As mentioned previously, our Thanksgiving was spent in Ohio with Riley and Chelsea, my brother and sister-in-law. We rented a car and drove until the novelty of being in a car wore off (which, unfortunately, didn't take long -- by the end of our 10 hour drive, Garrett had learned to ask if we were at "Wy-ee's house" yet, and Caleb had resorted to tickling himself).



Our adventures there can be lumped into two general categories: Stuff We Did at Home, and Visits to Church Historical Sites. Let's start at home, shall we?

Riley's Awesome Toys

Because their first child isn't due to arrive until January, the toy collection at Riley and Chelsea's house was a little sparse for Garrett and Caleb's liking. Riley pulled out his magnetic dart game, his over-the-door basketball hoop, every ball in the house (which, to Chelsea's surprise, turned out to be quite a few), and that relic from his summer internship in Wisconsin, yea even the foam cheese head, and the boys found all of these very entertaining. But eventually they found their way to every low-lying book, seasonal decoration, and knick-knack in the house and claimed them as toys as well. The Wii (or "game shows," as Garrett called it) was also a source of great entertainment, and not just for the little boys. Riley and Blake engaged in some competitive tennis matches, and were both surprised when Chelsea and I blew them out of the water with our bowling skills. Garrett and Caleb were usually satisfied with "control" of the remotes. When all else failed, it was also great fun to join Riley at the computer to watch streamed sporting events.



Thanksgiving Dinner

The Thanksgiving feast was of course a major highlight of the trip. Riley and Blake manned the turkey while Chelsea whipped up almost out of nowhere all of the side dishes. The food was all delicious, though you couldn't take Garrett's word for it. He opted instead for a bowl of cold cereal. In his defense, though, he was actually pretty sick on Thanksgiving Day. He spent most of the day lying on the couch, spiking a fever and coughing miserably. A long post-dinner nap and a priesthood blessing helped to get him back on his feet.


Our excursions began the next day, and in full force. In a short amount of time we saw a lot of things.

Historic Kirtland

A pair of sister missionaries took us on a tour of Historic Kirtland, the highlight of which was the Newel K. Whitney Store. Perhaps because they were cold (it was really cold), because it was getting too close to lunch time, or, in Garrett's case, because he still wasn't feeling 100%, both boys were irrational and weepy during the entire tour, which made it somewhat difficult for any of us to fully enjoy ourselves. But even so, it was an awesome thing to walk where the prophet Joseph Smith walked and to hear the stories of those early saints who truly consecrated everything they had and devoted their whole hearts to the gospel.



Kirtland Temple

After lunch we toured the Kirtland Temple, which is currently owned by the Community of Christ. Both boys were doing much better, and Garrett especially loved going inside the temple, which he was able to recognize as a sacred place. It truly is a magnificent building, constructed at great sacrifice, where some incredible events took place, and I'm glad we got to see it.



On our way home we drove by the Isaac Morley Farm. It is not open in the winter months, so we only got to view it from the outside.



Historic Johnson Home

On Saturday we drove south to Hiram, Ohio to visit the Johnson Farm. What a beautiful home where, like the other places we had visited, incredible spiritual experiences took place! By this point I'd noticed a strong trend: Amazing things happen when you truly consecrate and dedicate yourself to the work of the Lord. My desire to emulate these inspiring early saints definitely increased during our visit to Ohio.



Lake Erie

It's not a church historic site, but the shores of Lake Erie are just up the street from where Riley and Chelsea live, so we went. And, because it was so bitterly cold, we stayed for all of 30 seconds. But hey, now I've seen Lake Erie.



The drive home was nothing spectacular, especially when you bring whiny children into the equation. But we're home and we're happy -- happy to be back and even happier to have gone. It was wonderful getting to spend a family-centered holiday with family. Garrett especially loved getting to spend time with his goofy Uncle Riley, and copycat Caleb was not far behind in his admiration. Thanks again, Riley and Chelsea, for hosting us!

I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've driven a car in the last 3 1/2 years. Yesterday was one of those times. And it was both as exhilarating and unpleasant as I predicted it would be. The whole task of picking up a rental car in Staten Island and driving it over the Verrazano Bridge back to our neighborhood (and in the dark to boot) filled me with unwarranted amounts of anxiety. But it's over, and I survived. And you can bet that I've handed the keys over to Blake so that he can take charge of driving until we are no longer in the grasp of the traffic congested tri-state area, with its overabundance of insane drivers and confusing roadways.

