Ian's Day

Ian hasn't had his mommy and daddy all to himself since before Laurel was born. I decide it's time for some one-on-one time with him, plus we need a day to discretely work on potty training.

We leave Laurel with Papa Dave and Grandma Ann, and head home to go swimming. At first, Ian's idea of swimming involves cleaning the pool tiles with a pumice stone. He's a good helper, and the pool looks great! Paul and I finally convince him to ride in an inflatable boat. We push the boat fast thinking he'd love it, but he's a cautious fellow. "Mommy, gentle please."

With a gentle push, the boat glides back and forth between Paul and myself, Ian rides along much more relaxed. Each time he arrives, he comments, "Thank you for being gentle."




After an hour of pool time, we have lunch out on the patio. Ian's hair has the total surfer, windblown look, so of course I take pictures.


Ian gets a relaxing bath, we read a story, and then all three of us take a nap. Paul and I eventually, but reluctantly, get up to shower. Ian sleeps a good two hours, moving around in the pool water wears him out.

I keep checking on him so that when he wakes, I am right there, ready to walk him to the bathroom. So far, he's had no accidents. As he strips so that he can sit on the toilet, we find he is dry. Whoo-hoo!



It being Ian's day, we head off to an ice cream shop for dinner and desert. Ian eats most of his chips and a single bite of his hotdog. This is his day, so we don't push him to eat his dinner, we know he's waiting for the ice cream. The sundaes arrive and Ian delightfully giggles. In the matter of a few seconds, he gulps down all the whipped cream off the top. He eats maybe two bites of ice cream, and he's done. I guess next time we should just order him some whipped cream.

We go to get Laurel at Grandma and Grandpa's, and as we walk through the door, Ian declares, "Laurel, go with Mommy and Daddy, it's my turn."

Yup, arrangements have been made, and he gets to stay the night with his beloved Grandma and Grandpa. Hey Ian, just please don't slam the door as Daddy and Mommy walk out.

As for working on the potty training, no accidents all day!

Girls' Day

Ian gets to spend the entire day with his Grandma Edie and Papa Chuck. He practically kicks me out of their house as he waves goodbye. "Bye, mommy!" Slam.

I can't blame him for his actions. He has a lot of fun with his grandparents. Plus, Laurel's not going to be there to bug him or destroy any of his creations. Then there's the fact that he knows they're going to the Dinosaur Museum (aka: Mesa Southwest Museum).

So, it's just Laurel and I. I pronounce today, Girl's Day! Whoo-hoo!

The mall is our destination. No, not to shop, are you kidding? Laurel HATES shopping with me! The minute we step foot into a store, she goes ballistic. She so much as smells leather (shoes) or fabric, she screams and arches her back in the stroller trying to escape. Just wait Laurel, I will pay you back when you're a teenager!

No, I don't want to fight with her, I want the two of us to have fun. So instead, we play at the playground inside the mall where there's free air-conditioning. Sweet, sweet cold air! Today's temperature is 107 Fahrenheit/42 Celsius!

Laurel has a blast running around with the other toddlers and babies. The play area is primarily for that age group. All structures are padded and somewhat low to the ground. Laurel easily climbs everything, and slides down them. When she runs by me, she shouts, "Mommy, mommy, mommy, I runneen. I runneen."

Twenty minutes into play, Laurel starts sneaking out of the play area and sits in our stroller. I walk out to her and inquire, "Are you ready for a snack?"

"No, mommy! Ha, ha, hahahaha, ha!" she cackles and then runs back to the play area.

I sit back with the other parents and watch Laurel run through the area and disappear into a tunnel. Shortly, she sneaks by me and sits in the stroller again.

Again, I walk over to her and ask, "Laurel, would you like a snack?"

"No, mommy! Ha, ha, hahahaha, ha!" she again cackles and runs back to the play area.

So, it's become a game has it? We'll just see about that.

I let her play, but it isn't too much longer before she's sitting in the stroller for the third time.

I meander towards her. "Hi, Laurel. It looks like you're ready to go." I reach down, buckle her into the stroller and walk us away from the playground. "Say bye, bye to the playground."

"Bye, bye."

No screams, no tears, I guess we are both ready to do something else. We splurge and get ourselves a couple of cookies and milk, and watch the other children ride the carousel.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, hosey, bunny."

"Would you like to ride the horse or the bunny?"

"Ride bunny on cawasuu."

