Time Flies

Yesterday, Chase brought home the last month of the school menus. Only 5 weeks left of Second Grade.

AWANA is nearly over for the year. [Chase said 17 verses in one night to get caught up] And Ellis said 4 last night. In 2 weeks they will each graduate to the next level. Ellis will move from Cubbie to Spark, and Chase from Spark to T&T.

Only 5 weeks more of Gymnastics for the year. June 5 the girls will get to give a performance in the same field that their Aunt and I did some 30 years ago.

Chase was checking all these things off of her mental calendar on our way home from church last night. "I'm so excited. It means that summer is coming! And that I get to stay home..." PAUSE. "With YOU people..." PAUSE. "Do you think we can start planning play dates now?"

Danger Zone

It's been a little rough around here lately...

Easter weekend, Mark took a wrong step and threw his back out. He spent the weekend flat on his back and yelling out in pain. A trip to the doctor showed compression between l4/l5 and after a shot of cortisone in his back and a counter full of drugs, he is starting to feel some relief. He is still in obvious pain, but took running clothes to work with him today. [really?] Perhaps a slow walk through Cleveland in the fleeting sun?

This morning I tripped and fell and caught myself by grabbing the edge of the bedroom door. Which consequently closed on both my hands. On my right hand, only the pinky got slammed and is now sporting a throbbing blood blister under the nail. On my left hand, I skinned my palm, which is also bruising, and smashed the middle three fingers. Verdict is still out on the middle finger. It is throbbing and numb. I am just feeling idiotic and can't believe I managed to damage BOTH hands. Not like I need them-- much. And my moaning on the floor woke a cranky Avery before her time. Ellis looked at my hands, said "That looks like it must hurt, crying won't make it feel better, I am going outside to play."

And Avery continues to flirt with danger. Yesterday, while I was folding laundry in one bedroom, she crawled off to her sister's room. Then she go quiet. Which didn't alarm me much, since she often climbs onto the bottom bunk (really just a mattress on the floor under a loft) and takes a nap. But then Ellis came in and asked me where Avery was [This was about 2 minutes after she had crawled over to their room]. I told her that I thought she was alsleep in Ellis' room. Ellis said that she didn't see her there anywhere. So I looked. No Avery. I looked in the closet. No Avery. I checked my bedroom. No Avery. The bathrooms. No Avery. Back to the bottom bunk. [Looking in all the other rooms took about a minute] I called her name. And as I looked over at the loft, she sat up and smiled at me. From the top. One more room to be totally off limits.

Duck

A duck by any other name is still a duck.

Or every animal is a duck.

Avery is standing at the door yelling about a duck. This one is actually a robin. But sometimes it is the neighbors dog. And sometime it is the cat (duck/Zack, they sound similar right?) And the rubber duck is a duck.

If you use the word enough times, you are sure to be right occasionally.

Couch Potato

I ran upstairs for a few minutes--Chase and Ellis are both in bed and yelling for drinks of water.

I came downstairs to find that Avery had climbed onto the couch, grabbed the remote, turned on the TV*, and she was busy flipping through the channels**.

She stopped on "Dancing with the Stars." and was bopping her head to the music***.

I applaud her efforts.

I question her viewing taste.

* I believe that it was pure chance that she found the power button.
** And her good luck that found the channel up button.
*** And the music distracted her enough to make her stop pressing the buttons.

On the record

Finally, I can announce my new "Nephew" [Second Cousin?]. He was officially named today [After his two maternal great grandfathers], and the birth certificate was filed...

We welcome:

John Charles
Born 4-11-11
8 lbs. 2 oz.
21 inches

We are beyond excited at your arrival.

Week of the DaPT

It's a cold and rainy Saturday. Puzzles abound and I've dragged Avery off the kitchen table, the bedside table and the coffee table... just your average dreary day.

It started a little earlier than I had planned--the gas company came to change out our meter at 7am. They were scheduled to come between the window of 9 and Noon, [which past experience usually turns out to be about 2pm] but they were trying to get ahead of the rain. Nothing like waking up to someone banging on your door early in the morning, when they are not expected.

