a bit of this and that

Outside play. Today was much cooler outside, so we enjoyed a walk with Big Buddy down our block and back. It was only in the 80s (about 25C). But then with the sun, by the time we were back down the block, we'd decided that was enoug

h. This explains why we only spend short amounts of time outside, usually after supper.

I have very talented friends, so we have had fun music time. They play and the kids imagine themselves as concert pianists, violinists and percussionists. So fun and really loud. You can't see from this pic where just my kids were in sight, but there are a total of 3 adults and 7 kids (Ivan age 4 and the other 6 ages 3 and under!). It's a total zoo.

Why does it take no more than 2 minutes to get the room like this? But it takes an entire day or two of constant repetition, motivation, threatening and adult help to return it to it's former glory?

My knee is still messed up. I thought I was better after my 5 day around the clock Ibuprofen treatment. It lasted a week and now my knee is getting sore again. So we are going to try 7 days and more rest to see if it will get better without a steroid shot, that's the next step. It's frustrating not knowing what is wrong, but I'm really hating taking pills all the time and even worse of not being able to work out. I'm still doing my water aerobics, but not that leg, but I can't lap swim and I miss it so much!! Or walk the kids to the library or pool. I feel like a nerd loading them in the van to drive just down a couple of streets, but I'd rather be back to normal sooner than later.

violin music and dance library special presentation that we got to see this summer. I thought it was cute how they were participating.

electricity

Last night, Dominique was picking out the library book she wanted me to read, when she found one with a little girl princess in a pretty dress on the front cover. She asked me what it was and I read the title: "Princess Bess gets dressed" and told her that I had picked it out just for her. She looked at me with big eyes of understanding and gave me the biggest best hug she's ever given me. It was amazing.

This pic. is on my screen right now. The light is amazing and it really makes Emora's blues dazzle!

This is to prove how smart/resourceful my kids are. We were at the park in 100 degree weather (38 C), so while everyone else played, my kids camped out in a somewhat shaded tube and ate snacks.

This is to prove how not so smart or resourceful my kids are. Here is Dominique shaded in highlighter, not make-up or facepaint, but highlighter!


I used to think I was smart or talented or something because my kids were such good eaters. Well, now I've got one good eater and she's 7 months old. She even thinks paper, books and crayons taste good. The other two have joined together to make war with us over the battleground called supper. For several nights now, they haven't eaten anything from noon until breakfast. I guess I shouldn't complain. Our food budget may benefit.

Our power was out for a good hour or two last night after a lightning strike. The kids thought it was so thrilling to use the flashlight and candles to eat supper (technically, Ivan and Dominique just pouted over their plates) . Then when the lights came back on, they ran around wildly saying : yeah tricity, yeah tricity, until we had to tell them to stop because they were driving us batty.

Just for laughs

I shouldn't laugh at this, but it has become a hillariously predictable pattern. Emora will be playing, quite contentedly on the floor, I might add... When Dominique comes up to her, and pushes her over onto her back so that she (Dominique) can kiss and hug her (Emora). Then, seeing that Emora is crying, Dominique will quickly give her a toy and try to shush, shush or sing her back to happiness. At this point, I come in and Dominique looks up from the scene of the crime. I say: "Dominique, did you push her over?" (as baby cries on the floor). Dominique replies with bewilderment "But I gave her a toy!" Like that should make her stop crying for being accosted.


riding bikes

violining and discovering

Emora is on the brink of so much that it is just magical to watch her. She is trying to move while on her tummy, but hasn't been able to figure out crawling quite yet. She can go backwards some and pivot. I keep telling Ivan and Dominique to keep their little toys out of her reach, but all of us seem to underestimate her reach as it expands daily. She seems to be understanding some words- I guess now would be the time for baby sign language, except that I was never good at that. Besides, with two older siblings, it doesn't take long for one of somebody to bring her a drink, food or some toy once she starts crying. Tonight, she was in a walker, which she has figured out how to operate, when she discovered her shadow on a wall. She was playing with it and slapping toward it. Then she tore some of Dominique's artwork off the wall. Shortly after that, I found her with Dominique's marker from off a table. You should have seen the look of delight on her face when I caught her with it! It was like she was saying: "look at what I did mom!"

