The Vinciguerra Boys

Lucas had been sick all weekend and today at 5:50 AM he woke up with a really bad cough. I knew Matias was about to wake up for his feeding so I managed to convince him that his cough would go away if he slept a little more and that he would not be going to daycare today. That made him happy and slept while I was patting him on the back every time he coughed. I managed to feed Matias quickly and we all went back to sleep. I knew I had to get my rest because it was going to be the first time I would spend the whole day with the Vinciguerra boys.

We woke up again at 8:30, I gave Lucas some breakfast and while I am preparing Matias's bottle for his next feeding I realize we are out of formula, this is the last bottle I'm going to be able to make today unless we go to the supermarket. Lucas has no fever and the cough seems to be gone so I get them ready and we are off to the Stop and Shop. Before leaving I have a serious talk with Lucas. I'm going to need you to be a responsible big brother today, I can only fit Matias's car seat on the shopping cart so I will need you to walk beside me and listen to everything I say. He puts a very solemn face and assures me he will be a good boy. And he was great! We were able to do all the shopping for the week. I ask for his help or opinion every once in a while so he stays entertained, but the challenge of showing that he is a big boy to his dad seems to be enough to keep him focused and happy. He gets a couple of treats for it: some PAW patrol mozzarella sticks and Sesame Street cookies.

We get back home and together store all the groceries. Lucas really enjoyed figuring out where everything we bought goes. Finally we go to the basement and have a Pokemon marathon. Lucas has been so good I decide to spoil him a little bit and let him have his lunch while watching TV. Matias has been a little restless, maybe he is used to having all my attention these days and is getting jealous. Nap time comes and Lucas picks his books that he wants read before sleeping. He does not cry or complain he needs to take a nap, he has been keeping his promise all day. But Matias will have none of that, he decides to have a complete meltdown, so again I need to talk to Lucas. I explain to him that I will not be able to read his books today, that maybe since he is a big boy he can read them by himself. He says ok and starts going through them. I leave the room to try to get Matias to calm down. I can hear Lucas going through the books' pages and reciting everything he knows about them from memory. He's making me so proud today. Matias finally goes to sleep and I get to Lucas's room but he is also asleep. I can finally relax for a couple of hours and I fall asleep too.

What did I watch?
A lot of Pokemon.

The Serenity Now

So it finally happened, I had a tough day. I know everyone has been expecting it. I kept getting questions of "This can't be that easy?". But it is still worth it. I would not trade this bonding leave experience for anything.

It started early in the morning, I felt I had just gone back to sleep after the 3 AM feeding but I heard cries from my two sons. I look at the clock and it is 6 AM, Alegna has already left and Lucas is asking if it is morning yet. I yell no you need to go back to sleep and I place a pacifier in Matias's mouth to see if that will calm him down. None of it works and they are both demanding my instant attention at the same time. I think quickly and tell Lucas to go pee in the bathroom and then he can come back and watch some videos so I can handle Matias. I go prepare his bottle with the pressure of his full blown hunger melt down, he's yelling at the top of his lungs. I start feeding him but now Lucas is hungry too. I do some juggling with Matias and the bottle in one hand and free up my other hand to quickly get him a yogurt and a spoon. Lucas decides that his teddy bear wants to eat yogurt too, so he stuffs the bears face into the yogurt pot, I try to stop him but I'm still feeding Matias so I can't do much. All I do is scare him so now the yogurt is all over the floor, chair and Lucas. He starts crying. I calm him down but I still can't do much for him because Matias is still eating and getting upset whenever I try to do something else. I'm overwhelmed and it is only 6:30 in the morning. Serenity now!

I managed to get everyone ready and now we are about to leave for daycare. It's raining hard and not the kind of rain that is nice, this one just mixes with the high temperature and everything just feels very humid. I struggle to get the two kids in the car under the pouring rain and get Lucas to daycare. I also need to do some shopping so I decide it's best to just go straight to the supermarket. It is a struggle again to get out of the car with Matias and the rain but I get it done. I get home exhausted, luckily Matias has fallen asleep in the car. I finish storing the groceries and collapse in bed. Matias starts to cry, he wants to feed again. Serenity now!

