. You are an amazing individual. Love ya kiddo 

Dear Spotty Chop – you have cojones the size of Jupiter

The other night you went to hockey try outs. You only learned to skate less than a year ago. You stood with around 35 other kids your age and tried to do the drills the coaches use to place the skaters. They had older players demo what was wanted. After the first “drill” was done, I started to get really upset as this was way over your skill level. I imagined how you must be feeling at the end of the line, having your stomach start to get queasy at the thought of doing this.   I almost had to leave after watching the first 5 or 6 kids do this flawlessly. And then it was your turn. You were flustered, but you didn’t quit. You managed to get through it and got to the back of the line. The next drill, you did a lot better, but it was super obvious that your skill level was nowhere close to what almost every other kids was. There were 2 or 3 other kids from your learn to play class who were also there, so you weren’t the least skilled kid on the ice, but you were one of them. When it came to doing the one on ones, we could tell how frustrated and disappointed you were. You were going against  kids that were so much better than you. But you didn’t quit. You never got the puck away from him, but you kept him away from the net. He didn’t score. When you got off the ice you were all smiles.

“I probably won’t even make a team, but who cares? I think I did pretty good.”  “My stomach really hurt for awhile and I seriously thought I was going to throw up, I was really nervous”.

We were falling over ourselves telling you how immensely proud we were of you. The fact that you even tried was so huge. I would never have done it. By the time I had to do try outs for  soccer or track, I had been playing/running for years. And I was good (not great, but I was closer to the front of the pack than the back). Your dad? He never had the opportunity.

We were so worried that you were going to be a wreck, and while you were nervous and scared you still did it.  You are already surpassing your parents. Couldn’t love you more if we tried.

Of course bed time is where/when all your stresses of the day come out.  You were so upset and decided that you were never going to try out again. Or play hockey. Your dad was able to talk you off the ledge. 

I am so proud of you I could cry, well actually I am crying as I write this because? It’s just the way your mom is.

Love ya kiddo

Dear Spotty Chop you are 108 months old

Sorry it’s been so long since my last letter. Work has been crazy, our lives have been chaotic and I am perhaps a tad bit lazy. But I’m back!

9 years old – you are a nine year old my friend. Although at times I am wondering if you are perhaps a 16 year old in disguise? I really shouldn’t be surprised as both your father and I are known to have “attitude issues”.  Doesn’t matter, we love you, a lot.

So what’s been going on with you? What are you into? You still love to watch Pokemon with me. Adventure Time, Kicking it, The Neighbors, Regular Show, Teen Titans, Haunted Hathaway’s are all shows you really love. I don’t understand what you like about Uncle Grandpa or Steven Universe.

We just finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. YOU LOVED THIS BOOK. You often would stop playing video games so you and I could run to your room pull up the covers and read more. I know you want to read the second one, but I am waiting for Cheese Please to give me the lowdown on the rest of the series. Yes I have read them, but my brain is old and I can’t remember when stuff happens – her brain is young and smart. I just don’t want to be reading you stuff that you aren’t quite ready for – or at least we can talk about if you feel like you are ready to loose a character you love. Of course right now I am reading you the Seekers  - The Quest Begins; good Fing GOD, so far one mom is dead, eaten by Orca’s. Another mom is going crazy and one mom has abandoned her cub. And that was in the first 6 chapters.  I seriously don’t know if we can continue on as we both seem to be getting very depressed…luckily I did buy you the 2^nd in the Familiar series so that should be hopefully a bit more upbeat.  You have also really enjoyed the Astronaut Academy, so much so that you are getting the 2^nd in the series for your birthday. Same with Alvin Ho – although I accidently bought you the 2^nd in the series for Xmas, so you are getting the first for your birthday (had I realized before you were halfway done that I had done that – I would have bought the first one much sooner. HATE reading a series out of order.) I wasn’t on top of my game Christmas as I bought you the 4^th in the Dragon Keepers series, you wouldn’t read it so you are getting the 3^rd for your birthday too.  You are still reading the Dragonbreath series (I think you are up to 7 or 8 now) you also really like the Imaginary Veterinary series. Diary of a Wimpy kid is a go to read when you are feeling anxious, as in Captain Underpants. You were totally in love with the Secret Zoo series, but the 4^th book in the series spooked you after the first few pages, so we put that aside for later. Boy Toy was reading Wings of Fire and during one of the confrontations you decided to stop reading that as well. We will try again later as up until then you LOVED THEM.

