Dear boys,
Your dad brought you over for supper tonight. I was so happy to see you! You gave Uncle Joe a big hug and then when I went outside onto the deck you both yelled, "Auntie Kim!" and ran up to hug me, too! We both love you so much. You both ate all your supper, too! I made a special whole wheat macaroni with cheddar cheese, butter and parmesan cheese, some salmon tossed in plus we had broccoli and tomatoes..and rolls! Then Noah tried my Mexican peanut mazipan candy and loved it. Dylan would not try it. We shared a fudgsicle, too. Then we watched a silly movie about a guy who turned into a dog while your Uncle joe did his poo poos on the potty. (and his wee wee too as Noah duly noted!)
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Tuesday, April13, 2010 Meeting Rui, Joey, Jill and Samira
Dear Noah and Dylan,
I am playing hooky today! Your old aunt could not get out of bed this morning! I told Uncle Joe I felt like I could sleep three more hours and thats exactly what I did! You kids wore me out on Sunday and all I did was sit on my deck and watch! We had quite the gang here, all the Eastern coast T children and K kids. We had pizza on the deck, played in the yard and driveway on the cars, went in the doggy tunnel, Rui did a puppet show, Jill opened presents- a good time had by all! Your dad finally met Barry, Auntie Mary's husband and Joey-odd that they hadn't met after all this time! Samira was the only child above the age of five. She's now 13? But even she had fun without her iPod. Noah and Dylan got along great with Rui, Joey and Jill. We hope we can do that more often.
After everyone left you both stayed here for supper and I made hotdogs, beans carrots, Annie's Mac and Cheese-Noah wolfed it down, Dylan not as thrilled. (he did have a lot of cookies earlier.) Then we sat on the deck stairs and programmed you to scream, "Auntie Kim!" while flinging both areas into the sky upon hearing various questions such as "Who makes the best beans?" "Who makes the best macaroni?" "Who makes the best carrots?" "Who's the most beautiful woman in all of New England?" The ego boost was short-lived since your daddy brought you home and re-programmed you. He called the next morning and left a message with your new responses. Hmm...at least I still make the best beans.
Unfortunately, it looks as though your parents' divorce is imminent. Your mom has been attending the mandatory training for parents preparing for divorce and your dad signed up once he heard you mom enrolled. Her lawyer sent a letter to his lawyer moving forward, asking to agree on a settlement so as it turns out, your dad should hear what you mom's request is as far as division of property and assets, including child care. Your dad thought she'd probably get one half equity of the house , her half being about 10k I think he said and she'd get 1/2 his retirement. Any assets prior to marriage and inheritance form Grandma K can not be divided. The big issue is the child care and that is my biggest concern. Your dad would be beside himself if for some reason he was granted anything less than 50% custody. The current established pattern of practice has been 50% and that has been ongoing since your mom moved out in October, six months now and according to you dad's lawyer, that is what the judge looks at.
I am trying to keep lines of communication open with your mom and sending pictures of our weekend activities. She sent me one funny picture of Noah in bed with a toy computer-takes after his Uncle Joe!
I am playing hooky today! Your old aunt could not get out of bed this morning! I told Uncle Joe I felt like I could sleep three more hours and thats exactly what I did! You kids wore me out on Sunday and all I did was sit on my deck and watch! We had quite the gang here, all the Eastern coast T children and K kids. We had pizza on the deck, played in the yard and driveway on the cars, went in the doggy tunnel, Rui did a puppet show, Jill opened presents- a good time had by all! Your dad finally met Barry, Auntie Mary's husband and Joey-odd that they hadn't met after all this time! Samira was the only child above the age of five. She's now 13? But even she had fun without her iPod. Noah and Dylan got along great with Rui, Joey and Jill. We hope we can do that more often.
After everyone left you both stayed here for supper and I made hotdogs, beans carrots, Annie's Mac and Cheese-Noah wolfed it down, Dylan not as thrilled. (he did have a lot of cookies earlier.) Then we sat on the deck stairs and programmed you to scream, "Auntie Kim!" while flinging both areas into the sky upon hearing various questions such as "Who makes the best beans?" "Who makes the best macaroni?" "Who makes the best carrots?" "Who's the most beautiful woman in all of New England?" The ego boost was short-lived since your daddy brought you home and re-programmed you. He called the next morning and left a message with your new responses. Hmm...at least I still make the best beans.