The rest of the day is a haze of tiredness, I do get a few breaks which I use to watch a movie. Alegna gets home and I do what I promised I would never do. I dump the kids on her and ask her for about 30 minutes off. She looks at me with my battle wounds of spit-ups and baby poo and agrees. I go to the yard, that now looks like a jungle, and decide to mow the lawn for the first time in a couple of weeks. I put on some headphones and listen to the Talking Heads at full volume. It is relaxing and I am myself again. Same as it ever was.

I'm ok. This was the toughest day since I started the blog but I survived and I am stronger for it. Matias and Lucas bring it on! I can take it!

What did I watch?
Fort Apache: Another one of the poll losers. John Wayne and Henry Fonda are great, there is also a surprising appearance by an adult Shirley Temple. As every John Ford western the scenery is breathtaking, even if it is in black and white. It's good but I liked She Wore a Yellow Ribbon better.

The Good Samaritan

What a day! If every day is like today this is going to be a breeze. I got ambitious today, yesterday I trod cautiously into the unknown but today I went all in. The day started with a 3 AM feeding, these seem to be quick and easy, Matias is half asleep but he drinks his bottle pretty quickly. Then I'm able to get some sleep until 7:30 when both Matias and Lucas get up. Lucas's request for breakfast is more traditional today: toast with butter and jam, some cereal to snack on and a superman yogurt. I open the fridge and realize we are running out of groceries so I decide I'm going to risk it and go to the supermarket after dropping Lucas at daycare. I feed Matias while Lucas finishes his breakfast, we all get dressed and leave.

After dropping Lucas off I get to the Stop and Shop that is nearby. Here I run into my first challenge, where do I set Matias? He is too small for the shopping cart seat and there is no way I can push the cart and a stroller at the same time. I decide to set him in his car seat inside the shopping cart, there is not a lot of space for groceries now but I can work around it. I glance at the shopping list I requested from Alegna on my phone, memorize it and get to work. I get everything I need, pay up and go back to my parked car. I put all the groceries on the trunk and set Matias's car seat in the back. One of my biggest pet peeves in a supermarket parking lot is people not returning their carts on the designated areas. So I run to the area with my cart while Matias is locked in the car for about 30 seconds, but when I get back I see this woman walking by my car looking at the inside of it with a judgmental look. I get all paranoid thinking she's going to go full "Good Samaritan" on me and call the cops accusing me of locking my child in the heat while I was shopping. I quickly realize that I have a good alibi, the cashier saw me with Matias at the store and she commented on how cute he was, she surely must remember him and clarify I did nothing wrong. Luckily the woman keeps walking and gets on her car to leave. I leave too with some relief.

But now I'm brave. I successfully managed a trip to the supermarket! So what else do I do? After I feed Matias again I decide to be efficient with my time, so I cook some rice while I fill out the dishwasher. Another two chores done! I go eat while watching a movie for my deserved break. Finally, I get greedy and do some laundry. I go through two loads of washer and dryer. I'm so proud that I still have some time left with Matias for his daily exercises and tummy time.

Alegna and Lucas get here and now I can show off. My wife says "Big Deal!" you are just doing what you are supposed to be doing. Still I think this was a good day. I even had time to post twice for the first time!

What did I watch?
Il Sorpasso: Great movie! Vittorio Gassman plays one of the best comedy characters I have seen in my life, everything that came out of his mouth made me laugh out loud. This is one of the biggest representatives of a film movement in the 60s and 70s in Italy called commedia all'italiana. The ending is pretty tragic though.

Make sure you vote on the poll located to the right (Below Jerry Seinfeld's head) before tomorrow at noon. With this new feature you get to decide what movie I'm going to watch tomorrow afternoon.