Our Simple House

Time For New Shoes?

2012-02-03T17:49:00.003-07:00

The Boy owns only 2 pairs of shoes . . . correction, he only wears two pairs of shoes. These he wore every school day for the last year and any other time socks/ shoes were required.

Rocking Two Wheels!

2012-01-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Training wheels are officially gone!

Wheeeeee

2012-01-17T14:30:00.001-07:00

Someone finally hung the swing that Santa brought her for Christmas 2010! She loves to go "wheeee" as she calls it.

Personal Pan Pizzas

2012-01-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

We have had these small pizza pans probably since before we got married. I remember using them once when we lived in Colorado but not since then. What a fun way to make pizza with 3 opinionated children!

The Boy had salami and green olive, Pickle had yellow pepper and green olive, and New Kid was given plain cheese. The fourth was pepperoni in case any one changed their mind at the last minute. Mom and Dad had one large pizza all to themselves with salami and jalapenos! Everyone was happy.

Year in Review

2011-12-31T19:15:00.058-07:00

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

2011-12-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

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

2011-12-02T07:12:00.003-07:00

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

Pickle's Birthday

2011-11-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-23T17:10:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-10T12:31:00.001-07:00

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!

2011-11-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-11-06T07:31:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-28T08:00:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-26T16:15:00.030-07:00

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

2011-10-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T07:06:00.002-07:00

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

2011-09-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

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

2011-08-15T13:34:00.004-07:00

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

2011-08-11T08:01:00.004-07:00

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

2011-07-21T08:38:00.001-07:00

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

2011-07-19T08:24:00.001-07:00

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

2011-07-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

What does $165 get you?

2011-06-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T16:27:00.004-07:00

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

2011-06-03T12:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-24T07:16:00.004-07:00

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.

2011-05-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

"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

2011-05-08T20:18:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-04T14:41:00.002-07:00

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

2011-04-29T08:37:00.001-07:00

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.

How we entertain ourselves at the Egg Hunt

2011-04-27T12:27:00.002-07:00

Pickle - 4 months

New Kid - 11 months

Hunting Eggs

2011-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

The kids were treated to 3 different egg hunts this year starting with the a rainy afternoon at Cee-Cee's

Listening intently to instructions


The Human Crane

The Annual Easter Luncheon and Egg Hunt at the kids' Montessori school is always one of our favorite events.

Bubba and his friend from school whose brother also attends CMS.

Finally the Easter Bunny visited our house and the kids did some hunting among the broken concrete and backyard project.

They Grow Up So Fast - Part 1

2011-04-17T20:35:00.001-07:00

New Kid had a fabulous time in the backyard by herself the other day and I was able to catch her glee on video. I don't think she was ever going to tire of this activity.

She has been full of energy lately and loves to be chased and to attack whoever is on the floor. It is a great game to her to pretend to escape and then she will stop and turn back to make sure you are watching or coming after her. She just squeals and giggles.

Hello From Colorado

2011-03-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

Sunday's drive to the mountains was a "quick" trip considering the lengthy drives we put the kids through over the summer. Door to door was only nine hours and that included one stop to change Pickle's clothes and one stop at the Durango Wally World to pick up some flashlights. As far as a 9 hour car ride with three kids go, it was perfect.

Forty minutes into the trip and kid two throws up. She was in a defiant mood and didn't want to eat any of the breakfast that was provided. This, coupled with the fact that she was force fed orange juice at home before we left in an effort not to waste the freshly squeezed stuff, meant that the contents of her stomach were ripe for egress. JP refused to stop the first time and I did my best to contain it and clean her up, but when the second round started there was no salvaging the clothes. I couldn't force her to sit in vomit-stained, wet clothes for another 7 hours. We pulled over between Payson and Heber for a quick change and a quick introduction to some very cold temperatures!

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful and we pulled into Pagosa Springs right at 5:30pm. During check-in I discovered that JP's Aunt and Uncle were also here for a night so we enjoyed a short visit with them after dinner.

Day one of our vacation was very laid back as we wanted to get everyone acclimated to the altitude and have no forced activities so we could be sure to have some good blocks of time for naps. The day was filled with brief trips to the playground - the wind was vicious and parental units could not stay out there very long - coloring, lego play, and puzzle time. I know the boys were extremely bored but I think it was nice to have a day to do nothing.

Today we are off to find some good snow in which to play!

She sits on cubes

2011-03-17T15:43:00.005-07:00

There was a post a couple of years ago, when there were only two spawn in the house, discussing nurture vs. nature, link.
It seems that our luck did not stop with #2. New Kid's newest trick is to climb on the corduroy cubes and dance and bounce. This behavior is no doubt a learned one and learned from her older sister at that.

Hi Darth

2011-03-17T13:41:00.002-07:00

Of the two oh so adorable turners pictured above we only have one. The all powerful Darth! He is a huge hit in our house and every time he makes an appearance Pickle says, "hi Darth," in the cutest little voice. He has really been personified to the point that he is not the spatula, or turner, named Darth; he is simply Darth.

On an unrelated note whatever sickness made the rounds here 3 weeks ago seems to be coming back. New Kid has it the worst and her nose is a snot faucet right now. On a 10 month old that is absolutely horrible because she doesn't have the wherewithal to wipe on anything so it is just constantly flowing. Probably not the image you wanted but it isn't the image I wanted either so I thought I would share.

Pickle Gets a haircut

2011-03-10T12:16:00.007-07:00

Pickle finally got a hair cut. I don't say finally To imply her hair was knappy and the time for the hairs to be cut was overdue, but finally in the sense she is over three and had never had one.

She had been asking for a trim for quite some time. Every time we got the clippers out to trim the Boy's hair she would ask for a haircut as well. She even wanted the 2 guard treatment like he gets.
Christi thought it best I not hack off all of her hair like that so a trip to the salon was planned. The Boy's first trip to get a haircut was an awful experience for most involved. See photo below.

