A couple years ago, the kids got a Tonie Box. If you look at the picture above, you can see the character sits on top of it and it plays a story or music. You can read my original blog about it here:
We bought a small container to keep all of the characters in, and at some point, Ella decided that the characters were fun to play with. So when they are not listening to them, they are playing with them. Today, she asked me to come and play with her. She told me I could be Batman.
I always try to make her laugh and usually it doesn’t take much. Today, Wonder Woman and Elsa asked Batman to dance. I made a gruff voice and said, “I’m Batman. I don’t dance.” She asked me why and I ad-libbed, “My cape trips me up” and made him fall. I told her, “I have to go fight crime! The Penguin is out robbing banks.” She dug into the Tonie container and said, “No he’s not! He’s right here!”
My wife was on the schedule to work on Easter Sunday. The family made sure that she would be included in the weekend happenings. My sister-in-law hosted a brunch on Saturday, which was just awesome. She had eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit pizza, and biscuits and gravy.
In past years, we’ve filled eggs with candy and coins and just left them around the yard for the kids to get. This year, each kid had their own color basket, which matched their egg color. Everyone got the same number of eggs. It made things so easy for them.
After brunch, we headed back home so that my wife could get ready for work that night. We also had the kid’s baskets out for them so that she could see them get their loot.!
Each of them got a new Tonie for the Tonie Box, a chocolate bunny, a toy, some play dough eggs, and new outfit. I think they both ate their bunny for breakfast!
On Easter Sunday, we were invited over to my in-laws, but my brothers-in-law were sick. With Andrew’s surgery coming up this week, we didn’t want to risk him getting sick (more on that in a sec).
Sam brought home donuts on Easter morning and we all enjoyed them. After breakfast, the kids were off playing with their toys. I grabbed a cup of coffee and tuned in to one of my pastor friend’s church service. It was a tremendous message and I am glad that I had the chance to sit and watch it. The message was on the resurrection of Christ and how it benefits Christian believers. It was a wonderful message that I really needed to hear with all that is coming up.
As I mentioned, Andrew is having surgery to repair the cleft that is between his vocal chords this week. I have taken a couple days off, so I may or may not post on here. I have a few things I might schedule ahead of time, but I will be back as soon as I am able with an update. He will see one of the docs a day before surgery to discuss some other possible diagnoses. We are also waiting to see a neuromuscular doctor. Not sure what we are looking at, but if you wouldn’t mind sending along positive thoughts and prayers, I would appreciate it.
My father-in-law could also use some good vibes and prayers, too. He is post op and needs to have another procedure done this week. Thanks in advance.
I had to do some quick testing a few weeks ago to see how the ADHD medicine is working. I will follow up with that doctor tomorrow. I’m not sure what to expect. You know how it is, in some ways I think it is helping, in other ways, I’m unsure. Hoping for some good news there.
I know this blog was a bit up and down emotionally, so I apologize. Know that I am ok, just thinking a lot.
A daily writing prompt that I often see says, “What was the most memorable part of your day?” or “What made you smile today?” The answer to both of those questions is what follows.
It was just me and the kids today, as Sam had a doctor appointment. We had breakfast together and the TV was on. At one point, the kids turned off the TV and asked to play a Tonie. (If you are not familiar with a Tonie, you can read about it here:
We placed the Elsa Tonie on the machine and it began to play the music from Frozen. Ella and Andrew were dancing around and asked me to dance, too. So there we were twirling around the living room to the music.
Our dog, Daisy, had no idea what we were doing and assumed it was play time. So she kept barking at us and jumping up on us while we were dancing. Ella grabbed a blanket and put it over her head like a hood and said she was Elsa. Andrew grabbed a blanket and I tied it on him like a cape. I did the same thing. We were dancing around like fools to the music.
We all grabbed hands and danced in a circle. I was lifting them up and spinning them around. We were flying in our capes. It was full blown craziness and laughter! We were so into it, we had no idea that Sam had walked through the door. I can only imagine what she thought watching us prance around the room!
