A Mash-up of thoughts from the week.

I've been composing posts in my mind all week, and well, I just haven't been able to put them down. It could be all the rain. Having little kids when the sky is opening up and dumping, inches and inches of rain everyday can be draining. Ryan looked out the window the other night and said, "Mommy, your Croc looks like a boat."

One of the highlights of my week occurred while walking hand and hand with the boys, we were on our way to the car, and I thought out loud. "oh, my, it is a very blustery day!" Ever quick with the reply, Ryan said to me, "Why yes it is Piglet." I have no idea the last time I read that story to the boys but Ryan seems to remember everything. He also spent the rest of the day calling me Piglet, Evan Tigger, and Scott Eeyore.

We've been reading The Hobbit, and the other day I over heard Ryan call Evan "My Precious"

On Friday we went to the Opthamologist for yet another check up. Because of the boys ROP we have been going to the Opthamologist since the boys were released from the NICU. Our last visit a couple of months ago we were told to start patching Ryan's right eye, for two hours a day. The news this visit was that his eyes have improved, and the patching is working.

I totally forgot why I was mentioning the Eye Doctor...But, since we now see our Opthamologist at the hospital instead of the clinic, (it's a day of the week thing) we found ourselves down in Hillcrest, at lunchtime.

During the time the boys were in the hospital we became very intimately familiar with all of the places to eat around the hospital. During the week I ate mostly in the cafeteria or at the Bean Shack across the street. I could get there fast, eat quickly and be back bed side in less than twenty minutes. On the weekends, Scott and I would venture out a little farther. Back in the day, Phil's was nearby and we would go there or we would go to Bronx Pizza.

Friday the boys and I went to Bronx Pizza. And I was reminded that sometimes people can surprise you. Ryan and Evan ate their pizza and then I started taking turns holding up the boys so they could watch the "pizza guys" make the the pizzas and throw them into the air. Then, in the middle of lunch rush, one of the guys started introducing everyone to Ryan and Evan, then, Manny brought over a half thrown crust over for the boys to try stretching, Evan got a little shy and only briefly touched the dough, but Ryan, my little Top Chef, took it and started playing with it. Out we walked to the car with a huge circle of dough draped across his two little hands. (and if you've ever tried to get a kid into a car seat while he's holding a pizza crust, well, lets just say, not for an amateur.)

And here is where I become a crazy person. At four o'clock I decided that we HAD to have a fresh loaf of bread to go with our pasta. While I whipped up dinner, and a loaf of bread, the boys did this with their pizza crust.




When they were done, they looked like this. Seriously, Manny did not look like this.


I'm also pretty certain that Manny wasn't having as much fun as these two. They were laughing and pretending to be Tony the pizza guy (from Curious George). There was dough flying everywhere. There was flour, well, you can see, all over.

Dinner was a wee bit later than usual, but I was really pleased with myself. Instead of discouraging the dough playing, because it was almost dinnertime. I just went with it, and they played and were so happy for more than an hour. Yes, I had to clean up a ton of flour before I could serve dinner, and yes, I'm sure there are dough pieces being ground into my rug, but the boys had a great time.

Those guys at Bronx Pizza, thanks, my boys had a great time, and it really didn't cost you much but a little time and dough. Now instead of asking to go to Pizza Port, they want to go to Bronx Pizza! (Great PR guys!) Ryan has also told me that when he "gets bigger he wants to make pizza dough all by himself."


Oh, and finally, I thought this was too adorable for words.



Oh, and how could I have almost forgotten this momentous event. Right after dinner on Friday Ryan told me he had to go potty. He sat down and nothing came out, I asked him if he had to poop and he denied in a way that made me keep him there. Sure enough a couple of seconds later! Poop! In the Potty! And, theoretically, he did say he had to go even if he didn't go right away, there was some awareness there right? Means something right? Just humor me here. Please.