Friday, August 19, 2011
Poor little girl
Last week, Charlotte and I got a terrible stomach bug. It passed quickly, but we sure had a rough night. Corey came down with it this week and had an even tougher go of it. I refrained from documenting any of his pain and suffering, but I couldn't help but take a shot of Charlotte after her night of terror. She was one pitiful little customer -- at least until she declared she wasn't sick at all and that her barfing was over. Then it was business as usual, with a side order of cranky.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
A vision of the future
The marching band tradition is strong in our family. Corey and I both had musical grandparents, and BOTH sets of our parents met in marching bands (Corey's at Rochester High School and mine at Arizona State University). Corey and I each had siblings in marching band and colorguard, and anyone who knows either one of us even casually probably knows that Corey and I are both high school and college marching band alumni. It's not a matter of whether Peter and Charlotte will be in a band. It's only a question of woodwind versus brass. (We're not sure we are ready for a percussionist, though we are not completely discounting the idea.)
When Charlotte received a cool collection of dress-up clothes handed down from Corey's cousins, there was included an old marching band jacket that apparently Corey's mom and aunt had purchased at a school rummage sale. The other night, Charlotte decided she needed to wear it while she and Peter tooted on Corey's ancient baritone horn. They can get surprisingly good noises out of it, and then they giggle like maniacs. I don't mind this early introduction to brass, but please oh please let one of them be a woodwind player!
Petey wants to join the band too!
It may be hard to actually march until she is strong enough to hold the baritone. For now, it has to sit on the floor while she honks.
Peter looks a little disturbed by the sounds emanating from that monster.
One of Charlotte's big heros, her buddy Madison's big sister Mia, plays the tuba, so low brass may be in CJ's future. I can picture Peter as my little saxophone player, can't you?
When Charlotte received a cool collection of dress-up clothes handed down from Corey's cousins, there was included an old marching band jacket that apparently Corey's mom and aunt had purchased at a school rummage sale. The other night, Charlotte decided she needed to wear it while she and Peter tooted on Corey's ancient baritone horn. They can get surprisingly good noises out of it, and then they giggle like maniacs. I don't mind this early introduction to brass, but please oh please let one of them be a woodwind player!
Petey wants to join the band too!
It may be hard to actually march until she is strong enough to hold the baritone. For now, it has to sit on the floor while she honks.
Peter looks a little disturbed by the sounds emanating from that monster.
One of Charlotte's big heros, her buddy Madison's big sister Mia, plays the tuba, so low brass may be in CJ's future. I can picture Peter as my little saxophone player, can't you?
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Mallrats
Like I said before, it was HOTTT in Texas. We resorted to the ultimate in suburban entertainment on our final day there -- the mall! Shopping is getting more and more challenging with Petey as he seems to prefer racing around as fast as he can (all the while making "vrooming" noises like a car, of course) regardless of direction. Then, he has to be carried kicking and screaming out of each store. After visiting only one shop, we were exhausted and needed some lunch. Peter's two-fork technique was, well, nauseating to watch.
Charlie Jo thought she was hot snot drinking all of her juice box and most of her brother's. We feared the results as she was on this shopping trip wearing her big girl underpants. Good thing she's usually pretty enthusiastic about going potty in public restrooms.
Petey got tired of waiting for Charlie Jo to finish her trip to the potty.
He perked up when we hiked across to the kids' play area. It was beautiful and cheery.
I'm not sure why bellowing is necessary while sliding, but Petey seems to enjoy it.
Charlie Jo spent a lot of time on this caterpillar thing.
She copied a bigger girl and tried some trick riding.
Now how did she get up there? I gotta try some of that too.
On the way home, we spotted this correctly-spelled restaurant! Next time we're in Texas, I feel the need to patronize this bistro to support whoever this Niki is. Do you think I could get a free appetizer or something?
