Two days before our trip all of our belongings were packed up and moved to the new house. We kept back a few necessities: a crib mattress for Simon, an airbed for us (which turned out to be somewhat useless as it had a slow leak), bedding, plasticware, etc. Those two nights we picked an empty room and made beds on the floor. Simon was excited about the change in his surroundings and getting him to sleep was, as expected, a challenge. He didn't sleep much at night and napped hardly at all those two days. We woke him early for our trip to the airport, stuffed everything in our car, and said goodbye to the apartment we've called home for the past six months.

Despite sleep deprivation, Simon was terrific at the airport. He was that special kind of terrific that makes old ladies stop and take notice. And he was beyond thrilled to be on an airplane. He requested a "blue" plane and, luckily, Southwest didn't disappoint. He sat in the front row for the first leg of the trip and became the number one fan of the flight attendants once we landed in Los Angeles as he clapped and cheered and yelled "DO IT AGAIN!"

The leg from LA to Houston an hour later was just as nice but, by the end, Simon was beginning to show signs of wear. He passed out moments after we hit the ground but slept only until we reached baggage claim.

So by the time we reached Houston we were down three days of naps and he was missing a few hours of sleep each night for two nights.

He was very excited to see Aunt Jackie, Uncle Tom, Oma, Cousin Rachel, and Cody (the dog). His joy at being with them overshadowed the sleep deprived funk, which otherwise would have taken our dear little boy by storm. He played piano, he chased the dog, he watched the rain, he went to the park, he had a second third birthday celebration, but mostly he stayed in air conditioned locations spending time with his family. He napped for an hour one day and had VERY little sleep at night (we spent two hours each night trying to get him to pass out).

By the time we left Houston, Simon had napped for about 2.5 hours over four days (normally he naps 2.5 hours each day) and he was out about 12-14 hours of nighttime sleep.

Our trip from Houston to Orlando was less thrilling. Simon was so tired at the airport (with only his boring parents to entertain him) that he finally collapsed emotionally and mentally, which manifested itself in loss of physical control. He couldn't sit up; he couldn't stand up; he couldn't walk; he couldn't be still. We took turns trying to hold him while he swatted us, kicked, head-butted and laughed. The plane was delayed 45 minutes due to a downpour and thunderstorms. Simon didn't sleep on the flight.

We arrived in Orlando and Disney took over everything by getting us on a bus to our hotel and taking care of picking up our bags at baggage claim. We checked in, got Simon some food, and waited for our luggage to arrive. We landed at 6:30 pm. Our bags didn't arrive in our room until 11:30 pm. We were so thankful for their arrival; we could finally put Simon to sleep. We opened the luggage to get out the pajamas and toothbrushes to find a very soggy mess. Apparently our two largest bags were on the top of the luggage cart which sat out in the Houston downpour for 45 minutes.

We got Simon to sleep around midnight. He was down another nap and only slept for six hours.

There was some time to play in the pools and fountains of the resort between breakfast and our the departure of our hour long bus trip to the Disney Wonder ship. Simon ran and jumped and splashed and had a marvelous time. He was even cheerful on the bus. It wasn't until we reached the cruise ship that things began to fall apart. Simon missed another nap. He was hot. He was tired. He was bored. He switched from interested and content to demonically possessed depending on the sway of the ship, the wind, and the number of large fish swimming in a two mile radius. And then? AND THEN?? And then there was a three hour dinner.

In summary, the rest of the cruise pretty much went the way of the first night. We had our friends Brian, Rhonda, and their daughter Leah to act as entertainment during meals but Simon was really too far gone by the time we arrived for any intervention (no matter how amusing) to help. Not that the WONDERFUL Disney staff didn't try. They came up with balloon animals, magic tricks, crayons, games, dances, a birthday cake and song... He finally cracked a smile and gave them a much deserved laugh on the very last day.

Simon did have a lot of fun. He saw his first movie (Meet the Robinsons) in the full size movie theater on board. The two days he did nap we let him stay up late to see two Broadway-esque Disney shows that had him literally standing in the isles, clapping, and dancing and calling out "SING EVERYBODY!" He fell head over heels in love with Mickey and then Minnie. He met the Princesses and was so shy once he got near them he couldn't even look in their direction (even though he was thrilled later for having even come close). We spent a great day at the Disney Island, Castaway Cay, playing in the warm water, the sand, and riding bikes together. He swam in the Mickey Pool onboard and even went down the big water slide alone, he played with Leah who is JUST SO COOL and, even though she is seven, had no qualms about entertaining a younger man (or persuading him to nap or trying to get him to use the toilet).

Would we do it over? Definitely. If we knew then what we know now would we wait until Simon was potty trained so he could play in the super cool kid area with the other kids his age without us while we napped/participated in other activities/went offshore? YOUBETCHA! And we might have even waited until he was old enough to care that we were on a ship sailing the high seas.

Seriously, everything about the Disney cruise was great. The ship was beautiful, being on the water was incredible, and the service was above and beyond. We will do it again. We have a tentative date for 2011 or 2012.

Be sure to check out the photos on Flickr.

