Year in Review

Life with three stepped up its intensity this year with New Kid's increased mobility. By her first birthday in May she was walking and climbing and doing her best to keep up with her brother and sister. She has also really progressed her verbal skills just over the last several months and is able to communicate her needs to us which has made things a bit easier. Everyday brings new words and she likes to use them over and over again. Her disposition continues to be just as sweet as the day she was born, but she is not afraid to fight for what she wants and when she gets angry her teeth come out - literally! I hope her loving nature continues into this next year when we hit the terrible twos but I am soaking it up as much as I can now. Her favorite things are any of her stuffed animals and doing anything her sister is doing.

The Boy successfully wrapped up 1^st grade and matriculated to 2^nd grade without issue. Although his teacher changed, many of his friends from 1^st grade stayed in his class for 2^nd grade and he has met many new classmates as well. He continues to excel in school although he still hates writing and doing homework; reading is his passion. This was the “Year of Harry Potter” as Josh and I agreed he was ready to read the books and he flew through all of them over the summer. Josh decided to read them with him and I read them all again as well. We haven’t let him watch all of the movies yet as we feel the movies are little scarier than the books. I think he has only seen one through three but he continues to re-read the books and loves to play with his Harry Potter Legos. He played baseball in both the spring and fall and also participated in Chess Club at school which prompted Josh and I to learn to play as well.

Pickle is a Montessori whiz kid and is a busy bee every day at school. In the fall she became an “all-day” kid and was thrilled to be able to take her lunch; she is there 9am to 3pm. Josh had jokingly told her teachers that he wanted her reading by Christmas . . . although she didn’t make that mark she is getting pretty close. She desperately wants to do homework like her brother so we have her stocked with activity books to keep her stimulated in the afternoons. Her other passions include singing and dancing. I took her to see the musical Annie over the summer and then the movie last month and she loves all of the songs. She also loves playing dress-up in fancy skirts and dresses and wants to listen to music and dance. We started her in dance class over the summer so she has a weekly tap/ballet combination class that she loves.

It was a pretty exciting year in terms of work as I was presented with a fabulous opportunity to join a small company in the Recruiting Process Outsourcing industry. This new position is a virtual role so I am set up to work from home and it has been a big adjustment for everyone. I love not having to get up and rush to get dressed and rush out the door only to sit in traffic on my way to the office. Not having to hurry to wrap up work at the end of the day to make it home in time for dinner is even better. The positives to working from home far outweigh the negatives but I know it is stressful for Josh many afternoons when he has to keep the kids quiet and entertained after school. In August my small company was purchased by ADP so I now work for another large conglomerate but the day-to-day aspects of my job have not changed. I truly enjoy my work and am excited to do it every day.

Josh stays VERY busy with the kids and working on the house. We tackled only one major project this year and that was making over the backyard which involved knocking out our concrete patio and then laying down crushed granite over 1/3 of the yard to create a seamless patio, garden, dining area. We are still looking for the right furniture to complete the project but we love how it looks. Josh had a good year on his bike although I am sure he wishes he could have attended more races. He also keeps busy promoting races including several during Cyclocross season which just wrapped up.

In May my Dad and Lynna came for a visit that coincided with New Kid's birthday. I talked Dad into frying fish for the party and he spent all his time at the fryer; the fish were awesome and everyone loved them. They both worked so hard helping us with the party and I was grateful to have them here.

September brought Josh's Dad and Betsy out for the final Diamondback's home stand which was against the Giants. When we invited Harold the race for the West was a little tighter but by the time they arrived the D'backs were able to clinch that Friday night. We still enjoyed the game that Saturday and celebrating Harold's birthday at Oregano's.

Our final visitors of the year were Jo and Jay for Christmas. It is so special having family here at that time of year - any time of year really. The kids love having their grandparents visit and it gives them quality time that they don't get when we visit Louisiana or go to Colorado where they have to compete with their cousins. We are all so loved and I truly wish we could see family more often.

For Spring Break we had our first family trip to Wolf Creek where The Boy learned to ski. He was a natural and was racing down the slopes by the end of the trip. We had a lot of fun as it was nice and warm already in Pagosa Springs where we stayed. Besides getting to snowboard it was nice to have a week away together.

In August we went to Colorado for our annual trip with Harold, Betsy, and Josh's sister's family. This is always our favorite vacation as we get out of the heat and enjoy cooler temps (and some rain) and spend time hiking, playing, and just play visiting.

This year we had a big "first" for everyone . . . we went to the beach. It was a lot of fun to hear the kids talk about what they imagined the beach and ocean to look like and to experience their wonder when they finally saw it. We drove to Rocky Point which is about an hour across the Mexican border and only about 4 hours from Phoenix. It was a pretty desolate drive and then you cross the dunes and you see the ocean . . . the Gulf of California actually. We rented a house with our good friends and their boys and spent a few lazy days simply playing in the sand and floating in the water.