Unfortunately, it looks as though your parents' divorce is imminent. Your mom has been attending the mandatory training for parents preparing for divorce and your dad signed up once he heard you mom enrolled. Her lawyer sent a letter to his lawyer moving forward, asking to agree on a settlement so as it turns out, your dad should hear what you mom's request is as far as division of property and assets, including child care. Your dad thought she'd probably get one half equity of the house , her half being about 10k I think he said and she'd get 1/2 his retirement. Any assets prior to marriage and inheritance form Grandma K can not be divided. The big issue is the child care and that is my biggest concern. Your dad would be beside himself if for some reason he was granted anything less than 50% custody. The current established pattern of practice has been 50% and that has been ongoing since your mom moved out in October, six months now and according to you dad's lawyer, that is what the judge looks at.
I am trying to keep lines of communication open with your mom and sending pictures of our weekend activities. She sent me one funny picture of Noah in bed with a toy computer-takes after his Uncle Joe!
April 2, 2010 Screaming Contest
Dear boys,
So, you are NOT the cutest, most perfect little angel, are you?!!? I babysat for you Weds night and listened to you both screen for thirty minutes! Your dad had to go to a class for divorced parents, mandated by the courts so although he's not 100% sure this divorce is happening, he figured out your mom was taking it(not the same nights) and he better, too. The evening started before your dad left and Noah whacked me in the head with a ball while I was cutting up leftover chicken and broccoli. I scolded him and he went running into the living room crying, shocked that Auntie Kim spoke to him with such a harsh tone (now he knows what poor Uncle Joe endures daily, ha ha!) Anyway, I ignored him and he finally came back in to show off on his plastic car. Weighing the pros and cons of feeding you both before your dad left I decide to try it-I got Noah to sit down and Dylan yelled, "NO!" So I picked him up and sat him right down on the bench with me. He got up, I put him back dust as daddy say, "Ok, kids, I got to go to there store!" Dylan escalated into full scream and after a look of horror on Noah's face, he disappeared under the table and sobbed on the bench. When he came up for air, he ran into the living room with Dylan and screamed for twenty minutes. I ignored both of you, yes, I did, and ate my supper on the couch. Occasionally one would quiet down and then the other would get louder and encourage the first one to join back in. I finally went over to the window and laid the law down. (advice from Theresa-Day care Queen Extraordinaire.) "If you want to keep crying, you'll have to go cry in your beds, not here. "WAAA!" was the response of course so I picked you both up and put you in bed, fully clothed. The near death shrieks continued from behind the closed door. I waited about five minutes, went back in and said, "So who wants to stop crying and come out?" Dylan signed up immediately. Noah opted out. So Dylan and I snuggled on the bean bag chair together while he gasped those post sob gasps and after a couple of minutes I said, "Let's go see if Noah want stop come out!" So in we went. "Noah, want to come out and play with the ball and watch Tom and Jerry?" He stopped crying and let me pick him up-but as soon as he saw the living room window he remembered why he was so upset and had a relapse. So back to bed we went, five more minutes. And finally, I renewed my offer and he completely snapped out of it and got on his car, started riding around, but not without reminding me several times that "Daddy go, daddy go store, Daddy be right back" looking for that reassurance. I tried to get both to eat-but only Noah nibbled. Did not like the Chinese lo mean noodles I threw in to spice up the plate. By then it was 7:00 so they easily let me put their pajamas on and change diapers and we were off to watch Tom and Jerry. Both boys bring in their little chairs and sit down together in the living room. It is the cutest dam thing! Noah was upset and every commercial said "Jerry go?" I couldn't remember how to fast forward the bloody Tivo. Dylan cracked up at all the the destruction in the video and kept yelling,, "HO! Mess!" I'm sure he hears Mommy saying that a lot! Before we went to bed we brushed our teeth. Dylan pointed out "Daddy's tub." They are clearly differentiating between the two houses and differing experiences.
I bought a bunch of tub toys for Easter presents this year, squirt rubber duckies, light up fish and duck, doggy toothbrush holders. Also chalk eggs and Pez bunny dispensers. Auntie Susan gave me two paper mache rabbits to use as baskets. They are beautiful!
