2/2/12: L's prayer tonight

Tonight, this was L's prayer:

Dear God, please do not let Lexi, Bailey, or Mya get sick. Thank you for Bailey's birthday party. Amen.

Dear God, please heal Candy's boo boos. Please lead Candy to you Lord. Please come into Candy, Dale, and the dogs' hearts. Amen.

1/30/12: L goodies and C stacks cups

Yesterday Elodie was in Breckenridge with Auntie Candy and Uncle Dale for the ice sculpture contest. Candy said Elodie was really good the whole day and even said, "excuse me" every time she wanted to talk when Dale and Candy were already talking.

Then today, Candy wanted to buy G*irl Sc@ut ice cream at the store and Elodie threw a huge fit and told her she couldn't buy it because it had GS cookies in them. Such a proud mommy moment. The funny thing is that I haven't specifically talked to Elodie about how horrible the GSs are. She must have just overheard me telling Dave about it.

For the past week or so, Callen's been getting into the drawer in the kitchen and taking out a stack of big plastic cups. He likes to unstack them and then stack them again. Sometimes he puts cookies in the cups and then stacks them. Tonight during his bath, I realized he can stack the cups in his bath as well, making a tall stack or stacking them inside each other. Dave said he's been doing that and then saying, "uh uh" and pointing to it proudly.

11/10-11/14 Don's visit & Dale's Party

SO far: 11/10-11/12: Dave's dad (Don) stayed at our house for one night before heading over to his brother's for two nights. He flew in for his brother Dale's 65th birthday party. As you can see L was very excited to see her Poppi. It's the first time EVER that he's visited so this was a big deal! We drove him up to Cheyenne for the day so he could visit with Jenny & the kids and see her new house. We had a lot of fun and I made everyone take pictures in her backyard. Next time I'll make everyone go to a park instead for better backgrounds. :) We're looking forward to when both Mimi & Poppi can come out for a longer visit. On Saturday before the big party, we took C to get his very first haircut. He did really well and just sat in daddy's lap the whole time, taking it all in. I also cut more bangs for L to cover the bangs she cut herself back in September. The pieces I was using to cover the really short ones were getting so long and she just kept pushing them to the side, which defeated the purpose. Candy threw Dale a wonderful party. We had a great time.

Sat. 6/19/10...L's family bday party

Today we had the family birthday party. Originally, I was going to just have one party, but the Mayernicks & Uncle Dale couldn't make it the same day (Dale's only in town 3 of the 8 weekend days for the month), but it ended up working out great. We started the party inside, with D making the bbq grub and everyone just hanging out. I made everyone take a family picture. Then we moved outside to grill & eat. L chose to have cupcakes this time so we arranged them all on a platter and stuck the "3" candle in one so she could blow it out. Afterwards, L opened her presents. She got $$ from grandma & grandpa, a super nice scooter from Uncle Dale & Aunt Candy, a sprinkler hose water thing from GG Ethel, a Le@apster2 from Mario, and two tool sets from Auntie Jenny & the kids. Then Chase, Kenzie, & L all changed into their swimsuits and we hooked up the water sprinkler thing that GG got her. Man, can that thing spray far. I got sprayed more than once trying to get a picture and then finally gave up. Then D set up the slip 'n slide and unfortunately after one slide down, the end popped. After that, D & grandma made a T@rget run to get a new one and D held the hose at the top of the old one so the kids could keep using it until they got back with a new one. (We're going to try to return the one that popped since it had only been used once.) They were on and off the slip 'n slide until they were all purple & shaking. Then they'd towel up until they wanted to go back out. They must have been on it for a couple hours. Dale & Candy finally left b/c Dale was so tired (he had come straight from the airport & a really early flight).

The kids all changed out of their wet clothes and drove into the new toys to play with while the adults cleaned up. Jenny & Grandma were able to stay late since they had left a sick grandpa at home. We decided to get P@pa Murphys pizza for the four of us and McDon@alds for the kiddos. By the time we all ate dinner, it was getting late so the WY crowd packed up to go home.

We were all beat. We gave L a bath and she fell asleep in D's lap when he rocked her in the rocking recliner. It was only 7:30pm. No nap and constant action equals one tired 3 year old (and mama!).

Pics will have to come later since I'm still working on getting through the CA trip from last month!

Christmas 2009

We had an awesome Christmas at Dave's mom's house in Cheyenne. We had a not-so-awesome drive there and back with 50mph winds, ground blizzards, low visibility, and icy roads, plus we thought we were going to run out of gas on the way there because our gas mileage was so much lower because of the winds.