I would say the entire dance party lasted about 10-15 minutes, but it was so much fun to watch them dancing and laughing. I was doing the same! What a joy to have such a special time with both of them!
The weekend is finally here! It has been a crazy week.
Monday, I took the kids to get their pictures taken in their Halloween costumes. Our photographer, Beth, once again got some great shots in our 15 minute mini-session. Ella is going as Rapunzel this year.
Andrew is going out as Spiderman.
The pictures came out so good.
Tuesday, Ella woke up with a fever. It was crazy high. She slept most of the day and eventually, Sam took her to urgent care. Strep Throat and tonsil stones. She was miserable.
My brother came up Tuesday night and Wednesday they were going to stop by our house, but I told them it was better if I came to him. So Sam stayed with Ella and Andrew came with me. They were staying at an Air B&B near us. It was a brief visit because I had to work that day.
On Thursday, Ella was feeling a little better, but not 100%. Sam had to take Andrew to Occupational Therapy, so Ella and I stayed home. I was trying to fold laundry and get stuff done, but she called to me and asked me to snuggle with her on the couch.
You don’t say “no” to snuggles! She is so funny though. At one point, she faced me and put her arms around me. As she hugged me, she said, “I just love you, daddy!” She held me for like 5 minutes. I was thinking about just how amazing this was. She made me feel so special. It was amazing. Then, suddenly, she let go and said, “Ok, that’s enough hugging for one day, dad!” Hilarious!!
We got a Halloween Tonie for their Tonie Box and it plays all kinds of Halloween songs. They have been watching Halloween episodes of Miss Rachel, Paw Patrol, Bubble Guppies, and such. The Ghostbusters theme song is on that Tonie (and in the Miss Rachel show). I did a spit take with my coffee when out of the blue from the couch, she says, “Dad. Who you gonna call?” Immediately followed by her screaming, “Ghostbusters!”
She was actually making up lyrics to it in her room the other day “There’s a tree outside. Outside my house. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! It was complete nonsense and I loved every minute of it.
Daisy, our new puppy, is slowly but surely getting better about going to the bathroom outside. I’m not looking forward to standing outside in the rain and snow with her this winter waiting for her to go! On a funny note, I think she thinks she is going trick or treating with the kids this year….
The kids did a Trunk or Treat this evening and got a bunch of candy. They have the list of candies that fall under the “daddy tax” rule.
Tomorrow, we are heading out for a Halloween Train Ride with my friend Margaret and her family. I am SO looking forward to it. It should be a blast.
I’ve been struggling to write. I’m sure it is because I have had a lot of things on my mind over the past couple weeks. The things on my mind are not necessarily things I want to write about. It’s hard to be in this place. I’m still struggling to get through it, and pray that everything will be ok. That being said, I decided to sit and write about some happy things from the past few days.
“Raising Gamers?”
I usually only play on the X-box when the kids are asleep. Recently, I was in the middle of a game and Andrew woke up from his nap. I paused the game, went and got him, and spent two minutes finishing the silly car race. He loves the controllers of the game. Another time, Ella was done with her nap and came in to the bedroom where she saw me playing “the car game.”
Now, Andrew will grab a controller and point to the bedroom. He wants to play the game. Ella does, too. So I pulled the batteries out of two controllers and they hold them while I drive around. They, of course, think they are playing! It’s fun to watch them.
Too Many Tonies?
Remember a while back I mentioned the Tonie that the kid’s Aunt Margaret sent? We have ordered a few more to play on it. I guess we didn’t realize how many we had until we lined them up on the mantle.
Many of them have songs, some have stories, and some have both. It has been so nice and has helped keep the TV time down to a minimum. If you have little ones, it is worth every penny!
Too Many Ninis and the Genius of Andrew
From my wife’s Facebook:
Andrew is only suppose to have his pacifiers at bedtime. All of a sudden we were missing a TON of his pacifiers. There was none left in the diaper bag or his crib… yet all day long he would show up with one and we are constantly taking them from him.