"Ok, we'll ride the bunny on the carousel."

And of course we do. And of course I'm a sucker, and we ride the carousel a second time, only on a horse.

Laurel passes out on the drive home. I gaze at her sweet reflection in the rear-view mirror, while thinking about the morning's events and how much fun I've had with my daughter.

Wordless Wednesday: Sharing At Its Best

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Legoland

This is the last of our wonderful trip to San Diego that I'll be sharing. Mom and Dad rented a condo on Mission beach. The beach was literally a stone's throw away. Did my husband and I get pictures of our excited children digging in the sand, chasing the waves, or searching for seashells? No. Sniff. So instead, I bring you Legoland.


New York City built with Lego blocks, impressive! The tallest building is the Freedom Tower. This is the first time I had seen a model of it. Absolutely striking, it makes one stop and remember.


Legoland pleasantly surprised me. It was the perfect amusement park for our three year old and nineteen month old. I'm guessing from three to six years old are the ideal ages for kids to enjoy what Legoland has to offer.

When we arrived, they had two different parking fees: regular for 10 dollars, and "preferred" for 20. We went ahead and paid the extra 10 dollars since Dad was needing a wheelchair and we forgot to bring the handicap parking sign to hang on our rearview mirror. Spending the extra money was worth it, we parked right next to the entrance, whoo-hoo!

We purchased our tickets at Costco, saving us some money. I figured we would also save some time by not having to wait in line to buy tickets, but the lines were only three people long, not busy at all. Once inside, we slathered on the sunblock and headed for the sights, sounds, smells, and rides.


Uncle David takes in the sights with Laurel. Isn't Laurel's harness cute? It gives her freedom from a stroller and yet keeps her from running away and falling into water sources or into other people or vehicles. It's so soft and cute, that she loves it and even snuggles up to it when it's off.







Ian was tall enough to ride their Coastersaurus. Once upon a time, Paul and I were coaster enthusiasts. That past-time has been put on hold since Ian's conception. We were more than happy to share the adrenaline rush with Ian. After waiting in line a few minutes, we looked up and were surprised to see Paul's dad already loaded in the front car of the train. He took advantage of his wheelchair status and got to enter the loading area via the exit and didn't have to wait. Smooth move, Dad!



Ian loved the rollercoaster! Another ride he enjoyed was driving his own car. This totally cracked us up. He knew exactly how to buckle himself in, but had no clue how to drive. He'd continually over correct his steering and end up crashing into another car or the edge of the track. Ian also drove me around in a boat. His steering improved dramatically, but we still experienced a few bumps along the river.





This is the storybook boat ride. You can see Grandma Ann, Uncle Jason and Ian in the first boat. Uncle David and Laurel are in the following boat. They're all looking at the Prince on the horse made out of Lego blocks. It's hard to see, but he's holding a cell phone up to his ear.







Ian loved the Thomas the Tank Engine built out of Legos!






The miniature cities built out of Legos were quite impressive. Ian was extremely excited by the moving garbage trucks that were also made from Legos.





Laurel creates her own amusement: pick up leaves and run around a tree. Whee!

San Diego Birch Aquarium

Tuesday, August 28




Morning stories help Laurel and Ian wake up before we rush off to the Birch Aquarium.









Ian marvels at the jellyfish.
















Papa Chuck helps Laurel get a better view of the jellyfish.











Kudos to the aquarium for having hands on exploration for little ones. Papa Dave watches Ian, Laurel, and Paul play with the water currents. Notice Laurel's tongue sticking out - a family trait.





Grandma Ann and Grandma Edie pose for pictures with the kids.







Ian talks about the sharks with a new found friend.








AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!





Still hungry, the shark chomps on Uncle Jason for dessert.

Wordless Wednesday: Laurel's First Pony-Tails

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San Diego Zoo

Sunday, August 26

Some pictures from our visit to the San Diego Zoo...

A little over four months ago, I posted about my Mother-in-Law's double lung transplant. Thanks to a successful operation and recovery, not only was she able to walk through the zoo, but she was also able to help push her husband through in his wheelchair. (He fell off a ladder and broke his ankle, poor guy.) Notice the smile, the glow of health on her face, and the lack of an oxygen tank! Way to go, Mom!







Ian and Laurel watch the gorillas sleep.












The kids have fun playing among gorilla statues.











Observing Pygmy Hippos.