It was a fabulous year and we feel very lucky to have such smart and fun kids who love adventure and exploring. We hope to do more in 2012 including camping trips and more visits with family.

May your 2012 be filled with learning and amazement and many happy times.

This Christmas Season

It appears that we are just blogging the major holidays . . . . So much happened over the Christmas season and there were so many pictures and events to post but with the busyness of the season blogging got pushed to the back burner. Josh also had a racing-packed December so we had to fit in all the holiday prerequisites where we could.

There was "Tea Time" with Pickle at school and picking out and of course decorating the Christmas Tree. I also got to attend The Boy's classroom Gingerbread House decorating time which was a lot of fun; please note the icing in his hair.

Santa went BIG this year and it was a joyful morning of discovery and play. We were thrilled to once again have grandparents JoJo and Jay here for the holiday and the children were properly spoiled with extra attention, hugs, and Sprite. Below are some pictures from Christmas Day - a new bike (and a new sweatshirt) and a truck for the little one. "Truck" was one of her first words and it was what she would say when you asked her what she wanted for Christmas so Santa obliged! Looking back over the pictures from that morning I realized I don't have any of Pickle opening gifts; that was because she was off playing with something I am sure. One of her best gifts was a very simple baby stroller that Santa brought and it continues to be a big hit with both girls. She was also given a very neat "CD" player that plays music from the Disney Princess movies. As JoAnn said . . . "music soothes the savage beast" and she has been taking the player wherever she goes.

Thanksgiving

These are the only pictures that were taken on Thanksgiving . . .someone REALLY enjoyed the Gingerbread-Pumpkin Trifle!

Pickle's Birthday

Funny thing about a kid's birthday . . . hard to take pictures especially when the camera battery dies halfway into the birthday party. We should be getting pictures taken by Cathy & Kris that I will share; particularly pictures of the incredible cake Cathy made this year. It was a Princess Cake where the cake was the dress and it had a doll body. Pickle requested Belle so the dress was yellow and the doll brunette. It was incredible. Pickle wanted her party at the Train Park again and we had several girls from school join us. The usually gang of boys were there and the party was pretty split down the middle. The girls enjoyed making tiaras and rode the train together while the boys just played on the playground.

To My Daughter on Her Birthday

Dearest Daughter,

On the occasion of your fourth birthday I thought I would write you a letter to tell you what has been on my mind lately. I can’t say “it seems like only yesterday that you were born” because it has been a very full and long four years. You are a very determined and independent little girl . . . smart and full of life. You wear your emotions out in the open and those moods can change with the blink of an eye. We should have been warned about this by your “behavior” before you were born!

About 6 weeks before you arrived I started to notice contractions that just would not relax. It got so bad one night that your Dad and I went to the hospital to have it checked out and they confirmed that yes, I was having contractions but was not necessarily in labor for which we were very thankful. I spent the next 5 weeks doing my best to keep labor at bay so you could stay inside and grow big and strong; and BIG you did grow. By the time we neared your due date you had decided to make things a little difficult and not come along on your own. Dr. Schwartz decided I was getting a little too big and it would be best to encourage you to make your arrival. She planned to have the hospital call us sometime after midnight the night of Thanksgiving that year. We slept through the night and even headed out for a little “Black Friday” shopping on Friday morning only to get the call as we were walking into Old Navy.

Dad and I headed to the hospital and spent the day waiting and waiting for the moment when we would meet you. You hung out just long enough for us to watch LSU lose to Arkansas and then I was allowed to push you out. But your stubbornness was just beginning and you had to arrive in your own fashion – appearing face up with your little hand by your face. This made Dr. Schwartz a little nervous but you turned out fine and VERY LARGE – nearly 10 pounds. We were very excited to have a little girl and your brother was super excited to become a Big Brother.

You were an easy baby . . . slept when you were supposed to sleep and ate when you were supposed to eat. Your first year went by very quickly and before I knew it we were celebrating your first birthday. You started walking not long after you turned one and we took you to Santa Fe that Christmas where you toddled around Uncle Boyd and Aunt Susan’s house and tried to walk in the snow. You were adorable all bundled up for the cold.

From the very beginning you have wanted to do whatever your brother does and this continues through today. You don’t see age differences and you certainly have never let “being a girl” stand in your way; nothing stops you and you will try everything. You have been a climber since before you could walk and I knew it was only a matter of time before you ended up in the hospital. Just a few days into May 2010 you decided to jump from one of our new chairs and landed head first on the coffee table instantly splitting your forehead wide open. Dad says you did not cry very long and he has pictures of you on the way to the hospital with a smile on your face. You had a great time at the hospital trying to talk to everyone that walked by and you were a great little patient.