Christi was determined to make it a very easy experience so we talked it up a great deal. The two older women of the house chose a date and made an appointment. Pickle was very big girl about the whole thing. I was a little nervous so was a bit over zealous in my texts to Christi asking how it was going. The report was good and in every picture I received Pickle looked like she was doing well.
In the end she came home with lovely trim and it is very easy to manage. Hair brushing time is no longer a battle and she doesn't have to hold her hair back all the time to see what she is doing.

10 months

2011-03-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

So new kid rolled through her 10 month birthday today. She is taking this growing up thing in stride and progressing as she should. She is still mimicking the sounds she hears, which may result in a delay of speech development because it is really funny to hear her growl. She is also convinced she can stand straight up from a sitting position. This has yet to work out for her but she rocks and jostles in an attempt to get her feet under her and ends up throwing herself over forward onto her belly.
In lieu of a 10 month birthday cake we gave her the first of what will most likely be thousands of pancakes. She did eventually eat the whole thing but most liked clutching it in her little warm hand when she first got it.

All I want for Christmas...

2011-03-04T11:00:00.005-07:00

A discussion was had the other day about updating the blog. It was decided that a post about the Boy's missing teeth and Pickle's very first haircut were great topics. I wanted to cover the lack of contextual understanding behind incentivizing bringing my own bag to the grocery store and the macro economic zero sum shell game that is cutting education funding but we can make time for those topics later.
Two members of the household are getting their two top front teeth at the same time. One is taking the event much better than the other. What I find most amusing about the concurrent cuspid cultivation is how silly one looks without the two front teeth and how silly one will look when her two front teeth finally make it in. I recall when the Boy's top teeth came in the first time and he immediately went from cute little infant to swamp person!

Capturing a picture of new kid's budding teeth is proving to be a bit harder than planned! I will try to sneak up on her and get one posted soon.

It is Friday!

2011-02-18T16:42:00.001-07:00

New kid doesn't often get to sit in a bean bag. But on this day her siblings were off at their respective schools and she took full advantage of their absence. I believe she liked it.

She is not this joyous looking currently though as she has a fever and a grumpy disposition. She picked it up from Pickle but should be able to kick it quickly.

Pickle's First Fever

2011-02-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is not a joke . . . I am pretty sure she has had her first fever of her whole life this week. She's had plenty of snotty colds and was always good for a surprise ear infection when she was an infant,(Seriously she never gave any sign of her ears bothering her; the doctor would look in and say, that one looks bad. Nuts!) but really this is the first time I can remember taking her temperature and actually having a fever.

I knew it was bad if JP reported that she had a fever on Monday but I am always too curious to accept the basic assessment so I insisted on using the thermometer and it was 101.4 - not too bad but definitely a fever. We sent her to school on Tuesday and she seemed fine (cranky but fine) yesterday afternoon. Last night she woke up about 11:30 calling for me . . . I go into her room and she says, "I want to sleep with you guys." This was an odd request because our children have always been great sleepers and the idea of sleeping in our room has never really come up. (And we'd like to keep it that way.) So I of course ask "why." And she says, "Because I love you." How sweet is that? Not a bad thing to be awakened by your 3 year old to be told she loves you . . . .

This was when I leaned in to give her a hug and thought her hot little hand was going to sear a handprint on my forearm. She was burning up. I REALLY wanted to take her temperature just to know the number but I decided to trust the "Mommy Thermometer" and just give her some Motrin (our Tylenol had expired - that's a problem with healthy kids) and get her back to sleep. Worked like a charm; she slept until about 7:30 this morning. Needless to say she stayed home from school today. Amazingly she is actually really pleasant when she is sick . . . .

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T10:10:00.002-07:00

We made cookies yesterday and let the kids help ice them . . . they need practice. I came through and touched them up a bit. They were doing more licking than icing! Pickle sat down and announced that all the heart cookies were for her . . . really?

The kids had made picture frames and cards for us when Cee- Cee sat with them last month. Pickle has been keeping her cards not so hidden in her closet but Bubba surprised us by putting his cards under our pillow on Saturday night. Now that is how you surprise someone; give them something early! They will each have their respective card exchanges at school today which means they will come home with a bag or box full of "crunk" that will need to be tossed or recycled.

JP and I have never been big on Valentine's Day. In our early years we exchanged gifts and there was that wonderful gift that I wrote about here; but after spending so many years together every day Valentine's just loses its luster (if it ever had luster). We had an enjoyable weekend together including a wonderful "at home" date on Friday night that involved steak, wine, bruschetta, and House Hunters International!

We hope you have a wonderful day and don't get wrapped up in the silliness of Valentine's . . . it's just another day of the week.

9 Months?

2011-02-08T15:37:00.003-07:00

Seriously? I know it sounds cliched but time is absolutely flying by. When the boy was a wee tot it seemed that time could not go fast enough. This little lady is 9 months old today. In the last month she has learned to clap and still really enjoys mimicking the noises she hears from her siblings.

Grease?

2011-01-28T12:44:00.001-07:00

Oh the wonders of letting your children dress themselves.

The Parent Teacher Conference

2011-01-26T12:59:00.006-07:00

We had a parent/teacher conference for the boy today. It was not the impromptu, your child has goofed off too much type but rather the semi annual, perfunctory variety. We were told nothing we didn't already know.

His teacher started off by showing us some reading evaluation scores. Knowing the boy as you do, you know he is a fan of the written word. His scores were off the charts high. We continued through the usual banter of math and his lack of organization and then we asked the teacher if she had any concerns. She said he was not a behavioral problem and she didn't have any issues other than his inability to switch gears from reading. She said she has to routinely collect multiple books off his desk in the middle of the day and put them back on the shelf. It takes multiple requests to get him to produce a sheet of paper for a spelling test as he is nose down in his book and can't let it go. This information too came as little surprise to us. There have been occasions at home when he has been sent to his room to get dressed or clean up and he is found sitting there reading a book quietly on the floor. At times he is fresh out of the shower sitting only with a towel and stuck in a book apparently to enthralled to bother putting clothes on.