So, you are NOT the cutest, most perfect little angel, are you?!!? I babysat for you Weds night and listened to you both screen for thirty minutes! Your dad had to go to a class for divorced parents, mandated by the courts so although he's not 100% sure this divorce is happening, he figured out your mom was taking it(not the same nights) and he better, too. The evening started before your dad left and Noah whacked me in the head with a ball while I was cutting up leftover chicken and broccoli. I scolded him and he went running into the living room crying, shocked that Auntie Kim spoke to him with such a harsh tone (now he knows what poor Uncle Joe endures daily, ha ha!) Anyway, I ignored him and he finally came back in to show off on his plastic car. Weighing the pros and cons of feeding you both before your dad left I decide to try it-I got Noah to sit down and Dylan yelled, "NO!" So I picked him up and sat him right down on the bench with me. He got up, I put him back dust as daddy say, "Ok, kids, I got to go to there store!" Dylan escalated into full scream and after a look of horror on Noah's face, he disappeared under the table and sobbed on the bench. When he came up for air, he ran into the living room with Dylan and screamed for twenty minutes. I ignored both of you, yes, I did, and ate my supper on the couch. Occasionally one would quiet down and then the other would get louder and encourage the first one to join back in. I finally went over to the window and laid the law down. (advice from Theresa-Day care Queen Extraordinaire.) "If you want to keep crying, you'll have to go cry in your beds, not here. "WAAA!" was the response of course so I picked you both up and put you in bed, fully clothed. The near death shrieks continued from behind the closed door. I waited about five minutes, went back in and said, "So who wants to stop crying and come out?" Dylan signed up immediately. Noah opted out. So Dylan and I snuggled on the bean bag chair together while he gasped those post sob gasps and after a couple of minutes I said, "Let's go see if Noah want stop come out!" So in we went. "Noah, want to come out and play with the ball and watch Tom and Jerry?" He stopped crying and let me pick him up-but as soon as he saw the living room window he remembered why he was so upset and had a relapse. So back to bed we went, five more minutes. And finally, I renewed my offer and he completely snapped out of it and got on his car, started riding around, but not without reminding me several times that "Daddy go, daddy go store, Daddy be right back" looking for that reassurance. I tried to get both to eat-but only Noah nibbled. Did not like the Chinese lo mean noodles I threw in to spice up the plate. By then it was 7:00 so they easily let me put their pajamas on and change diapers and we were off to watch Tom and Jerry. Both boys bring in their little chairs and sit down together in the living room. It is the cutest dam thing! Noah was upset and every commercial said "Jerry go?" I couldn't remember how to fast forward the bloody Tivo. Dylan cracked up at all the the destruction in the video and kept yelling,, "HO! Mess!" I'm sure he hears Mommy saying that a lot! Before we went to bed we brushed our teeth. Dylan pointed out "Daddy's tub." They are clearly differentiating between the two houses and differing experiences.
I bought a bunch of tub toys for Easter presents this year, squirt rubber duckies, light up fish and duck, doggy toothbrush holders. Also chalk eggs and Pez bunny dispensers. Auntie Susan gave me two paper mache rabbits to use as baskets. They are beautiful!
March 20, 2010: Not the "perfect" family life but not bad either!
First day of Spring! And it was a gorgeous one Your dad picked us up after your nap and we all went to Salisbury State Reservation to go to the beach and play at the playground. I think you both enjoyed the beach more than the playground though. We wrote our names in the sand, picked up shells, played in the sand and put our feet in the ice cold water. Yu both started crying because it was so cold!! After that we got pizza at Cristy's and fried dough at Ozzie's. Noah rode on my shoulders for a short tour around the new pavilion were Tupelo Music Hall and the Sea Glass Restaurant is. We all sat on the center island and had our pizza together. It was a mess with pizza boxes everywhere! We watched the pigeons eating the pizza crumbs left on the table. It was a happy day together. Uncle Joe took pictures and I sent some off to your mother. She is not too happy with your dad right now because of conversations had with relatives on her side of the family that maybe your dad should not have had. It is looking less and less like there will be any kind of reconciliation now. Your dad has made a few mistakes along the way which haven't helped the cause but what are you going to do? We are all human. While he was lamenting the current situation while driving over to the beach I noticed we were behind Diane Berky's husband's truck. They had twin boys, one of which died a couple of summers ago at the age of fifteen or sixteen, right in their backyard. It puts things in perspective to some degree. Sometimes your dad gets in a self-pitying mode and I tell him he also has tow of the cutest kids on the planet! He has to learn to enjoy what he has and not what he doesn't have: the "perfect" family life. I think he's getting used to the concept and realizing it may not actually be that bad.
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