Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Nick at Sharon Woods


After some initial hesitation, Nick discovered the joy his sister has always known.

Sharon Woods


If there is water, she will find it. I don't think Katie has ever met a puddle she didn't like.

Katie and Friend


Katie and her new friend.

Memorial Day 2006


Happy Memorial Day, Horrid Tuesday!!

We spent Monday morning, playing at Sharon Woods, a nearby park that has a lake, some playgrounds, small running water areas for little kids to play in, and pretend fossils and ice age animals. The kids of course loved every minute. They played on the tire swing for a few minutes and did some running around and climbing, and then it was time to get rid of those pesky shoes and run through the water. After a little tentativeness on Nick's side, they were soon running up and down through the 3 inches or so of water and the little fountains that bubbled on either end. Katie declared she was having a "spy adventure". Where does she get this stuff?? Nick only had two minor mishaps: the inevitable fall on the bottom into the water, so his clothes were all wet, and he fell on the same knee that he cut when we arrived here a week ago. That is about the 10th time he has ripped open the same gash. I think I have more clothes with blood stains from this past week, than in the past 4 and a half years with Katie. All in all, they had lots of fun!

Now turn to Tuesday early morning (around 3 AM). Nick wakes up with 102 degree fever. He is due for his follow-up visit this week for an ear infection he had before we left. Of course, we are now a bazillion miles from home, don't have insurance cards, don't have a list of preferred providers, and don't know a good doctor. What's a mother to do? So I call my loving hubby and ask him to once more try to get the medical insurance all worked out.

He is able to finally get some info out of the benefits people and as I am looking for a pediatrician online, my darling fever ridden son comes up to tell me "POO-POO".

Yes, he is only 19 months but somehow has the general concept. I ask "POO-POO?", to which I get the reply of "MMM HMM". All right lets go change that diaper. I pick him up to discover POO POO has come out of the diaper and is all down his legs. GREAT!!!!!! Change the diaper, clean the legs, put him back down, go back to finding a doctor.

NO that is the simple solution..... instead have him come back to tell me "POO POO" again. Hmmm, all right, let's go change that diaper again then. POO POO once more all down the legs and on the outside of the diaper, but none in the diaper.

How can that happen, asks every mother who has changed thousands of diapers by now?? Then I hear Katie's, UH OH! The first POO POO had leaked onto the toy truck that both kids love to ride upon, and there is a landmine of it covering the seat and side of said truck. So once more I clean said child's legs, bottom, hands and arms, just in case, and then tackle the truck. Thank you makers of Clorox wipes!

Now that the POO POO incident is over with, I am left with the task of finding the doctor. Several hours into the process, I pick a place that seems to be nearby and have several doctors that sound okay by brief description on the website. I call, and am asked all kinds of information I have no clue about. Can't you just make an appointment and iron out the details later. Of course not!! They won't see Nick unless we have an insurance card or pay out of pocket. So for now we have an afternoon appointment to have him checked out. Never a dull moment around here!

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Kids in a Box


Remember how they always say kids don't care about the toys they get for presents, they would rather play with the box?

Well here is living proof!

Fairfield Apartment




LIFE IN AN APARTMENT!!

Need I say more. After living in Texas for 10 years and in a home with real bedrooms, real bathrooms, and just plain old real room... We have moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. While the weather is beautiful and we have seen many nice places, it is very different.

Currently we are staying in a 2 bedroom apartment while we await the sale of our home in Houston. Any takers??? Today we took a couple hours to go house hunting with kids in tow. We went to a few houses that had open house signs outside and were in a neighborhood we had found a nice house before. Funnily enough, an open house sign doesn't seem to necessarily mean the house is open. Three houses in a row, and only one house were we able to walk through. The others had signs leftover we were informed from several weeks ago. Hello????? Remind me not to use that realtor ever. Anyway, we saw several we liked from outer appearances and one we liked, way out of our price range.

Tonight will be a trip to the ice cream place. We found a Carvel while out and about this morning and are planning to go take a taste. Katie has been dying to get in the pool, so I took her there this afternoon and BRRRR!!!! Of course she didn't mind one bit. I can remember begging my parents to go swimming whenever we were near a pool, yet as a parent I find myself saying "not too long, and geez this is really cold, you sure you want to go in?" Could it have been that long ago that I was her size?

Anyway, things are going relatively well and we are enjoying a nice sunny Memorial Day weekend in Ohio.

The kids are surviving apartment life and hopefully we will be in a home soon.