We have had a very good Christmas this year. Actually, we had four very good Christmases this year! I wonder if we could relate to that movie, Four Christmases?
It was great to spend time with our family members. Here is some video of Roman and Ava from Christmas with my dad. I will post more when I get a chance to offload and review the video from Brownwood.
Finally!
Whew! I am finally done with school, so now I can direct my attention to my home and Christmas. Now I'm running around town like a crazy person trying to wrap up my Christmas shopping, while still trying to organize my house that has somehow fallen into more of a shambles over the past couple of weeks. Plus, I "had" to spend some time shopping for myself to replace my winter wardrobe, which was mistakenly given away to Goodwill. I'm not really complaining about that one!
I hope everybody else has things more under control than I do!
In Roman news, his new trick is clapping. He will clap when he hears clapping on the television. He'll also clap when we clap. The other night, he worked really hard to stand unassisted in the bathtub and clap. He did it, and he was so proud of himself! I was impressed that he could balance without holding on to anything. Perhaps he will start walking!
Roman is in no hurry to cross any milestones, so I don't know when he will start walking and talking. He does babble quite a bit, and he loves to say "dada" (much to my chagrin). He is a little charmer, which is good because he is also TROUBLE! That baby can zero in on the most dangerous thing in a room, and then he'll manage to get to it in seconds. We never new how spoiled we were with Ava!
I hope everybody else has things more under control than I do!
In Roman news, his new trick is clapping. He will clap when he hears clapping on the television. He'll also clap when we clap. The other night, he worked really hard to stand unassisted in the bathtub and clap. He did it, and he was so proud of himself! I was impressed that he could balance without holding on to anything. Perhaps he will start walking!
Roman is in no hurry to cross any milestones, so I don't know when he will start walking and talking. He does babble quite a bit, and he loves to say "dada" (much to my chagrin). He is a little charmer, which is good because he is also TROUBLE! That baby can zero in on the most dangerous thing in a room, and then he'll manage to get to it in seconds. We never new how spoiled we were with Ava!
Almost There...
Ah, Winter Break is just around the corner! I haven't been able to unpack anything since school started back up after Thanksgiving. The chores of daily life keep me so busy! Fortunately, Gianni has been cooking a few meals a week, which takes some of the burden off of me. Unfortunately, I'm so tired lately I've just been napping and reading the new Stephen King novel instead of unpacking! My goal is to really get the house in order over the break. Wish me luck!
Big Move!
Well, we are signing papers on our new home on Tuesday, November 24th! We'll be moving on Wednesday. Thanks in advance to Mom, Dad, and Jared for helping out.
Special thanks to Curt for our beautiful, wonderful refrigerator! CORRECTION: THANKS to Curt for our wonderful new washer and dryer! The previous owners generously left their nice refrigerator, so Curt gave us a washer and dryer instead!
Special thanks to Curt for our beautiful, wonderful refrigerator! CORRECTION: THANKS to Curt for our wonderful new washer and dryer! The previous owners generously left their nice refrigerator, so Curt gave us a washer and dryer instead!
School Pictures are here!
I did something a little different with Ava's school pictures this year. Instead of paying tons for a huge package, I ordered a CD that I can use to print off pictures of any size and amount at my favorite retailer (probably Walgreens). So, all you have to do is let me know what sizes and how many you want. I'll do the rest!
Baby Spock and Jasmine
I would say that Halloween 2009 was blast, thanks in part to our realtors/friends, Shelly and Adrian. We went to their house for some delicious food before trick-or-treating with a whole mess of kids. Kylie and her parents joined us, and it was fun watching the kids run from house to house on their candy mission. Roman was a trooper, riding happily in his stroller.
After trick-or-treating with the gang, Gianni took Roman home to bed. Kylie, Ava and their respective parents continued trick-or-treating for another hour in another neighborhood in town.
By the time we got home, Ava and I were exhausted! It was fun, though!
In the pictures below, you will see Ava dressed as Princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin. Roman is Baby Spock from Star Trek, while Gianni and I are his parents, Sarek and Amanda. Sarek was Vulcan, but Amanda was human, which is why I don't get the cool ears.