8 Months

2011-01-09T20:16:00.001-07:00

Seven months came and went while I was busy with jury duty and then the holidays. I didn't want another month to go by without sharing Baby C's latest milestones. She had a check up right after her 7 month birthday and was still measuring at the 95th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight . . . same as she has pretty much all along. Crawling since before Thanksgiving it did not take long for her to attempt pulling up on various things; the low-to-the ground cloth cubes in the den were an easy start. Then there was one day where we found her in her bed like this:

She has been standing at anything she can get her hands on - dishwasher and oven are two of her favorites. It's tough to sit on the floor without getting attacked . . . just ask Bubba. Still so happy, she smiles all the time and loves playing with her brother and sister; but her favorite place is asleep in her bed.

Friday Photo

2011-01-07T12:09:00.006-07:00

Christmas morning . . . new bathrobe from us, apron from grandparents, shoes from grandparents, headband from Santa and what you can't see is the ribbon tied around her shoulders that she had on before all the other items. Really perfecting her Hobo look.

Spelling Words

2011-01-06T20:08:00.002-07:00

Bubba has a new teacher this semester. (For the record we really liked his original teacher, but after she made the decision to leave I attended a parent meeting where there were more than a few unhappy parents.) We can already see a BIG difference with this teacher as she has come out of the gate swinging with spelling tests, math assessments, science lessons, and LOTS of homework. On Monday they took a spelling test and some of the students were given an advanced list of words to study throughout the week. Part of the study process requires them to complete 3 activities that they choose from a list; Bubba chose to type his words on Tuesday, yesterday he wrote them in alphabetical order, and today he looked for anagrams and smaller words.

And during dinner tonight I quizzed him on his spelling words. I think this is one of those parenting activities that I have been looking forward to the most. Helping him with his homework and studying for spelling tests makes changing all those diapers and cleaning up all that spit-up kind of worth it. Here are his spelling words for this week:

Adequate

Reluctantly

Perhaps

Comedy

Husband

Tangerine

Thermostat

Crimson

Oath

Ruckus

Orderly

Quill

Vandalism

Linoleum

Preliminary

Cameo

Gazette

Essential

Fluorescent

Superintendent

This Parenting Thing

2011-01-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

I was really proud of myself last night that I was able to feed all three kids, assist in the completion of one homework assignment, have two kids take showers, and get one completely (or so I thought) ready for bed while JP rode his bike. And all of this without yelling, crying, or teeth gnashing!

Pickle was fed, showered, hair brushed, and teeth clean when JP returned around 6:40. She had some additional play time and then we read a book and she was off to sleep. Sounds perfect, right?

Well this morning - about 15 minutes after she got up - she says, "Mom, I slept all night in my underwear and didn't pee." Boy, was she excited! I had to have her repeat herself two more times . . . seems I forgot to get her changed into a pull-up before bed. Thankfully it was a successful night because JP and I would have been VERY confused to have been changing sheets in the middle of the night. I'm guessing the precedent has been set and we are in for some exhausting nights ahead as we tackle this next milestone.

Got to love this parenting thing . . . .

A long time coming

2011-01-04T15:20:00.002-07:00

Everyday I head out front to wait for the boy to come home from school. Today he was sprinting down the street shaking a little blue box. From two houses away I knew the eternally loose tooth had been freed and it was coming home. He is so excited to look so odd.

2010 - Our Favorite Pictures/ Moments

2011-01-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T12:22:00.004-07:00

December

2010-12-24T22:11:00.000-07:00

It's 9:51pm on Christmas Eve and believe it or not this is the first chance I have had in weeks to sit down and update the blog. December started off very promising as I had a lot of days off scheduled to complete the many tasks needed for this time of year. The first Sunday of the month I hosted a Cookie Exchange which was very enjoyable and then rolled into the 2nd week where I had to report to Jury Duty. I have been amazed that I have made it this far into my life without ever receiving a summons. My very first summons was for Federal Court and I was picked for the 6 day trial! It was a drug case for two defendants and it was fascinating . . . like watching a movie or reading a good book. It would have been really enjoyable if not for the fact that I had to keep up with work which meant I worked before I left for court, at lunch, and in the evenings. It was like working two jobs and it was an exhausting two weeks. During that time we decorated our tree, sent Christmas cards, and did a lot of shopping. We hosted friends for holiday dinners and successfully mailed gifts to family in Louisiana.

Which brings us to tonight and getting ready for Santa to stop by the house. It will be an insane morning but I am anticipating a lot of joy and excitement. I hope I can stop and capture some of the moments on film and video to share and I hope we can stop and relish these moments. I love the holiday season but it seems to start and finish so quickly and there is little time to just sit back and enjoy.

May you enjoy your day tomorrow.
With love,
Christi

Tea Time with Pickle

2010-12-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

One of the annual lessons given at school is the "Holiday Tea Table" and I was honored to go with Bubba each year that he was attending. I wrote about it last year on the blog. This year JP got to go with Pickle for her first tea time.

JP reports that it went fine but it seems she doesn't know how to "sip" just yet.

Friday Photo

2010-12-03T08:47:00.001-07:00

The Train Princess

2010-11-30T11:51:00.009-07:00

Only Pickle would choose to have a Princess Party at the Train Park! She originally said she wanted to have her birthday party this year at the "train track" and JP's mind was filled with many ideas, but I knew she meant the Train Park. I intended to have Cee-Cee make a Thomas cake like she did for Bubba's party at the Train Park (which was his 3rd birthday too), but she decided she wanted a Princess cake. Cee-Cee was able to put together a cute pink and yellow sheet cake with princess figurines! Cee-Cee also brought a tiara and sash but that was where the theme ended. When your best friends are all boys, there is not much we can do at a Princess party. I figure one day soon enough we will have plenty of parties where boys won't be allowed . . . .