Posted by kagledom at 02:07 PM | Permalink

We made it from Houston to Orlando to Nassau to Castaway Cay back to Orlando and up to Cape Cod. We've got photos and stories and are happy we went but SO GLAD IT IS OVER. Handing Simon off to Grandparents Kagle while we sleep in and walk the beaches of the Cape has never sounded better and never been as necessary for Simon's physical well being.

Here is a brief first half of vacation summary:

Sleep? Notsomuch.

Better updates will arrive shortly. In the mean time, enjoy the photos as we upload them to Flickr.

Posted by kagledom at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Dear Simon,

Your third birthday and what a year it has been. Last year we were living in Chicago playing in our enormous four story townhouse, and on our fun deck overlooking the Sears Tower, the Hancock Building, with the L squealing past at a distance. We didn't have a birthday party because, besides your good friend Amelie (who had just had a baby sister), there were no other kids to invite.

We had a great time exploring Chicago. So many things to do! Such beauty in every building! Free entertainment every weekend day in the park right across the street! The Museum of Science and Industry! Millennium Park! Daddy and I have fond memories. We're sad that yours probably won't last but, one day, we'll take you there and show you everything you liked best.

Right after your second birthday you started preschool at Lakeshore Prep in downtown Chicago. It was a very cute urban school with a lot of fun activities. The first few weeks you found it difficult to be without Daddy for the few hours at a time and it was really hard on Daddy to leave you. You loved your first teacher (she was very cute) and you excelled at music and art. When fall came around you were given new instructors who were, frankly, a little frazzled by your enthusiasm for everything. In circle time, while the other "good" children sat in a circle to sing, you danced around the room or in the center of the circle. You refused to stand in line and thought it HYSTERICAL to zoom off down a hall leaving one teacher to watch the rest of the class while the other tried to catch you. You became frustrated by your classmates (none of whom you particularly liked) and started to push them out of your way. You worried the teachers. The teachers worried us. By the late fall you tolerated school only because it had a man who sang songs in Spanish and played the guitar. But, wow, how fast you picked up numbers and letters when the guitar guy sang!

So by fall Mama's work was stressful, Daddy's work was stressful, and your school life was stressful. It snowed in the middle of September. When Mama came home from work we would ask you if you wanted to go out and you'd say "No, it's too dark." You and Mama don't tolerate extreme cold very well - especially if there isn't even any snow.

When a brief window of opportunity opened Mama asked Daddy if we could leave. PLEASE COULD WE LEAVE? Daddy reluctantly agreed to end our new and exciting life in the big city and to pick up our old and comfortable life in the most expensive suburbs in the world.

You flew back to California with Mama in December and it was the first plane trip where you were really excited to be on a PLANE! Ever since that trip you have talked about planes and taking off and wanting to go to the airport. Daddy arrived four days later in the car and you were angry at him for leaving you for such a long time. He was so excited to see you but you didn't want to be near him or let him hold you. You didn't, that is, until he went back out to the car to get something and you had a sudden and intense emotional breakdown. After that experience, Daddy stayed no more than a room away for a few months.

Since we arrived back in Mountain View your time has been spent playing outside and/or with your old buddies. It's really heartwarming to watch you connect with people again on a regular basis. You have lots of friends and you love nothing more than playing with them; you talk about them all the time - especially "Tokyo" and Patrick.

The best thing about the past six months is how you've started to tell us things we don't already know. You tell us about your day, what you like and don't like, what is scary, and all about your favorite things. Speaking of favorite things, your interests haven't actually changed much over the past three years. You like to run and jump and be rambunctious. You love being in water and have taken to showering in the morning and bathing in the evening - just to get in some extra splashing. We didn't swim much in Chicago but now that we are here we take you swimming every Saturday. Recently you want nothing more than to jump off the side of the pool and into Mama's arms over and over for the entire half hour. You also love anything to do with music. You sing a favorite song for a few weeks (enough to wear it out) before moving on to the next. You like stories too but you prefer them to be new - that or have a silly rhyme.

Besides being with friends, playing in water, and music, you love anything mechanical or electrical. You are really interested in how things work, particularly vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, blenders, electric tools, fans, and the back of the toilet. Almost every morning after you wake up you walk into our bathroom and ask for the back of the toilet to be removed so you can see the "bubbles." Daddy says this is normal boy behavior.

We think you know your numbers, letters, and colors but you usually won't humor us with an answer when we ask. You were very contrary most of the past year. The more we wanted you to do something (like use the toilet, go to bed, brush your teeth, try a new food) the more you resisted. Daddy has used this to his advantage. He screams "No kisses! No! No! No kisses!" just before you attack him with kisses all over his face. In the past two months you have relented and shown us just how nice it can be to have a little boy that has tastes and opinions of his own but also understands it is possible to like the same things as his parents.

You've become a little shy of strangers as of late and less willing to run into traffic (which was a big problem only six months ago). You've finally become aware that getting hurt is a real possibly so, where six months ago you would climb the furniture raise your hands up in the air and yell "I'M CLIMBING!", now you at least hold on while you flip over the side. We no longer have to watch you every second of every day while you challenge our baby proofing. We can even leave you alone with small objects and know that you won't swallow them and choke. You've never choked. You've never been electrocuted. You've never swallowed poison. What a relief.

