tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29947927100952061332024-03-05T05:11:59.913-08:00Otis Family BlogKelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-81866650927546633752014-05-28T13:30:00.004-07:002014-05-28T13:30:46.982-07:00AlligatorsLast weekend I had a conference for work in Kiawah Island. Casey and the boys joined me for some fun at the beach. Kiawah is one of our favorite places and is also special because it was, I believe, the first place Casey and I ever vacationed together on our own. Alligators roam freely in Kiawah, part of its charm, but also somewhat scary, like when you round the corner and see a 16 foot alligator about 10 feet away from you sunning itself on the bank of a pond.<br />
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Riley and Chase were fascinated by the alligators. Riley was fearless in his attempts to get a good look at them -- right up until one of the ones he was watching much too close for our comfort started moving slightly... to accommodate his MUCH larger friend who appeared out of nowhere and climbed out onto the bank of the pond right next to the guy he was watching. After that, he was not too keen on getting close.<br />
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Chase calls alligators "chomp chomps". There is a great pool area for the kids at Kiawah, complete with a water slide designed for toddlers that requires the child to climb stairs positioned in the middle of an open alligator mouth. Very cool design, but Chase was not enthused about its teeth. After standing somewhat nearby and staring at the chomp chomp for at least 20 minutes, we made a game out of playing with chomp chomps teeth. I would stick my hand in its mouth, yell "ouch" and then tell chomp chomp that it's not nice to bite. Chase thought this was delightfully funny. (He also eventually worked up the courage to climb into its mouth and go down the slide, all of which he loved.)<br />
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With that background in mind, the boys now think that alligators live in every pond in the United States. On our drive to Chicago over the weekend, any time we passed a pond, Riley would ask about alligators and Chase would shout from the back seat, "Ouch! Not nice chomp chomp." Never mind that this would be his first full sentence...<br />
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Casey, being the nice daddy he is, bought Chase a new cup while in Chicago. The new cup has a dinosaur on it. Chase thinks the dinosaur is a chomp chomp. As a quick aside, in visits to Casey's parents at Amelia Island, the boys awesome grandparents rent a golf cart for us to get around in while we are there. We all love it -- an awesome way to get around and see things that you would never notice in a car. Not sure how it started, but Casey tells the boys to put their feet up every time we cross over a bridge in the golf cart. Somehow that has carried over to every day car trips as well, so any time we pass over a bridge of any sort in any type of vehicle, you'll hear them yell, "Feet up!" If the adults don't have time to lift their feet up, Riley passes out pretend paper towels so that we can wipe off our wet feet. Half the time we don't realize what Chase is even saying since it sounds more like "Eee yuh", so this is not really a fair game. Anyway, during our long trip home from Chicago, we would occasionally hear Chase shout, "Eee yuh, chomp chomp!" Guess he does not want his friend to get his feet wet either. Could not be more adorable.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-90989968407498200092014-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:002014-04-28T19:50:18.665-07:00Faithful FriendI know I have said it before, but these dogs really do love these kids. Tonight Chase started screaming hours after he'd gone to bed. Wrigley ran into the family room with her tail tucked between her legs. I was thinking he had either scared her or that she was annoyed that he'd woken her up from her peaceful sleep... right up until I opened the door to his bedroom and went in to soothe him. She snuck in the room behind me, laid down at the side of his crib and refused to leave. Loyal companion doesn't even begin to describe it.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-66706596351255682942014-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:002014-04-29T13:27:13.948-07:00#danceslikeelainefromseinfeldOftentimes I will dance and sing in the car trying to make the boys laugh. This afternoon was no exception. Casey had picked up Riley from school to take him to baseball practice, so Chase and I were alone in the car. He was in the back seat clapping his hands and moving back and forth, clearly enjoying the "Happy" song. I decided to join in.<br />
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Chase: No, no, no, no.<br />
Me: No what?<br />
Chase: No dans.<br />
Me: No dance?<br />
Chase: Yeah.<br />
Me: Is Mommy embarrassing you?<br />
Chase (at 21 months with very little grasp on the English language): Yeah.<br />
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If he is this embarrassed by me at 21 months, I can't wait until he's a teenager.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-26078297877439709202014-04-14T13:35:00.000-07:002014-04-29T14:20:22.160-07:00Please Slow DownEven though two full days have passed, I can still see it very vividly each and every time I close my eyes. A parent's worst nightmare: a car barreling towards my child with nothing I could do to stop it.<br />
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We were out for a walk like we are nearly every weekend morning. We were on the back roads in our neighborhood where, at this time of day, we hardly ever even encounter a car at all in our trek to Whitaker Elementary School (the school where Riley will start kindergarten this fall). The dogs were off their leashes, as they almost always are. Chase was dawdling, as he almost always is. Riley was riding his scooter a decent distance ahead of us, as he almost always is, working on perfecting the foot brake. Casey and I were discussing where Chase might end up for school this fall if the boys' current school closes or if the transition does not goes as we hope.<br />
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Up ahead of us, there is a stop sign. Between the stop sign and our current location, there is a bend in the road. No car should be able to work up any amount of speed before reaching the bend in the road since the car would have just stopped at the stop sign. Casey and I must've seen the car at the same moment. It was barreling around the bend in the road, and I really do mean barreling. If the car was doing less than 50 miles an hour around a bend in the road on a residential street, I would be stunned. As fast as the car was going, the whole world suddenly was in slow motion. Although we could see what was happening unfolding, there was nothing we could do to stop it. There wasn't even a chance to yell down the road to Riley, not that he would've heard it even if we had. All I could see was a huge SUV and our sweet, almost 5-year-old boy on his scooter way up ahead of us sporting his tiny little Lightning McQueen helmet that could've done absolutely nothing to save him had he been hit. I was paralyzed.<br />
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Casey swears the car saw Riley and swerved. I think it swerved only because it was going so fast around a bend. Either way, the car did not hit him and we had time to spring into action before the car made its way down the road towards us. I instinctively grabbed the dogs and pulled them to the side of the road while Casey corralled Chase. Both of us screamed at the car to slow down. It was only later, when it was too late, that we thought to write down the license plate number.<br />
