Traveling with an 8 month old across the country (JFK to LAX) sucks. He didn't scream. He was good. People around us loved him. But his schedule....the one we've worked on for weeks...is shot.
Renae will blog more I'm sure, but we're all on very little sleep, we're all in a hotel room, and we're all cranky.
Happy birthday Renae.
Richy and Miguel – Seminary Superstars:
I must admit, when I was a kid growing up, I wasn't the best seminary student. Waking up at 6:15 am, getting showered and dressed, jumping in my car and driving about .5 miles (2 minutes) so I could be at the church by 6:30. It seemed an extremely difficult task – and I wasn't very consistent.
Renae had it a bit more easy. Seminary was at her house. She woke up, rolled out of bed, and went to seminary in her pajamas. Still, she found reason to complain from time to time (maybe because her mom was the teacher and even when Renae was the only student in the class she still was required to call her mom "Sister Grimmer" and raise her hand before answering a question).
Fastforward 20 years. Now we encourage the youth in our church to go to early morning seminary. And a lot of them go. But it isn't a 2 minute car ride or a walk down the stairs. Some of these kids get up early enough to take the bus or subway or to walk, in the cold, for what might be a 20-30 minute commute to Malcolm X Blvd. in Harlem (not the safest street at 6 am – many residents are just finishing up early-morning trysts or all-night binges).
Well, I was asked to substitute teach seminary this morning. I got up at 5:30, finished preparing the lesson, jumped in a cab, stopped by Starbucks to grab a dozen donuts and orange juice, then walked the remaining 3 blocks to the chapel on 128th and Malcolm X Blvd.
Then I waited. And waited. Finally, Miguel showed up at 6:40 to tell me that yesterday the substitute teacher didn't show up so everyone waited outside the chapel for 30 minutes in the cold. That would explain why some of them weren't showing up today – their regular teacher is on vacation so they figured they would just be outside again with no sub.
But then Richy showed up. Richy and Miguel – I salute you. You are better than I was at your age. It's an honor to work with kids like you.
The three of us discussed 1 Kings chapter 18 when Elijah has a competition with Ahab's priests who have been worshiping Baal. Elijah gives them an entire morning to call upon their god and have him send fire down to light the sacrificial calf on the alter. When they finally give up, he sets up his alter, dowses it in water, and then calls upon God. Fire shoots down from heaven, the entire alter is consumed, and the people believe in the true God. Then Elijah takes the 450 priests and kills them all - Richy and Miguel thought that was "O.D" ("over dose").
My sample alter and sacrificial teddy bear:
Richy and Miguel immediately saw the parallel to living in New York City, surrounded by "false gods and idols" and shared ideas how they could stay away from bad influence and worship the true God. It was pretty cool. I probably won't tell the seminary teacher this, but I would substitute any day. What a great way to get started.
Saturday, Gunnar, Chris and I woke up early, packed our bags and got out of the city for the day. Some of our friends & their children moved out of Manhattan last summer to build a home in a tiny little town called Garrison.
It's not too far away, only about an hour trip on the Metro North train. Gunnar slept most of the way though. And while Chris enjoyed a conversation with one of the friends who went up with us, I enjoyed looking at all of the colonial homes and the TREES. There just aren't enough of those here in the city.
Our friends built an ultra modern home. It's pretty spectacular. All straight lines, glass, metal, bright colors with light and dark wood - even the toilets are modern. And it's HUGE. Lots of space for them and the kids to move around in. Actually, if Manhattan does blow up and we survive, this is where we're going. Chris says it's only a 3 day walk.
A couple other families went up with us, all with children, which was so much fun for Gunnar. He really loved playing with baby Jake. He's only a couple months older than Gunnar and was born with a red mohawk that has since subsided. They played with that pink jump rope for almost 20 minutes.
Later, we all went to a little Easter egg hunt they had in the community. Gunnar fell asleep as soon as we got there and didn't wake up until we got in the car to go home. He's kind of a party pooper. But Chris got some cute pictures of our friends' children finding eggs, pine cones and rocks to put in their baskets. Then we had a delicious BBQ, relaxed and took the train back home. It was a great pre-Easter adventure.
Check this kid out. He actually does a pretty sweet roll at the end.
Everyday Gunnar and I have drum time together. I'm not a drummer, but I do know how to take them apart, put them back together and load them into the back of a van. So I mostly just serve as a drum seat and make sure he doesn't lick the heads or poke his eye out.
Gunnar really likes the drums...right now. They're loud and shiny and dangerous (he's hit himself in the face a few times). And he really seems to like music. I take him to a music class for babies once a week.
We're both really hoping that Gunnar wants to stick with the drums as he gets older. Actually, Chris wants him to play piano AND drums. Probably because he picked up the drums when he was about 5 and has been playing ever since (see adorable picture below).
I, on the other hand, played the piano when I was a kid (no picture available).
I loved it up until I was about 12. That was when the members of the church in our little community were asked to form a branch and I became the branch's pianist. Even with the simplified hymn book it was pretty painful. I remember on one occasion I massacred 'Come Come Ye Saints' so horribly that I ended up just pounding keys in time with the melody...for about 2 verses. I got better though (not as good as Natalie or Jordan) and eventually even got to the point where I could play all the hymns.
But then when I was 14 my parents said that I could chose to continue with lessons or quit. Since I was 14 and babysitting my piano teacher's children in exchange for lessons, the decision was obvious. I told my parents I wanted to use the time to play high school basketball instead.
Awesome choice. First of all, I can't tell you how many times in the last 15 years that I've encountered situations where I, personally, have really needed mad basketball skills. And secondly, I, Renae Peterson do not have ANY basketball skills, mad or otherwise, whatsoever. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was only sent into the games to let the talent rest and foul the 'big girls'. Now that we're in a ward where there's not a lot of musical experience, I really wish I'd kept up on playing. In fact, we're hoping to buy a piano or keyboard soon just so I can try to get back to the level of play I had at 14.
Anyway, hopefully Gunnar will always love the drums and will always want to play them. And if he doesn't hopefully he chooses tennis instead of basketball (not to discourage dreams but we live in Harlem).
I'm a little ambivalent here though. Chris was always in love with playing drums and never needed any pushing from his parents but not everyone's like that. Should kids be pushed when it comes to things like this or allowed to choose basketball over piano at 14?
Today Chris, Gunnar and I forewent the St. Patrick's Day parade (I'm Irish but not that Irish) and went to Central Park to play. Gunnar hadn't ever been in the infant swing before. He loved it. I probably could have put him in it earlier, but I'm a first time mom.
I guess that means I'm a little neurotic. Yesterday a lady at church reached her arms out to take Gunnar from me and instead of putting my baby in her hands I squirted them with Purell. Then I let her hold him. Hey, we just got over the stomach flu! Anyway, the park was great today. I can't wait until it gets a little warmer so we can spend more time outside.
P.S. He sleeps. No joke. That $50 noise machine was worth every peso.
It appears that a friend of mine here in Manhattan wants to be the last man standing if there is some sort of disaster here on the island. I asked him to email me his emergency preparedness list – and without a doubt, this is one prepared dude. So, over the last month or two Renae and I have been putting our emergency kits/72 hour backpacks together and formulating our plan in case anything ever happens.
For those who like details, here she is:
1.7 gallons of emergency water pouches
rehydration salt tablets
water filter (Katadyn Pocket Filter)
water purification tablets
inflatable water container
MREs (72 hours worth of meals per person)
emergency food bars (3600 calories)
hard granola bars
dried fruit (bananas/apples/raisins)
small canned fruit
juice boxes
instant drink mix packets
bouillon cubes
hard candy/sweets
sugarless gum
metal utensils (knife/fork/spoon)
sierra cup with handle [(8 oz.)]
can opener
backpacking stove
fuel tabs
scrubbing pad
underwear
white socks
long-sleeve shirt
long pants
sewing kit (needle/thread/buttons)
baseball cap
bandanna
leather gloves
shoes, pants, shirt, watch, glasses (wear)
emergency poncho
emergency reflective/space blanket
thermal all-weather ground blanket
instant hand/body warmer packs
two-person tube tent
dynamo (hand-powered) flashlight
battery flashlight
batteries
120-hour emergency candle
12-hour chemical light sticks (yellow)
waterproof/windproof matches
signal flare
AM/FM radio (battery/solar/handcrank)
storm survival whistle
weatherproof pen
outdoor notebook pad/paper
envelopes
postage stamps
walkie talkies
New York City subway map
New York City (Manhattan) bus map
New York metro/Northeast U.S. map
military tritium compass
subway Metrocard ($20)
pocket knife (Leatherman)
tri-fold shovel
100-foot nylon rope/paracord
pocket chain saw
hammer
bungee cords
toilet paper
pre-moistened towelettes
pack/camp towel
washcloth
soap
hand sanitizer
shampoo
toothbrush
toothpaste
toothbrush holder
dental floss
razor
deodorant
tissues (1 pocket-size)
cotton swabs (6)
stainless steel/emergency mirror
nail clippers
eyeglass cleaner
eyeglass cleaning cloth
lotion
dust masks
latex safety gloves (1 pair)
disinfectant spray (Lysol)
sanitary napkins
first aid manual
band-aids
ace bandages
gauze pads
cotton balls
adhesive/gauze tape
burn cream
antiseptic
EMT/multi-purpose scissors
instant cold compress
instant hot compress
Tylenol
Benadryl/antihistamine
Imodium
laxative
Pepto Bismol tablets
Ipecac
tweezers
thermometer
multi-vitamins (6)
cold/flu relievers
throat lozenges
insect repellent (Deet)
sun screen
prescription medications
Lysine (9)
lip balm
moleskin
Neosporin
petroleum jelly/lubricant
pepper spray
handgun
night vision scope
gas mask
potassium iodide tablets
cash in small bills ($600)
quarters (2 rolls) ($20)
traveler's checks ($100)
blank checks (2)
hidden can safe
portfolio holder with zipper
this checklist **
birth certificate (photocopy)
passport (photocopy)
drivers license (photocopy)
Social Security card (photocopy)
business cards
Church membership form (photocopy)
family photos
"Finances" list
"Possessions" index
"Important Information" list
emergency contact telephone numbers list
"Ready New York"
will
extra apartment keys
small scriptures
patriarchal blessing (photocopy)
priesthood line of authority (card)
consecrated oil with vial
personal computer data backup (CD/DVD)
Stake Directory/LDS contacts
Stake Emergency Preparedness Plan
clothes clips (#)
safety pins (see sewing kit)
push pins
duct tape
large rubber bands
twist ties
zip ties
garbage bags
zip-lock baggies (see other items)
mesh/laundry bag
aluminum foil
plastic wrap
instant disposable camera
hand crank cell charger
Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival
toy/game
disposable diapers
diaper wipes
bottle
formula
pacifier
Desitin
baby Tylenol
(**If there is time)
TimeCapsule backup hardrive (includes data from all three computers)
Family journals & documents
mission journal
passports
And there you have it. If an asteroid hits Manhattan....well, none of these items will really matter if an asteroid hits Manhattan. But we feel prepared for an emergency should one arrive. Hopefully we'll never have to take these backpacks out of the closet (except for fun camping trips).
And in case you're wondering where we would go - North. We have some good friends who live upstate on a large/isolated plot of land. It's about a 2-days walk.
Here's Gunnar's latest move. I don't know if Chris likes the idea of Gunnar becoming a yogi but he may not have a choice.
This actually happened about a month ago...but I wasn't a professional blogger back then so I'm posting it now. I was on a business call and looked out my office window and saw that the building across the street was ablaze. I guess I should have thought about our evacuation plans, but instead I grabbed my camera and started snapping photos. They got the fire out eventually and I got back to work.
Yesterday Chris came home from church and asked me if I'd seen the chicken running around in the church today. I hadn't.
Apparently someone had dropped it off in front of our church building (128th and Malcom X Blvd) on Saturday night in the middle of a major wind storm. I guess someone in the other ward felt sorry for it and put it in the garage.
After church a bunch of the youth were down in the garage/foyer area, saw the chicken and freaked out. The Primary President, who was there too, said that it probably had a lot of diseases and offered to kill it. She said it would be easy to do and that she'd killed tons of chickens back in her country. "All you have to do is grab it and rip it's head off." Chris told her that might be disturbing for some of the children to see at church so they decided to leave it there for the time being.
When Chris went to leave the building he ran into the Bishop of the other ward and asked if he'd seen the chicken. He said that he and his wife had put it in their trunk. They said they were going to take it to a park somewhere in the city and let it go free.
So weird. Who drops a chicken off at a church in Harlem in the middle of a wind storm? Chris thinks maybe someone with 10 chickens was trying to pay tithing.
Here's a picture of the church that I took yesterday. Unfortunately nobody got a picture of the chicken.
It was really icky outside today. So I got bored and decided to dress Gunnar up in his track suit and my gold chain. We could totally move to New Jersey or Staten Island.
And when he does sleep the entire house is on quiet alert. Our family doctor told us that in her experience, these things can sometimes be hereditary. So, I asked both of our parents about how we were as babies.
Guess which one of us was the infant insomniac. You're right. I slept pretty well but Chris' family told me he didn't sleep through the night until he was almost a YEAR OLD! (Can you imagine?!!) She also told us that drummers aren't made, they're born.
Gunnar is a lot like Chris. In fact at church they call him the 'Obispito'. Anyway, I just bought this white noise machine online. It was $50.00. Wish us luck!
Gunnar realized he likes drum sticks. Then he decided he liked eating them. Click on any of the pictures for the big 'ol version.
This is what Gunnar and I look like when we decide to go outside and ditch the stroller (I think he looks so cute). He really doesn't like getting into his snowsuit. In fact the last time we were at the doctor for his vaccinations he didn't make a peep when she gave him the shot. He just sat there and smiled. But ten minutes later when it was time to go and I went to put his snowsuit on him, he screamed like he was getting twenty shots.
Once he's in it and we're moving, he's usually fine and he loves being up and able to look around at all the places we go. Our neighborhood is especially exciting. I'll have to take a couple pictures of it next time we run errands. We're starting to get to know some of the regulars on the street and they all love Gunnar. The Latins all say, "Que Dios le bendiga" and the Black people always tell me how "fresh he looks in those baby Uggs" (our friend/employee Christie bought those for him).
Gunnar's been crawling for the past 6 weeks but not like a 'normal' baby. He crawls like a wounded soldier. Actually, Chris thinks he crawls like a wounded soldier, I think he crawls like Rascals, our family dog of about 4 months who got hit by a car and then drug herself out of the street to die in our driveway.
Click play on the video below.
We had our first official visitor to LosPeterson.com. I was on the phone with a business associate - we'll call him Bob because that is his name - and his wife asked how things were going with Gunnar. I gave them the address. The first words out of his mouth? "What are you feeding that kid? Krispy Kremes!?!"
Gunnar. You are fat. And not with a "PH".
Well, we've been saying for a long time now that we have to start blogging the goings on of our little family. The time has come. Hopefully all the grandmas and grandpas out there will get a kick out of seeing Gunnar's growth and his passion for staying awake and demanding our attention.
I think blogs are better when there is a picture attached, so I'll start my first one with my favorite family photo...the one taken just moments after Gunnar was born.
We're all just barely getting over a family epidemic of the stomach flu. It's been awesome. Gunnar was the first one to be hit by the virus last Wednesday and through his adorable slobber kisses infected both Chris and I a few days later.
He actually had both of us really worried. He started showing all the signs of dehydration and we almost took him to the hospital but Chris convinced me to try 'manually hydrating' him via the dropper and a glass of Pedialyte first. Gunnar totally hated it and I felt like I was water boarding him (between this and the nose squeegy I torture him endlessly). It seemed to work though because he looks a lot better than he did when we took this picture.
Okay, so we're a little slow on the pick up but we're proud to announce that yes, we, the Los Peterson have finally arrived to the blogging portion of the inter-web.
Hooray for us! And for you, because now you get to know about us. Actually, we're not that conceited - what ultimately drove us to start our own blog was the fact that neither of us have been particularly good at keeping up on a journal and we figure this is a good way to do it. Plus it keeps Mimi, Peepa, Nana and Pop Pop (a.k.a. Gunnar's grandmothers and grandfathers) happy.
