Visit from Great Auntie Paula and Great Uncle Bob

Today(Wednesday) we were planning on going to Ingleton playgroup but by the time we were ready to go, it was almost over so we decided that it would be a big clean up day. Ethan was in his Baby Bjorn carrier as I vacuumed and cleaned up and tidied the house. Adam's been great with dishes, laundry and cooking. We managed to lose one of Ethan's shoes since his walk on Tuesday and it wasn't until supper time that we looked in the outside trash bin. I had emptied all the trash this morning without first looking through it and yup - his other shoe was inside on of the trash bags covered in yuckiness. Gee, I wonder who put that in there? It was a good thing I looked in the bin since the garbage truck is coming tomorrow. Then we played at home. Had a great long nap and when we woke up... Later in the afternoon, Papa Zee and Great Auntie Paula and Great Uncle Bob came to visit us! Great Auntie and Uncle are from Blackpool and own a bed and breakfast for stag parties and hen(bachelorette) parties. They were so kind to bring Ethan some amazing toys. A ring stacker and a shape sorting box! And we got some yummy shortbread!!! MMM! It was a lovely visit and we hope to make it to Blackpool soon to visit them and play on the beach. Papa Zee had to rush off shortly after Great Auntie and Uncle came. He and and Mama Zee had just come back from Beaconsfield the day before and had many things to do. We'll go and visit them tomorrow. At supper, Ethan did really well eating at the table with us! We had breaded turkey and boiled potatoes. He like the potatoes more that the breaded turkey and even had juice. I much prefer eating on our floors since they are laminate and easy to clean rather than Mama and Papa Zee's beautiful carpeted dining room. They are so great, leaving Bruno the dog to clean up after Ethan but seeing as Ethan is doing so well, maybe our next visit there, will be mess free?(This may be wishful thinking on my part. hahah)

The Messy Monster- Tuesday, July 15th

I used to never be one that cared too much about cleanliness but just before and after Ethan was born, I must have our living areas clean as possible for health reasons and for my sanity and conscience. Now the fact that Ethan must learn to eat by himself is causing me stress and anxiety at seeing Mama and Papa Zee's floor covered with food as is the same with ours. It's like nails on a chalkboard seeing all that MESS!!! Here is a video of today at dinner. Ethan is getting much better as Adam and I think he actually ate 60 - 70 % of what was in his bowl. Thank goodness for stain cleaner. If we were in Taiwan, because it's so much warmer there, I think we would just let Ethan sit in his chair, in just his nappy to avoid food all over his clothes. Today, I cleaned up. After looking at the video, I noticed how big his head seems- Lin family trait- and that his arms and cheeks sure are getting chubbier! Yay! There are two parts to the video since the original was too big to upload and I had to re-edit it. Part one Part two

Tuesday adventure

Last night, I went to pick up Ethan who woke crying and managed to pull a muscle in my neck which caused my left shoulder and neck to be so sore, I couldn't put him back nor move.at all without pain. After taking two paracetemol and sodium diclofenac , I managed to get to sleep. Adam was a great help putting Ethan back to bed.

Awoke pretty sore still but manageable. Ethan woke but wasn't really his normal happy self. Adam woke early to go to dialysis.

It could have been that Ethan didn't get enough sleep on Monday, since he missed his morning nap in lieu of us going to the Methodist Church- where Adam and I got married- for Toddle In- a playgroup. Here playgroup cost money to go to. One pound- 60nt but the money goes straight back into it to buy coffee, tea, cakes , juice and snacks for the parents and kids. There were lots of kids Ethan's age and I got to meet so many moms. It was a much friendlier atmosphere than the first playgroup we went to where I mostly played with Ethan and not so much communication with the other moms.

It was great there. They had an indoor sandbox and Ethan was chucking sand by the shovels and of course some ended up in his mouth. Another things that ended up in his mouth were marker- non toxic so he had blue teeth for a bit. I tried my best to get it all off. They had great coffee, and even more delicious cakes. mmmmm. Definately going back. Forgot the camera but will definately remember it next week. When we got back, he went for a nap for two and a half hrs and then we went for a walk and saw ducks, 8 forest cats, game birds (grouse?), cows and dogs. For dinner, we all sat at the table and had Chickem red and green peppers in a tortilla. It was one of few times Ethan has eaten at the table with us and about 90% of the food was on him, the chair and the floor rather than in his mouth or belly. I got to take him upstairs for a bath while Adam cleaned up. Bless him!! It was a busy Monday.

Okay, back to today. Ethan and I woke up not very happy but made the best of it. We were going to try to go to the Ingleton playgroup this morning but we were waiting for the health clinic to call me back so I could make an appt for my neck. Somehow got the wrong number , they called back with the right number and the earliest they could get me in was 3:30pm tomorrow. We ended up missing morning playgroup, Adam came back from dialysis around noon and called the heath clinic and managed to get me in to see the doctor within 5 minutes! Yay Daddy! So, the doc checked me out. Just keep taking what I was took before and got another dose of amoxicillin for Ethan since his last bottle turned green while we were in London and he couldn't finish his dose.

