Nostalgia and Sadness

On Sunday, June 17th, I flew up to Providence to attend a course at the Naval Justice School in Newport, RI.  Since classes usually start early on Monday mornings, students generally fly in the day before.  My choices for direct flights allowed me to get in at 1123AM or 8PM.  I chose the morning flight and excitedly began to plan out what I would do when I got into town.

Going to Newport is always fun because until about age 10 (except for a brief stint in Utah), I grew up just across the border in Massachusetts.  So, I like to go there and drive by the old haunts; since I was 10 when we left, that basically means my old houses, the mall and my grandmother's house.  This time, I had a new sight to visit--my mother's grave.  My mother died of breast cancer in January 2008.  And, this was going to be my first visit to the cemetery.  She died in Florida, surrounded by her family and then my Aunt had her remains buried in Westport, MA.  My mother loved living in Westport, she would ride her bike on 20-mile rides, taking in some of the most scenic vistas in the country, at least in my (biased) opinion.  The cemetery is just a couple of miles from a house we lived in and I still remember getting ice cream at the creamery that is almost directly across the street.  In other words, I think she would hardily approve the burial choice.

So, the first thing I wanted to do when getting into town was visit my mother.  I rented a car and headed to Westport.  I stopped in at Handy Hill (the previously mentioned creamery) to get an ice cream cone before beginning the hunt for my mother's grave.  Going to Handy Hill is fun, I can remember going there often as a child.  I love that they call sprinkles, "jimmies".  I think I am going to have to bring that term back into my house.  It didn't appear that the place has changed much, it still looked like a local's favorite, particularly for people heading home from the beach.  After my peppermint patty cone, I went across the street to find my mother.  My dad has visited her, so I called him for assistance in finding the site.  It was Father's Day, so the place was pretty crowded.  Eventually, I did find her grave.  It was nice to sit down and talk.  I think about her every day, but I don't often just talk to her.

After I finished at the cemetery it was around 1pm so I decided to go to lunch.  My dad highly recommended a place called Evelyn's.  A quick internet search revealed that it had been featured on "Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives," and was relatively close to where I was.  Since I needed some cheering up, some nice New England seafood seemed like the way to go.  I got a clam roll and some clam cakes and sat by the water to enjoy my meal.  You can tell where my priorities were--I took a picture of the clam roll, but not the harbor.  After lunch I headed off to Newport.

The class was good; I learned a lot.  I also went out and ate a lot of seafood (more clams and some lobster).  Thomas and I spent five months training in Newport after law school.  My favorite thing about the base was the running trail that goes around the perimeter.  While we were there the first time, Thomas ruptured his calf.  There wasn't much he could do for the last 3 months and to get out of our hotel room, I spent a lot of time running.  I got to the point where I could easily do 5-miles in 45-minutes and I loved how that felt.  I can no longer run like that, but I still looked forward to doing a walk/jog combo.  The trail takes you down by the Saratoga (an old carrier) and I just love to imagine the history and the tens of thousands of people who lived and served on the ship.  Anyway, to help combat all the fried clams, I ran each morning and went for walks most nights.  Another big "nostalgia" point for me was eating in the galley.  I went there for dinner one night and loved seeing all the training companies.  There were several ODS groups (when I went there it was OIS--Officer Indoctrination Schools, but same thing) and just like we did, they had to stand reviewing their little books until the last member of the company had their food, then they all sat together and ate in silence while the Chief set the 15-minute timer.  One company was doing push-ups out in the grass before coming in (someone probably called the Chief "Sir").  I was glad it was them and not me (see August 2011 post entitled "The Longest 6 Weeks of my Life" for more info).  Anyway, it was fun thinking of myself being there 8 years ago and all that has changed since.

