garbage truck!

Ryan loves anything that has to do with cars, trucks, airplanes and just about anything else boy-ish.  If you happen to have him in the back seat when you drive around town, you will have a conversation with him such as this one:

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

And he will continue to repeat that same phrase until you say:  Yes, a big truck!

And then he will say:

Ryan:  Look a car!

And on and on it goes.

He has learned a few new words in the past couple of weeks.  Tony taught him "crane" so now any tractor type of vehicle with an arm is a crane.  The other new vehicle word is "garbage truck." 

Actually, his fascination with garbage trucks has been going on for months now but up until this week he didn't know the entire phrase.  It was just another "truck."  But this week, we have moved on to the full expression:  garbage truck! (and yes, it is always said with at least one exclamation point!).  Every Wednesday morning Ryan hears the local garbage truck and he runs to the door and yells and pleads to go see it.  So we sit on the front driveway and watch the garbage truck go down the street until we can't see it any more and then he waves bye-bye to the truck.  Last Wednesday as we sat watching the garbage truck, I thought that his fascination with garbage trucks wouldn't last much longer.

I was wrong.

Did you know that there are videos of garbage trucks on YouTube?  Lots of them.  There are front loaders, Heil Side Loaders, and a host of other models.  You can watch video after video of garbage trucks going up and down streets, picking up America's trash.  Apparently lots of people watch them and now my son is among them.

 

I wonder if I should be concerned about this obsession.  And I am not exaggerating one bit when I say obsession.  It is his first word when he wakes up, it is his first word when he walks in the door after daycare, it is his first word when he's done eating.

I have to admit, there is something strangely cathartic about watching these videos.  The arms stretching out and grabbing the cans and then lifting them into the air.  I never knew there were so many different models.  I've also watched many a garbage man have to get out of his cab and move the cans so there is enough distance between them for the arm to grab.  It makes me rethink my garbage can courtesy.

If you're curiousity is piqued, wander over to YouTube and search for "garbage truck."  It's likely you'll see the two-part series from Naples, Florida - that is a not-to-be-missed classic.  You'll also see many different models and maybe you'll pick a favorite.

As for me?  I'd watch the McNeilus Front Loader with the Curotto Can II any day of the week.

blah

 

My blog has felt a bit blah to me lately so here are some pictures of Ryan that will hopefully bring a spring back to the blog's step.  I've had a lot of imsomnia lately and while I toss and turn in bed, I think of a lot of things to write about.  I have some creative postings crafted in my head and resolve to get them down on paper first thing in the morning.

 

 

 

But something happens to my brain when I wake up and I can't remember a single thought I had during the night.  And then my job takes every ounce of creativity that I can squeeze out of my brain and by the end of the day, I'm left with an empty sponge.

 

 

Which is why I got up in the middle of the night tonight.  I had some great thoughts that I wanted to get on paper before they vanished.  But vanished they did.

 

 

My mom told me not to expect Mommy Brain to go away and as usual, my mom was right.

 



 

 

Here's a few photos from our favorite missionary!
 

Here's what he says in his last email:

I am sending pictures of my investigators.  They are progressing and my companion already baptized one of them.  This week we started working with an investigator who can’t read.  It is hard with him but we are working hard with him.  The 31^st I had the privilege of listening to one of the apostles, Eldeer Christofferson, and I liked what he said.  This week I will put into practice what I learned from the apostle.  Mama, I love you, an abrazo for you and for Tony and for all those that know me.

He'd love to hear from his friends! 

Adril's email:  adril.garcia@myldsmail.net

Adril's mailing address:

Elder Adril Garcia Perez
Mision Peru - Lima Oeste
carlos salarerry #3664-los olivos
casilla de correo 39-054
lima 39
perú

3 pounds the hard way

Last week I was in High Point, NC.  It was a long week in both NC and SLC.  On Sunday night, the night before I was supposed to go out of town, I received a text from our sitter saying she's sick and couldn't watch Ryan.

I had the week planned out, hour by hour, in terms of day and evening care for Ryan while Tony worked, but that was the beginning of the unravelling.  After 2 cancelled appointments and Ryan coming home on Wednesday with a fever, the week was shot.

It was so hard to call home and hear reports of Ryan throwing up every 1/2 hour or so.  Tony didn't want to put him in his crib because he was afraid of him throwing up/choking in the night so he put some blankets on the floor in the family room and Tony slept on the sofa.

Ryan was sick on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  I came home about Friday at 1am and promptly joined the sick party.  I was pretty much horizontal Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  The fun stuff started on Sunday and I was leaning over that porcelain god every 1/2 hour or so until Monday at 5am.

Tony started feeling sick on Sunday and for awhile memories of Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephina sleeping in their bed in the movie Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory swirled around my head while Tony and I napped as much as we could.

What a sight we were.

But this morning, Tuesday morning, we are bright eyed and bushy tailed, whatever that means. 

On a positive note, I lost 3 pounds.  But given the offer of losing another 3 pounds the hard way, I'd rather leave it than take it.

How was your weekend?