Rainy Weekend

What a wet, damp and cold weekend! It has rained non-stop since Friday! But I think we’ve made the best out of the time we spent indoors this weekend….

Friday afternoon wasn’t much out of the ordinary – Ian and I picked up Taylor, I shopped for groceries once we got home, made dinner and then Taylor and I decided to start putting her aquarium together. We were almost half way done when we realized that it was missing a part. I told her we would have take it back and exchange it on Saturday, so we loaded it all up and set it by the door.

Saturday we all set off to run errands. First stop was Ikea! Where else can you feed a family of four lunch for a little over $12?? Beautiful! And after lunch we discovered that we are now finally able to drop off both of the kids in the free one hour childcare center there. Ian was never able to go before because he wasn’t totally potty trained (last time we went to Ikea was nearly a year ago) – and Taylor won’t be able to go for much longer because she is almost too tall. Panod and I soaked up every glorious minute of that hour, and we power shopped like the furniture-hungry beasts that we are! We were very well behaved and only stuck to the things we had come for – but that didn’t stop us from the occasional stop-and-stare, even if it was just for a split second. Once the hour was up and we picked up the kids it really sounded like the kids had a blast! It really was nice to have both of them in there, looking after one another. Taylor said that Ian didn’t cry at all and that they played in the giant ball pit together, and then they watched movies. Awwwww! After Ikea, we went and exchanged Taylor’s aquarium – it took darn near the rest of the afternoon, but we did it! And by Saturday night it had been put together and Taylor was ready for some fish. We talked about the rules and responsibilities that come with the aquarium and she was very excited to go and find some fish, but it would have to wait until Sunday.

Today wasn’t nearly as busy, but it was really fun! We all headed off to the giant pet store to help Taylor pick out her new fish this morning. After some input from the employee there, Taylor decided to go with five little Tetra’s and two nice sized snails. Then the worker slid Taylor’s selections into a bag, and we were off! We raced home and set them in the tank for 20 minutes while the fish were still in the bag. The kids came to get me when the timer they had set went off and we all watched as Taylor gently poured her new friends into the tank. Viola! A new family entertainment center had just been born! Lol! At any given time tonight, at least one of us (if not, all of us) could be found sitting on Taylor’s floor watching the fish tank. Even Toby! But I think it was just because he was a little jealous of the fish!

Let’s see – other things we did this weekend…. We read some of our books from the library. Taylor is now into Hoot and has decided that she wants to see the movie when it comes out next week. Ian has plowed through his books from the library, but I don’t see an interest in the Frog and Toad book I brought home for him, yet. Still more discussions and paper work regarding schools for both the kids, thank you’s have been done and are going into the mail tomorrow from Taylor’s birthday, bbq’d dinner in the rain tonight, tried to make sweet sticky rice but need to work on it still, and we watched a good bit of Dr. Who – first and second season & Taylor's newly pierced ears are healing very well. We have also been keeping an eye on this site all weekend: Eagle Eye Cam. It is seriously neat – there is a live web cam and mic in the nest of two Bald Eagles on Hornsby Island, BC! The eggs were set to hatch 3 days ago now and some of us can see cracks in the eggs! Take a peek – but be warned, it is addicting! (It takes a few minutes to load and you'll need a Windows Media plug-in.)

Taylor, Ian and Panod eating lunch at Ikea
A picture of the cake we shared at Ikea
Ian going in for a hug while we wait in line for the Ikea child care.
Taylor made a sound while Ian squeezed her, and the
child next to them thought she was going to be sick! lol
Awwwww!
Taylor and her aquarium on Saturday night
Ian and Taylor watch the bag full of new fish float for 20 minutes today
Taylor pouring the fish in
Ian and Taylor are looking for the new fish
Here is one of the snails
I know it is a bad pic, but see if you can spot the Tetra

Quick Update

This morning, Panod and I went to tour and do observation at Ian's new preschool while our neighbor watched Ian. We really liked what we saw in the classrooms - the teachers, the students and the parent volunteers were all right in line with where we would like for Ian to be come next school year. Panod and I both feel like he is really going to embrace the learning process in this new environment, so we went ahead and started the paperwork today after our tour. We'll finish the rest of it next week during the registration appointment, and then Ian will be set! Amazing! We are so lucky to be able to offer him this chance at learning to love school. And when we got back home after the tour, Ian had already been to the playground and had clearly had a great morning with our neighbor and her daughter.

Later on today, Ian and I ran some errands in order to get ready for a good-bye party this afternoon at CVA for a co-worker who is also a friend of ours. Panod and I both have enjoyed having a partner in crime who enjoys sci-fi like we do, and who seems to be clearly ready to geek-out (hehe! is that a real word?) into this great big wide world in order to see what else it may offer. Watch out Florida!