Of course all is not beautiful and I don't want you to think our home is the picture of perfection. Ivan has been particularly disobedient and rude lately. I think he's learning where the lines are of proper behavior and I really hate to enforce it- but I guess that's part of my job. Dominique's rash has returned for the 4th time! The doctor's nurse WILL order me something stronger tomorrow or I'm not the momma. Emora got shots yesterday. She ran some fever and was cranky. So I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt for her most horrendous screaming fit at the library today while I was trying to check out 95 books and 10 videos that barely fit in my bag. The library helpers discreetly turned away as I dealt with my screaming baby. It didn't help that I dropped some books on her head while she was on the floor, while I was trying to manoever her, 95 books, 10 videos, a too small bag and the diaper bag, plus the spewed out pacifier. You notice I didn't mention Ivan or Dominique, yeah, I had no idea where they were, but to their credit, they weren't tearing books off the shelves. Ivan did bring me two more books, but returned them when I barked at him. Finally some understanding mom with two darling wonderfully obeying small kids came to help me. I think I've prayed blessings on her about 15 times today. Thanks again unknown lady in the library.

OK, so on a fun note, her is my friend Tighe giving my kids an improv. violin lesson. They totally loved it! I love having talented friends!! Hope you are feeling better Tighe and family (they've caught some nasty bug and are being nice to not share it with us).


Ivan's violin lesson



Dominique's violin lesson

the star of the show

Emora laughs at momma's jumping


sweeping baby

Peeks

Oops. I was uploading new videos and just found this old stash, so I better get posting again huh? I think we are all done with meds for now. My knee is feeling better, although weaker still for now. Emora has her 6month visit tomorrow (even though she is already 7 1/2 months) and Ivan is having his first speech therapy session Tues. then I hope we won't be seeing doctors for a while.

Emora's favorite game is peek-a-boo. She also likes to wave her arms in the air. She seems to want to be mobile and tries to scoot while sitting on her butt. Dominique likes to play with her money. She spills out all her coins and creates designs with them making a huge mess and a potential health hazard for her baby sister who wants to get mobile and reach the tiny swallable treasures. Ivan is taking a break right now from his "work". He has been cutting cardboard with his kid scissors for the last half hour or so. I really don't want to go look in that room strewn with coins and cardboard chunks.


peek-a-boo


peek-a-boo with momma hiding

Do YOU know what inertia is?

I felt bad for Ivan. Right as I was about to take a picture of Ivan's creative stick and rock garden, he started ripping the planted items up in discouragement. I asked him why and he said because they weren't going to grow. Poor guy had planted and watered his creation and got no fruit. I understand Ivan. We've had the same. The unfruitful tomato plants were recently evicted. Oh, well, maybe another year. Dominique also has a flair for creativity. She did this with the money from her piggy bank.


I face painted the kids a while back. Dominique wanted to be a princess. Ivan wanted a beard, so we made him look like his daddy. I tried to draw a flower on Emora, but she didn't want it and looks like a victim of family violence instead.

It's still hot here. I put some water in the sandbox so that the kids could create yesterday. We forgot to put the lid back on and noticed the dog laying there in delight all day on the cool sand.



Funnies from the preschoolers: Ivan asked me the other day if I knew what inertia is. He's been watching Popular Mechanics for kids a lot this week. He gave me a definition of something being at rest (which was half of it, the other half was that something at rest wants to stay at rest), but for not being 5 I was pretty much blown away. I love those videos, they are really fascinating.

Today, while at my friend's Dominique made a comment that made me laugh. We were using the facilities when she declared: "Mom, this bathroom is SO cool!"