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When I turned my attention away from the driver of the speeding car, and was able to focus my eyes on our sweet, precious, rule-following Riley, it registered that he had stepped off of his scooter and had pulled it to the side of the road, like we had practiced countless times as we'd seen cars approaching while he was riding. I am certain he is safe only because he saw the car coming before we did and did exactly what he'd been trained to do. I doubt he realized that the car was traveling way too fast and (happily) I doubt he realized he was in any real danger. Still, at that very moment, I found myself realizing that we, as parents, don't make and enforce arbitrary rules just to make our children perfect little mini adults. We do it because we want them to be safe. We teach them the rules and then give them more and more freedoms, hoping that they'll remember those rules as they gain their independence. On Saturday, I was glad that we are fairly strict with our rules compared to most. I don't regret for one second giving Riley the freedom to ride his scooter ahead of us, but I do regret that someone felt that her hurried life was more important than my family's safety, and I will be forever thankful that Riley emerged from the situation unscathed, thanks to his understanding of how to stay safe on the road.<br />
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It took me almost ten seconds to gain the ability to breathe again after I saw that Riley was safely standing on the side of the road. Riley, bless his heart, was worried that he was in trouble somehow -- thinking that we were yelling at him and not the car. Casey somehow had the ability to move and made his way quickly to Riley. Tears welling in my eyes, I took my time to catch up to the rest of them so I could regain my composure. Casey took one look at me and knew something was wrong, so I guess I didn't do that very well. We spent the next few minutes of the walk telling Riley how proud we were of him and how we were so very glad that he got over to the side of the road when he saw the car approaching. We also discussed how the driver of the car was not being safe. We didn't dwell on it too much with him, but did want to make the point that he had done the right thing. I will never forget the look on the driver's face as she passed us -- she put her hand in front of her face and looked in the other direction, clearly embarrassed by what she knew she had done (and almost done). I hope she learned that there's no hurry and no distraction worth what she had almost done. I know I did. Please slow down.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-37057089332654988432014-04-10T08:44:00.003-07:002014-04-10T08:44:57.009-07:00Sunny DaysRiley (while we are sitting on the front stoop before school waiting for the dogs to come inside): Mom, I really like sunny days.<br />
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Me (thinking he was enjoying the warmth or the almost picture-perfect green grass against the bright blue, cloudless sky): How come, buddy?<br />
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Riley: They really make me want to wear eye black.<br />
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I cannot make this stuff up.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-77829113858280959772014-04-09T10:39:00.001-07:002014-04-09T10:39:52.122-07:00The BatmenAfter nearly five years of waiting, his dream has finally been realized... Riley is on a "real" baseball team. As if the excitement of playing on a real team wasn't enough, I wish you could've seen the look on his face when he found out he was on "The Batmen". I mean, really, is there anything better than combining baseball with his favorite superhero?! (As an aside, how do boys who do not watch anything on TV except baseball and the morning news even know that Batman exists?)<br />
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After three fairly comical practices (comical in the sense that none of the kids -- well, except for Riley -- really know how to throw, catch, hit, run the bases or follow simple instructions), last night was The Batmen's first spring training game (or, as any other child would call it, scrimmage). Riley was the lead off batter for The Batmen and crushed the ball into the outfield for a stand-up triple. By "crushed", I really mean that he hit the ball generally well (although not nearly as good as I know he can -- he's still getting used to hitting off the tee instead of the overhead fast balls that Casey has been launching at him since he was 3-1/2) and that it bounced past the open gloves and outstretched arms of what felt like at least 10 kids who then proceeded to <em>all</em> chase after the ball and tackle each other so as to be the one who picked it up and (sort of) threw it back to the infield. Frankly, it would've been a home run and should've been a home run had it not been for the fact that almost all of the opposing players stood (unknowingly) directly in the baseline and interfered. But I digress. Riley was undeterred and stood proudly on third base clapping his hands in a very nonchalant, self-congratulatory way. On the next play, not surprisingly, a very wobbly "hit" that landed no farther than 10 inches in front of home plate sent Riley sprinting home for his very first "real" run. To say he was excited doesn't really do it justice, although to his credit, he just passed home plate and casually jogged off the field towards his teammates. I only know with certainty that he was excited because he glanced my way out of the corner of his eye all the way up at the top of the hill where I was watching (read: chasing after) Chase, and gave me an ever so slight grin and head nod. I swear he is already 15 instead of just shy of 5 years old.<br />
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More hilarity ensued for the next sixty minutes it took to get through each team's batting order twice (seriously?!). Most kids didn't know how to swing a bat. Many would swing so hard that they would completely miss the ball (on a inanimate tee, no less) at least 10 times before finally making accidental contact. Some kids would run straight to second base, skipping first base entirely. The funniest part about this is that they would still have plenty of time to run back to first base with ease and not be thrown or tagged out since barely any of the kids can field, throw or catch the ball to make a play. It was basically the batter versus whatever kid picked up the ball racing each other to first base to determine if the batter was safe or out. And there was <em>a lot</em> of sliding, mostly without justification. Is this a boy thing? I don't get it. Sliding seems painful to me. I'm not sure why, if I were a 4-6 year old boy, I'd choose to slide into (near) the base when the ball was at best 10 feet away, but it happened with enough frequency that I concluded it was intentional.<br />
