The Cardwell Boys

We’ve been back at work for a few days now and it’s been a rough week all around. I came back with a cold which has now progressed to shingles. And since it’s on my forehead, I can’t go to work until the rash is gone. The boys were supposed to have their semi-annual dentist appointment this morning, but on the way over, Danny got sick and threw up in the car (he’s feeling much better already).
Besides that, the boys have been a little troublesome these past few nights. I don’t know what’s gotten into them, but they’ve both been particularly difficult. Here’s to hoping the weekend improves moods!

I think it’s time to make it official. We have a cat! Thank you allergy shots!!!

We left home on Friday, June 25. I stopped working a little early and we headed to Mike’s parents’ house in Merrillville, IN, about a 2-hour drive. On Saturday, we left for Grand Haven, Michigan after eating lunch at the “train diner”. The trip North was pretty uneventful (about 2.5 hours) and we arrived at the house late afternoon. Our first order of business was to empty our suitcases and set things up. We then went to the grocery store to get some basic items, such as milk for the boys and dinner for that night. Unfortunately, once we got back to the house, we realized that there was no running water. We contacted the owner and they immediately dispatched a handy man to check on it. It quickly became apparent that a plumber was needed, and he arrived mid-morning Sunday morning. Luckily, he was able to temporarily fix the problem that same morning and replaced a part later in the week. The house was otherwise fine. It’s always a bit of a gamble when we’re renting a house like this, but I think it worked out well. We were close to the beach and only a few minutes away by car from downtown Grand Haven. There was a large front and back yard and the boys had a blast playing with the rocks and the water. Our friends Eric & Kristy and their little 2-year-old boy Jake arrived Sunday morning and stayed with us for the week. Jake & Danny immediately hit it off and were best buds for the week! I think Mikey felt a little left out at times, but seemed to handle it well. When Danny wasn’t there for whatever reason, Jake & Mikey seemed to do much better together.

We ended up going to the beach only a handful of times, although I had originally thought it would be a daily activity. It was a bit of a hassle to get everyone cleaned up afterward and the boys seemed to enjoy the Mulligans Hollow playground in downtown Grand Haven quite a bit more, so we went there just about every day. It was also a little chilly at times early in the week. On Thursday, Mike, the boys, and I went to East Lansing to visit Michigan State University and a friend of ours who happened to be in town. We of course also stocked up on MSU t-shirts. On Friday, we visited Rosy Mound Natural Area, close to the house, which I really liked. There was a 3/4 mile trail from the parking lot to the beach with lots of stairs up and down the dunes. The majority of the trail was in a forest, which was a bit unexpected! The boys did great and walked the whole trail both ways, although we could see they were getting pretty tired towards the end of it.

Earlier in the week, we walked from the Mulligans Hollow playground all the way to the lighthouse where we watched people fishing back to the Chamber of Commerce where we were to pick up a gift certificate (for putting up with no water for a day) and back to the playground. It was about a 3-mile (almost 5km) walk and the kids did it all on their own! We even went to the playground for about 30-40 minutes afterward. They didn’t take a nap, but they were certainly less energetic for a little while in the afternoon.

Here’s an annotated map of the area!

On Saturday July 3, we left Michigan and returned to Indiana. We’ve been staying with Mike’s parents since and will head back home later today. The boys have enjoyed playing with Grandma, Grandpa, and aunt Sarah. We’ve had way too much to eat! Tomorrow, it’s back to our routine: we’re all back at work and school.

Untitled from Marianne Cardwell on Vimeo.

Danny had his 5-year doctor visit last Friday and everything went well. He weighs 37lbs (16.8kg) and is 41.5″ (1m5) tall. The unfortunate part of the doctor visit was that he needed 4 vaccinations: DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis), IPV (Polio), Varicella, & MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella). He really did not enjoy those! On the bright side, unless requirements change, he shouldn’t need any more for another 5 years or so, except for the annual flu vaccine, which we try to get in mist form.

Our little boy turned 5 today! After going to Smoky Row and celebrating with his school friends, Mike took the boys to Monkey Joe’s where the boys bounced to their hearts’ content. We ended with pizza and breadsticks and chocolate cake for the boys!

May 5, 2010 – Mikey Reading! from Marianne Cardwell on Vimeo.

We’ve turned a corner! On Friday, Mikey decided that peeing in the potty was a good idea after all and he has since embraced the concept! He spent a good chunk of Saturday and Sunday naked, peeing in the potty as much as possible to maximize how many M&Ms he would get. Today he even went to the bathroom at school! A first! In the meantime, we’ve upped the ante and now have him dressed and require him to take off his underwear & pants *before* going to the potty and put them back on afterward.
After he pees in the potty, Mikey will scream “I did it! I did it! I peed in the potty!”, followed by Danny saying “Good job, Mikey! Give me a BIG high five!” It’s all very cute.

Mikey Peed in the Potty! from Marianne Cardwell on Vimeo.

More and more, Mikey will pick up a book and start reading it. It’s amazing! At some point, I’ll have to get this on video.

Danny Riding Bike Without Training Wheels II from Marianne Cardwell on Vimeo.