Prehistoric Fun

To celebrate the LSU football team's big win over Mississippi State last night I took the kids up to our city's Dinosaur Park. They've been keen on it anyway since everytime we get in the car to run errands they point up to the ridge that sits in the middle of our city and tell me about the dinosaur with the big green neck, like a giraffe's. I can't believe this cute little place for kids is just minutes from our home and this was only our first time up. I'm not sure why it's here. Did someone just arbitrarily decide decades ago that a dinosaur park would be a cool thing? I think there is some sort of mammoth fossil somewhere in this region, so maybe that's the root. Needless to say, the children were thrilled! Afterward, we bought hot dogs, chips and water cups with straws (which is a big treat for the children!) from the gift shop and had lunch outside on the picnic table.

Since they were dressed alike, I got the inevitable question: "Are they twins?" I don't get the question as much as I used to, probably because we don't use the twin stroller as much anymore.

Julie gave these LSU T shirts to the kiddos. They'll be wearing them a lot in the next few months! Of course, Mikel is trying to infect the children's enthusiasm for the Tigers with the Michigan fight song. Hmmm.

Bye Bye, Jami

Since Anna was turning 3, she had to say goodbye to Jami, her speech teacher for the past four months. Friday was their last visit together. After their play/learning time, Anna gave her a card and we took photos. Later that morning, we met with folks from the school district about the results of Anna's language development retesting (done earlier this month). Anna has made such progress that she no longer qualifies for speech therapy. (Had she, it would have been provided by specialists from the school district.)

Her highest score came in Auditory Comprehension and Expressive Communication. Her weakness at this point is in the articulation category. For example, she might say "slite" instead of "slide." She omits final sounds such as t, ch, j and th in some words and sometimes reduces or substitutes blends. She may also distort the sounds of certain letters in some word positions. Still, most of her scores were right in the middle and even slightly higher in some categories, of the normal range for children her age. On the positive side, the speech therapist who tested Anna remarked on her attention span and specifically said that she sees children with fetal alcohol syndrome who can't pay attention (she was aware of the report of Anna's birth mother's drinking). Also, Anna willingly repeats her message if not understood, supports her emerging verbal skills with eye contact and inflection and follows multi-step directions.

We brought back pages and pages of handouts and tips on how we can help her to continue to improve. We can and will keep tabs on her progress with informal evaluations every six months. We were also told that her new school is very good about recognizing issues and making referrals. We're very proud of both Anna and Alexander and all the progress they've made.

3

Anna turned 3 today. We sang the Happy Birthday song to her first thing this morning but waited until Mikel came home from work to party. At her request, I baked a pink (strawberry) cake and then decorated it similarly to the one I'd made for Alexander. In lieu of those cone party hats, I got Anna a little tiara. It worked with the whole Cinderella party-plates-and-napkins theme. Among Anna's presents were a cradle for her babies and a classic Radio Flyer tricycle. Alexander clearly said over and over today a five-word sentence: "Happy birthday to you, Anna."

I tried to remember where I was or what was going on in my life when she was born half a world away. I must have been preparing to travel to Charolotte, N.C. (or perhaps was already there) to visit my brother, Donny, and his wife, Tiffany, and my new little nephew, Peyton, who is just a month older than Anna. I remember I visited during the Labor Day holiday. At Alexander's birthday I kept thinking back to where I was two years ago when he was born, and it was a similar story, only different state and different sibling. I was down in Lake Charles, LA, visiting my sister, Kim, and preparing for her baby shower, as her twins, Brock and Baylor, were born just six days after Alexander (she gave birth less than a week after the shower).

So much more "news" and photos to update on, and I'll try to get caught up with them soon. ... Much of last week was spent preparing for Saturday's big garage sale. Thanks in part to excellent weather, we enjoyed a great turnout. The best part is we got rid of a bunch of stuff, more than I would have thought. Some items that still hadn't sold after our third garage sale in five years got tossed. It feels good to have our garage back and not so cluttered with junk. Now I can get my 15-year-old car inside the garage just in time for winter.