The weather has been beautiful yet again! The kids and I rode bikes home yesterday from Taylor's school, and we spent a majority of the late afternoon today & yesterday in the backyard with the neighbors. Taylor has discovered that she can now climb the maple tree in the back yard! I took some pictures and I swear that she's not nearly as high in the air as the pictures will have you believe. And Ian has officially worn a hole in the front tire his "faster bike." I've promised him that we'll find him a new big wheel - a.k.a. "faster bike" at a garage sale this summer. We got so much wear from that thing - you figure that Uncle Rob bought that big wheel back when Taylor was only two!!

Oh - quick update.... All of Ian's tests from the Dr. last week came back just fine.

Taylor in the tree
Toby & Ian today
Some flowers that brightened our day today

Finger Paint & Powerpoint

As you can see, we clearly have an artist among us.

Ian's teacher explained to me on Wednesday that Ian was given yellow finger paint and blue finger paint on his paper & once he figured out that they made green when he mixed them up, he just kept on mixing! Guess the kid likes green!

Taylor really has outdone herself! Today I received an email from her teacher - apparently all of the students in the class worked in pairs to research a country and then they put that research into a PowerPoint presentation. The email from her teacher contained the PowerPoint presentation! How cool is that? If you have PowerPoint, you can download it here and take a look at what she did (hit F5 to get it going once you have it). We were blown away!! Way to go, Taylor!!

Taylor's Birthday Party

Saturday was Taylor's birthday party at the Raptor Center. She had several of her friends, some neighbors, and some family join us. The fact that Taylor has shown a high level of interest in raptors - especially the Bald Eagle for the last several years made this such a fun place to go for her party. We walked into the Raptor Center to prepare for the party and right in front of us was a real live Bald Eagle! Taylor was in heaven! We received a great show in the auditorium with some raptors and all of the kids asked really great questions. Next, we received a tour of the raptors back behind the center. Most of those birds will not be able to be re-released out into the wild due to their injuries, but they were amazing to see up close just the same. After the tour, we headed into our party room for cake and games. I think that everyone had a good time, and it was so much fun to see our family members, too. Here is a link to all of the pictures from the party.

Today was just an amazing day to spend outside - and we weren't the only ones to think that! I think we saw just about everyone in the neighborhood at some point today. Everyone hides in their houses all winter long, and it is just so nice to see everyone getting out and it always amazes me to see how much the neighborhood little ones have grown. The kids and I planted seeds and worked in the garden this morning, while Panod cleaned out gutters and hung his swing chair that we gave him as a gift for Father's Day a few years ago. By the time I was firing up the grill for dinner tonight, we had a few neighbors stop over and we all got caught-up on the latest news in our lives. I never would have imagined in a million years that we would get to experience such a great and caring environment like the one that this neighborhood has shown us. The best part about it is the fact that all of our children get to experience all of this with us.

Our neighbors gathering in the front yard for some much needed catching-up
Some neighbors gave us some watermelon and Ian has just discovered
that he drippped some on himself while he was eating it

Rainy Thursday

It has been raining most of the day today, but we really did need it. The dust and pollen in the air has all of us hacking and sneezing lately. And the rainbows that we've been treated to today have been absolutely breathtaking!

Ian has been showing no ill effects from his shots on Monday - wonderful news for everyone! Especially him! Taylor had her first round of MCA's (yearly state-wide testing) on Tuesday and Wednesday; there will be another round next week.

Ian had a good day at preschool yesterday. We got good news in the mail on Tuesday stating that he has been accepted to a different preschool next year. Panod and I are going to go in for a tour next week before we decide if this is what we think is best for Ian. The only reason we would switch is because his current preschool is more of a socially based program, and we really see him wanting to start learning how to read and write. Even though we work with him as much as we can at home, a preschool like this one may be just enough to really peak his interest in the whole learning process that comes along with going to school every day.

Taylor had a more trying day today by the sounds of it. One of her friends is upset with her and Taylor cannot seem to make it right. We spent the afternoon at the Java Train while we talked about it over some ice cream, and that seemed to help. She was still in the mood to talk about it some more tonight and I'm sure that by tomorrow afternoon they will be getting along like nothing happened at all.

After Taylor felt better this afternoon, I did get a couple of cute pictures of the kids....

Have you ever seen a kid enjoy an ice cream cone so much?
Taylor & Ian went back up to try a sample of an ice cream they had not had before
Ian trying to eat his cone

Happy Easter!

Of all the cute Doxie pics I've seen lately, this one was by far the cutest! lol Hope it gets some simles.