The class ended on Friday at noon and my flight didn't leave until 5.  So, I decided to do some more driving.  I first stopped and picked up some flowers to bring to my mom.  It was fun looking for flowers, almost like she was still alive.  I chose the ones I thought she would like best (lots of purple--her favorite color) and went back to the cemetery.  I said my goodbyes and stopped again at Handy Hill and had another ice cream and a lobster roll.  My mom would have appreciated all the ice cream and seafood I consumed that week  :)

After the cemetery, I still had plenty of time, so I drove past 2 more houses we used to live in and my grandmother's old house.  I was saddened to see that one of the houses has been abandoned and taken over by vegetation.  I thought about my brother and I eating raspberries off the bushes around that house and playing in the woods.  I remember "running away" and camping out in the back yard.  I remember playing on an old swingset and waiting for the school bus. The memories are stagnant, but time just marches on around them.  I still feel almost like I should still be a kid when I am there, instead I am mother to 3 kids of my own.  It was a very visual reminder that my mother is gone and I haven't been a child for a long time.

After that, I went down around the mall area.  Every time I visit (the last time was 5 years ago) there are more and more chain stores.  I hope that they don't eventually force the little guys, like Handy Hill and Evelyn's, out of business.  I love the history of the area and the old houses and the stone walls that were built centuries ago.  Those places still exist, and I hope that the commercial growth stays confined to its current corridor.

My final stop was Battle Ship Cove, which is in Fall River, MA.  They have several decommissioned ships that you can visit and neat museums nearby.  The last time I was there, also for a course in Newport, my sister's family and my mother had come up for a vacation.  I spent the weekend after my course with them and among other things, we went Letter Boxing at the park overlooking the Cove.  More bittersweet memories.

I've been here lots of time, both as a kid and an adult.  Always fun.

Finally, I went to the airport.  My plane ended up being delayed about 5 hours, but I did make it home that night.  Ultimately, it was a good trip.  Although this blog seemed to focus a little more on the sadness, I am grateful for so many happy memories.

Our Tony Danza...err Tiny Dancer

Last week was the culmination of 9 months of dance lessons for Anna.  Two months before her recital, I went into her class and filmed her tap routine.  She used this video to practice in the weeks before the recital.  I asked her to do the routine at least twice every day (which was about 5 minutes of practice, 10 if she allowed me to help her).  A Tiger Mother, I am not.

After all that practicing, she was very excited to show off at her recital.  I was less excited, not because I didn't want to see her dance, but because the logistics were a little difficult.  The recital was at Calvert High School, a 35-minute drive.  And, there were dress rehearsals the 2-nights before the 2-night recital. There was one night for her ballet routine (Act II) and one night for her tap (Act IV).  That made for a lot of driving across county lines.  I sneaked in the first night of rehearsals and was dismayed that Anna didn't dance at all.  Instead, she just stood there, checking out the scenery.  In particular, she was fascinated by a giant mushroom (it was an Alice in Wonderland Theme).  The second night, they enforced the "no parents allowed" rule, so I was not sure how tap went.

On Friday night, we decided to get there early to get a good seat.  The 6 of us (Chaiya, our favorite babysitter came to support Anna) arrived at the theater around 5:30 (for a 6:00 start time) and the place was packed!  At $15/ticket, this appeared to be a big money maker.  Anna did fantastic!  We were very proud of her--there was no stage fright.  At one point, she did turn and pause for a minute to look at the backdrop, but then she got right back into it.  It was fun to see all the dances.  I was a little disheartened at the inappropriateness of many routines.  If you have to bleep out lyrics, you probably shouldn't be playing it at a children's dance recital.  At least in my (unsolicited) opinion.

We left after Anna's tap routine.  It was already almost 9 and well past the kids' bedtime.  Jack and Kara (and Thomas) held up surprisingly well, but we all had had enough by that point.

The next night, I was just going to take her.  But, everyone seemed very disappointed with that, so we decided everyone would go.  This was the important night--the professional videographer was there.  We weren't allowed to take any pictures or video in the auditorium, so I was hopeful that Anna would repeat her stellar performance from the night before.  We got there around 6, and the place was even more crowded than the night before.  One benefit of that was we sat in the back row with a large open space behind us.  The girls spent the night, at least when Anna wasn't on stage, dancing along.  In fact, they have been dancing ever since the recital.  They asked Thomas to set up the toy piano and they will turn on the music and just dance and dance.  They are both excited to be taking a summer class together in July.