Thanks to all those who have been concerned for our health. I'm glad to report that we are on the mend. So far I am avoiding a steroid shot and going with Ibuprofen, and Dominique can get off the antibiotics Wed. Yeah! Thankful to be getting back to everyone feeling ok.

Highlighter comes off surprisingly easily

The Baggetts have been better. I have a knee something that is causing me all kinds of grief. It started hurting about a week ago and has been getting worse- to the point that I even called Brian home from work Fri. and went to the walk in clinic- where I was told for $100 to take some tylenol. Probably my fault since I am not good at talking to doctors about my own stuff. So I then called my nurse practitioner friend who asked a bunch of questions and is going to come see me Mon. and bail me out! It goes from not hurting much, to throbbing, to I'm going to pass out hurting. Oh, yeah, the $100 did get me a couple of xrays that said nothing was wrong. So at least we know my intense pain is not photographable.

Meanwhile, Emora got the rash Dominique got in Canada. I'm still not sure Dominique's is gone either and now she has something with her eye. I'm waiting on a call from mom to see if she thinks it's an ER deal.

All of this does make me thankful that we are normally all very healthy. I now understand why people in constant pain might get cranky from time to time and am relieved I have very smart and talented friends. I'm hoping we will all be better in no time and that we can clip along as usual discovering the world. One discovery we just recently made was that although pink highlighter artfully colored all over a couple of children may look very dramatic and a terrible mess, it actually wipes off with hardly any effort. Lucky for them!

This was the night Brian closed on his present house flip. We celebrated by eating out at a new pizza place in walking distance from our house. Good thing we walked so that we could burn off a few of these calories! It was VERY good pizza ;)

funny kids

I've been gleefully looking at pics of my brother's wedding on facebook. How exciting. Would you believe you can get emotional just looking at pictures? I'm so happy for them and we love Andrea, so that is just fun to officially have a sister-in-law.

We were at Big Buddy's when these pics were taken. Ivan and Dominique are now owners of our old camera and they lug it around everywhere snapping shots. Ivan took the ones with Emora in them. We also rediscovered the artistic mode to shoot with and they have found stuff on the camera I didn't even know it did in the 5 years we used it! I'm telling you, these preschoolers are smart! They try it all. I just use enough to get by. OK, that makes me sound old now! Yikes.





Gotta share the funny things the kids have said lately.

Ivan and Dominique were playing in the mud when Ivan said: "it looks like we speak French". I asked if he meant "it SOUNDS like we speak french" and he said no "it LOOKS like it". I asked what he meant and he said the mud made him look French. Then it dawned on me that all our French friends are Africans, so he thinks that the French are all very dark skinned!

Then Dominique pointed to a man in a game and told me his name was Sake. I couldn't figure that name out and she finally said- "for his name's sake" Sounded familiar, since we have been learning Psalm 23, which includes "he guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake". Yeah, we're still working on what all these big words and expressions mean!

The kid's garden

I told you it's hot right? So the idea is to do water everyday or maybe stay inside where it's air conditioned. But then, we keep the thermostat pretty high, so you can't say it's cool inside either. While the kids swam, I kept the hose on, moving it around the yard in a last ditch effort to not lose all of our grass. This created mud in the patches that are bare and apparently a perfect garden spot as the kids planted a garden when I went inside. It is made up of yard toys and twigs, artfully sticking out of the dirt. Ivan wants to go water it. Brian asked them what they planted. Did you know that you can grow pepperoni pizzas? Who would have thought? Only preschoolers that's who! They also planted some peppers and eggplant- which all look curiously like dry twigs, sticking out of the ground.


We've never planted or eaten eggplant, if you were wondering. Ivan saw them at the store and wanted me to buy one. Since I'm not a big fan, I said not this time. Apparently I'm going to need to get one, because he is now suddenly drawn to the vegetable. I'm quite positive that once it's cooked and on the plate, he will immediately lose this affinity to it and I'll end up with a big dish of a vegetable that I'm not crazy about to eat. Maybe Emora will like it? Anyways we'll have to try it, because how can you not get a vegetable that he actually asks for??? That would be pretty much insane.