A few days after you hurt your head, your sister was born and you became a Big Sister. This is title you are very proud to have and I know you girls will be great friends. Having a sister is very special and you are the specialist sister of all because you are BOTH a Little Sister and a Big Sister! You were very gentle with her when she was born and wanted to help but now that she is older you once again forget age and size differences and think she is as tough as you. I promise one day she will be that tough.

You started school in August of 2010 and this opened up a whole new world for you. You could not wait to start at Community Montessori where your brother went for several years. The teachers at school have high praise for you and we all know that you are a very smart little girl. You can already count to twenty and understand your “teens” and can even write the numbers. You love coloring and have excellent pencil control and love writing your name. It amazes me that you can spell words already and soon you will be reading. Another favorite of yours right now is dancing and you started ballet last summer. This past year I took you to see the musical Annie and the movie and you love all the songs singing them over and over. You also got to see the Phoenix Ballet perform Cinderella.
I hope that as you continue to grow up you never lose your independent nature or your knowledge that you can do whatever you want. I love you very much and look forward see what you discover in the next years.

                                                                                    Love, Mom

We have a sick one

So Pickle is sick. This doesn't happen very often at our house. Christi and I were talking about it on the way home from the Dr.'s office and neither one of us could remember the last time that one of the kids was actually sick. I don't think we went to the Dr. for anything but well visits in all of 2010 and 2011 until today. She earned her trip to the Dr. though. With a fever above 100° for 2 days, a hacking cough, and swallows that hurt she was a miserable little girl. Our $30 copay got us a diagnosis of parainfluenza. It isn't the flu but a virus that causes an upper respiratory infection. a couple days on the couch and she should be as good as new.

The really odd thing about Pickle is she is exceptionally pleasant when she is sick. She becomes very quiet and caring in her depleted state. She isn't exactly a cuddly girl but when she doesn't feel good that is all she wants to do. I want her to be well and feel better as much as any parent wants his kid to be well but I will miss this version of her when crazy on the go Pickle returns.

New Kid is 18 Months!

It's hard to believe but this little cherub is 18 months today. She's becoming just as precocious as her sister but is still the easiest of the three. I think she is a good combination of her brother and sister - sensitive and loving like her Bubba but independent and adventurous like Pickle. She gives the best hug you will ever have from a toddler and her smile is infectious. Slowly she is learning new words like "light," "milk," "I out," and "Bubba." And she has learned to climb everything. She is helpful and smart and loves to please by following directions; I just hope that lasts!

The Boy has Character

The grades that kids get are a funny thing. A ton of emphasis is put on something that isn't really a gauge of how smart the person is. My opinion is biased. I never made straight A's. The Boy is a pretty smart little man and I bet he won't ever make straight A's either. But what he was awarded today makes me more proud than any report card full of arcane and seemingly random marks. He received an award for character. The best part is he didn't know it existed. He was just behaving as he normally does which apparently is with compassion and kindness.

Halloween 2011

A Jedi, Rapunzel, and a Pumpkin . . . messy hair and a dirty face . . . Halloween at our house 2011! We had friends join us for dinner and trick-or-treating which added two small firefighters and two Darth Vaders as well.

This was Baby C's first trick-or-treat experience and it only took a few houses for her to figure out what to do but she didn't really care about the candy. She just wanted to be right in there with the big kids and more often than not would just turn and walk away with them without even getting a treat.

Creole Mustard and Happy Birthday Dad

 

Zatarain's Creole Mustard makes me happy. It is one of the items I like to have in my refrigerator at any time because I love it and it reminds me of home. It doesn't take much and you can use it on anything.

A love of flavorful foods is one of the many things my Dad taught me and for this I am grateful. Happy Birthday Dad . . . I love you and hope to be eating some tasty food with you soon.

Sedona

The weekend after we went to the beach Josh and I were lucky enough to be able to spend the weekend in Sedona sans kids . . . you read that correctly . . . we were ALONE. Well not necessarily alone since we were there to attend a wedding and were surrounded by good friends, but we were not responsible for anyone other than ourselves for 48 hours! Josh was asked to be one of the Groomsmen in his friend Ryan's wedding which they held at a vineyard south of Sedona so we were also included in the rehearsal dinner festivities on Friday night.

View from our hotel room patio

On Saturday after a very yummy breakfast - which we did not prepare and were able to eat at the same time with no one demanding anything - we decided to take a drive through Oak Creek Canyon and then got even more adventurous and went off road! If you have been following along you read about "The Trip" and know we have our Jeep back which we had with us in Sedona. We drove over Schnebly Hills Road which dropped us right back into Sedona just in time to get ready for the afternoon wedding.