Back to the recital: when ballet came, they lined them up and Anna was directly behind a girl who is at least a foot taller than Anna.  I know I am prone to exaggeration, but I am being literal here--Anna is a small 4-year old, she was behind an off-the-charts 5-year old (that is from her mom, she is off the growth charts).  At one point,  I went and stood behind cameraman to see what he was capturing and it was like she wasn't even there.  You could not see her at all.  I was mad!  I consoled myself with the thought that at least in the tap routine, they stand in a single line.  So, you can imagine my surprise (and irritation) when they came on stage in two rows.  Oh, and guess who was in the second row?  And, who do you think she was standing behind??  They lined the kids up as if they were doing the ballet routine and not tap.  This time, it wasn't quite as bad, so I am hoping that we at least got some of this routine.  However, after all that time and effort, I was still irritated that we weren't going to get a good video of Anna.  But, she did well, and I tried to hide my disappointment.  She could see I was upset and I told her it was because I couldn't see her very well.  Her adorable response, "that's okay Mommy, I will do the dance for you tomorrow at home."

Dentist, Soccer, Blue Crabs, and Cowboy Boots

Another busy weekend.  Friday, we took the kids to the dentist.  It wasn't their fist visit ever, but it was the first visit in over a year, meaning they didn't have much memory of what to expect.  The kids did really well.  They all cooperated and there were no cavities or other problems.  However, I was disheartened to hear the dentist's suggestion that parents brush their kids' teeth until kids are 8 or 9!   I was thinking another year or so and we could pass the brush on.  We are letting them brush themselves after lunch, because it's good practice for them and it is not the most important cleaning of the day.  I am not wishing away the years, but there are a few things I have been anxious for them to be able to do on their own: be potty trained (check!); use the bathroom alone in public places; sit in a booster and buckle themselves; and brush their own teeth.  A relatively short-list.  Some of the things I currently miss: the toothless grin and inarticulate speech (i.e. "call me Kawa".  Actually, Kawa still talks a bit this way, so it isn't completely gone... yet).  Of course, there are still lots and lots of things to enjoy: holding their hands, holding them on our laps, kissing boo boos, being their favorite playmates, watching them experience more "firsts" (like the first day of school and vacations to new places); etc.  The longest list is definitely the one of things left to enjoy.  It's good to be at this stage in life.

Because they didn't have any cavities, they got to take a picture with Flossy and have their picture put on the wall.

Okay, back to the facts.  Saturday, we had our air conditioner replaced.  We spent a warm week without air and were glad to have it fixed. Of course, we were not glad it went out in the first place.  We had just spent almost $500 having freon added (or whatever it is called for a heat pump) and I was hoping the unit was going to last a few more years. Instead, it lasted a day.  It was a week of back-and-forth (can they fix it?  will it remain broke forever?  tune in tomorrow when we will see if part A will provide the magical fix. spoiler-it doesn't).

We also had our second-to-last soccer game Saturday.  Thomas had to do his PHA at Andrews, so it was just me and the kids.  I was impressed with how much better they played.  It is always fun to see progress.  I brought the camera and got some nice pictures.  It would have been nicer if I thought to do it while Thomas was coaching, but I didn't want to wait until the last week--just in case someone is sick or something.  So, hopefully, I will get more pictures next Saturday with the kids and their coach.

Apologies to Coach Paul for cutting off his head.

Sunday, we went to a Blue Crabs game.  It was not at all crowded and the Playzone is free on Sundays.  Thomas and I had wanted to go to a Nationals game this weekend; we were planning on having a babysitter watch the kids Saturday night so we could actually enjoy the game and the concert afterward.  But, with the air conditioner expense we decided to forgo those plans.  Since kids are free (on the berm), the whole family can see a Blue Crabs game for $12.  We had a great time and made it through 7.5 innings.  We could have made it to the end, but it was getting close to dinner time and the kids were pretty restless.  Also, the Blue Crabs were losing 7-0.

That about wraps things up.  In other news, my sister has graciously agreed to try her hand at the Drizella costume.  So, Kara will not be disappointed.  And, having something made by an Aunt is just as good as one made by a Mommy, so we still get to have the "made with love" factor.  A few more pictures, because I can't resist.  A few weeks ago, their Great Grandma sent them the cutest cowboy books, which they now wear randomly.

