Ear infection...

Dear Nicky,

Right now, you're lying in your crib, whining away. I wish that you could just once sleep normally through the night. That's an exaggeration of course, but not much. Has your cold gone into your ears yet again. This is gonna be a long winter.

Love,
Dad

Good eyes for Junie...

Dear Nicky,

This morning I took Junie to see the eye doc. She was well behaved and cooperative. The doc said everything looks good. Quite refreshing to hear that. When you came home, we had snacks, then we went for a drive to listen to music and get some fresh air. Is your cold over? I hope so!

Love,
Dad

Turkey eater...

Dear Nicky,

So this afternoon Mom took you to Granny's, where you ate a bunch of turkey and gravy. That's great! I went to the gym, then the supermarket. We put you to bed and your diaper leaked shortly thereafter. I changed you and covered you up and you're sleeping soundly right now. Maybe the L-tryptophan is helping?

Rainy but nice...

Dear Nicky,

It was a gray, wet day all day, but the temperature was mild, and so was everybody's mood. No major crises, fights, meltdowns, whatever. Later we went out to Chimney Rock for dinner and it was surprisingly okay. Then we drove out to the Great Swamp, then went and had ice cream. Well, you wouldn't eat any, but oh well...

Love,
Dad

Glasses repaired...

Dear Nicky,

This afternoon Mom picked you up early from Stones and went and got your two pairs of glasses repaired. Now you have three pairs. When you came home, you had some milk and hung out while we had the HVAC guy come and clean our heating system. Later I went out to return something to Lowes. Meanwhile a playdate came over for a little while.

Last night, we went to a Parent Teacher evening at Stones. It was really more of an introductory hello-how-are-you type of thing. We got to see your classroom and talk to your teachers and aides. It seemed like it's a nice and challenging environment filled with people that care. Afterward, Mom and I went and got a late bite, then we came home, where Robin the sitter had long since put you guys to bed. I was really tired and could barely keep my eyes open.

Love,
Dad

Parent Teacher night...

Dear Nicky,

Tonight we went to a conference at school, but I', just too tired to pody

I do a little painting...

Dear Nicky,

This morning June went for an introductory period to her daycare at the Presbyterian church. It was only an hour. While she was there, I went and got some groceries, then got her and went to Target and the gym. When we came home, I primed some exposed pipe outside in order to paint it gray to blend in with the house. I needed to wait for the primer to dry a little and just when I was about to paint it with the gray, June woke up and got fussy and underfoot but I managed to finish just before you came home. When you arrived you all had some milk, then we went and played in the yard for a while. For dinner you had steak and two bananas. I bathed you, then later Mom put you to bed.

Love,
Dad

Upset stomach...

Dear Nicky,

It's my stomach that's upset. Dunno if it's a bug or poor handwashing, but I really didn't feel well this morning. Your nose was a little runnier than yesterday, but your spirits are good and you had a few bites to eat for dinner so that's something. Maybe tomorrow you'll finally be better.

Love,
Dad

What cold...?

Dear Nicky,

Barring a relapse, your cold seems to have gone away. I shouldn't say anything lest I jinx it. This afternoon the plumber came and fixed the faucet in front of the house. You ate nothing for dinner but had three milks. Mom gave you a bath and you freaked out when it was time for bed. But now you're asleep.

Love,
Dad

Home Depot...

Dear Nicky,

This morning, because of your runny nose, we kept you home from Sunday School. You and I hung out together for a while, then we went to Home Depot. You almost fell asleep on the way, but you woke up when we got there and seemed quite in a good mood as we made our way round the store. I liked it a lot, just having it be you and me; it was like the old days. You were sound asleep when we got home. When you woke up, Mom took you and Junie out to Granny's for a while and I went to the gym. I had a good cardio workout. Then when you came home, Mom told me how well you'd eaten out there. We hung out some more, then we dosed you and put you to bed. You were out like a light before I'd finished singing "Yellow Submarine."

Love,
Dad

Playdate, and a cold...

Dear Nicky,

This morning you woke up with a runny nose. Great! That means the fall and winter season is officially begun and you'll have a runny nose from now till about May. Hooray! Today also began your first Music Together class, which was okay but Mom was anxious because of the copious nasal discharge you were, er, discharging. Also today, a bunch of people in the neighborhood were having garage sales. I say whatever, but I wouldn't want to sell my junk to strangers pawing through it, and I would never buy someone else's junk. When you guys came home, some new friends brought over their little girl for a playdate, a nice little kid about June's age. Everybody had a lot of fun playing outside with the many toys, and in the sandbox, and with the water table. Your nose ran the whole time. Finally after some snacks, it was time to go in, have a bath, and take a nap. Later you had some steak for dinner along with a banana and a half. I fed you guys while you watched Yo Gabba Gabba. It's not really helpful, I suppose, in terms of you learning to feed yourselves, but I'd rather you eat a nice meal once in a while, whatever it takes.