"Bear Head" - taken on our off road adventure

It was a beautiful weekend and I was very thankful for the opportunity to spend that kind of quality time with my best friend. The Bride actually thanked me for making the trek up there and I told her the thanks was all mine!

The Beach

At the end of September we took at little jaunt to Mexico to introduce the kids to the beach and ocean. It was well received! Rocky Point is only about 4 hours away and the drive - although boring - was very easy. Crossing the border was simple in both directions and we made it there and back without incident. We went with our good friends - the Bounds - who have been down to the seaside town several times and knew the lay of the land. We rented a house from a nice Arizona couple from whom the Bounds had rented before and they actually lived in the beach house next door. The house was a perfect size for our two families and was right on the beach so we were able to enjoy the view and easy access that we needed especially with a "napper" in each family.

The best part of this particular beach was the exceptionally low tides! Each morning when we awoke the water was already slowly receding and the wonderful sand bars and natural streams and pools that were created were the perfect playgrounds for all of us. Beautiful shells were there for the picking as well as crabs! The boys loved digging and the girls loved splashing and you could find your perfect depth of water for swimming or sitting or floating. The evening low tide was also a lot of fun and we spent some time exploring with flashlights as well. Jer brought a paddle board and he spent a lot of time paddling himself as well as each small passenger who was interested. I think we would all agree that his biggest fan was Pickle, by far. She is the small figure you see on the board with Jer in the picture.

The sand was actually fairly steep so at high tide there was a pretty abrupt drop that made floating and swimming a little rough especially on our second day when the waves were coming in pretty strong. This did not deter the bigger boys as they rarely left the water or water's edge for the whole 3 days we were there.

Going to the Ballet

Thursday night I took Pickle to see the Arizona Ballet perform Cinderella. For many reasons this was a big deal the least of which is the fact that the show did not start until 7:00pm which is usually when she is already in bed. Our tickets were complimentary from a very nice Junior League Sustainer so day and times were not of my choosing, but I was not going to pass up this wonderful opportunity. Pickle started taking a ballet and tap class last summer so her interest in dance is piqued and of course she is infatuated with anything “princess” related.

My biggest decision was what to have her wear. We are not the “formal” dress kind of girls but I wanted her to be dressed up for the occasion. Dressing up is easy until we get to her shoe choices . . . Crocs and flip-flops were not going to work but I found these adorable flats at The Gap last weekend which happened to match the cute coat she’s had in her closet for many years. I found the coat at Target on clearance several years ago and bought it on spec for future use . . . it’s a 5T but I knew it would come in handy one day. Overall I thought she was perfectly dressed and looked so grown up!

 Cathy and I took her out to dinner downtown before the show and she was just a bundle of energy. She really only sat still once dessert was served. Pickle can be a really sweet little girl when she is the only child involved in the outing and is not competing with others for your attention.

The Ballet started slowly and it had a hard time holding her attention (to be honest it didn’t really hold my attention either), but it soon picked up with beautiful costumes and more continuous dancing. Overall it was a beautiful performance and I think she really enjoyed it. I was amazed that she knew so many ballet steps and would comment on what they were doing. She made it nearly to the end but fell asleep about halfway through the 3^rd Act.

Mickey

Mickey has been a part of our family since the Boy was somewhere in his 3^rd year. Although Mickey had been one of many stuffed animals he had received in his early years, it took a while for the attachment to grow and ultimately he became the favorite . . . the one that is at the Boy's side all the time. When I was pregnant with Pickle Mickey became his “Brudder” and another one of the children.

His attachment to Mickey has been and continues to be so strong that JP and I are always careful to keep an eye out for the Mouse making sure he stays at home when we leave or doesn’t get manhandled by one (or both) of the girls. We have always been fearful something would happen to Mick and we would be left with a screaming toddler (or now a sulking 7 year old) at bedtime.

There was one instance several years ago where we got to the dinner table on a Sunday evening and the Boy suddenly remembered he had left Mickey at the library. I called and found out that yes, a Mickey Mouse had been found in the kids’ area but they were closing soon so I could pick it up the next day. HELLO? Are you MAD lady? I want to get some sleep tonight! I ran out of the house and drove well over the speed limit to get there before they locked me out and Mickey in . . . the result was positive but I can still remember that tangible fear.

At least 2 nights out of seven the three of us end of up searching for Mickey who has been left behind in a random place (wheelbarrow outside is the most memorable – always fun to see JP put the headlamp on for searching). There have been only a few nights that I can recall where he went to bed without Mickey and JP or I would find him and put him to bed with the sleeping boy, but never has he been missing for longer than a few hours.