After we made it inside safely after almost blowing away, we first took some family photos before we snacked/lunched on the tons of yummy food that Karen had made. She had quite the spread out. Then there was some Wii playing before Candy & Dale arrived and we could do presents. After the massive amount of presents for the kiddos, I made everyone get in a group photo, along with photos of the kiddos with the sets of adults, plus Jenny wanted a family photo. Then the kids played and the adults talked until dinner was served. After dessert, we followed Dale & Candy home. We left around 8:30 and got home after 10pm. L didn't get a nap and slept for about an hour in the car ride home.

Click here for a large slideshow of pictures from Christmas.

Thurs. 8/13/09...splash park...

This morning I knew it was going to be hot so I thought it would be fun to take L to the little splash pad here in town. We asked our friend Doug & his son Treyden to go with us. Here's pics from that adventure. They were less interested in the water and more interested in the swings.






















Dale & Candy came over tonight and we had a ton of fun, as always. Here's pics of L jumping on Dale.






somersault

Fri. 7/31/09...Dale & Candy's for dinner...

...or at least we were supposed to go there for dinner. We had been hoping for nice weather so we could have dinner out there outside (not inside b/c of my cat & dog allergies) but apparently the weather had other plans. It was a beautiful morning that turned into a super windy evening. They called to say the wind was blowing the cushions off the patio furniture and did we still want to come. We all decided to just have dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ (YUM!) near their house (their treat!). I love Famous Dave's! Anyhow, we had a great dinner w/great company, and L even said she needed to go potty during dinner and made it to the potty. :) Afterwards, we headed back over to their house to see if the winds had died down and have some dessert. I couldn't believe how cool it was being that it had just been 90F+ that morning. Luckily I had jeans on and a fleece sweatshirt, and they had a firepit. I put pants on L and she decided to pee in them so then she was wandering around naked from the waste down.


auntie Candy introducing L to her cat. L was fine as long as she didn't have to touch the cat or dogs.


D & L and Dale & Candy around their firepit


L was a bottomless pit that night. Here she's eating applesauce.


playing Candy's player piano


playing Candy's player piano while swaying her hips. really funny :)

Wed., 7/22/09...Candy & allergy testing...

This morning I ran around like a mad lady trying to buy all the fresh fruit & veggies so that i could wash them all and cut little slivers of each to put in labeled zip lock baggies (while washing the knife in between as not to cross contaminate) for my food allergy puddle tests this afternoon. I got done just in time to rush out the door. My appt. was in Lowry in Denver so it was a bit of a drive. I got tested, I itched, etc. I now have a list of foods to NEVER eat, a list to eat w/ caution, a list to monitor my reaction to, and a list to cut out completely and then reintroduce individually over time & monitor my reaction. I start allergy shots in two weeks for my pluthera of environmental allergies. And I'm supposed to be taking my peak flows every day before & after I take my Advair.

While I was doing all that, D's aunt Candy was kind enough to come watch L. We LOVE Candy and L really LOVES her too. When Candy got here, L wouldn't let Candy put her down. Too cute! Anyhow, apparently L didn't nap and just stayed in her crib for an hour and 45 min saying things like, "candy come here," "candy up here," and "No nap!" When she finally got her up, L said, "where mommy?" Candy said watching her now that she talks in sentences is a whole new world. :) D's uncle Dale dropped by around dinner time b/c he was working at Rocky Mtn Airport (he works for the FAA out by DIA) & wanted to see L. We had a great time visiting w/them before they had to leave, but I think L felt a little left out as she sat in her highchair w/her fingers in her ears screaming.






sitting in her doll stroller, wearing sunglasses while watching tv, telling me she snapped herself in


watching tv w/sunglasses on, sitting in her doll stroller


Showing off her bandaid for a fake booboo so she can be like Auntie Candy. She LOVES rummaging through Auntie Candy's purse for forbidden objects :)

L's potty skills are going pretty well. She held her peed the whole morning while we were on errands (got up around 7:30am and peed at 11:20am). She peed on the floor a couple times today while sitting on the potty so I'm not exactly sure how that happened other than to guess she wasn't sitting back far enough on the potty when she peed...it's never happened before. She also told D twice during her bath "pee pee potty" and D took her out of the bath & she peed on the toliet and then continued w/her bath.

D's still got his cold after a week so I called his Dr. for him (he said he'd call next week!) and they think it's bacterial so they put him on an antibiotic...we're hoping that he gets well quick as all this congestion, headache, sore throat, sick thing kinda sucks.

6/20/09...L's 2nd Birthday Party...

I took the opportunity to take some family photos before L's party since we were all dressed up. I can't decide which of these 3 I like best...maybe you can vote...

