Branson Vacation

As I mentioned earlier, Ted's parents moved overseas recently for 18 months. In their absence, they generously allowed their children to use their timeshare points. Normally, we opt for budget accomodations (yes, you can fit five people into a single room with one bed), so staying in resorts this summer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Branson, Missouri has certainly spoiled us. With two spacious bedrooms and bathrooms (the jacuzzi tub was a real hit with the kids), a kitchen, dining room, family room, and screened porch we had ample room to spread out. I cooked most of our meals, and we were able to eat them on the porch overlooking the beautiful grounds and scenery. In the evenings after cocoa on the porch, we put the kids to bed and relaxed watching the Olympics while the surrounding hills twinkled with house lights. Thanks Betty and Romney for a wonderful week!

Tourniquets and Pneumonia

One of the most frustrating things about having a baby is not knowing what is bothering them. A couple weeks ago Madeline was crying all night long, and I couldn't seem to figure out what was wrong with her. I rocked her, gave her cough medicine for the cold she was battling, and advil for possible teething. I went into her room throughout the night as she cried, and sometimes she was still asleep while letting out wails of pain. In the morning, Uncle Danny said he could stay home with Madeline while the kids and I went to school. When he walked into her room, she held up her arm, and he saw that she had her ponytail rubberband wrapped around her wrist. Her hand was so swollen that her skin didn't feel real, and she could barely move her fingers. The rubberband had cut deep into her skin, leaving marks that would take a week to heal. I took her to the doctor's office and they said that everything would be okay, but while we were there I asked if they would check out her cough. The doctor took a long listen and declared Madeline had pneumonia. After a breathing treatment, she sounded less wheezy. The breathing medicine, or Happy Juice as Uncle Danny called it, had the side effect of making her a little loopy. Madeline kept looking up at the ceiling and breaking out in laughter. If you look closely, you can also see her stiff and swollen left hand.

Summer Preschool

This summer I enrolled all three kids in camp on Tuesday and Thursday at the same place we attend preschool during the school year. I signed up to teach the 4's class while they were in school. It was nice for the kids to have some structure during the week, and teaching this summer was a good experience for me as well. I had twelve children in my class with two sets of twins and way too many kids with names that sound alike--Jake and Blake, Ashley and Ashton, Cole and Collin, and Mason and Megan. I had a sweet class with a few that tested the limits of my patience at times, but I enjoyed all of them. One beneficial thing I learned is that a four-year-old will do almost anything to earn a sticker. It cracked me up how interested the preschoolers were in everything I did. As soon as I opened my lunchbox the class went crazy asking what was in there and comparing their food with mine. And when they went to play during free time, they often pretended to be me. It was quite amusing seeing them act out what I had taught them that morning, using the same phrases and singing the same songs. I missed the last day with them due to the incident with Madeline's hand, so I dropped by to say farewell as the day was ending. The kids all swarmed around for hugs and to tell me about their day. I hope I'm lucky to have another great class come the long haul next school year.

An Extra Long Visit with Michelle and Danny

This summer my sister Michelle stayed with us for six weeks while she interned at a Dallas law firm. While we see each other every year or two at family gatherings, it's not the same as having a chance for quiet, relaxed conversations. I haven't lived near Michelle since I left for college when she was not quite ten years old, and I've always wished we could get to know each other better. I feel like this summer I made a cherished friend. Sometimes she got home from late dinners and events after Ted and the kids had gone to bed, and it felt like a slumber party sitting up and talking until we both got sleepy. Aside from discovering that we're both night owls, we learned from our time together that we both love chocolate in its various forms and have an endless attention span for shopping. I kept a mental list of some of the surprising tidbits I didn't know about my little sister--she can do the splits, she's never read or seen Little House on the Prairie, and she can stay focused on one task at a time (something I have never accomplished). When Michelle first arrived, Madeline, who generally scowls at strangers, stared her down for a couple seconds before breaking into a big smile. Ted and I went out on a date a couple nights later, and when we returned, I asked Michelle if Madeline had done all right. She said she didn't seem to miss me too much, as she followed Michelle around all night calling her "mommy." I later asked Madeline if I was her mommy, and she shook her head and said, "Shell mommy."

Michelle's husband Danny joined us for the last couple weeks of summer after finishing his own internship in Williamsburg, and he was a big help with the kids. The children loved having the extra attention, eagerly anticipating the times when their aunt and uncle were home. When they left to return to law school, Sierra cried herself to sleep for a couple nights, and I even found stiff upper lip Caleb shedding a few tears under the princess tent. Little Madeline sometimes asks, "Shell? Nini?" I keep trying to convince them that our next visit at Christmas isn't really that far away.
Michelle's delicious strawberry pie

Caleb hugging Michelle goodbye--he didn't want to let her go!

See you at Christmas!

Faces of Frisco

Sierra and I were walking through City Hall a few months ago when we were stopped by a local artist. He said he was painting portraits of Frisco residents, and he asked if he could photograph us as possible subjects. He phoned me a little while ago and said my portrait would be featured in the gallery, but that he wasn't using Sierra's portrait since he'd tried to capture her and couldn't. When we arrived at the Open House, all the friends and family of the painter knew about Sierra when they met her, saying the painter had said she was the prettiest little girl in Frisco and just couldn't do her justice. He did, however, give us one of his attempts. Here we are with our portraits--I'm quite certain mine doesn't look exactly like me either, but it was fun to be included in the exhibit hanging next to the former mayor. When we walked in, Madeline got really excited, pointing to the wall and shouting, "Mommy! Mommy!" The artist laughed and said that was the best compliment he could be paid. While we were standing nearby, I heard a group of friends trying to guess each subject's profession. They seemed to think I look like a CIA agent--guess I'll keep that in mind for future job possibilities.

The Tapping Sisters

ABC's

Madeline has a few favorite songs--the ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle, Old MacDonald, and anything featuring Elmo. She's rather adamant about her music being on whenever we're in the car, and when a song stops, she'll scream for more. We're all getting a little tired of Elmo's high pitched voice, but it's better than hearing Madeline cry, so we usually give in. Here she is leading her faithful followers, Caleb and Sierra, in ABC calisthenics during breakfast. Notice how quickly they run to turn the music back on again once it stops and she squawks for more!