After trick-or-treating with the gang, Gianni took Roman home to bed. Kylie, Ava and their respective parents continued trick-or-treating for another hour in another neighborhood in town.
By the time we got home, Ava and I were exhausted! It was fun, though!
In the pictures below, you will see Ava dressed as Princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin. Roman is Baby Spock from Star Trek, while Gianni and I are his parents, Sarek and Amanda. Sarek was Vulcan, but Amanda was human, which is why I don't get the cool ears.
A (Literal) Breath of Fresh Air
Ah, how nice it is to come home to a clean house, day after day! Never before have we been so motivated to keep our home clean. I love it! However, I'm not sure how long we can sustain this unnatural state. Gianni is already starting to slip with regards to the small details. I have decided that he has a "cleaning disability." I honestly think he doesn't see some of the mess. Then again, he is so smart that he's probably just tricking me.
So Busy
As many already know, we are in the process of selling our house and buying another. So, I have been crazy busy cleaning and packing. We are having an open house on Sunday and Monday. The Realtors are confident that we will be able to sell our home soon. I certainly hope so, because I have a feeling one of us is going to spill something on our nice clean carpets. In fact, Roman spilled a whole can of paint on our bed last night. Fortunately, it only got on the bedsheets.
Once our new home details are finalized, I'll post some pictures (if I have time).
Special thanks to Daddy for working ridiculously hard for two days to help me get things in order. It was nice to have a day for just the two of us, even though we worked the whole time!
Once our new home details are finalized, I'll post some pictures (if I have time).
Special thanks to Daddy for working ridiculously hard for two days to help me get things in order. It was nice to have a day for just the two of us, even though we worked the whole time!
Bears, Babies, and Bikes
Well, Ava had another birthday party yesterday. It was for her long-time friend, Kylie. We didn't have a problem with the gift because we got her a gift card to Build-A-Bear Workshop, which is where the party was held. Ava had never been there before, so she didn't know what she was missing (yet).
Anyway, I took Roman and Gianni home while the party was happening, so I missed most of it. However, Ava got a cute bear that she named Frida. Yes, I bought an outfit for Frida. Ava loves her new "friend" and has been taking good care of her. She has colored the box where Frida lives when Ava is not playing with her. Ava has already started campaigning for a friend for Frida, of course. She thinks Frida needs a unicorn friend. When I mentioned that I thought the cats were cute, she said that maybe we needed to get me a friend, too.
In Roman news, things are looking up. Literally. He's been pulling himself up on everything! He isn't content to be on his bottom unless he is playing in the refrigerator. He won't even sit in the bathtub. His new preferred bathtub activity is to hang over the side of the tub and pull his toys out of the basket next to the tub. He doesn't play with them, though. He just likes to grab them. One time, he leaned forward so far that he slid right over the side of the tub! Fortunately, I was right there to catch him! Ava is delighted to see Roman standing, especially when we go to get him out of his crib. He does look pretty cute, I must admit. Here is some bathtub video:
I've been trying to introduce Stage 3 foods to Roman, with little success. Most of the Stage 3 foods have small pieces of pasta, and Roman does not like those! One day I was feeding him and noticed that he had managed to spit out each little pasta "bb" while eating the food that was around it. Most of the time, he just refuses to eat once he figures out there are "things" in his food. He does better with the "chunky fruit, which is really just pureed fruit with tiny bits of fruit. He makes a face when he comes across one of the "chunks".
On a positive feeding note, Roman does seem okay with meat. I haven't given him any that wasn't mixed up in fruit or vegetables, though.
Another thing he likes to eat is Ava's markers! Yesterday, he was chewing on a red one. I looked up and it looked like he had blood pouring down his chin! I cleaned him up, but he was drooling so much that it just kept coming out. It got to the point where I thought that maybe it was blood! I still haven't figured out why it kept coming out. Maybe he was chewing on one that didn't have a lid, so he got a piece of it in his mouth. Who knows? He wasn't crying or upset, at least not until I started wiping his face and prying into his mouth. Ava was horrified by the way the red marker looked. It was pretty disturbing.