Charlie Jo thought she was hot snot drinking all of her juice box and most of her brother's. We feared the results as she was on this shopping trip wearing her big girl underpants. Good thing she's usually pretty enthusiastic about going potty in public restrooms.
Petey got tired of waiting for Charlie Jo to finish her trip to the potty.
He perked up when we hiked across to the kids' play area. It was beautiful and cheery.
I'm not sure why bellowing is necessary while sliding, but Petey seems to enjoy it.
Charlie Jo spent a lot of time on this caterpillar thing.
She copied a bigger girl and tried some trick riding.
Now how did she get up there? I gotta try some of that too.
On the way home, we spotted this correctly-spelled restaurant! Next time we're in Texas, I feel the need to patronize this bistro to support whoever this Niki is. Do you think I could get a free appetizer or something?
Last bits of fun with Great Grandpa Chuck
Peter and Charlotte both loved Great Grandpa Chuck. We're pretty sure Peter thought he was just one great big stuffed animal to cuddle, and Charlotte loved that Great Grandpa Chuck wasn't always running off to do something else and would sit and listen to her long flights of fancy. I'm still in awe that my 83-year-old grandpa is more than happy to fly clear across the country all on his own to see his great grandkids. He is visually impaired and thus needs to call a special needs access van to transport him to the airport, arranges for a skycap to help him navigate the busy confusing airport via wheelchair, puts up with the discomfort of a really long flight from Seattle to Dallas, and then repeats the process in reverse a few days later. I used to whine when I traveled without Corey because I had to put my own bag in the overhead bin. People tell me I'm brave for driving two tiny kids 685 miles on my own, but I don't think I have anything on Grandpa Chuck.
Like I said, Peter considered his Great Grandpa to be a big cuddly "buh-buh". He kept wandering over and climbing up in Grandpa's lap. He also seemed to have an obsession with finding Grandpa's belly button and was always yanking at Grandpa's shirt to locate it.
Charlotte didn't quite get that Grandpa Chuck's vision is extremely limited. She brought a new puzzle over and asked for help, which Grandpa was more than happy to attempt to provide.
Working together, they were able to finish the puzzle!
Like I said, Peter considered his Great Grandpa to be a big cuddly "buh-buh". He kept wandering over and climbing up in Grandpa's lap. He also seemed to have an obsession with finding Grandpa's belly button and was always yanking at Grandpa's shirt to locate it.
Charlotte didn't quite get that Grandpa Chuck's vision is extremely limited. She brought a new puzzle over and asked for help, which Grandpa was more than happy to attempt to provide.
Working together, they were able to finish the puzzle!
The closest thing we could find to a padded room
After being stuck inside during six straight days of record high temperatures over 100 degrees each day, we decided the kids needed a fun outing. What they really needed was a padded room to be set free in so they could act as crazy as they wanted without Mommy and Grandma JoJo yelling at them to stop trashing the house. The next best thing was Jump for Fun! just a few miles away. Yes, the exclamation point is in the name of the venue. For the bargain price of $7 (Peter was free, so we only had to pay for Charlie Jo), they could jump on inflatables to their little hearts' contents.
The Sesame Street area was a big hit.
We loved that the time from 10 am to 1 pm was designated for ages 6 and under only, but Mom and I took offense at the drawing they used on the warning sign to indicate that us HUGE OBESE people who weigh over 150 pounds were not welcome on the structure.
Even Charlotte was offended at the drawing.
Charlotte loved this structure that offered a choice of three different slides once you climbed to the top.
She came shooting down the slides like a bat out of hell and then begged us to instruct her to "do it again".
In the baby play area, Petey bonded with another little guy who wore matching shorts.
But then he decided to follow his sister up another ladder to more death-defying slides.
Yeah, I'm pushing my kid down the slide. Got a problem with that?
ZIIIIING!
It's tiring having so much fun.
At one point I stupidly let Petey climb up inside this monstrosity. He never came out, and finally I had to go in (and flaunt the regulations against gigantic fat people!) to rescue him. Another little kid told me to please never let him climb in there again.