Taylor and Ian had a lovely Easter. I really didn't get any pictures, but the egg hunt and the baskets were a blast. We also had Easter dinner - just the four of us, but I tend to make enough food to feed the neighborhood. I had to leave Sunday just before I started to cook dinner because I did not have the necessary brown sugar or cream cheese to get started. When I got back, Panod explained that while he and the kids were coloring the Easter eggs, Taylor fainted! This hasn't happened to her in almost a year! And even then it had only happened in the shower. We got very lucky that Panod just happened to be right there when it happened, and she went on to make a full recovery a few minutes later. For some reason, she thinks that the vinegar from the eggs made it happen. But I think it either has something to do with a spike and drop in her blood sugar from the Easter candy she had been eating, or perhaps something to do with bending over (which she always seems to be doing when it happens.) Either way, she'll be making a trip to the Dr. if it happens again.

Today, Panod and I took Ian to get some shots and blood work done at a new Pediatrician. The poor kid! I don't think he remembers getting his shots when he was little, so he didn't even see it coming. He did well & we've been showering him in Thomas trains this evening for his bravery. As of today, he is 35 lbs. and 40.5 inches tall - 35th percentile for both. His vision and hearing both checked out fine, and according to Ian, he is 4 and a half! hehe

One More Gift For Taylor

Taylor got a surprise visit from Grandma this morning! That’s when Grandma told Taylor that she was going to take Taylor to get her ears pierced for her birthday! Woo hoo! Ian wanted to come too, but Panod explained that he and Ian were going to go and buy Rusty the train while we went to get holes put in Taylor’s ears. That’s when Ian decided that he wanted holes in his ears, too! Hehe! The ladies headed off to Rosedale to check out a few places there where one can get their ears pierced, and we decided to go with one that was less busy and crowded. It took a few minutes to decide on the right earrings, and then it was time for Taylor to have a seat in the chair. The closer we got to actually doing it, the more nervous she got! Grandma and I were saying anything to keep Taylor’s mind off of what was about to happen. We were able to get some great pictures (thanks mom), and the end result is…well…beautiful!! The pictures tell the story of it actually happening – and as of tonight Taylor couldn’t be more proud of herself for going through with something that she wasn’t really sure she was going to be able to do. She spent most of the afternoon running up and down the street showing our neighbors her earrings, and telling them the story about getting it done.

After getting Taylor’s ears done, we headed off to grab some lunch and shop for shoes. We had a true ladies day out – how fun is that? Later on this afternoon there was some necessary playground time with Panod, while Toby and I went to get gas in the van and bubble tea for Panod and I.

You’ll be happy to know that we cleaned Taylor’s newly pierced ears tonight without incident, and that Rusty the train is resting comfortably in Ian’s bed with him tonight.

Taylor - Before
The girl who did Taylor's ears, Taylor & Grandma
Getting started - Taylor is pretty calm in this picture
She's getting a little nervous...
...fear has begun to set in.
And the earring is in!!
Time for the other side
Taylor - After

Happy Birthday Tay!

I think that Taylor had a wonderful birthday....
She woke up to a present in her bed this morning (a giant Frisbee), and then we baked some muffins before she headed off to school. It sounds like a few of her friends wished her a happy birthday, which really made her day. Ian and I went and dropped off a box of miniature éclairs for her birthday treat to share with the class this afternoon, and when we picked her up from school, Ian and I gave her a bouquet of flowers! When we got home from school, Taylor had Ian help her open one more gift & it turned out to be a pogo moon hopper (a.k.a. pogo ball for all of you gen x’ers.) With the weather outside beautiful and the thermometer topping off at a whopping 84!! degrees, we spent the rest of the afternoon outside playing & grilling cheese burgers. Afterwards, we did the whole cake and presents thing. One of the gifts that Taylor received was an aquarium, and she really would like to put some of her birthday money that she has received into purchasing the necessary plants and fish for it – this girl has big ideas for her new aquarium.

Thank you, thank you for all of the phone calls & emails today! Taylor couldn't believe how much lovin' she got from y'all!

Taylor throwing her giant frisbee to Ian this afternoon
Taylor hopping on her pogo hopper
Taylor and Ian always seem to end up playing in the dirt out front
Taylor opening a Barbie present (note Ian's face, too! lol)
Taylor opening her new aquarium
Cake with 10 candles + one to grow on

I heard that it is almost someone's birthday...

The past several days have been pretty geared towards getting ready for Taylor’s birthday tomorrow, but we’ve kept ourselves busy doing a few other things as well. The weather here has been nothing short of amazing for the past several days – highs in the mid 70’s and lots of sun! Needless to say, we are getting outside as much as possible.