Which brings us to a very rough Tuesday night a few weeks ago when Mouse could not be found and he went to bed with promises that Mommy & Daddy would find Mickey and bring him to bed. We did not find him. Nor was he found the next morning or all day and another frantic search began at bedtime Wednesday night. This time he was not so easily assuaged into bed. There were lots of moaning and many tears. At one point the Boy asked Josh if this was a practical joke . . . that was when JP’s heart really broke. I think Dad was taking it harder than the Boy.

Over the tense 36 hours we looked in every drawer and cabinet– multiple times – and under beds and beneath covers. I promise no stone was unturned or possibility not considered but the Mouse could not be found. JP even donned rubber gloves and dug through the trash, he tore open a tied up bag of diapers, and he looked in the alley dumpsters. We emptied every laundry basket, bin of stuffed animals, and Lego container but the Mouse was not to be found.

Finally on that Thursday morning I stood in the middle of the Boy’s room and looked around, casually picked up a small cardboard cube, shook it, and opened  it to find this

Pure joy on the Boy’s face when he came home from school that day!

Mugshots

No really! how is it that Christi's looks almost good and the rest of us look like we are in the county lockup? These are in fact our passport photos. The entire experience of getting a passport was an ordeal. I got sent home 2 times to retake my picture before I got one accepted. To get New Kid to even take a picture in front of the screen while looking at the camera was nearly impossible. The first set of photos for her were rejected and she obviously didn't take it well as is evident by her crying in the accepted photo.  

Learning Resourcefulness

It must be pretty tough standing around to play with toys. When you are all of 16 months and 22 pounds nothing is more difficult than dragging your tired carcass over to your noise maker to get the fun on. Enter the school bus. Not only can it get you to the toy but it can double as a seat when you just can't stand anymore.

The Trip

I have many fond memories of road trips with my entire family but some of the most fond were just me and my dad. Since The Boy was born I have looked longingly to a day when he and I could take trips together. We had a brief jaunt by ourselves last June when I took him up to camp but he was so excited to be heading off to camp and it was such a short trip that it didn't amount to much. This past weekend we went on a little bigger trip.

We loaded up Goldie and headed east to run into my Brother-in-Law who was driving my jeep west. More on that debacle later. The boy and I made great time on our journey and had a ton of fun. There was little to no complaining from him about how long it was taking and never a question of "are we there yet?" The only time there was a hint of whine in his voice was when I told him he couldn't poop for another 20 miles!

My only regret is the trip went too fast. We didn't stop to take any pictures or explore anything. Although we were in the respective cars for close to 23 hours it really didn't seem like a very long time. He was never bored as he had activity books to do and he read the Fudge series of books by Judy Blume. I don't know if he read the entire series but he devoured the four books he brought on the trip and then reread them again. After he read he took a nap in one of the most uncomfortable positions I have ever seen. He slept this way for 2 hours.

In short we had a great time. I hope that he remembers it fondly as we get to take more trips.

Pickle's an all day kid

Pickle has finally made it to all day kid status, or luncher as she likes to call it. She has been counting down the days all summer until she could go to school for the whole day like Bubba. She is out of the house at 9 and doesn't return until 3. A full day of learning in store. I told her teacher today that I wanted her reading by Christmas! I hope she didn't think I was kidding.

Someone else was pretty excited to see Pickle go all day too! New Kid isn't going to know what to do with all the quiet around here.

2nd Grade

The yearly ritual of taking a picture on the first day of school is so ingrained now, that after getting dressed, The Boy actually walked down the hall and stood in the spot on the wall waiting for his photo to be taken. So this begins the second grade for him. He trotted off to school with Christi by his side and a backpack laden with too many supplies that I feel certain will never be used.

Addition to my Office

JP recently hung some shelves in my office which are to serve a couple of purposes. 1) Makes it more office like and 2) considering my office is in my bedroom for now, it is also holding pictures and other items that we had on the armoire in the room. I love the sleek look of the shelves.

The log cabin was a Lego purchase I made for ME . . . not the boy, not JP, but ME! I like to play with Legos as much as they do and I wanted the cabin! I put it together (sharing the fun with all) over the 4th of July weekend and decided to display it in my office. I figure it is also a visualization tool to manifest what I want . . . my own log cabin on a river with a canoe. I've just taken it up a notch from cutting pictures out of a magazine to make a story board of my wants, I create them with Legos!

JP asked if we could park his Ferrari next to the log cabin but I feel it is a bit pretentious to park your sports car next to your 2nd home.

