To ABQ, and beyond!

I’ll start with Nathaniel this week. Nathaniel loved playing with his cousins, and their toys. He loved pushing the empty doll stroller around, I’m sure because it had wheels, and he really loved the talking phonics schoolbus. So much so, that he tried desperately to get us to bring it home! He’s talking more and more. The boys delight in having him repeat after them. He’s been surprising us with what he mimics too. In the car ride home from the airport I played the usual game of “1, 2, 3… Quiet!” to get the boys to stop talking so loud. We were then surprised when Nathaniel chimed in right after, “un, to, fee, twite!” Deborah and I just burst into laughter. So much for that game! Oh, and one more funny, Nathaniel decided that our milk was not flavorful enough, I guess. So he decided to add some ingredients to it. When Mike went to pour it on his cereal, he complained there was already cereal in the milk! I laughed and took the milk to the sink and got a gallon pitcher to pour out the rattling jug into. I found 4 Reese’s Puffs, 3 cheerios, 2 plastic utensils, and a stylus to a Nintendo DS. Sounds a little like a redneck Christmas song, right?

Joshua had a fun time in Albuquerque too. He liked most playing the computer games with his cousins. He LOVED the primary activity – and kept telling me of sewing on the buttons and going on the wagon rides. He also loved getting out all the toys and games Deborah had hidden away. He found a game set that had checkers, chess, Chinese checkers & mancala pieces. While he and the cousins like playing with it, they were often distraught that Nathaniel would scatter the pieces and then try to eat them.

Michael, for whom we made the “birthday” trip so he could see his cousins, spent most of the time on his aunt’s computer. It didn’t help that the poor guy had a very high fever for the first 3 days we were there. But once he got over the fever, he went right to what he really wanted to do: play more computer. I told Deborah that I think Michael would very much miss her computer! I keep asking him what he wants for his birthday, but all he tells me are activities. He doesn’t seem to want any toys. Maybe I’ll just have to take him to the toy aisle at a store to see if that’s really true…

Mike came with us on this trip and fixed the Newren’s sprinklers. He and Elijah spent all morning fixing them, but mostly running to and from stores for parts, or returning things. Then I told Elijah about Mike’s offer to help him carry in a freezer if he wanted to buy one. Deborah’s been wanting a chest freezer for quite some time. That, apparently, was all Elijah had been waiting for. He and Mike spent hours measuring & pricing freezers, until they found the perfect one. They brought it home triumphantly only to find it had a huge dent in the lid! They took it back, and had to go to another store to find a decent one. This one had scratches and dents too, but they weren’t willing to make yet another trip. I can’t say that I blame them! I’d be tired after 4 hours of shopping too, especially following all the digging they did earlier!

Mike also managed to glue one of the chairs back together that had been wobbly. He told me a few more things he wanted to fix the next time he came… Deborah told me she thought it was funny that Mike wanted to fix everything in their house, but I know Mike. He wants to fix things because he likes that feeling of accomplishment when things are fixed, and he got to do it on somebody else’s (grateful) dime!

Deborah and I thought it VERY funny that the men were out shopping all Saturday while we stayed home with the kids. We thought it should have been the other way around, except for what they were shopping for!

I surprised myself this week by overcoming my fears a little more. I hate driving places I don’t know, and I hate driving cars I’m not familiar with. But to do both is just terrifying! I almost NEVER drive out of state. I always make Mike. But when it was time for Mike to go on Monday I decided it was time to swallow my fears (a little) and take him to the airport myself. Albuquerque roads are pretty straightforward, and the signs were very clear. Elijah’s car was new to me, but I had driven it once or twice (a long time ago) before. And I did it! I did bring the Tom-tom (it’s nice to have a security blanket, just in case) but I didn’t have to look at it. Then, after that accomplishment, a few days later I surprised Deborah (she knows my aversions) by saying I would drive so we could all go to the park at the same time, and she wouldn’t have to make 2 trips. We had a good time at the park, even though it was very hot. Then to top this off, I left the park before her, and went to a local gas station to get my kids a slushy drink – by myself! I know it doesn’t seem like much, and I was never far from Elijah’s home, but it was a big step for me. Maybe the next time I go I’ll actually be confident enough to drive somewhere really fun with Deborah.

On another note, the pregnancy is progressing just fine, and I don’t have anything more than common minor problems that most pregnant women deal with. Woohoo! Only 52 days to go!