Ava and I are going to Don and Leta's house at 10 for "Bike School." Don will be helping both Ava and Genevieve learn to ride their bikes. I think is was so thoughtful of Don to include Ava! I hope Ava has lots of fun and maybe even some success in learning to ride her bike without training wheels.
Anyway, I took Roman and Gianni home while the party was happening, so I missed most of it. However, Ava got a cute bear that she named Frida. Yes, I bought an outfit for Frida. Ava loves her new "friend" and has been taking good care of her. She has colored the box where Frida lives when Ava is not playing with her. Ava has already started campaigning for a friend for Frida, of course. She thinks Frida needs a unicorn friend. When I mentioned that I thought the cats were cute, she said that maybe we needed to get me a friend, too.
In Roman news, things are looking up. Literally. He's been pulling himself up on everything! He isn't content to be on his bottom unless he is playing in the refrigerator. He won't even sit in the bathtub. His new preferred bathtub activity is to hang over the side of the tub and pull his toys out of the basket next to the tub. He doesn't play with them, though. He just likes to grab them. One time, he leaned forward so far that he slid right over the side of the tub! Fortunately, I was right there to catch him! Ava is delighted to see Roman standing, especially when we go to get him out of his crib. He does look pretty cute, I must admit. Here is some bathtub video:
I've been trying to introduce Stage 3 foods to Roman, with little success. Most of the Stage 3 foods have small pieces of pasta, and Roman does not like those! One day I was feeding him and noticed that he had managed to spit out each little pasta "bb" while eating the food that was around it. Most of the time, he just refuses to eat once he figures out there are "things" in his food. He does better with the "chunky fruit, which is really just pureed fruit with tiny bits of fruit. He makes a face when he comes across one of the "chunks".
On a positive feeding note, Roman does seem okay with meat. I haven't given him any that wasn't mixed up in fruit or vegetables, though.
Another thing he likes to eat is Ava's markers! Yesterday, he was chewing on a red one. I looked up and it looked like he had blood pouring down his chin! I cleaned him up, but he was drooling so much that it just kept coming out. It got to the point where I thought that maybe it was blood! I still haven't figured out why it kept coming out. Maybe he was chewing on one that didn't have a lid, so he got a piece of it in his mouth. Who knows? He wasn't crying or upset, at least not until I started wiping his face and prying into his mouth. Ava was horrified by the way the red marker looked. It was pretty disturbing.
Ava and I are going to Don and Leta's house at 10 for "Bike School." Don will be helping both Ava and Genevieve learn to ride their bikes. I think is was so thoughtful of Don to include Ava! I hope Ava has lots of fun and maybe even some success in learning to ride her bike without training wheels.
Adventures in Gift Buying
Ava is going to a sleepover at Genevieve's house this evening. It is part of Genevieve's 6th birthday celebration. Ava is super excited! She's been missing Genevieve a great deal lately.
We went to Terra Toys to pick out a gift, since they have some interesting things there. Unfortunately, Ava decided that she wanted some things for herself, and really did not put much effort into finding a gift for Genevieve. She is particularly jealous of Genevieve's horse collection. Ava wanted some of the same kind of horses, and she wanted them today! Unfortunatley, those horses are a little pricey.
For Genevieve's gift, Ava finally settled on a ladybug necklace in a velvet ladybug case, and I chose a The Berenstain Bears Have a Sleepover. I thought we could find one other small item, but Ava was done looking for gifts. I had to reprimand her a few times because she wasn't helping me find something for Genevieve. This upset Ava a great deal, as well as the fact that I wouldn't get her any of the items she kept bringing to my attention.
To make matters worse, Roman spit up on the ladybug case and chewed on the book. So, it is going to look like we got Genevieve some secondhand gifts.
So, on the way home, I had two kids crying in the car. Roman was tired, and Ava was very upset that I embarassed her and didn't buy anything for her. It was a fun trip!
Mind you, I warned Ava upon entering the store that she wasn't going to get anything.