Duck Feeders

I took the children to a different park the other day. I don't usually go the direction of this park so I'd forgotten about it for too long. It's a lot nicer in that there are more trees providing more shade, different play areas to choose from, streams, a lake and, as you can see, ducks. Anna and Alexander were delighted that the ducks couldn't get enough of their Goldfish crackers.

But where has the summer gone? It seems overnight the weather has turned its signts to the fall. Within the last week it's actually been cool enough for a sweatshirt or light jacket in the evening and just breezy and perfect during the day — the kinds of days when you could sleep for a long time in a hammock. It's been so wonderful that today we spent three hours outside and never left the house: one hour in the morning playing "softball" and looking for cool rocks; two hours in the afternoon coloring on the deck and playing the new sandbox.

New Curtains

I finally purchased and hung new curtains for Anna's room. I'd kept putting if off because I couldn't find just the right thing. I was this close to making them myself when I decided I actually liked these simple Shabby Chic curtains from Target. As you can see they're paper thin and keep out practically no light. However, I told myself I would solve the dilemma by sewing a liner. I might even purchase a thermal liner which I saw at Hancock Fabrics, as Anna's room tends to get the warmest. Not only does she have more windows than the rest of us but her room is at the end of the house, which means I think she gets the least amount of air flowing through. These curtains also go perfectly — better than any fabric swatch I was considering — with her room color and a roll of subtle ballerina border paper which I've yet to apply. It's feels good to walk into or past her room and not feel like a peasant family. Prior to this, I'd had these solid crimson colored silk panels which previously were hanging in our New York dining room. And to boot, two of the panels were some 2 feet shorter than the rest, as they had been covering a bay window seat.

Sandbox Grand Opening

Sunday was the big unveiling of the sandbox Mikel built for the children. Mikel did an impressive job, even building stone stairs up to the box. The kids loved it, and I realized that I could even bring out some reading material since they played so nicely together and without need for my intervention.

Meet The Teachers Day

Yesterday was Anna's long anticipated meet-the-teachers day at a local park. She was so excited that she even refused Yogo snacks while we waited in the car for Mikel to meet us after his work day ended. When I asked the children if they wanted a snack, Anna said "No, teacher." The whole event was pretty climactic. We just walked up, got our registration packet, introduced ourselves to her teachers and a few other parents, enjoyed a cookie and then chatted with the owner of the school, who we recently found out lives just a few houses down from us!

I'd been talking it up with her for a while, which, after reading something in the information packet, I guess I need to cool on before school actually starts. One tip to help ease the transition for young children is to not make going to school THE conversation because it could create anxiety and nervousness for the child. I'm probably more excited about her going to school than anyone else. It feels like real school or something ... like the equivalent of kindergarten or first grade when we were kids. I mean, we're going to be dropping her off and then picking her up hours later. She must carry a backpack, so I found a cute, but not too cutesy, preschooler backpack from Pottery Barn Kids that I'm going to order within the next few days. In a light pink, of course. In addition to school clothes, we have to send her to school with slippers (Not the big gaudy kind. I'll get her ballet slippers.). When children get to school, which actually is a house with big open rooms, they'll take off their shoes and slip on their slippers. The reason for this is to help create a quiet learning atmosphere and for cleanliness, I'm sure, especially in the winter with slushy snow outside.

Of course, parent volunteerism is expected, and I'm looking forward to that. And I have to get a few supplies — such as paper cups — for the school, something each child must bring. I also have to remember that she's supposed to bring a can of unfrozen concentrated juice each month. There are a lot of other things to think about, including should I offer myself for a parent committee, which I'm not inclined to do. I really feel like I'm most effective as a background worker bee, especially regarding subjects about which I know nothing.

I feel like I need to reread the packet just to absorb it all. Oh, and I also must attend a mandatory parent orientation in two weeks. Children should not come to this meeting, so Mikel will have to stay with them. Oh, and another thing, I am also going to help clean up the school for a couple hours this Saturday morning. I think I'll take Anna with me to help her get familiar with the place. I know it sounds like a lot, but I'm kind of excited!!

After our school obligations, we walked into the park for a little fun before we had to go home for dinner. This is such a great park. No explanations necessary, except that I will point out that Alexander was going down the shoe slide so fast that he's all blurry in the photo. Not sure how evident that will be when it gets posted.

