Chinease Torture

We got back from our Orlando Trip yesterday. Derek was gone to SLU (Dr. Jay Strack's Student Leadership University) in Orlando from Monday to Thursday. So, I apparently suppressed the awful memories from a couple weeks ago in the hotel. Me and the boys met him up there on Wednesday afternoon. He was free after 3 to go to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. His ticket was included in the conference and he bought me one. We were headed for a great time! The drive up wasn't bad until about 1/2 hour before we got there. It started pouring down rain and Tyler got fussy. We were in stand still traffic because of the down pour. And we were about to go in the park? We got there, found Derek, fed Tyler in the backseat of the van, and the rain stopped! Great! By the time we gathered ALL our stuff to go in, it started again. So, we went to the ticket window and asked if we could use our tickets in November when we come for vacation. We only have until July 19th to use them. So we decided just to come back before then when we have a full day to enjoy and hopefully it won't be raining. We walked around City Walk for a few hours and had dinner at the Nascar restaurant. It was nice. Both boys were very good. Until we got to dinner. Tyler is a handful at a restaurant! He has to be held and not too close to the table because he has go go gadget arms and will pull plates, drinks, anything he can get his little hands on, off the table. And then he gets fussy. It's more trouble than it's worth to take him to a restaurant. Then we go to our hotel. Tyler is even more of a handful at a hotel! If you didn't read my earlier post about our trip to Indiana, I'll tell you about it. He started crawling a few weeks ago and we won't put him on the hotel room floor. So he has to crawl around the bed and be watched like a hawk so he doesn't fall off....again. We got him to bed, in the pack n play provided by the hotel, and got Tyson to bed. All was well until about 2:15 in the morning. Tyler started screaming. He NEVER wakes up in the middle of the night. We couldn't get him back to sleep, so I strapped on my breastfriend and topped him off. I thought he would shirley fall asleep then. No. Derek had to walk with him for a long time, in a 2x2 space. He finally went to sleep. But he was back awake at 7am. And this time he woke Tyson up too. Neither would go back to sleep. Derek was off soon after that to his conference and I was stuck in Hotel Room Hell thinking, "Why did I do this to myself again?" We wanted to come back again next weekend for the Disney 4th of July fireworks. It's a tradition we had before kids. And finally, after missing a couple years of it, we were going to introduce our kids to it! But I just kept thinking of how horrible it was going to be with Tyler. Until I had a brilliant idea! My mom and dad could watch Tyler while me, Derek and Tyson go! Mom happened to call and I told her my idea and I think she said yes. So, Derek and I are looking soooo forward to our day away with Tyson at Universal Studios and the Disney fireworks! Is that bad that we can't wait to spend the day without Tyler Baby? To get on with the story, we were on our way home and Tyler was fine for the first half hour and then he started fussing which turned into crying, which turned into screaming, which turned into all out wailing......for 2 hours! Just another great getaway with the Delagrange's.

Daddy and Baby Tyler having fun on City Walk.

Tyson needed something to do, so we bought him a ball attached to a string on his wrist, Genius!

Derek with his teammates.

Tyson with his future car.

Tyson shooting hoops! He's a pro!

Hotel Hell

Daddy and Tyson coloring at the restaurant right before we get on the road home. Little did I know!

God decided to bless us with some peace during lunch. Thank you!

The van ride home. God sent His wrath!

Tyler Baby Laughing!

Who can resist a baby's laugh?

Tyson definately makes him laugh the hardest!

Where's my husband?

So, Derek has been on a diet since February. He looks absolutely amazing! He is fading fast! He's lost almost 60 lbs. I'm starting to worry because he's catching up, or down, to me. We've never been this close in weight before. Not even the minute before I gave birth! It is a good motivator for me to keep up with my exercise and try to lose weight too. I don't want Derek to be able to borrow my jeans! I just find myself staring at him and shaking my head. If you haven't seen him in a while, you won't believe it! Here are some before and after pics.

We made it this morning!

I'll start with, if you didn't read my blog from last Sunday, Too Late...Again, go back and read it. Although there was crying, blood curdling screaming, and gnashing of teeth, we made it to church this morning. We think Tyson is an atheist, so he hates to go to church. As if it's not hard enough for me to get myself ready and two small children by myself, I have Tyson crying and telling me, "It's too late." That's what I told him last week, so he'll probably try to talk me into it every week now. That's what I need. A little devil sitting beside me on the couch telling me, "don't go, it's too late!" All the volunteers at church know when we get there. T Rod once told me that he was in the sanctuary and said here comes Tyson as we were walking up the sidewalk. As horrible as it is to get there, once they are in they're classes and I'm sitting with my wonderful husband in the service and worshiping God, it's all worth it! And because Tyson is soooo good, ya right, he gets a donut as we leave. Please pray that Tyson finds Jesus soon!