I guess I'll be picking out the gifts on my own in the future. On the bright side, I know where we can go to get Ava's Christmas gifts!
Silly Baby
Last night when I was putting Roman to bed, I was having trouble getting the CD player to recognize that it had a CD in it. I blew air out of my mouth in frustration, sort of a sigh with an "f" sound (but I wasn't saying anything). I didn't think anything about it until Roman started trying to do it himself! It was so cute, but it got cuter when I did it on purpose. He thought it was hilarious! I did it over and over, and he cracked up every time. I called Gianni and Ava to watch, and he still giggled. I tried it a few times today, and this joke continues to be golden.
Is there anything sweeter than a baby's laugh?
Is there anything sweeter than a baby's laugh?
The Bully and the Incredible Shrinking Baby
Guess which child is which?
On Monday, I received an email from Ava's teacher, Mrs. Lugo. She told me that on Friday, Ava hit another girl on the playground. The other girl thought that something she had found was gold, but Ava said it wasn't. To help the girl see the error of her ways, Ava hit her. Then, on Monday, she hit a bilingual boy who was trying to help her clean up. The gall of some children! So, Ava was sent to the office to speak with the principal. She was terribly embarassed and didn't want to talk about it. She immediately dissolved into tears when we tried to bring it up. Gianni and I are hoping that this won't happen again. However, she bopped Roman on the head (not too hard) tonight. He was trying to pull down something she was building. She lost story time for that!
Speaking of Roman...we took him for his 9 month old checkup today. He is doing great, but he appears to be shrinking. He isn't actually getting smaller, but he isn't getting bigger, either. He was at the 75th percentile at his 6 month checkup for both height and weight. Now he is at the 10th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight. His doctor says that this is actually normal for breastfed babies. Also, his 6 month checkup happened when he was closer to 7 months old, so that may account for him being in a higher percentile. The studies indicate that you really can't predict future height until age 2 anyway. I'm just glad he's healthy!
On Monday, I received an email from Ava's teacher, Mrs. Lugo. She told me that on Friday, Ava hit another girl on the playground. The other girl thought that something she had found was gold, but Ava said it wasn't. To help the girl see the error of her ways, Ava hit her. Then, on Monday, she hit a bilingual boy who was trying to help her clean up. The gall of some children! So, Ava was sent to the office to speak with the principal. She was terribly embarassed and didn't want to talk about it. She immediately dissolved into tears when we tried to bring it up. Gianni and I are hoping that this won't happen again. However, she bopped Roman on the head (not too hard) tonight. He was trying to pull down something she was building. She lost story time for that!
Speaking of Roman...we took him for his 9 month old checkup today. He is doing great, but he appears to be shrinking. He isn't actually getting smaller, but he isn't getting bigger, either. He was at the 75th percentile at his 6 month checkup for both height and weight. Now he is at the 10th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight. His doctor says that this is actually normal for breastfed babies. Also, his 6 month checkup happened when he was closer to 7 months old, so that may account for him being in a higher percentile. The studies indicate that you really can't predict future height until age 2 anyway. I'm just glad he's healthy!
Weekend Visit
Gianni and I wanted to go out last Saturday, so our favorite traveling babysitter came for a visit. Ava and Roman loved having Mimi (Judy to some, Mom to others) around. Gianni and I enjoyed her visit, too (and not just because of the free babysitting). We also got to visit with Jared and Kristen, who we never see, since they live so far away!
Roman demonstrated his exceptional crawling skills, while Ava wowed us with her creativity. Actually, she showed us her new hide and go seek skills. While Mimi was counting, Ava snuck over to the entryway wall, banged on it, then silently ran into the kitchen. She was using the bang on the wall to mislead Mimi! Jared found this to be particularly funny, since he has participated in hide and go seek with Ava at younger ages. Until recently, Ava would pretty much hide in plain sight and laugh loudly as you approached. Or, she would yell, "I'm over here!"
