Another plan foiled...

So, looks like the grand update of pictures while Vin is gone won't be happening until Vin is back. Seems I can't login to his part of the computer without using my very limited Mandarin writing skills, so we'll just have a little story time for now.

Atticus
On our way home from the grocery store Atti tells me he now has some money (the loonie he got from returning the shopping cart) that he wants to tell Uncle Ryan he can put in Jared's box. 


Jared's box?


Yes, he says, the box Uncle Ryan has that is for Jared.


And he wants you to put money in it?


Yes, but he didn't have any so he couldn't put money in it. Uncle Ryan gave Jared money to put in it, but didn't give Atticus any money to put in it.


Huh, I think. Could this be the tithe box in Sunday School? (Uncle Ryan teaches Atti and Jared's Sunday School class)


Three thoughts...1) what a lame Mommy I am that I didn't send him to Sunday School with some money to put in the tithe box {way to make your kid feel singled out}...2) Atticus thinks Uncle Ryan is gathering up money in Sunday School for Jared to go buy toys for himself...3) he's perfectly happy to contribute to this toy fund.


Now,  all that being said, I have not yet checked with Uncle Ryan to see if this is indeed what Atti is talking about. For all I really know Uncle Ryan may very well be taking up a collection in a box for Jared to buy toys for himself. I best check the specifics before I send Atti to Sunday School with money.

Dillon
We (primarily Dillon and I) have been keeping an eye on Molly. We usually check in a few times throughout the day and again before bed. There are usually a few tears and flinging of oneself on the floor when it's time to say good-night to Molly, but Dill really likes watching her sit on her eggs/owlets so I still let him watch her. He tries to hug her; points to her and says, 'hug, hug, 'Maw', and even tries to share his snacks with her; holds his cracker or whatever up to her mouth area. It's been fun watching Molly and her babies, but it's a long, slow, and not exactly riveting experience.

Dillon has also been telling me on a very consistent basis when he needs to 'peep' (pee pee). He points to his diaper, says 'peep', and runs to the bathroom. I had no illusions that he was going to potty train himself anytime soon, but yesterday he did poop on the toilet (so far no pee). Since he's trying on his own I'm going along with it and putting him on the potty when he asks, but I'm pretty sure it's merely nothing more than wanting to do what Atticus does and will likely amount to very little potty training until he's at least 2.

Me
I've had this pea sized lump in my right eyebrow for as long as I can remember. On Monday I had an appointment with a plastic surgeon to see if it was something I should be concerned about or have removed. 

I was admitted (it was at RUH) and immediately sent to a room with a resident to get all the pertinent information. The resident asked if it'd be ok if some medical students came in with us. I thought they'd probably prefer to go to the room next door because, no matter what the issue in there, it was likely more interesting than a pea sized lump in an eyebrow.

The resident assured me the med students 'had nothing better to do', so in they came.

And that is when I was magically transported to the set of 'Grey's Anatomy'.

The resident instructs each of the 4 students to 'examine' the lump. Each one steps forward all white-coated and snappy looking and performs their own inspection of the offending object.

'Ah, yes'.

Each one straight-faced and serious.

'Hmmm'.

Heads nodding.

'Ohhhh'.

Clipboards out.

'Well, well'.

They all secretly concluded that whatever was happening in the next exam room was inevitably more interesting than what was happening in this one.

But an Academy Award to each and every one of them for putting on a very good performance.

And then the plastic surgeon walks in and asks them if there were any concerns regarding the removal of the pea.

Quick! Acting caps back on!

The only male in the group of whipper-snappers studiously jumps in with 'blah, blah, blah, orbital nerve, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, severed'.

And the surgeon comically responds, ' Yes, she wouldn't be very happy with me if I did that!'

And that was that. The now altogether more educated med students filed out (and snickered under their breath?) and I was transferred to another room for my 'procedure'.

So, I am now without a pea-sized lump in my right eyebrow and no important nerve was severed in the meantime.

And, there are now 4 med students out there that would know just what to do if they ever come across such a situation as they were fortunate enough to encounter that morning with the eyebrow.

Silas
He eats his poo (not every time, but he does enjoy a good snack every so often {more often than we'd like to believe}). It's true and gross and has been going on since he was a pup. Don't ever let him lick you!

He also eats diapers with poo in them if he is lucky enough to come across one that was foolishly put in the garbage instead of the Diaper Genie. And, believe me, it only took us a couple of elderly moments to not do that again.

Which brings me to this past weekend. Since the snow has all but melted away (except for the fresh dump this morning, argh) the boys and I have come across a few presents that were 'put' in the wrong area of the yard and covered with snow before we were able to discover and remove them.

One of these lovely presents did not break apart when scooped up with the shovel. Infact, it looked like a foot long snake laying all firmly held together on the shovel. Odd, I thought, as it had been out in the snow all winter and then thawing for the better part of a week.

Then I discovered there was something holding it together, right from one end clear down it's length to the other end. So, the boys and I decided to put in out in the sun and really soften it up so we could figure out the mystery of the bonded together poop.

**I know this is so gross, so really, just skip on down to the next heading if you're feeling it's too much for you**

A bit later on we get the old shovel back out and do ourselves some digging around. We discovered what looked to be a sock or a nylon (except, although I haven't asked Vin, no one here wears nylons). However, when stretched out in all it's glory the mystery object revealed itself to be a completely intact and no-worse-for-wear diaper wipe.

One could have almost thrown it in the washing machine (if it could survive Silas' digestive system the washing machine would be a walk in the park) and give it another go.

But one did not do that.

Sorry for the nasty story, but I was just amazed at the durability of the Kirkland brand diaper wipes (just think how many of them are at the landfills for eternity).

Vin
He's still in Taipei. He's done teaching his workshops and now just has regular classes at Pure Yoga to teach. I just read an interesting Facebook posting from one of his students there:

"I stood up from wheel and did a drop back on my own for the first time last Friday. It only took seven years. I didn't think I could do it but Vincent tricked me. He stood in front of me and told me to move my hips forward to get up and just let go when I saw the floor as I dropped back. There was that one moment of uncertainty before my hands landed on the floor when I felt as if I was suspended in midair. I knew the floor wasn't going anywhere, but it was so hard to let go.

He really is an excellent teacher, no wonder it's always impossible to get in his class. I picked up on two of his 'sayings.' They are: 'it is not gonna affect your life' when people tell him they have tiny problems with their bodies, and 'is it necessary to get to this stage in yoga?' when people are doing things like poorna salabasana with their feet on the freaking floor. Of course, many of us know his two-word yoga philosophy - Be Happy."

The things I never knew. I really should take his class.

That's all folks. Have a good one.