I am not sure why Jack was on Anna's bike with her helmet...

The world's longest french fry?

I thought this would be a quick one, but it always takes so long to organize and find the pictures (usually a combination of my phone, the camera, and Thomas' phone).

Memorial Day & Hot, Hot, Hot & Pictures!

I like to set goals for myself.  When the weather starting getting hot in April, I absolutely refused to turn on the air conditioner.  I decided that we would wait until June.  This is the time of year when windows should be open to welcome the soft spring breezes (and, a time when we can even out our electric bill).  Unfortunately, on Friday the temperatures outside reached into the upper 80s and the ones inside weren't far behind.  I hated to do it, but I admitted defeat and turned on the air conditioning.  I set it at 76 and we waited for the house to cool.  And waited.  And waited.  It never happened.  The house got up to 84 degrees and just stayed there.  Optimistically, we let it run Friday night. On Saturday morning, Thomas noticed that there was a lot of moisture on the unit and since the house wasn't cooling, we turned the system off and called a repairman.   Unfortunately, the earliest he could come to check it was Monday (which was better than Tuesday, which is what I was bracing myself for).  Our new weekend goal became to spend as little time at home as possible.

On Saturday morning we went to a Sesame Street show on the base.  They gave the kids these light-up Elmo toys, and they were enthralled.  Jack hardly watched the show, he was so interested in his toy.     We then went to WalMart to buy some water guns. We also decided to buy a pool, something I thought about all last summer.  As we were putting the pool into the car, I noticed some small print indicating that homeowners should check local ordinances before installing.  So, when we got home we did a quick internet search, mainly to confirm that nothing was required for our little 3-foot pool.  Surprisingly, we learned that our county requires any pool with a water depth over 24 inches to have a permit.  It is a "walk-up permit," but still!  We briefly considered just putting the pool up and forgoing the legalities.  Chances are no one would ever know, but we are law-abiding folks and decided to just return it, rather than deal with the permit process.  In the end, it's probably for the best, it would have had to go in our front yard and that means a few drawbacks (away from the deck, playset and toys, less privacy, etc.).  To help the kids cope with the disappointment, we set up our slip and slide, baby pool, and sprinkler and had a water party in the backyard.  Then, we went to Domino's for pizza and had a pizza party complete with movie (Tangled) in the basement.  The basement always seems to be about 10 wonderful degrees cooler than the rest of the house--which hovered around 85 all day.

Sunday we went out to lunch because it was just too hot to cook.  We spent a lot of time in the basement, including a rousing time doing Dance Party Kids.  We were fortunate enough to have a previously scheduled dinner date with some good friends, which meant a fun night of fantastic food and games (although, I lost, so maybe the game wasn't so fantastic--obviously rigged in fact).

The air conditioner repairman came on Monday morning.  Our system was out of coolant.  $442 later we have a cool house!  Since he was done by 9, our whole day opened up.  We decided to cross the bridge and visit Washington's birth place.  It was really nice.  The kids were well-behaved and there was lots to see (especially considering it's free).  Thomas is really interested in history.  He doesn't read fiction, but he will choose a topic or person and immerse himself with books, including cds on tape; documentaries; historical site visits (when possible), etc.  Lately, his topic of choice has been the Revolutionary War, so visiting Washington's birthplace fit right in (other recent topics include the Alamo, President Lincoln and World War I--topics can take anywhere from a few months to years).  We also visited Yorktown a few weeks ago.

After the visit to Pope's Creek, we went to lunch at Horne's Restaurant--a place we have passed by many times on our trips to Norfolk and finally decided to try.  It is an old-school diner/gas station; we enjoyed it.  When we got home Thomas took on the kids in a water gun fight, while I tried to do some sewing.  For some idiotic reason, I got it in my head that I know enough about sewing that I could follow a simple pattern.  Unfortunately, I can't.  I promised Kara a Drizella costume (one of Cinderella's wicked stepsisters) for our trip to Disney and there is no way I can deliver.  I got to the point where it was time to put in sleeves (in other words, not very far) and had to give up.  I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and did some internet research, but I just can't figure it out.  It doesn't help that I didn't properly transfer markings when I cut the fabric.  I am not sure what we are going to do--I really wanted to make it for her and she was really looking forward to it, but it is also really beyond my capability.