#1

#2

#3

the happy couple

3 generations: mom, L & me

grammie & L

group shot: J, L, my mom, D, me, Uncle Dale, Aunt Candy, D's mom, Chase, D's stepdad, D's sis, McKenzie

We thought the party was a great success. Everyone from Cheyenne was able to come down (D's mom & stepdad and D's sis & her kids); D's aunt & uncle came; my mom was out visiting; and my sis Jenn made a surprise appearance under the guise of a business trip. :) Plus, our friends. Mario and the Mayernicks & their daughter Mya (L's "friend") were all able to make it.

We checked a bunch of things off her gift list too. She got a ton of books from grammie, wooden fruit & a book on fruit from Auntie Jenn (she likes these b/c they are all in at least two pieces held together by velcro and L gets to use a knife to "cut" them), a dress & toy from the Chapmans, sticker books from Opa & Nonna, a coloring book. bows, & dressup shoes from the Mayernicks, money from Auntie Amanda, Grandma, & Auntie Jenny, and a trike, complete w/basket, horn, gloves, elbow & knee pads, and helmet from Auntie Candy & Uncle Dale. The trike was a huge hit and we've been taking treks around the neighborhood multiple times a day on the trike. She can reach the petals but hasn't figured out how to petal them yet.

She also liked the "cake" (giant cupcakes from Costco) more this year than last year. No tears this time and then she kept asking for cake for days afterwards, even though she didn't actually eat that much of it.

All in all, we had a great time and we think L did too. She'll even say she's "two!" when you ask her how old she is now. Too cute!

L developments...

Here's some of Elodie's developments that I've remembered to jot down over the past month.

12/27/08:
L ate bowls of corn tonight...impressive enough that it was like 4 bowls but she ate it all herself w/her fork. I did see her put the last couple bites of each bowl in her mouth with her hands, but still, she's getting pretty good with her utensils.
She also signed "fish" tonight for her goldfish crackers. Once she started signing "fish," she didn't stop.
She said "kix" today. We decided today when we realized that she had started calling kix, cheerios, and goldfish all "Os" that we needed to rectify that so I told her they were kix and made her repeat it.

12/24/08:
L ate a bowl of yogurt with no spills. She answers my Q with "no, no, no...no, no, no...no"

12/23/08:
She can sign "apple" on her face and mine. Says "apple" all day long. She loves apples.
She can eat a bowl of oatmeal with a spoon by herself; but it's much faster to have two spoons...one for her and one for me to help her along.
She wants to call daddy on the cellphone all day long.
Every time I'm out of sight, I hear her say "bye-bye."

12/19/08:
She was standing watching a dvd song of the "Duke of York" and she would go up and down with the song. She also did the wipers on the bus during the "Wheels on the Bus go round and round" song.
If she can't get a puzzle piece in its slot or a shape through the whole, she gets really frustrated and throws all the pieces or shapes.
Today she played peek-a-boo herself with her blanket.

12/18/08:
I asked her if she wanted to touch the Christmas tree and she tentatively reached her hand out, touched the prickly tree, and said, "no."
Today she said "wa wa" for water.
She'll point to the toilet and say "poop."

12/16/08:
She's starting to feed herself oatmeal well. Says "oatmeal" better...now it's more like "ah-meal."
She says "brown bear."

12/15/08:
She can get onto one section of our couch herself. She says "mine" and "daddy" all day long. She also does the sign for "drink" to indicate water.

12/14/08:
She signs "horse" after her aunt and uncle give her a rocking horse for Christmas.

12/13/08:
She can open our child safety locks on the kitchen and bathroom cupboards. She learned how to open my mom's cupboards in California, which are easier than ours, but apparently that was the gateway b/c now she can do ours as well.
She says "ow-ma" for oatmeal.

CA trip (11/24-12/8):
She can get up onto my mom's couch by herself sometimes. She starts to repeat words; she can now say, "oatmeal" ("boat-meal"), "eat," "poop" (her Grammie taught her that one)

11/19/08:
While I was in surgery, Elodie's uncle Dale & aunt Candy watched her. Uncle Dale said that his glasses were "mine" and Elodie said "mine." Dale said "ut-oh" and so the "mine" saga began.

Thursday, 9/4/08 dinner with the Houses...

Yesterday, I got a call from D's uncle Dale. They were two hours outside Denver and wanted to know if I could come see their new house before they let the cat live in it. I said that I could come after L got up from her nap, but they wanted to see D too and D had class. So we made arrangements for Thursday night.

Here are pictures of their big house...it's about 40 minutes from here.



the window to the right is their garage. this is their back patio.


view from back patio. they are on a corner lot so that's the road that wraps around their house. in the distance (see the green freeway sign & the black car?) is the toll road.


pretty landscaping. :) this path goes from their back patio down to the patio that is off the walkout basement.


patio & yard on basement level.

After seeing their house, we went out to dinner at a bbq place in Thornton. It was really good :)


D's aunt Candy, D, L (14.5 mos.), and uncle Dale outside the restaurant after dinner.