Sitting at home with a sick baby

Poor Ari is NOT feeling well... it's either bad teething or an ear infection, I'm not sure (the doctor's appt tomorrow will tell us for certain).  Either way, I'm home with him while Jonathan went to our scheduled playdate with Devin's family to the Festival of Lights at the zoo.

BUT... this means I can write a quick blog entry.

[Hahaha okay it's now five hours later.  A crying baby needed my attention more than the computer.]


Xander and Jonathan are back, and except for being cold, they had a fabulous time.  Jonathan took tons of pictures which will be posted later.

But what was I going to write, you ask?

- Jonathan's photography gig on Thursday went wonderfully.  He hopes to do more of the same.

- A grown-up Aryeh, a rabbinical student, plays bagpipes, and came over to schmooze with Jonathan. They ended up in our basement pulling out our kilts.  Scottish Jewry unite!

- Baby Ari is now on his very own mattress in our room instead of the co-sleeper (he has Xander's old one, while Xander has the new one). The salesperson at the store was so nice, he offered me a floor model mattress that usually retails at $900, for $250, with 50% off the mattress cover.  And rabbinical student Ari picked it up for me in his sister's van, so we didn't even have to pay the delivery fee!

- Marc and Rachel K. visited (Marc is part of our Thursday D&D group) and we got to know them better.  Both of them are educators and were amazing with Xander.  They stayed for dinner, and Marc even set up the mattress with Jonathan while Rachel and I were with the boys so Xander wouldn't be upset at the upheaval of his room.  Not only was it fun socializing, but the new bed has been such great incentive that Xander's gone to bed in his room with no complaining for the second night in a row!

- Today we went to a Temple Brotherhood event, "Lox and Glocks," discussing types of shooting, gun control, and the ethics of Jews and guns.  It was fascinating.  We took Ari with us but put Xander in "J Play," a daycare that the JCC offers for members who are in the building.  Xander didn't want to leave the play area, and was very grumpy on the way out. Our plan was to go to Costco afterwards, to get gas, groceries, and lunch, but he was having none of it.
     "NOOO!" he shouted.  "I don't want to go to Costco."
     "But we'll have pizza for lunch. And maybe even ice cream," I said.  "You love pizza and ice cream more than anything else in the world."
     "No, I don't!"
     "Yes, you do, love.  It's your biggest treat ever. I know you, my son."
     "I'M NOT THE SUN!  I DON'T SHINE!!"
For some reason he didn't calm down when Jonathan and I burst out laughing.  We couldn't help it, it was too precious.  And note if this ever happens to you: reassuring your child that yes, he shines from his heart is apparently not the right thing to say...

Oy, that's the baby on the monitor - g'night!