It's been a while since I posted pictures (apologies to the grandparents!)--so here are plenty to make up for it.

Waiting for Sesame Street Live to start.

Kara all worn out.  This may be my favorite picture of all time.

Dancing away, there is a lot of space behind them, but they all crowd right in front of the tv.

Walking around the birthplace site.

Resting at the birthplace site.

The girls entertaining themselves during the 14-minute movie

Their favorite part of the birthplace--these phones.  They kept telling us, "hold on, I'm on the phone," even when we weren't talking to them.

Kara and Jack sharing a shake at Horne's.  We thought they'd take turns, but who has time for that?

At that concludes our weekend update.  In other news, Kara is completely potty trained!  She is even in underwear at night.  Thomas's grandmother continues to do well, for which we are very thankful.

My Favorite "Can't Keep a Secret Story" Ever!

We spent a lot of time doing yard work this weekend.  As in pretty much 2 out of 3 complete days (it was  a 3-day weekend for Thomas).  Thomas gave the deck underside a much needed cleaning.  I did more weeds and mowing.  Then Thomas tackled the biggest project of all, the removal of the stump/roots of the fallen tree (a leftover from the Hurricane last year).

It took Thomas' hours to get the tree done.  And, Anna stayed by his side the whole time.  She brought her little shovel over and kept up a continual conversation while "helping."  It was very sweet.  Jack tried to pick up a mouse that came running out, and they also saw a black widow spider.  It was a very eventful exercise.

So, what is this story you may ask?  After the stump and roots were removed, I started to throw some of the dirt into the large hole.  Jack stopped me.  Thomas said to just leave it and then Jack mentioned there was a secret.  Being the kind of person I am, I immediately began to press my 4-year-olds for details (Kara was playing on the swingset).  Anna immediately told Jack to not say anything, reminding him that it was a suprise.  I jokingly asked if it was a secret or a suprise?  Here is the conversation that followed:

Anna to Thomas: Can I whisper something in your ear?
Thomas: Sure
Anna whispering: Can I tell her it's for Mother's Day.
Thomas: If you really want to
Anna matter-of-factly: It's for Mother's Day
Me:  Okay, well if it's for Mother's Day, I won't ruin the surprise by asking for...
Anna interrupting:  IT'S A TREE!
Jack: ANNA!!!  You weren't supposed to tell.
Kori and Thomas: hysterical laughter

Let me just say it again--I love my family!  It was absolutely hilarious to me that Anna interrupted my acquiescene to the keeping of the secret by revealing the surprise, especially after she chastised Jack for saying too much!  And, I am excited for a new tree.  Maybe an apple or a pear tree?

And, as a soccer update, the kids did infinitely better on Saturday.  In fact, Jack almost scored a goal!  They both ran hard after the ball and got into the thick of things.  It was so fun to watch.

Gender Divisiveness

Lately, there has been a disturbing trend in the Wilson house.  The trio of children is suddenly morphing into a duo/solo.

When we found out we were having twins, both Thomas and I were incredibly excited.  And, when we found out we were having a boy and a girl, we couldn't imagine anything more perfect.  When Kara decided to make an appearance a mere 16 months later, we didn't even bother to find out the sex.  It was completely irrelevant--we had lots of supplies for either gender and figured the surprise would make the experience even more special, which it did, except for an ultrasound tech who kind of blew it for us by referring to the baby as "she" (which we pretended not to hear).   Anyway, the one thing I was truly thankful for was that Kara was going to be a single baby.  I literally had nightmares that I was at the doctor and he suddenly announced another heartbeat.  In one dream, I jumped off a bridge after finding out I was carrying twins.  It wasn't because I didn't love the twins, but rather the thought of having 3 under the age of 18 months was pretty overwhelming.  The thought of 4 was downright terrifying!