Roman demonstrated his exceptional crawling skills, while Ava wowed us with her creativity. Actually, she showed us her new hide and go seek skills. While Mimi was counting, Ava snuck over to the entryway wall, banged on it, then silently ran into the kitchen. She was using the bang on the wall to mislead Mimi! Jared found this to be particularly funny, since he has participated in hide and go seek with Ava at younger ages. Until recently, Ava would pretty much hide in plain sight and laugh loudly as you approached. Or, she would yell, "I'm over here!"
Roman in the Rain & CRAWLING
I'll try to get better footage of Roman crawling, but here's some Saturday morning video. In this one, he is contemplating the rain. I got more footage of him in the rain (more like drops from trees), but the files were too big to post.
In the next one, he is playing around the recycling bin. You'll see trash strewn around, and that is from Roman pulling it out. Sometimes, we just have trash everywhere, but this time it is from Roman.
Here are some pictures of him playing with some puzzle pieces that were in a box in the recycling bin. I put them in the box to hide them so that he wouldn't eat them, since he had already eaten one. He didn't really eat it, but he chewed it up pretty well.
Finally, here's Roman crawling towards Harley. Nobody has inspired my children more than sweet Harley! The talking/strange music in the background is from Gianni's true crime show, The First 48.
In the next one, he is playing around the recycling bin. You'll see trash strewn around, and that is from Roman pulling it out. Sometimes, we just have trash everywhere, but this time it is from Roman.
Here are some pictures of him playing with some puzzle pieces that were in a box in the recycling bin. I put them in the box to hide them so that he wouldn't eat them, since he had already eaten one. He didn't really eat it, but he chewed it up pretty well.
Finally, here's Roman crawling towards Harley. Nobody has inspired my children more than sweet Harley! The talking/strange music in the background is from Gianni's true crime show, The First 48.
Sad Day in Katyland
Well, I made the decision today to go ahead and give Roman formula at daycare. I'm having trouble (1) pumping enough milk and (2) doing my job, since I pump during my planning period. I could give up my lunch like I did last year, but I really enjoy my time with my colleagues. Plus, my friend Jody has a different planning period this year, so lunch is the only time we can catch up.
I made a goal to nurse Roman exclusively for one year, but school is kicking my booty right now. Theoretically, I could start pumping again when things settle down, but let's face facts. Pumping is a pain! I am really tired of it. I just feel terrible because I feel like I'm letting Roman down.
I take comfort in 3 things:
1. I'm still nursing him when he is with me.
2. He's on solid food, so he's not taking as much milk as he used to.
3. Ava was on formula at daycare starting at a younger age and she seems healthy.
Still, I wish I could have reached my goal. I was embarassed to be seen buying the formula. I wanted to tell everybody that I had nursed him exclusively until tomorrow, and that I'll still be nursing him at home.
I know Roman will like the formula because twice they had to make him a formula bottle at daycare because he ran out of breast milk. They used a container of sample formula I had received in the mail. I just bought that same kind today, since I know he likes it okay.
If I was a stay at home mom, I would have had no problem avoiding formula. So, now I'm even more frustrated with my job!
I'll get over this, I know. I guess it isn't worse than feeding him a bottle of water or juice. It has more nutrients than those two, I guess. I don't give him just juice or water yet because I feel that he needs the fat and protein found only in milk/formula.
I made a goal to nurse Roman exclusively for one year, but school is kicking my booty right now. Theoretically, I could start pumping again when things settle down, but let's face facts. Pumping is a pain! I am really tired of it. I just feel terrible because I feel like I'm letting Roman down.
I take comfort in 3 things:
1. I'm still nursing him when he is with me.
2. He's on solid food, so he's not taking as much milk as he used to.
3. Ava was on formula at daycare starting at a younger age and she seems healthy.
Still, I wish I could have reached my goal. I was embarassed to be seen buying the formula. I wanted to tell everybody that I had nursed him exclusively until tomorrow, and that I'll still be nursing him at home.
I know Roman will like the formula because twice they had to make him a formula bottle at daycare because he ran out of breast milk. They used a container of sample formula I had received in the mail. I just bought that same kind today, since I know he likes it okay.
If I was a stay at home mom, I would have had no problem avoiding formula. So, now I'm even more frustrated with my job!