And why, you may be asking yourselves, are we in the possession of a car for the first time since we moved to Brooklyn? I will let Doctrine and Covenants 38:32 answer that one:

Wherefore, for this cause I gave unto you the commandment that ye should go to the Ohio; and there I will give unto you my law; and there you shall be endowed with power from on high.

Only for us it's not so much a commandment as it is a desire to spend Thanksgiving with my brother, Riley, and his wife, Chelsea. But given the fact that driving anxieties are still giving me a bit of an adrenalin rush, I wouldn't mind so much if on this trip we, too, were "endowed with power from on high."

Before I sign off to go enjoy the holiday, here are a few recent tidbits about the boys:

At his 15 month well check-up yesterday, Caleb's cold was diagnosed as a possible sinus infection, and, after a fever flared up last night, we started him on a round of antibiotics. Otherwise he is doing great, growing and developing just as he should. Here are his stats:

Length: 32 inches
Weight: 23 lbs 12 oz

Garrett has entered a notorious stage of childhood. I call it the Band-aid Phase. Every malady -- whether it be major, minor, or nonexistent -- requires a Band-aid (or a "mand-aid," as he calls them). Because he is both so serious and sniffling about it, it is really hard for me not to laugh every time he comes to me whimpering a complaint of a boo-boo (a term he picked up at school, which also makes me laugh). It is also really hard for me to not get annoyed when he Band-aid-begs with broken record persistence.

Well, folks, here's hoping you all have a car-azy awesome Thanksgiving holiday -- we are sure planning on it.

No doubt you've probably heard that Prince William announced his engagement to Kate Middleton earlier this week. What you probably didn't know is that he and I go way back. In my baby journal is a newspaper clipping, saved by my mother, announcing his birth a few months after my own. Underneath is her caption: "A famous baby born the same year I was." I think she might have harbored a little secret, though highly unlikely, wish that one day our paths would cross and we'd fall in love and get married. After all, it happened to Princess Diana. And anyway, what mother doesn't hope the absolute best for her child?

Well, Mom doesn't need to worry because I've caught a prince of my own. I'm a lucky girl to have been found and loved by Blake. He raves about my cooking and puts up with me when I'm an emotional train wreck. He is devoted to his family, but still manages to fulfill his responsibilities and duties as the bishop of our ward. He's bright, and a deep thinker who takes the time to be self-reflective in order to continually improve himself. He's an honest, hard-working man who this week earned a long overdue and well deserved promotion at work from a Senior Research Analyst to a Research Manager. I don't think I tell him enough just how proud I am of him or how privileged I am to be the object of his adoration. I do, however, love him more than I could ever adequately describe here -- he is, without a doubt, the absolute best thing that could have ever crossed my path.

(He's a good little singer, don't you think?)

Last night was Garrett's first Parent Teacher Conference. Blake and I had a nice, mostly positive conversation with Ms. Christina (one of the head teachers) and Ms. Addy (one of the assistants), and we were happy to learn that Garrett has made a lot of improvement since those dark days at the start of the school year. It was heavily emphasized, however, that there is still plenty of room for improvement. Garrett's biggest challenges are with sharing, focusing and sitting still, and handling his emotions (his scream at school is just as piercing as it is at home). His teachers also continue to have a difficult time understanding his speech, and for the most part can only recognize words here and there in mainly one- and occasionally two-word clusters. They brought up the fact that his speech and language delay has delayed other areas of his development, which can also be a challenge. A few times during the conference I felt as if they frequently forget not only that he's the youngest in the class, but also that he's enrolled as a special ed student. On the positive side, however, it was somewhat validating for me to hear that I'm not the only one who recognizes these challenges with my child.

One interesting thing they mentioned was the possibility that he might have a sensory issue. We've long known that Garrett doesn't like the feel of certain -- many -- things, especially on his hands and consequently has a tendency to flip out if he gets dirty or touches something he considers unpleasant. (Flashbacks of his first birthday party raced through my mind during this discussion.) Ms. Christina informed us that we have the option to have him informally evaluated for this which, if it is determined that there is an issue, would result in some occupational therapy to correct it. We've decided to go ahead and pursue this because at this point it seems that Garrett could only benefit.

We also met with Ms. Casey, his speech therapist. She is pleased with his progress and had nothing but good things to tell us about Garrett, both in how he's improving his speech and language skills as well as his behavior during his sessions with her. When it's time to re-evaluate his IEP, she's considering requesting that they up the amount of half-hour therapy blocks he receives each week from two to three because she believes that he'd greatly benefit from more one-on-one time with her.