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Riley finished the night with a triple, a base hit, a few fielding errors, a few throwing errors (although in his defense, the throws were spot on, it's just that the kid at first base liked to catch them with his face/head instead of his glove because he was almost always looking in the entirely wrong direction), an enormous grin, and a whole lot of enthusiasm for this great American pastime we call baseball.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-24954965035454374722014-04-01T12:07:00.001-07:002014-04-01T12:07:43.211-07:00WinstonEver since he <i>really</i> woke up at 3 months of age, Chase has been a noisy guy. He cried a lot as an infant, screamed a lot as a baby, and in his current toddlerhood, never misses an opportunity to let you know exactly how he feels when you encourage him to do something besides what he thinks he should be doing. As a result, the dogs have spent the last 20 months in survival mode. Winston stopped eating entirely back in August unless I would sit and protect him from the noise while he ate. Wrigley runs upstairs and puts herself in bed at the first sign of impending screams. Apart from being a bit comical, it's actually quite sad.<br />
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I have spent the last 20 months talking to them about how lovely Chase is, how much he loves them and how much better things will be when he can communicate with words instead of cries and screams. They often look at me seemingly unconvinced. I will admit that this has caused me much guilt over the past 20 months.</div>
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Chase clearly loves them. He constantly wants to be petting them, licking them (yes, really), feeding them, climbing on them, hugging them and giving them open-mouthed kisses. I'm pretty sure he also thinks he's part dog -- on more than one occasion, I have found him lying flat on his belly lapping water out of their water bowls. When he gets home from school, the first thing he says is "Wee-wee" (Wrigley) or "Weh-ie" (Winnie) and then he jumps up and down and points when he sees them come out the door. His complete infatuation with them makes their apparent fear of him almost heartbreaking. And then Winston surprises me.<br />
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Winston has been somewhat obsessed with Chase's things practically from the first moment he came home from the hospital. I'd come home from work to find one of Chase's super soft blankets in odd places. He'd steal his soft toys and then proudly march around the house with the toys in his mouth. At night, Winston would take his time coming up to bed, and just the sound of his paws hitting the steps took on a different tone. He'd then appear in our room with either a blanket or soft toy in his mouth, climb into bed, lay down and rest his head on top of the blanket or toy. I was convinced that he just liked how soft they were and how good they smelled.<br />
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Recently, however, his obsession with Chase's things has really ratcheted up a notch. One night Casey and I were watching TV after the kids went to bed and heard a loud crash from somewhere close by. About 10 seconds later, Winston walks into the family room with Chase's bib in his mouth, clearly very proud of himself. The crash? The sound of a place setting which had fallen off the dining room table while Winston was retrieving the bib. This is not the only bib incident. The bib has turned up in our bed, on the floor of Chase's room and in other odd places. The weirdest thing is that he doesn't lick the bib or try to get the food off of it. He just likes to lay with his head resting on top of it. I think it's his way of saying that he really does love the noise-maker an awful lot.<br />
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What about Wrigley, you might wonder? Well, she is more discreet about her fondness. If you come home unexpectedly in the middle of the day, you will almost always find her sleeping on the floor at the side of Chase's crib. She also thinks she is his mother and will lick food off his face, herd him if he's attempting to venture too far off without adult supervision and will almost attack his face with relentless licks in the morning when she first sees him. Her favorite thing, no doubt, is sitting at the foot of Chase's chair during meals. I think she just likes the closeness to him. Surely it has nothing to do with the extreme amount of food that winds up on the floor.</div>
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Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-37051838466433190172014-03-22T13:28:00.000-07:002014-04-29T13:35:27.700-07:00Things that Riley SaysRiley is a very smart kid and the things that come out of his mouth are remarkable. Sometimes he will use words in casual conversation that I don't even know he's ever heard and will use them in perfect context. This makes his mis-use of words all the more charming. Here are some of my favorites:<br />
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- Green Patrick's Day (what he call St. Patrick's Day)<br />
- Constructions (what he calls instruction manuals)<br />
- Spicy drinks (what he calls carbonated beverages -- he does NOT like spicy drinks)<br />
- Stripes (what he call wrinkles; I learned this one when he asked me why I had "stripes" on my face)<br />
- Old MacDonald's (what he calls McDonald's -- he does NOT like McDonald's)<br />
- Engine Turtles (what he calls Ninja Turtles)Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-45007934867956063652014-01-14T07:42:00.002-08:002014-01-14T07:42:55.535-08:00BrothersSweet Baby Chase (am I going to have to give up this nickname pretty soon -- he's really not much of a baby anymore...) woke up before his brother today. After Casey had gotten Chase out of bed and dressed, he put Chase down and he went off running... straight to Riley's room. As Riley had gotten up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom by himself (as an aside, you know you have racked up one small victory as a parent when you hear the pitter-patter of your 4-year-old's feet come out of his bedroom, down the hallway, to the bathroom and back into bed without any requests for assistance in the middle of the night), his door was a crack open, facilitating what was to come. To hear Riley re-tell it in the car on the way to school today was priceless. Chase apparently came into Riley's dark room, found his way over to Riley's bed where he was still asleep, and started babbling on in a language only Chase can understand. Riley then got out of bed, helped Chase into bed, helped him get under the covers, and then they both laid there silently for a few minutes snuggling. Oh to have been a fly on the wall for that one! I asked Riley if he liked having a brother. His reply: "Yes, it's awesome. I love Chase. He has really soft hair."Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-35724682676560902592014-01-10T13:47:00.002-08:002014-01-10T13:47:25.088-08:00New Year, New ResolveKeeping up with Riley and Chase feels like a full time job... on top of my full time job, which is the lame reason I haven't posted much in the last year and a half. I am reminded each day, however, that they will be grown before I can blink an eye, so I resolve to make this blog a priority again in 2014. There isn't much that I enjoy more than talking about the funny, exciting, maddening and incredible things they do on a daily basis.<br />
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My last post was way back in October. About a million things have happened since then. "A million" is probably fairly accurate, actually, but I use that quantifier mostly because it is what Riley uses to describe everything these days.<br />