Hiking in the City

One of the best things about living in Phoenix is the accessibility of outdoor activities. We live within a mile of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve which is a fabulous "park" right in the middle of the city where we can hike, run, climb, and bike and feel like we are no where near civilization. Once the summer approaches and there is enough light for me to head out by 6am, I forgo the gym and choose to hike as many mornings a week as I can. I get lost on the trails and get excited when I see wildlife like coyote, quail and jackrabbits; I've even come across a rattlesnake. One day last summer I stopped to watch a coyote chase a dog . . . I am confident he just wanted to play but the owner should have had his dog on a leash, if you ask me. The only times I realize I am near the city is when I reach the top of a climb and I can see the highway already filling up with cars. For the most part I have the trails to myself but there are many others out there enjoying the mornings. My favorite is a group of older women - 70's maybe or even 80's - who I see EVERY morning out there; they are truly inspiring.

The Many Faces of Pickle

What does $165 get you?

What does $165 get you? It got me two very nice people to spend nearly 8 hours cleaning my house from top to bottom. It removed the grime from my fans and bathtubs and returned white things white again. It got my furniture vacuumed - even turned my couch upside down to vacuum underneath - and even my air vents cleaned. My furniture was dusted, floors mopped, and windows cleaned. In short my house was CLEANED; I'm talking scrubbed - not just the quick version I typically do on the weekends.

But more importantly than a clean house it gave me a whole Saturday with my children lunching with them and my two best friends and then spending the afternoon at the theater to see Annie. It gave me a good nights sleep last night as I looked forward to a whole Sunday of doing what I want to do instead of what I need to do. It gave me a chance to make blueberry muffins from scratch and to read the paper with my hot cup of coffee. It allowed me to take the time to sit at my computer and type this blog post and I hope it gives me the chance to catch up on some old magazines and maybe play some games with my children today.

The cost was pricey - as it always is for an initial cleaning - but it was so worth it and I hope we can have them return (at a lower price point) every other week. We're not extravagant people but this is a luxury I could certainly get used to having.

Sleeping Controversy

This started out as a comment on one of our friend's blogs and I decided to keep typing and share it on my blog. The theme of her post was about letting her 9 week old still sleep in her bed and how the "co-sleeping" thing can be controversial. While we did not do the co-sleeping thing with any of our kids, we did put them on their stomachs. *Gasp*

The only place our son would sleep for the first 8 weeks of his life was in his car seat. I remember sobbing in the doctor's office because he wouldn't sleep (he was less than a week old) and the only rest I got was when he was in his car seat. Do you know what the doctor said? So let him sleep in his car seat . . . it was so nice to hear the doctor say that. That worked great until I woke up to find him upside down in his car seat and that put an end to that.

Turns out the kid had GERD and was only comfortable upright; he HATED to be on his back. He was a horrible sleeper and we got a lot of opinions and two really stuck out for me - my grandmother and my friend who was a nurse - and they both said to put him on his stomach. We did that starting around 9 or 10 weeks and that kid has been an amazing sleeper ever since!


With kid #2 I tried to be good and do the whole "Back to Sleep" thing - I mean, crikey, their dang clothes say it - but that lasted about 4 weeks when Josh couldn't take it anymore. He walked into the guest room (where Pickle and I had been stashed for sleeping), took her out of my arms and put her down on her stomach. She went right to sleep. I didn't even bother trying with kid #3; pretty much as soon as she was home she was sleeping on her stomach. She did sleep somewhat upright in her Boppy for a few weeks until she would slide too far down. I put a twin bed in her room and she would sleep in the Boppy next to me and then eventually in her crib while I slept in the room with her.

The thing with all three of mine is that they all slept through the night quickly so they didn't really need me for nighttime feedings. There wasn't much point for them to sleep with me. With each one I felt guilty for leaving them in their beds to go sleep in mine but they have all loved their crib and now their beds so in the long run I know they are happy sleepers. New Kid wouldn't have it any other way . . . it is her happy place. I'm not sure we will ever get her out of the crib.

Harry Potter

The make up of The Boy's class last year was a combined 1-3 grades. This was both good and bad. The good is obviously the chance and opportunity to work above grade level; the bad was exposure to some non curriculum content that he, or I, might not be ready to handle. One such topic was the Harry Potter series. From what I understand there was a great deal of time spent discussing the tomes during lunch, recess, and when they were supposed to be doing other stuff in class. He generally knows the stories through and through without ever reading the books or seeing the movies. So we decided for his summer reading he could dive into the books. And dive in he did. He had the first two books finished by Tuesday night after starting them on the way home from camp on Sunday night! Part of letting him read the books was all reading members of the household were going to read them concurrently so we could discuss. This included me. I was a day late to start and now I am a book and a half behind! It appears I have some homework to do.

21st Century

It was not too long ago that we were fully entrenched in the 20th century. I don't mean it as the 20th century was not long ago what I mean is our simple house was stuck there. We didn't have fancy flat screen TVs - we had tube ones. It wasn't until 2011 that we moved into the HDTV and smartphone world. Another modern day advancement we thought we should get was Netflix. We had it when it first came out and, gasp, you had to wait for little discs to be mailed to your house (we just recently got a DVD/Blu Ray player after not having one for at least 5 years.) The iteration we have now allows movies and TV shows to be streamed thus completely quenching the desire for instant gratification to which we have all grown accustomed. And that is where this story is going.