Despite the difficulties, Garrett still loves school. He looks forward to it every day, and every day he comes home happy. He has made two friends in his class, whose names I was finally able to determine last night -- Matthew and Yakyah. The both ride the bus with him as well, and Garrett loves to tell me heaven knows what about how great he thinks they are. I still believe that Garrett is in a good situation at this school, and am still happy that he gets to attend.

When Garrett pulls his shoes out for me to put on him, Caleb grabs his and brings them to me.

When Garrett runs down the sidewalk, Caleb follows.

When Garrett jumps, Caleb jumps (or tries to; he can't get his feet off the ground yet).

When Garrett sifts through the fridge for something to eat, Caleb suddenly decides he's also hungry.

When Garrett sits down at the table, Caleb climbs up his highchair.

When Garrett picks a book to read, Caleb picks one, too, from the same shelf.

When Garrett starts to color, Caleb grabs his crayons.

When Garrett spins around in circles, Caleb gets dizzy, too.

When Garrett makes silly and obnoxious noises, Caleb joins in the chorus.

When Garrett announces that he needs his blanket, Caleb rushes for his own.

When Garrett decides to play with cars, Caleb agrees that would be fun. When Garrett screams in frustration because Caleb is invading his space and so decides to play with his toy trains instead, Caleb screams and switches, too -- much to Garrett's chagrin.

When Garrett bangs his head on the floor because he's mad, Caleb does, too. (Caleb also subsequently starts crying, though usually not for the sake of imitation.)

When Garrett gets put in time out, Caleb voluntarily stands next to him.

And when Garrett gets a post-time out hug, Caleb wiggles his way into my arms, too.

Garrett drew this picture the other night. In case you can't tell, it depicts Caleb grabbing the living room radiator pole and subsequently doing a lot of hysterical screaming. He calls it "Baby Crying," which I thought was a pretty accurate title: After he burned his hands, Caleb could not be consoled for nearly an hour. It was, like his artwork describes, chaos.

It happened Wednesday night while I was in the kitchen making dinner. The boys were playing in the living room and, judging by the noises I overheard, they were doing so happily and together.

Suddenly Caleb let out a horrific scream. I dropped my spatula and rushed out to the other room. The boys had apparently been playing by the window, which they do often as they like to watch the traffic below. As it happens, this window is adjacent to the radiator, which, as it also happens, was on.

Judging by the paralyzed stance I found Caleb in, he, not knowing any better, had grabbed the radiator pole with both hands. I hurried to put his hands under cool running water, but he would have none of that. In a second attempt to cool his hands down, I tried to see if he'd dip them into a bowl of water, but that didn't work either. Neither did trying to convince him to hold a plastic baggie filled with ice cubes. Finally I drew a cool bath and put him in the tub, which method worked the best, although still not perfectly. I knew he was hurting pretty badly because throughout all of this he would not stop screaming.

Frequent examinations of his hands and the horrible blisters that were forming proved that the burns were 2nd degree. Blake wasn't home (though, after a few desperate phone calls, he changed his evening plans at the church and would soon be on his way), I'd all but lost my voice thanks to an obnoxious and miserable cold I'm currently dealing with, and Caleb could not be consoled. The first aid I'd been administering didn't seem to be helping, and the Tylenol I'd given him for the pain obviously hadn't kicked in yet. I was starting to panic and so did the only other thing I could think of to do: I called my friend Emily and begged for help.

A few phone calls on her end later and not only was another priesthood holder arranged to help Blake give Caleb a blessing, but my friend, Nicole, who is a registered nurse, was on her way over to look at his hands. Her inspection of them convinced her that, while it certainly looked painful, it wouldn't do us any good to take him to the ER. (Hallelujah!) She picked up some 100% aloe vera, and the relief it gave Caleb must have been immense because not only did he finally stop screaming, but he also started to tentatively use his hands. Blake arrived home soon after and he, along with our neighbor, Ryan, gave Caleb a blessing. He has been fine ever since. (And we have some amazing friends, don't you think?)

I had our pediatrician look at his hands this morning when I took the boys in for their flu shots. He sent me home with a prescription for silver sulfadiazine, which should help keep the blisters from getting infected.

I tell you, that Caleb really does have a bit of the devil in him. Even our mailman, who just the other day, when he saw us waiting on the stoop for the school bus, observed that fact, and in those very words. (I had to laugh because he is spot on!) There is never a dull moment at our house, so long as Caleb is around. And it's taking a good deal of adjustment on my end. Garrett has always been such a cautious boy (which is why our radiators never got covered -- he knew instinctively to stay away). Caleb, on the other hand, throws caution to the wind (which is why, since I know I can't trust him to have learned his lesson, taking care of covering the radiators has become a much higher priority). He isn't a daredevil for sport, but he certainly isn't careful. I love him to pieces, of course, but he really needs to take his accident rate down a few notches, and soon.