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Numerous holidays have come and gone since October. There was Halloween, of course. Riley wanted to be -- you guessed it -- a baseball player. He insisted on being Jacoby Ellsbury, not because Jacoby is/was his favorite player, but because he wears eye black and Riley was convinced eye black was an important component of his costume. His favorite player is Will Middlebrooks and he wore his jersey, but still when asked, he was Jacoby. Apparently being authentic was important, and Will does not wear eye black. Chase was an elephant, mostly because it was the only costume we had on hand that fit him. Being the opinionated little guy that he is, I was certain getting him into a two-piece elephant costume was going to be a disaster, and that keeping him in the costume, particularly the snap-on head/hood, would be an impossible task. He didn't even bat an eye. He thought the elephant's trunk and tail were a lot of fun to play with... he never ceases to surprise me.<br />
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Thanksgiving was spent in Turks & Caicos at an amazing oceanfront home on Grace Bay. Riley spent most of his time hanging out with his cousins and trying to master swimming across the pool. I feel like we didn't see him much since he wanted to be with the "big kids" and not his boring ol' parents, which is proof-positive that documenting the moments that he DOES want to spend with us should be a priority. These moments, however fleeting they start to become, are priceless and will not last forever. Chase, on the other hand, spent Thanksgiving practically glued to our sides. I think I probably clung to Chase just as much as he clung to me in order to compensate for Riley's budding independence. I have to admit that the highlight of the trip for me was when Chase was not feeling his best and I took him down to the beach -- just him and me -- to calm him down. I took about two steps down the beach and he fell asleep in my arms. Even now, almost two months later, I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. He was so at peace in my arms as the ocean breeze whipped through our hair. There was not another soul in sight, just our own private, peaceful moment two hours of silence on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Two days in a row I got this privilege and I think I will remember watching his sweet little sleeping face forever. After that, try as I might, he would not fall asleep in my arms on the beach anymore. I guess that's what feeling better will do to a toddler. Instead, he was in constant motion wanting to either climb up and down the stairs in the house to say hi over and over to the "ishies" (fish paintings) or do lap after lap around the perimeter of the house "hunting" for lizards. We would say, "Here leezard, leezard, leezard" and his face would light up like a Christmas tree. If we found a lizard, he'd get down on his hands and knees and try his absolute hardest to touch it. Imagine his delight when we took a boat trip to "Iguana Island," a beautiful, deserted island where random pretty large iquanas roam free. Chase was fearless -- the only one of the five cousins that would even get close to an iquana -- and had a big time. Riley was more comfortable on the boat itself watching as a pod of dolphins played in the waves around our boat (I have to admit, that was pretty amazing).<br />
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For Christmas, we had the unusual experience of getting pretty close to a week with my family in Chicago since Christmas day feel right in the middle of the week. My favorite memory from our time at my sister's house was when Casey, Riley, Chase, my sister and me ended up down in the basement. Chase asked for "I Will" (that's what he calls "I Will Wait" by Mumford & Sons -- his favorite song) and we blasted the song on Cody's speaker while Riley played the drums, my sister and Casey rocked out with some guitars, I sang into a microphone and all of us jumped up and down throughout the process like wild musicians. It was one of those moments where you simultaneously think, "I wish I could freeze this moment in time" and "Wow, I hope no one stumbles upon this scene." As it turns out, I can only freeze the moment in my head and unfortunately, someone (Ed) did stumble upon the scene and will probably never get that image out of his head (or let us live it down).<br />
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While in Chicago we also had the amazing experience of my entire family staying for a night at The Drake and then walking around the city together the next day. There were a lot of highlights in 2013, but probably the biggest was spending that time with my family at The Drake. We all hung out in my parents' suite for a few hours, had some drinks and snacks, watched the Blackhawks game on TV and just enjoyed quality time all together when no one had to be doing dishes or making food or any of the things that come when you host the same people at your own home. After the kids (minus Cody who is now old enough to be "one of the adults") were tucked into their beds, my parents, Jen and Ed, Cody, and Casey and me all went down to Coq d'Or, a really cool bar at The Drake and sat in a big booth listening to live music and having a few drinks. One of the most relaxed "adult" experiences I have ever had with my family. Ever. And the beauty of it was that we even got to do it at all... knowing that the course of my Dad's heart issues could have ended drastically differently had they not been dealt with when they were.<br />
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All in all, a good holiday season, and an amazing end to 2013. So now here we are in 2014. I hope it is a year of many more blessings, a whole lot of fun and very little heartache.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-77664098231433769142013-10-02T14:18:00.001-07:002013-10-02T14:18:49.913-07:00Drakes Island is...... walking with your husband and the same two dogs down the same stretch of beach at the same time of year as you did when you got engaged eight years ago, but this time with your children in tow.<br />
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... jumping in the car with your two boys and two dogs to go for a pre-bedtime drive around town, only to end the drive about 10 seconds later as you pull up to the jetty at the perfect time to watch the sun set over Wells Harbor and decide that watching the sunset on the beach in your jammies is a much better idea.<br />
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... sleeping with the windows wide open so you can listen to the sound of the waves as you drift off to sleep and wake up to the crisp, cool air.<br />
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... watching your four-year-old go from not being able to pedal a bike to riding it back and forth across the street the next day to "Uncle Shailer's driveway" like his dad did as a little boy.<br />
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... watching the same little boy count the days until Pappa Ken would arrive so he could take him on a bike ride "all the way to the stop sign" [down Drakes Island Road].<br />
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... cramming five adults, five children and six dogs into a small cottage so you can spend Labor Day weekend with family.<br />
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... plopping your one-year-old son down in the sand on the beach for the first time since he learned how to walk and seeing the twinkle in his eye as he walks as fast as he can to the ocean, carefree and fearless.<br />