Comments!

Well, I didn't post a blog yesterday. As far as I know, my mom and dad are the only ones who look at it and they see us everyday. They check it about 10 times a day to see if I posted anything new, and when I haven't, they just look at all the old ones again. Thanks guys! So if you are looking at my blog, please leave a comment. Nana and Nonni? It's easy to sign up for a google name and leave a comment. But, if you won't, just email me and let me know you are looking! I would really appreciate it and it would motivate me to keep up with the blog. Thanks to everyone that does look!

Tyson is trained!

So, I finally did it. I finally committed to taking Tyson to the bathroom whenever he needs to go. He would have been trained at 18 months, if I had kept up with my end of the training. I just didn't feel like having to take him to the bathroom ALL the time, especially in public! But I decided I better just go ahead and do it! So I put underwear on him one day and it was done! Poor guy! It was simple! I put the chair right outside the play room and he used it when he needed to. Dumping the silly thing and keeping it clean was really getting old though. So, I pulled the stool up to the big toilet and showed him how to climb up and sit down without turning around. It only took once and he was going all by himself. Now I don't even have to get up! He just runs in there and goes when he needs to! He's so good!


This was taken in January. He loves Tony Dungee

This was taken this morning.

Tyler's latest tricks!

Baby Tyler has made big strides the past 2 weeks. He had his 6 month check up on Friday. He is still very small, but the doctor is not worried. He's such a cute little peanut! He is ahead of schedule on his developmental skills! Probably because he can't wait to catch up with Tyson. In the past 2 weeks he has: gotten 2 teeth, started crawling the right way, started sitting without leaning on his hand, started using his walker, started using a cup, and started pulling himself up on things and standing. Oh and he started doing puzzles, just kidding!

Baby Tyler can't wait to get in and play with Tyson and Pa.

The first time with a cup. He doesn't really get it yet.

Tyson is teaching Tyler how to play with his dump truck. What a great big brother!

It's funny because I was just telling a friend at church Monday night that he doesn't sit upright yet. We went home and he did it!

Tyler practicing his standing.

Big brother love!

Tyler crawling.

Having a ball with Mate Ma!

We go up to Sarasota and have dinner with Mate Ma, my grandma, on Thursdays. Tyson has so much fun with Mate Ma. He absolutely loves her! Mate Ma is how he says great grandma. Here's some pics from last Thursday.
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More Home Sweet Home!

Ok, so we're at the hotel. We didn't rent a car because we were down town Indianapolis and could walk everywhere. Our hotel had a sky walk to the convention center and the mall. Great! Our double stroller was wonderful. I really think that I will take a stroller everywhere I go even when the kids are too old for it. I can't imagine having to carry my purse and coffee and or water and shopping bags. I know everyone says it's so freeing when your kids are old enough that you don't have to take a stroller everywhere, but I don't think I'm going to like it! The speakers were great at the convention. And trying new restaurants was fun. And walking everywhere was really cool. That is the most I have ever used crosswalks in my life! Nap time was awful. The boys don't nap at the same time unless the moon is aligned with the stars and the ocean and everything in between. And even when that miracle happens, Tyler only sleeps for about 20 mins. So, Derek had to take Tyler out of the room and just walk around the hotel while Tyson slept. Tyler had started to crawl the week before we left, which wasn't good. I wouldn't let him down on the hotel room floor, so he couldn't crawl the entire time we were gone. It was our arms or the stroller for him. Oh yeah, we did let him crawl on the bed. He only fell off once. Derek's mom lives about 2 1/2 hours from Indi, so she drove down and spent a day with us. That was nice. She sat in the room while Tyson took his nap, which freed us up to go to the convention together. We had to take Tyler, but at least we didn't have Tyson!!!! He was horrible. We didn't get enough sleep and he fell out of the bed about 5 times the first night. He was shouting no and whining a lot. But enough about our angel! We got to go and vote for Dr. Johnny Hunt for SBC President and he won!!!! It's now time to check out of the hotel. We had late check out which was 1pm. Great! The cab situation was about the same as coming from the airport. Derek had to convince the guy that we and our luggage would all fit. Derek said our flight was at 5 and he wanted to be at the airport by 2:30 or 3:00. Fine! I would rather get there just in the nick of time to board the plane. You know, when they're calling your name over the loudspeaker. But whatever! So we get there at 2:45. The cab drops us off and Derek has a funny look on his face. I ask him what is wrong and he responded, "You're going to kill me." He had been thinking of a different flight that he almost booked and our actual flight wasn't until 8pm. So we were 5 hours early. They wouldn't even check our luggage. So we had to walk around the airport with ALL our luggage for a while. Freakshow! The airport had a mini spa in it and Derek arranged for me to have a massage while we waited. That was great! I forgave him after that. But it only took up 1/2 an hour of our 5 hours of earliness. Well, we managed to board the plane and get home without any major meltdowns, from anyone! We were so glad to be home!!!


