Sunday, August 26, 2007

Further Adventures in Laundry

I am such a geek. Then again, you knew that already.

I'm excited - we got a new washer and dryer today.

Their purchase was a bit of a sore subject around here last week. It started when I went to dry a load of laundry and the drum didn't spin when I hit the Start button. I had to push it a few times before it actually started turning. Fortunately, when we bought the house the previous owners left the washer and dryer, so it's not like we had to buy one, ever. But still, when we went to look at them, John wasn't exactly thrilled when I showed him the front loading washer and insanely large capacity dryer that were $1400 for both (but we'd get another 10% off for buying both! AND pay no tax on the washer since it's an Energy Star model! AND there's a rebate on the delivery charge!!). He thought $1000 tops was sufficient for a "no frills" pair. Mind you, I'm the one who does the lion's share of laundry around here. I'm not complaining that I do it, I'm just sayin'.

Here's why I wanted a front loading machine:
  • it's more water and energy efficient (especially important since, in addition to our electric bill increase, the water bill will soon go up too)
  • they're HUGE - you can wash a buttload of stuff at once
  • as the boys get bigger, we really are gonna need a serious washing machine
  • if we're going to get a new machine, we should get a good once since we'll have it for (hopefully) at least 15 years

Well, we looked at them last weekend and John balked at the price. I didn't say anything all week. Then on Friday, there was a Sears circular in Friday's paper advertising a 20% sale on washers and dryers. When I mentioned this to John, he replied, "Just order them." And so I did.

Of course, this meant projects for John: replace the old plastic dryer vent (aka serious firetrap) with metal venting, which led to rewiring an outlet, and replacing the chains on the basement lights. He wasn't too thrilled with that, but once the w/d were delivered, I think he's actually glad we got them.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Better Late Than...

No, we're not expecting number three. I just haven't posted anything in a long time. You know, because I have so many amazing things to blog about.

Last Saturday we took the boys to the Bronx Zoo. It was a gorgeous, autumn-like day; absolutely perfect for strolling around the zoo. Jack had so much fun, and John and I loved taking in everything through his eyes - the gorillas, the reptile house (reminded me of the first Harry Potter book), the butterfly gardens, the children's zoo. Ted was good for the most part, but I think eating on the run made him especially gassy (it's hard to nurse while people watching). As all you moms know, what do gassy babies do? Usually, they cry. A lot. Which, of course, Ted did. So why was I getting dirty looks from other moms? I mean, really - your kid never had gas? Please. The only thing major bummer about the day is that John has no concept of hunger. Thankfully Jack is usually fine as long as he has snacks (have goldfish, will travel), but going from 11:30 to 4:30 and stopping at 1pm to share one pretzel between the three of us, then stopping for lunch at 3:45, was completely insane. Still, it was really nice to have a fun family day.

Not much else happened this past week. Jack finished swimming lessons for the summer. The weather was like fall, and it seemed like every kid was off. Jack spent Monday being completely contrary and very touchy the rest of the week. Ted's been cranky, which is pretty unusual for him. He's got about four teeth in various stages of arrival, so that would explain it. But I lived to tell, so all is well.

Monday, August 13, 2007

The Tedster

I feel like I've given Ted, our second son, the short shrift. All of my entries so far seem to have focused on Jack with nary a mention of the Tedster.

I knew that it was possible to love two children equally and with all of your heart but, wow, is it an amazing experience. And even though I've already been through all of Jack's milestones, witnessing all of Teddy's are like seeing them for the very first time all over again. The novelty just doesn't wear off.

I love that you can tell that he and Jack are brothers, but Ted looks like Ted. He definitely has John's eyes. And what a pleasant surprise that they've stayed blue! Because of Teddy, I learned that my great grandmother (who I knew as Babci) had blue eyes. A small detail, I know, but I never knew that.

I love his laugh. I love listening to him shriek with glee and babble when he's in his crib in the morning. I love watching Jack make him laugh. I'm excited to watch him try to keep up with his big brother, and I'm excited to watch him grow up.

Oh, did I mention that he's a wookie, too? Ted makes these amazingly adorable gurgley trills that sound like Chewbacca. He is just too freakin' cute.

An Embarrassment of Riches

We had Jack's birthday party this past Saturday. Instead of having everybody over to our house, we decided to have the kid party at Next Dimension Gymnastics. What a great time! There's nothing quite like watching twenty three-year-olds having the time of their lives, jumping on trampolines, sliding into the giant foam pit, running through obstacle courses, rippling a parachute, and climbing up a rope ladder.

And Jack got such great presents. I get so weird about that - don't get me wrong, I honestly do appreciate the generosity shown by all of Jack's guests and their parents. But sometimes I wonder if, and worry that, any of the parents think I've invited them/their child so we can get a present. Honestly, if everyone showed up and gave Jack a coloring book, I'd be happy. I'm sure Jack would be, too. Like I said, I get weird about stupid stuff like that. Like I'm embarrassed and uncomfortable to have such wonderful friends. I'm such a geek.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Faulty Wiring

My mother-in-law gave me a book of essays about how having a baby changes your relationship with your spouse (too bad I didn't have it when I was pregnant the first time around). It's called Blindsided by a Diaper and so far it's pretty interesting. I wouldn't have picked it up myself, but it's still interesting.


Here's a quote I've been, I don't know, meditating on: "(W)hile a woman measures her husband's efforts against what she is doing, most men measure their contributions against what their father did" (from "Not Perfect but Lovin' Him Anyway" by Lisa Earle McLeod).


Obviously this little nugget isn't the magic bullet that will suddenly make my marriage perfect and remove any future issues about division of labor where raising our kids is concerned. Still, it helps me begin to understand how John views his contributions as Dad.