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... watching as your family plays baseball on the beach -- your husband as the pitcher, your four-year-old as the batter, your one-year-old as the "catcher" and your nine-year-old golden retriever as the outfielder -- while your ten-year-old soaking wet golden retriever sits in your lap (you and the dog being "the people" which is what your four-year-old calls the fans), and realizing this is one of the best moments of your life.<br />
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... looking on as your two children play with their cousins on the same beach that four (five???) generations of your husband's family have spent their summers and realizing that although it has changed a lot, it really hasn't changed at all.<br />
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... catching up with friends you haven't seen in a whole year and feeling like no time has passed at all.<br />
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... giggling on the inside as you watch your son and his Crazy Aunt Melissa as they try to dig all the way to China, stopping periodically to listen to hear if they can make out anyone speaking chinese.<br />
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... digging trenches and building sandcastles with Granny Annie on your last day on Drakes Island and realizing that she is enjoying it just as much as her grandson and that you have never seen her look so lovely.<br />
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... being so exhausted by the end of the day that even the luxury of being able to watch your beloved Red Sox on NESN cannot keep you awake past 8:30.<br />
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... realizing you could have packed a bathing suit and one change of clothes and still had plenty to wear during your 9-day stay.<br />
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... getting tears in your eyes as you cross the bridge on the way off the island, knowing that a whole year will pass until you get to experience this slice of heaven on earth again.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-48144404623584141572013-08-15T09:37:00.002-07:002013-08-15T09:37:48.435-07:00MorningToday was one of those mornings when I was truly so thankful to be a mommy. Weekday mornings are usually a frenzied and frankly semi-nightmarish experience, what with trying to get kids fed, ready for school and out the door in a somewhat reasonable timeframe while simultaneously trying to get parents showered, dressed and ready for the day. The last week has been even worse since Chase has decided to get six teeth all at one time. To say he has not been sleeping well would be an understatement, and he (well, all of us, really) has been extremely grouchy as a result of the lack of sleep and general irritation getting six teeth at once brings. There has been a lot of crying (both boys), a lot of screaming (Chase), a lot of sighing (Casey and me), with some attitude problems thrown in (all of us).<br />
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I leave you with that background so you can understand the complete shift in the air this morning. First of all, Chase slept through the night for the first time in days. He woke up pleasant and talking to himself in his crib. Then, he let me get him dressed without having a complete meltdown. He giggled a lot. He talked up a storm. Not that we haven't seen glimpses of all of these things during this excruciating teething process, but they have come in bits and pieces speckled throughout long days of aggravation and it was so nice to see all of them together in a 5 minute time-span first thing this morning.<br />
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As is typical on a Thursday morning, Casey and I were supposed to have an early morning meeting at work. With that in mind and with both boys mercifully still sleeping, we rushed to get ready for work. As Casey was hurrying out the door, he picked up his phone only to find that the meeting had been cancelled. With extra time on our hands for a change, Casey decided to take Riley to get his haircut while I waited on Chase to wake up. By the time Chase was up and I had enjoyed more of his cheerful company than I'd realized, Riley's haircut was complete. Chase and I met Casey and Riley in the parking lot at the barber shop and the three of us watched as Chase took his turn getting his hair cut. We were still a little ahead of schedule as we made our way out of the barber shop. Casey had to head to work but I took the opportunity to take the boys to Dunkin' Donuts for our traditional post-haircut treat. It was there that a true miracle occurred: both boys sat in their seats, smiled, behaved, were polite (Riley), didn't throw food (Chase) and were generally wonderful to be around. We spent at least 30 minutes watching cars go by, talking to other people enjoying their morning coffee, and eating our donuts. It was the first time in quite awhile that I was able to not rush them along and just enjoy their company on a weekday morning. It was also the first time in awhile that I felt like I had it all together as a mom.<br />
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I would be curious to know if the morning was a success because it was not rushed or if it was because Chase's happy disposition has returned or if it was because this morning was the first morning in months where the air was cool and crisp and not humid and overwhelming, or if it perhaps was a little bit of all of those things, but whatever the cause, I am thankful and happy to have spent a morning with two delightful little boys.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-55639956340795231572013-08-10T09:37:00.000-07:002013-08-15T09:59:38.066-07:00Running BuddyOh teeth, how I wish you would all just break through already. I want my happy baby and good sleeper back!!! Last night was a brutal night of sleep. Chase spent two and a half hours straight crying, screaming and tossing and turning in his crib. Poor little guy was so uncomfortable and absolutely nothing I did to calm him down worked. I held him, I rocked him, I rubbed his back, I bicycled his legs, I talked to him. He was having none of it. It was almost like having a newborn all over again, except possibly worse because his crying is SO MUCH louder and more agonizing now.<br />
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So when he woke up early this morning screaming uncontrollably, I was not exactly bright and chipper, not that I am generally bright and chipper in the morning anyway. Not wanting him to wake up the entire household (Riley had been up late by his standards having a playdate with some friends and Casey had been up extremely late by anyone's standards at the Bears-Panthers game in Charlotte), I decided to pluck Chase out of his crib and get him out of the house quickly. Holding a large, squirmy baby while changing my clothes, pouring a glass of milk and putting on my shoes proved to be a challenge, but I succeeded to do all of the above and get him out the door without him crying.<br />