Twisty Slides Are Fun

We returned to the park after my last park posting with all the pictures. At that time I'd said I didn't get any photos of the children going down the big twisty slide because I felt I needed to go with Alexander. On our next trip to the park I let Alexander go by himself. I wasn't necessarily planning to. He started to climb the tall stairs and I started to pull him off when an extremely polite older boy (seen in the photo right behind Alexander) offered to watch him. I decided to let it happen. The railings on either side of the stairs were tall, so he couldn't fall off to the sides (perhaps only down backward) and the slide itself had high enough sides, and other children his size were doing it (I know that's not a very good excuse, is it?) alone. He loved it, of course, and went down several times, each time with the nice older boy there to ease my fears. Anna was off playing on other things.

Doctor Day

Today we took the children to see their doctor. The difference in how they acted today (well, mostly Alexander) compared to those times after we first arrived back in the states was like night and day. Anna didn't cry at all. She was very brave when she had to get a booster shot and her finger pricked. Alexander cried twice for very brief periods and otherwise showed no resistance. During several of his visits months ago he would wail at the top of his lungs, turn beet red and tense up his entire body. He was very cooperative today. When the doctor asked them who wanted to go first, Anna was quick to point to her brother, saying "No ... Buddy." (She goes back and forth between calling him Buddy, the nickname she created when she couldn't pronounced brother, and Alezzander.)

The children have grown so much since we've been home with them the past nine months. Their first doctor visit was Nov. 8. At that time, Anna weighed 27 pounds 6 ounces (60th percentile) and was 34 inches tall (50th percentile). Today, she is 31 pounds 10 ounces (70th percentile) and is 38 inches tall (70th percentile). Then, Alexander weighed 21 pounds (50th percentile) and was 30.5 inches tall (20th percentile). Today, he is 27 pounds 3 ounces (40th percentile) and 34.5 inches tall (40th percentile). Yea! They're growing. I've been trying to fatten up the little guy, especially. Mikel and I measure them ourselves each month and they both have under gone a growth spurt just since we've been in our new house.

As a reward, the doctor gave them each a book, stickers and a sucker. Here they are enjoying their prizes.

T-Ball Tikes

Alexander and Anna spent the afternoon Sunday playing T-Ball, one of Alexander's birthday presents from his grandparents. Alexander was very generous with sharing what he calls his softball game with his sister. Mikel helped the children with their form, while I snapped photos. Shreve oversaw the fun while guarding the house from his shaded spot on the front porch.

... OK, I know parents love to sing their kids' praises and think they're smart and great at everything. I'm going to be one of those parents for a moment. Hope you don't mind.

I'm amazed at how quickly the children have picked up the English language. Alexander commonly says three-word sentences now. He likes to point out stuff: "Boo boo right there," pointing to a place on his crib where he bumped his leg or head; "Big garbage truck, Mommy." "Diaper off, mommy," he said, stating the obvious today as I walked into his room after his nap. It even sounded like he'd said "I" on the front end...as if to say "I took my diaper off, Mommy." And last week he suddenly began pointing to letters and saying them. I was taken aback one morning as he pointed to the letter "G" on the Huggies wipes box and said "G". I said, "What? What did you just say?" It sounded like "G" but then I couldn't be sure. Later that afternoon, he pointed to the letter "A" on a magazine cover and correctly named it. Again, I was floored because, although we sing the ABC song and play with letter blocks and books and such, I haven't really sat down with him to point out specific letters in a little school session. Maybe he got it from Sesame Street! It could be a fluke. I don't think I've noticed anything else, except for him pointing to letters and incorrectly saying them. But, hey, at least he's making that connection. He has been, for a bit, however, making the counting connection with fingers. I can hold up 1 or 5 or 2 or 4 fingers, and he almost always correctly tells me the number! He seems to get stuck on 3.