Ian tries to keep up with a Pygmy Hippo.














Uncle Jason watches Laurel while she plays a quick game of peek-a-boo with me.













Ian strikes a pose while a panda waves in the background.













Grandma Ann tries to point out an animal to Laurel and Ian.













"Hi Polar Bear, hi."











I love these shoes! These shoes saved my feet during all of that walking.

Vacation...Road Trip to San Diego

Saturday, August 25

9:00 a.m.
Black cat crosses in front of our van as we arrive at Papa Dave and Grandma Ann's. We load up last minute stuff into their car and ours, and off we go.

10:10 a.m.
Parking lot on the 202. Darn that black cat!!! Mental note for next trip: Check for freeway closures. Once home, write letter to ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation), telling them to try thinking.

Looking back at Grandma Ann and Papa Dave's car.

Nothing but red brake lights ahead...sigh.

11:30 a.m.
Finally drive three miles to get off freeway, head to Casa Grande for lunch. Next stop at Yuma. Carl's Jr has an awesome play area for the kids! Finally we cross the California state line.




Sand dunes along the Arizona/ California border.

Look out, dust storm ahead.

Enormous car chopping/ pureeing windmills.









Can you say wind power?














Precious cargo. Are we there yet?






7:30 p.m.
We finally arrive at our rental in San Diego. We hear waves on the beach, all is good.

Slave Labor

Ah, children, they're such a blessing. Smiles, hugs, silliness, occasional naughtiness and tears, surprises at every turn, more smiles and hugs. All the turmoil, all the worries and gray hairs are worth it, especially, when you start utilizing the slave factor potential.





A three year old CAN wash a car. Paul teaches Ian every detailed step in cleaning his beloved car. Of course Ian cowers by the house while Paul vacuums.













By George, I think the boy's got it! He's cleaned it to a nice shine. I can see myself!











A lot of hard work pays off with the simple pleasure of shooting water up into the air.




Psst, hey Ian, aim that hose over at Daddy...

******************************************************************************
So we're outta here for the next week. We're heading to where it's about 25 degrees cooler and the kids can play outside without bursting into flame. The beach calls to us...we're heading to San Diego. Have a great week everyone!

Elizabeth, the minute we get back from vacation, I'm checking to see if you've had that baby!

Wordless Wednesday: Mommy's Little Handyman

Ian will fix anything that's busted: doors, chairs, windows, Laurel (poor thing).

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Blankie Love

Blankies are of utmost importance to some people, one being my little girl, Laurel.






They're great for playing Peek-a-Boo!







They can tag along to a baseball game and help clean up a chocolate chip cookie mess, leaving bits and pieces intertwined in the blankie's fibers - the makings of snack-time for later.










They are great at turning you into a ghost.

BOO!

Best of all, Blankies cuddle you, making you feel warm and safe.

Dissing a Compliment

Laurel, Ian and I are shopping. It's not casual shopping, it's absolutely only what we need now, only what's on the list shopping. I know there's no room for us to steer away from the list since it took us forever to get out the door and loaded into the van. Nap time draws near, and along with it, not so agreeable children.

Our cart has all but the last two items listed. Laurel sits in the cart whining, starting to show her cranky sign. In fact, the whines escalate to loud cries of "No, Mommy, nooooooo!"

Ian walks beside me. "Ian, let's stop so I can check the list one more time. Laurel, hang in there, we're almost done."

I stop the cart, but Ian wanders out into the busy aisle. He walks sideways, not paying attention to where he's going. Consequently, he almost gets hit by someone else's cart. "Ian stop, come here."

He stops. The grumpy man behind the cart goes around my now daydreaming three year old son. "Ian come here, please."

He doesn't respond. Again, another customer has to stop and wait. I walk up to Ian, direct him back to our shopping cart, and smile apologetically to passersby. I bend down to talk to him. "Ian, you need to stay by me so you don't walk into other people or their carts.

"Ok, Mommy, I'll stay by you."

Suddenly, an elderly lady walks up and says, "I was watching you. It's so nice to see a parent discipling her children."

Caught off guard, I respond, "Oh, thank you, I do the best I can."

"Oh yes, you are doing a fine job. I'm an ex-kindergarten teacher, I should know."

Laurel decides to put her two cents in, "No, no, NO!" and points at the lady. "No, go timeout, one minute!"

Wordless Wednesday - Prince Charming Does Dishes!

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