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It was a hot, humid North Carolina morning as we made our way down the driveway. I am completely out of shape, not that it would matter in conditions such as those, but for the next 48 minutes (who's counting) I ran around our neighborhood and Graylyn pushing my sleepy little guy in his stroller trying to coax him back to sleep. Sleep did not happen, but something equally as amazing did: I actually enjoyed this early morning exertion. And Chase seemed to love watching the sun rise, listening to the birds chirp and the cicadas hum, and taking in all of the people and places we encountered. We saw other early morning runners, people walking their dogs, dads pushing their also-tired babies in strollers (must be that Saturday mornings are for mommies to sleep in???), fountains at Graylyn and cats on the prowl.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, given my preference at 6:30 in the morning, I'd probably choose to be snug in my bed, but this was a pretty nice alternative. For both of us.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-10627560568091472762013-07-26T07:07:00.000-07:002013-08-15T07:15:28.282-07:00Indy 500It seems that Chase is obsessed with riding in his "Crazy Coupe" recently. Grandpa Jim and Grandma Terry are here visiting for the weekend and poor Grandpa Jim made the mistake of agreeing to push Chase around in the car. Little did he know that Chase would fall asleep in the car while being pushed (an absolute rarity -- the kid NEVER falls asleep in anything but his crib). I guess he'd had a big day at school. The difficult part of this was two-fold: first, Chase would wake up instantly if my dad stopped pushing the car around, so my poor dad went round and round and round and round in circles around our circular driveway for at least 30 minutes; second, it was extremely hot and humid out during this adventure so my poor dad was drenched by the time dinner was ready and he could stop pushing Chase around. We improvised a bit and did Oberon pit stops where either Casey or I would hand off a nice cold beer to my dad as he continued to do circle after circle. The good news is that the Crazy Coupe has cup holders and since the drink-stealing bandit was asleep inside his car, we didn't have to worry about him trying to snatch it. Poor Grandpa Jim complained about the "marathon" he had just completed, but secretly I think he loved pushing his young grandson around while Riley rode his bike in circles right next to him.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-36613414603361169572013-07-20T07:15:00.000-07:002013-08-15T07:22:56.383-07:00Playing with the "Big Kids"It is so much fun now that Chase can walk around. He thinks it is so much fun to try to keep up with his big brother. Today we went over to our friends' house for dinner. Their daughter Olive is Riley's age (you may recall her from prior posts -- Olive was his first girlfriend and although their romance has dwindled, they still remain friends (thankfully because we like to hang out with her family) and their son Finn is about 5 months older than Chase. It was incredibly fun watching the kids all play together. We still have to closely supervise all of them (and especially the younger two), but it is awesome to be able to enjoy a little bit more adult conversation now that the kids can play and (mostly) entertain themselves without needing us to help them interact. The highlight of the evening (for me, at least) was when we turned on the song "Wagonwheel" and all four kids started dancing. A completely idyllic moment where all 4 kids were having a ball and all 4 parents could sip on their drinks, smile and think, "Life is truly good."Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-23309715984209031152013-07-19T12:35:00.000-07:002013-07-23T12:41:24.765-07:00Growing BoyFor the last 12 months, I have worried constantly about Chase's size. As mentioned numerous times, he hated to drink (likely due to severe reflux) and until we introduced solid food to his life, I felt like we were force feeding him every day. As also mentioned, this kid LOVES to eat and he will eat pretty much anything. Well, it's finally paying off. At his smallest, he was in the 7th percentile for weight, which is very close to being considered "failure to thrive." I'm not sure what exactly "failure to thrive" means, but it sounds scary and I didn't want him to get there. I am happy to report that in the last 3 months he has gone from the 9th percentile in weight (which was already a big improvement) to 19th percentile. That is definitely within my comfort zone.<br />
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Official stats: 20 lbs 10.5 oz (19th percentile); 29 inches long (50th (ish) percentile) and head circumference is 74th percentile. Doctor reports that he is growing well. Atta boy!Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-41720974265769356212013-07-18T12:26:00.000-07:002013-07-23T12:35:40.431-07:00Say What?It is strange... it's like Chase somehow knows that he just turned one and now all of a sudden his language skills are taking off. That's not to say that he's actually SAYING anything, but it is becoming quite clear that he understands what we are saying to him. His only word (if you can call it that) at this point is "dah" which is always accompanied by him pointing at something, so the loose translation of "dah" is "what's that?" (at least the best I can tell).<br />
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The spoken word aside, he does seem to know how to use certain motions to respond to what we are saying. For example, if you tell him to say good bye to someone, he'll wave enthusiasticly (same being true for "hi"). If you ask him if he's "all done", he will shake his hands (sign language for "all done"). This gets confusing at times because he knows shaking his hands is the correct response, but it doesn't always mean that he's actually all done eating. Sometimes he is (which becomes quite clear when he starts throwing food if you leave his tray within arm's reach), and sometimes he'll wave his hands and then keep eating. Oh well.<br />
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His favorite, I believe, is giving high fives. If you ask him for a high five and hold your hand out, he will slap it with all his might and then start giggling.<br />
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Every once in awhile, I'll swear that he says "mama" (especially when he's crying because I've had the nerve to close the door on him when I go to take a shower) or "dada" (similar context) or "Ry-ry". One night I swore he said "bye-bye, Ry-ry" when I told him to say good night to his big brother before I took him up to bed. Not sure if he actually knows those words or not, but either way, it sure is fun to be able to communicate with him. His sweet little voice is music to my ears (the crying and screaming as his only means of communication were not).Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-53813770554189555472013-07-17T14:08:00.003-07:002013-07-17T14:08:41.410-07:00Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!Dear Chase,<br />
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How are you a year old already?!? I still remember like it was yesterday holding you in my arms for the first time in the operating room and bawling my eyes out because you were alive and healthy (and rowdy!!). For nine months, the first thing I thought of when I woke up and the last thing I agonized over before falling asleep was whether or not you would survive. I worried about you so much and then just like that, you were here changing our lives for the better.<br />
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You weren't awake much at first and I sure did love you for that. You gave me the time I needed to recover... and then some! Once you woke up, you were a wild man right from the start. You were quite the busy-body, and I couldn't even feed you in the same room as your dad and your brother and the dogs because you were way more focused on what they were doing than you were on eating.<br />