With the usual crowd she played and we ate lunch and rode the train. We did not invite any friends from school as we were not quite ready for that big of a party so the group was small and we were able to move the party along at a quick pace. I think she had a good time and it was a beautiful day to be at the park.

She has finally finished her week long birthday celebration which ended yesterday with a trip to the movie to see Tangled with Cee-Cee. They went to the theater at the mall and she was able to ride the Carousel and had lunch in the food court as well. Cee-Cee says she sat through the whole thing enjoying her snacks, bouncing when the "bad guys" rode their horses, and talking to the movie screen to give directions to Rapunzel. It sounds like it was a great deal of fun; I just can't believe she is old enough for such an outing! How grown up she has become just in the last few months.

Cooking Rituals

2010-11-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

In the last 36 hours I have made Spinach Madeline, Cornbread Dressing, Cupcakes, Chicken Stock Chicken-Black Bean Soup, Chicken Enchiladas, Pureed Green Beans, and a Bourbon Pumpkin Tart. And finally we have put the turkey in the brine. I have been cooking non-stop . . . a lot of cooking to freeze as well as prep work for Thursday.

I love Thanksgiving! I love the preparation and planning and I love the rituals of it. Friends make fun of me because they think I like to control the day and yes I guess I do, but it is because I like the traditions and I like having the same dishes I ate growing up. I also like the challenge of trying to do it better every year - the prep, the food, the table.

For me this Thanksgiving is nearly over - all that's left is to roast the turkey and make the gravy . . . for me, most of my rituals are complete.

Pickle made it to 3

2010-11-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know there were concerns out there in the world about the viability of Pickle given her natural proclivity for dangerous activities. After singing herself to sleep last night (Happy Birthday), she woke up this morning in a better than average mood and ran around the house searching for someone to say happy birthday to her.Following her "Celebration of Life" at school this morning the class was treated to a visit from a fire truck which JP told her was because of her birthday. She really enjoyed it and told all her callers tonight about it. Other than her birthday it was a pretty normal day that concluded with a taco dinner and cupcakes.We joke a lot about Pickle but she really is a joyful child. She has a unique and vibrant personality that can be happy one minute and whining the next; there is rarely a middle ground and dramatics are common. Pickle has thrived at school and her first report was glowing . . . we actually asked to make sure we had the right report. We're told she is "made for Montessori." She has a love of books like her brother and a true curiosity for life and adventure.Pickle is not "sensitive" like her brother meaning she does not get her feelings hurt and I attribute this to her being bold and confident. She is very loving and is always willing to give hugs and kisses and she is very considerate of others and will be concerned if you are hurt or sick.Happy Birthday Pickle! We are proud of you.

It only lasted a Moment

2010-11-17T12:24:00.001-07:00

This is a snapshot of a brief moment in time when the 3 runts were touching and not a one of them was complaining! Bubba was reading a book to his younger sisters and all was right in the world. It could be years until such a rare sight is captured on film again.

1/2 Year

2010-11-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

I am six months old today and I can crawl and sit up all by myself. Today I made it all the way through the kitchen and out the back door! I also have two teeth coming in and I don't like it. It makes me want to chew on everything and I drool a lot. So far my parents have only fed me rice cereal and oat cereal; they keep promising me peas but I haven't had them yet. I sure hope I like them!

Vote

2010-11-02T06:27:00.003-07:00

Today is the day that someone will actually listen to what you have to say about politics so go vote. Do it for no other reason than to celebrate the end of the political ad season!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I started getting into the Halloween spirit on Friday by baking some cupcakes . . . nothing like orange and black icing smeared all over a kid's face to usher in the sugar fest.

JP took The Boy to get his costume yesterday. All he wanted was to be some sort of Star Wars character - he really didn't care which one - and he settled on the Dark Side.

Pickle has said for a month that she wanted to be a Princess but once we got out the Dinosaur costume she was sold. She really enjoyed trick-or-treating this year . . . as she described it, taking candy from those people.

Baby C was dragged out of bed for a required photo op; she looked adorable in her pumpkin costume and was really fascinated by her brother's mask.

Cheerleader

2010-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

Somebody got a new cheerleader uniform!

Go Tigers!

Is this not the cutest bow?

October

2010-10-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

I can not believe this is only our third post in the month of October. It has been a very busy month and I have thought almost every day about blogging but just have not made the time. JP has started having Cyclocross practice once a week in the evenings and Bubba has been playing baseball this fall which has him and JP gone at least one night a week either practicing or at a game. I've been using that extra evening time to put in extra work time. It is also a busy time for me with Junior League as Nominating Chair.

Pickle has continued to challenge us in many ways. Just as we turned the corner on getting her potty-trained, she got a little sick and I think that threw her off her game so we had several weeks of battling with her. Knock on wood but the last week has been potty successful; however, her runny nose has progressed to a pretty nasty cough . . . . She LOVES school and they say she is doing great. She stays busy the whole morning and when you ask her if she did sandpaper letters or pouring work (or whatever) she says, I didn't have time. Right now her favorite activity is coloring and she still loves doing puzzles.

Bubba got his first report card! Since Arizona does not fund all day Kindergarten I think they treat 1st graders as the entry-level students so they don't get the traditional A-B-C grades. Instead they get an "E" for Excelling which is the equivalent of an A. I am excited to brag that he had an E+ in all subjects! He continues to read voraciously and is working on multiplication. Last month they studied Egypt in Social Studies and he really enjoyed that topic. P.E. is his favorite "special" . . . not a fan of music and art. His current obsession is Star Wars.

Baby C has had a progressive month too. As JP posted last week she started on rice cereal and we moved today to oat cereal. I think by her sixth month birthday we will begin vegetables! She is moving all around the floor and started crawling on Friday. There is definite purpose in her movement - one arm/ knee at a time, but she is still tentative. I'm in no rush to encourage her to move faster and for now she seems to want to stay on the rug in the den.