I have learned by experience over the last few years that the New York City Marathon is exhausting. Because it throws a major wrench in my already challenging route to church, Marathon Day, which is held every year on the first Sunday in November, always leaves me worn out and frustrated. Finally, though, after witnessing four marathons run through the center of my neighborhood, I'm starting to feel seasoned. I know now that the bus to church gets rerouted out of the neighborhood, that we'll have to plan instead for a much longer commute by train, which, because of weekend service changes, won't be operating normally either, thus requiring that we walk a good portion of the way to the chapel. And while, so long as we live here, it will never be a Sunday I look forward to, I feel experienced enough now that I can enjoy (instead of resent) the excitement and thrill of the runners as they reach the 3-mile mark a block away from our apartment, and of those on the sidelines waiting to cheer them on as we walk past on our way to church.

Perhaps someday I'll fulfill my inner desire to avoid frustration in favor of a different sort of adrenalin rush and skip church altogether in favor of staying in the neighborhood to watch the actual runners dash through. Or, in all honesty, perhaps not. So instead I'll keep dreaming while letting the excitement of watching the set-up and pre-race bicyclists suffice.

Four items I've discovered to be essential for surviving daily life (with my sanity in tact) in Brooklyn with two small children and no car:

(Jill, this post is for you.)

1. A lightweight stroller. The Maclaren Volo is my personal favorite. It's sturdy and reliable (seriously, after having trekked all over New York City with this stroller, I can tell you from experience that it is built to last), has a frame tall enough for my tall frame, and it weighs only 8 lbs. There are no frills on this bottom rung of a high-end stroller line, but it does the job AND I can carry it, with my kids buckled in, up and down the stairs in both my building and the subway.

2. Buggy Board. This stroller platform is my answer to a double stroller, which would have been too bulky and heavy to really even be considered an option in my case. It easily attaches to the frame of your stroller (see here to check compatibility), allowing one kid to stand and ride while the other sits buckled in. Though Garrett is a good walker, I can only reasonably expect him to last so long on foot. The Buggy Board is great for when we go longer distances, are gone for longer stretches of time, or when I have to get somewhere in a hurry.

3. Good infant carrier. Some people like to carry their babies because they're fans of attachment parenting; I carry mine out of necessity. There are certain things (such as grocery shopping and getting to church) that I wouldn't be able to do on my own otherwise. I've tried several carriers, but my favorite by far is the Ergo, which can be adjusted to wear on your front, back, or hip. The weight of the baby is carried in the hips rather than the shoulders, allowing you to carry your baby longer without breaking your back. With the aid of an infant insert, you can use this puppy from birth until, well, for as long as you're up to it, I suppose. I still use mine with Caleb on occasion, even though he weighs over 20 lbs.

4. Backpack. I use my backpack as my diaper bag, my purse, and my shopping bag. It makes traveling both by foot and by public transportation a lot easier because I can distribute the weight of the things I have to carry with more variation. I can sling it over the handles of the stroller, stuff it in the basket underneath, or wear it on my back as necessary.

My primary purpose for sending Garrett to preschool this year is being accomplished. Every day my speech-delayed little boy gets off the bus with an increasing ability to express himself verbally. The things he's starting to say aren't anything spectacular, but I still find myself marveling. His receptive language has been making big strides, too. He has started mimicking things he hears other people say, and he suddenly has a command of synonyms. He has started not only observing his surroundings, but telling me about them as well, and when he watches a movie, he gives me the play-by-play. His memory is keener, and it is so entertaining to watch him connect the dots. His overall intelligibility still needs a lot of work, but his improvements in my eyes are so astounding that it's getting easier to look past his unique grammar.