We got a few games you enjoy

CastlePanic – we played this 9-10 times and got beat EVERY Fing TIME. We played just you and I, we played as a family – in fact just Boy Toy and I played until 2am one night trying to beat the game. We finally had to call my cousin and her husband and asked them to come over (they are big game players) and we did finally beat this…but it was down to the wire. The neat thing about this game is not only is it coop, but you can play solo as well.

The other game is a sequel to Forbidden Island which is also a kick ass game (that Moo and co. gave you one Xmas,) but we think Forbidden Desert (that Moo and co gave you this Xmas) might be a bit better – my cousin and husband also came over to try and help us beat this – but we FAILED. You seem to be very stressed out over not winning and we are trying desperately to show you that you don’t have to win to have a good time. It’s a work in progress.

Maybe when we go to Moo & Freak Show’s house to play this (once I am assured that the plague that infected me is not hiding in you or Boy Toy) you will relax.  You still love to play  Zombie Dice and Munchkin, we got some expansion packs and additional sets that make us laugh. You still pull out Stratego and on occasion the Bakugan game (that’s like Stratego).

You still spend time with Nannie and Pap. Papa has taken you on multiple adventures. The most recent being Laser Tag, The Museum of Fine Arts and The Higgen’s Armory Museum. Papa still chases you around the house with a broom threatening to beat you, but now you occasionally take the broom and chase him through the house.

You are taking lean to play hockey lessons. You seem to be enjoying it, but you don’t want to play hockey because you are afraid you are going to get hurt. Little dude there is no checking until…high school? College? You aren’t going to get hurt. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care if you play hockey or not, I just don’t want you to close the door on something on the possibility of a scenario that chances are will never happen…good god you are your father!

You are a Minecraft fiend. You love to play and are spending more time playing with other people than you do building worlds. I really appreciate that you still ask us before you do things on line “is it ok if I answer someone’s question, can I join an auction?” I know it won’t always be this way, but I think it’s sweet.

You stayed home today, you asked if you could. So right now you are playing Kirby in Dreamland. You loved Kirby’s epic yarn and you seem to really love this one too. One of the books I got you “the Homework Machine” you have already read…brat. You said you wanted ice cream cake for breakfast so the cake is on the counter, once it thaws a bit more you shall have CAKE. We will be going to Dave & Buster’s later for lunch. Yesterday we took you and JMan to see the Lego Movie. You both loved it. The movie matinee (for kids) was $9.00. For your father and I it was $9.50.  I wonder how much movie tickets will be by the time you read this letter?

Love you kiddo Happy Birthday! 

Holy Crap it’s been almost a year since I last posted.

Apparently when work is insane I have no desire to be on the computer in my nonexistent free time. Actually I had decided I would start the new year off right by starting to blog again, but have had such a shitastic year so far that I couldn't bring myself to do it – but for Spotty Chop…

Spotty Chop underwent some minor surgery on Tuesday. The doctor wanted to remove a lesion on his lip so they could check it out and verify that it wasn't anything funky. 

I don’t know how parents of truly sick children do it. How they don’t implode, or burst into flames or kill themselves over the stress and fear is beyond me.  But if you have a sick kid, or know a sick kid make sure you give the parents a random hug, chances are they need it.

We spent Monday night at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill as Spotty needed to be at the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary at 6am, and my boys? They don’t do mornings. We had a quick walk from the hotel to the hospital where they treated us right. From the quirky “path” to the pediatric unit to the Spider Man and Minnie Mouse scrubs folks wore, everyone we met was kind, gracious and sympathetic to my seemingly never ending tears. 

waiting to be called

Spotty Chop was weighed (he’s lost weight, didn't need to,  assuming stress) and his vitals were checked, and rechecked. We answered questions and then answered them again and again. We explained to Spotty that they do this to make absolutely sure that they are keeping him safe. While we were in the “curtained  section” there were 4 or 5 other families around us having the same questions asked. Spotty appeared to be the oldest of the bunch. At one point Spotty said “If I die” and I heard a loud gasp from the mother in the next curtain. “YOU WILL NOT DIE. THERE IS NO DYING GOING ON” I shouted. Spotty looked at me as if I had 10 heads. “Mum, I didn't say I was going to die I said if I die”. “WE ARE NOT DYING” I repeated, because seriously. Boy Toy was going into the operating room with Spotty. I had initially planned on going in, but a coworker who’s son had his tonsils out asked me who was going in. When I said me, he looked me dead in the eye and said “no…you WILL NOT, it will kill you. My wife did and it was the worst mistake she ever made.” Well, as I can’t talk/type or think about the surgery without crying I thought he may have a point. So Boy Toy got dressed in scrubs and Spotty got dressed in hospital jammies.