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My maternity leave came and went in such a blur. The highlight of my leave was our time in Maine. You loved the beach even as a little guy, and it was apparent right away that you were going to turn into a water baby. You loved the fresh air, the sound of the waves and caught on quite quickly that Maine is a place where stress goes away and life slows down to the pace it should be every day.<br />
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By the time you started school, your severe reflux issues had reared their ugly head and I fretted about you, your weight and your happiness on a daily basis. Luckily, you were in the care of two ladies who loved you so much and did everything in your power to make you happy and comfortable for as long as it took for your body to outgrow the discomfort.<br />
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I felt like a thousand pound boulder had been lifted off my chest as soon as a combination of eating table food, cutting some teeth and learning to crawl happened what seemed like simultaneously. You started to smile more and laugh (a lot). It took so many months to hear the sweet sound of your giggle that I wondered if you would ever experience the feeling of having such joy that you just could no longer contain it. I'm not sure if it was just that you were finally feeling better or if you were just so frustrated about not being able to do the things you wanted, but either way, the change in you made my world whole again.<br />
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And now, well now the sky seems to be the limit for you. You smile, you laugh, you clearly like to make others happy, you crawl, you are getting the hang of walking, you splash around in water like there's nothing finer in the world, your face lights up in delight when I enter the room, you communicate by pointing at things you find interesting, you are making friends, you will hug my legs tight for a quick snuggle when you are particularly proud of something you've done, you crawl into my lap and give me a hug in the morning, you will do just about anything to try to keep up with your brother. <br />
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I am so proud of you for being the sweet boy you've become and I am so beyond happy for you that you endured whatever it was that you went through and came out of it as such a happy, mischievous, fun-loving little guy. Watching you dance, smile and toddle around give me more joy than I ever thought possible.<br />
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Keep moving to the beat of your own drum.<br />
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With all my love,<br />
Mom<br />
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Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-53328250510969435882013-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:002013-07-17T13:23:15.207-07:00Progression of the family walkTaking a walk each day has been a part of our lives since Casey and I first moved into our house on Elizabeth Avenue ten years ago. First it was just us and Winston. A year later we added Wrigley (walks have never been the same since her addition as they now absolutely require a ball and a lacrosse stick). Five years later we added Riley, first pushing him in a stroller, then permitting him to walk on his own while pushing a lawnmower or shopping cart of large car or something else to keep him upright and stable, then simply by him holding one of our hands, then with him riding a bike or running. Three years after Riley joined us, we added Chase to the mix. I cannot tell you how many people stop to look at our merry band walking down the sidewalk. Winston and Wrigley off leash and surprisingly being the most well-behaved and under control of the bunch. Riley running or biking ahead, sometimes falling and causing a mighty ruckus due the perceived (his perception) severity of his injury. And then there's Chase. As a newborn, he'd lay quietly in the stroller, never really falling asleep like so many babies do, but instead being always too interested in what was going on around him to bother with sleep. As an older infant, he insisted on being in a Baby Bjorn instead of the stroller because he wanted to be much more a part of the action than the stroller allowed (unless, of course, he was in the double stroller with his brother, in which case he would contentedly ride in it for long periods with his favorite companion at his side entertaining him). Recently, with his newfound walking abilities, he just wants to walk by himself. The problem with this is that he tires quickly, and is very easily distracted (stopping to point at flowers, trees, whatever it is that strikes him that particular moment). The walk takes an eternity, and at some point, it is simply easier to pick him up and carry him the rest of the way home. But this too has its downfalls... for one thing, he is starting to get heavy AND our neighborhood is very hilly. Casey had to carry him on his shoulders the other night and although Chase loved it, Casey looked like he was ready to crawl into bed by the time we got home. The larger problem, however, is that even though he is tired and/or distracted, Chase does NOT, under any circumstances, want to be carried. Like I said, he wants to do it himself, and wow can this kid be stubborn at times!!! The most recent compromise: taking turns between walking "by himself" and riding in his car. This in itself must be comical because (a) he does not want to actually sit on his bottom in his car and (b) climbing in and out seems to be part of the experience for him. So again, walks take an eternity. His birthday present from us is a wagon. I'm hoping that will appease him for long enough that he can build up some walking stamina to make it around the block. Meanwhile, I guess we will continue to be a spectacle for all our neighbors. The plus side -- it is really awesome to pause long enough on walks to appreciate the "little things" that young children find fascinating but that we would pass without batting an eye almost any other time.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-62564419004974275662013-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:002013-07-17T12:55:32.701-07:00NaughtyWe are starting to try to teach Chase the concept of "no". He is a curious little dude, and seems to want to get into absolutely everything that he shouldn't (pulling power cords, unplugging carbon monoxide detectors, splashing in the dogs' water bowls, climbing stairs unsupervised, playing in the fireplace, opening doors with steps right below, pulling up on rickety furniture, banging tv screens, etc.). Being the good, patient parents that we are, we calmly tell him "no" and try to relocate him. He is relentless and seems to enjoy the "game" of it. I'll give him credit for his persistence. However, I do believe that he now understands the concept and is just toying with us. The best example is at dinnertime. He will take his sippy cup and dangle it in his fingertips off the side of his highchair, staring at you all the while. If you tell him "no", he will smile, put his cup back on the tray of his highchair and wait for you to clap. He will repeat this exercise time and time again until you grow tired of it (he never tires of it), at which time he will simply let the cup fall out of his hand and drop on the floor. After the cup has been on the floor for less than a second, if you haven't immediately gotten out of your chair to retrieve it, he either whines or screams at the top of his lungs (depending on his mood). If you make the mistake of picking the cup up and giving it back to him, he will hold it for a few seconds and then chuck it at the floor.<br />
