People Bus Song

Felix's favorite song lately is "Wheels on the Bus". At first, he'd just ask me to sing the song. "People bus song, mommy!" Then he'd request specific verses. "Baby bus song, mommy!" Then he started swapping out the bus riders with family members, our pets, Santa and reindeer, and I had to come up with what everyone said. I decided Grandpa says "ha ha ha", cousin Natalya says "hi hi hi ", the reindeer "fly fly fly", etc.

Then he started swapping out the bus for other vehicles, and paired with family members or pets, the verse requests came rapid-fire. "Grandpa firetruck song!" "Hayden car song!" "Leo truck song!"

His latest version includes a snake, brings back the baby, and the people are there and also the baby touches the snake. The request sounds like "Baby bus snake, people bus, baby touch snake song, mommy."

So it goes a little something like this: "The baby on the bus goes wah wah wah, andseesasnakegoing SSS SSS SSS, and touches the snake, touches the snake. And the people on the busseethesnake and go eek eek eek, all through the town!"

Let's Talk Christmas

All it took was one visit to Santa last month and Felix really latched on to the whole Christmas idea. Some of the things he says lately are pretty cute. He’s even woken in his sleep to shout things about reindeer and Santa.

Here are some of his favorite phrases. He is getting better at the S sound, but there’s still some T in it. He’s also saying Rs and Ls clearly in some words.

Reh-meh – Christmas

Waindeer tsad – Rudolph is sad

My tree light on – I’ll plug in the Christmas tree lights

Tsanta waindeer fwy moon – Santa and the reindeer fly by the moon

Tsanta my pire truck – Santa is bringing me a fire truck

Reh-meh tree light on too – That object has Christmas lights on it, too

No man – Snow man

Hayden no, Grampa no, my no! – I went sledding with Hayden and Grandpa!

Hayden table pahty – We gave Hayden a Lego table at his birthday party

Tsanta book, weed it – Read my Santa book

People preddents – Presents for other people

Raindy – It’s windy and raining (this one's my favorite)

And he’ll string all these together like a little chatterbox on our way home from daycare every day. “My reindeer antlers. Raindy car. Santa my fire truck. My tree light on, too.” I fill in the gaps to help him tell whatever story is on his mind.

Dinner at Noodles after a long day of shopping.

Sleepover Weekend

Every year around this time we try to have a sleepover with my sister-in-law Yazmin and the kids. We put it on the calendar a couple of weeks ago and made it happen, despite both mommies being on the annoying-cough end of colds.

We started the night making turkey headbands. Felix and I are doing a 5k on Thanksgiving morning and need something silly to wear, so I thought it would be fun if we all made them.

Turkey faces take lots of concentration.

Gobble gobble!

I made a quick spaghetti dinner ("No bacon?!" Hayden complained before digging in) and brought egg nog for dessert, which we also used to make french toast in the morning.

Natalya asked for my help on another project I can't reveal (gifts), so we worked on that late into the night and first thing again in the morning. She's a kid after my own heart! When she gets a project idea, work must start right away.

Hayden came home with us today and this afternoon we all met up at my parents' house for lefse, seafood chowder and leaf raking. The early record-breaking snow (7 inches) finally melted off so we can try to save our lawns before it's too late.

It's so fun and hilarious hearing Hayden and Felix have conversations. At one point today Felix said something about the potty, and Hayden gasped and said, "Go potty Fee-iks! Run!" and motioned him toward the bathroom.

You can see by the trunk behind them - this is no small task!

The snow got us into the holiday spirit early, and I bought the classic Rudolph and Frosty cartoons on DVD. Felix is really into all things Christmas as a result, noticing reindeer, trees, Santa, etc. everywhere we go. He has also started saying his own name finally: Ee-dits. Not bad for a kid who can't consistently say L or X. He tries to make the F sound with a P-W combination. So instead of "off", it's "aw-pwuh."

Thumpitty thump thump, look at Frosty go!

Now where were we?

Wow, almost a month since the last update!

Last weekend we went to Oregon for our friend's Halloween party. It was the perfect getaway. The weather was cooler and there was snow on the mountains, we had amazing breakfasts every morning and a fun costume party the first night. (Bar hopping and karaoke the second night!) Felix did great, and of course I took advantage of the two built-in babysitters. Andrea and I ran errands Friday afternoon and it was so weird to be able to just browse and take our time. I had this internal sense of urgency telling me I should hurry, like when I leave work a few minutes early to stop at the grocery store before picking him up from daycare. (Oh, the guilt!)

Felix with his "big sisters".

Train engineer (sans train) and Cheshire Cat.

We came back from Oregon and went straight to my dad's birthday/costume/pumpkin carving/Green Bay Packers party on Sunday. Exhausting but fun, and the roasted pumpkin seeds were an amazing treat to have at my desk all week.