Tyler and daddy waking up.





Tyler catching a movie in bed.



Some hot guy I met at the convention. Don't tell Derek!




Tyson's first escalader experience.





Some brotherly love!




Lunch with Nana.


Hey! Don't forget about me!



A kiss for Nana.




Hmmm... I think I'll have the butter pecan!



Do I look like him dad?

Chilaxin!

I am 2, hear me ROAR!!!

Do I have a monkey on my back?

A dancing baptist!

Happy Father's Day!

Aren't they cute in their matching outfits! My Boys!

Too late.....again.

Do you ever get your whole family ready for church only to find that you're too late and your efforts were for nothing? That's how my morning went. Only, I don't admit it until I'm in the church parking lot. So not only do I waste all that getting ready, but I also waste gas there and back. I'm driving to church as Tyson is in the back nodding off to sleep and I'm 45 mins late. What do I do? Do I get both of them out of the car and carry both of them in and at least make an appearance? Or do I just drive through the parking lot, admit my defeat, go home, and try again next Sunday? Today I chose to just go back home and put Tyson down for a nap. It really stinks though, that I did all that for nothing. Maybe God was protecting me from something. Like maybe somebody was going to kill me in church today. Ya, not very likely! I don't think it was God, I think it was my poor judge of time and getting ready skills. Does this ever happen to anyone else, or is it just me?

Home Sweet Home!!!

It is so wonderful to be home! Don't get me wrong. We enjoyed the convention, but if we go next year, hopefully we'll be kidless! We didn't find out we were going to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis until 1 week before we left. It was our first trip with both boys and our first airplane trip with kids. We didn't start packing until Saturday night and we had to catch the plane Sunday morning in Tampa. And did I mention that Derek was at work Saturday night and Sunday morning? Ya! We would have never made it if my parents hadn't helped so much! Thank you mom and dad! So of course the kids got up early that morning, because I wanted them to sleep as late as possible. They wouldn't be getting naps. And Tyson fell in my closet while I was packing Sunday morning and split his lip open. The worst injury he's ever had, right before our plane trip! Wonderful! He was terrible in the airport. He was way overtired and his mouth hurt. So he was screaming NO at everything we said. And if that wasn't bad enough, we had Tyler crying and ALL our luggage, the double stroller, 2 car seats, 2 big suit cases, the laptop bag, the big diaper bag, my purse, Tyson's little suit case with his plane toys, and don't forget my breastfriend, which I can't nurse without. We looked like a freakshow! Everyone was praying as we walked by, "Dear Lord, please don't let them be on my flight!" Some people came up to us and told us it will get better. Why did they think it was bad? Just because we were all standing there crying? That's not normal? We finally got on the plane and I strapped my breastfriend on and nursed Tyler for takeoff. Tyson's ears hurt when we changed altitudes and he started screaming and crying. I felt horrible for him. So we land, get off the plane and they had our limo, double stroller, waiting for us. It was missing the 2 adult cup holders which we can't live without! So, I waited for them to check the luggage area meanwhile I found one stashed somewhere else on the stroller. They didn't find the other one. So we did without. We will be ordering the replacement asap! We got all our luggage out to the taxi waiting area and one pulled up. Poor guy! He was in a minivan and said he couldn't take us all and our stuff. Derek insisted that he could. So I strapped the car seats in while they fought it out! We squeezed in and Derek sat up front. The taxi driver said nobody has ever ridden up front in his cab before. He usually doesn't allow that. The fare came to $25 and Derek gave him $30 and the guy sped off and didn't offer Derek any change. Like I said, freakshow! Well, I have to go for now. There will be more about our trip soon!