This week we have International Festival at Pickle's school and a baseball game on Friday. Both kids are out of school on Friday and I plan to take the day off and hopefully we will do something fun. Most likely we will be trying to figure out Halloween costumes as I have once again waited until the last minute . . . .

Pumpkin Festival

2010-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

The kids and I had a very busy weekend while JP was in Flagstaff for a bike race. I am very thankful to say that my sanity was kept with the help of my good friend, Kris, who came over on Friday night for dinner and took the kids on Saturday morning for over 2 hours. She also came with us on Sunday to the Pumpkin Festival. On Saturday night I took them to a Halloween carnival at our friend's school and they had a great time bouncing and sliding and swinging. Below are some pictures from the Pumpkin Festival at the Desert Botanical Gardens.

Tired Baby!

"I've done this before."

Decorating Pumpkins

Mom: "We're not leaving until I get the picture I want . . . ."

Cereal

2010-10-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

With kids one and two we were right on the pediatrician approved schedule of starting cereal on the 4th month birthday. Life really is different with kid three though. New kid just started cereal last week. We are only a month off so it isn't that bad. I do not think it was met with enthusiam at first since she pushed it out with her tongue. I doubt very little was ingested at all. She has the hang of it now though and can gobble the oatmeal down with the best of them.

Retrospective

2010-09-27T09:01:00.002-07:00


Baby C - 10 days old

Pickle - 13 days old

Bubba - 15 days old

Baby C - 5 weeks

Pickle - 5 weeks

Bubba - 6 1/2 weeks

Baby C - 7 1/2 weeks

I thought I would share a picture comparison of our 3 offspring. You can be the judge on which of the kids Baby C most resemble and which you think is the most photogenic. When she was born both of us said Baby C looked just like Bubba but as she is changing I do think she is starting to look more like Pickle. It will be interesting to see how she changes and how much she turns out like Pickle.

What is up with this?

2010-09-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

She is not even 5 months and she is already up on her hands and knees rocking like she wants to crawl. We are SO not ready for that! I know realistically we are several months from her actually crawling but it is disconcerting to find her like this. She is also trying really hard to sit up on her own but her upper body just won't support her yet. I can see the attempt when she gets on her hands and knees and then falls to her side . . . just a bit more upper body strength and she's there. I remember Pickle sitting up by herself by 6 months so I am sure Baby C will get there quickly too.

Just like Dad

2010-09-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

This is a picture from the beginning of the summer when our newest addition was still new. I came across it when looking for something else in Picasa and really like it. I spend at least 2 hours a day, on that couch, in that position feeding that little lady. But on this day I got a break thanks to the boy.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. That little guy can sure be helpful when he wants to be.

Sunday, September 19th

2010-09-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday, September 19th was a HOT one. As you can see from the picture below, we hit 100 degrees at 10:42am. I was standing at the kitchen counter watching the thermometer go up little by little, moment by moment. It turns out we hit 111 yesterday which was a record high for sure! And yes, folks, Fall starts on Wednesday.

And this second picture exhibits the rare moment of peace we had this weekend. These two can play wonderfully together and then all of a sudden tears and crying erupts . . . usually from Bubba when Pickle decides she's been nice long enough and she whacks him over the head just to see him cry.

The other day there was one of these such moments and Pickle emerges from her brother's room to announce she hit her brother and he's crying. And I ask her, "did you apologize to him?" And she says, "No, 'cause he's still crying."

P and Pee

2010-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Because I am his mother and because one day I want him to laugh about (read: be embarrassed about) this and because this is the kind of stuff I read on other people’s blogs; I am going to share a funny story that happened on Tuesday night.

Our adorable 6 ½ year old son chooses to drink a lot of water RIGHT AT BEDTIME . . . he fills up his water bottle and then kicks back in bed to read and just keeps drinking without even really thinking about it. This practice has resulted in him getting up in the middle of the night to pee. So I asked him on Monday night to please remember to get up and pee before he turns out his light to go to sleep to hopefully keep me from being awakened at 11:00pm or 1:00am or whatever! He did this on Monday but fell asleep on Tuesday without the extra trip to the bathroom (and without turning out his light).

As I am reading in bed he gets up, comes into our room, and heads into the bathroom. I listen as he pees . . . listen to the sounds that pee makes when it hits water and when it hits the seat and when it hits the lid and when it hits other objects that are not water. Let’s just say it was not a consistent sound and I am getting a little concerned about what I will find . . . .

He exits the bathroom and instead of crossing the hall to his bedroom, he turns right to go toward the den. I say, “Hey P – where are you going?” No response. “Um, Buddy . . . .” He turns around and comes back to my room and I ask again, “Where were you going?” He shrugs and turns around and goes to his room. That kid was never awake that whole time!

So of course I get up to inspect the “damage” and find pee EVERYWHERE! It is on the seat and at the back of the toilet and it is even glistening on the floor next too and behind the toilet. Amazing! Needless to say, I spent a few minutes cleaning up (grumbling the whole time) before I went to sleep that night. It's a good thing I love that kid so much!

My turn to talk

2010-09-08T11:30:00.005-07:00

So I am 4 months old today. I have just started to scoot around the floor because that is what happens when you put me down and I want something out of my reach. When my siblings are around I can't get a word in at all. But when they go to bed and I am having some quality time with mom and dad I am the star of the show.

Another Arizona Embarrassment

2010-09-03T16:00:00.002-07:00

I try to keep this blog apolitical but the recent embarrassment(s) our Governor has caused our state need to be shared with everyone. I was pleased to see the video clip make the Today Show but I thought Matt and Ann were way too kind to our Jan.

If you haven't seen it, please click on the video. This is her "opening statement" from a televised debate held this week. What is really sad to me is that she is clearly unprepared or just did not take the debate seriously. There is no excuse for being unprepared . . . you are the Governor of one of the largest states in our country. Get your stuff together and don't get on TV and embarrass yourself and your state.