Tonight while cleaning I found out that my brilliant child at 1 years old has hidden his pacifiers throughout the house. I have found 6 of his hiding places. I’m not even mad, I am truly impressed!
I swear, he is a genius. He plants them everywhere and knows exactly where to get one when we take one away!
Bunnies!
Our photographer friend, Beth (From Enjoy the View Photography), had Spring “Mini” sessions this week. We booked a session for just the kids. Originally, we were going to have them dress up like in Easter attire. Sam decided that she was going to have Ella in the outfit she was in for her birthday, and match Andrew up with her in some overalls. They looked so cute together!
As a bonus, Beth had real live bunnies for the session. Ella was so excited when she heard about them. We didn’t really know what to expect, but I think we were able to get some good pictures. We’ll know soon. I snapped just one that has a funny story to go with it.
Beth had a bag of carrots to feed the bunnies. The carrot that is in Andrew’s mouth, was just in the bunny’s mouth about two seconds before I snapped this. Well, at least it is a healthy snack!
Fab Four Week
I took part in a feature hosted by Max at the PowerPop Blog about the Beatles. The feature continues for the next few days. His idea was to write about your favorite Beatles song – or anything Beatles related. My write up gives a nod to one of the boys. Which one? Watch for the post in the next day or two.
My Guest Ideas
Last week I mentioned that I was thinking about hosting something similar to what Max is doing and what Dave does with Turntable Talk. I am still trying to think about whether I want to do something music, movie or TV related. Stay tuned…..
The anecdotes in the blog today are a hodge podge of things that really wouldn’t work as a complete blog, so I thought I would just throw them together here in one. Please forgive the randomness …
Missed Milestone
Somewhere over the last couple weeks, I neglected to mark a milestone. I would have never guessed that I would post over 900 blogs when I started this site, but I have! Many of you have been here from the start and I thank you for reading. Thank you for reading about everything from diaper changes to my favorite movies and music. Thank you for listening to my many rants. Thank you for supporting the many changes my life has gone through and for your wonderful encouragement.
Maybe I have enough written to compile that book I have been meaning to write?
No More High Chair
Andrew has officially outgrown the high chair. I admit, it was nice to be able to put him in there and know that he would stay in one spot while he ate, however, it was time. So Sam and I brought out Ella’s table and now they can eat together. The above picture is in the middle of the living room temporarily while we rearranged the room.
We Got a Tonie
A funny thing happened this week. My wife was telling me, “I think I wanna get one of those Tonie Boxes.” I had no idea what she was talking about. She told me that it was like an Alexa for kids. You place this “Tonie” on the top and it reads books or plays stories. I had no idea what it looked like, but I pictured a small speaker with like a flash drive on it or something.
That same day – not 2 hours later – a box was out on the porch. My friend Margaret had sent the kids a birthday/Christmas present. I opened the box and I saw what looked like a package you might find a set of books in. Nope, it was a Tonie! My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief.
When I called Margaret so the kids could say thank you, I told her the story of our conversation and the arrival of her box. She couldn’t believe it. She told me that she saw it while walking through Meijer. She had no idea if the kids would even like it, and made sure to include the gift receipt in case we wanted to take it back. She included a few extra Tonie characters in the box and they kids love it!!
There are many Tonie characters you can get that tell stories and play music. You can even create your own content. If you have a little one, it is worth it!
Family Comedian
My daughter, Ella, is a constant source of laughter. Many times that comes at my expense. The following conversation took place this week:
Ella (with a hairbrush): Daddy, can I brush your hair?
Me: Baby, I don’t have any hair to brush
Ella: Yes you do!
I posted this picture on my Facebook and a friend commented, “Throw that brush away! She doesn’t want to catch the BALD!”
Parental Funny
I saw this posted on one of the Instagram pages I follow and got a good chuckle. ALL parents can relate to this!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 