Love,
Dad

Friday catchup

Dear Nicky,

Sorry I was too tired last night and the night before to post. But here's what's been going on. This afternoon after you came home from school, Mom took you and June to the decorators' to look at some stuff. Apparently you guys did okay. Then we all went to Target and got some stuff, then we bravely went out to dinner at The Chimney Rock. The food and selection at this place are pretty good. I had some ribs and pasta, you had a little pasta, but you were clearly tired. We got you home, bathed you, and put you to sleep. Yesterday, nothing major happened. You had a good day, Laurie the sitter took you out and played in the sandbox with you, then I gave you a bath and put you to bed. On Wednesday it was our annual visit with Dr. Fred at the Judy Center. We spent two hours there, examining, reporting, listening, venting, etc. Fortunately Junie was with Granny, otherwise she would've been going bananas. Basically Dr. Fred said he's delighted with you overall. Your health is excellent, your speech is great, and you're walking at last. He called you a star. That's so great to hear. On the way back, we got a load of White Castle. I ate too many and felt bloated for the next several hours. After we came home, it was soon time for Mom and me to go back up Rt. 17 to a fundraiser for Down syndrome research while you guys were put to bed by your sitter Robin. The location was only a few miles away from where we were earlier in the day. I told Mom next time we'll just give them the money and skip the dinner, which was awful, and the entertainment, which was beat: this weirdo trainer from the gym in our old apartment building in Hoboken, and Danny Aiello, who's a poor man's poor man's Frank Sinatra. I was so tired when we came home I couldn't think straight. And now you're caught up!

Love,
Dad

IOU a post again, sorry...

Dear Nicky,

Stayed up too late, too tired, will catch you up tomorrow.

Love,
Dad

Dr. Fred, 2008...

Dear Nicky,

Today we went to see Dr. Fred, then came home, then went back to Rutherford a couple hours later for a fundraiser. I'm pretty beat, so I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow, but basically Dr. Fred thinks you're spectacular, so we must be doing something right.

Love,
Dad

Very active...

Dear Nicky,

This afternoon you arrived home very happy and energetic. You didn't eat anything but you had a bunch of milk, so that's something. Junie might be coming down with something. Tomorrow we go see Dr. Fred.

Love,
Dad

Forms...

Dear Nicky,

This afternoon when you came home, we went to Doc Mock's office and got copies of some reports for when we go see Dr. Fred this Wednesday. The reports were comprised of your CBC, thyroid, and Celiac tests. When we came home, we had some steak and bananas and cake, then we had a bath and went to bed.

Love,
Dad

A nice run...

Dear Nicky,

This morning, Mom took you and June to church and I went and did a really good workout on the treadmill. I warmed up on the elliptical for 10 minutes, then ran for over 30 minutes. Afterward I cooled down for ten minutes, then went and took a shower. When I got home you guys still weren't back. We all three napped while Mom made a delicious beef stew. When we woke up, we went to the mall, where Mom got some stuff and some sneakers. You guys also had fun throwing coins into the big glass globe fountain. We let you guys out of your stroller and you danced in the entryway of A&F. Then Junie flipped out and cried till we left. Back home, we all ate some stew, and you ate a very good amount in particular. We hung out, returned a water rocket to our neighbors that had landed on our balcony, then went to bed. Not a bad day.

Love,
Dad

Mom's stressed...

Dear Nicky,

Today Mom's mood was a little off because she woke up at 4:30. She was cranky all day. You guys were no help. It wasn't fun. We went to Target and Home Depot and got some stuff. Then we had pizza for dinner, and Junie was her usual royal pain, then a bath, then bed. You guys love baths. You come running up the stairs for them. But then every single time we shampoo your hair, it's a raging screamfest. Very stressful for everyone.

Love,
Dad

Dr. Cheng...

Dear Nicky,

This afternoon we went to see Dr. Cheng at Children's Specialized. We picked you up early from Stones and made our way down to Mountainside. While we registered at the front desk, a couple of ladies that worked there said how cute you were. Then we got you weighed and measured, about 33 pounds and 36 inches. Dr. Cheng evaluated you and checked your hips and feet and gait. He was pleased in general and saw nothing that surprised or concerned him. You're going to keep wearing your SMOs for a while longer, then maybe switch to a shorter version maybe in March.

Love,
Dad

Some more steak...

Dear Nicky,

This evening I made you some steak. I again fed it to you while you watched Yo Gabba Gabba. Developmentally, it's not really a step forward. But you ate quite a bit of it, and that makes me happy. You also ate a banana and some cookies and milk. That's probably the most you've eaten in 48 hours. Buddy, if all you want to eat is steak, I'll make it for you.