The Sesame Street area was a big hit.
We loved that the time from 10 am to 1 pm was designated for ages 6 and under only, but Mom and I took offense at the drawing they used on the warning sign to indicate that us HUGE OBESE people who weigh over 150 pounds were not welcome on the structure.
Even Charlotte was offended at the drawing.
Charlotte loved this structure that offered a choice of three different slides once you climbed to the top.
She came shooting down the slides like a bat out of hell and then begged us to instruct her to "do it again".
In the baby play area, Petey bonded with another little guy who wore matching shorts.
But then he decided to follow his sister up another ladder to more death-defying slides.
Yeah, I'm pushing my kid down the slide. Got a problem with that?
ZIIIIING!
It's tiring having so much fun.
At one point I stupidly let Petey climb up inside this monstrosity. He never came out, and finally I had to go in (and flaunt the regulations against gigantic fat people!) to rescue him. Another little kid told me to please never let him climb in there again.
The Helpful Joneses
Whenever Charlotte or Peter are being "helpful" while Corey or I are working on some project, we call the little helper "Helpful Jones". While we were at my parents' house last week, there were all sorts of instances where one or both Helpful Joneses showed up hoping to gum up the works. I had previously posted a photo of Helpful Charlie Jo Jones assisting Grandpa Spike with the faucet installation. Here, Helpful Peter Jones was very interested in offering his assistance with the swapping out of door stops.
It was especially interesting to watch Grandpa Spike demolish the old butler's pantry.
Charlotte declared the empty space her "home" and she made a little bed out of old towels.
Not to be outdone, Petey set up his own bed (with help from Mommy) in the space across the way where more cabinets were being replaced.
I was doing dishes a little later and Helpful Charlie Jo Jones insisted on participating. I got a step stool out and should have known that Helpful Peter Jones would soon follow his sister up onto it. After it got a little splashy in there, I sent the Helpful Jones siblings on a permanent break and kicked them out of the kitchen.
If you have any need for assistance with handyman chores or household tasks, please let me know. I would be more than happy to lend out the Helpful Joneses at a very reasonable rate. Actually, I may pay you to take them for a while. Those two are exhausting when providing help.
It was especially interesting to watch Grandpa Spike demolish the old butler's pantry.
Charlotte declared the empty space her "home" and she made a little bed out of old towels.
Not to be outdone, Petey set up his own bed (with help from Mommy) in the space across the way where more cabinets were being replaced.
I was doing dishes a little later and Helpful Charlie Jo Jones insisted on participating. I got a step stool out and should have known that Helpful Peter Jones would soon follow his sister up onto it. After it got a little splashy in there, I sent the Helpful Jones siblings on a permanent break and kicked them out of the kitchen.
If you have any need for assistance with handyman chores or household tasks, please let me know. I would be more than happy to lend out the Helpful Joneses at a very reasonable rate. Actually, I may pay you to take them for a while. Those two are exhausting when providing help.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
More Tuesday goofiness
On Tuesday, we had even more fun in the pool . . .
. . . and "helped" Grandpa Spike put a new faucet on at the kitchen sink . . .
. . . and played play-dough with Great Grandpa Chuck . . .
. . . and finally fought the large rainbow tunnel monster from outer space.
Oh no! The rainbow tunnel monster kidnapped Peter! I hope they show Thomas the Tank Engine movies on the space ship, because that's the only way they're going to get Peter back to the home planet with their sanity intact.
. . . and "helped" Grandpa Spike put a new faucet on at the kitchen sink . . .
. . . and played play-dough with Great Grandpa Chuck . . .
. . . and finally fought the large rainbow tunnel monster from outer space.
Oh no! The rainbow tunnel monster kidnapped Peter! I hope they show Thomas the Tank Engine movies on the space ship, because that's the only way they're going to get Peter back to the home planet with their sanity intact.
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