By the way, Jan was not elected Governor. She was "promoted" when Janet Napolitano was tapped to be Homeland Security Secretary, but she's had almost two years to "prepare." Jan has also gained notoriety for signing SB1070 into law. This is our new state law basically saying you must have your immigration papers with you or risk being arrested. Everywhere we went this summer people had two questions for us: is it really that hot and what do you think of SB1070. I can't tell you what I think about it because it is a complicated issue and one that needed to be discussed and debated much longer than it was and no it is not that hot.

And then today she also has admitted that she was "wrong" when she made the statement earlier this summer about law enforcement officials finding beheaded bodies in the Arizona desert. Perhaps Jan has a future making stuff up for Fox News . . . .

Our state has some serious issues and they will not be solved by pausing, taking a deep breath, and giggling.

Girl Trouble

2010-09-02T10:03:00.001-07:00

Which set of girl cousins do we think will be the most trouble . . . hard to tell at this point but the potential is there!

Trouble will be when they look back on the pictures we made them take together!

"We're cute and we know it!"

Making plans

"Okay, remember what we talked about . . . and don't look directly at the camera!"

"They'll never catch on!"

I am . . . a list.

2010-09-01T16:06:00.001-07:00

I am eating pinto beans for lunch . . . made a huge pot on Sunday and have had them every day.

I am doing a great job of packing my lunch everyday . . . .

I am glad that I went to a great college where I was forced to write and communicate. Seeing awful grammar each day is appalling.

I am very excited College Football starts this weekend!

I am trying to figure out where I should host Bunco this month . . . not sure it will work out at my house.

I am not going to buy anymore lipgloss, lipstick, or chapstick until I have used up what I am hoarding!

I am not going to be running a half marathon . . . running is too boring and I can't commit to the training.

I am making this on Saturday: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/beer-braised-beef-with-onions/

I am also going to try and make this: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/08/homemade-cinnamon-bread/

I am going to try to say "yes" more often to my children.

I am tired . . . staying up too late reading and then being awakened too early by little people.

I am trying to blog more (and I hope this list doesn't bore you).

I am wondering if Viagra is a play on Niagara . . . just type Niagara Falls and it came to me.

I am still several pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight.

I am ready for the weather to change.

I am still hoping to win the lottery!

I am quite disappointed in the cast for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars - what makes Bristol Palin a "star" exactly?

I am also quite sure I will not be able to handle watching David Hasselhoff on DWTS. Too much cheese upsets my stomach.

I am happy . . . and I know I said too much cheese makes my stomach hurt, but truly I am happy and content and blessed and lucky and most of all GRATEFUL for all the love in my life.

Great Grandparents

2010-08-31T09:44:00.004-07:00

One of the best parts of our summer trip was getting to see our grandparents and capturing pictures of our kids with their Great Grandparents!


Grammy (Josh's grandmother)


Boyd Sr. (Josh's grandfather) with Harold & Betsy

Docdaddy (Christi's grandfather) with Popsie, Uncle Trey, and Abby too!

Entertaining Baby C

2010-08-30T09:40:00.001-07:00

Entertaining the baby is pretty easy with older siblings! She could probably spend 99% of her time staring at her big brother and sister as it always produces a smile!

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

2010-08-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

Getting back into the swing of things has included working long hours, shuttling Pickle to school, helping the Boy with his homework, and keeping Baby C to some sort of schedule. We are also patiently waiting for our summer to end . . . August is always the hardest month because we're tired of the heat and ready for fall to begin! It has continually been near or above 110 until just this weekend where luckily we are staying under 100 degrees with the help of some intermittent storms.

Bubba has acclimated to his new school and he seems to love it. Yes, he has homework in the 1st grade and he and JP learned quickly that it must be done as soon as he gets home from school. The first night of school he had an assignment that did not get started until nearly bedtime . . . . Most of his homework has been answering simple questions about himself or drawing pictures so nothing too tough. There was one day with math homework that both he and JP deemed fun.

Unfortunately 1st graders are not allowed to ride their bikes to school so he has been walking the block and a 1/2 to and from school. There are a lot of kids in the neighborhood who walk so we feel it is pretty safe even though there was a report on the news last week about a girl almost being abducted on her way home from school. JP usually walks most of the way in the morning with him and then waits out front to see him make it home. We are going to try to work with the PTO and school to get the rule changed as I firmly believe riding his bike is safer since it will get him to and from school much faster!

Pickle has been loving school and we will probably soon increase her time from 3 days to 5 days a week. She comes home every day wiped out but she is having a lot of fun and making friends. I can already see a difference in her and think the structure is helping to mellow her out a little bit. We are also very excited that she is pretty much potty-trained. It was a very long process but a lot happened in her little life since we started working on it in March . . . . Packing up and driving around the country for 6 weeks makes it hard for 2 1/2 year old to focus on routine.

Baby C continues to be a superstar baby. She eats and sleeps and smiles and rolls and does all the things she is supposed to do at almost 4 months. Her latest discovery is her feet and she rarely lets go of them when she is awake! I can't believe we will begin with cereal next month. The time is flying by!

I am VERY busy at work and have been working a lot but am trying to maintain some balance by working from home in the mornings so I can be here to see the kids off to school and have a bit more time with C. I am also going to begin training to run a 1/2 marathon on November 7th . . . we'll see how long I can keep up the training before my body revolts! Running is rewarding but not good on my old joints.

JP is back on his bike this weekend after taking the last week off. He once again developed an ulcer on his cornea from wearing his contacts too much. The doctor has advised him to wear his contacts as little as possible to prevent ulcers from developing . . . . He will get new contacts in January as well so we can hopefully not have this problem again.

That's the latest from our house . . . please check back this week as I will have several posts that will include some pictures from our trip this summer.