On Halloween, Felix and I went trick-or-treating just the two of us. It was so stinkin' adorable watching him go up to every house, knock on the door and wait patiently. He didn't say "tree-treet" to anyone, but he did call out "Happy Ween!" and blow kisses to many of the people who gave him candy. Later, my dad watched him so I could go to a friend's grown up party, then I went back to the house and kicked back in a recliner with some ginger rum while we watched Amityville Horror.

My dad got some great shots with a real camera before we went trick-or-treating.

Felix's language is developing very nicely. He puts together 3-word sentences and likes to talk about all kinds of things. Our neighbor revved the engine of an old car a few weeks ago and it scared him, so every once in a while he'll say "Neighbor loud car. No, no neighbor!" Yesterday he wanted to carry his friend's birthday present and he said "Liam peddent hebby" a few times (Liam's present is heavy) while huffing and puffing and making a big show of how strong he is. He also tends to remember new words after hearing them just once, so he has really surprised me with his vocab lately. He will be 2 1/2 on the 14th of November.

At the same time, he is having some naughty outbursts again, and I can only hope this phase is as short-lived as previous ones. He will basically go around the house doing and touching everything he shouldn't (things that are dangerous and destructive), even after having a good nap, lots of playtime and lots of personal attention. When I scold him, he laughs and runs away. I enforce time-outs and don't always give him a warning, but the change in behavior doesn't last long. I'm starting to wonder if he needs more mental stimulation on a regular basis. This 24/7 playtime business doesn't seem to be cutting it.

Today I bought a cozy throw, a kitchen rug, cookie sheets, measuring cups and spoons and new pet dishes. I also washed curtains and pillow covers. With the time change and rainiest November day on record yesterday, I'm getting ready to hunker down for a long, cold winter.

Hectic

I wish I could say the house has been back in order for some time, but no, that isn't the case. The construction company did such a poor job post-flood, I finally removed the lock box from my front door last week (preventing their entry) and have decided to finish the work myself. It's been almost 6 weeks since the flood.

I'm not sure where I'd even start in listing the problems, but there were major mistakes and sloppy work every step of the way. I have about 20 pictures documenting the problems because I plan on withholding a good chunk of the insurance money. I will have to call in a flooring pro to figure out why the flooring in Felix's bedroom is still lumpy and uneven.

I chose the company I did because they are a good client of the company I work for. The owner came by two weeks ago to see the problems for himself and offer profuse apologies and a gift card to a local pizza shop. ("I know you're a single mom...") he started. Ugh.

Kids were free with paid adult at the 5k, and Felix was very pleased to see we had matching shirts.

In other news, my aunt came to visit for the 5k we always run with the family, and I bought a new car that weekend as well. I had to take the car back in for window tint and a new windshield, and then the battery on my old car died just when I was planning on using it, so I drove my mom's car, then the engine light came on in my new car right after I picked it up, so back it went. So I have moved Felix's car seat more times than I can count in the past 10 days, and I've taken a taxi and a shuttle and hitched rides to the VW dealership, and I think everyone there knows us by name.

Felix loves riding in "Gamma car!"

Add to that a kitten with veterinary needs, and me teaching class again, and volunteering for stuff, and Felix's soccer classes..."busy" is an understatement. The house is a disaster and I have lots of laundry and work left today. I'm looking forward to our 3-day weekend coming up so we can head to Baker for our friend's annual Halloween Party!

Andrea's newest addition is a Jeepers Creepers guy. Haven't seen the movie and probably won't!

The Big 3-7

We stayed with my parents for 5 days while the house dried out after the flood, and even though I had a knot of anxiety in my stomach, I forced myself to carry on with the weekend as planned.

On Friday night we went to the Nite Glow hot air balloon event, where they inflate and light up the balloons without taking off.

Saturday morning Felix had soccer, and that night we had a sitter come to the house while all the adults went out for my SIL's birthday. We enjoyed $7 deals at Ruth's Chris - a total amazing steal if you have one in your area! Dancing and bar hopping followed.

Sunday morning we all got up before dawn (plus niece and nephew, who had spent the night), to see the grand finale hot air balloon launch. As always, it was totally worth it. We had brunch together afterwards and napped on and off the rest of the day.

Chilly and sleepy!

Fast forward through the short work week...last Friday night Felix and I went to Art in the Park for some art browsing and caramel apple eating.

Saturday was my actual birthday. After soccer, we both got haircuts (his first pro cut!) and had lunch at Whole Foods. Then I treated myself to 120 lbs of steer manure and put down some new grass seed in the back yard while Felix napped.

That night was my tailgate birthday party. When your birthday falls on the first home game of the season, you pretty much have no choice in your party theme! But it was a lot of fun - quite a few people made the haul to come to the park and say hi.

On Sunday, we went to a Fiestas Patrias event in a nearby town. Felix had his first duro (fried flour snack with chili powder and lime), elotes and some carne asada tacos with grandpa. We also got to ride a totally crazy off-roading train pulled by a 4-wheeler through the park.