He has finally reached the stage, that so many of his peers reached ages ago, where his experimenting with language is hilarious and he often says "the darndest things." I wish I could record everything that comes out of his mouth, but obviously that is not possible. But I did have a lot of fun writing down the following list of things he says frequently. In addition to "No cheese, Gromit," here some other things I often hear Garrett saying:

• "No touch, Baby!"
• "Get back!"
• "Stop!"
• "Come back!"
• "It's mine!"
• "No-no-no!"
• "Go away!"
• "It's my turn!" (And, less frequently, "It's your turn.")
• "Treat!" (Sometimes it's "Candy!" and sometimes he has specific requests, such as candy corn or M&Ms.)
• "Come on!"
• "Mmm...so good."
• "Hold me!"
• "Talk!" (He grabs my chin when he says this, and pulls it toward his face so he has my undivided attention.)
• "I'm sorry."
• "Thank you."
• "Excuse me. " (Sounds like "tween-tween.")
• "It's so fun."
• "I happy."
• "That's so cute."
• "Oh no -- it's broken!"
• "It's amazing!"
• "It's dark...it's bedtime."
• "I'm tired." (Usually preceded by a drawn out sigh.)
• "It's heavy." (Uses it to mean anything that is heavy or hard to do.)
• "Help me."
• "Help here." (Meaning, "Can I get some help over here?")
• "Play Dad Games?" (Meaning, "I want to play on Dad's iPod.)
• "Play Mom Games?" (Meaning, "I want to play Starfall on the computer.")
• "Whoa! That close!" (As in, "Whoa, that was close!")
• "So scared." (Meaning, "So scary.")
• "It's silly."
• "I a mess."
• "Purple milk." (Meaning the 2% milk with the purple lid.)
• "Eat at M." (Meaning, "I want to eat at McDonald's.")
• "I Charlie Brown!" (Referring to his Halloween costume, which he loved.)
  

As I read over the list, I realize that there is very little on it that isn't something you haven't heard your own children say. But because Garrett -- my Garrett -- is finally catching up in his language ability, they are unique things to hear at our house. And I can't seem to get enough of it.

Below is a conversation I've had several times a day with Garrett lately -- a conversation that six weeks ago he wouldn't have had the command over the language to even have. After my mom's recent visit to and departure from Brooklyn, he made the connection that she flew here on an airplane, and that if he wanted to go to her house, he'd also have to fly on an airplane. Our talks on the subject have only expanded from there.



After I stopped recording, he went on to tell me that his cousin Henry would also be there, and that together they could play with the train set that had a tunnel. And he said it all without any prompting from me.

And it's not just conversations that we have together. Garrett also has discovered a love of singing, and it's not a rare thing for me to catch him with a song stuck in his head. Some of his favorite songs include:

• "I Am a Child of God"
• "Book of Mormon Stories"
• "Popcorn Popping"
• "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"
• "Once There Was a Snowman"
• "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"
• "The Wheels on the Bus"
• "This Is The Way We Wash Our Hands" (a pre-snack time song he sings at school, to the tune of "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush")
• "Itsy Bitsy Spider"
• The Signing Time theme song
• The Elmo's World theme song

Even though, like any other three-year-old, Garrett often turns into a broken record, I love love love hearing him talk. It's a milestone I've waited so long for him to reach. It's funny how hearing him say, "Oh no, it's missing!" after accidentally dropping, and subsequently losing, a small item on the kitchen floor can make my insides swell with an indescribable happiness. Somehow hearing things like this makes the drama, which began a year ago this month, of getting him intervention and therapy all worth it.

_______

And because Caleb's ability to talk also seems to be moving along at the speed of light, here's a clip of him demonstrating his latest addition: "Uh-oh," which he uses in context, especially when he's being silly and purposely throwing his toys on the floor.



So Caleb's word count now includes: Hello, Mama, Da, Uh-oh, and occasionally something that sounds like an attempt to say Baby.

Yesterday, as I turned the page on my calendar, the weather, as if in acknowledgment of the beginning of a new and traditionally colder month, did, too. The temperatures hovered in the mid-40s, and there was a decided chill in the air -- enough to convince me that it was time to pull out and start using our winter gear.

Just as every spring, when I pull out last year's pair of sandals and realize just how much my boy's feet have grown, so, too, every fall, when I dig our cold weather clothes out from under the bed, I discover that our collection of hats and mittens no longer fit, are missing partners, or, heaven forbid, don't coordinate with the coats.

Yesterday was that day. As I sorted through what we had and what we were missing, I came to the conclusion that both boys needed hats and mittens that fit and coordinated better than last year's stash. As it often does with me, the task to outfit them quickly turned into a quest. I went to four different stores in search of the right sizes and colors, and just when my efforts were beginning to feel futile, I conquered. Garrett is happy with his penguin hat, Caleb can't take his hat off, thanks to the blessed chin strap, and the mitten clips I invested in at the end of last season will hopefully keep any of their new mittens from straying into the great unknown. They're warm, and cute, and now my boys are ready to be outside this winter.



The task now is to gear myself up mentally for another long, cold winter. I can do this, right?