Wagon O' Kids

IMG_3234, originally uploaded by eyenetgraphics.

Blakely and Deklan on a wagon ride- Blakely's favorite thing besides swinging.

Please Keep Your Hands and Feet Inside the Moon At All Times...

Deklan loves to look at the moon every night and gets excited when he can see it in the sky before it is even dark out. Early this evening, Deklan spotted the little moon out the living room window. Deklan began to jump on the couch, telling me he was jumping on the moon. That got his brain thinking even more, and he stopped and said, 'If I was on the moon, would I fall OFF of the moon?' I told him no, that the moon is much bigger than what we see out our window and he would not just 'fall off' the moon.

His energetic reply: "But what if a BEE flew and HIT ME in the cheek!? Would that make me fall off the moon?"

Deklan's New Book

Deklan's cousin, Regan, gave him a hard-covered spiral notebook during our trip to Fort Collins recently. This notebook is adorned with bright colors and flowers and swirls. When I was at the sink washing a sippy cup in the kitchen, Deklan came in carrying his new notebook. He was at my back as I kept washing the cup when he said, "I love you," in such a sweet little voice. I turned and said, "Thanks Bud, I love you too!" to which he responded, "I was talking about my BOOK!"

Blakely's Check-up in Denver

For those who didn't get the update, Blakely had an orthopedic check-up in Denver this last week. They wanted to check on her vertebrae and scoliosis and see if there had been a drastic change since her last x-rays 6 months ago. Despite sending them x-rays that we were told to take ahead of time, they re-x-rayed (can that be a word?) when we got there. Blakely was not cooperating once we left the waiting room, so the x-ray was not the easiest procedure either. She had to stand up for this one, with the tech holding her feet in place so she didn't run away or kick, and I had to stand behind her and hold her arms over her head like she was just learning how to walk. She was screaming her head off, which was evident when we saw the x-ray and it showed a very large, open mouth full of teeth. I'm hoping to get it on a canvas wrap to hang in the house. A neat little way to remember the screams of Blakely :o)

Anyhow, the check-up went well. The doctor said he liked what he saw in her, that she wasn't having any trouble walking, etc. He pointed out that she does have 6 malformed vertebrae (two are fused together at one end, and the others never fully formed and are just half.) He said sometimes it's better to have more than just one malformed vertebrae because they can actually 'balance themselves out' better that way and she may not have as much trouble with her curve. This x-ray also revealed two sets of fused ribs as well. They are fused together at the ends at her spine. This will also need monitoring to make sure her chest cavity is able to grow so her lungs can do so, etc. All in all, he said nothing was bad enough for surgery yet, and we should come back in 6 months.

Blakely will be 18 months old on the 27th and a few days later we go for her 18th month check-up with her new pediatrician. I am fairly emotional about this as I really liked our previous one and she was so good for us during all of Blakely's ordeals, and we miss her already. But I guess a part of life is adapting to change.....so I guess I will try. I'll keep you posted ;o)

Story of Our Live's

Looking through recipes of things to make for supper, I came upon one that we had almost all the ingredients to make, except one of course. It always seems like there is that 'one thing' that I have to run to the store for. So, talking out loud, I said, "We'll have to run to the store to get sour cream." (It's ALWAYS sour cream!) Deklan asked which store, and I replied "Decker's.....story of our lives, huh?" Deklan fired back, "Huh AHH...Wal-Mart is the story of our live's.."

Apparently I've used that phrase before...

Greener Grass

Could there have been a worse day for my kids to opt out of naps? It rained a steady, constant shower all day, until early evening. Both kids lay in their beds for more than an hour on a couple occasions, without ever drifting off to sleep. (I know this because each one was always talking or crying the whole time.)