First Grade!

2010-08-16T13:22:00.003-07:00

I am sure you recognize the setting by now. Today was Bubba's turn to stand, back against the wall, and have a photo taken to commemorate another first day of school. Although the first day of kindergarten was a momentous occasion, today marked his first day at the big public school down the street. A place that was once just a daunting citadel of a building, barely leered at while playing on the playground, is now his new educational home for the next 6 years.

Due to some arcane and misguided rule he cannot ride his bike to school this year I walked with him to make sure that all his school supplies got delivered. The scene was a bit chaotic to say the least. We eventually found his classroom and he got settled in to a little desk that had his name on it. I stayed for roll call and an overview of the day's schedule and then headed home to give a full report.

I have wondered what he is doing all day long and even Christi admitted to being too distracted to work due to her excitement! There is one hour until school is out and I can't wait to see him walking home from his first day at the big school.

Pickle's Big day

2010-08-11T13:35:00.005-07:00

The picture at left looks a great deal like a mug shot but it is not. It is a rite of passage at our house because it is the picture taken against the wall on the first day of every school year. You may remember last year's. Today it was Pickle's turn to stand alone because today was Pickle's first day of school.

She has been really excited to get to go since before she can probably remember. She actually cried last year on Bubba's first day of school because she didn't get to go.

Today everyone loaded up in Super Van and drove her over to drop her off. We were the last parents there so the teachers, who already knew Pickle, were just standing around waiting for us. Pickle was so excited she didn't even say good-bye. She just got out and walked off and didn't look back.

I went to pick her up at 12:00, she only goes half days right now, and she was exhausted but very, very happy! Since I was not told otherwise, I will be bringing her back again tomorrow!

Baby C

2010-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Baby C - yet to be nicknamed - is growing and changing and doesn't seem much like a baby anymore (at least to me). She is so alert and smiles a lot and makes eye contact. She really loves to stare at her brother and sister and we wonder what she could be thinking. Baby C turned 3 months old on Sunday (the 8th) and rolled over for the first time last Monday (the 2nd). She also had a check up last week and weighed just shy of 12 lbs which puts her in the 50th percentile for weight and she is in the 95th percentile for height. This is right on target with her siblings of course.

Where Have We Been

2010-07-21T18:43:00.000-07:00

After having a wonderful breakfast at Strawn's celebrating our nephew's 9th birthday, we left Shreveport on July 9th and headed south to Alexandria. It just got hotter and stickier! Amazingly we have seen very little rain since being in Louisiana and us Phoenicians had hoped for more. We've only gotten out the boots and rain jackets once in all this time away from Arizona! I have a cute picture of Bubba sitting on the porch swing at JoJo's just enamored by the pouring rain.

Once in Alexandria we entertained ourselves with swimming mostly (as we did in Shreveport). We also ate a LOT in Alexandria and the baby weight seems to be going in the wrong direction. The kids got to go fishing with Popsie one evening and caught several fish (I will post those pictures when I get the camera in from the car). Believe it or not this was their first fishing experience and they did a great job and had a lot of fun (of course). My Dad and M'Lynn (or Nim as Pickle calls her) also took the kids to "Wild Safari" one of the days. Our two weeks in Louisiana went by very quickly and we still feel like we didn't have enough time to visit everyone we wanted to see.

Now we are in Dallas (Lewisville, actually) staying with one of my very best friends and her family. They live in a great neighborhood and we had a lot of fun at the pool tonight eating pizza and meeting many of their friends. JP has plans to go for a ride with one of his fraternity brothers in the am and then we are back at the pool for some fun and sun before spending the afternoon and evening with one of my sorority sisters (and Maid-of-Honor). This is what we intended this wild adventure to be about - connecting with old friends! On Friday we are off to Colorado to finish out of travels with a relaxing (we hope) week in the mountains.

Pictures to come . . . hopefully tomorrow!

Love,
C

Fun in Shreveport

2010-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun on the 4th of July complete with matching bathing suits, lots of pool time, and a ton of food!

The girl cousins were treated to an afternoon of dress up courtesy of JP's stepsister, Karis. She has a closet full of fun stuff that the girls loved and they looked great . . . ready for their first Chi-O formal.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Have a Berry Good Day!

2010-07-03T17:53:00.003-07:00

Our week in Colorado was filled with many adventures as it was best to get out of the condo every day. I brought many activities for a rainy day but luckily (or unluckily since we had hoped for it) we never had a rainy day. Pagosa Springs is about an hour east of Durango and it's about another 1/2 an hour on to Mesa Verde from there. We took a day trip to Mesa Verde and toured Spruce Tree House where Bubba went into a reconstructed Kiva. He also received his Junior Ranger badge of course.

Mostly we took drives and hikes to see various waterfalls. The one below is Treasure Falls . . . .

JP also climbed Wolf Creek Pass on his bike while I kept the kids strapped in the van and drove up. At the top there was a little creek where the kids were able to play while we waited on him to finish. We then drove up a little further to an overlook where there was still some snow which was a big hit (until Bubba realized it was really cold on his incorrect choice of shoes).
We had a great time and most of all enjoyed the beauty of just being in the mountains and we learned that the easiest form of entertainment for restless children is to find some rocks and water!

8 Weeks Old

2010-07-03T05:53:00.001-07:00

I am 8 weeks old today and have slept through the night the last two nights! My Mommy & Daddy are really impressed and pleased with this development. I try to be easy-going and am good at "going with the flow" or at least that is what they tell me. I have really enjoyed being in Shreveport as I did not have to get in my car seat for two whole days!

Update

2010-07-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all (and yes I did say y'all . . . I'm in Louisiana now),
We arrived in Shreveport on Tuesday by way of Oklahoma and we should be around here or central Louisiana for a couple of weeks. I'll be sure to share stories and pictures from all of our adventures in Colorado as soon as I can, but I'll provide a quick update this morning.