Monday was a regular hectic Monday – school, work, OT, dinner and homework. Fun, fun, fun! Tuesday really was fun because I got to go with Taylor’s class on a field trip, while Panod stayed home and played outside with Ian. We all walked over to the Como Zoo and participated in a class about saving the animals, and what it means to be an endangered species. I think that the kids had a good time, and we all walked back to school with some much-welcomed knowledge about the world and the creatures in it. Today was Taylor’s last Girl’s Only class, and they watched a movie in the auditorium. We actually ran out of time to make dinner before class tonight, so the kids had to eat McDonalds in the van on the way to the class. This is a very rare thing – even eating at McDonalds is a treat that we only enjoy two or three times a year, but the kids really did have a blast eating french fries while we sat in traffic for 35 minutes. It is easy to see how a family can get hooked doing that. Anyway, Taylor’s class was fun for a while and then they had to say their good-byes. Awwww!!

Tomorrow we will celebrate Taylor’s birthday after she gets home from school. All of the cards and well-wishes have been much appreciated, and Taylor will be working on thank-you’s this weekend. Can’t wait to post some pictures tomorrow!

Taylor & Ian have found a bunch of ants on the
sidewalk, on the way to the playground on Monday.
Ian wanted a shovel, but used his shoes instead!
Toby!
The City of St. Paul tonight, seen from Dayton's Bluff
Ian looking at the city from the bluff

Grandpa Bob Comes To Visit

I can honestly say that I have had every intention to update the blog at least three different times since Friday. And I can also say that things have just been so busy that on those three times that I almost started to type the updates, my brain crumbled and I could no longer type. HA! Just kidding – about my brain, but not about how busy it has been around here lately! Lol

Let’s see – Friday was spent cleaning after I got home from work. The hard stuff had been done by Panod and the kids, so all I had to attack was the kitchen, the bathroom and the fridge. Ugh! The fridge! I did find a few things in there that could have easily crawled out and eaten us or been used for Taylor’s upcoming science project!

Saturday morning we were up bright and semi-early and we walked down to the Java Train to enjoy some breakfast with our neighbors. We really haven’t done the breakfast thing there in the morning and it was packed! Taylor had her first steamer (steamed milk with a shot of flavor – she picked chocolate & banana.) And Ian kept peeking down his straw and into his chocolate milk, so I had to take a picture of that. By the time we got back home, Grandpa Bob was just arriving at our house. There was so much to talk about and there were so many goodies to go through. The new grill he brought us for our Anniversary has been used non-stop since Saturday afternoon, and we seem to have put a slight dent in the food supply given to us as well. Toby and Gunner were so happy to be reunited again. It never fails to amaze us how such a teeny tiny Dachshund and the worlds biggest Yellow Lab can possibly get along so well without someone being eaten – but somehow they don’t even seem to notice the differences between them & they make the best of it. The kids were not left out – they both received a little bit of money from Grandpa. We took them to Super Target late yesterday afternoon because they seemed to know exactly what they wanted to put the money towards: Taylor picked out the board game Monopoly, and Ian picked out a neat racing wheel that he has been enjoying outside since we came home yesterday afternoon. Panod and Taylor spent a good hour this morning learning how to play Monopoly, and Taylor is clearly catching on quickly.

Today the weather was so spectacular that we spent a majority of the day outside – again! I may have jumped the gun a little bit and laid down some new grass seed on the lawn. Our yard is a sad, muddy mess since a majority of the grass I planted after the Fair last fall was apparently annual and not perennial grass seed. Panod and I had to rake all of the dead grass away and we also cleared away the gardens to see what may have survived the winter. The kids played outside with our neighbors, planting seeds and riding bikes..... things are finally starting to feel a little bit less like winter!

Taylor trying her steamer Saturday morning at The Java Train
Ian peeking at his chocolate milk

Grandpa Bob, Toby, Gunner,
Taylor & Ian (putting on his bike helmet)

Grandpa, Taylor & Toby

The Last Sporties for Shorties

O.K. – so we didn’t exactly get as much cleaning done today as we should have, but we did have a lot of fun today! Ian’s last Sporties for Shorties was a blast, he was so proud to show off his class to Taylor. And the teacher asked for Taylor’s help putting the balls away, and Ian even got to have Taylor as his partner during soccer. They really were behaving so well together during the class – so much so that one of the parents turned and asked me if they get along that well all of the time. I said, “Yes…..at this moment in time!” lol She had to laugh since her two are three years apart, she knew exactly what I was saying.

Good news, all that is left of our colds is a nagging cough, and Taylor never even showed any signs of fighting it at all.

Ian at Sporties for Shorties - he is jumping off of the yellow thing

Ian chasing after the basketball

Ian making a basket!
Taylor dribbling the soccer ball for her "team"
Ian is hitting the baseball and Taylor is in the outfield, catching