There isn't much to update on the house yet, except that insurance has it all figured out and repair work will start tomorrow in the kitchen. I'll be getting upgraded lighting for just a little extra $ out of pocket.

That Time I Flooded the House

Wednesday night I decided to replace the last piece of two toilets that hadn't been flushing nicely. Felix was taking a bath (upstairs bathroom) and I was sitting right there with a wrench, so I figured it was as good a time as any.

I had taken 3 trips to Home Depot, 1 trip to Fred Meyer, and spent a good amount of time reading forums and even watching some YouTube tutorial videos to make sure it really was going to be as simple as it looked: unscrew the old supply valve and screw in the new one. And, keep a small container and a towel handy in case a little water came out during the process.

So I grabbed the wrench and started removing the old nut. A couple of droplets of water formed under the valve, just as the video warned might happen. I gave the nut another crank and WOOSH it was like a fire hydrant blasting out of the wall. Water EVERYWHERE and it just kept coming at full speed. I’m sure I swore or yelled or both because Felix immediately stood up in the tub and started freaking out, reaching for me to get him out.

Over the sound of the blasting water, I tried calling my dad – no answer. Tried calling my mom – no answer. So I ran downstairs and grabbed my kitchen garbage can, thinking maybe I could catch the water and throw it into the tub while I called emergency plumbers with my free hand. But the water was hitting the garbage can with such force, it was bouncing back out and hitting the wall. I tried plugging it with my hand – not a chance. Tried forcing the new valve on to close it up – not a chance.

I called a couple of emergency plumbers but my phone was so wet at that point, it wasn't working and they couldn't hear me. It was the stuff of nightmares. “Hi! My house is flooding and I need help!” And all I’d hear was “Hello? Hello? Click.” Omg.

Meanwhile Felix was standing in the bathroom naked, crying and covered in bubbles. I put him in the living room and ran outside to start banging on my neighbors’ doors. (One benefit to living in a townhouse, I guess.) First one, not home. Second one was a grandma with a friend. Third one was a guy and they all came running over. The grandma asked if she could help with Felix, so I just motioned to a diaper and said “Sure! Put a diaper on him!” But he ran from her, climbed the stairs and slipped in the water, his little bare bum hitting the floor. I took him back downstairs and the neighbor got him diapered and wrapped in a blanket on the couch. Then the three of us ran around the house turning off every valve we could find. We didn't know what else to do.

Anxiously looking out the window while random neighbors come and go.

Meanwhile, the water had filled the hallway and started creeping down the stairs. At some point I had tossed the cats into Felix’s room behind a closed door, but the water was approaching that room and was working its way into my room.

Moments later, another neighbor appeared with a tool to turn off the water supply to the house - which happened to be outside under a manhole cover in the street in front of someone else's house. The grandma’s friend had to move her car so he could access the shutoff valve, and a few seconds after that, silence. Thank god, the water was off.

I went into “get this shit outta here” mode. The neighbors brought piles of towels and even sleeping bags to soak up the water. I tried calling my parents again a few times but they still couldn't hear me, so I headed to the kitchen to get a bag of rice. It was raining in the kitchen. Water pouring from multiple spots in the ceiling and pooling on the countertops and all over the floor. I threw my phone in the bag of rice and started trying to squeegee the water out the back door with a Swiffer. It sort of worked.

Nothing a few towels can't handle. Pfft.

I called my parents with someone else’s phone and they came over. The next couple of hours were a blur of soaking towels, ringing them out, and running Bissell carpet machines over the carpet to suck the water out. It was working well – we probably pulled up 20 – 30 gallons.

Before bed, I was feeling pretty good about everything. I had installed the new toilet part and turned the water back on, and my phone had dried out and was working again. The carpet was feeling remarkably dry and I had a couple of fans going. After working hard to get Felix to sleep in his own new toddler bed over the previous week, I had to give in and cosleep. The evening was just too chaotic.

Yesterday morning I got to work and decided to call my homeowner’s insurance company and have a pro take a look at my house just to make sure it would be okay. Oh, ignorance is bliss. I met the guys at the house later and their little moisture meter revealed the true extent of the damage. Nearly all the flooring upstairs has to be replaced, including the first layer of subfloor, as well as most of the kitchen ceiling downstairs. Even though it didn't appear the water had reached Felix’s room, it seeped through the carpet pad and through my closet wall into his closet.

This is quite a few feet from where I thought the water stopped.

Bonus damage: My next door neighbor’s bathroom floor and kitchen ceiling. We share a bathroom wall so it makes sense that the water got through to his side.

My kitchen ceiling is out. I'll probably upgrade to recessed lighting while we're in there.

I have homeowner’s insurance and paid my deductible out of savings. Sometimes I feel like the universe is conspiring against my plans to save money so we can move.

To be continued…