In the past 6 months we have dealt with both lice and chicken pox. Anything else we need to know about?
Adventureland
This past Friday we went on our first trip to Adventureland. Like most things in Des Moines it is a little smaller than in big cities, a little cheaper, and a lot more convenient. We did not tell the kids we were going until the morning of, and they were very excited. Andrew could not wait to go on a rollercoaster, and Elliot and Mari were up for anything. It was a fun day.
Andrew’s First Rollercoaster
If you can’t see the video, Click Here.
Playing
I have a rule about asking more questions. Basically if there is a question I want to ask, I have to ask it. Maybe I will share some of the Q/A’s here.
Yesterday at Mahoney State Park there was another family at the playground and they were all playing together really well. They had four kids, ranging from 6 or so to an older teenage boy. All four kids seemed to be engaged with each other in various games.
I asked the parents a few questions and I think that the two most interesting answers dealt with how they get them all to play together and how they spend their Friday nights. First of all, they said that in any activity they do as a family they try to find a way to get everyone involved so that the older kids are interacting more with the younger kids, rather than doing their own thing. They also encourage the older kids to play at the littler kids’ levels.
They also shared with me that on Friday nights they have ‘Special Treat Night’ where one kid gets to pick what they eat for dinner and then after dinner they play games – usually one for the younger kids and then after they are asleep they play a game for the older kids.
It seemed like they had to work hard to get where they were, and probably had to make some sacrifices. In the end they seemed very excited about where it has gotten them and were very excited to share with me.
After we left the playground to say goodbye to the Connors, who were playing tennis, we saw the family again at the tennis courts, playing ‘triples’, with three members of the family on each side of the court.
Swimming in Omaha
On our way back from Mahoney State Park yesterday we stopped in Omaha to hang out with our friends Andrea and Grace for a while. They are usually in NYC, so it was nice to have them so close. Since we were passing right through we stopped for a little while to hang out and visit.
There was a large number of veggie straws consumed.
Mahoney State Park
Last night we returned from a 4 day trip to Mahoney State Park. Susan’s sister, Mary, and her family have been going there for the past few years and this year they convinced the rest of us to come out (it didn’t take much convincing). We had a nice time swimming, hiking, fishing, playing tennis, mini-golfing, and melodrama-ing. The kids were totally worn out by the time we made it home. All three were asleep by 8 and slept late this morning.
Wallace Farms
This week I picked up my first order from Wallace Farms. We found out about them at the Natural Living Expo and I have been on their mailing list ever since.
We started out small, ordering five 1 lb packages of ground beef, but I really like the entire process, and plan on ordering more in the future.
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Elliot, who has always refused to come anywhere close to the potty, said ‘Meeeeeeeeee’ tonight when I asked if anyone needed to go pee before our bike ride. He sat on the toilet for a couple minutes and sure enough he managed to pee for the first time on the potty. He also peed in the potty after our bike-ride, before bed.
I know we have a long ways to go, but after 5 and 1/2 years of diapers, it will be nice to be done.
Swingin’ on Up
A couple of weeks ago Mari started pumping when she was swinging and a few days ago I noticed she was actually doing something. Today she learned how to start all by herself and get going. Congratulations Mari!
She has also shown some interest in riding a bike this Spring. A couple of times she has asked to ride Andrew’s old bike. She doesn’t quite have the confidence yet to pedal enough to stay up, but it is nice to see her try.
Chicken Pox Update
Andrew is still the only one with the chicken pox, and he is handling it well. Yesterday was his worst day, as he was really itchy and had a hard time getting to sleep and sleeping. Today he is doing much better, and looking a lot more scabby. Hopefully he will be out of the woods soon.
Elliot is still not showing any signs of having it this time around, which means he will probably get it in a week or two, and worse because of all of the exposure from being around Andrew.
Mari accidentally had the vaccine, so she may not get it at all. We’ll see.
The Pox Is Upon Us
This afternoon we noticed that Andrew is starting to develop the chicken pox. Hopefully Elliot will have some popping up soon, so we can get past this quickly. Otherwise we will have to do it all over again in two weeks, and it will be even worse.
Gray’s Lake
Yesterday the kids and I hit Gray’s Lake in the evening. Gray’s Lake is like a little piece of Minneapolis in the heart of Des Moines. We had a nice trip around the lake with Andrew on his bike, Mari on her balance bike, and Elliot on his scooter.
Part of the lake was flooded, and rather than head to the playground the kids opted to play in the water a little.
Organizing the Basement
I didn’t think it could be done, but today Susan organized the basement. I think she also has plans to tackle the attic this afternoon.