I'll get over this, I know. I guess it isn't worse than feeding him a bottle of water or juice. It has more nutrients than those two, I guess. I don't give him just juice or water yet because I feel that he needs the fat and protein found only in milk/formula.
Little Victories
1. Roman is starting to get up on his knees before crawling, but he hasn't put it all together yet for a real crawl. I'm in no rush for him to start motoring around even better than he already is! By the way, Ava didn't put him in the position in the photo. She's just making sure he stays there so I can get the photo. He is being Grumplestiltskin, which explains the expression.
2. Ava started making books and she is spelling words correctly on her own. She spelled lost and help all by herself! Yay! These pictures are from the cover of a book called "The Lost Winget". I don't know what it is about.
Star Trek Convention Pics
Gianni was finally able to prepare these photos. He was having major problems with the camera when he was taking these, so the lighting was all messed up. It was frustrating, because the test pictures were great, then the flash wouldn't work or whatever. We could
n't ask these people to pose forever, so we had to take what we could get. Anyway, fill in the blanks as to what Roman is thinking here!
Tip: Double click on the pic to see a larger view.
n't ask these people to pose forever, so we had to take what we could get. Anyway, fill in the blanks as to what Roman is thinking here!Tip: Double click on the pic to see a larger view.
First Week
Wow! What a busy week. We tried to get a picture of Ava on her first day of 1st Grade, but the memory stick that was in the camera was full. There is still some debate as to which parent is to blame. So, no picture. Sorry!
Well, I was pretty concerned after my first day back. I thought it was going to be a super rough year. However, I'm already starting to get attached to my new class. I think I'm gonna make it!
Ava seems pretty happy, but we'll see where she stands after they really get into the work. Fortunately, she has been separated from some of the girls she had a hard time with last year.
Roman is loving daycare. That baby loves everything! He gets LOTS of attention since he is the cutest baby there. ;-) He's very close to crawling. I personally am okay with him taking his time on that skill! He already gets into everything. We're going to have to put gates and fences up all over the house to keep him safe.
Ava is whining for me to make her another pancake for supper, so that's it for now.
Oh, and Gianni is having lots of fun editing the vacation video and working on a Flash program for work.
Here's a picture that Ava's teacher, Mrs. Lugo, took at Meet the Teacher on the Friday before school started. Ava's face conveys her excitement about starting 1st Grade!
Well, I was pretty concerned after my first day back. I thought it was going to be a super rough year. However, I'm already starting to get attached to my new class. I think I'm gonna make it!
Ava seems pretty happy, but we'll see where she stands after they really get into the work. Fortunately, she has been separated from some of the girls she had a hard time with last year.
Roman is loving daycare. That baby loves everything! He gets LOTS of attention since he is the cutest baby there. ;-) He's very close to crawling. I personally am okay with him taking his time on that skill! He already gets into everything. We're going to have to put gates and fences up all over the house to keep him safe.
Ava is whining for me to make her another pancake for supper, so that's it for now.
Oh, and Gianni is having lots of fun editing the vacation video and working on a Flash program for work.
Here's a picture that Ava's teacher, Mrs. Lugo, took at Meet the Teacher on the Friday before school started. Ava's face conveys her excitement about starting 1st Grade!
Back to School is around the corner
Well, I went back to school on Monday, August 17th. Roman is going back to daycare tomorrow, August 20th. Ava will start 1st grade on Monday, August 24th. Our wonderful summer break is over, and now we must get adjusted to being away from each other. Gianni will have to get used to having an exhausted, grumpy shrew for a wife; Roman and Ava will have to get used to Mommy being very, very boring and tired.
I'll get Gianni to take some pictures of Ava's first day to post sometime next week or weekend.
I'll get Gianni to take some pictures of Ava's first day to post sometime next week or weekend.
Driving Home
The trip back to Austin was rather uneventful and very, very long. After Vegas, we stopped at Hoover Dam, which was very neat. Ava complained the whole time because she was hot, but Gianni and I enjoyed it. Roman was happy to be out of the car.
Our hotel in Phoenix was fine, and we just ordered pizza in. We were tired and didn't want to be in the car for another second!