Love,
Dad

Had a bite...

Dear Nicky,

At least you had a little to eat tonight, a piece of sausage and some yogurt. You made a big mess. Then you spent the rest of the evening grinding your teeth till Mom put you to bed.

Love,
Dad

No dinner, and a bath...

Dear Nicky,

You were in a great mood this afternoon and we had a lot of laughs while Junie still napped. You complain in the morning when you get on the van, but you're quite pleasant after you've been to school. I made you some veggie nuggets for dinner, but you didn't even touch them. I gave you a bath and cleaned you thoroughly. You sure hate getting your hair washed. I just don't understand it. You love baths, but not a shampoo. I should think you'd be used to it by now.

Love,
Dad

You like steak...

Dear Nicky,

You came home in a very good mood. I gave you some milk, then we all colored outside for a while. For dinner I made you guys some steak, which you seem to like very much. I fed it to you during Yo Gabba Gabba. Today was Junie's first day at Santa Fe and she did great. You were tired and went to bed easy.

Love,
Dad

You petted a goat...!

Dear Nicky,

This morning we went down to the street festival. It was a beautiful sunny day. It didn't seem we were there that long, but we were there close to two hours. We saw some kids doing karate, we went into a little pen where they had some tame farm animals. You petted the chickens and the little baby goats but shied away from the larger goats, the pig, and the alpaca. Afterward, we sanitized your hands and got some food. You guys had fries, I had some sausage and peppers, and Mom got a hot dog, which made her feel kind of queasy. When we got home, Mom and I felt so tired. Later, after a late, long nap for you we went over to Granny's for some pool time and dinner, then came home for bath and then bed.

Love,
Dad

No big deal...

Dear Nicky,

A tropical storm named Hanna came through our area today. It dumped a lot of rain, but not as much as we expected around here. The weather guys on TV were saying massive amounts of rain and fierce winds were coming. Nah. Didn't happen. But I didn't know it wasn't going to happen, so I went to Piscataway and bought a portable generator. Now we have this bulky thing and we didn't even need it. But I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it like I did back in March, when I had to bail out the sump pit by hand for six hours lest our basement flood. That was a long night. Now this new generator is good to go for the next two years because I put fuel stabilizer in the gas I filled it with. So that's comforting.

Love,
Dad

No show...

Dear Nicky,

This morning your driver tried to talk me into getting you on the van five minutes earlier, and I was like, "No way." How they run their route is their responsibility. My only concern is that you don't sit on the bus for too long, driving all over the place, so some bureaucrat somewhere can tell his or her manager that they saved a few bucks. This afternoon, a lady from the neighborhood was supposed to come over with her kids for a playdate but canceled at the last minute due to illness. She could've called earlier. This afternoon you and Junie were wild for a while. Whew, you wore us out.

Love,
Dad

First day of the new school year...

Dear Nicky,

I wasn't home in the afternoon to receive you, but this morning I sent you off to school. You were a little reluctant to go, but I think you quickly got back into the swing of things, and noted in your communication handbook was how well you did and how happy you seemed over the course of your first day back in school. When I did get home, I found you bright and in the best of spirits, and the three of us had many laughs in the early evening. Then I had to return something to Target--a new Spongebob sippy cup whose packaging was so mutilated I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed when I bought it. When I got back you were sound asleep.

Love,
Dad

School starts again tomorrow...

Dear Nicky,

Tomorrow you return to Stepping Stones. I'm going to miss you, but I think you're going to enjoy seeing your friends and experiencing the structure. Today we went to Wegman's, then took a nap. When you guys woke up you really weren't hungry, but you ate some steak very nicely for dinner, which did my heart good. Sleep well, son. Tomorrow's a busy day.

Love,
Dad

Farewell Angela...

Dear Nicky,

Today was your nanny's last day. She'd been with us for almost two years. But you're in big boy preschool now and Junie's going to be going to preschool for a few hours a week starting soon, so we really don't need her help anymore. She was always very nice to you kids, very patient and kind and gentle. We'll miss her, she was nice.

Love,
Dad

The unofficial end of summer...

Dear Nicky,

Today was Labor Day 2008. This was the last real day of summer. After this, kids go back to school, the weather gets colder, days get shorter, and nights last longer. This morning Mom took you guys out for a walk. I went to the gym and did a half hour on the elliptical machine, followed immediately by 10 minutes on the treadmill. Then I came home, had some Muscle Milk and took a shower. I'm trying to get healthy, to make my heart and other muscles stronger so I can feel better and be in better shape to deal with the requirements of my job as a father. When you exercise you feel better and live better. Mom also took you guys to Whole Foods, then we gave you a nap and went out to Granny's when you woke up. We splashed in the pool, then had some food, came home and took a bath, then went to bed. And summer is over now.

Love,
Dad