The Zany Zukowski Weblog

So we’ve now had 2 ultrasounds, and no we don’t know the gender, and they tell me baby is measuring big. Chubby is the word the ultrasound tech used. Really a chubby baby? Huh? Who would have  guessed!

I am so shocked! (ha ha, that’s Stephen at 7 months, and Freddy at 6 months) I must say I do not totally trust these ultra sound machines. We had an ultrasound the day Freddy was born, just hours before, and it didn’t accurately predict Freddy’s ginormas weight of 8lbs 14.5 oz. Recently, our new niece Katie was predicted to deliver at 7lbs, and she arrived at 5lbs 15oz. So our baby is ‘big’ or they are wrong or maybe baby will be here sooner that December 28th!  I am feeling good and everything looks good on baby, so we’re pleased. It’s my favorite part of pregnancy, baby looks like an alien in the evenings, as baby kicks around and pokes at my belly. I am at the end of the 2nd trimester so I’m feeling good and still pretty active.

I’m late in posting this, but I think the pictures speak for themselves. On 9/11, the local fire departments pay homage to their bretheren by climbing 110 flights of stairs. This pilgrimage is in honor of the 343 firefighters who climbed  110 flights of stairs on 9/11/01, most likely knowing they wouldn’t return to their families. We have a local high rise, the Qwest tower, that is 55 flights, so they firefighters climb it twice. They limited the enrollment this year to just 343 firefighters, each representing one who died on 9/11. Our new parish priest, Fr. Noonan gave the blessing. It’s a moving experience to see how challenging it is climbing  110 flights of stairs in clear, clean air, full light, and in peace time. It’s unimaginable what the firefighters, police, port authority, and regular working folks must have faced on that fateful day seven years ago. Surely the stair ways were fill with acrid black smoke, fear and terror,and our country was under attack. I realize many more lives were lost than the 343 firefighters, but I want to draw attention to the folks running into the collapsing building while everyone else was running out. I would be remiss not to mention, that the photos were taken by our own Castle Rock Fire Photographer, Tim Tonge, who also made the climb in Michael’s group. Thanks Tim!

I took 4 years of French in high school, and a semester in college. I know enough spanish  to order beer and find a bathroom, so clearly I am no language expert. I’ve heard it said that the English language is one of the most difficult to learn, and now living and working with toddlers I believe it to be true. Michael and I were talking at dinner about how big our boys are getting. Michael mentioned that Stephen is 44 inches tall, and 44 pounds, so he’s 44 squared. Michael was loosely using the mathmatical rule of 5 times 5 being 5 squared. Well, Stephen corrected him and said “no dad, I’m 44 triangle, not a square”. What can you say? We laughed and agreed he could be a triangle if he wanted! 

During daycare the other day the kids were eating a snack and one of the boys said “Niece, I one” but I wasn’t sure if he was saying ‘I won’ or ‘I want’, so I kept asking him ‘you won what?’  and ‘what do you want?’ It took me a couple of minutes to realize Freddy kept saying  ’2, 2, you are 2!!!!!’ I finally got it, my little pumpkin was being silly and telling me he was 1 year old. I smiled and said you aren’t 1 you are 2. He giggled and the joke was complete. This passes as a joke with 2 year olds. It makes me wonder how much we misunderstand with these  little ones. Maybe the 2s aren’t terrible, maybe they are just years of painful miscommunication. Maybe they think we adults are incredibly slow, selfish, and impolite. I can see their thoughts now that I think about it, “Mommy is so selfish, she wants to keep the knives all to herself, she won’t share them with me.” “Mommy I one, I one I one,Why doesn’t she get it, I’m telling a joke, I’m using my words and You keep asking me what I want, you are soooo slow!” “Whaaaaaaaa! You knocked me down and didn’t even look before walking around the house! “

We all managed to survive with no tears. Stephen made it to and through his first day of preschool. But then I wasn’t worried about him, I didn’t cry, although I thought I would. Michael actually did the drop off for the first day. Stephen didn’t like the snack, but that’s no surprised either. All I heard was: “Mom you won’t believe my artwork.” Which was a coloring page with his name on it. I’m proud of him for his work. I think it was hardest on Freddy to see his big buddy go off to school and he couldn’t go with him. Freddy has been out of sorts (but then when is a 2 year old ever really in a good sort of way?) And he took a huge nap of 3 hours when Stephen went off to school. Hopefully we’ve settled in to a routine and things go smoothly.

I have no idea where the boys picked up this particular turn of phrase, but it seems that whenever something happens I hear “Wow, That’s awesome!” The phrase comes complete with tonal inflections and wide eyes. Being an adult these days I don’t always share their enthusiasm for “That’s Awesome” when it’s spilled milk, the entire length of the kitchen floor, or when the box of rice opens, and falls all over everywhere. I sometimes wish I could take the joy in each moment that they seem to see. I’m usually too worried about how to clean it up. 

The picture below is entitled waiting for Daddy. Michael works two full time jobs and I get to stay home to clean up spilled milk. So when we can, we try to have a cold beer ready for him when he returns home. (Yes, Mike thinks that’s awesome) The boys knew Mike would be home soon, so they seated themselves on the porch, and had cold beer at the ready. No worries, though the bottle top was tightly sealed, and the can not yet popped. (Given Freddy’s affinity for the stuff, as anyone who came to the spring fling found out, we put a stop to Freddy opening anything.) I thought they looked sweet, excitedly waiting for their Daddy! 

So this is what’s so great about having kids around. I thought we built a sandbox. Turns out we built a make shift long jump. Such fun!