Update at the bottom!!!
_____________________________________________________________
This post will be coming soon.
And no. I’m not a slacker. Well..OK…Maybe I kind of am. But not for this!!
Day 14 will be a very special post brought to you by a babysitter guest blogger! Wow! My first official guest blogger. I think that means I “made it” in the blogging world.
Pete and I had some stuff to do all day Sunday. Stuff that a 2 year old would NOT want to do. So, we enlisted the help of Uncle Chris to come and hang out with Zach after church. Uncle Chris will be writing today’s post!! Woo hoo. As soon as I get it, I will post it. And no, he’s not a slacker either. He’s a hip, single guy with a job and a life :).
In the meantime, I was going to embed a video of Zach doing the “Hot Dog Dance’, which is pretty darn funny. But, um…I guess I have to pay to upgrade to embed videos. And I haven’t talked to my husband about that yet. And it’s almost midnight. And I don’t think a financial discussion (small and paltry as it might be) would be in good taste at this hour :). So instead, look at this picture of just a hot dog who is CLEARLY dancing.
Hot dog!
______________________________________________________________________
And here is Sunday, as told by Uncle Chris:
Sunday with Zach
I always look forward to the days I get to visit Zach. It’s another day that I get to see his rapid growth and ever increasing vocabulary but babysitting him has many of its own enjoyments and challenges.
Sunday was a fun yet easy going day, Erin, Pete, Isaac and Emily were going house hunting and Zach and I were going to hang out on the town and enjoy the gorgeous day. First stop was Starbucks for the craving uncle (its hard to enter a door with a stroller, Erin, I don’t know how you manage that SUV of strollers around town), then we just went to a nearby bench and sipped on our coffee and apple juice while the town buzzed around us. I was even able to lure a pretty lady over while I was informing Zach what color the flowers were (now that’s multitasking!).
After the coffee, it was time for grilled cheese sandwiches at Georges (an ice cream parlor with a small sandwich menu), and that’s where I found out Zach’s new way of um…. displaying good manners at the dinner table. I mean, I saw him a week ago and even then, he wasn’t trying to imitate Riley eating his food. So, I found it very funny that he was diving in to his plate, face first, going after that grilled cheese sandwich, or when I’d try to hand him a piece of it and he’d try to take it with his mouth. A lot can change in a week!
After lunch at George’s we headed back to the house and both slept for about three hours (yeah, I had a late night out with a friend from out of town), and a half hour later, Mom and Dad were home!
So, yeah, it was an easy going day but for other reasons, I think he and I both learned a bit more about each other. I’ve been noticing a big difference in how Zach reacts when Erin and Pete leave him with me for the day. He just seems more happy, excited and content these days, which to me says he knows me very well. I am also understanding him better when he tries to communicate with me, I mean Erin will hear the slightest creek of a baby’s cry from across the house and know that it’s Emily and she must’ve misplaced her pacifier. But even still, the bond I am making with Zach as much an honor and gift as it is a learning experience for the both of us.
I have yet to tackle all three of them on my own and I just want to say that I give Erin and Pete all the credit in the world for what they have accomplished with these children.
_________________________________________________________________________
OK, back to Erin here.
What did Zach learn today? Well, if I’m reading that right…how to pick up chics? LOL! I actually firmly believe that spending time away from mom and dad actually helps to strengthen his confidence in us. We always come back. He can count on that. I also firmly believe that spending time with other family members gives him perspective and builds special relationships he’ll always treasure. We wish we lived close to all of our family members, but love that Uncle Chris is here to spend so much time with us!
What did Mommy learn? To appreciate my brother more. He’s a great guy! And ladies….as of now…he’s SINGLE!!! Single. Cute. Good with kids. Values Family…If you’re taken, set him up with your nice sister or cousin!
525/600: 