Our Netflix membership, although discussed for some time, was only purchased because we wanted to watch a movie right then and there with the children. Set up was a snap and we decided on Up. We sat down with some pizza and settled in to watch the movie. You need to understand that our kids are not big TV watchers. Outside of sports and a few shows watched on the weekend they do not get parked in front of any kind of screen so they are relatively unused to the watching movies. They have certainly not gained the knowledge that any movie they are going to watch will have a happy ending. So it was about 25 minutes from the end of the movie that the older 2 kids (New Kid had already been stowed for the night) stood up and announced they weren't watching any more. The Boy said he was uncomfortable because "they were trying to kill the old man," and "needed to go read," and Pickle was very concerned for the well being of the two protagonists. Both were convinced that this was not going to end well for the bird, the dog, and the two humans.

I was floored and speechless so Christi stepped in and suggested we all adjourn to get PJs on and then return to finish. So after a quick break for PJs and teeth brushing they returned to finish watching both curled up as close to Mom as they could get. In the end they laughed and enjoyed the movie and have asked to watch it again proclaiming it to be their favorite movie.

I look back on it now and think it was adorable and really highlights the innocence of youth. It gave me a little glimpse of their world through their eyes and I think I am better for it.

Hamster Sitters

The Boy's class is not unlike most other first grade classes in that it has a class pet. There are in fact two class pets. Sibling hamsters named Flash and Dash. The little rodents can't spend the weekend unsupervised so families volunteer to be responsible for them over the weekend.

Our weekend was picked long before we knew that it would be straddled by a last day of work and a first day of orientation for a new job taking place in Ohio necessitating flying out early Sunday morning. I found out at drop off for Pickle that the best option for quiet hamsters was to keep them separated. They aren't friendly with each other so confined to a single cage would mean a night of tussles and the need to intervene. Not my idea of a good hamster sitting gig. New Kid and I went to pick up the little critters and helped The Boy's teacher change the bedding in the cages. One of the other students in the class helped me get them to Van due to the fact I had a one year old on my hip.

My number one mission as caretaker was the safe return of our charge. With a three and one year old I was very concerned a Lennie moment would occur and one of the little ladies would accidentally cause the demise due to "petting". Lucky for me and the hamsters no such thing happened. There were a few tense moments when they were in their exercise balls and New Kid would pick them up but crisis was quickly averted. All in all it was a very easy experience and everyone enjoyed it.
Getting the pets back to school was an adventure as well. It involved taking all three kids and the 2 hamsters in a little before school started. Pickle had to push New Kid in the stroller and she isn't the best driver. The stroller was run off curbs and into door jambs but New Kid didn't seem to mind too much. I'm sorry there aren't any pictures of this part as my hands were full and I was trying to get Pickle to understand how to use the crosswalk while pushing her sister.

I am married to my best friend.

Tomorrow JP and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary*. Marriage is amazingly easy for us but not without a lot of compromise and flexibility. I think our secret it just trying to anticipate what the other will need - a bike ride, gym time, tagging off when a child gets unruly, a hug, a night out, etc. and letting them have it. After dating, living with, and/ or being married to him for 15+ years I know that if he does not get to ride his bike, he is not enjoyable to be around. By the same token, he indulges my whims and supports whatever "kick" I am on at the time.

We also spend a lot of time together just hanging out. From the beginning we commented on the fact that we enjoyed going to the grocery store together and it was something we always did together before we had kids; to me this is the cornerstone of my exhibit. It is the simple things we love to do. I know there are many couples who don't hang out as much as we do - maybe it is because they have such opposite interests or can't agree on a TV program, but I think we are lucky (or maybe JP is lucky) that we do like the same things. Over the years I have developed interest in many of the things that he enjoys like baseball, cycling, snowboarding, among others and I choose to be a part of his world. I would much rather sit on the couch and watch baseball with him than be alone in my room watching something by myself. And compromise goes both ways; he has watched Dancing with the Stars with me for many seasons and will go see Harry Potter when I ask.

For our anniversary I have planned our whole day and night and just told him the details on Friday. This afternoon we are going to take off on foot from our house and catch the bus for downtown; this was a late addition to my plans I he was really excited about this aspect. We will be staying in a downtown hotel within walking distance of one of the best pizza places in town - Pizzeria Bianco - which we hope to be able to get in to eat. The one time we have tried previously the wait was 2 hours, but we hope to arrive around 4:30 to get an early start. After dinner my plan is to head to the ballpark for a Diamondbacks game; it has been a few years since just the two of us went to the game and I am looking forward to kicking back on our own. That's it - not a very classic anniversary date but certainly one that illustrates our simple tastes. I think he will really enjoy the day.

