Maggie's fever

Maggie threw up all over me yesterday.  She has been running a fever the last few days. We had plans to go fly our homemade kite but we scaled back on our field-trip ideas.  Although Maggie was sick she still wanted to go on an adventure.  She got hooked on the idea of going to the library.  The Paseo Verde Library has a cool play area for kids that she loves.  I was impressed because she picked up every single book and toy that was  left out by the other kids.  I didn't want her to pick up every single item but she insisted, even Henry helped put  toys away.

Afterwards, we walked around the Farmers Market adjacent to the library... but let's be honest... there aren't any local farms in Vegas.  I highly recommend the farmer's market if you like paying more for your produce and enjoy the walking around in the heat.  Still, it was still fun to look at all the overpriced items.  Henry was asleep by then and all that walking around wore the kids out.  I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and picked up popsicles for the kids to consume after they awoke from their nap.

Eggs in a nest

Hmmm... my favorite breakfast, one-eyed-jack or toad in the hole... the perfect blend of egg meets toast.  This is what we had for breakfast today to help gear up for our big adventure.  I tried to make a rhombus and a square but they are indistinguishable.

Maggie made Valentines

If your have been the recipient of one of our handmade cards, I hope you have taken note of the beautiful paper.  I bought this wonderful two-hundred-pound-one-hundred-percent cotton paper for a project but I soon discovered it doesn't feed through my printer or any printer for that matter... so we use it for our card business.  Don't worry if you haven't gotten a card, we still have over 80 sheets left.

First Disneyland

It was Maggie and Henry's first time at Disneyland back in February.  I am glad they got to share it with family. We had a huge group that materialized as if we had been planning it for months.  I am so glad everyone came out.  My only regret is that we didn't take a group picture.

I am not crazy about Disneyland but maybe that's because it's not linked to my childhood.  Sara loves Disneyland and I am sure if we lived in California we would have a season pass.  Maggie was an inch shy of some of the rides like Splash Mountain but I think she enjoyed chasing Tanner and Chase around more than any of the rides.

Catching up

Last time we were in the hood was for Tyler's blessing.  Good times!

Henry's first steps

While our friends were visiting on Saturday, Henry took his first few steps.

Henry's fall

Last week while I was reaching over the shopping cart to get some cabbage, Henry leaned forward while simultaneously Maggie gave the cart a push forward, catapulting little Henry out of the shopping cart.  I watched it in slow motion as he free fell to the concrete floor several feet below. He landed perfectly flat on his back, while his head never touch the ground.

It was horrifying to watch but I knew it could have been fatal.  The fact that he didn't even get a bruise or scratch on his head is nothing short of a miracle.  Only a few hours later he was playing with his sister like nothing had happened.  The grocery store attendant was very helpful.  I had to file a report, which felt like an application for the worst-parent-of-the-year-award, but at least I wasn't rushing off to the hospital.  We are all very grateful Henry is still alive and healthy.

PS. Yesterday, I shot pictures of him falling onto the bed.  In light of this story in might not seem like fun but unlike the event at the grocery store, Henry was contagiously laughing which put a big smile on my face.

Wrestling with Mom

At some point in our life, I hope Sara gets the opportunity to do this all day long.  Being a stay-at-home parent is a lot like WWF wrestling.  It's nice that Sara comes home everyday at 5 pm so that I can tag her into the arena.  I don't know how single parents manage.

Bird Viewing Preserve

Maggie refers to today as No-TV-Friday.  Yesterday our friend, Adam Hebdon, paid us a visit.  He told us about an interesting study with children and TV.  According the study, for every hour of TV a child watches their chances of getting Attention Deficient Disorder increase by ten percent.  Okay, that's just another reason we have No-TV-Friday.  It's actually harder for me to get through Fridays than for the kids.

But rather than focus on what we don't do on Fridays... I am turning it into Field-Trip-Friday.  Today we went to the Bird Viewing Preserve.  It was fun.  I felt like a speed walker coaxing a turtle along. Henry crawls faster than Maggie walks.  I try to turn everything into a race, so that we can actually cover some ground.  She is a good runner but when she is walking everything becomes a detour.  Anyway, we had a nice picnic with the birds... or as Maggie calls it a "nic-nic".

Some of Henry's favorite things

Some of Henry's favorite things are: climbing over people, crawling up stairs, pulling cans out of the pantry or pulling bottles out of the refrigerator, playing with spoons, and pushing the off button on the stereo.  He also likes to grab anything that spills and has a fascination with mechanical things.  Yesterday he pulled our printer apart, breaking the ink cartridge and getting ink everywhere.  He likes to playing with the vacuum and electrical outlets.  Of course, I am always pleasantly surprised when I find him playing with with his toys.

Apples

Since Mom goes to work late on Tuesday we can enjoy a longer breakfast together.  Some of our favorite cereal mixes include: Chocolate Cheerios, Chex, Fiber One, Rice Krispies and Oatmeal Squares.  Maggie's favorite thing is an apple everyday.  Henry likes to eat a Trader Joe's yogurt.  Sara like green smoothies with spinach and avocado.  And I like my eggs!

Eating things

Henry prefers to feed himself, while Maggie still asks to us to spoon feed her.  Baby food is almost out of the question since nobody wants to clean up that mess and Henry refuses to be spoon feed.  Occasionally he will let me feed him yogurt but in general he would rather be eating grapes and frozen peas and anything else he can wrap his small fingers around.

No more pull-ups

 

It has now been a few months of no pull-ups for Maggie.  I never thought I would be so happy; it's one less major expense and one less cleaning project.  She really enjoys her new independents and often refuses any help unless its a difficult button.  Okay, there are still a few cleaning projects but to have only one baby's diaper to change is like being in heaven.

My favorite letter

Most people have a favorite number or color but what about a letter?  Why not, I always assumed that everyone's favorite letter was the same letter their name started with.  Mine has always been "S" but Maggie favorite letter is "J", that made me start to thinking... what's your favorite letter?