I haven't mentioned Anna because it's not so shocking — maybe because she's older and it has always been obvious to us that she is so bright (whereas occasionally Alexander exhibits that deer-in-the-headlights look) and, after all, she does know many of her letters and numbers. She doesn't know all the alphabet, but she has been for the past month or so correctly pointing out letters. Also, she'll see a number somewhere and tell me what it is. Mikel has the number 12 on his softball shirt, and when she saw him wearing it she informed me that Daddy had a number 1 and a number 2 on his shirt. In an amusing little bit, when she correctly points out something to me (even if unsolicited) Anna very often pats herself on the back with a "Smart girl" comment.

When any sort of counting bit or counting song comes on Sesame Street, I have noticed that both children look up and really pay attention (otherwise they might sometimes be playing with their toys as Sesame Street airs in the background).

More Choppers, After All

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So I took the camera with me on our Main Street stroll before Mikel and I went to the concert last night. I was able to get a few interesting shots before the sun set. Many folks rented out their lawn space to biker campers throughout the week. It was a nice little getaway for us. We were gone about 8 hours and racked up quite the babysitter bill! Apparently the children did really well with the sitter — ate all their food and went right to sleep after playing. They were so cute before we left. Mikel was in the car waiting for me and I was giving last minute instructions and kisses as I tried to get out the door. "More kiss. Hug ...." they said with arms outstretched and lips puckered.

Vroom, Vroom

This is motorcycle rally week — the time when some half a million bikes converge in the Black Hills (and the time some residents plan far in advance to be gone from it all). We have been among those eagerly awaiting its arrival. The annual rally is technically held in Sturgis, this teeny little town of barely 6,000 people about 40 minutes or so away from Rapid City. But motorcycles, mostly Harleys, are all over the area, including Rapid City. Even if they're not staying in Rapid City, we see tons of them on the roads riding through on their way to Mount Rushmore for the day. And they're from all over the country. This morning alone I saw plates from Pennsylvania, Arizona, North Carolina, many midwestern states, and even one from Louisiana. The children, especially Alexander, are mesmerized by motorcycles, first getting acquainted with them while we were in the apartment (our neighbor had a Harley). So, we loaded up the family in our own set of wheels last Sunday afternoon and drove over to Sturgis for a bit of gawking. We didn't get out of the car to stroll up and down the main downtown street, which is shut down to the four-wheeled variety of vehicle, so my pictures are quite "vanilla." Mikel and I are getting a babysitter for tomorrow night, as we're going back for one of many, many concerts being hosted at a variety of locations there. I figured I'd go ahead and post these pics, as I probably won't be lugging the camera around with me tomorrow. I know pretty much nothing about motorcycles but many of the ones you can see up here at this rally are distinctive, to say the least. All kinds of colors, designs and styles. And, of course, all kinds of people driving them.

Coexisting

Not a very exciting post, I realize, but I thought these were cute pictures of Shreve doing his best to get along with the children. I may have mentioned before that I've always thought he was a bit aloof, and that hasn't changed, but I guess he's come to accept that we're all just one big forever family, like it or not. He's good with children, as in he doesn't bite and will tolerate strange young ones giving him a little pet. But he's definitely not a big kisser or PDA kind of doggie, except with Mikel or me and usually only at the end of the day when he's tired or in need of some attention. Yet, he always stays close to us, especially when we're out at the park or someplace. When we're gathered at the table to eat, however, he'll be anybody's best friend. Usually, he doesn't like to lounge on the sofa while the children are climbing around on it, but on this day he decided he wasn't going to budge an inch for the children. Way to go, Shreve! You stand your ground!

Magic Show, Play Yard

Last week I took the children to see a magic show at the library. Here they are hugging for my camera before the show began. Just as the magician was on his first trick, Anna informed me she had to go to the potty. So, we made our way through the crowd, went to the bathroom and never returned. We stood at the end of the crowd after the bathroom break but I had a feeling the children were still a bit too young for a magic show. They certainly weren't going to pay attention from so far back. Maybe it was simply that I didn't feel like tiptoeing with two toddlers back to our front-row spots on the floor.

Instead, I took the children to the play yard at the hardware store. I had to go to the store anyway to help Mikel narrow down which landscaping stones to purchase. Alexander was DAZZLED by the tractor. Even when he went inside the little house to play with Anna, he pushed the tractor and parked it beside the door.