We stayed at the same hotel in Van Horn, and it served its purpose. We got up the next day and drove straight to Austin. We were glad to be home and to see our kitties. They were fine and didn't seem any worse for wear. Thanks to Jared and our neighbor Bill for checking in on them.
I can't say that we'll do any road trips like that again! However, it was a good experience, and I enjoyed spending so much time with my family.
Our hotel in Phoenix was fine, and we just ordered pizza in. We were tired and didn't want to be in the car for another second!
We stayed at the same hotel in Van Horn, and it served its purpose. We got up the next day and drove straight to Austin. We were glad to be home and to see our kitties. They were fine and didn't seem any worse for wear. Thanks to Jared and our neighbor Bill for checking in on them.
I can't say that we'll do any road trips like that again! However, it was a good experience, and I enjoyed spending so much time with my family.
What happens in Vegas...
Wow! We had lots of fun in Vegas. I can't really recommend it as a place for kids, but Ava did enjoy Siegfreid and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. She also LOVED the Lion Habitat at the MGM Grand and the fountain show at the Bellagio. She wasn't really phased by the nudie cards that people were handing out left and right, except that she hated that they were littering. She enjoyed New York New York, too. Gianni and I would like to go back sometime to take in a show or two. We would love to see Penn and Teller!
Just a word of caution -- driving down The Strip might lead to your head popping off in frustration. Besides the expected crowds, they were doing construction. Maneuvering, day or night, was very frustrating and tricky. On our last night there, we walked about 3 miles to avoid the traffic. I preferred that, but Gianni and Ava would have rather sat in an air conditioned vehicle. Roman enjoying being out in his stroller, taking in all the sights and sounds. He didn't cry at all, and he was the only baby we saw that was awake!
I'll try to post pics later. Gianni is working on them. He's also putting together a little vacation movie, which we'll be happy to send to anyone who wants to see it. Hopefully, he'll be done before our next vacation!
Just a word of caution -- driving down The Strip might lead to your head popping off in frustration. Besides the expected crowds, they were doing construction. Maneuvering, day or night, was very frustrating and tricky. On our last night there, we walked about 3 miles to avoid the traffic. I preferred that, but Gianni and Ava would have rather sat in an air conditioned vehicle. Roman enjoying being out in his stroller, taking in all the sights and sounds. He didn't cry at all, and he was the only baby we saw that was awake!
I'll try to post pics later. Gianni is working on them. He's also putting together a little vacation movie, which we'll be happy to send to anyone who wants to see it. Hopefully, he'll be done before our next vacation!
Arizona!
We made it to Arizona on Wednesday, August 5th. We were so excited to be in a real town (Tucson) and a nice hotel. We love Texas, but Van Horn leaves much to be desired! Ava loves our La Quinta here in Tucson. We went for a swim in the warm pool, but had to leave when it started to thunder. Apparently, this is the rainy season in the desert, so we haven't experienced the heat. Of course, we're not complaining!
We ate at a Vegetarian Hare Krishna buffet last night. It was interesting, and we felt very mellow afterwards. Gianni is shaving
his head as I write.You would think with Ava being a Vegetarian, she would have found something to eat. Well, you would be wrong! We had to take her to Schlotzsky's (which was closed), then Waffle House. She only ate about 3/4 of one waffle. Sigh.
Well, after our clothes have dried in the hotel dryer, we will be on our way to Vegas! Stay tuned...
New Mexico!
After driving for a day and a half, we finally made it out of Texas! Our next stop is Tucson, AZ.
Roly Polies
Ava has decided to keep a few roly polies as pets. She is so very excited! Their names are Thomas, Tiny, Edward, and Girlie. She considers herself to be their mother. She can't stop talking about them! She also won't leave them alone -- she's constantly getting them out of their "habitat" and playing with them. It is cute to hear her theories on what they are doing. Right now, Girlie is practicing walking on Ava's finger in such a way that she won't fall off.
Unfortunately, we'll probably be taking them with us to Las Vegas. Fortunately, they mostly need water and dirt, which can be found in most places (although we are going to the desert...).
