Halloween with Uncle Ronny in West HP

We've about the incredible relationship the boys have with their Uncle Ronnie . . . it's definitely a relationship chock-full of mutual adoration.

As has been previously documented, Adam and I were in the UK for Kat and Mike's wedding and missed being in town on Halloween. Never fear, Uncle Ronnie to the rescue! Some cute pics of Ron taking the boys around to the houses on our street.

Noel's First Emergency Room Visit (Guest Blogger: Uncle Ronnie)

I am Ron, otherwise known as Ronnie to the boys now thanks to Adam. I have been helping Avo take care of the boys while the big boys are in London. Bruce asked me to write on the blog about what has happened since they left. So here goes nothing.

Lets just start with the beginning. Adam and Bruce made a clean getaway while I took the boys for a wagon ride around the neighborhood. Once we got back everyone headed to the new playroom above the garage to play. Avo was playing with Ethan on the floor while I was reading a book on the couch to Noel. Noel decided to stand up and walk to the other end of the couch. I had gotten up and was walking around behind the couch to get him. Not 45 minutes after Adam and Bruce had left to go to the airport; thinking that their sons were in safe hands with a loving grandmother and an experienced Pediatric ICU nurse, Noel decides to take a header off the couch and slam his forehead on the hardest wood coffee table I have ever seen. I thought he just hit his head (Hard), but Avo screamed he is bleeding! Sure enough, he was all over my brand new Hugo Boss jeans, (btw if the blood doesn't come out you owe me $89, gottem on sale). Noelly Boo had a 2 centimeter laceration above his right eyebrow. So, I scooped up the screaming child and we headed to the bathroom to apply pressure with a rag. With the pressure it only bled about 2-3 minutes. Surprisingly, Noel stopped crying pretty quickly and was more interested in looking at himself in the mirror, that's such an Adam thing to do. I took off the rag to take a look and sure enough it was pretty deep and I knew it was going to need stitches. Rita and I looked at each other and I said, "Son of *****!" With the bleeding and screaming stopped, I knew this was not an emergency. So, Rita and I formulated a plan. First, we decided not to call Adam and Bruce because they would just turn around and come back. Second we asked Claudia (the nanny) to stay late and put Ethan to bed. Third, we had to find the insurance information. After scouring the house from top to bottom looking in all the places I thought someone would logically put a power of attorney and medical insurance information, I came up empty. So we decided to just pay cash and worry about the rest later. So off to the hospital we went. Myself, calm, cool and collected, one very frazzled grandmother and one very chilled out toddler in the back seat. After talking to one of my coworkers at work I decided to go to Medical City so we wouldn't have to wait as long. Good call on my part if a do say so myself.




















I drop Avo off at the front entrance because her foot is in a ortho boot, and I park the car and bring the self inflicted trauma patient in. The doctor comes out in the waiting room to look at Noel. Noel was soooooo good he just sat in Avo's lap watching another kid play. After he left I decided I would take a picture of his cut. And I swear to the baby Jesus as I'm about to snap the picture I get a text from Bruce asking for "One last picture before we leave???" Me and Rita looked at each other and I said "Oh hell no!" And we had a good giggle over it.


So they take us back after maybe 20 or 30 minutes and put us in a exam room. The nurse practitioner came and looked at him and again he was super chill. Noel was like an Australian surfer, "No worries mate." He sat in Avo's lap and didn't move, didn't cry and didn't make a peep. And no he was not brain damaged. So, they gave him some Versed to keep him calm. They only had half the dose and needed to get more from pharmacy so they went ahead and gave him what that had. Then they put some numbing ointment on the cut so they didn't have to stick him. They taped it to his forehead and left it, again not a peep.


The nurse practitioner (female) and this big (but not to shabby) looking guy came in to help sew him up. This is where I thought Noel would finally lose his shi*. They wrapped him up with a sheet like a papoose and placed the sterile drape over his face with just a little opening for him to look up at Avo and I. The big but not to shabby guy held his arms from moving while the PNP sewed him up. He didn't move, didn't cry, didn't moan or fidget. His dads would have been sooooo proud of him! In all of my years working with kids I have never seen a kid do so well with being restrained and someone working with a needle around his eye. I was really proud of him too. After placing 4 very thin dissolving sutures made of sugar, he was done.
He ended his first visit to the ER by blowing kisses to all those involved and said "Peace out."






















After heading home it was about 10pm and Avo and I were hungry so we went to Whataburger. Noel stayed up and ate a cheeseburger and fries like nobodies business. He finished his night with half a hot apple pie. Head trauma makes you hungry. He deserved it.