Now, I am wishing there had been twins.  Specifically, a boy and a girl.  Why, you may ask?  Because I feel bad for Jack.  Lately, the girls have been excluding him.  Sometimes purposefully, and sometimes they are just playing games he has no interest in.  He doesn't want to pretend to be a princess and they are getting less willing to allow Iron Man (or Larry Boy, or Spiderman, or ...) to intrude upon the castle.  Several times over the past 2 weeks the 3 of them have been playing outside when Anna and Kara will suddenly decide to come in and play something else.  Shortly thereafer, Jack will follow with a sorrowful, "I need a friend."  He will ask them to come back out, but it is of no use; they have donned their princess gowns (or started some other "girly" game) and he knows he is going to be left to his own devices.  If Thomas is home, he will go outside and play with Jack.  I don't like to leave the kids in the house unsupervised, so I generally just offer to read books or play with play-doh.  But, I can see that Jack is just sad, at least when Thomas isn't there to be his "friend".  He feels abandoned.  He is very loyal to Anna and while he absolultely loves Kara, I think it hurts most when he perceives Anna is rejecting him.  He sees them as Anna and Jack... and Kara..  The few times the girls have closed him out of their room, I have intervened.  But, we can see the writing on the wall.  A pattern is emerging and as parents, we feel powerless (we can't make Jack be a princess anymore than we can make Anna and Kara not).

Of course, things may change.  I recognize that they are only 3 and 4, but trios are often problematic and I forsee that there will be many, many times when someone is left out.  It is difficult to watch.  Kara used to be very independent, but lately she has turned into Anna's shadow.  I can't imagine that lasting forever, but for now, it is very clearly girls' versus boy in our house.  We have never limited our kids to gender-specific roles, but at least in our case, it is very innate.  Nature has definitely won out in the gender portion of the nature/nuture debate.

Speaking of gender roles, my dad called the other day while Anna was at dance class.  He asked where Thomas was and I replied, "he lost the coin toss and had to take Anna to dance."  My dad then asked what kind of dance and I said, "it's a combo tap and ballet class."  There was a long pause, and in a strange voice, my Dad asked, "does he enjoy that?"  Slightly bewildered I responded, "not really, she is going to finish out the year, but probably won't sign up again."  Dad:  "Wait, who is taking the class?"  Me:  "Anna."  Seemingly, relieved he stated, "Oh!  I thought you said Thomas lost a coin toss and was taking ballet lessons."  It was very funny.  All I could picture was Thomas taking his first ballet class at the ripe age of 35 (in my head, he was wearing Anna's pink tutu and tights).

Doctor, Soccer, and a Kara Story

There has been a small amount of excitement in the Wilson house.  This is another catch-up kind of post, but I am going to start with the most recent events and work my way backward.

Scene, quiet time (since no one naps).  It is a shortened quiet time because the kids were playing so nicely that their kindly mother decided to limit it to just one hour, instead of their usual two.  30 minutes in, Jack comes tearing out of his bedroom.  A regular occurrence, his mother waits to hear what excuse he will present.  Much to her surprise, he has come up with something new:

Jack:  There's something in my ear.
Mom:  What do  you mean?
Jack:  Just what I said, duh.  I put a sticker in my ear and I can't get it out.
Mom:  Seriously?  <sigh> Come here.

The mother proceeds to use tweezers to remove a crumbled-up sticker from Jack's right ear.  She breathes a sigh of relief to have averted more trouble and sends him back to his room.  As he runs off:

Jack:  <mumbling> There's one in my other ear too.
Mom: <alertly> What was that??
Jack: <pausing> Ummm, nothing <runs away>
Mom: Jack, get back here.  What did you say?
Jack:  <stammers ineligibly>
Mom:  Did you say there's a sticker in your other ear?
Jack: Yes.

The mother looks in his left ear and isn't surprised to see that this one is buried deep.  She attempts to retrieve it, but is unable.  After a quick internet search yields no amazing strategies for removing small pieces of paper from a preschooler's ear she calls the doctor.  They instruct her to bring him in.  She places a call to her husband, who then leaves work early to assist.  In the meantime, she tries again to remove it, both with tweezers and then, has the brilliant idea to try and suction in out with the vacuum.  Of course, the brilliant idea didn't extend to first emptying the vacuum canister, so after the suctioning attempt, when she doesn't see it is his ear, she is forced to go through the dirty dusty vacuum contents hoping to find a sticker of a drum.  The search yields no conclusive evidence.  Fortunately, at this moment, Jack's father comes home.  Using the "flashlight in the mouth" method, he confirms that there is still something there.  Unable to remove it, they continue with a divide and conquer plan.  Daddy takes Anna and Kara to Anna's dance lesson (where she gets in trouble again, this time for having spit dribbling out of her mouth (no further details available) and has her hand stepped on by the instructor--also again.