Also, I read on Wikipedia that they can live for 1 or 2 years! I'm not going to tell Ava that, in case they die before that (which I expect will happen).
UPDATE! We managed to convince Ava to release her roly polies. Her plan was to just let them die while we were on our trip, then let them go. After much discussion, she agreed to let them go before they died. She plans on collecting more upon our return to Austin.
Unfortunately, we'll probably be taking them with us to Las Vegas. Fortunately, they mostly need water and dirt, which can be found in most places (although we are going to the desert...).
Also, I read on Wikipedia that they can live for 1 or 2 years! I'm not going to tell Ava that, in case they die before that (which I expect will happen).
UPDATE! We managed to convince Ava to release her roly polies. Her plan was to just let them die while we were on our trip, then let them go. After much discussion, she agreed to let them go before they died. She plans on collecting more upon our return to Austin.
Crystal Beach Trip
While visiting my cousins, Dawn & Stacy (and their families), we made a day trip to see the damage from Hurricane Ike on Bolivar Peninsula. Of course, we had to stop and play in the sand! This was Roman's first beach trip. He wasn't too thrilled with the waves, but he liked the sand!
Jared, Mom, Dad, and my 87-year old grandmother accompanied us on this trip. What would I do without them?
Here are some videos of Roman's experiences. I apologize for the poor camera-work. If I waited to edit the video, I'd never get anything posted! I'm also posting a short video of Ava and Jared building a sand castle.
Sea World
We went to Sea World yesterday afternoon. We ate out at La Fogata first. It was there that Roman's fear of indoor spider plants returned. As we exited the restroom (where I changed him into a swim diaper), he let out a yell. At first, I thought it was some kind of barking cough, until I realized he was clutching me and staring terrified at a spider plant in the corner. After telling Gianni about it, I took Roman back to the spot to see if that was, indeed, what he was responding to. It was! He was terrified when I took him near the plant, though he didn't cry. He doesn't appear to be afraid of plants outside, just indoor plants.
After dinner, we went to the Lost Lagoon at Sea World first. Ava and I enjoyed the wave pool and another play area. Then, we went to see Shamu Rocks Texas. We tried to protect Roman from Shamu's first splash, but we were a little slow with the umbrella. So, Roman got splashed with chilly, salty water. He was so mad -- he started crying. I had to take him out of the auditorium. Ava and Gianni finished what turned out to be a disappointing show, while I changed Roman into dry clothes and nursed him.
Finally, Ava and I went on the Rio Loco water ride. We had to wait in line a pretty long time! Gianni stayed with Roman, who fell asleep waiting for us. Then, we went home!
We didn't take any pictures because Gianni and I didn't feel like lugging the camera around. We'll try to do better in the future. Juggling the various bags is challenging enough without having to worry about an expensive camera, but I was a little sad to have no pictures.
We've decided that we won't go back to Sea World as a whole family until Roman is older. He can't really ride anything, nor does he seem to enjoy anything else that much. So, one of us ends up having to wait around quite a bit. Gianni will be bringing Ava back to see Sea World attractions, while I'll bring her to the Lost Lagoon. Whoever isn't going will stay home with Roman. I'm sure next summer will be better for Roman!
Finally!
I've been wanting to set up a family blog after following some that belong to my friends. I will do my best to keep this updated, but who knows what will happen once school starts in August!
Ava, Roman and I go to the swimming pool nearly every day. At first, Roman did not enjoy it, but he is coming around. He is starting to splash a bit, and he just chills out and chews on a toy. Ava is like a little fish. She swims, dives, flips and does handstands. She makes friends with anybody willing to play with her. I think she's losing weight because she just goes and goes in the water!
These are some pictures from when we visited Mimi, Grampy and Grandmother in Brownwood.
About Me
- Ms. Dailey
- I have been teaching since 2001. All of my teaching experience has been at Zilker Elementary at the 2nd grade level. I am 36 years old. I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Vincente LeCornu, since May 2000. We have two children: daughter Ava (age 9) and son Roman (age 3). We also have one beloved cat.