 Spotty got to bring Cherry into surgery with him

Can you guess what word Spotty was thinking of?

getting nervous

 reading helped

Then it was time to go. The nurse, Boy Toy, Spotty and I started walking, we stopped at the hospital room Spotty would be moved to once he woke up. I started to tear up again. Spotty put his arms around me. “mom it’s gonna be ok.” He and Boy Toy walked off. I sat and knitted. And I sat…and sat…finally an hour later the same nurse that walked my baby away from me came back. She wanted to let me know that the surgery hadn't started yet which is why my husband wasn't back yet. About 20 mins later Boy Toy walks into the room. Tears are streaming down his face. I’m like “WHAT”.  Watching him be put under was fairly traumatic apparently. They put the mask on his face, took some deep breaths and then went weirdly still, not like falling asleep. A few seconds later Spotty sat bolt upright, his eyes wide open, foaming at the mouth. The doctors ushered Boy Toy out “perfectly normal” they said.

Good Lord I am glad I didn't see that.  I asked if Spotty had colored his mask. He decorated it with stickers and then got to choose a scent. The great thing (and maybe they do this everywhere for pediatrics) they don’t stick a needle in him (Spotty Chop would have been a Fing mess) they use a form of laughing gas and once they are out they switch to an IV. So Spotty decorated and chose a lemon sent to go off to sleep – well actually he chose cherry and one of the doctors said “are you sure, I don’t think the cherry smells good”. He went and got the cherry so Spotty could take a whiff – BLECH was Spotty’s response, “I’ll have the lemon”.  When I asked what took so long Boy Toy laughed. Apparently they have Ipads for the kids before they go into surgery. Spotty had about 8-10 different doctors and nurses surrounding him. He was teaching them all how to play Minecraft. The surgeon had a 7 year old, the anesthesia team all had kids. Boy Toy said it was hysterical. They kept asking him questions. I believe all of the day’s surgeries may have been delayed some.

About 40 minutes later (I actually have no idea how long it was, time was CREEPING) the nurse came back and said “he’s all done and is starting to wake up”. We ran down to the recovery area. Spotty was shaking so badly and kept trying to get up. “Take this out of my hand and let me up. I have to get UP and WALK” he was shouting. The nurse explained that the IV needed to stay in until he had something to drink, because if he was nauseous they would give him something through the IV. Spotty wanted out so bad. Boy Toy held his head, I got his butt. Spotty was getting more agitated and the nurse looked at his hand again, she said – that is actually pretty red – I think maybe we should just take out the IV. I thought it was a brilliant idea. She said that sometimes they just needed to get out of the recovery area. As soon as she took the IV out Spotty was calm. So calm they decided he could go up to his room. I don’t know what you call the folks that move the beds from one area to another, but they seem to be some of the kindest folks around. Slow and calm and competent. I remembered that from my last ER visit with kidney stones. You just feel safe with them. Since Boy Toy was in scrubs he got to walk up with Spotty. I had to go a different way. I got there before them, I may have ran. Within 15 minutes of Spotty being moved from one bed to the bed in the room he seemed completely normal. Playing on the phone and talking to us.

The nurses came by to check his vitals, give him popsicles and apple juice.  The doctor initially thought we would be staying at the hospital until noon or one – but Spotty recovered so quickly we were out of there by 10-10:30.

We went back to the hotel (Spotty wanted to hang out) and I would say an hour after we got to the hotel Boy Toy said “look at his lip”. The swelling was almost gone (well not gone gone, but it went from a lip the size of your fist to a lip the size of a lip). Around noon we left to go home. On our way to the elevator I was telling Spotty “just think, if any of your friends have to have surgery, you will be able to tell them everything will be ok”. An older gentleman had walked up to the elevator. “are you going home?” he asked Spotty. “yes” and then proceeded to tell him all about the surgery. “Well, I am glad everything worked out ok for you.” He gave Boy Toy and I a smile. 