Got back in time to head to an afternoon playgroup in Burton in Lonsdale. It was awesome. Tey had musical instruments for Ethan, indoor water table, art area, dress up, book area, outdoor enclosed area with sand pit- you name it- they had it. Too bad only Danni and her two boys, were the only ones there today. We went out to play with the sand and yup- more sand in the mouth, clothes, hands, in his clothes. When we came back in, I noticed a bird on one of the book area chairs. Danni thought I was playing with Ethan until she realized the big homing pigeon on the chair. So we managed to catch it, put it in a box. It seemed to have hurt one of his legs and lost some of its feathers on one wing. The owner amazingly had stamped his phone number on the pigeons wing but after 3 calls, Danni just left messages. We decided to take the pigeon to the Vet Clinic in High Bentham and so I dropped Ethan off at home with Adam. He seemed quite cranky and I figured he would go down for a nap. Then I took the pigeon in. The vet will treat it and contactthe owner- so that was our good deed today!

Sorry no pics. Forgot the camera and Ethan was a bit cranky today so most definately wouldn't be happy on camera.

Afterwards, I came home and the weather was sunny and bright. I found Ethan and Adam in the bedroom but as soon as Ethan saw me, he wasn't about to sleep so the three of us all went for a walk to look for the ducks and cats. Here are the photos. All went well except when Ethan put a dirty stick into his mouth and we had to wipe the dirt out of his mouth...other than that.. he fed the duck bread off the bridge and pulled leaves off lots of the plants.

Hilarious Green Outfit

Okay, i'm pretty sure when Ethan is old enough to read this, he won't be happy with this post but Adam and I just got so many giggles out of it.

We were at a stage where we desperately needed to do washing and the only clothes Ethan had for bed were 3 sleep suits. All of which were too big for him. I picked this luminescent green one and it wasn't until he was walking around in the living room that we noticed he was resembling a Telly Tubby with the legs of the sleep suit pooling around his ankles. So I moved into action by tying a long handkerchief around his waist to hold up the bottom part of the sleepsuit and then added socks with grips on the bottom so he wouldn't slip on the floor. This ensued more laughter from Adam and I. Ethan of course was completely unfazed.

Ethan has also formed an attachment to a certain blanket. It started just before we left Taiwan and now whenever he is upset or tired, it's the first thing he looks for. Good thing, I managed to track down a second one so when one is in the laundry, there is one on hand for him.

The other thing in his hand is a Frutapura fruit puree. This ingenius UK company has put 100% fruit puree into these packets and you just unscrew the top and Ethan just sucks it out. Absolutely mess free unless you give it to him and he squishes it and then it will shoot out the top... but I don't let him do that unless i'm not careful and he gets away with it while i'm not looking. Haha!

Here he is in all his baggy glory. Notice the saggy butt area and the many folds above his knees. Hahaahahah.

Ethan also is very interested in eating whatever we are eating. Adam has chips (french fries) and chicken pot pie on his plate. Wait until you see the video and why I had to stop filming so suddenly.

My boys ... so cute...so tired.

This past Sunday, I drove Adam to Preston which is about and hr and a bit away from where we live for dialysis. Ethan and I spent 3 and a half hrs in the city centre window shopping and picked up some more socks, baby food and juice for him. He was absolutely brilliant and we even managed to find parking for free! On our way there and back, he napped. The best part was that I had no problems getting back to the hospital to pick Adam up considering it was the very first time I had driven in Preston.

While on the topic of driving, I am managing to get the hang of driving on the left hand side of the road. Traffic circles are wierd here since most of them, you enter left but some you enter right and the traffic lights are not on large poles that hang horizontally over the road but rather vertically on top of a short pole usually to the right of the road so you have to look to the side.

Also, the speed is in miles not kilometer but thankfully there are both in our car.

Later that evening, both my boys were too pooped to keep their eyes open.

Ethan's new developments

The library system in Bentham is amazing. Ethan gets free books to keep forever from the library when he is 8 months old, 2 years and 3 years old. Each time, he visits the library and signs out books, which we need to return in 3 weeks, he gets a Book Start sticker that goes into his special Book Start card and after 5 stickers (visits) to the library, he gets a really nice certificate.There are lots of different certificates to choose from. Here he is pulling out his new books and trying to put them back in.

He is learning that when you take things out of something, they can be put back into that thing too. So he is fascinated with opening lids, throwing things into the can or container, trying to get the lid back on, pulling it off again and then pulling out whatever he put inside it in the first place. So opening a cupboard, or looking into a trash can will reveal many interesting surprises inside. We have to carefully check all garbage cans before we tie up the bag and throw it out lest we end up throwing away a valuable toy, clothes, or whatever he decides needs to be thrown in it.

Ethan and Great Grandma Mary

This past weekend (Thurs- Sat) was a sad time for the Zahler family as it was Great Grandad George's funeral and memorial service. The whole family went up to Beaconsfield to remember a man who was such a strong, exuberant, outstanding, full of life and exceptional man. It was a lovely ceremony and service even though Ethan was a bit too excited to sit still and we had to go for a few walks. Still it was good for us to be there to support daddy and the Zahler clan.

Daddy managed to get a few shots of Ethan with Great Grandma Mary.