Mom and Jack arrive at the doctor's office at 5:30.  Sick call is from 5:00-7:00 and the place is packed.  There are about 8 people in front of them (and that was after 2 left, scheduling appointments for the following day).  At 7:30, they finally get to see the doctor.

Scene: the doctor's office.  The doctor is nearing the end of his 12-hour shift.  He has at least 8 more patients to see before he can call it a day and while professional and nice, his manner is still somewhat rushed.  Jack, cooperative at first, but mounting pain and irritation increase his anxiety as the object remains lodged.  It is possible that a trip to the hospital is in their future.  Mom begs him to hold still, tries to distract him with conversation, but it isn't enough.  Finally, a nurse is called in, oddly enough she had a conversation with the mom earlier about having to hold down a child to get a strep culture.  And she thought that was bad...

Doctor: Jack, the nurse is going to give you a hug.  Mom--hold his arms and legs.  Nurse, keep his head still.
<lots of probing in Jack's ear with various objects.>
Jack: I DON'T. WANT. ANYMORE HUGS.  STOP IT.  <crying, screaming>
<Repeat several time,  with Jack uttering varying statements showcasing his discomfort and anger.>

Mom is unable to calm him down.  After approximately 10 minutes, the doctor is able to remove a small, bloody, crumbled up sticker from Jack's ear.  They are given a prescription for ear drops to prevent infection (from all the scratches caused by the removal).  It is now 8:00.  Mom takes Jack to Rite Aid to fill the prescription and Jack says he is agreeable to a dinner of snacks from WaWa.  After a trip to WaWa where Jack chooses a peppermint patty and tootisie roll for his dinner (and Mom buys him a cheesestick and banana to go with it), they are on their way home.  The ordeal is over.

Okay, so that took a lot longer than I anticipated.  Of course, I could have written it in one paragraph in a different format, but where's the fun in that?  Jack is fine now.  He learned his lesson and I had him tell the girls all about it, so hopefully that will be the only doctor visit for object from ear removal.

In other news: the kids have had 3 soccer games.  They are doing progressively better.  They aren't quite lighting up the field (understatement of the year), but I think one of them may have kicked the ball last week.  Or, maybe it just bounced off Anna's shin?  Okay, that is a (slight) exaggeration.   Anna is a really good sport, and Thomas and I are both really proud of the positive attitude she has each week.  She is always willing to go out onto the field and does not complain about anything.  Unfortunately, she is somewhat timid and seems to avoid the ball.  Although, she is getting better about that.  Jack does a good job cheering for his teammates, but is generally reluctant to go onto the field.  The first game he had significant trouble not using his hands, and is doing much better in that regard.  He often declares that he wanted to kick the ball and gets mad that the other kids aren't succumbing to his desire.  It is fun to see them progress and I can't wait to see what they are like by the final game of the season.  Both have indicated that they don't want to play next season, but they seem okay with sticking it out until the end of this cycle.  Thomas is the coach and he is doing a fantastic job.  The overall skill-level of the team has already increased and while soccer isn't his favorite sport (or even in the top 5), I think he enjoys the coaching.  He is really hoping that one (or more) of them wants to play t-ball in the future.

One more story.  I posted this on Facebook, but it is my favorite thing anyone has said in a while.  When I got Kara up one morning (a week or so ago), the first thing she said to me was, "I like your shirt, Mommy.  It's very nice."  I was wearing a faded blue-striped shirt.  I thanked her and we went on with the day.  Around lunch time, she got upset with me over something.  I can't remember what, but she told me "I'm not going to be your best friend anymore."  After that didn't appear to faze me, she then stated, "and, I don't like your shirt, either."  It was hilarious!  My laughing was probably not what she was going for, but I just couldn't help it.