Nice people rock.

We had planned on Spotty staying home on Wednesday, we didn't really think he would NEED to, but figured he earned a day off.  Mother Nature apparently wanted to make doubly sure and sent us a foot of snow. Spotty appreciated the gesture, and spent the day playing video games.

Happy Mother's Day

Was anyone awoken to breakfast in  bed? Spotty woke Boy Toy up "sorry Dad, but we have to get stuff ready for mom!"

Spotty took his dad to Duncan Donuts where he ordered me a mother's day donut, a glazed "no dad, a french cruller" and an ice tea. he bought  breakfast for us all and wouldn't let Boy Toy pay.  He make a few things in school for me. Yes of course I cried. I also got a Star Wars Tshirt, R2D2 boxer shorts, a Led Zeppelin Tshirt, a new camera (thank GOD our old one was having trouble taking a decent shot) and last but not least the video game Dishonored. 

How is that you say?

You have to remember, once you decapitate someone you have to run back for the head after hiding the body;.

this is why i love my brother

My baby is growing up

Last night Spotty Chop made us dinner. Things were a bit hectic and when we were trying to think of something to have for dinner I suggested Boboli pizza. Spotty put his hand it the air. "WAIT! I will make you guys dinner!" Sounded good to us, when we went into the kitchen I started grabbing stuff and Spotty said "get out! I don't want you in the kitchen". So we left. He asked Boy Toy's help with putting stuff into the oven. 

He made us Pizza folds. Spotty folded the Boboli in half, filled it with sauce and cheese and baked it. They flipped it at one point. He then cut it and served it UP!

Spotty was soooo freakin proud of himself. It was adorable. When we were done he said, "I am happy to make you this whenever you want. You just let me know".

I could EAT HIM he is so delicious 

Thank God for my Parents

It's school vacation here in the Northeast  and I seriously don’t know how people do shit without their parents nearby. I am in a hellish week with work, trying to come up with functional specs for an extremely large project I have lucked upon. Which means that I really can’t take any time off to spend with Spotty Chop. Boy Toy FINALLY has a job again (6 months) so obviously he can’t take time off either. The YMCA offers camp, but Spotty Chop doesn't care for their “school vacations” that they hold at the Y. He can’t pinpoint what he doesn't like, but he is not a fan. Is there anything worse than being in a situation where  you can’t make your kid feel better? I am and will always be the bread winner of the family. I would love to be able to stay home with Spotty Chop, but that alas is not our life (and there is NO WAY IN FING HELL I will let Boy Toy stay home with him, there would be muuurrrrrderrr.)

Yesterday we drove to the Y, Spotty a bit glum as he just didn't want to go, but understands that we have to work. So we walk up the stairs,  outside the door is a counselor who says “what up Spotty?” Spotty says hi. We walk into controlled chaos and  Gamer an older friend who is in the after-school program runs up to him yelling “SPOTTY YOU ARE IN MY GROUP” Spotty smiles and runs to the lockers to put his backpack and coat up. I was signing him in and one of his counselors from the summer program walked in, as soon as he saw Spotty chop he starts yelling at the top of his lungs “SPOTTY IN DA HAUSE”. At this point,  I am sure it will be obvious, Spotty never looked back.  When I picked him up he said he had a great day.

Today Spotty was supposed to go to my parents. They are taking him a couple of  days this week so that he doesn't have to go to the Y for the whole time. I was supposed to drop him off around 9, but I was of course stuck in meetings till 10. My dad met us half way to our house so I could get back to work. He takes so much time off of work just to be with Spotty. My mom moves her schedule around at the drop of a hat so she can help out. I am so fortunate to have them near. Anyhoo Spotty is supposed to have soccer tonight and Boy Toy is picking him up from my parents to bring him back. I just  called Papa to say “whatever you are doing stay doing it”  Boy Toy won’t be picking him up till 4:45 . Spotty got on the phone to tell me about their adventure. They were at a farm and he had seen, an opossum, fox, great horned owl, chicken, sheep and goats. “I got WOOL MAMA”. Wool I said? “it is so amazing, it is so cuddly and warm, I bet that is why you are warm when you wear sweaters. Can I tell you something? Our tickets let us be in a raffle so we might get a wool wrap or sweater, isn't that cool?”

Hell to the yes baby! Soak in these memories! 

Looking Good Spotty Chop

New things are happening all over for you!