When you don't know we're listening we hear you cautioning your friends to be careful. All that imploring you not to kill yourself over the past three years is getting through.

Happy Birthday Simon.

With Love,

Mama and Daddy

Posted by kagledom at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

All of our belongings (in their boxes) are now resting in the dust of the new house. The move went smoothly and we are now living in an apartment with nothing but a few dishes, a lot of luggage, an air mattress and Simon's old crib mattress. Simon wouldn't nap today even though he was clearly exhausted so we're hopeful he might at least attempt to sleep this evening. His only concern about the move so far was asking multiple times: "Where are the beds?"

Unfortunately, everything else has not gone as smoothly. The glass tile we ordered three weeks ago finally arrived. It won't work on the floor contrary to what the "expert" at Expo Center told us. As it isn't able to be returned, it will now be wall tile and hopefully look nice instead of odd. The rectangular (subway) wall tile we ordered is, in fact, triangles. They MUST take that back under punishment of intense suffering. The microwave won't fit and must be returned and replaced. And the replacement kitchen tiles for those that broke in transit haven't arrived.

On the positive side we chose seven paint colors in less than 20 minutes the other night. And, really, is there a more obvious sign that two people were meant to be together?

Our new camera wasn't performing so well at its debut on Sunday. Luckily, Darienne was there with her new camera and it works dandy...

Tomorrow will be our final day of assured access to the Internet for a week. We'll be flying to Texas to spend two days and then we are off to Florida for a week of Disney Cruise and Disney Parks. Once we are completely worn out we fly up to Cape Cod for a week of relaxation. It is hard to believe this vacation (planned years ago) is finally here.

Posted by kagledom at 08:37 PM | Permalink

This morning we had a group of Simon's little friends over for his first real birthday party. Entertainment was provided by a bubble machine, the iPod, and a number of paper airplanes we glued together last night after Simon went to sleep. Lots of fun was had and we are so glad we decided to fit the party into our schedule. It was very low stress for us and Simon was thrilled with the results.

Remember Nancy? Simon's former sitter and pastry chef extraordinaire? She made the cake.

Simon knew just what to do. Once we lit the candles he started singing "Happy Birthday" and when the song was finished, he blew each one out - one, two, three!

We waited until the airplanes stopped flying, the bubbles and music were turned off, and the guests had gone home before opening gifts. Simon really appreciated everything he received.

And then? He passed out. Being the center of attention is exhausting.

Posted by kagledom at 02:48 PM | Permalink

Thanks to two friends who volunteered to entertain Simon - Lennie took the morning shift and Lenore the evening shift - we managed to pack almost all of our stuff into the boxes we saved from our last move. Meanwhile Simon gave Lennie a tour of the complex - especially the sand area - and managed to run himself down to the tune of a more than three hour nap. When he woke up Lenore was here to play. They pretended he was a kitty-fan (not a fan of kitties but, rather, a moving fan and a kitty at the same time). Then he took her on his second bike ride of the day before we all shared a chocolate ice cream break. For Simon, it was the most fun he has had in a very long time.

Things are going well. The new house won't be finished but our landlady is secretly (shh, don't tell) allowing us to spend a final night in our apartment after we move but before we leave on vacation. We'll be sleeping on air mattresses Tuesday and Wednesday but will be somewhere familiar which, we hope, will soothe the "Holy cow you expect me to sleep somewhere OTHER than my home?" Simon.

Posted by kagledom at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Simon has been amusing us lately with his endless musical compositions which never make any sense or hold the same tune for more than a minute or two. A few days ago, he started asking Hava to "be Snow White" while he is "Princeuh." We find this remarkable since he has no access to commercials, books, movies, or dolls containing any of the Disney Princesses. He does, however, have a tap light with a small picture of the princesses on the top. But what is a "Princeuh?" Ask Simon and he simply shakes his head and says "I don't want to talk about it."

Banana peels are SO MUCH FUN!

We're under the gun here in Kagle Mountain View Central. We are scheduled to move next Tuesday and fly out next Thursday. We don't think the house will be done before we leave (thanks to the floor guy who caused delays for the other contractors). Our contractors are working evenings and weekends to make it happen but we're thinking a hotel for two nights might be a better plan. It isn't clear we'll have any time to unpack before we leave anyway. Hava isn't taking those days off.

Despite the floor guy "It will be done in a week" (oh, did I say one week? I meant THREE!), the wood looks amazing. It is hard to believe is was intentionally covered by carpet and Pergo. The kitchen counters were installed Sunday and the kitchen tile arrived yesterday (except for one box that was damaged in transit). We're still waiting for lots of bathroom tile, part of a toilet, and part of a sink. Keeping on top of all of the separate deliveries has turned out to be one of the most frustrating parts of this process.

We still need to pick out colors for paint and choose a few odds and ends. Oh yeah! And pack. And throw Simon a birthday party.

The kitchen (before the granite counter tops were installed). The floor was still sticky so the photo was taken from outside the front door.

Posted by kagledom at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)