put that kid back in diapers

"Put that kid back in diapers!" I exclaimed to my wife while picking up a particularly nasty bowel movement from the floor that fell out of the pull-up. These girls!!!

Just kidding. This particular BM came from the boy. Doggone it, if he isn't stubborn. Madeline and Terra have more patience with him than I am able to muster. In fairness, however, I have picked up more than they have.

Despite my complaining, my wife's perseverance is paying off. "I got to go potty," Jack runs to us clenching himself as if he's holding the solitary finger in the dam that's ready to burst. Jack's finally ready to get out of the diapers and move onto the bigger, more cottony things. He's done this in a much longer time frame than both of his sisters.

Maybe that means it will stick longer? Somehow I don't think so, and I'm positive it won't be my problem.

the shredder

I have a shredder. Doesn't every paranoid person worry about fruit flies, identity theft, and pink shirts?

I shredded some papers after paying a few bills today. Jack helped. I went upstairs to find out how the delicious dinner I smelled was progressing.

Then from the downstairs I heard, "grrrrrrrr," from the cutting head on my cheap shredder.

"What the heck did Jack shred?" I thought. I still don't know. Hopefully not something I needed.

Trains

I mentioned before that Jack is in love with Thomas the train. Well, the sad thing is that Jack's dad is a little obsessed with the toys as well.

I used Thomas to deter Terra from Barbie's for as long as I could. Now it turns out that a few of the toys I bought a few years ago (and had some enjoyment) are worth characterized by words like "rare." Totally new to me, I feel almost like I bought the very first Superman comic book.

Next, a word to the wise, "Never buy Thomas the Tank Engine stuff new." The toys are wooden, so they hold up well. Compared to a Polly Pocket or a barbie shoe, a Thomas the Tank Engine toys is like a diamond compared to a mood ring, they just hold up.

Now, Jack and I are watching every Thomas the Tank Engine episode I can get my hands on, almost every night. We've bought the DVD's, we've watched on Netflix, and on YouTube. However, once you get into Thomas, you quickly learn there are a ton they don't make anymore.

I'm not talking like Mattel stopped making Duke, for GI Joe, here. I'm talking about super critical stuff like the NW Brakevan, or Toad, and China clay cars, and Diesel. These are crucial characters to some of Jack's favorite stories (and his dad).

So, naturally, I went to Craigslist. Initially, just to get stuff like more track, but then I saw this sweet deal. It came with a lot of trains, and now we have some pretty cool stuff that isn't available anymore. We have Mavis with the green stripes. We have the first Bertie, and the Crosby Truck with no writing on it, which means it's a prototype.

"Dad, please go my room," is what Jack says, now. We moved the train table to his room. We got to his room, we setup the track, and we rehearse some of Awdry's stories.

The next best part is the girls are totally OK, with this. They know a little bit of this is my obsession. Then the next part is, "Hey! Wow!! Jack got Henry's forest car, let's go up stairs buddy!"

Labor Day

We had Jack's birthday party schedule the second weekend in August, but guess what? That boy decided to get strep throat, aka striped throat, as one of my daughter's called it a few years ago. Jack was sick, with a real fever, so we had to reschedule the party. Labor day weekend was the day.

What a blast! Unfortunately, since Jack didn't have his real birthday party, he got several from us this past month. He finally had some closure though.

First, the girls were determined to dress this party up. They went with me to the store and we bought some balloons. They taped them to the hallways and Jack's steps.

Then, what almost brings a tear to my eye, they made Jack a crown, for the birthday boy. I thought to myself, "That's very sweet, but he won't wear it." Lo and behold St. James wore it the entire birthday party. He loved it. It had his favorite things on it: cars, trucks, and trains. We actually kept the crown, and I'm not a super sentimental guy, usually a picture is good enough for me.

It was all very fun. Jack knew about his presents, his sisters genuinely made it very clear that it was his birthday and he enjoyed every minute of it.

Then the fun moved outside, after the presents were opened. We played on the tire swing. Sarah, the eldest girl wound up the tire swing and had everyone spinning on it, she got the most turns. Later, she threw-up, but despite that, had a great time.

And I borrowed our neighbor's steam cleaner, and now we have super clean first level floors. (Once you clean up one spot, the rest of them just need it.)

postponed birthday party

Jack's got strep throat, poor little buddy. He needs a new cranky to make him feel better. I've watched more Thomas the Tank engine movies than I ever have this weekend. We bought season one on iTunes, and I bought the A/V cord to connect it to our TV's. I know the exact minute and second the "Donald and Douglas" episode runs, it's Jack's favorite.

Madeline's been very sympathetic. Although when Jack cries for no reason, just because she's around, she looks a little perplexed at me. "He's sick," is all I can say in his defense.

Misty's picking up his prescription presently. He weighs in at 41 lbs.

lots of time on wheels

Last time I ranted about carrying a silly tricycle up the hill, and how Jack couldn't go fast enough now that we all have new bikes. Two new things.

Yesterday we went for a bike ride where Jack rode his tricycle the whole way. We went to the playground, jumped up and down on the slides, we swinged on the swings, and made it all the way back home. I've just got new way to manipulate inspire the young lad.

First and foremost, avoid the hills. We went the long way to the playground, but there are no hills. Second, take water. It's hot. Transporting water's easy. Third, let his sisters get ahead of him, Jack is fiercely competitive with them, he keeps up.

Then fourth, get an awesome Burley bicycle trailer. That thing is AWESOME. We went really fast down the hill (and really, really slow back up). I can think of a hundred scary things with a bicycle trailer, like turning, wiping out, knocking over something because the trailer is wider than the bike, the trailer tires getting stuck, disconnected trailer from the bike, least of all that it's heavy. The Burley eases these. It's super lightweight, it has what's basically a rollover cage, uses a pin to mount to the bicycle, and a canvas strap, super big tires at 45 psi. Jack likes it a lot, "Whoa dad, that's pretty cool."

It can support the girls' weight. Madeline didn't like going very fast.

I'nna hold choo

This is Jack's saying, "I'nna hold choo, [mommy|daddy]," the last noun is either mommy or daddy, it depends. And that "depends" is what I'm going to gripe about right now.

Mom gets the "I'nna hold choo, mom," at the dinner table, or just before bed time, watching a movie, or when Jack gets hurt. Dad gets the "I'nna hold choo, dad," walking up a giant hill, that Jack has decided he can't traverse on the tricycle. It's not enough that Dad has is required to hold the tricycle, but Dad also has to carry the almost three year old boy up a hill, while carrying a tricycle, after riding said tricycle all over the neighborhood and playing at the playground for 30 minutes in 100 degree (heat index) weather.

Jack -- in 30 years, "I'nna hold choo, Jack." He'll hold his Mom, I know, not his Dad.