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Truth be told, the process is somewhat aggravating, but mostly, I think it's pretty funny that he clearly understands the rules and just wants you to cheer him for following them, or, in the alternative, to see what will happen if he doesn't. I guess this is the beginnings of independence???Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-15657795821620142962013-07-14T19:03:00.000-07:002013-07-17T12:56:33.695-07:00Good TimesWhat a fun night!!! Don't get me wrong, we all missed Casey, who is spending the weekend in Philadelphia with his dad seeing the home he grew up in, having a few cheesesteaks and attending a Phillies game, dearly. But... we managed to have a good night nonetheless. Riley attended Kids Club at FCCfor the very first time and had an absolute blast playing with his friends woot his crazy parents helicoptering all over him.<br />
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And I, well, I am the amazingly lucky one who got to spend time one on one with sweet baby Chase. I often feel guilty about the fact that Chase will never get to be the center of our world like Riley was for the first three years of his life. Not that we don't want Chase to be the center of our world, but it just isn't possible since we have two awesome little guys to look after. But tonight, tonight Chase got the rare opportunity to be the center of my world, all while his brother was off having fun (which was completely apparent each time Riley and his friends walked past the patio where I was eating dinner on their way to some cool new activity, looked around for me until he found me in the crowd and then smiled and waved quickly so his friends might not see), leaving me completely guilt-free about spending quality time with just Chase.<br />
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Chase was totally in his element -- eating mac and cheese, outside, while listening to live music. Any of those things alone would make his day, but put all of them together and he was in heaven! After dinner, we walked and walked and walked -- on the cart path, on the putting green, on the hill, it didn't matter. Again,all the while listening to live music.<br />
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After all the walking, he spent a solid hour trying to alternating his time between trying to eat his friend Wesley's ice cream cone and attempting to roll a golf ball into one of the holes on the putting green, which really just turned into him playing with the little flag that goes into the hole.<br />
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We stayed out late (again) but only because he was having so much fun. I loved every second of it. The only thing that would've made the night better is if Casey had been there... But then again, if Casey had been there, I wouldn't have gotten my sweet boy all to myself. Feeling like one lucky mom tonight!Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-59000423729995165522013-07-13T11:20:00.000-07:002013-07-14T11:24:12.705-07:00Sweet, sweet boyHere's another thing I love about Chase. For as much as he is curious and devious and into absolutely everything, every once in awhile he will flash you the most angelic little smile. I mean, truly angelic. When he sits on the floor, legs out in front of him, and gives me that sweet, sweet smile, my heart really fells like it will almost melt.<br />
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He really is a sweet, sweet boy.Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-34141923680654313952013-07-12T13:34:00.003-07:002013-07-12T13:34:26.013-07:00Barber ShopWell, Chase is officially a big boy. Today he got his very first haircut. Not a whole lot to cut off, just got rid of the Terry Bradshaw look. As Riley stated to me, "He is being super brave." No tears, no fear of the scissors or the clippers, actually smiled when they used the gadget that blows the cut hair off your clothes. The nice guy that cut his hair said he did an amazing job and didn't even charge us. All in all, a good experience.<br />
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After the haircut, we headed to Dunkin' Donuts, which is about a block away from Mount Tabor Barber Shop, for a post-haircut treat. The good news is that Chase was not the slightest bit interested in his donut. I think he is saving himself for Congdon's (in Maine).Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-44124644599767331122013-07-11T13:34:00.000-07:002013-07-12T13:41:27.592-07:00Pool TimeDare I venture to say out loud that we may be turning a corner? Chase was an absolute champion tonight at the pool. He walked up and down the ramp. He ate his dinner without a fuss and sat in his high chair for at least 30 minutes literally shoveling mac and cheese (and chicken fingers and curly fries and lasagna) into his mouth and never once had a meltdown about getting down even though we were getting dangerously close to his bedtime. Between this and the meltdown-free dinner experience at Doug and Leslie's over the weekend, I am beginning to think that one day soon we will be able to enjoy a full meal with BOTH kids present without one of us having to leave dinner early to get Chase home and in bed. Woo hoo!!!<br />
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Even better than that, however, was what occurred after dinner. LEGITIMATE WALKING!!! Twenty-two steps in a row without falling, holding onto anything or just freezing in place. And not once, not twice, but three different times (interesting that 22 steps is the magic number every single time). He was the highlight of the pool and was just beaming!<br />
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I can't remember a better night. (I seem to be saying that a lot lately.)Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2994792710095206133.post-80338426759298816792013-07-10T13:41:00.000-07:002013-07-12T13:51:28.207-07:00Just Chillin'Today as we were driving home from school, Chase was unusually quiet (recently he has been "talking" non-stop -- and by "talking" I mean a whole bunch of gibberish followed by even more raspberry blowing). I decided to check in with Riley to see what he (Chase) was doing. "Oh, he's just chillin'." This reminded me of one of the funniest things about Chase as a little baby -- he always (and I mean ALWAYS) had his hands behind his head and looked like he was "just chillin'". One of my favorite pictures from his professional newborn photos is of him with his hands behind his head -- it is just so classically <i>him</i>. He would sleep with his hands behind his head, eat with his hands behind his head, and just lay there awake and alert but with his hands behind his head. Every new teacher that met him would comment on how funny it was to watch Chase do just about anything because he looked so chill with those hands behind his head.<br />
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These days, he is nothing but "chill" and is rarely still enough to do just about anything with his hands behind his head. Strange thing is, as adorable (and funny) as it was, I will take my non-chill and hilarious-in-other-ways baby any day (although I will admit that that little bit of "chillin'" in the car was pretty nice too).Kelly Otishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10771241859858157901noreply@blogger.com0