Worst Blogger in the World

Yep. That's me.

Hi, honey ... posting as requested. LOL

Well, it seems I've not posted since way back in January, let's see what I can remember of the past few months. Probably not enough.

Ray got his second set of tubes in February. Did we cover the part where I cried when the doctor told me we had to do them again and I wasn't through paying for the first set? Yeah. That was fun.

The good news is that the second set seems to be hanging in there pretty well. He just got his first ear infection since getting the new tubes, which is a landmark record for the poor child. About 5 months or so?

He's getting speech therapy at the daycare once a week and he's learning more words every day. The little fellow is smart! He still wants to revert to grunting for things, or screaming when he gets frustrated, but he's 2! Hard to believe he'll actually be 3 in just a couple of months. We've really got to start working on the potty training!

He's STILL not eating solid foods. Early Intervention still wants me to get him to the feeding clinic and I still have the words of one of my friends hanging in the back of my mind, making m reluctant. He was not impressed and refused to take his child again. We have seen some playing at eating lately. He's put french fries, cheese puffs and ramen noodles in his mouth (actually swallowed a couple of bits of noodle). He got himself a big bite of daddy's cole slaw the other night, but spit it out pretty quickly.

Big brother Joe is doing well. He is currently trying to convince us that he can be responsible for an aquarium of fish. In particular, he wants a dinosaur eel. The terms are that he must keep his room clean for a full month before we consider it. Not presently in danger of having to lay out any cash for the aquarium. LOL He is trying though. Its not nearly as messy as it has been in the past.

Joe is going to his regular summer program, and seems to be enjoying himself for the most part. He's struck up a friendship with one of the kids there that seems to be a good thing for him. They seem to just like goofing around in the same way. Its funny though that the other boy is a year or two older and Joe is so much bigger.

Joe's getting more active with scouts. I think he's starting to like it more now that the age level he's in gets to do more "fun" things. He and his dad recently went on a 3-day camp out that got a bit rough on him toward the end (he was just too tired from all the activities and ready to come home), but he keeps saying "we did this, and that, and, mom, did I remember to tell you that?" So, overall, I think he had a good time.

He is still the ever protective brother to Ray, until Ray takes a notion to hit or bite him. Then a battle ensues. Even then, though, Joe is very mindful that Ray is so much smaller. They generally end up laughing and chasing each other around the house.

Every now and then Ray insists he has to sleep with Joe. They look so cute cuddled up together, but then we have to move Ray back to his room. Joe is a wild, all over the bed kind of sleeper. In the mornings we can tell Ray to get Joe up and he stands at the edge of the bed, with his little hands up on the edge, saying, "Doe, wack up!" The other day he said it several times and one of us finally said, "come on Joe." Joe responded, "I'm awake, I just like to hear him, he's cute." He makes a lot of "he's cute" comments about his little brother. He really loves him.

Ray is still being a major daddy's boy. He'll let me do for him if Dennis is not around, but if he is here Ray just wants dad. He seems to be drawn to men more than women across the board right now. Some of our neighbors came over a while back. Jen was trying to get Ray to play with her and Steve was talking to Dennis. Ray just kept going over and pulling on Steve, who started playing with him. When they left Ray just cried and cried. He wanted his new friend back.

At the daycare he's taken up with two older boys. I think they are both around 8 or 9. The ladies at the daycare say they'll miss Ray sometimes and find he's gone to seek out these two, who are having a grand time playing with the little one. When we're out to eat we generally have to entertain Ray by drawing things for him, mostly the cast of Spongebob. Last time I had to add these two boys to our list of things to draw. He patted the paper and said their names, so I drew them. He seemed very happy.

We also get lots of requests for "see Sam" ever since we went to Sam's birthday party. I think he must have been very excited that day. I know I was. He did a few firsts. That was the day he put the cheese puffs in his mouth (then MG grabbed one and ate it, oops), he actually got in the little kiddie pool and played around and he ran across the grass bare foot. He normally stands in one spot and screams if you put him on the grass. Big day!

We're still waiting on Miss Jessie. Thrilled to have our LID officially on May 8. Looks like folks on the SN boards are getting LOA anywhere from 66 days to 140+ after LID, so its still a crap shoot when we'll hit the next step. I really have a ton of things I need to be doing to prepare. I think I'm in need of a personal assistant to keep me on track.

Well, I'm about ready to take a long nap. Its been along day.

snore ..... ;-)