Other than eating Gerber's Pasta Pick-Ups, Blakely's only desire is to go outside and swing, which she could not do because of the weather. She continually brought me her shoes, and mine, signing she wanted 'out' and to 'swing'. I told her it was raining. If the weather had been a little warmer, I would have taken her out in the rain so she knew what I was talking about. I don't think she would have cared. As soon as the sun came out, and she requested it again, I indulged her and we went out. I decided I would push her and push her and push her until she was sick of it, so I wouldn't have to come back out a second time. I kept asking her if she was 'done' and she repeated her new phrase of 'huh-ah' for about 40 minutes; it then was no longer her choice, and I made a parental decision. Besides, I still had to give Deklan a turn. He prefers to 'spin in fast circles' so it only takes him a few times before he is dizzy and done with the swing.

So, on a rainy, dreary day of being stuck in the house, my only wish was to get outside. There I was, finally being able to be out, and all I wanted to do was get inside to get things done and prepare for the week.

The grass is always greener....

The Gills

The Gills, originally uploaded by eyenetgraphics.

Here we are testing out my new iMac's internal camera using PhotoBooth. Apparently I missed the 'No Shirt' memo...

Deklan & Blakely Summer 2009

IMG_2221, originally uploaded by eyenetgraphics.

Dek and Blake on a little foot bridge in Sundance

I Drink Booze at McDonalds

Once upon a time, I thought I had a good idea. Because I try not to drink more than one pop per day, the one I do get I like to keep to myself. I have long said that soda pop is my one vice; I do not chew tobacco, smoke, drink (very often), free-fall from buildings, sell or do drugs, or any other 'not good for you' things. But, I do enjoy a carbonated, high fructose corn-syrup beverage and I look forward to this indulging every day. I strategically plan a time to have my pop (i.e. nap time) when I can sit and enjoy the taste ALONE without having to share drinks with a 3 year old. Not only do I not want to share, but he should not be having pop anyway. The last thing we need is for my 60 cent-per-day habit to turn into another $3,000 dental bill for him.

Some days, I am unable wait for Deklan to take a flighty 5 o'clock nap (he's weening himself out of naps) and I need to have my sanity in a can while he is awake. One particular day (the day the 'good idea' came to me) I had just poured myself a glass of pop when Deklan caught me and asked " Can I have a drink?"
"No." I said......
"Why? Does it have booze in it?"

***Thought bubble: Hmmmm, is this an answer he will just accept and quit begging for a drink? This is PERFECT!***

"Ah..Yes it does. It has booze in it"

I looked at him, questioning what he would say next.
"Oh. Okay."

That was it. It ended there. Wow! What a perfect idea! All I have to say is it has booze in it. For some reason, he realizes he cannot have alcohol (though all the reasons given before as to why he can't have pop have seemed like rubbish to him) so he doesn't even question the possibility of having a sip.

What a great idea....for that one time.

Now, if Deklan ever asks for a sip of my pop, or any drink, any place/any time, and I say 'No' he responds with the question, "Does it have booze in it?"

Like the time we were at McDonalds a few weeks ago...There we were, in the PlayPlace and he decided his chocolate milk was not satisfying to him and he wanted a drink of my Coke. I said 'no' and out popped the loudest response ever

"WHY? DOES YOUR POP HAVE BOOZE IN IT? ARE YOU DRINKING BOOZE MOM?" Previously, I had let Blakely have a sip (she is going through the straw fascination stage, and I am going through the pacifying stage). Don't think Deklan didn't notice from his perch in the mesh-netted PlayPlace. "DID BLAKELY DRINK BOOZE? WHY DID BLAKELY GET TO DRINK BOOZE?"

Whoofta. What a great idea. Lying really doesn't pay, it's true.

Without knowing it, Deklan just won himself free drinks of my pop whenever we're in public, with no fight from me. All to stifle the questions and future rumors about this mom drinking booze in McDonalds and sharing it with her 18 month old.

Gotta go...it's nap time for Blakely, and Deklan is side-tracked making me a pretend hamburger from his restaurant...better go run to the kitchen and steal a drink of my booze :o)