To finish off the night, Ethan woke up about 2am crying. He had wet the bed. I changed him and the bed, then went to put him back to bed and he wouldn't let go of me. So, I sat in the chair and he jumped in my lap and laid his head on my shoulder while I rocked him. I figured he would go right back to sleep. Wrong! I tried to put him back 3 times and he was still awake and would start to cry. So, I took him to my bed and laid him down. He was so snugly! He just laid there wide awake for about 30 minutes before finally falling asleep. I put him back in his crib around 4am and he slept until 7. Ethan has been unusually clingy to me and I have loved every minute of it. I love hearing Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie.

After all of this I did find the letter allowing for medical treatment on the master bath sink. You know, where everybody keeps them. :)

Closing shot: Following morning, watching Yo Gabba Gabbo with Avo and Ethan . . . if we comb the bangs forward just enough, it's like it never happened!

Miscellaneous Pics . . . October, 2011

Couple of quick pics from the month of October . . .

First up, Pai had a bit o' fun with the washable markers . . . meet Noel van der Schmoot and Ethan Snidley Whiplash

Next up, a fight to the finish for the floating car at the playground (note: Noel took this particular battle):

Lastly, an adorable picture of the boys in their recliners, which were a great 1st birthday gift from Avo. They're not far from demanding popcorn with their (limited) tv time.

Halloween at HBK - 2011!

What a difference a year makes! HBK, throws a little Halloween get-together each year and its the one time that the whole Brigade gets to visit Dad at work. Last year was our initial effort and it was mildly successful, at best, given that the boys HATED wearing their costumes and had to be vacated after a very brief 30 minutes.

This year, however, was a HUGE hit, both with them and with their Dad and Pai (not to mention Avo, who was in attendance!). While the initial reaction to the costumes was expectedly lukewarm, once we got them in front of the mirror, they realized they were a monkey (Ethan: hoo, hoo, hoo) and a macaw (Noel: flapping his wings), we were in business!

The boys were a huge hit at the party and were incredibly extroverted . . . lots of good pics to choose from . . .

First up: the standard hay bale pic














Next up, Noel experiencing a new food item - lollipops!




















Couple of great pics of each boy looking pensive at the window:





















Lastly, Ethan went for a wander and located the HBK mail cart . . . he demanded a chauffer-driven tour of the office, which was a good job for Dad! Definitely a fun day all around.

First Trip to the Texas State Fair!

The Brudams made their first venture to the Fair as a family and we weren't sure what to expect. We had some great successes with the Hands-on Farm Experiecne and Petting Zoo and less success with the Dog Show. Check out below for a few pics:

Ethan sizing up the scarecrow:














Noel picking out an egg to take to the market:
















Ethan with his egg next to the dairy farm
















Dad and Noel transporting the goods to the market on the tractors:















Ethan trying to get a closer look at the Petting Zoo





















Post-Fair trip home - Ethan in a food coma and Noel is down for the count.

Potty Training - the early days . . .

In looking through the blog entries tonight, came across this unfinished post from back in October . . . cleaning up and posting what has been most assuredly one of the most beneficial deicions we've made as parents . . .

Back in October, when the boys were only 21 months old and had been in school for exactly 5 weeks, Noel's teacher approached us with the news that Noel was "showing interest in potty training." Pai gets full credit here, as he was encouraging from the outset . . . Dad, on the other hand, thought all parties involved were cuckoo crazy, having never heard of potty training kids so early. Reluctantly, Dad ultimately relented thinking that we could always revert back to diapers if it didn't work . . . a thought that prompted Noel's teacher to reply, "Oh, no . . . once we start this process, there will be no going backwards!"

Well, I'm sure it won't be the last time that our incredibly boys proved Dad very wrong . . . though the results were certainly mixed, both boys adapted relatively quickly to the concept . . . I guess there's something to be said for watching older kids use the bathroom for 4 hours each and every day.

Pics below are from our earliest days . . .

• Ethan, legs akimbo, staring back (likely instead of peeing) with acceptance and light resistance at the same time
• Noel displaying the perfect Montessori behavior . . . completing his "task" by disposing of his results
• Both boys, using our downstairs "seating" and showing off their new talents

What a great parental lesson in not underestimating what your kids may or may not be ready for . . . definitely planning to take a greater number of "leaps" in the future.

St. Alcuin Garden Party

Today we attended garden parties for both Ethan and Noel's class. Every family brings something for the garden (Plants, Sand, Pumpkins, etc.) and the parents and kids plant and decorate the garden that the children will tend to for the rest of the year.

Below are some pics from the event:

The best way to pick rosemary is without pants:





















Gardening Michael Jackson style:
























Dad and Noel planting flowers:





















The always successful class photo:
















A few pics of Guy Smiley: