The girls told me later that an older boy was teasing Pumpkin on their 1st day, but they "took care" of the problem. Hehehehe. It's nice having someone watching out for you. ;)
Day 6: Cooking Class
We arrived in Texas and hit the ground running! The girls were signed up for a cooking class so I signed Pumpkin up to go with them. He wasn't the minimum age for the class, but I figured he could handle it. Plus, his older cousins would be there to help him out if necessary.
The girls told me later that an older boy was teasing Pumpkin on their 1st day, but they "took care" of the problem. Hehehehe. It's nice having someone watching out for you. ;)
The girls told me later that an older boy was teasing Pumpkin on their 1st day, but they "took care" of the problem. Hehehehe. It's nice having someone watching out for you. ;)
Day 2: Moving to Texas
Sep 29, 2010: As promised, here are more pictures of that weird floating contraption we saw in Pueblo.
Day 1 of Leaving Colorado: The Countdown to Houston Begins
We're Movin' Out
After a month of madness and mayhem, the movers arrived to pack up our stuff and lug it off. In a span of 3 days, everything that had made our house a home was gone leaving only an empty shell behind. And our cars, which we weren't moving to Texas right away. It was weird. Much weirder than it felt when we left Houston. I think knowing that we would definitely never be moving back to Denver contributed to the general feeling of weirdness...and overall sadness.
That weekend, we had a farewell party with our mom's/play group. I'd started the playgroup when we first arrived in Denver, and since group activity was no longer what it had been when our kids were younger, and we were leaving, I'd decided it was time to pull the plug. So, the farewell party was as much for the group as it was for us.
Back in the Saddle Again
We've been back in Colorado since Mother's Day. We flew back, and our trip went surprisingly well. The last time I flew anywhere with the kids, Giggles went on as a "lap child," and she was squirmy and restless and kicking the seat in front of us the entire flight. Since she does very well in her car seat, I thought that it might help for her to have her own seat on the airplane too so I elected to buy her a ticket rather than take her on as a "lap child" this time. Of course, taking a car seat on board meant I'd have to lug it around with us during our layover at DFW. It was going to be worth it in my opinion. It didn't even matter that the bathrooms nearest our gate at DFW were closed for repairs or that I had to tote said car seat and a full backpack while pushing Giggles in her stroller past 20 gates to get to the next closest bathrooms when Pumpkin suddenly announced at lunch that he had to go potty. And never mind that I ended up changing Giggles' diaper in the airport lounge because I was afraid to take too long at said bathroom in case our flight left without us. In the end, all that hassle was well worth it because both kids behaved impeccably during our flights. In fact, they earned praise all around from flight attendants and passengers alike, and they were even given a couple of fabric sticker airline wings as a prize for their good behavior when we arrived at DIA. Sure, her seat cost me an extra $300, and I still haven't regained feeling in my left arm from holding a car seat aloft while jogging through the cavernous DFW airport. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat!
Anyway, once home, Pumpkin jumped right back into school, and life has kinda sorta gotten back to normal for the time being. Yesterday, Pumpkin had an appointment at the Children's Hospital Dental Clinic to repair half of the approximately 9 cavities he'd been diagnosed with at his last dental check-up. He was given a sedative called Versed, which was supposed to relax him as well as cause him not to feel or even remember any pain. Well, it didn't work. The doctor told us that Pumpkin behaved well and was very cooperative during his procedure, but when we got home, Pumpkin was able to recall everything that had happened including that he had been in so much pain that he nearly cried. My poor baby! Did I mention that Pumpkin tends to be a bit high strung. Most likely, he was too anxious during the procedure for the medicine to work properly. And, he still has to return for the 2nd half of the procedure in a few months. Hmm, guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
For now, we're gonna concentrate on wrapping things up at home. Pumpkin's last day of class is on Thursday, and his end-of-year program takes place on Friday. The movers arrive the following Wednesday to start packing up our belongings then return on Friday to pack up the trucks and head out to Houston. "It" is getting closer, and I still haven't given myself permission to think too hard about leaving. Soon.
Anyway, once home, Pumpkin jumped right back into school, and life has kinda sorta gotten back to normal for the time being. Yesterday, Pumpkin had an appointment at the Children's Hospital Dental Clinic to repair half of the approximately 9 cavities he'd been diagnosed with at his last dental check-up. He was given a sedative called Versed, which was supposed to relax him as well as cause him not to feel or even remember any pain. Well, it didn't work. The doctor told us that Pumpkin behaved well and was very cooperative during his procedure, but when we got home, Pumpkin was able to recall everything that had happened including that he had been in so much pain that he nearly cried. My poor baby! Did I mention that Pumpkin tends to be a bit high strung. Most likely, he was too anxious during the procedure for the medicine to work properly. And, he still has to return for the 2nd half of the procedure in a few months. Hmm, guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
For now, we're gonna concentrate on wrapping things up at home. Pumpkin's last day of class is on Thursday, and his end-of-year program takes place on Friday. The movers arrive the following Wednesday to start packing up our belongings then return on Friday to pack up the trucks and head out to Houston. "It" is getting closer, and I still haven't given myself permission to think too hard about leaving. Soon.
Welcome Back, Kiddies
Surprisingly, when I asked Pumpkin if he wanted to go back to Colorado and return to school, he said yes. I'd have bet money that he would've elected to stay in Texas and be with his cousins until we actually "moved" to Texas. I would've lost. Anyway, I was glad that he wanted to return because he was able to spend some time with his friends before we had to go for good.
Shortly after we arrived back in Colorado, it snowed! It wasn't quite enough to go sledding, but I made sure to take the kids outside to play since we are not likely to have an opportunity like this again once we move. We didn't see any of our friends right away, but we ran into a few of them at a community fair we attended in nearby Beacon Point so that was nice. Thinking about it now, I suppose the reason we didn't immediately jump back into things (or call any of our friends) was partly because I felt a bit weird that we were only going to be seeing everyone just to say goodbye. As stated so eloquently in "The Gilmore Girls" (and I'm paraphrasing) there's nothing good about goodbyes. They should be called badbyes!"
Shortly after we arrived back in Colorado, it snowed! It wasn't quite enough to go sledding, but I made sure to take the kids outside to play since we are not likely to have an opportunity like this again once we move. We didn't see any of our friends right away, but we ran into a few of them at a community fair we attended in nearby Beacon Point so that was nice. Thinking about it now, I suppose the reason we didn't immediately jump back into things (or call any of our friends) was partly because I felt a bit weird that we were only going to be seeing everyone just to say goodbye. As stated so eloquently in "The Gilmore Girls" (and I'm paraphrasing) there's nothing good about goodbyes. They should be called badbyes!"
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| In honor of our upcoming move, we celebrated by eating Texas-shaped sandwiches. |
The Low Down
It's been nearly 3 weeks since we arrived in Texas for our quarterly month-long visit. I haven't posted much because it seems that we haven't really done all that much, but in fact, we're "going" from morning to night, mostly staying busy playing, going out, or just hanging around with the gang.
Pumpkin mostly hangs out at his cousin D's house all day, every day, M-F. I finally just started leaving his bike there so I wouldn't have to keep toting it back and forth everyday from "our" house to theirs. One fine day during our 1st week here, I took the 3 kids (my 2 & D) to the lakeside park in D's neighborhood. Being a weekday, the park was pretty much deserted, which was both eerie and cool. The boys really wanted to go down to the lake to throw rocks, and of course, Giggles being Giggles, she walked right into the lake up to her knees just because she could, haha.
Last week, I drove to San Antonio to attend a librarian conference with my sister and her librarian buddies. I'd heard her talk about these conferences before, and here was this great opportunity for me to finally go to one too. Whoop! Neither kids nor rain nor...more rain was going to keep me from the conference.
Bonus! ~> Not only was I able to crash with the ladies' in their hotel room(s), but one of my sister's friends was also able to snag me a free admission pass for the conference from one of their vendors. Whoop whoop! I had a lot of fun hanging out with my sister and her friends, and I made off with some EXCELLENT free books and loot! And, I even got to take a picture with Super Scholastic Girl, hehe.
Bonus! ~> Not only was I able to crash with the ladies' in their hotel room(s), but one of my sister's friends was also able to snag me a free admission pass for the conference from one of their vendors. Whoop whoop! I had a lot of fun hanging out with my sister and her friends, and I made off with some EXCELLENT free books and loot! And, I even got to take a picture with Super Scholastic Girl, hehe.
This weekend, Lis and her fam are headed back to S.A. for another dance competition. I don't think we'll join them there either. I'd kinda like to, but I understand hotels are sold out because of Fiesta. There's a hay ride or something going on in town this weekend, a fund-raiser for autism. Perhaps we'll do that instead.
Anyway, in other news, QT was recently promoted within his company, and we are moving back to Texas! Yee-haw and Whoop-de-doo!! Pumpkin is thrilled...as are all his cousins (about the move, I don't think they even realize it's tied to a job promotion, haha). QT and I are pretty excited too. We always planned to return, and it's much better when someone else picks up the tab. ;)
Even more exciting is watching Giggles continue expanding her repertoire of words and signs and just learning more each day. It turns out...she...likes...to..dress up! Beautiful Grandma bought her a new outfit with a flouncy skirt, and Giggles immediately had me put it on her...along with about half a dozen hair bows, haha! And the other night, she was crying but was instantly placated when B.G. offered to paint her fingernails, haha. Oh my!
Test Posts from Texas
Pumpkin is LOVING this blanket of the Texas flag! We've already requested one of our own from Grandpoo, who bought this one.And this one was not taken in Texas. It was taken shortly before we left Colorado. This is a picture of Giggles' first time ever riding in a "big girl" car seat.
Easter with Friends
Thought I didn't post any pictures or blog about it, last year, we celebrated Easter with our good friends (let's call them the Rrrs). The Rrrs accompanied us to the Colorado Railroad Museum for a train ride and egg hunt a week before Easter then came over to our house on Easter Sunday for a lovely lunch and an indoor egg hunt (b/c it was actually too rainy to go outside). This year, we, once again, met up with the Rrrs for an Easter outing...this time with my mom's Bible study group. Each of the moms pitched in some Easter eggs and yummy treats for lunch, and we all had a wonderful time. The day was beautiful so we hung around at the park for hours. Needless to say, the kids had a blast (and were nice and exhausted by the time we got back home).
And The Hits Just Keep Coming
Before I go any further, I'll go back a bit and tell you about some of the things they've gone through since Avery's diagnosis. For starters, the entire family came down with H1N1 for which they had to take Tamiflu, which is unbelievably expensive. They've also had to deal with bronchitis and strep, and they were unable to spend last Thanksgiving with their family because of a case of mono. Both Avery and her older sister Emily were wearing casts on their legs at one point because of injuries received in separate incidents. Melissa's mother, who has been helpful and instrumental in the way only loving grandmothers can be, fell and broke her hip, was hospitalized, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, underwent surgery, was hospitalized again, etc. Meanwhile, Kelvin (Avery's dad) had to take a job out of state because he couldn't find enough work here so my friend Melissa was left alone to care for their 4 kids, take Avery to the hospital for her treatments, and even help care for her mom, who lives about an hour away. Even their fairly new dishwasher broke down and had to be replaced! Talk about bad luck...this is country song bad!
As I said, the hits just keep coming. The latest: Their home was burglarized! Three nights ago while the family was at home sleeping in their rooms, these brazen thieves broke a window in Kelvin's truck, used his remote to open the garage door, entered my friend's home, and made off with thousands of dollars worth of tools and Melissa's purse, which had her ID, ATM card, cell phone, Avery's prescription card, the babies' WIC checks, and all their April grocery money! The bastard scum went into little Avery's room where she slept and even raided the family's freezer and stole their roast beast!
The problem now, of course, is that Kelvin is unable to work without his tools, and there is no telling what the insurance company is going to cover or how the family is going to get by in the meantime. I thank God that no one was harmed....though I'm left to wonder why bad things keep happening to this wonderful family and hope and pray that this will be it for them for the rest of their natural lives...and also that they win the lottery. :)
I'm reposting the slideshow from November in case any of you would like to do something to help my good friends and need to know where to send your donations.
(Here's the slideshow. To see the full screen, click on the little square within a square below the video.)
P.S. If any of you know Oprah, please ask her to give me a call so we can chat about the Spicers. ;)
Midnight and All is Well
A couple of weeks ago, we held a small gathering at our house to celebrate QT's birthday. No jello shots this time, but there were still plenty of laughs to be had by all. Unfortunately, as our guests started leaving, one of the kids started coughing...a croupy kind of cough. Nooo!
I called my friend a few days later to ask after her daughter, and it turns out the girl, who suffers from chronic respiratory problems, was put on steroids and missed about a week of school due to that virus. That very evening, Pumpkin started up with a croupy cough of his own. Even though it was just a mild case of croup (cough, runny nose, hoarse voice, but no fever), I kept him home from school the next two days to be on the safe side. He seemed fine by Saturday so he and his dad went out to visit the model train store, have lunch, and just enjoy some guy time together. I guess somewhere along the way, Pumpkin must've been exposed to an allergen because, that evening during dinner, his left ear suddenly started getting red and swollen. It was also hot to the touch, and Pumpkin complained that it hurt when I touched it. Then, just as suddenly, it went away! So we gave him a bath, loaded him up with Zyrtec, and put him to bed, same as any other night. A few hours later, at around dawn, he started coughing terribly then he sprang up in bed crying and gasping and grabbing at his mouth.
As luck would have it...or perhaps by God's good graces, I'd decided to have him sleep with me in my room so that I could keep an eye on him so I woke up as soon as he did. I'd also (again, by sheer luck or what-have-you) read up on the latest in croup treatment after we'd put the kids to bed so I knew exactly what to do. I "calmly" gathered him up and ran downstairs and out the front door with him to breathe in the cold air, which is what the "experts" said was the best thing to do (one study found that hot bathroom steam didn't work very well after all). And don't worry, he didn't get resfriado. We didn't actually stand around outside in our pajamas. I held the door open, and we sat on the sill, and I covered Pumpkin with my coat, which fit like a full-size Snuggie only warmer.
Once he was all nice and medicated and breathing easier, I noticed that his left eye was swollen and puffy. Was it mere coincidence that it was on the same side as the ear that had swollen the night before? I think not! Might this weird recurring allergy have something to do with the sudden worsening of his previously mild croup? In my reading, I came across something known as spasmodic croup, which is a recurring fever-less croup that appears to be triggered by allergies. It seems odd that I hadn't heard of this before, but it seems to fit.
So Pumpkin missed school again on Monday and then again on Tuesday because I'd kinda sorta re-injured my back when I carried him down the stairs. And then on Wednesday, which was to be his last day of school and the day of his classroom Easter party, school was cancelled on account of snow. Darn!
You'll be glad to hear that Pumpkin is doing better. In fact, we all are. I haven't yet attempted to go anywhere with the kids that might require any heavy lifting of strollers or pulling of loaded wagons, etc. Perhaps tomorrow when the weather is nicer, we'll try leaving the house. Or not. Whatever.
In other news this month, we visited the Zoo, celebrated QT's actual birthday, went to the park, and played with mice and dogs. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.
I called my friend a few days later to ask after her daughter, and it turns out the girl, who suffers from chronic respiratory problems, was put on steroids and missed about a week of school due to that virus. That very evening, Pumpkin started up with a croupy cough of his own. Even though it was just a mild case of croup (cough, runny nose, hoarse voice, but no fever), I kept him home from school the next two days to be on the safe side. He seemed fine by Saturday so he and his dad went out to visit the model train store, have lunch, and just enjoy some guy time together. I guess somewhere along the way, Pumpkin must've been exposed to an allergen because, that evening during dinner, his left ear suddenly started getting red and swollen. It was also hot to the touch, and Pumpkin complained that it hurt when I touched it. Then, just as suddenly, it went away! So we gave him a bath, loaded him up with Zyrtec, and put him to bed, same as any other night. A few hours later, at around dawn, he started coughing terribly then he sprang up in bed crying and gasping and grabbing at his mouth.
As luck would have it...or perhaps by God's good graces, I'd decided to have him sleep with me in my room so that I could keep an eye on him so I woke up as soon as he did. I'd also (again, by sheer luck or what-have-you) read up on the latest in croup treatment after we'd put the kids to bed so I knew exactly what to do. I "calmly" gathered him up and ran downstairs and out the front door with him to breathe in the cold air, which is what the "experts" said was the best thing to do (one study found that hot bathroom steam didn't work very well after all). And don't worry, he didn't get resfriado. We didn't actually stand around outside in our pajamas. I held the door open, and we sat on the sill, and I covered Pumpkin with my coat, which fit like a full-size Snuggie only warmer.
Once he was all nice and medicated and breathing easier, I noticed that his left eye was swollen and puffy. Was it mere coincidence that it was on the same side as the ear that had swollen the night before? I think not! Might this weird recurring allergy have something to do with the sudden worsening of his previously mild croup? In my reading, I came across something known as spasmodic croup, which is a recurring fever-less croup that appears to be triggered by allergies. It seems odd that I hadn't heard of this before, but it seems to fit.
So Pumpkin missed school again on Monday and then again on Tuesday because I'd kinda sorta re-injured my back when I carried him down the stairs. And then on Wednesday, which was to be his last day of school and the day of his classroom Easter party, school was cancelled on account of snow. Darn!
You'll be glad to hear that Pumpkin is doing better. In fact, we all are. I haven't yet attempted to go anywhere with the kids that might require any heavy lifting of strollers or pulling of loaded wagons, etc. Perhaps tomorrow when the weather is nicer, we'll try leaving the house. Or not. Whatever.
In other news this month, we visited the Zoo, celebrated QT's actual birthday, went to the park, and played with mice and dogs. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy.
Boo Boo
When I walked into Giggles' room this morning, she covered her eyes with her hands and said "Boo Boo" (as in Peek-a-boo). She often starts the p-a-b game when I walk in to greet her in the mornings, but since she couldn't say it for herself, she'd wait for me to say peek-a-boo before uncovering her eyes. Today marked the first time that she's ever actually said "peek-a-boo" to me, and it was sooo cute.
She's talking more and more every day. She says teta (bottle), Sunshine, Dada, Mama, No, Drink, Sit, papa (eat), ball, bowl, cat, bird, fish, thank you, and more. She's still working on getting Pumpkin's name, but she tries. It's sounding better and better.
Last week, we ran into a photographer friend at the park, and he snapped these beautiful pictures of Giggles playing on the slide. I think he captured her personality well in the pictures, but especially so in the one of her crinkling her nose and gnashing her teeth (below). That's totally her! I'm just glad she wasn't wearing her usual attire of dirty food-covered clothing that day, haha.
In less happy boo-boo related news, I decided, on the spur of the moment, to take the kids and meet up with some fellow moms and their kids for dinner at our local Chick-Fil-A last night. As I was tidying up the kitchen before leaving, I accidentally smashed Giggles' finger with the refrigerator door. Augh! At first, she was shaking and kicking and could barely make a sound, but when she got her lungs back, oh man, did she let loose! My poor little baby. Wah!!! As I rocked her and calmed her down, I started wondering whether we should just stay home after all. I bandaged her little finger up where it was bleeding and convinced myself that we should go ahead as planned. Then, just as we were walking out the door, Pumpkin inadvertently poked his eye with a toy he was holding and, of course, started to cry. Oh my gosh....I'm heaving a big ole sigh just thinking about last night's misadventures. What a weird night. I seriously wondered whether God or the Universe was trying to keep me home last night, ha ha.
BTW, you'll be happy to hear that her injured finger looks great today as does Pumpkin's eye (that was doubly injured yesterday, but that's another story).
She's talking more and more every day. She says teta (bottle), Sunshine, Dada, Mama, No, Drink, Sit, papa (eat), ball, bowl, cat, bird, fish, thank you, and more. She's still working on getting Pumpkin's name, but she tries. It's sounding better and better.
Last week, we ran into a photographer friend at the park, and he snapped these beautiful pictures of Giggles playing on the slide. I think he captured her personality well in the pictures, but especially so in the one of her crinkling her nose and gnashing her teeth (below). That's totally her! I'm just glad she wasn't wearing her usual attire of dirty food-covered clothing that day, haha.
In less happy boo-boo related news, I decided, on the spur of the moment, to take the kids and meet up with some fellow moms and their kids for dinner at our local Chick-Fil-A last night. As I was tidying up the kitchen before leaving, I accidentally smashed Giggles' finger with the refrigerator door. Augh! At first, she was shaking and kicking and could barely make a sound, but when she got her lungs back, oh man, did she let loose! My poor little baby. Wah!!! As I rocked her and calmed her down, I started wondering whether we should just stay home after all. I bandaged her little finger up where it was bleeding and convinced myself that we should go ahead as planned. Then, just as we were walking out the door, Pumpkin inadvertently poked his eye with a toy he was holding and, of course, started to cry. Oh my gosh....I'm heaving a big ole sigh just thinking about last night's misadventures. What a weird night. I seriously wondered whether God or the Universe was trying to keep me home last night, ha ha.
BTW, you'll be happy to hear that her injured finger looks great today as does Pumpkin's eye (that was doubly injured yesterday, but that's another story).
Got a Minute?
I do.
Kids are asleep, QT is out of town, and I'm all alone for once with no distractions of any kind around me...well, excepting the toys all over the family room and the dirty dishes in the sink, there are no distractions! Also, Giggles is now able to climb onto the sofa, and she made off earlier this evening with the remote controller for the cable box. So it's just me and my netbook...at least until I locate that remote.
Anyway, for those of you who are wondering, I took Giggles to the doctor today. Not so much my idea as that of the nurse on the Nurseline, but I think I may either be in the market for a new pediatrician soon or just start following my own advice from now on. It's happened more than once to us that the nurse on the phone will tell me one thing (for ex: a child under 2 who's had an unexplained fever for 24 hours or more should be seen in the office right away) and then I am told something entirely different by the provider who sees my child (ex: sure, we can run tests but it's too soon now. Come back in 2 days if the fever isn't gone yet b/c right now, we just can't tell). Seriously. Do I look like I'm made of money and have nothing better to do with my time? My kids' health is worth everything and anything to me, but this feels more like I'm flushing money down the toilet for all the good it does them. I was pretty steamed about it this morning, but I'm over it now. Plus, I'm getting tired.
So I'd best wrap this up. Giggles seemed fine today after she woke from her nap, but her temp was 101 when I checked her at bedtime. I've got some serious thinking to do tomorrow (take her in or risk waiting until Monday). Oh, and Giggles apparently has a heart murmur. Thank goodness she has a well-child exam in 2 weeks.
Pumpkin is doing great, btw. He's really gotten into his new computer game Trainz. He can sit at the PC for hours playing that game. I'm impressed that he figured the game out all by himself (and it looks complicated), but I'm not so sure it's good for him to be on the computer all day so I signed him up for karate classes. Tonight was his first class. On the way home, he told me he didn't like it because they "do everything too fast" but when told that the instructor would be working 1-on-1 with him next week to teach him all those moves, he seemed mollified and kinda sorta indicated he would go again next week. Only time will tell if he will actually want to go when the day rolls around. I'll keep you posted.
Kids are asleep, QT is out of town, and I'm all alone for once with no distractions of any kind around me...well, excepting the toys all over the family room and the dirty dishes in the sink, there are no distractions! Also, Giggles is now able to climb onto the sofa, and she made off earlier this evening with the remote controller for the cable box. So it's just me and my netbook...at least until I locate that remote.
Anyway, for those of you who are wondering, I took Giggles to the doctor today. Not so much my idea as that of the nurse on the Nurseline, but I think I may either be in the market for a new pediatrician soon or just start following my own advice from now on. It's happened more than once to us that the nurse on the phone will tell me one thing (for ex: a child under 2 who's had an unexplained fever for 24 hours or more should be seen in the office right away) and then I am told something entirely different by the provider who sees my child (ex: sure, we can run tests but it's too soon now. Come back in 2 days if the fever isn't gone yet b/c right now, we just can't tell). Seriously. Do I look like I'm made of money and have nothing better to do with my time? My kids' health is worth everything and anything to me, but this feels more like I'm flushing money down the toilet for all the good it does them. I was pretty steamed about it this morning, but I'm over it now. Plus, I'm getting tired.
So I'd best wrap this up. Giggles seemed fine today after she woke from her nap, but her temp was 101 when I checked her at bedtime. I've got some serious thinking to do tomorrow (take her in or risk waiting until Monday). Oh, and Giggles apparently has a heart murmur. Thank goodness she has a well-child exam in 2 weeks.
Pumpkin is doing great, btw. He's really gotten into his new computer game Trainz. He can sit at the PC for hours playing that game. I'm impressed that he figured the game out all by himself (and it looks complicated), but I'm not so sure it's good for him to be on the computer all day so I signed him up for karate classes. Tonight was his first class. On the way home, he told me he didn't like it because they "do everything too fast" but when told that the instructor would be working 1-on-1 with him next week to teach him all those moves, he seemed mollified and kinda sorta indicated he would go again next week. Only time will tell if he will actually want to go when the day rolls around. I'll keep you posted.
Goofy Kids
Today, Giggles woke up from her afternoon nap with a fever of 102.5. So here we go again. And, of course, QT is out of town...because it seems this kind of thing only happens when he's gone. Oh well.
Last night, I made a video of the kids while they were having dinner and goofing around. What a difference a day makes sometimes. Hopefully, Giggles will be back to her crazy self in no time. Until then, here she is (with Pumpkin) in all her crazy glory.
Last night, I made a video of the kids while they were having dinner and goofing around. What a difference a day makes sometimes. Hopefully, Giggles will be back to her crazy self in no time. Until then, here she is (with Pumpkin) in all her crazy glory.
Wow, that dude in Austin...
Crazy. But, I read his manifesto, and not only is it (mostly) well written, it's also quite persuasive...and very angry.
Anyway, on the school front, Pumpkin's preschool teacher told me a cute story when I went to pick him up today. Apparently, at recess, Pumpkin was surrounded by 5-6 girls all of whom were insisting that he was her friend and "the best." In the car on the way home, I asked him who the girls were...thinking it was probably some of his little (girl) friends from our playgroup. (It wasn't.) His answer "Umm....I don't really remember their names." ......Goodness me!
While all this was going on, Giggles and I were entertaining some "little" friends at home at our 1st-ever baby playdate especially for Giggles! It was lots of fun. All the little girls (and one boy) who came over also have older siblings at home, and it was just so cute watching them play together without their sibs around to knock them down or speak for them, haha. As usual, Giggles took a few minutes to warm up to the visitors, but she was laughing and yelling away with the rest of them in no time. She also really seemed to enjoy the yummy snacks because she didn't stop eating pretty much from the time everyone arrived until it was time to go pick her brother up from school.
Sad to say, but I didn't even remember to take out the camera until the playdate was about over so I have no pictures to show for it. INSTEAD, I'll leave you with a lovely collage of Giggles taking Mousie (and her brother's Nintendo DS) for a ride in her red coupe.
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I love that last picture! It looks like she's saying "Get that camera out of my face already!" hahaha
Anyway, on the school front, Pumpkin's preschool teacher told me a cute story when I went to pick him up today. Apparently, at recess, Pumpkin was surrounded by 5-6 girls all of whom were insisting that he was her friend and "the best." In the car on the way home, I asked him who the girls were...thinking it was probably some of his little (girl) friends from our playgroup. (It wasn't.) His answer "Umm....I don't really remember their names." ......Goodness me!
While all this was going on, Giggles and I were entertaining some "little" friends at home at our 1st-ever baby playdate especially for Giggles! It was lots of fun. All the little girls (and one boy) who came over also have older siblings at home, and it was just so cute watching them play together without their sibs around to knock them down or speak for them, haha. As usual, Giggles took a few minutes to warm up to the visitors, but she was laughing and yelling away with the rest of them in no time. She also really seemed to enjoy the yummy snacks because she didn't stop eating pretty much from the time everyone arrived until it was time to go pick her brother up from school.
Sad to say, but I didn't even remember to take out the camera until the playdate was about over so I have no pictures to show for it. INSTEAD, I'll leave you with a lovely collage of Giggles taking Mousie (and her brother's Nintendo DS) for a ride in her red coupe.
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I love that last picture! It looks like she's saying "Get that camera out of my face already!" hahaha
Moving Right Along
Gosh, it's been so long since I updated with much about the kiddos. Well...for starters, they're both growing like weeds. Clothes that fit Pumpkin over the holidays didn't fit anymore by the time we got back from Texas. As for Giggles, some of her 12-mos size clothes are too short/small, but the next size up is still just a bit big on her so we're in that weird midway point and trying to make the best of it.
Pumpkin is reading! Sight words, I think, but he's able to sound out words too though that takes him longer obviously. And get ready for this: Giggles is talking! Or trying to anyway. I can make out the words: drink, cat, down, cracker, and car. She also makes specific sound combinations when she's calling her brother or the dog, and though the sounds she makes each have the right inflection and the appropriate number of syllables, they don't really sound much like the real things yet. But she's getting there for sure!
Pumpkin is reading! Sight words, I think, but he's able to sound out words too though that takes him longer obviously. And get ready for this: Giggles is talking! Or trying to anyway. I can make out the words: drink, cat, down, cracker, and car. She also makes specific sound combinations when she's calling her brother or the dog, and though the sounds she makes each have the right inflection and the appropriate number of syllables, they don't really sound much like the real things yet. But she's getting there for sure!
That's Right, You're Not From Texas
The kids are loving this song lately. When we play it at home, they both go nuts and start running around the house like lunatics. Here's what happens when we play it in the car.
In other news, I very ambitiously checked out about 8 books from the library a week and a half ago including one that I'm supposed to read for my book club meeting next week (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen). We're allowed to keep borrowed books for 4 weeks, and I thought I'd be able to manage it easily. But then, I got an email from the library that the Dan Brown book I signed up for months and months ago finally came in for me!
When I originally signed up for The Lost Symbol, I was #215 on the list, haha. I picked up my book but didn't start reading it right away since I was already in the middle of another book. Then, I got another email from the library letting me know that the Anna Godbersen book I signed up for (also last year) had also finally come in! Since I'd already read books 1 & 2 in her Luxe series, knew them to be fairly easy reads (since they're YA lit), and was excited to find out how it all ends, I rushed over to the library, picked it up, and started reading it that very same evening....once again, putting aside the Dan Brown that was still patiently waiting to be read...as well as the Gruen that I needed to read for book club.
Well, next thing I know, I've got another email from the library letting me know that The Lost Symbol is due back by Saturday, Jan 30th. WHAT?!! I hadn't even cracked it open when the email came so I quickly polished off the Godbersen and the book that I'd put down to read the Godbersen and started on The Lost Symbol. I even tried to renew it, but there are still people waiting for this book so I wasn't allowed. And tomorrow is Saturday. And book club is on Wednesday. And I'm on, like, page 25 of 528 of The Lost Symbol. Good thing the library has a generous late policy, and that after tomorrow, they won't open again until Wednesday. Hehehehehe (that's my sinister laugh)
In other news, I very ambitiously checked out about 8 books from the library a week and a half ago including one that I'm supposed to read for my book club meeting next week (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen). We're allowed to keep borrowed books for 4 weeks, and I thought I'd be able to manage it easily. But then, I got an email from the library that the Dan Brown book I signed up for months and months ago finally came in for me!
When I originally signed up for The Lost Symbol, I was #215 on the list, haha. I picked up my book but didn't start reading it right away since I was already in the middle of another book. Then, I got another email from the library letting me know that the Anna Godbersen book I signed up for (also last year) had also finally come in! Since I'd already read books 1 & 2 in her Luxe series, knew them to be fairly easy reads (since they're YA lit), and was excited to find out how it all ends, I rushed over to the library, picked it up, and started reading it that very same evening....once again, putting aside the Dan Brown that was still patiently waiting to be read...as well as the Gruen that I needed to read for book club.
Well, next thing I know, I've got another email from the library letting me know that The Lost Symbol is due back by Saturday, Jan 30th. WHAT?!! I hadn't even cracked it open when the email came so I quickly polished off the Godbersen and the book that I'd put down to read the Godbersen and started on The Lost Symbol. I even tried to renew it, but there are still people waiting for this book so I wasn't allowed. And tomorrow is Saturday. And book club is on Wednesday. And I'm on, like, page 25 of 528 of The Lost Symbol. Good thing the library has a generous late policy, and that after tomorrow, they won't open again until Wednesday. Hehehehehe (that's my sinister laugh)
So....Our Christmas Trip
Yeah, it's long gone. QT said he was going to guest blog about our annual holiday trip, but he's been busy and/or out of town so I'm just gonna forge ahead without him.
So Christmas was fun, as usual. We got home, celebrated, had a birthday party, ate a lot, laughed a lot, sang, and came back to Denver.
We took loads of photos, and I made a few collages to make it easier to post them. I'm even skipping right over our night out watching Vic's band play and day out with the kids at the Children's Museum as well as photos from our trip back when we stopped at a railroad museum and played at hotels because there's simply too much.
Speaking of photos, the Times ran a front page photo of me and the kids enjoying the Christmas village at the Mall. Plus, Grandpoo and Beautiful Grandma took out a billboard on Shiloh with a birthday greeting for Pumpkin along with a giant picture of him so, even though we were only in town for a couple of weeks (at most), we got exposure all over the city! Pretty cool, eh?
Here, then, are my collages:
This is of Pumpkin's pre-party celebration with the fam at Cousin D's house.
Here are some pics from the actual birthday bash!
And here's our homegrown New Year's Eve celebration complete with Singstar:
So Christmas was fun, as usual. We got home, celebrated, had a birthday party, ate a lot, laughed a lot, sang, and came back to Denver.
We took loads of photos, and I made a few collages to make it easier to post them. I'm even skipping right over our night out watching Vic's band play and day out with the kids at the Children's Museum as well as photos from our trip back when we stopped at a railroad museum and played at hotels because there's simply too much.
Speaking of photos, the Times ran a front page photo of me and the kids enjoying the Christmas village at the Mall. Plus, Grandpoo and Beautiful Grandma took out a billboard on Shiloh with a birthday greeting for Pumpkin along with a giant picture of him so, even though we were only in town for a couple of weeks (at most), we got exposure all over the city! Pretty cool, eh?
Here, then, are my collages:
This is of Pumpkin's pre-party celebration with the fam at Cousin D's house.
Here are some pics from the actual birthday bash!
And here's our homegrown New Year's Eve celebration complete with Singstar:
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