Do you have a surefire way to make it ever so delicious? I only tried someone's at Olive Garden and wasn't impressed.

meet sniffy bunny and leon

The kids and I went to a party at the zoo this weekend. Sometime after the thrill of it all, the kids unpacked their goody bags to find animal masks. Apparently these masks have special powers. Once my kids snapped them on, they disappeared. I now have 2 more pets and 2 less kids.
Meet sniffy bunny and leon. At first thought a lion/bunny combination would not seem advisable and certainly they have gotten into a few squabbles, but Leon has yet to make a dinner of sniffy bunny, albeit she has suffered a scratch or two. You might also think that caring for a lion and bunny may be a lot of work, but they came potty trained, which is a real bonus, they eat the same as my kids did (as in anything fun and no vegetables PLEASE!

If I tickle them just right, the creatures sound just like my former kids, so that makes me wonder if the lion actually swallowed Ivan and while the bunny likes to hop gleefully around the house, it also trips and cries just like my former daughter. Sometimes I miss the sight of my dear children, but then there's Emora and housework, teaching the lion and bunny their numbers and being thankful for something so simple as a few pieces of foam glued together and attached with an elastic.

violining

It's so hot here! I'm melting. I'm suffocating. I'm a sweating puddle of goo. OK, just got back from a birthday party at the zoo. I think after naps, if I am so fortunate that they will take some, we will fill up the kiddy pool. Wish I could drag it into the air conditioned house!


These pics were from a much cooler and relaxing morning at my friend Tighe's. She plays violin and gave the kids a mini lesson. They loved it! She also played and let them dance like crazy in her living room. So fun!





Here's Emora playing twister. She will roll onto her belly, but not from her belly to back yet. She is starting to clap, which is so fun, because it seems to bring out her personality even more.

My brother was married yesterday in Germany, so I'm going to check blogs and facebook to see if anyone's posted pics. yet. I checked all day yesterday, but I guess they were all busy at the wedding and all.

Blueberry eyes

Emora is my little gourmande (feaster). She is already eating some of our regular meals (mashed some). She had ground turkey, beans and pasta a couple of nights ago and loved the battered fish sticks from last night. What a pro!

Dominique brought back a souvenir from Canada. A rash behind her ear. So far we can't lose it and saw the Dr. the other day. He said to do a Cortizone cream again for 7 days twice a day to see if it leaves. It does leave, but it keeps coming back. I won't be surprised if he needs to get us something stronger in a few weeks.

I have a session lined up for speech therapy for Ivan. He is still not making his K and hard G sounds and a friend's daughter (who is a speech therapist) said that sometimes it is a hearing issue. So although the pediatrician said it's pretty common and he'll probably just grow out of it, we're going to have him checked anyways.

How has your summer being going?

our 1st quincenera

We went to our first Quincenera party for our neighbor's daughter who just turned 15. It was so beautiful and fabulous. For those of you who aren't familiar with this tradition, it is a big celebration for a person who turns 15 to celebrate her coming of age. They had a mass in the morning, then a meal and dance at night. The kids were of course enthralled with the beautiful "princess" girl and LOVED the dancing. Dominique kept wanting to go out on the dance floor even without us, so I let her and at one point, I was a bit concerned because she kept dancing really close to a couple doing the 2 step. Then I realized that she was learning it! She was right behind the guy doing all the steps he did- 2 steps to one side, then 2 to the other. It was so amazing! Yep, she's only 3 and she already dances better than her parents.

Today we had an appointment to go to and Ivan was being a typical older brother, taking something from Dominique, then running away laughing at his sister's squeals of torment. I told him to stop and started counting. When he still didn't obey, I told him he would not get to watch a video. Oh, boy, was he upset with that. Finally, he came up to me, very respectfully and whispered "I want a punishment. Can I trade for a spanking?" So we traded. I spanked him and he still got to watch the video and he sure didn't take anything from Dominique again- at least that day.