Over the river and through the woods...

We are leaving for a trip halfway across the continent on Wednesday.....with a toddler. O JOY! Though TV and DVDs are not usually a source of entertainment for Patrick, we are armed with a car DVD player, Sesame Street Old School (no annoying Elmo's World thank God!), Jakers! which are stories about a pig and his school mates in Ireland, and the old Charlotte's Web.

Jesse hopes to make this 22 hour trip in one and a half days. DVD or not, I think this will be hell. For once in my life, I would prefer to fly.

Christmas, etc.

First , I couldn't be happier about Obama's win in the Iowa Caucus.



Now for the good stuff!

Santa brought Duplos.

Unwrapping a quilt from Mommy.

Doesn't he make the cutest reindeer? His class "sang" Jingle Bells for the school "play."

Recent Pics

Patrick now likes to stuff himself into pots.

Father and son exhausted after a long cold day in New England.

This time a salad bowl works.

Father and son aboard the Mayflower II.

A pain worse than labor

Spent last night in the ER with Kidney Stone II. KS I was five years ago. Having it removed Monday as it's on the larger size -- 5mm. The urologist has the personality of a ...well, actually he has absolutely no personality and acted superior and rude to boot. Even Jesse thought he was an ass. If it had not been a Friday afternoon and if I didn't need this damn thing out ASAP I would have told him where to shove it and found another urologist. At this point, the best I can do is insist on seeing one of his partners for follow-up. According to the pre-op nurse they are much nicer individuals. Also, she told me this doctor is rude but highly competent at removing stones.

As to Patrick -- he was a trooper as Mommy and Daddy removed him from his warm bed to get into a cold car at 2 am and go to the hospital where Mommy screamed for what seemed like forever until she got the happy meds.

Ketchup (stole that title from friend, Jessica G.)

The first half of November was a productive, busy time at work -- vestry meetings at both churches, the wrapping up of the class I led on Marcus Borg's Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, and an incredible trip to the National Cathedral to hear Desmond Tutu. All people -- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, etc. need to heed the words of this man. What a prophet.

After all that we traveled up to RI to visit the Gates family for Thanksgiving and spend a little time in southern New England. We went to Plymouth and toured the Mayflower II, saw the rock, etc. That's when things got bad. It was great seeing our friends and I got to baptize Paige but Patrick got sick, wouldn't sleep in his pack n play and slept with us all the while coughing on us. So, we got sick, the whole Gates family got sick, and while I thought I was getting better, I fell vulnerable to another bug. I could really deal without the daycare specials here.

I'll get some recent pictures up soon.

Turtle

Patrick will be a turtle for Halloween. We had our first run in his costume at Auntie Wendy's pumpkin carving on Saturday and will go trick or treat at the houses of a few friends Wednesday night. He LOVES our staircase and is quite good at climbing the stairs with our close supervision (Jesse was right behind him in this picture but this little turtle is fast.

Feeding Piggy

I have not posted much about Piggy, Percy Piggy to be exact. He is Patrick's best, best friend. Piggy came into Patrick's life his first day in daycare (beginning of August) and has been faithful ever since. Piggy is Patrick's first stuffed animal (or at least the first one with which Patrick has had an attachment) and some of you may remember that Patrick was a little piggy his first Halloween and one of his several nicknames is Little Patrick Piggy (sometimes Little Patrick Piggy Bear -- I know, too much!). Piggy was a constant comfort while Patrick was in the hospital and he has been a special friend while going to sleep and in daycare.

Patrick loves to put Piggy in his highchair. I guess he wants to feed Piggy.