* Avery is finally looking and acting like her usual happy self. Her reaction to the DaPT lasted for 5 full days and then another 2 days of rest to make up for the overall lack of sleep. If I didn't personally know several people who have had Pertussis [for MONTHS], I might seriously considered marking this one off the list. At least we have about 4 years before this one comes around again.

* Ellis had her Kindergarten screening, and in true Godale Girl fashion, decided to clam up. Despite how quiet she was, she did well overall and the teachers that talked to me afterward said, "She is very shy, but NOTHING compared to Chase!" Which is true. I am hoping that she will warm up to Kindergarten in a way that Chase did not.

* My cousin had her baby boy this week. She is settling in to life as a new mom. We are so excited for her.

* I finished up the taxes (last minute gal that I am) and plan on filing the federal ones online tonight, and mailing state and RITA on Monday. Doing taxes make me super grumpy. I hope that once all the forms are out of my hands, my general mood will improve.

* Mark is off to run the Boston Marathon for what I think is his 17th or 18th consecutive time. It's a running streak that is considered to be quite impressive... since you have to qualify every year by running fast marathons. I keep saying that the next time we'll drive up as a family. In the 15 years of knowing Mark, I have never managed to make it to Boston. Now that my childhood friend and her family live near there, I might beg her to let us camp on their floor.

Seeing Pink

Things that come in sets of four? Godale Girls!

Mark sees a relay team. A Girl Band. Doubles tennis.

A tree house that he plans on living in during the teen years...

I see sisters.

ETA 9/5/11. [coincidentally, that is LABOR Day.] Realistically, given past history... sometime at the end of August.

Round 'em up

Last night was the Girl Scout Round-up. Hundreds of girls in an elementary school gym. You wouldn't believe the noise level. Yikes.

Chase is not much of one for wearing costumes in public (outside of Halloween) but I did convince her to wear the cowboy hat.


She had fun and we had a few extra hours of quiet at our house.

Growing

Today we had Avery's 15 month check-up. She is growing--as if there were any doubt. 2 lbs and 2 inches since December.

Her stats are:
Weight: 17.5 lbs. (3rd percentile)
Height: 28 inches (below 3rd percentile)
Head: 50th percentile

Perplexing comments... based on Avery's refusal to walk (although she stands, cruises, climbs, and crawls at mach speeds) were that since she shows all the motor skills for being able to walk, that should she not be walking in a month that we should see someone to address her "confidence issues." And, you thought surly teens were hard to counsel.

And in unrelated growing news... Chase has finally graduated out of Toddler Shoe sizing... At the ripe old age of 8, she is now in a Girl's size 13 shoe and gets to shop in a new aisle. She was extremely excited. [A shoe size that I didn't achieve until the 4th grade... ]

A few more of the same

In further developments...

Avery has been enjoying banging on the sliding glass door and yelling "GO AWAY" at the neighbors dog.

Great fun...

Girl of few words

Avery is a girl of few words. Chase was that way, too. For a time.

I think that Avery is just SO laid back. She's happy to say Mama, Dada, and sign for "want, more, and all done." But last night she gave us all quite a surprise.

Ellis was taking a bath and Avery was standing at the side of the tub watching. [She still hates baths... but will gladly sit on the floor of the shower when I shower... but she does like to watch the big girls take baths and play with toys.] Chase walked in and decided to join Ellis and Avery turned and said "Go away." and then cried when Chase got in the tub [until handed a new toy.]

Despite how CLEARLY she said it, we figured that it was purely a coincidence of babbling. Had to be.

Fast forward about 2 hours. Avery was having a hard time falling asleep, so I was laying down with her. Mark walked into the room and came over to the side of the bed. Avery sat up and clear as day said "Go Away." By gum, I think the girl has got it. She used it in context twice in the same night.

Mark's comment? "Well, she's heard her sisters say it often enough. Guess she really is a Godale girl."

Trivia fact: Chase's first sentence was also "Go away."