JP - I love you very much and am very pleased with our simple and enjoyable life. I truly could not ask for anything more . . . well, maybe a housekeeper but that is about it.

* As a footnote I don't really feel old enough to have been married this long.

New Job

I know everyone was surprised by my Facebook update the other day that it was my last day at work. Switching jobs has happened so quickly that I have not had a chance to tell everyone including many members of my family. I spent four very busy years at my previous company and learned a lot about recruiting and met some really great people, but I was recruited away to an awesome organization that is a great logical step for my career.

Today was my first day and I couldn't be more impressed with how organized everything is here and how happy and honest everyone is about the company and what I can expect. I have so much to learn about day-to-day process and I can not wait to dig in and get started. One of the coolest parts of my job is that I will be working from home which means we have been busy setting up a true office space for me where I can shut everyone out and be able to focus. I am really excited to create this space that will be all my own.

Right now I am in Ohio for new hire orientation which meant that I had to fly out Sunday morning and then drive nearly 2 hours in the rain to my hotel. Ohio is beautiful - although gray and dreary right now - and I was really taken by the verdant farmland, beautiful (and I am sure old) structures including some really awesome churches right outside of Columbus. I really wish I had my camera with me so I could have taken some pictures. The other observation I made was of the swollen rivers that were very close to their banks; very wet around here and very different from the desert.

So that is the update on my new job. I head home on Thursday and can't wait to see my little peeps (and my big one).

From Ozzy to Pickle

It is usual for the youngsters to inquire about dinner beginning just after breakfast. Today they were mildly patient and waited until 4:30. It started with the boy asking, "what's for dinner?" While pointing at the first crooked neck squash harvested from our garden this year I replied: "grilled chicken, couscous, and this little fella." At this point in the conversation Pickle, who has still has yet to look up from her coloring book, interjects, "I love little fellas! I can bite their heads off."

I'm not sure what she thinks we are having with the chicken and couscous but she is going to bite its head off.

Happy Mudder's Day

"What did you get Mommy for Mother's Day?"

"Letters"

JP and the kids got me these letter disks from Sundance which I had requested. Each one came in its own gift box so I had three little presents; one from each! It was a great Mother's Day that started with a three-year-old voice - "Happy Mudder's Day" and ended with dinner at Oregano's with the kids and our friends, Cathy and Kris. They are both like surrogate moms to our kids so it was a nice celebration. It was also new kid's 1st birthday which made the day extra special. We took a family hike and played games and generally just lounged about . . . very relaxing.

Happy 1st Birthday New Kid

New Kid celebrated her 1st birthday like the others . . . going to Oregano's. We had her party last weekend when Dad was here and we were treated to fried fish, boiled shrimp, and other good food! The 1st birthday party is more for the parents, right? To me it is a celebration that we survived; at least it was for the first kid. By the third one the year just flew by rather quickly especially with this one who has been easy from day one.

 One of our birthday traditions . . . getting to share a beer with The Jer.

Since today was also Mother's Day we got to enjoy our day together. After opening presents, eating breakfast, and watching the Giro (JP more than us); we went for a hike. All the kids enjoyed themselves and we tired out the Birthday Girl. She proceeded to nap for about 4 1/2 hours during the middle of the day. Sleeping has been her priority pretty much since the beginning.

Another Bump on the Head

Almost exactly one year to the day since the last head wound incident Pickle decided to try and mar up her lovely forehead once again. On Sunday afternoon Pickle had just served me and JP each a bowl of baby carrots on which to snack when her grandparents returned to the house with Bubba. In her excitement to reach the front door she tripped and fell headfirst into the brick halfwall that defines our entryway. JP saw it happen and was on his feet scooping her up before she even had a chance to cry. Luckily no skin was split or skull viewable so a little ice and TLC is all she needed.

Last year's scar has faded nicely just as that sweet doctor said it would and with this new scab you hardly notice the old scar at all.

They Grow Up So Fast - Part 2

Pickle has started Word Building and as this picture shows, she is very excited. The reading process in the Montessori program begins by learning the phonetic sounds of each letter - we are not allowed to "name" the letters - and then they move to putting these sounds together. JP got to see her in word building action last week during his observation visit. The teacher tells her a word and then she uses the letters to build the word on her mat. Once she completes all of the words she then gets to write them which at this point is simply tracing the word. You can also see that she uses cursive letters instead of block print which is another aspect of the Montessori classroom. Cursive letters are actually easier for children to learn because they do not have to pick up their pencil. Pickle loves to write and is anxious to learn to actually read. It won't be long now.