Tonight

It was an adventurous night in the Van Nostrand household. Jack's stomach ache - which he complained of during his soccer game and which led him to take a 2 hour nap for the first time in a year - took full hold in a really gross way. I'll spare you the intricate details, except to say that it was in the car on a trip with Daddy to Walgreens to stock up on Pedialyte and Saltines. They didn't make it.

When they got back, Jack came into the house in just his underwear (it's 50 degrees out). He threw his hands in the air and said "I fwrowed up" and marched back to the bathroom. So that was that. I got him into the shower and went out to the garage to help Chuck. I sat in the driveway disassembling his carseat while Chuck worked on the interior of the car. Ryker ran around in pajamas and Crocs and obeyed as I repeatedly yelled "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" at him. I went back in to get Jack out of the shower, put his carseat and clothes in the washer, spray his shoes out, and give Ryker Fourth Supper.

Chuck ventured BACK out, this time without Jack but in the same car (???). He got our supplies and milk shakes. Jack was ecstatic.

Here's where the night got better.

I put Ryker in bed, which I don't get to do very often anymore. Jack's just a wee bit attached to me, as Ryker is to Chuck. I'm out of practice. Ryker now insists on doing baby flash cards - they have animals on them starting with each letter of the alphabet. He pulls out Buffalo first and says "Yak." Wow. I said "that's really close - but that's a buffalo." He goes "Buffo?" and then pulls out the Yak card and puts them side by side. Nodding, he says "yak" at the correct one. A few cards later he pulled out the Narwal and said "nawal." (This is significant if you know the story about me only finding out that narwals were real about 3 years ago.)

Then it was time to sing. We turned out the lights and he snuggled up to me and requested Sunshine. I obliged. Then Pat a Cake. I obliged. Then Cankle. Ummm...

"What Ryker?"
"Cankle."
"You have cankles?"
"No."
"What do you want to sing?"
"Cankle."
"Mommy has cankles?" (stiffling laughter)
"No."
"Good boy. What do you want to sing?"
"Cankle....DIS!" (doing the Twinkle sign from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)

OHHH!

Back to Jack. He seems better. He ate applesauce, the milk shake and a few Saltines. He is mostly just upset that he can't go to school tomorrow, because he really wanted to wear his soccer uniform and medal for his friends. Once they smell nicer, we'll let him.