Luckily the folks at Wyndham Pagosa were able to move us to a larger unit in Colorado; everyone there was so accommodating and wonderful! Bedtime got a little easier the last couple of days and JP and I were able to sleep in a bed instead of the fold-out couch. This also meant the kids were moved from their lush king size bed to a double which was interesting but it worked and I think everyone was happy with the move.

To get to Louisiana from Pagosa Springs meant we had to spend a night in a hotel but we determined that the gain for dollars spent on a hotel would be 0 and we were better losing sleep while driving rather than losing sleep while spending money. Therefore we packed the car and loaded up at 4:30am to start driving when we left last Sunday with a pit stop destination of Edmond, OK. We spent two nights there with longtime friends of the family and also got to visit with JP's grandmother. Camp Kinaz was a lot of fun as they have granddaughters and the kids were happy to be around some new toys as well as a swimming pool!

Here in Shreveport we have spent two solid days swimming, eating, and visiting which is exactly what we came here to do. We are looking forward to having more fun this weekend especially celebrating the 4th with the family.

Sleep

2010-06-25T07:45:00.003-07:00

Since arriving in Pagosa sleep has become a prized commodity. Before leaving on this trip Pickle was a challenge at bed time and it has only gotten worse being out of her element. In our current configuration we have the elder kids sleeping in the bedroom while we are on the sofa bed but we can't put them in bed at the same time because Pickle keeps her brother awake. We have tried different scenarios where we put one down and then the other and then tried the reverse order the next night, but the end result is they have both been awake most nights until 9:00. The picture below shows how darn cute they are sleeping in the big bed together, but it does not reflect how long and how stressful it was to get them to that point. In fairness Bubba will just go in there with his flashlight and read until he decides to go to sleep . . . we could even put him in the same room with the baby and all would be fine, but Pickle is just too distracted by anything and anyone in general! If anyone out there has some advice as to how to get a 2 1/2 year old to stay in bed and go to sleep, please let us know!

Since sleep has been short at night they both crash pretty quickly once we get in the car for any length of time. The pictures below are during the return trip from Mesa Verde on Tuesday. For a bit we had all 3 asleep at the same time but Baby Sissa woke up hungry and disturbed the older two . . . payback for sure!

Denver Leg

2010-06-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

So our sojourn in the van took us up to Denver where some good friends of ours moved from Phoenix a few years back. This was our first chance to visit them and they were kind enough to house and feed us during our travels. Their son is a year and a half younger than our son and their daughter is about 6 weeks older than Pickle so it was a lot of fun for the kids to have some playmates and toys to entertain them. We did many things but most involved neighborhood parks and bike riding. Their neighborhood is very kid friendly and in the evenings after dinner they are often found riding the alleys while the adults socialize.

On Saturday we drove just outside of the city to Tiny Town which is a cute little park made up of tiny houses - many replicas of real Colorado buildings - and a small train for riding.

All in all it was a great trip and boys and girls all had fun. Pickle made a great friend and they had big fun having tea parties in the bathroom when parents weren't watching.

Visit with Popsie & M'Lynn

2010-06-20T07:05:00.001-07:00

We were very excited to have a visit from Popsie and M'Lynn who flew out for Bubba's graduation; of course Pickle thought they were coming to see her "owie." It was also good timing for them to see Baby Sissa. As with any visitors, Dad was called in to action for book reading time.

Riding Horses, Trains, and Tractors

2010-06-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

Our first stop on our Griswold Summer Vacation took us to Cerrillos, NM which is just south of Santa Fe. JP's Aunt and Uncle have a ranch there in the hills which provides many different avenues of entertainment for the kids. There is the "work" to be done including feeding cows, gardening, hauling food scraps, and maintaining the road. (This is where John Deere comes into play.) This trip we were also treated to a visit from friends who had horses and they were kind enough to take the kids on short rides around the yard. This was not Bubba's first ride on a horse - he has been on one of the little pony rides at a carnival before; but it was Pickles first ride and she was very excited.

Riding John Deere is the highlight of every trip we take to Cerrillos. Bubba starts from the moment he arrives pestering Uncle Boyd about riding it. As you can see from her smile Pickle was SUPER excited that she was allowed to drive it. Boyd and Bubba actually did some work on the road with the tractor . . . it is not all fun and games at the ranch.

And on our final afternoon we took a ride on the Santa Fe Railway from the old Santa Fe rail station out to Galisteo Basin and then back. It was a short trip (about 2 hours round trip) through the outskirts of Santa Fe and through some beautiful county. With our family it is all about riding the rails . . . doesn't matter where you are or where you are going. This was also Baby Sissa's first train ride!

Staying in Cerrillos is always a treat . . . the weather has always been nice (even the time it was in the teens), the food is always yummy - the kids were super excited about Root Beer Floats this trip, and the bed is super comfy! I know everyone is wondering how our crazy excursion is going . . . so far it has been going pretty smoothly. Pickle is behaving herself and has gotten better at entertaining herself in the car, Bubba stays busy with his Leapster, and Baby Sissa sleeps the time away. JP and I still need to adjust our travel times to incorporate bathroom stops and lengthy feedings as well as letting the kids run off some energy now and then. So far we have shown up to both of our first stops at least 2 hours late . . . .

Now we are in Denver and will be here until Sunday when we move on to southern Colorado . . . more pictures early next week.

Nobody Likes me

2010-06-10T18:58:00.004-07:00

This is an old picture. It is from our trip to Cuchara last year but I really like it. I see it all the time and recently printed one to have around to put in a frame. I think the part I like is Pickle isn't a frumpy, pouty, little girl. This was a snapshot of her as she stood outside in the rain and none of her cousins wanted to play with her because it was cold and rainy. She is the only one that wanted to play out there in the mud and frowned for just a moment but Christi caught it. The frame preceding this she is smiling in anticipation of the others coming out and the frame after she is waving to the camera when she notices her mom taking a picture.